Phuket 2018

This post was SO long overdue!! It was back in Feb earlier this year.
It was another family trip with the Razaks and we called it the Razak Trip 3.0 (as it was our 3rd full quorum family trip together).

We rented a beautiful villa called Villa Momo and it was beautiful (you can see the villa in the video at the bottom). We stayed there for 3 nights and this is what we did.

Day 1

We arrived at the Villa in the afternoon after catching a very early flight where we woke up at 3am in the morning! Everyone including the kids were very excited so they didn't sleep in the flight at all. Once we got into the villa the kids were very excited to see our own private pool, so we all jumped in while our cook prepared the lunch. Lunch was delicious as the cook made authentic Thai food! After lunch everyone slept and in the evening we called for foot massages. The foot massage was so good and they were so cheap at around RM40 for an hour. After dinner, everyone just chilled at the Villa while Kimi, his brother, Aaman and I went for a drive around Kata beach. I saw a few bars with girls dancing on the bars and couldn't help feel sad for those girls. We just stopped for a drink and then headed back as Aaman feel asleep.

Day 2

Sailing and snorkeling day! We hired a catamaran and headed out for a day of snorkeling.

At night, we had a bbq under the stars at the roof top of the Villa.

Day 3

Shopping day! We went to Patong to do some shopping. I actually wanted to buy some fake luxury brand travel bags. However apparently all counterfeit items were seized and they have stopped selling them since. So we just got some t-shirts and souvenirs.

Day 4

We went to check out some elephants in the morning before checking out. There was an elephant which you could feed and take pictures with. At the same place you could ride them and go jungle trekking but we didn't as it felt cruel. So we just took pictures and feed them bananas. The kids loved feeding them!

Add caption

We also stopped at a look out point to take more pictures.

Then we packed up and headed to the airport to go home. Stopped by a restaurant nearby the airport for final dose of delicious thai food!

Check out the video for more pics!

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Phuket 2018

Japan Day 5 - Kyoto

The last and final day, we went to Kyoto. There are actually many attractions in Kyoto but bearing in mind that we were travelling with kids and this was our last day, I really had to choose wisely on where to go in Kyoto. My word of advice is ONE DAY is NOT ENOUGH for Kyoto! So do try to spend at least 3 days here.

After discussing with an officemate who has been to Japan a few times, he suggested that we went to Southern Higashiyama area where the famous Fushimi Inara is. So from the train station we walked to Fushimi Inara.

We only walked around to the entrance of Fushimi Inara. We didn't do the full round tour as that would be long and tiring for the kids but I was happy enough to snap a few pictures of the famous red Shrine Gates.

Out of the many shrines in Kyoto, I chose Kiyomizu-dera as that was in the area. I read that the attractions in Kyoto are not that accessible via public transportation and it was suggested that we took a cab. So we took a cab from Fushimi Inara to Kiyomizu-dera which costed about JPY1000. Luckily we took the cab as we didn't have to hike up the hill from all the way down. The cab dropped us off around half way so we made the climb up to the shrine. The walk up was packed with people but it was nice to see the old Japanese streets. The area is very commercialised as it was lined up with souvenir shops but the it was still nice to see. Where Osaka is a modern city, Kyoto is your "kampung" (village).

Once we got up to the entrance, it was scorching hot and Kimi was pretty tired. So he sat down at the steps while I walked around the entrance compound taking pictures. The boys followed me and I just let them run around the area which they loved while throwing and playing with the small rocks.

Unfortunately they had renovation works when we were there. So instead of seeing this,

We saw this instead. 

We also opted not to enter the grounds as that would involve more walking and by this point (on our last day) our legs couldn't take it anymore! But I took loads of pictures here and it was enough for me.

Before leaving Kiyomizu-dera we found a restaurant where we had our late lunch eating soba and teriyaki eel with rice. Would you believe that this was our first time actually eating out in Japan. Other days, we either had McDonalds or food cooked from home and every night we cooked dinner ourselves. The boys were sick of our nasi goreng by then so they loved eating something different. 

After our late lunch, we headed to Gion. We only had about an hour of daylight left so we walked around the streets of Gion. I was hoping to see some Geisha but no luck. We did managed to find a street where there was a river running through it. It was so beautiful and apparently it was a pretty famous spot. A few friends commented that they had the exact same picture that I posted. 

It got dark around 5pm and we headed back to Namba. Unfortunately it was rush hour so we had to stand in the train. Luckily the boys were seated in their strollers. Luckily it was a direct train to Namba so we didn't have to change lines or trains anywhere.

Oh there was one thing I found very useful during my travels in Japan which was my iWatch! Using Google Maps from my phone to my destination, I then only need to look at my watch as it would show which stops I need to get off, which platform or direction to go. This saves me from having to hold on to my phone as it was all on my wrist! Super useful!

Google maps on iWatch

So there you go! Phew! I finally finished my Japan series. Hope you found it useful!

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Japan Day 5 - Kyoto

Day 4 - Universal Studios Japan (Don't bother going if you have kids under 6!)

Hello...let's continue my Japan travel blog!

Read Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 if you haven't!

Day 4 is USJ! Initially this wasn't on my itinerary at all but my sister in law said that we couldn't miss USJ. So at the last minute I bought the USJ tickets through Klook.

Upon reading blogs on USJ, it was highly recommended that we buy the express pass tickets coz the queues were long! Not wanting to waste time, I bought them. THEY WERE EXPENSIVE! I am essentially paying double for USJ. But what the heck, it's a holiday so just swipe! hehe

The Klook app was very useful because I could use the app itself to scan at the entry gates. As for the express pass tickets, we have specific time slots for Harry Potter and Flying Dinasour. Then we could pick and chose to use another 2 express pass for certain hot rides.

Express Pass - you need to choose one ride from each catagory

We took the train to USJ and arrived around 11am. The place was already packed!!

Here we go!

The rides that we aimed for were Jurassic Park, JAWS and Harry Potter. So we headed to Jurassic Park first where Kimi and Nazrin went in first. I stayed outside with Aaman who was due for his nap so I managed to him so sleep while waiting for the boys at Jurassic Park. Then after they finished it was MY TURN! YEAYY!! I am a huge fan of roller coasters so I was SUPER EXCITED! 

Jurassic Park ride

Using the Express Pass really saves time! So at this point I was very happy that we bought them!

We grabbed some lunch near the Jaws area and to our dismay, JAWS ride was shut for the day! I was super disappointed as this was the ride we looked forward to which Aaman could go on as well. So then we proceeded to Harry Potter World.

A pic with Jaws

We are not major Harry Potter fans, but it was still magical to walk and enter into Harry Potter's world. Prior to our Japan trip we even got Nazrin to watch the movie so that he would get excited. So by the time we got to the Harry Potter world, we knew that he wanted to get a wand.

Butterbeer!

I couldn't miss out on buying some butterbeer which is essentially ice cream soda with caramel sauce. It was super yummy but a tad too sweet. Our designated time for the Harry Potter ride was at 2.30pm so we started to get in line using the Express Pass. Here is where it went downhill from there on. NAZRIN WAS NOT TALL ENOUGH FOR THE RIDE! I couldn't believe it! He was short by a few inches. By then we were so disappointed and obviously I couldn't go for the ride and ditch the rest of the family! Kimi wasn't keen on the rides anyway. So off we went to distract Nazrin and told him about the Terminator ride. Prior to leaving the Harry Potter world, he bought the illuminating wand and he was happy! PHEW!

My Harry!

When they went for the Terminator ride, I tried taking Aaaman for the 4D Sesame Street show. That didn't last long as he started crying a few minutes after it started. We waited for an hour for Kimi and Nazrin to return. Apparently, even with the Express Pass they still had to wait for a long time for the ride. We also had one designated time slot for the Flying Dinasour which is a roller coaster which looked AWESOME! But that was for 5.30pm and everyone was knackered already. So in the end I only used 1 Express Pass out of 4. BOO!! I really wanted to go on more rides but it was impossible with kids around. I should have only bought 2 (1 Adult 1 Child) Express Passes instead of 3 (2 Adults 1 Child) as Kimi and I could use one pass between the 2 of us.

So there you go, our trip to USJ which costed us so much! But eventhough it was expensive and I didn't get to ride the roller coasters, the kids still had a nice time! So that's what matters most. Here's the video of our day at USJ! Enjoy!

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Day 4 - Universal Studios Japan (Don't bother going if you have kids under 6!)

Japan Day 2 - 2017 Suzuka Japanese Grand Prix

Hey ho hello! I have been so busy with work that I never got the chance to continue my Japan diary!

So DAY 2 was all about the Formula One. Our main agenda on the itinerary!

From Osaka we had to take a train to Shiroko and from there a bus to Suzuka. We booked reserved seats online (Kintetsu) but had to purchase the actual ticket at the machine. Actually we didn't have to buy tickets for Nazrin as he is not in school yet (6 years old).

The train ride took about 1.5 hours and upon arrival, the bus service was already waiting at the train station. Everyone proceeded to walk in line to the buses. Everything was so organised, it was amazing.

Outside the circuit, there is a small themepark and entrance was already included in our F1 tickets. So we went on a 2 rides before going into the circuit for the benefit of the boys.

We bought the general admission ticket (West area) and it was a pretty good call as it was such a HOT day. We had shade under the trees where the boys played while we watched the race. Unfortunately there were no screens nearby, so I can't really tell what is going on elsewhere in the circuit. Basically we just kept track of who's who while they drive past.

The race was won by Hamilton (who is already the World Champion today for this year). The red bull boys gave a good fight and bad luck for Ferrari whose car had problems.

After the race, Kimi wanted to collect the tyre rubbers but we couldn't go in through the Grand Stands. Luckily, after walking around we saw that we can get into the circuit and walk around the West Area! By this time, both boys were already asleep (thank god for strollers!).

The West Area track would only be opened at 4.30pm and our train back was 6.30pm. So while waiting for 4.30pm I changed our train tickets to a later time. I thought I read that changing time for the train was free but my credit card go charged! But we really didn't want to rush so nevermind. So once the gate opened, we walked into the circuit. Kimi managed to get his souvenir so he was super happy about that. Totally worth the price of the changed tickets. (I found out later though that they charged my credit card but then refunded it back! So it was indeed FREE to change tickets).

We took lots of pictures on the track while the boys slept!

After our walk, we stopped by the souvenir shop for some shopping. After shopping we went back to the bus stop. By then most people have left so the queue for the bus wasn't long. Again, everything was just so organised! There were non stop buses to take us all back to the train station. We took the train home and once we got home we cooked dinner which we all devoured quickly and the kids went to bed straight after! We were all tired but mummy and daddy had a great time at the Formula One.

Costing

1. F1 tickets purchased through gootickets.com (RM1,000) - 2 adults 1 child
2. Train tickets from Namba to Shiroko (RM264) 2 adults
3. Reserved seat for train (RM127) 2 adults 1 child return
4. Bus ticket from Shiroko to Suzuka (RM59) 2 adults return

Check out our day 2 video!

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Japan Day 2 - 2017 Suzuka Japanese Grand Prix

Japan Day 1 - Osaka Castle and Museum

This is our first overseas trip as a family of four. Super excited but super nervous about travelling with 2 kids! We started planning early this year and the main agenda was to catch the F1 race in Suzuka. I booked our accommodation in Osaka and we planned the rest of the trip with Osaka as our base. I booked a studio from Airbnb and it was a good choice. The studio was small but it had 2 double beds (they even squeezed in a single in between as well!), a kitchenette and even a washing machine. It had everything we needed for our stay such as detergent, sponges, towels etc. We even brought clothes for half our stay and did laundry there to save luggage space. We travelled with 1 big luggage, 1 cabin size trolley bag and 2 strollers. It was a good thing that we brought 2 strollers because there was a LOT of walking! Going to and from the airport with luggages and strollers was a hassle as Kimi had to handle both luggages and the small stroller. But we managed! Phew!!!

In the train shuttle from Airport to Train Station
Kid's are TIRED!

Finally got to our room!

As we arrived to the room at almost midnight, our first day started late at around 11am. We decided an easy day to see the Castle should be enough. We were also learning and getting accustomed to the train lines and subway so we just took it easy. After 2 subways, we arrived at the Osaka Castle. It was a gloomy first day for us in Japan. We came prepared with ponchos for the boys though bought from Speedmart! They looked super cute in it!! We opted for the Electric Buggy to go to the castle gate which was a good move! We had to leave the strollers at the bottom of the castle and chose to go up the 8 flight of stairs to the top. 

Bonsai at the Osaka Castle Park

A temple at the Osaka Castle Park

Samurai statue!

Once we got to the 5th floor, Aaman who hadn't had his morning nap (it was 2pm by then) got really tired and asked for his milk. He feel asleep shortly after so I left him with Kimi while Nazrin and I went up to the top of the Castle. On top of the castle was the observation deck where you can see 360 degrees of Osaka. Nazrin' favourite part of the whole trip was seeing the samurai figurines in the castle. He kept on drawing samurais at war throughout the trip!

The beautiful Castle

Samurai!

View from the Observation deck

Serene garden

In front of the Castle is the Osaka Museum. We couldn't miss this out as Kimi loves museums. The museum starts from the 10th floor and you make your way down to the 6th floor for the main exhibitions.

I liked how they have depicted how it was like in the streets of Osaka back in the days. There were also many models of old houses with lots of samurais which Nazrin loved obviously. There was also a floor where the kids could pretend that they were archaeologists so they played there for a while. So it was a pretty impressive and interactive museum and definitely worth a visit.

Model of Old Osaka

Old Osaka

Walking through the old streets of Osaka

Here's a video summary of our Day 1.

Check back again for more Japan updates!

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Japan Day 1 - Osaka Castle and Museum

The Taaras - Pulau Redang

Post Pulau Rawa, Nazrin started taking an interest in snorkeling. Being the doting father that Kimi is who loves to do things that his kids love, he is now more open to the idea of beach holidays. Yeay!! So when my sister in law suggested a trip to Redang, we jumped on board! Yeay!

We rented a car to drive us to Merang Jetty in Kuala Terengganu. We departed from Bangi just passed midnight. With stops and a detour due to road closure, we arrived in KT in the morning. It was a long journey and a pretty tiring one as I couldn't sleep at all. Luckily we arrived in time for the boat which took us to Pulau Redang.



The boat ride took 45 minutes. It was fast and slightly choppy. The poor maid was so scared the whole time! The kids enjoyed the ride!



We booked the garden room which was the cheapest at RM800++ per night. This is the farthest from the beach but it had a nice veranda with view of the forest and monkeys. If you had extra money, do book the beach front rooms! The view there was too die for!

Day 1

After checking in, we all slept in the room after lunch. We were all tired from the travelling and it was just TOO HOT outside. We waited until 4.30pm to go to the beach. The beach was the best part with super soft white sand which Aaman truly enjoyed. Nazrin went snorkeling and there were plenty of fish just by the beach. However I felt that the fish at Pulau Rawa were more colourful. We had to go to the Marine Park to see more variety of fish.

Day 2

After breakfast, we all headed to the beach again. Nazrin went snorkeling while Aaman and I swam in the water or played with the sand. We were there until midday and stopped for lunch.

After lunch we all rested and slept. Again it was way too hot to be outside in the afternoon. We planned to go to the Marine Park at 5pm. We were picked up by a van and went on a small private boat to the Marine Park. 

As it was Sunday evening, all the other tourists were gone and we were the only ones there.

I really wanted to see turtles, but there were none at the hatching centre. There were plenty of fishes when we went snorkeling and they were naughty too! They kept biting our legs! I also got the opportunity to snorkel around an old shipwreck! That was the first time for to snorkel that far and to see fishes around an old shipwreck was so cool! A turtle also swam by but I totally missed it! 

Day 3

Since we didn't see any turtles yesterday, I said to myself "we HAVE to find turtles today!!"

So we rented a kayak to search for the turtles. Apparently the tame and friendly ones were just in front of our hotel. We got a kayak for each family and off we went! We headed toward the turtle bay and lo and behold, we found them!

The turtles swam around and under us. It was so magical to see them up close! Kimi even got to touch them! If you went with the hotel boat, you can even swim and feed them. But we wanted to save money but apparently it didn't cost that much. A friend paid RM50 to the hotel to take them but the hotel sign said RM60 per person? So I suggest that you ask the hotel how much it is. 

Anyway this was the highlight of my trip! We even got many cool shots of the turtles and us from my sister in law.

So there you go! Our Redang trip. Now I am counting days to our Japan trip!

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The Taaras - Pulau Redang