S$254 (100euros) from Kuala Lumpur to London!

Thanks to Asia's biggest budget airline, AirAsia, now we can fly to Europe for just a mere S$254 one-way, taxes included! It's REAL - I checked tix for nxt Aug - return tix S$600 (300euros)!

Imagine flying from London to Kuala Lumpur for ONLY 99GBP! Get your ass here to Asia!

www.airasia.com

Soaking up Paradise - Boracay

In this little piece of heaven,

we found peace and tranquility, and a kind of calm.

For a moment there, I was in a paradisical high.

It really felt like an escape from reality.

Everything they said about Boracay was real.

A tiny island that only existed in our fantasy.

Not overcrowded with tourists, nor overbearing touts

nor pumping loud clubs.

Just subtle beach bars and good food..

Seeing local kids play around in the clear waters

made me feel more blissed

to be in this authentic unspoilt haven.

Rusty tricycles are the most common form of transport

around this tiny island. 

Walking through the quaint little village towards our hostel,

we saw rural Filippino life and adorable local children.

Such bamboo huts are typical Filippino housings.

From ceiling to the floor, every single surface is covered with bamboo.

Beautifully simple.

The view from our hostel overlooking village huts.

This was what I wanted - a local insight to island life.

Trying street food has always been the top on my travel lists.

Filippino street food is undoubtedly one of the best!

Not to mention that BBQed meat and organs form an impt part of the Filippino cuisine.

Kechon Kawali.

Roasted fatty pork -literally 3 layers of fats between crispy skin and tender meat.

Fried to perfection.

Chicken Adobo.

Stewed chicken in soya sauce, vinegar and onion.

Seemingly simple, but overwhelmingly tasty.

Seafood stalls line the beachfront,

as restaurants tempt the passing pedestrians with their fresh and colourful catch.

A basic BBQ stand.

Of course I had to pig out on the famous Isaw Manok!

Isaw Manok (bbqed pig's intestines garnished with sweet sauce)

White beach is lined with chill-out casual bars

with comfortable bamboo sofas sprawled on the soft sand.

What better way to unwind after a day of soaking up the sun.

Oh and the best cocktails ever!

We rode around the island on a tiny rented scooter

and found this secluded piece of haven- Balinghai resort!

A rustic wooden place perched on top of a steep cliff,

spiralling down to a small exclusive beach..

It felt so down-to-earth and untouched by the world.

Ah food glorious food! 

Chicken cooked with coconut gravy.

The view of the sea from the resort.

Riding up to Mount Luho, the highest pt of the island,

was probably something we would not wanna miss out on.

From that tiny observation deck, you could see both sides of the island

the White Beach as well as the Bulabog Lagoon

which is the hotspot for kitesurfing..

Night falls and the island is transformed..

The best meal we had in Boracay, was at Jonah´s shakes.

The restaurant was all candelit and had a great atmosphere,

your feet would be feeling the soft sand, while the waves roll by right beside you.

They had excellent set dinners, for a great price

- rice with crispy fried shrimps, and stewed meat, along with a drink and fruits

for only 280pesos. (US$4)  

Mango Margaritas at the Hawaiian beachbar was perfect.

Short walk thru' Manila

Flying over the skies of the Philippines,

I will always remember the view of the numerous islands...

We had a short transit in Manila,

and decided to explore the city and perhaps get on one of the cool Jeepneys..

Their most common form of transport,

the Jeepneys are bright, eye-catching and definitely very local.

Street hawker selling some guava.

(a green tropical fruit that goes well with sour plum powder)

We walked through the streets of Malate,

an old-meets-new neighbourhood

Here's an unrestored Malate Church.

Street food with barbequed meat

- Isaw manok (intestines), chicken liver, and three-layered fatty pork

We didn't have enough time in Manila to really get a feel of the city,

but an odd but interesting fusion of modern buildings and traditional street hawkers.

A paradise for all divers

Sipadan is a haven for all divers and sea-lovers. Rich with coral reef and amazing marine life, it's not difficult to see turtles, huge groups of barracudas and reef sharks swimming by you. Located at the northern tip of the island of Borneo, this little Malaysian island is the best kept secret of Asia, and hopefully stays that way! I've had enough of tourists and party animals, can't wait for a relaxing time with nature.

AirAsia flies there now from Kuala Lumpur straight to Sandakan/Tawau where transportation to Sipadan can be arranged easily. You can dive Sipadan all year round, it is not affected by the monsoon rain.

I´m planning a diving trip there in X'mas, all the snowy days are over!

http://www.sipadan-resort.com/

Travel review - Wildlife Safari in the Serengeti National Park

Recently I'd started writing travel reviews for Cosmotourist, usually my own experiences travelling through anywhere in the world. I´m having a ball of a time, just recalling those days and penning them down and sharing my thoughts with like-minded travellers. It's a great site to get detailed tips and advices, check out my reviews at:

http://www.cosmotourist.com/myct/profile/u/adventurer/tab/1/t/

'Driving along the dusty mudroad in the middle of the vast Serengeti National Park, we saw thousands and thousands of wildebeests and zebras galloping along the plains, lazily grazing the grass, carefree and at ease in their natural habitat. I looked back from the opened rooftop of our 4x4 safari jeep, at the trail we left, and smiled. This IS what I'd been dreaming of. Wide vast land littered with animals, no buildings nor construction, just nature and how the stark naked earth. 

After a further 5km of wide green plains, the jeep came to a halt. There was a line of fellow safari craze, all watching in awe. There they were, two cheetahs just 2m away from the path, with blood dripping down their sharply jagged teeth, looking satisfied and unfathomed. A flock of vultures 100m away from them were feasting on something, seemingly the leftovers of the cheetah's meal. Our fellow travellers stared wide-eyed in respectful silence, as we heard the leopards sip from the puddle of rainwater. An amazing sight - it's not everyday that you get to see wild animals after a kill. 

Our fellow safari mate who have friends with safari experience, said we were really in luck to spot the cheetahs an inch away! Her father was in the same park, saw thousands and thousands of hyenas, giraffes, zebras and elephants, but not the fastest animal in the world. Soon enough, our luck had climbed a notch, and we were snatching binoculars from one another, peeking intently at an Acacia tree. Our alert and witty guide found the mystery animal with his naked eye, while some lucky ones spotted the animal right after using the binoculars, but me.. I was frantically searching for something I could not seem to find! 15 minutes of looking out through our opened rooftop jeep, I finally found it! The leopard was just lazily sleeping away on a branch, when all of us were admiringly staring at it! While the searching had given me a big headache, it surely made the wildlife safari more interesting and adventurous! 

So head out there! - I've heard you're sure to find an animal of your interest in the great wilderness of the Serengeti! '

Obama winning the world over

Obama won!!! America's gonna be a better place...

Confessions of a language freak

Growing up in this complexed modern society, I'd been speaking English and Mandarin since I was a kid. It was never a bed of roses, I remembered struggling between the two- which to work harder on, which I preferred and I never understood why I had to learn to be bilingual. Now life has taken a 180degrees turn, maybe after all the travelling, it's

become more of an interest, in fact an addiction...

French

It all started with my interest in the language of love - Francais. C'mon, every girl has had that love-lorned affair with this universal sexy language, it's like your lust for Jean Reno. So I twisted my tongue and jaw to fit the raunchy French accent for years, aceing my language classes, but alas, hearing myself speak French was like scratching the chalkboard with my long fingernails -painful. My unquenchable thirst for French came to a reluctant end. These days, I can  barely struggle with 'Voulez-vous couchez avec moi ce soir?'...

Spanish

The passionate language with lotsa tongue-rolling (rrrrrr) and exaggerated mouth action.The first Spanish word I'd ever learned was 'hijo de puta' (son of a bitch) much to the amusement of my amigos espanoles. The Spanish have this strong sense of pride in their country, everything from their well-loved Jamon (cured ham) to the botellon (alcoholic parties along the streets) and blood-splashing bullfights -I had to see it for myself! True to their words, it is amazingly

beautiful, culturally rich and a culinary heaven that has unknowingly captured my heart. I began my journey along the Spanish path, annoying bartenders with my broken Spanish and conjuring laughter with the funny sentences I put together. But I'm proud to say, after numerous monologues with the heavily-accented Andalusians in Southern Spain, I've painstakingly conquered this language- I catch their jokes, and I occasionally curse in Spanish now...

Arabic

Nobody around me understands why I would wanna learn the ancient Arabic language. It's a whole new world of characters, unknown to the imperialistic western world, and everyone associates it unfortunately with the terrorists.. I'd beg to differ! I've always had this thing for arabic scents, colours, and atmosphere. Living in Granada made me see

many sides of the Moroccan world that were so mystical and alluring. From then on, I made my way through Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt.. all of which have distinct flares of arabic culture. It's the way they speak that intrigue me - thou as a feminist, I disagree with the muslim idea towards women. I started picking up the Arabic language from a charming Algerian teacher in Spain, but still have yet to advance my level..

I think I should continue learning Arabic, oh maybe start on Italiano! aye!!

What shalt thou do without beautiful languages?!