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One More Week in Dungun, Malaysia

I haven’t blogged for quite some time. I became busy with other types of work that I failed to update this site, even just with short stories on what I’ve been to lately.

What’s up then? I’ve got one more week to stay in Dungun, Malaysia. I can’t believe I’ve been here for two months! I’ve become comfortable with the environment and with this welcome change.

Tanjong Jara Resort, Dungun
Terengganu, Malaysia

Tanjong Jara Resort, Malaysia

I joined a jungle trek to the Chemerung Waterfalls yesterday. Tomorrow, I’ll go on another snorkelling adventure at Tenggol island. The next days, I’ll be biking to town and I’ll also relax on the shores.

jungle trek to the waterfalls

I’ve been carrying two bags with me that amounts to almost 20 kilos, and I’m lucky enough that I’m able to hand-carry them inside the aircraft. I don’t have to pay for luggage fees every time. The trick is not to look like you’re having a hard time with your bags and I’ve somehow perfected the act of being innocent so that the check-in counters wouldn’t mind me carrying another bag on the plane.

Changi Airport, Singapore

Anyway…

When I arrived in my room inside a cheap hostel in Bangkok, I suddenly felt my shoulders hurt. I took a break and tried to shrug it off. However, when I went out for a walk and brought my backpack, I could still feel pain.

Maybe it was the bad posture when I slept at the airport (to save on costs) or maybe my shoulders have grown weary because of how many hours of carrying bags in transit.

Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok
Slept on this bench for more than 8 hours

The Magic of Menorca

Note: This is a guest post.

The Balearic Islands have long been held as a perfect holiday destination, and it’s not hard to see why. This cluster of islands located just off the Spanish coast serve up a wide range of holiday experiences to suit virtually every taste and preference imaginable. They each have plenty in the way of laid-back resorts for those that like nothing more than kicking back on the sands with a good book. Clubbers and party animals will get their kicks in Ibiza’s lively San Antonio, or in the buzzing resort of Magaluf in Majorca.

And if you want long lazy days exploring historic towns and cities, or rambling across wide open spaces and lush green landscapes, Menorca is certainly the place for you.

I passed by Kuala Lumpur after about a month’s stay in Dungun, Terengganu. I was on my way to Singapore for personal reasons when I dropped by this capital city of Malaysia. I met with travel blogger couple Joey and Summer for a few hours and during the trip, I noticed a familiar advertisement shown on a large screen in one of the railway stations. These were those “More Fun in the Philippines” commercials played in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!

More Fun in the Philippines Ad in Masjid Jamek station in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I remember that there’s a huge campaign back in the Philippines to hype up tourism in the country. The social media community was swamped with so many meme’s of people who support the campaign. I was amused because I didn’t imagine that they’d play it in this side of the world.

It’s more fun in the Philippines!

I met with my friend, Den of TutuOnTheRun.com, the other day in Bangkok. I bought a few postcards from her volunteering project which was one of her assignments in VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas).

VSO is an international development charity that works through experienced volunteers living and working as equals alongside local partners. It is the largest independent (non-governmental) volunteer-sending organization in the world. – VSO | Wikipedia

Volunteer and discover the world.

She applied for the organization back in 2002 but she was denied application since she was told she needed more professional experience. Ten years later and after acquiring experience as a teacher, she’s finally going to make this pending dream into a realization.

Although Bangkok has become her comfort zone for over a year, she’ll move on with her adventures for a greater cause.

Spreading the news at an art fair in Bangkok’s Model Coffee.

Exotic Destinations at Bargain Prices: Egypt

Note: This is a guest post.

When it comes to your annual holiday and you want to keep costs low, you don’t have to stick to the normal haunts, necessarily. Cheap holidays To Egypt, for example, are easily attainable online, meaning you can visit a more exotic destination for your break away, rather than opting for the generic tourist traps.

Book with Direct Holidays and receive some of the best deals around. Egypt is much more than just a North African beach location. Steeped in ancient history, vibrant cuisine and amazing watersports and diving opportunities, it’s easy to see why this exotic paradise is a haven for so many travellers.

Whether you are heading to Egypt for the golden beaches and the crystal clear azure waters of the Red Sea, or you’re going to immerse yourself in the ancient history in the land of the Pharaohs, you can and you can affordably.

I was doing my daily routine of going online to work when it hit me. I’ve been on the road for six months. Six months! I quit my job in January and I’ve travelled to different places ever since.

Transit

Here’s a list of places I’ve been to in the past six months. Some I stayed for a few days, most I stayed longer. Duration of my stay indicated are just rough estimates.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – 2 days
Mui Ne, Vietnam – 2 days
Siem Reap, Cambodia – 1 month
Bangkok, Thailand – 2 weeks
Singapore City, Singapore – 6 days
Cebu, Philippines – 2 weeks
Boracay, Philippines – 5 days
Cebu, Philippines – 5 days
Manila, Philippines – 1 week
Cebu, Philippines – 2 weeks
Manila, Philippines – 3 days
Siem Reap, Cambodia – 1 week
Singapore City, Singapore – 4 days
Bangkok, Thailand – 1.5 months
Bali, Indonesia – 1 week
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 2 days
Dungun, Malaysia – running on my 1st month

Looking back, it seems that I’ve been to so many places in the last half of the year. It’s not that I can’t go to these places if I kept my previous job working in a contact center. Heck, I travelled to 4 countries and 8 local destinations within 8 months and still kept my full-time job. I’ve also had six consecutive trips in six weekends while juggling my part-time projects online. It just came to a point that I wanted more than the weekend trips.

I always wondered how it is to ride a huge wave like the ones I see on magazines or on tv. I thought it would be so cool to get wiped out, too. Well, I finally had my chance and I almost drowned when I tried surfing without an instructor at Kuta beach in Bali, … Read more

3 Kids in an Airport in Bali, Indonesia

Heading towards the check-in gates at the airport in Bali, Indonesia, I noticed 3 kids walking together in laughter. They were holding hands, pulling each other close and then pushing each other away.

We were on our way back to Kuala Lumpur after a seven-day vacation in Bali, and witnessing these kids smiling was, for the lack of a better word, cute.

Ngurah Rai International Airport Denpasar in Bali, Indonesia

I recently realized how a lot of people go to other countries for a holiday because they can’t experience summer in their place at the time. Just like two weeks ago, I saw so many tourists in Bali, Indonesia. I was also there to lounge at the beach and just relax; a couple of times I went to the waves to practice surfing.

How we wish that we can just control the sun. But since we can’t, we can chase it wherever it is high up; that is if money’s no big issue.

Dreamland Beach in Bali, Indonesia

In my case, I don’t normally take the weather into great consideration whenever I travel. I usually just book a flight and and deal with it as I arrive at my destination. I’m a little lucky because most of the time, the weather is on my side. *knocking on wood*

Magpupungko Beach, Siargao

When I stayed in Bangkok, Thailand for more than a month, aside from coffee shops, one of the places I frequently visited was the Terminal 21 mall.

I was introduced to this shopping and dining center by a fellow travel blogger and this became one of my favorite hangout places. For someone like me who’s constantly on the lookout for good internet connection to work on my online jobs, I always need a conducive place to do my tasks. Bangkok’s Terminal 21 was able to give me what this digital nomad’s lifestyle needs.

Terminal21

To give you some highlights, here are five reasons why I love the Terminal 21 mall in Bangkok, Thailand:

1. Themed Floors

Bangkok’s Terminal 21’s floors have different themes. These themes are patterned to famous terminals around the world. They are inspired by the cities of Tokyo, London, Istanbul, etc. When I first visited the mall, I couldn’t help but admire the way they built the complex to give a unique experience every floor.

Themed floors

I’ve been having problems with my laptop lately. I bought my Lenovo in February of this year and it’s on its 7th month now. The past few weeks have been terrible for me in terms of its performance. It doesn’t respond as fast as my old notebook with lower specifications.

Slow Response

Since I’m travelling most of the time, I have to make sure that there are no issues with my computer when I get the chance to work. And the last weeks have been a pain in the butt because of how slow it was. When I opened my browser or switched to a different application, it took a few seconds for it to respond.

working hard (or hardly working)
photo by Doi

So a new opportunity knocked on the door and this couldn’t have come at a better time. My trip from Singapore to Chiang Mai was cancelled since the airline company (AirAsia) is no longer operating routes between these two cities. I simply had to email them to get a refund for the money spent; quite a convenient way to handle disputes if I might say so.

in transit

Passed by Kuala Lumpur only for a couple of days and had to transfer to another state in Malaysia. It was nice to see the Petronas Towers and see these skyscrapers again. They look better at night but time was not on our side as we were catching different trips bound for other destinations.

Petronas Towers again

One More Week in Dungun, Malaysia

A Relaxing Break after Backpacking

The Magic of Menorca

More Fun in the Philippines in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Handmade Postcards Project for a Cause

Exotic Destinations at Bargain Prices: Egypt

Six Months on the Road

Transit

Bali Trip: Surfing Wipeout at Kuta Beach

3 Kids in an Airport in Bali, Indonesia

Chasing the Sun

5 Things I Love About the Terminal 21 Mall in Bangkok

1. Themed Floors

Laptop Issues on the Road

Slow Response

Currently in Dungun, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur Transit