A visit to Korea Plaza

2 minggu lepas aku sempat pegi Korea Plaza di Menara Hap Seng untuk attend seminar for muslim travellers. Ni sebenarnye kali kedua aku pegi such seminar. Event kali ni aku rase lagi interesting sebab kali ni mmg focus untuk muslim so diorang banyak stresskan tempat2 makan for muslim kat Seoul . Some places mmg dah well known but ade a few yg baru bagi aku. Pastu diorang ade jugak jemput speaker yg dah berkali2 travel ke korea untuk bagi few tips and tricks. Overall, the event was good and I would recommend this event to those who are going to south korea for the first time. However this kinda of event is only open to limited number of participants so kene apply dulu for your seat. Korea Plaza will announce the event in their website so do check out this page regularly.

Kat dalam plaza ni banyak diorang display things related to korean culture ... sempat la aku snap2 pic sebelum event start

Signature Jongkook oppa pun ade yer

Ni la salah satu restaurant yg diorang highlight tu . Kedai ni kat Bukchon jual kalguksu. They only use clams for the soup so boleh la try.

Finally, came the refreshment ... nyum nyum sangat korean food ni... prepared by the ahjumma and ahjussi yg ngajar korean cooking kat Korea Plaza tu .. and yes, mmg sedap , rase pure korean food and boleh amik feel ala2 dah sampai korea gitu ... nak2 plak dengan paper cup yg designnye sebijik mcm paper cup kat korea sana

Each participant dapat door gift and some useful brochures and vouchers

Dapat inflatable head rest and winter scarf from Winter Time

Discount vouchers for various places and eateries

Diorang jugak ade buat lucky draw tapi nak participate kene ade flight itinerary. Hadiahnye adelah Korea Pass worth 15,000 won. But being me, I'm always not that lucky. For lucky draw, diorang assigned kat aku no 3, and jeng jeng jeng, org no 5 & no 6 dapat the lucky draw ... hahaha mmg sangat2 tak lucky lah aku ni kan T___T . Anyway, you can always drop by Korea Plaza for information and discount coupons. Mmg banyak boleh jimat kalo pakai discount coupons segala tu

Oh, Kyochon is opening soon in Menara Hap Seng ... so lepas amik feel korea kat Korea Plaza tu, boleh la menjamu selera sesambil fefeeling Lee Min Ho kat sebelah ^_^

10 Random Facts When I'm travelling

Setelah sekian lame ditag oleh Abang Meng  , akhirnye baru aku ade mood nak buat entry ni.. pastu Syieda pun ade tag aku gak semalam ... uhukss i is very the malas sangat skang nih.... ditambah pulak dah already in vacation mood gitu, so hati pun dah terbang jauh sebenarnye...tapi utk memeriahkan keadaan, aku dengan rela hati memerah otak to come up with this entry

Okeh, let's start

1) Aku suka travel alone

Solo molo semasa berjalan adelah sangat best sebab boleh buat ikut suka.. takyah nak pk2 pasal org lain ... boleh ikut kaki sendiri mane nak tuju ... aku dah cuba jalan2 few times dengan not-so-close friends and few strangers kenal2 thru the forum.. hasilnye adelah aku rase tak best ... hihhi.. no offence yer to the internet friends yg penah jenjalan ngan aku tu... bukan korang tak best, cume aku je yg takleh masuk ngan style korang ... hahaha...  so skang ni aku either travel solo, travel with close friends ( which is like boleh kire dengan sebelah tangan) or aku heret adik2 aku ... nasib la adik2 ku dpt kakak yg tak reti2 dok diam ni ... tapi jgn risau, u know i will bring u all to good places right :P


2) Plan my trip months in advance

Yer, i'm a planning freak .. i plan everything in advance... like one year in advance ... bukan ape, tiket AirAsia biasenye kan murah time diorang bukak new travel date... yg mane biasenye setahun awal kan.. so mmg aku akan aim that time utk beli tiket ... jarang sebenarnye trip aku main terjah jer... even nak pi singapore yg just a stone throw away tu pun mesti plan 3-4 bulan awal ... besides, nak travel kene pakai ongkos yg agak banyak.. so sempat la nak penuhkan tabung ayam within one year kan

Tiket pi Seoul january aritu... gigih beli setahun awal

3) Itinerary is a must

I spend a lot of time drafting itineraries for each trip ... biasenye sampai berversion2 gitu ... setiap trip wajib ade itinerary nih... even local trip pun kene ade okeh.. kalo tak mmg rase tak complete je nak start the trip ... mcm takde hala tuju gitu ... pastu penting tuk aku bajet brape nak spend utk satu2 trip tu

My itinerary for the upcoming trip

Budget for my Swiss trip

4) I pack moderately and I pack early

2 weeks before travel, aku akan start packing dah ... biasenye aku tak bawak banyak baju ... kalo pegi 10 hari, bawak la baju utk 5 hari.. pastu kene curik2 mase utk basuh baju so that bleh repeat pakai baju yg same ... biasenye aku akan angkut jugak makanan dlm tin mcm tuna, sardin , then megi, instant soup ... ape2 je la yg instant ... kalau ke korea, aku suka makan nasik instant diorang dengan makanan dlm tin ni.. senang , cepat and kenyang .. masa pi jepun aku angkut nasik goreng brahim berkotak2 .. sampai sane terus masukkan dlm microwave and after few minutes dah boleh makan dengan nikmatnye

5) Dalam flight aku suka duduk tepi tingkap

Ni boleh kate dah masuk tahap wajib utk long haul flight.. kalo domestic flight pi sabah sarawak tu ok lagik kot dok aisle seat ... tapi utk trip balik 'kg', mmg aku make sure amik window seat ... kene spend duit sikit pun takpe janji dapat window seat... actually, reason utk tengok view tu dah jadik reason no 2 ... first reason adelah utk ilangkan nervous bile time turbulence ... iyer kengkawan, despite the fact that aku asyik ulang alik2 balik 'kg' je every year, aku sebenarnye sangat nervous bile naik flight ... before all the incidents yg baru terjadik thn ni pun aku dah nervous yg amat, apetah lagik after that... mmg nervous x 10 la kot ... biasenye bile turbulence tu kan, aku suka tengok kat luar plane so that my mind takde la dok focus sangat kat plane dok turun naik macam roller coaster ... ilang la sket rase dup dap dup dap yg mcm nak pecah dada tu


6) Accomodation perlu selesa, facilities cukup and tidak membebankan poket

Kalo trip overseas, aku akan pilih either hostel, guesthouse or B&B ... sebabnye nak jimat ongkos sebanyak mungkin  ... perlu carik yg ade washing machine sbb nanti nak buat activity basuh2 baju segala... maklumla bawak baju brape helai je kan... microwave jugak kene ade sebab nanti nak panaskan makanan yg dah penat2 angkut dari malaya tu ... pastu location pun kene dekat dengan public transport ... tak kose aku nak menapak jejauh2 lepas seharian berjalan non stop... sebenarnye banyak jugak criteria yg aku tilik2 b4 book hostel ni... bace2 review semua dulu dah puas hati baru book ... ni pun kengkadang makan mase berbulan2 gak ... payah nak decide nak book yg mane

Tu cerita kalo travel overseas lah... tapi kalo jalan2 dlm mesia, mmg aku carik hotel jer ... aku masih lagik skeptical dengan conditions motel, hostel, inn kat mesia ni.. so takmo pk panjang, carik la hotel yg best2 sket utk lepak


7) Suka amik gambar dari tempat tinggi

Walaupun aku ni gayat, aku suka tengok gunung ganang, suka tengok bangunan tersusun cantek dari atas ... jadiknye kalau boleh setiap trip tu kene masukkan tempat2 yg ade viewing point

8) Selagi boleh jalan kaki, kite jalan kaki jer

Kalau pegi korea tu, aku suka combine itinerary so that tempat yg dekat2 tu boleh sekali harung jer... jadiknye banyak la pakai kuasa kaki ... satu hari tu boleh kate berkm2 jugak la menapak ke hulu ke hilir ... bile dah rase penat yg amat tu baru la pk nak naik subway ke, bus ke, taxi ker ... jadiknye tu pasal before start trip, aku akan exercise lebey sket utk amik stamina ... pancit time travel adelah sangat tidak best.. nanti rase terkilan banyak tempat tak sempat nak terjah


9) Tak suka amik gambar sendiri

Yes, i dun take my own pics ... mmg tak suka ... amik gambar org boleh, tapi aku sendiri nak menyempit dlm gambar diorang mmg tidak la... org suka amik gambar sendiri sebab nak ade proof they have been there.. tapi bagi aku, cukup la dengan ingatan dlm kepala aku ni yg aku dah sampai satu2 tempat tu ...

One of the few pics of me when travelling

10) Suka kumpul shot glass

Tiap kali travel, menda ni mesti aku carik ... tak kire la jenis ape, HRC ke, hape ker... janji ade name tempat yg aku pegi tu ... pastu balik rumah susun elok2 atas rak

Orait tamat sudah penceritaan aku.. tu pun lepas penat pk ape nak letak dlm entry nih ... sebenarnye banyak random factsnye kan, cume tu la bile nak tulis dlm blog ni, tetiba rase blank pulak ... anyway, the holiday season is just around the corner so to those who's travelling soon, enjoy ur holiday and do take care !

Another round of sushi feast

Melepas gian makan sushi kat Sushi Zenmai Lowyat ... nyum2 sangat salmon sushi platter tu ... next time boleh pegi lagik

It never hurts to dream

Jom ke Switzerland! Hahaha ni adalah entry poyo + berangan tak abis dihari jemaat nan mulia ini...
Memandangkan semakin ramai blogger terbang ke negara yg serba mahal ni, aku pun mula la pasang angan2 utk jejak kaki ke sane jugak ... selak2 buku Lonely Planet,  browse2 internet, bace2 blogs pasal Swiss trips, finally i've came up with my travel route and after that i can't stop planning and drafting my itineraries for the trip which might or might not happen ... hahahaha keje gile pun ade jugak .. org lain buat plan bile dah kompom betul2 nak pegi, aku ni buat itineraries dulu tapi tiket segala nan hado lagik ... ni la namenye sesi berangan tak sudah kan ... the truth is, i love planning trips , suka draft2 itineraries, suka draft2 bajet ... i even have my travel planning book full of travel itineraries and budgets to various places, of which almost 80% of it i didn't get to go yet ... hahaa saiko much!!!

Over ambitious tak?

Cumenye sesi berangan kali ni beza sket sebab sambil2 berangan tetiba je tangan aku over gatal so aku dah siap book hotel semua .... hahaha .... is this a sign that this trip will actually happen? kekekeke.... tunggu sampai ade tiket kat tangan, baru boleh gebang lelebih kan :P ... until then, let me dream summore :)

Takwim Persekolahan Tahun 2015

Finally, jadual persekolahan yg dinanti2 oleh parents semua... Selamat merancang cuti bersama anak2 !

Public Holiday 2015

Akhirnye tarikh public holiday utk tahun depan sudah keluar ... aku nampak ade 2 time utk amik long leave ... satu time CNY ( yeahhh, masak la nak bersesak2 kat airport, bersesak2 kat highway kalo nak buat local trip ) ... lagik satu dari 1st May until 3rd May ... so kengkawan ape lagik, marilah kite memeriahkan sesi meramaikan epot time long weekend tu yer :)

*Gambar kecik .. sila klik utk tengok actual size

Already in holiday mood

Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha

Selamat hari raya kengkawan semua ... kali ni beraya kat mane? Aku untuk kesekian kalinye balik beraya kat kelantan ... ni tengah nak merehatkan badan lepas drive 14 hours dari KL ... over sangat kan... kalau naik flight, aku dah bleh sampai london dah ... nih la namenye pengorbanan ... tak gitu? ok lah, enjoy the raya and the long weekend ... jemput makan ketupat ^_^

Trying my luck

Random pic from Japan auction site

Apparently getting FT Island's concert ticket in Japan is not as easy as the one in Seoul. And to make things worst, all tickets are sold out !!! I have no choice but to start looking for third party services to secure one ticket for me through auctions. Tapi harga pulak dah markup sket, pastu seats plak unknown, and there are risks of buying auction tickets such as no refund in case the concert is cancelled, or the seller to sebenarnye a scammer, and etc etc ... ehh banyak plak cabaran nak tengok adik2 rumah kuning kat jepun nih :S ... Wish me luck!

Khaosan Tokyo Original, Asakusa

Trip ke Tokyo bulan april haritu, kitorang stay dekat Khaosan Tokyo Original. Main reason aku stay kat sini sebab ni antara hostel yg paling murah untuk private twin room and dekat dengan tourist attractions.

Harga : 5,000 yen per nite for private twin bunk bed ( Shared bathroom ) = 2,500 yen per person
Location : less than 5-minutes walk from Asakusa station using either Toei Asakusa line or Metro Ginza line
Tourist attractions nearby: Nakamise Street, Kaminarimon, Sumida Park, Waterbus pier, Tokyo Skytree
Booking method: We booked directly from their website. 10% deposit is needed upon booking. Just pay the remaining rental upon check-in.


Facilities:
Separate toilet and shower. 2 toilets on level 3, 1 toilet and 2 showers on level 2 , 2 showers on level 1.
2 bijik sinki kat level 3 just outside the guest rooms, sesuai utk org yg takmo mandi tapi nak freshen up before kluar. Takyah tunggu turn masuk bilik air.
Full kitchen utilities ( microwave, fridge, stove, etc)
Hanging out place ( tv, pcs, dining table).
Washing machine - 200 yen untuk skali gune
Rooftop garden yg sangat best utk melepak2 melayan perasaan
Free wifi
Ade vending machine just outside the hostel's main entrance.
Access to the hostel is by access code.


Pros:
Good response from the staffs. All emails were answered in just a matter of hours. The staffs speak excellent English so communication is not a problem.
They even collect your laundry from the ampaian in case you didn't get to collect them. Ampaian semua kat rooftop and the door to the rooftop close at 8.30pm everyday.
Luggage storage is provided just in case you reach the hostel earlier than the check-in time.
Bilik kitorang betul2 kat depan toilet. Senang nak buat bisnes pagi2, takyah ulang alik kluar masuk bilik tengok ade org tgh queue ke tak


Cons:
Private twin room is so small. Rase lemas at times.
Dining place is too cramp. Pagi2 mmg kene bersesak sket nak make our breakfast.
Long queue for showers in the morning.
Two power sockets available in our room but only one can be used. Thank god we brought our own extension plug.
Steep stairs.


Some pictures of the hostel.

Our room is on the 3rd floor

Keluasan bilik yg super kecik

Narrow space between the rooms. Took this picture from the entrance to the rooftop 

Dining area. Pic taken from Khaosan Tokyo Original website

Kitchen. Pic taken from Khaosan Tokyo Original website

Pic taken from Khaosan Tokyo Original website

Day view from the rooftop

Night view from the rooftop

Overall, aku puas hati with the facilities, cumenye hostel ni kecik pastu time kitorang stay tu mmg time peak so ramai dok situ ... terase mcm cramp je dok dlm hostel ... according to the staff, the hostel used to be a 3-storey house, then converted into hostel ... hence the ciputness in size... kalau aku happen to be in Tokyo again and still on a tight budget, i would choose this hostel again ... the price is reasonable, the location is ok and there is a direct train from both Narita and Haneda airports to Asakusa station on Toei Line.


More info can be found from the hostel's website :
http://www.khaosan-tokyo.com/en/original/

Travel with 50% off Enrich Miles

MAS dah start promo discount Enrich Miles ... sape2 yg ade Enrich Miles yg dah nak expired tu, boleh la cube tengok2 promo ni...

Aku nak simpan Enrich Miles aku for future trip to Europe yg tak tau bile nak happen huhuh... anyway, redemption can be done thru Enrich website