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in Asia

Travel: Cameron Lavender (Cameron Highlands)

Cameron Lavender, Cameron Highlands, Travel, Malaysia, Pahang, Tourist Attractions, Things To Do, Where to Go, Travel Blogger, Diplomat's Wife,  Weekend Getaway, Flowers, Plants, Lavender, Roses, Strawberries, Mountain, Cool Weather

During my family’s vacation here in KL, we all went to Cameron Highlands for a quick getaway from the city and to catch a cool breeze. My mom and her boyfriend drove up first and we followed during the weekend when Alvin had no work.

Cameron Lavender, Cameron Highlands, Travel, Malaysia, Pahang, Tourist Attractions, Things To Do, Where to Go, Travel Blogger, Diplomat's Wife,  Weekend Getaway, Flowers, Plants, Lavender, Roses, Strawberries, Mountain, Cool Weather

For those who aren’t familiar with Cameron Highlands, it’s Malaysia’s version of the Philippines’ Baguio. It’s a district of the state of Pahang which is high up in the mountains.

Cameron Lavender, Cameron Highlands, Travel, Malaysia, Pahang, Tourist Attractions, Things To Do, Where to Go, Travel Blogger, Diplomat's Wife,  Weekend Getaway, Flowers, Plants, Lavender, Roses, Strawberries, Mountain, Cool Weather

Since it’s in the mountains, Cameron Highlands is pretty cold and can be a great escape from the rotisserie that is Kuala Lumpur. Seriously. What is it with the heat these days? I feel like I’m one of those Kenny Rogers’ chickens every time I’m out in the city streets. And if you start telling me that it’s already summer, I’ve got a comeback for you: Heavy. Afternoon. Rains! Climate Change right there, everybody.

Cameron Lavender, Cameron Highlands, Travel, Malaysia, Pahang, Tourist Attractions, Things To Do, Where to Go, Travel Blogger, Diplomat's Wife,  Weekend Getaway, Flowers, Plants, Lavender, Roses, Strawberries, Mountain, Cool Weather

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in Asia, Malaysia, Penang, Travel

Travel: Sun Yat Sen Museum (Penang)

Sun Yat Sen, Museum, Penang, Georgetown, Armenian Street, Travel, Asia, Malaysia, Things To Do, Places to Visit

A long overdue post that I should have written months ago. But alas, my crazy schedule got the best of me. And since I still intend to post about my solo walking tour of Penang while my husband was at a conference there, please bear with me on this little throwback. 😉

Sun Yat Sen is a name almost all of us have heard before. Usually from the history classes we had during primary school. A medical practitioner turned frequently exiled revolutionary then finally became the Founding Father of the Republic of China. He lived from 1866 to 1925 and was a key figure in overthrowing the last of China’s monarchs from the Qing dynasty particularly during the Xinhai revolution in 1911. This guy led a very interesting life and is actually one of my favourite Asian History characters.

But I won’t bore you by waxing poetic about his adventures. I just want to share with you this place I chanced upon in one of Penang’s most famous streets –  Lebuh Armenian – which is not only filled with quirky shops, temples, and cafes but is actually the location of a house that opened its doors for Sun Yat Sen and his party (Tongmenghui).

In the early 1900s, Sun Yat Sen travelled all over the world, gathering support for his revolution in China and he got it, obviously. One of his stops was Penang where a lot of Chinese people resided. After his first visit in 1905, he saw that it was a great place to promote his ideology and he then came back every year to invite more and more people into supporting his cause.

A house in Penang, which was the place where Sun Yat Sen launched the Kwong Wah Jit Poh newspaper and made one of his famous speeches that got him loads of financial support for his revolution, is now open to the public as a museum.

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in Asia

Berjaya Hills: Christmas Getaway Pt 2

On Christmas day itself, Alvin and I drove around Berjaya Hills, the complex where the hotel we were staying in – Colmar Tropicale – was located.

I love, love, love the weather in Berjaya Hills! A bit cloudy with just the right amount of chill. Enough for a light jacket or a bit of layering right in the middle of December. And with that kind of weather, it’s so much fun to do some walking/exploring (as opposed to the extremely humid weather in the tropics paired with extra bright sunlight).

We took the car instead of opting for the transport the complex provides as they come in different intervals and will surely take much of our time. We also noticed that the lines waiting for them were pretty long. Holiday = More people.

Japanese Garden

When Alvin told me that we can actually participate in a Japanese tea ceremony near the hotel, I was over the moon. I’m crazy over Japanese history and culture so it was only natural for us to give it a go. 😀

Colmar Tropicale, Hotel, Bukit Tinggi, Berjaya Hills, Japanese Village

Before all that, #OOTD! 🙂 Jacket is from Balmain (a gift), white cami from Forever 21, jeans from Next Jeans (Brand in the Philippines for teens – yes, I can shop still in teens and kids’ sections. Haha!), and sandals from Forever 21. 🙂

The garden was stunning. Not perfectly manicured but that’s what makes it seem natural – real.

Colmar Tropicale, Hotel, Bukit Tinggi, Berjaya Hills, Japanese Garden

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in Asia

Colmar Tropicale: Christmas Getaway Pt. 1

For Christmas, Alvin and I took a short drive outside the city to a place called Bukit Tinggi in Pahang, Malaysia. It’s a place en route to the Genting Highlands and is known for a couple of hotels and family-friendly attractions. We stayed there for two nights – one of which was Christmas Eve. We stayed in Colmar Tropicale, a French themed resort-hotel and explored other attractions in the area during our short trip.

Our trip to Colmar Tropicale was the result of my husband’s tireless research for places near the city where we can spend Christmas eve as it was our first away from family and friends. He was able to book the place long before invitations from our friends here in KL to join their families on Christmas Eve. So sweet of them! So we promised them we’ll come join them next year. 🙂

The drive took about an hour from KLCC. It is quite easy to get to with the help of our car’s GPS and Waze. Getting there is also far from boring as the drive can be quite scenic with lots of mountains and lush greenery.

French-themed resort hotel

Located 2,700 feet above sea level and surrounded by acres and acres of trees, the place is definitely cooler than KL and its surrounding areas. At night, it can even be chilly enough for a sweater or a light jacket.

The hotel’s complex is a replica of Colmar, a 16th-century town in France preserved to look the same up to this day. It’s not a perfect replica, of course. But stepping into Colmar Tropicale does feel like going back in time to a small European village where a Disney princess is expected to just come out and belt out a song at any time of day.

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in Diplomatic Incidents, Personal Musings

Just a short update: Touring The In-Laws

It’s been a couple of days since my last post and I was pretty bummed to break my one-post-a-day-for-three-days streak but wife/tour guide duties had to come first. My in-laws are in town until the 20th! 🙂

I’ve been taking them around the city by myself during weekdays while my husband is working at the embassy then he joins our ‘tours’ during weekends. It’s been great so far. My mother-in-law spoils the hell out of me. Just a little more and my husband might just get jealous for real. 😛

However, I do miss my alone time when I actually do get to write (it’s usually a weekday thing while my husband is at work). Or maybe, I’ll have one of those free days. You know, a day where I don’t have to go out at all and I can just sit on our couch while I watch Madam Secretary and The Newsroom episodes and I munch on Ruffles Sour Cream & Cheddar chips. Sounds really lazy and not me but hey. Maybe it’s fun to try doing nothing for a change. Haha! After the 20th, I intend to have that much needed break.

Huuuuuuge buddha statue at the Chin Swee Caves Temple near Genting Highlands. It was so cold that day! Not to mention windy. I was freezing my butt off while we were taking photos! LOL.

So far, they’re happy to see that life in KL is good. It’s an extremely expat-friendly city after all. Wowed them with my baking skills on they day they arrived, even. #WifeIt, I say!

I mean, really. Why do people always assume I can’t whip up something edible? LOL. Well, it’s prolly because my grandmother has been peddling the story that I was never the domesticated type. But really, Alvin and I have been doing pretty well on our own and the folks are pleasantly surprised (or should I say relieved?). 😉

My husband, being extremely OC and all, drew up the perfect itinerary which has been very helpful. So far, we’ve been going on a slow pace but the in-laws are definitely enjoying themselves. We go to one to two places in KL that are near to each other per day – just enough to see a chunk of the city without tiring them too much.

The slow pace is something that I’m not really used to, actually.

Alvin and I travel efficiently when we do it together. We’re not the type to loiter in one place or the kind of tourists that take too many pictures (even repeating some shots over and over and getting in the way of other tourists– ugh). We’re actually able to cover a lot of places during most of our travels which is just one of the things I love about travelling with him. He plans everything down to the train routes and stops, while I’m more of a wanderlust/anything-goes/smell-the-roses type who still walks and moves quite fast so we achieve a perfect balance by being together. He tends to go too fast at times, though and I’m the one who reminds him to chill for a sec and enjoy more. Typical me.

Mornings are spent with heavy breakfast (Rice or if no rice, a tonne of white bread!), a Filipino practice which isn’t really healthy and I’ve been trying to avoid for Alvin and I by serving cereal, wheat bread, yogurt, and some milk or fresh juice during mornings. But alas, it’s impossible to stop Filipino mothers from taking over the kitchen.

My father-in-law took a photo of Alvin and I outside Istana Negara, the old palace of the Agong which was turned into a museum. Such a luxurious home! Btw, yes. Those are red Keds. The Taylor Swift kind. 😉

My mom-in-law’s also cooking lunch today! Woohoo! Though I love cooking as a hobby, I can’t imagine myself cooking meals 2-3 times a day. That makes it a chore already and would take all the fun out of it! So I welcome all the help and am letting her have her fun in my kitchen for the next couple of days more. Heehee. I’ll just put Alvin on a diet once they leave. 😉

We’re off to Singapore again this weekend and will be welcoming Alvin’s aunt and uncle from Canada on the 17th so we’ll be having a pretty full house till the 20th and I’ll prolly be busy hauling them from one tourist spot to another. Tour guide practice, anyone? 😉

More later.

Love,

Carol

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in Asia

Travel: Langkawi Island Pt. 3 (Kilim River Cruise)

Doing a bit of backtracking today to share with you one of my favourite parts of our anniversary trip last October – the Kilim River Cruise. Personally, I think it’s a must see in Langkawi.

The sights are just too beautiful that it will literally make you stop for a bit and appreciate mother nature.

So to make this quick, here are a couple of snaps from that leg of our trip:

The Kilim River Jetty.

You can take a cab from anywhere in the island to get to Kilim Geoforest Park where the Kilim River is. The River Cruise is a great way to see the sights around the park. It’s also lovely to sit on a boat and go through calm waters while breathing fresh air and taking in all the sights, don’t you think?

You will be asked how long you want your tour to be – 1, 2, 3, or 4 hours. You will be given your own private motor boat (for your group of up to 15 people) with the guy operating it as your tour guide.

The river and the mountains surrounding it are just so picturesque. Make sure your camera’s memory card has a lot of space.

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