We are now advanced diver certified! We went to ADEX fair in April 2024 with an open eyes, not knowing where to pursue the course but we knew we had to it the following month. After roaming around the fair, we decided to go with Phuket as it is convenient and it fits our timeline. The course cost $700 per person. However, the water visibility was not so great while we were there. Nonetheless, we are glad that we managed to clear the course! As of now, I have no plans to take on another diving certification but I plan to have more leisure dives to better myself as a diver. I am excited to pursue free diving next.
Experiencing Yi Peng has always been a dream of mine. Watching thousands of lanterns rise into the night sky felt like stepping into a scene from Tangledโtruly a dream come true for many girls.
Before attending, we kept our expectations low because we had come across many negative reviews. Some mentioned safety concerns, such as parts of the stage catching fire. While releasing lanterns is obviously not a completely risk-free activity and accidents can happen when people are careless, the organizers should still be well prepared for such situations. Considering there were more than 3,000 attendees, monitoring and controlling everything would not have been an easy task.
We purchased the standard ticket, which cost around $180. Initially, we felt it was quite overpricedโand to some extent, it was. However, after experiencing the event ourselves, it honestly felt worth the money. The biggest surprise was the fireworks display that began as we released our lanterns into the sky. Seeing the lanterns floating overhead while fireworks illuminated the night was absolutely breathtaking. It was a magical experience that I would love to witness again.
1. Yi Peng Festival
๐ Pick up at Maya shopping mall
$180 for standard ticket, including transportation and dinner
2. Coconut Market
๐ 94 Soi Ban Tong 2 Mu 3, Fa Ham, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50000, Thailand
3. The Giant Chiangmai Thailand
๐ 9, เธซเธกเธนเนเธเนเธฒเธ เธเนเธฒเธเธเนเธญเธ, Huai Kaeo, Mae On District, Chiang Mai 50130, Thailand
4. White Market
๐ 1/4-1/5,1/7-1 10 Nimmanahaeminda Road, เนเธกเธทเธญเธ Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
5. Jing Jai Market
๐ 46 Atsadathon Rd, Pa Tan Sub-district, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand
6. Tha Phae Walking Street
๐ Rachadamnoen Rd, Tambon Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Fez is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. We actually took a day tour while in Fez because we did not want to get lost in the Medina Maze. You wouldn’t want to end up in a wrong place as it can be dangerous. It is also known to have the oldest tannery. I definitely enjoyed my time more than in Marrakech, but maybe that’s because I didn’t spend enough time in Marrakech. We walked a lot in Fez, admiring the city beauty and also learning about the culture. Additionally, you can also join a group tour to the famous blue city in Morocco, Chefchaouen, which cost around $50 per person.
After speaking with a few locals to understand the situation in Marrakesh, we heard that it was not that bad hence we decided to take a day trip from Casablanca to Marrakesh. The private day tour cost around $225 per person. We were glad that we manage to visit Marrakesh even for a day since we have travelled so far.
1. Palmeraie Marrakech
๐ Palmeraie de Marrakech, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
2. Koutoubia
๐ Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
3. Medersa Ben Youssef
๐ Rue Assouel, Marrakech 40000, Morocco
4. Bahia Palace Marrakech
๐ Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
We didn’t get to visit the inside of Bahia Palace as it was closed and under repair due to the aftermath of the earthquake.
We flew from Luxor, Egypt to Casablanca and was supposed to take the train to Marrakech but we had a change of plans due to a major earthquake that happened on Sept 8 of 2023. It was definitely our first mishaps, having to replan our itinerary while in Egypt. We decided to spend more days in Casablanca and monitor the situation instead of flying back home. Casablanca is a home to 14th biggest mosque in the world, located by the seaside. It’s also the largest mosque in Africa. It felt very laid back while we were there.
1. Dar Dada
๐ 31 Rue El Arsa, Casablanca 20250, Morocco
2. Old souq
๐ H9WJ+W75, Casablanca 20250, Morocco
3. Hassan II Mosque
๐ Boulevard de la Corniche, Casablanca 20000, Morocco
Luxor โ palace of Egypt. Luxor is surprisingly peaceful as compared to other parts of Egypt. 2 days are sufficient to explore the east and west bank or Luxor. It is a 3 hours train ride from Aswan to Luxor. Purchasing train tickets in Egypt was not straightforward as we had some challenges to do it online. We had resorted to buying them at the train station itself. Do note that they only accept payments in cash.
Day 1 – Exploring East Bank of Luxor
1. Karnak Temple
๐ Karnak, Luxor, Luxor Governorate, Egypt
2. Mummification Museum
๐ ุด Kornish Al Nile, Luxor City, Luxor, Luxor Governorate 1362501, Egypt
3. Felucca Ride on the Nile
4. Luxor Temple
๐ Luxor City, Luxor, Luxor Governorate 1362501, Egypt
Day 2 – Exploring West Bank of Luxor
5. Hot air balloon
๐ Luxor, Luxor Governorate 1340420, Egypt
5. Colossi of Memnon
๐ Al Bairat, Al Qarna, Luxor Governorate 1341703, Egypt
Aswan โ also known as land of gold. It’s the most colorful city I have seen in Egypt. There are several sources that says that it’s known as land of gold not because they have gold mines, but it’s because it’s the center for trading, either that or they believe that the gold was the flesh of gods that were buried in Aswan. We travelled via evening flight from Cairo to Aswan, which takes about 50 mins and it cost $110.
1. Cruising along the Nile River
๐ Nile River, Aswan
2. Nubian Village
๐ West, Aswan, Aswan Governorate 1231022, Egypt
3. Light Show at Philae Temple
๐ Aswan 1, ุงูุจุญุฑ ุงูุฃุญู ุฑ 1240271, Egypt
Siwa Oasis โ what captured my attention about Siwa was the turquoise salt lake. It was the best decision ever to explore Siwa with @touritos_ for 3 days, from Cairo to Siwa and back to Cairo. One thing I had learnt while planning for Egypt is that, not all places are accessible via train. Hence the only way we could find to go to Siwa, is to drive, which is unpleasant because it takes 8 hours to get there. On the day we travelled to Siwa, the weather wasn’t the best. It was so windy, and our car broke down in the middle of nowhere. Our driver/guide was the best. He is always ensuring that we are comfortable and we will never go thirsty or hungry in the car. Yes, they provided us with water and snacks. However we were just napping most of the time :’) The package cost $380 per person, and it’s inclusive of meals, accommodation and transport. It is not a private tour, but we were blessed with the best group and met new friends from across the world!
1. Panta Lodge Siwa
๐ Siwa, Marsa Matrouh Governorate 5011611, Egypt
I love the style of the resort. It’s not a 5 star accommodation, but it’s so picturesque and the vibe is just phenomenal.
Cairo โ famous for its Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, also known as the great 7 wonders of the world. We flew from Singapore to Cairo via Etihad Airways and our air ticket cost $654. We had no issue with transportation, as it is pretty much accessible via Kareem everywhere we go. On day 1, we decided to explore the city by ourselves while on day 2, we had arrange a tour with @egyptmalayatours. It was nice having a guide as they are able to recommend us the best places to go to grab souvenirs. For accommodation, we had book an airbnb facing the pyramid which cost $200 for 2 nights. I truly enjoyed my time in Cairo despite it’s hot and humid weather.
1. Sunway Pyramid View
๐ 14 Al Amira Fadia, Nazlet El-Semman, Giza Governorate 12557, Egypt $100 per night
Hello again! I can’t believe that 2 years have passed since I last posted. Work has been chaotic, and it has been consuming all of my energy. I am actually taking a step back from work, and now focusing on my mental and physical health. So here I am updating on my travel journey that is long overdue!
In Aug 2023, my friend and I decided to take an impromptu trip to Vietnam during the long national day weekend! We flew to Hanoi, and took a bus to Cao Bang to witness one of the biggest waterfall in Asia. The waterfall was epic, but sleeping in the night sleeper bus was not comfortable at all. I think we were mostly concerned about our safety due to how fast the bus went :’) We also took a flight to Dalat and had one day to explore the cute town!
โฒ Hanoi
1. Hanoi Train Station
๐ 3 P. Trแบงn Phรบ, Hร ng Bรดng, Hoร n Kiแบฟm, Hร Nแปi 100000, Vietnam
Must visit when you are in Hanoi! Dine in at any of the shops by the railway track as you observe the train passing by you at a very short distance!
2. Hanoi Sky Lotte Observation Deck
๐ 54 P. Liแป u Giai, Ngแปc Khรกnh, Ba ฤรฌnh, Hร Nแปi 100000, Vietnam $11 for adult
โฒ Cao Bang
It was a 6 hours journey by bus from Hanoi to Cao Bang. Since we did not want to waste any time, we decided to experience the night sleeper bus which cost us about $62 for a return trip. In Cao Bang, we took a private tour which brings us to majority of the attractions in Cao Bang for a day. It was also difficult to find halal food while we were there, so it is encouraged to bring your own ready to eat meals! Ban Gioc waterfall is also known as Detian Falls, and it is located just next to China. You can view the waterfall from Vietnam side, or from China. PS: Be prepared to get soaked by the waterfall splash!
1. Ban Gioc Waterfall
๐ 54 P. Liแป u Giai, Ngแปc Khรกnh, Ba ฤรฌnh, Hร Nแปi 100000, Vietnam
2. Heaven’s Gate
๐ Cao Chฦฐฦกng, Trร Lฤฉnh District, Cao Bang, Vietnam
3. ฤแปng Ngฦฐแปm Ngao
๐ cแปญa ra ฤแปng ngฦฐแปm ngao, gแบงn, ฤร m Thuแปท, Trรนng Khรกnh, Cao Bแบฑng, Vietnam
โฒ Dalat
We had fun exploring Dalat by bike! There were no issues looking for halal food. The Crazy House were intriguing. It reminded me of Gaudรญ’s building architecture in Barcelona. Fun fact: There are actually rooms in the crazy house that you can rent for the night!
Memories in the making 
You must be logged in to post a comment.