Just An Ordinary Girl

Photo By: Elin Chow

It has been almost two years since our visit to Bali and now, I am excited to share all our wonderful adventures in Bali! I am sorry that it took me so long to write about my Bali trip. There are so many backlogs of travel posts for me to clear, but I am doing this slowly with pleasure. This is definitely going to take me some time, so please be patient with me.

Understand Bali

Bali, commonly referred to as The Island Of Gods or The Island Of Thousand Temples, is breathtaking beautiful, magical and above all, romantic. Boasting beautiful natural landscapes and breathtaking sunsets, the island is known as one of the top honeymoon destination in Asia.

Bali is different from most of Indonesia. The island's population of nearly 4 million people are predominately Hindu unlike the rest of Indonesia are predominately Muslim. Balinese Hinduism is practiced by majority of the population of Bali.

The Balinese are very devout people where a large part of their lives are dedicated to religious ceremonies and daily rituals. The Balinese carry out their religious obligations with pride, and everyone in the family (even the youngest) take part in the ceremonies, rituals and sacred offerings. Throughout the day, everywhere you look, you will find small offerings in front of shops, temples, restaurants, hotels and resorts and even on the dashboard of a car. Temples can also be found everywhere, in fields, roadsides, beaches and even family housing compounds. This is also why Bali is known as The Island Of Thousand Temples.

The culture of Bali is unique. Despite mass tourism, the Balinese people has succeeded in preserving their culture. The Balinese are deeply attached to their religion and culture. They spend a lot of time in temples and are deeply committed to worship.

Most people in Bali speak reasonable English, so communication should never be a problem. The Balinese are generally very friendly and hospitable people, and will always greet you with a smile even when they cannot communicate in English. Please note that it is not mandatory to tip in Bali. However, I would suggest you to tip if you receive a good service. A small tip goes a long way!

Transportation

Private customized tour package

As this was the first time we were visiting Bali, we have no idea how we should go about planning our trip. We did not know much about the island's history, people and culture. Thus, we decided to engage the service of a private tour guide to help us create a customized itinerary, book our accommodation and drove us around the island.

Due to a lack of proper public transport system, the best way to get around Bali is with your own transport, whether you rent a car, a bike or hire a private car with a driver. A private and customized tour service would offer one flexibility, privacy, convenience and comfort. This is the most convenient way to travel across Bali to visit the many places of interests at your own pace.

Hiring a driver in Bali is reasonably cheap and reliable, which allowed us to visit and explore the many places that would otherwise be inaccessible.


So, after searching and browsing through several Bali tour packages online, we decided to book the 6 Days 5 Nights Full Ground Package with Febri's Bali Tour based on tons of good reviews we have read on TripAdvisor. I must say that was by far our best travel decision we have made for our trip!

Our 6 Days 5 Nights Package includes:

- 5 nights at 3* hotel
- Return airport transfer
- Private tour guide and driver
- Private full air-conditioned vehicle
- All entrance tickets
- 2 hours spa treatment
- 5x breakfast, 4x lunch & 4x dinner

Febri provides both a driver and tour guide at a fairly affordable price. Most of the tour packages I have found online usually only have a driver cum tour guide to take you around the island. This is what makes Febri's tour service special and different from the other tour operators.

I am glad that our decision to engage the service of Febri provided us a great opportunity to learn about the culture and history of the island. We were able to ask questions whenever we wanted. Our tour guide, Adi, was always very enthusiastic to explain whatever we wanted to know about the island.

We learn about some of the Balinese ritual and ceremonies, characteristics of a traditional Balinese family home, how much a typical person in Bali earns per day and what are the local prices for common goods and meals. It was great to travel with our own tour guide and enjoy a customized sightseeing tour suited to our personal tastes. Thus, I would strongly recommend anyone to hire a private driver to take you around the island if you want to experience the best of Bali.

I have written a separate detailed review for Febri's Bali Tour. Please read if you are interested to know more about my experiences exploring Bali with Febri's Bali Tour.

Contact Details

For those who are interested in engaging the service of Mr Febri, you may contact him either via

Email: info@febrisbalitour.com
Facebook: Febri's Bali Tour

6 Days 5 Nights Tour Itinerary 

The below shows the itinerary we have planned and covered during the 6 days we spent in Bali. Hopefully, this will be helpful to those who are planning to visit Bali any time soon

Just like my 11 days 10 nights round island trip to Taiwan, all the places on the itinerary below will be slowly linked to the individual blog posts that will follow by in the next few months. So be sure to follow me on Facebook or Twitter to get the latest updates on my 6 days Bali adventures!



During our 5 days in Bali, we traversed between the top of volcanoes and mountains to narrow winding road flanked by rice fields. We thoroughly enjoyed Bali and wished that we had more time to explore the rest of the island. Bali has so much to offer and every place is amazingly unique in its own way. Even so, this itinerary was a great introduction to the island.

Day 1


Kuala Lumpur International Airport > Arrival at Ngurah Rai International Airport > Check in POP Hotel Kuta Beach

Day 2

POP Hotel Kuta Beach > Barong Dance at Batubulan > Ubud Art Village > Kintamani Volcano > Lunch > Bali Luwak Coffee Plantation > Gunung Kawi Sebatu Temple > Tegalalang Rice Terrace > Kecak & Fire Dance

Day 3

Tanah Lot Temple / Pura Tanah Lot > Uluwatu Temple / Pura Luhur Uluwatu > Lunch > Padang Padang Beach > 2 Hours SPA Treatment > Jimbaran Bay Romantic Dinner

Day 4

Royal Family Temple / Pura Taman Ayun Mengwi > Ulun Danu Bratan Temple > Lunch at Pacung Rice Terrace  > Kuta Beach

Day 5

Watching Dolphins at Lovina Beach > Breakfast > Buddhist Monastery > Lunch > Gitgit Waterfall > Buyan Lake / Twin Lake > Candi Kuning Market

Day 6

Ngurah Rai International Airport > Kuala Lumpur International Airport

So, basically, this is my itinerary for my 6 days trip to Bali. I will be posting individual posts about the places we visited in Bali soon. So, be sure to follow me on my Facebook or Twitter to get the latest updates on my 6 days Bali adventures! Also, do not forget to share my blog posts with your family and friends if you find them helpful. In the meantime, you might also want to check My Wanderlust page for some of my other travel adventures.

Photo By: Elin Chow

Located in Pingxi District 平溪区 of New Taipei City 新台北市, there is a small town famous for its sky lanterns. Once a thriving coal mining district during the Japanese Occupation, the Shifen Old Street 十分老街 is now one of the most popular tourist attraction in New Taipei City.

Upon arrival, you will immediately noticed the railway track that was built alongside the street. Completed in 1921, the 12.9 km long single-track Pingxi Line 平溪线 was originally built for transporting coal and runs through Ruifang 瑞芳 and Pingxi District in New Taipei City.

Releasing the sky lantern 放天灯 is on the list of must-do items when you visit the Shifen Old Street. Pingxi is the only place in Taiwan where sky lanterns are allowed to be released due to its sparse population and high altitude.


To promote tourism in New Taipei City, the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival 平溪天灯节 was held annually. The annual Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival has always been the main highlight of Lunar New Year's activities in New Taipei City. Hundred thousands of people flock to the area for the Festival every year.

In the past, the festival is always held on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year to celebrate the first full moon. However, two more sky lantern release events have since be added due to its increased popularity.

During the festival, thousands of sky lanterns with prayers will be released into the air. It is an enchanting sight to see the night sky illuminated with countless floating lanterns.

Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is elected as the world's second largest festival at night by Discovery Channel. CNN Travel has named the festival as one of the 52 things to do in 2013 and fodor's Travel Guides named it one of the 14 festival a person must see in their lifetime.


Shifen Old Street run along both side of the railway track, cutting in between two rows of shops. Both sides of the railway is lined with sky lanterns or souvenirs shops, grocery stores and eateries. Almost all the shops sell either sky lanterns or lantern related souvenirs such as key chains and decorations.

Visitors can purchase miniature sky lanterns, postcards and other interesting souvenirs to bring home for friends and family. These little gifts are just perfect if you are buying for a large group of friends.


The street can be especially crowded on weekend and public holidays. Both locals and tourists flock to this small town to release paper lanterns with their prayers. The entire street tends to get more crowded in the evening. Thus, visiting early on a weekday is the best way to avoid the crowd.
The sky lantern ( also known as Kongming lantern or Chinese lantern) was invented during the the Three Kingdom period (AD 220 - 265) by Zhuge Liang aka Kongming to transmit military information to the allies. In early 19th century, the Lantern Festival tradition was brought to Taiwan and celebrated during the beginning of the planting season where people would release sky lanterns into the air with their prayers for the coming year.

It eventually evolved into a local tradition in Pingxi area in New Taipei City where lanterns are released into the air, carrying their wishes into the heavens where they will be heard. Today, people release the lanterns into the sky to pray for a lucky year.

The sky lanterns are traditionally made from cotton paper on a bamboo frame. There is an opening at the bottom of the lantern where a small fire is suspended on a base framework containing an ignition source. All the material used to construct the lantern were decomposable that can be burnt completely before falling to the ground.

However, the making of such traditional lanterns require specific techniques. With sky lanterns getting increasingly popular, it is hard for local manufactures to produce enough to meet the growing demand.

In order to speed up the manufacturing process, local lantern manufacturers have replaced the bamboo with magnetic wire and cotton paper with painted colored paper. To make the lanterns more visually appealing, manufacturers have also made them much bigger than before. However, the bigger size have made the lanterns harder to burn completely, which resulted in serious environmental problems.


Walking down the street, you will find lanterns in varying colors, shapes and sizes. The lantern usually have four sides, and each with different colors. Each colors is supposed to represent a specific auspicious meaning.

Red for good fortune
Pink for romance
Peach-Red for decisions and opportunities
Orange for money
Yellow for success
White for health
Green for growth
Blue for hope
Purple for idealism

The lantern generally range from TWD 100 to TWD 200 depending on the number of colors chosen. Apparently, the more wishes you have, the more you will pay for the lantern. You can also choose a lantern with just one basic color if you do not have the extra budget.

After you made payment, the vendor will unfold the lantern and clip it to a steel frame for you. You will be asked to write down your corresponding wishes on the lantern with the calligraphy brushes and ink provided.

Using the calligraphy brushes dipped in black ink, we scribbled our wishes down on the paper lantern.This was the first time we were using calligraphy brushes to write. I hope you do not mind our terrible handwriting.

For those who have no idea what to write, there is a little board on the side of the steel rack with lots of Chinese phrases for blessing and good luck which you can refer to.




After the train disappeared out of the sight, the entire street burst into life once again.




People believed that the sky lanterns will help to pass your wishes to the gods above. It is said that the higher the lantern floats, the more likely the wishes will come true.



It was peaceful to watch the lantern drift gently through the air towards the heavens.


Unfortunately, releasing of sky lantern has caused pollution to the environment. A sky lantern is only airborne as long as the flame stay alight and will sink back to the ground once the flame goes out. However, it may also land when it is still alight, making it a fire hazard. The flame source generally do not burn completely and may land in forests and buildings, causing pollution and even fires.

The newly designed lanterns may be visually appealing, but they create too much garbage that are hard to clean up. Even though the lanterns are marketed as biodegradable or environment friendly, most of them often land as dangerous litter.

However, this unique age old practice has become a source of income. Suppressing or banning this practice is definitely not easy. Thus, it is necessary regulate the activity.


Shifen Old Street is not only a great place to experience the local Taiwanese culture and way of life, but also a fantastic place for photography.


Thus, I would strongly recommend anyone to visit Shifen Old Street if you are in the area.

Shifen Waterfall 十分瀑布

Besides the sky lanterns, Shifen is also well-known for its waterfall. Located 20 minutes walk away from Shifen Old Street along a paved path, you will find the famous scenic Shifen Waterfall.




Further in, we came upon a long, wooden boardwalk surrounded lush rain forest. The boardwalk was a little slippery on wet weather, so be careful.

The walk to the waterfall is not tough, but there are lots of steps, so make sure you wear comfortable wearing shoes. Unfortunately, the attraction is not really wheelchair or stroller accessible. It may be impossible for people with mobility problems to get to the waterfall.


The boardwalk eventually leads to another set of stone stairs that descended down to the waterfall. Be careful on the stairs too. The stone steps are steep and can be very slippery when they are wet.



The long descend of stone stairs led us to the lower viewing platform. Measuring a total of 20 metres (66 ft) in height and 40 metres (130 ft) in width, the Shifen Waterfall is known to be the widest waterfall in Taiwan. The waterfall has been nicknamed the Little Niagara of Taiwan due to its horseshoe shape and powerful flow.

Although we were surrounded by lush green forests, the only sound we heard was the deafening roar of the water. As the water plunges down into the deep pool beneath, it create a mist and if you are lucky,  you will get to see rainbow. Unfortunately, the weather was very bad on the day we visited. It was raining heavily with very strong wind. We were drenched by the rain and waterfall spray, but it was well worth it.


The waterfall is surrounded by a park where you can sit and relax with a cup of coffee while admiring the view. There are three observation decks in the park for easy viewing. All the observation decks were extremely crowded with tourists, even on a rainy day.


We spent about 20 minutes taking photo and admiring the beauty of the majestic waterfall. I love the sounds of falling waters and smell of fresh mountain air. It gave me a sense of peacefulness. I would recommend anyone to drop by if you have some time to spare.

If you are interested to know more about our trip, you may want to check out our 11D10N round island tour itinerary for the list of attractions that we had visited during our 11 days in Taiwan. Be sure to follow me on Facebook or Twitter  for the latest updates on my 11 days adventures in Taiwan! You might also want to check My Wanderlust page for some of my other travel adventures.

Photo By: HomeAway

It is summer and it is time to hit the beach. While spending a day in the sun and sand is easy, packing for a vacation can be daunting task. With some many things to pack, it can be overwhelming to decide what are the essentials to bring for a beach vacation. For that, I have teamed with HomeAway to share my top 5 essential for a beach vacation.

1. Sunscreen Lotion

Sunscreen lotion is always an essential for a beach vacation. While having fun at the beach, it is important to keep our skin protected from the harmful effects of UV rays. I would not want to end up with damaged skin and spend the rest of the week in agonizing pain. Right now, the Banana Boat Sport Sunscreen Lotion is currently my favorite sunscreen lotion. I will always apply a generous amount of sunscreen to any exposed skin 20 minutes before going out in the sun. Be sure to re-apply sunscreen every two hours to make sure your skin stay protected for the entire day.

Other than your skin, do not forget your lips too. The scorching heat of the sun can cause the lips to become dry and chapped so it is equally important to keep it protected with a sunscreen lip balm. Using a lip balm with sunscreen will help keep your lips hydrated, healthy and soft.

2. Flip Flops

Having a pair of nice Flip Flops is a must for me when I am visiting the beach. I believe you would not want to walk on the sand in sneakers or high heels. Flip Flops are great for wearing to the beach because they are very easy to slip on and off when you are ready to hit the waters.

The good thing about Flip Flops is that you do not have to worry about ruining them in water even if you did not take them off your feet. They are also very light, durable and most importantly, very easy to pack because they does not take too much space in my luggage. I could easily just pack these shoes and nothing else for a beach holiday.

3. Hair Mask

My hair tend to get very dry, frizzy and brittle at the beach. So keep them smooth and silky, I usually apply a hair mask every time I wash my hair. Right now, I am using the L'oreal Professional Mythic Oil Masque. I find this product extremely nourishing. It really helps to smooth and de-frizz my hair. You may want to apply a leave-in hair conditioner with sunscreen to protect your hair from the harmful UV rays.

4. Big Bottle of Water

I always make sure I bring a big bottle of filtered water whenever I go to the beach because spending an extended period of time in the sun can be extremely dehydrating. Your body will be working extra hard to keep you cool and sweating will cause you to lose a huge amount of fluids and salts. Thus, it is very important to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated at all times.

5. Camera

I love photography and I would not want to miss any amazing photo opportunity. So, I always carry my camera with me wherever I go. I am currently using a Nikon D5100 DSLR camera. The camera is heavy and bulky, making it a little troublesome to carry around. I will never know when a photogenic opportunity will arise and I do not want to regret later for not bringing my camera with me.

Be sure to follow me on Facebook or Twitter  for any latest updates on my blog. You might also want to check My Wanderlust page for some of my travel adventures.

Photo By: Elin Chow

Sunset watching is one of our favorite and most enjoyable things to do in Boracay island. Apart from sitting on the beach, sailing through the Paraw is another awesome way to enjoy the spectacular sun set in Boracay.

Just like Helmet Diving, I have read and heard so much about this activity that I wanted to try it myself. So, other than the Helmet Diving package, we also purchased a Paraw Sunset Sailing package from the same tour agent from Shingley Helmet Diving and Tours at 2,000 PHP (about RM 182).

The tour agent initially quoted us an exorbitant rate of 4,500 PHP (about RM 409) for an hour sunset cruise. Just like what I have mentioned in my previous posts, most of the vendors in Boracay will usually start with an absurdly high price because they expect to negotiate. Bargaining in Boracay is a common practice and whether you get a good price depends largely on your bargaining skill.

We decided to lower the starting price to half of the original price, offering only 2,000 PHP. Surprisingly, they were willing to accept our initial offered price. Not exactly cheap, but we decided to book them for Paraw Sailing even though we knew that we still overpaid.

Our Paraw Sailing package includes:

- Free transfer from the hotel to the boat pick up location in Station 3
- An hour sunset cruise on a Paraw

The agent came to pick us up from our hotel at 5 pm sharp and escorted us to the boat pick up location at Station 3. We were introduced to the captain of the Paraw and were surprised to find out that we will be sharing the boat with two other groups of people. For the price we paid, we actually thought that we would be having the entire Paraw to ourselves. This means that we might have ridiculously overpaid the tour agent. Even after slashing the original price in half, the package was still expensive. That was the time when we really regretted for not offering a much lower price.



A Paraw is a traditional Filipino sailboat with two outriggers and sails. Its single shallow hull is usually made from wood and bamboo and there are two floaters or logs on its sides to help the boat balance and prevent it from capsizing.

Unlike pump boats which has outboard motors to give it power, the Paraw relies solely on the wind, so they are actually very eco-friendly. It was very relaxing and peaceful to ride on a Paraw as it does not have the noisy motor like most pump boats.

The hull of the boat is very slim, allowing only one person to sit in the boat. The captain of the boat will be the one sitting in the actual boat. There are netting stretched over the outriggers for passengers to sit and lie down to appreciate the beautiful sunset. In the center of the hull, there is also a compartment for us to store our belongings.


Before Boracay became a tourist attraction, the Paraws were mainly used for fishing and transportation of people and goods. However, since the tourism industry in Boracay thrived, Paraws are no longer used for fishing. Instead, local captains offer their paraws for island hopping and sunset sailing. Paraw Sailing is a great way to explore many beaches and snorkel site in Boracay. Due to the absence of a deep keel, Paraw has an advantage of being able to moor right on the shoreline, making it perfect for beach hopping.




With one hand holding onto the boat and another holding my camera, I quickly snapped several pictures of the breathtaking sunset.



The entire experience lasted about 45 minutes. It was short, but enjoyable.


Paraw sailing is a must do in Boracay. It is a lovely experience to catch the beautiful sunset of Boracay aboard a Paraw, especially when you are sailing with your loved ones. There is nothing more peaceful and romantic than sailing across the crystalline blue water as the crimson sun dips into the horizon.

Be sure to follow me on Facebook or Twitter for the latest updates on my 4 days adventures in Boracay! You might also want to check My Wanderlust page for some of my other travel adventures.