Exploring Batu Caves

Batu Caves is a limestone hill that has a series of caves and cave temples in Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia. It is literally about 11 kilometers from the city centre, making it one of Kuala Lumpur’s most frequented tourist attractions.



This 100-year-old temple is a functional temple where important ceremonies are being held, and it is considered an important religious landmark by Hindus.



 I've never been there, so, my friend and I decided to spend our weekend exploring it!

Enjoy the video!



 

Cycling at Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)

Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) is one of the leading institutions in tropical forestry research in the world.

The Institute sits on a 545-ha site adjacent to the Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve in the Kepong municipality, 16 km northwest of Kuala Lumpur.



FRIM was officially declared as a National Heritage on 10 May 2012.



My friend and I go there for cycling on Sundays. Its a beautiful place to be. You can cycle, explore the jungle, swim at the waterfall or even jog around a dedicated area.



Its a big lush institute with lots of greenery. You will forget you are just a stone-throw away from the busy Kuala Lumpur (and its traffic).



 

Exploring the National Botanical Garden (Bukit Cerakah, Shah Alam)

Taman Botani Negara Shah Alam or the National Botanical Garden is Malaysia's first agriculture park. It was opened to the public in 1986.

The 1,295 hectare of tropical rain forest and agriculture park is one of the largest in the world.



Visitors can explore many types of agricultural plants that are grown here. You can check out Paddy field, cocoa trees, oil palm, rubber trees, coffee, coconut and other fruit trees here.



There are many gardens in this park; Animal Park, Spice Garden, Ornamental Garden, Orchid Garden, Cactus Garden, Bamboo Garden and Mushroom Garden.



Bicycles are available for rent at the park while free bus service is provided to ferry visitors to various spots within the park. If you like fishing, there are lakes within the park that you can fish for a small fee of RM2 per fishing rod.



 The best way to enjoy this park is by renting a bicycle to explore the natural beauty of this place.That's exactly what I did.

Enjoy the video!



 

My Vientiane Express

I have always wanted to visit Laos, because I have visited all 9 other Asean countries. Recently, I had some work to do in Vientiane, so, i have officially visited all 10 ASEAN countries!



 I had a couple of hours to kill, so i decided to explore some of their famous landmark in the city.



 Enjoy the video!



 

My Cameron Highlands Express

I decided to spend my weekend exploring one of the popular tourist destination in Malaysia - Cameron Highlands.



It is literally one of the most popular hill resort in the country, and this highland destination still retains much of the charm of an English village.



It is a perfect destination for those who wanting to escape the hot weather of the lowlands, and enjoy the fresh air, surrounded by lots of greenery.



Enjoy the video!



 

Propagating Spider Plant

Last year, I took a plant from the Free Tree Society. It was a 'Spider Plant' (Chlorophytum comosum) --which is a great plant for removing carbon monoxide. The plant also removes other toxins or impurities. I was told Spider plants are one of three plants NASA deems best at removing formaldahyde from the air.

I water the plant every other day and watch it grow. In just 2 months, the plant grew big and start producing flowers, eventually developing into babies, or spider plant spiderettes.

Since then, I have been propagating the plant. Initially I just wanted to have more spider plants, but I got carried away and propagate a lot of plants.

So, I decided to give it away as a gift. So far, I have given away 52 pots. I honestly cannot believe they all came from one little plant!

IMPORTANT POINT ABOUT SPIDER PLANT :
Caring for spider plants is super easy. They live happy outdoors but can also be a good indoor plant. They tolerate lots of abuse, making them excellent candidates for newbie gardeners or those without a green thumb. They won't die easily!

My Hanoi Express

This time around, work brought me to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam; which is known for its centuries-old architecture and a rich culture with Southeast Asian, Chinese and French influences.



 I only had a day to explore, but surprisingly, I had a great time! Enjoy the video!

Raya @ The Laikar's

Things have changed since dad left us. We remember him every single day, and Hari Raya has never been the same without him.



Although we are hurting inside, we know we have to be strong for each other. We also need to create good memories for the kids.



So, this year, we did things differently -- we cried, but we also had lots of fun.



Enjoy the video!



 

My Venice Express

I decided to do a day trip to the romantic city of Venice, Italy. From Milan, I hop on TrainItalia direct train to Venice.

I literally spent the whole day exploring the beautiful city. It was very beautiful, and I was amazed by the architecture!

Enjoy the video!

My Milan Express

I went to Milan for holiday!



 It is the global capital of fashion, so I visited the largest designer factory outlet in Europe! But honestly I was not that excited about shopping as my attention was more on the architecture.



The Gothic Duomo di Milano cathedral is an architecture masterpiece.

I booked a day tour of the city, which brought me to many places. But the main highlight was the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent, which houses Leonardo da Vinci’s mural “The Last Supper”. It was a really majestic. Check out the video!

My Bandung Express

It was time for family holiday, and this time, we decided to explore Bandung, capital of Indonesia’s West Java province.



 Bandung is known for colonial and art deco architecture, a lively relatively cool tropical weather. It is also a shopping destination, which kept my mum happy.



 We had great time doing touristy thing, including lunch in a very beautiful bird cage!

Enjoy the video!

My Penang Express - Butterfly Farm

I've been to Penang many times, but I have never been to the faous butterfly farm.

So, recently I decided to check it out. It is called "Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm". Basically, as the name suggests, it is a huge butterfly sanctuary in Teluk Bahang, Penang.

The original farm was established in 1986 while the present incarnation opened to the public on 2 May, 2016.

Interesting facts from Entopia's website:

More than just a place to view butterflies, Entopia has a vision to help people reestablish connection with nature. The world's large-size vertebrates - the elephants, tigers and pandas - get the lion share of the attention, even though they represent just 3% of all animal species. In contrast, invertebrates such as butterflies constitute some 70% of animal species, but very few sanctuaries are devoted to celebrating them. Through Entopia, the voiceless and underappreciated invertebrates get to tell their stories.

Enjoy the video!

ATV Ride Kemensah, Kuala Lumpur

I love ATV ride! So, I dragged my friend to check out the ATV ride at Kemensah, Hulu Kelang. It is just about 12 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur city centre.



We discovered that this ATV Adventure Park is the largest of its kind in Malaysia, and they offer various jungle trails for outdoor enthusiasts and all-terrain riders.



 I had a great time, and will certainly go back for more.

Enjoy the video!

My Langkawi Express

To welcome 2017, my friends and I decided to escape the city madness and chill at one of the most beautiful island in Malaysia, Langkawi.



If you have never heard of it (where have you been!), Langkawi is an archipelago made up of 99 islands on Malaysia’s west coast. It is officially known as Langkawi the Jewel of Kedah (the state where I came from!).



Langkawi is surrounded by amazing beautiful turquoise sea, while the main island is a mixture of picturesque paddy fields and jungle-clad hills.



 Nature lovers will find the island a perfect island to spend your holidays.

We only got to check out few things while we were there coz we decided to just take it easy and chill.

Enjoy the video!