My X-Rated Trip: Episode I

In mid-November 2025, I was contemplating visiting Okinawa. However, I changed my mind when the sites that I found informed that public transportation is not that frequent there and one would be advised to rent a car instead. Even my sister said her friends who return to Japan every year never considered visiting Okinawa. So I changed my mind and looked at Fukuoka instead. There’s no direct flight from KL; I would have to fly Vietnam Airlines, Philippine Airlines or Singapore Airlines and via those cities instead. In the end, I bought tickets from Singapore Airlines. I then searched where to go before booking hotels. Oh, and despite the depreciating Yen, the hotel prices for Saturday night stay are so terrifying that I had to book a bed in a female hostel instead (and the cost for that one night stay in a bunk bed would get me a decent hotel room in China). I also bought bus tickets online and (sigh) do they cost a pretty penny.

So this ‘X-rated trip’ is because I went to SIN on my way to FUK (get it?).

Monday, 9 February 2026: On my way to SIN

I made my way to the airport this afternoon and decided to arrive earlier as I wanted to change seats on the planes. I couldn’t seem to do it online no matter how many attempts I made. The kind lady at the counter suggested I took the earlier flight at 20:30 instead of the flight I booked at 21:50 and said there could be delays seeing as the latter flight is the last flight of the day and that only two days previously, the same flight was delayed by an hour. I thanked her for her suggestion and agreed to depart earlier.

Well, the flight took off at 20:45 despite us boarding early. I was impressed with the crew who determinedly served us hot beverages even for a short flight. We landed at Terminal 3 and I made my way to the SkyTrain for Terminal 2. I then wandered around looking for the prayer room. Turned out it’s on the upper floor and the nearest escalator is the one near Gucci. After prayers, I decided to add on to my step count for the day and took the SkyTrain to Terminal 1. Terminal 1 is huge. You’d need to clear immigration to view the Rain Vortex though. I haven’t been to Changi for more than a decade and the last time I was there, the Rain Vortex wasn’t there yet.

Tuesday, 10 February 2026: SIN on my way to FUK

We landed in Fukuoka at 06:55. I’d earlier filled up the arrival form on Visit Japan Web but was confused as I’d expected the site to ask for my itinerary. Instead, I was just asked my personal details, the hotel address, and to declare the goods I’m bringing in. The queue was long but fast moving. It turned out I had filled up the arrival form correctly after all. I was however subjected to rigorous and thorough bag inspection by a custom officer. But he was polite and considerate and went through my bag contents carefully and professionally and not just drag everything out and leave everything dumped out for me to repack.

I exited at 08:38 and asked the bus counter if I could change my 10:45 bus ticket to 08:45 but was told my ticket was not changeable. So I had two hours to kill at the airport. Anyway, I found a pouch and curious, I opened it to find two Japanese passports! I was panicking because I could just imagine how I would be had I lost my passport so I hurried to the information counter to hand the pouch over. Let them sort it out with the Lost and Found.

The 10:45 bus arrived at 10:53 and we were off within minutes. We had a stop at a service area to use the facilities (there is a small WC on the bus though). We reached Takachiho Bus Centre at 13:50. After leaving my bag at the Tourist Information Centre and grabbing a map, I made my way to Takachiho Gorge. It took me 20 minutes to reach the gorge. Takachiho’s magnificent gorge with its waterfall, overhanging rocks and sheer walls was formed over 120,000 years ago by a double volcanic eruption. I walked the length of it before turning back. I stayed there for an hour before making my way back to the town centre, stopping briefly at Takachiho Shrine.

My bus out was at 16:37 and it arrived at 16:30. The bus stopped en route to allow us to use the facilities. It was drizzling then. We reached Hakata Bus Terminal and I got down there. I wandered around and bought some snacks at Daiso.

My next bus out was at 23:10 and we left on time. The seat was comfortable with a retractable ‘hood’ that allows passenger to draw it down over her head to cover against the light and allow for privacy. I was so tired after the long day that I actually managed to sleep. Alhamdulillah. The bus stopped en route and I went down to stretch my legs and found that it was raining.

Walked 16,900 steps or 11.6 km on my first day back in Japan.

Wednesday, 11 February 2026

We arrived at Hiroshima Bus Centre at 05:25. I went down and after performing ablutions, performed prayers near some lockers. Then I waited until after 07:00 before walking to Hotel S-Plus Hiroshima Peace Park.

After depositing my bags at the hotel lobby, I walked to the nearby Hiroshima Peace Park. I decided to visit the Peace Museum first (ticket cost ¥200) and spent an hour there, it was a harrowing and sobering experience. Nobody should have been made to go through all that suffering and yet we continue to inflict pain on others due to our own greed.

After the museum, I walked to the Cenotaph and the Peace Flame, the Children’s Monument and the Peace Bell. I then walked along the River Motoyasu and gazed upon Gotenba Dome, the only surviving structure of the atomic bomb, before crossing over for a closer look. After some time, I walked to the hypocentre where the bombing took place.

As I still had some time to kill before I could check in at 15:00, I decided to walk to Shukkeien Garden. The entrance cost ¥350. I spent 70 minutes there and was glad I decided to visit it.  I returned to the hotel and checked in. I ventured out again after evening prayers and had dinner at Kei Ai Chinese Vegetarian Restaurant. After that, I walked to Hondori and browsed the shops there. A lot of shops were already closed though.

Back at the hotel, I had a chat with the bloke at the reception and he kindly advised me how to get to the ferry to Miyajima and sold me the ticket (which included the streetcar, ferry and Miyajima visitor tax of ¥100) for ¥1,000.  Walked 24,910 steps or 16.8 km on my second day in Japan.

To be continued

The Land Of Sriwijaya

I’d earlier purchased a Batik Air ticket to Palembang via Agoda for early February and I wasn’t amused when I received a text message from Batik Air on Christmas Eve informing that the return flight was not operational. After checking my PNR on the airline website and finding it didn’t exist, I sent messages to Batik Air’s customer service via WhatsApp. The airline staff couldn't find my PNR either so it must’ve been cancelled by some party. I reached out to Agoda and they insisted the flight was still operational. It’s not easy to reach out to Agoda except navigate the irritating app but I persisted and finally managed to email them on Christmas Day. Agoda tried its best not to accept responsibility so I shared the email from the airline informing I needed to reach out to the booking company and my correspondence with the airline.

I had already booked a non-refundable room so I decided to buy an AirAsia ticket this time. I would’ve been happy not to come but the hotel had been paid for.

Monday, 2 February 2026

I left home just as the call for morning prayers rang out. Made my way to the LRT station and performed prayers there. I arrived at KLIA T2 at 08:42 and hurriedly made my way through the bag weight check, passport control and bag screening processes before walking to the gate. The plane was already boarding. I sat in between a mother and daughter and was about to change seats when another young mother and her toddler moved into the seat I was eyeing.

We landed into wet Palembang at 09:55 local time. Do fill up the ‘All Indonesia’ arrival form within three days before arrival as it would make the immigration process smooth. Well, up to a point. I had a very inquisitive officer attending to me demanding to see my return flight ticket (I showed her my boarding pass), hotel details (I showed her my hotel booking), and asking the purpose of my visit. She also scrutinised my passport and asked if I’d stayed in Cambodia before. I was getting annoyed by then, I mean what business is it to her anyway, and said no, I was only visiting. And I have enough things to do back home to even want to overstay or think about migrating to your country.

My passport was finally stamped and I made my way to the LRT station. The LRT was built to support Palembang when it became the host city for the Asian Games in 2018. I paid Rp10k for the ticket to Dishub station then proceeded to to wait. Train frequency is about every 16-17 minutes. It took 30 minutes to reach Dishub station and from there, I walked to Cemerlang Inn on Jl. Mayor Ruslan. The pedestrian walk was neither here nor there and I quickly became annoyed when I had to walk on the roads with the morning traffic. It took me longer than I expected to reach the hotel. Check-in was at 14:00 and there’s additional charge for early check-in so I left my bag and walked to explore the city.

I came across Cinde Market near Cinde LRT station then continued on to Masjid Agung Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin Jayo Wikramo (Grand Mosque of Palembang). MONPERA (short for Monumen Perjuangan Rakyat or People’s Struggle Monument) is across the traffic island where the Grand Mosque is. Then I checked out Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum. I didn’t enter though. Next, I walked to nearby Benteng Kuto Besak which is a walled compound from the Sultanate era on the northern side of Musi River. Originally completed in 1797, it is now used as the headquarter for the regional command of the Indonesian National Forces. Due to its military use, the compound is closed to public.

I spotted the Tourist Information Centre building and was puzzled when I went in to find three men in uniform smoking (what is it with Indonesian men and smoking?). I asked if it was the tourist information centre and they didn’t understand me so I had to ask again. There was no brochure but they finally tried to help me with suggestions of where to go.  I walked a bit before turning back. It was starting to drizzle so I headed back to the hotel to check in.  I rested before venturing out to find dinner to break my fast. I also bought some fried rice to go for my predawn meal and some mineral water before returning to my room.

Tuesday, 3 February 2026

I woke up for my predawn meal and prayers. I left at 09:30 and rode a Grab bike to Sriwijaya Kingdom Archaeological Park (Taman Purbakala Kerajaan Sriwijaya). I had to pay Rp5k to enter the grounds and then a further Rp5k to enter the museum. I was actually confused why I had to pay to enter the museum and was informed the Rp5k I paid earlier was for the grounds. So what’s in the grounds? Oh, a lake, I was told. I spent close to an hour in the museum. Somehow I couldn’t stop yawning. It was more due to the early morning and not because of the museum. I then stepped out and wandered the grounds. There were some buildings but they looked unoccupied and unused. Then there was the lake (or moat as what appeared on Google Maps). That was about it.

I asked the guard if there was an angkot I could take into the city and he said I should order Grab. So I decided to walk to the intersection of Jl. Kadir Tkr and Jl. Pangeran Sido to see if I could catch an angkot there. It took only twenty minutes and was no hardship at all. I went into a convenience store to ask and was told to get a Maxim vehicle. I decided these locals probably had their own transportation so went to an idling angkot. To my delight, it was going to the market (I then found out that there was a market at Ampera Bridge which I somehow overlooked the day before). The ride took less than twenty minutes and only cost Rp5k.

I wandered around the market before going to the waterfront. I asked around and finally agreed to take a boat to Kemaro Island for Rp150k return. I asked the boat owner not to smoke. He stopped to get some petrol from a floating petrol station and asked to borrow some money. Now, the city is many, many miles away from the sea but the river must be very deep because there are big ships in the river. I’d looked at the map and seen there are a few tributaries that flow into the river and canals too so yes, the city is heavily influenced by water and the local diet too. There are stalls in the market selling fish-based stuff like what looked like flattened fish balls, fish cakes and other fish-mixed-with-other-food stuff.

It took 35 minutes to reach the island and it was a good thing I asked how long I had there. ‘30 minutes,’ he said. ‘Or could be longer and you’ll just have to pay extra.’ So I got down to explore the island. For some reason, there’s a Chinese temple there and a pagoda. I walked further and discovered a water village. I had a quick walk through the village before turning back. The journey back took almost 40 minutes. After wandering around the market again, I walked back to my room. The skies opened shortly after I reached my room. Alhamdulillah.

I was so tired that I took a nap and woke up way after the alarm. I quickly dressed and went out to find dinner.

Wednesday, 4 February 2026

This morning, I decided to have some local fish-based food for breakfast so I left at 08:30 and walked down to the main market. Cinde Market is nearer but is way smaller with limited options. I had some tekwan (fish ball type in soup with vermicelli) and a plate of pempek. It was just all right. Nothing to shout about.

I then decided to be brave and cross the river. I had checked and the pedestrian lane is quite wide so I walked up and across the Musi River. Well. The other side of the river (‘Ulu’) was not very pedestrian-friendly. I walked until Jakabaring Sport City where I’m sure the Asian Games were held.

I walked into a residential area to Al Islamic Muhammad Cheng Ho Sriwijaya Palembang Mosque. It’s a unique mosque with Chinese influence reflected in the architecture. Then I walked to the market but it looked closed so I turned back and headed for Jakabaring LRT station. I paid Rp5k for the ticket to Cinde station.

At Cinde, I got down and went to buy some fish crackers and mangosteens at the market. There was no one selling sugarcane drink there, unfortunately. I walked back to my room and it started raining during my walk. I reached my room just as the rain turned heavier. Alhamdulillah.

I went out at a quarter to six for dinner and had it at Nasi Goreng Bejo, a roadside stall that operates from the late afternoon. I had fried noodles and ordered fried rice to go. The fried noodles were very delicious and tasty. I then went across to Indomart and bought an ice cream for dessert.

Thursday, 5 February 2026

I woke up at 04:00 for my predawn meal. After showering and prayers, I finished packing. I checked out at 07:15 and received my Rp100k deposit. Then I set for Cinde LRT station and this time I took the back streets. I reached the station after only 11 minutes and without having to brave heavy traffic had I followed the main roads.

The train ride to the airport took 33 minutes. The plane from KL arrived late though, later than we did when we arrived on Monday. So much so we only took off thirty minutes later than scheduled.  We landed at KLIA T2 at 13:30. I was out by 13:35 and rushed off. I made it to the 13:48 KLIA Transit train with three seconds to spare. Alhamdulillah.

P. S. I had purging when I came back from Palembang and I know it was definitely something I ate in Palembang because I fasted on Thursday. The tummy upset started on the transit train from the airport.

Langkawi Trips

I’d purchased ticket to Langkawi a few months back for mid-January 2026 and asked my sister if she wanted to go. Unfortunately, she had a doctor’s appointment then. Subsequently, she informed that she and family had bought tickets for end-January. I decided to join them but for only two days.

So I kicked off my Visit Malaysia Year 2026 with the first Langkawi trip on 13 January, three days after I came back from Xiamen. I wanted to book the organisation’s resort; alas, it was undergoing works. In the end, I booked Wan’s Roomstay near Cenang for two nights. I didn’t realise there were many small lanes around the area and had fun exploring the villages there. I just wished the villagers would exercise more care in disposing their rubbish.

Langkawi was hot as usual and especially in January. I’d spent Chinese New Year once there with Abah and Mummy and it was hot as Hades. I mainly stayed in the room during the day and ventured out only for lunch and in the late afternoon.

I left for my second Langkawi trip on 28 January. I flew in the late afternoon and stayed at Qamaar Hostel this time. My sister and family arrived the following morning and after picking me up, we drove to an eatery for them to have brunch. After that, we drove to Perdana Quay Lighthouse and Pantai Kok. My nieces wanted to ride the cable car so our next stop was Oriental Village.

Then we drove to Datai and stopped at Pantai Pasir Tengkorak. We then drove to Nazrat Residence at Tanjung Rhu, stopping en route for laksa and meehoon utara. After checking in, I went for a walk along the beach with my niece while the others went for a swim in the sea.

We checked out after one night and drove to Kuah, stopping at a mosque for the men to perform Friday prayers. Then it was on to Century Suria where my sister had booked an apartment unit for two nights.  They then dropped me off at the airport. Sister and family were staying until midday on Sunday

 I guess that’ll do it for Langkawi for a while. Alhamdulillah. Langkawi was so hot and bright (I could’ve sworn it was hotter than KL) that I had a fever when I came back from my second trip there.

Amoi In Amoy

In mid-September 2025, I bought flight ticket to Xiamen via Mayflower page. I decided to visit for four nights and was happy when I found I could visit three UNESCO World Heritage Sites near Xiamen. Xiamen means door or entry to the house and indeed Xiamen or Amoy as the Westerners used to call it was one of the gateways into China. Hotel searches showed Xiamen is not a cheap place to stay in and after some hotel bookings and setting price alerts, I finally changed my hotel booking closer to the date of travel from free cancellation to a non-refundable room. So it turned out to be quite reasonable after all. I also made some tour bookings although the one to Tianluokeng Tulou was cancelled due to low demand, which I found out when I reached my hotel.

Tuesday, 6 January 2026

I left early in the morning from my sister’s place as the flight ETD was at 09:25. I managed to reach the airport in time to queue for bag drop and update my Enrich number. I expected the crowd as it was school holidays  It was unusually cold on the plane but no complaints from me. Malaysia Airlines provided blankets but I decided I could stand the cold and besides, I should get used to it as it’d be cold in Xiamen.  We landed around 13:20. China has since implemented online entry declaration since my visit in October so I spent some time filling up the form before joining the queue. One note: it’s funny that the instruction for visitors to place their finger prints at the immigration counter is in Malay.

After being reunited with my bag, I filled up my water bottle (that’s another great thing about China, you can find water dispensers at train stations, airports and some tourist attractions) and headed out. I stopped at the information counter and to my surprise, they spoke some English and gave me some brochures. I then followed signs to the shuttle bus to Terminal 4. The shuttle bus runs every 20 minutes except after 22:00 when it runs every 30 minutes. From Terminal 4, I followed signs to the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit). The BRT buses run on elevated bus-only roads with four lines operating. It is very fast and comfortable and there are signs in English. Fare depends on distance, usually ¥1-4 per person. It cost me only ¥2 to get to Xiamen Railway Station from the airport T4 (<RM1.20). There are also buses which run on normal roads (ground level) but that would be subject to traffic so I didn’t even bother researching.

The trip to Xiamen Railway Station took slightly over 20 minutes. I went through a mall to utilise the escalators and went to find my hotel. It is in an alley behind the mall and I was glad I chose it as the location was perfect. I checked in and the lady at the reception kindly showed me to my room. I was not very happy with the room as it was mouldy and was lucky to catch the lady outside in the corridor. I showed her photos of the room and she kindly allowed to change rooms.

I spent time in between prayers finding trips to the Fujian Tulou and finally signed up for a tour on Trip.com. After prayers, I ventured out up to Paragon/Pan Ji Zhong Xin before turning back. I wandered around and stumbled across some halal eateries, not as easily recognisable as in Yunnan. I had a big bowl of beef lamian for dinner. I stopped by a supermarket very close to the hotel called Hot Max and bought some food.

Wednesday, 7 January 2026

I left the hotel at 06:50 and walked to Rezen Huaxia Hotel, five minutes away. The bus arrived at 07:10 and then spent the next hour picking up other passengers around the city. We finally left around 08:30 and drove to the Fujian Tulou in Yongding. The journey took two hours. I’d joined a Chinese-speaking tour and some of the other passengers kindly helped to translate for me. At Yongding, we had another local guide bring us to the Tulou buildings. We walked  for two hours.

After that, it was time for lunch. Alhamdulillah, there were some dishes that I was able to eat like vegetable, prawn and fish. We were all hungry after the walking around and attacked our food.

After lunch, we continued to Yunshuiyao and our guide took us around. We walked for more than two hours there. Then we boarded the bus for our journey back to Xiamen. I was the last to be dropped off with another couple at Xiamen Railway Station. I went in to buy the next morning’s train ticket to Quanzhou. I could buy it on Trip.com but there’s a fee and although the station also charged me a fee, it all worked out less than what it’d cost me on Trip.com. There was no queue at all and I got to discover the station and familiarise myself with its layout.

I had dinner at another halal eatery. This time, the noodles came in a much smaller bowl and cost a lot more. Harrumph.

Thursday, 8 January 2026

I left my room at 06:50 for the railway station. My train was at 07:21 and we reached Quanzhou at 08:10. I followed the signs for the bus and took bus number 2 to the city. I couldn’t pay off my fare despite trying several times and the driver waved me on. It took 30 minutes to reach the city centre where I alighted near the Feitian Yingbin Urban Sculpture and walked to Guan Yue Temple. Guan Yu and Yue Fei were generals so this is a warrior temple. There were many worshippers there. After walking around, I left and walked to nearby Qingjing Mosque. This is the only mosque left in Quanzhou and is over 1,000 years old. The entrance fee is ¥3. There are some pillars left standing of the ruins. I saw the imam and greeted him with Assalamualaikum and told him I was from Malaysia. He then brought me into the prayer hall which was not open to the public. Alhamdulillah for the rezeki.

After that, I walked to Kaiyuan Temple, passing Confucius Temple on the way. I stopped for a short while then continued on. Google Maps brought me to a pedestrian street which led to Xijie Street (West Street). I walked up and down the street and stopped by an eatery to have an oyster omelette pancake (something like the ones I had in Penang). Then I continued on to the nearby Kaiyuan Temple with its Eastern and Western  Pagodas.

Then I walked and walked to find the bus stop for bus number 2. The bus fare was ¥1 (I paid by cash) and at the station, I quickly went to find the ticket office. The train back to Xiamen was quite full.

Back in Xiamen, I browsed the underground mall before moving on to MIXC Mall before returning to my room. I still had some bread so that was my dinner tonight.

Friday, 9 January 2026

Another early start. I left at 06:50 and walked to the metro station and took the train to Cruise Centre for the ferry to Gulangyu. I’d bought ticket on Klook (just before this trip, I checked again and the ticket cost less on Trip.com so always, always check and compare before buying). The terminal is white near the metro station. I went up to the second floor and showed my passport and received my ticket. There were a lot of local tourists with their tour guides - indeed Gulangyu is a very popular destination for the local tourists.

I wandered around Gulangyu happily. The island, although predominantly populated by Chinese, has foreign influence on its buildings and you’ll be forgiven if you think you’re somewhere in Europe when you wander its streets. Vehicles are banned here, except for golf-cart like vehicles and the locals use handcarts to transport goods. The terrain is hilly and some areas are steep. I had a great time exploring the island.

I returned to Xiamen at 14:00 and took the metro to Zhongshan Park. From there, I walked to the mosque to perform prayers. This is the only mosque in Xiamen. After prayers, I had beef soup at a halal eatery before continuing on. The road then led to Zhongshan Road Pedestrian Street. I bought some local delicacies to bring home. I also bought fried oyster pancake.

I then walked to the ferry office at Heping Wharf to get my ticket for the Lujiang River Night Cruise. The locals were sticky about me performing prayers there. Sheesh. Sure, I could perform prayers when I was back in my room but I had time before boarding the ferry and I didn’t want to wait until I reached my room to perform prayers.

The cruise lasted an hour and I took the metro back to Xiamen Railway Station. Back in the room, I started packing a bit.

Saturday, 10 January 2026

Well, it was time to bid farewell to Xiamen. I left the hotel at 11:50 and took the BRT to the airport. Reversing the process I underwent when I arrived. I had checked in online but the system couldn’t issue my boarding pass so I went to the bag drop counter to get my boarding pass and asked if I could sit at the front row. I was told that the flight was full but the lady managed to get me a window seat at row 15. It turned out to be the emergency exit row but nothing untoward happened, alhamdulillah.

We landed at KLIA at 19:50 and I rushed out to the baggage area. I performed prayers first and my bag was out shortly after that. I took the 20:52 train back.

I was very satisfied with the trip. Five days were just enough for a fulfilled trip. Alhamdulillah.

2025: The Year That Was

And just like that, 2025 left us.

Genocide continued on and flotilla attempts to carry aid were illegally intercepted in international waters by the most immoral army in the world with the flotilla members detained before being released. Genocide also continued in Sudan by the Emiratis. I continued boycotting products made by companies who are pro-ishell and will widen the boycott further. The so-called ceasefire is not respected by the immoral army with attacks continuing in Gaza and West Bank.

Closer to home, our neighbours are involved in their own crises with the Thai and Cambodians disputing over their border issue, while the worst flooding ever seen devastated large parts of north Sumatra. Sometimes I wonder if people would ever learn how to live peacefully with each other and nature and compromise, and learn not to be so greedy at the expense of others. The years go by and if anything, man is more and more determined to wreck ruins on others and destroy the environment.

After some thinking and going through my finances, I decided to go on early retirement. InsyaAllah, this decision is for the best. I was prepared to work until 60 before but the pandemic changed my mind. Not being able to travel and then having to care for my dad made me decide that I didn’t want to work until I reach 60. I want to travel further and longer and I don’t want to wait until I’m 60 - presuming I’ll still be fit, able and healthy then - to travel. Money is always important - it helps one afford a lot of things and one will definitely need money to travel - but I don’t want to have a lot more money than I do now at 60 but not be able to travel. On a friend’s advice, I’ve kept this news fairly quiet and not broadcast it. After all, it’s up to me to share the news and I don’t think it’s anyone’s business anyway. I’ve already started making adjustments to my life following my fall in 2024 where I’d started selling off my handbags which were just too heavy, no longer suit my lifestyle and did not help with my scoliosis issue.

Arsenal again came up second in the Premier League race behind Liverpool. Injuries didn’t help of course. We are doing all right now and I’m praying hard.

Alhamdulillah, I managed to travel to new places and revisit other places as follows:

January: flew to Lombok. Rainy season but I still had a good time, alhamdulillah

February: flew to Bali, took a boat to Nusa Penida and stayed for two nights. Also rainy season there but I was lucky to have sunny mornings

March: revisited Phnom Penh and brought over some clothes, bags and money for the Muslim Cambodian imam to distribute. I also took a bus to Battambang where I spent a couple of nights

April: flew out to Nairobi at month-end then flew out the very next morning to Kigali in Rwanda. After two nights, I rode a shared car to Kabale where I visited Lake Bunyonyi and stayed for a couple of nights. Then I took a shared van to Kampala but I went down at Kayabwe for some photos before boarding a bus for Kampala

May: I left Kampala after two nights and rode a matatu to Entebbe. Spent a night there before flying out to Bujumbura in Burundi. I was there for a day before flying out back to Nairobi and Lamu the following morning. After a night in Lamu, I continued on by bus to Mombasa. After two nights, I took the train to Nairobi where I spent two nights before flying home

June: I went to Ipoh with my sister and brother-in-law. They left after one night. I left a day later and took the train to Penang where I stayed for two nights

July: celebrated my birthday in Chiang Mai then more than a fortnight later, took the bus to Singapore to watch The Arsenal

August: revisited Danang and went to Bana Hills and My Son Sanctuary this time. Then in mid-August, went on family trip to Lumut and Pangkor Laut

September: visited my aunt in Plentong, near Johor Bahru. About a fortnight later, took a night bus to Kuala Krai and then rode the train to Dabong. Spent two nights in Dabong before heading for Wakaf Bharu. Met an old mate whom I had not seen or heard from since we finished SPM. After one night in Wakaf Bharu, I took the bus to Kuala Terengganu where I stayed for two nights before flying back

October: flew to Kunming in Yunnan and travelled up to Shangri-la before going back down to Lijiang and Dali. Took the train back to Kunming and flew out to Changsha in Hunan. Took the train Zhangjiajie and local bus to Wulingyuan. Back to Zhangjiajie for one night after two nights In Wulingyuan then took the train to Furongzhen and the same train the next day to Fenghuang. Rode the same train the next day to Changsha then flew home the same evening

November: took a bus to Temerloh early in the month for a day trip then visited Labuan Bajo and Komodo National Park

December: redeemed some air miles earlier for a trip to Saigon and the return leg from Kuching (bought one way ticket to Kuching)

I managed to read 156 books which was an improvement and I hope to do better this year. I’ve also started reading the Quran with translation. It’s a slow and steady process. I’ve also started fasting on Mondays and Thursdays on those days where I don’t travel.

I pray that Allah will bless us good health, wealth, peace, increased iman, prosperity, success, wisdom, compassion and all that we wish for this year and beyond. Let’s prioritise our mental and physical health, may we be more considerate, generous, less judgmental, more compassionate, humane, thoughtful, mindful and kinder to everyone and all creatures. (Of course the Orange fatso would have to attack another country, damn him to hell and back.)

49 Hours In Kuching

I mentioned in my last post about having some expiring air miles and after redeeming for a return flight to Saigon, I checked my option and redeemed some points for the return leg from Kuching. I wanted to avoid school holidays so that decided when the trip would take place: the following weeks after my Saigon trip although I could also have gone a fortnight after. I then reached out to the hotel I usually stay at and made my room reservation.

Wednesday, 10 December 2025

I arrived at the airport and as the departure gate was A9, managed to perform prayers near the seats after gate A11 just before boarding. We took off on time and landed at 15:20. I quickly made my way through immigration and waited for the complimentary bus 103 for the city. It did come at 16:00 but I was preoccupied then with making reservation on Maxim after giving up on the bus. So I missed it despite trying to run after it. This made me determined to get the bus to the airport for my flight back.

The car ride took about 15-20 minutes and check-in was smooth. The problem I had was the room cards didn’t work so I had to go down to the lobby again and was reassigned another room. The room view was of the town and part of Hilton Hotel. I went out for a quick afternoon stroll before returning to the hotel. My friend would meet me for dinner and I wanted to perform prayers first. I didn’t plan to shop but went into a few shops to find if they had any hair bands of pua kumbu design and finally had to describe it to one shopkeeper who said she would come up with something.

I met up with my friend at 19:50 and she drove across the river to Barong Tinuk, a restaurant serving Melanau food. She ordered jellyfish umai (salad) and Dabai fried rice along with plain white rice, fiddlehead fern and smoked fish. I must say the food was delicious. Where else can one sample Melanau food anyway? We chatted and caught up through dinner and on the way to and from the restaurant. I took pity on her because she was from the office and still in office clothes so we finally cut short our conversation and said goodbye. I showered, laundered my clothes and dozed off.  

Thursday, 11 December 2025 

Having been to Borneo Cultures Museum in 2022, I decided to follow the Heritage Trail today. After a leisurely breakfast, I walked past the Main Bazaar to the Indian Mosque. Then I headed for the old Fire Station. It has since been demolished but the Drying Tower remains to this day as a landmark. Then I passed the City Mosque and walked to Gurdwara Sahib before heading for the Islamic Heritage Museum which is just behind Borneo Cultures Museum. It used to be a Malay College and a staff invited me in. I was confused at first until I found out that the building was then taken over by the museum. It was a relief to be indoors in the cool air-conditioned comfort!

After visiting all the galleries in the museum, I walked on to the Old Government Printing House. The Central Police Station is just across from the Printing House. Then I continued on to Round Tower and Textile Museum, the Japanese building and Old Court House and Rajah Charles Brooke Memorial. I’ve seen, come across and taken photos of these buildings on my previous visits but it gave me such pleasure to see these beautifully restored old buildings still standing. Next I walked past the Square Tower and went up the Darul Hana Bridge to get a better view of the Old Court House and Astana before turning to .Sarawak Steamship Building. I then went back to the General Post Office and walked past St Thomas Cathedral to the Sarawak Museum before walking to Hong San Si Temple. A quick visit to Hiang Thiang Siang Ti Temple which I stumbled upon the previous afternoon then I went to search for George Cafe but it was closing for the day. I crossed over and walked to Tua Pek Kong Temple and the Chinese History Museum. In all my previous eight visits to the city, I’d never been in so I decided it was high time I entered it!

Then it was back to the hotel to perform prayers and rest and a good thing too as it rained not too long after that.

The rain petered off sufficiently for me to venture out again at 17:20. I walked quickly to boat cruise counter and after paying RM19, boarded a boat. Besides the boatman, I was the only Malaysian there haha. We set off at 17:30 for an hour-long ride along the river. After the boat ride, I went to buy dinner.

After dinner, a quick shower and prayers, I went out again to catch the Darul Hana Musical Fountain show. I missed this on my earlier visit as it was raining throughout the day so I was determined to catch it this time. The show started just before 20:30 (there’s another show at 21:30 and an extra show on weekend) and lasted almost 15 minutes.

Friday, 12 December 2025

I brisk walked to the shop which owner agreed to make some customised hair bands before returning to the hotel for breakfast. I checked out at 11:45 and then crossed the road to wait for bus 103. This is why I keep staying at the hotel: it’s near the Main Bazaar and waterfront, near the cat statue and there are bus stops nearby. The bus arrived at 12:05 and it took us 70 minutes to reach the airport in the Friday lunchtime traffic. I went to the counter to change seats before performing prayers. My flight was at 16:20 so there was no rush.

We took off on time and landed at 17:55. It was dry at the airport but a light drizzle was waiting for me when I reached the last station.

So that was my ninth trip to Kuching and my last trip for the year. Alhamdulillah.

Super Saigon

I had some expiring air miles and instead of letting them expire like I usually did, I decided to take a trip. In the end, I decided to redeem my points for a return flight to Saigon and a one-way flight to another destination. My morning flight was then rescheduled to depart in the afternoon though. 

Tuesday, 2 December 2025

I arrived at the airport and made my way through the border pass and first security check then waited for the aerotrain. I managed to browse a bit before making my way to the prayer room and then to the gate,  We departed on time and after 100 minutes or so, landed in Saigon. I was last in the city in November 2015 although I was last in the airport when I had a stopover back from Busan. The queues to clear passport control were long but the process took about 15 minutes only.  I refilled my water bottle before exiting the terminal and headed for he bus stop. The ticket is VND5k and another VND5k for one bag. The bus left within minutes.

Saigon looked more or less the same although its streets didn’t look as clean as before. I got down after Ben Thanh Market and walked to my Airbnb at Co Giang. It was close to evening prayers so I ventured out again to find dinner after performing prayers. There are a few vegetarian restaurants at nearby De Tham.

Wednesday, 3 December 2025

I woke up early for prayers then had breakfast in my room. Today, I would join a trip purchased via Trip.com to Cần Giờ, a coastal suburban district 50 km away from Saigon. It is home to Cần Giờ Mangrove Forest, a biosphere reserve listed by UNESCO. Rừng Sác, where the Viet Cong established base areas during the Vietnam War, is also located here.

We left Saigon at 08:00 (I was the last passenger) and drove to Phà Bình Khánh (Bình Khánh Ferry Pier) and then rode a ferry across. We continued on and reached Cần Giờ at 10:00. Our guide paid for the tickets and then we walked in. There are two types of monkeys, the brown and the golden (yellowish) kinds. The former is mischievous and devious. You need to be extra careful of your belongings here as the brown monkeys are bold enough to climb up and steal your glasses and caps. One member in our group had his water bottle taken from his shorts pocket. Our guide distributed some peanuts for us to feed the monkeys.

After that, we went to see some salt-water crocodiles nearby. There are 16 crocodiles in the area and we saw four of them. On weekends, there are stalls selling fish to be fed to the crocodiles but there was no one selling fish when we went today.

Next, we walked beneath the canopy of trees along the path and crossed some bridges to get to Rừng Sác War Zone area. The guide shared some historical background then we were free to explore the hints before taking a motorboat back to the entrance.

We had lunch at a restaurant and were served seafood hotpot. The restaurant prepared vegetarian noodles for three o members of our group who were vegetarian. After lunch, we rested and I took the opportunity to explore the nearby seafood market.

We left at 14:00 and headed back to Saigon. It was a comfortable trip and I enjoyed myself. It rained along the way back to Saigon. I didn’t fancy venturing out again to find dinner so I decided to return to the restaurant where I had dinner the evening before to buy a banh mi chay.

Thursday, 4 December 2025

After breakfast today, I went out to find the bus stop for bus number 152 to the airport. There is one just five minutes away from the Airbnb (Google Maps directed me to walk in a narrow alley, cross the road and continued along another wider alley and out through at Trần Humg Dao Road. The bus stop services a few bus routes and the expected time for the buses are displayed on an electronic panel. Neat! Then I walked to Takashimaya at Saigon Centre, then on to the statue of an Uncle Ho and the City Hall, and then to the Opera House before turning back.

And finally I stopped at Ben Thanh Market. I bought a couple of horn necklaces and some dried ginger, mango and guava. Then I walked to Phạm Ngu Lao before heading to the vegetarian restaurant for a late lunch. I spent the rest of the day indoors reading my book.

Friday, 5 December 2025

I left just after 08:00 and walked to the bus stop. Bus 152 arrived within ten minutes and we reached the airport after 40 minutes or so. I asked if I could change seats from the one assigned to me when I checked in online and the lady at the counter said yes, if I didn’t mind a middle seat. So I moved up from row 16 to row 7, which is great because I could hurry off the plane.

We landed at 13:45 and I performed prayers first before catching the 14:22 train.

So that was my Saigon trip after ten years.