Hong Kong : 2 Bedrooms Apartment, 1 min to Prince Edward MRT

**Travel on 19 July 2013 - 22 July 2013

Due to high request from friends who's traveling to Hong Kong very soon and searching for affordable accommodation...

Below is my highly recommended apartment to stay in Hong Kong if you are traveling 3 to 4 pax :")

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/623505

In front of our apartment.

Accommodation in HK is usually very expensive and the bedroom space is really small..
If you pay slightly extra more money for 4 or 5 stars hotel, only then you can enjoy the spacious and the facilities there.
But to me, i'm a very stingy person..so if you're to advise me to pay extra money to stay a nicer hotel; it will always be a No-No to me.. Haha

Busan : Buying Spectacles is extremly cheap & fast !

When someone asked me what's the MUST BUY while they're in Korea...
My first reply is speck ALWAYS  Spectacles..

Various Specks!

Weird?
Most people's mindset to come to korea normally goes for facial products or even fashionable clothings.
But to me, buying specks is always my first choice.
Why?

a) It is cheap ! The frames i usually buy is KWR 10,000 @ RM 30
b) The frame is usually very light comparing to those specks i bought in malaysia
c) I could get my specks within 15-20 minutes after you did your payment ! No kidding !

For example, for this Busan trip,  me & my buddy bought 4 pairs of specks just for ourself and we got our 4 specks within 1 hour after we choose our frames & pay on the spot !Amazingly fast !

At Gukje Market

Was walking around Gukje Market when we saw this spectacles shop which has more choices to choose.

Inside the shop awaiting for our specks after we pay on the spot

Busan : Jangalchi Market- 자갈치시장 (부산)

Day 3 : 23 November 2013

Early Morning on Day 3, we went for our early brunch to the famous Jagalchi Fish Market

Jalgachi Fish Market

It is very easy to come here.
Jangalchi Station (Exit 10),

Take Exit 10 to Jagalchi Market

Walk straight and you will see the signboard at right side,and you will see the Jagalchi Market's building

Busan : Busan Trickeye Museum

Day 2 :  22 November 2013

Busan Trickeye Musuem

If you haven't been to Busan Trickeye Museum, no worries.
Take the Metro to "Jalgachi Station" on the Orange line. Use Exit 7.
Walk straight ahead to the corner, turn left and the Museum is located on level 9 of the "Nampo Plaza",on your left, about a minute's walk straight ahead.
It's new location is more tourist friendly as you walk past it on the way to BIFF Square and Gukje Market. It is also five minutes' walk from the Jalgachi Fish market.

Once you reach "Nampo Plaza", take the lift up to Level 9

Level 9 to Trickeye Museum

KWR 10,000 @ RM 30 for adults admission

The counter

Paying at the counter to get our tickets.

The admission fees for adult is KWR 10,000 p/entry which is about RM 30 p/person.
It's slightly expensive yet the enjoyment of taking various funny pictures is priceless..
Busan Trickeye Museum is not as huge as Seoul's Trickeye Museum, yet you can easily spend 1 to 2 hours here by just taking pictures.
Don't believe? Check out all the funny pictures we took...

Busan : Gukje Market & PIFF Square (BIFF 광장)

Day 2 : 22 November 2013

After our half day tour in Gamcheon Village ( 감천문화마을), we took the subway from Toseong Station to Jagalchi Station to PIFF Square or also known as  Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).

BIFF 광장 @ Busan International Film Festival

Once u reach Jagalchi Station, take Exit 7 to PIFF Square, Gukje Market, Art Street & Busan Trickeye Museum

From Jagalchi Station, Exit 7.

Outside Exit 7 of Jagalchi Station

First stop is to Gukje Market for street food...
From Jagalchi Station (Busan Subway Line 1), Exit 7.
Go 30m, turn left, and walk straight 5min to arrive at the market.

At the Market Area

Had our simple street food for lunch

Busan : Gamcheon Village (a.k.a "Taegeukdo village") 감천문화마을

Day 2 @ 22 Nov 2013

Gamcheon Village

Gamcheon Village  (a.k.a "Taegeukdo village") 감천문화마을

If you ever heard the story of "The Little Prince",
Gamcheon Village  (a.k.a "Taegeukdo village") 감천문화마을 is quite the same as Petite France which available in Seoul.
The only difference between Seoul's Petite France & Gamcheon Village in Busan is Gamcheon's village is slightly bigger & more things to see.

The Beauty of this village

The amazing part is, the locals is actually staying in Gamcheon Village.
So when you're exploring here, everyone should be mindful not to be too noisy.

To come here is very simple.

Stop at Toseong Station (Exit 6)

Stop at Toseong Station, Exit 6

Climb up the stairs towards exit 6.

Walk straight until you see "Pusan National University Hospital".
Take Bus No. 2 or No.2-2 until hilltop & get off at "Gamcheon Elementary School" (감천초등학교)
You can seek the driver's help to inform you once you reach Gamcheon Village.

The moment the walk down from the bus, you will see this "4-legs" in front of the Gamcheon Village Entrance.

Jayyden trying to take one of the legs.

Before you walk further into the village, you will see this information building as below :

Information Building in Gamcheon Village.

From here, you can buy their Gamcheon Village Map if you have the time to search for the cops..
In this map, there will be a puzzle hut for you to search for cops in some building.
You will need to find for the cops in order for you to get a small prize.
In order for you to get the maps, you need to purchase them for KWR 2,000 for 1 map
It is fun & you will enjoy ur cop-hunting !
It has the same cop-hunting as in Seoul's Petite France :)

Hostel : Busan Guesthouse Sum Nampo

There are lots of hostel available in Busan.
But to get the best strategic location, walking distance to most places and most important is the toilets must have separate doors if you don't like bathing openly with the other ladies like below :

I don't mind bathing with the others ladies since i really love Jjimjilbang  (찜질방) a lot.
Jjimjilbang is actually a large, gender-segrategated public bathhouse in Korea, furnished with hot tubs, showers, Korean traditional klin saunas and massage tables.
And you actually need to bath nakedly without your undies & bras at all.
It's a cultural shock when i first tried it, but after a while you will feel it is totally normal & really comfortable walking around and bathing nakedly with the other ladies..
Frankly speaking nobody will ever notice you are actually naked.

Coming back to the hostel in busan, you actually need to double check the hostel's bathing area if you don't want to bath openly with the others ladies since you will be sharing toilets if you're staying dormitory.
And since i have few others friends who backpacked with me who are slightly shy, so getting a private bathroom with doors is a total must.
After few search, at last i found a great hostel with ensuite bathroom with doors in our 6 pax dorm , include simple breakfast, walking distance to nampo shopping district & have our very own *touch-and-go* subway card !
What more can you asked!

So, Busan Guesthouse Sum Nampo is our choice.

In front of Sum Nampo Guesthouse

Budget 4D3N Busan Nov 2013

Busan..
Have you ever heard of this place before?
When i told my friends i'm going to Busan for another backpack journey..
Some of them just went.. "What-San? Where is that?"

Busan..
It's South Korea's second largest  metropolis after Seoul..
It's a place also famously known for their great beach,  cheap fresh seafood ,hot springs & nature reserves.
So when AirAsia open it's first route from Kuala Lumpur to Busan airport..
Quickly i book a cheap flight which only cost RM 354 nett for return trip

Return Flights ticket     : RM 354 nett (include tax, insurance, return luggage)
4 Nights Stay p/pax      : RM 213.60 p/pax dorm sharing with 6 pax
Currency Exchange     : RM 700 (spend on food,transport,admission fees, light shopping)
Total Spend 4D3N       : RM 1,267.60nett                                                            

Bangkok Hotel : Ibis Bangkok Siam

Day 1 @ 15 June 2013

Ibis Bangkok Siam

Ibis Bangkok Siam..... Have you heard of this before? Yes ! There is many Ibis Hotel, but if you want a budget hotel which is strategically located directly in front of "National Stadium BTS", 5 min walking distance to MBK Shopping Center and another 10min walking distance to Siam Paragon...
Then you should really book Ibis Bangkok Siam@ Rama 1, Wangmai, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.

The Front Hotel. Mercure is a slightly high class than Ibis. Yet i rather choose Ibis for the price :P

Not trying to highly promote this hotel, but yet..sharing is caring.. Normally, i used to book at the hostel just beside Ibis Siam, which is Lub D Siam since i want to save time traveling around by BTS..

Lub D siam, the hostel i previously stay is just beside Ibis Siam

But when i got to know that IBIS Siam is newly open end of 2012, that is when i know i should book this hotel when there is still promotion !
We manage to book a "Standard Twin Room with Breakfast" for RM 543 Nett @ 4D3N which consider affordable as we only need to pay RM 267 nett each for our 4D3N stay.

RM 534 nett for 4D3N

Bangkok : How to take Bus from Don Mueang airport to nearest BTS Station

Day 1 @ 15 June 2013

One thing i am thankful of staying in Malaysia is because we manage to purchase Air Asia's dirt cheap ticket :)

With RM 352.40 nett of return ticket to Bangkok, both me & my best buddies; Yen venturing the City together. Which also means, she will be my model of our trip as you will be seeing her pictures more than me. Haha.

The last when i travel to Bangkok, Air Asia's plane landed in "Suvarnabhumi International Airport" which is totally convenience for us taking BTS straight to Bangkok City & not getting stuck in the bad road traffic.

I previously stayed in Lub D Siam which is directly in front of BTS National Stadium. From "Suvarnabhumi International Airport" --> Take the express airport train & stop at the last station which is "BTS Phaya Thai"(7 stations from Airport) ---> Take the subway BTS from "BTS Phaya Thai Station"& stop at "BTS National Station"( 3 Stations from BTS Phaya Thai)

But since starting after middle of 2012, all flights to Bangkok's airport has change from "Suvarnabhumi International Airport" to "Don Mueang International Airport" which is not as convenience as Suvarnabhumi since there is no BTS connection from Don Mueang to the City.
It is either getting transportation by bus or taxi. We of course took bus since it is a cheaper :)

The moment our plane touches Don Mueang, the airport was not as crowded as Suvarnabhumi which is a plus point. Less crowd at the immigration counter.

Yen with the deserted Don Mueang..few steps before having our passport cop

Budget 4D3N Bangkok June 2013

When my friends asked me where will i be going next?

And if i am to say "Bangkok"

The only replied you will get is "What ! Again? Don't you ever feel bored of it?"

Frankly speaking, i am never bored of Bangkok.

I just loved Bangkok. Ok, maybe i should say..I love THAILAND :)

I love the food. I love the people. I love the place. I love their culture. I love the locals. I just loved everything..Or maybe i am easy to love & be pleased on something.. even their 7-eleven or Tesco for groceries shopping..i falls in love checking it out..


So i'm lucky again as i manage to grab cheap tickets to Bangkok.

RM 352.40 nett return Air Asia to Bangkok

With RM 352.40 nett return flight tickets which include Insurance, Return SkyBus from KL Central --> LCCT --> KL Central.

As for this round for our June 2013's trip, i decided to book "Ibis Siam" instead of "Lub D Siam" since Ibis Siam just launch their hotel in year 2012. Hence it is still relatively new; which also means Ibis Siam will have promotions to attract more customer.

We're lucky as we manage to book for our 4D3N accommodation at Ibis Siam for RM 534 nett, Twin Room including Breakfast. Which cost us around RM 267 nett for 1 pax.

Budget 4D3N Taipei Nov 2012

Taipei 101 Tower

Taipei, a place that never fail to surprise me.
Frankly speaking, i am no shopaholic myself but has truthfully drawn into shopping when i'm here.
The handmade stuff that sold here at the flea market @ Red Building's Ximending area attracts me the most ! Nevertheless, will explain more in details later.

It was a brief 4D3N budget trip here since we manage to get cheap return tickets.

Return Flights tickets   = RM 731.40 nett
Accommodations          = RM 365.50 nett (1 pax, twin sharing room)
Currency Exchange      = RM 600.00 nett (include transport,food,shopping)
Total                             = RM 1,696.90 nett
 
I have been traveling to various different Asian Country and with currency exchange of RM500 for each trip except Seoul (include transportation, food, light shopping) which is just enough for me as i am not a shopaholic.
But for this round in Taipei, on our 3rd day we have to search high and low for Bank .. Yes, you heard me right....B.A.N.K....
In Taipei, there is no currency exchange shop as such in Midvalley or Sungai Wang..
You can only exchange your money in their bank..
Not only that, when you're in the bank... you're require to take number for your turn to exchange money.
When your turn comes, you need to fill up a form stating how much you want to exchange ...
Thankfully, there is not many people in the bank so the process is quite fast.

Beside bank, you can also exchange your money in your hotel...provided your hotel has such service, but you need to pay extra more than in bank... And since we're very stingy & the bank was just 15min walking distance from our hotel... We decided to exchange it in bank instead... Haha...
Moral of the story, if you're in Taipei..bring extra money or you will be ending up searching high & low for nearest banks.

Budget Seoul March 2013

Seoul...

A place that everyone wish to go...
Most people taught that traveling to seoul is an expensive place to go..
Because of language barrier, most people will prefer to go on tour than backpacking..
But will you believe me if i tell u all i spend was total RM 2,944 nett for my 7D6N ; which include my return flight ticket to Seoul, 6 nights accommodation,currency exchange to use for food, transport, admission fees & some light shopping in seoul :)

Total price for our return seoul flight tickets

Return Flights ticket     : RM809 nett (include tax, insurance, return luggage)
6 Nights Stay p/pax      : KWR 180,000 (around RM515, room sharing among 3 pax)
Currency Exchange     : RM 1,620 (spend on food,transport,admission fees, light shopping)
Total Spend 7D6N       : RM 2,944 nett                                                                                    

Travel has become my passion, and because of that..i will prefer traveling in the most budget way, yet convenient too. :)
Planning my own itinerary few months before so that it will be easier for me to know my direction of places to visit.
Language is no longer a barrier in Seoul City. Many of them are learning english.
You will be even more surprise when some of them speak mandarin with you.
Nevertheless, i did came across some which doesn't understand english when i was lost.
But they went extra miles in telephone their friends who understand english or mandarin so that they can guide us to our destination... and i was deeply touch by them.. :)