Seow Fong Lye Kopitiam @ Macalister Lane, Penang

The best Chee Cheong Fun in town!
Penang is well-known for its good food but even amongst them, there are some which stood out: the crème de la crème. Seow Fong Lye's Chee Cheong Fun is one of them.

A plate of this popular snack is available for less than RM5; as a roll just cost about RM1.30, and I usually ordered two per serving.

Coated with the thick "her koh" (prawn paste) and sweet sauce, it made the perfect snack in the morning or afternoon. I like mine with a generous amount of sesame seeds!

You can ask for rolled or but I prefer my soft, silky "Fun" (noodles) unrolled so I can poke through them and use them as a spoon of sorts to scoop up the delicious sauce accompanying them. The ones at Seow Fong Lye is especially soft and silky compared to other shops even though rumour has it they are sourced from the same factory in Penang. Their sauce is balanced enough that I don't feel queasy after having a whole plate to myself.

On a side note, the Otak-otak a few stalls before this shop is very good. The aunty selling it boasted that she's one of the best around lol but the most epic moment would be when she handed me a card and it was hand-written. Lol!

Creamy and slightly spicy, it was delicious. There were fish fillets inside as well which was tender and flavoursome. I love it and would probably go back for more.

Oh and if you're a fan of Char Kueh Kak (fried carrot cake), the one in Seow Fong Lye was really good too! In fact, Ho Jiak (a local foodie show) had been here to review it.

Timang Beach @ Pantai Timang, Jogjakarta

Timang Beach ranked quite high on Trip Advisor, and I actually decided on it based on that. The beach, if you can call it that, is located at Gunung Kidul where the caves attraction are, so it would be wise to squeeze all that in the same day if you are heading there.

It was mentioned in a few websites that it boasted of the only white sand beach in the whole of Jogjakarta, implying that this is a beach where one can dip in the sea. Sadly, this is not the case. I actually suggested this as my BIL actually wanted to visit a beach or two during our trip so imagine my horror when it was just a cliff overlooking the sea!

There is a "gondola" ride manned by two guys pulling on a rickety pulley transferring the "passengers" to the stone island a little further off and back. It looks quite dangerous to us so we decided not to attempt that. That aside, the view was magnificent and the rocks were uniquely beautiful from years of waves crashing on them.

However, our ride there stopped at the outskirts of a village where the locals offered to bring us to the "beach" on their bikes for a fee. I think it was IDR 50k per pax on an off-road trail. My husband and I quite enjoyed it but we can't say the same for the rest of the family. 😵

My future BIL actually got his leg burnt on the exhaust and we didn't even know until later. I guess it could be quite hazardous as not all the bikes seemed to be well-maintained.

If you are looking for a dip in the sea, I would suggest not coming here. For a adventurous ride on a bike off-road (albeit a little on the risky side), you can definitely make a trip here.

Summit Parkview, Yangon

I'm back in Yangon and this time, instead of Novotel Max, I was put up for a night at Summit Parkview. It was an okay hotel from the outside, slightly smaller and less impressive than Novotel but once inside, it looks great.

As it is a smaller hotel, it only has six floors. My room on the topmost floor has a view of the whimsical clock tower at Mahagandalo Street in the distance.

My room was quite pleasant with a good-sized sofa and plenty of pillows on the king bed. Mattress was a little lumpy but I was too tired to mind much. I would say it was a good place to stay as it's walking distance to Shwedagon Pagoda. They have free wifi and even a welcome drink!

I love their bottles of toiletries but looks aside, they are quite hard to flow out and the quantity was too little for more than two showers!

Only one restaurant in the hotel though. It's good enough if the price is right for visiting the city. There's a whole row of restaurants nearby down the road so I guess options for food are aplenty. However, during my stay the hot water in the shower was quite problematic. It was hot for a while but slowly became cold and no matter which way you turn the shower knob, it did not stay at the same temperature. I found this very annoying as I did not relish having cold showers early in the morning.

Prambanan Temple, Jogjakarta

If Borobudur is THE Buddhist temple to visit, Prambanan is THE Hindu temples to visit in Jogjakarta. It might not be the best thing to do both in the same day but we did that, resulting a rather long drive from one side of the city to the other. During our visit, there were still upgrading works in progress but the ruins of the temple was fascinating nonetheless.

According to legend, one of the statues is actually a cursed princess when her plans to thwart an unwanted marriage went awry. The crowd in this UNESCO Heritage Site was overwhelming and when it rained (yes, it just so happened to rain when we were in the ruins with no shelter), there was just no place to hide unless you count the trees scattered here and there within the compound.

It went from this...

To this within seconds!

Before we knew it, it's raining cats and dogs. We were all drenched throughout because I left my umbrella in the car. Yes, I know right? I was carrying it around for days up to Borobudur and just got fed up since it's just cramming up my bag and not used at all.

Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia, and among the largest in Asia. It might not look it but it's actually taller than Borobudur. Built in the 9th or 10th century, it is dedicated to the Trimurti, the three facets of the Creator in the Hindu belief.

It's a big compound to explore but worth it if you have the time and stamina. Great for a half day trip!

Punthuk Setumbu and Borobudur Sunrise, Jogjakarta

Would I recommend going to Punthuk Setumbu? Definitely not. Would I recommend Borobudur? Yes, definitely. The sunrise there? Not sure.

Okay, so recently my in-laws and I went to the Jogjakarta for a family trip. It was quite fun as it was the first time we all went on holidays together but the amount of time when we were disappointed there just put a damper on things. Borobudur and its infamous sunrise is one of them. This was the view on Punthuk Setumbu when I went. A little disappointing...

Before the trip we were all already planning to go and the idea of going for the sunrise at Borobudur was just exciting especially after the rave reviews it received from all the tourists. So upon purchasing our private tour from the airport (mistake 1) because we were busy and were expecting better from their airport tour agencies, we booked the sunrise tour at Borobudur. Upon picking us up at 4am (mistake 2), the driver told us that to view the sunrise we have to pay extra to go on the hill for the view i.e. Punthuk Setumbu as opposed to what was already written in our receipt (Borobudur Sunrise Entrance Fee) and view it from Borobudur itself. Being none the wiser (none of us have been here before), we agreed to pay extra to go on the hill (mistake 3).

Mistake 1: We would have gotten a better deal online with better arrangements.

Mistake 2: Sunrise was before 5.30am and the trip took longer so sunrise was over when we reached.

Mistake 3: Nope, there's no better view at Punthuk Setumbu. I wouldn't know about the sunrise at Borobudur itself but I suspect it will look better from photos.

Anyway, at Punthuk Setumbu it was crowded when we reached. Just in case you are not up for a hill climb early in the morning, don't bother going. It's a little tiring and there are plenty of stairs going uphill to the viewing point. Once there, the wooden stages for photos but it is easier to just snap a few shots at random spots if you are not too particular.

After a rather uneventful view of hills and trees (no sunrise), we trudged down disappointedly to find our car stuck in a parking area where other cars surrounded ours. After being subjected to about 30 minutes wait where our driver attempted to ask the parking attendants to locate the other cars' drivers, we went on to Borobudur.
The Borobudur was quite pleasant in comparison. We joined the crowd and started walking towards the temple. The compound was huge and it could be tiring for the elderly.

At the base of the temple, we then had to climb another series of steps before reaching the real attraction. This....

And then...

Only then...

I can see why this is listed in the UNESCO heritage. They carving on the stones were amazing and even the brick floors look pretty!

Borobudur is actually a Buddhist temple, the largest in the world~After roaming about the ruins, exploring all the corridors and stairways, we made our way back to the car. I find this very interesting as they have a lot of narrative reliefs along the walls. Fascinating!

The view from Borobudur itself is pretty amazing too! Why go to Punthuk Setumbu?

Along the way back to the car, we visited the museum in the compound, aptly named Borobudur Museum. It was quite small and probably serve as a time-filler for tourists.

I enjoyed my time here despite the rather gloomy beginning of the day.
The market or bazaar outside the area was more interesting for me. Haha! You can find replicas of the ruins and temples for sale aside from other knick knacks. Bargaining is crucial and walking away when the price is not right will probably end up with the sellers lowering their prices or selling at your price.

Maha Bandula Park, Yangon

The Maha Bandula Park is a Central Park in Yangon as it is right smack in the city centre. Just a stone's throw away from Sule Pagoda, it is a convenient attraction to visit if only for a breath of fresh air after being in the city for a while.

The Independence Monument is very prominent in the background surrounded by a few chinte, mythical creatures reminiscent of gryphons of the western legend.

Heh! Blurred out my colleagues in case they don't appreciate seeing their own faces in my blog.

Entrance is free and there's plenty of locals milling around for picnic etc. A quick pass-through will suffice. In the evening in front of the park you can see their traffic police directing the massive amount of cars and motorbikes.

Jogjakarta Tips and Preparation

My recent trip to Jogjakarta was quite a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, the trip was alright but it was the amount of times we were ripped off that got me annoyed. Granted it's not a huge amount but as a group, we probably ended up paying more than what we should have. That aside, some of the attractions are amazing like the Borobudur and the views are magnificent especially the one at Pantai Timang.

Hence this post is basically as a quick guide on what NOT to do in Jogjakarta so as not to spoil your experience.

1) Do not trust the holiday agents at the airport. Do not allow them to buy your tickets or entrance fees despite the amount of brochures they show you (it will look legit) with the tempting offer of getting it cheaper. You can get them cheaper YOURSELF when you reached the attraction.

2) Rent a car or get a tour before you land. Do not bother doing a last minute rental. You will be charged extra and the service will not be as promised.

3) If you are getting a Borobudur sunrise package, you need to be there by 4am, and not set off at 4am.

4) Gua Joblang is not worth the visit unless you are willing to fork out 450k-550k IDR. A ridiculous amount and the ride there can be tedious and "off-road"-ish.

5) Do not take taxi for attractions in the city. Get one to the first attraction and ask for directions to the next. Even if they have taxi meters, there is the minimum charge even for a minute drive which is quite hefty when a good 5 minutes walk would suffice. Or, just take a trishaw. Some are willing to save you a 5 minutes walk for as little as 5000IDR.

6) If taxi refused to use their meter, even after you insist, just take a photo of their plates and licenses to complain (if you want to bother with it). Otherwise, just walk away.

7) Do NOT allow any official looking individuals or worse, not even official looking individuals, to show you anything of interest at attractions unless you wanted a in depth guide for certain attractions. Some are just looking for a quick buck and will pull you to a corner to show you a "wonder" or "place" and insist on money. Sometimes a small amount is not enough to placate them.

8) If you see people banging on your windows on your way to somewhere, do NOT bother to wind down your window. If your driver does and then ask you for donations, tell him not to do it in the future. This can be quite annoying as a short stretch would mean contributing to a few donations at minimum. I know this sound heartless but shouldn't donations mean any amount without a minimum? If you are very kind, then yes please go ahead and donate all the way.

9) The usual fare for a trishaw is about 25000IDR for tourists in the city. Sometimes cheaper when competition is high. In Malioboro, it will be quite pricey to go back. Be patient when haggling and you will find some willing to lower to 30000IDR.

I know some of the tips seemed the usual practice but sometimes we forget when we are travelling in a big group.

Sule Pagoda, Yangon

Sule Pagoda can't be missed when you are in the city of Yangon. The silhouette of the pagoda is a useful "compass" of sorts as it is one of the highest structure within the centre of the city. As one of the oldest pagoda (older than the Shwedagon) in the city, it is believed to contain a single hair from Gautama Buddha and built 2500 years ago. The pagoda is also allegedly the home of the powerful nat spirit Sularata.

I find the colonial building surrounding the pagoda more interesting and did not enter the pagoda because it could be viewed easily from the outside and some reviews I read did not seem to be very impressive. The entrance fee is 3000 kyats if you are interested and there are four entrances to the pagoda. It looks like an average temple in Malaysia with the only difference being we enter temples for free regardless of tourists or not in my hometown. LOL.

I would recommend taking a few shots of the pagoda from outside or better, from the overhead bridge a bit of a distance away. I did not take any photos outside the pagoda itself as it was rather crowded.

Sule Pagoda
Opening hours: 6am-8pm
Entrance fee: 3000 kyats

Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon

Shwedagon Pagoda is probably the most prolific pagoda in Yangon. Its compound covers about 114 acres at Singuratta Hill nearby the Royal Lake, and over the years, the pagoda has been renovated to impressive heights; standing at over 110m now. The most remarkable element of the gilded pagoda is not merely its grand gold colour but the fact that they have real treasure hidden beneath the dome of the pagoda and gold bricks was used for part of its construction. In fact, it is said to have over 4500 diamonds in the dome and one of the largest is 72 carats! It is indeed mind-boggling but the top area is restricted so I guess that information will remain unproven. My colleagues and I spent about 2 hours here as we went during late afternoon and waited for it to become dark because my colleagues wanted to see the pagoda with the lights on.

The entrance fee was 8000 kyats for foreigners and you get a sticker to identify your payment. I would advice preparing a plastic bag to carry around your footwear as no shoes or slippers are permitted in the area. I wouldn't advice keeping your shoes in the locker as well because there are different exits from the pagoda and it would be quite a far walk from one exit to another. My only complaint would be the sticky floor and stairs on the climb up to the pagoda as we were required to go bare-foot and the less-than-hygienic surfaces did not impress any of us. Wet wipes are recommended and NO socks if you want to spare them. Flit flops will be best as they can be washed when you are back. And the stairs can be tiring. I think there's like hundreds of steps to climb! Okay, maybe less but it feels that way.

I think the pagoda is worth a visit. The architecture and beauty of the structure are amazing, a testament to its 2500 years of history. The temples, stupas and statues surrounding the main pagoda are astounding with their complex designs too. Not to be missed when in Yangon!

Forgive the awkward photos. I lost the original that I have painstakingly edited thanks to the apps called Blogo which did not post successfully as it seemed to tell me. After I have deleted the copies and finally checked a few days later, I realised only my text was posted. Sigh! Never again!

Bogyoke Aung San Market, Yangon

Bogyoke Aung San Market is THE Market to go to for knick knacks and other souvenirs from Myanmar. You can find precious stones, jade, textiles, magnets etc in the market. 

The market itself consists of a few blocks of buildings and streets in between. If you are interested to look at every stall or meander slowly around, this will easily take up your whole morning or whole afternoon. However, if you are just there for photos and to look around; an hour will suffice. They have plenty of art pieces for sale too.

 The market is a popular tourist spot and its structure is listed as one of Yangon's city heritage. The sprawling buildings looks impressive despite being built in the 1930s (1926). It was known as Scott Market before but was renamed after the General Aung San when Myanmar got its independence.

It's a must-visit in Yangon if you are in the city. The exchange rate here is rumoured to be one of the best but when my colleague changed MYR here, the rate was not even as good as the one offered at Hilton Yangon. So I guess it depends on your haggling too, even for the exchange rates.