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I love road trips.

Recently, I visited Bukit Melawati located in Kuala Selangor, which is about an hour drive away from the heart of the capital (KL).

It will be a perfect place for those who enjoy hiking up the hill and enjoy mother nature at the same time.

I suggest you do not visit this place after 10am, as the sunshine will be at its peak. Even the trees will not be enough to give you the shade or coolness.

There is also a “Muzium Permainan Tradisional” on the hill. A museum to portray the traditional games of Malaysians such as Congkak, Sepak Takraw and etc.

It takes about 10 minutes hike to reach this point whereby you can see the Straits of Malacca in a wide horizon.

But wait…

There are a lot of….

MONKEYS when you reach this point.  They even have stalls to sell “Food for Monkeys”.

Wherever you stand, you will see monkeys everywhere.

And they will be mischievous enough to steal my mum’s ice cream! Are they plain nasty or cute? Hmmm…

Some are brown in colour, some are in grey or black.

And I proudly present you the line up of monkey statues. Oh no, they are real. It just so happened they were ironically sitting there like statues!

lLook at this picture above, the tail must be really strong to sway from branch to branch!

This monkey’s face is classic. Somehow it reminded me of a child being confused about something. xD

I would like to conclude that Bukit Melawati is now a sanctuary for the monkeys apart from being a recreational place.

Just remember, if you are visiting this place after 10am, please bring your cap, shades and umbrella.

Somehow my mum was smart enough to bring a big shawl to cover up like the picture above! LOL!

I’ve always thought that paddy is planted in the Northern region of the country.

Not that I am not contented with my own digital Camera, I wished I have a DSLR to bring out the details of the pictures I have taken.

I guess the pictures below are kinda self-explanatory. I do need to yakk much about them as we all learned the process of paddy –> rice in school!

Look at the mountain of grains!

Before the grains are being processed.

Oh yes, this is my very first time stepping my feet onto the paddy soil.

Hmm, I guess our geography textbooks didn’t really reveal much of paddy images. Just bug your geography teachers to send you to a paddy field to experience this.

It was a scenic view from the R&R. I loved the way the waters and beach blend in with the clear blue sky.

 It’s definitely a sight for sore eyes to embrace such picturesque sceneries when you are working.

Trail of shells

Pantai Batu Buruk, Kuala Terengganu is undoubtedly the most famous beach in Terengganu.

Is there a message in the bottle?

Bottle by the sea

This beautiful beach is just 1 km from the city center and can be reached by walking. Perhaps this is the cleanest and widest beach inside Kuala Terengganu city

My favourite shot for this beach

On windy days, playing kite on the beach is a good idea but swimming can be dangerous here. The beach is not exactly suitable for swimming due to the strong waves almost all year round, perhaps due to its geographically unsheltered location.

Sunset by the beach

However, Pantai Batu Buruk is also a popular place for strolling and good place to visit especially in the evening.

One of the shots taken when I visited Wat Arun in 2006

Wat Arun, perhaps better known as the Temple of the Dawn, is one of the best known landmarks and one of the most published images of Bangkok.

The temple is located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok.

This is one of my fave shots in Wat Arun

The full name of the temple is Wat Arunratchawararam Ratchaworamahavihara. (Wow, this is tough to pronounce in a go, isn’t it?)

And it is also a hallmark of the reign of King Rama III.

Kevin: Hello lion. Are you bored?

You definitely can find such cute statues in the surrounding compound before entering the temple.

My best shot taken in Thailand! I love this shot!!!

The Wat really looks better from a distance than close up, and you’re not missing out too much even if you only view from across the river.

I just love the clouds in the background. Good job for this shot, Kev!

It is possible to walk up the stairs of the main prang, which gives quite a scenic view of the Chao Phraya river.

I just love the clouds in the background. Good job for this shot, Kev!

Nevertheless, when you are in Wat Arun, you just have to camwhore with your travel-mates.

Grace: HOUMMMMMMMMMM!!!!! (Meditating)

Including pictures like the one above.

These temples differ from those back here in Malaysia. Thus, you cannot go to Bangkok without not visiting the historical Wat Pho and Wat Arun (in the next post) which is located along the Chao Phraya River.

I have been to these beautiful temples 2 years ago. I did not mind visiting them again this time because it was Kevin’s virgin trip to Bangkok.

From this post, you will be able to embrace both Kevin’s skillful shots and my skills in photography improving.

The front view of Wat Pho

Wat Pho or The Temple of the Reclining Buddha, is one of the largest and oldest wat (buddhist temple) in Bangkok.

Pic by Kev – The Entrance of Wat Pho

This temple was built around 200 years before Bangkok became the capital of Thailand. The construction of Wat Pho in 1788 was a restoration of an earlier temple on the same site, Wat Phodharam by King Rama III.

I took this shot in my previous trip here in Dec 2006

Wat Pho is also home to more than one thousand Buddha images, as well as one of the largest single reclining Buddha roughly 46 metres long and 15 metres high.

The highly impressive gold plated reclining Buddha was made to illustrate the passing of Buddha into nirvana.

Part time modeling with Kev

The entrance to Wat Pho is on Chetuphon road. It is opened daily from 08.00am to 5.00pm with an entrance fee of 50Baht, and it is closed for lunch break from 12.00pm to 1.00pm.

Looks like Kev does not know how to be my model… hmmm… POSE for me lah, Kevin!!

Wat Pho has 95 stupas of various sizes. The four large stupas were built on separate occasions to commemorate the first four kings of the Chakri Dynasty.

At least he managed to pose emotionally in this pic

Today, Wat Pho still stands majestically as a tourist attraction as well as a religious centre in the 21st century.

P.S. Email me if you want to find out how to enter Wat Pho for FREE!

A common feature we often see in mosques is the minaret, the tall, slender tower that usually is situated at one of the corners of the mosque structure. The top of the minaret is always the highest point in mosques that have one, and often the highest point in the immediate area.

On the other hand, the domes, often placed directly above the main prayer hall.  

Has my photography skills improved?

This mosque (picture above) was seen in Kuala Terengganu and it is still under construction. It is one of the most beautiful mosques I’ve ever seen in Malaysia.

In fact, I would love to visit the Crystal Mosque one fine day.

Isn’t it great to work and travel at the same time? This field visit to the East Coast has certainly draw my attention to the Coastline along the coastal road from Kota Bharu to Kuala Terengganu.

Pantai Irama, or Beach of Melody is just located 1km north of Bachok and roughly 20km southeast of Kota Bharu in the state of Kelantan.

Pantai Irama is famous for its gently sloping beach that extends far into the clear blue water of the South China Sea. According to the locals, the beach is usually crowded with campers and picnickers during the weekends and holidays.

Many who have been there have come back declaring it the most beautiful beach on the entire east coast!

The gentle roar of the rolling waves, the smell of the salty sea, the wind in my face, the gracefulness of the trees swaying, all combined, creates a sense of peace and serenity.

Indeed, the beach lives up to this claim with good facilities, clear waters and gentle slopes. It is no wonder that throngs of people visit the place year after year.

When you have the chance to visit Kelantan, do drop by Pantai Irama if time permits.
Feel the sand between your toes, have a splash in the water; get dirty, get wet.
I didnt have the chance as I was in my working attire.

I will be back.