3 posts in C27 Travels

C27 Travels

Chinggas in Straya

By Jeremy Phun No Comments
Chinggas in Straya
But first, meet the Chinggas.
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The four of us have been friends for 8 years since I went to SMK Kota Kemuning but the furthest we’ve ever been was probably my house, also located in Kota Kemuning. Finally, after so many years, we decided to go beyond KK and visit a friend of ours who was doing her Masters in Architecture in Australia.

We planned to travel to two “main” cities in Australia, Melbourne and Sydney, in a span of 2 weeks. We also brought our partners along so we had 7 people in total.

After months of discussing who had the best currency rates to change money, we were off to Straya!

 

WHOO SUNSET! If only I had the window seat…

Great Ocean Road

We rented an SUV and I called shotgun most of the time because “I had to take pictures and shoot videos”.

On the way there, we took our first group photo and this was what we looked like.

I’m the one with the smallest eyes.

After hours of driving (and failing to see a single kangaroo), we reached the 12 Apostles.
Sadly, there were only about 9 left.

How many Apostles do you see? Tell us in the comment section below!

Sydney Opera House

At first, I was hesitant to go to the Opera House thinking it would be overrated and just another attraction with too many tourists walking around. But I was wrong. Instead, I was blown away by everything about it; the exterior and interior were just beautiful. Probably also because I went with a few architecture-loving friends who knew how to appreciate its beauty.

Harbour Bridge on the left. Opera House on the right.

Up close, you’ll realise how shiny the cones are and there are even tiny tiles on it.

We took a guided tour of the Opera House to learn more about its history and interior.

LOOK AT THE LINES!

We were even fortunate enough to be there while an orchestra was practising. To hear them in real life in such a historical building WAS BEAUTIFUL!

Here are some nice photos of people taking nice photos. MORE LINES!

We got our photo taken too, but we were too cheap to buy it.
So we took a photo of photo instead.

Job done.

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We were drooling for so long that the sun started setting.

Another group photo!
(Meet Hwen – a new friend we made in Sydney. He’s the one on the far left.)

Sydney Market

FREEEEEEEEEEEEEESH seafood everywhere!

Our lunch.

OYSTERS! Usually I hate eating oysters because they taste weird but Australia changed me. It was so good! We managed to go the same oyster seller as seen from Buzzfeed’s “Worth It” series. Ate a $12 (~RM38) oyster that was bigger than my face.

Let it in… The flavour and that $12.

Homecooking

To be able to afford that $12 oyster, we cooked most of the time! Okay, so maybe Simon cooked most of the time and we were just ‘helping out’. But I cooked that burger alright!

Fun Fact: Australian milk and Australian beef are just called Milk and Beef in Australia.

Blue Mountain

After hiking from the car for 3 whole minutes, we were finally here! And yes, the mountains were actually blue.

There were many flies too.

Here’s a dangerously shot montage at Blue Mountains.

Bondi Beach

Ladies, please take note. You HAVE to come to this beach.

Unlimited supply of topless, well-built men running along the shoreline. There weren’t that many girls, I don’t know why.

But there were cute dogs running freely everywhere! We even saw a dog asking a random guy for water while he was showering.

The last group photo of the trip.

Aite, that’s the end of our trip!

Of course, the thing we missed most about home was our beloved Malaysian food and family. Nothing beats home.

P/S: Shoutout to Simon for some of these images!

 

 

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By Jeremy Phun
C27 Travels

My Month-long Trip Through Southeast Asia #susaninSEA

By San No Comments
My Month-long Trip Through Southeast Asia #susaninSEA

There’s a saying,

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.”

Therefore, every year it has been a routine for me to do a month worth of travel mostly within Southeast Asia. Partly because of budget, and partly because Southeast Asia or Asia itself is one heck of a continent that’s rich in culture. It pays to go to some dingy, dodgy area just to see the non-touristy side of each country doesn’t it?

P/s: I only have 300 words or less to describe this month-long adventure so I’mma keep it short. Here goes.

A simple breakdown of the adventure:

30 days: 24th August 2017 – 23rd September 2017

7 cities: Ubud, Canggu, Mataram, Bogor, Singapore, Cebu, El Nido

5 islands: Bali, Lombok, Gili Air, Singapore, El Nido

3 countries: Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines

First stop

Bali, Indonesia: 24th August 2017 – 1st September 2017

Known as The Island of God for the Balinese and the place where Elizabeth Gilbert found love, Bali is an island that’s pretty well-balanced with hilly nature and beaches alongside distinctive Balinese temples. It’s an island where the people believe “Everything happens for a reason”. Believe me, that phrase resonated with me a lot. Apart from the cultural bits, it’s also an island with great sun, sand, and sea. Solid breaking waves, awesome coffee selections, and of course the OG Naughty Nuri’s right at the heart of Bali in Ubud.

Some places you should probably visit:

Ubud: Naughty Nuri’s, Campuhan Ridgewalk, Yoga at Ubud, Giant Swing, Tegenungan Waterfall, Lazy Cats Cafe, Naughty Nuri’s (repeating this because nobody should miss great pork ribs).

Seminyak: Expat Coffee, Boss Man Burger, Revolver Coffee, Motel Mexicola.

Canggu: Rise & Shine Cafe, Gypsy, Deus Ex Machina, Old Man’s, Warung Bu, Echo Beach.

Second stop

Gili Air, Indonesia: 2nd September 2017 – 4th September 2017

The Gili Islands are made up of Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air – with Gili Air being the smallest island of the three.

Why Gili Air?

To be honest, it was a random choice. Also probably because it’s the closest to Lombok which was where I was headed next. Being the smallest of the three islands, Gili Air has its perks – it’s much more tranquil, less packed, and basically just chilled. But do not let this tiny island fool you. It’s a hotspot for freediving, scuba diving, and island hopping to its neighbouring island.

If you’re wondering how small this island is, you could run about 5km laps around it. Yeah. It’s pretty damn tiny.

Third stop

Lombok, Indonesia: 4th September 2017 – 6th September 2017

Trippin’ from one island to the next, Lombok is the third island in the list with an impromptu objective.

Hiking. Mount. Rinjani.

Yup, you read it right. With a pair of shorts, long pants, a jumper, and a dri-fit tee battling 1°C to 5°C a.k.a. cold as fuck weather at night, this hike was somewhat manageable. What initially was supposed to be a 2-man hike with 2 guides and 1 porter hike, turned into a solo hike with 2 guides and 1 porter instead. The hike took 8-10 hours up to the crater rim at Mount Rinjani, another 6 hours down the mountain, an overnighter up at the crater rim, and lastly, a majestic view at 6 in the morning. It was fucking worth the hike.

The route taken was an experimental one. The local guides started the trip with a 20-minute bike ride passing through the village where I stayed the night in a banana plantation. I then hiked to the first stop where we had lunch and refilled our water supply.

It got cloudy and cold really quick. It even started drizzling and at that moment all I could think was, “Am I really going to hike up this mountain in the rain only to see cloudy skies?”

I was wrong, things eventually cleared up. The weather was much better above the fluffy clouds. The view got heaps better and it also got burning hot. For that view though, I’d do it all over again.

Highlight of the entire hike: Seeing the sun set and moon rise all in one view.

Fourth stop

Bogor, Indonesia: 6th September 2017 – 17th September 2017

Bogor was a silent period, literally. No communication with the outside world and complete silence for 9.5 days.

Why?

Because meditation. I got really interested in experiencing what it’d be like to meditate full-time for 9 days when one of our colleagues here in C27 did it. Frankly, it was quite an experience. From learning how to clear your noisy and racing mind to knowing different people from all around the world.

Fifth stop

Singapore: 17th September 2017 – 18th September 2017

As much as I wanted to catch Yayoi Kusama’s exhibition, I found out that it was all packed up and done while booking my flight 2 days before departing. The places I covered in Singapore were spots that were further out such as the Southern Ridges and some unexplored cafes around town.

A few places you’d probably want to check out: Booksactually, Ham Bao Bao, The National Art Gallery, Southern Ridges, a long walk from Little India to Chinatown passing Orchard Road, Ronin 17 Coffee, Chye Seng Huat, Basheer Bookstore, and The National Library.

Sixth stop

Cebu, Phillipines: 18th September 2017 – 20th September 2017

The second last stop of the trip was my first time in the Philippines. I didn’t know what it’d be like there nor did I understand how the transportation system worked.

Imagine yourself in a time capsule where technology is fused with ruggedness. A gem on its own. Old buildings, cathedrals, churches, jeepneys, Mexican food, chorizos, and the culture are all definitely worth looking out for.

Travelling in a jeepney was an experience on its own. Imagine travelling in an open-ended truck where it’s only 80 cents for an entire journey. There are no buses within Cebu. You may find Grab Cars or cabs but if you ever find yourself in Cebu, you gotta get in one of the Jeepneys.

Some notable places in Cebu: Basilica del Santo Niño, Red Lizard, StayFit Cebu, Yolk Coffee and Breakfast, Common Ground Store, Abaca Baking Company, Temple of Leah.

Seventh stop

Palawan, Philippines: 20th September 2017 – 23rd September 2017

Alas, the final stop of this trip. I started with an island and so we shall end with an island. Travelling from one island to another within the Philippines wasn’t exactly the easiest – you’ve got to take into consideration where you land by flight and how long the journey is from where you are to other parts of the island.

So why Palawan?

Google Maps. No shit, my friends. Once upon a time, while searching for directions on Google Maps, I stumbled upon a small little island on the map and 2 years later, I was on the island.

Blue skies, turquoise waters, and some hills. While there’s a lot to explore, it’s also a good spot to do some outdoor lead climbing for you fellow rock climbers out there.

When you’re on two wheels: Nacpan Beach, Caelan Beach, Lapus Lapus Beach, Las Cabanas.

Until the next solo trip, its back to business for now.

Some other shots are on Instagram.

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By San
C27 Travels

Small Girl Takes On Europe

By Beatrice Tan No Comments
Small Girl Takes On Europe

It all started on New Year’s Eve, when 3 drunk friends (myself included) got together and decided to make a New Year’s resolution.

“Guys, we have not travelled together before. We should go somewhere this year.”
“Where?”
“How about Europe?”
“Sounds expensive… But sure!”

Lo and behold. A month later, those 3 friends expanded to 5 and we bought our flight tickets to Europe. Because YOLO.

We decided to travel to 7 cities in the span of 18 days, and to be honest, it was no small feat. We spent the next 8 months just filling in the blanks between our flight out and our flight home – and that included places to visit, restaurants to eat at, Airbnb accommodations, and many other money-eating things.

So here’s the little guide we put together in hopes of helping those who ever dreamed of visiting Europe.

Rome, Italy (3D2N)

Who wouldn’t visit Rome while in Italy, right? This lively capital is packed full of things to do, see, and eat. We first visited the Pantheon and spent a few good minutes taking pictures of the architectural masterpiece. We then strolled around the streets to the Trevi Fountain, had a good few scoops of gelato at the famous Giolitti, and ended our night at the Spanish Steps.

The day after, we basked in Roman history at the Colosseum and Roman Forum, where we spent nearly half a day admiring its majestic remains. There’s just something about walking down the ancient paths that adds to the experience. We then made our way to Palatine Hill and discovered some of the weirdest contemporary art (would not recommend going). Shortly after, we walked over to Altare della Patria and caught the sunset overlooking the busy streets of Piazza Venezia. The night ended with us strolling through Piazza Navona, catching the 3 famed fountains: Fountain of Four Rivers, Moor Fountain, and Fountain of Neptune.

No visit to Rome would be complete without a stop at Vatican City. A treasure trove of art, the Vatican Museum left us (okay, maybe just me) oohing and ahhing at every corner with its incredible sculptures and artifacts. After 2 hours of walking, we ended up at the Sistine Chapel where we marveled even more at Michelangelo’s most famous work spanning across the entire ceiling of the chapel – which was simply breathtaking. Just when we thought things couldn’t get better, we went over to St. Peter’s Basilica and climbed 550 steps for the best view of Rome.

Florence, Italy (2D1N)

Florence was by far one of my favourite cities to go to in Italy. We first visited Galleria dell’Accademia where the original statue of Michelangelo’s David resided at, along with a large collection of paintings by Florentine artists. A copy of the David statue can also be found at Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall of Florence. We then took a stroll down Ponte Vecchio and had a good serving of Florence’s specialty, the T-bone steak.

There’s nothing quite like the view of Florence. We climbed 414 steps at Campanile di Giotto and were left in awe at the city view. Although I’ve seen it many times on Instagram, it’s not the same as seeing it in person – and pictures don’t do the place justice! We then headed over to Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore and were treated to a fresco on the dome’s interior depicting the Last Judgment.

Tip: If you have time and money to spare, visit Giardino Bardini for a different view of Florence.

Cinque Terre, Italy (1D1N)

If there’s one place I’d recommend everybody to visit, it would be Cinque Terre. No busy streets, no fancy stores, no museums – just us and the deep blue sea. One of the main attractions was hiking from one village to another, and that was what we did. We hiked the trails from Monterosso to Vernazza, climbing up steep stairs and narrow alleyways… and almost died. No joke. Thankfully, after 3 hours of sweat and tears, we were greeted with a gorgeous postcard-like view of Vernazza.

The next day, we all woke up with sore muscles and a sense of accomplishment. To reward ourselves, we spent our time left in Cinque Terre getting lost in the little town of Riomaggiore. We stumbled upon a little restaurant called Mamma Mia! Take Away and had some of the best fast food calamari.

Venice, Italy (2D2N)

Venice is like a dream you never want to wake up from. Our day started off with us heading to the Rialto Market for some fresh fruits and seafood, and finishing off our meals with a great view of the canal by Rialto Bridge. We then headed to T Fondaco dei Tedeschi for the best and most breathtaking rooftop view of the entire city.

The city’s also filled with cobbled sidewalks and canals, and it was amazing to watch locals go about their everyday life by foot or boat. Being the tourists that we were, we couldn’t miss out on the experience and took a gondola ride down the Grand Canal. We even learnt that gondolas were built to be asymmetrical and slightly lopsided so that the boat would be perfectly balanced. Fun fact of the century!

Berlin, Germany (4D3N)

Berlin had a very cool (literally, it was 5°C on most days) vibe and, unfortunately, was one of the most underwhelming cities I’ve been to so far. The city may be known for many things – tangible history, street art, urban culture, cutting-edge architecture – but it just wasn’t for me. On the first day, we visited The Berlin Wall and sadly, I fell asleep at the exhibition. Shortly after, we walked over to The East Side Gallery, where partial remains of The Berlin Wall had been painted by artists and activists all over the world. Okay, that was cool.

We also visited the Holocaust Memorial on a cloudy day, which only desaturated the grey monument even more. The deeper we walked into the field, the taller the concrete blocks became – and walking through the narrow passageways created this moving yet almost eerie, unsettling effect. We then headed over to the Reichstag Building for our free guided tour before making our way to the next stop, Brandenburg Gate.

The rest of our trip was spent shopping at Alexanderplatz and eating copious amounts of currywurst. Exciting, I know.

Brussels, Belgium (3D2N)

If Cinque Terre was my ultimate place to re-visit, Brussels would be a close second. There’s just something about Brussels that makes me weak in the knees. Just like when we first laid our eyes on the city’s main square, the Grand-Place. With its Gothic and Baroque-styled architecture, we thought the place couldn’t be real – it looked like it came straight out of a Disney movie! Even better, we also stumbled upon shops nearby that sold chocolates, waffles, french fries, and good ‘ol beer. I swear I was in heaven.

Tip: Take a stroll down Parc du Cinquantenaire if you want to get away from the city for a bit.

One of my favourite things about Europe was the diversity of characters between each city, even in such a small distance. We took a full-day tour to Brussels’ neighbouring cities, Ghent and Brussels, and I loved every bit of it. When we arrived at Ghent, I swear to God the place looked like a European-styled Disneyland. From the pristinely maintained medieval castles to cobblestone-lined canals, it might as well have been called The Second Happiest Place on Earth. The guide led us through a brief walking tour around the city to the Castle of the Counts, St Bavo’s Cathedral, and the picturesque old port before making our way to Bruges.

Unlike Ghent, our arrival at Bruges felt like an enchanting one. We were first greeted with Bruges’ romantic Minnewater (Lake of Love) where swans glided peacefully above the waters. If at any moment a Disney Princess randomly popped up and started singing amongst the trees, I wouldn’t have been surprised. Anyway… Our tour then took us around to explore the City Hall and Market Square, and to be honest, it stopped being exciting then because the tour got boring. But hey! At least everything looked pretty.

Netherlands, Amsterdam (3D2N)

Ah, the land of weed, canals, weed, history, weed, red city lights, weed, and bicycles. To end our trip on a high note, we spent our last days at Amsterdam taking in the city sights while chilling with some good ol’ Mary Jane. Of course, we also visited the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House for a little bit of art and history – but clearly, that wasn’t the main point.

Also, for the freshest authentic stroopwafels, they can be found at Albert Cuyp Market.

No trip to Amsterdam would’ve been complete without a visit to the infamous Red Light District. While we didn’t have to go into any strip clubs, we did. Because YOLO, right? It was my first time, and let me tell you, it was awkward on so many levels (but that’s a story for another day).

Aaand that concludes our Europe trip for 2017! Now back to our regularly scheduled lives.

Disclaimer: This trip was not sponsored by the company (C27) or anyone, in any way. All expenses are paid on my own and now I’m a broke hoe.

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By Beatrice Tan