By 8am my friend and I were all set to start the 110km, 90 minutes’ drive.

I am so used to driving on smooth and well-maintained highway, so it was kind of nice to travel on normal road that comes with holes and bumps here and there. The kind of drive that can really test your manoeuvring skills in avoiding potholes and overtaking busses and lorries.

Located on the Sungai Niah, Niah National Park is the famous attraction for visitors to Miri. According to Sarawak’s Forest Department, the park was first gazetted as a National Historic Monument in 1958, gazetted as National Park on 23 November 1974 and was published to the public on 1 January 1975.

The Niah National Park HQ. Visitor has to pay RM10 of conservation fee and register before the start of the journey.

A 1 minute boat ride marks that start of the journey to the caves in Niah National Park.

My friend casually asked the boatsman, “sungai Niah ni ada buaya?”, the guy gave a smile and nodded. I just kept quiet and be thankful that it’s a short ride! Haha

The 4.5 km walk to the caves. These are the pit stops and attractions along the way.

It was 11am on a clear hot Saturday morning but the canopy of trees provided a good shelter from the sun and it was a nice walk with continuous sound of nature providing a great ambience.

Some flora and fauna

There was only about 20-30 visitors at that time throughout the 4.5 km stretch so we hardly see anyone else and it was really nice to walk at our own speed and chit chat while enjoying the surrounding.

First stop, after about 40 minutes walk, the souvenir stalls.

Sumpit aka blowpipe.

After a 5 minutes rest and couple of cans of 100 plus, it was time to move into the caves.

Starting with the Trader’s Cave.

Trader’s Cave is an extended rock overhang rather than a cave proper. This is where the birds nest and quano traders conduct their business, hence the name.

Next was the archaeological excavation site.

Followed by the stunning Great Cave!

At over 60m high and 250m wide, it is one of the world’s most spectacular cave entrance leading to an even larger chamber within.

For many families with children on that day, this was the final stop before turning back. The journey from The Great Cave to The Painters Cave is in total darkness and requires a bit of energy.

The best way to describe the journey from this point is dark, bats and swiftlets’ droppings, lots of stairs!

Equipped with headlights rented from the park, we pushed on towards the Painted Cave.

SubhanAllah… a very beautiful God’s creation. The sight at The Large Chamber (Padang) on the way towards Painting Cave.

It took me only 5 minutes before I got hit by bats’ droppings. Thankfully I had my cap on!

In one of the smaller passage inside the caves…

…..camera flash and my headlight are the only source of lighting! The sound of disembodied voices mingles with the squeaking of millions of bats and swiftlets to create an eerie atmosphere!

Light at the end of the tunnel cave.

After about an hour from the last pitstop, we had another few hundred meters of walking outdoor before reaching the final line, the Painted Cave.

and we conquered Niah!

The painting on the wall!

The good news is that we had covered 4.5 km in roughly about 2.5 hours, a typical average time for first time visitor. The bad news is that we have to backtrack the same exact route back to the park’s HQ.

We finally returned back to our car after walking/climbing stairs covering a total distance of 9km in a 5 hours stretch. Not bad for someone like me who seldom exercise and can’t even find where I placed my sports show in my house! Oh not to forget the 90 minutes’ drive back to Miri!

I am glad that I went on with the plan to explore Niah. Though it is not as sexy as Mulu Caves, i take this trip as a warming up trip in preparation for bigger and more challenging destinations

Like this blog post? Click here for my other Travel Stories!

Planning for a trip to Miri and Niah? Not sure where to stay? Check out AGODA’s website (click the banner below) for a one-stop comparison of all hotels in Miri and other places in Malaysia from budget to 5-star. I am personally an AGODA fan and have saved a lot on my accommodation cost for my travels.

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This interesting anonymous quote I found on the net perfectly describes how I feel about aviation. Despite having taken hundreds of flights over the last few years on business and personal travel, I never get the cure to my ‘itchiness’ to fly!

For the same reason, when I got to know that the famous JFK, Johan Farid Khairuddin is providing joyride over KL on his little Cessna, I know that I have to try it! For those of you that don’t know who JFK is, click here for a profile of him.

In short he is a Professional Pilot, Music Producer, Emcee, Radio DJ & TV Show Host. Yeah some people just have EVERYTHING! (*envy*) hehe

I took the opportunity to surprise my other half as she had never experience flying on a light plane and KL Sky Tour is surely a romantic experience even for a non-jiwang dude like me! haha

The day finally arrived, on a fine Sunday morning we were at Subang SkyPark as early as 715am to catch the first departure slot at 7:45am.

JFK arrived on-time and living up to his true all-star personality, he greeted us as if we have known each other for years although in reality i’ve met him only once during a Youth conference some time back. It is true that those that have passion in aviation have something in common Anyway, Jiji was excited that not only she’s flying around KL but also meeting a celebrity!

Weather check on iPad! Good visibility translates into a smooth flight with great sights. I swear I didn’t throw any of my used underwear on top of my roof to get this good weather!

JFK went on explaining the basics of flight to Jiji.

Including the ‘VFR Flight Plan’ hahaha nice drawing man!

The normal procedure of “if I die, please call..” form and other forms that need to be filled before a flight.

It was then time to fly. Capt Andreas of Air Adventure Flying Club welcomed us with his cool safari truck!

A short ride to the Hangar. It was fun but I got a bit emotional seeing some of the old planes waiting for new owners to take over or ends up being slaughtered. I remember seeing Fokker-50 ex-MASWings and Firefly, Transmile MD-11 and a couple of 737-200. Planes are made to be flown not to sit idle on the ground!

Arrived at the hangar, the beautiful Cessna 172M Skyhawk ready for the joyride!

No such thing as Pushback truck hence Jiji had the honour of pushing the plane. The same routine that celebrities like Ning Baizura went through as part of the “Fly with JFK experience!”

Capt Andreas complaining that Jiji was not pushing strong enough! Funny moments.

Very similar to the panel in my PC Flight Sim.

After all the checks were done, it was time to fly. Clearance was given and JFK taxied the plane to RWY15.

Taking off! JFK with his game face on. Hehe

Jiji enjoying the effect of flying!

Love is in the air.

Glenmarie area.

At 1,500 ft and passing Menara TM on the right side, JFK gave me the chance to have some control of the plane. It was a nice feeling! Beyond words!

Menara TM from air.

In between communication with ATC, JFK shared a lot of stories while I was playing around with the controls for corrective actions to retain 1,500 ft at desired speed.

The best way to start a Sunday…. amazing views!

One for the album (thanks JFK for this photo)

Next stop…. Batu Caves!

Jiji enjoying the views

Thumbs up. Is that an approval for 2012 PPL Plans? Only time (and wallet) will tell!

The curvy shaped e@Curve

JFK took over controls and brought the Cessna back to SZB with a smooth touchdown.

Happy Pax!

It was an amazing experience and quality time with my other half. Lots of oooohhhh and ahhhhhh, smiles and laughter throughout the flight. If you are interested to fly with JFK, do tweet him or e-mail him for arrangements.

So what on earth is laser tag?

Wikipedia defines it this way: Laser tag is a team or individual activity where players attempt to score points by tagging targets, typically with a hand-held infrared-emitting targeting device. Infrared-sensitive targets are commonly worn by each player and are sometimes integrated within the arena in which the game is played. … laser tag has evolved into both indoor and outdoor styles of play, and may include simulations of combat, role play-style games, or competitive sporting events including tactical configurations and precise game goals.

I prefer to define laser tag as Paintball without the pain. If you love paintball, you would love laser tag better as it doesn’t involve physical contact and running making it suitable for both male and female! This game was also made famous through the famous “How I Met Your Mother” tv show:

Picture from fanpop.com

Last weekend I was invited to try out Galactic Laser with a group of bloggers and friends. Unlike some high-profile blogging events, this is an unofficial event organised by my friend who thought that Galactic Laser could use some good publicity. Despite being a low-profile event, we were offered VVIP treatment by the people behind Galactic Laser.

We were ushered to a special function room. Besides the playing arena, customers can organise birthday parties, family gatherings, company retreats at Galactic Laser as it offers not only the laser tag game, but also karaoke facilities, function rooms and good food. The spaceship theme can be seen not only in the playing arena but also throughout the venue.

Joining us was the famous blogger behind Beautiful Nara and friends.

Friends from Utusan Malaysia

The key people behind Galactic Laser explaining the fast, furious and fun aspects of the game

It was then time to report for some laser action!

For those with membership cards, you can earn extra discounts on every game and each game score will be recorded in the database as you move up the ranks.

Upon registration, each player would be given a number that represent your game session. Despite the big crowd, the queue system is unique that it would give each group a rest session to ensure you are not too tired playing consecutive sessions.

After our number is being called and before the action begins, Galactic Laser crew provided a detailed game briefing to explain the game mechanics.

There are different game modes namely free-for-all, team based on different colours, flag game, space marine, etc.

Different game modes would provide different rush but i can ensure that it’s all FUN!

After briefing, it’s suit up time. This ‘game pack’ is the secret behind the game with the ‘gun’ and your ‘life’ connected to it. Although the name implies the use of lasers, real lasers are generally not used except as aiming devices. The actual transmitting element of almost all laser tag gear is an infra-red Light Emitting Diode similar to those used in household remote controls. Laser tag is similar to paintball, airsoft and other simulation-shooting or targeting sports, but diverges in its reliance on a computerized control system. The computer system provides score tracking as well as enforcing some rules of engagement – such as an enforced period when a player is unable to shoot after being hit by another player, or discounting all friendly fire.

One for the album. I was Agent Wolf for that night!

The beauty of the game is that it’s suitable for kids as young as 7 years old! What better way to spend a good family time other than zapping each other at Galactic Laser!

Lights off, ready to play!

The arena is big enough for 30 people to chase, hide and shoot each other. But it’s all about strategy, those with a good strategy always wins!

Faces after the game, satisfied and all sweaty despite the venue being fully air-conditioned! That’s how intense the game is.

After each game, we had fun laughing at each other’s scores.

As a member, all my game scores were recorded and my “slow” progress can be seen at one swipe of the card.

We had one heck of a fun time with three rounds of game with one round lasting as long as 10 minutes. It was tiring but with lots of laughter and adrenaline rush, it’s time well spent.

One last group photo with the Galactic Laser guys. Thank you so much for the experience, VVIP treatment and fun games. We wish you all the best and one thing for sure is that i’ll be coming back and introduce this game to as many people as possible! Let’s spread the words

Galactic Laser can be found here:

T-012A, 3rd Floor, North Court, Mid Valley Megamall
Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra
59200 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
E-mail: enquiry@galacticlaser.com
Telephone: 03-2283 2999

http://www.galacticlaser.com

or Facebook at:

Day 2 of my trip to Kota Kinabalu was all about the fun island hopping and snorkeling activities in Manukan and Mamutik Island.

If you have not read my other posts on Kota Kinabalu, click on the links below.

A) Firefly flight from KL To KK {click here to read}
B) Jambatan Tamparuli, Pekan Nabalu, Kinabalu Park & Kundasang {click here to read}
C) Manukan and Mamutik Islands {click here to read}
D) Kota Kinabalu Seafood Galore {click here to read}
E) Shop till you Drop @ Kota Kinabalu {click here to read}
F) Flying home from KK with Firefly {click here to read}

Waking up as early as 6am is quite easy in Kota Kinabalu as the sun rises as early as 630am. Since we did not have any pre-arrangements made, we were out from the comfort of the hotel bed as early as possible to avoid the weekend crowd on the island.

Snorkeling requires a good pair of eyes so for the first time in my life, I put on a pair of contact lenses to fully enjoy the snorkeling sights at the islands.

After a short taxi ride to Jesselton Point, I was happy to notice that there were many tour operators offering good deals on island excursions and hopping.

Through recommendation from the taxi driver, we secured quite a good deal for 2 islands, Manukan and Mamutik, along with all the snorkeling gears.

With quite a number of operators at the jetty, things can get a bit confusing. My best advice is if you are in a medium size group, charter your own boat as it’s more economical and convenience.

After a short wait, we were ready to go. Happy morning faces!

The happy faces doesn’t last long though… Due to strong wind and a rather rough sea condition on that day, the 15 minutes boat ride turned out to be one heck of a ride! At one point I felt like just turning back but since we were half way there, we decided to push on.

We were all soaking wet by the time we reached the jetty of Manukan Island….

Being early has its advantage, we got our own picnic table and the beach was less crowded.

After gearing up, we went into the clear water for some snorkeling action only to be disappointed with very little fish visible to us. It was all due to the bad weather and strong waves.

All is not lost, we ended up chilling at the beach while having breakfast.

and of course while taking lots of photos…

and cam whoring…

With no luck in Manukan, we went on to Mamutik Island hoping to finally be able to swim with the fish! At that point I want to see fish badly that I don’t care if I have to wait the whole afternoon underwater!

Finally luck was on our side. We were greeted with this sight at the jetty! Positive sign indeed…

Quickly we went into the water with my old Sony wrapped with an underwater snorkeling waterproof bag from Hypergear.

Excited faces!

Wow!!!

I even recorded a short video which turned out to be so-so quality but I think it’s worth sharing.

Despite the excitement of seeing many types of fish on that day, the reality is there are still many types listed on the board here that we missed but that’s a valid reason for us to come back one day

An activity with satisfaction guaranteed!

As I said in my opening, a trip to Kota Kinabalu will not be complete without swimming with the fish and walking barefooted on the sandy beaches of KK’s beautiful islands. I am now already hunting for the next Firefly Airlines‘s promotion for flights to Kota Kinabalu for my next hopping trip to swim with the fish Join me?

Planning for a trip to Kota Kinabalu? Not sure where to stay? Check out AGODA’s website (click the banner below) for a one-stop comparison of all hotels in KK and other places in Malaysia from budget to 5-star. I am personally an AGODA fan and have saved a lot on my accommodation cost for my travels.

Monsoon Cup experience is not complete without the sensational experience of witnessing the top teams racing for the championship. What better way to watch the race other than being on one of the yacht itself. I was glad to be offered with the hot seat pass that not only gave me priority access to be on the hot seat but also access to the hospitality lounge.

My passses. Thank you!

The Monsoon Lounge.

One of the best seats to watch the race. Complete with animation, commentary, free flow of good food and all…

Bird’s eye view of the race from the lounge’s balcony

The hot seat is a unique experience that allowed selected spectators an opportunity to join the crew of each competing boat as they sailed round in the earlier competition rounds.

The hot seat booth where I was weighed in to ensure both competing boats have an equal weight added. For once I was told, the heavier the better….

After a short wait at the lounge, I was called up to the booth for a short briefing. A group of young but knowledgeable (and good looking!) Monsoon Crew prepared me and 5 others for the hot seats on flight #12.

To my surprise, I was assigned to be with the Koo Racing Team or better known as Malaysian team led by skipper Jeremy Koo! Yea!!!!

“No cameras allowed” but I am a blogger, so i need photos! so I decided to carry my almost kaput old point n shoot with me anyway. 100% at my own risk…

Bad quality photos are always better than no photos at all

I was welcomed by the friendly Mr Jeremy and his team the moment I stepped into his boat.

Despite the ‘Malaysian Hospitality’ treatment, don’t be fooled by the smiling faces as the moment the race started they all had their game face on!

We were up against the Minoprio Team. Despite losing the previous flights and with no wins in hand, team Koo gave their 110% at every second of the race.

One thing I love about this race is the teamwork element! It’s all about team spirit, togetherness and working together.

I admire the leadership qualities of a skipper like Jeremy Koo. He knew his stuff, led by example and at the same time respect the opinion of others.

To some extent on some recent business presentations that I presented, I did quote the example of a boat race as a great teamwork example.

I was glad to be on the Malaysian boat. They actually speak in English, Malay and Mandarin! A true 1Malaysia team!

After the race (which they lost btw), I was ready to leave when Jeremy asked me “we are going to do some practice run, it will take some time but if you want you can join us!”

Within seconds I agreed and stayed on for a total of 35 minutes in total!

A memorable experience and worth the trip definitely!

Someone asked me why did I attended this year’s Monsoon Cup despite already experiencing the same thing last year.

All I can say is that there is something about this boat race and the event and Terengganu that I can relate to myself.

But then again, maybe it’s just me just needing a break once in a while

See you in Monsoon Cup 2011!

Planning for a trip to the Monsoon Cup? Not sure where to stay? Check out AGODA’s website (click the banner below) for a one-stop comparison of all hotels in Kuala Terengganu and other places in Malaysia from budget to 5-star. I am personally an AGODA fan and have saved a lot on my accommodation cost for my travels.

The line from Eagles’ Hotel California best described my feeling of having to leave Genting Highlands. As the City of Entertainment, Genting Highlands is a city that ‘never sleeps’. It is also a place that you can enjoy for days but unfortunately for me and 28 other bloggers, it was time for our next destination.

One last VIP treatment offered by Resort World Genting, an exclusive breakfast at the World Club Lounge, the highest floor of First World Hotel.

What a perfect combination to start a day. Beautiful view, delicious food and cool friends.

As we made our way down from Genting Highlands, the bloggers made a quick stop at Chin Swee Temple.

Kak Ning, our friendly tourist guide explained that this is the best spot for photo as the temple is located on the most scenic spot of Genting Highlands. It took me a good 5 minutes to walk up to the temple. I blame it on the heavy breakfast rather than accepting the fact that I’m older than most of the other bloggers. At least I’m not in the NERD age-group. LOL!

Kak Ning was right. It was quite a view despite the heavy fog making photography quite tricky.

Located at an elevation of 5,800 feet from sea level, the mountain air gives a calm and cooling ambience to the visitors of the temple. This is the temple that took 18 years to build. Construction of the Temple was tough and dangerous due to the rocky terrain and inaccessibility of modern equipments. After all these tedious and time consuming work, the temple was eventually officially opened on 29 March 1994 by Tun Dr. Ling Liong Sik

“Bujang Lapok” trio at the Chin Swee Temple’s entrance. Abang Ben and Eyriqazz

Our next stop was The Kanching Waterfalls. Located between Selayang and Rawang, this is a hidden gem for nature lovers visiting Selangor. It has 7 layers of waterfalls with the lowest 3 levels being easily accessed by families with kids. The higher levels are a bit challenging and require a bit of hiking skills and good pair of shoes.

We ended up at the third tier and had some time enjoying the nature.

One little suggestion for Tourism Selangor is to employ a lifeguard cum security guard at each tier of the falls for two reasons. One is obviously for the safety of the visitors and another reason is to deter the visitors from simply polluting the beautiful waterfalls.It’s so sad that we are at the stage where “Jangan Menbuang Sampah” signs mean nothing and people still leave their picnic leftovers behind. By having someone monitoring (or even issuing on-the-spot summonses, hopefully we can keep the beauty of Kanching for our next generation to enjoy)

Beautiful sights.

We had packed lunch in Kanching with some un-invited guest. Another reason to take your leftovers with you.

Someone didn’t finish his/her coleslaw and threw it away. The monkey discovered the unopened coleslaw, opened it, and threw it back. A double insult to some Colonel in the US. hehehe

Group Photo!

After Kanching waterfalls, a 3-hour bus ride brought us to the most northern part of Selangor, Sabak Bernam. As we drove passed Kuala Selangor and Tanjong Karang, the change of scenery was noticeable. From busy scenes of a city to relaxing sights of green paddy fields and coconut trees.

We finally reached the most famous homestay in Sabak Bernam, the Kampung Sungai Haji Dorani Homestay.

Despite being a kampung (village), we were still welcomed like VIPs complete with Bunga Manggar and Kompang.

Followed by a full demonstration of Kuda Kepang and Barongan. Some of us tried and performed quite differently

A short video of Kuda Kepang show. Taken with the Pentax Model Optio H90.

I was disappointed that Abang Ben did not try it out because I would love to take video of him on Kuda Kepang and put it on Youtube! Hahaha

In pairs, the bloggers were assigned foster parents and homestay for the night. I was paired with Sylistic, a young but experience chap from Singapore. He is only 18 years old and first time being in a kampong so I hope I did an OK job in making things fun for him to accommodate the stay.

A star jump to show how happy I was to be back at a Kampung with no air-cond, hot shower, internet hehehe

A tour around the house.

We helped out ‘makcik’ to prepare dinner which turned out to actually slowing things down and delaying dinner for that evening!

Delicious Dinner! Ketam Masak Cili Api, Kangkung Goreng, Sambal Blacan, Ayam Goreng Tepung and Sambal Belacan. Syslistic had two rounds of White Rice + Fried Chicken + Chili Sauce (Glad that you love the food bro!)

On the same evening, we went to check out the Fireflies in Kampung Kuantan, Kuala Selangor. Despite the small number of fireflies on that night (maybe due to weather and timing), it was quite refreshing to see actual fireflies after months of looking at Fireflies in Skirts! LOL!

Photo from Sylistic….. Those who went to see fireflies wearing Firefly’s shirt

The beauty of Firefly is that you cannot capture it on camera. You have to be there to see it for yourself

The food-trail blogging adventures of day 3 made the last stop at Tanjung Karang’s famous Satay Hut before going back to Sabak Bernam. Satay Hut is less-commercialized and offers good satay at an affordable price. 5-stars and highly recommended!

Eyriqazz: “That’s Mine, I don’t want to share!!!!”

From Chin Swee Temple in Genting to Kanching Waterfalls to Kuala Selangor’s Fireflies to Tanjung Karang’s Satay Huy and Sabak Bernam’s Homestay. What a looooong and exciting Day 3 of MySelangorStory tour.

Planning for a trip to Selangor? Not sure where to stay? Check out AGODA’s website (click the banner below) for a one-stop comparison of all hotels in Selangor and other places in Malaysia from budget to 5-star. I am personally an AGODA fan and have saved a lot on my accommodation cost for my travels.

Here’s a slideshow of Day 3 photos.

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MY SELANGOR STORY 2010 Blogger’s Competition spearheaded by Tourism Selangor to promote Selangor’s cultural diversity and rich tourism resource to travelers around the world. Check out Tourism Selangor website at http://www.tourismselangor.org for more details on tourism in Selangor. For flights and holiday packages to Selangor, check out Firefly Airlines at http://www.fireflyz.com.my

Sponsors of MySelangorStory 2010

• Firefly (Official Airline) – http://www.fireflyz.com.myy
• Pentax (Official Camera) – http://www.dscworld.com.my
• Tropicana Medical Centre (Official Medical Centre) –http://www.tropicanamedicalcentre.com
• Resort World Genting (Offical Resort) – http://www.rwgenting.com
• Sunway City Berhad (Official Integrated Resort)-http://www.sunway.com.my/lagoon/
• P1 (Official Broadband Provider) http://www.p1.com.my
• TV Selangor (Official Online TV) – http://www.tvselangor.com
• Royal Selangor (Official Souvenir Shop) -http://visitorcentre.royalselangor.com/vc/
• Haven Restaurant (Official Restaurant) -http://www.havenrestaurant.com.my

However, Mother Nature had the final say. It was raining non-stop from 6 a.m. in the morning all the way till late night.

Most tourists would just stay in the comfort of their hotel room.

But not us! As we only had 24 hours left, we decided to give it a go. Sightseeing in heavy rain!

We managed to get ourselves a pair of cheap umbrellas at the Shijiezhichuang Metro Station.

Shenzhen is famed as the “capital of theme parks.” Window of the World, Splendid China, China Folk Culture Villages, Happy Valley and CITIC Minsk World theme parks are the epitome of a mixture of Chinese culture and world culture.

Our first stop was The Window of the World! This is a cool theme park where you can actually explore the whole world within few hours.

China is well known for ‘original copy’ and reproduction. The end products are often as good as the original items. From branded handbags to shoes to sportswear and DVDs, I thought I have seen it all but the moment I stepped into the Window of The World, I was amazed!

48 hectares of space with 130 reproductions of some of the most famous tourist attractions from all parts of the world.

They can actually reproduce world’s famous landmarks to look and feel exactly the same as the original landmarks!

As we got into the park, the rain got heavier and we opted for a monorail ride around the park. Here are some shots of some famous landmarks from the monorail ride.

Followed by a tram ride to get a closer look at the attractions.

The most amazing attraction must be this 108m tall replica of Eiffel Tower. Visitors are even allowed to go all the way up and enjoy the view of Shenzhen.

It looks real, It feels real. That’s what “Made in China” products all about!

From the Wonders of the World, we went on to our next destination which was Splendid China Folk Culture Village!

Unfortunately we went out at the wrong Metro station and a 3km walk in heavy rain was not a pretty experience. With wet shoes and tired body, we called it a day and decided to take the monorail around the park just for the sake of seeing it first hand.

All wet!

Although I was very disappointed for not be able to visit an old Chinese village and some other theme parks, I look it from the positive side. A reason to come back to Shenzhen in the future

A trip to a foreign land is not complete without tasting its local dishes. We ended up the day with a nice Chinese Muslim meal next to our hotel.

Ok, it might not be authentic Chinese food, but we were starving after a long rainy day! French FIRES and Toothpick Lambs sound interesting isn’t it?!

I had Mushroom Chicken with Rice.

Delicious! The other stuffs we had!

It beats having my usual travel meal of Tuna Ayam Brand from home!

It was a memorable 48 hours in Shenzhen. What started as an unplanned trip turned out to be a fun one. It is true that I missed out most of the attractions this time but the fun in shopping, massage and being lost in translation made up for it! I considered myself lucky for having a travel kaki that is brave enough to go to this kind of adventure. Will I return to Shenzhen? Of course!

Planning for a trip to Shenzhen or China? I love how AGODA has helped me finding the best deals at an attractive price and everything is prepaid so no need to bring lots of cash when you travel!

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“Your success is an obligation and a responsibility to your society and it is only when you give back to society that you are truly successful” – Tun Daim Zainuddin

Following up from my previous birthday celebration with kids from an Orphanage last November (click here to recap) , my wife and I wanted to bring more joy to the kids and decided to take them out on a half-day outing and adventure in Bukit Cerakah or now known as Taman Pertanian Malaysia.

Supported by our friends, we organised the trip with no fancy donation, no hiddenagenda, no big mock cheque, no TV reporters, no speeches, no politician VIPs…. just pure FUN Time for the kids.

The VIP was the kids from a Rumah Anak Yatim (Orphanage) in KL. We pooled our money together and brought the kids to an all-expenses paid for trip to Bukit Cerakah and a Little Adventure @ SkyTrex. We also noticed that the kids were quiet and reserved when we first met them 6 months ago so we were hoping that some outdoor adventure will boost their confidence level.

Breakfast was served at the entrance of the park.

The 16 kids were broken into group of 4 with a couple of our friends assigned to each of the groups. It was really convenient to move around the park using the busses even in a big group as there were frequent trips throughout the day.

First Stop – Empangan Sungai Baru. We were greeted by monkeys, an exciting discovery for the kids

Empangan Sungai Baru, a dam with fish rearing facilities is the home to thousands of fish from different species.

At this stage the kids were already excited to experience feeding the fish.

The kids spent about 20-minutes enjoying the fish-feeding activity.

We then had a short introductory session where everyone got the chance to know each other better. It has been a while since I last did an ice-breaking and I am getting a bit rusty doing it!

Nevertheless, the kids start to get more comfortable with us.

An opportunity to do a group photo while waiting for the shuttle bus.

Our next stop was Taman Cendawan and Menara Pandang Jauh.

Taman Cendawan was a big letdown as this was the only Cendawan there:

Luckily the Menara Pandang Jauh is something interesting for the kids as they excitedly climbed all the way to the top to enjoy the view.

We then made another hop to Taman Haiwan. Knowing that the animal farm is nowhere close to an actual zoo standard, we decided to focus more on the suspension bridge also located at Taman Haiwan.

Some of the kids were frightened going through the bridge, little that they knew that the much challenging and scary SkyTrex Adventure awaits them.

After a couple hours of tour, we had a mini-picnic with packed food. Everyone seems to enjoy the meal after a long and tiring walk.

It was then the highlight of the day, SkyTrex Adventure.

Little Adventure @ SKYTREX provides an organized outdoor ‘eco-recreational cum educational’ activity which will take the participants from tree to tree via series of aerial obstacles suspended at 3 meters in the air.

Gearing up. The safety of the kids was the highest priority throughout the trip. Not only we took a separate insurance coverage for each of them, we went through the safety devices thrice to ensure it was all safe.

All geared up

Briefing and demonstration session.

Surprisingly, the smallest ones were the most adventurous!

Climb, climb, climb….

Some of the obstacles

Flying Fox

I was relieved to see that everyone were confident enough to finish the little adventure 30-minutes course. The real challenge was to ask them to stop and ready to go back!

One last group photo before we left SkyTrex and Bukit Cherakah.

Since it was school holiday, we wanted the kids to have an exciting time that they can proudly share with their school mates once they are back in school. I am glad that based on the smiles and laughters (plus additional screams during flying fox!) I can safely assume that they had a time of their life.

A special thank you to Zamil, Hanis, Izreen, Kak Ju and the rest for spending their valuable Saturday volunteering for this trip. Till next time!

Similar to the Night to Remember event held last year, this programme is championed by MASCharter’s Assistant GM, Capt Nik Huzlan (a Harley/BMW/Smart enthusiast and btw a certified Captain as well). The beauty of this event is the fact that it combines two greatest things any children wants to experience, riding on a Harley Davidson and Flying on a ‘Jumbo’ Boeing 747.

A little background on the event:

A MAS B747-400 Aircraft was chartered to bring back Malaysian soldiers on UN duty from Lebanon to Subang Airport the night before the event. As it would otherwise fly empty from Subang Airport back to KLIA, MASCharter arranged for a “charity ride” carrying the orphans, just for them to taste a plane ride. Along with the record-breaking Harley Davidson convoy and a 5-minute Harley-Davidson joyride for each of them prior to the flight, the event really fits in as a “Sensational Saturday” for the lucky children!

Join me in re-capping “Sensational Saturday: Ride on Harley, Fly on Jumbo” through series of photos taken by me during the event.

Early start for everyone, the orphans were picked up as early as 6am from their respective homes.

Same goes for the riders; early wake-up call just for a good cause!

Early breakfast; kids getting McDonalds.

As the sun rises, more bikers came in.

Despite the large size of the participants, everything fell in nicely as planned.

The beautiful MAS stewardess manning the registration counter.

I just love the ‘style’ of Harley Riders. Very colourful…

My favourite!

Capt Nik, the man behind the programme being interviewed by MHI.

The police outriders ready to roar. Quite a number of police bikes participated providing the necessary support to the convoy.

Some of the Harley bikes.

Not to forget the powerful BMW Bikes providing the ride for media videographers and photographers.

The kids @ HDKL!

Let the ride begins!

I had bad experience on fast bikes so just like last year, I opted out for one of the busses…

….which turned out quite to be a cool experience mingling with the kids and answering many questions. One thing for sure is that most of the questions were on two things; Harley Davidson and airplanes. It was obvious that they were all excited about the event and most can be seen smiling throughout the convoy!

The 1-hour ride from Naza/HDKL – PJ – Federal Highway – Kerinchi Link – Penchala Link – Sungai Buloh – NKVE – Subang Airport.

I felt sorry for the other motorists. On a positive side, it was for a very good cause

I remember telling one of the children that they are being treated just like royalty. Even VVIPs don’t get this many police, Harley Davidson and BMW bikes as escort!

Arrived safely at Subang MAS Complex A – the main event venue.

Smiles all the way as they were greeted by the ‘kakak-kakak’ from MASCharter

Prayers.

Speeches by the VVIPs. Kudos to Capt Nik for a very informal speech! I like the part where he said “Uncle dari Kelantan tak pandai cakap melayu so kena cakap in English”. Very humble!

Makan time.

Entertainment by a very funny clown!

A snapshot of the bikes.

The 5-minute joyride around MAS Complex A for all the kids.

More beautiful kebaya-girls.

More goodies as the kids ready for the grand finale – the Jumbo!

“Putrajaya” Boeing 747-400 ready to serve.

It is impossible to cover the whole event in one blog post, so I have to say TO BE CONTINUED!

However I quickly changed my mind the moment I knew that the venue is located just 5 minutes from home and it’s RM40 for a fun 2-3 hours adventure! Good value for money I have to say!

(Photos from SkyTrex official Site)

What is a SkyTrex Adventure?

SKYTREX Adventure provides an organized outdoor ‘eco-recreational cum educational’ activity which will take the participants from tree to tree via series of aerial obstacles suspended at 3 meters to 22 meters in the air.

The first of its kind in Malaysia, SKYTREX Adventure is a place where you can enjoy jungle trekking from a height never reached before – via the canopy! Test your agility, challenge your fear, walk, crawl, glide and swing through our different challenges in the sky, in total safety while appreciating the wonders of the Malaysian Tropical Rain Forest.

So on a fine Saturday Morning, together with my other half, we made our way to Taman Pertanian Malaysia @ Taman Cahaya Alam @ Bukit Cherakah in Shah Alam. Yes, the same place with that once-upon-a-time famous 4-season house!

An open air shuttle bus transports all participants to SkyTex venue, located 5 minutes by bus from the park’s entrance.

Check-in counter; professionally managed…payment for the adventure and optional items such as drinks, bottle holder, gloves and lockers.

The first briefing – about the logistics. We were in a group of 13 friends and friends of friends + 4 other people who joined our group.

We signed up for Big Thrill Adventure, the adventure with medium to difficult difficulty only to be told that they have to close Big Thrill circuit due to trees obstruction. We were offered a full refund or the EXTREME CHALLENGE! That translates to 21 extreme challenges with some platforms reaching the height of 22 meters. We accepted the challenge!

First off, the Gear up Deck.

Gearing Up

“In case anything happen to me, do remember how good I was as a husband” hehehe

Initiation circuit and briefing, the dos and don’ts by one of the instructors.

Thrash talking

The first climb! Straight up…Into a small platform high above

My first ever flying fox! Awesome thrill

After that it was grueling 20 other obstacles in the Extreme Circuit. Some of it are shown in photos below.

More high trees to be climbed…

Looks easy but imagine doing it at the height of 15 meters from the ground.

One for the album~! Me in between challenges.

It took me around 2 hours 30 minutes to finish the course. An achievement really as it’s a normal average time for completion of this toughest course. A few of my group mates including my other half stopped half way due to fatigue, mainly on the climbing ladders part!

Lastly, I have to thank my buddy for initiating this event and providing the photos (I was too scared to bring my Sony)!

Any of my blog readers interested to do this? I’m all set for another round on the least tough course, the Big Thrill! Contact me on Facebook to arrange this!