When we went on our trip to Penang, we stayed at Hutton Lodge which is considered to be a budget hotel in the heart of George Town. It was a really old bungalow that has a colorful history and was restored just five years ago.

It’s even a landmark by itself when the road it’s situated in is also named after Hutton. Dr. Hutton was the first registered doctor to practice in George Town in the early 1900′s. The price of a room starts at RM30 for a dorm type bed and RM60 (Php850)  for a single room with a common bathroom and it’s quite popular among backpackers too.

How to get there

Probably the easiest and cheapest way to get to Hutton Lane where Hutton Lodge is located is via the free shuttle bus. We took the ferry after getting off at Butterworth station and from there, went to the bus stop outside the bus terminal.

Hop on to the Rapid Penang CAT (Central Area Transit) and ask to be let off at the Lebuh Campbell bus stop. The landmark here is the 7-11 right in front of the bus stop. From here, cross the street and walk towards Hutton Lane, then walk a bit more to see Hutton Lodge.

Double Suite Room

Tia booked us the Double Suite Room for RM100 (Php1,400) a night which is a spacious air-conditioned room with its own bathroom with a hot and cold shower. We got there at around 8AM still sleepy from our overnight train ride and it’s a good thing that they allowed us to check-in that early. Staff were nice and helpful and speaks/understands English.

The room isn’t that new but it was clean and the bed and pillows were comfortable. There’s a cabinet and a dresser/work table as well. What’s missing is a personal ref which I really find useful in trips.

WiFi was available in this budget hotel and I’m glad it reached our room although it wasn’t that speedy and there were times that the net goes down. They also have a computer for rent by the way if you need it.

Overnight rates also include free standard Malaysian breakfast of bread and jam with juice, tea or coffee.

Here are a few things we liked about Hutton Lodge despite the price for our room.

• Situated in a quiet place away from the main road
• Hutton Lane is right across Campbell Street which offers a lot of cheap places to eat
• It’s near a 7-11 along Penang Road (drinks are cheaper at 7-11 than sidewalk stalls)
• Walking distance from GeorgeTown White Coffee, Penang’s own White Coffee
• Near the bus stop which is two stops away from the main bus terminal

It’s really a nice place to stay with a really good location and my only qualm was the price. The room doesn’t feel like RM100 but more of RM80 maybe.

An alternative that I saw while doing our George Town walking tour was Broadway Budget Hotel which is much cheaper than Hutton Lodge. It’s also located near some of the tourist spots like Goddess of Mercy Temple and Kapitan Keling Mosque. Your only problem with this place is that it’s in a busy area so expect some noise.

Related posts:

1. Touring Malaysia for Two Part 6: KL to Penang by train
2. Touring Malaysia for Two Part 7: Scenes from George Town, Penang
3. Touring Malaysia for Two Part 2: Going Around KL

When you go to Penang, it’s not uncommon to stay in George Town, which is the heart and capital of the island.

George Town, well the inner part of it, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site like Malacca. And like Malacca, it is filled with architectures and sites from different cultures. Also like Malacca, it’s a place where you can experience different types of cuisines (mostly spicy).

I view George Town as a laid-back modern city with a classic touch. There are no skyscrapers save for the lone tall KOMTAR building which also acts as a reference point so the place is quite relaxed and airy.

So what can you do in George Town? See the sights and eat basically.

Getting around George Town

What’s makes George Town tourist-friendly is its free shuttle bus (Central Area Transit or CAT) that goes around the inner city in both directions so most of the tourist spots can be visited by hopping on and off the bus and walking a short distance. It even took us from the jetty and passed by near our hotel.

If you’re going to tour the place on your own, avoid rush hours (morning and late afternoon) because a lot of locals also use the free shuttle bus to go to and from their work.

When you get to the hotel, take a city map pronto. This will aid you in your walking tour because all the places to visit are highlighted and the ones in city center are in walking distance from one another.

Scenes from George Town

We covered most of the sights in central George Town in just one afternoon. We boarded the CAT bus near our hotel and got off the nearest landmark in our map. Check out the places we visited (all info were taken from the map).

Kapitan Keling Mosque

Founded in 1801, it is the largest historic mosque in George Town. Designed in Moghul architecture, it features beautiful minarets and domes.

Little India

This little quarter of South Indian culture is where early Indian immigrants settled down to make Penang their home. It is the island’s epicentre of Indian music, savoury cuisine, exotic spices and authentic foods.

Teochew Temple

A prime example of Teochew architecture, the temple was built in 1855 and moved to its present site in 1870. In 2006, the temple received the Award of the Merit UNESCO Asia-Pacific for Culture Heritage Conservation. The temple is also known as the Han Jiang Teochew Ancestral Temple.

Mahamariamman Temple

Built in 1883, it is the oldest Hindu temple in George Town. It began as a humble Hindu shrine dedicated to Sri Muthu Mariamman. A distinctive feature of the temple is its gopuram with 38 exquisitely carved Hindu deities.

Goddess of Mercy Temple

This popular temple is dedicated to Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. The first foundation was laid in 1728 by Chinese settlers and completed in 1800.

St. George’s Church

Built between 1817 and 1818, it is said to be the oldest Anglican church in Southeast Asia.

Penang State Museum

Almost destroyed in World War II bombing, this building houses a plethora of Penang historic artifacts.

Cathedral of the Assumption

The Church was established by Father Garnault along Church Street. It moved to its present site in 1861. In 1955, it was awarded the status of a Cathedral.

Town Hall

This was the previous social venue for Penang’s elite back in the 1880’s. Its classic colonial elegance was the backdrop for a scene in the movie, Anna and the King. Located nearby is an ornate fountain which was presented to the public of Penang by Koh Seang Tat in 1883.

Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower

The 60-foot clock tower, commissioned by the wealthy Cheah Chen Eok, was built in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. Each foot represents a year in the Queen’s reign.

Fort Cornwallis

Built when Captain Francis Light first landed on Penang, this ancient sentinel of George Town stands guard over the island’s cape. Visiting hours are 9am – 6pm daily and closed on Sundays.

Esplanade

The Esplanade is a seafront promenade bordering an open field where festivals and events are often held. Located along this winding stretch are a War Memorial to fallen soldiers, a hawker food court and the ancient Fort Cornwallis.

City Hall

Built in 1903, this is the headquarters of the Penang Island Municipal Council. A World War I monument for fallen soldiers is also located here.

That’s it for our afternoon walking tour of central Georgetown. The day after, we had time to visit two popular temples in Georgetown as well as see the KOMTAR building up close. The two temples are near each other but requires a 20-minute bus ride from the bus terminal.

KOMTAR

Built in 1978, Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak ( KOMTAR) is Penang’s tallest building, rising 65 storeys. Named after the late Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak bin Hussein, the complex is a shopping mall, business hub and the home to the Penang’s State Government.

Wat Chayamangkalaram

Or Watchamacallit as I would call it.

Wat Chayamangkalaram is a Thai Buddhist temple built in 1845 on land granted by Queen Victoria as a gesture of goodwill to Thailand.

The temple has one of the largest Reclining Buddha statues in the world. Spectacular to behold, the statue is completely gold-plated and measures 33 metres in length. You can also appreciate the magnificent craftsmanship in the exquisite statues of Devas and other mythical creatures located on the temple grounds.

Dharmikarama Burmese Temple

Located opposite of Watchamacallit, this Burmese temple is the favoured venue for the Songkran festivities – Thailand’s traditional New Year Day – which is celebrated in April. The temple’s serene surroundings feature a Bodhi tree, wishing pond and pagoda.

That’s it for our tour of George Town, Penang. There are other places that you could visit if you have the time and budget for transpo like their beach at Batu Feringgi or Penang Hill overlooking the city.

For us though, we only had 2 days before leaving for Kota Kinabalu on the third day.

Related posts:

1. Touring Malaysia for Two Part 6: KL to Penang by train
2. Touring Malaysia for Two Part 1: The Plan
3. Touring Malaysia for Two Part 5: Batu Caves

After a tiring first day, we slept at 7PM and set our alarm for 2:00AM. Tia decided not to continue but still urged me to go.

Ren said we should move by 2:30AM so we won’t get stuck behind slow climbers because most of the trials are narrow. It was going to be a 2.72km trek from Laban Rata to Lowe’s Peak.

2:00AM came and Tia and I woke up hearing the rain pouring outside. Depending on the weather condition, guides won’t let you summit if it’s raining because of poor visibility and the slippery surface.

Ren told us that nobody was able to summit the night before because of rain. I kinda submitted to the fact that I may not be able to conquer Mt. Kinabalu. We decided that if it continues to pour by 3AM, we’re going back to bed to get more sleep for our climb down in the morning. We just proceeded to grab breakfast. Need carbs for the climb.

Luckily the rain abated by 2:45AM. It was drizzling but people started heading out to attempt the summit. It was still dark, very cold, and wet. I was armed with my Headwear to protect my face, thermal underclothes, my parka, winter glove, a beanie and Tia’s headlamp. Ren, agreed to wear my camera and take pictures of my misery during the climb.

No climbing sticks are required to climb to Lowe’s Peak but a mini headlamp is a must!

The trail was easy at the beginning. Full of wooden planks that act as stairs but even after just 500 meters I was already out of breath. I was a bit thankful for the slow people ahead of me because I can’t go fast.

Not Ren though. He told me to follow him and overtake the slow climbers. Not wanting to show him what a wuss I am, I just nodded on. So he made a path and I followed until we’re well ahead of the pack… and where the real challenge began.

We’re out of steps with handholds and moving away from the trees so it’s getting colder. It didn’t help that my gloves were already wet from holding on to the wet railings. My hands were already freezing at this point but I need my gloves to abseil. There were parts with steep inclines where I need to hold on to a guide rope and pull myself up while walking.

Already tired and breathless, I finally reached Sayat Sayat, the last checkpoint before the summit. I showed my ID so that my name would be recorded. This is also the 1km mark and I still had to go almost 2km more but I already wanted to quit. My hands are freezing and I was so tired.

Ren urged me to continue. He told me I won’t be needing to hold on to anything anymore and advised me to remove my gloves and just shove my hands inside my pocket. The trail from then on was smooth but still angled in a way that would give your thighs the ultimate workout. Rain has completely stopped but being high up with clouds around me, everything becomes moist including my clothes.

It was really a challenge. I was taking baby steps making the climb longer while I kept on muttering to myself why I signed up for this. Ren told me that we would climb for 5 minutes then rest for 1 minute until we reach our goal. Sounds like a plan and I was cherishing that 1-minute rest.

Eventually, after 3 hours, and by sheer will and just forcing my legs to take a step after step, I finally reached my destination, Lowe’s Peak, 4095m above sea level.

We were supposed to wait for sunrise but unfortunately, it was just too cloudy. Some of the people who got their first were starting to go down due to the extreme cold. I didn’t stay long as well after getting my spot behind the sign post to have Ren take a few shots

It was time to go back down to Laban Rata. We still weren’t seeing blue skies like I pictured my climb before but I was beginning to see the landscape that I had to go through during the dark and it was just breathtaking. Too bad Lowe’s Peak was still not that visible due to clouds.

I took my time going down while enjoying the view and having my picture taken. Go through each photo to read some comments of mine.

After 2 hours, I was back at Laban Rata where Tia greeted me with a kiss. Ren told me that my time was quite good for a first-timer. We ate our buffet breakfast and prepared for the trek back down to Timpohon Gate after I took a 30-minute nap.

Trek down to Timpohon Gate

Because Tia’s not that tall, going down was really slow. What should’ve taken an average of 3 hours took us 5 hours. By the time we reached Timpohon Gate, our knees were REALLY aching! I had a good pace early on but in the 4km mark, I could barely go down each step without hurting my kneecaps.

At least, Balsam Cafe near the Kinabalu Park entrance was still serving their buffet lunch when we got there at around 3 PM. We said goodbye to Ren and gave him a tip, thanking him for carrying my pack and taking all the photos.

Going back to KK

Now going back to the city is a bit tricky for two people. If we’ve only gotten down by noon, we could’ve seen taxis outside the park to take us back to the city.

As such, the only option was to ride the park’s taxi which is a bit steep at RM150. It could accommodate up to 7 passengers and it’s a good thing we were able to find two Kazakhstani girls to share our ride.

And this concludes our December 2011 climb to Mt. Kinabalu. It was the most physically taxing thing I have ever done in my life but it was also truly rewarding.

December is a hit or miss month to climb and I would suggest going during the summer months where you can have the clear blue sky as backdrop of your summit.

Related posts:

1. Climbing Mt. Kinabalu in December Part 1 – The Preparation
2. Climbing Mt. Kinabalu in December Part 2 – Going up to Laban Rata
3. How much does it really cost to climb Mt. Kinabalu?

Since we were on a tight budget for our Davao trip (didn’t do whitewater rafting anymore), we decided to just try out the restos Davao has to offer. What’s nice about Davao is that it’s not a big place so food tripping is really doable.

We were looking for an affordable but hot dining spots in Davao and a lot of people suggested Majid’s Kabab. I looked for it in Google Maps and found out that it’s located on a street parallel to our hotel’s (My Hotel). Nice!

It was just a nice 5-minute walk from our hotel to Majid’s Kabab in Rizal St. near La Casitas. We decided to eat early because they said the place is not too big and it tends to be filled up pretty quickly.

The place looks unassuming, it’s just a roadside eatery with little round tables and monobloc chairs. People don’t recommend this for its design and interiors but for the affordable and delicious food they offer.

Like how cheap?

A beef or chicken kabab that comes with pita bread and grilled tomato only costs Php35.00. Beef tenderloin kabab is Php43. A beef cholo (2 beef kababs with grilled tomato and rice topped with butter) is only Php65.

Having eaten at Mr. Kabab’s in Manila and liking their beef kabab, I had high hopes for my beef cholo. We also ordered a chicken kabab and a beef tenderloin for Tia. Serving size is not that big unlike Mister Kabab’s but that’s the beauty of it, with the price, you can order try kinds of kababs and their other dishes. like their ox brain or mirza ghassemi (eggplant dish).

Moment of truth. How does it taste?

Yummy! Absolutely yummy! I tasted everything we ordered and loved them all. Just like Mr. Kabab’s but cheaper. The beef kabab was flavorful, the chicken tender and grilled just right and the beef tenderloin was also tasty and tender.

The garlic sauce was delicious and their special grape powder (be sure to ask for it) made a lot of difference. It gives the kabab a distinct flavor so you don’t get bored with its taste even after consuming a lot.

Total damage was jut Php183 for the both of us but we could’ve skipped the softdrinks (P20) and just ordered another kabab. Maybe next time!

I don’t know if Majid’s is the best kabab place in Davao but it sure is delicious and doesn’t hurt the pocket at all! I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the best what Davao has to offer in terms of Persian kababs. I wish they would open up a small resto in Manila as well. Hehehe.

If you ever find yourself in Davao, do look for this place and experience affordable and delicious Persian food.

Majid’s Kabab
J. Rizal St., 8000 Davao City, Philippines
Mon – Sat: 11:30 am to 10:00 pm (take note, not open on Sundays)

Related posts:

1. Next destination, Davao? or Vietnam/Cambodia?
2. SEAIR adds Cebu and Davao to destination

Is the majestic Angkor Wat one of your must-see places in your bucket list? If yes, then you’re in for a treat because Cebu Pacific Air is now offering flights to Siem Reap, Cambodia, the home of the Angkor Wat.

They are the first local airline to offer such flight when before, Filipinos, need to go to other countries like Thailand and Vietnam just to catch a flight to Siem Reap.

Cambodia is a country where Filipinos don’t need a visa to visit.

Right now, CebPac is having a promo where you can get your one-way tickets for P888 for the travel period of April 19 – May 31, 2012. This would translate to about Php5,600 for a round-trip ticket inclusive of all those taxes and charges.

P5.6k all in is still a bit steep for a promo fare but it’s worth it. Besides, lodging and food in Siem Reap is inexpensive and it’s also a haven for backpackers.

And if you ever find yourself going to see Angkor Wat, check out Bou Savy Guesthouse where we stayed when we visited last year. You may also want to hook up with our licensed tour guide, Sen, when you get there.

Great news huh?

Give us a direct flight to Bali next CebuPac.

Related posts:

1. Vietnam & Cambodia in 7 Days Part 5 – Saigon to Siem Reap
2. Direct flights from Manila to Cambodia to be available soon
3. Cebu Pacific discriminates against special children?

Day 1 of our climb. I hope this will help you familiarize yourself into what to expect on your Mt. Kinabalu climb.

We’re at Timpohon Gate raring to go. After a bit of stretching to loosen our muscles, we’re off the gates and pumped up.

There's our guide, Ren, tying his adidas Kampung and Tia doing some stretching. Trail looks easy right?

Laban Rata is the resting place for climbers who can’t do the whole climb in one day. It is 3,272.7m above sea level and 6km from Timpohon Gate and average time to get there is 5 to 6 hours. The fastest climb to Lowe’s Peak is 2 hours and if you’re not at Laban Rata by 12 noon, they won’t allow you to climb to the summit on the same day.

Since we’re relatively healthy but first-time climbers, we aimed for that 5 to 6 hours climb on our first day. Actually, I personally want to do it in 4 hours. 6km is an easy run for the both of us so trekking up with a designated trail shouldn’t be that hard right? Wrong.

Carson Falls. One of the landmarks that tells you, you haven't cracked the 500m mark yet.

Both of us carried backpacks with me carrying the pack with water bottles and our winter clothes. When we reached the first marker at 500m, our guide Ren, said our pace was good. A bit winded but still feeling optimistic about our time. We shared an energy bar, drank water and went on our way. The weather was also cool which was nice for a hike.

See the squirrel? You'll see a lot of them running around especially near rest areas.

A monkey-looking vine formation that Ren pointed out

We also met a group of Filipino climbers and had a chat with them to make the climb less tiring. We thought of climbing with them but at the 1km mark, we noticed that they’re really taking their time resting so we just said we’ll meet them at Laban Rata and moved on.

We saw a lot of kids in the first few kilometers of our climb. They say the locals expose their kids to climbing as early as 3 yrs. old.

At the 2.5km mark we’re already tired and hungry. We took a short break and planned on having lunch at the 3km mark. I also told Tia that I would carry her pack while I’ll have Ren carry mine because a 10-lb pack can be really heavy when you’re trekking for hours. Ren also offered to carry my camera so that he can take photos of us and the trail. I think he’s just bored of taking breaks too often.

One of Laban Rata's porters. I think he's carrying a fuel tank on his bank. Way to go!

No more straight path to walk around at this point. Everything’s going up with some steps being too high than the average step. We also got passed by the superhuman porters who bring supplies to Laban Rata every day.

3 kilometers baby! Halfway there.

We, or at least Tia, had lunch at the 3km mark. The lunch pack consists of a sandwich, apple, hard-boiled egg, and banana. I’m not fond of sandwiches and I don’t eat egg so I just munched on another energy bar and ate the banana and apples. Feeling rejuvenated, we pressed on. We wondered how our Pinoy friends are doing because they haven’t caught up yet even if we took a lot of breaks prior to lunch.

Check out the cool-looking trees

During one of our breaks, Ren went away from the trail to get me a picture of a huge pitcher plant. Cool!

At the 4km mark. It was really getting tiring. It must be the high altitude because we’re already above the clouds. Our breaks were getting more frequent. The climbing pole would be handy at this point because of the rocky steps. The fauna has changed as well. Trees are barren, more hard rocks and less soil. Really nice scenery here.

Taking a breather at one of this huge rock in the 5km mark.

Check out the twisted branches on the trees. Must be scary if you ever find yourself in this place during the dark.

The last kilometer was a real pain on the thighs and legs. The steps are really high this time and I think we were taking breaks every 10 meters. I asked Tia (for the nth time) why are we punishing ourselves. Hahaha. Good thing the view was really nice and the cool wind was refreshing.

We finally reached Laban Rata after 6 hours at 3:30 PM. I can’t believe the view. We were up in the clouds! I also saw our target for the following day, Lowe’s Peak. I was proud of Tia for accomplishing this climb because halfway back she was already feeling tired.

After 6 hours, Laban Rata finally. That's the yellow structure at the back. Further up was misty so it will be a more challenging climb to the summit.

The view facing Laban Rata Lodge. We are so high up above the clouds, 3,272.7m above sea level.

I was too tired and hungry but I’m glad that I can get out of my shoes and rest my feet. I also felt the effects of altitude sickness, a slight headache. Ren checked us in and gave us our room key. He told us he’ll meet us again at 2:30AM for the night climb to the summit.

Our simple room.

Our room consists of two double bunk beds. Nothing fancy, just a bed to rest on. We were bunked with a couple from Switzerland who gave me a tablet for my headache.

The cooks busily preparing our dinner. I was so famished that I didn't get to take a photo of the food. Hehehe.

Here's what the dining area of Laban Rata looks like. Not bad.

Here's a view outside the dining area of Laban Rata. Those are the guides with lots of energy left playing volleyball.

Buffet dinner started at 4PM and the food was surprisingly good and freshly cooked. Or maybe because I was just too hungry to care? Anyway, after getting some grub we settled in our room, chatted with our roommates before trying to get some sleep.

We didn’t see our Pinoy friends and we learned the following morning that they arrive at around 6:30 PM. I think last call for dinner is 8PM so better have somebody save some food for you if you’re not going to make it by that time.

Tia said she was too tired to continue the climb the following day and I didn’t push her on. I just told her to just get more rest and wait for me the next morning.

This is what I will face the following day.

The climb the next day was the most physically challenging thing I have ever done and it didn’t go too smoothly. That’s next.

Related posts:

1. Climbing Mt. Kinabalu in December Part 1 – The Preparation
2. Climbing Mt. Kinabalu in December Part 3 – Conquered!
3. How much does it really cost to climb Mt. Kinabalu?

The highlight of our Malaysia trip was our Mt. Kinabalu climb on Dec 3. It was our first time to climb a mountain without any training (except for treadmills) so climbing one of the highest mountains in Southeast Asia would be an accomplishment for us.

The Mt. Kinabalu climb is made of up two parts. A 6km trek up to Laban Rata, then eat and rest/sleep before going up to the summit (Lowe’s Peak) which is another 3k. Before our climb, I read a lot of experiences from other climbers and I found out that it was not a hard climb at all especially for healthy people.

Preparing for a December climb to Mt. Kinabalu is tricky. The trek to Laban Rata is not so cold so you’re better off with shirts and light clothing. But going up the summit, you definitely need to bring winter clothes, gloves and caps to fight the harsh, cold wind.

Then there’s also the rain which they say happens more often in December and this would force your guide to tell you not to continue up the summit. Luckily for us, we only encountered light rain during our climb but the folks the night before weren’t able to summit because of it.

How much to climb Mt. Kinabalu?

I wrote a post that broke down the fees that you need to prepare for your climb to Mt. Kinabalu. It’s not cheap at all. About $400++ for a two-person climb and it’s recommended to split the cost of the guide with another person if you’re going solo.

Only Sutera Sanctuary operates lodges within Mt. Kinabalu Park so they’re the only choice of lodging when you want to climb this mountain.

We booked in advance because we read in forums that they might run out of rooms if you’re going to book when you get there. In our case, they didn’t. It was not too crowded on the day of our climb.

We paid Sutera Lodge RM1,044 (RM522 per person) in advance. This is for the  2-days/1-night climb and already includes:

• Climbing permit
• Climbing insurance
• Overnight stay at Laban Rata Lodge (non-heated)
• Packed lunch, buffet dinner, buffet supper, buffet breakfast, buffet lunch

Things we brought:

We wore shirt and pants (quick-dry) on our way up and carried some more clothes on our backpack. A nice pair of hiking shoes/boots will do you good here especially in December when rains are expected.

Here are the things that we brought to the climb:

• Winter jacket
• Thermal undershirt/underpants
• Beanie
• Gloves
• Small headlamp
• Poncho (bought at the park but didn’t use it)
• Wet tissues (very useful)
• Change of shirt
• Pair of dry socks, underwear (didn’t use)
• Assorted snacks and energy bars
• Two bottles of water

I left my DSLR at the hotel and instead opted for the more portable Panasonic Lumix LX3 which was a good decision in hindsight.

Don’t wear jackets on the first half of the climb because you will just sweat and will thirst quicker.

Going to Mt. Kinabalu Park

We took a 7-seater taxi/van near our hotel (Lavender Lodge) from Kota Kinabalu City to drop us off at Kinabalu park, a good 2-hour travel. We waited for about 30 minutes before the taxi was filled up. Guess it won’t be too crowded at the park.

The ride cost us RM16 each. It turned out to be a cool, sunny day and we can see the clouds at our level as we ride up towards the park. Made me giddy with excitement.

More fees at the park

When we got to the park at around 9:30AM we saw a lot of climbers milling around so that means we’re not that late. We went to the casher, got our ID (don’t lose this), paid for our guide, and for our ride to Timpohon Gate which served as the starting point of our climb.

We got our packed lunch which consists of a sandwich, banana, apple and mineral water. And met our guide Ren, before joined the other climbers in a bus going to Timpohon Gate. We also met a group of Filipino climbers which was nice.

At Timpohon Gate, we bought a poncho in case it rains on the way up to Laban Rata. We also borrowed a couple of climbing poles from Ren which is really helpful on a climb especially if you don’t have long legs.

• Park Entrance – RM15 per person
• Mountain Guide – RM128 (good for 3 persons)
• Round-trip ride to Mt. Timpohon (15 min. ride) – RM33 (good for 3 persons)
• Poncho – RM5
• Climbing poles – RM10

We’re all set. I’ll detail the experience of our climb in the next part. Stay tuned.

Related posts:

1. Climbing Mt. Kinabalu in December Part 3 – Conquered!
2. Climbing Mt. Kinabalu in December Part 2 – Going up to Laban Rata
3. How much does it really cost to climb Mt. Kinabalu?

Batu caves was our last destination in KL before we headed out to Penang by train. And it was the start of our solo adventure because we were completely on our own from hereon.

Penang Island is in the northwest cost of Malaysia and its capital, Georgetown, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wow! We just hit two UNESCO sites (other one was Malacca) in this short trip.

Bus or Train?

From KL, you can choose to ride the bus or the train.

Going by bus, fare is cheaper at RM39 or more expensive RM74 depending on the bus liner. The ride is faster by roughly an hour and all will take you to Sungai Nibong Bus Terminal in Penang.

Check here for times and coach services traveling to Penang.

Going by train will take 6 hours but you can enjoy the scenery when you take the trip in the morning, or get a good rest on a bed if you’re traveling overnight. You will be getting off Butterworth station.

Check here for schedules and fares for the KTM Intercity train.

We chose to go by train because by bus, you still need to take a cab to get to Georgetown, whereas by train, a short and cheap ferry ride from Butterworth station is all you need.

Not another sleeper train

We had a not-so-good experience riding on a sleeper train before going to Datong from Beijing. But after looking at photos of the beds, we decided on the sleeper train to Penang to save a night in our trip. We purchased our ticket the day before at KL Sentral in case we ran out of beds.

Our departure time was 11:45PM and we were bound to arrive at Butterworth a little before 6 AM. Our total fare was RM43 each.

You don’t really need to be really early at the train station because once you have your ticket it’s just a matter of waiting at the lounge. You don’t want to be late as well because the train won’t stay that long at the tracks for boarding.

Once inside the train, we found our beds and it was time to settle in. I set my alarm to vibrate, had my iPod on to drown out noise, and even had a sleep mask for total darkness.

Then I smelled cigarette smoke. Crap. Inside an air-conditioned coach? Crap.

Turns out that the door on our coach doesn’t stay close because of some loose mechanism. The space between coaches is where the toilet is and that’s where people take a cig break if they can’t sleep.

It wasn’t a good sleep for us because Tia can’t sleep with the smell and I had to kept on going by the door to hold it down when somebody’s having a cig.

Finally, we arrived at Butterworth after a couple of hours sleep.

Don’t worry about oversleeping, the conductor will rouse passengers on their destination, besides Butterworth is near the end of the line so a lot of people will be getting off.

Ferry to Georgetown

We made our way to the ferry which is a good 10-minute walk from the station.  Butterworth looks like an industrial place so there’s nothing much to look at.

There are signs or you can just follow the majority of crowd to get to the ferry but don’t wait around or else you’ll miss the trip and have to wait for the ferry to get back.

The view of Penang Island from the ferry is nice and we’re glad we took this route.

Once we boarded off the ferry at Georgetown where we will be staying, we looked for the Central Area Transit (CAT) free shuttle outside the pier.

Based on our short shuttle journey, Georgetown looked really nice! Lots of interesting building architecture. They say food is great here as well. But before we go there, we’ll show you nice place to stay when in Georgetown. That’s next.

TOTAL COST:
KTM Intercity ticket to Butterworth – RM43 per head
Ferry ride to Georgetown – RM1.20 per head
Georgetown bus to Hutton Lodge – FREE

Related posts:

1. Touring Malaysia for Two Part 1: The Plan
2. Touring Malaysia for Two Part 2: Going Around KL
3. Touring Malaysia for Two Part 5: Batu Caves

Over a year ago, we visited the marvelous Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. We had to take a 14-hour bus ride to get in and out of Siem Reap which was tiring and made us spend two days just for travel. Taking a plane from Thailand or Vietnam is possible but the fare would push us way over our budget.

Soon Filipinos can enjoy having an easy and less expensive way to experience Angkor Wat as the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has approved our local carriers to offer direct flights from Manila to Cambodia, either in Siem Reap or Pnomh Penh.

The CAB gave Cebu Pacific five flights a week from Manila to any points of its choice in Cambodia. PAL’s low-cost carrier AirPhil Express can have seven flights while Zest Airways gets two. For those wanting to take off from Clark Freeport in Pampanga, AirAsia likewise received seven flights to Cambodia.

No timetable was given as to when we’ll see the actual flights in their booking system but according to CAB Air Operating Rights Division OIC Noni Godoy, this will take time. Hmpf.

Still, it’s something worth looking forward to for the travel bugs out there. No more butt-numbing bus ride.

[Inquirer.net]

Related posts:

1. Vietnam & Cambodia in 7 Days Part 1 – The Plan
2. Planning our Vietnam-Cambodia trip with Yahoo!
3. Vietnam & Cambodia in 7 Days Part 6 – Bou Savy Guesthouse

It seems that the new DOT campaign, It’s More Fun in the Philippines, is a big hit among netizens. We see a lot of people creating their own tourism campaign photos and sharing it in social networks.

Allow me to share some IMFITP photos that I cooked up over the weekend but this time in lomo, courtesy of awesome photos by my friend Liane “Lomowhiz” Ng.

If you love to take siestas, you’ll gonna love it while island hopping/sun bathing in the middle of the sea. Philippines has 7,107 islands so you won’t run out of places to hop.

Waiting for a wave to surf in La Union.

San Mig is one of the best beers in the world and it’s definitely fun having it at the beach. This one’s shot in Boracay.

Church weddings, garden weddings, beach weddings… proud to say that many Filipinos still think weddings are very important.

Be right back as we take a refreshing dip in Kayangan lake, Coron, Palawan. One of the cleanest lake in the country.

Just killing some time near Malcapuya Beach, Coron, Palawan.

Sisig!! It’s a fun and yummy way of eating pork… aside from lechon. This one is in the original Aysee in Pasig, one of the best sisig in the city. Mmm…. sisig.

No classes? More fun for kids living in the province. Photo taken at a small pier in Camarines Norte.

Malling is not really a word but it is for Pinoys. Filipinos love going to the malls, not always to watch movies or shop, but to relax, get out of the heat, and enjoy time with friends and families. Shot taken at SM Mall of Asia, the largest mall in the country.

If we want to take a dip, we don’t do it in pools. It’s more fun taking a dip in the middle of the sea.

Pinoys are not fond of tanning salons. We have lots of beaches for that. This one’s in Calaguas Island, one of the unspoiled beaches in the country with powdery soft, white sands without the crowd, resorts and hotels.

And with that, I can say that it’s definitely more fun in the Philippines.

______________________

These photos are not taken with an iPhone or any mobile device using Hipstamatic or Instagram or any of those apps. Liane owns a lot of lomo cams, has all sorts of films and invests on having them shots digitized. You may want to check out her Flickr account to see more of her awesome photos, usually at the beach and with booze.

Thank you Liane for allowing me to use your photos. Too bad you’ll be getting a GF2 soon.

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