Visited Penang from 20-22 June over a weekend. We did many things, but here are my top five favourite things to do in Penang!
1. EAT ALL THE PENANG FOOD!
I think I can write one post just on the food itself! We ate and ate and ate so much, it's not funny! My favourite Penang Dish will have to be the Char Kuay Teow! Penang's Char Kuay Teow is different from the the one we have in Singapore. It is pale and they fry with purely Kuay Teow, unlike Singapore's version with black sauce and mixture of Kuay Teow and Yellow Mee. The best kuay teow we ate would probably be at Gurney Drive and during breakfast at E&O.
**Update**
I've dedicated a seperate post on all the Penang food here!
2. SEA SPORTS!
High up in the sky!
Yes! Penang is actually an island if you do not already know! The Kuta or Patong of Penang is Batu Ferringi - Just not as happening as you imagine either Kuta or Patong to be. Unlike the other famous beaches around South East Asia, Batu Ferringi is actually very quiet with just a few Sea Sport Companies. It is ideal for us, because we can make as much noise as we want and not worry about disturbing other people's peace.
Banana Boating!
The taxi driver actually drove us straight to this sea sport company who were (in my best guess) trying to "con us" into taking up their sea sports package. Gilbert being the uncle he is, tried to negotiate a suitable price for all seven of us who wanted to play! They quoted us RM150-170 for para-sailing, 15 mins Jet ski & one round of banana boat. They dropped it to RM120 for a big round of para-sailing, 20mins jetski & two rounds of banana boat.
We walked away.
Jetski!
After a while, some guy offered us RM100 for all three that we wanted. Of course we had the bargaining power! There were seven of us!
3. Cafe Hopping
Cafes are aplenty in Penang! Depending on your interests, there's a Cat Cafe, Art Cafes, Historic Cafes, Coffee Art Cafe, Cafe with everything made from cardboard (I'm Serious.)
We happened to pass by this cafe in the midst of our food hunt. Puurfect Cafe, along Muntri Street is just like your every other cafe, but with CUTE, FUZZY, MEOWS! We went in the early afternoon and there's actually a minimum spending of RM18 per person, we were hesitant initially, as we just eaten heavy breakfast (and other snacks along the way) and were not willing to order a cake and a drink each. The person attending to the cashier was really friendly though, and said that since there's not a lot of people upstairs, he will bend the rules and allow us up provided we ordered a drink each.
Purrfect Cat Cafe
I understand where the owners are coming from. With the space constraints upstairs, where the cats are housed, it will really be ridiculous to have a group of five, order one Latte and just lounge there for the next three hours. But I felt that RM18 each was a little too steep. The cashier said there was aircon upstairs, but it was so HOT. Yes, there are aircon units, but only one unit was on at that time and despite the two or three ceiling fans, we were really sweating it out. Needless to say, the cats too. If you notice, there's a grey cat just lounging by the cooler in the 'cat's room'.
China House
We also visited ChinaHouse at Beach Street/Victoria Street (depending on which entrance you are at), where they combined three shop-houses to form the "Longest Cafe in Penang". It actually comprises of 14 different spaces which houses a cafe, restaurant, bar, art gallery, performance space, etc. The main highlight of ChinaHouse would actually be the long table filled with cakes, puffs and all sorts of pastries on every inch of its surface. Friends tell me that the band is really good at the Bar section in the evening, however we missed it as we went in the afternoon.
Cafe 55!
There's also Cafe 55 at Lebuh Pantai where they specialize in making coffee art to a next level. This is no ordinary flower/leaf/heart nonsense that Tom, Dick or Harry can create. It's a freaking foam lion on top of your coffee! How do you drink that! Sadly, we didn't have time to visit Cafe 55 as we were short on time. We will visit the next time we're back in Penang for sure!
*Update*We just received news that Cafe 55 no longer does 3D Coffee Art! Friends walked all the way there only to be disappointed!
B&W Cafe
We walked past B&W Coffee Housealong Jalan Muntri in the midst of makan searching. It was still closed when we went past (yes, we didn't get a chance to go in) and I was totally intrigued by the exterior facade of the cafe. The signage and a little table and stools outside was made entirely of cardboard. I went up to the glass door and peaked in, and to my surprise, the entire interior was made up of cardboard too! The tables, chairs, decorations, you name it. All cardboard! How environmentally friendly! Recycle everything!
4. Mural Findings
Children on Bicycles
If you're an art fanatic, you'd enjoy this walking tour around Georgetown. Everywhere you go, you have to keep your eyes open and peeled out for those art murals on the street walls around Penang. Ernest Zacharevic has been hand painting all those murals around Penang. You can visit the art mural e-brochure here. What I'd do (being a foodie like me), is that I'd plan what I can eat along that route!
5. Heritage/Photography Tours
Rustic Shophouse
Experience the unique charm of the streets of Penang. Explore and see how the Colonial past has shaped how Penang is today, also placing a spot on UNESCO's heritage site listing.
Colonial Building
You can join a walking tour organized by Penang Heritage Trust to know every tale there is and understand Penang's colourful and rich history. The buildings are so beautiful, the architecture so magnificent, it'd be the focus of every photographer!
Macau is known as the Sin City of the East, or as Macau's tourism board like to call it, The City of Dreams. Now, unless your dream is to be in the smoky casinos trying to earn lose a few thousand bucks for 15 hours a day, there's nothing that is very dreamy about Macau, except for the food maybe.
We went from 15-16 May 2014 for a short two day, one night visit. As this was not my first time in Macau, I knew what I wanted to eat, do and see. Just to note, the reason why we flew to Hong Kong/Macau was to mainly visit our friends who were working in Hong Kong & Tiger Airways was having 1-for-1 tickets. We didn't really consider much, and just booked immediately when I received the email
Please click the following for my itinerary and costings:
We stayed at Grand Lapa Hotel. It is located just 5-10 mins away from the ferry terminal. There is also complimentary shuttle bus to pick guests up from the ferry terminal. Once you've alighted from the ferry and collected your luggages (among the mess of humans and baggage), follow the general human traffic to the exit, down the escalator, across the underpass and to the bus terminal. There will be signages for the major hotels along the bus terminal, but not one for Grand Lapa. Once you've come up from the underpass, turn right and wait along the shelter, where the other hotel buses are waiting at. Just wait patiently for the shuttle bus and it will pull up.
Photos of the room
It is quite an old building and the exterior was not really maintained properly. I mean as compared to other hotels like Wynn or Sands down the street, it does look rather tired. We stayed in the Grand Deluxe Room with Balcony, and it partially overlooks the harbour.
I would like to mention that the Room Attendant who did turndown for our room is really attentive! Before we went out, I wore my contact lens and placed my contact lens casing, spectacles and solution on some tissue paper. When I returned, it was actually tidied up and placed on a piece of cloth. I was really impressed with that small detail.
Just a little tip for travelers visiting Macau: As you know Macau is made up of mainly 2 separate islands, and since there's no trains in Macau, you either walk, take a bus or taxi. Walking to the other island is just crazy, taking a bus is too complicated, and taking a taxi can be quite expensive especially when you cross the bridge to the other island. One way to save money is to actually take the shuttle buses that interconnects all the sister properties across the country. For example, we stayed just next to Sands Macau. We just went there to take the free shuttle to Venetian Macau as it was across the sea, on the other island. Money saving methods!!
Senodo Square/Ruins of St Paul/Museum of Macau
Senodo Square
Now, I will just touch and go on these 3 places, because it is very touristy and everything they sold there was expensive!
Senodo Square is basically an area with a lot of old architecturally beautiful buildings. There's a lot of free art museums along the street and they mainly portray a lot of Catholic statues and paintings. There's also this famous bakery where they sell the best almond biscuits I have ever eaten. Just so you know, I hate all things almond, but this biscuit does not really have a lot of almond taste. The biscuit is so flaky and buttery, I might have a heart attack and I wouldn't know.
Ruins of St Paul
If you walk towards the end of Senodo Square, you will eventually reach the many steps of the St Paul Church. Or what's left of it. I can imagine it being so beautiful and majestic if the hurricane/typhoon didn't destroy it. Likewise, there's nothing much here, just a picturesque background for selfie addicts.
Museum of Macau
I am not sure if it's usually free, but we entered for free as the guard mumbled something about it being a holiday or some sort. There's a mix of Chinese and Western art inside ranging from terracotta warriors to Statues of Mother Mary.
Lord Stow Egg Tarts
Address: Unit 2119a, Level 3, the Grand Canal Shoppes Venetian, Macau
There are several outlets scattered around Macau, with the most convenient one being located inside Venetian itself. I prefer the buttery, flaky crusts which Macau offers and not the tart like crusts which Hong Kong usually sells. The custards are super milky and oh-so-soft!
So it was our first night for our trip, and my cousin asked us if we wanted to have steak or Canto food. Of course we choose Canto food! Duh! Canton Restaurant is located in a quiet corner on the Casino Level. The whole restaurant's decorations and ambiance is very modern with a hint of tradition. There's also a small little teapot holder to keep your tea hot. Gilbert always said that if a Chinese Restaurant in China provides you with 2 pairs of chopsticks (one serving, one personal), it is a really high class restaurant.
Well, the restaurant does indeed feel luxurious with the level of service and food quality. The whole bill amounted to HK$735 (S$118) for 3 persons. That price included a 20% discount (my cousin has a Bank of China Card) and 10% service charge. I feel its pretty affordable for 3 persons and 4 dishes! The most expensive would be the Scallops with Black Truffle (HK$300) and if you're on a tighter budget, than order something else!
Super yummy food!
From top left: Canton Signature Crispy Chicken (HK$168), Sautéed Scallops with Black Truffle and Green Vegetables (HK$300), Claypot Groupa Belly & Ginger (HK$180), Sweet and Sour Pork (HK$98), Fluffy coconut desserts (FOC).
I think my favorite dishes would be the Crispy Chicken and Claypot Groupa. The chicken is so tender and juicy, and the skin is so crispy! The claypot fish is just so flavorful, the fish although fried, it is so soft and falls apart when you bite it.
The Plaza Restaurant
The Plaza Restaurant
Address: Freguesia da Sé > Porto Exterior 2/F,Edf. Xin Hua , Rua de Nagasaki, Porto Exterior
Opening Hours: 09:00-15:00 Mon - Sun, 18:00-24:00 Mon - Sun
Tel: +853 28706623
We wouldn't have known of this place, if my cousin didn't tell us about it. It is located opposite Grand Lapa, in a Police Station/Building, and you need to enter from the side, up 2 escalators, and you'll see a big ballroom. It is also on the side of Macau where the Ferry Terminal is. So if you're staying where Venetian is, you're too far away.
But the food is worth it. Trust me.
Dim Sum!
We had dim sum for breakfast and we ordered quite a lot for two people! The dim sum ranges from 20-40MOP/HKD, and of course there are items which are more expensive which we didn't order. The Dim Sum is so fresh and so different from what we have in Singapore.
I am compiling a guide on how to experience South Korea on a budget. In May 2013, I visited Shanghai, Busan, Jeju, and Seoul for a total of 12 days on the road. I spent a total of about S$2,000. The only reason why I spent so much is because we ate luxuriously and shopped for make-up like CRAZY! If I were truly on a budget, I would have spent a total of only $1,500. But that is not me, I am pampered and spoilt & I needed my Black Pork Korean BBQ!!
Check out my elaborate blog posts about South Korea & Shanghai here:
I spent about $1088 for flights, housing, car rentals, major attractions like going to the DMZ and Lotte World and this is how I did it.
South Korea Costs
International Flights
Airfare is always one of the biggest bulk in your expenditure. I always check Zuji & Skyscanner for good deals first and than try to book directly. My dates are always flexible and I will always try to fly a mid-night flight if the flight will take 7 hours or more. As you know, I work shifts and in the hotel industry, and it is really difficult for me to take leave and I want to maximize it to the fullest. We booked multi-city tickets (it may add on extra charges, but for $460, we didn't really care) and flew to Busan straight, after transiting in Shanghai for 1 night, and than flew out from Seoul to Singapore.
Food served on China Eastern, not too shabby right?
Furthermore, flying at night not only save you 1 Annual Leave, it also saves you 1 night of accommodation and 1 whole day to explore the city. We flew at about 1am, and landed in Shanghai at about 5.30am. We had breakfast and than we took the first train out to the city! I know it sounds tiring, but if you're young and on a budget, this is the way to go!
Sunrise!
Also, we didn't fly with any budget airlines because it is about the same price, NOT including meals, baggage allowance, and the entertainment system (I was too tired after my shift and so knocked out all the way though). China Eastern is fine, the only problem I had was some China Auntie pretending that she was booked for my window seat. We had that sorted out in no time after my dear gung-ho of a boyfriend confronted her. Hahaha.
Domestic Flights
Now, I visited 3 cities in South Korea and the cities are not exactly near where you can just take an hour's train and you're there (like Japan). From Busan to Jeju, I flew with Busan Air and from Jeju to Seoul I flew with Eastar Jet. Do your research properly! There are plenty of affordable Korean domestic airlines that can get you to places! Sign up for their free membership and you also get additional discounts! Always use trial and error to find those flights!
Accommodation
My friends and I always stayed in a hostel/motel/guesthouse. You'd be surprised at how beautiful and cosy the hostels are! Of course we splurged a little and got the 4 pax bunk with ensuite for our stay in Jeju. To be honest, I felt the accommodation could be cheaper, but I just wanted a nice little house/room to go back to after a long day. I never regretted it!
Rainbow in Jeju Hostel!
Look at how beautiful those hostels are! They even provide basic groceries for you to cook your own breakfast every morning. Look out for hostels with laundry facilities, because if you only brought a limited set of underwear, you're gonna have a bad time if you don't wash it.
Doo Guesthouse (traditional housing)
Always look out for past reviews from other guests who have stayed there previously, location, and of course the pricing. It is always cheaper to get a family room of four, as compared to a room for 2. Of course if you don't mind, you can always bunk in with other (random) people to lower the cost.
Lee & No Guesthouse (MY FAVORITE OF ALL)
Like I said, I am spoilt, I wanted my own room. Besides, there were four of us, and we saved a lot when we got the family rooms.
Car Rental in Jeju
I always advice my friends who are visiting Jeju, has a SG licence, and above 21 to ALWAYS rent a car in Jeju. There are no trains in Jeju, only taxis and buses. We rented the Hyundai Sonata for about 3 days with full insurance, and each of us paid only S$42! (Total is about $165.)
Of course if you have people to split it with, that's good for you, if not, rent a smaller car with partial immunity, that will lower down the costs for you.
Our ride: Hyundai Sonata
By the way, I loved the boot space of the Sonata! I can fit 3 dead bodies inside. HAHAHA.
I've read and heard of people who was lost and didn't have any transport back after sunset, and how they had to beg/hitchhike the locals to drive them out to the main road where they waited for 30mins for a taxi. Or how people have walked so much and spent so much time trying to get to the attraction, they were tired already before they even reached the attraction.
Every rental car comes with a GPS system
If you can't rent a car due to the legal age limit, try searching for taxi drivers who are willing to drive you around for the whole day! I am not sure how much it will cost, but it is def better than walking 45 mins to the museume.
To me, time is money. I hate wasting time walking to places. Ok, I hate walking.
Every rental car comes with a GPS system. I rented the car through KT Kumho Car Rental (of course after signing up as a member and getting 70% off), and requested for an English GPS system. Bear in mind the local addresses are still in Korean, so you need to keep the telephone numbers of the attractions you want to go to and you can just punch in the telephone number into the GPS system.
WiFi
THERE IS FREE WIFI EVERYWHERE!
I can't stress this enough. Do not buy/rent those egg Wifi thing you see at Changi Airport. It will be a waste of money! You walk into the shopping mall, there's Wifi, you walk into the cafe, there's Wifi, you take the TRAIN, there's also Wifi. It is everywhere and it's free! Even at the airport!
Besides, I can't stress this enough. You're on a holiday! Turn off your Facebook, Instagram & Twitter! You can brag about the places you've been when you rest at the nearby cafe...
Food & Shopping
I will not and do not want to touch on food and shopping because i'm embarrassed by how much we ate. It was almost Korean BBQ almost every night until I fell terribly ill with high fever. I had no budget when it came to food. My BF and I splurged on it and ate luxuriously. So it really depends on how you eat and shop as that's something we're all different.
My only tip is to go for all the street food! There's plenty of yummy street food that can fill you up, and even Korean BBQ along the streets in Seoul. Jeju was more or less restaurants and it was more expensive than in Seoul.
By the way, I did not shop too much for clothes, but I went crazy with make up stuff.
Getting Around
Taking the buses and trains are of course the cheapest way to get around. Not only do you save, you get to experience what the locals experience. Download this app "Jihachul". It is an app for the Korean Subway system and it is available in Korean, Japanese and English!
Awesome Korean Subway App
This app has the train system of all the major cities in South Korea like Seoul, Busan, Daegu, etc. It tells you the rough time estimate it takes from your current train station to your destination, the time the next train arrives & even which exit to take to change lines. What is so awesome about this app is that it doesn't require any internet connection because the trains run on a strict schedule (very much like Japan) which is also available on their Subway website.
Of course, planning your route and attractions plays a big part, you want to visit all the attractions in the East, for example, before visiting the West. It saves on time and transport fees!
Weather
I know you must be thinking, "What does the weather got to do with budget?". Well it does! You're saving S$2,000 for your Korea trip to pay for all the expenses, but have you forgotten the budget you're forking out to prepare for your trip?
Rainy & cold in Shanghai!
I visited in May, and the weather was JUST NICE. Nice and chilly when I was in Busan & Jeju, yet I didn't need more than my sweater and windbreaker! I did my research and after weeks of monitoring the weather and temperature, I decided to bring along 2 pair of jeans and 2 pairs of leggings. I wore the 2 pair of jeans when I was in Shanghai & Busan (because it was Mother cold), and the leggings with shorts when I was in Jeju (when it was NOT foggy, and it was nice and sunny). I learnt my mistake when I went to USA in 2012 thinking it was summer (all shorts and tank tops) and upon arriving in LA, it was 12-15C. I nearly died.
Foggy & cold in Busan, as it is a port city
Now, if I went in WINTER. I had to buy heatec leggings and inner wear, boots, wool socks, heat packets, jackets, the list goes on! We live in Sunny Singapore, where the weather is always HOT or RAINY. We do not have winter clothes, and travelling to winter countries means spending about a good $300 on all these items.
In a lava cave in Jeju where it was cold & Kenneth was all garang.
IF you intend to invest in such items as you travel to winter countries every year, than yes, good for you. If not... Beg, Steal or Borrow. The only way to save on such items.
Winter Wonderland in Hokkaido, Japan!
Trust me, you'd want to invest in a good pair of socks and boots (even a hat or a scarf) because you're gonna be so miserable you cannot enjoy your vacation thoroughly. I've been to Hokkaido dead in their winter. I know what it is like when you wear 2 pairs of heatec under your jeans in -20C weather, AND it doesn't work.
Remember to always do your research and be prepared for the worst! Hope you'll enjoy Korea as much as I did!
Think of a place when I say there's white sandy beaches. Krabi? Nope! With clear waters and you can still see your toes even when you're waist deep! Bali? Nope! And the sea is dotted with expensive yachts with bikini girls sun bathing? Maldives? Nope! It is in fact in Singapore! It is none other than one of Singapore's best kept secret, Lazarus Island!
Everyone's talking about Lazarus Island these days & how it is Singapore's best kept secret.
It is part of 8 islands (Kusu Island, Lazarus Island, Pulau Seringat, Pulau Tekukor, Saint John's Island, Sentosa and the two Sisters' Islands) which make up The Southern Islands. Lazarus is almost entirely undeveloped, with little more than a bit of jungle and a beach. If you thought St John's was quiet, wait till you come here!
To get to Lazarus Island, you first have to take a ferry from Marina South Pier. Purchase a ticket from the small orange booth of Singapore Island Cruise & Ferry Services. A round trip ticket will cost you $18 (only cash or NETS! So bring enough).
I would suggest you go on either a Sunday or a Public Holiday as the ferries are more regular and departs every 2 hours. If possible, try to take the first ferry to St John's Island, because the ferries tend to get very crowded.
The ferry ride will take 30mins to St John's Island than 15mins more to Kusu Island.
Turn left after you alight from the ferry
Once you disembark from the ferry, turn left and walk along the pathway next to the jetty.
Just a straight road
At the end of the path, turn left again and you will see this sign pointing out the direction of Lazarus Island. This is the ONLY sign you will see.
Signage of Lazarus Island
Once you turn left, you will see a straight dam/causeway to lead you to another island. This is also a favorite fishing spot of many anglers.
causeway to link St John & Lazarus
The causeway: another straight path
Continue taking the path and soon you'll be surround by vegetation. Just walk along the path.
continue walking!
and walking
After walking for about 10-15 mins from the causeway, you'll see a clearing just like this and a 'path' in the grass from many people walking through it.
I see the sea!
Be brave and bash through the grassland! You can start to see the sea, the beach and many yachts!
be brave!
Finally! The beach! It is quite an effort walking/finding the beach. & even though it is claimed as Singapore's best kept secret, it is a secret no more. Groups of families and friends are seen everywhere on the beach!
The beach of Lazarus Island
No doubt there's spots of clean areas on the beach, majority of the beach is actually quite dirty, littered with trash and plastic bottles. At first I was disheartened and I thought that Lazarus was really becoming popular, as people bring their trash and tend to just leave them behind, but as we were walking down the beach, in search of a clean spot, we saw many bottles/brands that only Indonesia has. The current brought them in.
Not very clean either
We eventually found a clean spot, settled down, and had our lunch!
picnic!
I felt that the beach was too narrow. At one point when the tide was coming in, we were running out of sand to sit on, and had to put our stuff on the grass.
Swimming time!
As you can see, there are no shelters, no benches, and definitely, no toilets. It is as natural as you can imagine. Gilbert and I are both very fuss free, we didn't really cared, as long as we had our picnic cooler!
yachts behind me!
Do not expect corals and fishes, this is still Singapore. Just be thankful for the white sand and clear waters in Lazarus. Once in a while, the sea bug will bit me and it will itch/hurt, but other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed myself!
Clear Waters!
I am still undecided if Lazarus Island and it's beach is worth all the hassle of finding parking, packing and carrying the cooler, taking the ferry, and walking for almost 25mins in search of the beach. Maybe I'll come back when I have enough money to rent a yacht!
Date of travel: 8-11 March 2014
Location: Krabi, Thailand
Occasion: My 25th Birthday! Yay!
If you've read my previous post about Krabi, you'd know this is not my first time there. In fact, it is my THIRD time in Krabi. I love how the streets are so clean (as compared to other parts of Thailand), its pretty quiet (as compared to Phuket) and THAI FOOD!
I will not go into details like where I stayed at (the same place) or what I ate (the same things), but I would like to tell my story of how my friends and I almost drowned.
Unlike my 2nd trip, we went white water rafting and 1 hour of ATV ride. Now, this is not my first time rafting. I did it during my first trip to Krabi and once more in Bali (down a mini waterfall no less!). Of course, it is not those hardcore ones you see in Nat Geo Adventure or what, this is just a guided rafting experience (probably half or a third of the thrill as those on Nat Geo) led and controlled by two highly skilled Thai Rafters.
My bf brought along his Polariod Action Camera and although the video is super shaky (no thanks so his lousy filming) and super low quality (cos my computer kept crashing when I tried to edit the HD clips!), I hope you're able to see our fun and what we did!
In Singapore/Asia, we're experiencing a 'drought' and it hasn't rained in 1.5 months. I'm pretty sure Krabi is experiencing the same thing. For white water rafting, someone somewhere up the river is collecting all the water in a dam and releasing it according to a time schedule, and people wait till those time to raft down the river. My theory is that because it was the dry season, the dam is not collecting enough water as expected, the current and water flow is slower than usual. Also, due to the high peak season, there's actually a lot of rafts on the river! About twice as much as the first time round!
White Water Rafting in Krabi!
Anyhow, If you watched the clip, at one point at 1:46, you can see how jam packed the whole river is. We had to climb out the raft several times, push the raft past some rocks and continue our way.
There were 5 of us on the raft, excluding the two Thai Raft Guides. We met this Filipino American and he too, experienced the same thing as us.
To cut the story short, we were basically stuck between a rock and other rafts, probably due to the high number of rafts on the river, and the weak current/flow of the river water. This other raft comes charging at us at high speed and knocks into the side of our raft. Naturally, the raft flipped sideways.
The last thing I saw was Russell's shorts. Yes. The bright blue one with flowers!
I immediately panicked in the water, trying desperately to resurface. I've seen enough Nat Geo & Discovery & whatever nonsense to know that it's no joke to be thrown into a river with strong currents. I remember during the previous rafting sessions, the guides were saying that if you fall into the water, just stop fighting the current and try to float on your back (because you're wearing a life vest) till you're able to swim to the river bank. I tried to. Really, I tried.
I then realized something or someone was on me. When I stretched out my arms, I couldn't even break the water surface! I decided there and then that I wasn't going to die that day. I used all my strength to push that thing/person away, steady and shoved my feet into the ground and used my entire body strength to push myself up. The river wasn't deep. I was just stuck.
I managed to push that thing/person away. Than I realized to my horror, there was something else on top of me. It was the capsized raft.
River jam packed with rafters!
Again, I shoved my feet into the rocks and tried desperately to shove the raft away. I think at that point, someone saw the raft moving (or I succeeded in shoving the raft away) because the guide and tourists from another nearby raft grabbed onto my life vest and pulled me up their raft.
While I was gasping for air and getting my bearings, I turned to look at my saviors. The guide looked calm, while the group of Russian girls on board looked totally freaked out. They probably looked more scared than I actually was. They kept asking if I was ok, kept holding onto my arm and kept asking me to hold on to the rope on their raft.
I looked around and with a sigh of relief, I saw all my friends alive and on other rafts and the river bank. Again, the first person I saw was Russell (thanks to his bright blue shorts) on the river bank, than Yuyi who was behind me on the same raft, than the other guy (who's name I forgot! Sorry!), and finally, Gilbert who was on another raft meters away!
After we got back to our hotel, we were talking about the incident and let me recount my friend's experiences to the best of my abilities.
White Water Rafting
Yuyi:
Hers was pretty straightforward and less scary. I think she was one of the first ones to get pulled out of the water. She said that after she fell into the water, she just froze. Naturally, she floated up (I think face forward though) and she got pulled up onto the same raft as I did.
Gilbert:
Now, his story was pretty scary and amazing at the same time. He said after he fell into the water, he was also caught under the raft, just like I did. He kept floating upwards, but he couldn't surface. After pushing and kicking, he manged to get out under one raft, resurface for a second, and he was under the next raft again. He said he didn't know how long he was under, or how may rafts he was stuck under, but it felt like forever. After a while when he resurfaced, a rafter pulled him up their raft. Apparently, he said that the first thing he looked for was sadly, not me, his girlfriend of 7 years. It was his slippers. Which was also locked in the lockers back on shore. When he finally realized that we didn't even bring our slippers along, he started looking for us. That explains why he was so far away.
Russell:
I think Russ's story was pretty simple too. As I've mentioned, the last thing I saw was his shorts flying towards my face (thank God, no broken nose). So I think that the thing/person on top of me may or may not be him. If I am not wrong, he said he was near the surface and he just swam towards the river bank.
Although it was totally not the guide's fault, I mean, they can't really control if another person steers their raft towards us right? They kept apologizing and and even helped us apply medication to our wounds once we were back to base. I nearly cried when he applied the alcohol to my wounds.
I got a long and big wound on my lower back from scraping the rocks and my foot had a big graze from the rocks too. It was only the next day I found an angry bruise on my right thigh. Gilbert said he was still holding onto the ore when he fell into the water and it pulled his shoulder because it was yanked in a different direction. Yikes!
I was actually very surprised the camera made it out alive too. I guess when the raft flipped, the camera flew in between my body and my life vest and got lodged there. Thank God I clipped it to my vest.
ATV!
After all that ordeal, we went back for lunch and finally to the ATV! Apprently, they only have 3 ATVs for us to play and wanted to separate us into two groups. But because I was so tired and drained from the rafting experience, I just told them that I didn't mind being just the pillion and entertained myself by filming and taking pictures!
So I hopped onto Gilbert's ATV, and off we went! We did a small loop around the base camp to familiarize ourselves to the ATV. When we finally did leave the base, we went down this slope which was pretty scary. At the end of the slope, was this barb wire fence with rubber tires lining the side of the dirt road. Because Gilbert's right shoulder was injured, he didn't had the strength to steer left (by pushing it using his right arm), we kindda crashed into the fence.
That wasn't the bad part. The bad part was that the ATV continued moving and the front right wheel of the ATV went up the 'curb'. Gilbert managed to jump off, while I just... fell off.
ATV
I know, I am a klutz. I would love to tell you about the story of how I fell off a snow mobile in Hokkaido, but that's a story for another time.
My Dad called me a watermelon. :(
The fence we crashed into.
Gilbert said he managed to stop the ATV, turned around expecting to see me on the ATV, but I wasn't there. This time he panicked when he saw me on the ground. He said that most people would injure their palms or hands because they would break their fall by sticking our their arms. That is actually also how people break their arms. But he said I fell nicely and was in a fetal position, rocking....?
What do you mean rocking? I still have no idea until today.
But anyway, my ass hurt cos that was where it broke the fall. That actually resulted in a smiley face bruise on my ass cheek. My elbow and ankle was cut and bleeding, but I was gung-ho. I didn't care.
I just dusted myself off, and I just walked over to Russell's ATV and rode with him. HAHAHA. That made Gilbert super guilty. But hey! I managed to weasel out lots of pancakes from him!
Snorkeling!
What an adventure just for one day! The next day, we went snorkeling! Just imagine what all the salt water would do to my injured and bleeding body. I just tried to snorkel once, endured the pain, than tried again, trying to stick my elbow and ankle out of the water, than I gave up and just went up the beach to take a nap. I was sleeping so soundly, I was even dreaming. Imagine the feeling of waking from a deep slumber on the beach! LOVEEEE IT!
Double dating in Krabi!
After reading my experiences with White Water Rafting, please do not deter from trying it out yourself! No doubt, there will be some risk and danger involved, but that is also where the thrill comes from. The guides will do their very best to keep you safe. After all, your safety is of utmost importance to them and their business. Trust me. It is worth a try!
