Hatyai Stainless Steel Temple / Chedi Traiphop Thaimongkhon

Hatyai, sometimes being spelled as Hat Yai, Had Yai or Haad Yai, is the largest city of Songkhla Province in southern Thailand. On a broiling hot Saturday, we traveled more than two hundred kilometres up north to Chedi Traiphop Thaimongkhon aka the Hatyai Stainless Steel Temple on Ko Hong Mountain.

By the time we arrived, it was already past two in the afternoon, Malaysia Time (MYT). It's subtle how the temperature increases every time we cross the border of Malaysia-Thailand. So clammy and ravenous I was that I secretly wished we were dining in an air-conditioned restaurant, feeding scrumptious good food into my mouth instead.

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Snorkeling Trip to Tioman Marine Park and Renggis Island

Our snorkeling trip to Tioman Marine Park and Renggis Island!!! Yay, I mean, finally!!! I'd be a dumbass to not share these pictures with you, after forking out 70 bucks just to rent a waterproof camera from a Chinese rental store, which doesn't provide any soft or hard copy of the photos taken.

Damn funny right? How do they expect us, the customers, to get our hands on the photos, if we didn't so happen to have a laptop with us during the trip?

Furthermore, the staff (who's also the store owner, I assume), left us speechless when he came and knocked on our door, in the middle of the night, merely to make sure we wouldn't vanish into the thin air with his camera *smacks head*

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Tioman Island: Paya Beach Resort and Tomok Island

From Penang to Mersing, Johor, the journey was about 8 hours. Totally insane!!! I know. With the same amount of time, I could've flown myself to Sydney instead. But it was worth it, a fun family road trip I longed for in a long time.

We took off 11-ish that night, had a few food and toilet stops in between. Arrival time was one hour earlier than our ferry departure time, which is good. At least we got to have a quick breakfast fix in town before going on a slow and rocky ferry ride to Tioman Island.

Upon arrival, we checked-in into our 3D2N accommodation in Kampung Paya. Bathed and recharged ourselves with expensive meals at the resort's restaurant. We took a cat nap in the afternoon, then followed by a sequence of free activities as the day 1 tour package includes a buffet dinner only.

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Touring Around Ipoh

Back from holiday, back to reality. Our 3D2N trip to Tioman Island was indeed very fun and relaxing. Gosh, I already miss it so, so much!!! But I'm gonna have to repress and suppress my emotions and feelings right now, before I'm able to write about this road trip with my family.

A week ago, I visited few of the major towns in Perak with mum. Taiping, Ipoh, Kuala Kangsar and several other small ones. Despite the tiring long drive, I was rewarded with absolutely delish meals and breath-taking discoveries around the state I grew up in.

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