My Enjoyable Vacation in Taipei

 19th – 24th October 2014

On the 19th of October 2014, we were up early ready to get to Kuala Lumpur International Airport for a memorable trip to Taipei. As soon as we arrived at Tao Yuan International Airport, the driver gave us a lift to Dandy Hotel, located in an alley filled with towering houses. The minute we stepped into the hotel, we were greeted by friendly staff who served us with delectable Crème Brule, hot chocolate and soda crackers. We stayed on the seventh floor which was decorated with pictures of steaming hot Indian milk tea called Massala Chai. We stayed in a deluxe family room with a bathtub and shower. The hotel has 7 levels and each level has a different tea decoration. Level 2 is British tea, level 3 is French tea, no level 4, level 5 is Russian tea, level 6 is Japanese tea and level 8 is Taiwanese tea. The Hotel even provides a dessert and hot drinks for afternoon teatime. The breakfast they serve were good too. It was certainly a small hotel with a big heart. 

At Chiang Kai Shek Memorial

The next day, we went to the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall by MRT. While stepping up the stairs, we were totally amazed by the elegant way the gardens with their Chinese style ponds were done. Beside the Memorial Hall stood the National Concert Hall and the National Theatre. As we stepped in, standing in front of us was a large statue of Chiang Kai Shek and two guards standing on wooden stools facing each other with guns clutched in their calloused hands. They stood motionless without moving a muscle like an ostrich and I mistook them for fake people. We visited the hall that was full of Chiang Kai Shek’s personal belongings including his two sedans and his uniforms along with his books and his wife’s precious paintings. After that, we went up to watch the changing of the guards. The place was crammed with tourists. The guards performed their usual procedures like twirling guns and shouting leaders. My mother took a video of the changing of guards. It was an unforgettable experience for me. 

One of the two Sadan of Chiang Kai Shek

Change of the Guards

At the entrance of Taipei Zoo

King Penguin at Taipei Zoo

On the second day, we went to the Taipei Zoo where we saw a lot of exciting creatures including Rhinoceros Iguanas and Tomistomas (a kind of reptile) followed by the cassowaries (a flightless bird). Firstly, we took the Zoo Train Service to the Penguin House where we saw King Penguins. A pair of King Penguins huddled up together in love. Then we saw the Gray Wolf freely roaming around in its enclosure. This stinky wolf just went to a nearby bush and piddled in it and the whole area reeked of wolf urine. Then we went to the Puma enclosure where we saw a big cat called a puma hiding just at the back of its cage. As it was a sun-drenched day, we rested under a shade while enjoying our cold drink. Next, we went to the reptile house where we saw a large snake called a Boa Constrictor. Some of these reptiles were clever camouflagers while others ended up being easy spotters. The silliest thing I saw at the Reptile House was two blue skinks sharing a sumptuous meal of boiled eggs. If we looked carefully for these camouflages, we might have even seen the venomous but colourful Poison Dart Frog. This frog has just about enough venom to kill 2200 people. We had a close glance of the Chinese Crocodile Lizard and the gigantic Rhinoceros Iguana. We even saw some baby turtles swimming freely in their cage as well as the Burmese Python just curled in a spiral relaxing. Next stop came the sleepy Koalas. This animal is a picky eater that only eats eucalyptus leaves from the eucalyptus trees and it is a nocturnal animal. After that came the Hippos just seen in the water opening their big mouths just enough to fit one explorer, two native porters, a canoe and a cheeseburger. Shortly after came the toucan. They love to feast on fruits but if there is no fruit left, it will grab some yummy spiders or ransack a bird’s nest. One amazing fact about toucans is that a male toucan will throw a bunch of grapes at a female he adores. Next came the Dromedary Camel with only one hump and the Bactrian Camel with two humps. One interesting fact about camels is that the humps on their backs vanish when there is nothing to eat. Next came the Aoudad (Barbary Sheep) which was quite similar to the more well-known goat. It looks like the combination of goat and antelope. Just before we decided to leave the Zoo to catch a Maokong gondola, we went to the panda house. It was a terribly long queue and the place was crammed with noisy students. At first the two pandas went out like a light. However, we were fortunate to find one who woke up and walked towards us. My mother captured a few photos of them before leaving panda house. Then we left the Zoo and walked to the gondola (cable car) station. It was the first time I experienced a cable car ride but I was not nervous. The view from the gondola was spectacular! Cars and houses were like tiny ants from above and the people looked like little specks of dust. From the gondola, I had a view of the Taipei 101, Taiwan’s tallest tower and one of the tallest in the world. There was nothing much to do at the peak.

The following day, we took a taxi to the National Palace Museum. After purchasing the tickets, we waited for the guide to show us around the museum. We wanted to see the Jadeite Cabbage With Insects but the queue was tremendously long. So she brought us to see the other collections such as the Filigree Cloisonne Box With Lotus Motif, Ju Ware Bowl in the Shape of a Lotus, Ko Ware High Stemmed Bowl, Tou Tsai Cup with Chicken Decoration, Tzu Fan Bell Set made out of bronze and Ivory Ball with 19 layers of Carving. Sadly, tourists are prohibited to take photos or videos. They are not allowed to bring bags in too. All bags and electronic devices are to be put inside the cloakroom.

Outside National Palace Museum

On the fourth day, we went to the National Taiwan Science Education Center in the morning. We watched Rio 2 at the Turbo Ride 3D Theater where our hydraulic chairs moved in sync with the images on the screen. It was an exhilarating experience that left me walking out awestruck. My mother wanted to purchase tickets for the Earthquake Theater but it was sadly under maintenance. So we went to the 3D theatre to watch Sherlock Holmes and Rescue. Rescue was about the mayhem caused by earthquakes and tsunamis which swept away the whole city while Sherlock Holmes was about this detective who was very good at observing every detail. Then we went to the 7th floor where there was a special exhibition on Revealing the Hidden Code of Insects. I saw a tarantula, two cockroaches, a beetle and a grasshopper. My favourite was the Mysteries of Life and the Human Body. I learnt about genes and DNA. We travelled the Tour of the Digestive System where food enters the mouth and goes down to the stomach, intestines and anus. I also learnt about the major biomes in the world and the five ecosystems.

  Tour of the Digestive System - Starting Point

After lunch, we went to the Taipei Astronomical Museum which is located opposite the National Science Education Center. First, we watched a 3D film called Cosmic Journey which was about the planets and the galaxies. Then, we went on the Cosmic Adventure Ride which took us on an unforgettable journey to Space before returning to Earth again.

Taipei Astronomical Museum

Finally, we departed Taipei from Tao Yuan International Airport
on the 24th of October with reluctant hearts. I vowed to visit Taipei and other parts of Taiwan again.

Written by:

Koh Chee Yuan

A Fabulous Trip to Perth

On the 29th of August 2014, I was up with the lark to get ready to go to KLIA. My flight to Perth departed at 9.30am and arrived on time in Perth at 3.25pm. At the Perth International Airport, we had to queue to go through the immigration. We collected our baggage and proceeded to the taxi stand. It started to drizzle when we left the airport. The taxi took us to Duxton Hotel to meet my mummy. Then the holiday began.

We had our simple dinner in the hotel room because it was raining cats and dogs. After dinner, I watched television. There were numerous channels on the television that I could not decide what to watch.

Next day, we checked out from Duxton Hotel and moved to Fraser Suites which is an apartment hotel. It was too early for us to check in, so we left our baggage and went for sightseeing. We boarded a Central Area Transit (CAT) to Harbour Town where factor outlets are located. We wanted to walk to the Science Centre but the lady at the information centre told us that it was not within walking distance. Then we took the CAT bus to the Western Australian Museum. First we went to learn about animals living in mangroves, rivers and oceans. I saw models of birds and other mangrove creatures including the ruddy turnstone, which is a bird. It was temporarily removed.  When I first saw its name I thought it is a tiny animal that looks like a little speck of dust.

Western Australian Museum at Perth

Then we proceeded to the mammal section where we saw some preserved Australian animals, including the koala, wallaby, tree kangaroo, golden pygmy marmoset, echidna and armadillo. After that, we skipped ahead to the bird section. We saw barn owls, fairy penguins and gentoo penguins. The next section we visited was on butterflies from over the world. No matter what size they were, big or small they were all displayed in cupboards. Last but not least, we then proceeded to the discovery centre. We saw a few insects including cockroaches, crickets, dragonflies, greenflies, spiders and tarantulas. An amazing fact that I learnt was that green frogs could live up to 25 to 30 years.

The following day was a Sunday. When we arrived the bus stand, we realised that the CAT bus only starts at 9.45a. Since we have some time we went to the nearby Queen Garden. It is a beautiful garden with ponds and different types of flowers and trees. I was lost for words when I saw two black swans with their cygnets. This was the first time I have seen cygnets. Their appearance were different from their parents because they have grey soft down (fur).

Swans at Queen Garden near to hotel

After a short walk at the garden, we took a CAT bus to the Perth Underground. We wanted to take the blue CAT bus but it was temporarily out of service due to the 2014 City to surf marathon. We got trapped in a array of people who participated in the marathon. We found our way to the jetty where we boarded the Trans Perth ferry to get to Mends St Jetty. From the jetty we walked five minutes following a yellow sign saying Perth zoo on it. On the way, I met a friendly boy named Charlie who was with his sister, Emma and his grandparents.

Sit on the Giant Tortoise

First, we saw the little blue penguin. It was very reluctant to take photos with us according to the message in Phillip Island. Whenever we took the camera out, it turned its body away. Then we went to see echidnas. Echidnas are monostremes, which mean they are mammals, which lay eggs. They have quills that are very sharp. Whenever it sees a predator, it will roll into a big, spiky ball that resembles a stinky durian. After that we went to see tired-looking kangaroos dozing in the sun with their eyes closed. Coming up was the vicious carnivore – the Tasmanian devil. Sadly there was only one in the zoo. Later we went to see an animal that is very strangely named – the quokka. It is a marsupial, herbivorous and it is a nocturnal animal. You will never ever see the quokka in any other parts of Australia except in western Australia where Perth is located. We also saw other Australian animals such as cockatoos, wombats, numbats and wallabies.

Next we went to see animals from the Asian Rainforest. The first was the sunbear that could stand on its hind legs like a human. Next sightseeing animal was Raja, Perth Zoo's komodo dragon. It seemed that Perth Zoo was taking good care of this carnivorous creature, as there are two tanks for Raja. Afterwards we saw the red panda. Like the quokka, the red panda's status is vulnerable. Red panda can only be found in China. The next animal is the white-cheeked gibbon which looks very unique.

The next section was the African Savannah where we saw African Painted Dogs, baboons, rhinoceroses, lions, giraffes, cheetahs, hyenas, meerkats, and Galapagos tortoise. There was also a small cave containing nocturnal animals. It was very dark inside but we managed to see the ghost bats and quokka. I had a whale of a time at the Perth Zoo.

Spectacular view of Perth from Kings Park

On the third day, I went to the Queens Garden again to check on the black swans and their cygnets. There was no sign of them when we first came but after a few minutes they waddled to the river. After that we took three CATs and finally stopped at Havelock Street, where Kings Park was located. This park was breathtaking with so many tropical plants all around. The park overlooks the Swan River with magnificent view. We were lucky that the weather was sunny with cooling breezes. The park even has a gorgeous water garden with a lovely water fountain. People loved to sit there and have picnics and mallards adored going into the water and dabble for pondweeds. However, those cheeky mallards loved to snatch sandwiches or any other basket- stored food people brought for their picnics.

The park even had a botanical garden with plants like granite bottlebrush and snakebushes. We did one daring act - walking above a high bridge. Imagine bungee jumping from the top – injury is certain unless you have the right equipment. After two and a half hours of walk, we went for lunch at Hay Street. After lunch I had a whale of a time chasing seagulls at a street with no traffic.

On the last day, I went for a last visit to the Queens Garden to say goodbye to the black swan family. I also had my last chance of chasing seagulls at Hay Street before going to the airport. We had a very relaxing, enjoyable and memorable holiday in Perth. I vow to visit Perth again in future.

Written by:
Koh Chee Yuan

A Relaxing Holiday in Langkawi

16 to 19 August 2014 

On 16 August 2014, I had to wake up earlier than my usual time to get ready to go to the airport. Our flight to Langkawi from the KLIA was at 9.30am. After checking in, we had our breakfast at the Food Garden at KLIA. I like this place because they serve a variety of food. The cream puff was delectable. The flight journey to Langkawi was less than one hour. From the airport we took a cab, which was an old Nissan Vanette, to the Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by a hotel staff who served us a glass of cold fruit drink to beat the heat. Another hotel staff told us that we could only check in at 3.00pm. So, we decided to do some sightseeing and have lunch. A taxi ride from the hotel to the Underwater World Langkawi was only 5 minutes.

Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort at Langkawi

While my mum was buying tickets, I went to see the world’s largest freshwater fish - the Arapaima. It was so humongous that the tank has to be as big as possible. The Arapaima fish is native to the Amazon basin of South America and they can grow to the length of as much as 4.5 meter. Although the Underwater World is an aquarium, it also has a reptile section and a tropical rainforest section. At the reptile section, I saw a few reptiles including geckos. There were Flamingos, Mandarin ducks, Mute Swans and Marmoset at the tropical rainforest section. Then, we went to see Southern Fur Seals that were swimming gracefully and emerging from water for oxygen. Some visitors shouted so loudly that it nearly shattered the glass tank. 

African Penguins at Underwater World

Next was my favourite section, the penguins. We first saw the African penguins swimming around in an environment very similar to their natural habitat. They are also known as the Jackass Penguin and are found in Southern Africa. It was amusing to see these flight-less birds shook their heads and hit their chest like a gorilla. They preen themselves with special oil from their bodies.

After that, we proceeded to the Sub-Antarctic Section where I saw the Rockhopper penguins. Rockhopper penguins are one of the smallest species of penguin in the world. These penguins are called “Rockhopper” because they jump from rock to rock in their natural habitat. They feed on crustaceans, squids and small fish. I saw a Rockhopper penguin laying eggs and another penguin was guarding its nest of eggs. Some penguins were swimming while some were hopping around. We were lucky to see the workers feeding the penguins. We spent most of our time at the penguins sections.

Rockhopper Penguins at Underwater World

Yuan and King Penguin

At the freshwater section, I saw different types of freshwater fish from different parts of the world such as the Bala Shark, Garfish, Catfish and Stingray. I prefer the marine life section because the fishes are more colourful. I saw Sea Horse, Lion Fish, Puffer Fish, Sea Anemones, Hermit Crabs Giant Rays and Giant Grouper.  There was also a Koi Pond in the Underwater World where visitors are allowed to feed the Koi fish.

Lion Fish

Before leaving the aquarium, we spent some time at the souvenir shop which is connected to the Zon Duty Free shop. My mum bought me a penguin soft toy and a T-shirt with a penguin. I love penguins!

Pelangi Resort Malay-Styled Wooden Chalet

At the Resort Pond Side

After lunch, we returned to Pelangi Resort. Finally we checked into our room which was located on the first floor of a Malay-styled wooden chalet. The room was quite nice, with high ceiling and a fan. The resort has a relaxing atmosphere with a lot of trees and plants. There was a balcony where we could see the swimming pools. I could not wait any longer to dip in the pool.

Beach at Pelangi Resort

In the evening, we took a stroll on the beach. It was so relaxing and the view was magnificent. As the resort is located in Pantai Cenang, there are many restaurants nearby. The Cenang Mall is just a stone's throw from the resort.

The next day we hired a car to drive around Langkawi. Our first destination was the Oriental Village, at the foothill of Mount Machincang. When we were arrived, it started to drizzle. Then the rain became heavier. We took shelter at the Geopark Information Center, where we watched a video on geoparks of Langkawi. I wanted to experience the cable car but to my disappointment, it was not operating because of the rain. The rain continued for the entire morning. My mum promised that we will return to the Oriental Village for the cable car ride when we visit Langkawi again.

We just relaxed ourselves at the Pelangi Resort on the following day. The weather was uninviting. It rained a lot during our stay at the resort. Oh, I forgot to mention that a bat flew into our room on the second night. The hotel staff said that the bats are harmless to human and they help to eat mosquitoes in the room.

Written by
Koh Chee Yuan

An Unforgettable Trip to Petrosains

 August 2014

My cousin sisters, Huey Huey and Ying Ying came back to Malaysia in late July for their summer holidays. One day in August, my uncle decided to take them to Petrosains and asked me if I wanted to join them. I jumped on the opportunity. My mummy was quite worried because it was the first time for me to go out without her and my dad. My aunt and uncle assured her that I would be fine.

When we arrived at the Petrosains at KLCC, we went on a ride in a special kind of chair. First, we tried the hurricane ride. It was really fun but the escalation of the strong winds nearly suffocated us. After that, we went to play with the pendulum art. Next, we went into the ancient world. As we approached, I could see a dinosaur dancing a boogie. Then we learnt more facts about the ancient world. We watched the Astro Canyon Coaster that is about bubbles.

Next, we went to play on the Wind Tube, where we put pieces of paper on an invisible stream of wind. The tube propelled the paper. After that, we set to work with beans on a very complicated machine. Later, we tried the Stimulator at the oil platform. I felt like riding on a roller-coaster. Then, we went to the Escape Chute. Unfortunately, we could not try it because the person must be at least 140cm tall. We proceeded to a giant slide. I was reluctantly to try but my uncle coaxed me into sliding down the tube. As I walked up the steps I was trembling but the slide was not that scary after all. My cousin sister could not try because she is not tall enough.

After the slide, we tried playing a few musical instruments. Some instruments like the organ looks old. Later, we went to watch a show called Dinky Dinosaur where we learnt more about dinosaurs. Finally, we got on another chair and rode out of the Petrosains. I would love to visit Petrosains again with my mummy and dad because they have not been there before.

Written by:
Koh Chee Yuan

Please visit Petrosains website for more information, http://www.petrosains.com.my/

My Wonderful Trip to Johor Babru

19~22 July 2014

We woke up at six in the morning and got ready for our journey to Johor Bahru. At the hotel, we checked in and went down a narrow corridor to look for our room. After dinner, we took a shower, watched television and had a snooze waiting for the next day.

Pingu and Chee Yun

On the second day we went to the Little Big Club where I saw my favourite cartoon characters such as Pingu, Barney, Bob the Builder and Thomas The Train. First, my mother coaxed me to go for bumpy car ride. I only drove for a few hundred metres then stopped the car. I decided to try other rides instead. We went to the crane drop ride. Enthusiastically, I got an empty seat. The ride went up and down that caused my heart to make a thumping noise. After our wobbly legs got down, I went to try Harold the Helicopter ride. Instead of going up, the helicopter spun round and round and jerked to a stop at certain times. After that, I tried the Bertie the Bus ride. Similar to the crane drop ride, we were also going up and down. Then the Thomas the train ride took us through dark tunnels and crossed crooked tracks. After all these rides, we went to the playground which is above the train ride. I clambered through bridges, crawled through tunnels and climbed down hatches. I had a whale of a time climbing and crawling at the playground. Next, we went downstairs for the Meet and Greet event. The first character I wanted to meet was Pingu. I greeted the huge penguin in Pingu costume with a quick “hello” and stood beside him for my mummy to snap a picture. After saying “goodbye” to Pingu, I went to greet Bob the Builder. I shook hand with him and then stood in front of him for a photo to be taken. After that, I visited Barney’s house where my mummy took another photo of me.

Yuan with Bob the Builder

Yuan with Barney

Ride on Harold the Helicopter

Ride on Bertie the Bus

  

Enterance to Legoland

The following day, we went to Legoland which is not too far from the Traders Hotel where we stayed. We were there early and there were not many people queuing at the ticket place. My dad snapped a photo of me in front of the entrance. The first ride we went to was the driving school. There were so many children waiting for their turns to drive a car. When I was waiting for my turn, I had butterflies in my stomach. I felt much better after watching a video on how to drive the Legoland car. However, I became nervous again when I got into the car. I should not have worried so much because I did not bump into anything at all. After my driving experience, we took a ride on the Legoland Express. When the train travelled round the Miniland, I could see many famous buildings from different countries constructed in miniatures with Lego bricks. After the train ride, we went to the Miniland to have closer look of those spectacular miniatures buildings.

Driving Experience on Legoland Car

Miniland of Kuala Lumpur

Next, we went to watch a 4-D movie called Racers. It was my first experience watching a 4-D movie and I did not know what to expect. My dad asked me to put on the goggle given to us at the entrance. I was really fascinated because the image moved towards us and I could feel water dripping on me. Now I know why it is called a 4-D movie. After the movie, we went to the street mall for a quick lunch. We went to the imagination area after our lunch. My favourite attraction was the musical fountain with many different musical instruments such as trumpet and violin. Oh, I forgot to say that most of the things we see in Legoland are built with Lego bricks. It was truly amazing. I wish I could do that.Then came my first experience with a roller-coaster ride at the Dragon. At first, I was not nervous at all. But when we got into the seat and the ride started, I soon found out how fast the roller-coaster travels. Besides the speed, the roller-coaster tilted at certain times that made the ride even more exhilarating. I found it quite hard to get the image out of my mind, even when we tried other rides.

 

Roller Coaster Ride on the Dragon

Musical Fountain

Under the scorching sun, we had to drink a lot of water in order to prevent dehydration. When the weather became too hot to stay outdoor we went inside the Lego Academy. My dad and I built some tall structures using Lego bricks to test whether they can withstand vibrations. It is called the Build and Test. My first attempt failed because my huge building collapsed. I worked hard to get the building up again. Unfortunately, a few little boys destroyed it. That made me furious that I nearly blew my top off. I finally cooled down when the boys’ mother helped me to construct another tall building.

Enterance to Lego Academy

In Lego Academy Playing with Lego Bricks

Ride on Observation Tower

Ride on Technic Twister

Yuan Ride on Royal Joust

Then, we took a ride up in the Observation Tower. When we were high up in the tower, the view was breathtaking. We had a bird’s eye view of the whole theme pack. The rides looked small and the people looked like tiny ants. Next, we went the Technic Twister and Aquazone Wave Racers. I liked the twister rider but it took us a lot of strength to spin the wheel. The Wave Racers ride got us drenched because there was water splashing at us. My mummy dried my shirt using the hand dryer in the washroom. Then, we went to the Lost Kingdom Adventure that looks like an Egyptian building. When the ride took us inside the building, we had to use guns to hit red eyes, bats and other creatures. It was quite fun. My favourite rides were the Royal Joust and Beetle Bounce. The Royal Joust is a ride on a wooden horse that travelled through some woods. The Beetle Bounce is a ride where we went up and down. I also tried the helicopter ride that is quite similar to the one at the Little Big Club. We were fortunate that we did not have to queue long for most of the rides. Before we called it a day, we went for a boat ride. We said “goodbye” to the theme park at 5pm. We were so tired and went back to the hotel for a nice shower before our dinner. I had a wonderful day at the Legoland. I hope to have an opportunity to go back again.

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Written by:
Koh Chee Yuan