2025 - Lookback

This is my customary lookback post which I update in this blog during the last week of each year.

May - Travelled to Andalucía Spain and Lisbon

I made this trip simply because Saudia was selling a return ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Madrid at RM2,250.00 only. 

I seized the opportunity to visit Andalusia Spain to see the three great monuments of the region, i.e. the Alhambra in Granada, the Seville Cathedral in Seville and the Mezquita in Cordoba.

After ticking off all the monuments, I took the bus from Seville to Lisbon and spent 3 nights there before flying back to Madrid to catch my flight back to Kuala Lumpur.

I fell in love with Plaza de Espana in Seville the moment I saw it for the first time.

June - Travelled to Kluang and Johor Bahru for Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage

In June we took the opportunity to visit the remaining two Jubilee parishes in the Malacca-Johor Diocese, i.e. the Church of St Louis in Kluang, and the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Johor Bahru.

From Kuala Lumpur, we took the bus to Kluang to attend Friday evening Mass at the Church of St Louis. The next day we continued our journey to Johor Bahru to attend Sunset Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

One of the most pleasant discoveries of this pilgrimage was not religious related but food related - I discovered the most delicious cendol ever - Kluang Cendol. 

The coconut milk was thick. The gula melaka (palm sugar) was sweet enough. And when both ingredients combined with the shaved ice and condiments, just hits the right spot.

The best part is that a bowl of cendol costs only ... hold your breath ... RM2.50. 

Based on my taste buds, the Kluang Cendol is better than the Lebuh Keng Kwee one in Penang.

July - Encore Malacca

Went with the family to watch Encore Melaka - acclaimed to be the most advanced immersive experience in Southeast Asia. 

My verdict: The visuals were colourful and vibrant. The choreography was not too bad. And the best part is that the stage is revolving. As the stage turns, the ceiling looks like the bottom of the Millennium Falcon.  

However, the story line had no flow. Certain scenes didn't blend into the storyline and didn't make sense at all.

One of the scenes from Encore Melaka.

August - Short get-away to Kota Kinabalu

My work was getting overwhelmed and stressful, so I took a 3-night break to Kota Kinabalu and stayed at the Nexus Karambunai Resort.

The resort had so much potential - large grounds that made it perfect for families with children to run around. I think this is the biggest resort (in terms of physical space) I ever stayed in.

However, the resort lacked maintenance and poorly trained staff. When it's busy during breakfast, it takes a long time for staff to replenish the food, most probably due to lack of manpower. The food is also not delicious and if you order ala carte, it's super expensive. Imagine paying so much for lousy food. 

Even though the resort was run down and lack proper maintenance, it had a lovely beach and a glorious sunset.

September - Travelled to Okinawa

When we arrived at Okinawa, we stayed at Naha for a couple of days. We walked Kokusai Dori shopping street and visited Shuri Castle.

In Naha, we took a ferry from Tomami Ferry Terminal to Zamami Island for a day-trip and snorkeled at Furuzamami Beach. 

After Naha, we travelled to Chatan to see the American Village, something which is not common in Japan.

Whilst in Chatan, we took the Chatan Adventure Highway Bus for a day-trip to Churaumi Aquarium. The sea life and conservation work at the aquarium is amazing.

Apart from travelling, we also pigged out on Okinawan F&B like shuri soba, spam musubi, goya champuru, Blue Seal ice-cream, and the many flavours of Orion beer. I loved goya champuru so much that I learnt how to prepare it when I returned to KL. 

Goya champuru is an Okinawan stir-fried dish.

This is a clip of the ferry ride to Zamami Island. The aquamarine colours of the sea is mesmerizing:

September - Celebrated 10th Anniversary in my current employment

When I first joined the company I did not expect or plan to stay that long. However, when work became busy and the pandemic came a calling, suddenly ten years have passed.

I don't know whether staying in a company for that long is a sign of loyalty, complacency, or a lack of ambition; which is something to reflect on.

October - Travelled to Penang for Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage

I made this trip to cover the pilgrim centres of Church of the Assumption and Church of St Mary.

I took an early morning flight to Penang and made my way to Church of the Assumption in Georgetown to attend the Friday afternoon Mass. 

After Mass, I took the ferry from Pengkalan Weld to Butterworth and checked into a hotel near Penang Sentral. 

That evening, I took a GRAB to the Church of St Mary in Permatang Tinggi to attend the Friday evening Mass.

The next morning I took the bus back to Kuala Lumpur. 

I was in and out of Penang in two shakes of a lamb's tail. 

Church of the Assumption in Georgetown, Penang.

November - Travelled to Oman and United Arab Emirates

When I was planning my trip to Oman, a friend who used to work there advised that the best parts of Oman are outside its capital, Muscat. 

So I took his advice and visited Wadi Bani Khalid and Wahiba Desert. The desert experience was amazing!

I also managed to watch a performance at the Royal Opera House in Muscat.

I visited UAE to add another country to the list. Furthermore, it's location beside Oman makes it perfect stopover. 

In Dubai I spent most of my time at Dubai Mall watching the fountain show. The sound and light together with the projections on Burj Khalifa was incredible. I enjoyed it very much.

Wahiba Sands.

December - Travelled to Kuantan for Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage

Did a 1-night trip to Church of St Thomas in Kuantan and with that I can humble brag that I've visited all the designated pilgrim centres in Peninsular Malaysia except for the one in Ipoh because it's located in an area inaccessible by public transport.

Summary

2025 being the Jubilee Year of Hope in the Roman Catholic Church, I spent more resources travelling to the pilgrim centres to gain indulgences. In fact, when the year was launched in December 2024 and the  eleven designated pilgrim centres in the three dioceses of Peninsular Malaysia were announced, I made it a goal to visit every one of them except for Chapel of Annai Velangani in Ipoh because it's located in an area inaccessible by public transport. I wanted to stamp my pilgrim passport and a conventional passport (expired) with the special stamps available at the pilgrim centres.

In 2025 I only travelled to 3 new countries as compared to 2024 when I covered 8 new countries.

What will 2026 bring? Well, I already have a big trip planned in May/June. Apart from that I don't have any other trips planned yet.

But I'm certain that more travels will manifest when the time comes. It all depends on my work schedule, availability of cheap flight tickets, etc. 

How many countries are there?

When I was researching the number of countries, I discovered that it ranges between 193 to 237, depending on your source. 

According to The World Factbook by the United States CIA, there're 254 countries in total.

On the other hand, the United Nations has 193 members states + 2 non-member states (Vatican City and Palestine) making it a total of 195 countries.

The difference in numbers is largely due to disputed zones, special administrative regions, and nations that hold either full or partial sovereignty. Some of these areas include Crimea, Falkland Islands, Hong Kong, Kosovo and Taiwan.

It's in my bucket list to visit 50 countries by the time I reach half a century old. At the point of writing, I'm at country 47.

So which figure should I use to chart my travel plans? 

I've decided to use the United Nations figure of 195 countries.

2024 - 'Revenge Travel' Continues

2024 was a continuation of 'revenge travel' from the year before. I needed to restore hope after the pandemic destroyed my travel hopes and dreams for about 3 years from 2020 till 2023.

Here's a lookback at my travels in 2024.

February - Travelled to Taipei

The main purpose of my trip to Taipei was to visit a fellow traveler whom I had met when I was travelling in Tunis in December 2023. He had relocated temporarily to Taipei and I took the opportunity to visit Taipei too.

The highlight of that trip was hiking at Yangmingshan National Park.

Interestingly, I visited Taipei again in May when I was on a long transit back from Kagoshima.

I love this colourful piece of art becomes life at the Taoyuan International Airport.

April - Travelled to Central Asia

I made this trip simply because AirAsia had launched a new route between Kuala Lumpur and Almaty, and there were promotional tickets. 

Since I was going to be in that part of the world, I took the opportunity to visit 3 more countries in Central Asia, i.e. Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. 

All in all, I covered 5 cities in 4 different countries. The cities were Almaty, Dushanbe, Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bishkek.

If you have the opportunity to visit Samarkand, don't miss the Registan Square. Begin your visit around 7:00pm and end with the light and sound show which begins at 8:00pm daily.

May - Travelled to Kagoshima

This was an unplanned trip. 

Earlier in February, I had reconnected with a former college mate after more than 20 years! And whilst talking, he invited me to join him to visit Kagoshima. 

Highlights of the trip was taking the ferry to Sakurajima, watched a dolphin show at Kagoshima City Aquarium, and made a road trip to Kirishima Geopark where we hiked to Mt Karakuni. 

I was pleasantly surprise to discover that Kagoshima was St Francis Xavier's landing spot when he brought Christianity to Japan. 

The Japanese Yen had depreciated against the Malaysian Ringgit, so I took the opportunity to purchase apparels from Muji and Uniqlo because it's cheaper in the home land. As a foreign tourist, I get to shop tax free with min purchase of JPY5,000. Just flash your passport and you'll get the discount on the spot! No need to hassle and redeem the discounts at the airport.

We hiked to the summit of Mt Karakuni (1,700 metres) and saw craters which used to be active volcanoes. Some of the craters were active and I could hear rumblings from the belly of the earth.

June - Travelled to Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB)

I purposely made this trip to BSB so that I can add another country to my List of Countries that I've Visited.

Two highlights of the trip were attending Mass at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and visiting Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque. 

There's nothing much to see and do in BSB (which explains why I've never had a desire to visit Brunei) so we went to a mall to watch Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga which I found difficult to like especially after the genius of Mad Max: Fury Road.

Inside the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque.

September - Travelled to Colombo

In about two days we covered the main sights in Colombo such as St Anthony's Shrine, Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, and Gangaramaya Temple. 

On the third day, we hired a car and a driver to visit Sigiriya Fortress and Dambulla Cave Temple. Initially we wanted to join a local tour to those places, but Sri Lanka does not have group tours like other countries. So we had no choice but to pay for a car and a driver which were relatively expensive.

I was eager to visit Kandy but we only had a limited number of days for this trip. But now I have an excuse to revisit Sri Lanka.

It was a public holiday in Sri Lanka when we visited Sigiriya Fortress and the locals were out and about. The crowd was so big that we ditched the idea of climbing to the top of the fortress.

October - Travelled to Penang for a pilgrimage

This is the second consecutive year that Samaritan Hope Home organised a pilgrimage for its volunteers and benefactors. 

On this pilgrimage we visited the Penang Diocesan Museum in Georgetown, College General in Tanjung Bungah and the Minor Basilica of St Anne in Bukit Mertajam. 

The Minor Basilica of St Anne in Bukit Mertajam was one of the places we visited.

November - Travelled to Maldives

The highlight of my trip to Maldives was a day trip where we visited a sand bank in the middle of the sea, stopped for lunch at Himmafushi, and went snorkeling to look for stingray. 

Along the way, we spotted a pod of dolphins which got everyone on the boat excited. Who doesn't love dolphins. 

Artificial Beach in Male. When I posted this pic in Instagram, someone asked why do they need to create an artificial beach when Maldives already have natural beaches.

December - Travelled to Langkawi for a wedding

This is the first destination wedding that I've attended. 

It was held at The Danna Langkawi which was a great experience albeit the rates. After discount, a basic room was RM1,300.00 per night for 2 pax with breakfast. 

Looking ahead

In conclusion, I visited 8 new countries in 2024, and made a second visit to Japan (last visit was in June 2017).

How many new countries will I visit in 2025? I better start planning now. 

Cheap meal in Colombo

During my trip to Colombo, Sri Lanka in September, I enjoyed one of the cheapest meals.

It consists of steamed white rice, two types of vegetables, a hard boiled egg, and a generous portion of dhal curry. 

We even asked for a second helping of dhal curry which the eatery gave us generously.

All this for LDR 300.

When I converted LDR300 into my local currency it was a steal. 

The taste was quite good and I finished the whole plate. It was a lot of carbs but provided sufficient energy for all the walking done on that day.

Review on Uncle Roger's Fried Rice

A couple of Mondays ago, I left work on time and decided to drop by the Fuiyoh! It's Uncle Roger outlet at Pavilion Bukit Bintang mall to try his infamous fried rice.

There was a queue in front of the outlet, comprising of working crowd in the area who had got off work, as well as tourists. Thankfully, the patrons inside the restaurant finished their meal fast and I was seated within 20 minutes.

The menu had limited choices of food. Apart from a few types of fried rice and side dishes, there was nothing else. I was disappointed.

In the end, I ordered the UR's Special Fry Rice with Crispy Sunny Side Up that looks like this:

It costs RM27.85 for this plate of fried rice, which in my opinion is totally not worth the money.

The fried rice was quite dry to my liking, and the taste was average if eaten on its own. What gave the rice a taste boost was the accompanying sambal which was served in a soy sauce plate.

The portion was small. If I'm playing almost RM30.00 for a plate of fried rice which had to depend on sambal to save it, it better well be a bigger portion. However, that was not the case. Hungry patrons or big eaters would need at least two portions to fill their bellies.

The couple at the table beside me shared a tiny plate of fried rice, so I assumed they were there just to try the fried rice and see what the hype is all about. 

For me, it would certainly be a long time till I patronize the outlet again.

Riding the Metro in Tashkent

When I was in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in April, I used the Metro to travel around the city. It was fast, reliable and economical. The Metro was my sole mode of transport, apart from the Yandex e-hailing app that I used to travel between Gulnara Guesthouse and Tashkent International Airport to catch my flights around Central Asia.

When I first stepped into a Metro station in Tashkent, the signages are in Russian. Even the announcements before the train was about to stop at each station was made in the local language. 

I thought how the hell am I gonna know which platform to wait at, which train to take, or which station to get off. 

So I downloaded the Metro map, and kept track of the number of stops. And after listening attentively, I soon became accustomed to hearing the station name being announced in the local language.

You may find the Tashkent Metro Map and other information in the official website here.

Entrance to a metro station. Notice that the name is written in Cyrillic.

The Metro stations in Tashkent are works of art. These stations have a similar look and feel to the Metro stations in Saint Petersburg, Russia because Uzbekistan was formerly under the Soviet Union. 

A little history: The Soviet government had established the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic as a constituent (union) republic of the U.S.S.R. in 1924. Uzbekistan declared independence from the Soviet Union on 31 August 1991 (same independence day as Malaysia!).

Now let me share with you three stunning Metro stations in Tashkent that I came across whilst roaming the city using the Metro:

Tinchlik station

Alisher Navoi station

Tashkent station

If you have the opportunity, I hope you will be inspired to visit Tashkent, if not simply to see these beautiful Metro stations.

And if you wish to learn more about the Metro in Tashkent, I stumbled across this very informative blog, Journal of Nomads, link here. You're welcome.

4 Reasons Why I Prefer Hostels to Airbnb

As a solo traveler, I prefer staying at hostels instead of the ever popular Airbnb. 

I have friends who always opt for Airbnbs whenever they travel, even when they're travelling solo. They like the interiors of the accommodation (Instagrammable!), they like the privacy and facilities that Airbnb offers, etc. Well, to each his/her own.

Here, I list down four reasons why hostels are my favorite type of accommodation whenever I travel.

Reason #1 - Hostels are economical

Travelling can be expensive, especially when travelling to a country which has a stronger currency compared to the currency in which we're earning.

Coming from Malaysia and travelling to countries in Scandinavia or Western Europe may burn deep holes in my pocket. One way to manage travelling expenses is to opt for economical options such as hostels.

If I'm travelling with a companion or two, it would make sense to stay at an Airbnb because the cost is shared. However, that option would be costly for a solo traveler as I'll have to solely bear the cost. Therefore, hostels offer the most economical option for solo travelers.

Having said that, in some cheaper countries, the rate of a private room with ensuite bathroom may be equivalent to that of a dorm bed in a more expensive country. If I'm travelling to these cheaper countries, I'll usually select the private room.

My first experience staying at an Airbnb was in Japan (June 2017). We selected that option because my travel partner wanted to experience it. Our Airbnb in Tokyo was located in this building. Pardon the garbage bags in the photo.

Reason #2 - Hostels are the place to meet fellow travelers

In many of my trips, I've met other wonderful travelers at the hostels where I stayed. We exchange travel stories and travel tips. And if we connect, we go out for meals and drinks, and even do day-trips together. 

During my trip to Central Asia in March, I visited five cities in four different countries. When I was in Dushanbe, Tajikistan there were only three other travelers at Bruce Hostel where I stayed. So the four of us went out for meals and drinks and had deep conversations about life. We can never be alone at hostels.

On the other end of the personality pole, I understand that staying at hostels may not be everyone's preference especially for introverts, private people, or people who have a general dislike for other homo sapiens. For people with such personalities, staying at Airbnb or hotels makes them feel comfortable.

I stayed at Soul Kitchen hostel when I was in Saint Petersburg, Russia (Sept 2018). The large common area/living room was a great place to meet other travelers. I snapped this photo at around 5:00pm when all the travelers were out.

Reason #3 - Hostels are a good source of information 

Whenever I arrive at a particular city or town for the first time, I usually look for information such as how to get to a particular location, are there local tours, the best eateries serving local delicacies, etc. Hostels usually have such information readily available. More established hostels even organize in-house activities for their guests such as walking tours, pub crawls, and cooking classes.

I stayed at Tree House Hostel in Riga, Latvia (Sept 2018). I love the white color interiors which makes it look immaculate. Posting the pic here, just because.

Reason #4 - Safety / Help is at hand

Whenever I travel solo, safety would be a priority. 

If I stay at hostels, I can always seek help from the staff or from other travelers staying at the hostel. For instance, when I was in Cairo in February 2008, local men tried to chat me up, and some even followed me. I remember one guy asked me to help him promote his tour business. Another became aggressive when I politely turned down his offer to see his souvenir shop. Whenever it gets overwhelming and I feel that my safety is being compromised, I would quickly return to my hostel. In all of those instances, the men stopped following me.

If I stay at an Airbnb, I would be alone in the unit. If anything untoward happens such as a health situation, or an accident, there won't be anyone around where I can seek immediate help. 

In spite of the peace of mind that staying in hostels offers, there are certain hostels without a reception or staff. For example, when I was in Malta in December 2023, both the hostels that I stayed in did not have staff. Instead, instructions to check-in, the code to access the main door, how to find the dorm and bed, location of bathroom, etc. were communicated via WhatsApp prior to my check-in date. If I needed anything, I would have to either text the person who sent me those instructions, or ask the other travelers at the hostel. I find this way of operating a hostel impersonal and there's no immediate place to seek help if I needed it. 

Certain hostels provide travel warnings to their guests, like this signage at Wombat's The City Hostel in Budapest, Hungary (Oct 2019).

Now that I've shared four reasons why I prefer hostels to Airbnb, let me know in the comments section which is your favorite type of accommodation. 

St Francis Xavier Brought Christianity to Japan, Kagoshima was His Landing Spot

During my recent trip to Kagoshima (in May 2024), I discovered that St Francis Xavier had brought Christianity to Japan. 

His point of landing in the Land of the Rising Sun was at Kagoshima in August 1549. Today, the Diocese of Kagoshima have named their cathedral in honour of the saint.

St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Kagoshima.

Statue of St Francis Xavier in front of the cathedral.

Like most churches in Japan, Mass is celebrated on the first floor instead of the ground floor. 

Sanctuary and altar.

There is a pipe organ in the choir loft.

A cathedral is the seat of the bishop and that is the Bishop of Kagoshima's coat of arms.

A monstrance displayed by the side of the sanctuary:

English language Mass on Sundays are celebrated at 3:00pm, here's the signage:

The English language Mass is celebrated in the chapel on the ground floor:

Mass is celebrated in this chapel.

Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the grounds of the cathedral.

Opposite the cathedral there is a park aptly named "Xavier Park" in honour of St Francis Xavier. 

Let me show you some pics of what's in the park.

Ruins of a doorway that marks the entrance to the park.

Bust head of St Francis Xavier.

Statue of St Francis Xavier on mission in Kagoshima.

At the park there's a signage displaying a chronological record of St Francis Xavier in Japan. I was delighted to see that his last port of call before sailing to Japan was good old Malacca!

It took St Francis Xavier around 2 months to sail from Malacca to Kagoshima.

There is also a St Francis Xavier Historical Trail that pilgrims and history buffs could do in Kagoshima. 

Unfortunately, I did not have time to do the trail and that is a good excuse to revisit Kagoshima. 

Day trip from Catania to Syracuse

When I was planning my trip to Sicily in November 2023, Syracuse was in the list of must-visit places. 

One of the reasons was because the movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny had featured Greek mathematician and psychist Archimedes (287 B.C. - 212 B.C) who was born in Syracuse. The inventions of Archimedes, some of which are still used today has caused him to be regarded as one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. 

On that morning, I headed to the ticket office in Catania to purchase a return ticket to Syracuse. The ticket office is located on the ground floor of this building: 

The ticket office is the blue coloured lot on the right.

Buses to Syracuse leaves around the clock. The journey takes about 1.5 hours (one way).

I bought a ticket for the 9:45am bus that leaves from Catania to Syracuse, and a return ticket (on the same day) for the bus that leaves Syracuse at 4:00pm to Catania. The return ticket costs Euro 9.60.

After purchasing the tickets, I headed to Terminal Bus Citta di Catania which is located about 50 metres from the ticket office:

If you're unsure which berth the bus to Syracuse departs from, ask the Security Office at the entrance of the station. 

The bus from Catania to Syracuse looks like this:

This is the bus station in Syracuse where the bus drops off passengers:

It actually looks more like a bus stop than a bus station. 

When I got off the bus, I made sure I could find my way back to the station in time to catch the 4:00pm bus back to Catania. 

On this day trip, I didn't make a plan to visit every "must-see" in Syracuse. I just wanted to walk around and see what's in Syracuse. After all, it was a day trip and there is only so much one can do in a day trip.

I whipped out my mobile phone, activated Google Maps and navigated myself to Ponte Umbertino which separates Syracuse from the island of Ortigia.

On my way to Ponte Umbertino, I stopped at a cafe to have a traditional Sicilian dessert which I found too sweet for my liking: 

Cassata Siciliana

This is the view from Ponte Umbertino which separates Syracuse from the island of Ortigia:

After crossing Ponte Umbertino, I continued walking and came across this lovely fountain depicting the myth of Diana, Arethusa and Alphaeus:

Soon, I arrived at the Syracuse Cathedral which is one of the city's star attraction:

Syracuse Cathedral

There was an entrance fee to enter the cathedral, so I decided to skip it. After all, I have already visited so many beautiful and magnificent churches in Sicily. Not visiting this one ain't gonna make a difference.

By the time I took all the photos I wanted of the Syracuse Cathedral, it was already past lunchtime. So I started looking for a place to eat.

A fellow traveler whom I had met in Catania had recommended a reasonably priced restaurant in Syracuse. 

When I located the restaurant, it was full of people. I went up to the staff and enquired if there are tables available. The lady at the counter quickly set up a table for me, and I happily ordered my food.

I ordered this traditional Sicilian eggplant dish (which was bloody delicious!) and a glass of red wine:

Caponata

After lunch I walked along the corniche to look at ships:

It was a windy day and the waves were choppy. I was imagining how the seafarers and navigators in ancient times steered their boats and ships in such a condition and without modern equipment. 

Soon it was time to head back to the bus station to take the bus back to Catania.

All in all, it was an interesting day-trip to Syracuse. Although I didn't visit many of the top spots in Syracuse such as the museums, and I barely scratched the surface of exploring Syracuse thoroughly, I am glad to have the opportunity to visit the beautiful city.

Bye bye Taffy :-(

After 17 years with the family, our beloved Australian Silky Terrier, Taffy was put down. 

At that age, she had become blind and had deteriorated to skin and bones. She could hardly stand up and could only consume liquid food.

So, with a very heavy heart, a decision was made to end her suffering.

Taffy was given a grand pet farewell. She was cremated and her ashes are now mixed with soil and kept in a flower pot in the garden with a tombstone.

With the lost of Rambo in December 2023, and now Taffy, we lost two dogs within four months of each other.