November S.U.R.P.R.I.S.E

We decided to surprise the munchkins with a trip to Lost World of Tambun last month. We had to attend a wedding of a relative in Tanjung Malim, so I persuaded Lan to go for a quick road trip to Ipoh. Lan was hesitant at first because of the school holidays and the dreaded traffic jam, but he is no match to my power of persuasion :p

Anyway we had tons of fun the two days we're there. The kids did not stop thanking us on the way back which were very sweet, but being stuck in the traffic jam with them was not  fun, esp with the 3 of them refreshed from a long nap and bored to death inside the car haha.

Can't wait for Road Trip 2.0 (Birthday Edition) next week, InshaAllah. May god give me strength and patience to deal with the trio *yes I'm melodramatic like that*

For the ones who has been asking for review of the theme park and hotel, click on the links below for more information. Hope you'll have as much fun as we did :) 

• Lost World of Tambun
• Ipoh Foodpedition 
• Ibis Styles Hotel, Ipoh

Toodles!!!

101 Japan Trip - Our Winter Holiday

A friend requested that I blog a similar 101 post to my Hong Kong trip, but this time covering our recent holiday in Japan. To tell you the truth, travel tips are pretty much similar from one country to another. My basic mantra is "Be ready, prepare yourself for the worst but pray for the best"

We have a basic travel checklist which we will tweak here and there based on the duration/weather/purpose of our stay. When it comes to my children essential (milk,food and medicine), I rather over pack than under pack because you'll never know when you need things and I hate scrambling in a foreign place feeling lost.

Below are some tips and relevant links for your ease of reference. 

1. Winter Clothing and Essentials for Small Children

This is our first time traveling out of the country during winter with the the kids. Preparations started 6 months before our trip in terms of research and shopping. The best trick I learn from most parenting websites was to layer. This works real well because though it may be super cold outdoors, trains and buildings are heated so putting on super heavy clothing on your child which can't be removed may make them very uncomfortable. 

We always start with an inner shirt below their normal clothes/shirts, a vest (depending on the weather forecast of the day), and add on the final layer which is the jacket. Hats is a must because we lose heat mostly from our heads, so insist that your child put it on. Alternatively you can also get an outer jackets with hoods. Get scarfs and mittens which are made from non-scratchy material. Test it out by rubbing the material on your hands, if you don't find it comfortable, your child won't be either.

This time we lugged our double stroller,the buggy and ALL of our stroller accessories. I have to admit  having the stroller helps. Since my children are creatures of habit, the 1 hour time difference totally wrecked their nap schedule, so they took turns napping in the stroller. The rain shield helped during super windy and cold days too. You just need to be extra careful (and fast) when handling your children and the stroller in the subways.

The problem with traveling during winter is that you have to deal with heavy coats and boots, which means a lot of luggage. Since there's a lot of walking from the airport to the station to the hotel, we packed our luggage in such a way that we'll be more mobile, we used two backpacks, one large trolley bag and a large carry-on to cater to 5 people. We even had a test run to ensure that we'll be able to carry all of our luggage + handling the stroller  and the kiddies. 

2. Weather Forecast
We religiously checked the weather forecast 2 months before our travel date to ensure that we packed right. It was raining on and off  and the temperature was around 2' to 12' . We made sure everyone had a rain jacket/poncho, waterproof jackets, foldable umbrellas and extra shoes. Better be safe than sorry I say because if you think having to walk outdoors in the cold sucks, try walking outdoors in the cold while it is raining :p 

My favorite weather forecast website : Click Me

2. Pocket WiFi

Alhamdullilah we managed to find our travel locations easily, thanks to the help of internet. Despite having a very detailed itinerary and travel plan prepared, I still depended a lot on travel apps and internet search to get me from one point to another. I decided to rent a pocket WiFi for our use in Japan, for easy and multiple connectivity. The pocket WiFi is able to connect up to 8 devices at once, so between the 5 smartphone users in the family, we managed to safe quite a lot.

I pre-ordered my WIFI from the company's website,2 days before we left for Japan. When we arrived it was already waiting for me in the airport. To return I just dropped the package at the post box before boarding 

Check out website for more info:  Global Advanced Communication

3. Travel Apps
I downloaded several key apps before leaving just in case there's any problem with the WIFI. I also subscribed to Celcom roaming in case of emergency (you can never be overly cautious when traveling with 3 small children)

Anyway these are the apps that I found most helpful while in Japan:

• Japan Trains - This is super awesome because not only will it tell you the time and name of the train to take, it will also detailed out the platform/station PLUS the cheapest route to get to your destination PLUS options. Take note the different type of trains while purchasing tickets, there's express (no stops in between of stations), rapid (limited stops), local (stops at every station, cheapest and takes the longest to your destination) tickets.
• Solat/Qiblat/Halal Food Guide- There's a few options but this is good to help determine qiblat for solat and will alert you of the time. The halal food guide comes with a list and some is even linked to its location + GPS 
• Currency Converter- Oh well if your Math sucks as mine, any assistance with the numbers and figures are most welcome :p 
• Waze/Google Maps-In case you need extra help to point you out in the right direction. I did use this a few time because the road signs can be quite confusing and in Japanese

Check out website for more info on train routes : Hyperdia

4. Halal Food

You can't find Halal food easily in Japan. I would say that it is more easily available in tourist spots like Dotunburi Street and Namba. I did manage to find some Halal kebab, tempura and udon while I was there.

We were lucky that our hotel is equipped with a full kitchen, so we  prepared our own breakfast, dinner and pre-packed our lunch. We brought the normal essential like rice, pasta and Brahims (chicken because you can't bring in beef due to the mad cow disease issues) We bought the rest like veges, fruits and eggs at the nearby market.

The cold weather makes my kids constantly hungry, instead of eating and snacking every 4 hours, they need to be fed frequently especially after naps.  We made sure we had snacks like cereal and cheese crackers in hand.

Just a  reminder for people who choose to eat at seafood restaurant and buy seafood/vegetarian based food, the Japanese sometimes uses alcohol during food preparations especially in rice and sauces (most fish sauces used on takoyaki contains traces of alcohol). 

Even pre-packed food which does not contain meat, sometimes use animal fat or lard. One instance was when we were in USJ and asked the popcorn vendor if the popcorn is vegetarian friendly and his answer was no. I'm not sure if it was a mistake on his part but suffice to say we decided againts buying them for the kids. So unless you read or speak Japanese well, I advise you stay clear of things that may fall under the "vague" category. This is also based on the advice from my friend who's in Japan.

Check out website for more info : Halal Kansai Restaurant List

5. USJ Tickets
We pre bought our Universal Studios Japan Tickets from Japan Travel Bureau (JTB) in KLCC. As you know, I AM ALLERGIC TO LONG QUEUES so I made sure that we secured our tickets to USJ a month before we left (Yes I'm super serious when it comes to Harry Potter preparations :p).

Check out website for more info:  Universal Studios Japan and JTB Malaysia

6 . Train Pass
You should take advantage of the train pass packages available for tourist when traveling in Japan. Before choosing a Travel Pass, make sure that it is the one that will work best with you travel route. Based on our itinerary, I choose Kansai Thru Pass because the station is the closest to my hotel. It was also the cheapest option for ticket price for our travel route. Another plus point was they offered discounts vouchers on entrance ticket to several attractions around Kansai. I purchased my tickets at the Kansai Airport itself. There's a 2 or 3 days pass available depending on your needs. You also do not need to use your tickets consecutively.

Check out website for more information: Kansai Thru Pass

You can also purchase the JR Train Pass through JTB. If you're traveling in the Kansai area you can consider the JR Kansai Area Pass available for exclusive use by foreign visitors to Japan. It provided unlimited travel on local JR trains and the Haruka limited express train in the Kansai region around Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Kobe for one to four days, consecutively. 

One thing I like about the JR line was its loop lines, meaning you do not need to make a lot of train change to get to your destinations.

Check out website for more information: JR Kansai Pass

7.Travel Diary
For our travel diary check out the following links:

• Osaka
• Universal Studios Japan
• Kyoto
• Nara 
• Hotel Review : Mystays Otamae, Osaka  

Fuh!! super long post, it took me 3 days to finish typing this, so hope that it helps someone :) Happy weekend everyone....

A N T I C I P A T I O N

4 more weeks to my 6 year wedding anniversary with Lan and our Annual Family Trip (inshaAllah). Loads of last minute "challenges" and headache in planning but nothing that is truly worth it comes easy :) May Allah give me the patience coz he knows how much I need it hihihi

In the meantime I will think of this little cuties (and their handsome big brother) every time someone is driving me nuts...

Wordless Wednesday #20

For hotel review and more photos of our Singapore trip in March 2014 check out the following :

• Festive Hotel, Resort World Sentosa
• Universal Studios, Singapore
• Sea Aquarium,Singapore

The one on travelling Hong Kong with small children

Since I came back from Hong Kong, I've received several request to do a short review of my trip and to share travel "tips". Since several of my mates is planning a trip down to HK in December and early 2014, I shall do some community service (like real) and share my 5 days 4 nights travel experience with 3 children in tow.....

1. Check the weather 

Hong Kong is affected by the four seasons. Winter (Dec-Feb), Spring (March-May), Summer (June to August) and Autumn (September- Nov). According to the travel blogs, autumn is the best time to visit Hong Kong as it is not hot or cold with sunshine. I can attest to that as I find the weather very comfortable to travel in and despite the sun, it was not to humid. Typhoons seasons is in May - November so keep that in mind before booking your tickets.

2. Pre book/buy your tickets online
I bought my Ocean Park and Disneyland tickets at a discount from this site Hotel in Hong Kong, not only did we save some money on the purchases we also save a lot of queuing time, especially if you plan to travel during the weekends.

3. Octopus Card

You can buy purchase octopus card/ airport express card package at the counter right outside the Arrival Hall, the staff speaks English so they can help you choose the perfect package for your needs. We depended a lot on the MTR to get from one place to another. Even if you're traveling with children, the public transportation system is very comfortable and trains usually pass each station frequently (every 3-5 minutes). They don't accept credit card so make sure you have enough HKD to cover the expenses.

Make sure you do not dispose the card and return it to the Airport Express Counter at the end of your trip and collect your HKD 50 deposit refunds. For more information check out this link MTR Tickets

Ranya enjoying her train ride with daddy :)

4. Traveller's Sim Card

I did not subscribe to Celcom roaming, so I bought myself a broadband sim card from Smart Tone to ensure that I'm connected to the people back home (Actually I did not care much about the people back home, I'm just hooked to the internet haha) The sim card is HKD80 (around RM40), and the maximum charge per day is  HKD 24 (around RM 8 per day). There are other brands offering the same packages for consumption.

5. Halal Food

I won't say that halal food is easily found in Hong Kong but it is available. There's halal restaurant in Disneyland (Tahitian Terrace and Explorer's Club), Ocean Park (Lakeside Restaurant) and Airport T1 (Popeyes). Anyway while restaurant hunting and if you fail to find the venue, just remember to look up, based on my experience some of the restaurants is situated in 1-2 floor and may not be accessible to strollers.

Since out hotel suite has a small kitchenette we brought food from home like packets rendang, curry, cereals, soups etc.  If you have small children do remember to bring an extra packet or two of milk formula if needed and do bring some of their favorite snacks like cookies or treats for them to munch in between rides since we can't just readily buy anything we see in the cafe's or stalls (this is mostly to minimize temper tantrums due to hunger :p) Chocs like MnMs sold in 7Eleven do have halal signs so that is mostly safe to feed the kiddies (though not advisable because they'll be on sugar rush haha)

Check out this page for more info : Halal Restaurant List

p/s: mineral water in Hong Kong is crazy expensive (around HKD 20 per bottle =RM8). My advice is to bring empty water bottle from home and fill it up in the hotel. Most restaurants don't mind you bringing in your own water.

6. Travelling with small children

There's no such thing as "traveling light" when you have a pre-schooler and 2 toddlers tagging along. We practically brought everything but the kitchen sink with us :p You don't have to actually bring EVERYTHING with you as you can buy things like diapers in case you run out but just keep in mind most things in HK is a tad more pricey than in Malaysia.

Anyway I find Hong Kong to be a pretty child friendly place. They have "family restrooms" in the malls, airports and theme parks which means daddy's can come in and help change diapers too which I find very handy (imagine going in and out of the toilet 3 times.. horror to horror). You should bring your own strollers to ensure your child comfort but I suggest a small umbrella stroller because most of the streets and doorways are quite narrow for bulky double strollers.

If you plan to visit Disneyland I strongly suggest that you opt for the 2 days tickets instead of 1. Reason being the park is quite big and it would be very tiring and rushed if you plan to do a one day tour (especially if you want to go on the rides and since 80% of the rides are kid friendly I'm sure you would want your little darling to go on all of them) Anyway it is just an additional of RM50 so I say it is truly worth it :) 

If possible plan your visit to the theme parks on weekdays. At least you can avoid the crowd and minimize queuing time which can take up to 30 minutes or more. We were so lucky that we only waited up to a maximum of 10 minutes in both Ocean Park and Disneyland because we were there on work days.

First in line for the Disneyland Express Tour :)

Be flexible and be ready to change your perfectly scheduled itinerary on short notice. Alhamdullilah our trip went smoothly despite some minor temper tantrums due to overtiring and over excitedness :p I also found out on this trip that the twins especially Ranya are nervous fliers. I'm so spoil by Ryan being an awesome traveler that I expected the same experience from the girls. Thank god for 3 Tabs, smart phones and an Ipod for distractions during the 4 hours flight.

For more pictures and some commentaries on our trip, please check out the following links:
Hong Kong Day 1
Hong Kong Day 2
Hong Kong Day 3
Hong Kong Day 4&5

AWOL

I'll be away from work (and blog) for 11 days for a much deserved break with my family (or so I would love to think). Pray that I'll have a safe and fun filled holiday *In Sha Allah* and see ya later, alligator.

Umrah Trip (Final)

Ok my final Umrah post. This post is mostly on how an Umrah is perform :) When you go for your Umrah trip, you can actually perform your umrah more than once. Some people even managed to perform their umrah 3 times a day (such dedication and determination).

To me umrah is a very physical form of ibadah, as compared to prayers, fasting and zakat etc which I think is more spiritual in nature.You have to be mentally strong as well, having to brace the throngs of people, hot sun, etc. At the end of the day you'll learn one very important lesson which is PATIENCE

But now I understood why my parents was telling my sister and I to perform our haj as soon as we can. I guess they have a very good point, when you're younger the "rukuns" is physically easier for you to perform.

For example, on the day when we didn't bring Ryan along, we managed to finish our tawaf and saie within 1 1/2 hours. The older jemaah sometimes take close to 3-4 hours to finish the same course ( I know it is not a competition about who can finish first, I'm just making a comparison that when you are younger, tawaf/saie wouldn't be so challenging)

*Insyallah* once dah cukup duit we'll go ok, hubby :) Neways, there is 5 things that you need to do to complete your umrah:-

First: You have to Niat Umrah at a designated place (they called it Miqat) and the place has to be out of Tanah Haram (out of Mecca). You have to be in your ihram at this point (guys in white sheets and women in any attire covering aurat- though it is sunnat to wear white)The nearest place is in Masjid Tanaim (about 7 km away). You can reach there by taxi or vans.

Second: You have to complete 7 rounds of tawaf around kaabah. You can do it continuously or you can stop after each round (all depends on your capability) after finishing your tawaf you are to perform sembahyang sunnah preferable in front of Hijr Ismail.

Third: Saie. You have to make walk around Safa and Marwaa' Hills 7 times. Again do it at your own pace while reading the designated doa.

Fourth: Tahallul. Jemaah must cut a bit of their hair to complete your umrah (some guys will shave all their hair off) and after that you'll be out of Ihram

Fifth: You must do everything in order.

Lan and Ryan in their ihram

@Tanaim mosque

Tawaf around Kaabah

Safa' & Marwaa' Hills- Saie

*Alhamdullilah* Finally done with sharing all of our experience in Mecca and Madinah. *insyaallah* panjang umur and with opportunity would LOVE to visit again :)

Umrah Trip (Part 2)

On the 21 March 2011 we travelled from Madinah to Mekah. We did our miqat and Niat Umrah at Bir Ali Mosque. The trip was a bit "challenging". The bus driver took the wrong turn and a 2 hour bus ride turn into a 5 hours ride instead. Ryan who was not feeling well, was shivering in the bus and refuses to sleep as it wasn't comfortable. He was in a very bad mood.

We reached Mecca around 2 am (7 am Malaysian time), as we're already in our "ihram" we decided to go ahead and finish our Umrah once we stepped down the bus. Everyone was a bit tired and cranky at that moment but we pushed on.

I swear to Allah upon seeing Kaabah for the first time, all the exhaustion totally left my body. I seriously can't take my eyes off this beutiful structure in front of me. To think that all the great Prophets i.e. Nabi Ibrahim a.s, Nabi Ismail a.s and Nabi Muhammad s.a.w stood on the same grounds before, made me feel totally insignificant. Rasa nak nangis pun ada.

We perform our umrah and managed to complete it before the subuh prayers (around 5am), later we went back to the hotel and sleep. By 12pm (Zuhur prayers) I can see that Ryan is not doing to well. Lack of rest due to all the travel the night before set in, high temperature, wheezing, coughing all in a package.

I was scared as we're in a foreign country, with no real access to paediatrician and clinics. Alhamdullilah I had all of Ryan's medication with me, and we had this really nice Wak (the tour caterer) to drive us to the clinic's the very next day. My doa' was answered and Ryan got better almost instantaneously with the help of antibiotics and non-stop prayers :) Well you know what they say about "wishes" made in front of Kaaba' *insyallah* it would be granted. You just got to have faith :)

The shops are right outside our hotel. CRAZY ok :p

27 March 2011- Ziarah around Mecca

First place of visit : Jabal Tsur where Gua Hira' is situated.

As we all know, Gua Hira' is the place where our Prophet Muhammad S.A.W received his first relevation

Ryan just woke up, saw the camel and is in awe...

Somewhere out there, The hills to the cave is too steeped so we didn't go up. Jabar Rahmah in Arafah. The place where Adam and Eve met after Allah punished them to 300 years of separation for eating the forbidden fruit. They say if you're finding for your jodoh, go up here and doa' for your prince/princess charming :p insyallah you will find him/her soon after. More camels, and Ryan geram and actually pegang one ;p

Masjid Jarannah- where we Miqat for my 4th Umrah

In front of the front entrance of Masjidil Haram

With zee family...

Our 40 Riyal Burger King. Food are very expensive in Saudi. Tapi sapa suruh mengada nak makan, right??

Al- Bait Tower/ Shopping Mall. There's some cool shopping place. Didn't really shop much here as I'm more attracted to the street bazaar. But I love the shoes in Payless (crazy selection) and they have nice clothes in this boutique called Femi9/NEXT etc

The tower clock face would be white in the day

and would turn green at night :)

Cold and windy nights in Mecca,This was taken after our Tawaf Sunat around 9pm. Ryan social kat Mecca balik hotel late almost every night :p

28 March 2010

Ladang Unta/Camel Farm

There's some camel roaming around and you can get some fresh camel milk *yucks* Suffice to say I didn't bother trying.

Anyway, i know he's my son and all but he looks so cute lah in the picture *hahah* Mr Rosy Cheeks :p

The remains of the old Hudaibiah Mosque, where the Hudaibiah Agreement between the Muslims and Quraish Mecca was signed. The agreement was to discuss Muslims entry into Mecca to perform their haj yearly.

My sis in law goofing around

Lan and Atirah (sibling no 5)

Our Last day in Mecca.

Coming Soon: Last post on our Umrah Trip :)