Mutiara Burau Bay Resort - Langkawi

I stayed in this so called resort when I went to Langkawi.














I already discounted their niceee photos from their official website, by 50%. But still it could not compensate what I saw when I arrived in the lobby.














This my friend, not a resort, ok? I know English is not Malaysia’s national language, but branding this shack as a resort is a scheme! Compare it to their pictures from their website.

Now let’s talk about the room.
Again, I did not know that this resort is a cottage based style.














What lies inside these little cottages is even more awesome.


















But the absolute shocker was the bathroom condition














Luckily the direct beach is not disappointing.















And the sunset was one of the best I’ve ever seen














Well, I guess got what I paid for.

Langkawi

This tax free island is located at the northern tip of the Malaysian peninsula, about 1 hour and twenty minute direct flight from Singapore.


















Download Langkawi pdf map, here.

If you can drive, the best option is to rent a car from the airport, right after you clear your immigration. It’s impossible to miss the car rental booths as the staff are practically yelling and waving their hand to get your attention. The rental price is about MYR 150 for 3 days 2 nights. Though to get this price, it’s gonna be like passing a Malaysian haggle exam.














Taxi counter are located dead across the arrival gate. The price is fixed (depends on your destination), and you pay upfront to the counter.

Where to stay in Langkawi
Cenang beach is the most crowed beach area, a mix between 5 star hotel/resort with budget hotels. There are so many restaurants lining up on the main street, ranging from cheap to a rip off price.


















On the other hand, most 5 star resorts is located in secluded places, leaving you with no option to eat in their restaurant, unless you are willing to drive 30 minutes to town.

To get a bird eye's view of Langkawi island, you can download pdf map, here.

My suggested itinerary for 3 days 2 nights:

Day 1
Rent a car from the airport, drive to Kuah town, about 20 minutes drive. Go to a duty free shop to buy lots of wine and beer. Don’t worry about finding a duty free shop in the town, as there flourishing like a mushroom in Kuah town.














In the afternoon, watching sunset from sky bridge would be unforgettable. Unfortunately for me, it was really forgettable as the Sky Bridge was closed for yearly maintenance!














Day 2
Choose one of the tour, mangrove tour or snorkeling tour. I booked the mangrove tour from the hotel and it cost me MYR 140 / person. If you rent a car and have enough people in your group, it’s better to drive directly to the mangrove boat central in Tanjung Rhu area and rent the whole boat instead.














To charter the whole boat is just about MRY 400 (zoom the yellow board in the picture below), and you have the whole boat for your and your group only.














In contrast to my experience, there were 16 people in total on the boat.

If you saw the sunset from the sky bridge on the first day, maybe seeing sunset at Cenang Beach would be a good option.














Another option, you could drive to Telaga Harbour park where you could watch the sunset & have your dinner from one of the restaurant over there. All restaurants over here have an outside seating. My favorite place here is The Loaf.














Day 3
If your hotel’s breakfast sucks, you can go to The Loaf as they open from 7 Am in the morning

Beppu

I had no idea why I decided to go to Beppu in summer. Beppu is well known for its onsen, which probably as the least favorite destination during hot summer.












I arrived in Beppu in the afternoon, after making a slight stop in Hakata with only one goal in my mind, to try their infamous tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen. Among so many ramen shops, Ichiran ramen is the most famous one.

Thanks to a nice lady in JR Hakata tourist information desk, I found the nearest Ichiran stall, just across JR Hakata station (10:00 – 22:00). I was planning to go all the way by bus or subway to Canal City.

This Ichiran ramen is the best decision I made during the trip!














Anyway, back to Beppu. I know Beppu is called Japan’s onsen capital, but I didn’t expect to see hot air steaming up practically from any possible crack from the street!














I stayed at Khaosan Beppu, a well located backpacker hostel. In this onsen capital, even a backpacker hostel is equipped with natural onsen!

The folks in Beppu like their onsen hot, and they really mean HOT. If you are up to the challenge, you can try takegawara onsen, famous for its hot water.

There are several onsen area around Beppu. Among them, the famous ones are Myouban onsen and Kannawa onsen. It takes about 30 minutes by bus to get there from JR Beppu station, and it cost around 320 yen.














If you don’t want to go to Beppu Jigoku, you might want to consider the time & bus cost. If you are just looking for a dip in onsen, Suginoi Hotel has an onsen with magnificent view over Beppu town.

I have uploaded Beppu city area map I got from the hostel. You can download it here.
For Kannawa onsen and Mouban onsen area map, click here.

Hiroshima

It took about 3 hours shinkansen (Hikari) ride from Kyoto to Hiroshima.














Maybe I didn’t search enough info, but I had no idea that the Atomic Bomb site is located about 20 to 25 minute by tram from JR Hiroshima station.














Take the south exit of JR Hiroshima station and take tram No.2 to get to A-bomb site (Genbaku Domu in Japanese). It cost 150 yen one way. There’s a coin exchange machine at the tram station.














Map from tourist centre in Hiroshima Station is really useful as it shows complete tram route. I have scanned and upload the map. Download the PDF map here.

These two websites have a good information about Hiroshima, including a sound guide which you can download to your ipod.

• Hiroshima Navigator
• Get Hiroshima
  

Taito Ryokan (Tokyo) Review

No matter what you want to do in Tokyo, I advise you to avoid Tiato Ryokan at all cost and by any means necessary!!

I first know this dreadful lodging place from Lonely Planet guide book (surprisingly). I had no idea what was in the mind of the writer when he or she recommend this place as a traditional lodging. Traditional? Ancient or run down is more fitting word for this place.














I’ll be fair about the location. It’s right in the middle of Asakusa area, and not far from Tawaramachi station. Even though Taito Ryokan website failed to mention that this station (exit 3) has no elevator. Kaminarimon & Sensoji temple is within 5 minutes walk. Oh and there’s a big & flashy love hotel, Boston Club, right in front of Taito Ryokan. So for those who already booked Taito Ryokan, but change your mind right after seeing the ryokan with your own eyes, can right away change and stay in this love hotel instead.


















The front door of Taito Ryokan is never locked even though the “front office” is only open between 10:00 – 20:00. After that, no one is watching over the main door and everybody (including thief) is welcomed.














The room door is not a “door”. It’s made of some kind of thick paper or board, and my there’s no proper lock for the room! Instead they are using tiny pad lock to lock the door.














The room smelled funny, some sort of mixture between old smell and fish. There’s only one bathroom / shower room and the toilets are so smelly. The water heater temperature can only be set at 22 degree at the lowest, which is so out of question for a bloody hot summer!

For 3,000 yen per night, K’s House Tokyo is 100 times better then this!

Tokyo

My impression of Tokyo? It’s a biggg city that has everything for anyone. It’ has one of the most complex train and subway networks in the world.

First thing you would need before going to Tokyo is to download & print it’s train network map. Marking the nearest station to the point of interest you would want to visit, may be a good idea. I didn’t do this and ended up gawking at the map after I arrived in Tokyo instead.

For Tokyo train & subway network map, click here.
For JR lines in Tokyo, click here (PDF)
For greater Tokyo train map, click here (PDF)

I found JR Yamanote line is the easiest way for me as a tourist to travel around Tokyo. It’s a JR line, so JR Pass is valid to travel on this line, and this line goes around Tokyo’s famous spot such as Shinjuku, Shibuya, & Akihabara.

A one day itinerary in Tokyo suggestion:
1. Tsukiji Market in the morning
2. Starbucks in Shibuya
3. Meiji Shrine
4. Tokyo Tower
5. Akihabara
6. Sensoji Temple & Kaminarimon in Asakusa
7. Jakotsuyu Onsen

Tsukiji Market
Download my printable map on how to get to Tsukiji market here.














I strongly recommend to take the earliest train (around 5am in the morning) to go here. Spend about 1 to 2 hours to walk around the alley and try one of the sushi stalls between building no.5 & 6. The famous ones are Sushi Dai & Daiwa Sushi (around 3,500 for a set menu).


















Shibuya
After breakfast at Tsukiji, sipping coffee while watching over the crossing in Shibuya during rush hour is quite amusing.


















Meiji Shrine
This shrine that projects majestic impression from the moment you see its first torii. It’s quite unbelievable that it’s located just a stone throw away from Harajuku, the centre of Japanese fashion victims.














Try to visit this shrine in the morning, when less tourist around and enjoy the grand & tranquil shrine. Sometime I feel that foreign tourist just does not fit into Japan shrines or temples.

Tokyo Tower
Download my printable map on how to get to Tokyo Tower here.
I went to see this Tokyo icon in the morning & night, and I find night view of this tower is slightly better then the morning. But I wonder how it looks like during the golden sunset.


















Akihabara
The nerd side of Tokyo. From maid cafes, anime, arcade games, electronics, costumes (including kinky stuff), or simply useless stuff can be found in this area.














Asakusa
Download my printable map of Asakusa area here.
This area is my favorite suburb in Tokyo. It’s very convenient, so many budget hotels & eating places. Kaminarimon & Sensoji temple offers another iconic sight of Japan.


















Jakotsuyu Onsen
After walking around Tokyo the whole day, a dip in onsen is very relaxing. Jakotsuyu is a natural onsen, and charge very basic fare (450 yen).














If the map link is broken, drop me an email and I’ll try to email you the PDF file.

Japan 2009 Summer Trip

Despite my plan to abuse my 7 days JR Pass, I ended up only with 6 days in Japan. My first day in Tokyo was pretty much simple.

• 15:00 Arrived at Narita Airport & cleared the immigration.
  
• 15:30 Exchange my JR Pass
• 16:00 Hopped on Narita Express to Tokyo
• 17:00 Arrived in Tokyo Station, change train
• 17:15 Arrived in K’s house Tokyo. Checked in
• 17:45 Refreshed after shower, back on the street
• 18:15 Lost in Tokyo!

In total, my train & Shinkansen for 6 days would had cost me 85,000 yen, but I only paid 28,300 for my JR Pass. Total abuse of JR Pass: 56,700 yen.

I learned the hard way to discover that most trains & subway in Tokyo are not JR lines!!! Meaning JR Pass is not valid on these lines, and the most of convenient way to travel to major destinations are through these so called “private” lines instead of JR lines.

In line with my plan to abuse my JR Pass (and stingy to spend extra yen), I ended up traveled mostly on JR Yamanote line around Tokyo. I found JR Yamanote line is the safest for a lost traveler like me, because this line goes around Tokyo in circle and they have English display on the train.

To sum up, my 6 days travel itinerary in Japan this time is as follow:

Day 1 – Tokyo
Went to see Tokyo Tower only despite my initial plan to venture out in Odaiba, left alone soaking in Oedo Onsen.


















Day 2 – Tokyo to Kyoto
Tsukiji Fish Market in the morning, with the first train of Oedo Subway Line at 05:05 AM from Kuramae Station. Kuramae is the nearest station to K’s House Tokyo where I spent the night.


















After the most expensive breakfast in my life at Daiwa Sushi (3,500 Yen for sushi set menu) and my love at first lick of fatty tuna, I started my first abuse of my JR Pass by taking Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto. 3 hours Shinkansen ride later, I arrived at Kyoto Station around noon and went to Fushimi Inari before calling it a day.


















Day 3 – Kyoto to Beppu
Taking the first Shinkansen from Kyoto to Hiroshima, I arrived at Hiroshima station just before 10am. Spent a few hours in A-Bomb Dome site before taking another Shinkansen to the end of Sanyo Shinkansen line, Hakata.














I went all the way to Hakata because it’s the original place where my favorite ramen, the Tonkotsu ramen! Ichiran ramen is the most famous chain selling tonkotsu, and I was not disappointed!

From Hakata, I took another Shinkansen to Kokura before changing to local train, Sonic Express, to Beppu. Beppu is truly is an onsen town. A free foot onsen welcomes everyone right in front of the Beppu station. Steam comes out practically from any crack on the Beppu ground.














I soaked in 3 different onsen in just 9 hours of my stay in Beppu. Felt like a used tea bag after dipping here & there.

Day 4 – Beppu to Kyoto
Trip back to Kyoto on Sonic Express to Kokura, continued with Shinkansen to Kyoto.














Day 5 – Kyoto to Tokyo
Nothing much on my fifth day in Japan. Went to Shinjuku for dinner, and walked around in Kabukicho and got a card from Japanese lady boys. Managed to find an onsen in Asakusa area, and had a dip before calling it a day.


















Day 6 – Tokyo to Narita
On the last day, I finally went to Odaiba. I had enough of temples & shines by that time and in Odaiba I saw maybe one of the sight that can only be seen in Japan. A real life scale of Gundam RX-78. I am not a fan of Gundam, but this Gundam will only be erected there until the end of Aug’09, so it’s worth a visit.














In the next few post, I will write more detail of places I visited in Japan.

Japan - Summer 2009

The first time I visited Japan was in December 2006, a 6 days stop over after my US & Canada trip. I didn’t prepare any plan for that 6 days… big mistake. Since I was coming “down” from Canada, a country located nearer to the North Pole, I assumed Japan’s winter would be just a breeze. WRONG. Damn cold wind welcomed me the moment I stepped my foot outside Tokyo Station!

I also didn’t buy JR Pass to go to Kyoto, and chose the night bus instead. STUPID idea to cut cost. I ended up walking around looking for my bus in front of Tokyo station for almost 1.5 hour, with my big luggage, no one spoke English, a bus uncle yelled at me (coz I asked him the same question more then 5 times, “Is this bus?” – while furiously pointing my ticket), oh and the damn freezing wind has asked the snow to joined me.














The snow fall, the first snow of 2006 in Tokyo, turned the 7 hours bus ride into 10 hours. No, It was not romantic at all! So this time, I have made a travel plan, to fully abuse the 7 days Japan Railway (JR) Pass. JR has been kind enough to mail me the detailed JR time schedule. It’s really useful to plan your itinerary. You can request the schedule from here.











Since I will be arriving late afternoon in Narita, I don’t want to use my precioussss 7 days JR Pass for only ½ day. I will take either Limousine Bus (¥3,000) or Keisei Limited Express (¥1,000) from Narita to Tokyo Station, saving my JR pass for a full day use from the next day.


















Accommodation list:

Tokyo: Taito Ryokan & K’s House Tokyo
Kyoto: K’s House Kyoto
Matsuyama: Funaya Onsen
Hiroshima: K’s House Hiroshima
Beppu: Khaosan Beppu














Other website that I use to help me plan my travel:

• Japan Festivals
• Beppu City Guide
• Matsuyama City Guide
  

Australian PR

Not like Singapore which is quite easy for foreigners to find works, Australia is totally a different matter. In most job search website, it is always stated that you need to obtain a working permit before you could apply. So for most people, Australian Permanent Residency (PR) is the first step in finding a job or moving to Australia.














Australian PR is based on point testing system and depending on which type of PR you apply, the minimum PR points must be satisfied. Below are some information about Australian PR application, based on my personal experience.

1. Type of PR
2. Points calculation
3. Skill Assessment
4. List of documents
5. Lodging your application
6. After lodgment

1. Type of PR
The easiest way to find your most suitable visa (PR is part of visa), is by using Visa Wizard from Australian Immigration website. After a few questions, the web will come out with which visa is the most suitable for you, complete with links to web page to guide you through the lodgment

2. Point Calculation
If you do the Visa Wizard, in “Visa Basic” tab, there’s a link for you to calculate your mark. Basically, you are going to be tested against these criterias:

• Age
• English language ability
• Nominated skilled occupation
• Skills assessment
• Recent work experience or two (2) year study
• Location
• Health
• Character
• Australian Values Statement
• Specific work experience
• Australian work experience
• Australian qualifications
• Occupation in demand/job offer
• Community Language
• Regional Australia
• Partner skills

Now, don’t cheat your self by giving higher scores when you calculate your points, because in the end the system will determine the correct points.

Each visa category has different minimum pass point. If your points is not enough for the visa you want, but still higher then the pool mark, your application will be saved in “pool” as reserves. Check the pass point here.



















3. Skill Assessment
Probably the most important and the most time consuming to do before you can lodge your application. You need to get your education assessed by the Australian Assessing Authority to determine whether it’s equal with Australian level.

Each skill has different Assessing Authority, for example, Accountant / Auditor will be assessed by CPA Australia or Chartered Accountant Australia. The list of assessment bodies can be found here.



4. List of Documents
All documents must be in English (or accompanied by English translation) and certified true copy by authorized person (lawyer, Embassy, etc).

• Birth certificate
• Copy of passport
• IELTS Report Results
• Evidence of qualifications (degree certificate)
• Evidence of skills assessment Evidence of work experience (Testimonial letter / Work contract)
• Evidence of Designated Language Qualifications (for claiming community language point) Passport photo

5. Lodgment
You can lodge your application online through this link.













6. After lodgment
It’s recommended for you to check your application status frequently, as the immigration will ask you any additional documents or information through this website. To check your application status, you can follow this link.

DO NOT take your health check until you are asked to do so. You must download and complete the health check form from before visiting the appointed doctor/clinic.