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Showing posts from 2017

BAH: Gulf Air GF155 (Economy)

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MNL-BAH (10h 10m) Airbus 330-243 ETD: 11.25am (GMT + 8)  ETA: 4 .35pm (GMT + 3) The next morning, My BFF and I left Kabayan Hotel for Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 by making use of the hotel's one-way airport shuttle service mentioned in the previous post. We couldn't wait to fly to Bahrain by Gulf Air, the flag carrier of the Kingdom, which was founded in 1950 as Gulf Aviation.
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PHI: Kabayan Hotel

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347 Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, Manila, the Philippines For the one-day stopover in Manila, I'd wanted to book a room at The Mabuhay Manor where I stayed at last June, but somehow the rate wasn't very favourable for the date. Not far from it is Kabayan Hotel (3*), which is also very close to EDSA railway station, with a total of 276 guest rooms.
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SIN: Singapore Airlines SQ912 (Economy)

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SIN-MNL (3h 40m) Boeing 777-200 ETD: 12.15pm (GMT + 8)  ETA:  3.55pm (GMT + 8) The recent trip that I've just completed began with a somewhat nondescript flight from Singapore to Manila, the Philippines with Singapore Airlines. The flight to Manila was the first out of the three flights under my booking with Gulf Air, thanks to the partnership.
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SIN: Grand Hyatt Singapore

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10 Scotts Road, Singapore Hello, everyone! I'm back before Christmas! As I'm still tidying up the pictures from the latest trip that I went for, let me write about my staycation at Grand Hyatt Singapore (5*) that was done last year. I happened to find some photos in my laptop on this accommodation at Orchard Road that has got 677 guest rooms.
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SIN: Marina Bay Sands

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10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore Boasting itself as the most spectacular hotel in Singapore, Marina Bay Sands has lent its architectural wonder to the glittering city landscape since 2010. I actually had my staycation way before the inception of my travel blog, but hopefully it can offer a glimpse into the hotel experience nonetheless.
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SIN: Noodle Panda {CLOSED}

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799 New Upper Changi Road, #03-35/37 Bedok Point, Singapore Daily: 10.00am - 10.00pm Little did I know that I'd be using the 'Theme Eatery' label again very soon after the post on Rilakkuma Café . I suppose the owner of this eatery either loves pandas so much or was inspired by Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province in China, which is home to the famous Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
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SIN: Ibis Styles Singapore on MacPherson

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401 MacPherson Road, Singapore As a part of the new project of MacPherson Mall that's set to be completed by 31 December 2018, Ibis Styles (3*) with its 298 guest rooms has already been in business since April 2016. It's located not too far from Tai Seng and Mattar MRT Stations.
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TWN: EVA Air BR225 (Economy)

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TPE-SIN (4h 25m) Boeing 777-300ER ETD: 7.40am (GMT + 8)  ETA:  12.05pm (GMT + 8) Here's a follow-up to the story in the previous post on Taoyuan International Airport , which shall be the closing entry to this particular trip series. For those who've visited my food blog earlier, I'm sure you'd have noticed that my BFF and I actually managed to have the long-awaited Hello Kitty experience. So, what went wrong?
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TWN: Taoyuan International Airport

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9 Hangzhan South Road, Taoyuan, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is Taiwan's largest and busiest airport, which is situated approximately 40 km from the capital city, Taipei. Starting its operation. Formerly known as Chiang Kai-shek International Airport till the third quarter of 2006, it was ranked the best airport for its size in the Asia-Pacific region by Airports Council International in 2016.
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TWN: NiHao @ Taipei Hostel

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41 Zhongxiao West Road Section 1, Cosmos Business Building, Taipei, Taiwan As my BFF and I'd be leaving for the airport the following day at around 3.30am by bus, we wouldn't want to waste money by staying at a hotel. NiHao @ Taipei Hostel (2*) provides clean accommodation that's quite wallet-friendly. It's within walking distance from Kuo Kuang Bus Terminal and Taipei Main Station.
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TWN: Ximending

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Wanhua District, Taipei, Taiwan Referred to as the 'Shibuya of Taipei' or 'Harajuku of Taipei', Ximending was the first pedestrian zone in not only the capital city, but also the whole of Taiwan. On average, it attracts over three million shoppers per month.
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TWN: Taipei 101 Observatory

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7 Xinyi Road Section 5, Taipei, Taiwan Daily: 9.00am - 10.00pm Classified as the world's tallest building in 2004 till the completion of Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2010, Taipei 101 is a skyscraper landmark in Xinyi District of the capital city of Taiwan. It stands at 509.2 m with a total of 106 floors, five of which are basement levels.
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TWN: Rilakkuma Café

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3 Zhongxiao East Road Section 4 Lane 243, Taipei, Taiwan Mon-Fri: 11.30am - 9.00pm Sat-Sun: 11.30am - 9.30pm You may probably wonder, "What's an eatery post doing here since you have a separate food blog?" I've just come up with a new self-explanatory label called 'Theme Eatery' as I feel the need to publish all the following cute photos (myself excluded) for Rilakkuma fans out there.
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TWN: Taipei M Hotel

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64 Hankou Street Section 1, Taipei, Taiwan Taipei M Hotel (3*) is a short walking distance from Hotel Relax II . It seems like a pretty popular hotel that houses a total of 280 rooms with a complimentary self-service laundry. The check-in time, however, is set at 3.00pm.
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TWN: Tze-Chiang Limited Express 407

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Xincheng - Taipei (3h 2m) ETD: 9.30am (GMT + 8)  ETA:  12.32pm (GMT + 8) Saying goodbye to Taroko wasn't easy, but it had to be done. After filling out stomachs with the free-flow porridge at Li-Wu Hotel , my BFF and I walked all the way from the hotel to Xincheng Station to catch our train that'd depart at 9.30am.
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TWN: Bell Tower @ Taroko National Park

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Taroko National Park, Hualien, Taiwan Said to be one of the less visited places at Taroko National Park, the bell tower is a great spot to marvel at the beauty of the gorge. Despite suffering from acrophobia, I braved myself to go all the way up. I simply like challenges as always.
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TWN: Changuang Temple @ Taroko National Park

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Taroko National Park, Hualien, Taiwan Daily: 6.00am - 9.00pm Despite the disappointment over the fact that Eternal Spring Shrine was under renovation, my BFF and I pressed on to trek to Changuang Temple that's also known as Zen Monastery. 
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TWN: Eternal Spring Shrine @ Taroko National Park

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Taroko National Park, Hualien, Taiwan A popular picturesque spot within the national park, Eternal Spring Shrine was erected to honour those who were involved in the labour-intensive job of building the Cross-Island Highway. The construction took close to four years, claiming more than 200 lives in work-related incidents.
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TWN: Xiangde Temple @ Taroko National Park

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Taroko National Park, Hualien, Taiwan Daily: 6.00am - 5.00pm Built on the mountainside near Tianxiang is an ornate Buddhist temple named Xiangde Temple, which was completed in 1968. It's known for having the world's highest elevated statue of Ksitigarbha, a bodhisattva who's primarily revered by East Asians and usually depicted as a monk.
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TWN: Tianxiang

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Sioulin Township, Hualien, Taiwan Originally known as Tapido, which means 'sugar cane' in the language used by the aboriginal Truku tribe, Tianxiang is a small village that serves as a resting area for many visitors. It was renamed to honour the Song Dynasty hero who resisted Kublai Khan and subsequently executed after four years of imprisonment.
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TWN: Buluowan @ Taroko National Park

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Taroko National Park, Hualien, Taiwan Buluowan is one of the few flatland areas at Taroko that was previously inhabited by two aboriginal tribes, the Truku and the Shisanhang. It's said to be a great place for picnic on a clear day, which I can understand why after reaching the area.
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TWN: Swallow Grotto Trail @ Taroko National Park

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Taroko National Park, Hualien, Taiwan It's said that the best place to view the magnificent gorge of Taroko is the Swallow Grotto located after Buluowan. My BFF and I were lucky as it wasn't raining at all in the morning, on top of the fact that we were the only two trekkers at the trail.
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TWN: Terrace Trail @ Taroko National Park

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Taroko National Park, Hualien, Taiwan Not wanting to go back to Li-Wu Hotel so soon, my BFF and I decided to do a short trail despite the rain. Not far from the souvenir shop of Taroko National Park Visitor Centre is the south section of the short and easy Terrace Trail. 
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TWN: Taroko National Park Visitor Centre

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Off Zhongbu Cross-Island Highway via Jinwen Bridge, Hualien, Taiwan Daily: 8.30am - 5.00pm My BFF and I were waiting for the rain to stop till both of us fell asleep in our room at Li-Wu Hotel . Thankfully, it stopped for a while, allowing us to walk comfortably to Taroko National Park Visitor Centre. It's open daily, except for the second Monday of every month and the day before Chinese New Year.
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TWN: Li-Wu Hotel

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Zhongbu Cross-Island Highway, No. 242-2 Fushih Village, Hualien, Taiwan Said to be a pet-friendly accommodation, though my BFF and I didn't have any pets with us, Li-Wu Hotel (3*) is approximately 300 m away from the Gate of Taroko near the bridge that leads to the Taroko National Park Tourist Information Centre.
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TWN: Tze-Chiang Limited Express (Puyuma) 218

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Taipei - Xincheng (2h 1m) ETD: 10.26am (GMT + 8)  ETA:  12.27pm (GMT + 8) Having heard of the unparalleled beauty of Taroko Gorge, my BFF and I made it a point to see it with our own eyes despite the rainy season in June. Our journey began from Taipei Main Station by making use of the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) system on Tze-Chiang Limited Express (Puyuma), the newest, fastest and more spacious train type introduced in 2013.
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TWN: Hotel Relax II

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15 Hankou Street Section 1, Taipei, Taiwan Hotel Relax II (3*) is one of the four hotels owned by a group of contemporary artists, interior designers and marketing experts. All of the hotels are located within walking distance from Taipei Main Station, as well as Ximending if you feel like exercising a little bit instead of taking a public transport.
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TWN: EVA Air BR272 (Economy)

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MNL-TPE (2h 15m) Boeing 777-300ER ETD: 12.40pm (GMT + 8)  ETA:  2.55pm (GMT + 8) After we got bored with the new, but uninspiring Terminal 1 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport , it was finally time for my BFF and I to fly to our last holiday destination for our mid-year trip: Taipei, Taiwan. That was my virgin experience with EVA Air.
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PHI: Ninoy Aquino International Airport

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Andrews Avenue, Manila, the Philippines Today's short post is aimed to offer a glimpse of the only airport serving the capital city of the Philippines, specifically the relatively new Terminal 1 that underwent a major renovation in 2015. The airport is named after the late Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. who was assassinated at the airport in 1983.
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PHI: The Mabuhay Manor

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F. B. Harrison Street, Manila, the Philippines The Mabuhay Manor (3*) is proud to be the first balikbayan (lit. homecoming) hotel in the capital city of the Philippines. I'm not too sure why, but the hotel does feel pretty homely. It's located not far away from Baclaran, which seems to be a popular shopping district.
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PHI: SM Mall of Asia & SM by the Bay

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J. W. Diokno Boulevard, Manila, the Philippines Mon-Fri: 11.00am - 10.00pm Sat-Sun: 10.00am - 10.00pm SM Prime Holdings is the largest mall chain owner and developer in the Philippines, managing a total of more than 70 shopping malls. SM Mall of Asia is the fourth largest shopping mall in the country and the 11th in the world. Nearby is SM by the Bay for some exhilarating amusement rides.
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PHI: Manila Cathedral

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Santo Tomas Street, Intramuros, Manila, the Philippines The full name of what's commonly known as Manila Cathedral is the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Established in 1571, the church was raised to a cathedral eight years later and is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the principal patroness of the Philippines.
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PHI: San Agustin Church

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General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila, the Philippines Known to be the oldest Roman Catholic church in the Philippines built by the Spaniards, San Agustin Church that resides within Intramuros has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It's one of the most popular churches for wedding consecration.
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PHI: Intramuros

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Manila, the Philippines Intramuros (lit. Within the Walls) is the oldest district of the capital city of the Philippines. It covers an area of 0.67 square kilometres, surrounded by stone walls and fortifications that almost completely surrounds the entire district.
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PHI: Manila Ocean Park

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Independence Road, Manila, the Philippines Daily: 10.00am - 8.00pm Opened to the public in March 2008, Manila Ocean Park houses approximately 14,000 sea creatures, most of which are indigenous to Southeast Asia. It includes other attractions, such as Birds of Prey Kingdom and World of Creepy Crawlies.
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PHI: Hotel H2O

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Independence Road, Manila Ocean Park Complex, Manila, the Philippines Located within the vicinity of Manila Ocean Park, Hotel H2O (4*) is an aqua-themed hotel with eight different types of rooms available. One of its kind in the country, the hotel isn't far from Rizal Park.
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BRN: Royal Brunei Airlines BI822 & BI683 (Business)

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[BI822] BKI-BWN (40m) Airbus 320 ETD: 8.50am (GMT + 8)  ETA:  9.30am (GMT + 8) As mentioned previously, I'm going to combine the trip report onboard BI822 from Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia to Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, as well as BI683 to Manila, the Philippines into a single post. That was my second time being airborne for around 20 minutes only. Still, that's not the shortest commercial flight in the world.
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BRN: Sky Lounge @ Brunei International Airport

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Brunei International Airport, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Daily: 5.00am - 12 midnight Booking a seat each in the Business Class cabin of Royal Brunei Airlines' Airbus 320 granted my BFF and I access to the one and only lounge at Brunei International Airport . Having been in operation since 2004, the Sky Lounge has a seating capacity of 120.
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MAS: Plaza Premium Lounge @ Kota Kinabalu International Airport

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Level 2 (Near Gate B3),  Kota Kinabalu International Airport, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia Daily: 6.30am - 1.00am I wonder how many Plaza Premium Lounges are there across the globe. The independent airport lounge group operates two separate lounges at Kota Kinabalu International Airport, one at level 2 for domestic departures and another at level 3 for international departures.
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MAS: Kota Kinabalu International Airport

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Jalan Lapangan Terbang (Baru), Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia Located approximately 8 km away southwest of the city centre, Kota Kinabalu International Airport is the second busiest airport in the country. It was originally a military airfield built by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II known as Jesselton Airfield.
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MAS: Kota Kinabalu Downtown

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Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia Kota Kinabalu, formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of the state of Sabah, Malaysia. As one of the major and commercial centres of Malaysian Borneo, it's no surprise that Kota Kinabalu is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. All the pictures taken in this post, as well as those in the previous post on Signal Hill Observatory Platform , were taken within less than 24 hours.
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MAS: Signal Hill Observatory Platform

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Jalan Bukit Bendera, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia Daily: 8.00am - 12 midnight Upon returning to Kota Kinabalu from the mountainous region, my BFF and I immediately put some of our belongings at Dreamtel Kota Kinabalu before starting our exploration since we only had one full day there. Our journey began with a short trek from Padang Merdeka to Signal Hill, which is the highest point in the city.
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MAS: J Residence

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Jalan Ranau - Tamparuli, Ranau, Malaysia As my BFF and I would be catching the earliest minivan back to Kota Kinabalu the next morning, we decided not to spend the second night at Sutera Sanctuary Lodges . Instead, we booked a room at J Residence (2*), a humble property surrounded with greenery that's approximately 300 m away from the entrance of Kinabalu Park .
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MAS: Kiau Gap View @ Kinabalu Park

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Kinabalu Park, Ranau, Malaysia To end off the series of posts on Kinabalu Park, I'm going to write about Kiau Gap View to commemorate the victims of the 2015 Sabah earthquake. My BFF and I visited the monument on 9 June this year, just a few days more than two years since the earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck the region on 5 June 2015.
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MAS: Kinabalu Natural History Gallery @ Kinabalu Park

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Kinabalu Park, Ranau, Malaysia Daily: 9.00am - 4.00pm After stuffing ourselves at breakfast at  Balsam Buffet Restaurant , my BFF and I decided to check out the Kinabalu Natural History Gallery. It's a small, yet informative museum that gives a good introduction to the geology, flora and fauna, as well as ethnology of the regions surrounding Mount Kinabalu.
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MAS: Sutera Sanctuary Lodges @ Kinabalu Park

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Kinabalu Park, Ranau, Malaysia Sutera Sanctuary Lodges (3*) offers a number of accommodation options, from hostel to villas, inside Kinabalu Park. Upon seeing a good deal online, my BFF and I decided to stay for 2D1N in the two-storey Liwagu Suite, inclusive of dinner and breakfast the next day. 
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MAS: Silau-Silau & Bundu Tuhan View Trails @ Kinabalu Park

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Kinabalu Park, Ranau, Malaysia For those not going to climb all the way up to the summit of Mount Kinabalu, there are quite a number of trails available for you at Kinabalu Park, ranging in lengths and difficulty levels. The longest is Liwagu Trail at 5.62 km, while the shortest is Mountain View Trail at 150 m.
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MAS: Kinabalu Park

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Ranau, Malaysia Kinabalu Park is Malaysia's first national park established in 1964. It's also the country's first area to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 for its role as one of the most important biological sites across the globe with over 4,500 species of flora and fauna.
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MAS: Dreamtel Kota Kinabalu

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5 Jalan Padang, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia "Dream, Believe, Experience" - Dreamtel Kota Kinabalu is a 20-minute drive away from the airport. It has got a total of 160 rooms, but with neither a swimming pool nor a gym. My BFF and I stayed at the hotel on two separate occasions, before going to and after returning from Mount Kinabalu.
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BRN: Royal Brunei Airlines BI829 (Economy)

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BWN-BKI (40m) Airbus 320 ETD: 9.30pm (GMT + 8)  ETA:  10.10pm (GMT + 8) After a long wait, the flight bound for Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia was finally ready for boarding at around 11.20pm, thanks to the delay as mentioned in the previous post . I didn't expect that there'd be lots of people waiting at the gate, sending a signal that it was going to be a full flight.
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COL: Avianca VIP Lounge @ El Dorado International Airport

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Near Gate 32, El Dorado International Airport, Bogota, Colombia The flagship lounge of Avianca is located on the second floor near Gate 32 of El Dorado International Airport. While it may not measure up to the standards of some other flagship lounges globally, it's fairly spacious and divided into two areas: one for Business Class passengers and Star Alliance Gold members, while the other is open to travellers accessing using programs such as DragonPass.
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COL: El Dorado International Airport

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103-09 Avenida El Dorado, Bogota, Colombia Named after the legend of a mythical city of gold, El Dorado International Airport is the primary gateway to Colombia. Known as one of the busiest airports in Latin America, the airport serves as a key hub for both Avianca and LATAM Airlines, the flag carrier of Colombia and Chile respectively.
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AZE: Quba and Khinaliq Tour (Part 1)

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Quba District, Azerbaijan After enjoying the half-day group tour to Qobustan by TES Tour, my BFF and I embarked on a full-day group tour to Quba and Khinaliq by the same tour operator on our second last day in the country. On our way to Khinaliq, which is known to be the highest and most remote village in Azerbaijan, we passed by the city of Quba.
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