6 Things To See and Do in Malaysia

Malaysia holds a special place in my heart. First off, it was my first out-of-the-country destination. Second, I was able to visit several parts of the country and can say that I have a good grasp of what it can offer tourists, especially first-time visitors. I haven't done a travel guide during my time there except for this travelogue aka travel photo diary. If you are planning a trip to Malaysia, here are some things to add to your itinerary:

Petronas Towers

When in Malaysia, it is a must to visit the Petronas Towers. These twin towers were once the tallest building in the world. That in itself is a reason to go (for me, at least). If you could, try to climb up to one of the buildings and cross the bridge connecting the two towers over to the other building. Sadly, we visited the Twin Towers at night so we were unable to do this. But visiting at night had a huge payoff though - the lights of the towers were beautiful and there is a fountain show at the park just outside the Petronas Twin Towers. 

Batu Caves

This is another icon in Malaysia that you simply cannot miss - Batu Caves. This series of caves and cave temples are located within a limestone hill. It is a sacred site for the Hindus. When you visit, make sure to wear pants or long skirt. I didn't know this before going and I was reprimanded for wearing a mini skirt. I was able to rent a scarf for a few ringgit though, so you can still enter the caves as long as you wear a scarf over your skirt or shorts. 

Genting Highlands

Confession time: I have an extreme fear of heights. When my friend told me that we were going to ride the cable car to get to Genting Highlands, I was nervously excited. Nervous because of my fear of heights but excited to be able to conquer it. It turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life. My boyfriend husband proposed during this cable car ride (read the full story here) and we enjoyed our time in Genting Highlands. This attraction is a hotel, casino and theme park in one. There are also shopping destinations inside. It is a luxurious vacation; you need to be willing to splurge to enjoy the amenities within Genting Highlands. During our visit there, some parts of the theme park were closed for renovation. If you were to travel to Malaysia, be sure to check it out to see the newly renovated theme park.

Putra Mosque

The Putra Mosque is inarguably the most distinct landmark in Putrajaya. If you love marveling at beautiful architecture, you will be in awe by its mere size and grandeur. It is also set against the beautiful and scenic Putrajaya Lake. We visited on a Sunday and there is a park in front of the mosque wherein you can rent a few rides. We were like little kids in a play store - it was a lot of fun!

Langkawi Island

Where we had lunch at Telaga Harbor

Sunset in Langkawi

street food in Langkawi Island

Langkawi Island is nicknamed the Jewel of Kedah, and it's no surprise why. It has a long stretch of gorgeous beach, dining options and other world-class attractions. It is a destination in and of itself. During our time on the island, we explored the Seven Wells Waterfalls, toured the Oriental Village, had lunch at the Telaga Harbor Park and had picnic at the beach. 

Penang Island

Penang is an island city in Malaysia. It features a lot of diversity in terms of culture, landscape, architecture and food. Although we only got to spend one night in Penang, we were able to explore the remnants of its colonial past with well-preserved colonial buildings. Many travel bloggers have dubbed this island as the perfect fusion of the East and West and it is evident as we explored the island on foot. It embraces its modernity while still retaining the flavors of its cultural past. It is definitely a must-visit place when you travel to Malaysia, especially if you reckon yourself a fan of cultural destinations.

Have you been to Malaysia? What was your favorite destination?

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Where to Eat in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to eat. Food is my happy place. Whether dining out or cooking at home, I always enjoy food. Whenever I travel, I try to sample as many foodie spots as possible. From street food to gourmet restaurants, I am open to trying them all. During our travel to Siem Reap in Cambodia, we were able to try out quite a few foodie spots and I will list them here for you to check out on your visit one of these days.

Angkor Herb

If you are looking to sample local Khmer cuisine or the best grilled dishes in town, head to Angkor Herb. You will find this cozy spot along Pub Street. It is easy to distinguish this restaurant as they do have a grill station up front. We tried their Chicken Kebab, Pork and Beef Steaks and they were all delicious. The best part is that most of their grilled options are priced at no more than $3 each.

Angkor Cafe

This restaurant is easy to spot as it is located right in front of the entrance to the Angkor Wat temple. This is an international cuisine restaurant; hence, you and your group can share different dishes from across various cuisines. During our time there, we sampled their Korean dishes. We ordered two Korean meal seats for the five of us. It was a good deal especially given that the Korean dishes served to us were authentic.

Viva Mexicana

This was my favorite among all of the places we've dined in at Siem Reap! We happened to pass by this restaurant while walking around Pub Street one night. To be honest, I did not hold high expectations especially since it had an unassuming ambiance. But when the food was served, it was not only delicious but their serving sizes were also large! You can order a dish for $5 to $8 each.

Red Piano

When I was doing my research for the best places to eat in Siem Reap, or when we asked locals around for recommendations, there was one name that kept popping up: The Red Piano. We decided to give it a try for some late-night drinks and snacks. The Red Piano actually became popular because of Angelina Jolie. Word has it that this is where she dined while shooting the film Tomb Raider in Cambodia and she loved it so much that she raved about the place. Since then, tourists have become curious about The Red Piano. It didn't disappoint though, but I do wish we could have tried their other dishes. Definitely something to consider for a return trip!

Brown Coffee

This was my second favorite place to have dined in at Cambodia. I've been looking for a great coffee shop since we arrived in Cambodia and we discovered this place by chance aswe were driving around Siem Reap. The beautiful architectural details of the coffee shop was what caught our attention first. We decided to try it and was highly impressed with their selection of cakes and drinks. It is a bit pricey for Cambodia's standard (a slice of cake would require you to shell out $8 each) but the cakes were absolutely worth the extra dollar you spend.

Lucky Burger

This fast food joint is basically Cambodia's version of McDonald's. They have fried chicken meals, burgers and fries... the usual. We dined here while strolling and buying some groceries at the Lucky Mall. The quality is reasonable for its price - just as you would expect from a fast food restaurant.

Pub Street

When in Siem Reap, you have to go to Pub Street. This is the best place to be in if you want to eat or grab a drink and party the night away. I love the vibe here; lots of friendly locals and tourists. During the day, we usually visit tourist spots and then head back to our villa to rest and relax. By nighttime, we head to Pub Street to eat or get a massage. You can find a wide assortment of food here - from street food, to desserts, to all types of cuisines you could imagine!

Have you been to Siem Reap? What was your favorite place to eat at?

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat was one of those UNESCO sites in my travel bucket list. And just recently, I feel beyond blessed to have had the opportunity to scratch it off that list. Angkor Wat is located in the province of Siem Reap in Cambodia. The name literally translates to "The City of Temples". I'm sure you have read about Angkor Wat, like I have, but I was still left in awe by the grandeur and size of the temple complex. I have read several travel blogs sharing tips about visiting Angkor Wat and yet there are still a few other things that I've only known once I got there. Hence, I am sharing five of those for you to prepare should you plan on visiting the site yourself:

It is MASSIVE! 

Contrary to popular belief, Angkor Wat is not a temple, but rather a temple complex. According to Wikipedia, it measures approximately 162 hectares in land area, making it the largest religious monument in the world! To make the most of the experience, I suggest you visit multiple temples because all of them are worth the visit. It took us almost half a day exploring just the main Angkor Wat Temple alone. 

Wear Comfortable Clothes and Footwear 

Due to the size of the temples, you will be walking around a lot, especially if you want to take photos of the temples. Hence, you should wear clothes and footwear that can cope with your activities. I made the mistake of wearing sandals with ankle straps (which I thought would be comfortable enough to wear and walk around with in the temples) and I got blisters on my feet by the end of the day. Lesson learned. Wear your trusty, comfy sneakers - don't even try breaking in your footwear to the temple!

Observe Proper Dress Code 

When visiting temples or other religious sites, it is common sense to wear appropriate clothes. Avoid wearing sleeveless dresses and tops or those that reveal the knees. Make sure it is the appropriate length so that you are given access to the temples. 

Know Your Ticket Options

When you want to spend more than one day in Angkor Wat, I suggest you buy the 3-day tour ticket that costs $40 as you stand to get more value out of that (one day ticket is $20). For our tour, we opted for the one-day ticket since we only had a few days in Siem Reap. But if you must go for the 3-day tour, you won't be disappointed. We tried to squeeze in as many temples to visit during our 1-day tour but we still missed a lot! 

Hire a Guide

As we were planning the trip, hiring a tour guide to Angkor Wat wasn't part of our plan. But we realized it would be a good idea to hire one and it was one of the best decisions we've made. You don't need to pre-arrange this one as you can ask the officials at the gate to help you find a guide. All tour guides are in English. We were lucky with the guide assigned to us because he was highly animated and made sure we enjoyed the tour. Plus, knowing about the history of the temples would give you much better appreciation of the temples than when you were to explore it on your own.

Have you visited Angkor Wat? Don't forget to leave your post link in the comments so I can check them out!