Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts

3 Days in Siem Reap, Cambodia: What to do.

by 7:35 AM
Siem Reap, Cambodia is well known for their abundance of temples and history.
There is more than meets the eye for this former Khmer Kingdom other than temples and historical locations.
Siem Reap has also become a popular destination for volunteer work and Oversea School Trips.

But what if you are only restricted to roam around for 3 days, or  short of time but yet want to experience the true Cambodian Culture?
Within a 3 day period, one could cover so much about this majestic kingdom if planned thoroughly!

Bayon Temple
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Located in Angkor Thom which is a short distance away from Angkor Wat, this city is
well known as the "Intersection between heaven and Earth". Bayon is known for its huge stone faces of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, with one facing outward and keeping watch at each compass point.  There are 51 smaller towers surrounding Bayon, each with four faces of its own. If you are visiting Angkor Wat, do give Bayon Temple a visit too!
Angkor Wat

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Angkor Wat, one of UNESCO's World Heritage Site is probably the most well-known
historical place in Cambodia.
Filled with history and wonderful architecture, one could walk for an hour and so exploring intricate details of the city itself which was built to honor the Hindu God, Vishnu.

You can pay a total price of 50USD to visit the three temples in this area, or 25USD per temple.
Angkor National Museum
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Despite the criticisms in year 2007, The Angkor National Musuem took it as a sign for change and has done so during the years ahead. Now, the only Museum of Khmer Sculpture in Siem Reap has been garnering quite a number of visitors who are curious to know more about Angkor and the history of the state itself.

The Museum itself does play an important role for people who are seeking for knowledge but there is nothing more than that. If you are not a history or cultural interested junkie, we suggest you steer clear away from the Museum.
The entrance price is set to 15USD though you can get it cheaper if booked earlier.
        
Kampong Phluk
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Roughly an hour ride away from Siem Reap, Kampong Phluk is actually a village on sea
which is supported by stilts. Instead of cars, each house will have a wooden boat parked infront.
A boat ride here will last roughly 45 minutes and you will be taken around the vicinity of the village.
Entrance fee can cost as low from a dollar to forty, depending on your luck.


Koulen Mountain

Roughly an hour and a half drive, Koulen Mountain is located in the outskirts of Siem Reap and away from the bustling city.
For roughly 45-60USD one could get to this waterfall and take a dive.
Usually locals will just stop you at the top of the waterfall which is less impressive than the one located below. The bottom of the waterfall is accessible by a flight of stairs behind some trees. Make sure to descend to the lower waterfall to get an amazing view.

Pub Streetcredits

Fancy a little drink or a place to wind down and shop, then Pub street should probably be on your list. Located right smack in the middle of hotels and malls, this market has everything from clubs, pubs and cheap stalls which sell souvenirs and more.
Apsara Dance

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A traditional dance which was only practiced in royal palaces can now be seen practically everywhere in Siem Reap.

The Apsara dance differs depending on the location. There are free shows around pub street, and you can enjoy your drink while watching, or you could go to some theatres and watch their performances along with some others like shadow puppet stories and such.

Phnom Bakheng

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Located 1.3Km away from Angkor Wat, the site famous for it's sunset and sunrise view stands proudly overlooking other temples and sites.

Be sure to put this place in your list if you enjoy watching a great view.
Photographers and enthusiast alike often flock to this area during dawn to catch the sunrise and, personally I do have to admit that the view is amazing!

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14 Days in Makkah,Madinah and Jeddah

by 2:44 AM



This post will be tweaked, so that there can be a mutual understanding for all. 
The information and stories below are to my best of knowledge and experience, so I apologize if there are any misunderstandings or mistakes in this article
Staying in Saudi Arabia for 14 days was sure an eye opener.
It was indeed an enriching experience to be in the largest Country in the Arabian Peninsula. From rich cultural history, to the more modern sky scrapers, there is nothing short of beautiful of this Kingdom.
Down here, it is a norm to talk about family, friends and personal interests.
Arabs in general seem to have interest in Singaporeans, judging by how ecstatic they are
when they met me and some friends of mine.
They would start off excited and introduce us to their families and friends, and in some occasions they would bring us to some local café and have tea while we converse and exchange stories.
In short, they are very welcoming people.

In this post I will be talking about the days of pilgrimage in Makkah I had, and also my trip to
Medina and Jeddah.

Makkah:

Also known as Tanah Haram or Forbidden Soil, this place is a holy ground to all Muslims
who came here to either do Umrah or Hajj.
One common question that many asked was “Why are non-muslims prohibited from visiting Makkah?”
The answer to that is simple, it is not because they are segregating their religion from others and such, but every country has its own laws to allow entry into their territory. You can visit a country as a foreigner but you and civilians aren't allowed to enter certain premises like cantonments etc. for obvious reasons. In this particular case, the reasons aren't so obvious but valid.

Another common misconception is "Only Malays go there?” (Singapore context)
Technically Malay is just a race, but Islam is a religion. I’ve made good pals in this trip who are not Malay!
I actually met some Japanese, Turkish and German Muslims here, so with that said…

Personally Makkah is hot but the cooling breeze makes up for the heat so it’s considered hard to even perspire. Surrounding the marvellous Masjid Al-Haram are numerous pipes which are connected to the fresh well water or known as ZamZam water.
For the non-muslims I do urge that you should try the ZamZam water as it has been known to be one of the “purest” state for water, and you can ask your Muslim friends to bring you one whole tub back if you wish.

Also, Makkah has adopted some western influence and is more modern than many of us would have imagine.
They are up to trend with the café industry such as Starbucks and also fashion sense such as H&M and Uniqlo.

What is Umrah?:  

Umrah translated means “to visit”, and is commonly meant to visit Makkah to do pilgrimage thus the term is used as it is today.
In Makkah, Muslims have to recite a verse before donning the Ihram which is two white cloths, one of which covers the body from the waist down, and one that is gathered around the shoulder for men, and white covered clothing or their own native dress for women.
The Ihram is a symbol of purity and equality. It also signifies that the pilgrim is in a state of devotion.

Thereafter, they are required to make their intention at the Miqat and then they can finally perform the Tawaaf whereby they circle 7 times around the Ka’abah  on their left while reciting verses from the Holy Quran.

Once that is completed, they are required to go to Maqam Ibraheem and recite a certain verse.
After reciting, they would pray 2 Rakaats, head onto Mount Safaa and recite another verse from the Quran.
Thereafter they will descend to  Marwah and do a 7 round walk to and fro from Marwah to Mount Safaa.
After all the above has been done for men they are required to cut their hair while for the ladies, a snip or so, and that is the end for the Umrah.

Madinah: 

Translated to “The radiant city” in English, this is where many pilgrims would head to after Umrah is done to visit the Prophet Muhammad’s tomb (Pbuh).

Prophet Muhammad’s tomb (Pbuh) is located at the ever majestic Masjid Nabawi which is known for its opening and closing umbrellas surrounding it.
Unlike Makkah, the crowd here is more subtle and noise level lower. For those who are curious, the Masjid Nabawi grew in size due to construction over the years but did not cover the tomb, instead they built the Masjid around it thus they do not pray to the dead, for many misunderstood
why is there a tomb in a Masjid.

Madinah itself is not as modern as Makkah but there are plenty of shops around selling modern tech
and equipment.
But mostly shops here are a much lower scale as compared to Makkah which caters to the people from poorer countries. Due to the rising amount of Turkish visitors, the Turkey currency Lira is also accepted here.

Other than the Masjid Nabawi, one could travel down to hike up Jabal Uhud to pay respect to the martyrs that died in the Uhud war. If you travel further to the outskirts, you can look for a ride on a camel and shop for a wider array of necessities and food such as dates.

Jeddah:
Photocredits: http://www.bankerinthesun.com/2015/02/living-in-jeddah-interview-with-an-expat/
Jeddah, nicknamed “Bride of the Red sea”, it has a more western influence than the two above stated.
So local’s clothing here are much different, the food and also the items they sell at shops. (Note that they don’t sell alcohol and ciggs in Madinah and Makkah too)

Home to the prestigious King Abdul Aziz University, there are many activities to do here in Jeddah! There are plenty of malls and food houses around so you are technically spoiled for choice in terms of food. You can visit places like Balad where there are plenty of Souks(Markets) around for you to shop for historical artefacts and local dishes.

The more adrenaline junkie could try visiting out snorkelling, diving and visiting the theme parks.
While not to forget the artsy and cultural side of Jeddah, there are plenty of museums and historical sites around for you to visit, some even have artefacts dating back to World War 1, so in my opinion it is definitely a place to visit during your spare time.

In a nutshell:
It was a humbling experience to go to Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah at such a young age, also something refreshing as I wasn’t exposed to Middle Eastern Culture before this.
The food, people, and culture are so diverse that I am forever in awe.

In all, the Middle East(the places I visited) so far has been amazing and I am planning to visit the rest
if possible!

May peace be upon you!
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