#Krabs2k17

Two years of university has ended and it was pretty much the worst phase of my life (thus far) but with blessings in disguise. Doing something that u're not really passionate about ain’t cool but that's a whole different story, which is better off written in a separate post. This post is all about my recent summer vacation, yay! And I can't believe my beach holiday has ended in a blink of an eye. I still remember being super excited about it last April! Also, for the record, I've always been the 'city girl' who prefers traveling in the city/town. But this time, it was totally a different agenda which I was skeptical about at first. But yknow what, I should try on new things right?! And I’m actually glad we went to Krabi cuz the experience was way way priceless and memorable!  

Ok now let's get into the whole 5D4N vacation shall we!?

Railay Beach, Thailand

Flight was at 3pm. Reached Krabi 1.5 hours later. The weather failed on us as it was raining?! But ok la not too bad because touch-down day wasn’t filled with activities so we were safe. Checked in into our hotel, loved the room and everything. And next, we were headed to the famous Krabi Town market to indulge on some street food! Plenty of halal vendors are available and the food tastes decent as well, definitely a must-go when you’re in Krabi!

Krabi is definitely one of the islands filled with fun and adventures. Just be prepared to get dirty and please use suitable clothing. Things there are not that cheap so yeah its better to bring your own clothes from home. Island tours and activities can be booked at the airport after your arrival. The agents will arrange your schedule nicely for the rest of the trip so you don't need to worry about having nothing to do there! They have plenty of activities aligned for you. As long as you have the cash and are adventurous enough, you're all safe!

Day 1

• Krabi Town
• AoNang Muslim Street

Day 2

• Bamboo Island
• Viking Cave
• Lohsamah Bay
• Piley Bay
• Monkey Beach
• Phi Phi Island
• Hin Klang

Day 3

• Elephant Trekking
• Hot Stream/Spring
• Emerald Pool
• ATV Ride

Day 4

• Railay Beach
• AoNang Beach

** Tours on Day 2 and Day 3were booked via Barracudas Tour ($130/pax)

http://www.barracudastourkrabi.com/detail.php?s=package&id=5

Budget Allocation
Flight: $101 (Return ticket from AirAsia)
Accommodation: $103.30 (Marina Express Fisherman, booked through Agoda.com)
Cash brought to Krabi: $300 (inclusive of activities, tours, transport, food & souvenirs)
Total Budget: About $505

KRABI VLOGS 

ATIQAH'S: https://youtu.be/PtFR0fK7jvY

MINE: https://youtu.be/R1j5RxJvUVY

XOXO.

Edinburgh & Liverpool | Europe2k16

Hey there. I'm currently blogging from the plane, which is reaching Doha soon for a transit. Will make our way to the little red dot in about 3 hours (if there isn't any delay). Btw, let's face it guys. Time flew by SO FREAKING fast that in a blink of an eye, 38 days had past!!! 

WHERE DID ALL THE THIRTY EIGHT DAYS WENT TO?!!

Ok well well, now I shall just scroll through these pictures and reminisce the good times (and continue blogging the remaining trips). 

Anyways! This post will be about my short trips to Edinburgh (1-day trip) and Liverpool (2D1N) which took place during my OIP period itself, during the free weekends. More pictures, less talking! 

Edinburgh 

25 June 2016

School started on the 20th and since our schedule were not that packed yet, we explored the beautiful Edinburgh city on the 2nd weekend. The 5 girls and I coached there (approx. 1 hour journey) and hopped on the sightseeing bus due to time constraint. I SWEAR THEY HAVE THE PRETTIEST ARCHITECTURES EVER. My favourite is undoubtly the Dean's Village! We also splurged on the Edinburgh Castle and yaaas it was a worth one! The pictures you can get there is untradeable for money! Apart from that, we went to a few more attractions and did a little shopping at Primark (it has always been Primark since my Brighton trip, nothing else).

Liverpool 

9 - 10 July 2016

Going to Liverpool was an impromptu one. Few days before the trip, we had a class test which constitutes 20% of the 10 credit module. What's more critical is everyone was in the midst of completing their final essays because submission fell on the 11th (one day after our trip). I promised myself days before to complete and submit my final copy before the trip but nah, that did not happen. As usual, I chiong-ed on the day itself and submit it right away! I'm just hoping for a good pass heheheh. 

So it was actually Victoria's idea to go out of the city during the weekends. Out of Manchester, Newcastle and Liverpool, we picked the last one. Nope, not a Liverpool fan and we did not even visited the Anfield Stadium. We just went there for the sake of experiencing another city in England (apart from London & Brighton) and see how life there is like. Also cause we still have a few pounds left and our luggages are crying for space. So instead of spending the pounds on tangible things, we splurged on something that is not space-consuming! 

Accommodation was airbnb yet again cuz that's the cheapest. The private room that we booked was fine, BUT BUT BUT the owner has a big black dog called Sindy. Well, Sindy was an obedient dog but yknow, I'm naturally afraid of dogs due to the lack of exposure here in Singapore. Even my friend Victoria is scared of dogs.. and thats not helping at all sobs. Going to the toilet at night was a torture cuz Sindy likes roaming around the house, even to our room (which is at the second floor)! I only went out of the room 3 times in total - to the toilet to bathe and when entering and leaving the house. That's all. And yay we survived, phew. But I admit that one of my fears that I managed to overcome there is to remain calm when dogs walk pass. CAUSE IN UK, DOGS ARE EVERYWHERE. And yes, they are allowed to board the bus and even enter the shops. 

My fave from this trip would be the Echo of Liverpool (similar to Singapore flyer but faster and smaller). I have not been on a panoramic wheel before, so why not give it a try right. And I loved the view and shakiness felt in the capsule. 15 mins was a just-nice duration for that kinda thing cuz you'll get bored going up and down eventually. So yeap, that was one of the best rides in UK. We also went to Liverpool university but sadly, the gift shop was closed (it was a Sunday). Other than these two, we went to the shopping streets and walk, walk and walk. There, the famous places are pretty much near to each other. The only time we used uber was to and fro the train station to our airbnb. 

Btw, something unusual but priceless happened when we were walking down the street! Little did we know, a protest on #BlackLivesMatter was scheduled to take place at that very street that we were walking at, and that was indeed an unforgettable experience! I've been wanting to get a live view of a real protest and I'm not even kidding, haih. Most of them were young teenagers and I spotted a commendable number of Muslims taking part in the protest too! FREEDOM AND JUSTICE FOR ALL BLACK LIVES! Skip to 5:41 of the video below for a snippet of the protest. 

Alright, pictures timeee!

Liverpool Vlog:

London | Europe2k16

The clock tower, tower bridge, palace and many other famous landmarks - they are all situated in London, also known as the capital of UK. Another city off my bucket-list, alhamdulillah! J

We spent about 5 days in London before heading to Scotland (Glasgow) for the one-month immersion programme. Pretty much covered most of the attractions there namely Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Westminster, Tower of London, London Bridge, London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Spitalfield Market, Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square and Warner Bros Harry Potter Tour (Watford). Unlike Paris, we did not go for the sightseeing bus tour as the attractions are quite near one another. So yayyy, pounds saved from that!

First of all, I'm sorry for wiki-ing 80% of this post. Will write more for my subsequent posts, heh.

Big Ben

Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and often extended to refer to the clock and the clock tower. (Wikipedia)

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London built in 1886–1894. The bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and has become an iconic symbol of London. (Wikipedia)

Tower of London 
The Tower of London, officially Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle located on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. (Wikipedia)

London Eye

The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. Also known as the Millennium Wheel, it has also been called by its owners the British Airways London Eye, then the Merlin Entertainments London Eye, then the EDF Energy London Eye. Since mid-January 2015, it has been known as the Coca-Cola London Eye, following an agreement signed in September 2014. (Wikipedia)

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the London residence and administrative headquarters of the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. (Wikipedia)

Spitalfield Market
Old Spitalfields Market is a covered market in Spitalfields, London. There has been a market on the site for over 350 years. In 1991 it gave its name to New Spitalfields Market in Leyton, where fruit and vegetables are now traded. (Wikipedia)

Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and as of 2012 had approximately 300 shops.  (Wikipedia)

Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. (Wikipedia)

Warner Bros Harry Potter Tour (Watford)

The team behind Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter wanted to preserve and showcase these iconic props, costumes and sets so that Harry Potter fans could experience the magic of filmmaking first-hand. Many of the original cast and crew returned to reassemble the sets and record their memories from filming, and on 31st March 2012, the Studio Tour opened its doors. (Official Website: https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk)

Watch Atiqah's London Vlogs:

TILL MY NEXT POST ABOUT  EDINBURGH & LIVERPOOL.