Jacqkie | Travel and Lifestyle

Last December, the trio decided to check out a place at Gayang, somewhere near Tuaran. I LOVE the stay because it is just a 45 minutes drive from my home and into a beautiful oasis of privacy and relaxation.  Gayang river stretches to the Mengkabong river, a river renown for all other activities including fireflies river cruise, kayak and more. It's a fairly accessible river especially for fishing.  It's a small complex of private rooms, restaurant and fishing place. The only activity we had in mind was to eat for dinner. By the time we woke up from our leisure afternoon nap (YES!) it was just to chow down.  The area starts off from a swamp and stretches down to the Tuaran sea, a vast and beautiful calm river-sea connection. There are plenty of small boats docked, for anyone who would like to fish or canoe. I thought about doing it, but my sister is absolutely terrified of kayaking or canoeing of that sort, lol.   When the three of us go anywhere, we try to sque...

Sometime in August, mum was invited to her friend's 70th birthday party at Kokol Haven Resort and as usual we took the opportunity, also out of convenience to stay there for the night. The drive down back to town at night would be a little intimidating, being on top of a hill.  It's a beautiful private area with newly redesigned chalets and homes. There were three of us, which always seemed like an awkward number when going anywhere cause there's always that question - double bed? queen bed? king bed?  I previously stayed twice at the Kasih Sayang Resort also overlooking the Kokol Hill, and was among the first few places I discovered during my coming home discovery after almost 8 years abroad.  Links to my previous stays:  My Stay at Kasih Sayang Resort  Kokol Haven Resort   My sister and I spent a ridiculous amount of time under this shade, because mum's party was just right under this area we totally stalked her from the top. We tried to guess where ...

Last year, we decided to do a staycation for New Year's and we chose The Marriott right at the city centre 😎 The most melancholy thing about celebrations these days is that you somehow care less and less about it. Which is kind of sad if you think about it.  When we were kids, we would play with our cousins and drink heaps of grenadine or anything to keep us awake till 12am. These days, we already know we won't be awake by then.  And we already know we would choose to sleep in.  The Marriott KK is connected to The Oceanus Mall, adjacent to The Waterfront complex which was where most of the party goers were during the countdown. We had the sea view, and quite comfortable two very large beds for three of us.  My mum had a party, and we were actually late for the countdown. We ended up running around in the lobby (lol I know) to catch the fireworks. We caught only glimpse of it.  After sending mum to her party, Jessy and I went out to find our own dinner and by th...

Every year, Sabahans enjoy a long two day public holiday for the Harvest Festival on the 30th and 31st of May. I usually celebrate it with my friends, but this time around we decided to check out the fireflies + river cruise through Binsulok River with a local travel agent. Because, it was cheap!  It was my first time seeing THAT, MANY, FIREFLIES!  SO HAPPY!  The tour started around 2.30pm, they picked us up from home and the drive to Binsulok which is around the corner of Kuala Penyu's district took approximately 2.5 hours. By the time we reached there, we were given light snacks and refreshments.  What I really loved about going into the districts was that, most of the jobs (cook, guides, boat drivers) were being managed by the locals themselves. Turns out, the locals are not only hardworking but really, truly  multitalented. By the end of the night, they were also the entertainers and sang songs of all kinds including Korean and Chinese songs! (there were Chi...

I've been missing Adelaide many times. Sometimes, unjustifiable. Because I can't remember what I'm actually missing. Is it the quiet suburbs, the empty church, the shops that close early. I can't tell. Probably the suburbs and the fact that my public bus stops right where I live. Or the small gatherings my Malaysian friends and I would always have. This time, I came back to Adelaide as a working young adult, not without its complications in hindsight (the beginning of Coronavirus) with just a little bit more money to spend on and possibly a better perspective in life. Lol, maybe. I came a few hours earlier, YY came later from Melbourne. We stayed at the Mercure Grosvenor , great location and overlooked a courtyard with very friendly staffs. I had plans to meet Beth whom I haven't met and caught up in at least 13 years and Carmen about 11 years too. Carmen stayed back in Australia after university, visited Melbourne for a while until she came back again...

If you think I always have the time to visit Melbourne, you're right. I do. Many of my friends are now living there, with De staying and marrying a local Melbournian. Do I love Melbourne? Actually, I bloody do.  I wrote about being infatuated with the brunches culture in Melbourne.  Many of the local cafes here not only open really late, but have very limited menu. So Australia, or Melbourne is a compensation to this lifestyle I love. Another thing? Laneway bars. I love laneway bars. I really don't mind going to these bars myself if I have to, because, I enjoy the luxury of trying new cocktails at my own pace. This time I decided to share some of the bars that I visited during my recent visit. Some pictures are either mine, or from their Instagram 😊 #1 La La Land   Bar https://www.instagram.com/LaLaLandCBD/  Level 1/125 Hardware  St  The only reason I found and chose this bar was because, I wanted to try a cool one nearest to where we sta...