Explore Hunan Province - Zhangjiajie

We went for a family holiday, a group of 8 pax to Hunan province last year December following a local tour agent OnTravel for 9 days 7 nights at RM2,988 per pax (included all entrance fees and optional show).

The places we suppose to cover were Changsha,  Yiyang, Changde/Phoenix Ancient City. We flew via Air Asia for about 4 hours flight on 3 December 2016, departed 1850 hrs arriving Changsha at 2305 hrs. Upon arrival, we were sent to our hotel for check in.  Besides the hotel, there were stalls selling food and there we went for our supper!

The next day we supposed to travel to Yiyang to visit its Royal Lake and Royal Garden.  However, due to road closure/upgrade works, our tour skipped this place and we were brought to another lake instead. We then stayed a night at Changde.

On Day 3 from Changde we traveled to Phoenix Ancient City.  Visited Phoenix Ancient Town and Hongqiao Art Building before we check into hotel.  Since the night was still young, we insisted the tour bus to bring us to Phoenix Ancient Town again.  The local tour guide followed us and gave us a timing to assemble before we all walk back together to the hotel or we can take a cab. Since the timing given to us was too short, most of us search our way back on our own.  The night view here was amazing.

For the next four days came the exciting part, the reason of us joining this tour  where we visited the Red Rock Stone Forest National Geopark, Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park, Tianmen Mountain Glass Walkway, Yellow Dragon Cave  and Zhangjiajie National Forest Park where we took the Bai Long Elevator (longest) and Grand Canyon (world longest glass walk way bridge).  

It was great feeling standing on world's tallest & longest glass bridge, constructed across deep canyon, rest on edge of two cliffs and suspended 300m above ground by cables in China's Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Hunan Province.

Overall, a great trip.  On the return trip, our flight departed 2350 hours, landed in KL 0430 hrs on next day.

Grand Canyon Glass Bridge

Short Getaway to Koh Lipe

Koh Lipe was a last minute planning, a very much needed vacation. As we were without helper for the past 5 weeks and with new replacement came in just about 10 days and were picking up quite ok, we planned for a gateway.  As elder son was away to work in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, we planned the trip to coincide when he was not at home.

We drove to Penang put a night on 19 April 2017 and left the next morning at 7 am, travelled to Kuala Perlis.  We parked our car nearby the ferry terminal.  The car park was covered with shade and the area will be locked at night.

Our ferry to Kuah Jetty departed for Langkawi at 12 noon.  It took us 1 hour and 15 minutes journey to reach Langkawi.  Thereafter, we had lunch while waiting for our next ferry from Kuah Jetty to Koh Lipe at 2.30 pm.  You need to check in 2 hours before departure for custom clearance. There are almost every hour ferry trip from Kuah Jetty to Langkawi.

There are two trips ferry from Kuah Jetty to Koh Lipe, is either 0930/1000 hrs or 1430/1500 hrs.  There is an hour timing difference between Malaysia and Thailand.  It took us about 1.5 hours to arrive Pattaya Beach.  There, you will have to confirm your return ferry at the shop just next to immigration before getting your passport stamp.  The hotel pick up will be waiting next to immigration.

The best is to have backpack, wear a shorts and beach slippers as you will be transferred to long tail boat when nearer to the island.  And there is no proper jetty, you will have to step into the sea water.  

There is a walking street where you can buy souvenirs, look for diving or snorkeling trip, have a drink at the pub, massage or reflexology and lots of restaurants. 

Upon our arrival, we relax at the hotel before our dinner.  The next day, which was Day 2 as it was raining after breakfast, we just relax in the hotel.  In the afternoon, after lunch,  we went to shop for a snorkeling trip and reflexology. By late afternoon, we went for a swim at the beach and hotel swimming pool.   On our Day 3, we had our Sunset trip snorkeling and our land tour taking their motorbike taxi in the morning after our breakfast.  Their taxi can sit 3 pax and their rate is very standard, THB50 per pax.  

So far, the best Thai food we had was just besides our hotel,

There are few snokel programs you can choose from Program A (9.30am till 4pm THB550), Program B (9.30am till 4pm THB650), Sunset trip (2.30 - 6.30pm THB450) and Plankton Trip (1.30 - 8 pm THB800).

On return trip, you can either purchased in advance ferry ticket online which departing at 1100/1330 or 1600/1830 hrs.  We have chosen the 1100 hrs departure, you need to be at immigration 2 hours or at least 1.5 hours prior to ferry departure time.  First you gotta go back to the shop besides the immigration, check in there and you will be given a number.  Then get your passport stamp and wait for your number to be called to board the long tail boat which then transfer you to ferry.  Firstly they will use the long tail boat to carry your big luggage to the ferry.  Bear in mind, you will then have to search for your bag which they normally put behind the ferry upon arrival in Langkawi.  

As we were advised sometimes the ferry departure from Koh Lipe might be delayed, thus we only purchased our ferry ticket from Langkawi back to Kuala Perlis upon arrival at Langkawi.  We managed to purchase the 3 pm ferry. 45 minutes took us back to Kuah town.

A short but stress free relaxation was what we needed. We did not drive straight back to KL but stop in Penang for a night stay.