ATV Ride: Kampung Kemensah

The new year just started. Me and the guys are eager for an adventure to get our adrenaline pumped up. So we decided to go for ATV ride, though it's one of those expensive thrill, but hey, nothing is free in this world anyway. After googling and made few phone calls for reservation, we already sets our heart up to try it out during the Thaipusam holiday.

The only problem is, we couldn't get enough gang to follow us on this plan.

The girls are just not into jungles and sweat, the daddies will be busy with their family and kid, the soon-to-be-married are concern of their spenditure.
Same old boring excuses, lame lame lame...

So at last, only 4 of us stick to the plan. Think it's best we stick to a smaller group anyway.

We started our day quite late, blame to one of our expat, Mr. R who overslept and then act as if it's not him to be blamed. We were concern that the rain will spoil our day, but luckily no signs of rain throughout the ride. From KL to Kampung Kemensah took us less than an hour drive, the place is just right behind National Zoo, Ampang. Becareful driving into Kampung Kemensah as the road is not properly developed yet, so those who driving small car, better not, try and get yourself a 4-by-4.

After reaching the adventure park, we were briefed and given a quick trial on riding the ATV. It wasn't that hard actually, you just need to get used to pushing the gas using your right thumb and get hang of using the brakes. Since my thumb is super small, I need to use more energy to push the gas button and to handle the brakes then navigate at the same time.

Did I told you I got a pink helmet too? Cute right? LOL...



The ATV park offers you few packages of rides depending on your budget ranging from RM50-RM300. We took the RM150 package which involves a two hour ride to-and-fro the base and Sofea Jane Waterfall. The RM300 package offers you a >5 hours ride to-and-fro Bukit Tabur Dam.

So vroom-vroommmm we go....



Up and down the track we ride. Mind you some of the tracks are hard, especially those bumpy and slippery slope. You really need to be careful and control the ATV wisely, otherwise you may end up down the gorge just few inches from the track.





Then we reached the Sofea Jane Waterfall, it was just a small waterfall but it can serve a good place for a private picnic or so. We rested and take photos for awhile there and head back to the ATV base.












On our way back, I thought I'm getting better at gearing the ATV, I must admit that I went a bit cocky during the ride back, cause I thought I'm like an ATV expert already.

Last but not least, I slipped during one corner going down the hill track, and the ATV fell right on top of me. Man, the ATV was heavy, I couldn't hold up so I just let it fell on me, luckily nothing was broken, just ended up with a swollen right arm. Oh yeay, a lovely souvenir from the ATV park. LOL...

We reached the ATV based exactly 2 hours after we started the ride, we cleaned up and chilled there for awhile. The ATV Park is quite well-maintained, the washroom and bathroom is very clean, they even provide Pantene conditioning shampoo! ~clap clap~









ATV ride --> CHECKED!

Mount Kinabalu Adventurous Climb

I had always wished I could climb the highest mountain of Malaysia, from my opinion conquering something as high and extreme like Mount Kinabalu would be one of the unforgettable achievements/highlights of my life, which is something to tell to my children when I'm old and rotting, how interesting and adventurous my life has been when I'm younger and hyperer.

So as I marked this date 20 Oct 2010, (20102010 - nice date huh?), accompanied by my new Deuter hiking bag and my most favourite partner in crime, MHB, I left two small-sized-5 foot prints from the base to the top of Mount Kinabalu.

The journey started at around 10am, we actually reached the base starting point quite late. I admitted that I underestimated Mount Kinabalu. I thought it's gonna be an easy climb, I mean hey, what so hard about climbing a mountain anyway? Any other mountain would be easy I must say, but Kinabalu really put me in an extreme both physical and mental test.









With continuous climbing up the stairs and paths to the peak of 8km distance, it was one of the most HELL-NO thing I ever did in my life. I did think of turning back couple of times during the climb, but since I already paid for it (and apparently NOT CHEAP!), I pushed myself again and again to take one foot at a time up the neverending stairs.



There were few times that I actually fell down to my butt, exhausted and mentally drained, crying out loud, "I'm gonna die, I really gonna die!!" but thanks to MHB who constantly encouraged me and physically pushed me from behind to move up and up and up until we reached the top. (Kheili mamnun, kheili kheili ziad)

Finally after almost 8 painful hours, we reached Laban Rata, which is the resting area before we head again to the peak of the mountain.



We had our dinner there as the weather turned extremely cold I had to cover myself like those eskimos in the north pole. There's no hot shower or any hot water back at the cabin, so imagine how me and MHB is cursing everytime we get our hands touched the water to wash our face and do our business there.

After getting ourselves a two hours not-so-good sleep, we gotta get up and geared ourselves up for the next mission, which is the peak! My body is so painful and the weather is so extremely cold, this is where I lost to Mount Kinabalu --> the scorching coldness. This second climb though is shorter distance than the previous but it's tougher. With barely any trees around to shield us from the unmerciless cold heavy wind, I hugged myself climbing up to the peak.

We managed to reach the Donkey Ears Peak, when at last I blurted to MHB;

Me: Do you wanna carry on? (cause I know I had enough already)
MHB: NO
Me: ~laughing~ seriously?
MHB: Yeah, I had enough, this is so crazy, not worth it.
Me: ~continue laughing~ oh thanks God

So we just sat there, enjoying the sunrise and I sang,

"If I die here, if I just die here, would you die here with me and just forget the world..."
~adapted from Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars





At last we made it on Mount Kinabalu, though not reaching to the peak, but it was close enough. Both of us think it was the best we can do and we're proud of it still.
Then down the mountain we go.



Mind you, going down is not as easy as you think.
We got our asses beaten by a group of old grandma and grandpas from China, how embarassing is that? VERY...

Mount Kinabalu --> CHECKED

Beautiful Sunset at Tanjung Aru Beach

It was just another beautiful day in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
After being deserted by the crew for our river cruise (they left out our name from the list, sob sob), for apologizing, they sent another crew to take us on a ride around Kota Kinabalu Town.

First stop is Bukit Bendera (I know Penang has one too, but this one don't have any tram going up the hill).









We took few shots then went to the next destination which is Tanjung Aru Beach.
We were lucky that we managed to reach the beach just before sunset and the weather was just awesome. Enjoy the pictures peeps!



















Dancing at beach during sunset --> CHECKED!

White River Rafting: Sungai Padas

One of my aim goal for this year is to explore what the land of Sabah might offer me in terms of adventure entertainment. So without any doubts, I booked tickets to Kota Kinabalu and even booked some of the sports package offered online and one of them are white river rafting.

I must say that I am very excited about this, I haven't done anything crazy for long (have I done anything crazy?), I mean out of my norm. Come to think of it, I should have done all this kind of activities long ago, I must admit that I got the adrenaline rush to endanger my life at such a late stage of my life. But come again, to pull out all of this stunts, I must have good liquid cash and awhole tonnes of courage. I was a little scared chicken during my teens and early twenties, still a chicken now, only that I dare to fly though I ain't got the proper wings to.

So back to the white rafting adventure. We left Kota Kinabalu town at around 7.30 am which was quite late, blame my sleepy head that is, the package we bought was inclusive of a bus trip straight from Kota Kinabalu town to Beaufort Train Station, which is about 2 hours ride.





Then from the train station itself, we took a train ride heading towards the head of Sungai Padas, where the base of rafting club is. The train ride, which was quite interesting, only one way train, take us through a jungle at the side of the river, which offers us spectacular views of river rapids and the wild.







As soon as we reached the base, we were given briefings about rafting and safety precautions.
The rafting will take us 2 hours to finish depending on the current. Luckily the weather was clear and river rapid doesn't look so angry today.

So we started of the journey with a bunch of KL chinese-adventure-hunger guys, who turns out to be crazy and wild, I'm glad we catch a hike with those bunch, it made the rafting even more interesting.

Since I was the only girl in the group, I was given the privilege to sit in the middle of the raft like a queen, no rafting involve, means I have to just sit and enjoy the raft ride.




Of course I'm not happy with this, I made a-not-so-happy face to the guide, and after few runs of rapids, he let me exchange place with one the guys. Adventure at last!









Though I don't know how big my pedaling impact did to the raft during crazy rapids, but I keep on pedaling as if my life depends on it. I didn't fell out from the raft like the others did, probably I'm better at balancing myself on the raft unlike them, I don't know, but I was dying to get myself out the boat but I just couldn't even at the craziest rapids. So I requested to the guide then I want the boat to flip and guess what? We flipped the boat and everyone fell to the river. I think I was panicking for awhile there cause I can't swim but luckily we had the life jackets on. So we kept on floating on the river for few hundred meters.



Sungai Padas is a level II-III white river rafting, so it can be good for beginners who wants to experience rapids. It is a worthwhile experience, especially the part where we just laying floating in the river, enjoying the view of the jungle and sky. It was a very refreshing escapade.

White river rafting --> CHECKED!

Girls Day Out : Bandung

Me and the girls had always wanted to have a girl-only vacation, it's just one of those fetish where we feel like we need to have our blonde moments and imitate the Carrie & friends from the "Sex & the City".

So after looking at cheap air tickets (we are a bunch of cheapskates!), we booked a 5 days holiday to Bandung, plus non of us went there before so it should be a girls-day-out-on-a-unfamiliar-place. Sounds exciting right?



First day arrival, the girls said I've been checked out by the immigration officers and local people, and they started calling me, "Hot Indo Chick" cause according to them I can stop the traffic should I wanna cross the road. LOL! We arrived at night, exhausted and excited with the hotel room which apparently has a see-through shower. Of course no one would dare to use it without the pulling the bind down.



Since we hired a driver to take us around, he brought us to famous shopping places around Bandung. Bandung is famous for shopping, so pardon us for being girls, we certainly CANNOT, I repeat, CANNOT resist SHOPPING! Bandung is the land of branded factory outlets, there's alot of branded outlets here which you can't find in Malaysia. The handbags imitations are also like 95% looks like real and cost only 10% of the original price! That's where I fell in love with the Gucci bag, I didn't bought it though just because I'm not much of a handbag person but darn I regret for not buying it now. Famous outlets that you-must-go-if-you-are-in-Bandung --> Rumah Mode, Toko Tiga, lots more cannot remember the name, but there a whole stretch of them along the road, you can just ask the taxi drop you down on that road and go shopping for the whole day.













Next day, we went for sightseeing in Bandung where we were surprised by the overwhelmed tourist guides who kept on following us along the climb to the dormant volcano called Queen Crater of Tangkuban Perahu Mountain. Luckily I didn't wear heels like the others, it was definitely a long walk to the crater but it's one of the place of nature that you must visit. And make sure you ask the locals to tell you the legend of the Tangkuban Perahu itself, it's interesting!










The few days retreat to Bandung was worth it for shopaholics.

 

Oh not to forget that we watched the FIFA 2010 final in the hotel lobby where my favourite delicious Spanish footballers won the match of the year!

 

 

 Made our way back to hometown safely. Wanna go again? You betcha!



Oh don't forget to try the Avocado Juice and Ayam Penyet there! They are yum-yum!