My Long Bucket list

My own favourite quote is - We only live once and life is just a journey for us to shape it the meaningful way we wish. I have been inspired by both my late parents for doing charity all their lives for the handicapped spastics children and old folks home in Penang. That's besides their passion to travel to many countries and exotic places, lesser known to travelers. They had taken the overnight train that floated on the ferry across the seas to reach Norway to watch the midnight sun, trekking through deep icy caves in the Swiss Alps, stayed at real Hamburg castles in Germany and also being invited as diplomatic guests of the Royal Thai Embassy in Moscow to watch the famous Leningrad Ballet performance in Russia. My late mother's favourite countries were Monte Carlo, Salzburg, Vienna, Zurich and Athens. I am wondering how on earth I ever could follow their trails? So I just leave that to my own fate to decide.

The first time I boarded a plane was at the age of 9 years old. It was the most exciting & sleepless nights I had before taking the MAS flight for the first time. It was just from Penang to Ipoh and that was a mere 15 minutes flight! I remembered clearly how silly this kiddo I was.

That's me and my siblings at the old Ipoh airport. 

It had to rain because the skies must be laughing 

at the 15 minutes flight!! Wakakaka

The longest flight I ever took was a total 36 hours from Penang all the way to Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, USA. It was a terrible nightmare as I was just a nerd student and simply booked the cheapest available flights to save money. That means I had to change many connecting flights which transited at Singapore - Hong Kong - San Francisco - Chicago - Pittsburgh. Oh God, I was so damn exhausted and sleepy that I slept like a drunkard pig and snored so loudly on the planes. The air stewardess on board United Airlines over the San Francisco air space had to wake me up as the passengers behind, thought a wild boar was hiding between the aisle. Wakakakaka

That was me as a student by the Lake Erie

which borders in between USA & Canada.

Today I could boast that I have learnt from many trial and painful errors after traveling around a bit. I learnt to become a smart traveler which means I could save money in booking cheap flights, hotels and not waste unnecessary precious time. My last overseas vacation was in February when I visited the Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido. I have not made any holiday plans yet, due to many reasons on my work timing and wife's commitment at University Malaya. I looked into my bucket lists and it seems to get longer every year. I really wonder where on earth I could find so much money and time to fulfil my visits to all these exotic places. I think it is no harm & healthy to make dreams which costs nothing by day dreaming. We should draw up some plans so that we have directions in life.

MY BUCKET LIST:
1) Charity - Lifetime
2) World Cruise (108 days) - Peace Boat Destinations
2) Kelantan & Terengganu - To complete 13 states visit (Malaysia)

3) Wutai Mountains - Pilgrimage Hike (China)

4) Shikoku Island - Pilgrimage Hike (Japan)

5) Jiuhua Mountains - Pilgrimage Hike (China)

6) London / Prague / Copenhagen - Sightseeing & Cycling (Europe)

7) Melbourne - Holiday (Australia)

8) Seoul - Reunion of friends (South Korea)

9) Nepal - Hike Pilgrimage (Nepal)

10) Taipei to Kaoshiung - Cycling (Taiwan)

11) Luang Prabang - Relax (Laos)

12) New York City - Visiting (USA)

13) Everest Base Camp - Hike (Himalaya)

14) Aurora Borealis - Experience (Norway)

15) Jaipur - Maharajah's Palaces (India)

16) Potala Palace - Pilgrimage Visit (Tibet)

17) Paris, Rome, Barcelona & Athens - Holiday (Europe)

This is the World's Cruise on board Japan's Peace Boat which my good friend has booked for September 2018. The fee is around RM40,000 per pax for 108 days and covers the most exotic places like Europe to see the Aurora Borealis which is like a magical & heavenly sighting to me.  The giant ship would sail from Yokohama and head to Xiamen (China), Singapore, Maldives, Italy, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Jamaica, United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Iceland, Panama, Morocco, Cuba, Hawaii, New York City, Mexico, Peru, Guatemala and back to Yokohama in Japan. That's like 22 countries and over 25 different ports for 108 days is the greatest travel for my bucket list. I know this is rather impossible now as I don't have 108 days annual leave and the sum of RM40K X 2 persons = RM80,000!! I think plus shopping money would hit RM100,000. I guess I will just dream, dream & dream on.

I better be practical and live within my own means. Let me start locally first as I really want to visit Kelantan and Terengganu so badly. That would allow me to blow my trumpet that I have visited all the 13 states in Malaysia. The best thing I discovered the article of Wishful Thinking... For A Staycation from blogger Lina's post recently where she shared about this TRAVELOKA website. I clicked into it and was surprised to see that they offer much more and different services than my other 3 favourite websites that I have been using for the last 10 years! I have decided to check into this famous & impressive Tok Aman Bali Beach Resort which won waves of good reviews for their large rooms, facilities and beautiful scenic lake view. This unique resort is like a hidden private island which is beautifully perched in between a huge lake and the big ocean which commands the panoramic view of the unique lake! I plan to stay there for 3 nights and visit all the attractions in Kelantan and Terengganu. Could someone please give me advice on this Tok Aman's hotel and all the good places I should visit?

 This is the well hidden magnificent jewel of Kelantan -
Tok Aman Bali Beach Resort.

***