What a wonderful world...

Unbeknownst to many (including myself before I did some research for my trip!), Cameron Highlands actually has a fair bit of nature to explore.

After stuffing our faces with Curry Maggi Mee soup, Nasi Lemak, Assam Laksa and Roti Prata, we decided that perhaps, it was time to burn some calories. So we merrily set off for Parit Waterfalls and the Parit Waterfalls trail!

Parit Waterfalls and the trail leading there is really great for beginners in jungle trekking and those who just want a taste of light trekking while in Cameron itself! Its well-paved and easy on the feet. More like a walk in the park. The whole experience took us between 45 minutes to an hour. Also, entry to the Parit Waterfalls trail is so easily accessible, being just at the edge of Tanah Rata, the main town of Cameron. Just walk towards Century Pines Hotel, turn right once you see the hotel, walk along the road for around five minutes, where you'll see beautiful sun-kissed flowers like these:

What a lovely way to start our walk! And before we knew it, voila!, this greeted us!

Yeah!

The road leading to Parit Waterfalls is relatively well-paved. I actually managed to walk the entire trail in slippers (so much for being prepared!) but its still best if you could wear a pair of good walking shoes.

For some silly reason, Pat was super amused by this - a dormitory (presumably) called 'Blok Broccoli' at the start of the trail. And insisted that I take a picture of it. ?!?!?!

We were very lucky to be blessed by fantastic weather. The air was cool and the sun shone cheerily! Somehow, tThe glow of the sun was ultra beautiful and shimmery during our walk.


Not sure if the pictures do it justice though.

Along the way, we bumped into a cute elderly Japanese couple, who were so excited to see gibbons. They were in front of us, and beckoned us excitedly by pointing upwards to the dense trees, shrieking "GI-BBONSS!! GI-BBONS!!!" Haha.

The first half of the Parit Waterfall trail is separated from the second half by a big open area that looks something like a basketball court. As you exit the end of the first half, there is a carpark which is perched at a higher level from where we stood. We were slightly derailed but Pat's instincts were just to walk straight forward. And he was right! Just keep walking straight and you will hit the second half of the trail.

And then, there it was.. Parit Waterfall. It wasn't as big or majestic as I thought it would be. Ok ok, I have to admit, I was expecting maybe one-third of a Niagara or Iguazu! But its a really minature fall!

I like these shots of little kids playing in the water.

Have to admit they would have made 'better' shots if these were like native 'orang asli' children bathing in the water. But unfortunately, they were fellow tourists!! :P

Night markets are a wonderful culture and tradition in many Asian, especially in Southeast Asian countries. Singapore, Hongkong, Vietnam, Cambodia.. and the list goes on. Malaysia is no exception. I LOVE night markets, in particular, the food!!!

In Cameron Highlands, the most illustrious night market can be found at Brinchang town. The cool weather makes the night market a perfect place for an evening "stroll" or 'shopping spree" after stuffing your face at the main Brinchang itself, which is just metres away.

Brinchang Night Market!

And here is where I discovered my absolute yummiest find!

• drumroll* pleasssssssseeee.

It is the..... KAYA AND COCONUT PANCAKE!!
The kaya pancake

The coconut pancake, which is a must-try!

This is the BOSS. He's kinda serious and doesn't joke around much. Unless you speak his native Bahasa Malay I suspect.


The coconut used for the coconut pancake

The finished product - YUUUUMMMYY.

Ok, I have to admit that it tastes a gadzillion times better than it looks. Especially coz the BOSS cooks it on the spot. So do eat them piping hot! The best part is that you can get 4 pieces for RM1.00.

?!?!?!!? Talk about value for money!

Moving on, my consummate love affair with the humble corn continues.



RM3.00 per corn. Expensive compared to the pancakes! But at least the lady stallholder gamely posed for my picture!

Steamed peanuts.. nice for a chilly night

Fried stuff. Looked a bit suspect but may have been chicken or squid.

The night market at Brinchang, and night markets in Malaysia as a whole, are not as 'hardcore' as those in Thailand or Cambodia where many 'exotic' things can be found!

If you are in Cameron Highlands, do make some time to go down to the Brinchang Night Market after some steamboat at Brinchang. A great experience!

I've just discovered one of the best chicken satays ever! And where else but in the highlands of Malaysia.. Cameron Highlands!

The chicken satay was tender, juicy and freshly grilled. The ketupat (or rice cake) was soft, moist and melted in my mouth. Yummmmmmm...

Satay Hajjah Halijah is located at the Malay open air food centre diagonally opposite Starbucks in Tanah Rata town. There's only one Starbucks in Tanah Rata so you can't miss it!

p.s. Dan, Yilin, hope the pictures don't make you miss our food even more than you already do!

I was really excited to visit the beautiful temple where Lara Croft, Tomb Raider was filmed. In the course of my research, I discovered that aside from Angkor Wat, Siem Reap and its outskirts are teeming with many historic temples and ruins. A number of these temples, such as Banteay Srey and Angkor Thom, have been described as beautiful must-sees.

So the natural thought was - given the numerous choices, not just in Cambodia but basically in Asia, what made Ta Prohm SO special and worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster? THIS, I have to find out. So, at the advice of the hotel, we draged ourselves out of bed at 4am to make our way to Ta Prohm.

Well, when we reached, what greeted us was a very unassuming entrance.

... hmmmMMmmmm could Hollywood be wrong??

So we ventured past the entrance.. and into the ruins of the mystical temple..



Look at the massive trees taking root into the top of the temple. It was quite a sight.

The echoes of nature in the air greeted us. We were enveloped by the sounds of birds chirping as they were flying across the temple. Somehow, the air in the temple lent an echo-ey element to the morning chirps. Together with the cool wind and cloudy morning, the sensory experience was surreal and ambient.

The sheer thickness and strength of the seemingly ancient trees clasped strongly and unyieldingly against the temple ruins. It was visually stunning but gave the air a sinister sense. Awesome.

I love the sillouhette of the gigantic trees as you stare up at them against the sky.

More ruins of the temple

I love it when Pat gets into his shenanigans!

Finally, we ended our lovely lovely morning at Ta Prohm with some uber uber yummy porridge (or rice soup) sold just outside the entrance of Ta Prohm. It was delicious and heart-warming. And you feel like you are really taking in (literally and figuratively) an authentic piece of this beautiful country!

PS: if you are making your way to Ta Prohm early in the morning, do wear something warm for the journey to Ta Prohm, especially if you are taking the local tuk tuk. The pre-dawn air is freezing!!

During our recent travels to Cambodia, we encountered the simplicity and friendliness of the Khmer people.

Just wanted to share some of the many faces of the Cambodian people!

The nuns of Angkor Wat

A sweet little girl tumbling around Angkor Wat

In Siem Reap, we stayed at this hotel called The Sojourn. Its a relatively new hotel located within Treak Village, which is about 4km from the city centre. In addition to being a beautiful hotel, I love the fact that it had such a strong philosophy of giving back to the Khmer people. Among other things, a significant portion of the proceeds of tours and activities organised by Sojourn goes back to the Khmer people or their villages. Awesome. One of the tours was to visit the people of Treak Village.. and here are some of them.

Family taking a bath at an outdoor water tap. Mum also washes the clothes.

Woman bathing at one of the many outdoor water taps that were built from contributions.. The people are so poor that they wouldn't be able to afford one of these by themselves.

The Treak Village families and kids. We learnt that they LOVE having their pictures taken! And its not for any token! They don't expect payment. They just love the whole idea of it!

A school just outside Treak Village. Conditions are sparse but the kids are uber happy nevertheless!

Handing in their assignments!

In Phnom Penh. These has to be my favourite pictures! Look at this little gangster boy! Hilarious!

Saw this kid by the side of the road.. think he's crying for his mommy... *heart melting*

Reminder of a major social problem in Cambodia

There are some things that I can never comprehend.

Came across the sweeeeeetest girl on the way back from school. She gamely posed for the camera! Even giving me the kawaiii look! *heart warming!!!* Her little friend wasn't too enthusiastic though! ahah

Finally, me and my best friend. Ever.