With its historic temples, crowds of people wearing colorful kimonos, and perfect view of the mountains from its central station, Kyoto is hands down one of my favorite cities in Japan.
However, a rainy day can definitely damper plans! Instead of going hiking in the mountains and risk being stranded in a downpour, I decided to check out the local cafes and stumbled upon Alpha Foods & Drinknear Nijo Castle. This is a relatively new cafe with a hipster vibe that will definitely brighten your day!
Mimicking the weather, I decided to order the “clouds over coffee” cotton candy drink. You can choose other drinks like hot cocoa, banana milk, and soy milk coffee (which I chose). The cotton candy stick is creatively balanced so the steam from the drink will slowly melt it in for a subtle sugary taste. Additionally, you can choose to eat the cotton candy separately if you prefer or request a cold drink instead.
Another reason to come to the cafe is to meet the owner’s extremely adorable miniature schnauzer! She was an extremely polite yet energetic dog that sat quietly on the couch but was friendly when I approached her:
My Japanese friend also took me to this extremely charming % Arabica Coffee store in Higashiyama which is unique to Kyoto but is gradually expanding due to its popularity with the locals. He claimed it was one of the best coffee shops in Japan due to the founder exporting coffee beans and owning his own coffee farm.
Was it really worth the hype? Yes, it was! Usually I don’t always try coffee shops with large crowds like this one, but the wait time wasn’t too bad. However, I tried the iced coffee latte, and was extremely impressed with not only the taste but also the cup design:
Overall, I had an amazing time exploring both of these places even though the weather wasn’t favorable. Both of these drinks were cheaper than Starbucks and more delicious too! I’ve been to Kyoto nearly 5 or 6 times, but there are always new things to explore each time I come!
Feeling enchanted at Sky Mirror Beach, Kuala Selangor.
In Malaysia, there is a magical beach that will display a perfect image of your reflection in the water during certain times of the day due to the low tide. Kuala Selangor Beach, better known as Sky Mirror Beach, is a natural phenomena that attracts many creative photographers and those who wish to see this rare occurrence.
Though the official website states that you can only see this twice a month during the full moon and new moon phases, you can actually see it daily with the assistance of lighting. At times the beach is completely submerged underwater and appears uncharted, which is why it is required that you book a tour to go to Sky Mirror Beach. The beach is quite remote and requires a speedboat trip to reach it, but once there you can take in all of its rare beauty!
I booked my tour through Veltra, and I found the tour to be overall satisfactory. Though I road the speedboat with a group of people, I had my own private driver to the pier that was included in the price. He picked me up right from my hostel and got me there early so I could relax for a bit. Once arriving at the beach, they will also help you take pictures with optimal lighting. I brought my portable tripod, but they had light boxes set up on the beach already. You are free to walk around and explore the beach on your own too. Though it’s not really ideal for swimming, there are a lot of interesting sea snails and tiny crabs you can see (and they’re harmless).
Overall, most tour packages are about $100 to see this beach, but I think the experience is worth it. The trip includes snacks, water, and transportation to an extremely rare area of the country from central Kaula Lumpur, so I think it’s justified. I’m not sure where else in the world I can see a magical beach like this, so I’m happy that I took this opportunity!
Malaysia is a country where you can find an abundance of places such as remote beaches, penthouses with infinity pools, markets, skyscrapers, temples, and more amazing architecture. I loved the diversity that the city of Kuala Lumpur had to offer. Though the center of the city is quite fancy, the country itself is actually very affordable to travel in, making it a popular destination for backpackers. I traveled here via bus for three days after exploring Singapore, and was extremely happy with all the sights I was able to see.
I recommend staying at least three days in KL to make sure you have time to see everything. Much of the city is reachable on foot or via train, but since it was cheap I used the Grab app to call taxis around the city. With the tropical weather, delicious food, and affordable accommodations, you really can’t go wrong traveling here! Here are the places that I definitely recommend seeing:
Petaling Street & Chinatown
The Chinatown district of KL is always very lively and has a ton of cultural aspects to enjoy. When exploring a new country, my strategy is always to usually start with the local market to see what the downtown area was like. That is why I chose to come here early in the day, though most places are usually open until around 11pm or later. The market on Petaling Street had an array of knockoff handbags and interesting items. I managed to score a seemingly authentic-looking Ted Baker bag for less than $50. Prices here are open to negotiation, and I recommend that you look around!
If you’re not into shopping. there is still a lot to see around this area because it’s very close to KL’s central transit station. I explored the local Sri Mahamariamman Temple, which is the oldest Hindu temple in the city. I also got some local street food that tasted amazing! I recommend that you try the local fried rice dishes and curry here.
I also tried “ABC Ice”, which is a very unique Malaysian spin on shaved ice:
The top of it tasted like traditional shaved ice you find in Japan–it was topped with condensed milk which made it extremely sweet and delicious. However, at the bottom it was filled with jelly cubes, sweet beans, and this mysterious green noodle sweet I had never tasted before! It was refreshing, but the texture of the toppings they placed at the bottom as a bit too much for me… However, I was happy that I tried it!
The Batu Caves
The Batu Caves is a beautiful area with rainbow stairs leading to a limestone cave with temples inside. There are actually a total of five caves, but the central ones with the golden statue of Lord Murugan are the most frequented. Though the hill looks steep, it actually only takes approximately 8 minutes to climb. The caves are extremely gorgeous, and this trip is a relaxing escape from the city that only takes approximately 30 minutes to reach. I enjoyed sipping on some fresh coconut juice while going on this short hike. To reach the Dark Cave, it is required you book a tour, but you can see the majority of the area without one.
Petronas Towers
The Petronas Towers are an iconic landmark of KL and are currently the tallest twin towers in the world. At night they light up and you can find groups of people gathered around them because they are in the heart of the city. When you first enter them, you will find an upscale shopping district called Suria KLCC. However, on the 41st and 42nd floor, you will find the skybridge that connects the two towers. You can go up to the top and take some stunning photos. This is an ingenious design because it saves a ton of time walking through here rather than from one building to the other. This very well could be the future of architecture!
Bukit Bintang
Bukit Bintang is the main bar street of KL, and there’s a lot of adventures to be had here! Though I only had two nights to explore it, I came across this upscale Asian bistro called Opium that I really enjoyed. They had a ton of Asian cuisine (Thai, Maylasian, Japanese, Vietnamese), as well as some fascinating cocktails. I tried the spiced rum and coffee cocktails. Though they were a bit pricey, just two of them got me pretty tipsy.
I then briefly popped into the club called Zion (Sieg Zion)! The pro was that it was free, the con was that it played mainly American hiphop music with no variety, but I was bought a handful of drinks by locals so it was a night well spent. The club was big enough to dance, and I’m curious to know what the music selection is like on other nights.
Final Thoughts
Though this might not be the first trip on your itinerary, as someone who’s lived in Asia for a while, I can definitely say traveling here is like a breath of fresh air. The country is extremely safe, and I enjoyed experiencing the culture of the people that live here. It feels familiar because everyone speaks English, but also extremely foreign at the same time. The biggest culture shock for me was that people eat rice with their bare hands! However, people were extremely polite and kind to me, and it reminded me of Thailand at times. Please consider taking a trip here.
Ever heard of infinity pools? Though the sleek concept involving cityscapes and a seemingly endless body of water is popular in some countries, coming from Tokyo, it was a brand new experience for me. After exploring some remote beaches in Mersing and near Singapore, I took a 6 hour bus ride to Malaysia’s bustling metropolis; Kaula Lumpur, and stayed in a penthouse with other backpackers for the duration of my trip. During this time I connected with other people from around the world that I’ll never forget.
After browsing a few places online, I settled on Sky Society, a backpacker’s penthouse boasting both a high quality stay and a stunning rooftop infinity pool. I figured I’d have to try staying in a penthouse at least once in my life, and with dorm prices going as low as $15 per night, who could complain?
My stay there was incredible. The Regalia Tower in which Sky Society is located has high security making you feel safe at all times, and it feels like a homestay because the hosts take extremely good care of you. There’s free breakfast every morning, plus they have clean private showers. Despite staying in the cheapest dorm room, everyone was quiet and respectful of one another. However, I was able to socialize with other backpackers out on the balcony even after midnight and that’s where I met some of my best friends on this trip. No matter how social you want to be, you can have a great time here. Did I mention the pool?
View from my penthouse room in Sky Society.
That just shows the basic swimming pool. Here’s the grand infinity pool on the top floor:
It was a bit narrow, but the breathtaking view made up for it. You can see all of the most iconic buildings, including the Petronas Towers, from this pool. The number of people up here was just right too. There’s a minibar, though I recommend pregaming in your room first like I did. Overall, this is an experience that I think everyone should have. I will be writing about exploring the city of Kuala Lumpur next.
During my aesthetic adventures in Singapore, I decided to take a side trip to Malaysia via bus and see some of its beautiful remote beaches. This meant waking up before 6:30am and riding a 6 hour bus from central Singapore to Mersing, but the experience I had made it worth it! The bus was air-conditioned, and getting through customs early in the morning meant we didn’t have to wait as long. Singapore’s Sentosa Island has a number of gorgeous beaches, but the ones in Mersing have the essence of unspoiled beauty.
I decided to book a $28 bus through Easy Book online to get to Mersing, Malaysia, and then took a private boat tour through Let’s Go Island Tours for 450 Ringgit to see the islands. This price was actually a bit cheaper than what I paid for private boat tours in Thailand, and includes some of the same activities like scuba diving and sightseeing. If you get to Mersing early enough, you can take a group boat tour for a much cheaper price. Since I was going to central Malaysia later that night and didn’t have a lot of time, I opted for a private tour.
The private boat I rode was only myself and the captain, so it was quite the adventure! A light storm was approaching so the waves made the boat a bit rocky, but the captain expertly navigated the waters. Our first destination was Lang Tengah Island, where I stopped for Pina Coladas and got to see the Batu Batu Resort area. It was quite beautiful, but the beachfront was actually very small and the weather conditions made it difficult for swimming. However, I still enjoyed walking around and seeing the beach huts and palm trees. I even saw a baby lizard!
After spending about an hour here, the captain took me to another beach at Besar Island behind the resort area that was completely private. It looked like something out of a movie or anime, and I had it all to myself!
Swimming here was definitely the experience of a lifetime. You can see in the third picture that the sky is dark because the storm was approaching, but I fortunately had over 2 hours to swim and explore this beach. The tour was extremely laid back and I could choose where I wanted to be. I was so happy to spend some time alone (besides the captain) on this island!
The interesting thing about Mersing is boats don’t always leave exactly on time; the boat companies all pay close attention to the tide and then set the departure time. Due to this factor, I would recommend staying 2-3 days on these islands so you have enough time to see them. I was able to see a lot on my private tour, but I wished I could have additionally seen Tioman or Rawa Island, which are extremely popular to stay at.
When it started to rain, we headed back to the Mersing Harbor where I waited for my bus to Kuala Lumpur. This was yet another 6 hours bus ride that I booked through RedBus for $15, but I ended up having it all to myself! I don’t recommend booking 2 buses in one day because it’s a lot of travel and it’s nicer to stay on an island in Mersing, but I was on a tight schedule. If I come back here again, I will be sure to take more time in this area.
In the end, the driver dropped me off right at my hostel and I got to see a lot of Malaysia! We went from the border of Singapore, all the way up to Kuala Lumpur. The scenery went from monkeys on the side of the road to bright flashing lights in the center of the city. It felt great to be in a foreign world once again!
Sentosa Island, dubbed “The State of Fun”, is a great getaway for both thrill seekers and those looking to unwind at beaches or resorts. It also has rain forests, theme parks, and a giant Merlion observatory where you can see a beautiful panoramic view of the island. The majority of the island is reachable on foot, but you can take cable cars from one end to the other. Though some parts of the island are quite touristy, the beaches are never overcrowded, so I highly recommend traveling here to see them.
The best way to access this island is to travel from Mount Faber Station via cable car to Sentosa’s Mount Imbiah Station because you get the best views and most exciting experience. However, taking the MRT is a cheaper option. I decided to get the Cable Car Free & Easy Package they were selling at the entrance to the cable cars so I had unlimited rides and access to two attractions on the island. This package was priced at $55 (SIN), and seemed to be overall worth it.
The view I managed to get from riding the cable cars was truly amazing! I loved looking down at the sparkling pools and seeing the architecture of the massive theme parks:
Upon arrival, I decided to make my way to Sentosa’s most scenic beach, Palawan Beach. Sentosa has a total of three beaches you can visit, but Palawan is hands down the most popular due to its famous suspension bridge you can cross to climb a wooden watchtower. Even though I went to the beach on a weekend, it still wasn’t overly crowded and I had a lot of room to swim. If you come, be sure to bring some water to be hydrated, as most of the restaurants are located closer to the station rather than the beachfront.
In addition to this beautiful palmed-lined beach, you can also see Siloso Beach and Tanjong Beach, which are a bit more remote but definitely a great change of scenery. You can also check out some of the many attractions that Sentosa Island has; everything from animal encounters to skydiving. I chose to go to the Merlion Observatory and seeing an amazing view from its gaping mouth, as well as take the Skyride down to the beach area. There are activities for all different interests and age groups available, so you have a lot to choose from.
The Sentosa Merlion is a lot bigger than the one in central Singapore and is definitely worth checking out! You can learn some of the history of the country and also why the Merlion was chosen as its courageous symbol. It has two galleries; one from atop its head and one from its mouth. Both are very fun to check out. In addition, you also get a card to receive a lucky gift from the Merlion!
I am very happy for my experience at the State of Fun because it was exactly the trip I needed to recharge from the bustling city life.
The brave Merlion Statue is a symbol of good luck in Singapore.
Singapore is a vibrant and and multicultural country off the coast of Malaysia with a gorgeous bay, beautiful gardens, and picturesque beaches on its southern resort island, Sentosa. Similar to Hong Kong, the island capital Pulau Ujong is highly condensed with shopping districts and bars which means you can easily travel to a lot of destinations on foot. Though it is somewhat expensive to live here due to the cost of fuel and electricity and lack of natural reserves, there are many backpacker hostels and cheap transport options (buses, Grab, and the MTR) that are readily available. I would recommend staying 2-3 days here to see the major attractions. You do not need any special visa to enter Singapore for the purpose of travel, and almost everyone in this country speaks very good English.
What fascinates me about this country is the center of the city is really futuristic and looks liked something out of a Utopian society, but the suburbs (where I stayed at in Spacepod) have a huge Turkish and Indian population, so all the temples and shops look like structures from another planet. Each part of the city has extremely intricate architecture everywhere you look. There are clear influences of Japanese culture here too; you can tell by the way some foods are prepared and the interior decor of certain places. When traveling here you’ll truly find a fascinating blend of cultures!
Here are the four main areas of Singapore that I recommend exploring, and I will be writing a guide to Sentosa Island as well.
Worldly Temples
From my hostel, I decided to walk towards the City Square Mall to the public transit and stop by the nearby temples. I saw a variety of Hindu and Buddhist temples including Sri Srinivasa, Leong San, and Sakya Muni Buddha. It was surreal to see so many different worldly temples in such close proximity together! They were absolutely beautiful and only required a small donation to go fully inside.
Since I went here during the obon season where people believe their ancestors’ souls return to Earth, there were a lot of ceremonies and decorations around. Anyone is welcome to enter the temples as long as they follow the dress code. For those wearing short sleeves or dresses, there are usually cloths available for cheap rental so you can cover yourself up appropriately before you go inside.
Singapore’s Chinatown, which you can reach by the MTR, also has a number of Chinese temples worth seeing. I recommend checking some of them out because they don’t take that much time to see.
Haji Lane
After seeing the temples, I decided to continue walking south to Singapore’s Hipster Street: Haji Lane. This neighborhood is full of beautiful graffiti murals, shopping boutiques, as well as restaurants and bars popular for day drinking. This is definitely an exciting place to come and mingle! I stopped at Pita Bakery for some delicious bread and hummus, then walked to Singapore’s popular outdoor art gallery: Gelam Gallery. There were so many gorgeous hand-painted and graffiti-sprayed original works of art there that I felt as if I had entered a wonderland of psychedelic colors. I recommend walking though all of the little streets and back alleys because you’ll never know what you’ll find!
Sultan Mosque
At the end of Haji Lane is the Sultan Mosque, which was originally home of Singapore’s first sultan. Its gold roof gleams beautifully in the sunny weather and looks almost tropical facing the palm trees! There are visitation hours where you can enter and go inside the glass domes that are a unique part of Muslim architecture. There are also a lot of Middle Eastern restaurants around for those who are interested in trying some local food. This was my first time seeing a mosque and I was grateful for the opportunity to learn about a new culture.
The Merlion
The Merlion is a half-mermaid, half-lion mascot that watches over Singapore and is said to bring good luck! The head of the Merlion represents Singapore’s original name, Singapura, or ‘lion city’ in Malay. Its four teeth represent the four main ethnic groups that reside in Singapore: Malay, Chinese, Indian & Eurasian. The Merlion just may be my favorite mascot in the world because I love how much symbolism was put into its design.
I rode the MTR from the Sultan Mosque to reach Merlion Park. From Merlion Park, you can get a beautiful picture with the Merlion jetting water out of its mouth, and also eat Merlion ice cream from the shop nearby!
There is also a Merlion Observatory Statue you can see on Sentosa Island which I will be writing about in my next article.
Gardens by the Bay
When the sun finally set, I decided to go out again and see Singapore’s famous gardens illuminated at night. Gardens by the Bay was designed by professional landscapers and engineers boasting over 100 gardens housed with state of the art technology. My favorite garden was the Supertree Grove, where you can see the giant trees with dazzling lights that Singapore is famous for. There is also a Skyway available so you can see a great view of the famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel and the surrounding area. This area is quite large, so I recommend giving yourself at least an hour and a half to see everything.
Gardens by the Bay is located near the Merlion and stays open from 5am – 2am. You can easily access them by riding the MTR. The entrance price is $28 at the door, but you can get cheaper prices online or by asking most hostels.
As you can see, Singapore is influenced by many different cultures and is definitely worth traveling to for this unique experience. I was happy I started with the historic temples and ended with the futuristic gardens, because it really gave me the chance to see everything.
This looks exactly like grilled tamago sushi… But it’s actually made of cheesecake! Instead of soy sauce and wasabi, maple syrup and a sweet cream that is colored to resemble wasabi comes with your order. Though I knew what I was ordering, this still came as a very impressive feast for the eyes.
You can find this amazing sushi cake dessert at the Gudetama Cafe in the Suntec Mall of Singapore. Dedicated to everyone’s favorite lazy egg mascot hailing from Japan, this cafe has a beautiful egg-shaped interior decor and some very original menu items.
Though I’ve been to the Gudetama Cafe in Osaka, this one is actually bigger and has more menu items! This restaurant serves many different dishes including burgers, pastas, teas, and desserts in decent portion sizes.
The Suntec Mall is on the way to the famous Gardens at the Bay in Singapore, so this is the perfect place to stop for some food before you go. I hope you have an eggscellent time here!
Singapore is not only home to the courageous Merlion, but is also a reputably safe country to go drinking in. Like many big cities in Asia, Singapore has no shortage of unique night life places to explore until the early hours of the morning. The plus is that almost everyone in this country speaks English among other languages and are generally helpful and willing to talk to you. Most bars and clubs usually stay open until 1am-4am depending on the day. Essentially whatever you’re in the mood for you’ll probably find here!
A lot of people enjoy drinking in the upscale Clarke Quay district near the heart of the city, but I did my best to venture off the beaten path and into the bars with unique themes and original cocktails. Here are my top picks:
When I was researching bars online, the name and theme of this one caught my attention right away. Who doesn’t love a Nintendo-themed bar?! Not only that, but they also have a number of Midway Arcade machines available to play, a worthy collection of cartridges displayed on the wall, and an original hand-drawn menu (my favorite was the shooters page). There are also DJs that frequently play a handful of genres depending on the event. I came during oldies night which wasn’t really my taste, but I still enjoyed the atmosphere of the bar. Seeing “It’s on like Donkey Kong” written in the Sega font IRL in a foreign country was surreal.
The downside was the crowd was mostly drunken expats, and the music was loud so it was difficult to hear anyone. Nineteen80 is definitely a “get up and dance” bar when they have weekend parties, so be sure to come here when you have properly pre-gamed (fortunately I had). The cover fee was around 18 SD, but that included one drink so it wasn’t bad. If the music was more my type, I’m sure I would have stayed here a lot longer.
This bar is situated near Chinatown, and is also in the gay district so there are a lot of interesting bars nearby. I would recommend getting here before your main destination on your barhopping journey.
The deer seats add an interesting aesthetic to this Harry Potter cafe.
As someone who’s been a Harry Potter fan for more than half of their life, I could not pass up the opportunity to go to this magically themed cafe. They not only brew magical potions filled with booze, but also have a full food menu with delicately crafted desserts. I had previously gone to the Wizarding Worlds Cafe in Tokyo and had a great experience, so I wanted to see how this place measured up. Platform 1904 has a more extensive menu and less of a wait time since it’s a permanent establishment (as compared to the pop-up cafe that I went to). I enjoyed ordering a golden snitch cake and the Flaming Brew Cocktail because the presentation was very elaborate:
In addition to the golden snitch cake, there are many other colorful pastries for sale that all beautifully capture the Harry Potter theme:
The only downside of this cafe was the price. I could buy a lot more food for a cheaper price at most restaurants around this area, but I came here once again for the experience. One dish and one dessert are pretty filling, plus I mastered the art of potions class and took some neat photos in the process!
This restaurant is located Serangoon Road where many of the hostels are, so I was able to walk here.
First of all, I love the name of this restaurant–it truly stands out for being a Korean bistro. Second of all, I love the shochu cocktails here. They are absolutely gigantic and craftily tipped into a glass of margarita mix to create a wonderful flavor. Though I’ve been to Korea twice, I’ve never seen a cocktail like this before:
What happens in Singapore stays in Singapore.
In addition to this crazy concoction, they also have a ton of westernized Korean food available. The kimchi fries caught my eye, but the downside of this bar was that all of the portion sizes were too huge for one person to finish. Though I very much enjoyed my shochu cocktail, I was only able to get through half of it. I looked around and nobody else at the bar was able to finish it either! Though in this case it was worth the money, I wish they sold their food and drinks in smaller portion sizes so it wouldn’t get wasted.
This bar is located near Chinatown not far from Nineteen80. I recommend getting only one drink here, else you will easily get full.
Overall I was extremely happy with my bar choices, because I had the chance to try so many crazy things that I’ll always remember. I hope that those traveling through Singapore find my experiences helpful!
As a solid tradition, I like to try extremely foreign food whenever I’m in a new country for the experience of it. When I landed in Singapore, the first cafe that caught my eye was the uncanny Double Durian Cafe. Famous for its durian pizza and flavored pastries, this cafe has gained quite a reputation. Situated close to the City Square Market and my Spacepod Hostel, I figured this would be the perfect place to stop for an unforgettable first meal and to see what the craze about durian is all about.
Double Durian, home of the durians.
The durian, arguably the most smelly fruit in the world, is widely sold in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and other tropical Asian countries. It is often used as an ingredient in cooking, featured in flavored desserts like durian ice cream, or sold as a whole at the market for those daring enough to eat it raw. Due to its extremely potent smell, which some have described as smelling like gym socks or fruity onions, it is banned from certain hotels and airports. Because of its infamous reputation, the fruit has become somewhat of a meme, and its spiky exterior made it an actual weapon in the Battle of Matchan. Even upon thorough research, the fruit is quite the enigma to those of us who grew up in the west.
“Durian is widely celebrated for its long list of health benefits, which include the ability to boost immune system, prevent cancer and inhibit free radical activity, improve digestion, strengthen bones, improve signs of anaemia, prevent premature aging, lower blood pressure, and protect against cardiovascular diseases.”
As you can see, the durian is quite the versatile fruit which led me to trying this cafe. I decided to order the famous durian pizza and cake to see what they were really like. The cake wasn’t as sweet as I was used to, but it had an extremely unique texture and I really enjoyed the spiky green frosting! The taste of durian was very subtle, so I would recommend trying a durian dessert before trying the extremely potent fruit itself. One cake is the perfect size for one person.
In addition to durian cake, there are cheese and fruity flavors available at Double Durian!
Though covered in cheese and prepared with a western style of cooking, the pizza was definitely overpowering to me. The pieces of durian were quite large and visible, and the taste was extremely noticeable despite the other toppings since there was no sauce included in this recipe (it was basically cheesy durian bread). If they minced up the durian and added sauce, I think it would taste a lot better to me. I would only recommend trying this if you are extremely brave or interested in unique durian cuisine, because this is definitely a challenge.
Whether you use durian as a pizza topping or a weapon of self-defense, I would recommend trying it at least once if you are ever in an Asian country!
