Life is all about travel. Live with no excuses and travel with no regrets. Adventure can remind you to explore new horizons, and step out of your comfort zone
How special is this, the Christmas decoration in Sabah Malaysia
Hope the world have enjoy their Christmas Celebration. I’m sharing about how did i spend my Christmas in Sabah Malaysia during the CMCO moment. After Sabah election on last year, the covid outbreak cases increase daily. However, the local government is control very well and they have done a great job. This is the time for us to spend most of our time at home relax due to travel restrictions. It is kind of a life challenge to me.
Anyway, how did i spend my Christmas in Sabah Malaysia? Christmas decoration in Malaysia is very beautiful and i believe that Christmas is not all about party nor gift nor holidays, but it is all about Jesus. Also, it is a day of Jesus born as well as it is Jesus’s birthday. Do you agree?
On 20th December, it is our celebration for winter solstice. Not everyone will celebrate the winter solstice. Only Chinese people are celebrate winter solstice and we always sending our wish to friends and families such as Happy Winter Solstice. How do we celebrate winter solstice? We definately is Rice ball.
What is Rice Ball?
Rice ball 湯圓
According to the picture i took above, it is rice ball. Chinese is called Tang Yuan 湯圓. This is what exactly we eat during the winter solstice each year. We always eat Yam favor. It is more than a culture to celebrate this each year. Some chinese are not willing to eat rice ball, it is because they said if you eat rice ball, you will be old 1 years old. People prefer to stay younger forever, so they avoid eating rice ball. For me, i love to eat rice ball very much, especially is my Taiwan rice ball with tofu hua. That’s really delicious. Sometimes i eat the rice ball mix with red bean in Taiwan.
What did i eat during Winter Solstice and Christmas?
First dish was dry butter prawn dish. It is one of my favourite food in Malaysia. It is very crispy and taste deliciously. I had my dinner at Wong Kwok Chinese Restaurant in Suria Sabah Shopping centre. It’s cost around RM25. It is worth to try it.
Shanghai Style Braised Pork Knuckle Served W Mini Buns
This was my second dish prior to my order. This is one of the best dish what you should try it. This Called Shanghai Style Braised Pork Knuckle Served W Mini Buns. Actually this dishes is one of the Chinese New Year dishes. We eat this once in awhile. It taste very yummy and i love the sauce as well. It is very tasty and the meat is very soft. Love it and elder people would love it as well. Thus dishes come with Mini Buns. The buns is taste very delicious and very crispy. It is good to eat together with the meat. I ate this in Wong Kwok Restaurant as well and it’s cost me RM60. It is not expensive and it is very worth to try it.
BBQ Pork rice noodles
Final dishes is BBQ Pork Rice Noodles. This portion is really big and it is for 2 to 3 people portion, but of course it is not as big as Western portion. Their BBQ Pork Rice noodles is really very delicious and i love fat BBQ Pork meat. Their Rice noodles is very different with Australia one. This is more than Malaysian delight style. It cost around RM13. It is best to try while visiting Malaysia.
Continue the Christmas Decoration Shows
How beautiful is the Christmas decoration in Sabah. I took this beautiful Christmas decoration at Suria Sabah Shopping centre in Sabah Malaysia. It was my First time experience the Christmas that is very empty in the shop. It is very unusual, that nobody come out due to the COVID-19 outbreak panic. So it is very freedom for me to take a nice shot 😁
By the way, please feel free to contact me for any concern you may have.
To conclude, I hope that my travel blog will be impact your life. After read through my blog, you may feel like wow, it made me feel like i want to change my plan to travel now to exploring around the world. It will change your life forever and experience Lot of interesting culture around. Anyway, have a fruitful New Year 2021. God Bless! 😀
Welcome to Perth Western Australia! Rottnest Island is a must see for almost all free travellers. The transparent and clean water quality, abundant water activities, beautiful scenery, and the happiest in the world Baby kangaroos, such as the “quokka”, are all reasons that make this Australian island famous. Today I want to share my experience about the super star, ferry transportation to Rottnest Island and transportation on the island, itinerary arrangements, and travel notes to attractions, regardless of whether you plan to take a day trip, a two-day trip, or even many days trip. I do recommended for 2 days trip as the island is quite big so one day is not enough if you want to explore all distinct in the Island but it is your choice.
Although Rottnest Island is not very big and it has 63 beaches. It can be said that there are beautiful scenery everywhere around the island where is pretty good.
First of all, Rottnest Island is an island on the west coast of Australia which located just 18 kilometers from the West of Fremantle. Rottnest Island is a very popular holiday destination, with ferries between Perth and Rottnest Island. The resident population of Rottnest Island is only about 100 people, but about 500,000 tourists visit Rottnest Island every year. Because their ecology on the island has not been destroyed, short-tailed kangaroos have their own nests; occasional tourists also always feed them, and they never need to worry about clothing, food, housing, transportation and so on.
Around the dining area, northeast and southeast are places to stay. Although there are not many places to stay on Rottnest Island, there are many options for youth hostels, restaurants, camping, etc…
Quokka – Super Star
The great star of Rottnest Island, Quokka, the happiest animal in the world. You will see them around the Island. There is none specific place to see Quokka. Quokka always hide somewhere near the tree. They usually come out around 2pm but this is depend on the temperature too.
The first to discover Rottnest Island was the Dutch. When they landed, they found that the island was full of Quokka. They mistakenly recognized Quokka as a big rat (Rotte), so they called it Rotte nest (Dutch in squirrel nest), and then slowly evolved into Rottnest.
Quokka short-tailed dwarf kangaroo, the only kind of kangaroo in the genus Dwarf kangaroo, it is a small kangaroo that is about the size of a domestic cat. Short-tailed kangaroos, like other marsupial mammals, are herbivores and often move at night, with small families as the activity unit. A Quokka weighs about 2.5 to 5 kilograms, a fat and cheeky face, and a cute face that always looks like a smile, so it has the title “the happiest animal on earth”
Quokka only eats plants, do not feed Quokka, he will get sick! Once found it is a fine of $150! Quokkas can only digest plants, other types of food can result in illness. Anyone who deliberately interferes (including feeding) wildlife will be fined $150. Due to the very limited distribution of Quokka (mainly on Rottnest Island and a small island in Albany), it is included in the vulnerable species. In the mainland Australia, they are threatened by hunters such as foxes, so dense surface vegetation is needed for shelter. Large-scale felling of trees and agricultural development have led to a reduction in their habitat, which has led to a decline in the number of this species. In addition, Quokka usually gives birth to a baby, and successfully raises a baby kangaroo every year. The small number of litters in one litter, combined with the limited range of activity and the threat of hunters, make this little kangaroo very rare in mainland Australia.
How to get to Rottnest Island
There is 2 options for you to catch transportation to get to the island. They are ferry and private jet. I will definately recommended you to catch ferry instead of catching the jet. As a tourist and student, it is good to experience both such as catch the ferry to the Rottnest Island and then catch jet return back to Perth. Both are good to try but if you are local or residents, it is good to do Ferry as the jet is very costly.
This is the get on and off point in the Rottnest Island. It is a very beautiful departure point. After arriving at Rottnest Island, there is a tourist service center next to the port. You can get a lot of travel information, buy souvenirs, and even check-in accommodation. It is very convenient. There are also storage boxes there, prices AUD 6-8 per day, depending on size. Around the passenger service center, there are various restaurants and supermarkets, all within walking distance, bread, pizza, seafood, brunch etc. The entire dining environment is very leisurely.
By the way, It is mainly reached by ferry and there are currently three main shipping companies, each departing from different ports. Regarding to the three shipping companies, it is the cheapest to take the ferry departing from “Fremantle” by “Rottnest Express” and “SeaLink Rottnest Island” on weekdays. Round-trip tickets on the same day are slightly cheaper.
In addition, “Rottnest Express” has the largest number of sailings and it is the only shipping company that departs from “Perth City” and “Fremantle” but of course depart from Fremantle is closer to the island which will take 25 minutes to get there. If you catch the Rottnest Express from Perth City, it will take 90 minutes to reach your destination. If you want to depart from “Hillary” in the North District of WA, only “Rottnest Fast Ferries” have a ferry and this will take about 45 minutes to reach the island.
The “Fremantle” port is a little special which divided into “Northport” and “B Shed” ports, but almost all are mainly “B-Shed”, which can be reached by walk from the Fremantle Train Station while catching train from Perth Train Station.
Ferry cost:
Perth city – Rottnest Island (Rottnest Express) = $103
Fremantle – Rottnest Island (Rottnest Express) = $64
Fremantle – Rottnest Island (Sealink Rottnest Island) = $64
Hillary – Rottnest Island (Rottnest Fast Ferries) = $86.5
Please note that these fares is weekdays fare, weekend ticket would be different price but it is not a big different. Adult tickets fare listed above. Kids price are almost half price with adult fares. These are with return tickets. It is up to you whether you wanted to add-on for hire a bicycles or snorkel equipment rental. There is a package option which is cheaper than buy everything separately.
Catch a private jet from Rottnest airport to Perth will be take around 20 minutes to arrive Perth. Mainly reason of taking the jet from the Island to return back to Perth is just want to explore around the beautiful and nice view island from the sky. The jet only fly when there is minimum of 2 people per jet. It is very costly and not worth it but very good experience. It has been many years ago so I can’t remember how much i have been paid for this jet but i remember it is approximately $250 per person. However, there is a combo fare for both ferry and flight which mean one way ferry and one way flight for you to experience.
Public Transportation throughout the Island
There is a number of transportation you could have options to choose. As for the transportation on the island, Rottnest Island cannot drive, so it is not possible to “rent a car” and so on. There are three main modes of transportation on the island, namely “bicycle”, “bus” and “train”. But some people prefer to walk to explore the island to save some money. Yes, walk is good but walking is very tiring throughout the island as island is quite big and you won’t be able to manage to walk the whole island.
Bicycle – Most of the tourists prefer to use bicycles to move around the island or even around the island, which is why the three major shipping companies provide bicycle reservation services. There is also the only bicycle rental shop on the island, called “Rottnest Island Pedal & Flipper”, which is just next to the port within the walking distance. But in my personal opinion, buses is better than bicycles. Why do i said that? It is reasonable as riding a bike is pretty slow so you won’t be able to see everything in the Island. Bus is worth than bike because bus ticket is $20 per person per day which you can have enough time to explore everything in the Island. But if bike, it is cost $30 per person daily fare basis. And bike only can explore some part of island.
Bus and Train
There is two buses in the island. They are island explorer buses and settlements shuttle buses. I do recommended for island explorer buses.
Island explorer bus is the best options because this will take you to all attractions in the Island but this will be your choices whether you want to get off or not. It is hop on and off basis. The bus is running every 5 minutes which is perfect. Rottnest Island has totally 19 explorer bus stop.
For the trains, i never try with train in the island but i will share some details of it. There are 64 locations on the scenic train, which will only reach the World War II memorial site in Oliver Hill. You can see the underground tunnels, gun wreckage, etc….but it may take a long time and the frequency of the trips may be difficult to arrange. It cost $11 per person for one way. If it is not at least on the island for 2 days, it is not recommended to experience.
Attractions in the Rottnest Island
There is 63 stunning beaches on the coast, 20 beautiful bays and many coral reefs and shipwrecks invite you to enjoy some of Australia’s best swimming spots, snorkeling trails and surfing spots. On the dry ground, you will encounter cute mini marsupials, world-famous short-tailed kangaroos (Quokka), and many unique animal and plant species that can only be seen in Western Australia.
Of course, it is necessary to introduce the attractions on the island. Most people will play around the island so i am sharing all part of the Island. Basically the Rottnest Island is divided into 5 districts, namely East, South, West, North, and Central with different gameplay and features, so that everyone can quickly understand the attractions in each area. Let’s go for Awesome adventures 🤔
EAST Districts – “Thomson Bay” on the east side of Rottnest Island is the port and the most lively area on the island. Visitor services centers, various restaurants, supermarkets, restaurants and hotels are all concentrated here, making it the most convenient for dining and shopping.
In Thomson Bay, you can find more family fun, such as golf, tennis, shopping and guided tours, as well as cafes, restaurants and takeaway options.
The land and sea travel itinerary will provide an unforgettable experience, from the contact experience of wild animals such as short-tailed kangaroos, seals, osprey and whales, to historical and cultural tours, vividly reproduce the colorful ocean of Rottnest Criminals, colonies and World War II heritage.
This is one of the beach in the East Districts. If you are intend to swim at the beach in Rotto, i do recommended this water activities shown in the photo. This game is really fun and it cost me $10 to play this.
This is the scenery you will see along the Southern District, such as Henrietta Rocks, Porpoise Bay, etc., really feel the beauty is exaggerated!
SOUTH Districts – The southern area of Rottnest Island is mainly a place for beaches, snorkeling, and diving. It is a place where you can enjoy the beauty and water. It is a dive site recommended by many Australians. It’s a Little Salmon Bay. It’s okay to spend an afternoon here leisurely!
Henrietta Rocks is a very beautiful attraction in the island and it is very interesting due to the Shark Wreck that is visible and very close to shore. There were a few snorkellers there checking it out on the day where I visited, and if I have been better planned, I would have walked out to see it as well. It’s very close to shore which is pretty convenient.
I’m just inlove with this beautiful view and scenery. It is a very relaxing spot.This Henrietta Rocks is very beautiful. Many tourist ride a bike to get there for beaching and swimming.
This is the Parker Point. It is a very good place for Scuba diving. Parker Point is one of the most popular bays on the Southern Rottnest and one of the most breathtaking, featuring a white sandy beach, fringing coral and rocky reef.beautiful Parker Point
In general, parker point is located between South and East of the Rottnest Island. It is one of the best Attractions in the Island. The most popular activities in the Parker Point are included Scuba Diving, Snorkelling and Swimming.
I feel very relaxing while explore the Parker Point. It is good fresh air for breathe in and out.
In fact, there are some attractions on the south side of Rottnest Island, such as Green Island, Oliver Hill, and Wadjemup Lighthouse. The route is a little simpler than the north side, but If you want to go to Oliver Hill or Wadjemup Lighthouse, there are many uphills. These two are Rottnest, The highest point of the island, Oliver Hill is the highest point on the island.
The well-positioned Oliver Hill was a defensive place during World War II. There is an oversized battery (Oliver Hill Battery, 9.2-inch cannon) defending the coast of Perth. If you ride a bicycle, you can only park in the parking lot below and walk for about 15 minutes. Anyway, you don’t want to ride up. It’s really steep, lazy people can actually take a small train (Captain Hussey train), the scenery is not bad! As for the Wadjemup Lighthouse, many people really feel that they don’t need to go there. Many of them just ride there and ride back. I don’t know what are people doing.
After leaving Oliver Hill, I wanted to go to Little Salmon Bay, but time may not be enough. Fortunately, I returned to the ferry at about 16:00 and successfully ended the day trip to Rottnest Island.
Continue to move down and pass the Salmon Bay, Green Island, Mary Cove and other places. I can only say that the scenery on Rottnest Island is too satisfying!
WEST Districts – Compared with other areas in the West of Rottnest Island, there are fewer places suitable for snorkeling and water playing. The biggest feature at West Districts is whale watching, dolphin watching, and the terrain is slightly different. Rocky terrain that you can see are totally different scenery.
The total length of the island is about 22 kilometers, which sounds good, but it still takes a lot of time and energy to come to the Western District. There are many ups and downs along the way, but it is worthwhile to see these beautiful scenery! Every year from the end of August to November, it is the time for 35,000 whales to move from the Antarctic Circle to Rottnest Island. At this time, it is very easy to see whales appearing in addition to the West End. There are many bays that are also very beautiful and there are many small ferries. This kind of life is really comfortable and enjoyable.
NORTH Districts – Rottnest Island’s northern and southern areas are very similar in the gameplay. They mainly experience snorkeling, diving, fishing and other water itineraries. There are their lovers on both sides. In short, if you want to relax on the beach and enjoy the island. The clean water quality of South and North are very highly recommended places! The most popular in the Island is the Lighthouse. There are 2 lighthouses in the Rottnest Island. One is located in the Southern of Island and another one is located at the North sides. The North District Bathurst Lighthouse and the surrounding seascapes are the best and this island is really beautiful! How to move along the northern coastline, you can pass through Longreach Bay, George Bay, Little Armstrong Bay and other attractions, almost all are safe waters where you can play water. Whichever you like, you are ready to go to the water anytime!
This is my late lunch in the Northen of the Island. I am a fish and chips lover and i ordered strawberry milkshake at the same time. How to get to this restaurant? Well, i cannot remember this restaurant name but you can catch the Island explorer bus to get off at the last stop which is bus stop number 19. The best restaurant i ever have. This fish and chips dishes is very delicious and the fish was very crispy. I love it.
When i visit rottnest, i was very hurry to catch the bus to explore around the island so I do highly recommended you to have your lunch before you go for the explorer bus. Otherwise will be like me very hungry at the end 😂
CENTRAL Districts – The main area of Rottnest Island is the three main attractions, namely World War II Memorial (Sightseeing Train Terminal), Pink Lake and Wadjemup Lighthouse. Among them, the lighthouse is the least recommended spot on the island. In addition to all the way uphill, the scenery is also more ordinary, if time is not enough, you can give up first.
Here we go Pink Lake 😍
Do you ever heard of pink lake? Western Australia itself has a very famous pink lake and Rottnest Island has its own small pink lake. The attractions of this island are really many yuan, which is why it is highly recommended for free travel.
Pink Lake is also called a Salt Lake. You should try to touch the pink lake water. When i was touching the pink lake water, the water is very sticky with weird smell and it’s kinda weird but i find that was very interesting.
Skydive at the Island – Leap from Height
Are you a skydive lover? Play skydiving on the turquoise beach of Rottnest Island and get a panoramic view of the magnificent coast of Western Australia. While enjoying the exciting thrill of blood, while enjoying a bird’s eye view of the stunning scenery on the island from an unparalleled perspective. After landing on the ground, you can even savor a free drink to celebrate your accomplishment in a lifetime. Skydive Geronimo’s team of skydiving instructors is professionally trained and experienced. After ensuring you feel comfortable and safe, you will be challenged to the unique island skydiving experience throughout Western Australia. Skydiving is very costly but it is worth to try once in awhile. Their cost is depend on how many ft you choose for skydive.
The end of my story
My story is just all about an introduction to the Quokkas, transportation, accommodation, attractions, and itineraries of Rottnest Island. I believe that everyone can understand this island better and it will be more helpful for the itinerary. “Segway” and other projects can also create their own classic gameplay! Stay tune on my next blog. Please follow me by click the follow button on this site. Thanks 😊
Bubble tea also known as pearl milk tea, bubble milk tea or boba is a Taiwanese tea based drink invented in Tainan and Taichung in the 1980s. Recipes contain tea of some kind, flavours of milk and sugar optional. Toppings, known as “pearls”, such as chewy tapioca ballalso known as pearls or boba, popping boba, fruit jelly, grass jelly, agar jelly, sago and puddings are often added. Ice-blended versions are frozen and put into a blender, resulting in a slushy consistency. There are many varieties of the drink with a wide range of flavors. The two most popular varieties are black pearl milk tea and green pearl milk tea.
Taiwan Beef noodles soup
Beef noodles is one of the best local food taste in Taiwan. You can get beef noodles everywhere in Taiwan. Taiwan is said to be the home of beef noodle soup, and you’ll find the world’s most expensive bowl here in Taipei. But visitors don’t need to spend US$300 for a bowl, as there are beef noodle shops on practically every corner, with each serving their own special recipe. If you try only one food in Taiwan, then make it beef noodle soup.
Despite my love for Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup and how simple and iconic it is, recipes always seemed incredibly complicated and intimidating to me–making the broth, figuring out the balance of infinite spices, getting that tender beef–where do you start? It was just one of those foods where, when I wanted it, I went out and paid someone else to make it, or convinced myself that I was actually craving something else.
Pineapple cakes
Pineapple cake is a sweet traditional Taiwanese pastry containing butter, flour, egg, sugar and the pineapple jam or slices. These small shortcrust pastries filled with pineapple paste are the tastiest after-dinner treats that go perfectly with a cup of tea. There are many companies that make their own versions of the snack, but the most famous is probably Sunny Hills. These make a great souvenir, as they can be brought home on the plane to give their friend for surprising them. While pineapple cakes had historically been produced as a ceremonial food, a combination of governmental promotion and globalization popularized the pineapple cake. Pineapple cakes have become one of the top-selling souvenirs in Taiwan.
Dan Bing
Dan Bing is defined as Taiwanese egg crepe and it is one of the Taiwanese daily breakfast. Dan bing is a traditional Popular Taiwanese breakfast food that is usually sold by street vendors every morning. Since everyone is in a rush to get to work (sometimes waiting with their scooters running), the vendors have to be able to make every order to go super fast, and once you get the hang of it, you can make it pretty quickly at home, too!
Basically, a dan bing is a thin crepe with an egg on top. There’s multiple variations; my favorite is just to mix a little sesame oil and a lot of chopped scallions into the egg. Feel free to try different fillings in the egg mixture (e.g. chopped ham, crumbled bacon, corn) or on top of the cooked egg before rolling it up (e.g. shredded cheese, rou song [pork floss], cilantro), but I wouldn’t put too much in because you want to make sure you can still roll it up easily. Soy paste and sweet chili sauce are the more traditional sauces, but you can also try oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, or even ketchup.
Fan Tuan
Fan Tuan
Fan Tuan means the rice rolls and it is also one of the traditional breakfast in Taiwan. White sticky rice is packed down flat on the table and layered with the standard ingredients of pickled radish and mustard greens, chunks of braised egg, a bit of pork floss, and a crisp cruller. A cruller is deep-fried dough, like an elongated donut minus the sugar. They’re often eaten by themselves with a side of soy milk. For the purposes of the fan tuan, it’s fried twice and cut into bite-size pieces. Pork floss is dried meat, mashed so finely and dehydrated so that it has a texture of cotton. Egg is braised in soy sauce, which adds salty depth, and pickled radishes and mustard greens create a dimension of tartness.
Glutinous rice is wrapped around your choice of fillings, such a fried egg, pork floss, and pickled mustard greens. The result is a dense, filling, and savory breakfast that will definitely get you through the day!
Taiwanese Snow Ice
Mango Snow Ice
Taiwanese Snow Ice or Xue Hua Bing (雪花冰) is flavored ice with a milk base that is shaved razor thin. The ingredients are frozen into a block and then the Snow ice Shavers shave the block into tiny strips of “snow” that melt in your mouth! Then you top it with whatever you want, fresh fruit, chocolate sauce, tapioca pearls, popping boba, grass jelly etc.
Taiwanese Snow ice is different than Snow Cones or Hawaiian Shaved Ice. A lot of these use water (ice) and fruit flavored syrups while Taiwanese Snow Ice puts uses milk and puts the flavoring right into the ice block. Taiwanese Snow Ice Shavers also uses a very sharp blade to shave the flavored ice really thin. It’s called snow ice because of it’s fluffy consistency.
Taiwanese Style Sausages
Taiwanese Style Sausages
Taiwanese Style Sausages is one of the entree food in Taiwan. You can get from any night market in Taiwan as it is part of the street foodies as well. You can’t walk 10 feet at a Taipei night market without running into a sausage vendor that sometimes has five different types available. The basic Taiwanese sausage has a slightly sweet taste with a beautiful crisped skin. When you take a bite, the skin bursts filling your mouth with juice. You can find everything from the mild to the wild with flavors including pig’s blood, squid ink, and even ones made with fish and little roe stuffed beneath the skin. I’m rather partial to the plain sausage – haven’t worked up the nerve to try the fishy ones yet.
Papayas Milk
One of the popular Taiwanese drink that you’ll find street vendors selling is Papaya Milk. It is kind of like a tropical papaya Smoothie or Shake. One of my early childhood memories is of my parent took me to a street vendor (in Taiwan) and buying me for my first cup of Papaya Milk.
In Taiwan, there is two kind of papaya milk. One is a cane of papaya milk and another one is fresh papaya milk. The best options and best taste would be the fresh papaya milk.
Conclusion
For instances, if you are thinking of visit Taiwan one day, and don’t know what foodies and beverages to have a try, or you have been to Taiwan and never try of these food listed above, please do considered to have taking a try. You will never feel regret after get a taste as it is the best local foods to experience. Please don’t go to Taiwan for Western food as it is not the best way to do so as you could get Western food anywhere in your town.
TravelQueen4ever 旅遊的璐 