Flying solo for the first time

My third trip for the year! Hahaha. This time it is going to be the best I would say.

Yes my recent trip to Sabah was out of this world. I was mind blown by so many things there, especially the lessons. Here is how it started. This time for my trip I wanted to go further away from home for a longer time but alone as well. As I planned my trip, I found Sabah really fascinating and I have not been there before. So I chose Sabah as my destination. As usual I started with my research, the places in Sabah, the things that I can do there, how I am going to get around and how much will the expenses be. Since I wanted to go further and longer, my budget is also higher than a normal trip. My dad just told me this “If you have the money then you go ahead.” Then I continued on my planning.

I decided to stay 3 days and 2 nights at Kota Kinabalu after many researches about Sabah. Why I chose Kota Kinabalu is because it is the main city where most of the attractions are. I saved up to RM1500 for this trip. I booked my hotel and flight ahead. One of my dear friends really helped me out with this - on deciding the best priced hotel and advising me on how to choose the right timing for the flights. Since it was my first time to book a flight and hotel room online I needed to learn from her. Can’t thank her enough.

As I planned my trip and saved up money the excitement was rising. Until I found out that there’s not much public transport services at Sabah. So I went like “What do I do now?” “Do I change my whole plan?” Nope. I found solutions as I had conversations with my mentor, Elango Thiyagu (http://elangothiyagu.com/) and the ET Ideas team that I am working with. (http://et-ideas.com/) “Why don’t you rent a car at Sabah?” one of my friends suggested. Since I have my driving license I thought why not? I called up to one of my schoolmate who is currently studying at Sabah to check out the transport. She gave me a few contacts of people who rent cars to students. Then I called them up and booked a car. I rented it for two days, each day cost RM 115. I roughly know the price of hotel, flight and car. So I was pretty much settled in those areas.

I found solutions for the obstacles one by one. Another obstacle was that I badly wanted to go to a cultural village at Sabah called The Mari Mari Cultural Village. I needed to pay RM 150 just for their entrance. I saved up extra particularly for this. For the other places I roughly planned it out but there was no need for it to be inflexible. Everything was going smooth. However one to two days before the trip I started freaking out. When I told this to my mentor he said it’s too late now. Lol. My dad was not so happy a few days before I depart. He was very concerned and even asked me if he can follow me to Sabah. I told him that I can handle myself and I will be fine on my own. It was nice to see how parents care for you. Then that morning I got a free ride to the airport early in the morning with my mentor and one of my friends because I had a very early flight.

When the flight takes off and you are slowly leaving your home, its dramatic for a few seconds. You are leaving Kuala Lumpur, your home, your dog, your job and everything else. That was just for a while and I slept off after that because it was a 3-hour journey. I got my car right at the airport and I used waze to drive to my hotel. Guess what? You are not familiar with the car and the road. The guy just passed the car and you need to find your own way now. All these thoughts were running in my mind. I took a couple of deep breaths and pulled out my waze to get to my hotel at Kota Kinabalu City.

The good thing is it was just 15 minutes away from the airport. So I drove to my hotel and as I reached I doubted of my decision of renting a car. Because I needed to find a parking! The city was so busy and so packed because of the Gaya Street Market and I was going around the area for more than 5-6 times to find a parking. Around 1pm the market got cleared and while waiting for them I parked the car and walked around to just explore the shops around the street. Then I took my lunch and checked-in to my hotel. The hotel room was small obviously for it was only for me and I liked the room.

I settled in and wondered where to go. Since it was almost 2pm I did not want to go anywhere far so I decided to go to the nearest beach to watch the sunset. I drove to Tanjung Aru Beach, such a lovely and beautiful spot. The sunset was amazingly beautiful. I spent hours there walking around the beach and playing with the sand, how I used to play when I was small. I was building castles until a few small children joined me. Then took some awesome photos of the sunset and some travelers took some good photos of me too. Thanked them for it. It was funny how you are approaching them to ask for help to take a picture and they wanted to ask you the same thing. I helped them take their pics as well. I think talking pictures just once is not enough there so I approached a few more different travelers to help me out as I walked by the beach. The elder people can destroy your picture so I needed to teach them how to take a proper one. The young ones are too good and they taught me to pose as well. Hahahah.

Left the place after a few hours and got back to the hotel. I took my bath and was finding a place to go and have my dinner.

It was a very unique experience what I felt that particular night. I would say travelling alone for one day is just fine but when it’s more than a day it is a bit terrifying for me. I was not feeling good, I was very disturbed and could not bear the loneliness. I guess when I am away from my environment (so much) that’s when my mind can pull off so many dramas and disturbance around. I did face a few where my mind wanted attention and I started receiving calls from people who I last spoke to months ago and it made me wonder. I failed to figure out that my mind wanted attention and did answer the calls. It’s a part of my programming as well as the habit pattern. I was so used to living with my parents and when I was alone there my sub went a bit crazy. That’s all. It was a good way to let my mind go through it so that it will not do the same crazy thing in future because travelling alone was something that I really want to do often. I was texting my mentor and he was teaching me some of the things my mind was trying to pull off. Thanks for teaching me wherever I am. That night I spent my time doing more researches on the places I would like to visit the next day.

Day 2 was an absolute adventure.

Desa Dairy Farm is 3 hrs away from city of Kota Kinabalu and at first when I was doing my preparations I didn’t plan to go there because it is damn far and I was scared to drive up-hill. Don’t know why though but I decided to visit that place on that night and was using waze to find out the distance to decide on the time I needed to wake up. I woke up very early, took my breakfast around 7.30 and took my car to Desa Dairy Farm in Kundasang. Well another obstacles was just when I took my car it started pouring heavily. To think that I am going to drive up hill and it’s raining cats and dogs here, what do I do? Should I still go? Or Go back to the room and continue sleeping? I did drive and thought by the time I reach there it should be fine.  A three hour long drive while listening to my goals and the lady’s voice from waze. Lol. It was such a cold and breezy weather and that’s something that I was fortunate for.

I reached there around 10 am and you don’t know how relived I was when I got there safely after so many hills and steep roads. You are reading about a girl who is so scared to drive up to even to Genting Highland and this time I went up to a 100 Km high highland. I was very proud of myself. Lol.

The place was amazing, worth the 3 hrs drive up with so many challenges. I was amazed by how they take so much of effort to build this place to take care of cute cows there. The scenery was so beautiful and again got some good photographers to take a picture of me. Their Gelato Ice Cream was so yummy and it is made by the milk of cows there. That’s the unique part. They also have milk and chocolate drinks for you to buy that is made by the cow milk as well.

I took my own sweet time to walk around, take good pictures and spend some good time there with the chill weather. The beauty of mountains around the place was mesmerizing. They also call this place “The Little New Zealand”. True Indeed. I really need to thank one of my friends who gave me a power bank and an adapter for me to charge at the car. That was a three-hour drive and I was using waze all the while. I think I really need to take some time to thank all the technologies around that helped me for my stay at Sabah and to get me around.

After spending some time up the hill I got down for another 3 hour drive to the Mari Mari Cultural Village. Oh boy believe me it’s a “must do” in Kota Kinabalu. I just loved how the tribes in Borneo lived back then and the resources they used from nature to make a living. It is located in a countryside and one hour away from the city of Kota Kinabalu. I used waze the entire time. It is also located inside a forest, such a quiet environment. It was not scary but rather soothing and very calming. The guide there was very friendly and helped me take all the pictures inside the village. Lol. They had six different houses of six different tribes in Borneo. To see a totally different culture of the people in Sabah is so fascinating and I loved it. Such a blessing to learn about all of them and I loved the experience that I have gained there. They provide transport from the hotel and have extra charges for that. I did not want to take that because I had my own plans before that.

After that I drove back to hotel and it was a smooth drive. I was extremely tired and thought of resting at the hotel room before I go out somewhere. This night was a bit different compared to the night before. I was very comfortable, happily spending my time there, singing songs and dancing for some songs alone like a crazy girl. I did not want to leave the place the next day. That night I went to the Filipino night market where tons of foods are around and I ate a lot throughout the entire trip. My stomach was full the whole time. Lol.

Then this night I got an email to inform me that my return flight the next day was retimed from 12pm to 2pm. I was very happy because I can spend a bit more time at Sabah.

Day 3

So the following day I woke up really early and went out to the waterfront at Kota Kinabalu. It is a viewpoint of the port. Many ships were around for domestic usages. The Waterfront will be livelier at nights because of the restaurants that normally open in the evening. I walked around the entire city of Kota Kinabalu, which is basically around my hotel and was checking out the things they have. They have a Jesselton point where you could buy tickets to the islands but I did not manage to go there because their jetty service starts at 8am and ends at 4pm. Spending a whole day at the island was a choice I skipped. Then I came back to my hotel for breakfast and accepted the fact that I needed to go back home. At  the end of each and every holiday I would not want to leave the place. 1. My senses get attached and I don’t want to leave. If I don’t leave I can’t work on my goals. I took Uber to the airport, it was only Rm 9.

As a whole it was such an amazing trip and I got to learn about how strong my mind is and its programming. I also took so many risks against my mind that allowed me to be truly happy and I allowed my heart to speak. I guess it is time to take conscious effort to really feed my subconscious mind about this, After I got back I straightaway went and met my team, ET Ideas group as I missed being around them too much. I was extremely tired but what got me there were my lessons on how important is it to be in the right environment where everybody is working on their goals, having a purpose in life, definitely for the betterment of world.

Traveling at my own pace

I didn’t know my second attempt as a solo traveler would be a mind-blowing one. Yes people! Yes! I’m writing this right after my trip. I chose to go to Bukit Tinggi this time because it’s much more affordable compared other places that I would like to visit. I did my usual researches. I read blogs of so many people who have been there. I have always wanted to go to Bukit Tinggi and I was amazed by the way it looked in photos.

But I faced a problem. There’s no direct bus from Bandar Tasik Selatan to Bukit Tinggi. As I was doing my research I found out in one of the traveler’s blog that there’s a shuttle bus going from Berjaya Times Square to Colmar Tropicale, Bukit Tinggi - a French themed resort. I found that as a very good way for me to get there since I can use public transport and don’t have to depend on anyone. So I called the person in charge with the number I found on that website. Here I really learnt that it is so important to do researches about the places that you’d like to visit. 

The person in charge advised me on how to get the tickets. He asked me to go to the Colmar Tropicale, management office at Times Square, 8th Floor. I went there and got my tickets. It costs RM 60 (to and fro). They have a scheduled timing so if you are planning to go, you can choose your preferable timing. I was settled on the transport part. 

The last time I went to Melaka I had some money that I didn’t use. I kept it for my following trips. I also saved money for this trip. So I had about RM 150 in total. I brought this with me.

I was not so scared or nervous this time. I didn’t text my mentor, Elango Thiyagu ( http://elangothiyagu.com/ ) saying, “I can’t believe I’m going to do this.” Haha. Maybe I was just too excited. I just updated him via text before leaving. 

Here’s the surprising part, my dad’s PERMISSION! Haha I didn’t face any difficulties this time. I didn’t do much convincing either. The day I put forward my plan, seeking for his permission, he was getting ready to leave to his hometown to distribute my sister’s wedding invitations. He might’ve been very excited about that and he immediately agreed for my trip without objecting! I was feeling like I was on top of world. He even sent me off to Times Square that morning. (Insert blessed emoji) 

I started walking around as soon as I reached there. My senses were amazed by the amazing architecture. I kept saying "wow, wow, wow and wow" in amazement. I just loved it. I went around sightseeing. My camera was filled with so many pictures and my excitement level was super duper high to an extent that I forgot to have my lunch. 

You can have the top view of the entire Colmar Tropicale from a tower there. Don't forget to take as many pictures as you want. A very unique and authentic place I would say. Feel the France and explore everything. Outside at the entrance there's a small garden with benches. This garden has amazing flowers. You can just sit, relax and enjoy the view of Colmar Tropicale as well as the flowers. There’s also a basement area that can be accessed by a staircase. You would see the swimming pool of the resort down there. There are also a few geese around there along with a swan lake. You can basically have a quick walk around the entire place. The temperature there is a bit cooler than KL but during the day it's almost the same (except for rainy days) and at night it's a way cooler.  

Then I took the shuttle to Japanese village. It's not too far. But the open shuttle was very nice to travel with the cold wind. Shuttle services are only available for the Japanese village and Botanical garden. You may need to drive to the rest of the attractions. Japanese village is further up than Colmar Tropicale. That's why you would feel that it's much cooler there. You’ll love the breeze, would feel really peaceful and relaxed. You need to walk up the hill for 10 minutes to reach Japanese village. It was tiring but not as much as I go for hiking every week. Haha! 

I headed to the Japanese village. It's a very quiet and calm environment.  One of the activities they have is renting a Kimono, RM20 per pax. Please do try this out! Try it out and get the feel of becoming a traditional Japanese lady. After you’re dressed, you are allowed to roam around and take pictures outdoor for 20 minutes. You would also get to take pictures inside the Tatami Spa. 

After that, you can walk down the hill for about 100m and you will find yourself at the Botanical Garden. This is the place where you will see a lot of type of flowers and trees that you might have never seen before. This place is also a very quiet one. Stay there and enjoy the environment. I enjoyed it so much while taking pictures of the flowers. The good thing is I went alone and I don’t have to talk to anyone. But beware of mosquitoes. 

There is a Japanese Restaurant too in the middle of the Botanical Garden! It is called Ryo Zan Tei Japanese Restaurant. The food here is overpriced and expensive. I spent around RM65. The service was quite good. There were not many people around. However, you will have the experience dining in front of these beautiful flowers and trees. I truly enjoyed the view.

One more thing, for this trip I actually forget to bring my power-bank along with me. I went to the restaurant and charged my phone there. But the plug and the place that I wanted to sit were far from one another. I just let my phone charge there and I came and sat at the place which has a wonderful view I would say. I guess the lesson is to really spend some time with myself and nature without having to check my phone all the time. I enjoyed that moment so I have no regrets about it. 

I then left the Japanese village and took the shuttle back to Colmar Tropicale. It was raining and the weather was enjoyable. I went into a restaurant and treated myself with some dessert. I sat there and spent the evening looking at the amazing view of the place. I also noted the different kind of people who passed by and their gestures, emotions and many more. I guess I had my lessons there. Sometimes it's funny to see how certain people react even though they are there for a holiday. 

It was almost time for me to go back home. I got to see the night view of the place. Around 7pm they started their dancing performances in the middle of Colmar Tropicale. They have a mini stage there. They are really amazing dancers. As I was watching their performances, time passed by and I didn't want to leave that place. I thought it would be really great if I could spend more time there, to chill and have fun. Definitely a good place if you are planning on a short vacation. 

I told myself that I have class the following day and I need to get back home. This reminds me of the Coffee with ET session on the topic "Taking a break" organized by Ascendance.( http://ascendancepro.com/ ) I attended that particular talk and the guest speaker; Elango Thiyagu ( elangothiyagu.com ) talked about how taking a short break can derail you away from your goals. As you are working towards your goals it's okay to take short breaks and be sure to get back before it turns into a distraction for your goal. That thought struck me and I immediately snapped out of that moment. 

I guess that's all I have to write for this time. As usual wait for my next adventure!