{Malaysia} 2013 and the Perhentian Islands

Photographs from our trip to Malaysia (and in particular the Perhentian Islands) in August this year.
We flew straight from Incheon airport to Kuala Lumpur on AirAsia (very reasonable return flights if you are flexible on your departure days) and then caught an overnight bus to Kuala Besut where we caught the speed boat to the islands.

On returning from the islands, we booked very cheap flights on AirAsia from the closest town from the jetty (Kuala Bharu) which was a short trip to Kuala Lumpur. We definitely recommend flying instead of the overnight bus. Its easier, much quicker, and only costs a little more than the bus. The only downside is you then need to catch a taxi from Kuala Bharu to Kuala Besut to the jetty. Kuala Bharu has a wonderful market filled with fascinating sights and sounds (see the photographs at the end of the post) where we spent an afternoon.

The Perhentian Islands are made up of two islands, Perhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecil. Besar is the bigger island which is more family orientated with bigger hotels/resort type accommodation, and Kecil is known for it's night life and a younger, more backpacker atmosphere. We spent our holiday on Kecil, which looking back now, wasn't the best decision we have ever  made. The island was very noisy at night, filed with party animals looking for a good time. If you're looking for a lively holiday filled with late nights and drinking what expensive alcohol you can get your hands on then head to Kecil. You won't be disappointed. Kecil has two sides, coral bay and turtle bay. Coral Bay is slightly quieter, and that is where the 'nicer' accommodation is. Turtle Bay is where most of the great restaurants and cafes are. You can easily walk (15 minutes) between the two bays through the 'jungle'. You can also easily get from one island to the other by taking a 'water taxi' which go to and fro all day and late into the evening.

We hadn't booked any accommodation before hand (which was a little nerve wracking as we were arriving in peak season). But on Kecil, the majoriy of the hostels are not online so booking is practically impossible. We spent the first two nights in a really crummy room, which was the cheapest we could find, but it was definitely on the dingy. With a back entrance that faced a sewer, it wasn't the most imviting of places, but it suited out purposes (a place to sleep and shower...even if showering meant a dripping pipe in a dark corner of the bathroom).

We decided to treat ourselves for two nights at Shari-La Resort (MYR250 a night per room), which to be honest was extremely over priced and old. Looking back, it was a huge waste of money, and the buffet breakfast which had so enticed us was a real let down. But, the rooms had hot and cold water, and an aircon.

The best place we stayed (when we were able to get there at the right time to grab a room from someone checking out) was Ewans Place & Cafe (click here for their Facebook Page). This was by far the best value for money, it was incredibly clean and comfortable, and Ewans Cafe is where we spent most afternoons using the free WiFi and eating good food. Ewan is a wonderfully friendly chap, who seems to remember each person who visits! At only MYR70 a night, it was by far the best value for money on the island. No aircon but the huge overhead fan was more than sufficient.

It ended up not being a very budget friendly holiday. Make sure to change all your money BEFORE going to islands as there are only one or two places where you can exchange money, and you will get ripped off. There are no ATMS either, so make sure to carry cash. Although you are able to pay with a credit card at most of the bigger hotels and resorts. They do charge a 5 % fee though.

If you have any questions about our trip, feel free to contact us at farmboyandcitygirl{at}gmail{dot}com and we'll be happy to help you.

Jeonju Diner, Jeonju South Korea

Over the long weekend here in South Korea, Farmboy and I headed to Jeonju to try out Jeonju Diner. I am a fan of theirs on Facebook and am always left feeling rather peckish from all the postings of delicious looking food that the owner Dave, posts throughout the day.

You can find more information (including their specials) by heading over to their Facebook page by clicking here.

We had a little trouble in finding the place (it didn't help that our taxi driver didn't know how to use his GPS and ended up charging us a fortune while he parked on the side of the road to figure it out). So if you do get lost, just phone them on 063-229-4010 and one of the friendly people there will help you out.

We stuffed our faces silly on a blue cheese burger and a steak burrito (and of course their home made fries went down a real treat too!). As it was Chuseok and Koreans traditionally give fruit as presents, we were given a plate of gourmet apples, peanut butter and maple syrup to wet the appetite (thanks for sharing your left over apples with us Dave!).

Prices range from W7 000 - W15 000. Yummy food and a great atmosphere makes for a delightful meal out in Jeonju.

Address:
698-6 Samcheondong 1ga, Wansan-gu, Jeonju 560812

Hours:
Mon - Thu: 10:00 - 22:00
Fri - Sat: 10:00 - 00:00

(make sure to check ahead on their Facebook page to see if they are opening earlier/later on in the day)

Happy Chuseok South Korea!

Today, tomorrow and Friday are all public holidays here in South Korea (yippee!) which means a wonderful 5 day weekend for Farmboy and CityGirl. We had planned (& booked!) an exciting trip to Mongolia, but alas, things didn't quite work out (click here to read more on that) instead we are heading up to Seoul tomorrow for 2 nights to start celebrating our 1 year wedding anniversary.

In the mean time, I want to leave you with the above wonderful photograph taken by the lovely Dorette from Dots.I.Am.Photography (Dorrette is another South African photographer here in Korea and takes wonderful photo's...click here to visit her Facebook page while her website is undergoing a few changes).

Chusoek is the  Korean Thanksgiving holiday, and is spent with family. The women cook and prepare yummy traditional snacks and the time is spent with loved ones.

Happy Chuseok friends, I hope you get spoilt with lots of fruit (especially apples as they are so expensive here compared to back home in South Africa!)

South Korea, the second time around...

Farmboy and I have just arrived back in South Korea for our second contracts with the public school education program. We have again come over with EPIK (English Program in Korea).

Our first time around, we arrived with a bunch of other teachers (many of whom were also from South Africa, and started our year with an Orientation Program. Orientation programs happen twice a year in the main intakes which are February and August. As this time around we have been placed at an unusual time of the year, there has been no orientation (and with it being our second time I don't think we would have to attend anyway). Although, we have definitely missed the opportunity to make loads of new friends which is one of the huge bonuses of the Orientation program. After our first contract, we returned home to South Africa to get married. And here we are back again, 3 years later. (click here to see more photo's from our wedding!)

As have been placed midyear here, we had to find our own way to our designated Province (Jeonbuk for us) which would have been pretty darn difficult had we not already been introduced to the Korean public transport system back in 2010. This is one of the biggest reasons we both highly recommend coming to Korea during one of the major placement times, and doing so into the Public School System. Although neither of us have taught at Hagwons (Private Academy) before, the stress and culture shock of arriving in a place that does things SO very differently is hard to wrap your head around and get your work set up sorted. That's why think EPIK is so awesome. Things have been very difficult for us this second time around, granted it has only been 4 days and we are now in a rural area as opposed to the hustle and bustle of Daejeon, but at least the main elements of our work (apartment/salary/alien registration cards/bank accounts/cell phones etc) have been sorted out by our respective co-teachers and the EPIK supervisors we have had along the way.

I promise I'm not trying to sell EPIK to you, I have read some threads online with peoples terrible experiences with EPIK, but so far, Farmboy and I have been pretty happy with them.

That's all from me for today, I'm going to be posting about the 'difficulties' we have had this time around tomorrow (and of course info on where we are, what its like and of course more photographs!).

x CityGirl x

Farmboy & CityGirl Hit Korea Round 2!

As of this weekend, Farmboy and I are officially going to hitting South Korean soil for another year (or 3) of adventures! We are so excited!

 

This time our journey is taking us to Jeonbuk Province. We aren't sure as yet which town we will be in, but we look forward to exploring all the little nooks and crannies of this south western parts of Korea.

We will touch down towards the end of June. Looking forward to sharing more of our adventures/photographs/stories with all of you.

xxx