Round 2 of post-MBBS grad trip - Tioman, here we come~ 

Tioman is a popular destination for avid snorkellers/ scuba divers due to its proximity to Singapore, clear waters, beautiful corals and fascinating marine life. The bunch of us booked a 4D3N trip (with CNE holidays, about SGD 400 per pax) and to be fair, that's the perfect amount of time to be spending on such beach holidays. 

There was a shuttle that picked us up at Newton Hawker Centre and dropped us off at Mersing Jetty, where we had a simple lunch at the jetty's food court before taking a ferry to Tekek Jetty. The entire journey took about 6 hours (but the exact time depends on the traffic at immigration). From Tekek Jetty, Berjaya Resort has a free shuttle that will drive you to their resort. 

The resort isn't exactly brand new but the facilities and rooms (ours was Garden View Chalet) were decently comfortable and clean. We spent most of our time at their pools and beaches. 

If you happen to crave authentic Ramly Burgers, there's a kiosk right beside the jetty that is run by a friendly pakcik with AMAZING burgers. You might wish to takeaway your food though, as the jetty is teeming with sandflies and boy, the bites of those buggers hurt. 

The jetty also has its fair share of friendly felines who will rub themselves against you and wind around your legs purring, in hopes that you'll give them a nice little scratch and offer them some food. 

Convenience stores at the jetty sells at a much cheaper rate than those in the resort, so do get your supplies (*hint: alcohol) there instead. Be sure to catch the shuttle bus back to the resort for it's not fun at all to be marching uphill under dim streetlights for 25 minutes straight with plastic bags in tow, while fending away aggressive monkeys trying to rob you of your bags (speaking from experience indeed). 

Within the resort itself, there are also plenty of food options. We had lunch at Matahari, a Thai restaurant by the beach (I loved their chicken wings and kway teow). Our daily buffet breakfasts and dinners were at Sri Nelayan, and the same restaurant also offers some light finger food for some poolside chilling. The prices of food within the resort isn't cheap (by Malaysian standards), so for our last night, we ventured out of the resort for some beachside Tze Char. Now that's what I call a hearty, affordable dinner. 

Just look at how instagram-worthy the pool was! 

On a side-note, we were out in the sun so much we started sporting some real impressive sunburns. The fact that we kayaked to Renggis Island and snorkelled in the blazing sun without lathering our backs with sufficient sunscreen probably contributed to that as well. Kayaking was RM 20 /hr (single) and RM 40 /hr (double). 

On our second day, we booked a speedboat for a round-island adventure (RM 150 per pax). We went past the Twin Peaks (Dragon's Horns), trekked up Asah Waterfall, dropped by Juara Village for lunch, and snorkelled at Teluk Dalam (deep bay), Monkey Bay, Marine Park Centre, and Renggis Island. The waters are so clear we managed to spy cuttlefish, crabs, sea urchins, rainbow coloured fishes and even swam with some reef sharks. 

Asah waterfall was slightly underwhelming though, for it was during the dry season when we visited and parts of the stream has dried up. 

We also managed to rent some bikes (slightly old and creaky with squealing brakes) to cycle around the whole resort, and escape from pesky wild monkeys. It costs RM 5 / hour (or RM 15/ 4 hours or RM 25 for a full day). If you are feeling adventurous, you could always rent ATVs (at RM 150 / hour with additional RM 30 if it's shared) - which would offer you a better chance at running away from the monkeys.

For late night chill vibes and live accoustic music, you can pop down to the beach bar for some cocktails (and some quality htht). Truth be told, we preferred mixing our own drinks that we got from the jetty's convenience store. 

It was a fun laid back trip with my baes and I'm looking forward to our next adventure together! <3 

Travelling to and living in Sydney for a month definitely counts as my greatest 2018 adventure. 

Technically, I was on my month-long overseas medical electives with the University of Sydney at Westmead Hospital's Endocrinology department, but it was so chill that it felt like an extended holiday. 

Weather

Sydney's weather is fickle. One day it could be freezing at 16 degrees Celsius (I know it's nothing compared to the harsh winters in Europe but please don't scoff at the wimpy Singaporean who believes that anything lower than AC temperature equates to "chilly") and the next day, temperatures could soar up to 39 degrees Celsius. Keyword? Layer. Remember to bring along cardigans, jackets, whatever outerwear you have to layer over your summer clothes. 

Communications

For my phone plan, I purchased Vodafone's pre-paid SIM card at a promotional price of 25 AUD at their airport booth (original price 40 AUD), with unlimited local calls and SMSes, and a 16 GB data plan for 35 days. 

Transportation

Public transport in Sydney is not the most convenient, for their "CBD-to-suburb" trains run at a frequency of one ride per 10-15 minutes. If you ever miss your bus (heaven forbid), the next will take half an hour to arrive. In fact, the most running I've ever done in Sydney was to run for the trains and buses. Opal card is Sydney's version of the Ez-link card/ metropass. Just top up your card with any amount, tap in or out at station gantries, and download the Opal app to manage your trip details. Each ride would set you back by around 3 to 4 AUD, depending on the time period which you are travelling at. To be honest, if you have a viable license and you are in a group of 4 or more, it would be cheaper to rent a car for the trip (parking fees and road tolls excluded). Personally I would recommend Bayswater Car Rentals for their good-quality, fuss-free services.

Sydney is a paradise for nature lovers, thrill-seekers, museum geeks and cafe-hoppers. For my trip, I included both the classic spots and those off-the-beaten-track. 

Here's a breakdown of my adventures in the land down under!

For our 3-day-2-nights roadtrip from Sydney > Blue Mountains > Hunter Valley > Port Stephens > Sydney, we had quite a few hits-and-misses. 

At the Blue Mountains, we realised that Hassans Falls, Echo Point & Three Sisters and Leura Lookout were the 3 most impressive spots. Covette's Leap and Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens could be included if you had spare time but Jellybean Pool is definitely a no-go. 

Hunter Valley is great for wine-lovers. Besides wine-tasting in award-winning wineries, even the drive itself is enjoyable. You can simply watch the fields roll by with farm animals roaming around in them. That's what I call the true country life.

Port Stephens would be the highlight of the entire roadtip. The vast expanse of almost-white sand dunes is the perfect spot for swoon-worthy instagram photos that scream #wanderlust. You can experience sandboarding, camel-riding and horse-riding. Birubi beach, located right beside the sand dunes, is also a nice tranquil beach to chill at. If you are there from April to June, you may even catch a glimpse of dolphins and whales when you join their Port Stephens cruises. 

On the way back from Port Stephens, we passed by Lake Macquarie and spotted some furry wild kangaroos. They are surprisingly mild and non-aggressive. Do prepare apples and carrot sticks for these cute little creatures if you want to get up-close-and-personal encounters with them!

Even after 1 whole month in Sydney, I can't confidently say that I've explored the entire city properly. There are simply way too many gems in and around this beautiful city. All my pictures won't do justice to this amazing place. 

Sydney, I'll be back :)