What would you do if you only have 48hours and a limited budget in Krabi?

These costs 5baht each stick.

This crispy and sweet dessert costs 20baht for 14 pcs.

5 pcs of these huge, fresh, prawns per stick cost 20baht.

This spicy Thai seafood noodle salad costs 40baht per serving.

This excellent ice-blended cappucino topped with fresh cream and others stuff costs 25baht each.

And this excellent beef noodle for breakfast costs 35baht a bowl.

Oh....and there's a lot more choices of food to enjoy. Just travel to Krabi and visit their night market every Friday, Saturday and Sunday and you will definitely put on some extra kgs before you leave!!

It’s not that I am cheap, (ok well, maybe a little cheap) but the current economic situation has made me pull the break on frills like say…oh, I don’t know…an automated letter opener, a golden encrusted dog collar and maybe even an underwater handbag.

We’re all being careful with money these days. We may have all indulged in extravagances in the past but now we’d have to tighten our belts a little and get creative.
For travel bugs who still enjoy seeing new places, cultures and meeting new people, how about these to keep the bank accounts intact and make the heart happy?

1. Travel in groups
Share the cost! You’ll be amazed at how much you can save (not to mention try) when you have a group of a travel buddies to share the price. Imagine ordering dinner, you’ll get to try different dishes at the cost of one. One extra head is also one extra ‘talent’ within the group to haggle prices down.

2. Research, research, research…
Look out for interesting and FREE places to visit. Opt for places that do not charge an entrance fee. You’ll find that markets, museums, beaches, places of worship and parks are usually free. Malls of course are also free provided you have the will power to resist…

3. Meet locals
I once met a guy who went to Thailand and spent most of his time in the temples and its premises teaching young children how to draw. He had with him a few boxes of crayons and paper, where he distributed to kids.
Make friends with the local community, and hear what they have to share. They
often have very interesting tales to tell.

4. Invent your own games
This is one of my favourites. I love challenging my friends to loony, wacky things when we are on holiday like running a short distance race or saying hello to a stranger. You can do almost anything and even set up your own rules. Do a mini Amazing Race and battle your friends to various check points with the least amount of money.

5. Carry bottled water
''It’s only a dollar'' you may hear yourself say. We all know how dollars build up and then you’ll be thinking, were did my money go? Be prudent, bring along a container and fill it up with plain water before embarking on your day out. Most hotels and hostels provide boiled water free of charge when requested.

6. Pick up new skills
Did you know that a compact camera can do a lot? Try different angles and wait for the weather to change for different effects on the picture. Taking up photography is just one of many new skills you can hone that doesn’t cost a thing. You can always learn a new card game or try your hand at art (draw portraits, paint buildings – the works!) or even do origami with leaves/grass.

7. Observe nature
You’re sitting by the beach and you notice that there are little crabs running about you. Ever wondered what they are doing or what the balls or sand by their homes are for? Observing nature is free and is something anyone can do almost anywhere. If your curiosity is not quenched by just watching, look for free WiFi and Google it!

If you love having fun for free, share your tips with me! :-)

We have just returned from Langkawi late October 2008. We were on a very tight budget but still had loads of fun. (read more...)

Never been to East Malaysia before, so flew with AirAsia to Kuching recently. Went to the Chinese History Museum, Kuching Water Front, mosque and Tua Pek Kong Temple, all located in Kuching town.

Also went to Semenggoh Nature Reserve to see orang utans and a Bidayuh Longhouse with a tourist guide that charged us RM150 per person.

At Bidayuh Longhouse, there is a head house where the head trophies are placed.

The picture below shows the Bidayuhs' lifestyle in the longhouse.

We also went to Gunung Gading National Park but saw only one rafflesia (not so big). Unfortunately, my camera had no battery that time and I was unable to snap shots of the big flower. We went there by bus through Lundu town which charge us RM10 one way per person. From Lundu town, we took a white bas sewa to the national park for RM10 one way. The entry fee to the national park is RM10. Overall, the cost of going there is only RM50 per person.

We lived in a budget hotel and the budget hotel price is from RM45 onwards. We had good food also where our friend from Kuching treated us to seafood. The fried oyster at Kuching is different from the Penang fried oyster where the oyster was fried like a big keropok (cracker) and the oyster stick on the keropok.

We also ate laksa sarawak, its soup was like curry mee soup only brown in colour and also cook with coconut milk. It is cooked with mihun with prawn and chicken meat.

Also ate mee kolok. Nothing special about mee kolok, only cooked mee mixed with soya sauce. The price of a bowl of mee is similar to Penang's price which ranges from RM2.50 to RM3.00.

Hope I have the chance to come back to Sarawak as I wish to visit Bako National Park. With AirAsia, average people like me can also travel, hope AirAsia expands its network so that traveling to all tourist attraction countries is possible, I am just waiting to fulfill my dreams.