This would be my first dive trip of 2016. Well, coming home from US, makes me longing to be underwater again. As usual, my parents are tagging along for my dive trip. And, because of that, I had to choose a suitable and decent accommodation in Perhentian. 

I choose The Barat for good reviews and it's location on the quieter area of Perhentian Besar. We booked the Garden Family Room, costing RM280 per night. This room has 24 hr electricity, with fan, A/C, hot shower, small fridge, safe deposit box and hair dryer. The room has a Queen bed with a bunk bed (4 adults). Boat ride costs RM 60 per pax for return journey.

Well, there was a lot of huge mosquitoes on the island, so we come prepared. We bought some mosquito repellant incense. The beach right in front of the resort was not suitable for swimming. Go to right side, where the Coral Bay was located. It was much nicer to snorkel and swim here. There were plenty restaurants next to The Barat. We ate at the in house restaurant as well as went to Mama's Restaurant next door. 

Turtle Bay Divers (TBD) were located nest to Panorama and both dive centre are the best in Perhentian. Bridget from TBD arranged my transport to and from the Big island for free. The dive shop is big, pretty crowded during surface intervals. The staff are friendly and very helpful. The dive group were small, consists of 4 divers max (pretty much common in Panorama too) with an alternating dive schedule. The price was the same as any dive shop on the island, but they charged extra for T3 and Tokong Laut.

I dived with Pascale, Daniel and Manu over the 2 days and met new friends. The equipment was well maintained and the boat was okay. As usual, if you're diving in Perhentian, please work out for your upper body strength to climb the boat after the dive. No ladder available, people. Well, let see where I dived this time:

D'Lagoon - last time I was here, this was my favourite dive spot due to it's amazing visibility. It does not disappoint this time too. Visibility was around 8 meters, I dived for 50 minutes with max depth of 11.9 meters. Spotted 2 huge Jenkin's Whip ray (It was so early on the dive, by the time I turn on my camera, they disappear to under the rocks). Saw small rays, blacktop reef shark, barracudas, batfish and of course a lot of corals.

Tokong Laut - dream spot of everyone. The English translation is Temple of The Sea. It was famous for it's diverse marine life and amazing coral garden. Turns out to be the worst dive in my diving experience due to very very strong current and bad visibility. The visibility was around 4 metres and we lasted less than 30 minutes underwater at 18 meters depth. I managed to spot ray, treavlly and yellow tail. The vis gets worse at the end of the dive. So, I might repeat this next year since I'm not happy with this one.

T3 or Terumbu Tiga (maybe T2 as well)  - famous due to huge boulders laying on top of each other that creates a cave like dive to diver. Saw Flabellina nudi, Joruna nudi, glass shrimp, some reef fish. Nudi's are a lot here especially in the critters. Depth was 12.5 meters with 47 minutes dive time.

Shark Point - Ironically I saw no sharks at all. LOL. Saw Hawkbill turtles, parrot fish. The visibility was poor also for this dive. The surface surge was bad, that I actually feel seasick while waiting on diver to climb the boat.

Overall, I will dive with TBD again. They are fun and very informative divers. We actually took the time to go over each other skills and how to improve them. If you have any concerns, they will help you to work on your skill - buoyancy, finning etc. For me, my problem recently was that I float during my 3 meter safety stop. I realised, I forgot to deflate once my air reached 80 bar. The resort was pleasant and I would stay here again for sure. See you next time, Perhentian!

What are manatees? It is a mammal that looks like a seal, except it lives in the river. Florida has a lot of Manatee Reservation and the closest one to Orlando is the Blue Spring State Park, Orange City. It took about 1 hour drive from Orlando. I got in touch with hannahonearth on her trip to see the manatees while she's in FL. She went to a larger spring called Crytal Lake. Too bad for me, Crystal Lake was further away from Orlando and my flight was at noon.

After checking out, this time I properly downloaded my offline map and off I go to the Blue Spring. The entrance fee was $6 and the park opens at 8am - perfect for my short time in Orlando. I dreamt of maybe do some canoeing or paddle boarding but the rental centre does not open until 10 am. At the park ranger's booth the manatee count was 6 (pretty low) due to colder water temperature. 

There is a trail called the Blue Pool trail, where you can walk on the board walk and see couple of pools in the park. I expected clear pools that you can see the bottom just like hannahoneath's pictures and I did not get disappointed. It was amazing that the river was crystal clear! I can see the bottom and all the fishes inside the river. And, I manage to spot 2 manatees swimming and floating in the middle of the lake.

The park actually open for swimming and water sports, but the activity ceased during manatee season. I saw a couple owning a boat actually get closed and personal with the manatees. Ahh, how I wish I have an inflatable pocket kayak in my bag. Nevertheless, it was an amazing experience and the river was very beautiful. We always thought US waters are polluted but not in Orlando. they keep it very clean and beautiful. I don't see any blue river like this in Malaysia - the only ones I saw was when I visited Interlaken, Switzerland. 

I spend 1.5 hours at the park (I wish I spent more) and I drove straight to the airport to return the car rental and board the flight to Houston. I initially wanted to go to the beaches but considering it is Spring Break, I don't think I managed to handle the massive crowds. I had to passed on the Cape Canevral Space Centre too. The security line in Orlando was worst. Thankfully they open two sections to speed up the process. The flight was okay except when the plane was about to land. it was so scary since we're landing cross-wind. The plane shook and sway very hard that a kid besides me started to cry. I was terrified but thankfully, the pilot land it smoothly.

Overall, I am very happy on how my solo trip turns out. I get to go to every places I planned to despite of several short comings. Who knows, I might come back to visit Orlando next time?

After the harrowing journey to get here, I managed to find the Main Gate to the parking complex. I salute the USO management in handling massive crowds. The parking complex was huge and has multiple travelators. Parking fee was compulsory and the charged $20. Unless you stayed at a hotel the night before, you have to park here. I bought my tickets from the website and trust me, it was so expensive. It costs $156 for the entrance. I nearly cried while paying but considering this is my ultimate dream since I was a big Potterhead, I concede and pay.

There was a huge line at the parking entrance. I spent 20 minutes going through the counter. The parking lot was assigned to each character and I got the SpiderMan zone. Entering the park, they have employed security with X-ray scanner and metal detector. Just like other Universal, they have different Worlds and my eye was fixed on ONE - Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Diagon Alley/King's Cross. Getting through to WWHP, I passed through the whimsical and colourful World of Dr Seuss obviously for kids. Amazingly, the queue time was not bad at all! I don't have to buy the Express Pass like I did for USS.

Florida beaches

Whimsical World of Dr Seuss

I entered the gateway and there it was, the magnificent Hogwart's Castle. Walked through Hogsmeade and saw the Hogwart's Express station. Yes, there is only ONE Hogwart's Express ride and it is in Orlando. They don't have it in Japan. Being in Hogsmeade was so magical that is brings the memories of reading and imagining the famous JK Rowling fantasy that was a huge part of my childhood. I scream internally when I saw the Three Broomstick, the Ollivander shop. It was so magical and moving.

Hogsmeade

Hogwarts Express

Dragon Challenge Coaster

I chose two ride both Dragon Challenge roller coaster which consist of the Hungarian Horntail and the Chinese Fireball track. There was a locker, free for 1 hour and it was packed with people. I managed to squeeze and keep my bags. Well, the beauty of a Single Rider is that you get on the ride quickly. I waited for 20 minutes for each coaster. It reminds me of the Battlestar Galactica in USS. The ride was fierce and I think the Chinese Fireball was the fastest. Then, I went to the next ride which was the famous Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey. 1 hour queues.

Butter Beer. yes, it's non-alcoholic.

The luncheon at Three Broomsticks

We enter the Hogwart's Castle where the magic come to live. Literally. The paintings move, talk and there's magical spell and you can spot Dumbledore in the Castle. It was amazing! Just like I'm in Hogwarts! They even got the Madam Pomfrey's garden right to the detail. I mean, the details is just amazing! The ride? Well, I got stuck in the middle. Fair to say, I hate the ride. I got severe motion sickness that I actually closed my eyes the entire time. I had a Butter Beer and lunch in the Three Broomstick, just like Harry did!

I then went to ride the Hogwarts Express back to King's Cross. There was a very long queue since it was almost 7 pm. You will be seated with 5 other occupants and you can see experience the train ride as if the characters' are right outside your coach door. It is a real train you guys.

My last ride in WWHP would be the Escape From Gringotts ride in Dragon Alley. I got lost trying to find Diagon Alley. It was located behind the set of brick gates somewhere in King's Cross. This was the BEST ride among them all. Located well, in Gringotts, complete with a fire breathing dragon on top of the bank.

The fire breathing dragon on top of Gringott's

I attend a couple of shows including the Choir, the Ollivander shop, some singing in Dragon Alley. Also bought some souvenirs from both WWHP and Dragon Alley. The Weasley shop was colourfully decorated and magical - not interested in tasting the Puking Pastiles though.

King's Cross

London's Bus

At night, USO has a Mardi Gras parade along with a free The Script Concert. I was running out of time and do not want to spend too long there at night, alone. The last ride I took was the Hollywood Ripe Ride Rock It coaster. It was super fast and the thrill of being vertically carried to the peak was awesome. My song choice for this one was Kanye West's Stronger. I rode with a hype college dude who was very excited for the ride. LOL.

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit

My room at Best Western Orlando Convention Centre

After buying souvenir, I walked to the parking complex. The USO complex seems alive since they have a mall with cinemas and restaurants. I was greeted by a Muslim family on my way back and it seems they were very happy to see me. I am off to my hotel which was Best Western Orlando Convention Centre. It was cheap, located about 7 minutes drive from USO. The room was spacious and clean. They even let me use the printer and PC for free. For me, this was probably the best hotel since it was away from the crowd (I went there during Spring Break), very family friendly and cheap. On to next post where I meet Manatees!

I have been dreaming to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando. I used to made remarks of going here and here I am, standing in front of the Hogwart's Castle. It was the first for everything. This was my first Solo Trip in my life.

As a lot of you may have read my post on Tips for Solo Female Traveller, I choose to go to Orlando for my trip. I was initially planning to go to San Francisco, but the flight tickets were so high,I could not even afford it (costs $770 return, on a budget airline).

From Houston, I parked my car at the EcoPark at IAH paying $12. Went there at 5 since my flight is at 7 am. They provide free shuttle to each terminals and they will give you a coupon stating your parking lot (keep it so they can take you straight to your car). This was my first domestic flight in the US. The flight will took 2 hours and the airline I chose was Spirit. Spirit is a low cost airline that charged you for you cabin carry-on. Seriously? I just packed a small bag pack inside my Longchamp since I was staying for 1 night. I, now appreciate Air Asia after my Spirit experience.

Well, security of US airports were a hassle. There was a very long line to the Homeland and Security counter (they just check your boarding pass and ID). Then, it was the harrowing X-ray scanner, metal detector and full body scan. I always prepared so I did not wear layers or shoes that are hard to take off when I fly. The plane was normal, but the seat pitch was bigger that AA, I would say same as EasyJet in EU.

Landing at the airport, I finally told my mother I was in Florida. She was shocked and didn't believe me, so I send her the photo I took of the Florida beaches from the plane. Queue was long at the car rental counter. Walk across the road for car rental and I got a Mitsubishi Lancer (here, it was considered as compact car). I thought I finished downloading my Here Offline Maps so I venture out of the airport to the highway. The highway has too many intersection, it was confusing. I followed the sign and then my GPS kicked off. I set the GPS to bring me to Universal Resort and reaching 30 minutes of my drive, the place looks weird and I saw the sign of Tampa.

My heart dropped. I know I was lost! I felt weird the GPS brought me so close to Tampa. Then it instructed me to exit the highway and after 20 minutes I reached Universal Resort, which is a local resort named Universal. NOT UNIVERSAL STUDIO. I was horrified. I on my mobile data, but there is no data received and I thought it was a connection problem initially. I almost CRY alone in the car in the middle of a strange town. I stopped at Shell, wishing there was wifi but there was none. I decided to go back to the airport. 

I saw a Walmart and immediately stop near the entrance to get the Free WiFi. Walmart save my life that day. I finally located myself near Tampa, far from Orlando. I reset the GPS to the airport since my GPS failed to recognise Universal Studio or any other landmarks. I was 1.5 hours away from Orlando and I want to cry. Calculating properly, I would reach Universal Studio around 1pm because of traffic . HALF DAY GONE just like that. I quickly exited the highway and follow the Airport sign. The traffic was bad and reaching at the airport, I followed the sign to Universal Studio. The thing was, there was not many sign at the highway. After 30 minutes, I finally saw the Exit to Disney World and Universal Studio. Yeay!!!

It was odd that the theme parks were located in the middle of the town. Then, I saw the Universal Boulevard and I reached Universal Studio safe and sound at 12.30 pm. I keep my positivity up and don't give up.

Later that day, I found out Celcom actually barred my line because I exceeded the max limit of RM150. I remember I called TWICE to raised my credit limit to RM500 and clearly that failed. Can you imagine if something bad happen during the trip and I could not communicate to the outside world? Celcom is so irresponsible and I do not trust them at all point forward. I regretted I did not purchase the US sim card and trust Celcom instead. I was lucky that day that everything was smooth and I got to be at the place I want to be.

It was definitely a lesson learnt. Make sure map is correctly downloaded and don't trust Celcom.

This is my favourite places in Texas. This was our last stop in the road trip and we choose to spent the night at the Riverwalk. San Antonio Riverwalk consists of some small rivers and flood management system in San Antonio. Along the banks, they constructed hotels, houses and it was a walk away from one of Texas War Memorial called The Alamo for the Alamo battle.

San Antonio is located South of Austin and 3.5 hours drive from Houston. There were plenty of hotels at the Riverbank. We choose to stay at an old charming hotel called San Antonio Riverwalk O'Briens Historic Hotel. It was the cheapest option with excellent review. It is located in front of a parking bay and 2 mins walk from the Riverwalk. It was old but very clean and provide breakfast, except noises I heard coming from the road at 3 am during the commencement of Daylight Savings in US.

The parking across the hotel is a private parking that charges $5 from evening to 6am. We reached the hotel quite late around 8pm. Checked in, and we went exploring the Riverwalk at night. There was a lot of people considering it was actually near to St. Patrick's Day. We walked halfway and basically trying to survey restaurants along the riverbank. We choose the Hilton's fresco restaurant right by the river and I ate salmon while RR had some salad. We were just people watching and just take in the environment. The Riverwalk reminds me of Venice in a lot of ways. But, Riverwalk was prettier and not smelly. 

We then took a walk and visited some flee market along one of the river's bridge. There was a lot of college kids on their Spring break and I think we fit in just well LOL. We found a souvenir shop and we decided to buy our Texas souvenirs here. Price was not that bad. I managed to buy loads of fridge magnets and a San Antonio t-shirt for my dad. We decided to take the river cruise in the morning instead and went to the hotel to get some sleep. We went to sleep at 11 and woke up at 6 to refill our parking meter.

Had a simple breakfast at the hotel (I just had pastries and coffee) and RR decided she was still hungry. So we went into a Breakfast Bar to had some breakfast. The food was blend and tasteless. We then went to buy tickets for the cruise. We sat in front and the boatman again, had lived in Malaysia row few years. Another small world. We talked and he invited us to take photo as if we are steering the boat. It was amazing and the boat man was super nice. We went around the river with the boat man told the history of the place and mentioned how the Riverwalk was build. The water was green because the dyed it for St. Patrick's Day.

After the cruise, we went for a short walk to get to The Alamo. The Alamo is a war memorial for the Alamo battle. It was actually a church. We did not go in since the line was so long. We just read the brief history outside and left. A lot of people we chat with thought we were studying in Texas. I guess RR and I still got the college kids look.

We went off early to San Marcos Outlet to shop. Again. This time I scored some A&F shirts. We left quite early to make sure we reached Houston in the evening. San Antonio Riverwalk is an amazing short vacation spot. It was happening, pretty and so relaxing. I would go back if I ever be in Texas again. Perhaps I would stay longer here just chilling.

Small Rodeo show by Cowboys at George's Ranch

RR found a working ranch called George's Ranch located in Richmond, which is about 1.5 hours drive from Houston. What makes it perfect is not only it was enrolee to Austin but the ranch is actually a real working ranch! So, real cowboys here!

Richmond is a small town and going to the ranch, we go through some small roads. The ranch was one of the largest ranch here and what makes it interesting, the ranch was owned by 4 generations of women, not men.

The 1st occupants of this ranch got their land from the government where back in the late 1800s, before Texas was in USA, the government gave it's people land to do some farming or ranching for free. Basically Mr Jones work on the land, and later on expand this land in the coming years. Mr and Mrs Jones has 12 kids and they passed the ranch to the eldest daughter who marry a Ryon. Ryon's daughter inherit this and marry a Davis and passed it to her daughter. Then this daughter married a George and this is where the family line ends.

It was a big complex and the ranch consists of a cattle farm, rodeo stands and the 4 houses of each generation - Jones, Ryon, Davis and George. Each inheritor own their own house on the land. The oldest hoist was dated back in 1830 which was the Jones' house. It looks like a shed and the Park worker kept all belongings of the family dated back to 1830. They even have actors which will re-enact how they lived in 1830s. It was a very interesting experience seeing on how people lived in that era. It was just a shed with outdoor cooking area. Very simple beds made with hay.

We visited the Ryon and George's house as well. You can see the difference in living condition for each house which is very interesting. It was a walk in living museum. During our visit, there was a Butter Churning demo in the Ryon's house. It was mind blowing seeing how people made butter back in those days. Such hard work. I wouldn't do it if I have to. lol. Remember I told you the line ends at George's? The George's only son and child died during infancy. They raised their niece, Nancy and she would then become the heir. Unfortunately, she was killed in an automobile accident at a very young age, around her early 20s. At that time, Nancy, the last surviving heir was pregnant with her first child. With no heritage line continue, the extended family set up a George Foundation which kept the ranch running until today and later transform this land to a Historical Park.

The house was a typical ranch house - like RR like to point out, she felt like we were in the film The Notebook. The house was huge and of course creepy. Each house has their own guide which dressed and talk like the house's era. Well, I find the George's house the creepiest since the setting reminds me of the house in The Conjuring. My God.

We also visited the ranch show. First, the cowboys will show us some rodeo skills. We are one of the first so one of the head cowboys introduced us to it's horse called Doc. So cute, but RR was scared of animals. Sigh. We talked with the Cowboy and we were surprised when he greeted us with "Selamat Pagi". He told us he was a marine and actually went to Malaysia for 1 year to train with our Army. What a small world indeed. We talked a lot about KL and Malaysia.

The cowboys showed us the famous Longhorn. Owh my God, the horns are soooo long and it does not seem happy. LOL. The cowboys then demonstrates on how they disinfect cows and cattles in the farm. Well, the new stock will come to a stable in a line, injected and then the cows fly into a small pool of disinfectant. Yes, flying cows.

Overall, it was such a great experience for me and RR. We had so much fun walking around the beautiful ranch, learn on the ranch history and even get to see the living experience of several different eras. I truly recommend you go here if you are ever in Houston.