Backpack & Gears

Sabah Golf Excursion ~ from Brunei Darussalam

2011-09-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

Registration Form

Terms & Conditions

Itinerary & Receipt

Par 3 Golf Course for the Casual Golfers

2011-07-09T01:01:00.000-07:00

The Garden Golf Course ~ a 9-Holes Golf Course where each Hole is a Par 3. It is located at the Jerudong Polo Club, Brunei Darussalam, with a breath-taking view of the South China Sea and a cool-calm natural atmosphere. For just B$10 per player, casual golfers can enjoy as many rounds as they desire on the day...

The Waterfront, Bandar Seri Begawan

2011-06-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

Brunei International Tattoo 2011

2011-06-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

Brunei Darussalam ~ The Abode of Peace

2010-08-29T08:26:00.000-07:00

Hari Bumi & Hari Air SeDunia

2010-05-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

Singapore Tourism

2010-05-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

Bandung Super Mall

2010-05-14T22:22:00.000-07:00

The Playground at Bandung Super Mall, Indonesia

The Equator on Borneo Island

2010-03-08T04:50:00.000-08:00

The Equator crosses Borneo Island in Kalimantan, Indonesia, near to the city of Pontianak. The Equator is locally known as Khatulistiwa. As expected, it is quite hot and humid, but the locals are pretty much used to it.

Sailing In Brunei

2010-03-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

Sailing is now available from Serasa Beach.

Serasa Beach

2010-03-07T04:36:00.000-08:00

A Sunday at Serasa Beach, the mind experiences peace and tranquility...

From Tawau to East Kalimantan

2010-03-05T03:59:00.000-08:00

I have always been curious - "Is it possible to cross the border between Tawau and East Kalimantan?"
So I decided to travel there and hopefully find out by myself.

I departed from Brunei by flight to Kota Kinabalu, took an exchange flight to Tawau. From there I asked around the same question and had different answers. It was already late in the evening so I had to stay in Tawau for the night, rented the cheapest room I could find, and the next morning, had a very-very light breakfast, and went for a quest to find out about crossing the border.

Spice Up The Dinner

2010-03-05T02:53:00.000-08:00

A traditional performance at the Seafood Court in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Whilst guests are enjoying their fresh servings of seafood, a live traditional performance adds more excitement to the whole experience.

Fresh From The Sea

2010-03-02T03:37:00.000-08:00

This is a Grouper Fish - Steamed with Fish Sauce...

In Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, there is this food court for fresh sea food.

Travelling from Brunei to Sabah takes approximately 7 to 8 hrs (depending on traffic). So, departing Brunei around 11 am means reaching KK Sabah around 7pm - heading straight for the fresh sea food... Such a delight, especially after that long journey by bus.

Brunei Backpacker in Lake Toba Pt 2

2010-03-02T01:43:00.001-08:00

Brunei Backpacker in Hawaii

2010-03-01T04:23:00.001-08:00

Brunei Backpacker in The Philippines

2010-03-01T00:19:00.001-08:00

Brunei Backpacker Travelling from Brunei to Pontianak via Sarawak (Borneo Island), Malaysia

2010-03-01T00:18:00.001-08:00

Brunei Backpacker in Pontianak, Kalimantan (Borneo Island), Indonesia

2010-03-01T00:16:00.001-08:00

Brunei Backpacker in Penang, Malaysia, Rumah P Ramlee

2010-02-28T22:18:00.001-08:00

Brunei Backpacker in Pesta Nibung, Penang, Malaysia

2010-02-28T22:17:00.001-08:00

Jumping Ship

2010-02-21T07:08:00.000-08:00

When your ship is sinking and another ship happens to be passing by, then obviously you need to jump ship.

When your ticket for the ride is almost expired but your destination is yet some distance away, and just by chance, another ship is passing by, then you should jump ship - one that can take you further than the one that you are currently on. Even though the journey on the next one is less comfortable, less spacious and not so cozy. What matters is that it will take you to your destination, or at least take you further than the previous ship, upon which you hope, another ship passes by to take you even further.

In these situations, jumping ship may be the right choice. This, also applies to career change. In situations where you know that your present career has a dead-end, and that the dead-end is fast approaching, then jumping ship becomes a necessity. A timely decision has to be made, even though it's a painful one.

Knowing that in the future, there lies a better place for you to be in, then jumping from a very cozy, elegant and rich ship to a smaller, cramped and sweaty ship, is not so bad after all....

LAND AHOY!!!

Taman Rekreasi Hutan Simpanan Berakas

2009-12-22T19:35:00.000-08:00

A weekend out with the family and relatives during the school holidays in Brunei Darussalam. The Taman Rekreasi Hutan Simpanan Berakas is a good choice for its location, environment and ease of access. The recreational park has playgrounds for the children, barbeque areas and the beach.

The fun and excitement of being together, with minimum efforts and costs, certainly makes the outing very worthwhile. Years to come, these moments shall be remembered by the adults and children alike, as Moments of Treasure.

Belalong, Temburong, Brunei Darussalam

2009-12-19T06:33:00.000-08:00

Belalong is an area in the Temburong District of Brunei Darussalam. It's rainforest is unspoilt and unpolluted. It is rich in a diverse species of Flaura and Fauna, some of which could not be found elsewhere around the world. Numerous research have been conducted and are still ongoing in conjunction with Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

Whilst Belalong is becoming a popular eco-tourism destination, the rainforest is protected under the law of Brunei Darussalam and the government of Brunei Darussalam is also putting in considerable efforts to preserve it under the Heart of Borneo initiative.

Going For A Walk

2009-12-13T05:03:00.000-08:00

There are times when you feel down, when nothing seems to work, and everything seems to go against your expectations. At times like these, the last thing you want is to stay indoors, locked up in your room and thinking about all your problems. You would be better off going for a walk.

Hey... Life is not fair! Everybody seems to care less about you, and more about themselves... So why bother?

If you can't do anything about those problems, at least do something worthwhile such as cleaning up your room, wash the car, or simply, just go for a walk and enjoy the outdoors! It will certainly make you feel much, much better...

Mount Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

2009-12-12T17:59:00.000-08:00

Climbing Mt Kinabalu is quite a challenge, but the best thing about it is that you do not need any climbing gears. All you need is a reasonable state of physical fitness and health, and most importantly a strong will power.

For an average person, it takes approximately 4 hours to reach the mountain lodge, called Laban Rata. There, you will rest for the evening until 2 am the next morning, to continue the climb to reach the mountain peak. This takes another 4 hours or so. Once at the peak, you could then enjoy a view of the sun rising.

Enjoying Life

2009-12-12T17:08:00.000-08:00

Having fun and enjoying life does not necessarily mean that you have to spend a lot. Children often have lots of fun by using their imaginations. It is the activity itself that makes the time worthwhile and most enjoyable. More importantly, it is the companions. Life would not be meaningful if you don't have families and friends. By doing good things to others, life becomes rich and most satisfying.

You Belong Out There

2009-12-12T06:01:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt being out-of-place whilst at work?

If you're working in an office, a cubicle, enclosed in a dark gloomy room and felt rather miserable, and you wish you were out there in the open, even though it's raining outside... Well, maybe you should be!

Maybe working in an office, staring at the computer screen all day, with all those paperwork that you need to finish, is just not for you after all. The human body is designed to work in a physical manner, rather than just mental. We need to use our muscles and produce sweat.

Have you noticed that you've gained so much weight, even though you've done some exercise... That's probably because the exercise you're doing is just not enough for you, even though you think it is, even though you've sweated your pants for one hour, have muscle sores and so on... but it's just not enough. Maybe your body is just not suited to office type of work, hence you gain a lot of weight over a relatively short period of time. Maybe your body needs to be active all day, by doing an outdoor kind of work... Maybe you just do belong out there!

Fairy Tales

2009-12-12T04:12:00.000-08:00

Life was easy and rather straight forward when we were kids. The whole world was a playground. As we grew older to become adults, the reality of life starts to sink in. So much for all those fairy-tales and magic that we were led to believe.

As adults we know better that life is full of challenges and heavy responsibilities. Many consider that life is just not fair!

So why do we keep feeding the minds of our children with all those fairy-tales? They would still grow up to face the realities of life.

No, I'm not saying we should tell them that the world is a horrible place... rather, we should slowly develop and prepare them to face the realities of life, by giving them the right form of education... Not Fairy-Tale Education where life seems perfect in every sense, with a definite happy ending whereby Prince Charming shall come to the rescue... and they shall live happily ever after...

"and they shall live happily ever after...???" Yeaaah right!!! Life is not like that my dear... Far from it...

If we do need to tell them "fairy-tales", then why not tell them the real ones - those who have been successful in life. These real-life stories show that success and failures come hand-in-hand, some may even have failed more than they have succeeded. Success is about "not giving up", but to keep trying by using different approaches... and that success is not a destination, but a journey...

Brunei To Pontianak

2009-12-11T22:32:00.000-08:00

Travelling from Brunei to Pontianak by bus takes approximately 27 hours. The bus bus departs around 1.30pm and arrives around 4.30pm the next day. There are short breaks every 2 hours or so, depending on the driver.

In Brunei, the bus stops at Seria to pick-up more passengers. Then the journey continues to the Brunei-Miri border for immigration and custom clearances. By this time, it would be around 6.30pm before the journey continues until the next morning towards the Sarawak-Kalimantan border.