Ray Mak

MELBOURNE

Melbourne is the coastal capital of the southeastern Australian state of Victoria. At the city's centre is the modern Federation Square development, with plazas, bars, and restaurants by the Yarra River. In the Southbank area, the Melbourne Arts Precinct is the site of Arts Centre Melbourne – a performing arts complex – and the National Gallery of Victoria, with Australian and indigenous art.

This is also one of the most memorable trips for me. Met new friends, visited old friends and family. So many amazing people!!

We stayed in Rendezvous Hotel throughout the trip, it's a pretty good hotel, rooms are clean, service is excellent! Definitely a 5-stars rating from me. Here are some details of the hotel.

Rendezvous Melbourne

Overlooking the Yarra River, this elegant, circa-1913 hotel is 1.1 km from the Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex, and 1.5 km from the food stalls and cafes of Queen Victoria Market. 

Modern, warmly decorated rooms and suites have flat-screen TVs, work desks, minibars, and tea and coffeemaking facilities. Suites add separate sitting and dining areas. There's room service, in-room spa service and Wi-Fi (fee).

Buffet breakfast is offered for a surcharge. Additional amenities include a relaxed restaurant serving international cuisine, as well as a low-key bar, a spa, a fitness room and a business centre. Parking is available (fee).

Timeline of Trip

Day 1

1. Melbourne Street Art - It's basically the symbol of Melbourne. The arts are fancy. Good for pictures. One incident however shocked me. While we were taking pictures, a vase actually fell from above, just 2 feet from where I was standing. We couldn't see any balcony. So it should be someone who threw it from above. I or anyone would have been very fatally injured. 

2. Yarra River Cruise - It's a good opening for Melbourne Trip. Like a platter of food to try before we purchase the dishes. Very refreshing.

3. Melbourne City Tour - Together with Street Art and Food

4. Met up with my very very close family friend for decades - Uncle Kwok Hoong and Auntie Chiew Ean. We had steaks, wine, cheese. Their house is really beautiful.

Day 2

1. Puffing Billy - The Puffing Billy Railway is a 2 ft 6 in narrow gauge heritage railway in the Dandenong Ranges in Melbourne, Australia. A signature of Melbourne

2. Cuckoo Restaurant - Traditional Bavarian chalet-style space offering German smorgasbords, yodelling and folk dancing. Lots of musical performances that day. I performed too. Food is amazing. I even met the owner. 5-Stars from me.

3. Rayner's Orchard - 60 Schoolhouse Rd, Woori Yallock VIC 3139, Australia. It's a very relaxing place where we get a chance to pluck some fruits. We were also given a box of nice fruit each to bring home.

4. Bathing Boxes - We reached at night, so we couldn't see anything. 

5. Thai Food Dinner and Ice Cream with Eva Diva and Family!!! Brenda Wu Chia Chen, Erick Tansil, Eva, and Hannah

Day 3

1. Queen Victoria Market - The Queen Victoria Market is a major landmark in Melbourne, Australia, and at around seven hectares is the largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere. Lots of stuffs to buy here!! If you're buying in bulk. Talk nicely to the storekeepers for a slight discount. Lots of food too!! Here we met another YouTuber, Pink Pink Guo.

2. Phillip Island Nature Parks - Here we see and experience Penguin Parade, Sheeps, Lamb, Wool shearing, boomerang throwing etc. And lots of places with picturesque view

3. Seafood Dinner

Day 4

1. Bathing Boxes - This time, it wasn't dark. We came early in the morning. BUT IT WAS RAINING! Life's a BICH!!

2. Werribee Open Range Zoo - an African themed zoo in Werribee, about 32 kilometres south-west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

3. DFO South Wharf - 20 Convention Centre Pl, South Wharf VIC 3006, Australia. An Outlet Shopping Mall where you can get everything. Good for last minute shopping.

4. Grill Steak Seafood - Really amazing Dinner and Birthday Celebration with the 4Rs and May Babies of our group. 4Rs are Ray Mak, Ricky Lau, Ryan Tan, Ryan Chua.

5. Melbourne City Tour and Crown Melbourne - With my High School Friend Douglas and Victor Wong, and Nigel Chin

Also Million of Special Thanks to Ricky Lau who took beautiful pictures for me during the trip, inviting me to the Premium Lounge in Singapore where my own Credit Card can't be used to enter (Citibank Terminated their contract with Plaza Premium Lounge Singapore), Arrture Card, etc. Additionally, thank you so much to Ryan Chua who secretly purchased a Birthday Cake to celebrate birthday for May Babies, including myself. Really really sweet gesture!

SUMMER IN LAOS | ລະ​ດູ​ຮ້ອນ ລາວ​

In Summer, we went to Laos with 3 of our good friends, Tian Jun, Webster, and Wen Li. It was the most amazing journey ever.  We experienced things like Sleeping on bus with bed and without restroom anywhere along the journey, boat ride, and so much more, most importantly, things are very very affordable. Internet is surprisingly stable too.

​Laos is a Southeast Asian country traversed by the Mekong River and known for mountainous terrain, French colonial architecture, hill tribe settlements and Buddhist monasteries. Vientiane, the capital, is the site of the That Luang monument, where a reliquary reportedly houses the Buddha’s breastbone, plus the Patuxai war memorial and Talat Sao (Morning Market), a complex jammed with food, clothes and craft stalls.

Vientiane

Vientiane, Laos' national capital, mixes French-colonial architecture with Buddhist temples such as the golden, 16th-century Pha That Luang, which is a national symbol. Along broad boulevards and tree-lined streets are many notable shrines including Wat Si Saket, which features thousands of Buddha images, and Wat Si Muang, built atop a Hindu shrine.

Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang, the ancient capital of Luang Prabang Province in northern Laos, lies in a valley at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. Inhabited for thousands of years, it was the royal capital of the country until 1975. It’s known for its many Buddhist temples, including the gilded Wat Xieng Thong, dating to the 16th century, and Wat Mai, once the residence of the head of Laotian Buddhism.

Our final destination in Hokkaido was Sapporo. We had to return our car to the airport and took a train back to Sapporo. That's because we used the ETC Card for Tourist that gave us unlimited access to tolls. Well, even though it's a little hassle, it's still a really good deal!! Otherwise, tolls in Japan alone will kill us.

I'm really not a big fan of cities, so I didn't enjoy Sapporo that much. Our AirBNB was quite nice. It's called Pink-Green Loft Room. We liked it a lot. Owner Hitomi was also very nice. She actually provided us with a lot of things such as free ramen, food in the fridge and snacks. We only had a little snacks because it's too nice of her to provide us all the other stuffs.

In Sapporo, I'm also happiest to be able to meet my friend, Jesse Ling, who is now studying and working in Hokkaido. She brought us around and show us the local stuffs. We had ramen together.

One of Sapporo's biggest attractions is their Chocolate Factory. Here we get the ever famous Shiroi Koibito (White Lover)!!

​It's delicious!

At the Sapporo Chocolate Factory, we got ourselves into baking. You should see my Masterpiece.

Sapporo is also famous for their curry, but we didn't get a chance to try the most famous curry restaurant there as they close early and there is always a very long line. Instead, we went to the one that the locals eat their curry at.

It's also very delicious. They actually cooked their curry with Coca Cola. OMG! The place is known as Danobe Hanbagu Hokutosei. I rate it 5 stars.

After eating we went to visit some local attractions such as the Sapporo TV Tower etc.

Our final two destinations in Hokkaido were cities. After leaving peaceful Furano, we went to happening Otaru.

On our way to Otaru, we passed by a giant Statue of Goddess of Mercy and we stopped for a picture. It was absolutely gorgeous.

Otaru is also famous for its seafood, Otaru Canal and of course a whole bunch of touristy things. Cities are a little expensive, so we stayed at Otaru Guesthouse Harvest. It's actually a hostel style accommodation. It's also very affordable. Parking is free while they offer fantastic 400 yen breakfast. It's totally worth it.

Due to it's winter, we can find many activities and many attraction related to snow sculptures and lights everywhere we walk in Otaru. There are many things to do such as sledding and they also give out free hot sake if you like their activity Facebook page or maybe for a small fee in some stores.

We also manage to visit the Otaru Music Box Museum right before it closes. Most shops, restaurants and attraction closes at 6.30pm. So please be early if you are planning to visit places.

Of course, being in Otaru, we had our fair share of Sushi and Sashimi. Anyway, it's still a lot cheaper in Hakodate.

Here was our breakfast the very next day. The 400 yen breakfast!

After Asahikawa, we traveled to Biei to for the Blue Pond. The Blue Pond is a man-made water feature in Biei, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the result of works on the Biei River, carried out after the 1988 eruption of Mount Tokachi, to protect the town of Biei from volcanic mudflows. It's famous for it's bright blue color.

Anyway, since it was snowing and the pond is frozen at the moment. All we could see was white.

Another main attraction within the vicinity is the Shirogane Waterfall. It's a beautiful bridge overlooking a beautiful waterfall. We can see a different view in all four different seasons. Here's Winter.

From Biei is a short drive to our destination Furano. The best thing to do in Furano is actually Ice Fishing. We pre-booked our fishing adventure while we were in Japan as we were deciding if we wanted to go fishing or just visit some local attraction such as the Ningle Terrace and Kan Kan Mura.

Going fishing was the best decision ever. And we also got to go to those other places mentioned too. The Ice Fishing is at Kanayama Lake. Typically, the tours will pick you up from your hotel / hostel. They will also provide shoes, hot chocolate (sometimes hot sake) and they will cook for you Wakasagi Fish, tempura style. However, no fish, no tempura.

After spending almost the whole day fishing, the best thing to do is having a hot Onsen bath.

We had curry for dinner. It was a fusion Japanese Western Restaurant. Taste is good, but a little expensive. It's called Yuiga Doxon.

In Furano, we stayed at Log Yukari. This is another highly recommended cabin style accommodation. It's so good! Here we get discounted onsen too, at Little Prince Hotel. Which is also located near to the other attractions that we wanted to go.

Onsen here is fantastic, however, strictly no tattoo allowed. 

After visiting Ningle Terrace and Kan Kan Mura. We went straight to Onsen. It's so beautiful soaking ourselves in natural hot water looking up to the sky and seeing snowflakes floating down in the air. Most Onsen have indoor and outdoor, I'm talking about the outdoor experience. It felt like we were in Heaven.

From Niseko, we traveled to Asahikawa. It was our first city to visit after many days of tranquil and peaceful countryside life. I'm not a fan of cities. 

On our way, we stopped at a wine factory. It's called Otaru Wine Gallery. You can't miss it if you're driving, it's along the way.

In Asahikawa, we stayed at Asahikawa Toyo Hotel. It's a decent hotel, room is decent sized, bathroom is very well equipped. Love their Shiseido Bath Products! Parking is 800 Yen a night and optional breakfast is around 1500 Yen.

Pro Tips : Asahikawa is famous for their Ramen. They even have an entire street dedicated for Ramen, called Ramen Village.

Upon arriving at Asahikawa, we parked our car at the city center and we walked to one the best Ramen stores in Asahikawa, Baikoken Ramen. Food is pretty good for the price. It's here that we learnt that Japanese usually eat their Ramen with Rice on the side. Fuller!

After having our delicious Ramen, we went to Asahiyama Zoo. An attraction in Asahikawa.

Asahiyama Zoo is a small zoo with not many animals to see, but each and every section in Asahiyama Zoo is very interesting and their animals are well taken care of. The zoo is very well maintained too. In winter, we got to see many winter animals at the Zoo. It's very interesting. 

Attractions in the zoo are slightly different Day and Night. We got to see both.

After Asahiyama Zoo, we went back to the city to witness their winter attraction, Asahikawa Winter Festival at Ishikari River (Asahibashi Riverside). It's beautiful and there were many interesting snow sculptures. Lots of food to eat too.

At the snow festival, you'll also notice that people in Asahikawa really treasure their zoo a lot. Most of the sculptures are sculptures of animals from the zoo.

To end the night, we cannot run away from having the best BBQ lamb in Asahikawa. Genghis Khan Style.

Genghis Khan Daikokuya

Niseko is perhaps one of the most beautiful and cleanest outskirts of Hokkaido. Usually it is much easier to access this town by car. But in the recent years, more people have come for ski and snowboarding. Snow activities. 

On the other hand, during end of Spring and early Summer (April and May), people come for the Melon and beautiful flowers.

For us, the best experience here was our Onsen Experience at Hilton Niseko.

Anyway, before we go there. 

We traveled from Usuzan straight to Niseko and we stayed in Bongo Cottage. It's a very good experience staying in cottages and each experience is different from one another. Bongo Cottage is a very cozy cottage with very nice lady. Lady's name is Mari and she has a son, Yohei whom we manage to meet that day, who speaks pretty fluent english and love snowboarding and skiing. There was a piano at the reception place, apparently Mari's daughter plays it! Heard she has another son too, Gen.

Our cottage was strong and sturdy. We felt super cozy inside especially with strong winds blowing outside. In this particular cottage we had, there was no bathroom, as it's a common practice for guest to visit the onsen at Hilton Niseko. The owner gave us a coupon that allowed us to visit Hilton Niseko's Onsen at a discount. It's part of collaboration between hotels and Hilton. Super amazing!

Owner also place a huge iron bowl of water on the heater system to create a more humid environment for us within the cottage. 

After taking a short rest at our beautiful cottage. We got hungry and visited the Cheese Factory.

Niseko Cheese Factory!!

At the Niseko Cheese Factory, we get to witness some of the freshest cheese being made here. It's a very small place. Basically as we walk in, there's a glass panel for us to see work in progress.

Then on the left there is a small cafe, we can order Coffee, Tea, Wine, and Cheese. Pretty good!!

After visiting the factory, we were supposed to eat Okonomiyaki at the restaurant next door to Niseko Cheese Factory but unfortunately it was closed. Anyway we ended up at an even better restaurant. An Italian Japanese restaurant that was recently open. Double as a cheese factory too!

The restaurant is so new, it's not on Google Maps yet. It's located next to Restaurant Prativo and Milk Kobo Niseko. Starts with M. 

Most importantly, the view is  super amazing.

After having our late lunch. We went to Milk Kobo to get some Ice Cream and cakes. As the name suggest, Milk Kobo is famous for Milk related Desserts. Too super amazing.

After Milk Kobo, we went home to rest for a bit, and off to the Onsen we go!!!

Here's how the Onsen we went look like. I couldn't take pictures with my own phone over there as  my room was full of naked guys. It's not allowed too.

On the inner side is the Onsen while in front of the Onsen is an ice cold natural pond, apparently with fish in it. Initially I only see people in the Onsen, but one buff guy jumped  into the ice pond while we were soaking. He looked very comfortable and satisfied.

No one else jumped in. As soon as the buff guy left. I gave it a try. It was soooooooooooo cold. But the feeling....... is really satisfying. And I got addicted to that feeling. I ended up jumping back and forth the entire time. It was a group full of Caucasian in our Onsen. I encouraged everyone to join me in the ice pond. Some people hesitated at first, but soon everyone joined me. Ended up having lots of laughter and jokes.

I went home feeling healed and energized. It's good to go into both hot and cold water to regulate heart rate and blood flow. If we keep soaking in hot water, we may feel dizzy. 

After that, feeling hungry, we went home for more Instant Noodles. Leftovers from the day before. It is very cozy to eat hot noodles in a cottage.