AT THE SPEED OF NOOR

On day 1 of 2020, some  KL Sketchnation  friends and I decided to have a simple picnic to celebrate the new year. It wasn't anything fancy - we were basically just hanging out at the river - but it was the most fun New Year's I've ever had. (Credit: Anonymous child, using Hakym's phone)

Ipoh offers a good time for both the relaxed and the restless as it can appeal to those looking for things to see in the city as well as those looking for things to do out in nature. For most of my life, I saw Ipoh as a stopover point when travelling along the north-south highway in Peninsular Malaysia, but the first time I properly went for a trip, I knew I had to return. And I did... in the same month, in fact. :) White water rafting!

Krabi is a hot destination among Malaysians, so when my friend J  asked if I wanted to go anywhere for my birthday (she'd pay for my airfare as a birthday gift), we eventually settled on Krabi after hearing reviews about the place . Krabi was so kind to us when we were there: amazing weather, wonderful food, and barely any hickups in our plans. What seemed like a spur-of-the-moment decision turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences in my life. The view from the Tiger Cave Temple summit

Tokyo was one of the very few cities in the world that I've always felt a strong need to visit, most likely due to my fond childhood/adolescent days of being surrounded by the dreamyness, thoughtfulness, and/or weirdness of Japanese comics, music, and TV shows. I was so excited+anxious about the thought of being in Tokyo that I started mapping out all the places I wanted to go to in in the Tokyo first (before all the other places we were supposed to visit in the country), even though it was actually our last city, haha. We were in Tokyo for only a few days, so I knew even before we got to Tokyo that I wouldn't be able to cover all the spots I wanted to visit, but it was enough to pique my interest to come back! Imperial Gardens in Tokyo

Nara is about  an hour's drive from Kyoto . Located in the Kansai region, it is home to many beautiful temples and shrines,  and, like Kyoto, cultural/historical sites. If you're curious to see the more (agri)cultural side of Japan, Nara is a wonderful choice.

Kyoto was once upon a time Japan's capital, before Tokyo. It is a charming historical city well-known for its temples, shrines, and eyegasmic landscapes. My family and I went to Kyoto on the same day we went to Nara . Our tour group spent (only!) the morning here though, which is obviously not enough. The trip was a nice teaser for another trip to Kyoto, I suppose.

Osaka is the first city in Japan I set foot in, which is good, because unlike metropolitan Tokyo ( which I went to a few days after ), Osaka felt suburban and rather laidback. Located in the Kansai province, it's famous for being a place where you can find good food and funny people. It's a lovely start to experiencing Japan.