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

If Cambridge were a person, I imagine the city to be a beauty with brains. 50km north of London, the city boasts exquisite architecture, gorgeous natural surroundings, and generations of scholars produced by the local colleges all grouped under the world-famous Cambridge University. When ISH Travel Club promoted their cycling tour here, I was intrigued. The day trip was short, but it was fun nonetheless as we breezed around the city to learn of its history, traditions, and quirky rituals.

Catania, Sicily’s second largest city, lies on the Ionian Sea and around Mt. Etna (“A Muntagna” as the locals call it), a massive mountain which has shaped the history and the actual existence of the city. This beauty and fertile grounds of Catnia has attracted travellers, artists, poets, and philosophers for centuries. In 2014, I was very lucky to visit this city with ISH Travel Club,  and we managed to see the main Sicily town as well as venture further out in Taormina and its vicinities. View from Castelmola, a quaint hilltop village atop Taormina