Featured Slider

Six Days of Autumn in Melbourne

Having wrapped up my lengthy post on Guangzhou from June, I’m excited to begin writing my one-week holiday in Melbourne—a city that truly feels like a second home.
Melbourne holds a special place in our hearts, thanks to Lik’s aunty and cousins who make every visit so memorable. 
We cherish our annual trips to Melbourne not just for the family connections but for the city’s irresistible Aussie lifestyle, which always leaves us feeling refreshed and recharged.
This time is particularly special because it’s our first visit in several years, and we’re excited to experience the city’s vibrant energy once again and also meet up with our family in the city. 
Our trip has a dual purpose: attending a wedding, which promises to be a beautiful celebration, and then using Melbourne as a relaxing stopover before heading to New Zealand for a three-week adventure. 
By breaking up the long journey, we hope to make the flight to New Zealand more comfortable for our parents and give them a chance to enjoy a leisurely week in Melbourne.
I've been getting a ton of DMs about our New Zealand itinerary—sorry for the delay and thanks for your patience. 
I promise that once I wrap up our Melbourne adventures, I'll share all the details about our Campervan trip in New Zealand. 
Now, without further ado, let’s kick off our one-week holiday in Melbourne!

5D4N in Guangzhou 广州: Hotel Review, Delicious Food, Places to Go, Fang Jiong Bin 方泂镔 Concert

Hello, blog! Haven't been here for months.
I actually haven’t been very active on my blog in 2024.
Work is busy, and most of the time, after I come back from work, I just love sinking into the sofa and chilling out with Netflix.
It's become my go-to way to de-stress and recharge after a long day.
I spoke with an old friend a few weeks ago when we ran into each other at an event.
We both had to admit that blogging isn’t as easy as it once was.
With the rise of social media and its more immediate and interactive formats, maintaining a blog now requires a greater investment of time and effort—writing detailed posts, editing pictures, and organizing content all demand a lot more work than simply sharing quick updates on social platforms.
We both miss how excited and committed we used to be about blogging and miss for those simpler times.
However, even with these challenges, I’m not giving up on my blog.
I want to keep the spirit of my blog alive and continue sharing my experiences, even if it means putting in extra effort.
So, from this month onwards, I’m going to work harder on my travel posts.
Speaking of travel, if you follow me on IG @mizhippo, you probably noticed that I took a month off in May to travel to Melbourne and New Zealand, and then a weekend trip to Guangzhou at the end of June.
I’m excited to document everything here and share it with all of you. 
I hope that by capturing these travel experiences, I’ll be able to preserve these memories and make them accessible for everyone to enjoy.
Before starting my month-long getaway to Melbourne and New Zealand, I’ll start with a recap of my Guangzhou trip first.


GKB Tiger Milk Mushroom @ For Respiratory Health and Immune System

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, health has taken center stage in the lives of many, including my own family.
The past few years have been a journey of heightened health consciousness, particularly since both my parents contracted the virus.
While they have recovered, their health hasn't been the same as before.
This experience has made me more vigilant about seeking out effective supplements to bolster their immune systems and prioritize their overall well-being, with a special focus on respiratory health.
I stumbled upon GKB Tiger Milk Mushroom, a fungus health supplement developed by GK Bio International Sdn Bhd, a company specializes in probiotics and fungus health products with certifications including GMP, MeSTI, ISO 9001, ISO 22000 and HACCP to guarantee highest product safety, quality and manufacturing standards.
If you've been following my previous posts, click HERE, you might recall that I've shared insights about GKB products before.
GKB Tiger Milk Mushroom specifically aims at relieving cough, cold and sinusitis; a good thing to have now, because a lot of people are worried about breathing problems in the current climate.



6 Days 5 Nights in Guilin 桂林 @ Yangshuo 阳朔 & Guilin 桂林 (Part 2)

Good day, everyone! Welcome back to my blog.
If you've been following along with my adventures in Guilin from part 1 (click here), then you've probably eagerly anticipating this post.
Well, the wait is over!
Here's comes part 2 of my Guilin trip.
This time, I'll be exploring Yangshuo 阳朔, a charming town nestled near to Guilin city.
Yangshuo is a small county located southeast of Guilin city, about 65 kilometers from the city center.
It has a long history, dating back over 1,400 years to the Sui Dynasty.
Known as the "heavenly hometown of travel on earth", Yangshuo is famous for its stunning scenery.
Many travelers are drawn to its idyllic countryside views, beautiful Karst hills, and peaceful landscapes along the Li River, which resemble traditional Chinese paintings.
We spent two nights there, and let me tell you, the overall experience in Yangshuo was very relaxing.
We enjoyed our 2 nights here, even though the hotel accommodations weren't as comfortable as those n Guilin city, because being a small, the options were limited.
Nevertheless, we still had a great time overall. 
Without further ado, let's follow me for the 3 days 2 nights in Yangshuo!


6 Days 5 Nights in Guilin 桂林 @ Guilin 桂林 & Longsheng Town 龙胜 (Part 1)

Hi there, my dear readers! How has everyone been since the start of 2024?
I hope you're all doing well.
I've been incredibly busy since the beginning of the year, trying to keep up with all the tasks that keep popping up.
It seems like there's always something that needs to be done! :)
It's hard to believe that it's already March, and I just realized that I haven't written anything since my last post on the final day of 2023. Time really does fly!
Today, I wanted to write a long post about my trip to Guilin in December 2023.
I usually travel in December, whether it's a short or long trip because I believe a year-end trip is a time to enjoy and relax after all the hard work throughout the year.
So, during last year December, I traveled to Guilin with my eldest sister's family, along with my brother-in-law, and my 2 nieces, Jia En and Kai En.
When we decided to travel to China, the first thing that came to my mind was that I wanted to use a travel agency.
I like using a travel agent when I go to China because it can be a bit hard to travel on my own.
Places are far apart, and it can get complicated, going with a travel agent helps me to avoid all the hassle and makes the trip easier without using too much of my time on the planning.
Besides, I also enjoy listening to the stories about China shared by the local tour guide, otherwise, I wouldn't know anything about the places we visited.
This trip, we choose Airlink Travel Agency because my sister had joined their China tours before and she thinks the packages they offer are pretty worth the price.
Our group consisted of only 13 people, a size I find ideal; neither too small nor too big.
I paid a total of RM2800, excluding travel insurance and 1-2 admission fees.
For me, it's quite worth it, considering we stayed in 4-5 star hotels, and the food they served were excellent too.
Well, there is one reason why we paid such a cheap price; this tour included shopping stops.
If you prefer to avoid these stops, you can pay an extra RM500.
If you ask for my opinion, I would say it's worth paying the extra RM500 without hesitation.
My shopping stops experience during this trip wasn't great, and I'll share more about it below, please continue reading to find out more about my experiences. #hehe
So, without further ado, let's start my Part 1 travel story at Guilin City and Longsheng Town right away!