Switzerland on a Budget
We had fun chasing the trains, busses and boats during our five-day Swiss adventure.
By Gaya Traveller on May 5, 2023
Taipei, An Up-and-Coming Muslim-Friendly Destination
By Gaya Traveller on February 18, 2020
Self-Driving Around Scenic Jeju
If you are keen to do road-tripping in Jeju, do read on. We are going to share with you the essence of Jeju.
By Gaya Traveller on December 13, 2019
Discovering Bustling Busan in 3 Days
It was hardly a ‘free-and-easy stopover’ like we had originally anticipated because it turns out that Busan is filled with interesting places!
By Gaya Traveller on July 4, 2019
Phenomenal Prague
Indeed, this capital city of Czech Republic has plenty to offer her visitors, at a very affordable cost. The Gaya Traveller duo had spent 5 nights in Prague recently, and wished that we had stayed longer.
By Gaya Traveller on November 5, 2018
Braving Budapest
Budapest, is one of the foreign exotic sounding names we had came across while flipping the beautiful magazine pages when we were kids. Now all grown up and in our mid-30s, the dream to set foot on Budapest has been materialised.
By Gaya Traveller on November 2, 2018
Chasing Auroras in Iceland
Iceland is synonym to the incredible natural phenomenon, Aurora Borealis, that was the main reason why we head to this far-flung Nordic nation.
By Gaya Traveller on June 26, 2018
Belum Beckons in Harmony
We took a six-hour road trip over the long Labour Day weekend for something special: to hear Malaysia’s legendary jazz chanteuse Dato’ Sheila Majid sing while being surrounded by the rainforest! Well, to be exact, this exclusive showcase took place within the intimate setting of the luxurious Belum Rainforest Resort, located on Banding Island, Perak, which is within the vicinity of one of the world’s oldest rainforests: the 130 million-year-old Royal Belum State Park. About Banding Island Banding Island is a 243-hectare inland island encircled by the Temengor Lake. The island is surrounded by a man-made lake created in the late 1960s through the construction of the Temengor Dam to generate hydro-electric power and deprive communist terrorists then of one of their […]
By Gaya Traveller on January 12, 2018
How to Shop Like A Pro at Ho Chi Minh’s Market, Vietnam
On our mission to complete all other ASEAN destinations (we have yet to visit the Philippines, Brunei, Myanmar and Laos by the way), we picked Vietnam and decided to visit Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon as it is more popularly known.
By Gaya Traveller on May 12, 2017
Perak Glitters in 2017!
Admittedly, Perak is often overlooked as a holiday destination whenever “Cuti-Cuti Malaysia mood” strikes. As the fourth largest state in the country, Perak has many things to offer visitors and its people alike.
By Gaya Traveller on February 15, 2017
Jalan-Jalan di Kuala Lumpur
The tagline for Tourism Malaysia’s domestic campaign “Dekat Je” really hits home this time. We’ve been bogged down with work that it was almost impossible to go for an overnight getaway. The mind needs a rest and a refresher, so we thought why not explore our beloved Kuala Lumpur, affectionately known as KL? The light rapid transit (LRT) service – which is part of the Klang Valley public transport infrastructure called RapidKL – has started plying the route close to our home and connecting us more conveniently to KL by rail since 30 June 2016. We also notice that our friends have been sharing their commuting experience on their social media accounts. After enduring almost two years of bad traffic due to […]
By Gaya Traveller on September 16, 2016
Waking Up to Langkawi
After a year since our last visit to Langkawi, we managed to come back to this legendary island again. The main reason for our return is of course the Langkawi International Laksa Carnival (LILAC) 2016, which is already in its fifth year.
By Gaya Traveller on August 16, 2016
Time for Taiwan!
We have been to Taiwan a couple of times prior to this visit, but we never got pass the airport doors. Taipei for transit is quite a common thing. It is not surprising, since Taoyuan International Airport is the world’s 5th busiest airport in terms of international freight traffic. Our recent visit was in conjunction with the 2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival, courtesy of Taiwan Tourism Bureau Office in Kuala Lumpur, which invited us to attend this wonderful festival that is already in its 27th year running. A week in Taiwan sounds like a nice holiday, doesn’t it? We are pleased to find out that Malaysia has the most number of visitors to Taiwan among the South East Asian countries. Our trip to […]
By Gaya Traveller on May 16, 2016
Blooming Japan: Best Places to Go During Spring
Mention springtime in Japan, we bet the first image that comes to your mind would be the sakura (cherry blossom)! This flower is taken very seriously in Japan, and we were quite amused when we noticed that news reports on where the sakura blooms are treated as importantly as the weather forecast. Spring time in Japan peaks in April till May – for those who want to travel to Japan during that time should be mindful of the Golden Week, which is a series of public holidays when the locals take opportunity to visit the most popular spots due to the week-long break. It could get very crowded that time, therefore it is best to find out the dates when planning […]
By Gaya Traveller on March 2, 2016
Hello 2016!
As we step into a brand new year, our minds are very much occupied with endless possibilities of travelling to various destinations. It is always an exciting time for us, brainstorming and dreaming about our 2016’s travel plans. We’ve been keeping a mental note of our friends and family members’ travel photos throughout 2015, for our future reference. Truly, travelling requires a lot of research and planning, but of course the most important factor to consider is cost! With our Ringgit depreciating and cost of living increasing, we must be smart in stretching our ringgit. 2015 have seen the rise of travelling buddy groups, allowing like-minded budget travellers to discover faraway and exotic destinations at affordable rates. People are travelling now like […]
By Gaya Traveller on January 16, 2016
Laid Back Langkawi
It is always nice to come back to Langkawi due to its laid-back yet vibrant pace especially when LADA extended an invitation to the recent Langkawi International Laksa Carnival (LILAC 2015), to promote and celebrate the unique laksa, that varies from one Malaysian state to another.
By Gaya Traveller on October 16, 2015
Escape to Putrajaya
Putrajaya is not only an administration city, but a beautiful smart city graced with fascinating buildings, bridges, and endless activities.
By Gaya Traveller on June 16, 2015
Mabul’s 52 Shades of Blue
Even the name Mabul sounded very exotic and far. A check on the Malaysian map confirmed it.
By Gaya Traveller on March 16, 2015
Charming Magnificent Sultanate of Oman
Being an underrated destination, Oman actually deserves more attention, especially since it is determined to preserve its unique character, atmosphere and traditions despite the pace of progress.
By Gaya Traveller on July 9, 2014
Hyatt Regency – Bandung
Surrounded by lush forest, Bandung is known as the city of flowers and is the centre of the region’s textile industry. Hyatt Regency Bandung is pleasantly located in the heart of the city, offering a wide range of elegant accommodation, dining, fitness and corporate meeting facilities, making it ideal for leisure and business travellers.
By Gaya Traveller on January 10, 2013
Handrio Utomo – General Manager Grand Royal Panghegar
Being the first Sundanese owned hotel establishment in Bandung, the hotel initially started off as a 3-star property, tapping into the business market, renowned for its excellent location. Due to brisk business, the owners decided that it was appropriate for the hotel to be upgraded into a 5-star establishment. Since The Grand Royal Panghegar’s rebirth on November 2011, apart from satisfied business guests, the hotel has also been welcoming a fair share of leisure travellers. The Gaya Travel team had the honour of sitting down with its General Manager, Bapak Handrio Utomo, the man responsible for steering The Grand Royal Panghegar through the transition process. Pak Handrio, as he is affectionately known, had studied in an international hotel school to better equip […]
By Gaya Traveller on November 28, 2012
Part I: Istanbul, Bursa & Pamukalle, Turkey
Turkey indeed has fantastic natural landscapes, beautiful ancient architecture, fabulous food, fascinating history and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk!
By Gaya Traveller on November 16, 2012
Part II : Konya, Ankara & Cappadocia, Turkey
Konya is known for its pious inhabitants and strong Islamic leanings. Celaleddin Rumi, also known as Mevlana, was the founder of the Mevlevi dervish sect – better known as the whirling dervishes.
By Gaya Traveller on November 16, 2012
Articles • Features • Gaya Traveller
Garut : The Road Less Travelled
This hidden gem of a destination is replete with volcanoes, pine forests and lush countryside. Travel further down to the south coast and you will be greeted with some fine, deserted beaches. To discover Garut, it is best covered to spend at least one day and night.
By Gaya Traveller on October 27, 2012
LANGKAWI in 12 Hours, The Gaya Traveller’s Way
Blessed with 99 islands, Langkawi promises to be an unforgettable holiday destination. This island has been declared a duty-free island in 1987, and locals especially, flock to Langkawi to shop for chocolates and crockery! Langkawi is truly a tourist destination, so much so that the Government relocated all existing factories to the mainland, in order to keep the Langkawi air clean. So gone are the factories, except for one – the humongous Lafarge cement factory, which cannot be relocated due to the nature of its operations. We figured Langkawi has something for everyone – the laze around type, the shoppers, the business travellers, and even the adventure seekers. But no matter what type of traveller you are, The Gaya Travellers would like […]
By Gaya Traveller on August 13, 2012
California Dreamin’
Our travel guide book describes California as “impressive for both its size and its sway over modern culture, symbolising United States’ diversity and sense of prosperity. Here can be found towering forests, high mountain peaks, deserts within half a day’s drive of ocean beaches and two of the world’s foremost cities, San Francisco and Los Angeles.”
By Gaya Traveller on August 10, 2012
Majestic India – Agra & Jaipur
The drive to Agra from Delhi was around five hours. The Indian countryside was beautiful. Fields full of blooming yellow mustard flowers with sights of horse-carts and camel-carts carrying big loads of hay took our breath away.
By Gaya Traveller on February 16, 2012
Majestic India – Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. It is a disputed territory, claimed by both India and Pakistan, with some areas also claimed by China.
By Gaya Traveller on February 15, 2012
Klang Heritage Walk
There are 18 attractions altogether within the Klang Heritage Walk and they are all within walking distance. However, Gaya Travellers being Gaya Travellers, we did not walk. Armed with the brochure entitled “The Royal Town of Klang Heritage Walk” obtained from Tourism Selangor Information Centre office in Section 14 Shah Alam, we drove around instead, following the specified routes.
By Gaya Traveller on February 5, 2012
Majestic India – Delhi
If there is one word to describe Delhi, it is chaotic. Honking is everywhere and drivers driving as if they own the road. It’s dusty, it’s unruly, it’s awesome! If asked to describe India in two words, it would be “wonderfully chaotic”.
By Gaya Traveller on July 7, 2011
