Kerala, India - The Preparation

Travelling to India is not something that you can do without any preparation, and especially not when there are kids towing along. Ironically, for a place that requires the most preparation, I spent the least time preparing for it. Up until 6 May 2014, I had no idea where to go for our annual holiday in Snufkin's birthday month in June. Then, I was browsing through AirAsia destinations and saw Cochin and with a bit of research realised that this was the gateway to Kerala, one of the places in my bucket list.

An hour later, we found ourselves with flight tickets to Cochin for 21 May, which meant that I had 2 weeks to prepare for the trip. Naturally I was running around like a headless chicken trying to get the things below in order:

1) Itinerary

I had zero knowledge of things to see in Kerala. I only knew that I wanted to stay on a houseboat. But thanks to the forums on Tripadvisor and the power of Google, I decided within a couple of hours that our itinerary would include the hill station of Munnar, the backwaters of Allepey and of course Cochin itself.

Here's our Kerala itinerary for 6 days:

  22 May - Cochin Airport to Munnar. Overnight Munnar
  23 May - Overnight Munnar
  24 May - Munnar to Allepey. Overnight in an Allepey hotel
  25 May - Overnight Houseboat
  26 May - Allepey to Cochin. Overnight Cochin
  27 May - Fort Cochin. Night flight back to KL

There are many Kerala tour packages from Malaysia and I'm sure from other countries as well, but with a bit of research and with a car and driver at your disposal (see below), I think it's more satisfying to explore Kerala on your own.

2) Car rental

We sent requests for quotes to a few tour operators / car rental agencies and the best deal was from Experience Kerala - a chauffered Mahindra Logan for Rs1,750 per day (extra km payable ar Rs12/per km), inclusive of driver, fuel, toll, permit and parking fees.

The cheapest rate was for Tata Indica (at Rs1,600 per day) but this was a small hatchback car so comfort-wise we reckoned the Logan would be more suitable. Bear in mind that they usually do not have car seats for kids/babies but at the very least we made sure that there were seat belts at the back.

All responses from Arun at Experience Kerala were prompt and very courteous so we thought that we would have no problem with the car/driver. Alas, that was not the case (see here).

3) Visa

To apply for a tourist visa to India from Kuala Lumpur, the application form had to be completed electronically first at  http://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa. We then printed the forms, signed, glued/stapled 2 inch x 2 inch photos in the designated boxes and submitted the forms at the Indian visa outsourced centre in KL (together with supporting documents - confirmed flight ticket, photocopy of passport). Address as follows:

IVS VMS Sdn. Bhd.
G-01, Ground Floor, Straits Trading Building, No. 2, Lebuh Pasar Besar, 50050 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 603 2692 2692 | Fax: 603 2698 2692

Only one of us needed to go to submit the application but I believe this is no longer possible. With effect from 2 June  2014, capture of biometric data is being made mandatory for all Indian visa applicants (exempted for applicants above 70 years and below 12 years old). This means that all non-exempted visa applicants need to personally be at the visa centre.

For a child, the supporting documents are the same with the addition of photocopy of birth cert and parents' passports. You would also need to have a stamp pad at home to insert his/her thumbprint in the form.

Make sure that your signature is exactly the same as your passport's and is within the box. I heard that they are quite sticky on the most trivial things.

4) Vaccination

We already had Hepatitis A and B jabs so the only additional one that we took was for Typhoid. I called a few clinics and apparently it was not that easily available. Damansara Specialist Hospital (DSH) was the easiest as they did not require for appointments to be made. The clinic for the vaccination was located on the Ground Floor next to the Pharmacy and it cost RM81 per jab.

Snufkin got his Typhoid jab from his pediatrician also in DSH. The doctor advised that food and drink wise, the child should be okay as long as we stick to the tour group. I restrained from telling him that we would be on our own.

I think it's also important to make sure your child's and your your health are in top form. We started taking probiotic supplement and grapeseed extract in the days leading to and during the trip itself.

5) Malaria and dengue prevention

There is a high risk of malaria in certain parts of India but based on my research, Kerala has a low risk of malaria. Which was just as good as I was not keen to give Snufkin anti-malarial tablets. Still, there was always dengue to avoid so we took all the necessary steps to limit our exposure to mosquito bites.

We only packed light-colured clothes (also good for the hot weather) and brought at least 5 types of mosquito repellant - Mosi Guard spray and roll-on, mosquito patch, Parakito repellant wrist band and Buds Organic Mozzie Clear lotion for Snufkin's face. We have used Parakito in Laos, Cambodia and India and found it to be quite effective.

6) Travel insurance

Travel insurance is always important, but more so for India. As usual, we got our travel insurance from Tokio Marine, 6 days for Zone 1 cost RM148 per family.

7) Medicine supply

Stomach upset is synonymous with travels in India. Prevention is always better than cure but if the former failed, it's comforting to know that you have the means to cure common ailments that might come your way, Delhi Belly included. Our DIY first-aid kit bulged more than usual, filled with plasters, antisepctic, oral dehydration salt, paracetemol and cough syrup (for adults and kids), lozenges, charcoal tablets, Gaviscon and prescribed antibiotics. It felt like being in a mobile Red Cross team.

We also brought enough hand sanitiser and anti-bacterial wipes to sanitise an entire village for a month.


By 14 May, I already got accommodation and points 1 to 6 sorted, but my paranoia went on an overdrive with more reading and research. I came across stories about flesh-eating bugs, landslide in Munnar, houseboat fire, houseboat sinking, diseases that went undiagnosed and other stories that could only fit in the annals of 100 Reasons Why You Should Not Travel. At least 2 friends regaled the stories of how they knew someone who went to India and came back with a disease and died. Okaaay.

But it was too late to turn back and I was glad we did not. Kerala turned out to be an enriching holiday, perfectly safe and suitable for young children and the time on the houseboat was one of my best travel experiences.

Such stuff as dreams are made on - Rapeseed fields in Kent, England

This is the start of a series of beautiful things we have seen in our travels. They are not necessarily famous monuments and buildings, designated UNESCO heritage sites or something that has to be included in a travel itinerary. But all of them are dream-like in nature and they made me pause and reflect and appreciate that beauty lies everywhere in this vast world. 

The photos in this post were taken while we were driving in Kent looking for a picnic site. It was May 2012 and soon we would be leaving Britain for good. Looking at these photos reminded me that a good spring day in Britain is as close to a fairy-tale as you could get.

The seeds of these Brassica plants are sown in September, produces yellow flowers in springtime and is harvested at the end of July. The harvested black seeds of the rapeseed plants are then used to produce rapeseed oil. It is hard to believe that something as mundane as oil and seeds originate from a sea of brilliant yellow flowers.

Driving down the country road in Kent

More rapeseed fields

Brunei - Bandar Seri Begawan in 2 days

Bandar Seri Begawan ("BSB") is not exactly known for abundance of attractions and things to see. Some would say that you can do BSB in a day. We were there for 2 days and suffice to say that even after going to the main places of interest, we still had plenty of time for swimming (and lazing) sessions at the hotel's pool. Here's how we did BSB:

1) Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque

On our first day, we walked from our hotel (Radisson) to the Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque. It looked near enough on the map but under the scorching sun I was wishing for a free shuttle service from the hotel. But it was worth the walk as it was one of the most beautiful mosques I've seen. I love the whiteness of the facade, the marble columns, arches and minaret and the dome made of pure gold which was glinting under the fierce afternoon sun. From a distance, it looked like it was floating on the man-made lagoon on which it was built.

The mosque provides robes for those wishing to enter (within the opening hours of course). It's certainly worth doing so as the interiors are as spectacular, if not more, as the facade. From the crystal chandeliers, the stained-glass walls, the intricate carvings and the fine woven carpets, you could see that no expense was spared.

The mosque by the lagoon



Ceiling of the Prayer Hall

Dusk in Bandar Seri Begawan

2) River Safari and Kampong Ayer tour

From the mosque, we walked past the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Complex to the jetty, from which we got a boat to take us to the mangroves for sightings of the proboscis monkeys as well as to Kampong Ayer. See here.

3) Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque

We started our 2nd day with a taxi ride to the Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque. It's located on Jalan Tutong, outside of the main tourist drag so you either have to get a taxi or bus. Buses number 1 and 22 leave from the main bus terminal and pass the mosque.

The largest mosque in Brunei, it was built in 1992 to celebrate the 25th year of the current Sultan's reign. If I were to give a single adjective to the two mosques that we saw there, I would say that the Omar Ali mosque is graceful while the Jame' mosque is magnificent. And splendorous. Make it two adjectives. The grounds are extensive, with marble-covered courtyards and fountains. The mosque itself is dominated by four terrazo-tiled minarets and golden domes (the Bruneians love their gold).

To enter the mosque, you would be given a set of robes and also would have to leave your bags in one of the lockers. The black marble flooring felt cold under my feet as I walked to the prayer halls. I would have gotten lost in the maze-like corridors were it not for directions from one of the staff.
The prayer halls are vast, adorned with more marbles and tiles and the carvings of the Quranic verses.
If this is how the mosque is, I cannot imagine how grand the Palace is. The gold-plated taps and bathroom fixtures are not mere rumours then.

The minarets of Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah mosque

Water features on the extensive grounds

Entrance to the mosque compound

4) Gorging on ambuyat

A dish can hardly be considered as a tourist attraction. But this is no ordinary dish - it is the national dish of Brunei and when you see what it is, you will understand why it was in my to-do list.

This dish is derived from the interior trunk of the sago palm. It is a starchy bland substance that looked more in place in a kindergarten's arts and crafts room than on a dining table. The set that we ordered came with spicy condiments, fried fish and two beef and vegetable dishes. I braced myself, scooped a chunk of ambuyat using the candas (a chopstick-like wooden tool) provided, dipped it in the condiment and popped it in my mouth. And hey, it did not taste that bad. The spiciness of the condiment sort of complemented the bland gooey taste of the ambuyat. But still, it was far from being included in my Favourite Food Around The World list.

We had this ambuyat eating experience in Aminah Arif Restaurant (the most classic Malay name and apparently one of the best places to have ambuyat in Brunei) Tutong branch. It was a walking distance from the Jame' mosque but  we had to cross a main road and it was sooo hot that it was no wonder that we were the only people walking. The set for 2 cost BND16.

5) Royal Regalia Museum

After our ambuyat lunch, we got a cab to this museum mainly because it was just across the road from our hotel and the entrance was free. As its name suggests, the museum showcases the life of the current Sultan of Brunei, His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu‘izzaddin Waddaulah (phew). It also acts as a repository for the gifts and tributes offered from other Heads of States and dignitaries. Looking at the exhibits, it was like a competition on who could be more extravagant, but I don't envy those who have to think on what to give one of the richest men in the world.

Photography is not allowed except for in the foyer where the centerpiece was the Royal Chariot used during the procession around town at the Sultan’s accession to the throne in 1967.

Royal Chariot

6) Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Complex

We took another walk to this area in the evening. The Yayasan is the largest shopping mall in Brunei with Hua Ho Department Store as its anchor tenant. The home department of the latter looked like King Midas had just run amok in it. Again, the Bruneians love their gold.

The mall was deserted at 6.30pm and we figured it was because of Maghrib prayers (they even had Quran recital in the background). Then it was 8pm...and still it was more or less the same. This was the biggest shopping mall in Brunei on a Sturday night and it felt like Kuala Lumpur's Pertama Complex at 10am. I came to the conclusion that Bruneians love 1) Gold and 2) Family time at home.

Conclusion:

So was it worth making a trip to BSB?  Was Brunei boring? Sort of and not really. BSB is small and the  number of things you can see and do is admittedly limited but any place that holds fast to its tradition and values and which does not sell its soul to bring in the tourists gets my votes any time.   

And if you had time to spare, unlike us, there's always the Ulu Temburong National Park for the real Borneo rainforest experience.

Brunei - The search of the proboscis monkeys

As far as our 5 year-od son was concerned, travelling to Brunei was all about the proboscis monkeys. He was talking about it for days before we left for Brunei. It was a sentiment that I also shared. The proboscis monkey is an endangered species and can only be found in Borneo. Whilst you normally would have to go to national parks and wildlife parks to see them in Malaysia and Indonesia, in Brunei a short boat trip from the jetty in the middle of Bandar Seri Begawan can almost guarantee sightings.

A couple of considerations to make:

1) Timing

The monkeys are the most active early in the morning and a couple of hours before sunset, the latter to feed before nightfall. We went at 5pm (on our first day in BSB) when the heat was more bearable.

 

2) Ways to do it

Many tour companies offer a River Safari tour to see the proboscis monkeys in BSB. I have seen a couple of tours costing upwards of RM200 per person.

Alternatively, you can just stand at the jetty next to Kaisen Restaurant and I can promise you that at least 2 water taxis will come and offer to take you on a tour. We got ours for BND40 - for a trip to see the monkeys as well as Kampung Ayer floating village - on a (very clean) wooden boat with an overhead shelter. I think there were lifejackets, but we brought Snufkin's own child-sized one.


The search for the proboscis monkeys

The boat sped down Brunei River away from the city. Soon we lost sights of evidence of human settlements. There was something very tranquil in the way our boat glided over the water with mangroves and thick riverine forests on our sides. I thought that it was amazing the way you could be surrounded with such lush greenery only minutes after you left the city centre. You would be hard-pressed to find this in other capital cities.

Our boatman scanned the trees for the proboscis monkeys. It was just our (lack of) luck that they were not as easy to locate that evening. Eventually we saw another boat parked at the riverbank, with its occupants all looking upwards. We joined them and saw, high up in the trees, a small group of the primates with their strange and bulbous noses and astonishingly long tails. Alas, our camera was not of the sophisticated type and hence the few lousy shots:


A rear view shot of the Proboscis monkey

Spot the monkey

What's funnier than the above lousy shots was that Snufkin fell asleep on the boat as we were trying to locate the monkeys. I did wake him up when we saw the group of the proboscis monkeys but after a minute he fell asleep again. So for all his excitement and anticipation of going to Brunei to see this particular species of primates, all he could remember was a few groggy moments of looking at the rear of a couple of proboscis monkeys.
 
As far as nature-related attraction goes, I think it's important to manage your expectations. I was hoping to see more proboscis monkeys at closer range but alas, this was no Disneyland. The monkeys were at their natural habitat and could very well be anywhere. We did see other species of wildlife - huge monitor lizard, herons, egrets, long-tailed macaques, other unidentifiable birds and even a crocodile. Our boat driver told us that the crocodiles in the Brunei River do not eat human beings as they have enough food supply. I was not sure I believed him.


Spot the monitor lizard

A lone egret

Our boat then made its way towards Kampong Ayer (directly translated to Water Village). This is a group of villages contructed on stilts over the Brunei River, connected by plankways and foot-bridges. They have their own school, restaurants, police station, fire station and even a museum.


Kampong Ayer Cultural and Tourism Gallery

Whilst referrring to it as the "Venice of the East" might be stretching it too far, I learnt that the Water Village is special in its own way as it has been around for over 1,300 years and that it is populated by more than 30,000 people, which is roughly 10% of the country's total population. In a way, it reminded me of the floating village on Tonle Sap, Cambodia, only that Brunei's Kampong Ayer is not is not as squalid and poverty-stricken as it enjoys modern amenities including satellite television, air conditioning, plumbing and electricity.


Villagers making their way to a wedding



Older houses in the village

Some of the newer houses -most are air-conditioned

After zig-zagging our way through the water villages, soon it was time to return. Snufkin woke up as soon as the boat docked at the jetty and his first question was "Why was the boat ride so short?". He slept for most part of the 1.5-hours tour and obviously did not see much of the proboscis monkeys. I later bought him a proboscis monkey cuddly toy as a souvenir of Brunei - that was probably the only time he could see a proboscis monkeys in all its elongated-appendage-glory.

 



Our boat making its way home



Miri to Brunei Overland

When I mentioned to friends that we were travelling to Brunei, I was usually met with looks of incredulity. Almost no one could understand why we had to go to Brunei when there's so many other countries that we could go to.

My reasoning was clear (at least to me). Brunei is one of our neighbouring countries. It's just there across the border and it would seem like a travesty if we bypassed Brunei in our quest to increase country stamps in our passports. And getting to see the proboscis monkeys in their native land cinched the deal.

As flights to Bandar Seri Begawan ("BSB") were expensive, we tried to explore other options. I was seriously contemplating the overland trail between Kota Kinabalu and Brunei. Apparently it takes at least 8 passport stamps (that was enough to get me hyperventilating) but it would take 8 - 10 hours and I thought it would be unfair to subject Snufkin to that. Another option would be to take a bus from Miri. A faster and more reasonable way than KK-Brunei, and much cheaper than flying straight to BSB.

So that was how we found ourselves in Miri. After spending a day and a night in Miri, we woke up early the next morning to catch the 8.15am bus to BSB. A pre-booked taxi was waiting outside the hotel to take us to Pujut Bus Terminal.

I believe bus tickets can only be bought at the ticket counter at the terminal. I was initially worried if the seats would be sold out as we did not buy the tickets in advance. It turned out that the only problem that we had was which seat to choose - We were 3 out of less than 10 passengers on the (very clean) PHLS Express bus, which also meant that we could recline our seats without worrying about people seated at the back.

The PHLS Express bus from Miri to BSB

The bus left right in time and soon we were leaving Miri behind and reaching the Sungai Tujuh Immigration Complex. There's something about border crossing that always gets me excited. Perhaps it's the knowledge that you are entering a totally different territory to explore, and unlike travels by plane, you can see literally see 2 countries side by side.

We got off the bus at Sungai Tujuh to get our passpport stamped for our exit from Malaysia. This was a quick process as there was just our bus. Then back on the bus and on through No Man's Land, that patch of land between Malaysia and Brunei, which looked more like a ghost town. 






Sungai Tujuh immigration checkpoint

We then reached the immigration complex on the Brunei side. There were other vehicles this time, more notably 2 express buses which probably were on the way from other parts of Malaysian Borneo. The queue to get our passports stamped this time was longer, but still less than 1/2 hour.

Upon entering Brunei, I could immediately see the difference. Whilst the road in Miri was flanked by scrublands and industrial buildings, Brunei was very green. I caught glimpses of the Borneo that I had in mind as we passed verdant jungles, lush fields and orchards. I suppose that logging was the last thing on their agenda considering the black gold that the country was sitting on. Signs of the oil economy of the country were everywhere, as below:

"Nodding Donkey" in the most obscure of places

Apart from the above, for most of the journey, we didn't see much else except for some modest shoplots and houses that made up the townships, most notably Serian, Tutong and Kuala Belait.


All signboards are in 2 scripts: Roman and "Jawi"

After nearly 4 hours, more pages of colouring book completed by Snufkin, and even more "are we there yets", we reached the capital BSB. The bus dropped us near the bus terminal on Jalan Cator, from which it was a 15-minutes walk to our hotel.

The walk from the bus terminal to the hotel

Accommodation

Accommodation options in BSB were rather limited. Against our usual aversion towards chain hotels, we booked a room in Radisson Hotel. At BND100 (approx. RM260) per night, I thought it was a really good value of money, especially when there seemed to be a dearth of reasonably-priced boutique hotels in BSB.

The room was bright with one of the nicest beds we've had in hotels. If you are travelling with kids, the pools are a big plus point: a great place for the kids to cool themselves with even free ice-cream thrown in the deal.

Trust me, when you are in BSB, you need a decent hotel with a pool as you will no doubt spend your afternoons in the hotel to escape from the scorching heat. As we did.

Radisson Bandar Seri Begawan

Note:

Buses leave Miri's Pujut Bus Terminal for BSB'S Bus Terminal at Jalan Cator. BND18/RM40 for the 4-hours journey.

Radisson BSB - Address: Jalan Tasek 2203, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8211, Brunei