Tag: asia

How 3 Days in Singapore Cost Me More Money than 2.5 Weeks in Borneo

Jasmine TamokAsia

I know, I know. That sounds crazy. How could we possibly spend more money during our 3-day visit to Singapore than the 2.5 weeks we spent in Borneo, where we visited Malaysia and Brunei. I mean, we saw so much: the caves at Mulu National Park, various animals near Kuching, the water village in Brunei, and an authentic longhouse in Kapit.

It is kind of sick to admit, but yet, we did. I have to say that our time in Singapore was amazing. We ate fairly cheap; however, Singapore is a lot more expensive than its Asian counterparts. Other than that, we definitely lived vastly outside of a backpacker’s budget. I can’t imagine being a traveller that always behaved this way while abroad.

Marina Bay Sands Hotel
View of Marina Bay Sands Hotel from the Gardens by the Bay

So, in 3 short days, we spent more than our 2.5 weeks in Borneo. I guess the big question being asked is was it all worth it?

Marina Bay Sands Hotel
Daniel and I overlooking the views of Singapore

Feel free to skip ahead to what you want to read what interests you!

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What is Brunei and Should You Visit it?

Jasmine TamokAsia

Last time I posted, I wrote about the gruelling ferry ride from Kota Kinabalu to Brunei. We arrived on Friday to Brunei and left on Sunday after a short two-night stay.

I have to admit, before this trip, I had never even heard of Brunei. When you think of South East Asia travels, you think of Thailand and Vietnam. Even when I mentioned that Danne and I were travelling to Borneo, I had many people ask me: “And where is that?”.

Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque
Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque has a roof made of gold

So, if you haven’t heard of Brunei, don’t feel too bad. Brunei is Asia’s least populated country. If you have been to China, then the contrast of the population is like night and day.

Let me tell you about one thing about Brunei: go there! I mean it, go there! Why should you go there? Read on to find out! You can also click on the links below to skip to what you want to read.

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What to Do in Kota Kinabalu

Jasmine TamokAsia

Well, Daniel and I have had a really busy last week. Since I last wrote about our trip on Vancouver Island, we have had a birthday weekend in Whistler for a friend and just used the last few days in Canada to say a final goodbye to all our friends and family there. We arrived in Kota Kinabalu on Wednesday and left yesterday to catch two boats to Brunei.

Me walking around in a random hall in Kota Kinabalu with a bunch of seafood restaurants

We had a short stay in Kota Kinabalu since we used it as a base to plan the rest of our trip in Borneo. Kota Kinabalu will actually be the only region that we are visiting in the state of Sabah, which is located in Malaysia (on the island of Borneo). If you want to skip ahead to see what we did in Kota Kinabalu then click on the bulleted list below!

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