Wednesday, November 14, 2018

++THE ONE WITH CANADA | The Places (British Columbia (BC) and Alberta)

Hi uolls.
Today's posting is about the places of interest, around the 2 regions of canada that we went to.
As mentioned in previous posting, since we dont have enough days/time (and also money), we only went to the west side of canada.
The east side (toronto or quebec or montreal) will be covered on the next trip (yg entahla labuuu, bila la tu agaknye hehe).
Since this side of Canada is famous for their rockies (rocky mountains or canadian rockies namanya),
And since we are more towards covering the natures nowadays,
(Sejak dah tua tua ni dah malas lak nak visit2 muzium/cathedrals/building/architectures segala tuh)(tapi, ikot mood gak la, kekdg minat balik, kekdg dah malas)(ini perlu diterangkan),
makanya, most of the journeys were solely at admiring the mountains, the lakes, the scenery & the fresh air.
And since one of us is not fit (u know who), and luckily the other 2 pon turut malas, we didnt hike la any of the mountains haha.
SILA JGN KECAM.
Alaaaaaa, dari bawah pon lawaaaaaaaaa. kalo kite hike nanti, kite penat, pastu tak rilek dan mengenjoy view, kan kan kan ahahahhahaha
Okla, semua org ada semua org punye suka, ko suke hike, ko hike la, kalo kau suke berehat2, ko rehatla, kalo ko suke shopping ko gi la landen tu je, or usa tempat2 factory outlet tu je.
(ek eh tetibe emo lak)
(ok nak cerita jap kenape tetibe emo, haritu ade la ofismet ni kecam saya, sbb gi canada tapi tak gi ice-skating/skiing. sukahtila kite nak buat activity apepekan? ahhhhh org dibumi semua jahat2!!!)

OK back to the story.
So BC and alberta are well known for the rockies. (sama macam how swiss and austria terkenal dgn banjaran alps nya)
And antara 2 most major national parks here are Banff National Park and Jasper National Park, hence the solution to stay at these 2 states for 3-4nights, in our case.
Actually ade bykkkk lagi national park yg cantik2 subhanallah kalo naik lagi atas2 alberta, tp, kalo nak cover semua, kite kene la menginap terus di canada ya tuan tuan.
May Allah ease our money for us to go there, lagi. Amin.

As usual, im gonna copypaste first the whole trip's journey list:
Day00 - KUL to Shanghai to Vancouver
Day01 - Vancouver to Whistler - Overnight in Whistler - Blackcomb Lodge by Whistler Premier
Day02 - Whistler to CacheCreek - Overnight in Cache Creek - Canadas Best Value Desert Inn & Suites
Day03 - Cachecreek to Revelstoke - Overnight Revelstoke - Frontier Motel
Day04 - Revelstoke to Banff & Canmore - Overnight in canmore - THE DRAKE INN
Day05 - Canmore to LakeLouise & Banff - Overnight in canmore - THE DRAKE INN
Day06 - Canmore Mt Lorette & Calgary - Overnight in canmore - THE DRAKE INN
Day07 - Canmore ThreeSistersMountain dll - Overnight in canmore - THE DRAKE INN
Day08 - Canmore to Lake Peyto to Jasper - OVERNIGHT IN JASPER - Tonquin Inn
Day09 - Jasper to Maligne, Medicine & Pyramid Lake - OVERNIGHT IN JASPER - Tonquin Inn
Day10 - Jasper to Valley of 5 Lakes - OVERNIGHT IN JASPER - Tonquin Inn
Day11 - Jasper to Clearwater - Overnight in ClearWater - Watauga Village Cabins and Suites
Day12 - Clearwater to Kamloops to Lytton - Overnight in Lytton - Lytton Hotel
Day13 - Lytton to HRC to Vancouver - Overnight in Vancouver - Atrium Inn Vancouver
Day14 - Vancouver - Overnight in Vancouver - Atrium Inn Vancouver
Day15 - Vancouver (the night is the night we went back home KL)
Day16 - Vancouver to Shanghai to KUL

So here, i'm gonna list the places that we went to:
1) Squamish (on the way to whistler) & Shannon Falls - 3rd highest waterfall in BC.
- we x sempat naik sea-to-sky gondola (sbb sampai sni dah 530pm camtu dan kol6pm tutup dah).

2) Whistler town - sangat cantik dan touristy.
Our hotel mmg bebetul tengah2 marketplace, that's why the parking fee is quite expensive kot.
And x sempat nak bebetul round the whole town. Kalo ade mase, we can ride the gondola and there is a "Peak to Peak Gondola" from whistler mountain to blackcomb mountain. menarikkk giler wehhh!

3) Green lake - biase2 je.
From wikipedia: Green Lake is the largest and most northerly lake in the Resort Municipality of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. It is the source of the Green River, a tributary of the Lillooet River, and is fed by the River of Golden Dreams, which issues from Alta Lake, which is at the height of land dividing the Green River drainage from that of the Cheakamus River to the south, which is a tributary of the Squamish River. Also feeding Green Lake are Fitzsimmons Creek, which originates in the valley above Whistler Village between Blackcomb and Whistler Mountains, and Rainbow Creek, which descends from Rainbow Mountain via the Alpine Meadows subdivision

4) Nairn Falls - biase2 je

5) Joffre Lake Provincial Park - lawa giler!!! and langit tengah cantik with matahari. (but we only went to lower Joffre Lake. Kalo hiker tegar, harus naik ke middle & upper Joffre Lake)
There are three turquoise, glacier-fed lakes, each more spectacular than the last. The lakes are aptly named Lower, Middle (2.5km hike from the lower lake) and Upper Joffre Lakes (around 2km hike from middle lake). Along the way, you are also rewarded with creek crossings, a waterfall, and several viewpoints of the surrounding mountain range. Finally, there’s the scenery at the top, an up close view of the Matier Glacier and a rugged campsite for those wanting to spend the night.

6) Duffey Lake - lawa gak and very peaceful. (dan ada byk kayu balak atas air. sgt insta-worthy)

7) Kamloops lake - lawa giler. ade kwn aku siap mintak gamba kitorg amek kat sini ni, without muke aku. siot je. sape rajin bole baca disini https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamloops_Lake

8) Salmon Arm - ni kitorg sampai dah waktu senja, so sempat tgk keadaan mentari merah diufuk timur sejjah... hehe
Salmon Arm takes its name from its place along Shuswap Lake. The lake has four "arms": Shuswap Arm in the west, Seymour Arm in the north, Anstey Arm in the northeast, and Salmon Arm in the south, named after the large runs of salmon that used to run up the creeks that empty into the lake

9) Trans-canada Highway (from revelstoke towards banff akan lalu mt Revelstoke Nat Park, glacier national park of canada) & golden.
The Trans-Canada Highway (French: Route Transcanadienne) is a transcontinental federal-provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada from the Pacific Ocean on the west to the Atlantic on the east. The main route spans 7,821 km (4,860 mi) across the country, one of the longest routes of its type in the world.[3] The highway system is recognizable by its distinctive white-on-green maple leaf route markers, although there are small variations in the markers in some provinces. (ala mcm xde amek gamba maple leaf sign tuh)

10) Banff: Banff downtown & Banff National Park:wajib pergi!!!
Rocky Mountain peaks, turquoise glacial lakes, a picture-perfect mountain town and village, abundant wildlife and scenic drives come together in Banff National Park - Canada’s first national park and the flagship of the nation’s park system. Banff is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Icefields Parkway extends from Lake Louise, connecting to Jasper National Park in the north. Provincial forests and Yoho National Park are neighbours to the west, while Kootenay National Park is located to the south and Kananaskis Country to the southeast. The main commercial centre of the park is the town of Banff, in the Bow River valley.
  • a) YOHO National Park - Yoho NP is bordered by Kootenay National Park on the southern side and Banff National Park on the eastern side in Alberta. The name Yoho comes from the Cree word for awe and wonder.
  • b) Natural Bridge - lawa! it is in yoho natpark.
Location – The Natural Bridge is easily accessible and is located along the scenic highway leading from the Trans-Canada Highway to Emerald Lake. There is a small parking lot situated just off the highway and the Natural Bridge is right next to it, with no hiking required.
The Natural Bridge is a unique rock which has been gradually carved out over time by the powerful Kicking Horse River to resemble a bridge, with a variety of waterfalls flowing around it. It is a magnificent work of nature and an impressive natural wonder
  • c) Emerald Lake - ok yg ni lawa gila mcm cermin! ditambah dgn cuaca cantik, matahari cantik. fuhhh. The lake setting itself is quite secluded, but can be easily accessed from the Trans Canada Highway. you can opt to walk around the lake for 1-2hours walking (5.2km) but kitorg tak melakukannye, sbb nak duduk menikmati pemandangan sejjah.
From wiki:
Emerald Lake is located in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada.[1] It is the largest of Yoho's 61 lakes and ponds, as well as one of the park's premier tourist attractions. Emerald Lake Lodge, a high-end lodge perched on the edge of the lake, provides local accommodation. During the summer months, canoe rentals are available; in the winter, the lake is a popular cross country skiing destination. The lake is enclosed by mountains of the President Range, as well as Mount Burgess and Wapta Mountain. This basin traps storms, causing frequent rain in summer and heavy snowfalls in winter. This influx of moisture works with the lake's low elevation to produce a unique selection of flora. Due to its high altitude, the lake is frozen from November until June. The vivid turquoise color of the water, caused by powdered limestone, is most spectacular in July as the snow melts from the surrounding mountains.
  • d) Lake Louise - ini lake yg sgtsgt cantik, but we arrived on a gloomy weather. nasebaik sejurus selepas bergamba dlm 8ribu keping, baru start hujan renyai2. so, the mirror efect wasnt really captured, but the lake was still a beautiful one. dahla there are some kepingan2 ais keping hasil dari pecahan permukaan tasik yg beku. mmg kami x sudah2 main baling2 ais keping la kat sini.

Lake Louise is known as the hiking capital of the world, but that doesn’t mean you have to summit a mountain during your visit. There are walks that allow for casual strolls and trails that have little elevation gain but still allow you to take in the beautiful scenery that the area has to offer.
Minimal elevation gain, 4 km round trip, allow 1 hour
Trailhead – starts in front of the Chateau Lake Louise hotel
This is a flat easy trail where you can stroll along the lake shore taking in the beautiful views of the water and mountain peaks. It’s the classic walk that everybody does when they visit the lake.
  • e) Mt Lorette Ponds (Kananaskis country) - ni hari yg cantik, cuaca dan matahari cantik, tp tasiknye dah beku diatas, so x berapa nak lawa.
  • f) 3 Sisters mountain - ini mmg mountain yg kalo ko hiker, ko boleh hike, tp kalo nak melihatnya, haruslah bediri dari jauh dan nampak ketiga2 nya.
from wiki about 3sisters:
Elevation 2,936 m (9,633 ft) [1]
Coordinates 51°00′50″N 115°21′00″WCoordinates: 51°00′50″N 115°21′00″W
The Three Sisters are a trio of peaks near Canmore, Alberta, Canada. They are known individually as Big Sister (Faith), Middle Sister (Charity) and Little Sister (Hope). In the traditional language of the Îyârhe Nakoda (Stoney) the peaks are also referred to as the three sisters. However, the name refers to a story of Ĩ-ktomnĩ, the old man or trickster, who would promise 'three sisters' in marriage whenever he was in trouble.
  • g) Whiteman's Pond, Goat Pond, Spray Lake Reservoir - ketiga2 ponds/lakes ni actually located at the same road towards spray lake. actually mase ni kitorg tgh cari where to take pictures of the 3 sisters mountain, tp tejumpa tasik2 ni, makanya kite tgk2 la.. lawa dan sejukkkkkkk gila.
  • h) Bankhead, Johnson Lake, Two jack lake, Lake Minnewanka - these 3 lakes pon terletak at the same strecth of road towards lake minnewanka. masih sama macam tasik2 sebelum ini.
  • i) Banff Spring hotel - 1 of top 10 most haunted hotel in world! - UNESCO world heritage site. A former Canadian Pacific Railway hotel built in the Scottish Baronial style, the Banff Springs Hotel has been called the Castle in the Rockies. Few other hotels in North America can rival its grandeur.
Know Before You Go
This iconic Canadian railway hotel has long said to be haunted. Look for the grand staircase where a bride is said to have fallen and broken her neck on her wedding day in the 1920's. Hotel guests have reporting hearing noises in the bridal suite and seeing images of a flowing apparition in a wedding gown on the stairs.

  • j) Banff bow falls - Lawa sbb ade mcm basalt rocks tepi2 dia tuh.

Bow Falls is a major waterfall on the Bow River, Alberta just before the junction of it and the Spray River. The falls are located near the Banff Springs Hotel and golf course on the left-hand side of River Road. The 1953 Marilyn Monroe film River of No Return featured the falls (gittew).
  • *note: morraine lake - we scheduled a morraine lake visit during the stays at banff, tp ia dah tutup. sedih ngat :(
10) Calgary - just town. ramai malaysian yg duduk canada, adalah duduk di calgary ni. nothing interesting. tp kami x de la explore sgt pon, except pergi jenguk2 (katenyer) factory outlet dia.
and we went to WR's friend's house here dan diberi makan nasi lemak! baru seminggu je pon mase ni, tp, dapat nasi lemak tu umpama dah setahun x jumpe nasi ceritenyer!

11) Jasper: Jasper town & Jasper National Park: Jasper town itseld ialah pekan koboi yg cantik except that we arrived at a gloomy weather and sky, dan tiap2 hari x sempat pon nak jalan sekeliling, just enjoyed the view from the car towards our destination2 pada hari2 tersebut.
Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies comprises a vast wilderness area of Alberta province defined by glaciers, lakes and peaks like 11,033-ft.-high Mt. Edith Cavell. The Icefields Parkway, a road from the town of Jasper, passes subalpine forest and the immense Columbia Icefield. Outdoor activities like hiking, camping and skiing are popular. Native wildlife includes elk, moose, bighorn sheep and bears. (kami ade jumpe beberapa wildlife while driving seperti deer, mooses, kambing gurun tatau nama apa, squirrel, beaver, tp, malangnyeee, x jumpe langsungggg bear huhuhu)
  • a) Icefield's parkway (from banff (after the transcanada hiway) to jasper) - ya allah ini ialah jalan yg sepanjang2 perjalanan punyela cantik rase sampai nak berhenti tiap2 meter. wajibulghunnah kalo korg pegi jasper lalu sini! (bole baca ini: https://icefieldsparkway.com/highlights/best-photos)
  • b) Lake Peyto - INI LAWA! lawa giler and the weather was nice that day with sunshine, x hujan, ade snow dan tebal tp x gloomy. lawa giler gamba kitorg kat sini nih! dan dpt main2 snow gila2 best gila. ok bawak bertenang videl.
  • c) Waterfowl Lake - ini just tempat tepi jalan yg kami stop dan amek2 gamba.
  • d) Saskatchewan River Crossing - ini pon same. tempat stop tepi jalan utk tgk view of saskatchewan river dan lakes2..
  • e) Toe of Athabasca Glacier Trailhead - oh ini tempat beku! sejuk gila dikelilingi snow dan glaciers. The Athabasca glacier is one of the “toes” of the Columbia Icefield and is 6 kms square (2.3 sq miles) and 90–300 metres (300–980 ft) thick. This makes for impressive photos!
(we didnt go to bridal veil falls, tangle falls, sunwapta falls, anthabasca falls. x sempat dan x menarik sgt bile tgk gamba. we preferred lakes by this time)
  • f) Medicine Lake - ini lake yg interesting, altho x clear or berwarna hijau mcm tasik2 lain yg lawa2 tu, but the lake was frozen. dan kering. Every fall this lake mysteriously drains, like a bathtub with the plug pulled out.
During the summer, glacier melt waters flood the lake, sometimes overflowing it and in fall and winter the lake disappears, becoming a mudflat with scattered pools of water connected by a stream, all of which is not so unusual, lakes empty all the time. What makes Medicine Lake unusual is that there is no visible channel for draining the lake – so where does the water go?
The answer is, “out the bottom,” like a bathtub without a plug. The Maligne River pours into the lake from the south and drains out through sinkholes in the bottom. The water then streams through a cave system formed in the slightly soluble limestone rock, surfacing again in the area of Maligne Canyon 16 kilometers downstream. (read more here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/medicine-lake)
  • g) Maligne Lake - ni lawaaaa sepatutnye but when we arrived, it was already snowing dan gloomy so gamba tk cantik sgt but still lawa la. kat tetengah dia ade island, spirit island.
Set amongst the towering Canadian Rockies, Maligne Lake is famed for it's azure-blue, glacial waters and Spirit Island, one of the most photographed spots in North America.
When artist and explorer Mary Schaffer became the first European to lay eyes on Maligne Lake in 1908, she called it “the Hall of Gods,” adding that “if Lake Louise is a pearl, Maligne is the entire pearl necklace.”
source https://www.jasper.travel/maligne-lake/
  • h) Pyramid Lake & Patricia Lake - pyramid lake is around 7km drive from jasper, and u can see patricia lake first before sampai pyramid lake. pon lawa gila mcm mirror, ditambah dgn langit biru time ni. lawaaaaaa.
From wiki: Pyramid Lake is a kidney-shaped lake in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. It lies at the foot of Pyramid Mountain, a natural landmark that overlooks the town of Jasper. Several picnic sites are established on the shores of the lake, as well as boat ramps. Pyramid Lake Resort is located on the southeast point of the lake. Pyramid Island is a short distance from the resort, there is a small parking area which can be accessed by a road or hiking trails, then you cross a small wood foot bridge to the island itself, which has benches, picnic tables and a small open wooden shelter.
Patricia Lake is a lake in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada, near the town of Jasper. It was named for Princess Patricia of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. It is connected by Pyramid Lake road and hiking trails to the town of Jasper.
  • i) Valley of 5 lakes - yg nih kene hike sikit. sikit je la.
This is not an overly difficult hike but it is not a flat walk either. Parks Canada rates this as a “moderate” hike as there are a number of elevation changes. This trail is aptly named as it is literally a valley and there are 5 lakes. From the trailhead in the parking lot, it is about a 0.9km hike to get to the main loop starting point. This main loop starting area is stunning as there is a small stream at the bottom of a grassy valley (not the valley where the lakes are located – so you pass through one valley to get to the main valley).
There are essentially two loops you can take. One is a shorter loop (2.3kms) that takes you by all five lakes and the second longer loop splits off the shorter loop and takes you all the way around lake #1 which adds on almost 5kms. (at first we did went to the 5km loop but stop halfway and goes to the shorter loop of 2.3km).

12) Clearwater - is a distrct we stop just to rest one night before continue to the next stop. the motel we stayed was actually nearby the north thompson river

13) Lytton - is a very small town mcm very cowboyish type. it sits at the confluence of the thompson river and fraser river.

14) Vancouver (downtown eastside) & Grandville Island
At vancouver downtown area, we pass by an area of the homeless. ramai gila and they were like bersepah2 at the town. mcm hippies.
grandville island was an interesting seafood/market place. ia besar dan mcm sebuah disneyland for org2 tua.
Granville Island provides amenities such as a large public market, an extensive marina, a boutique hotel, Arts Umbrella, False Creek Community Centre, various performing arts theatres including Vancouver's only professional improvisational theatre company Vancouver Theatresports League, the Arts Club Theatre Company and Carousel Theatre, fine arts galleries, and variety of shopping areas.
Granville Island Public Market Apples and calabash "geese", Granville Island Public Market, 2011.
The Granville Island Public Market features a farmers' market, day vendors, and artists offering local Vancouver goods. There are 50 permanent retailers and over one-hundred day vendors in stalls throughout the market selling a variety of artisan cottage-industry foods and handmade crafts on a rotating schedule
15) Cache Creek & Revelstoke - both small town we stop just to rest for a night from vancouver to banff. (van to banff = around 900km. kalo korang tahan, boleje drive straight, tp kami insan2 yg lemah haruslah stop before teruskan perjalanan yg berliku).

So overall, kami sgt puashati dengan semua tempat yg kami sempat cover kali ini, only these 2 lakes je yg agak rugi x pergi dan x fully pusing: Morraine & Maligne lakes.
Yg lelain boleje skip. kalo ade driver lelaki, adalah lebih baik tayah buang mase kat cachecreek, revelstoke, clearwater dan lytton tu semua, baik stret je from vancouver terus whistler then terus zass ke banf and then jasper. we need atleast seminggu at each of these.
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pictures to be inserted
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Read also:
++THE ONE WITH CANADA | Costing & Itineraries : https://videl-kuchiki.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-one-with-canada-costing-itineraries.html
++THE ONE WITH CANADA | The Accommodations : https://videl-kuchiki.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-one-with-canada-accommodations.html
++THE ONE WITH CANADA | The Places (British Columbia (BC) and Alberta):

Friday, November 9, 2018

++THE ONE WITH CANADA | The Accommodations

Hi again

First of all, im gonna introduce the group.
1st one is of course my lifetime travel leader/partner, MMTK. If you've previously read my blog during the trip to Japan/tokyo, you'll remember what's the meaning of mmtk. and who she is.
She, so far, has been doing all the research, planning, booking, iteneraries, everything, for almost all of our trips (japan, korea, nz, russia, morocco, taiwan, dll).
So, if you happen to be a guy (with dick, maknanya bukan gay), and if you are single and loves travelling tp alala malas sikit buat iteneri, sila lah berkenalan dgn MMTK. Your life would never be the same. gituh.
(kpd mmtk: mohon beri diskaun kpd hutang piutang sis)
2nd one is the high pitcher, WR. The name is actually just the alpha form of her main nickname. i dunno why i dont wanna reveal the true nickname here, but, just layankan aje la aku ni, kekdg muzabzab terlebih.
She and mmtk and me, have been knowing each other since december1992, and there are a few trips that we've been together, but not all, because unlike me&mmtk, this one has a lottt of other gang2 dia. so, there might be some clash on few of other trips we went.
and, the 3rd one is me. nothing new, same old same old. masih single dan masih mingle. begittew.

In this posting, i'm gonna write about our accommodations for the whole journey.
As WR always said during our trip, we are not poor, but, we have not enough money to buy everything we wanted in life. haha. So, MMTK (our leader), had, as usual, picked the most 'affordable' stays troughout the trip, pre-booked from booking.com or expedia.com.
Why booking.com/expedia.com? because she said, we dont have to pay for the deposit, unlike most of airbnb hosts.

As usual, im gonna copypaste first the whole trip's journey list:
Day00 - KUL to Shanghai to Vancouver
Day01 - Vancouver to Whistler - Overnight in Whistler - Blackcomb Lodge by Whistler Premier
Day02 - Whistler to CacheCreek - Overnight in Cache Creek - Canadas Best Value Desert Inn & Suites
Day03 - Cachecreek to Revelstoke - Overnight Revelstoke - Frontier Motel
Day04 - Revelstoke to Banff & Canmore - Overnight in canmore - THE DRAKE INN
Day05 - Canmore to LakeLouise & Banff - Overnight in canmore - THE DRAKE INN
Day06 - Canmore Mt Lorette & Calgary - Overnight in canmore - THE DRAKE INN
Day07 - Canmore ThreeSistersMountain dll - Overnight in canmore - THE DRAKE INN
Day08 - Canmore to Lake Peyto to Jasper - OVERNIGHT IN JASPER - Tonquin Inn
Day09 - Jasper to Maligne, Medicine & Pyramid Lake - OVERNIGHT IN JASPER - Tonquin Inn
Day10 - Jasper to Valley of 5 Lakes - OVERNIGHT IN JASPER - Tonquin Inn
Day11 - Jasper to Clearwater - Overnight in ClearWater - Watauga Village Cabins and Suites
Day12 - Clearwater to Kamloops to Lytton - Overnight in Lytton - Lytton Hotel
Day13 - Lytton to HRC to Vancouver - Overnight in Vancouver - Atrium Inn Vancouver
Day14 - Vancouver - Overnight in Vancouver - Atrium Inn Vancouver
Day15 - Vancouver (the night is the night we went back home KL)
Day16 - Vancouver to Shanghai to KUL
-Canmore hotel that we stayed in gave the best view (of, ofcourse, the rockies) (tapi xde kitchen),
-Jasper's hotel that we stayed in gave the best soap and ade kitchen and katil yg sodap (tapi view biase sejjah),
-whistler's hotel that we stayed in ade semua tu tapi parking mahal sehari 17dollar.
-Atrium inn in vancouver tuh ade free breakfast everyday, but no kettle/microwave in room. bowring.
-Yg lelain, motel/hotel biase2 yg mostly xde microwave, kettle dan xde kitchen.
-(hotel kat cache creek tuh paling berhantu. We even heard some bunyi2 aneh. huhu. i cant sleep that night.)

So, on day 1, we overnight at whisper. (Blackcomb Lodge by Whistler Premier)
The hotel we stayed in, is a proper hotel (bukan motel), is complete with very nice view, 1 queen bed & 1 sofa bed, got kitchen & microwave & oven & kettle, and iron.
cons: parking has to be paid, 17dollar per day. meh! (all of our other hotel/motels that we stayed here came with free parking)

On day 2, we overnight at cache creek. (Canadas Best Value Desert Inn & Suites)
The place is actually a motel, something like we always watch in tv, dimana ada pelacur2 dtg memberikan khidmatnya tu :D:D:D and it is a haunted one! (or so i thought). entahlah mmg hotel yg berhantu, or hantu dah ikot from the roadside ke, i dunno, because we arrived here at dark, the journey was also a dark one, there isnt much roadside lamps all the way.
at first, WR felt (nampak selimpas) something passing by when she took her bag from the car, but when she look up, there's nothing there. denggggg!
and then when we lepak2 atas katil playing with our mobile phone, there's weird sound of ketuk2 dinding coming from behind us, and the sound actually crept from one side to another. denggg!
and that night, i couldnt sleep. i got this feeling of 'something' is watching me, and limpas2.
both mmtk & wr slept well. cis.
cons: no kettle or microwave or kitchen or iron.

On day 3, we overnight at revelstoke. (Frontier Motel)
when we thought that the hotel in cache creek is such a pelacur's motel, this one in revelstoke lagi horror! it was like motel2 for driver2 treler panjang berehat semalam. with cikcur service.
ahahahahhahah.
and there's no heater! (actually there is a heater, but we couldnt find it kot. haha)
so kami tido dalam kesejukkan. i can sleep well, but both mmtk & wr couldnt. yay!
cons: no kettle or microwave or kitchen or iron. and tv style lama, yg cembung tuh.

On day 4,5,6,7, we overnight in canmore (The Drake Inn) (i count this as banff because this is the nearest town to banff, and hotels in banff is super expensive).
After struggling with motel cikcur in 2 nights in a row, the hotel in canmore brought us tears!
It was such a nice hotel, with omg the greatest view of the rockies, dgn sungai mengalirnye just next to the hotel. ah supernice weh. (Actually, we booked a normal view room, but being upgraded to this room with rockies view)
the room was with 2 queen beds, so WR terpaksa bertukar partner tiap malam. :D
cons: no kettle (but we managed to loan it from the front desk), no microwave or kitchen, no iron too.

On day 8,9,10, we were at jasper. (Tonquin Inn)
We were told that they upgraded our room to a family deluxe. Superduper yaayyy.
so, there is kitchen yg lengkap with kettle and microwave and oven, 1 queen bed in a separate room inside the same room, 2 single bed at the main room. the soaps are the best too. and there is iron.
the view however, is not as great as the one in canmore, altho we can still see the rockies, but ok je la.
and there is also laundry room at the hotel area, this is where we did our laundry (setelah behari2 gagal gi laundry di canmore sbb dia tutup awal, kol 830pm)

On day 11, we went to clearwater. (Watauga Village Cabins and Suites)
the room is ok, not so motel-like (like the one in cachecreek/revelstoke), 2 queen bed, there is kitchen and kettle and microwave. view xde ape. but we were being welcomed by a beautiful cat.
cons: toilet tersumbat laaa pulak. so the next morning, i had to wake the owner's up to do my business, gladly, he gave me another room's key to do it. kihkihkih so drama.

On day 12, we overnight at Lytton. (lytton hotel)
the hotel is ok, the view should be ok but it was not near. we didnt have time to actually roam the area sbb letih sgt kot. ke dah malas tah. we just stayed in when we arrived, yg lagi beberapa minit je nak magrib dah, and after that dah gelap gelita.
there is also 2 queen bed, no kitchen or kettle, but got microwave.

On day 13&14, we stayed in vancouver (the atrium inn)
the hotel was nice and looks like the most expensive one through out the journey.
2 queen bed, with iron too, but, no kitchen or kettle or microwave. takdapatla kami nak habiskan sisa2 megi kami.
but the parking is free and gated inside the underground, and there is free breakfast everymorning. so yay jugakla.

i'll upload some pics later.

*updated the picture. With caption.

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1)Hotel di Whistler (1n) - Blackcomb lodge by Whistler Premier

ade kitchen yg nice

1queen bed & 1sofabed yg blom di bukak..

each hotel room we stayed in pasti akan ade coffee maker, kettle xde tp mesti ade coffee maker. tp kat hotel whistle ni coffee maker dia paling canggih nih:

view cantik from hotel room (tapi x nampak sgt pon dlm gamba ni haha)(view cantik dlm video! acamanooo ahkak nak upload sini niiii)

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2) Motel di Cache Creek (1n) - Canada Best Value Desert Inn & Suites (yg berhantu tuh)(tgk balik gamba yg spooky ni pon bole buat aku meremang)

2queen beds. sedap dan empok apalah artinye kalo aku x bole tidooooo huhuhuhuuhuh...

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3) Hotel in Revelstoke (1n) - Frontier Fas Gas Plus Motel


sgt cowboy gile motel nih...

our room yg paling hujung ni. kearah hutan. sejuk nak mamposss...

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4) Hotel Canmore (4n) - The Drake Inn (room yg diupgrade kpd rockies view)(TQ so much The drake inn !!!)

the toilet/shower



2queen bed yg enaknak

the view from our balcony!!! the rockies!!!


the hotel from outside.

still cant get enough of the room views!




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5) Hotel in Jasper (3n) - Tonquin Inn

the 2 single bed at the main area

the small kitchen/pantry area

the toilet/shower

1queen bed at a separate room inside the main room.

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6) Hotel in Clearwater (1n) - Watauga Village Cabins & Suites

2queen beds

we being welcomed by this monsieur

small kitchen area, just nice.

malangnye toilet tersumbat pulokkk

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7) Hotel in Lytton (1n) - Lytton Hotel

2queen beds

the view from our hotel room. overlooking the fraser river.



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8) Hotel in Vancouver (1n) - Atrium Inn



very nice cosy room! with 2 queen beds




got free breakfast everyday


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Read also:
++THE ONE WITH CANADA | Costing & Itineraries : https://videl-kuchiki.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-one-with-canada-costing-itineraries.html
++THE ONE WITH CANADA | The Accommodations : https://videl-kuchiki.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-one-with-canada-accommodations.html

Thursday, November 8, 2018

++THE ONE WITH CANADA | Costing & Itineraries

Hi again villagepeople..
As promised, in today's entry, i'm gonna elaborate on the costings & overall itineraries.
Since Canada is too big, and we have limited time, MMTK (as usual, our ketua tekkatan) decided to just cover the west part (BC & Alberta), non other than of course, because, admiring the rockies beauty.
The journey began and ended in Vancouver.
Day00 - KUL to Shanghai to Vancouver
Day01 - Vancouver to Whistler - Overnight in Whistler - Blackcomb Lodge by Whistler Premier
Day02 - Whistler to CacheCreek - Overnight in Cache Creek - Canadas Best Value Desert Inn & Suites
Day03 - Cachecreek to Revelstoke - Overnight Revelstoke - Frontier Motel
Day04 - Revelstoke to Banff & Canmore - Overnight in canmore - THE DRAKE INN
Day05 - Canmore to LakeLouise & Banff - Overnight in canmore - THE DRAKE INN
Day06 - Canmore Mt Lorette & Calgary - Overnight in canmore - THE DRAKE INN
Day07 - Canmore ThreeSistersMountain dll - Overnight in canmore - THE DRAKE INN
Day08 - Canmore to Lake Peyto to Jasper - OVERNIGHT IN JASPER - Tonquin Inn
Day09 - Jasper to Maligne, Medicine & Pyramid Lake - OVERNIGHT IN JASPER - Tonquin Inn
Day10 - Jasper to Valley of 5 Lakes - OVERNIGHT IN JASPER - Tonquin Inn
Day11 - Jasper to Clearwater - Overnight in ClearWater - Watauga Village Cabins and Suites
Day12 - Clearwater to Kamloops to Lytton - Overnight in Lytton - Lytton Hotel
Day13 - Lytton to HRC to Vancouver - Overnight in Vancouver - Atrium Inn Vancouver
Day14 - Vancouver - Overnight in Vancouver - Atrium Inn Vancouver
Day15 - Vancouver (the night is the night we went back home KL)
Day16 - Vancouver to Shanghai to KUL

(about table above: the column for "RM per group of 3" is actually just the total number of "RM perperson" times 3. Yuolls can take the RM perperson budget only. bukan tambah dedua)

And then about the costing.

Firstly about why we chose china eastern/shanghai airlines.
Of course, because of the price, this one offered the cheapest price with only 1 stopover. (i personally dont really like many stopover, if the journey is too far, let it be over with, fast!, dont want to stop stop here and there). And, i think most of the reviews given online that i read, are, ok lah. takdela teruk sgt kot.

The short leg flight from KUL to shanghai (around5hours) was with a smaller aircraft (about the size of domestic airasia aircraft), comes with free 1 meal allowance (we can select option of muslim food during booking) and 23+23kg luggage allowances.

The stopover at Shanghai (Pu dong) Airport was frankly quite a tense one.
The wifi at the airport is superslow (or maybe because they blocked the fb/ig? i dunno, i have yet to check this out).
and even though we are just transferring, within the airport (inside the immigration area), we still have to go thru all the queuing up of immigration counter, hand-luggage checkings, and also i dunno for how many times queuing for passport/ticket check. tiap tiap lengkuk jalan dia nak cek.
letih ahkak!

For me, there are toooo many checking, i've been transiting to too many places before (at aussie during NZ trip, at vietnam, at abu dhabi, dll), trust me, this one is the longest and tooo many!
and, we actually had a 6 hours transit time and thought that we can go out and go visit the old town of shanghai during this transit time (we can go there in 8minutes by the fast train), just to take picture and then go back, but, after queuing almost 2hours at the "transit counter", the officer told us we cant go out. ek enneeeee kecohnyeeeeeeee!

The long leg flight from shanghai to vancouver (canada), also came with 23+23kg luggage allowances. and with 2 main meals and 1 snack meal (sandwich)(muslim food can be ordered during booking). the in flight services were quite good. everything good, the seat & leg space is ok, i think it is the same feeling like when i travelled with etihad. the meals are also nice.

And when we arrived in Vancouver, OMG the process at the airport, from the luggage collection, the immigation counter, the officers are all very very fast and nice! ah i just fall in love terus with Canada. sangatla berbeza nya dgn kelembapan kat shanghai tadi tuh.
the immigration officer at vancouver just ask me where will i go in canada, and said to have a nice stay, bye! senang sgttttttt. xde pon nak kekwat2 mcm kat shanghai tuh!

ok back to the costing.

2ndly about the visa. Almost all of the info and how to, we got it from this website: https://www.tommyooi.com/how-to-apply-canada-travel-visa-for-malaysians/
The price are self explanatory in the picture/table above.
The Visa fee is 100CAD (RM324 based on my cc transaction that time)
Since the visa documents are to be submitted at VFS agent in MCA building jln ampang, they will then send the visa to be be processed in VFS singapore. Hence the VFS agent fee of rm154 tuh.

3rdly on the car.
We rented the car via carflexi.com, the total price for 15days are around RM1908 per car, and it is a normal sedan car. (since all of us is getting 23+23kg luggage allowances, it is advisable to take and pay for a larger car, nextime)
we had hard times jigsaw puzzling on how to arrange our luggage in the boots! haha!
Petrol & parking were mostly by creditcard (so that we senang tayah bawak cash bebanyak).

Lagi ape yg perlu di terangkan ek.

Overall, about the accommodation,
Canmore hotel that we stayed in gave the best view (of, ofcourse, the rockies) (tapi xde kitchen),
Jasper's hotel that we stayed in gave the best soap and ade kitchen and katil yg sodap (tapi view biase sejjah),
whistler's hotel that we stayed in ade semua tu tapi parking mahal sehari 17dollar.
Atrium inn in vancouver tuh ade free breakfast everyday, but no kettle/microwave in room. bowring.
Yg lelain, motel/hotel biase2 yg mostly xde microwave, kettle dan xde kitchen. (hotel kat cache creek tuh paling berhantu. We even heard some bunyi2 aneh. huhu. i cant sleep that night.)

For FNB (food and beverages), we did went out and have dinner in a proper restaurants, i think around 4-5 times gak la, other than that, we just eat bread with tuna or eggs or some instant noodles that we bring. i think most traveller already knows how to eat within budget, so i dont think this needs explanation. pepandai korg la kan. we did bring tuna from malaysia (sbb nak perisa cili, mostly tuna omputih ni are tuna in oil or plain tuna je), instant noodles, crunchy anchovies in chillies delimas (sedap).
there is no declaration for anything to enter canada, so u can bring anything u want (ofcourse except drugs). sgt mudah dan senang. i love canada weh!

and for shopping, we found 2 factory outlet, 1 in calgary (cross iron fac outlet) and another 1 in vancouver (mcarthur vancouver fac outlet). the one in vancouver is better, but since i dont have spaces aymore in my luggage (which was only 23+15kg jeee)(nextime kene bawak 2-2 beg beso!), so no shopping at vancouver tuh. ah rugi.

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Read also:
++THE ONE WITH CANADA | Costing & Itineraries : https://videl-kuchiki.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-one-with-canada-costing-itineraries.html
++THE ONE WITH CANADA | The Accommodations : https://videl-kuchiki.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-one-with-canada-accommodations.html

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

++The one back from canada

Hello people!!!
Im back! (Yesterday actually)
Ive been to canada from the last 2weeks and i love that country so much!!!!
I love the people, mygod they are sooo so much lovelier and friendlier than any other country ive been to! I love the autumn weather. I love the surrounding. I love the rockies. I love the fresh air. And many more.
I cant wait to post it here, but here's some few places i love so much (we didnot conquer all of canada however, will be back for more i guess).
1- Banff, canmore and the rockies. I loveeeeee those mountains!!! If only i am fit enough to hike.
2- jasper and the icefield parkway! Omg if only i can share the videos of all of our journey. Hanya mata ini yg dapat merekod segalagalanya!

There s so much to calculate for now, hotel bookings and petrols were mostly via the credit card, and we sort of used all of the cash we brought to canada (1000cad for me)(around rm3230), for eating and souviners and shopping blablabla.

Stay tuned! This time i promise, i'll update my blog soon. :D
Sent from my iPhone