Koala Park Sanctuary (Sydney)

Honestly the name of this park is super misleading because it was more like a prison than a sanctuary for the animals.

"Colman you must be exaggerating," is what you must be thinking right now. But just take a look at these photos. I mean I'm sure I'll enjoy living in such a small cage if I was a bird. Ok I guess it makes sense to cage the birds to prevent them from flying away, and to cage carnivores so that they won't hurt anyone, but even the goats are fenced up in a super small area.

Before I continue let's play a game. Can you find the animal?

Don't worry if you can't because there isn't one!!

At first my parents kinda thought that the place was under renovation or something because of how dilapidated it was. Some of the cages were also empty and most importantly there were only two other tourists when we first entered. So I went to ask the cashier where all the animals were, specifically the wombat and she promised that it was there.

The park provides animal presentation- don't be to hyped about this because almost every other zoo in Australia does the same- but during the dingo presentation, the worker came to the dingo cage late and refused to bring the dingoes out of the cage even though it was part of the presentation. And I swear to god the dingoes did not like the worker; you can assume why. Also you can see how skinny this dingo is.

At first I thought that it wasn't too bad considering we could take a picture with the koalas but then we went to Featherdale Wildlife Park a week later and when you compare the difference between the photos...

left: Koala Park Sanctuary
right: Featherdale Wildlife Park

There was also the sheep sheering show which might be considered interesting to some people, but to me, I found it really cruel. It was really obvious that the sheep felt super ashamed after it's wool coat was sheered off.

Putting aside the poor living conditions of the animals, the park is really far away ($50 on Uber), the attractions in the park do not justify the price of the tickets ($27). It's in the middle of nowhere with only 1 (or 2) busses back to the city.

While writing this post, I searched for the park online and it's 99% negative comments. Honestly I have no idea where my dad found the other 1% which made him bring us there but that's not the point. Apparently the place is being sued for animal negligence, and unsurprisingly there's a campaign to close down this place and if you feel that the zoo should be closed down after looking at the photographs, please sign the petition to help.

Alternatives:
Featherdale Wildlife Park
Wildlife Sydney Zoo
Taronga Zoo

Sign the petition here!

Phillip Island Tours AAT Kings (Day Tour)

On the second day of the Australia trip, we joined a day tour from AAT Kings to Phillip Island. It's actually a really fun tour but I wouldn't recommend it.

Stop 1: Maru Koala & Animal Park

This is actually a pretty good attraction because you can feed the kangaroos for $2 which is really affordable. But if you're looking for photos with koalas you can get them for free at Featherdale Wildlife Park. You can also feed wallabies and kangaroos for $2 there as well.

Stop 2: Phillip Island

We were taken to a couple of attractions in Phillip Island. The first one is this park place where you can take lots of really nice photos.  If you live in melbourne like I did and want to go to a nice picturesque like this, head down to Botanic Gardens.

Our next attraction is a beach which is actually really nice because of how empty it is. But no one could really enjoy the beautiful scenery because of how strong the wind was. It felt like standing in a sandblasting machine walking near the beach (i didn't even walk into the sandy area).

So one of the main reason of saying that this day tour isn't recommended is because of the crazy strong winds. Our next attraction is also right beside the sea.

Stop 3: Nobbies Rock Formation

So windy that I can't even smile properly.

Stop 4: Penguin Parade
The main course of the day tour was super disappointing. So based on the description in the website, we'll be seated at the coast to watch penguins swim from the sea and then find their houses on land. Yes, the penguins have houses which are built by the workers. And because of the word 'parade', I was expecting hundreds of penguins swimming in at once and covering the beach but what happened was only a few small groups of 5 to 6 swim in every now and then. Also you might have realized that I didn't include any photos of the attraction because photography is prohibited.

What you're supposed to do is to sit at the seating area for about 20 minutes from the start, then walk along the boardwalk back to the gift shop to watch the penguins waddle back to their little wooden homes. Now it will be quite dark along the board walk and the color of the penguins makes it even harder to spot them in the bushes. So the key to finding the penguins is to look out for a crowd because that's likely where the penguins are.

This is actually a really nice attraction if you're super into nature. Like it is quite a nice experience to see penguins in the wild. But if you're planning to just have a look at the penguins, I'd recommend Featherdale Wildlife Park or Wildlife Sydney Zoo because you'll get the opportunity to have a close up view of penguins AND take a picture with them.

Conclusion:
Out of all the stops, the only irreplaceable attraction is probably the Nobbies Rock Formation so I do not recommend joining this day tour.

Replacement attractions
Stop 1: Maru Koala & Animal Parl
Featherdale Wildlife Park

Stop 2: Phillip Island
Botanic Gardens (Melbourne)

Stop 4: Penguin Parade
Featherdale Wildlife Park
Wildlife Sydney Zoo

https://www.aatkings.com/tours/melbourne/phillip-island-penguins-kangaroos-and-koalas/

Aladdin The Musical

So as some of you might know, I went to Australia for 10 days so I have a lot of stuff to write about but I think I'll start with my personal favourite: Aladdin The Musical.

It is honestly the best musical I've seen and I'm not just saying it because it's Disney.

Aladdin The Musical is very very different from all the other ones I've seen because of the interaction between the audience and the cast, specifically Genie (Michael James Scott). He is so sassy and funny and really steals the spotlight!

Out of all the musicals I've watched, Aladdin also has the best female lead (in terms of voice) and the best set.

Jasmine played by Arielle Jacobs.

Sadly photography isn't allowed in the theatre but luckily I managed to find a couple of photos on google. But I promise you will be so impressed with the props, backdrop and everything! There are even fireworks, in addition to confetti. Yes that's right, fireworks.

But really if you're going to Sydney you should definitely include this in your itinerary!

AND also if you're a Disney fan you must bring some money because they have really nice things in their shop. The lamp-snowglobe thing is also a music box which plays "A Whole New World" and costs $85. If you're looking for a more affordable memento, they also sell really nice keychains and magnets for $15.

Purchase your tickets here!

Broadway playlist (not by the Sydney cast)

My 10 Travel Essentials

I've decided to do this post as I am currently packing for my Australia trip which starts tomorrow. I remember how my packing list was so long when I was younger, like I included rubber bands, blue tack, 5 books and other junk. So I've decided to share with you guys my 10 travel essentials for now. I'll be starting the list with the more general items that most people will bring.

1) Portable charger + Cable

So first on the list, which is probably everyone's travel essential, is a portable charger. Personally I'm not the kind of people who uses a portable charger daily so most of the time when I actually do need it, the battery will run flat. But this portable charger here doesn't "leak", meaning the amount of battery remains the same even if you don't use it.

There's also this unbreakable cable that I have. I'm a really messy person so I always throw the cable in my bag, causing it to bend and break and expose the wire.

2) Camera

I'm using a Canon M3, which has a wifi function to transfer the photos to my phone so that I can upload it on Instagram or whatever instantly. I also got a leather pouch from qoo10 for $30 which looks a lot nicer than the original camera pouches in Canon. It's also detachable so it's quite cool.

3) Sketchbook + Drawing Material

To pass time on the plane, I'll usually bring a sketchbook to draw whatever and I'll bring an artist's pencil case to hold my pencils, a couple of drawing pens, an eraser and a ruler. When I went to London I also brought a mini sketchbook which I carry with me everyday because I visited many museums in that trip.

4) iPad

I'll bring my iPad for blogging, reading and watching anime in case the movies in flight are boring




5) Spectacles



I got this free sample of a blue light filtered specs from my mom so it doesn't really fit that well on my face. It's supposed to reduce the amount of blue light from entering your eyes from staring at your phone for too long. Not sure if it it actually works but I still bring it with me whenever I travel.

6) Dry Shampoo

This is seriously a game changer especially when it comes to long haul flights like I cannot stand it when my hair is greasy and flat and sticks all over my forehead. Dry shampoo is basically shampoo in a can and it works so well. I'm using Batiste because it's cheap (about $5 from Watsons), it works well, it smells great and most importantly it is travel sized so I can carry this on my flight.

7) Bio Essence Miracle Bio Spray

This is basically dry shampoo but for your face. It's actually my sister's but I use it occasionally when my face gets oily or sticky and it basically just refreshes your face.

8) Hand Sanitizer

Sometimes when I travel, I'll encounter super dirty public toilets which is so dirty that even the water tap is crawling w bacteria. or maybe it doesn't even have a sink. Like when I went to Grand Canyon last year, their water system doesn't work so this really comes in handy. You can get this from Watsons for about $2 which is very worth it.

9) Environmentally Friendly Bags
I always bring one of these to reduce on the amount of plastic bags used. Also, some countries charge for plastic bags so it's always good to keep one of these in my bag.

10) Medicine Pouch
And lastly my medicine pouch which I carry everywhere I go, which includes a bottle of eye-drop, 2 gastric medicine, 2 panadol, cough and allergy medicine. You never know when you'll fall sick so this comes in really handy.

That's all! I'll be going to Australia tonight and be back by 1st December so hit the follow button on the right (if you're using your computer) to get notifications when I write about my trip.

AirBnb: My First Experience

So if you're been a long term reader or a friend of mine, you'd know that I went to London last November. It was the first time I've been overseas without my sister, so I wanted to try out something new which led me to airbnb. Basically, I wanted to really get the local feel by living in a legit apartment in London (after watching that airbnb commercial on youtube...)

I scrolled through dozens of apartments and 99% of them were either too expensive, too far away from Central London or too small. Finally I came across the apartment which I stayed in. It looked extremely attractive on screen. Key word: looked.

It was an old Victorian Townhouse. Check
Kinda near Central London. Yes that's what I'm looking for.
It's beside a tube station and a bus stop. Nice.
2 rooms? Yeah I need two rooms       .
Wifi and heating is included. WIFI.
Oh also the apartment is beside a cathedral, a food market and stuff. Oh yeah that's nice too.

And this is where it gets interesting. I showed my parents the photos of the apartment and they were as amazed as I was because, I mean, just look at these photos. Don't they look like a fine ass place to live in... at first glance, yes.

My first reaction when I entered the apartment was 'wait did we get the wrong place?'. The apartment was smaller than my living room. But it's impossible right? How does the apartment look so big in the photos?? And then what my friend told me hit me right in the face. A few weeks ago he was telling me about how his Uncle, when selling his house, would turn on all the lights, open all the curtains so that the whole house was brightly lit in order to make the house bigger.

That's why.

That's not the only problem. So my dad snores a lot, and kinda loud, which was why I needed 2 rooms in the apartment. I guess it was my fault for not viewing the apartment's photos properly. Yeah it does have 2 rooms, but the thing that separate the rooms is a freaking piece of cloth.

The other huge problem was that the toilet mirror was too high up and there was only a small full body mirror so no, you can't take your daily OOTDs. Too bad boys and girls. Also the shower was pretty slow.

Now I'll just list down the disadvantages of an airbnb apartment.

Firstly, it'll be the compromise of your safety. Well it's obvious that the landlord has the keys too so it'll definitely be a risk to leave any expensive things in the apartment. There's also the issue of multiple renting. There's a recent news report about a lady who had been renting an apartment for a couple of months. But what she didn't know is that the apartment is being rented out as a love hotel while she's out working.

Secondly, there's the issue of hygiene. Most airbnb landlord provide towels and bed sheets and necessities as such. How unhygienic will it be if they didn't properly sterilise the towels right? In my case, there was a hassle washing the towels ourselves because we requested for a change of towels daily but it wasn't carried out.

Lastly, I find it kind of dangerous to live in an airbnb apartment. My apartment was in Old Street which is this super quiet place in London. Actually everywhere in London, except for Piccadilly and Chinatown, is pretty quite at night. So it's really easy to be mugged or whatever in this kind of places, especially if you look like a tourist. It's safer to stay in a hotel because most grand hotels are located in bustling areas, and there are also security guards standing guard around the hotel.

This photo was actually taken outside the tube station near my apartment. It was only at around 9 pm(?) but all the shops were already closed.

But y'know of course there are the benefits that you can gain from an airbnb apartment which you can't from a hotel. As I said earlier on, the reason why I wanted to live in an airbnb apartment was because I wanted to feel more like a local and really get the London vibe which I highly doubt is possible in a series of room service and grand lobbies. Despite all of those negative points I pointed out, I'll still probably try out more airbnb apartments when I travel next time (probably the more pricey ones) it really makes you feel like you're a local rather than a tourist. Greeting neighbours on the way out, going to the nearby cafe where all the neighbourhood locals hang. Seriously, I wouldn't have fallen in love with London so hard if it wasn't for my choice of accommodation.

Thanks for reading!

https://www.airbnb.com/

Universal Studios Hollywood

During the California trip, my sister and I went to Universal Studios Hollywood. Yes, just us since my parents aren't really a fan of theme parks and they didn't really know the characters there. As far as I can remember, this is the first time I've went to a theme park in another country without my parents so it was definitely a unique experience for me. 

We got the Front-of-the-line passes to make sure we could finish all the rides and shows. Thank god we did as it was Boxing Day and the place was extremely crowded. All the rides except for one kiddy ride had at least a 40 minute wait after 10 am so if you're planning to try out all the attractions in a day, buying the fast passes will be the smarter choice. 

I was really surprised when I saw the park map as I had no idea the park would be so small. I was so psyched for the Marvel rides as I didn't reach the height limits when I was younger. Little did I know that that was in Universal Studios Florida. Disappointing yes I know. 

We started out at the Minions area as we were looking for Starbucks. The only ride there was the 4D stimulator ride that Singapore doesn't have. It was still early when we got there so we barely had to queue. This was how we made our mistake... After the ride, we went around taking photos with mascots, drink coffee at a French Bistro near the Minion ride (don't buy the starbucks from here because they have really limited choices and the coffee wasn't that good either). The 20 minute wait time for the rides became over 40 minutes!

The second ride we went to was the Jurassic World Wet Ride which is located at the Lower Lot. I kinda hate how there's an Upper Lot and a Lower Lot because it takes 4 long escalators from one place to another. It was really inconvenient and a waste of time. Again we decided not to use our fast passes as the waiting time wasn't that long yet, which was pretty dumb of us because we didn't have time for a second round as planned. 

One of the rides was really enjoyable and special. The Studio Tour is a must to go as it is the main attraction of Universal Studios Hollywood. I think that because of their size constraints and the fact that Universal Studios movies are filmed there, the rides are mostly 4D simulators to show off how great their technology and stuff are. So yes, in exchange of exciting adrenaline pumping roller coaster rides, you get to ride on a tram around the sets of many universal studios movies. How exciting!!

I may sound sarcastic but the experience is a lot better than how I just described it. If you don't believe me you can always believe the waiting time of the attraction, which was 75 minutes. It was really an eye opener to learn that the same set could be remodeled to fit different locations in dozens of movies. We also got the chance to watch 360• 4D stimulators for King Kong and Fast and Furious 7. They really went overboard with the water effects because it felt like they dumped a whole pail of unknown liquid on my face. 

The other ride I enjoyed was the Mummy coaster. It is almost the same as the one in Singapore so you must be wondering why I had fun on it. So at the last part of the ride, it was really quite and dark. Just imagine the silent part before a jump scare in a horror movie and you'll get what I mean. During that part, I screamed at my sister and she got scared and what made it even funnier was that I did the same thing when we watched an Egyptian movie a few months back. We planned to ride the Mummy coaster again and I was really looking forward to it because I wanted to scare other people but the queue for the single riders was definitely more than 30 minutes in the evening when we got back to it. After wasting 15 minutes we decided to give up. 

There were other rides/shows that Singapore doesn't have such as the Simpson Ride, Animal Actors and the classic ones like the Transformer 4D Ride and Jurassic Park. 

I think that Animal Actors is a fantastic pet show. Usually pet shows have the usual animals: dogs, cats, pigeons and pigs for some others. I'm quite sure not many pet shows have owls in their cast list. The animals of the shows are actually the animals in Universal Studios movies, one of which is Harry Potter. It was really cool to see how animals are trained to act in movies. What made the show even better was the backstage passes we had due to the front-of-the-line card, allowing us to take pictures with the owl!

And now I shall end of this post with pictures :)