Let’s plan your perfect Malaysia holiday

Let’s plan your perfect Malaysia holiday - Zocales

 Malaysia is a culturally rich nation enveloped with breathtaking beauty that attracts number of tourists from all over globe. Malaysian culture is a blend of china and India, which can be clearly found in the architectural buildings of the country. Located in the Malay peninsula and stretches to parts of Borneo,the whole cultural landscape of Malaysia is dotted with various temples, churches, exotic beaches, elevated hill stations, secluded glorious islands, shopping centers and other renowned attractions that make one’s trip infinitely rewarding and worth remembering.
Known for it’s luscious delicacies and innumerable options in desserts, it’s a true heaven for the foodies. Hawkers move around on foot, bicycles and vans to let tourists diptheir taste buds in delightful dishes offered by Malaysia.
From water sport activities like snorkeling, diving to savoring the local food while scribbling a fulfilled shopping experience, Malaysia is an ideal destination for a 3-4 days trip with your family.
Let’s look at some of the best things one can do in MALAYSIA –

1. Flaunt your adventurous side while trekking in Taman Negara National Park, nestled in the state of Pahang. Known for its tropical climate and longest rope walkway in the world, this place attracts steady stream of national and international trekkers and nature lovers.  If you are in Malaysia even for a day, don’t miss the opportunity to capture the most plentiful wildlife while having a arduous walk through woods of this national park spread across the broad walk circuits of about 100kms and have a glimpse inside the lives of Orang Asli, said to be the first inhabitants of Malaysia. This rainforest is an abode to many animals like Malayan tiger, Indian elephant, red Junglefowl, to name a few.
2. Enjoy a pleasant skywalk over the sky bridge that joins the most iconic twin Petronas towers in Kuala Lumpur and admire the astoundingly view of the city below from such a dizzying height. Apart from the skywalk, there are various shopping malls and food courts inside the tower for a fun filled evening.
3. Spell some unforgettable beach memories at Langkawi Island with bright flip-flops and sandy toes. With a relaxed ambience and surreal beaches around, it’s an ideal place for honeymooners and beach lovers.
4. Savor the delightful flavors of NasiKandar, a staple food in Malaysia wherein customers are given variety of toppings like chicken, prawns, cabbage cooked in mustard seeds etc. and scrumptious sauces to top their rice with.
   JalonAlor located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur is the place to provide you the most exciting eating experiences. The stalls are parked all along the street to let tourists indulge in the innumerable delectable dishes and treasure the flavors of Malaysian food in their memories.
5. Shop till you drop on the Petaling street of Kuala Lumpur, flooded with hundreds of stalls selling all kinds of stuff at dirt-cheap prices that can be further whittled down through hard bargaining.

“Of all the books in the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport.“

Things to keep in mind while doing travel photography

Things to keep in mind while doing travel photography

What could be best than seizing each and every Nano second of your trip in the form of beautiful photographs and keep them with you for life?
BUT
Is it really worth the hassle of carrying around your camera wherever you go, being worried that it may be stolen or lost?
Indeed, as pictures always express the truth with no hidden lies and keeps a moment from running away so don’t let anything put you off from taking photos.
Travelling with all your photography equipment presents its own set of challenges and discomfort so let’s look at the things a photographer should keep in his/her notes while travelling –

• Being a photographer, you surely wouldn’t want to miss the incredible scenic views of early morning especially at hill stations so don’t waste your time taking a nap under your fluffy quilt but get up early to grab the opportunity of capturing the breathtaking beauty of nature in the best light and experience the peaceful serenity of the moment.
• Rightly said that beauty lies in the eyes of beholder so don’t wait for the right time or right place but look for beauty in the tiniest of things and seize the moment in your camera in the best possible way. Feel the things you want to click to create good pictures and enjoy your whole trip through the lens.

“If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you are never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures”  – Don McCullin

• Being a photographer, you must be aware of the weight of your camera and its accessories so don’t even think of carrying the whole setup with you. Especially when planning do to some hiking or trekking, more the stuff with you, more it gets difficult to travel so pack only the required things.
• Buy the best quality light weighted camera bag that should be waterproof to protect your camera lens from all sorts of weather changes.
• Always carry extra batteries and SD cards for your camera to avoid any sorts of inconvenience in case of emergencies.
• One must be really beware of thieves when travelling to unknown locations so in such scenarios, using strong straps attached with your camera will be a wise idea. Always keep an eye on your camera bag and don’t take any risk of leaving it alone even for a second.
• Recheck your photography equipment before setting off for your trip as wrong equipment can really spoil your travel experience.
• Research about the place and its local laws, social customs well in advance if you don’t want to put your foot in any trouble as some cultures or places might prohibit you from taking pictures of unknown without their consent.

 “Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” — Aaron Siskind

Packing tips for hill stations

Zocales - Packing tips for hill stations

 “Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” – Ray Bradbury

Who wouldn’t want a trip to some chilly place to wash off the vibes of sweating heat and experience sublime tranquility?
Summer vacations are a perfect time to visit your most loved hill stations that fascinate thousands of tourists for its astoundable beauty bestowed by god in bundle, and is surely the best way to escape the scorching heat but, are you worried about what to pack? Fret not. Whether it is your first trip or hundredth trip, make sure that you always keep the must have travel items with you. Here's a list of essentials to carry while travelling to the hills that would make life easier during your trip and much more enjoyable! Well, you may thank us later for this!


- Toiletries
Be smart and carry the basics. Prepackaged kits can be purchased at the most corner drug stores but watch the size as it shouldn’t take much of the space in your suitcase.Make sure that you carry your essentials such as shampoo (preferably small sachets because they are easy to carry and hog less space),soap, body wash, cream because your skin tends to dry really fast when exposed to cold. Reaching a doctor can take a long time in the hills so be prepared for small emergencies yourself!

- Beanie CapsOur head loses a lot of heat when exposed to cold, so a Beanie cap is pretty essential to provide warmth in cold weather. Beanies are actually a smart two in one thing to carry that cover your ears to keep them warm and looks really great in pictures.

- Scarfs
Spell a style statement with the beautiful knitted scarfs readily available on multiple online sites. Scarfs are not ONLY THE NECESSITY in chilling weather at the hill stations but also a great add on to your look. Since its a wrap around, it covers your neck entirely keeping it warm and makes you look really stylish, so don’t forget to pack them else you will be prone to catch cold easily.

- Thick Jackets
Thick jackets are must haves when going to the hills if you don’t want to wither in cold and spoil all your fun. Pack atleast 1-2 jackets as your saviour for the trip that will support your body against the chilling mist and fog.

- Shoes
Well, we know that heels are girls' best friend but heels are a big no no during such a trip. You have to be all comfortable while trekking or walking in the lap of nature and experience its breathtaking beauty. So don’t forget to carry your sport shoes or gum boots as they work best in snow.

- Socks
Cold weather makes blood circulation go low in hands and feet while making themnumb so thick socks made out of wool can turn to your most loved travel companions at hill stations.

- Umbrella
In the mountains, one can’t be really sure of the weather as the sky opens up anytime and every time so, do carry an umbrella to protect yourself against the different mood of the hills.

- Electronics
Pack your phone charger, headphones, lenses etc without a fail.
Packing is always a nightmare for majority of the people so Keeping a must-have travel list would be a great idea if plans are abrupt, leaving no space for any fail.