Kota Kinabalu with the Girlaloos

Last October 2015, I had my first out of the country trip with the Girlaloos! We went to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia.

We stayed at a house that we booked through Airbnb called the Kinabalu Cultural Vacation home. It has 5 bedrooms, 4t&b, kitchen, living & dining area, and wifi. It was a really big house, but it was quite far from the city centre.

Going around Kota Kinabalu is pretty difficult especially if you're a big group. Only way around the city is by taking a taxi. Taxis in Kota charge a fixed rate of 10 ringgit per person.

If you want to buy souvenirs, visit the Central Market in the city centre. They have rows and rows of souvenirs! There are a lot of Filipinos manning the stalls so don't be afraid to haggle.

If you want to go to the beach, go to Jesselton Point and book a boat that will take you to the different islands in Kota Kinabalu. I only recommend going to Manukan Island. It's not too crowded, water is clear, and the sand is fine. The beach in Sapi Island is smaller compared to the one in Manukan so it gets crowded easily. If you're into adventure, try the Coral Flyer zipline. It's Borneo's longest zipline that takes you from Gaya Island to Sapi Island. 

Manukan Island

Sapi Island

Gaya Island

We booked our Kinabalu National Park and Mari-Mari Cultural Village tour with Amazing Borneo Tours. The Kinabalu National Park tour was one whole day and inclusive of lunch buffet. We visited the Botanical Garden and took a 30-45min hike just for the fun of it. We also did the canopy walk inside the Poring Hot Springs compound. The canopy walk was really fun! It was extra exciting for our group because it was raining so hard when we crossed from one tree to another (kaya wala akong pictures hehe).

We were very lucky to see a Rafflesia flower in full bloom. The Rafflesia is the largest flower in the world. It takes 9-21 months until a bud flowers and it only lasts 5-7 days when it is in full bloom.

Rafflesia Flower

The Mari-Mari Cultural Village showcases the different houses of each tribe in Kota Kinabalu. The houses are similar to the bahay kubo that we have here in the Philippines. It only takes half a day to go around the cultural village. I only took a few pics again because of the rain :))

Yummy traditional Kota Kinabalu snack

All the girls had free henna tattoo!

Last stop for our trip was the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque. You have to observe proper attire when you visit the mosque. Just make sure that your shoulders and legs are covered up. 

We bought our tickets to Kota Kinabalu a year in advance. It was during the P 0.01 sale of Air Asia. My airfare was about P4799 round trip with 20kg luggage and the accommodation was P2515/person for 4 days. 

My first international trip with the girls was amazing, but sadly, we weren't complete. We're planning another trip this year and hopefully we'll be complete then. 

'til my next adventure!

Australia 2015: Silly Sys Down Under Part 2

Better later than never! Here's the second instalment of my Australia blog. If you haven't read part 1, then I suggest you check it out first :))

DAY 7: We rented a car (more like a mini bus) and went to Blue Mountains with my friend, Rianne and her family. It's a 90 minute drive from Sydney. This was my second time to go the Blue Mountains, but I still wasn't able to ride the cable car at Scenic World. This calls for a third visit this July! Yes, I'm going back to Australia this year because I'll be attending the Hillsong Conference (woot! woot!). 

We ate steak at the Village Tavern and chilled at Rianne's place afterwards. I wasn't able to take pictures though. (oopsie!)

Getting to the Blue Mountains: Catch the double decker mountain train from Central Station (all lines) and get down at Katoomba Station. Train runs every hour everyday.

Leura Cascades 

Three Sisters 

Our Hertz Driver :))

DAY 8: I finally got to see kangaroos and koalas up close at Featherdale Wildlife Park! Featherdale is smaller compared to Taronga Zoo, but it's more interactive and only includes Australian animals. 

Getting to Featherdale Wildlife Park: Take the train to Blacktown-T1 or T5 line and ride the 729 bus at stand 9.

DAY 9: We went back to the city for some last minute shopping. We really didn't do much and I didn't even take pictures except for this train selfie :))

DAY 10: Flight back to Manila :(

Awesome $3 eye mask from KMart :))

10 days wasn't enough. We wanted to go to Melbourne and Gold Coast but we didn't have time. We still had so much fun though. I cannot wait to go back this July for the Hillsong Conference! Btw, you might want to join me for this year's conference! You're all invited to come!

'til my next adventure!

December 2015 Favorites!

Here's a rundown of my favorites from last month!

FASHION FAVORITES

Topshop Plunge V Neck Cami

My ever reliable camis from Topshop in different sizes. hahaha Some colors are only available in regular sizes, but I prefer the petite sizes. I wore this a lot last month 'cause it was really hot and humid! I actually refer to these as my uniform :)) I really like wearing basic designs in different colors. 

Zara Necklaces

This has been my go-to accessory last month. It goes really well with any top and I like that I can wear it all together or in threes or just one at a time.

BEAUTY FAVORITES

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Sassy and Striking Mamba

This can make your hair feel and smell fresh in no time!  I started to use this when I got sick last month. I wasn't allowed to take a bath for several days due to high fever. My hair felt really icky and I didn't want to go my doctors appointment with smelly and greasy hair. I sprayed the dry shampoo around 5-10inches away from my roots and then I massage it into my roots afterwards. You can purchase this from Sweet and Sparkle.

Loreal Super Moist Matte Lipstick in Sheer Plum

Awesome matte lipstick that won't make your lips dry! It has a velvety feel to it and it is really pigmented. It contains jojoba oil to make your lips moisturised. It isn't long lasting though so you have to touch up every now and then. 

MAC Pro Matte Lipstick in Sin

I am super in love with this lipstick! It's a deep red color and it's gorgeous! It's super pigmented and long lasting. Make sure you moisturise your lips first before using MAC's matte lipsticks. It can make your lips really dry if you don't moisturise properly.  

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

I used to get streaks on my face whenever I put on my foundation with my previous brush from Sephora. With the Real Techniques stippling brush, you get a really flawless finish. It's not available at the usual beauty stores in the Philippines but you can purchase it online at www.kalmcosmetics.ph.

Vitress Heat Protect and Hair Repair Cuticle Coat

My hair has gone through a lot of coloring and heat styling damage. I try to prevent my hair from getting even more damaged with these cuticle coats. I used the hair repair everyday and the heat protect only when I heat style my hair. I only put it at the ends of my hair 'cause that's where it gets easily damaged. I've noticed a lot of difference when I started using these cuticle coats. My hair feels softer and looks a lot less damaged. 

RANDOM FAVORITES

NYC Canvas Prints

These are my first and only canvas prints displayed on my wall. Dihia got these from Wellworth in UP Town Center and they really have a nice selection of canvas prints. I wanted a London print at first, but it didn't go well with my wall color. I have been wanting to purchase canvas prints for the longest time now and I'm so happy that he got these for me for my 24th birthday.

I Feel Pretty Throw Pillow

I really had a hard time looking for a pillow for my couch. When I received this for my birthday, I was beyond happy. It's perfect! I kept on singing I feel pretty from West Side Story afterwards :)) Thank you, Achi!

That's it for my December Favorites! 

I also filmed this and uploaded it on my Youtube channel! Watch it down below and don't forget to subscribe :)