It's A Wrap For 2022

Dear 2022, 

I'm truly grateful, blessed that I was finally able to make my way out of the country after being grounded for more than 2 years. Don't get me wrong! I'ts not like I dislike spending my time in my own home country but as you may know, this itchy feet of mine is desperately need to travel and go somewhere far far away. The wanderlust in me is craving to discover some new places and explore new adventures. And not forgetting, my newly renewed red passport is screaming to get its first stamp.  

Now here's a quick and brief recap of the places I've been to throughout the year of 2022; three Europe trips and 2 Asia trips. 

• Switzerland at the end of April to early of May. We even made a day trip to Liechtenstein.  
• Singapore for less than 24 hours in June. Then transit twice in the month October and November. 
• Bangkok & Khao Yai in the early of July when AirAsia reopened the direct route from Kota Kinabalu to Don Mueang Airport. 
• Greece for 10 days in early of October 
• Central Europe for 22 days covering Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic. 

Other than travelling abroad, of course in between we also went for couple of Cuti-Cuti Malaysia trips like; 

• Penang and Kedah road trip to visit my husband's relatives 
• Island staycation at Bunga Raya Island Resort (for the second time) with my BFF 
• Back-to-back trip to Kundasang with my BFF from KK, Miri and KL and then continue with my family including my sister and nephew who finally came back from Singapore. 
• Kuching Food Festival for the nth time 
• The Village House, a perfect nature getaway from Kuching 
• Kinabatangan River cruise 

Before stepping into the year of 2023, 

here's wishing for better health, much happiness, prosperity and great success for the year ahead, 

not just for myself, 

but also, for those who are reading my blog now. 

Last but not least, cheers to many more travel adventures with my loved one and friends too. 

READ ALSO:

• 2020 Recap - From Miss to Mrs
• 2019 - The Most Travelling Year For Me
• Thank You 2018, Next!
• Goodbye 2017! Hello 2018!
• Throw Back of My 2015 Travel Adventures
• Recap of 2014 and My Plan for 2015
• My Reflection on 2013 and Resolution for 2014
• My Reflection on 2012 and Resolution for 2013
• Recap of My 2011 History & My 2012 Resolution
• Recap of My 2010

Zermatt, A Car-Free Village in Switzerland

<< Previous Post: Lake Blausee, One of The Most Beautiful Lakes in Switzerland << 

From Interlaken, we proceeded to the next popular place of Switzerland which is Zermatt where my husband and I are going to spend 2 nights here. Besides being well-known for a car-free village, the most impressive mountain of Matterhorn is situated here in Zermatt. 

HOW TO GET TO ZERMATT

Probably the best way to get in Zermatt is by taking train since one is not allowed to drive the car around Zermatt. It takes 2 and half hours from Interlaken or Basel and more than 3 hours from Zurich or Geneva. Do take note that there is no direct train and it requires a change at Vsip. All these routes are covered under Swiss Travel Pass. In case you are driving with car, you need to park at Täsch.

#1: Zermatt, a car free village 

GET AROUND ZERMATT

The village of Zermatt is practically very small with three main streets that run along the banks of the river Vispa. Generally, it takes roughly 20 minutes walk to wander around the village. 

But if you are not fit enough, you can opt for the small solar-powered buses that will take you from one end of town to another at every 8-10 minutes. 

#2: If you are not fit to walk around Zermatt, you can take small solar-powered bus

#3: Many high-end hotels provide shuttle services using small electric cars. 

EXPLORING AROUND ZERMATT

Our main purpose of visiting Zermatt is to take the train to Gornergrat to admire the magnificent mountain view of Matterhorn. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't on our side where the mountain was so shy hiding behind the cotton cloud and it was snowing heavily throughout our visit there. And because of that, we just leisurely wandered around the main street (Bahnhofstrasse) in order to kill our time in Zermatt. 

#4: Too bad that the weather wasn't on our side and we're unable to view Matterhorn 

#5

#6: Souvenir stores 

#7: Zermatt's main street (Bahnhofstrasse)

#8: Finally we managed to try the famous Cheese Fondue 

#9: We dined-in at this Walliserkanne restaurant

#10: There are some shops and restaurants in Switzerland only accept cash 

#11: Zermatt at night 

OUR STAY IN ZERMATT

Zermatt-Residence Patricia 

Date Stayed: 2 May - 4 May 2022 (2 nights)

Room Rate: RM1,190 for Studio with Matterhorn view (Booked from Booking.com)

There is no reception and all hotel guests need to do self check-in at the machine near the main entrance. You need to pay the city tax by using card only (debit and credit cards are acceptable) and therefore, cards are very crucial when travelling to Switzerland. In other word, it's wise to bring both cash and cards cause there are some restaurants only accept cash. 

#12: The hotel guest need to pay the city tax before getting the room key 

#13: Less than 10 minutes walk from Zermatt main train station 

#14: Love the balcony with marvelous view 

Things I Like About This Accommodation: 

• A kitchenette well-equipped with basic utensils and kettle. 
• There is a coffee machine and also balcony with a scenic views of the mountain 
• A seating area with a sofa bed

Things I Dislike:

• Because there is no reception, you can't left your luggage within the property. 
• The bathroom is pretty small and there's no bathtub as advertised on the website. 

#15: If I have the chance to return to Switzerland, definitely will come back to Zermatt again for Matterhorn. 

Lake Blausee, One of The Most Beautiful Lakes in Switzerland

 << Previous Post: Day Trip To Vevey and Geneva <<

We packed our bags after staying in Interlaken for 3 nights. Before heading to the next stay, I decided to dropby and visit Lake Blausse, one of the most renowned and stunning alpine lakes in Switzerland. At first, my husband was quite reluctant to go but he has no choice as I'm tour planner for the entire trip. 

HOW TO GET TO LAKE BLAUSSE

From Interlaken (Ost/West), it takes nearly 1.5 hours to reach Lake Blausse by both trains and bus. Do take note that there is no direct train and it requires transfer at Spienz before reaching at Frutigen. And after arriving at Frutigen, catch the bus 230 towards Kandersteg and after 10-12 minutes of the bus ride, you will see Blausse on the right side of the bus. And that's where you need to alight. If you have the Swiss Travel Pass, all of these are covered under the pass. 

The entrance fee is CHF10 for adult and CHF6 for children age between 6-15. It's free for children below 6 years old. You can purchase the tickets at the main entrace (don't have to worry about buying in advance or pre-book).  

Opening Hours: 9am to 9pm all year-round 

#1: Catch bus 230 from Frutigen Train Station to reach Lake Blausse 

#2

#3

#4: The boat ride is included in the admission fee. Hence, don't miss it when you are visiting this lake. 

#5: Crystal clear turquoise-blue colour lake  

According to the legend, there was a once a young maiden who fell in love with a young shepherd. However, the young shepherd tragically passed away while out in the mountains. The maiden rowed out onto the lake by herself to mourn everyday. One night, her boat sank and from that moment on, legend goes that the lake had changed its color to turquoise-blue due to the tears from the maiden’s blue eyes. You can spot a statue of a maiden in the middle of the lake.  

#6: Statue of a maiden in the water

#7: The beauty about Blausee goes beyond its looks

#8: Cost-saving tips - Bring your own lunch and you can have a picnic there 

#9: Do check the bus timetable in advance as the bus only departs every hourly. 

After spending approximately less than 2 hours exploring and wandering around Lake Blausee, we then went back to Interlaken in order to get our luggage bags where we left them in the accommodation we stayed. And then, we're heading to Zermatt where we'll going to spend another 2 nights there. 

>> Next Post: Zermatt, A Car-Free Village in Switzerland >>

Day Trip From Vevey & Geneva

 << Previous Post: Panorama Bridge Sigriswil <<

Our plan for today is quite packed and tight. And because of that, we woke up pretty early - like around 3am to get ready ourselves. Most of the trains in Switzerland start as early as 4am. You can check out the train schedule from SBB Timetable.

#1: Catching train at 4.48am and yes, we woke up pretty early almost every morning just to catch the trains. 

The first place that we're heading to is Vevey, a Swiss town sits on Lake Geneva. As there is no direct train from Interlaken West to Vevey, hence the train ride might take at least 2 hours and 30 minutes and it requires at least two interchanges. 

#2: Vevey Station

Vevey seems to be less popular among the visitors. And the reason why we went there is because just to see an 8-metre-tall stainless steel of "The Fork - Alimentarium", where my husband happened to stumble upon this from his friend photos on the social media. Hence, we added this into our itinerary. It was declared the world's tallest fork in 2014, and has instantly become a town symbol. 

#3: The Fork - Alimentarium sitting on the shore of of Lake Gevena in Vevey

How To Get To The Fork of Vevey:

From Vevey Station, walk for 9-10 minutes towards the lake. 

After Vevey, we then proceeded to Geneva. Geneva tend to well-known for being base for some of the world's largest organisations; like the United Nations, World Health Organisation, World Trade Organisation, International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Bank. A direct train without interchange from Vevey to Geneva will take less than an hour by train. 

Things To Do in Geneva:

1) United Nations Office 

Opening Hours: 10am - 12pm, 2pm-4pm. Closed on every Saturday and Sunday. 

Unfortunately, it was closed by the time we arrived Geneva. Hence, we just took some photos. 

2) Broken Chair Monument 

Across the street from the United Nations office, standing a 12-metre giant wooden chair with broken leg. This monumental sculpture symbolises both fragility and strength, imbalance and stability, violence and dignity. 

3) Jet d'Eau (Geneva Water Fountain)

One of the city's most prominent landmark, Geneva water fountain pumped 140m into the air from 10am to 11pm daily. 

4) Patek Philippe Museum 

Claimed to be one of the world's foremost horology museums, Patek Philippe Museum houses over five centuries of watchmaking history into two important collections; the extraordinary antique collection starting from the 16th century which includes the earliest watch ever made and the Patek Philippe collection begins 1839 onwards. 

Honestly speaking, I have never heard of Patek Philippe until my husband shared with me this. Just when you think the most expensive watch is Rolex, wait until you check out the list of the most expensive watches in the world here.

If you are interested to visit Patek Philippe Museum, you need to book in advance in order to secure your spot. 

5) L'horloge Fleurie (The Flower Clock)

Home to over 6,500 flowers and plants, the Flower Clock, better known as L’horloge Fleurie, features the world’s longest second hand, which measures 2.5 meters in length. Built in 1955, this huge functional clock is redecorated and rearranged multiple times a year as the seasons change. The clock sits near the edge of the Garden Anglaise, and is hooked up to a satellite connection, which means it always shows the accurate time.

After travel around Switzerland for almost a week, finally we had our first outside meal for the very first time. Most of the time we cooked in our accommodation and packed our meal before heading out. From breakfast to lunch and even the dinner. The husband chosen to have his favourite fast food, none other than McDonald's. Guess how much for a set of meal with additional of 1 burger? The total damage is CHF16.50. That's like RM75! 

A set of McD meal with addtional of 1 burger cost CHF16.50. Now you know how expensive is the food in Switzerland.  

>> Next Post: Lake Blausee, One of the Most Beautiful Lakes in Switzerland >>