Recap of My 2025

Time flies, doesn't it? Today marks the last and final day for the year 2025 and tomorrow, we're going to welcome another brand new year of 2026. 

Here's a quick recap of my travel adventures throughout the year 2025:

• Annyeong Seoul, South Korea again after 12 years. Celebrated my birthday there with my beloved husband and our mini traveller. 
• Flying with Qatar Airways to Doha (Qatar) and spending 9D8N exploring my third Central Asia country - Uzbekistan. 
• Wildlife safari adventures at Kenya and Tanzania 
• Cuti-Cuti Malaysia at Genting Highlands, Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with our mini traveller's birthday. We even tagged along my mom for this trip. 
  
  

Although my trips for this year were lesser than the previous year, but I'm grateful that I managed to unlock at least 4 new countries which are Qatar, Uzbekistan, Kenya and Tanzania. As for our mini traveller, he managed to unlock another country which is South Korea and this marks his 6th country he has visited so far. And also after has been flying for over 30 times, finally he has his own seat instead of sitting on my lap. My dear little one, can you don't grow so fast? 😭😭

With our mini traveller in Seoul, South Korea 

After 33 flights, finally he has on his own seat. No longer sitting on my lap anymore

And with that, the 2025 season comes to an end. Goodnight and Happy New Year 2026 to all my blog readers. 

READ ALSO:

• Recap of My 2024
• It's A Wrap For 2022
• 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

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Day 1: Flying With AirAsia X From KL to Almaty, Kazakhstan

I have to say that majority of my 2024 trips manifested because of AirAsia. One of the trips that I won't forget for the rest of my life is travelling to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. When AirAsia launched the first new route to Central Asia which is Almaty (Kazakhstan) from Kuala Lumpur, I knew that I shouldn't miss this opportunity. Without thinking any longer, both of my husband and I immediately bought the tickets. Besides the two of us, my husband even tagged along his ex colleagues along the trip. Like they say, the more the merrier.  

#1: Flying with AirAsia X for their first new route to Central Asia which is Almaty 

#2: Most of AirAsia X planes seat configuration are 3-3-3 but we're a bit surprised to see 2-4-2 seat configuration. 

#3: I've said it before and I'll say it again. AirAsia's Santan meals and beverages are soooooooooo good man! Especially the prawn & chicken wonton noodle and must ordered their Pistachio latte drink.

#4: In order to get this incredible and majestic snow-capped mountain aerial views, I would advise you to book the seat of the right side of the plane. 

#5: After more than 7 hours of flight, finally landed at my first ever Central Asia country - Kazakhstan 

#6: Almaty International Airport, main international gateway into the nation.

#7: Our transport for the entire trip. 

#8: Our first night dinner at Almaty - Luckee Yu which is a modern Chinese bistro with a compact menu of dishes designed for sharing. I can say that it's pretty good and all of us were pretty satisfied with it. 

#9: Dropby random grocery store nearby our hotel to get some snacks and drinks for our long road trip 

#10: We stayed in Kazakhstan Hotel, Almaty. I have mixed feelings towards this hotel because their room were a bit dated with old looking facilities (few of my friends' room where the air-conditioning are not working well) but their breakfast was great with huge variety of food. 

Extra Info About Our Kazakhstan Trip:

• Malaysian passport holders do not need visa to travel to Kazakhstan for stays up to 30 days calendar days. 
• Kazakhstan time is 3 hours behind of Malaysia time. 
• The currency of Kazakhstan is Tenge. We didn't exchange any of these currencies back in Malaysia but instead, we withdrew from the ATM in Almaty by just using Wise. It's advisable to have some local currency on hand rather than just relying on your cards. 
• The main ride-hailing apps in Kazakhstan are Yandex Go and inDrive. Try to download these apps prior to your trip as we had some issues with the sign up process while doing so during our trip in Kazakhstan. 
• As for the tour guide info, we engaged Mr Mirlan which I found from Facebook Group. He seems fairly popular among the Malaysian travellers. You can contact Mr Mirlan at +77052079486 via WhatsApp. He might not lead the tour himself but he will assign different tour guide and driver based on your preference, request and travel date. 
  

P/S: By the way, did you notice my new watermark? 😜

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My 5D4N Seoul Travel Diary (Mar'25 Edition)

Hello Kaohsiung (Taiwan) After 9 Years (post here)
Hello Bali (Indonesia) After 12 Years (post here)
And now it's time to say Annyeong to Seoul again after 10 years. 
This marks my first international trip for the year of 2025. 

DAY 1: KOTA KINABALU TO INCHEON WITH AIRASIA

As usual, our official airline for this trip is with AirAsia. Actually there are many other airines operating this direct route from Kota Kinabalu to Incheon such as Jeju Air, T-Way Air, Jin Air, Batik Air but both of my husband and I still prefer flying with AirAsia. 

#1: The flight duration from Kota Kinabalu to Incheon takes approximately 5 hours and 15 minutes. Shorter than flying from Kuala Lumpur right, which takes nearly 7 hours. 

DAY 2: INCHEON & MYEONGDONG

Can't believe that after 10 years, finally I'm back in Seoul again. My last trip there was back in 2014 with my mom, my sis and bro-in law. And now I returned to this Land of The Moring Calm with my beloved husband and little son.

By the time the plane landed at Incheon Airport, it already passed midnight. After going through all the immigration and custom clearance, we decided to book a night stay nearby the airport instead of heading down to Seoul city. Do take note that it's mandatory for all travellers to apply for South Korea's K-ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation at least 72 hours prior to your trip. 

#2: We landed in Incheon Airport passed midnight. Hence, we decided to book a stay nearby the airport.

#3: DreamTrip Guesthouse, Incheon -less than 15 minutes drive from the airport 

#4: We booked a double room with private bathroom

DreamTrip Guesthouse, Incheon

Date Stayed: 8 March - 9 March 2025 [1 Night]

Room Rate: KRW58,500 (approx. to RM185) for 1 night (Booked via Booking.com) 

Nearest Station: Unseo Station 

#5: We had breakfast nearby the guesthouse before heading down to Seoul. There are couple of cafes and convenience stores nearby such as Ediya Coffee, CU Convenience store and more.

The check-out time is 11am. Just when we're about to get ready to walk to Unseo Station, the nearest station to the guesthouse, the owner was being so kind and thoughtful that he decided to send us to the station. As for my hotel in Seoul, I will share more details underneath this post. 

Myeongdong 

Right after we done with the process of checking-in into our hotel in Seoul, immediately we headed to Myeongdong. Myeongdong holds a special place in my heart because I used to stayed here twice when I visited Seoul back in 2011 and 2014. Besides did a little shopping here, we had our early dinner at Bbandak Bbandak which is famous for Dakgalbi (both of my husband and I love this Korean cuisine so much), savoured some street food, dropby Line Friends Flagship Store and Daiso, and brought home with us the Bricksand, a freshly-baked brick shape financier cookies. 

#6: Shops at Myeongdong 

#7: Dakgalbi - my husband and I love this Korean cuisine so much that we had twice for this trip

#8: Savoured some street food 

#9: Dropby Line Friends Flagship Store

#10: Bricksand, a freshly-baked brick shape financier cookies

DAY 3: GANGNAM & SEONGSU-DONG

Gangnam

On the next day, we kicked off our day by visiting Gangnam. Believe it or not, I've been to Seoul twice but I have never been to Gangnam. Therefore for this round, it's in my must-to-go list. 

#11: Our breakfast at Cafe Mamas. Might not be the best but I enjoyed their sandwiches so much

#12: One of the main reasons why I wanna go to Gangnam - Starfield Library at Coex Mall 

#13: Our signature post as mother and son

#14: Gangnam Style Sculpture - Do you know that Daniel loves this song so much? Hahaha

#12: Cheongdam-dong K-Star Road - a series of bear statues based on K-pop groups along the street such as BTS, Girls Generation and Psy. 

Seongsu-dong

From Gangnam, we headed to Seongsu-dong, the latest trendy and hottest neighbourhood in Seoul. You can find all sorts of art shops, cafes and boutique stores such as Dior, Tamburins (sister fragrance brand of Gentle Monster) and more. 

#13: Celebrate my birthday at Nudake, an artisan dessert cafe by Gentle Monster 

#14: Seongsu-dong boasts a wide array of shops, enough to overwhelm even the most seasoned shoppers. 

#15: Can't believe I shop till I drop at this Dasique shop 

DAY 4: ANGUK, INSADONG & GWANGJANG MARKET

Anguk

It's the day for cafe hopping and we began with Cafe Onion. As this industrial-theme cafe attracted hundreds of visitors, hence it's advisable to arrive earlier to avoid the long queue. 

#16: Cafe Onion Anguk 

#17: Hanok, a traditional house converted into a bakery cafe - an unique experience

#18: Drooling by just looking all the yummylicious pastries and desserts 

#19: Initially we plan to try London Bagel Museum but it required at least 2 hours. So, we gave it a pass.

#20: From Cafe Onion, we walked to Bukchon Traditional Houses 

Insadong

Insadong is always my favourite spot to hunt for souvenirs for friends and families. Here, you can find all sorts of handmade crafts, tea, antique items and even unique Hangeul-themed souvenirs. 

#21: Insadong, always my favourite place to buy Hanguel-themed souvenirs

Gwangjang Market 

Because featured on Netflix, Gwangjang Market has become the most famous food market in Seoul. 

#22: Gwangjang Market, one of the most famous food market in Seoul 

#23

DAY 5: HONGDAE & GOODBYE SEOUL

Hongdae

On our last day in Seoul, we decided to wander around Hongdae. There are plenty of things to shop and eat here. 

#24: Vibrant and colourful street of Hongdae

#25: Hongdae Tourist Information Center 

#26: Shopping here is pretty cheap and affordable

#27: We had Dakgalbi (again) and fried chicken in Hongdae 

Goodbye Seoul! Goodbye South Korea!

After spending 5 days and 4 nights in Seoul, it's time to bid goodbye. 

#28

#29: Do you know that Pinkfong and Baby Shark are originally from South Korea? 

#30: Catching red-eye flight back to Kota Kinabalu

OUR HOTEL IN SEOUL
Mercure Ambassador Seoul Magok

I'm so embarrassed to share that for the first time in my travelling experience, this is the first time I booked the wrong hotel. Initially I want to book the Mercure hotel situated in Hongdae but somehow, I accidentally booked the one Magok. Mercure Ambassador Seoul Magok is pretty close to Gimpo Airport but then it's quite far from most of the famous districts where it takes nearly an hour to Myeongdong. 

#31: We booked a superior room with a king-sized bed

#32: Relatively spacious and not compact 

#33: Specially requested for baby crib

#34

Date Stayed: 9 March - 12 March 2025 [3 Night]
Total Room Rate: RM1,098 for 3 nights without breakfast (Booked via Hotels.com) 
Nearest Station: Magok Subway Station 

MY TRAVEL HAUL
My favourite part - to share what I bought from Seoul. 

#35: My shopping haul from Seoul

#36: Not a big fan of Starbucks drink but I do love to collect their merchandise for keepsake 

#37: I don't normally shop beauty & cosmetic products but these items from Dasique are too hard to resist. 

#38: Green tea waffle, assorted teas and facial masks from Olive Young

#39: Hanguel-themed souvenirs from Insadong

#40: Got myself a jumper from SPAO and top from Hongdae 

By the way, I just realised that I haven't completed my 2024 travelogue as I had a trip to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Maybe going to blog about these 2 Central Asia countries next year. 

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