Hey there!

It is officially the second day we are back from the long most awaited Easter break. The University of Surrey has nearly one month of Easter break (p/s: another advantage of studying at Surrey..you get longer breaks 😉 )  It has been a great one month especially with the weather improving and the pretty flowers blooming around campus. However I haven’t been on campus for very long this Easter as it was time for some adventure and travelling. This year I have been travelling more around the UK as compared to last year. As to tick more UK destination of the map, I joined a few of my ex-housemates from the first year to travel to Wales.

It was a pretty scenic trip covering the North of Wales with short pit stops at Bicester and Liverpool.  So the route we took was  Guildford > Bicester > Llanaelhaern > Harlech > Snowdonia > Nefyn > Anglesey > Llandudno > Liverpool > Guildford. The highlight of the trip for me was definitely hiking up Snowdon (Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales and in England). After having the thought of hiking for a very long time..I finally made it. This would have not been possible without my travel buddies who were very supportive despite me being very slow and cautious about every single step I took. The mountainous terrain on Snowdon can be very challenging with steep gradients and rocky paths especially for newbies like me but it is not impossible.

It took us 4 hours to reach the summit of Snowdon after we stopped for about 30 minutes for our picnic within the clouds. Although it felt like every muscle in my body were aching, the mesmerizing view from the summit just made it all worth it.

This whole hiking experience actually thought me more about life..you got to keep pushing yourself even though you think you have reached your limits because you never know until you try harder. The whole hiking lasted 7 hours..that wsa 4hours to the top and about 3 hours coming down.

In the evenings, we made it a point to drive down to the coast to watch the sunset. It is said that the best spot to watch sunset is at Anglesey. Unfortunately the day we decided to watch the sunset there it was too foggy. I have to say that it was quite disappointing as there were so many people who drove down all the way just to catch the sunset and had their cameras set up to do timelaps and expecting to take some very awesome pictures.

Our accommodation was booked through Airbnb. For a very reasonable price, we got a small cottage with 3 bedrooms looking out at the mountains with herds of sheep at the background all for ourselves. What else could you ask for? Waking up to this beautiful view was just amazing. Just a little tips here, if you are travelling with a group of friends, it is a good idea to book your accommodation through Airbnb where you can choose your accommodation that best suits your needs and personality. Comparison if you are travelling alone or with just one or two friends, youth hostel might be a better choice. Travelling is usually associated as a financial burden. However as Abhi said, “good budgeting, you can have an amazing holiday without burning a hole in your wallet!”.

This whole trip had been amazing and the North of Wales is really beautiful and a must to visit especially if you are a nature lover. The best way to travel here would definitely be driving. As it is more of the countryside that we were visiting it was best for us to rent a car and drive around. I have also realised through this trip that I am more of a nature lover and not so much of a city traveller (although I don’t really mind). This is what University actually does to you..makes you think critically (but not all the time)..Travelling just gives you the chance to reflect upon yourself and your personal interest. Now I am even more determined to hike Mount Kinabalu sometime in the future. Hopefully I find the right hiking buddy to do so.

That is all from me for now. Till the next time. Bye bye and take care and keep looking forward for the long weekend ahead back in Malaysia (Labour day + Weekend + Wesak day off )!!

P/s: sorry guys…apparently the pic files are too big for this post.  I would try to insert more pics into this post later.