Tenerife

Hi guys! I'm back! Tenerife was beautiful. Although the first two days we spent indoors due to an unexpected storm. The third day however was marvellous! Here's a video I put together with my iPhone, basically a summary of our 3rd day. It's set in Puerto De La Cruz where we went to the fascinating animal reserve, Loro Parque. Hope you enjoy the video !

With love,
Ainul xx

Coventry girl

Hi guys! Sorry for being super quiet for the past few months. Uni's been going great so far Alhamdulillah. I've tried a bit of Zumba and aerobics but that eventually didn't work out so well for me. I was contemplating to invest on Muay Thai, but it did not agree with my timetable so in the end I settled with weekly badminton. Hopefully my stamina improves by the end of the academic year because oh dear, you do not want me to get started on that.

I still owe you a post for my Malaysia Trip part 2 but for now I hope you enjoy a compilation of some of my street looks. This is for Autumn.

I went for a B&W colour palette with a hint of red on the colour of my lipstick and my handbag.

What I'm wearing:

1. ASOS jumper
2. Oasis leather look jacket
3. Top Shop high waisted white skinnies.
4  My favourite K-Style me booties.

This second look I went for a sweeter and girly feel. I put on my Syafira Radzif Rocket Lust (IG: @rocketlust) hairband and wore practically everything I had on in my first look! With an exception for my top, I went for my sister's grey Zara sweater and a vintage leather hand bag.

Lastly, something super easy and super casual. A cropped sweater from H&M over black leggings from River Island and to finish off my look, a patterned golden brown scarf!

As for a bag, I used my Fjallraven Kanken backpack. Which is super light, quite waterproof (great for UK weather) and fits my uni essentials.













Hope you like super casual fall looks. Winter holiday is coming and you know I already have some of my holiday outfits planned out!

Best of luck for those catching up with deadlines! I will see you guys soon. Next up is my long over due Halloween outfit.

Lots of love,

Ainul.

Outfit Of The Day

Hi guys! Excited to show you my OOTD of today! Mainly because there are new key items I'd like to share with you! Hope you enjoy today's OOTD!

Today I was feeling a bit retro (although Z thought I looked more like a "ghetto chick" - don't listen to him). To achieve my look I went for sky blue shades and subtle pinks.

I'm wearing my ASOS tank and an ASOS light blue buttoned up as my outerwear.

As for jeans, I'm wearing Runway Bandits. This is the first time ordering from them and I fell absolutely in love with them! The pants I'm wearing now is the 'light washed contrast stitching high waisted blue jeans'. I got them in size S which fits UK sizes 6-8. They fit perfect around my legs but I found them a bit loose at my tummy area. No problemo though! A belt should do the trick! The jeans are comfy and I even wore them for a 3 hour flight on an airplane. So far so good. They fit nicely and also the colour makes the jeans very versatile. I can pair them up with a lot of different outfits.











As for shoes. I finally received my K-Style me belted unique walker! They're fabulous! The only downside was that I didn't read the website carefully. I got a US size 7.5 and apparently I have wide feet and should have gotten a size larger (it is actually mentioned in the site, "if you have wide feet, please select one size bigger"). The length of the shoe ends exactly at my toes, that there isn't much space for my toes to breathe or stretch. The height they give me is marvellous and if it wasn't for the size problem it would have been very very comfortable! I could really walk in them for hours! They have great grip too and I don't find myself slipping.











As for accessories, I wore my bullet necklace by The Bohemian Collective. I added a quartz crystal which is also from The Bohemian Collective onto my original bullet necklace and also attached a friendship ring I got from my bestie, Syifa.

I wore my new Milky Way ring by Enya Bijoux, one of my favorite Bruneian designers. The ring adds a little spunk to my look. You can find her on Instagram with the username @enyabijoux.

And for the final touch of accessory, I wore this lovely hair band by the Malaysian designer Syafira Radzif. I got this as a gift from my special friend, Amira , who I met recently during my trip to Malaysia (do check out Amira's IG @unsst / @kellyboons she's really wonderful).


You can also find Syafira Radzif's Rocket Lust designs on Instagram with the username @rocketlust.

The floral pattern of the hair band goes very well with my whole outfit. The pink and red roses give my washed out blue and white look just the right amount of pop of colour. I wore a mix of Saint Germain and Russian Red by MAC on my lips and also added on a touch of Veronica Blush also by MAC (thank you Anis for the blush!). As for eyeshadow I used my Revlon colorstay eyeshadow kit on my crease and used a dark brown eyeshadow color by MAC to line my upper eyelid to add a sublte definition to my eyes. As for eyebrows I wore my trusted Suqqu liquid brow pen. This would be my no.1 for eyebrows because they really give a natural finish.

I hope you liked today's OOTD and that you find some things in this post that were inspiring or helpful. Thank you for reading and I'll be posting up my Part 2 of my Malaysia Trip next. Stay tuned!

With Love,

Ainul.

Travel Diary: Malaysia Trip Part 1 - Outfit of The Day

Day 3 of our Malaysia Trip we went to see the Perigi Waterfall and drove up the Gunung Jerai. That day we remembered to dress for comfort. I went for a casual and simple look.

I'm wearing my tiger print cropped tee (which was a steal from Sunway Pyramid for only RM 25! Got it from Asian Avenue) with a red inner to cover my belly. I paired everything up with my old Levi's skinnies and completed my outfit with comfy floral slip ons, Mini Karat's Olivia sunnies and my leather bag from Camden. 

Here's a close up of my Olivia's. Click here to find out how to get your hands on them!

On your right, you can see two of my special travel buddies, Mu'izz & Mun looking fabulous! 

Mu'izz, known as your very own Mr. Dapper Whippersnapper, is wearing a mint polo paired up with white shorts and completed with a skinny belt. He had also put on a pair of clean white sneaks for comfort during the long journey. 

The beautiful Mun only needed her comfy oversized blouse and her long flowy black skirt for a lovely girly outfit. 

Now, say hello to Z!

He went super casual with a collared jersey and comfy quarters. Finished up with a pair of flips; comfortable and practical!



















That sums up our OOTD! As for make up, I went very minimal. I only had foundation on, a bit of bronzer, eyebrow shadow and eyeshadow only at the crease. Minimising make up also shortens the duration for me to get ready. I was still picture friendly (if ya'll know what I'm sayin'). Here's one beauty tip for those who have oily skin; for me my skin gets oily after one whole day out and carrying oil control film was super useful. All you have to do is just dab a sheet of film on areas on your face and voila goodbye excess oil and oily shine! The one I'm using is by Clean & Clear, you can find these easily at your local pharmacy! Oh also, don't forget to store sunscreen, mosquito repellant and also lip balm in your bag! Always comes in handy when you're exploring in a tropical environment. 

Hope you liked this post! Thanks for reading!

With Love,

Ainul x

Travel diary: Malaysia Trip part 1 (Kedah)

Hi guys! Sorry I've been away for what  may seem like forever. I've missed on Eid posts and will work on that another day. If you've been following me on Instagram @AinulApri, you might be aware that I haven't been in Brunei for the past week. After the arrival of Z, Mu'izz and I tagged along and followed him back to the big city of Kuala Lumpur.



We took an Air Asia plane to Malaysia on the 22nd of August 2013. Our flight took about 3 hours, even though it felt like it was more than that. I really hate waiting forever to see land. There is nothing to see but the seat in front of you and stretches of sea and clouds. I dread long flights. Lucky it didn't take us too long to land.

We were welcomed by Z's beautiful mama. Picked up dad from the airport and we all headed for lunch at a Malay restaurant serving Kedah food. I had rice, fried chicken (my all time fav) and some very interesting vege. I also had a few "begedils" which is basically a ball of potatoes mixed with herbs, pepper, salt and minced meat. We have this in Brunei too, but the ones I had tasted a bit different. Something was different but neither Mu'izz and I could point a finger to what it was. One thing for sure, it was very tasty.

We dropped dad off to his hotel and Z brought us to Ara Damansara, our new home for the rest of our trip.  After settling in, we reunited Mu'izz with his best friend Mun. We had dinner at Sunway Pyramid and got ourselves Malaysian lines.

23rd August 2013 - Day 2

We had our first road trip to Kedah. The journey took us about 5 hours from Selangor including pit stops and toilet breaks. The car was filled with the chatter of Mu'izz and Mun, my dad's weird stories and also him teasing Mu'izz. 

I had a few naps and most of the time, I'd be looking at the change of landscapes. From Selangor to Kedah, we passed a few places as well. The only one I can remember fully is Penang though. Sorry guys, memory's a bit wonky.  We stopped by a few markets selling fruits and many kinds of food. Z got his favorite fruit, durian and dad got a lot of traditional cakes and also some mangoes. I just grabbed myself a hotdog, we restocked on bottled water and we were ready to continue our long journey to Kedah.

#adventuresofelliephant

Before reaching Yan, we stopped by Z's aunt's house for a meal. His family welcomed us with warm hugs and also a feast. Traditional curries, fried chicken, loads of local fruits, local delicacies and home made snacks. Mun and Mu'izz retreated after the first meal, but dad and I kept on going. We were so full and sleepy afterwards and we were half an hour away to our main destination in Yan, Zamani's Place.

24th August 2013 - Day 3

The next morning, I woke up to the beautiful sight of Zamani's Place. Zamani's Place is a resort owned by the Zamani family. The place was built from materials mainly originating from Yan itself. Zamani's Place is rich in flora and fauna and every little thing stands where they belong, each carefully playing a part in telling it's story. We reached Zamani's Place at night and so stepping outside in the morning was a pleasant surprise. I was greeted by the glistening pool and the gorgeous pond right outside my room. Every room actually opens to their amazing garden so you will always be close to nature. 

Breakfast was served at the lounge only a minute's walk away. We had local "roti kosong" with lamb curry and dhal and also Yan's special "nasi lemak". My favorite was the roti kosong. Z's mom said that they've been going to the same roti kosong place for over 15 years ever since Z and his brother were little. I could see why. Roti kosong never tasted any better than the ones I had at Zamani's Place that morning. Seriously would recommend everybody to go to Yan, stay a few days relaxing at Zamani's Place and have some roti kosong. You will understand how I feel when you get there. Promise.

We headed off to check out the famous waterfall in the area called "Perigi Waterfall" at Kampung Perigi. The waterfall is a local attraction where families and friends chill out and cool off from the tropical weather. It was only a few minutes drive from Zamani's Place. We passed fields of padi and small houses around the area. On the way you could spot the mountain not far away. I personally liked the drives we get to take because Yan is really beautiful. I enjoy looking at the country side. The lifestyle and the surroundings is just so different and gives me the feeling of joy and peace. 

When we got there there were already groups of people down at the end of the waterfall. We parked beside the road and not for long a few more cars showed up. Carrying more families with what it seems to be like a picnic gathering. 

The waterfall stretched very high up the hill and you could see it from where we were standing how far up it reached. The water glittered as they streamed down while eroding the rocks beneath. Dad mentioned we can't see waterfalls like this back in Brunei because we don't have high mountains as the ones in Yan. It was a lovely experience. I got to take a nice video too. You can check them out on my Instagram @AinulApri.

Our next destination was the Gunung Jerai. We drove up the mountain for what it seems like an hour (okay apparently it was only about 15 minutes, it really felt long guys). The drive this time was quite scary for me. The road was narrow and has so much turns and Z had to beep every time we reached a blind corner to alert oncoming traffic. Some drivers were fast and it was potentially very dangerous for all of us. There were a few monkeys here and there, hanging out in the middle of the road. Literally saw them picking at each other's fur. By my Tarzan knowledge that could be bugs they were looking for. They were cute but one of them didn't seem too happy to be photographed. Might be a bad hair day.

The view from the top of Gunung Jerai

We saw a lot of hikers pass by and many groups of students as well. More and more emerged as we reached the peak of the mountain. By this point we had no 3G so nobody could update their IG or Whatsapp. We only had each other for company. When we reached the peak, there was a hotel right there waiting for us. Stepped outside the car finally, we could feel the cool air and the vegetation surrounding us were different from the ones below. The hotel provides places to stay like cottages or bungalows. The place was beautiful. We couldn't get to see much of a view below because it was quite a cloudy day.

Everybody felt hungry after the drive to the top. We headed up to the hotel restaurant to satisfy our demanding tummies. I had I think what was called the "Kung Fu Kuey Teow". It was apparently
fried noodles in gravy , mixed with vegetables and prawns. It was huge, so I shared with Z. I had Teh C Special to go with my noodles and dad ordered us some cheese cakes for dessert. We had quite a big lunch. Mind you, the eating did not end there.

We bid farewell to the beautiful peak of Gunung Jerai and drove down to what I believe would be sea level. On the way to meet up with Z's family, Z stopped by to one of the huts at the side of the road. Normally they sell corn, another thing they're famous for is the "nira nipah" which actually tastes like corn too but the twist is that is isn't corn! (gotcha!) It's actually derived from the sap of the nipah tree. Very interesting taste. It is naturally sweet too. But left to ferment it actually becomes an alcoholic drink.


We caught up with Z's parents at a famous local restaurant which, rumour has it, makes the best authentic Kedah laksa. I had only little space left in my tummy so I had a bit of the laksa, fitted in some nasi and also some chicken satay (my favorite). Everything was delish! Lastly, washed em all down with teh ice. Yummerz in ma tummerz.

We headed back to Zamani's Place. Everyone rested up, Z slept for hours, although Mun, Mu'izz and I
had another thing in mind. After venturing up a mountain and climbing waterfalls we felt like we needed to cool off in the pool. It was an hour before the barbecue started and so we all jumped in! Spent half an hour in the pool. Got to play ball with some of Z's mini cousins too! They were very sweet. Such guppies too! They all swam like pros. After sunset, Mun and I helped out to set the tables while the boys started the barbecue. We had roasted chicken, sea food and sambal. The best part to me was the coconut drink Z's family prepared from their own backyard at Zamani's Place. Everybody agreed that was the best coconut drink they ever tasted. Coming from a girl who isn't a big fan of coconut drink, I was converted. We all helped out with cleaning up, Z had time to crack open a durian and everyone else chilled out for the night.

25th August 2013 - Day 3

Today we head back to KL. Z and I woke up early, fetched some breakfast at the roti kosong place and drove dad to the bus station. Dad's on his way to Kelantan to find mom some kain batik. After arriving back to Zamani's Place, I had a shower, packed up and before we locked our bedroom doors, we went for a walk outside at the gardens of Zamani's Place. If you like the country side, you'll enjoy staying at Zamani's Place. To me, it's a bit like home away from home. It's not a hotel in the traditional sense of the word. When you come it really is like joining the family as the staff welcome you as one of their own.
Since we've been out most of the time exploring Yan, we didn't have time to really enjoy a full day at Zamani's Place.

My favorite spot is the pond. There is a 'pondok' on the side of the pond, just a few minutes walk away from the room I was staying in. The place is rich with flora and fauna, and the air felt fresh and cool. It was great to sit there and enjoy the company of my friends, Mun and Mui'zz while enjoying a beautiful view of the nature surrounding me. It would have been nice to have breakfast around there too if we weren't on a tight schedule. Just a perfect place to sit back, relax and just be. If you're ever thinking of visiting Kedah, visit Zamani's Place with your closest friends. If you're the type to enjoy leisurely walks, unwinding with a book or having a fun swim in the pool, Zamani's Place could be just the one for you. Rooms are comfortable and furnished with modern amenities and the extensive use of timber makes it feel very homey. For what the place offers, their rates are very good. I would spend 4-5 days. Take 2-3 days to explore Yan and the rest to spend some quality time with your besties at Zamani's Place.

To find out more about Zamani's Place, click on their Facebook Page here (and don't forget to like!) and their website here.

Also check out #zamanisplace for some more photos and videos of my experience and Mu'izz's on instagram.

Photo by Zaim Zamani

I'd like to thank Zaim Zamani for arranging our bookings for us, Uncle Zamani and Auntie Esther for making us feel at home and Zhafir Zamani for being our amazing personal tour guide.

Thank you too for reading!

With love,

Ainul.

Short hair, don't care

Hi guys! If you've have followed me on Instagram, you would by now know that I have finally cut my long locks! I was planning to go and have a salon date with Mu'izz but unfortunately he fell sick for the past week aaand it was time already for my hair to go. My day yesterday started off with a visit to the clinic. Went to get some help for my acne and I went home with Acne-Aid wash, Dalacin T and this other medication (forgot what it's called, will update later!).  After, I went shopping with mom and my sister. We got her the perfect outfit for her dinner with her boyfriend's family. Then I went to have a hair cut! I was not sure of what I wanted to go for so, I let the stylist did her work. She made me go get treatment because of my crazy split ends and also my my hair was very dull (and the fact that they're tangled - basically a big pile of mess in the hair world). She massaged my head while she shampooed my hair and nghhhh yesssss it was freaking amazing. Literally, it felt so goood I felt guilty for feeling that good because I was fasting. Had treatment after the cut and here's the final result. Hope you like it!

I feel more sporty with my new cut. Wished I could go more for a straighter cut but my waves would get out of control. I also feel like I look a lot younger! The treatment got my hair feeling softer and more lively. The salon I went to was Katie Chai at Hua Ho Manggis if you guys were wondering. I enjoyed my experience there and hope that you will too! 

In these photos, I went for a more simple look. With just fairy defined eyebrows and a lip colour, white asos vest and high waisties from Top Shop. Added my bohemian & co. bullet necklace to add a hint of tone to my look. Thanks to my youngest for helping me capture these and there's this new iphone app I've started using called 'Afterlight' for the edits on this photo thanks to @Lucy_page on Instagram for introducing me to the app! Do check her out, she is a beauty!

That's all for now, thanks for reading and have a wonderful last days of Ramadhan.

With love,

Ainul.

Mr Z

I don't know how it is you are familiar to me - why it feels like I am getting to know you and more as though I am remembering who you are. How every smile, every whisper brings me closer to the impossible conclusion that I have known you before, I have loved you before - in another time, a different place - some other existence. - Lang Leav

He says that we are Soul Mates. Get well soon Z. See you very soon!

Sunday Welcome Back Princes + OOTD

Hi guys! I'm back in Brutown! I arrived on Saturday the 27th, just right before Maghrib, Alhamdulillah. I'm staying in my parents' house in the country side of Brunei Kg. Masin. The next day, my amazing friends, Mu'izz Khalid & Mahyuddin Othman decided to welcome me back to Brunei by inviting me to break my fast with Sushi and a movie. I had a fantastic day, and a wonderful catch up with Mah as well as Mui'zz in the end. They both arrived at my door step looking very handsome and here are some photos to show you their Outfit of The Day.

Here we have Mah looking very dashing in a striped buttoned up paired up with pants in pastel and suede shoes. Click here to see his blog and find out what he's wearing.





























Over here we have Mr. Mu'izz Khalid also looking very handsome in pastel! Click here to see his blog and find out what he's wearing.























As for me, I'm wearing a printed tee from ASOS, white skinnies from Top Shop and shoes from American Apparel. My top accessories for the day was a burgundy red hat from Camden and a leather bag also a find from Camden town! I don't think you can spot it, but I also had my bullet necklace on. I found that a hat was fantastic for sunny weather; keeps the sun from my face and also for rainy days; keeps the rain from ruining my make up!  I loved to pair high waisties with crop tops they are a match made in heaven! The only problem I had with my pants was that white isn't a flattering colour on me, the white sort of erased my tummy making my legs seem like they're attached right to my ribs and my skinnies were high waisted and I'm not that tall for a girl (at least I think I'm not), I found that they made me look a bit shorter or made it obvious I'm short. Here's a full head to toe for you!

As for make up; the I've been trying out Bourjois 'Paris Healthy Mix Serum' number 55 for foundation, I'm in love with this foundation, it's perfect for my dry skin and is super easy to apply on and covers my scars and spots very well! I  used something new, the No7 'Beautifully Matte' as a make up base. So far, so good. Although I found that my face had to be really moisturised for the make up base to be applied properly and spread smoothly. Lastly I've been using this a lot recently, the Revlon's Colorstay eyeshadow kit in '20 Sunrise, Sunset'. The 4th color palette is just the perfect color for my skin. I used it for creasing and completed my minimal make up look.

I hope you find this post inspiring for you next OOTD!

I felt very happy to have friends who care so much. I bet you guys have those too! Tell them you love them and how much you appreciate them because good friends are hard to find.

And if any of you are wondering, our summer tunes is of course the lovely Taylor Swift's album Red.

Have a good night everybody!

With love,

Ainul.

Inayah Collection

Hi everyone! Today, my orders from Inayah have just arrived. I got the Deep red jersey hijab cap, which I'm pairing with the Salmon soft georgette hijab, a Rose cotton hijab for Lily and a Black jersey hijab cap which will be paired with a Peppermint soft georgette hijab for Santi.

I ordered these on Saturday 13th July, 2013. I had a look at my Salmon soft georgette hijab. It is quite long, the measurements on the site says they are 77" (196 cm) x 25" (65 cm). The georgette material is soft but soft enough to style, which I really find it useful. Although I must admit they are quite fragile as well. My hands were quite dry, and I have sort of these hard edges of skin at the corners of my nails and they were hard enough to pull  out a little bit of the fabric (I am so putting on hand moisturisers often).

I am very happy with my orders. Their timing was not terrible and their packaging is just very sophisticated and sleek. I love that actually if you turn the packaging around, they're black and the name 'Inayah' would be transparent showing the colours of the product and at the back it becomes bare, exposing fully the colours and if you are able to recognise, the texture of the hijab. For the pricing, I am very happy with my buys as well. They are really beautiful and match the description on their website stating how versatile their hijabs are.

I'm planning to pair my salmon hijab with a white blazer and white trousers, my top still remains a mystery. I'll be wearing this outfit for Santi's graduation. Will post up a complete look on Monday. Wish me luck and hope that my pants arrive to me tomorrow!

Thank you for reading!

With love,

Ainul.

Posted Poems by Lang Leav

Hello guys! Sorry I've been MIA, Ramadhan just started and I've been cooped up inside my sister's house for days. The sun is scorching hot and it isn't a great idea to go out.

Today, I've got something special to share with you. I gifted a poem by the magical Lang Leav to Z. He just received it today, and we are both very happy with it!

The poem I sent to him was called 'The Pilgrimage' by Lang Leav. I ordered this to be made on 3rd July 2013 and arrived it to his mail box on the 17th of July 2013. The long wait was worth it. The details are gorgeous and the font and print is just exquisite! 

If you're ever in a need of a gift idea, this would be perfect for anyone! Just click here to order a posted poem of your choice.

Hope you like this idea too!

Till next time!

with Love,

Ainul.

The Bohemian Collective - Crystal Bullet Necklace

Hi guys!

Guess what just arrived for me in the mail today! My crystal bullet necklace from The Bohemian Collective !

They came in a small square-ish box. Inside I found a small pouch filled with my necklaces, a bohemian collective info card where you can find their social networking info and an invoice for my order.

The necklaces were placed in a very cute delicate square envelope sealed with a 'Thank You' heart shaped sticker which I just found so creative! It's just so pleasant and I don't know why it felt exciting to open up mini envelopes to find a crystal necklace inside! The one I got was Crystal Bullet Necklace D which is an Aqua Aura Quartz. The crystal has this metallic and shiny look, almost something magical about them. It is attached to a recycled gold coloured bullet hung on a gold coloured chain. I am very happy with the quality of the product as well as the presentation of the product from the pouch to the tiny envelopes. The pricing was not that bad either in my taste. The delivery to me was pretty fast as well, I ordered mine July 2nd and they arrived today, 4th of July! I am very much in love with The Bohemian Collective! Perfect for a gift for your girlies or just a gift for yourself!

Hope you have a good day today! Just maybe if the time is right I might have a hair cut tomorrow! (maybe Insya Allah). Till next time then!

With love,

Ainul.

Summer outfit

Hi guys! Here is my summer outfit. Perfect for a breezy and sunny day out!

I'm wearing a soft ASOS blazer, a white ASOS cami and a pair of colourful patterned shorts. I found
the blazer perfect for summer.
























They kept me warm during cool winds and they were light enough to not suffocate. The shorts I got were silky and just had a nice feeling to it! As for shoes I wore my american apparel high heel bobby patent lace-up shoe. They were a abit snug on my shoes, I'm normally a UK size 5 but I think I should've gotten one size up. It would have been perfect with a US 7 1/2. Even with the size problem, I loved wearing these shoes. They were great, gave me a bit of height I needed and they were quite comfy (would've been more if it were the right size though!).

Here are the links:

1. ASOS Cropped Blazer
2. ASOS Woven Cami
3. ASOS silky shorts in Floral
4. American Apparel High Heel Bobby Patent Lace-Up Shoe

Hope you liked the look!

Thanks for reading!

With love,

Ainul xx

Llandudno - Summer 2013

Hi everyone!

On the 25th of June 2013, Z and I made our way to visit a beautiful coastal town called Llandudno. It took us about 3 hours to arrive including some pit stops.

The journey from Coventry to Wales was great fun. The sceneries change as you go along the highway to smaller roads near meadows and hills. Weather and temperature changed a bit here and there as well. There were times when the sun was hidden in grey clouds and at certain places, the sun was high at it's peak. I had to lift up and down my visor quite a few times. Riding gives you a feeling of being one with your surroundings. Even though I wasn't the one steering the way, I still felt every bump on the road and the wind and not to mention hearing the sounds. The only downside is that the air turns funky when we pass grazing livestock. They're a beauty to look at though (haha).

Before reaching Llandudno, about maybe 12 miles away Z spotted an abandoned castle up the hills. He pointed to the direction of the castle, and I'm glad I was paying attention. The site was amazing. I usually drift off singing or pretending I'm a DJ on the radio. It gets pretty lonely back there. Z lent me his mp3 player for the remaining hour of the journey and it was fantastic. That would be the best tip to give someone new (like me) on the road, mp3 players are the bomb. The sound of the tyres on the road and (depending on the music - he had loads of slow rock and I'll confirm his genre later when he wakes from his nap) the sound from the music mixes so well.

Upon our arrival at Llandudno, we could see the sea and pastel coloured houses close to the shores.

Llandudno sea front

From where we stayed, we were about less than 5 minutes walk from the Llandudno Pier and the Llandudno sea front. The area is quite clean and the roads are pretty wide as well, compared to the ones in Cov town. Since Llandudno was near the coast the weather was very lovely. Not too hot and not too cold, Goldilocks would say, "juuuuust right!". The winds though, could get chilly. Even with the chilly winds, it was still comfortable to wear just a soft blazer, jeans and a tank top. Z's very "kabal" he only wore a tee and his shorts.

We had a lovely dinner at an Indian restaurant called 'Asia' (click here) which we discovered while taking photos. Best choice ever! We had dinner there two nights in a row! That isn't the best part yet, it was halal (*happy dance*). Service was really good and serving time was also pretty alright. Unlike those restaurants which starves you to death before your food arrives. Pricing? Pretty alright as well, I think we both spent about 20 pounds together. If you think about the taste of the food, the service and also the atmosphere, it was so worth it.

Asia restaurant

There were also shops nearby which comes very handy ( I forgot to bring my toothbrush and moisturiser - I swear my skin will not survive without moisturiser).

2nd day in Llandudno, we had a morning walk to the Llandudno Pier. We had to pass by a bit of the Llandudno sea front before reaching the pier. The atmosphere was lively. The weather was great and the sun was shining. There were many old people and children and families around. There was a Punch and Judy show and not far away a tourist boat to take people on board to explore the coast.

On the way to the Pier

The Pier was lovely. We could see the Great Orme from there and there were many stalls selling a variety of things and sweets! Z got his hands on a cone of Vanilla Cornish ice cream and I had a taste of it too, it was delicious. We walked to the end of the pier where we found a place for fishing for leisure and also an arcade. We met a couple from California who helped us took photos of us at the Pier. They were very nice and they knew where Brunei is! (Plus point). They also stayed in Malaysia for I think about 20 years. The husband had a cool cowboy looking hat and a pony tail and his wife was such a lovely woman. So far, they also found Llandudno a beautiful place.

" She sells sea shells..."

We took a lunch break and headed off to ride up the Great Orme. The Great Orme is a limestone headland on the north coast of Wales. Apparently, the name was derived from the Viking word for sea serpent, which it is said to resemble (Yep I wiki-ed this). We rode up the sea serpent (jk the Great Orme) with a 1 pound fee cos we used a motorcycle. The view was spectacular from up there. We weren't even half way up and the site was already amazing. We rode up passed a cemetery and some houses and also a mine. Along the way we could see cable cars making their way down. There was also a small train. I waved because I wanted to pretend like I was a princess (and luckily they waved back or else I would have felt very rejected).

When we were at the top, we parked and took our helmets off - that was where the major beauty lies. I can't explain it to you but I will show you instead.

The view from the top

Z at the top of the Great Orme

Spot the sheep!

Me & my crazy wind blown hair - At the top of the Great Orme / forgot to tell you, wearing contact lenses was not a good idea when you're on top. Mine got very dry and I had to blink so much to moisturise my lenses.

view of the Great Orme from the Pier

Z's baby

It was amazing to have experienced such beauty. Alhamdulillah we made our trip there safely and everything went smoothly. It was the most relaxing experience and also the most beautiful. I hope you get to see it one day and Insya Allah you will have an amazing experience (or even more!) like we did!

If you haven't seen it, there's a short video of our trip right below this post!

Thank you for reading!

With love,

Ainul x