Krabi Phuket Songkhla Trip

"Think of life as a good book. The further you get into it, the more it begins to make sense..." - Harold S. Kushner

(A walk with the elephants at Andaman Gateway)

Krabi, Phuket & Songkhla Trip

Date: 5 - 11 April 2017

Distance: 2,000 km

(Signages at the Andaman Gateway)

(A photo opportunity with a dugong)

(Heavy rain on the way to the Emerald Pool)

(Local and foreign visitors at the entrance)

(Foods and drinks are not allowed in the park)

(The pathway to the three pools)

(A cool walk in the wood)

(Sra Kaew or Glass Pool)

(The Emerald Pool of Krabi)

(The Blue Pool, hot spring)

(The Bird Museum)

(Another entrance to the Emerald Pool)

(The iconic Black Crab in Krabi town)

(Driving around Krabi town)

(The Ao Nang Beach)

(Long-tail boats for islands hopping)

(Visiting the 75 million years fossils)

(The beach with the million years fossils)

(Food stalls at Halal Walking Street by the mosque)

(A small jetty for boats to James Bond Island)

(The mangrove swamp)

(Spending a night in Ibis Hotel Phuket)

(Songkram Festival in a week's time)

(Serene and calm Patong Beach, Phuket)

(Kamala Beach, opposite of Patong Beach)

(Beautiful and vibrant Surin Beach)

(The Cat and Mouse islands, Samila Beach)

(The famous mermaid of Samila Beach, Songkhla)

(Quiet and clean, Chalathat Beach Songkhla)

(Jalan2 Cari Makan, Hatyai)

2017 Umrah: KL/Abu Dhabi

"I seek Allah’s forgiveness, besides Whom, none has the right to be worshipped except He, The Ever Living, The Self-Subsisting and Supporter of all, and I turn to Him in repentance...'

(Boarding the train at KLIA)

Day 01:

11 March 2017 - Saturday

We met with Sara, Sariah and hubby before we boarded our plane.

Our flight EY411 departed on time. We while away our time watching in flight movies in between naps during the 6-hour flight to Abu Dhabi.

(A few hours transit in Abu Dhabi Airport)

(Beautifully decorated Abu Dhabi Airport Terminals)

Abu Dhabi International Airport is the second largest in the UAE. It has three operational passenger terminals. We had a few hours transit before our next connecting flight to Madinah.

(International clocks for major cities)

2017 Umrah: Abu Dhabi/Madinah

“If you lead me astray, then my wanderings will bring me to my destination...” 

― Michael Bassey Johnson

(A new mosque outside Madinah Airport)

Day 02:

12 March 2017 - Sunday

We arrived in Madinah International Airport in time for Fajar prayers before we boarded a bus to Elaf Taiba Hotel in Madinah. Our guide and muttawif in Madinah and Makkah was Ustaz Hassan.

(Elaf Taiba Hotel next to Gate 15)

(A short distance walk to the mosque)

(The ladies filling up the space under the huge umbrellas)

Breakfast was served at M floor and our hotel room was at 12 floor overlooking the Masjid Nabawi. The morning was spent resting in the room. We performed our prayers in the mosque.

(The men entering the Raudhah and the maqam)

(The maqam of Rasullullah, Abu Bakar and Omar) 

Tonight after dinner we went to visit maqam Rasulullah, Saidina Abu Bakar and Saidina Omar to recite the salam. We prayed and recited the doa at the Raudhah led by a young Indonesian ustazah. The visit was brief and there were quite a large crowd at the Raudhah. We completed our ziarah before midnight.

(The ladies waiting to visit the Raudhah)

(The green kubah above maqam Rasulullah)

2017 Umrah: Madinah city tour

“He who purifies himself at his home and comes to Masjid Quba and offers two rakaats therein, will be rewarded the reward of an Umrah…” - Sunan ibn Majah

(A nice drawing on the wall at a date plantation)

Day 03:

13 March 2017 - Monday

The city tour included a visit to Masjid Quba, Masjid Qiblatain, Jabar Uhud and other important historical sites around Madinah.

(A big bus for the day tour)

(Masjid Quba for sunat prayers)

Masjid Quba was our first stop where we performed our sunat prayers. Quba is the place on the outskirts of Madinah where Rasulullah accompanied by Abu Bakar arrived and first stayed after emigrating from Makkah.

(A large crowd at the Kurma souk)

(A cup of ice-cream to quench the thirst)

We stopped at one of the popular date plantations and bought some dates, raisins and nuts. The kurma souk was crowded with jemaah from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. There was a free flow of tea for everyone.

(A mosque and street vendors at Jabal Uhud)

(Bukit Pemanah at Jabal Uhud)

The weather was sunny and cool when we reached Jabal Uhud. Jabal Uhud is a mountain north of Madinah. It is 1,077 m high and the site of the Battle of Uhud between Muslim and Makkah forces.

We completed the city tour just before Zohor prayers.

(A variety of delicious food and desert at the hotel)

(The huge umbrellas are closed at night)

(The prayer hall of Masjid Nabawi)