Besides mountains, Sabah has so much to offer its visitors from vast clear blue waters to rare native wildlife. You will never be bored when you visit this hidden gem of Malaysia.
We sat down at Mediacorp and had a casual chat with Ria 89.7FM radio personality, Nity Baizura who shared with us about her personal travel experiences and preferences. Aside from being a radio DJ, Nity Baizura is also known for her work in front of the camera as a host for Suria’s Pesta Perdana, Jus and Anugerah.
Read on to find out more about her most recent trip, favourite destination and her must-have travel essentials. Don’t miss her on Instagram (@nitybaizura) too, where she shares snippets of her travels and life as a mother and wife.
Oh yes! In September, I went on a short trip to Malacca with my husband and two boys. It was the school holidays so we went on a family road trip and spent three nights there. It was all good until the last night when my husband was unfortunately down with an upset stomach.
I am not really a “planner” because my husband will usually do all the research and make the bookings. But I will often share recommendations with him based on information that my friends and colleagues provide. As the trip approaches, I already start packing and I take it very seriously. I hate packing last-minute, it makes me angry especially when it comes to the kids’ stuff!
My medicine kit, you name it and I’ll have it — charcoal pills, Panadol, flu medication, ibuprofen, ointments, peppermint oil. It will fill up an entire Tupperware!
Well, make-up is a must so that my photos and Insta-stories will be on point too! I take all my Instagram posts very seriously [laughter].
I tend to go around Southeast Asia, mostly Malaysia (Kelantan, Pahang, almost everywhere except Perlis!), Indonesia (Bali, Jakarta, Bandung) and Thailand (Phuket, Bangkok).
BANGKOK, and I’ve been there for more than five times. In fact, I’ll be heading there again at the end of this month for my first ever girls trip (at the age of 35, yes)! We’ve been planning this since we were 13 so just imagine…
Fun Fact: At the age of 21, I took my first flight ever on SIA to Bangkok and it was for a work retreat.
Turkey! (Well, minus the migraine on board the 11-hour Turkish Airlines flight). I love Turkey, it’s totally different from Singapore and I feel like I’m in another world with the mountains and all. I went there six months after my wedding so it was still pretty much the honeymoon period [laughter]. I covered Istanbul, Cappadocia (hot air balloon ride – checked) and Pamukkale.
I love to shop for souvenirs for my loved ones. When I was in Turkey, I bought this hand-stitched bedspread that cost almost S$200 for my mother. It was so beautiful and she still uses it every Hari Raya!
The hot-air balloon ride in Cappadocia, hands-down.
Para-sailing in Langkawi! It was so scenic and beautiful from the top of Cenang Beach. That was one of the best beach holidays we’ve ever had. We hopped on a Banana Boat, rode a jet ski and went island-hopping. I don’t know how to swim but I just went for it with my lifejacket on. That trip was actually quite crazy because we ended up trying a lot of things even with the kids.
I have to say, my husband! He is so easy-going, does all the planning and takes lovely photos of me (heh!).
When we went to Hong Kong in 2013, we were there for about five days and ended up eating Indian food all the time since we couldn’t find any other local halal food. We went to this particular shopping centre, there was halal food but it was so expensive! Perhaps we were also at fault for not doing enough research… Hotels also didn’t serve breakfast and that was quite a bummer.
Not quite, maybe it’s due to the fact that I don’t wear the hijab and I usually don’t travel that far. In fact, when we were in Hong Kong, the locals were actually nice. They even came up to play with my son in the MTR. They are pretty open-minded and modern. This doesn’t apply to their taxi drivers though…
I’m not that adventurous when it comes to food, especially because I have a pretty weak stomach. So, I’m always super careful. Those fried crickets and cockroaches… nope! Poppy seed yoghurt paired with apple and pomegranate tea! Ohmygod, it was so good.
I prefer to immerse myself in the experience and spend quality time with my husband and kids so I won’t really be on my phone until I get back to the hotel. Once everything is settled, that’s when I whip up my phone and choose a couple of photos to upload. If I can’t think of a suitable caption there and then, I’ll do a #throwback instead when I’m back in Singapore.
Sabah with my extended family! We’ll be going in December for five nights, mainly trekking and exploring Kundasang. Wish me luck.
Dubai, for sure.
Window or aisle seat? WINDOW!
Do you prefer summer vacations or winter vacations? Winter vacations.
Tea or Coffee? In your opinion, which country makes the best Tea or Coffee? Coffee, the best one is in Turkey!
If you could swim with dolphins or go shark diving, which would you pick? Definitely, dolphins.
Oceans or Mountains? Ohhh this is a tough one… oceans?
If you must choose one place to live in, where would it be? (besides Singapore)
Switzerland! It’s so calming and full of nature. The chocolates are a HUGE bonus.
If you had to sum up travelling in a sentence, what would it be?
Travel is escapism and freedom for you to try out new things and experience them.
Catch Nity Baizura live on RIA 89.7FM from Monday to Friday (6 – 10 am) on #2budaknakal!
Also read: Travelogue with Sufi Rashid, the Akademi Fantasia Winner
Published at
Get our weekly tips and travel news!
Besides mountains, Sabah has so much to offer its visitors from vast clear blue waters to rare native wildlife. You will never be bored when you visit this hidden gem of Malaysia.
HalalZilla consults the great archives of football to handpick our top Muslim players who’ve ever laced a pair of boots in the big leagues – especially those you didn’t know were Muslim!
Many travellers have either been to Bali and Lombok, or are planning a trip there – they are the most popular tourist destinations for Muslim and non-Muslim alike. . While these islands are tourist-friendly and especially Muslim-friendly, there are many other islands in Indonesia that are just as beautiful and have lots to offer. Check […]
Do you want to look your best this Hari Raya? These hijab-friendly spas in Singapore will not only pamper you but also make sure you are #RayaReady.
Explore Macao to your heart’s content!
China: Where history meets halal eats!
Two Malaysians walk a 10,000km journey of faith!
A muslim-friendly yet stunning city? Hong Kong it is!
JAKIM: Your halal seal of approval!
Nahh, not sushi again...