Genting getaway must-know

It’s Genting again.

For Singaporeans and Malaysians, this is like the No.1 place we go everytime we need a dose of the cool crisp weather. It is near, hassle-free modes of getting there, something fun for all ages, and most importantly, worth the dime!

Hop on to a coach (popular ones like Five stars, Grassland, Konsortium, Transtar) and get wheeze off to Genting in just 6 hours comfortably, or, self-drive for 4-5 hours (assuming ~150 km/h on the north-south highway) if you are those who wants to throw in an adventurous food trail along the way up (be sure to bring a GPS with you).

Alternatively, take a 1-hour flight with any budget airlines (Jetstar, Air Asia or Tiger Airways), and hire a taxi to go from Kuala Lumpur (KL) to Genting. Mind you, if you manage to get a cheap deal on the air tickets (as low as $50 round-trip, all-in), the price is matchable to taking a coach and you can expedite your traveling time much. Furthermore, you will be spoilt with the wide choices of flight timings to suit your needs. Unlike coaches, where the departure is either at dawn (~7am) or late night (~10pm).

There is something for everyone there. Casinos, theme park, concerts/performance, numerous restaurants, chill-out pubs, arcade, shopping, KTV etc etc~~~ If you want to go theme park, avoid months like november: its the rainy season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are two main casinos currently: The one near First World hotel, and the one near Resort Hotel. And the First World one just got bigger. They recently barricade off a large portion which used to be shops, and reburbished it into a more $$-making cause: a larger casino. So, for people who are casino-craze and minded the squash.

At the casinos, you can do the table games (require more bravery), electronic ones (limited to大小, roulette and baccarat) and Jackpot. Table games require you to change your cash into chips at the tables through the bankers, for electronic ones, you just need to slip your notes into the $$-eating slot at each machine.

If you are a hard-core gambler or preparing to be one, my advice: join the Membership. It will give you perks like free rooms and restaurant promos. Also, if you accumulate enough points for the day, free meals will be given, and the free meals can be pretty fabulicious. So that you will be relieved to know, if you lose like a million bucks, your stomach will be still contended.

                              Casino food: nice nasi lemak (left) and teochew porridge (right)

The spending on food, if you prefer to dine mostly at restaurants, is comparable to Singapore. A meal for two would cost around $20-50 SGD. So, prepare to bring more cash. I recommend this restaurant “Restoran Good Friends” at Highlands hotel. Affordable yummy dim sum!

Their special must try cha shao bao (1st picture)

I’ve tried the Resort Hotel and Highlands Hotel buffet. The variety of spread should be applauded. The price is around $30-40 SGD for buffet dinner, and in my opinion, totally worth it, especially the one in Highlands.

Highlands hotel Buffet spread

Resort hotel Buffet spread

Ah, for the KTV, go for the dinner package (comes with a dinner course, drink and few hours of singing). Worth the bucks.

My favourite itinerary will be something like this: Breakfast set at Coffeebean (near resort hotel), shop around, teabreak at Old Town (near theme park), KTV (near resort hotel), chill over beer/wine at Patio (near first world) with live band and football broadcast, and, casino till the wee hours of the morning.. ahhh, this is life…

                                           Food for thought (photo) or Brek-O-day

                                          Nice Peppermint Mocha Frap and Hazelnut Frap

                                       Hazelnut white coffee & nice half-boiled eggs

                                       Beer and tidbits

For more to do in Genting and prices, feel free to leave a comment 🙂

xoxo,

Hong Kong is my all-time favourite Part 2!

Let the journey continues! Part 2! (Read HK part 1)

Day 3

Woke up early and took a selfie. After 2 days of shopping, we decided to do some activities for a change-We went to Ocean Park! We took a cab from Cosmo hotel to Ocean park. Turns out is pretty near, only HKD40 for the taxi fare.

 

Took the cable car to get to the peak, where the amusement park and activities are.

Played a few rides, went to see the animals, and a performance etc. When we left Ocean Park, it was almost late evening! Kids will definitely like it here! Pretty exhausting though.

Went back to the hotel for a nice tub bath, and.. More night shopping at Tsim Sha Tsui! No time to waste haha.

 

Day 4

The final day before our morning flight the following day. We decided to experience something different. Hiking! Perfect cooling weather to hike. We took the ferry to Lamma Island.

Posing by the jetty.

Walking towards the hiking path, you will pass by seafood restuarants, alot of shops and then a beach.

 

Put hiking path. It is actually a pretty strenuous hike because it can be quite steep. But the view is worth it. 

 

And a seafood lunch to look forward too. Famished already!

Waiting for the return ferry. And the final sprint to spend all our money! More shopping at Mongkok!

And we ended the night club-hopping at Lan Kwai Fong. We went to like 3 different clubs. It was so much fun. We clubbed till almost 4am and cabbed back to hotel. And actually stayed up until its time to go to airport, since our flight early morning. And we all super shack and concuss on the flight. Well, you can only be young once.

xoxo,

Hong Kong is my all-time favourite Part 1!

This is definitely not my first time to HK, in fact, I go there once every two years, but it never fails to impress me. HK supports the notion of a buzzing, indefatigable city that is just so… nostalgic.

I will be sharing my itinerary in HK, with the Shopping and Eating recommendations 🙂 Because there is just too much to share!

We were very lucky to kick-start the trip: Bump up from economy class to business class with Cathay Pacific. It was a superr early yet full flight, 650am, and to avoid the queue at check-in counter, I decided to do a online check-in the night before the flight (Cathay Pacific allows it 48h before departure). So, I had actually selected my seats during the online check-in already. For some reason, I was upgraded, and not that I’m complaining.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So my take on Business vs Economy:

1) Wider, adjustable seats and more leg room

2) Better service – Air stewardess/steward address you by name

3) Better food – Fruits platter/appertizer followed by main course. Main course has different and more choices

Of all three, I think the adjustable seats are definitely worth the bucks.

Shopped a little at the HK airport duty-free. Got some perfumes and liquer (which we managed to finish by second night! Krazy).

I transit from to my hotel, the Cosmo Wanchai Hotel, via the MTR Airport express. It’s timings are frequent, its fast (ard 30mins from ‘Airport-Hongkong’) and comfy. Although its about S$15 one way. But we bought 4 tix, got a group discount, which is way cheaper, like S$9 bucks instead.

There was also free shuttle bus from the ‘Hong Kong’ station to the hotel, although a lil patience is needed. Cosmopolitan and Cosmo hotels are sister hotels, so there are side by side and served by the same shuttle bus. Saw alot of good reviews on both hotels, and is well-known for Singporean travellers. But nothing prepared us for the surprise and the weak heart!

Our hotel view is superb! Of the cemetry. Tons and tons of the tombstones.

Anyways, the stunned aside, the hotel is reasonable and clean, albeit small like any other hotels in HK.

My itinerary (BEWARE: Photo bomb of shopping and food pics coming up ^^Do not see on an empty stomach)

Day 1

Shop around the Central-Admiralty-Wanchai-Causeway bay area. Lots of departmental stores with designer boutiques and other mid-tier brands like H&M, Marks&Spencers, HMV, Forever 21, Uniqlo, Muji etc etc etc. Its like a shopping haven! And not a store like in Sg, its usually enlarged in HK with more varieties. So my take, the price may not be much cheaper, even with the awesome exchange rate of S$1 : 6.25HKD.

I have to recommend a new shopping mall: The Hysan place. Its like this humongous mall with escalators that spans a few floors.  You can have chillax in an alfresco setting…and look at the view!

We also had lunch at one of the famous restaurant, Yung Kee, well-known for its roasted goose and chinese honey-glazed barbeque pork etc. Like most resturants in HK, the har gao (shrimp) is fresh, crunchy and good. The friendly waiter also recommended the century egg, and OMG, gooooood!

 

Day 2

It was a nice weather and we opt to take the ferry across from where our hotel were, HK island, to Kowloon. The ferry is an alternative to the MTR, or taxi, although it is slower. However, it is a mode of transport for the locals, and you can tap-pay with the Octopus card (~SGD1-2) hasslefree. On the short ride, about 10-15mins, you get to enjoy the views and crisp air. The taxi on the other hand, can get pretty steep if you pass through the tunnel during peak hours due to toll. I did it once on a friday night around 830pm from HK island to Kowloon, the taxi ride was like HDK200 (SGD30+).

Nice Dimsum brunch at the famous TANG DYNASTY (near TST harbour) and high-end shopping at Tsim Sha Tsui-Jordan area. We end the day with more therapeutic late-night shopping at Granville fashion street (near TST as well). They have rows of fashion malls, streethouses selling the latest fashion apparals and lots of street food!

 

Agnes B cafe in Carnarvon Road! Loves Agnes B accessories-rings, necklaces and charms.

Happy me with my loot from Agnes B.

Vibrant night shopping of HK!

Simple dinner of local fare. Had some down-to-earth local food-mixed rice with the salted duck and chinese sausages, awesome watercress soup to warm the tummy, and a nice ginseng tea  (set around SGD10).

Read on for more awesome itinerary of what to do, where to go and what to eat in HK in Part 2.

xoxo,