Our Boracay babymoon!

As we were doing all the plannings to welcome our first child in Nov, one thing that was in the plan was a babymoon. Babymoon officially marks the last holiday that we can have before entering parenthood. Once we become parents, true, we can still travel without our child, but it will never be the same again.

We allocated a 1k budget per pax for hotel+flight, for a 4D3N getaway and not more than 4-5 hours of flight time. We were really torn between going for a beach getaway or a city. Since I don’t think I have the energy to shop much, I opted for a beach destination. And after much consideration, we chose Boracay, Philippines, which we have not been before. It was also voted the best beach by Trip Adviser in 2013!

*Note: All the activities I did here may not be suitable for all pregnant women. Consult your gynae in advance and also inform the people conducting the activities.

We flew by Silkair, which has a stopover at Cebu before flying to Boracay (Kalibo airport). Although it is like the only international flight that flies to Boracay airport, the next time I would fly by the budget airlines like Tiger and Airasia instead, as they fly direct.

It is also my first time taking Silkair. I would say thumbs up to the yummy food and crew service. But the cabin was not as clean, and leg room limited. There were no individual entertainment TV screen, but you can actually use the in-flight Wi-Fi to watch movies using smartphones and tablets.

SIN-KLO (breakfast)

KLO-SIN

By the time we reached Boracay, it was nearly night time. There was a flight delay into Kalibo airport, and also a land transfer of 1.5hrs followed by boat ride of 15mins. And finally from the Catician jetty to the hotel took another 15mins. It was pretty exhausting! Checked into our hotel- Boracay Mandarin Island hotel, which is considered on the higher end. It is located on station 2. Btw, Boracay is quite a small island, and segregated into station 1, 2 and 3. Stations 1 and 2 are the most happening.

Their boats are all quite unique. I think to accommodate the shallow waters.

Our room with balcony

We had a simple dinner of crab and tiger prawns, and I think it was a rip-off. In fact, don’t expect the food to be cheap there, as we spent almost S$50 on each meal for the 2 of us. There was not much shopping to do as well. Most of our money are spent on food, massages and activities heh. We ended the day chilling at one of the beach pub. Of cos, my hubby had beer, which was cheap, and poor me can only have fruit juice, which was mediocre. Btw, most pubs are actually on the beach itself, which is pretty unique.

Craving for some chocolate crepe.

Day 2

We went for the island hopping tour the next day. We were greeted by the stunning white beach! The sea has gradient colors! Now the traveling to get here was all worth it. We went to a few surrounding islands (Crystal cove island, Puka beach, Crocodile island, Tambisaan beach), which was really pretty. And i attempted a maternity photoshoot, which was not very successful haha.

View outside our hotel (white beach)

Anticipating our island hopping tourThere is a separate entry fee for this place.

Such a beautiful ocean.

Star fish from the sea bed.

 

There are seriously so many activities to do at Boracay. Like banana boat, jet ski, fly fish, parachuting, snorkeling etc.

Can you see the parachutes in the background?

Banana boat going to the ocean.

Helmet diving booth

Parasailing.

We got back to the hotel to freshen up and were exhuasted. Especially for me, since although the boat ride was quite calm, we actually visited quite a few islands, which was physically taxing for my pregnancy body. My hubby also did snorkeling while I watched. We had one of the best dinner there-at this Greek restaurant CYMA (near D’Mall, Station 2). After that, we planned to go for more exploring at D’mall. But alas, it started drizzling and pouring. It actually rained quite abit when we were there.

It is actually a pretty small restaurant, thus, there may be a queue.

We ordered the famous fire cheese, which goes nicely with pita bread.

I order the mussel pasta, which was seriously one of the best pasta I ever had. And my hubby went for the grilled meat, which has a deep flavorful charred taste.

 Day 3

Since day 3 was a free day for us, we decided to go for the buggy ride (Hubby drive while I am the co-driver) that will bring us to the highest point for a bird eye view of Boracay. For the ATV, it is individual. It cost us about S$50 for this activity as well.

Since I am pregnant, they actually gave me a cushion for the seat to reduce bumpiness. The road was also concrete and easy to ride.

The ATV in front of us is our personal guide.

And our view.. It was drizzling again hence the fuzzy picture.

After our ATV ride, we went to the market-D’ Talipapa.  This is where you can haggle for fresh seafood, and cook immediately at one of the restaurants nearby for a small fee. These people can be rather aggressive. There are also alot of souvenir shops here, and cheaper than D’mall.

After shopping here, we got hungry again. Time for lunch! We chose this Filipino restaurant at Boracay Regency hotel, which is also highly raved. Desperately in need of a refreshing drink heh! Lychee freeze! Hubby having banana milkshake.

Ordered a pork wonton thingy, and their mixed grilled platter (seafood and meat). Pretty decent. But we couldn’t finish.

Weather clearing up so we decided to walk down the beach.

Came across a wedding between ang moh and filipino. Romantic!

Sun setting soon.

Walked almost to the end of the beach, and found Jonah’s milkshake. Another must-try.

 

I had the chocolate vanilla banana, and avocado for hubby. Tum tum can’t be fuller!

 

Came across this pub with fire dance performance. Very happening!

Went for a midnight spa to smooth the aching muscles. I highly recommend this massage place. Hubby did the whole body massage, while I do the leg reflexology safe for pregnant woman. There are also plenty of beach massages, but I do not trust their skills blah.

 

The next morning, after a hearty hotel buffet breakfast, we took one last walk on the beach. And also got some of the famous calamansi muffins from Real Coffee before leaving.

And that ends our Boracay babymoon!

Overall, I think I would like Boracay more if the traveling time is shorter, and less commercial. It has already become so commercialized after tourists start to flock there, and the sea/land activities are overpriced. But it is a beautiful place nonetheless.

xoxo,

 

Onboard Superstar Virgo

For my 26th birthday, hubby and I decided to go for a weekend relaxing cruise getaway. We did the 3D2N cruise from friday to sunday, with a stopover at Kuala Lumpur, Port Klang. What not to love about the sea, doing nothing and lots of good free food?

On the way to board the cruise, feeling excited already. We used to go for cruise rides more often a couple of years back, but it has been almost 2 years since our last cruise.

Checking into our cabin-Oceanview stateroom with window.

 

The bathroom is pretty decent, albeit small. Left of the basin is the standing shower, and the right is the toilet.

After chilling in our room for a while, we went out for complimentary cocktail/wine, and to see the cruise set sail at the deck.

Cheers!

Bye Singapore!

We then went to have dinner. FYI, there are like 3 complimentary restaurants on board- the Mediterranean buffet, the Western fine dining and the Chinese. All are so gooood! And 5 meals per day. I think the Chinese serves the best quality food, but I love the Western for their fine dining ambiance, and buffet for supper because can seat outdoors to enjoy the night breeze.

The first meal we had! Chinese 6-course. Their double-boil soup is always so good! And you can ask for second servings! I want another bowl of the soup! Better than Lao Huo tang 老火汤.

To end off the first night, we went for the show in the theater. They have like singing performance, circus performance etc.

Woke up early the next morning to this beautiful view. So refreshing!

 

Ya I know, an awesome slide!

Decided to do some sun-tanning. Leisure!

Not long after, the cruise docked into Port Klang, KL. Because the cruise is stopping for quite a while (6-7 hrs), we decided to sign-up for one of their shopping trips (I think it was S$40 per pax) to pass time.

 In the coach, on the way to KL (Pavilion area, Sungei Wang plaza). The ride took about 45mins to an hour. And we only had like 3-4hrs to shop

Had lunch at this nice place-its like a foodcourt, and the food sold there all like famous!

Bought a pair of Gucci sunglasses. Satisfied liao. Didn’t buy any clothes. Hubby neither.

Cheaper than Singapore!

And we had 3-course fine dining that night.

I had pork chop for main, and tiramisu for dessert. I always like how they put effort into presentation despite having to feed so many people.

And for that night, we chill at the al fresco pub, with live band.

And the trip came to an end the next day.

Such an enjoyable weekend spent! Couldn’t ask for a better birthday!

xoxo,

Bali bali!

I planned a 4D3N getaway to Bali with my hubby. This time, we flew by KLM international airlines, which was pretty decent. It was a short 3 hours flight, food was served but no inflight entertainment due to the short haul.

Meals served onboard:

SIN-DPS (bali airport)

From Bali airport, we took a cab to our hotel, 100 Sunset Boutique Hotel at Kuta, which is a modern boutique hotel. We booked the one bedroom suite, which comes with a living room area and pool facing. Nice!

Nice huge bed. Super comfy.

Living room area. The TV is in between the living room and bedroom, and can be turn to face either side!

Huge bathroom.

Craving for hot bowl of noodles after the traveling hee.

The corridor leading to our room, which was very private.

Breakfast with pool view! Lovin hotel buffet breakfasts!

Day 2

Few weeks before we traveled to Bali, I actually booked a personal driver/tour guide for a customized tour. There are like 4 places I am interested to visit, so we booked him for a duration of 11 hrs (the drive is far between the sights). Our itinerary is as follows, and I think we pretty much covered all the famous sightseeing in Bali. We paid about 550,000rp for the tour.

Jatiluwih rice field-Lake bratan-Tanah lot-Mount and Lake batur

 

Passed by a small rice field. Never seen such nice rice fields.

 

Active volcano! You can clearly see the volcanic crater (the indents on top of the volcano).

Then we went to this place for lunch, in the Ubud neighbourhood-Melting Wok. Which is a highly rated Indonesian restaurant on trip advisor.

Their menu is handwritten haha. And the owner, super friendly.

The food, is nice but not suitable for our taste. Preferred the crepe more! Btw, the restaurant is located in a nice neighbourhood, where you can find many boutiques selling souvenirs and hand-made goods.

After filling our tum tum, we move on to the next destination-Lake bratan.

And a long drive to the Jatiluwih rice field, breath-taking. Because it is huge!

Wanting to catch the sunset at our last location-Tanah lot.

By the time we got back to Kuta area, it was almost 8pm! It was an exhausting but very fruitful ride where we saw sights that are unique to Bali.

 Had dinner at Kuta shopping area-this place called Dulang. The food is seriously good, especially the calamari. And cocktails to end the day ^^

Day 3

Today is a relax and chill day. We explored the Kuta beach, stroll to KuDeTa in time for sunset, and went clubbing at night!

 

Chanced upon this mall-Beachwalk.

Brunch and chill at this place called Cafe Sardinia that is facing the beach.

Continue on to search for KuDeTa. Apparantly, it is located at the furthest end of the beach, and thus the best place to watch sunset.

What a nice place! There are seats facing the beach, an indoors pub as well as restaurant.

 

Joining the crowd anticipating sunset while drinking beer. This is life!

Then, we took a cab back to Kuta shopping area. Craving for the calamaris again. So, we went back to the same restaurant for dinner!

Having indonesian rice and milkshakes.

And went clubbing at 61 Legian! Is huge with multiple clubs in a building. It was so much fun. Loving the clubbing culture overseas, and this was one of the best.

 

Day 4

Almost coming to an end of our trip Our flight back to Singapore is at night. So, we allocated the last day for massage/spa/pampering etc. Haha

The massage parlous are all located in one place. So shoick, We basically spa hopping. First we did a 2 hr spa, then madi/pedi, then foot reflex, and another 1 hr massage!

And end our Bali trip with a smile on our faces.

xoxo,

 

Rhapsody is the word to describe Shanghai, Hang Zhou, Su Zhou, Wuxi May 2012 (Spring)

Stop no 1: Shanghai, The modern face of China

We flew by Cathay Pacific to Shanghai Pudong airport, for an impromptu 7 days vacation in April. We purchased the air tix just a day before departure, which cost us about SGD700 each.

The legendary “The Bund” 上海外滩 stunning nightview 

We stayed at a very oriental-decorated hotel, Golden Tulip Ashar Suites Shanghai Central, decent for the pennies we paid. Our room was a suite, with a “study area” in front leading to the bedroom. We got a high-floor, with good views.

Location-wise, it is near the Nanjing road, which is the CBD area of Shanghai. Spanned by branded stores like Gucci, Bottega, and several other departmental stores are in walking distance. Nanjing road (made up of East Nanjing Road and West Nanjing Road) is basically a super-long stretch of road (like Orchard Road in Singapore). If you want to do some decent shopping, stroll leisurely down the road and you will find a whole range of designer brands to street merchandise. I have to say that prices are pretty steep in Shanghai, designer goods are more expensive in Shanghai than in Singapore.

If you liked walking, and the weather is cooperative, you will find yourself at The Bund. Other popular shopping nearby includes:

-Huaihai Road

-People’s Park

-North Sichuan Road

-JingAn Temple

We went for the River cruise, a ~1hr ride cruising the river上海黄浦江游船.

Shanghai in it’s Splendour.

The next day, we went to Garden of Contentment (Yu Yuan Garden). It is a five-acre garden, an exquisite, quiet sanctuary amidst the buzzing city. There is an entrance fee of less than SGD 10.

Look at the crowd. Crazy shit.

Serenity…

The Yuyuan tourist Mart is just outside. Rows after rows of shophouses selling souvenirs, Chinese goods, Shanghai delicacies…

And of course we mush have the 上海小笼包 (Xiao Long Bao).

This particular resturant is one of the oldest, and is unique in the sense that it caters to 3 different levels of spending power. The first floor, is the takeaway, which sells the cheapest and in bulk Xiaolongbao, for quick fixes. The second floor, which we went, is the eat-in, and they serve better quality Xiaolongbao. The third floor, is the restaurant.

That night, we went to experience the Shanghai nightlife at 上海新天地 Xin Tian Di (akin to Singapore’s Holland Village). The crowd there seems to be mainly expats, executives and foreigners. It features bars with sophisticated, refined live-bands pubs, fine dining restaurants and al fresco bars.

Nice place to chill.

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Stop no 2: Hang Zhou, the chaste city

It is said that the natural beauty of the West Lake 西湖, is the inspiration of poets and artists.

River cuising the famous scenic West Lake.

I have to say that the air is refreshing here, and the folks, timeless. They are seen strolling one of the many parks in Hang Zhou, doing their morning exercises, having tea in one of the teahouses, carefree….

Hangzhou is well-known for the cultivation of Longjing/Dragonwell Green tea龙井茶, one of the finest and high grade green tea you can find.

Demonstration and explanation of the health-benefits of Longjing tea. Basically the taste is like o-cha japanese green tea. We ended up getting like 1kg of A-grade tea leaves, now sitting in my freezer, and I can only say that they are very persuasive then. Regretful 😦

WuZhen Ancient watertown, a preserved town with hundreds of years of inhabitance that is untainted by modern architectural.

A performance stunt going on

Historical-overload

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Stop no 3: Wuxi, A gem amongst the big brothers

Wuxi’s Taihu lake, the fame often diluted by well-know HangZhou’s West lake, is beautiful.

Look at the abundant Sakura in the garden leading up to the lake. Splendid.

We chartered a boat cabin to go out to sea. Look at the ships out fishing. Awesome.

Taihu is a freshwater lake, and famous seafood that came out of it includes the ‘Taihu Lake Three Whites’, including white fish, white shrimp and silverfish. But do not expect anything fanciful, these seafood are in fact very small in size, with not much flesh.

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Final stop: Su Zhou, Of Gardens and technology

There are dozens of gardens in Su Zhou that were constructed hundreds of years ago, and we went to one representative garden, Couple’s Retreat Garden (藕园). An enchanted garden, with pavilions, rocks and trees.

Guan Qian shopping street, lots of fasinating street food, shopping and place to buy local delicacies to bring home.

One of the world’s largest LED skyscreen is in SuZhou (LED天幕电影) @ SuZhou Times Square. Clear and surreal visual experience. “Bird Nest of Suzhou” (苏州科文中心鸟巢), the smaller version of the one in Beijing, and like esplanade in Singapore.

Alluring streetlights in SuZhou.

Finally, on the last day, we took the Maglev (高铁) from Su Zhou to Shanghai. Merely a 30mins and comfy ride, we reached Shanghai in no time. Never been happier to go home.

 

xoxo,

2 villas, 1 crazy weekend @ Montigo Resorts, Batam

Living out the high life in Batam. But are there any extravagant villas to match the lavish style? I have to say Montigo!

This was meant to be a bonding trip for 9 girls, a sleepover, girlie nightout where hearts were exchanged and friendship were thickened. Looking for a lavish weekend getaway, we stumbled upon the soft opening promotion from Montigo-400USD per hilltop villa without ferry tix. Since we had 9 ppl, we booked 2 villas. Wrong decision. Since the villa were so huge, we ended up only utilizing one villa. We got the ferry tix from BatamFast, and destination Nongsa terminal. It was roughly an 1h ride. One thing I realised about BatamFast, is that they are flexible with the change of ferry timings. The day we departed was an unfateful day. Due to accident, the entire one-way route into the Tenah Merah Ferry Terminal was massively jammed. We ended up missing our ferry. The BatamFast counter caught news of it, and helpfully extended the check-in time, or free alteration of departure timings. It would be a disasterious if otherwise.

The new Montigo resorts counter, there to facilitate all your travel needs.

After the short ferry ride, there is free shuttle bus to transport to the resort. Once we reach the resort, OMG….

The lobby features a airy, spacious waiting space that overlooks the villas and the sea on your left-hand. Excitement of the trip now kicks in.

We were served refreshing lemongrass drinks with celery sticks and face towels, before being comfortably woosh off in our 10-seater buggy.

We got 2 side-by-side villas, villas 15 and 16. All villas modernly-built with a minimalist concept. And when we entered,

quote- “Wawawa OMG superrr nice…shriek, screech, shrill, squeal piercing through the empty villa” -unquote

We walked into the superduper huge living room on the first floor, which led to the personal infinity pool and seaview. Totally can spend the entire day lazing here.

wii console, ipod dock and cable TV to entertain you.

Fully furnished kitchenette, with cooking tools and utensils. Free minibar with soft drinks (pls do not mistaken, we are chilling the Moet and beer), complimentary chips and fresh fruits. And very importantly, free WIFI!

Im forcing people to drink already! Heehee

And.. the awesome million-dollar view, all yours for one day while you soak. So much natural sunlight to bask in.

Opens the curtain. Wake up to the breath-taking seaview. Hello World!

Two ensuite bedrooms – One King size and one double. And cherios to the super soft pillows and comforters you can sink into. Must be a thousand-thread count.

Top: Master bedroom toilet! 2 sinks, 1 toilet and standing bath, and THE bathtub with the skyview for stars gazing while sipping champaign. Mental plus points.

Bottom: The other 2 bathrooms. Ya, why do we need 3 bathrooms in a villa?

We went exploring the vicinity of the villa- esp the beach and the spa.

I have to say, disappointing beach. The beachfront region was same, and the sea was polluted. Definitely not suitable for water activities until they do something about it, which I hope they will. Thus, for the time being, if you were to come here, it will be laze in the villa, eat, and spa. Pretty much nothing much else to do.

The spa is near the beach, in little huts giving maximum privacy. One 60-mins massage is about SGD40 after discount, which I find pretty reasonable.

There is a common pool and jacuzzi pool near the huts too. We were soaking in the jacuzzi when one of the staff spontanously brought us bottled water and towels. The service in many ways is impeccable, the staff were very polite, making the stay very hospitable. And thumbs up for the many nice group photos the friendly staff helped us took. Think they might have taken a course or two on photography.

And so we chill at the jacuzzi until dusk. And off we go in search for dinner. There is only one restaurant operating, the Pantai, where the breaskfast buffet is served too. Cuisine is a fusion of local indonesian food and western. Fare is so-so, serving frugal, and price about SGD20-30 for the Western main course.

But the buffet breakfast was good! Nice pastries, live omelette station, fresh fruits, a coffee cuppa goodness.

We ended the night playing drinking games with poker cards, Jenga etc.. Curling up in the living room with warmth and laughter!

“I think if I’ve learned anything about friendship, it’s to hang in, stay connected, fight for them, and let them fight for you. Don’t walk away, don’t be distracted, don’t be too busy or tired, don’t take them for granted. Friends are part of the glue that holds life and faith together. Powerful stuff.”
― Jon Katz

xoxo,

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,

Harris Resort Batam Waterfront

We always looked to Batam resorts for a simple solitude.

I have been to Harris Batam Waterfront on two different occasions. What can I say, it’s affordable, near and a nice place to chill, especially for couples rendevous or family with kids. Usually we will just go saturday afternoons, and return on sunday evenings for a 2D1N weekend getaway.

You can easily book the ferry with various timings from SINDO or BatamFast. But be sure to take note the port is “Waterfront City”. **I just realised BatamFast ceased sailing to Waterfront City wef 1st Oct 2012. Btw, the ferry trip is around 45mins-1hr. You do not have to worry about the transport between the ferry terminal and resort, because complimentary shuttling is provided for all guests in a mini-van.

We will always get a bottle of wine at the duty-free shop just before boarding the ferry, and be sure to finish it as you cannot bring it back to Singapore without paying taxes. Well, the itinerary, is basically to chill near the pool with wine, lazing in the cabanas, go for massage and have a decent candlelight dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fabulous sky view while lazing by the pool side, with my ice-cold Chardonnay.

Once we stayed in the Cabanas: It features a personal balcony facing the beach (with a 24-hr guard there makes the stay feel more secure), and a open air bathroom with a nice bathtub. Although pretty luxurious, poor maintainance of the teak/wooden flooring makes me feel uncomfortable.

On another occasion, we stayed at the newer rooms, the HARRIS room. It has alot of sunlight, a personal balcony facing the pool, and very clean.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even though the Cabanas were more expensive than the standard rooms, I have to say I prefer the rooms.

If time permits, we would take the shuttle bus from the resort to Nagoya Hill mall. So, what we would do is when we check-in at the resort, we would also checked the timings available for the shuttle service. Sometimes it may come free in your package, or else, is S$10 per pax per way. Duration of ride is roughly around 40mins-1hr.

Usually you will get like 3-4 hrs at the mall. It is only enough for you to shop around, have lunch and probably get some JCo Donuts!

Yums. Lattes, pizzas and some sides cost less than S$10. With some shopping, usually we would just change S$50 at the mall itself to Indonesian rupiahs. Rate is around 6500-8000 rupiahs per 1SGD.

When we are back at the resort, look at the sunset! Gorgeous.

Ends the day with a nice massage and a 3-course candlelight dinner.

Couple outdoors massage hut with personal bubble-bath tub. We had a superb 1.5h massage and 30mins bubble bath, followed by dinner.

Totally delectable!

On the day we were to board the return ferry, we would takeaway their Avocado-Coffee Ice-blended and their thin-crust pizza at the Harris Cafe. Nice food to end the trip.

So, if you plan your itinierary to batam, be sure not to pack so many actitvities, because the ultimate goal is to: Get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and let time be…timeless 🙂

A pleasant surprise: Malacca

My friends and I planned an impromptu self-drive trip up Malacca for one fine weekend. We drove up Friday night after work, and kudos to my friend’s excellent driving skills, we reached Malacca in less than 3 hr. And we came back Sunday afternoon, so it was a 2D2N thingy. Malacca is a UNESCO site, which explains the untouched historic streets and shophouses.

Please be warned, this is a post filled with Malacca street food. Initially, I wasn’t too thrilled about the destination, because I thought I have seen all of Malaysia. But wow, Malacca was a different experience, and I have to say, its partly because of the company 🙂

Since there were 5 of us, we decided to try for the Malacca Homestay Apartments. The one we went for has a kitchenette, a dining area, a living room, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Pretty excessive for the 5 of us, but we love it! We stayed for the fri and sat nights, and paid about SGD$250-$300. It was homely, clean and spacious. Definitely suitable for groups and families. They have their own carpark too, but you have to pay per entry.

We reached around 11-12ish at night, and went for some supperrr. A must especially after a long drive.

This particular one was near to the apartment. It was so good, we had it as supper the next night as well.

Our night ended with plenty of booze, games and laughter. BTW we are playing “ring of fire“. A cool game with poker cards, friends and liquer in your body 🙂

We started the next day with… Chicken rice balls.

There is a famous one where you have to queue, near the Jonker Street, but this one was good too.

Yums. The black bean soup is a must-try.

The busy Jonker Street

One of the famous: gula melaka and durian dodol. This particular store want, is DIVINE. Esp the durian, so chewy and strong. Worth every penny.

This Nyonya is goood. It just melts in your mouth. I’m not a fan of these kuih actually, but Malacca street food also captured my heart.

So you can imagine the amount of walking and binge-eating. OMG

Never forgot about the chendol too. Esp in the hot weather.

Nice places to chill after the shopping and exhausive walking.

Nice river. Used to be colonised by the Dutch and Portuguese, the shop houses along the river has a tint of European feel.

The river lights at night. Dazzling.

Dinner. Just order and share the street food, including zi char, laksa, fried oyster etc. Not that we can eat anymore.

If you drop by Malacca, don’t forget to dine at this Nancy’s restaurant. It’s popular and authentic Nyonya cuisine.

Tried a few dishes recommended by the “Nyonya lady” in the clique.

And don’t forget to drop by the infamous “三叔公 Third uncle”, this huge store selling a wide variety of local delicacies. Their white coffee/milk tea, and many other cakes, biscuits, tarts and what not. Food-tasting is allowed, and everything is sooo good.

The before (left) and after (right) photos of our load shows how fulfilling this trip was.  :):)

xoxo,