Category Archives: Travel

Miri, Baby!

25 Wednesday Apr 2012

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I am in Miri now. The decision was made quite at the last minute. Hence, I can call it one of my random trips of 2012. Being an avid budget traveler, initially I wanted to fly with Air Asia but since MAS was surprisingly cheaper, I chose the latter option.

After flying budget for so long, I forgot how wonderful it is to fly with MAS. Lovely check-in staff, civilized fellow travelers, good looking stewards, spacious seats and clean plane. I must insist that I am an avid budget traveler not by choice but due to my financial restrictions. Then again, traveling budget is not a crime. Besides, you can make budget an affordable luxury provided you are willing to pay for the extra…

Back to my original entry, the flight to Miri is shorter than I remember. It took half an hour for the plane to ascend and then another half an hour for the descend. I was expecting more when they announced they would serve light snacks. All I got was a pack of salted peanuts and a glass of orange juice. Meh. Yay for my diet though.

Okay, not the best example of spacious seat but it is larger than Air Asia’s

Bye Kuching airport!

Goodbye Kuching!

On route to Miri, I spent my time on the plane taking photos and reading the book I bought from my last trip to Singapore. I am keen to learn more about Philosophy but unfortunately, it is such a dry topic that I would end up falling asleep after just an hour reading it. Worse, after waking up from the impromptu nap, I asked myself, what did I just read? Haha. Bimbo much.

Probably this is the reason why the air ticket did not cost much… :p

The lone cloud

Miri Airport is a smaller version of Kuching Airport. My last holiday here was back in 2004. The horror of it all, I can’t remember anything about Miri. -.-’

While waiting for my bags…

The exterior of Miri Airport.

The other end is the departure terminal.

I planned to hire a car in Miri but due to some miscommunication with a local car rental company, I had to find other alternative. I swear I will never ever use their lousy service again. If they don’t have any cars to rent, inform me early! Imagine the stress I had to go through trying to look for an affordable car to rent the night before I was due to fly! Luckily, uncle had a friend who was willing to help me out.

With the absurd price the taxi drivers are charging, I think I saved a lot by having my own mode of transportation. I am forever thankful! As for driving in Miri, I found it such a pleasant experience. I had no problem getting from the airport to the hotel, very straightforward, literally speaking!

Upon my arrival at the hotel, guess who was there waiting for me? Rapik!

Rapik posing with the car that I used in Miri

Even if I can’t remember much of Miri, I actually have been there quite a number of times. I have stayed in all sorts of hotel there, from budget to luxurious. This time, I decided to try out the newly opened Meritz Hotel next to Bintang Mall.

Meritz Hotel, a class of its own!

I swear the staff was entertained by Rapik’s antique of comparing Meritz with his ‘hotel’.

Check in was a breeze although settling down the room was not as smooth. We changed room twice. First, wrong bed arrangement. Second, electrical faulty which caused the room electricity to trip every now and then. The third room was almost perfect if it was not for the temperamental television set. By that time, Rapik and I were too tired to change room, we made do with it. Besides, the technician was just one call away.

Minus the room changing drama, the room at Meriz Hotel is fabulous! Tastefully decorated, awesome air conditioning unit and really clean!

The view of the room in general

The twin bed, super single in size but very comfortable. The duvet is a heavenly retreat from the Arctic condition a/c unit.

The moody flatscreen tv

The workstation and mini lounge area

View outside from the window

Mini bar and coffee tea making facilities

The safe in the wardrobe

Bathrobes, slippers and ironing board.

The bathroom

Yours truly doing the girl in bathroom pose. :p

For more information on Meritz Hotel, check out their Facebook page here! Their room promotion is irresistible!

After we had a short rest, we went to Muara Restaurant with a friend of ours from our uni days. Muara Restaurant is one of the popular eateries in Miri.

Dedek and I while waiting for our dinner, Nasi Lalapan Ayam. Mmm…

I have been hearing quite a rave about the Nasi Lalapan dish and yes, pretty much curious about it.

I took mine without the rice. The chicken was well cooked, beautifully flavored too. The sambal was spicy but it was delicious! Now I want Nasi Lalapan Ayam!!!

Tired from my travel, we went to the hotel after dinner. A lot of Miri to explore and looking forward to that. Will blog more soon!

Love,
E.

Bali Day Four

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

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Woke up this morning feeling quite frustrated when I realized today is the last day before we leave for Singapore tomorrow evening. Boohoo. Today’s itinerary is very light and easy after yesterday’s long day out. We spent most of the day relaxing and… Eating. Meh.

Time to get used to light breakfast again... A bowl of cocoa pops to start my day...

I miss the usual soft boiled eggs I always have for breakfast back home...

Aslan still insists on having his usual, really hard to convince him to join my diet.

But then, the term ‘diet’ vanished when I ordered the Chocolate Ginger Crepe… Meh. I relied on the boyfriend diet to make the burden lighter. Hehehe.

Would be nicer if it was still warm...

There was no turning back since then. More pastry for so called Miss on a Diet. I should be known as Miss Gluttony.

At least not as many compared with yesterday's amount...

Due to my post-meal guilt, I thought it would be nice to walk to the lobby to take some photos.

Peaceful and serene... Oh, Bali, I love you.

Post-meal guilt pose.

You can see my happy tummy in this photo... Meh.

View from the lobby

Once all ready and the sun block sets in, we went to the pool area for a sunbathing session. Since all the good seats are all taken up by enthusiastic ah mo’s, we had to settle somewhere near the restaurant area where there was very little view of the sea. *Frust*

Aslan making sure his tan is consistent while I decided to bake myself a bit...

Five days in Bali is not enough. Next time, we would spend 10 freaking days there. If not properly tanned by then, perhaps should stay in Bali for one whole month.

If you are into observing people, this seat would be the best. Can't count how many times I was taken aback by the behavior of some overly enthusiastic holiday makers. Meh.

Please, if you are plus-sized (Or the more polite term for fat), don’t wear a very very skimpy bikini and then do a dive bomb into the pool. It gives Aslan and I mini heart attack fearing your melons would explode from all that restraining. Gah. Show some humanity!

Our sunbathing session did not last as long as expected. The most was over an hour. Can’t blame us, the sun was blazing hot and we couldn’t stand the sakai people around us anymore. So, what did we do next? Makan at the lounge because we can. Haha.

Watermelons on a hot day. Heavenly!

Hot buns.

A mix of cashew nuts, cookies and strawberry meringue.

Fresh but tiny oysters

Greek Salad

Couldn't resist a can of Cola Zero

Aslan looking very healthy with his new tan

I look *&^%

Everytime we go to the lounge, we would always sit out in the cabana. Eating and relaxing to this view was just spectacular.

In order to burn some calories, I decided to go for a short walk…

Before I ended sleeping in my room. Pathetic. But hey, I am on holiday, I can do whatever I want. While I was out sleeping, Aslan did his assignment. Poor thing was busy even on his semester break. We only went out in the afternoon, an hour before our spa appointment.

Enjoy the photos!

Seafood grill happening later in the evening.

Never far from my phone...

Since Aslan did the mid air shot, he insisted I do it too. Luckily I wore a swimsuit underneath. So, no obscenity. Phew.

Crappy jumper

Meh.

Making sure everything is still intact...

I has imaginary wings...

I will photoshop wings on this photo, just wait.

Trying to be decent and fabulous at the same time...

Okay, there are a lot more shots but I don’t want to show them all because to be honest, I look absolutely ridiculous.

Time to relax and reflect the holiday…

<3

I love this photo of me.

We booked a three hour spa session at the Nirwana Spa. It was amazing and it did wonders to my body. But the price for serenity was expensive. The spa therapist saw every single bit of me. It was my first time getting my boobs scrubbed too. -.-’ Embarrassing. But then I thought to myself, I’m sure she had seen worse.

Meh.

A cold drink and wet towels to start the treatment with...

The waiting area

My locker key

Making our way to the treatment room

Foot bath!

In the duration of three hours, I had a whole body massage, seaweed wrap, body scrub, foot massage and facial treatment. Pampered and spoiled to the max! Thank you, Aslan! <3

We then had dinner at Merica where Aslan tried an Indonesian dish before we leave this beautiful country tomorrow.

Bali at night.

More buns I could not resist. -.-'

My Aslan.

I fancied a keylime pie with meringue so I ordered it. But when it arrived, I was quite disappointed. It was not what I expected. :(

A total disappointment. :(

Aslan’s dinner was absolutely lovely.

Ayam Bertutu

It reminds a lot of Ayam Masak Kicap minus the kicap. Hehehe. I must conclude that this hotel does great local dishes but not all the western dishes are nice. That is better than being rubbish at everything, I suppose.

Satisfied Aslan

The night ended with packing the bags and Aslan continuing his work. Oh well, with hard work comes great success!

Until the next post,

Love,
E.

Bali Day Three

03 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by in Food, Indonesia, Review, Travel

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Today we had a very peaceful and quiet breakfast at the Pacific Club Lounge. It was only 7 am and boy, it was almost empty.

Aslan, sleepy as usual

We can either have the buffet breakfast or ala carte. We had a bit of both, just to fully utilize the club benefit. Hehehe.

I was feeling quite famished so I ordered the Chicken Fried Rice

While waiting for my meal to arrive, I had some fruits as a starter.

Fresh fruits and strawberry yoghurt

A section of the buffet table

I love this section! I indulged a lot in carb this holiday. Boohoo...

By the time my meal arrived, I was actually quite full. The portion of the fried rice was HUGE, I regret not asking for a smaller serving…

Very moist fried rice, not what I am used to but it was alright...

Aslan ordered his usual, scrambled eggs with sausages, potatoes, grilled tomatoes and a few toasts.

Nice but can't beat Fairmont!

After the big breakfast, we got ready to go on a quick but long tour of Bali. Our itinerary today was a driven tour to the areas of Ubud, Sanur, Kuta and Pura Uluwatu. The tour cost IDR 500 000, quite reasonable when converted to MYR.

We could have covered more areas if it wasn’t for the distance of our hotel. The drive to Ubud itself took an hour plus. Luckily the driver, Pak Guna knew a shortcut to Ubud, if not, we would be stuck in this horrible jam for hours!

First stop in Ubud was this textile factory, called Sari Amerta. We learned about the process of making a batik, songket or ikat and bought a few souvenirs for family back home. The textile there was abundant and beautiful but the price can be quite pricey! *Tourist trap*

How a batik art is created, a step by step illustration

Not sure if this lady is working for real or doing it just for show...

Look at the amount of tourists here!

A lady weaving the ikat

Me trying my hands at the weaving machine... Okay lah, just posing.

Next stop was a souvenir factory outlet. Again, pricey. RM 300+ for souvenirs. *Die* And to think buying souvenirs in Ubud is a lot cheaper. Meh.

Aslan trying the Kopi Luwak!

For coffee made out of civet’s poop, it is very expensive. Aslan said it tasted quite strong and pretty much like any other coffee… We didn’t buy any because it was just so expensive. RM 100+ for a small packet. Meh.

We then went to see an authentic Balinese house. It belongs to the lady who owns the Jewelry shop. It was quite an experience and I am pretty much in love with the design of Balinese houses after that.

The second gate leading into the courtyard just after the carpark area.

The general courtyard. The little wall ensures the household have some sort of privacy as it blocks the view of the courtyard from the entrance.

The third gate/entrance to the actual living quarter

View of the living quarter

On the left is the area reserved for family meeting, resting area and if there are death in the family, everything regarding to the funeral process will take place here. To the left is the sleeping quarter for the family, further down in the dining area, kitchen and bathroom.

In every house in Bali, it is a must to have a shrine or if one can afford it, temple in their house compound. One for the ancestors and one for the caretaker of the house.

This where the head of the family usually resides in.

I love the detailed carving and colors on this door.

Back then, this building was used to store food items like grain.

In Bali, there are a lot of artisans and most of them are based in Ubud. It is because of the fact that most of the resources needed are usually imported, the price of the handcrafts here are not exactly cheap.

We did not spend a lot of time at the Jewelry shop as I am not much of a jewelry person… Half an hour later, we arrived at this gorgeous place just in time for lunch.

Lunch at Bebek Tepi Sawah (Ducks by the paddy field) was interesting. The food was average but the ambience was nice.

Fearing I would gain more weight, I settled down for a bowl of soup while Aslan decided to give their Bebek goreng a try.

Teh botol by the sawah, can't get any more laid-back than this

Soto Ayam

Bebek goreng crispy

According to the guide, Pak Wayan, the young duck is always the best choice as the meat is tender and it can give ‘energy’ to the menfolk. Bali’s own aphrodisiac. Not that I know if it actually works or not. :p

Dance performance as we had lunch

Enjoying his bebek... Lol.

Volcanic level of spicy.

Posing after lunch

I thought the paddy field was merely decoration, I was quite surprised when I found out it was real!

The drive to Sanur, one of Bali’s earliest tourism spot, took almost an hour due to the traffic jam. One of the highlight of this visit is to see the border between white golden sand and black volcanic sand.

Aslan at Sanur Beach

The water at Sanur beach is very calm compared to the moody beach we have at our hotel in Tabanan. I guess due to that, not many tourists come here. No waves means no surfing. I noticed the beach is not exactly clean. :( Pity because it is a lovely place.

Left my sunglasses in the room. Genius.

A lot of water sports here and there are also some stalls selling clothes and souvenirs. We didn’t buy anything because they would mark up the price solely judging from our appearance and the fact that business is quite slow at the moment.

Not exactly challenging for expert or intermediate surfers but a good choice for beginners as the wave is very calm but then again, if you consider the sharp corals, not really ideal.

Next, to explore a bit of Kuta.

The Balinese version of Hercules statue just before the main beach of Kuta

A lot of stalls here but because we had such limited time, we didn’t check them out.

Instead, we went straight to the beach and saw this…

AWESOME beach!!!

For a second, we regret the decision to stay at Tabanan region. But then we saw the crowd and we changed our mind.

A crowded beach is not a favorite of mine...

A photo dedicated to my dudes.

It was so hot and humid, I had to tie up my hair!

A lot of surf shops here

Before going to Pura Uluwatu to catch the famous Kecak dance, Aslan and I did a quick shopping session at Discovery Mall. I bought two swimsuits from Marks and Spencer because I only brought one pair with me.

You know you are at Pura Uluwatu when you see these guys around…

Also known as Monkey Temple.

Had to wear a sarong to show some respect as it is on temple ground.

Was in a rush to catch the Kecak show, did not get a proper photo of the legendary sunset at Pura Uluwatu!

This temple is gorgeous! Pity we didn't get to explore much of it due to time constrain.

This will do!

Before the show started. This was why we rushed, to get a good seat.

Taken from our seat, the closest thing to witnessing the so called legendary Bali sunset...

I have bazillion photos of the Kecak dance but I will show you the highlights. The kecak dance shows the story of Ramayana. There is no music in this dance apart from the sounds vocally produced from the singers.

The kecak singers entering the stage

Ramayana and his wife, Sita

Sita before being abducted by the demon Rahwana

The kecak dance was quite slow to start with but once the White Monkey, Haruman, was introduced, things got more entertaining.

One cheeky monkey...

He fooled around with the crowd a lot.

Helped Sita to tell Ramayana she is safe

Haruman caught by Rahwana's henchmen and about to be engulfed by fire!

He managed to escape!

Fooling around again

Haruman defeating Rahwana

We enjoyed the show and if you are in Bali, it is a must see. Do come earlier so you can enjoy the majestic Uluwatu temple!

Pak Wayan suggested we go to Jimbaran Bay for dinner but since Aslan and I were already quite tired, we decided to go back to the hotel. By the time the show finished, it was already 730pm. The drive back took an hour plus.

We had dinner at the Pool Grill cafe at the hotel. One reason why we refused to have dinner at Jimbaran Bay was $$$. Seafood there is known to be expensive! Meh. At least at the hotel we can sign to the room… Hehehe.

View from our table

My dinner...

Aslan's dinner. Apparently, very good steak!

12 hours of touring. Extremely tired. Can’t wait for the spa session tomorrow!

Love,
E.

Bali Day Two

02 Monday Apr 2012

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Day two was spent mostly doing peaceful and relaxing activities. The day began with breakfast at the hectic Merica restaurant. Breakfast spread was boring but nice and we couldn’t get any table outside the restaurant.

View from our table

Aslan looking very sleepy still

It was only after breakfast we realized we could have dined at the much quiet club lounge. Meh. I mean, they even serve the same thing. :S

General view of Merica restaurant during breakfast

I did not take any photos of breakfast but I will make it up to you in the next post. After breakfast, we went to the Nirwana Spa to make an appointment on Wednesday. I noticed there are a lot of Frangipani trees in this resort. FYI: I really love Frangipani! :D

Outside the spa centre

The hotel ground is absolutely beautiful, well decorated with so many plants and well taken care off too.

Coconut trees really do make a picture look tropical/holiday-ish

Spot the Frangipani/Jasmine tree

Moi at one of the swimming pool

The swimming pool with the awesome slide.

Chilling at one of the bale, wave watching...

Apart from wave watching, the gazebo provided shelter from the heat.

Don't be fooled by this photo, the waves here are quite big and rough.

Me at the entrance of my imaginary villa... :

The golf course is gorgeous! I can’t imagine how can one focus playing golf with such amazing view of the Indian Ocean and lush greenery.

From one of the tee off greens

Ignore my face...

They even have an on site temple at the resort…

After the little exploration, we got ready for the sunbathing session. Our plan did not go smooth as planned because unfortunately, there was no more sun loungers at the area we wanted.

It took at least 10 minutes before we found the almost perfect spot.

The view from our spot

We spent almost two hours sunbathing. I had sunblock on while Aslan went all orang puteh and applied tanning oil all over his body.

:D

No amount of tanning oil can make this man of mine tanned.

Doing what I love most: Holidaying and reading

Famished from all the sun, we then went to the club lounge. Since the weather was sunny and beautiful, we sat outside in the gazebo.

No amount of sunblock can shield me from the sun.

View from the gazebo

The outdoor section of Merica restaurant from the gazebo

Vietnamese Spring Roll: Should have ordered two portions, simple but really lovely!

Tom Yam Gung: Phuket still has the best tom yam lah but this Balinese version was not that bad...

Of course, there were desserts and everything else sweet…

Something savory to balance things out…

In the afternoon, we walked to Tanah Lot via the golf course. It was quite a nerve wrecking walk amid the fantastic view. I didn’t want to get hit by a golf ball… Luckily, that never happen.

I was able to relax a bit after finding out there was not a single golfer around...

High tide since noon, believe it or not.

There is a beach at this resort but I don't advice you to go there because of the rough current...

Before reaching Tanah Lot Temple, there was this alley with lots of cafe and souvenir shop. We did not buy anything as we did not bring any money with us. As usual, Tanah Lot Temple was packed with tourists!

Tanah Lot Temple

The closest I could get to this very famous temple was from the cliff. Due to the high tide, it was impossible to get to and trust me, I had to push a few tourists off the cliff to take a photo here…

The victorious smile

Aslan and Tanah Lot

If the tide was low, one could get nearer to the temple.

We couldn’t witness the legendary and spectacular sunset at Tanah Lot due to the hazy/smoky/foggy condition, yea, quite a bummer, but I did manage to capture Aslan in his best pose ever…

Happy in Bali!

Emo pose from me...

As we were making our way back to our room, we witnessed a sunset wedding being set up!

Can I has wedding here too???

Day two was absolutely relaxing, stay tune for the next entry of my Bali holiday!

Love,
E.

Bali’hai

01 Sunday Apr 2012

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Hello from the lovely island of Bali! No, this is not an April’s Fool joke! Hehehe. I am in Bali now! :D

Our flight from Singapore left at 945am, we were already at the airport two hours plus earlier. Check in went fine, found out that I have 10kg of shopping allowance for Bali. Haha. Wonder what I will buy.

Quick coffee pick me up at the Coffeebean at Terminal 1, Changi Airport.

 

The flight to Bali took almost two hours and it was such a smooth journey although a bit noisy.

These coated nuts were complimentary from Air Asia Indonesia

Probably one of the easiest entry card I've ever filled in. Thank you, Indonesia for making my life much easier. :)

A very tired looking Aslan

Can't explain how excited I was when we saw this on the plane!

Landing to this??? Epic!

Landed!

On the transfer bus

Passengers using SQ didn't have to get on the bus...

The moment we stepped out from the plane, heat and humidity gave us a big hug as if missing us already. Apparently the new airport is not ready yet till 2013 so the current airport, Ngurah Rai International airport can get quite chaotic, hectic and at times, unorganized. But the friendliness and hospitality of the Balinese people made everything easier and a lot pleasant for us.

Immigration process took almost an hour. In order to get to the arrival terminal, we got onto a transfer bus. The design of the airport is very simple but beautiful. Aslan said it looks more like a resort with a temple design.  What made the whole thing longer was the fact we got into the wrong queue. We wasted 10 minutes queueing at the Visa on Arrival! Noobs, much. Took another 10 minutes at the right queue and another 10 minutes to get our luggages through security check.

We were overwhelmed with the amount of taxi drivers with name on their signboard, we couldn’t find our driver. With the heat and humidity, our confusion was made even worse. Luckily one of the trolley man, pity we didn’t get his name because he was so helpful, noticed us noobs tourist in distress and came to our rescue.

We told him our problem and he led us to the information counter. In my best Bahasa Indonesia, I explained our situation and the girl tried her best to sort things out. While that was happening, a taxi driver, offered his mobile phone so we could call the driver. These Balinese people were God sent, I tell you. They would go to the distance to help you feel at home here in Bali.

It turned out that our driver been waiting on the left side of the airport exit. Since he had another passenger to fetch, he called up another friend to help him out. It was absolutely delightful to finally entered an air-conditioned car!

The driver, Pak Wayan (Which I am sure not his real name because the other driver is also called Pak Wayan…) said that it was only sunny today. Guess we brought the sun with us. Hehehe. Before going to the hotel, Pak Wayan II suggested we go for lunch first. Since Aslan and I haven’t had any lunch or anything during the flight, we agreed to the idea.

He brought us to this place called Malioboro Ayam Tulang Lunak somewhere in Kuta. Apparently the chicken is pressure cooked to the point that you can eat the bones. They have got quite a selection of chicken. We decided to try the 1/2 Ayam Goreng Asin, tempe goreng and a vegetable dish. The meat was really tender.

When in Indonesia, must order this drink!

Ayam Goreng Asin, I think it's supposed to be some sort of butter chicken. Quite nice.

Tempe Goreng

A bit unusual but it tasted alright

The total meal cost us IDR 138 000 or roughly RM45. A bit pricey but it was a nice experience. We then made our way to the resort. Located in Bali’s Tabanan region, the journey took an hour’s time.

I must tell you, it was the most nerve-wrecking one hour ever! The motorists in Bali are crazy!!! I think I gripped the seatbelt so tight, my hands were almost pale and Aslan could see my white knuckles. They can also communicate with each other using the horn. Double quick horn is usually friendly while a long, nasty lingering one is obscene.

I was so relieved when we arrived at the resort, I swear, I almost kissed the ground the moment I stepped on it.

After so much consideration, we decided to stay at Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort. It is a bit far out but it is an escape from the very crowded Nusa Dua or Kuta, and of course cheaper than expensive Seminyak, Legian and Jimbaran.

Little did we know, we were upgraded to a Pacific Club room with a sea view! After such a long journey, that upgrade really does make a big difference. Suddenly, we were rejuvenated!

My room!

One of the many benefits of the Club room... Complimentary soft drinks!

All the food we bought in Singapore seemed irrelevant after the room upgrade. I mean, free access to the lounge = free food and drinks. Meh.

The bathroom

The shutters can be opened...

Peek-a-boo!

The view from the balcony

After a short rest, we went to explore a bit of the resort.

One of the many swimming pools

Posing with the Indian Ocean

One downside to this resort is a lack of a proper beach as it is located on a cliff.

FYI, this is the hat I bought at Bugis Street for SGD15

The infamous Tanah Lot Temple is just a stone throw away from the resort

Very rough current, not suitable for surfing nor swimming

The golf course is very beautiful, designed but Greg Norman, it is considered one of the best in the world.

Imagine, teeing off from here. I would accidentally throw away my club to the ocean because too engrossed from the view...

We decided to try Merica restaurant for dinner.

Entrance of Merica restaurant

The view from our table

Still unsure what to order for dinner

A lantern lighting ceremony in progress

Aslan ordered a few dishes to share, Sup Buntut (Oxtail soup) and Nasi Goreng.

Lovely buns for starter

Reminds me a lot of my grandma's soup

HUGE dish, Aslan had to tapau some back.

We enjoyed our dinner, it was delicious and the portion was very large! Damage for dinner was around IDR 383 000 or about RM 90+. Expensive but absolutely worth it!

Moi at dinner

Early night because of all the travel, I do look forward to the relaxation day tomorrow! I promise I will take more photos of the resort. ;)

Love,
E.

 

Back to Wanderlust

31 Saturday Mar 2012

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I am not really a fan of an early flight but since I was on a budget, I had no choice. We flew to Singapore via Tiger Airways at 840am. So, imagine waking up at 5am on a Saturday. Boohoo.

But this flight was not as early as my flight to KK last year at 6am. Still, Aslan and I were almost walking zombie today. While waiting to depart the plane, we had breakfast at the Coffeebean.

Hungry and Sleepy Aslan

Almost empty at 745am

Aslan's meal

My meal

After breakfast, we went to the departure hall 8 and we waited less than half an hour before we boarded the plane.

Inside Tiger Airways

Zombified Aslan and I

I am not too keen flying with Tiger Airways but today it was surprisingly fine. The plane arrived earlier than expected and when we landed in Singapore, we were 30 minutes ahead of schedule!

Being a short stay, we decided to stay at the Wanderlust. I was there last year and I enjoyed the quirkiness of the hotel. Upon arrival, our room was not ready. To kill some time, we decided to go to Bugis Street as I wanted to look for a cheap bag and a sun hat for the next beach holiday.

In less than hour, I found everything I wanted to get and everything cost SGD 25, which was such a bargain! We then bought some lunch and walked around the almost empty market. Easy stroll compared with the peak hours of this super popular market.

Colourful jeans

Our favourite place to buy affordable and delicious juices in Singapore.

We were hoping we could get our room was we got back to the hotel but sadly, we had to wait another hour! :( Apparently the previous guests overstayed. Sakai!!! Hmmph.

Anyway, the last time I stayed here, I got the White room, this time, black!

The theme is called Fade to Black by Metallica.

Aslan thought he was getting the bigger room since he saw the last room I stayed in but I didn’t know that. Eik. Anyhow, he found the room interesting and just the right size for a short stay.

The enclosed toilet

The sink area, in between the two enclosed areas

Enclosed shower

The bed on the platform with the neon lights on the wall

From the bed, you can see the little shelf with the lamp, coffee/tea making facilities, iPod dock and flat screen tv.

Self portrait

We rested for a short while before going out again. You see, two days before, we bought tickets to watch the Hunger Games at GV at Plaza Singapura. While waiting for the taxi to arrive, Aslan took some photos of the lobby area.

Old barber chair turned into a lounge chair

Trolley chair!

The football game table thingy

Wallpaper just next to the counter

We arrived at Plaza Singapura around 3pm and went straight to the cinema on the seventh floor to redeem our tickets. The Hunger Games movie was entertaining but I must say that the book is more impressive.

Anyway, will blog more soon, early flight to catch tomorrow!

Love,
E.

 

Anticipation

17 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by in Barefoot Day, Story Time, Travel

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I have spent every single penny in my savings account for these upcoming holidays (Okay, not all but most of them anyway :p) :

Mystical island...

I look forward to my return to this beautiful land below the wind

After two lovely beach vacations, time to head to somewhere cooler!

Quite a change from the tropics!

You see the snow capped mountain range in the photo? Well, somewhere there, I will attempt skiing for the first time… Ever!

How I imagine myself skiing for the first time

How it will actually turn out like...

Once exhausted from all that adrenaline rush, a nice break in the city…

I miss you oh city of sails in the South Pacific

Then again, I could just be dreaming. Boohoo.

Love,
E.

Jesselton Hotel and Bella Italia, Kota Kinabalu

03 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by in Barefoot Day, Food, Review, Sabah, Travel

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Our flight to KK from Singapore via AirAsia departed around 530pm. It was quite a boring flight. Nothing much really happened. We arrived at KKIA 2 on time and took a cab to the hotel. It cost us RM30.

The last time we were in KK, we stayed in two lovely resorts. This time, we stayed at the Jesselton Hotel in the heart of KK.

It was a nice room, quite spacious too. Imagine the four of us stayed in one room.

This was before the extra bed was requested

The design of the room reminded me a lot of Damai Beach.

Everything except the flat screen was old school but the room was comfortable nonetheless

The only thing I don’t like about this room is the toilet door. So thin and between the gap between the blinds was quite a size, therefore, when it comes to ‘business’, boy, one can definitely stink the room.

The bathroom

The shower and bath area

At the price they are charging, RM 210+ (Including extra bed), it is quite pricey. If the room was not as aged or worn out, I wouldn’t mind paying that price.

Still, the hotel is conveniently located to so many eateries, malls and just a stone’s throw away from the craft market. There is also a weekend market along Gaya Street every Sunday.

We were too tired to go anywhere else for dinner, we decided to try out Bella Italia just downstairs. Dave and Rapik joined us too. Here are what we have ordered:

Mushroom soup: It was nice but I have had better.

I can't remember the name of this pizza but it had cheese in its crust. Aslan enjoyed it

There are no photos of Dave and Rapik’s meals because Aslan forgot to take them. Rapik had Chicken Curry with rice while Dave had a salmon pasta.

Rapik, Dave and Aslan

Overall, the food at Bella Italia is okay but I think the price is a bit expensive. Meals for 4 person cost around RM120+ Then again, cheaper than the Italian restaurant at Shangri La Tanjung Aru. Oh well…

After a long day, what a relief to be able to shower and lie down on the bed.

Blog more soon.

Love,
E.

Hello, Birthday Month!

01 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by in Barefoot Day, Story Time, Travel

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Nothing like spending the first day of my birthday month in Singapore!

sgfeb12

Took the afternoon flight via Air Asia (The only photo taken of this trip...)

We will be here until Friday before flying off to KK to attend Dave’s sister’s wedding.

We arrived at the hotel around 730pm. Once we settled down, we went to the mall downstairs, Raffles City to buy several things from the supermarket, etc. We walked to Bugis Junction where I bought some stuff for my family.

We did not do much after that. I didn’t even shop crazily like I usually do. I only bought two black slacks for myself for work. Boring.

Nevertheless, it was a good day and I am thankful for everything.

Let’s see what tomorrow brings.

Love,
E.

All the food there was in KL

22 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by in Barefoot Day, Food, Kuala Lumpur, Review, Travel

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I am terribly sorry for the really late post. I have been trying to blog about it but failed miserably. KL is a great city but somehow… I find it a bit boring. The only thing worth blogging about is the food.

Hence, this entry is about the food that we’ve had in KL throughout our stay.

Friday:

I woke up feeling quite ill. I didn’t feel like doing anything in the morning, so we stayed in and ordered room service. I fancied something simple but filling, so I ordered the Junior Cheese and Turkey Ham sandwich.

If I had known junior meant kid's size, I wouldn't have bothered...

The sandwich tasted alright, the turkey ham was borderline bland and cheese was already cold.

Aslan ordered his usual.

Beef burger with cheese and onion rings on it.

He said it tasted fine, nothing special but just the right serving size.

In the afternoon, I forced myself out of bed. We went to Pavilion for a walk and karaoke with Lai. While waiting for Lai, we bought a few pastries from Loaf bakery.

I can never understand the hype for this bakery. The pastries were average.

I swear the ones available at Taka or Southern Cake House are much better compared with The Loaf… :P

Aslan posing with our afternoon tea.

Saturday:

Since I still felt sickly, we cancelled our plan of going to the water theme park and just lepak at Sunway Pyramid. I was curious about Bubba Gump Restaurant, so we went there for lunch.

Overall, the decoration is quirky, menu is fun and we ordered a bit too much for three person. We underestimated the serving size. Trust me, after this experience, I think I am off prawns.

Drink size is huge!

A selection of the every starter they have.

A bucket full of shrimps... Delicious but you wouldn't want to eat too much!

We were already quite full when our main dish arrived, so, imagine the horror on our faces when we saw how big the serving potion was!

Prawn Scampi. Lovely, I would have finished this easily if I didn't stuff myself silly with the starters.

Aslan's main dish... Forgot what the name was but by this time, I couldn't eat any more prawns!

Lai ordered the Baked Cheese and Seafood rice, in which she dubbed the cat food. Not the best dish in their menu.

In the evening, we went to the Tutti Frutti cafe nearby our hotel. Aslan went overboard with his frozen yoghurt selection.

My bowl was the healthiest looking of all... Lots of fruit topping with the original yoghurt flavor.

Aslan had all the yoghurt flavors and every topping there was in his bowl...

Both Elysha and Lai had something chocolate-y that night...

Happy people with their frozen yoghurt

Honestly, Tutti Frutti tasted average. I prefer the one in Singapore, I think it’s called Berrylite at Iluma, Bugis.

Sunday:

Our last day in KL, we had lunch at Tony Roma’s Pavilion. Aslan’s been waiting for this moment since our first day here. You see, the last time we went here, we never bothered with the beef ribs.

Starter. Simply but oh, so good. Some advice from me, don't bother with the bun! Save it until you have the main dish, the reason why you go here at the first place. Hehehe.

Patiently waiting for his beef ribs...

We’ve learned our lesson not to order too much, so, this time, we shared a couple of dishes between us.

Caesar Salad with Chicken was a disappointment

Aslan loved the beef ribs, he plans to come back again for it the next time we are in KL!

Steak was alright although nothing beats the beef ribs. So divine!

One happy man

Lai and I

This concludes my KL trip, sorry for the lack of enthusiasm on my part. Don’t get me wrong, KL is an amazing city, I should venture from my comfort zone and explore more of KL.

Well, take care!

Love,
E.

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