Rest & Relax at Balas Chalet & Restaurant - Cameron Highlands

We will never ever go to Cameron on a public holiday !!! The traffic was an absolute nightmare..and the number of ppl there were really scary too...

But having said that, we did enjoy our little getaway. Balas is such a haven - quiet, peaceful, serene. Eventhough the place was packed, the crowd was hardly noticable.

Our main objective was to rest & relax. Leslie wanted to play his PSP and I wanted to finish my twilight sage (Eclispe & Breaking dawn). Objective achieved!!!! very happy!!!!

I shall devote an entire post on Twilight Sage later - I think I am seriously in love :-)

Some pics on Balas - have uploaded more on facebook.

the cottages are just so colonial.

our room

We intend to head back there soon (on a weekday, of course). Book ourselves in one of the Raffles Suites (which is like a duplex), so perfect for R&R. Cant wait!!!!

A much needed break at Krabi

Our first time in Krabi and we really didnt know what to expect!! Both of us were so busy with work we didnt even have time to check out what Krabi has to offer....but you know what, being spontaneous can sometimes bring a few suprises!!!!

The moment we landed at Krabi, we headed to our Hotel at Ao Nang and off I went shopping!!! Yup, cant get away from shopping, my favourite pastime. Unfortunately (or fortunately for Leslie) I didnt see many things which I liked. The only thing I really wanted was a fake Jimmy Choo bag which cost a whopping 8,000 baht!!!

Leslie doing an impersonation of the mannequin...lol

I have to admit, Krabi is quite cheap compared to Langkawi. Despite being a popular tourist spot for Westerners, the prices are still pretty reasonable. It makes me wonder why Langkawi (one of my fav retreats) is so damn expensive!!

On Fri-Sun, starting at 5pm, Krabi Town has night market, something like our pasar malam, but they have such a huge variety of food. People in Thailand really enjoy food!!!

Fried Ice-Cream
and of course, Phat Thai

A visit to Krabi will not be complete without exploring the island. Due to time constraint, we decided on Railey, which is located approx 10 min away from Ao Nang by Long Tail Boats. The cost, 80 baht per person. The catch..you'll have to wait till the boat has min 8 ppl!!! Not a problem when you go to Railey, but major hassle when you return...hmmm...that's another story to tell!!!

Railey has Railey East & Railey West. Most people will stop at Railey West and soak up the sun at Tonsai Beach. But Leslie and I did a bit of exploring. We walked from Railey West to Railey West (more famous for rock-climbing). FYI, no, we didnt do any rock climbing...because Leslie said it looked pretty easy :-)

Leslie playing with some kittens

On our final night at Krabi, Leslie and I decided to have massages. Leslie had a whole body massage which I settled for foot reflexalogy :-P. For dinner, we choosed a quiet place by the beach. Nothing beats the sound of waves while you're sipping wine!!!

I am sure Leslie and I will return to Krabi. It is indeed a agood place to just unwind after working our butts off :-)

Holiday with my mum - Taiwan (Part 3)

No amt of words can describe my Taiwan adventure, so I decided to post pics instead...ahahahha....or maybe I'm just to blardy lazy to write!!!

Yehliu Geopark for some interesting rock formations.

this was spotted on the driver's chair of a tour bus ... so cute......

Chuifen - I've to say, I love this quaint place. With traditional looking houses

The magnificient Taroko Gorge

Holiday with my mum - Taiwan (Part 2)

Oh dear…I think I really need a holiday after my Taiwan trip. Seriously, the amount of travelling was absolutely horrendous!! It has been quite some time since I’ve been on so many long bus rides. And checking into different hotels every nite!!

But all in all I’ve to say that going to Taiwan was fun and both my mum & I had a great time. The excitement began the moment we landed and did not stop till we boarded the plane back, yes, the itinerary was that jammed packed!!

My mum & I at Yehliu Geopark posing by the Queen's head...heheheh

Some highlights of the trip are:-

Dinner at Five Cent Driftwood House at TaiChung. I must say, this restaurant is pretty unique because of its cave theme. I felt like I was transported to one of the caves in Mulu, sans the guano smell, of course!

Ohhh...btw..dont ask me about the food, because I was so busy taking pictures I could not remember what I ate!!!

National Palace Museum (of course I saw the famous Jadelite Cabbage & Siu Yoke), but since there no cameras allowed, I could not snap any pictures.





Taipei 101….ahahaha…to think that I’ve never even considered going up to KL Tower if not for the Towerthon!! By 5pm, the sun begins to set in Taiwan, so I could not see much from the top!



Lunch at DinTai Fung, infamous for Xiu Long Pau and fried rice (apparently each grain of rice is covered with egg). Gosh, one cannot imagine the amount of people queing up for a table. There was a long line outside and inside the restaurant it was jam packed too!! (btw there is also a branch at Mid Valley Gardens...)

There is still quaint Chuifen & magnificient Taroko Gorge, but let's leave that for Part 3. Time for a break. That reminds me, one of the hotels we checked into has a Jacuzzi in its bathroom, soaking inside after a whole day of walking is definitely heavenly!!!

Holiday with my mum - Taiwan (Part 1)

One of my friends recently commented that I’ve not been updating my blog.

The first thought that crossed my mind was.......ppl actually visit my blog ??? blimey :-)

Frankly speaking, I’ve been super busy last week, trying to complete ALL my work because for the whole of next week I will be touring Taiwan with my mum!!!

I’ve no doubt this trip will be memorable because this will be my first holiday with my mum since….since……since……20 years ago, gosh…how time flies.

Looking at the itinerary, it looks jam packed with activities. We'll be visiting Sun Moon Lake which is the biggest natural lake in Taiwan, natural rock formations, Taroko Gorge, loads of night markets, Memorial Halls, Shrines, Museums and of course shopping malls like Taipei 101. Ahahahahah....I may just need a holiday for my holiday when I return!!

I shall write more about this trip when I return.

My first time...... ... in Bangkok...

“What???” my friend remarked “your first visit to Bangkok & you spent the entire time at Patpong??? naughty, naughty…..”
But seriously, to those who know me, I am definitely NOT the naughty type ;- )
My first trip to Bangkok and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Shopping, eating and more shopping. What else could a self-confessed shopaholic like myself ask for.

The moment we landed, we check-into our hotel and off we went to Chatuchak Weekend Market for some retail therapy. Chatuchak Market is definitely a must go, they have a huge selection of clothes, pottery, spices, paintings, furniture, books... you name it & they'll have it. It is absolutely amazing. A word of caution, that place is like a sauna. With the heat, scorching sun and huge crowd, it can get a bit unpleasant

Besides Chatuchak, I also had a ball at MBK Shopping Center, which is a cross between Sungai Wang & Petaling Street..heheheh...my kinda of place.

One of my friends said Siam Paragon is a must go – but it basically reminds me of our own Pavillion (ie, filled with expensive and unafforable items). We just had our lunch at the food court, which looked fabulous and the food prices are damn reasonable.

As for food – I just had an absolutely marvellous time sampling Bangkok’s street food. Cheap and really good. (& no, I did not get food poisoning) The best part is, they are available everywhere and at anytime of the day. It is just so amazing.

What facinates me most about BKK is the city itself, which has a myriad of things. We can see street food being sold in front of restaurants. Temples near shopping centers or office buildings. There is a sense of modernity and tradition but everything seems to co-exist very well together.

Will I go back? Absolutely YES. In fact, I am trying to get free AirAsia tickets now :-)

An English Afternoon at Olde Smokehouse...

I love Fraser's Hill, wonderfully clean fresh air, cool weather, peaceful and tranquil, the perfect getaway from the hustle & bustle of KL.

And The Olde Smokehouse is a must whenever we are there.

As usual, when I entered, I was immediately greeted by the scent of fresh lilies.

The place was quite packed compared to the last time I was there.

We were there for their Devonshire Tea, which consist of 2 freshly baked scones served with strawberry conserve, fresh cream & heavenly butter plus a cup of tea, of course.

Despite numerous visits to Olde Smokehouse, this was the first time I had a chance to walk around the surrounding ( & that's because we had to wait 40 mins for our scones).

I must say, the surrounding is very English. ...

With the cool breeze and relaxing atmosphere, I felt like I was transported to an English countryside...hehehehhe

As we were settling the bill, I noticed some homemade almond & chocolate cookies for sale.

RM5 for 5 yummy cookies. Who can resist cookies, right?