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Showing posts with label Travels and Holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travels and Holidays. Show all posts

July 31, 2013

Bangkok Day 1




Lovely blue skies on the way to Bangkok

Checked in to our upgraded suite... and saw a cute little elephant in the toilet :)
 

Rested and did a bit of shopping at MBK.

December 6, 2009

Tasmania photos!



Finally got all the photos sorted out. Next is to get them developed and organised into an album (Oh yes, we still love having them in hard copies!)

View all the pics at our Picasa web album :)

November 23, 2009

Oh so desperately missing...

The fresh and juicy fish and chips (although we got a bit sick of them there).
The seafood subway sandwich.
The cool weather (think my hubby misses this more than me!)
The many many many stars at night!
The wallabies, tassie devils and wombats.
The horseback ride!!!
The helicopter ride.
The sound of the waves while sitting outside enjoying a cup of tea.
The lovely scenery.
The beautiful flowers everywhere.
The yummy pies we had for breakfast.
AND spending quality time relaxing with my hubby!

Yes yes yes... photos coming soon!

May 6, 2009

Our 2nd trip to Batam

We had such a relaxing time the previous round that we decided to make a 2nd trip to Batam.

Much more crowded this time though since we went during the May day long weekend. But it was ok, we felt the crowd only mainly during breakfast and when all the lounge chairs by the pool were taken up.

We stocked up with a lot more snacks and beer this time round. And we managed to finish almost all of it! Oh yes, we ate and ate and ate... non stop - breakfast, snacks, lunch, snacks, dinner, snacks, supper :p


Well, we definitely wan to make another trip together again.... maybe Bali next time round?

December 10, 2008

short yet v x 2 shiok !

Always shunned the idea of going batam. What's there? nothing interesting la, blah blah blah... Somehow if it's a long-awaited break, and with a bunch of buddies especially, regardless where you go, it will definitely be fun-filled and AWESOME !

Imagine doing nothing... laze by the pool... swim a little, tan a little... time for dinner, let's go have a seafood feast that was so dirt cheap... Not Enuf??? NEVERmind, TA PAO (and that's exactly what we did!). back in the cosy hotel room... of course! "What time is it" it's tiger time! + Continue eating the crabs, calamari and licking your fingers while enjoying some movies or music in the background !!! :D :D :D

well, besides lazing around... the girls went for a spa retreat. And guess what! It was so refreshing and rejuvenating that they wish they could squeeze some time to go for more. Price?? cheap also la !!!

it was a very enjoying and relaxing trip. We truly enjoyed it... and we are already planning to go back in the very near future... :D

here are a couple of pics taken during the trip. But somehow despite how much we enjoyed ourselves... we kept feeling that somehow, something is not complete... we were missing someone!


see that empty spot in the picture??

May 12, 2008

though 55 mins away... not a bad experience afterall !

Always hear people talking about Bintan this, Bintan that. Finally had a chance to go experience ourselves.

Actually Bintan is only 55 mins away from sg, which probably explains why we dont particularly felt like we are in overseas... :) Our journey started off pretty "choppy"... probably too long never take ferry liao. felt abit giddy leh! (old liao old liao)

When we arrived at the resort, we were welcomed by the resort dancers. It felt good when they welcomed you with their traditional dance (i guess) and a drink to quench your thirst. Bintan lagoon resort was really big, equipped with almost all kind of facilities. Well, the food was not very fantastic though. But overall quite ok la. The resort was nice... nice beach, nice pool... weather was great... had a very cosy room... etc. oh ya... We had a nice romantic dinner by the beach... It was overall a great 3D2N getaway. Everything was great except the "price" la! wa seh... things there are not cheap man...especially the food. The menu are simply in sing dollars. And guess what... they dont bother to tell you that it's in sing dollars ok! well... since we are there... dont bother la. :) spend first... pinch later !!! anyway this trip was meant to be a wedding anniversary gift for the both of us... :D

Bintan lagoon rating: 1 to 5 (1 - bad to 5 - good)
Beach: 4
Lagoon resort outlook: 4
Room quality and cleaniness: 4
Resort Facilities: 4
Pasar oleh oleh: 2 (the small little pasar in the "city" was quite miserable. you only need 10 mins to finish the whole pasar.)
Food quality in resort: 3.5 (heard some resorts like nirwana has great seafood.)
Prices there: 2 (better budget more. dont think it's cheap huh.)

February 28, 2008

Japan photos - READY!

Our Japan pics have finally been uploaded!
(i.e we finally got off our butts and did some sorting and arranging)

Here's the link, enjoy viewing!
http://picasaweb.google.com/jal2629.photo1/OurJapanTripOsakaKyotoToyko

February 20, 2008

BACK to the Southern hemisphere ! What do you expect???

WARM (HOT) and HUMID of course !!! Especially back home here in singapore. The minute we stepped out from our flight, havent even get out of the airport, we could feel the difference right away.

Despite having to fight cold, and the crazy jam that we encountered, it was overall a great trip. A difference experience from Hokkaido actually. First half of the trip was quite rush actually, but the other half was ok and relaxing. Food was not as good as we had in Hokkaido, but we had more variety this round. And they are all "OISHII ne". The hotels we stayed at all had at least one english channel... ha ha :D. In Hokkaido, you could barely find one ok. And the rooms werent as small as we expected. Thought that in cities like Tokyo and Osaka, we would probably stay in super small rooms. But surprisingly, they were all quite big and comfortable.

Finally, an unexpected chance to experience real snowfall. And not just mild snowfall know, it was like a heavy rain in singapore. Though cold, it was fun-filled and beauuuuttttifuuuul... of course, enjoying the snow with your mouth "ge ge ge ge" at the same time :D

On the whole, we enjoyed the trip very much. Best part, we had snow and scenery. And also this was a family trip. With our busy schedules these days, how often a family trip can really be arranged... Bad part, my poor wife got to put on a lot more layers... it was really cold... even my "gung-ho" mum felt cold and had to add layers... Luckily we brought enough cold wear.

We have yet upload the pictures... will be doing so soon... Meanwhile, here's a pic... :D




Oh boy, I sure miss Japan or rather the cold weather... :D - Ant

February 12, 2008

Wear this, and that, and that, and that.....

Early morning routine in the cold weather:
Wear underwear.
Wear leggings / long johns.
Wear thermal wear.
Wear jeans
Wear long sleeve Tshirt.
Wear sweater.
Wear socks.
Wear boots / shoes.
Put on scarf.
Wear your outer sweater (make sure it's the right material to fight the cold).
Put on gloves.
Put on your beanie / ear muffs / hood.
Lastly, stick on your heat pads if needed.

NOW, you are finally ready to go!
What a hassle!

And once you step into the coach, off comes the sweater, gloves, beanie / ear muffs, scarf.

And don't forget that you need to put everything back on when you go into the open again...

Now i really appreciate the weather back home!
BUT it's definitely nice to be able to wear cool boots and pretty winter coats too!

February 11, 2008

Freeeeezzzing in Japan

It has been so cold in Japan! Today, we experienced a record low of -6 degrees!

The unexpectedly cold weather has definitely had its ups and downs. In Kyoto, it was the first time we experienced real snowfall. In fact, Kyoto is a place that probably snows twice or thrice per year and the day we were there, it was the heaviest snowfall in the last 7 years. It was a good experience, cold but fun. Unfortunately the city is so ill prepared for snowfalls that they closed many expressways due to the snow accumulation. We reached our hotel 5 hours later than expected, at 2am!

But the good part was that on the next day, we had excellent views of Mount Fuji, from different angles and for a long period. Such a clear view can only be enjoyed on about 70 days per year, and usually just for a few minutes. But we had such a clear view, with no clouds obstructing the view at all. The view was really magnificent!! Will post pics when back.

Will be going to Disneysea tomorrow. My hubby and bro in law are planning what rides to go for tomorrow. Can't wait! Except that we have been warned of very cold weather as it is located beside the sea. BUT we just bought heat packs today. Hope it will help!

Tell you more when we are back! - jan

February 7, 2008

READY for take off!

Flight changed timing, departing one hour later.... Had so much time that we went to T3 for a walk.

Can't wait to be on the plane, so that we can sit, relax, watch a movie, and sleep!

See you in a week's time!

Flying off

Yeah! Flying off to Japan in a few hours!

And my hubby just got his results for his Dec exam, an A and a B+!!! Yeah! Now he can really enjoy a well deserved break!

Happy Lunar New Year everyone! and Happy Holidays!

November 22, 2007

BBBBBBack from Bangkok... !!!

Sawatdee Khrap...

hee:D finally gone and back.

Now I know why Bangkok is so "Hot". I must say it's really crowded there in Bangkok. I guess it's because it's flooded with "ang mos". They are "everywhere" (must speak with an indian accent). hee:D Every few steps we took, every little corner, we can easily spot an "ang mo".


look at the bustling streets... still as pack as before. And by the way... it's all day long !!!

First time in Bangkok, nice experience, nice trip... "Tut Tut", taxi ride, the crowd, the food... and of course the shopping... !!! Details below.

The hotel we stayed; Twin Towers, it was a really nice stay. Staff there are polite, helpful. they even upgraded us to Executive room due to Deluxe room full (free). Had early check-in at 9am and late check-out at 3pm. very flexible. Althought location abit out of the way, but travelling by taxi is really easy and cheap. Hotels down town are more expensive yet not as comfortable. We paid for a comfortable hotel (big room, clean definitely) at a cheaper rate and spend the money on taxi ride. If you total up, is still cheaper than paying for a town hotel. Would definitely go back to them the next time we go back to Bangkok (if we are... "Fingers Crossed" hee:D) Anyway, 4 thumbs up for the hotel. strongly recommended !!!

The food; go try the Fuji Restaurant at MBK. Really delicious, fresh and best part: Cheap !!! Must try !!! Other than this, the rest are alright. Room Service is nice and cheap. It's really an enjoyment especially when you are dog-tired. 5 thumbs up for the Fuji Rest.

The shopping: same as before I guess, except the change in shops and more "giant" shopping centres around. walk until crazy, tired and pocket empty ha !!! 3 thumbs up for the shopping.

The Tut Tut ride: wow... must buy insurance man before you take this ride. but it's cool (windy) and fun ride. shiok and nice experience (except the fumes and polution). 2 thumbs up.

Take the Taxi if you want to enjoy the aircon instead of the polution... hee:D they are just like our taxis. Some are really new and clean. 3 thumbs up.

Overall experience for Bangkok: 4 thumbs up !!!

Look at the things we bought. aye, we are considered mild already huh. When we were at the airport, we met some singaporeans with really huge bags (those china blue colour type of bags). they really go there and "puu" (hokkien means wipe up the store). hee:D

November 15, 2007

"Sawatdee Khrap" - for male "Sawatdee Kha" - for female

Yes !!! We are finally going Thailand - Bangkok this weekend.

After the last 2 wasted trips, this time we are really going !!! It was a really last minute plan (hoping to plan at the very last minute so that nothing can stop us from going this round). Recently we have been damn busy, so we are really looking forward to this short little break.

Always wondering why Bangkok is so "HOT"(high 31 low 24)... hotels always fully booked, promo flights also all grap up! But heng ah, managed to find one hotel at last despite the fact that the hotel is a little out of the way.

This is my first time there, so I'm going to find out what's so "HOT" about Bangkok! Stay tuned!!! - Ant

May 9, 2007

Back again.... it's May 07 already

Time really flies… just when we were talking about Bangkok… it’s already May 07. New Year has come and gone… we had gone for our trip to Hokkaido lately… just came back on the 25th Apr 07. And because of our trip to Hokkaido, we gave Bangkok a missed… yes; we wasted our Bangkok air ticket again for the second time. The first time was due to my wife having a slip disc… this round was due to those stupid bombings… and also partly because it clashes with our Hokkaido trip… so too bad…

talking about Hokkaido.. it was really a nice and relaxing trip… places there were nice.. not as scenic as swiss and italy.. but it’s sure a diff kind of beauty… places there were so clean.. people are nice and polite… weather was nice when we were there… one particular town Otaru was our favourite… small little town.. easy life style… perfect for retirement… actually a lot of Japanese, they often choose towns like that for retirement… and they actually retire early… mainly because of the hectic life they lead in bustling city like Tokyo… anyway… We are sorting our pics for developing.. once ready will upload them onto our photo album as well…

Now just a little news from home:

Just barely 2 days when we were back from Hokkaido... my dad passed away… ya… pretty shocked and surprise for my family. Actually he all along has the medical history of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm ( 大动脉瘤). Back in 2002, he was diagnosed to have this bloated blood vessel on one of his 3 main vessels from the heart. These vessels actually provide blood supply to all other internal organs. So as to say, it’s extremely dangerous and definitely a major op if anything were to be done on it. When it was first discovered, it was about 3.9 cm in diameter. Doctor mentioned the only way to “cure” this is to undergo surgery. The thing will only go bigger and not smaller. So it’s like a time bomb. After explaining the risk of 50/50 and all the potential implications, my dad has decided not to go thru the op. he even jokingly commented that he will treat each year lived as a bonus. Luckily, he doesn’t have high BP and he watches his diet closely. So over the years, he has managed it well… except for some complains here and there about his health… Sad to say, after 5 years the time seems finally running up. What we didn’t expect it to be was, it come in a different form. He was complaining about constipation. So after going to 2 GPs for constipation, both GPs recommended him to go to the hospital instead. As such, we finally admitted him to SGH on 27th Apr at 5 plus 6, after he complained of extreme discomfort. He was immediate pushed for scanning and such, and doctor came to inform that he needs the op immediately due to internal bleeding. And so… doctor came at about 9 plus 10 to inform that they were unable to save him. Doctorr also said that the bleeding was from the AAA and while they managed to mend the hole, the bleeding was unable to stop and the heart beat went dead. So… that’s it. There goes… 65 years old this year… We have settled the 5 day funeral with all necessary things done, except for some more prayers and small little things to handle. Family members so far so good, all adjusting pretty well. Life would never be the same again…
I guess as time flashes by so quickly… apart from we ourselves going older each day, our dear old folks around us ages as well… and when that happens, our loved ones will slowly leave us one by one…someday… the time will come… and each time life would never be the same again… this is something beyond our control and something people always says, life cycle…! So… in life… the one and only thing we can do to ensure that we don’t regret one day is… To more spend time with our loved ones… before the time runs out one day…… we all know that time is something that we can never earn or buy back… no matter what kind of things we can do or perform, no matter how successful or how capable we are…. - Ant

January 3, 2007

No Bangkok... AGAIN!!!

Guess you have all read and heard about the bombs in bangkok on New Year's eve. Thus, we had to postpone our Bangkok trip.... again... for the second time! Unbelievable!!

Though many said that it is still ok to go, but i guess safety comes first, no point taking unnecessary risks. So for now, we have changed the dates to April. If we still can't go by then , then i guess we are really not fated to go Bangkok - Us

June 20, 2006

Back from our honeymoon... :)



Yes…we are back from our 12 days Switzerland and Italy honeymoon… as you may be speculating… there is no ‘made in Switzerland’ nor ‘made in Italy’ ok… regarding our honeymoon…only one word can explain it all… ‘Awesome’… it was really a great holiday…filled with delicious food… extremely nice ice cream… very cooling weather… 10 to 15 degrees on land… 0 degrees when in the mountain…
Switzerland was a beauty… full of Swiss alps and beautiful sceneries… until now… we are still wishing we were still there… our favourite place is Zermatt… the home of the mighty Matterhorn… that place was amazing… very relaxing and pollution free… a small little beautiful town… yes… pollution free… know what…there aren’t any forms of petrol-driven vehicles in that town… all vehicles are battery operated… isn’t that cool…


Italy was unique too… the history was rich… it’s full of very old roman buildings… honestly… the structures, the buildings… even the sculptures were magnificent. It was sure an eye-opener when we were touring in Italy… especially the St Peter’s Basilica… the paintings were truly awesome… but…what the thing we miss the most is the gelato ice cream there… when we came back… we went to try the gelato in singapore… it’s really no where near their standard there.. actually it’s kind of disappointing… hee

Enough of my long winded explanations… likewise… we have uploaded the pictures on the net… please follow the link to view them… like I always said, ‘one can only truly feel the excitement and beauty of it by experiencing it personally’. Now we are both already looking forward to another vacation!… hee


http://sg.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jal2629/album?.dir=/f199scd&.src=ph&.tok=phNF4DFBaPylIgdi