Bali Let's GO !

The unexpected year end holiday destination was Bali, Indonesia. Unexpected because I wasn't planning to travel abroad. However my husband suggested on the idea, usually it will be me who makes the holiday plans and arrangements. But the moment he volunteered to organised, I resisted to question and stop myself from being a sceptic. Well, if hubby wants to go to Bali then let's pack up and GO !

I produced a three part travelogue on my you tube channel. Here's the first part, mainly on our arrival and around our Hotel in Nusadua. Do let us know what you think. We love to hear from you.

Phuket, Thailand For Kids Only !

Last year, we re-visited Phuket. Thailand is my favourite beach holiday destination since my Uni days. I love everything about Thailand , the food, the desserts, the beaches, the fashion, their quirky art scenes, the parties and it's just about an hour away from Kuala Lumpur.

The last time me and my husband came to Phuket was in 2010. I was pregnant with Kaseh. Phuket
holds a reputation for being an 'adult fun' island. Backpackers and Europeans love vacationing here especially during winter months. But not much promotes the 'kid" side of Phuket. And after much research , i must say that Phuket is very kid friendly , plenty of things to keep them occupy and
yes i get to enjoy the white sandy beach and crystal clear waters and great Som Tam.

The best time to visit Phuket is mid December onwards. During our visit it was absolutely beautiful.
It was practically raining thunder storm every single day in Kuala Lumpur , and i'm glad we came to sunny Phuket.

We stayed in Holiday Inn, Patong. Patong is not my first choice of an area to stay in. I would normally stay in Kata Beach , where it's quieter and calmer, but because of the kids and we wanted to stay in Holiday Inn ( top child friendly hotel in Phuket) , and this hotel reside on one of the end of Patong Beach.

Holiday Inn, Patong offers the family room , with additional two bunk beds. For about RM 500 plus ,
i think this is absolutely fantastic and the kids love playing in this small corner. It's not separated from our room , it's kind off embedded in the Deluxe room. The only thing is that, Kid's suites are situated quite a distance from the main lobby.

Bare in mind that , Phuket beaches are public beaches, thus most of the hotels are not build on the beach bank itself. It's still beach front, but there's a road that separate the beach and hotel. Thus you gotta cross the road to get to the beach. Pros - everyone get to enjoy the beach , Cons- Crossing the busy road with kids.

Holiday Inn, kid's pool is OK , there's two and one fantastic Kid's club. However , if you have older kids , they will think that the slide at the pool is nothing to shout about. Suitable for younger kids.

The adult pool on the other hand, is just what a mom needs - relaxing and inviting. But guess where i spend most of my time ? Bingo ! Kid's pool!

Generally , i think things are quite pricey in Phuket . The food and shopping wise, almost or slightly higher price than Kuala Lumpur. Perhaps it's peak season , that most good's prices are inflated.
So i didn't shop much , i didn't have anything particular to buy. Tip - Thailand is popular for it's cashew nuts and thai silk , be sure to buy some either for your own consumption or as gifts.

Pancake stalls are everywhere. Great filling dessert , the kids love banana and Nutela flavour.
Thailand is also famous for it's massages. Thai massage uses a different technics, unlike the Malay and Balinese massages , Thais uses acupressure and stretching application. We both manage to go for a massage each , taking turn on different nights when the kids are asleep.

Taking turns are the best way , to enjoy some personal time on holidays. Even though the hotel did offer baby sitting service ( RM 20 per hours), but Kefli and Kaseh , are just not use to strangers . So there you go, time management and plenty of sacrifices.

Walking is the best way to discover Phuket. However on this trip we left the kid's stroller at home.
No , i didn't forget the stroller , but it was a conscious decision not to bring it . We felt that , the kids would very much prefer to go on foot as well. Oh my , never forget the stroller , even if it seems like a hassle , just bring it , or you'll end up having to carry them all the way.

This is actually Kefli's and Kaseh's first time to Phuket. We weren't sure at first, because unlike our Singapore trips ,we actually drove, thus we have the luxury of driving and the convenience of a car.
But getting on a plane to a different country , will take a lil bit of effort on your side. The immigration procedures, the flying in and out - but hey , we did it anyways and it was worth while - nothing like having the kids around.

I know that kids vacations can be tiring , and i do feel like i need a holiday from the holiday , but
the love and experiencing the place with them makes it all special and worth while. So moms and dads, don't worry too much, just plan your holiday and just do it!

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Mee Bandung, Air Sirap Bandung and Nasi Bandung which one really originates from Bandung ?

I can't help to ask myself the above question, Mee Bandung and Air Sirap Bandung are common dishes here in Malaysia. When my husband suggest that we make a trip to Bandung Indonesia during the long Federal Territory and Thaipusam break, the first thing that came to my mind was, i'm sure Sirap Bandung is what they drink there, must be as common as Teh Tarik to us Malaysian. Not so accurate, ha ha ha , instead i got a weird stare from the waiter.

This trip was organised by my husband, my usual choice would have been a beach holiday. I love the sun, sea and sand. So i was a lil sceptical about Bandung. There's no beach , what would we do ? What kid's activities do they have ?

I let him organise , since he did an initial reccee 6 years back before we got married and holidayed with his friend.  I still did the research and book the hotel. We stayed in Bandung for 4D/3N. I opted for a 3 bedroom Condotel - Aston Braga in the Braga area. Not knowing what to expect , i just read reviews and read more reviews and just decided to give it a go.

Bandung Hussein Sastranegara Airport , is really small. Tiny but busy, i totally appreciate small airport like these , saves time on check in and traveling to departure gate. Upon our arrival ,we got a MPV and straight to our hotel.

Bandung is just how i imagine it to be. Traffic is heavy and plenty of small kiosk and small shops along the road side. Street food are apparent every where, selling Bakso and Durian ice cream, they look tantalising but i was warned not to eat by the road side and drink only from bottled water.
My maid felt at home , even though she hails from Jawa Tengah but the city has plenty of similarities to her kampong in Semarang. So i nominated her as our unofficial chaperon, her official tasks is to get us cheaper rates on taxi and haggle for me when shopping.

Our 3 bedroom condo-tel turned out to be really cosy and clean. The deco is acceptable and the pool was refreshing. Bandung, is a city above sea level, thus it's dwellers enjoys cooler weather than anywhere else.

Tip :Staying in a Condotel, offers a spacious area for the kids to roam and play thus does not drive you up the wall. The kitchen is a plus plus, as you'll get to prepare quick easy meals for the family. After one of our excursions, we were too tired to eat out, this kitchen allows me to cook plain rice , stir fry vegetables and sardine. Simple but yet wholesome dinner ! 

Here's my TOP recommendation for kid's friendly places to visit in Bandung

1. Lembang Floating Market
Totally awesome, there's a Rabbit Farm , duck and fish feeding, boat rides and food market all in one place. This is such a great place for the kids and adults too. It's about an hour drive from Bandung City itself, but totally worth it. Make sure it's on your Bandung to do list . You can do the shopping later, but be sure to avoid rainy days. Check the weather forecast !

2. Paris Van Java Shopping Mall - Animal Farm.
Like any other shopping mall , we think PVJ is just like any other mall. But then an again to our pleasant surprise the Animal Farm is pretty awesome. Get up close and personal with the farm animals. Plenty of nice eateries with hipster cafe here. Great for the kids, shopping wise not my cup of tea.

3. Pasar Baru
Shopping heaven and totally cheap. This is the place to get all the local and traditional items such as Batik, cloth, crafts, clothes and much more. It's not your 5 Star Shopping Mall , but Pasar Baru is your one stop centre for almost everything at a wholesale price. I bought "telekungs" ( muslim prayer attire) for just RM 9! What a bargain. Not for kids though, as it is a lil crampy and alleys are narrow. So if you are bringing the family, plan what you want to buy , straight in , attack and out.

4. Cihampelas
Oh wow, another Mall, but open concept with outdoor kiosks and eateries. Need souvenirs ? We got to t-shirts here!

5. Rumah Mode
The factory outlet , which house most of the designer's brand - Zara, Mossimo, Channel, Mango and more. Worth going if you are brand conscious. I totally love the Balinese koi pond and the various nicely decorated cafes and restaurant.

6. Kartika Sari
Our last pit stop before heading to the Airport. Kartika Sari offers you the local cakes and delicacies all nicely pack to take home. I when crazy with the glutinous rice ball ( similar to Malaysia's pulut panggang) , i wish i bought more and the Kerepek Tempe Bakar , is da bomb !

So all in all , i thought Bandung  is an enjoyable family destination. Despite the fact that it isn't a beach holiday , we had plenty to do. Things are also generally cheaper than Malaysia, so that's a plus point. So ya, planning a holiday to Bandung ? I hope this helps!

If you enjoy what you read and found the review useful, do please please leave your comments below. I really would like to know what you think . Or if you would like me to review a family holiday destination , i would love to hear your suggestion. I might just plan a vacation based on your input. For more quick breaks and mommy travel , be sure to follow me on instagram!

Till our next family travel, see ya !

P/s : Phuket is next on our family travel ( teaser....)

Shopping in Hua Hin - Market Style !

What s travelling without shopping. Shopping is probably the most loved activities by all traveller. The only difference is that you banyak duit lagi best lah kan . But most of the time a traveller would already put some money aside for this purpose , even if shopping is not your fav thing to do , you would still be curious to browse and window shop at the local shopping area.

Shopping gives you an indication of the type of culture a place embraces , the type of economy they depend on , in the case of Thailand - imitation products are abundant , crafts , painting, textile , food, sex trade to name a few.

Since this is a young parent travelling with a toddler blog , i will not go into the last item mentioned above. However from my observation , Hua Hin unlike Phuket and Samui is a lot more popular with the local and very family oriented . The night activities are meant for families and focuses more on arts and music. Cicada Market and Chatsila Market is a great example of a market unlike those in Patong beach (Phuket) or Chaweng beach ( Samui), where musicians and artists are given a space to perform and have an artsy feel.

Personally for the three of us we would rate Cicada Market as the #1 night market in Hua Hin.

Sound check going on at one of the stage in Cicada Market, Hua Hin.

Another stage , where a Jazz concert will take place.

Dining elfresco style with Jazz music on the back ground really makes you want to dance away in this market.

Hua Hin is also famous for it s vine yard , thus dining such as this gives them the opportunity to promote their local wine. The food are sold over a stall like set up and sells a mixture of international and local cuisine such as pad thai, bbq seafood , mango sticky rice and loads more. Generally , halal food is not such an easy find in Hua Hin , that is why i brought my rice cooker and canned curry chicken along .They proved to be useful. Will write in a different entry about eating in Hua Hin.

Cicada market offers you items that are unique and rare , most unlikely you will find the stuffs else where.

What we bought here - Sol bought a t-shirt, leather card holders, embroidery t-shirt for Amyra ( Kaseh s cousin) and my mini ipad and iphone casings.

Opens fri - sun , 4pm to 11pm.
Tuk tuk about 120 baht from #theseacrethuahin

#2 - Chat Chai Market

Situated in the middle of town, a wet market by day and night market by night. The day market is also known as Chat Chai , we came here on our 2nd day and glad that we did Cause we went crazy with the fresh produce . As mentioned, halal food is a bit difficult to get , prior to coming here , i have done my research and found. Great blog by lynn

http://zlynn17.blogspot.com/2010/04/halal-food-in-hua-hin-prachuabkhirikhan.html?m=1

However since we are YPWT ( young parent with toddler) , it was very chllenging to find all the places mentioned by her , Kaseh s stroller have limited access to the smaller lanes , so since i brought my good old rice cooker , i decided to cook ! My mother did this you know n we always complained that she brings too much stuffs on our holiday , but now i am a mom , i can so relate ! /a>br />

Kaseh in her stroller and Sol buying fresh prawns . 1/2 a kilo for rm 10.80 , omg so cheap , so fresh , so yummy.

Sol requested for masak lemak , amboi banyak cantik , you ingat ni kat rumah ke ? On second thought , its not that difficult , so i bought serai , lengkuas, daun limau purut, lime, cili padi and santan tin.

The next day we came again to buy ikan merah ( red snapper) and tiger prawns. Red snapper only rm 9.60 . Would normally cause me rm 17 at pasar ttdi.

Recipe , nanti this blog is about shopping , will share in the dining blog kay :).

Banana bakar (roasted) at Chat Chai market .

Overall , you can find some things to buy here , like clothes and groceries . If you are looking for souvenirs , then the night market has better variety but bit more expensive by about rm 7.
Contoh i beli thai pants for rm 10 at Chat Chai and the same thing cost rm 17 at the night market .

Opening time : early morning to about 1pm, everyday.

#3 Hua Hin Night Market and Chatsila

Two markets combined into one , situated right smack in town , land mark dia ialah opposite Swensen and Starbucks , very lively and impressive , this market where you come to eat and shop . It s similar to Jonker Street Market in Malacca. Very touristy too but this is one of the places you must visit in Hua Hin.

Seafood restaurants like these memang bersepah kat Hua Hin market .

Fridge magnets, key chains and the usual sourvenirs can be found here.

Roti stalls , ala ala roti canai are a popular snack amongst shoppers. Our fav are rotee banana and roti nutella.

We enjoyed ourselves just strolling the night market , we bought more thai pants , fridge magnets and the yummies mango sticky rice here .

We also finally found the halal stall mentioned in lynn's blog, just opposite the railway restaurant. But since we already bought some fresh fish and prawns , Sol said he would prefer if i cook :).

Opens , Fri,Sat and Sun only 5pm to 11pm.

#4 Grand Night Market

Ok , this is our least fav market here in Hua Hin, seriously tak pergi pun tak pe ( you can give it a missed). Initially we wanted to go to this one first , we were decieved by he word "grand", thnking that it is the biggest night market in Hua Hin. But it acctually got it s name because it is situated just opposite The Grand Hotel, tapi tak lah grand mana.

Plenty of fashion and street wear , not much sourvenirs to be found , there s only two stall selling Hua Hin t-shirts. But i found a stall that sells these bags at rm2.90 and i bought 10 to give away as sourvenirs , what a great bargain !

More to come about Hua Hin in my blog, so watch out for it . Thanks for reading ,XOXO.

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