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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Bukit Tinggi Colmar Tropicale & Rabbit Farm

It's end almost end of the year and i just want to go sonewhere! But due to work commitments and coordinating everyone's time is quite a task. Kaseh still have to attend school and hubby
has some projects to complete.

Thus, till our proper family vacation, i pledge to make short weekend trips for the next 2 months, just to break the monotony and keep the kids excited and busy. Most importantly, we spend time as a family.

Last two weeks we spend 2D/1N in Port Dickson. This time around, i have chosen a closer venue, still involves nature, water, animal but thus time above sea level. I'm not a big fan of highlands, cause i can't stand the travelling. The winding roads gives me that uneasy feeling. I think the last time i visited a highland was more than 15 years ago.

So Bukit Tinggi, Pahang it is. After reading a few blogs on the place, i thought let's give it a shot.

The entrance fee is RM 16 per adult and kids under 3 years old enters free. This is the fee to the French themed hotel Tropicale Colmar, Japanese Village and Botanical Garden.

The entrance, as you can see in the above picture is really quite picturesque. But apart from that , this place has not much to offer. There's a few restaurants here, but the price is on the high side. So it's really just "jalan-jalan" for us literally and we finish walking about in 15 mins. I seriously feel that they shouldn't charge us a fee, it's just not worth it.

A small fountain makes a great pit stop for the kids, and it gives you that feeling of not being in the country. Like i could tell people that this was taken in Europe and i might get a way with it .

Ok, the Twin Tower on the horse and the "Selangor Turf Club" sign clearly shows that I'm in Malaysia. Tak pe la bagi chance, saja nak feeling feeling.

The swans to me are the highlight of this place. So charming and friendly. Watch out, Kefli got bitting by one of them. That's because they thought we got food!

We skipped the Japanese Village and The Botanical Garden, i don't think my kids would enjoy it, we straight head on to the animal farm. You've got to exit the French Themed area, cause animal farm is not part the RM 16.

This is the animal farm, further RM 3 is charged to enter , but i thought it's Ok, it's for the animals, in fact i don't mind paying more if the money is used to ensure that the place is well kept and invested in upgrading works.

My kids loved this place and we do too. The cool breeze makes it pleasurable to just hang outdoor. It's not much cooler but , slightly i feel. Unlike trips to say Zoo Negara or Bird Park, KL you either have to go early in the morning or after 4 pm to avoid the heat.

Friendly deers roams freely in the farm.

Kefli's attempt to catch one of the rabbit.

Kaseh's first donkey ride. A milestone for her and she was really proud of herself and we do to for overcoming her fear. Well done sweetheart.

We spent a good 3 hours in Bukit Tinggi. On our way back to KL we stopped at the Genting Sepah Rest area. I never knew that chicken rice there is pretty good. The one served with ayam goreng berempah. I can't remember the name, but you won't missed it - opposite an ice cream stall.

Overall our trip was an enjoyable one. This place is worthy of a one visit just to check out what the fuss is all about. Once you've see the place, your next visit wouldn't be so soon. Yes we would come again, but for the animal farm. Hope this helps.

Keropok Lekor Adventure in Cherating

After lunching at Singgalang Jaya nasi padang in Kuantan, we make our way to Cherating. The journey takes about 45 minutes. If you drive straight from KL it will take approximately 3 hours, almost the same duration to Kuantan. So it works out faster if you head straight to Cherating and don't stop in Kuantan, like we did. Anyways we planned this trip that way so that we'll be able to enjoy both Kuantan and Cherating, greedy right?

The journey was ok, we drove along the coastal line, the scenery was mainly the beach and the kampung houses along the road. Occasionally i hear Kaseh say "Mama lembu", no she don't mean that I'm a cow , but she just spotted a herd of cows, lazing by the road side. A nice change from "Mama! Tractor!" Along Kota Damansara road. I' am glad she is seeing these animals in real life now, as to just learning them in books.

Swinging from one tree to another at Impiana Resort, Cherating.

We arrive at Impiana about 2pm, great timing actually, cause as we checked in , other holiday maker started to arrive, nasib we got our room already. Guess who officiated the king size bed?

My little princess taking her afternoon nap.

As soon as Kaseh woke up we wasted no time, we explored around the hotel. First stop is the beach !

This is my signature pose, it's really challenging to do :).

The sand is a bit yellowish, but nevertheless clean and quite. I don't recommend anyone to swim in this beach, cause the waves are really massive and can be scary. It's dangerous, and you can see that the resort have raised RED flags along the beach, indicating that, it's dangerous to swim.

Tip 1: Follow the flag's warning. Don't swim when the red flag is up. No kidding ya, the sea is really unpredictable even if you are a season swimmer.

We head straight to the pool after the beach and spent about an hour by the pool.
This is Kaseh's first time swimming on her own without clinging on to any of us. What a proud moment for me cause she's finally learnt to waddle with the help of the swim jacket.

Tip 2: if you want your kids to learn how to swim, you gotta swim or at least be in the pool with them. I first brought Kaseh to the pool when she was 4 months old, i got her a baby warmer from mother care, and dipped her for 10 min max. You don't want to soak them too long. And it got longer and longer as she grow older. Now she can in the pool for up to 1 1/2 hours, and can stay as long as you allow her. But of course for me 1 1/2 is her max time.

It was gloomy thru out our holiday in Cherating, bohoooooo.

This is how Impiana looks like. It's a 3 story building with no lift. If you have elderly person with you, or you suffer from back pain and can't walk, or you are simply lazy.....

Tip 3: Request for a room on the 2nd floor. It's the same level as the lobby and i think the nearest room to all facilities are 209 and 210.

Main hotel lobby.

The restaurant where breakfast is served.

That night we decided to have dinner here. Not recommended uols. Don't eat here please, MS Restaurant Cherating, is just horrible.

Why ?
1. Service is super slow
2. Waiters are really rude
3. We asked for sotong goreng tepung and they told us that it's unavailable like 30 mins after.
4. The drinks are really sweet.

I read other people's blog about places to eat in Cherating and i read that Peninsular Seafood and Sri Baggih is quite good, may be next time.

Kaseh battling it out with Ayah in congkak.

Breakfast buffet is pretty good. Point of difference is the roti bakar stall , which no other hotel serves, as far as i am concern lah.

This is a must try in Cherating, you'll find Keropok Lekor's stall abundant along the coastal road. Some argued that the ones made in Terengganu is better, but i personally think these from Cherating is all right too .

2D/2N wow time flies and it's time to head back to KL. I'm feeling kinda of sad because this is the last strech of long public holidays, there's non in March or April. Thus it also means that, bit susah to plan our breaks. But that won't stop me right ? Apa yang penting? Jalan-jalan :)

Thanks for reading XOXO!

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Our Last Min. Kuantan Trip on CNY 2013

We are on a roll man, travelling every weekend since we came back from Hua Hin. I am begining to enjoy a travellers life, exploring, eating, self claimed hotel reviews and of course the most satisfying objective is the time spent with my beloved family. There's only 3 of us , i think we need additional skippers to row the boat ! Ha ha but as my sister puts it, enjoy it while i can , bila anak dah 3 macam dia , yes the funs triples and the effort also triples.

So this CNY is a lil last minute actually. I don't like last minute holiday plans especially over a long break like this. Hotels are normally expensive, roads are jammed, eateries will be full and it's crowded every where. With all that in mind, we still brave thru and cook up some plans and we decided to go to Kuantan, cause staying at home in KL is no fun either. Boring kan?

At Teluk Cempedak.

With last minute breaks like this , you must also psych up your mind and lower some expectations, so here are my compromises for this trip.

1. Not staying in my first choice hotel.
I wanted to stay in Hyatt Kuantan for 2 night cause seriously it's the best hotel in Kuantan. We've never stayed there before but my mother and my sister once said that if it's not Hyatt, then there's no point visiting Kuantan - sampai macam tu sekali :).

But the hotel is fully booked. So apa nak buat, sebab kami last min kan. It's ok, lower your expectations remember ?.

2. Not staying in your 2nd choice hotel for the whole duration of your trip.
The next beach resort is either Swiss Garden Spa Resort in Beserah or resorts in Cherating. Swiss Garden pun penuh. Ha ha tak pe, luckily for us Impiana Resort, Cherating still have rooms but only available for one night! I did not want to miss out the opportunity, the more i contemplate, i might lose the room. So i booked via Agoda. Satu malam pun satu malam lah , apa yang penting? Jalan-jalan !

3. To creatively craft your holiday, to suit your need with limited resources and budget.
Sol pulak insist on 2 nights, he thinks that the driving up to Kuantan is not justified if we stay there just for one night. So sebab i dah malas dah to do all the arrangements,it's up to him to find a hotel in Kuantan the night before we check into Impiana Cherating.

He found a new hotel called Rocana Hotel, just opened for 7 months, still a few rooms available, good location not by the beach, right smack in the middle of town right opposite Berjaya Mall. Rate is at Rm 150 per night. Since my MIL ( mother in law) wanted to come along, we booked 2 rooms and brought my maid too for a free holiday.

The rooms are really spacious, i think is about 50 sqm. Rooms are new but limited facilities, no pool, no gym, suitable for business and families on transit like us.

We arrived at about 930pm that Sunday night, 10.02.13 and Kaseh officiated the king size bed.

View from the room, as you can see, Berjaya Mall is just walking distance away.

Buffet breakfast isn't fantastic, most of the food finished by 9.15am. Breakfast ends at 10.30am. It's kind off disappointing, but may be they are under staff over the CNY break. I am giving them the benefit of the doubt, but if normal days pun macam ni then, the buffet breakfast is not worth it, you are better off pi makan kat di many yummy Kopitiam that offers really good east coast breakfast selections such as nasi dagang, nasi minyak, laksam, roti bakar and malay kueh mueh, close to the hotel.

After breakfast, we head to the famous Teluk Cempedak, baru pukul 10.30am dah ramai
orang.

There's a square as you enter the beach side, parking is at Rm 2 perday. There's plenty of places to eat including a drive thru Mcdonalds, KFC and Cha Time. Someone told me that this Mcdonalds is the higest earning McD in the whole of Msia. Don't quote me cause i hear rumours say so.

Along the TC you can walk on the bridge that takes you to another beach. I noticed tracks use for hikers and bikers are visible along side the bridge. Exploring the inner junggle of TC would be that one thing i want to do when we have the chance to stay in Hyatt Regency, Kuantan.
Amin :).

My daughter got really excited with the wave that she dived straight into it. A panicky moment for me , thank goodness i managed to scoop her out , we both got drenched. Kaseh got a new set of clothes where as i am just glad that she and my ipad mini are unharmed.

I wish it was bright and sunny, kalau panas confirm lagi best !

Kaseh looking at the wave before she decided to dive masuk laut !

We enjoyed Teluk Cempedak very much, and would like to spent longer time here, but weather did not permit us to do so, kejap hujan kejap mendung. So we headed back to Rocana Hotel, checked out and move on to our next destination, Impiana Resort Cherating. Yohooo keropok lekor here i come!

But of course before we leave Kuantan, we must stop for lunch, since our breakfast this morning at Rocana was so so, we stopped at a nasi padang restaurant just opposite the mosque in Kuantan town. I'm so hungry and looking forward to some good food!

There's plenty of nasi padang restaurants along these row of shop houses, but we decided on this one cause the selections of lauk is more meriah.

Restaurant Singgalang Jaya.

I recommend - Sup Tulang, perut masak lemak, ikan siakap masak lemak merah,terung cili, sambal hijau and sambal belacan .

I'm not sure what Sol, MIL and Karimah took , but we all had a hearty meal including Kaseh who had a bowl of rice with sup tulang. Total bill came to Rm 40 including drinks!

We are now all geared up for Impiana Resort, Cherating.

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Katerina Hotel @ Batu Pahat, Johor.

Whenever we visit Batu Pahat , we always stay at Katerina Hotel. I read reviews in trip advisor that this hotel stands at no. 3 hotel to stay in BP with B&S boutique hotel ranked at #1. Well i have never stayed in B&S hotel before , but with the new refurbishment recently done at Katerina Hotel , i seriously think this hotel is worth staying in, pleasant and affordable and i think it should be the first choice hotel for anyone intending to stay in BP, it's in perfect location too !

The main lobby of the hotel , this hotel quite popular in Batu Pahat, but whenever we check in , it's very fast and we never have to wait in long queues unlike KS Hotel and resort in JB.

Although this hotel have been getting mix reactions from it's customers and was in the spot light for all the wrong reasons - some of you may recall the X rated video of Chua Soi Lek? Katerina Hotel deserves a chance before being judge. No lah no one paid me to write a review that is pro to this hotel, it's really my honest honest opinion. It's a nice hotel.

This is the newly refurbished room , rate at RM220 per night . You can opt or the older rooms which is ok lah , not too bad at RM 175 pernight.

Tip 1: when booking this hotel , be sure to ask for corporate rate, government rate or senior citizen rate , they would normally give those eligible up to 20% discount.

Tip 2 : i think i have mentioned this over and over again , ask for the king bed if you have young children with you, up to 2 adults and 2 young children can sleep on the bed!

The room offers basic facilities such as tea making facilities, hair dryer and a bath tub which i find covinient for Kaseh, as she loves soaking in the tub.

The newly refurbihed lift entrance that leads to the corridor to the rooms.

You may read a few reviews in Tripadvisor or may hear people say that this hotel is a bit spooky. Some reviewers also claimed that they have encountered some unexplainable experiences.

Well, this came to a shock to me , because i have stayed here many times and Alhamdulilah all my experiences was pleasant. I would be the most particular person when it comes to this, because when you travel with young children you need to ensure the security and the credibility of the hotel is tip top - that it is safe from all form of harm, even the unexpainable ones, if you get what i mean :).

Tip 3: when traveling with young children investigate and do a back ground check of the hotel . Avoid doggy areas and those areas that is known to be notoriously "keras". If you have no choice be prepared with surah and ayats from the Quran, download them to your phone or your lap top. Insya allah , Allah will protect you.

I love checking into hotels in Johor because you will get access to channels from Singapore and Indonesia, like this one.

We also ordered room service for Kaseh's dinner that night , i always make sure Kaseh eats her meals on time, even when we are travelling. It's ok for us adults to skip meals or delay meals time, please ensure your children have 3 proper meals a day.

Tip 4 : Kaseh's room service choice is the Kueh Teow Kung Fu at RM 15 per plate.

The pool side, relatively a small pool, the down side is that this hotel does not have kid's pool.

You can lepak and chill by the pool side.

I love working out at this hotel's gym. Usually there's no one there and i normally do 20 mins on the treadmill and another 10 mins of endurance work out. It's small but it's enough for me.

It's definitely not a hotel for your weekend getaway, not for honey mooners too. If you are on a business trip of visiting BP for some events like weddings, carnivals or even visiting relatives, this hotel will serve you well. My only complain is the that the buffet breakfast is nothing to shout about.

Tip 5:The buffet breakfast is not fantastic, thus if you don't mind letting it go, BP is a melting pot and there's plenty of breakfast food to look out for.

Tip 6: Book in advance, as this hotel is usually fully booked especially during weekends.

Another long weekend is coming, i dah gatal tangan to book my next travel. We've been doing a lot of travelling this month and Feb turns out to be a lil tight for us . The challenge is to travel on a budget, is it possible ? We'll be sure to check my blog over the CNY to see what budget travel we have planned for . Apa yang penting ? Jalan - jalan!

Thanks for reading! XOXO.

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