deal.com.sg, goCrazy.com.sg, gobbler.com.sg, groupon.com.sg etc etc etc…there are so many online discount coupon/vouchers sites these days! Initially Tom and I were skeptical about these so-called “good deals” and we were worried about pushy sales people, so we let these deals slipped by. But one night as I was bored and surfing the internet to pass time, I came across this “$199 2D1N Philea Resort” deal. The photos of the resort look really inviting and I decided to check out the resort’s official website. Philea Resort was completed and officially opened in August 2010. Since it is still fairly new (it was Feb 2011 when we checked out the resort), we decided to book a weekend trip to Philea Resort Malacca in May 2011.
Philea Resort Malacca (Melaka) – Doesnt it look inviting
Our experience was marred by a 2 hour traffic jam at the Malaysia customs, and we arrived at the resort at about 3pm instead of the scheduled time of 1pm. We were hot and tired after the long bus ride but thankfully the check-in was smooth and there were welcome drinks and cold towels that quenched our thirst and refreshed us.
Refreshing drinks at the lobby of Philea Resort MelakaBuggy that transported us around the Philea Hotel
The hotel staff then helped us put our bags onto a buggy (is it pronounced as “Bud-gy” or “Buggie”?) and drove us to our room. On our way up, we could see the landscape of the resort, the tranquil swimming pool, and the spa facilities. We quickly settled into our room, checked out the amenities in the room (free pretty slippers!), and head down to the pool for a swim.
Front of our “cottage” roomBathtub Philea MelakaRain Shower Philea Resort MelakaCoffee Tea and Mineral Water in the roomThe inviting and comfortable bed! Philea Resort MelakaSculptured Lamp Shades in the room that depicts famous attractions in Melaka (Malacca)Bathroom Amenities!Waterfall Feature by the Pool Philea MelakaOpposite the Waterfall – Chill out lounges Philea Resort MelakaFront View of the Waterfall – Chillax by the pool Philea Resort Malacca
As it was a Saturday night, there was a seafood buffet dinner deal! Only RM69++ (approx $33SGD) per pax! The spread was awesome (esp the desserts for me, and the seafood for Tom), and we ate so much that we could hardly move. We even able to eat 2 whole snappers by ourselves and it was fresh and tasty! The BBQ corner also included other seafood such as prawn and crayfish. Yum! The quiet stroll back to our room on a cool night aided with the digestion, and we enjoyed the peaceful evening away from the crowded city life.
Table Setting at the buffetCooked Food SpreadCharming appetisers Philea Resort MelakaSeafood Spread + BBQ area with grilled snapper, crayfish at Philea Resort MelakaChocolate Fondue Philea Resort MalaccaDesserts!Complimented with fruits
The next morning, we woke up early to walk around the resort and take in the fresh air. Soon we were hungry and we made our way to the restaurant where the breakfast buffet (included in the package) is served. Once again, the variety of food made us happy. With chefs at the different stations to cook roti prata, waffles and pancakes on the spot, and the spread from an international buffet, we were really spoiled for choice 🙂
Roof with Water Feature at Philea Resort MelakaPhilea Resort Melaka Breakfast BuffetMore Food!Pastries and Yoghurt
After breakfast, we lazed by the pool and got a nice tan. It was a relaxing weekend, and we were all ready to conquer another week at work! 🙂
P.S Go visit Philea while it is still rather new and clean!
P.P.S Remember to plan activities for the bus trip eg card games or dvd to watch in case you get stuck in a unexpected traffic jam.
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After planning for so many holidays, we at 2bearbear.com have decided to share some of the things to look out for to successfully plan your own holiday and vacation.
1. Plan early. This is especially so when you are going away for long holidays during peak periods. Planning early for your vacation can help to ease some of the last minute anxieties. Removing these anxieties can help to ensure your holiday will be a stress-free one. Not only so, here are some of the other benefits of why you should plan early for your next holiday or vacation…
a. Better Prices for air fares / hotels. Planning early can help you lock in the low prices especially when you know that you are travelling during peak seasons , summer vacations, special events. You might have noticed by now that when you travel during these peak seasons or special events, prices are radically higher closer to the season. If you book 2 to 3 months earlier, chances are you would have locked in a lower price. Of course there are last minute flights/hotels kind of deals, but you really know that these are good for off-peak periods.
b. Personal arrangements. Planning early can also give you time to make personal arrangements. For instance, you may want to lock in your leave period so that you can de-conflict the timings with your colleagues. Also, you can have time to ensure who is looking after the house/kids/pets while you are away.
c. Anticipate. Of course, the best part of planning early is that as you go about your busy schedule each day, knowing that you will be rewarded with a well-deserved holiday not far from the horizon. In fact, studies have shown that one derives substantial happiness by the mere fact of anticipating an upcoming holiday. So go on, plan your next holiday early and start deriving the joy of happiness now! 🙂
2. Budget. It is important to tie down your budget early when you start planning for your next vacation. You will need to run through how much air fares, hotels, daily expenses (including that splurge on a posh dinner), souvenirs (all the toys,candies,biscuits etc for your kids, family and colleagues), transport and miscellaneous stuff cost.
These small little items can sometimes over run your initial budget estimate. And when you over run your budget, that’s when anxiety sets in to disrupt your holiday. Hence, it is always important to include all of these in your budgeting. The last thing you want on your mind when you go on your holiday is to always think about conversions and how much to spend/save. Before you know it, your holiday would be long gone and you might have to contend with the bills thereafter.
It is therefore wise to think ahead, if you’re only buying gifts for mum and dad, then stick to it. Enjoy the holiday and vacation knowing that you have planned ahead for the expenses along the way.
3. Know what you want to do. Unlike joining tour groups or programmes of travel agencies, the flexibility of planning your holiday is that you can pretty much go wherever you want and do whatever you want during your holiday. Having said that, it is always important to know what you want to do there. This pretty much depends on your objectives.
Say for example, you just want to laze at the beach, then there is not much that you need to plan for except that sun tan lotion / UV protection. However, if you are going to visit theme parks, museums and famous attractions, then it is wise to pen them down and decide when you’re gonna visit them. Dont forget the transport time as well.
However, if you are unsure of what you want to do but still want to visit that country/location, you are pretty much recommended to visit the country/location with a travel group/agency for the first time. Thereafter, you can plan for a second visit on your own.
4. Things will go wrong (Murphy’s Law). It is always important to keep an open mind when you are travelling. According to Murphy’s Law , whatever can go wrong will go wrong! Bottom line is – things will go wrong!
Can you believe that Kate and I actually landed in a wrong airport before?! But it is important to just pick up the pieces and embrace it with an open heart. Thereafter, we enjoyed a well deserved meal and continued to enjoy the rest of the holiday. On a smaller scale, you might have forgotten your shaver or even your mobile or lap top. It is not the end of the world, your holiday is still awaiting. Enjoy what you have planned! Looking back, it is just fun for us to recall the incident and the memory sticks with us. If it had not gone wrong, we would have just continued with our holiday without another memorial incident.
5. Enjoy! Last but not least, enjoy the holiday! Enjoy the thrill of anticipation and the holiday itself!
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Having travelled to so many countries all over the world, Kate and I think its timely to mention some of the essential things we must have when we travel and 3 other things we should have when we travel…
3 Essential Things You Must Have When You Travel
This list is actually a lazy list. In that, if you are too lazy to remember what are the items you need to have, make sure you have these things when you travel abroad…
1. Passport
Yeah…you may say “Of course! That’s rubbish Tom!”. But I do know of people (not speaking from experience) who forgot to bring their passport when they’re travelling! They’ve packed all their suitcases and luggage, brought their laptops and traveller’s cheque but forgot the single most important thing, the passport!
Do check this before you leave, its always ok to double check. The last thing you want is to arrive at the check-in counter at the airport and find yourself doing your own “body seach” to find your passport…
2. Credit Card / ATM Card
a. Credit Card. You guys have seen the “GO. With Visa” advertisement and it’s really true. Be it Visa, Master, Amex, Diner’s (Personally I would go with Visa or Master as they’re the most widely accepted card in the world) make sure you have one of these with you. You may need to make some “unexpected big purchases” like that LV or Coach bag (wink wink to Kate), cheap camera or laptop (wink wink to myself) or just purchasing some last minute insurance…it’s always handy to have a credit card with you as a form of international currency…
b. ATM Card. Sometimes you may be going for a short trip and it may not be worth the hassle to make a trip to the money changer’s to save that $10 exchange tax as you would be changing only a small amount. Make sure that your ATM card has the “Cirrus” or “Plus” logo for withdrawal at most ATMs worldwide. The ATM card usually charges an interbank rate (i.e. if I withdraw from a citibank ATM while I have a Bank of America account) plus the prevailing bank exchange rate. The bank exchange rate is usually slightly higher than the money changer’s. However, for a small amount (<$1000 for a short trip), it usually amounts to less than $10 savings (compared to the time to travel to the money changer’s and stand in the queue).
3. Small sum of local currency.
It is always wise to have a little bit of the local currency in loose change or small notes (less than $50 will do). This is in case you would like to take the local public transport when you arrive or tip the bell boy who carries your bag for you, these small change will come in handy.
So if you are too lazy to think and just want to enjoy your holidays with a peace of mind without having to think what you may have forgotten, remember your
1. Passport
2. Credit Card/ ATM Card
3. Small sum of local currency
4. Camera. This just added in because 2 and 3 can essentially be lumped into one. The camera is a must because for any holiday, it is the memories that you take back (either remembering through your brains or recorded using the camera). This is especially true with cameras nowadays being able to double up as a video camera even in High Definition HD. The camera is a must have companion on your travels!
Next…we’re gonna talk about 3 other things you should consider when you’re travelling…
3 Other Things You Should Have When You Travel
1. Medication.
It is always wise to carry along some common medication to cure some common travel ailments. These would include
a. Panadol/ Pain Killers. Insufficient rest (due to inability to adjust to local timing) or not having enough water are common factors that can lead to headaches. To arrest this, panadol or some form of pain killer is effective as you really do not want these small matters to affect the holiday which you may have planned for the last couple of months.
b. Charcoal / Diarrhoea Pills. When you visit another country and want to really immerse into another culture, one of the things you ought to and should do is to try the local cuisine. However, sometimes, these foods may just not gel so well with your body. Hence, this is when the charcoal or diarrhoea pills will come in handy.
c. Flu Medicine. Well, not really the flu medicine per se. Recently, we discovered the panadol flu-max and its an easy off-the-shelf item that you can get from your major supermarkets. It is like a just-in-case kind of thing where you may unexpectedly come into contact with germy air and start to have a runny nose.
d. Lozenges/Throat Aid. Last but not least, the sore throat medicine. Sore throat is irritating. Its not irritating enough to put you down, but irritating enough to spoil your holiday. So do bring some lozenges/throat aid along to arrest the sore throat before it ruins your holiday!
2. Travel Insurance.
To put your mind at ease, some form of basic travel insurance should do the trick. It should essentially cover your overseas medical bills in the event that you might encounter some accidents and the travel insurance can really help to defray a huge portion of the costs (hospitalisation, evacuation, medicine, doctor’s fee etc.).
Also, if you do carry expensive items around like your new laptop,IPAD or buying luxury items home, the travel insurance can give you an ease of mind and you know that even if the airline messes it up and loses your stuff, you’ll be covered financially for those expensive items.
3. Clean underwear.
Need we say more?
Hope this short post will help you while you pack for your next trip and we hope that you too will have a peace of mind and be fully recharged from your next holiday!
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Nowadays, “staycation” (the combination of stay and vacation – meaning to stay in one’s country to have a vacation) is very popular in Singapore, given the rising number of chic hotels and new establishments sprouting in many corners all over Singapore.
So Kate and I decided to do so as well. We took our pick to stay at the newly constructed Hard Rock Hotel at Sentosa (Resorts World Sentosa, RWS). There are several hotels now in Resorts World Sentosa, namely, Festive Hotel, Hotel Michael, Crockfords Tower (by invitation only) as well as Hard Rock Hotel.
Introduction about Sentosa
Sentosa was formerly known as Pulau Blakang Mati which translates directly as Island, Behind, Dead otherwise known as the Island of the dead. However, in 1972, Sentosa was mooted to become a popular tourist destination and was renamed Sentosa, meaning, “Peace and Tranquility”.
The island is just located 0.5km south of the main island and is now connected via cable car, a link bridge as well as Sentosa pedestrian board walk.
The Sentosa board walk has now several ‘hang out’ places like the Queens (with happy hour drinks and cakes), Venezia (Italian ice cream), Wine Company and a crepes shop. Also you can shop at the Frangipani Creations (theme of frangipani for bags, hair pins, paintings) and a Sentosa souvenir shop.
Admission to Sentosa Island
If you are staying at one of the hotels at Sentosa, admission is usually complimentary. What you would need to do is to check with your hotel on how to gain complimentary entry into the island. This differs slightly from hotels on the island itself and hotels in RWS (Resorts World Sentosa).
By Foot/Walking ($1)
To gain entry via the new boardwalk, it is only $1 per person to enter and you get to enjoy a nice little walk, about 5-7 minutes along the newly constructed boardwalk.
Sentosa broadwalk
By Sentosa Express ($3)
The Sentosa express is the new monorail that transits all across the island of Sentosa and back to the main island at Vivocity (a shopping mall). This ride costs $3.
Sentosa Monorail
By Car
The rates for entry can be found on the website of Sentosa and it is usually cheaper to car pool and go into the island as a group. If you are driving into RWS like we did, remember to keep left as you enter the roads to Sentosa. If you are driving into Hard Rock (near the convention centre), keep left again.
Driving via the bridge that connects to Sentosa
Once you are on the island, all buses and monorail rides are free. Yup, even if you paid only $1 to enter via the boardwalk!
Hard Rock Hotel Sentosa
We first checked into our room at Hard Rock Sentosa. It was located on the top floor, overlooking the entire pool area.
Hard Rock Hotel Sentosa Lift LobbyCouch in Hard Rock Hotel RoomHard Rock Hotel Sentosa RoomHard Rock Hotel Sentosa Room 2Hard Rock Hotel Sentosa Room:FLat Screen TV with surround sound system
The pool is one of the best things about Hard Rock Hotels. It is always a surprise for me to see how chill the Hard Rock Pool is and this pool didn’t disappoint. Check out this video of the pool!
Hard Rock Hotel Sentosa Singapore and swimming pool
The pool at the Hard Rock Hotel consists of so many segments. From my memory, I can recall an infinity pool (or lap pool), a children’s play area (complete with water guns, fountains and a slide), a jacuzzi, a lazy pool, a pool by the bar, as well as, you’ve guessed it, the beach pool complete with soft white Australian-imported sand!
Resorts World Sentosa
After lazying in the pool for a while, we decided to grab some dinner at Vivocity. Each room at the Hard Rock is entitled to 2 parking tickets as well as monorail tickets on the Sentosa Express (unlimited rides from Sentosa to Vivo for 3 consecutive days once activated). As we ventured out, we took some of these pictures.
Sentosa in the eveningThe Queen at The Sentosa BroadwalkDeco at The QueenStrawberry tiramisu with wine at The Queen
After dinner, we decided to chill out at one of the new restaurants along the boardwalk. We had some wine and shared a strawberry tiramisu. The food was ok, but the nice laidback music accompanied by views of RWS more than made up for it. We wanted to catch the animatronics Crane Dance show (9pm), but to our horror, it was under repairs! So we headed for the 9:30pm fountain show at the Lake of Dreams.
We did catch the crane dance animatronics some time before and here it is
There is nothing much to say about the show except, DO NOT GO! Please view our video that we painstakingly recorded for you (for you to fast forward) so that you can save 15 minutes of your precious time. Towards the end of the show, many people started to walk away (hence you see many movements in the video at the end). The show ended without a finale or whatsover. It just faded out…it has to be one of the worst fountain shows ever.
Sentosa Day Play Pass
On the second day, we decided to go for the day play pass and it was a fruitful 10 hours. The day play pass is a packaged deal where you pay $63.90/Adult , $47.90/Child (Weekdays) and $69.90/Adult, $51.90/child (Weekends) to enjoy 13 attractions from 9am to 7pm. It is really worth it because you get to cover:
1. Fort Siloso
2. Bi-Pedal Bicyle (1 hr)
3. Segway Fun Ride (Beginner’s practice and trail)
4. The Flying Trapeze
5. Skyline Luge (with 1 skyride) OR Unlimited Skyrides
6. Images of Singapore
7. Sentosa 4D Magix
8. Sentosa Nature Discovery
9. Sentosa Cineblast
10. Desperados
11. Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom
12. Tiger Sky Tower
13. The Merlion
But to complete all the attractions (which we almost did), you have to plan your time properly to avoid the crowd. So we suggest you cover like we did!
Images of Singapore
Initially, we wanted to start off our day at the 4D magix, Cineblast as well as Desperados. However, on the way up, we realised that Images of Singapore was already opened. So the first stop was here
Images of Singapore SentosaImages of Singapore Video partMid Autumn Festival aka Mooncake Festival
It was a pleasant surprise because we really didn’t think the Images of Singapore would be such a huge place. It will probably take perhaps 1-2 hours if you read all the information. The whole museum is full of figurines, statues and displays. It depicts how Singapore came about (with the discovery of Singapore by Sir Stamford Raffles – Nowadays the brand Raffles is associated with everything high class or “Atas” as we would say) and how we thrived from a small fishing village to the cosmopolitan city we are today. Certainly worth visiting.
It is good to start off the day at the rides and movies because the queues would usually pick up and you will be wasting precious time queuing. When we reached there, we were first for all the rides and shows! Yay!
Cineblast
Price chart for Pirates, Extreme Log Ride and DesperadosEntrance to Extreme Log ride
We first went for the Extreme Log Ride. It was very realistic! One of the best 3D rides I have been on. It brings you through Himalaymazon. You’ve heard me right! Not the Himalayas nor the Amazon. Haha…not for the faint-hearted though.
Desperados
Desperados Sentosa
Desperados is a 3D shooting game whereby you are an assistant to the Sheriff and to take out the bad guys. You are seated on a saddle that moves according to the game. Holding on to the pistol with one hand and the saddle with the other, you have 2 rounds of trying to top the score. Enjoyed this one as well. Try to shoot well, else your face would be flashed across the screen as a bobo shooter…
4D Magix – Pirates
Kate and I have been to 4D shows previously and this was nothing new. Basically a 15 minutes show with 4D effects like wind blown by your ears, water sprinkling at you, in your face bees and insects crawling from under your seats. Yup, all the effects accompanied by the 3D movie. Enjoy!
Skyline Luge (with 1 skyride) OR Unlimited Skyrides
Luge and Skyride SentosaWaiting to do the Luge rideYay! Did the Luge at Sentosa!
Next, we went for the Luge. We didnt know at first that the Luge Ride came with 1 skyride. Still, we chose the Luge. So from Imbiah, we Luged down to the beach. The new trail, Dragon Trail just completed construction not long ago and it was an exciting, winding ride. The slogan is true : Once is never enough. But we had another attractions to enjoy.
Oilio cafe at Imbiah SentosaChicken Chop spaghettiFish & Chips
We were there shortly after lunch, so we beat the crowd and waited only about 5 minutes. Lunch was cheap (@Olio Bites considering prices at Sentosa) and good. We had spaghetti and Fish & Chips. Yum. Enjoy the thrilling Luge!
Segway Fun Ride
Beach Tram Sentosa
After the Luge, we wanted to rent the bicycle and ride into Fort Siloso. However, we were dismayed to find that we couldn’t and we were stopped at the tram station at the entrance of Fort Siloso. So we had to cycle back to return our bikes and head back to Fort Siloso. There were 2 guided tours that day (12.30pm and 3.30pm) but when we finally got back to Fort Siloso, we realised that we just missed the first guided tour! So we were advised by the friendly staff of Sentosa to complete Segway first, which we did.
Segway Crew who will help you familiarise with the Segway
We waited a short while before it was our turn. As with the Luge, you would have to don the helmet provided. The first practice session was basically to familiarise yourself with the Segway. The instructor would tell you how to move ahead, backwards and left/right by leaning your body (forwards/backwards) and tilting the handles to the desired direction. It was quite easy actually. But you would be envious when you see the instructors being able to move fast and drift! They would then ask you to ride towards a tree, go round it, and return back to the instructor.
Segway Circuit Sentosa
The trail is much like a garden walk. On the Segway, it was over in 5 minutes. But it was still fun to go at a leisure speed and try to traverse small humps and engage slopes upwards and downwards. Overall, it was a nice refreshing albeit “risky” experience.
Sentosa Nature Discovery
Sentosa Nature DiscoveryPretty flowers in the afternoon sun
We also attended the guided tour here. This area is basically free but with the guided tour, it makes the visit extra educational. The tour covered the types of trees and animals/birds that may be encountered and includes a short treetop/canopy walk. Nature lovers would enjoy this one.
Fort Siloso
At the start of the Fort Siloso tourBritish surrendering to the Japanese
Fort Siloso is a museum at Sentosa that covers the defence of Singapore during the colonial and WW2 era. It was really worthwhile to hear the stories that the guide had, and to learn about how it was like during the pre-war and war era.
The tour covered the guns, surrender chambers, life during WW2 under Japanese occupation and the surrender of Japanese back to the allied forces.
This is a really good tour (about an hour or so) for those who are interested in history and WW2. You can board the bus for the tour either at Imbiah or at the entrance of Fort Siloso. It departs slightly earlier, do check with the friendly staff for the exact timings.
The Merlion
Sentosa MerlionMerlion Park Sentosa
As we entered, we were given a token at the entrance. It was a gold coin. We were then ushered into a small theatre to watch a short clip of how the “Merlion” came about. After the movie, we dropped our coin into one of the many merlions at the entrance of the lift and exchanged for a gift card. You can then claim your gift at the souvenier shop as you exit the Merlion.
We went to level 10 where the teeth of the Merlion was. We caught several shots here.
Stairs from the mouth of the Merlion to the headView Through the Merlion’s teethThe cyclone (view from the merlion)View from the merlion’s head
There was also a staff there ready to take a picture for you. After that, we went to the top of the Merlion. The view was spectacular. It covered the whole of Sentosa, including the rides and castle at the Universal Studios, the hotels at Resorts World, a golf course, the cable car ride, the sky tower. Over the distance, we could see our Central Business District (the CBD) as well as views of the ocean and our world famous sea port. Take a look at this video!
We took the lift and exited the Merlion. We were directed to exchange our gift cards for a souvenir and we got 2 hand held fans with Merlion imprinted on it.
Tiger Sky Tower
Tiger TowerTiger Gondola
Our last stop was the Tiger Sky Tower. It wasn’t our first time but we still enjoyed the spectacular views that it offered. Enjoy these pictures!
Harbourfront from the Tiger TowerMerlion from the Tiger TowerRasa Sentosa from the Tiger TowerReflections at the Bay and Keppel Club from the Tiger TowerSkyride from the Tiger TowerView from the Tiger TowerView of Sea from the Tiger TOwerSunset view from the Tiger Tower
Dinner @ Ramenplay
We went back to the hotel and lazed in the pool again before heading out for dinner. We wanted to catch the butterfly park but missed it as it was closed at 6:30pm. We had visited the one in Cameron Highlands before, so not much regrets there. We missed the trapeze because we aren’t that adventurous. For those who have tried it, do leave a comment on how it went!
We decided to stay in Sentosa for dinner and we ate at Ramenplay. There was a deal with DBS cards. If you order 2 mains, you’d receive a plate of 2 fried meat balls (Dango). The ramen was good. Remember to order the one that comes with the pork broth because it is simmered for a long time to achieve that taste. The meat was generous and the ramen was Q (also known as springy). The Unagi hot pot was not fantastic, but the unagi itself was delicious. Though a little bit on the expensive side, the meal was thoroughly satisfying. We also ordered the bamboo chicken and Chicken/Leek Yakitori to complete the meal. Yum.
Bamboo chicken RamenplayChicken and Leek Yakitori RamenplayYummy ramen at Ramen PlayYummy Unagi from Ramenplay
Overall, it was an excellent staycation and we enjoyed all the attractions that Sentosa has to offer with the Day Play Pass. Go stay in the hotels at Resorts World Sentosa while they are still new and nice!
