De Sarann Villa in Siem Reap was our choice of stay when we visited Cambodia for the first time. Thanks to Sokmeng and François, we were hosted to a luxurious, tranquil and exclusive stay at the De Sarann Villa, here in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Let’s find out what this latest villa in Siem Reap has to offer…
De Sarann Villa Siem Reap CambodiaWelcome drinks at De Sarann Villa Siem Reap upon arrivalPersonalised service from Sona during our stay at De Sarann Villa Siem Reap Cambodia
About De Sarann Villa Siem Reap Cambodia
Tucked away at #37 Trang Village (one of the oldest village precinct in Siem Reap), De Sarann Villa is a hidden gem that offers luxury travellers all that you need during your stay in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It is conveniently located just 7km from the Angkor Temples / Siem Reap International Airport (less than 10 minutes ride) and a mere 5 minutes drive to the city. Although conveniently located, it is also out of hustle and bustle of the main street, thus offering you an oasis of tranquility – a really smart idea!
Our stay at Royal Family Suite Villa – with Private Pool, De Saranna Villa Siem Reap
There are only 4 villas (yes, you did not misread that) in De Sarann and because of that, it offers luxury travellers that exclusivity and an undisturbed tranquility. Should you need any assistance, personalised service will be at your doorstep within seconds (literally!). Talk about exclusivity…
To top it all off, each villa comes with a swimming pool (complete with jacuzzi functions), rooftop dining options, deck chairs to chillax and complimentary beverages throughout your stay.
Inside Royal Family Suite Villa – with Private Pool, De Saranna Villa Siem Reap
When Sona told us that our room was 120 metres square, we were really surprised. That equates to almost 3 times the size of a typical hotel room! Of course, the size includes the private roof top pool and dining area. Nonetheless, as we strolled through our room, we got to understand the brevity of the size of the Royal Family Suite Villa in De Sarann Villa…
Living area with cooking facilities and huge TV at De Sarann Villa Siem Reap CambodiaSmaller room with attached bathroom and in-room TV at De Sarann Villa Siem ReapKing-sized bed in Master Bedroom of Royal Family Suite De Sarann VillaExecutive table with touch-sensitive lamp at De Sarann Villa Siem ReapIn-room TV with international cable channels at De Sarann Villa Siem Reap CambodiaDesigner sink of the walk-in bathroom at De Sarann Villa Siem ReapA REALLY HUGE bath tub De Sarann Villa Siem Reap Cambodia (we’ll talk more about it later)Rain shower with complete bathroom amenities (and bath salts!) at De Sarann Villa Siem Reap
After exploring the first level of our villa at De Sarann Villa, we were pretty much captivated. The management spared no effort in the details of furnishing the rooms. Sculptures adorn the shelves of the rooms and living spaces, a fully stocked mini bar (3 types of beers, 4 types of soft drinks and plenty of water), 3 TVs and a complete set of bathroom amenities. As for the bath tub, it must have been the biggest we’ve ever seen (or been in) and that’s after visiting the in-room jacuzzi bath tub of Heathman Lodge in Vancouver USA. We’re both close to 6 foot in height and it can fit both of us in comfortably with room to waddle! :O
Here’s a video tour of the Royal Family Suite at De Sarann Villa…
And you thought our tour of the villa is over? Here’s the best part, the roof top swimming pool and dining deck!
Roof top private pool of De Sarann Villa Siem ReapPrivate pool with jacuzzi – Royal Family Suite De Sarann VillaDaily sunsets as seen from the private roof top pool of De Sarann VillaDe Sarann Villa Siem Reap Breakfast at Rooftop Pool2bearbear : What a sumptuous breakfast spread at De Sarann Villa Siem Reap Cambodia!
The highlight of villas at De Sarann Villa has got to be the private pool and roof top deck. Here, you’ll be able to enjoy a jacuzzi in the privacy of your own villa. There are even deck chairs for you to enjoy the sun throughout the day. As De Sarann Villa is the tallest building in the vicinity, you’ll literally get a full day of sunshine and even get to watch sunset while chilling out at the private pool.
The deck chairs were also surprisingly comfortable and because of the peaceful surroundings, we soon found ourselves falling asleep unknowingly – to the tranquil tune of nature.
Breakfast can also be served at the roof top. As sun rise is pretty early (about 5:30am), we started to have breakfast at 6am and really enjoyed it as the colours of the sky dawned into the soothing morning colours. Ahh…
Services offered at De Sarann Villa Siem Reap Cambodia
Although De Sarann Villa is a relatively new establishment, it has all its bases covered…
1. Dining. De Sarann Villa collaborates with the famous Mahob Khmer Restaurant to bring you authentic Cambodian cuisine in the comfort of your own villa. On our first night, we ordered the beef tenderloin on hot stone ($6.80USD) and the hot stone itself was literally delivered to our villa!
Dinner spread from Mahob Khmer Restaurant at our own villa in De Sarann VillaClose up of beef tenderloin as it sizzled on the hot stone (complimentary in-room beers) at De Sarann Villa Siem ReapMenu Mahob Khmer Cuisine Siem Reap
Tip : We’ve been to several restaurants about town but when it comes to taste and price, the collaboration with Mahob Khmer Restaurant really takes the icing. Prices are decent and food is excellent. You MAY (a huge MAY here) even get a 10% discount if you mention about your stay at De Sarann Villa. (Nope, you did not hear this offer from us :P)
2. In-room massage. De Sarann Villa also collaborates with Molis Ruot Spa & Massage to offer guests high standards of massage services in the comfort of your own villa. A 4 hands body massage is a steal at $30 for 60 minutes!
Massage prices of De Sarann Villa
3. Transportation and Private Tours. Transportation can be easily arranged at the hotel’s reception. The drivers work closely with De Sarann Villa to offer prompt service and of course safety to the guests at the hotel. A complimentary handphone was also provided for us to contact our driver (Lin) who was on hand to pick us up every time. Strangely, whenever we were to be picked up, he would always be the first to spot us and because of that, we knew we were in good hands. A full day of tuk tuk transportation costs $18USD. This includes a day trip to the Angkor temples and also bringing us around the city for dinner before delivering us safely back to the hotel. Did we also mention that airport transfers are complimentary?
Sokmeng (owner of De Sarann Villa) actually started off in the travel industry early in her career. She only started De Sarann Villa after she successfully opened her own travel company. This also means that, the hotel is able to customise private tours for you during your stay in Siem Reap. She also shared with us a secret place to catch splendid sunsets in the evenings (involving a lovely boat ride and chilled beers or wine)…No more need to contend with the noisy crowds at sunset!
Meaning, you’ll only enjoy these amazing moments with your loved ones…Nope, we’re not going to divulge the secret here. Check in with De Sarann Villa to find out more!
Attractions in and around De Sarann Villa
Because of its convenient location, De Sarann Villa is a mere 7km from the Angkor temples and less than a 5 minutes ride to the city. You’ll be able to enjoy these attractions, a stone’s throw away…
Tom stealing a kiss at Angkor Wat during sunriseSiem Reap Old MarketInside Siem Reap Old MarketAngkor Night MarketPub Street Siem Reap
Location of De Sarann Villa
De Sarann Villa is located at #37 Trang Village, Sangkat Slorkram, Siem Reap Cambodia. You can also reach them at +855 63 900 050.
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We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of De Sarann Villa in Siem Reap Cambodia. After visiting the establishment for ourselves, we’re converts. It’s true that De Sarann Villa brings luxury, exclusive living and tranquility to the luxury travellers of today!
Adventure Cove Sentosa is one of the major attractions both at Sentosa and in Singapore. In addition to the Maritime Experiential Museum and SEA Aquarium, Adventure Cove was one of the attractions in Sentosa that we pretty much enjoyed. It is a adventure waterpark that offers something for everyone! Find out more about some secret tips that we found out at our last visit here!
Adventure Cove Sentosa Attractions
Tip 1 : Once you’re in, head straight to the area between Rainbow Reef and the Bay Restaurant. At the corner of this area, there is a great area for you and your friends to gather at. It was there where we set up our “base camp”!
Rainbow Reef
Adventure-Cove-Waterpark-Rainbow-Reef
The other reason why you should head to Rainbow Reef first is because there will be a SUPER LONG queue as the day goes on. Heading there first will allow you to get a great spot and also be one of the first to be enjoy Rainbow Reef. Something that Tom did…
Rainbow Reef is one of the most enjoyable experience in Adventure Cove. It is actually snorkeling among schools of fish within a reef. You’ll be given instructions
1. Not to kick within the reef. This is because there is a light stream that brings you round like a circuit. You’ll just have to float along. Of course, the other reason is to prevent you from disturbing the marine life within.
2. No diving. Even though you may be tempted to swim among the schools of fish, you are not allowed to do so.
What we really enjoyed about this attraction was that during feed times, you’ll see a HUGE number of fish gather round the food and they all move in one swift, coordinated motion. So much so that there would be a mini wave or tremor that you may feel. Tom was actually shocked by this sudden movement when the feeding begun. But, what an awesome sight to behold! Enjoy!
The Bay Restaurant
The last reason why you should head to the Rainbow Reef area first is because of its proximity to the Bay Restaurant. Usually during meal times, the restaurant itself would be fully occupied. Nonetheless, you can bring out the food that you’ve ordered to the seating area outside, a place which you would have “choped” (Singlish for “Booked”) if you had followed our previous advice.
The fish and chips combo and fried chicken wings, though a little expensive, tasted quite alright. Here are the other attractions that we visited while we were at Adventure Cove Sentosa…
Seahorse Hideaway – A shallow wading pool for the toddlers
Dueling Racer – Grab a mat and race against your mate down the slide side by side
Riptide Rocket – The Waterpark equivalent of the roller coaster. Enjoy!
Adventure-Cove-Waterpark-Riptide-Rocket
Pipeline Plunge & Tidal Twister – Twisting and turning at high speeds and plunges!
Adventure-Cove-Waterpark-Tidal-Twister
Bluwater Bay – Chill out or just ride on the giant waves!
Spiral Washout and Whirlpool Washout – Be prepared for a water ride unlike any other!
Adventure-Cove-Waterpark-Spiral-Washout
Tip 2 : We realised that the more exciting ride is always on the left side. Once in line for queues that head to 2 rides, remember to choose according to what you can handle. For us, it’s always the left ride!
Big Bucket Treehouse – A fun splash area for the kids
Splashworks – A water obstacle course
Adventure-Cove-Waterpark-Splashworks
Adventure River – Adventure Cove Sentosa’s Lazy River
At Adventure Cove Sentosa, there are additional experiences – ultimate marine encounters (of course at an additional fee) that you can enjoy. These include Sea Trek Adventure, Shark Encounter, Ray Bay, Open Ocean Dive and the various Dolphin encounters seen above.
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Adventure Cove Sentosa
We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of Adventure Cove Sentosa, do let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Ipoh is a food paradise! But if you’re wondering what are some of the things you must eat in Ipoh Malaysia, here are the top 10 picks of what to eat in Ipoh! By the way, this food list is in descending order, which means no.1 is a MUST TRY!
What to eat in Ipoh Malaysia
10. Ipoh Parade Shopping Centre Food Court – Popiah
Ipoh Parade Shopping Center Food Court Popiah – 2 for 5RMRich and crispy filling inside the Ipoh popiah
At the top floor of Ipoh Parade Shopping Center, you’ll find this food court, within which, there’s a stall that has its sign board that states “Popiah”. This was a really surprise find for us because we were not having lunch but were feeling peckish. The aunty sort of recommended her popiah while we walked by her stall and we tried. To our surprise, it had several layers of taste to it. Crispy, moist, fresh and tasty fillings. Try it if you’re in the vicinity!
9. MYDIN Wholesale Hypermarket in Bandar Meru Raya, Ipoh – My Nasi Kandar
My Nasi Kandar at Mydin Mall IpohTandoori Chicken @ My Nasi Kandar Ipoh – 6RMNaan @ My Nasi Kandar Mydin Mall Ipoh – 2.3RM
Mydin Mall is located at PT 229142, Jalan Meru Bestari B2, Bandar Meru Raya, 30020 Jelapang, Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan. What happened was this. We were supposed to take a bus leaving Amanjaya Bus Terminal after booking for the bus online. Guess what? There was no such bus leaving that morning when we arrived at the terminal! So we went to all the booths that sold tickets to source for the next available ride to Singapore. We even met up with others who were supposed to be on the same bus and thought of car pooling. But in the end, we decided against taking a ride to Johor to transfer from there. Instead, we waited at Mydin Mall (a short walk from Amanjaya Bus Terminal) for our direct bus trip back to Singapore.
In the meantime, we managed to squeeze in a meal at My Nasi Kandar (after seeing all the crowds there). After trying the tandoori, we understood why the crowd was there. We could taste the spices, the tenderness and the juiciness of the chicken tandoori. Surprisingly good we must say 🙂
8. Cendol at Mr Cendol Mydin Mall
Soya Special Cendol at Mr Cendol Ipoh
Still within Mydin Mall, along the circumference of the mall was Mr Cendol. We’ve tried several cendols in Singapore before but since the place was called Mr Cendol, we thought they might offer something different. We sat down and ordered the Soya Special. Turns out that instead of using just shaved ice, the ice was made of soya milk and topped off with ice cream. Sedap!
7. Dim Sum at Restoran Ying Fa
Restoran Ying Fa Dim Sum Ipoh
Restoran Ying Fa is located at 1C, Jalan Sultan Yussuf (Belfied Street), Old Town, Perak, Ipoh Town, 30000. We actually arrived in Ipoh at 5am in the morning and were offered transportation by a uncle who had 6 fingers on one of his hands. Hence, he has a nick-name called liu zhi （六指 – literally meaning six fingers). He offered to take us to our hotel (for a fee of course – 20RM) and so we requested for a dim sum place enroute. We were taken to Ying Fa Restoran!
Dim sum at Ying Fa Restoran including chee cheong fun, siew mai, century egg with chicken ball ranging from 3 to 3.5RMDim sum served on traditional carts at Restoran Ying Fa Ipoh
All in all, we spent only 22RM for all the dim sum that we had. Quality was ok but the price was really economical. So do head on down if you have a craving for dim sum!
6. Kedai Makanan Nam Heong
Kedai Makanan Nam Heong – Distributor of White Coffee at 2 Jalan Bandar Timah Ipoh
Kedai Makanan Nam Heong is located at 2, Jalan Bandar Timah, Ipoh Perak, 30000. There are 2 reasons why you should visit Kedai Makanan Nam Heong coffeeshop.
Firstly, it is one of the main distributors of white coffee in Ipoh. We’ve tried the iced white coffee and it was really strong and aromatic. Unlike some diluted ones that we’ve tried before. To learn more about the meaning of white coffee, follow the link to our Things to do in Kluang Malaysia post.
Secondly, Makanan Nam Heong is actually an amalgamation of several amazing foods in Ipoh including ipoh hor fun, curry mee, penang prawn noodles, char kway teow and dim sum! Of which, the smell of the char kway teow was really irresistable. Definitely a MUST TRY!
Lim Fong Char Kway Teow @ Kedai Makanan Nam Heong IpohKedai Makanan Nam Heong Curry Mee IpohIpoh Hor Fun and Penang Prawn Noodles @ Nam Heong CoffeeshopNam Heong Dim Sum Ipoh
5. Restoran Ipoh Kong Heng
Caramel Custard @ Restoran Thean Chun and More Food Choices at Restoran Ipoh Kong HengFried and normal popiah for 3.8RM at Restoran Ipoh Kong HengRestoran Ipoh Kong Heng – Sliced chicken sar hor fun
Restoran Ipoh Kong Heng is located at 74 Jalan Bandar Timah, 30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. Here, there are actually alot of food choices including the traditional ipoh hor fun, the sar hor fun (that we had) as well as the mixed popiahs (see above). The prawn soup of the sar hor fun was especially flavourful. Coupled with the springy hor fun and firm chicken slices? Yummilicious! As for the mixed popiah, the normal popiah actually tasted better although the option of tasting the fried version was interesting.
4. Traditional Hor Fun
Traditional Hor Fun at a zi char stall in Ipoh
If you have read our post questioning whether the standard of zi char in Singapore has dropped? It was all triggered by this plate of beautifully constructed hor fun. Simple dish with springy hor fun and tasty gravy. Nope, this was not at a famous place but at a random coffee shop that we visited. Speaks alot about the quality of food (especially hor fun) in Ipoh.
3. Funny Mountain Soya Bean
Kacang Soya Funny Mountain Beancurd IpohBrisk business at Funny Mountain Soya Bean IpohBean curd at Funny Mountain Ipoh
Funny Mountain Bean Curd is located at 49, Jalan Theatre (Jalan Mustapha Al-Bakri), 30300 Ipoh, Perak. We actually tried the bean curd because of the long queue indicating that they must be doing something right in their concoction of soya bean products. However, we think that the soya bean curd that we tried was a tad too sweet. In addition, we have been spoilt by the silky smooth soya bean curds in Singapore. So the bean curd here was quite normal for us. But still, there’s a reason why the crowds are streaming in, so do tell us what you think in the comments section below!
2. Kafe Sun Yoon Wah Snow Beer
Kafe Sun Yoon Wah Snow Beer IpohA bottle of snow beer at 14RM – Kafe Sun Yoon Wah IpohKafe Sun Yoon Wah Ipoh Stir Fried CalamariKafe Sun Yoon Wah Ipoh – Pork Rib King Yum!Kafe Sun Yoon Wah Ipoh – Malay Style Kang Kong
Kafe Sun Yoon Wah is located at 7,Jalan Bijih Timah, Ipoh Old Town, 30000 Ipoh, Malaysia. Definitely, strongly recommended. The snow beer is actually formed by quickly pouring beer into a chilled mug. The bubbles then forms the frost like bits because of the ice cold mug, forming the well-known snow beer. It was a totally new experience for us, quite unlike Heineken extra cold or ice cold Tiger Beer. In addition, try the stir fried calamari that goes really well with the beer. The only catch is that you must drink the snow beer relatively quickly once its poured, else it will just become normal cold beer.
1. Restoran Ong Kee Tauge Ayam – Beansprouts with chicken and hor fun
Restoran Ong Kee Tauge Ayam (Beansprouts chicken) @ Jalan Yau Tet Shin IpohRestoran Ong Kee Ipoh – fresh firm chicken splashed with soy sauce and sesame oilRestoran Ong Kee Ipoh – Fat BeansproutsRestoran Ong Kee Ipoh – Go for the Horfun and mix i the chicken and beansprouts!
Restoran Ong Kee is located at 48, Jalan Yau Tet Shin, 30000 Ipoh, Perak. If there’s one food that you must try, it has got to be the beansprouts chicken with hor fun at Restoran Ong Kee. Some people say that because of the water here in Ipoh, the hor fun is extra taong (springy) and the bean sprouts are extra fat (as you can see from the picture above). It really is true. Mixing in the chicken and bean sprouts (with a dash of the chicken sauce) into the hor fun will give you a perfect combination of what Ipoh hor fun is really about.
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Thoughts on what to eat in Ipoh Malaysia
In fact, there are many other good food in Ipoh including the salt-baked chicken and caramel custards. But nonetheless, if there’s two food that we’d recommend, it’ll certainly be the Ipoh Hor Fun at Restoran Ong Kee and the snow beer at Kafe Sun Yoon Wah.
Visondata SG (VDS) offers low cost pocket wifi services that spans more than 70 countries. With this small device, users are able to stay connected while on travels or business trips overseas! Thanks to the great folks at Visondata SG, we got to experience its convenience and simplicity during our recent trip to Turkey!
Staying connected with Visondata SG in Turkey
Visondata SG @ Cotton Castle, Pamukkale Turkey
Visondata SG @ Ruins of Ephesus Turkey
Visondata SG @ Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal, Ankara Turkey
Visondata SG @ Cappadocia Turkey
Visondata SG @ Fairy Chimneys, Cappadocia Turkey
Visondata SG @ Grand Bazaar, Istanbul Turkey
Benefits of Pocket Wifi by Visondata SG
While we were using the pocket wifi offered by Visondata SG, we cannot help but marvel at how far technology has taken us. As you have seen in the above pictures, we were connected everywhere we went in Turkey. Here are some of the benefits we saw with the pocket wifi by Visondata SG
1. Easy to use. All we had to do was to press and hold the “power” button of the device. Within seconds (literally!), we were connected to a data network! As simple as press-and-use!
2. Speedy connection. We were able to upload photos to our various social media platforms while on the go and data speeds were no less than 3G.
3. Convenient. As Visondata SG puts it, it REALLY is a pocket wifi where you literally just place the device in your pocket or bag and you’re good to go! In addition, the company also provides courier service by delivering the device to your preferred location!
Considerations for using Visondata SG
1. Does Visondata SG cover your destination? If you take a look at the pricing plans at Visondata SG, you may realise that Turkey is not listed within this list. In fact, Visondata SG covers over 70 countries. This means that you’ll be able to stay connected while you travel to most places around the globe. If you’re still unsure, just drop a mail to Visondata SG (enquiry@visondata.com.sg ) and they will assist you to confirm if your destination is covered.
2. How it works. The pocket device actually uses the sim card technology. Because of Visondata’s collaboration with telcos world wide, they are able to utilise their services and bring this convenience to you! No longer do you have to worry about poor connection due to the various telcos covering a vicinity because Visondata will help to search for the strongest network for you within seconds.
3. Pricing. Overseas data roam costs minimally $10 to $15 from local telcos. The great thing about Visondata is that they’re able to match the price PLUS their collaboration with many telcos world wide ensures the best connectivity. So you’ll get the best connection at a fixed price. For Turkey (and 47 other European countries), it costs $25 per day for unlimited data usage as compared to $30 per day from the local telcos.
Share and win $500 worth of travel vouchers with Visondata SG
There’s an ongoing contest on the Facebook page of Visondata SG. To stand a chance to win $500 travel vouchers, all you have to do is to follow these simple steps
1. Like their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/visondatasg 2. Comment on the post by telling them which country you would like to visit the most and why! 3. Share your comment with your friends/families and get them to like it! The post with the highest number of likes will win.
Contest will end on the 6th February 2015 and the comment with the most number of likes wins. Winner will be notified via email on the 7th February 2015.
Alternatively, you can “like” our comments on Santorini Greece! 😛
Conclusion
We were skeptical at first about this device. Now we’re a convert.
We would recommend this device for travellers who want to stay connected wherever they are overseas. Check in with Visondata SG and discuss how you can stay connected during your next overseas trip!
Happy New Year Everyone! As it is Singapore’s Jubilee this year (Yay! Happy 50th Birthday Singapore!), there will be lots of jubilee celebrations as we …
This food list originally started off as the “Top 10 foods from 2014 Travels”. But as we went through our posts in 2014, we realised that there are alot of great foods that we’ve tried and would like to share them with you! So here it goes…
Top 20 Foods from 2014 World Travels
Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
20. Vietnam Coffee and Grilled Pork / Spring Roll Vermicelli (Ben Thanh Market)
Vietnam Coffee and Grilled Pork / Spring Roll Vermicelli for a total of 100,000 dong about 5USD
Vietnam Coffee and Grilled Pork / Spring Roll Vermicelli
19. Prawn and Chicken Spring Roll (Saigon Centre Cafe Terrace)
Prawn and chicken spring roll Saigon Centre Cafe Terrace
Prawn and chicken spring roll
While we were in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam, we tried the foods at Ben Thanh Market as well as Saigon Centre. What impressed us was the fresh ingredients used and prepared in such a way that it brings out the natural flavours of each ingredient. Our favourite from this trip were the Grilled Pork & Spring Roll Vermicelli (Kate LOOOOOOOVES Vietnamese Vermicelli – which she says she can have all day, everyday! :P) and the fresh Vietnamese spring roll. While in Vietnam, don’t forget to also try the world-renowned Vietnamese coffee!
Taichung Taiwan
18. The Original Bubble Milk Tea (Chun Shui Tang 春水堂 )
Chun Shui Tang 春水堂 The Original Bubble Milk Tea
Chun Shui Tang 春水堂 The Original Bubble Milk Tea
17. 大腸包小腸 Direct translation of Big Sausage Wrap Small Sausage (Feng Jia Night Market)
Feng Jia Night Market 大腸包小腸 from Yellow Stall NT40
大腸包小腸 (Direct translation of Big Sausage Wrap Small Sausage)
16. Ice cream with AWESOME Toppings (Miyahara 4th Credit)
15. The Best Changhua Meatballs (北門口肉圓 Bei Men Kou Meatball)
012bearbear enjoying their first changhua rou yuan
北門口肉圓 Changhua Meatball with scallop
We’ve scoured through the top Changhua Meatball stalls and deciphered which is the best Changhua Meatballs in Taiwan. Read our post to find out more!
Tainan Taiwan
14. Breakfast Set (鹿早茶屋)
鹿早茶屋 Tainan
Breakfast Set at 鹿早茶屋
While staying at 1967 Hotel Tainan, we chanced upon 鹿早茶屋 – a quaint cafe with a lovely breakfast menu. We tried the breakfast set as well as the German sausage waffles. Definitely a great way to start the day!
13. Shrimp Dumpling, Coffin Bread and Oyster Mee Sua (瑞珍虾仁馄饨)
瑞珍虾仁馄饨 Shrimp Dumpling, Coffin Bread and Oyster Mee Sua
瑞珍虾仁馄饨 Shrimp Dumpling, Coffin Bread and Oyster Mee Sua
We know…there are 3 foods in this picture and we should really pick one to introduce. But if we really have to choose, we’d pick the shrimp dumpling and the oyster mee sua. The oysters were really fresh and it was the soupy version which differs from the thick broth version that is usually sold in the streets. The shrimp dumplings (what 瑞珍虾仁馄饨 is famous for) had really fresh prawns and crispy skin. Once you go at it, you really can’t stop!
Bandung Indonesia
12. Tauhu Telur (Es Teler 77)
Tauhu Telur – especially shiok when freshly fried!
Tauhu Telur
Bandung Indonesia is a foodies paradise and there are so many yummy food that we would like to introduce here! But if we really had to choose, it would be the Tauhu Telur from Es Teler 77 (a local restaurant chain). Not only is the presentation superb (very pretty isn’t it?), the taste of the tauhu was fresh and the deep fried egg at the top was not the oily sort. Coupled with the sweet and spicy sauce? AWESOME!
Shanghai China
11. Pan Fried Dumplings (Yang’s Fried Dumpling 小杨生煎)
Yang’s Fried Dumpling 小杨生煎 4 for 6RMB
Yang’s Fried Dumpling 小杨生煎 4 for 6RMB
Yang’s Fried Dumpling simply wins the battle of pan fried dumplings hands down! Not only is it really economical to dine here – 4 dumplings costs 6RMB (That’s about 30cents each! WHAT?!), the taste was out of this world as well! Don’t be deceived by this innocent dumpling, tread (or chew) carefully…it is SOOOOOOO juicy that it leaves a trail of splatters on the mouths (or in our instance – spectacles) of the diners!
Penang Malaysia
10. Penang Char Hor Fun (Gurney Paragon’s Food Court)
If we really had to choose, the Penang Char Hor Fun (from Gurney Paragon’s Food Court) and Tau Yew Bak (braised pork from Mama’s Nonya Cuisine) are definitely not to be missed! Unlike most hor fun these days, the version from Gurney Paragon is made from scratch! The chef fries the hor fun and the sauce on the spot and marries them intricately together, topped off with the “silky egg”. The result? A taste of hor fun from days past to be remembered!
If you only had time (and $$) for one dish at Mama’s, go for the tau yew bak. The sauce is slightly sweetened with the fattiness of the pork belly…ah… Plain ol’ white rice goes best with this dish. Enjoy!
Ipoh Malaysia
8. Snow Beer (Kafe Sun Yoon Wah)
A bottle of snow beer at 14RM – Kafe Sun Yoon Wah Ipoh
Snow Beer
7. Beansprouts with chicken and hor fun (Restoran Ong Kee Tauge Ayam)
Restoran Ong Kee Ipoh – fresh firm chicken splashed with soy sauce and sesame oil
Fresh firm chicken splashed with soy sauce and sesame oil
Restoran Ong Kee Ipoh – Fat Beansprouts
REALLY FAT beansprouts
Restoran Ong Kee Ipoh – Go for the Horfun and mix i the chicken and beansprouts!
Ipoh Hor Fun (before mixing it all in)
Still on Malaysia and yet another foodie’s paradise – Ipoh. In Ipoh, there are 2 things that you must try, Ipoh Hor Fun (so cliche!) and the snow beer…
Snow beer? What is that?
It is actually bottles of beers that have been partially frozen that when they are poured into the frost mugs, snow like froths start to form. This gives “ice cold beer” a profoundly different meaning! Tastes great too. The only catch is that you have to drink it fast. Otherwise, it will just return to its fluid form in a really short while.
We know it is cliche, but the Ipoh hor fun at Restoran Ong Kee Tauge Ayam is not to be missed. Mix the aromatic chicken and FAT crunchy beansprouts with the taong hor fun and you’ll get a bowl of unmistakably great Ipoh hor fun!
Pattaya Thailand
6. Mango Sticky Rice (Supermarket of Central Festival)
Best mango sticky rice at only 80 baht! Look inside the supermarket of Central Festival downstairs
Mango Sticky Rice
The key to a great mango sticky rice is of course the mango. It has to be slightly overripe. That’s where it is at its sweetest and most fragrant. The sticky rice has to be sticky yet retaining the form of the individual grains. The version at Central Festival has got all these bases covered…probably one of the best mango sticky rice we’ve had!
Vancouver USA
5. Baby Back Ribs (Beaches Restaurant)
Baby Back Rib of Beaches Restaurant and Bar (20.99USD)
Baby Back Ribs
Having the baby back ribs at Beaches Restaurant (Vancouver USA) is a one of a kind experience. The meat is so tender that it falls right of the bones, literally! It also exudes that smoky barbecued taste with the slight charred and caramelised outer layer that makes it so irresistibly good!
Seattle USA
4. Chocolate Lava Cake (Metropolitan Grill)
Chocolate Lava Cake at Metropolitan Grill for 12USD
Chocolate Lava Cake
It is certainly strange to introduce a dessert from a famous steak joint such as Metropolitan Grill. But the truth is that the Chocolate Lava Cake was probably one of the best dessert we’ve ever tasted! There are so many textures to it…crumbly, chewy, oozy and rich. Simply divine this…
3. Sea Feast (The Crabpot)
Our order of the Westport sea feast at the Crab Pot Seattle
Westport sea feast
The Crabpot is one of the originators of the sea feast (or seafood feast) and it has made this list because of its novelty factor. Armed with a wooden mallet, visitors “have a go at it” with your bare hands and have a great time feasting on the seafood pot of clams, crabs, shrimp, mussels, corn and red potatoes.
They have made dining fun again!
San Francisco USA
2. Dungeness Crab (Fisherman’s Wharf)
Dungeness Crab roasted in garlic and olive oil (Fisherman’s Grotto San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf)
Dungeness Crab roasted in garlic and olive oil
We have actually not tried dungeness crabs until we visited the Fisherman’s Wharf of San Francisco. On the outside, the dungeness crab didn’t really look really appealing. Small pincers, “scrawny legs”. I mean, where is the crab meat?
But when we first tasted the dungeness crab, we understood why. Firstly, as it was in-season, the catch was really fresh. But the thing that made it stood out was its sweet sweet taste. This made the crab really easy to prepare. As long as its fresh, lightly steamed (or in our case lightly tossed) crab would taste great.
Now we understand why locals enjoy their dungeness crabs eventhough it seems that the meat seems few and far in between (the legs and pincers). A small portion satisfies 😛
1. Risotto Funghi (Fior d’Italia)
Risotto Funghi at Fior d’Italia – Confirm the best Risotto ever tasted (16USD)
Risotto Funghi at Fior d’Italia
Fior d’Italia is America’s oldest Italian restaurant, located at the ground level of San Remo Hotel. We thought to ourselves that there must be a reason why it is still around after such a long time (since 1886!).
We found out for ourselves that the taste was simple, unadulterated good food. Both the risotto and spaghetti had the authentic italian flavours. Fresh Italian pleasures at its finest.
If you’re visiting San Francisco, do drop by Fior d’Italia. You’ll enjoy the experience too!
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We hope that you have enjoyed our coverage of the top 20 foods from our 2014 travels!
Let us know what you think in our comments section below. Bon appetit and happy travels in 2015 everyone!
Harris Hotel Batam Center was visited by one young aspiring blogger – Ken. Known simply as Ken, he is only 8 years old this year. Ken stayed for 2 nights at Harris Hotel Batam Center and here is his version of the review…
Getting to Harris Hotel Batam Center
From Singapore Cruise Centre, Singapore to Batam Centre Ferry Terminal, Batam Island. (When we exited the ferry terminal, they always ask us for taxi). 5 to 10 minutes walk to Harris Hotel Batam Centre.
Things to note
1. Check in is at 2:00pm Batam time GMT +7. Check out time is at 12pm GMT +7.
2. The hotel staff is very friendly and they also have a welcome drink! It tastes like lemongrass.
3. Getting to the Ferry Terminal and the Megamall opposite is very difficult.
Used Batam Fast Operator. Got seasick on the way 🙁
About Harris Hotel Batam Center
(Hotel Room Service Number is 0). Hotel room very clean. Swimming pool at hotel has sea view, 1.15m tall (Note from Tom : I think he’s referring to the depth of the pool).
What I enjoyed in Batam
Megamall has A&W, J.Co and other shops.
1. Did foot reflexology at Johnny Andrean for 42,000Rupiah ($4.50 SGD) per person. Hair wash and blow dry for 45,000Rupiah per person at UG floor. (Note from Tom : Foot Reflexology at 8 years old?! He really knows how to enjoy this Ken)
2. Lunch at Black Canyon Coffee Cafe. Cookies ‘n’ cream frappe costs 33,000Rupiah at Ground Floor.
3. Next it’s time to play at Time Zone! 1 card costs 100,000Rupiah ($10.70 SGD) with stored value of 175,000Rupiah. The best game was the car racing game. I played it for 7-9 times!!! But beware, there is a gambling game called Deal or No Deal!!! At 1st floor…
4. Movies at Cinema XXI are priced at 25,000Rupiah ($2.70 SGD) for Mon to Thur and 30,000Rupiah ($3.20 SGD) for Fri to Sun. Caught 2 movies in 3 days. Big Hero 6 and Penguins of Madagascar, 2 of the latest movies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Note from Tom : This was the actual number of exclamation marks used by Ken – All 19 of them. No kidding!). After movies, I finished the remaining Rupiah in the game card 🙁
5. Bought back 2 dozens of J.Co Doughnut for 115,000Rupiah. Yummilicious!
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Parkland Green is the latest addition to vibrancy at East Coast Park. Opened in September 2014, there are several dining establishments, sports outlets, a laser tag arena as well as a 1 hectare field for endless activities! Find out more about what’s in store at Parkland Green…
Parkland Green East Coast Park
What’s at Parkland Green East Coast Park
1. 1-Hectare Open Lawn
1-hectare Open Lawn @ Parkland Green
The one hectare open lawn at Parkland Green offers a great venue for families to have picnics and gatherings. The flood lights also lit the lawn in the evenings and we caught some chaps enjoying themselves over frisbee. Definitely a great play area for the kids as well. Nearby, there are also BBQ pits along the coast.
2. Tag Team Inc
Tag Team Inc East Coast Park
Laser Tag Arena Parkland Green
At Tag Team Inc, there are laser tag and archery tag team games available. The great thing about the games here are that they’re safe for children as well as adults. The only down side that we see is that the arena seems a little small – may not be as exciting for thrill seekers.
3. Sports Retail Outlets
Sports Retail Outlets at Parkland Green East Coast Park
Hvper Sports Retail @ Parkland Green
The sports retail outlets at Parkland Green provides an option for park goers to purchase skate scooters, roller blades or bikes. Check it out and you might just be hit by the “active bug”…
4. Dining Establishments
Patro’s Sports Bar & Restaurant / Starbucks Coffee
Atmosphere Sports Bar East Coast
Sandbank Restaurant
Pickmeup Cafe Parkland Green
Bakery & Bar St. Marc East Coast Park
Parkland Green is set to be a great hang out venue with these new dining establishments. Sports bars that offers live soccer matches would definitely be drawing EPL fans in flocks. Do take note that free parking is only for the first year of operation (made known to us by restaurant operators there). So do take advantage and visit while it lasts!
We were actually craving for north indian cuisine this evening and Patro’s came to our rescue! Yay! Butter chicken!
Butter chicken, basmati rice, naan and fried vegetables
Sangria at Patro’s Parkland Green East Coast Park
Indoors and alfresco dining at Patro’s Parkland Green East Coast
First off, we must say that the food was really great. Creamy rich butter chicken with long grains of basmati rice. Shiok! Naan was slightly burnt but mixed with the butter chicken gave the meat a tinge of the tandoori taste. Last but not least, the sangria (at $40 a jug) is definitely a great complement to the meal. An enjoyable meal overall.
Oh, you may have also noticed that we moved from outdoors to indoors. Pretty much due to the mosquito and heat. Nonetheless, alfresco dining experience at Patro’s, watching park goers go (jog/cycle) by, is quite enjoyable as well!
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Monkey Goes West is W!ld Rice‘s year end holiday musical for 2014. We’ve caught the musical and here’s the review of Monkey Goes West – just for you!
Monkey Goes West Musical Review
Monkey Goes West by W!ld RiceMonkey Goes West @ Victoria TheatreEntrance to Victoria Theatre for Monkey Goes West Monkey Goes West @ Victoria TheatreTickets of Monkey Goes WestInside Victoria Theatre Monkey Goes West
Synopsis of Monkey Goes West
The matinee session that we attended started at 2:30pm and ended at 5:15pm. The entire musical took approximately 2hrs 20 minutes with a 15 minutes intermission in between.
The first half of the musical shows Ah Tang (played by Joshua Lim), the star of the show, falling out with his adoptive parents. He runs away from home and finds himself at Haw Par Villa where he meets with the Monkey King (played by Sugie Phua) who was punished to be placed under the 5 finger mountain. Ah Tang frees Monkey King and they begin their journey to the West in a mystical world of demons and fantasy. Along the way, Ah Tang meets Pigsy (played by Frances Lee) and Sandy (played by Siti Khalijah Zainal) who joins him in his journey to the West.
After the intermission, the party of 4 meets their obstacle – the fire mountain. The only way to quench the fire is to use Princess Iron Fan’s (played by Chua En Lai) fan who is also the wife of King Bull (played by Lim Kay Siu). Monkey King then uses ways and means to get the fan…
A typical conversation between Ah Tang and Monkey King goes something like this…
Ah Tang : Wu Kong (referring to Monkey King), you should do it (referring to using the fan to put out the fire from fire mountain)
Wu Kong : Master, zhe si ne eh journey (translating to “Master, it’s your journey (you should use the fan)”)
and
Ah Tang : Wu Kong, what should I do now?
Monkey King : Actually…Master, zhe bo wa eh dai ji (translating to “Actually…Master, it’s none of my business”)
At the end of the journey, Ah Tang learns a few things about himself. What did he learn? Catch the musical to find out!
Cast of Monkey Goes WestApplause for the cast of Monkey Goes West
Review of Monkey Goes West
Monkey Goes West is a laugh out loud musical and is the perfect year end holiday musical for all Singaporeans. As for non-Singaporeans who would like to catch the show, there are more than several phrases in hokkien and it would be recommended for you to bring along a Singaporean friend to do some translation.
What we loved about the show is how the characters took every possible opportunity to interact with the audience. Throughout the show, we could hear the audience (especially kids) shouting and telling the characters what to do and to be aware of impending dangers. Kudos to the production team in going to great lengths to get the audience involved throughout the musical.
There are ups and downs, fun and laughter as well as lessons to be learnt at the end of the musical!
Everyone should catch Monkey Goes West!
Ticket Prices and Discounts for Monkey Goes West
Ticket Pricing
Previews: 21 Nov 2014, 7.30pm & 22 Nov 2014, 2.30pm
Standard: S$70, S$60, S$45
Discounts from 23rd October onwards
– Discounts available for Students, Senior Citizens, Full time NSFs, OCBC Cardmembers, SAFRA, PAssion, British Club and IKEA FAMILY Card Members
OCBC Family Package – Limited Availability
– 25% discount for Family of 2 Adults and 2 Children (16 years and below)
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Enjoy W!ld Rice’s year end holiday musical – Monkey Goes West!
While you may already know that there are many things to do and attractions in Seattle USA and that Seattle is home to many top companies such as Amazon, Starbucks and Microsoft, there are also many attractions that you may wish to visit while you’re here. In this post, we’ll cover the top 8 things to do and attractions in Seattle that you should not miss!
Things to do in Seattle USA
1. Metropolitan Grill Seattle – For the best lava cake ever?!
Located at 820 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98104, United States, Metropolitan Grill is famed for its prime beef cuts and this time, Kate made arrangements for us to visit this upscale joint (remember to make reservations to avoid disappointment!) to have a taste of its legendary grills but we left with another recommendation…
The Works Burger – 15 USD (Seattle Metropolitan Grill)8 oz Filet Mignon – 56USD at Metropolitan Grill SeattleChocolate Lava Cake at Metropolitan Grill for 12USD
After having the Works Burger (great tasting American-styled burger btw) and the juicy and flavourful filet mignon, you’d think that we would recommend these at Metropolitan Grill. Well, if you can only drop by for a quick afternoon tea, you MUST try the chocolate lava cake! For details of why we say so, do visit our post covering Metropolitan Grill!
2. Crab Pot Sea Feast – For a “hands-on” experience!
After seeing the recommendation by Adam Richman on Man versus Food, we decided that we HAD to experience the Crab Pot Sea Feast for ourselves. No regrets here. The pictures speak for themselves…
The novelty of eating seafood ONLY with your bare hands at Crab Pot SeattleOur order of the Westport sea feast at the Crab Pot SeattleThe “after math” of Westport sea feast at the crab pot Seattle. All wiped out – every last bit of it!
3. Seattle Underground Tour by Bill Speidel – To know more about the history of Seattle
Seattle Underground Tour started as a conservation effort by journalist Bill Speidel. But because of his style of articulation (usually intertwined with humour and hard truths), the conservation has since evolved into tours of the “underground city of Seattle” today.
In memory of Bill Speidel who revealed the truth behind Seattle Underground ToursHeading to another part of the Underground Tour in SeattleSky light above (Seattle Underground Tour)
We shall not ruin the fun by telling you everything about the tour (which we already did in our post on Seattle Underground Tour by Bill Speidel) but we will tell you this, the Seattle City that we know today, actually re-built upon the former city itself! Why and how? Join this interesting, fun, humorous and informative tour to find out! Yes, it is, in our opinion, one of the MUST DO THINGS IN SEATTLE!
4. Gas Work Park – For the best views of Seattle’s skyline
Besides Kerry Park View Point, you can also check out Gas Work Park for a splendid view of Seattle’s city skyline!
Seattle City Skyline with Space Needle as seen from Gas Works Park
While you’re at it, why not drop by Le Fournil Bakery for some great tasting pastries enroute?
Seattle Attractions
5. Seattle Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass – Seattle’s Top Attractions
Huge glass sculptures at Chihuly Garden and Glass
Both Seattle Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass are iconic attractions in Seattle. If you have the time (and money), these are attractions in Seattle that are not to be missed! Do check out the restaurant at the top of the Space Needle for gourmet food with great views!
6. World’s First Starbucks in Seattle – For a quick touristy shot
Yes, the world’s 1st Starbucks was founded in Seattle and it is located close to Pike Place Market. Do stop by to do a “been there done that” shot of this Starbucks. To ensure that you arrive at the correct Starbucks (there are 2 in the vicinity of Pike Place Market), do check out our post on the World’s First Starbucks in Seattle to find out more!
Entrance of the original (aka very 1st) Starbucks Coffee in Seattle
7. Pike Place Market – To feel the vibe of Seattle!
No other attractions tells of the life and vibe of Seattle more than Pike Place Market, making it one of the must visit attractions in Seattle. Since we cannot show it through mere pictures alone, we decided to video and hopefully you too can experience and feel the vibrancy at Pike Place Market!
Feel the vibe at Pike Place Market Seattle!
8. Gum Wall @ Post Alley – Sweet smell or Disgust?
A side attraction in Seattle near Pike Place Market, would be the Gum Wall @ Post Alley. Whether it is the sweet smell of the gums or the disgusting thought that so many have spat there, it certainly is a sight to behold…
Gum Wall @ Post Alley – An unusual Seattle Attraction
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Related Posts
This is part of our coverage of San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver USA. Check out these posts if you’re visiting the West Coast of USA!
We hope that you have enjoyed our coverage of the things to do and attractions in Seattle. Don’t forget to check out this post before your next visit to Seattle!
Over the weekend, Kate and I took a day trip to Johor Bahru City Square and enjoyed “Singaporean Activities” (i.e. eating, shopping and watching movies) at a cheaper price…
What to do at Johor City Square
1. 100 Doraemon Secret Gadgets Expo
100 Doraemon Secret Gadgets Expo at Johor City Square
The 100 Doraemon Secret Gadgets Expo is currently on at Johor Bahru City Square from 30 August 2014 to 4 January 2015. Entry tickets costs RM25 for adults and RM15 for children.
Although Kate and I did not visit the exhibition, we managed to “sneak” a few shots just for you! 😉
Doraemon Expo at Johor Bahru City Square
“Sneak” at the Doraemon Exhibition at Johor City Square
Kate’s favourite Doraemon pose
Inside the Doraemon Expo at Johor Bahru City Square
2. Shopping at Johor Bahru City Square
Shopping at Johor Bahru City Square
With more than 200 retailers at JB City Square, Singaporeans can take advantage of the 2.5RM to 1SGD exchange and enjoy the host of shopping options available!
This time, Tom bought a pair of spectacles. To be precise, it was a pair of Braun Buffel frames with transitions signature lenses. The total cost came up to 750RM or about 300SGD. Is the price ok? Let us know in the comments section below!
Spectacles from Eyesmate Johor Bahru City Square
3. Dining options at Johor Bahru City Square
As most of the restaurants maintain numerical values for their prices, Singaporeans will be spoilt for choice when it comes to dining options at City Square JB. We were contemplating between Japanese, Western or Korean cuisine. Eventually, we decided on Bornga Korean Restaurant due to the additional discounts that it was giving!
Entrance to Bornga Korean Restaurant at JB City Square
Recommended dishes at 15% discount!
We decided on the Chadol Duenjang Jigae (traditional Korean soybean paste stew with beef) @ 20.40RM as well as the Kimchi Jigae (spicy stew with kimchi, pork and various vegetables) @ 17RM…
Every order comes with 5 side dishes and dessert
Chadol Duenjang Jigae with rice – YUMMY!
Kimchi Jigae from Bornga Korean Restaurant City Square Johor Bahru
4. Movies at discounted prices
Kate and I also caught November Man (starring Pierce Brosnan – which was surprisingly AWESOME!) at 15RM, approximately 6SGD. But if you watch movies from Monday to Thursday (before 1pm), it costs only 7RM! Just remember that Friday is considered “weekend”!
How we got from Singapore to Johor City Square
We first took the MRT to Kranji station and took bus 170. Bus 170 actually takes you all the way to the checkpoint, crossing the causeway and alighting you at the checkpoint in Johor. All in all, you would have to tap your ezlink 4 times per way for bus 170 (boarding 170, alighting at Singapore’s checkpoint, reboarding at Singapore’s checkpoint and alighting at the Malaysia checkpoint).
The total trip 1 way costs $2.30 (inclusive of our MRT ride).
After alighting at the Malaysia Johor checkpoint, you can walk about 5 minutes to Johor Bahru City Square. The best part is that this entire walk is sheltered! 😉
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Johor Bahru City Square
We hope you have enjoyed our review of Johor Bahru City Square! City Square JB is definitely a great place for Singaporeans to shop, dine and catch a movie! Tell us more about your day trip from Singapore to Johor in our comments section below!
After opening its doors to foreign investors, Vietnam is now an attractive tourist destination with many things to do and attractions, especially in Ho Chi Minh City. In this post, you’ll find out where to eat, stay and enjoy the things to do and attractions of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam!
Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City
1. Shopping at Ben Thanh Market and Saigon Square
There are 2 great places to shop at in Ho Chi Minh City. Ben Thanh Market and Saigon Square.
Saigon Square Ho Chi Minh CityInside Saigon Square Ho Chi Minh City VietnamBen Thanh Market Ho Chi Minh CityInside Ben Thanh Market Vietnam
At Saigon Square, you can get high quality shirts and bags at a fraction of the cost as compared to shopping centres. Not sure of its authenticity but quality is definitely good. Still using the bags we got from Saigon Square. No problems so far.
At Ben Thanh Market, it is centrally located in Ho Chi Minh City and is a venue to shop for local goods. You can get coffee, souvenirs and more here. The cool thing is that at night, the market itself closes but the street along it converts into a night market, bustling into life. Clothes at the night market somehow costs cheaper than the market itself during the day. Strange…
Last but not least, close by Ben Thanh Market, there’s an art gallery where you can get high quality art at cheap prices. For instance, we got a huge oil painting for 60USD including framing! Here’s a video of the artists at work…
2. Authentic Vietnamese Food
Tired of having low quality food that touts themselves as “Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine”? Fret no more! In Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll be able to really savour authentic Vietnamese cuisine and here are some examples of the great Vietnamese food that you can get in HCMC!
Lunch at this stall inside Ben Thanh Market Ho Chi Minh CityVietnam Coffee and Grilled Pork / Spring Roll Vermicelli for a total of 100,000 dong about 5USDPrawn and chicken spring roll Saigon Centre Cafe TerracePork Vermicelli Saigon Centre Cafe Terrace
Ho Chi Minh City Attractions
3. Cu Chi Tunnels
One of the biggest war memorial and attraction in Ho Chi Minh City is the Cu Chi Tunnels. Here you will learn about the Vietnam war and how the Viet Cong fought to hold off US attacks. You can also get to experience the tunnels by climbing through the cramped, 120km long tunnels. Of course just a stretch of it. Not all 120km. It’s really tiring and dark! Definitely not recommended for people who are not fit or have claustrophobic tendencies…
4. War Remnants Museum
The War Remnants Museum tells about the cruel realities of war. Be prepared for gory depictions of this reality. If you’re not prepared for the gruesome details, just scroll through the following and really treasure the peace that we enjoy today…
5. Reunification Palace aka Independence Palace
The Reunification Palace was the home and workplace of the South Vietnamese President during the Vietnamese War and was also where the war ended in 1975.
Reunification Palace also known as Independence Palace Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
6. Take a picture with one of these Ho Chi Minh City Attractions
There are several places tourist spots sprinkled throughout HCMC and you may want to take a couple of shots with these tourist attractions in Ho Chi Minh City..
Rex Hotel – Drop off point of transport by Royal Caribbean CruiseCity Hall Ho Chi Minh City VietnamOpera House Ho Chi Minh CityThe Post Office Ho Chi Minh CityNotre Dame Ho Chi Minh City
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We hope that you have enjoyed our coverage of the things to do and attractions in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Don’t forget to check out this post before your next visit to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam!
How can a trip to Taiwan be complete without a trip to Taipei and the renowned Taipei 101? On day 10 of our Taiwan trip, we decided to check out all the things to do in Taipei!
To ensure that we fully maximised the day, we set off from Audi Garden Business Hotel, early on at about 830am in the morning. From Taoyuan Train Station, we took a 40 mins ride (NT42) to Taipei Train Station and we had to contend with the morning crowd…
Things to do in Taipei Attractions – Xi Men Ding (西门町) Shopping District
After making our way past the crowd to the MRT station, we decided to head first to Xi Men Ding (aka 西门町), Taipei’s premier (young people’s) shopping district! Attractions at Xi Men Ding includes the Red House (known for the North Square Markets as well as the Riverside Live House), the Xi Men Pedestrian Shopping Area, Tian Hou Gong as well as many eateries that caters to the young and young at heart (hey, that’s us!)
After hanging around in the Xi Men area, we decided to head to the next big attraction in Taipei – The Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall!
Things to do in Taipei Attractions – Chiang Kai‑shek Memorial Hall
By now, you would have realised that the entire Taipei can actually be covered via the MRT! Which is really convenient (and cheap) for tourists! Remember to get your Easy Card so as to have discounts on your travels!
At first, we did not really want to head to the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂) as it was probably just a memorial hall with artifacts of CKS. But we were so wrong! It was a whole area with a HUGE memorial hall which one has to ascend the steps of, much like that in the Rocky Movies…
The National Theatre Hall and National Concert Hall by themselves are also picturesque locations. But what’s really cool is that after we ascended the CKS Memorial Hall, there was a change of guard ceremony!
Not the usual change of guard ceremony where the guards just swap positions. But a SUPER LONG one with arms drills and all! It was so long that we did not even finish watching the entire changeover! Be there at 12pm sharp if you want to witness the change of guards at Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall!
Our next stop took us to the most famous attraction in Taipei – Taipei 101!
Things to do in Taipei Attractions – Taipei 101 (aka 臺北101 / 台北101)
A visit to Taipei is only complete if you have been to Taipei 101 (2nd tallest building in the World!)
But the age old question when visiting such sky scrapers is always…
“Is it more worth it to dine at Taipei 101 than to pay to ascend to the top?”
The answer?
Dine at the top of Taipei 101 in style of course! Why? The entry to the observation deck of Taipei 101 actually costs NT500. But to dine at the top of Taipei 101 costs only NT2000. Which means for NT1500 more (approximately $60 more), you’ll get
– A seat by the window overlooking Taipei
– High class food including bird’s nest, abalone and truffles (for only $60?!)
– Excellent service and ambience, no need to rush, wait in line or squeeze with the crowds
To allow you to make a better decision, here’s what we ate at Ding Xian Restaurant at Level 86 of Taipei 101…
Having seen through the menu and the stuff we ate at Ding Xian, you’d probably think that it’s worth it as well. There’s also actually a slightly cheaper menu which doesn’t sit you by the window. But that’s ok because if you stay to about 3pm (slowly enjoying your food), most patrons would have left by then and you will be able to approach the window and take shots from there.
The other down side is that it faces the mountainous area and not the city area. Apparently, the city area is slightly more expensive as its at the VIP area. But there are other observatory restaurants at level 85 (The Best 85 – Diamond Tony’s / Shinyeh Taiwanese Cuisine ),86 (Ding Xian 101) and 35 (Japanese Restaurant / Elly’s Flower & Cafe) that you can choose from.
Also, there are cheaper alternatives at Shin Yeh and Diamond Tony’s. So these are also options to the NT500 which requires you to wait in line to ascend Taipei 101. If you have visited other Observatory Restaurants, do share your experience with our readers in the comments section below!
After the sumptuous meal, we headed to Da An park for a stroll and a short session of feeding! Then, we proceeded to one of the best rated night markets in the whole of Taiwan – Shilin Night Market!
Things to do in Taipei Attractions – Shilin Night Market 士林夜市
The first thing that you will need to know when you visit Shilin Night Market is that IT IS LOCATED NEXT TO JIAN TAN TRAIN STATION not Shilin train station.
We were really glad that we finally got to visit Shilin Night Market and it does live up to its reputation have some great street foods and also for the fact that we finally got to eat the HUGE SQUID as well as taro ball dessert (at a very reasonable price!)
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We hope that you have enjoyed our coverage of the things to do in Taipei as well as all the attractions that Taipei has to offer! This post concludes our series on the Taiwan trip and on day 11, we flew back comfortably on EVA air back to Singapore. Ah…
Snuggled comfortably onboard EVA from Taoyuan International Airport back to Singapore
Remember to wear your seat belts!
You have just finished a post on our Taiwan Trip in 2014 which started here. Here is the full list of posts written about Taiwan Trip 2014…
While we were staying at Audi Garden Business Hotel, we asked Ricky (our host) what are some of the Taoyuan Attractions that we must visit. Hence, he recommended us to visit Da Xi Old Street (大溪老街) and Da Xi Flower Field (大溪花海）.
To get to Da Xi Old Street, you will have to take bus 502, a tourist’s bus (or bus 5096) from the bus terminal next to Taoyuan Train Station. To get to the bus terminal, cross the underpass next to the train station (see picture) and walk towards this white building (again see picture) and you will see buses leaving this particular building.
Upon reaching the bus terminal, to confirm if you are on the right track, the friendly attendants at the bus terminal will direct you accordingly 😉
On the bus however, our itinerary changed when a local tour guide boarded the bus. It seemed to us that the normal day trip (starting real early about at 7ish in the morning) will begin at Xiao Wu Lai (小烏來). Hence, we decided to go with her plan and head out to see the Xiao Wu Lai waterfalls (小烏來瀑布) before heading back to see the flower fields. On hindsight, we were so glad to have visited these Taoyuan attractions. But remember, if you’re making this trip, you will have to cater time for the bus timings and expected crowd to ensure that you’ll have a seat on the bus!
As a result, we took bus 502 direct to Xiao Wu Lai!
Taoyuan Attractions – Xiao Wu Lai (小烏來)
One of the main attraction at Xiao Wu Lai is the Skywalk (aka 天空步道）. If you take the tourist bus to Xiao Wu Lai, you’d only need to pay NT30 (what?!) instead of NT50 (what?! still very reasonable!) to enter into the Xiao Wu Lai Skywalk.
What you need to do when you first arrive, is to head to the ticketing counter, let her know that you took bus 502 and purchase the tickets first. There will be an allocated timing for you to visit the Skywalk (ours was the 1100 to 1130 session）. Once you’re closer to the timing, head towards the entrance and start to queue. It pays if you bring along your umbrella as well…
In the meantime, you might wish to enjoy the peaches at Xiao Wu Lai! It was DEFINITELY THE SWEETEST AND JUICIEST PEACH WE’VE EVER TASTED! The price though was not that cheap. At first, we bought a small one for NT80, to try it out. But since it tasted so good, we bought a box of 12 (small ones) for NT600! Yup, it’s cheaper if you buy in bulk. To cool yourself down, you may wish to have a cup of ice blended peach for only NT60.
The Xiao Wu Lai Skywalk was indeed amazing. The view and pictures taken there were really awesome. You’d have to “shovel” a little to get those great spots amidst the crowd ;P Nonetheless, it was only NT50 to visit the Skywalk! This compared to the Grand Canyon Skywalk for $75USD!
After visiting the Xiao Wu Lai Skywalk, we headed to the water area to cool off and take a dip in the waters. Really nice to dip our feet and let the streams run by. If you’ve brought extra clothing, why not enjoy a dip as well? Just be careful that when you enter, due to moss growing on the rocks, your foot may slip. While in the water, be careful of the currents and rocks that may cut you. Oh, we saw a sign that said “Beware of water snakes” Yikes!
Taking the bus at 1230pm towards Ci Hu, we again took bus 502 for NT54.
Taoyuan Attractions – Ci Hu (慈湖) and Da Xi Flower Field (大溪花海）
At Ci Hu, we were told by our host that the bronze statues there are especially popular with the Chinese tourists. Probably because of the common heritage that they share. But for us (Kate actually), the main purpose of the visit was the flower fields! The entrance was NT150 per person. But we paid NT50 more (i.e. NT200) to get the package which included the DIY soap making session as well as ice creams and Lavender Latte inside the flower field. Not too bad eh?
During our visit to Taoyuan, it was relatively hot (above 30 degrees) but still we enjoyed ourselves with views of the flowers. Though not all the flowers were blossoming during our visit, you should still make a trip and if you have time, tour around the lake as well!
Taking the same bus again at 3:05pm, we left for Da Xi Old Street for the price of NT18.
**You’d also realise by now that the buses are starting to arrive later than scheduled. This is because of the crowds and build up of traffic, especially along the single lanes at Xiao Wu Lai.
Da Xi Old Street is a well preserved area with old intricate structures. In fact, at Da Xi, there are 4 streets, but this main street is the one that is the most well-preserved. There are also several food joints here that you may wish to try out as well.
The sad part about this trip was that when we wanted to finally head back to Taoyuan city, the “snowballed” effect of the late buses were so bad that we waited for 1.5 hours before the bus 502 finally came! Nonetheless, it was still an excellent day trip to check out the attractions of Taoyuan.
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After heading back to Taoyuan city, there’s actually a “local Taoyuan attraction” that we would like to introduce. And that’s the fried and roasted chicken joint featured above! BOTH versions of the chicken were juicy and tender, which explains the super long queue and waiting time, even for a fast food joint!
But the best part (or genius part we would say) is that the combo comes with SWEET POTATO FRIES AND FRIED GLUTINOUS RICE BALLS!! We did not even know that this combination would be possible and tastes this awesome!
Taoyuan was our destination on day 8 of our Taiwan trip and it was definitely an event-filled day checking out the things to do in Taoyuan.
But first, while we were still staying at Miaoli Maison De Chine, we decided to check out the attractions in the vicinity. After a hearty breakfast at Miaoli Maison De Chine, we decided to head out to Kuo Tai Glass Park to check out this local attraction!
The visit to Kuo Tai Glass Park was just fantastic. You can take part in glass blowing, watch the masters in action and have a guided tour around the glass factory. Definitely an itinerary that you can consider for the entire family. Check out our post of Kuo Tai Glass Park (國泰玻璃觀光工廠) to find out more!
We then took a train from Zhunan to Taoyuan for NT154 each and the trip lasted for an hour. Then it was time for us to check into Audi Garden Business Hotel!
After checking into Audi Garden Business Hotel, we decided to take a stroll along the main shopping street of Taoyuan – Zhong Zheng Road. A local temple, Jing Fu Gong 景福宫, is also easily spotted along this road. But the main thing that we really want to talk about is the oyster mee sua next to the temple! Look out for Hao Fu Ji vermicelli, definitely one of the best oyster mee sua we’ve had in Taiwan. It is flavourful, thick but not overpowering plus the ingredients did not have any foul gamey taste at all! But the most amazing part was that it was milky. YES MILKY! Strange, but because of it, differentiates itself from the field of oyster vermicellis out there 😉
Taoyuan Night Market located at Bei Pu Lu and Zhong Zheng Lu was actually the place that we were heading towards as we “journeyed” down Zhong Zheng Road. Along the way, we got to rest and re-energise at Sun Louis Bakery (almost thought it was the same as the Sun Moulin in Singapore. It isn’t but it looks equally atas/high class), before arriving at Taoyuan Night Market!
We didn’t really eat much at Taoyuan Tourism Night Market this evening because of the food that we had along the way (oyster vermicelli, breads and egg tarts). Nonetheless, if you’re feeling that you’d need some “night market fix” in Taoyuan, the Taoyuan Night Market is a great place to eat and do some simple shopping 😉
By the way, the walk from Audi Garden Business Hotel to Taoyuan Night Market was 1.7km (usually 20mins walk) but we took our time to walk at a leisurely pace, snacking along the way, thus we took slightly less than an hour for the trip.
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Hope you’ve enjoyed our coverage of the things to do in Taoyuan. Next, we’ll be visiting Xiao Wu Lai (Huh? Where is that?) on Day 9 of our Taiwan Trip!
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Kuo Tai Glass Park in Zhunan was one of the places we visited during our stay at the Miaoli Maison De Chine Hotel. In addition to our own research (which didn’t reveal much information, hence this post), we were also introduced to this Zhunan attraction by the concierge at our hotel. If you’re thinking of the things to do in Miaoli, do check out Kuo Tai Glass Park as it promises to be a fun-filled venue for the entire family!
After a 15 minutes walk from our hotel, we arrived at Kuo Tai Glass Park (aka 國泰玻璃觀光工廠) and we were just in time for the next guided tour! The tour starts with a glass blowing session where even kids are allowed to join in!
When you arrive at Kuo Tai Glass Park, the receptionist will welcome you and bring you into the glass store where you will be introduced to the entry fees. It costs NT250 per person. But, the NT250 can also be used as store credits. Hence, if there are 2 of you, although the entry fee would be NT500, you would also have a store credit of NT500. To participate in the glass blowing session (and blow your own glass to be taken home as a souvenir), it costs NT350. Hence, we still had NT150 which we used to get 3 small glass pieces to be taken home.
Our recommendation? Participate in the glass blowing session! We did not have the chance when we were in Venice!
During this weekend, there were also several parents who brought their kids along. The kids seemed to have lots of fun participating in the glass blowing session and answering the quizzes from the guide. When the kids got an answer correct, they would be rewarded with a glass souvenir (worth NT50)!
During the glass blowing session, we were instructed by the master to blow VERY gently and rotate the rod that holds the glass. This is because as you blow, the glass becomes lob sided and you would have to continuously rotate the rod to balance it. But don’t worry, the master is always on hand in case the glass goes “out of shape”. He even does moulding, shaping and refining at the end so that your product is still in a “presentable” state when you go home with it 😉
During the live demonstration, we were really impressed by 2 procedures that the master did. Firstly, the brothers (together – both of whom are master glass makers) did a “bridging” so that the vase can be disconnected from its original base. Secondly, he did this TWIRLING action at the end that formed the flowery opening at the top of the vase. The other interesting was that newspapers (YES NEWSPAPERS!) were used in forming the glass! This is because newspapers have ink that helped to provide a layer of (oil) protection, preventing scratches on the glass wares! Cheap and good!
Take a look at this live demonstration where the process of “bridging” is shown!
After the awesome demonstration, the guide continued to bring us around the glass factory, showing us the tools that were formerly used to produce glass ware in the factory. Lastly, the tour ended at the factory’s museum where we were introduced to some of the masterpieces that were produced, including
1. A green vase with a huge opening at the top. If you think about it, the greater the opening, the greater the skill of the master as it really requires alot of experience to know whether “stretching” the glass further would break the product or not. Hence, for this particular piece, ALOT of skill was required!
2. Red glass ware that are NOT painted red. It is rather difficult to do red glass wares because the colour red, can only be produced in glass wares WITHIN a certain temperature range. Hence, all the crafting and heating must be done within this particular range. If the temperature is not controlled well, the colour may change outside of this range and therefore the master will have to re-craft again.
3. Bamboo glassware. According to our guide, it took about 3 years for the master to be able to create this bamboo glassware. It was then proven that it had some qualities that allowed the drinks held within these glass ware to taste better. No change to the flavour per se, but it is supposed to make the drinks smoother to the taste.
How to get to Kuo Tai Glass Park Zhunan?
From Miaoli Maison De Chine, it is relatively easy to get to Kuo Tai Glass Park. It is in fact just a 15 minutes walk along Gongyuan Road. Once you have reached Kanding Street, continue walking till you reach an overhead crossing. Just before this overhead crossing, you will see a sign on the right leading to Kuo Tai Glass Park. Head on the small path and you will arrive at Kuo Tai Glass Park Zhunan!
Address of Kuo Tai Glass Park : 350, Taiwan, Miaoli County, 新南里崁頂151號
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At the end of the tour, we were taken back to the glass store again to choose items that we could bring home with our remaining NT150 credit. We were also shown our glass product (after the master’s refinement) before it was packaged in a box for us to bring home. It is in fact still safe and sound in our house!
If you’re visiting Miaoli, Zhunan some time in the future, do stop by Kuo Tai Glass Factory (國泰玻璃觀光工廠) and you’ll be sure to have an awesome time, especially with the glass blowing demonstration!
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Wondering what are some of the things to do in Miaoli Taiwan? Thanks to the great folks of Miaoli Maison De Chine, we were hosted to a stay and enjoyed some of the wonderful facilities there. Also, it provided us with a great base to check out all the attractions and things to do in Miaoli Taiwan!
Actually, we headed from Taichung to Tong Xiao Beach first. However, when we arrived, due to a carnival, we had to pay $20SGD to enter the beach area (which is usually free). As we were only there for an hour, we did not enter. But if you do have more time, it is encouraged that you visit as the $20SGD includes shows and displays for programmes throughout the day.
If you’re travelling from Taichung to Zhunan, it takes about 1 hour by train. After arriving at Zhunan train station, to get to Miaoli Maison de Chine, you’ll have to take a taxi for NT120 (walking takes about 30 minutes). It is a fixed price for visitors to the hotel.
Things to do in Miaoli Taiwan
1. 天厨海鲜楼 (Tian Chu Seafood Restaurant)
Located at No. 19, Gongyuan 5th St, Miaoli County, Taiwan 350, 天厨海鲜楼 (Tian Chu Seafood Restaurant) serves up great seafood at an excellent price. In fact, when we visited, they were having a promotion whereby each dish only costs NT100 ($4!). That’s even cheaper than Zi Char in Singapore! Plus, we were having stuff like prawns (really fresh ones at that), squid and pork ribs. If you’re staying at Miaoli Maison De Chine, do check out 天厨海鲜楼 (Tian Chu Seafood Restaurant) to enjoy great food, an excellent ambience at a fantastic price!
The Zhunan Beer Factory is the largest brewery in the whole of Taiwan. But in order to go for a visit, you’d have to at least have a group of 20. In addition, there are allocated times for visit. This time, we unfortunately missed the last group tour of the day. Hence, it would be wise to give the factory a call first and ask the group tour timings before you head over. Oh, the taxi ride from Miaoli Maison De Chine to Zhunan Factory is between NT150 to NT200.
As we were not able to join the tour, we were only able to walk around within the store area. Inside, the various types of alcohol and beers, produced by the factory are sold. In addition, we also got to try the 18 days Taiwan Beer for free. It tasted a little bitter (which we prefer) and the usual price is NT65 per bottle.
There is also a restaurant where you can order dishes to go with the beer. But do note that it is just like a regular restaurant NOT ANYTHING LIKE a microbrewery with beers on tap. But do give the 18 days Taiwan Beer a try, you won’t regret it!
We were also informed by Shelly (Marketing Manager from Miaoli Maison De Chine Hotel) that, within walking distance of hotel, there’s a famous bun store ( 曾记馅饼） at the intersection of Ba De Yi Lu and De Yi Lu. Located next to the 7-11, it is a mobile truck that sells buns with pork, beef or sweet red bean filling. Definitely a must try if you’re in the vicinity!
4. Zhunan Integrated Sports Complex
Before we headed back to our hotel for great food and spa pool enjoyment, we headed to the Zhunan Integrated Sports Complex just across the road from Miaoli Maison De Chine. There, residents can enjoy runs around the track, play some basketball or croquet.
On day 6 of our Taiwan trip, we checked out all the things to do in Taichung and its attractions! If you’re not sure what to do (and eat!!!) in Taichung, you’ll find some great information to get you on your way to discovering Taichung!
Things to do in Taichung Taiwan
1. Chun Shui Tang 春水堂 – Originator of the Bubble Milk Tea
On day 6 of our Taiwan Trip, we woke up to a sumptuous breakfast at Park City Hotel Central Taichung. After the hearty meal (which included braised pork rice!!), we checked out the Taichung 2nd market. As we were early, the breakfast crowds were still having their breakfast as well. We also noticed the scores of fruit stalls at Taichung 2nd market, probably a great place to find great tasting fruits at an excellent price.
Next, we headed to Chun Shui Tang!!!
Chun Shui Tang, as we found out, is the originator of the world-renowned Taiwanese Bubble Milk Tea. But there are actually many of its franchise around in the city (close to 20 of them), so just pop into any one of the joints to enjoy the original bubble milk tea!
Located at Xiang Shang North Road, at the area of Mei Cun road, lies a cluster of quaint cafes and restaurants. Here, we also saw this unique robot cafe where the server invited us in just to have a look (no purchase required). There, we saw the HUGE resident cats who startled us with its sudden movement. The truth was, it was so huge that we thought it was just a soft toy that was lying around. When it moved, Tom just jumped!
Enroute, we also had the egg beef porridge which we realised actually goes quite well with spinach.
One more tip, remember to get the Easy Card. It costs NT200 at any 7-11, of which, NT100 goes to the deposit. But the great thing about the Easy Card is that specifically in Taichung, the first 8km is free! Yes! FREE!!! In other cities, there are usually fare discounts for Easy Card holders as well. Do pick up one if you’re intending to travel Taiwan for an extended period of time!
3. Shop and Eat in Taichung – Yi Chung Shang Quan 一中街商圈, Taichung Park, Feng Jia Night Market and Miyahara Ice Cream
For more shopping options, you can head to the Yi Chung Shang Quan (or just Yi Chung Street) where there are endless shopping options and street foods available. It’s a closer option for night market from Taichung City as compared to Feng Jia Night Market. From Taichung City, we took bus 88 (for free!) to the Yi Chung shopping street.
As we were still early that day, we decided to head back to Feng Jia Night Market again for a 2nd time! This time, we tried out all the foods that we wanted to eat, including 大腸包小腸 (Direct translation of Big Sausage Wrap Small Sausage), Deep Fried HUGE Squid / 酥炸大鱿鱼, 熊手包 Bear Paw Buns and 章鱼小丸子 / Takopachi Octopus Balls. Do check out our post of what to eat at Feng Jia Night Market to find out more!
Enroute back, we dropped by the Taichung City Park and enjoyed a leisurely stroll by its lake as well as a visit to the Lake Heart Pavilion.
To cap off a fun-filled day in Taichung, we headed back to Miyahara – 宮原眼科 for its famous ice cream! This time, we finally got to eat this famous ice cream! But there’s one catch, we had to go to 4th Credit on 72 Zhong Shan Road ( 第四信用合作社）and this is because the outlet at Miyahara 宮原眼科 is so popular that it has a minimum spending of NT380 ($16). Therefore, we decided to take a short walk (5 minutes really), along Zhong Shan Road and ate at the 4th Credit outlet.
For NT245, we had a waffle bowl with 3 scoops of ice cream and choice of 4 toppings. Do not think that the toppings are simple and common items such as strawberry sauce or chocolate sprinkles. THEY ARE REAL DESSERT TOPPINGS! You’d be surprised but we chose cheesecake, pineapple tart, floral cake and rum raisins! (WHAT?! THOSE ARE TOPPINGS!!??)
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We hope you’ve enjoyed our coverage of the things to do and attractions in Taichung Taiwan! Do let us know if you have any other recommendations in our comments section below!
Stay tuned for day 7 of our trip in Miaoli Taiwan!
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Changhua and Taichung were our next stops during day 5 of our Taiwan Trip! Our plan was to stop by Changhua to taste the famous Changhua meatballs before heading to check in at Park City Hotel Central Taichung. In the evening, we visited the most famous night market in Taiwan – Feng Jia Night Market.
Chiayi to Changhua and Taichung
Something happened that morning…Kate realised that she lost the McDonald’s coupons for our breakfast! So we decided that we would visit the local pan fried bun (生煎包) joint since it was closed at 5pm (starts selling for afternoon sessions at 3pm) the day before. But when we reached there at 8am in the morning, although there were many people having their breakfast, THERE WAS NO FRIED BUNS!! To us, this was the elusive pan fried buns joint, if you have visited it, do let us know how it tasted!
The train ride from Chiayi to Changhua took approximately 1hr and 30 minutes. From Changhua, it takes about 30 minutes to reach Taichung. Hence, the entire trip from Chiayi to Taichung takes slightly under two hours. Our original plan was to buy 2 separate tickets from Chiayi to Changhua and from Changhua to Taichung. However, we made a “mistake” and bought the Chiayi to Taichung ticket for NT144 (approximately $6 each). The good thing was you’re able to stop anywhere along the way just as long as you remember to validate the tickets upon exit. And you’ll have to exit via the station personnel at the exit (do not insert into the automated gates!)
At Changhua, we tried all 3 famous Changhua Meatballs from 彰化肉圓, 老担阿璋肉圓 and 正彰化肉圓. Do check out our post on the best Changhua Meatballs to find out which one we thought was the best!
In between our meatball adventures, we did snuck in a couple of other snacks such as the braised pig trotters and the traditional cake. But to our surprise, this “Old Time Delights” Bakery in Changhua turned out to be one of the best cakes we’ve ever tasted! This time, we tried the pumpkin cake. The cake was firm but not so sweet. The top of the cake were lined with healthy nuts and seeds but the best part was what was within…the pumpkin fillings! It was the eastern version of the swiss roll but 10 times nicer! No wonder the queue was quite long even in the mid afternoon. The choice that you’ll have at this stall is dependent on what was being baked at that point in time. There’s a schedule that locals know about.
These cakes were baked on huge trays and cut to size. We ordered the smallest cut (which was still quite big for the both of us) at NT65. If you’ve tried the other flavours or are a local who frequents here often, do share in the comments section below on which you think is the best flavour!
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After checking into the Park City Central Hotel Taichung, we took a bath in the hotel’s sexy bathtub (with views of the TV) and had the amazing pumpkin cake before heading to the famous Feng Jia Night Market!
Feng Jia Night Market is the 2nd largest Night Market in the whole of Taiwan (the biggest night market in Taiwan is the combination of Jin Zuan and Kai Xuan Night Markets) and there are many great foods here. If you’re wondering what to eat at Feng Jia Night Market, do find out more in our separate post.
On the way back to our hotel, we stopped by one of the tourist attractions in Taichung, the Miyahara – 宮原眼科. Although we did not have the famous ice cream this evening, we did try it on day 6 of our visit and there’s a little secret that you should know about it as well…
Stay tuned to Day 6 of our Taiwan Trip to find out more!
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Feng Jia Night Market (逢甲夜市) is one of the biggest night market in Taiwan and if you’ve been to Feng Chia Night Market, you’d realise that you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to food options. Many have asked the sacred question of “What to eat at Feng Jia Night Market?” and “What are the best foods at Feng Chia Night Market?” This post will thus source out the best food to eat in Feng Chia Night Market, just for you!
Feng Jia Night Market. Not so crowded on a Wednesday night.
Feng Jia Night Market 逢甲夜市 Best Food To Eat!
大腸包小腸 (Direct translation of Big Sausage Wrap Small Sausage)
大腸包小腸 is somewhat like a novelty for us. It is actually an outer layer of “rice sausage” wrapping Taiwanese sausage and other condiments within. At the entrance of Feng Jia Night Market, there are 2 stalls selling 大腸包小腸, let’s call them “yellow” and “red” stall respectively.
大腸包小腸 Feng Jia Night Market – Yellow StallFeng Jia Night Market 大腸包小腸 – Red Stall
On our first night there, yellow stall had a super looooooooong queue! Hence, we decided to go to the comparatively shorter queue at red stall (still had to wait 10 minutes…Zzz).
Feng Jia Night Market 大腸包小腸 from Red Stall NT40
When it is your turn to order at “Red Stall”, the lady will ask if you’d want normal, or “small/medium/large” spicy. We went for the small spicy (小辣）and it tasted quite good with a hint of spiciness. For Singaporeans, remember not to go for the bamboo shoots (竹笋）as part of your condiments.
On our second day at Feng Jia Night Market, as we were there relatively early (about 3pm), we tried 大腸包小腸 from the yellow stall. This time, we went for the normal version and again we requested not to have bamboo shoots added.
Feng Jia Night Market 大腸包小腸 from Yellow Stall NT40
The results of our comparison? Red stall had the better version. The outer rice sausage was fragrant and had a slight crisp on the outside while the condiments tasted better (in general) compared to the yellow stall. Somehow, the peanuts added to the yellow stall’s version didn’t taste as good. As a guide though, if you have not tried 大腸包小腸 before, just go for the shorter queue. You don’t have to die die try the yellow or red stall but if you must, the red stall for us, has that sliiight advantage.
熊手包 Bear Paw Buns
熊手包 Bear Paw Buns Feng Jia Night MarketTop selling buns at 熊手包 Bear Paw Buns Feng Jia Night MarketHoney Mustard Chicken Pumpkin Bun from 熊手包 Bear Paw Feng Jia Night Market @ NT60
How can we not try bear paw buns right? 2bearbear, bear paws? :p We went for the no.1 top selling bun, the honey mustard chicken pumpkin bun and it was so delicious! The patty was hot and juicy while the honey mustard was just a perfect dressing. Most interesting of all, the hint of pumpkin could absolutely be tasted from the buns! Yummilicious!
Deep Fried HUGE Squid / 酥炸大鱿鱼
Deep Fried HUGE Squid / 酥炸大鱿鱼 Feng Jia Night Market
The deep fried HUGE Squids or 酥炸大鱿鱼 are available at many other night markets. At Feng Jia Night Market itself, there are already quite a few. But of all the deep fried squids we’ve tried, this version is still the best. The cook has a certain way of making sure that the squids are deep fried to precise perfection. Each time she sees that it requires a little more time in the oil, in it goes. By seeing the surface of the squid, she knows whether it is done within. And that takes experience. And with experience comes your yummy portion of deep fried squids!
Feng Chia Night Market Deep Fried HUGE Squid / 酥炸大鱿鱼 NT50
For the sizes, you can choose from NT50 (medium), NT70 (big), NT80 (bigger), NT100 (HUGE). There are also 7 tastes that you can choose from including the original (salt and pepper), lemon/pepper (which we chose), wasabi and seaweed, just to name a few.
Cheese Potato / 起司马铃薯
Cheese Potato / 起司马铃薯 @ Feng Jia Night MarketFeng Chia Night Marke Deluxe cheese potato combo / 综合起司马铃薯 @ NT65
Strongly recommended by netizens, we decided to give the cheese potato a try. Not knowing which flavour to choose, we decided to go for the deluxe (and the most expensive) as it had a little bit of everything within. Frankly speaking, it was just loads of cheese over mashed potato. The mashed potato itself did not have that “wow” factor of truffles (kidding lah…) or at the least tastes of good grade butter. To us, this was just a “filler” dish. You can give this one a miss 😉
章鱼小丸子 / Takopachi Octopus Balls
章鱼小丸子 / Takopachi Octopus Balls @ Wen Hua StreetTakopachi Octopus Balls Feng Jia Night Market for NT40 章鱼小丸子
The Takopachi Octopus Balls were SHIOK!! The octopus balls were prepared only upon order (as it was early in the day) and topped off with dried fish, mayo and wasabi dressing. The cool part was that the mayo was not like the usual fatty tasting mayonnaise. Instead, it was milkilicious! With the mayo/wasabi combination, the “fresh-hot-off-the-stove” takopachi, tasted amazing!
Taro, Papaya Milk Juice / 木瓜牛奶，芋头牛奶
NT50 Taro Milk Drink from Feng Jia Night Market introduced by 2moro
This version of the Taro milk drink still had shaved ice bits on each sip. Not the smooth and rich type of milk drink that you would normally expect. Nonetheless, the ingredients are fresh and its still worth 1 try (emphasis on the one). Don’t think we’re coming back for seconds though.
Fruit juices 3 for NT100 @ Feng Jia Night Market
If you’re travelling in a group, the deal of 3 fruit juices for NT100 is definitely worth it. Usual price of a cup is NT40 for papaya milk and NT35 for lemon with ai yu (爱玉）jelly.
Foods at Feng Jia Night Market 逢甲夜市
YOU may have tried
Longest queue at Feng Jia Night Market for 炒面面包 (Fried Noodles in a Bun?!)German pork knuckle at Feng Jia Night Market 逢甲夜市
There were 2 particular stalls that we would have tried (given more time and space in our tummies). There was a ridiculously long queue for 炒面面包 (Fried Noodles in a Bun?!). Seriously, can this really be good? If you’ve tried it, do let us know in the comments section below. Also, we’ve stumbled across a german pork knuckle stall in Feng Jia Night Market (and not in an upscale german restaurant). Can this pork knuckle be good? Do let us know if you’ve tried it as well!
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Changhua is synonymous with meatballs. Whenever one talks about Changhua, the term meatballs will somehow enter into the conversation. Hence, the term 彰化肉圓 (aka Changhua meatballs).
But the big question is this. Which is the best Changhua meatball?
As with the battle of the Malacca Chicken Rice Balls, we made it one of our missions during this trip to find out which stall has the best meatballs in Changhua!
The Candidates for the Best Changhua Meatballs
(彰化肉圓)
Kate did the research for all the meatballs stalls in Changhua and we arrived at Chenleng Rd, there were 2 meatball stalls right across from each other. The idea of creating a “meatball node” at Chenleng Rd is a clever one. Most people, whenever they crave for a taste of Changhua meatball, they’ll head over here to have their meatball fix.
This version at 正彰化肉圓 costs NT35 and had a generous serving of peanut sauce over it. We also enjoyed the generous portion of meat filling within. The minuses? Waitress took SOOOOOOO long before she brought over the chili sauce! We were almost at our last mouth when the chili arrived. Sigh. But the other big minus for us was the taste of 竹笋 （bamboo shoot) which was relatively strong. Lovers of 竹笋 would definitely love this rendition at Zheng Changhua Meatballs.
Candidate 2 : 老担阿璋肉圓
(No. 144, Cháng’ān St, Changhua City, Changhua County, Taiwan 500）
Lao Dan Ah Zhang Changhua Meatball 老担阿璋肉圓
Lao Dan Ah Zhang Changhua Meatball 老担阿璋肉圓 for NT35
Pork Ball at 老担阿璋肉圓 for NT15
After finishing our rounds at 正彰化肉圓, we crossed the road to visit 老担阿璋肉圓. This version of meatball at Lao Dan Ah Zhang Meatball (老担阿璋肉圓) had a slight edge over 正彰化肉圓 in that the chili for the meatball was readily available on the table! Haha…
But jokes aside, what we enjoyed about this version was that the fragrance of the garlic permeated with each mouthful of the meatball. The skin was also chewy and TAONG which brought a different texture as you bite on the skin and its fillings. The downside? A tad lesser in terms of meat fillings within.
The funny thing was, so far, we’ve seen both versions of the meatballs being deep fried but they’ve both been “drowned” with their sauces such that they don’t taste fried at all. Was it supposed to be like that? We soon found out with the third candidate…
北門口肉圓 Changhua Meatball with dried scallop for NT80
北門口肉圓 is just a short walk away from the other 2 meatball joints and it was pretty crowded when we reached there. The boss did not even have time to take our orders, just busily frying the meatballs away. Some “cut” the queue by shouting their orders. Hence, don’t be shy (or courteous), just order away!
There were several things we loved about this version. At NT80, we ordered the bigger version with dried scallops. The taste was certainly better and there was more meat fillings within. Chili also accompanied the meatballs well. But what we really enjoyed about 北門口肉圓’s meatball was the crispy outer layer! After trying 3 meatballs stalls, we finally found one that maintained the crispiness of the skin after frying and addition of the sauces! The down side of this version was that the sauce was a tad too sweet.
The Best Changhua Meatballs (彰化肉圓) goes to…
北門口肉圓
Bei Men Kou Changhua Meatball!
Well, we’re coming from a Singaporean point of view. 正彰化肉圓’s meatballs was knocked out after having a relatively strong taste of the bamboo shoots (need to wash them clean you know?). It was really a close fight between 老担阿璋肉圓 and 北門口肉圓. But the crispy outer layer at 北門口肉圓 definitely made the difference.
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If ever possible, we think that the best version of Changhua Meatballs (彰化肉圓) would be the meatballs (with crispy outer skin) from 北門口肉圓, laced with the garlicky,peanuty sauce of 老担阿璋肉圓 and 正彰化肉圓!
Hope you’ve enjoyed our coverage of Changhua Meatballs (彰化肉圓), do let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
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After checking out the Things to do in Chiayi on day 3 of our Taiwan trip, we decided to visit the other Chiayi Attractions such as Lan Tan Lake / Reservoir (蘭潭水庫), Sun Shooting Tower (射日塔) and eating our way through Zhong Shan Lu (中山路) – Chiayi’s main shopping street!
Chiayi Attractions Taiwan!
On day 4 of our trip, we actually started the day early at Duke Hotel. 4am early. Yes, it was the world cup and we caught match between Germany and Algeria. Germany managed to pull through in extra time and won the game 2-1!
2bearbear watching Germany vs Algeria World Cup 2014! 4am in the morning!
Back to Chiayi Attractions… 😛
After collecting our breakfast at McDonald’s we took the bus from Chiayi Terminal to Chiayi University for 18NT. If you’re unsure, the friendly aunty at the ticketing counter will be able to advise you. The bus ride took about 20 minutes. Lan Tan aka 蘭潭水庫 is actually located very near Chiayi University. You’d probably see couples from the University, hanging out by the Lan Tan Lake or just enjoying views of the mountain ranges in the distance.
Now, the important information…HOW TO GET TO LAN TAN LAKE?
Lan Tan Chiayi / 蘭潭水庫
After arriving at Chiayi University, you’d realise that you may have entered into the University and may be erm…a little lost. Fret not! We have been lost in Chiayi University as well and here are the simplified steps for you to reach Lan Tan!
Step 1 : Head towards the entrance of Chiayi University, where you will see the office of the security guards. Step 2 : On the right of the security guard house, you’ll see a car park with lots of motorcycles, head towards it and turn right towards a flight of stairs. Step 3 : You’d probably be pestered by mosquitoes (bring a repellant) and small crawling lizards by now. IGNORE THEM! Continue up this flight of stairs and you’d end up at the University’s dormitories. Ironically, this path is known affectionately by the students as Ai Qing De Xiao Lu (爱情的小路 or Love’s Little Path). Kate was “loved” by several mosquitoes here… Step 4 : Continue walking on the only path and you’d arrive at another security guard house. Walk across the road and keep right and within 2 minutes, you’ll arrive at Lan Tan! Yay! (After all that treacherous climb) OR You’d probably be lost like us and ask the security guards. He’d actually say the exact same thing to you – that’s because we asked! We’re trying to prevent uncles being asked the same question (“Where is Lan Tan?”) over and over again. So be brave. Cross the road and keep right!
After reaching Lan Tan, we took a short stroll around the lake, taking shots at Rippling Moonlit Talk 月影潭心, San Xin Ting 三信亭 and of course the mountain ranges in the distance. We’re actually not sure what those mountain ranges are. But we’re secretly hoping that it’s the Alishan (阿里山) Mountain Range (it is in the correct general direction!).
Views of Mountain Range from Lan Tan
The reason why we did not go to Alishan is because of the duration and probably, the “treacherous” journey. The trip takes about 3 hours from Chiayi, making it 6 hours for a return trip. Plus, mountainous roads are usually windy (thus evoking motion sickness). Last but not least, parts of the roads to Alishan have been blocked off for reconstruction due to landslides in 2010. Most locals we asked said that Lan Tan would be the best alternative in terms of cost and time.
After our visit to Lan Tan, we took the same bus (remember to refer to the bus timetable!) back towards Chiayi. Oh, you can also feed the ducks at the pond next to the bus stop and even send a post card back home as well!
The main reason why we stopped at Chiayi Park is because of the Sun Shooting Tower. However, we forgot to check out the opening hours before going. Apparently, it closes on Mondays and Tuesdays. But thank the Lord, there was an exhibition (Alessi) going on and it was open on the Tuesday that we visited 🙂
As you approach (and leave) the Sun Shooting Tower, be careful of the sudden LOUD sounds play through the PA system. We were startled TWICE as we entered and left the Chiayi Tower. However, views from the tower was simply amazing and there’s even a nice alfresco chillax area at the top of the tower…
Our first stop was at the Hong Jia Zhuang Beef and Pork Noodles Restaurant. What attracted us was its cute banner and of course the fact that it had pork noodles in addition to beef noodles at the restaurant. Yes, we tried the pork noodles.
It happened that the restaurant got famous because of the cute twins, grandchildren of the owner of the restaurant. The best part was that they happened to be visiting from Taipei (they have since grown up and shifted to Taipei for their education) and the cute twins served us our lunch! The noodles were quite tasty and the pork was very tender. However, we wouldn’t say that it’s superb. Just good. Perhaps, the “twins effect” bumped up the unique factor of the restaurant. They’re still soooo cute at 10 years of age! 😛
Still on Zhong Shan Lu, we stumbled upon 恩典方塊酥 shop. A bakery that specialises in selling square shaped biscuits – hence the name. We bought a couple because even the prime minister of Taiwan visits this place. When we finally got to try it back in our room, we understood why. The texture was flaky and crumbly both at the same time (how is that even possible?!). Taste was the usual buttery taste but not too sweet. Definitely a great gift to bring back home.
As for the oyster mee sua? We’re featuring it so that you wouldn’t make the same mistake of visiting it. The flavour was bland and the intestines still had the funny smell that remains if you don’t wash it clean. Bottom line, give this joint a miss.
Located at 中山路325号 (325 Zhong Shan Lu), the famous 嘉义喷水鸡肉饭 Chiayi Spurting Turkey Rice is a must try for foodies visiting Chiayi. We’ve tried 3 different versions of the turkey rice in Chiayi and the spurting chicken rice comes up top! This is because of the flavourful fried shallots and bits of turkey skin that are prepared so well that it had a gelatinous crunch along with the firm turkey meats. Wash down with Taiwan Beer? Yum! The garlic squid on the other hand managed only an “ok” rating from us. Somehow, it lacked the fresh crunch that a good plate of garlic squid should have.
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Rounding off the evening, we decided to pamper ourselves to VIP screening of Transformers 4 : Age of Extinction. And yes, it was in English. The seats were actual sofa seats and even comes with “Transformers” cushions. Each VIP ticket (at the cost of 330NT about $13 SGD) comes with a choice of soft drink or popcorn. Since there were the 2 of us, we decided to go with 1 popcorn and 1 coke.
All in all, it was a fantastic day out, visiting all the attractions in Chiayi! We hope that our day 3 post on things to do in Chiayi and day 4 post of Chiayi attractions can be a good resource for you when you visit Chiayi Taiwan in the future!
Stay tuned for day 5 of our Taiwan trip, next!
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Chiayi was our next destination on day 3 of our Taiwan trip. After our breakfast at 鹿早茶屋, we headed to Chiayi to check out the many things to do in and attractions in Chiayi Taiwan!
Things to do and attractions in Chiayi
The train ride from Tainan to Chiayi takes about an hour and costs NT107 per ticket. After arriving at Chiayi train station, we checked in with Duke Hotel before venturing out in search of the yummy foods in Chiayi!
We also found out at the reception that breakfast was at the McDonald’s downstairs! All you have to do is just bring the coupons down and let the cashier know which burger and beverage you’d like. BUT on the 2nd day, Kate actually lost our McDonald’s coupon! But that’s another story to tell… -_-”
Chiayi Turkey Rice
Chiayi is famous for its Turkey Rice aka 火鶏肉飯. Right round the corner from Duke Hotel, there are 2 traditional Turkey Rice stalls claiming to be around for about 50 years. We popped right in and ordered a portion for 30NT. We also had the braised pork belly rice and fish belly soup for NT60 each. After tucking in, we soon discovered that the secret to a good bowl of Turkey Rice lies in the fried shallots! The fish belly soup on the other hand was really fresh and tender! The fish together with the lining of the belly, literally melted in my mouth on each bite! The only thing that I had to be careful was the small bones that appeared from time to time. Chew slowly!
After lunch, we went back to our hotel for a short rest before walking to Wen Hua Night Market aka 文化路观光夜市. The night market is simply a long stretch of road with food stalls on the sides. Not many stalls to choose from though. This was probably one of the least interesting night markets during this trip.
We tried the braised items stall with choice of braised beancurd, beancurd skin and liver. We actually wanted to heat up the items but the aunty managed to convince us that it tasted nicer cold – SO NOT TRUE! Nonetheless, it was still quite palatable with the chili and preserved vegetables mixed in. But you should really ask for the heated version!
For desserts, we tried the peanut beancurd. This version was quite tasty, not too sweet and had the peanuty goodness (and flavours) that went quite well with the beancurd. Again, this is a traditional beancurd stall, so expect firmness and not the silky smooth textures of beancurds found in Singapore.
To round up the evening, we recalled seeing eel noodles as a specialty of Chiayi on the in-flight magazine of EVA air. We happened to chance upon a stall enroute from our hotel to Wen Hua Night Market and decided to give it a try (though our first choice was actually 肉羹 which was closed when we wanted to order!). This version was actually quite tasteless and oily. BUT! Nothing a little vinegar and chili powder cant salvage! After adding (incessant amounts of) vinegar and chili powder, the noodle was more palatable and together, we actually slurped up the whole plate of noodles!
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Things to do in Chiayi Taiwan
Though it was a disappointing first day at Chiayi (except the Turkey Rice), there are many other things to do in Chiayi Taiwan and in fact, our next day in Chiayi turned out to be much better! Stay tuned to find out more!
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Kate stumbled upon 鹿早茶屋 while searching for what to eat for breakfast during our stay at 1967 Hotel Tainan. The reviews of the cafe seemed pretty good and we also wanted to try something other than the usual Taiwanese fare during this trip. Hence, we decided to check it out!
The facade of 鹿早茶屋 can be rather deceiving. On the onset, you may think that it’s just someone else’s home. So do not be afraid of “barging into someone’s house” and step right in! There are 3 levels where you can sit and this time, we sat on the 2nd level.
On this visit, we chose the breakfast meal (NT240) and the german sausage waffles (NT260). Each comes with it’s own choice of tea worth NT130. We went with the fruit tea and casablanca green tea which were both refreshingly delicious!
All in all, we spent approximately $20 SGD for breakfast at 鹿早茶屋. This price is actually quite expensive, even for Singapore standards. Nonetheless, if you’re gathering with friends and would like a cosy and unpretentious place to chill out, 鹿早茶屋 seems like a pretty good options. The food’s pretty good as well.
Last but not least, we’re giving the same advice to be early. Although we were the first few to enter the cafe in the morning (when it opened at 10am), when we left, the entire place was full! All 3 levels of it! There are actually only 18 seats available and we saw several groups leaving when they saw that the place was already full.
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There are so many things to do in Tainan and day 2 of our Taiwan trip was when we really started to explore Tainan altogether. Early on in the morning, we decided to set off from 1967 City Central Hotel Tainan to Anping Old Fort by foot. The entire journey took approximately 2 hours but we had several stops along the way, most of them at 7-11 (affectionately known by locals as “seven”)…
Things to do in Tainan Taiwan
Enroute to Anping Old Fort
From 1967 Hotel Tainan to Anping Old Fort, we passed by several attractions in Tainan, including the National Museum of Taiwan Literature, Confucius Temple,
Although the walk in Tainan was wonderful (mostly because I was walking with my lover – Kate) but IT WAS HOT!!! We had to stop at several 7-11 along the way to cool down (mostly by enjoying the free air conditioning) and replenish our water lost due to the intense heat. It was about 33 degrees Celsius so if you’re taking the same walk in the June period, remember to pack a bottle of water and probably an umbrella to block off the sun’s rays.
About 2 hours later (and it was still before 10am!), we arrived at Anping District!
Anping Old District and Anping Fort
After crossing Tainan River (台南运河)，we finally entered Anping District! The Anping District is one of the old towns in Tainan and is one of the tourist attractions in Tainan. It can get pretty crowded, especially during the weekends where the stalls are open (with games and food, even during the day) and of course, many flock to visit the Anping Old Fort. Nearby, you can also stay at the Anping Old House for a local feel of the area. Entrance to the Anping Old Fort costs only NT50 ($2 SGD) and you will be able to ascend the Anping Watch tower and visit exhibitions to understand the history of the fort as well as that of Taiwan…
Right next to the Anping Old Fort lies a restaurant by the name of Rui Zhen (aka 瑞珍虾仁馄饨). One could possibly pass by it if not for the persistent calling by the restaurant’s owner. Having seen several features of the restaurant (with local Taiwanese celebrities and even one with Singapore’s 早安您好）， we decided to give it a try and we were glad that we did!
During this visit, we ordered several of the restaurant’s specialties including the oyster mee sua, coffin bread (棺材板）as well as the shrimp dumplings, all at a reasonable price of NT60. The mee sua had many fresh, huge oysters and the garlicky but fresh taste of the soup made it an irresistible dish. The coffin bread was crispy at the toasted edges while the shrimp dumplings had a crisp bite on the outside and a sweet crunch of the prawn on the inside. Yum!
After the scrumptious lunch, we headed towards the Anping Tree House for a visit. Though we did not enter, we were able to catch a glimpse of the tree house as we headed towards 海头…
Kate who planned the entire Taiwan trip, remembered that the Si Cao Green Tunnel was in the vicinity of Anping District. After cooling down at Seven, we headed to the bus stop next to it to see if any bus went there. Unfortunately, we did not know that there were actually tourist buses that ply between Si Cao Green Tunnel and Anping District, all the way back to Tainan Train Station. As a result, we took a cab. Though it was not THAT expensive, the 5 minutes taxi ride from Anping to Si Cao costs NT165 (about $6 SGD on meter). Fortunately for us, we caught the bus 99 on the way back for only NT18 per person. There are 2 public tourist buses that ply the vicinity – Buses 88 and 99. Do check out these bus routes for easy access to the tourist attractions of Tainan. But do take note of the bus timings as well. Sometimes, if you miss a bus, you might have to wait for about an hour!
As we did not get to eat the famous Anping Tong Ji Beancurd in Anping itself, we were glad that we were able to try it at its other stall near our hotel back in Tainan city. We tried the traditional beancurd (NT30) and the shaved ice series (NT55) and were quite satisfied with these choices. You can choose 1 “topping” for the beancured (we chose lemon) and 2 “toppings” for the shaved ice (we chose red bean and strawberry sauce). Special mention must go to the beancurd with lemon which was surprisingly nice and refreshing! But do not expect soft silky textures like those in Singapore, this version has the traditional textures with a firm texture to taste!
Huayuan Night Market (aka 花園夜市）was the first night of many night markets that we would be visiting during this Taiwan trip and it is also one of the must do things in Tainan. At a typical night market, you’d get to shop, eat and play games. Huayuan night market covers all of this PLUS the fact that you can get a HUGE PORTION OF SWEET MANGOES FOR ONLY NT50!
Remember to take 0左 (Zero Left – this bus loops so if you take Zero Right you’d probably still reach Huayuan Night Market but maybe 2 hours later?) from Tainan bus terminal (next to the Tainan Train Station) for NT18. The trip is about 8 stops and most people (after 5pm) would stop here. Do note that the special stop for Huayuan Night Market is only activated after 5pm, so do check in with the bus driver for specific directions.
And here’s a quick snap shot of what we did at Hua Yuan Night Market!
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On the way back from Hua Yuan Night Market, we actually waited for 1 hour before the bus came! We must have just missed the bus as we headed towards the bus stop. Hence, it is important to be about 5 to 10 minutes earlier than the stipulated time in order not to wait such a long time for the bus back!
All in all, we had a fantastic day out in Tainan and there are still more fantastic things to do in Tainan Taiwan. Do tell us more in the comments section below about the fun and interesting things that you’ve done in Tainan as well!
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During our recent trip to Taiwan, we decided to do a whole of WEST COAST trip which included Tainan, Chiayi, Changhua (because Tom wanted to eat the Changhua meatballs after watching 食尚玩家), Taichung, Miaoli, Taoyuan and Taipei. The plan was to first fly into Taoyuan International Airport and take the HSR (High Speed Rail) all the way down to Tainan before journeying back up north again. We also realised during the trip that the rail transportation network is really well developed and with the HSR, it was just a 1.5 hours ride from Taoyuan to Tainan!
Map of Taiwan Trip 2014
We started the trip with a complimentary airport transfer and a visit to the Dnata SkyView Lounge. Both are perks of joining the ANZ Travel Card. Just by joining the card, there are 3 immediate perks that you can enjoy.
1. Complimentary to more than 80 airport lounges world wide. ANZ did a tie-up with Veloce. 2. Complimentary Airport transfer (if you spend a cumulative amount of $1500). Air tickets plus hotel bookings will typically hit the amount. 3. Complimentary travel insurance if you pay for tickets using the card.
From Taoyuan International Airport, you will need to first find the Ubus 705 that takes you from Taoyuan International Airport to the HSR station (signs are easily recognisable once you exit the customs check). The tickets costs only NT30 ($1.20). From there, we took the HSR from Taoyuan Station to Tainan Station for NT1305 ($52) which took 1hr and 24 minutes (from 1921 to 2045）…
During the ride, the top speed of the HSR hit approximately 300km/h which was why in no time at all, we reached Tainan Station. From there, we had to change to the local line (TRA – Taiwan Railways Administration) on the 區間車 to Tainan TRA station. This ride was NT25 which took about 25 minutes…
1967 City Central Hotel Tainan was just a short 5 minutes walk away from the station. As it was already close to 10pm at night, we were feeling quite hungry and decided to stop at a local beef noodles stall to have a quick bite. Turns out that this beef noodles was going to be one of the best beef noodles during this Taiwan trip, just minutes away from 1967 Hotel!
As we had already informed the hotel in advance that we would be late that evening, the receptionist was already expecting us and promptly showed us around the hotel. After taking a few shots of the room and hotel, it was time for us to turn in early for the start of our Taiwan trip tomorrow!
Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel’s Harbour Studio not only offers a fantastic view over the Marina Bay, but during the National Day period, it also offers fantastic vantage points for…you’ve guessed it! Fireworks! The harbour facing rooms (Harbour Studio, Skyline Suite, Harbour Suite and Presidential Suite) of the Pan Pacific Singapore Hotels offers breathtaking views of the Marina Bay including views of attractions such as the Esplanade, Helix Bridge and the Merlion!
Thanks to the great folks at Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel, we were hosted to a staycation at the Pacific Harbour Studio room and boy was it an awesome staycation!
Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel Harbour Studio Staycation
The Harbour Studio Room of the Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel is one of the latest addition to the hotel after the recent renovation works. The room is modern, slick and have upgraded amenities to meet the needs of sophisticated travellers today…
Huge King Sized Bed facing the TVThe 2bearbear enjoying the comfort of the bedSpacious BathroomWith rain shower facilitiesSexy Bathtub with views of the TV and HarbourModern desk for business travellersNespresso Machine in addition to the usual coffee making facilities!2bearbear enjoying a cuppa
Video Tour of Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel Harbour Studio
Video Tour of Pan Pacific Singapore City Suites (where we stayed during our previous visit)
As you can see from the video, this is one of the rooms with unblocked views of the Marina Bay Floating Platform (room 32xx) and the Marina Bay itself.
2bearbear enjoying the views from Pan Pacific Harbour Studio RoomViews of Marina Bay Sands and the Marina BayView of the Marina Bay towards the direction of the MerlionKudos to the NDP performers who rehearsed under the sweltering hot sun at 3pm!
But the best part of the room was of course the fireworks! Just for you our readers, we recorded this awesome (“everything is awesome…”) fireworks display…you may even hear us singing the National Day Songs in the background as well! Enjoy!
National Day Parade Fireworks as seen from Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel Harbour Studio Room
Fireworks as seen from our room from Pan Pacific SingaporeNational Day Parade FireworksNDP Fireworks as seen from Pan Pacific SingaporeNDP Fireworks Pan Pacific SingaporePanoramic view of the Marina Bay AreaMarina Bay Fireworks
Pacific Club Privileges @ Pan Pacific Singapore
In addition to the panoramic 360 degrees view of Singapore, the Pacific Club extends the following privileges to Pacific Club Guests…
– Champagne breakfast at Pacific Club or buffet breakfast at Edge, from 6:00am to 10:30am or in-room dining breakfast at your leisure
– Afternoon tea from 3:00pm to 5:00pm
– Sunset cocktails and canapés from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
– 24-hour club service
– Late check-out until 2:00pm
Use of Pacific Club private dining rooms with prior reservation
– 50% savings on secretarial services at the Pacific Centre
You’ll note from the above information that THERE’S CHAMPAGNE SERVED FOR BREAKFAST AT THE PACIFIC CLUB!! (Did we raised our voice a little there?). The other interesting thing to note is that the Pacific Club is one of the few hotel lounges in Singapore that extends the club service for 24 hours. A great gesture by the hotel 🙂
Afternoon Tea from 3pm to 5pm
After our swim at the pool, we headed to the Pacific Club for afternoon tea at about 4pm. Once we entered the club at the 38th level, we realised that the club is slightly different from the club lounges of the other hotels. As we stepped out of the lift, we were promptly greeted by the staff with huge smiles and echoing sounds of “welcome”. It was as if we had known each other for the longest time and the staff were welcoming us back to the club once again…
Rafael, the club manager accentuated this “life” of the club with his outgoing personality and warm hospitality. He then asked if it was our first time at the club and unreservedly gave us a quick tour of the premise (all these time, not knowing that we were hosted to a stay at the Pan Pacific Singapore! Talk about great service…)
Classy and comfortable layout of the Pacific Club at Pan Pacific SingaporePacific Club Pan Pacific Singapore Chilling out with friends at the Pacific ClubViews of the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands from Pacific ClubA full service bar at the Pacific Club Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel
There were ample seats at the Pacific Club which were tastefully decorated and laid out. In addition to the splendid views over the marina bay, you can also enjoy sun rise AND sun set from the Pacific Club as well. For those who prefer a little bit of privacy, there are 2 private dining rooms that can be made available with prior arrangements.
As for the afternoon tea…
Selection of saladsTuna SandwichCakes and brownies Cookies, nuts and chipsSweets for the kids Soft drinks juices and coffee are also available throughout the dayBeautifully concocted cappuccino with our afternoon tea
Sunset cocktail from 6pm to 8pm
The sunset cocktail at the Pacific Club is aptly named because of its splendid views of the sunset over the horizon in the direction of Swissotel Singapore. After the afternoon tea, we continued to “chope” our spot and played some scrabble until the cocktail commenced. The alcoholic choices available during cocktails include international and in-house cocktails, beers, wines and champagnes!
Wines available at sunset cocktail Pacific ClubChoice of classic or rose champagne2bearbear enjoying sunset over the in-house cocktail of Pacific Sling and Lychee Martini (which Kate enjoyed ALOT)Sunset as seen from the Pacific Club Pan Pacific Hotel SingaporePlaying scrabble and enjoying each other’s company at Pacific Club
At about 6:45pm, we witnessed the fly past of the National Flag…
National Flag fly past during National Day 2014
After seeing this manoeuvre “live” from the Pacific Club, we realised our low our helicopters actually flew and what risks they were actually subjected to. At one point, we thought that they were REALLY close to the buildings as they headed towards the floating platform.
Kudos to our Airforce chaps for making this difficult feat seem so easy!
After Breakfast at Edge Restaurant
After breakfast at Edge the next morning, we headed back to the Pacific Club to have our daily coffee fix and enjoyed a lazy Sunday morning with the Sunday Times! Gourmet coffee, views of the Marina Bay and the Sunday Times? Ah…
Latte and Sunday Times with views of the Singapore Flyer in the background2bearbear enjoying the views of MBS and the Marina Bay from Pacific Club Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel
Breakfast at Edge Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel
The breakfast at Edge was the usual international buffet breakfast…
Assorted Tropical FruitsCold Cut selectionBreakfast Edge Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel – Cheese SelectionWestern selection of sausage bacon and beansEdge Breakfast Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel – Selection of PastriesSaladsGreat tasting waffles with maple syrup
The thing is, this item is not shown on the menu and you will have to tell the chef that you would like “Eggs Benedict”. The funny thing was, once you ordered it, others having seen it, would follow suit (who wouldnt right?!). So the chef would try to pass to you in the fastest possible manner before anyone can ask “what was that?!”
2bearbear enjoying Eggs Benedict for breakfast
Facilities and Amenities in Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel
Besides the Pacific Club (which we strongly recommend for a fantastic staycation experience), Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel also offers facilities of a 5 stars hotel, including…
St Greogory – A full service spaGym at Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel Gym at Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel Swimming pool as seen from Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel City SuiteSwimming Pool Pan Pacific Hotel Singapore Atrium Bar Pan Pacific Singapore
Inside Pacific MarketplacePacific Marketplace Pan Pacific Singapore
The Pacific Marketplace also recently launched the SuperMuffin! When you think of muffins, you’d usually think of the sweet ones like chocolate and banana muffins right? The SuperMuffin is an innovative series of savoury muffins that was actually interestingly good. We tried the Ms Piggy (Char Siew with Salted Egg) SuperMuffin and were surprised by the unique taste. Although at $7++, it was a tad on the expensive side, we still think it is worth A try…(note the emphasis on “A”) Other choices include Chicken Run, succulent chicken wok-fried with garlic chives and Shaoxing Wine; Minotaur, classic Braised oxtail; Hulk, a decadent blend of Mushroom, Cream and Cheese; and Krrish, curry potatoes with a medley of Indian spices.
Ms Piggy SuperMuffin Pacific Marketplace SuperMuffin Pacific Marketplace Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel
We also tried the Chicken Not Little sandwich with Pacific Cobb Salad at $17++
Chicken Not Little Pacific MarketplacePacific Cobb Salad Pacific Marketplace
For something that is a little lower in price, the cupcakes goes for $4++ while the croissants goes for $3++. These prices are quite reasonable considering that the Pacific Marketplace is located within the hotel and may be possibly cheaper than some artisanal cafes…
Red Velvet Cupcake with Frosted Cream Cheese
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To sum up, we take a look at our BASIC FACTOR and the score for Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel, is a 4.5!
B – 1. Huge and modern bath tub with TV views and views of the Marina Bay Skyline. Shiok! A – 1. In terms of ambience, you’ll feel the touch of class as you enter into the lobby surrounded with the uniquely designed individual pods. S – 1. Service was prompt and individualised , especially when you enter the Pacific Club! I – 0.5. One of the largest pools in the Marina Bay Area. You can compare by taking the bubble lifts of the Pan Pacific Hotel which overlooks the pools of several hotels nearby. C – 1. Bed was firm, large and comfy. Views of the Marina Bay as you sleep? Marvellous!
1967 City Central Hotel Tainan (一九六七 時尚私人會館) hosted us to a stay at its premise during our recent trip to Taiwan. As a boutique hotel, there isn’t the usual frills of a swimming pool, gym and spa but its location (just a 9 minutes walk from Tainan Train Station) offers a great base from which you can explore the rest of Tainan!
2bearbear at the lobby of 1967 City Central Hotel Tainan
Entrance of 1967 City Central Hotel Tainan
But first lets check out our room at 1967 City Central Hotel…
1967 City Central Hotel Tainan Double Room
We arrived pretty late on our first night at 1967 City Central Hotel Tainan but we were promptly checked-in by the receptionist (do note that the front desk closes at 11pm) and were introduced to the amenities of the hotel and personally shown to our room at 101…
Our friendly receptionist at 1967 Hotel Tainan checking us in at 10pm
Entrance to our room at 101 (not to be mistaken with Taipei 101 :p)
1967 City Central Hotel Tainan is built in 2012 and has only 19 rooms at its premise. However, each room is intricately decorated with art pieces and exquisite furniture which led us to be pleasantly surprised when we first entered the room…
Elegant and arty living space at 1967 Tainan
Cool mirror by the study table at 1967 City Central Hotel Tainan
Comfortable and classy quilt cover and bed that faces the cable TV
Besides the artistically decorated room, the bathroom is also clean and equipped with towels, toiletries and towels. The only gripe we had was that the shower area was relatively small. Otherwise, it was clean (very clean in fact) and had all the necessary items that we needed.
A really clean toilet with bath and face towels
Shower gel and shampoo at 1967 City Central Hotel Tainan
Lobby of 1967 City Central Hotel Tainan
As you enter into the lobby of 1967 Hotel Tainan, you’ll realise that the beautiful decoration extends to pretty much every part of the hotel. I guess this is pretty much what a boutique hotel is all about…
Lobby of 1967 City Central Hotel Tainan
The great part of 1967 City Central Hotel Tainan is that there’s snacks and coffee available at the lobby 24 hours a day!
Common area next to the lift
Coffee and snacks the lobby – Can you spot the macaron?
More snacks available at the lobby of 1967 Hotel
In and around 1967 City Central Hotel Tainan
鹿早茶屋 A Popular Breakfast and Brunch Restaurant
Just across from 1967 City Central Hotel Tainan, there’s a quaint restaurant that is apparently very popular among girls and youngsters in the area. The restaurant is 鹿早茶屋 (lu zao cha wu). We also visited this popular brunch joint and eventhough we were the first to arrive at 10am, when we left at 1130, ALL THE SEATS WERE TAKEN! All 18 seats available! Yes…only 18 seats in the house so be early to avoid disappointment!
鹿早茶屋 (lu zao cha wu) opposite 1967 City Central Hotel Tainan
German sausage waffles with our 4 fruit tea and casablanca tea
Brunch menu only available before 1pm
老唐牛肉面店 Beef Noodles Stall
If you’re walking towards 1967 Hotel Tainan from the Tainan train station, you’ll turn right at Weimin Street. At the corner of Weimin Street, you’ll see this Beef Noodles Stall – 老唐牛肉面店 …
老唐牛肉面店 Beef Noodles Stall
One of the best beef noodles during this trip at 老唐牛肉面店 Beef Noodles Stall
How to get to 1967 City Central Hotel Tainan
How to walk from Tainan train station to 1967 City Central Hotel Tainan
If you’re walking from Tainan Train Station, it is only a 9 minutes walk away. Firstly, walk down Beimen Road, you’ll turn right at Weimin Street. After which, you’ll have to look out for this REALLY REALLY small alley, Weimin Lane 70 and walk right into it…
Small alley leading to 1967 Hotel Tainan
An additional piece of information that you might be interested in is that if you take a right from the lobby of the hotel, you’ll see this path…
Secret walkway on the right of 1967 Hotel Tainan leading to Shin-Kong Mitsukoshi Departmental Store
Following this path and keep to the left thereafter will lead you to the Shin-Kong Mitsukoshi Departmental Store or more commonly known as 新光三越.
To sum up, we take a look at our BASIC FACTOR and the score for 1967 City Central Tainan Hotel, it’s a 2.5!
B – 0.5. The Bathroom was really clean but was rather small in size. A – 1. Although tucked away in a corner, the ambience really stood out when we first entered. S – 0.5. All receptionists never failed to greet us as we entered the hotel. Although we would have preferred our receptionist to know a little more information about where we could catch World Cup ;P I – 0. No swimming pools here. C – 0.5. Bed was a tad too soft for our liking.
All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at 1967 City Central Hotel Tainan because of its uniqueness as a boutique hotel as well as its excellent location. Given the price, it is definitely worth more than a stay. Do consider the hotel, the next time you’re visiting Tainan Taiwan!
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Dnata SkyView Lounge at Terminal 1 Changi Airport is now available to ANZ travel card holders through its partnership with Veloce (VIP Airport Lounges)! Within this partnership, there are more than 100 airport lounges around the world that are made available and during our trip to Bandung, we took the opportunity to visit the Dnata Skyview Lounge at T1! Do note that each terminal has a lounge for ANZ travel card holders, so no worries if you’re not departing/arriving at T1.
Inside Dnata SkyView Lounge T1
After our visit to the SATS Premier Lounge at T2, we had a certain expectation of airport lounges and the Dnata SkyView Lounge met the standards…
The airlines and companies Dnata Lounge serves
Reason why it’s called “SkyView Lounge”
Crisp new magazines and newspapers at Dnata SkyView Lounge
The great thing about the lounge is that its spacious and allows natural sunlight which lights up the lounge area. Of course, you can also see planes taking off and taxiing from the lounge as well. But now to the most important part of this post…FOOOOOD!!!
What to eat at Dnata SkyView Lounge T1
Well, the truth is, in terms of quality, SATS Premier Lounge is a notch above the Dnata SkyView Lounge. Nonetheless, they do have the usual choices of western,asia,cereals,instant noodles, coffee/tea and alcoholic drinks…
Smaller variety of food from Dnata Skyview Lounge
Smaller selection of drinks from Dnata Lounge compared to SATS Premier Lounge
What we ate at Dnata SkyView Lounge – Tuna sandwich at the top of the picture’s not bad
Pastries and pancakes!
In terms of selection and variety, Dnata SkyView Lounge certainly pales in comparison to SATS Premier Lounge (which has massage chairs and better food selection). Nonetheless, the “sky view” offered the Dnata Lounge does offer a different dimension for travellers to relax and hang out as well.
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We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of the Dnata SkyView Lounge at Terminal of Singapore’s Changi International Airport. If you have visited other great airport lounges, why not share it with us in the comments section below?
Oasia Hotel Staycation? Who would have thought that the Novena enclave offers an excellent Singapore Staycation option in Oasia Hotel? Over the weekend, we were hosted to a staycation here and were pleasantly delighted by this “hidden-gem-of-a-staycation”…check out this review to find out more!
Janice checking us in at Oasia Hotel’s Club Lounge – The Living Room!Oasia Hotel Facade
Oasia Hotel Singapore Staycation
If you’re staying at the Club Room of Oasia Hotel, you’ll be whisked off to the club lounge, also known as the Living Room for a personalised check-in. We also had the refreshing peppermint welcome drink while Janice promptly checked us in – that is eventhough we were much earlier than the stipulated check in time 🙂
Guess who we brought for our Oasia Hotel staycation this time round? Our 2bearbears!
2bearbears snuggling on the king-sized bed of Oasia’s Club RoomOasia Hotel Club Room King-sized bedGreat views from Oasia Hotel’s Club Room!Bath tub with rice grain soap bar in-room spa!Rain shower facilityModern tear-drop-shaped sinkIn-room coffee and tea making facilities
1. Splendid views. Club rooms are located above level 22 (we stayed at level 24) and offers marvelous views in and around the Novena enclave. There are also 2 kinds of mechanically-operted blinds over 3 panels that blocks the “prying eyes” of the condominium opposite while still allowing you to enjoy the views!
2. Huge TV. The 46 inch TV does perk you up as you enjoy the staycation at Oasia. We caught “How to train your dragon” on Channel 5, a good recap after just watching D2 (D2 is our short form for “How to train your Dragon 2).
3. In-room spa?Remember we mentioned the rice grain soap bar? It actually has orange and tangerine essential oils infused into the soap bar! The smell was relaxing yet the rice grain softly exfoliates your skin…a great addition to the in-room amenities.
Oasia Hotel Facilities
Swimming Pool, Gym, Steam Room and Sauna at Level 8
There are 2 swimming pools at Oasia Hotel. 2 swimming pools!! The common swimming pool is located at level 8 along with the hotel’s gym, sauna and steam room. In addition, there’s also a chillax area on the same level that allows you to overlook views of the surrounding…
Swimming pool Oasia HotelAnother view of the swimming pool at Oasia HotelJacuzzi at the corner of the pool at Oasia HotelGym at level 8 of Oasia HotelSmall little pavilion on the same level
Club Lounge Swimming Pool at level 22
It was made known to us that Oasia Hotel’s Club Lounge (also known as the Living Room) has a little secret. It is the only hotel in Singapore which has its lounge next to its “Club Member’s Only” swimming pool!
Oasia Hotel club lounge swimming poolSwimming pool at level 22 of Oasia HotelAnother view of the Living Room swimming pool Oasia Hotel
Splendid views as seen from the pool deck of the Living Room at level 22
Super clean swimming pool of Oasia Hotel
Did we mention that both swimming pools at level 22 and level 8 were surprisingly clean? At the level 8 swimming pool, due to a shallower portion next to the deck chairs, you can actually lie there (like a beached whale) and feel absolutely no grime whatsoever. Impressed.
Drinks by the poolClub Lounge swimming pool at night
As the swimming pool is just next to the Living Room, you can choose to have gourmet coffee (we had latte above) or refreshing Italian Sodas (try the peach flavour!) right by the pool! In the evenings, the cocktails happen from 6pm to 8pm daily, here’s what the lounge offers…
Club Lounge aka the Living Room
Crowded club lounge during cocktail hours at Oasia Hotel!Selection of drinks during opening hours of the LoungeSelection of alcoholic drinks during cocktail hours at Oasia HotelRefreshing chilled cucumber and mint shootersSelection of cheesesFirecracker sausageSmoked duck, vege sticks with cheese dip and red wineAsahi beer with pretzels (plus honey) and smoked salmonWe’re here for cocktails too! Seen here, mojito, Oasia bliss and dessertsSplendid sunsets as seen from the Living Room Oasia HotelChilling out during cocktail hour as the sun sets
What we really enjoyed about the cocktail was the service, great selection of drinks, proximity to the pool and of course the surprisingly wonderful sunset! Give Oasia Bliss a try, a berry based cocktail, definitely a hit with the ladies. Alternatively, you can have a dip in the pool while having some drinks and finger foods by the pool side. Surely a relaxing way to end the evening…ah…
World Cup at Oasia Hotel Club Lounge
During this world cup season, the club lounge has kindly extended its opening hours to show all, ALL the world cup matches to allow the guests to enjoy as well! Juices and coffee (important!) were made available too!
Hey…why you watching world cup without me sob sobWatch together Ok! bear hugs
Service was just as prompt during the wee hours of the morning with David asking us our choice of drinks as soon as we were seated. We were there from 1am to 5am catching the Argentina vs Iran and Germany vs Ghana matches. We interacted with an Argentinian and German guest from the hotel as well during the matches! Definitely a nice touch by Oasia Hotel to extend this service to the Club Room guests!
Massage Treatment at Enchanted Spa
Conveniently located next to Oasia Hotel, Enchanted Spa offers guests a relaxing option a stone’s throw away. Thanks to the awesome folks at Enchanted Spa, Kate was treated to a relaxing 60 minutes session of the customised massage treatment…according to Kate…SHIOK!
Enchanted Spa next to Oasia HotelManicure and pedicure options available as well!Massage table with relaxing ambience
Breakfast at Zaffron Oasia Hotel
Breakfast at Zaffron was simple but has its bases covered. Whether you prefer cereals, breads or a small selection of asian fare, they are available. Taste wise, not fantastic but it does provide you the jolt for the day, especially after those world cup early mornings!
Entrance to Zaffron Oasia HotelEntrance to Zaffron Oasia HotelSelection of breads and pastriesBreakfast juicesPorridge for KateHot Food SelectionDim sum and stir fried items such as mushrooms and diced chickenCroissant sandwichWaffles and chocolate pastry
High Tea at Zaffron Oasia Hotel
Poster of High Tea at Zaffron Oasia Hotel
If you’re staying at Oasia Hotel as part of its weekend getaway, you’ll also be receiving a complimentary high tea at Zaffron. Though the mains had nothing to shout about, the dessert and DIY-foods were pretty decent…
Rojak which was not badDIY Kueh Pie TieKueh Pie Tee lovingly made by KateSelection of fried itemsSushi and sandwiches – no salmon or tuna sushi thoughIce cream – try the rum & raisin or green teaDIY ice kachang anyoneDecent selection of desserts including durian pengat, red velvet and mango cakesDIY Laksa which was not bad with huge fresh (peeled!) prawnsThai salad, sandwich and sushiSelection of mains including seafood mee goreng and carrot cake
In and Around Oasia Hotel
Besides being located next to world class medical facilities, Oasia Hotel is located next to several shopping malls including Novena Square, Square 2, Velocity and United Square. In addition, there are great foods in the area such as Hong Kong food street and the Balestier food centre…
Velocity Shopping MallUnited SquareSquare 2Shopping malls easily accessible via link bridgeOr via the underpassBalestier Food CentreFlavourful steamed chicken riceExpensive mee kia dry ($4.50) but has HUGE and taong fishballs!
How to get to Oasia Hotel Singapore
Map of Oasia Hotel Singapore
If you are taking the MRT, alight at Novena MRT station on the North Line and follow the signs that leads you to Square 2. From there, there’s a underground link directly to Oasia Hotel!
To sum up, we take a look at our BASIC FACTOR and the score for Oasia Hotel Staycation Weekend Getaway is a 4.25!
B – 1. There was a bath tub with the Rice Grain Soap Bar with Orange and Tangerine Essential Oils. A – 0.75. It’s a split between Kate and I for ambience. S – 1. Excellent service throughout the hotel at the reception,lounge and restaurant. I – 1. 2 swimming pools! Plus, it’s the only hotel in Singapore with a pool at the lounge level! C – 0.5. Bed was a tad too soft for our liking. Comfortable nonetheless.
All in all, we enjoyed the Oasia Hotel staycation, because of its location, its great service, cool swimming pools (with access to the club lounge), great views and of course a overall experience. The Oasia Weekend Getaway Package is definitely worth a stay! But remember…not for the food…
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Many people think that there aren’t many things to do and attractions in Bandung Indonesia. Well, this post is going to show you what are some of the things to do in Bandung and the attractions in Bandung, Indonesia that we have covered during our recent trip to Bandung!
Things to do in Bandung – Shopping
1. Shopping Malls and Factory Outlets
There are so many shopping options in Bandung that range from huge shopping malls to factory outlets. Trans Studio Mall, Cihampelas Walk (Ci-Walk), Bandung Indah Plaza (BIP), Paris Van Java and Braga City Walk are just some of the malls that we’ve been to. Our favourite? Paris Van Java! There are al fresco dining and shopping options as well as a few levels of underground shopping, including a mega market as well as a cineplex. In other words, all shopping, dining and entertainment options under-one-roof!
Food street at Ci-WalkCihampelas Walk aka Ci-WalkBandung Indah PlazaParis Van JavaShopping street at Paris Van JavaBraga City WalkRiau Street – factory outlet optionsThe Secret Factory OutletHeritage Factory Outlet
Things to do in Bandung – Dining
2. Endless Dining Options in Bandung
There are countless dining options in Bandung and there simply wasn’t enough time (and room in our tummies) to try all of it. In this section, we’ll feature some of the things we ate during our trip!
The Valley
The Valley Bistro and Resort Hotel offers great dining options with splendid views overlooking the city of Bandung.
The Valley Bistro Cafe and Resort HotelCombo Platter – Tenderloin beef, BBQ sausage, chicken cordon bleu and king prawns for 187,500rpSingaporean Claypot Rice – 97,500rpViews as seen from the ValleyCan get quite crowded at the ValleyChilling out and enjoying the views over Bandung City
Local Delights
Soup Buntut – with ridiculously tender meat!Nasi Goreng Kampung – fried rice with an assortment of small dishes in itBakso SoupTauhu Telur – especially shiok when freshly fried!Beef Kway Teow with Bandung Dinosaur (don’t have to try the Bandung dinosaur though)Nasi Goreng Pattaya
Other Dining Options
Richeese Factory Fried ChickenSushi platter at Tokyo ConnectionJapanese food at sushigroove Paris Van JavaJapanese Omu rice
Bandung Attractions
After covering the things to do in Bandung (including dining and shopping options available), we’ll next touch on the attractions in Bandung that you may wish to visit as well.
3. Bandung Attractions – Trans Studio Bandung Theme Park
Trans Studio Bandung theme park is an indoor theme park that includes a 45 seconds roller coaster ride known as the Yamaha Racing Coaster. For approximately $20sgd during week days, a visit to this Bandung attraction is well worth it. Well, less so on weekends at $30sgd.
Entrance to Trans Studio Bandung – Walk past the entrance and get your tickets on the leftYamaha Racing Coaster – 45seconds roller coaster ride
4. Bandung Attractions – Djuanda Forest Park
Djuanda Forest Park offers a tranquil greenery walk for visitors at Dago. Visitors can enjoy a serene walk, visit the famed Japanese caves or the waterfalls within the park’s vicinity.
Intan at the entrance of Japanese Caves at Djuanda Forest Park
5. Bandung Attractions – Dago / Bukit Pakar
The Dago and Bukit Pakar area offers splendid views over Bandung city. There are many dining options, galleries and even a golf course – all of which enjoy marvellous views…
Congo Art GalleryViews from Mountain View Golf Club Bandung Indonesia
6. Bandung Attractions – Asian African Museum
Asian African MuseumAbout Asian African Conference 1955
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Having not gone for a cruise since 2011 (3 years already!), Kate and I decided to indulge in a long cruise with Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas from Singapore to Laem Chabang (Thailand) and Phu My (Ho Chi Minh Vietnam)!
Mariner of the Seas – Royal Caribbean CruiseMariner of the Seas and Romero Britto’s Surfer Boy (Royal Caribbean Cruise)
We chose the 8D7N cruise from Singapore to Laem Chabang, Thailand and Phu My, Vietnam mainly because it gave us an opportunity to visit Vietnam and Thailand without having to spend on airfares. Of course, we were really impressed by Royal Caribbean’s programmes, food and service the last time we sailed aboard the Legend of the Seas to Semarang, Lombok and Bali so we decided to go again with RCC to check out the Mariner of the Seas.
Speaking of the Mariner of the Seas, it is RCC’s biggest vessel yet in Southeast Asia. Previously, the Legend of the Seas (from the Vision Class of ship) was 70,000 tonnes, 264 metres long and 32 metres wide. But with the Mariner of the Seas (from the Voyager Class of ship), the specifications “increases” to 138,000 tonnes, 310 metres long and 48 metres wide, making it a larger class of ship which equates to better facilities. In the next section, we’ll show you deck by deck what is inside the Mariner of the Seas!
Deck Layout of Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruise
There are 15 decks onboard the Mariner of the Seas (well, 15 that are accessible to passengers) and we’ll start our coverage from deck 15! Do note that for each deck, we’ll be introducing from the aft to the forward part of the ship in the section headings in bold.
Deck 15 : Skylight Chapel
Skylight Chapel located at the mid/aft of deck 15 onboard Mariner of the Seas
The Skylight Chapel is a venue where solemnisation of weddings can be done at deck 15 (highest deck of the ship) with a seating capacity of 40. Wonder if anyone has really done their solemnisation aboard yet?
Deck 14 : Viking Crown Lounge , Ellington’s Jazz Club, Cloud Nine, Seven Hearts, Diamond Club
Viking Crown LoungeEllington’s Jazz ClubSeven Hearts (left), Cloud Nine (right)
As you can see from the picture, the Viking Crown Lounge offers a great view overlooking the pool deck and jogging track. Next to it is Ellington’s Jazz Club where you can chill and listen to some light soothing tunes. The Seven Hearts and Cloud Nine are essentially gaming rooms for mahjong, poker etc. Last but not least, the Diamond Club is an exclusive lounge for Crown and Anchor Society members who have attained Diamond status and above.
Deck 13 : Mini Golf, In-line Skating, Basketball Court and Rock Climbing Wall
Overview of the Sports DeckRock Climbing Wall Mariner of the SeasBasketball Court Mariner of the SeasIn-line skating track Mariner of the SeasMini Golf Course Mariner of the Seas
Technically, the Rock Climbing Wall is one deck higher than the rest of the facilities shown above. But they’re all located at the aft part of the ship, so you can easily move from the mini golf to basketball and to the rock climbing wall. At the Rock Climbing Wall, Tom managed to reach the top (Yes! Because he failed miserably during the climb aboard Legend of the Seas) by following 2 simple tips from the instructor. Firstly, think of it like climbing a ladder, most of the weight will be on the legs and not on the arms. Secondly, following the pink path – yes, it’s the easiest path! Ringing the bell at the top of the wall was indeed an awesome feeling! Kate and I also played basketball almost daily. Because we were on a “retirement cruise” (most passengers were above 50 years of age), the basketball court was almost always available. There were 3 balls (1 had more air than the other 2) left on the courts all the time and you can just enter to play. Likewise for Mini Golf, the clubs and balls were left near the start of the course so you can just pick them up and play. Table tennis was also available on the same deck (3 tables in all) with plastic bats and ping pong balls readily available beside the tables. As for the in-line skating, we did not try it this time round due to the bad sea state (surprisingly bad this time as compared to our previous cruise on the smaller Legend of the Seas) but you can just get the skates from the instructors and skate away. There’s also a golf simulator (available at a cost) on the same deck beside the mini golf. If you have tried it, tell us how much it was and whether it was any good in the comments section below.
Deck 12 : Fuel Teen Disco, Adventure Ocean, Johnny Rockets, Video Arcade, the Living Room, Nursery, Jogging Track, Vitality Spa (Ship Shape) and Fitness Centre
Fuel Teen DiscoAdventure Ocean Johnny Rockets Hamburger Restaurant Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean CruiseInside the Video Arcade of Mariner of the SeasThe Living RoomRoyal Babies and TotsAquanauts 3 to 5Ship Shape Spa
On deck 12, the aft part of the ship belongs to young cruisers from age 0 to 17. Fuel Teen Disco and the Living Room are areas where the teens can hang out (with soft drinks ONLY) and play gaming consoles. The Adventure Ocean is also a play area designed for kids from 3 to 17 to play games and have some fun activities. For the much younger cruisers, there’s the Aquanauts and Royal Babies and Tots where parents can “deposit” their kids in the good hands of the trained professionals aboard. Like what cruise director Gordon says “When kids have fun, you have fun!”. The video arcade is one of our hang out areas , mainly because of 1 game (Guitar Hero) and 1 song (Yellow , yeah, we don’t know all the other songs in that game). This time, Tom managed to complete the “hard” level! An achievement from the usual “easy” level that we’d play. In addition, we also ventured into “Deal or No Deal” which we played quite miserably with only 30 tickets won out of 2 games (a possible of 400 tickets!)
On the forward part of the ship is the Vitality Spa also known as Ship Shape Spa. Here, you’ll be able to do your usual massages, facials, wraps and even hot stones. A salon is also available to really keep you in “ship-shape”.
Johnny Rockets is an American burger joint, famous for its awesome burgers and milk shakes. We were hosted by Royal Caribbean Cruise (thanks Michelle!) for a meal here and we totally enjoyed the food there. We’ll cover what we ate in the sections to follow.
Deck 11 : Windjammer Cafe, Jade, Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table, Pool Deck, Pool Bar, Solarium, Fitness Center, Peek-A-Boo-Bridge overlook
Entrance to Windjammer Cafe, Jade, Chops Grille and Giovanni’s TableBuffet Style Dining at Windjammer CafeJade – a part of complimentary dining together with Windjammer CafePool Deck with Romero Britto’s Surfer Boy Sculpture aboard Mariner of the SeasOpen air Solarium with whirlpools aboard Mariner of the SeasGym at Deck 11 Fitness Centre, Mariner of the SeasOpen area beside the gym for seminars, dance classes or aerobicsWhirlpool inside Fitness Centre (indoors), Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean CruisePeek-A-Boo Bridge Overlook
Starting from the aft, you’ll have the restaurants on deck 11. Windjammer and Jade are complimentary dining areas where buffet-styled meals are served. During the evenings, Jade serves sushi which Tom looks forward to when cravings come a knocking. Giovanni’s Table ($20 USD per person) and Chops Grille ($30 USD per person) are not complimentary and you will have to pay a small sum to enjoy the italian fare at Giovanni’s and premium steaks from Chops Grille. Again, we did not have an opportunity to try them. If you happen to have tried at these restaurants, do let us know how it was in the comments section below!
The Pool Deck is where we usually hang out on sea days. The weather would be nice (ship usually steers away from dark clouds and rainy patches) and sunny, particular suited for a nice dip in the sea-water pools. You can also grab a drink from the pool bar while relaxing at the pools. Remember to sign up with the Crown and Anchor Society! **We are not paid to do this advertisement, but it is free to join the C&A Society and even at Gold (usually after 1 cruise) you’ll get some perks. This time, because we had already attained Gold status, we were able to enjoy 1 for 1 drinks – which means you really do not need any drink packages, that is unless you’re a really “fierce” drinker.
The Solarium aboard Mariner of the Seas is slightly different from the Legend of the seas. It is outdoors. There are 2 huge whirlpools and the one of the port (left) side is usually nice and warm. The starboard (right) side one is HOT.
Moving further forward on deck 11, you’ll arrive at the Peek-A-Boo Bridge Overlook where you can see the crew of Mariner of the Seas at work at the Bridge. Out at sea, it is usually on auto-pilot so you will unlikely see someone on the helms. But there will always be a lookout and an officer of the watch always keeping vigilant watch to ensure the smooth and safe sailing of the ship.
Deck 8 : RC Online
Noticed that we skipped to Deck 8 after Deck 11. This is because there are only staterooms on deck 10 and a concierge club (available only to Grand Suite cruisers and Diamond Plus/Pinnacle members). RC online (located at Mid/Aft of the ship) is actually like a business center where you can use the internet, do some printing and get some light administrative work done. Remember not to overdo it since you’re on vacation!
Royal Caribbean Online
Deck 7 : Library
Library aboard Mariner of the Seas
There’s a really small library located on the mid/aft part of Deck 7. Not much selection to choose from but if you have brought your own, this is a nice quiet spot to do some light (emphasis on the word “light”) reading.
Deck 6 : Next Cruise
Next Cruise : Make your next cruise booking here
Next Cruise is the venue where you can make bookings for your next cruise. Sometimes, depending on dates and availability, the prices may be better onboard. We did ask for a couple of prices and we realised that for departures to and from Singapore, it is usually cheaper for Singaporeans. We tried to ask for cruises from Sydney and New Zealand it was more than 250 per person per night for N staterooms (cheapest available) but for Singapore departures, it can go as low as 140 per person per night. While you’re here and if you’ve enjoyed your cruise, you may also wish to put a deposit of $150 for your next cruise which can be used for any future bookings and if you do so, you’ll receive $25 for 3-5 nights cruises, $100 for 6 to 9 nights, $150 for 10 to 14 nights and $200 for 15+ nights. DONT BE MISTAKEN that it will automatically be $200 onboard credit for your next cruise! It will be awarded according to the number of nights you book!
Deck 5 : The Sound of Music Dining Room, Guests Services, Shore Excursions, Royal Promenade, Cafe Promenade, Connoisseur Club, Lotus Lounge
The Sound of Music Main Dining RoomGuests Services and Shore ExcursionsRoyal Promenade Mariner of the SeasCafe Promenade Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean CruiseThe Connoisseur ClubLotus Lounge Mariner of the Seas
Deck 5 is most probably the “most happening” deck. This is because starting from the aft, you have the Sound of Music which is your complimentary main dining area for lunch and dinners. Guest Services and Shore Excursions are also usually crowded, especially just before calling at a port. You can arrange to get your passports, do some currency exchange or even get sea sick pills at Guest Services. At Shore Excursions, you can make bookings for trips when you call at the next port. We recommend to make the bookings online so that you can avoid all the hassle of queuing up. Sometimes, the queues may be quite long especially when you first embark and when you’re close to the next port of call.
The Royal Promenade is where all the shops are at. You’ll see shops selling sunglasses, watches, jewelry and even a Coach store. Bazaars will usually take place during sea days with discounts right in the middle of the promenade. Walking past the promenade, you’ll arrive at Cafe Promenade where there’s complimentary snacks around the clock such as pastries, pizza, coffee and water. Next to it there’s a cafe where you’ll have to pay for gourmet coffee and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
There’s a Connoisseur Club before you arrive at the Lotus Lounge. Frankly speaking, eventhough we walked inside, we still do not know who and what it is for (anyone knows?). We just saw that there were cigars and hard liquors scattered inside but no one else was inside when we entered.
The Lotus Lounge is where events are held. Bingo and our favourite – Champagne Art Auction are held at this venue. We’ll talk a little more about the Champagne Art Auction by Art on Royal later in this post.
Deck 4 : Top Hat and Tails Dining Room, Boleros Lounge, Casino Royale, Schooner Bar, Savoy Theatre
Top Hat and Tails Maining Dining AreaRetail (Starboard Side)Boleros Lounge (Port Side)Casino Royale Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean CruiseSchooner BarThe Savoy Theatre
Tip : If you have not already noticed by now, all the food places such as Windjammer and complimentary main dining areas are at the aft of the ship. The main dining areas of the Sound of Music (deck 5), Top Hat and Tails (deck 4) and Rhapsody in Blue (deck 3) are actually all part of a HUGE dining area at the aft of the ship. The other tip to orientate yourself is that the Theatre / Screens are at the forward part of the ship and the “space ship” (aka Viking Crown Lounge at Deck 14) also faces the forward part of the ship.
Deck 4 is where Casino Royale is located, right smack in the middle of the deck. Forward and Aft of the casino are bars and lounges where music and trivias are played at Boleros and Schooner respectively. There’s also a retail outlet where you can buy memorabilia from Royal Caribbean. Alternatively, you can, like us, buy “Cocktails of the Day” and receive the glass for free 😉
At the forward part of the deck is the Savoy Theatre. This is where all the nightly shows takes place. Also, one of the more interesting aspect of the Savoy Theatre is that it can screen 3D movies with Dolby surround sounds as well! We caught part of “Turbo” here and thoroughly enjoyed the 3D experience!
Deck 3 : Rhapsody in Blue, RCTV, Art Gallery, Photo Gallery, Studio B, Dragon’s Lair, Main Entrance of Savoy Theatre
Rhapsody in Blue Main Dining Area Mariner of the SeasRCTV Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean CruiseArt and Photo GalleryPortraits & Group Photos taken at Photo GalleryStudio B – Ice Skating Rink
Rhapsody in Blue is the lowest level of the 3 tier main dining room of the Mariner of the Seas. At the Art and Photo Gallery, you can purchase photos and pictures taken by the professional photographers throughout the cruise. Do note that prices are usually cheaper at the start of the cruise. So decide early if you want to be featured in the “cruise in review” DVD and buy early to get a better price. As for the Art Gallery, we bought a piece of art called “Lovely”, a really cute dog, done by Romero Britto – the same dude who did colourful artworks in Sentosa.
Studio B is another venue for shows. The welcome back party (for second time and above cruisers) as well as the ice show “Ice Under the Big Top” were shown at Studio B. At deck 3, is the lower level or the main entrance to the Savoy Theatre.
Deck 2 : Conference Center, Screening Room
Conference Center Mariner of the SeasScreening Room Royal Caribbean Cruise Mariner of the Seas
At deck 2, there’s only a conference room where you can hold seminars or meetings. We also collected our passports at the conference room when they missed out our request for passport collection at Guest Services (for our overnight stay at Pattaya). Screening Room is the alternative movie screening venue onboard the Mariner of the Seas.
In the next section, we’ll be showing all the fun programmes that you can look forward to when cruising with Royal Caribbean Cruise!
Cruise Compass (aka Programme Sheet) for 7 days aboard Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruise
In this section, we’ll show the 7 days of programme from the Cruise Compass and we’ll also highlight some of the more interesting things to do for each day…
Royal Caribbean Cruise Mariner of the Seas Cruise Compass Day 1
On the first day, all guests had to be aboard by 4pm. The usual practice is to conduct the assembly drill at 4:30pm just before set off at 5pm. The assembly drill is required by international laws (especially after the Costa incident) for you to be familiar with where to go to during an emergency. In addition, the staff will also show you how to don a life jacket during the assembly drill.
At 5:30pm, the Dream Works characters had the “Move it move it” parade where Shrek, Po, Gloria, Alex the Lion and King Julien danced at the Royal Promenade to welcome you onto the Royal Caribbean Cruise.
We watched the Welcome Aboard Showtime for all guests at 7:15. This is usually when the cruise director will tell you how many guests and from which nationality they came from. For this cruise, we had well over 3000 guests (in addition to the 1200 crew), of which 1200 came from Singapore! Yay! Our first show was by Tamara Guo (of Chinese descent but now lives in Sydney). She was able to sing hits from Teresa Teng and even Whitney Houston (I will always love you) with such power and precision! Perfect start to an awesome cruise!
After dinner at the Sound of Music (1st seating at 5:45, 2nd seating at 8:15 – ours was 2nd seating), we headed to Studio B to try ice skating onboard a ship! How cool is that! We even wanted to go earlier because we heard from our friends that it would be crowded and you had to get a queue number for the slots you wanted to skate at. However, when we reached there, there wasn’t anyone. In fact, the instructors told us that there was only 3 people who skated in the last 2 hours! Perks of joining a cruise with a different demographic 🙂
Royal Caribbean Cruise Mariner of the Seas Cruise Compass Day 2
On sea days, Kate and I would usually jog about 10 rounds on the deck (approximately 3km) and play a little bit of basketball before heading to windjammer for breakfast. Interesting events (well, for us) on day 2 included the Morning Dancercise, Formal Hair demonstration, Champagne Art Auction, photo taking with Dream Works Characters (using your own camera) and of course the nightly event – “Gallery of Dreams” by the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers.
As mentioned earlier, during sea days, we’d attend the Champagne Art Auction from 2 to 3pm. This is because
1. There’s free champagne! As Tom the Art Director would say, “Tastes fine when its chilled” 2. Art Appreciation. You’ll be able to learn some terms about fine art such as “editions”, “strike the plate” and also “embellish”. 3. Freebies. You’ll be given some raffle tickets to participate in a draw to stand a chance to win champagnes (which we won), posters (which we won also) and dinners at Johnny Rockets (sometimes milkshakes are even thrown in!) and Giovanni’s!
**Tip: But the key here is that you just sit in for the above. Try not to bid for anything, not even the cheap ones that the ship wants to clear. And the best way to do this? Keep your bidding card! Well, this is just our advice, if you really find something you like, by all means. BUT, there’s always a “BUT” isnt it? From the other forums we’ve read, they will always tell you how reputable they are and how good they are with their 30 day money back guarantee. But the truth is, since the auctions are done “on the high seas”, they are technically not under any state laws. So unless you are rich or want to be like one aunty we saw, bid $2750USD for a piece of art, keep your bidding cards and you’ll enjoy the champagne, learn some stuff and perhaps walk away with some freebies!
Royal Caribbean Cruise Mariner of the Seas Cruise Compass Day 3
On day 3, we arrived at the port of Laem Chabang at noon and we had to option over staying overnight. So the ship stayed in Laem Chabang Thailand from 12pm on day 3 to 8:30pm on day 4. This was when we took the opportunity to stay at the Royal Cliff Hotels and was hosted to a stay at the Mini Suite Plus of the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel. On the night of day 3, we were also informed by the cruise director that traditional Thai dancers came aboard for a performance.
In the sections to follow, we’ll tell you more about the ports of Laem Chabang and Phu My so that you can get a head start in planning for your excursions at these ports!
Royal Caribbean Cruise Mariner of the Seas Cruise Compass Day 4
Did not really do much aboard on Day 4 except dinner. Also, we were pretty glad that we came aboard for dinner as well, this was the first time we met Mr Ng, a semi-retiree. Our table is actually a 6 seater, which means that 3 couples would be seated together. On the first night, there was a couple from Austria. However, they were quite private people (Emerald members of more than 55 points) and when we arrived for dinner, we could sense that there was an air of awkwardness between them and the waiter. For the 2nd time we were there (4th night), we were told that no one else came, so it’ll be likely that we would be having the table to ourselves!
Random thought : On a side note, 55 points meant that you’d either stayed 55 nights with Royal Caribbean or have accumulated double points if you stayed in suites (i.e. 2 points for each night of stay in suites, 1 point for each night of stay in balcony staterooms and below). This would also mean that IF you happen to stay at the cheapest rates of about 100USD a night, you would have to pay 5500USD to reach 55 points (minimally!). Yeah, this meant that the Austrian couple is rich.
Well, back to Mr Ng. He is a very humorous man with vast experience to share. When he laughed, he sounded ALOT like Eric Tsang (曾志偉) and we really enjoyed his company. There was one important thing that he shared with us about gambling. He asked, “Do you know of anyone who gambles for a living?” which is quite true. You’ll have friends who are teachers, saleman, businesses etc. But you really do not have friends who gambles for a living right? So…the lesson here is DON’T GAMBLE! OR just treat it as a form of entertainment. From Mr Ng’s wife, she heard from some of the aunties who played that they lost thousands of dollars and there was one in particular who had to sell her HDB flat to repay the ship! 😮
**So Tip: DON’T GAMBLE on cruise ships!
RCC is so gonna ^$$#@ us for recommending not to gamble and buy art… :p But truth be told to our loyal readers of 2bearbear.com right? 🙂
Royal Caribbean Cruise Mariner of the Seas Cruise Compass Day 5
On day 5, which is yet another sea day, we took many photos with Dream Works Characters, shopped around for sunglasses at the bazaar of the Royal Promenade and sat in for a trivia, where we learnt that you’d be fined for flushing the toilet after 10pm in Switzerland. Of course, we sat in for the free champagnes at the Champagne Art Auction. Today, we chilled by the pool and utilised our Gold status of 1 for 1 beers. At night, as part of the crown and anchor society member, we were invited back for a welcome back party as well. Again, we had more booze (champagnes, whites, reds and cocktails) and enjoyed music by the Dynamic Duo. We’ll highlight some interesting facts of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Welcome Back Party below…
Royal Caribbean Cruise Mariner of the Seas Cruise Compass Day 6
On Day 6, we arrived in the port of Phu My in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. We took the shore excursion bus arranged by the ship and the “all aboard” time was 7:30pm at night. Again, we returned for dinner and caught up with Mr Ng again.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Mariner of the Seas Cruise Compass Day 7
On the last day at sea, Tom did some rock climbing and finally managed to conquer the rock climbing wall of Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas! Yeah, he failed to do it when we sailed aboard the Legend of the Seas so he was ecstatic when he finally rang the bell at the top! We then proceeded to the Arcade to play Guitar Hero to finish up the money left in our cards. This time Kate played “medium” while Tom played “hard” levels and we managed to complete the song Yellow! Yay!
For lunch, we went to the Rhapsody in Blue and had a table set for 2! It was really nice because the setting of the main dining area was grand and we got to sit in a private corner by ourselves, attended by 2 waiters! 😮 Food was good and we especially enjoyed the rum cake with coffee ice cream and the laksa. *slurp slurp*
Random thought : The other thing about sailing so many days is that you really start to miss Singapore food! When we were disembarking the ship, we overheard an aunty saying that she’ll go for fishball noodles the first thing she gets home!
As usual, we attended the Champagne Art Auction and this time, there were many art pieces that were auctioned at cheaper prices. The gallery wanted to clear some pieces to make room for other art pieces. Again, remember to heed our advice above! We then headed for our ice show “Ice Under the Big Top” at 4:30 which was quite spectacular. Though there were some slips, I would say that the skating skills of the performers were indeed quite good. At 7:30, we headed for the “Farewell Spectacular Showtime” featuring the Ballet on Shoulders and also Gordon, our cruise director who sang a couple of songs! He was actually quite good! This made us wonder if he started out as a Royal Caribbean Singer as well…hm…
To end off the evening, we soaked in the tub and watched the ending of Burlesque under the stars. Shiok!
In the next section, we’ll be showing some of the highlights of cruising with Royal Caribbean Cruise!
Highlights aboard Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruise!
Dream Works Welcome Aboard “Move It Move It” Parade
Fairy God MotherPuss in BootsHigh Five with the Penguins – who actually high fived back!Another shot of the penguinsAlex the LionShrek and FionaPo – our favourite character during the parade!Gloria from MadagascarKing Julien
To let our readers have a feel of how the party was like. Here’s a video of Po and the Penguins up close!
Headliner Show – Tamara Guo
Poster ad for Tamara Guo’s performanceTamara Guo in person during performance
Tamara is a very humorous individual and she sings as well as she entertains! Be sure to catch her performance when you sail with Royal Caribbean!
Johnny Rockets lunch aboard Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruise
Thanks to Michelle, we were hosted to a meal at Johnny Rockets (milkshakes included!). Johnny Rockets is a American burger joint that is famous for its milkshakes and hamburgers. It is also one of the venues onboard where you’ll just pay a small sum for a great meal. At $4.95 per person, you’ll be able to order ANYTHING on the menu (drinks excluded) and milkshakes cost about $5USD each.
Menu of Johnny Rockets Royal Caribbean Cruise Mariner of the SeasJukebox on tables (not working though) at Johnny RocketsDeco inside Johnny Rockets Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean CruiseFries with Chili & Cheese, Fries with Cheese & Bacon, Onion Rings and Fries with Tartar sauceStrawberry Milkshake of Johnny RocketsSmoke House Burger Johnny Rockets Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean CruiseRoute 66 Burger Johnny Rockets Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruise
If there’s one burger you’ve got to have at Johnny Rockets, it’s got to be Smoke House Burger! It was juicy and tender, double patty with crispy onion rings on top! I really wanted to go for seconds because the quality of the burger is SOOO different from the ones at Windjammer! For burgers at this quality, you’d typically pay 20sgd and upwards. Onion rings were also great with the tartar sauce. Go light on the fries. We thought that all the combinations for fries above was quite normal, nothing particular good to shout about.
As for the milkshake, it lived up to its reputation. There’s only 1 word to describe it. SHIOK! Got to order yourself one! In addition to the great food, the Johnny Rocket servers even does a dance, observe how good the server closest to the camera dances!
Johnny Rockets Dance Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruise
Photo Opportunities with Dream Work Characters
Photos with Po Puss in Boots King Julien and more!
In-Room Breakfast
Breakfast delivered to your stateroom!
Every morning, you can have the option of have breakfast delivered to your room. All you have to do is fill up the breakfast menu (usually right behind your door) and hang it outside your door by 3am each day. If there are things that you see at the breakfast (breakfasts pretty much the same everyday) but is not on the menu, you can actually try to write something there and see if the service crew brings it. We wrote down chocolate milk and were served eventhough it was not on the menu! Talk about good service!
Crown and Anchor Society’s Welcome Back Party
It’s pretty simple to join Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Society. By sailing 3 nights, you’d be given Gold status for your next cruise, along with the perks and even be invited to the Welcome Back Party!
Gold level perks Royal Caribbean Cruise Crown and Anchor Society
There’s really nothing fancy about the Gold level perks for the Crown and Anchor Society. But we particularly liked the 1 for 1 beers/wines/sodas and milkshakes at Johnny Rockets. This effectively means at 50% savings. Not bad eh?
Welcome Back Party Crown and Anchor Society Royal Caribbean Cruise – Entrance at Studio BWelcome Back Party Crown and Anchor Society Royal Caribbean Cruise – Hotel Director, Cruise Director and Captain Greeting you at the EntranceWelcome Back Party Crown and Anchor Society Royal Caribbean Cruise – Free flow of wines, champagne and cocktailsRoyal Caribbean Cruise Crown and Anchor Society – Pinnacle Club
At the bottom left of this picture, you’d see a well-dressed man in bow tie. Together with his wife, they’re Pinnacle Club members. Which means, they have already accumulated 750 points and above! According to the Captain, not all cruises have Pinnacle Club members cruising and we were very fortunate to have witnessed that these members do exist! As mentioned above, if they had gone for the cheapest rates (which we doubt), they would have at least spent 75,000 per person to reach the Pinnacle status or $150,000USD for the both of them to be Pinnacle Club members! 😮
At the Welcome Back Party, the Captain formally welcomed the members back onboard and talked about the number of members onboard the cruise this time round. About a third were returning cruisers for this particular cruise. Over 800 Gold members and only 2 Pinnacle Club members. The C&A manager then proceeded to talk about the perks of being in C&A and of course advertising about the onboard credit if you made an open booking (for future cruises) onboard the ship – which we did!
Dinner at Main Dining Room – The Sound of Music / Top Hat and Tails / Rhapsody in Blue
Dinner aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise has always been something that we look forward to. Not only is the food excellent (well, most of the time), service is personalised and ambience is just so classy…
3 levels of Main Dining Area at the Aft of the Ship Royal Caribbean Cruise Mariner of the SeasDinner Menu Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean CruiseDessert Menu Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean CruiseStarters of Crab Cakes, Escargot (always a favourite), Prawn cocktail and fresh warm breadAntipastiLamb ShankLagsaneChicken and fried riceGarlic Tiger ShrimpChocolate Cake with Ice CreamMousse CakeTiramisuBread Pudding with Ice CreamDessert Selection
Most of the food were delicious but we were quite surprised that the Garlic Tiger Shrimp was not fresh during our last dinner meal. In fact it was smashy and soft. So we requested for the lamb instead. According to our waiter, the shrimps came all the way from US, which explains why it was terrible. We were actually looking forward to it because we were recommended to have more of the Tiger shrimps during dinner. Nonetheless, all other food, especially the desserts (chocolate cake and tiramisu!) tasted great and had excellent presentations – that of a fine dining experience 🙂
Champagne Art Auction
Champagne Art Auction Art on Royal Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruise
This is typically how the Art Auction onboard Royal Caribbean Cruise looks like. Do attend the sessions and if you follow our rules (of enjoying the champagne, learning about art and faithfully placing in your raffle tickets) above, you’ll definitely have a good time at the auction.
Ice Show – “Ice Under the Big Top”
Before the start of the showEntry of the ice skatersIce skating mixed with dance movementsCircus on iceKids can even go for a ride on the ice (see the choo choo train in the middle!)
Our Ocean View Stateroom aboard Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruise
Large Bed inside Ocean View StateroomToiletShower facilities, towels and complimentary shower gelView of Sunrise as we arrived at the port of Phu My in VietnamTowel Art
We particularly enjoyed our stay in our ocean view stateroom aboard Mariner of the Seas. The room was spacious and the window view was good enough for us to peer out for ocean views and even the sunrise as seen above. Room service was also great. It always amazes us to see how our room “transforms” after we come back from the day’s programme. Sometimes, towel art such as the monkey above is arranged specially by our stateroom attendant just before our return!
Taking the Bubble Lifts inside Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruise
Just for fun, we’ve also taken a couple of videos from inside the bubble lifts of the Mariner of the Seas. Enjoy!
In the last section, we’ll be highlighting some important port information at Laem Chabang and Phu My. We’ll also show some of the things to do at these ports!
Royal Caribbean Cruise to Laem Chabang Thailand and Phu My Vietnam
In this section, we’ll talk about some of the essential information that you’ll need when visiting the ports of Laem Chabang (Thailand) and Phu My (Vietnam) via the Royal Caribbean Cruise
Laem Chabang – Gateway to Bangkok and Pattaya Thailand
Port of Laem Chabang (C0) where Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas Berthed
This excellent shot taken by Kate shows the port of Laem Chabang as we entered C0 (thats Charlie Zero) at the terminal. As you can see, the excursion buses are already waiting to take the guests out and there are also private transportation ready to take you out as well. Small tents with stalls are also setup to sell souvenirs to you upon arrival. Now to the most important part – the transportation.
**Note : We headed to Pattaya because of the unrests in Bangkok during our cruise with Royal Caribbean
During our overnight stay at Laem Chabang, we stayed a night at the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel Pattaya. If you go through the hotel to make transport arrangement, it costs about 2000 baht (80sgd) for one way (WHAAAAAT?!). If you go through the internet, there are one way transportation from Laem Chabang port to Pattaya for 1000 baht (smaller WHAAAT?!). But if you go for the private transportation at the wharf, it costs only 600 one-way and 1200 for return. We took the complimentary transport arranged by Royal Cliff Hotels (thanks Maria!) and returned via taxi for 700 baht. Transport time takes between 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic conditions.
So what’s there to do at Pattaya?
Things to do in Pattaya
Infini Pool (aka Infinity Pool) at the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel PattayaBeautiful sunset over the Gulf of Thailand Walking Street PattayaWalking Street Pattaya Pubs, Restaurants, Massage parloursBeach Activities – Island Hopping at PattayaSoaking up the sun in PattayaShopping at Royal Garden Plaza Pattaya – Right in Front of the Beach!Enjoying a Starbucks Caramel Macchiato at the top of Royal Garden PlazaCentral Festival right next to Hilton PattayaBest mango sticky rice at only 80 baht! Look inside the supermarket of Central Festival downstairs
In addition, we also did a massage for a mere price of 200 baht (8SGD) for 1 hour! Although it was cheap, the skill of the masseuse was pretty good and we thoroughly enjoyed the massage. The other thing you ought to try are the Thai food. We tried the fried rice and coconut chicken Tom Yum soup at the hotel while we had beef noodles and fried shrimp flat noodles at the food court of Central Festival Pattaya. Not to be missed is the mango sticky rice! Best we’ve ever had! The mango was sweet and juicy while the sticky rice was firm, chewy and fragrant. Yum!
Phu My – Gateway to Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
Port of Phu My where Royal Caribbean Cruise Mariner of the Seas Berthed
Another excellent shot taken by Kate at the port of Phu My when we arrived in Vietnam. When we tried to google to find out whether we could catch private rides out of Phu My to Ho Chi Minh City, we could not really find much information, except that the port was out of bounds to private taxis. Hence, we decided to go for the Ho Chi Minh City On Your Own – essentially a bus transportation arranged by Royal Caribbean Cruise. The ride was 40USD per person for two ways and the ride takes 1.5 hours. Originally, the ride takes 2.5 hours but because there’s a new expressway that just opened in February 2014 from Long Thanh to HCMC, the ride is faster. According to Mr Ng, he says the rides could be as fast as 45 minutes if the drivers were willing to push a little.
As for taxi rides from the port, if you notice the building at the top right hand corner of the picture, you would have to walk out of the port for transportation to Ho Chi Minh City from Phu My port. We asked around and the starting price is about 50USD one way per car. We think that you can bargain a little further. This option is suitable for parties of 4. Great for those who have also made friends onboard and are willing to travel together. Otherwise, the bus arranged by Royal Caribbean from Phu My to Ho Chi Minh is a good option in Vietnam.
Our transport tickets at Phu My in our stateroom when we entered on the first day
When we reached Ho Chi Minh City, it was about 9:30am and we had to be back at the drop off point (Rex Hotel) by 4:20pm. It was sufficient time for us but if you’re travelling on your own, don’t forget to check the “All aboard” timing. This time it was 7:30pm. We arrived back at the ship at 6pm sharp.
To thoroughly enjoy Ho Chi Minh City, just follow this small little map that we used. Attractions are circled and they are all within walking distance although taxi in Ho Chi Minh is quite cheap. Remember to use metered taxis of Vinasun or Mai Linh while travelling in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam.
Rex Hotel – Drop off point of transport by Royal Caribbean CruiseCity Hall Ho Chi Minh City VietnamOpera House Ho Chi Minh CitySaigon Square Ho Chi Minh CityInside Saigon Square Ho Chi Minh City VietnamBen Thanh Market Ho Chi Minh CityInside Ben Thanh Market VietnamLunch at this stall inside Ben Thanh Market Ho Chi Minh CityVietnam Coffee and Grilled Pork / Spring Roll Vermicelli for a total of 100,000 dong about 5USDNotre Dame Ho Chi Minh CityThe Post Office Ho Chi Minh CityReunification Palace also known as Independence Palace Ho Chi Minh City VietnamPrawn and chicken spring roll Saigon Centre Cafe TerracePork Vermicelli Saigon Centre Cafe Terrace
In Ho Chi Minh, we recommend shopping at the Saigon Square. Here you can get good quality bags and jackets at a fraction of the prices back home. But do remember to bargain. If you’re unsure of the prices, you can check out the items at a few other stalls before deciding. This is because, we have ever encountered one of the stalls quoting double the prices of other stalls and if you buy from a stall like this without bargaining or checking, you’ll be buying at a much higher price.
Getting to and fro Marina Bay Cruise Centre to board Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas
Embarking the Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruise
Marina Bay Cruise Centre Visitor CentreBag drop off at the entrance of Marina Bay Cruise CentreQueue to clear immigration inside Marina Bay Cruise CentreFirst look at the Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruise – HUGE!Crossing the gangway to enter into the ship
We took a cab and if you’re coming from AYE (West) via MCE, take exit 2 at Central Boulevard. If you’re coming from ECP (East) via MCE, take exit 3 at Marina Coastal Drive. Do note that you are going to the Marina Bay Cruise Centre. As it was our first time there, we almost alighted at the ferry terminal instead. Look out for the HUGE Mariner of the Seas, you wont miss it!
As we were Crown and Anchor members, we skipped some of the queue and got our sea pass card rather quickly. The entire immigration took about 30 minutes.
Random thought : The Sea Pass Card is the most important card you’ll need on the cruise. It pays for everything onboard and is also your form of identification to disembark and embark the ship.
Disembarking the Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruise
Taxi stand upon disembarking from Royal Caribbean Cruise
Disembarking took a rather long time. We took approximately 1.5 hours in total to leave the ship, clear customs and get to our taxi. One tip would be to leave slightly later (10am would be perfect) and once everyone clears from the ship, you’ll be able to clear customs and get your cab rather quickly as well 😉
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Phew…we actually took more than 10 hours to complete this post! (see how much we love you all? 😉 ) We hope that you have enjoyed reading this post as much as we have writing it and hopefully, it will be the comprehensive guide to your next Royal Caribbean Cruise aboard the Mariner of the Seas!
It’s more fun in the Philippines!! The tarsier’s eyes do freak me out when I see the advert on the tourism board webpage. But since we have never been there before, SGD is strong, the people speak english; and we want to go somewhere that is not crowded, nice scenery, laze on a beach, we decided to visit Cebu/Bohol. Many people ask why are we not going to Boracay instead…well, it’s more convenient to do Cebu/Bohol and everyone else has probably already visited Boracay. Cebu/Bohol has a good mix of everything – history, countryside, beach; and we definitely enjoyed every moment of our 8 days there!
We took Silkair ($774 including travel insurance) because of the flight timings.
It was easy to get around with the abundant metered white taxis (How to get from Cebu to Singapore). Our driver Long (yes, that’s his name!) was friendly and seemed honest. He asked us if we want to book his taxi for a day tour; we negotiated the itinerary and price and arranged to meet at 10.30am the next day at the Castle Peak Hotel lobby.
White Cab at Domestic Departure Cebu Airport
Where to get “white taxis” at Cebu Airport
The room in Castle Peak Hotel was not ready yet when we arrived at 1.30pm but we were pleasantly surprised by the newly renovated Twin Peak Spa. Kate went for a one-hour massage while waiting for the room to be ready. After the massage, we were ready to check out what Cebu had to offer!
Huge bed in Deluxe room of Castle Peak HotelBath Tub in Deluxe room of Castle Peak Hotel
We chose to walk to Ayala Mall (even though our taxi driver mentioned that it may not be that safe) because it was still bright daylight and the mall could be seen from our hotel room so we reckon it is not that far. The walk took us 15 mins and there were proper traffic lights to allow us to cross the roads safely. The only gripe we had was that the pavements were narrow and uneven; and at times we had to walk on the road.
As it was a weekday afternoon, Ayala Mall was fairly quiet. We window-shopped and decided to catch a movie! While waiting for the show, we challenged each other at shooting hoops in the arcade. And of course I thrashed Kate …I am the best! *evil laugh*
Movie and snacks at Ayala MallMovie and snacks at Ayala Mall Snacks stall. hot dog 70 peso. popcorn and coke 100 pesoAyala Mall 4 storeys of shopping
Even though we were kinda full from the hotdog and popcorn, we can’t wait to try the local dishes! We quickly flag down a taxi and soon we arrived at Golden Cowrie Native Restaurant. The food was delicious and the price was reasonable. Washing the food down with cold San Miguel beer made it even better! With our tummy filled, we took a cab back to Castle Peak Hotel and rest for the night; in preparation for the city day tour the next day.
Times fly when you’re having fun and this quickly rounded up our first day in the Philippines. Stay tuned tomorrow for the 2nd day of our Cebu/Bohol Trip!
What better way to kick off the Singapore Staycation series than to find out some of the interesting Singapore Staycation ideas our local hotels have …
Bohol is the home of the Tarsiers and Chocolate Hills. We definitely cannot visit Bohol without signing up for the Bohol Countryside Tour. We chose to book the tour with Peacock Garden even though it is slightly pricier (4,200 peso for 2 people) because we can trust the quality of the transport and the experience of the tour guide.
Bohol is known for its clear blue waters,beaches and fantastic snorkeling/dive spots. However, Bohol is also known for attractions on land. In fact, after we introduce the following attractions we saw during our Bohol countryside tour, you’ll go “Orh…I know them!”
Attractions in Bohol Countryside Tour
Rice fields Bohol one of the 2 main agriculture of bohol the other is fishing 4 sidelines include tyre recycling pottery jam making and bolo
Bohol Manmade forest 800ha
Bolo making, Beautiful Rice Field and the Manmade Mahogany Forest
Bolo is a traditional filipino knife or sword that is still being hand made today. This was one of the bolo making process that we saw during our Bohol Countryside Tour. In addition, we also came across this beautiful rice field that our guide insisted that we took a photo of…
One of the attractions that would make you go “Orh…” is this…the Manmade Mahogany Forest…
Manmade Mahogany Forest
Video of Manmade Mahogany Forest
Some scenic shots have been taken at this forest because of its peculiar growth (straight and high). It was initially an idea to re-forest the area to stabilise the soil (to prevent soil erosion). At first, the area was just “dead” in that there was only trees and no eco-system per se. So slowly, animals, insects and various plant species were introduced and the area sprung back to “life”. Today, it is a picturesque area for locals to enjoy and tourist to take some iconic pictures!
Chocolate Hills
Everyones favourite iconic chocolate hills Bohol
Chocolate Hills of Bohol
Chocolate Hills got its name because in the summer months (or dry months), the vegetation atop the hills would wither, revealing the soil or “brown” of the hills. With a sea of brown hills, the name Chocolate Hills was coined. As to the story of whether Chocolate Hills or Hershey’s Chocolate (which is shaped like the Chocolate HIlls in Bohol) came first, we tend to believe that the former came first and inspired the latter. What do you think?
Video of the Chocolate Hills of Bohol
Oh and do remember, if you’re bringing kids to the Chocolate Hills, remember to bring chocolate candies (Hershey’s if possible). Our guide told us that many a times, kids would literally cry when they come to know that there’s no actual chocolates at Chocolate Hills Bohol. So parents, go prepared!
Shiphaus
Filipino sailor who came back and built a house called shiphaus turned out to be an attraction to tourists and now is a hotel and restaurant
Shiphaus Bohol
The Shiphaus was originally built by a Filipino sailor (sailors used to earn alot more than locals in the past) and when he came back to Bohol, he decided to build himself a house that is shaped like a ship. We guess that it is named “Shiphaus” and not “Shiphouse”, probably because he visited Germany during one of his many voyages.
Today, the Shiphaus is not only a tourist attractions (many visitors, including us, stop by the roadside to take a photo – remember to park safely and not disrupt traffic!) but also a hotel and restaurant all rolled into one!
Simply Butterfly Conservation Centre
Butterfly Park – Bohol: Bear flying off as tinkerbell!
Simply Butterfly Conservation Centre and our very knowledgeable guide Peter
Thanks to Peter our guide for the day, he showed us many interesting things about Butterflies. For one, we realised that there’s one easy way to differentiate between moths and butterflies. Moths usually have “feathery”-like antennae while butterflies do not. Of course, there are other ways as well. For instance, butterflies are USUALLY more vividly coloured (there are dull ones too) compared to the moths and they rest with their wings closed while moths rest flat with their wings open.
Peter also took pictures of us “in-flight”. Think Tinkerbell. We stood a distance away from some butterfly specimen and were told to jump. As it turns out, he’s excellent at it and it really seemed like we were flying! Remember to say “Hi” to Peter if you see him at the Simply Butterfly Conservation Centre!
Butterflies mate for 6 hours when predators come only the female fly
Caterpillar and more pretty butterflies
Tarsier Conservation Centre
Tarsiers mate for only 3 to 5 seconds
Our guide Alice paying for entry into the Tarsier Conservation Area – 60pesos per person
Tarsiers are just a badly mistaken species. Because of its long tail and body shape in general, they were mistaken in the past as rodents or rats. Which meant that they were frequently hunted and killed. The number of tarsiers quickly plummeted. So conservation efforts started. However, at first, people started by taking care of them at home. But they did not realise they are actually creatures that are pretty hard to take care of. Firstly, they are nocturnal and are pretty adverse to noise and sunlight. Noise especially. Hence, we were told to keep real quiet at the conservation area. There have been instances where high noise levels have driven tarsiers to be so stressed out that they take their own lives! The other thing is that they dont eat fruits. In fact, they are helpful to people in that they eat insects, live ones, as their main staple. So in the past, when fruits were fed, they did not take them readily and also started to die due to their diet.
Close up of Tarsier in Bohol Tarsier Conservation Area
Cute Tarsiers in Bohol soundly asleep
But with proper conservation techniques and extra care, tarsiers in Bohol are well taken care of. Look at how cute they are! It is also said that these are the creatures that gave inspiration to Steve Spielberg’s movie, ET in 1982.
Loboc River Cruise
As part of the Bohol Countryside Tour, we were treated to a seafood meal, great music, marvelous scenery and fantastic performances by the natives on the Loboc River Cruise!
Loboc river cruise
Buffet lunch included
Loboc River Cruise and Buffet Lunch
Performance by the Natives and Beautiful scenery enroute the Loboc River Cruise
Performance by the Natives and Beautiful scenery enroute the Loboc River Cruise
We thoroughly enjoyed this leisurely cruise. The music was fantastic! Great voice and guitar playing! I think his singing really made the difference to an idyllic river cruise 🙂
Buffet with musical accompaniment onboard the Loboc River Cruise
Bamboo dance with the Natives
Singing performance by the Natives
Baclayon Church
Original pulpit where the message was said the structure on top was said to be like an amplifier at Baclayon Church Bohol
Can you see the picture of saint pio formed under weathering at Baclayon Church Bohol
Baclayon Church – The Oldest Coral Stone Church in the Region of Bohol
The Baclayon Church is not only the oldest coral stone church in the region. It also has an uniqueness to the facade of the church. If you look closely enough at the wall in the picture above. You will notice that there is a man there. Locals see him as Saint Pio. Strangely enough, there was no paint work whatsoever. Simply weathering taking place. Miraculous eh?
Blood Compact Memorial
Blood compact memorial shrine they had to drink each others blood to be friends
Blood Compact Memorial
The blood compact memorial was erected as a remembrance of the initial compact between the early spanish explorers and the chieftain of Bohol. It was said that “drinking of one blood” is a sign of friendship which was done at this blood compact.
The controversy that surrounds the Blood Compact Memorial itself is its location. Apparently, there are 2 places that resembled a picture that was painted when the compact took place. So the current location may be eventually shifted.
Bohol Countryside Tour
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Marine Parade Food Centre is one of the highly rated hawker centres in Singapore and many will ask “What to eat at Marine Parade Food Centre ah?”. So during our recent staycation at Village Hotel Katong, we decided to check out the food centre and tell you what are some of the recommended stalls here…
Recommended foods at Marine Parade Food Centre
Xing Long Cooked Food
Xing Long Cooked Food – Economical Rice aka 杂菜饭 at Marine Parade Food Centre
Netizens have been recommending this stall for its otah,fried potato balls, curry chicken, lemon chicken among others. This time, we tried the stir fried chicken, potato balls,otah and because we saw many going for the fried fish, we had it as well. Our choices was also fuelled by Uncle’s incessant “来” (meaning “come” – what else?)
The total damage? $6.30!! The most we’ve ever paid for economical rice!!
$6.30 economic rice at Xing Long Cooked Food
Truth be told, we’re just too greedy and wanted to try all the recommended dishes here. Therefore the price became quite ridiculous (it’s actually a 4-meat rice). This is because even in the potato balls, there’s some beef rolled into it. To be fair, the food was not bad. The otah otah had a firm texture (not the soft slimy kind) while the fish bits stood out from the curry flavour (unlike some with curry and no fish). The stir fried chicken has some kind of satay sauce fried into it which tasted quite unique. There was nothing too special about the potato balls and fried fish though. Fish was fresh and there was a slight crisp on the outside. But that was it.
So for $6.30? It’s definitely on the high side.
Hup Lee Fried Bee Hoon Nasi Lemak
Hup Lee Fried Bee Hoon Nasi Lemak – Marine Parade Food Centre
The special thing about Hup Lee is that usually you’ll find $2 nasi lemak but this stall offers the same ingredients with Bee Hoon instead. Definitely an excellent price for a hearty breakfast meal.
Neptune Dim Sum
Neptune Dim Sum Marine Parade Food Centre
We did not manage to (or have the stomach to) try out this stall. However, many netizens have recommended the dim sum here. Have you tried it? Do let us know in the comments section below!
Apollo Fresh Cockle Fried Kway Teow
Apollo Fresh Cockle Fried Kway Teow Marine Parade Food Centre
Another recommended stall at Marine Parade Food Centre. We were contemplating whether to go for this or give the hokkien mee a few stalls down a try. We decided to go for the latter. But according to the queues (and the look of Uncle Apollo), it seems that this is must-try as well.
Seremban Beef Noodles
Seremban Beef Noodles Marine Parade Food Centre
We’ve tried the beef noodles during our last visit here and thought that the taste was indeed good. It reminded us of the same traditional (dry version) of the beef noodles we had when we were young. Nowadays, the dried version of the gravy seems to be either too sweet or too salty. Seremban got it just right. There’s just one gripe that we have and we would just like to remind our readers to request the Aunty to cook the beef just a tad bit more (ensure that the colour changes!) If you know what we mean…
Hokkien Fried Noodles
Hokkien Fried Noodles (next to Seremban Beef Noodles) Marine Parade Food Centre
There are usually 2 versions of the Hokkien Fried Noodles. The dry and sticky version with all the taste infused into the noodles or this, the slightly wet version. Of course, we prefer the dry version. So it was with some prejudice that we tried this version at Marine Parade Food Centre. We also noticed that the uncle did not really “fry” the noodles but more of “stirring” the noodles into the soup. As a result, as expected, the noodles did not turn out as good as other versions we’ve tried. For the slightly wet version, Tiong Bahru and Clementi still tastes better. But as a consolation, as you work towards the end of the plate, you’ll taste the gravy and its quite sweet and delicious. Perhaps frying a little longer (and harder) would have made the difference.
Again, many have raved about the chicken curry puff at Marine Parade Food Centre. And it did not disappoint. The outer layer was puffy and crispy (bits dropped off as we went in for our first bite). The puff was still piping hot – an indication of fresh ingredients and regular crowd. Last but most importantly, the curry inside oozed out as you bite into it. This is in stark contrast to the usual “dry on the inside” versions that you would have.
So a thumbs up for the Katong Chicken Curry Puff!
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To enjoy these foods, why not do a staycation at Village Hotel Katong as well? Do try out the foods at Marine Parade Food Centre and let us know what you think thereafter!
Thanks to Kate, we finally embarked on our trip to Hong Kong! Yeah, she is the planner of all our trips and our in-house photographer. While, I just carry the bags. When you consider the amount of things Kate buys, then you will know that things are actually…well…quite balanced :p
The flight from Singapore to Hong Kong takes slightly under 4 hours. After we alighted, we headed straight for our first stop – Citygate Outlet at Tung Chung!
Endless shopping choices at Citygate Outlet Tung Chung!
You can easily reach Citygate Outlet at Tung Chung by taking E21 from the bus station at the airport. The deals here were actually not too bad. Our intention was not to buy any branded stuff but to only look out for good deals. However, as it turns out, the branded stuff had relatively good deals as well. Kate bought several wallets. To my dismay… :p
Wanton mee and porridge from this stall at Food Republic Citygate Outlets
It was here that Ive tried my first Hong Kong wanton mee. The taste was quite forgettable though. Luckily for us, more good food lies ahead.
Took E21 (hkd14)after getting octopus card 150hkd with 100hkd value 50hkd deposit reached citygate and ate dumpling noodles many dumplings 42hkd w vegtable
Kate actually spent alot of time on Klook to sieve through the various hostels that we can afford to stay in. We wanted a central location which meant that nice fancy hotels were out. Nice fancy hotels in the city cost a bomb!
Since most of the time in HK will be spent buying stuff and eating (买东西，吃东西）, we decided that a central location solely for sleeping would be the main consideration. Oh, attached bathrooms as well.
So after scouring through the hotels (hostels, I meant), Kate decided on Jordan Comfort Inn for our first night because of its accessibility to the shopping areas at Temple Street and close proximity to the Jordan MTR. And if you really want, you can also walk to the Avenue of Stars at Victoria Harbour.
The catch about hostels in Hong Kong is that the rooms are REALLY EXPENSIVE and you’ll get a REALLY SMALL room. We paid $112 a night for a 8sqm room! Check this out…
The plus point is that although the room is small, it has a comfy bed, a TV and an attached bathroom. There’s also a shared water dispenser as well. Not too bad for a small room. As the chinese saying goes, 麻雀虽小，五脏俱全 (direct translation for “Although the sparrow is small, it has 5 complete organs”) Well…meaning that although the room is small, it has all the basic necessities!
After checking in, we decided to start wondering along the streets in Jordan. The cool thing about a free and easy vacation is that we can have the holiday just the way we want it. No need to be hurried around from point to point and buy stuff from specific souvenir shops. Having said that, packaged tour has its merits as well especially to places where most locals dont speak the same language as you do. Ah…we digressed.
So we took the opportunity to visit the shopping areas at Temple Street, had a wonderful dinner of roasted meats at a local joint and even stumbled upon the famous dessert place – Australian Dairy Company!
Entrance to Temple Street 庙街 Jordan, Hong KongNight Market at Temple StreetChar Siew Roasted Pork RiceSteamed Almond Egg Pudding (杏汁炖蛋) at Australian Dairy Company Hong Kong
We were feeling STUFFED after all the food that we ate (did you see the mountain of rice?!), we decided to go for a stroll at Victoria Harbour. Kate did not want to do the harbour visit on our first night initially but after much pestering from me, Kate relented! YaY!
Typical Red Hong Kong sail boats at Victoria HarbourStatue at Avenue of Stars
Initially, we wanted to catch the Symphony of Lights that goes on daily at 8pm. Unexpectedly, it started to drizzle which quickly turned into a downpour just as the clock struck 8! Bearing through the wind, the rain and the cold, we managed to catch this video for our readers – you!
Not that we were able to catch much in the cold winds, (more like blair witch?) but still the sights and sounds were captured to give us an idea of how the Symphony of Lights was.
After the rain subsided, we started to make our way back to Jordan Comfort Inn and called it a night…
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When one thinks of Munich, Oktoberfest will naturally come to mind! But what are the top things to do and attractions in Munich really? Where exactly to stay in Munich?
Let’s find out!
Top Things to do and Attractions in Munich Germany!
1. Glockenspiel Clock Tower
Rathaus Glockenspiel @ Marienplatz Munich
The Rathaus Glockenspiel is one of the top 10 must visit clock towers in the world! Today, it attracts millions of visitors annually to see its shows and the uniqueness of what this clock tower has to offer!
2. Marienplatz
City Hall Clock Tower and the Mariensäule (Marian Column)
Besides the Glockenspiel, Marienplatz itself also attracts visitors alike. At this old square, visitors can enjoy a drink at the cafes, catch the show of Glockenspiel or simply just people watch. Meet your friends at Mariensaule if you’re lost!
3. Viktualienmarkt
Viktualienmarkt (Munich) and the Maypole
An old farmer’s market in the past, Viktualienmarkt has evolved into a large market that sells all types of groceries, meats and even souvenirs. Have a meal at the al fresco dining area while you’re there!
4. Hofbrauhaus Munchen
Hofbrauhaus am Platzl in MunichBest pork knuckle ever @ Hofbrauhaus Munchen
Missed Oktoberfest? No worries! Hofbrauhaus brewery has its own merry men that conjours that lively atmosphere at the Oktoberfest! What’s more, you get to savour the best pork knuckle ever here at Hofbrauhaus! Guten Appetit!
5. Englischer Garten
Entrance to the Englischer Garten Munich
Enjoy a leisurely stroll at the Englischer Garten! Check out the Japanese Tea House or the Chinese Tower in this garden while you’re here. You may also chance upon surfers here!
6. Side Trips to Oberammergau and Mittenwald – Bavarian!
Street with Alps in the background – Artistically taken by Kate!Alps (The Kofel : Oberammergau Matterhorn) and the ice cream shop
The awe-inspiring Bavarian Alps can be visited via Munich! Take a short trip to Oberammergau and Mittenwald where you’ll be able to enjoy the beautiful scenery as well as the large mural art! You can also choose to visit the Neuschwanstein castle that inspired the animation at the start of Disney’s production.
7. Oktoberfest!!!
Welcome to Oktoberfest at Theriesen Wiese, Munich!Throngs of people in the Oktoberfest beer tents – in the middle of the day!
How can a visit to Munich be complete without going to the Oktoberfest?! Oktoberfest, held at the Theresienwiese Oktoberfest area is not only the biggest beer festival in the world, it is also a huge gigantic fun fair, offering a great time for the entire family!
We stayed at the NH Dornach during our visit to the Oktoberfest. Do check out our posts about the hotels!
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You have just finished a post in this series of our travels in Munich. Find out more about Munich in these related posts!
Glockenspiel Munich, also known as the Clock Tower in Munich is one of the major attractions in Munich. Much like the Astronomical Clock in Prague, it is one of the top 10 must-visit tower clocks in the world! We visited the clock for the 11am performance…
Glockenspiel Munich – Top 10 Clock Towers in the World!
Rathaus Glockenspiel @ Marienplatz MunichRathaus and the statue in the middle of Marienplatz
The clock tower is part of the city hall or Rathaus. Hence its name of Rathaus Glockenspiel (City Hall Clock Tower).
There are 2 stories being told by the clock. The first part of the story (top portion) tells of a marriage which ends with a jousting match. The second part of the story (bottom portion) is a legend that depicts a dance that was suppose to ward off a plague.
The entire performance lasts about 15 minutes. It is actually quite tiring to hold the camera up for such a long time (thanks Kate!). Hence, here’s a shortened version of the performance for you!
How to get to Glockenspiel Munich
Map of Rathaus Glockenspiel Clock Tower in Munich
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You have just finished a post in this series of our travels in Munich. Find out more about Munich in these related posts!
Berlin Hof Hotel is a great starting point to explore Berlin. Located near to Berlin Hof Hotel are attractions such as the Gedachtniskirche, KaDeWe (Kaufhof Des Westerns – Shopping Mall of the West, biggest shopping mall in Europe) and the Berlin Zoo!
Gadachtniskirche – A symbol of the West Berlin during Cold WarAnother view of the Gedachtniskirche – Today it is a museum & anti-war monument
It was initially a challenge to locate the Berliner Hof. We walked up and down Tauentzienstrasse (Tauentzien Street) asking several passers-by and was still not able to find it. Finally, we asked the lady at the newspaper stand. She spoke to us in German but pointed in a general direction. We followed her direction and finally found it! Yup the Berliner Hof was undergoing renovation.
Hence the iconic Berliner Hof Bear also stayed indoorsReception of the Berliner Hof at the 2nd level
As we were there early that morning, we left our luggage with the reception and visited the Berlin Zoo! We only checked in after the zoo and we were completely surprised by the size of the room!
Large Room at the Berliner Hof Berlin Hotel
Berliner Hof Huge room with beds and living area!Living area with a sofa Berliner Hof HotelView of the main street from the living area from Berliner Hof Hotel
The room is REALLY HUGE! There is even an additional living space with a long work desk as well as a sofa. The TV is movable, allowing you to choose between watching at the living room or just laze in bed. We watched Big Bang Theory in German! 🙂
Toilet separated from the bath tubBathtub at the Berliner Hof Berlin Hotel
Although the room has a oldish look to it. The room was clean and kept in good condition. Because of the location of the hotel, you can overlook the shopping street right from the living room area. Did we also mention that the room was huge?
KaDeWe (Kaufhaus Des Westerns) – Shopping Mall of the West
KaDeWe is a short walk from the Berliner Hof. It is not only the largest shopping mall in Europe but also the 5th largest shopping mall in the world! With 60,000sqm of shopping space and more than 2000 employees, you’ll be spoilt for choice here! We also got our nespresso machine here which was on additional offer. If you’re a nespresso lover, check out the Nespresso outlets in Europe as they offer better prices for both the machine and capsules!
Map of the Berliner Hof Hotel
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On our first day in Berlin, we visited Alexanderplatz along with many significant architectures such as the Brandenburg Gate as well as the Holocaust Memorial. To put all the hype and speculation at ease, we also tried the Berliner curry wurst. After checking into Hotel Amelie Berlin, we took a leisure walk along the Spree River to the Berlin TV Tower…
Walking along Spree River to Berlin TV Tower – Past the Boden Museum
Things to do at Alexanderplatz Berlin
As we approached Alexanderplatz, we also came across these…
Berliner Dom – Not to be mistaken with the Boden MuseumRed City Hall Berlin – Seat of the Berlin City Council and MayorAlexanderplatz and its iconic King Neptune SculptureMarienkirche – Church dating back to 1294
Alexanderplatz Berlin
We also took a walk to the Berlin TV Tower and found out that the entry to the top of the tower is 12Euros. There’s also a restaurant there. However, do not be mistaken that there would be free entry if you are visiting the restaurant. According to the receptionist, you will still have to pay for the entrance fee. The good thing is that the dinner at the restaurant is not too expensive, at about 20Euros.
That evening, we walked past the Block House steak restaurant. So we crossed back the street across Marienkirche to the al fresco Block House…
Al fresco dining at Block House steak restaurantMenu of Block House BerlinSalad and Erdinger @ Block House BerlinT-Bone steak with sour cream & garlic cheese for the potato
We finally settled for the 500g T-bone steak which comes with the salad as well as the potato which is good for 2 to share. Besides the steak, the restaurant is also famous for its home made sour cream and garlic cheese. We must say that the sour cream was really good. Not too over-powering yet beautifully compliments the potato, which in turn compliments the steak. Marvelous meal!
After the dinner, we took a leisurely walk back along the Spree River and walked past the Ampfelman traffic light restaurant, taking in the nice scenery along the river as well. Alexanderplatz Berlin was indeed a wonderful day out!
There are 2 things that you must see when you go to Mittenwald and Oberammergau in Germany. Wait…at this point you must be thinking, “Where the @$#%#@$$ is Mittenwald and Oberammergau?!”
For those of you who are travel show enthusiasts (or simply Lord of the Remote Controls), you may have seen Oberammergau featured several times on several travel shows. In this post, we will tell you the 2 main reasons :
1. The Bavarian Alps
2. Mural Art
(Yes, I understand. Mural art is defined as a large painting usually done on walls)
Our journey to Mittenwald and Oberammergau in Germany!
After completing our trip from Berlin to Munich via a stopover at Dresden, we decided to do a day trip to visit attractions around Munich. Originally, we wanted to visit the Neuschwanstein Castle. However, we googled and found out that it was the renovation period and visitors were informed that parts of the castle would be obscured due to the restoration work.
Hence, the next option was to embark on the Mittenwald, Oberammergau journey!
The catch is that this day trip would really take the entire day. This is because the journey from Munich to Mittenwald would take about 2 hours and Mittenwald to Oberammergau via Murnau would take another 2 hours. So 2 hours here and 2 hours there PLUS the return trip. That doesn’t leave much time for a day trip.
Hence, we would really advice for you to stay a night in Oberammergau (there are excellent views of the Alps from some of the lodges – imagine waking up to the Alps…) and try to avoid this itinerary. That is unless you think “been there done that”…
The trip started with a train ride first to Mittenwald. To get our properly geared up, we had croissant with a cookie crumble top, apple strudel with real slices of apple and our morning coffee.
Croissant with cookie crumble at the topApple Strudel with real apple slices!
We had some trouble at first trying to confirm that we were on the right train. Eventhough we were informed by the receptionist at the counter that we were on the right train, the sign board did not mention Mittenwald. So we asked some passengers on the train just to confirm. In addition, many seniors with hiking sticks confirmed that we should be headed in the right direction (hiking in the Alps right?)
Bus from Tutzing to Welheim
Unfortunately, due to construction on the tracks, we had to alight at Tutzing for a bus transfer to Welheim. The good thing about travelling in Germany is that if such diversions occur, there would be many people directing you and many buses awaiting to bring to the next available station for you to continue your journey.
The following video shows our departure from one of the smaller stations, shows our readers a glimpse of the countryside in Europe…
Departing a station in the countryside of Europe
Before long, the first view of the Bavarian Alps was in sight and we arrived at Mittenwald after several scenic stops…
First view of the Bavarian AlpsAnother view of the Alps from Ohlstadt StationMittenwald Train Station
Due to our low quality camera (any sponsors out there?), slow reaction and fast moving pace of the train, we were not able to capture some spectacular views of the views overlooking the fields and villages. However, we did capture a close up view of the Alps at Mittenwald station…
Close up view of the Bavarian Alps from Mittenwald
Fantastic Views at Mittenwald Germany
Here are some of the fantastic views of Mittenwald. To think that we actually contemplated to skip it to go to Oberammergau only!
Main street of Mittenwald – Cool thing about Mittenwald is that it winds between the alps and it built close to it, REALLY CLOSE!Church in the background and Mural building in the foregroundRestaurant Street at MittenwaldStreet with Alps in the background – Artistically taken by Kate!Restaurant with Mural art – Check out the crowd dining here!Street with view of the Church in the middleStory of the Spaghetti (ice cream) at Mittenwald…
A small little incident occurred when we ordered our spaghetti at this particular restaurant. After ordering our spaghetti and having waited for about 5 minutes for it, we were served with…wait for it…ICE CREAM!! IN THE FORM OF SPAGHETTI!!!
Of course it was not what we ordered. But we later realised that the waitress must have said “Spaghetti Eis (pronounced as ice)” which meant spaghetti ice cream! And we must have nodded! The waitress’ face went black for a moment but she was kind enough to finally deliver us our spaghetti. Judging from the half-filled beer, you can guess that we waited for quite a bit. Even had to rush the spaghetti down so that we would not miss our next train to Oberammergau…
Train leaving Mittenwald to Murnau, change of trains to Oberammergau
Arriving at Oberammergau
After another 2 hours ride (maybe slightly less), we finally arrived at Oberammergau!
View of the alps while leaving MittenwaldAlps and fieldsMini train taking us from Murnau to OberammergauBavarian Alps and crystal clear waters of the rivers at Oberammergau (Kofel Oberammergau Matterhorn in the background)City Map of Oberammergau
After stepping out of the station, there was a huge crowd of people that turned right (facing the main street). However, Kate and I analysed the map and decided to turn left instead. And it was the right direction! Turning left took us to the heart of the city!
So remember to turn left when you leave the train station, facing the main street!!
Here are some of our memorable moments at Oberammergau!
Alps (The Kofel : Oberammergau Matterhorn) and the ice cream shopRealistic Mural Art – 3D effect!Motorcycle or planes for kids to ride on!House with mural art and a nice gardenMore Mural Buildings!
Oberammergau City Centre – Murals Galore!
A Catholic Church OberammergauChurch and the iconic alps (Kofel aka Oberammergau Matterhorn)Another shot of the Bavarian Alps from Oberammergau Matterhorn (The Kofel)
Oberammergau Restaurants and Mural Art!
We had dinner at one of the restaurants in the city centre and it was actually quite tasty. The dinner costs 25Euros inclusive of taxes and tips. The pork sausage with onion rings and pickles was a good starter that worked up our appetite. The roasted pork with dumpling was quite good. The taste was flavourful. Eventhough it was a little bit salty, taken together with the dumpling, the taste was perfect.
Food and Drinks MenuRoasted pork with drumpling and krautPork sausage salad with onion rings and picklesRathaus or City Hall of OberammergauCuckoo Clock Shop Oberammergau
Although we couldnt afford the cuckoo clocks, we did learn a thing or two from the shop assistant. Turns out that the price of the cuckoo clocks depends on
1. Whether it is an actual one (that has mechanisms built in) or an imitation
2. Size (Hence, the longer it can go without winding)
3. Music / Intricacy
So these factors come together to determine prices of the cuckoo clocks that can go as high as 2000 euros! 😮
Souvenir shop in OberammergauPassion Playhouse Oberammergau
We hope that you have enjoyed this post (one of our longest EVER!) about our day trip from Munich to Mittenwald and Oberammergau! Do leave us your comments below!
We’ll now leave you with a video of the sunset at Oberammergau!
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Bavarian Alps Oberammergau Mittenwald
For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deals in Munich, Mittenwald and Berlin right here!
Dresden was our chosen stopover as we travelled from Berlin to Munich to join the Oktoberfest. We did not know much about Dresden (not that we do now) but it was one of the more prominent cities on the map and we thought it would be good to make a stopover, breaking the 7 hours train ride into well…a more “bear”able journey! 🙂
We woke up early that morning and had breakfast at Le Crosbag for 7euros…
Breakfast of croissant & coffee at Le Crosbag
We even got to see the sunrise at the Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Main Train Station)!
Sunrise at Berlin HBF
We caught the train to Cottbus @ 7:35am (don’t worry, if you are not sure of the timings, the friendly staff of Bahn will print out the itinerary and guide you on where exactly to catch the trains) and transferred to platform 10 for the train to Dresden. It was a bit of a rush since we only had minutes to catch the next train – a little bit like the Amazing Race…de de de…
Train from Berlin HBF to Cottbus at 735amTrain to Dresden at 915am
If you’re wondering why we’re changing trains here and there, the reasons are
1. Happy Weekend (Schones Wochende) Tickets are ALOT cheaper. For 42euros, you can travel in a group of 5 (YES! 5 PEOPLE!!) within a slightly more than 24 hours window ANYWHERE in the country. The catch is that you cannot take the fast trains like ICE. Hence, our journey was lengthened to about 9 hours instead of 6.5 hours with ICE. Well, ICE costs 120euros per person…that’s 240euros for both Kate and I. Compared to 240euros, 42euros seemed like a good choice…
2. Stopovers / Day trips. The longer journey allowed us to enjoy the countryside and make a stop over at Dresden. So that we can bring you this post about Dresden right?
Whats there to do at Dresden?
Dresden Hauptbahnhof (Main Train Station)
The old city (or Alte Stadt) of Dresden is just a short 10 minutes walk from the Dresden HBF. Once out of the train station, look for directions to Prager Strasse (or Prager Street). This is a row of shops, mall and arcades along the way to the old city. Modern before the classics. Nice.
Prager Street – Shopping galore!
One of the things that caught our attention was a lady instead of a man on the traffic lights…
There are many other interesting historical architectures that caught our attention…
Semperoper Opera House – Experience Opera at its best!
Watch this video of Theatreplatz in Dresden!
Statue of King Johann in front of the SemperoperKathedrale @ Old City of DresdenZwinger Palace Dresden
Take a 360 view of Zwinger Palace in Dresden!
View from the Augustus Bridge (River Elbe)View of the River Elbe DresdenFürstenzug aka Procession of Princes – A 102 metres long mural!Frauenkirche with Statue of Martin Luther – Possibly the most famous building in Dresden
Neumarkt and Frauenkirche
On the way back to the train station, we decided to stop by the Herbstmarkt (or Autumn Market) for lunch…
Entrance of Herbstmarkt Dresden
Feel the vibe at the Dresden Herbstmarkt!
One of the many food stalls at Dresden Herbstmarkt
There were many stalls at the Herbstmarkt. There were stalls that sells food (of course), souvenirs, snacks (like nuts that we snacked on) and open air seating areas. If you’ve seen the video, you would have heard the loud music in the background as well!
We finally settled on this stall – that many people visited (you wont go wrong with crowds)
Stall where we bought our lunch
So here’s what we had – champignons (mushrooms), pork patty, potatoes and beer. All for 10euros! The mushrooms was really flavourful. The yoghurt topping really blended well with all that flavour. The pork was chunky and meaty and the potatoes were well “marinated” on that big giant flat pan that they use in the tents.
Lunch of mushrooms, pork patty, potatoes and beer for 10euros
Do note that at some pubs, there is a deposit (called Pfand) for beer mugs. Could be like 2euros. Once you finished drinking and return the mugs, you’ll get your deposit back.
On the way back, we stopped by the old city and got ourselves a cookies and cream ice cream. A large one for 1.70euros.
One for the road – Cookies and Cream Ice Cream!
All in all, it was a great day trip that Kate planned (Thanks!) and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves revelling in the history of Dresden as well as taking part in the festivities at the Herbstmarkt. The meal there was particularly enjoyable. Picture the cool weather with the sun shining brightly, lively music in the background and great food.
All the perfect ingredients to a great meal and a great stopover at Dresden!
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Hofbrauhaus or Hof brew house (Brewery) is one of the must-visit attractions in Munich! On every Munich tourist brochure we received, the iconic HB (Hof Brau) will definitely be mentioned and we’re gonna tell you why…
Why visit Hofbrauhaus Munich?
Hofbrauhaus am Platzl in Munich
If you are visiting Munich but happen to miss the Oktoberfest, no worries. The Hofbrauhaus is a restaurant in the heart of Munich where the atmosphere of the Oktoberfest happens every night!
There are 2 portions to Hofbrauhaus, namely the restaurant area…
Inside the restaurant area of Hofbrauhaus
as well as the “happening fest” area / open air area
View from the restaurant into the open air area
There is a performance area where live Oktoberfest music is played nightly at the fest area. Hence, if you missed the Oktoberfest proper, Hofbrauhaus is definitely one of the places you must go to catch up on the atmosphere of the festivals.
What to eat & drink at Hofbrauhaus am Platzl Munich
Drinks and Food Menu at Hofbrauhaus
For drinks, you can choose from the usual wheat beers (at about 4euros for 0.5litres) such as light, dark or the Oktoberfest brew (only during Oktoberfest period) specially brewed for the Oktoberfests.
But the highlight of the menu has got to be pork knuckle (or Schwein Haxe)!
Best pork knuckle ever @ Hofbrauhaus Munchen
First and foremost, the skin was crispy yet not the overly crispy type where you feel it is almost burnt. The fatty bits was not too fatty but just nice, allowing you to bite off. There are some versions where the fatty bits are not well done and you will find it very hard to chew off.
The meat itself was flavourful and juicy, infused with the herb taste. If you take 1 mouth of the crispy skin, fatty bit and flavourful meat, it would just be “Ah….”
One word for the pork knuckle – Yummilicious! (That’s when you need to combine yummy and delicious into one word)
And it really was…
The ambience inside the restaurant was also fantastic. We were seated at one corner of the restaurant with views out to the pathway outside the restaurant…
Window seats at Hofbrauhaus Munich
In addition, the tables we were seated at were traditional, made out of wood and even had supports for our feet. The service was also great. The waiter took care to speak to us in good English and was meticulous in his service. Eventhough we only ordered one portion of the pork knuckle to share, he automatically got an extra plate for us and often checked back with us from time to time to ensure that we were really well taken care of.
All in all, our experience at Hofbrauhaus was nothing short of excellent. And you would think that the bill would run sky high? Nope. We only spent 20.20Euros that evening and enjoyed a wonderful meal with excellent service at that!
Total bill at Hofbrauhaus – Well worth every cent!
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Actually, Kate and I sort of stumbled upon the East Side Gallery. We were kind of searching for it in a general direction but did not know exactly where we were going. So we walked 2 long streets and were thinking to ourselves “Are we in the right direction?”. Just then, we saw a long stretch of wall and we knew we had arrived at the East Side Gallery!
Berlin Wall East Side Gallery Information
The East Side Gallery is actually a collection of art work from artists all over the world. It was started in 1990 and now consists of 105 pieces of art at this open air gallery.
Cute Watch Tower @ Berlin Wall East Side GalleryDepiction at Checkpoint Charlie
The above 2 pictures are the most iconic drawings at the East Side Gallery. We often see it on the postcards in Berlin. There are also many other cute, interesting and though-provoking artworks at the East Side Gallery…
Murals on the Berlin WallEast Side Gallery as we walked from Warschauer Street
Chill by the river at the East Side Gallery
As we continued to stroll along the East Side Gallery, we noticed a boat that resembled a floating hostel…
Eastern Comfort Hostel – East Side Gallery
Turns out that the Eastern Comfort Hostel was a vessel that has been refurbished to become a floating hostel. So Kate and I decided to have a drink at the Floating Lounge…
Floating Lounge of Eastern Comfort Hostel
The prices at the floating lounge was quite reasonable. We had a cider and one of the beers on tap. The cool thing about drinks in Germany is that the drinks are usually served in the glasses of the same name! (Yes, we drank Bulmers cider and Rothaus beer)
Bulmers Cider and Rothaus Beer at Eastern Comfort Hostel Floating Lounge
The atmosphere was relaxed, unpretentious and chill. There were others seated around us, catching up with one another and enjoying jokes among themselves. Coupled with the view of the river, that was really a simple, lazy yet unforgettable afternoon…
View of the river from the floating lounge @ East Side Gallery
Map of the Berlin Wall East Side Gallery
Map of the Berlin Wall East Side Gallery
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You have just finished a post from our Berlin Travels. Below, you can find other relevant posts covered during this trip!
NH Dornach Munich was where we stayed at during the Oktoberfest period. Well, there were several reasons why we ended up at the NH Dornach…
1. Procrastination. We did not know if we were going to Europe in the very first place. To go or not to go. To go or not to go. This went on for about forever before we concluded that we should go to the Oktoberfest. By then, many of the hotels in the city have been fully booked!
2. Price. If you think that the $245SGD we paid for this room was expensive. It really was not. 4 star hotels in the city easily went for more than $300 during the Oktoberfest period. And they’re sold fast, so plan early if you’re heading there. (Find out about the Things to do and attractions at Oktoberfest right here.)
3. Accessibility. With its location near to the S-Bahn – Riem station, the NH Dornach was a mere 15 minutes ride to the city. This made NH Dornach a good choice for Oktoberfest revelers.
Exterior of NH Dornach Munich
Standard Room at NH Munchen Dornach
The room was clean and spacious. The bed was also comfortable, giving Oktoberfest revelers a good rest to recharge for the next day. The was also a bath tub in the bathroom…
Bathroom @ NH Munchen Dornach
Again, the bathroom was clean and since the hotel does not have a swimming pool, the bath tub offers the choice of relaxing in the water in the comforts of your room. The hotel does offer a gym for those who would like to keep fit as well. Especially for those who feels guilty after the festivals…
All in all, the stay at NH Munchen Dornach was a good one. Given our limited choices at that point in time, we’re quite glad that we’re able to get a room here.
Statue on the way from Riem station to NH Dornach
Remember also that there is a short cut to the station right opposite the entrance of the hotel. Following this path will save you about 5 minutes as compared to walking along the main road to the train station. Yup, along the way you will see the above statue and you know that you have arrived at the train station!
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Orchard Road is Singapore’s premier shopping belt and like most of the shopping districts in the world (think Champ Elysees in Paris, Oxford street in UK and Nathan Road in Hongkong), Orchard Road is a 2.3km shopping belt that caters to the needs of all shoppers from the high end (at Paragon) to the trendy teens (at Far East).
If you’re travelling to Singapore, Orchard Road is definitely a place you must visit!
Map of Orchard Road – Singapore’s Shopping Belt
The whole Orchard Road stretch actually starts from Forum (or Orchard Adelphi) all the way to Plaza Singapura (Dhoby Ghaut MRT) on the other end (together with Cathay movie theatres). However, as Plaza Singapura is sort of de-linked from the rest of Orchard Road (hopefully the whole Orchard Road gets linked up with sheltered walkways in the future), therefore we started our walk down Orchard from Orchard Central.
Orchard Central @ Orchard Road Singapore
Opened in 2009, Orchard Central is the tallest shopping centre along Orchard Road. Although shopping has not really picked up since its opening days, it has carved a niche for itself in the wellness (many beauty salons and hair salons there) as well as the F&B arenas with many choices of restaurants there.
Centrepoint Orchard Road
On the opposite side of the road, you will see Centrepoint. The anchor store here is Robinsons (watch out for the Robinson Sales) as well as the Cold Storage Supermarket.
Orchard Road – 313 Somerset
313 Somerset (right at the doorsteps of Somerset MRT) is one of the busiest shopping centres in the whole of Orchard Road. It boasts of all brands that appeal to the masses (like Zara, Forever 21 etc) and excellent accessibility to the Somerset MRT station.
Orchard Road Singapore – Mandarin Gallery
Mandarin Gallery is a high end shopping mall beneath the Meritus Mandarin hotel. It boasts of high end brands such as Marc by Marc Jacobs & Emporio Armani. Singapore’s world renowned fashion designer Ashley Isham also has a boutique of the same name there. Many teens also flock to Antoinette – a boutique cafe, to enjoy their pastries and cakes!
Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza Orchard Road Singapore
Ngee Ann City or better known locals as Taka (short for Takashimaya, the anchor shopping tenant) has always been the iconic landmark of Orchard Road. It has a good mix of shops catering to the needs of the well-heeled as well as the masses. Plus, many activities takes place at the open area – Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza, such as the annual Subaru Challenge.
Wisma Atria Shopping Centre
Wisma Atria has always been considered a “sister” shopping centre to Ngee Ann City because of the link that connects both shopping centres. Traffic would flow from Ngee Ann City to Wisma Atria and vice versa. Recently revamped, Wisma caters to a similar crowd as that of Ngee Ann City.
Ion Orchard – Singapore’s most iconic shopping centre
Ion Orchard is definitely Singapore’s most iconic shopping centre (Vivo City comes in a close 2nd). Like Ngee Ann City, it boasts of all the top brands and caters to the needs of all shoppers. With it’s excellent location (connecting to Orchard Road MRT Station), Ion Orchard is also one of the busiest shopping malls in Orchard Road. The next time you visit Ion Orchard, see if you notice this trend. The more affordable shops are actually located beneath the surface (B1 and below) while the expensive and high ends shops are above the surface…
Far East Plaza
Far East Plaza is one of the top spots for teens and young adults to shop at because of its B1 shops that offers chic fashion at reasonable prices.
Other notable shopping malls include Tangs, Scotts Square and Wheelock Place…
View from Deluxe Room of Singapore Marriott Tangs Plaza Hotel
Wheelock Place
Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Staycation Full Review
Tangs
What’s there to eat at Changi Village Food Centre?
Nasi Lemak and Longan Red Tea Pudding at Changi Village Food Centre
There are many Nasi Lemak stalls at the Changi Village Food Centre and we came upon the international muslim food stall’s nasi lemak because of its long queue! Long queues equal good food right? So we joined to find out. The wait was only slightly more than 5 minutes and we ordered the fried chicken set. The price was quite steep at $3.50. In terms of quantity, you get an additional piece of drumlet. The chicken was excellent! Crispy on the outside and tender yet juicy on the inside. Im actually salivating as I write this! The rice and chili was quite common. Hence, overall, we’re not really sure if it’s worth $3.5. If it was $2.5, even with 1 less drumlet, we’d definitely recommend it.
Next, we tried the Longan Red Tea Pudding. Yet another famous dessert you must try at the Changi Village Food Centre. Again for $2 bucks, it was a little expensive. But we do recommend it. The taste of red tea in the form of a pudding/jelly was indeed refreshing. Coupled with the evaporated milk, it presented a different form of milk tea altogether!
Battle of the Chicken Chop Ipoh Hor Fun at Changi Village Hawker Centre
Located right in the middle of the hawker centre, there are 2 stalls that sells the delectable chicken chop Ipoh Hor Fun. If you do not notice carefully, you would think that the 2 stalls are one and the same since the signs on the stalls are very very similar. However, we asked the uncle of stall 1 and he said
“No, we are opposition. It is like Samsung, you have and I have.”
There you have it. Since they are “opposition”, we’ve got to settle this dispute right? For Kate, she thoroughly enjoyed stall 1. Actually, stall 1’s chicken resembled that of the taiwanese fried chicken. However, I tell you (overwriting Kate’s recommendation), Amigo’s Chicken Chop Hor Fun is definitely better. Firstly, you see the amount of chicken, it has almost double the amount for the same price of $3.50. Secondly, the chilli is spicy, sweet and aromatic. Thirdly, the chicken itself was crispy, flavourful, chunky and juicy. Last but not least, there was a queue of young army boys there!
So Amigo’s chicken chop ipoh hor fun comes out top in this battle!
Yup, it’s the left one!
Other foods in the vicinity
Mutton Murtabak, Egg and Plain Prata at Changi Village
The total price of the mutton murtabak, egg prata, plain prata and iced coffee was only $10. Have you seen the size of this generous mutton murtabak? The prata and murtabak were all CRISPY!!! The curry was rich, bursting with meaty flavours. A little spicy but it perfectly complemented the crispy and fresh pratas. Yummilicious!
How to get to Changi Village Food Centre
To get to Changi Village Food Centre, you will have to first take the MRT to Tampines MRT station and take bus 29. After a long bus ride, you will reach Changi Village Hawker Centre. However, to avoid all the travelling, why not consider a staycation at Village Hotel Changi? It is just a 3 minutes walk to the food centre and there you can enjoy all the great Singaporean Hawker foods that this famous food centre has to offer!
