Yang’s Fried Dumpling (aka 小杨生煎) is located at No.269 Wujiang Road, Shanghai, China (Nanjing West Road).
If you’re visiting Shanghai, YOU MUST visit Yang’s Fried Dumplings. The dumplings at 小杨生煎 is an attraction itself and you will (at almost all times of the day) see a long queue outside the stall…
Staff of Yang’s Fried Dumpling 小杨生煎 busy at work
Staff of Yang’s Fried Dumpling 小杨生煎 busy at work
See the staff of 小杨生煎 busy at work? It is because of 2 main reasons.
1. CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP! You wouldn’t and couldn’t imagine this, but 4 dumplings at Yang’s Fried Dumpling only costs 6RMB! What?! That’s only 1.5RMB each or 30 cents SGD each!! AHH!!! SO CHEAP!!!
Yang’s Fried Dumpling 小杨生煎 4 for 6RMB
Yang’s Fried Dumpling 小杨生煎 4 for 6RMB
2. TASTES SUPERB! But the true reason lies in the taste. No doubt, the cheap price is a huge draw but the taste is something that we’ve never tasted (and experienced) before. Firstly, the outer skin is pan fried to a nice crispy texture while the pork inside remains sweet, flavourful and JUICY!
And secondly, we reiterate again, it’s JUICY!!! Notice that we bold juicy. This is because it is RIDICULOUSLY JUICY on your first bite! On our first bite, we were told that the only way to eat 小杨生煎 is to first nibble and suck out the soup first. We did. But when we went in for our first bite, the residual juices still spurt unto us!
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
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Enjoy this amazing experience and tell us about what you think of Yang’s Fried Dumpling 小杨生煎 in our comments section below!
Eastern & Oriental Hotel (also known affectionately as the E&O Hotel) is Penang’s most iconic hotel. Founded by the Sarkies brothers (who also founded Raffles Hotel in Singapore and the Strand in Yangon) in 1885, it was also known as “the Premier Hotel East of the Suez” due to its sea-front lawn spanning in excess of 800 feet and the hot and cold running water (yup, it was a symbol of luxury in those days). Thanks to the great folks of E&O Hotel (a huge shout-out to Eileen!), we were hosted to 2 nights stay at the Victory Annexe Studio Suite right here at the iconic Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Penang!
Eastern and Oriental Hotel Penang (E&O Hotel) EntranceEntrance of E&O Hotel PenangReception of Eastern and Oriental Hotel Penang
As we were heading towards E&O from Rasa Sayang, we popped by Lone Pine Hotel (also under the management of E&O) for a complimentary transfer.
We alighted at the heritage wing of the E&O and sure enough, the colonial and classy feel of the hotel dawned upon us as we entered the lobby…
Lobby of E&O Hotel Victory Annexe (A short walk away)Lobby of E&O Hotel Heritage WingCorridor to our sea view Studio Suite at level 8 of the E&O
After a prompt check-in at the Victory Annexe (too prompt in a sense that we were not formally introduced to the facilities of the hotel), we were shown to our lift. Walking along a hugely spacious corridor at level 8, we arrived at our suite…
Eastern and Oriental Hotel Penang (E&O Hotel) Victory Annexe Studio Suite
As we entered the suite, the decoration and layout exuberated the classy vibe as we’ve had experienced at the Raffles Hotel Singapore. Our first gasp came as we laid eyes upon the bath tub…as the centre-piece of the entire suite, it is both functional and yet can be seen as a piece of art. The clawfoot bath tub, accompanied by a huge full length mirror, is certainly a lavish touch to the overall decoration of the suite.
2bearbear enjoying the clawfoot bath tub of the Eastern and Oriental PenangRed wine chilling out with super rings in bath tub! ;p
There are also 2 wash basins for the lady and gentleman. How do we know that? The toiletries supplied at each basin was different. One has the shaver while the other has the shower cap. A cute little touch there 😉
His and Hers vanity sinkToiletries of the E&O Hotel Penang
As with all 5 stars / luxury class hotels, the beds are always inviting. At the Victory Annexe Studio Suite, you’ll get a writer’s desk as well as pool and sea view at your own private balcony…
Bed and armchair of the Eastern and Oriental Hotel Studio SuiteWriter’s deskPool and sea view from E&O Hotel Victory Annexe Studio Suite
Video Tour of Victory Annexe Studio Suite, E&O Hotel
Eastern and Oriental Hotel Penang (E&O Hotel) Facilities
Swimming Pool
Infinity Pool Eastern and Oriental Hotel Victory AnnexeAnother view of the infinity pool of the E&O HotelChilling out at the Pool Side TerraceSwimming Pool Eastern and Oriental Hotel Penang
Both the Victory Annexe as well as the Heritage Wing have swimming pools of their own and guests are allowed to visit either of the swimming pools. We loved the Victory Annexe swimming pool (not only because of its proximity – ie walk less) but also because of the splendid views that it offers of the sea and the Malaysia Peninsula.
Gym
E&O Hotel Gym
The E&O Hotel is currently in the midst of adding a spa to its premise (yay!). However, it’s business as usual at the gym and yes, it also has sea views as you work out on one of these treadmills.
Planter’s Lounge
Planter’s Lounge Eastern and Oriental Hotel PenangChilling out at this cosy area of the Planter’s LoungeCocktail hours snacksWine, beers and drinks during cocktail hoursRadler beer and white wine with sea views during cocktail hours
Guests staying at the Victory Annexe also have complimentary access to the Planter’s Lounge. Coffee and Tea are available throughout the day while cocktail hours are from 6pm to 7pm daily. Do note that the Planter’s Lounge is NOT A CLUB. This means that it is essentially an area for guests to relax or have meetings. Hence, depending on the crowd, you may or may not be served when you visit the lounge. The other strange thing that we noticed was that there’s no signature cocktails served during cocktail hours (we ordered the E&O Sling at the pool). You would have to concoct your own cocktails with the given liquor and drinks 😉
Marvelous Views in and around E&O Hotel Penang
Sunset view from Heritage Wing Eastern and Oriental Hotel PenangViews of Peninsula Malaysia from SarkiesFacade of Eastern and Oriental Hotel Penang (Heritage Wing)Trishaw ride from Komtar to E&O Hotel for 15RM
Eastern and Oriental Hotel Penang (E&O Hotel) Breakfast at Sarkies
Breakfast at Sarkies E&O Hotel PenangBakery area for breakfastPenang Char Kway Teow Station E&O Hotel BreakfastNoodles StationHot western selectionSushi and cold cuts at Eastern and Oriental Hotel Penang BreakfastPenang Char Koay TeowPastries Fruits and Juices with sea view from SarkiesEggs Benedict enjoyed by Tom!
Breakfast at Sarkies starts from 6:30am to 10:30am while breakfast at Planter’s Lounge ends slightly later at 11am. There’s a good spread and variety of breakfast at Sarkies that ranges from asian (indian, japanese and malaysian) to western (patries, toasts and eggs). But for us, it was the overall experience of dining outdoors at the verandah, overlooking peninsula Malaysia and sipping over a nice cuppa while browsing the day’s news. Heavenly!
How to get to Eastern and Oriental Hotel Penang (E&O Hotel)
Eastern and Oriental Hotel Penang (E&O Hotel) is located at 10 Farquhar Street, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. From Penang International Airport it takes about 20 minutes (15 USD) by taxi and about 10 minutes (15RM) by trishaw from Komtar. If you’re taking a bus from Penang International Airport to Komtar, it takes about 30 minutes (3RM) by taking buses 102 and 401.
To sum up, we take a look at our BASIC FACTOR and the score for Eastern and Oriental Hotel Penang, is a 4.5!
B – 1. Clawfoot bath tub. Need we say more? A – 1. Classy, lavish, luxurious and colonial. All the factors of a heritage hotel. S – 0.5. Like we said, checking-in was a little too “prompt”. More information could have been given at the reception. I – 1. Splendid views from the infinity pool. Great place to chillax. C – 1. Comfortable bed and pillows for a good night’s rest 🙂
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**Special thanks to Eileen for making our staycation at Eastern and Oriental Hotel possible!
Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa is Penang’s most luxurious and exclusive hotel. With its sea front views and traditional Minangkabau roof architecture, its no wonder why guests so easily fall in love with Rasa Sayang. Thanks to the great folks at Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa (Special shout out to Suleiman and team!), we were invited to a relaxing and enjoyable stay at the newly renovated Garden Wing…
Warm reception at the grand lobby of Garden Wing of Rasa Sayang
After the prompt check in, we were led by our receptionist to our lift lobby, we actually thought that was it. No! She led us ALL THE WAY TO OUR ROOM! Talk about personalised service!
Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa Penang Deluxe Seaview Room
As we entered our room, we could feel the space and luxury that Shangri-la affords. The room was spacious and so was the king-sized bed. There was even a small little sofa where you can chill and watch some cable TV. But the best part? The view from our balcony…
Pool and Sea View from Deluxe Seaview Room Rasa Sayang
Deluxe Seaview Room Rasa Sayang Penang Garden Wing
The room also affords the usual luxuries of a bath tub, complete with the in-house toiletries as well as a well-stocked mini-bar. All this equates to a start of a great holiday! 🙂
Bath tub with bath foam that really FOAMS!
Shangri-la’s in-house toiletries
Well-stocked mini bar with complimentary coffee and tea
After checking out the room, we decided to take a quick bath (in the bath tub of course) before heading out to meet Suleiman at the Spice Market Cafe for afternoon tea!
Check out this video tour of our Deluxe Sea View Room at the Garden Wing of Rasa Sayang Penang
History of Shangri-la’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa Penang
Soon, we met up with Suleiman, the Director of Communications at Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa. Suleiman was a man of stature and he brought about an air of authority as he approached us. But when we started conversing, there was no such air about him. In fact, he was approachable and friendly and as the afternoon went on, the conversations began to flow. And that was when we started to learn more about Rasa Sayang as well…
Afternoon tea at Spice Market Cafe Rasa Sayang Penang
Rasa Sayang Hotel was first opened in November 9, 1973 along Batu Ferringhi Beach, Penang and was the first ever five-star resort in Malaysia and the first Shangri-La property in Malaysia as well. The original motto of Rasa Sayang was “A love of life and all its pleasures”…Ah…
Turns out that the name “Rasa Sayang” was derived from a local song of the same name. “Rasa” means feeling and “Sayang” means love. The famous refrain goes something like this…
Rasa sayang, hey!
Rasa sayang-sayang hey,
Hey lihat nona jauh,
Rasa sayang-sayang, hey
meaning…
I’ve got that loving feeling, hey!,
I’ve got that loving feeling, hey!,
See that girl in the distance,
I’ve got that loving feeling hey!,
So the story goes that the owners of the hotel (yes, they are still alive today and may be reading this) were discussing what name to be given to this grand hotel that was going to be built. As they were discussing, the song went on air (probably over radio as it was a popular song in those days) and the owners decided there and then. Hence, Rasa Sayang was born!
As we continued to discuss on the concepts of Rasa Wing and Garden Wing, we realised what Suleiman was really talking about. At the Garden Wing, we could feel the exclusivity coupled with the luscious greenery in and around the premise. A short walk along the gardens coupled with sounds of the waves in the distance, really rejuvenates the mind and body. Something that you ought to try out on your next trip here to Rasa Sayang Penang 🙂
Shuttle Service from Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa Penang
One of the MAJOR plus points of staying at Rasa Sayang Penang is that you’d be able to enjoy the beaches of Batu Ferringhi, visit the night markets a short walk away PLUS there’s also shuttle service that brings you to Gurney Plaza, Gurney Paragon and of course the famous Gurney Drive Hawker Centre…
Shuttle Bus Service Schedule from Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa Penang
Gurney Plaza Penang
Gurney Paragon Penang
St Jo’s at Gurney Paragon
Pasar Malam (aka Night Market – yes, they only open at night) minutes away from Rasa Sayang by foot
Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa Penang Facilities
Health Club
Health Club consisting of Gym, Jacuzzi, Sauna and Steam Bath
CHI Spa
Spa experience at CHI Spa
Luscious Greenery
Greenery by the beach at Rasa Sayang
Water feature next to Spice Market Cafe
Swimming Pool
Swimming Pool Rasa Sayang Garden Wing
Video of the beach and pool area of Rasa Sayang
Photo Gallery Depicting Rasa Sayang’s History
Photo Gallery depicting the history of Rasa Sayang – You can see Suleiman there as well! 😛
What we really loved about the hotel is its luscious greenery, offering ample space and tranquility for travellers who wants to find rest for the soul. The CHI Spa will definitely add to that experience. Kate checked out the Rasa Asmaradana Spa Treatment. Long kneading strokes offers a deeply relaxing massage as practiced by traditional Malay healers. The treatment is also coupled with soothing concoction of local herbs, lemon grass and pandan leaves, leaving one thoroughly relaxed and rejuvenated.
Other facilities in the resort includes the Kid’s Club, Adventure Zone, Golf/Pitch and Putt, Table Tennis and Tennis Courts.
Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa Penang Breakfast
Rasa Sayang’s breakfast was probably one of the best we’ve had at this trip. Do remember to try out the egg’s benedict – yes, the yolk does ooze out like it should!
Eggs Benedict Rasa Sayang Penang
Eggs station and buffet spread
Fresh Fruit Juices
Cold Cuts
Healthy start to breakfast with fruits and vegetables
Delicious Assam Laksa
Asian spread
Indian Cuisine
Waffles, Bread pudding and banana cake!
How to get to Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa Penang
Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa Penang is located at Batu Feringgi Beach, Penang, 11100, Malaysia. From Penang International Airport, it takes about 45 minutes by taxi (approximately 20USD) or about 1hr 15 minutes by bus 102 (4RM).
To sum up, we take a look at our BASIC FACTOR and the score for Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa, is a 5!
B – 1. Bath tub was great with perfect foam generating shower gel! A – 1. Luscious greenery with a relaxing feel all round. What more can we ask for? S – 1. Service was excellent with the concierge spending time to tell us what to explore in Penang. I – 1. Pools that catered to the adults and kids alike. All with a beach view! C – 1. A restful night offered at Rasa Sayang…
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**Special thanks to Suleiman and team for making our staycation at Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa possible!
Pattaya Thailand is well-known resort destination in Thailand and this post will tell you all the things to do and attractions here! Let’s check out the top 3 things to do and attractions in Pattaya, Thailand right now!
Things to do and Attractions in Pattaya Thailand
1. Incredible Sunsets
Beaches? Nah…
If you’re thinking of a beach getaway, Pattaya may not be the ideal place (you’ll understand from the picture above). BUT! The sunsets over the Gulf of Thailand are certainly beyond description…
Sunset views at Pattaya Thailand
Enjoying the sunset together
Sunset with Cocktails
As the sky, sea and pool merged into one beautiful sea of blue, it really accentuates the colour of the sun. As you enjoy the marvelous sunsets, why not enjoy it over a cocktail or 2 as well? Chillaxing!
2. Pattaya Walking Street
Pattaya Walking Street
Pattaya Walking Street Views
Over the years, Pattaya has also acquired an infamous reputation for its go-go bars, pubs and the “you-know-what” industry. Nonetheless, along the beach, you can still get to do loads of shopping and of course visit the many restaurants here. Clean, decent massages can be as cheap at 10 bucks for an hour!
3. Shopping & Eating!
Central Festival Pattaya
Royal Garden Plaza Pattaya
Mango sticky rice
Further down from Pattaya Walking Street, you’ll come to several shopping malls including the Royal Garden Plaza as well as the more upscale Central Festival next to the Hilton Pattaya. With brands like Mango, Zara and Dorothy Perkins, the ladies are sure to have a great time shopping! For the family, there’s a shooting gallery, a karaoke joint, spa and of course tons of food options.
While you’re here, remember to try the mango sticky rice! One of Thailand’s most famous desserts. The version we tried at Central Festival is definitely one of the best we’ve had – absolutely sweet mango and awesome sticky rice to taste!
Where to stay in Pattaya Thailand
Views from Royal Cliff Hotel Pattaya
Best swimming pool EVER at Royal Cliff Hotel Pattaya!
If you’re visiting Pattaya, Royal Cliff Hotel should be your hotel of choice. As you have already seen above, the hotel offers the best views of sunsets over the Gulf of Thailand. But the greatest attraction here for us? The infinity pool at Royal Cliff Hotel! There are spa beds sprinkled throughout this amazing pool. You can also enjoy views of the sunset while lazing in this amazing pool. As the sun sets, the beautiful night lights of the pool also brings vibrancy to this gorgeous swimming pool. Click on the link for more details of the Royal Cliff Hotel Pattaya!
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Things to do and attractions in Pattaya Thailand
We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of all the things to do and attractions in Pattaya Thailand! Do let us know of other things to do in Pattaya in the comments section below!
Hard Rock Hotel Penang was our hotel of choice when we visited the Batu Ferringhi area of Penang. Thanks to the great folks at Hard Rock Penang, we were hosted to a one night stay at the Seaview Studio Suite with access to the Kings Club Lounge!
Hard Rock Hotel and Hard Rock Cafe Penang
Hard Rock Hotel Penang from the swimming pool
Receptionists welcoming us to a rocking good time at Hard Rock Penang
Hard Rock Hotel Penang Seaview Studio Suite
As members of the Kings Club Lounge, we had an exclusive check in there while we enjoyed some light refreshments. After getting our key card, we were eager to explore our Seaview Studio Suite!
Checking in at Kings Club Lounge Hard Rock Penang
As we entered into our room, “Oohs” and “Wows” started to sound from the both of us! We were particularly impressed with the size of the room, the huge bath tub as well as the awesome views from the balcony! From the balcony, you’ll be able to enjoy views of the swimming pool as well as the beach right next to the hotel…
Unbelievable views from Hard Rock Hotel Penang Seaview Studio Suite
Seaview Studio Suite Hard Rock Penang
Another view of the Seaview Studio Suite at Hard Rock Hotel Penang
Inviting sofa that affords sea views in comfort
2bearbears comfortably in king-sized bed of Hard Rock Penang Hotel
A little pantry area complete with a sink, oven and fridge
Toiletries at Hard Rock Hotel Penang
Luxurious bath tub in Seaview Studio Suite Hard Rock Hotel
Lyrics to Wonderful Tonight. Or is it? Read the lyrics carefully! It’s actually a message to conserve water!
There’s another thing which we enjoyed in-room…COMPLIMENTARY MOVIES! We caught 2 movies while we’re here; It’s Complicated starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin and Up in the Air starring George Clooney. Catching up on movies that we’ve not seen? Awesome!
Video tour of Hard Rock Hotel Penang’s Seaview Studio Suite
Hard Rock Hotel Penang Facilities
After checking out our stay at the Seaview Studio Suite, we decided to see what facilities Hard Rock Hotel Penang has to offer…
1. Rock Spa Penang
Our therapists at Rock Spa Penang
Outdoor treatment villas at Rock Spa Penang
Outdoor shower and tub for private villa spa
Indoor treatment rooms at Rock Spa Penang
The Rock Spa in Penang has won several accolades including the 5 stars rating by the Ministry of Culture Malaysia & Tourism – one of only two spas with this award in Penang. Kate enjoyed a Hard Rock massage at the Rock Spa (1 hour for 170RM) and indeed it lived up to its name as one of the most relaxing experiences in Penang.
2. Hard Rock Hotel Penang Swimming Pool
Kate at “beach” part of the pool with a sandy bottom
Fun water slides for the kids
Swimming pool at Hard Rock Hotel Penang
The swimming pool at Hard Rock Hotel Penang is one of the largest hotel swimming pools we’ve been to (second to only MGM in Las Vegas). There are 2 lap pools right in front of the lagoon deluxe rooms. A water slide , fun play area for the kids as well as the center stage pool. It was actually quite fun to swim from one end of the pool to the other. But you would have to get out and re-enter at certain parts of the pool in order to do so.
3. Kings Club Lounge
Kings Club Lounge Hard Rock Penang
View of the swimming pool from Kings Club Lounge
Savoury dishes during cocktail hours at Kings Club Lounge
Mini Tortilla Handroll
Rice paper roll with mango salsa
Mini crab cakes
Carrot cake , butter cakes and strawberry tart from Kings Club Lounge
2bearbear enjoying cocktail hour at Kings Club Lounge Hard Rock Penang
Kings Club Lounge privileges are only extended to guests stay at the Kings Club Seaview, Seaview Studio Suite, Rock Star Suite and Kings Suite. Guests may also enjoy these privileges at an additional RM150++ per room per night and RM75++ for the third guest.
Guests can enjoy the afternoon tea as well as daily cocktail hour (1 hour only) from 6pm to 7pm while enjoying the sun setting over the horizon…ah…
4. Hard Rock Cafe Penang
Live performance at Hard Rock Cafe Penang
Close up shot of Band Deviate
Nachos with grilled chicken (RM48) with a jug of draft beer (RM68) at Hard Rock Cafe Penang
As the sun sets over the horizon, the Hard Rock Cafe Penang comes to life with its nightly live performances! We enjoyed the performance by the band Deviate who were able to play songs upon request. In addition, the singers NEVER referred to any books, showing that they memorised ALL the lyrics by heart! These guys are really professional! Remember to request for “Smooth” by Carlos Santana!
5. Other facilities and things to do at Hard Rock Hotel Penang
Pool facing Body Rock Gym at Hard Rock Hotel Penang
Lil’ Rock Kids Club
Teens can also hang out at the Tabu Teens Club while ladies can spot a new hair-do at the Glamour Hair Salon. For the die hard rock fans, there are memorabilia located throughout the hotel. You can also choose to go home with a city-tee with a visit to any of the THREE Rock shops located at the premise.
As a guest, you are also given the a code to download songs from the online music store. You can also choose to play on any of the 12 fender guitars for free – well a deposit of 5000RM is required before you can lay your hands one of those beauties 😉
Last but not least, there are many beach activities such as banana boat ride, para-sailing, jet skiing and even horse-back riding available right at the beach front. Strangely, the sand in front of the Hard Rock Penang is really fine and comparable to that in Surfer’s Paradise Gold Coast. Hence, a walk along the beach should be in place 😉
Hard Rock Hotel Penang Breakfast
Breakfast at Hard Rock Hotel Penang
More options for breakfast at Hard Rock Penang
Yummy lamb curry with prata and murtabak
Healthy selection of fruits and vegetables
2bearbears with rice and noodles which were not bad
How to get to Hard Rock Hotel Penang
Rapid Penang Bus 102 from Penang International Airport to Hard Rock Hotel Penang
From the Penang international airport, we took bus 102 to Hard Rock Penang. The ride costs 4RM per person and takes between 1 to 1.5 hours, depending on the traffic.
Hard Rock Hotel Penang is located at Batu Ferringhi Beach, 11100 Penang, Malaysia
To sum up, we take a look at our BASIC FACTOR and the score for Hard Rock Hotel Penang, is a 5!
B – 1. Bath tub in the Seaview Studio Suite was HUGE! A – 1. Hard Rock Hotel Penang certainly lives up to the HR vibe right from the start of our stay S – 1. Service was good at Kings Club Lounge and at breakfast. I – 1. One of the largest pools we’ve been to. Had fun exploring it! C – 1. Bed was firm and the pillow was comfortable yet thick enough. One of our best nights rest at a hotel!
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**Special thanks to Sheryn and Karen for making our staycation at Hard Rock Hotel Penang possible!
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!
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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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We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of “What to eat at Feng Jia Night Market 逢甲夜市”! Do let us know your thoughts or any other interesting/good eats that you have tried at Feng Jia Night Market 逢甲夜市!
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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!
Alive Museum Singapore located at Suntec City Tower 3 is the latest attraction to hit the shores of Singapore! Alive Museum is actually a 3D illusionary museum that makes use of trick art, digital art, object art, experimental art and dark room to bring about a fun and entertaining visual sensory tour!
Alive Museum Singapore Location & Opening Hours
If you’re thinking of visiting Alive Museum Singapore, here are some quick facts for you…
Location of Alive Museum Singapore : Suntec City Mall #03-372 (between towers 3 & 4). If you’re still wondering, where it is exactly, you may want to know that it is actually at the location of the former Eng Wah cinema!
Ticket Prices of Alive Museum Singapore : $25 (Adults), $20 (Children 3-12 yrs)
Operating Hours of Alive Museum Singapore : 10am to 10pm daily (Last admission at 9pm)
3D Illusionary Fun @ Alive Museum Singapore
Here are some of the fun and interesting shots we took at Alive Museum!
Alive Museum Logo
There more than 80 exhibits at the Alive Museum and each of these exhibits invites you to pose and take a shot. There are also indicators throughout the museum to tell you the position to pose as well as the position to take the shot from…
Alive Museum Suntec City Singapore
Our views on Alive Museum Singapore
Avoid the crowds. As we visited Alive Museum on a Monday, there was a small number of people within the museum. Still, we had to wait (about 3 minutes) for a couple of more interesting exhibits. We extrapolate that during weekends, the situation would be quite bad. Hence, we recommend visiting on weekday nights or weekend mornings to avoid the crowds and have more time to get the great shots without people obstructing your shots or “breathing down your neck” during your shots.
Ladies and kids. During this visit, we realised that kids/teenagers as well as ladies, somehow enjoy the exhibits more. There were 2 groups of ladies who were laughing out loud and really enjoying themselves as they moved from one exhibit to another.
High Quality. The exhibits were actually of a high quality. High quality in the sense that the materials used to construct the exhibits were thick and hardy. Paint used were also able to withstand prolonged interaction with visitors. The other aspect of high quality also refers to the directions, pictures and signs that allows you to appreciate each exhibit much better and to let you know how you should pose and take the pictures.
Video Tour of Alive Museum Singapore! A scary exhibit at the end of the video : Listen out for the scream!
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Alive Museum Singapore
Well, the million dollar question : “Would we visit Alive Museum Singapore again?”
It depends. We think it’ll be fun if you go in groups of 3 or 4. Some of the shots are nicer if there are 2 or more people posing. Plus, while one poses, the rest can help to take photos and laugh at the amusing shots that have your friends in it! Not recommended for party of 2 or less.
Have you visited Alive Museum Singapore lately? Tell us more in the comments section below!
*Special thanks to the great folks at Alive Museum for making our visit possible!
During our recent visit to Ipoh Malaysia, we visited the Lost World Hot Springs and Spa – located next to the Lost World of Tambun theme park!
Lost World of Tambun Ipoh – Entrance to Theme ParkLost World Hot Springs Ipoh and Spa is actually beside the theme park with its own entranceEntrance to Lost World Hot Springs and Spa Ipoh
Lost World Hot Springs and Spa opens from 6pm to 11pm daily (after the theme park closes) and costs 20RM. Alternatively, you can pay for the Lost World of Tambun theme park entry at 45RM and stay from 11am to 6pm for the theme park. Using the same ticket, you can take a walk over to Lost World Hot Springs and Spa. 45RM for both attractions 🙂
What to do at Lost World of Tambun Hot Springs and Spa
Map of Lost World Hot Springs and Spa Ipoh
According to the Map, the attractions are as follows
1. Entrance
Ticketing counter to Lost World Hot Springs and Spa IpohSpa packages available at the ticketing booth – you must purchase packages here before you head to Crystal SpaDragon at the Entrance of Lost World Hot Springs and Spa Ipoh
2. Saphira’s Bistro / 3. Infinity Pool / 4. Lost World Steam Cave / 5. The Geyser of Tambun
Lost World Hot Springs and Spa
If you take a look at the picture above, to the left, you’ll see Saphira’s Bistro (notice the Milo dispenser). Right in the middle, you’ll see the Geyser of Tambun and entrance to the Lost World Steam Cave. Of course right in the fore ground, it is the entrance to the Infinity Pool!
Minerals Benefit – Why you should visit Lost World Hot Springs and Spa Ipoh
6. Top of the World Pool
Entrance to Top of the World Pool at Lost World Hot Springs and Spa IpohTop of the World Pool @ 43 degrees celsius – Ouch!
7. Foot Spa
Foot Spa Lost World Hot Springs and Spa IpohBenefits of Foot Spa
8. Crystal Pool
Crystal Pool right opposite Crystal Spa at Lost World Hot Springs and Spa Ipoh
9. Crystal Spa
Entrance to Crystal Spa Lost World Hot Springs and Spa Ipoh
For 180RM, we had 60 minutes of Aromatherapy Massage as well as 60 minutes of Hot Springs Aromatic Facial. Pure bliss!
10. Saphira’s Lair
Saphira’s Lair at 37degrees – Nice place to Chill out at night (Lost World Hot Springs and Spa Ipoh)Saphira’s Baby Pool – Allow the rushing waters to “massage” your shoulders!
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All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed the Lost World Hot Springs and Spa. For us, the entrance to the Hot Springs and massage at Crystal Spa was sufficient. By the way, if you purchase any spa package, entrance would be free. Something that we only realised later 🙁
Also, for an easy access to the hot springs, you may also choose to stay at the Lost World Hotel, next to the Lost World Hot Springs and Spa.
Do tell us your experience at Lost World Hot Springs and Spa or if you have visited Lost World of Tambun, do tell us about it as well!
Miaoli Maison De Chine Hotel (兆品酒店苗栗) just completed its renovation with an inclusion of a new wing and a brand new fitness centre with spa pools! (What?!) Thanks to the great folks at Miaoli Maison De Chine (thanks Shelly!), we were hosted to a stay at the brand new Premier Suite of Miaoli Maison De Chine!
Facade of Miaoli Maison De Chine
Main Entrance of Miaoli Maison De Chine Zhunan
As we approached the hotel, we were really amazed by the intricacies of the baroque-styled architecture and once you entered into the hotel, you’d be greeted by this huge baroque paintwork by Peter Paul Rubens. Accompanying it is this beautiful hanging chandelier which was put in place, piece by piece by the chandelier masters. Together with the huge lobby space, we were seemingly transported into another dimension…
Spacious lobby with artwork of Peter Rubens and a huge hanging chandelier
Reception of Miaoli Maison De Chine
At the reception, the checking-in process was very smooth and we were greeted with all round smiles while we were given clear instructions to our room at level 5. First impression of the room? HUGE and SPACIOUS!
Miaoli Maison De Chine Premier Suite
Greeted first by the living space in the suite at Miaoli Maison De Chine
The suite is essentially compartmentalised into 3 sections, a living space, the bedroom and the bathroom. There are actually 2 TVs in the room with 1 in each of the bedroom and living room!
Bedroom Premier Suite Miaoli Maison De Chine Zhunan
A modern open concept wardrobe
From our window, we were also able to enjoy views of the beautiful garden area below…
Garden view with 2bearbear at Miaoli Maison
As for the in-room amenities, the usual coffee tea and bathroom essentials were provided. The room also comes with a bath tub for you to relax in the privacy of your own room.
Modern bath tub at Miaoli Maison De Chine Hotel
Bathroom amenities provided along with bath towels and face towels
Selection of in-room coffee and tea with snacks
For a more complete feel of our room at the newly completed wing of Miaoli Maison De Chine, check out this video tour
There are also other rooms available at Miaoli Maison De Chine including the
Premier Family room with bathing and toilet facilities separated
Sink of the room also shifted out to allow convenience of use for the entire family
For a touch of luxury, why not choose the Executive Suite of Miaoli Maison De Chine? (also known as the 兆品大套房) The same room was used in the filming of a taiwanese serial by local actors as well!
Spacious living area of the Executive Suite
Modern pantry with fridge and bar top for concocting those cocktails
Balcony that overlooks Zhunan with mountain range in the distance
In-room foot bath at Zhao Pin Suite! Talk about luxury!
Master Bedroom
How about an in-room jacuzzi bath?!
Facilities of Miaoli Maison De Chine Zhunan
Thanks to Shelly, we were given a guided tour of the premise of Miaoli Maison De Chine. Otherwise, you may literally get lost ;P
Painting next to the lobby of Miaoli Maison De Chine…or is it?
Banquets Meetings and Conferences
We started our tour of Miaoli Maison De Chine at the Banquet Meeting Area. Perhaps we’ll hold our 10 years anniversary celebrations here?
Banquet meeting area of Miaoli Maison De Chine
The Banquet Meeting Area is actually a space for discussions on the use of the various meeting and banquet rooms on the premise of the hotel. The really interesting part of this area is that there are 2 separate rooms next to each other which allows parents of both families to do their own discussions before coming back together to make the decision! Sample gifts are placed at the side for the couple to conveniently choose their wedding favours as well. The hotel has really thought through the entire process eh?
The hotel also offers 2 grand ballrooms for holding wedding celebrations…
The Majesty Ballroom for a more traditional wedding feel
Or The International Grand Ballroom featuring the largest LED screen in the whole of Miaoli!
If you’re hosting important guests, you can also choose from an array of VIP rooms available, including the The Crystal VIP room or the King VIP room. Of which, the King VIP room features an automatic lazy suzy (it really doesn’t get lazier than that does it?) and 2 electric hot plates for ease of access to hot pots 🙂
The Crystal VIP Room at Miaoli Maison De Chine
King VIP Room for hosting of really really VIP guests, featuring the automatic lazy susan!
For formal meetings, you can also choose from a host of meeting rooms. Including this one that has an overhead projector and a hidden white board for presentations and explanations!
Formal Meeting Room with retractable frames to expose a white board behind – a really cool idea!
For an informal area to chill and discuss business ideas, visit the wine bar Le Vino. The area is quiet and quaint which allows private discussions to take place. To top it off, the poem of Wine by Li Bai （李白 – 月下獨酌）is featured on the walls of Le Vino striking a contrast of western and eastern concepts of wine.
Le Vino @ Miaoli Maison De Chine
To wash, dry and iron those business shirts that you have, the laundry room does offer this function and it even has a steam iron for suits as well!
Complimentary laundry room with steam iron at level 3
Other facilities in Miaoli Maison De Chine Zhunan
While walking along the corridors, we stumbled upon a “chess room”
Brands under LDC Hotels
Display of hotels by LDC group in Italy as well (next to the “Chess Room”)
Do not be mistaken because you won’t find international or chinese chess sets within. Instead, it is a mahjong room!
Mahjong Room at Miaoli Maison De Chine Zhunan
The table is professionally laid out and the mahjong paper even has lines drawn on it for players to know exactly where to place their tiles? According to Shelly, these rooms have been thought through with feed back from guests which are now pretty popular especially for those 通宵 (overnight) mahjong sessions :p
VIP Lounge with view of the garden at level 3
Garden view with VIP lounge and hotel facade in the background
We were actually a little disappointed with the VIP lounge as we have been to several club lounges (offering drinks, light snacks and even cocktail sessions) and we came here with the same expectations. Nonetheless, the serenity that the garden offers does bring about a really relaxing feel. Perhaps an al fresco club lounge in the future?
Maison Health Center
Entrance to Maison Health Center at B1
Reception of Maison Health Center Miaoli Maison De Chine
We were then led to the new Maison Health Center located at B1 of Miaoli Maison De Chine Hotel. So we thought to ourselves, what could be possibly interesting about an underground fitness center? Well, we were SO SO WRONG! The Maison Health Center is probably one of the most comprehensive and spacious fitness centers that we’ve seen among all the hotels we’ve visited! The pool is huge with modern curves around the edges and the gym actually overlooks the pool!
Huge swimming pool with inviting curves along the edges
Gym overlooking the swimming pool
Gym of Miaoli Maison De Chine
But the real surprise is yet to come! The health center not only offers the usual steam bath and sauna but also 3 spa pools at different temperatures! How cool is that?!
3 different spa pools at Miaoli Maison’s Health Center!
This is a really cool concept, unlike any other we’ve seen so far and we’ve probably been to more than 100 hotels. What’s interesting is that each spa pool is “colour-coded” with the blue indicating the cold pool, amber indicating the nice warm pool and red indicating the hot pool. There are also different water jets within the different pools. Our favourite of which is the rain shower like jet in the warm pool. How is it like? Come to Miaoli Maison De Chine Zhunan to find out!
Sauna and Steam Room next to the spa pools
Dinner at Pin Jiang Nan
Again, after taking feed backs from customers who prefer asian-styled cuisine, Pin Jiang Nan was born.
Menu of Pin Jiang Nan 品江南 Miaoli Maison De Chine
品江南 is mainly a dim sum restaurant that offers an alternative to guests who prefer asian cuisine. Although primarily focusing on dim sum, you can also order dishes or mains (such as noodles and rice) to complete the meal. What to eat here? The dumplings of course!
Prawn dumplings (虾仁蒸饺）exquisitely shaped by the master chef
The Si Gua Tang Bao 丝瓜汤包 (a variation of the 上海汤包）with perfect thickness of the melon slice
To say that we love the dumplings at Pin Jiang Nan is really an understatement. We were impressed. The dumplings were made only upon order and the open kitchen concept allows guests to see the chefs in action. This also allows you to know that your dumplings are fresh off the hands of the chefs upon request. A guarantee of freshness! The taste? Pure indulgence! Definitely one of the best dumplings we’ve had! We’ve really run out of words to describe : Fresh, succulent, juicy and did we mention fresh? Just come on down to try it and you’ll understand!
Chefs springing to action!
Chefs making the prawn dumplings “live”
As it turns out, the master chef had close to 20 years of experience in making dumplings having been to several chinese and dumpling restaurants in Taiwan. No wonder you could see that level of skill in the video!
We were also introduced to Dan Huang Sian Su Xia (蛋黄鲜酥酥虾）and the Jiang Si Fu Ru Kong Xin Cai (姜丝腐乳空心菜). In particular, we were impressed with the Kong Xin Cai (vegetables) which was fresh and crisp on the bite and exuberates a mixture of sour, savoury and slightly spicy taste that was really appetising!
姜丝腐乳空心菜 @ 品江南
蛋黄鲜酥酥虾 @ 品江南
2bearbear and the food spread at Pin Jiang Nan
To end off the meal, we had the taro sago. Kate enjoyed it but I prefer the thick orh nee version for taro desserts 😛 Also, you may have heard some children laughter from the video above. This is because the restaurant has thought of catering to the kids with the inclusion of a kids play area within the restaurant!
Taro Sago at Pin Jiang Nan
Time to play!
Breakfast at Miaoli Maison De Chine Zhunan
Victorian Restaurant where breakfast is served from 630am to 9am daily
Grand piano inside Victorian Restaurant
To round off our post, we’ll be showing some of the variety available for breakfast at the Victorian Restaurant at level 1 of the hotel…
Selection of Breads
Spreads for the breads with toaster in the background
Breakfast cereals for the kids
Sour grapefruit but really sweet lychees!
Salad selection
Cold dishes
Condiments for porridge
Asian dishes
Sausage bacon and steamed items – be careful not to be scalded by the steam!
Big breakfast at Miaoli Maison De Chine
Breakfast at Victorian Restaurant Miaoli Maison De Chine Zhunan
In and Around Miaoli Maison De Chine Zhunan
Around the hotel, there are actually a few things that you can do…
Glass blowing at the Kuo Tai Glass Park – 國泰玻璃觀光工廠
Zhunan Brewery 竹南啤酒厂 – The largest in Taiwan but remember to call in advance for a guided tour!
Delicious pan fried buns within walking distance of hotel at intersection of Ba De Yi Lu and De Yi Lu
Chilling at the integrated park right across Miaoli Maison De Chine
But hey, if you really don’t feel like heading out. Relaxing in the room or chilling out at the health center are great options as well!
How to get to Miaoli Maison De Chine Zhunan
Map from Zhunan Train Station to Miaoli Maison De Chine
If you’re alighting at the Zhunan Train Station like we did, you can actually take a cab to Miaoli Maison De Chine. The trip takes less than 5 minutes and is a fixed price of 120NT. But if you’re really game for walking, it is a 2km walk which takes about 20 minutes. Definitely not for those of you with huge bags and all.
To sum up, we take a look at our BASIC FACTOR and the score for Miaoli Maison De Chine Hotel, is a 4.5!
B – 1. Huge and modern bath tub. Shiok! A – 1. Miaoli Maison definitely ranks highly for ambience. At times, you may even forget you’re in Miaoli Taiwan! S – 1. Service was great and we were greeted all around the hotel akin to luxury hotels (higher than 5 stars) that we’ve been to. I – 1. Beautiful health center with one of the best spa pools we’ve seen. C – 0.5. Bed was a little on the soft side. Still comfy though.
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Audi Garden Business Hotel Taoyuan (歐帝花園商旅) was our hotel of choice when we visited Taoyuan during our recent trip to Taiwan. Thanks to the good folks at Audi Garden Business Hotel (a big shout out to Ricky!), we were hosted to a stay at its premise and it provided us a great base from which we visited the attractions of Taoyuan as well as a day trip to Taipei!
Entrance to Audi Garden Business Hotel
Lobby of Audi Garden Business Hotel
2bearbear at the lobby of Audi Garden Business Hotel
Thanks to Ricky and our friendly reception at Audi Garden, we were promptly checked in and shown to the Comfort King Room with PC on the 2nd level.
Our host Ricky at the reception of Audi Garden Business Hotel Taoyuan
Audi Garden Business Hotel Taoyuan Family Room with PC
The Family Room of Audi Garden Business Hotel is in fact a very functional room, perfect for business guests to Taoyuan. It has a clean and organised layout that comes complete with a PC in the room. Wifi and internet is freely available for both PC and mobile devices which makes it great on connectivity.
King Sized Bed in Family Room of Audi Garden Business Hotel
Modern shower of Audi Garden Business Hotel
Fully equipped toilet with bath towels, face towels and toilet amenities
In-room computer and complimentary blu-ray DVDs on-demand!
In fact, Audi Garden Business Hotel has recently undergone a face lift to upgrade all 43 rooms at its premise and you can feel the modern vibe in the design and feel of the rooms. What we really like about the room is the complimentary blu-ray shows on demand! Movies include recent shows and some classic ones. It was also during this stay that we finally got to watch 2 shows that we missed and really wanted to watch – The Bucket List and Ender’s Game!
Video Tour of Family Room in Audi Garden Business Hotel
Breakfast at Audi Garden Business Hotel Taoyuan
Breakfast at Audi Garden Business Hotel is simple and caters mainly to asian taste buds. There’s a selection of dishes and condiments for rice and porridge. On the other hand, there’s a small selection of breads and spreads as well. Though it was sufficient, we would have preferred some choices of eggs and sausages/bacons to round up a “big breakfast”. Coffee on the other hand was great! Remember to go for seconds!
Dishes for rice and porridge
Rice and porridge
Condiments for porridge
Toast and spreads with coffee machine and milk tea
At the end of the dining area, there’s a location for meetings and conference with projectors provided. During meal times, the TV would be on for guests to enjoy.
Area for meetings and conferences
In and around Audi Garden Business Hotel Taoyuan
The strength of Audi Garden Business Hotel really lies in its location. Just a few minutes walk from the Taoyuan train station, it offers a great base for guests to visit (and taste) Taoyuan and even plan a day trip to Taipei!
One of the best oyster mee sua we’ve had along Zhong Zheng Road minutes away from Audi Garden
Visiting Taoyuan Night Market
The famous Shui Mi Tao (水蜜桃）or honeyed peach of Xiao Wu Lai – Really really sweet and juicy! This I kid you not!
Now we understand why Taoyuan is known as 桃园 aka Peach Garden!
Beautiful Waterfalls of Xiao Wu Lai
Sea of flowers at Ci Hu (慈湖大溪花海）
大溪老街 (Old streets of Da Xi)
This roasted/fried chicken shop close to Audi Garden – The fried chicken was really good and the fries are made from sweet potato, served with fried rice dumplings! :O
How to get to Audi Garden Business Hotel
Map from Taoyuan Train Station to Audi Garden Business Hotel
It’s really simple actually. Just head down along Zhong Zheng Road and when you see this 3 storey McDonald’s, make a right turn into the alley and you’re there!
Right turn at this McDonald’s to reach Audi Garden Business Hotel
To sum up, we take a look at our BASIC FACTOR and the score for Audi Garden Business Hotel, is a 2.5!
B – 0.5. Clean bathroom within. A – 0.5. Ambience was welcoming. S – 1. Service was prompt and we also had our taxi to the airport arranged at 5am. Reception also offered a morning call at 430am! I – 0. No swimming pools here. C – 0.5. Bed was a tad on the soft side.
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Park City Hotel Central Taichung 成旅晶贊飯店 (as the name suggests) is located conveniently just 8 minutes walk away from the Taichung Train Station. If you walk at our pace (and stride), you’ll probably be there is 6 minutes :p Thanks to the good folks at Park City Hotel Central Taichung, we were hosted for our stay at Taichung here…
Our receptionists at Park City Hotel Central Taichung
The usual check in time at Park City Taichung is 3pm but we were about 2 hours early this time. But since it was hot in the summer afternoons of Taiwan (34 degrees! can you believe it?!), we decided to just chill at the lobby and surf the net. By the way, wifi is complimentary for guests and we were also served water as we enjoyed the A/C and comfort at the lobby. But soon (less than 30 minutes later), we were informed that our room was ready, guess that’s great service right there at the start of our stay at Park City Hotel Taichung!
Park City Hotel Central Taichung Double Room
As we entered into our room at level 10, there was a really inviting vibe and here’s the video for you to check out our room at Park City Taichung…
Video Tour of King Sized Bedroom at Park City Taichung
As we continued to explore our room, we found several things that we really liked…
1. Taichung City View. There was a view of the city of Taichung which gives you an additional feel of “space” in addition to the spacious double room. There are also comfortable chairs by the window for you to enjoy the views while chilling in the room!
Taichung city view by the window with comfortable chairs
2. Sun cakes. As a small welcome gesture, there were sun cakes (aka 太阳饼) placed in our room which was timely for our afternoon snacks! We enjoyed it over the in-room coffee plus the pumpkin chiffon cake which we bought enroute. A heavy afternoon snack huh?
Sun cakes and coffee/tea selection provided in the room
3. Bath tub with TV view! What we really enjoyed most was this…
2bearbear enjoying TV while soaking in the bath tub!
There was cable TV (we actually caught Sherlock Holmes season 2 on BBC channel) and we were able to enjoy the shows while relaxing in the bath tub, all in the privacy of our own room! Certainly a luxury that you don’t usually enjoy for Taiwan hotels. A great resting sanctuary as well, especially after a long day of walking and sight seeing 😉
Huge bath tub Park City Hotel Central TaichungWell-stocked toiletries and amenities HUGE King-sized bed with view of the bath room
Facilities of Park City Hotel Central Taichung
Most of the facilities are located at level 3 of the hotel which includes a gym, business centre as well as a complimentary laundry area…
Lift directory showing restaurant at level 2 and facilities at level 3Fitness Centre, Business Centre and Ocean Laundry at Level 3 of Park City Hotel TaichungGym that allows you to watch cable while you work out!You can wash, dry and iron your clothes at the Ocean LaundryView that shows the business centre next to the fitness centre and Ocean Laundry
Breakfast at Park City Hotel Central Taichung
Breakfast at Wonderful Cantonese Restaurant on level 2
Breakfast is served daily from 630 to 930am at the Wonderful Cantonese Restaurant at level 2 of the hotel. The restaurant is actually ultra spacious and there are also window seats overlooking the streets at the side which sort of reminds us of the restaurant at Intercontinental Hotel Warsaw – which reminds us of the “live” harp playing for breakfast!
Spacious interior of Wonderful Cantonese Restaurant
We thoroughly enjoyed the breakfast on both days at the restaurant. The variety was good with a slant towards western styled breakfast which is great for business meetings and conferences held at the hotel. Do try out the braised pork rice with egg and dim sum which includes the brown sugar buns! And here are the offerings for breakfast at Park City Hotel Central Taichung…Btw, the variety is really good, so enjoy this extensive pictorial review of the breakfast!
Daily soup at the entrance of Wonderful Cantonese Restaurant Salads and the various dressings and condimentsSelection of cold dishesNot forgetting the kids with the inclusion of breakfast cerealsSelection of breads buns porridge and hot soy milkCondiments for the porridgeOr you can have the braised pork with porridge which tastes just as good as well!Hot asian dishesDon’t forget your daily intake of vegetables…Kate with her yummy breakfast2bearbear with the pretty arrangement of condiments for porridge
In and around Park City Hotel Central Taichung
Park City Hotel Central Taichung also offers a great base for you to visit the following attractions…
Miyahara 宮原眼科 (Offering Taiwanese gifts, ice cream and tea)Ice cream at Miyahara’s branch (第四信用合作社) at 72 Zhong Shan RoadOriginal bubble tea at Chun Shui Tang 春水堂Relaxing at Taichung Park – Lake Heart PavilionYichung Shopping Street 一中街商圈Feng Jia Night Market. Not so crowded on a Wednesday night.
How to get to Park City Hotel Central Taichung
Map from Taichung Train Station to Park City Hotel Central Taichung
As you can see from the map, it is relatively easy to get to Park City Hotel Taichung from the Taichung Train station. It is just a 9 minutes (or less) walk by going along Zhong Shan Road (walking past Miyahara enroute) and then making a left turn along Jiguang Street.
As simple as that!
To sum up, we take a look at our BASIC FACTOR and the score for Park City Hotel Central Taichung, is a 3.5!
B – 1. A bath tub with view of the TV? Just about as good as it gets! A – 0.5. Ambience was welcoming. S – 1. Service was prompt and we were arranged for early check-in while the receptionists were able to answer queries about the vicinity that we had. I – 0. No swimming pools here. C – 1. Bed was firm and comfortable!
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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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World Club 10s Rugby is the first event that Singapore Sports Hub is hosting after completing a 1.33 billion dollars makeover. As the centre-piece of the sports hub, the National Stadium, with a capacity of 55,000 reopens to host this inaugural event!
World Club 10s Rugby @ Sports Hub Singapore National Stadium
Smart design and colouring of the seats (notice the varied white and red national colours?)
Can you see the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands in the distance?
During the matches of World Club 10s Rugby, teams also interacted with the fans through photo taking opportunities and even a traditional dance (akin to the All Blacks Haka) performed by the Samoan Team!
Petrarca – An Italian Rugby Team
Samoan Team performing topless traditional dance!
Traditional dance performed by the Samoan Team
Upon entering into the new national stadium, we experienced a vibe similar to that of what we have experienced during World Cup 2006 in Germany. The stadium is HUGE and coloured with our national colours of white and red. Smart colouring of white among the red (and vice versa) gives an illusion of seats being taken up and not empty.
In the distance, you’ll also realise that the whole stadium is orientated in such a way that it faces the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands! Closer to the seats, there’s an internal cooling system which you’ll feel at your feet as you get seated down. Because of the design of the dome, you’ll get great perspective of the field no matter where you’re seated – a sign of a world class stadium!
Clear view of the matches at new national stadium
Can you spot the rugby ball?
For a befitting end to the inaugural World Club 10s Rugby, the finals was played between the Blues from New Zealand (captained by Piri Weepu of the New Zealand All Blacks) and the Brumbies from Australia! It was a very close match right from the start and the end of regular time, the match ended in a 5-5 tie. This meant that the match went into extra time “golden point” with the Blues winning it deep into the 2nd period of extra time!
Blues and Brumbies at 5-5 at the end of regular time
Before the start of the first period of extra time
At the end of the first period of extra time
The Blues winning the World Club 10s Rugby in the 2nd period of extra time!
Final score of inaugural World Club 10s Rugby!
How to get to Sports Hub National Stadium
Map of Singapore Sports Hub
There are several ways to reach the Singapore Sports Hub. You can either take the circle line to Stadium MRT station or Mountbatten MRT station (and walk about 600m) or take the east line and alight at Kallang MRT station. That walk would be about 600 metres as well.
Alternatively, buses 10, 11, 14, 16, 70, 70M and 196 alights close to the national stadium or within the sports hub.
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After visiting the National Stadium, we’re really proud that we finally have a world class stadium at the sports hub that we can call our own! Good job Team Singapore!
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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Trans Studio Bandung is a theme park located at the heart of Bandung City. During our stay at the Sheraton Bandung, we took a day out to visit Trans Studio and its adjoining mall and had a ball of a time! This post will be a pictorial post to show you around Trans Studio Bandung. Do note that this is mainly an indoor theme park (which still surprises us) except for the roller coaster ride which spends 45 seconds out in the open. We’ll talk more about that later…
About Trans Studio Bandung
Entrance to Trans Studio Bandung – Walk past the entrance and get your tickets on the leftTrans Studio Bandung is divided into 3 zones Studio Central, The Lost City and Magic Corner
Do note that tickets costs 150,000rp (about $18SGD) from Mondays to Fridays and 250,000rp on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. To fast track to your favourite rides, you can purchase the VIP access at an additional 250,000rp.
Trans Studio Bandung – Studio Central
Entrance to Studio Central for shows, souvenirs and ridesMady’s – strangely similar to a US departmental store, wonder what’s the nameTrans Studio Store for your Trans Studio souvenirsYamaha Racing Coaster – 45seconds roller coaster ride Ride brings you forwards like a normal rollercoaster then up a vertical track and reverses back to where you started 45 seconds of pure adrenaline rush!Giant Swing – 2 axis of rotationIndosat Vertigo Galaxy – 3 axis of 360 rotation! Now that’s excitement!Waiting area to Transcar Racing
Transcar Racing Video
Trans City Theatre – Performers rehearsing their actsMarvel Superheroes – A 4D show which was really good. English show about 15 minutes long. Waited for about 45 minutes.Science Centre Inside Science Centre – Sadly, exhibits are in Bahasa Indonesia
Trans Studio Bandung – The Lost City
Entrance to the Lost City Trans Studio BandungEntrance to Jelajah (the Adventure) and Sky Pirates (aerial ride above Trans Studio)Jelajah ends off the ride with a drop from a 13 metres height!Kong Climb – A challenging wall climbing experience / Above – Sky Pirate Ride
Trans Studio Bandung – Magic Corner
Entrance to Magic Corner Trans Studio BandungNegeri Raksasa – A mini “Giant Drop”Dragon RidersCaptain Blackheart Pirate Ship – A soft play area for kids / Notice Harry Potter’s spectacles have been removed…
Dining options inside Trans Studio Bandung
Corvette Diner – An American food jointStudio Chicks – Fried chicken fast food jointStudio Mie – Noodles selectionBaskin Robbins – ICE CREAM!The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
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It is really amazing that such a huge theme park can be built entirely indoors. For the week day price, it is still worth a visit. For those looking for thrills on the rides, only Yamaha Racing Coaster and Indosat Vertigo Galaxy are truly scary. The 4D movie is also worth a visit. Otherwise, for these attractions, it is not worth a visit on weekends at 250,000rp.
Gino Feruci Braga Bandung was our choice of stay in Bandung city after our stay at Sheraton Bandung. This is because of the location (along Braga Street – walking distance from the Asian African Museum), price (relatively cheap for a 4 star hotel) and facilities such as a spa, swimming pool and gym.
Lobby of Gino Feruci Braga Bandung
Lobby of Gino Feruci Braga BandungOur receptionist at Gino Feruci BragaEntrance of Gino Feruci Braga
Superior Room of Gino Feruci Braga Bandung
Superior Room Gino Feruci BragaTV with cable networkBathroom (without bath tub)
Video tour of Superior Room at Gino Feruci Braga Bandung
What we liked about the room was that it had a great view of Bandung city. However, 2 things needed improvement during our stay. Firstly, the room was not sound proof and we could hear people along the corridor and kids shouting next door. Secondly, while watching “Unbreakable” on the cable network, the programme suddenly went off and we were not able to resume watching the programme.
Facilities at Gino Feruci Braga Bandung
Spa
Marzanie SpaMassage area with bath tub
Gym
Gym of Gino Feruci Braga Bandung
The spa and the gym are co-located in the same premise on level 4. We did not try the massages here as it was priced the same as in Sheraton Bandung – can you believe it?!
On the other hand, the gym was cool. It had treadmills that were facing the TV with cable. The only catch is that you can only switch on the TV by pressing buttons at the TOP of it (not at the sides or below). It took us some time to locate the buttons before we could enjoy our run while watching cable shows.
Swimming Pool
Swimming Pool and Jacuzzi on level 5Pool of Gino Feruci Braga Bandung
Sky Lounge
Sublime Sky Lounge Gino Feruci Braga BandungSublime Sky Lounge Pizza and DrinksViews from Sublime Sky Lounge
The Sublime Sky Lounge of Gino Feruci Braga Bandung is a great place to hang out and to enjoy great views of the city. The music’s not too loud and the atmosphere is relaxed and unpretentious. The drinks and pizza were a little expensive and the pizza was not that good though.
Breakfast at Gino Feruci Braga Bandung
Breakfast at level 2 D’Risotto RestaurantBuffet spread for breakfastBuffet Breakfast at Gino Feruci Braga BandungBread counterTraditional counterPorridge and desserts Waffles with maple syrup – Our Favourite breakfast item!Breakfast mainsNeatly arranged porridgeDesserts and sweets
On Saturdays, there’s an all you can eat buffet and it even comes complete with a live band and al fresco dining!
All you can eat buffet Gino Feruci Braga Bandung Saturday eveningsBuffet spread and al fresco dining
To round up the post, we think that Gino Feruci Braga can be a good base for you to explore Bandung city…
Map in and around Gino Feruci Braga Bandung
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