Tag Archives: budget hotel

Road trip to Kluang, Johor

Posted in Everyday Life, Food and Drinks, Leisure & Travel, Places to Eat, Reviews by

Once my husband and kids came back from their holiday in Aceh, we went on a road trip to Kluang. On the way there, we stopped at one of the best asam pedas place in Muar, Asam Pedas Kak Yah. They had a lot of dish options with thick, flavourful gravy. Despite its bright reddish hue, it was not spicy at all. If you haven’t tried a dish called asam pedas before, now is the time.

After a hearty lunch at Kak Yah, we continued our car ride to Kluang. Since it was the school holidays, Kluang seemed like a good choice for a low-key family getaway. The main objectives of this road trip are to enjoy good food and a swim in the pool, especially for the kids. We soon reached Prime City Hotel. Mr Husband booked one room for us and another for his mother and nieces.

Prime City Hotel

This is a 3-star hotel that may look non-promising from the outside. However, it gets really cosy and hospitable once you step into the room. The air-conditioning was working fine, and it had the basic amenities. Though the swimming pool area may not look luxurious, the kids still enjoyed it. Just make sure they are under adult supervision. Check-in time is 3 PM. We managed to get our room at about 230PM. The bus station is just beside this building, and there are plenty of places to eat nearby. This place reminds me of Jasin.

The breakfast buffet has an adequate spread. It was very basic, yet we are thankful for the great food that was offered. As long as the nasi lemak served is delicious, nothing else matters.

We stayed here for 2 nights. The hotel is located near Ngepot Kabin, an outdoor eatery that’s like a food court. It has a variety of food stalls. I did not take any pictures there. Basically, you scan the QR code and tap in your order. We had dinner quite early on the first day, as we needed a good night’s sleep after that drive from Melaka. Even as a passenger, it is still tiring. Ha ha ha.

Kluang Rail Coffee, Bandar Kluang

What is a trip to Kluang if we’re not going to visit at least one of their viral restaurants? Initially, we went to the Kluang Railway Station itself. The authentic, OG place where everything starts. The winding queue seemed impossible to wait in. After taking a few photos at the station, we headed to their other branch in town. We still had to wait, but it was more bearable. I ordered their Laksa Johor. And of course the coffee. I had an iced cham. It is a drink that blends strong black tea with coffee and milk. You could find it in any good kopitiam.

The portions were acceptable. Not too huge. I also ordered their Kaya Toast. I mean, how could you not order Kaya Toast when you’re in a Malaysian kopitiam? It is almost disrespectful. Ha ha.

Nasi Lemak Wak Kentut

After a scrumptious brunch at Kluang Railway Coffee, we had dinner at Nasi Lemak Wak Kentut. I get that people are saying, ” It’s just nasi lemak, how special can it be?” Indeed, it is just nasi lemak. But if you’re looking for a delightful staple dish worth your money, this is the place to go. The place is tucked in a quite isolated area. A friend told me that I should go to the one at Kota Masai. Even then, the food is still good, although the owner appears a bit nonchalant in his business approach. The rice portion is huge. I could actually divide the rice into 3 portions. The sambal and the fried chicken were nice. The chicken was super crispy and juicy at the same time. My MIL was unable to come with us as one of my nieces was already fast asleep, so we tapau-ed one for her to eat in her hotel room.

Apart from eating, swimming in the pool and sleeping in the room, we did not do much at Kluang. That was pretty much the point of our staycation. We certainly did not plan for a trip to a nearby zoo or theme park. Everything was just low-key, and I pretty much enjoyed it too. I did have to complete my 10K steps in the hotel room, but it wasn’t an arduous task. It forced me to become creative in finding ways to achieve my goal. After 2 nights in Kluang, it was time to hit the road again. Our next destination was Pengerang.

I GO Hotel

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I was on a weekend trip to see my dad. My ulterior motive was to declutter his house of my late mom’s belongings. Mother was a fashionista confined by her duties in the household. Despite not earning a fixed income, she has a beautiful collection of jubah, blouses and baju kurung. On second thought, she does have an income. A monthly ‘Kasih sayang income’ from her two daughters with varied amounts. It was pretty disheartening having to pack it up and give it away. However, considering that her fashion is very Hetty Koes Endang and Warga Emas, we should give it to those in the same age group.

My sister and I did pick and chose some clothes that we liked. I gave more to my sister because she would find them more useful since she has a job teaching. I am less fashionable and tend to stick with attire in my comfort zone.

I booked a hotel during my stay at Bandar Saujana Putra. There were a few budget hotels to choose from and I picked I Go Hotel. The location is very strategic at BSP 1 with loads of places to eat. This could be influenced by the fact that it is near MAHSA University which is where the students are.

I made my reservation through Agoda.Com, my trusted app to make any staycation possible.

My Double bedroom was priced at less than RM80/night. The room had a simple setup which was enough for a comfortable stay. The air conditioning was good. The toilet was super clean with its soap provided. There were simple beverages for free and a water dispenser at the lobby. To me, that is good enough for a budget hotel. They even provided guests with a mini flask in case we wanted hot water in our room at night. That was super thoughtful.

After a good night sleep, I woke up and showered. Did my checkout early and had breakfast at the mamak. Then, I surveyed the area for other hotel options for the Kuching delegates for my brother’s wedding in July. I completed my cleanup for the day till evening. I had to stop after I sneezed too much. The dust was getting to me, my eyes were teary and despite putting on a face mask, I just couldn’t go forth with it.

I will be coming back soon to BSP to continue the ‘death cleaning’ – perhaps in another 2 weeks or so.

Langkasuka Hotel

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We went to Langkawi again this year from the 1st of March till the 5th for the pre-Ramadan and school holiday trip. We departed from KLIA with the new low-budget airline MYairline Malaysia at noon. The queue was expectedly long because it’s ‘budget’ but the check-in process was I feel, messy. We had less than 90 minutes before the departure and we were still in the queue despite already checking in online when the lady at the counter screamed out to the crowd ‘last call Langkawi.. last call Langkawi!”. It was honestly annoying and probably lack of insight because everyone in the line IS BOUND FOR LANGKAWI!. Just speed up the process, my gawd.

Anyway, nothing eventful happened on the flight. It had the same vibes as Air Asia – the red and the black. In-flight purchases and meals, if you wish as well.

Upon arrival in Langkawi, we were a bit surprised to see the very quiet airport. It is the school holidays after all but where is the ‘holiday crowd’? Did everyone go to Hatyai? Mr Husband rented a Myvi and we headed to our hotel, Langkasuka.

Langkasuka Hotel

It is situated very near The Grand Continental Hotel in Kuah. Only, this hotel is connected to a mall. I liked it. It is a 3-star hotel but the service is impeccable. The room was spacious but the air conditioning was freezing. They have the usual amenities: a mini fridge, a kettle with complimentary beverages, a hot water heater, an ironing board with the iron, a prayer mat and FREE WIFI. Mr Husband also included breakfast during our stay. I super love the food we had for breakfast at their Lemongrass restaurant. They also serve in-room meals at a reasonable price.

The hotel may look ugly and suss from the outside. Especially with the construction going on outside but the place is fine. And safe.

Our room was a Superior Triple Room with 3 single beds. The price at the time was ranging between RM240 – RM280 per night. I’m not quite sure about the exact amount my husband paid for it. We parked our car at the parking space behind the hotel/mall. There is also a mini swimming pool and gym just outside the breakfast restaurant.

In the mall, they have the usual marhaen retail stores, a food court on the top floor and a fast food restaurant on the Ground Floor. In the evening it is quite lively because they are other eateries open nearby for your meals. I recommend this hotel to families with small children. It’s pretty cool. Even then I really hope we are not going to Langkawi again next year. The dear husband really loves the place too much.

East Riverine Boutique Hotel – bringing Sarawak into KL

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So.. is Chow Kit like a mini New York? Macam tetiba ada hotel tema Sarawak?

Hello East Riverine Hotel

Our little family arrived at the hotel near 9pm and the first thing that surprised me was the tribal pattern on the wall near the reception. Another family came through the door, speaking in the Sarawakian language headed to the lift. I was like, “OK… this is an interesting boutique hotel”. Soon after, I caught sight of some kek lapis inside the display fridge near the entrance and that kind of triggered me to have a quick swipe on Instagram and find out more about this hotel.

Apart from its very strategic location, it offers various types of rooms suitable for a family staycation and is priced from as low as RM 100/night. Ours is a Family Room with 2 double beds, and a cute living area with a mini fridge and an ironing board. They provide a safe, body soap and shampoo, a hair dryer and complimentary beverages. The hotel also has FREE WIFI but is only accessible via coupons. We received two coupons for our room. I guess it means that only 2 devices can use the WIFI at one time. It has a lounge area too but we didn’t have time to explore much of it as we were chasing time to go Genting.

Breakfast is provided at the Sugar Bun restaurant next door. It is served as an ala carte meal. You have to make your choices the night before and let the receptionist know. It has a very ‘mak-mak’ vibe to it cause it’s like those breakfasts you have at home where you just eat what your mom cooks for you. The coffee and tea are very basic with only sugar to taste. The cakes are nicely lined up on the plate – the usual bahulu and banana cakes that any Malaysian family would eat in the morning. Even the ‘American breakfast’ meal wasn’t American enough. Haha. The breakfast is fulfilling and decent considering the price you pay for your room. So yeah, not too bad. If you want a fancier breakfast – there are always other options available elsewhere. In fact, at night, this area is lit! There are so many things to see and eat.

We parked at a common parking area nearby the hotel as they don’t have this facility. However, you don’t really need a car to enjoy Chow Kit because the LRT is just around the corner and even on foot, there are so many things you could explore. Overall, the stay was pleasant. Would definitely recommend this place to those who are on a budget but still wants to make the best of their stay in Kuala Lumpur.

Kuching 2022: The Lime Tree Hotel

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I wrote about our stay here in 2016. I guess we came back hoping that the delicious Laksa Sarawak and Banana Fritters is still around at the breakfast buffet. Indeed, it is still there and boy, the place still looks brand new with added facilities. Having a water dispenser in the lobby was a good additional touch.

I made several bookings through Agoda and also through their own website. Upon checking in, there will be an RM50 deposit which will be returned upon checkout.

For myself, I chose the Family Room option from their own website. It can fit four adults so it was spacious for us. There was a King size bed and 2 single beds, a bathtub (my daughter loves it), a microwave and a mini fridge. My booking for this room was for 5D4N at RM 275.50/night. I got 5% off as I was staying for more than 3 nights.

I booked for my sister 1 Executive Suit King + 1 Standard room. This one was done through Agoda. To be honest, I should have just done the booking through the hotel’s website but I did my sister’s booking first. Hence, Agoda. The Executive Suite has 1 King size bed, a mini sofa and a mini fridge. That sets them apart from the standard room. The total for her for both rooms during the 5D4N stay amounted to RM 1080 (exec) + RM603.50 (std).

My dad had a longer stay in Kuching, about 7 days. Hence, his Standard Room total was RM 1106.

We had FREE WIFI, free breakfast, and the parking lot at the site (but very limited). They had this very aromatic in-house lime soap too. The air conditioning was very cool and the housekeeping was superb. This hotel is within walking distance of Padungan Chinatown, Main Bazaar, The Hills shopping complex, and the waterfront (to me, it is possible to walk there) with so many eatery outlets to choose from. Kuching has Grabfood and Food Panda too which is great.

the laksa station – they even have the ‘how to’ on the wall

The breakfast selection was adequate. The layout is such that we felt like we are going to someone’s house to eat. It was very homey. It is not disappointing and most importantly their kitchen is certified as HALAL. I noticed that most visitors to this hotel are overseas tourists from Europe of all ages. There seemed to be a tour package service there but I did not explore any further. I fully recommend staying at this hotel again and again for its wonderful hospitality.