Tag Archives: budget travel

Kuching trip with my daughter – getting souvenirs, The Reef and the Regatta

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

I was in Kuching with my daughter for a wedding. After the event, we went to two places to get some souvenirs to bring back to Melaka. First was a trip to Kubah Ria.

KUBAH RIA

Kubah Ria is basically a market. My sister bought some midin, mi kolok and Sarawak Laksa paste. I, on the other hand, was looking for Chelum Chocolate Cafe. This cafe sells artisan chocolates. I saw on Instagram that it’s locally produced with very Sarawakian flavours. Thankfully, they have testers in the store. I bought the ones that my daughter likes, which are the ones with Sago Pearl and Tebaloi. The chocolate bars were priced at RM7/piece. I bought 40.

KEK LAPIS WARISAN

Previously, I have always gone to Kampung Gersik for my kuih lapis. This is someplace new. Honestly, I wouldn’t know the difference, but the idea of being able to watch how the kek lapis are made is interesting. Visitors can have a look at it at this outlet.

What’s more important is that I get to buy my kek lumut, kek belacan and Cadbury. They have the usual buy 10 free 1 promo, but I only bought 7. Cause everyone is on a diet. Plus, not everyone would appreciate the gesture of my bringing kuih lapis for everyone to eat at the workplace. Its availability in semenanjung has made it less exclusive. Although I do remember buying 1 loaf each for my colleagues in Hospital Jasin during my working period there. That was a long time ago. Over time, kuih lapis is just another cake to some people.

I did buy a few cat T-shirts for my husband and kids. Haneem really wanted a cat t-shirt. If I had more time, I’d probably shop for kain pasang with pua kumbu patterns. Alas, time was something I did not have.

Dinner at The Reef

Since we were in Kuching for the weekend, we felt that our chances of securing a table at Topspot would be small. Hence, my sister made a booking at The Reef. She put in an order for several dishes that were promptly served upon our arrival. Haneem really loved her midin, and she was able to finish her bowl of rice on her own! Good job.

After the dinner with my sister and her family, Haneem and I walked a little bit more to the Padungan cat statue. This particular cat changes its attire with the festive season. Since it is Deepavali, the cat was in an Indian outfit.

The Regatta

The Regatta and Festival Kraf Borneo was also happening during our visit. All this was organised at The Waterfront. So, we went there after breakfast on the day of our departure. We managed to watch a few boats racing. It was really fun and honestly got our adrenaline rushing too. The women with their oars and roars were such a beautiful sight. They were like warriors. The men, of course, were super sado.

I guess this sums up our girls’ trip to Kuching. It was too short and I look forward to another trip to Kuching again soon. Once I have saved up enough money. I really want to come during the time they’d play the Disney orchestra at The Waterfront. I wonder when their next show is in 2026. I really want to experience it. How fabulous it would be!

Kuching trip with my daughter – Abell Hotel and Jawhara Palace

Posted in Good Things, Leisure & Travel by

My daughter and I went for a 3D2N weekend trip to Kuching to attend my cousin’s wedding at Jawhara Palace. For this particular stay, we booked a 3-star hotel called Abell Hotel. As usual, I did my hotel booking through Agoda.com. I picked the Superior Queen Room with a city view. Total payment was RM 429.53. Breakfast was included for 2 people.

The room has the usual amenities. FREE wifi, hot shower, a mini fridge and complimentary bottled water + beverages. I am most pleased with the Sarawak Hospitality. Everyone is so soft spoken and polite, from the reception to the housekeepers and kitchen staff. Check-in was a breeze as I had paid in full online. NO deposits were collected. I like that we don’t have to tap our cards to use the elevator. That is very convenient. I really love the room. It was so comfortable and cosy. The air-conditioning was really cold, but since I am Elsa, I don’t mind.

The location is superb as well. If you choose not to have breakfast at the hotel, there is the 24-hour Atmosferah Restaurant (mamak) located just in front of the hotel. Whereas to the hotel’s right is the RJ CAFE, which becomes so lively at night. Of course, this hotel is within walking distance to Topspot, The Reef and the many eateries at Padungan. If we had stayed longer, I would have been able to get my chicken panini from Bing and enjoy mi belacan from IG Ais Kacang, manok pansuh from Lepau, cheese naan from that famous place that I haven’t been to!! The landmark Waterfront, Cat Statues, and Darul Hana Bridge are all easily accessible. We were thrilled that the Borneo Cultural Fest was ongoing during our visit. Oh my, so little time with so many things to do!

The breakfast selection at Abell Hotel was adequate. I am delighted that they serve Sarawak Laksa too. That is a must. On the first day, we went to the restaurant at 0630H. We were early because the akad nikah at Jawhara Palace is at 0830H.

The Wedding at Jawhara Palace

Jawhara Palace is a house that people can rent for weddings or events. After breakfast, I ordered GRAB and arrived there within 15 minutes. The groom’s side of the family is in pink, whereas the bride in green. Haneem and I have shopped for our attire a month in advance. My daughter was really excited. The akad nikah ceremony was simple. Lunch was served by 1030am and the wedding ended by noon.

The next exciting part of my trip was getting some souvenirs, visiting the Borneo Festival and enjoying the Regatta at The Waterfront. This will be in my next entry.

Kuching trip with my daughter – getting there with Malaysia Airlines

Posted in Good Things, Leisure & Travel, Parenting, Family and Relationships by

I had a wedding to attend. My cousin, the only son of my uncle, who has lots of girls, was getting married. Hence, I feel it is a must to attend. I asked my husband if he wanted to tag along for the short weekend trip. He was not keen. Thus, it was just me and my daughter.

I booked Malaysia Airlines (MAS) because Air Asia has a reputation for flight delays. I couldn’t afford to waste my time on that, especially when travelling with a kid on my own. The return tickets were booked 2 months in advance, for which I paid a total of RM 904.40. We checked in online 24 hours before the flight. I also made a call to customer service to request a Child’s Meal for my girl.

Travelling from Melaka to KLIA

I used my remaining hours to claim the evening off from work. The hours were from my weekend task for the NHSI programme. Once I clocked out from work, together with the luggage in my car boot, I picked up my daughter from my MIL’s house. I have asked her to have her lunch once she gets back from school, before we drive off to KLIA.

I made sure that my daughter was comfortable in the car because it was going to be a 90-minute drive to the Long Term Car Park (LTCP). It’s been a while since I went there, and I was pleased that now we could pay with either TouchNGo or a debit/credit card. The ladies’ parking area was full. This goes to show that a lot of ladies are driving themselves to their destinations. So I parked just a bit further. Then, my daughter and I took the free shuttle to KLIA1.

Boarding at KLIA1

We arrived at KLIA1 ahead of schedule, so we had a light meal at Taco Bell. Once we were done, we went to the ticket kiosk to print our boarding passes and luggage tags. Our luggage was dropped off at the counter with ease.

Although our boarding gates changed, boarding time was not delayed. We had a good window and middle seat on the plane. I have forgotten that now, on MAS, we can watch in-flight entertainment on our own devices. I did not bring any headphones with me. Haneem had to watch her Mechamato movie using subtitles. On second thought, it’s better that way cause then she could read faster in English. I am making a mental note to bring my earphones everywhere next time.

Haneem was served Mac and Cheese. I chose a chicken varuval dish with rice. It was delicious. Then we had extra drinks. We had Sprite and Orange Juice. Haneem also received a kids’ pack with a small notebook, stickers, and stationery to keep her occupied. Well, she was more occupied with her Mechamato movie. The plane departed at 19:30, and we arrived 1 hour and 15 minutes later.

Kuching International Airport (KIA)

I wanted to use MAXIM, but the app was taking forever to find my driver. I used GRAB instead. The fare from KIA to the Abell Hotel was RM 11, and it took less than 20 minutes to get there. The driver was very kind to help me with the bags.

My next post will be about the hotel and the wedding.

HONG KONG 2025 – The Hotels

Posted in Good Things, Leisure & Travel, Reviews by

During our holiday, we stayed at two different hotels in two different areas, easily accessible by train. They are the COZi Resort Hotel at Tuen Mun and The Charterhouse, Causeway Bay.

The COZi Resort Hotel, Tuen Mun

This hotel is within walking distance of the train station. We should have taken the train from the airport, but the lady at the airport said that it is quicker to get there by bus. Since we did not have an Octopus card yet, my husband paid for the fare using his Visa card. I honestly love the systematic transportation system. The buses and trains arrive in short intervals, which is a blessing if you rely on public vehicles.

On the bus to Tuen Mun

I did not get to explore the hotel fully, especially its restaurant menu. We did not opt for any breakfast buffet anyway, out of halal concerns. I do know there is an outdoor swimming pool, a children’s playroom and a fitness centre. Mr Husband was able to use the treadmill during our stay there.

By the time we arrived at our room, it was already near 8pm. Our room was a Thailand-themed Family Room, and I think Mr Husband paid for less than RM 300 per night. We booked it for 3D2N. It has 2 comfortable Queen beds, WIFI access, a mini fridge, coffee, tea, towels and a hairdryer. I was a bit surprised to see that no bottled water was provided. There was also no water dispenser outside the room. Turns out the tap water is drinkable, although the quality may be influenced by the plumbing system of the building. I still prefer to boil my water. However, I do miss the readily available cold drinks we get at most hotels in Malaysia.

I began to prepare our dinner. I brought a few ready-made meals to HK. For example, Brahims, Sharifah, KA dendeng, PAMA bihun, Indomie, Prego’s mac and cheese, 3-in-1 instant drinks like Ovaltine and tea. I wish I had brought more instant coffee. We had PAMA glass noodles that night and turned in early. After our 2-night stay there, we moved into another hotel at Causeway Bay, The Charterhouse.

The Charterhouse, Causeway Bay

It took us a few hops to get from Tuen Mun to Causeway Bay. The new area is more lively and busy as compared to our previous location. There are plenty of eateries and shopping malls within walking distance. In fact, the mosque and Islamic centre are just behind our hotel. We tried the food at their canteen on level 5 and it was so delicious. Will elaborate more on the food in a different post.

The hotel reception is a small desk just beside the lift. The employees were standing all the time. Pity them. The Family Room is slightly smaller, and since this is a budget hotel, they do not provide mugs or beverages during our stay. Despite the word ‘budget’, I think the price was still just below RM200/night. My paper cups were put to good use. The pillow was not fluffy. I had to fold it in half. Not only that, I did feel some sort of creepy crawly on my mattress at night. Interestingly, my husband and kids did not feel anything. Anyway, I resorted to sleeping in my telekung to buffer that sensitive, touchy feeling. They did provide a mini fridge, but it was not working. I had to clean out the kettle a few times as I saw black mold sitting at the bottom.

Our sink had a leak. Thankfully, they fixed it quickly. Otherwise, the room is not too bad, as the air conditioning was satisfactorily cold to my liking. They provided basic toiletries like body soap and shampoo. Including a hair dryer, which was a blessing.

Mr Husband loved the gym. He goes there every morning for his walk on the treadmill. Overall, it was a comfortable stay for our 5D4N holiday in Hong Kong.

HONG KONG trip – Air Asia, overnight stay at YouniQ Hotel

Posted in Good Things, Leisure & Travel by

Since I am in government service, I need to submit my application for overseas holidays 1-2 months earlier, including proof of insurance. Initially, we wanted to fly with Cathay Pacific. However, we missed our flight at 8 a.m. I did have a bad feeling about this. After all, early morning flights are never a good idea if you are commuting from Melaka at 430 a.m.


We missed our flight for Cathay Pacific

I was fuming silently when Mr Husband decided to return to Melaka and forfeit the whole trip. I tried to get my leaves signed and the suitcases packed nicely. He cited reasons for wanting to spend the holidays with his mother instead, and that our daughter was just unlucky for not being able to go overseas. The universe must have heard my silent screams, as it turns out that my MIL already has a holiday planned with her eldest son.

Now, if it were me, I’d probably book another flight to at least Langkawi or Kuching the same day. Some sort of trip to soothe the heartache. It did not happen initially. But the final innocent laments of the daughter to say, “What a waste to get all dressed up and not go for a trip!” did the trick. And just like that, another flight was booked using Air Asia to HK the following day.

The blessing in disguise is that, instead of lugging 2 big suitcases in HK, we repacked our luggage and brought only one. We later learned that it was easier to travel in the city that way.

The YouniQ Hotel

We stayed overnight at YouniQ Hotel near KLIA. Pretty comfortable and sufficient for travellers. There is a mamak nearby and plenty of kedai runcit. I believe the room rate is an average of less than RM100 per night, depending on room size. There’s a water dispenser, an iron and a laundry area on every floor. I also saw other budget hotels nearby – Sky Star Hotel, Qlassic Hotel and Sri Langit Hotel.

After a mamak breakfast, we checked out at 8am so that we wouldn’t miss the 1pm flight to HK.

Air Asia Flight

It was a 4-hour flight. Mr Husband ordered in-flight meals that consisted of roasted chicken, biryani, nasi lemak and chicken rice. Unfortunately, the only beverage available is an Americano. Haneem slept throughout the flight.

This time we were early and ready

Hello Hong Kong

The weather in HK is like Malaysia. So is the GMT. Just that the prayer times are similar to Sarawak, an hour earlier compared to Semenanjung Malaysia. Below is our basic itinerary for the week-long trip. Some people love a packed one, but given our budget and family stamina, this is what we came up with.

I will be writing separately on the hotels we stayed at, the food, Disneyland, Ocean Park, Kowloon and Madame Tussauds. So, keep a lookout for the posts for the coming few days. Maybe weeks. I don’t think I could write about it fast enough, considering my work commitments. ha ha.