Tag Archives: halal travel

13th wedding anniversary at Riviera Suites Melaka

Posted in Food and Drinks, Leisure & Travel by

I am glad I did not give in to the whispers of Shaytan that week. I almost cancelled my hotel room booking because I was tired, feeling melancholic and not in the mood to celebrate. In short, I just hated everybody that week. However, wise men say, never to make rash decisions when angry or feeling under the weather. Just go through the storm and hold on to the decision of going for that mini staycation regardless of how you feel. That was what I did and boy, the experience was rewarding.

I actually made the booking on Agoda.com in October. I had no idea that my husband was due for a work transfer back to his hometown. He didn’t know as well. This explains why I opted to check out before New Year’s Day because Johor is not on holiday on January 1st. Turns out his transfer was confirmed in November and he could now enjoy an extra day off on the 1st of Jan.

Riviera Suites is located at Pulau Besar. I booked a Deluxe King Suite for 3D2N at a total of RM 572.07 tax and service fee. The rate includes breakfast for two, Free WIFI and parking. Kids eat at RM12 per pax for breakfast with a reasonable option of food. The hotel requires an additional RM100 for the deposit and RM4 for the tourist tax. Later I noted that there is another hotel just opposite ours called Kaizen Hotel & Suites. I will consider staying there in the future.

A mini room tour – muted

Our room was huge. My husband slept on the sofa whilst me and the kids used the king-sized bed. The hallway was a good stretch and according to my husband, was quite eerie at night because he thought someone was standing in the shadows. He decided to switch on the hallway lights later on because he felt uneasy. The air conditioning was cooling. The bathroom interestingly was a bit small in comparison to the size of the whole room. The shower gel is provided. If only they had a water dispenser - that would be great because the boiled water tasted funny. There is a mini fridge in the cabinet area that is good for our icy drinks. We played movies on the projector my husband brought along for this trip and displayed it on the very big wall. This hotel has an indoor pool but due to hygiene concerns, we didn’t bring the kids there to swim. Apparently, there is also a fitness centre but I did not go to explore it.

Even the lift is pretty

Breakfast was at Riviera Cafe situated just beside the hotel. It sported a dainty look and the breakfast spread was acceptable for the price we paid for. There was a queue for the eggs and waffles. The kuetiow, fried noodles and chicken curry were exceptional. They should keep the chef and give the chef a raise. I missed my own coffee though because the ones they served tasted different.

It is easy to find food at night because Selat Avenue is just down the lane. It transforms into a really beautiful, vibrant place at night. Almost like being in a European country like Italy with beautiful lights, external decor, flowers and a general setting. On our first night there, we had the shawarma at Damascus Gate. On the second night, we enjoyed pizza and ice cream at Gelato Cabana. We don’t have a big gastro capacity so we just strolled along the food stalls at the avenue while soaking in the hipster vibe of the area.

Pretty flowers outside the hotel lobby
Kids posing with the dad
Dinner at Gelato Cabana Riviera
A delicious selection of gelato

All in all, it was a great 13th wedding anniversary getaway and I look forward to visiting Pulau Besar more often this year.

The wedding stay at Meritz Hotel

Posted in Leisure & Travel, Reviews by

My cousin’s wedding reception was held at The Meritz Hotel. Do not be fooled by its somewhat biashe biashe exterior appearance because this 4-star business hotel is so worth the money. I was lucky this accommodation was part of Air Asia’s Flight+Hotel promo. Hence, I paid only RM578.49 for a 2D1N stay at the hotel plus return flight tickets from KLIA2 to MIRI.

The hotel is in Miri’s city centre and is attached to a shopping mall. So, although the hotel has 3 on-site restaurants, you could have other meal options at Bintang Megamall. We had bbq.chicken there. I am sure they have similar branches in semenanjung but it was something that we’ve never had before. Father ordered the Jamaican chicken with rice and we sisters had the burger. After lunch, we stayed in our rooms to rest until it was time for dinner.

Bintang Megamall has considerable options of stores to shop in. Initially, I wanted to get my hair done at a salon that said it was Muslim-friendly (on the internet) but when I arrived there, I saw that it was no longer offering said services. This is not the first salon in a shopping mall that does so – in fact, it was something that I observed has been going on in Kuching as well. Although it is the owner’s personal choice to run their business how they wish with a target market in mind – I believe it is also a subtle way for certain businesses to say that they do not intend to serve certain members of the population. Hopefully out of cost-effective issues and not out of prejudice. On second thought, I think the salon at my place in semenanjung is also doing the same. Ha ha ha. Hence, if I want to cut my hair, I could like, these owners would say, find an establishment that could entertain such requests ( yup, I totally understand) or give up my values to receive the services. I thought the haircut could wait.

The room was spacious and it had a bathtub in it. I believe mine was a superior room and I booked one with two single beds inside because my sister and my niece are also staying with me. There was a mini fridge and access to free WIFI. I bought additional bottled water, bread and some cup noodles for breakfast in our room the next day. It took a while to figure out how to switch on the TV as the remote was not functioning. I saw that they have a room service menu which was cool but we did not order any. We also have an iron inside the room which is so convenient.

There was an outdoor swimming pool just a few floors down and I saw that the visitors did not have to adhere to strict swimwear in the pool. I believe that is a plus point for families who come to the hotel. For some women, for example, mothers with a postpartum body, wearing a normal T-shirt with leggings is definitely more comfortable than putting on a swimming suit or a burkini.

The wedding reception was held at a ballroom on Level 7. Nuh Salleh from the indie band, Hujan performed a short song during the event. Singing LIVE is definitely his forte because it just sounded really nice even though it was just him and a guitar. The couple’s dais was very pastel and flowery – I loved it a lot. It was a seated and served wedding – a very Sarawakian way of doing a wedding reception and so you see guests arriving and leaving promptly. The event was done in less than 3 hours. If my other brother, Danial is getting married, we’d do this for him instead of the usual majlis where people come and go as they please within a certain time frame. It’s just tiring to see who is coming and leaving amidst the crowd.

We checked out of the hotel just after 12pm. Then I ordered a MaximCar for our ride to the airport which was roughly 15 to 20 mins away. It cost us RM10. My flight was slightly delayed in leaving to KLIA2 and once I landed, the walk from the god knows which K terminal took ages to arrive to the main arrival hall. I then took the FREE SHUTTLE at the transportation hub of KLIA2 to get to LTCP.

I managed to get a BOOST drink and some onigiri for my refreshments in the car for my drive back home to Melaka. The highway was exceptionally dark probably due to the rain and I think I reached my house just after 2030H that day. Had a quick hot shower and went to bed since I had work the next day.

The Pearl, Kuala Lumpur

Posted in Everyday Life, Leisure & Travel, Reviews by

We stayed at this hotel because my son had a National Scrabble Championship at the conjoining mall, Pearl Point over the weekend. The game is spread over two days and quite lengthy for someone like me, who doesn’t understand the rules. Since the whole family is going, we might as well have a place to rest so that my daughter would not get cranky. Therefore, The Pearl was a convenient choice.

Mr Husband booked a room for one night. the lobby was welcoming with it’s Hari Kemerdekaan Display.

It had all the expected amenities of a 4-star hotel: Free Wi-Fi, a mini fridge, a kettle, a tub and a comfortable king-size bed. Our room had breakfast included which was great. The spread was adequate with the usual mix of Western and Malaysian breakfast options. There is also a swimming pool but we did not bring any swimming gear. So, just a photo it is.

I like that we get two card keys because the husband obviously needs to go to and fro the mall and the hotel to check on our son who is playing. So he gets to keep one card and my daughter and I get to enjoy the big bed and air-conditioned room with the other card in the power slot. My daughter gets to soak in the bathtub as well. The elevators are easy. This means there is no need to put your card on a reader and press the floor number. It may be secure but that is so maa-fan.

Considering that it is joined to a mall, food is easy to access. There are so many nice stores under one roof at Pearl Point. While waiting for check-in, we get to eat McD for breakfast, Old Town Kopitiam for lunch and some takeouts for dinner. In between, I got Milkis from Jaya Grocers and my first Llao LLao. Now I get what the hype is with that green yoghurt thing. There’s even Zus Coffee at the mall which is something I would have loved to order but since I’d had too many sweets for the weekend – I will have it on a different occasion.

my first llao llao – had the pistachio sauce and biscoff crumbs

Farm Fresh At UPM

Posted in Leisure & Travel, Places to Eat, Reviews by

Visiting Farm Fresh at UPM was one of those impulsive things I had to create and then cross off from my imaginary cutilogue list. I am starting to think I may have bipolar disease because of these inconsistent emotions. I have been searching for reviews of this place for a while but have never actually gone to make proper plans to go. Since Melaka has this one public holiday, midweek, before the school holidays, I thought I’d bring the kids there. Mr Husband was working. So it was just me making a 1.5 hours journey to Seri Kembangan. I made sure the kids had their showers early, ate breakfast and brought their water tumblers in the car for sips of water. I also made my daughter bring along her plushie as a pillow in case she naps in the car.

I fueled up at Petronas at 8am, made my way out of the highway toll just before 830am and arrived at Farm Fresh roughly 15 minutes before it opened.

The place opens at 10am. For 2023, tickets are priced at RM15 for adults and RM10 for kids aged 4-12 years old.

The entrance was at the barn door to a shaded walkway with their restaurant on the right side. It opens out to this large field with various places of interest. Our first stop was of course the loo and we just paced ourselves accordingly. The highlight of the place for us is probably the tractor ride. I am just so glad this is not the school holidays, hence the shorter queue.

My son as usual did not want to get on the tractor — I persuaded him to get on it because obviously it will be a moment he will back on one day when I’m not around.
The most extroverted member of the family

We chose to queue for this tractor after we’re done with all the visits inside because we did not want to compete with the kindergarten school trips. You could always go in and out of the barn as many times as you like as long as you have their paper bracelet on. The view during the tractor ride was obviously boring because we did not have ‘the info lady’ on our truck. She was more focused on the kindergarten kids. The driver brought us to the top of the hill so that we could take nice photos of the area. Otherwise, there is nothing much to see during the ride. We just enjoyed being on that big thing. Thus, the highlight. However, the route has potential. If the people hosting Sparkle Run could give them some tips, it’ll be great actually.

There were a few shaded paths at the place. If only the flowers are in full bloom, it’ll be so magical. The kids loved the pumpkin place cause they were cute. These shaded arches are good for walks. Otherwise, there is really not much to see. I would suggest wearing proper shoes to the area cause if you’re visiting the cow area, you will need to dip your footwear into the iodine area. Bring a mini fan, wear a hat or cap cause the sun is unbearable. Use an umbrella if you wish!

We had our meal at The Acre, their own site restaurant that serves Italian-Malaysian cuisine. I ordered a Margharita and fries with nuggets. I added two bottles of chilled mineral water cause the kids are having ice cream afterwards. So that is already something sweet. The total bill came up to RM61.40 including 6% SST and 10% service charge. Word of caution – pick your table first before ordering food because they will serve it to your allocated table. The only price menu I could see on the list was on the table where I placed my order. I wished they would have the menu put up on display somewhere cause for people with anxiety it is quite stressful to choose something you are unfamiliar with on the spot. Our Margharita was RM30 for a regular-sized sourdough pizza and RM 17.90 for the chicken nuggets and fries. The water was RM2.50 per bottle. Taste-wise they were OK. Texture was good though.

We did not buy any drinks from their Jom Cha store because we wanted to get ice cream. I was actually looking for their vanilla softserve but they only served strawberry-flavoured ones. Apparently, they also have ice cream from Inside Scoop which came with a heavy price tag. I have heard of the brand before but have never tried. A scoop was RM9.50 in a cup for them. *jaw drop*. Farm Fresh soft serve was RM3.00 per cup instead and tasted equally good.

We completed the visit in less than 2 hours and were able to make an exit to the highway by 12 noon. I like that the route to the place was straightforward. I did not need to go into the busy roads of KL or anything. It was just off the slip road. We reached Melaka by 2PM and I ordered Chicago City chicken for our early dinner.

Langkawi 2023 : Our sloth-ish itinerary

Posted in Leisure & Travel, Reviews by

Since we are regulars, in fact, parents looking for a place to take care of our children in a different city, there wasn’t really anything strikingly new in our itinerary at Langkawi. Definitely not for international travellers to find interesting. I did record a few clips during the trip – will upload that soon on Youtube.

Laksa Power Ikan Sekoq

Just before we checked into our hotel, we went to the airfield area for a simple lunch. There are a few Laksa Ikan Sekoq stalls here but we chose the one with the yellow signboard. Cause we remembered it as the one serving the non-spicy one. Perhaps the new thing about the menu is that it now has telur sarang on the laksa. Which brings the price up to a whooping RM10 per bowl. I didn’t have pictures of it because I was too hungry. Thankfully, the laksa was delicious and was quite hoping to get a second in a few days but it was closed on the other day we came.

Langkawi Wildlife Park

This place is eerily quiet during the school holidays but we have always enjoyed coming here. The animals seemed to be well fed and the kids enjoy the interactions with the animals – by giving food. This time we met a racoon instead of a crocodile at the station where we can touch and pet the wildlife creatures.

The new thing about this place is that they have a pony ride and soon, it seems that they will bring in tigers. They also have new merchandise – this snow-like glass frame for your photo. They don’t sell the little magnets on their own anymore which is such a pity. They should just let visitors get the small magnets as a purchase option. Better something than nothing kan.

Langkawi Geopark

We went to the cable cars this time as we wanted to see the SkyBridge. That was new for us and boy it was magnificent. You could get to the bridge either by the gondola or the nature trail. We opted to go there by the trail and come back with the gondola because it’s just too tiring to hike up later on. We bought the tickets through Klook but the queue was still super long when you want to collect your tickets as they provided only one counter for online purchases.

Maha Tower

This place is new and its attraction is the sunset view. So it is better to go there later in the evening. While waiting we get to rest in the very luxurious feeling waiting area and have beverages. Do you know how sunsets look so beautiful when you see them online? Well, it’s thanks to the photographers and the video makers for making a timelapse of it. Otherwise, it is quite difficult to appreciate the sun going down bit by bit. That is why I tried to capture my own video.

I should have brought a tripod.

Because someone knocked my camera on the rails and the raw footage was somewhat ruined. I tried to edit it but it didn’t really come out that nice. Here is what I managed to capture.

Underwater World Langkawi

We always loved the penguin place when we came here. Reminds us of Happy Feet. Again the place is very quiet for school holidays. The merchandises they offer are the usual photo stuff. I just feel the merchandise team could explore more on this apart from the photo.

That’s pretty much what we did. We usually go to these places after breakfast and come back to our hotel room by noon. Then the little one and my dear husband will sleep while I finish my assignment on the laptop. Then we go out again for dinner and see the Langkawi lights at night. Even though it’s the holidays, our bedtime is still by 900pm. We feel so old. Ha ha ha. We came to Langkawi with one piece of luggage and came back with two!

I also bought a duty-free YSL Libre perfume for myself because I got influenced. And of course my favourite chocolates – Bounty & Maltesers. We returned to KL using Batik Air this time and felt way better. Kudos to management for giving complimentary bottled drinks to kids.