Tag Archives: kuching trip

Grand Margherita Hotel, Kuching

Posted in Leisure & Travel, Reviews by

GMH could certainly improve their kitchen services. It was odious.

I booked the hotel at least a few months in advance through Agoda.com. It was a 4D3N stay and cost me a total of RM862.72 including tax and fee. My superior Room came with WIFI and breakfast. There was a bathtub, a mini fridge, an in-room iron and board, a TV and most importantly a great view. There’s also a swimming pool in the lobby but I did not check it out. If you plan to enjoy the city, this hotel is definitely in a good location.

It is near to great places to eat. My favourites are Bing and Topspot. Now I have a new one, IG Ais Kacang. Other places worth mentioning are Ayam Penyet RJ, SCR and Chicken Hartz. There are also little pubs nearby and non-halal options that visitors might enjoy. In fact, GMH is very near to Meritin Hotel, another place I have stayed at before.

I had a nice walk at night from my hotel to the Darul Hana Bridge as The Waterfront is so beautiful with the lights. I noticed no more food vendors there since the last time I came to Kuching with the family. I am pretty sure I put in at least 12K steps for the day.

Back to my disappointment with the kitchen services.

I had free breakfast with the package. While it is understandable that sometimes the buffet is crowded in the morning, the least that the floor manager could do is assess and assist accordingly. That means not only getting the number of pax per room at the front door but also checking inside whether there are seats available. There were so many guests walking around the already small cafe not only to find a table but also to fight over the last piece of waffle and such. It got a little too unpleasant during our 2nd breakfast morning as we realised that now, instead of having course participants as the crowd, families with children were also checking in. I honestly do not have a problem with that because I know when you have children, breakfast takes longer. So, I asked one of the servicemen if it was OK to bring our breakfast outside, and he said it was OK. However, there was no effort on his side to help us set up our table. My brother and I ended up making ourselves comfortable by arranging our table and cutleries with the last 4 forks available. We also switched on our own portable air conditioner.

Not only that but their Laksa Sarawak and Kolok Mee stations also had a system where you need to place your order first. I mean it is fine if the chef remembers who ordered what. The thing is he didn’t. He was relying strictly on the fact that the guest would lose hope in waiting and he’d just pass the bowl to someone he thinks ordered the dish. Thankfully on my first breakfast morning, I was sitting just beside this station and I got to check with the chef if my Kolok Mee had been attended to or otherwise. My verdict of the Kolok Mee? Neh.. find something better outside.

I also ordered room service. I requested for my rib-eye to be a medium rare. Unfortunately, when it came, it was well done. I could still accept that but what irritated me was that it was as tough as rubber and I had difficulty chewing. I felt my RM70++ was not justified and of such poor quality service for a hotel of high ratings. Something is definitely wrong with their kitchen.

Apart from that particular downside, everything else was great.

The long weekend in Kuching for a wedding

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

I was in Kuching over the Malaysia Day weekend. I had a wedding invitation to fulfil. I flew there with Malaysia Airlines. My initial scheduled flights were canceled twice and I almost lost hope of going there. Thankfully, on the day itself, nothing sinister happened and I arrived in KCH safely.

I booked a room at the Grand Margherita Hotel this time.

Once I landed, I immediately walked over to the nearest Bing cafe to get myself a chicken panini. It is my comfort food whenever I am in KCH. As I was too full afterwards, I decided to just stay in and order room service. The rib-eye steak I ordered was disappointing. That will be another post.

The following day, I went for a stroll at The Waterfront. I walked to the end of Carpenter Street and checked out the waterfront mall as well. I bought some T-shirts for my little family and was honestly undecided on whether I should have lunch or wait for my brother from KL to arrive and eat with him. I ended up walking further towards the Borneo Cultural Museum and spent my afternoon there.

Borneo Cultural Museum

I loved the museum. The layout is like Muzium Negara but it showcased more of Sarawak’s history. I enjoyed reading and listening to the explanations about the tribes and their uniqueness. I couldn’t help thinking that if James Brooke never set foot in Sarawak, we’d probably still be fighting among each other for space and power. Somehow Brooke brought in order to the chaos and harnessed the waging spirit to fight into friendly sports like the Regatta we see today.

IG AIS KACANG, Padungan

Once my brother landed and checked himself into Merritin Hotel, we walked along the same lane and came here. They have another nearby branch at Jalan Gambier. I was looking forward to trying their mi belacan and sotong kangkung but they don’t have that in that branch. So we settled for their nasi lemak ayam, Laksa Sarawak, long fries and gula apong ice cream.

The Waterfront and Darul Hana Bridge

Later at night, we walked to the waterfront for photos and went up the Darul Hana bridge. If only they have a food court with more options towards the other end of the bridge in the near future. There was a lantern parade that night and the city was so lively. I felt so energetic during the walk. I liked that this beautiful place is open to the public for FREE. At least, families can come here for low-cost entertainment with their kids.

We had dinner at a halal restaurant. It took ages for the owner to fry our nasi pattaya and daging. Thankfully, it was digestible as sometimes the Sarawak version of these semenanjung dishes can taste awkward.

The Dead Malls

Once my brother checked out from his hotel the next day, I thought we’d go check out the mall. My sister said Riverside Majestic Mall was already dead so we didn’t go there. Turns out Tun Jugah Mall and Sarawak Plaza Mall are equally dead. I suppose the curse of shopping malls set up beside hotels is true after all. So, if say you need to go to a proper mall, my best bets are The Spring or Vivacity. We only had fast food for lunch.

We did get Sam’s ice cream though. The soft serve was OK but I felt Mokti’s gula apong flavour is more intense.

Top Spot

This famous seafood spot was just a 5-minute walk from my hotel. We had our family dinner there. Sadly, Midin was out of stock. But the other dishes that we ordered were, of course, delicious; the Egg Oyster, curry ambal, udang nestum, salted egg crabs, sweet sour fish, crab corn soup, Kerang kicap

I had an early night after devouring all that food. The wedding was happening the following day and I need to get up early.

The Wedding Reception

The event started off early at 830am. Only close family members gather for the akad nikah ceremony. Once that was over, other guests began to come to the hall by 10am for the main wedding reception. It was a short and sweet event, the food portion was adequate and everyone got a photo with the couple.

Kuching trip in videos.

Posted in Everyday Life by

I love Sarawakian hospitality. They are soft-spoken and there is that tone that I love during their interactions (gosh, it sounds like me.. ha ha). I feel so at home because the sight of short-statured women is so common. I am one of them who stands at less than 150cm.

These are snippets of the mini trip to Kuching. I have blogged about most events in my previous posts.

The Meritin Hotel, Kuching

Posted in Leisure & Travel, Reviews by

I caught a glimpse of this hotel when I stayed at Lime Tree Hotel last year. I was surprised to see another quaint yet modern-looking hotel in the same area and thought of giving it a go for my current wedding staycation.

I booked the hotel through Agoda.com and chose a Studio room. I wasn’t paying attention to the size of the room, only to find that the size was quite small ( 15m2) even though it was just me occupying the room. It was a 3D2N stay at the hotel and I paid RM348.40 for it including tax. This time, I did not include breakfast in the room because I initially thought I would have time to find breakfast outside. Turns out, I was pressed for time. Anyway, there’s free bottled water, beverages and WIFI in the room. There is also a mini fridge and an iron – only the plug is weird.

I liked that it is near to at least a great coffee shop and I suppose the nightlife is also colourful and awesome as it is walking distance to lots of nice places to eat and The Waterfront. Since I had assignments to complete, I decided to stay cooped up in my room instead of enjoying the lights and pretty views. Plus, I was too full after my dinner at The Reef.

Parking is limited but I didn’t rent a car, so it’s fine. Plus, MAXIM cars are so easily booked here in Kuching. Overall, it was a great and cosy stay. I felt safe amidst the bustling mini Chinatown. Definitely a place I would come back to in the future.

A wedding weekend in Kuching

Posted in Good Things, Leisure & Travel by

It was my cousin’s wedding that weekend and he had extended his invitation at least 6 months before the date. I asked my husband if he wanted to come along but he said the Deepavali weekend was too short – so I went with my boyfriend. Kidding, I went with my sister and my dad.

I used Batik Airlines for this trip and I bought the ticket at least 2 months before the trip. It costs me a total of RM477.68 for the round tickets including all sorts of fees and charges. I had a 7kg hand carry allowance for the trip and that’s it. I did not buy extra cause I knew I wouldn’t have time to go shopping or anything.

Hence my carry-on bag was very light and minimal. I had to bring my laptop with me because I still have assignments pending submission. I deliberately bought this new backpack from Shopee. I believe it would be handy for someone taller cause, to be honest, it was quite bulky for a short lady like myself. It served its purpose but I am now left to contemplate whether I would like to use it for my upcoming MIRI trip.

I also bought the CUURA Travel pack. CUURA is a local brand and its skincare products are great. I bought the pack out of curiosity although I thought the price was quite steep. It was RM129.00 with a variety of petite products inside the plastic pouch. They could have gone for a more compact pouch although I understand that maybe they wanted other products to hop into the pouch during the travels. It is quite good as an introductory package as well for people who are CUURA-naive but if you intend to travel for more than 5 days, you would need backup. I was rationing mine. If they could market this for just under RM100, I think it would be great.

I only bought the essentials for my makeup as I knew no one would actually be that attentive towards me during the wedding. Plus, I intend to go light for my makeup on the plane. I bought two products from HYGR – a deodorant and a multipurpose lip balm in code Hibiscus. I thought it was a great local product to try and so with just the lip balm, I’ve got my eyeshadow, blusher and lipstick sorted. I brought with me Wawa Zainal’s mascara cause I loved its formula and then I packed together a mini Elianto perfume. I wore jeans with just enough tops for the stay including a set of Baju Kurung for the wedding reception. I did not bother with my shoes since the reception is in the masjid and we need to take off our shoes anyway once we are inside.

I stayed at my sister’s place the night before and my brother sent me to the airport the next morning. I had breakfast at KLIA1 minus the coffee because I fear I might pee too much. I had water instead. I checked in online the night before and since I did not want to risk it, I printed my electronic boarding pass as well. I could choose my seat when I checked in online but the only seat available for me was the 29F. LOL.

The flight from KLIA1 to Kuching International Airport took about 1 hour and 55 minutes. On arrival, I made the biggest rookie mistake. I took an unmetered taxi to Vivacity Shopping Mall which was less than 15 minutes away and was charged RM30 for the trip. My advice is to get a GRAB or a MAXIM. The MAXIM seems to be very responsive in Kuching. I used MAXIM for my trip from the mall to my hotel and later for my trip back to the airport.

TAKA PATISSERIE

Apart from lunch, my main objective going to Vivacity was to visit this bakery on the LG floor. I have seen it’s beautiful pastries on Instagram and I really wanted to try them. I have to say, the setup is so magnificent and the pastries were decently priced. The cakes were pretty and even normal pastries looked extravagant in the display cabinets. I ended up buying one of it’s speciality, the Sambal Laksa bun and a few others. I was tempted to get more but since I was planning to get coffee afterwards, I stopped myself from impulsive buying.

BING COFFEE, PADUNGAN

This is a very nostalgic cafe. I have been a fan of it since houseman-ship years. I really loved it’s chicken panini, cakes and coffee. I ordered the iced latte and the panini of course. I wanted to enjoy it in my hotel room which is just across the road. I like how the taste remains the same over the decades.

WEDDING

The wedding was held the next day at masjid Al-Abyad, Matang. We went there in my dad’s rented Pajero – man I hate the doors, it makes me claustrophobic because the only way for you to open the backseat door is for the front passenger to open theirs first. It was a seated wedding and I really loved the vibe of the wedding. I loved the food as well. It was also a very short and sweet ceremony. We arrived there by 1030am, ushered into the hall to our tables, he emcee made his opening speech at 11am, then the couple walked in, received some blessings, had their food, cut their cake and by the time it was 12pm, everything was done. Leaving just enough time for photos and the caterer to sort out the leftovers. We should do more itineraries like this. We were literally done by 1230pm.

When I reached the hotel, I actually managed to stop at Bing again to get coffee and cake. This time I settled on a caramel macchiato and a slice of carrot cake. It was delicious.

In my next entries, I will write about the hotel and what I ate whilst I was there.