This place reminds me of Universal Studios Singapore. The layout is elaborate and very magical.
We drove to Genting Highland from our hotel in chow kit, East Riverine Boutique Hotel and parked at the space at Genting Premium Outlet. Bought tickets for the Awana SkyWay at the booth and enjoyed the view from the cable car. The ‘air gondola’ operates from 7am-11pm daily. Oh, please remember to wear a face mask in the cable car – it is compulsory since you are in a closed area with other people. It is still the rainy season at this time of the year and the fog was really thick in the morning even though it was already 10am ish. Our family was a bit underdressed and not prepared for the cold and rain.
Mr Husband bought the tickets from one of the self-service machines. I downloaded the Genting Skyworld App because it is said that you could cut down your waiting times at the rides by making a booking there. You could set it up as a group booking and such. However, since there was not much of a crowd that day I did not use the app. We went there on the Thaipusam long weekend.
Ticket price:
Awana SkyWay – Standard return ticket RM18 x 4 = RMRM72. Only kids less than 90cm get to travel for free.
Genting Skyworld – I supposed it will be cheaper to get the tickets online plus there are various packages for the trip there. Our total was roughly RM620 ish for 4 pax (2 adult + 2 kids).
Genting Skyworld has 9 exciting themed worlds. Each world has its own attractions, entertainment shows, merchandise stores and F&B to enjoy. There are height restrictions for some attractions but my girl who is just above 110cm could get on most rides. It is a very ‘family-gastro and bladder-friendly’ place. Bring a water bottle to fill up at the water stations. We went our way through the theme park using the map provided so we wouldn’t miss anything.
STUDIO PLAZA
This is the main entrance which has a very golden and lavish setup. Since we were there at the opening times, we get to enjoy a mini Las Vegas-ish show for a few minutes before everyone entered the park. They had the best-smelling popcorn.
EPIC
This place is based on the animated movie of Epic.
The one where the girl shrunk and become friends with woodland creatures and then began fighting with evil forces. There are two rides here – Epic voyage to Moonhaven and Epic Hummingbird Flyers. The earlier ride is like those lazy river rides BUT you will get wet as your boat passes through a particular splash. So your options are to go on this last or go ahead with a raincoat/ extra pair of clothing. We barged ahead and got wet.
RIO
Adapted from the Rio animations – this place is super colourful with tropical colours. My brave girl went up the Samba Gliders! They had to take off their slippers cause they were hanging on the gliders but she said she was not scared at all. My son went afterwards, with the dad of course. I was not that keen to go because of the height and because I had to keep my bag in the lockers. It was too much trouble for me.
There was also their version of the teacup – Rio Carnival of Chaos and the very short ride on the merry-go-round. The Blue Sky Carousel was a double-decker, super pretty but only went around about three times! It was that quick.
ICE AGE
We watched an interactive entertainment show here. Kids love it. As an adult, I was like,“cepatlah habis.. tak habis2 nyanyi.. ha ha ha”. My girl was thrilled to know there was (fake) snow there. There were four attractions here but we only went to 2 which are the vertigo-inducing Sid’s Rock ‘N’ Slide and the Mammoth Fun Zone. The Mammoth place is like a playground. We had our lunch here at Buck’s Cafe. It was of course theme park price but thankfully delicious. We ordered two sets of rice meals, an onigiri, a strawberry sando and a few drinks. I just realized that I didn’t take any photos of the food. Probably because we were cold and hungry.
ANDROMEDA BASE
This is where the most adventurous people would enjoy rides that have thrill scores of 1.
We did not go on any rides. I did encourage Mr Husband to go but since we’ve just had lunch, being turned upside down and twirled around vigorously doesn’t sound that good. I personally am not a fan of crazy roller coasters either. We are somewhat of a very introvert couple. LOL. We did get to see the performance by Caucasian space men which was sturdy and acrobatic in nature.
ROBOTS RIVET TOWN
This town is made for little kids. Slow, comfortable, colourful rides – love it. We get to squeeze into one car at the Bigweld’s Zeppelin. The description of the ride in the pamphlet made it sound like we would fly very high. Kids would though!
LIBERTY LANE
The highlight of this place was the 3D hovercraft ride with characters from Planet of the Apes. The entranceway setup reminded me of The Mummy place at USS. It was convincing and in a way as visitors, we were immersed in our character to save the ape leader. Gosh, what was it’s name again?
At first, we thought it would be a mundane visual thing with the 3D glasses but as we got on the hovercraft, it was so real and thrilling. We wanted to get on it the second time after we’ve finished the 1st round of everything but it was temporarily closed – maybe for rest or sanitation.
CENTRAL PARK
‘Night at the Museum’ was also closed when we got there. But we did get on the Independence Day: Defiance spaceship. Our legs were hanging off the spacecraft and we were swooshing in space fighting off imaginary aliens. I would caution those who have epilepsy or vertigo to be careful on this ride because of the flashing lights and fast-motion swings. I was nauseous but I survived the ride uneventfully. Obviously, the seats were manipulated to make us feel that we are in mid-air but it was believable and exciting.
I imagined the place would be very pretty at night with the lights from the fountains. It also has a very spacious, beautifully decorated park.
EAGLE MOUNTAIN
The attraction is not open yet but they have a pretty burger eatery there to try. This place marks the end of the 9 themes and is near the entry/exit door.
Overall, it was a fun experience for me as an adult and of course even more for the kids. I am glad the fog cleared up afterwards so we could take better pictures. That is one thing off my bucket list for places to go in Malaysia. Until next time… taraaa
We didn’t really get to do a big celebration (Peringkat Jenjarom) for my birthday in August due to my semester exams. So we went for Hi Tea instead last weekend to lump in both August & September babies celebration.
Checked in Putrajaya Marriot Hotel
I wanted to splurge and pamper myself. So I booked a room at this 5 star hotel with free breakfast for two. It had the usual amenities expected from this high end abode . There’s FREE WIFI, complimentary beverages, good entertainment, luxurious looking toileteries, a bathtub, a Super King bed, a sofa (fit for Ee) and a beautiful view. The receptionist was super helpful too. Said he was from Batu Berendam.
Price per night from it’s own website : RM225/night.
It was a very big room. After the husband and kids retired to bed, I soaked myself in the tub using the Doterra Spa Bodywash. I even put on Spotify in the bathroom for ambience. I enjoyed the view and the late night brew.
The next morning we had breakfast at The Zest, the house restaurant. Ee’s rate was originally RM28 ( children) but being the house guest, he had a 30% discount. Hence, I spent only RM19.80 for his breakfast and it was a buffet! The spread was wonderful and tasty although husband said there was something wrong with the pastries that morning. A bit hard he said.
I wish I had more days off to just enjoy the hotel facilities and cafes. Alas, I have other matters to attend to. We checked out at 11 am the next day and I bought the birthday cake from Marriot’s in house cafe – The Oracle. It was an RM88 Orange Chocolate mousse cakeyang tak sedap. So, jangan beli. Ha ha ha.
Hi Tea at Movenpick Hotel
Movenpick sounds very English. Hakikatnya, it is hotel tabung haji yang posh. We had a reservation for the Birthday Hi Tea at Temasya Restaurant. Although the selections were not huge, the readily available options were delicious enough. The Hi-Tea was served buffet style. Husband loved the Beriani. I loved the spaghetti, lamb, satay and well, almost everything.
Except maybe the desserts. Ada lain macam skit rasa jelly dia.
My sister, Nora and youngest brother, Matin enlisted the help of Shuke2 Planner to decorate our table. They also coordinated with the staff of Temasya Restaurant to sing the Happy Birthday song to my dad. What I did not expect was that I received a surprise chocolate bouquet as well! I was so not camera-ready as I did not have any makeup on and that my tudung is so kedut2. Damn those surprises.. although I secretly loved it.
Nora gave me a set of Mary Kay Hand Care set which I absolutely loved. It’s quite a routine just for your hands but I love the fragrance. I also received my backdated order of my MK feet lotion which emanates this minty sensation to it. My brothers gave me a chocolate bouquet and my mom gifted me a set of telekung with purple sejadah. Dad paid for the hi-tea. Ha ha ha.
The celebration does not end there as there are a few social engagements coming up. Lol.
November : Tok Teb, Matin & Ninie birthdays
December : Ee & Adils’ birthday, my 10th year wedding anniversary, KIV gender reveal party by Aunty L (Nora).
Until then, let’s doa for good health, good life and a world of happiness.
The long weekend is here. PKPP is extended till the end of the year. Malaysians are saying bye bye to their passports already. I have decided that we will not go back to Kuching this year for our annual trip. Instead, we will just go for short trips in Semenanjung Malaysia. And that was what we did.
It was a 3D2N stay in Johor Bahru. Mr Husband booked our staycation abode at the Lace Boutique Hotel he stumbled upon Agoda at a very good price. On the first night, he chose a one bedroom suite priced at RM130/night and on the second night a 2 bedroom suite for RM 150/night. Both without breakfast options. It was a huge price drop having seen it’s original price at the website. Perhaps the CEO was being benevolent and wanted more Malaysians to travel interstate and stay at the hotel. Stimulating the economy, they say.
Lace Boutique Hotel is owned by a YB Datuk Paduka Hjh Rokiah Hj Omar. From what I gather online, she is an entrepreneur with an impressive portfolio. Such as in the motoring business, hotel and saloon. All branded under the name Lace.
Lace Hotel is covered in gold-ish decorations. It gave me the Las Vegas & Empire Classic vibe. I was honestly surprised that both rooms that we booked has a bathtub.
The boutique hotel has a terrific location. You will never go hungry as there are loads of eateries at the area of Kpg Melayu Majidee and is of walking distance. The hotel is also in the heart of the city near the main road making trips easy for anybody outside of Johor.
The rooms were clean. The amenities they provided were plenty and enough. There was a microwave, kettle, plates, cutleries and even a complete set of teapot to make our own coffee and tea. The rooms were spacious and the bed was comfy. The air conditioning was wow!.
This location is also FOOD PANDA and GRABFOOD friendly!!! I know cause that was one the things I checked first. The riders can deliver your food to the hotel as it is so accessible. Of course you can always go out in your car and get food or take a walk.
The swimming pool was at the rooftop and the kids loved it. I was not sure where the cafe was as we did not have breakfast there. It was generally a wonderful stay despite a few small bumps. By that, I mean:
On the first night, the WIFI was not working at our floor. The TV was also not getting a good reception as they were using some sort of internet TV. The shows keep on buffering.
The bathroom could use an additional ‘ambience’ light. I know moms or ladies would appreciate soaking in the tub at night while watching the night sky through the big window with that sort of light in place.
Enough shower/bath gel. As opposed to 2 bottles of shampoo and conditioner without the shower gels. Texture dia rasa lain. Oh well, maybe for my future trips I should consider bringing my own travel-sized bath gels. Although I really love the hotel ones especially if they have nice bottles.
That should be it. Very minor problems.
For this trip, we were very relaxed. We did not even go to Legoland. Instead, we spent most of the time in the room (since husband has things to sort out about work), goofing around & sleeping. We only went out twice to go to the Johor Zoo and Ikea Tebrau.
Ended our Johor trip at Tanjung Piai. Took a few photos as momento.
If I was a Johorean, this would definitely be high up on my list for a mini weekend getaway with the girls or something. It does look high-end exclusive yet a bit abandoned from far. Probably because the glass windows have not been regularly cleansed for some time. Or maybe it has but it still looks stained with mold. Otherwise, the interiors are truly Instagram-mable and worth checking out.
Ever since the plant haul at Baba Wan Nursery, I have been quite obsessed in landscaping my garden. I discovered Gadek Nursery, a 25 min drive from my home. Gadek has more variety and they sell at a cheaper price too. I decided to get my hands into succulent care too. The edible garden will have to wait cause it is still growing.
I recorded all my expenses in a file hoping to later see how much did I spent in total for this new-found hobby. My latest purchase was a mini greenhouse. I think I slept on that purchase for a few weeks before I finally clicked the button Buy on Shopee. *money flew. less doterra for the month *
It would be an invaluable addition to the garden especially in rainy seasons. Furthermore I am on a mission to resurrect my Polianthes tuberosa which is taking ages to heal. I believe in you, plant! To further fuel the nerd in me, I downloaded an app called Plant Diary where I can make an inventory of what I have in my garden. It was exciting when I first used it but then I thought it was tedious to document it all.
I am calling my garden Taman Kayangan Minci. It will be a blend of Modern & Woodlandish sort of thing. I cannot wait for my flowers to bloom at its best – my hibiscus, petunia, zinca, Maid of Orleans, chrysanthemum and marigold. Once that is done, I can start on my edible plants. Tomato is still at its seedling stage.
I hope this garden is at its peak moment by December. It will be a wonderful backdrop for picture taking for my 10th wedding anniversary.
Another year has gone by. I have a lot to be thankful for.
alhamdulillah
For the family that has been given to me. I love my parents despite our differences and the things I discovered about them behind my back. Agaknya itulah ujian saya. I love my siblings. I couldn’t ask for anybody else. Eventhough sometimes they make me geram and want to give up when I want to help.
alhamdulillah
For jodoh and in laws yang baik. I don’t think I could survive having a Mak Leha as a MIL ( reference to 7 hari mencintaimu) . Memang I mintak cerai. No need to put up with the headache. The jodoh may not be perfect just as I am not perfect either. Mana lagi nak dpt laki yang tahu bini dia tak reti masak hebat2 or iron his shirts, one who could handle the kids as well too. So even though he can be a pain, I would usually lower my ego and let him win the argument or cold war, to look at the bigger picture and voodoo him in my mindmove on.
alhamdulillah
For a profession. For a salary. For the ability to drive a car. In a way, I have my own money that I could spend however I want to. I can give it to my mom, to charity of my choice, to whomever that needs it more than I do. I could use it to fund my psychology studies. To eat nice food. To bring my family for holidays.
alhamdulillah
For giving me another year to look forward to. Maybe I will get to go for umrah or hajj next year. I have been hinting Tabung Haji through my online deposits activity descriptions. Things like‘saya nak pergi haji”, ” doakan saya dpt pegi haji”. HA HA HA. Mohon sgt bila print statement nampak benda tuh. Pretty please..
For my birthday, I don’t need streaming wishes or forced Facebook wall wishes. I am happy with the personalized wishes I’ve been getting. I don’t need big parties either. I am happy enough with normal wishes from close friends, intimate meals or small group makan2.
Minci Moss 