Langkawi 2017 – Long Term Car Park & Malindo Airlines

Posted in Everyday Life by Minci 先生

There is always a first time for everything. For this Langkawi 2017 trip – we decided to give the Long Term Car Park (LTCP) KLIA a try and Malindo Airlines a fly (as opposed to our usual Putrajaya Sentral and Air Asia)

LONG TERM CAR PARK (LTCP)

This open air carpark, LTCP is easily navigated with Google Maps.

klia2-long-term-car-park

The rate per hour is RM2.50 and they charge RM 32.00 for overnight parking. The shuttle bus from LTCP to KLIA/KLIA2 however is FREE and is as frequent as 15 minutes. So I think if you’re travelling in a group – this would cost you less as opposed to having to pay for the KLIA Transit ticket from Putrajaya Sentral and what not.

It was still a bit costly for the 3 of us but it was sure convenient. Bag-hauling and waiting times were reduced to 50%, at least. The ride to KLIA was less than 10 mins. Which means we didn’t get to pose a lot of selfies in the shuttle. And it stops at its designated spot at the LG floor of KLIA.

MALINDO AIR

Malindo is infamous for being an airline which has delays. I think they’ve got comfortable with the idea of customers knowing about this that they’ve become experts in managing delays, rescheduling flights and granting compensations. Yup, I experienced a delayed flight back from Langkawi to KL. Malindo informed us via text the day before. They can predict the future but we understood that our plane probably didn’t have that many passengers hence they decide to cram everybody into one flight.

Anyway, going Langkawi was uneventful. We checked in online from home so our baggage drop was pretty simple. They even gave us a complimentary newspaper at the counter. We get to choose our seats for FREE. FREE juice, no meals since its a very short haul flight (1 hour). FREE 15kg luggage allowance per person for domestic flights.

The seats had spacious leg rooms. There was an inflight magazine to read as well. Not bad lah huh. I would even consider using this to go back Kuching – with a Plan B should my flight is delayed.

In Langkawi, we stayed at Hotel Bahagia ( a blog post of its own this one). Went Island Hopping and visited the wonderful Langkawi Geopark which I will elaborate on later. And of course we ate a lot of Laksa Kedah and its weird idea of cendol and bought loads of chocolate to bring back home to family and friends.I even allowed myself to splurge on a new set of china. *gasp at horror of my bank account balance*

28Oct2016

Krabi 2016 Safari Tour

Posted in Everyday Life, Leisure & Travel, Reviews by Minci 先生

PART 3

We’ve done the Island Tour before. Which includes the James Bond Island tour when we were in Phuket. We’ve also been to the Emerald Pool and the Hot Spring. You can click on the links to read about them.

So the few new things we did was the;

elephant show and trekking
lunch at Lung Khai Fruits Garden
Suwannakuha Temple

Elephant Show and Trekking

As interesting as it sounds and looked pretty on the brochure with regards to the activities involving elephants, I think even Ee agreed that it is not something that we would want to do again in the future.

The baby elephants may look cute performing their tricks. The bigger elephants may appear strong and sturdy as they carry us on their backs. All seemed grand and exotic until we noticed the chains at the legs. And that small tear of the skin at the ears. Even Ee seemed uncomfortable when he saw our young guide shouting at the elephant and using his sickle knife to scare the elephant and keep it in line.

Come to think of it, elephants belong to the wild. They are not meant to perform acrobatic stunts. Nor are they supposed to play the harmonica. In short, we felt a bit horrible after the activity.

Suwannakuha Temple

This is the famous temple which has the huge Buddha statue and monkeys in the area. Im not sure how big it is compared to the one we have in Kuching (the white standing Buddha). If you’ve never seen a monkey before – this is the time to get close. Since monkeys are a normal sighting in my housing area (they like to play near the cemetery), it was nothing new.

A small donation of THB 20 is required upon entering the cave to see the Buddha statue. We didn’t go in because Ee was not in the mood. He enjoyed the monkeys (and chickens) more. Aiyo boy.. this is not a zoo. We spent roughly 30 mins at the area before proceeding to the next destination.

Lunch at Lung Khai Fruits Garden

First they gave us this cool, refreshing butterfly pea flower drink. Then it was a huge, generous spread of Thai food. Compared to Indonesian cuisine, I can stomach Thai delicacy on a daily basis. Like no problem. Loved every single bit of Thai food. Plus, they keep offering us stuff to eat. It’s always “more rice?” “more food?” pergh.. moga murah rezeki

We also had a short stop at a waterfall. To be honest, I wasn’t really convinced if it was the particular special waterfall we were looking for. But since the guide said it s what it is, I take his word for it.

A short trip this was but memorable all the same. We are aiming for a 3rd Krabi visit. 😛

28Oct2016

Krabi 2016 Ibis Styles Ao Nang

Posted in Everyday Life, Good Things, Leisure & Travel, Reviews by Minci 先生

PART 2

Hotel yang nampak ekslusif, murah dan bersih. air paip bila mandi tak rasa mcm air kapur, breakfast pun kira OKlah utk yang selamat dimakan dan sgt dekat dgn tpt makan HALAL siapa rasa mcm nk solat berjemaah pun blh singgah kt masjid depan hotel.

jauh skit dengan pantai AoNang dan penkek makcik Yaminlah – tapi jgn risau.. kat sini ada makcik Pat, makcik Neet dsb.. penkek pun rasa standard je sodapnya..

Ibis Styles Hotel in Ao Nang is a 3 star hotel which boasts its fine reputations for being able to cater the needs of international tourists. In my opinion – yep, so true. Even though it is not certified as a Halal Resort – we enjoyed the facility and hospitality very much. Adding to that, this hotel also allows customers to bring their pets. So do not scream when you see a poodle on a leash at the lobby. They don’t bite.

The room was exceptionally clean. There wasn’t much space for Ee, my son , to run around but you get what you pay for. You want a bigger room? Rent a suite. Or a family room. Ours was a standard room with 2 single beds. So we were satisfied.

Unforgettable plus points;

delicious welcome drink – flower tea. padahal teh bunga je
wonderful majestic view of the mountains with its shadows towering over the swimming pool
although halal in house breakfast options are limited – there are plenty of halal eateries near the hotel. There’s even a masjid right opposite the site
extra beach towels in our room so we can bring them for our island hopping activities
comfortable pillows and bedding
free WIFI in every room – there’s no need to leech for connections in the lobby
functioning and replenished basic amenities – in room mini fridge, shower gel & shampoo, hairdryer and kettle.

Mr Husband loved this hotel so much he wants to stay here again for our 3rd Krabi trip in the future. And why wouldn’t he? If I had wanted to, I could easily slip out of the room at night and eat loads of pancakes from the makciks selling them just outside the hotel. It is that safe!

Only thing is I prefer to be that sleepy, tired , fat whale at the end our trips and have a good night sleep.

IBIS STYLES KRABI AO NANG TOURIST INFO

Ao Nang features a beautiful beach, shopping, dining and nightlife. Highlights such as Railay Beach which can be reached in just 15 minutes by boat, James Bond Island, Phi Phi islands, Phang Nga Bay, and much more. Krabi Town is also nearby.

Main point of interest

AO NANG BEACH (2.00 km)

Distance from the hotel to the city center

KRABI (2.00 km)

Distance from the hotel to the airport

KRABI AIRPORT (25.00 km)

HISTORY AND NATIONAL HERITAGE

Special tourist area

HUAI TO WATERFALL (36.00 km / 22.37 mi)

THAN BOK KHORANI (64.00 km / 39.77 mi)

CULTURE AND THEATRE

Entertainment/theatre district

KRABI WALKING ST (41.00 km / 25.48 mi)

PARKS AND LEISURE

Beach area

AO NANG BEACH (2.00 km / 1.24 mi)

AO THALANE (30.00 km / 18.64 mi)

FOSSILS SHELL BEACH (9.00 km / 5.59 mi)

NOPPARAT THARA B (4.00 km / 2.49 mi)

PHA NANG CAVE BEACH (6.00 km / 3.73 mi)

RAILAY BEACH (6.00 km / 3.73 mi)

TOURIST INFO

Special tourist area

HUAI TO WATERFALL (36.00 km / 22.37 mi)

THAN BOK KHORANI (64.00 km / 39.77 mi)

ENTERTAINMENT

Tourist attraction

EMERALD POOL (96.00 km / 59.65 mi)

HONG ISLAND (16.00 km / 9.94 mi)

KHAO KANAB NAM (20.00 km / 12.43 mi)

LANTA ISLAND (128.00 km / 79.54 mi)

MU KHO PODA (24.00 km / 14.91 mi)

PHI PHI ISLAND (46.00 km / 28.58 mi)

THALAE WAEK (40.00 km / 24.85 mi)

TIGER CAVE TEMPLE (35.00 km / 21.75 mi)

Our room rate was already included in the Air Asia Go package but surfing through its site, I guess you are looking at an average of at least RM140 per night and more depending on the choice of room.

14Aug2016

Thistle Port Dickson Resort And Spa

Posted in Everyday Life, Leisure & Travel, Reviews by Minci 先生

It’s an all in hotel where you can just have a truly relaxing and enjoyable stay within the compound itself. Not only they have a wonderful swimming pool, an in-house spa and private beach, the resort also have plenty of activities for kids! And if that still does not entice you – hey, there’s a Pokestop and PokeGym on site too. You don’t even have to leave the hotel to gain levels and search for Pokemon.

We were there because Mr Husband had a conference to attend. Since it coincides with my birthday – he decided to not share a room with his roommate and instead upgraded his options just so Ee and I could tag along. It was definitely quality time between Mother and Son.

It was a 4D3N stay. The room size and facilities were top notch. Yelah.. its a RM375 rate room per night but Mr Husband just paid like a bit lah.. kira top up jak.

Mr Husbands programmes starts at 8AM till 5PM. While he cracks his head for poster presentations and group work stuff – both me and my son decided to explore PD. We went to the Ostrich Farm, PD Waterfront, 3D Alive Art Gallery, Oceania Mall (sgt usang).. had meals at the Cowboy Nasi Kukus place, plenty of cendols and coconut drinks plus a McD Happy Meal with Chocolate Cone ice cream.

We are usually back by noon as I need to perform my Zuhr prayers. Cannot jamak. It’s just 66KM away. In the afternoon when the weather is scorching hot – we’d stay indoors and entertain ourselves at the facilities on site.

THISTLE has a media room for kids where they’d play animation movies on the projector. Macam pegi wayang lahh. We wanted to watch Frozen but missed its screening time, so we went for Penguin Madagascar and Kungfu Panda on 2 consecutive days. Ee enjoyed the Lego Room very much. Strangely he was not a fan of the kiddies swimming pool. He said he doesn’t want to fall sick playing in the pool. Fine by me – I don’t have to get changed in a burkini. Da ketat dahh… bluek

If you have the monetary capacity and need to pamper yourself without moving much muscle – Thistle is the best place to go. Besides, I have yet to try the Spa.

22Jul2016

Kuching : Lime Tree Hotel

Posted in Everyday Life, Food and Drinks, Leisure & Travel by Minci 先生

lime shower, banana fritters and laksa!!

I chose to highlight The LimeTree Hotel strengths through its breakfast selection and their special in-house lime shower gel. For this trip to Kuching, Sarawak I made 2 separate bookings using 2 websites. One is Agoda.Com and the other with AirAsiaGo.Com.

The LimeTree Hotel

Lot 317 Abell Road,
Kuching, Malaysia

I used Agoda.Com for my own booking as my flight tickets were already available. I only needed to sort out my accommodation. Through the Insider’s Deal feature on top of an Early Bird (non refundable) discount I managed to book the Deluxe King with City View room at a total cost of RM807.55 (including tax and fees). Its roughly RM143 per night as opposed to its usual RM190 . I planned to stay for 6D5N , so every penny counts. I paid with my credit card and within minutes I was booked. I only had to print the voucher to be presented to the reception later during check in.

Then, I needed to book my mother’s flight + hotel. she also had the same length for stay. so I turned to our very own local NO 1 Best Low cost airline Air Asia. Searching for one person was a tad costly compared to if you were to book for two people. Naturally the less popular flight hours were cheapest, and finally I got to make a booking for her (flight + hotel) at a cost of RM967.26 (including tax and fees). I then tweaked her flight itinerary a bit and ordered inflight meals at a reasonable cost (range Rm9 – Rm15 per meal). We were good to go.

CHECKING IN

Standard procedure was to have an ID card of the main client at hand. What wasn’t standard was to also register the 2nd adult guest staying in the same room on the system. This was for extra security measures. I had to remind my mother that she can only bring in one of her sisters to accompany her in her room and not bring all the sisters for a slumber party. She cheekily obliged.

Guests were given only one room key and could only access the floors they are staying on. This also meant that my mother (at level 3) cannot freely stop on our floor (level 2) for a chat in the morning on her way down to the G floor for the breakfast buffet.

My mother had her reservation paid in full online – she had to leave an RM50 deposit during check in.

ROOMS

Impeccably clean with that lovely citrus scent. No complaints. The wardrobe was very tiny though but we made do. If only they had an extra drawer at the dressing table. I guess they were going for a minimalist concept. Ha ha. The showers had strong pressure and it was refreshing to use their in-house lime shower/shampoo gels. My son looked forward to his baths every time.

Each room has access to FREE WIFI. They also have their GREEN WAYS in running the hotel which I totally heart!

Daily complimentary beverages and bottled water was very nice. And they also have an inbuilt universal socket adapter which was very very thoughtful.

BREAKFAST

They have a varied selection to choose from – asian, western etc.. but they may not necessarily differ on a daily basis. Meaning you will see laksa everyday. Chicken slices everyday. Banana fritters everyday. So guests must refrain themselves from having everything on that one day. Instead, reserve your appetite for a western breakfast every other day or so. Even so, I chose to enjoy the Laksa Sarawak and Banana Fritters every freaking day!! Whoever you have cooking in the kitchen is a keeper!!

LOCATION

This cute hotel is situated in the city with nearby attractions – what more can I say.

Mr Husband and my mother enjoyed the stay very much.The staff were very helpful. The fact that they want to stay in this hotel again says a lot about its services and facilities. My mother, a very direct 59 year old lady who still loves wearing her leggings even went up to one of the hotel staff (ntah2 owner) and praised the hotel for its very nyaman goreng pisang!

Well Done LimeTree Hotel. keep it up!

Minci Moss

Influenced by everything. You knew me first ;)

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