Back to Bangkok for cafes and Thai food

This trip to Bangkok was quite unplanned, as I did not initially intend to go until half a year later. But a friend suggested the trip, and I decided to tag along, after all Bangkok is like a second home to me, even it meant just simply shopping, going to cafes, and eating Thai food, almost like an extension of what I would do in Singapore, but just more of it.

There was a bit of rain in my recent trip there, and in a way that helped to lower the dust in the air, making it a pleasant walk especially in the mornings. Since this was a relaxing 4 day 3 night trip, we stayed near Chidlom Station, at the Renaissance Hotel, and that made things very convenience, as we spent most of our time walking on the sky walk rather than taking the BTS or cab. 

In our first day upon arrival, the first thing was to head out to my favorite mall emQuartier. We had an early lunch at Laem Chaeron, which was a place I use to frequent. I had the chance to introduce my friend to the famous fried fish, and together with it, we had the Tom Yum Goong and morning glory. The fish and Tom Yum soup was as fabulous food as ever. 

After dinner, we took a walk around the mall and to the supermarket, before ending the day at D'ark for some coffee and dessert. It was my first time having dessert year, and we had the chocolate dessert which was fantastic, a great win for chocolate lovers.

Day 2 in Bangkok started out with hitting the gym at the Renaissance Hotel, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It is always a plus for me when I see the hotel equipped with proper gym equipment as well as a lovely pool. The lap pool looked great, and better still it is sheltered from sun and rain. While my friend headed out to Platinum Fashion Mall to shop, I took a leisurely walk to Centralworld and walked around the different floors. The were having a spring fair selling local produce which was quite an interesting find. I also saw the largest ever Starbucks Reserve, which got me envious as we don't have that in Singapore. 

After my friend was done at Platinum Fashion Mall we headed to Nara Thai for my favorite River Prawn cooked with black pepper glass noodle. My friend has the boat noodle, of which the soup base was super nice and thick.

After that we headed to After You for the famous Shibuya Toast and Mango Sticky Rice Kalkori. Having missed the Mango Kalkori on several occasions, I was super thrilled that it was available and I must say the wait was well worth it. It is like a mountain of ice, with a topping of coconut cream, and when you reach inside it has real mango and glutinous rice. Perfection! 

The next stop was to Big C across the road. It is where most people would head out to to stock groceries and snacks to bring back home. However because it is such popular place, it is not suitable for those who need a little peace and quiet when shopping. I was glad to get out of the supermarket after picking up some essentials. 

After a bit of a rest back in the hotel, while my friend made a quick trip to MBK for more snacks, we headed to Central Embassy for a simple dinner. We were looking for chicken wings at Som Tam Nua, and I must say. the wings was probably one of the better ones I had thus far! After the wings, we were walking around and finally settled for Siamese Boat Noodles, a thick beef broth with rice noodles. I was so thrilled, though a small portion, it was a very hearty meal for me. 

The next morning called for another workout in the gym to burn of the calories from all that dessert! Our venue for brunch was taking a GRAB car out to the Thonglor area to visit Roast at The Commons. I felt like half the customers were probably Singaporeans! Since I have eaten at this cafe countless times, I was no longer impressed at the menu or the food. Hopefully the next time, there would be more additions for me to try!

We next headed to Audrey cafe, 10 minute walk away for some dessert, and settled for the famous Thai Milk Tea mille crepe. However I personally felt that the mille crepe was just all right, in fact it was the food menu that appealed to me more. I suppose people who like to go Audrey would be though who like the quaint and English setting. 

Next up was a GRAB car back Siam Paragon. Apparently the Melissa shoes were on 70% and my friend had a great time picking up some shoes! Then we walked around the mall and continued to Siam Center and Siam Discovery. I totally enjoyed my time at Siam Discovery home section with all the cute home stuff to enjoy.

We returned back to Siam Paragon for dinner, this time trying some place new called Chilli Thai. I must say this place wins my most recommended restaurant for this trip. The restaurants located at the basement and away from the noise, which is a good thing. The food had lovely presentation and was somewhat different from the usual Thai food. We had a lovely pork ball tom yum soup. And one of the highlights for us was ordering the dessert. It is mostly condiments, with ice cream as an accompliment, which is usually the other way round, where ice cream is the center focus. Totally enjoyable meal and ambience and we went back to the hotel with our bellies satisfied.

Our last morning in Bangkok called for a trip back to Central Embassy, starting off with coffee and eggs at Siwila Cafe. I had my cappacino with soya milk, which kinda marred the taste of the coffee, but my friend said the regular coffee was good.

After that we walked about the mall, and a slow shopping at the supermarket at the basement. After purchasing our final goodies to bring back home, we had lunch at Kub Kao Kub Pla as the decor of the restaurant here is so nice! My friend had a lovely and perfectly decorated Pad Thai, and I tried stir fry Kway Teow, which had nice rice noddles, but was not a nicely presented. The restaurant doesn't have the highest quality of food, but I would say it is a nice place to have a meal at. After lunch we headed to the top floor of Central Embassy which is a huge bookshop plus some dining options. I love how they decorate the place that you just wish you could spend an afternoon there. 

We did our last bought of shopping at the supermarket at Central Childom on the way back to the hotel. And I must say the supermarket has gone through a revamp, that it looks as good as the ones in Harrods, London! 

This trip to Bangkok was totally unplanned, but it was most enjoyable as it was a relaxing trip with lots of good food and quite a lot of shopping. Looking forward to the next trip back to Bangkok!

Where to eat in Bali

Bali holds a charm that draws many back to visit time again. And for me, this trip to Bali is all about cafe hopping, beach clubs and massage. I have come to learn that the art of cafe hopping is never to have a full meal but to try their best dish or a portion of it so that one would still have stomach space for the next cafe.

Here's some of the cafes I visited in my last trip to Bali:

The Bistrot
Jalan Kayu Aya No.117, Seminyak, Kuta
Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia

When you step into this cafe, you can't help but saying "WOW". It has super high ceilings, a long grand flight of stairs and a huge chandelier greeting you. I almost felt like I was stepping into an old grand french house with a rustic countryside feel. After a long walk along Seminyak, this is a perfect place to escape from the heat outdoors. I was on a clean eating diet then, and had a Caesar Salad. Perfectly healthy with grilled chicken and wiggly egg on a bed of lettuce.

Review of London hotels and hotels around UK

I have done quite a bit of hotel hopping in London and the rest of United Kingdom recently. It is one of those once in a life time road trips to explore a country in depth and wonder about the history and how people lived through the years. The cities I covered in this road trip included hotels in London, Cardiff, Liverpool, Edinburgh, and York. Here is a review of each of them.

Hilton London Angel Islington, London
My first hotel when I arrived in London. It was a new area for me, and though I was initially hesitant about this suburb, turned out to be quite a lovely gem. Hilton London Angel Islington though relatively quiet with a basic lobby area, has spacious modern and clean rooms, perfect after a long trip flying in from Singapore. The best thing about staying in Angel is that it is a food hub with unlimited choices of restaurants serving different cuisines along the street. You would never go hungry here! It is also a cozy neighborhood that does not have huge loads of people going about, which is rather peaceful suburb to me.

>> Click here for to book

A relaxing and luxurious holiday in Bangkok

Having been to Bangkok countless of times, this was one trip that I wanted to take my time to enjoy Bangkok, instead of rushing from one place to another as what most would normally do. My days were planned around checking out cafes that I had not been too, a bit of shopping, and yes, massage. I also managed to use the gym in the mornings which was a huge plus.

I think what makes each trip to Bangkok unique, as with repeated trips to the same place would be to stay in a different area each time, so that I can explore a little more in depth of a particular area. This time I stayed near the popular EmQuartier shopping mall. It took me a while to figure out the mall layout. It is divided into 2 blocks with one housing the luxurious brands and the other was a mix of shops. While most of the dining options is found on the top floors with great views of the cascading waterfall set in the backdrop of lush foliage, one can also find several cafes scattered around.

Capri by Fraser Singapore Hotel Review

Located at the Changi Business Park, Capri by Fraser Singapore is popular with executives working in the area during the week. The area transforms into a shopping hub for locals over the weekend as  it is just next to the Singapore Expo where different major retailers run outlet sales often as well as the Changi Shopping Point, a mall with primarily outlet stores.

Though a distance away from Orchard Road, this is where you would shop if you are into cheap sporting gear as sports brand outlets like New balance, ASICS, Puma, Crocs are just some of the brands you would find. In addition, supermarkets like FairPrice Xtra, discount stores like Daiso are also found just steps away from the hotel. What I like being located to shops is that when you are tired, just head back to rest, together with your purchases, and when ready, step out again!

Novotel on Stevens Singapore Hotel Review

Novotel on Stevens is located just off Orchard Road. The hotel provides a free shuttle service to Orchard Road which is a great idea as there is nothing around the neighborhood to see apart from exclusive condos and elite schools.

The wonderful thing about Novotel on Stevens is the luxurious you experience you get when you step into the hotel, right through the rooms, gym and pool. It is a pleasant hotel to stay in and chill out. My favorite places outside of the room is the gym as well as the lap pool. What was lacking in hotel ie food choices is easily made up with a short trip to Orchard Road.

Sydney best cafes and restaurants

It is less then a year and I am back at Sydney, Australia. This time I had to choose a hotel that was right in the heart of CBD so that I would not have to take to much of public transport, rather just walk from building to building for my meetings. I noticed that Sydney CBD is split by Town Hall station. Anything from Town Hall towards Chinatown is where the hub of activity is after office hours. Whereas anything upwards from Martin Place towards Circular Quay was mostly offices, crowded during the day, quiet in the night, with little food options. If I had a choice again, I would stay right at Town Hall station so that it would not be so difficulty finding a reasonably priced place to dine after work hours.

I arrived on the weekend before my work week to have a feel of Sydney city and walk around a bit to visit some of my favorite places. The first night on arrival, I stayed at Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney. It is a lovely hotel to stay, though a little shabby in the lobby, the rooms are beautifully maintained with a lovely bathroom and living room. The first item on my agenda was to head down to Barangaroo which was a 10 minute walk from the hotel. The area was bustling with diners and restaurants, so different when it first opened. I could hardly find a spot to dine, finally settling for a spot at Bel and Brio for a simple salad.

A luxury beach holiday in Phuket with friends

It has been a while since I last visited Phuket, Thailand. There was a period of time when I would go there often since its less than a 2 hour flight from Singapore. Since my gym trainer was organising a sports retreat for his clients with a group of more than 10 persons, I decided to experience what it was like to travel with so many people and also stay in a luxurious villa. 

We booked our Phuket villa on HomeAway Singapore, my first time doing so! After deciding between 5 luxurious villa properties we settled for a villa at Layang Beach with 7 bedrooms, 3 pools, with multiple lounge areas. The pictures on HomeAway looked as luxurious as how it was when we checked in. We must have taken a good half hour to explore the area and every room. In addition, the villa manager arranged for airport transfer, in-villa massage, as well as a in-villa chef to cook for us, which was super useful since we had such a big group. The experience of having home cooked Thai food in a huge villa was lovely, a personal feel indeed.

A relaxing walking trip in Taipei with lots of coffee!

Time permitted for a week in Taipei to explore at length and at leisure. Although I could have done a round Taiwan tour, this time I did not want to rush through things, and wanted to go in depth in Taipei enjoying the weather, the night markets, Taipei cafes, and just wandering around on foot. As I was going to be in Taipei for 8 nights, finding a hotel for all 8 nights was a challenge, hence I split it up to 4 nights each, at Beauty Hotel Hotel Bfun - North Linsen and Wish Hotel. The hotels were a MRT station apart, so it was easy to walk to the next hotel, and experience a different area altogether. 

The first hotel I stayed in for 4 nights: 

Taipei Hotel Bfun 

At the last moment I was quite hesitant about this hotel, as I found out that North Linsen is kinda like a red-light district. But proved to be unfounded, as the area I stayed was perfectly safe. It is just opposite Shin Shin Mall which houses a cinema and a supermarket. The nearest MRT is Zhongshan, which takes about 15 minutes to walk to the station. A leisurely and pleasant stroll through the Linsen Park. The hotel itself had a lingering smokey smell, which could be easily removed using an air refreshener which I got from the nearby supermarket. Though the double room I got was tiny, it was new, and had a fancy bathtub that encouraged frequent soaks. Hardly any place to hang clothes, so you are literally living out of a suitcase. Otherwise its a new hotel that located in an office block that I enjoyed more than my second hotel. The hotel is near the Nanjing W Road, which is an enjoyable stroll of window shopping and eating. It is a 8 minute walk from Ambassador Hotel, where you can take a direct bus from Taoyuan International Airport, and it stops opposite Ambassador Hotel. Which is more pleasant that going through the human crowd at Taipei Main Station.

Amara Singapore an overnight staycation in Singapore

My past two vacations were staycations in Singapore. I have begun too appreciate an instant vacation. One needs to simply check into a hotel and your holiday immediately begins. No need to pack a bag or spend additional hours in the airport. During the hazy period in Singapore, this proves to be a bonus, to get out of the haze, and into the air-conditioned comfort of a hotel room. With instant confirmation of online hotel booking sites like Booking.com and Expedia.com.sg, this makes checking into a hotel on a discounted rate so much easier.

In my recent staycation in Singapore, I chose the Amara Singapore hotel as it was going on a 40 percent discount. No discerning Singaporean will miss out on such a hotel deal right? So I am back to Tanjong Pagar area, which I have been a tourist for several times now, exploring one of Singapore's famed historic districts. The greatest benefit staying in Amara Singapore is that it is attached a small mall called 100AM. Over in the mall you can find one of my favorite supermarkets called NTUC Finest. They stock the freshest of fruits. So if you are in a healthy and clean eating program, this hotel is ideal, as all you need to do is head to the supermarket and stock up on fruits and salads. 

The hotel itself though having been refurbished is still a little worn around the edges, especially the bathrooms. The pillows are also incredibly used and uncomfortable. The rooms are a little larger than the new hotels around the area which is a bonus. Though the pool looks kind of inviting, I was unable to swim because of the hazy situation in Singapore. The fitness gym looks like it needs some serious overhaul to make it an inviting experience for gym, a poor comparison to the nearby Fitness First outlet at 100AM. All in all, Amara Hotel is a good stay if you need to be near Tanjong Pagar area, which is accessible to most parts of Singapore, close to the MRT, near amenities, yet is a little on the quiet side, away from the bustle of the Orchard area, and right in middle of the old conservation area to explore the quirks of what makes Singapore unique. 

Well if you are a foodie like myself, there is so many food choices in the Tanjong Pagar area, or if the weather is bad, simply head over to 100AM for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. If you are on budget, there is a foodcourt located on the top floor. If you are like me, who likes to sample the best of the area, I would go for Tori King, a delicious Japanese chicken ramen, I keep returning to on occasions. If you are into bread, Imperial Treasure Bakery on the ground floor serves delicious bread. And if you are a drinker, there is no shortage of pubs around. 

Amara Singapore Hotel Lobby

A short luxurious weekend getaway to Krabi Thailand

Deciding between Krabi and Phuket was a tough one for me. Given that I have been to Phuket quite a few times and wanted the familiarity of a holiday destination, it was for the sake of a new blog entry that I decided on a Krabi holiday trip.

I went to Krabi in the tail end of the monsoon period. This meant cheaper flights and less crowds. Unlike the usual leave on Thursday and come back on Sunday, I did a leave on Saturday and come back on Tuesday. This proved more relaxing as most tourists would have headed home on a Sunday, leaving the resort relatively quiet.

I found that if one desires a quieter laid back and less commercial feel, heading to Krabi is definitely a better option that Phuket. However, food, massage, and shopping wise, Phuket still has more to offer.

Sightseeing and cafe hopping in Taipei

Since this would be my second trip to Taipei, I thought I would do something different, perhaps go on a cafe trail in Taipei as well as do day trips out of Taipei. With all the quaint cafes sprouting up, it makes a trip to Taipei quite so exciting. The only issue is, how many coffees could I possibly actually drink in a day?

One of the best ways to prepare for a holiday in Taipei is to mark out what to see at each station. And here is what I have marked out as a travel plan.