Tag Archives: Holidays

Holidays….Planning and Dreaming

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Since I am at home these days, I thought I’d get a head-start on planning our 2016 and 2017 holidays! The June holidays are just about a month away and we are considering a number of options to travel regionally.

I came across this list from TripAdvisor and this seems to be a good starting point for anyone wanting to travel around Asia. Here are the top 25 Asian destinations of 2016. Of these, I’ve been to roughly half this list. I now need to start looking at the others, but I do know there will be some I won’t go to which may be overrun with backpackers and are famous for activities I am not interested in.

The top 25 Asian destinations are:

  1. Siam Reap, Cambodia
  2. Hanoi, Vietnam
  3. Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
  4. Bangkok, Thailand
  5. Hong Kong, China SAR
  6. Tokyo, Japan
  7. Kathmandu, Nepal
  8. New Delhi, India
  9. Taipei, Taiwan
  10. Hoi An, Vietnam
  11. Kathu, Thailand
  12. Krabi, Thailand
  13. Jaipur, India
  14. Chiang Mai, Thailand
  15. Bophut, Thailand
  16. Beijing, China
  17. Singapore
  18. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
  19. Kyoto, Japan
  20. Goa, India
  21. Shanghai, China
  22. Seoul, South Korea
  23. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  24. Osaka, Japan
  25. Mumbai/Bombay, India

If you want to know the top destinations worldwide, here’s the link:

  1.  London, United Kingdom
  2. Istanbul, Turkey
  3. Marrakech, Morocco
  4. Paris, France
  5. Siam Reap, Cambodia
  6. Prague, Czech Republic
  7. Rome, Italy
  8. Hanoi, Vietnam
  9. New York City, USA
  10. Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
  11. Barcelona, Spain
  12. Lisbon, Portugal
  13. Dubai, UAE
  14. St. Petersburg, Russia
  15. Bangkok, Thailand
  16. Amsterdam, Netherlands
  17. Buenos Aires, Argentina
  18. Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
  19. Playa del Carmen, Mexico
  20. Cape Town, South Africa
  21. Tokyo, Japan
  22. Cusco, Peru
  23. Kathmandu, Nepal
  24. Sydney, Australia
  25. Budapest, Hungary

This list has seriously awakened the travel wanderlust in me, and I need to start planning for trips out of this region. We have pending trips to meet family to both Europe and North America and I need to start saving up for these trips. For a family of four adults, this will be serious $$, especially flights!

OK, gotta start looking for jobs now!

 

Instagram Interludes

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A couple of nights back, when iOS released it’s latest update, I could not download it initially. The reason was my phone didn’t have enough memory and this is a 65 GB memory phone! Photos, some back as far as 2011 were the biggest space hogs and so I started going through old photos to see if I could delete some. In the process, came across many photos which I will probably spam over the next few weeks!

The photos below are all throwbacks to our Chiang Mai holiday in end 2014 and are all plants and flowers. I’ll try and theme photos together and see if I can put together another couple of such posts….

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An Unforgettable Trip

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While in India, one of our smaller trips was to Bangalore to meet my maternal grandmother who is nearing close to 90 and also to meet an uncle who is suffering from a double whammy of Alzheimer’s as well as Parkinson’s!

The four of us plus my mum were supposed to be taking IndiGo both ways, with us taking the 12:30 flight from Mumbai, reaching Bangalore around 2:15. The new airport in Bangalore is very, very far away from the city and to get to anywhere in the city is at least a 90 minute drive, this is assuming the horrendous traffic that Bangalore is famous for is clear and non-existent at that point! We’d planned for a two hour drive to my aunt’s place which is in one of the outer suburbs, the other side of the airport and which should take around 70 – 80 minutes at that time of the day and had expected to reach latest by 4 pm. We’d also arranged for a taxi to pick us up at the airport.

In the morning, while getting ready to leave, I got a message from the airline that the flight had been retimed to an hour later than it was supposed to leave. Though it was irritating, we shrug it off and changed our plans accordingly. We left around 10:30 which should get us to the airport around 11:15, which would be well in time for the 1:30 pm flight. On the way to the airport I received two messages from the airlines – one after the other, which now changed the flight’s departure time to 4 pm!

I was thus, quite upset when I reached the check-in counter. The person who checked us in told me that it was a technical problem and he could check us into the next flight to Bangalore which left at 3:45 pm. When asked, he said there was no guarantee that our scheduled 12:30 flight would make it at 4 pm, but the 3:45 flight was assured to leave on time. So we did the change and spoke to my dad. My dad was by that time not interested in us going to the city, he wanted us to cancel the tickets, get a refund and return home. My mum, on the other hand wanted to meet her mum, sisters and brothers-in-law. Around 3 pm, when we were waiting to start the boarding process, I got another message from the airline saying the 3:45 flight had now been postponed to 5:30 pm.

At this point, I completely lost it! The boarding gate area at this point was resembling a small town bus stand with passengers all over the place. The domestic airport didn’t even have decent places to eat and we were hungry, bored and super angry. I then went to the airline counter and spoke to one of the supervisors. What she told me was a completely different story from what the check-in guy told me. Her story was that since all their flights originate in the northern part of India and that part was fogged up, all flights were running 3-4 hours late, there was no technical problem at all!

Then me and another lady who had to get to Bangalore also urgently spoke to her and when I told her what I was told while checking in, she decided to get it reconfirmed. That was a lie I was told initially. Then that sweet lady (I did write down her name, but now I can’t find the paper) told us she will put us back in my original flight (the 12:30 one) which was now going to land shortly and depart for Bangalore at 5:30 pm.
We (the five of us plus the two of them) then were led out of the security area and had to re-checkin for the 5:30 flight. Clear security once again and then start the wait all over again. We finally got in the bus to get to the aircraft around 5:15 pm and when we reached the aircraft, we saw that all the passengers had not disembarked. What we saw made everyone on that bus comment again! We saw groups of people who used the gangway to take photos and selfies! This sheer selfishness of people really threw me away! These people have also been delayed by 3-4 hours and they know this flight has to go to another destination, yet they spend, nay waste precious moments taking pictures that they can do outside the plane.

We finally boarded and the flight left around 6 pm. We reached Bangalore around 7:15 and got to my aunt’s place at 9 pm! What was roughly a 6 hour journey door-to-door became an almost 12 hour one!

The return journey was nothing like what I wrote above! It was a breeze and what IndiGo is renowned for and we made it home by 3 pm (We had taken the same 12:30 flight from Bangalore to Mumbai)!

This is one trip that none of us are going to forget in a hurry I am sure!

Penang Holiday Part 6: Shopping and Return to Singapore

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The story so far… Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5

We woke up a bit later on our last day in Penang knowing that we had planned a day of shopping and there was no point in leaving the hotel before 10 as nothing would be open before then. After another scrumptious breakfast, we went back to the room with the idea that BB & S would go swimming. But BB was more interested in playing his game on the iPad and so we decided to just laze around till it was time to leave.

We left around 10:15 and headed to Queensbay Mall. We decided on this mall as against the others in the city mainly because it was one of the biggest in Penang. Another reason was this was close to the airport and I wanted to map our way back the next day as I would no longer have my unlimited data plan at midnight that day.

The mall, which is managed by Capitaland, a Singapore company was typical of any Singapore mall. The only difference being that due to the Malaysian Ringgit being comparatively lower than the Singapore Dollar, we got a few bargains especially for clothes. We were there for a couple of hours and had lunch at the food court there at an Indian stall. BB & GG along with S had wanted to try the famous Penang Chendol and we were planning a trip to the store later in the evening when we saw they had an outlet in the mall, so that craving was also satisfied.

After the mall, we decided to visit the Tropical Fruit Farm to pick up the coconut oil that S’ friend had wanted. I spent a bit of time trying to check if we could get it elsewhere but drew a complete blank! This was literally in the middle of nowhere and a 45 minute drive through the hilly areas and interiors of Penang to get there, but since we had a car at our disposal and nothing else really to do, decided to go ahead. I was the navigator as always and during the trip there, we felt we were in another country altogether…

The Tropical Fruit Farm is situated about 800 ft above sea level on the hilly terrain of Teluk Bahang and covers 25 acres. They have around 250 different species of trees, which include rare and exotic trees from Central and South America, Central Africa, India, the Middle East, the Caribbean, the Pacific Islands etc. They also have tours and tastings sessions there. We didn’t do all that, just brought the oil and then took away fresh juices to drink later.

Back at the room around 4ish, S and BB decided to have a nap and read while R, GG and I decided to walk to a massage centre we saw across the hotel earlier. We did another foot massage each and though much better than the one we did at Batu Ferringhi. This one was for 45 minutes and cost us RM 53 each. They also had a promotion of a body and foot massage for RM 84 which though I was tempted I didn’t take as we didn’t have the time for it.

Back in the hotel, we decided to explore the Georgetown malls of Komtar and Prangin. These are slightly oldish malls, and this was where we found the same stuff that were being sold in Batu Ferringhi at cheaper prices! We felt cheated, but this was a lesson we learnt and hopefully someone else learns from our mistakes

After having Indian for almost every meal, we decided to do Italian at the Piazzaiola at Lot 33 which is at the basement of the Prangin Mall. This one was opposite to the side which had the Bata store which we had to ask around before we found our way. The food was good, but the most expensive of our trip. It was ok since it was our last night in Penang! Again some great deals in the mall because of the stronger Singapore dollar and we came back lugging shopping bags…

The next day, after a quick breakfast, we left the hotel around 8. Since we had to return the car fully topped up with petrol, we decided to fill it up at a petrol kiosk across the street from our hotel. This was the only time we topped up during our four days there and filled up around RM 40 worth! This made the car super cheap!! Oh, I think I didn’t mention what we paid for the car – we paid around RM 500 for three days.

Just before we left the hotel, since I still had WiFi, I tried to map us to the airport and when I refreshed the map at the petrol station, I was pleasantly surprised to see it worked! So inspite of misgivings on whether we will be able to make it to the airport relying solely on expressway signs, we did have the map with us and reached the airport without incident before 9 am for our 11 am flight.

The Tiger Airways queue was super long and took us almost 30 minutes to check in. We had a bit of a problem at security check. While packing our things the previous evening, I had put everyone’s toiletries into one suitcase and it was pulled up! I was confident that there was nothing that could not be carried on as all our toiletries were less than 100 ml. The officers opened the bag and checked and then let me go! Guess if this had been distributed across four bags which we had done flying in, it would have been beneath the radar!

Anyway, after a bit of looking and seeing the airport, we boarded the plane and got back to Singapore in one piece. I was actually quite impressed with Tiger Airways and will now look at that for regional travel options since they allow you 10 kg of carry on luggage and if all four of us fly together, that makes it a massive 40 kgs….

With the return back to Singapore it was the end of our holidays! Now waiting for our India holidays in December, but before that the PSLE results 😦

Hope you enjoyed this series as much as I did writing it. If you have questions or comments, please do write in!

Penang Holiday Part 5: Batu Ferringhi Night Market

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The story so far… Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4

After a short break in our room and some coffee to fortify ourselves at the Planters Lounge, we left for Batu Ferringhi for some shopping. I had read the night market opens around 7 pm, but we were eager and left the hotel slightly after 4 pm which in hindsight was a mistake. The drive from the hotel to the Batu Ferringhi night market stretch was around 30 minutes and we got there well before 5! We parked at the basement of the Eden Parade, a smallish, slightly run-down mall.

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A ‘Ship’ restaurant on the Batu Ferringhi strip

Batu Ferringhi is one of Penang’s most popular places, a nice long stretch of soft, white sandy beach along a winding road named Jalan Batu Feringghi, filled with a host of accommodation and dining options. Its night market is quite legendary, while its waters are popular spots for a range of water sports activities such as parasailing and windsurfing. The road which is called Jalan Batu Feringghi comes alive every night as vendors set up stalls along this stretch offering everything from fake designer bags and inexpensive pirated DVDs, to handmade local souvenirs and local artwork. One of Penang Island’s most noteworthy attractions, it is a not-to-be-missed feature not only for its sheer size (spanning all the way from Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort all the way down to Hard Rock Hotel and beyond), but also its cool, electrifying atmosphere. I would not say the prices are cheap, but if you are a good bargainer, then you may score a good deal. Don’t buy from the first stall you see an item, walk along and see others and if you feel a particular stall gives you the best deal, go back there. I’d say start at half the price quoted and work your way up. The market opens around 7 pm and goes on till late in the night.

Since we were early, we decided to do some foot reflexology at a Thai foot reflexology place opposite the Shangri-La. We paid RM 35 per person for 30 minutes and everyone with the exception of my helper R did it. It was not the best I’ve had, but was not too bad. While doing the massage, S suddenly remembered some Coconut Oil he had to purchase for a colleague. This was apparently only found in one place in Penang and this was some 20 minutes out of Batu Ferringhi. We went back and forth about going there, but since it was almost 6 pm then, decided against it as by the time we drove there, the place would have closed.

Around 6, we started walking the Batu Ferringhi Night Market Stretch. We walked the whole stretch till after the Hard Rock Café Hotel and it was only when we completed the walk and started turning back, we saw some stalls starting to open. We walked our way back, stopping to see stalls which were interesting and buying a few things. Then hungry, we decided to go an Indian & Arabic restaurant called Maroush which had caught S’ eye earlier on. The food was not too bad, but I found it to be more expensive than Georgetown and the portions smaller. This was the second most expensive of all our meals in Penang.

If you are staying in Georgetown, or even if you stay in Batu Ferringhi, before you hit the Night Market, take a stroll along the Komtar and Prangin malls. You may be surprised to see the same items going cheaper than Batu Ferringhi. For example we saw some canvas bags in the night market selling around RM 12 per piece, which was being sold in Prangin for RM 5. Another example was miniature planes (commercial airlines) which BB loves. We brought one from Batu Ferringhi at RM 28 (the stall was a fixed price one and didn’t allow me to bargain) while in Prangin I saw it for RM 20 in one shop and RM 19 in another, both on the same floor! So don’t make the mistake we did and see what available first before buying at Batu Ferringhi. Personally I found Batu Ferringhi very touristy and so more expensive compared to other places in Penang. It’s nice for the atmosphere and some cheap buys (we brought 6 DVDs for RM 20 which was a steal, but not sure of the quality).

We got back around 9 to the hotel and were fairly exhausted. Surprisingly the place where we had parked the car did not charge us for the parking at all! We must have parked there for more than three hours, but we paid zilch! So this was our cheapest car park payment in Penang…The next day was the last full day in Penang and we had planned a day of shopping.