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Just Came Back from Hong Kong, Macau and Shenzhen

philin — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:18:59 +0000

I feel quite blessed to be able to travel to the 3 different places in 5 days together with my 2 younger sisters. My second sister brought her ex-colleague along who works in a Hong Kong University as a lecturer to be our translator as all of us don’t speak Cantonese. You need to be able to speak Cantonese to get by as this is one of their main language and English is secondary. She also doubled up as our tour guide. It was a good experience to be able to see the different cultures and lifestyles. I went to a few places in Hong Kong – Golden Bauhinia Square, Repulse Bay, Aberdeen Fishing Village where I snapped photos of the famous Jumbo floating restaurant, The Elements shopping mall where we had our dinner, The Peak, etc.

After Hong Kong, we went to Shenzhen by MTR from Mong Kok East station where our hotel was (Royal Plaza Hotel) to Lor Wu station which was the last train station in China. There we met up with our other tour guide and took a cab to our hotel – FX Hotel. We went to Windows of the World and watch a 4D movie. Also took quite a lot of photos there.

Then we took a ferry to Macau from Shenzhen. We stayed at The Venetian hotel which is a 5 star hotel with the largest casino in Asia. We had dinner at a Portuguese restaurant which was treated by second sis. The beds in Venetian Hotel were decadent. All the rooms are suites and looked very posh. There were many shopping outlets as well. We also saw some ballroom dancing inside the casino. Then it was day tour at Macau the next day where we went to The Tower, saw ruins of St Paul’s church which was just a wall, plus a few other places.

After that, we took a ferry back to Hong Kong and then took a ride in a cab to our hotel – Royal Plaza Hotel where my second sister managed to talk her way to upgrade our room into a suite. It was both enjoyable and a reunion of sorts for the 3 of us siblings. Next target would be Europe.

Wish I could stay in Myrtle Beach and Play a Few Rounds of Golf

philin — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 09:24:44 +0000

I have been working hard every day, except on Sundays to relax and am in need of a nice good holiday somewhere in USA and to stay in Myrtle Beach hotel. Though I have never been to this place to stay, it must be the recommended hotel since it is within a stone’s throw to the beach and premier golf courses where you can swing, putt and play a few rounds of golf to destress.

If you like to know more, you can check out the link here at http://www.horizonmyrtlebeach.com. Some accommodations are worth checking out like the ambience, room service, facilities like gym, sauna, tennis courts, swimming pool, etc. Included are also the various dining places and restaurants within walking distance from your hotel room. There are many Myrtle Beach best hotels to check out before making the booking online or through your local travelling agent.

Though I have never actually play an 18-hole golf, I have learnt to swing at the driving range in Yishun, Singapore with a friend and have also designed an indoor 9-hole mini golf course for Bukit Merah Laketown Resort. The mini golf is no longer there and has been replaced with other forms of entertainment for kids, but we have learnt from our mistakes and to move on to other ventures. But it was an experience to learn from scratch how to use Autocad to design the mini golf and to be creative.

Overseas Vacation

philin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:39:49 +0000

If I have the money, I will go for an overseas vacation to Myrtle Beach in USA. With long sandy white beaches, the towers at Myrtle Beach are very affordable with their units, 1 to 3-bedroom condominium, each with a private balcony to view the splendour of the beach. You will have plenty of fresh Atlantic coastal breeze with palm trees swaying to the gentle wind from the oceans.

When I have the spare cash to spend in my retirement, I hope to stay at the www.towersatnorthmyrtlebeach.com and enjoy a relaxing seafront overseas vacation with plenty of frollicking in the sun and building sand castles. It is good to spend some money after years of working hard and splurge now and then. When I retire, I will have plenty of time on my side to enjoy the pleasures of life while living out my golden years.

For the avid golfers, it is the place to be to enjoy that round of golf at an 18-hole golf course with signature designs by world renown designers. Myrtle Beach is one of the happening places in the world to be for any golfers with deep pockets. And you will not come disappointed to this marvellous place.

Dad going to China tomorrow

philin — Thu, 20 May 2010 07:59:28 +0000

My dad is going to China for 25 days, 10 days paid tour by SAGE golden generation society and 15 days with my second sister in Suchou. He will also attend Shanghai Expo with my sister who has taken 4 days leave to entertain him. My dad is a travelholic and has been round the world to many countries on his own. He has been to USA, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Cambodia, China, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia. At the ripe age of 73, he is still healthy and able to walk long distances and he exercises on the treadmill every day to keep himself fit so that he can be useful to the church taking photographs and volunteer for Little Sisters of The Poor. He is indeed living out his golden years.

Came Back from Hatyai Yesterday

philin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:36:27 +0000

It was an enjoyable trip to Hatyai by chartered van which took about 5 hours on the road. We woke up as early as 5:30am to get ready for the early morning trip as we were the first family to be picked up. My second sister was a chatterbox and kept us entertained throughout the journey. I also bought 2 bras, 4 panties from Wacoal and 2 bras, 3 panties from Triumph in Hatyai as the prices were cheaper compared to Penang. Besides that, I also bought some skin care serum (3 bottles) plus body wash and scrub from a pharmacy carrying UK Boots brand. All of us spend a combined total of thousands of ringgit for our toiletries and lingerie. I also bought 3 big packets of cashew nuts for friends and families. It was a worthwhile trip and money well spent. Happy Chinese New Year and Belated Valentine’s Day to you all.

Feel like going for a vacation

philin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:25:10 +0000

I just came back from KL for a business trip of 2-3 days. And I typed out 14 quotations in 2 days working until 11:30pm. In the afternoon, I followed my colleague to client’s project site to handle customer concerns and to rectify them. Hence, I feel like going for a vacation such as riviera maya family vacations. Working hard also requires a good break from all the work stress and demands. I guess I am Type “A” personality – needing to get everything done on time and a perfectionist. Therefore, this gives me added pressure to myself when working. As a result I need a good break which is long overdue and I have never taken leave in my 6 years of working except for the trip to China and to Bangkok with my parents and youngest sister. For the rest of the time, I am working the whole year.

You might also like to know that the Azul Blue in the Riviera Maya, the world’s first stress-free hotel, that opened in November 2006. You won’t remember the meaning of “stress,” “tension,” or “everyday life” after finding the vacation sanctuary that is Azul Blue. Everything at Azul Blue has been created to nurture your inner peace. Azul Blue’s dedicated spa—the most complete spa on the Riviera Maya pampers your body with an array of soothing treatments that can be taken on-site, on the beach, or in the room. Check into one of their 98 luxury suites overlooking the Mexican Caribbean and take an aromatic bath while you walk down to their beach and nap on one of their four poster cabana beds.

Booked via Air Asia to Kota Kinabalu

philin — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:21:43 +0000

I have booked online through Air Asia to fly to Kota Kinabalu (KK) from 20th to 22nd June 2008. It is on a Friday to Sunday where there is less work. I did try to check out malaysianairlines.com of MAS Zero Fare advertised in the press now but found that it was about RM100 more expensive with transit in KL. With Air Asia, I can fly direct from Penang’s airport to KK in Sabah. The the cost? For 2 persons return is RM814 including taxes and RM3 per bag to check in per person. After I have gone to KK, I would have been to all states in Malaysia. I was in Bintulu, Sarawak in late 2006 and early this year, I went to Terengganu by car. I have been to Kelantan many times for business previously. And I have also been to all the other states in the west coast from Johor to Perlis. I have also stayed in a local hotel in Johor some time back, also for business.

Since I hate walking, I don’t plan to hike up Mount Kinabalu which will take at least 3 days. What I have heard about Mt. Kinabalu is that it is about two times higher than Penang Hill and the path there is not as steep and difficult compared to Penang Hill. So, next time I can boast to my grandchildren that I have hiked up Penang Hill by foot. Because of the MAS zero fare, my youngest sister and her church friends plan to hike up Mount Kinabalu sometime in November. And you can book online until 19th of this month of May.

Stayed in Dorset Hotel for the Weekend

philin — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 06:45:27 +0000

I had a very good weekend vacationing in Dorset Hotel in Larut Road, Penang. It was located just opposite Kentucky Fried Chicken’s outlet in a colonnial bungalow. It was also conveniently located opposite my church known as Georgetown Baptist Church with English services at 9:00am, 11:00am and Hokkien service at 4:30pm by Pastor Yeoh Guan Hock. That’s one of the reason why I booked this hotel instead of staying in Vistana Hotel like last weekend. Our church service venue has been changed from Relau to Larut Road in town. This is a much bigger place and better location which is quite established. Below are the photos taken from my camera.

View from our hotel room in Dorset Hotel.

See the Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet at the bottom. Another view from our hotel room.

Writing table with lamp and mirror.

How comfortable the huge sofas in the lobby.

Bathroom of our hotel room. There’s a basket of freebies like shampoo, shower cap, cotton buds, sewing kit and soap in the corner.

The huge kingsize bed.

Photos taken in Parkroyal Hotel, Penang

philin — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 04:59:34 +0000

The buffet dinner was themed Seafood with slipper lobster, prawns, salmon, oysters and more.

Prawns and more prawns. Nice decoration.

Seafood buffet dinner with meat and veges.

Good selection of dessert with custard, chocolate mousse, etc.

Outside the hotel with tourists resting by the pool.

Beautiful swimming pool lined with palm trees.

Foot Massage in the Hut.

The room that I stayed 2 weeks back in Parkroyal Hotel, Penang.

The room furnishings.

Carpark view outside my hotel room.

White linen covered chairs in the garden for barbeque dinner.

Going to Stay in Equatorial Hotel today

philin — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 07:19:54 +0000

I have faxed to Equatorial hotel my credit card details to confirm a room for tonight. The price is RM295++ with RM100 credit for food and beverages. This is a 5-star hotel near the air port and is popular amongst executives with business dealings in factories in Bayan Lepas. I have dined and had buffet dinner before in Equatorial Hotel but never stayed there. This is a good opportunity to experience the room ambience just before Chinese New Year.

The air seems to smell of money and ang pows during the Chinese New Year season. And there will be lots of hampers, promotions, deals during this festive season. Also, I shall be going to Haadyai to avoid nosy relatives during Chinese New Year from 7th to 9th February. A van will come to my house and pick us up (me, my youngest sister and parents) and bring us to Lee Garden Hotel in Haadyai. My youngest sister booked online for the hotel while my father arranged for the transport to Haadyai. Wish me journey mercies.

Tags : Equatorial Hotel, Lee Garden Hotel, Haadyai, Chinese New Year

Going to Stay in ParkRoyal Hotel Today

philin — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:07:20 +0000

The weekend has arrived finally and last week I stayed in G Hotel beside Gurney Plaza. Today I have already booked and reserved 1 night in ParkRoyal hotel in Batu Feringghi. The room rate was supposed to be RM370++ but with the coupon posted in the letter box, we only pay RM270++ with buffet breakfast. And the promotion is valid from 1st January 2008 till 31st March 2008. Right now I am recharging my camera batteries that conked off on me last night while I was in Queensbay Mall. The Chinese New Year decoration was beautifully done and I had wanted to take some snap shots but my batteries went flat on me. Next time.

Review on G Hotel in Penang

philin — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 06:19:47 +0000

Last weekend, I checked into G Hotel beside Gurney Plaza at 3pm on a Saturday. I could actually check in at 2:00pm but my friend was still busy with his work. Below is the photo taken from my room showing the super condominium Regency on the left and Gurney Park condominium on the right. The swimming pool decked with palm trees belong to Regency while further on the top right side is the swimming pool of Gurney Park. Don’t they look stunning? Now I feel like going for a swim.

This is the bathroom and the sink of G hotel. They used red seeds or known as ‘biji saga’ which grows abundantly in Malaysia for interior decoration. Ok, the colors of the hotel theme are brown, beige and red. I used to collect a lot of these red seeds in Dalat International School and last time in Gurney Drive before the upgrading.

I took this photo in the lobby of the hotel. It is different from other olders hotels which have big flower vase and hanging chandelier. Here, the ambience is more romantic, lights dimmed down and plenty of sofa sets for you to lie flat on your back. The platform is wooden with lights surrounding it.

The charge per night is 255++ and after taxes and service charge, the total amount came to almost RM300 for 1 night of stay. May be a bit on the pricey side for most people but once in a while, it is ok to splurge. You can be sure, I will not be staying here every weekend, but I love to try different hotels and experience the settings.

Below is the list of hotels that I have stayed so far in Penang.
1) G-Hotel
2) Gurney Hotel
3) Northern Suite Hotel
4) Cititel Hotel
5) City Bayview Hotel
6) Traders Hotel
7) Red Rock Hotel
Sunway Hotel
9) Vistana Hotel
10) Hydro Majestic Hotel
11) Naza Hotel
12) Berjaya Hotel
13) Penang Hill Hotel
14) Pulau Jerejak Apartments
15) Cruise to no where, 1 night
16) Dorset Hotel

Going to Stay in G-Hotel today

philin — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 02:52:07 +0000

The weekend has arrive and this Saturday, I will be staying in G-hotel beside Gurney Plaza. The charge is RM255 without breakfast for superior room with king size bed. I will get to do a lot of window shopping as Gurney Plaza, Penang’s lifestyle shopping mall is nearby. At the moment, it is under expansion, so there will be some construction work going on. Just the other day, I had a set dinner in Manila Place for an affordable price of RM35++. This is because it came with mushroom soup (plenty of chopped button mushrooms in it), bread, butter, appetiser, coffee or tea, salmon teriyaki as one of the many main courses to choose from (quite delicious and big helping) and ice-cream as the dessert.

G-hotel is not like any other hotel that you find here. For one, the interior decoration is very modern and hip. You will not find big vases of flower and hanging chandeliers unlike the older hotels. Here, you will find a very cosy lounge with plenty of sofa sets and cushioned chairs with lighted lampstands beside them. The setting is just like a modern house’s interior, cosy and comfortable. The lighting is dimmed down for that romantic feel. The flooring is raised wooden platform with side lights. I am looking forward to today’s stay and check in time is after 2:00pm.

Genting Trip and Happy New Year 2008

philin — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 09:16:47 +0000

Today is the last day for the year 2007. It brings many happy memories for me in terms of making money and as well as some tragic news like the unlikely assasination of Benazir Bhutto on 27th Dec. She died a martyr. She was full of confidence and victory in the election just minutes before her death by a suicide bomber in Rawalpindi. There is just no explanation to all these terrorists acts.

Also today, I just came back from RHB Bank in Jalan Teh Ewe Lim, near my house. I managed to cash out RM367.59 from my Google Adsense via Western Union for the first time after one and a half years. The bank exchange rate was 3.30 today in RHB. And this month alone, I watched a few movies too like Alvin and the Chipmunks, National Treasure and Golden Compass. As I have promised in my previous post, here are the many photos taken in Genting Highlands during my trip from 21st to 23rd of December.

Genting’s very own Statue of Liberty in First World Plaza.

Stage in First World Plaza in preparation for Christmas.

Giant Santa Claus.

Santa Claus sitting on a bench in maroon velvet costume.

Genting Walk in brightly lit neon lights.

Many decorations and items for sale in Genting Highlands.

Eiffel Tower in Genting Highlands. This was taken in First World Plaza, the happening place to be in Genting where most attractions and fun rides are abound everywhere.

Christmas decorations and water fountain outside Genting Hotel.

Chrysanthemum flowers grow abundantly outside Genting Hotel.

First World hotel, the largest hotel in the world with 6118 rooms. This was where we stayed.

Escalator decorated with pots of geniune poinsettias and christmas trees.

The two elephants remind me of my recent trip to Bangkok and Pattaya. They are part of the interior decoration of Genting Hotel where we roamed about.

This is one of the entrance to a casino. We were not allowed to go in as I was holding a camera in my hand. Since we don’t gamble, we did not attempt to go in again and instead enjoyed the cool mountain air in our room.

Christmas House.

Happy New Year 2008 to all and Good Bye 2007. Let’s hope 2008 will be another year full of excitement, enjoyment, food, travels and making more money.

Booked First World Hotel for Christmas 2007

philin — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 01:24:07 +0000

Since June this year, I have paid for 3 days 2 nights stay in Genting’s First World Hotel from 21st to 23rd December. In the afternoon after 3:00pm, I shall check in to First World Hotel in Genting Highlands, the famous mountain resort with casinos in Malaysia. It boasts of 6,000 rooms, the biggest hotel in the world. Yay, in a short while today, after collecting a check from a client, we will proceed to Genting Highlands for holidays. If you like to reserve a hotel, check out Hotel Reservations. I shall be back for dinner with my family on Christmas eve in Hokkaido Restaurant in Penang.

European Travel Agency

philin — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 03:31:24 +0000

Since graduation, it has been my dream to tour Europe and visit London, Mount Titlis in Switzerland, see Eiffel Tower in France or visit the leaning tower of Pisa and cheap holidays to Greece. I am currently saving up money for my trip, hopefully by next year. You can now book cheap holidays online with one of the largest travel agencies in Europe. Holiday Hypermarket offers millions of package holiday bargains, last minute deals, cheap flights and all inclusive holidays to destinations all over the world.

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What do to in Bangkok and Pattaya? Part 2

philin — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 05:25:50 +0000

That’s me para-sailing in Pattaya. The tour guide took this shot for me. It was like clock work with the para-sailing guides lifting one tourist after another.

Landed safely and got rid of the parasailing gear. It was some experience being lifted up to the skies and viewing the seas below. See the queue on my right side waiting to be lifted up in motor boats.

Pattaya has very beautiful unpolluted blue seas and long stretch of white fine sands on the beaches. It is a tourists’ haven. See how many speed boats there are here. I also went for a speed boat ride with my youngest sister with a guide behind us showing how to use the speed boat.

Came back after sea walking (in earlier post) to the white sandy beaches, all wet but very satisfied participating in the many water activities.

In Nong Nooch Tropical Garden. See the sculpted hedges, trees and gardens.

Long almost-langciau-like cacti in the background. Beware, this prick will be ouch! Got the red collared shirt from China with Beijing Olympics 2008 logo in August 2007. It complements the green background and stands out clearly in all my photos.

Big round cacti. This time you don’t see them in little small plastic pots.

A different desert plant. This one is rather spikey like a Christmas tree.

With my youngest sister in sunglasses. Notice how vast the gardens are.

What do to in Bangkok and Pattaya? Part 1

philin — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 02:50:17 +0000

We stayed in 4-star Prince Palace Hotel in Bangkok. Here is a view of the room with intricate wall paper design and cosy beds. The clothes wholesaler are located around this hotel. So, if you want to buy clothes at wholesale price, you know where to get next time.

This is a very cosy ambience of Prince Palace Hotel that I took in the evening when the chandeliers are lighted up.

Behind me is the Wat Arun temple in Bangkok. For only 50 bahts (5 ringgit) per person, you can rent costume of various colors to snap with Wat Arun. Here is yours truly in Bangkok.

My youngest sister in blue and me in pink. This is the national Thai costume.

You will never be short of ideas of what to do in Bangkok. You can go for an elephant ride. Ouch, my bottom hurts…. The ride took about 10 minutes balancing the seat on the elephant’s back, but good for a lifetime experience.

Or go for a horse ride with a cart. Less bumpy than the elephant ride.

Or see dolphine show in Safari World.

Take photo of the beluga in Safari World.

Go to the loo to relieve ourselves. See how colorful the doors are!

Next on the item is Thai kick boxing or muay Thai as part of the cultural show. More photos next post!