Friday, April 1, 2016

Sisters Trip: 2D1N in Golden Palm Tree Resort, Malaysia (Part Two)

As I am typing this entry, I had a sudden impulse to jet off for a beach holiday - relax my mind for a couple of things, doing nothing to rejuvenate both body and soul. Continuing from where I left off previously, the resort offers a wide range of activities to keep you occupied throughout your stay, ranging from yoga, zumba to bicycle tours. The sofa and beds were so inviting that we were tempted to take a short nap since we woke up very early to catch the flight. We struggled hard and in order to fight the zzz monster, we decided to head outside and chill out at the pool.
We changed into our swimming gears and headed to the pool. I had a proper bathing suit as I was prepared to swim laps instead of just chilling out at the pool. That was the best chance for me to practice swimming since I had been taking lessons for the past couple of months prior to the trip. Not an expert swimmer, but at least I can proudly proclaim that I know how to swim after decades!
A buggy ride, anyone? This could save us the few minutes from walking.
The infinity pool, which was pretty small given the size of the resort. Everyone pretty much chilled out at the pool instead of doing laps. So I had to abandon my mission and chill alongside with the rest. 
I could really just sit here and relax with a book, with a glass of cocktail by my side! Even though the pool was small, but the view made up for it. It was really therapeutic to swim to the edge of the pool and just look out into the horizon, listening to the crashing of waves while enjoying the sea breeze. 
 With the girls, minus Jacq who was the photographer. 
I can't believe that Miao actually brought her pink float along, lol! This girl super thick-skinned; she went to the swim shop and asked the shop owner if he could help her to pump air into the float. Thankfully, the shop owner agreed. We also pulled Jacq down by tricking her that she can lie on the float but we decided to capsize it instead.
Us having fun with the float :)
 We chilled at the pool for a couple of hours and headed back for a quick wash up. Next on the agenda, massage and spa! 
The escapade spa is located within the resort, within walking distance from the infinity pool. We made the reservation upon arrival, but do check with the hotel to see if you can pre-book for appointments. We checked in around noon and the earliest appointment that we could get was around 5PM. 
We were greeted with the sea view upon entering. 
Reception area while we decide on the type of treatment. The menu offers pampering from head to toe, which includes body treatments to give the skin a healthy boost, aromatic plant and floral facials for nourishing the skin or relax in a warm herbal bath to calm the soul.  
Other beauty touch-ups include hair treatments, manicures and pedicures. They even come with express options for those who couldn't afford the time. 
All of us went for the 2h full body massage.
We were ushered into the respective couple room for the massage. I left my body in the trusty hands of the masseur, who worked hard to knead the stress away from my muscles. My body felt so relaxed and recharged after the session. 
Escapade Spa
Golden Palm Tree Resort
After the massage session, it was time to feed our hungry stomachs! We went to the pool cafe for a quick browse through of the menu. Afterwhich, the consensus was to head outside for more variety.
On our way out in search for more food, since I spotted some standalone restaurants/eateries as we drove into the driveway earlier.
This is the beach located outside the resort, named Smiley Beach. You can head down to the beach for a game of soccer, volleyball or petanque. The resort also organise volleyball matches everyday at 5pm, so if you are feeling competitive, you know where to go!
The sun is almost setting but we can still see a lot of activities going on. This is part of the bicycle path where you can get an awesome view of the beach. 
We even got a gorgeous view of the sunset from our table.  
Besides that, we also witnessed a romantic proposal on the beach. The girls all went "Awww" as the guy knelt down with a huge bouquet of flowers, asking his girlfriend to marry him. So sweet!
We went alfresco, but the downside was that you had to battle with flies constantly. Penang char kway teow and mee goreng mamak were the clear favourites as we gobbled it down. Part of the reason was not to share our food with the flies. We retired back to the villa for the next segment of drinks plus games before we finally collapsed in bed and dozed off to lala-land.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Family Self-Drive Trip to Malacca: Christ Church and Heading Home

 
The final post on our self-drive trip, another trip documented :) It takes a lot of motivation and determination to document a travel series - sorting out pictures, selecting and spending time in front of the computer. While I'm typing away for this entry, I also took the time to update the K-dramas for 2014. I still have tons to update for other years, but I'll do that another time.  
We ventured to Capitol Satay for dinner only to be greeted by this sight! In Malacca, it seemed normal to see such queues at famous eateries. I need to work out the best time to avoid the crowd next time. #homeworkfornexttrip
My 2 lovely nieces; we joined the queue for dinner but gave up 15 min later for we were told that it will be a 2h wait before we can get a table. Thus, decision time to fix the next dinner venue. We decided to head back to the mall (again) since they offer more choices and most importantly, it is air-conditioned.  
As we headed back to the mall, we also took a mini tour around Christ Church. This 18th century Anglican church is the oldest functioning protestant church in Malaysia. This church is instantly recognisable by its red-brick exterior and a huge white cross at the top
We spot the tents beside the church, took a quick look and left to continue our journey.
Christ Church, Melaka
Jalan Kota Melaka
Colourful trishaws roamed the area and you can always hop on for a ride to tour the surrounding areas in these elaborately decorated trishaws (for a fee) to enjoy the Malacca experience. #bucketlistfornexttrip
Heading to the mall to feed our hungry stomachs. We did more shopping and chilling around since it was our last night in Malacca. Later in the night, Leecher was down with food poisoning and I had to head out to get medication for him. Thankfully, lil niece and BIL accompanied me on this mission. I basically brought every medication that I can find on the racks of 7-11 for treating diarrhea!
It was certainly a journey to remember, with so many of us falling sick from this journey. However, it was great bonding time with the family members too. Till the next trip :)  
 ******
Read our Malacca adventures here:

Monday, March 21, 2016

Family Self-Drive Trip to Malacca: Nadeje Mille Crepe and Jonker 88

 
It has been a long time since I'm actually home on a Monday, as I'm clearing my brought-forward leave before the end of Q1. It seemed like an extended weekend and best of all, no Monday blues. The downside is that I have to join a conference call at 6.30PM to discuss some important decisions with a client. I guessed I shouldn't grumble since my colleague is getting up at 6.30AM his time to join this call as well. 
 
The recent humid temperature in Singapore reminded me greatly of that in Malacca, during our last family trip. After visiting St Paul's Church and A'Famosa Fort, we headed to the nearest mall for the comfort of air-con. We walked around the malls, taking in the sights but there wasn't anything to buy. I realised that it has been a long while since I last shopped at the malls, especially with the convenience of internet shopping.
 
While looking for a place to rest our tired legs and grab a quick bite, I figured that we should head to Nadeje - famous for their mille crepe. I have long heard about Nadeje way before Lady M invaded our shores. Surprisingly, I have never gotten to visit this place during my past trips here.
he Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) issued an advisory on 15 March 2016 stating that the second half of March 2016 is expected to be drier and warmer than that experienced in the first fortnight of the month. During this period, the daily maximum temperatures are expected to range between 33°C and 34°C, and could reach a high of around 36°C on a few days. - See more at: http://www.gov.sg/factually/content/is-it-true-that-singapore-temperature-is-expected-to-soar-to-40-degrees-celsius-in-the-next-few-days#sthash.bUmV2loa.dpuf
Wow, check out the ridiculously long queue for both dine in and take away. The decision was to either join the queue or head somewhere else, but we decided to brave the queue! 
 
As the weather was humid, PILs stayed at KFC to enjoy the cool air while the 3 warriors took up the challenge and joined the queue.  
he Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) issued an advisory on 15 March 2016 stating that the second half of March 2016 is expected to be drier and warmer than that experienced in the first fortnight of the month. During this period, the daily maximum temperatures are expected to range between 33°C and 34°C, and could reach a high of around 36°C on a few days. - See more at: http://www.gov.sg/factually/content/is-it-true-that-singapore-temperature-is-expected-to-soar-to-40-degrees-celsius-in-the-next-few-days#sthash.bUmV2loa.dpuf

 Accompanying the niece as she sat at the bench to rest her tired legs. 
After an 'eternal' wait, we were ushered into the cafe. This was akin to seeing light at the end of a dark tunnel, lol! We placed our orders and waited eagerly for the cakes to be served. 
 
I love being in a cake shop, as the cakes always remind me of special occasions like birthdays and celebrations. I love buying and eating cakes. Now, we'll try to indulge in them occasionally since we are trying to reduce our sugar intake.  
We ordered 6 crepes to try out. A few that stood out: Malacca, a localised flavour which was inspired and made using Malacca famous Gula Melaka. This was very popular on the table. Nothing can go wrong with the Original, which is the origin of Nadeje Mille Crepe. Homemade custard cream with Tahitian vanilla beans mixed with fresh cream - fingerlicking good! Double chocolate was also one of my favourites, just because it is chocolate! With over 18 choices available, I'm sure there will be one that will suit your tastebuds. 
Nadeje Mille Crepe
G-23B, EG4 and EG5, Ground Floor
Mahkota Parade, 7500, Melaka
Tel: 603 06 2843469
Opening Hours: 11AM till 10PM daily
Back to Jonker Street for a quick pit-stop before heading back to the hotel. We bought some stuff at San Shu Gong the night before, so we decided to skip this and headed for Jonker 88 Laksa instead. 
Having been here numerous times, I feel that the standard has dropped. However, business seemed to be better than usual. It used to be easy to get a table, but now it took ages before finding a seat/table.  
The never-ending-long-queue for asam laksa. 
 
We queued for almost 45 min before we could place our orders. Taking selfies to kill time, other than surfing facebook/internet. An unhappy episode happened here, with a no-manners uncle. Uncle, I hope your kids won't grow up to be as ill-manners as you, hmp! Anyway, I have to prepare for the call now - will be back soon (hopefully) with more updates :) 
Jonker 88 ( 大寶小食)

88 Jalan Hang Jebat (Jonker Street)

75200, Malacca, Malaysia 
 ******
Read our Malacca adventures here:
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