Holiday Fun in Thailand, 9-14 Dec 09

More photos in my Facebook, don't think I have the energy to upload more pictures here.

[I know this is a very very late entry, since Jan, my work is getting heavier by the hour...]

We had a splendid year-end vacation with the Poh Family. Started off with a good flight by SQ, we took our 3-hour transfer to Hua Hin. This was our second visit but the first for the Pohs. he happiest people in this vacation had to be the kids for they had great company, all 5 active boys!

We checked into AKA Resort's 2-bedroom villa that comes with our very own private pool and cabana! That's what I called "life". The boys were so excited they changed into your swimwear and jumped into the pool! AKA is a good resort, the welcome snacks were a surprise and the breakfast spread was heavenly! As the occupancy rate was low on our first 2 mornings, we actually had ala carte brekkie buffet, which includes impressive menu such as egg benedict - WOW - it was very well done, the poached egg oozed out succulent sunny yolk that literally shouts "GOOD MORNING & WELCOME!"

To cut short the story... we visited the famous floating market and elephant camp where we rode on 4 elephants.

Our next stop was Bangkok and we stayed at a new boutique hotel called Ten Face (kinda weird name if you asked me). The service at Ten Face is not attuned to family groups as they were quite inflexible in certain ways to accommodate us. Imagine they expected us to pay for Raeyen's brekkie and our advanced booking for transfer to airport was not taken, etc.

Anyway, on a happier note, Bangkok was fun as we visited the Oceanarium beneath Siam Paragon - a mammoth shopping mall. We had great food and even foot massage at my favourite Blooming Spa along Sukhumvit Road. We celebrated Ivy's birthday at Jasmin Restaurant on the 4th floor of Times Square (next to Grande Sheraton Sukhumvit) where we had sumptuous Peking duck!

It was overall a FANTASTIC break for us before the new year started. Thanks, Poh Family!

Holiday Fun, 5 Dec 09

Raeyen's favourite character came to town - Thomas the Tank Engine. To surprise him, I took him and Kieran to catch the show at the Indoor Stadium. He was visibly thrilled. I was however surprised that the organiser did not have many souvenir on sale to cash in from zealous kids and generous parents. Unlike many other shows such as Disney On Ice, this one has very limited merchandise for sale, only some tees, light spinners and posters. As usual, seeing other kids having the light spinner, Raeyen wanted one. I explained that it was a waste of money as he would not play after that and it only affect him from watching the show.

To me, the show was OK. While the cast was pretty good, the Fat Controller was unfortunately played by someone lean with the help of a spongy prop as tummy. The storyline was also so-so. The interval was longer than announced, so I think the ticket was on a high side. Nonetheless, it was almost full-house!

Anyway, so long as the kids enjoy, it's still worth it.

Holiday Fun, 23 Nov 09

We applied leave to take our kids to Kids Amaze at SAFRA Jurong. It's huge and the entrance fee is quite all right. It has what looks like a 6-storey high tower made of kid-friendly materials with lots of cushioned pillars and mats. There were "cannons" where kids could shoot foam balls against insect boards. We enjoyed that alot. Kieran loved the long, spiral tubal slide most. Initially Raeyen was skeptical trying it but the thrill soon overcame his fear and he enjoyed the slide tremendously and without us accompanying him.

Mini break at Sentosa

We spent this one-week September school holiday at Rasa Sentosa Resort for a night. It was our first and will be the last. Simply because it was not value-for-money and the whole place is rather run-down.

First of. Our room wasn't ready, so we took the kids to the Kids' Club to kill time. BUT, it was closed for lunch - can you believe this? The toddler playroom was pathetically boring for Raeyen. The arcade rooms were lingered with stale air. When the Kids' Club was finally opened, we were told only kids above 5 are allowed! Kieran went in, but came out after 5 minutes because it was "boring". He was expecting at least somewhere along the same standard as what he had experienced at The Westin Bali.

Our so-called half-price package of S$217++ per room per night rate does not come with breakfast. When we got in after collecting our key, we were surprised that the carpet has stains.

When we went to the pool the next morning, the pool bar was not opened even through the afternoon! The sea-sport centre was also not opened until either late morning or noon.

Anyhow, despite all these unpleasantness, we had a blast riding 2-3 times on the luge in the day and night. The kids were happy that we spent some time with them. They blew bubbles at the hotel balcony and were excited when we saw a monitor lizard wondering near the pool. The only thing they were thrilled at the hotel was the kiddie rides by the waddle pool.

Summer fun in Bali

At last, our long-awaited holiday to Bali was materialised from 12-16 June onboard SQ morning flight. After more than 2 weeks without a helper, this break came in timely for the drained-out parents and the ever-energetic kids.

After immigration, we were whisked promptly to The Westin Resort Nusa Dua in a MPV (part of the Family Package which comes with 2-way transfers, breakfast for all, kids' amenities and a splendid room, of course). The check-in at the hotel was superb and we were upgraded to Club Room on ground floor with easy access to the POOL!

Wasting no time, we splashed into the pool after unpacking the bags. The kids got own tumblers (compliments from The Westin) which allow them for free drinks at the hotel (it's a brilliant idea).


In the evening, we left them at The Westin Kids' Club at 7pm so that we could have a quiet dinner at the hotel's Italian restaurant. Mama mia!


The next day, the kids went to the Kids' Club while we had a 3-hour fabulous and relaxing spa, which includes the heavenly Balinese massage, Lulur, flower bath and facial/hair treatment. It only cost us USD60nett per person with 2-way transfers!

On the 14th, we had a full-day private tour with a driver-cum-guide in his Toyota MPV. It was a great tour as we visited:

Monkey Forest

Paddyfield Rice Terrace

Ulun Danu (floating) Temple

Tanah Lot Temple

Uluwatu Temple

Seafood dinner at Jimbaran beach

We spent the next day basking under the nice, warm sun by the pool and the amazingly clear-water beach for more than half a day. We could see fishermen standing in the waters, about 300m away from shore! In the evening, we took a taxi to Kuta beach, the sunset view was very romantic and dreamy.


This was my second trip to Bali, the first was purely for meetings and I didn't get to see much. This trip, I was totally awed and immensed into how beautiful and culturally rich Bali is! We like it so much that we don't mind returning for a longer vacation (though I am still lusting for the Maldives).

Holiday in HK & Macau

Went to Hong Kong and Macau from 19 till 24 December, the weather was good (sunny at day and cool at night) but the crowd was not (psst, I even scolded some people who tried to cut our queue in Disneyland). Our photos in Facebook.

Took SQ860 to Hong Kong on the 19th morning and were were greeted with a nice surprise when Raeyen and I were upgraded to business class seats!

It was great fun and a time for bonding with the boys after a year's of hard work. We played hard, slept till late everyday, munched whatever we like and returned home rejuvenated.

December holiday plan

Planned to bring the kids to HK Disneyland but our air tickets are still on waitlist. It would have been perfect if they are confirmed so that we may book everything well in advance. Including Cirque du Soleil's Zaia at the Venetian Macau.

Our holiday in Hua Hin

Photos here.

1 May 08
The Tiger Airways plane was delayed for almost 30 minutes. Such delays seem to be a norm for budget airline and we hoped it will not happen on our return flight. The journey took 2 hours to reach Bangkok. We took a taxi and headed to Pathumwan Princess Hotel for a night stay. While Raeyen was recovering from fever, Kieran was still feverish.

2 May 08
Had breakfast at the hotel, checked out MBK shopping mall, bought some stuff before taking our transport (a mini van) to Hua Hin. The journey took 3 hours while Raeyen napped. Paid Baht 2,500 per way for the transfer, which is considered reasonable. The Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa looked spectacular as we arrived. We checked into our room, which was just as impressive. We had a relaxing dinner by the pool that evening (albeit some mozzie bites).

3 May 08
We went to the beach and then the sprawling pool (1.2m surrounding the resort), basked under the sun, had drinks and snacks by the pool. The kids were enjoying themselves! We went to the downtown shopping mall to buy some stuff, hubby bought 3 Adidas tees and he was very pleased with the cheap genuine purchase.

4 May 08
Another relaxing day as we put the boys at the Star Club (kids club) while we went for an hour spa in the hotel. Hubby had a full body aromatherapy massage and I had a green tea full body scrub. It was exhilarating! After the spa, we had a chocolate fudge cake and a cuppa at the cafe next to the spa before picking the boys. What a life! At night, we took the hotel shuttle to the night market. Binged on local food (very cheap) and bought some clothes and music CDs.

5 May 08
Dipped into the pool again before we checked out. Had the same transfer back to Bangkok International Airport. After the 3 hour journey, we were quite hungry, had sandwiches and ice-cream at the cafe bar in the airport before going to the departure gate. Alas! The tiger was delayed again by another 30 minutes. Raeyen began to show signs of restlessness. When we got to our seats... there was a pool of vomit where Raeyen is supposed to sit! It was a very unpleasant experience and we decided not to take budget airline again.

All of us enjoyed the holiday, Kieran loved the pool and the place very much. However, I would like to revisit the Le Meridien at Khao Lak again.

Airport again!

Kids simply love the airport! We took them to T3 again on Saturday evening, they roamed the vast airport like nobody's business.

The next day, we planned to go Vivocity (another great place for kids) but Raeyen had slight fever and we found an ulcer at the left corner of his mouth. Took him to the PD this morning and was relieved that it's a viral infection, the ulcer was not HFMD but a bite by himself. He should be able to return to school tomorrow.

Talking about school, their Kindy will be organising a Sports Day on Labour Day. Kieran was especially excited and we would let them participate, afterall, it's all for good fun. It will end at 11am while our flight to Bangkok (for our holiday in Hua Hin) will depart at 6pm.

A new digicam

We needed to replace our current Canon IXUS 40 due to wear & tear. To avoid the crazy load of people at the IT Show at Suntec, we decided to get a new digicam at MS Colour at Ang Mo Kio today.

We were deciding between Canon IXUS 860IS or the latest Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX36.

In the end, the Lumix was a clearer choice, not only for its better price but higher resolution at 10.1 megapixel and better wide angle at 25mm. We chose the black piece for a sleeker look.

We'll use it next Saturday as the kids go for Disney on Ice, and on Sunday, we'll bring them to the movie premier of Dr Seuss' Horton Hears A Who! organised by Berri Werks. Most importantly, we are going for a short holiday to Bangkok and Hua Hin from 1-5 May!

Holiday Journal: 11 Oct Mindarie Keys

This was the day before we return to Singapore. It was sunny as we set off to Mindarie Keys, a relatively new place near Joondalup. Also a harbour with nice breeze and some eateries. DOME is there and we had lunch at The Boat - that was our last installment of a string of sinful binges in this trip. We had our last taste of fish and chips in no better fashion than alfresco!





Kieran took a photo of me and hubby...



The boys played catch and I caught them on videoclip:



We had a great time in WA, the company of Joo, Connie & Joo, their hospitality and warmth brought fond memories. Kieran misses playing with Jamus, Raeyen picked up new vocabs and spoke a few sentences, and we forged stronger ties with Joo & family.

To Joo, Connie and Jamus, thanks very much for having us for 2 wonderful weeks. So long and till we meet again in Singapore next February!

Holiday Journal: 10 Oct Perth

Did some shopping at day in the city.

Joo and family brought us to Red Cray for dinner. Among crayfish (or lobster) being its specialty, Red Cray also offers A$12 per plate of pasta every Monday till Wednesday. It was an evening full of delicious, cholesterol-laden dishes!

Below are some of the mouth-watering dishes we ordered.

Holiday Journal: 9 Oct Swan Valley, etc

It was a little wet in the morning, so we headed to Swan Valley for some nougats at Charlies Estate Wines, ice-cream and Oggies Ice Cream Cafe and decadent chocolates at Margaret River Chocolate Factory.

When the rain stopped, we took the kids to Caversham Wildlife Park; kids just love zoos! The highlight for the kids was feeding the kangaroos. We were surprised that Raeyen was at ease at the sight of the roos. He made himself comfortable sitting next to a kangaroo and her joey and began feeding them. To my horror, he even picked up their poo thinking it was food!



We carried on with a visit to a wombat and Molly's Farm where the kids got close to the usual farm animals.



Before we ended our tour, we were lucky (except for Raeyen who fell asleep) to get to the koalas enclosure and managed to stroke one! They were so adorable, especially the one cuddling her joey - so loving and motherly! And there was another perching on a treetop, so cute!

Holiday Journal: 7 Oct Fremantle

Ah... the good 'ol Freo. It was nice to revisit this old town and its vibrant markets. The sky was clear and blue. The kids have had plenty of space to roam and ran freely. The air was fresh, the people were friendly, even the motorists were gracious!



While Raeyen might be clueless, Kieran was thrilled to see rail track and anchors!



After having binged some ice-cream, we walked along the harbour, felt the breeze on our faces and took more photos!

Holiday Journal: 6 Oct Sorrento Quay

It was a fine Saturday afternoon and Connie drove us to Sorrento Quay at Hilarys Boat Harbour. We came here during our trip 4 years ago and like it alot. Its harbour docks many beautiful yachts and boats along with nice shops and eateries.

We had fish and chips at Sharky's before strolling the harbour and its shops. Got Jenard's requested DOLLY mag from a newsagent there.



And of course we couldn't resist the beauty of the habour and snapped some photos.

Holiday Journal: 4 Oct Perth

We rested for the day after returning from the roadtrip.

In the evening, Joo and family took us to Mundaring for the world famous pizzas at Little Caesars.

We had 3 scrumptious pizzas and 2 loaves of garlic breads. Check out our diet...

Holiday Journal: 3 Oct Pinnacles

On our way back to Perth, we stopped by at the Pinnacles while we still had some time. It was a long drive into the desert full of limestone pillars.







Before we left it was sunset and we managed to capture those precious and splendid moments.