Penang Island, Perlis, and Cameron Highland, Pahang (November 2008)

We went for a trip with the whole family recently, covered 3 states in 6 days (Penang Island, Perlis, and Cameron Highland, Pahang).

Our first stop was in Penang Island. I think for this year alone, we have been to Penang thrice! Well, blame it on Penang for having so much finger-licking food there, he he. Seriously, the main reason we choose Penang is because of its food (apart from for a break from work of course). Some of the food that we like to gobble up every time we’re in Penang are Khaleel Nasi Kandar (specifically at Gurney Drive), Anjung Gurney for its Ayer Hitam Laksa, and Char Keow Teow + Rojak mamak at Padang Kota Lama. Now there is an additional eating place where after shopping for dv*s at Ferringhi market, we will make a stop at this one place where they have this juicy homemade beef patty burger at a very cheap price. I can’t remember the name of the road though, sorry! (will check the name of the road in the next trip).

Well, enough about the food! Oookayyy…we stayed at the usual place, which is the Paradise Sandy Beach Resort. Thought of not renewing the membership next year as we’ve been visiting Penang too many times and we thought of giving other hotels a try in our next visit, as the Malay saying goes, “tukar angin” :) Below are some of the pictures taken during our stay in Penang:

Makan-makan at Gurney Drive Khaleel Nasi Kandar, yummy!

At the hotel lobby (perasan ringan ler ni :D ).


The beach is so happening!


Shopping at Queensbay Mall.

Next, we drove up north to Perlis to visit Padang Besar.....yup, again, on hubby's request :). I bought few stuff and hubby bought A LOT. Oh ya, in our previous Perlis trip, we stayed at the Putra Palace Hotel. Perlis don’t really have that many hotels and according to a friend of mine, that’s one of the good hotels there. So to avoid disappointment at that time, we stayed at the highest range room they have at Putra Palace. The bathroom was VERY clean but the furniture totally needs refurbishment. So due to that, we thought of giving another hotel a try for this trip, which is the Putra Brasmana Hotel. This hotel looks newer compared to the Putra Palace. Well, indeed the room is a lot better and the same goes for the breakfast buffet. So for those who might need to go to Perlis for a business trip or leisure, you can give Putra Brasmana a try (however, your experience may be different than mine, bear that in mind :) )

Medan Ikan Bakar Kuala Perlis. The place is just opposite Putra Brasmana Hotel.

After a night stay in Perlis, we headed to the next destination, Cameron Highland. It was a long drive! Initially we booked two MARDI bungalows to accommodate 3 families. The bungalows look beautiful from the outside and inside, however the cleanliness is below zero :(. There are a lot of dusts below the bed and the bathroom isn’t that clean. We end up decided to check out and move ourselves to the Century Pines Resort <http://www.centuryresort-cameronhighlands.com/> nearby. Glad that we did as the resort have very beautiful and spacious rooms (not to forget the clean bathrooms as well). During our stay, we visited the usual places like Boh Tea Plantation, Strawberry Park for its scones, market for veges, few towns and shops along the road.

MARDI bungalows, the place that we wanted to stay initially but end up moving to Century Pines Resort due to the cleanliness issue at the bungalows.

Delicious scones at Strawberry Park. They will only make the scones upon ordering, so you'll always get freshly baked scones (that what makes it so special *drool*).

Cameron Highland now has its own Starbucks Coffee, cool eh!

Hubby surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of roses, thanks darlin'!

Enjoying the scenery (and some desserts) at the Boh Tea Plantation cafe.

Shopping for veges on the way back.

6 days had passed sooo quickly. Wish the holiday could remain longer.

Oh well, now back to reality....… - The End-

Langkawi Island, Kedah (November 2008)

Whoa, feels like it's been ages since our last trip! (no kidding, the last we went for a holiday was in July, my...my). Hubby and I have been real busy with work for the past few months. We were supposed to go for a weekend gateway at Legend Water Chalets, PD in August but even that event has been postponed twice (from August to November and now to December). Things are getting more stable now and finally we can take a break, phew!

Our destination this time is Langkawi Island. It’s my 3rd visit and 1st for hubby. Oh ya, we didn’t go there alone but were accompanied by my mom and mom in law. We are trying to make at least two holidays in a year where one will just be the two of us and another trip is to bring our moms along with us.

We flew there by MAS (bought the tickets during the promotion. It’s very cheap, about RM152 per person). Reached there in the evening and straightaway headed to our accommodation, which is the Holiday Villa. It’s a very nice hotel with good rooms (acceptable toilets, which is my number one priority in rating a hotel, he he), and large swimming pool. The beach area is also lovely with clean white sands (no dog’s poop like in Penang). It’s my 2nd time staying here and I can say that the hotel has managed to maintain its standard and cleanliness (my 1st stay was yearsss ago).

We didn’t visit most of the attractions, as the main agenda is to shop! Well, what do you expect when three ladies go on a holiday together to a duty-free Island :). Hubby has been very patience and supportive throughout the trip, thee he he…Most of the things that we bought are clothes, exclusive batik cloths, chocolates, T-shirts, and fridge magnets. Since we are going back by flight so we can’t really shop all the heavy stuff like Vision, Correlle, Corningware, etc. I just can’t imagine how much more we will end up buying if we were to go back by boat…..scary!

I would say Langkawi is a good destination for a holiday. If you like to shop, they have many stuff to offer. If you just want to unwind and relax yourself, Langkawi has many beautiful beaches, hotels, and spas, just choose according to your $$$. If you haven’t been to Langkawi, I would say you should give it a try one day. Hope you will enjoy Langkawi as much as how we have enjoyed our 4 days trip there!

In the plane

The entire Chenang beach road is lined with shops and stalls on both sides, ahhh heaven!


One of the beautiful beaches in Langkawi

At the Holiday Villa Beach Resort and Spa, Langkawi. Didn't manage to try out the spa as our schedule has been very pack from morning till night, everyday.

Some entertainment for the guest of the Telaga Harbour Park. Can't really understand the musical theatre though cos it is in Kelantan accent.

We (ummm, more of 'I') make a point to have one of our dinner at The Loaf, a Japanese style bakery & bistro, which is owned by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. The food, place, and ambience is great but a little bit pricey. Oh well, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for so it's totally worth dining at The Loaf (especially at night) for a great experience at the Telaga Harbour Park!