funny how i never posted this anywhere. did the pic vanish?
February 28, 2012
February 21, 2012
February 20, 2012
One Helang Hotel, Langkawi
we'd have checked-in here right after checking out from Andaman, but unfortunately most hotels, including One Helang, were unavailable for Sunday. i said if worse come to worse, i wouldn't mind sleeping in the car. hahahah.
Significant Other was not amused.
oh well.
i wouldn't mind AB Motel, but being the 'manja' one, he insisted on finding a more better place. i asked him if he would rather sacrifice comfort than paying more. i've heard stories of cheap places that came with their own room resident: bed bugs. ugh. after this i'm bringing my own mat and will be sleeping on that as a lapik for obvious reasons *shudders*.
so in the end, we chose this hotel due to its location. it was situated right beside the airport (you could just disembark from your plane and drag your bags here without even having to hail a cab), and it was also about 10 minutes to the school. also, the friend we met up for dinner stayed there previously and according to them, they were quite satisfied, despite getting a room which faced another building, lol. we stayed two nights at this hotel.
One Helang Hotel
Jalan Lima, Padang Matsirat
Langkawi,
07100 Kedah,
Malaysia
Phone: (604) 955 3030
Fax: (604) 955 2030
check-in: 3pm, checkout: 12pm
Website: http://www.helanghotellangkawi.com
the foyer was really spacious, unlike Four Points who did nothing to manipulate the available empty space, the foyer had proper chairs for guest to sit down and wait while someone checks them in. further ahead was the dining area, and the glass doors lead outside to the pool. i didn't go swimming here, it was too hot and i takde geng - Significant Other had class.
they had very limited parking spots available, so if you get back late then you've got no choice but to park outside along the main road. the place was packed, btw. mostly with tourists and big families with hyperactive kids. i registered at the check-in counter alone (i came directly from Four Points).
the hotel was not situated beside the beach, but i heard someone at receptionist telling a mat salleh at the counter that they had a private beach shared with Langkasuka Hotel (this i got to recheck) and they had shuttles to take guests there in case anyone would like tohave a go take a dip in the jellyfish-infested waters of Langkawi (ok i'm overexaggerating on this one =P).
according to the website, room prices start from RM 230 nett per room per night, and i think you can get better rates online rather than purchasing directly.
i was quite happy with the room view. i love the window seat. the room was facing the swimming pool (not that i actually cared), but i was more happy with the view beyond the hotel.
the view of the planes departing and landing at the airport. such a remarkable sight!!! lots of AA planes landing and taking off. so okay, please bear with me who loves to gawk at planes, doesn't matter whether they're stationary or in the air. i've never actually bothered to understand the principle of how planes take flight, until the day someone decided to enroll into flying school (he kept saying it would be an insult if i didn't know all this. pfft. who again is enrolled in flying skool?).
everything was really peachy... until i realized that one of the main lights in the room (mounted on the wall) wasn't working. so the room seemed really dimmer than normal, it made for a perfect romantic setting. hahahahahah. on the second day of my stay did i call someone at maintenance to get it fixed. the call was actually to replace the bulb for the lamp at the study table but after fiddling with the switch, it suddenly decided to stay lit. and the maintenance people realized that for the wall light, the wasn't the bulb that was the problem, but the light itself (or something like that, since they had to dismantle the whole thing) and in their haste they managed to let a bulb drop to the floor and smash into smithereens (lucky they didn't drop the light. hahahaha). this reminds me of a little joke i used to hear while growing up:
how many people does it take to fix a light?
in One Helang Hotel, it apparently takes THREE.
hahaha. little hotel humor for you.
seriously, it really did take three people to troubleshoot and fix the light problem.
on the first day of our arrival, we had hot water. Significant Other happily officiated the bathtub. but the next day, hot water was nada. haih. what was available was only cold water. grrr. called reception, they said they'd been having an intermittent problem with the water heater in the hotel, said that their people were looking into it and would probably be fixed by lunchtime.
they were wrong. right up until the day we checked out on Wednesday, there wasn't any hot water. Tuesday night Significant Other was desperate for a hot bath he practically boiled hot water in the electric kettle and kept dumping the hot water into the bathtub repeatedly. kggal. at one point he had this 'supposedly brilliant idea', but all he managed to do was to shortcircuit the power in the room. wahhahahahhaha (we were lucky it was just the room, and not the whole hotel).
heck, in AB Motel, if you wanted a room with hot water, you had to pay rm20 extra. so... does this mean we get a discount since we didn't have hot water during our stay? NOT.
oh for once, breakfast was inclusive for our stay. you pay a much better price for the breakfast vouchers if you purchased them a day before instead of the day itself. the first morning at around 9ish the restaurant was jammed packed with people, you practically had to queue for all the good stuff. but seriously i'd rather drive out and find a good stall that sells roti canai or nasi lemak. beats the price by a whole mile.
the second day of breakfast, we went down early due to having to have to send the car for servicing. so at 7amish the dining area was practically deserted. unfortunately no waffles served for breakfast, unlike the day before (phooey).
since i didn't really go anywhere during my stay here, i took the opportunity to do a little laundry in the room, although the process of drying took longer than usual. heck, i think the clothes would dry much faster if i just left them baking in the car, it's thaaat hot in Langkawi @_@.
this hotel wasn't a member of SPG, so you had to pay extra by the hour if you plan to extend your checkout time. my flight back home wasn't until 8.55pm so Significant Other suggested that i extended my stay for about 3 hours (checkout at 3pm). i misplaced the little leaflet the hotel presented me indicating the extra charges incurred for late checkouts but i remember that a 3 -hour extension costed me rm30. i vaguely recall that if you decided to stay until 6pm, then that would cost you about rm80, but i need to reconfirm this.
verdict:
1. would have been lovelier if the hot water escapade didn't happen.
2. also, the one of the room lights weren't working when i first stepped into the room. the room didn't have any ceiling lights, just wall lights. a bit dim for my liking. but at least they managed to solve the problem, unlike the hot water issue.
3. oh i almost forgot one more single thing!!! they didn't have the Fox Movies Premium channel unlike the other two hotels. what they did have was Vision 4, totally outdated and totally boring. and you know what? two of the channels was linked to some DVD player and for the whole duration of our stay, once channel was showing 'Yes Man' over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over *INFINITY* until we wanted to puke. one time was pleasant, twice was annoying, but for 2 days straight? simply mind-exploding!!! the other DVD channel was showing 'V for Vendetta' but i didn't really fancy that movie. i think the hotel assumes that you'd be spending your time out of the hotel, not in, like i was. sigh.
so... those are my own personal reviews on all three hotels i've stayed in so far in Langkawi. with the exception of AB Motel of course. i must remind myself to write one for it.
toodles~!
Significant Other was not amused.
oh well.
i wouldn't mind AB Motel, but being the 'manja' one, he insisted on finding a more better place. i asked him if he would rather sacrifice comfort than paying more. i've heard stories of cheap places that came with their own room resident: bed bugs. ugh. after this i'm bringing my own mat and will be sleeping on that as a lapik for obvious reasons *shudders*.
so in the end, we chose this hotel due to its location. it was situated right beside the airport (you could just disembark from your plane and drag your bags here without even having to hail a cab), and it was also about 10 minutes to the school. also, the friend we met up for dinner stayed there previously and according to them, they were quite satisfied, despite getting a room which faced another building, lol. we stayed two nights at this hotel.
One Helang Hotel
Jalan Lima, Padang Matsirat
Langkawi,
07100 Kedah,
Malaysia
Phone: (604) 955 3030
Fax: (604) 955 2030
check-in: 3pm, checkout: 12pm
Website: http://www.helanghotellangkawi.com
the foyer was really spacious, unlike Four Points who did nothing to manipulate the available empty space, the foyer had proper chairs for guest to sit down and wait while someone checks them in. further ahead was the dining area, and the glass doors lead outside to the pool. i didn't go swimming here, it was too hot and i takde geng - Significant Other had class.
they had very limited parking spots available, so if you get back late then you've got no choice but to park outside along the main road. the place was packed, btw. mostly with tourists and big families with hyperactive kids. i registered at the check-in counter alone (i came directly from Four Points).
the hotel was not situated beside the beach, but i heard someone at receptionist telling a mat salleh at the counter that they had a private beach shared with Langkasuka Hotel (this i got to recheck) and they had shuttles to take guests there in case anyone would like to
according to the website, room prices start from RM 230 nett per room per night, and i think you can get better rates online rather than purchasing directly.
the traditional room door pic =P
the room overall
the room interior
i was quite happy with the room view. i love the window seat. the room was facing the swimming pool (not that i actually cared), but i was more happy with the view beyond the hotel.
my room view, facing the pool, overlooking the airport
the view of the planes departing and landing at the airport. such a remarkable sight!!! lots of AA planes landing and taking off. so okay, please bear with me who loves to gawk at planes, doesn't matter whether they're stationary or in the air. i've never actually bothered to understand the principle of how planes take flight, until the day someone decided to enroll into flying school (he kept saying it would be an insult if i didn't know all this. pfft. who again is enrolled in flying skool?).
the hallway. bathroom to the right
the basic shower + bathtub, with the old-fashioned stopper
toilet and the shower
ok that's me camwhoring at the bathroom sink =P
everything was really peachy... until i realized that one of the main lights in the room (mounted on the wall) wasn't working. so the room seemed really dimmer than normal, it made for a perfect romantic setting. hahahahahah. on the second day of my stay did i call someone at maintenance to get it fixed. the call was actually to replace the bulb for the lamp at the study table but after fiddling with the switch, it suddenly decided to stay lit. and the maintenance people realized that for the wall light, the wasn't the bulb that was the problem, but the light itself (or something like that, since they had to dismantle the whole thing) and in their haste they managed to let a bulb drop to the floor and smash into smithereens (lucky they didn't drop the light. hahahaha). this reminds me of a little joke i used to hear while growing up:
how many people does it take to fix a light?
in One Helang Hotel, it apparently takes THREE.
hahaha. little hotel humor for you.
seriously, it really did take three people to troubleshoot and fix the light problem.
on the first day of our arrival, we had hot water. Significant Other happily officiated the bathtub. but the next day, hot water was nada. haih. what was available was only cold water. grrr. called reception, they said they'd been having an intermittent problem with the water heater in the hotel, said that their people were looking into it and would probably be fixed by lunchtime.
they were wrong. right up until the day we checked out on Wednesday, there wasn't any hot water. Tuesday night Significant Other was desperate for a hot bath he practically boiled hot water in the electric kettle and kept dumping the hot water into the bathtub repeatedly. kggal. at one point he had this 'supposedly brilliant idea', but all he managed to do was to shortcircuit the power in the room. wahhahahahhaha (we were lucky it was just the room, and not the whole hotel).
heck, in AB Motel, if you wanted a room with hot water, you had to pay rm20 extra. so... does this mean we get a discount since we didn't have hot water during our stay? NOT.
oh for once, breakfast was inclusive for our stay. you pay a much better price for the breakfast vouchers if you purchased them a day before instead of the day itself. the first morning at around 9ish the restaurant was jammed packed with people, you practically had to queue for all the good stuff. but seriously i'd rather drive out and find a good stall that sells roti canai or nasi lemak. beats the price by a whole mile.
the second day of breakfast, we went down early due to having to have to send the car for servicing. so at 7amish the dining area was practically deserted. unfortunately no waffles served for breakfast, unlike the day before (phooey).
since i didn't really go anywhere during my stay here, i took the opportunity to do a little laundry in the room, although the process of drying took longer than usual. heck, i think the clothes would dry much faster if i just left them baking in the car, it's thaaat hot in Langkawi @_@.
this hotel wasn't a member of SPG, so you had to pay extra by the hour if you plan to extend your checkout time. my flight back home wasn't until 8.55pm so Significant Other suggested that i extended my stay for about 3 hours (checkout at 3pm). i misplaced the little leaflet the hotel presented me indicating the extra charges incurred for late checkouts but i remember that a 3 -hour extension costed me rm30. i vaguely recall that if you decided to stay until 6pm, then that would cost you about rm80, but i need to reconfirm this.
verdict:
1. would have been lovelier if the hot water escapade didn't happen.
2. also, the one of the room lights weren't working when i first stepped into the room. the room didn't have any ceiling lights, just wall lights. a bit dim for my liking. but at least they managed to solve the problem, unlike the hot water issue.
3. oh i almost forgot one more single thing!!! they didn't have the Fox Movies Premium channel unlike the other two hotels. what they did have was Vision 4, totally outdated and totally boring. and you know what? two of the channels was linked to some DVD player and for the whole duration of our stay, once channel was showing 'Yes Man' over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over *INFINITY* until we wanted to puke. one time was pleasant, twice was annoying, but for 2 days straight? simply mind-exploding!!! the other DVD channel was showing 'V for Vendetta' but i didn't really fancy that movie. i think the hotel assumes that you'd be spending your time out of the hotel, not in, like i was. sigh.
so... those are my own personal reviews on all three hotels i've stayed in so far in Langkawi. with the exception of AB Motel of course. i must remind myself to write one for it.
toodles~!
he and the apple
so he's finally found his apple =)
congrats, ex-deskmate!
congrats, ex-deskmate!
image stolen from his FB page =P
kid's outing with mil
on Saturday after i serviced my car (the SA told me my next service would be semi-major, estimated to be about rm800+... my eyes almost exploded in their sockets), me and the kids teman-ed their grandma pergi Nilai 3, for a bit of um, furniture shopping.
lol.
the kids had such a great time jumping up and down the carpets at that carpet wholesale (marah la kot tauke kedai, seb baik mil beli carpet dua bijik), and running in between furniture in the store (where mil also borong-ed quite a number of stuff there, which will arrive at the house tomorrow, hoho).
later that evening we went to OU for snacks and while waiting for mil to buy slippers and pray, me and the kids went for a little ride around the mall. ahahahah. i didn't want to at first, but i was broke and bored. and you know how much i hate waiting with nothing to do. haha.
Dayana got cold feet at first, until she saw me and Dinara clambering onto the ride. Dinara clearly enjoyed it. she shrieks in delight each time the kiddie ride passes by.
lol.
the kids had such a great time jumping up and down the carpets at that carpet wholesale (marah la kot tauke kedai, seb baik mil beli carpet dua bijik), and running in between furniture in the store (where mil also borong-ed quite a number of stuff there, which will arrive at the house tomorrow, hoho).
lepak on wood furniture... i love this chair. mil bought it btw =D
later that evening we went to OU for snacks and while waiting for mil to buy slippers and pray, me and the kids went for a little ride around the mall. ahahahah. i didn't want to at first, but i was broke and bored. and you know how much i hate waiting with nothing to do. haha.
Dayana got cold feet at first, until she saw me and Dinara clambering onto the ride. Dinara clearly enjoyed it. she shrieks in delight each time the kiddie ride passes by.
posing with the kiddie ride
who's who in the family
kid dictionary 101
the dad: Daddy
the mom: Mommy
the elder sister: Kakak
the younger sister: Adik
my mom: Tok Ami
my dad: Atuk
my sister: Angah
my brother: Pak Cik
my youngest sister: Ashu
his mom: Wan
his other dad: Atuk
his sister: Auntie Enn @ Angry Bird
his brother: Uncle Amal
his dad: Granddad
his other mom: Nana
his brother #2: Uncle Alfie
his brother #3: Uncle Amir
his youngest sister: Mak Cu
yesterday over at Pak Teh's house, Pak Teh was trying to teach Dayana how to speak Terengganu.
*pointing at my handbag* "ni hok mok nye" (or something like that lah. i pun fail cakap ganu).
he kept repeating it to Dayana a few times, then he told her to go tell me.
so Dayana comes up to me, babbles something about my bag which i couldn't apprehend, and then confidently tells me,
"mok mok mok mok!"
T____T
(satu rumah ketawa)
pointing to Angah, she says, "hey Angah, why you laughing?!" indignantly.
ok, first lesson, fail.
the dad: Daddy
the mom: Mommy
the elder sister: Kakak
the younger sister: Adik
my mom: Tok Ami
my dad: Atuk
my sister: Angah
my brother: Pak Cik
my youngest sister: Ashu
his mom: Wan
his other dad: Atuk
his sister: Auntie Enn @ Angry Bird
his brother: Uncle Amal
his dad: Granddad
his other mom: Nana
his brother #2: Uncle Alfie
his brother #3: Uncle Amir
his youngest sister: Mak Cu
yesterday over at Pak Teh's house, Pak Teh was trying to teach Dayana how to speak Terengganu.
*pointing at my handbag* "ni hok mok nye" (or something like that lah. i pun fail cakap ganu).
he kept repeating it to Dayana a few times, then he told her to go tell me.
so Dayana comes up to me, babbles something about my bag which i couldn't apprehend, and then confidently tells me,
"mok mok mok mok!"
T____T
(satu rumah ketawa)
pointing to Angah, she says, "hey Angah, why you laughing?!" indignantly.
ok, first lesson, fail.
February 17, 2012
the middle names
couldn't find the meaning for their first names, though.
on another note, yesterday morning Dayana woke me up as early as 7am and said,
'Mommy adik beyak! smells good!'
T__T
i don't think she knows how to describe the terrible smell emitting from her sister's diaper. wahahaha.
that definitely isn't good O_o.
and last night she came to me and said she was going to sleep with bibik later, and told me not to get angry at her nanti, ok?
she actually remembers earlier that morning i scolded her because she woke up and made too much noise (sibuks nak mintak susu lagi) until her adik woke up too. lol. these two are such early risers @_@.
glee's V-day songs
i've always liked this song for no particular reason. in this episode they introduce Samuel Larsen, the other winner from the Glee Project. not a bad character, imo.
and here's the episode's song tribute to Whitney Houston (1963-2012).
coincidence?
i remember watching 'The Bodyguard' on tv with my mom when i was young. wasn't really into this movie last time - hey, i was underage at the time, so sue me =P.
p/s. Chord Overstreet is still hot =P~
and here's the episode's song tribute to Whitney Houston (1963-2012).
coincidence?
i remember watching 'The Bodyguard' on tv with my mom when i was young. wasn't really into this movie last time - hey, i was underage at the time, so sue me =P.
p/s. Chord Overstreet is still hot =P~
February 15, 2012
wordless... for now
because i've currently lost my mood to blog. i wonder why...
1.
i can barely imagine living a world such as this one...
where results will only be returned to you 30 days later. squee~
2.
this little amoi has been left behind numerous times...
she was so excited to follow us on our washing machine hunting.
lastly...
3.
i've been abandoning wraps lately...
that ssc seems like the obvious choice now.
1.
i can barely imagine living a world such as this one...
where results will only be returned to you 30 days later. squee~
2.
this little amoi has been left behind numerous times...
she was so excited to follow us on our washing machine hunting.
lastly...
3.
i've been abandoning wraps lately...
that ssc seems like the obvious choice now.
February 10, 2012
Four Points Sheraton, Langkawi
since our so-called honeymoon stay was over, we checked out and headed for Four Points by Sheraton, which was merely about less then 5 minutes from Significant Other's school. this hotel was also a member of the Starwood Hotels and Resorts.
Four Points by Sheraton
Kuala Muda,
Mukim Padang Matsirat,
Langkawi,
07100 Kedah,
Malaysia
Phone: (60)(4) 955 6888
Fax: (60)(4) 955 5888
check-in: 3pm, checkout: 12pm
check-in was quite slow, a lady (who might possibly be the most thinnest person i have ever met in real life) was at the counter arguing about a lost or misplaced luggage; a couple of tourists were also looking to check-in, me included. and there were only two people to handle registration, as well as everything else @_@.
the foyer was incredibly huge and empty, i'm not sure why it was designed that way. from the number of people toiling about i can confirm that the hotel had a high tendency of being fully booked that day (ok that's it. no more peak period visits from me!). and you can judge by the type of crowd here that this hotel is much more reasonable than the previous hotel we stayed in Langkawi. there were definitely more Malays here, and tons of children running about too =P.
the hotel was one of the newer hotels in Langkawi, having being officiated in November 2011 (completed just in time for the 2011 LIMA event i heard) so everything about the hotel was simply put, new. but instead of getting the posh feels of most hotels, i mostly got the feeling of being in a student hostel instead =P. seriously. i'm reminded of my former campus days at UTP, Perak. haha. whitewashed walls, the simple worksmanship (asal basic necessities ada sudah cukup), no carpeting, lol.
the room rates ranged from MYR 360 to MYR 1,450 per night, depending on what room you get. our room was very spacious indeed. i guess you could say if you're planning on bringing your parents, siblings, kids, uncles, aunties, grandparents along, this room could practically fit everyone in. just make sure you bring extra mattresses to lie on. i'm not kidding. at one point it felt like the room had too much empty space in it @_@. according to the website, our room was 463 sq. ft. / 43 m². is that big? ntah la. probably it's just the two of us, i dunno.
so i guess you can't have perfection for everything. during Significant Other's first shower, the whole bathroom got flooded @_@ we had to call maintenance to help get the drain unclogged. the whole bathroom floor was flooded with water. it didn't help that after the problem was fixed, the floor around the toilet bowl was sopping wet and the water didn't drain properly due to the floor angle or something @_@.
make sure your door is properly shut tight before you leave the room. despite the door being heavy (and having those hinges that allow the door to close all by itself) it does not shut completely on its own. not sure if it was just our room door, though. but better be safe than sorry, eh?
after checking in, we took a look at the pool, which was gigantic. plenty of screaming children splashing around. and tourists lounging around the pool. they even had a small gym. the beach was lovely, but not as lovely as the Andaman though. the sand was more grainy than powdery. didn't really see anyone bathing in the sea, only people digging around looking for seashells. people say there are alot of jellyfishes in the sea. all the more reason for me to stay away from the sea from now on >.<
we stayed in for the night watching TV, Significant Other had homework to finish, as he had classes the next day. and as usual, breakfast wasn't included for our stay. despite everything, the bed was really snugg =P~~~~
oh, and i had to drag two huge bags and a pail all by myself to the car during checkout while Significant Other hung out at the hangar. chis. since the hotel had a high check-in rate that day (you should've seen the busloads of people that they keep unloading at the foyer) we were allowed a checkout extension up until 2pm. ok la. that works for me. i didn't go swimming, it was too hot during the day @_@.
verdict:
1. a nice place to visit if you're bringing everyone along for the trip, hahahaha. especially if you're on a slightly lower budget than high class.
2. well, that's my opinion, anyway =D. no complaints, except for the bathroom flooding episode.
Four Points by Sheraton
Kuala Muda,
Mukim Padang Matsirat,
Langkawi,
07100 Kedah,
Malaysia
Phone: (60)(4) 955 6888
Fax: (60)(4) 955 5888
check-in: 3pm, checkout: 12pm
hotel entrance
check-in was quite slow, a lady (who might possibly be the most thinnest person i have ever met in real life) was at the counter arguing about a lost or misplaced luggage; a couple of tourists were also looking to check-in, me included. and there were only two people to handle registration, as well as everything else @_@.
the foyer was incredibly huge and empty, i'm not sure why it was designed that way. from the number of people toiling about i can confirm that the hotel had a high tendency of being fully booked that day (ok that's it. no more peak period visits from me!). and you can judge by the type of crowd here that this hotel is much more reasonable than the previous hotel we stayed in Langkawi. there were definitely more Malays here, and tons of children running about too =P.
checking in
the hotel was one of the newer hotels in Langkawi, having being officiated in November 2011 (completed just in time for the 2011 LIMA event i heard) so everything about the hotel was simply put, new. but instead of getting the posh feels of most hotels, i mostly got the feeling of being in a student hostel instead =P. seriously. i'm reminded of my former campus days at UTP, Perak. haha. whitewashed walls, the simple worksmanship (asal basic necessities ada sudah cukup), no carpeting, lol.
room 2023, ground floor
the room rates ranged from MYR 360 to MYR 1,450 per night, depending on what room you get. our room was very spacious indeed. i guess you could say if you're planning on bringing your parents, siblings, kids, uncles, aunties, grandparents along, this room could practically fit everyone in. just make sure you bring extra mattresses to lie on. i'm not kidding. at one point it felt like the room had too much empty space in it @_@. according to the website, our room was 463 sq. ft. / 43 m². is that big? ntah la. probably it's just the two of us, i dunno.
the snugg bed
cozy couch and dressing table
view from our balcony
you can see how much floor space we still had
the shower and tub
the bathroom sink and toilet
so i guess you can't have perfection for everything. during Significant Other's first shower, the whole bathroom got flooded @_@ we had to call maintenance to help get the drain unclogged. the whole bathroom floor was flooded with water. it didn't help that after the problem was fixed, the floor around the toilet bowl was sopping wet and the water didn't drain properly due to the floor angle or something @_@.
make sure your door is properly shut tight before you leave the room. despite the door being heavy (and having those hinges that allow the door to close all by itself) it does not shut completely on its own. not sure if it was just our room door, though. but better be safe than sorry, eh?
after checking in, we took a look at the pool, which was gigantic. plenty of screaming children splashing around. and tourists lounging around the pool. they even had a small gym. the beach was lovely, but not as lovely as the Andaman though. the sand was more grainy than powdery. didn't really see anyone bathing in the sea, only people digging around looking for seashells. people say there are alot of jellyfishes in the sea. all the more reason for me to stay away from the sea from now on >.<
abandoned pool at midday
we stayed in for the night watching TV, Significant Other had homework to finish, as he had classes the next day. and as usual, breakfast wasn't included for our stay. despite everything, the bed was really snugg =P~~~~
oh, and i had to drag two huge bags and a pail all by myself to the car during checkout while Significant Other hung out at the hangar. chis. since the hotel had a high check-in rate that day (you should've seen the busloads of people that they keep unloading at the foyer) we were allowed a checkout extension up until 2pm. ok la. that works for me. i didn't go swimming, it was too hot during the day @_@.
verdict:
1. a nice place to visit if you're bringing everyone along for the trip, hahahaha. especially if you're on a slightly lower budget than high class.
2. well, that's my opinion, anyway =D. no complaints, except for the bathroom flooding episode.
bubba bubba
according to Dinara's dictionary, bubba can mean 2 things:
a) bubbles. when i whip out the bubble mix i bought from toys r us, she'd like up like a christmas decoration tree, throw her hands in the air, and go, 'BUBBA!'. and then chase after the bubbles.
b) bibik. each time you ask her, 'mana bibik? panggil bibik!' she'll go 'bubba? bubba!'.
c) i forgot about Bubba Gump. haha <- MY dictionary
d) this is also from my own dictionary, but to me bubba means 'bubba duck' - that cave duck-lookalike. haha. from Duck Tales, which is so old-skool.
a) bubbles. when i whip out the bubble mix i bought from toys r us, she'd like up like a christmas decoration tree, throw her hands in the air, and go, 'BUBBA!'. and then chase after the bubbles.
b) bibik. each time you ask her, 'mana bibik? panggil bibik!' she'll go 'bubba? bubba!'.
c) i forgot about Bubba Gump. haha <- MY dictionary
d) this is also from my own dictionary, but to me bubba means 'bubba duck' - that cave duck-lookalike. haha. from Duck Tales, which is so old-skool.
Life is like a hurricane here in Duckburg
Race cars, lasers, aeroplanes - it's a duck blur
You might solve a mystery or rewrite history
Duck Tales, Oo-oo
Tales of derring-do, bad and good luck tales, oo-oo
D-d-d-danger, watch behind you - there's a stranger out to find you
What to do? Just grab onto some Duck Tales, oo-oo!
Not pony tails or cotton tails but Duck Tales, oo-oo!
Race cars, lasers, aeroplanes - it's a duck blur
You might solve a mystery or rewrite history
Duck Tales, Oo-oo
Tales of derring-do, bad and good luck tales, oo-oo
D-d-d-danger, watch behind you - there's a stranger out to find you
What to do? Just grab onto some Duck Tales, oo-oo!
Not pony tails or cotton tails but Duck Tales, oo-oo!
February 9, 2012
Andaman, Langkawi
image from Google. circles on the map are where i basically spent my hols
during his Baker days, he collected quite a number of SPG (SPG: starwood preferred guest) points. so... the first night Significant Other redeemed 4,000 Starpoints and $60 for a night's stay here:
The Andaman, Langkawi
Jalan Teluk Datai
Langkawi,
07000 Kedah,
Malaysia
Phone: (60)(4) 959 1088
Fax: (60)(4) 959 1168
check-in: 3pm, checkout: 12pm
the Andaman, Langkawi
a member of the Starwood Hotels and Resorts, the Andaman is situated practically in the middle of nowhere, haha. ok i'm kidding. just head towards Teluk Datai and you'll reach the hotel just before you reach the Datai. the location is really secluded, you won't get a proper phone signal during your journey to the hotel.
but the place is gorgeous. the Andaman is surrounded by one of the world's oldest rainforests, so that kind of brings exclusiveness to the hotel. here you can find many 'posh' visitors, which is no wonder, since a stay here starts from rm1,050 a night. this was our second time staying at the hotel. to Significant Other, for the price that you pay, it is better that you spend 100% of the time here in your room to get your money's worth =D
breakfast wasn't inclusive for our stay. it didn't matter really (i'd rather go find a nearest mamak stall... aihhh kemut betul diriku ini =P~). the room itself was cozy already! Significant Other didn't understand how hotel beds are always the best - he was comparing to our mattress at home, as expensive as it was, it could never beat the comfort of any hotel bed. so... what's the secret??? =P.
the king-size luxurious bed
we had the most loveliest view of the Andaman's private beach. on the balcony doors there was a sign saying to always keep the balcony doors closed - monkeys had a tendency of breaking in. there's also an espresso machine in the room for coffee lovers, complete with 4 complimentary capsules. i tried making a cup, and since i'm no coffee lover i didn't really appreciate the machine that much =P.
seaview just before sunset
and the bathroom? lovely. if i ever have the rezeki to build my own house, i want our bathroom to be modeled to the likes of that. with a walk-in closet of course, haha. the first thing Significant Other did was to take a soak in the bathtub (kesian, rumah kitorang manade bathtub2 nih). the hairdryer is super best too. you can dry your clothes with it like, instantly. wahahhahahahah.
oh they also have this cool digital scale in the bathroom. and so the other day i tweeted:
'i weighed myself naked: 40kg. i weighed myself fully clothed: 40.6kg ahahahahhaahhahaha'
T___T
the spacious bathroom
we ordered dine-in for lunch since we didn't want to drive out. ridiculously expensive if you ask me. rm43 for a burger? if you're a tourist from a country with a better exchange rate, rm43 is nothing. so we shared a meal between us. yummy, yes indeed. hole in pocket? that too.
the super-spensive burger haha
our first night however, we drove out to Kuah town to have dinner with a good friend of ours who happened to be in Langkawi the same time we were there. Significant Other introduced Wan Thai, a thai restaurant situated in 'Langkawi Mall'. do not be fooled by the term 'MALL'. probably they could change the name to 'Langkawi Walk' or something. to me the restaurant was situated among buildings, and not inside a mall. ntah la. anyway landmarks for this restaurant is KFC, and is located right next to Bahagia Hotel.
Restoran Wan Thai
80-82, Langkawi Mall,
Dundung, Jalan Kelibang,
07000 Kuah, Langkawi.
Open daily : 11.00am - 3.00pm and 6.30pm - 10.00pm
Enquires & Reservations
Call: 04-9661214 & H/P: 012-4308014
Fax: 04-9671214
we miscalculated how far the Andaman actually was from Kuah so we arrived rather late (sorry babe -__-). the place was fully booked @_@. initially we were told the waiting time was 50 minutes, but i think Significant Other's luck worked, right after he parked the car, there was an empty table waiting for us, yay.
what we ordered:
- tom yam
- asparagus
- chicken
- beef (okla, but not so nice imo)
- omelet
- rice
- drinks
ugh, i forgot to take pics of the food. but i did manage to take pics of the participants of the makan2 session =D.
the us
the them
serious sedap. i didn't know how but we managed to finish all the dishes between the four of us, minus the tomyam. the tomyam was nice but it wasn't really my style of tomyam. anyway... you should give it a try if you ever drop by Langkawi. i'd recommend you to reserve in advance though. i heard tourists come by the busload to try this restaurant @_@.
the hotel has many other tours and activities for guests to participate in, for a price. they have wonderful spas here too. i only registered for the complimentary nature walk (free ma =P). as expected Significant Other refused to follow, instead decided to rise to the challenge to waking up late T__T. only three of us participated, four if you count the tour guide. the other two was a couple on their honeymoon, inai was still visible on their fingers.
ok only now i just know that a banana tree would bear fruit once in its entire lifetime. hahaha even Significant Other knew that, chis.
i got to see with my own eyes a monkey patrolling the balconies and actually trying to pull the balcony doors open and break into the rooms. smart wooo the monkeys @_@. our tour guide mentioned that once a tourist left the balcony doors open, went to the bathroom and when he came out, he found a group of monkeys in his room watching television. and between water and a can of beer, the monkey would take the beer @_@.
the evil monkey plotting it's next steal
oh according to the tour guide, Daia (who studied marine bio btw), there are more visitors to the Andaman compared to the Datai. and the Datai is much higher priced than the Andaman. so maybe that's one of the reasons..?
morning walk participants. the tiny one's Daia, our tour guide
after checking out and leaving our bags at reception, we went for a swim! or more like soaking in the pool. it was hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot, we were literally baking ourselves in the sun. i know many of the tourists were, they love a good suntan. and then after that we headed for the beach. just to take pics. i'm not sure why i'm not such an enthusiastic beach fan.
that's the restaurant in the background
the swimming pool
Andaman's beach
wading in the hot sun. i wish i had a yacht
the Andaman has a coral farm too, you know. it was recently established in December 2011, a little pool where they restore coral before putting them back into the ocean. the hotel holds quite a number of coral-related activities, you just need to contact the front desk for more details. we only went there to take pics =P.
coral farm
cleaning the sand on our feet
verdict:
1.our first visit was so much more pleasant than our second visit, in terms of treatment comparison. for one thing, during our first visit, when we arrived at the front door there was someone there to help park our car while we went to check-in (strike!).
2.according to Significant Other, the staff didn't seem as friendly as last time. they didn't smile as much (strike lagi?). i barely noticed. i was too busy trying to absorb the Andaman's surroundings a second time.
3.as an SPG member Significant Other requested for late checkout during check-in but the request wasn't immediately granted. he had to complain at reception before they finally allowed a two-hour extension, due to the hotel being fully booked. also, he told me the person at reception didn't seem to believe that he was a gold member status (strike!). in my opinion, the hotel looked totally empty, so who's to say what they're telling us is true? go figure. i didn't want to make a scene.
thumbs up to the Andaman, i'd definitely come again =).
more pics later. i think that's the wrong monkey picture i posted there. there's two types of monkeys lurking around the Andaman. one is good, one is evil. kah kah
home again
ok i'm back... and i'm so lazy to write anything. probably later when my brain has reheated.
February 3, 2012
rush for holiday
for the long holiday, i'm heading up North!
don't know if my iPhone battery can last throughout theday night until i reach my destination...
so don't think i'll be updating via my apple.
so... if i ever get my hands on a PC, you'll know!
so for now... packing and running errands before then...
=)
don't know if my iPhone battery can last throughout the
so don't think i'll be updating via my apple.
so... if i ever get my hands on a PC, you'll know!
so for now... packing and running errands before then...
=)
miss selfridge fs
Petites Fuchsia Ladder Bodycon Dress
purchased this a month ago for about rm203. worn once only.
selling for rm160 inclusive postage.
color: fuschia
size: 6 petite
more details about the outfit at Miss Slefridge's website.
do leave a comment if you're interested. thanks!
February 2, 2012
out then in
this wrap has got to be the most short-lived carrier ever stepped into my home.
no worries. something else came by today to fill its void.
i guess you could say i evolve by weight.
anybody wants ini? chanteks wehhh~! <3
on another note, my parcel from reggiesdolls still hasn't arrived =(
no worries. something else came by today to fill its void.
i guess you could say i evolve by weight.
anybody wants ini? chanteks wehhh~! <3
on another note, my parcel from reggiesdolls still hasn't arrived =(
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