Chapter 157 - A short trip to Bangkok, Thailand (Nara Thai & After You)

Today, trips are part and parcel of our lives. It is no longer determine by the savings that you have but it becomes a necessity to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city, just to get yourself rejuvenated and refreshed so that you will not burnout one day and at the same time, giving you aplenty of good reason to keep your relationship alive, be it with spouse, family or friends.

A recent trip to Bangkok has made me to come to a realization that trips are not just about exploring the place but it is to build every single moment together. And yes, we know this fact but sometimes, it is not as easy as it is since each and every one of us have our personal interest. 

Visiting one of the busiest cities in the world, Bangkok is all about shopping and eating. Staying there for 4 days and 3 nights are just sufficient enough to add 2 – 3kgs to my body weight. Thankfully, we walked a lot that it managed to shed off some of my fats. Or else, I would be….. 

A selfie at Maeklong Railway Station

Lady luck was not with us as the rain poured heavily on that respective day. We couldn't really walk much and ended up heading back to Bangkok city.

Touching on the food topic, I strongly reckon you to dine in these THREE places – it becomes a mandatory for me to indulge in these places every time I visit Bangkok.

1.     After You

There is always a room for dessert! It was the first time my parents indulged in After You and instantly, they fell in love with it. In this short trip, we visited the place twice and filled our tummy with bowls of shaved ice, pancake and toast.

2.    Nara Thai, Centralworld

Price of the food here can be slightly pricey but I must say it is worth it after all. The taste is so authentic and delicious that we can never say no to them. Can’t remember the name of the dishes but you can show the waiter on the dishes that you wish to have. Last year, I met the Founder in her office and we exchanged conversation for about an hour. A pretty nice lady but she is a very principled person. All I can say is that she prioritizes food quality.

Pad Thai

3.    Pe’Aor Tom Yum Kung Noodle,Ratchathewi

Sister Teo recommended this place; we refused to go initially until the very last day. We were rather surprised that many people flocked into this place. Apparently, they sell the best Tom Yum Noodle in Bangkok hence, people are willing to travel from far. Well, my verdict is that you must try! 

Bonus food:

Mango Sticky Rice - must try when you are in Terminal 21

Convenience Store - Literally, we had sampled most of the food in the convenience store. We just love it that we visited the store at least thrice a day.

All in all, Bangkok is a shopping haven and a food paradise. I was trying to have as much Thai food as possible but the time did not permit to do so since shopping had also consumed much of our time. Four days and three nights certainly not enough and we had to sacrifice a number of places as shopping was the top priority since Mama Teo wants to shop badly.

With the 3 musketeers :)

Stay tuned to my next post! 

Update:
I just created an Instagram account mainly for FoodiesTravel. Do join me in the adventure to discover and indulge in great food in great ambiance.
Search and follow foodiestravelblog today.

Regards,
Foodiestravel

Chapter 136 - The Touch City, Malacca

We are just a week away to Chinese New Year!!

In the weekdays, we rush through our work and ensure that we can complete most of it before Chinese New Year while during the weekends, we see ourselves shopping at the morning market and hypermarket, grabbing the best deals of the day in celebration of Chinese New Year.

Since it is a holiday season, many of us would plan ahead to travel. Why don't you have The Touch City in your travel list during this Chinese New Year? The Touch City is relatively new since they have just reopened after renovating for few years. 

Located at Durian Tunggal, Malacca, The Touch City is soon be Malacca's latest attraction. I never come across this place at all; it was just so coincident that my friends and I bumped into this place while traversing around in Malacca so, we decided to pay a visit there. We were amazed when we entered as we were greeted with lots of unique Chinese elements, highlighting about Chinese culture and lifestyle like the 12 Chinese zodiac, Chinese scholars, 3D mural art and etc.

Thanks to the "Discover The Touch City" game, we walked up and down, left and right, exploring the 19.8 ha site to get the right answers for all the questions stated there. Without this game, we would have given up and pave our way back home. By the time we completed the game, we were literally drenched in sweat. Thankfully, we were rewarded with an ice cream at the end of the day. 

Located outside of The Touch City, illustrating the lifestyle of Chinese community.

Don't judge by this map - it may look small but the place is actually huge.

You can simply spend a day there.

When I see this, it reminds me of Kublai-Khan, a Mongolian tribe. I know it may sounds unrelated here but hey, that comes to my mind.

Did you know that you will be blessed for the whole year when you touch the dragon?

Oh, I had my part time job during my visit that is to carry the red umbrella, ushering the bride out.

This is something unique here - those who can read Chinese would understand the meaning of it.

For those who can't, just look at the picture itself. Do you spot anything?

The largest and tallest incense

We took 10 minutes break here, recharging ourselves before continued with our exploration.

Hmm, do you need me to help here? I can crack the game for you.

I wonder how the community stayed in this tent - it was so hot inside.

Thanks Chef for rewarding us a refreshing plate of appetizer! I like it.

If you would like to find out more about The Touch City, you can simply visit here: The Touch City. Other than that, I suggest you to take this opportunity to discover The Touch City during this Chinese New Year with your loved ones. You will not regret after exploring this place.

Just remember to bring umbrella and ample of water bottles with you.

The Touch City (Fonion Cultural Resort)

MC 13, Simpang Gadig,

Durian Tunggal, 76100 Melaka

Tel: 06 - 553 0555

Entrance ticket 

Adult - RM 36.00

Student price - RM20.00

Regards,

Foodiestravel

Chapter 130 - Arts & Light - An Interactive Pop-Up Experience

Seeing a number of coverage regarding this event plus the constant billboard exposure along Federal Highway, I tagged my bestie along to find out more about this event. I registered two days in advance to secure the tickets before attending to it.

Was kind of excited to go to this event but somehow, it was raining that day. Certainly, it was kind of troublesome for us and we were not able to enjoy to the maximum especially when we had to miss a lot of Instagram-worthy photos.

#icantbelieveiamsoneartoyou #youaresosoftyetshinesobrightly 

This is actually the last room that I stepped into but I couldn't really remember the name. All the names reflect the project names of Mah Sing from Centura, Vertica to etc. 

All we did was just visiting the indoor area where we had a queue for it. Somehow, we see the similarity between the trends today in terms of marketing. In the property arena, EcoWorld is the champion to set the benchmark where the sales gallery of the new projects become a destination for many regardless you are parents for 3 kids, married couples, youths and etc - it is the place where anyone can just do anything there even by taking photos only. Now, Mah Sing is also riding on this platform where it organizes this event.

An individual like me who visited this event was given enough exposure on the list of projects offered by Mah Sing and doubtless to say, it managed to lead us to consider.

As of now, I reckon that you can probably visit this place as this can serve as a platform for you to reconnect with your loved ones. Even though you may not have the intention to buy the property, but hey, it's free admission so no harm to visit there and at the same time, taking plenty of nice photos.

Like myself, I enjoyed taking some photos, trying to have some practical thoughts in mind and considering on how to organize a better event the next one.

A room where the child inside me is awaken.

From tapping the balls and getting the balls colour changed to rolling the balls around with lots of active kids laughing out loud.

When you find that it is nice hanging on the ceiling, you decided to climb up the stairs and touch it.

#iamoncloudnine

Telling myself that I am not fat, I squeezed between the inflatable balls and took a photo with it. An evidence to show that I did it :) #iamstilllivinginmyownworld #plantodietreallyfailla

This time, I  saw Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Pluto. Oh ya, I saw some stars too.

When comes to outdoor, this is actually a very nice place to take photo. Unfortunately, it was raining that I couldn't take any shots there. When dusk approaches, this area will lit up.

All in all, I would say that this is another good place for one to explore, just for a different experience rather than always visiting to the malls (even though Christmas is around the corner, yay!)

Arts & Lights - An interactive Pop-Up Experience
Icon City PJ,
No.1, Jalan SS 8/2, Sungai Way,
47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Only open from 12pm to 9pm on Saturdays and Sundays (from 19 Nov 2017 - 24 Dec 2017)

Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/arts-and-lights-an-interactive-pop-up-experience-tickets-38757933021

Regards,
Foodiestravel

Chapter 126 - Top 8 must-visit places in Yogyakarta, Indonesia (Jogja)

There are so many posts for me to write and share with you guys here but one thing that really got me excited and I can't wait to share is my recent expedition to Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Not many people know that I am going off for a very short exploration (4 days and 3 nights) and best part of all, I traveled with my sister instead of my usual travel buddy.

And...the experience is totally amazing! Never would I know that going for an expedition with my sister would be an amazing one even though yes, I still have to play my big sister's role when I was there. However, the large selection of activities had enough to make our heart pumped fast during this short getaway.

WE literally made used of our time there and we had a very packed schedule. Before the sun rose, we were up to begin our journey and though the day had lost its light, we were still wandering around in one of the busiest street in Yogyakarta, called Malioboro. 

Here are my top recommendations when one visits Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

1. Malioboro Street

As usual, our flight got delayed and we reached the airport around 5pm (Malaysia's time was at 6pm). What made our expedition more exciting was we were greeted with rain and that really troubled us to continue our day.

Nevertheless, we hopped on to a taxi and checked in to our hotel located right next to Malioboro street. We put our luggage in the room and quickly, put on our caps as we were about to march in the street, hunting for food for our beloved tummy. At the same time, we performed a quick survey on the selling items.

I strongly suggest that one must visit the grocery store and that was what we did. We bought packets of instant noodles to be brought home as souvenirs, the famously known Teh Botol which I, myself was not really keen about it, local chocolates, a can of local beer and many others. 

As for our dinner, we bought Nasi Bebek from a hawker stall plus we visited KFC and bought a box of chicken rice. Needless to say, I prefer Malaysia's KFC instead even though the chicken in Yogyakarta is slightly less oily.

2. Jomblang Cave

When we did our research back then, many actually reckon to visit Jomblang Cave. We booked our spots early to avoid disappointment as they only accept around 60 people per day. After all, it is manually-operated where physical energy is required to bring us down, 60m from the top to the cave and pull us up from below.

We were quite nervous initially; we did not know what to expect and all we know were to put our trust to the local guides. So, before we started, we were suited up with safety helmet and a pair of black Phua Chu Kang boots. Waiting for our turn and there we went. I was excited and at the same time, feeling nervous but all went well eventually. We literally "flew" vertically from the top!

What's so great about Jomblang Cave is this! Such a beautiful creation that God has created for all of us to explore, discover and experience. We sat down for minutes to allow our mind and body to enjoy the serenity and calmness though we were soaked in sweat. We also took lots of photos which were Instagram-worthy.

3. Gua Pindul

Right after Jomblang Cave and had our lunch, we went straight to Gua Pindul. It was very hot that day and thankfully, we were put on float along the river. We were lucky enough that we had a private guide so, we truly enjoyed our journey.

As Gua Pindul is a holy place for the locals, we can't say any vulgar words in there. Before we started, we were asked to pray together with the guide; something different I would say. In the cave, we were exposed to bats, stalactite and staglamite. We were asked to touch the water drips from one of the longest staglamite and put it on our faces; that will gives an everlasting beauty! 

Right after exploring the underground river, we were chauffeured using a jeep to another open river where we were greeted with mini waterfalls. The water was supposed to be in clear white color but due to the rain on a day before, it turned to brown color.

We were brought to soak ourselves with the water behind us and that will give us faith in everything we do.  

4. Bantul - Srimulyo

After completing the two activities, it was the time for our body to have some rest. So, we headed to this pit-stop, between Gua Pindol and Hutan Pinus. In other words, it is like Gohtong Jaya where it is a pit-stop before heading to Genting Highland.

There, we could see an overall view of Yogyakarta and at the same time, experiencing the strong wind blew to our faces. While enjoying this scenic view, we had a plate of fried tempeh and fried banana. One word, DELICIOUS. My sister dislike tempeh very much but this plate of tempeh has totally changed her palate now.

5. Sunrise at Borobudur

We were told that we should not miss the sunrise moment at Borobudur. We took the bait and got ready by 3am (Malaysia time - 4am). In fact, we had very, very little sleep but the enjoyment to explore Yogyakarta won at the end of the day.

After paying the entrance tickets, we blindly followed the crowd. We couldn't really see what was ahead of us as it was very dark. What we had with us was a small torchlight and using that, it led us all the way up. 

Everyone took their comfortable spots while my sister and I were lingering around. Unlike others, we could not sit still so, we walked around and took lots of photos..

After spending like 3 hours at the peak of Borobudur, we started to make our way down. After all, the sun had started its work too. When we looked back, we were totally appalled by as we did not realize that we had walked so high up! Thankfully...

6. Prambanan Temple

This time, we know more about Hindu as Prambanan is a collection of Hindu temples. From the God of Creator (Brahma), to Preserver (Vishnu) and Destroyer (Shiva). There are several temples and shrines in Prambanan Temple.

We were very enthusiastic at the beginning and opted to visit all the nine (9) shrines. However, upon reaching the third one, our legs started to give in and we were no longer able to climb the stairs. There wasn't any guide with us so, we did not really understand what's the history all about. All we had was just a pamphlet about Prambanan Temple.

Many things were running on our minds, wanting to visit all the 9 shrines such as playing the Running Man roles and etc. Yet, this did not help. At the end, we only visited 4 shrines out of 9.

7. Hutan Pinus

My sister wanted to visit this place madly. She wanted something different for her Instagram, I believe and being a loving sister aka myself, we went for it. It was a very nice forest...very nice that some people willing to pay for the entrance fee and take a nap there by renting a hammock. 

Though we were tired, we still explore the forest. Bear in mind that the forest is huge; we spent more than an hour in just one part of the forest. There is another part of the forest but we did not pursue it. Since we were amidst the lush greenery view plus many attractions in Hutan Pinus, our phones would then had to work hard. 

8. Water Castle & Taman Sari (Kraton Ngayogyakarta)

We utilized our last day very much! We took the local transport (trishaw) and visited Water Castle where it used to be a resting place for Sultan Hamenkubuwono I. There are 3 big pools where one is catered for the King, another one is for King's wives and last one is for the King's children.

This area is quite big; we visited the whole palace. From his bathing area, all the way to his kitchen, his room, meditation area, underwater tunnel, mosque and even a house where the King has a secret mission with his wife.

Then, we headed to Kraton Nyayogyakarta; a museum where it illustrates the story of the King. Maybe I should let the photos to tell the story.

That is how we spend our days in Yogyakarta. If we have another 3 - 4 hours to spare, we will definitely visit Timang Beach where the cable car is manually-operated! That must be a nice experience to try for at least once in a lifetime.

Needless to say, souvenirs are the key! When you go to Yogyakarta, you must and I use the word "must" buy BAK-PIA! There are few brands but the brand that we highly recommend is Bakpia Pathok 25! Yes, it is 25! Freshly baked from oven, you must try the ORIGINAL, CHEESE and CHOCOLATE flavors. No regret about that!

This trip truly explains the culture richness in Yogyakarta. The people there are very friendly and one thing that I like about this place very much especially Malioboro Street where the vendorsare open for bargaining. Jeng, jeng and jeng.. 

Regards,

Foodiestravel