Euro Travel & More

Ahh! Pulau Ubin ! kinda nostalgia for me – you see when we were going to school as a kid – so carefree and no need for prevera times – our school would bring us to Pulau Ubin for class trips all the time.  In fact, I think we go for a class trip every now and then to Pulau Ubin but I’m guessing that it’s only because it’s darn cheap to go there.

Pulau Ubin is an island near Singapore – and you can make a short trip with a bum boat for less than $2.50 or hire the whole bumboat for $30 with friends.  Is there much to do at Pulau Ubin ?  not really that much if i remember correctly but it was fun for it’s like bringing you back to another era.

Very quaint right?  Sure brings you back to the 60s in Singapore – the mainland i mean.  But what else can one do in Pulau Ubin I hear you asking? cheap bike rides – cheap seafood – but make sure you get out before 4pm because the last bum boat goes off then.

Life in Pulau Ubin is pretty simple as you can see.

But getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city is kinda cool once in a while – although the kids may not like it that much.  But where would you get to rent a bike for the entire day for $2 eh.

Don’t forget to get to CheK Jawa – where you can go for nature walks and do all sorts of sight seeing too – check out the 21 meter Jejawi Tower.

the broadwalk

Don’t forget to bring your sunscreen and most importantly – BUG SPRAY!!

Yes! you guess right – Walt Disney World is where everyone wants to bring their kids to – and we are no difference of course – and when you see a good deal – you take it just like when you see  diet pills that really work you buy it immediately – haha!   I have been to Walt Disney World several times but not with the family  – but when i was working and traveling.

But be prepared – the queues are long for just about every ride and try to choose a day where it is not so sunny but also windy.  The heat really almost killed all of us – hahaah! when we were last there a few years ago.  Plus if you are going with kids – make sure you have some kind of stroller or a push wagon – because the kids are not going to be walking for hours and hours with you.

We had a really good deal with the theme park this year and besides special passes for the entire family for a few days – we also got a great deal to stay in the resort.

We didn’t even cover half the area in the time we were there – the first day that is – so it was great that we were staying in the resort and was able to go back the next day.  More in the next few post.

When we were in Korea many years ago, well – when i was a kid – i went with the church to the prayer mountain – what a waste of time then.  We didn’t really get to see very much then – but when I was much older and a girlfriend showed me all the Louis Vuitton handbags she got from Korea – i told myself, I had to go there for sure.  So when i was posted there for a meeting for carpark meters some years ago – i was darn happy.

Besides the normal shopping and touristy places and drinking holes that we went to – we also had to see the world’s largest indoor theme park – Lotte World of course!   We should have taken the subway but instead a co-worker there drove us and we ended up using roadside assistance because his car broke down.

Lotte World reminds me a lot about DisneyLand and Sanrio World and you can find a theme park hotel, a museum, many shopping malls and monorail, movie theatre and lots more – both adults and kids will enjoy this place.  We spent like 6 hrs in the theme park and never even finished all the rides.

Opens as early as 9.30am and closes at 11pm – we only waited for the fireworks to end and left – but if you go after 5pm – entrance fees are cheaper.

Pretty magical eh.

Don’t forget to try the Gyro Drop !  It’s awesome awesome!  a great view from the top but hold on tight when you are coming down.   The drop is about 400 feet down and it was really breath-taking – or rather – you can’t breathe.

We all love the carousel but we were too shy to go on it – but some of our co-workers did and made a fool of themselves.

The Peak in Hong Kong definitely has the most magnificent view of all of Hong Kong.  I used to go to Hong Kong a few times a year and I see there had been changes of late in Hong Kong and The Peak has also changed a lot too.   While looking for ipad warranty in Hong Kong, a friend also told me about the many restaurants up at The Peak these days.   We all know that while traveling, eating good food is one of the most important part of a travel, so I’m pleased to let you know that have all sorts to cater to just about everyone – from Burger King (they never had that when i visited them last) to Kyo Hachi Japanese Restaurant – dining with a view.

So how did I get to The Peak ?  we drove up there since we had friends and co – workers in Hong Kong but we never fail toi take the famous Tram down the Peak.  It was really fun but awfully crowded if you asked me.  But make sure you go at a time where it isn’t the summer holiday for the kids because the Peak is not only for the tourists – local residents go to the Peak all the time.

Don’t forget to go to Madame Tussauds – at about HK$160 for entrance fees.  You can also do some shopping although I don’t remember buying much there.  Oh ! i did get a Giordano t-shirts and stuff – Oh ! i so miss Giordano!!   They also have a Swarovski store too now! Mann!! i need to go back to Hong Kong for a visit.  Anyhow, Hong Kong is a wonderful place, I could spend days there – and I really missed it – if you haven’t been to Hong Kong – you have to go there for sure – if you are traveling around Asia.

If you have watched the Da Vinci Code you will know or recognized this picture.  So i thought I would share it with all of you – since I am currently reading the Da Vinci Code and am quite fascinated by it, the spouse even stopped playing his ps3 when he started reading it.

This interesting glass upside down pyramid can be found in front of the Louvre Museum in France. Many who may not be looking out for the inverted pyramid may even missed the pyramid from the outside and just think that it is just another glass window/building.  Honestly, i think the inverted pyramid became famous after this Dan Brown’s book because I myself didn’t pay too, too much attention to the pyramid when i was in France many years ago.

I’ve only been to Penang like 15 times in total and each time I visit Penang – whether it is for work or vacation – Penang never fails to amaze and amuse me where food is concerned.  Food is cheap!!  and when i say cheap – i mean really cheap – of course – one should visit the touristy places but one place you should go to is Gurney Drive in Penang.  The above picture reminds me of Clark Quay in Singapore – this open air vast space of eateries – you do not get here in the Canada.  I was on www.toprateddietpills.com when I was reminded of all the many wonderful eat trips I had made up with my friends and co-worker – eating in Penang is not for the weak hearted – i mean it in the real blood clotting way.

Penang is in Malaysia – further north of Malaysia with great food and lots of food – good and cheap.  One can experience all sorts of food – but make sure you have a local friend to bring you around because they really know where to find the best assam laksa or dim sum.

But of course – it’s not only street food  you can find in Penang – Penang has many good cafes and restaurants too.  And don’t forget to visit Hard Rock Cafe for that t-shirt or cap for souvenir.

Been to L.A (Los Angeles) lately?  I haven’t – it had been a long time – so when i came across some old pictures that we had taken on one of our many trips to LA – i can’t help but wanna go again this year.  So instead of looking for  prenatal multivitamin for the sister – I decided to look for cheap airfares to visit LA – this summer.   But in the meantime – i thought I would share some pictures we took many moons again.  I don’t know how much LA has changed but no matter how it has changed – I’m sure you would love LA.

The very famous Six Flags Magic Mountain, we never miss going especially when you have some kids with you.

Earl Carroll/Nickelodeon Theater, 6230 Sunset Blvd.  Lavish supper club that opened in 1938.

No explanation needed here right?

The very famous cupcakes

UCLA

Another very famous fast food joint – we always go to – best ever burgers!

Burger!!  see i need to go for a visit really soon – even if it was just for the burgers.

i’ve written about Taiwan before and the many wonderful food and best buys  even the  best testosterone creams can be found in Taiwan – until I found this old picture from an old album.  This is in Jiufen Lao Jeh, Taiwan.

Jiufen is a very small town in northern side of Taiwan, I liked this place a lot – it reminds me of home in the 60s – with many old streets and lots of good food and the ocean view was magnificent.  It is said that this town was a gold mining town in the 1800s and when the gold started to decrease the people of this small town also started to move away.   It is now a tourist spot because of the many famous movies that was made here.  Plus I’ve heard that this was a favorite weekend away from home for the Taipei resident.

I’ve heard that another movie Spirited Away used this place as it’s model for the anime in 2001.

Lovely isn’t it.

As promised – i’ve shown you the outside of the CourtYard Marriot on the previous post and now for the inside of the hotel.  The bedroom given to us was a very nice room – spacious with 2 queen bed.  The receptionist at check in was very nice and polite – but the bell hop was helping someone else during check in – so we carried our own luggage – to our room.  But it was a lazy Sunday – so having only one bell hop is understandable and we didn’t have very much – just 2 luggages and lots of shopping bag with acne body wash that we had bought for a friend’s kid.

The view was very pretty – as you can see here.  And our fear that the road may get too noisy from the reviews that we read – were unfounded – we didn’t hear a thing outside of our room.

I thought we had read that our tv was going to be an LCD tv – therefore we had brought along our xbox 360 to be hooked up to it for our stay.  But alas – it was a normal tv and what made it even more frustrating was the tv didn’t allowed us to play our xbox 360 onto it.  But – the saving grace was the receptionist had offered to give us the one in the conference room if it wasn’t in used.  Now that was very nice of her – but it came with a huge rack and totally took up part of the room.  By then we were too tired to try and return it and just left it in the room because it was already late – 9pm.

This was the breakfast room – it’s located right in the lobby – a really small area – no restaurant or a drinking hole but the wait staff and the kitchen staff were great – they made a waffle for my kid even though they didn’t have it in the menu.  Very sweet indeed!

This is the hotel’s pool – it’s tiny!

Boy! i sure missed those pools in Asia! hotel pools in Asia are Olympic sizes.

Usually when we are in Halifax – we stay at the Econolodge – but this time due to some business we had to take care of – on some  mmf drawer for an early meeting – the next day – we decided to stay in downtown.  The Courtyard Marriot Halifax is located at Salter Street but try as you might for a reservation by phone – you will not get a reservation staff.

After trying for 2 days – i left a message with at the General Manager’s phone – to get him to call me back – but 48 hrs later (till today in fact – 3 weeks later) still no call from the General Manager. Yes! you heard me right.   When I tried to call again – the reception counter – told me she doesn’t take reservations and insisted on putting me to the reservations department once again – and again – i was put on hold and got cut off.

But we wanted to stay downtown – so we went online and booked online – the room rates were good – at $109 + taxes and not forgetting – valet parking at $19.95 – no complimentary breakfast – but wireless connection in the room.

The Courtyard Marriot Halifax is a very beautiful property from the outside as you can see – some of the room faces the sea – and it’s really beautiful – normally – you don’t get the price we got – but during the off peak season – it’s not bad.  We wouldn’t have bothered with the Courtyard if we didn’t have to be in the city first thing in the morning – not because we didn’t like the property but first impression do count – and both reception and reservation – sure did not seems to think it was important at all to keep a customer – well, I cannot say i am impressed with the General Manager either.

More on the Courtyard Marriot Halifax in another post – in which you will see our experience from inside the hotel.  Stay tuned.