Kuala Lumpur 2012

Date of Travel: 4 Apr 2012 - 6 Apr 2012

There was a public holiday in April, coupled with our exemptions, we only had school for 2 days during that week. My friends Jocelyn & Yuyi planned to go on a short trip to our neighboring country, Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur (A.K.A. KL) is the capital city of Malaysia, it's quite similar to Singapore's bustling and vibrant city life, just a little messier and massive-er (if there's even such a word) traffic jams.

Click here for the exact locations of the places I've visited on http://www.mobilytrip.com/.

We visited for 3 days and 2 nights, eating all the awesome food and shopping A LOT. We met Jocelyn's cousin, Jane who is a local Malaysian and that sweetheart brought us around! I can't comment much about getting around and transport because we were chauffeured most of the time, and we walked the rest.

For this post, I shall group all the items into categories, namely: Hotel, Food, Shopping & Drinks. Basically, that summed up the entire trip.

HOTEL

Piccolo Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Address: No 101, Jalan Bukit Bintang 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Map for Piccolo Hotel Kuala Lumpur
Tel : +603- 2146 5000
Fax : +603- 2146 5001 
Email: reservation@piccolohotel.com.my
Website: http://www.piccolohotel.com.my/

Piccolo Hotel is a small boutique hotel located right smack in the middle of the heart of KL, along the famous Bintang Walk. The location is so fantastic that it is walking distance to major shopping malls like Pavillion and Sungei Wang Plaza, famous places of interests like KLCC and Berjaya Times Square.

The 3 of us shared a room and it is really cozy and homely. I must say though, the toilet is rather..... open. My friends and I are close, so it wasn't such a hassle though it was quite awkward.

As you can see, the basin is right in the middle of the room, between the toilet and the bed. Other than the open concept toilet, everything else about the hotel was lovely. They provided room make up in the morning (yes, I know that's a standard service) and room turn-down in the evenings. It was such a pleasant surprise coming back at night and noticing all the chocolates and bedroom slippers laid out.

The staff of the hotel were courteous and friendly and could provide directions and recommendations in English.

FOOD

T-bowl Concept Restaurant

Address: Sungei Wang Plaza, 3F-No 41 & 42, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia.
Tel: +603 2141 1606
Website: http://www.t-bowl.com/
Opens: Mon-Sun (11am - 10pm) (Last Order - 9.30pm)
Remarks: Free WiFi

Map of T-bowl Restaurant in Sungei Wang

T-bowl food!

As you know Sungei Wang is just walking distance to the hotel, so we decided to walk there

Food wise, it's an average only. No doubt the concept is unique and different, but I feel that the quality and taste of the food, drinks, and even ice-cream can be improved. The kimchi was TOO spicy, my egg fried noodles was quite bland and the ice-cream didn't have any kick. The presentation of the dishes were good though.

If you happen to be there, and want to try a restaurant that is different in concept and style, you can give it a try, but if you're looking for good food, I suggest you give it a miss.

Kedai Makanan Ban Lee Restaurant (Bah Kut Teh)

Awesome Bah Kut Teh

Address: Kedai Makanan Ban Lee 万利肉骨茶餐室  222, Jalan Ipoh,  51200 Kuala Lumpur. 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ban-Lee-Restaurant-Bak-Kut-Teh/119278044805560

If you're a non-Chinese (or rather, non-Singaporean/Asian), Bah Kut Teh loosely translates to Pork Rib Tea or a better name for it in English would be Pork Rib Herbal Soup. It's one of my favorite Chinese dishes ever!

To get there, just locate Dynasty Hotel along Jalan Ipoh. This old coffee-shop is on the left of the main entrance, facing the main road. Parking was rather difficult to find as it is after all, within shop house area and parking lots are scarce.

Ban Lee Bah Kut Teh

If you're into Pig organ soup, you'll love this place. My stomach is growling as I type this. We ordered a medium pot of Bah Kut Teh and a plate of 油菜 or Oiled Cabbages. What is different about this Bah Kut Teh as compared with the ones I've had in Singapore is that the soup has more herbal taste and is darker in colour. The ingredients inside the soup is also very different! In Singapore, Bah Kut Tehs only serve with 2-3 pieces of pork ribs. However at Ban Lee, they serve pork ribs, pork intestines, liver and stomachs! I was such a happy girl eating all those. I am not sure if this is the norm in Malaysia, but I didn't care and I just whacked everything!

Papa Rich

Kopi and Loti

Address: Fahrenheit88, Lot G-38, Ground Floor, Jln Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Website: http://www.papparich.com.my
Locations around Malaysia: http://www.papparich.com.my/ourlocations.html

Kopi and Loti loosely translated from Hokkien (my dialect) means Coffee and Bread respectively. We visited PappaRich on two occasions for breakfast.

PappaRich

The steamed bread is a must try! It's so soft and the kaya filling is simply fantastic. You should also try the Otah (Steamed spicy fish cake) and the iced coffee. The whole meal overall was very hearty and filling. They even have free WiFi for you to tap on, and in the mornings, there's not much of a crowd.

The price on the other hand is average. It wasn't exactly cheap as the steamed bread already cost RM4.80.

Reciept for PappaRich

Fullhouse Lifestyle Store and Cafe

Fullhouse

Address: No 2, Jln Liew Weng Chee,  Off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng,  50450 Kuala Lumpur.
Map for Fullhouse at Jalan Yap Kwan Seng
Tel: +603 2164 6466
Website: http://www.fullhousecafe.com.my/

So we had lunch here at Fullhouse Cafe. There's a Fullhouse Restaurant in Singapore as well. Anyway, because Malaysia has land (and Singapore don't), the cafe is really big, even with a back yard for us to head out and snap some photos! The whole decor looks quite Old English-ish and it was very photogenic.

When I visited on a hot afternoon, the cafe was rather stuffy and it seems like there's poor ventilation or the air conditioning wasn't switched on. I was sweating throughout my visit. There were a few portable air conditioning units strategically placed around the cafe, but it won't suffice on such a hot day!

Set lunch at RM18++

Food wise, it was worth it with the RM18++ set menu with a main, a soup, a drink and dessert! The pasta was good (even though I did not order it) and I had salad instead. I would recommend you ordering the pasta set!

Madam Kwan's

Address: Pavilion Mall
Tel: +603 21432297
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Madam-Kwans/114374851369

There are many outlets of Madam Kwan's around KL, you just need to look for it. We went to the outlet at Pavilion for dinner and Madam Kawn's well known for the Nasi Lemak. I tell you, IT'S THE BEST NASI LEMAK I'VE EVER EATEN!

Nasi Lemak

All of us ordered a plate of Nasi Lemak each and it comes with coconut rice (rice cooked with coconut milk to give it's rich aroma), ikan billis (anchovies), curry chicken, egg, pork floss, cucumbers and a small saucer of achar (pickled cucumbers, carrots, etc).

The rice itself is mouthwatering! The aroma is so rich and the taste is oh-so-good! I am not a rice person, but because the rice is so fragrant, I had to finish all! The ikan billis was also very fragrant with the chili used and it's surprisingly very crunchy! We ordered Ice Kachang for dessert. The Ice Kachang was so-so only.

delicious

Address: Lot GF-1, Ground Floor, Bangsar Village 2, Jalan Telawi, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.
Map for Bangsar Village 2
Tel: +603 2287 1554
Website: http://www.thedeliciousgroup.com/
Opens: MON-FRI: 11.00am - 12.00 midnight (No Breakfast Menu Available); SAT, SUN & PH: 9.00am - 12.00 midnight (Full Breakfast Menu Available on Weekend & PH till 11.30am)

delicious food!

This was the last restaurant we visited before heading back to Singapore. We were shopping around Bangsar and walked past this restaurant. We had spaghetti and lasagna coupled with several drinks. The portioning for the main courses were large and I was struggling to finish my lasagna. The quality of the food however was rather mixed. The spaghetti was quite good, though forgettable, and my lasagna was quite disappointing.

DRINK

The Beir Bar KL

The Bier Bar KL

Location: Changkat Bukit Bintang
Map for Changkat Bukit Bintang

Ask your hotel reception where Changkat Bukit Bintang is and he will tell you that this lane filled with bars, pubs and restaurants is the main area for KL's nightlife. We went into The Bier Bar because we were attracted with the pricing and ambiance. This pub is quite typical with pool tables and ESPN on their television. Tourists mainly filled up the pub too and all were very friendly when I visited.

After a round of drinks, we walked back to the hotel and settled into another bar.

Clique Lounge Bar

Clique Lounge Bar

Location: Directly below The Piccolo Hotel
Website: http://www.thepiccolohotel.com/ (Look under dining)

While walking towards the hotel, we chanced upon this young Australian busking at an intersection. We were rather intrigued by this boldness and courage just busking along the streets of Kuala Lumpur. The streets are not exactly safe, but he seems happy and contented just doing this thing. After a while we approached him and we chatted for a while, apparently he has been busking for a few nights now and he gives his busking money away to the less fortunate that he sees on the streets. Good job I'd say!

Australian guy we met along the streets of KL.

Not to digress, lets get back to the Clique Lounge Bar!

Drink all the beer!

This lounge bar is a Middle Eastern themed bar playing Middle Eastern music. A lot of Middle-Easterners, Turkish, and other exotic tourists dinning, shisha-ing and having fun here. There's even middle-eastern and belly dancers going about the establishment entertaining everyone! It was very very entertaining for some, and for me, when the male belly dancer danced up on me, I was extremely shy.

SHOPPING

Taman Connuaght Pasar Malam

Bird's eye view of the night market.

Location: Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.
Map for Taman Connuaght Night Market
Opens: Wenesdays 7pm - 1am

Pasar Malam is Malay for Night Market. While this is no ordinary night market as it stretched about 2km long and has a variety of stuff sold there from smelly tofu to clothes and fried durian to electorinics.

This place is packed with locals mainly, with an occasional tourist. Getting there is rather tedious as there's no public transport there and you have to either drive or get a taxi. The peak period is around 8-11pm, so if you want to avoid the crowds, try to arrive at 7pm.

Smelly tofu and durian must sound extremely smelly to most Westerners, but it's heaven to my nose (ok, not smelly tofu, but my mouth waters at the smell of durian). Countries like Taiwan and Hong Kong are famed for their Smelly Tofu and you can find it only at several places in countries like Singapore and Malaysia. I've tried Smelly Tofu when I went to Hong Kong in 2010, and it doesn't tastes as bad as it smells.

This time, we wanted to eat it again! Smelly tofu is a salty fermented tofu and deep fried. As it's deep fried, oil and deep drying takes away most of the smell. It's worth a try if you're willing to risk your stomach contents! Personally, I like it and the smell is tolerable.

Durian is another favorite fruit of mine, next to mango. To most Westerners, durian is a smelly tropical fruit with hard throny husk and it's yellow and firm flesh wrapped around it's seed. I grew up eating durian, most Asians would, so it is no foreigner to me. When i chanced upon the fried durian stall, I just had to get a few. This stall pulls out the flesh from the seed, balls it, batters it, and deep fries it. When you bite into it, the aroma and flesh just oozes out of the batter skin and into your mouth. FABULOUS!

Another must try is the cartoon character pancake on stick! Jocelyn and I bought a stick each (Doremon and Pikachu) just because it was super cute! But as it turns out, the pancake is really fragrant and tasty! It reminds me of fresh waffles!

Night Market!

Sungei Wang 6th Level Shopping

Sungei Wang Plaza

Address: Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur. 
Tel: +603-2144 9988 / +603-2142 6636
Website: http://www.sungeiwang.com

This shopping mall is quite similar to Bugis Village upper levels in Singapore. The stuff here are quite averagely priced, but you can still bargain and get good deals tucked somewhere at the corner of the 6th level.

Fahrenheit88

Address: 179 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: +603 2148 5488
Website: http://www.fahrenheit88.com/
Getting there: Getting there
Opens: Everyday 10am-10pm

This shopping mall houses brands like Aldo and many others. This is similar to Far East Shopping Center in Singapore. Though you cannot bargain here, the shops are of a cheaper and affordable range as compared to Pavilion.

Pavilion

Address: 168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Map for Pavilion KL
Tel: +603 2118 8833
Website: http://www.pavilion-kl.com
Opens: Everyday 10am-10pm

Now, this shopping mall is something similar to Paragon in Singapore. All famous brands like Fossil and DKNY are found here.The only shopping I did here was at Forever 21, which it's humongous! 

Graduation Trip Part 2: Krabi

Date of Travel: 14 Aug 2012 - 17 Aug 2012

After 4 days and 3 nights in hectic and ever busy Bangkok, we headed for Krabi to just relax the rest of our vacation away.

Click here to access my itinerary for Bangkok & Krabi! As you know, I did not strictly follow my itinerary, and I just did what we all throught was suitable and convenient, and that's how travel should be! Flexible and convenient!

DAY 4

Phra Nang Inn

Phra Nang Inn

Address: 119 Mu 2 Ao Nang, Krabi 81000, Thailand 
Map for Phra Nang Inn
Tel: +66 7 563 71303
Website: http://www.phrananghotels.com/phrananginn/index.html

We arrived at Krabi Domestic Airport at about 4pm. I arranged with the hotel for airport transfer. Phra Nang Inn offers airport transfer at 300 bhat per person for shared van, or 800 bhat for a private van. Since there were 6 of us, obviously I took the private van! It was spacious enough with all the luggages at the back. 

Phra Nang Airport Transfer!

Phra Nang Inn Reception & Rooms

Anyway, 1 of our friend flew in from Singapore and met us in Krabi, making the total group to about 7 persons. When we checked in however, they insisted the odd person had to pay an extra of about 1,800 bhat total for 3 nights as they will put in an extra bed for her. We also insisted that we don't need an extra bed and we can share the bedding just nice. They refused to barge and we relented anyway. :(

I've stayed at this hotel previously and stayed at the Deluxe rooms. This time round, we stayed at the Superior rooms. I must say that the Deluxe rooms are more spacious (even though the Deluxe rooms doesn't have a bathtub and the Superior room does.) The Deluxe room has a makeshift sofa which can be turned into a bed by just changing the covers into bed sheets. My friend still shared the bed with us in the end, because the bed looks rather dirty and it's right at the corner.

The reason(s) why we stayed here the previous time, and also this time round was because the resort is just a stone's throw away from Ao Nang beach (literally). It's so near I can roll across the small pavement and I'm on the beach! The staff are polite and friendly and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay!

Wang Sai Seafood Restaurant

Wang Sai Seafood Restaurant

Address: 98 Moo.3 Ao Nang, Muang Krabi 81000, Thailand
Map for Wang Sai Seafood Restaurant
Tel: +66 7 563 8128
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wang-Sai-Seafood/184961214850554
Opens:  Mon - Tue: 11:00 - 22:00; Wed - Sat: 13:00 - 22:00; Sun: 09:00 - 00:00
Price: About 2800bhat for 7 persons.

After we checked in, settled down and rested for a little, we took a tut tut over to Wang Sai. It's actually walking distance from Phra Nang Inn, but it was such a hot and humid day and we were tired from traveling. We paid 40 bhat per person for the tut tut over.

Beautiful sunset by the beach!

So beautiful!

Wang Sai not only sells seafood and other mouth water dishes, the view of the sun set and the beach is such a beautiful sight! Though at certain positions located in the restaurants, the glare from the sun can be rather irritating, but it's worth the wait to look at the sun set!

Menu for Wang Sai

Wang Sai have a variety of dishes for you to choose from, all rather affordable. However, the previous visit about a year ago, and this visit, we were unable to eat Mud Crabs. It was always sold out (or rather, they just don't carry it), but they served flower crabs instead. Personally, I don't really fancy flower crabs because it's just so small and not juicy and meaty enough. But we had to satisfy our cravings for crabs, so we just ordered 1kg steamed and 1kg BBQ flower crabs.

Dinner at Wang Sai Seafood Restaurant.

For dinner, we had Tom Yum soup, Sitr fried Morning Glory, Omelette with onions, 2kg of Crabs, Prawns, Steamed Fish, and the very awesome Fried Chicken with Salted Egg. You MUST try the Chicken with Salted Egg as it's very different from what the normal Thais used to serve in their restaurant. It's naturally salty and with the chicken, it's to-die-for.

Happy people!

Sukhothai Massage & Beauty Salon 

Sukhothai Massage & Beauty Salon

Location: Just opposite Phra Nang Inn
Opens: 9am - 11pm
Price: Thai Massage (1hr) - 200 bhat; Foot Massage/Reflexology (1 hr) - 250 bhat; Hair braiding - 200 bhat for 4 strands.

We came here everyday for either foot massage or Thai massage. I even braided 1 side of my hair! Depending on who is providing you your massage, the quality varies. Sadly to say, they do not practice quality control. Amanda's masseur was following Shining's masseur and even missed out on her left arm! But other than that, they were all friendly people and provided good foot reflexology and massages.

Hair Braids!

DAY 5 

Ao Nang Orchid Resort & Speed Boat
Address: 141 Moo 2 Ao Nang, Muang, Krabi 81000 Thailand
Tel: +66 7563 7116
Website: aonangorchid-speedboat.com
Price: 600 bhat per person (negotiable if you have a big group and depending on seasonality)

We took the 4 ISLANDS package and booked through a local tour agency along the beach the day before. The 4 Islands package includes Tup Island, Chicken Island, Poda Island and Phranang Cave. On the morning of the tour, we were picked up at about 8.45am and we headed a short 5 mins drive to the pier.

Waiting by the pier.

As usual, we went to sit by the front of the boat where we could enjoy all the sun and beautiful scenery.

We sat at the front of the boat.

First stop, we went to Phranang Cave. Now, locals usually come and visit this temple in a cave for fertility and children. We just wandered around and at the entrance of the cave as obviously, we don't want any children yet. On this beach, there are several cliff walls where rock climbers enthusiast would love to climb! The guides would climb and set up the course for you, and all you have to do is just climb!

Phranang Cave

We headed to Chicken Island for snorkeling. I must say, the waters around the Islands of this package is MUCH MUCH clearer as compared to the waters around the Phi Phi Island package I went for the year before. We used Dong's Olympus camera where it's waterproof and proved to be very handy!

Snorkeling.

We than went to Tup Islands which are well known for their sandbanks linking the islands together. We had packed lunch there as well. The lunch provided had minced chicken with long beans and chili, egg and cucumbers.

Tup Islands

The final stop was on Poda Island. It's a quiet beach with several drink stalls selling cold beer and ice cream. We didn't stop for any ice cream or beer but just headed straight to the waters! We were splashing around and enjoying ourselves when several tourists made a lot of commotion and ran out of the waters. We looked at them quizzically and they shouted at us to get out of the water as well. Apparently, a lone jellyfish was floating our way. It was the size of my head no less. No wonder everyone freaked out!

Poda Island

After Poda Island, we headed back for Ao Nang beach. :( I felt that this package was so much better in terms of quality of the waters and beaches as well as there are not a lot of tourists around, so we could have our own spot on the beach and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Jeseao Restaurant and Pizzeria
Address: 273 Moo 2 Tambol Ao-nang, Muang, Krabi 81000
Map for Jeseao Restaurant and Pizzeria
Tel: +66 8181 21082, +66 7569 5497
Price: 2,420 bhat for 7 persons

Jeseao Restaurant and Pizzeria

Just like any other restaurants, there's a man at the entrance of the restaurant trying to persuade tourists to dine inside. Since we've been there before as well, we decided to dine there for tonight. The pizza are all going at 150 bhat and cocktails at 100 bhat! The pizza is thin crust, my favorite type of pizza, and there's a WIDE selection of pizza to choose from. The pizza is tasty and though I felt that they could have put a little bit more ingredients onto the pizza, we couldn't ask for more with the price of the pizza being 150 bhat!

Street Food

YOU HAVE TO TRY THE STREET FOOD ALONG THE ROADS.

Street food/road side stalls.

Almost everyday, we'll buy a chicken leg or pancake or fruit shake or chicken meat on stick... OR ALL. Coming all the way to Krabi (or even Bangkok), you have to try their local flavors and delights. The BBQ chicken fillet and leg are just too juicy to be missed. The pancake is something similar to roti prata (in Singapore), but instead of the savory or salty taste, this roti prata is sweet and spreading Nutella and bananas on it - HEAVENLY!

DAY 6

True Leisure Tour and Travel

Price: 450 bhat per person ( for group of 5. I believe the price could go lower.)

We booked a half day tour in the morning for kayaking at Ao Thalene. It is about 30 mins drive from Ao Nang beach. So, as per usual, the transport arrived at 8.30am picked us up, and dropped us at the pier for kayaking.

Kayaking!

The entire route is about 7km, kayaking through mangrove, cliffs and the sea. The 2 of us are considered beginner kayak-ers with 3 of them never kayaking before. I wasn't too worried as I knew we were kayaking through mangroves and there won't be any current or waves in mangroves. We kayaked over mangrove roots, under caves, between trees and even under monkeys!

Kayaking in mangroves.

Kayaking in Mangrove is just 1/3 of the journey. The other 2/3 consisted of kayaking between cliffs/canyons and in the open sea. I have never kayaked in mangrove before and this was such an excellent educational trip! I learnt more about how the mangrove sustained itself as well as the sea.

Kayaking between canyons and in the open sea.

Jamai Restaurant

Location: Opposite Phra Nang Inn

Jamai Restaurant

We came here for lunch and ordered Phad Thai, Tom Yum Soup, Fishcake (which was damn spicy), minced meat chicken and some other chicken dish. This is a very cozy place to dine because it's rather cramped and small. A few Muslim ladies were cooking our dishes and the kitchen is a rather open concept where you can see and know what is going on. We ordered pancakes for dessert as well.

Potjawan Thai and Seafood Restaurant

Location: Mid point between Wang Sai and Phra Nang Inn. 

Potjawan Restaurant

Had dinner at this restaurant which is mid way between Wang Sai and Phra Nang Inn. I must say, the food here is cheaper and MUCT BETTER than Wang Sai. They have mud crabs for one. We ordered Vimicelli Crabs, Butter Crabs, Morning Glory, Garlic Prawns, Coconut soup, Tomyum Soup and TWO pineapple fried rice, just because it was soooooo tasty!

It's easy to find this restaurant as you walk towards Wang Sai, you'll notice a few open concept restaurants up several steps on the right. There are about 2-3 restaurants there, and this restaurant is on the extreme left.

END

I've come to the end of the Krabi post and I will update this post over the next few days, adding in what may have slipped my mind or improving the quality of the post. It was a fun and exciting trip and I thoroughly enjoyed myself immensely.

Till next time..

Bye bye Krabi!

Graduation Trip Part 1: Bangkok

Date of travel: 11 Aug 2012 - 14 Aug 2012

So, I am finally finished with my university education! To mark the start of our freedom (or end, since we'd all be coming out to the working world, however you want to look at it) my friends and I decided to plan a short getaway to a nearby Asian country (due to limited resources). Half of my friends whom I'm travelling with wants to go to Bangkok, and the other half wants to go to Krabi. So, we decided on BOTH!

Click here to access my itinerary for Bangkok & Krabi! As you know, I did not strictly follow my itinerary, and I just did what we all throught was suitable and convenient, and that's how travel should be! Flexible and convenient! You should do something similar like this to have a rough idea or guide on what are the places you want to visit on which day and try to visit all the attractions at the same place.

I'll blog about Bangkok first!

DAY 1

Indra Regent Hotel Bangkok

Hotel's lobby and reception

Address: 120/126Rajaprarop Road, Bangkok, Thailand10400 

Map for Indra Regent Hotel

Tel: +6622080022

Website: http://www.indrahotel.com/

I choose this hotel because it's just 6 mins walking distance away from major shopping malls like Platinum Fashion Mall, Central World, etc. The hotel is also just 5-8 mins walk away from the Airport Link Rail Station - Ratchapharop. The location is very very convenient!

The six of us made a mistake by sharing a cab to head into the city. First of, it was rather expensive about 700 bhat (120 bhat per person) for a SUV which can squeeze 6 persons. No doubt it's more convenient as we had luggages and such, and the taxi will alight us directly at the hotel's main entrance; but by taking the train, we could have saved about 80 bhat per person, and also save time as we were caught in Bangkok's infamous traffic jam for about 30-45 mins. I'll admit after conversion to Singapore Dollars it's not much, but I was rather irritated with the time wasting when we were caught in the traffic jam.

I booked the rooms through www.hotels.com and the rates on the website then was relatively lower as compared to the hotel's own websites and other intermediary websites. Besides, when I was making the booking, hotels.com was having a sale about 40% off! 

Besides, the hotel totally exceeded my expectations! I expected a poorly lit hotel, old building and really just the basics as we just needed a place to sleep in and shower. With the 3.5 average star rating and the price we were paying for the rooms, we were pleasantly surprised by how nice and cozy the hotel's lobby is and how friendly and helpful the staff were.

Kae Kai Hair & Nail Salon

Such beautiful nail art!

Address: 10/8 Sukhumvit Soi 39, Bangkok, Thailand 10110
Map for Kae Kai
Tel: +66 81912 1380
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/KaeKai-Hair-Nail-Salon/130307867044346
Price: 520 bhat for Manicure and Pedicure with nail art

So, after checking in, we wanted to do our nails. We took a taxi to Soi 39 as the nearest BTS is rather far away. Here, whatever you want to do for your nails, it's possible. It costs us 520 bhat (SG$20.80) for both Manicure and Pedicure with nail art. The two ladies who were drawing our nails were incredibly talented! 

I believe this salon is popular among Japanese Expats living in Bangkok. I came here about 3 years ago and it wasn't filled with Japanese until my latest visit. You have to walk down the Soi (Street) past Coca and it's just opposite, a little further up. Open the main door and let them know that you'll want manicure and pedicure. They'll then lead you through the salon and upstairs where the services is rendered.

MK Gold Restaurant

All the food we ate at MK Restaurant!

Address: Central World Mall
Website: http://www.mkrestaurant.com/index.php
Price: 1,800-2,400 bhat for 6 person (300-400 bhat per person)

After getting our nails done, we taxi-ed over to Central World where we met up with the boys for dinner. Our cab ride took us about 30-45 mins thanks to the traffic jam, but cost us about 100+ bhat.

Anyhoo, we went to MK Gold Restaurant for dinner! MK Restaurant serves Thai Chinese Steamboat style kind of food. It's affordable and it's scrumptious! We ordered a plate of mixed meat which consisted of Roasted Duck, shio bah (Roasted Pork) and char siew (BBQ pork), a plate of mushrooms, a plate of vegetables, a small plate of various meats like chicken and pork, and another plate of various steamboat dishes like fish ball and the likes. My favorite is still the plate of mixed meat! SO YUMMY!.

If you head to the regular MK Restaurants all around Bangkok and have dinner there, you gotta time your dinner perfectly because at 6pm, the staff of MK will dance to their cool MK theme song! I managed to catch this when I went to Bangkok in 2010.

Cream & Fudge

Address: Central World Mall
Tel: +66 2 688 7360
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCreamandFudgeFactoryThailand
Website: http://www.creamandfudge.com

We wanted to indulge in something sweet, and when we walked out of MK Gold after dinner, this cozy little place just beckons us! Who could resist ice cream and sprinkles! It has the similar concept as Cold Stone Creamery and Island Creamery in Singapore, and this is no different. They take your choice of ice cream, smack it onto a slab of frosty stone and 'massage' the toppings of your choice into the ice cream, and serve it in a cone, cone bowl, or a cup, whatever your choice.

Calypso Cabaret 

Men, women, ladyboys....

Current Location: Asia Hotel Bangkok, 296 Phayathai Rd., Bangkok 10400 (Till 25th Aug 2012)
New Location: Asiatique The Riverfront, 2194 Charoenkrung Rd., Praya Krai, Bangkok Laem, Bangkok 10120 (Starting 1st Sep 2012)
Map for Asia Hotel
Tel: +66 2653 3960
Website: http://www.calypsocabaret.com/main.html
Nearest BTS: Ratchathewi

Show times: 2015h and 2145h
Special Price (as of 22nd Aug 2012): Adult - 900bhat; Child - 600bhat
Normal Price: Adult - 1,200bhat; Child - 600bhat

Wanted to watch some Thai Girl Show (or for some people, knows as Tiger Show or Ping Pong Show), but we weren't brave enough to go look for one. Heard many stories about how you have to pay cheap cover charge and it is still compulsory to purchase a drink which will cost US$50! To have an idea, type Ping Pong Show Phuket or Bangkok into YouTube and you can get a glimpse of it.

We settled on Calypso Cabaret Bangkok instead where it's a legit cabaret without girls using their privates to open your beer bottles, shoot darts or play ping pong.

Be sure to make reservations in advance either via their website, travel agent or telephone. I would suggest you purchase your tickets directly on the cabaret website as it frees you the hassle of trying to overcome the language barrier. And when I said, be sure to make advance reservations, YOU SHOULD make advance reservations at least 2-3 days in advance. I was lucky and managed to book mine about 36 hours beforehand online. My group of 6 were given a table right in front of the stage and we could see the magnificent show clearly.

Every ticket comes with a free drink and you can choose from non-alcoholic like coffee, tea, coke, sprite or get something stronger like a Gin-and-Tonic or a beer!

DAY 2

Chatuchak Weekend Market

Opens: Saturdays and Sundays, 09:00 - 18:00, Fridays 18:00 - 24:00
Nearest BTS: Mo Chit
Nearest MRT: Chatuchak Park

I asked the Front Office Manager on directions to the nearest BTS and following his directions, I found myself at the Airport Rail Link Station thinking it was the BTS station. After consulting with the EXTREMELY FRIENDLY and NICE security guard stationed at Ratchapharop Airport Rail Link Station, he advised us to just take the train down one station to Phaya Thai Station where we can change to the BTS headed for Mo Chit.

Interestingly, the token used for travel on the Airport Rail Link is just this tiny chip. 

Anyhoo, we took the BTS to Mo Chit and according to this website, we 'took Exit 1 and followed the crowd till we reached the rows of canvas stalls'. Whatever you can't find in Bangkok, you'll most likely find it in Chatuchak. Seriously, this market sells everything from fashion wear to plants to pets to even furniture!

One thing to be warned about visiting Chatuchak is that you must remember to wear something comfortable, light and airy. The weather there is SCORCHING HOT, it's HUMID and CROWDED. If possible, wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to squeeze with the locals and tourists a like. There are about 8,000 stalls and you can spend an entire day there just sifting through what the market has to offer. Also, try to get a map of Chatuchak and do a bit of research before heading there because I felt like my friends and I walked in circles and kept looking at the same old stuff we did 30 mins ago.

Just the 'few' visitors crowding at the road side stalls before entering Chatuchak. 

& I am not kidding when I said there's going to be A LOT of people.

Chatuchak also has stalls and stalls selling food. We settled on a small 'restaurant', if you will call it that, and had lunch! I seriously love Thai food! Though most of the dishes were fried and heaty, it was really good! Especially the fried chicken leg and mango salad!

Health Land Spa & Massage

Health Land Brochure

Website: http://www.healthlandspa.com/home.html
Price: Traditional Thai Massage (2hrs) - 450 bhat, Foot Reflexology (1hr) - 250 bhat

After hours of non-stop shopping, we wanted to get a massage to soothe our tired bodies and just relax. We went to Health Land Spa and Massage at Asoke. I highly recommend this place because the massages they provide are really good and it's priced really reasonably! 2 hours of nonstop massaging  your aching legs, back, shoulders and even your head! It is seriously good quality massages.

Do note that it's highly popular among locals and tourists alike, so do remember to make a reservation in advance if possible.

Again, my friends and I made a mistake by not making a reservation and because it was a Sunday when we visited, it was really packed. We had to wait for an hour for our massage. Health Land has a big waiting room with couches and sofas for all their guests to relax and wait for their turn. They also provide iced water for the waiting guests.

Once they called my name and the number of pax who will be receiving what type massages, we were ushered into another area where it's rather dim and we changed out of our footwear into the slippers provided. For Thai massage, it's a dry massage without any use of oil, thus we were given robes (a loose fitting shirt and pants rather) and we had to change into it. There's also a television in every room, but I fell asleep after 15 mins and just enjoyed the massage.

I can't decide if the television is for the guest or for the massage therapist.

Cabbages and Condoms

Namecard for Cabbages and Condoms

Address: 8 Sukumvit Soi 12, Bangkok, Thailand 10110
Tel: +66 2229 4610
Website: http://www.cabbagesandcondoms.com/index.php
Nearest BTS: Asoke
Opens: 1100 - 2300

My friend recommended this restaurant to me as it portrays a totally different and unique setting. As the name suggests, there are condoms EVERYWHERE. Not only their mascot is a condom, they dressed their maniquine up in condoms, pictures of condoms, condoms as table designs, you name it! They even provide free condoms together with the bill!

Condom man?

Close up of condom man.

Banner hanging right outside the restaurant.

And mooooore condoms!

Cabbages and Condoms (or more commonly knows as C&C) was conceptualized by the Population and Community Development Association (PDA) to promote better understanding and acceptance of family planning and to generate revenue to support various development activities conducted by the association.

I must say, I am Asian and I come from a rather conservative culture. Though Singapore has rapidly grown and developed and we're not so 'backwards' anymore, we're still Asian. I must say I was a tad shy when I saw all those condoms everywhere.

But that aside, the food was good! The price was reasonably ranged as well.

EAT ALL THE FOOD!

Just to name a few, we had:

• Mieng Khum which is a Thai appetizer. It consists of lemon, dried shrimp, peanut, ginger, deep fried coconut, chili, shallots and a special sauce, all wrapped in betel leaves.
• Tom Yum Goong - which is spicy Tom Yum soup with shrimps. 
• Phad Thai Goong Sod - Stir fried Thai noodles with shrimps, all wrapped in an egg omelette.
• Kai Hor Bai Teoy - Chicken in herb leaf bikini - Deep-fried chicken wrapped in pandan leaf.
• Morning Glory Vegetables - Kang Kong stir fried in oyster sauce and garlic.

Table filled with food! NOMS!

Day 3

Platinum Shopping Mall

 If you've been to Singapore (or are Singaporean), it's similar to something on the upper levels of Bugis Street/Village. Just more organized. Like there's a level dedicated solely to shoes, another to bags, and another to leathers. I managed to buy quite a few formal clothing for my future use when I start working.

Some of the stores Platinum has to offer.

A tip about Platinum Mall is that usually if you buy 3 pieces or more, you'll get a certain amount of discount. And if you buy 5 pieces or more, you'll get more discount, and it continues.

MBK

Again, if you've been to Singapore and have visited Far East Plaza or Lucky Plaza, the concept is about the same. It doesn't entirely look modern nor contain quality fashion shops.

There's a section selling furniture, another sells electronic gadgets, and another providing massages.

While waiting for my friends to be done, I went to get a foot massage myself and it's gooooood! It's always good to get a massage after hours of shopping.

Hua Seng Hong Shark's Fin

Address: 371-373 Yaowaraj Road, Bangkok, Thailand
Map for Hua Seng Hong
Tel: +66 222 0635/ +66 2227053
Website: http://www.huasenghong.co.th/

Name card of Hua Seng Hong Restaurant & Signboard

My friend wanted to head to Chinatown for Shark's fin. 3 of us refused to eat shark's fin and were rather reluctant to go at first, while the other 3 of them wanted to consume shark's fin. :(

Anyhoo! The restaurant served Fish Maw Soup as well, so the 3 of us, who were anti-shark's fin, finally relented.

We ordered Fish Maw Soup in Claypot, Shark's Fin Soup in Claypot, Roasted Chicken/Duck, Fried Rice, Hong Kong Noodles with Seafood, Stir Fried Morning Glory (Kang Kong) with Oyster Sauce, Chili Squid and Deep fried Prawns Salad with vege and fruits.

Yummy food! 

Day 4

Kaiton Pratunam (Ko-Ang)

Front of Kaiton Pratunam

Address: Petchburi Soi 30, Bangkok
Tel: +66 2252 6325
Opens: 5.30am - 2.30pm, 5pm - 3am

Name card

So on the last day in Bangkok, we were looking for something hearty to eat for breakfast before we checked out and head on to Krabi. This Chinese style Chicken Rice Shop is located just opposite Platinum Shopping Mall, next to a fly over.

Chicken Rice with chicken blood!

We ordered half a chicken for 3 persons, 2 plates of rice and a bowl of chicken soup. If you've had Singapore's Hainanese Chicken Rice, this is somewhat similar. A regular plate of chicken rice costs about 30 bhat and the service is rather prompt. 

The rice is not as oily and drier as compared with Singapore's version and they service some chicken parts in the soup as well. I must say the soup is rather tasty, unlike Singapore's. They serve chicken innards as well, if you fancy such things. The chili that they provide is a MUST TRY! Sadly, I forgot to snap a picture of the bowl of chili sauce, and grabbed this online.

Chicken Rice Chili

The service staff speaks very little, if not, no English at all. They do have an English menu which you can play the finger pointing game with. From what I reckon, this shop is rather popular with throngs of people coming in early to buy takeaway packets.

END

Sadly to say, this is the end of my blog post about Bangkok. I will continue my adventure with my friends in Krabi in another post, so do keep a look out for it!

Overall, I find that getting around Bangkok is affordable and convenient with all the BTS, MRT, Tut tuts and taxis. Street food are generally ok for consumption, but do take a look around at the street food stalls to see how they prepare and keep the food, before you sit down and dine.

No matter where you go, you must always do research on your destination first! ALWAYS!