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Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Road Trip Dos And Don'ts

If you are planning on a road trip, here are some dos and don't based on my experience.

Do:

  1. Make sure your car is in full working order before you start your journey so you won't be stranded in the middle of nowhere
  2. Go in a convoy of cars with other friends if you can. It will be fun and  you can help each other in case of trouble
  3. Do fuel up and watch that fuel gauge. If you use a particular brand of fuel, make sure you have enough to last you till you find another petrol station with the same brand. For example, you will find less Caltex and Shell stations and more of Petronas stations along the East Coast route.
  4. Plan your route so you won't get lost
  5. Book your hotel so you won't end up without a place to stay
  6. Use waze, gps and internet to help you get around
  7. Do make sure you have your smart phone charger around so you can charge your devices especially if you are using them for directions. However, do note that internet connection can mostly be found in and around town areas only
  8. Ask questions. Most people are really helpful if you ask
  9. Request for a map of the area or activities from the hotel you are staying in
  10. Bring enough snacks and water in the car for your journey. Sometimes you may end up eating your meals late
  11. Have an adventurous spirit. Keep yourself open to anything and everything and you will enjoy yourself more
  12. Get enough rest especially if you are the driver
  13. Bring along your medication 
  14. Try local food but don't over do it
  15. Keep some plastic bags handy if you are travelling with kids in case they get car sick

Don't:

  1. Go on a long road trip with very young kids. You will tire them and you. Wait till they are older.
  2. Park your car carelessly. You may end up with a compound!
  3. Quarrel with your travel mates, not even when you are tired
  4. Don't forget your camera or smartphone
  5. Don't leave anything behind
  6. Don't drink too much liquids if you know it will be a long while before your next stop
  7. Don't over rely on technology like waze. Sometimes the old paper maps are still useful

Below are pictures of our East Coast to West Coast Malaysia road trip. You can read about it from the following links:


Dungun, Terengganu



Kota Bharu, Kelantan
Ipoh, Perak
Ipoh, Perak

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Road Trip East Coast To West Coast Malaysia - From Ipoh To Bidor To Kuala Lumpur


After our cave temple hopping we headed on home from Ipoh, to Kuala Lumpur.

We decided to stop by Bidor to have the famous Wanton mee at Pun Chun Restaurant along the way.

We bought some snacks and siew pau from there too. Travelling should have been easy along the North South Expressway compared to the East West Highway but it rained cats and dogs so it was more challenging.

Today on the 4th and last day of our trip, we travelled 244 km for 2 1/2 hours.

Overall, we travelled over 1200 km just to get from town to town, not counting the travelling within the town itself.

We travelled from Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan and Cherating in Pahang to Kerteh, Kemaman, Dungun and Kuala Terengganu in Terengganu, to Kota Bharu in Kelantan in the East Coast before crossing the Titiwangsa Mountains to head back to the West Coast passing Gerik Perak before reaching Ipoh, Perak and stopping at Bidor, Perak before heading back to Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan.

We spent 4 days 3 nights for our holiday, staying in Tanjung Jara in Dungun, Terengganu, Hotel Perdana in Kota Bharu, Kelantan and Weil Hotel in Ipoh, Perak.

We ate, Malay food, Peranakan Food and Chinese Hawker food and desserts. We had Nasi Dagang, Keropok Lekor, Mee Jawa, Ipoh Kai See Hor Fun, Ice Kacang, Wanton Mee.

The children had a history and geography lesson along the way. They saw rivers, lakes and mountain ranges, rubber trees, rice fieldss, oil palm plantations, limestone caves, rain forests and power stations. They saw turtles,  cows and goats and monitor lizards. They saw the different cultures, people, food and flags of Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan, Ipoh and Selangor. It was truly a memorable trip for all of us and something we will remember and talk about for a long time to come.

Map from Ipoh to Bidor to Kuala Lumpur.

Monday, June 22, 2015

20 Questions To Ask During The Parent-Teacher Conference


This post is specially for those attending the parent-teacher conference for the first time. However, if this is not your first time attending a parent teacher meeting, you can use this checklist as a reminder to you to ask the important questions that may slip your mind.

In Malaysia public schools, the parent-teacher conference is typically held once a year, usually in the middle of the year after the mid term exams. Some schools have one or two exams before this meet. During the meeting, the teacher will handover your child's report card and you may have a short chat about your child's progress in school.

Be mindful that some schools have up to 40-50 students per class so the teacher may not have that much time to chat with you. She or he may appear curt or rushed but that is to be expected. However, many teachers actually handle it really well. They are calm and professional and you should be too. Do dress appropriately for the occasion. I have seen many parents coming in shorts and tees. I think that is a tad too casual for a parent-teacher conference. While you should not rush out to buy the latest outfit or dress up to the nines, it would be respectful of the teacher and the school for you to pay extra attention to your outfit. That is my humble opinion.

Remember, your time is short so be prepared. Plan ahead.

Here is a checklist of 20 Questions You Should Ask During A Parent-Teacher Conference to help you along.

  1. How is my child's academic progress in school?
  2. Is he passing up homework on time?
  3. Is my child a slow learner or fast learner?
  4. Is she able to catch up with what is being taught in school?
  5. Do you think he or she needs extra help outside of school eg. extra tuition?
  6. Can you recommend any extra books (reference books or story books) that will be useful for my child?
  7. How is my child's behaviour in school?
  8. Is he able to mix around with friends? / Does she get along with her friends?
  9. Is she quiet or talkative?
  10. Is she able to take instructions well? /How does she behave with teachers? Timid or otherwise?
  11. Is he well behaved?
  12. Is she helpful?
  13. What is my child's strengths and weaknesses?
  14. How can I help my child to open up? (if shy) or How can I help my child to calm down?
  15. Can you tell me a little bit more about the school syllabus?
  16. Will there be any changes in the syllabus that I need to know of?
  17. How much time should my child be spending on homework?
  18. What can I do to help my child do better in school?
  19. What can I do to support his academic performance in school?
  20.  How can we communicate? Is there a whatsapp group, email or phone number or do you prefer to communicate via the school communication book?
You may not have a lot of time to ask questions so these are just guidelines to help you. I feel that question no. 8 is important to weed out and nip in the bud any bullying issues. Question 18 is probably the most important because you want to work with the teacher to bring out the best in  your child. Don't forget to ask question 20 as well. You will need to stay in touch with your child's teacher. 

Lastly here are a few things you should take note of during the parent-teacher conference.

What Not To Do During A Parent-Teacher Conference
  1. Don't be late
  2. Don't accuse, especially if you have something you want to bring up
  3. Don't be defensive if teacher brings up something negative about your child. You want to work towards problem solving and helping your child, not damage relationships with your child's teacher
  4. Don't hog the teacher's time. There is a whole line of parents waiting for their turn
Besides academic performance, the parent-teacher conference is an important gauge of your child's behaviour in school which may be very different from his or her behaviour at home. The best person who knows this is his or her teacher. So have a good chat with the teacher. If there is something you wish to bring up to the teacher, for example an issue about homework or friends, this may be a good time to bring it up but do not accuse or hog her time. Be polite and tactful.

If your child is weak in one or two subjects, you may request to meet up with the subject teachers on this day as well. When meeting subject teachers, you may want to limit your questions on the areas of weaknesses and what you can do at home to help improve your child in that subject as well as ask the teacher for recommendations for reading material.

Here is wishing you a fruitful Parent-Teacher Conference. Don't forget to thank the teacher.

Road Trip East Coast To West Coast Malaysia - One Night In Ipoh


After our Kai See Hor Fun, we looked for a place to stay for the night. We wanted to stay right in the heart of town so we ended up at Weil Hotel which is adjoining to Ipoh Parade. We discovered that Weil was just 6 months old and owned by Liew who founded Pagoda Peanuts. Weil was actually Liew spelled backwards. There were two complementary Pagoda assorted nuts in every room. Cool.

The hotel is very new, very modern and very nice. After checking in, we went for a swim on the infinity pool at the rooftop. For dinner we went to the Tong Sui Kai Night Stalls and had ABC, wanton mee, fried kuay teow etc. Everything tasted good, much better than hawker fare in KL.

Then we went to the Ipoh Railway Station Square. It was filled with people, like being in a huge street party with live music from a few young people playing near the fountain and lots of young people skating, riding motorized bikes, zooming along scooters and the little ones in small battery operated vehicles. Amazing.


The next day, we went to Taman Rekreasi Gunung Lang. We took a short 5 minute boat ride to the park and climbed up the observation tour. Nothing much there but we promised the kids we would take them to a lake after we missed Temenggor lake and they felt disappointed.

Then we went to the nearby Perak Cave Temple. (There are many temples built within the limestone caves in Ipoh, Perak).

It was quite a long way to climb up the Perak Cave Temple or Perak Tong. Unfit me had a headache and palpitations and had to stop for rests while the kids and the spouse walked up ahead of me.

After that we went back to the hotel to use the lovely shower again before check out and heading to the Sam Poh Tong or Triple Treasure Cave Temple. Despite the better name, we found the Perak Cave Temple to be more interesting. There was one more cave temple nearby but we decided to leave that for another day and headed home.


Friday, June 19, 2015

Road Trip East Coast To West Coast Malaysia - From Kota Bharu Kelantan to Ipoh, Perak

We weren't sure which route to take from Kota Bharu, Kelantan to cut across the Titiwangsa Mountains or Banjaran Titiwangsa to Ipoh, Perak. Finally we took the drove to Rantau Panjang right up to the Malaysia/Thailand border and travelled all along the border on the East West Highway. It looked more like a trunk road than a highway. Most of the route was single lane, windy and going up and down as one should expect when travelling on a mountainous road. The children were happy to see rubber trees with latex cups lining up on both sides of the road.

We made a toilet stop at the Hentian Puncak Banjaran Titiwangsa which had a beautiful view of the Titiwangsa mountains.

The road became easier to travel after Gerik. We were never sure whether it was spelled as Gerik or Grik as road signs in both spellings could be found. We even saw a Grik and Gerik road sign within 100 m of each other. After Gerik, the road was fairly straight again.

We wanted to make a lunch stop at the Temenggor lake but never got there because there were no road signages. Waze took us to the middle of nowhere and said that was Temenggor lake. We regretted not stopping for lunch at Belum Rainforest Resort which is located at Banding Lake because of our pursuit of the illusive Tasik Temenggor.

Finally, we arrived in Ipoh at 3-4pm and headed straight for our "lunch" at Thean Chun which was touted to have the best Ipoh Hor Fun. It was good but we had to wait a good one hour for it!

Today, the 3rd day of our trip, we travelled over 5 hours over a distance of 344 km.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

East Coast Road Trip - Kuala Terengganu To Kota Bharu, Kelantan






The Palace Museum vs Hotel Corridor looks similar
In Kota Bharu, we stayed at the Hotel Perdana which had been newly refurbished. The room was new but the carpets a little too loud for my liking and there weren't any movie channels, only sports and the regular local TV channels plus some other business news channels. As before, we hadn't made any bookings before hand. We just drove around, checked our waze and walked into the hotel.

We asked the locals what to do and were directed to Wakaf Che Yeh a massive night market. We had nasi pulut ayam and pulut mangga and more keropok lekor (this time the fried variety which is so much better than the steamed) Wakaf Che Yeh.

Of course we had more nasi dagang for breakfast and then we went to Istana Jahar and the majestic looking Pintu Gerbang Kota Sultan Ismail Petra. We didn't have time to visit all the museums there so we picked what we thought would be the most interesting ie the Museum of Royal Traditions And Customs which didn't disappoint. I would have loved to visit the handicraft museum as well but there was not enough time as we had a long journey ahead to cross from the East Coast to the West Coast of Malaysia.

Below is the map from Kuala Terengganu to Kota Bharu, Kelantan.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Road Trip East Coast To West Coast Malaysia - From Dungun To Kuala Terengganu To Kota Bharu



Lorong Penyu

Continued from previous post: Turtle Watching at Kerteh, Terengganu

We still managed to wake up early for breakfast after our late night turtle watching. Naturally being in the East Coast, breakfast included nasi dagang. After breakfast we had a swim in the pool before checking out and continuing with our road journey.

This time we drove on to Kuala Terengganu for lunch. On the way to Kuala Terengganu, we stopped by Marang at the Pulau Kapas Jetty to watch the boats arriving and leaving for Kuala Kapas just for the fun of it.

When we arrived at Kuala Terengganu, we went to the Kuala Terengganu Waterfront and Kampung Cina or China town Kuala Terengganu to a restaurant called Madam Bee's Kitchen which served peranakan food. We had steamed keropok lekor, nasi lemak with nonya style curry chicken, bubur cha cha and mee jawa. 

Then we walked along a quaint narrow back street called Lorong Penyu or Turtle Alley. Turtle themed art and sayings can be found on the walls and floor of the alley. It was so delightful and charming. 

After lunch we continued our journey to Kota Bharu, Kelantan. All in all, on this 2nd day of our trip we travelled 4 hours covering a distance of 235 km.


Below is the map showing our drive from Tanjong Jara Resort, Dungun to Kuala Terengganu along the coastal road.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Special Ensogo Coupon Codes For Mumsgather Fans

I wish to thank all my readers for following my blog, some of you since the day this blog was created in 2004. It really has been such a pleasure interacting with all of you. Even though, I have not met you, I know many of you personally now through our Facebook connection especially through our Parenting group, the Malaysian Primary And Secondary School Parents On Facebook. We have grown from 50 members on June 18, 2013 to 10,264 members now 2 years later.

So, it is with my utmost pleasure to give you a 2 year anniversary gift from a kind sponsor Ensogo Malaysia.

Ensogo has very kindly agreed to provide us with a discount coupon code of  RM20 off any purchase on Ensogo with a min order of RM60. You can use the code MUMSGATHER20 when you shop. Please note that it will be a one time use only. Though Ensogo has a lot of Home & Living - Kids items, you are not limited to them when you use this coupon. You can use it for any category.

A little info about Ensogo. Ensogo is a one-stop online shopping place for busy parents like us. You can find all sorts of supermom supplies including kitchen, home appliances, health products for your family, stuff for your kids and not forgetting yourself. Being a one-stop center really makes shopping very convenient. There is no need to rush for parking since everything will be delivered to your doorstep.

Screenshot From Ensogo Malaysia Website

That's what I love about shopping online. I used to be fearful about shopping online but so far 9 out of 10 of my online shopping experience has been positive so I do more shopping online now. I find it a time saver. I also don't get out much so going to online shopping stores like Ensogo keeps me happy with purchases for myself. I love the rush of receiving parcels and often look forward eagerly to them.

I hope you enjoy the vouchers. Thank you for following my blogs and being part of my FB group.


Road Trip East Coast To West Coast Malaysia - Turtle Watching At Kerteh, Terengganu

Continued from previous post: From KL to Kuantan to Cherating to Tanjung Jara, Terengganu

We were told to standby from 9pm to 11pm for the turtle watching activity. The turtle watching activity was to be carried out in Kerteh, not Rantau Abang which no longer had turtles coming to the beach.

At around 10 pm the hotel rang us to inform  us that some turtles had been spotted. So we hopped into the van for the journey from Tanjung Jara, Dungun to Kerteh. The journey took 45 minutes. The kids were thrilled because it was rather exciting as everything was done in great secrecy. Along the way, we had to pass by Paka, the home of the largest power station in Malaysia. We also passed by the Petronas Oil Refinery which looked like something out of a sci-fi movie!

Finally we arrived at the spot. We went there in two vans. The van drivers got down to unlock a gated part of the beach. After driving through, they locked it and turned off all the lights and drove in the dark. Everything was pitched dark and there were no lights, only a flickering fire from the Oil Refinery from afar.

We got down from the van and were given a briefing by the turtle guide. The turtle man (the one who waits and looks for signs and turtle trails) had informed him that there were 7 turtles who had come to the beach to lay their eggs that night. We had to keep very quiet, no lights were allowed from cameras or phones and we had to crouch and hide behind trees talking in hushed voices to try to see the green sea turtle digging a hole to lay eggs.

Unfortunately all of the 7 turtles decided to turn back to sea after digging so we could not see them lay eggs. Some returned to sea because the earth caved in on them during digging scaring them away. The temperature may also not have been optimal, we were told. We were allowed to follow the last turtle back to sea. We weren't allowed before that because lights from phones could have confused the turtles. However, since they were turning back and not laying eggs that night, we were allowed to take photos and follow one briefly back to sea.

Then we were taken to the turtle hatchery. Some turtle eggs had just hatched within 24 hours. We were allowed to hold the baby turtles before releasing them back to sea. We were taught how to hold the turtles so as not to injure them and how not to shine lights on the beach away from the sea as it will confuse them. Lights could be shone in front of the turtles leading them towards the sea.

We were told that those which survive, if any, may return 25 years later to lay their eggs on the same beach. We hoped that some of the baby turtles we saw will make it back to the same beach 25 years later to lay their eggs.

We were told that Terengganu has over 220 km of beach and about 5 or 6 km were conservation beach like this one, that is why it was locked from the public.

We were also shown the baby turtle's food, the glow in the dark algae from the beach. It looked like ordinary sand when he held some in his palm but glowed when he removed the light from the torch. When the guide threw the algae into the sea, it shone magically.

Finally, we made our way back to the hotel at around 1 am travelling for another 45 minutes. It was a most fascinating trip indeed and very educational for the kids. A little sad too knowing that many of the baby turtles may not survive.

Turtle Watching At Kerteh, Terengganu Tips:

Best time to watch turtles = May to September
Place to watch turtles = Kerteh, Terengganu
Type of turtle = Green turtles. Leatherback turtles are almost extinct
Best for: Families with school going kids. Not too young as the younger ones were tired some of them fell asleep and had to be carried by parents since this activity is often carried out late into the night.

Next post: From Dungun to Kuala Terengganu to Kota Bharu, Kelantan.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Road Trip East Coast To West Coast Malaysia - From KL to Kuantan to Cherating To Terengganu

We had planned to travel from KL to Cherating because we had been to Kuantan before in our earlier road trip. However poor route planning landed us in Kuantan. So we drove through Kuantan on to Cherating. Our plan was to take the kids turtle watching in Cherating.

Again, due to poor planning of not booking our accommodations earlier, we were stranded without a place to stay. We drove to Impiana Resort in Cherating and discovered it was fully booked. Suria Cherating Resort was not available till after 5pm. It was 1pm at the time. So we went looking for The Legend Cherating Beach resort but could not find it. Lousy signages. Hmmm..

We decided to go to Kemaman town for lunch. After that we headed back to Suria only to discover that all the rooms were now taken up. Oh oh. Really lousy planning on our part.

Not fazed, we drove on to Tanjung Jara in Dungun.


So on this first day of our Malaysia East Coast Road trip we travelled about 411 km for 5 hours.

At Tanjung Jara, Dungun


Our room at Tanjung Jara


We had to take two rooms for our family of 4. That dug a big hole in our pockets. The girl is 13 so she is considered an adult so travelling means more expenses because we are now considered as 3 adults and 1 child. They wouldn't let us have 1 room even though it was large with a queen as well as day bed.

The Bumbung rooms we stayed in were actually in the form of a double storey kampung house. We had the upstairs portion and had rooms that were beside each other though not adjoining. We booked the night time turtle watching tour which caused another hole in our pockets.

After checking in, we went for a walk on the beach and the kids collected sea shells.

The resort was nice and quiet. Great for couples but not so much for families since it would cost you a bomb having to take two rooms but we were tired and desperate for a resting place and there were none nearby. Since the resort was right smack in the jungle facing the beach, we were given mosquito coils and a bug spray! We used the bug spray to fend off some large bugs that looked like wasps at night.

Next post: Turtle Watching at Kerteh







We drove from Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan to Cherating, Pahang to Tanjung Jara, Dungun, Terengganu as per map below.



Friday, June 12, 2015

Road Trip East Coast To West Coast Malaysia - Our Route

We had done a road trip to Johor to the South of Malaysia before cutting back to the Central part which is Kuala Lumpur via the South Eastern state of Pahang. We had wanted to continue our trip on the  East Coast before cutting back to the East Coast but it was too tiring so we decided to split our trip to two. Last year in December we did the South Malaysia road trip.

During this school holidays we did the East Coast Malaysia road trip before cutting back to the West Coast.  

We covered the following states in our East Coast Malaysia road trip this time. It was a wonderful trip. So many diverse sights and food to enjoy. We did it all in 4 days 3 nights covering over 1 200 km in distance overall.

We covered the following states in the following order.

1) Kuala Lumpur Wilayah Persekutuan Malaysia (A)
2) Kuantan Pahang Malaysia (B)
3) Cherating Pahang Malaysia (C)
4) Kemaman Terengganu Malaysia (D)
5) Dungun Terengganu Malaysia (E)
6) Kuala Terengganu Terengganu Malaysia (F)
7) Kota Bharu Kelantan Malaysia (G)
8) Ipoh Perak Malaysia (H)
9) Bidor Perak Malaysia (I)
10) Kuala Lumpur Wilayah Persekutuan Malaysia (J)

You can plan your route as I did from this site: http://www.distancesfrom.com/ which is also the source of the following map.

I shall be writing about our itinerary over the next few posts so do favorite this site to read about our journey.

Updated: You can follow our adventures here:

1. From KL to Kuantan to Cherating to Terengganu
2. Turtle Watching at Kerteh Terengganu  

3. From Dungun to Kuala Terengganu to Kota Bahru  
4. Kuala Terengganu to Kota Bahru, Kelantan  
5. From Kota Bahru Kelantan to Ipoh, Perak
6. One Night in Ipoh

Friday, June 05, 2015

South Malaysia Road Trip Itinerary Day Four

We have moved from Johor which is South to Kuantan which is more on the central but to the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia for Day Four of our South Malaysia Road Trip.

After breakfast at the hotel, we went to play on the Teluk Chempedak beach and had a swim at the Hyatt Regency Kuantan hotel before checking out. As a child I went to the beach frequently with my family. We would have picnics at the beach. I had always had the impression that the beach in Kuantan could not compare with the ones in Penang. I remember the beaches had golden sands that were rough on the feet compared to the fine white sand in Penang. However, I am pleasantly surprised to find the Teluk Chempedak beach had improved over time and now the beach seemed much more pleasant and cleaner compared to the Penang beaches. It even has a small climbing trail that leads you to another part of the beach not accessible by foot minus the trail. We also enjoyed climbing on the rocks on the beach.

The year end is usually not a good time to visit the East Coast of peninsular Malaysia but again, we were lucky the weather held up.

Then we continued on our road journey, this time to Bentong, Pahang.

Sunrise At Teluk Chempedak Beach, Kuantan

View From The Room At Hyatt Regency Kuantan

Bentong
We wanted to have lunch at the famous Bentong Wantan Mee stall opposite the market in Bentong but as it was rather late when we arrived there, we had to give it a miss or rather we missed it.

Wan Chai In Bentong
A kind elderly gentleman told us where else to find wantan mee so we went there, also within walking distance of the market. It was already 3-4pm at the time.

After lunch, we drove back to Kuala Lumpur and that concluded our four days, three nights driving tour of KL-Johor-Mersing-Kuantan-Bentong-Johor. We plan to do a similar road trip but this time to the north and east of Peninsular Malaysia. 

Thursday, June 04, 2015

South Malaysia Road Trip Itinerary Day Three

On the third morning of our South Malaysia Road trip, we had breakfast at Traders Johor (now known as Hotel Jen). We had initially booked an extra day because we were not sure how much time we would need at Legoland. We decided that one day was enough for us so we requested for a room cancellation. The hotel was very kind to accept our last minute cancellation at no cost. So that was how, after breakfast, we checked out and drove to Mersing, Johor via the coastal road. The kids wanted to have a swim at the infinity pool before leaving and so we did that before check out.

Hotel Jen Infinity Pool Photo Source: Hotel Jen
We were apprehensive about driving on the coastal roads at first, fearing that they would be lonely and not properly maintained but we were pleasantly surprised. The roads were well maintained and there were plenty of road signs which made driving smooth, easy and safer for the driver. It was also easy to navigate our way around. With waze, a gps in the car plus internet access, we were able to drive just about anywhere and look for just about any food that was famous or recommended by locals.

All we had to do was to save the hotel we were staying in as our favourite destination and we were able to find our way back to it easily wherever we drove.

We drove straight to the Mersing Jetty which was oddly empty. There were not hustle and bustle of bus loads of tourist. Instead it was shut but we managed to persuade the guard to allow us to go in to take some photos.


Mersing, Johor Jetty
Soon, it was time for lunch. With internet access on our smart phones, we decided to check out Restoran Ee Lo and Loke Tien Yuen Restaurant.  We ended up in one of these places for lunch. I don't remember which one now but the food was good. Just do a google search and you will find plenty of reviews with pictures for both these restaurants. I'm not a food blogger so, sorry I didn't take any  pictures of our food.

Restoran Ee Lo 

Restoran Ee Lo closer view

Restoran Loke Tien Yuen
After our late lunch, we drove on to Kuantan, Pahang and checked in to the Hyatt Regency Resort, Kuantan. We were a little tired to search for more local food, so we ended up having a walk on the Teluk Chempedak beach and take away McDonald's which is located just beside the hotel for enjoying in our room after that.

Previous Post: South Malaysia Road  Trip Itinerary Day Two
Next Post:  South Malaysia Road  Trip Itinerary Day Four




Wednesday, June 03, 2015

South Malaysia Road Trip Itinerary Day Two

As mentioned in my previous post, we stayed at the Hotel Jen, previously known as Traders Hotel, Johor. The reason why we picked this over the Legoland Hotel is because of we felt the Legoland Hotel is a little pricey and we were worried it would be noisy too. Previously we had stayed in similar kids suite types of rooms at the Holiday, Inn Penang so the room types were nothing new to the kids. We were glad about our choice. The Traders hotel was just a very short drive from Legoland. You can view the driving directions or map from Traders/Hotel Jen to Legoland below. As a Legoland Johor Partner Hotel we also enjoyed the same benefit of early access. Here are some of the current Hotel Jen offers. Legoland package is one of them.



We started our day with breakfast, then headed to Legoland right after breakfast. We decided to go just for the Legoland Johor Theme Park instead of the Legoland Johor Water Park. You can choose either or both. Here are the Legoland Johor Ticket Prices.

As a hotel guest, we were able to enter the park early before the general public so we took opportunity of that. Fortunately, it did not rain. It had rained hard the day before. The year end is probably not the best time to visit because it is a rainy season but we were lucky. The kids enjoyed themselves but half a day was enough for us to cover the whole park. Some will go for half a day at the them park and half a day at the water park or one day each.

In the evening, we drove to Johor Bahru town and had dinner at one of the malls, I don't remember which.

You can have a virtual walkthrough of the Legoland Johor park from the video below.



Here are a couple of pictures from our Legoland trip. I loved the miniature buildings constructed out of Legos. Many of them are interactive and animated. Press a button and you have water shooting or music playing. That is fun.

We went on our favourite rides first thing in the morning before the crowd came in. After that we had lunch before proceeding to the miniature buildings section or Lego Miniland. We had lunch within the theme park because we were hungry and tired. As with most theme parks, lunch was expensive and nothing to shout about.
Be ready to get splashed by water at this Legoland ride

Miniature Legoland Forbidden City, China

Mini Legoland Taj Mahal of India

Miniature Legoland Pirate Ships


Miniature Lego Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Kuala Lumpur

Mini Lego Port Of Tanjung Pelepas, Johor


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Tuesday, June 02, 2015

South Malaysia Road Trip Itinerary Day One

Today is the second post out of four on our South Malaysia Road Trip which I will be sharing with you. In yesterday's post, I shared the route for our trip. In today's and in the next four days, I will be sharing our trip itinerary with you. We are a travelling as a family of four, two adults and two kids 12 and below.

On the first leg of our South Malaysia Road Trip, we departed from Kuala Lumpur in the morning and drove towards the state of Johor. The first thing we did was to do a stopover at the Johor Premium Outlets for a bit of shopping and lunch. Shopping is good if you like to buy branded items at a discount but lunch was lousy. We ate at the food court. I heard that there were a lot of flies there before but they have tried to do something about this by doing double glass doors and adding insect catchers. Still, the food was below par.

Johor Premium Outlet
After lunch we drove straight to Traders Hotel (now known as Hotel Jen) at Puteri Harbour, Johor. The reason why we chose Traders was because of its close proximity to Legoland. Besides Legoland, younger kids would also enjoy the Sanrio Hello Kitty Town and The Little Big Club which are located just downstairs near the hotel premise. There are also eateries and shops nearby making it convenient. The hotel is new and therefore very modern.

In the evening, we drove to Johor town to have dinner but the place we wanted to go to was shut for the day! So we drove all the way back and had a relaxing dinner at the harbour in front of the hotel. It was cool and breezy and we were tired so it was just right.
We had our dinner at an eatery overlooking the harbour

Obviously if you are a parent bringing your child to one of these places, you should look for a package deal that comes with your accommodation. We booked our hotel from the link within the Legoland's Johor Hotel Partners on the Legoland Johor website. It comes with discounted tickets and early access to Legoland before the general public which is always a good thing.


Cute Homemade Snow Globe Greeted Us For Breakfast At The Traders Hotel, Johor

You can see boats docking nearby the hotel

View From The Infinity Pool At The Hotel

Here are a couple of videos about Traders Hotel or Hotel Jen, Puteri Harbour, Johor.





Previous Post: South Malaysia Road Trip Map
Next Post: South Malaysia Road Trip Itinerary Day Two

Monday, June 01, 2015

South Malaysia Road Trip Map

Last school holidays we embarked on a road trip to the southern part of Malaysia. I haven't updated my blog till now but since it is the school holidays again, I thought it is timely to update about our South Malaysia road trip now. 

This was our travel route. We went from 
  1. Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (A) to  
  2. Johor Premium Outlets Johor, Malaysia (B) to 
  3. Legoland Nusajaya Johor, Malaysia (C) to
  4. Johor Bahru Johor, Malaysia (D) to
  5. Mersing, Johor, Malaysia (E) to
  6. Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia (F) to
  7. Bentong, Pahang, Malaysia (G) and ended back in
  8. Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (H)
We did not stop for a night at all the stops. Some we just went in passing during day trips. We  travelled over a distance of about 950km over 4 days and 3 nights. 

Photo Credit: I took a screenshot of the following map from this website http://www.distancesfrom.com/

At the time when we planned our South Malaysia Road Trip I didn't know of this website. I wish I had. It is excellent for planning your trip. You can map out the destination you wish to travel and you have the option to view a map of your distance, time required, comparisons between road and air, petrol consumption cost including very detailed travel directions. I find it really excellent and useful and will be using this to plan our next road trip to the North and East of Peninsular Malaysia next. 



Our South Malaysia Road Trip

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