Happy Chinese New Year!

Never too late to add my greetings to all those celebrating the Lunar New Year, right? Yes, it may be the 10th day of CNY, but since we have 15 days in total I still made it!

Warning: Pic-heavy post!

It has been a full couple of weeks, considering my CNY celebrations usually start up to a week before, starting with the “family reunion holiday” – it’s still easier to book accommodation before CNY (and cheaper too!), so we usually end up somewhere in Genting for a couple of days just to catch up with everyone and have a bit of fun.

Guess who’s back? :D Twas a blast catching up with Tine again after almost 9 months – sure there’s Whatsapp and Skype, but it ain’t the same! We also celebrated my gran’s 93rd birthday…she can still strike a pose yo!

The day before I left for KL, I managed to book a slot with Clarahnails who was back from Melbourne on holidays. Make no mistake, this woman is a nail genius – from my cherry blossom nails this time, to the paisley print she did for me when I was in Melbourne last year (all done freehand with a tiny brush!), it’s always majorly impressive. LOVE!

Gorgeous skies in Genting! Sadly, the temperature seems to have risen over the last 10 years…

Oh my pretties – I was trying to travel light since I was carrying back quite a few items for family as well as knew I was going to be bringing stuff back to Singapore with me, so I decided to break out a couple of the new items I picked up over the past month. There’s the Chanel Poudre Signee de Chanel Illuminating Powder, as well as the Guerlain LiU palette – both pretty awesome in their own right!

I also ended up making my first purchase from Net-a-Porter…the YSL Arty ring! :D No they’re not all mine, we decided to make a bulk order to save on shipping. I just had to add in this pic of the L’Occitane Fleur Cherie eyeshadow duo because it reminded me so much of Stila – right down to the paper casing!

CNY is never complete without these arrowroot crisps (or ngaku), and mum was a bit adventurous this year and decided to try making homemade crabstick crisps – they look a bit weird, but taste-wise it’s awesome!

One of the best waffles I’ve had in a while – came from Out of the Pan (and a steal with 1 for 1 deals!), while the one dish I always look forward to at CNY is…yee sang! Sadly I only had it a few times this year, but there’s still a few more days to go right?

Every year, my aunt’s place in Seremban has this awesome view of a temple nearby that sets off loads of fireworks at the stroke of midnight on CNY – next year, I think I’m going to camp out there with a proper tripod. These were taken on my PnS camera balanced off a fence!

Tine was caught hamming it up for the camera (she’ll probably explain why later on her own!), and I loved the décor that was put up – not a fan of the snake year, but there were still plenty of pretty lanterns and designs put up everywhere. One place I saw decided to recycle their Christmas tree and hang little red lanterns on it instead – quite creative!

I also got a cute thumbdrive in the shape of an Oreo cookie – so adorable! Just hoping I won’t mistake it for actual food and try dipping it into milk…and Bailey says “Happy CNY” too! He was busy keeping me company while I packed the angpows to go to my parents and grandmothers. :)

This year was also the first time I celebrated CNY with Kevin’s extended family, which was held in Malacca. I hadn’t been back there in over a decade (driving through to avoid highway jams doesn’t count), so we took the opportunity to try some of the famous favourites there like the Jonker 88 cendol and ‘one bite’ durian puffs…omg so good!

It happened that we were in Malacca the same night they had their Jonker Street night market, and despite being the first day of CNY it was still packed!

I had a real trip down memory lane thanks to that night market – there were cute stubby Coke and Sprite bottles, 60s themed drinks and even these Pop Pops I used to play with as a child. Who says you have to behave like an adult all the time? *wink*

There was a cute discovery during CNY as well – Tine and I found out we were iPhone cover twinsies thanks to similar Marc by Marc Jacobs…and when I posted the pic on my Instagram, it turns out Renee (Beautyfool) also had a similar case – yay for triplets!

One of the biggest banes during CNY would have to be the traffic jams of everyone trying to make it back to their hometowns for celebrations, and this year was no different. Thanks to the jams on the highway, we decided to take a number of back roads and trunk roads to avoid getting stuck, and one of the roads we drove along reminded me so much of the scenery heading to Yarra Valley in Melbourne…ahh that brought back memories :)

Yes, those are actual purple roses – gorgeous, aren’t they? :) Since Valentine’s Day fell during the CNY period, Kevin decided to surprise me with these just before I headed back to Singapore (and yes, I carried them all the way back with me!) I also ended up getting a cute snake plushie and angpows from the bosses (I know I said I didn’t like snakes, but this one you have to admit is pretty cute!) Last but not least, I ended up with a cute little purple bin to help with decluttering – I’ve been on a cleaning and sorting spree ever since I came back from my CNY holidays…I’m hoping this holds up, it’s coming in very useful as I’m discovering items I’d forgotten I had!

And there you have it – a choice selection of moments over the past two weeks of my CNY celebration. Needless to say I had a total blast…hope yours was just as awesome, and sending all of you felicitous wishes for a prosperous year filled with health, wealth and luck!

Montigo Resorts, Batam - you know you want to!…

Over the weekend, I paid a visit to the ‘not yet officially open’ Montigo Resorts in Batam on a company trip, and just had to do a quick post on the place before I forget – the place is simply amazing even though they’re not fully open yet!

Just check out the welcoming view from the lobby…the resort is made up of three types of villas with subtle differences – Hill Side Villa, Hill Top Pool Villa and Spa Villa (I reckon you can more or less tell what the differences are from the names!)

There was a cold towel and welcome lemongrass drink to enjoy while we were checking in…even if you don’t speak Bahasa Indonesia, no worries as the staff are decently proficient in English. The standard of service is almost equal to that of Club Med in Bintan, which is really saying something.

The resort is set into a hillside, so a fair amount of walking is required – extended exploration of the resort is not recommended for old folk or those with young children, although travel can easily be taken care of by the numerous buggies servicing the resort.

We opted for the Hill Top Pool Villas, which were 3-floor, 2-bedroom villas with their own private plunge pool…and had trouble making it to our training sessions as we didn’t want to leave the villas! :D

The ground floor consisted of a spacious living room complete with kitchen facilities and even a Wii…the day beds were so comfy, some of my colleagues even fell asleep there!

And oh, the villa pool…it’s not huge, but most enjoyable – you only have to open the living room sliding doors, take 2 steps and climb straight into the pool. We made full use of it, that’s for sure… :P

The second floor was made up of the two bedrooms with attached bathrooms – the master room (which I got) has a four poster bed, while the second room has two single beds…take my word for it, once you sink into the bed and the pillows, you won’t want to budge! (explains why I was late for breakfast too…oops…)

Can I PLEASE bring this bathroom back with me?! The stone bath tub is right under a skylight, and came with a nice packet of bath salts…too bad I didn’t have time to soak in there! There’s also a separately partitioned shower stall and toilet if you have to share the bathroom with someone.

Another awesome touch – double sinks! No need to queue or fight for sink space in the morning…big plus point for me :D

I hadn’t heard about Malin + Goetz before this, but after a quick Google search (doncha just love instant info at your fingertips?) I found out they’re an apothecary based in New York. They have the most amazing smelling toiletries – rum soap, cilantro body wash, peppermint shampoo…you can just imagine those lovely scents, can’t you? ;)

Of course, the purpose of the trip was for training, so we did have to get some work done…but damn, even the entrance to the conference room was so pretty, we didn’t mind (too much!) having to go for training…

This end of Batam is just half an hour’s ferry ride from Singapore, but what a difference in view! I discovered that if I stood at the end of the balcony in the picture above, I could actually see Marina Bay Sands in the distance – a gorgeous sight at night, to be sure…but alas, rather difficult to catch on camera.

The restaurant is the only bit that looked more reminiscent of Indonesian design, but somehow I liked it – a little bit rustic with modern elements weaved in.

Look up! I had to give two thumbs up to the resort’s consideration for nature…instead of demolishing the entire area, they made concessions around some of the trees which I thought was a small step in the right direction.

From an eco-friendly perspective, the resort also made the effort to conserve as much energy as possible – the common areas of the resort are mostly white with airy ceilings and fans, while at the villas only the necessary areas such as bedrooms and living room are air conditioned (the staircase up to each floor is ventilated from the outside).

For those who cannot completely disconnect from the internet but yet don't want to pay hefty roaming fees, you'll be most delighted to know that Montigo Resorts has free Wifi throughout the entire resort (personally tested, they have awesomely fast speeds and steady signal!) - are you jumping for joy yet? ;)

Did I mention how gorgeous the view from the bedroom is? Well…now you know!

Since the resort has only done a soft launch, they’re offering a 25% discount on their rates until the official launch in March 2013. Prices range from SGD$273.75 (2 pax) to SGD$413.75 (5 pax) for the Hill Side Villas – obviously you get a better deal with more people as each villa can fit up to 5 pax. Time to start planning! :D

Montigo Resorts

Jalan Hang Lekir Nongsa

Batam, Indonesia

Tel: +62 778 776 8888

PS: Am being spoilt travel-wise these couple of weeks – as if Indonesia wasn't enough, I'm off to Bangkok on Thursday for a post-birthday holiday with the fiancé. Can’t wait! :D

Bored? Not in Cameron Highlands...

Gosh, is it already the final part of my Strawberry Park Resort series? Darn…but for those looking for things to do while they’re in Cameron Highlands (which by the way, can be easily arranged with the friendly staff at the resort)

Yes, it’s Bailey! He was enjoying a bit of fresh air at the Sungai Palas Boh Tea Plantation where you can take a tour as well as have tea there (mind you, personally I found the tea and scones at the resort a lot nicer than that at the tea plantation).

The Brinchang night market is another place to lose yourself in…besides awesomely fresh vegetables and fruits (strawberry lovers will go nuts as they’re sold by the boxes, and CHEAP!), my fave part would be the fresh flowers…all types, all colours, and sold for a fraction of the price you’d get from KL florists!

We were also shown around an Orang Asli settlement by our tour guide Mr Maniam, which involved a rather bumpy hour’s ride down the mountainside to see…it was worth the trip though, since a lot of the Orang Asli have moved to new housing, and have abandoned their settlements in favour of jobs in the city or neighbouring towns.

At the small Orang Asli settlement, Maniam showed off the darts they use to hunt small animals for their food – one is poisoned, one is not. Can you tell which is which?

Say hello to Michael Jackson, Orang Asli! I’m not kidding, he really introduced himself that way…quite amusing, and we were told he’s actually quite the local celebrity, having been featured in a travel guide to Malaysia (can’t remember which one though). He gave us a show of his hunting prowess, shooting darts into a target set about 50-odd metres away.

You wouldn’t want to get in the way of those darts – even from that distance, those darts were right on target and went right through to the Styrofoam backing!

Besides weaving and selling produce harvested from the jungle, the Orang Asli also make a fair amount of jewellery and adornments. The interesting part is what they use to make these items…see that plant I’m holding? They have hard pods that can be dried and threaded to make jewellery!

While we were there, we saw a little monkey tied up to one of the huts. He was a naughty little thing, putting everything in his mouth, not to mention grabbed an Indian lady’s iPhone when she went a little too close to take a photo. It’s not without a sad tale though…this little monkey’s mother was shot by a dart for food since they didn’t see the little fellow. Rather than have him starve to death or get attacked by the other animals, they decided to keep him as a pet instead.

Above is one of the modern Orang Asli villages in Cameron Highlands. Although they’re a long way off from the urban developments we’re probably more used to, they have community halls, schools and a hostel for families that choose to stay in the jungle but want their children to have an education. During the week, the children stay at this hostel so they can get to school, and trek back to their families on weekends.

And the best part of my trip to Camerons? The sunrise tour…since Cameron Highlands is err, in the highlands (duh!) there’s a GORGEOUS view of the sunrise. Our tour guide took us to Sungai Palas, where the scenery is just lovely as the sun rises over the tea plantation. Photography buffs will be in seventh heaven…we saw several carloads of people perched at various locations over the tea plantation with their tripods and DSLRs to catch the perfect shot. Just think - if my iPhone can take the shot above, how much better could a shot using a DSLR be?

And there you have it – from a gorgeous small resort to delicious food, the Strawberry Park Resort ticks all my boxes for a great holiday. If you’re looking for a local holiday destination in Malaysia, this would be among the top of my list. The staff there are second to none (I can’t rave about them enough!) and if you want the best of service and yet take a trip down memory lane, this is THE place to be.

Mr Zamri, the F&B manager –he’s been there for over 17 years!

Mr Mohan, one of the resort’s drivers – if I remember correctly he’s been working for the resort almost 19 years.

Mr Ismail and Saraj – both lovely fellows and super chatty. Ismail has been with the resort over 20 years, while Saraj is the lightweight at just over 11 years.

There were so many people that helped make our trip a lovely one, I’m just sorry I can’t list them all here. We had many a happy time asking the staff about their backgrounds, and they’ve been more than happy to oblige, regaling us with rather funny tales too! It won’t be long before I’m back there again, that’s for sure. Who wants to come with this time? :D

And for those of you that missed part one and part two, you can check it out here and here.

Have a happy week ahead, folks!

All fed up at Strawberry Park Resort…in the very best way!

Continuing on with part 2 of the Strawberry Park Resort series, here’s the part that will have everyone salivating – FOOD! We tried quite a few of the resort’s outlets so here’s what you can expect.

Ready, Set, GO! :D

The Jim Thomson Terrace is used for both breakfast and dinner – I have to admit I quite like the layout as it’s easy to navigate. Selection isn’t exceptionally extensive, but they have a very respectable (and quite tasty) number of choices.

Bread counter during breakfast – I like how they have loaves of bread you can slice to your liking beyond just the usual pastries and standard sandwich bread stacks.

This is one you have to try – they have fresh roti canai made to order every morning! :D Light and fluffy, paired with the chicken curry, this is an awesome dish to have at a buffet breakfast!

Rest of the items at the breakfast buffet include an egg station, congee with condiments, nasi lemak, noodles, bacon, pancakes, baked beans, fruit, cereal and juices.

We had lunch at the Garden Terrace, which features a special “Smokey Bear” menu – the first I’ve seen done in the open. The meats are actually put into the smoker for up to 8 hours before it makes its way to your table. During this time, the smoker is checked every hour or so and the meats basted before being put back in.

One of the staff was kind enough to let us peep into the smoker (with copious amounts of fanning required to actually make out what was inside!) The meats in there included lamb, beef, chicken and even fish…I dunno about you, but I’m quite impressed!

We tried two of the options on the menu for lunch – first up above is the smoked lamb which was served with mint sauce…absolutely delicious!

The smoked tenderloin was just as good served with black pepper sauce. Both dishes came with a grilled tomato, corn on the cob and fries as well as our choice of salads from the counter (not pictured cos we were too busy nommings…oops!)

For tea, this is THE place to be. Even if I wasn’t staying at the Strawberry Park, I would go there just to have tea. The classic choices would be the traditional English chicken pie or scones with cream and jam. Being the gluttons we are, we settled for one set of each.

The staff told us these were the two specialties for tea, and we certainly weren’t disappointed. The chicken pie was piping hot from the oven (do note that you’ll have to wait about 20 minutes for the pie as they’re only put into the oven when you place your order so it’s fresh) and even came with gravy, fries and a salad – definitely generous enough for two people to share. The scones themselves were authentic and made by the resort kitchen. Even the strawberry conserve is made on site with their own strawberries. Suffice to say, we could barely move after polishing off those two dishes, but ended up going for a walk to attempt to walk off the meal!

We had two dinners at the resort, one at the Thai restaurant and the other one at the Jim Thomson Terrace which was a buffet.

First up is the Thai restaurant, where we had a set dinner for two. Prices are decent – the initial set for two pax is RM65++, plus RM30 for each additional diner.

Just take a look at the amount of food you get for two people – it’s MASSIVE. The Caucasian couple at the table next to us ordered another set dinner with dishes, and were also surprised by the amount of food provided. There’s both chicken and tomyam stock – the chicken one is alright, though the tomyam one was the clear winner at the end of the evening. Hey, when it’s cold out you want HOT STUFF! :D

The other dinner was of course, back at the Jim Thomson Terrace which has dishes from popular cuisines.

Can’t go wrong with the salads – this IS Cameron Highlands after all, so the greens are always fresh!

Some of the smoked meats from the Garden Terrace are also served, and you can have them heated up on the grill if you want them hot.

There’s an entire selection of dishes available, and seemed to be well-received by all the other diners we saw there.

They even had space to squeeze in a pasta station, and though we were both stuffed from earlier, the waitress insisted I should try it because they were that good. I had my doubts since I haven’t really had very good experience with any pasta that came from a pasta station at a buffet, but decided to order a small portion to test.

Turned out, they have one of the best pastas made to order I’ve ever tried! The tomato sauce had actual chopped tomatoes and veg in it, and it had pretty good flavour too.

Some of the fresh greens and salads available on the buffet line…

And a whole selection of meats and seafood from the grill!

This was probably the bf’s favourite – satay! It ranks in his top 5, so you can imagine he kept going back for more…

My personal favourite was the grilled sambal dory – sweet, fleshy, spicy, sour…is it any wonder I had several pieces of this? I really have to try and recreate this sometime, seems that the chilli blend is made by one of the indigenous folk working in the kitchen. On the right is otak-otak, which was so so.

Just some of the desserts available for your picking, if you can fit any more after gorging on the main courses…to me, they were quite standard so I’m not too fussed about it, but the must try are the éclairs and cream puffs.

And there you have it – rather a LOT of food packed into three days, and most of it highly recommended. For a small resort, the staff are nothing short of spectacular and very long-serving.

Tune in next week for the last instalment of the Strawberry Park Resort series – if you ever wondered what there was to do in Cameron Highlands, you won’t want to miss this! :D

And for those of you that missed part one, you can check it out here.

Have a happy weekend, folks!