Legoland Malaysia

This year, our first travel will be a visit to the first Legoland in Asia - Legoland Malaysia!

Legoland Malaysia opened last year and EJ being a Lego fan couldn't wait to see the whole place. We've already planned the trip for April of this year.

Legoland is divided into seven attractions: The Beginning, LEGO Technic, LEGO Kingdoms, Imagination, LEGO City, Land of Adventure and MINILAND.

I am sure he'll be thrilled to see the MINILAND, where Asian landmarks have been recreated. It's also interactive so I am sure this is a hit for the kids and kids at
heart.

From the map I can see there are several rides. I might be tempted to ride on one.

Legoland Malaysia is in Johor Bahru so we might be going to Singapore instead of Kuala Lumpur.

Some useful information I obtained from their website:

Day Tickets:
1-Day Ticket Adult (12-59) - RM 140 (Reg. Price) RM112 (7-Day advance booking online)
1-Day Ticket Child (3-11) - RM 110 (Reg. Price) RM88 (7-Day advance booking online)
1-Day Ticket Senior (60+) - RM 110 (Reg. Price) RM88 (7-Day advance booking online)

Opening Hours:
10am - 6pm (Longer opening hours on weekends and public holidays)

Of Kangaroos and Wine Tasting

To be honest, when I think of dream destination, Australia is not one of them. But that's because I am not well-informed.

When I think of Australia, I only think of Sydney Opera and the surfing. But there's really more to Australia than that!

My husband gave me a copy of the luxury tour companies which he got from his friend who just had an amazing Australia Tours. My husband said, they could not stop gushing how wonderful the experience was!

So I got on to reading. And I am now convinced that we should go there as soon as possible. LOL!

I know that our son would love to the Kangaroo and maybe even feed the Kangaroo like what the kid is doing in this picture below.

Okay, maybe not this close of an encounter because EJ is always, always scared of first times. But I am sure he would definitely love to meet a Kangaroo.

And then hubby and I could have a romantic dinner by the beach or simply enjoy the magnificent beaches of Australia.

But what's even appealing to me is the wine-tasting tour. I am not a wine connoisseur but I do love wine and I would absolutely want to see and experience the countryside of Australia and its vineyard.

Looking at this picture makes me so excited already.

This year, we have mapped out our travel itineraries already and we could not afford to add one more travel. But for next year, I am already penciling in a trip to Australia. I want to go there around spring time or maybe fall.

Cross fingers!

Dubai stopover

We are back in Phnom Penh now. But before heading back home, we stopped at Dubai for two days and two nights.

I was caught off guard. I never expected Dubai to be so warm. And I am not talking about the weather. I was expecting it to be all buildings and nothing in between.

Boy, was I wrong!

We had a really fantastic time there. The weather was also nice making our walks very pleasant.

I knew Dubai is a shopping destination but believe me, we weren't able to shop a single thing.

Hubby wanted to buy the best headphones for noise reduction like this picture below but we did not have enough time for shopping.

It is so unfortunate as my friends tell me, they have the best prices for gadgets and their items are tax-free.

I was tempted to take a look at their luxury handbags. Fortunately for my hubby, I did not find anything I liked.

Or I guess I wasn't really in the mood for shopping too.

We were only able to visit several places and there are still so many places to visit and see in Dubai. It was definitely a case of "too much to see, too little time".

I promise to visit again someday. I would love to enjoy the rest of UAE and to experience tax-free shopping.

Dream beach destination: El Nido Palawan

I am from the Philippines but unfortunately there are still places I haven't been to. And one of them is actually my dream beach destination, El Nido Palawan.

I have heard so many great things about this place. I have also seen pictures from my friend who had their honeymoon here. Their pictures were amazing. The place looked amazing.

I promised myself I would go here one day. But since that promise, I still haven't visited this magnificent place.

I will visit. I just don't know when.

Take a look at the pictures I swiped from elnidoresorts.com







Isn't this beautiful? If money (and time) is not a problem, I will drag my husband and son to Palawan. Like right now.

Yahoo's 10 Amazing Tropical Escapes

Just read this today in Yahoo! Travel. The 10 Amazing Tropical Escapes according to author Sarah Pascarella are:

1. Bonaire

2. Arunachal Pradesh, India

3. Singapore

4. Hawaii's Big Island

5. Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

6. Wet Tropics Of Queensland, Australia

7. St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

8. Vanuatu

9. Panama

10. Dominica

So which places mentioned have you been to? Unfortunately for me, I have only been to Singapore. Except for India and Australia, the rest will probably just remain dream destination for me and my family. Unless I win the lotto or something like that happens. Hahaha!!!

When travelling don't forget your Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Advantage. It's always handy to have health insurance wherever you go.

This year, we can afford two more out of the country trips. I've penned down Philippines for June/July. The other out of the country trip I I am still not sure. Initially I wanted Japan. And then the earthquake and tsunami happened. So it's out of the question for now. Maybe next year, we'll see.

Which amazing tropical destinations have you been to? Do share!

Visiting KL

My family is travelling to Kuala Lumpur this Thursday for a little fun, shopping and food trip.

Personally, I miss KL. I didn't think I'd miss it this much. I miss the food, the shopping and our little walks around Bukit Bintang area. I miss our little nook at Berjaya Times Square too.

I am so happy and so looking forward to visiting back that I have not been able to sleep much lately. I might even need a sleep aid if I won't sleep well this week. I am that excited. LOL!

I have a little list of what we should do. And it goes something like this: eat, shop, eat shop. Hahaha!!!

Seriously though, I want to go up the Petronas Tower. When we used to live there, I took it for granted.

I also want to visit Batu Caves if we have time.

Plus, I am excited to see some friends. We're invited to a friend's daughter's birthday party. And it's going to be a sort of reunion with other KL based Pinoy friends.

I will blog about KL from a tourist point of view when I come back from that trip.

Intercontinental Westlake Hanoi

If you're planning a trip to Hanoi, consider staying at InterContinental Hanoi Westlake Hotel. We were in Hanoi last month and we stayed there. It is one of the nicest hotel I've stayed at.




Some may not like the location because it is not in the city center. But for me, it was perfect. Yes it is not in the center of action but it's not far away either. It's only 4km from the city. The other places of interest are also not that far. Here's what I got from their website:

Golden Lotus Pagoda (0 KM / 0 MI)
Quang Ba night Flower Market (1 KM / 0.62 MI)
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (2 KM / 1.24 MI)
Ho Chi Minh Museum (2 KM / 1.24 MI)
Hanoi Opera House (4 KM / 2.49 MI)
Temple of Literature (5 KM / 3.11 MI)
Museum of Fine Arts (5 KM / 3.11 MI)
Museum of Ethnology (11 KM / 6.84 MI)
Thang Long Water Puppet (5 KM / 3.11 MI)
Bat Trang Ceramics Village (10 KM / 6.21 MI)
Ha Dong Silk Village (20 KM / 12.43 MI)
One Pillar Pagoda (2 KM / 1.24 MI)

INTERCONTINENTAL HANOI WESTLAKE
1A Nghi Tam, Tay Ho, Hanoi, Vietnam

Peace and Quiet

I have been raving this resort to my friends in FB since last night. And rightly so. Staying at Knai Bang Chatt resort was a good decision even if it's a bit pricey at $150/night. The rest of the resort/hotels in this area only cost between $20 - $50.

But KBC is worth it. It only has 11 rooms, meaning it's not crowded. There were times I felt we were the only guests there.

Here are the pictures.







If the road going to Kep improves within the year, I will probably head back to this place. Peace and quiet is guaranteed. It's the perfect getaway from the city.

The essence of Kep

I love hotels! I guess that explains why I chose hotel administration for my course when I was in college. Unfortunately I am not working anymore. But that doesn't mean my love for hotels has vanished.

When budget permits, I always stay in 5 star or boutique hotels. I just love big beds and comfy sheets and pillows.

Anyway, while looking for a place to stay at Kep, Cambodia I came across this very nice resort. It's called Knai Bang Chatt.




It's a seaside resort and it invites you to freedom, happiness and peace of mind. I love it! It's just what I need right now. A very quiet and relaxing place.

The rate does not come cheap though. At least for me. LOL! Low season is from $150 and high season goes as high as $350 excluding service charge.

But if I get the quiet and the relaxation I need, I guess it's worth a try. I will post a review if I get to spend a night or two next week.

Knai Bang Chatt Resort
Phum Thmey, Sangkat Prey Thom,
Khan Kep.
Kep City,
Kingdom of Cambodia
Tel. : +855 (0)12 349742
Tel. : +855 (0)11 823552