Puppy Steps, Jumbo Leaps

A Peranakan Getaway!

Location: Malacca, Malaysia
Dates: 14-15 August, 2010
Characters: The Tan Sisters, Cousin Rae, Trip-Sponsor Ling

File 001: The Courtyard at Heeren Street
Notes: Lovely boutique hotel converted from an old peranakan house

 

File 002: Accents of The Courtyard
Notes (clockwise from left): Polished furniture at the reception, sweets in an antique porcelain bowl, display shelves filled with valuable antiques - a reminder of the Peranakan heritage

 

File 003: Around The Courtyard
Notes (clockwise from top): A sealed well and stone bowls from a long time ago, open-style washrooms, a quaint little shophouse opposite The Courtyard

 

File 004: 1-Night Residence at The Courtyard
Notes (clockwise from top right): An old dressing table, close-up of the door-knob, plasma and lounging chair, cosy beds elevated by a wooden platform, signboard atop the room exterior

 

File 005: Bathroom and Toiletries
Notes: Skylight window and toiletries of superior quality were major plus points

 

File 006: Self-Portraits
Notes: Cousins horsing around with an SLR and the mirror in the room

 

File 007: Night Market on Jonker Street
Notes: The this-and-that of the weekend Jonker Night Market

 

File 008: Food Galore
Notes: Just like the streets of Singapore in the good old days

 

File 009: Good Food at Good Prices
Notes (clockwise from top): Char-siew-wantan mee, pandan kaya pancakes, authentic fresh-squeezed lime juice, signboard of Jonker 88 cendol

 

File 010: Around The Block
Notes: Jonker Street on a Sunday morning

 

File 011: The A&W Bear
Notes: Not just any ordinary bear, but the root beer bear!

Chiang Mai, 2-6 April 2010.

I guess there's no better time to post about a trip than more than 4 months after I've taken it...heh :) So here it is...my super-delayed-long-overdue-and-whatever-else-you-can-think-of post of my very first solo trip - to Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Friday, 2 April 2010
For my first flight alone, i chose to fly via Thai Airways, due to none other than the fact that the fares offered for my selected dates of travel were less than half the prices of my original carrier of choice - SilkAir.

Having heard about the much-talked-about Royal Thai Experience, i'd had high expectations of the level of service offered onboard prior to my flight. However, i soon realised that there really wasn't much to look forward to. The flight was on time and the check-in process was quick, but the service staff were neither friendly nor approachable. Most stewardesses i encountered were either curt or rude, or simply pretended not to see/hear me when i attempted to get their attention. So much for the royal experience.

 

Flying alone was not as scary as i'd envisioned it to be. I was well-prepared, with my sister's iPod and a storybook in tow. In fact, it turned out to be quite an enjoyable and peaceful experience. Transit at Bangkok was smooth, and as always, i enjoyed myself strolling through the shops at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport. It was almost 9pm when i touched down at the Chiang Mai International Airport. Thankfully, my transport was already waiting to take me to the hotel :)

D2 Dusit was a pleasant surprise, to say the least. Check out the pictures of the room!

 

The hotel really made my stay in Chiang Mai a comfortable one. The moment i checked in, the staff made it a point to address me by name. My room was neatly and nicely made up each day, and the housekeeping staff topped up my favourite snacks/cookies for free in the last two days of my stay after i commented on how delicious they were. Despite being a lone female traveller, not once did i feel that my security and safety were being compromised. Most of all, i managed to secure my booking at a fraction of the usual price, all thanks to a friend :)

Saturday, 3 April 2010
I usually prefer the free-and-easy style of travel. However, this being my first solo trip, i opted to go along with day tours organised by a tour company recommended by Joseph.

This morning, i joined two Malaysian couples and a French family on a day-long itinerary to the Mini Orchid Garden, Mae Ping Elephant Camp, Karen Tribes, Home Industries and the Royal Flora Gardens.

The Mini Orchid Garden was really mini! Not a big fan of butterflies, i stayed in the orchids section throughout the time we were there and managed to get some great shots...i think! The colours made my day! Please don't ask me for the names of the orchids...i have no clue at all...heh.

 

Next up was a stop-over at the Mae Ping Elephant Camp. Now this is one of those places i would call a ROGUE Elephant Farm. Granted, April was one of the hottest and dryest months in Northern-Thailand. But the conditions in which the elephants were kept seemed appalling to me. And i don't recall seeing a single banana when i was there. It made me wonder what the elephants were being fed. Elephants are amazing and beautiful animals, and i cannot imagine having them shackled to make-shift huts and being trained to perform for the pleasure of tour-buses full of Chinese nationals. If given a choice, i would NOT have visited this place. Period.

 

The resilient women of the Karen long-neck tribe live in spartan surroundings in a hilly terrain well-hidden by trees and vegetation. According to the local guide, the Karen tribespeople were originally from Myanmar. The tribe we visited consisted of both the older generation, who came to Thailand as refugees, as well as the younger ones, many of whom were born in Northern Thailand.

The mothers of baby girls have to make the important decision of whether or not to have their daughters adopt the practice of wearing bronze rings around their necks, arms and legs. Once the decision is declared, it is irreversible. On the surface, it seems like an easy choice. Why would any mother wish for her child to carry such pain and heavy burdens for the rest of her life? However, i soon found out that the decision was more significant than it seemed at first. Apparently, only girls with rings will have the option of returning to their homeland in Myanmar one day. Those who do not, are bound by Thai laws and citizenship, and will never be granted exit from Thailand for the rest of their lives.

 

In the short hour that i was there, i also learnt that it was illegal for the long-necked women of the tribe to step beyond the physical boundaries of the area where they were housed. The men, on the other hand, were allowed to leave the area to work in the markets and city area. Needless to say, a significant portion of these men never returned to the tribe. Coming from Singapore, i found it hard to believe that such a world existed in a country so close to ours. Yet, the women i met seemed content with their lot. Perhaps it was because they did not know of any other way to live, but it did not stop me from feeling sad for them...

The visit to the umbrella and silk factories was an eye-opener for me. I was amazed by the intricate artwork and detailed processes exhibited. The elderly woman at the top left of the montage below carved the skeleton of an umbrella from a log, using knives of a variety of sizes! Old school? Yes. But super cool :)

 

The Royal Pavillion at the Flora Gardens was the last stop of the day. The place was huge and we took a tram ride to cover the grounds. Most of the flowers were not in bloom, so my shots were focused on the architectural details of the pavillion.

 

Sunday, 4 April 2010
On Day 3, i took a long ride in the van heading for the famous Golden Triangle. On the way, we made a stop at a man-made hot spring. Boiled eggs, anyone? The place was nothing to shout about, pretty much a tourist trap, if i may say so. I bore with it in eager anticipation of the next stop, Wat Rong Khun (the white temple).

 

It is an understatement to say that Wat Rong Khun was amazing. It was one of the main reasons i'd wanted to visit Chiang Mai, and i was not disappointed. Despite the fact that barely two of the nine expected buildings were completed, the details of each individual sculpture, corner and tile were breathtaking. I was truly impressed.

 

It is said that the 53-year-old architect of this temple designed and built it to honour King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, the current ruler of the monarchy. He has made it a point so far to see to each individual detail personally. The construction has taken a whole thirteen years to date, and with less than a third of the grounds completed, it is hard to say at this point if the remaining seven buildings will eventually come to pass.

 

Upon leaving the temple, we made our final stop at the Thailand-Myanmar border. That's me, standing at the Northern-most of Thailand!

 

We were given time to explore the area around the border and the Mae-Sai Market. Some shots of the lodging and peddlers in the area...

 

 

I bought two coconut-flavoured ice-cream cones from the lady in the middle-right picture of the montage. Super yummy :) :) :)

We made our way to The Golden Triangle from the market.

 

Here, the guide offered the option of taking a 40-minute boat ride along the Mekong River and to the floating market of Laos. But once my travelling companions saw that the ride was to be taken on a sampan, they got cold feet. So guess what? I had to miss the ride too :( There was nothing left to do but linger in the area for more pictures!

Map of the Golden Triangle...

 

Myanmar and the Mekong River...

 

The Laotian border...

 

Me at the centre of the Golden Triangle (ok, not exactly...but i like to think i was!)...

 

The Golden Buddhas...

 

And some random sights...

 

It was right smack in the middle of the evening when i got back to the hotel and the timing was just right for the Sunday Walking Street Market! I hailed a tuk-tuk to take me there, got myself some Khao Soi noodles, and shopped the night away! Haha. There was a lot to see at the market, and i bought some cheap crystals and snacks there before heading back to the night bazaar near the hotel.

 

One other thing i loved about D2 Dusit was its location. Right smack in the middle of the night bazaar! It took me less than a minute to get to the nearest stall, or the nearest Starbucks for that matter, hehe :)

 

Above, clockwise from left:
Artist galleries at the basement area of the night bazaar (got me a charcoal-drawn family portrait from here!), Nightly cultural show at the bazaar, Little-Miss tees for my sister, cousins and myself (no prizes for guessing which belongs to me...), Snacks left for me by the housekeeping staff :)

Monday, 5 April 2010
This day was a relaxed, albeit early one. I had new travel companions for the day :) A family from Dubai, and a male backpacker from Switzerland who was on a 3-month tour around Southeast Asia.

Off we went to Doi Inthanon National Park!

 

Loved the cool weather at the park...it was a truly refreshing change from the terribly hot and humid weather in the city! The Wachirathan Waterfall...not the largest there is, but magnificent in its own right :) I fell in love with the little country-style cafe situated at the bottom of the falls.

 

That's me standing at the highest spot in Thailand! This is a trip of many firsts for me :)

 

Located at the highest spot...King Inthanon's Memorial Shrine.

 

The Doi Inthanon National Park is a national monument, and is extremely popular with local and foreign visitors at the peak of Thailand's holiday season (Nov-Feb yearly). On my trip, there really wasn't much to see and we didn't spend much time there.

To make up for it, the guide arranged for our van to make a stop at The Twin Pagodas - erected in honour of the King and Queen :) The site was beautiful, with blooms of all varieties adorning the gardens surrounding the pagodas.

The King Pagoda...

Queen Pagoda and gardens...

 

Views of each pagoda from the other...

 

And what looked like a pretty Japanese-style garden to me :)

 

Then there's me, being touristy again...i made the tour guide stand exactly where i wanted, hold the camera exactly the way i wanted, and aim and shoot exactly as i timed. Haha. Pretty sure she was totally annoyed with me after that!

 

And of course, some close-ups with my week-old portrait lens :)

 

On the way down, we stopped at a vegetable farm that used to be The Poppy Gardens but was later reformed under The Royal Project started by the King.

 

And another waterfall...the Sirithan Waterfall. This place reminded me of Endau Rompin and brought back some fond memories :)

 

The van made a final stop at a tribe, where i snapped more pictures of the local way of life. The huts reminded me of my grandparents' kampung in Old Nee Soon where they used to live.

 

Women and men hard at work...

 

The next shot shows barren rice fields that used to be an important source of income for the tribespeople but have been destroyed by the dry weather in the past few years. I heard from the guide that the fields have not been used for other projects as the people still believe they will be able to grow and harvest rice from them in time to come.

 

My last night in Chiang Mai, i had the honour of dining at the Silapathai Shangri-La, courtesy of Joseph. The food was good! I wouldn't say it was the perfect way to end a holiday, but good enough to recommend :) My favourite was the tom-yum-goong shots, served in little tea-cup-like bowls. They really packed a punch!

 

Tuesday, 6 April 2010
My return flight was scheduled for 8:10 a.m. Despite staying up till 3 a.m. to pack the night before, i managed to get up early enough for breakfast before boarding the van to the airport. These are some glimpses of my final moments in the hotel lounge...

 

And then i kept my camera and it was home sweet home for me.

Post-Trip Reflections
Each vacation is a learning journey and opportunity for self-discovery. This trip was a difficult one to undertake, for more reasons than i can articulate. However, i came away feeling better than i'd thought i would. Much better.

My journey to Chiang Mai made me realise how big the world really was, and that more experiences existed out there than i could ever imagine. I realised how important it was for me to know exactly what was dear to me, and what was not. I also realised that having some courage and a little curiosity can take me much further than i thought i would go.

The hardest thing for me was to have to leave Fluffie for the period i was away, but knowing that she was in good hands and being able to see her from the webcam every night made things that much easier. Missing Fluffie is one thing i know i'd never be able to overcome, because she's my entire heart!

But one thing i know for sure now is that i have the confidence to travel alone, and this was not and will not be my last solo vacation. It is my dream to see the world, and i will do it slowly, alone or not, one step at a time :)

My Baby Turns Four Today!

This year, we celebrated with a weekend stay at The Regent :) Because i had to work late on Friday, i missed the check-in part of the stay, but according to my mum, Fluffie definitely recognised that we had stayed at the hotel before, and was extremely excited once she arrived.

This getaway was really meant to be a way for me to unwind and simply focus all my attention on Fluffie, so this time i took very few pictures. Nonetheless, we still managed to capture some Fluffie-moments!

This is her in the day...guarding an apple; rolling over for tummy-rubs; sulking over the newspapers when it rained all Saturday morning; engaging in some self-entertainment with the complimentary toy ball from the hotel!

 

Both nights, the mischievous little darling...hid under the bed, waiting for me to get her out; lazed about with her favourite bunny toy; fell fast asleep on selected spots of the king-sized bed!

 

Fluffie is very loved!

 

Before we knew it, (like most weekends) our vacation was over! I often wish that moments like these wouldn't pass so quickly; that Fluffie wouldn't grow so fast; that i would have more time with her - to sit with her, play with her and walk with her.

Unlike children and adults, the phases of growth that puppies and dogs go through are not as obvious. I often get people asking if Fluffie is still a puppy, and i find myself wishing that she was. I dread the fact that she is growing up so quickly, and hate to think that i would have to say goodbye to her one day.

I hope Fluffie knows how much we all love her, and how much she means to us, because truly, SHE MEANS THE WORLD TO ME! My life is so much more beautiful because of her :)

Happy Birthday, My Baby!

Cherry Blossoms In Japan.

(Photo credits: /\ltus)

I'm hoping that this would be the scene that meets me when i visit Tokyo, Japan next March/April :) My cousin's husband has been posted to Tokyo by his company, and she will be joining him there once her teaching bond is up at the end of this year.

Even though it is going to be good exposure for them and an amazing opportunity to experience life in a beautiful country, i know that we are all gonna miss having them around in Singapore for the next few years. So i'm guessing that in the period that they're based in Tokyo, we (= mum + aunt + sisters/cousins + me + fluffie!) will be making at least a couple of trips there to visit :) I know i definitely wish to!

I've always wanted to move to Japan for a few months and learn dog grooming techniques over there. Maybe now that my cousin will be there, i will turn my dream into a plan, then into reality :)

At This Time Last Month...

Fluffie and i were at The Regent Singapore for a short weekend getaway! The Regent is one of the rare few pet-friendly hotels in Singapore. There was a promotion on, and my sister was away in Bangkok, so on a whim, i booked a one-night stay and whisked my mum and Fluffie there for the weekend!

This is us in the long mirror in our room!

I thought the room was rather clean and comfortable, and there was more than enough room for the three of us :) I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had included a little bed, bowls, water, treats and a free toy for Fluffie too!

 

My mum, on the other hand, loved the L'Occitane En Provence toiletries provided. Before we left, i asked if we could have complimentary bottles of shampoo, conditioner and shower foam, and the hotel sent a complete set of toiletries up to us!

Here's a video of Fluffie sniffing out the room...

She settled in real fast and very quickly claimed one of the beds for herself. I was so proud of her too, because she knew exactly where to pee and poo (on the newspapers we placed in the bathroom), and did not dirty the carpet at all!

This mosaic shows evidence of Fluffie's love for the beds in the room...

After unpacking and registering our satisfaction with the room, i grabbed Fluffie's leash and we set off for The Botanic Gardens! The hotel's proximity to the Botanic Gardens was one of the reasons that helped me to decide that we should book with them. It was Fluffie's first walk down the Tanglin/Orchard area. I was slightly apprehensive before, worried about the busy traffic, but on the way, we met many friendly humans and dogs, which helped put me at ease. Fluffie, on the other hand, behaved like she had lived there all her life!

Some shots taken at the gardens...

 

We'd visited the place a few times before, but it was our first time in this part of the gardens...we ended up having dinner at the open-air food court (before we realised that dogs were not allowed there...) Fortunately, there was barely anyone around!

On our way back to the hotel, we met a golden retriever, Trista who looked exactly like Chloe, except for a little white patch of fur on her forehead. She's as sweet as Chloe too, and i think she liked me, because she lay down beside me for tummy rubs and refused to get up! For some reason, Fluffie took to her as well...see, it's true! Fluffie only befriends dogs that look like Chloe!!! It's a pity i didn't manage to take a photo of Trista because my hands were tied with handling Fluffie and giving out tummy rubs!

At night, i gave Fluffie her very first 'hotel bath' in the tub of the bathroom :)

 

The holiday must have left her in a good mood, because she wasn't as angry with me as she usually is after a bath, hehe. After she was all clean and dry, we ran around till she was tired, then cuddled in bed and watched some television before falling asleep together :)

Check out this video of Fluffie calling for me to get off the bed and play with her!

The next morning, all three of us lazed around in the room for a bit, then i took a stroll to Tanglin Mall to get some breakfast. My mum spent the rest of the time relaxing, while i watched CSI on the AXN channel and chased Fluffie round the room.

Finally, it was time to check out, and we left the hotel happy and satisfied :) Gosh, i wish all weekends could be like that!

Phuket 21.06.09

The last of the Phuket series!

My sister, cousin and i made the effort to wake up especially early on the last day to get
to Kata Noi beach one last time! This was the steep stairway we had to conquer to get
to and from the beach...

The tide was coming in when we arrived, and we stood at the bottom of the stairs for
some moments, enjoying the swishing of the waves before taking turns to jump onto the beach from the platform we were on.

 

It was monsoon season and the red warning flag was up...

  

...as was this signboard!

So, eventually, since my cousin can't swim, my sister is not a strong swimmer, and i'm definitely not strong enough to rescue anyone from the sea, we decided to be good and not attempt to wade out into the waters that morning.

We sat on the beach for a while, taking in the sights and shrieking at the little hairy crabs running from one hole to the other, before making our way back.

After washing up, we made a rushed trip to Jung Ceylon Mall to buy some last-minute
souvenirs for our friends back home...

I managed to get a shot of the cute toilet signs they had! I couldn't figure out why the
mall used blue for the handicapped cubicle sign instead of the men's toilet sign. Can you?

After grabbing some gifts, we rushed back to the apartments to check out, packed our
luggage into the van, and off we went! But we weren't headed for the airport yet as we
had one more venue we had to stop at before flying back to Singapore.

We made a pit-stop for lunch at another seafood restaurant by the beach. They served
really cool coconuts that had Gucci sunshades on them :) :) :)

Phuket beaches (except Patong beach!) always provide a good backdrop for pretty
pictures, so once again, i snapped some shots for my album.

My father and sister really look alike! Gosh...

 

Finally, after lunch, we made our way to the site where The Phuket Big Buddha sat,
overlooking the entire province. The statue was only about 80% complete, and i'd known beforehand that construction would still be ongoing. We had to endure a bumpy ride up
an uneven hill with extremely narrow roads and dangerous terrains to reach the site, but once we arrived, there was no doubt that it was all worth it.

The Big Buddha looked grandly majestic, and even though there was construction taking
place in the area and gigantic cement trucks being driven around, i was awestruck by the aura of peace surrounding the Buddha.

Views of the statue from the side and front...

 

 

The Big Buddha sits atop the highest hill in Phuket, and is entirely constructed with
speckled marble. Work on the statue has been going on for at least two to three years
now, because the builders are (supposedly) depending entirely on donations to complete
it. For 300 baht, anyone can buy a slab of marble to be used to complete the statue.

My dad insisted that it was a touristy gimmick, but i went ahead to buy one anyway and wrote Chloe and Fluffie's names on it, with the wish that they would be blessed with good health and lots of love throughout their lives :)

I walked all the way up to the foot of The Big Buddha and found a smaller structure made entirely of gold (The Small Buddha) behind it...

There were more locals than tourists in the area, many of whom were there simply to
worship or to have their prayers heard...

 

More pictures! Of wind chimes...

...and a signboard with a mantra on achieving enlightenment.

Now, this is what made the climb up all worth it...

The views at the top are to-die-for! I almost didn't want to leave...

On our way down, i tried to find the Singapore symbol amidst the trail of flags leading
from the Buddha, but couldn't :(

After a fulfilling 4 days in The Land Of Smiles, it was finally time to return home to
Fluffie :) Some last parting shots of Phuket before i kept my camera...a Dunkin' Donuts
outlet at the airport...

...and one more shot from the plane...

I always feel a little down at the end of each vacation, because it means it's time to wake up and return to reality. This holiday was extra special because it was the first time in
many years that all of us managed to take time off and go away together, and could well
be the last.

On the other hand, it was a relief to be able to come home to Fluffie because i'd missed
her terribly in Phuket! I wish i could take Fluffie with me to see the world. If only...

Phuket 20.06.09

Everyone woke up late on Day 3 after the day out at sea, and we skipped breakfast and
walked down to the Kata beach area for lunch. We girls did some browsing at the stalls by the road and wound up with the same bikini in four different colours!

From left:
Blue for my sister, Red for me, Green for cousin piggy, Yellow for my youngest cousin!

 

We took a couple of hours to go through all the shops that were of interest to us, then
we had tea at a cute little cafe before hiking back up to our apartments.

After a short rest, we left for an afternoon of pure indulgence! Sukko Spa brands itself
as a cultural destination spa. When i visited it in 2007, i had a great time, so we booked
a variety of packages this time.

However, the experience this time felt rather lacking in terms of service. The staff seemed
more concerned with making sure that we kept to our allocated timeslots for each of the
treatments instead of ensuring that we were comfortable and having a good time. I don't think i will visit them again if i return to Phuket, because for the prices, we would probably get something better elsewhere in the city.

I did manage to get some good shots of the serene environment the spa was set in.
Here, you see the grand entrance of the spa...

 

Some accents in the pre-treatment waiting room where we made our payment...

 

I love the polished teak furniture they had...

 

And the gorgeous multi-tiered pool!

 

My cousins had their nails done as part of their packages, very pretty! The nail-art was
probably the best part of the treatment...

 

No pictures of the treatment rooms because cameras are banned in there, for obvious reasons! All in all, the time there was relaxing, but not amazing. We ended the day with
a visit to Central Festival Mall, where we had cheap but delicious ramen and sushi for
dinner!

Phuket 19.06.09

Day 2 was sail-and-canoe day!

Captain Mark of Phuket Sail Tours took us out on a private charter to the Phang Nga bay for the entire day! I snapped a shot of The Sakai docked at the port where we boarded a larger vessel for our tour.

 

The weather was perfect for a day out at sea, and this was what the picture looked like
as we set off on our voyage...

 

The front of our boat...combined with turquoise waters and clear skies!

 

The captain briefed us on the route we were taking for the day. I loved his huge
vintage-looking map of the islands.

More picturesque shots along the way...

 

 

Limestone rock formations hanging down from the edges of the cliffs...

 

We made our first stop at a tiny strip of beach for some swimming and splashing about.
Loads of seashells and hermit crabs, but no pictures...had to protect my precious camera!

Then, we paddled into a hong (= small lagoon enclosure) in our canoes. Had to paddle
through a low, dark water cave to get to the entrance of the hong...

 

Next stop was the ice-cream caves! Captain Mark docked his dinghy at a corner of the
tiny beach before we proceeded...

Look at the gigantic ice-cream cones below! The formations had actual glitter on them!

 

When we came to the end of the cave, there was a little opening that provided a glance
of the most gorgeous hong!

 

We also visited a mangrove hong. Check out the pretty single-clawed crab!

 

Can you spot the dolphin below? It's the cutest rock formation ever :) :) :)

 

Shot of the sky from within the mangrove hong...

 

All in all, we visited about 2-3 hongs and 4 caves, and the pictures above show some highlights of our day. Other than sightseeing, we also had some awesome snacks and
a delicious lunch :) Yummy!

 

Group photo...i think everyone looks great here!

 

One more shot of the landscape on the way back to the pier...

 

Last of all, one of my favourite pictures for the day...

 

On the way back to our apartments after the sailing tour, we stopped by a marketplace, where my dad and uncle bought tons of fruit! We were all exhausted by the time we got back, so we stayed in, watched television and ate the fruit for dinner.

Tada! That's it for Day 2 :)

Phuket 18.06.09

I'm back as promised :) This will be a photo-intensive post!

It's been a whole 12 years since we (my maternal aunt's family and mine) have gone
for an overseas vacation together, and everyone was really looking forward to it.
This time round, there were 13 of us, and we were on SilkAir's afternoon flight to Phuket.

Some snapshots outside the departure lounge...i couldn't resist the SIA logos! Can you believe that i've never been onboard an SIA plane in my life? One of my many goals is to
be on an SIA business-class flight to London!

A view of the skies from my window seat...

Approximately 3.5 hours later, we arrived at our holiday accommodation - Kata Gardens Serviced Apartments :) :) :) The apartments were strategically located within the Kata
area in Phuket, within walking distance from both the shopping areas and the Kata and
Kata Noi beaches.

 

We booked a total of 4 apartments for an estimated cost of S$50 per person per night.
The environment was peaceful and rather conducive, most of the time it felt like we were the only ones there.

 

There were 2 pools within the premises. Pity i didn't get to use them as we opted for
the beaches instead most of the time!

 

The next few shots show the interior of the apartment i stayed in with my sister and cousins. Painting at the hallway leading from the entrance to the living room...

 

Cosy living room where we hung out for breakfast and snacks...

 

A small dining area tucked away in a corner of the living room...

 

My favourite part of the master bedroom...the bath-tub! It looks tiny in the photograph,
but the truth is that it was large enough to fit three of us in it!

 

Every apartment also had a lounging area in the balcony...

 

And because ours was a penthouse unit, we had our very own roof-top plunge pool!

 

The view of the beach we got from the roof-top...

 

Once everyone was done gushing over the apartments and king-sized beds, we left to
do some sight-seeing. Our first stop was the Karon View Point, and this was what we saw from there...

 

...Karon beach (at the top), Kata beach (middle) and Kata Noi beach (bottom).

Then we moved on to Cape Phromthep. The Phromthep viewpoint is supposedly one of the best (viewpoints) in Phuket. It was so breezy that we spent a good half-an-hour there, just strolling, taking pictures and taking in the scenery.

My father and sister below...i was a little nervous about them being on the ledge because there was an extremely steep cliff behind them, so all i was thinking when i snapped this
was to get it over and done with so that they could get down from there!

 

My piggy cousin and cousin-in-law basking in the moment...

 

Elephant mascots guarding the four-faced Buddha altar on the cape...

 

I spent about 15 minutes walking around the monument shown in this next photograph,
trying to find some English transcriptions that would provide some indication of its significance to Phuket as well as Cape Phromthep, to no avail...

 

Next stop...Wat Chalong!

'Wat' means 'temple', and Wat Chalong is the biggest and most-visited place of worship
in Phuket. I visited the temple once with my mum and sis in 2007, and was looking
forward to doing so again this time round. However, when we arrived, only one of the buildings was still open, so all i could do was to photograph the exteriors.

 

Guess what the structure below is used for!

 

Each of the temples in the area has a unique roof, yet each design is equally intricate
and shows tremendous attention to detail. Nice!

 

Dinner was at an open-air seafood restaurant off Rawai Beach. I managed to catch
a glimpse of the sunset before it went dark...

 

After dinner, we headed to the busiest area in Phuket - Patong. I am not a fan of Patong because of the fact that numerous sleazy bars span the area, and the stench from the sewer is unbearable at best.

Was not inspired to take any pictures at all initially, then i noticed an interesting phenomenon...

 

...that the Thais have a weird obsession with Bangla! Seriously! Haha :)

And that's Day 1 for you. Will be back with more!

This Is It!

I have found

THE PERFECT PLACE

for Fluffie and me to stay in London :) :) :)