[Travel] Itinerary for 5D4N Hong Kong-Macau Budget Trip (May 2018)

Hey all,

Since I just came back from my Hong Kong trip, decided to share my itinerary while its still fresh in my mind. Anyway, I've decided that summer is NOT A GOOD TIME to visit HK, the weather is just tooooo hot! (Even hotter than SG). Ok, so here's my itinerary for my recent trip in May 2018. I flew on SQ this time round cos it was promo price (so remember to check out SQ for any flight promo ok!! Sometimes might be even cheaper than LCCs). I will post a review on the SQ flight very soon!

Day 1: Saturday

6am                      Leave house

6.40am                Reach Airport and check-in

8.40am                Flight to HK (SQ860)

12.40pm              Arrival at Terminal 1 HK

1.30pm                Out of airport: To purchase Octopus card x2  (Cost: HKD300)

                              To purchase Cityflyer Pre-paid Return Ticket @ Customer Service Centre                                    (Airport Ground Transportation Centre)- Cost: HKD55, otherwise single                                      trip by octopus card HKD33

                            - Take A21 from outside Arrival hall (right side) Frequency: 10-20min

                            - 9^th stop: Man Ming Lane, Nathan Road

                            -  Walk Towards the cross junction, cross towards Hang Seng Bank, cross                                    again towards B1 and B2 exits.

                            - Walk straight until B2 exit turn right and walk straight down.

                            Duration: 45min - 1hour

(The instruction above is for people staying at Inn Hotel HK @ Yau Ma Tei, the cityflyer bus is alot cheaper than taking the train, with minimal walking too)

2.40pm            Check in Hotel: Inn Hotel HK

3pm                  Leave hotel for Yee shun milk company- directly opp busstop we drop at)   Must try: double milk pudding

 Take train down to Diamond Hill MTR Exit C2: Chi Lin Nunnery & Nan                   Lian Garden

 Shop at Plaza Hollywood while waiting for sun to set.

 Take MTR down to Jordan MTR for Kai Kai Dessert (Exit A Jordan- Black   sesame and Almond custard)

 Temple Street shopping (all the way down at Nathan Stn), Walk down to   explore Tsim Sha Tsui, Mammy pancake: Pancake Egglet

 Dinner: Hing Kee claypot rice,  15 Temple street (Opens 5.30pm   only) and Hui Lau Shan (Dessert), 

 After dinner + dessert, in opposite direction (Mongkok station): Langham   Shopping Place, Ladies Street Shopping (otherwise keep for Day 2)

Day 2: Sunday

8am                 Leave hotel

8.15am            11 min walk to Capital Café (Truffle Eggs Toast)

8.45am            Kam Wah Café for breakfast (Polo bun breakfast set) 16min walk from hotel

11am               On Ladies Street (Tung Choi St) try Dim Dim Sum Sum Specialty Store (Cheap: 112 Tung Choi St, +852 2309 2300 (11am onwards), Fei Jie Xiao Shi Dian (55 Dundas Street)- Intestines etc. (2pm onwards), find Bai Wei Shi Pin noodles in bag (New Town Mall Basement escalator)

12.30pm         Take MTR to Sham Shui Po MTR

                        KungWoo Beancurd/Tofu Factory (Exit B1-straight: Order Beancurd and their fried tofu platter) (There is an egg tart place somewhere there for 2HKD for 1 only!!!???), Apliu Street Market (2nd hand goods + Electronics market)

                        Try Hop Yik Tai (Michelin CCF- Exit C2); Chee Cheong Fun

                        Cheung Sha Wan Road Shopping (Cheap) (Exit D2), Real Tim Ho Wan: G/F, 9-11 Fuk Wing Street, Hong Kong, Lau Sum Kee Noodles (2 branches in SSP) Wanton noodles- straight frm D1/D2).

3.30pm            Take MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui

Kowloon Park (Avenue of Comic Stars), Clock Tower and Harbour City (to redeem the vouchers + shop + We Bare Bears), Little Korea @ Kimberly Road.

Take the Star Ferry to Wan Chai for Golden Bauhinia Square and take 7.15pm ferry back to Tsim Sha Tsui to camp for Symphony of Lights, 8pm Light Show.

Walk to Peninsula to take photo and to revisit Temple Street (and try desserts if have yet to try)

5.30pm           Settle dinner (going back to those places yet to try in Day 1)

9pm                 Rest for Macau

Day 3: Monday (Macau)

6.30am           Rise and shine

7am                 To eat breakfast at Cha Chaan Teng (next door to hotel)

8.15am            Take train down to Tsim Sha Tsui ferry terminal

9.15am            Catch ferry to Macau (Get discounted tickets from Cotai Ferry- Facebook promo)

10.30am         Reach Macau and get shuttle that gets to Venetian or Parisian.

Explore the Venetian, Lord Stow’s bakery (Macau’s best Portuguese egg tarts) and The Parisian (Eiffel Tower replica).

Take shuttle from City of Dreams to Grand Lisboa and walk to Marfaret;s Cafe E Nata (for egg tarts) and to try Tai Lei Loi Kei (Pork Chop bun)

Walk up to Senodo Square, Ruins of St. Paul’s, St. Dominic’s Church, Leal Senado Building, Monte Forte.

Chan Kong Kei Case de Pasto (Black pepper deck with noodles) for Lunch

Take a shuttle to Taipa Village (shophouses) and explore Rua do Cunha Street: Koi Kei Cookies to buy back!!, 新好利美食餅店 (milk tarts)

                        After sunset: take night scenes at Casinos exterior, Wynn (For water                                 show- if sufficient time)

Take shuttle from Parisian back to Taipa Ferry Terminal
Head back to Hong Kong!

Day 4: Tuesday

7am                 Rise and shine

Get down at Central station

Walk to Lin Heung Tea house for oldest Dim Sum Teahouse.

Purchase Jenny Bakery cookies

Go to Graham Street: murals, Yat Lok Restaurant (Conwell House, G/F, 34-38 Stanley St, Central: 10am-9pm) for lunch, Lan Fong Yuen (Dai pai dong): chicken cutlet macaroni and milk tea (2 gage street, central- Central exit D2)

Tsim Chai Kee (Super good wanton mee) 98, Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong (near Central Mid-Levels escalators, +852 2850 6471(9am – 10pm)

Visit the Dr Sun Yat Sen Museum

If time permits can travel down to Causeway bay, Jardine’s shopping street, Can try the real Ding Tai Fung or Mak’s wanton mee (Wanton soup + braised pork knuckles)

Hong Kong Central Library (take pic) and Noon Day gun (fired at 12pm: be there before noon- entrance World Trade Centre)

Wanchai: Heritage Trail (different architecture and coloured buildings), Kam Fung- polo bun and chicken pie, Honolulu wan chai – egg tart (breakfast set avail),

Joy Hing Roast Goose 3 treasure rice (~SGD7) Wan Chai MTR, Exit A4, +852 2519 6639, 10-10, Mon-Sat)

4.30pm          Meet at Central Station Exit K: Klook guide at 4.30pm

8pm                Make way back down to Central, explore Lan Kwai Fong (night life in HK)

                        Eat dinner somewhere near hotel

                        Supper @ Cun Ye Ye (For super good and cheap seafood noodles)

                        Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market (see night scene Fruit holder restocking- very                                  lively)

Day 5: Wednesday

7.30am          Rise and Shine

                        Australian Dairy Company (Exit C2 Jordan or 17min walk from hotel)

                        Walk to Sky100 Observation deck

                        Once done, to head to Harbour City (We Bare Bears)

                        Head back to hotel to check out

12.30pm        Walk towards Pitt Street busstop to wait for A21 or A20 back (same travel time)

                        Upon arrival at airport remember to get refund for octopus card (50HKD each with remaining balance but need to pay admin fee since bought within too short a timeframe)

1.30pm           Lunch at Plaza Premium Lounge

3.40pm          SQ861 Flight back to SG

7.40pm          Arrival back in SG, If hungry to find dinner, otherwise head home

Optional Photo spots in YMT: Yau Ma Tei Theatre, (Police Station (Jackie Chan movie), Tin Hau Temple, at Mido Café (overpriced- if wanna try salty 7up & condensed milk toast))

Tips for HK-Macau:

- There are many deals on Klook worth getting!

- Especially the ferry to Macau (super cheap), I was upset that I could not use my SQ Klook promo voucher cos the ferry return tickets were very quickly sold out so I had no choice but to purchase onsite instead.

- The Peak Fast Track is worth getting, however, only if you're intending to visit at peak hours (5/5.30pm onwards) Otherwise, just get the regular tickets cos the queue isn't that long.

- I did not visit Lantau Island, nor any of the theme parks because I've been there on my other 3 trips to HK.

- Do download coupons from HK tourism webpage for discounts specially for tourists!

- In my honest opinion, HKers were not very friendly (especially the food vendors; they were in fact very rude, so please do not expect them to be patient with you)

- Try to learn some simple canto before going to HK, and if you really can't understand, communicate in ENGLISH instead of CHINESE (because the HK locals seem to hold some kind of grudge against Mainland Chinese visitors).

- If possible, google the menu of popular eateries/ cha chaan teng/ dai pai dong before your visit, and roughly decide on what you want first. If language is a barrier, then screen shot pictures and show them what you want to order (makes things faster, and makes them less pissed off...)

- In general, HKers on the streets are actually very nice people who would help you out if you ever need help (but their tone sometimes can seem pretty intimidating, and might pose off as fierce instead- pls dont be too shock)

- HK would be a perfect destination during the Jan-Mar period when its still relatively cooler (not in May... it was just terribly hot and humid)

Just a reminder, I'm not in any way sponsored by any of the companies/ agencies listed above, nor was a sponsored for my food/ accommodation. Everything is written with my very own experience. Hope this post was useful! 

Look forward to my next post alright!

[Travel] 5D4N Penang Free and Easy Itinerary

Dear all,

Finally back to share with you all my itinerary for my Penang trip in May 2017. Felt so blessed to have traveled 4 times before the year even ends. Went to Desaru in January, Penang in May, Japan in July, Melbourne in August. This makes me tempted to go solo traveling after graduation!

Will share with you guys my itinerary for Japan, Osaka in my upcoming posts!(: Now let me share with you on my planning for the Penang trip. Do note that I'm not sponsored for any of the food/ places I'm sharing! Frankly, I feel Penang is a really affordable and nice place to visit for Singaporeans who have short leave/ vacation! I booked 5D4N accommodation after much deliberation but honestly 4D3N was sufficient as Penang is a pretty small island. I simply wanted to make my air ticket worth and spent more days since accommodation there is really cheap! Read on to find out on the details!

By plane or coach?
I honestly wanted to, as usual, go on a budget trip. So taking a coach was initially my plan. This trip almost didn't happen cos my mother did not want to 'live' in a coach for 10 hours (time taken for the coach to reach Penang from SG) although it cost only about $35-40 per pax, the reviews for the coach didn't convince my mother to take it (passengers complained about rude drivers who didn't bother to ensure everyone was onboard before departing the customs, bed bugs on the seats, uncomfortable and dirty buses, etc.) and the flights were so expensive when I was planning for the trip in April.

But, thank god, 1 week before our scheduled trip, Jetstar was on sale, and guess how much I paid for the round trip tickets? 100 per pax? NOPE, it was only $65!

Do note I didn't purchase check-in luggage (so I only had a 7kg handcarry- think that's sufficient unless you intend to bring back liquid products?) (TIP: Rmb to not pack in your toiletries like shampoo and shower gel unless it's packed in 100ml bottles- otherwise you'll have to say goodbye to them even before boarding the plane)

Although it was ~$30 more than taking the coach, taking into account the amount of time you save (from taking plane VS coach), it is actually extremely worth it!! The flight was only 1h 30min (but it took shorter than expected, we arrived in about 1h 15min)

But do note, the timing for the flight isn't the most ideal as we arrived in Penang at 9pm. This meant, 1 day has been 'wasted' and you basically just head to the hotel to sleep after arriving.

Accommodation
There is a wide variety of hotels you can choose from but Armenian Street Heritage Hotel attracted me due to their attractive price and decent location!

I paid ~$35-38 per night stay and overall the hotel was super worth the price paid! The only downside is that you should pray you don't get a room with the air conditioning installed in the room. Felt that was such a major architectural flaw. The room that we first got had a mini room to house the compressor, so when we turned on the air conditioning, the whole room sounded like an enclosed helipad.

The staff were really kind when we requested for a change in room and kindly explained to us that the only room available for the night as a replacement room is a Double bed room (which was 3/4 the size of the previous room) instead of a Twin room which we booked. But since we value a comfortable sleep on our first night, we agreed to sleep there for that night (but we eventually switched back to a twin room on the 2nd night onwards).

The room comes with an ensuite bathroom, which had all the toiletries you needed, a cupboard to hang your clothes, luggage stand. I was just hoping there would be bathroom slippers (cos we only brought one pair of slippers so we had to take turns just to walk around the room to do whatever we needed to do)

The location was convenient as it was just a 5-10 minute walk to Chulia Street (which had the amazing night life every tired Singaporeans need- with amazing lok lok and other food options too). There was also a busstop directly opposite the hotel (but we didn't take the bus at all as most places are walkable distance from the hotel).

Itinerary

Do refer to the itinerary I have below. I did not follow it 100%, as I altered it based on weather conditions (it was raining crazy on one of the days). Some of these places are recommended by my friend who is a Penangite.

Day 1

6pm                       Arrive at Changi Airport for dinner

7.30pm                 Flight 3K677

9pm                       Arrival at Penang - Take Uber (RM15) (About 30 minute drive)

                               Check-in hotel (Armenian Street Heritage Hotel)

10.30pm                Explore and head to Chulia Street Night Hawker                

Day 2

7am                       Rise and Shine

7.30am                 Breakfast: Roti Canai @ Transfer Road (Business hours: 6am-2pm)

9am                       Lebuh Kimberly Duck Meat Koay Teow Th’ng (RM5) (Go early, lunch time) and       Kimberley Street Char Koay Kak (opens 7 - 11am)

10am                     Penang Wonderfood museum (RM20 per pax using discount coupon)

12pm                     Lunch at Joo Hooi Café (has all different food, outside has popular chendol)

1pm                       Explore all murals (use the map provided from airport)

3pm                       Prangin Mall, 1^st Avenue Mall, Komtar Mall, Gama Supermarket and                          departmental store (behind Komtar mall)

5pm                       888 Hokkien Mee (Lebuh Presgrave)

Day 3

6am                       Rise and Shine

6.30am                  Head to Penang Hill (Via bus 201 from Komtar or Uber)

11am                     Try Air Itam Assam Laksa (at foot of Kek Lok Si) and Lim Sisters Curry Mee            (opens until 1pm only)

12pm                     Head to Kek Lok Si Temple thereafter

1pm                       Travel back to George Town

2pm                       Ah Leng Char Kuay Teow (Dato Keramat) (8.30am to 2.30pm)

 3pm                      Head to Cecil Street Market and Hawker Centre (Behind Komtar) (Must try Duck    Kuay Teow Theng)

4pm                       Pinang Peranakan Museum (Church Street)

5pm                       Lebuh Macallum Pasar Malam

Day 4

7am                         Take pictures at Clan Jetties (Chew Jetty)

9am                         Cheong Fatt Sze Mansion (blue house)

                                Kimberly Street Duck Koay Chap (opens 6 – 11pm)

                                Tua Pui Curry Mee (Kimberley Street) (9am – 5.30pm) Closed on Wednesdays

 Ban Heang Bakery

 Ming Xiang Tai egg tarts (To buy back!)

 Reclining Buddha Wat Chaiyamangalaram and Dharmmikarama Burmese                             Temple

 Gurney Plaza

 Gurney Drive Hawker Centre for dinner

Day 5

8am                        Wake up

                                Final moments in Penang

                                Chowrasta Market

                                Try the famous Char Kway Teow (directly opposite hotel)

7pm                        Leave for Airport

7.45pm                   Need to reach airport

9.45pm                   Flight 3K678

11.10pm                 Arrival @ Changi Airport             

I'll upload some photos in my next post! So do keep a lookout!!(: Oh yes, if any of you is wondering, I did not purchase SIM card or Wifi. It was honestly a bit of a torture as we are all so reliant on internet these days. I still managed to get around Penang without much trouble (except when I had to book an Uber back to the hotel - had to search for Mcdonald's in the malls in order to book one)

Regards,

Rachel

[Review] Bicycle.sg, the best place to get your bicycles!

Dear Readers,

Thought of getting a bicycle but don't know where to get reasonably priced bicycles that provides free doorstep delivery and also free gifts for purchases of bicycles?

Bicycles.sg is the perfect place for you! Do not know what type of bicycles you are looking for? Don't worry! The site even provides comparison of the different types of bicycles, allowing you to choose an ideal bike much more easily(:

You not only get a free doorstep delivery of your bicycle, the more you spend, the more freebies you get! When you spend more than $250, you'll get free Bicycle Tail Light + Bicycle Bell + Bicycle lock!

Not only do they provide a comparison according to the different types of bicycles, Bicycles.sg even provides order guides to ensure you 100% plus chop get the ideal bike you want. Where else to find such amazing service!

Prices of bicycles starts from only $78!

Also, now Bicycles.sg is having a special promotion! Eurobike is going at 50% off: the sale will end in 2 days! Get it now at such a great deal, with free delivery and even free gifts with the purchase of a bike.

Bicycles.sg has consistently proven its reliability as a trusted bicycle shop in Singapore. The No, 1 Bicycle Shop, a great place to shop for your bicycles!

Do visit their site at Bicycles.sg and you'll see that many of their customers have left their reviews and testimonials on their purchase!

Hope you find your ideal bike at Bicycles.sg soon!

Love,
Rachel

[Travel] Experience Taking Vietnam Airlines to Seoul, Incheon Airport from Singapore, Changi International Airport

Hi all,

I'm back with travel reviews! This time round for my flight experience with Vietnam Airlines. I booked my tickets in May 2015 for my summer school in July 2015. I booked a return trip and paid SGD529.10. I agree that this is really cheap for an air ticket to South Korea, the land of Kpop and amazing Korean dishes. However, I was utterly disgusted at their sales tactics.

I booked the flight in the evening at 5pm on a Saturday over my laptop, extremely delighted to get my tickets at just SGD100 which was the Special deal tickets. However, after I attempted payment via VISA, the screen indicated an "Invalid action, payment unsuccessful", and then I refreshed the page as saw that the Special Deal tickets were sold out. I was worried I had to spent SGD1K on SQ kind of tickets so I reluctantly bought the SGD150 tickets, spending SGD100 more instead.

To my horror, the next day from morning to night, when I looked through the fares, the Special Deal tickets were back again at the price of 100SGD! Not only the next day, even in Mid July when I checked through the webpage, the SGD100 air tickets were still available. I WAS SO PISSED, because when I emailed the sales management team, they said strictly no refunds, but "you can choose to cancel your reservation and pay the administration fee for cancelation".

I was just too pissed to reply him, because it was totally stupid. I already had keyed in payment information and everything, but payment was rejected just because I was a few seconds late, but yet the sale tickets were continually available at the same price for 1 month?! Not too sure if I was just unlucky or what.

Remember, when choosing your flight timings, always make sure transit timing is as short as possible, as there are connecting flights that make you transit for 12 hours or even up to one whole day. Unless you intend to tour Vietnam then please see the date and time of transit arrival and departure carefully.

I took the 8.30pm flight and we reached Vietnam local time 10pm, it was a 1 hour plus flight. Note that the airplanes are not linked to a gate, so you basically need to climb down the stairs and enter the airport bus shutte to bring you to the terminal. The flight to Ho Chi Minh came with food and beverages plus wet wipes upon boarding the plane. It was a really small and old plane, but decent and worth for the price paid. After landing, there would be a long queue for transit because most of the passengers are transiting to Korea too. You just need to go through a customs check, and you can head to the gate. There's wifi at the Ho Chi Minh airport, which made the transit of 2h 25min bearable.

Dinner part 1

Amazing skyline of HCM

Upon arrival at HCM

 Similarly, to board the next Vietnam Airlines plane, you will need to board the gate which is at the ground floor for you to board the shuttle bus that brings you to the airplane itself. This was an old Boeing too, but it was an even older, smaller, more crammed and air conditioning which was equivalent to Sauna. It was really hot, so my plane buddy and I had a hard time falling asleep. Thank god I managed to sleep for 2 hours, but without any blanket on since it was really too warm. My buddy on the other hand, was fiddling with her MacBook the entire time, editing videos. Kudos to her for not sleeping. The food was good too, with beverages like alcoholic drinks served. For some tips on booking, you can check the plane model on the VN website to see if its a big or small plane. The big plane I took from Seoul back to HCM to SG was super luxurious and comfortable. So you can actually plan beforehand if you are very particular about space and comfort.

Dinner part 2 aka Supper

First sign upon waking up after a 2 hour nap

Upon landing, thank god the plane was connected to a gate although our gate was the extreme last gate of the terminal (which means a lot of walking). The travelators made it much better, thankfully.

 

All in all, it was a good experience. I find that it was worth the money to travel with VN, however, if you ever see the Special Deal tickets ever sold out, wait for the next day to check back. Chances are it will be available the next day. The transit was good as I got to experience climbing down the airplane, and being able to capture photos of yourself standing on the ground with the airplane in the background.

On my return flight from SG to HCM, I met this really cute baby who was fed milk every single time she cried. (Pardon my bare face without make up, my skin condition got really bad when I was in Korea)

Let me know if you need more info on the flight experience(:

Cheers,
Rachel

[Travel] Tips for fashion shopping in Korea

Hey readers!

I'm back with some tips for fashion shopping in Seoul, Korea!

You must be thinking, the usual shopping places must be like Myeongdong, Dongdaemun (and that's about it right?) 

There are really many other places to shop for cheap and yet fashionable but of good quality clothing! I can only list places for female clothing but for guys, I would think the best place with the most number of guy clothing stalls (although all sells similar shirt designs) would be Ewha University Street!

Tips for shopping (Guys):
1. Always walk around and explore all the shopping streets. Most of the clothing store are homogenous amongst the stalls.
2. Remember which stall you first saw it
3. Note down the price and if possible, get a picture as a reference for the design.
4. Continue shopping cos most likely you would be able to find a stall (in a more secluded and quieter street) at least 5,000won cheaper (which means you get to save SGD6!!)

I almost bought a shirt from this stall which was nicely lighted and the shop even invested in plastic covers for their shirts, but their tee costs 10,000won each! I decided to look for other designs and came across another shop which sold the exact same shirt at only 5,000won! It's a guy's tee! Not even kidding!

You must be thinking, "It's damn hard to go shopping in Korea for guys since it's a women paradise". While I must agree to the 2nd part of the sentence, the first part is totally an incorrect statement!!! Ewha and Myeongdong are both great places for shopping for guys! (Although honestly, Myeongdong tends to sell them at a slightly higher price; or they make you buy a minimum quantity (eg. 2 for 10,000won, 1 for 8,000won) In that case, just buy two!!! You wouldn't know if you realize you need to get a gift for a friend(: )

Ok for ladies and teenager girls, my recommended areas are: all underground shopping centers located in subway stations, Dongdaemun, Ewha, Hongdae, and Sinchon!

These places are listed according to my preference!

1. Underground shopping centres

They are simply amazing places to shop at. From 2,900won you can get nice blouse and occasionally dresses, while I doubt they are brand new, the quality is as good as new! I got THREE 2,900won blouse on the first day i touched down in Korea and they look perfectly new! The best underground shopping centre would be at Express Bus Terminal followed by Gangnam which I visited at least 5 times throughout my 1.5 months there. The good thing about Express bus terminal is that it's a good place for wet weather plans cos you can spend at least 2 hours there shopping! The clothes there are really nice, although I wasn't able to get discounts at any of the shops since they were already priced really cheaply.

Everything I bought there (dress, dungaree, oversized tee, casual tee including shoes) ranged from 5,000won to 10,000won. Average spent per piece of fashion clothing would be 8,000won. And I have to mention the clothes in Korea are super comfy! There are 2-3 shoe shops in Express Bus Terminal which all shoes are sold at 5,000won. If you see a big sign in their shop and you're not sure, if everything is 5,000won, get a design you're interested in getting and act like a Korean and ask "wu cheon won isseoyo? (Is this 5,000won?)" If the shop keeper says "ne" means yes!

They sell really cheap fashionable caps and hats (very k-fashion designs) and sunglasses at 4,900won. So many designs, and they are of really good material!! Grab some home with no regrets. I managed to get cheaper sunglasses at Forever 21's summer clearance sale so I didn't get any from these shopping centers.

These underground shopping centers usually have some small food eateries at the end of the shopping street (so if you're hungry you can just get something to eat at the ends of the streets, no worries at all!)

2. Dongdaemun 

With so many malls around at Dongdaemun, it's just a shopping heaven. Knowing me, I'm the typical budget shopping queen. I mainly got stuff at Migliore and HelloAPM  ladies area since they have 5,000-10,000won clothing. I love this shop on the 3rd floor of HelloAPM  in a corner cos they have really nice designs on sale at 5,000won. The same design I got over there was selling in a local blog shop brand at SGD23! 

Although there are many malls, the others malls besides the 2 I've mentioned above are relatively more expensive. Notably, Doota mall! But when you get there, try to go to the tourist centres and see if they have a sale booklet with different vouchers for different boutiques. Doota normally will have a small coupon cut out in the booklet for you to redeem a free gift. During the 2015 summer period the gift was a really nice multipurpose pouch. 

3. Ewha Women's University street

Great for shopping from noon onwards! Perfect place for good and cheap food and for nice and fashionable clothing. Fashionable clothings can be found in almost every lane. My best buy from Ewha is plait tartan long outerwear of a good and comfy material for only 10,000won! The locals there are really friendly. Can always attempt to get discounts when you're purchasing more than one item! I would suggest to get there at 11am, explore the Ewha campus, lunch, then do your shopping after. Get street snacks while shopping cos they are really cheap there, as compared to other places like Myeongdong and Dongdaemun.  Then settle your dinner here too: I would recommend Alchon flying fish roe rice!

4. Hongdae!!

The amazing place for shopping in the evening! Best time would be to reach at 4-5pm! Cos shops close by 9pm except the clubs (obviously). Lots of shopping here, but I find that it's generally more expensive than the other 3 areas I've listed above. Except for one shop, which was having a clearance sale, he had a rack outside with loads of clothes for just 1,000won! Yes you didn't read wrongly! 1,000won! Only SGD1.20! I bought almost 20 pieces of clothing there, from blouse to dress to denim shorts! No words can explain my joy when I got such a good deal!(:

5. Sinchon

This is mainly a place for food and cosmetics shopping. I love the Etude house at Sinchon cos it's a cute little pink house at a very prominent location opposite Sulbing! Clothings and fashion stuff are similar to everywhere else!(: It is a good for evening shopping as shops here closes pretty late! They have really nice food here and I would recommend the 8 flavour BBQ pork which is a lot cheaper in Korea than in SG! 30,000won for a set that can feed 2-3pax.

Ok that's all for shopping in Seoul for now! If I have any updates I'll edit this post!(: If I missed out anything feel free to comment below too! 😀 Thank you for reading I hope this will be useful! Sorry if the last 2 locations have really short descriptions. I will try editing them to include more info!

Cheers,

Rachel

[Travel] Must Knows about Traveling in Singapore by Public Transport (Bus and MRT)

Hi all readers,

Rachel here. Sorry for the long break! Decided to create a post for tourists paying a visit to Singapore. Singapore is a very small and clean country, and definitely, the public transport system is the most efficient and affordable way to travel around the country(:

The MRT stands for Mass Rapid Transit. It is commonly mistaken as Mass Rapid Transport or Mass Rapid Train, but basically in Singapore if you're looking for an MRT station, just call it "MRT". People might just find you weird if you ask "Where's the Mass Rapid Transit Station" as almost none of the locals uses that term (at least none that I know of).

To take the MRT, you have to purchase either a one-time temporary card which is called a Standard Card and is made of paper (which can be purchased at the add-value metal looking machines), or a typical Ez-link (pronounced as "Easy-link") card that locals uses, or you could also purchase the Singapore Tourist Pass.

Ok, so which one should you purchase?

IF you think you wouldnt travel that much on Singapore's public transport system, you can purchase the Standard Card. The deposit for the card is only 10cents which was recently reduced from the usual $1! That means if you want to travel from Bugis to Orchard by MRT for example, and if the fare is $1, you just need to pay $1.10 for your one trip there!(:

How do you go about purchasing the Standard Card?
The typical General Ticketing Machines (grey metal ticketing machines). Do note that the Add-value machines (purple machines) do not issue this card

Ok, next. If you want to keep the Singapore Ez- link card for memento purposes, I would recommend you to buy the card that the locals use as well. However, it is definitely more costly. If you purchase it from Transitlink Ticketing Offices, Concession Card Replacement Offices (which is quite unlikely you will pass by any of the 6 offices they have in Singapore) and the Passenger Service Counters, it costs $12. However,that doesnt mean it has a stored value of $12. The $12 includes a $5 card cost fee, which means there's a $7 stored value in the card which is used to tap in and out of the MRT stations and buses.

However, do note that you can purchase it from the 7-eleven stores, however, it costs only $10 as there is only a stored value of $5. I would recommend to purchase from the 7-eleven stored if you intend to travel less than 4 times on the public transport but would like to keep a nice Ez-link card for use the next time you come back to Singapore.

Lastly, the Singapore Tourist Pass is a very useful option provided by the Singapore Tourism Board for tourists to travel to the places of interest in Singapore. They are passes that entitles you to unlimited travel on the public transports. They have 3 options: 1-day pass, 2-day pass and 3-day pass which costs $20, $26 and $30 respectively. In those amounts I've mentioned, there is a refundable rental deposit of $10, if you return the card within 5 days after purchase(:

The design on the Singapore Tourist Pass is quite pretty and worth keeping if you're willing to spend $10 on it, although I don't think you can reuse the card the next time you're back in Singapore.

Now, on to the BUSES!!!

I think most tourists will hardly ever take the public buses as they mostly come from neighbourhoods and MRT stations. And major landmarks and Places of Interest in Singapore are accessible via MRT. But basically the travel system in Singapore is all about paying by distance. The further you travel, the more you pay. Buses in Singapore are run by 2 major companies, SMRT and SBS.

You might be thinking, wow Singapore's public transport is rather expensive. However, do note that locals have special fare types for different age groups. The Senior Citizens have special Concession passes issued by the government and their fares are much cheaper than the adult fares. A typical bus ride for 3 stops is about $0.79 but for senior citizens it costs only $0.56, and the maximum fare for senior citizens during the off-peak hours (up to 6pm and after the morning rush period) is $0.90 (for train and bus services).

Oh yes, if you transfer between buses and trains, you're entitled to a rebate (exact amount I'm not sure) but definitely a plus point for you to save money while traveling. I think it doesnt apply to the Standard Cards but the typical Ez-link has such privileges.

Misc Must-knows in Singapore buses and trains:
- The corner seats in trains marked with the stickers "Priority Seat" are used to be called "Reserved Seat" basically for those who needs the seat more like the Elderly, young children, pregnant women, injured people, etc. If you happen to sit on it, it's totally fine even if you do not fall in that category of "needy" people. But if an elderly actually approaches you, its ok, just give up your seat to him/her. It's quite common actually.

- In buses, the priority seats are the seats in yellow (which are usually at the front of the bus). Same as in the trains, give up to others who need it more than you do(: Don't be too stressed about sitting on these seats.

- The older trains (white coloured ones with orange seats in certain cabins) have much smaller seats than the usual trains, so it gets a bit squeezy on that train especially if you're bigger in size than the typical Asian (like me, unfortunately). I usually would just wait for the next train if traveling a long distance.

- Eating and drinking is PROHIBITED IN TRAINS!! I have seen so many tourists eating snacks and drinking water on the train. Do note that it is NOT ALLOWED in Singapore, even plain water!

- Drinking plain water on the buses are fine, but no eating!

- If you want to check out the arrival timings of buses at the busstops you can download bus apps, "Iris" or "SG Buses". I prefer SG buses, as it indicates how packed the bus is, and whether there are seats available on the bus.

- There are different lines in our train transport system. The major ones are the East-West line (Green), North-South line (Red), Circle Line (Yellow) and North-East line (Purple).

- As tourists you will most likely be taking the Red and yellow lines most often as it brings you to Orchard, Haw Par Villa, Botanics Garden, Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands, etc.

- If you're interested, the different coloured lines on the MRT, are run by the two different companies, SMRT and SBS too! The Circle Line, Purple Line and LRTs are driver-less! (No driver operates the train, which is why I suggest that you enter the cabin from the train head on the Circle Line and North-East line to enjoy a nice ride while seeing the train travel maneuver its way through the dark tunnels)

- On escalators, ALWAYS keep to the LEFT if you're not climbing up or down the escalators. The right side are for people in a rush, to catch trains, reach home in time for their favourite dramas, etc.



LASTLY, enjoy your trip in SINGAPORE!!

[Travel] Must Shop in Singapore: Bugis Street

Dear Readers,

Decided to post some recommendations for Must-visit places in Singapore from a perspective of a local. Are you looking for shopping places in Singapore? Cheap deals and quality clothings? Singapore doesn't manufacture fashion clothings, so most of the clothings you get in Singapore are imported either from Korea, China or Bangkok. I would say mostly from China as they produce the cheapest clothings.

Bugis Street

Yes, when in Singapore, Bugis Street is a MUST-VISIT! It is a place to get not only souvenirs, but also cheap clothings, and tasty but slightly over-priced street snacks. The key highlight at Bugis Street is the cheap fashion clothings. Bugis street is a large sheltered shopping area. It consists of 3 levels of shopping spree. I personally love shopping at level 2, as most shops there really cheap. You can get a nice looking piece of dress of decent material for just SGD5 (And I'm not even kidding, the prices are displayed, so you need not worried getting scammed)

Shoes are slightly more pricey but occasionally the shops on the 2nd floor does have offers like 2 pairs for SGD20. If you're looking for more fashionable types of shoes or sandals, the price ranges from SGD10-40. Certain shops sells the same items so do look around for cheaper deals before getting it.

Do note that level 1 of Bugis street is non-airconditioned so it is generally more stuffy. Especially at the main entrance near the fruit juice stall and the other exit near the Albert Street Food Centre. It is always jam-packed with people.

If you're looking for souvenirs here, I think it is good to get the Singapore-designed tote bags at 4 for SGD10 only! The material is acceptable and it comes with some small compartments inside. Definitely worth the price. Although the keychains seem cheap, with most stalls selling at 36 pieces for SGD10, I think the bags are more worth it (if you're getting for ladies).

If you're looking for cosmetics, it is not very cheap there. Reasonably priced, but not the cheapest cosmetics you can find in town. Cheap bags can be found in a number of boutiques, but I usually look out for the ones on the 2nd floor (newly renovated area) which has their offer racks hanging outside their stalls. I bought 2 cambridge satchel at SGD5 each, although it lasted about 3-4 months of continuous usage. You are able to find good deals there so long as you're attentive to the goods the shops display. I found one of the satchel retailing at a boutique in a shopping mall at SGD19.90, which was the exact same one I bought at bugis for just SGD5.

Accessories are not cheap at Bugis, unless a stall is having a mega sale. For cheap accessories, I'll recommend you to get it from the sales at Cotton On and Factorie (I'll post more on such boutiques later).


Tips for shopping at Bugis:

1. Bargain (Only if the item is $10 and above, or if you are getting more than 1 item- Most salesgirl will give you a dollar or 2 of discount)

2. Do not purchase from the first stall you spot something that interests you. Chances are, there are other boutiques selling at a lower price. Bugis is easy to navigate around, so don't worry that you'll get lost.

3. SGD5 deals are not necessary goods of low quality. Some are really good one, and because they are urgently clearing stocks, they sell it cheaply.

4. Be careful of pickpockets. My friend (a local) was pickpocketed recently! Keep your bags close by your side (but don't make it so obvious- like hugging your backpack tightly, etc.)

5. If you cannot find a price tag on the item you are interested it, chances are the owner will randomly throw you a high price. Do not buy from these stalls!

6. If you're hungry, you can always head to the Thai eatery on the 3rd floor of the new compound. They sell delicious Thai food.

7. If you are getting a little warm, head to the higher levels which are fully air- conditioned.

8. Cravings for snacks? There's this really popular crepe stall that always has a long queue. About SGD4-6 for a flavoured crepe. (I personally tried it only once)

9. If you are looking for higher end boutiques and more commonly known brands, cross the road to Bugis Junction. There are various fashion boutiques like Cotton On and Topshop.

10. I would recommend you to bring your own recycle bag to contain all your small shopping bags. The plastic bags the stall provides are always really small and I hate it when they squeeze my dresses into such a small bag and crumple it. I always bring along a recycle bag to throw my shopping goods in it.

11. Very few shops in Bugis street allows payment by cards. Only a handful accepts Nets, majority accepts cash payment only, so remember to bring along enough cash to shop!

12. If you would like to get a tattoo here, I know of one tattoo shop on the 2nd floor of the older section of the building. Not too sure about the price.

Hungry while shopping? Walk across the road towards the Albert Street Food Centre! Delicious food stalls that makes me feel like eating everything there. Will be posting on food recommendations at Albert Street Food Centre soon!(:


Bugis is such a nice place to shop at. The best timing to go would be on weekday afternoons (after lunch and before dinner time) Avoid Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights! You might end up having to walk like penguins. Remember to bargain (reasonably obviously). Let me know of some of the good deals any of you readers got from Bugis!(:


Cheers,
Rachel

[Travel] Where to stay for a budget trip to Bangkok: Metro Resort Pratunam

Dear Readers,

I am back with travel reviews!

This time recommending hotels to stay in Bangkok for a budget trip!

Whenever I head to Bangkok, the only place I'll stay at is Metro Resort Pratunam.

It is conveniently located one road down Platinum Fashion Mall (about 10-15 minutes walk), and big malls nearby (including Shibuya 19 which sells wholesale fashion clothings and some electronics mall across the road)

I touched down at Survanabhumi Airport only at 7-ish to 8pm, and by the time I reached the hotel (by taxi), it was 9plus almost 10pm (local BKK time). Remember, whenever you take taxi, always ask for metered fare! (including to and fro the airport; some taxi drivers try to cheat your money by telling you there is massive jam at this time of the day, but don't fall for their trick!!) Unless you're in really popular areas at about 12am, like Ma Boon Kong, then most taxi drivers will only ferry those who agree to pay his requested fare (but always try to bargain (at least 50-100baht lower!))

This is how the exterior of the hotel look like (pardon my flabby arms HAHA)

The photo above was taken from the outside of the hotel the next morning after I touched down since it was really dark when I reached the hotel the night before.

Here's the lobby!

Very cosy lightings with 2 desktops near the check-in concierge for guests' usage. Though I recommend not to stay in the lobby for too long as there were many mosquitoes.

The very large corridors along the 3rd floor

You see really huge corridors, especially on the 3rd level. Where the middle area (on the right of the picture (with brown walls), are the exterior of one of their conference rooms.

The layout seems awkward for a hotel as this building was converted from a shopping mall in 2010/2011. Therefore, there were escalators too (which were not operating) which is supposed is meant to save electricity (since they have a lift anyway)

Interior of the room (twin bedroom)

All the rooms come with an attached bathroom, Do note that there is no carpeting in the room. Neither is there bedroom slipper provided. Please bring your own pair. In the room there is a cupboard, which had enough hangers for 2 days worth of clothes for 2 person, no luggage stand (place it on the floor), a glass table and 2 chairs, a wall-mounted TV with about 5-8 local channels, a dressing table (with a waste paper basket in the corner near the bathroom), a side table between both beds that had a table lamp, writing paper and a telephone for services.

Air-conditioning worked fine. If you're worried the room gets stuffy, just turn on the aircon in your room when you leave the hotel (the cleaners will not turn it off just to save electricity). This means you can enjoy a cool environment after a long day of shopping.

Outside the room I stayed in June 2014

Yes, to gain access to the room, you need a key and it isnt the high tech sort of tap card/ insert card into slot type of hotel. It is a physical key (the kind of key you use to lock your main door). Rest assured, if you're worried that you might lose your key, the concierge will keep your keys on your behalf. And the best part is, when you get back to the hotel (if the same concierge staff is on duty), she can remember your room number and pass you back your key. That is a really nice gesture as it shows how much they respect the guests.

I took really little pictures of the room, so here's one with me in it.

They change the towels everyday, and cleared the bins too. Toiletries were replenished daily and the sheets were changed and bed for you (ONLY IF you placed the "Please make up room" sign outside your door!)

Oh, and yes, they had a mini fridge in the room too. The bottled water (first 2) is complimentary, there were also packet coffee, tea, creamer and sugar. They are complimentary too!

Water flask is provided for you to boil your own water too.

During my period of stay, there were many Indian guests, and they tend to sleep rather late. The walls are definitely not 100% soundproof, probably about 80%, so I could hear their conversation (but not like I understood anything they were saying) Other than that, the air conditioning was so shiok that I slept and snored like a pig.

Although no daily breakfast is provided for my option, the hotel area has many good road side stalls, which mostly closes at 11pm.

Yes, this was just a 2minute walk down the hotel towards Platinum direction.

This was taken on the 1st night when we first arrived (at about 10.30pm)

Nice personalised pouches which are great as gifts (~8SGD)

3SGD roadside wanton mee stall that was cooked on the spot

The famous Kuang Heng Chicken Rice stall (~3SGD including the bottle of coke)

The 7-eleven sold Slurpee for only SGD0,70 for the giant size

The fruits in the above picture are a must eat! Fresh fruits for sale on push carts. This was from a vendor selling right outside 7-eleven, and I bought from him every single night I was there. The guava was the only fruit he cut on the spot, but all his fruits tasted good. There were pineapples, papaya, pear, guava, jambu. Jambus are must eat here. They're so sweet, crunchy and juicy! Ah, missing the jambus now!

Yes, so now you know how convenient this hotel is, with the roadside stalls opened till almost midnight! The staff are really kind too, and tries to give you as clear instructions they can with their minimal English. 

Oh yes, Thai massage is a must when in Thailand right? No worries, there is a whole street of Thai massage parlours just 5minutes walk down the street towards Platinum direction! There are 4-5 stalls for you to choose from, and I went in to try 3 of the stalls (during the 4 nights I was there in June 2014)

After telling you so much about the hotel, I haven't mentioned the price I paid. For this 3 star hotel, I paid only 4000THB for my 4night stay. That means each night only costed about ~35SGD per night!

Where else to get such deals? Although the nearby GLOW Pratunam and Amari Watergate are much better choices in terms of the quality of service and ambience, the price is about twice to thrice the price. Being the cheapo me, I think Metro Resort is comfy enough for me. I just need a proper place to sleep and rest in preparation for the next day. So what if there are gym facilities or swimming pools in other hotels? The price you pay includes the use of facilities, but truth is, you'll hardly have time to use it, as most of the time you'll be out of your hotel. Even when in the hotel, you're probably dead beat and just wanna sloth around in bed.

I am not sponsored to do this review, but since I couldn't find any reviews on the hotel, and I find that the reviews on Tripadvisor is not an accurate representation of the hotel. I decided to post on my staycation in June 2014. 

Comment if you have any queries!

If I realise I have left out any key info, I'll amend at my leisure time.

*Updated on 2nd June: The prices of all rooms at Metro have been raised. Currently, the promotional price is 1400THB per night, not the 1000THB I paid last June. Please take note!

Cheers,

Rachel 

[Travel] Bangkok Scoot Flight 2014 Review and Tips

Hey readers!!

Decided to do some travel reviews. Will start with the most recent one, and if there are actually significant viewers and readers, I'll continue posting!(:

For this blog post, it will be purely for FLIGHT reviews and tips. Follow up on more blog posts regarding itineraries during my 5-day Bangkok Trip June 2014!

Headed to Bangkok (my favourite travel location ... for shopping) on the 14th June 2014. (SIN --> BKK)

It was a very last minute decision to fly as I was viewing through online that Scoot was having a promo fare to Bangkok. 

I paid $370-ish for the tickets for both my mother and I. That was the best flight deal I've ever gotten! The best part was that I booked the tickets about 3-4 days before I actually flew. (I loved that feeling. It was like a pack-and-go, YOLO decision- Makes me feel more enthusiastic about life. HAHA)

Forgot to mention earlier, the flight deal was the FlyBag option, which means checked-in luggage was included. This was so much cheaper than AirAsia which fares doesnt include checked baggage, Also, I was worried that my mother and I would not be able to get adjacent seats (plus I love window seats), so I opted to pay extra to choose my own seat. Can't really remember how much I paid for the seat selection. I think it was SGD8 per pax? (Yup, so actually my tickets were much much cheaper if I hadn't opted for such options). HOWEVER, do note that Scoot doesnt serve in-flight meals, nor do they have entertainment onboard. 

In-flight meals were available at additional costs while on the flight, and you can actually choose your preferred meal while purchasing your tickets. I felt it wasn't worth it to pay around SGD10 for an inflight meal, and especially since it was just a 2.5 hour flight. 

Although I was slightly worried when I read online reviews that the Scoot staff were very unfriendly and that the seats were not of acceptable comfort, I felt that it was totally worth it for the price I paid for it!

Look at the seats! They look great right? The plane looked quite new (although Scoot planes are supposedly refurbished SIA planes). The seats comfort level were the usual Economy class seats. 

As the saying goes "You get what you pay for", so definitely I wasn't expecting a soft cushiony type of seat nor a first class service from cabin crews,

The flight went rather smoothly with occasional turbulences which can't be avoided as it depends on weather conditions(: 

The picture below shows my in-flight meal. (Yes, I smuggled Burger King 6pcs nuggets- although it was against their rules but I didnt get caught)

\

I took the 5.35pm flight, so I reached there only at about 8pm (Singapore Time). 

Look at the pretty clouds in the sky which I managed to capture while the plane was during a right turn!

This was taken about 5 minutes before we landed in Bangkok.

 Yay! A safe landing in Bangkok! The flight left Singapore slightly late as they made the announcement that there was a long queue for the runway, however, we still arrived earlier than the expected arrival timing (applause for the pilot for choosing a shortcut route- Maybe?). After clearing customs, we went to collect our baggage which took forever to come.

I think it was because we landed earlier, therefore when we arrived at our baggage claim conveyor, it still had remains of some luggages from another flight. Everyone waited for about 10 minutes before the luggages appeared on the conveyor.

I'm too lazy to type for the return flight, but it was about the same experience and not that I noticed too much about the plane as I was dead tired after the 5 days worth of shopping. (aka I slept through the flight back to Singapore)

Rating for Flight Experience:

Cabin Crew: 8/10
Remarks: They were slightly late in response when I needed assistance to purchase their souvenirs from their on-air shopping catalogue. Other than that, I couldn't comment on as I didn't order in-flight meals or called them for any other purposes. Oh, I have to mention that they were not too polite when asking me to adjust my seat back to it's upright position.

Ambience on flight: 9/10
Remarks: The 1 point deducted was not because the flight wasn't very enjoyable, but rather due to occasional children screaming and shouting (which can't be prevented either way). They dimmed the light to allow some short power nap

Seat Comfort level: 9/10
Remarks: As mentioned above, but the seat recliners were not functioning at its best. Some seats were loose (and caused occasional squeaks as the passengers shuffled in their seats)


Tips for Scoot Flights:
- Always bring an empty water bottle as there are water coolers at the back of the plane for you to quench your thirst during the flight (and if you're as cheapo as me who doesn't want to pay for food or drinks). Not too sure if they provide plastic cups (as no one around me did so)

- Do not expect too much for Scoot flights as it is meant to be a budget carrier.

-If you and your travel partners are sharing one luggage (eg. 2 person 1 luggage), get the FlyBag option for 1 pax, and the Fly option for the other pax), it should be sufficient, unless you're worried your baggage weight might exceed (which shouldnt be the case as my average-sized luggage weighed only 18.3kg when I came back.

- Try to sneak small snacks on board especially if you have a long flight (and don't get caught, obviously)

- Bring your own source of entertainment (no inflight entertainment, games, movies, shows, music etc.) They do have a personal TV, but ... it doesnt work (duh, it's a budget carrier)

- Bring  a portable charger, especially if you plan to read ebooks or play games on your electronic devices.

OH AND YES,

I forgot to mention that Scoot no longer fly to the Survanabhumi Airport. They now fly to Don Mueang only. Don Mueang is quite close to Chaktuchak so if you intend to stay near Chaktuchak Weekend Market, it will be great!

I might try flying with NokScoot if I am flying to BKK this June.
Will post a review then!

Cheers,
Rachel