Indonesia-Bali

Coastline of Bali------------------------------------>

This Palangi Hotel is situated in Seminyak. Away from the busy Kuta area. and it has it's own private beach area.The whole resort has a rustic feel to it.Our room numbers is 216... erm one number short to buy 4D











The 3 of us share 1 room and asked for an extra bed. The Superior room cost us US$ 90.00 ++

See http://www.pelangibali.com/




Breakfast is the usual stuff, western + local food. Nothing fancy. But the view at the breakfast area is superb. It's next to the pool and overlooks the beach.







KuDeTa Restaurant. This beach bar overlook the sea(just like the Cafe Del Mer @ sentosa).there we caught the most beautful sunset! House pours are about 10USD.
http://www.kudeta.net/
Definitely worth going!


Bali isn't really know to be a shopping paradise, esp fro Singaporeans. But there were many hip shops selling crafts and apparels. There's a shop selling Pop art of Buddha images.


There's a free shuttle bus that took us to the Kuta shopping area.The Kuta Beach area is very crowded, not only with tourist but with locals as well.



Hard Roack Cafe Bali


< Outdoor massage @ Kuta Beach

Horse Ride @ Kuta----^



We had 2 massages during our 3day stay in Bali. One was at the hotel and the other at bodyworks. Both are similarly priced and had the same level of service. At Bodyworks Spa, all of opted for the 3hour treatment package.

This treatment begins with an hour long Balinese massage, then the entire body is painted in a brown, granular paste ( the traditional Javanese 'lulur'), containing tumeric, sandalwood, cinnamon, ground nuts and rice. The paste is then gently rubbed to exfoliate the skin. After a quick shower, cool, fresh, yoghurt is splashed, then smoothed over the skin. The yoghurt's enzymes stimulate cell activity and restore PH balance of the skin, which feels soft as silk after the yoghurt is washed away. The final step involves luxuriating in a fragrant, warm, flower filled bath

The yogurt smell so delicious that I felt like licking it off my arms. But of course the theraphist said the yogurt is inedible. The whole package cost about S$60plus.After the whole session we had the ginger tea, to put a wonderful end to our journey

China-Shanghai

Lived and work in Shanghai for the past 4 Years. My apartment is like a free hotel to my Singpaoreans friends. And his SUV vehicle(cover in snow) is the the transport and I am a tour guide to them. I will definitely bring my friends to the following places when they are in Shanghai:




The best seafood in Shanghai will have to be at TongChuan Road. This is a wholesale seafood market that the local restaurants gets their supplies from. A few restaurants then were set up alongside the market. We can but the live seafood from the stalls and bring them to the restaurants nearby for them to cook for us.

The restautants will charge by the weight of the seafood. For example, to cook a fish for us, they will charge 10CNY for 500 grammes. Hence if your fish is 1kg, you will need to pay 20CNY.






Here we are that the (in)famous Xiangyang Market(now closed). This place is know for counterfeit branded goods. You can literately get lost in this big market. it's is smaller than the Chatuchak (Jatujak) Weekend Market (JJ) in Bangkok, but it's still a mize here. You can haggle with the vendor for up to 1/3 of the original price and they will still get a smile and a "see you next time" from the stall owner. You'd know you got a good buy if they didn't say "please come again next time".


Drinks @ XinTianDi

XinTianDi is a upmarket restaurants & pubs area in the middle of Shanghai. A cleaver HongKong business man took over very old Shanghai houses(shikumen) and turn the interior into modern establishments.The prices here are comparable and even more expensive than prices at restaurants in Singapore. A simple ice-cream sundae can cost about 79cny(S$15.80).


Lotus building @ Bund


Shangahi Bund


Pearl Tower @ night-----------------------------------------------------------------^


JinMao Plaza the 2nd tallest building in Asia--------------------------------------->


Pearl Tower the tallest structure in Asia



Steamy Shanghai XiaoLongBao(dumplings)!

Bintan-last day

this big lizard created havoc while we were lazing by the pool. Many tourist who mmay have seen this creature for the 1st time was fascinated by it, everyone took turns to pose fot a pic with the animal as we distracted it with food. Some kids were screaming after it. After a while, it climbed into the swimming pool for a dip. Those people in the pool at that time climed out of the pool! eeks...


Dinner by the beach

On the eve of departure, the reception informed us that the afternoon ferries back to singapore are all fully booked. We are stucked at the hotel until 8pm at night. To go out of the resort area require booking transport by the hour(S$10/hour)> we had already been to Tanjong Pinang(Capital of the province) which is takes 1.5hour to and 1.5hour back. So we decided to laze by the pool/beach for the afternoon and have dinner at the resort.

The food prices by the pool and the beach are quite reasonably price. A full size pizza cost US$10, 1/2 roast chicken with fries and salad cost US$10,a beef steak cost US$15. Quite alrite for a meal by the sea.

Bintan-beach

Called "Dinner at the Rocks", Banyan Tree Resort has this table set at the edge of the jetty in between a cluster of rocks. Guess if anyone who propose here will definitely get the girl.So romantic!!

But then again, whoever that can afford a dinner here at the Rocks Banyan Tree should get the girl... romantic or not romantic.

Bintan-Pasar Ole Ole

not exactly a spa here. Just some indonesian massage place that is situated at the back of this restaurant. We came here for lunch after out check in.This is the 1 of only 3 restaurants here at Pasar Ole Ole.

For S$99 we had a set lunch for 2person, a 1hour massage for 2person and transport to-fro the resort.

We were too hungry to have the massage 1st. So we opt to have our lunch 1st and shop at Pasar Ole Ole then return for out 1hour massage.

All the shops here qoute Singapore Dollars for their merchandise. It's good. At least we don't have to visit a money changer and start converting the numourous zeros used in the Indonesian Rupiah. S$1=5960 Indonesian Rupiah!! We are millionaires in indonesia!! But there's not much to buy here. Most are handmade souvenir shops.. and an odd Polo Ralph shop there. We later found more Polo Ralph shops at Tanjong Pinang and also at the ferry terminal. They are all selling Polo Ralph clothes at up to 50% off. Quite a good buy. But I suspect that they are factory overruns of old stock because some of the clothes have dust marks at the edges.

Bintan-Angsana Resort & Spa

We took the 11:05am ferry from Singapore Tanah Merah. The tickets cost us S$54.20 each for return tickets.
For the full ferry schedule and ticket pls see
http://www.brf.com.sg

Check -in!

We arrived at Angsana Bintan near Noon, that's 1pm Singapore tine....

As I was snapping away, I found out that I forgot to bring my Leica Digital Cam's charger! The battery was running low and it was only the the first 10mins of our 3day trip. How??

That's why I prefer my old Cannon DC as it can run on AA-size batteries. Forunately I have a film camera that I brought along to take underwater pics.

but running on film means that I cannot anyhow snap away. I have to ration my shots! Sop..sop....

Korea-Seoul