Sydney 22 Jan – 28 Jan 09 **Days 1 & 2

Family vacation in Sydney to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Total of 19 family members who travelled together for this great holiday in Australia. We did not book the all inclusive vacation package but opted for a free and easy holiday as we felt that a package would be too tiring for the elderly in our group. Attached will be pictures of Sydney Australia.

Day 1

Supposed to leave Singapore on 22nd Jan, Thursday, at 2040hrs on SQ221. However flight on the A380, yes, the latest plane, was delayed and we finally left an hour later. It was quite turbulent at the beginning and space was pretty crammed in the economy section. The upper deck seemed more quiet and cozy. Touched down in Sydney airport at 0825 hrs, approximately 7 ½ hours later. Sydney is three hours ahead of Singapore.

Spiral steps to upper deck of A380

The upper deck ...........

Day 2

There was a long queue to go through immigration. And then another queue to go through the Australian customs. As Australia is an island, they are very strict about what you bring into the country. Any medicine, plants, animals, etc that you bring in, you need to declare. Their slogan:- Declare, or beware! If you are not sure what you are carrying is permissible to be brought into Australia or not, just declare it and you will be advised accordingly. Understand that certain Chinese medications are also not allowed into Australia. By the time we got through all the formalities, it was almost 1000 hrs.

Walking towards the coach

All luggages in the coach?

There was a coach to take us to Star City Hotel, our accommodation for the week. We were warmly greeted by one of the guest relations officer who went through with our group leader on the various formalities as well familiarized us with the facilities of the whole building. As it was still early, there was only one room ready for our group at that point of time. The rooms were nice and spacious and even had a couch where you could recline on.

Star City is the place where adults gather to play as well. Here in the complex, you will find New South Wale’s only casino with a multitude of gaming rooms and betting tables. The complex also houses eight bars, seven restaurants, two theatres, a nightclub and the five-star Star City Hotel as well as serviced apartments.

Here are pictures of Sydney Australia.

Star City complex ....

Star City swimming pool

One of Star City's limousines ....

Views from Star City - spot the Sydney Tower

Spot the Harbour Bridge

...Another view from the room

Had Chinese lunch at the Chinese noodle restaurant in Star City. Prices for noodles and rice ranged from AUD11 – 18 (AUD1 = SGD1). The portions were huge. If you are not a BIG eater, suggest you share with someone and then order another portion if necessary.

Chinese New Year decoration in Star City driveway

Afternoon was free and easy. We took the light rail from the Star City station which was at the lower ground of the building to Paddy’s Market which is where Chinatown is as well. Return journey costs AUD5.70 per adult. There are concession rates for kids below 16 and senior citizens.




Sitting in the light rail...






Visited Paddy’s Market at Haymarket which is just like a flea market. Lots of bargain items if you are looking for something not too expensive and if you are not brand conscious. Savvy shoppers have been flocking to this Chinatown institution for decades to pick up weekly provisions and join the crowd, browsing hundreds of stalls selling everything from fresh food to fashion and souvenirs. This is located at the corner of Hay and Thomas Streets, Haymarket and is open from Thursdays through Sundays. 9am – 5pm.

Paddy's Market


Above Paddy’s Market is Market City. Here you can find the Thai Kee IGA Supermarket on Level 1 and factory outlet stores with discounts of up to seventy per cent on Level 2. Esprit, Polo Ralph Lauren, Nautica, Giordano, Cotton On Kids and many others can be found there. There is urban and street fashion and the added bonus of a Chinese food court on the top level.



Market City...

Sydney’s Paddy’s Markets have been a Sydney landmark, since th eir inception in the 1830s. Locals and tourists in search of a unique shopping experience, a bargain and some fun still flock to these markets.

Crossed over to Chinatown and saw many restaurants including Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese in the area. You will not go hungry for sure as you will be able to find an eclectic mix of mouth watering cuisine here, together with groovy Asian boutiques and food stores. There were a number of bakeries around the area as well. Fortunately for us, the weather was not burning hot today.

Chinatown

As we were not able to book a Chinese restaurant for our traditional reunion dinner on Sunday, Chinese New Year eve, we decided to have it at Lotus Pond Restaurant in Star City that very evening itself. We ordered the set dinner. Food was not too bad. The Peking Duck was done slightly differently and the duck meat was very tender. It seems that the duck here is one of its more popular dishes.

Lotus Pond Restaurant in S tar City

Took a walk from Star City to Darling Harbour after dinner. By now, the weather was nice and windy and not hot, making it a lovely stroll by the piers and wharfs. Saw the warship and the Maritime Museum. Walked around Darling Harbour and we were fortunate enough to see some street busking fire eater. That made for an entertaining evening.

Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur 25 Dec - 28 Dec 08 Part 2

The huge & spacious room in Holiday Villa Subang Jaya

Continuing on our Christmas vacation to Kuala Lumpur, we checked into Holiday Villa Subang Jaya. The standard rooms are huge and spacious and a range of recreational facilities for fun and leisure are offered including:-
* fully equipped gym
* steam bath
* games room
* music room
* squash/badminton & tennis courts
* olympic-sized swimming pool
* children's pool
* learner's pool
* wading pool
* outdoor jacuzzi
* 'Pins and Balls' 10-lane bowling alley
* Snooker Room
* Oxford Room Library
* Business Centre
* Florist
* Hair Saloon

Olympic sized swimming pool

A variety of food and beverage outlets are available to suit your taste buds, ranging from Italian to Japanese to Thai and Chinese. If you are in a dancing mood, head on down to La Vida Lounge where the in-house live bands perform nightly. Better still, if you prefer to sing your heart out, then Lifestyles Karaoke is the place to go.

Being a Buffet Club Card member in Singapore, we are entitled to 3 days 2 nights free accommodation in certain hotels, Holiday Villa being one of them. Hotel guests are given free parking.

Made our way to 1 Utama Shopping Centre. It is huge! Anchor tenants Jusco and Parksons are familiar names. However, there are many unfamiliar names like John King's since 1965, Dave's Deli, Caffe 1920, Korean Satay and Yippee Cup as well. Action City, a concept shop is also there. Attractive and uniquely designed jellies can be ordered from Q Jelly Bakery located on the lower ground. They also have a website www.qjelly.com if you are looking to order some specially designed jellies for any special occassion.

1 Utama's Christmas decoration

For dinner, our friends brought us to Tak Fook Seafood Restaurant in Kepong area. It was packed. You not only have to queue for your seats, but due to the fantastic business, we were only allowed to order 1.5kg of crab for the 6 of us. As we were all hungry, we decided that 1.5kg was not enough for all of us and thus walked over to Dim Sum VG across the road. Although this is not a seafood restaurant, it serves fresh seafood. We had fish head curry, steamed prawns, bittergourd, crab and mantis prawn and deep fried cuttlefish. Bill came up to RM110, a price you can't get in Singapore.

Dinner at Resoran Dim Sum VG

Visited Sunway Pyramid where you can see the sphinx at the entrance. Sunway Lagoon and 2 hotels are nearby. A mega shopping centre where you can find lots of interesting shops if you bother to walk around. Lots of upscale outlets and exceptional leisure facilities. For entertainment, you can go to any of the 10 cinemas or 48-lane bowling alley. The Archery is where you can test our skills with the bow and arrow and the ice skating rink, your balance. Tried Sushi King for lunch where you get sushi on the conveyor belt. Price range from RM2 - RM6 depending on the colour of the plates you choose. Pretty reasonable prices!

Sunway Pyramid's Christmas decoration Sushi King where we had lunch

Archery & Ice Skating

After shopping, your aching feet and tired body could use some pampering at Reborn Healthcare at the basement. Here you can destress and pamper yourself as well as reap long-term rewards for your health. Foot reflexology is able to help you:-
* relieve stress and reduce tiredness
* relax muscles and stimulate nerve connections
* improve blood circulation and oxygenation
* improve lymhatic flow and drainage
* strengthen body and improve immune system
* revitalise and increase energy

At the same time, if you would like to experience the oldest form of authentic therapeutic massage, you can try the Tui Na which applies the principles of acupressure to bring the body back into balance in order to heal it. Tui Na Therapeutic massage is a natural and non-invasive therapy and is effective in treating or complementing many medical conditions.

If you are a frequent traveller to Malaysia, be it for vacation or business, you might want to consider getting a J-card from Jusco department store. This card is similar to our credit cards where you can enjoy privileged shopping at over 500 shopping partners around Malaysia including food and beverage, specialty shops, fashion, services, hotels and resorts. Most of the shopping partners offer you some sort of discount or other making it a very worthwhile RM12 that you pay for a whole year. At the same time, when you shop at Jusco, you are able to collect points which can be redeemed for gifts or exchanged for rebate gift vouchers. There are also specially priced supermarket items just for J-Card members. Applications for the J-Card are open to all residents of Malaysia and Singapore aged 18 years and above. A great bargain!

Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur 25 Dec - 28 Dec 08 Part 1

Started off our Christmas vacation by taking an early morning drive up to Ipoh. We left at 6am to avoid the jam at the Tuas checkpoint. The queue was already snaking way back wehn we arrived at approximately 6.30am. Fortunately due to good control of the situation by the relavant authorities, we cleared Singapore immigration in just 40 minutes. Going through the immigration in Johor Bahru took another half an hour which is pretty good timing overall.

Along the North South highway, we did not take any meals but we did make a few comfort stops. Route was pretty mch straight andt raffic smooth till just before Bidor where traffic came to almost a standstill due to a car breakdown.

After passing the toll booth where we paid RM70 (SGD1 = RM2.38), there were some road works along the highway. We misssed the first turning into Ipoh. Took the second exit into Ipoh and went to Greentown Mall. Had a late lunch in the food court in the basement. Pretty reasonable prices. Had rice and dishes which was quite tasty especially considering that it cost only RM5. You could get a meal for as low as RM3. However, the food was mostly Malay food and if you are adventurous enough, you can get some pretty good deals.

An aquarium in Greentown Mall with a uniquely designed coffee table

Managed to get a pair of ladies sandals for RM10. Members' price was only RM8.90. It was enjoyable in the mall as we saw a store which sold lots of ribbons and laces. They had lots of pretty and attractive wedding favours. Good for couples intending to tie the knot soon to see what is in the market.

Another unique item that we saw is their specially designed biscuits and jellies. Great handiwrok. Biscuits were moulded and coloured to look like mangosteens, strawberries and corn. There were little hats with pretty coloured flowers on, little baskets of flowers, bird's nest with eggs in, bananas, etc... Some were plain biscuits, some had pineapple jam filling and some peanut filling. Even the baskets that the fruits were place in is edible. The jellies were also as colourful and comes in various shapes as well.

The various biscuits shaped into fruits, baskets, flowers and even bird's nest

Fish shaped Kuih Baulu

Various stalls selling handphones and compters could be found besides the Nagoya Textile, a huge textile centre as well as UO Superstore. There is also a shop selling 3D works of art.

3 D art work

Regalodge Hotel, located in the heart of Ipoh City, was where we spent the night. For just RM116 nett, we were given a standard room which comes with complimentary breakfast, complimentary spa facilities voucher for men, 20% discount voucher for foot reflexology, free parking for hotel guests and free broadband access if you want to catch up on some work. If you opt for the standard room without breakfast, it costs just RM106. Along the road, there are a few coffee shops and cafes where you can get some local food like roti canai.

Lobby in Regalodge Hotel

When in Ipoh, the famous Ipoh Hor Fun with Chicken Taugeh is a must-try. A meal for 3 pax including fish and meatball soup and sugar cane drinks cost us RM31. Low Wong Taugeh Ayam Keutiau is the oldest shop in town. However Restoran Ong Kee Taugeh Ayam with two shops, one diagonally opposite and the other just beside Low Wong, is said to be slightly better although it is a hard fight.

Chicken (bottom left) and taugeh or beansprouts (bottom right) at Restoran Ong Kee (top)



After your Ipoh Hor Fun dinner, you can take a walk at the 'night market' nearby and find various items and trinkets at bargain prices.

The night market

Ipoh is famous for its pomeloes as well. We managed to buy some at Lam Fong Biscuit which is near Low Wong. There are two types of pomeloes:- the white flesh which is sweet and the pink flesh which is sweet-sour. A small pomelo sold for RM10 and a slightly bigger one for RM12. Here you can also get some kaya puffs, triangular shaped pastries filled with kaya (egg and coconut jam) for RM1.20 each. However, I did not fancy this as the pastry was soft. Something cute that you can get as gifts especially for kids are the little animal-shaped pastries (similar to baked moon cake pastry) filled with either red bean paste or lotus paste.

Animal shaped pastries

The Ipoh Old Town Coffee is also said to be very good. A pack costs RM13.50. The Ceylon Tea by Denfys is a favourite of my mother-in-law and we were instructed to specifically to go to Guan Heong Biscuit shop at 160 Jalan Sultan Iskandar to get them. Here we were introduced to Chek Hup White Coffee which is supposedly as good as the Old Town Coffee but cheaper due to no advertisements and it being not so popular yet. At Guan Heong, you can also get freshly made pineapple rolls @ RM16 per bottle and prawn rolls @ RM15 per bottle. This shop has been in business for 100 years already and is now run by the third generation, the oldest biscuit shop in Ipoh.

Tried the Reflexology in Regalodge. All the therapists are from China. A one-hour session also includes soaking and washing your feet in warm water, foot reflexology as well as some face and shoulder massage. Also tried the 45 minute acupressure massage which was a good and relaxing experience. Each session cost RM57.50 and you get 20% discount if you produce the hotel voucher. You can even get a free lunch in the hotel cafe with free flow of drinks if you are there between 11am to 2.30pm. For lunch, choose from a few choices including Nasi Goreng Kampung and Ipoh Kwayteow Taugeh Chicken, all cooked Malay style.

Acupressure massage in Reflexology in Regalodge

If you have kids with you on your holiday, a visit to Sunway City The Lost World of Tambun is a must. There are many rides of attraction for the young and not so young. An up and coming attraction is the Kinta RiverFront where they are currently buildig various bridges of reknown over the river.

Shopping in Ipoh can be done at Ipoh Parade where Parksons and Cold Storage are the anchor tenants. There is also Tesco and Jusco where you can shop to your hearts' content.

According to my Ipoh friend, Ipoh is known for its caves. On the way to the North South highway, we passed Kek Lok Tong Caves. As we missed the turning, we did not get to visit it.