Today the only things planned was (1) go for a tour with Saigon Free Walking Tours; and (2) move hotel.
As our tour guide was supposed to meet us at our hotel lobby at 8am, we again woke up early to have breakfast. While getting ready, we were informed that the tour guide will be late. I wanted to try street food for breakfast so we had quick breakfast at the hotel and then took a walk around the neighboring blocks. Alas, as we had too much for breakfast (as we were worried we wouldn't be able to find anything we want to try) we could not get anything more for food.
When we returned, we met with Trieu from SFWT. He was very cordial and often took down notes when we speak. Our first stop was the Cao Dai temple at District 5. Trieu was clearly new at this. He had to check with the attendant at the temple whenever we had questions. As males and females were to take different stairs (females to the left, males to the right), I missed out on most of the explanations/discussions. It was nevertheless very helpful to have a Vietnamese explain things to us and to ask questions. As we have experienced the past 2 days, most of them can't quite understand us. When we were done with the temple, we met Long, another guide with SFWT.
After the temple, we took a cab to a flower market. Long wanted to get us chinese herbal tea but unfortunately the shop was not opened yet. In any event, as we were in the Chinatown area, we could read what were on the signs and were amused to find that the herbals drinks available were similar to what we could get back in Singapore/Malaysia.
We also went to what is known as the "Cambodian Market". It really just reminded me of wet markets in Malaysia except for the fact that one has to be mindful of motorbikes.
We stopped at a desserts stall where we had pudding-in-pumpkin. We saw something that looked like noodles which both Trieu and Long had never seen before either. According to the stall owner (a sweet lady) they were noodles made of egg. She added that to our bowl of pudding together with some sweet sauce. I do not know if she would have done so if we did not ask her about it. While eating, we asked them about an item that we were asked to buy from Vietnam. Both guides were not aware where to get the item and neither does the stall owner. Some ladies at the stall waiting to buy food got curious, took a look at the photograph we had and told us that we were looking for some specialty snack from North Vietnam. The Vietnamese can be quite friendly but I cannot say we have seen much of this friendliness elsewhere. It is very difficult when we cannot communicate and I have been soo used to being efficient that i tend to speak rather quickly and give up when I am not understood.
After the market, we went to the FITO Museum. Both guides did not want to join us as the Museum included a guide. However, we later learned that both have not been inside the Museum. We felt bad for not insisting that they visit with us.
Our last stop, before returning to our hotel, was to lunch. I had Banh Cuon while the bf had crab noodles. The bf also had a drink which Trieu said was nice but turns out to be something green! It tasted green too. I had avocado, which was incredibly thick and nice. I never had avocado that was that thick in Singapore ever. If i had to guess, I would say no water was added at all.
That was the end of the first half of the day. It was not a perfect tour. But I would give it 4 out of 5. Trieu and Long were not professional tour guides, they were merely students in university. They may not be able to answer all of your questions but they will try their best to help. They also refuse to take any money from us. We had to insist (force them) to let us treat them to lunch.
Check out their facebook page if you are interested: www.facebook.com/saigonfreewalkingtours
Monday, 11 May 2015
Tuesday, 5 May 2015
Ho Chi Minh City 2015 - Day 2
We started the day early as we booked the My Tho - Ben Tre Mekong Tour with theSinhTourist (at 299,000VND per person, before credit card charges). We had a quick breakfast at Sanouva and started walking towards De Tham street at Pham Ngu Lao. The walk took us less than 20 minutes. The Tour was to depart at 8.30am. As we were advised to reach 30mins before, we were at theSinhTourist around 8am.
TheSinhTourist was full of people waiting for their respective tours when we reached. Quite a few tours leave at 8am. At about 8.15am the place felt a lot calmer. If you (like us) booked your tour online, you have to go to the cashier counter (walk into the premises, towards the end, in the middle) to get your ticket. Thereafter, head to the check in counter (to your left when you enter). You will be given a seat number and the tour bus number. As we were there during Vietnam long weekend (Vietnam celebrated Liberation Day on 30 April 2015) there were 2 tour buses for our tour.
At about 8.30am, we were off. After leaving the city area, we reached My Tho. My Tho appears to be a rather sleepy town, with just a few guesthouses that we could see. Below is an extract of the itinerary, from theSinhTourist website (https://www.thesinhtourist.vn/tour/mk/tg-sgmt-01/my-tho-and-ben-tre):
8:30AM: Departing from TheSinhTourist office for My Tho city by air-conditioned bus. At My Tho, boarding the motorboat at a pier and cruising on the Mekong River. Here, overlooking floating houses where fishes are farmed beneath the house (viewing from the motorboat).Continuing the journey on the river until reaching Cồn Thới Sơn (Unicorn Island), from here taking a horse cart to reach a performance site where Vietnamese traditional music (Intangible Cultural Asset of Humanity accredited by UNESCO in 2013) can be heard and seasonal tropical fruit can be tasted (included).Afterward, being on a small hand-rowing boat (the main mean of transportation in My Tho & Ben Tre) and slowly cruising through a small creek with beautiful overhanging coconut trees. Lives from both sides of the creek can be observed.Before heading to lunch, passing through bee-keeping farm and enjoying honey tea, a typical Mekong house can be viewed here. Then, it is lunch time after a short walk.After lunch, boarding the motorboat and heading to learn coconut candies making process from a workshop. Sample of candies can be tasted.03:00PM: Returning back to bus and going back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Some comments:- The order of the tour as we experienced it was different from what is stated above but we were showed everything stated. - some of the horse carts were drawn by horses that looked rather thin and frail. We felt sorry for them. - We were also shown the making of rice paper but this was not stated above.- The tour guide speaks rather decent English.- We would have appreciate more commentary but it would have been rather difficult given the narrow lanes and the sheer number of tourists.- The tour was not exceptional but it gave us a glimpse of life outside the city. I intend to do a proper mekong stay at a later time.
After the tour bus dropped us back at theSinhTourist office, we walked to Co Giang to get pork ribs on vermicelli at Chi Thong. Food was alright but I have to say, we didn't think it was exceptional.
On our way back to Sanouva, I saw "Che My", a shop selling desserts and we decided to drop in. The menu was in Viet and of course we couldnt read a word. I also didn't know the name of any Vietnamese dessert. I ended up walking to the counter (where many cups of desserts were being prepared) and pointed to something I thought looked interesting. It turned out to be Che Thai. It had durian paste/puree, jackfruit strips, coconut strips and some sweet sauce. I liked it. We would have gotten another dessert if we thought we could stomach it.
I also got an eye mask that says "charging" -- i thought that was too cute to pass up.
On reaching our hotel, we dropped by the dessert stall next to it and just ordered one of the fruit bowl looking thing the stall owner was selling. There were three parts to the dish - the fruits, ice and yogurt. We saw her sprinkle sugar and splash some syrup into the bowl of fruits as well. We had the fruit bowl in bed. It was again rather nice. Perhaps the sugar was unnecessary but I do like vietnamese yogurt. I already tried some at breakfast that morning. They are more gooey and less heavy than what we usually get at the stores. Very light and easy to drink.
That is our second day. No shopping we didn't feel like being harassed and we were tired from the long day.
[photos to come ]
Monday, 4 May 2015
Ho Chi Minh City 2015 - Day 1
My first overseas trip for the year (and no plans for another one).
Our trip started early. We woke up at 4am as our flight was at 7.10am on 1 May 2015. We had breakfast at the SATS Premier Lounge @ T3. I believe this is one of the most basic lounges at Changi. Although the food was nothing special, it was nice to know that breakfast was taken care of as we took Jetstar and did not intend to get food onboard. I am happy to see that shower facilities are provided for even though we did not utilise them.
Flight was (more or less) on time. It was a full flight so they checked in our bag for free when we were at the boarding gate. Thankfully, we had no issue with lost luggages.
Reaching Tan Son Nhat International Airport, my first thought was "this reminds me of Changi!". The airport appears rather new and clean. Immigration took awhile so be patient.
After getting our bag, we walked out to see a few money changers and some stalls selling sim cards. Only one (mobifone) was open so thats what we got. I think it cost us 290,000VND (S$20) thereabouts for unlimited data.
To get a feel of the place, I have decided we should take the bus to town (we were staying near Ben Thanh market). No. 152 was the bus to take. Just walk out of the terminal and look to your right (2 o'clock). Once the bus starts running (ie. warming up), the driver doesnt wait long before he starts the journey. It was cheap too. just 5,000VND (S$0.33) per person. The difficulty with taking the bus is that you might not know where to alight. We asked the bus driver to let us know but we werent sure if he understood us. In the end we managed by checking google maps on our phone and recognising the major landmarks (Ben Thanh market, in our case).
First thing we did was to head to our hotel. We were very early (I think around 10,30am HCM time - HCM is 1 hour behind Sg) but luckily we only had to wait 20mins or so for our room to be ready. We stayed at Sanouva Hotel. The room was simple but had everything we needed - large TV, comfortable bed, toiletries, even a weighing machine. We would have been grateful for a kettle too as we had to keep buying bottles of water during our stay there.
Side bar - as we werent sure about how clean tap water was, we bought a bottle with a filter cap.
After checking in and taking a quick rest. We went out to roam the area to the west of our hotel (Pham Ngu Lao etc).
I wanted to get Banh Mi from a famous place but we were too early (11.30am) as they are open at 2.30pm onwards. In the end, we got Pho from a chain store. It must be noted that although we were at a touristy area (Pham Ngu Lao being just 2 streets away), the wait staff did not appear to understand English well. We also walked along Pham Ngu Lao - sooo many japanese food places and Bui Vien. We walked passed a market (think it was Thai Binh) along the way and got what we thought was Cendol for less than S$1. Long story short however, the "Cendol" was not sweetened and we pretty much threw it away.
We also dropped by ABC Bakery which was reviewed rather favourably online. It reminded me of local bakeries in Singapore. Just that they had a made-to-order sandwich corner and vegetable chips. Prices are similar to Singapore too. Got a large packet of vegetable chips here (80,000VND).
On our way back to the hotel, we dropped by Satra Foods for snacks and water.
After resting, we ventured out of the hotel to check out the area to the east of our hotel. I had initially wanted to check out the major landmarks but it was too close to closing time so we didn't manage to do so.
We first dropped by Ben Thanh market. We walked in from the rear (where the food markets are) and was hounded by people asking us to get food from their stall. It was overwhelming. We were glad to get out of the market.
After some walking we found ourselves around some malls. We checked out Parkson and Union Square. Both (imho) house rather high-end items. At Union Square, we had our first taste of Vietnamese Coffee in Vietnam - at Trung Nguyen. As I love eggs and bread, I also ordered a Banh Mi Op La. This is a simple dish, baguette with two (2) eggs and some soy sauce. The boy ordered a green tea with coffee jelly drink. The green tea is jasmine flavoured, which surprised us. This meal cost us less than SGD 15.
We then dropped by Fanny for ice-cream. It took us forever to find the place as Google Maps got the wrong address. The ice-cream was interesting but beware of mosquitoes.
Along the way, we went into Parkson and passed by a place and seemed like a place for locals to gather. On google maps, this area has no name and just seemed empty. When we were there, it was crowded, with performances, music and people taking photos.
After Fanny, we headed back to the hotel. We also went to the Ben Thanh night market. It was much less scary than the day market. I got loose (for sleeping) pants for 50,000VND (or RM 8) each and he got T-shirts (the I love Vietnam sort) for 50,000VND (or RM 7). The stalls here take RM.
After that we got some noodles from street carts and went back to our hotel for dinner. After the long day, and knowing we had to wake up early for our Mekong Tour the day after, we barely watched any TV before drifting to sleep.
What we noted on our first day:
- HCMC is flooded with bikes and cars
- In Ben Thanh/Pham Ngu Lao area, 90% of the traffic is bikes and taxis
- Most Vietnamese (even in high tourist traffic areas) don't really speak English
[Pictures to come later]
Our trip started early. We woke up at 4am as our flight was at 7.10am on 1 May 2015. We had breakfast at the SATS Premier Lounge @ T3. I believe this is one of the most basic lounges at Changi. Although the food was nothing special, it was nice to know that breakfast was taken care of as we took Jetstar and did not intend to get food onboard. I am happy to see that shower facilities are provided for even though we did not utilise them.
Flight was (more or less) on time. It was a full flight so they checked in our bag for free when we were at the boarding gate. Thankfully, we had no issue with lost luggages.
Reaching Tan Son Nhat International Airport, my first thought was "this reminds me of Changi!". The airport appears rather new and clean. Immigration took awhile so be patient.
After getting our bag, we walked out to see a few money changers and some stalls selling sim cards. Only one (mobifone) was open so thats what we got. I think it cost us 290,000VND (S$20) thereabouts for unlimited data.
To get a feel of the place, I have decided we should take the bus to town (we were staying near Ben Thanh market). No. 152 was the bus to take. Just walk out of the terminal and look to your right (2 o'clock). Once the bus starts running (ie. warming up), the driver doesnt wait long before he starts the journey. It was cheap too. just 5,000VND (S$0.33) per person. The difficulty with taking the bus is that you might not know where to alight. We asked the bus driver to let us know but we werent sure if he understood us. In the end we managed by checking google maps on our phone and recognising the major landmarks (Ben Thanh market, in our case).
First thing we did was to head to our hotel. We were very early (I think around 10,30am HCM time - HCM is 1 hour behind Sg) but luckily we only had to wait 20mins or so for our room to be ready. We stayed at Sanouva Hotel. The room was simple but had everything we needed - large TV, comfortable bed, toiletries, even a weighing machine. We would have been grateful for a kettle too as we had to keep buying bottles of water during our stay there.
Side bar - as we werent sure about how clean tap water was, we bought a bottle with a filter cap.
After checking in and taking a quick rest. We went out to roam the area to the west of our hotel (Pham Ngu Lao etc).
I wanted to get Banh Mi from a famous place but we were too early (11.30am) as they are open at 2.30pm onwards. In the end, we got Pho from a chain store. It must be noted that although we were at a touristy area (Pham Ngu Lao being just 2 streets away), the wait staff did not appear to understand English well. We also walked along Pham Ngu Lao - sooo many japanese food places and Bui Vien. We walked passed a market (think it was Thai Binh) along the way and got what we thought was Cendol for less than S$1. Long story short however, the "Cendol" was not sweetened and we pretty much threw it away.
We also dropped by ABC Bakery which was reviewed rather favourably online. It reminded me of local bakeries in Singapore. Just that they had a made-to-order sandwich corner and vegetable chips. Prices are similar to Singapore too. Got a large packet of vegetable chips here (80,000VND).
On our way back to the hotel, we dropped by Satra Foods for snacks and water.
After resting, we ventured out of the hotel to check out the area to the east of our hotel. I had initially wanted to check out the major landmarks but it was too close to closing time so we didn't manage to do so.
We first dropped by Ben Thanh market. We walked in from the rear (where the food markets are) and was hounded by people asking us to get food from their stall. It was overwhelming. We were glad to get out of the market.
After some walking we found ourselves around some malls. We checked out Parkson and Union Square. Both (imho) house rather high-end items. At Union Square, we had our first taste of Vietnamese Coffee in Vietnam - at Trung Nguyen. As I love eggs and bread, I also ordered a Banh Mi Op La. This is a simple dish, baguette with two (2) eggs and some soy sauce. The boy ordered a green tea with coffee jelly drink. The green tea is jasmine flavoured, which surprised us. This meal cost us less than SGD 15.
We then dropped by Fanny for ice-cream. It took us forever to find the place as Google Maps got the wrong address. The ice-cream was interesting but beware of mosquitoes.
Along the way, we went into Parkson and passed by a place and seemed like a place for locals to gather. On google maps, this area has no name and just seemed empty. When we were there, it was crowded, with performances, music and people taking photos.
After Fanny, we headed back to the hotel. We also went to the Ben Thanh night market. It was much less scary than the day market. I got loose (for sleeping) pants for 50,000VND (or RM 8) each and he got T-shirts (the I love Vietnam sort) for 50,000VND (or RM 7). The stalls here take RM.
After that we got some noodles from street carts and went back to our hotel for dinner. After the long day, and knowing we had to wake up early for our Mekong Tour the day after, we barely watched any TV before drifting to sleep.
What we noted on our first day:
- HCMC is flooded with bikes and cars
- In Ben Thanh/Pham Ngu Lao area, 90% of the traffic is bikes and taxis
- Most Vietnamese (even in high tourist traffic areas) don't really speak English
[Pictures to come later]
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
Hair Color - INOA
Just a background, I have sensitive skin (ezcema) and as an extension of that, a very sensitive scalp. I was previously diagnosed with seborrheic dermatitis and would sometimes use medicated shampoo when my scalp condition worsened. My dermatologist also once advised me to not dye my hair as it will affect my scalp. As a result, I have been sporting flat, black, long hair for a few years now. The last time I did anything other than cut my hair was in 2008.
I was bored.
A few weeks ago, I visited Picasso Hair Studio and met with Alan Chia. After some discussion (I did not want anything crazy but craved change), he suggested that I (i) dye my hair to soften my look; and (ii) perm my hair. Because of my sensitive scalp, he suggested I use their non-ammonia hair dye. I agreed. As for the perm, I made an appointment to see him again on 8 March 2015.
During the dye process, I did not get any stinging from the chemicals and I do not think dyeing my hair affected my hair or scalp much. Although the flaking is back, I cannot be sure that it is not because of the stress I have been experiencing at work so I am not attributing that to the dye job. However, I would say that I did not like the shampoo and conditioner samples I was provided with. It was the Redken Color Extend Magnetic Shampoo and the accompanying Conditioner. They had a nice scent, reminded me of pudding, but I felt that they left my hair rather oily. I was given 3 sets of the samples and still have 1.5 sets left. I have now purchased my own shampoo and conditioner and am planning to only use these when I am travelling.
As for the result of the dye job, it is a very dark brown color, such that it is not easy to discern that I dyed my hair. Some might say it is a waste of money but in my view, the color is easy to maintain and gives my hair more dimension under bright light or sunlight so I am happy. Maybe sometime in the future, when I get bored again I can do something more drastic. We shall see.
Haircut + colour + treatment after colouring cost me S$159.
I was bored.
A few weeks ago, I visited Picasso Hair Studio and met with Alan Chia. After some discussion (I did not want anything crazy but craved change), he suggested that I (i) dye my hair to soften my look; and (ii) perm my hair. Because of my sensitive scalp, he suggested I use their non-ammonia hair dye. I agreed. As for the perm, I made an appointment to see him again on 8 March 2015.
During the dye process, I did not get any stinging from the chemicals and I do not think dyeing my hair affected my hair or scalp much. Although the flaking is back, I cannot be sure that it is not because of the stress I have been experiencing at work so I am not attributing that to the dye job. However, I would say that I did not like the shampoo and conditioner samples I was provided with. It was the Redken Color Extend Magnetic Shampoo and the accompanying Conditioner. They had a nice scent, reminded me of pudding, but I felt that they left my hair rather oily. I was given 3 sets of the samples and still have 1.5 sets left. I have now purchased my own shampoo and conditioner and am planning to only use these when I am travelling.
As for the result of the dye job, it is a very dark brown color, such that it is not easy to discern that I dyed my hair. Some might say it is a waste of money but in my view, the color is easy to maintain and gives my hair more dimension under bright light or sunlight so I am happy. Maybe sometime in the future, when I get bored again I can do something more drastic. We shall see.
Haircut + colour + treatment after colouring cost me S$159.
Tuesday, 9 December 2014
Skin Condition and Current Routine (September 2014)
My skin has generally been quite clear. However, these past few years, especially after leaving home, I dealt with spots that take forever to clear.
Earlier this year, I had two weddings to help out and attend in one month and tried desperately to work on getting my skin to calm down. That is when I started doing 2 (hydrating) masks a day, at night. Now, I still do that, but much less regularly (perhaps once a week) but I still mask about 4 - 5 times a week. Here's my current routine:
AM:
1. wash with sulwahsoo (a deluxe sample size I got and started using in August)
2. apply Sulwahsoo first care serum
3. apply Nuxe hydrating serum
4. sulwahsoo cream (very very lightly and only occasionally.
If I were going to apply makeup, I doing usually skip step 4. I dislike the feeling of having too many creams/lotions on my face.
PM: This is where it gets interesting
1. waterproof eyemakeup remover (if I used waterproof makeup in the day)
2. makeup remover water
3. clay wash/mask
4. (occassionally) mask during shower
5. first care sulwahsoo
6. nuxe serum
7. sulwahsoo cream
8. (couple of times a week) mask
Step 8 varies, it could be a sleeping mask, like Laneige or Sulwahsoo or it could be a cream mask, like Avene or Nuxe or it could be a sheet mask, like My Beauty Diary (my go-to). My focus is on hydration.
I should explain step 3: this is a mixture I make myself from different types of clay and liquids. My options are:
I change it up in accordance to what I think I need. If I am extra spotty, I use tea tree oil. If my skin is calm, I use the rose water. Its troublesome but I think rather useful. It also provides some physical exfoliation, which I think my skin prefers, compared to chemical exfoliation.
As to step 4: this started when I purchased a fresh face mask from Lush (I tried the Oats and Blue berry ones). As they get messy, I apply them during my shower and wash off when I step out of the bathroom. Nowadays, until I get another fresh face mask, I do this with Dr GL's gel mask. This is a bit difficult to get off by just wiping so its easier to just wash off in the shower.
The night time routine extended my bathing routine from 15mins to 25 - 30 mins. But it is also a time for me to wind down as I will usually read a book or magazine while I let the masks dry/work their magic, so unless its really late at night or Im rushing, I dont mind.
The result of this routine is not perfect. I still get spots and have to deal with them. But my skin did calm down quite abit. Hydration is key I found.
Things will continue to change but I just want to put this down so that I have something to return to at a later time.
Earlier this year, I had two weddings to help out and attend in one month and tried desperately to work on getting my skin to calm down. That is when I started doing 2 (hydrating) masks a day, at night. Now, I still do that, but much less regularly (perhaps once a week) but I still mask about 4 - 5 times a week. Here's my current routine:
AM:
1. wash with sulwahsoo (a deluxe sample size I got and started using in August)
2. apply Sulwahsoo first care serum
3. apply Nuxe hydrating serum
4. sulwahsoo cream (very very lightly and only occasionally.
If I were going to apply makeup, I doing usually skip step 4. I dislike the feeling of having too many creams/lotions on my face.
PM: This is where it gets interesting
1. waterproof eyemakeup remover (if I used waterproof makeup in the day)
2. makeup remover water
3. clay wash/mask
4. (occassionally) mask during shower
5. first care sulwahsoo
6. nuxe serum
7. sulwahsoo cream
8. (couple of times a week) mask
Step 8 varies, it could be a sleeping mask, like Laneige or Sulwahsoo or it could be a cream mask, like Avene or Nuxe or it could be a sheet mask, like My Beauty Diary (my go-to). My focus is on hydration.
I should explain step 3: this is a mixture I make myself from different types of clay and liquids. My options are:
I change it up in accordance to what I think I need. If I am extra spotty, I use tea tree oil. If my skin is calm, I use the rose water. Its troublesome but I think rather useful. It also provides some physical exfoliation, which I think my skin prefers, compared to chemical exfoliation.
As to step 4: this started when I purchased a fresh face mask from Lush (I tried the Oats and Blue berry ones). As they get messy, I apply them during my shower and wash off when I step out of the bathroom. Nowadays, until I get another fresh face mask, I do this with Dr GL's gel mask. This is a bit difficult to get off by just wiping so its easier to just wash off in the shower.
The night time routine extended my bathing routine from 15mins to 25 - 30 mins. But it is also a time for me to wind down as I will usually read a book or magazine while I let the masks dry/work their magic, so unless its really late at night or Im rushing, I dont mind.
The result of this routine is not perfect. I still get spots and have to deal with them. But my skin did calm down quite abit. Hydration is key I found.
Things will continue to change but I just want to put this down so that I have something to return to at a later time.
Bali 2014
I went to Bali last week with a friend. Just using this space to pen my thoughts.
1. Seminyak shopping is expensive.
2. Be prepared to attract attention, guys asking you, want a car? good morning? hello~? As far as I could tell, they won't do anything but be careful.
3. Things are relatively cheaper. Simply because of the exchange rate. SGD : IDR was 1:9,350 last week.
4. The exchange rate is NOT better over there. Only less than 5 money changers were offering rates above 9.350 and from I have read online. It is risky to change at these changers.
5. Be ready for the humidity. We went during the rainy season, so it was quite bad. Sweat is good, keep repeating that.
6. Seminyak is teeming with tourists. Shops are meant for tourists.
7. Suluban Beach has surfer dudes, Fin's Beach Club has rich Indonesians and Chinese, Padawan Beach reminded me of Tanjong Aru (in Sabah, Malaysia) in that it was crowded and not pretty.
8. Seminyak beach is not worth going for the beach but perhaps the sunset will be nice (we didnt get to see it, on account of the clouds).
9. More expensive places (think Potato Head, Samara Resort where Fin's Beach Club was located) check your bags and/or car. For Fin's as we went by car, they had something like a metal detector. Probably increased security after the bombing many years back.
10. People are generally rather friendly, whether the locals or the tourists.
11. Uluwatu is pretty, but again, tourists.
All in all, it was a good experience. We stayed a little far from Seminyak town, at Jalan Bumbak. What I realised walkin around town is that there are MANY hotels/villas/resorts just an alleyway away from the center of town. I might try those if I ever go back to Seminyak.
It appears South Kuta is where the nice beaches are. I would go there just to lounge a few days, if i get the chance.
But if I do return to Bali in the near future, the plan would be to try (1) the Bali Safari Resort - google it; and (2) stay at Ubud and do some yoga, eat, pray, love people~
1. Seminyak shopping is expensive.
2. Be prepared to attract attention, guys asking you, want a car? good morning? hello~? As far as I could tell, they won't do anything but be careful.
3. Things are relatively cheaper. Simply because of the exchange rate. SGD : IDR was 1:9,350 last week.
4. The exchange rate is NOT better over there. Only less than 5 money changers were offering rates above 9.350 and from I have read online. It is risky to change at these changers.
5. Be ready for the humidity. We went during the rainy season, so it was quite bad. Sweat is good, keep repeating that.
6. Seminyak is teeming with tourists. Shops are meant for tourists.
7. Suluban Beach has surfer dudes, Fin's Beach Club has rich Indonesians and Chinese, Padawan Beach reminded me of Tanjong Aru (in Sabah, Malaysia) in that it was crowded and not pretty.
8. Seminyak beach is not worth going for the beach but perhaps the sunset will be nice (we didnt get to see it, on account of the clouds).
9. More expensive places (think Potato Head, Samara Resort where Fin's Beach Club was located) check your bags and/or car. For Fin's as we went by car, they had something like a metal detector. Probably increased security after the bombing many years back.
10. People are generally rather friendly, whether the locals or the tourists.
11. Uluwatu is pretty, but again, tourists.
All in all, it was a good experience. We stayed a little far from Seminyak town, at Jalan Bumbak. What I realised walkin around town is that there are MANY hotels/villas/resorts just an alleyway away from the center of town. I might try those if I ever go back to Seminyak.
It appears South Kuta is where the nice beaches are. I would go there just to lounge a few days, if i get the chance.
But if I do return to Bali in the near future, the plan would be to try (1) the Bali Safari Resort - google it; and (2) stay at Ubud and do some yoga, eat, pray, love people~
Monday, 10 November 2014
Everything with Fries
I first tried EwF when I was an undergraduate, that was many years ago but in the past 2 months, I've been there three times. Twice the Somerset branch and once to the Bugis branch.
I noticed that the two branches had different menus. The Bugis branch had western-fusion dishes, think asian flavour pork chops while the Somerset branch essentially sold burgers with fries.
I will be talking about my food experience at Somerset.
We tried the pork satay burger and the slider. Handsdown, I prefer the pork satay burger. The meat used were tender (albeit slightly fatty but really, if its not fatty it might get too dry) and the dish very appetizing. There was even a slice of canned pineapple. I would totally get this if we head back.
I had the slider, the dish was rather one-dimensional. Just salty, nothing much else. Too boring.
Can't say much about the fries other than they are really nothing special. The seasoning doesnt taste great either. But if you, like us, just simply enjoy fries, these will be enough.
Dessert wise, their mille crepe is really odd. Thick layers, more batter-y than crepe. Their banana cake with ice cream and butterscotch sauce fared better. We had this twice already, at both Bugis and Somerset. The ice-cream is store-bought and depending on your luck, you may or may not get icicles in it.
I noticed that the two branches had different menus. The Bugis branch had western-fusion dishes, think asian flavour pork chops while the Somerset branch essentially sold burgers with fries.
I will be talking about my food experience at Somerset.
We tried the pork satay burger and the slider. Handsdown, I prefer the pork satay burger. The meat used were tender (albeit slightly fatty but really, if its not fatty it might get too dry) and the dish very appetizing. There was even a slice of canned pineapple. I would totally get this if we head back.
I had the slider, the dish was rather one-dimensional. Just salty, nothing much else. Too boring.
Can't say much about the fries other than they are really nothing special. The seasoning doesnt taste great either. But if you, like us, just simply enjoy fries, these will be enough.
Dessert wise, their mille crepe is really odd. Thick layers, more batter-y than crepe. Their banana cake with ice cream and butterscotch sauce fared better. We had this twice already, at both Bugis and Somerset. The ice-cream is store-bought and depending on your luck, you may or may not get icicles in it.
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