Bangkok: My thoughts on my recent travel there

So happy to finally leave on a jet plane and travel! I was in Bangkok recently and I honestly wished I could just stay there permanently! Most of the people we met there are so humble and friendly! Not forgetting the many yummy, delicious street food! 

Anyway, I am posting my thoughts on our hotel stay this time as I think most of you do know Bangkok or you can actually Google lots of info. We have taken loads of photos too and I have uploaded some to my Instagram so you can view it there at:

Susan Lee (@sholeesphere) • Instagram photos and videos

This time around, we have stayed in 2 hotels, The Key Bangkok and Palazzo Hotel. I wanted to highlight my experience here as it's such an eye-opening one that hubby and I decided we should just stick to boutique hotels in the future as opposed to staying in prominent ones.

A summary of both hotels:

• The Key Bangkok is located at Sukhumvit soi 19, a 3-star hotel with 7.9 rating in Agoda. Nearest train station is Asok BTS and Sukhumvit MRT stations and in the heart of all the buzz.
• Palazzo Hotel is located at Ratchadapisek Road, a 3.5-star hotel with 7.6 rating in Agoda. Nearest train station is Huai Kwang MRT station, and the nearest mall is The Street Mall which is a good 10 mins walk away.

The Key Bangkok was our first stay for 2 nights in Sukhumvit, 5 mins walk from Terminal 21 shopping mall. A quaint boutique hotel, we arrived 2 hours early from the usual 2pm check-in time. We were hoping for an early check-in since we were a little tired from having to wake up at 3am that morning to catch our flight to Bangkok. As expected, the front desk politely explained that they were fully booked and asked us to sit at the lounge to wait or to go to the mall for a walk. When we decided to sit and wait, the bellboy quickly offered us ''welcome drinks'' whilst we wait. Such class service from a small boutique hotel! Surprisingly, they were able to check us in an hour early! Unfortunately, we found out that the water was not flowing smoothly after shower, so we quickly informed the front desk and after some discussions, we topped up a little for a different type of room on higher floor. 

Overall, it was such a comfortable stay that I would rate them 4/5. What I liked:

• The staffs are very attentive. When we sat at the lounge outside, they would switch on the fan for us. Very friendly too with great hospitality! Even the bellboy would always smile and opened the door for us.
• Definitely very convenient location with shopping mall and train stations within 5 mins walk!
• Ample street food to satisfy our palates!
• Hotel WiFi was good.
• They have bathtub and good hot shower with nice toiletries.
• There's umbrella in the cupboard too!

What I didn't like:

• The pillows and bed were a tad soft for us.

When we came to Bangkok pre-Covid days, we always stay at Palazzo Hotel and there were lots of stuff going on there. Post-covid, we have been staying around Sukhumvit area so we thought of staying at Palazzo for 3 nights this time just to reminisce and check out Huai Kwang to which we eventually regretted. After checking out of The Key Bangkok, we took the MRT from Sukhumvit to Huai Kwang station. We reached the hotel nearly 2 hours early. After walking under the scorching sun for 10 mins, we were hoping for an early check-in which we had experienced before the last time plus we did indicate it during our booking.

Unfortunately, the front desk declined us with an abrupt response ''cannot''. "This cannot, that cannot, everything cannot... check-in time is 2pm... why don't you go out and have lunch first? You can leave your luggage with the bellboy." I was just too pissed for words! We thought of sitting at the lounge for a bit as we were so hot! 

Unfortunately, all the sofas were occupied by locals. Us tourists eventually had to sit on a hard, uncomfortable, long table / stool without any welcome drink, mind you. You can say I'm entitled or ''Karen'' but if you were in my shoes then, you would know how I felt. After cooling down somewhat, we left our luggages with the bellboy and headed out for lunch which was another 15 mins walk under the hot sun. Please bear in mind the temperature here is above 37*C ya... 

After we came back from lunch around 1.30ish, we waited near the front desk and the same staffs just looked and continued being ''busy''. By 1.45pm, I have lost my cool and went up to them. I asked if we were supposed to continue waiting until 2pm sharp or we can check-in now. Then only they decided we can check in!!! I saw the pre-prepared file being pulled out, and if my eyes were correct, the key card was pulled out from the file too!!! WTF!!! They could have just called us to check-in when we returned instead of me asking!!! No initiative at all!!! I was speechless and proceeded with the check-in process whilst fuming inside. We decided instantly we will NEVER EVER go back to this hotel! This used to be one of our favorite hotels but now, definitely the last...

TBH, I do not know what is wrong with their process! Just because we booked via Agoda with cheaper rates so we can be treated differently? Or because we are Asians and not Matt Salleh??? I cannot fathom what was going on in their mind or is this hotel so atas (high class = snobbish) and supposed to serve businessmen only??? Honestly, such bad impression given by the front desk!

Overall, it's 2/5 from me. Why 2 and not 1?

• The bed and pillows were comfy.
• The room maintenance was good and clean although dated.
• There's a post office at The Street Mall! I liked the simple, quiet mall here filled with locals shopping and not many tourists. Good cheap bargains too!

Aside from the bad front desk experience, here's what I didn't like:

• The old Panasonic hairdryer was blowing cold air... we just couldn't be bothered to complaint to the front desk and risks getting high blood pressure.
• Nothing much around the vicinity. Even the Huai Kwang night market has reduced with nothing much to see.
• Quite a distance from the places we wanted to go to and had to switch trains hence our travelling budget increased (from MRT to BTS or vice versa).
• Nearly forgot that we always have to open the door ourselves at the main entrance and the bellboys are always sullen looking except for 1 older chap who's very friendly. Honestly, I have never felt so ''unwelcome'' in a hotel before!

So much drama, right?!!! I'm just surprised with the level of courtesy and initiative between these 2 hotels. Moving forward, we are definitely staying at Sukhumvit area and boutique hotels, no more fancy schmancy atas ones for us. It is pointless when we have to pay more and yet they add a sour note to our rest-and-relax memorable holidays. 

Penang - Hatyai: my take on our recent road-trip

Recently, we went on a road-trip to Hatyai again, our second one and this time, hubs planned for a stopover at Penang. This way, it isn't as tiring driving as we get to rest before continuing the journey the next day.

I haven't been to Penang in a long time, so I was looking forward to all the sumptuous meals Penang has to offer. As we were there for a night only, we chose to stay at Sunway Hotel as there are many food stalls nearby. Needless to say, we don't have to walk or travel far, just a stone's throw away. I was glad to see the many local delicacy and had the chance to try each of them! There were even long queues at some of the stalls! I'm not the kind who would queue for food, so I didn't try those lah. The ones I've tried were as good and definitely no regrets with a tummy full of goodness! 

Here's my take on our stopover in Penang:

1. Food prices in Penang are comparable to Kuala Lumpur, some were even more expensive!
2. Taste wise, it is as good both ways with the exception of the authentic local delicacy.
3. Traffic is as bad and driving in Penang is definitely confusing with the many one-way streets and ''fancy driving'' of the locals.
4. The local council is very efficient as we had just parked and we were trying to figure out the app to pay the parking zone but by the time we found it, there was a compound on the car!!! All within 5 minutes!!! Our mistake was to walk away looking for network, it was that bad ya. So please have someone to stay with the car to avoid such unnecessary compounds!!!
5. Sunway Hotel was still the same as it was years ago except that it looks more rundown on the outside. Thankfully, though dated, our room seems to have been refurbished with nice toiletries. Service is still as good with ample parking space. The only thing we didn't know was the way the aircon works. Apparently as it is very old, we were supposed to tune it lower like 18'C so that it will be cooling. We didn't know and maintained it at 22'C so halfway through our sleep, we were drenching in sweat! We only got to know when we were checking out. Our bad lah for not checking with front desk and continued sleeping LOL! Anyway, Sunway Hotel should be more proactive and stick a note about it near the aircon instead of having us to call the front desk lah.

We were blessed with good weather throughout our road-trip! It was heavenly in Hatyai, from visiting the temple and the mall to scouring for good food and souvenirs, I was so sad when we had to return to Kuala Lumpur, return to reality. Unfortunately, it rained throughout our journey back home so we couldn't stopover in Ipoh for dinner. I can't wait for our next trip there, honestly! I've heard of many places to visit in Songkhla so a different itinerary maybe the next round.

Here's my take of our road-trip to Hatyai:

1. Buri Sriphu Hotel was still the same from the last we came but with more outdoors, we failed to enjoy our bathtub. We should have taken the Oriental suite which is cheaper and without bathtub.
2. This time around, we stick around the places we know best, and we shopped more so we were thankful of the many tuktuks, making it very convenient for us to travel to/from our hotel. Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous drivers of late where they tried to charge more than THB100 per trip. This is actually against their law, and they can be charged/fined. So be aware and always asked for the price upfront to be safe.
3. We even visited Homepro just to see their well displayed products! They were unbelievably in sync with everything in the right places and easy to search. Also properly aligned and displayed that it looks inviting LOL! Unlike in Malaysia where all the products are, typically, scattered everywhere Malaysian style. Hubs says Thais are OCD like that, LOL!!!

Anyway, I have updated quite a fair bit of photos on my Instagram so you can check it out there. My IG handle is Susan Lee (@sholeesphere) • Instagram photos and videos 

This trip, we've been to Big Buddha Temple, Kim Yong Market, Lee Garden, Central Festival Mall and Asian Night Bazaar. If you are a frequent traveler to Hatyai, do recommend where I should visit next, so that I can add them to my itinerary for my next visit there :-)

Bangkok: my thought on my recent travel there

As I have been to Bangkok a few times with some written posts in the past, I shall not dwell on as usual. Hence this post are my thoughts on my recent trip post pandemic. If you are interested on the places that I've visited, you can check out my posts on TikTok or Instagram here:
Sholee’s🌷Chill🌈Pill📚 (@sholee68) | TikTok
Susan Lee (@sholeesphere) • Instagram photos and videos

So, here's a brief of what I have liked from that trip:

1. I am so glad I get to save on transportation especially now that they have the SRT  Red Line train from Don Mueang Airport to BangSue Grand Station. From there, we boarded the MRT to Sukhumvit station and then walked about 10 mins to our hotel. Traffic free, less stress and cheaper compared to taking the taxi or limo. It's the same, vice versa, when we head back to the airport to go home.

2. We enjoyed staying around Terminal 21 Mall as 2 train lines run through the station there, MRT and BTS. Wherever we visited, we just had to make sure we know our routes first before heading out. As we are used to taking the train back in KL, it works similarly in BKK and we just need to know our stops. Even if we don't have many coins, we can buy our tickets from the counter. It is very convenient and hassle free.

3. Thankfully, we don't see many cannabis clinics here compared to Phuket. So, it was a drug-free experience wherever we go as we walked a lot! At least 10k steps per day!

4. The economy here seemed to have tripled! Every nook and cranny are filled with retail. The Thais really do know how to optimize their space and monetize it wisely. Totally the opposite in KL where there are still so many abandoned buildings and vacant malls. They even monetize the Chao Phraya River unlike the Klang River here.

What I wished was better:

1. Food. Overall, the street food we had pre-pandemic was way better than post-pandemic. Not many street food available that appealed to us. Somehow it seemed overrated now. Not sure if Covid got our tongue or our palate has changed since, but the food is of average variety and taste IMO.

2. Chatuchak Market. We used to scour the insides of the market looking for good bargains. This time around, we got cold shoulders instead. It sure felt like they only entertain the locals who would buy in bundles, more for wholesaling and not retail. We have to look around the outside for retail. So lesser variety and less bargain hunting.

3. MBK. It sure has a different vibe compared to pre-pandemic. It totally reminded me of a mall in KL i.e. Sg Wang Plaza. Our usual stalls selling good quality and affordable clothes were missing too. They used to have good food at the food court but now, it's incomparable. So, in the end, we left the mall empty handed with unhappy tummy.

Anyway, a quick recap of our hotel. This time we stayed at The Fusion Suites Hotel.

What I've liked:

i) A huge bathtub

ii) A superb hot shower

iii) A large comfy bed with firm pillows

iv) Efficient room service

v) Well-kept and clean even though dated

vi) Even the one and only elevator is efficient 

What I wished was better:

i) More lightings! The hotel itself is quite dark. I find that it has insufficient lighting in the room too especially during the night.

ii) More street food! We didn't have breakfast bundle thinking there will be street food outside BUT sadly, no.

iii) More English channels! There's nothing much to watch on the tele with mostly Thai speaking channels only. Tried to YouTube but I think WiFi wasn't as strong, so it always gets disconnected.

Other than that, overall, it was an awesome trip and we've discovered more places we haven't been to or covered. So, my list has since expanded exponentially and hoping for another few more trips to Bangkok soon! Sawadee kap!!!

Phuket: my thought on my recent travel there

I have been to Phuket numerous times and blogged about it so this round, I would not blog much but highlight the difference traveling to Phuket then and now. If you are interested to know what I did or where I've been, you can check out my Instagram as I've finished posting all the photos and videos there:

Susan Lee (@sholeesphere) • Instagram photos and videos

We were there for 5 days in late April, and I immediately felt the difference once we have landed in Phuket. Somehow the air was denser maybe due to the heatwave or my brain was playing tricks on my mind. I was glad that our flight was on time, and everything went by smoothly. Even our van ride to the hotel was smooth and luckily it wasn't as crowded. Maybe the peak period has passed as we went after Songkran.

Anyway, here is a summary of what I thought, the good and the bad, of my recent holiday in Phuket: -

1. I am happy that I managed to tick my bucket list! We have somehow missed out Big Buddha Temple from our previous visits so this time we made it happened! We just hired a tuktuk near the beach for THB1200. It's a 2-way trip, to and from the temple. The driver waited until we have finished our tour and sent us back to where he picked us up. As the weather was sunny, it was an amazing ride!

2. The hotel we stayed in, Ramaburin Resort in Patong, was near the beach, about 5 mins walk. So, taking the bus was convenient. The bus ride from the beach to Phuket Town was about an hour drive and it's cheap! At THB40 per pax for each time we take, we can either go to Phuket Town or stop at Central World Mall, the only huge mall in Phuket.

3. As we are familiar with the area, we walked everywhere! To the malls, to the beach, to Bangla Road, even to the post office which was so convenient! Even though it was far, about 20 mins walk to the malls, there were many to sightsee and distract us. I loved walking on the beach at night where the sand was cooling to my feet with windy sea breeze and serene clear night.

4. With the current heatwave, it was just too hot, so we made sure to use lots of sunscreens and sunblock's since we walked a lot. Also drinking lots of water helped but we tend to go to the mall more often for the aircon. Unfortunately, Jungceylon was under renovation, so half the mall was closed with nothing much to see. The Central Mall opposite has fully opened and food court downstairs was a good alternative since it has aircon though the food was more touristry level and not as localized.

5. There are lots of cannabis clinics sprouting at every corner, as many as 7-11. It made me feel insecure, uncomfortable and I didn't like the after taste from the smoke whenever I passed by someone smoking pot. As such, Phuket has slowly descended down my list of go to beaches. 

6. It is sad that we have encountered some rude tourists especially at the temple. For instance, we were praying in front of the statue of a Buddha and these ignorant tourists just walked over the barrier to take some photos, right in front of us while we pray! Also, while we were queuing for the blessing rope ritual by the resident monk, this idiot whom I presumed is not a Buddhist, just jumped the queue and sat in front of us! I was like what the heck! Behaving worse than a monkey at a holy place, nonetheless. If you can't behave properly in a holy place or country, please do not bother visiting. I totally understood how the Balinese felt!!! Thankfully, most of the tourists we met there were friendly and kind aside from those few black sheep.

7. Thailand is well known for delicious street food, good Thai massage and latest manicure/pedicure experience. These are what we look forward to whenever we travel, especially since we have good experience pre-pandemic. 

- Unfortunately, Covid has totally affected the Thai's indirectly as out of the many foods we had, only a handful was good. We couldn't even find the regular few we had the last time. Either they have shifted or retired or ???

- Massage was better at an alley we discovered as opposed to the popular one in the mall. Hubs had body pain after one at Central World Mall and even though he told the masseuse to soften, the said masseuse still continue with brute force ignoring the pain my hubby endured!!!

- I had a bad experience with nail care at a shop along the street opposite Jungceylon which was cheap. Though I found my favourite mauve colour, my manicure was short-lived as it started peeling the next day. My pedicure was not as clean as there was some ingrown not cleared and it hurts when I walk. In the end, I had to redo my manicure at another shop and the kind manicurist even cleared my ingrown toe for free.

8. Wherever we went in Phuket Town, it totally reminded me of Melaka, a historical state in Malaysia. The way it was furbished and with the many souvenirs on sale, it was just like on Jonker Walk, Melaka. Unlike the last time which was more authentic Thai with many interesting shops to sightsee. 

9. Last but not least, whoever says that Covid has affected the economy badly for most countries, but I think not for Phuket. Bangla Street was so hyped up at night that it was more busy, more exciting and more robust as compared to pre-pandemic time. Also with the booming cannabis clinics, more than tattoo parlours mind you, I think the businesses along here are faring better now. I did notice the costs, be it food or stuff, has increased tremendously. We definitely spent more as compared to pre-pandemic days.

Oh well, that's my take on my recent trip to Phuket. This are my own opinion and what I have experienced during my 5 days stay. I hope you have a better experience than I have. Thank you for reading my blog.

Hatyai: a post pandemic roadtrip

Not sure how I had missed this out! I guess after posting it all on my Instagram, my mind conveniently forgets that I haven't blog about it. Anyway, this happened to be our first road trip, after the C19 pandemic, in December 2022. We wanted to go to Thailand, but the flight tickets were expensive. Since I haven't been to Hatyai and he has been there a few times by car, hub's suggested that we drive up north. It sure was an adventurous trip and I totally enjoyed it! It may be far, but it was worth the trip lah for me. I have compiled some photos here so if you want to view the rest, can head to my Instagram @sholeesphere:

Breakfast stop at Tapah foodcourt.

Last stop for insurance and permit at Bukit Kayu Hitam.

Getting my gel manicure and pedicure at Central Festival Mall.

Affordable seafood buffet at Hatyai Seafood Buffet.

Visiting Siam Temples is a must!

I just love the adorable handmade clay products by Jackie at Lee Garden!

Last but not least, it was a coincidence to bump into this lady who I have not seen since my early Maxis days! We have been following each other on soc-meds and have not met up since but what are the odds that we should meet during one of our travels! Life is truly unexpected, and I am glad to have bumped into her. I do hope we could catch-up locally one day!

Bali: GWK Cultural Park and Ubud Art Market

2 other notable places to visit in Bali are Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Park and Ubud Art Market. We are glad to have ticked our bucket list as, though it was crowded, it was definitely worth a visit. More deets below, taken from the internet.

Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park (Indonesian: Taman Budaya Garuda Wisnu Kencana), or GWK, is a tourist destination and attraction located at Ungasan, Badung on the island of Bali, Indonesia, about 10–15 minutes drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport. It is devoted to the Hindu god Vishnu, and his mount, Garuda, the mythical bird who became his companion.

For more info, you can click on the link below:

Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park - GWK Cultural Park Bali (gwkbali.com)

The Ubud Art Market, locally referred to as ‘Pasar Seni Ubud’ is located opposite the Puri Saren Royal Ubud Palace and is open daily. Here you can find beautiful silk scarves, lightweight shirts, handmade woven bags, baskets or hats; statues, kites, and many other hand-crafted goods.

For more info, you can click on the link below:

Ubud Art Market - UBUDCENTER.com

Bali: 3 temples we have managed to visit

We have managed to visit 3 awesome temples in Bali this round! I'm sharing them here in sum form so if you want more photos, can check out my Instagram posts @sholeesphere.

1. Uluwatu Temple
A Balinese Hindu temple located at South Kuta, Badung, apparently, there are monkeys here! Thankfully, we did not meet any during our visit there so we could sightsee in peace! I've enjoyed the warm sea breeze from the top and loved the beautiful, picturesque view!

The temple is regarded as one of the sad kahyangan and is dedicated to Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa in his manifestation as Rudra.

2. Pura Tirta Empul

Pura Tirta Empul  means Holy Spring in Balinese. This water temple is located at Gianyar and it is a bathing temple where many came over to be purified and blessed. This temple was crowded with locals and tourists alike when we arrived, so we did a quick look around, feed the koi's and then leave LOL! 

Point to note: there are many hardcore sellers who will FORCE to PUSH their fruits at you so that they could rip you off ya... I mean literally as I have encountered one pushy lady! I have been forewarned by our guide, Pak Wayan, so I was on my guard. As we were leaving, this lady tried to sell her bananas to me to which I have kindly replied no numerous times. She just wouldn't take no for an answer and wanted to dump a banana on the crook on my crossed arms! That was how pushy she was!!! In the end, I shouted ''jangan'' and she felt offended. I was totally annoyed by her attitude! Anyway, FYI, if you were to take 1 piece of fruit to try, you will then be forced to pay for the whole fruit as they can't sell it with a missing piece. That is their modus operandi ya.

3. Pura Luhur Tanah Lot

We have been here a few times but always wrong timing. Whichever time we arrived; it was always crowded that we could not go near the temple itself, so we have to go to the other sections. Luckily, it's a huge temple with a few sections to go to or else time wasted travelling all the way there. Anyway, this time we get to tick our bucket list!

This temple seems to be the most popular one as it is located on the seabed itself. So, when it is high tide, the temple is not accessible. Also, it has the best sunset view that even the locals like to "paktoh'' (dating in Cantonese) there!

Bali: 2 amazing beaches that I love

One of the main reasons I love Bali are the beaches, so clean, serene and tranquil. If I have the option, I will definitely choose a beach house as opposed to city life! However, that will have to wait so travelling to the beaches of the world is the current choice for me. 

I just loved this pointer given by a friend, a frequent flyer to Bali who calls Bali her second home nonetheless, when I've asked where the best place is to stay. Here are her recs:

1. If near busy, clubs - then Kuta /legian area. 

2. If beach  abit way from business but still want it lol, then Seminyak. 

3. If you want sunrise and peaceful area where old people enjoy their retirement life then it is Sanur.

Cool recs which I want to park it here for my future reference LOL! Thanks so much Spena! She blogs too so you can check out her blog here:

https://spena15.wordpress.com/

Anyway, we have visited a few beaches in Bali this time around so here are 2 which I personally love this time! It is in no particular order ya...

1. Melasti Beach

It is located at Ungasan, south of Bali. The whole stretch is so clean, picturesque and serenely quiet except for the waves crashing. Ahh bliss.....

2. Kuta Beach

The most famous beach where tourists will flock with lots of amenities, hotels and facilities. It is usually crowded but not on the day we were there. I was amazed with the peaceful vibe then.

Bali: 5 local cuisines we've enjoyed

There's a saying, "When in Rome, do what the Romans do".

So, when in Bali, eat what the locals eat! We've definitely had heaps of good food, especially yummy local dishes thanks to Pak Wayan, that I've decided to just share our top 5! This are just our opinion, yours may differ, and in no particular order ya...

1. Warung Chef Bagus
We've found this on Google after searching for good pork ribs. There were many recommendations for this, so we gave it a try. Thankfully, it lived up to the recs and it truly made the long walk worthwhile! Total spent here was Rp280,500 including drinks.

2. Rumah Makan Minang Saiyo

Nasi padang at its best though it was really spicy! This is one of Pak Wayan's recs which serves good, authentic Sumatran dishes. Total bill was Rp290,000 for 4 pax including drinks.

3. Sate Babi Pak Jiwa Tan Juwet

My craving sated and fulfilled! Another Pak Wayan's recs and it was so good that I wished for another serving but I was just too full LOL! Total spent was only Rp78,000 including drinks, worth every penny!

4. Rumah Makan Taliwang Bersaudara

I like the ayam bakar (roasted chicken) version, which was so tender, soft and aromatic! Total spent here was Rp291,500 for 3 pax including an extra ayam bakar tapau!

5. Warung Wardani Tuban

Nice and tasty nasi campur with really spicy sambal! Tasty and fulfilling! Rp158,400 for 3 pax including drinks!

I sure hope this list will help you to decide which to go for LOL! TBH, go try it all and let me know your outcome :-) For the rest of the food that has not made into this list, you can check them out on my Instagram @sholeesphere :-)

Bali: a post pandemic travel

It's been more than 2 months since my first travel overseas after the pandemic and I am still missing it tremendously! The withdrawal syndrome is terribly bad this time around LOL! I was so looking forward to it albeit feeling nervous and all since C19 is still in the air. I even had nightmares with all the negative thoughts since I haven't traveled by air for more than 3 years! Not sure if it's the age factor but I had to like swiped my mind clean to think positively LOL!

Anyway, hubby and I picked Bali as our first post pandemic destination as we have always loved the holiness, friendliness and the serenity of Bali. We also have a few more in the bucket list to complete so might as well lah :-) So in the next few weeks, albeit a little late, I'll be posting places which we have gone to but if you want a summarized version, feel free to visit my Instagram handle @sholeesphere where I have finished posting all the photos. 

To kickstart my first post, an intro to our favourite guide turned good friend Pak Wayan who had brought us to wherever in our bucket list and also ensuring we have the best local deals! He was introduced to us previously by a cousin of mine and we have stuck to him since. We have been hiring him each time we visited Bali and known him for more than 10 years! We somehow cliqued and it was easy to communicate with him either in English or Bahasa. Mind you, he can speak other languages like German but could be a little rusty due to lack of practice. He truly is easy to liaise with unlike other guides who looked at $$$ more than our wellbeing. We had given him a list of places we wanted to visit prior to our trip and how many days we wanted to hire him and his van. He listed down the places worth going plus an itinerary so that we could discuss further and then confirmed the final itinerary. Easy peasy, lemon squeesy. Yes, he will advise us if the place is worthy or overpriced and then it is up to us if we still insisted to go ahead or otherwise. There is always a chance to nego or change the itinerary where deemed fit especially looking at the weather or traffic when we are there. Other guides may not be as understanding nor appreciate such last-minute changes and might even charge extra! Anyway, if you are interested to hire Pak Wayan's expertise and van, you can email to him at iwayan.marsa88@gmail.com.

Back to my trip, it was a tiring first day due to non-activity! We were at the airport by noon as 1) our son dropped us there early as he has to go to uni and 2) our flight was delayed twice from 4pm to 5.15pm then to 5.45pm! I would not rant much here as you can read my full rants on my Instagram. All I can say is that since we can only afford budget airlines, there will be pros and cons so we have to bear with the consequences lah! By the time we reached Bali, it was already past 9pm. After having to pass through the C19 counter and 3 customs queues, we were finally out of the airport and on Bali ground!!! We quickly looked for Pak Wayan, who has brought along his lovely wife Bu Made for the first time, we headed out for a late dinner before checking into our hotel. Such an uninteresting first day, totally wasted LOL! Anyway, I will try to post as much as I can of my trip so next will be our sumptuous dinner :-)

Bangkok: Craftfeteria

During my recent trip to Bangkok, I've stumbled across this gem in Central World. It was an idea I had brewing in my mind but it has materialised here! Unbelievable! What they offered were more for adults and what I had in mind are more for the young adults. It truly was captivating for me and enlightening for sure!

Since I had time to spare so I've tried the DIY lipstick one and it was a breeze even though a little language barrier as the girl can't speak English that fluently. Overall, it was a nice experience and exposure for sure.

So I guess I have to work harder to save more in order for this dream to materialise! Definitely not an easy feat as lots of planning and money involved but fingers crossed! Lets hope for the best!

Look at the crowd after I was done! Time to get the idea brewing more!!!