1. For her beautiful weather anytime between December to January, cool (15-20 degrees Celsius) during the day (T-Shirts and Jeans) and cold (10 degrees Celsius) during the nights (throw a cardigan over).
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2. Beautiful hilly views………still laden with fresh green. Can you smell it?
The Hubs and me before kids!
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3. Awesomely CHEAP body massages and foot reflexology everywhere!! You’ll never find it cheaper in any part of the world.
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4. Experience the Thai tut-tut - an open air (with roof) bench style minivan that functions as a taxi.
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5. Explore the many sights in Chiang Mai including the amazing temples……
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6. Visit the Chiang Mai zoo where you get to take an over head train to look down at animals below.
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7. Shop till you drop whether it be day time bazaars or shopping malls. Household goods and furniture can be shipped home easily. And oh, so cheap if you know where to go!
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8. Entertain yourselves with the weekly Sunday parade at the night market.
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9. And the best reason of all? The FOOD.
If you’ve never been to Chiang Mai, it is worth a trip. But make sure you find out where to go and what to do before you go. Ask me.
I first visited Redang Island on the East Coast of Malaysia at the nubile age of 16. Those days, Redang was still undeveloped and there was only ONE choice of paid accommodation on the whole island. You either paid RM25 a night to stay at a timber hut with a shared outdoor toilet (which was really a HOLE in the ground with a perimeter of aluminum, or was it zinc? fencing around) or you could camp out on the beach for free. Or build your own tree house 
At that time, the island was SO natural and the waters CRYSTAL clear. Even if you went deeper and deeper, it would STILL be CRYSTAL clear. You could look down from the water surface to see 10 feet down or more, the colours and creatures that nature presented to us.
A major developer was at the time building a new resort and a golf course on the other side of the island and I instantly knew that I was amongst the blessed to have experienced Redang in its virgin state.
Fast forward 20 years, there are now 5 star resorts to hundreds of little chalet operators on Redang Island competing against each other, some of the beaches and even the waters are soiled with litter and there is no more serenity. You can still find beautiful waters and beaches provided you know how and where, but largely, it is nothing compared to what it was before. For better luck closer to nature, you’d want to explore some of the islands around Redang.
2 years ago, we visited a Redang Island resort with my 2 year old and this is what it looked like (rather, these are the photos I took of us, so you need to look beyond if you really want to see bits and bobs of the resort):
As we enter the room, it is hot and humid and after the climb up the stairs and walk down the long corridor, it isn’t the most pleasant thing in the world.
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Because the interiors are old and there is not much else to do in the room, my dearest Tee reads adult magazines.
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And then progresses to her own kind of books…..
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But wait! Outside on the balcony, there is a visitor! After the visitor left, she drove herself to the main lobby of the resort….
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Watch the road, Tee! Watch the road!
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Perhaps it’s better that we go by foot rather than drive but yikes, what is this soft mushy ground? Why do my feet sink in when I walk? I don’t like this Mommy…..
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Mom, I am really, really sure that I DO NOT LIKE this stuff. Will you please STOP pouring it over me!!!
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Ok, let’s swim instead. I can heck swimming.
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I can swim until the sun sets….
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And then, I shall pick some flowers. Yes, lots of pretty flowers around the resort.
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See???
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At night, I play with my friends at the snooker room. It is a big room full of running around space!
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The next morning, I show my Mommy what’s in the sky. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No…..it’s Superman!
Next up - The very same resort 2 years later…..
Cameron Highlands is located on a cool, hilly terrain 4 hours away from Kuala Lumpur and is a popular holiday destination for those who want to get away from the general Malaysian heat and humidity.
Previously thought of as just a temperature cool place to visit, the hills are now more child friendly as I have recently discovered with my most recent visit there with four kids. Initially worried that there wasn’t enough to entertain 4 kids with, we were pleasantly surprised that we didn’t have enough time over 3 days to do everything the kids wanted to do!
Here’s what kids can look forward to in Cameron Highlands apart from great weather, jungle walks, climbing hills, visiting playgrounds and good food.
The butterfly park is not just a butterfly park. It contains snakes, lizards, fishes, tortoises and turtles, scorpions, giant grasshoppers, beetles, stick insects and guinea pigs and hamsters and several more creatures that I cannot name because I chose to avoid certain areas out of paranoia.
Can you spot the giant grasshopper?
The visit to the Butterfly Park takes at least an hour in rush mode (as we did) but if your child is interested in nature and creatures, expect to spend at least 2-3 hours there. Entrance is RM5 for adults and free for children below 5.
Then, you could visit the famous strawberry farms scattered all around Cameron Highlands. There are so many of them that you really are spoilt for choice. Fret not. According to the locals, they are all the same. Kids not only love plucking strawberries and eating them, they can opt to eat them with ice-cream, loaded with freshly whipped cream or topped with sugar!
There is also the cactus farm and waterfalls that you can visit but depending on your child’s age, the waterfalls are not recommended for children below 5, unless children are very closely supervised. I have fallen into the Cameron Highlands Robinson’s Falls before as a kid at 7 years old, so beware!
You can teach your kids a lesoon on the flora and fauna or just allow them to smell the roses……..
And play a game of spot the bungalow!!
When you make your bookings, do enquire if your accommodation includes a playroom or at least what facilities are included for children. Also, ask them what activities there are for children. If they are slightly older, you can teach them about the history of Cameron Highlands as it has a very interesting history. You can also take your kids for a picking up trash journey though be prepared with a garbage bag and plastic bag gloves from the hotel you’re staying at or one of the strawberry farms, which is what we did!
We had tons of fun in Cameron Highlands and hope you do too! A must visit is the Smokehouse for more strawberries and scones…….
Sometime last month, I had the privilege to learn directly how to cook up some fine cuisine by the chef of LaFite, Shangri La Hotel’s fine dining French Restaurant. The Shang together with BMW organised an event of drunkedness and good food, that I was so privileged to be a participant of.
This here is a candy floss making machine. Yes!! You can make candy floss anything in that machine!! We had the most amazing tastes for starters such as pomegranate surprise, gin tonic jelly, fresh oyster balls…….and more but I was so drunk, I can’t even remember. All I remember was having seen the most different shaped wine glasses I ever have and having a continuous flow of alcohol.
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This is how our cooking table was set up. The chef at one end and the rest of the participants along the length of the table with a big mirror angled at the top so all participants could have a good view of the chef and what he was doing. I thought that was quite clever. All the cutlery and crockery were of top quality, I could only wish I had the same at home *swoon*
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Making avocado beads with liquid Nitrogen. We learnt some tricks with liquid Nitrogen and the different things we could do with it like how to make carbonated fruit to add to a salad, for instance. You could make carbonated anything really…….just experiment if you have one of those gas gadgets.
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Avocado beads close up. They were delicious and froze immediately on contact with the liquid Nitrogen.
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Food was readily prepared for us most of the time, to save time. The chef kept complaining how he wished he could have HIS cooking prepared for him everyday. Such is not the case for a chef. You do it from scratch.
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We used these cool Khind cookers which heated up real fast and easily cleaned. Wish I had one at home but hear they eat up a lot of electricity. We were simmering the corn juice here to make some sauce.
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My first dish - crab salad. Nice? We had a free hand to decorate it however we wished.
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Some parts of the HOT kitchen. I don’t know how they survive in there wearing their uniforms and their hats because it was HOT!!!!!
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That’s what the Chef’s office looks like. With a big dustbin just outside. Not very glamorous, I can tell you that!!
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Chef wannabe’s in action.
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Making tomato balls. The liquid in the tupperware is algae juice and when you put another liquid into it, forms a ball with a thin skin. This enables a surprise taste, like a tomato bubble that bursts flavour when you burst it in your mouth. Pretty cool.
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And this was my main dish - a white fish dish with corn juice and a tomato ball
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Last but not least, dessert - mango and pineapple sago. Really drunk by then.
Recipes to follow………watch this space.
The Hubs and I spent our honeymoon in Paris but it seemed like a continuous honeymoon before Tee came along because we were always going places as carefree adults, like leaves blowing in the wind, feathers from a scented pillow, confetti on a happy day. Here’s one of our ‘honeymoon’ trips to an exotic high end resort that is quintessentially Malay - Tanjong Jara………
We absolutely loved it. The place was sparse with humans and that was great because it meant we got more attention, more peace, more loveliness……
We were greated by name by the gardener, smiles radiated throughout the resort, service was impeccable and the massages to die for. We stayed at the individual villas with the ensuite open sky bathroom which was so luxurious, I could live there forever! Food was superb and really, there was not one thing to complain about but lots to rave about.
However, this was in 2002 and since then, I’ve heard mixed reviews about Tanjong Jara today. I still maintain though that it was Heaven sent for us.
The Anjung Villla where we resided that overlooked the beach and the sea, surrounded by lush greenery
The Hubs checking a fax from the office. What? He cannot stay away from the office despite a gorgeous villa???
The Hubs playing bubbles in our outdoor bath tub
The view from our only window from the bath tub......
External pathways to Heaven
One of the swimming pools overlooking the sea at Tanjong Jara
Food, glorious food.....we ate like pigs. Every single day.
The Tanjong Jara ceiling, looking up from beneath...
Lots of green, green grass for children to run around in or play footie but I don't think the honeymooners will appreciate that!
We spent all of an hour there and were already impressed. Big and spacious rooms. Even bigger bathrooms. Lots of amenities at the hotel premises like spa, shops etc but most importantly, the hotel had great water views. Service was fantastic and everything was all nice. For the same price as a Disney Hotel, but much, much better……………..
Checking in at the Hotel Reception
The Waiting Area
Looking out from the Reception
The Bedroom
Here is where we stayed in Orlando for seven days with a four year old. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at mamapumpkin@gmail.com I’d be happy to answer your queries.
This is where we lived in New York, on Bedford Street - Greenwich Village. When we were there, Uma Thurman was shooting her latest movie, Motherhood, right at our doorstep. How cool is that! When we told the owner about our excitement, he wasn’t the least bit excited because he’s been through it a million times.
Our home in New York
My only gripe about the above apartment was that when we arrived, the lift had gone bust. Thus we had to cart extra heavy suitcases (from all the shopping in the Orlando outlet malls!!!) MANUALLY up FIVE FLOORS!!! Then, we had to walk up and down all five floors, sometimes several times a day, for the next two and a half weeks!!!!!! So many times, I tried looking for a short cut; like sliding down the balustrade or climbing a rope down but never had the guts. And of course, as soon as we left New York, the life was up and running again.
Five floors looking down
And then on the next block, 100 meters up, there was the apartment where the TV sitcom FRIENDS were shot. Supercool. New York is so exciting!!! You can bump into Madonna at Central Park or see Sarah Jessica Parker without make-up.
Friends apartment close up
Friends apartment from across the street
Just for informations sake, a shoe-box sized apartment opposite the Friends apartment is priced at USD650,000 for literally 480 square feet.
I kid you not.
Passed out in style....You pass out in style...
We went to Magic Kingdom purely for Tee’s sake and boy, did she LOVE it. We spent an entire 16 hours there from the moment we left the hotel to the moment we walked through the hotel doors again. It was one hell of a tiring day but oh, so worth it!!!
Tickets into Magic Kingdom cost US60 per person and yes, Tee is considered a person so she doesn’t go in free. That’s like paying RM700 for the three of us. Ouch.
Disney is SO BIG that you really have to plan your journey within Magic Kingdom if you wanted to do it within a day or two. Some people spend a whole week in Magic Kingdom alone, no kidding. We identified on the map exactly where we wanted to go, what we wanted to see and our exact routes to tie in with the show times. Obviously, we only did stuff that Tee would appreciate and didn’t waste time doing the rest, which is a shame but……we still did a helluva lot!!!
Actually, why am I rambling on? Let the photos talk.
Below is the Disney parade which lasts about an hour where all the Disney characters come to life. Good to have height and a set of binoculars for this.
Welcome to the Disney PARADE!!! Lots of dance, lots of songs and lots of fun!!!
I know these look obscene for Disneyland but they are really cactus men :-)
Snow White and her Seven Dwarves
JOY!!!
Aladdin's Genie which Tee absolutely loved.......
Tigger and Piglet!
Who is this wizard looking creature?
Recognise Cruella from 101 Dalmations?
Who is this??? Can you tell I'm really not into Disney princesses?Oh, just saw Peter Pan in the background so this must be Wendy. Duh!Cinderella's Fairy Godmother
Beauty and the hidden Beast
I think this is Arielle and her Prince judging from the sea themed background - anyone?
Truly a kingdom of dreams.......
We missed the Peter Pan flight because the queues were too long, and we were TIRED!
It’s a small world was Tee’s favourite ride and it was mine too! Do you know the song, “it’s a world of laughter, a world of tears, it’s a world of hope and a world of fears, there’s so much that we share and it’s time we’re aware, it’s a small world after all!!!”? There was a boat ride in the dark encompassing the global village of cultures in miniature form and included every culture you could imagine. I almost cried at the end of it because it was just so touching, especially in the world that we live in today, which is so different from what it could be at It’s a small world.
My guess is that it was a favourite of many people as the queues were incredible. Tee wanted to go for a second round but unfortunately a 45 minute wait for round two was just too long for us. There was nothing thrilling about the ride but the mere concept of togetherness and friendship made a big impact on both children and adults of every race.
Entrance to it’s a small world boat ride…….
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The world partying in harmony
Punjabi little people dancing and singing....
the different worlds of little peopleGoodbye in all languages before exiting it's a small world. It was awesome..... .Part of the streetscape
The walk on the way to the Haunted Mansion
Haunted Mansion
Tee having fun as a prisoner of war :-)
Prisoner of War
POW escaped!!!
Devil's Mountain ride
Swiss Family Robinson
Dancing on the streets
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Another ride that Tee loved was the Magic Carpet ride with Aladdin. Till today, she loves the song “A Whole New World” and every time she hears it, she’s almost in tears and asks to go back to Disney World……It makes me so sad to see her when she is in that mode because I almost wished we lived there! It was truly, truly magical and definitely worth a visit for every 4 year old!
Then she had a big thrill hunting for all sort of pretty jewels that were embedded in Aladdin’s world on the ground. You know, if I could have my way, I’d have been a Disney World designer. How cool to be able to design such fun stuff!
Tee on the Aladdin Magic Carpet Ride.......it was truly magical.
Embedded around the entire grounds of Aladdin were the prettiest jewels.....
Notice the ugly black Mickey Mouse crocs? My sneakers broke at Disneyland because I hadnt used it for years and suddenly, it all cracked on me so I had to rush into a Disney store to get some new feet huggers and guess what options I had? You’re right, none at all. Well, they ahd Mickey Mouse everything and all in kid colours. So black with the Mickey holes were the best I could do. YUCK!!! I’ve never worn them again.
See the jewels embedded into the ground? They had all colours of jewels, stones, antique beads, shells, even screws! It was beautiful and so fun searching for pretty things on the ground.
Yes, Magic Kingdom has real ducks!!! Which you are NOT allowed to feed.
It's not all plastic and machines. There are pretty flowers too!
Look at this street till the end. It is only 0.5% of Magic Kingdom, so imagine how far you need to walk......
Tee and her macaroni cheese on a plastic Mickey plate
The crappy orange chicken I had for dinner. For some reason, they don't do lemon chicken in Florida. It's always orange chicken. Oh, perhaps it's their staple - oranges!
On the way home, there was a hulahoop competition happening with mostly big kids.
Even the hulahoop is taller than her.....
Look at her go - she won!!!
These two girls here are in a throwing bean bag competition.
Tee planning her strategy
Tee having her go at the throw the beanbag game.
Tee was overjoyed with her pink Mickey balloon which we still have till today, deflated of course.
Feel the happiness!
Pay to get your details engraved onto the ground at Magic Kingdom
Passed out after 12 hours in Magic Kingdom - finally!
Welcome to what I hope will be a potentially useful blog to people the world over who love to indulge in some of life’s ultimate pleasures - travelling, shopping and dining…….
I know they are certainly things I love doing, apart from laughing; and what could be better when you laugh with the people you love whilst travelling, shopping and dining!
Does anyone disagree?
Yes? No?
What the fuck?! Lets’ celebrate!!!
*clinks champagne glasses*