Read my blog, just love me or hate me! Thanks for dropping by! =)
RSS

Monday, December 28, 2009

Bukit Gambang Resort City revisited

nearly half a year after my first visitwith Bukit Gambang,
we were back there again for the second time..
our 3 days 2 nights stay was at Caribbean Bay Family Suites..
and our trip was also complementary! =)

just to refresh your memories on my previous visit, click here!

-----Day 1: 18 Dec 2009 (Friday)----

so this time around, we left home a little earlier..
if i am not mistaken, we used the North-South highway to Kuantan..
we dropped by Kampung Bukit Tinggi for late breakfast..
we had both dried and soup wantan mee.. it was pretty good!
their half-boiled egg and Milo ais was heavenly too.. =)

the sauce for the dried wantan mee was a little sweet..
their secret recipe perhaps?

it was raining when we arrived our destination at around 1pm..

our room cards.. so cute~
look wayyy better than those in our previous trip!

and our comfy beds! =)

after checking-in and a short rest, we headed to Kuantan town..
the 40 minute drive there was really noisy..
as little Alvin and Aleyna was having a lot of fun in the car! =P

we had lunch in Muhibbah Seafood Restaurant,
it is smacked in the middle of an industrial area..
the fishy smell greeted us the moment we stepped out of the car!

kids at one table, adults in another.. i am a kid!
we had like 10 dishes per table and we had more share.. =P

our next stop was the Teluk Cempedak beach..

there were very few people when we arrived..
probably because of the heavy rain earlier!
we spent more time there this time!

it was low tide and we had mud therapy! hehe..

but the waves were pretty strong..
personally felt that it was not suitable for swimming though~

we finally got to walk on the bridge linking 2 sides of the beach..
it was a 10 minute walk per way.. good exercise!

the scenery was awesome but the bridge was not well maintained..

we could practically smell the scent of the trees and the sea..
as we walked and stopped to take pictures!

there is also a RM2 per photo with the pyton..
i snapped a picture and ran away instead.. =P

most memorable of all, the emo guy among the rocks!

but of course we were greeted by lots of monkeys..
at the start and the end of the journey! freakyyy~

they did some shopping too.. girls are girls! =)

we spent the night playing with glow in the dark sticks!
cousin Lisyn brought a whole stack of them.. haha..

we made bangles, crowns, balls and skipping rope out of them!
the best part is, we waved at people who walked passed our room~

just imagine 24 people cramming in one family suite for supper!

we bought 5 herbal chicken earlier in the evening,
and finished 3 of them that night! *yum yum*

i couldn't sleep well on the first night even though i was tired..
no thanks to my neighbours upstairs! *grrrr*
i have no idea what on earth they were doing,
seemed like they were moving house or spring cleaning..
from the moment i went to bed at 1am,
i heard non-stop moving of furniture, laughther and cheers!

at first i thought i was hearing things,
cos my cousin was sleeping soundly.. so i prayed!
but i later i heard people talking so loud and clear..
i opened my window and saw someone on the balcony above..
i just stared at him and shut the window again..
i continued opening and closing the windows a couple of times,
i really felt like shouting "SHUT UPPP!!" each time.. but i tahan~~

then it was 3am, i couldn't take it anymore..
i picked up the phone and called the reception.. i was like:
"i am calling from room S1-03-05, my neighbours upstairs
have been really noisy up for quite a while..
can you please send someone to ask them to tone down?
we really need some sleep! thank you"

the reception guy was like "it's upstairs, not next door?"
i replied "it's definitely upstairs!" his action were swift..
by 3.15am, it just peace and quiet.. barely any sound..
i had my sweet dreams almost immediately! =)

----Day 2: 19 Dec 2009 (Saturday)----

the doorbell rang at like 8 something..
it was time for breakfast, but my cousin and i slept in later..
the buffet breakfast was only for 20 people for 5 suites..
the extra 4 of us, including my mum and aunt ate whatever had..
from tuna sandwich to siew pau to biscuits.. very well prepared!

we changed into our swimsuits, put on a shirt..
and walked towards the Waterpark..

the RM1 tram ride was not worth the wait, very long queue..

we were greeted by this sight.. o.O

the carpark was full and yet cars came in non-stop..

according to my mum and aunt who were relaxing in their room,
which was like 5 minute walk from the waterpark entrance..
the queue for the cars continued up till 2pm! fuyoh~

the queue in front of ticket counter was terrible too..

while waiting, i observe my surroundings..
people around me were either busy talking or snapping photos..
it was raining outside, and the roof were very leaky!

see the red oval? this is just one of the many leaky parts..

i wonder how much they get paid for the sloppy work?
this place is less than half a year old and showing signs of aging?
1st world facilities, 3rd class maintainence! *shakes head*

Bukit Gambang Waterpark has this cashless policy..
so we have to insert some money into our wristband..
mine had like RM50 in it, any extras would be refunded..
you can reload inside the waterpark too..
but i doubt you want to do that cos of the queue!
from renting tubes, lockers and buying drinks plus food..
all they do is scan your wristband.. easy eh?

everyone was really happy when we got hold of our wristbands!

but our faces turned sour again when we saw this!

we had to go through the gift shop to enter the waterpark..
another long wait and a lot of pushing and squeezing!

i doubt they check ALL our bags or wristbands!

by the time all of us manage to enter the premise..
one hour has passed.. terrible ain't it?
and it was another 30 minutes to queue up for tubes!
we officially started playing at 12.45pm..
the park closes at 6pm, so we have like 5 hours to have fun!

since the best times cannot be captured in pictures..
i only have very few pictures of the place..
i can't be carrying the camera everywhere i go..
it rained half the time and i am always wet anyway!

our very first ride was the Crystal slides..
we repeatedly sat on all 3 of the slides for quite a few times..
climbing up a gazillion steps with the tubes was tiring!

then we headed for Coco Beach.. all i saw was a sea of people!

and you know what, i think having sand there is a bad idea..
the colour of the water was pretty muddy!

we took turns to play and have lunch at one point..

chicken chop and fish & chips for only RM9.80 each!
they had other options like spaghetti and pizza.. *yum yum*

someone needs to keep an eye of the tubes..
thieves are everywhere as apparently they were out of tubes!

we went for more Crystal Slides and Family Raft Ride..
i think it's the best thing to do in the waterpark.. hehe..

i didn't like the 6-lane Racer Slides though..
everybody in the queue practically stares at you sliding down..
and the interesting part is, they have a timer on each lane..
so you can compare with your mates and see who wins..

those in queue may laugh at you when you get stuck halfway..
or maybe fly way above the slides while sliding down..
i felt like i was going to be thrown away from my mat!
i came in 3rd place, and don't plan to go for another try! =P

view from the Coco Beach Western Food Restaurant..

at first i had no idea why people just stood around..
at the Penguin Island, staring up into space..

i thought they are waiting for announcement or something..
from someone who climbed up the playground..
eventually, i found out that they were waiting for the BIG SPLASH!
it's like a really nice massage.. but no tubes allowed in the area!

the Glacier River was sardin-packed!

we could only flow with the water..
tube-to-tube rubbing was unavoidable.. they had waves too!
we passed through the tunnel for Journey of Ice..
screamed a couple of times with the top of our lungs..
those were really good times! =D

we left the waterpark at around 5.30pm..
thank god we brought along our own towels..
it was weird that they don't provide any for customers!

the toilet wait was insanely mad too.. i waited 10 minutes to pee!
you can't expect me to urinate in the water,
which i bet some people do.. ewww!
and guess what, they was only 2 people in front of me.. =S

after the good shower, we had our buffet dinner at 6.30pm..

we were really really hungry.. that's why!
and i think RM39.90 for the food served is a little pricey!

we went to the arcade that night..

since some of the machines there don't work well..
they eat up your coins beforeeven you start the game!
we sang karaoke in the box for RM1 per song instead.. haha..
followed by board games, cards and mahjong in my room!

and their TV channels were pathetic..
i understand if there is no Astro but only TV1, TV2 and TV3?
they should at least include NTV7 and 8TV..
these two channels have which has better programmes.. =)

----Day 3: 20 Dec 2009 (Sunday)----

my housemates in the hall before checking out!

no time for swimming the next morning though..
this is actually the view behind the concierge! looks good~

there is a horse carriage ride too for RM10..
the poor pony looked tired!

the Active Academy also offered some activities..
like mini-ATV (super mini, super expensive)..
paintball and jungle-trekking too.. but rain tampered it all~

group picture before leaving! =)

ou
r journey home took around 7 freaking hours!
we used the old road back to KL..
as the adults wanted to stop by Jerantut for lunch..
my butt was kinda hurt but thank god the lunch was good!
so it was worth it.. hehe..

it was just heavy rain all the way back to KL..
traffic jam as a car overturned and was stuck onto the divider,
with a few cars collided with one another forming a train..
apparently a few cars were speeding..
and overtook us just moments before,
but we stopped for a toilet break! God bless us!

you can give Bukit Gambang a try..
but don't go during December when all these collide:
public holiday, school holiday, weekend and raining season!
my experience tells it all..
but if you must, you definitely don't need sunblock! hehe..

that all for now! =)

Read Comments
  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Mekong Build 2009: Cambodia (Part 4)

this is the final part of my trip to Cambodia..
where you'll find the juiciest details.. ok, not really~
but my posts are always interesting, can't deny that! =P

this time around, i have pictures of encounters with celebrities..
and the mastermind of this project as well..
not forgetting some of our activities away from the build site!
excited?? so here goes~

the very first celebrity i met was Leakhena..
apparently she's a very famous Cambodian actress..
who was at my house on the 1st day for less than 2 hours!

at first, i had no clue who she was..
i was wondering why on earth would someone wear make-up,
a short skirt and ballerina pumps at the build site?
her job was to place cement on the bricks and that's it..
and kept on being photographed and videoed a lot!!
i only knew about her celebrity status 30 minutes later.. =.=

Leakhena, who also worked at house no.8 and myself

next is a well-known Cambodian hip-hop deejay..
he spoke really good English.. no qualms bout that!
and thank us for our willingness to help his people..
he even wrote and sung a song specially for this project..
you can see part of it in my previous post.. =)

with DJ Khlaing who sported a Beckham-styled hairdo

there was a table full of celebrities on the 5th day..
they made their presence felt and came to give support..
heavy make-up, blonde hair-ish, mini skirt and high heels??

they should have been more modest like Daniel Wu..
yes, that Hong Kong heart-throb..
he was helping out in Sichuan, China for the same cause!

Daniel Wu photographed here lining the bricks.. *swoons*
credits to Flickr

there were others like Jet Li, Karen Mok, John Abraham
at various sites along the Mekong region..
ranging from Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, China as well..

but i bet none of them caused a scene like this!

yes, the mastermind behind this project have arrived!
although it was just a short 30 minutes visit for them,
we had to leave our hotel earlier.. at 6am!!!

they are none other than former US President and First Lady,
Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn of course!

posing for pictures with members of house no.8, 10 & 12

the nice and quiet scene turns chaotic again as they leave!
all of us will start snapping pictures as they wave goodbye..

with local youth volunteers.. our mission accomplished!! =)

now, apart from all these excitement..
interesting stuff did happen away from the build site..

such as meeting up with Chhay's best friend Eav..
we had ice-cream at KFC yo!!! they have no McD's there..

we also camwhored after dinner at Titanic Restaurant..
and eventually missed the bus back to the hotel!

we went to a roadside stall opposite the palace.. BUGS anyone??

Heang Siv and Melissa tried them.. crickets were tasty apparently!

room service that serves spiders, crickets and silkworms.. o.O

and of course, we tried delicious meal of red/green curry..
before we depart Phnom Penh.. *yum yum*

we bought souvenirs for Habitat For Humanity Malaysia too!
they should be hanging on the office walls right now.. hehe..

so i guess, that's all folks!
i shall leave you with a tour around the house i helped to build..
loved the experience and i can't wait to get back!
i am missing the wonderful friends i have made.. =)

Read Comments
  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS