Mr & Missy in Thailand Day 2

We were up quite early (6+am) to ensure we catch the 8am mini bus to Hua Hin. After checking-out and a quick breakfast, we tried to walk to the Phaya Thai BTS station with the help of Google Map. "Tried" was the keyword because we couldn't find our way. Instead, we reached the tracks and saw the station but we couldn't walk along the tracks to reach the station!  

We tried to take tuk tuk but the driver was trying to overcharge us - he asked for a freaking 200 Bahts to the Victory Monument Station. Mind you, it was just 2 or 3 stations away. As for the cab, the driver told us that mini buses no longer depart from the terminal near Victory Monument and he wanted to send us to the bus terminal on the outskirts of Bangkok! We refused it of course. The big buses took longer to go to Hua Hin & they do not stop in downtown Hua Hin. Plus, we would be wasting a lot of money and time taking cab from downtown Bangkok all the way to the Southern Bus Terminal. 

We instead went back to the hotel and asked for directions to the nearest BTS station, which turned out to be Ratchathewi. It was about 15 min walk away, and we then took train for 2 stops to Victory Monument to try our luck and check out the mini buses for ourselves. And as soon as we walked down the stairs from exit 4, we found our bus terminal. The cab driver lied to us !!! 

View of Exit 4 from the bus terminal 

Entrance of the bus terminal

These are the mini buses which will bring you to different parts of Thailand at very affordable rates!

Mr & Missy in Thailand Day 1

Scoot departed at 17:45 & landed in BKK at 19:05.  To avoid the well-known Bangkok Jam, we took train to city area. The train ride from airport to Pyra Thai took 40-45 min. 

Mr & Missy in Thailand

Hello everyone!

First of all, I'm so sorry for being MIA for the past 8 months! Life was hectic with some major changes happening to me.  My parents needed help and I wanted a change so the move to Yangon happened! I was having the so-called quarter life crisis and I needed to figure out what I want in life.  Plus, there was a big fuss about Myanmar being the last frontier and so forth. So why not see it for myself? 

With the slow internet speed back home & me settling into a new environment & constant travelling between me and Mister to maintain our long distance relationship , my blogging was put on hold for a while. 

Finally, I get to share about my Thailand trip which happened exactly a year ago! Such a long overdue post :D Better late than never yeah?

Can you believe Mister has never ever been to Thailand? Plus, we both love Thai food and I love love shopping there. So when Scoot has a promo to Bangkok, we snapped our tickets. 160 SGD for each return ticket with 15kg check-in luggage for Bangkok-Singapore. Quite a decent deal yeah? But a lot of people were surprised as it was at the height of protests and shootings in BKK's crowded areas. Mister's mom was trying to persuade us to cancel or postpone our trip till 10 days before our departure (6 March 2014). Fortunately for us, anti-government protestors decided to scale back their protests & vacate their rally sites just 3 days before our trip! Major PHEW! A sense of normality had returned and we were able to enjoy our trip to the max (:

Yes! Social Media is important in documenting all our exploits & trips & memories!

We both agreed that Scoot was the best budget flight we have ever tried. The planes were huge, there was decent leg room, the flight attendants were polite, there wasn't any delay and overall, it was a smooth flight ^-^

My Favorite List (food in Singapore) - Part II

Part II as promised :D

This is slightly different from Part I in terms of organization. This one is arranged based on the type of meal, depending on ambiance and signature items that these places are known for.  

Late breakfast / Brunch

Prive Cafe @ Keppel Island

Address: 2 Keppel Bay Vista, Singapore 098382

Nearest MRT: Harborfront (on the purple line & yellow line)

Price: SGD 20 ++

Remark: The cafe opens at 9am, just nice for a late breakfast :D

Why I love it: This place is so close to town area yet it makes you feel like you are on holiday at a tropical paradise.  Look around you.  Clear blue sky, turquoise water and white yachts soothe your tired soul. The pace of life slows down and it allows you to recharge your batteries. Just 5 min cab ride away from Vivo City / Harbourfront MRT. Not a bad deal huh?  The food is just so-so though, nothing spectacular.

http://theprivegroup.com.sg/images/prive/menu/prive%20a%20la%20carte%20menu.pdf

24 hours in Yangon

Myanmar is the last frontier for tourists and business travelers alike, at least in this part of the region. However, there is limited information available (unlike cities such as Bangkok) and so, its quite 'mysterious' to many people. I was always asked 'what is there to do in Myanmar/ Yangon?' To me, its home. Its not somewhere I go to tour. So when I had to think on my feet about places to go and food to eat, my advice wouldn't have been very coherent or helpful.  After taking my time to think of recommendations, here is the packed itinerary if you just have 24 hours in Yangon!

Given the limited time and notorious traffic jam in Yangon, I tried to reduce travelling time by focusing on attractions which are located close together.  Downtown Yangon is made up of 6 townships (Latha, Lanmadaw, Pabedan, Kyauktada, Botahtaung, Pazundaung) and the road layout follows a grid pattern. So it should be quite easy to navigate your way around.

When it comes to choosing some places and rejecting others, I had to strike a balance between history, architecture, religious places, nature, shopping and of course, food! Being the former British colonial capital, Yangon has the most number of colonial buildings in Southeast Asia.  Since time has effectively stood still for so many decades, my colleague mentioned that he felt as if he had stepped through a time machine when he visited Myanmar. It is possible to walk the entire stretch of road without finding any modern day buildings. Instead, you would be inside the larger-than-life museum with rows of colonial era buildings. Sure, they are deteriorate and worn down. However, they are exhibits which you could never find elsewhere. So such sights would be the main highlights of my itinerary.  Based on your own preference, you may choose to spend more time in some places while forgoing other places. I hope you experience something new, something different!

Bon Voyage!

xoxo

Miss N

My Favorite List (food in Singapore) - Part I

Food is definitely an important feature of Singapore. We are all very spoiled with endless choices ranging from cheap hawker fares to expensive fine dining restaurants and from local cuisine all the way to exotic food like Mexican and Spanish.  Throw in the stressful & hectic lifestyle (hustle & bustle of city living, you know?).  Of course, eating out is so common here (I admit I'm generalizing and talking about majority). We love food. But we all have our favorites right? So here is mine:

Buffet

1) Jing Restaurant

Address: #01-02/03, 1 Fullerton Road, Singapore 049213

Nearest MRT: Raffles Place (on the red line & green line)

Price: SGD 48 ++ per adult

Remark: Only available on weekend & public holidays, from 12:00 to 14:30

Why I love it: Whenever we go for buffet, we always always end up eating more than we should, just to make our money worthwhile.  But in the long run, its just bad for us, our waistline will hate us!  I have learnt it the hard way that we should value quality over quantity and this is the place to be if you love Asian food AND buffet. It's slightly on the pricey side BUT Peking Duck, Chilli Crab & Fragrance Rice with Shark Fin will make it worth your money.

http://jing.sg/downloads/JING_WeekendAlaCarteBrunchBuffet.pdf

Mr & Missy in Myanmar - Day 8 to 11 - 26 to 29 Dec 2013

Day 8

We reached Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal pretty early around 6+ am and took a cab home. Air-conditioned cab cost us around 8,000 Kyats? 

After we unpacked, showered and had breakfast at home, we decided to go for Thai full body massage to give our tired bodies a treat.  Remember to give them a call to make reservations though. Our appointment was for 11 am but my mom dropped us off early and so we decided to pass time by enjoying Patbingsu at Lotteria!!! Yes, there is Lotteria in Yangon! The effect of Hallyu / Korean wave huh? 

Patbingsu 팥빙수 - a popular Korean summer snack of shaved ice with red bean and other toppings

Nope, not a Korean star but my fav local celebrity - Sai Sai