Hotel review - Ambassador Row Hotel Suites by Lanson Place Part 2 - Hotel Design and Breakfast

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Note: This article was written base on experience of staying in Ambassador Row Hotel Suites by Lanson Place's Superior One Bedroom Duta Suite. The following info is important to you because it tells you on which month we stayed, and the price relative to the amount of time between the date of stay to the date of booking. You may experience higher or lower price at different months/seasons and if you book further or nearer to the date of stay.

We booked on:     August 2015

We stayed on:      October 2015

We paid in total:  RM603.20 (in total, tax included) @ Superior One Bedroom Duta Suite, 2 persons, 2 nights, breakfast inclusive

Spacious it may be, being cooped up in the room can get a little boring, especially for the fact that the room offered no scenic view, only the rooftops of other apartments and a scatter of construction that seemed to be ubiquitous in Kuala Lumpur. Sometimes I would walk out of the suite and take a stroll within the confines of the hotel suite, exploring its grounds for some adventure.

Hotel lobbies are generally spacious, but not like this - Ambassador Row Hotel Suites has their lobby ceiling at the top of their 20 story building! No, not really, the ceiling above the reception area is only 2 story high, it is the area beyond that one could look up into the sky...

Hotel review - Ambassador Row Hotel Suites by Lanson Place Part 1 - Superior One Bedroom Duta Suite

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Note: This article was written base on experience of staying in Ambassador Row Hotel Suites by Lanson Place's Superior One Bedroom Duta Suite. The following info is important to you because it tells you on which month we stayed, and the price relative to the amount of time between the date of stay to the date of booking. You may experience higher or lower price at different months/seasons and if you book further or nearer to the date of stay.

We booked on:     August 2015

We stayed on:      October 2015

We paid in total:  RM603.20 (in total, tax included) @ Superior One Bedroom Duta Suite, 2 persons, 2 nights, breakfast inclusive

Where would you stay if you are visiting Kuala Lumpur? That was the question my wife and I asked ourselves every time we dropped by the capital. Hotels are expensive for long stays so we looked around the city center to see what possibilities exist. It was by chance that we stumbled upon Ambassador Row Suites online so we gave it a try, a decision which drove us to return to this same hotel suite more than once.

Superior One Bedroom Duta Suite, cozy like home, the mess of home to match...

Singapore Food Blog - Chong Qing Grilled Fish 重庆烤鱼

Location: Bugis, Central Business District (CBD), Singapore

Note: This post is written base on the dining experience in Liang Seah Street branch. Experience may vary from that of other outlets.

Recommended: Grilled Fish (what else...)

I was unaware of this Szechuanese restaurant until my friends brought me to try it out. Apparently Chong Qing Grilled Fish is quite famous and throngs of customers were waiting for a seat when we left. Fortunately for us, we arrived before dinner peak hour and managed to avoid the same fate as those diners.

Despite the fact that Chong Qing Grilled Fish occupies 2 shop floors, the interior is not too spacious, with seats arranged close to each other and conversations within earshot. Coupled with the fact that the grilled fish was served piping hot (no, really...), we felt like a steaming can of sardines, with the aroma of grilled fish to go with.

With a name of Chong Qing Grilled Fish, there wasn't any surprises that the main dish of choice was various Szechuanese based grill fish, coupled with a limited selection of other dishes to go with the spicy main offer. Although grilled fish took the main spot, the other list of dishes would help cater to a larger group and more varied tastes.

Our choice of dish - Golden Snapper 红曹 in Pickled Cabbage flavor hot pot (酸菜)

2014 Germany Trip - The Memorial Church of the Protestation (Gedächtniskirche der Protestation)

Location: Speyer, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Speyer itinerary | Speyer places I went to

If you arrive from the direction of the Speyer train station on foot, most probably the Old Gate (Altpörtel) will be within your sights and you would logically wander towards it, then from there to Speyer Cathedral, drawn by its majestic sight. However if you were to look towards the other direction from the Old Gate, you may see the skeletal spire jutting from the horizon. That was how I spied upon this church and decided to spend some time exploring that part of Speyer.

The Memorial Church of the Protestation, view from afar

2014 Germany Trip - Holy Trinity Church (Dreifaltigkeitskirche)

Location: Speyer, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Speyer itinerary | Speyer places I went to

I wandered around Speyer aimlessly after completing my tour in and around Speyer Cathedral. It was grand and imposing but it somehow lacked the kind of impact I felt in other churches I loved in my trip. In my stroll around the alleyway nearby the cathedral, I stumbled upon this church building that was partially hidden from Maximilianstraße. With a curiosity that could kill more than a cat, I took a step in to see what this building held within.

Baroque exterior

2014 Germany Trip - Imperial Cathedral of Speyer (Der Kaiserdom zu Speyer) (UNESCO World Heritage)

Location: Speyer, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Speyer itinerary | Speyer places I went to

Finally, I am writing about the focus of my visit to Speyer, a city that is barely mentioned in guidebooks, if mentioned at all. Strolling past the unmistakable Altpörtel (Old Gate), Maximilianstraße afforded me an unobstructed view towards Speyer Cathedral, an edifice listed in UNESCO World Heritage List for being one of the most important Romanesque building in Germany, a status well earned by being the largest Romanesque church still standing to date. Despite it being listed in the said UNESCO list and being hailed by the German National Tourist Board as one of the Top 100 Sights of Germany, it remains relatively unknown to most travelers.

Its official name is the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephen (German: Dom zu Unserer lieben Frau in Speyer), however it is a mouthful to call it by its full name every time one mentions it. Fortunately it is more commonly known as Imperial Cathedral of Speyer (German: Kaiserdom zu Speyer) or just Speyer Cathedral, a name which my post will use to save my poor hand from typing more.

Approaching from Maximilianstraße

2014 Germany Trip - Speyer Old Gate (Altpörtel)

Location: Speyer, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Speyer itinerary | Speyer places I went to

There is little doubt that the Old Gate would be the one of the first significant structure a traveler would feast his eyes upon when he arrives from the direction of the train station. Its pencil straight pointing to the sky was my first impression of the old town of Speyer when I arrived at noon, the medieval clock on its face confirming the sun's position in the sky.

The view after entering the city from the direction of the train station.

The Force Awakens - Star Wars @ Changi Airport

Location: Changi, Singapore

The Force is almost Awakened, with less than 2 weeks to go! As a Star Wars fan, I am certainly excited by the exhilarating trailers unveiled since last year, my excitement building to almost suffocating levels. I was in Changi International Airport to pick up my wife and I was surprised to see a life-sized TIE fighter and a menacing troops of First Order troopers on the Departure level.

I searched online (Star Wars @ Changi) only to realize that I almost missed the chance to capture the moment of both the First Order and the Resistance in action - from 12-Nov this year to 5-Jan-2016, Changi International Airport will play host to an X-Wing in T3 and the aforementioned TIE Fighter plus First Order troopers in T2.

Prepared for The Force Awakens

2014 Germany Trip - Speyer

Location: Speyer, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Speyer places I went to

The purpose of my arrival in Speyer was singular – to visit the UNESCO World Heritage that shared the town’s name, the Speyer Cathedral. In fact I spent less than half a day touring the town area from the train station to the river Rhine which bordered the town.

Interested readers be warned though, this series of my visit to Speyer visits only churches and cathedrals. If you are not into religious architectures and UNESCO heritage buildings, then Speyer may not be a suitable destination for you.

A view down Maximilianstrasse, the famous main street which leads unobstructed to Speyer Cathedral.

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To the interested readers, here is my 1 day itinerary in Speyer - in fact it took less than 6 hours in total if I wanted to but I spent some time for a stroll to get to know the town better. Click into each link to visit the dedicated post to the place of interest.

Morning: 

• arrive in Speyer train station around 11 a.m.
• took a selfie with its Altpörtel, the old gate of Speyer and Alte Münze, the Old Mint (<0.5 hour)

Noon: 

• visit Speyer Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1 - 1.5 hours)
• visit Dreifaltigkeitskirche, an unassuming building hiding a beautiful fresco (1 hour)
• visit Gedächtniskirche and marvel at its beautiful stained glass windows (1 hour)
• take a stroll around the old town all the way to the river (1 – 2 hours) 
• day ends and head back to my point of origin

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