Hotel Review - Holiday Inn Incheon Songdo

Location: Incheon, South Korea

Note: This article was written base on experience of staying in Holiday Inn Incheon Songdo's King Bed Superior Room. 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 through: directly via Holiday Inn

We booked on:         May 2016

We stayed on:          June 2016

We paid in total:      980,100₩ (in total, inclusive of 10%  charge and 10% VAT) @ King Bed Superior Room, 1 person, 6 nights, breakfast inclusive
* 163,350₩ (~RM580) per night (including charges, VAT, breakfast)

Incheon is a familiar name for frequent travelers to South Korea since this is the name for its international airport, which is named after the region where it is located. Unknown to most traveler though is that Incheon is a large region whereas the airport only lies on a strip of artificially island in said region. My recent business brought me to the industrial areas of Incheon, an area that is right across the airport and Holiday Inn Incheon Songdo was located at just the right distance for my convenience.

View of King Bed Superior Room

Hotel review - Aleenta Phuket Resort and Spa Part 4 - Final look at the hotel grounds

Location: Phuket, Thailand

Note: This article was written base on experience of staying in Aleenta Resort and Spa Phuket's Pool Villa. 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:     September 2014

We stayed on:      October 2014

We paid in total:  THB27,659.50 (~RM2771) (tax included) @ Pool Villa, 2 persons, 2 nights, breakfast inclusive

The overview of the whole hotel experience can be accessed from here: Thailand - Aleenta Phuket Resort and Spa

One more breakfast and we were left with spare time to kill before it was time to depart to the airport, ending our short but satisfying excursion to this beachside paradise. Strolled around we did in the hotel’s compound, wandering places and exploring niches. It was then that we realized how big Aleenta Phuket was, its grounds including other villas with their own gardens.

The infinity pool at dusk

Hotel review - Aleenta Phuket Resort and Spa Part 3 - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Location: Phuket, Thailand

Note: This article was written base on experience of staying in Aleenta Resort and Spa Phuket's Pool Villa. 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:     September 2014

We stayed on:      October 2014

We paid in total:  THB27,659.50 (~RM2771) (tax included) @ Pool Villa, 2 persons, 2 nights, breakfast inclusive

The overview of the whole hotel experience can be accessed from here: Thailand - Aleenta Phuket Resort and Spa

A lazy wake up and a swim in the pool later, we strolled to The Natai, Aleenta Phuket’s in-house restaurant serving local delicacies and our breakfast spot perched high over the seaview. With a spectacular view towards the endless sea and a nicely landscaped garden of pools, it couldn’t make a morning any more pleasant.

The Natai's menu in wooden cover

Hotel review - Aleenta Phuket Resort and Spa Part 2 - Pool Villa experience

Location: Phuket, Thailand

Note: This article was written base on experience of staying in Aleenta Resort and Spa Phuket's Pool Villa. 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:     September 2014

We stayed on:      October 2014

We paid in total:  THB27,659.50 (~RM2771) (tax included) @ Pool Villa, 2 persons, 2 nights, breakfast inclusive

The overview of the whole hotel experience can be accessed from here: Thailand - Aleenta Phuket Resort and Spa

At 180 m² (1937.50 ft²), Aleenta Phuket’s Pool Villa is a choice for vacationers balancing between luxury and cost. It is neither the smallest nor the largest but for honeymooners and couples without kids, it is more than enough. With fencing and gates, the villa is surrounded by an extra layer of privacy most suitable for those looking for sunbathing with no tan line (I quote from their website on this).

We of course excitedly explored every inch and amenities of the villa when we were left to ourselves. The Pool Villa was laid out in generally 3 sections – an enclosed living area with TV, another enclosed bedroom area with an adjoining dressing room, and finally the open section with the pool between both where we could enjoy sunbathing and swimming. 

Welcome to the Pool Villa! This is how it felt when the attendant brought us to our villa, opening the gates with a dramatic flourish.

Hotel review - Aleenta Phuket Resort and Spa Part 1 - Arrival

Location: Phuket, Thailand

Note: This article was written base on experience of staying in Aleenta Resort and Spa Phuket's Pool Villa. 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:     September 2014

We stayed on:      October 2014

We paid in total:  THB27,659.50 (~RM2771) (tax included) @ Pool Villa, 2 persons, 2 nights, breakfast inclusive

The overview of the whole hotel experience can be accessed from here: Thailand - Aleenta Phuket Resort and Spa

My wife and I are a stingy couple, as our friends readily attest. We save as much as we can, splurge only occasionally or for celebration. She chanced upon a recommendation of Aleenta Phuket (not sure from who or where) but the price tag for this luxurious hotel at a private beach was really hefty. The mesmerizing and attractive photos she viewed online could only be left in cyberspace. Things did a positive turn when I got my hands on some travel vouchers. Since those vouchers could not be cashed in, we decided that we should just splurge on, using the vouchers to cover our expenses. 

An infinity pool stretching to the sea and lounge that seemed to float are one of our best memories of Aleenta Phuket.

Dinosaurs - Dawn to Extinction Exhibition @ ArtScience Museum - Part 2

Location: Marina Bay, Central Business District (CBD), Singapore

Note: This is the second and last part of my experience in the Dinosaur exhibition. The previous part of the article can be read in Dinosaurs - Dawn to Extinction Exhibition Part 1.

The Dinosaurs exhibition had been fun so far, but I didn't feel impressed until my first encounter with a skeleton the size of a room. A large room in fact. Life was entering the late Triassic, and so had I. Welcome to the world where the dinosaurs started to win the competition for land and food.

Giant beings started roaming the Earth in the late Triassic era even though it wasn't their heyday yet. My first encounter with these looming giants was a battle scene re-enacted in a room, one between a towering Lessemsaurus and a carnivorous Fasolasuchus. The latter was smaller in size, but its barring teeth won in ferosity. To walk under the stretching tail of the Lessemsaurus sparked imagination of the roving giant stepping over you while battling its aggressor, and all would be awesome until you realized that you may not survive such a battle when it was stomping around.

To walk under and behind the Lessemsaurus granted me an unparalleled experience. It felt as if it just stepped over me to fight against its predator, until I realized that were that the reality, I most probably would not stand a chance of survival. 

Dinosaurs - Dawn to Extinction Exhibition @ ArtScience Museum - Part 1

Location: Marina Bay, Central Business District (CBD), Singapore

Note: This is the first of a two part sharing of a visit to Dinosaurs exhibition in ArtScience Museum. The coming article can be read in Dinosaurs - Dawn to Extinction Part 2.

I admit it here - I was a dino fan, the operative keyword here being 'was'. The rat race and reality altered my path out of my dream of being a palaeontologist, a job which involves multiple disciplines, a lot of patience and very little to show unless you struck gold (dino gold that is). Still, with a dinosaur exhibition in town, the deadened amber rekindled into a fire of passion. I may not be able to be a dino hunter, but I could still get to see what others managed to hunt face-to-face instead of going through still photos. ArtScience Museum, here I come!

Roar! Here comes the dino!

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Final - A Final Look at the Lobby

Location: Batu Ferringhi, Penang isle, Malaysia

Note: This article was written base on experience of staying in Lone Pine Hotel's Deluxe room in January 2013. Experience may differ with other rooms of the same hotel.

Experience of my stay in Lone Pine Hotel can be accessed through the list below.

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 1 - A Room for A Night

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 2 - Good Morning Balcony

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 3 - Breakfast @ The Bungalow

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 4 - A Walk on A Manicured Lawn

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 5 - LEPAK and a Hidden Wonder

Our wedding photo session took the whole day, extending into the night for shots after dark. By the time we got to our room at the end of the day, we were too exhausted to explore the hotel further, choosing to surrender ourselves to a rejuvenating night of sleep. 

Please clean up the room, but leave my heart intact on the bed...

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 5 - LEPAK and a Hidden Wonder

Location: Batu Ferringhi, Penang isle, Malaysia

Note: This article was written base on experience of staying in Lone Pine Hotel's Deluxe room in January 2013. Experience may differ with other rooms of the same hotel.

Experience of my stay in Lone Pine Hotel can be accessed through the list below.

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 1 - A Room for A Night

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 2 - Good Morning Balcony

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 3 - Breakfast @ The Bungalow

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 4 - A Walk on A Manicured Lawn

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Final - A Final Look at the Lobby

Wandering around the building of Lone Pine Hotel, we explored the surroundings like kid explorers hunting for treasures. And a treasure did we found. Hidden between the block housing our room and the one facing the beach was a lobby converted into a game and recreation room with the word “lepak corner” describing the place. The name itself employed an apt local term to describe the recreation area as “lepak” meant “to loiter” in Malay, educating and endearing foreigners with our national language.

"Lepak Corner", essentially a place for loitering.

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 4 - A Walk on A Manicured Lawn

Location: Batu Ferringhi, Penang isle, Malaysia

Note: This article was written base on experience of staying in Lone Pine Hotel's Deluxe room in January 2013. Experience may differ with other rooms of the same hotel.

Experience of my stay in Lone Pine Hotel can be accessed through the list below.

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 1 - A Room for A Night

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 2 - Good Morning Balcony

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 3 - Breakfast @ The Bungalow

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 5 - LEPAK and a Hidden Wonder

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Final - A Final Look at the Lobby

After a stuffed breakfast in The Bungalow as was shared in my last article, a walk around the hotel proper would be highly recommended, both to explore the grounds as well as to relief a full tummy. After all, a brisk walk under the trees and on the manicured lawn would be an excellent way to implement the tropical flavor of Penang isle and Lone Pine Hotel.

The verdant of the lawn and the turquoise from the pool complemented each other, one offering a flavor of the warm tropics, the other hinting of cool soothing sensation. Choices of beach chairs allowed patrons to choose the way they would like to enjoy their morning.

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 3 - Breakfast @ The Bungalow

Location: Batu Ferringhi, Penang isle, Malaysia

Note: This article was written base on experience of staying in Lone Pine Hotel's Deluxe room in January 2013. Experience may differ with other rooms of the same hotel.

Experience of my stay in Lone Pine Hotel can be accessed through the list below.

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 1 - A Room for A Night

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 2 - Good Morning Balcony

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 4 - A Walk on A Manicured Lawn

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 5 - LEPAK and a Hidden Wonder
A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Final - A Final Look at the Lobby

To enjoy a breakfast under the cool breeze in The Bungalow was a bliss indeed. With a cup of cappuccino in hand, I just basked in the moment as the rest of the patrons did. Some kids were dripping wet from their dip in the pool, ready to start their breakfast after an immersing moment in the cool waters. Other patrons enjoyed a moment with each other as a couple, a family or friends on a vacation, engaged in conversations or just reading under the cool patio.

The Bungalow is a 2-story building situated next to the pool. The patio and lower floor is converted into dining area and a kitchen, whereas the top floor is off limits.

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 2 - Good Morning Balcony

Location: Batu Ferringhi, Penang isle, Malaysia

Note: This article was written base on experience of staying in Lone Pine Hotel's Deluxe room in January 2013. Experience may differ with other rooms of the same hotel.

Experience of my stay in Lone Pine Hotel can be accessed through the list below.

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 1 - A Room for A Night

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 3 - Breakfast @ The Bungalow

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 4 - A Walk on A Manicured Lawn

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 5 - LEPAK and a Hidden Wonder
A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Final - A Final Look at the Lobby

A tired drive from Ipoh expectedly led to a sound dream on a fluffy pillow. To wake afresh to the morning sun was a bliss. Especially so when, upon exiting to the balcony, the tropic breeze brought with it the sounds of chirping birds and lapping waves. And we belatedly remembered that this was not home, but the coziness offered by Lone Pine Hotel misled us. 

Nothing beats the feel of a morning cup of coffee on the balcony amidst the chirping birds and swaying branches.

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 1 - A Room for A Night

Location: Batu Ferringhi, Penang isle, Malaysia

Note: This article was written base on experience of staying in Lone Pine Hotel's Deluxe room in January 2013. Experience may differ with other rooms of the same hotel.

Experience of my stay in Lone Pine Hotel can be accessed through the list below.

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 2 - Good Morning Balcony

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 3 - Breakfast @ The Bungalow

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 4 - A Walk on A Manicured Lawn

A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Part 5 - LEPAK and a Hidden Wonder
A Wedding Photo in Lone Pine Final - A Final Look at the Lobby

My latest review/sharing is a memorable one. This is the place where we took our wedding photo after all. 

To arrive into Georgetown before the sun dipped past the horizon after an exhausting drive from Ipoh was nothing short of relieve. But we had no time to marvel at the setting amber orb, as we still need to drive the half hour into Batu Ferringhi and locate the entrance of our accommodation for the night. It was partially hidden from the uncaring eyes of a casual observer but not to the determined traveler. 

I drove the car past a smiling guard, under a neon sign of ‘Lone Pine Hotel’ and past fences of climbing vines before the night market started to get busy. Once it got its momentum, the night market of Batu Ferringhi would make navigating the lone road difficult, sometimes even dangerous with the odd pedestrians jumping out from the stalls. Not to mention that the entrance of the hotel was rather difficult to spot even without the distractions of the market. 

Slot in your card key and enjoy your stay in Lone Pine Hotel!

Strait's Quay Marina Mall - The Night before Mid-Autumn

Location: Tanjung Tokong, Penang isle, Malaysia

Mid-Autumn Festival had come and go under a cool and windy full moon. There were a few notable differences between this year's Mid-Autumn compared to the rest of those in my memories. For one it was usually hot during this time of the year yet it had been raining for the past few days, although that failed to spoil kids' mood for carrying their brightly lit colorful lantern around. I also recalled that the moon being large and orange like a salted egg's yolk, low above the horizon but the moon last night was slightly hazed over by our polluted air and hanging small over my head.

Since my last article on Strait's Quay, I had yet to walk those corridors of that pristine white building. After a working Saturday and not sure what to do to kill time on a Sunday night, I steered myself unknowingly to this faraway place (it really is far from my rented house) to experience first hand how this establishment celebrate the traditional Chinese festival within a Western architecture.

The canopy sidewalk of Marina Mall was cleared of stalls that night, with only glittering lamps in my company.

Straits Quay Marina Mall - A Mid-Autumn Festival

Location: Tanjung Tokong, Penang isle, Malaysia

There may be more than a month before Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) comes knocking on our door, but somehow the festive mood is warming up earlier than recent years. Stalls are set, decos are set, and everyone is looking at mooncakes everywhere.

A lantern above and a hut below promotes the harmony of the Malaysian races.