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Skylight B&B @ Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan

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Hello Everyone,
in our blog entry today, we will be covering the Skylight B&B, a luxurious chic and contemporary boutique accommodation that we stayed in for a night at Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan.

The best room available in Skylight B&B is situated on the 7th floor and it has a magnificent view of the Sun Moon Lake. Here are some photographs of the views from our room.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

They even have a digital panel/console for controlling the room’s lighting and television.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

We’re pretty sure many of you are curious about how the room looks like, so here are just some photographs that we took of the room. If you look closely, the curtains in the room can all be drawn and that actually allows you to have an all-rounded view of the surrounding areas.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

The room was definitely cosy and spacious enough for us.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Here are just some of the amenities that we found in the room.

We found the cupboard slightly too small but well, it didn’t matter to us because we were staying only for a night.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Some spare pillow and mattress we found in the cupboard.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Some Biscuits, Bottled Mineral Water, and Tea-Making Facility in the Room

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Toiletries Kit we found in the Bathroom

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

So now, let us show you how the bathroom looks like.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Yes, it’s a see-thru glass panel that allows you to look into the bathroom from the room. A lot of hotels are now adopting a concept like this.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

You can have a standing rain-shower too.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

From the bathroom, you can actually look outside and that also means people from the outside can look in as well. So, if you’re planning to book this hotel room, make sure you put down all the curtains before you shower.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

This is what I personally like best about our room! There is a bath tub [zen-style] to soak in while listening to some soft classical music.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Well, since we wanted to explore more of the surrounding area of Sun Moon Lake, Baby and I decided to check out the shops and night market which were extremely near to our accommodation.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

A rather entertaining performance that we caught while walking around the area.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

We tried some of the food that were sold at the street stalls.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

And we chanced upon these rather interesting flowers! I am pretty sure some of you might have seen photos of these flowers posted on Facebook. These are real flowers and not fake! In fact, the flower petals close when they come into contact with water and the flower petals open when they come into contact with light. The best thing is, the flowers will never die with proper handling and care; thus it makes a perfect souvenir to get for someone who loves flowers.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

They are really so beautiful that I bought 1 for myself to display on my working desk. A small jar like this cost $380 TWD [approx. $16.15 SGD]

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

We also happened to pass by one desserts store that sold crepes. Since we had a craving for something chocolatey and sweet, we ordered a chocolate ice-cream crepe.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

While waiting for our crepe to be ready, we took some photos of the shop.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

And when our crepe was ready, it looked and tasted really delicious!

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Anyway, as we were in Sun Moon Lake on the actual day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, there were mini fireworks that were launched by the people residing at Sun Moon Lake. We didn’t manage to take any photographs of the fireworks but we sure heard them loud and clear. Since it was Mid-Autumn Festival, the shops closed rather early and we went to the nearby 7-Eleven Store to buy our dinner.

This was our dinner for the night. Boy, we sure love the 7-Eleven Store in Taiwan a lot!

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

If you’re wondering how dinner tasted and looked like. Here you go!

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

So, this was how we spent the night in Sun Moon Lake. If you’re wondering how much it cost us to stay at Skylight B&B, you will be quite surprised to find out that we only paid $4200 TWD [approx. $178.50]  for a night’s stay in the best room available at Skylight B&B [inclusive of a really sumptuous breakfast which we will blog about in our next blog entry]. If you’re planning to book a room at Skylight B&B, be sure to book it fast because their rooms are selling like hotcakes!

In our next blog entry, we will be covering about the Taiwan High Speed Rail and of course, many other attractions that we went to during our 9 Days 8 Nights trip in Taiwan.

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

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Liao Mayor Black Tea Store + Sun Moon Lake Boat Ride @ Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan

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Hello Everyone,
Today, we are going to cover the Liao Mayor Black Tea Store and the Sun Moon Lake Boat Ride that we went to when we were at Sun Moon Lake in Taiwan.

Sun Moon Lake is extremely popular for its Black Tea. In fact, if you have family members, relatives, or friends who loves drinking tea, then you must buy Sun Moon Lake‘s Black Tea for them. I was told by our driver that Alishan is famous for its Oolong Tea, Sun Moon Lake for its Black Tea, and Cing Jing for its Green Tea. Well, since my dad is a fan of black tea, Baby and I decided to check out Liao Mayor Black Tea Store in Sun Moon Lake.

The entrance to Liao Mayor Black Tea Store.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

With decades of experiences in making the finest black tea, you can be rest assured that the tea you purchase from Liao Mayor is of the finest standard and quality.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Here’s where the tea leaves are being processed.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Parting shot at Liao Mayor Black Tea Store.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Anyways, if you are not sure what kind of tea to purchase, you can take your time and sample the tea leaves they are selling. There are no obligations for you to make any purchase to try their tea and that is a plus point.

This was what we eventually got for my dad.

So after checking out the Liao Mayor Black Tea Store, we journeyed by car for about 20 minutes to Sun Moon Lake.

When we reached the vicinity of Sun Moon Lake, we had lunch at one of the restaurants that our driver recommended.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Baby fooling around while waiting for our dishes to arrive.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Here are the dishes that we ordered. In fact, we ordered the smallest portion but its still quite a lot!

Some Vegetable Soup [you see the white thingy and the yellow thingy? they’re a type of edible vegetable and flower respectively that is unique to Sun Moon Lake].

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Fried Tofu with Vegetables

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Dragon Beard Vegetable [we’ve heard of Dragon Beard Candy but not Dragon Beard Vegetable. Since it was something new to us, we decided to give it a try].

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Steamed White Chicken

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Fried Rice

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

After the rather filling meal, we then went to purchase our tickets for the Sun Moon Lake Boat Ride which cost us $300 TWD [approx. $12.75 SGD] per person. If you’re planning to have a meal before the boat ride, it is highly recommended that you don’t eat so much because Baby and I almost “merlioned”/puked.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Onboard The Ship!

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

There are many different boat companies that operate the boat ride. So, choose one which has lesser people so that you can take all the pictures that you want with no obstruction.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Baby look like a model hor?!

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Some photographs taken during the boat ride.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

That’s Ci En Pagoda from afar! We will be covering Ci En Pagoda in our next blog entry.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

And we finally arrived at Ita Zhao.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

While waiting for our driver to fetch us to Ci En Pagoda, we took the liberty to walk around the night market and bought some Muah Chee to satisfy our cravings.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

And guess what, we found out that our accommodation for the night was just around the area. How perfect!

So anyways, because there are just so much things to cover about our trip to Taiwan; in our next blog entry, we will be covering the Ci En Pagoda and also the Ita Zhao night market. Thereafter, we will be blogging about our stay at Skylight BB, a rather chic and contemporary boutique accommodation!

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

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Puli Winery + Guangxin Paper Mill @ Puli

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Hello Everyone,
in our blog entry today, we will be covering the Puli Winery and the Guangxin Paper Mill that Baby and I went to when we were in Puli.

Puli Winery

Puli Winery is devoted to establishing the landmark feature of Puli as the Hometown of Shaoxing Wine. Being Taiwan’s first Wine Culture Museum, Puli Winery is actively promoting the culture of Shaoxing Wine and it is also constantly putting more efforts in preserving the history of the winery.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Due to the warm weather, sweet and clear water that the Puli area of central Taiwan enjoys, the Puli Winery has come to be known for producing excellent quality Shaoxing Wine that has a bright yellow appearance and a vigorous fragrance.

Baby posing for a photograph at the entrance of Puli Winery.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Just look at all the wine pots that are used in the process of wine fermentation.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Here’s Baby and I fooling around in Puli Winery.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Some of the wine pots were designed by different craftsmen and in order to distinguish themselves, some of wine pots bear the unique seal of the different craftsmen.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Truth be told, I don’t really know how to appreciate the museum aspect of Puli Winery because there isn’t really anything that is fascinating. But, if you’re planning to buy some Shaoxing Wine or its related products, you could just head straight to their retail area and skip the museum part. If you’re not into alcohol, you might want to take Puli Winery out of your itinerary.

Puli is popular for its sugar cane and if you’re a fan of sweets and sugar, you might want to try this non-alcoholic sugar cane candy. It is crunchy like a biscuit but doesn’t sticks to the teeth. A bag of sugar cane candy cost $80 TWD [approx. $3.40 SGD].

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

This is how the Sugar Cane Candy is being made. A rather similar technique as how Sticky’s candies are being made.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

They have flavoured Shaoxing Wine Ice-Cream too and they cost $15 TWD [the cheapest] approx. $0.64 SGD It’s something you must try if you’re here!

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Parting shot at Puli Winery

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

If you’re planning to get some souvenirs and gifts for your family members and friends, you can buy some Shaoxine Wine or some other food products like the Flavoured Shaoxing Wine Jellies. For myself, I bought 6 boxes of Flavoured Shaoxin Wine Jellies that cost $200 TWD [approx. $8.50 SGD] a box!

Guangxin Paper Mill

Do you know that water is an important factor in the process of making paper. Thanks to the fine quality of the water in Puli, the paper made in Puli had all along enjoyed great prestige. Hence, Puli was also called “The Hometown of Handmade Paper”in Taiwan. So, being interested in how paper was traditionally made, Baby and I decided to check out Guangxin Paper Mill.

Here’s me posing for a photograph outside the entrance of Guangxin Paper Mill

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

As we were there during lunch time, there wasn’t any tour being conducted. Thankfully, there was a tour group that arrived and we happily tagged on.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

The guide showing us the various raw materials which could be used to make paper. So, if you think paper only come from trees, you’re wrong.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Here are some of the equipment that are used in the production of paper.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Honestly, the tour around Guangxin Paper Mill was rather fascinating and informative because most of the time, we use a lot of paper but don’t really know what goes on in the production of paper. Hence, after this tour, I have learnt to appreciate the use of paper. If you’re planning to make a trip to Guangxin Paper Mill; be sure not to miss out on their tour.

The guide demonstrating to us how to make paper.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

After the tour, you can choose to make your own paper product. If you’re going for the full workshop, it will cost you $220 TWD [approx. $9.35 SGD].

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

A small boy boy learning how to make paper.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Instead of buying souvenirs home, why not make a souvenir yourself and bring it home?

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Here’s Baby making her own souvenir. Of all the designs that are available, Baby chose the one which resembles Taiwan.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Baby drying her souvenir on the heating panel.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

The final product [which we forgotten to take when we were staying in Sun Moon Lake] 🙁

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Baby putting a stamp of Guangxin Paper Mill on her souvenir.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

If you don’t fancy making your own souvenir, you can purchase some souvenirs from Guangxin Paper Mill too.

Here’s a short video on making your own souvenir at Guangxin Paper Mill.

In our next blog entry, we will be blogging about Sun Moon Lake and the Liao Mayor Black Tea Shop, so stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

by
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Guan Yin Waterfall + Feeling 18 Degrees C Chocolate Factory @ Puli

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Hello Everyone,
after spending a night in Cing Jing, Baby and I went to a few attractions in Puli before heading to stay at Sun Moon Lake for a night. The attractions that we went to in Puli are the Guan Yin Waterfall, the 18 Degrees C Chocolate Factory, the Puli Winery, and the Guangxing Paper Factory.

In this blog entry, we will be covering the Guan Yin Waterfall and the 18 Degrees C Chocolate Factory.

Before we left Ming Qin Minsu, we took a few photographs around the area because the weather was clear and it wasn’t as cloudy as it was the day before.

Waking up to these very beautiful scenery in the early morning is just so calming and soothing!

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Also, the background is perfect for a natural photo like these! Won’t you agree with me that Baby looked like a super model?

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Now, now, what about me? Do I qualify for Manhunt? hahas. 😛

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

All thanks to our tripod, we managed to get a photo together with such a beautiful landscape.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Here’s a short video of the view from our room at Ming Qin Minsu.

Breakfast at Ming Qin Minsu was nothing extraordinary.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Trying hard to smile during breakfast but how to when the breakfast isn’t that appetising at all?

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

I didn’t know Ming Qin Minsu has maple trees until I looked up and Baby took a shot of these maple leaves. I regretted not picking up the maple leaves that have fallen off the trees, otherwise, it would have made a great keepsake.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Before leaving Ming Qin Minsu, we took more parting shots of our room.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

The room’s wallpaper really makes a perfect backdrop eh!

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

And so, our long and winding journey to our first stop of the day began.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

We definitely miss the cool and fresh mountain breeze. Cing Jing was such a beautiful place that we will definitely go back to visit again.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Guan Yin Waterfall

The Guan Yin Waterfall used to be one of the most popular tourist attractions in Puli. However, due to the 921 Earthquake that took place on 21 September 1999, a wooden trail was broken and as a result, there are lesser visitors now. Though it is less crowded now, the beauty of the Guan Yin Waterfall is still there. There are two parts to the Guanyin Waterfall, one which is the outer waterfall and the other which is the inner waterfall. The outer waterfall can be reached within 5 minutes from entrance by foot, and it is around 20 metres in height. The inner waterfall which is more magnificent, is around 60 metres in height and it is currently sealed off as the wooden trail is still under repair. Between the inner waterfall and the outer waterfall, there are many small waterfalls along the trail.

And so, we arrived at the entrance of Guan Yin Waterfall and it took us 5 minutes to reach the outer waterfall.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

A short video introduction to Guan Yin Waterfall

Some shots of the outer waterfall. The first shot is taken with the Olympus EPL-3 while the second shot is taken using the Canon Powershot S100.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Baby taking a photograph with the outer waterfall.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

After taking a few photographs with the outer waterfall, our hike up to the inner waterfall began. From the outer waterfall to the inner waterfall, it would take about 30 minutes [depending on walking speed].

Here’s me pointing to the wilderness!

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Along the trail, we saw some small waterfalls like this one.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

And we also saw signs like this, which made us pretty cautious about our surroundings.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

After a long hike up, we finally reached the inner waterfall. By the way, as the wooden trail is currently under repair, I strongly will not advise you to go further up because it can be rather slippery.

A short video about the inner waterfall.

Our parting shot at the inner waterfall.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

The hike down was a breeze and we saw some people whom were rather daring to go into the waters. You can too if you wish to but I generally will not recommend for safety reasons.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Anyways, the water is really clean! I doubt you can drink from it straight; you probably would need to pop in a purifying tablet.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

What you see in the background are not stones but they are actually wooden tree pieces that have accumulated over the years.

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Trust me, I love shooting with my Canon Powershot S100 because it is extremely compact. When I go for media events using only my trusty Canon Powershot S100, people tend to look at me in a rather awkward fashion but I don’t really care.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Symbol of Achievement!

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Opposite the entrance of Guan Yin Waterfall, there’s also a Guan Yin Bridge. Since we were there, we decided to take a few photographs before leaving for our next stop, the 18 Degrees C Chocolate Factory.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Feeling 18 Degrees C Chocolate Factory

Master Mao is the owner of Feeling 18 Degrees C Chocolate Factory and he has more than ten years of experience in making chocolates. To further hone his skills, Master Mao went to Japan to master the art of making chocolates. Upon his return to Taiwan, Master Mao started Feeling 18 Degrees C Chocolate Factory with the intention of making the best affordable chocolates; hence, he chose Puli due to the lower rental rates. Soon after, Master Mao and his family created an attraction on Puli map for tourists and this is what he has done in return for this small town which is also their hometown.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

When we reached Feeling 18 Degrees C Chocolate Factory, there were already tons of people whom were already queuing up to buy chocolates. In fact, you have to get a queue number in order to go into their display store.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Thankfully, they had an express booth where you can buy pre-packed chocolates.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

I was really spoilt for choice.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Just look at all their product offerings!

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

And I decided that I was going to try their 65% dark chocolate that cost $250 TWD [approx. $10.62 SGD].

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

The Box Packaging looks rather pretty and classic.!

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Baby was just so excited to pose with the box of chocolates!

From Day 2 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

And if you’re in the mood for ice-creams, you might want to try their gelatos. I’m not sure if they’re good cause we didn’t try it.

From Day 2 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

In our next blog entry, we will be covering the Puli Winery and the Guangxin Paper Mill; so do stay tuned to more updates from us! In case you’re wondering how the chocolates taste like, it tasted like Royce’s chocolates; except that Royce’s chocolates are much sweeter.

God bless!

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Old England Manor + Carton King @ CingJing

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Hello Everyone,
as mentioned in our last blog post about our Taiwan Holiday 2012, Baby and I have spent two days in Central Taiwan and in order for us to cover as much attractions as possible, we have hired a driver whom brought us around to the different places that we wanted to go.

Getting Around In Central Taiwan:

Though utilising the public transportation is rather direct and straightforward, it is extremely difficult to move around with big luggage and cover a number of attractions in a short period of time. Moreover, travelling time via the public transportation can take extremely long. Hence, we decided to hire a driver that took us around in a Toyota Wish for 2 full days at a price of $7000 TWD [approx. $297.49 SGD].

On the first day of our Taiwan Holiday 2012, we spent the first day in CingJing and we visited several tourist attractions such as the Old England Manor, Carton King, Small Swiss Garden, and Green Green Grassland.

As we have tons of photographs to show, we will be blogging about the Old England Manor and the Carton King in this blog post; and we will be blogging about the Small Swiss Garden and Green Green Grassland in the next blog post.

Old England Manor

The Old England Manor is a really luxurious accommodation and a night’s stay on a weekday would cost you at least $16,500 Taiwan Dollars [TWD] which is equivalent to $701.23 Singapore Dollars* [SGD]. Hundreds of millions Taiwan Dollars have been pumped in to construct this property that took 9 years to complete. Most of the furnishings and constructs are imported from England and if you’re planning to check out the property’s interior, it would not be possible unless you’re a staying guest. Alternatively, if you wish to enter the building, you can pay $450 TWD [approx. $19.12 SGD] for an afternoon tea. Well, since we couldn’t really afford to stay here, we stopped by to take some really beautiful photographs of the place and its surrounding scenery. By the way, its free to enter the exterior of Old England Manor to take photographs.

A Short Video Introduction of the Old England Manor

The Old England Manor at Cing Jing

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Closed-Up View of the Old England Manor

The Fabulous Mountain View from the Old England Manor

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

The Old England Manor was so WOW!

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Baby posing for some photos with the England-Style Street Lamps

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Baby standing in front of one of the guestrooms in Old England Manor

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

High-Tea at Old England Manor cost $450 NT [approx. $19.12 SGD]. Pretty worth it if you’re looking to relax and just chill out.

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Parting Shot at Old England Manor

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Carton King

Carton King is a small retail shop that sells a wide variety of souvenirs made from paper and everything in Carton King [such as ceilings, tables, chairs] is made by corrugated paper. A souvenir which we found really unique is the leather-like paper bag that can be washed using machine!

Carton King Post Shop is where you can find tons of postcards to purchase as souvenirs. In fact, you can mail a postcard back to your home country too.

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Some rather unique postcards that we saw.

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

DIY Cardboard Souvenirs

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

A rather fascinating Cardboard Structure

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

The Big Fat Me was able to go into the Cardboard Structure

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Some other rather fascinating paper souvenirs that are lighted up with LED bulbs. We bought one of these to bring home to decorate my new room.

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

and yes, they have larger ones as well. Pretty cool to have it as a form of decoration at home.

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

DIY Paper Train

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

DIY Cardboard Plane

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

This is too kiddy for me but I just couldn’t resist sitting on it. In fact, this cardboard horse can take weights up to 100+ KG!

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

There are some really interesting cards that are being sold at Carton King and we bought some of them at a really good price. So, if you’re a pretty close friend of ours and your birthday falls in the remaining months of this year, expect to receive an interesting and unique birthday card from us.

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Some Parting Shots at Carton King

From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 1 Taiwan 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

*Assuming exchange rate of $1 SGD = $23.53 TWD

So that’s all for the Old England Manor and the Carton King. Check out our next upcoming blog post on the Small Swiss Garden and Green Green Grasslands!

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God Bless!

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I Am Currently Reading [The Rise Of Nine]

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Reading is my favourite pastime and ever since the release of I Am Number Four, and The Power Of Six, I have been so hooked onto the series that I always can’t wait for the next book sequel to be released. So, when I heard that The Rise Of Nine was going to be released, I was naturally excited and I went to check out the Popular Bookstore to see how much it was going to cost. Just like the previous two books, I Am Number Four, and The Power Of Six; The Rise Of Nine cost SGD $19.80 and if you have a Popular Membership Card, it would cost you only SGD $17.82!
And if you’re someone who prefers to read an e-book instead of having a physical hard copy book, then you might want to get it from www.ilovebooks.com [which I generally do not recommend] because it will cost you SGD $26.43! That is SGD $6.63 more than the retail price and I personally feel that its not worth the money at all.

Anyhows, if you’re a fan of The Hunger Games, I’m pretty sure you will enjoy reading the Lorien Legacies series by Pittacus Lore and this latest sequel is not an exception too. I personally enjoy reading The Rise of Nine and the book has kept me in suspense throughout that I just couldn’t wait to finish the whole book within a day! I have to admit that the book can get rather confusing at times because the scene jumps from one part to another part from chapter to chapter. But honestly, The Rise Of Nine is a good read and I will strongly recommend it. I shan’t be a spoiler and so if you’re interested to find out more about how the story is going to continue from where it left off in The Power Of Six, then you have to grab this book!

I really do hope that there would be a movie adaption of The Power Of Six and The Rise Of Nine, just like how they did with I Am Number Four.

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God Bless!

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Jaillance is Bubbling to Singapore Shores

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Jaillance is bubbling to Singapore shores in late September this year and many of you must be thinking, “What exactly is Jaillance?” Well, Jaillance originates from the Drome Valley, nestled between Vercors and Provence, and it represents the Cave de Die, a cooperative founded in 1950; which produces sparkling wines that are second only to Champagne in France and it is the leading French brand in Appellation d’Origine Protegee sparkling wines.
I figured that many of you must be scratching your heads right now and you probably might not be familiar with certain technical wine terms; hence, I would try my best to keep this blog post really simple to understand.

Anyhows, Jaillance is making its debut in Singapore with two bottle-fermented French sparkling wines; the demi-sec Muscat, Clairette from Die and the brut Semillon from Bordeaux. Before I go on to introduce these two really fabulous sparkling wines, please allow me to define certain wine terms for you so that you more or less will understand what I am about to share with you.

The term demi-sec means semi-dry and the term brut means dry. So in other words, if you see the word, “brut” on a wine label, it means the wine has an extremely low or no sugar content; on the other hand, if you see the word, “demi-sec” on a wine label, it means the wine has a slightly higher sugar content level and is mildly sweet. If you prefer sparkling wines that are extremely sweet, you should look out for labels that indicate moelleux or doux [very sweet]. However, it is extremely rare that sparkling wines are moelleux or doux; most of the time, sparkling wines are either brut or demi-sec. If you’ve a sweet tooth, then demi-sec sparkling wines are actually good enough.

The terms, “Die” and “Bordeaux” are wine producing regions in France and the terms, “Muscat”, “Clairette”, and “Semillon” are the grapes that are used in producing the sparkling wines.

Here is a picture of a bunch of Clairette grapes; and Muscat and Semillon grapes look kinda similar as Clairette grapes.

So now that you have more or less essentially understood the wine terms, let me introduce you to the two fabulous sparkling wines that Jaillance is bringing to Singapore; the demi-sec Muscat, Clairette from Die, and the brut Semillon from Bordeaux.

The wine tasting session was held at Balzac Brasserie, a French restaurant at Rendezvous Gallery.

This is where Balzac Brasserie is located.

From Jalliance 2012
From Jalliance 2012

Jaillance‘s Muscat, Clariette and Semillon.

From Jalliance 2012

A closer look at the wine label. I believe that by now, you would have more or less understand what the wine label means. What’s probably ancient to you is, “Methode Ancestrale” and “Methode Traditionnelle”. Well “Methode Ancestral” means that the sparkling wine is made using the ancestral method while “Method Traditionnelle” means that the sparkling wine is made using the traditional method [similar to how Champagne is being made in Champagne].

From Jalliance 2012

A closer look at the back portion of the wine label. Good information to know but might be a bit hard to understand.

From Jalliance 2012

This is Mr. Oliver Campos, Business Manager of Asia-Pacific, UK and Scandinavia. He gave us a short but informative introduction to Jaillance and the two sparkling wines that we were going to sample.

From Jalliance 2012

Just look at those small fizzy bubbles. You just have to know, the smaller and finer the bubbles, the better the sparkling wine is. Usually, big bubbles are associated with cheap sparkling wines.

From Jalliance 2012

After the informative introduction by Mr. Oliver Campos, we had a food and wine pairing session where delectable canapes were served.

From Jalliance 2012

To pair with the Semillon, we had the Carpaccio of Red Beetroot and marinated Calamari

From Jalliance 2012

and the Balzac Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche and Chives on Mini Tartine

From Jalliance 2012

To pair with the Muscati, Clariette, we had the Reblochon Tartiflette and French bacon

From Jalliance 2012

and the Camembert Croquette with wild Mushroom Veloute

From Jalliance 2012

As the Muscati, Clariette goes well with desserts too, we had the Classic Homemade Lemon Tart

From Jalliance 2012

and the French choquette and Vanilla cream

From Jalliance 2012

Ok, I know alot of French terms here are pretty confusing but well, they’re French.

And because I really don’t want to give you readers an information overload, a lot of information regarding Wines can be found on the Internet and Wikipedia is a good start. Anyhows, both the sparkling wines are just superb and I really like it because the taste of the sparkling wines are mellow, balanced, and it certainly exudes a rather exuberant kind of sophistication. Unlike other sparkling wines where the grapes used in producing the sparkling wine are harvested using machines, Jaillance harvest the grapes by hand, a method that is really costly and that which proves its commitment to producing only the finest French sparkling wine that is second only to Champagne in France. No wonder it is indeed the leading French brand in Appellation d’Origine Protegee sparkling wines!

After the wine tasting session, Jaillance was really so generous that they gave each of us attendees a bottle of the Muscat, Clairette and the Semillon. Not only that, they gave us an Ice Bag which would really come in handy for picnics and also a Wine Bottle Stopper.

From Jalliance 2012

So, if you’re wondering where on earth you could find Jaillance‘s sparkling wines, you can find them in Cold Storage, MarketPlace, and Bottles & Bottles from late September and you can also find them in FairPrice, FairPrice Finest, and FairPrice Xtra from early November onward.

The best part is, the Muscat, Clairette is going at $26.90 and the Semillon is going at $29.90; a price that is really value for money, considering the fact that you’re getting award-winning sparkling wines which usually cost about $40+ a bottle. Hence, if you’re planning a 18th or 21st birthday and you’re thinking of having some booze to rock the night away, you might want to consider getting Jaillance‘s sparkling wines for that extra special touch.

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Sparkling Wine Trivial:

Do you know that Champagne is a sparkling wine but not all sparkling wines are Champagne? As a matter of fact, the word, “Champagne” has been used too casually that people tend to associate all sparkling wines with Champagne. Now what is really true is this, that Champagne is a sparkling wine that is produced exclusively only in the region of Champagne in France; and all other sparkling wines that are produced outside of Champagne are known as sparkling wines.

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

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The Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine

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IMPORTANT UPDATE:
*Many have asked when the Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine will be available and as of now, it is not available in Singapore yet until Mid October. However, you can pre-order the Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine on Moleskine Asia Online Shop <–. Currently, only <10 people has the Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine in hand and Yours Truly here is one of those <10 people*

—————————————————————————————–
Hello Everyone,

I’m not sure if anyone has heard of the Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine but I’m pretty sure you probably would know what Moleskine is.

Well, in case you don’t know what Moleskine is, Moleskine is essentially a brand that encompasses a family of nomadic objects such as notebooks, diaries, journals, bags, writing instruments, and reading accessories. If you frequent bookstores such as Popular and Kinokuniya, you might have noticed Moleskine notebooks and diaries at the Stationery section.

So anyways, thanks to the folks from Working Unit and Moleskine, I was given a set of the Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine to try it and here are my honest opinions.

I personally find Moleskine products to be rather expensive but they do make great gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, so on and so forth. In fact, if you were found to be carrying Moleskine products around, people generally have a different impression of you [very much like how you would associate people whom carry products from Gucci, Louis Vuitton]. So, if you’re planning to get a gift maybe say for a tech-savvy executive, you might want to consider getting the Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine.

The Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine.

From Evernote Smart Notebook 2012

They also gave me this pen to write with but I didn’t quite like the feel of it. I would still prefer my usual ballpoint pen.

From Evernote Smart Notebook 2012

This is how the front cover of the Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine looks like.

From Evernote Smart Notebook 2012

If you were to ask me how practical it would be for you to get an Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine, I would say its 50-50. The reason why I would say its 50-50 is because if you’re a person that brings your smartphone [iPhone/Galaxy S3/any other brand] or tablet [iPad/Galaxy Tab/any other brand] around, you are very likely to jot down your personal notes using your mobile devices and organise your notes using the applications that you’ve downloaded onto your mobile devices; hence, you probably would not have the need for a physical notebook and pen to jot down your notes. But, if you’re someone like me whom still prefers doing things the old-fashioned way and enjoys writing your ideas on paper, then getting a physical notebook is something that is extremely practical.

Ok, if you belong to the first category of people that I mentioned, then this is one application that you have to download [available on Google Play and App Store], “the Evernote application“. I personally find the Evernote application to be extremely useful in organising my notes and in fact, you can do a whole lot of other wonderful things such as sharing your notes with other people conveniently and carrying out simple word processing with the Evernote application. The best part is, the application is free. However, if you sign up for the premium which cost USD$5 a month, you can get a wider range of benefits which you can find here –> http://evernote.com/premium/

If you belong to the second category of people that I mentioned, then you might want to consider getting the Evernote Smart Notebok by Moleskine because it has a rather chic and stylish front and back cover design and it is designed to work seamlessly with the Evernote application. Because of the Evernote rules and Evernote squared page styles in the notebook, it allows the user to digitally capture a clean image. Not only that, the Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine comes with the Evernote-ready Moleskine Smart Stickers that allows you to sticker-tag the pages of the notebok so that when you capture a page with the Evernote application, the Smart Sticker icons become searchable, digital tags that can make it easy to keep your ideas organised and to synchronise your digital and analog workspaces. The best part is, every purchase of the Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine comes with a 3 months Evernote application premium subscription.

At the back of the Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine, it tells you how you could use the notebook to your advantage.

From Evernote Smart Notebook 2012

At the last page of the Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine, instructions are provided to let users know how they can use the notebook with the Evernote application and this is also the page where users find the code for the free 3 months premium subscription of Evernote application.

From Evernote Smart Notebook 2012

The colourful tags that you see are the Evernote-ready Moleskine Smart Stickers.

From Evernote Smart Notebook 2012

Having said so much, if you’re still unsure what to expect from the Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine, the video below summarises everything I’ve mentioned thus far.

The Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine is available in large and pocket sizes and they cost SGD$41 and SGD$30 respectively.

So, if you’re interested in getting an Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine for yourself or for your family members and friends, you can actually pre-order it at –> http://www.moleskineasia.com/Evernote-Smart-Notebook

I honestly feel that its a rather perfect gift for dads/mums/teachers. Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God Bless!

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Mooncakes in Singapore are Grossly Overpriced!

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From the title of this blog entry, you most probably would be able to guess what I would be ranting about; and yes, its the grossly-overpriced mooncakes that are being sold in Singapore! After checking out a few mid-autumn festival fairs where mooncakes are being sold by top hotels and popular restaurants, I can only conclude this; that suppliers/vendors are overcharging their mooncakes! I know I would definitely be flamed/grilled by the various local merchants for putting up this blog entry but seriously, I really would like to share with you readers how you could get better quality mooncakes at just half the price and why you should avoid buying mooncakes that are grossly-overpriced.
The ingredients used to make mooncakes are really cheap and no matter how “premium” a mooncake may be, its not exactly as premium as it may seem. As a matter of fact, what people are really paying for is the branding/reputation of where the mooncakes are coming from and the extravagant packaging that complements the mooncakes. Yes, I do agree that mooncakes make perfect gifts for this special occasion but surly these packaging and branding do not cost that much.

In my own personal opinion, there are only 2 types of mooncakes even though others may argue that there are more; one that is the traditional kind, and the other that is the snowskin kind. Much of today’s traditional mooncakes are still rather traditional except that there may be certain variations such as the alteration/substitution/addition of certain ingredients that somehow give vendors/suppliers the “right” to tout their mooncakes as being a healthier choice/low in sugar content, and etc.

However, for the snowskin mooncakes, there are indeed lots of variations and they come in a myriad of fascinating and interesting colours. In fact, some of the snowskin mooncakes now have added ingredients such as liqueur and chocolate truffles! Not only that, the snowskin mooncakes come in a variety of designs and in one of the mid-autumn festival fairs that I visited, I chanced upon a box of snowskin mooncakes that come in the design of Angry Birds and they were selling it at SGD$80 a box for 4 pieces of mooncakes! And just in case you’re wondering, a box of traditional mooncakes from these popular restaurants or hotels are selling at a minimum price of SGD$50 and above!

While I do understand that mid-autumn festival is a once in a year affair, I do not see the reason why suppliers/vendors ought to commercialise this historical/traditional event just like Valentine’s Day! In fact, I really do believe that we ought to revisit the reason for celebrating mid-autumn festival and understand the origins of mooncakes.

Anyways, if you still have the urge to splurge on mooncakes, may I beseech you to make your money worth by purchasing high-quality and good-tasting mooncakes just across the causeway! During one of my usual weekend trips to Johor Bahru, Baby and I checked out the mid-autumn festival fairs there and we found that their mooncakes are reasonably priced. In addition, given the favourable exchange rate, I believe you will definitely get your money worth!

Anyhows, if I don’t practise what I preach, then I suppose nobody is going to be convinced that buying mooncakes across the causeway is cheaper right? So, Baby and I decided to purchase 3 boxes of mooncakes [1 for my mum, 1 for my aunt, and 1 for ourselves] across the causeway and we’re going to introduce them to you here on our blog!

For the 2 boxes of mooncakes which we gotten for my mum and aunt, we got them from The Bakers Cottage. In each box, there are 4 mooncakes, so in total, we ordered 8 mooncakes and they only cost us a total of RM 100.16 [after 20% discount] which is about SGD$40.39 for 2 boxes of 8 mooncakes! Not only that, it comes with a rather presentable packaging too! Having garnered feedbacks from my dad and mum about the quality of the mooncakes, both of them said that they were rather tasty and that the taste was just right for them. In fact, my mum liked it so much that she requested us to purchase a few more boxes for her when we visit Johor. Well, if you don’t want to travel all the way there, The Bakers Cottage has set up their booths here in Singapore [so far I have seen them in Junction 8 and Bugis Junction] and you might want to check them out and sample their mooncakes.

Here is the packaging for the box of mooncakes that we gotten from The Bakers Cottage

From Doraemon Mooncakes 2012

As for Baby and I, we ordered a rather special box of mooncakes for ourselves and these mooncakes are only available in Malaysia. If you have been checking our Facebook wall, you would have more or less heard of the Hello Kitty mooncakes and the Doraemon mooncakes; and yes, we ordered the Doraemon mooncakes to try and see for ourselves how the mooncakes fared in terms of taste.

We ordered the Tiramisu, Mango Tango, Nanyang XO Jing-Sa, and Chocolate Lotus Almond Biscuit Doraemon mooncakes and so far, we have tried the Tiramisu and Nanyang XO Jing-Sa mooncakes. If you were to ask us how we felt about the mooncakes, we would definitely give it two thumbs up! Not only do the mooncakes look cute, special, and unique; the mooncakes tasted fabulous too! You got to really try it for yourselves in order to believe what we say. In fact, Baby and I are planning to buy a few more boxes of the Doraemon and Hello Kitty mooncakes so that we can bring over to Taiwan, since we are going to spend mid-autumn festival there at CingJing Farm. In case you’re wondering how much our box of Doraemon mooncakes cost, it cost us only RM 67 which is about SGD$27.02 [3X cheaper than the Singapore Angry Birds mooncake].

As we ordered 4 pieces of Doraemon mooncakes, we were entitled to choose a bag that we fancied and so we chose this particular cooler-bag.

From Doraemon Mooncakes 2012

These were the 4 Doraemon mooncakes that we ordered.

From Doraemon Mooncakes 2012

Here’s the Tiramisu Doraemon mooncake that we tried. We found the mooncake to be rather flavourful as it has quite a strong hint of coffee flavour when we bite into it. It wasn’t too sweet and the taste was perfect.

From Doraemon Mooncakes 2012

How the inside of the Tiramisu Doraemon mooncake looks like.

From Doraemon Mooncakes 2012
From Doraemon Mooncakes 2012

This is the Nanyang XO Jing-Sa Doraemon mooncake that we tried. We found the mooncake to be extremely tasty because the chicken floss really complemented the fried bean paste rather perfectly and it has a balanced taste of sweet and salty.

From Doraemon Mooncakes 2012

This is how the inside looks like.

From Doraemon Mooncakes 2012

So, having shared my opinions and thoughts about overpriced mooncakes in Singapore, what are your own personal opinions and thoughts? Well, I certainly hope that this post would have kinda enlightened you and hence, you would have found out how to make your money worth especially if you have to splurge on mooncakes. Have a blessed mid-autumn festival in advance!

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

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LegoLand Malaysia [2012]

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WARNING: this is a blog post that is full of photos and videos! For best viewing experience, do use the computer to check out this blog entry!
Hello Everyone,

I am sure everyone’s waiting for this blog post and I just can’t wait to show you all the beautiful pictures that we took at LegoLand Malaysia.

However, before I begin this blog entry proper, I would like to take this opportunity to thank M for linking me up with the PR Company [Bell Pottinger] to attend the exclusive media invitation to LegoLand Malaysia. Also, I would like to thank LegoLand Malaysia and Bell Pottinger for the warmth hospitality and welcome when we were at LegoLand.

Well, ever since Baby and I heard about LegoLand Malaysia a few months back, we have been thinking of making a trip down to check out what Legoland Malaysia has to offer. A 1-day adult [ages 12-59] ticket cost RM 140 and a 1-day child [ages 3-11]/senior [ages 60+] cost RM 110. Here’s one piece of very good news; if you book your tickets online 7 days in advance, the adult and child/senior ticket will cost ONLY RM 105 and RM 75 respectively!

To get to LegoLand from Singapore, you can either drive there or take the public buses! For both Baby and I, we decided to utilise the public buses. Here’s how you can get to LegoLand Malaysia via public tranportation.

First, you will have to take the MRT train to Jurong East Station. Once you have reached, head to the Jurong Bus Interchange and look out for CW3 or CW4 buses. These buses go to CIQ 2 [Malaysia Customs] via the Singapore Customs and the trip in will cost you SGD $4.

This is how the Causeway Link buses look like.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

The interior looks very much like a tour coach bus.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

The bus will reach the Singapore Customs in Tuas and you will have to alight the bus to clear immigration. Once that is done, board the same bus [CW3/CW4] and it will take you to CIQ2. After you get your passports stamped at CIQ2, you will have to board a separate bus [JPO2] to LegoLand Malaysia. This will cost you RM $2, so be sure you have small Malaysian currency notes on hand. By the way, JPO2 also goes to the Johor Premium Outlets; so if you fancy some shopping after checking out LegoLand Malaysia, you can do so at your convenience. However, do note that the frequency of buses are unlike that of Singapore’s; so please plan your trip properly before you go to LegoLand. For information regarding the busing details, you can check out http://www.legoland.com.my/Plan/Bus-Services/

This is the interior of JPO2, very much like the buses in Singapore but much more comfy.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

The bus journery from CIQ2 to LegoLand will take about 20 minutes.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

About 50 schools from Johore were invited to LegoLand Malaysia yesterday and though it wasn’t crowded, we had to queue for certain rides and attractions at LegoLand. Looking at the cheerful and joyful children certainly reminded us of our pre-school times!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Baby posing for a photo with the children.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

The children were really so excited about going to LegoLand and here they are waiting just behind the entrance gates for it to open.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

You can choose to purchase your tickets on the day you’re visiting but I would strongly recommend you to get your tickets online as you will enjoy great discounts. But well, if you’re a ticket collector, then you can purchase the tickets from the ticketing booths.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Here’s even more exciting news for you. LegoLand will be opening a water theme park next year and in 2014, they will have a LegoLand Hotel too! During the media briefing session, I overheard a conversation that a Hello Kitty Land is in the pipelines as well but I can’t be too sure how reliable this news is.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Check out the colourful entrance of LegoLand Malaysia!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

After obtaining the media passes, we entered the main gates and were ushered to the Market Restaurant where the media briefing was to take place.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Check out the menu being offered at Market Restaurant

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Here’s the media registration booth that was setup by Bell Pottinger

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

There I was checking out the press kit to see if I had any questions for the “Q&A” session.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Baby went around taking photos of Market Restaurant.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

The Market Restaurant has a lot of food choices where you can choose your appetisers, main courses, and desserts. It has a large seating capacity and an alfresco dining area.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

The food prices are quite typical of theme parks and attractions all over the world. So if you’re expecting cheap affordable food, I’m afraid you will be in for a disappointment.

Here’s Julie Estrada addressing us.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

and here’s John Jakobsen [in the middle] and Siegfried Boerst [third from left] hosting the “Q&A” session.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

This gentleman here, Pat, is the brainchild behind the 3D Lego structures/sculptures in LegoLand Malaysia.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

These were what we had for lunch at Market Restaurant.

Fish and Chips

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Spaghetti with Meatballs

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Cold Potato Salad

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Blackforest Cake

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Baby and I having some fun at the entrance of Market Restaurant

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

While waiting for the LegoLand Guard Marching Band, Baby and I went around to shoot some photos at Lego City.

A photo at the fountain outside of LegoLand Express

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

The colourful and fascinating Lego Express Train!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

A mini carnival game booth at Lego City.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

I believe City Stage is one of the attractions in Lego City but when we were there, it was still under maintenance.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

The Rescue Academy at Lego City.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

The Fire Academy is a rather interesting attraction as it requires the park guests to form up in groups of 4 to put out the fire in the shortest possible time.

Park guests will have to drive this Fire Truck to the intended destination and seriously, it takes teamwork to have this fire truck driven manually using kinetic energy.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Here’s where park guests will have to put out the fire and it takes team effort to put out the fire because one will have to aim the water hose at the right spot while the rest will have to pump water from the fire hydrant in order to have water flowing to the water hose.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

This was what I meant! Just check out the video below about the Fire Academy Attraction at Lego City.

Here’s one of the park rides which is children-friendly.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

A photo with the Lego Figurines just outside the City Airport

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Another photo with Lego Figurines at the Lego City

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Its real ground, not those made out of styrofoam!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

We were treated to a splendid performance put up by the LegoLand Guard Marching Band! By the way, they were flown over to Legoland Malaysia all the way from LegoLand Billund Resort in Denmark! The LegoLand Guard Marching Band is a corps of young musicians that marches through LegoLand, spreading smiles and music whenever they go!

Here are photos of us with the awesome young musicians of the LegoLand Guard Marching Band!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

A group photo of the LegoLand Guard Marching Band with Siegfried Boerst

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

A musician of the LegoLand Guard Marching Band

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

And here’s a photo of the LegoLand Guard Marching Band Leader presenting a momento to Siegfried Boerst.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Guess what it was? It was a Lego set of the LegoLand Guard Marching Band!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

I really enjoyed the performance put up by the LegoLand Guard Marching Band and I especially like their drum section! Check out the video below!

After the band performance, we moved on to the Land of Adventure where we saw many other rides and attractions!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Here’s the Pharaoh’s Revenge attraction at the Land of Adventure

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

The Beetle Bounce at the Land of Adventure

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Here’s us posing for photos with Lego figurines at the Land of Adventure!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Jungle Cafe, a food and beverage outlet in the Land of Adventure.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Here’s Baby queuing up for a ride at the Land of Adventure!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Sadly, the Dino Island at the Land of Adventure was closed for maintenance during our visit!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

We went on to Imagination after the Land of Adventure and took more photos with the Lego figurines!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Pizza Mania, a food and beverage outlet that serves Pizza at Imagination

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Many theme parks have some sort of a 4D show and LegoLand Malaysia is not an exception. So, Baby and I went to check out their 4D show and sorry to say this, it wasn’t up to our expectation.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

In imagination, there is an Observation Tower which goes up to about 50 metres in height and you must check this out because it gives you a bird’s eye view of the whole LegoLand park! Unfortunately, it was closed for maintenance when we went there.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Here’s where you can see inventions come to life in Lego bricks at the Build and Test Centre. We didn’t manage to check this out as we were running short of time.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Here’s me posing with a Lego figurine near the Kid’s Power Tower.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

I decided to give the Kid’s Power Tower a go on my own!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Check me out in the video below, having some fun on the Kid’s Power Tower!

As we were rushing for time, we hurried along to Lego Kingdom and this is perhaps one of the best zones in LegoLand Malaysia!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Here’s the entrance of The Dragon roller-coaster!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

and that’s me fooling around with the human catapult! I almost had a heart attack when I heard some sound coming from the catapult and thought that I was really going to be catapulted! Lesson learnt: don’t anyhow sit on objects that seem harmless and stationary.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Here’s us at The Dragon!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Baby and I wanted to go on a ride on The Dragon roller-coaster but due to the long queues, we decided to forgo it. But do check out the video below to see how the roller-coaster works!

Here are other children-friendly rides at the Lego Kingdom, The Dragon’s Apprentice, Merlin’s Challenge, and Royal Joust!

The Dragon’s Apprentice

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Merlin’s Challenge

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Royal Joust

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Here’s Baby and I playing around at The Forestman’s Hideout!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Here’s us posing for photos along the tracks of LegoLand Express

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

After checking out Lego Kingdom, we went to check out the Miniland and we were really so amazed at the intricate details that the team at LegoLand Malaysia put together to create Miniland! As we were running short of time, we only managed to shoot some photographs of Singapore’s landmarks that were seemingly real!

One Fullerton

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Singapore River Cruise

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

The Fullerton Hotel

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

The Singapore Flyer

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

By the way, Miniland was created using 30 million Lego bricks and the structures were recreated in miniature sizes on a sale of 1:20!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

It’s really a pity we didn’t got much time to check out Miniland. If not, we’ve more photos!

We quickly moved on to the last zone of Legoland Malaysia and that is Lego Technic!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

For thrill-seekers, Lego Technic is a place you must visit because its rides are perhaps the most exciting ones in the park!

There’s the Project X!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

and there’s also the Aquazone Wave Racers where bystanders can have a blast by splashing water at the park guests whom are riding the rides.

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Before ending our day, Baby and I decided to visit The Big Shop and we bought some souvenirs for ourselves!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Here’s what we bought from The Big Shop! Keychains!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

and we got this keychain for my brother! By the way, the keychains are not cheap and so are the souvenirs! In fact, the 3 keychains cost us a total of RM 59+!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Here’s our parting photos at LegoLand Malaysia!

From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012
From LegoLand Malaysia Media Invite 2012

Baby and I really enjoyed ourselves at LegoLand Malaysia and it was a pity that we didn’t have enough time to catch all the attractions and rides as we wanted to catch the 1630 hours bus back to CIQ2. So, we will definitely visit LegoLand Malaysia again and we just can’t wait to check out the rest of the exciting park attractions that we have missed.

ps. please pardon us for the laggy videos. it’s our virgin experience trying to upload videos and we’re still in the midst of learning how to use Adobe Premiere Pro properly. hence, do excuse us if the videos are not up to your expectation!

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

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