Maldives Part 4 - The Art of Doing Nothing

The art of doing nothing is actually not true. It was just something I saw on a t-shirt in the resort's souvenir shop. There are actually quite a lot of things to do at Huvafen Fushi. But with the view we had and the relaxed mood we were in, it was just as easy to just laze around and do nothing.

Non-motorised water sports are complimentary so everyday, my sis and I went snorkeling. Each guests gets their own set of snorkeling gear that they can keep with them for the rest of the stay. The underwater was simply stunning. I never quite understood the appeal of scuba-diving but having seen what the shallow reefs had to offer, I am tempted to tryout for a scuba-diving license now. Over four days, I spotted a reef shark, a sting ray and a tiger fish. Too bad, there were no sea turtles in sight. Motorised activites are chargable to the room so plan your days carefully.

Underwater world.

We also went kayaking on our second day there. In the middle of the afternoon. With the mid-sun beating on our backs, we went around the whole island in a hour. Bad move because it was really hot! The kayaks have a glass bottom which lets you look at the reefs beneath you. I prefer snorkeling for an upclose view of the reefs. Still no sea turtle.

 

Kayakking under the sun.

The resort also has a daily stingray feeding session at 5:30pm. The stingrays have been coming to the lagoon beach for ten years now so it's pretty much clockwork routine for them and allows them to be familiar with humans. (God bless Steve Irwin's soul..). The resident stork whom I call Si Bangau also drops by every evening for food.

Stingray feeding

On days when all we wanted to do was chill out and escape the sun, we hung out in the island library, the Lair and played with the gaming consoles. I was so happy when I found Need For Speed. (yes, I do realise that I went all the way to Maldives to play video games). The resort also has a resident kitty cat which demanded to be let into the Lair when we got there. I wanted to ask if I could take it to our room....

Now seeing dolphins is a personal dream of mine so we booked ourselves on the resort dolphin cruise as soon as we got there. The cruise only takes place on Sundays from 4 to 7pm at USD175 per person. But if there are more than 6 people, it gets cheaper. What an experience it was, being able to see wild dolphins in their natural habitat. According to our guide, Lana, this particular pod has over 200 dolphins in it and during that hour, we certainly saw plenty of them. It was magical.

Dolphin sighting.

0%Here's a video of the dolphin cruise: http://youtu.be/tbZVCUPpSgQ . I had to remove the actual sounds because it was just too noisy from the wind and other tourist boats. Music in the video is by Daniel Veerapen, an Malaysian artist.

 

 

There are many things to do in Huvafen Fushi. You can adopt a coral reef and plant it yourself. Then in 50 years (if Maldives hasn't sunk) you can come back and marvel at your contribution to Mother Nature.

 

 

 

Or if you're Asian like us, then take lots of pictures. Whilst there, we noticed all the Asian guests had DSLRs and digital cameras everywhere they went hence the theory: picture-taking is an Asian thing.

 

It's impossible to take a bad picture in Maldives. In fact the only thing that can spoil a picture is, well, us. We took tons of pictures; camwhoring, weird shots, jumping shots.... this shot below...

 

Fireball!

We were saddened when the evening for us to check out came about. The resort manager, Marco and our Thakuru, Nahu saw us off at the jetty as the speedboat took off for the airport. The resort representative escorted us to the Singapore Airlines check-in counter and bide us farewell. We boarded our plane and prepared for the comfortable ride home (flight experience here) It was a memorable vacation to Maldives and Huvafen Fushi was the dream resort (read about it in my previous post). The food was delicious (drool over it here) although I was missing teh tarik by the first morning.

Pristine blue waters, colourful reefs and fishes, majestic dolphins, friendly locals and resort staffs...I see now why Maldives is the place to visit before you kick the bucket.

To finish off this post, a momento of our holiday there.

From Maldives with Love.

 



Jack Reacher movie review

Dear, Mr Cruise...

You were the man in the Mission Impossible series, Vanilla Sky, War of the Worlds and Minority Report. Your portayal of a fat balding man in Tropic Thunder was hilarious. Then you did this....slow excuse of an action movie. Was it a quick means of cash? Or a way to start up another action hero franchise despite being Ethan Hunt. Because Jack Reacher....was just...meh.

Sincerely,
Your fan.

Thank you, Nuffnang for the chance to watch the premier screening of Mr Cruise's latest action movie, Jack Reacher.

Gist
One fine afternoon, a sniper kills five seemingly random people in Pennsylvania. Evidence led the police to a former army sniper, James Bar. Case closed. Except, not quite. Bar asks for Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise), a vagabond and former Army Miliary Police officer. Hired as the lead investiagor by Barr's defense attorney, Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike), Reacher begins poking around and uncovers a conspiracy that went beyond random.

Verdict
The movie started out with the shooting as seen through the scope of the sniper. It reminded me of the PS2 version of Time Crisis 2 when they had the sniper option for gamers. The opening was a horrific reminder that an ordinary day can make a turn for the worst. But from there, the movie heads down hill. The movie alone was reminder that not all action movies are fast paced and exciting.
Overall I felt that the plot was weak which was a pity considering that Reacher was the main character in a whole line of books by Lee Child.  It was dreadfully slow with a lot of pointless conversations and situations that seemed to be designed to emphasize Reacher's swag. Like him walking in just as the authorities was at lost as to how to track him down.

Jack Reacher & sidekick.

There are a lot of elements to this movie that is just predictable. You have the hired enemy sniper whose skills supposedly rivals the main character, the mysterious Russian mastermind, the mole on the good guys' side and the damsel in distress with daddy issues. For a conspiracy movie, it doesn't dive into the conspiracy part much. I came out of the movie with question marks all over.

Damsel in distress shampoo adv.

For me, the saving point would the mix of humour during the action scenes. There are small injections of quips and sarcastic remarks from the characters that elevates dire situations. As for the action scenes, as rare as they are, weren't too bad. They resembled live action Counter Strike or Modern Warfare games and the thugs aren't instantly killed with a single headshot.

Would I watch it again? Nope. Now excuse me while I overdose myself on a Mission Impossible marathon to remind myself what Tom Cruise should look like in an action movie.

Jack Reacher hits the big screens on 20 Dec nationwide.

Girls' Day Out @ Sommerset Nails and Waxing

I am a manicurist's worst nightmare. Short, broken nails on one hand, long, brittle ones on the other. I should just wear gloves 24/7.

Fortunately Phoebe, my manicurist at Sommerset Nails & Waxing was understanding when I explained to her that I was an outdoorsy person and very rarely took care of my nails. Heck, I think even my tennis racket gets more TLC than my nails.

Complimentary ManiPedi or Waxing for 2, courtesy of Hot magazine

I was lucky to be able to try out Bangsar's Sommerset Nails & Waxing salon thanks to Hot magazine. I was allowed to bring one other person with me so I opted to drag invite my mother along for a girl's day out. Like me, my mother also very rarely sets foot into one of this beauty parlours and has never gone near any form of waxing (other than candle wax). So this was the perfect opportunity for her to try bikini waxing. Yay.....(she begged to differ)

The salon is located in the heart of Bangsar, a walking distance from Bangsar Village 2 and is right above a corner restaurant called G3. Its light teal coloured entrance is hard to miss and the window front gave the illusion of a white-picked fence garden with flowers. The immediate interior is elegantly simple and spacious which is important especially after you have your nails done and need to move about...um, weirdly. The waxing rooms are located behind for privacy and that was where my mother was led to for her first ever bikini wax.

Wax on, Wax off
As it was her first time, they opted for the hard wax as it was gentler on the skin and doesn't hurt as much. To quote my mom, "I didn't even realise when it was finished. There was no pain and not at all uncomfortable." She also mentioned how experienced her wax therapist was, being able to put her at ease as she walked my mom through the process. I am so proud of you, mom for doing this!

The waxing room.
photo: jamiechin.com.

Women have a higher tolerance for pain due to our nature-given ability to, you know, give birth so naturally having hair removing by wax should be a breeze.  But if you are terrified of the pain, just let your wax therapist know. They have ways to get your mind off the pain and to make the experience as painless as possible. But again, it depends on your threshold for pain.

My mom was done in a quick 10 - 15 mins and settled into the waiting lounge to wait for your truly because my mani-pedi took much longer. 

The Mani-Pedi
Overall, it was a comfortable 1 hour 30 mins treatment without having to move from pedicure station to manicure station. Phoebe was very efficient and meticulous with trimming and shaping my toenails first before applying OPI's 'Teal the Cows Come Home' to them. I think she was very amused by my baby toe nails because they were so tiny that it probably only took a drop of polish to colour them.

Loving the entire experience.

My colours of choice.

Then as my toenails dried, she moved onto my fingernails, first checking the length on them and then advising me that it would be best to trim them short as it is easier to maintain for an active person. Hey, you're the expert so trim away, I told her. It was nice having a manicurist who does not bark at you every minute to relax your wrist. For my nails, I selected 'Red My Fortune Cookie' from OPI and I love it! The fiery red complimented my teal coloured toenails very well.

Verdict
I enjoyed my experience there and my mom did too, considering that this was her first bikini wax. I found the service quite good as they served us tea before and during our sessions and my manicurist was very pleasant and experienced. Judging by the flow of steady regulars pouring in that day, I would say Sommerset already has its loyal clientele.

If I were to pick at something, I would like a little privacy during my session as I could hear (and see) the lady next to me talking about her breast pumps but I distracted myself with the television.

Pricing, I would say is reasonable as you can have a bikini wax at RM29 onwards and a ManiPedi at RM65 onwards. It's recommended to make an appointment two days prior so that you can pamper yourself at your convenience.

Address:
Sommerset Nails & Waxing
19A, First Floor,
Jalan Telawi 3,
Bangsar Baru.
Tel: 03- 2287 8887
Opening Hours:

Tuesdays to Saturdays	:	11.00am to 8.00pm (last call 7pm)
Sundays	:	11.00am to 7.00pm (last call 6pm)
Open on most public holidays.

Maldives Part 3 - Wine, Dine and oh, Sharks!

Let me start by saying when it comes to food, Malaysia still takes the cake. No questions asked.

Don't get me wrong. Food in Huvafen Fushi was delightfully sinfully delicious but having said that, the ala carte dishes are not cheap (once converted from USD to RM). The buffet breakfast was inclusive with the accommodation but unless you go for full-boarding or half-boarding, then you're on your own for lunch and dinner.

Concerned that fine dining every evening might burn a hole in our pocket, I did a little pre-planning before the trip that involved checking out the resort restaurant reviews and bringing our own instant meals and snacks. Over the following four days, we wined and dined on a budget whilst in style.

(Warning: the following pictures may induce stomach acid, growling tummies and salivation. View at your own torment.)

Upon arrival in our beautiful lagoon bungalow, we found a plate of hors d’œuvre waiting for us. After a long flight and 30 mins boat ride, it was a nice treat of cheese, olive, meat and bread.



Fine and budget dining.

After the resort tour and a day of snorkeling, we dug into our super cheap mee-in-a-cup at only RM2 per cup and washed it down with the complimentary bottle of champagne. With our feet dipped in our private pool and the oceanic view before us, it felt like a million dollar dining experience anyway.



Breakfast buffet, Celsius.

The breakfast buffet was held at Celsius, a casual dining restaurant with talcum fine sand for its floor and an outdoor patio that overlooked the blue Indian Ocean. The buffet carried a limited but mixed array of western, Japanese and Chinese dishes that varied from day to day. The egg station doubled as a pancake and waffle station too. I had to practice self-restrain to keep from myself from over-indulging on everything there.



Breakfast in the sands.

One tip I learnt to avoid holiday weight was to start off my buffet meals with fruits. Luckily Huvafen Fushi breakfast buffet had a station solely for fresh fruits such as rambutan, mangosteen, vanilla-soaked pears and cinnamon-apples. In fact, the only fruit missing from the selection was the durian. I guess it was too much for Westerners to handle. If you like, you can select a few fruits and have the chef blend them together to make a yummy healthy drink.



Fruits, eggs and laksa.

I mixed up my breakfast, taking one out of everything and by everything, I mean food that I don't usually get often. One of the more memorable dishes from the buffet was the Maldivian curry laksa. The glass noodles was crunchy while the curry was thick, suntan-filled and hardly spicy. There was also ample chicken pieces in the curry for a meaty bite.

ba dum ba dum da dum.

We had breakfast on the outdoor patio on the second day and had to bare the scorching hot sun to get stunning photos with natural lighting. But the real treat came swimming past in the form of a pack/flock/school of reef sharks and several other fishes swimming back and forth along the water edge. Now that was a sight you don't see everyday or in any other city in the whole world. We ate so much at breakfast that we could afford to miss out on lunch or snack on our Malaysian-bought snacks.

For day 2 dinner, we ordered in or as the resort called it,in-bungalow dining. Now this was when a funny incident happened. My sister ordered the Male fish curry (Don Riha) and chicken pizza. Less than 30 mins later, our order arrived and we dug into the Male Fish Curry which came with rice, chapati with mango chutney and kuliafilla salad. There was also a bowl of Caesar salad which we initially mistaken for the kuliafilla salad. Half way through the meal, I realised the staff must have misheard Chicken pizza as Chicken Caesar salad. Apparently pizza sounded like Caesar.

Fish curry.

However the Male fish curry more than made up for the mistake as the portion was big enough for two and the fish was fresh and well cooked in the curry. It is possible that the fish was caught fresh from the ocean. The remaining champagne did well to wash down the thick curry. The mango chutney complimented the thin chapati well and I really wish there was more. A basket of bread rolls also came with the dinner and we used them to lap up the curry. Total bill was about USD62.

 

On our final night in Maldives, we decided to splurge and headed to Celsius for a under-the-moon dinner. And what an ambiance it was, with the ocean crashing in the pitch black background, dim lighting to set the mood and music gently strumming from the live band. If this was Malaysia, we would have been driven indoors by the humidity, heat and mosquitoes. But it wasn't.

Starters.

To start, we had the smoked mackerel tartare with beetroot, pear and almond dressing. Honestly, It was...weird. Two bites and it was gone. Not because it was super delicious but because it was a rather small portion. The mackerel reminded me of tuna with mayonnaise. Hm, maybe it was something a top notch chef would appreciate but not this little Malaysia girl.
 


Finger-licking good.

My sister ordered the orecchiette with duck and chantarelle ragu, vine ripe tomatoes and pecorino. In that one sentence, there are three words that made me go "What?" This dish was actually shell-shaped pasta with duck and mushroom sauce, tomatoes and italian ewe cheese. And it was an unexpected form of comfort food. The orecchiette soaked up the duck juice beautifully while the duck meat was succulent.


Goat cheese ravioli

I had the goat cheese ravioli, seared prawns, pine nuts, raisins, golden brown butter and parmesan. Colourful was the word that came to mind, even though you can't see it clearly in this picture. And at first bite, it was a flavourful explosion of savoury and sweet and a nice mix of textures from the nuts and parmesan. The ravioli was cooked to perfection and the goat cheese just came oozing out, complimented by prawns and raisins. The restaurant manager dropped by to check on us and unfortunately I was having a heavenly mouth-orgasm from this dish to answer him properly.

Souffle to end.

After the main course was done, our souffle with orange, macadamia, Baileys and vanilla ice cream came. Based on hours watching Masterchef and Top Chef, I know that souffle has to be eaten instantly or else it will loose its heat and collapse. Pictures were taken swiftly and with that we dove in. The hot souffle simply melted in my mouth and I could taste the distinctive taste of Baileys in the soft gooey texture. The orange topped off the ice-cream with a refreshing citric kick.

Total bill for dinner came up to less than USD150.

Couples can opt to have their romantic dinner by the swimming pool where the floor of the pool resembled stars in the sky or at UMBar. Nearby a chef will whip up a fresh meal on the grill. While waiting, they can go for the buffet line.

All these good food would have caused us to pack on the weight but surprisingly we didn't. I suspect it was because we kept ourselves occupied during the trip with numerous activities which I will go into in the next and final Maldives post.

You may wipe that trail of drool off your chin now.

To be continued in Maldives Part 4.

Salted Egg Crabs@Pangkor Village Seafood

So recently my family and I wanted try out the supposedly famous Fatty Crab restaurant in Taman Megah. Unfortunately it was an impromptu decision made at 8pm that day and by the time we got there, a long line had gathered. No matter because we really wanted to eat crab that day so we joined the line as well.

And waited...

And waited...

And waited.

After half an hour, no one attended to us! Argh! There was an auntie (who for lack of a better word, was a real bitch) barking out orders at customers to wait for her to get to them. My mom tried to get her attention but she downright brushed past my mom to attend to a bigger group that arrived later than us. My mom was pissed.

Then I proposed heading over to the less-crowded restaurant opposite the road, Pangkor Village Seafood restaurant. Hungry and irritated, the family agreed and within two minutes, we were seated without any fuss. Every table in the restaurant was filled with people, which I guess, was like us. Unable to deal to Fatty Crab's shitty front service.

Unlike Fatty Crab which has a limited menu to deal with the overwhelming customers, Pangkor Village Seafood's range of dishes is much wider. That night, we ordered five dishes to try.

Fried steamed buns

To start off, we had the Fried Mantau Bun (RM2.50/5pcs) Expectedly, it was soaked in oil. Nothing a little tissue paper can't solve. From the first bite, it was crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. Good stuff. Just wished it came with something to dip it in but it was fine for a starter.

Clam soup with white wine and wolfberry.

Next up was the lala soup (RM18), a family favourite. With white wine and wolfberry for favour and kick, the amount of clams in the broth is a lot. It was a nice way to wash down the other dishes we had.

I <3Taufu!

Aside from that, we also had the Vege Beancurd (RM13) and steam Green Dragon Beansprout (RM15). Those were pretty much average but goes well with the main star of the night, the Salted Egg Crabs (RM74).

Delicious salted eggs crabs

The crabs were fresh and the salted eggs were marinated so well through the shell and into the flesh that it has me sucking everything clean. They gave us a generous portion of the pinchers which was a real fun to break open in order to reach the fleshy goodness inside. All use of utensils were immediately abandoned as soon as the crabs came. By the end of the night, let's just say we all embraced our inner food neanderthals.

The total damage came up to RM134, taking into account a pot of tea, tidbits and rice. Overall it was a satisfying experience and I would definitely go back to Pangkor Village Seafood again for their Mantau Buns and Salted Egg Crabs.

As for Fatty Crabs, it will be a while before I will attempt to try that place again. Until then, I hope they come up with a much more efficient and unbiased seating system that isn't handled by an old lady who thinks bigger groups means more ka-ching...

Address:
59, Jalan SS24/8,
Taman Megah,
47801 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor Darul Ehsan.Tel: 03 7803 6577
Hours: 12pm-3pm, 6pm-11pm.

Maldives Part 2 - Waking Dream Resort

First impression of Maldives...

"Holy crap! That is a lot of blue!" *I'm blue da ba dee da ba die*

After disembarking from our flight, our first class treatment continued as we exited the immigration hall and found the resort representatives waiting for us with welcoming smiles. From there, they relieved us of our suitcases and guided us to the airport jetty. While my sister and I were gawking at the boat and the clear blue Indian Ocean, we were given face towels to freshen up after a long flight and refreshing cold coconut water.

Water taxi

The boat ride to Huvafen Fushi took approximately 25 minutes which flew by in a flash because we were too mesmerised by the sight of endless blue water, interrupted only to isolated island resorts. For those without sea-legs, anti-nausea wristbands are available onboard.


Huvafen Fushi

Soon Huvafen Fushi loomed into view and we were greeted by the General Manager himself, Marco and our Thukuru, Ali and Nahu (personal butlers). Ali drove us to our Lagoon Bungalow in a buggy and gave us the tour of our home for the next four days.


Pathway to the water bungalows

We have a stunning view of the blue blue ocean from our awesome bathroom and also from our bedroom/living room/kitchen. The patio opened up to a day bed, our private swimming pool and a deck leading down to the sea.


Lagoon Bungalow No. 19 - Our home away from home

The resort had also prepared a complimentary bottle of champagne and a serving of bread, olive, ham and cheese. That was a nice touch!



Complimentary champagne and coffee

Seaside view from the toilet and bedroom.

The ocean is our pool!

After our luggage were delivered to our room, we Superman-changed into our swimsuits and was taken on a resort tour via buggy. Wheee!


A waking dream indeed.

The island itself isn't really that big and everything is within walking distance with sandy pathways leading to every corner of the island resort.  The pathways are shaded by strategically planted trees and bushes that also provide privacy for the Beach Bungalow residents. The best parts about the beach bungalow are that you literally have a beach in your backyard and everything else is just a stone's throw away. All together, the resort has 44 bungalows consisting of the beach bungalows, ocean and lagoon bungalows as well as the beach and ocean pavilions for bigger groups.



Salt & Raw (top), Fogliani's, UMBar (left) & Celsius.

There are four main restaurants that specialises in different cuisine types; Celsius, Raw, Salt and Fogliani's as well as a bar (UMBar) and an underground wine cellar, Vinum where you can wine and dine to your heart's content. More about the resort food offerings in the next Maldives post (yup, as a typical Malaysian, I am dedicating one post to food).


The Lair!

Right next to the swimming pool and restaurants, Huvafen Fushi has a library/entertainment lounge called The Lair. Bright, homey and spacious, guests can rent DVDs, borrow books and surf on the computers. They also have XBox and PlayStation 3 console sets for the kids, teens and young adults. Coffee and tea are available at hand for guest's consumption free of charge.


World's first underwater spa


Huvafen Fushi holds bragging rights for having the first underwater spa in the world called Lime. Apart from the usual relaxing body and facial treatments at above-sea level, guests can also have their massage or body scrubs in treatment rooms several meters underwater. We asked to see the underwater spa and the resort was more than happy to accommodate us in the afternoon. Nahu showed us the spa at night and boy, was it a different world in the glow of the underwater spotlights.

Under the sea. 

After showing us around, we were taken to the water sports center, Float, where we were fitted with our snorkeling equipments by its jolly manager, Peter. Peter then took us through the house rules when swimming around the house reefs to ensure that we don't accidentally step on them or hurt ourselves. They offer parasailing, jetskiing and many other motorised water sports for a fee. Non-motorised sports like snorkeling and kayaking are complimentary although some will require licenses to prove your qualification. For the exercise nuts, there is also a gym (Pump) and a yoga pavilion that overlook the ocean that comes fully equipped with water bottles and towels.

Over the following four days, my sister and I were treated to a relaxing and heavenly lifestyle, a far cry from the KL life we were used to.  Time slowed down to a crawl as we filled our time with a variety of activities at our own leisure (things to do there, coming soon in Maldives Part 4!).

The staffs there were friendly and approachable, greeting us along the pathways and going out of their way to ensure that everything was okay for us. The management even extended our checkout time from 12pm to 8pm simply because our return flight was near midnight! Now that's I call superb treatment!

The stunning Maldivian sunset

It's no wonder that the resort name, Huvafen Fushi means 'dream island' in their national language of Dhivehi. It definitely felt as though we were living the dream.

Continued in Maldives Part 3.

Bed and breakfast prices start at USD1450 per night as stated on their official website. Alternatively, you can also make your booking via Agoda or Atollparadise for special offers.

Supercars for a Supercause

Do you like cars?

Are you a fan of movies like Fast and Furious?

Or games like Need for Speed?

Or shows like Top Gear?

Are you usually the one flooring the accelerator on the highway?

Do you know what RPM stands for?

Do you also like to help people in your own little way?

Or do you want to contribute and help but don't know how?

If you've answered YES to all, then have I got a treat for you!

Along with Supercar Charity Challenge (SCC), the Yayasan Orang Kurang Upaya Kelantan (YOKUK) is organising the YOKUK Supercar Rides 4Charity! YOKUK is an organisation for disabled children and adults and their aim is to raise RM200,000 in order to form a multi-discipline Palliative Care Unit to offer the right nursing and medical care for terminally ill adults and children in their homes or when needed. 
 
So help them achieve their target by grabbing this opportunity to ride in one of 40 super-freaking-cars at just RM100 per ride! Cars that will be lined for up for your view or riding pleasure are:  

Lamborghini Countach S

Lamborghini Diablo

Lamborghini Super Trofeo Stradale

Lamborghini Aventador

Aston Martin DB 9

Ferrari GTO

Ferrari 458

Porsche 997 GT3RS 4.0

 

But wait! At only RM150, you get to pick the car that you want to ride in! That can be a dream come true for you! Gosh, I am drooling just thinking about those cars... Evidently I answered 'yes' to all the questions above.

 

I am torn between the Ferrari and Aston Martin....first world problem much?

 

But wait! There's more!

If you are not a car enthusiast, fret not because there are other things to do and see (and buy) there as well!  

• An information booth by YOKUK about their services
• A makeover session by Kanebo Cosmetics Malaysia
• A photoshoot with Bugatti Veyron by Canon Marketing Malaysia
• Booths by various organisations with items for sale
• A comedy show by Comedy Kao Kao, and many more!

 

And the best part is, all proceeds of sales will go to YOKUK!

 

So mark the details below and come over for a va-va-zoom and exciting day white doing your part for a good cause!

Date: 7- 8 December

Time: 12noon onwards

Venue: White Box, MAP, Publika, Solaris Dutamas.

 

For further information, log on to www.yokuk.org or the SCC Fb page.

 

Hope to see you there!

Maldives Part 1 - Getting There

The opportunity to travel to Maldives landed on my lap over a year ago through during a lucky draw lottery at my company dinner. I had won a 4D3N accommodation for two at the award-winning Huvafen Fushi resort and I was thrilled (who wouldn't be?)

I am eternally grateful to God (and Blu Inc Media and Lady Luck) for this opportunity. As everyone knows, Maldives was expensive, what with everything being in USD for tourists! If it wasn't for the lucky draw prize, it would be another 50 years before I will have enough saved up for Maldives and by then it would be known as the next Atlantis thanks to global warming.

To me, the journey is just as important as the destination especially if it involves a long flight. So I was particularly picky with my flight choice; timing and services and so on. I opted to fly by Singapore Airlines (SIA) because other airlines flew only by night and SIA's timing to depart in the morning made more sense despite having to transfer at Changi Airport.



An ACTUAL Boarding Pass!!

Maldives is three hours behind Malaysia by the way so the best way to beat jet-lag would be to fly there in the morning and back at night so that you can sleep on the ride back (not that I got much sleep on the way back anyway)

He weighs 5kgs...

My 20kg check-in luggage allowance was taken up by snacks, tidbits, 3 swimsuits and bikini, 4 sets of clothes, sun block, toiletries, camera and phone chargers and an extra pair of flip flops. (I only ended up bringing 8kg worth of things...wasted 12 kgs...)

Because I did online check-in the night before, all I had to do upon reaching the airport was to just check-in my luggage, verify my printed out boarding pass and passport and collect my official boarding pass to Singapore. Because it was only 6am, things progressed smoothly as there was no queue.

Admit it: As a child, you thought the
plane can become a playground.

For a 4-5 hours flight, SIA was very comfortable. A pillow and a blanket was provided for everyone and each seat came with its own inflight entertainment system. You are given individual headsets and can play games, watch the latest movies and series or listen to music on it in order to kill time onboard. I spent the entire flight watching Big Bang Theory, Rurouni Kenshin and Ted. Rurouni Kenshin was especially a difficult movie to find online so I was pleasantly surprised to find that SIA offered it on their entertainment system with english subtitles. You can read my review of that movie here.

Watching Rurouni Kenshin onboard

For brunch, I went with the Ikan Rica Rica, an Indonesian dish that was so delicious! The fish was fresh and marinated well with spicy lemongrass sauce. My sister said it looked and tasted better than her fried chicken with noodle. With the sides of salad, bread roll, cheese and cracker, ice cream for dessert and coffee or tea, needless to say, by the time we landed at Maldives International Airport, we were stuffed.

Dining with a view and entertainment.



On the flight back to Singapore however, I was a little disappointed with their pan fried chicken with mashed potato because the chicken was dry. Then again, it was a late supper and we were too tired to eat. For dessert, they gave us a yummy chocolate cake with coffee sauce which we enjoyed. Wonder if I can order it to my house somehow...

Inflight cuisine.

Furthermore, SIA passengers can order all the wine, booze, cocktail, soft drinks, coffee, tea and juice that they want onboard since it was inclusive of the flight ticket. But as I didn't want to start or end my Maldives vacation with a hangover, I refrained from going overboard with the drinks (Hah! Plane joke!) Just coke and coffee for me, thank you!

My sister is pleased there is ice-cream.

As the plane prepared to land, we were treated to a preview of the pristine blue ocean waters from our seat windows and all the cameras were out in a flash (...must resist urge to do...lame camera joke....). Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, North of Male was an island of its own and to get to and forth from it, one would need to take a boat or an air-taxi.

Approaching Maldives.

Seaside airport. 

The resort had two representatives waiting for us at the airport and along with four other people, we were quickly whisked away to our holiday island resort by a luxury speed boat.




Our taxi is here.



First glimpse of Huvafen Fushi.

To be continued in Maldives Part 2.