Rainbow Waterfalls & Time Capsule Retreat, Sungai Lembing

27 Saturday Feb 2016

Posted by harminiasokumar in Indian Mermaid Adventures, Review, Travel

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rainbow waterfalls sungai lembing review, sungai lembing, sungai lembing hike, time capsule retreat, time capsule retreat review

With so much going on and an endless hustle, I decided to take a trip down to Sungai Lembing, Pahang for a little rejuvenation and relaxation whilst enjoying nature. Since the Time Capsule retreat was much raved about online, that was the pick for accommodation. It’s a 3 hour drive from Petaling Jaya.

Time Capsule Retreat: Booking the place was fairly easy as the whole process was done via Whatsapp. Thanks to Waze, the place was easy to find as well. Opted for the most expensive room; Parallel Discovery as it was the only one that didn’t have a shared bathroom, and was equipped with a queen sized bed, a sofa bed, fridge, TV, wifi (because I still had to work), a deck and a jacuzzi. Visually, especially in pictures, it looked really cool; To be honest, it was disappointing. Yes, I was aware that it was glamping and wouldn’t be some 5 star hotel, but it wasn’t worth the price I paid. The room is fairly tiny with an even smaller bathroom. The downer was definitely the toilet itself not having enough leg room, so if you happen to be tall, good luck figuring out how you’ll sit. The things that were not seen photographed was how small the room actually was, the stained curtains that cover the glass windows & how gross the jacuzzi looked when we first saw it or how insects (including worms) fell in mid jacuzzi session as it was located directly under a tree.

To top it off, there’s no signage saying that there are guests staying or its a restricted area, I actually had a group of girls come peep into the glass (yes, into the room) as I was napping. My expectations were high due to all the websites stating its a must stay at place but I guess the hype is purely for picture purposes. If you don’t mind paying for the experience, go for it!

Sungai Lembing town: Small town with majority Chinese population. I loved how nice people were and how peaceful and safe it felt too. Food places are fairly limited (probably because it was a weekday) but I had the best bak kut teh at Sg Lembing Mining restaurant. Totally recommend it for non halal food. The meat was soft and tender, the oil rice was fragrant and tasty. So much yum!Rainbow Waterfalls: The highlight of my entire trip and definitely something I highly recommend. The day started early, as we were told to gather at the front area of where we stayed at 5.30am. The pick up was only at around 6am so we wasted what could have been an extra half hour of sleep (& I really like my sleep!). This tour costs Rm50 per head, and we were picked up in a four wheel drive; It fits about 14 people, so lucky for me, I was asked to follow another tour group that only had 6 people (more space to sit and actually be comfortable). First off, a pit stop for breakfast at a food court area to get energised for the hike ahead. Once breakfast was done, it was about an hour drive to the waterfall itself. The road was a bumpy one so I had to hold on tight; Once you reach the place, you’ll be asked to change into the extra rubber Crocs like slippers the guides have or alternatively wear your own slippers. Sport shoes are not advised as you’ll need to walk across in a river. There’ll also be a rope you can hold onto as you cross. Take tiny steps as the rocks in the water can be really slippery.

Don’t believe the guide when he says your Havaiiana flip flops are good to go. They’re so used to it they can practically run up with those old school Bata slippers. Be prepared with actual good sturdy slippers that have good grip.

It’s an easy hike and coming from me, you should believe it since I hardly do any sort of exercise to begin with. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to hike to the top, it’s partly jungle and later on rocks as you hike up towards the waterfall itself. The view even halfway through as you reach the rocky area, is so pretty;
Start praying the the weather gods are in your favour as you hike up as some people have actually made it to the top without being lucky enough to see the rainbow. I was one of those lucky people who actually got to see it; Its based on how the water flows down from the top and how the light hits, so from time to time the rainbow changes its spot. Sometimes you get half a rainbow, a faded one, double rainbow, a full one. I managed to experience quite a few types.

The water was really clean, super cold (which you get used to after prancing around in it) and shallow enough for you to stand and walk around. There are also huge slabs of rocks which work great as a place to sit back, relax and enjoy the magical view. Or in my case, get my mermaid game on; The view from the rocks to the top, is equally magical; At this area we were all served maggie in a cup & hot milo to help us get warm again. As everyone helped themselves, I spent most of the time soaking in all the beauty and taking the opportunity for some major photo ops;
All in all, the hike to Rainbow Waterfall was definitely an experience and something I’d do all over again in a heartbeat.
Seriously though, words will never do this place justice;

Chasing waterfalls,
Harmini Asokumar

Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary Trip

15 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by harminiasokumar in Indian Mermaid Adventures, Review, Travel

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elephant sanctuary malaysia, elephants malaysia, kuala gandah elephant sanctuary, kuala gandah elephant sanctuary trip, kuala gandah review

Being a huge ele-fan, I’ve always wanted to be up and close to a real life elephant but my conscience wouldn’t allow me to see those captured and mistreated. So when I stumbled across Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary (thanks to my friends!), I was thrilled to bits!

Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary is an elephant conservation centre that helps rescue, raise and give shelter to orphaned elephants or the ones that need to be re-homed. Located in Pahang, its a 2 hour journey from Kuala Lumpur.

Things you’ll need to prepare for this trip:
– Wear shorts, casual top and flip-flops (avoid white)
– Bring an extra set of change
– Towel
– Plastic bag for the wet clothes
– Soap & shampoo for a quick shower
– Cash for the activities and food for the elephants (and you!)
– Snacks and music for the long drive

The place is secluded and deep in, so Waze proved itself to be incredibly helpful! There’s handful of activities (click on the picture below to enlarge and read!) starting from 7.45am onwards. To go visit there aren’t any charges, but you’ll need to pay for the activities which I feel is very reasonable. Besides, how else can you get up close and personal with elephants without causing them any harm? We opted for the elephant shower package – where you get to bath a baby elephant and have a guide take you on a tour! RM75 for two people.

We got there around 12.30pm and had lunch at the place itself. The food was decent (which I was pleasantly surprised about!). At around 1pm there was a video presentation on how the rescue and relocate the elephants, which was a real eye opener and definitely worth watching.

Once done, I was assigned to my guide. There’s four to a group (depending on the crowd), so we were lucky that it was a slow day at the sanctuary which means more one on one time with the elephants.

We were given a brief introduction of the place, what they do and then introduced to the elephants. There was a small stall set up to purchase food to feed them with an option of sugarcane or bananas; There were many elephants from different age groups. It was really fascinating to see how they play and react to people, how they reach out and take the food.

I was most fascinated by the oldest one there, Raja;

He was probably the least paid attention to, but my favourite with his gentle demeanour. Grabbing everything fed to him without skipping a beat and shoving it in his mouth, and also being cheeky with the guides.

The other two were the youngest there. As I attempted to selfie with them, the guide warned me against it as these little fellas have a tendency to be playful and pull at everything within their reach. Since I love my hair, I decided against it.
Moving along we were escorted to where the elephant show are. I was pretty put off by the idea but was comforted as soon as the guide explained that these elephants don’t do shows like play tricks, kick balls and stuff but have been trained to assist with rescues of other elephants. You could see the mutual respect that the mahout (the person who trains and works with the elephants) share with the gentle giant. These few were a different batch of elephants from the ones we fed, so there was a feeding session for them too; Then it was time to prepare to watch them shower! We took a short walk to the area, while walking through the elephant play area ;
It’s a wide green area filled with fruit trees. Apparently the elephants roam free for to enjoy this area when there aren’t any guests. Besides this area, was the river the elephants bath in ;
The river was clean! I was so relieved that the water was clear and you could actually see through. It was fairly clean and I say fairly because the elephants tend to poop in it. However because its flowing water, it wasn’t something we needed to worry about.

Once the guides showered that batch of elephants, they brought in baby elephants to shower. In groups of four, we all took turns to go in and bath them.

The guides splashed us with water (the cold, cold water!) to get us used to it (or probably for their own personal amusement of watching us squeal!). We were instructed to grab the sand from the bottom and give the elephant a scrub ; Once done we splashed some more and took some pictures before the next group took over. All in all we were in the river for about 10 minutes or so. The picture taking session had the guides in it to, so it took some major cropping skills to get an image like the one below; That was it – we got out and went to shower before heading back home. There’s a deer park nearby that we didn’t get a chance to visit, but heard such great things about. Until my next time then!

Overall, it was a fantastic experience and I’d definitely do it again. The elephants are gorgeous and healthy, the place is clean and well kept, the guides were friendly and helpful – perfect for every elephant lover!

Fallen in ele-love,
Harmini Asokumar

Travel: Pulau Redang

25 Monday May 2015

Posted by harminiasokumar in Review, Travel

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best malaysian beaches, clear sea in malaysia, pulau redang, pulau redang review, pulau redang travels, taaras beach resort and spa, taaras resort review, travel blogger

The playfully peaceful salty breeze in your hair, the soft sand between your toes, the warm sun kissing and caressing your skin, the rippling, tranquil soft waves rolling to the shore, the crystal clear water recharging all your sense and keeping you grounded. A beach vacation is something I look forward to daily; embedded in my mind at all time, the ultimate escape away from reality.

Pulau Redang is the perfect example of what paradise should be. With everything I mentioned above & so much more. Words cannot describe (but I’ll still try) just how gorgeous this place was.

The journey to paradise was a fairly enjoyable one as well. Keep in mind to always double check your ferry timing, and how far each destination is before purchasing your flight tickets. A tiny mistake could lead to less time in paradise (*sigh* you live and you learn ey?).

The travelling was in this sequence:
Flight to Kuala Terengganu (an hour) —> cab ride to Shahbandar Jetty (20-30 minutes) —> ferry from Shahbandar to Taaras ( one and a half hours).

Throughout the journey, people were very friendly and courteous (a refreshing change from the city!), always with a smile on their faces and a warm welcome. Upon reaching the Shahbandar Jetty area, there was a one hour wait for the ferry but thankfully there’s Pasar Payang and Chinatown at a walking distance of 5 minutes.

Chinatown otherwise known as Kampung Cina, had some of the coolest street art and installations I’ve seen. Most of the walls of the houses and shoplots were painted in pretty colours, some with motifs and colour blocking. Each alley had it’s own art exhibition going on. I absolutely loved how artsy it was; Besides the really cool art, Kampung Cina had many food places that one can indulge in local delicacies. I enjoyed a plate of yummy Nasi Kerabu at Madam Bee before heading back to the jetty;It was a no brainer that Taaras Beach & Spa Resort was going to be the place I stayed, mainly because of its mermaid logo. If that wasn’t a sign, I don’t know what is 😉 When I reached that place, I knew it was fated in the stars;
The hotel is described as “a bespoke 5-star Private Beach Residence, tucked away and hidden from the outside world on a small island found just off the unspoiled East Coast of tropical Malaysia. The resorts ethos is to provide a contemporary, barefoot luxury experience with warm Asian hospitality.”

I couldn’t agree more ;
The mountain view rooms were spacious and cozy, also with a decent view from the balcony. Also, little sea-inspired details adorned the room except this super cute cat aircond remote holder (that I need in my life!); At the resort the activities include beach activities like sea sport, the spa & my favourite, lazing by the beach; The food at Taaras was good (not great!) but the cocktails were very much disappointing and cost more than our dinner.

The next day consisted of the buffet breakfast that was also pretty disappointing when it comes to the Western food, the Malaysian food however was good. The rest of the morning was spent climbing rocks and walking around the private beach; Due to unforeseen circumstances, we only managed to go on a one-stop snorkeling trip & I finally got to try out my GoPro underwater properly! Absolutely can’t get over how magical it was; Snorkeling is a lot of fun, but gets tiring real quick especially if you wear a life jacket (which I always do because as much as I love the sea, I fear it too). An hour floating and swimming around is enough to get you exhausted.

Headed back for lunch and more frolicking on the beach. Special shoutout to the Dhinasaur as he patiently took pictures of me with a lot of direction; I kept forgetting I was swimming in salt water, because its so clear. The trip back was a similar one, but with more time spent at Shahbandar Jetty. Managed to walk around Pasar Payang to check it out, with all the old skool candies and keropok lekor being sold; & back to Chinatown for some authentic Chinese grub and rich coffee; More walking around the town led to more cool finds; If I could describe Pulau Redang in one word, it’d be ‘paradise’. I can’t wait to go back again.

Full of vitamin-sea,
Harmini Asokumar

Avillion, Port Dickson

09 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by harminiasokumar in Indian Mermaid Adventures, Review, Travel

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avillion port dickson, avillion port dickson review, places to stay in port dickson, port dickson, port dickson review

I’m all about short getaways to recharge from the hustle and bustle of KL city life. This round, it was Avillion, Port Dickson that I decided on. To be completely honest, Port Dickson was definitely not my first choice of a holiday destination due to its dirty sea water. However having stayed at Avillion before (ages ago with my family!) & asking around (or asking people on Facebook, to be more accurate) the feedback for this place was fairly good.

I picked the water chalet (obviously!) & no regrets on my end. I absolutely loved it! Here are a few reasons why;

1. The view from the room. The chalets are designed based on the concept of a traditional Malay fishing village. With that being said, you can open the doors to your balcony to enjoy the sea beneath and the blue skies above. The sea water at Port Dickson, however is questionable, depending on weather. Lucky for me, the water didn’t stink.

2. The cozy, gorgeous room.Say hello to waking up to the sounds of the sea (& sometimes smell) in a room decked out with wooden furniture and fixtures, as well as stained glass windows that light up the room with a soothing vibe.

Also, it has an open bathroom concept while enables you to enjoy the view of the skies as you shower and also take a peak into the ocean.

3. More nature & pools of water.

The swimming pools are divine. There’s a really pretty one for families & a private adult pool that has a strict no kid policy. Also the decks are decked (see what I did there? :D) with frangipani flowers. Enjoy an evening stroll before going for a dip in the pool!

4. Animals up close!

There’s a petting area where you can feed, help shower and pet the animals. From little fuzzy bunny rabbits, to ducks and chickens running around, and beautiful peacocks showing off, you’re bound to be mesmerized and entertained!

5. Take a walk on the beach!

This part is a little tricky & I’m not talking about the driving out of Avillion bit. The tough part is to scout for a fairly clean beach area. I went to the one near Bayu. The water was clear at the shore, there were shells, and the sand was soft. Definitely worthy for a short stroll and watch the sunset.

The following day, I headed in the opposite direction only to be completely put off after seeing noodles floating in the water and on the shore as well. *shudders.

There are night markets nearby on Saturday’s. It’s mostly Malay food and it’s pretty good!

6. The balcony view from the room at night.

Spending quality time while listening to the waves crash, enjoying the cold breeze. Perfection!

This picture was a necessity because “vacay-flower in hair” is a tradition I must uphold 🙂

There’s a good spa there as well, but I didn’t manage to accommodate to their timing so I gave it a skip.

Overall, definitely a good getaway. A great place if you just want to be around the good company of for friends, couples or even families since there’s tons of facilities to use for both kids and adults.

Mermaid on land,
Harmini Asokumar

Cambodia Travels.

11 Tuesday Nov 2014

Posted by harminiasokumar in Deeper Than Fashion, Travel

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angkor wat, apsara dancers, bargaining in cambodia, cambodia, cambodia review, cambodia travels, koulen apsara show, places to visit in siem reap, siem reap, temples in cambodia, tourist in siam reap, villa indochine d'angkor

Always drawn to places with history, culture and mystery, I absolutely had to visit Cambodia. The only downside was I had only a full two days in total to enjoy and explore this beautiful country. With two options of either Phnom Pehn or Siem Reap, we opted for Siam Reap because we wanted to see the Angkor Wat.

Stayed at Villa Indochine D’Angkor, which was a 15-20 minutes tuk-tuk ride from the airport & fairly near most of the visiting areas. The place was decently priced for all the perks we got. I live for small details, so I absolutely loved the welcome lime drink in a gorgeous silver bowl adorned with a single orchid and cold towel to cool you down from the intense heat.

Villa Indochine D’Angkor: The room was really pretty and most importantly spacious and cozy. There was even a welcome sign on our bed with our names using leaves (eco-friendly signage ftw!). The restaurant had the best Amok Fish dish I tried the whole time I was there (& all I ate was amok fish).

Amok Fish is thick soup cooked with either fish or meat, vegetables, eggs and coconut milk, served with steamed rice. It has minimal spices but is very fragrant and tasty. Another thing in the villa that caught my eye was the basic decor with maximum impact. Folded lotus flowers were everywhere! It being my favourite flower, pictures were a must!Cambodia has a one hour difference from Malaysia, we are an hour ahead. Keep that in mind when travelling there as due to this factor we missed the sunset at Angkor Wat which was planned for day one. So the rest of the day was spent lazing by the pool, and sipping on Cambodian beer;Alcohol there is really cheap. A draft of their own beer is 50cents (US currency) & cocktails range from 1 USD onwards. I had the best cocktail I’ve ever had in my entire life (I kid you not!) at a bar on Pub Street called The Sun. It was a strawberry champagne margarita and it was incredibly delicious! All for $1.50 😉

Which brings me to what we did the rest of the night, we went for an Apsara Show at Koulen restaurant which was recommended by out tuk-tuk driver. It’s a huge restaurant that seats about 500 people, and has for performances as well as a buffet. The performance was beautiful but it would have been awhole lot better if we knew the stories behind it. The food was sub par so I wouldn’t recommend it.

After the show we headed to the Night Market and Old Market, walking distance from each other to experience the shopping. I absolutely loved it! Walking through tiny shoplots with trinkets, statues and clothes, I felt so at home 🙂 The people were nice but persuasive in order to get you to buy things.

Here’s a little tip, when you bargain go down by a quarter, not half from the price given. I wish I had known this little detail earlier as I over-paid for quite a few items. After all that shopping, you can walk down to Pub Street where all the clubs and bars are for a drink to unwind before heading back.

Day two started incredibly early as we wanted to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. Woke up at 4am, the villa staff packed our breakfast so we could take it along and we went on a very cold tuk-tuk ride to the place. It was swarming with tourists from all over the world, all waiting to take the perfect picture of the Angkor Wat’s sunrise!

My personal opinion? The sunrise was not as majestic as I had hoped it to be, beautiful nevertheless. It’s either that or the sky was just not cooperating on that day. I’ll definitely go back again to be extra sure 😉

Another tip that you absolutely need to do, and this is crucial is to get a tour guide for the Angkor Wat. There’s so much history and stories for each part of the place. We didn’t manage to get a guide, so we kinda eavesdropped as much as we could here and there.

The Angkor Wat was initially a Hindu temple for Lord Vishnu and was later a Buddhist temple. According to the guide, what religion it is was based on the ruler of that time. The intricate details, the amazing statues and all that history was just breath-taking!

The whole place had a calming, zen effect. I could just stay there all day exploring. It’s so beautiful. Here’s proof of just how amazing it is (and the pictures don’t even do it justice!)
Though it is a Buddhist temple now, the Hindu elements are still evident. For example, these water pools that were used by Hindu monks to store holy water and to wash away sins after prayers (information via tour guide).The whole place was gorgeous, but the best is yet to come. As much as I loved the Angkor Wat, the next temple I went to definitely captured all my attention (& heart!). The Bayon temple.

The Bayon temple is said to be a shrine to the Buddha, decorated with dozens of stone faces and statues. Bayon has a meaning in Khmer; the Magic which is incredibly appropriate. That place is absolutely magical! The statues at Bayon were smiling, which added on to the zen vibes of the whole place;

To add on to the beauty of this temple, we stumbled upon a Lingam statue as well. The Lingam is a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva and seen as a symbol of energy;
I brought a little piece of my art to emerge with the art that was already there for centuries; The third temple was a walking distance from Bayon and was fairly disappointing. The entire structure was very tall and the view was nice from the top, but that was as much as I got out of it. There could have been a really great story about it, however with no guide we were unsure about it all.

I didn’t have the opportunity to scout more temples, but I definitely will be back for more. Thank you,Cambodia for the Buddha-calm vibes, inspiration, art and history. Until next time.

Villa Samadhi Retreat Kuala Lumpur

09 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by harminiasokumar in Review, Travel

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getaway in kl, villa samadhi, villa samadhi ampang, villa samadhi by samadhi retreats, villa samadhi kl, villa samadhi kl review, villa samadhi review, weekend getaway in kl

In dire need of the hustle and bustle of city life, I decided it was time I treated myself for working so hard on a little escape. However due to time constraint, I had to opt for staying somewhere within Kuala Lumpur & was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon Villa Samadhi on this quest.

While going through pictures I found online, I was completely excited about being able to escape to a place that had a Balinese-Thai feel to it.

The reservations were fairly strict & not so customer friendly. Only with credit cards or a specific bank could you book a room. After booking was made (full payment), a confirmation letter is sent.

I loved the idea of being able to escape the city within the city, but of course that meant which trying to do so, getting stuck in the unpredictable city jam. For future references and in order not to waste precious time, I shall make a mental note to leave an hour earlier.

Thankfully, you can find the place quite easily using Waze. When we reached, there was strict security before you get in.

I was automatically taken by this huge Buddha statue. Peace, zen and all that, I found out that Samadhi means the highest level of meditation.

The entrance had some really cool water feature (which was off) and bowls that were meant for candles or decorations of some sort (also empty), so I wasn’t truly as impressed as I should’ve been but I kept up with the optimism in order to enjoy my retreat.

The welcoming committee was friendly and did a fantastic job. Definitely good PR. Also, we were welcomed with a honey ginger infused tea which was pretty yummy 🙂 Our view was even more yummy though! After signing in, we were escorted to the room. I booked the Crib room that was the cheapest at RM600++ per night. The room was beautiful with its rustic design with some modern twists.

The king sized bed was elevated on a platform, making it easier to view the tv on the other end. They also have a DVD player (upon request) for those who want to stay in and watch a good movie. There was also a day-bed which I thought was really pretty. However it served no purpose as there was no view outside the windows except a bunch of shrubs. I did sit there to make some accessories though, my own private work space.

Yes, I actually brought accessories to make while on a holiday -___-

In between, they sent us snacks (traditional nyonya kuih and fruits). Also the range of teas that were provided in the room were fancy. TWG in an array of choices.

Unlucky me, I had to wait for the rain to stop before I could walk out to the swimming pool that had bed to lounge and be lazy after enjoying a dip in the water. There’s an in-house restaurant but didn’t look too interesting and the prices were out of my budget. The perk of being in the heart of KL? You’ll never run out of food options. The night ended with good food, drinks (my own) and some movies.

I love hotel/retreat breakfasts. Especially when there’s not time frame give. The idea is to let you enjoy your rest and wake up, take your time and then get some grub as and when you are ready. Definitely a plus point.

More than anything, I love pancakes! So when my free breakfast set had a pancakes option, I was really excited; However was let down by the taste of it. Their homemade pineapple jam wasn’t up to standards and didn’t really go with the pancakes. Besides that, it was an okay meal.

All in all, the place was beautiful and we got great treatment. The downer was definitely the food. If you ever need a quick getaway that feels like you aren’t in KL anymore, I’d definitely recommend this place.

Cherating Beach.

21 Monday Jul 2014

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cherating, cherating turtles, green turtles, green turtles terengganu, releasing baby turtles, teluk mak nik, turtle laying eggs, turtle watching in terengganu, turtles in terengganu

I was treated to a beach vacation for my birthday. Due to time constraints, we headed to Cherating instead of an island which was the initial plan. To be completely honest, my expectations of the place wasn’t high but the entire trip turned out really pretty great 🙂

We stayed at The Legend’s hotel, which rates were fairly cheap for a big room and an ocean view. Unfortunately during the Ramadhan period where all the Muslims were fasting meant that there was no food places open during lunch time and we had to drive out quite a bit to eat (very average) Chinese food. On the plus side, the bazaar food was amazing and cheap! Nasi kukus, & keropok lekor are definitely a must there.

Besides that, a whole lot of strolling by the beach took place. The water was fairly clean, but not clear. This mermaid did not swim.

Not because I’m a water-snob (okay, I really am!) but more like because;It was infested with jellyfish! So many types, shapes and sizes *shudders. It was pretty difficult to be tempted to even walk in the water or allow the waves to crash against your feet as you walk, constantly in fear of getting stung. I did however enjoy walking in the sand in search for sea-shell and other treasures (like that piece of rainbow I found!) & take pictures of my accessories. I packed a batch of sea and mermaid-inspired jewelry to photograph by the beach. I work even when on holiday, it can’t be helped!

The highlight of my entire trip was when I went to see turtles at Pantai Teluk Mak Nik, Kemaman, Terengganu. From my hotel, it was a 20 minutes drive. Our turtle tour guide, was this man named Pak Su. I’d definitely recommend his services if anyone wants to go look at turtles as he was really informative, witty and obliging. I must have asked a million questions, and he patiently explained.

I saw a female Green Turtle lay eggs & that is truly something I never thought I’d have the privilege to see. According to Pak Su, it’s called green due the colour of their fat under the shell. We were advised against using flash to take pictures or videos to not distress the turtle as she laid her eggs. Once she was done, and started covering her nest we were allowed to photograph and even touch her. Look at this beauty!

She layed 91 eggs. All of which were collected by the rangers and taken to the hatchery to ensure their safety and survival.

At the end of the visit, each visitor was given 2 baby turtles to release (which I named Snaffy & Snuggles). Seriously, how cute is this little fella?! I kept baby-talking them as they squirmed impatiently to be released. About 300 baby turtles are released almost every night, however one a handful survive. Another interesting fact, is that the baby turtles follow the light into the sea (usually by the moon) but for those of us with handphones and flashlights, we were allowed to help assist by shining the light for them to find their way to the ocean 🙂

All in all, best birthday ever! It was truly an amazing experience being able to witness and be a part of something like this. To top it all off;Moet & Chandom Ice Imperial, a semi dec style of champagne that is meant to be served with ice, unlike the usual. So incredibly delish!

Travel: Cameron Highlands

14 Wednesday May 2014

Posted by harminiasokumar in Travel

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bala chalet, balas chalet, balas chalet review, cameron highlands, cameron highlands review, healthy strawberry farm, strawberry fields forever

Having never been to Cameron Highlands before, I decided to take a road trip to check it out. As per usual I start off with a little background about the place;

“Cameron Highlands in Pahang is one of Malaysia’s most popular tourist destinations, a collection of peaceful townships perched 1500 meters high on a nest of serene mountains. Cooling resorts, tea plantations and strawberry farms sprawl lazily across lush valleys and meandering hill slopes, the perfect setting for a relaxing holiday. The sea of tranquility, pleasant landscapes and cold climate impart a special experience upon the multitudes of visitors each year.”

The thing they don’t mention is the drive up was winding and if you have any form of motion sickness, I recommend taking some sort of medication, or to just sleep throughout the whole ordeal. Unless you want to end up like me, feeling all nauseous and sick the rest of the day The first few sights you see as soon as you reach the top is, this beautiful scenery of a tea plantation! This was the Bharat Tea Plantation. Unfortunately it was raining at this point of time, so I didn’t get to walk down but instead sat in the little tea shop that overlooks this view; No complains, I had this gorgeous view, a mug of steaming hot chocolate tea to keep me warm & scones with fresh strawberry jam and cream. The scones were warm and soft, and the jam was just incredibly tasty (ended up just eating jam after awhile). There’s really nothing quite like fresh jam.Feeling a whole lot better after the yummy tea and fresh air, we headed to the historical Bala’s Chalet where we were staying for the course of our trip. After finding them via Google and falling in love with the way it looked, I was more than keen to reach our destination. & I definitely wasn’t disappointed! Their official website explained it best with this description; “Set amidst lush grenery, rolling hills and mountains, Planters Country Hotel (formerly known as Bala’s Holiday Chalet) offers you good value for money. A charming English style inn that provides the perfect blend of old world ambience and contemporary comfort. With its serenity and country charm, the hotel captures the very essence of a highland holiday.”

I was incredibly impressed with the well maintained, overgrown (contradictory I know, but the pictures will do the explaining) plants as well as the interior of the place. The place had been preserved nicely over the years, leaving the colonial feel to it. Our room was quite a short slightly steep walk up the hill, but it was all worth it. I was beyond ecstatic when I reached the room. Even the outside was enough to leave me happy and squealing like a little girl. The little sitting area outside was a great place to sit down for tea. We got to stay at the Raffles Suite. Here’s a little peek of the inside; The bed covers, and curtains were in a pretty shade of lavender, one of my favourite colours. The interior was very rustic, with its wooden paneling, and stairs that led to a loft upstairs. Yes, a loft. How magical is that! There was also a transparent little patch of glass on the roof, letting in some sunrays and warming up the room.

After unpacking & a hot, hot shower (love the hot water against my skin when the weather is cold!), we explored the chalet a bit more and found more beautiful places; We took a short drive after to the Brinchang market. There were tons of stalls opened up selling so many different things. Here were a few favourites; Fresh fruits & vegetables. I ended up eating case loads of strawberries. They sell them with chocolate as well, sinful delight in my mouth. I also ended up eating corn (& I’m really not a fan of corn) but it was so juicy and fresh, they didn’t even need to boil it.Another must-try are the fried vegetables, I personally loved the mushrooms most. To wash it down, sea coconut juice! I’ve never tried this before as well, but loved how naturally sweet it was.

After filling up on pasar malam food, we called it a night. The nights get really chilly in Cameron (no aircond required), I was thankful I had a huge sweater and long jammie pants. The next time around, I may opt for socks as well. Also, the night gets really, really quiet and honestly quite eerie, but that’s probably the city slicker in me not accustomed to it.

The next day was dedicated to visiting the famous farms that Cameron Highlands is mostly known for. There are quite a number of farms to pick from, most with similar things. We went to Healthy Strawberry Farm; We got to savor tons of products made using strawberries. Ice-cream, jam, juice. My favourite was of course just the fruit itself. We ordered fresh juicy strawberries sprinkled with sugar, covered in whipped cream with a more than generous drizzle of Hersheys chocolate. Besides just strawberries, they also sold plants & flowers. The cactus in multiple colours were being sold at 5 for RM10. Once we were done, we headed to the Brinchang market again to have more food. I got a chance to sample fresh, pure honey; Straight from the hive. It was so delish! You can eat it whole and spit out the wax, but I suggest sucking it out or squeezing it out of the wax. Not a fan of the taste Went back to the Bharat Tea plantation since it was warm and sunny. The view this time around, was a completely different one; Started drizzling right after, so we headed back to the beautiful Bala Chalet to curl up in the loft and have more tea. Yes, we overdid the whole tea thing in Cameron, but it was really unavoidable. For dinner, we went to Ye Olde Smokehouse. Very much like the chalet, it was an English Tudor styled concept. The food was fairly decent and not worth the money (I wouldn’t recommend it). Also without reservations, there was quite a wait. I didn’t mind because I was happily sipping wine by the fireplace; I wish I had gone there for tea because they have a gorgeous garden I’m pretty sure would have been amazing during the day. Oh well

All in all, it was a great weekend getaway. I would recommend Cameron Highlands to any nature lover who just wants to getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city and wants to enjoy the cold weather, yummy tea and fresh food.

Travel: Melaka

18 Friday Apr 2014

Posted by harminiasokumar in Travel

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The most spontaneous weekend food trip to Malacca was planned. An entire trip dedicated to eating the yummy food that Malacca has to offer. But first, some history;

Malacca (know as Melaka in Malay & is dubbed “The Historic State” ) is the third smallest Malaysian state. It is located in the southern region. This historical city centre has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 7 July 2008. – source: Wikipedia

For the rest of us Malaysians, Malacca is not only know for its vast history and its amazing Baba Nyonya heritage, but also the variety of food. A weekend wasn’t enough to head down to Malacca to explore the entire place, so we opted for spending time at Jonker Street ( that happens to be the heart of Chinatown, best known for its night markets of food, crafts and shopping).

When on holiday, wear a flower in your hair. Always.

My gorgeous peacock top from Tanksfor5.

Jonker Street is filled with lots of pretty, authentic Malacca-infused places to stay. However as luck would have it due to last minute planning, we ended up in a decent (but not exciting place), which was not worth it for the price we paid. I would recommend the Wayfarer, with a river view though. Reasonable and beautiful, I’ll definitely make plans to stay there the next time.

First up on the menu, chicken rice balls. These rice-balls are rolled into sizes of golf balls, accompanied by either roast or steamed chicken (we had both!), sweet pork (also optional!) & pounded chili paste. The most well-known (dare I say the best one?) is situated near Hard Rock Hotel. There’s no way to miss it, thanks to the ridiculously long line of people. The wait however, is worth it!

After lunch, we did some sight-seeing due to the much needed exercise after all that food consumption. I love walking around Jonker, you’ll never know what kind of magic you find. From old temples, to more food stores, art galleries, quaint antique stores, and what caught my attention most, the art!;

The old tiling work outside houses & sidewalks were too pretty not to photograph!
Funky art at the galleries & doors of the bars. Some classic Chinese artwork on gates & walls.

We also walked by the river (which also has a sight-seeing cruise), enjoying the sights and sounds of Malacca. Found out they also have an Indian street nearby.

After a long cold shower and resting, late evening we were back on Jonker Street. That’s when the entire place comes to life! Small food stalls set everywhere, it was like a mini Petaling Street, with a charm of its own.
We ate while we shopped. Quail eggs on a stick, fried carrot cake, pancakes with chocolate on the inside, potato chips with seasoning on a stick, and drank some soda that was apparently a Malacca original. All the food stuff was made on the spot. So much yes to hot food! For dessert, we tried these yogurt ice-creams. I tried the chocolate flavour and it was pretty good. More than the actual dessert, I was impressed by the recycled artwork that was done using the empty ice-cream containers. How cute are these?!

Reggae by the River. A small bar that plays good reggae music and was all about good vibes. Ended our long day there for a couple of beers. There’s something soothing about being around water (even if it wasn’t the cleanest river) that calms me down and makes me unwind.

The riverside had quite a number of small eateries that I would love to check out the next time around. It had a semi-French vibe, with the minimalistic design and concept.

Before heading back to Kuala Lumpur, we made sure to recharge with more Jonker food & that’s exactly what we did.

The best cendol I’ve ever tasted at Jonker 88. The stall used to be set up outside, but due to the roads and the queue, they’ve taken it in the shop lot itself. Expect a long line, but also expect a mouth-gasm! The flavours are completely different from the usual cendol thanks to the quality of the gula Melaka used.

Apparently the food there was really good too, but we didn’t get a seat and ended up in the shop-lot right next to to it. Can’t complain, the fried dumpling, Nyonya laksa & curry laksa was so, so good!

& that was it for my foodie roadtrip.
Anyone have suggestions of other places I should have tried at Jonker? Please feel free to post under comments! 🙂

6th International Putrajaya Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2014

30 Sunday Mar 2014

Posted by harminiasokumar in Indian Mermaid Adventures, Travel

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I had the opportunity to attend the 6th International Putrajaya Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. The fiesta is the sixth installment of the internationally recognized hot air balloon fiesta. After missing the first few years and all the rave reviews, 2014 was the year I told myself I absolutely needed to check it out & I did!

My favourite part of the entire fest were the bubbles! Yes. at the hot air balloon fiesta, my favourite part was the giant bubbles ;
There was an allocated area where you can rent bubble blowing equipment, or even buy a set to take him. I bought a set that was inclusive of a wand (for big bubbles), two types of bubble solution and a bowl for RM25.

& spent the rest of the day playing with bubbles. There’s something incredibly relaxing about it, watching the rainbow swirls in the bubbles as it floats. A little bit of magic 🙂

To further make me happy, there were these huge rainbow flower windmills almost as big as I am! It was such a cute addition to the bubble area.

After finishing up my bubble-blowing session, we did a stroll around the Putrajaya park as the sun was setting. There were tons of people since the event was open to public and was free admission. Also, the place was crawling with activities, food stalls and families enjoying their weekend out.

I opted to enjoy the company I was with & nature instead;

I loved the whole concept of the picnic area. Doof beanbags, picnic mats and a 3 piece band to entertain the crowd.

Ended up watching the hot air balloons from a deck-like building by the lake. Probably one of the best views to see the balloons up in the air;
I was pretty disappointed with the lack of hot air balloons in the air due to the weather, but the overall experience was a good one.

I’d probably go again next year, maybe I’ll get a chance to actually go in a hot air balloon then.