Week 1 holiday in Asia

Day 1 – 19 March 2011

06.00hrs arrival @ Changi Airport with Singapore Airlines

Accommodation Scarlet Boutique Hotel, Erskine Road in Chinatown

Maxwell food center (hawker with all kind of food shops). Last time I’ve been here was in 2002. It was good to be back.

New Chinese temple with impressive interior & collection of chinese art.

With MRT (subway) to Orchard Road, check out Apple store: Epicenter.

Raffles hotel in Long bar drinking the famous Singapore sling (SGD60), expensive but worthwhile.

Afternoon sleep

Visiting Hindhu temple in Chinatown and having chinese food.

Visiting Clarke Quay (bars & clubs)

Day 2 – 20 March 2011

Lunch @ Maxwell

By boat from Clarke Quay to Marine Bay

Visiting Skypark on Marine Bay Sands

Bought Apple Macbook pro 13” @ Epicenter

Walked back looking @ the skyline of Singapore, taken the boat back to Clarke Quay

Went to Little India having nice Indian food.

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Day 3 – 21 March 2011

Breakfast @ Maxwell

Walk through Chinatown shopping centre where Natasja having a fish spa treatment (SGD 8 for 15 minutes)

Walking through Little India & stopped @ a Thai Massage for Natasja (SGD25 for 30min which were 45min in the end for same price)

Went to Arab street & having lunch with murtabak mutton & beef.

Swimming pool @ Red Hill area near MRT

Via Bugis Junction by MRT to Swimming pool @ MRT station Red Hill (entrance fee SGD 2 + 0,40 for locker). Stayed there till we went to Malaysian Railway Station @ Jangor Pagar departure with nighttrain to KL 22hrs (2 tickets SGD 80)

Due to collapsed bridge we got transferred to bus, but bus got problems, so new bus to next train station

During the night we stopped @ Gemas station (half way) due to collapse of bridge (by flood). So with buses in the middle of the night to next railway station continuing trip to KL. Arrived with half hour delay at 7.30hrs.

Day 4 – 22 March 2011 – Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

Arrival @ Reggae Guesthouse 2 (foursquare) (there is also 1 above the reggae bar nearby). This is a real clean hostel, friendly people in Chinatown near LRT (subway) station Pasar Seni (1 stop from KL Sentral (trains, subway)).

2 nights in private room for 2: RM162 (39 euro), breakfast included and coffee & tea available all day.

Walked to Menara KL (tower of KL: more info) via city forest. Natasja calls this a Jungle of which we’ve walked only 200 meters where we already arrived at Parking lot of the tower. But still for Natasja her first rainforest as she mentioned … all fine with me.

The tower was impressive despite the clouds above the city. But gave great surrealistic views of the Petronas towers sticking above the clouds.

Batu cave we’ve visited on this partially rainy day. Impressive  advisable to take a taxi. A return ticket by taxi (teksi) RM 140. Here Natasja met her long time wish by seeing monkeys. We’ve almost missed those naughty food demanders due to the rainy day but on our way downstairs we saw them at last.

Went to shopping mall Time Square where there is a complete rollercoaster & other attractions. Visited Pavillion where some F1 cars are displayed. Next month 8-10 April Formula 1 is coming to KL.

Dinner @ Reggae bar with a 20% discount because we are guesthouse guests.

Day 5 - 23 March 2011

Just before our waiting number for ordering train tickets to Singapore for the next day we decided to take the plane. Counter just on the other side of KL Sentral hall. 2 tickets one way RM338 (78 euro)

Mosque (with blue roof) where we had to wear purple dresses. Very nice to walk around. Following a visit to the Moslim Museum nearby.

 By taxi to Petronas tower for shopping mall Suria KLCC. Here we had Japanese lunch @ Yuzu with mixture of Sushi, Sashimi, oysters & Japanese beef accompanied with a glass Chardonnay wine.

Walk in the parc at Petronas till end of the day.

Had a drink in Chinatown with a big beer & eating a green pau with lotus filling (sweet). Also chilling @ guesthouse. Me listening to drum part of Anka’s song. Saturday 25 March I will record my drum part in Jakarta. So need to be prepared.

Dinner @ Tang City Food Center in Chinatown where we ate Roti Canai Mutton, beef.  

Day 6 – 24 March 2011 Singapore

 In the morning flying back to Singapore with AirAsia.

Almost all asleep in the MRT from Airport to City center

Natasja outside restaurant Song of India

Afternoon back to our base @ Scarlet Boutique Hotel.

Me get my 30 minutes run in the gym & following our way to restaurant Song of India on Scott’s road with Restaurant week.

Back in the hotel chilling.

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Day 7 – 25 March 2011 Jakarta

Taking our flight to Jakarta @ 12hrs with AirAsia.

Janine & Anka are picking us up.