Bon Ton Resort, Langkawi 浮罗交怡的邦塔恩度假村

After breakfast on the second day, we checked out early and Amir brought us on a tour of Bon Ton Resort which is located not too far from Temple Tree Resort. Bon Ton Resort is built on an old coconut plantation.

That explains the warning signs on the coconut trees. LOL

The resort is surrounded by padi fields and sugar cane fields with a lake in a corner of the estate.

This resort resembles a Malay village because of the traditional houses on stilts.

The interior of the houses are tastefully furnished with all the modern comforts.

There is their signature vintage bath tub .....

Guests can choose to relax or have their breakfast on the balcony which overlooks the swimming pool.

Besides an indoor bar overlooking the beautiful lake, there is an outdoor bar at the swimming pool.

You get a view of the lake while you enjoy your meal at Nam Restaurant ....

or alfresco on the deck overlooking the lake.

The alfresco area when the sun is setting .....

Here are two types of their single room traditional houses.

For the overseas visitors like us, it is an amazing way to experience the richness of Malaysia's cultural heritage.



邦塔恩度假村 (Bon Ton Resort) 就在树下神龛度假村 (Temple Tree Resort) 的旁边。位於浮罗交怡最热闹的珍南海滩, 这两家度假村属于相同的公司 。

我第一眼看到这马来甘榜和传统的房子就深深被吸引。度假村里的传统甘榜房子外表看来很旧, 但内部房间非常干净、舒适, 均备有空调、吊扇、保险箱、热水淋浴、吹风机、电视、冰箱、拖鞋、驱蚊剂、免费矿泉水、咖啡和茶冲泡设施等一切必需品。

房子拥有可俯瞰泳池的独立阳台; 浴室设有泡澡的私人空间; 还可以免费在整个度假村上网（Wifi）。

这里的餐馆提供当地特色美食和西方料理。餐馆前面是湖, 可以一边吃饭一边欣赏美丽的风景。晚上除了度假村住客, 还有好多人来这里享用餐点。

住客可以体验当地文化, 这是一个非常奇妙、特別的经验。

Temple Tree @ Bon Ton, Langkawi

After checking out from Cinta Sayang Resort, together with another 4 group members, we set off for Kuala Kedah Ferry Terminal to board the 2 pm ferry to Langkawi. One adult ticket costs RM23.

The ferry ride took about 1 and 1/2 hours. We watched a movie onboard to pass our time. A staff from Temple Tree Resort came to fetch us at Jetty Point Langkawi. His name is Amir. He gave us a tour of Langkawi island before sending us to the resort.

We had a brief stop at Tanjung Rhu Beach to take some photos. It was such a lovely beach. Glad that there was no tourist crowds.

When the car turned into a gravel road and stopped in front of a wooden house, I was taken aback when I found out where I was going to spend the night. We were ushered into a room which is the bar and were served their signature welcome drink, the delicious pineapple tea with mint.

Amir allocated the houses for our night's stay. He told us to go wash up and gathered at the reception area by 7.30 pm, so we could go to the night market for dinner.

I was almost fainting from hunger because I didn't dare to eat my lunch. My good friend Criz frightened me with his warning of seasickness and vomiting during the ferry ride. Ish,

I ordered the Indian bread with dips (RM 16) while hubby had a plate of fried rice (RM 36). There is a limited choice of food on the menu and it is expensive.

After our meal, we were led to our "house". My jaws dropped when I was brought to Chinese 1. I couldn't believe my eyes! This magnificent two-storey Chinese house is more than 100 years old. It is built of wood without using any nails. It was relocated from Batu Pahat, Johor. Originally a farmhouse, it has large verandahs on 3 sides.  

Here's a short video of the interior

The creaking wooden doors gave me the creeps. hahaha..... 

Chinese 1 has a master bedroom with a queen-sized bed with mosquito netting, its own bar room, plus a separate bedroom with two single beds. Love the Chinese colours of red and black which contrasts with the simple wooden walls.

I couldn't find the stairs to the upper floor which is Chinese 2. It has a master bedroom with a queen-sized bed, a private Mahjong room and Chinese library which can add in an extra bed.

Walking into the spacious bath room ......

this familiar shower room transport me back to the past...., my childhood days when I was living in a village.

TA-DA!

Isn't it awesome!? There were bath salts and a moisturising massage cream too. 

Despite it being 1 am in the wee hours of the morning, we had a good soak in the wooden tub after our night market visit and a heavy supper. LOL

While getting ready for bed, I was worried when I saw the gaping holes in the mosquito netting. I am terrified of getting mosquito bites after contracting dengue fever several years ago. To play safe, I put on a long sleeve tee and long pants, but it became too warm to sleep in them.

The resort has included a local made balm for mosquito bites and there is insect repellent inside the bathroom. There are sarongs (a wrap around cloth) in the closet.

I woke up at 6.15 am,  trying to capture a sunrise shot. I opened the wooden window to a pitch black sky and a white cat perched on the verandah railings.

I shut the window and went back to bed. When I opened the window at 6.48 am, the white cat was still waiting for me on the railing in the dark.

Finally at 7.05 am, I could see a little sunlight. I put on a sarong and grabbing my camera, ran out to catch the early morning sun.

Hubby woke up and joined me, we had fun posing for pictures in our sarong.

The resort had placed our breakfast in the fridge the night before, so I brought it out to have breakfast on the verandah. It was a simple and light meal.

We went for a swim after breakfast, then took a shower and got ready to check out at 10.15 am. Amir was bringing us on a tour of Bon Ton resort.


从吉打港口码头坐船去马来西亚浮罗交怡旅游, 抵达我的旅店, 让我吓了一跳! 怎么会是住甘榜呢 !? 开什么玩笑? 要我喂蚊子吗? 哈哈 。。。

树下神龛度假村（Temple Tree ）是一个蛮特别的度假村。我入住的 Chinese House 1, 年龄超过100岁了, 是从柔佛峇株巴辖州迁往这里。屋子装饰非常华丽, 有两间房间, 还拥有自己的酒吧台。哇! 还有一个巨大的木制浴缸, 足够我和老公一起在里面泡澡。

坐在阳台上就可以看到日落。屋子前面是110英尺的游泳池, 打开房门走几步就可以跳下去游泳。哈哈 。。。

楼上有一间套房，有私人麻将室和图书馆。

房子房间很棒, 我好喜欢, 也很享受这种轻松的旅游。

Cinta Sayang Resort - 3D2N Weekend Getaway

Hubby and I left Singapore on a Friday morning for Penang. We were going to Cinta Sayang Resort, a family friendly golf and country resort in Sungai Petani, Kedah for a short getaway. It was a Play-Stay-Eat-Meet time with more than 20 bloggers from all over Malaysia as well as overseas.

We met up with a few bloggers before setting off for Cinta Sayang Resort which is an hour's drive from Penang International Airport. I was excited when our van drove across Penang Bridge, the fifth-longest bridge in Southeast Asia.

Having visited Penang for so many times, it was my first time using Penang Bridge to get to the mainland.

We were the few to arrive early in Cinta Sayang Resort. After a welcome drink and muffins, we were ushered to our rooms. Ours was a lovely chalet at the north wing. After a quick freshen up, we went out to explore the resort grounds and posed for some pictures.

This family friendly golf and country resort occupies 200-acre of land with an 18-hole golf course; a water theme park with thrilling water slides and horse riding etc. For hotel guests,  golf lessons for beginners can be arranged.

We dropped in to the convenience shop for some ice cream as it was a very hot day. hehe .... We lingered to chat with the friendly lady behind the counter. As we were leaving the shop, she called out,"Please drop by even if you are not buying anything!" We are that likeable. LOL

We had a peek at the outdoor swimming pool and gym before retiring to the cool comfort of our air-conditioned room for a nap. Woke up at 6 pm to shower and change for dinner.

Dinner was at the resort's coffee house, PS Cafe. We were offered choices of 4 ala carte dishes.

Hubby's 4 ala carte dishes :

Seafood Soup, 

Crispy Prawn Salad, 

Main Dish : Pan Fried Salmon 

Dessert : Tiramisu

My 4 ala carte dishes for dinner :

Oxtail Soup, 

Smoked salmon and Feta salad, 

Main Dish: Grilled Beef Tenderloin 

Dessert: Chocolate Brownie

We were stunned by the generous portions of the dishes. What was served to us are the regular portions on their menu. For that price listed in their menu, it is certainly good value for money. We were so stuffed after the main dish that we had to request for our slices of cakes to takeaway.   

The flavourful oxtail soup and creamy seafood soup are popular with their regular diners. I could still remember the rich taste of the oxtail soup as I typed. After my huge plate of salad, I felt like I couldn't eat another mouthful of food, but the grilled beef tenderloin was irresistible after I took a nibble.    

Glad that the crew packed our desserts for takeaway. In the room, we made coffee and had cakes for a late night snack before going to bed.  

Woke up energised the next morning and decided to go for an early buffet breakfast at PS Cafe.

We got to know more Malaysian bloggers over breakfast as we mingled around. After a satisfying breakfast, we proceeded to the driving range for our one-hour golf lesson, followed by a tour of the beautiful golf course.

Some parts of the golf course are so scenic and breathtaking. Hubby was already planning a golf trip as it looked so inviting.

The Sultan of Kedah and members of his Royal Family are avid golfers at Cinta Sayang Resort. Former Malaysian PM Dr Mahathir once hosted Singapore's former PM Goh Chok Tong for a game of golf here.

Our set lunch on the second day : 

Starter: Tomato and Basil soup, Coconut and Pumpkin Soup 

Main Dish: Grilled Lamb Loin,  Grilled Salmon

The tangy tomato and basil soup was so appetizing that I didn't leave anything for hubby to taste. haha .... Instead I tasted his coconut and pumpkin soup, love this combination. Think I am going to try cooking this at home.

My grilled lamb loin was too tough for my ageing teeth. Reminder to myself, cut down on red meat. LOL I was eyeing hubby's grilled salmon, but he wolfed it down before I could take a nibble. It must be delicious as he seldom eats fish.    

After lunch we went back to change into our swimming attire and took a short ride on the resort's shuttle bus to its on-site Carnival Water Park.

The sun was scorching hot. Not wanting to get a tan, we stayed in the shade and watched the younger group members have fun.

The water slide and tube slide look thrilling. Being the oldest couple in our group, we have our worries .... our heart could stop to function due to the thrill and excitement.

In our younger days, we would not bat an eye to such challenging rides. LOL

I spotted a horse at a corner of the theme park. The staff beckoned to us, so we get to enjoy a horse ride around the compound.

The resort prepared refreshments for us. Sipping a chilled glass of juice while chit chatting with the group members, my eyelids grew heavy. The heat was making me drowsy, so hubby and I returned to our room for a much needed power nap.

For our last night at the resort, we had a steamboat buffet dinner at the open air bar Chips & Bites. It overlooks the awesome golf course.

There was a choice of clear chicken soup or Tomyam soup but our table of 6 requested for both. I enjoyed drinking the clear soup after it has been sweetened by cooking the ingredients in it.

Meanwhile hubby, like a young kid, was overjoyed to see a DIY ice kacang making machine. haha....

After dinner, there was much fun and laughter when hubby and a couple of bloggers sang and danced to the Live band. We retired to our room before ten o'clock as we have a ferry to catch to another destination the following day.

Our gratitude and thanks to the management and staff of Cinta Sayang Resort who went the extra mile to make our stay a memorable and enjoyable one. Special thanks to our good friend and blogger Criz for organizing the event and inviting us.


带着轻松愉快的渡假心情, 我与马来西亚20多个博客聚集在吉达州双溪大年的金莎渡假村 (Cinta Sayang Resort)。我度过了一个难忘的三天两夜周末度假。

这綜合度假村位于风景如画的双溪大年郊区, 占地200英亩, 拥有18洞高尔夫球场，特色餐馆、会议厅、包厢卡拉OK、骑马、水上游乐园等等。

我的房間是宽敞舒适的庄园式套房, 有独立保管箱、冰箱、煮咖啡机、以及24小时无线电视。

第一天的晚餐和第二天的午餐是美味可口的西餐, 早餐是丰盛的自助餐。

第二天前往渡假村里面的水上游乐园 。我们这一团就数我们夫妇两最年长了。有个坐游泳圈的滑水道还蛮好玩的, 我们就看着年轻人们玩。还好游乐园里有得骑马! 天气很热, 没一会儿就想睡觉, 我们就回房午睡。

我们最后一天的晚餐是马来自助火锅, 汤底有清汤和泰式辣汤。

最后一天一大早就爬起来, 吃过早餐就往下个目的地去。

Johor Bahru Old Town Food Hunt 新山陈旭年文化街寻美食

Together with hubby and foodie friend Angie, we went across the causeway to Johor Bahru Old Town for some old school food. Whenever we have Angie for company, it's usually an enjoyable experience with lots of laughter and good food.

As a regular day tripper to JB, naturally I took the lead and showed them the shortcuts to JB old town. When hubby wondered aloud how come I was so familiar with JB roads and places, I froze. OMG! I realised then that I was revealing my usual hunts in JB to him. Ahhhh ... ! Shucks.

First stop was to crowded Restoran Kin Wah for its traditional breakfast set of toasted bread, 2 half boiled kampung eggs and coffee for Angie; I had a teh-C (tea with evaporated milk) and hubby ordered another slice of toast but was devoured by Angie because she like the toast. haha..... Total amount spent was RM11 for the three of us.

It was a late breakfast as it was already past eleven o'clock. I was famished and opted for a portion of nasi lemak (coconut rice) with side dishes of spicy chicken, brinjal and curry vegetables (RM8). I don't know if they charged me for the sambal chilli. The nasi lemak was fragrant, tasted good with the chilli paste and spicy side dishes.

Angie was rushing to foot the bill, but when she brought out an old wallet .... gwa gwa!

The blur queen brought Thai baht!! How to pay with Thai baht? I'm not surprised if she had ended up in Changi Airport that morning. LOL

She was quite upset with herself, so we had to console her and finally we had a good laugh over it. The kind and generous lady had wanted to shower us with yummy food treats but her plan failed. I loaned her RM100 so she could at least buy some souvenirs back.

After breakfast we strolled to Hiap Joo Bakery opposite the coffee shop to queue for its popular banana cake. There were two queues: one for its freshly baked buns and one for banana cakes. Angie met her relatives who offered us a hot-from-the-oven coconut bun.

There was a lady outside the bakery selling some tempting Nonya cakes. She had made them that morning. One piece cost RM1.20, 4 pieces cost RM4. I bought 4 pieces from her.

I like the yummy coconut taste of the cakes which were soft and moist, were not overly sweet. Closed on Thursdays and Sundays, she would be selling different types of Nonya cakes depending on what ingredients she could get from the market that day.

As the banana cakes would only be ready at 12.15 pm, Angie and I decided to take a walk along the Tan Hiok Nee 'Culture Street', leaving hubby to queue for the cakes.

I brought Angie to Red House as I wanted to buy the Giant Chicken Burger for my son, but the eatery changed management recently and a completely different menu was offered. Crew member Sylvester approached us to recommend their specialities. Angie was attracted to an old school Hokkien dish and so we decided to try their food.

We ordered a coffee and their special Hainanese milk tea (RM3), Angie liked the tea so much, she ordered another cup. We reserved a bowl of old school Hokkien porridge (RM6.80) as it was only available for breakfast and Angie wanted to wait for my hubby to come so he could taste it too. Awww .....

Sylvester recommended their special crispy Chicken Chop with Salted Egg Sauce (RM16.80). It was served shortly when hubby arrived at 12.48 pm with the freshly baked banana cakes. We shared the chicken chop. What a yummilicious dish! Angie didn't seem to have enough of it. haha.....

We met the chef and owner of The Red House Cafe Mr Tan and his wife. They and another partner had just took over on 1st October 2016. We had a good chat with Mr Tan who has been in the food and beverage business for 30 years. Looking forward to trying his other dishes on our next trip.

Several Hainanese kinsmen came to meet hubby and we had a chat and took some pictures. And one of these gentlemen paid for our meal. They invited us to their clan premises nearby.

We went for Sangkaya coconut ice cream after visiting the clan. We ordered their signature coconut ice cream, cendol and coconut shake. As it was a sunny day, we lepak (relax) in the air-conditioned cafe to enjoy our chilled desserts and chit chat.

I have scheduled to return to Singapore before 4 pm to beat the congestion on the causeway, but Angie was raring to try more traditional food. I brought her to Sekee Coffee Shop to eat the Teochew kway teow soup (flat rice noodles), but it was closed.

We walked back to City Square and Angie brought us to Nyonya Leaf for a late lunch. She ordered Assam Laksa, Penang Prawn noodles (no prawns as they were sold out), 2 prawn crackers (too hard), chee cheong fun (steamed rice rolls), bubur cha cha  (sweet potato and yam dessert), bubur hitam (black glutinous rice dessert) and cendol. The meal cost about RM62, Angie insisted on footing the bill.

Angie discovered Daiso,  we went in to have a look-see but came out with big bags of purchases. LOL.... Angie was left with 10 Malaysian sens after the shopping.

I bought many glass containers. At our Singapore Customs, I was told to remove the newspaper wrapping around the glass bottles for inspection.

Angie and I went our separate ways after clearing Malaysia Immigration as we stay at different ends of Singapore. I took an express bus back and reached home around 8 pm. It was a tiring and enjoyable day for me.

Johor Bahru Old Town Tour Johor Bahru Old Town

带1号趴趴走, 到新山老街吃吃喝喝新旧口味美食, 逛陈旭年文化街。这很有特色的一条老街, 有很多的咖啡店和美食。我们来到了文化街找老店老招牌吃传统早餐 。

锦华茶餐室的经典早餐 — 传统咖啡，炭烤面包，半生熟蛋 —  经济又实惠。店里还有一档是卖马来族的Nasi Campur (马来杂菜饭), Mee Rebus (马来杂卤面) 和 Nasi Lemak (椰浆饭)。

1号抢着付钱的时候, 才发现带了泰币来游马国。这一来就影响到1号的心情。可爱的1号原本想好好地请我们吃一顿, 可是当天是万圣节, "洋鬼"拿她开玩笑啦! 哈哈 。。。

锦华茶餐室对面是协裕面包西菓厂, 很多人排队等待美味的传统海南面包出炉。老公花了75分钟排队买了刚刚出炉的香蕉蛋糕！松松软软的香蕉蛋糕还带着香香的香蕉味, 好好吃! 放了一晚的香蕉蛋糕, 隔天当早餐吃, 还是一样的松软。一盒小盒的香蕉蛋糕值RM4.80。

这里最受欢迎的面包是椰子面包；最受欢迎的蛋糕则是香蕉蛋糕。这面包店所有的面包和蛋糕还是使用老式木烧窑烘烤的。

面包店外有一位大姐卖娘惹粿, 看起来新鲜可口。大姐当天早上做的娘惹粿, 一片RM1.20; 四片RM4。娘惹粿柔软不失弹性、不死甜、椰浆很够味, 好吃。星期四和周日休息。

经过最显眼的地标"红楼"时, 1号发现了咸糜 (Rm6.80), 服务生介绍了海南奶茶 (RM3)和金沙鸡扒 (RM16.80)。炸鸡扒淋上咸蛋黄酱汁,  一吃不得了! 太好吃了!

我第一次吃福建咸糜, 加了菜豆、芋头熬煮的古早粥！1号说有小时候阿嫲煮的味道 ……

老公的海南同乡来相会, 请我们吃这顿。我们也拜访、参观新山的琼州会馆。

从琼州会馆出来, 我们去Sangkaya 椰子雪糕专卖店吃椰子冰淇淋、 椰汁奶昔 (milk shake)和煎蕊 (cendol)。因为有冷气, 很舒服, 我们窝在里面聊天, 错过了吃古早味潮州粿条。

新山也吃得到正宗的娘惹美食！1号带我们到 Nyonya Leaf娘惹餐厅吃亚参叻沙、 槟城福建虾面和甜品。我很喜欢他们的亚参叻沙, 酸味的浓汤, 好开胃。我爱吃亚参叻沙, 每次到槟城都非吃不可。

Restoran Kin Wah  锦华茶餐室
67, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, 80000, Johor Bahru.
Opening hours  营业时间 ：7 am - 6.30 pm

Hiap Joo Bakery   裕面包西果厂
13, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, 80000 Johor Bahru.
Opening hours  营业时间：7 am - 5.30 pm (周日休息)

Nonya kueh hawker outside Hiap Joo Bakery 娘惹粿小贩 (面包店外)
Thursdays and Sundays closed  (星期四和周日休息)

The Red House Cafe 红楼茶餐室 陈旭年街
56, Jln Tan Hiok Nee , 80000, Johor Bahru , Malaysia

Sangkaya 椰子雪糕专卖店
14, Jalan Dhoby, 80000, Johor Bahru
Opens: 11am - 11pm (Daily)

Nyonya Leaf 娘惹餐厅
Komtar JBCC, 2nd Floor

Johor Bahru Foodies Annual Gathering 新山[吃的平台] - 第六届聚会

Together with hubby, I boarded an express bus (ticket S$3.30 each) to Johor Bahru Sentral, then took a cab (RM10.90) to Pelangi Plaza to meet one of the organisers of the gathering. He picked us up at 6.30 pm and we set off for the dinner venue in Taman Gaya. There was traffic congestion along the highway but we arrived in time for the dinner.

We were glad to catch-up with dear old friends, saw several familiar faces and made more new friends. We have food blogger Tony Johor Kaki and chef Calvin Hong at our table. Tony brought his JB food guide to distribute to all participants, he was kept busy autographing the books the whole night. There were lots of fun and laughter at our table, we enjoyed ourselves very much.

Here is the menu :

Buddha Jump Over the Wall (Love the soup!)
Lobster Salad with Twin Flavours
Volcano Rocks Sauna Live Prawns
Spanish Pork Ribs
Fresh Oysters (complimentary)

Traditional Steamed Turbot Fish
Boston Lobster Stir-fried in Stock Gravy
Waxed Meat Fried Rice
Dessert - Jelly with longans

Maldive Red Ruby crab was the main attraction for this dinner but due to the rainy season, there was no supply of these crabs for our party. The boss cooked his remaining stock of Maldive Red Ruby crabs to let us have a taste of this delicacy, but it was not enough to go round, so the organisers held a lucky draw and only one table got to taste the dish.

Thanks to Chef Calvin, he managed to wrestle a small plate of the crabs for us to try. I had a pincer .... it was a small crab so it was not meaty, I find the flesh mushy and not at all nice to eat.

Chef Calvin brought some organic guavas which the restaurant cut and served to every table. Like the crunchy, sweet guavas.

The main purpose of our visit was to catch-up with our Malaysian friends at this annual gathering. The last gathering was unforgettable, we had durian buffet; savouring several different species of durian in a night.

124 people registered and paid RM130 each for the seafood dinner.

Dinner ended at 11 pm and our good friend Jason booked an Uber taxi that fetched us from Taman Gaya to Johor Bahru City Square (RM15.20). We walked over to Malaysian Immigration after alighting and there was no queues.

Took bus number 170 (ticket RM2.50 each) back to Queens Street Bus Terminal. We incurred midnight charges for our taxi ride (total S$12) from Queens Street. We reached home at one in the morning, glad that the trip was a fast and smooth one.


星期三下午与老公乘搭快车进新山, 出席一年一次的[吃的平台]聚会, 见见邻国的老朋友。这个平台的台友爱分享美食, 这次的聚会已经是第六届了。

这晚的聚会菜单 :

龙虾沙律双宝盘
至尊鲍鱼佛跳墙
西班牙上等猪排
上汤焗波斯顿龙虾
火山石桑拿活虾
古法蒸活多宝鱼
乾隆宝鼎腊味飯
冰镇龙眼锦鲤冻
附送少量马尔代夫宝石蟹

菜单本来有马尔代夫红宝石螃蟹, 由于马尔代夫这几天连绵的暴雨，宝石蟹失收，所以宝石蟹由波斯顿龙虾取代。由于波斯顿龙虾比宝石蟹贵很多，所以一人只有半只吃。

店家把店里仅存的宝石蟹炒出来请大家吃，让大家试试味道。因为参加者众多, 只好以抽签方式来决定。被抽中桌号的台友才可以吃宝石蟹, 幸好我们这桌有位勇士帮我们抢到一小碟宝石蟹, 我才有机会试味道。

这天的出席者都获得了Tony Johor Kaki亲笔签名的美食指南一本; 店家送每桌一盘鲜蚝, 还有胖厨请吃的有机番石榴。

明年再见！