12 January 2019

3D2N Glamping at Glamz, Genting Highlands.

When I first saw the photos on facebook, I was mentally adding this place into the 'must-experience-list' and true enough, not long after that, the head of Khoo Family, Mr Khoo sent a text on a family trip to Genting and guess where he suggested us to stay.

Yes, Glamz at Genting!

We are such huge fans of glamping now because of the very good first experience that we had at Sunway Lost World of Tambun. Adrian and myself already love to go camping thanks to Jack and Carmen and now with a baby, camping seems a bit too dangerous ya. 

So glamping is the perfect kind of us because now we get to scratch that 'camping-itch' and we get to do it with our infant son. 

So, we had confirmed this trip by second half of 2018 and we were ready to place bookings and make payments. But the thing about Glamz at Genting is that they do not receive/process/accept any advance bookings of more than 60 days. 

Of course we got nervous because our travel dates are from 23-25 December 2018 and that is peak season okay - everyone wants to go somewhere that time. And we were so scared that other people would book the tents before us. #kiasufamily

But we have got good reasons for our kiasuness okay. 

Glamz at Genting has limited tents/rooms and once it's booked, that's it. Where can liddis. 

This is what they have:

ONE VIP Dome only
with private Jacuzzi
Monday - Thursday only (no public holidays) - RM 688 per night
Friday - Sunday, Eve of Public Holidays & Public Holidays - RM 988 per night

- Room can fit up to 4 adults
- Inclusive of breakfast for 2 adults
- To add RM 100 per additional adult for inflatable mattress, blanket, pillow, bath towel, drinking water and breakfast. 

EIGHT Dome Rooms
Monday - Thursday only (no public holidays) - RM 350 per night
Friday - Sunday, Eve of Public Holidays & Public Holidays - RM 450 per night

- Room can fit up to 4 adults
- Inclusive of breakfast for 2 adults
- To add RM 70 per additional adult for inflatable mattress, blanket, pillow, bath towel, drinking water and breakfast. 

ELEVEN Bell Tents
Monday - Thursday only (no public holidays) - RM 250 per night
Friday - Sunday, Eve of Public Holidays & Public Holidays - RM 350 per night

- Room can fit up to 4 adults
- Inclusive of breakfast for 2 adults
- To add RM 50 per additional adult for inflatable mattress, blanket, pillow, bath towel, drinking water and breakfast. 


Here is an overview of Glamz at Genting and no, these photos are taken from Glamz at Genting's website. All the photos above these words are all taken okay. My skills are not so good in taking such nice photos please. 

Here onwards will be photos from our camera, taken by Vanessa and myself and others here and there. Heh. 

So, now you can see why we were kan-cheong to secure our room bookings? We counted chun-chun 60 days from our travel date and reminded Rachel the night before because so super kiasu, especially Vicky Khoo (my cousin who bakes amazing macarons). 

It didn't take very long for them to confirm our 8 bell tents for a total of 18 of us (and that's not even half of the full family okay) and boy, were we overjoyed when that happened. Some rooms have 3 persons staying in and some just two, and that's okay because we just needed to pay RM 50 for every additional person. 

Check-in time is standard like most hotels and Airbnbs - 3PM onwards and check-out is of course by 12PM. 

Okay, so here are some common areas and facilities that you can enjoy while staying there and photos of our vacations are included. Hah.

Glamz Dome
perfect for weddings (in my opinion)

Of course it's available for renting to do your event and things. If you are planning for a small wedding, this place is perfect for you and it's really really very nice, especially at night when the lights are out. Okaylah, maybe we will do our 10th wedding anniversary here. Heh. #eightyearstogo

This Glamz Dome can fit up to 350 pax okay. 

Pricing:
Monday to Thursday (no Public Holidays)
OptionsRateAdd On (Hourly)
Half Day – 6 Hours before 3pm
Total Booking hours has to include set/tear down time
RM 3,150RM 500
Half Day – 6 Hours after 3pm
Total Booking hours has to include set/tear down time
RM 4,500RM 500
Full Day – 15 hours
Total Booking hours has to include set/tear down time
RM 7,000RM 500
Friday - Sunday, Eve of Public Holidays & Public Holidays
OptionsRateAdd On (Hourly)
Half Day – 6 Hours before 3pm
Total Booking hours has to include set/tear down time
RM 5,500RM 650
Half Day – 6 Hours after 3pm
Total Booking hours has to include set/tear down time
RM 7,500RM 650
Full Day – 15 hours
Total Booking hours has to include set/tear down time
RM 10,500RM 650
Public Jacuzzi and Sauna & Steam Room
common area for everyone but needs to be pre-booked with the Receptionist
 

Green House 
where I would love to have Alex's first birthday here (a girl can dream)

This is one of the event space available that you can rent for and it can fit up to 120 pax. So perfect for my Alex's first birthday please. But who is gonna travel all the way to Genting Highlands to attend a boy's first birthday right? And where we gonna find the thousands of ringgit to rent this place? Food not yet included some more. Heh. 

Pricing:
Monday to Thursday (no Public Holidays)
OptionsRateAdd On (Hourly)
Half Day – 6 Hours before 3pm
Total Booking hours has to include set/tear down time
RM 2,300RM 250
Half Day – 6 Hours after 3pm
Total Booking hours has to include set/tear down time
RM 3,200RM 250
Full Day – 15 Hours
Total Booking hours has to include set/tear down time
RM 4,000RM 250
Friday - Sunday, Eve of Public Holidays & Public Holidays
OptionsRateAdd On (Hourly)
Half Day – 6 Hours before 3pm
Total Booking hours has to include set/tear down time
RM 2,800RM 350
Half Day – 6 Hours after 3pm
Total Booking hours has to include set/tear down time
RM 4,000RM 350
Full Day – 15 Hours
Total Booking hours has to include set/tear down time
RM 5,500RM 350
Reception
to do all check-ins and check-outs

Waiting Area
common area for guests

Kids' Inflatable Playground
only in the morning and noon with adults supervision please

Hallway of Bell Tents
where all of us stayed at

Our Bell Tent
with not-attached toilet (located just next to the tent)

Common Dining Area (Outdoor)
but we took over the whole place on the fist night because we've got BBQ party and other guests went out

Okay, so I thought I would share this information with you guys on marinated meat that is ready for you to buy, in KL. Sadly Penang doesn't have this kind yet. Heh. 

So, we wante dto do BBQ on the first night but we didn't want to go through the hassle of buying raw ingredients and spices separately then marinate and keep them in the fridge whatsoever. 

Since both Rachel and I were already in KL, my sister in law suggested that we go to Ben's Independent Grocer to get ready-made-marinated meat. So we went to Publika and boy I tell you. It's madness. 

I wanted to buy every marinated meat my eyes were laid upon. I kid you not. 

They are slightly pricier than normal grocery store I think, but worth it. Heh. 

Let us not forget about the 'Non-halal' section where they also have marinated pork belly ready for you. Just need to take, pay and go. 

SERIOUS LOVE FOR B.I.G. - please come to Penang thank you. 


By the time we settled down, it was already evening-ish and we all got ready for our Christmas dinner by setting up the table and getting the pit ready. 

The plates, mugs and cutleries were all taken from the pantry (available to guests staying there). We just had to wash it ourselves because hello, it's not 5-star hotel okay. This one is million-stars hotel (get it?). 

Because it's in the open and the stars are just above us and we can see immediately and nothing is between us and the stars? 

Heh. 


It was a very pleasant glamping experience. I thought it was going to be a challenge to enjoy it with an infant, but the place is really superb. The bed so comfortable Alex obviously had no problem sleeping on it. He slept through both nights till the sun came up. The weather also very syiok. 

It's located at the bottom part of Genting Highlands and we thought it was not going to be cold enough to our liking, but it gets really cold at night. Quite hot in the noon, but definitely not hotter than the city okay. 

Highly recommended.

So, please leave the city for few days and go enjoy the nature at Glamz at Genting


Till next time, bye now. 

01 January 2019

Goodbye 2018, Hello 2019!


Oh how else would I describe my 2018 if it's not LIFE-CHANGING?

Everything (I really do mean everything) changed the moment my belly was cut open and a human came out screaming - good because its a strong sign that he is healthy and alive.

2018 was one of the year where I (we) made huge life-changing (again) decisions. Some of which are, resigning as an Intern Pastor and decided to go back to my previous company as Corporate Sales Executive at Holiday Tours & Travel (first day next week) and where we see ourselves living for the next 5 years or so. Actually, only 2 really major life-changing decisions la. Heh.

So, when we got married, I moved to Adrian's place happily but of course I needed some time to adjust. We had that discussion of whether we want to move out or not and things like that. It was a hard topic okay.

I am already used to living at the current place but I've always preferred to live in an apartment or a flat even. It's not so much of the size of the house but the location. Okay, not location also. More like whether it's like on ground floor or like on multi-leveled building.

I never liked living on the ground floor for very common reasons like, it's not so safe and more mosquitoes and etc. The list goes on and on.

So, when we were preparing for the arrival of Alex, I was 80% convinced in my head that I really want to move to a place that has a view or at least at the first floor and above. and to just start anew with this new addition you know. Of course financially, it means having to sell off this house because the houses in Penang are ridiculously expensive. Even if you earn like RM10k a month, you also have to think triple times before committing yourself to buying a property on the island. And for us, that was just the option.

But Adrian would not be able to let go of this house.

He basically grew up and spent all his life in this place and that's why it's a difficult topic of discussion. It's really tough.

But when Alex came in May, we had this discussion again and I find myself becoming less interested in moving out. I began to see why Adrian wants to continue living here. I would see him telling and showing Alex (although Alex understands nothing at that point) of all the childhood things he had experienced at the garden in front and all.

Then, I got to see how Alex is being loved (so much) by our neighbors and they would spend at least 5-minutes everyday (if we don't oversleep that is) just walking him outside our house in the morning and teaching him about flowers and stuff.

And I got to thinking.

If we were to move to another place, Alex will most likely not be able to experience these interactions anymore. People these days prefer to stay in their house and mind their own business right? I mean, if I live in a condo, I would most likely just spend most of my time in my house. Ain't nobody got the time to go mingle with neighbors. Hah.

But here?

These people have known Adrian and his entire family for almost 30-years. And now, they got to see and hold the once-a-little-most-mischievous-boy's son. They've seen how Adrian grew up and now they got to see his son's too.

And I think, that's just something worth sacrificing for.

So, we decided that we would continue to live here till when both of us feels that the time is up, which if you ask me honestly, the time to move out will never be up for him, and that's okay.

For me, it was a huge change in making this decision.

Before, I was very sure that I wanted (and needed) to move to a new place (can be an old house but just somewhere new) when Alex comes. Or at least be active in looking for houses.

The latest house that we went to see was the Middleton, just behind Raffel Tower.

WE FELL IN LOVE WITH THE PLACE IMMEDIATELY.

But it was at least RM1.4 million. Umm. Okay thanks bye. Chapter close. Heh.

So yeah, 2019 is going to be an exciting year because we have so many things planned and yes, that includes holidays and maybe another mini Koay? Hah!

Feeling energized for the next three-hundred and sixty-four days!

I hope your 2018 was a memorable one and that your 2019 will be a smashing one.

Till then, bye now. 

19 December 2018

Alex & Richelle's First Baby Spa Experience with Hippopo.

Yes, you see that right. 

We brought Alex and Richelle to a Baby Spa & Wellness Centre, called Hippopo. Hah. 




Initially when Alex was a few months old, I had that thought of letting him try this swimming thing at Hippopo (located at Queensbay Mall by the way), but Adrian felt that it was waste of money. So since both parents cannot agree, I pushed aside this and never talked about it since. 

Then one day, Adrian went out with Alex and somehow, he found himself walked into Hippopo and started asking questions about this spa-thing for baby. He came back home with its brochure and said, "Baby, we should let Alex try this!"




Hmm. 

So guess what. 


We did. Afterall, got promotion! Heh. 


We decided to double-date with the Seahs because they also never try before and Miss Leny confirm wants to try also wan. Bookings have to be made at least a day earlier because Hippopo has allocated slot time for babies, and especially if two babies go together, then they will have to arrange for us. 




We wanted to do it on a Thursday since it's a weekday-promo but fully booked (didn't think initially that this place also can get fully booked), so we did on a Friday instead. No more RM68 of course. We paid RM88 per baby. 


Now, when we first sign up for this, we thought Alex and Richelle would be on the neck float but turns out, they are too "old" and "heavy" for neck floats already so they used a slightly bigger floats for the entire body. 





Here are some benefits of this baby-spa thing:

  • It encourages brain development - stimulating babies' senses through body awareness and coordination
  • It improves baby's appetite - plenty of gentle exercise and warm water helps to make a baby hungry
  • It boosts baby's emotional stability - reducing babies' crying and emotional stress
  • It strengthen immunity - stimulate hormones and increase immune systems
  • It increases comfort - relieving babies from wind, colic, constipation and teething discomfort
  • It improves relaxation - increasing levels of relaxation through more sound and longer sleep
So, why not try right? So many benefits leh. 



We had many questions before we started this swimming session so the first 10 minutes or so, we spent them by asking questions and them explaining to us on how the things work. Their staffs are pretty informative I have to say. I mean they have to be also la. Imagine if you work for a company or brand and you don''t know the answers to frequently asked questions. Heh. 

Here are some questions that we asked.

What is the ideal age for a baby to start?
As long as your baby is 4.5kg and above and cannot be older than 3-years old. 

What is provided in the baby spa package?
A swim float, a swim diaper and a towel (if your baby has sensitive skin, you are advised to bring your own towel).

Do the babies need to be wearing any swimwear during the session?
No, as the water is warm (32-35 degrees).

Do you change the water after every baby spa session?
We have 2 types of tubs - small and big. 
Small tubs (only 1 baby) are for babies age below 6-months old and the water will be changed after every session. Big tubs (maximum 3 babies) are for babies age 6- months and above and the water will be changed only once a day, not after every session. That is because this big tub contains ionizer which work to kill bacteria in water - that ensures freshness and cleanliness of the water. 



Do you have a private tub?
Yes, only in selected branches. Surcharge of RM10 (member) and RM20 (non-member).

How do you become a member of Hippopo?
Just sign any baby spa package with us. 

Can I leave my baby for the baby spa session and come back later?
No, this is not a babysitting service. Heh. Every baby must have at least a parent/guardian. Maximum of 2 adults to a baby at the time of spa session. 

If my baby is coughing a little, can he/she still join?
No. Baby with sickness (cough, flu, fever, infection etc) is not allowed to be attending any spa session. 

How about if my baby had just gotten an injection?
Also not allowed for any spa session within 72 hours. 

So, there are 3-parts to this baby-spa session:
  1. Stretching exercises for the babies to prevent them from getting cramps (10 minutes)
  2. Swimming in the pool with floats (20 minutes)
  3. Post-swimming full body massage (20 minutes)

And that's RM88 per baby for you all. Heh.


I think it was pretty interesting for first-time parents to experience this, but really not necessary. After all, it was just putting them on a float (topless) because the water is warm and encouraging (and hoping) the babies would kick. Naturally they would. Except for Richelle, because she was enjoying life like a boss please.

I like the idea of swimming in warm water that has zero chlorine in it, but still, I will not pay anymore money to have people help my son to swim and me sitting at the side watching him swim. Excuse me, I want to jump in and swim with him okay.

Of course we are not going back to Hippopo, and it's not because their service was bad. In fact, their service was excellent. The two ladies were really friendly and engaging. But it's really because this is not how parents should spend their money. Heh.

I think people who sign up package with Hippopo (or any other baby spa centre) are most likely people/parents who are afraid of water themselves and probably want their children to not have that fear too. So, by sending them to spa session, it will sort of "replace" the need of them having to be in the water with their child. So, this would be a perfect alternative.

Or the parents too rich and don;t know where else to spend money on. Hah.

Still, it was a very nice first-time experience. First and the last. Hah.

Always fun to double date with our favorite family (in law). Heh.



Two family photos because it's soooo difficult to take photos with babies! Ahhh.

Till next time, bye now.