It might be a challenge to strike a balance between finding a hotel with spacious room that comes with decent rate. While doing my research on a hotel that meets my criteria, I eventually decided on the Gurney Resort Hotel & Residences in Georgetown, Penang. Continue reading “Penang Travelogue – (Part 6): The Gurney Resort Hotel and Residences”
Category: Hotel Review
Penang Travelogue – (Part 4): The Flea Market @ Lorong Kulit
A man’s trash is another man’s treasure. I have a penchant for exploring flea market. Early in the morning, I took a Grab car and made my way down to the flea market at Lorong Kulit which is located next to the City Stadium. Continue reading “Penang Travelogue – (Part 4): The Flea Market @ Lorong Kulit”
Penang Travelogue – (Part 3): Gurney Drive Hawker Centre, Kimberly Food Street, Kopi and Toast @ Gat Lebuh Chuliah
Some advantages of staying at The Gurney Resort Hotel & Residence are the accessibility to shopping malls (Gurney Plaza & Gurney Paragon) and Gurney Drive Hawker Centre where there are galore of food options.
Gurney Drive Hawker Centre
The Gurney Drive Hawker Centre is currently situated at the northern end of Gurney Drive, just next to Gurney Plaza. It comes alive when evening beckons and transforms into a food paradise. Continue reading “Penang Travelogue – (Part 3): Gurney Drive Hawker Centre, Kimberly Food Street, Kopi and Toast @ Gat Lebuh Chuliah”
Penang Travelogue – (Part 1): Snake Temple, Lee Clan Jetty 姓李桥, Chew Clan Jetty 姓周桥, Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendol, Joo Hooi Café and Ming Xiang Tai Pastry 名香泰餅家
Unlike many travel destinations where visiting once is enough, Penang gives me all the reasons to return again and again. A large proportion of population in Penang are made up of Penangite Chinese and this makes it even easier to communicate with the locals and travel around.
When I arrived at Penang airport, my first task was to purchase a local SIM card (1GB for RM$26). Knowing that there would be lots of traveling, transport cost was one of the major factors to take into consideration. With a SIM card, I would be able to get connected to local network and more importantly, explore Penang by Grab service instead of hailing normal taxis which could charge you exorbitant fees. I figured out that using Grab service would end up saving about 50% to 60% in transportation cost. Continue reading “Penang Travelogue – (Part 1): Snake Temple, Lee Clan Jetty 姓李桥, Chew Clan Jetty 姓周桥, Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendol, Joo Hooi Café and Ming Xiang Tai Pastry 名香泰餅家”
Finland Travelogue – (Part 4): Ice Fishing with Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park in Lapland
Fishing takes place all year round, even in winter. Ice fishing is actually a lot of fun, because we can move freely on the surface of rivers and lakes when they are frozen.
After the exhilarating reindeer and husky sleigh rides, our guide brought us to experience ice fishing. Continue reading “Finland Travelogue – (Part 4): Ice Fishing with Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park in Lapland”
Finland Travelogue – (Part 2): Airbnb Stay and Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park in Lapland
Travel like a tourist and live like a local. They need not be mutually exclusive and Airbnb has made it possible for us to enjoy a meaningful holiday with authentic, local experiences.
We were really blessed to meet a wonderful host who readily fetched us from Santa Claus Village to his Airbnb abode at no extra cost.
Finland Travelogue – (Part 1): Rovaniemi, Santa Claus Village, Santa Claus Office and Snowman World
The unique charm of Lapland spills over to us. We spoke and dreamt that one day, we would have the chance to step our feet into Finland and explore Rovaniemi, the official hometown of Santa Claus, to experience how the locals celebrate Christmas. We arrived at Helsinki airport early in the morning and switched into another domestic flight to Rovaniemi. Continue reading “Finland Travelogue – (Part 1): Rovaniemi, Santa Claus Village, Santa Claus Office and Snowman World”
Stockholm Travelogue – (Part 1): Finnair Airbus A350, The Old Town Christmas Market and Ice Skating in Kungstradgarden
This is our first trip traveling all the way to Sweden and Stockholm, being near to Helsinki (Finland) by just an hour flight, became a part of our itinerary during the school holidays.
It is no secret that Sweden is famously known for being the “Land of Ikea”. However, we know in our hearts that Stockholm has so much more for us to discover. We were first whisked off from Changi Airport to Helsinki (Finland) in a 12-hour flight.
Thanks to the new spacious, calming and eco-smart Airbus A350 aircraft by Finnair, our journey was made very much smoother and enjoyable.
Needless to say, on-board entertainment is sure to bring smiles to the kids.
We were surprised that Big and Small M did not complain on the long journey. After landing at Helsinki Airport, we hopped onto Norwegian in a flight to Stockholm Arlanda Airport.
All in all, after counting the total flight hours and waiting for transit, it took us about 17-hours to reach Stockholm, finally!
Stockholm Arlanda Airport
It was -7 degrees when we reached and freezing cold. What to do in Stockholm? At the Stockholm Arlanda Airport, feel free to pick up travel guides, brochures and maps. They will come in handy in any last-minute itinerary planning. Hey, not to forget buying a SIM card at the convenience store before leaving the airport. It cost $95 Krona (SGD $15) for our SIM card.
You have few options to travel to Stockholm city – either by bus, train or taxi.
Stockholm-Arlanda Airport is located 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Stockholm City.
The Arlanda express train takes you from Arlanda Airport to the city center. The platform is easily accessible, underneath the arrival terminals. Departure: every 15 minutes (for most of the day). Travel time: 20 minutes.
Flygbussarna Airport Coaches departs every 10-15 minutes between Arlanda Airport and the City Terminal (located next to the Central Station). Travel time to Arlanda: 35-45 minutes. Buses also run to Liljeholmen via Karolinska, Fridhemsplan and Södermalm (50 min). To Bromma airport via Kista and Sundbyberg. (54 min).
We eventually settled on taking a taxi which cost $450 Krona (SGD $76). It is actually more expensive to travel by train after factoring the 4 of us. Before hopping onto the taxi, do ask the driver on the fare. Stockholm is quite a cashless society. Everywhere you go, credit card is widely accepted for purchase.
Our accommodation was at Freys Hotel, which was a short walking distance from City Terminale. The hotel rate were rather pricey which was a big thumbs down. A maximum of 2 adults are allowed for a normal room booking. If you are travelling with kids, the hotel would need to impose additional charges and upgrade you to a bigger room.
In our hotel room’s balcony.
The Old Town Christmas Market
Merry Christmas! How can we not explore Christmas Markets on a trip to Europe? We dropped our luggages and headed straight for the market. Along our way, we met a kind Swedish who walked with us over a kilometre to the market.
At the Old Town Christmas Market, you will find a lot of Swedish Christmas and other specialities such as Swedish Christmas sweets, smoked sausages, smoked reindeer, elk meat, handmade knitted caps, candy floss, glögg (mulled wine), a range of Swedish handicrafts and decorative arts of workmanship and much much more.
The Old Town Christmas Market is the oldest Christmas market in Stockholm and Sweden. With the exception of the years 1907 – 1914, it has been a ongoing tradition until present time.
Crowds, from the young to the old, gather at Old Town Christmas Market during this season to soak into the Christmas atmosphere.
We did not really shop here but indulging in the food is a definite must for us.
Sipping over a cup of hot chocolate was heavenly in such a freezing weather 🙂
Exploring Christmas Market is a bonus when you visit Stockholm. You can check out which Christmas Markets will be opened over here.
Exploring Stockholm
We do not think it is a must to hit every attractions during our travel. Sometimes, even by leisure walking is very much a part of our itinerary. And it does bring great family bonding as well.
Ice skating in Kungsträdgården
It is common to ice skating indoors but it was our first time experiencing ice-skating rink in the middle of the city and to top it all – at outdoor. This is a surreal moment for winter visitors to Stockholm.
For once, we were a tad surprise that it only cost $60 Krona ($10) for 2 kids to skate including the skating gears. We were kindly advised by the ice skating staff to watch out of our belongings.
She is very happy!
The skating rink is self-maintained since this is winter season.
Kids had so much fun over here and never mind about falling down, they got up and continue to glide round the rink.
What a treat for everyone! Children gathered and sing christmas carols. We really felt like experiencing the true spirit of Christmas. Night comes early during the winter season. By 3:30pm, night beckons. We are dreaming of a white Christmas. Our first trip to Stockholm; a dreamy Christmas 🙂
Interested to visit Stockolm? Click here to follow Katong Kids Inc Facebook Page to stay tune on the next travel post.
tos, information and opinions, unless otherwise stated, in this post belong to Katong Kids Inc. Reproducing or copying them for use on third party sites without our written permission are strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.
Lost in Iceland Travelogue – (Part 5): Aurora Bubble Hotel in Iceland – The 5 Million Star Hotel
Our one and only accommodation in Iceland has been our campervan. Yup, no hotel accommodation booked. We did, however, tried to book a hotel before coming to Iceland. Iceland’s “Bubble Hotel” – The 5 Million Star Hotel, is an unique lodging concept that has taken travel to another level.
Opened early this year, the Bubble Hotel is so popular that it is fully booked and many travelers who wanted to catch this experience have to be put on waiting list. Needless to say, we were not able to book it and experience sleeping in the nature. It was only by chance, at the eleventh hour, that a booking was opened that we managed to book it!
The Dream Bubble
An interesting part of booking The Bubble Hotel is that the exact location will only be given upon booking confirmation. A clue is that is located at The Golden Circle route, and of course, in a forest. The Bubble is a dome-like structure made from transparent plastic into which warm air is pumped at a steady rate, keeping it inflated, and warm.
For the adventurous travelers, you can get to experience sleeping under the stars or watching the aurora borealis dance when it appears to fulfill one of your lifelong dreams. There is no guarantee of seeing the lights but rest assured, you will have a magical night when they appear.
As there are not a lot of trees in Iceland, creating a “bubble” lodging in the forest, sheltered by the trees, is probably the best answer to satisfy a desire to sleep and relax safely in the woods.
Inside the Bubble
The bubble has a heating system with thermostat so the bubble stays warm all winter. It offers a no-frills lodging for us who just want to experience the most of the nature. We stayed in Bubble Asta which has double bed. There are four of us. After including the kids, we paid about ISK $44,350 and it was shown as SGD $587 in the credit card statement for one day stay.
After checking in, Big and Small M fell asleep almost immediately.
Just earlier on, we had a misadventure when our campervan fell onto a slope. All thanks to the kind samaritans, they managed to pull our campervan back to safety.
Rescue in operation. Thank you so much!
Views of our Bubble from the outside. The Bubble stays inflated with a noiseless ventilation system that continuously refreshes the air to prevent humidity and adjust the temperature based on thermostat settings.
On Site Facilities
Just a stone’s throw from our Bubble is a shared service house with two toilets and showers and a self-service kitchen. Free coffee is given 🙂
Live Your Childhood Dream
Coming to one of the most beautiful countries on earth, Iceland, is already a dream experience. To top it up with a stay at The Bubble Hotel makes the whole trip even more sweet. Come and experience a magical stay at The Bubble Hotel and hey, book early!
Click here to know more about The Bubble Hotel in the Facebook
Click here to book The Bubble Hotel in the website.
Click here to read blog post on Lost in Iceland Travelogue – (Part 4): Svinafellsjokull, Icelandic Horses and Strokkur Geysir
Click here to read blog post on Lost in Iceland Travelogue – (Part 3): Svartifoss, Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss Waterfalls
Click here to read blog post on Lost in Iceland Travelogue – (Part 2): Hvannadalshnukur, Skeioararsandur Bridge Monument and Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon
Click here to read blog post on Lost in Iceland Travelogue – (Part 1): Renting a Campervan and 8 Tips on Self Driving in Iceland
Interested to visit Iceland? Click here to follow Katong Kids Inc Facebook Page to stay tune on the next travel post.
Disclosure: All photos, information and opinions, unless otherwise stated, in this post belong to Katong Kids Inc. Reproducing or copying them for use on third party sites without our written permission are strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.
Lost in Iceland Travelogue – (Part 4): Svinafellsjokull, Icelandic Horses and Strokkur Geysir
Iceland had always been one of our dream vacations. Exploring Iceland’s untouched and beautiful landscape has become an educational journey for us. The country is popularly visited during summer due to the mid-night sun effect where it never gets fully dark between mid-May and early August. Come winter, a muted light shines over the island for a few short hours each day. There are lesser visitors and the entire experience was just us and nature.
Svínafellsjökull
On our way to Golden Circle, we passed by beautiful Svínafellsjökull which is a breathtaking outlet glacier of the Vatnajökull glacier and the scenery and views are simply stunning. There are glacier tours available where you get to walk through a wonderland of glacial ice sculptures, meandering through ice ridges and the deep crevasses of the glacier.
There aren’t a lot of trees in Iceland (we only realized after our trip!). Iceland is a volcanic land and it is filled with many glaciers and countless other natural wonders.
The Icelandic Horse
One of the purest breed on earth, the Icelandic horse is a unique breed of smallish horses that came to Iceland with the first settlers from Norway 1100 years ago. Archeological digs in Europe have revealed that it is descendent from an ancient breed of horses that is now extinct outside of Iceland, where it has been preserved in isolation.
Do you know that once an Icelandic horse leaves Iceland it is not allowed to enter back into the country? All around the country, nearly every field seems to be filled with them, slowing grazing or play-fighting with each other. They are cute in their little own ways.
Icelandic horses have heavy double layer coats to help protect them from the harsh Icelandic climate. They come in many colors and can even appear in up to 42 different color combinations! Some types of Icelandic horses coats even change color by seasons. Best of all, Icelandic horses are super friendly. They will walk towards you readily and allow you to cuddle them. A road trip in Iceland is never completed without experiencing the therapeutic effect of Icelandic horses.
Strokkur Geysir
Strokkur (the churn) is currently the most energetic spouting spring in Iceland. It is a much-visited geothermal geyser that erupts every 8–10 minutes and reaches heights of 20 meters. According to history, it was set off during an earthquake in 1789, having then been quiescent for some time.
Big M was too comfortable resting in the campervan while we were on long road trip. The first thing she did when alighting from the campervan was to take a deep breath and inhale the wonderful and pure Icelandic air.
The Geysir is a popular tourist spot and one of the main attractions in Golden Circle. It was no surprise to see many visitors here.
Take a walk around the area and the smell of sulphur permeates the air. We remembered the time we were in Taiwan at 小油坑 Xiao You Keng experiencing sight of bubbling water and smouldering fumaroles on Yangmingshan which you can read in our blog here.
A bit of geography lesson.
The Strokkur Geysir erupts every few minutes so this is going to be a rewarding trip as we can get to see it erupting many times.
Waiting and waiting…Picture time while waiting 🙂
Up and away to the heavens!
We waited and we filmed the action 🙂
It is worthwhile to note that most visitors focus on witnessing Strokkur erupting but may have missed out on other geothermal features such as mud pools, fumaroles and other geysers which are located around it. As the sun sets on the horizon, it created a dreamy effect on the landscape.
Geysir Center
Just across Strokkur Geysir is the Geysir Center. It was getting dark and this was probably the only place for us to explore.
A place to shop for souvenirs and clothings.
Fresh Icelandic Mountain Air on sale!
We had our dinner at the food court in Geysir Center. It looks pretty similar to Ikea’s dining concept.
The menu is special to us as it is uniquely Icelandic.
Traditional Icelandic lambmeat soup.
An idea of what we ordered. So many Icelandic dishes to try but our stomach are limited.
Chicken Nuggets.
Delicious chicken wings.
We just love traditional Icelandic lambmeat soup.
Dessert time! How about trying some Icelandic ice cream?
We felt Icelandic dishes are really delicious and what a perfect way to pamper our tastebuds on this road trip. It’s no secret that visiting Iceland could be pricey so be prepared to spend for a trip here. For example, the Fish of the Day cost about SGD $23, chicken wings/nuggets SGD $16 and Icelandic lambmeat soup about SGD $32 (assuming SGD $1 = ISK $56 from the rate at the airport).
There are many reasons to love this small Nordic country and discover why you should visit Iceland once in your lifetime. We found our reason and probably hope that we can be here again.
Click here to read blog post on Lost in Iceland Travelogue – (Part 3): Svartifoss, Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss Waterfalls
Click here to read blog post on Lost in Iceland Travelogue – (Part 2): Hvannadalshnukur, Skeioararsandur Bridge Monument and Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon
Click here to read blog post on Lost in Iceland Travelogue – (Part 1): Renting a Campervan and 8 Tips on Self Driving in Iceland
Interested to visit Iceland? Click here to follow Katong Kids Inc Facebook Page to stay tune on the next travel post.
Disclosure: All photos, information and opinions, unless otherwise stated, in this post belong to Katong Kids Inc. Reproducing or copying them for use on third party sites without our written permission are strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.
Katong Kids Inc | Singapore Travel & Lifestyle Blog 