Lost WOrld of Tambon

Finally, we're back from Ipoh. And here's my report :) from our trip and experience from Lost World of Tambun located in Ipoh, Perak , Malaysia.

Getting there: If only we came from the North-South Highway, getting there should have been easy..but we had to ' check-in' first at the apartment where we were staying so, we ended up coming from the city center. In other words, we got LOST..going to the Lost World of Tambun. It was a bit distant from the city center.



This is the entrance of the park. The whole place is well designed having that ethnic design similar to that of the Mayans.

I love these Cat Sculptures at the Entrance

These are some of the attractions of the Lost WOrld of Tambun.

1) Tambun Hot Springs- Water is taken from the natural spring and being diverted to the pool. This is ideal for a late afternoon dip.

2) Waterfall Beach Garden

This is like the main highlight of the whole place as it is the first thing that you will see from the entrance. They said it's the biggest wave pool in Malaysia but it still so small compared to the real beach.. obviously.. LOL!


3) Adventure River

This is one of the scenes you see when you go through the adventure river. You simply ride on your tube and follow the waterway with the waves 'guiding' you. This Gorilla makes some noises when one passes by.

3) Paddle Boating


This is a very small lake with few Swan Paddle boats. Not very interesting.. it seems like they just put this as an after thought and to add a little bit of attraction in the place.


5) Tiger Valley



During the guided tour through the train, they will take you to the Tiger valley with a Tiger feeding show. It was okay. But still not so interesting, the Tigers were just lazing around and not moving at all. SO there's really nothing much to see, that is if you've already seen tigers before in the zoo.

6) Explora Bay

This is the pool for kids. For me it's the main highlight of the place as my li'l ones really enjoyed it. The water is not deep and enough for a 3 -4 year old to go around without the parents getting worried. And there's also a lifeguard on duty.


Overall, the whole place was just okay. We enjoyed it because our li'l ones had fun. The explora Bay was really great. There were many attractions like the merry go around, the Tiger Valley that kids would really love. But if you're an a grown up looking for some adventure then you'll get a bit disappointed. They have a little of this and that but not enough to keep your jaws drop. But then, if you want to just relax , take a break and have fun with friends then, this place would do. For 25 RM , I think it should be alright.

Future Destination : Ipoh, Malaysia

Photo from wikipedia

I'm excited! 2 weeks from now, we're going to Ipoh. Not for a holiday really, but it's more on a 'business' related trip. But well, since we're already there, why not mix it with a bit of touring around and a bit of pleasure huh?

I've been to Ipoh once but we never got to see the place. I just saw a bit of the place but I loved it! I love to see the colonial buildings with the lush, dark green mountains as the background. Ipoh is actually one of the biggest cities in Malaysia..it's a city but with a provincial 'feel'. It's a beautiful place, with beautiful buildings and scenic views.

Just a note: Ipoh is the hometown of the famous international actress Michelle Yeoh and this is also the place where the movie "Anna and the King" was shot. ( This movie has been banned by Thailand and many of the Thais are greatly offended by this movie as it's about their King.)

Anyways, I've already done a bit of research of the places to go in Ipoh and the places of interests that caught my attention were the following:

1) Lost World of Tambun Park - This is actually a water park with giant slides, man made river ( the longest in Asia, it seems), wild tigers, hot springs and theme park rides. Interesting huh? I'm sure my kids would love this but if we're not so sure if time will permits us to go to this place. But you'll know for sure soon because I'll be blogging about it later.:)

2) Taman DR or Coronation Park - This famous park is just located within the city and as opposed to #1.. There are no entrance fees .. :) It has a huge fish pond with boats and canoes, it has a Japanese garden and football field. It seems like a great place to relax. I would like this place.

Photo from Wikipedia

3) Old Town - This is where the beautiful buildings will be seen and a lot of places to eat too. Ipoh is very famous for some Chinese food and Poppiah too! So, I have to get ready to gobble up Ipoh food! :)


...What about you, have you been to Ipoh in Malaysia? Maybe you can suggest some interesting places for us to go..

Things To Do in Hatyai, Thailand

Image from bangkoksite.com

Where is Hatyai?? That must be the first question in your mind when you read the title of this post. For starters, Hatyai is located at the South of Thailand. It's one of the gateway to Malaysia and other provinces with the famous beaches.

Hatyai is the common 'holiday' destination of Malaysians since it's the nearest country to them (Singapore is nearer though but expensive) and has cheaper bargains. But this also the hub or the stopover of backpackers traveling from Malaysia before going to the beautiful Islands nearby.


So, here is my list of things to do and places to go in Hatyai, Thailand.

1) Go Shopping!!

Clothes, shoes, bags, fruits and other goods are cheap here. The best places to shop are : The Weekend Night Market ( Talat Paet Thai) which only opens from Thursday - Sunday from 6-10 pm, The NIght Market at the CIty center near Lee Gardens , they are open every night, Plaza ( Naa Ho ) where is open everyday from 8am-5pm. If you're really into shopping, you can shop till you drop. But you have to bargain to get the best price. Start from starting half of their original price. If you're an entrepreneur andwant to buy wholesale, their are wholesale shops around PLaza. You just have to walk around a lot of streets to see this. There are wholesale shops for accessories, shirts, bags, shoes and etc. And they are really cheap!!!

2) GO for a nice, relaxing massage

There are a lot of massage parlors near the city area. But the thing is they are quite pricey ( I guess still cheap for the Singaporeans and Malaysians). In the city center, a 1 hour foot or body massage costs 250 baht . But I recommend you go to Big C, since you can get that same price for a 2 hour body massage. Their masseurs are good and very polite.

3) Eat till you drop!



Oh, when it comes to dining options ...there are a LOT of restaurant to choose from. From pricey shops to the hawker shops..but believe me, everywhere you go, their food is yummy!! Here is a list of our favorite restaurants. Though there are still a number of restaurants we haven't tried yet. Sky Buffet at Lee Gardens for only 129-159 baht per person, it offers a wide variety of Thai food, salads, deserts. I just love the unlimited ice cream and coffee/tea. This restaurant is on the 33rd floor of Lee Gardens Hotel so you get to see the beautiful view of Hatyai city. Sugar Rock along Thamanonvitee Rd. , food and ambience is great and the price is very reasonable. This is our personal favorite restaurant since they have a playroom and we can eat while our daughter plays. Log Terrace, near Ket Pet Rd. I love the concept of this restuarant. It's along the river and they designed it in such a way, that it's like you're in a cave. There is a man made water falls inside and a real crocodile too. The food is good but a bit pricey. Rin Rua ( Moo Kata), this is another eat all you can restaurant for only 89 baht. They have a wide variety of meats, veggietables, soups and desserts. You get to grill and steam your own food. It's an outdoor restaurant with a big screen TV for football fans. Samila Restuarant, this is a new resturant along Rayjindee road. The restaurant design is beautiful specially at night. Ban Phuk Khaw , this is a restaurant on a hill. This restaurant will offer you a beautiful view of Hatyai. I can't write all the restaurants here..there are just LOT!! Of course, if you're bored of THai food and would want more familiar taste, don't worry there are Mcdonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Sizzlers, Fuji, MK restaurant.


4) Go to Songkhla Beach

Image from bangkoksite.com

This is the nearest beach in the city. (I'll write another post on Songkhla) It's only a 30 mins drive from Hatyai. You'll get a 'taste' of the famous white sand beach of Thailand. It's a great place to relax and eat sea food too. THough you have to be careful since the restaurants along the beach are known to over price tourist. We had a terrible experience. So, if you're in a budget and don't want to be a victim of 'tourist overprice' then I suggest you ask the prices first before ordering. Then beware that the bucket of ice cubes they 'give' you is worth 20 baht whether you finish it or not.

5) GO for a swim in Ton Nga Chaang Waterfalls

Image from www.davidjensen.org

This waterfalls has 7 levels. It's beautiful even if we were only able to go until the 2nd level. It's quite a hike but I'm sure it'll be worth it. By the way, if you're a foreigner, they charge 200 Baht as a fee to enter the park where the you'll see the waterfalls but if you're a Thai, you only get to pay 20 Baht. Hmmm...


I think these are only the top 5 things you can do in Hatyai. But even if there are only 5 it's already enough to keep you occupied.

Cagayan de Oro Here We Come!

Photo by Rex Tapungot

I'm just so excited to go back home..It's still several months away but I always tell my Li'l girl, ' We're almost going to the Philippines! '. I'm excited because, of course my family is there and this time we'll be staying for a longer period of time. That means, if we really plan well, we'll be able to visit a lot of places and do a lot of exciting things. Excting? you'll know why..read on.


I'm really 'determined' to show my HUbby the beauty of our beloved city since he hasn't really explored every nook and corner of it since we usually just go there for a short visit.


So, here is my list of things to do and places to visit in the City of Golden Friendship, Cagayan de Oro City.


1) First stop..HOME- YEs, there;s no place like home. We live just near the river and it's so refreshing to hear the constant sound of the rushing water and the chirping of the birds in the morning. When ever we're home, it always feel like we're on a holiday since the surrounding is just tranquil and serene. Surely, a great place to rest.




2) White Water Rafting in Cagayan River- It's the same river that connects from the place where they have the white water rafting to our house. I haven't done this yet but would really love to try. This will truly be an awesome adventure, just looking at the pictures will make your adrenaline rush. :)

Photos by Rex Tapungot

3) Canopy Walk at Claveria through a suspended bridge at the middle of the woods that is 120 ft from the ground. I'm sorry but as for now all I could to is to show you the pictures since I couldn't describe it real well yet as I haven't gone to the place.



4) Visit ECO Village in Malasag. This has only been the 'tourist' place during the time when I was staying in my hometown..I'm glad that there are more places to go now like no. 2 and 3. Anyways, the Eco village, is situated on a hill (overlooking the northern protion of Cagayan de Oro) and this exhibits the different tribes and cultures of Misamis Oriental through showing their houses, way of living and etc. As I remember there's also a butterfly garden, an aviary and chalets here.


So, here are the four major things I want my HUbby to experience while in my City. I heard there's an Ostrich farm in Opol too. So, I better take my kids there and let them see. For me, I'm contented to eat my favorite Buko Halo and Chiken inato' at Jo's Chicken Inato', buy the lechon manok ( roasted chicken) at The Barn, buy 2nd hand clothes at Agora Ukay-ukay and Night Cafe' and eat some delicious cakes at Blueberry Cafe'. :)

OK. I better go to sleep now and dream about all these..:)

Taiping, Perak Malaysia

Photo from taipingtalk.com

My Hubby is a proud Taiping Boy. I could just remember the time several years back when he would talk about his hometown such as having the oldest tree, the First railway track, the oldest prison, the oldest museum, the oldest zoo and etc. I would always retort, " Oh, I could just imagine old and very weak lions growling in your zoo."

But as years went by, the more I visit Taiping all the more I fall in love with the place. It's just a very quiet, serene part of Malaysia surrounded by beautiful mountains, huge trees with the cool, crisp air embracing you. But before , I get poetic here, let me introduce some of the places to visit in my Hubby's beloved town.

1) The Lake Gardens- This is a huge man made lake (which used to be a tin mine) surrounded by 100 year old trees. There are a number of activities you can do here aside from sightseeing. They have paddling boats for rent, food shops, playgrounds and kiosks. A very good place for relaxing and dating. :)

Photo from taipingtalk.com

2) Perak State Museum - Proudly the First Museum in Malaysia. I can't remember much what are the things inside though. We visited this museum 8 years ago, my Hubby and I were just newly married (few days old) , the only thing I remember was we were holding while while looking at each other, oppss ..at the artifacts, I mean. Hehehe!



4) Taiping Zoo and Night Safari. This is one must-visit place especially if you have kids. The Zoo is well designed where the animals are just like in their normal habitat. It has quite a big area and therefore a bit tiring to walk, but they also have a 'train' that goes around if you don't want to walk. We also tried to go for the night safari. It was quite interesting but I found the place too dark and eerie. heheheh! No, I was not afraid of lions and tigers who must have escaped at night but more on some strangers who might be lurking in the dark and ready to pounce on you to get your handbag. Anyways, I just hope they could a bit more lights around especially on the walkway.


3) Commonwealth War Cemetery. This is the graveyard for the Royal Malay Regiments, Burkha, British and Australian soldiers who were killed during the Japanese invasion of Malaya. Nice place to visit, it reminds you of past and makes you wonder how it was like during the war and admire these brave men.




5) Burmese Pool. I think this is the locals favorite place to hang out. I've heard a lot of memorable stories from my Hubby on this place. This place is just refreshing, you can hear the sound of the rushing water (which reminds me of the river near our house). The water is soooo cold and clean


5) BUkit Larut or Maxwell Hill. One of the 'to go places' for me too since I haven't been to this place yet. But I've heard it's a beautiful place. It's a resort on top of the Hill. We plan to spend a few nights on this Hill, hopefully next year.




Aside from the interesting places, Taiping also offers delicious food at a very low price. They are famous for their Popiah, Fried Kuey Tiaw, Cendul and etc. But my personal favorite food is the Mee Curry from the Chinese shop in Pokok Assam. Surprisingly, one bowl of my favorite Mee Curry only costs 1.20 RM. Another bowl, please!


Below is a photo of the Wesley Methodist Church in Taiping. I especially included this because this brings special memories to my HUbby. They used to go to church here when they were small and this is also the church where his parents got married. Nice church huh?

Our Phuket Trip Part 2

This is a continuation from the previous post...

3) Rawaii Beach - There's nothing much to do in Rawaii beach but do a bit ofsightseeing and eat at the Seafood shops lined up along the road near the seaside. My Hubby ate in one of the shops here several years back and remembered that their crab used to be 10 baht per kilo but times have changed and it's now 80 Baht per kilo. But I'm sure this is reasonable since they make tasty crab curry...haaa,,crab curry..I suddenly got hungry..:)

Back to the beach, I also remembered that this is the beach where the speedboats dock and it's a starting point for a 30-45 mins. speedboat ride to the other islands surrounding Phuket.

4) Patong Beach - This is one of the famous beaches in Phuket (with Kata and Karon Beach) where most of the westerners hang out. Just a few meters from the seaside is a road and right next to it are all the shops, bars , resorts, hotels and restaurants line up. We're not into barhopping and night life..we'd rather stay in the hotel and enjoy a quiet time with family, so we find this place a bit messy. When we were passing by, there was even this lady who was calmly sitting in a bar, topless!! Yeah, not a wholesome sight at all! But on the other hand, I like looking at the hotel and restaurant designs here, some are just beautiful. If you're into food trip, you'll also find all kind of restaurant here, Irish, German, Swedish , Indian and etc.

When we were there, we had dinner at Tamarind Restaurant which is connected to the Seaview Hotel. I just love the place! It's situated at the far end of the beach, so it's far from the messy nightlife area and thus it's quiet and peaceful.

The hotel is well-designed, cozy and I think a good place to just relax. In the morning, you can have a spectacular view of the sea. I checked through their site and I found a lot of good reviews from their customers. Hmmm..I'm dreaming to stay there for a holiday. It's quite pricey of course but they have this package where you'll get to see a free show called "Fantasea". I heard that's a great show for the kids too.

Okay, this is all for our Phuket Trip! We'll have another trip to Malaysia next week and I'm surely going to update this blog again.

Phuket here we come..

image from smh.com.au

At first I was so excited for our upcoming trip to Phuket this month. We will be going there for conference. I thought we could go a bit early or stay back after the seminar to see more of Phuket but then, due to time and budget constraints we won't be able to do that (huhuhuh!). But I guess there's still a glimmer of hope..heheh! I heard that the schedule of the conference is not that heavy so I hope there'll be time to go around. Actually, it'll be my third time to go to Phuket but I haven't seen the whole place yet.

Things I want to do in Phuket

1) Go to the Old Phuket Town - I love the to see some historical places. I heard their blend of Colonial and Chinese architecture is a beatiful sight to see here.

2) View the beautiful sunset from Phromthep Cape - From this hill you can see also see the islands surrounding Phuket. My Hubby has been here and he said it's beautiful.

3) See the beaches - Yes, you read it right.."see" not swim..since time our 'free time' is limited and I guess all we could do is to take a peek. So, maybe we'll just take a look at the famous beautiful beaches such as Patong, Karon and Kata, take some pictures and off we go.

I have only 3 things in my things to do list. I won't be so ambitious given that we have some constraints. I'll already be soo happy if we could accomplish these 3. And if not then, I'll just have to be contented in letting my kids swim in the swimming pools at the hotel where we're staying. LOL!

So, this is all for now and I'll surely post some pictures, after our Phuket Trip.

Things to do in Thailand

photo from travel-images.com

This is a repost from my personal blog " Lalaine's World". Since it's travel related, I'm bringing it here.

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Thailand is considered my second home. Even if my Hubby is from Malaysia but I lived here in Thailand longer than in Malaysia. I'm thankful that God has allowed us to stay in this beautiful country. Indeed, it's true that this country is just amazing. They have the most beautiful beaches, the gentlest people, and the cheapest bargains.

So, if you were to come to this country, here are the things I suggest you to do.

1) Go shopping. For Filipinos, this is a must...to go to the malls and shop or even just window shop. But here in Thailand, the cheapest bargains are found in their weekend markets. Most of the cities have their weekend markets like the Chatuchak in Bangkok. You can buy fashion blouses as low as 50 Baht (that's like 75 pesos). But sad to say, these blouses don't fit me as Thai girls are small/pettite so most of their blouses/shirts are small too. Anyway, you can name all items in these weekend markets and they have it, from bags to jewelry, plants, pots and even pets for sale. If you're a business person, then this is it, find the cheapest items here and sell it back to your home country, double or triple the price! :)

2) Go to the islands and stay there for at least a night. You can swim in the beaches, dive, snorkel or just lay in the hammock and relax. Remember the movie, The Beach? Yes, their islands, beaches look like that. The waters are like aquamarine in color, the sand is so fine, the scene around you will just be breathtaking. There are package deals in most islands that includes 2 nights stay, 1 meal, snorkeling and boat rides at affordable prices. Most of the middle class local Thais go island hopping too, which means their rates are not that extravagant and only affordable by westerners.

3) Savor Thai food. If you're into the spicy stuff you'll enjoy a wide variety of Thai dishes. My favorite is Green Curry and Fried Catfish with Mango Salad. If you can't take spicy food, Thai Fried Rice will suit you best. One thing amazing here is that, wherever you eat, whether in an expensive restaurant or side walk vendor, you're assured to have clean and delicious food. I'm not exaggerating. Being from a city from the Philippines, it's really a no-no to buy from the side walk vendor since you're not sure if the food is clean. But here, everyone buys from the street vendors and it's clean. In my 5 years stay here and eating everywhere, I didn't have problem with food (or maybe my tummy is just strong??) and I'm enjoying every bit of Thai food.

4) Go for foot or body massage. You can treat yourself here with a nice massage for only 130baht ( less than 200pesos) per hour. Their masseurs are real experts. They really do a good job and even sometimes pinpointing your body's problem areas without you telling them first. Just be careful that you go to the 'wholesome' massage parlors. Those inside the malls are the best choice.

5) Go for a haircut, manicure/pedicure or spa. I think one of the Thai's strong points is their good service. They really go beyond what is intended for them to do. For example, you want your hair cut. First, they will wash your hair (shampooing and conditioning your hair 2-3 times), then cut, then blowdry/ iron your hair, then moisturize your hair, then massage your head and shoulders. Who wouldn't feel good or beautiful after this? This procedure goes for most of the saloons here for an average of 100-120 baht ( less than 200 pesos).

6) Visit the landmarks in the places. And of course do 'picture picture'. Bangkok has their very famous Floating Market, The Grand Palace. Ayuthayya has this temple ruins, Phuket has their beaches, Chiangmai has their mountains and so on and so forth.

7) Ride, touch or have picture taking with the elephant. The elephant is quite a common sight here. They're not contained in the zoos but on some days they are out in the streets.
So far this is all I could think of as of now. So to all my friends come and experience Amazing Thailand! hehehe! I think the Tourism Authority here should give me commission for advertising their country. Hehhehe! Anyways, I'm just encouraging you to go out for a holiday and it wont be that expensive considering the rate for Pesos and Thai baht is not that big..and with all the promotions now from Airasia or Cebu Pacific (if your'e from the Philippines) , everyone can fly..hehehehe! Last year, my mom was able to purchase a roundtrip ticket for only 2,800 pesos. Imagine that? :)