Archive for 2016

I know I could be a little mad when one evening last month I suddenly decided I wanted more perfumes.

Looking over to my vanity desk, there sat over 20 bottles of almost new fragrances (after giving some away) which I enjoy frequently; and yet I was vying for more.

Preference changes and my preference for scent changes on a daily basis. As crazy as it sounds, there are days when I feel none of the 20+ fragrances on the table suit my need. I was looking for a few specific scents, and I think I found one, I dubbed it "the perfect evening scent". (Read on)

It was this blessed period I was sent two fragrances new on the market to try out. Christmas came early and I was over the roof. One I've been eyeing since I first spotted it on IG and because I am a fan of its male fragrance: BOSS THE SCENT for her. The other a new brand I have not owned before: McQueen Eau de Parfum. It intrigued me further after trying to look for it (McQueen) in several departmental store and not finding it. Let's get down to my review.

Hugo the scent for her and Alexander McQueen fragrance

BOSS THE SCENT for her by Hugo Boss

My dad has been a huge fan of hugo boss for a long time and I've always enjoyed their male fragrances, especially The Scent for him. So when BOSS THE SCENT for her was introduced, naturally I was wildly interested.

First of all, this is a very sweet fragrance. Top note is a sweet sweet combo of honeyed peach and freesia (more peach than freesia), followed by Osmanthus and ending, now this is hardly noticeable, with a base note of roasted cocoa. In fact I couldn't smell the cocoa note at the end at all, but the peach was undeniable.
Personally I'm not a fruity sweet scent girl but I know many people who would enjoy this scent.

Verdict: Sweet fruity scent. Suitable for casual day wear. Meant for all ages but more towards teenagers to young adults (which is surprising coming from Hugo Boss).

Price List:
BOSS THE SCENT for her EDP 30ml RM214
BOSS THE SCENT for her EDP 50ml RM311
BOSS THE SCENT for her EDP 100ml RM427
BOSS THE SCENT for her Shower Gel 200ml RM128
BOSS THE SCENT for her Body Lotion 200ml RM139

McQueen Eau de Parfum

Now this was an interesting one. Not only was I not able to find it in most departmental stores and Sephora stores, there was very few people I know who own this bottle of fragrance. So I unwrapped the package, and spritzed on my arm. What welcomed me was a whaff of sophisticated sexy perfection.

My first immediate thought: "I've been looking for this scent my whole life and I don't even know it!"
It was as described in the press, "to wear McQueen is to open up to the hauntingly beautiful potential of one's imagination". And the scent was truly hauntingly beautiful to me. It was everything I want in a scent: seductive but not overbearing, elegant but not overpowering, intelligent, unique, exquisite, contemporary but classic. Initially I thought this was definitely an evening perfume, but then the more I smell, the more I felt it could work in the day time too, and in a very different representation.

I'm an instant fan to Sarah Burton's technique of perfumery.

Top note: Spices (black pepper, clove and pink pepper)
Heart note: Night blooming flowers
Base note: Sambac Jasmine, Tuberose and Ylang Ylang
All notes strongly present in the scent but acting harmoniously together. It was a very pleasant surprise in a long time.

Verdict: Alluring, seductive and sophisticated. Suitable for day and even more for night. It's a scent that gives confidence. Wear it on a first date, to a function, gala event, when closing a sale.

Price:
McQueen Parfum 50ml RM1499 (I would love to get my hands on this!!)
McQueen EDP 30ml RM310
McQueen EDP 50ml RM415
McQueen EDP 75ml RM560
McQueen Body Lotion 250ml RM199

Wrote by Nicole

Legian is perhaps the most sought beachfront town in all of Bali by renowned resorts and hotels thanks to its strategic west facing location - you get the perfect Bali sunset over the ocean.

On this street you will find everything you need in a holiday, good resorts and hotels of all price range, great beaches, wide array of restaurants, bars and nightclubs and an art and fashion market nearby.

Most of the Legian hotels are close to the beach (no surprise there), and the most popular stretch of the beach is the Padma Beach (at the end of Jalan Padma), which made the resort I was staying in, Padma Resort Legian, the best high-end resort geographically in the area.

I was staying in the new deluxe chalet room, which came with its own front lawn and spacious toilet (no tub :( update: I was notified that the new design either came with bathtub and shower or just shower only). In-room wifi internet access was speedy, which was a huge plus; and I was told the wifi access was available across the resort which I didn't test out. The price of the room was priced from USD220 a night (at the time of writing Agoda was offering the room at RM650).

It's a big resort on a 6.8 hectare garden landscape with 5 swimming pools in the compound, including a family pool and an adult-only pool. It also came with a fitness centre which sadly I didn't get to utilise as I was only staying there for a night. I did enjoy that the resort was situated right outside a street filled with shops and tourist-friendly restaurants. I managed to get a taste of my first Japanese rolls on the trip in a fusion restaurant across the street. Convenience stores, shopping street, beaches were all within steps from the entrance of the resort.

What surprised me the most was the buffet breakfast the next day. Variety was one thing, the quality of the food was amazing. Despite the crowd (and it was crowded update: I was told it's during peak season and most of the guests were Australians), a table was arranged fairly quickly and there's a type of food for every type of eater out there. From gluten-free, to dairy-free, to the clean eaters to all-out-sin. I had the best butterscotch banana condiments to my pancakes in my life on this breakfast spread. And then I had seconds. It was divine.

The ups:
Good wifi access in-room. Family-friendly resort. Good facilities and 5 pools to choose from, you can view Legian sunset over at the infinity pool in front of the beach with a beer in hand from the pool bar. The room was pleasantly quiet, I suspected it's furnished with good sound-proofing walls, I managed to get much needed peaceful sleep throughout the night. Service was attentive and speedy and on ground staff was helpful to my requests. Love the location of the resort, within reach to everything you need or want in a short bali trip: shopping, food, beach. Great great breakfast.

The downs:
It can get crowded during both shoulder and peak season. You will not be able to find a quiet space in any of the 5 available pools on the resorts. And if you do no like the sounds of screaming or laughing children, this resort is not for you. Both infinity pool and adult pool have an unpleasant view of the street filled with tourists and coconut trees in front of the beach so sunset view will not be an unobstructed one (check photo below).

The neutrals:
It is not beachfront. Depending on what you are looking for, this can be a major or not-so-major factor in your resort hunting in Bali. There are ample parking space should you want to rent a car but uber is abundance and affordable in the area.

Verdict:
If you're looking for a quick trip to Bali wanting to taste a little bit of everything, this is the perfect resort. It offers comfort, convenience, food, shopping and quick walk to the beach. It doesn't offer great scenery but it's what expected in a high touristy area. If you're on a honeymoon and want peace and quiet throughout your stay outside of your hotel room with amazing scenery, then I suggest you check out Padma Ubud in the north.

said ocean view infinity pool

culture at the entrance

main pool - the only time you get the pool to yourself

front lawn of my room

best butterscotch banana with pancake breakfast ever

Padma Resort Legian

Jalan Padma No. 1

Legian, Bali 80361, Indonesia

Contact: +62 361 752 111

Rating:

Cleanliness: 5/5

Comfort: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Value: 4/5

Food: 5/5

Location: 4.5/5

Facilities: 4/5

Ambience: 3/5

Wrote by Nicole

Following my grand Indonesia trip that ended on a sweet, albeit too short, note, I got back to KL and within two days decided that I would return to Bali within the week for 6 days.

After my previous pleasant stay at the Golden Tulip in Lombok, my friend Febrian hooked me up with Golden Tulip in Bali to get me settled in for a couple of days.

The hotel is located in Jimbaran hills, right next to the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park where you will see the famous sculpture by Nyoman Nuarta whose gallery I visited in Bandung. An unusual location, I thought, as I was driven 20 minutes south of the international airport, passing by small and quiet roads before reaching the grand lobby of the hotel.

20160930-201Golden Tulip Bay View Hotel Lobby

The hotel hosted an impressive 268 rooms and suites, a grand ballroom, wedding chapel, 8 meeting rooms and two outdoor pools. Something I didn't expect coming from a hotel hidden in such a neighbourhood, the compound was massive. The facilities such as gym and spa were a bit jaded but given the price (at ~RM240 for the Deluxe room on Agoda), it's really a steal.

Deluxe Room - my room

The ups:

The room given to me was a spacious Deluxe room with separate shower and toilet, it even came with a balcony. The bed and pillows were comfortable and when there was a problem with my room key, they sent someone up to have it replaced for me. The service at the restaurant was attentive, despite being the only patron that afternoon, the ala carte menu was surprisingly delicious and affordable. I appreciate the complimentary desserts served with a letter in the room for the guest.

The downs:

This was perhaps the biggest down for me during my stay, which was none of the hotel staff's fault but more perhaps due to its location. On my second night, the bar/club across the hotel was having a 'live band' (local music) that lasted till 2am in the morning, despite staying on the highest floor, the lack of sound-proofing in the room was proving to make my sleep a difficult one.

The neutrals:

The hotel is situated a bit far from all the touristy hotspots of Southern Bali but can easily be solved by renting a bike or car. Majority of the guests at the hotel were from China so there will be days the restaurant and lobby were filled with Chinese tourists, which didn't bother me but just a note should you wake up one day mistakenly thought yourself transported to China.

Verdict:

Now my honest thought, you are looking at a four star hotel at the price of RM200 for their standard room, given the amount of facilities you receive and the room space you get, and this is Bali we are talking about, it's a decent deal.

Royal Suite aka penthouse

Jacuzzi in Royal Suite

Complimentary desserts

spa

outdoor pool (pardon the exposure as it was a photo for my Instagram @nicootan )

Golden Tulip Bay View Hotel & Convention Bali
Jalan Raya Uluwatu Br. Giri Dharma Ungasan,
Kuta Selatan, Bali 80364, Indonesia
Contact: +62 361 849 8000

Rating:
Cleanliness: 5/5
Comfort: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Food: 4/5
Location: 3/5
Facilities: 3/5

Wrote by Nicole

The trip ended with a bang with our last night in Bali where we were put up at Alila Seminyak, which perhaps possesses the most prestigious location in all of Bali.

Located right in central Seminyak, the compound consists of 5 pools in total: 3 infinity pools (one on the penthouse) with unobstructed view to the ocean, 1 beachfront beach bar pool, and a secluded pool facing few of the suites; the resort comes with their very own private beach, clean soft sand and perfect waves (apparently it exists), and to top it off, hold your breath party people, it is sitting right next to Potato Head (an upper class night club with its own private pool).

I cannot emphasise enough how in love I am with the location of this resort, but what's more amazing was the impeccable service and hospitality that came with its staff, a staggering feat considering there are 240 rooms and suites sitting on the resort.

Award winning architectural designs aside, my "smallest" garden deluxe suite boosted an impressive space of 775 sqft.
I recorded a video below because in this case, photo doesn't do it justice.
Prepare to fork out USD350 for a night here. It's worth every cent.

Just to highlight how amazing the service in this resort was, it was close to midnight when I wanted to take a dip in the pool, but the pool was closed. Sensing my arrival, the beach bar staff (who were cleaning up the bar for the day) approached me and asked if I needed any assistance; after shamelessly asking if I could swim, not only they did not even hesitate to say yes, they immediately offered to bring me pool towels. Now that's service.

Understanding the need for privacy for their guests, they left me alone (out of sight) and I swam till my heart's content. Got up, dried myself, left the towel on the chair, which I believed they promptly collected right after my departure.

I appreciate attention to detail and service to your every whim in the hospitality line, but to have service offered upfront and to read and understand your guest's need is hard to come by. For this I gave Alila Seminyak an exceptional rating for their services.

The resort was extremely instagram-worthy to boot. Have a look.

A photo posted by Nicolekiss (@nicootan) on Sep 21, 2016 at 10:55pm PDT

A photo posted by Nicolekiss Nicole Tan (@nicootan) on Sep 19, 2016 at 6:08pm PDT

Is this not the perfect beach? Gorgeous flat soft sand to run on.

A photo posted by Nicolekiss Nicole Tan (@nicootan) on Sep 18, 2016 at 8:54pm PDT

Private pool at the penthouse. USD4500 a night anyone?

A photo posted by Marcos Detourist (@marcosdetourist) on Sep 23, 2016 at 3:13am PDT

Borrowing a photo from Marcos (not my room)

Infinity pool - photo courtesy of Kounila (sassy Cambodian travel blogger)

sunset on the private beach

Evening setting

Alila Seminyak, Bali
Jalan Taman Ganesha No. 9
Petitenget, Kerobokan,
Bali, Indonesia.
Contact: +62 361 3021 888
Website: www.alilahotels.com/seminyak

Rating:
Cleanliness: 5/5
Comfort: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Food: 4.5/5
Location: 5/5
Facilities: 5/5

Wrote by Nicole

The paradise of Indonesia lies in Flores.

Never heard of Flores? Neither have I before my Indonesia grand tour.

I have heard of Komodo island and I have many diving friends who have visited Komodo and raved about it.

Little did I know that Komodo island is just a tiny section in Flores, and the true beauty of Flores cannot even be summed up in words, so beware of the onslaught of scenic pornography you'll be receiving in this post.

To start off, you'll land yourself in Labuan Bajo (Komodo Airport), the main island and port to the nearby islands in Western Flores. To get here you transit via Denpasar airport in Bali.

Brief Itinerary:

Fly into Labuan Bajo - check in, see sunset, eat sushi
Visit Komodo National Park - trek, see Komodo dragons
Pink Beach - snorkel, bbq, photography
Padar Island - trek, photography
Visit Loh Liang - lunch, guided treks, see nest of Komodo dragons
Kanawa Island - snorkel, beautiful corals

The above itinerary can be done in 3 days 2 nights, provided you opted for the shortest trek in each location. You can spend up to a week exploring with the same itinerary.

Here's a more elaborated itinerary if you have extra days to explore Flores: check out 15 best things to do in Flores.

I checked into La Prima hotel in Labuan Bajo after two flights from Lombok via Bali. The room comes with a stunning view of the ocean if your room happens to face the sea, with a pool to boot (alas mine was facing the street). Labuan Bajo consists of one street and very limited restaurants (most of which serve western cuisine), but get yourself to the sushi restaurant that you will be pleasantly surprised at how such fresh and delicious sushi can be served up in such a small remote harbour. Don't forget to head over early to catch a seat for the best sunset in the area at Paradise cafe, order a drink as courtesy.

The highlights of my trip were Pink Beach (gorgeous sand) and Padar Island (despite the gruesome insatiably hot trek, the view was stunning). What can I say, I'm attracted to blue sea.