Langkawi Holiday Day 2, Part 2.

11^th August 2017. Day 2, Part 2.

At the motel, it took us quite a while to shower, pray and rest for a little bit before going out for lunch. It was only until around 2.30 pm, that we were all ready to head to Laman Padi for lunch. And as I mentioned in my last post, the island hopping activity that morning made us extremely hungry.

We arrived at Laman Padi and noticed there were not many cars parked at their parking space. We were quite baffled, whether it was still open or whether we had driven to the wrong entrance. Luckily I saw somebody there and he confirmed that the restaurant was located at the back of the building.

The entrance

FYI, Laman Padi does not only consist of a restaurant but actually the main attraction there is the museum. More information on the location and reviews of Laman Padi could be read here.

At that time we were the only ones there. I was feeling a bit doubtful. I asked myself; “I thought this is a popular spot to eat in Langkawi. Why aren’t there anyone around? Is the food any good?” Well, this was most probably because we were there at 3 pm for LUNCH – who eats lunch at 3, right? Haha.

The place looked nice and cosy. It had an indoor area where you can enjoy your meal but the main attraction there was the small ‘huts’ (I don’t know the actual term for it) located outdoors. The ‘huts’ were placed over the green paddy field. The view was lush and the ‘huts’ were perfect for families or group of friends like us (could fit up to 8 people) to have a private meal together. So we chose to have lunch at that spot!

The main dining area

Path leading to the 'huts'

We picked this one! Had a fan too!

We ordered a set meal and it cost us around RM80 for it. The food looked delish! Also, we love how they put everything together in a huge plate. With the ambience – sitting on the floor, surrounded by the green paddy field with the wind blowing softly made us feel like we were in the kampung (village). I loved it. However, the management should really think of refurbishing the place to make it well maintained and stand out a little bit more.

Yummy!

Would be nice to have meals with this view once in a while :)

We ate like cavemen that had been out hunting since dawn LOL. Don’t judge us! The last time we ate was the 7 am breakfast! The dishes were simple, but tasty! With a little bit of this and a little bit of that, we really liked it. They were all dishes of what we usually have at home. Like I said just now, we didn’t feel like we were eating at a restaurant, but at our kampung backyard! It was indeed a very nice experience.

Minutes later, we were all full and satisfied! The next thing to do was to get to our next destination: The Upsidow.

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The Upsidow is an upside down concept house and one of the latest attractions in Langkawi. My ex-colleague, Ayu who moved to Langkawi mid last year, had been working there and been directly involved with the establishment of Upsidow.

Initially I just wanted to make a quick stop and see her for a bit. It was a working day and I didn’t want us to get in her way doing her job. But, knowing that I was there on the island, she invited my friends and me to check the project out.

Upsidow!

As we arrived at there – easy to find once you spot the big white contena with a huge Upsidow signboard written across it, I immediately looked for her. She was at one of the stalls and she came out once spotted me getting out of the car. I hadn’t seen her in months! I missed her. She was the person that I used to talk a lot with when I first joined the company that I am working at. So her departure from the company was a bummer.

I smiled and gave her a hug! Ayu, being her usual self was so welcoming and friendly. She could be a bit direct as well and she didn’t seemed to change – except that she had gotten a little bit tanned and thinner.

She then took the time to explain a little bit about Upsidow – how the work started and all. She also shared some stories about living AND WORKING in Langkawi which I didn’t intend to share here. Hehe.

After catching up for about 20 minutes, she invited us in to the building. The ticket price was RM 25 per adult – I know it may seemed a bit pricey but honest to God, it was worth it! When we got inside I was just amazed with how everything was structured and set out. It was consisted of two levels and the decoration was like a really nice home.

There was also a family who were there with us and the kids seemed really excited with everything they were seeing. I totally recommend to visit this place. A nice activity rather than just enjoying the beach hehe.  

My first time entering an upside down concept house. I was hoping none of these would fell off on me LOL

The interior of the house was cool! Even more lavish than mine LOL

One of the staff really caught my attention. She was an intern from the International Islamic University. She was very friendly and she really took the effort to make sure we were enjoying ourselves there. She even ‘forced’ me to get some photos taken. Hehe I even put up a good word for her to Ayu. I wanted to acknowledge the good and positive things done by her so that others could follow.  

It was taking us longer than I had planned for us to be there. I was excited to see the Upsidow but my friends…. my dear friends acted as if they had never seen anything that was upside down before! They were like kids. Maybe they had forgotten that they‘re in their late 20s :P. But that was just a proof that Ayu and her team made a really good job working on the project. For more information and feedback on Upsidow, you could read here.

I should learn how to use at oilet properly :P

Snap ...

... and rotate twice. Btw this is how I feel everytime I'm sleepy at work. Bed... unreachable...

Snap ...

... and rotate twice. My favourite part of the house.

We had nothing planned after that. But it was getting late so we thought it’d be best to head back to the motel and rest a bit before dinner time. But we decided to make a quick stop to shop a few gamat (sea cucumber) products to bring home. If you are not aware of what gamat is, you can have a quick read here.

Sad to say goodbye to Ayu. Proud of what she did with this place!

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“Hmmm the shopping begins,” I said to myself. There were tonnes of products from soaps, shampoo, to male enhancement products. I had a few stuff to buy for my mom and girlfriend. Buying stuff for my mom was easy – she told me specifically what she wanted. But I had to make a couple of returns to the shop as my girlfriend kept on adding the products for me to get her – initially she asked me to buy 2 – 3 items, but I ended up buying 7 different items. Hehehe #SheControlsMe #IAmPowerless #GrumpyIlyEqualsDangerousIly

This size will last for 5 zillion years I guess

I know what you're thinking: No, the pharaohs did not build this.

Minyak Belacak - google what this is for. Go ahead.

Minyak Lintah - google for this one as well. 

After shopping we headed back to the motel to change and pray. Around 8.30 pm we all got together again and took a walk in Chenang again. No shopping that night. Just enjoying the nightlife a bit. We even entered Chenang Mall just to see what it was like there.  

We had no dinner plans – we weren’t really that hungry as we had a late lunch. But we HAD to eat or we’d starve in the middle of the night. We thought it over McDonalds’ Sundae Cone (somehow it cost a few cents more in Chenang compared to KL). Before that in Chenang Mall, we were contemplating whether we should just settle for KFC, but no one budged to make the first move haha. We then crossed by a Ramly burger truck and agreed to have dinner there. Once in a while, when you had no idea on what to eat, a Ramly burger would always be one of the best choices for food. Quick, simple and delicious!

After dinner, we walked back to the motel and before we call it a night we sat down together to share photos taken for that day – as per the night before.

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The second day was very productive and the most definitely fun. I really enjoyed every bit of the activities we had gone through. If I were to leave Langkawi that night, I’d be all satisfied and happy. But, we still have the third day. The final day. We saved that for a lot of chocolate shopping. Trust me. More on that, later.

To be continued …

Langkawi Holiday Day 2 Part 1.

11^th August 2017. Day 2, Part 1.

After a good night sleep I woke up feeling fresh and ready to start the day. The first activity on the list was island hopping! We were informed that the organisers would pick up the guests at around 8.30 am. Since we were all up early, we all went out to search for breakfast.

We walked along the shop lots in Chenang. I thought finding a place that would be opened that early in the morning could be quite a challenge. But we were in luck. Not far from the motel, we came across a restaurant that was already serving breakfast. The best thing was, they were serving local Malaysian breakfast! A very good start of the day! Some of us ordered nasi lemak but I was keen to try their roti canai – roti canai is one of my favourite food on earth BTW! It was great! The food was nice, the price was reasonable and the owner was friendly too.

Mine. Both of them LOL

After the quick breakfast, we went back to the motel and changed to a more appropriate attire for the island hopping activity. Oh, remember the ‘Billabong’ shorts that I bought the night before? Yeah, turned out the brand was actually called Bill Board, and not Billabong! I didn’t even realise it and was only aware when my girlfriend laughed as I showed her the photo of the pants. So, sometimes, being a picky and diligent shopper like Kamil, pays off. I learned my lesson, but nonetheless, the pants was comfy and cost me only RM 25.

The mistake I made. Cheap mistake HAHA

As I tried to move forward from that mistake, I suddenly gotten myself in a pickle. After I refilled my drinking water, I noticed that the PVC strap on one of my flip flops snapped. I believed Kamil had something to do with it haha! You see, Kamil wore my flip flops the night before and did complain they were getting really uncomfortable. I found it odd as I just bought them.

I had to react quickly. The clock was already 8.15 am and the van that would take us to the jetty will be arriving at 8.30 am! I thought I should even wear my shoes! Then I remembered, while we were walking out to have breakfast, we saw a couple of shops (selling souvenirs) were already opened. I guessed they must be selling flop flops as well as what we saw the night before, almost every shop was selling them.

I decided to make a quick run – okay that statement was a lie. I decided to walk pretty fast as I was lazy (LOL) to the shops. Zi had volunteered to join and help me out. I was actually quite touched to be honest. I was panicking a bit and to get that kind of support was quite nice hehe.

I even considered renting one of these during my flip flops hunt

Once the both of us had reached the shop, we started looking for the flip flops. But it turned to be a complete disaster as not a single pair was sold there! What were the odds, right? The night before they were sold at almost every corner of the streets, and that morning, at one of the biggest souvenir shops, of all of the products available – towels, keychains, shirts, shorts, framed photos, not a single pair of freaking flip flops was available! I was freaking out actually because those were the only shops that we saw that had already opened. I was getting desperate and would settle for any kind of flip flops. I even wouldn’t mind ones with a pinkish girly design at that moment LOL.

To make things worse, it was then already 8.30 pm. We didn’t receive any calls from my friends at the motel so I guessed the transportation to take us to the jetty had still not arrive yet. Then, Zi suggested to look in the 7 – Eleven. To be honest with you, I thought it was a lost cause already and I was pretty confident there weren’t going to be any flip flops in the 7 – Eleven. But, guessed what? I was wrong! There were a lot of them and the best part – it only cost RM 9.90 per pair! That’s even cheaper than the ones sold at the souvenir shops! Thank you 7 – Eleven, Chenang! Hehe.

Mission accomplished! Feeling happy, Zi and I walked back to the motel. I didn’t know the exact reason, or maybe we had forgotten a bit about the time, but Zi and I walked back casually in a slow pace. Not until our one of our friends (couldn’t remember who exactly) called us and said the van was there and ready to go! Luckily Zi and I were already close to the motel. My friends then told us the van would pick us both at the main road. Once the van arrived, I noticed it was already packed with other tourists. I felt quite guilty for causing the delay but I was just so relieved that I found the flip flops. 

What a disaster, such early in the morning but it all came through and I was finally ready to have some fun!

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The ride to the jetty took roughly about 10 – 15 minutes from our motel. Upon arrival, we saw there were plenty of boats that had already been taking visitors to visit the islands. The weather made us worry for a little bit. It started to lightly sprinkle and all I could do was hoping for it to stop soon!

Once the van dropped us off at the jetty, the driver told us to wait at one spot until we were called to get on the boat. But my complaint this time was; we were not clearly briefed of what was going to happen, how long we had to wait, who we were supposed to engage with for clarifications and all. So we just waited there, clueless.

It was only about 20 minutes later that we were finally called for our turn to get on the boat. Before getting off the jetty, there was a photographer who took our photo before getting on the boat – to be sold to us once we’re back.

Finally, it was time to begin the island hopping experience! By the way, we were all required to wear life jackets during the ride. We got on the boat with tourists from the UK, India and Japan. But based on the excitement shown, WE were the ones who looked like tourists from out of Malaysia LOL #TooExcited #Jakuns.

The photo was taken from where we had to queue for our turn

The boat ride was pretty smooth. The boat was moving at a pretty fast speed. I loved the wind and smell of the water! I was sitting on the right side of the boat so my only concern was to restrain myself not to take my phone out to take a selfie. I didn’t want to risk my clumsy self to drop the phone off the boat by accident! 

I didn't want my glasses to fall off as well so I took them off. Seemed like Kamil and Zi like living on the edge :P

A small tip; if you are afraid to get sea sick, it is best for you to be seated at the back of the boat. For our case, a couple from the UK was sitting at the back – good for them as the lady was pregnant.

Okay so for our first stop, we were taken to Tasik Dayang Bunting or Lake of The Pregnant Lady. Before we reached the lake, our boat stopped near the island where the lake was located. The reason was for the guide to show and explain to us that the term ‘Pregnant Lady’ was due to the shape of the island itself. The structure consisted of a head, breasts and a pregnant belly. More information on this island could be read here. As the guide stopped the engine explain, I couldn’t help myself to be amazed of the beauty of the surrounding nature. The islands, the vegetation and oh my, the colour of the water! Absolute knock out!

We then arrived at the island and before making our way to the lake, the guide informed us we need to be back at the boat in an hour. For me that’s a bit too short – but knowing that we still had two more stops, maybe the visiting period had been carefully scrutinised.

At the island, we needed to walk a bit from the jetty to the entrance. The path to the entrance was not that long but be careful with your belongings as there were monkeys (I don’t know what kind) scavenging around and we were noticed that they might snatch the food we brought and even our phones! #YouMayTakeMyLifeNotMyPhoneLOL

Heading towards Tasik Dayang Bunting

The entry to the island was RM 5 (for local adult). We had to walk for about 10 minutes to get to the lake. Also, bear in mind, there were a lot of monkeys everywhere. They didn’t seem to harm us or anything but we got a bit nervous being around them.

Once we reached the lake, there was already a lot of people there. You could enjoy for a dip in the lake and also get a ride on a small swan boat – but I was not sure how much this would cost. Since the water is quite deep (I heard it is 3-storey-deep), it would be best for us to rent a life jacket (RM 5 per jacket). While Kamil and Zi decided not to swim, Yun, Syuk and I took a dip in the water and had made those two to take photos of us haha. It wasn’t crowded yet at that time and we enjoyed swimming while observing the personalities from the visitors. There was a group of girls form India that kept on encouraging for their friends to get in the water. She seemed pretty scared – maybe she had a bad experience before. Finally she forced herself in. I was glad that she was able to enjoy the swim with her friends. Another tourist also caught my attention. That guy was not wearing a life jacket and when someone asked him about that, he just said, “Ahhh not a problem. I’ve swam in deeper lakes before, everywhere.” I was on the line of hating him or inspired by him. He sounded so cocky but at least he had the skill and courage. Haha

The Deck Of Tasik Dayang Bunting

Angle from a far end of the deck

I was swimming, happily ...

... then Kamil kicked the water towards us :(

After a few minutes in the water we realised that our time there was almost up. So, we decided to head back to the boat. Everyone had got on the boat – except for a family from India. We had to wait for them for almost 20 minutes! I guessed maybe they didn’t hear the instruction given by the guide earlier. But them being late was not totally a terrible thing. We get to connect with some of the tourists in the boat. I got to know that some of them were from Cardiff. I used to live in Cardiff for four years so I was thrilled to have had a conversation with them about Cardiff.

Okay so we were twenty minutes behind schedule. But I didn’t think it was that big a deal. Obviously, the guide thought differently. No, don’t get me wrong. He wasn’t mad or anything. But he looked like he was in a hurry, too apparent, I must say. Why? Well, remember when I wrote that in the beginning when we first got on the boat, the boat ride to Tasik Dayang Bunting was pretty fast? Just imagine that. Now, whatever speed it was that you were imagining, triple that! Seriously, the ride was CRAZY fast! We were literally bumping up and down and I thought we could even fallen off the boat at one point! The bumps hurt as well especially for the old guy sitting at the front. We asked the guide to slow down but he said that the current/wave was high so he needs to go fast – honestly I didn’t know what he meant by that. Then we also told him that there was a pregnant lady sitting at the back and finally he slowed down a bit – Thank God!

We then reached our second destination which was Pulau Singa Besar (Big Lion Island). We weren’t getting off the boat for this. Rather than witnessing some big lions at the island (that’d be a hell of discovery, we were there to observe the majestic creature: the EAGLES. The island is famous for eagles flying all over and we were amazed to see a lot of them in a distance so near to us. Apart from being beautiful, their movements were just astonishing. I wished I had a binocular with me that time. The guide told us the eagles love to eat chicken skin. The eagles should know the skin is not good for their cholesterol level – okay lame joke. We didn’t spend time very long there. Just enough to take a few photos and after about 10 minutes, we left and off to our third and final destination – Pulau Beras Basah.

I rather observe the eagles than having everyone else on the boat staring at me taking photos. Haha

We reached Pulau Beras Basah but it started to rain a little bit. We were told we get to spend time there for an hour. It seemed like a heavenly place to swim and chill, but to be honest with the light rain drizzling down, I was not lured to swim at the beach. 

Pulau Beras Basah

Gloomy :(

But suddenly the sky got sunnier! Too sunny, even! So, I took that as a sign from God for another swim session! I am not a huge fan of the beach, really. But since the beach was so beautiful. The hot sun made the experience even better – the water got a bit warmer, the sand seemed whiter, ladies started sunbathing, eh, JK :P. I thought it was the perfect place to end our island hopping activity J

Better weather :)

As much as I enjoyed this beach, it was quite sad to see the condition of the national flag like this 

A group photo (with strangers behind us LOL) before we leave the island

So, as our time at the beach was up, we were then ready to head back to the main island. During the final boat ride we were already a bit sleepy. We felt the wind blowing to our exhausted bodies made us more tired. I guessed it was normal to be in that state after we had all the water-related activities. It made us HUNGRY too!

Finally, we reached the mainland and didn’t wait long until the van picked us up to send us back to our motel. For RM 30, having to spend half a day doing what we did, and visiting where we visited, it was totally worth it! Definitely recommended! So, as we got back to the motel, we agreed to quickly go freshen up, rest a little bit and perform our prayer, as we were already starving! For lunch, we had planned to go to Laman Padi – a famous restaurant in Langkawi! We couldn’t wait!

To be continued in Part 2 …

Langkawi Holiday Day 1, Part 2.

Langkawi Holiday Day 1, Part 2.

10^th August 2017. Day 1, Part 2.

Our accommodation, Sweet Inn Motel was somewhere in Chenang. For two rooms, for a 3-day-2-night-stay, it cost us just RM 360 - relatively reasonable as it was located at a great location. Chenang itself is a place of attraction that consists of rows of shops of both local and western restaurants, souvenir stalls as well as convenient stores. So clearly, it was the top pick for us.

However, while searching for the motel, we faced a small problem. We found it pretty difficult to find where it was. We couldn’t detect the exact location of the motel through Waze. We reached the closest point directed by Waze and stopped to ask for direction. I asked two people, each giving me two opposite directions – seriously if you don’t know, just say so, right? 

But somehow, our guts told us that we were actually really close. I ended up walking along the smaller road leading us to various motels. I was confident it was there somewhere. That moment I thought it would be a little bit difficult for tourists to find the motel, with so many other motels scattered all over the place along the small country road. 

Our car followed from the back – I thought it’d be easier for me to recce around. Not long after, I finally found the motel! I strongly recommend for the motel to provide better guidance on how to reach there or at least put up some more signboards along the main road.

The entrance

A little bit about the motel; the design was a bit like a typical school in Malaysia. The parking space was not that big – I was not so sure, but adequate for up to 8 – 9 cars, max. The owners of the motel placed the reception just next to their restaurant/canteen, - somewhere in the middle of the building. They provided free Wifi but do not expect for the very best of connection. It was free, at least. They also provided a shared area for guests to do their ironing – so don’t expect you could call the reception for an iron.

Kamil and I initially booked a room with two single beds but that room had some issues with the AC so they got us a room with a queen-sized bed. Something about me, I don’t really feel comfortable sharing a bed with another dude. But since Kamil is an old friend, I thought it would not be a biggie – praying for no accidental cuddling to occur later that night LOL.

Our room was pretty small. The bed itself took most of the space. Our room was also furnished with a pretty big round table which I found quite odd. For a small space they should have gotten a smaller, elongated rectangular table to utilise the space better. We were really happy with the AC – it was brand new as informed by the receptionist. The room also had a TV. The bathroom was okay, I guess. It was equipped with a water heater and the water flow was just fine. All in all we were satisfied with the room. However, I have one complaint. With limited space, I found it super-duper difficult to perform my prayer. I had to squeeze as much as possible to fit my short self to do my prayer. How on earth for a taller person to pray in that room? The good news was, the motel provided a shared prayer room – next to their kitchen. So, I went to check and pray there. The bad news was, it was so stuffy! I was not being too demanding or anything but they should regularly clean the room as it was kind of reeked a little bit. To be honest, I was very thankful that they provided the prayer room but for a place we go to worship, it MUST be well maintained ALL OF THE TIME. That should be one of the management’s priorities.

Very limited space

After I performed my prayer, I bumped into Zi who was ironing her scarf. At first I said to myself; “Wow isn’t she tired from the morning we had? It is very hot now, isn’t she tempted to take a nap?” Then I thought of something else, and cheekily smiled. I said to my lazy-ass self; “I could certainly ask her to iron two of my shirts! Since the shirts aren’t terribly wrinkled, it wouldn’t take her a lot of time.” So I asked her, but she firmly refused. I then begged her, again she refused as she was about done with her ironing. I persuaded her again, telling her it wouldn’t take long and the shirts were already ironed, and she finally caved in! Wohoooo! Then I went into my room to unpack. After a while I realised it was taking Zi, my maid (JK Zi :P) quite a long time to finish ironing my clothes. Then, minutes later she came to my room and sent me the shirts ironed to perfection! I smiled but the first thing she replied was that the shirt was all wrinkly and needed to be ironed a lot longer than expected! I felt she might had over exaggerated a bit, but I did intend to buy her chocolates afterwards to reward her for doing a good job! By the by, thank you, Zi for your time and effort! J

...

So, we had unpacked, freshened up, prayed and then Kamil and I decided to get some rest for a little while. But before that I had to respond to some emails from work. I won’t sleep well with that hanging over my head. So after everything was settled, it was time to get some sleep.

ZZZzzZzZZzZZzzZZzZZzZzZzZzZz

About 1 and a half hours later…..

I woke up, feeling fresh. And hungry LOL. Luckily we had planned to go to Pantai Chenang to enjoy the sunset while eating some snacks and try the famous cendol and laksa there! So after we showered (soon I learned only some of us did :P) we made a move to Pantai Chenang with high hopes of our tea time snacking!

We reached Pantai Chenang at around 6 pm and had plenty of time before the sunset. We didn’t find any trouble finding a parking space as there were plenty available. There were a few (less than 10) stalls opened that serve cendol, laksa and greasy snacks such as pisang goreng, keropok lekor, cucur udang. 

Laksa Power

The weather was just nice.  It was not too hot, the breeze was amazing and the place was not too crowded and less noisy - so calm and pleasant! Our food arrived at our table and we just couldn’t wait to start digging in. But when I first looked at the cendol, I noticed it was served with cold water and small ice chunks – not shredded. It was not that appealing to be frank. Then when I tasted it, it was way below expectation, I must say! With the price, I thought it would have at least tasted okay but it has got to be one of the cendols that I had to actually ‘force’ myself to finish. I didn’t have the laksa as I don’t like the meal – my mom who’s a Kedahan would be so disappointed LOL. My friends that ate the laksa also told me it wasn’t any good. To eat laksa in Langkawi, Kedah (Kedah is immensely famous for laksa), we expected for it to taste good but sadly that did not happen. I got a bit frustrated that I decided to go search for some snacks. So Yun and I went searching and got some kuihs for us to eat while enjoying the sunset.

The Laksa and Cendol

Great view, though!

One of the activities you could enjoy here

Chit Chat while anxiously waiting for the sunset

We then hung out by the beach looking at the ocean, talked and eat. We also take some more photos and I even took a fabulous shot of Yun – but later that night I found that I had a small part of my pinky in the shot LOL. If it wasn’t for that pinky it would’ve been one of the best photos of the trip – maybe, I don’t know, well, maybe not LOL. After that sunset, we decided to go back to the motel to pray and freshen up some more.

;)

...

That night, for dinner we decided to eat at a restaurant in Chenang. But before dinner we agreed to walk along the rows of shops to see if there’s anything interesting to buy. As we were walking, we discussed whether we would want to go for island hopping the next day. Okay let me be clear here. Prior the trip, we kind of agreed not to join any island hopping trips. But suddenly that night everyone got a bit interested with the idea as it would only cost RM 30 per person for a return trip to Tasik Dayang Bunting, Pulau Singa Besar and Pulau Beras Basah. From the beginning it was a NO from me but since everyone was now on board I felt “What the heck, why not?”

About an hour later we had gotten hungry and decided to have dinner. Now, the tricky question; “Where to eat?” I was personally fine to eat anywhere but I preferred to have pizza because I had been craving for a few days then. But the rest was also undecided and we remained to be bided without a decision. As usual, we were being so Café Loungers; “Aku tak kisah. Aku okay je mana-mana.” – “I don’t mind. I am fine with anywhere.” – If you want to starve to death, please join us for an unplanned dinner someday LOL! Then finally Syuk suggested for us to eat a restaurant that served local dishes – just a few minutes away from the motel. Thanks to her, we finally had somewhere to head to!

Parking will be an issue here

Looking around 

Cenang Mall

The restaurant was pretty packed. Mainly by local tourists. The range of prices for the meals were quite pricey – I figured since it was located in a prime location. I ordered nasi goreng ayam – Chicken Fried Rice (RM 9) and the rest also ordered some common Malay cuisine. So I guessed nothing could go wrong.

So,

I

Guessed

Nothing

Could

Go

Wrong?

Clearly,

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I WAS WRONG! LOL!

The food were not good. The experience was equivalent to what we had with our lunch and afternoon snacks by the beach. My fried rice tasted bland. Yun told me her fried kuey teow was too sweet – I tasted and she was right. I might had thought that the meals that they cook, were all altered to the taste of the foreign tourists – I don’t know, I am just assuming this.

My dinner

So far our meals that we had on our first day were a little bit disappointing, except our breakfast – the nasi lemak was oustanding!

After dinner Kamil and I went off hunting for a pair of shorts – for our island hopping activity the next morning. The price ranges from RM 25 – RM 40 – depending on the length and material of the pants. Fake Billabong and Quicksilver pants caught my attention! But I couldn’t find the colours that I wanted. I searched around at a couple more shops and found a pair of ‘Billabong’ shorts that I like. It cost me only RM 20! I was pleased. My shopping pattern was quick and easy. I have always been that way – Enter shop, look, found something decent, pay, out I go! This behaviour had caused me to make a mistake – more on that later. 

Kamil, on the other hand, was different. That ‘princess’ had to go through stacks of pants and still couldn’t decide on what to get. Finally he found a pair that he liked but the price was a bit high. So I swooped in and tried to bargain for a better deal. I applied the typical; “But the pants at the shop over there was about RM 7 cheaper, so let’s go there.” I intentionally wanted the salesman to hear me and gives us a lower price. But Kamil got confused and replied, “Really? I don’t think so.” I said to myself, “Kamil, why are you like this?” LOL. But luckily the salesman said, “Yeah, I can give you the same price as that, but impossible to go any lower.” Which was great as I actually lied about the other shop selling the pants RM 7 cheaper, so he was actually selling them for a lot cheaper – You’re welcome, Kamil! Hehe

As we finished buying our pants we reunited with the girls in front of a dessert shop. Syuk had ordered a crepe to go.

So we all got what we wanted and ready to hit the sack!

At least, that’s what I thought! But ‘princess’ Kamil said he still needed a pair of flip flops. So, back to square one! We looked at most of the shops with flip flops but even I had to admit that they were a bit expensive – mostly RM 20 and above. As we were about to give up, Kamil stopped by at very small shop with two ladies inside. I thought he just wanted to check the ladies out. Then he asked about the flip flops that were sold there. We were expecting the price to be around RM 20. I was guessing Kamil would eventually buy them anyways since we were about to head back to our motel. 

That night must had been his lucky night. The flip flops sold there only cost a tenner for a pair! I would’ve gotten one myself but I brought mine with me on this trip (Kamil was borrowing my flip flops the entire day. Remember this, I’ll get back to this later in the next post!).

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Before calling it a night we all spent a few minutes transferring all the photos taken for that day to everyone’s phones. We also played cards. Well let me rephrase that. Yun lost playing cards to me, eh, us. We also enjoyed the dessert that Syuk bought! Thanks Syuk! Hehe. During that time only I realised I got sunburnt. It was very obvious. I guessed it was too late to buy a sunscreen lotion. But don’t worry, I could always edit my photos for later use LOL.

We also convinced Yun to update her profile photo on social media with the photos snapped by Kamil. We think it would be such a pity not to share it, so she agreed and changed it!

I won!

The first day was fun, but we were a bit disappointed with some of the meals we had. But we did enjoy the activities we had gone through though. Day one was great! We then got back to our rooms to sleep and excited to enjoy the next day with the exciting activities lined up; starting with ISLAND HOPPING!

To be continued …