Hello, everyone! This week, let me take you to other parts of Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Bich Dong Pagoda, and the famous Obama’s bun cha! Well, no, Obama doesn’t own a bun cha restaurant… I said that because it was the place where Obama and the late Anthony Bourdain ate bun cha together when they were in Hanoi πππ Okay, let’s start with Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum! Travel to Hanoi: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum What’s so special about this place? As the name suggests, it’s the burial chamber of the late Ho Chi Minh, the revolutionary and ex-president of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh or Uncle Ho was a…
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Hanoi Trip: BÑnh Mì, Café Dinh Egg Coffee, Train Street, Sen TÒy HỠBuffet
This week, let me take you on a food tour in Hanoi! We’ll be sampling the famous bΓ‘nh mΓ¬ (Vietnamese-style baguette), CafΓ© Dinh’s egg coffee, and visitting the train street + a popular buffet restaurant, Sen TΓ’y Hα» π I had one last good brunch on Era Cruises before the tour group departed for Hanoi. It was good weather for a Hanoi trip, not too sunny or cloudy. There was a small boat that transferred us back to the cruise port. From Halong Bay, we took the express highway and reached Hanoi in just two hours. Else, it would take four hours! On the way to Hanoi, we stopped in a…
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Halong Bay Cruise Review: Era Cruises
Hi, everyone! It’s been two weeks since I saw Maksim Mrvica LIVE and stood beside him… Gosh, I wish I could turn back time. Not sure when he will return to Malaysia π₯² Luckily, long before the concert, I already booked a Vietnam tour that included a 2D1N Halong Bay cruise with Era Cruises. The trip cheered me up a bit… I used to ponder, why do I like the ocean but am not a fan of beaches? ππ€ I just can’t stand sitting on a beach for hours, doing nothing under the hot sun. Okay, there may be beach umbrellas but the weather would still be hot. Plus, my…
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That’s Amore: Some Love Lessons for This Week
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! πππ I’ve been waiting for this day. Finally, I could meet the Crown Prince of Piano, Maksim Mrvica, in person and watch his concert. Yaaaaay!!! π₯°π₯°π₯° Last Valentine’s Day was like: Me: “Do you want to be my boyfriend?” Someone: “I have a girlfriend.” Me: “Okay.” I may sound like it was all good but actually, that stung a bit. However, I feel grateful to have a happy-go-lucky personality. And for past love experiences. After so many heartbreaks, I guess it’s now easier to move on #thisis30s Thank you, next! π Alright, since I’m in a lovey-dovey mood, this week I wanna share some thoughts that…
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Visitting Dewata, the Biggest Starbucks in Southeast Asia
It was a rainy afternoon in Bali. My mom, sister, and I were planning to go to Penglipuran Village. However, because it was raining heavily, I suggested that we stopped by the biggest Starbucks in Southeast Asia. “Oh, you mean Dewata?”, asked my driver. Ah, so that’s it! Starbucks Reserve Dewata, to be precise. I wasn’t a coffee lover but since we were already in Bali, I wanted to check it out! Not only it was the biggest Starbucks cafe building ever, it also had its own logo and offered a different experience that you wouldn’t find in other Starbucks. First, it had its own parking lot, receptionist, garden, coffee…
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South Africa Trip: Boulders Beach and Karoo Moon Motel (Route 62)
Hi, friends! Psst, your small blogger turned 32 last week π Actually, I wanted to skip this week’s blog post because I had a relaxing weekend. Suddenly, right now on Monday evening, I have the inspiration to share with you Boulders Beach (Cape Town) and Karoo Moon Motel (Route 62) in South Africa. I’ll take you to see cute, chubby penguins in Boulders Beach. As for Route 62… Yes the US has Route 66 but South Africa has Route 62 ππ£οΈ There’s a cool and quirky rest stop on Route 62, Karoo Moon Motel. It’s actually a motel but it also has a restaurant. Since it’s a long ride along…
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Bali Trip: Why You Should Choose Unpopular Hotels During Peak Seasons
It’s the second week of January 2023 but who’s still in a holiday mood? πββοΈπββοΈDon’t worry! When you focus on your job, summer won’t be too far, hehe! If you’re a conscious spender like me and are planning to travel to Bali during peak seasons, I suggest you stay in unpopular hotels over popular ones. Last Christmas, I finally realised my dream to stay in a five-star hotel in Nusa Dua. I heard that the big hotels in that area were gorgeous, so I couldn’t wait for my stay. But I found out that the experience wasn’t fully satisfying, compared to my expectation and the money spent. Staying in Popular…
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White and Blue Christmas at Koral Restaurant, Apurva Kempinski Bali
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you had a great holiday and Christmas (for those who are celebrating)πππ I had a memorable Christmas celebration with my mother and sister at Koral Restaurant, a fine dining restaurant under the sea. Since the restaurant was inside Apurva Kempinski Bali, we also stayed for one night there. This white and blue Christmas dinner was part of my impulsive travel bookings that I didn’t regret. If you’ve been following my blog, you may remember that in early 2022, I made some impulsive travel bookings. There were consequences to my actions, of course. I was always careful with my spending, but because of my impulsiveness,…
