Turning 22 @Turi Beach Resort, Batam | Part 1 - Tirta Wing

MynameisQUE;

<Sponsored 2D1N Stay at Turi Beach Resort
Sponsored Dress from The Plus Mannequin>

A week ago, yours truly turned 22 and decided to head to Batam for a mini retreat, courtesy of Turi Beach Resort with my friend Charlotte. I have to admit that I was so excited to leave the country (my last holiday was in November 2013) cus  it was my first time celebrating my birthday away from busy, busy Singapore. 

It's no secret that I really love Batam cus everything there is crazy cheap. Food, transportation, accomodation, groceries and many more. Whenever I head to Batam, normally I'd choose to the "city" area where I normally would stay at another, which is a walking distance to one of the biggest and most popular malls in Batam called the Nagoya Hill Mall. 

But it's my birthday and what better way to spend it at the resort where I could enjoy the sun, the sand and the beach! I'm such a sucker for resorts and beach holidays!!! 

So I chose to take a ferry from the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Nongsapura Ferry Terminal. 

I didn't know that we could check-in our luggages as long as it's below 20kg for free, so I did. Just that you'll have to pay a 10,000 Rupiah when at the Batam baggage collection counter. (About SGD$1) 

Happy because I'm baggage - free

The ride from SG to Batam took around 35 minutes ONLY. I loved how the terminal wasn't crowded at all. It could be cus I was there on a Friday instead of a weekend! :P 

We were provided land transfer from the terminal to the resort and were happily greeted by Awang, Turi Beach Resort'sTuri Beach Resort's mascot! :)

Turi Beach Resort is located at the Hang Lekiu Street, Nongsa, Batam and has a total of 141 rooms. Basically, the resort has 2 different wings -  the Riani and Tirta Wing. This also means that there are 2 swimming pools in the resort! Hell yeah bitchez! 

DID YOU KNOW? Turi Beach Resort recently emerged as the "Best Resort in Batam 2014" category winner, crowned by the Batam Tourism Office.

Here's Charlotte quenching her thirst with our welcome drink. 

I was just so delighted to be out to the country! (Even if it was just 1 day)

Forgive me for the super unglam mosquito patch. I'm just a kiasu Singaporean and didn't want mozzies to feast on my blood while I was there.:) You'll also be pleased to know that there's a few packets of mosquito repellent cream in each room. 

If you need more, you can just call the front desk to request for more and they'll send it to you! How fantastic is that?! Superb service! It's no surprise why it's an award winning resort.

The Turi Beach Resort team brought Charlotte and I around to check out their rooms. Pretty neat I must say! :) 

Check out the Tirta Junior Suite. Super beautiful!

You'll definitely love the unique zen ambience in this room. 

Totally eyeing this room for my next trip to Turi Beach Resort! You can enjoy this room only at approximately SGD $308 per night. 

Bathtubs are only available in the suits so if you love all kinds of bubbles like me, this will be the perfect room for you! ;)

Take a dip into the pool located at the Tirta wing and enjoy the scenic view together with your special someone. Such a waste that we didn't have time to dip into the pool for a swim but it's alright because I'll be back!!! ;P #MarkMyWords

We also checked out the Tirta Premier BeachfrontWe also checked out the Tirta Premier Beachfront room. 

You can enjoy the room at only SGD$249 per night. ;)

Enjoy your own private balcony when you stay at rhe resort. 

Next, it's time to check out the Riani Wing! 

Wait but before that..... 

I'm going on a break! :P 

If you wanna find out how the newly renovated Riani wing looks like, how I spent my 22nd birthday, stay tuned for my next blogpost! ;) 

P/S If you're the adventurous kind and would like to try some water activities, check out what you can do here. You are welcome! Heh

Xoxo, 

Que

Sawadee Kap from Bangkok! - Hotel and Shopping

MynameisQUE;

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MynameisQUE;

2 weeks ago, my family and I headed to Bangkok for a short holiday. This time, no pictures of camwhoring of OFTDs because I was having an eye infection caused by long working hours, tired, dry eyes and infected contact lenses so I wasn't in the mood to dress up with my eyes looking like crap. 

:) Just an introductory post to my favourite hotel which is connected to one of the biggest shopping mall, in Bangkok, Mabunkrong also known as MBK. 

Level 1 and 2 are connected to Pathumwan Princess Hotel. 

The last time we visited Bangkok as a family was probably 5 years ago. Yikes! 

Also, check out the transparent toilet window?! 

The hotel probably went through a face lift recently. Don't worry, there are blinds in the toilet.

Top 5 Reasons Why I Love MBK

5. Pathumwan Princess Hotel is connected to MBK Center - it is one of the biggest malls in Bangkok 

4. MBK Centre is connected to National Stadium Sky Train Station. 

Talk about being super duper convenient!!!!

3. 7 floors Of Goodness

Seriously, the mall is filled with more than 200 stalls selling T - shirts, souvenirs, jeans, bags, shoes etc. 

2. A total of 4 stalls and 1 restaurant selling HALAL food 

1. Plus sized ladies, if you've been finding it hard to find good lingerie that fit you well, you'll be happy to know that MBK's in house departmental store, Tokyu stocks bigger and slightly cheaper bras for us! Yay!!!

For plus sized men, you might want to check out the 6th floor of MBK. 

There are stalls selling shirts and shoes in bigger sizes. :) 

Check out these shirts which were sold at around $10-$15. 

I saw the exact same shirts selling at Downtown East at $25 each! 

That's all folks. Bangkok is a seriously a shopping paradise. 

So, who else is heading to Bangkok? Also, interested to find out where you can get plus sized clothes for ladies in Bangkok? Keep your eyes peeled on my blog - www.rynaque.sg and spread the word about my new site! :) 

Xoxo

Short Getaway To Bali, Indonesia ~

MynameisQUE;

Headed to Bali for a short getaway last week. Seems like the whole world is heading to Bangkok/Bali for a holiday this December. Feeling quite accomplished because it is my first official overseas trip without my parents. I find it inspiring when I see other ladies, having the courage to travel the world on their own. Hmm.... Toying with the idea of doing the same next year. Solo. Sounds exciting! The game plan next year would be to go to Bangkok (with my family), Bintan (short getaway perhaps during the weekends) and Dubai (if I am disciplined enough to save and save my money). Woohoo! 

Bali is a good place for you to chill and destress. Just what I needed! Did not do much shopping but went for massages. Love, love, love! Seriously miss the full body massage. ;) 

Some photos of my trip. ^.^ 

They say that when you travel with a someone, you will really get to know the person. Couldn't agree more. The next time I head to Bali, I'm going to skip all the touristy places and just head to the beach. Didn't manage to catch the sunset or the sunrise. My favourite place in Bali has got to be Jimbaran Bay, where we ate along the beach while enjoying the breeze and the sound of the waves. Seafood there is expensive though!

There isn't a large variety of halal food in Bali as their main religion there is Hinduism, unlike other parts of Indonesia. However, you will still be able to find a couple of halal eateries along Kintamani, Kuta and Legian. Food there I feel isn't fantastic. However, if you have any to recommend, please share it in the comment box below. <3

Thanks for reading and happy holidays!!

Xoxo

Post holiday syndrome

MynameisQUE;

Clearing the stuff in my laptop and I found these yummy pictures of the food we ate at Karamba Sundanese Bistro, featured in this 5 places to visit in Bandung post. I'm feeling all hungry again just looking at these pictures. Sigh... I wish I was back in Bandung. :P

Karamba Sundanese Bistro

• Jl. Sultan Tirtayasa No.26
• Bandung, Indonesia 40115

Xoxo

Visiting Bandung, Indonesia? Check out these 5 MUST GO places!

MynameisQUE;

Indonesia is probably one of the most interesting countries I've visited in my life. Mainly, it's cos there's so much difference between their country and ours. I can't help but to compare and be extremely thankful that I'm Singaporean. No matter how much I've complained about this country, it's really hard to imagine myself living in a totally different country. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't explore the other side of the world. So.... Here goes nothing!

SUPERMARKET

You should really pay a visit to the supermarket in Indonesia. If you're adventurous like me, you'll probably like to check out the different snacks and instant noodles they have. They have TONNES of different noodles and chips. It's crazy. You might wanna check out things like their Indomie, chewing gum, Kerepek singkong and instant porridge with beef floss. 

Check out our trolly. What you see is only half of what we bought. ;)

FACTORY OUTLETS

These factory outlets are normally at Dago and Riau area. There's so many of them, if only I had the time and energy to check out every single factory outleft there is in Bandung. Here's where you get apparels of famous brands at a fraction of what they're selling in Singapore. Brands include H&M, Zara, Mango, Topshop, Topman, Juicy Couture etc. The list really goes on and on. They are even items of luxury brands like Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Chanel etc. However, be warned that some of these items might be replicas, others are probably rejects from the company so it really depends on your luck. Almost everything sold in these factory outlets will cost you <SGD$20 which is pretty affordable. It's not dirt cheap, but it's definitely cheaper. 

If you're looking for big sizes/plus sized clothes, tell the sales assistant you are looking for jumbo size. That's their local lingo. There isn't many choices, but they are pretty decent so you might wanna check them out. Again, everything < SGD $20. Think about how much money you're saving while spending?;P 

Bali Heaven Factory Outlet

Jl. Pasir Kaliki No. 85 - 89, Bandung 

House of Donatello is a local Indonesian shoe brand and they're all really pretty. However, it's not exactly cheap. About SGD$30 and above. The price is about the same as the ones you can find in Singapore. 

House of Donatello 

Jl. Dr. Setiabudhi No.45. Bandung 

Gossip Factory Outlet

Jl Ir H Juanda 111  Bandung 40135 

Edward Forrer 

 Jl. Ir. H Juanda 113  

Rumah Mode is one of the more famous factory outlets. This one is really a MUST VISIT. The range of the clothes here is seriously :O. I even found a Lane Bryant cardigan which I managed to grab! Not bad.... :)

Rumah Mode

Jalan Setiabudi No. 41F 

Central Fashion Factory Outlet 

Jalan Dago No. 122  

These are probably the few factory outlets I visited while I was still at Bandung. There are quite a few FOs I wished I had the energy to visit. Seriously, going from FOs to FOs can be very energy draining. 

Pasar Baru 

When I first got to know about this place, I imagined it to be somewhat similar to Masjid India at KL. When I reached there, I was quite impressed because it's actually kinda like a mall with 7 stories of shops. The stuff here are pretty cheap. Here's where you normally buy cloth for your Hari Raya outfits, prayer materials, different keropoks fried and unfried. Also, here's where the pickpockets roam so you gotta be careful and put your back at the front. Anything out of side is equivalent to "public property". 

If you're looking for cloth for your Hari Raya outfits, you should probably check out Putri Cinta on the 3rd level. The service here is really good. The variety here is also not bad. 

If you're looking for keropoks, then head to the basement. There are many shops and you can choose which one to buy from. :) 

Amanda Brownies Cake Shop

Jl. Rancabolang No. 29 Bandung,

Phone : 022-92754191/022-70774113 

Jl. Cikawao No. 1-3 Bdg 

Phone : 022-92754192

Jl.Ters. Jakarta No.6 Bdg 

Phone : 022-92754193

Jl. Pasir Kaliki Ruko Paskal 

Hyper Square Blok A 43 Bdg, 

Phone : 022-92754194

Jl. Ir. H. Djuanda No. 167 Bandung

Phone : 022-92754195

Amanda steamed brownies are pretty famous in Bandung, so it's definitely a MUST BUY before you return to Singapore. 

Here's how much we bought. Also, if you're adventurous like me, you gotta try the Tiramisu brownie. Delicious!:)

When it comes to food, Bandung didn't disappoint. Here's the best place we ate at during our holiday. This restaurant serves Sundanese food. :)

Karamba Sundanese Bistro

• Jl. Sultan Tirtayasa No.26
• Bandung, Indonesia 40115
• 
  

Old school Coca Cola in a glass bottle. 

Gurame bakar 

Avocado Juice 

Belacan 

Fried Rice 

Hope you found this post interesting because I myself found it really fun recapping the best moments of my holiday. I really enjoyed myself and I really can't wait to go back to Bandung! Feel free to drop me any comments/questions and I'll try to help as much as I can. :)

Xoxo