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Lately I’ve been feeling like that places I’ve been to just seem to meh in comparison to the real world out there.

I’ve realized the world is a whole lot bigger than I thought it was and now I’m just itching to go visit every part of it.

But then I’ve also realized I’ve got no money in my bank account to visit these countries any time soon. Which is really a shitty feeling. But a girl can continue hoping and wishing can’t she?

Blast you damn life! Why I no win Magnum or was born super duper rich!

Anyho, if somebody is listening up there, or anywhere, or if it’s true that my blog mysteriously converts what I write into reality then hell yea, I’d like to go to these following places, please and thanks

In no particular order

Banff, Canada. You can check out the website here. The only reason I know of this place is because I”ve recently reconnected with a cousin from FB and she actually lives here!! She claims this is truly God’s country and after seeing photos, how can anyone disagree?

Santorini, Greece

New Fucking York!

Of course it wouldn’t hurt to re-visit LA, Vegas and San Fran again!! That was hands down one of the best family trip everrrr. And I’ve just realized my US visa expired last year

Monaco, France

And then we’ll move to Nice, France

I could go on including more places, I really could, but I’d like to keep my list ‘do-able’ for now. And minimize the shitty feeling of not being able to go there soon.

So how do I intend to make these places a reality? Hmm for starters I’m saving   praying alot  brainwashing sending random emails out to the husband on these places and showing him tons of photos hoping to convince him. He has said yes to one place but not before saying it will be in 2013 but I ain’t trusting that man until we’re actually there.

And of course I’d be lying if I didn’t say that secretly I’m hoping this year I can strike it on Magnum or SportsToto to fund these trips.

It will be for a good course dear God! To feed this person’s soul!

What about you guys? Any place that you’re just dying to go to?

P.s: All photos credit to Google, but of course!

Why yes, I’ve we’ve already sorted out our travels for next year, have you? *smug efficient face*

I looked back at my travel plan entry for 2011 and it seemed just so plain, considering we had itty bitty Baby Sairah around and had to limit our travels.  

But what do you know, this year was surprisingly the year that we’ve traveled the most and the furthest just when I least expect we would You know the saying on how good things happen when you least except it? Quite true sometimes.

A recap on travel:

February 2011: Maldives to celebrate our 3^rd year Honeymoon (although technically we were already onto the fourth year!) Definitely a nice suprise gift from the husband.

May 2011: Bangkok to check out Madame-Tussauds

June 2011: Paris / Amsterdam & Hague – which was totally an unexpected trip!!

August 2011: Stayed in a gorgeous villa in Bali with Baby Sairah – this was certainly the start of our first family trip which was sooo much fun!

We skipped going to Langkawi  and Terrenganu. We could have gone to Manila again with the hubby if it wasn’t for the lack of leave

In store for 2012 since I officially have 30 days annual leave next year :D  Woot woot!  

March – Perth, Australia. This will be a week’s holiday with Sairah, to slowly introduce her to her future ‘ home’.  We have 4 months to teach Sairah to say eeellooo mateeeee.

April – the Miow land aka Kuching. This will also be Baby Sairah’s first local trip (Going to Ipoh doesn’t count, hmpf) Can’t wait to chop down on Mee Kolok and explore all things related to Sarawak

August  – HONG KONG and Macau!!  Because I’ve been wanting to go to HK like forever!! And now that my parents have visited both these places recently and sang praises for it, the feeling of wanting to be there has doubled!! And funny thing, while we were deciding which tickets to get first (Perth or Hong Kong), my baby girl literally went onggg kongg, ongg kongg THREE FREAKIN TIMES! Needless to say, hubby and I were shocked beyond words on how FAST Sairah can pick these words up. That, or baby girl really wants to go to ong kong like her mommie

October – Sandakan, Sabah. Looks like East Malaysia is quite the favorite this year for us Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary get ready for Sairah to terrorize you!  

All tickets have been booked save for HK/Macau and Europe - still waiting for a really good deal to crop up.  We might be going to Hague again as the husband has a LONGER assingment  this time. We’re still deciding which months he should be away. I”m just bummed that I won’t be able to stay that long but something is better than nothing, no?

If there’s any difference between last year’s travel and this would be how we’ve included Sairah into every one of it since she’ll be bigger and easier to handle.

We can’t wait!

If there’s one thing I *think* I’m good at, it is definitely doing research Even before we embark on a trip, I’ll make sure I research well on the must-see and eat places and print it out. I plan ahead with an itinerary. Always. It may not necessarily materialize end of the day but at least I have some rough idea on what I’d like and should do when I’m in a new country.

Anyway I have NO idea how I came across the website of the villa we stayed in as it was already bookmarked on my laptop. Whatever it is, I”m SOOO glad we stayed here. You can read the EXCELLENT reviews on Tripadvisor too. The villa is actually located some 10 minutes away from Ubud Town. However, the hotel provides FREE transport into Ubud at any time. Since there are only 7 villas here (thus making it exclusive), getting a van out wasn’t a problem – it was readily available at all times. After you’re done with your shopping, they’ll even come and pick you up. All free of charge!! Transfer from and to the airport is also FREE. It’s the only hotel I know so far that includes all these excellent thoughtful services FOC. Oh and whatever you also see in the fridge is FREE

Here we are after a 1.5 hours journey – traffic was bad that day due to the cremation of the Ubud King.

I love the walk way heading to our villa. Was getting all eager to see the villa’s beauty.

The FIRST view of our 4-day home.

That’s right, it comes with our very own private pool. SWEET.

The comfy bed with one sleeping beauty on it.

Day bed

Yup doubled up as Sairah’s food storage area, lol

OUTDOOR shower!! And Sairah’s bathing tub She treated it like a mini baby pool.

Baby woke up from her slumber all happy with the villa.

Sairah-approved – the most important aspect of the trip

The hotel staff here are generally one of the best we’ve encountered in a long time. They are VERY accomodating and thoughtful. Extremely friendly and always making sure that you’re comfortable with your stay. Asked if we wanted a cot and never in a million years did I expect to see a cot that’s half the usual size, haha.

Balinese-style cot yo.

Sairah has been rolling her tongue alot lately. New trick!

Nah, can you see what’s up my nose woman?!

Of course the cot was only for show and worked as a play pen (a damn small one) as she slept with us on the bed.

I especially loved our breakfast area that overlooked the pool. Absolutely serene and peaceful. I also had a pedicure and massage done on that chair – how’s that for awesome service?!

And of course I’d be lying if I say I didn’t enjoy breakfast. It was literally unlimited until 12pm!! The stingy husband would order in a big plate of nasi goreng and bihun right before the strike of 12pm and have that as an early lunch. Then again, I’m pretty sure alot of people would have done this too Most likely, Malaysians

Tea time was also readily available from 1pm-7pm. Unlimited.

Baby girl sure as hell knows how to chill out

This was baby Sairah’s FIRST swim. I got the bikini for her when I was only two months pregnant in Phillipines. It finally came to good use.

All eager and ready to play with water!

She absolutely loved being in the water so we’re going to start teaching her how to swim from now on. But I”m not keen on seeing my pretty baby with a tan. She tans easily, lol.

We took the honeymoon package (I know i know – we’re like wayyyy past that!) that comprised of 2 massages AND a romantic candle-lit dinner in the villa.

Tea-light around the pool

Well-set table. It WAS indeed romantic except……..

Fried Lumpia – so damn good!

Grilled Chicken with Wedges

Chocolate cake with ice cream – Sairah’s fav!

Pretty romantic like I said except…….

We had one cheeky baby with us.

Oh-hai, here to disturb your romantic dinner. Aren’t you two too old for that now??!

And one uninvited guest that didn’t please the baby too much. Sairah’s a dog lover alll the way! Damn cat stole our breakfast and Sairah’s food!

So Baby, did you enjoy your stay here?

Yes maam and let’s make it 5 nights the next trip shall we?

Nefatari Exclusive Villa is indeed a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED villa if you want a place that’s value for money. It may not be the most high end villa around Ubud, but for a mere USD440 for a 3 night stay (coupled with all the other value added services), this is indeed the BEST villa to consider that won’t burn a hole in your pocket.

I should know, coz I did the research

17 August 2011 – 21 August 2011

We finally did it. We took our 11 month old baby to BALI last week for her FIRST holiday.

I was nervous and excited before our family trip. Nervous because I wasn’t sure how our baby would react to a 3 hour flight. Nervous because I had to make sure we had packed everything she would need without missing a single thing out.  Thank God everything went smoothly both ways. Feeding baby a BIG bottle of milk as we took off helped alot.  We brought some books and toys to keep her entertained though she was a little restless.  The flight out was much easier as we took the earliest flight - she slept througout the entire journey making it easy for mommy

Sairah’s grandma and grandpa drove us to the airport last Wednesday. Grandpa actually missed a turning into LCCT and it literally took us 30mins finding the damn way back to the airport thanks to our crap sign boards. I really thought we were gonna miss our flight but luckily, we made it in the nick of time. My poor dad felt sooo bad about missing the turn but how many parents are this nice to drop their grown up buffaloes kids and grandchild to the airport aye

After 2 hours and 40 minutes we arrived with a HAPPY baby to Bali.

Since we arrived in the evening, we spent the night in a bed and breakfast  in Kuta before we transfered out the next day to an awesome private villa (but more on that later) in Ubud.

Baby Sairah spent some time walking around the streets of Kuta with her daddy the next morning.

While mommy did some shopping for herself And for baby of course.

Eagerly waiting for our transport to arrive. 

The transfer to Ubud took about 1 hour plus. Traffic in Kuta according to our driver has become horrible. I don’t remember it being this way the last time we were there. But I still love Bali very much that we’re making Bali an annual trip every year :lol:

After checking in into our gorgeous villa, we decided to walk around Ubud. First stop was to Cafe Wayan & Bakery which was a truly amazing cafe with lush greenery.

I really love the way the dining area is soo traditional and huge so baby can shuffle around and do her thing

Went banana juice crazy througout the trip.

We just walked around that area until our pick up came.

Then on Friday we had to go back to Kuta because someone left his damn glasses in the previous hotel. So it was a gruelling 2 hour journey back to Kuta and another 1.5 hours back to Ubud. But since we didn’t have a choice, we decided to make the best of it.

All set for Kuta mom, do I look pwettie?

SILLY DADDY

@ a Cafe in Matahari Mall

Oh hi mom, can I place my order now please?!

Best banana pancake ever!

Though this is our third time to Bali (BALI ROCKS!), this was our first time to Jimbaran to experience the sunset and it’s fresh seafood.

The beach isn’t the cleanest or the best around Bali…..

But it sure gives a good sunset view.

Even Baby Sairah approves

We had yummy Ikan Bakar with rice, some vegs and juices that cost us less than RM40. A little note  however is to be careful with your orders as waiters tend to be a little pushy. Since prices go by the gram, always let them know the exact quantity you want. Lia Cafe is a good option to eat in as they are the cheapest among the restaurants there.

Then on Saturday, we decided to explore Ubud a little more.

All ready for Ubud market maam.

But not before making a customary supermarket stop

Her gorgeous halter dress was actually bought in Bali last year by my bestie Wylane. And to think Sairah wore it here :D  

Mommy and Baby cam-whoring in a restaurant.

@ Ubud Market

REALLY love this photo of her, she looks sooo cheeky. My cheeky monkey!

What?! DVD are only RM5 here?? Load up on Baby Einstein series will ya?

One last shot outside the market.

Cheeky lil baby all set for bed before her early flight out.

Do I have to sleep now?

As much as it’s not easy travelling with a baby around, I’m glad I got to bring Sairah on this trip.  As a mother, it’s amazing to see my baby girl explore and adapt to her new surroundings. She was a happy baby throughout the trip. It made us bond, showed that we work well as a unit even when thrown into a new environment. We’re soo proud of our little one.

Now I look forward to many more trips with her.

And this is also the last trip for this year. MEHHH!

Ok last post on my trip!

What can I say about The Hague except that I really loved and enjoyed it more than Amsterdam (ironic? Why YES) . It’s a very pretty lil city which is also the home of the Dutch government.

Den Haag is the local name for Hague. The weather was cold and the air was sooo fresh and clean – did my lungs some good I reckon.

We stayed at Hilton and it was truly a gorgeous hotel. Helps that it is centrally located near the shopping area

Yes I wore slippers in the cold. My feet hate shoes! And vice versa (I read a comment somewhere that if you see an Asian in a cold climate country wearing slippers – chances are he/she is Malaysian, lol – well spot on buddy!)

But funny story about these babies – the ones I wore  for the trip (and have been with me for the past 2 years) gave way thanks to the cold and rain so I had to buy a new pair. The only son of a bitch shoe I brought along was just BITTING into my feet. Shoes and even slippers are MAD expensive in Netherlands I swear. They cost at least 40 Euros and above (but at least they’re of great quality – according to the hotel receptionist) and no way in hell would I spend that much on something that touches the ground. So I walked into god knows the entire shoe shop in Hague (coz I was too cheap and didn’t want to splurge) only to happily find these babies for a grand total of 9 Euros ONLEH. *pats my cheapo back*.   

Moving on, I love Hague mainly because you get a large area of green space, nicer walking streets and in my opinion, better shopping too. It’s a perfect place for bringing up children. The air is fresh (unlike Amsterdam where you can smell weed sometimes and the BOs of many people), here in Hague you hardly have alot of people in some streets and people are generally quite friendly. Quite a number of Dutch Indians too, we’re everywhere aren’t we?  Because of that, they tend to speak in Dutch first and then English once you tell them you don’t understand a word they’re saying.

The entire city is accessible via their awesome train and bus and even so, it’s just so nice walking here. I did ALOT of walking and for once, didn’t even complain.

Just outside the hotel:

Hague is really the definition of quaint. But I digress as they say the prettiest city in entire Europe is actually in Bruges, Belgium, which hopefully we’ll get to visit one day *crosses fingers* We only got to see Belgium on the way to Paris via train and it looked SOO beautiful. And speaking of Belgium, Belgium chocolates are to die for, says the few boxes that I brought back and have already eaten :D  

Can literally sit on the road without being hit :) Try doing this in KL and see what happens :D

Waiting for the bus that is always on time The public transportation here is just top class and very convinient. Something Malaysia could learn and follow?

My schedule here was a more lax. The husband had to go to work during the day so I lazed around and explored Hague on my own for that 2 days. I did alot of walking and also shopping

Shopping street – walk ahead to find ways to spend $.

Ready. Set. SHOP!

Just quarter of my hauls. Summer sale here is MAD AWESOME! And it’s also serious fun to shop without the pesky husband around. Time just flew by really fast!

The Peace Palace

Shoulda held up the peace sign damnit

What’s he looking at?

Go figure

We did ALOT of shopping in their supermarket. On a dollar to dollar comparison things are dirt cheap. Heck even after converting, it’s VERY affordable. Imagine a BIG box of milk for less than RM2, quality chocolates and biscuits for less than RM4.

Stocked up lots of biscuits, chocolate and snacks to bring home Some of it are still sitting prettily in the fridge.

And here’s the world’s awesome waffel with caramel /chocolate called the Stroopwafel. I’ve read about them online even before going for this trip and it’s most definitely heavenly. They’re so famous you can literally buy em online here.

Believe it or not, I only spent all of 7 days for this entire trip for obvious reasons But I have to say, it’s probably one of the nicest trip this year (ignore me, I say this after EVERY trip), and will definitely hold a special place in my heart since it was an early expensive Birthday gift from the hubby. 

So now it’s going to suck big time NOT receiving any gifts on my actual Birthday. Oh well, can’t get em all!