Hokkaido Milk in Terminal 21 Sukhumvit Bangkok (นมสด Hokkaido อร่อยเข้มข้นที่สุด)

Bangkok has never stop amazes me. Even though I’ve visited Bangkok numerous times, the city never seems lack of imagination and innovation. After a few years of absence in this bustling city of Bangkok, my recent trip to Bangkok brought me to new places. One of them is Terminal 21.

A shopping mall with a concept like an airport terminal with floors designed according to their city them. A few places to name such as Paris, Tokyo, London and San Francisco. Each and every single floor even the bathroom is built and design with their assigned city name.

At the lower ground floor, I found a few food stalls in front of the supermarket. There is a food court in level 5 by the way. One of the stalls that caught my attention is the Hokkaido Milk.

Since Rachel is pregnant, we always make sure she drinks enough milk in the morning. Of course there is milk during breakfast in the hotel but we will buy more to keep in the hotel room.

The Hokkaido Milk is not cheap to say the least. It is 45 Baht each (RM 4.50) and we bought the original milk and the Belgian chocolate flavour.

The milk might taste slightly different than the ordinary but the Belgian chocolate flavour is over the moon. It is one of the best chocolate flavoured milk so far in some time. I don’t mind getting that again if I’m Bangkok in the near future. On top of the usual flavours, they also offer Yogurt drink and Ceylon Tea flavour.

From what I read and my research, the reason they called Hokkaido Milk is because the milk is important from Hokkaido Japan. I hope someone can clarify this as most articles I found are translated to English from Thai.

Hokkaido Milk Terminal 21  (นมสด Hokkaido อร่อยเข้มข้นที่สุด):

Lower Ground,

Terminal 21,

Sukhumvit Bangkok Thailand.

http://www.hokkaidomilk.com/

Samsung NX 1000 Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 Bundle Promo

You might have seen hundreds of beautifully taken pictures on this site with Samsung cameras. I have been using a few Samsung cameras. From Samsung NX-11 to Samsung NX-20, I am also using the new Samsung Galaxy Camera. I tried the new Samsung 3D camera and it’s awesome! Now, stand a chance to grab your own with this special bundle promo.

Get Samsung NX-1000 with 20-50 mm Lens Kit and Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 WIFI 16GB at a special bundle promo of RM 2,198.00. You save RM 400 from this bundle promo.

The Samsung NX-1000 is price at RM 1799.00 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is priced at RM 799.00. Go grab yourself this special bundle promo now.

1 Baht Dining at Taste, The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok

I know it’s hard to believe but it’s real. We went there and we paid 1 baht! And of course with terms and conditions apply. Staying in Westin Grande Sukhumvit is a blessing but having our buffet lunch for that price is like the icing on the cake.

Throughout May 2013, treat yourself with their irresistible ‘1 Baht dining’ offer exclusively for Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG) members.

If you are not an SPG® member yet, simply enrol FREE to benefit from this fabulous promotion. As a member you will also enjoy a world of other Westin lifestyle benefits including dining and accommodation offers at The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok and at Starwood hotels around the world. I am a proud SPG®member but I seldom utilized my privileges so I took my opportunity at the Taste (located on 7^th floor of Westin Grande Sukhunvit Bangkok).

King crabs and fresh oysters at Taste.
Diners can enjoy an extraordinary offer for lunch or dinner buffets, including the Sunday Lunch Buffet. The 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th diner pays the full price but the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th diner at the table pays only 1 Baht for the delicious meal (for adults only).

The special family dining experience also includes a children’s ‘pay your height’ promotion. Youngsters aged between 3-12 years old simply measure themselves in front of our height chart, and, for example, if they are 90 cm tall, they will pay only 90 baht for a delectable and healthy meal.

•             Daily Lunch Buffet (Monday to Saturday)                              Baht 1,140 net/adult

•             Seafood & Grill Dinner Buffet (Friday and Saturday)         Baht 1,990 net/adult

•             Sunday Lunch Buffet                                                                      Baht 1,790 net/adult

The offer cannot be used in conjunction with other promotions, discounts or vouchers and advance reservations are required.

Wood fire oven for pizzas, the best ever.

Desserts at Taste. Chocolates overload? There is a chocolate fondue included too!

Live music for Sunday lunch at Taste. Can we ask for more?

For more information, please call 02 207 8000 (from Thailand line) or email fb.bangkok@westin.com

For more information visit on westin.com/bangkok or westingrandesukhumvit.com and find them on facebook.com/westinbangkok.

7 Reasons Jabra REVO Headphone Rocks!

Headphone and earphones are important to us for many reasons. Traveling is one of them and also part of our daily routine. While many enjoyed their headphones and earphones, we utilized the headphone on differently.

Read also: Five Reasons why you should buy Jabra VOX Earphones

So here are my 7 reasons why my Jabra REVO Headphone rocks!

1.            High definition Dolby® Digital Plus via exclusive Jabra Sound App. The FREE Jabra Sound App is a must installed apps for Jabra devices. You need to key in your product key to activate the apps and it is hassle free. The Jabra Sound App is easy to use.

2.            Speaker frequency range: 20Hz – 20kHz. Whether you like your music soft or you need to amplify it to the max, Jabra REVO works excellently both ways.

3.            Life proof – tough, shatterproof and constructed for ultimate portability. When you invest in a good product, you need quality. There are many similar products in the market but there aren’t many with good life proof. I will never waste my money on cheap quality expensive products. Check out the durability of Jabra REVO:

Extreme tested: Cable (to 15 kg), Bend (10000 times), Fold (3500 times), Drop (from 2m)

Premium materials: synthetic titanium headband (lightweight and flexible), steel hinges and aluminium frame

4.            Memory foam ear cups and padded headband. Comfort is always important for headphone. Hence, it is vital to have soft ear cups and padded headband. It is pointless to buy something uncomfortable and also the cupping must be big enough to cover the ears.

5.            Foldable design. If you put in on your neck, it is stylish or you can fold it to put in your bag. The fordable design makes it easier portability.

6.            40mm dynamic speakers. What makes a good headphone is the speaker. Some headphones have huge cups but small speakers. However, Jabra REVO has an impressive 40mm dynamic speakers. Sometimes Size really matters!

7.            Fits perfectly for prenatal music. The most important factor for our investment on this headphone is it fits perfectly for prenatal music. I know this might not designed for pregnant moms but it fits perfectly on Rachel’s tummy and how important is that for our baby.

Jabra Revo corded headphone (RRP RM 699) and Jabra Vox in-ear headphones (RRP RM 379) in Jabra’s latest range of high-performance headphones for the music lovers and audiophiles. For those are keen in wireless headphone, Jabra Revo Wireless (RM1099) is also the world’s first wireless Bluetooth headphones to feature Dolby® Digital Plus technology. Whether on the train commute or working on a new music recording in the studio, whichever the music genre streaming from smartphones, tablets or audio-players, users can be assured of listening to music as it is meant to be heard: rich and immersive with full-spectrum sound.

About Jabra

Jabra is the brand of GN Netcom, a subsidiary of GN Store Nord A/S (GN) - listed on NASDAQ OMX. Jabra employs approximately 850 people worldwide and in 2010 produced an annual revenue which amounted to DKK 1,973 million. Jabra is a world leader in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of a broad range of hands-free communications solutions. With a reputation for innovation, reliability, and ease of use that goes back more than two decades, Jabra’s consumer and business divisions produce corded and wireless headsets, plus mobile and in-office speakerphones that empower individuals and businesses throughs increased freedom of movement, comfort, and functionality.

Supatra River House Review

If you are into fancy Thai restaurant in Bangkok with a view, you should know about Supatra River House restaurant by the Chao Phraya river. I visited the restaurant in few times in Bangkok and it didn’t really disappoint me in general. Consistency is the right word to describe this restaurant and of course the beautiful scenic view in the evening.

Before I start on the food I had in Supatra River House, let me share the history of this unique restaurant picked from their website:

Supatra River House was the former home of Khun Ying Supatra Singholaga, who was a successful business lady and a leading advocate of women’s rights in Thai society. She also was the founder of the Chao Phraya River ferry company.

The home fo Khun Ying Supatra was converted into this magnificent restaurant in 1998, after many years of closure following her passing.

The restaurant has three main dining areas: the Terrace, an open air section overlooking the river. Baan Thai, a two storey house with private dining room and balcony, and Baan Khun Ying, an air conditioned section with a scenic river view.

Every Saturday might the restaurant showcases Thai classical dance by Patravadi Theater, which belongs to Khun Patravadi Mejudhon, a visionary and an award winning actress, stage director and play writer, also a younger daughter of Khun Ying Supattra.

Deep fried marinated chicken in Pandan Leaf

Fried Salmon, Shrimp, Pork, Beef, Chicken on the sticks with curry peanut-sauce cucumber

Spicy pomelo salad with chicken and coconut flakes

Spicy river prawn soup with lemongrass (Tom Yum Kung!)

Stir fried scallops with dry chilli and garlic

Grilled king river prawn with tamarind sauce

Deep fried red snapper with sweet and sour sauce

Chicken in green curry

Steamed mixed vegetables with gravy sauce

Soy bean paste with shrimp served with rice cracker and vegetables

Fried rice with crab

Sticky rice with mango

Simple Thai fishes but presented in a classy manner. With a backdrop of the beautiful view of the Chao Phraya river, Supatra River House is an ideal place for a great dining experience. Fast and prompt services and consistency in their food quality, this is a recommended place for authentic Thai food in Bangkok in a classy manner. This is a great place for special occasions!

Supatra River House Address and Contact:

266 Soi Wat Rakhang,

Arunamarin Road, Siriraj, Bangkok Noi,

Bangkok 10700 Thailand

Phone: 662-411-0305

Fax : 662-847-9017

Email: info2@supatrariverhouse.net

http://www.supatrariverhouse.net

OPENING HOURS

Monday to Sunday

Lunch : 11:30 am to 02:30 pm

Dinner : 05:30 pm to 11:00 pm

Dragon Valley of Bama China

It is one of the best places to live in China. Yes, you didn’t read it wrong. It is one of the best places in China. It is non-polluted like other major cities in China such as Beijing and Shanghai and this is place is as pure as it could be. This place is Bama, some referred it as Alabalama of China.

It is located in the region of Guangxi and it boast as the longevity town of China. It has more than half of dozen of centurions stayed in Bama and hundreds of elderly people aged 80s and above. Many Chinese will spent a few months in Bama as many claimed you can prolong your life there. Rental houses are everywhere in Bama.

There are a few attractions in Bama and one of them is the Dragon Valley. The Dragon Valley is named as such because of this unique formation of the river forming to the word dragon in Chinese character.

This is near the Crystal Cave of Bama, one of the most beautiful caves in the world. We spent around 15 minutes enjoying the scenery. If you noticed, the scenery is similar to Guilin who coincidently located in the same province of Guangxi China. Bama is reachable by road from Nanning in a three hours ride.

Wicked desserts at Cocolat Adelaide Airport

Early this year, I visited a few places in South Australia with a media trip to South Australia. I visited some of the interesting places in South Australia.

Read: Top 5 Must Try Food in Port Lincoln 

For Malaysians who are keen to travel to South Australia, you can flight direct from Kuala Lumpur or via Singapore. Either way, you need to fly to Adelaide and from Adelaide, you will have choices to fly to other cities in South Australia.

If you are in Adelaide International Airport and waiting for your flight, you have a great place to chill out. It is called the Cocolat, it is a café inside the airport. You have checked in and you will see the café near the entrance.

It is famous for its desserts but we went there for their coffee. We ordered a latte and flat white. As expected, their coffee is reasonably good.

Gelato, spoiled by choices.

Since it is known for its wicked desserts, their gelato is legendary. Well, it is no harm having some desserts while waiting on your flight. Of course on top of the coffee and gelato, there are also other drinks and desserts available so will you Cocolat?

Cocolat Adelaide Airport Address and Contact:

Level 1,

Phone (08) 8234 3661

Email: airport@cocolat.com.au

Opening Times:

Open:  5am – 10pm Daily

Dim Sum at Hong Kee Restaurant Bandar Puteri Puchong

This is a series of three dim sum restaurants we tried in Bandar Puteri Puchong with Hong Kee as the third restaurant we visited. Scroll to bottom to read all three dim sum restaurants we reviewed.

Since all of them located at the same road of Jalan Puteri 2/3, Hong Kee is air conditioned and it is also a culinary school.

Like the other dim sum outlets, there is nothing to shout about again. We were there late and we were the last few customers. With the restaurant almost empty, the service was a big let down.

The dim sum is above average and one of the highlights on our table is the “loh mai kai”. It is better than the average ones but other than that, I didn’t find anything fancy enough or any distinctive dim sum that makes Hong Kee superior than the rest. Dim sum price starts from RM 3.20.

Read also:

Dim Sum at Hong Kee Restaurant Bandar Puteri Puchong

Dim Sum at Taiji Eatery Bandar Puteri Puchong

Dim Sum at Luk Yu 陆羽楼点心 Bandar Puteri Puchong

Hong Kee Restaurant Address and Contact:

No 31 Jalan Puteri 2/5, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong

Tel: 03-8061 9522

Opening Hours: 7am to 3pm

http://www.hongkeerestaurants.com/

Top 5 must visit casinos of Las Vegas

If you try to visit every great casino in Las Vegas during your trip, the end result is likely to be that you don’t spend long enough on any of them to really enjoy the casino games and other delights they offer. Therefore it’s better to limit yourself to a handful of the very best, and these are the five that you can’t afford to miss.

The Wynn Las Vegas

This could be the place for the solo Vegas visitor who just wants to get the very best casino gambling possible during their trip, with the Wynn having a reputation built solidly on the quality of its casino. The 50-storey glass building resembles a giant glittering diamond in the sunshine, and inside the gambling is of diamond standard too.

The Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino

If you want to party during your visit to Vegas, this Rio carnival-themed hotel/casino is THE place to do so. There is nowhere more colourful to spend your trip, and the atmosphere here is probably the friendliest and most fun of any casino in the resort – making it perfect for more social gambler. The popularity of this casino has left quite a legacy, with online casinos like MobileCasinoCanada.ca now offering a slots game based on the Rio Carnival, ‘Mardi Gras fever’.

The Venetian

This is another themed casino, this time taking inspiration from Venice, which the exterior of the building recreates in spectacular fashion, including gondola trips. People do not traditionally associate casinos with romance, but this is the exception – which should make it the ideal stop for couples.

The Bellagio

One of the most luxurious of all the casinos in Vegas (which is quite a feat); the Bellagio boasts one of the biggest casinos in the resort, complete with a whole floor of slots games. The hotel part also offers plenty of other delights, including a spa, again making it perfect for couples to stay at.

The MGM Grand

Possibly the only place in Vegas that tops the Bellagio for glamour and opulence is the MGM Grand, which offers casino alongside a host of other musical and sporting entertainments (in its Garden Arena) The hotel part of this 30-storey establishment is also home to five swimming pools, rivers and waterfalls, ensuring a remarkable view from any room.

*This is a guest post and the story is not related with PlacesAndFoods.com

How to travel to Antarctica within RM 50,000?

Three years ago I was US$ 5,500 short on board for the Antarctica cruise and I stayed in the southernmost city in the world for almost a week. I was in Argentina for 4 weeks and it was one of my greatest adventures of all time.

While listening on a local radioyesterday, there was a talk on how much does it cost for a trip of a lifetime to Antarctica. The answer was RM 150,000! I will not mention which travel agency or the radio station, RM 150,000 is a lot of money.

Since I was there three years ago and I spent a faction of RM 150,000 so I began to research and calculate how much will actually cost if I would travel to Antarctica in January 2014. That is the best timing to visit Antarctica since it will be summer down there. Given my experience traveling in Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, I manage to estimate on how much you will be spending for the whole trip. This is an estimate for a 14 nights stay in total including 10 nights on the Antarctica cruise.

If you are interested to read about my previous articles about Ushuaia:

Read it at http://www.placesandfoods.com/category/argentina/argentina-ushuaia

Okay, be realistic and I don’t give you the craps or make up the story how am I going to do it within RM 50k so I am going to itemised the budget of the whole trip for you.

Flying from Malaysia to Buenos Aires:

Since Malaysia Airlines decided to cut the route to Buenos Aires, very least option remained. KLM is the safest bet. Since it will be January 2014, I print screen the prices of the airfare available with the most expensive return airfare is around RM 7,000. Make it RM 8,000 to make it easier to calculate.

Budget:                RM 8,000 inclusive of tax, more info visit KLM website.

Staying in Buenos Aires:

I stayed in a posh five star hotel like Sheraton for US$ 400 per night or homestay for US$ 50 per night. Say you stay at the posh hotel for 2 nights (one night on arrival and one night prior to departure) so your accommodation stands at US$ 800 in Buenos Aires (like a king). Plus another US$ 400 for meals and taxis (trust me this is more than enough) so you will spend roughly US$ 1,200 in Buenos Aires for 2 nights with 3 meals covered. You will get a lovely Argentine Tango dinner for US$150 per pax.

Read: Bed & Breakfast Lodging Manekineko at Buenos Aires

Read: Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel & Convention Center

Budget: US$ 1,200 / RM 3,600 (Luxury)

Total so far: RM 11,600

Flying from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia:

I flew from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires during my last trip, it was fine. So to fly from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, you need to fly either with Aerolineas or Austral. So let me take Aerolineas as sample, the airfare comes to US$ 628 for return airways. Let’s make it US$ 700.

Budget: US$ 700 / RM 2,800, for more info visit http://www.aerolineas.com.ar/

Total so far: RM 14,400

Staying in Ushuaia

You need to fly to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. The cruise will set off from the port so you need to fly from Buenos Aires to there. Like in Buenos Aires, I stayed in two categories before. Posh five stars like Las Lengas or crashed to a local’s homestay and stay like a local. A night in Las Lengas should be around US$ 400 and you should stay 2 nights in Ushuaia so it makes US$800 with no regrets.

Read: Las Lengas Hotel Review

I know you love those live king crabs like I did. You probably spend US$ 100 per pax for those juicy king crabs and you can read my experience too at Fresh King Crab at La Cantina Fueguina de Freddy

Budget another US$ 500 for Ushuaia in case you want to fly with the small plane for US$ 100 per pax and I did it too.

Read: My First Small Aircraft Flying Experience with Aero Club

The extras you can contribute to the two casinos in town or you might be naughty visiting those night clubs.

In total your spend US$ 1,300 in Ushuaia like a king.

Budget: US$ 1,300 / RM 3,900

Total so far: RM 18,300

The Antarctica Cruise via Clipper Adventurer

There are limited license Antarctica cruises and I will recommend Clipper Adventurer as my friends took the cruise and survived. Some of them went twice in different occasion. From my understanding it was US$ 5,500 three years ago and for 2014 it will US$ 6,200. We understand that inflation and why don’t we budget it to US$ 7,000 (just in case).

This is the actual cruise I took in Argentina.

The cruise will take 11 days, 6 days to get off from Ushuaia and 5 days in Antarctica Peninsula. From what I’ve heard, you will come back amazed!

Budget: US$ 7,000 / RM 21,000, more info visit http://www.compareantarcticacruises.com/

Total so far: RM 39,300

For RM 39,300 you will be traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Buenos Aires via KLM economy class but you will stay and eat like a king in both Buenos Aires and Ushuaia. You will spend roughly 14 nights in Argentina. With RM 10,000 spare, you can always travel to Brazil or Uruguay or you want to spend it all shopping for those beautiful leather products. If you tone it down on the accommodation and spending, you might even make it for less than RM 40,000. Don’t worry about the language as I survived without even knowing Spanish. Don’t ask me why but they always get my sign languages. So there you have it, I managed to calculate the whole trip within RM 50,000. Hope this will help in your planning to Antarctica! This is based on per person so if you are going with a partner, you can save half on the accommodation!

The southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia. I stayed there for a week.

 
For your info, I travelled in Argentina with my friends from 4x4WorldExplorer.com. They travelled around the world and their upcoming trip is around Australia, visit their website for more info.