Stayed at Guangzhou Hotel for our 4 nights there. The price of hotels during Canton Fairs are usually 1.5 to 2 times more expensive than usual. With the increase in price tag comes a mini fruit basket, buffet breakfast and free Internet connection.

Our hotel was near some wholesale centers along 一德路 Yide Road. Prepared for lots of walking these few days. Once we checked in and deposited our luggage, we went out to search for some suppliers. Christmas decor was everywhere and even CNY decor too! I have been to the wholesale places previously but it was Bernard's first visit. We have the same interest in sourcing out good buys. =P

Canton Fair (Phase 3) starts the next day and we got there via a shuttle bus provided by the organisers from the hotel door step- once of the reasons why we chose this hotel. The exhibition compound is just humongous! Bernard keeps saying that it is 8 times ALL the halls in our Singapore Expo area! 真的是大开眼界！There was just everything you can find under the sun! Knowing how cheap things can be. And it comes with quality too. Everything Made In China!

We started with the Area A and we walked non-stop from around 10am till 5.30pm, with a short lunch break in between. Most convenient place for lunch was McDonald's. To have fast food served faster, customers were only offered three choices of set meals: Big Mac, McSpicy and Grilled chicken, all with chicken nuggets in place of fries. We joined the queue but when it was our turn we were only left with one choice: Grilled Chicken! It was that popular! Guess McDonald's was one of the few foods that the foreigners could identify with here in GZ.

Stopped by a booth selling massage chairs and spent 20 minutes on one of the best! Good relief to our leg muscles after 2 long days of walking. Exhibition closes around 6pm but we had to leave earlier to avoid the rush. Took the shuttle bus back to our hotel and rested a while before going out for dinner.

Second day of exhibition, we covered Area B where the International Pavilions were. I also love the Food Pavilions where we got most of our samples; samples like mushrooms, wolfberries and candies! =) Lunch was once again McDonald's. This time we headed to another Fast Food area where they serve fries, compared to yesterday's nuggets. Fearing that they will run out of meals again, we went before 12pm.

Our third morning there, we skipped the buffet breakfast. The spread was considered not bad but no change at all to the items for all our days there. We decided on brunch at 陶陶居. I have been to the century-old 陶陶居 during my previous visits to GZ but this is Bernard's first. It is along 第十甫路, near the Pedestrain street of 上下九街. Got our waiting number, a sweet "88". Didn't wait too long before we were given seats on the 4th level. Shared a table with another couple and later a granny with her grandchild joined the same table as well. The scene is typical of usual Hong Kong Dim Sum places, people chatting away with the clanging of tea cups and utensils...

We tried the famous 奶黄包 custard bun with the usual siew mai and har gao. Bernard ordered the chicken feet but the auntie got the order wrong and we were forced to take a medium-sized plate and we had like 4-5 pcs each. We tried to offer some to our fellow table-sharers but they politely declined. They were so amazed that we could finish the entire plate! Haha! 

Something learnt while I was in HK; the Cantonese people usually order their Dim Sum one plate at a time, chat, drink tea before going for another.  Only we the Singaporeans will order everything at one go and finish everything all at once. One look and they know we are foreigners... =P

The day we walked 上下九街 was our 4th continuous day of walking. We were glad to find a foot massage place at one side street to bring some relief to our tired feet. After an hour of rest, in search of food, we came to a mall just adjacent to 长寿路站 MRT, a place where I had visited 10 years ago. The place is much developed now, different from what I remembered it to be. with Not many choices here and we settled for a Japanese dinner. The layout of meals were exquisite. 3 pieces of salmon on an ice plate, nicely decorated. 

Another place where we frequented during our trip was a fast food place just opposite the hotel, Cafe de Coral. Had one breakfast and two lunches there. =)

Our last day saw us getting samples from the wholesale places. Had our lunch at  Cafe de Coral before heading to the airport via the airport shuttle. Our coach met with a little accident along the way. Coincidentally, the accident happened close to a Light Accident Resolution Service Center. Thank God for His protection throughout our trip! =)

Looking forward to the next Canton Fair! 

A stroll along one side of the Kings Park and we followed a pathway back to our hotel. Decided to take the car and drove to Fremantle for our breakfast. Parked our car near the E-Shed markets and went on foot for the rest of our time at Fremantle.

First visited the colourful E-shed markets and then the Fremantle Markets, filled with much busking activities too. Knowing that there's live canon firing at the Fremantle Round House daily at 1pm, we rushed there before time in anticipation. Too bad for us, there was some technical problem and it was cancelled for the day. =P 

Took some of my favourite pictures of the trip here...

And of course we did not miss the famed Cicerello's fish and chips. We ordered 2 sets of fish and chips and a seafood basket- more than the 5 of us can handle.

Visited the Fremantle Prison after lunch but did not go on any of the paid tours. It was then more  supermarketing and dinner at Nando's Chicken before we head back to hotel for the night.

So glad to reach the park finally. Had a toilet break and it's time for lunch. We had packed our lunch of ham sandwiches with fruits bought at the supermarket the day before. It's interesting to be picnicking in the chilly weather, along with other local families too. (It happened to be a week-long holidays for them) 

Stomachs filled, it's time to explore the place and marvel at God's creation. Lots of photo-snapping too. =)

Our stop for the night will be at Jurien Bay, along the Coastal route. The cheapest accommodation for this trip, we were not expecting much. A really simple unit with two rooms and a common bath. Shopped for more groceries at the nearby supermarket for dinner and breakfast the next day. 

A little travel tip: It's great to bring along cooler bags for trips like this...

It was still early and we decided to go for an evening walk before the sun sets. The view was magnificent. We see people fishing along the way and the fishes they catch are huge! 

Back to our apartment for dinner and a few games of card monopoly before we call it a night (as we took turns to bathe and wash up). We concluded that such holidays are great for family bonding cos there's really nothing much to do at night. Good thing I brought the pack of cards along... =)

18/7/11 - We are heading upwards to Kaibarri today. A longer drive is expected. Drove past the entrance of Kalbarri National Park and headed to town for our lunch first. With the school holidays, there were many families here for their short break and there was even a bazaar too. 

Accommodation for the night will be at Kalbarri Edge Resort, an awesome place. Unlimited wireless internet too. Off loaded our luggages before we went to the park. It was a grueling drive for Bernard with most part of the journey on unpaved roads. A 4WD will do a much better job.

Nevertheless, the reward was sweet. The view was just indescribable! We carefully made the climb to Nature's Window and back. =)

One major task to accomplish before dinner time - to clean the car. Driving along the muddy and sandy tracks caused our white 8-seater to be turned into a brown one. With car-wash in Singapore so affordable nowadays, we've not washed the car ourselves in a long long time. 

With no pails but just a few large mineral water bottles and some cloths, we spent some family time cleaning the car together. We were too busy doing so and we did not take any photos of the before and after... 

Dinner was at the restaurant within the resort. A popular one too. We had to wait a while before our food arrived. Food was average and a bit on the pricey side. After a tired day of driving and trekking, we rested early for the night. =)

First stop of the day was at the Geraldton Museum where there was this Unearthed exhibit. Learned about the marine exploration and trading in the earlier days by the Australians. Noticed the top right photo below that says "Geraldton via Singapore" - part of our history intertwined...

Lunch break at Topolini's Café (158 Marine Tce, Geraldton 6530, Australia). An Italian restaurant which is popular with both  tourists and locals. It reminds me of Ratatouille the movie, with the rat mascots painted on the walls around the restaurant. I will rate it as my best meal for the entire trip! Thumbs-up! =)

We visited the HMAS Sydney II Memorial after lunch. It is built in honour of 645 Australian sailors who were lost off the coast in 1941 and only found recently in 2008. 645 seagulls made up the silver dome; each representing one of the lost sailors. A bronze statue shows a lady gazing out in anticipation of news of her lost son. 

Before heading off, we visited the lighthouse by the coast and took more pictures. Driving along the highway, we passed by the Greenough Historic Settlement and stopped for tea. Enjoyed the alfresco area that overlooks the historic settlement, with the gentle cool breeze and delicious cakes and coffee/tea. Sat here for quite a while before continuing our journey to Dongara for the night. Still early for dinner, we drove around the area and stopped by Seaspray Beach to watch the magnificent sunset.

Day 6 - Today we're heading towards Swan Valley. The highlight of the day was our visit to Caversham Wildlife Park. We were just in time to watch the Animal Show at Molly's Farm, Love the adorable animals. Enjoyed feeding the kangaroos in the free-roaming area. The light drizzle that had started caused them to gather together under the shelters and trees, enabling us to capture them in a single shot! 

Accommodation for the night at The Vines Resort, our most expensive stay for the trip. Dropped by the nearby supermarket for some groceries before our arrival at The Vines. It was still drizzling and with the sky turning dark and insufficient street lighting, it was difficult to drive.

Thankful to reach our self-contained unit finally! All helped to prepare dinner. After so many days of fish and chips, we've included more salad for our meal tonight. =)

Visited the Margaret River chocolate factory (a branch in Swan Valley) and the Mondo Nougat factory, and bought some chocolates and nougats of course. 

Next, we drove down to Guildford town, very near to Perth city. It's an town with many old colonial buildings, many well-preserved. Took the shortest trail and once again enjoyed our walk in the cool weather...

Did not find any good eating places in Guildford and we decided to head straight to Perth for our lunch. Went to Harbour Town, a place where factory outlets are. My second time here and like the first time, there didn't seem anything interesting to purchase. Prices obviously have increased...

Late afternoon, we checked into Aaron's Perth hotel for our last night in Perth. It was a tough job manoeuvring the 8-seater vehicle though the back alley of this hotel. It suffered some scratches and a slight dent. Thank God Bernard made the right decision in getting total insurance coverage! Anyway we couldn't park overnight at the hotel either. There were limited lots in the hotel basement and we did not make a pre-booking. 

After placing our luggage in our rooms, we headed off to Westfield Carousel, a major shopping centre. Coincidentally, it was Thursday- a day of late-night shopping. It was rather crowded with local youths and families as well. It was a little early for dinner so we walked around a little before having dinner at their 'food court'. Continued our shopping or window-shopping after dinner before heading back to hotel. Time to pack all our shopping into luggage as we will be heading back to Singapore tomorrow.

Day 8 - Days on holiday usually passes by so quickly. Woke up for our breakfast at the Miss Maud cafe across the street. Packed all our last minute stuff and checked out. Decided to have sufficient time to make the trip to the airport. A good thing as there were some route changes which was not reflected on our Garmin GPS. Returned the car and did our check-in before lunch after the customs. 

Goodbye Perth. Till next time! =)

Alighting from our flight into the Suvarnabhumi Airport terminal, we were amazed to see the marked difference to the time we were there three years ago.  The airport is now so new and modern. Under the packaged deal, there was also airport transfer to our hotel.  As we waited for more passengers to arrive via other flights, Bernard went to get a prepaid SIM that ensured connectivity during our next few days there.

It was not long before we arrived at our hotel, Ramada D’ma. It’s a decent hotel but great service by all staff. Checking in was a breeze and we were shown our room. Contrary to some Tripadvisor reports, we have no complains about the room, which was rather spacious and clean. I was amazed that there was a bedside control for the lights, music and alarm and it actually works.

We wasted no time and were out of the hotel and into the Bangkok streets in a jiffy. With Internet connection and the Google maps app, we manoeuvre the streets of Bangkok quite easily. We walked past the wholesale fashion malls and to our first stop at Paragon where we stopped for a rest and a drink. We then headed to MBK and the first thing we did was to head to the cinema to purchase the tickets for a late evening show.  Walked around the place a bit but there was nothing attractive. We decided to head out and explore the streets around MBK.

We passed by some food eateries and decided on one for our dinner. As we walked into The Krok restaurant (Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand +66 2 251 9916 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting)‎, we could see that the first level was packed. With 2 dishes and 2 drinks, the bill came to about S$16. 

Headed back to MBK to walk a little more. With 2 hours more to show time, I got into a salon for a hair wash and blow while Bernard cleared his emails with iphone. After that, we went to Starbucks for a drink before our late night show. Including us, the big cinema with about 200 seats has only 5 couples watching the show. What a waste of resources! Past midnight, we had to take a tuk-tuk back after the show.

30/8/11 – Happy Anniversary! We woke up just in time for a nice buffet breakfast. Together with the packaged was actually a half-day tour for us but having been to Bangkok before, we didn’t want to visit those places again. We were offered a slightly cheaper rate for International buffet at Baiyoke Sky (locals pronounced it as Si-kai; the tallest building in Thailand). We made a booking for the night with a tour represenatative at the hotel lobby and she was kind enough to help us request for window seats as well.

Took a taxi to Chinatown where we walked around and bought some stuff. There were a few streets with wholesale outlets but they don’t do individual sales; must buy at least half a dozen of same size and colour for shoes. =P

Then, we came to this building, with a busy supermarket on the ground level. As we went upstairs, we saw an entire concourse filled with many tea tables and many senior folks have their yum-cha time. Massage shops line the perimeter of the concourse. With tired feet, we walked around the place and chose one that looks clean and with customers. Our choice proved to be a good one and we vote it as the best for this trip. The strength was just right and we like the special ginger treatment. With mainly old folks as their customer base, the treatment involves pounding boiled ginger pieces and placing them on the kness wrapped with a towel. Hot and shiok!

With friend’s recommendation, we went to one of the MK restaurant outlets for their char siew and pork. The char siew was so-so but their roasted pork was crispy and yummy! Ordered a mini steamboat set to share too. Price was great too at about S$10 per person. What’s interesting was that it provided a slip of paper that calculates your nutritional intake for the meal. Highly-recommended!

Forgetting to bring my dress shoes along for the trip, we next went to Platinum mall to get not one pair but three before heading back to hotel. We washed up and changed for our special night out. ;) We can actually see the Baiyoke Sky from our hotel but not wanting to perspire before reaching dinner place, we took a cab there instead. It was another busy place with a few storeys of wholesale shops. Received a chop on our wrist before we took the lift up. Went straight for dinner. Food was average but the view was great. From where we sat, we could see the entire city and the heavy traffic of the area. Not a very romantic place with all the chattering from big groups, both locals and tourists.

With dinner, we were also able to go right up to the revolving platform. We met two girls from Switzerland who were on a two-month pre-university trip. Chatted for a while and took photos for one another. It was drizzling lightly and we were off the platform after one round. Strolled around the bazaar markets in the area before heading back to hotel.

31/8/11 – Shopping day. Went to MBK for supermarket shopping and some souvenir shopping too. We decided against having mango sticky rice but bought pre-cut and packed mango and pomelo instead. Healthy and sweet. Went to the MBK food court for lunch and had my favourite Tom Yam with steamed rice again. =)

With too much shopping on hand, we headed back to hotel before heading to the Platinum malls for more shopping with controlled spending. Went to the nearby Big C for dinner and had steamboat again! There was another MK restaurant here but we chose another hot pot place that was having promotion. It was cheap but with drinks and even ice chargeable, the price works out to be the same as MK. To work out the food, we went supermarketing again as Big C stays open till late. As we walked back to our hotel, we were hijacked by an elderly auntie touting along the streets for a massage place. After much walking that day, we felt it was just right to give our tired feet another treat.

The place was very crowded with tourists and we were ushered to an upstairs area. It was almost pitch-dark. What we could make out were areas separated by curtains and saw mattresses that lined the floor. Asked to lie down on one of them and I hear a snoring customer next to me. Couldn’t really get to Dreamland with the snoring and the constant chattering of the masseuses that worked on our tired feet. An hour’s massage for 150 baht; it was the cheapest we’ve seen so far, also the standard price many massage parlours that lined that particular street next to our hotel. Thus, no complains.

1/9/11 – Departure Day. Checked out and deposited our luggage with the hotel after breakfast. Decided to visit Indra Mall just down the street from our hotel. It’s another wholesale mall. Not very crowded in the morning though. Went around the place and managed a good bargain for Bernard’s jacket, maybe we spoke in Teochew with the auntie; 自己人. Wanted to go to this restaurant that displays many photos on its walls, so supposedly good. Alas, it was not opened yet. Walked to a restaurant opposite our hotel for another Thai meal before the airport transfer was due to fetch us to the airport for our flight back.

A great trip overall. Till next time! =)

Our stomachs were rumbling even before we reached our destination. First thing was to get a nice place for lunch. We settled into Nomad for lunch after seeing that there are other customers around and confirming that there is free Wi-fi (Most of the cafes and restaurants in Ubud has free Wi-fi). We ordered Seafood curry and Tuna Fillet Steak with 2 herbal tea. I just love the light refreshing taste of the herbal tea of lemongrass, pandan and ginger. Appetiser was some unknown leaves deep-fried. Turned out to be very frangrant and crispy. The portion of the main course was huge and food was fresh and yummy. And Bernard managed to clear a bulk of his emails during this time with the free Wi-fi, thanks to iphone. =)

With our stomachs filled, we walked to explore the rustic charm of Ubud. First stop was the Ubud market where vendors sell their ware of Balinese handicrafts and produce. We then moved out of the market and into the streets.

After walking for some time, we decided to go check out some of the massage places that line the streets. Most of the places quote about Rp50,000 for an hour of body massage. The first one we went to was too sleazy and we just walked off. The one we finally went to looks clean and neat through the glass windows. Price was slightly higher though at Rp85,000.

The owner of Reflexology Bali is Dewi who has worked in Singapore and many other countries before returning to Bali to open this shop. It was newly-opened in November and we just missed their one-for-one promotion. =P Like the clean, white towels and the comfortable seats. Our massage session began with foot reflexology and then hands massage. The seats were adjusted flat for a back massage and we had to sit up for shoulder and head massage.

Reflexology Bali
Address: Jalan Dewi Sita, Padangtegal Mekarsari, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia 80571
Tel: 0361 9222 100

It was almost time to meet Ketut for our trip back to our hotel. Before that, we hurried across the street to packet our dinner from Kafe Batan Waru. We had Ayam Rica-Rica (grilled chicken with shitake mushroom in coconut milk) and Sate Sapi Bali (grilled beef skewers) with steamed rice. One thing we realised, the sate (or satay) in Bali are made without fatty meat, healthy but a bit dry to taste. 

Since it was still early, we explored the hotel a bit and went for a walk along the beach. We walked the entire stretch of beach past other hotels as well and rested on the deck chairs to watch the stars in the clear night sky.