Back-Neck-Shoulder Massage at Garden Spa in La Charm Hoi An Hotel @ Hoi An [Vietnam]

After checking out the old town of Hoi An, my aching back and shoulder were in severe need for a massage and the most convenient for us would be the garden spa within our hotel, La Charm Hoi An Hotel! 

With just half an hour to go before it closed for the day; we opted for the 30-minute back-neck-shoulder massage for a quick fix before bedtime on our first night in the charming City of Lanterns.

I was impressed with the pre-massage refreshments; tea, dried fruits and dates! It's unfortunate that the tea was served at room temperature, which was a bummer for my inner Chinese soul. 

Again taken back by the flower and lemongrass infused water used to soak and wash my feet. That's a refreshing take to what I had been accustomed so far from the recent massages I had in Malaysia. Sometimes, they don't even wash my feet!

Brought up the spiral staircase to the second level.

Wondering how the elderly would navigate up and down. 

We were the last two customers! Frankly, the massage was alright; I wouldn't say it's bad but not great enough for me to doze off and drool a bit. Maybe we could only blame ourselves as 30 minutes passed pretty quickly.

Expecting a hot cup of tea but no, our teacups were still at the original position on the table. At 250,000 dong for 30 minutes, it's not expensive. However, I guess I wouldn't mind giving other massage parlors a try. 

=====

Address

64 Đào Duy Từ, Phường Cẩm Phổ, 

Hội An, Quảng Nam 51000, Vietnam

(within La Charm Hoi An Hotel & Spa)

Spa Menu

As above.

Click here for my 8 Days' Itinerary to Danang (The City of Bridges) & Hoi An (The City of Lanterns) in Vietnam

A&W Restaurant in Bird Paradise (Public Area) @ Singapore

What's your childhood memory of fast food? For most people of my generation, it would be McDonald's but for me; A&W was the most memorable! Sadly, it closed its last outlet in 2003, when I was merely a young adult still incapable of holding a full time job.

Thankfully, it made a comeback in 2019 and I guess the latest branch for The Great Root Bear would be this particular branch at Bird Paradise! p.s. I have had A&W a few times since its reopening but usually for its desserts. 

Ordering through the self service kiosk! p.s. it was expected that pricing would be much higher here but we were, simply put, too hungry! Here's what we had.

A&W Root Beer - first up would be the drinks, and I absolutely can't resist A&W frosted mug root beer! Best when it comes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Absolutely delish and thirst quenching! Those who know me well would be aware I am not a fan of carbonated drinks; only exception would be root beer, especially if it's from A&W!

Mozza Burger - Dad went with this beef burger that looked totally mouthwatering on the digital screen menu! Although it's for my dad, I can't wait to unravel the beauty within, and hopefully steal a small bite.

The situation when actual differs from illustration! The bun was soft and nice but for a burger, I would say there's no way I am going back for this average tasting yet pricey S$9.30 burger.

Golden Aroma Chicken - I go weak for fried chicken and this order was a no brainer for both Joyce and I since we had been on a starch restricted diet for the longest time! 

Said to be hand breaded, I must I was surprised that the flavor of the batter was pretty good; okay, maybe not as herb-and-spice as KFC but sufficient for me to consider re-ordering in the future! I also love that the batter wasn't too thick, and the meat was incredibly juicy!

Waffle with Butter and Syrup - while the root beer is a must-order whenever I patronize A&W restaurants; the waffle is the second item that I most frequently have. With three of us, it's a given the waffle would be a dessert staple! p.s. not counted as starch in my contradicting opinion.

Butter, syrup and waffle; the very best combination!

Sinful it sure is; and not good for someone trying to lose weight.

Batter was green?! Why did it deviate from the usual waffle with butter and syrup? I took a closer look at the menu; right here at A&W branch in Bird Paradise, they served pandan flavored waffle! Why, why, why!? 

I love pandan but not in waffle form, and it didn't help that the exterior wasn't crisp! Furthermore, the texture was chewy; a major letdown for my taste buds and an utter waste of calories! 

Grudgingly cleaned up everything. I was telling myself; "Cavin, please open your eyes big big and note the name of the waffle the next time you are at A&W"! 

=====

Address

20 Mandai Lake Rd, #02-01,

Bird Paradise, Singapore 729825

Map

As above. 

Menu

As above.

Pricing

A&W Root Beer - S$3.70

A&W Root Beer Float - S$4.90

Mozza Burger - S$9.30

Golden Aroma Chicken - S$23.90 (6 pieces) 

Waffle with Butter and Syrup - S$9.60

(Inclusive of GST)

Madam Kwan's Nasi Lemak @ Mid Valley Southkey, in Johor Bahru [Malaysia]

I still remember the times when Malaysian style nasi lemak went upmarket for the domestic market in Singapore but the pricing of almost S$10 was deemed too exorbitant when a local nasi lemak went for only about S$3-4 more than a decade ago. 

Nevertheless, I did enjoy Madam Kwan's when I visited Mid Valley Kuala Lumpur in 2013 and hence, imagine my surprise when I chanced upon its branch at Mid Valley Southkey Johor Bahru (JB), which was much closer to Singapore! 

Interior of the restaurant; it was emptied of people simply because it was only about 10.00 am and I guess Singaporeans were still clearing customs. Having said that, I am not sure if people are even aware about this eatery given its obscure location. 

Outside seating for those who love the hot and humid weather.

Not for Singaporeans, generally speaking. 

Contactless ordering and I love how they even provide the Wi-Fi name and password for internet access! This should be the default case for all eateries asking us to order via QR code. 

Local Coffee - I was expected normal kopi and totally didn't expect a more classy version that's literally kopi-o kosong, and served in a pot! That's making a mockery for a local Malaysian brand. 

Nasi Lemak Curry Chicken - the signature for Madam Kwan's, the appearance of this visually pleasing dish was sufficient reason to whet my appetite, and I usually don't have breakfast! Surrounding the ball of steamed coconut rice would be a piece of curry chicken, "sambal ikan bilis, shrimp floss, hardboiled egg, acar and sliced cucumbers"! 

Special mention to the bed of stir fried onions underneath the broken bits of ikan ibilis. I personally don't quite like ikan bilis as they tend to overwhelm with their saltiness but in this case, the smaller parts complemented perfectly with the sweetness of the onions! Acar (spicy pickled vegetables) was also an explosion of flavors! Kudos! 

Best way to eat would be to mix up a bit of everything; the aromatic rice added with the acar, the ikan bilis, a bit of curry chicken and some shrimp floss! Perfect scope every single time! I did feel that the chicken was as delicious as I recalled although the gravy remained thick and creamy. 

A satisfied stomach that made the brain guilty as this was after a running session at the gym (of the connected St Giles Hotel). Kind of negate the calories I burnt earlier. 

=====

Address

Lot F-001, Mid Valley Southkey, 1, 

Persiaran Southkey 1, Southkey, 

80150 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

Map

As above.

Pricing

Local Coffee - RM 6.90

Nasi Lemak Curry Chicken - RM 22.90

(Subject to Service Charge and Tax)

Day Two of The 8 Days 7 Nights See Iconic Taiwan Anew Tour Package via Chan Brothers

<<< Day One

Detailed Postings for the Day

• Remains of Longteng Bridge
• Hua Lu Flower Home (花露農場)
• DIY Tea Tree Oil Insect Repellent
• Lunch @ Hua Lu Flower Home
• Roses Bar @ Hua Lu Flower Home
• Orchid Garden @ Hua Lu Flower Home
• Zhongshe Flower Market (中社觀光花市)
• Painted Animation Lane (動漫彩繪巷)
• Feng Chia Night Market (逢甲夜市)
• Decent Washroom / Toilet @ Feng Chia Night Market
• 19House炙燒牛排 (Nineteen House Steak)
• Yixin Vegetarian Stinky Tofu (一心素食臭豆腐)
• Freshfields Hotel (清新溫泉飯店)
• The View of Taichung City from Freshfields Hotel

Following breakfast at Tao Garden Hotel (桃花園飯店), my dad decided to shave and accidentally cut himself! This resulted in a flurry of activity as we attempted to stop the bleeding! 

Despite the hiccup, Dad was still game to take photograph with the coach that shall be responsible to bring us around for the few days in Taiwan! Of course, once he started to smile, the wound reopened again.

Just noticed a gym right opposite the hotel; just wondering if it is easy to get a trial entry when I am overseas. For me, it's more crucial for me to jog than to do weights though.

On the road towards our next destination!

Good thing about signing up for a tour package was the provision of a tour guide who can provide an overview of the country we were in, including nuggets of information on the geography, culture, the route we would be going through for the next few days etc! 

Loving the sights of rolling mountains; in case you are aware, Taiwan is separated in the middle by a mountain range known as Central Mountain Range which runs from north to south of the island. 

I should make it a point to visit one of the cemeteries in Taiwan; theirs were unique in the sense that some had a roof over the tombs and looked like little huts from afar.

Going into Miaoli; one of 13 counties of Taiwan.

First stop - the Remains of Longteng Bridge! Built in 1906, collapsed in 1935 and further damaged in 1999, I hoped it wasn't affected by the recent earthquake at Hualien.

It's not hard to notice that Taiwan has a ton of religious abodes and the above appeared to be the headquarter of Taoism based 天帝教天安太和道場. 

Continuing to be educated by KK, our tour guide! Do you know that the fish featured on the 2,000 Taiwan dollar currency note is the "Taiwanese freshwater salmon"? Endemic to island and found only at elevation of above 1,500, it is a critically endangered species and in year 1992, its population count was only 200! 

Arrival at Hua Lu Flower Home (花露農場), where we undertook a session on DIY Tea Tree Oil Insect Repellent, had our lunch and took a lot of photographs, including a short visit to the Orchid Garden!

Concluding the visit with a signature rose soft serve from Roses Bar! 

A little fellow managed to hitch a ride on my tee shirt! It didn't know what it was getting into as there were so much more greenery and flowers at Hua Lu Flower Home.

One sight you wouldn't see in Singapore would be the vast swathes of agricultural land; I found them to be therapeutic although as an urbanite, my heart is with the city for their modern conveniences. 

Back then, Taiwan was gearing up for the 2024 General Election, which was to "to elect the 16th president and vice president of Taiwan, and all 113 members of the 11th Legislative Yuan." An intense election no doubt, with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) winning the president and vice-president seats. 

Driving past Fire Mountain! 

Another flower filled attraction; Zhongshe Flower Market (中社觀光花市), where we spent so much time taking photographs on the flower fields! Most memorable was the patch of sunflowers that was as tall as me!

A honey shop attached to Zhongshe Flower Market; this brought me to back to my first visit to Taiwan a decade ago, where I hauled back two kilograms of honey back home! No way am I going to do the same thing this time!

Do you know the different kinds of bees and hornets?! If you ask me, the cutest had to be the carpenter bees which are large and generally harmless. You can find 13 species of them right here on our little red dot! 

There was also a BBQ restaurant where a buffet only cost 380 Taiwan dollars an adult; about S$16.00! If I weren't there on a packaged tour; I might as well just settled my main there! BBQ is definitely preferable, as compared to steamboat.

A fruit stall outside the Flower Market selling, kiwi, apples, oranges, snow pears and persimmons. Miaoli county, where we were at, was known for its fruit orchards. 

A tour mate got some and passed me one!

I am blessed to have nice tour mates every time! 

Inwards to Taichung, Taiwan's second largest city.

A walk down memory lane as I recollected the comics I read when I was a teenager! This, my dear readers and supporters, was the Painted Animation Lane (動漫彩繪巷)! 

The person who gave us the lane?

Owner of the above motorbike shop! 

Taichung City Dadun Cultural Centre was the "heart of art and culture surrounded by the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Art Museum Parkway and the Plum River area".

Drawn to the comic caricature, I was surprised to read that it's actually a tuition centre for art classes! And don't be deceived by the rough and simple design; it did catch your attention right? 

Messy yet tidy signboards.

Each jostling to stand out.

Revisiting Feng Chia Night Market (逢甲夜市) in 2024! As it was a weekday, the crowd was noticeably lesser than what Alex and I experienced in 2014! Click here for the post ten years ago! 

Since it would be free and easy, we were informed and reminded to meet up outside the shops as above. With such large signboards and the fact that they were pretty near to the university's main entrance, we did realize it was a popular pick up point for those on tours! 

 

Need a clean washroom before you start checking out the night market? Check out this post here. After which would be a super worth it dinner at 19House炙燒牛排 (Nineteen House Steak) and a snack at Yixin Vegetarian Stinky Tofu (一心素食臭豆腐); my first stinky tofu on this trip!

On our way to the hotel in Taichung and I noticed this standalone pet store which looked as big as a supermarket for humans! Pity I no longer have any pets; if not, you would likely see me grab over to see if there's anything I can buy. 

 

Accommodation for day two - Freshfields Hotel (清新溫泉飯店); a luxury onsen hotel on the outskirts that commanded a spectacular view of Taichung City!

For a five-star hotel, I am shocked with the translation mistake! 

Ending the night with persimmons from our tour mate! Juicy it sure was, without much fiber but the sweetness was muted. Nevertheless, grateful for the "dessert" before brushing my teeth for a good night sleep. 

=====

Click HERE for the Summarized Itinerary for Our 8 Days 7 Nights See Iconic Taiwan Anew Tour Package via Chan Brot