We recently had the pleasure of staying at the Hotel Casuarina in Meru Raya. The hotel is located in a quiet and serene area, away from the hustle and bustle of the city center, making it the perfect getaway for families looking for a peaceful retreat.
The happiest person throughout the trip 😄
The rooms at the hotel are spacious and well-appointed, with comfortable beds and all the amenities a family could need. The staff are friendly and welcoming, and always ready to assist with any requests or queries.
Our preschooler’s favourite place is still the window 😅Lots of space!Comfy bathroomThe shower area
The hotel also has a restaurant serving delicious local and international cuisine.
Enjoying his pasta 🍝 The beverage counterLive show area
One of the standout features of the hotel is its mini library, which is a treasure trove of books for all ages. As a book lover herself, Shafa was thrilled to see such a well-curated selection of books. The cozy seating areas make it the perfect spot to curl up with a good book and spend a lazy afternoon. We appreciated the effort put into creating a space that promotes reading and education, and we can imagine families with children would also enjoy spending time in the library together.
Somebody’s excited seeing the Mini Library 📚 And… he immediately indulged in books 👨🏫
Overall, we would highly recommend Hotel Casuarina to families looking for a comfortable and relaxing stay in Meru Raya. With its mini library, friendly staff, and great amenities, it’s the perfect place to unwind and recharge away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
We’re so excited to share with you the second Tune Tour that our family experienced, after our first experience at Tune Hotel KLIA2 . Read more to learn about *drum roll* Tune Hotel Penang!
Tune Hotel Penang, located in Georgetown
What’s best about this particular Tune Hotel (aside from the price) is its location. Tune Hotel Penang is located in the middle of food heaven in Georgetown! We saw a lot of eateries nearby, among them is the famous Continental Bakery.
Continental Bakery – one of the famous eateries near Tune Hotel Penang
To give you an idea of its awesome location, here’s a hint. It’s just a walking distance to Nagore Square, where you will be overwhelmed by the choices of restaurants.
Nagore Square – spoilt with many choices of restaurants
For us, the best part is having The Alley located near the hotel. We frequented the shop a few times during our stay. Totally love the beverages there – we are a huge fan of The Alley!
The Alley – located near Tune Hotel Penang
Before we go on about the foods in Penang, let’s have a look around Tune Hotel Penang . The lobby is located at Level 2, so hop on the lift once you entered the premise to check in!
Among the promotions at Tune Hotel Penang
We were briefed prior to our visit by the Hotel Manager, Mr. Auzae, and he informed that Tune Hotel Penang is collaborating with a number of eateries to offer some discounts for the guests. You can see some of them in the above picture. Cool, isn’t it?
Tune Hotel Penang’s lobby at Level 2Waiting area at Tune Hotel Penang
You may use a desktop while waiting
Here’s how it looks like at the lobby in Level 2. Check in time starts at 2 p.m. and check out time is at 11 a.m. – it’s quite early compared to other hotels.
Simple cute decoration of our room
Warm welcome by the hotel
Upon entering the room, we were greeted by a simple cute decoration, with a warm message attached to the towel. We were so touched!
Compact bathroom concept at Tune Hotel Penang
View of our room from the shower
As you can see, the concept of the room and bathroom of Tune Hotel Penang is similar to that of Tune Hotel KLIA2 , whereby everything is compact and neat. Of course, that signature TuneHotel.com sign on the bathroom’s glass door too!
You’re seeing another door? That’s right, because our room is connected to Shafa’s mom room. Not bad if you’re coming with a plus one (or two)!
Shafa’s mom, standing at the connected room
The view from the room was not bad. We manage to see some greens and buildings!
View from our room in Tune Hotel Penang
Do note that Tune Hotel Penang doesn’t have a hotel restaurant, but who needs that when you’re in a food-heaven town? We particularly recommend having dinner at Hameediyah Restaurant and Sham Hammer Ikan Bakar Special while you’re in Penang!
JenjalanKami at Hameediyah Restaurant
JenjalanKami at Sham Hammer Ikan Bakar Special
Let’s not forget to take some beautiful shots at the iconic Penang Bridge! Travel to Penang is not complete without that.
The iconic Penang Bridge
And so that ends our review for Tune Hotel Penang. We love this hotel for its price and location! Stay tuned to know about the one must-go attraction if you’re in Penang in our upcoming blog post. Hint: Best for family travellers who love nature!
Note: The visit was before the COVID-19 virus takes in. As parents of a toddler who are also living with an elderly, we do advise you to adhere to the government rules and guidelines by the Health Ministry. As a travel advocate, we definitely will help you to dream and plan for your next travel by feeding you with our travel write ups. Stay safe and be positive!
Hello everyone! We’ve been busy with many aspects of our life since our last travel, hence the delayed update. Shafa has been busy with homeschooling our toddler with so many development milestone to catch back then (which he has been progressing very well and even advanced at certain things)! Aside from that, she’s been busy with her freelancing jobs, which she had secured a number of clients since our last travel. Congrats to her!
JenjalanKami at Johor Premium Outlet
Anyhow, let’s quickly move to our next resort review, which is Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor. It’s been our favourite resort since Shafa’s pregnancy years. One of the staffs even remembered we had patronage the resort once before, which was cool! As usual, we will stop by at Johor Premium Outlet (JPO) before reaching the resort. JPO is located about 11 minutes from Le Granduer, which is great for shopaholics!
Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor’s lobby area
Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor is a place that we will always come back again and again. We first visited the resort back when Shafa was pregnant, and it is amazingly convenient as you don’t have to go anywhere else to have fun (sometimes pregnant woman just don’t want to go anywhere). Now that we came back here with a toddler, we find it amazing place for family with small kids! We’ll share the details of what we think of the resort for family travellers below.
During our stay, we manage to try the resort’s Deluxe Suite. Play the above video to know more about the Deluxe Suite’s view and facilities!
We also manage to snap a few pictures inside the bedroom of our suite. Check out Shafa’s Instagram post above to see all the three pictures. We think it’s a beautiful room with warm lightings!
The whole suite is spacious and comfortable for families! But you may want to keep watchful eyes on your toddler for the stairs if you have an active climber and explorer like ours. Check out the above Instagram post for the pictures around the suite!
The best is definitely the view from the suite. So green! And you can even catch airplanes passing by, as it is located about three minutes from the Senai Airport! Check out the above Instagram post to see the view from the suite’s balcony.
Walking in Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor
And now, let’s have a tour around the resort! The above staircase that you see is our scenic walk towards the sports centre. You can ask to be transported by a buggy, but we just want to walk around the area with our toddler.
Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor bowling area
The sports centre is quite big, where they have quite a number of sports to play in the centre. They even have a second swimming pool here! But as usual, we choose to play bowling. You have no idea the struggles we had to go through to complete the game with a very inquisitive toddler.
Our toddler having fun at the pool!
We visited the swimming pool next morning after breakfast. There’s nothing quite like splashing in the swimming pool with winds blowing. Just play the above video to watch how happy our toddler was! Don’t worry, Yusof is nearby our toddler, just below the shades. Our toddler refused to be under the shade with him.
And so that ends our non-food review for Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor. We totally love this resort, which made us came twice for visit! Stay tuned for the food updates for this resort in our upcoming blog post. Hint: Best food ever!
Note: The visit was before the COVID-19 virus takes in. As parents of a toddler who are also living with an elderly, we do advise you to adhere to the government rules and guidelines by the Health Ministry. As a travel advocate, we definitely will help you to dream and plan for your next travel by feeding you with our travel write ups. Stay safe and be positive!
This is one of the resorts that holds great memories for our family. We’ve been to Thistle Port Dickson twice this year, and the high level of satisfactory feels just like the first time.
And that first time was way back when we had family gathering on Shafa’s side of family, soon after our marriage, and especially soon after Shafa’s late dad was diagnosed with Leukemia. That was way back in early January 2015. It feels bittersweet to come back, but it always hold special place in our hearts.
This is one of our many favourite things about Thistle Port Dickson. They have kids pools and adult pools, with different depths. Also they have another infinity pool – our favourite since the first time we visited this resort about four years ago!
Always our favourite infinity pool! Each time we’re at Thistle Port Dickson, we would always come by the infinity pool for some pictures, especially during sunset. It looks magical.
Back when we were just a travel couple, this was our favourite spot to swim because it’s far from the main swimming pools of the resort. It’s quite peaceful to swim here, especially since it has a nice view. Now? Practical is more important than romantic. Most of the time we’ll be at the kids swimming pool.
Such a beautiful family room here at Thistle Port Dickson!
There is one double bed & one bunk bed, enough to accommodate two adults and two children. We personally love the decorations around the bunk bed – so cute!
We never appreciate petting zoos until we became a parent.
Kids LOVE animals, especially if they can pet them. Thistle Port Dickson offers bunny petting time between 10am – 11am & 4.30pm – 5.30pm. Our toddler definitely was excited to see the rabbits and birds!
And… Our favourite spot to snap pictures! It’s been years, but this swing is still here at the beach of Thistle Port Dickson.
Somebody seems to be enjoying the game! If your boys are not up for holiday at Thistle Port Dickson, you now know where to take them.
What’s your thoughts on the resort? We would love to hear from you!
Here comes Part 3 of our review on DoubleTree Resort By Hilton Penang. As promised, we will now share our experience touring around Kids Club, picking two famous attractions and splashing in the swimming pools.
Evergreen and refreshing, this walkway is just beside the swimming pool at DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang. Perfect for your OOTD (just like what Shafa’s mom did)! Guess where we’re heading to?
We went to the Kids Club in DoubleTree by Hilton Penang! Upon touring the area, we really love the concept.
Located just opposite the kids swimming pool, Kids Club is your answer if you need to leave your kids for a while to do some work or errands, or probably just to have a quick date with your spouse!
Open from 10am to 7pm daily, the centre is filled with fun and educational activities.
From arts & crafts, splash time, picnics, storytelling, juggling, zumba, masterchef, Ukulele lessons and cartoon-time – your kids will love this place!
There are even Batik Handkerchief Painting and outdoor cinema too 😍
If they’re not the activity type, there’s even a place to lie down and watch TV.
Too awesome! Watch below video, recorded live on Facebook, where we (and the staff) explain about Kids Club in detail.
That afternoon, we went to round the island for awhile. There’s quite a number of attractions in Penang, so yo have to know what you want to see.
Have an interest on bugs, spiders, lizards and butterflies? Head over to Entopia! Located just a mere 17-minute drive from DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang, this is a perfect place for nature and animal lovers!
In the evening, we manage to fit in pool session into our itinerary. Nothing makes a toddler happier than playing with slides and landing in water, with feet on sands.
We love the concept of this kids swimming pool at DoubleTree by Hilton Penang, located just beside the Kids Club! Listen to how our toddler squealed with excitement in the above video.
It’s definitely one of the best kids swimming pool experience we’ve had! This kids swimming pool at DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang even comes with sandy floors, as seen in the above video. Now, this is our definition of fun!
And let’s not forget the perfect green view just beside the pool! Not only DoubleTree by Hilton Penang has fun kids swimming pool, the view from the pools was also very mesmerizing. Watch below video, recorded live on Facebook, for our full experience at the swimming pools.
Here comes Part 2 of our review on DoubleTree Resort By Hilton Penang. As promised, we will now share our experience having breakfast & dinner at Makan Kitchen.
We were very delighted to find the view of our breakfast during our second day staying at the resort. Located just beside the swimming pool, the resort really makes your breakfast a good start! Watch below video, recorded live on Facebook on our breakfast environment that morning.
Every family traveller loves child-friendly restaurants – and that’s exactly our first impression of Makan Kitchen at DoubleTree Resort By Hilton Penang! Their high chair was very comfy. Our toddler seemed to love seating in there for quite a stretch of time, with a great view of the outdoors!
Their children dining set was also super cute. Our toddler can’t help but talking about the animal images!
They have friendly & considerate staff, too. As you can see in the picture, Shafa was babywearing our toddler. It’s part of our strategy for Shafa to babywear our toddler while Yusof take the food for everyone, so that our toddler won’t be running around and go straight to the swimming pool.
Surprisingly while Shafa was babywearing our toddler, the staff approached her and asked whether she would like to have any drink. And below picture was the beverage she took for Shafa. That gesture was just too sweet, thank you!
Makan Kitchen at DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang really has one of the most amazing choices of breakfast buffet. Here’s what we thought!
They have wide ranges of breads, cakes, fruits and muffins (surprisingly, our son’s favourite was their fruit cake).
We love the fact that they have quite a range of pastries available, especially Yusof’s favourite chocolate crossaints!
There’s a wide choice of Malaysian food as well. Shafa’s mom & Yusof chose the Nasi Lemak with Sambal Ikan Bilis, Rendang Ayam & Omelette.
Of course, the first thing Shafa will have at any breakfast buffet is their cereals, it has been her favourite breakfast since she was a kid. Oh boy, you should’ve seen the excitement on her face when she saw the ranges of cereals available – even the rare ones such as the Fruit Loop and All Bran!
Egg lover? You can request Omelette, Over Easy, Sunny Side Up, Poach Egg, Half Boil & Hard Boil at their Egg Counter.
Noodles & Roti Canai are available too! Now that’s a complete Malaysian food.
And now we move on to our dinner experience here. Watch the above video, recorded live on Facebook, for a brief explanation about Sharing Is Caring promotion at Makan Kitchen in DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang. They were big portions, truly meant to be shared!
Sharing Is Caring promotion offers a sharing portion of the Malaysian Favourites menu. And for that, we chose:
1. Laksa Penang
2. Indian Butter Chicken
3. Hainanese Chicken Rice
4. Rendang Tulang Rusuk
Truly 1 Malaysia food! And they all tasted lovely! As you can see, each of us had our own dish, including our toddler (his was the chicken rice). And guess what? Our toddler ate most of his portion (and that’s BIG portion)! Now that should give you an idea on the level of tastiness.
What’s your thoughts on the food for breakfast and dinner here? Would love to hear from you!
Stay tuned to the Part 3 of the resort review – which we will cover the Kids Club, famous attraction and swimming pools!
What comes to your mind when you hear the word “Penang”? For us, it means good food, so we were very excited for the trip! Oh yes, and of course it also means we’ll be crossing the famous Penang bridge.
The Penang Bridge route is a 13.5-kilometre dual carriageway toll bridge and controlled-access highway in the state of Penang, Malaysia. We were lucky the weather was good for a quick photo from the car!
On our way to the resort, we passed by Tesco Seri Tanjung Pinang. Located just 14 minutes drive from the resort, it is perfectly convenient if you need to buy something from the hypermarket during your holiday!
This was another famous place that we passed by: Jeruk Madu Pak Ali. We can say that this is probably the most famous souvenir from Penang!
The shop’s Tanjung Bungah branch is just 9 minutes drive from the resort. Don’t forget to buy some of these famous pickles before heading home!
We were instantly greeted with these mouth-watering cookies after checking-in at the counter of DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang. This is, of course, on top of the beautiful lobby where you can enjoy the cookie, complete with beverage!
And now it’s time to have a sneak peek around our Family Room! Watch below video, recorded live on Facebook, where we briefly show you around the room.
We were lucky enough to have our dinner at Hameediyah Restaurant that night. A must-eat place when you’re in Penang, Hameediyah Restaurant is located about 30 minutes from DoubleTree Resort By Hilton Penang.
Considering it is the oldest Nasi Kandar in Penang, no wonder this was one of the best Nasi Kandar we’ve tasted so far! Our toddler definitely testifies to that, look at how he was enjoying his food.
And that marks the end of our part 1 review, where we cover the lobby services, family room and famous food. Stay tuned for the Part 2 of our review, where we will cover breakfast and dinner at Makan Kitchen in DoubleTree By Hilton Penang!
JenjalanKami is so excited to have our second trip to Sungai Petani! Read our first experience in Sungai Petani here.
This time around, we’re going to see what’s all the buzz about at Swiss-Inn Sungai Petani. Let’s check it out!
1. Nice view of the pools
Swiss-Inn Sungai Petani is located in Sungai Petani, a town in Kuala Muda District, Kedah. Whilst most of our other hotel reviews have sea views (oh yes, we’re beach lovers), the view from our room is satisfactory.
We had pool views! And it’s nice to see some greeneries around the hotel as well.
Don’t forget to bring your camera to the poolside at night! Who knows you’ll be able to capture some stunning shots. We particularly love this angle!
2. Behold the beauty of the Junior Suite
You may want to remember this room number. This is the Junior Suite that we stayed during the trip… And we love it!
Upon entrance, you will see a mirrored cupboard on your right, and a big cupboard on your left. You definitely can bring another guest in this suite, and still have loads of places to put your things!
Now you see, we haven’t entered the bedroom area yet – but the space was very large! It’s large enough that our toddler decided not to sit down and explore the whole area. There’s a living room with TV at one end, and a study table at the other end. We decided to put an extra bed for Shafa’s mom in the middle between these two areas.
Just beside the living room is the dressing table. Perfect, because Shafa’s mom loves using dressing table to put on makeup. Shafa rarely use it – she doesn’t wear makeup!
The toilet is separate from the shower room – so no need to fight if you need to use the toilet NOW!
And this is the bedroom… The cupboard that you see immediately when you enter the room is connected to the shower room, which you will see again in below pictures. There’s also a low shelf near the window of the bedroom to put your extra things.
And the shower room was great – it has Jacuzzi! Our toddler definitely had loads of fun bathing in there. He didn’t want to come out!
And beside the Jacuzzi is the cupboard, which was connected to the bedroom. The bathrobes are in there, so it’s really handy!
Watch the above video, recorded live on Facebook, to have a better view and feel of the Junior Suite!
3. Breakfast with a view
Who wouldn’t want to have this? Having your breakfast with a great view of the swimming pool. Probably let your kids have their fun at the swimming pool while you’re enjoying your own sweet time with your favourite food. Of course, your parental eyes will always want to look at your kids whereabouts – so this is definitely the place where you want to be if you’re not a water person!
And we definitely love the view of the egg counter… So full of greeneries! Watch the above video uploaded on Instagram to have a look of the live cooking there. The video is pretty shaky, though. Our toddler was not cooperating!
There’s a Roti Jala counter just beside the egg counter. We were quite frustrated that the Roti Jala was finished on our first day of breakfast (which means it must’ve tasted really good), but definitely happy when it’s available on our second day of breakfast! Watch below video for the full look and feel.
4. Tasty lunch and desserts
As family travellers, we know firsthand how unpredictable kids, especially toddlers, can be. They can get tired after pool time, and doze off in your arms just when you’re about to leave for lunch. Like this particular guy!
So it’s pretty convenient to just have lunch at the hotel. And we did just that! It was a great decision – turns out the hotel serves great lunch and desserts! Check out our previous post on food review at Garden Terrace, Swiss-Inn Sungai Petani.
5. Don’t forget to have your dinner at Hotmas restaurant
We know, the picture of the restaurant wasn’t that amazing. But believe us, the food was great!
After having a frustrating dinner during our first night at a restaurant nearby the hotel, we decided to try Hotmas during our second night, thanks to the reviews that Yusof had read online. It’s just a 4-minute walk from the hotel to the restaurant!
It was a great experience. They serve big portions at an affordable price. And the best thing is, the service was quite fast for that amount of crowd. Kudos!
So what’s your view after reading the full stay review at Swiss-Inn Sungai Petani? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
D’Wharf Hotel & Serviced Residence is strategically located in the heart of Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.
The Hotel is accessible via the North-South Expressway and is about an hour drive from Kuala Lumpur. It has 303 fully-furnished rooms including luxury rooms with sea views over the Straits of Malacca. It also has superb meeting rooms, making the hotel a main destination for business with the incredible sea views and town views. D’ Wharf Hotel & Serviced Residence is the perfect choice for both business and leisure, which provides the best service in hospitality.
We got to book a stay with them and we were greeted with a nice queen bed set up. A small living space is located just behind the bed.
There is also a small dining area with just enough space to eat if you will bring some food in your room or if you want to prepare something instant in the mini kitchen. Their mini kitchen has the basic equipment for a coffee and enough to warm some take outs.
There is also a main bedroom with a full window where you can enjoy the view of the beach and PD waterfront (which is basically the best place to be if you are looking for many food options)! The hotel is located just across PD Waterfront.
The main reason we booked a stay here was their Ramadan Buffet. More details on the food and set up in our Ramadan Buffet post.
You can also check the view of the pool from above! It looks so inviting especially that my toddler loves the water.
But one nice thing about this hotel is that you can add an additional bedroom with a king-sized bed with their very strategic architecture. An additional room with bathroom is available via a connecting door! Watch the above video to see it!
There is a common bathroom, though, if you will opt out of an additional room. The bathroom has enough space for a shower and a mirror. Basic toiletries are also provided.
One of the experiences here is to be able to witness a beautiful sunset view with Genting Dream Cruise in the background. You can even have the same background if you take a picture by the pool! Talk about a very awesome view!
There are also convenient vending machines and games for kids at the hotel. Perfect if you are traveling with kids, like us, so they won’t get bored and have additional activities aside from swimming. The vending machine is a favorite for us, especially when we crave for late night easy snacks!
We had dinner (which we already talked about in previous post) and took a beautiful picture in front of the hotel during the night. We can just crossed the street and walk a bit to experienced PD Waterfont’s food truck event, but we opted to drive for the convenience of Shafa’s 69-year-old mom.
Watch below videos, recorded live on Facebook, to have some idea on The Food Truck Carnival!
We had some rain in the morning but that didn’t stop us from exploring more of the hotel. We passed through the beautiful swimming pool (which had a viewing deck nearby) to be able to reach the breakfast place. What a lovely stroll in the morning!
They have varieties of food offered during the breakfast buffet. Watch below live video, recorded on Facebook, to know more about their breakfast buffet!
Because of too much food and dining experiences in the area, it was very refreshing to be able to see their gym and playground located just beside the pool area. It made the guilt from all the eating less! The area is well put up specially for kids’ safety.
Upon checking out, we waited in their nicely decorated area, leaving a smile on our faces even if we were already leaving.
It was a great experience from beginning to end, indeed. Highly recommended!
We had a three days and two nights stay at the Leo Palace Hotel at Kuala Lumpur before Ramadan.
The room we got was quite neat and had a comfortable space for a family of three with a toddler.
We had a study table where you can do work (which I don’t recommend if you are on vacation – but of course, travel bloggers don’t have much choice), charge mobile phones, and have coffee because an electric kettle and coffee mix is readily within your reach.
We got the Executive Suite which comes with a decent bathroom that has the basic toiletries and a hair dryer.
It was a bit small but the size was fairly comfortable.
From our room, we had a view of Kuala Lumpur city lights, Sunway Putra Mall, KL Tower and The Petronas Twin Towers. We love watching beautiful lights of the city at night, so this is a plus for us!
At the new wing of the Leo Palace Hotel we found a spot where you can chill while waiting for your partner to check in or check out of the hotel. But of course for us, this was the perfect spot for taking pictures!
The Leo Palace Hotel (New Wing) is located just beside the Putra Worldtrade Centre, so they are usually fully booked when there are events or conferences. I would advise you to plan ahead and book early if you want to stay here to avoid inconvenience.
Of course, we wouldn’t miss the chance to make the most of this staycation without trying out their swimming pool. It was perfectly situated on a height in the 9th floor where you get the wide view of the city with the nearby public transport (woo hoo for the kids to see trains!), buildings, and PWTC of course.
Our son loves the water, so this was really fun for him! We were able to capture a moment with the beautiful sky in the late evening at the rooftop of the hotel. We believe we got the perfect picture with all the beauty in it. The beautiful scenery with our beautiful family.
On our last day at the hotel, we had their mini breakfast buffet with a pretty good choices of food for guests of different ages. It was just right to have our bellies full to conclude our stay.
Definitely try this accommodation if you need to be near the area, and especially if you are attending event at PWTC! The price is pretty much reasonable for the convenience, comfort and service they provide.
What’s your thoughts on the resort? Wold love to hear from you!
Definitely try this accommodation if you need to be near the area, and especially if you are attending event at PWTC! The price is pretty much reasonable for the convenience, comfort and service they provide.
JenjalanKami 