23 May, 2009

Bikini Wax

Today is one of those days I badly need a good laugh. Too much is going on in my life right now. I can't handle it anymore.

One of my sisters in law sent me tons of funnies. This particular one about bikini wax is actually quite funny. It's a bit gross but it's quite funny. Check it out!



Did you laugh out loud? No? Oh dear you have no sense of humour!

06 May, 2009

My Top Droppers of April 2009!

THANK YOU ALL MY TOP 10 DROPPERS!

Hello my fellow droppers! Starting from this month I am going to publish all my Top 10 Droppers here as a way of saying thanks to all of you who have taken time to drop by my site.


For the month of April, my special appreciation goes to Bigdaddyrichard from Traders' Hub who is my Top Dropper of April.

Bigdaddyrichard has come up with the new idea of a drop list which is likely to increase every blogger's page rank. If you would like to be included in his drop list, do head over to his site to find out the details.

Please drop by again and again and again. I know how hard it is to drop on a site each and everyday of the month! I am doing it myself!

Cheers everyone!

1.
Traders' Hub
Bigdaddyrichard's blog gives trading advice, makes critical reviews of related sites and teaches trading techniques.

2.
Beyond Feron
BeyondFeron.com talks about anything under the sun, everything that is relevant and things that can promote better friendship and better life.

3.
The 13
Enter a world of intrigue and suspense as a group of elite killers work to change the tumultuous society based on blood and money.

4.
Anything Goes w/ Pahn
Anything Goes w/ Pahn is a personal website of Pahn to weblog his views, opinion and some stories to the world wide web.

5.
I'm Walking On Sunshine
Personal diary. The blog talks about fun and inspiring experiences.

6.
Turn-u-off
A bit of everything from Malaysia. Site run by the friendly Monica.

7.
busylittleelf
A day in the life of an artist, mother and business owner in Cleveland, Ohio.

8.
New
A bit of everything from India.

9.
Travel on the Tide
Travel on the Tide is written by a retired newspaper publisher who spends several months each year travelling. He tells little known facts about places he has visited as well as travel tips that work.

10.
Mom's Place
A mother blogger from the Philippines who blogs about her home and family. Her site also includes articles, shopping, product reviews, stories, current news and events locally.

20 April, 2009

Ode To Susan Boyle

Susan Boyle you're an extremely courageous woman. At 47, you stand before an audience who is readily laughing at you and your dreams. And yet they all stop laughing the moment you sing your song. All they hear is an angelic voice coming out of the mouth of the most unangel-like, plain Jane, fat middle aged woman with bushy eyebrows.

For those of you who haven't seen this video clip, you'd better view it now. And then we have to ask ourselves: why do we have tears in our eyes every time we view this clip?

We have a lot of growing up to do and we owe an apology to all the Susan Boyles in the world! We shouldn't have judged a book by its cover! We are deeply sorry.

We all have a bit of Susan Boyle in us. That's why we feel for you.


Susan Boyle you rock my world!


Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent
by dwarthy

24 March, 2009

Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus by Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin

Are you in the mood for erotic love? Then this is for you - Je T'aime.....Moi Non Plus by Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin. You might have heard of this song before, banned in the 60's because of Jane's orgasmic moans. But to me, her suggestive panting and moaning is the best part of this song. It ties in so well with Gainsbourg's equally erotic lyrics.

Petty introduced Gainsbourg to me back when we were courting. Back then, we were both poor students living in London. With his erotic lyrics, Petty considers Gainsbourg a genius who really understood women. I don't understand much French but I just blindly like this song.

The lyrics are supposed to be dialogue between two lovers during a sexual rendezvous. Gainsbourg's throaty voice from too much drinking and smoking and Jane's almost innocent looking fresh face makes her heavy breathing even more erotic than it sounds, if you get what I mean.

Gainsbourg has long gone. The last time I saw Jane was in 2002 at Paléo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland. Though English by birth, she sang only in French. She looked tamed and mature. Her face mellowed with age. I couldn't relate her to the fresh face in Je T'aime.....Moi Non Plus. Such is the cruel passing of time. But this video is timeless and ageless. Let's relive her good old days with Gainsbourg.





Je T'aime.....Moi Non Plus


Je t'aime, je t'aime
oh, oui je t'aime!
moi non plus
oh, mon amour...
comme la vague irrésolu
je vais, je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
et je me retiens

je t'aime, je t'aime
oh, oui je t'aime!
moi non plus
oh mon amour...
tu es la vague, moi l'île nue
tu va, tu va et tu viens
entre mes reins
tu vas et tu viens
entre mes reins
et je te rejoins

je t'aime, je t'aime
oh, oui je t'aime!
moi non plus
oh, mon amour...
comme la vague irrésolu
je vais, je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
et je me retiens

tu va, tu va et tu viens
entre mes reins
tu vas et tu viens
entre mes reins
et je te rejoins

je t'aime, je t'aime
oh, oui je t'aime!
moi non plus
oh mon amour...
l'amour physique est sans issue
je vais, je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
je vais et je viens
et je me retiens
Non! Maintenant viens!


Nick Cave's English version of the song:

I love you, I love you, Oh yes I love you
Nor do I
Oh my love
Like the wave, irresolute
I go, I go and I come, Inside you my love
I go and I come, Inside you my love
And then I hold on

I love you, I love you, Oh Yes I love you
Nor do I
You are the wave, And I the naked island
You go, you go and you come, inside me my love
you go and you come inside me my love
and then we are one

I love you, I love you, Oh yes I love you
Nor do I
Oh my love
Like the wave, irresolute
I go, I go and I come, Inside you my love
I go and I come, Inside you my love
And then I hold on

I love, I love you my love, Inside me my love
I love you my love, Deep inside me my love
And then we are one

I love you, I love you, Oh yes I love
Nor do I
Oh my love
Physical love is a dead end
I go, I go and I come, Inside you my love
I go and I come
And I hold on

No. Now...come






Hot in Singapore loves




18 March, 2009

I've joined The First Commenter Club!

I read about Mariuca's First Commenter Club (FCC) some time ago and found it a really wonderful idea. She is a generous lady who believes in giving away free linky love to her First Commenter (FC) for any star posts that you see at her site.

It bothers me a little for not showing my appreciation for all my commenters. That's why when Mariuca came up with the idea of forming a FCC, I couldn't wait to join! The benefits are mutual. What's better than giving linky love to commenters who make the effort to stop by and comment on our blogs? It is also a great way to increase blog traffic and comments, as bloggers are more inclined to drop by our blogs to see if we have a new star post out in hope of winning the free link back that we are giving away.

As long as you see this FCC badge displayed on our sidebars, you know we are in the club and we are the generous bunch of nice people who give away linky love to our FC! If you want to join in the fun, you can drop by Mariuca's site to get the details.


First Commenter Club


The example is as below. I shall start giving linky love to my FC in my next post! So, hurry up and place your comments here. Thank you for your love!





Hot in Singapore loves





16 March, 2009

Meet my cheeky monkeys!

Sometimes it takes very little to crack me up. Like now, looking at these photos of my cheeky monkeys.



Piggy and Bearbear all smiling behind their funny looking masks


These masks were given when I bought nappies for Piggy. One mask per pack. Here they are, messing about in the bedroom.



Bearbear: I am a bear and you should be very very scared!



Bearbear: Now I am a bull and you should run for your life!

05 March, 2009

Is this your dream home?

I took a walk with mémé one day near HarbourFront area and we came across the show flat of Reflections at Keppel Bay. It's one of the most luxurious waterfront living experiences offered in Singapore.


Simple minimalist design in the bedroom

The project was designed by Daniel Libeskind. He's the architect who created the World Trade Center Memorial.


The project is overlooking Marina at Keppel Bay

According to Reflections's website, the project is set in lush and expansive grounds. The waterfront development features six high rise towers, some linked by sky bridges, and spacious low rise villas. The Libeskind development will sit on a land size of approximately 84,000 square metres with an extensive shoreline of 750 metres.

Every detail and aspect of design will optimise interaction with the sea and the commanding panoramic views of its scenic surrounds.

***************************************************************


See, mémé is so excited about the interior of Reflections

Mémé has just arrived from Switzerland to stay with us for 6 weeks. She's curious about almost everything in this city state. She thinks Singapore is a paradise on earth. She even praises the hot weather. "Oh, you don't know Angie, it's so cold in Switzerland right now. You don't want to be there."

At the entrance of the show flat, I asked her again, "So mémé, do you want to have a look at this show flat? Perhaps you can buy one here to retire."

"And why not? Let's have a look."

Yeah, that was before we looked at the price tag.

***************************************************************


Very neat design in the toilet

There are only 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom flats on show. The size, at 91 sq m (980 sq ft) for a 2 bedroom flat and 138 sq m (1485 sq ft) for a 3 bedroom, is relatively small by European standard.


Dry kitchen area where all the appliances are provided by Miele, a German brand

The estate agent quoted us a price of SGD$1.92 mio (at SGD$2,207 psf) for a 2 bedroom flat located on the 10th floor. The size is ranging from 81 to 88 sq m (872-947 sq ft)! Extremely tiny!


Wet kitchen for messy Chinese cooking

The price tag for the 2 bedroom flat on the 11th floor is a cool SGD$2.03 mio (at SGD$2,217 psf). This one has a size ranging from 82 to 85 sq m (883-915 sq ft). And the price doesn't even include furnishings in the flat!


Living area where all the furniture is from Giorgetti, a famous Italian brand

At this price one can easily get a much bigger flat, say in Zurich. The property prices in Singapore have clearly shot through the roof in the past years though there's been a sign of slowing down recently.


A second bedroom with Sentosa Island at the background

Crazy prices as they are, but they come with the Daniel Libeskind fame. For some people, this is like buying scarf with Hermès brand attached to it. It's a matter of prestige. But of course, for some, a scarf made in China offers the same functionality.


The study. Again, it's like a fashion model clothed exclusively by Giorgetti

My dream home is a big house with a lovely garden. If possible, I don't want to live in high rise building. Inside my house I want minimalist design which offers simple decor, clean lines and the least volume of furnishing.


Bedroom with very limited space

On the way out, mémé said, shaking her head in disbelief, "This is a dream home. Far too expensive but I like it very much!"

Yes indeed, with the ideal location and the condo facilities offered, not to forget a marina where buyers can dock their big boats and a golf course right next door.

Is this your dream home?

02 March, 2009

Photo Challenge Tag

Hi Monica! Thanks for tagging me for this photo challenge. Normally I don't do a lot of tags. Not because I don't want to, but because some of the tags that you guys (I mean Mariuca and Lady Java and the lot) do are just far too technically challenging for me. Luckily this photo challenge tag is damned easy!

The rule you've set for me is quite simple - just go to the 6th folder in the folder with all your photos and select the 6th photo and post it. Oh, that's piece of cake, even for me!

Voilà! here's the 6th photo from my 6th folder.



Scherrer Park in Morcote, Switzerland

The photo was taken during our weekend trip to Morcote while we were staying in Zurich. Morcote is a village on the lake of Lugano in the Italian part of Switzerland.

Scherrer Park is located on top of a hill overlooking the lake. To go up, you have to take the steps. Imagine how many steps we had to walk before reaching the top!

Not to forget - poor Petty was carrying Piggy all the way up as using baby stroller was out of the question. That's why you can tell from the photo Petty was simply exhausted after the walk!


And of course, at 6 months old, Piggy was already the size of a small sumo wrestler! Just look at the size of his head. No wonder basketball was his nickname back then. Hugo at the time was only 4 years old. My boys are my world.

I like this photo very much. It has all my favourite people in it. I have very fond memory of this trip. We drove all the way from Zurich. Then stayed at a charming small hotel located right by Lugano Lake. It was in October 2007. The weather was too cold for us to go into the pool. I remember looking at the pool from our hotel balcony, thinking: how I wish it were summer time!

Scherrer Park is a very beautifully landscaped botanical garden. It's really worth a visit when you happen to be in Morcote. Readers in Switzerland, do check out this place! If you're curious about Scherrer Park, here's the information straight out of
Morcote Tourism:

**Scherrer Park, rich with luxurious subtropical vegetation and many kinds of buildings and art, both original and copies from all over the world, were left by Mr. Scherrer's widow in 1965 to the village of Morcote with the desire to open them to the public.

This Eden, made of an impressive subtropical flora including palm trees, camellias, wisteria and oleanders, cedar and cypress trees, camphor and eucalyptus, magnolias and azaleas, orange and lemon trees, bamboo and many other kinds of fragrant plants, attracts and fascinates every visitor. The gardens are also suitable for cultural and artistic events which have always been successful.

About sixty years ago, there was a small house with a stable on the shore of the lake here, with cultivated and partly wooded hills rising behind it. At that time Arthur Scherrer acquired the house and bought plot after plot of the land surrounding it. He altered and improved the house until it became a beautiful home.
Scherrer was a romantic and a passionate gardener too. In time, he was able to create what is now called “Parco Scherrer”.

Arthur was born in St. Gall (Switzerland) on 2 November 1881. He was the eldest son of Mr. Gustav H. Scherrer, a merchant and town councillor, and he had five brothers and one sister. Scherrer went to school in St. Gall, was later educated together with other boys of respectable families from different countries at the then famous college “Institut Schmidt”.

Later he went to Lausanne to complete his study of French, and then he studied at the Textile and Weaving College in Aachen (Germany). Next he staged in Siena (Italy), where he studied Italian. He then went to North America to learn English and to receive a business education. On his return to Europe he took over his father’s cloth-trade in Munich (Germany), developing a modest “Loden”-Shop into one of the smartest fashion-houses for men. Arthur Scherrer died in 1956.

In 1965 Mrs. Scherrer donated the Park to the Commune of Morcote, on condition that it was made accessible to the public. This exclusive garden offers today a unique and marvellous background for cultural and artistic events, and with its new structural improvements it brings ever more visitors to share in Arthur Scherrer’s dreamworld.**


***********


Leon, Maiylah, Jade, Gagay, Bill, Emm, Miss Igorota, Nurin, Marlene, PinkLady, chinkygirlmel, Kikit, *Lynne*, Vicky, Azlan and Romy! Let's play along with the photo meme tag! Have fun!

01 March, 2009

Interview with Hot in Singapore's Angie


Morcote in the Italian part of Switzerland

The lovely lady with a big smile from Emm in London is in the mood to interview fellow bloggers. I've volunteered and this is the end result.

Emm, as she's confessed, is a South African living in London. Her blog is all about her adventures in the UK and the holidays she takes. She is curious and energetic - these are great assets frequently shown in her travel posts.

If you're a TV addict, book worm, movie freak cum music lover, you should not miss Emm's
Emm Media. Here you'll be able, amongst all other things, to pick a movie to watch based on Emm's review.

If you're into current affairs, Emm also runs a blog called
A passion to understand. It's a collection of current affairs and selected news which has caught Emm's attention. She then publishes the story in her blog with a twist of her own added flavour.

Emm is also a very special person as far as my blog is concerned - she is by far my first ever follower! Hooray!!

Now let's find out what Emm would like to know about me. Ahem, here we go........


1. What made you start blogging? Did you have other friends that had blogs or did you spend time reading other people's blogs and decide it was for you?

In 2007, a colleague introduced me to a blog written by a Taiwanese woman living in Switzerland. Through reading her blog I found out that she could manage to earn a decent income by writing about her daily life and compiling the written posts into books. She then proceeds to sell her books on the net.

And at that time I thought: Hmm, I can do that!

But as you can see, currently I am still stuck at the stage where I'm writing about my daily life.....but then, blogging is fun. It combines my love affair with words and photography. That's why I'll keep doing it in the foreseeable future although it's far from rewarding financially.


2. What did you think about moving to a foreign country the first time you did it? Had you done lots of travelling before that? How did you fit in?

The first time I left Malaysia, it was for me to go for further studies in London. It was daunting as I had not done much travelling before that. I was foolhardy, totally unstreetwise and I was only 18. I remember the first time I went out with an English boy. He came to my flat with half a dozen of Foster's beer and a box of condom. I was expecting flowers and romance and turned out that he was only interested in sex! What a shock for an 18 years old looking for love!

My second move was from Malaysia to Switzerland after getting married with Petty. With my smooth London experience, I thought it would be easy peasy to live in another European city. But as it turned out, Zurich is NOT London! It's not just another European city. To start with, I had to start learning a new language. i.e. German. In my first year in Zurich, I couldn't even get our local butcher to cut my sirloin steak at a certain thickness. The first time I cooked for Petty and his friends, I chose a piece of horse meat from the supermarket when all I wanted was a piece of beef fillet! Oh dear, those were the days. The unglamourous truth of living abroad.


Singapore city centre


3. I have been to Singapore but never to Malaysia. Are the countries similar or completely different?

Singapore and Malaysia are similar in many ways. Not to forget, not too long ago the two countries were part of the Federation of Malaysia. In 1965, Singapore, under the rule of the formidable Lee Kuan Yew, was expelled from the Federation to form the Republic of Singapore, after Mr. Lee's disagreement with the federal government in Kuala Lumpur.


Though similar in terms of geographical make up, the two countries are world apart when come to things like politics, population and cultural make up. To start with, At 707 sq. km, Singapore is the smallest country in South East Asia. Along with Monaco and Vatican City, it is also one of three remaining sovereign city states in the world. Malaysia, on the other hand, is a vast country with land area totalling 329,749 sq. km.

Politics-wise, Malaysia was established as a constitutional monarchy having the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (The Sultan) as the Head of State who assumes largely a ceremonial role. Singapore's political framework is based on a parliamentary republic whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government. Though largely seen as a democratic nation, Singapore has long been classified by the Economist's Intelligence Unit as being a hybrid model with democratic and authoritarian elements.

Both Singapore and Malaysia are multi racial nations. However, Singapore has a majority of Chinese in the make-up of its multi-racial population whereas Malaysia is a Muslim dominated society in which the Malays are the majority.

On a lighter note, Singapore is well known for its high rise government sponsored HDB flats whereas most Malaysians live in terraced landed-properties. Singapore has kiasuness - it literally means fear of losing. This is a unique Singaporean mentality. The adjective, kiasu, is mainly used to describe a social attitude of being afraid to lose out in a highly competitive society. Malaysians, with the Malays majority, are generally regarded as being more laid back and easy going by nature.

I guess I am boring you to death with all these dry facts. Let's move on to the next question.


Roach Reefs Resort in Tawau, Malaysia


4. What do you miss most about home? Do you ever visit? Would you like to return home eventually?

When I am out of Malaysia, first and foremost I miss my family dearly. Next comes all the local food, especially Malay food such as nasi lemak and sambal prawns. Since I moved to Singapore in July 2008, I took the opportunity twice to go back home to visit. First visit was to Kuala Lumpur to show my newborn, Piggy, to my mom and other family members. Second visit was to celebrate Chinese New Year with my family in Tawau - a small seaside town on the island of Sabah, otherwise known as North Borneo.

I doubt if I will ever return to Malaysia eventually as I've tried and tested my life in Switzerland and I do like my lifestyle there. When I am out of Switzerland, I miss my friends dearly, and of course the natural beauty of Switzerland is always on my mind no matter where I go.


5. Which country would you like to visit that you have never visited before? Which country would you never visit?

I love travelling. Currently my favourite countries to visit are America, Argentina and South Africa. To me, there isn't a country that I would never visit. Each and every country in this world is worth at least one visit in my lifetime.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Now if you'd like to be interviewed:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."

2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).

3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.



There you go. If you would like to be interviewed by me, please write to me at my email address angieeverywhere@gmail.com. I shall then email you my questions. Have fun!

13 February, 2009

Valentine's Day for Nurse Sharks




HAPPY ST. VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL MY READERS!



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE:

Valentine's Day is over. This was what I got from Petty. It looked more like a wedding bouquet than flowers for Valentine's Day. Bearbear said it well," Auntie Cherry's boyfriend gave her red roses. How come papa gave you white tulips?"





My presents for Petty were Belgian chocolate truffles and a pair of Italian shoes. He loves Italian shoes and Swiss chocolates but too bad I couldn't get hold of Swiss chocolates at the last hour. But Godiva is not bad, right?



Thanks everyone for commenting here. And a big thank you to Uncle Lee who was kind enough to shower me with lots and lots of expensive gifts on Valentine's Day.

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09 February, 2009

Good Bye, Chinese New Year!

Today is the final day of Chinese new year celebration. Before it officially ends, I'd like to share with you some pics taken right before the new year in Singapore's China Town.


Dried meat - a must for Chinese new year dinner. But my Swiss mom in law finds the taste unpalatable. Well, my mom thinks the same about her cheeses.

A nation with a penchant for celebration of all sorts, Singapore is unique in that it embraces celebrations of all races.



Chinese shoppers hunting for pre-new year bargains.

For those of you who miss out the Indian's Thaipusam Festival, do head over to
Eastcoastlife. ECL has brilliantly covered this colourful event at Little India here in Singapore.

Let's now catch the last ray of Chinese new year before it fades away.



I wonder why they bother to buy plastic flowers for Chinese new year....?




New year decoration in front of a shop house.



New year ornaments - The Chinese adores red which is seen as a colour of good fortune.



Greedy kids are sampling all kinds of seeds - a must for Chinese new year.
No, you're wrong. These are not for birds.




Taiwanese goodies sold here. Mark my word, the taste is damned disgusting.



Tea house and restaurant.



Fruits, fruits and more fruits. But no durians. Bearbear was extremely disappointed.



Dear money god, I'm praying hard to you to bring good fortune to the whole wide world!

07 February, 2009

Hotel Review: Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa Bali

If you want a romantic holiday, go to Bali. There were good reasons why once upon a time Mike Jagger and Jerry Hall chose to tie the knot on this tropical paradise.



Romantic seafront dining on Nusa Dua Beach - example no 1



Romantic seafront dining on Nusa Dua Beach - example no 2

Bali is one of Indonesia's 17,000 islands. It is located east of Java Island and west of Lombok. Though Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in the world, interestingly the majority of the 3 million inhabitants in Bali are Hindu.



You don't have to do much here. Just lie down and relax.



Nusa Dua Beach 8 o'clock in the morning. Not a soul in sight.



The white sand and shallow water make Nusa Dua Beach an ideal place for children

If you want to stay in a hotel with pure Balinese flavour,
Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and Spa ("Nusa Dua Hotel") is the place to be. Let's take a tour of the hotel premises.



This is the magnificent Candi Bentar entrance gate to the hotel. Can you guess what awaits you behind it?

Located in the renowned Nusa Dua resort area, Nusa Dua Hotel is by far the most established hotel on the laguna strip sitting side by side with the Roll Royce of hotel industry - Melia Bali Sol, Bali Hilton International, Sheraton Laguna and The Grand Hyatt just to name a few.



Angry looking Balinese statue guarding the hotel main entrance



Jogging track that leads you to other hotels on Nusa Dua Beach

There's no barrier between hotels. So you can just go 'hotel hopping' to try out different restaurants and clubs available at each hotel.



Bearbear imitating the moody face of a stone statue



Hotel main lobby by night



Hotel main lobby during the day



Raja's Balinese Restaurant - a must try during you stay at Nusa Dua Hotel

If you come here for dinner, you will be entertained by a group of musicians playing traditional Balinese instruments and serenading you with soothing Indonesian songs.

Bengawan Solo, riwayat mu ini
Sedari dulu, jadi perhatian dewi Sari
Music kemarau, tak berapa airmu
Di musim hujan air meluap sampai jauh



Budaya Cultural Theatre on the hotel compound

However, of all the hotels that lie on the same beach adjacent to Nusa Dua Hotel, Nusa Dua Hotel is the one that retains the ultimate Balinese charms in terms of culture and architecture. There's small wonder that it is a member of The Leading Hotels of The World.




Balinese artistic expression is evidenced through out the hotel premises. Here, an over sized frog! I wish I could bring it home!



The lagoon pool is not your ordinary swimming pool. The shallow part of the pool is covered with sand.

When Petty asked me to book a hotel room for us for the long weekend getaway, I had Hyatt in mind. Then I checked on the net and found that Nusa Dua Hotel offered a last minute deal on their Palace Club Room at a very competitive price of USD170 per room per night.

Seeing this, I decided to push the boat out and book a Palace Club Room. This review, therefore, is based entirely on my Palace Club experience.




Entrance to the Palace Club Lounge which is available to members only. Palace Club guests get to enjoy the privileged Palace Club services.



Daily buffet breakfast is served at the Palace Club Lounge, away from the crowd.



One corner of the Lounge

The hotel also throws in all day non-alcoholic beverages, served only at the Lounge. For 2 hours in the afternoon, free flow afternoon tea is served with cakes and pastries. For another 2 hours in the evening, pre-dinner cocktails are served with Balinese and Western finger food.

Butler service is available 24 hours.




Another corner of the Lounge

If you like alcohol, the Palace Club deal is a deal made in heaven. But it makes me wonder - how can one consume so much food and drink within a day?




Palace Club guests also get to enjoy the use of a lush and meticulously landscaped tropical garden.



There are ducks and squirrels sharing your private garden with you.

Not to forget, there's even separate check-in/out at the Palace Lounge. It's a good service for men coming here with their mistresses or well-heeled tai tai coming here with their toyboys.



With the hotel property spread over a land area of 8.5 hectares, Nusa Dua Hotel needs huge plant like this to fill up its lush tropical gardens.

Some hotel guests find the large size overwhelming. Some reviews even name this as a disadvantage of the hotel, as one has to walk quite a bit to get from one point to the other within the hotel premises.

I personally like the size very much. It gives me a feeling of being in open space.




The Royal Residence where kings and queens are entertained.

Once available only to Royalty such as Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, François Mitterrand and the like, today the Royal Residence is open to public.

According to the hotel staff, The Sultan of Brunei is the current owner of the hotel. He stays at the Royal Residence whenever he's in town.

With his petrol money, buying a property like Nusa Dua Hotel must be like us shopping for a modest-looking holiday home. At times I can't help thinking it's great to be rich. In fact The Economist has found out that there's a direct relation between one's level of happiness and the amount of money one has.

Oops, getting out of track here. Let's move on to the hotel room.




Balinese interiors at the Palace Club room.



Rich and delicately carved wooden furniture.



The back door opens up to a private garden.



Balinese artistic touch is evidenced everywhere in the hotel, even in the bathroom. Notice the small bowl of light blue bath salt? What a nice touch.



Shower room where one can have a shower sitting down.



Very good water pressure here. You'll definitely enjoy your bath.

The hotel's spa is spread over 5,000 square meters of lush tropical garden.

Since the hotel is so large, some guests, I believe, do not explore the entire hotel properly during their stay here. That sums up why the spa lap pool was empty on the day I visited while the hotel's main pools were crowded.




Beautiful lap pool at the spa



I swam here ALL ALONE



Entrance to the spa. Bearbear wanted a photo with these lovely frangipani and rose petals.



A corner of the spa lap pool decorated with Balinese stone-carved statues.



Spa villa where additive massages are given. Prices here are quite reasonable as compared to what you usually get in Thailand.



Once inside the Lady Spa Room, you are greeted by a wooden lady.



Hot pool to warm you up. I know what you're thinking - no, that pair of slippers doesn't belong to me.



The cold pool is bloody cold.

A Russian woman jumped inside and she apparently enjoyed it. Perhaps it's considered 'warm' in Russia.

Oh, BTW, that's her pair of slippers in the pic above. She's a funny woman. Very talkative. But I couldn't understand a word! I tried English. She looked at me as if I were alien. Then I tried "Parlez-vous français?" She shook her head. "Sprechen Sie Deutsch?" She still looked blank. Then I thought, wait a minute, we are now in Bali, she's probably picked up some Indonesian language before she comes here.

"Boleh kah awak cakap Bahasa Indonesia?" Oh dear, I gave up and we switched quickly to sign language instead. Perhaps I should start learning Russian.




Bearbear wear flowers behind his ears. When in Bali, do as the Balinese do.

While you're staying at Nusa Dua Hotel, do take a ride to Jimbaran Beach for seafood. The above pic was taken when we were dining on Jimbaran Beach.

It's quite convenient to just get a taxi from the hotel. But some reviews recommend getting the restaurant to send a taxi to your hotel FOR FREE to transport you to and fro. But in return you MUST eat at the particular restaurant.




While in Bali, shopping for Ralph Lauren T-shirts is a must.

There's a factory here in Bali but you have to compromise on the quality. You can't compare it to what you normally get in Europe but prices are much lower here in Bali.

Overall, it's a very satisfying stay at Nusa Dua Hotel. The staff are friendly and courteous. It's a family orientated hotel where kids are entertained by trained staff at the Gecko Kid's Club.

Hotel facilities are good and the room rates are quite reasonable as compared to hotels in the same league.


Any drawbacks? Yes of course. The water level at Nusa Dua Beach can get very low at low tide. If you like to swim in the sea, you have to stick to the low/high tides schedule provided by the hotel.

For some, as I mentioned earlier, the sheer size of the hotel could be off-putting as it makes getting from one point to the other tiring. Other than that, I can't really find fault in this hotel no matter how hard I try. SO PACK YOUR BAG AND ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY IN BALI!