Phewwwwwww. It is with great relief that I am finally concluding the trip i took last year! Hopefully, i would not take THAT long to cover a 9-day trip that i am making in April!
Back to the last day of the Ipoh - Cameron Highlands - Kuala Lumpur expedition, i was once again dragged out of the lovely, comfortable bed by the parents at 6am! $%@^$%#^#$%#Y
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We were out on the streets (to be specific, it was the famed Jalan Bukit Bintang) by 7 am; the appearance of lighted street lights was a simple testament of how early we were.
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Knowing breakfast was of utmost importance to my folks, i brought them to Jalan Alor, where i am sure we could find some decent Chinese food. In the past, the budget hotel along this stretch was my favourite choice for accommodation; hence my familiarity with the area.
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Sight of the homeless along the street; it's kind of sad to see such scenario but we are not at liberty to assume or dictate the "story" behind this man's plight. Every family has their own problems, their own story, including mine. :)
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Restoran Gou Lou with its tagline of "famous fish head noodle" caught my mom's attention.
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She ordered a serving (RM 8.50) and following was her comment after cleaning up the bowl: the broth was delicious while the fish swimming in the soup (not literally of course) was fresh and chunky! *like*
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Dad and i were not keen in soupy stuff and proceeded to have prata in a corner shop along a different street; they were pretty normal in my opinion although they did help to satisfy my craving that started in Cameron Highland the day before.
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View of the KL Tower.
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Gourmet Bak Kwa! Under the watchful eyes of the dad, i had to forgo any intention of even buying a small quantity to check them out!
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Notice anything amiss from the above photograph?
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We checked out shortly after reaching the hotel as mom had an appointment for Thai massage while i wanted to do some last minute shopping! Dad was dumped at Krispy Kreme with two donuts and a Chinese daily since he wasn't keen on either!
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A snaking long queue was found outside an attraction within Berjaya Times Square.
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It was none other than the largest indoor theme park in Asia! Ticket prices have almost doubled since its inception; i remember paying around RM 25 in the past (which, by the way, was a long time ago).
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Time to move over to the Transtar shop (135, Jalan Imbi) where we would take the 12 noon coach back to Singapore!
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One of the reasons why i chose to stay in the NS Golden Green Serviced Suite @ Berjaya Times Square was because of its proximity to the Transtar outlet. By foot, it took us no more than ten minutes. Picture above was taken right outside the Transtar.
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Grand arrival of Transtar First Class Solitaire; their top range model that was often showcased in Malaysian travel fairs. I had the pleasure of checking it out in the last fair together with Vanessa and it was just so impressive; so much so that i decided to book with Transtar for the 4-5 hour ride back to Singapore!
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Instead of the common two plus one seating arrangement, this was pure luxury at one plus one for each row! There were cons of course; for example, i tend to spend my time talking to friends / family members when i am seated next to them, instead of being separated by an aisle in this new coach.
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Every chair was fully reclinable and this is extremely important for me as i am the kind of travellers who find it hard to sleep if i am not on a sleeping-on-the-bed position.
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Compared to my coach i took (also from Transtar) to Ipoh, this was pure luxurious! There was even a massage functionality even though i had to admit it was a far cry from "real" massage chairs.
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What i love most was how roomy the seat was; I can even turn to my side comfortably to catch a wink without the need to crouch like a baby!
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I am not even halfway done! For those who could not stand the cold temperature on the bus, fret not! A cozy blanket would be provided for your personal usage should you feel chilly.
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Video on demand on a 10-inch LCD screen! I think i can spend a few days on the coach as there were so many options to select, including Japanese, Korean and even Hindi movies (yes, i enjoy Bollywood movies too)!
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The movie list was updated frequently and i could not wait to watch as many as i could!
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Unlike other coach companies, food was provided and there was even a stewardess stationed on board who would come by to pass you coffee / tea and check on your needs / wants.
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The halal bento was seriously quite good! Please keep in mind that there is only a vegetarian option and i am not sure if you could request for other meat / carbo.
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For S$36 per person, i am delighted with the service and comfort level and should have strongly recommended Transtar First Class Solitaire Coach to friends and family members. I am having second thought here because the "nothing's perfect in life" jinx decided to wreck havoc two hours into our journey; battery for the chairs and LCD monitors went dead.
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I would have taken it calmly in my stride but it pissed me when the stewardess didn't follow up promptly upon our checks with her! I had to check with her three times before she finally admitted that the problem could not be resolved. Hallo! At least tell me lah! From my conversation with a few frequent travellers, this is supposedly a common problem.
Now, that's hardly comforting news!
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Reached Singapore Custom (2nd Link) in approximately 4 hours! If you are still interested to check out the Transtar First Class Solitaire Coach for your Genting Highlands / Kuala Lumpur trips, you may book online here.=====
For Day One (Ipoh), click HERE.
For Day Two (Ipoh), click HERE.
For Day Three (Cameron Highlands), click HERE.
For Day Four (Kuala Lumpur), click HERE.
For an overview of my trip,
Click HERE.