Experiencing 'Bukit Gambang Resort City' in Kuantan, Malaysia

 Last November 2011, we were able to check in at Bukit Gambang Resort City Malaysia for 3days and 2nights. The journey going to the place took for almost 10 hours from Singapore to Kuantan, Malaysia including some stop-overs for lunch and toilet breaks.

Having that long travel time was really sick but was fun as well. Having a chance to see a part of Malaysia, though not the totality, is indeed a life-changing experience already. I was able to see the beauty of a wide forestry of Malaysia which was not yet developed and might be soon will be -- the hills full of palm trees planted on it makes the place greener and a pleasant to see.

Arriving at Bukit Gambang Resort City makes me wonder how could tourist and guest could afford that such long drive but seeing the place makes me convinced that it was a good choice though to break ourselves free for stress and tension on work we left in Singapore.

Below are some of the reviews I made based on what  we experienced during our stay at Bukit Gambang Resort City:

1. A Perfect Green Environment

It is very common that we see a perfect green environment in pictures but Bukit Gambang Resort City has their own and even have it all. Very far from the busy streets, stressful work, polluted cities and building-crowded place, it is indeed a place to relax. Its hectares of hectares surroundings let you to explore your own an have your own peace and serenity during your stay.

2. A very spacious Resort

You have a lot of places you can visit during your stay at the resort without getting bored or worrying that each place you go might have been crowded with bunch of tourist.

The swimming pool (free) for all hotel guests.

The 'Wild Wild Wet' pools which requires extra pay for the entrance

3. A very pleasant-to-stay hotel rooms

The Hotel rooms got mostly 2-bedroom (2 person per room) with its own toilet and bath (per room).

The Kitchen (view from the living room)

The Veranda

The Living Room

The Bedroom

4. The 'Tempting Foods"

Experiencing 'Johnny Rockets' for the first time (A Review)

I have never been into any 'Johnny Rockets' store ever before. Not even heard its name. It was actually my sister who introduced me this restaurant when we are walking around last November 30, 2012 at the Ayala Harbor Point in Subic Bay Freeport Zone (Philippines) when we feel we wanna eat to a place we never been into before -- Of course to a eating place with a reasonable price.

My sister introduced me couple of restaurants and each of it we take a look but doesn't fit the budget as to we would like not so expensive foods.

It was Johnny Rockets she introduced to me lastly and since food prices are good and the food itself is indeed tempting, together with the whole family, we decided to try this restaurant.

Johnny Rockets, as to what I have read in the web, already been catering in place all-over the world already which have a 1950-style fine dinning restaurants. And as  a trademark, and as to what we experience in Johnny Rockets Habor Point Subic, they are very popular for having a dancing servers. Taking not literally, 'dancing servers',  means the servers, together with all the staffs (cooks, food servers, and store managers) dance from time to time to entertain their customers. In addition to the article I have read, in some of the world, Johnny Rockets also have the 'Juke Box' inside the store for the customers to enjoy the 1950 style. Johnny Rockets is also known for its famous original recipe of their burgers.

As we have checked on the menu list, the prices were still expensive (for some) but then for us, it was still reasonable for they have also some variances like the discounted meals (catering only during weekdays -- in Harbor Point Subic Bay). 

We tried the 'Burger Steak Meal' (served with rice). It was on 50% discount then and will only costs Php99.50 (around USD$2.43 / SGD$3.10). The soda drinks were also on 'bottomless' promo for only Php119 (around USD$2.90 / SGD$3.72).

Well, the total experience was great as we really love the taste of the 'Burger Steak' having the taste of the beef so real, feels like homemade style, and not like the burger steak served in some fast food chains with artificial taste.

Below are some of the foods we enjoyed the most during our lunch in Johnny Rockets:

Coke Float

The Coke Float my niece really loved!

The 'Bottomless' Soda drink

The Half Onion Rings /  Half Fries

The Beef Burger Steak Meal

The Chicken Steak Meal

Above anything else, in any meal we have, apart from the reasonable price and the foods' taste, it the togetherness of the whole family really counts. We all enjoy the foods and we enjoy as well being with the family.

Gerry's Grill Philippines gave birth to its baby -- 'Kusina ng Gerry's at Harbor Point Subic (A Review)

After 20 months of staying in Singapore and not able to come back my Philippine hometown made me missed all Filipino foods I used to eat for almost my whole life.  A day after I came back to Philippines last November 26, I decided to have lunch out with my whole family in one of the local restaurants inside Subic Bay.

As I was planning to go 'Gerry's Grill' along Waterfront, Subic Bay, which is quite far from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority gate and will cost us to take a cab going there, my sister asked me to take Gerry's grill's 'baby branch' at Ayala Harbor Point Subic Bay. The restaurant was named as "Kusina ng Gerry's" (Gerry's Grill's Kitchen)

At first, I really thought that it was not really meant to be that way and thinking that this shop was just an imitation of the authentic Gerry's Grill, but it was not. The shop even carry it's trademark "Gerry's" name.

Upon seeing the shop and the listed menu, it was even the same as it's mother branch. Below are some of the observations I experience during our lunch at the shop:

1. "Kusina ng Gerry's" basically do not have a menu presented on table tops

Gerry's Grill, being the mother branch, have its well-presented menus like the typical fine-dining restos while Kusina ng Gerry's only have the listed menu type flashed at the oredering counter. The scenario of food-ordering at Kusina ng Gerry's is basically like ordering your favorite food in Mcdonalds.

2. Gerry's Grill and Kusina ng Gerry's are both in time:

As we were in the shop at around 2 o'clock in the afternoon and not yet having our lunch by then, we are indeed very much hungry. Good thing is that, we were there at the shop on weekdays and on a not rush-hour time so the ordering-thing is indeed fast. But what I really commend most is the promptness which all the staff have shown us. We waited for our food to be served in less than 15 minutes as I can remember.


Below are some of the foods we enjoyed on our lunch at Kusina ng Gerry's;

Pork Sisig

Pork Sinigang

Crispy Pata

Experiencing Cebu Pacific Air (A Review)

I came to Singapore last March 2011 and it will be my first time to go back my Philippine hometown this year so I really checked-out online on which airline company offers the cheapest prices for my round-trip tickets. 

I did check-out Tiger Airways, Jetstar, SEAIR, Phil Express, and Cebu Pacific where it is the latter who offers the cheapest airfare tickets when I go over the browser last September 21, 2012 so I hurriedly booked my flight tickets as I was so afraid that if I would not took it then, the price might changed the very next day. It only costed me a price of S$200+ (Singapore Dollar) including the taxes and administration fees, besides I get the return fare tickets on a 'sale' basis.

My flight date was scheduled on November 26 going to the Philippines and returning to Singapore on December 6 and the attitude of being an 'early-bird-catches-the-early-worm' really matters to be able to get the very cheap and reasonable airfare tickets.


I take Tiger Airways / SEAIR when going to Singapore and just a comparison with Cebu Pacific: 

1. It was smoothier take-off on Cebu Pacific, though, I'm not sure if the take-off differs on the pilots' skills.

2. Tiger Airways / SEAIR reach the destination earlier on the given schedule compare to Cebu Pacific which just came on time.

3. Both airlines round a couple of snacks and foods twice during the whole journey and they both offer these foods on a 'very high cost'. Cebu Pacific sells a cup noodles and a bottled orange juice for Php150 (Pesos)  or S$4++ (Singapore Dollars); A rice meals for Php350 (pesos) or about S$14.

4. Cebu Pacific provides some entertainment such as quizzes and giving away some Cebu Pacific items as prizes, when Tiger Airways / SEAIR do not.


At the end of any journey, regardless of which airline we take, it is still the safe travel and arriving on our destination safely matters a lot.

Experiencing Bayu Marina Resort (A Review)

No 1, Jalan Bayu Puteri 2/1, Taman Bayu Puteri, Tebrau,
Johor Bahru, Malaysia 80150

Since October this year 2012, my church where I am attending has planned to have this year's annual 'Church Camp' for Blazing District on November 22-25. 

As the date has come and the long wait has ended, the planned camp has pursued. We just take bus and cab going to the Resort (can take bus number 950 at Woodlands Bus Interchanged and Marsiling Station; and bus number 170 at Kranji Station). The travel just took about less than half an hour going to Singapore Immigration. 

The usual exiting and arrival to Malaysia procedure still been observed. After the clearance at the Malaysia immigration, we just take the cab from the terminal taking 'Bayu Puteri' route going to the resort. The cab fare just took about S$14. Upon reaching the resort, it was indeed amazing as we don't really used to see such a spectacular scenic-view-surrounding hotel. It feels very relaxing everytime we look at the whole place. 

But then, below are some of the observations I saw during our stay in the Resort:  

1. Delay in check-in for hotel rooms: 

All the campers arrived at around 1pm on November 22 in the Resort and as per given schedule, the assigned rooms must be ready then, but the resort was not able to give the hotel rooms yet because most of the rooms were still occupied -- meaning, the current guest occupying the rooms haven't check-out yet. I was assigned at Room 1208 having only 1 room buddy. As we enter the room, it was still messed-up (the scenario just look like the typical rooms as the guest maybe hurriedly check-out the rooms, towels scattered everywhere, the whole room filled with smoke of the cigars, untidy beds, as much more). We need still to call the chamber maids to clean-up first. We stayed for awhile at other camper's room while they're cleaning. It took the cleaning period for about 30 minutes or more. But then, I must really give credit for the staff for cleaning the room so much without us smelling the traces cigars. 

2. Failures in serving the food on time: 

During the first night (November 22, 2012) at the Resort, they do the typical hotel-like type of serving the food, where they serve on one-by-one (by course) and not the like a 'buffet" style. They serve each food as it was really nice tasting but we had so much time in waiting for the food. On other instances during our stay in the resort, we encounter either they serve the food late or they mostly run-out of food on the buffet table. We have only have only limited time for breaks which resulted for other campers not able to eat at all. 

3. 'Wi-fi connection is a must': 

One of my co-camper @monnakid (on twitter) uttered these words 'Wi-fi is a must' when she and her room buddy was asked to shift from their room at 10th floor to 19th floor as we were informed that the free wi-fi access zone is only at level 10th-13th floors. Moreover, during the first and second day of our stay here, that's the only instance where we got the free wi-fi access and the following days -- the wi-fi connection is down and not able use it at all until the day we check-out from the resort on November 25. 


Below are some of the very amazing features and scenic-views of the Resort:

The tempting foods, of course: