Japan - Hokkaido

I was delighted when my company announced that 2009 Sales Conference will be held in Hokkaido. The trip, originally planned for March was postponed when we hit a rough patch in delivering Q1 2010 budget. We finally make it to Hokkaido in June 2010. Upon arrival at the newly opened Chitose International Terminal Building, we were greeted by local guides who are also Malaysian, living in Japan for many years.

Hokkaido (北海道) is the northernmost of Japan's four main islands. Home to Japan's aboriginal Ainu race, Hokkaido continues to represent the untamed wilderness with many great national parks but our itinerary covers only Sapporo (the capital and by far the largest city in Hokkaido), Otaru (harbour city with a canal) and Noboribetsu (Hokkaido's largest hot spring resort).

Sapporo or "important river flowing through a plain" in Ainu language, became famous after the 1972 Winter Olympic Games. Today, the city is well known for its ramen, beer and annual snow festival which is held in February. Places we visited in Sapporo:

Nijo market - a public market in central Sapporo where locals and tourists shop for fresh local produce and seafood such as crabs, salmon eggs, sea urchin and various fresh and prepared fish. Many from our group tried sea urchin and sushi while the most popular purchase is dried scallops. I find Nijo market a let-down compared to the fish market I've visited in Ibaraki as well as the seafood markets on the ground floor of the restaurant where we had our lunches during our stay in Hokkaido.

Sapporo Clock Tower (Tokeidai) is the symbol of Sapporo's past. Development in Hokkaido started much later than the rest of Japan and many ideas from around the world have come together to make the city a bit different from the rest of Japan. This outside influence can be seen in Sapporo’s famous Clock Tower which is now a National Important Cultural Property. It was originally constructed as a drill hall of the Sapporo Agricultural College. In 1881, the Boston's clock was added to the building. Today it houses a small museum and used for various cultural activities. It is one of the most photographed buildings in Sapporo but is it worth seeing? Well...it's just an ordinary clock tower that you will not miss.

Odori Park - the broad median of Odori ("large street") separates Sapporo city into North and South. The park stretches over twelve blocks and offers pleasant green space during the warmer months. In February, it stages the annual Sapporo Snow Festival. In summer, it is just like any other park but in winter, it is transformed into a winter wonderland.

At the eastern end of Odori Park stands the TV Tower with an observation deck that offers nice views of Odori Park and the city of Sapporo. The TV Tower was built in 1957, modeled after France’s Eiffel Tower and it is the fourth tallest tower in Japan.

Susukino is well known as Japan's largest entertainment district north of Tokyo. It is packed with stores, bars, restaurants, karaoke shops, pachinko parlors and red light establishments but the area is as safe as anywhere else in Japan. Along the street, we saw many young men (or rather boys to me) promoting "drinking or chatting companionship" for outlets (mostly bars and karaokes) which are located in the high rise buildings. It is the place to meet all the quaint and sparkling denizens of Sapporo that come out to play at lights out.

Of special interest to noodle lovers is the Ramen Yokocho, a narrow lane lined with nothing but hole-in-the-wall ramen shops serving the famous Sapporo ramen, each with it's own secret soup. The oldest is Rai Rai Ken - one of the first encountered on the left hand side if you enter the alleyway from the north. The owners have been running the shop for more than 40 years. I was told that Hong Kong TVB's ramen epicure program was shot in Ramen Valley. If you follow the program, you would know which outlet has the best ramen but if you don't, the easiest way is to peep into the shop and see whether there are customers or simply join the long queue. I did not try out the ramen as I was just too full after the sumptuous crab (king crab, snow crab and hairy crab) buffet at Ori No Sapporo Restaurant.

Asahi Beer Brewery - we arrived Asahi Brewery on Sunday and instead of viewing the packaging line from behind windows, we were ushered into a theatre by the beautiful Japanese receptionist. We spent about 15 mins watching the video on Asahi beer production which left many of us envious as this is the only job where drinking is allowed during working hours. After the short video clip, we proceeded to the half an hour "all you can drink" Asahi beer/soft drink/tit-bits tasting session. While it says "all you can drink", if you are seen to be too drunk, you can be denied of more beer by the attendance. For Muslim, there's beer with "0" alcohol too. For those who do not like beer, Asahi also produces juices and isotonic drinks.

Shiroi Koibito Park - a theme park by Ishiya, a local chocolate company. The company's flagship product are the Shiroi Koibito cookies, two thin butter cookies with white chocolate in-between. The name "Shiroi Koibito" which literally mean "beloved ones" in Japanese came from founder when he casually described the gently falling snowflakes as "white beloved ones" one December day on his way back from skiing. Today it is a mandatory item on the souvenir shopping list of most visitors to Hokkaido. Visitors can observe the production process behind Shiroi Koibito cookies from the tour corridor on the third floor. Visitors of all ages from adult to children can also try their hands at making confections including designing their own heart-shaped Shiroi Koibito cookies.

Otaru Canal (Otaru Unga) was built in the last days of the Taisho era and half of it remains today. It used to be a central part of the city's busy harbor in the first half of the 20th century however, changes that occurred in marine transportation diminished its role and it soon became less important. In the 1980s, its promenade was improved, born again as a sightseeing spot, thanks to the conservation activity of the canal. Along the canal stand stately warehouses made of bricks or Sapporo freestone which are now turned into restaurants, variety stores, and souvenir shops.

Otaru Music Box Museum, built with red bricks a century ago, is one of the most famous buildings in the town. Inside, it is more like a shop than a museum. The 3 floor building is full of small and big music boxes (Japanese call it "orugol"). For an additional fee, customers can build their own music boxes. The Steam Clock, located outside of the music box museum, was a gift from Vancouver to Otaru. A boiler sends steam into the clock, whose steam whistle blows hourly to tell the time. Every 15 minutes,the clock plays the same melody as the chimes of Westminster Abbey in London.

Otaru is also well known as a town of glass manufacturing. This began with the production of kerosene lamps and floating balls used in herring fishery (an industry that brought the city its prosperity during the Meiji and Taisho eras). Today, there are many stores selling glassware in Otaru. Among them, the one with the oldest history is Kitaichi Glass which was founded in 1901. I bought 4 non-drip soy sauce cruet from one of the Kitaichi Glass outlets as souvenir for my sisters :)

Noboribetsu ("a cloud river tinged with white" in Ainu launguage) Onsen is home to Jigokudani (Hell Valley) and features many other springs in addition to Jigokudani that provides 10,000 tons of water per day at temperatures from 45 to 90 degree C to hotels and inns around the hot springs.

Jigokudani or "Hell Valley" is in reality an explosion crater and the remnant of an active volcano known as Kasayama that erupted nearly 10,000 years ago. Inside this 1½-mile-wide volcanic crater are numerous little yellow and red domes. Gas, steam vents and pools of boiling water can be found in numerous places throughout the valley, giving this boiling bubbling landscape the nickname "the inferno where demons dwell".

Many statues related to hell and demons can be found located around the hot spring quarter of Noboribetsu Onsen including Karaburi Enma-do, a shrine dedicated to Enma Daio - the judge of the afterlife in Japanese mythology, Oni Bokora - shrine dedicated to "Nenbutsu Kizou" handed down from the Edo period and Oyako Oni (Demon Parent and Child Statue).

Noboribetsu Date Jidai Mura (Noboribetsu Date Historical Village) is an authentic reproduction of an Edo period (1603-1867) village based on historical research. There are 94 wooden-framed buildings and the Great Ninja Theater where visitors can enjoy the fierce battles of ninja in high definition. The park also features a "showcase of Monsters", a Japanese traditional cultural theater and other attractions like the O-Edo threatre, The Ninja Fort, Ninja Maze, O-Nyanko Cat Temple and many more.

We ended our trip with more SHOPPING. This time, at the recently opened Mitsui Outlet Park, one of the biggest outlet malls in Hokkaido. I was very impressed with the amount of Coach handbags bought by our group...a total of no less than 67 Coach bags! Not counting those of other brands. I bought a Cole Haan :)

Did I enjoyed Hokkaido? Actually, it was not up to my expectation apart from the seafood. My conclusion is that we have visited Hokkaido at the wrong time...maybe it's more impressive during autumn or winter.

Australia - Sydney

Sydney is a vibrant, dynamic and accessible city. My first Sydney exploration was in 2006 with my hubby. My second trip was in 2008, my first sales conference with GSK. My first trip was primarily focused on the tourist attractions around Central Sydney (The Rocks, Sydney Opera House, Chinatown, Circular Quay, Darling Harbour, Sydney Tower) whereas the second trip includes Sydney Fish Market, Royal Botanic Garden, Port Stephens and Katoomba.

Sydney Fish Market, the largest fish market in the Southern Hemisphere and the world second largest seafood market outside of Japan (based on variety) is where we had lunch. After a sumptuous seafood meal at the Fisherman Wharf Restaurant, many of us were still hunting for more seafood in the market place. It is hard to resist the tempatation when you had to walk pass so many stalls with different types of seafood. Koon Yin and I share a dozen oyster, so fresh and yummy! Great place to enjoy quality local seafood at very reasonable prices.

Mrs Macquaire's Chair, otherwise known as Lady Macquarie's Chair, provides one of the best vantage points in Sydney. The historic chair was carved out of a rock ledge for Governor Lachlan Macquarie's wife, Elizabeth, as she was known to visit the area and sit enjoying the panoramic views of the harbour. The views are still enjoyed today, over 150 years later by hundreds of Sydney siders and tourists each day. I heard if you make a wish while sitting on Mrs Macquarie's Chair, there's a great chance of it becoming true.

On the way to Port Stephens, we stopped for sand dune sandboarding. The grains of sand have been washed in from the sea and blown ashore to form dunes up to thirty metres high. Our guide told us that most of the sand was deposited about six thousand years ago. Is sandboarding fun? Well, going down the sand dune was fun but trudging uphill on a large sand dune with a steep gradient is absolutely murderous. More so when you have just face-planted into the bottom of said dune and are spitting sand out.

Next stop...Port Stephens for dolphin watching on board Moonshadow Cruise. We were all very anxious and had high hope of seeing dolphins as we were told Port Stephens is home to more than 150 bottlenose dolphins but to our disappointment, we only managed to catch a glimpse of a dolphin's fin. So much for the thrill of being up close with the wild dolphins of Port Stephens.

Opened in 1930, Koala Santuary Park, founded by the late Noel Burnet was the first private koala sanctuary in New South Wales. The preservation of the koala is the main theme of the park but visitors can also walk in and pat the kangaroos, meet a wombat and chat with cockatoos. There is lots more to see and do, including visiting the echidnas, dingoes, wedge tailed eagles, flying foxes, kookuburras and emus or go along to one of the sheep shearing shows.

Katoomba is a derivative of the Aboriginal word ‘Kedumba’ meaning ‘shiny, falling waters’ after the natural beauty of the area. Katoomba, home to Echo Point and the famous Three Sister is the most visited town in the Blue Mountains. A visit to the Blue Mountains would not be complete without viewing the spectacular Three Sisters at Echo Point. Well, we actually did not get to see the Three Sisters because of bad weather. It was raining and foggy.

The ride on Scenic Railway and Sceniscender, the steepest aerial cable car in Australia was an experience in itself. It is also in Katoomba (Canton Palace) that I had my first taste of kangaroo meat! Do I like it? Yes, it tasted just like beef especially when it's fried with black pepper.

For food, fun and bargain shopping, head towards Haymarket, home to Sydney's Chinatown and Paddy's Market / Market City. A great place for Yum Cha, watching Chinese herbalist preparing Eastern remedies and to hunt down discounts. The area is also fast becoming a late night entertainment venue with restaurants opening till late.

Darling Harbour is the other area worth checking out for food, fun and shopping. The lively waterfront percinct has developed into one of Sydney's largest dining, shopping and entertainment areas with exhibition and convention centers. One of the prime hotspots, King Street Wharf, is packed with sleek dining establishments. The Cockle Bay Wharf offers waterfront promenades with alfresco cafés, bars and restaurants. Across the water, lies Harbourside Shopping Centre, a dynamic mix of shops, restaurants and food to go. Not forgetting, The Rocks. With it's colourful history dating back to convicts days, The Rocks is now a magnet for visitors who flock to its many shops, boutiques, pubs and restaurants.

Sydney is never short of great places for food and shopping. Explore by foot around Circular Quay and I'm sure you will be spoilt of choices too! There is a Malaysian restaurant close by Marriot Hotel if you are home sick.

Visit the Sydney Tower to take in the best views of Sydney from the Tower's Observation Deck, the highest tourist attraction and building in Sydney. Sydney Tower provides a panoramic 360 degree view from the Sydney Harbour Bridge on the north, picturesque Blue Mountains to the west, historical Botany Bay on the south and to the east, the magnificent Pacific Ocean.

To complete our Australian experience, we went on the OzTrek located on the Podium Level. Safely strapped into our seats, we were taken on a journey across Australia’s landscapes, history and terrain to explore its national treasures. Soar above Sydney’s iconic structures, the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Turn back time to the decks of The Bounty and historical Ballarat during the Gold Rush. Dip through Queensland’s Barron Gorge and Tully River and even visit the mystical Uluru. The experience with special effects, the sensational surround sound and heart–stopping real motion seating lasted approximately 15 minutes.

For the adrenalin junkie, try out the Skywalk, a breathtaking outdoor tour on the roof top of the highest tourist attraction in Sydney. Skywalk is double the height of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the same height as the Eiffel Tower. Skywalk takes 60 minutes and runs approximately every hour. No bookings required. Sky walking is definately not something that I'll ever do in this lifetime.

China - Suzhou

I've visited Suzhou some years back but since my husband has never been there, we jumped on the idea to join Bibi and John on one of their business trips.

There was an old saying "Paradise in Heaven, Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth". Suzhou, about 80 kms west of Shanghai, is renowned for its beautiful stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens. Streets and alleys extend side by side with canals.

We flew on AirAsia to Hangzhou and drove to Suzhou. Upon reaching Suzhou, we were given a massage treat by Bibi and John at the Dragonfly Spa. A great way to loosen up after landing followed with dinner where we get to eat a very special dish called Squirrel Fish, a dish not to be missed in Suzhou. Another must try dish is the pau like dumpling from the shop "Tar Ah Er" in old Suzhou town.

While Bibi and John are working, we visited the Humble Administrator Garden. It was originally built in 1509 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) as a private garden of Wang Xianchen. The name of the garden came from the humble life of Wang who intended to build a garden after retirement, planting trees and vegetables.

Humble Adminstrator Garden consist of 3 sections; Eastern, Central and Western sections. It was created upon the old relics of a resident and a temple. Water feature and its natural landscape including small forests, hills and rock formations formed the main background with man-made pavilions, halls and parlors.

Some of the garden's attractions are; Cymbidium Goeingii Hall (Lanxiang Tang) which has the map of the entire garden on its south wall, Celestial Spring Pavilion (Tianquan Ting) which is named after an ancient well whose water tastes very sweet, The Hall of Distant Fragrance (Yuanxiang Tang) which is named after a lotus pool nearby, designed with oversized glass windows on all sides for easy viewing, Small Flying Rainbow Bridge (Xiaofeihong) a rare type of bridge and the only one in the garden you can walk across, The 18 Camellias Hall (Shiba Mantuoluohua Guan), The 36 Pairs of Mandarin Duck's Hall (Saliu Yuanyang Guan) and the Pagoda Reflection Pavilion (Taying Ting) an optical illusion where the pagoda seems to be lifting when all we actually see is the reflection of the pavilion. Ghee and I had a great time walking around The Humble Adminstrator Garden.

Our next stop Tiger Hill, got its name after a white tiger came and sat upon, as though guarding the grave of King He Lu, 3 days after his funeral. Tiger Hill is also known as Surging Sea Hill and is a large hillock with a number of historical sites some of which can be traced back over 2500 years to the founding of Suzhou.

Tiger Hill Pagoda, Suzhou vicinity's oldest pagoda stands on the hill's summit and has become a symbol of the city. It is a seven-story octahedron, built during the Northern Song Dynasty after the style of the timber pagodas built during the early Tang dynasty. It is 48 metres high (158 feet) and for the past four hundred years has leant 359' to the northwest. Italy has leaning tower of Pisa, Malaysia has Telok Intan leaning clock tower and China's Leaning Tower is right here in Suzhou!

Sword Testing Stone and Sword Pool is said to be the testing stone used by King He Lu, a zealous collector of rare swords. The crevice made in the rock is the only evidence of the existence of these swords as it is believed that they were buried beneath the Sword Pool as funerary objects. Another mystery that surrounds the tomb is the whereabouts of the remains of the 1,000 workers who built it and who were put to death upon completion of the task.

Thousands of bonsai tree is on display in Wanjing Villa. The miniature replicas of full sized gardens are sure to amaze and give an insight into the skill and artistry of Chinese master gardeners that has been handed down from long ago.

There can be little doubt that Tiger Hill is a wonderful sight with its leaning pagoda (China's Leaning Tower), waterfalls and landscaped paths. It will never cease to amaze and enthral visitors with its heritage and it is hard to believe that the hill was man made to be the burial place of a king.

42% of Suzhou is covered with water including a vast number of ponds and streams. So, how can our trip be complete without a visit to Tongli, an age-old but very well preserved water township with a history of more than 1,000 years?

Tongli (originally named Fushi, also known as Little Venice) is famous for its bridges of various styles and has a reputation of a "museum of ancient architectures".

15 small river lanes crisscrossed the town, over which spans around 49 stone bridges in variety of styles. The most notable are Peace and Tranquility (Taiping) Bridge, Luck (Jili) Bridge and Lasting Celebration (Changqing) Bridge, also known as Ternate Bridges as they cross three rivers at their confluence and form a natural ring road. Whenever there is an important occasion, such as wedding, people would like to walk through the three bridges, which is supposed to bring peace, fortune and happiness in their lives.

Houses and temples dating from the Ming and Qing Dynasties are built along the riversides and decorated with flying eaves, carved windows, porcelain furniture, figured clay bricks, dapper gardens and small stairs leading down to the water.

Tongli can be easily explored on foot (we did that) or by taking boat cruises. We stopped for lunch in one of the little cafes along the river but Ghee could hardly eat anything and kept telling me he is not hungry. I only found out why he was not eating after we departed Tongli and he asked the driver to stop at McD for burgers - he could not put any food into his mouth because he saw some villages washing laundry upstream and downstream, some other villages were washing vegetables and chicken! Wonder how our food was prepared?

UK - Dover

The White Cliffs of Dover which lie along the shore of England beside the English Channel is an ancient and important English port. It is the port where we start our 12 days cruise to the Baltic Capitals.

Thousands of visitors are drawn to the White Cliff which is often listed as one of the top natural wonders of the world. It was used as a base for a Roman lighthouse when the Romans invaded England, and later as the location of a castle for watching over the English Channel. Although the cliffs are famous for many reasons, it is perhaps their composition that makes them most interesting.

The White Cliffs date back over 136 million years, having formed during the Cretaceous period in the Mesozoic era as the shells and skeletons of billions of tiny sea creatures fell to the bottom of the sea. As the fragments settled over hundreds of thousands of years, they formed layers of chalk, or soft white limestone that became the cliffs. As the chalk sediments built up over time, they formed the three layers of the cliffs: upper, middle and lower. The upper layer is a nodular chalk with flints. The middle is white, nodular chalk. The bottom is glauconitic marl and gray chalk. The sea constantly erodes the base of the cliffs but also washes the chalk, keeping it fresh and bright white.

UK - London

London is the city frequented by lots of travelers throughout the year for pleasure and/or for business purposes. In 2009, I did both, in July for work and August for vacation. Both visits are memorable experiences for me.

During our stay in London, we visited a number of London’s popular tourist attractions; Chinatown, The Buckingham Palace, London Eye, Westminster and we even watched the Lion King musical.

Is London's Chinatown any different from those that I’ve visited in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Manila, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Yokohama? Frankly, no because you will be greeted with Chinese style street furniture, pagodas, merchandises, food (we had most of our meals here) and there are always lots of people.

Buckingham Palace has served as the official residence for Britain’s sovereigns since 1837. It is the pride of the Monarch and is a major tourist attraction. Buckingham Palace's 19 state rooms are open to public in August and September when the Queen makes her annual visit to Balmoral. The state rooms are an epitome of luxury with the Kingdom's greatest treasures which includes the best of paintings by Vermeer, Poussin, Canaletto, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Claude, sculpture by Canova and Chantrey, some exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain along with some of the finest representation of English and French furniture in the world. The end of the tour takes us to the south side of the Palace's garden. Having just seen Catherine’s Palace in St. Petersburg, it is very hard to be impressed by what I saw in Buckingham Palace.

The London Eye has now become one of the iconic sights of London and is the most popular paid attraction. It’s visited by over 3.5 million people a year. The wheel design was used as a metaphor for the end of the 20th century, and time turning into the new millennium. It weighs 2100 tonnes, 135m/443ft high and has capacity for 800 passengers per revolution. There are 32 capsules attached to the wheel which travels gently at a speed of 26cm per second. Each rotation takes 30 minutes in which time you can marvel at the views that span up to 40km in all directions (depending on the weather). I was told that on a clear day, you can even see Windsor Castle.

Big Ben is located at the north-eastern side of the Houses of Parliament building. Named after the tower’s largest bell, it was originally called St. Stephen's Tower. It is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third tallest free-standing clock tower in the world.

When Parliament is sitting at night, the light at the top of the tower will be illuminated.

The Houses of Parliament (also known as Palace of Westminster) are undoubtedly a Gothic masterpiece. In the middle of the 11th century, King Edward the Confessor had moved his court to the Palace of Westminster. In 1265 a parliament was created with two houses; the Lords and the Commons. The House of Lords met at the Palace of Westminster while the House of Commons did not have a permanent location. After King Henry VIII moved his court to Whitehall Palace in 1530, the House of Lords continued to meet in Westminster. In 1547 the House of Commons also moved here, confirming Westminster as the central seat of government, a position it still holds today. In 1834 a fire destroyed the Palace of Westminster, leaving only the Jewel Tower, the crypt and cloister of St. Stephens and Westminster Hall intact. After the fire, a competition was organized to create a new building for the two houses of parliament and the design by Sir Charles Barry and his assistant Augustus Welby Pugin was chosen from 97 entries. They created a large but balanced complex in neo gothic style and incorporated the buildings that survived the fire. The whole complex was finished in 1870. It includes the Clock Tower, Victoria Tower, House of Commons, House of Lords, Westminster Hall and the Lobbies.

I've always enjoyed watching Disney's animation, The Lion King. This trip, Ghee and I went to watch the Lion King musical at the Lyceum Theater while our friends watched Wizard of the Oz and Phantom of the Opera.

The Lion King musical features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets. The props are very well done and the singing, very entertaining. We had a good time.

UK - Stonehenge Salisbury

Stonehenge (literally “hanging stones”), designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site is probably the most important prehistoric monument in the whole of Britain. It stands as a timeless monument to the people who built it using basic tools such as antler picks and bone “shovels”. The construction is ingenious.

The stones used came from two sources; the smaller bluestones from the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and the larger super-hard “sarsen” stones from nearby Marlborough Downs.

Its orientation on the rising and setting sun remains a mystery. Is it simply because the builders came from a sun-worshipping culture or part of a huge astronomical calendar?

Interestingly, what we see today is only about half the original monument. Some stones have fallen down, while others have been taken away to be used for building elsewhere.

The Heel Stone (also known as "Friar's Heel" and "Sun-stone"), a rough stone, 16 feet above ground, leaning inwards towards the stone circle, lies just outside the main entrance to the henge, next to the present A344 road.

According to folk tale, The Devil bought the stones from a woman in Ireland, wrapped them up, and brought them to Salisbury plain. One of the stones fell into the Avon, the rest were carried to the plain. The Devil then cried out, "No-one will ever find out how these stones came here!" A friar replied, "That’s what you think!" whereupon the Devil threw one of the stones at him and struck him on the heel. The stone stuck in the ground and is still there. Some claim "Friar's Heel" is a corruption of "Freyja's He-ol" from the Nordic goddess Freyja and the Welsh word for track. A more simple explanation for the name might be that the stone heels, or leans.

Audio guides are complimentary and available in ten languages. To complete the journey, visit the superb gift shop and the Stonehenge Cafe on the way out.

Visit the dynamitetravels website (please click on the enclosed link) to read more about Stonehenge.
http://wwww.dynamitetravels.com/stonehenge-stone-circles-salisbury

Indonesia - Ubud Bali

My first trip to Bali is for work. This is not the first time when work is also fun! We were in Bali for an inaugural leadership meeting from May 17-20 at Maya Ubud Resort and Spa; a heaven of tranquility set amidst the verdant hills of Ubud, Bali.

Every morning at 7.30am, we gather at the lush green garden to participate in yoga exercises with the resort’s yoga master. The short exercise was so refreshing and I was immediately transported back to my “kampong” where I grew up, at peace with nature, with the sound of birds and insects in the background. Other recreational and cultural activities offered includes tennis, swimming, golf putting green, nature treks and cycling in the beautiful surrounding country side.

The resort has an infinity swimming pool, overlooking the lush tropical forest and Petanu River. The poolside was so serene, a great spot for my colleague, Leong to take his “power nap” after lunch! You can also relax and be pampered in the riverside spa, watch traditional cultural performances (on certain night) or perhaps take painting lessons in the nearby village, all of which, I do not have the time to do because of tight meeting schedule! I had to remind myself that I'm here for work 

I fell in love with the décor in the hotel. Even the toilet in our meeting room! I took pictures of it and the garden outside our meeting room as I would love to recreate the same look and feel for my home. Planning to renovate your house? Yes! You have come to right place - Bali is definately the place for home improvement inspirations, unique furnitures and home decors.

My sister reminded me to try dirty duck and pork ribs while in Bali. My first night’s dinner was at Bebek Tepi Sawah Restaurant (the name Tepi Sawah is Balinese words, which means side of the rice field) to have my first Bebek Bengil (fried crispy duck). For starter, I was served satay in a unique charcoal grill. The satay taste like the ones back home except for the sauce which is less sweet.

On the second night, our group went to the famous Dirty Duck Diner, an outdoor garden restaurant, featuring lotus ponds, large elephant leaf plants, statues and a beautiful rice field view from all around. It was first opened in 1990 and has since been serving delicious foods and providing good services in a friendly, comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. Check on dirty duck but no pork ribs as we have Muslims in our group 

Ever wonder how the name “Dirty Duck Diner” came about? Here's the story…when the owners were building the restaurant, they have thought long and hard about the name for the restaurant. They wanted a Balinese name that translated well into English. Many good suggestions came from friends, but none seemed just right. One tropical monsoon morning, when the restaurant was very close to being finished, a flock of ducks from the rice field across the road ran quacking and squawking into the restaurant and across the floor and tables. They left muddy webbed footprints all over the place. They were the restaurant’s first guests - those dirty ducks, thus the name Dirty Duck Diner!

Want to know who had dined in Dirty Duck Diner? Do the names like Mike Jagger, Sting, Chow Yun Fatt, Mrs. Megawati Sukarno Putri and Mr. Bambang Yudhoyonon ring a bell? Yes! They had dined in the restaurant.

UK - Bath

City of Bath is situated within the south west of England. It is a world heritage city renowned for its hot springs, Roman Baths, splendid Georgian stones crescents, beautiful countryside and an abbey. It has been described as one of England’s most beautiful places to visit.

Our group of 5 took a day tour to Stonehenge and City of Bath when we were on a 3 weeks’ vacation to UK and cruise to the Baltic Capitals, while our other 2 friends were busy with apartment hunting at Notting Hills. We arrived at City of Bath around noon after spending a few hours at Stonehenge.

We started our tour on Bath, driving round The Circus and The Royal Crescent.
The Circus, a perfect circle of 33 Palladian-style houses was designed by John Wood in 1754 with inspiration from Rome's Colosseum and parts of it is said to resemble the Roman amphitheatre, with three tiers and Corinthian columns. The Royal Crescent is the other prominent and loved local landmark. It was designed by John Wood’s son, consisting of 30 glorious houses, decorated with a facade of columns and built of pale-gold Bath stone. Most of these properties are apparently owned by the rich and famous in the entertainment world.

Next, we stopped to visit the famous Roman Baths, one of the finest thermal spas with healing power known and used by Celts in ancient time. The temple and baths flourished in Aquae Sulis (The Roman name for Bath) in the first few centuries AD. The site was excavated in 1878 after being discovered during building work. The Roman Baths is below the modern street level and has four main features, the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman bath house and finds from Roman Bath. The Georgian Pump Room (regarded as the social heart of Bath) is on the ground level and admission is free. The Pump Room Restaurant is open daily for morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea.

We begin our visit to the Roman Baths in the magnificent Victorian reception hall, equipped with audio guide. Next, we proceed to the Terrace which is lined with statues of Roman Governors of Britain, Roman Emperors and military leaders, overlooking the Great Bath. The magnificent centerpiece of the Roman baths is the pool. At the very heart of the site is the Sacred Spring. The "sacred area", place of worship and sacrifice and where ceremonies took place in pagan time, surrounds the Temple. It was also the place where the cult statue of the goddess Sulis Minerva was housed. In the Roman Bath Museum, great ornamental pediment survives and re-erected. Many of the objects in the museum tell us about the people who lived and worked in the area and those who visited the great Roman religious spa of Aquae Sulis.

In the heart of the city next to the Roman Baths is the splendid Bath Abbey, a fifteenth century medieval church. The Abbey is the last of the great medieval churches of England and has remarkable carved frontage and amazing fan vaulting. The carvings on the front of the Abbey, depicting the visions of Bishop Oliver King after God appeared to him in a dream were recently restored to their full glory, showing off the honey colours of the unique Bath stone untouched by exhaust pollution. When we were in the Abbey, the church's orchestra was practicing for a concert that night. A special bonus to our visit  Non-flash photography is welcome inside the Abbey and donation is appreciated.

A short walk from the Abbey is the Pulteney Bridge, complete with three classical arches and the dramatic swirl of the nearby weir. It is one of only four bridges in the world lined by shops on both sides. It was designed by Robert Adam for landowner Frances Pulteney. Construction began in 1769 and completed two years later. This structure is now widely associated with the city and a major tourist attraction in its own right, not only for its history and detailed architecture, but also for the bustle of shoppers and sightseers.

Overlooking the River Avon is the Parade Garden which has fine views of Pulteney Bridge and the nearby weir. It’s a nice place to laze around without a care for what’s happening around the world. Bath is my vote, England’s most relaxing and beautiful place to spend the vacation and maybe to further one’s studies as well - Bath is also famous for its university, University of Bath.