Avani Sepang Goldcoast Resort: Discovering Bliss (Malaysia)

Avani Sepang Goldcoast Resort

Imagine waking up to the lullaby of gentle waves beneath your feet, as the sun's first rays cast a golden glow over an endless expanse of tranquil ocean. This is the enchanting reality of a stay at Avani Sepang Goldcoast Resort, where your escape becomes a symphony of sea and sky, a serenade of serenity, and a celebration of boundless beauty.

Avani Sepang Goldcoast Resort is a beachfront resort located in Sepang, west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The resort has a mainland beachfront setting with lush gardens and a palm tree structure built on stilts which extends over shallow waters into the ocean. The overwater palm features 315 contemporary Polynesian-inspired rooms and villas, all with a sea view, making it a distinctive and popular destination for travelers looking for a unique and relaxing experience.

Tiarasa Escapes: Sleeping In The Rainforest (Malaysia)

Tiarasa Escapes

Have you ever dreamt of sleeping in the rainforest? Let the crickets sing you a lullaby and the toads occasionally join in the fun by breaking the rhythm of the sound. And in the next morning, let the singing of the birds and the wind through the evergreen trees wake you up with that kind of esthetic energy. This is certainly a dream for every nature lover. In this post, I will share with you my first glamping experience; getting into nature and cutting myself off from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life.

Set within the Janda Baik rainforest; Tiarasa Escapes is a safari style glamping resort that offers a captivating and luxury camping experience amidst the exquisite views of nature. Spans over 7 acres of forested land, the resort features 20 luxurious safari-style tents for the glampers & 5 fairytale treehouses for those who really want to get close to nature; all are well-equipped with modern amenities and you won't be giving up any comfort here.

The Henry Cebu: A Hotel For The Art Lovers (Philippines)

When I was researching for our accommodation in Cebu city, I came across quite a number of beautiful hotels, but The Henry is the only hotel that leaves me a very deep impression. Why? The Henry is unlike any other hotel in Cebu, because it doesn't look like a hotel, it looks more like an art museum to me. With that, we decided to stay at The Henry Cebu for one night.

The Henry Cebu (formally known as The House of Cebu) is a boutique art hotel located in the city centre of Cebu offering 38 spacious rooms with unique furnishings, stunning murals and quirky decor. Every room is unique, featuring a different mural artwork by the Cebuano artist Mark Luzon, and that makes the stay here more special and unforgettable.

K Maison Boutique Hotel: The Hidden Gem of Bangkok (Thailand)

K Maison is a stylish boutique hotel tucked away in the quiet alley of Soi Rum Chi in the neighbourhood of Ratchathewi. This four-storey hotel is not easy to spot since it is well hidden away from plain sight, and furthermore it has a simple white exterior design that humbly blends into the surrounding old buildings. In contrast to the exterior, the interior of the hotel is decorated in timeless oriental elegance and modern Thai classic, which create a luxurious ambience. K Maison is truly one of the hidden gems in Bangkok, where you can relax in a cozy atmosphere, yet enjoys the bustling city just a couple of steps away.

Mandala Ou Resort: Relax . Recharge . Yoga (Laos)

After exploring the ancient town of Luang Prabang, we made our way to Nong Khiaw, a small beautiful village on the bank of the Nam Ou River in Laos. Nong Khiaw is famous for its amazing limestone karst mountain scenery, unspoiled virgin rainforest and the tranquil river of the Nam Ou. From Luang Prabang, we took a public minibus and we arrived at the Nong Khiaw bus station after 4 hours of journey through the beautiful landscape of Laos. Our first impression of Nong Khiaw was very peaceful and laid-back, and we didn't see any tour buses or tourist crowds like what we saw in Luang Prabang.

The unspoiled virgin rainforest and the tranquil river of the Nam Ou

Limestone karst mountain scenery

The Street of Nong Khiaw Village

Just a short 5 minute walk from the bus station, we arrived at the Mandala Ou Resort, the place where we stayed for 2 nights. We chose Mandala Ou Resort because it was one of the most charming and exclusive accommodation in Nong Khiaw. The Mandala Ou Resort is a boutique accommodation situated along the idyllic Nam Ou river offering 10 spacious and comfy bungalows with an eco-friendly room design and modern conveniences. The main features of this resort are the infinity edge pool, river side Yoga Sala, poolside bar, covered restaurant serving Lao, Thai and Western cuisine, and free Lao herbal steam sauna during the winter months.

iuDia On The River: Experience The Tranquillity Of Old Siam (Thailand)

After years of procrastination, finally I have landed myself in the historic city of Ayutthaya, an ancient capital in the Central region of Thailand. Today, known as the Ayutthaya Historical Park, which was listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, is one of the most remarkable ruined cities in Southeast Asia. Although Ayutthaya is only one hour drive from Bangkok and most of the main attractions can be covered within a day, we chose to stay in this beautiful city for 3 days, so that we can slowly explore the ruined temples and experience the city fully without rushing.

When come to choosing an accommodation, I always find it interesting to look at the boutique hotels, because I like to admire how a boutique hotel is uniquely set up and usually come with a theme and awe-inspiring style. When we were in Ayutthaya, we stayed with iuDia On The River, a cultured, refined and elegantly furnished boutique hotel located in the heart of the ancient Ayutthaya ruins.

Luang Prabang Residence: A Traditional Heritage Home (Laos)

Luang Prabang is an atmospheric and beautiful ancient city in Laos and it is also the historical, religious and cultural core of the country. Many visitors from around the world come to this charming place for the unique experience of the traditional Lao culture. For those who love to have a taste of authentic Lao hospitality, I would highly recommend the Luang Prabang Residence, a traditional heritage home.

The Luang Prabang Residence is situated in the historical center of the ancient town, Luang Prabang; in close proximity to many key attractions yet comes with a quiet setting and tranquil environment. The Luang Prabang Residence was designed to preserve the look and feel of a traditional heritage home, and it is also one of the most exquisite examples of a traditional Lao style architecture of Luang Prabang.

Villa Nam Song: Room in the Lush Tropical Garden (Laos)

Just a short 3-4 hours journey from Vientiane, we have arrived in Vang Vieng, Central Laos. Vang Vieng is a riverside town surrounded by a scenic backdrop of karst landscape; and it is a great place for outdoor activities like caving, tubing, mountain biking and etc. Today, this small tourist oriented town is a backpacker hot spot and also well known as a party destination for the young travelers.

During our stopover in Vang Vieng, we stayed 2 nights with Villa Nam Song. This villa with picturesque views of the cliffs is tranquilly nestled in the lush tropical garden on the east banks of the Nam Song River. Villa Nam Song consists of 8 superior rooms and 8 garden deluxe rooms, which are surrounded by a beautiful garden setting and all rooms are just a few steps away from the Song river.

Hotel Khamvongsa: Charming with a Classic Indochine Style (Laos)

After 11 hours of overnight sleeper train from Bangkok to Nong Khai, then we took a shuttle train service from Nong Khai to Thanaleng by crossing the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge; and from the Thanaleng train station, we took a shared minivan and we finally arrived in the city centre of Vientiane, Laos. Although it may seem like a hassle, the whole journey was pretty straight forward, comfortable and enjoyable one. I am glad that we chose this option to get from Thailand to Laos.

Vientiane is the capital and the biggest city of Laos, hence trying to get a good accommodation is not an issue. With so many hotels and guest houses available, we had filtered and decided to stay 1 night in this charming mid-range hotel, Hotel Khamvongsa.

Alishan 53.1 Homestay: Room With A View (Taiwan)

After spending a night in Chin Shan Hotel (青山別館) at the bustling town centre of the Alishan, we made our way to the laid back Alishan 53.1 Homestay at Anding (鞍頂) to stay 1 night. The 53.1 Homestay (53.1 民宿) is a small, cozy home accommodation with only three guest rooms. Although this modest home is situated in the mountainous area, it has a remarkable contemporary design both in the interior and exterior. The unique feature of the 53.1 Homestay is they chose to use full height glass panels as their wall and window, this allows the beauty of the surrounding nature to be brought into the home while keeping the ever changing weather immovably outside.

SriLanta Resort: A Resplendence Stay (Thailand)

Our trip always involves traveling from city to city, town to town and changing of hotels every one to three nights; it was fun with lots of excitement but it can be quite hectic at times. Hence, for this year Lunar New Year retreat, we decided to go for a resort holiday and have a more relaxed trip. When we planned our retreat, the first country that came to our mind was Thailand. Why Thailand? It was because Thailand is a beautiful country with no shortage of beautiful beaches and also I love Pad Thai and K.K. doesn't mind eating more Mango Sticky Rice.

Initially, we wanted to settle with the popular destinations like Phuket or Krabi, but afraid that they were too crowded, so after further research, and we found SriLanta, a resort which is ideally situated on an uncrowded island of Ko Lanta.