Furama Bukit Bintang Hotel Review

For our first visit to Kuala Lumpur, we chose Furama Bukit Bintang to be our home for our stay. We booked in advance through Agoda. Though the name indicates Bukit Bintang, the hotel is actually in the Imbi area. 

 

From the hotel entrance, one can see the Berjaya Times Square Mall which is a very short walk away. (But you have to pass through a couple of dark alleys.) And, in case your tummy calls out to you in the middle of the night, have no worry, there are many restaurants across the street, (mostly Chinese) and also a truck-turned-foodcart parked outside the hotel to satisfy your hunger pangs. 

 

Chinese restaurants in front of the hotel

We entered the brightly lit lobby and were received warmly by the reception staff. Check-in was done in just a few minutes, with a required deposit of 300 Malaysian Ringgit.




Hotel Entrance

 

Hotel Lobby

There is a lounge/coffee shop called Cinnamon Lounge at the lobby area, which will be an ideal hangout place after a tiring day's activities. Be warned though, drinks are not that cheap. We opted to buy drinks from a 7-11 across the street, at just 1/3 of the price! Sorry Furama, we're just being practical. More savings mean more money for shopping! Yey!



Cinnamon Lounge

Hotel guests are required to insert the room card for the elevators to work so safety is not a problem.



Ready to enter!

 

Our room was very spacious and modern. We got a twin room which can accommodate an extra bed. Internet was available, but LAN connection not wifi  ^_^

 

 



The Room

If you love having bubble baths, sorry to burst your bubble, only an enclosed shower is available. But goodness, don't waste your time in the bath, there are numerous stuff to do outside!



Toilet and Shower

The mini bar is equipped with complimentary water, water boiler, coffee, and tea. The closet contains a safe box and even an iron and iron board.

Cupboards, Safe Box, Iron Board

 

The next morning, we lazy bones woke up a bit late, so we ended up trying out the hotel's buffet breakfast. Spices @ Furama offers breakfast starting 6:30 am to 10:30 am. For hotel guests, rate is only 20 Malaysian Ringgit per person.

 

Speaking of breakfast, I encountered a slight problem with Agoda. When I booked the room, it was indicated that breakfast is included but another line says room only. After emailing the hotel, they confirmed that it was a glitch on Agoda's system and that the room I booked did not include breakfast. I emailed Agoda, but did not get a reply. (What the?!) But breakfast rate is cheap so I did not insist on the free one.

 



Restaurant

 

Enough of side tracks, dishes served were Asian-inspired and a bit American. With the wide array of choices, we ate to our hearts' content, forgetting that we were scheduled to have a buffet lunch at the KL Tower. LOL! Still, I have to mention that I particularly enjoyed the rosemary potatoes and the chicken sausages. Yum yum :) 



Pastry, Eggs, Rosemary Potatoes



Noodles, Pork & Beans, Chicken Sauces

The restaurant also has a poolside dining area. Just be careful not to get splashed by naughty swimmers :p



Dining Al Fresco,



Swimming Pool

The pool is quite small but enough for a quick dip. There is also a fitness center for those who cannot not miss a workout. :)



Kiddie Pool and Gym

My overall rating for this hotel is a 4 out of 5. With the quality of service and amenities, rate is relatively pocket-friendly. A twin room is approximately around 210 to 230 Malaysian Ringgit as of writing.

 

Location-wise, the Bukit Bintang Walk and  Jalan Alor Food Street  are some 10-15 minutes walk from here. Grocery and dining are not problems with the Berjaya Times Square Mall around 3 minutes away. Nearest LRT station, Imbi is also located here. Location is good but not the best. But, I personally have no problem with that.

 

As for safety, despite witnessing a cop-caught-a-thief scenario on our second night, we still feel that the area is safe enough. More on this, click here. Another thing, I hope the back alleys of the restaurants across the street leading up to Berjaya Times Square can be brighter. They are ok in broad daylight, but these alleys may be a bit scary at night. We skipped these short routes and walked the perimeter of the restaurants to avoid being in the dark.

 

Will I return to this hotel? Well, if my wallet will allow, I definitely want to try the fancy hotels lining the Bukit Bintang Shopping Area. But if I'll be on a smaller budget, Furama will surely top my list of choices. :)

Underground River + Puerto Princesa City Tour

Before welcoming the second half of the year, my family decided to take a break from the city life and explore the natural beauty of Puerto Princesa.

 

We booked an Underground River Tour with our hotel Acacia Tree Garden Hotel. (Review of this hotel on a separate post, click here.) The price per head has increased to Php1,800 starting July 1 this year.

 

The tour van picked us up from the hotel at 8:30 am. After innumerable street bumps and road curves (300 plus!) we finally arrived at Sabang Port in time for an lunch.  It was a hell of a trip, I got so dizzy that I had to pause and watch every one else eat before having my own lunch.
 

 

Sabang Port

 

The buffet lunch which was included in the package tour, was served in an airy nipa hut. The food was nothing fancy, just typical Filipino food: Sinigang na Bangus, Pork Chops, Vegetables, Pancit (Noodles), some other seafood (freshness to be noted), and gelatin for desserts. There were flies trying to score for some free meal, but the owners were kind enough to stand by the buffet table and fan the food for us.

Since it was off peak season, we did not have much waiting time. A short motor boat ride brought us to the entrance of the Subterranean River National Park.

The favorite photo spot of tourists.

After the registration, it's off to the park we go!

Monkeys roam around freely!

Trail to the Underground River

Finally, the highlight of our trip..

Paddle boats waiting for us..

A boat man manually paddled our boat into the cave. He has great knowledge of this place, and even added some funny jokes to his stories and introductions.

Amazing limestone formations

Paddling out

The Subterranean River is a marvelous gift of nature. I would rate this unique experience an 8 out of 10, not a perfect 10 because the travel was extremely tiring!

 

On our way back to the city, our travel guide suggested that we also take their city tour. We agreed to add Php 600 per head for this addition. We were able to visit several places in just one afternoon.

 

First stop, a Buddhist temple. As requested by a fellow tourist, we got to visit a temple. Not usually part of the tour.

A taste of tranquility

 

Next stops: Crocodile Farm and Mitra's Ranch.

 

I spotted a yawning croc! He maintained that open mouth for so long as if inviting me to take his photo. I got my camera and started to shoot, but look what happened..

 

Crockie decided to close his mouth the exact second I pressed the shutter.

 

Lush greenery at Mitra's Ranch.

 

Next, my favorite stop: Baker's Hill

 

 

Baker's Hill

 

 

We had our afternoon snacks here at Bakers' Hill. We got to eat their freshly made hopia (a kind of pastry with filling inside), which tasted good. You can bring home delicious snacks and pastries available at the bakery, perfect pasalubong for family and friends.

 

Ms. M posing for the camera

 

Baker's Hill is not just for snacks and pastries. There are colorful plants, quirky décor pieces, majestic houses and even a restaurant. Too bad, we had to leave so soon. My shutter addiction was not fully satisfied!

 

My future house will be patterned on this!

Our tour ended as the sun started to set. The last stops were Plaza Cuartel and Immaculate Conception Church, a drive through the Baywalk, and a couple of souvenir shops. :D

 

It was a tiring day, but we were amazed at how many places we could visit within a limited time!

Noriter, cute li'l coffee shop

Just a quick post. I recently visited  a cute place in Taft Manila. Noriter is a uniquely decorated coffee shop in Estrada Street just across De la Salle University. One thing though, I was too busy admiring the decors that upon this writing I have already forgotten the drink that I had there. Hehe sorry, this is not a resto review, just for us to gush over its interiors. :D

What's your order?

Noriter is on the second floor. After climbing the stairs, this counter welcomes you.

Care to DIY?

A corner was alloted for customers' designed cups! If you have the flair for art or just want to do some doodling, go and ask for your cup.

wall decors

more seats

bright chairs to bring more life to the room

This place is quite huge, with lots of quirky seatings. It reminds me of the coffee shops in Seoul. (I think this is owned by a Korean too.) They even have a tree house-inspired seating area! I just love the design, furnitures and colors they used. They are all so different but they look so good together.

even the restroom walls are nicely decorated

How far would they go for design? Well, even the restroom was not spared from their quirky-artsy touch!


This a a perfect little place for afternoon coffee with friends. :D Enjoy!


How to get there:
The fastest way is through the LRT 1.
Get off at Vito Cruz Station.
If you are are on the side of De la Salle University, cross the road.
Look for Estrada Street.
You will see Tapa King's red signage.
The stairs to Noriter is just beside its entrance.

One Afternoon in Bukchon Hanok Village

After our Gyeongbok Palace and Insadong visits, we decided to check out Bukchon Hanok Village since it was just around the area and we had a whole afternoon to kill. We found out later that it was quite a long walk from Insadong, but we enjoyed looking at the interesting shops along the way.



Coffee shop / tea house




Crafts store



I initially thought that this area is a tourist spot, but it turned out to be a residential area. You can see locals walking home with grocery bags, or parking his car into a traditionally-styled garage gate.

Beautiful Houses




  

A very peaceful village

 

Among the alleys of hanoks (traditional house), one will also find several small museums or cultural centers. For a reasonable fee, one may enjoy several activities or crafts that are unique to Korea. Talk about cultural experience overload! :D

I wish I could own one of these hanoks!

We turned left, right, straight, right, left, left, wait.. or was it right? Hmmm simply said, we got lost among the maze-like alleys (despite having a map!). But YO! Look, where we arrived at many moments later. A very beautiful school!

Does it seem familiar? Yes, is THE school where Bae Yong Joon shot Winter Sonata!

Choong Ang Middle and High School

On our way back, we saw some tourist buses parked near an alley entrance. And quite a number of people flocking around it. It was very different from the quiet village that we just saw. Volunteers were waiting to give out maps and instructions to tourists and lost people like us.

One even came up to offer help, then she suggested that we visit one place...

I have a small confession to make. The real reason why I wanted to see Bukchon Hanok Village is because I was hoping to find one specific house - SANGGOJAE, the shooting location of Lee Min Ho's Personal Taste.

Now, I really applaud the Koreans for taking good care of their tourists. (And for reading my mind, of course) :p



Lee Min Ho's Sanggojae

It is JUST a house. Yes, I know that. It looks no different from the hundreds of houses around it. Yes, I know that too. But since I was there, I might as well take some photos of it. And for your information, there were also several k-razy fans happily snapping at the house!

Tips for Bukchon Trips:

1. Ask for a Bukchon Map at the tourist information booth in Insadong.

2. It is a residential area after all, so keep in mind to contain your excitement and to tone down a bit. (There are signs, several of them to remind you, just in case you forgot.)

3. Look out for the suggested photo spots where the best photos angles can be taken. The signs are bronze-colored metal on the ground.

4. If you want to see Lee Min Ho's Sanggojae, it is on 31 Gahoe-dong, on the left area of the map. Look for alley nearest Donmi Pharmacy and Gahoe-dong Catholic Church.

5. When lost, ask for directions. They are all so willing to help!

6. Time to spend: 2-3 hours max

A Journey to the Past - Gyeongbok Palace

One thing I love about Seoul is its rich culture and history. Amidst the modern structures, there lies one of its beloved ancient palaces – Gyeongbokgung.  



Hyeungnyemun



Don’t miss the COLORFUL changing of guards ceremony in front of the gate Hyeungnyemun. I suddenly decided to take this photo in a sepia/black and white mode, for that "ancient feel".



It was colorful, trust me.



The majestic Geungjeong-jeon or Hall of Diligent Government. This is where the king performed his formal meetings and discussed daily state affairs. I would have wanted to try the throne, but it is off-limits. :D



The throne inside Geungjeong Hall.



The inner court houses the private quarters of the royal family.

The royal residence

The palace grounds is huge, but not all house are open for public viewing, and the insides are more or less the same. So after snapping away at those tradtional halls and rooms, you may opt to visit the souvenir shop where you can borrow traditional costumes for FREE! Yes, it’s free, but you have to return it within 15 minutes. They have lunch breaks I think around 12:00 pm -1:30 pm so try to schedule your visit accordingly. The souvenir shop is located on the left side of Geungjeong-jeon - (the throne hall) No. 3 on the map below, and near the toilets.

Finish your palace tour with a relaxing walk along its vast gardens and lakes. The two best photo spots are Gyeonghoe-ru Pavilion and Hyangwon-jeong.



Take a rest at Gyeonghoe-ru Pavilion



Gyeonghoe-ru Pavilion



The breath-taking Hyangwon-jeong





Spend quality time with Mother Nature



A trip to this palace will make one realize that everything in this world is so inconstant. People just come and go, but at least there are things and places that can withstand time and change to serve as proof of our existence.

Map of Gyeongbok Palace:





Photo from Gyeongbokgung brochure

 

Directions:

Ride the subway to Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3, Exit 5) or Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5, Exit 2)

Operating Hours:

March to October 9:00 am to 6:pm

November to February: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

* Closed on Tuesdays

* Tickets are sold until one hour before closing time.

Admission Fee:

Adult: 3,000 Korean Won

Children: 1,500 Korean Won

Tips:

1.      Optional museum tours: Upon exit from the Gyeongbokgung subway station, you will find the National Palace Museum. -or- Near the rear end of the palace grounds, there is the National Folk Museum of Korea.  Admission fee is separate.

2.       It is best to visit the souvenir shop earlier so you can check its schedule for costume renting.

3.       3-4 hours is more than enough for a visit. Don’t forget that there are still so much to see in Seoul!