Betong, Thailand

A trip that mentioned by hubby for a long time which I am not too keen and never intend to plan for it. He visited with his friends maybe more than 15 years ago.

When his nephew is keen, there we go on this 4 days 3 nights trip. 6 adults 1 toddler (both of us with elder sister in law's family) where we stayed at Madi Homestay Betong booked by nephew's wife.  Madi homestay is just about 20 minutes from border.

Madi is a good choice, 3 rooms ensuite good for 6 pax with walking nearby to restaurant, 711 and Betong Boat Noodle.

We have a Betong town tour ended with night street food and dessert at Bualay Khun Aon (1-9pm).

8.15am left home

8.30am breakfast

9.20am started our journey

12pm Toilet break

12.15pm Good lunch Sun Kong Restaurant Lenggong, meal for 6 pax RM237.50. Love the homemade fish ball.

1.15pm Travel to Betong Immigration Checkpoint 

3pm Bought car insurance (RM35), clear custom

3.30pm (2.30pm Thai time) We already travel through Mongkonlit Tunnel to our homestay. 

5. 30 pm Thai Time we went out to buy sim card (THB200) and start our tour and had our dinner at Riverside Restaurant (signature dish/recommended : braised and fried pork trotter) 

Then continue with our tour and end our day with night market street food and dessert. 

Day 1

Betong Street Art, Betong Municipality Park (Sud Siam Park) Clock tower, Betong City Convention centre (World largest mailbox), Betong Mongkolit Tunnel, Chicken statue, night market near clock tower.

Dinner at Riverside Restaurant (4-8.30pm) THB1180 followed by Dessert at Bualay Khun Aon (1- 9pm) THB265. We ended having dessert at this place for next 2 nights. 

Day 2

Leave to fish maw soup and noodles at Betong Street Art for breakfast. Bought some alkaline Dumpling with red bean fillings that tasted so good, 10 for THB60.

Piyamit Tunnel, nearby if you are keen to visit Hotspring (5.30am-8pm(and WInter Flower Garden (8am-6pm).

Take note Piyamit Tunnel is about 40 minutes from town. Entrance fee is required. For 6 adults, we paid THB480. After visited Piyamit Tunnel & Millenium Tree, we left for Betong durian THB1035 before proceed to Betong Chicken Rice (6am-2.30 pm) THB970

Evening we went to BM Super Centre (7.30am - 8 pm) for some snacks shopping

Dinner at Krua Samui (THB830) follow by night market and  dessert again!

Day 3

We left from homestay atbout 4.30am, off we went about 50 minutes to Ayerweng Skywalk.

Try to plan your trip to reach before 6am for sunrise.  For sea of cloud will be clearer by 7am.

We parked our car, took the transport up to Ayerweng THB180. At entrance, buy ticket THB1200 and compulsory socks  THB180. We took the lift to level 6 for sunrise before going down to level 3 .

We had Roti Prata breakfast, then to Tae Pu Su Suspension bridge before ended  bbq talapia lunch at Noppadol Fishing Farm (Sat/Sun 10am-6pm), Fri (11am - 6pm). Only the fish is good. others are ok.

We went to Central Market (5am - 5pm) then Katong Wholesale.  Bought century egg in one of the shop near to Clock tower. It was so good.

Dinner at  Baan Kun Chay Thai Restaurant - they have open air seating. Food was great.

Day 4

We checked out and had our breakfast at Betong Boat Noodle which is nearby our homestay. Off we traveled smoothly home.

If you go to night market, look for mango sticky rice stall first stall on your right in you walk in from main road and the crispy butter stall, recommended to try. 

Bangkok - City of Angels

I always think once the kids started their working life, will be quite difficult to get everyone in the family to travel together.  But this trip happened because younger son could take few days off and elder son loves cities as he likes taking photos, also because he has some last year annual leave to clear.  

So we managed to go on a short but sweet family trip with lots of good food and catch up with sister & her hubby.

We left home at 6.30am as afraid of morning traffic even though our Air Asia X flight ETD 10.50am. We reached airport by 8am, after drop baggage for younger son, we went to Priority Lounge for breakfast, cleared immigration and off to boarding gate.

I can say that this trip was more on food rather than places of interest to visit since we have been to Bangkok few times. Swensen Rum & Raisin ice cream and Pork burger a must since we do not have these in KL. We had pork burger in the Suvarnabhumi Airport on our return trip.

Places where we had our meals:

1. T & K Seafood at Yoawarat China Town for seafood dinner

Indoor air condition or outdoor for lots of seafood choice. We had grilled lobster, grilled squid, bbq cockles etc.

2. Pa Tong Go, You Tiow with pandan kaya custard - MIchelin Guide Street Food - delicious dipping into the kaya custard.

3 Nam Sing Bird Nest, Yaowarat - you can have the small individual bowl here.

4. Savoey at Terminal 21 for local thai dinner

Food was good, place was packed but did not have to wait for long for food to be served

5. Pala Pizza Romano at  BTS/MRT Sukhumvit Asok - sourdough pizza for supper

Love the Sourdough pizza whereas son had risotto

6. Here Hai at Thonglor - Michelin Guide Seafood lunch

Be prepared to wait as the queue is long. We waited less than an hour. We had crab omelette, crab fried rice, river prawn etc

7. Thong Smith at Central World

Boat noodle, choice of beef or pork

8. Kub Kao Kub Pla at Siam Paragon

Few Signature Thai dishes you should tried here. I love the green curry, creamy and fragrant.

9. Thai Niyom at Ploencit Road - Michelin Bib Gourmand array Thai Cuisine from Chiangmai to Hadyai

Thumbs up for the delicious food

Shopping was only done at Big C for some snacks/souvenirs. Though both sons have their own separate visit to Wat Arun, we had our prayers at Four Faced Budha (Erawan Shine) and window shopping at Terminal 21 since we stayed nearby.

Our stay was only 3 nights but hope to be back soon. It was 2 rooms at Airbnb, 10 mintues walk to Terminal 21.  Though my sister who is working in Bangkok has been recommending so many hotels for me to consider.  Will consider staying in hotel for my next trip.

Singapore Vehicle Entry Permit

My nephew's wife asked about applying VEP. I forgot in detailed how I did it last year September 2023. So it prompt me to write down details here.

It is advisable to apply 14 days in advance. At same time apply for Autopass which cost you SGD10 payment online. An autopass allocate only to the car you applied for VEP. . 

When you go through custom in out Singapore, please tap your autopass. Ensure you have sufficient money in your autopass before exit Singapore.

For details you may check here https://onemotoring.lta.gov.sg/vepds/captcha

1. A valid email address.
2. Your Identity Card / Passport.
3. Your Employment / Immigration Pass Card.
4. Your Vehicle Registration Certificate.
5. Your Vehicle Road Tax Disc / Digital Road Tax.
6. Your Vehicle Certificate of Insurance
   

Singapore Trip

We took the opportunity as 22 May 2024 being Wesak public holiday and coincidence son off day. Almost 3 months he has been working as a Chef in Italian Restaurant. 

It has been a while that we planned to bring in his foldable bicycle, bolster and clothes drying rack.

We started our journey at 6am. It was raining heavily the whole morning during our way using the north south highway. 

We reached Yong Peng to have breakfast (nasi lemak and kueh) at Traffic Light Coffee Shop. It took us not long after Yong Peng to reach Geylang his rented room. 

It was so smooth with no traffic going in via Woodland checkpoint.

 

Chinatown

 

After we dropped him the stuff, had a short rest, tidy his room a bit. Off we went to Katong Mei Wei Chicken rice which we waited for 45 minutes with long queue number. This meal cost SGD30 with dishes for 2 pax; mixture steam and roast chicken, mix gizzard and liver, 2 eggs, 2 beancurd and 3 rice comes with free radish/carrot/rib soup. Is located at Katong Shopping Mall. It was good, no wonder the long queue.

Then son sent us  for check in Ibis budget Sapphire at Lor 10 Geylang at about 2.30pm. He then went back to his accommodation in Lor 33 Geylang. 

Chinatown

 

By 5pm he picked us up. We drove to Bugis Street and then visited Chinatown. Then we drove 30 minutes to Upper Bukit Timah for dinner at Red Lantern with 4 dishes cost us SGD100. Reasonable if you don't convert and the food was good.  We end our night at Rochor Beancurd house for dessert before sending son back to his rented room. 

Next morning we went to pick him up, had roti prata at ABC Bistro before drop him at Collyer Quay, his workplace. 

We then traveled back to KL and had a stop at Melaka visited hubby's cousin sister who we didn't have time to visit during this year CNY. 

A day indeed well spent with my son. Till next trip.

 

Guizhou , China

Guizhou's natural wonder and cultural diversity is a beautiful province in China. 

 

Simplified itinerary

Day 1 KL/Kunming

Day 2 Kunming/Panzhou/Xingyi

Day 3 Xingyi

Day 4 Xingyi/Anshun

Day 5 Anshun/Duyun

Day 6 Duyun/Libo

Day 7 Libo/Kaili

Day 8 Kaili/Guiyang

Day 9 Guiyang/Kunming/KL

 

Huanguoshu Waterfall

 

Day 1 We flew via Air Asia from KL about 4 hours journey to Kunming.  You can also choose to fly to Nanning.  We had our mushroom steamboat dinner and then stayed a night in Kunming.  

 

Day 2 Next morning we took an hour & half high speed rail from Kunming to Panzhou. 

From Panzhou, we were driven in a coach to Xingyi, a city in Southwest Guizhou.  Our first destination was Maling River Grand Canyon, a geological wonder aka Scar of the Earth.  We have to walk a distance to take the sightseeing lift down and then walk quite extensive to the end of the scenic area passing by various waterfalls. 

 

 

Maling River Grand Canyon

We stayed in 4* Bast Dreamland Hotel for 2 nights which are next to shopping mall and nearby Happy Mall.  We shopped for our food souvenir at supermarket in Happy Mall much cheaper that those sold by local tour guide promoting in the coach.

 

Day 3 Wanfenglin Scenic Area (Forest of Ten Thousand Peaks)was covered in the morning whereas boat ride at Wanfeng Lake in the afternoon. Walking down the stairs to take the ride is like almost the steps in Batu Caves about 240 steps.  And you need to climb up the same after finish the boat ride.

Day 4 We left Xingyi for Anshun after breakfast. When we reached Anshun, we went lunch before proceed to visit Huangguoshu Waterfall, one of the largest waterfall in China using public coach. There is an escalator one way down.  We covered Silver Necklace and Duopotang Waterfall, Shuilian Cave (water curtain, 134m long naturally formed cave located in the back of the waterfall. 

 

 

Cave under Huanguoshu waterfall

 

We skipped Tianxing Bridge Scenic Area as all of us are too tired to continue.

We checked into local 5 star hotel for a good rest after a tiring day.

Day 5 After breakfast we proceed our journey to Duyun.  First stop was Tiantaishan Wulong Temple built in Ming Dynasty. After lunch, we visited Tianlong Tunbao where well preserved there are over 40 Tunpu Village during Ming Dynasty, listed in Guinness World as largest cultural village. Buggy ride included. We end the day at Shiban Street, selling antiques and works of folk art before dinner and the check into hotel.

Day 6 Duyun to Libo - Had early lunch prior to Xiao Qikong Scenic Area dubbed Little Juizhaigou featuring karst forests interwoven with beautiful waterscapes and striking valleys and moutains.  This area are large where you need to cover.  It includes Laya Waterfall (68 level falling waterfalls), Aquatic Forest, rate trees, Wolong Lake.

Day 7 Lio to Kaili where we visited Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village world's largest Miao Ethinic tribe. Cultural Musuem. We had Miao Long Table Banquet for lunch, local signature dish such as spicy sour fish soup and stir fry slice black iberian pork which were so tender and tasty.

Day 8 Guiyang the last place to be to cover Qingyan Ancient Town, Jiaxiu Tower. We had paid optional ticket to watch Colorful Guizhou Style at RMB260. Actors perform in the show "Colorful Guizhou Style" at Guiyang Grand Theatre in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province. The "Colorful Guizhou Style" show, which debuted in 2006, has been performed in over 40 countries or regions worldwide and seen by over 10 million people. The show illustrates the vibrant ethnic culture of Guizhou and the hospitable people living there.We ended the day with Qingyun Road in Naming Street (night street food)

 

Colorful GUizhou

 

Day 9 We took high speed train (2.5 hrs) from Guiyang to Kunming, had cross bridge noodle before airport.  As we need depart early from hotel, we were given packed breakfast with some patries/bun and egg with either box milk or mineral water.

Do take note that these places of interest need lots of walking and climbing stairs at some place.  So if you are not too fit, is better not to visit Guizhou especially for senior citizen. 

We followed Beeflyz tour for this trip where their local guide was good and tour leader is ok too.  Hotel stayed mixture of local four and five star hotel with large room. Varieties of 10 dishes and above served during lunch and dinner, not too bad.