Kedah: Fried Porridge @ Serdang

~~Short Trip to Serdang, Kedah during Friday Lunch Break~~

If you read my previous post about Explore Selama I (click here to read), you would know that I am currently working in Selama, Perak. During a Friday long lunch break, I drove to Serdang, Kedah to hunt for food. From Perak all the way to Kedah?? Don't be too surprised as Selama is being divided into Selama (Perak) and Selama (Kedah). So crossing the border to Serdang, Kedah, isn't too far. It was just a 15-20 minutes drive. ^_^

Here's the map! Look how near it is between Selama and Serdang.

I wanted to try the famous Fried Porridge but they only open in the evening. So I simply stop by a restaurant for lunch. Surprisingly, they sell fried porridge here too! Due to my curiosity about fried porridge, I ordered one to try. Fried Porridge, is it similar with Fried Rice? Let's see..... Let's see.....

This is the restaurant I stopped for lunch. Just opposite the restaurant with famous fried porridge.

Pretty historical restaurant.....

Waited for 10 minutes and fried porridge is finally here!

This is how fried porridge looks like. It is still of porridge texture, but fried with soy sauce, cuttlefish, pork, vege and eggs. This stall's fried porridge is salty but overall it's nice. =P

After lunch, I went to explore Serdang Lake Garden, which is 2-3 minutes away from the restaurant. Great scenery here! Although it is not as beautiful as Taiping Lake Garden, it still able to give me a sense of peacefulness. 

Simple and nice scenery.

They have a playground too!

Langkawi: Island Hopping

Langkawi is an archipelago made up of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea. If you are here for an island getaway, please don't miss out island hopping in your itinerary. I had missed Island Hopping for the past years and I am glad that I did it in Dec 2015. I love the lake so much -- Dayang Bunting. Let me briefly tell you my island hopping experience in Langkawi. 

I didn't do any research for this trip and hence I thought I would need to go Kuah jetty to get on board for Island Hopping trip. But I was wrong. I read some blogs on Langkawi Island Hopping trip and found out that there is another jetty, which is at Pantai Tengah, where we start our Island Hopping trip. 

I booked my trip via hotel receptionist as I have no idea how to get one in 2 hours time. Luckily there are availability for 3 of us. Each of us paid RM35 for the trip and it includes hotel pick-up. Awesome! Save our energy to look for the jetty. ^_^

At the Jetty. Saw the sign board of Dayang Bunting and felt nothing about it. 

Going to a lake? Seriously? Taiping has lake too. Well, I'm looking forward for beach. Will just drop by this for a good look. That was my first impression and I was so wrong!

The weather is so sunny in the morning! Hello blue sky! Hello blue sea! =D

Here we go! Off to the sea! Hello bright sun!

Saw a cruise on our way to Dayang Bunting. Hmm... I need to plan for a cruise trip. =D

Does this looks like a pregnant lady?? 

Upon reaching Dayang Bunting.... The water becomes greener. 

Here we are! At the port!

A short walk to the entrance. 

Malaysians need to pay RM3 for conservation fee (This doesn't include in the RM35 that we've paid earlier).  I am not too sure about international fare. >.<

Here we are! The Legendary Lake! 

I was amazed with the view. Can't believe with my own eyes. Gosh, this place is so beautiful. You can choose to have a boat ride to enjoy the view. 

They have children pool for kids to enjoy the water. 

Panorama view of the whole place. So beautiful isn't it. 

I tried jumping in the lake for a swim but I was so afraid to let go and swim freely. It has been too long since I last swim in a pool. Fear overcome my excitement and I was holding the rope all the time! Very embarrassing. XD

Let me elaborate a bit on Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park. The biggest attraction of the Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park is the developement of a large doline originated fresh water lake named as Tasik Dayang Bunting (English: Lake of Pregnant Maiden), side by side with the natural landscape sculpture of the said mythical pregnant maiden resting on her back. The local believed that the lake water has some magical ingredients that could fulfill wishes of unfortunate childless couple to gain fertility. Apart from that, the Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park also featured karstic landscapes, but from a mixture of those developed on marble of Chuping formation and limstone of Setul Formation. This park has some very fine cave such as those at Pulau Lima and Pulau Dua, sea stacks and other wave related features. (information from here)

Last few photos before leaving this amazing place. 

Group photo of us! Similar shades, similar smile. Heart these 2 girls to the max! 

Let's go to the next stop! Eagle feeding.

Selfie time with the blue sky =D

Langkawi: Yellow Cafe @ Pantai Cenang, The Villa, ZF Restaurant

If you are in Langkawi and looking for a beachfront cafe, Yellow Cafe might be a good choice for you. It is located at Pantai Cenang and its open all-day, where you can enjoy hot sun in the afternoon, sunset in the evening, or night time sea view.

This cafe is kinda hipster as everything is painted yellow, which includes the Christmas tree. XD The people here is very friendly and nice. Food wise, don't expect for Asian cuisines, it is mainly about salads, pizzas, steak, burgers, etc etc..... Price is around RM20++ in general. Beverage list range from coffee to fruit juices to alcohols. Don't be shock if you notice alcohols are cheaper than fruit juices here. It is a common phenomenon in Langkawi. But for your liver, please drink moderately ^_^

If you drive here, you will need to walk to reach Yellow Cafe as there isn't any parking lot near the cafe. We parked our car along the main road of Pantai Cenang and walked inside. They have sign board, so you won't feel too lost. =D

Told ya, everything here is so YELLOW. Yellow sofa, yellow bar. 

Our indoor seats, which allows us to get some shade from the 1pm hot sun, but still able to enjoy sea view while enjoying the food. I think outdoor seating would be more enjoyable in the evening.

Our lunch to share for 3 because we want to try other food in Langkawi. 

Grilled chicken burger and a Pizza. Taste wise I would say is acceptable. Not too fancy till I would highly recommend. 

Cute toilet (Gents)

 

After enjoying our lunch, we headed back to our hotel to drop baggage. We booked The Villa for 2 nights via Agoda. It looks pretty disappointing when we enter but the pool totally changed our mind. This is so pretty! 

The pool 

Things To Do In Pulau Langkawi

Pulau Langkawi will be the focus of this post. =D It is a cluster of 99 islands in Malaysia and famous with its fascinating legends, duty free shopping and beautiful beaches. (quoted from tourism.gov.my - click here for more information)

What's the legend? There is a tragic story of a beautiful young lady named Mahsuri, and it is a tale of love, jealousy and a curse that was placed upon the island by her for seven generations. Second, did I just said duty free shopping? Yes! Langkawi is where you can have cheap wines and chocolates, and also other imported items. A mug of beer here is cheaper than a cup of fruit juice. A bar of chocolate can cost RM5-10 cheaper than supermarkets. Definitely a place for alcoholics and chocolate lovers. Thirdly, you can't miss the beautiful beaches here! From tourists' favourite hang-out spot Pantai Cenang to Pantai Tengah to Tanjung Rhu. You can visit all of them if you want to, because Langkawi is a small island. Looking for an island getaway? Pulau Langkawi will be a good idea for you =D

Today, I am gonna share some experience and also my compile what I've missed out during my previous trips to put it into my wishlist. Hope it helps! 

Don't know how to get there? Don't know what to eat? Don't know what to see? Don't know what to buy? Don't know where to stay? This post will help you. =)

THINGS TO EXPECT BEFORE GOING TO LANGKAWI

#1 How To Go To Pulau Langkawi

There are 2 modes of transportation to Pulau Langkawi. You can either take ferry, from multiple ports in Malaysia (Kuala Kedah, Kuala Perlis, Pulau Pinang aka Penang), or catch a flight to Langkawi. If you manage to get a cheap flight ticket, my suggestion would be, just fly to Langkawi. Nowadays, Malindo, Firefly and AirAsia always have promotion. Just grab one and fly. It would save you from sea sick and also a lot of traveling time. 

#2 Mode of Transport in Pulau Langkawi

Please bring your driving license to Langkawi as the main mode of transport here mostly by self-drive, either a car or a motorcycle. I would recommend a car as it can carry your luggage and also it can protect you from excessive sun exposure and also heavy rain. Another point is, some roads in Langkawi get real dark at night and it might not safe for you to drive a motorcycle that time. But if you are adventurous enough, go for motorcycle! That would be a whole new chapter of travel experience. =)

Price for car rental can hike up a lot during peak season. I've got mine for RM140 for 48 hours, a small car (Proton Savvy).We picked a counter in the airport and got the car. Few months back, my friend came here on Labour Day, the people charged RM250 for 24 hours, which is almost 4 times our price. Crazy! So, best time to come to Langkawi would be off-peak season. You can enjoy the not-so-pack beach and also avoid overcharge for everything (food, car rental, hotel). Save money $$ to shop!

#3 What to See in Pulau Langkawi

I would like to recommend some place of interest for you in see in Pulau Langkawi. Hope it will help in your planning. 

(a) Eagle Square (Dataran Lang) is like a significant tourist spot. If you never take a photo with this eagle, you don't seem to visit Langkawi. It is located in Kuah Town, walking distance from the Jetty. Eagle Square is the place that reflects origin of Langkawi's name. It is marked by a massive 12-meter sculpture of a reddish brown eagle which is poised to take off. Langkawi's name has been derived from reddish brown eagle (In old Malay Language, Helang  means Eagle, and Kawi stands for reddish brown). This complex is open 24 hours everyday with free admission. So you can drop by anytime for a photo with the reddish-brown eagle. =D

Eagle Square

(b) Oriental Village -- This is where Langkawi cable car, 3D Museum and much more other activities. It is located at the foothills of Mt Machincang. If you are Malaysian, please show them your IC upon purchasing ticket to get discount (50% or more). The cable car is pretty scary as it is quite steep compared to the cable car in Genting Highlands. But, the view on the way up is amazing! 

Beautiful view taken from the cable car.

(c) Sky Bridge is another must see. I had a hard time walking there on my first trip in April 2015. Second time is better! They shorten the trekking distance but it was still pretty tiring. You need to walk for about 10 minutes from the cable car platform in order to reach the bridge.

(d) Have a drink/dinner by the sea. During our 3D2N trip, we had lunch and dinner at Pantai Cenang and Tanjung Rhu, respectively. Island getaway is about chill and relax. So this is how you do it. Enjoy the sound of the waves, watch sunset, enjoy the blue sky and fresh air, enjoy life.

Beer and sunset. Awesome match.

Sunset at Tanjung Rhu. Though it isn't a perfect one, but I enjoyed. 

Things wouldn't be perfect all the time, right?

(e) Duty free shopping. There's Coco Valley, The Zon Shopping Paradise (near Aquarium), Cenang Mall, Haji Ismail Group, Saga Duty Free Shopping Mall, etc... We went to a few of them to do price comparison. In my opinion, the price for chocolates are pretty much similar. For alcohol, each of the shopping place has their cheap items, in my opinion. Whether if you compare it one by one or not, it is still cheaper than in mainland. So, 1-2 bucks difference? Just buy and drink! On the spot! haha...

Our girls night in the hotel =D Smirnoff is too sweet!

(f) Island Hopping. This is a must do! Till Dec 2015, I have been to Pulau Langkawi for the third time and this is my first time joining island hopping tour. I regretted for not going previously. The tour is so reasonable and I enjoyed it so much! 

We didn't do much homework before the trip and hence we went to the hotel reception to ask about island hopping tour. We read in some travel blogs saying that the jetty for island hopping tours isn't just the jetty at Kuah. We were confused and went to ask the receptionist. She immediately help us to call and book for an island hopping tour for RM35 per person, with free hotel pick up. Lucky day! Luckily we didn't drive all the way to Kuah without doing any booking. And true enough, the jetty for island hopping is at Pantai Tengah, only 10 minutes away from our hotel.

Dayang Bunting Marbel Geoferest Park. 

You need to walk some stairs in order to reach the beautiful lake.

Lake of the Pregnant Maiden. This is a must-stop of an island hopping trip. It is believed that any woman who has difficulty conceiving will be blessed with a child if she drank the water from the inviting lake. 

Kedah: Tai Kuan Laksa & Caffe Diem

Because I miss Alor Setar......... So here's a post about Alor Setar food! 

TAI KUAN LAKSA

I've always wanted to try this laksa place but my friend said it isn't nice. Being a stubborn girl, I went to try this laksa stall when I was looking for lunch alone. According to Dr Google, this stall is famous with laksa and ice kacang (mixed ice). So, I ordered both to try. 

Don't be surprise that they are actually 2 different stalls. This area is like a small hawker center, with a few food stalls. So you need to order Laksa from one stall and Ice Kacang from another. But their services are really good. I went there and looked a bit lost. Uncle Aunty approached me and sort of guided me to order my plate of Laksa and Ice Kacang.

My lunch at a glance.

Closer shot of the laksa. It isn't really nice as I've imagined. Sorry friend for not trusting you!

Ice Kacang is just O-K. Taiping has better Ice Kacang. =)

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Next: Caffe Diem, Pekan Cina

After sharing about the not-so-good laksa and ice kacang, here's a post on my favourite cafe in Alor Setar. This is the first cafe that I've been when I started working in Alor Setar. The hot chocolate impressed me a lot. Hence, I often hang out with friends here. Sometimes, when I was alone, I will still chill in this cafe. I will choose a hidden spot and start writing blogs inside. XD

And here's one day that I was alone, enjoying my coffee and dinner, while typing out my travelogue. Life is good. =D

Tried to take an artistic photo for my cuppa coffee. Success?

Kedah: Noodle History 尹面之家

It has been a year since I heard about this noodle stall which sells nice Wan Tan Mee. People known it as "Simpang Kuala under-the-bridge Wan Tan Mee". I always wanted to find time to try but because of the queue and late opening time, I'm reluctant to go. I hate to queue. XD

And so nowadays, I have my dinner alone, hence waiting is even more a problem to me. Waiting for food in a table of one will attracts some attention (I think). But last week, when I was making a U-turn under the bridge to go Simpang Kuala shop lots area to go to a stationery shop, I found that there are not many people at the stall. Looking at my clock pointing 7.18pm, I decided to go down and have my dinner at this famous noodle stall. I'm gonna see what's so nice in there. ^_^

The stall is located in a house. Hence, it is a little hard to spot. But don't worry, you won't miss it as you will see a lot of cars parking beside the road. 

I made my order at the counter and the aunty told me that they are starting at 7.30pm. 

Well, just 12 minutes. I can wait. =) So I ordered a small plate of Wan Tan Mee to try.

Hence I picked a table and started to play with my phone. Playing with phones make me feel less awkward to be alone. At 7.30pm, I thought my food will be served immediately, but I was wrong. I have to wait for another 15-20 minutes for my turn as there are people who arrived before me. The queue gets longer as they started their business. More and more customers come in for dine in and more queuing for takeaway. 

After a while, my food is finally served!

Yes, Wan Tan Mee in Alor Setar are all in this colour. I still can't find one with black colour like the one I used to eat back home. The Char Siew looks more tempting than the noodle. XD

The noodle doesn't taste too special to me. There are much more tastier noodles out there. But I can't deny that their Char Siew is good. If I were to come back, I would order more Char Siew (for the Char Siew, not noodle... haha!)

Here shows their opening hours: 7.30pm onwards (close on Saturdays)

Need some direction? 

Hmmm... Let me try to describe... If you were to come from Alor Mengkudu McD, go straight and cross a flyover. Immediately after the flyover, turn left to make a U-turn. The noodle stall will be 1 minute drive away from the U-turn, so just look for it at your right after turning. Hope it helps! =)