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Year: 2013 (Page 1 of 4)

Kuala Lumpur Bird Park: “World’s largest free-fligh walk-in aviary”

20th October 2013 / / 0 Comments

That’s the tagline of this place. It certainly is nice to walk in between the birds (although some of the storks clearly didn’t like me, the marks their beaks left in my flesh are still visible) which are so clearly used to human presence. You can approach the birds closely and even feed them if you like. The bird show is a nice feature for children, but I somewhat disliked the bigger birds (eagles, owls) locked up in cages definitely too small for those magnificent beasts.

Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, 920 Jalan Cenderawasih Taman Tasik Perdana, Kuala Lumpur 50480, Malaysia
http://www.klbirdpark.com/
+60 3-2272 1010

Visited October 2013. You can find my review about Kuala Lumpur Bird Park also on TripAdvisor.

Thean Hou Temple: “Beautiful Chinese temple”

20th October 2013 / / 0 Comments

The temple is quite stunning in itself, but it is the location which makes this temple superb. The view from the terraces of the temple is gorgeous. I used a cab to get here, because there isn’t a metro station in the neighborhood.

Thean Hou Temple, 65 Persiaran Endah Off Jalan Syed Putra, Kuala Lumpur 50460, Malaysia
https://facebook.com/theanhoutemple/
+60 3-2274 7088

Visited October 2013. You can find my review about Thean Hou Temple also on TripAdvisor.

Menara Kuala Lumpur: “Highest viewpoint in KL”

20th October 2013 / / 0 Comments

The view from this communication tower is absolutely breathtaking. Don’t hesitate to buy tickets to the highest level, you won’t regret it, because on this level your view isn’t blocked by reflections in the glass. You can stand freely in the outside air.

Information
Kuala Lumpur Tower
No. 2 Jalan Punchak
Off Jalan P Ramlee
Kuala Lumpur 50250
Malaysia
https://www.menarakl.com.my/
https://www.facebook.com/officialmenarakl/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuala_Lumpur_Tower

Visited October 2013. You can find my review about Menara Kuala Lumpur also on TripAdvisor.

National Orchid Garden: “Beautiful flowers”

19th October 2013 / / 0 Comments

A great place to enjoy the beauty of orchids in all shapes and sizes. The Orchid Garden is situated in a beautiful park. Absolutely worth the visit.

National Orchid Garden, 1 Cluny Rd Within the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore 259569, Singapore
https://www.sbg.org.sg/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=34&Itemid=58
+65 6471 7361

Visited October 2013. You can find my review about National Orchid Garden also on TripAdvisor.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum: “Superb temple”

19th October 2013 / / 0 Comments

If you want to visit only one temple in Singapore, this should be it. The temple holds a very precious relic of buddha and is very beautiful. The museum gives you an apprehensive overview of the life and teachings of Buddha. The museum shows the different styles of sculptures of buddhism throughout Asia.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum, 288 South Bridge Road, Singapore 058840, Singapore
http://www.btrts.org.sg/
65 6220 0220

Visited October 2013. You can find my review about Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum also on TripAdvisor.

Marina Bay: “What a view!”

19th October 2013 / / 0 Comments

The Marina bay area is definitely stunning. The Marina Bay Sands Hotel is especially breathtaking. The building in itself is surreal and the view from the platform is even more fantastic. At night there is a 3D water and lights show which is absolutely worthwhile.

Marina Bay, Marina Boulevard, Singapore 018980, Singapore
https://www.marina-bay.sg/
+65 6329 3535

Visited October 2013. You can find my review about Marina Bay also on TripAdvisor.

Oasia Hotel Novena, Singapore by Far East Hospitality: “Superb hotel with great staff and hospitality”

19th October 2013 / / 0 Comments

We stayed for seven days in Oasia Hotel and loved every minute of it. We chose the club formula to indulge in the extra service offerd. Our room was beautiful and modern. Situated at the 24th floor the view was absolutely breathtaking. The bathroom was very clean, the rain shower was a real treat and there was a separate bath (which we didn’t try). Absolutely loved the style of the rooms, with lots of wood, the overall feeling was of warmth and comfort. Internet connection was very good.

The impeccably dressed staff was very friendly and welcoming and did everything they could to cater to all our needs. I absolutely adored the pool at the 22th floor and took the opportunity to go for a swim every day. Towels were provided at the pool.

With the club formula we enjoyed happy hour from 6pm till 8pm. A free cocktail and some nibbles to start of your evening. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Breakfast buffet was also excellent with a choice between western style or eastern style or a combination if you preferred. At the egg station the chef prepared your eggs just the way you liked. Staff was very observant and removed your plates once you were finished eating.

A definitely plus: you can take the elevator to the basement which is connected through a hallway to the metro. There are also shops and a food court nearby. Very convenient indeed!

Oasia Hotel Novena, Singapore by Far East Hospitality, 8 Sinaran Drive, Singapore 307470, Singapore

Stayed October 2013. You can find my review about Oasia Hotel Novena, Singapore by Far East Hospitality also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 5/5, location 5/5, sleep quality 5/5, rooms 5/5, cleanliness 5/5, service 5/5.

Hotel Bero: “Nice hotel on a great location”

15th September 2013 / / 0 Comments

Location was key for me during my stay, since I was attending a conference in the Kursaal Oostende. I had a pleasant stay, though the (very large) classic room was a bit outdated. It was weird that the room had two bathrooms: one with a toilet and a shower and one with a bath and a sink. So when you wanted to wash your hands after using the toilet, you had to go to the other bathroom. The room was very clean, which is always nice.

The bed wasn’t as comfortable as should be expected from such an expensive hotel and the pillow wasn’t that great either. I slept fairly well, though. I was sorry I hadn’t the opportunity to dive into the lovely pool or use the wellness. Next time perhaps? The selection of drinks from the bar are also excellent.

Breakfast was nice. Expecting a little bit more perhaps (I don’t like my juice to come out of a machine), but enjoyed the scrambled eggs and fresh fruit salad.

Staff was professional and welcoming.

I would stay here again, but not in the classic room. I do think the rooms are a bit overpriced if you don’t use the pool or wellness facilities, but I guess the good location close to the beach makes up for that.

Hotel Bero, Hofstraat 1A, Ostend 8400, Belgium

Stayed September 2013. You can find my review about Hotel Bero also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, location 5/5, sleep quality 3/5, rooms 4/5, cleanliness 4/5, service 3/5.

De Mosselbeurs: “Nice restaurant with lovely interior”

15th September 2013 / / 0 Comments

Based on the Tripadvisor reviews I ended up having diner in De Mosselbeurs. I didn’t go for the obvious choice: the mussels, but decided to go for one of the suggestions: turbot fillet with arugula and lemon puree. The fish was fresh and the combination with the arugula and lemon puree was absolutely fabulous. Loved the dried tomatoes and capers. Service was very friendly. And I loved the atmosphere of the place with beautiful black and white tiles and a spiraling stair case in the middle of the room. For desert I enjoyed me some crème brûlée with orange and lemon zest which was delicious. In total my meal costed 42 euro, which is a little bit on the pricey side, I guess.

Information
De Mosselbeurs (reopening as Mommys Bastards)
Dwarsstraat 10
8400 Ostend
Belgium
http://www.demosselbeurs.be/
https://www.facebook.com/DeMosselbeurs/
https://www.mommysbastards.be/

Visited September 2013. You can find my review about De Mosselbeurs also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 3/5, atmosphere 4/5, service 4/5, food 4/5.

Zuki Sushi: “Horrible sushi restaurant”

4th September 2013 / / 0 Comments

We ended up in this restaurant because of a Groupon deal. The Groupon deal claimed that for only 30 euro you would get a Japanese meal for two persons worth 73 euro. That’s one hell of a deal. To good to be true? Of course it was!

The interior of the restaurant isn’t much to speak of. They try to create an oriental feeling in which they more of less succeed, but the room is very dark.

We started of well enough with basic miso soup which was fine. The sushi boat, supposedly worth 73 euro, looked ok, but the sushi was really terrible. The rice was super dry and the little fish served, chewy and not that fresh. There were only four pieces of nigiri sushi on the boat and the sashimi was nowhere to be found. This boat was at best worth 30 euro. Nowhere near the 73 euro we were promised (which I didn’t expected, it’s Groupon afterall). The sushi rolls were very clumsy made and not at all refined. I had to drink lots of water to swallow the sushi, because it was so dry.

As an avid sushi lover, I was appalled. Possibly people using the groupon deal will have their first sushi experience in this restaurant and will think this is the real deal. One advice: skip this restaurant all together.

A plus: the girl who served us was very friendly.

Zuki Sushi, Sint-Paulusplaats 21, Antwerp 2000, Belgium
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zuki-Sushi/342865172480183?rf=529483663757531
+32 489 33 43 55

Visited September 2013. You can find my review about Zuki Sushi also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 2/5, atmosphere 3/5, service 4/5, food 1/5.

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