We spent 3 days in Pattaya, but too bad the water festival only starts on 19th April in Pattaya. We were there early, but a lot of water splashing had been going on, but in “smaller” scale.

The kids had a great time this year, and unlike last year when they were so scared of being splashed or splashing someone, they totally enjoyed being wet this time.

I shall upload the photos in FB soon.

t’s our second CNY in Bangkok, and just like last year, hubby’s family members flew from Singapore and M’sia to be here with us. So, it’s another memorable family reunion.

Justin with his cousins from Singapore

We had our reunion dinner at BIL’s house. FIL bought a lot of Thai food, and it’s the first time we had Chinese reunion dinner, ala Thai style. LOL! I thought of eating out, but MIL said, with 7 kids, and 10 adults, it’s best to have the dinner at the comfort of our own home. Thank god BIL’s house is so spacious. The kids had fun playing in the family room and later watching TV like no body’s biz.

Isabelle and the boys.

On the first day of CNY, everyone dropped by BIL’s house again for angpao and gathering. We were going to Hua Hin beach for 3 days, so everyone was pretty excited about it.

Isabelle’s struggling to wish “gong xi fa cai”

As you know, our family is quite a “beach” person. We go to the beach very often.

Off to the beach in Hua Hin

Bikini is a must!

The kids spent most of the time in the pool and on the beach. As for adults, we drunk and ate, besides watching the kids.

Hubby and his princess

Thank god she lost her tan very fast, even if she’s in the sun so often.

House riding is a must!

One of the highlights during our stay in Hua Hin was, the kids found a big jellyfish on the sand.

Justin and his cousin found it.

The papas tried to rescue it, but to no avail. Maybe it’s dead la.

So after 3 days of sun and beach, all of us got really tanned. Nonetheless, we all had great fun, and snapped over 700 photos during this CNY. But after 2 years of CNY in Thailand, all of us planned to celebrate next CNY in M’sia. So, it’s time to book the tickets and fly back to Ipoh next year. I’m not sure how many days can we afford to be away, with the kids skipping school and us skipping work. But I surely need to check out the insurance quotes back home, and make some comparison, and renew my safe deposit and bla bla bla. There are so much to do once we get back home again. But then, it’s always nice to be home.

Hence, see u guys next CNY!

It’s our first trip to Koh Chang island, and we joined BIL’s company staffs on this trip. There are about 40 of us, so we traveled in 4 commuter vans by starting the journey at 5am plus. It’s that EARLY! I’m so glad that the kids didn’t make a fuss when they woke up at 4am, and they were pretty excited about the trip.

At about 1pm, we reached the jetty to catch the ferry to Koh Chang island. It’s really that far from the city!

The ferry reminds me of Penang. But they don’t allow passengers to be in the cars, so most passengers have to get to the top rack after packing the vehicles.

Isabelle on the ferry

It took us about 45 minutes to get to the island, and here is a group photo of all of us.

Sorry, got to put small small.

The roads on this island are very winding and steep. I would advise that you get the local transport or tour vans instead of driving on your own. Oh man, really kiasi lang…

After checking in at the hotel, we went for the first activity of the day: The Tree Top Adventure. The adults had some team building games here, while the kids enjoyed themselves on the high rise net and catching crabs on the beach. Hubby and I watched the kids, with the help of a worker.

My adventurous boy just jumped on the net as soon as he saw it. It was about 10 ft high from the ground. O.o

The kids spent a lot of time on the net, with a worried mommy watching closeby.

Hubby had a lot of fun too.

Some team building games

Catching crabs on the beach

Hubby saw this from the bottom and decided to dump the babysitting job to me and joined in the adult fun.

Ok la, you deserve to have some fun. (Actually, it’s the mommy who’s too afraid of the height. )

Ah, really look like a lot of fun, hanging from one tree to another.

Our city kids enjoyed exploring the nature

But the mommy was almost running out of breathe chasing after them from one spot to another. Justin is SOOOOO adventurous now, and Isabelle follows him everywhere. Faint…

We spent about 3 hours here, and after that, all of us got back to the hotel. It’s been a very long day so all of us were dead exhausted. We went to bed early after a quick dinner, and called it a day.

The next morning, the kids got up bright and early and they were excited for the day’s event: Snorkeling!

Checking out the tadpoles in the pond while waiting for our transport.

The route to the pier was bl*rdy scary. So steep and winding la.

Hubby snapped this for me at the pier.

He said if he’s not holding the camera, the kids won’t know that mommy is there when they see the photos next time. The boat ride took about an hour to reach the snorkeling spot. So, it’s another bumpy ride.

Kids knocked out on the boat. Isabelle refused to let go of the bread for fish feeding. LOL!

Since the kids were napping, we stole some time to snap some photos.

I didn’t snap much on this snorkeling trip as I left my camera on the boat. Watching the kids in the sea is more important! But anyway, we had other cameras around.

Finally got to feed the fish.

Justin and daddy in the sea, with fish flocking towards them.

I found that the corals here are not as pretty as Phuket and Similan Islands, but for some workers, it’s their first snorkeling trip, so they were happy about it. As for Justin, it’s his second trip. He was happy to see the fishes but at the same time, too afraid when they were getting close to him. LOL!

We had a dinner and mini party on the last night in Koh Chang, and the staffs had great fun with the games and gift exchange.

I have a pressie.

On the last day, we dropped by the beach near the hotel. I noticed that there are a lot of foreigners here, mostly Russians.

Beach on Koh Chang island

Enjoying the sand.

That concludes our trip to Koh Chang and more photos are uploaded in FB.

Then this week, we will be going to Hua Hin beach with hubby’s family members. We are going to be very roasted and tanned again.

We are off to the beach again tomorrow, and this time, it’s Koh Chang island, and it’s our first trip there. We shall leave home at 5am, and the journey will take about 3 – 4 hours to reach the jetty, and there will be another hour of boat ride to reach the island.

So, if you don’t see me online, you would know where we are.

We have heard so much about floating market in Thailand, but we have only gone to the one in Pattaya, and it’s not exactly a traditional floating market. Thus, hubby suggested that we checked out Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, which is about 2 hours drive from the city, on the last day of 2009.

The moment we arrived at the market, the kids complained about the smell. LOL! I guess they have all grown to be city kids, so they are not as adventurous as before. We were persuaded to take a boat ride about the market, and it took about an hour ride, including a visit to a coconut sugar farm.

The kids were not interested in the making process, but they love the coconut sweets. I regretted that we didn’t buy more too.

Snapped this at the coconut sugar farm.

After that, we went on a bumpy and faster boat ride to a nearby temple. Justin was so  worried that he didn’t have a life jacket, and he swore that he won’t come to this floating market again. LOL!

Hanging on tight to daddy.

Nonetheless, he was back to himself again when we stepped on the shore at the temple and was told that he could feed the fishes here. The kids love fish feeding, and that’s something we do often in Bangkok.

After that, we headed back to the market for lunch, and the food was prepared on the boats by the canal. I was worried about the cleanliness of the food since none of us have any medical travel insurance. But luckily, the boats are packed by the side of the market, and they use tap water for washing and cleaning the utensils. Frankly, hubby and I haven’t had any food poisoning in Bangkok, but the kids had one pretty bad one, but it’s not due to any tourist spots.

Overall, I think a floating market is a major attraction in Thailand, if you are interested to understand the culture of the local Thais.  But my kids said they won’t go back there again.

Hi there! We are back!!! It’s only 3 days away to Phuket and Similan Islands and it’s toooooo short for us. But then, this is a budget trip so we can’t afford to spend sooooo many days on the pearl of Andaman. Nonetheless, we had a great time, and photos are uploaded in FB already, so go take a peep.

Here’s a summary of our trip:

Day 1:

We reached Phuket at about 1pm and rushed to Ramada Resort. Everyone got changed and rushed for a quick bite at Mcd, before going to Marriott for family photo shooting. Yeap, we had some photos taken by Aaron, and I can’t wait to see them.

Of course, we had some hiccups here, like hubby lost his ring, and then his Crocs (but later found by Aaron). After dinner, everyone called it a day as we were all so tired…

Day 2:

Got up very early to Similan Islands. It’s a national park, so I LOVE IT!!! It’s not as commercial as Phi Phi, and if you really like nature and well preserved islands, go to Similan or Surin. Worth the diamonds $$$ and time spent on boat, I tell you!

Don’t ask me where she learned to pose like this….

 

Justin’s first snorkeling trip. He’s so happy to see jellyfish, clown fish, coral reefs and other sea creatures.

 

Day 3:

Spent the day at Karon beach and Ramada Resort only. We didn’t have plan to go for a tour in the town, so the kids spent some time at the Kidz Club.

Justin’s at Karon beach.

 

Isabelle had a great time at Ramada’s Kidz Club.

In short, it’s a nice trip but 3 days is indeed too short. I would love to go there again and my kids can’t agree more.

 

P/S: Thanks Tang!

Hubby suggested that we made a trip to Khong Suan 100 Year Old Market on Mother’s Day. All of us really “dilly dally” the whole morning so by the time we left home, it’s almost 11am. It’s so sunny and hot, and the journey to Khlong Suan Old Market took about 2 hours! You bet I was in my utmost grumpy mood as I really hate the sun, except on beach trips.

Not only me, the kids complained about the heat too. It was quite hot at this market, even if it’s roofed and shaded. It’s a very old place, so don’t even think about finding a cafe with air-conditioning. The coffee shops are very old, with the tables and stools, and if you are city folk, this is not the place for you. Forget about looking for auto accessories here too. But if you love photography, I think this market is nice for photos. I didn’t have the mood to play with my camera due to the heat, so I missed a good chance of learning how to play more with my toy!

Here are some photos taken at Khlong Suan market.

My boy’s checking out some animal figurines.

 

This market has a lot of antics. I like the antic toys. 

 

I had a merry-go-round musical box but Justin broke it when he was a toddler.

 

These houses are 100 years old, and they are surrounded by a canal. You can actually have a boat ride around the market.

 

Wooden bridges are built to connect the different sections of the market and houses.

 

Most of the stall or shop owners are elderly, but they are very friendly. This uncle let our kids use the washroom.

 

My shoe fetish gal found herself a pair of toy shoes. LOL!

 

This is my favorite photo.

 

It was taken after we had a short tour at the market, with me complaining about how hot and sweaty I was, and Justin turned around and said, “Mommy, faster la. So hot. Why you always so slow? Mommy, walk faster!”

Check out how far daddy had walked. He’s tired of hearing my complains. LOL! Poor daddy…he must be p*ssed. LOL!

 

We were only there for half an hour, and the kids bought something from the market. As for me, hubby bought me a fan. LOL!

 

I purposely enlarged this photo, can you see my hubby’s upsetting face?

 

He thought I can snap photos here, but too bad, it was too hot for me to handle. BTW, this wooden bridge is quite shaky, and Isabelle was so cautious with every step she took.

Too bad I really hate the heat, so I didn’t have mood to snap more photos. I saw a few tourists with canggih cameras here, and so if you love to snap old antic buildings and objects, Khlong Suan 100 Year Old Market might be the place for you. As for shopaholic like me, let’s stick to shopping malls. LOL!

 For the past few days, I have been looking for a hotel or resort in Phuket in November, and it seems like the room rates are so expensive during the peak season! Actually, we will only be there for 3 days, so hubby doesn’t want to spend a bomb on a nice room or private villa with pretty ceramic tile and private pool.

I’ve booked the flight tickets and now it’s only about getting a place to stay. With a tight budget *ahem!*, I have to be FRUGAL in looking for a room. Any suggestion, anyone?

I guess I kept blogging about Pattaya since we moved there huh? LOL! But then, it’s the nearest beach from Bangkok, and even if it’s not the nicest in Thailand, it’s still one of the beach options available for a day trip, if we don’t want to drive for more than 3 hours. Nonetheless, we didn’t drive to Pattaya last Saturday but we took the vans with the office staffs, so it’s more fun going as a group.

I guess the photos can speak for themselves about our trip to Pattaya Floating Market, Nong Nooch Tropical Garden and Resort and Jomtien beach (the beach minutes away from Pattaya).

First stop, the over 100 years old temple

 

Kids were more curious about the cute baby

 

So cute hoh? He’s a boy, by the way…

 

Cubit cubit

 

Next stop, Pattaya Floating Market

 

Our one and only couple photo for the trip. LOL!

 

Darling Isabelle was trying to ask for the flowers.

 

Justin’s feeding the elephant

 

Jomtien beach

 

Building sandcastle, with hands. LOL!

 

Justin loves the waves.

 

Sunset by the beach

 

I’m a bit lazy for blogging lately. Please go to my Facebook for more photos ya?

Maybe it’s the fatigue over the busy weekends. Ya, WEEKENDS! Mark the S. We are going to have another busy weekend again on Sunday. Ahh….I really need a good back massage, I’m so tired.

Besides that, I found out that a blogger had just lost her husband, and even if I don’t know her personally, it’s still a great loss. A bit lost of words now…