http://www.asiaone.com/Travel/Places+%26+Interests/Story/A1Story20090609-147192.html
Tue, Jun 09, 2009
my paper
Pure Penang bliss
By Jill Alphonso
WHEN I told friends I was about to embark on a romantic four-day holiday in Penang, the responses were varied.
The pool area at the Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa.
They went along the lines of: "What the heck is in Penang?" to simply: "Why?"
To which I answered: Besides the great food, which Penang is known for, the north-western Malaysian island is home to a great beach weekend getaway - Batu Ferringhi.
Now, I'm a beach bunny who drags her long-suffering partner off to at least one sand-and-surf location every year. And I can safely say that Batu Ferringhi is a beach lover's dream.
While the town itself is a tourist trap with night markets, the beach offers activities like horse riding. It costs around RM75 (S$31) per half hour and I grew terribly fond of a horse named Gambler. Jet-skiing is around RM100 per half hour and para-sailing is available for two at around RM150 for a decent ride.
But expect prices to vary wildly, as none of the individual operators offering these activities along the beach are licensed. That also means you should have travel insurance if you're indulging in any of these.
Now, one could also argue that the water at Batu Ferringhi is no great shakes (there's a lot of sediment that makes the water look rather brown on windy days when the surf is breaking hard). But I'll tell you that the cons of Batu Ferringhi and its beach are no big deal.
Not if you've checked into a good hotel. There're a few choices for hotels in the area, but I'd advise checking into the Parkroyal or the Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa.
You want a truly splendid place to come back to if you're having an active vacation.
The Pinang Bar & Resturant is ideal for romantic dinners.
I opted to stay in a premier room in the Rasa wing of the five-star Rasa Sayang. There, my partner and I found ourselves a perfect haven.
That particular wing is tailor- made for couples, with a "private" pool surrounded by lush trees that is not accessible to guests in the resort's other wing, which caters to families.
After indulging in various beachfront activities, we would crawl back to the hotel - just a three-minute walk from the beach - and collapse into bed for an afternoon nap.
We'd rise hours later, still sun-drunk, to trundle into one of the hotel's two excellent restaurants. There, we gorged on everything, from seafood to steak.
After that, we'd break out the champagne, fill the outdoor marble bath on the balcony of our hotel room and get in for a long soak by moonlight. Pure bliss.
Coming home from the trip, I found myself daydreaming about my trip in idle moments.
Was the horse named Gambler giving giddy little girls rides up and down the beach? And was Ya-ya - the guy who watched eagle-eyed from the shore as we jet-skied - doing well?
But most often, I find myself wondering how blue the sky in Batu Ferringhi is today - and when might be a good time to return.
[email protected]
For rates at the Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa in Penang, visit www.shangri-la.com/en/propert y/penang/rasasayangresort, or call 604-888-8888 and ask for the reservations desk. Other hotels to check out in Batu Ferringhi are the Parkroyal Penang (www.parkroyalhotels.com) and the family-friendly Golden Sands Resort by Shangri-La (www.shangri-la.com/en/property /penang/goldensandsresort). Or visit www.zuji.com.sg for more packages.
WHERE TO RELAX AND INDULGE
The writer gallops along the strand, which is a beach lover's dream.
EAT
A FUN adventure for a couple is to grab a cab and take a ride up Jalan Batu Ferringhi close to midday on a weekend.
The road is dotted with stalls offering the famous Penang laksa at around RM2.50 (S$1) per bowl. Other stalls offer tidbits like sweetened grilled corn.
Ask your cabby to wait for you as you stop at each stall.
Expect to pay extra for the wait time and settle on a fixed fare upon departure as Penang cabbies don't use their metres.
Plan on spending around an hour on this tasting fiesta and make sure you're hungry - you'll want to eat more than one bowl of laksa per stall.
SPA
EVEN if you're not staying at the Rasa Sayang on your Penang trip, you can make use of its adjoining spa, called Chi The Spa (tel: 604-888- 8762).
Invest in Paradise Found, a 31/2-hour package - which includes a Himalayan baththerapy treatment, an essential oil wrap, a massage and a facial - at RM860 per person.
Roving foot reflexologists are available to Rasa guests.
They can attend to you by the pool as you soak up some sun and a treatment costs RM100.
Or look for operators along the beach, who offer massages for as low as RM50. There are plenty of small massage places around Batu Ferringhi as well.
SHOP
BEFORE leaving the country, make a pit stop at Queensbay Mall (100, Persiaran Bayan Indah, 11900 Bayan Lepas), a 10-minute cab ride away from the airport. Women should hit Forever 21. Yes, we have this label in Singapore too, but there's a much bigger selection in this mall. And psst... Prices are slightly cheaper there too.
Visit www.queensbaymall.com.my
WIN $2,030 STAY AT RASA
my paper readers stand a chance to win a three-day, two-night weekend package for two worth RM4,899 (S$2,030) at the Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa in Penang.
Explain in no more than 150 words why you and your partner need a beach weekend stay at the Rasa Sayang.
E-mail your name, address, NRIC and phone numbers to [email protected] by Friday, 12pm. Please do not send in multiple entries.
The winner will get to stay in a Rasa Premier room in the resort's Rasa Wing, which has an outdoor bathtub.
The package includes buffet breakfasts at the Spize Market Cafe or a la carte breakfasts at the exclusive Ferringi Grill.
There is also happy hour (including champagne and cocktails) each day at the Rasa Wing Lounge.
A winner will receive a voucher (valid for six months) for the package. He or she will be contacted by next Thursday.
To get there:
Check out budget airline AirAsia (www.airasia.com), which began offering straight flights to Penang International Airport this month for as low as $49 for a one-way trip (restrictions apply).
Next month, Jetstar (www.jetstar.com) will begin offering direct flights to Penang as well.
A cab from the airport to the Rasa will cost RM60.
For more my paper stories click here.
Tue, Jun 09, 2009
my paper
Pure Penang bliss
By Jill Alphonso
WHEN I told friends I was about to embark on a romantic four-day holiday in Penang, the responses were varied.
The pool area at the Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa.
They went along the lines of: "What the heck is in Penang?" to simply: "Why?"
To which I answered: Besides the great food, which Penang is known for, the north-western Malaysian island is home to a great beach weekend getaway - Batu Ferringhi.
Now, I'm a beach bunny who drags her long-suffering partner off to at least one sand-and-surf location every year. And I can safely say that Batu Ferringhi is a beach lover's dream.
While the town itself is a tourist trap with night markets, the beach offers activities like horse riding. It costs around RM75 (S$31) per half hour and I grew terribly fond of a horse named Gambler. Jet-skiing is around RM100 per half hour and para-sailing is available for two at around RM150 for a decent ride.
But expect prices to vary wildly, as none of the individual operators offering these activities along the beach are licensed. That also means you should have travel insurance if you're indulging in any of these.
Now, one could also argue that the water at Batu Ferringhi is no great shakes (there's a lot of sediment that makes the water look rather brown on windy days when the surf is breaking hard). But I'll tell you that the cons of Batu Ferringhi and its beach are no big deal.
Not if you've checked into a good hotel. There're a few choices for hotels in the area, but I'd advise checking into the Parkroyal or the Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa.
You want a truly splendid place to come back to if you're having an active vacation.
The Pinang Bar & Resturant is ideal for romantic dinners.
I opted to stay in a premier room in the Rasa wing of the five-star Rasa Sayang. There, my partner and I found ourselves a perfect haven.
That particular wing is tailor- made for couples, with a "private" pool surrounded by lush trees that is not accessible to guests in the resort's other wing, which caters to families.
After indulging in various beachfront activities, we would crawl back to the hotel - just a three-minute walk from the beach - and collapse into bed for an afternoon nap.
We'd rise hours later, still sun-drunk, to trundle into one of the hotel's two excellent restaurants. There, we gorged on everything, from seafood to steak.
After that, we'd break out the champagne, fill the outdoor marble bath on the balcony of our hotel room and get in for a long soak by moonlight. Pure bliss.
Coming home from the trip, I found myself daydreaming about my trip in idle moments.
Was the horse named Gambler giving giddy little girls rides up and down the beach? And was Ya-ya - the guy who watched eagle-eyed from the shore as we jet-skied - doing well?
But most often, I find myself wondering how blue the sky in Batu Ferringhi is today - and when might be a good time to return.
[email protected]
For rates at the Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa in Penang, visit www.shangri-la.com/en/propert y/penang/rasasayangresort, or call 604-888-8888 and ask for the reservations desk. Other hotels to check out in Batu Ferringhi are the Parkroyal Penang (www.parkroyalhotels.com) and the family-friendly Golden Sands Resort by Shangri-La (www.shangri-la.com/en/property /penang/goldensandsresort). Or visit www.zuji.com.sg for more packages.
WHERE TO RELAX AND INDULGE
The writer gallops along the strand, which is a beach lover's dream.
EAT
A FUN adventure for a couple is to grab a cab and take a ride up Jalan Batu Ferringhi close to midday on a weekend.
The road is dotted with stalls offering the famous Penang laksa at around RM2.50 (S$1) per bowl. Other stalls offer tidbits like sweetened grilled corn.
Ask your cabby to wait for you as you stop at each stall.
Expect to pay extra for the wait time and settle on a fixed fare upon departure as Penang cabbies don't use their metres.
Plan on spending around an hour on this tasting fiesta and make sure you're hungry - you'll want to eat more than one bowl of laksa per stall.
SPA
EVEN if you're not staying at the Rasa Sayang on your Penang trip, you can make use of its adjoining spa, called Chi The Spa (tel: 604-888- 8762).
Invest in Paradise Found, a 31/2-hour package - which includes a Himalayan baththerapy treatment, an essential oil wrap, a massage and a facial - at RM860 per person.
Roving foot reflexologists are available to Rasa guests.
They can attend to you by the pool as you soak up some sun and a treatment costs RM100.
Or look for operators along the beach, who offer massages for as low as RM50. There are plenty of small massage places around Batu Ferringhi as well.
SHOP
BEFORE leaving the country, make a pit stop at Queensbay Mall (100, Persiaran Bayan Indah, 11900 Bayan Lepas), a 10-minute cab ride away from the airport. Women should hit Forever 21. Yes, we have this label in Singapore too, but there's a much bigger selection in this mall. And psst... Prices are slightly cheaper there too.
Visit www.queensbaymall.com.my
WIN $2,030 STAY AT RASA
my paper readers stand a chance to win a three-day, two-night weekend package for two worth RM4,899 (S$2,030) at the Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa in Penang.
Explain in no more than 150 words why you and your partner need a beach weekend stay at the Rasa Sayang.
E-mail your name, address, NRIC and phone numbers to [email protected] by Friday, 12pm. Please do not send in multiple entries.
The winner will get to stay in a Rasa Premier room in the resort's Rasa Wing, which has an outdoor bathtub.
The package includes buffet breakfasts at the Spize Market Cafe or a la carte breakfasts at the exclusive Ferringi Grill.
There is also happy hour (including champagne and cocktails) each day at the Rasa Wing Lounge.
A winner will receive a voucher (valid for six months) for the package. He or she will be contacted by next Thursday.
To get there:
Check out budget airline AirAsia (www.airasia.com), which began offering straight flights to Penang International Airport this month for as low as $49 for a one-way trip (restrictions apply).
Next month, Jetstar (www.jetstar.com) will begin offering direct flights to Penang as well.
A cab from the airport to the Rasa will cost RM60.
For more my paper stories click here.
