Travel: Staycation at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel (Part II of Birthday Treat)

Surprise, surprise~!! After my sister treated us to a sumptuous lunch at Boneless Kitchen, my next stop is~~~ *Drum Rolls*~~~

Staycation at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel!!!

Lobby - Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel

As expected of renowned hotels, the hotel staff are well trained, i.e. great customer service. The facilities that are available are comprehensive as well. And yes, they provide free in-room WIFI ;)

I did not managed to explore every single facilities that they offer. What I did take a look at are the cafeteria, swimming pool and pool grill.

View of the swimming pool from our room

The room which was allocated to us was Room 1415.
Disclaimer: If you are going to buy 4D based on this number, we are in no way responsible for the outcome.

Quite often, we have to swipe the keycard to open the room door. But at this Marriott, I liked that the room door can be opened with just a tab of the room keycard. Totally WIFI :) How cool is that?

The decoration in the room is pretty luxurious and sleek. The wardrobe is well stocked with the usual items such as steam iron, ironing board, hair dryer, safe, slippers and hangers. There is a king size bed which is a good size for QW to co-sleep with us. FYI, they did set up a play pen for QW after I took the photos of the room.

King-sized bed

Smart TV
*please pardon the messiness. We dumped our barang barangs there :p*

I am not sure why they left the mineral water bottles in the restroom :/

Dressing table within the restroom

Guess what?
They left me a surprise :)
A birthday cake *Yay to mango flavour!!* and a signed birthday card :)

One bummer we faced started because I forgot to bring our handphone charger along. I got even more jittery when the room service staff told me that they do not loan out chargers to us. The only way is to bring our handphones or power banks and ask the receptionist to help us charge (using their PC).

Having said that, similarly to our experience at Marriott Mai Khao Beach Vacation Club @ Phuket, our stay this round had been a pleasant one :)

Coincidentally, it was "Pedestrian Night on Orchard Road"[2] that night. So, we had our evening stroll along Orchard Road and joined in the fun :) Walking on an iconic road usually occupied by vehicles kind of brings me back to the times when I was in Times Square, Manhattan, New York.

It was a very vibrant and loud event with bands singing, people skating, balloons being distributed, etc. QW's all the favourite was of course playing with the helium balloons we got for her :)

A memorable day indeed to be continued in next post~

References:
1. Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel
2. Orchard Road A Great Street - Pedestrian Night
3. Tripadvisor - Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel

Travel: A Walk in SunPlaza Park

QW went on her walk again :) This time, we went to explore SunPlaza Park[1][2]. In case you are under the impression that QW does not go for her walks in the parks often enough, I assure you that it is all because my blog posting speed is very much slower than the number of parks she had visited. Also, it is because we tend to bring her to the parks near our place or our parents' place.

Some may think that SunPlaza Park will be located near Sun Plaza, a shopping mall located in Sembawang. Just as Punggol Park is not located in Punggol (but in Hougang), SunPlaza Park is actually located in Tampines. Yup, no where near Sun Plaza.

PCN bike shop

As you can see from the above photos, SunPlaza Park is connected to the Park Connector Network (PCN) and has a PCN bike shop. The nearest parks are Tampines Eco Green Park, Bedok Reservoir Park and Paris Ris Park.

SunPlaza park is one of the sensory parks which I am aware of. The other sensory park is Toa Payoh Sensory Park. Unlike SunPlaza Park and Punggol Park, Toa Payoh Sensory Park is actually located in Toa Payoh.

Being a sensory park, that there are features which appeal to your senses of touch, sight, smell, sound and maybe taste. From its National Park and Wikipedia websites, SunPlaza Park is said to have 10 stations of interactive play features which give their visitors a treat to their senses.

These stations include textured walls, organic texture walk, talking tubes, tumbler, entry sign with recessed wordings and symbols, ladder wall, slider beads, herbal walls, "toes", and chimes. They will probably keep their visitors occupied for quite a while. As there are no signage, here are my attempts at identifying them (no guarantee on accuracy!):

Entry sign with recessed wordings and symbols

Chimes

Organic texture walk?

Tumbler

Slider beads

Talking tubes

Ladder wall

Textured wall

"Toes"?

Herbal wall?

Unlike Punggol Park, SunPlaza Park does not have a pond. But having said that, the number of facilities and activities which you can find at Sun Plaza Park is comparable to that at Punggol Park. Similarly to my blog post on Punggol Park, I will (again) let the photos do the talking on some of the facilities and activities that you can find in it.

Signage that summarizes the park's facilities and activities

Fitness corner with a rest bench near it

Woodball course has 12 fairways
that complies with internationally accepted standards.

This town park does cater to all ages. I have on many occasions seen visitors cycle, jog, in-line skate, play guitar, walk, relax etc. around the park. I must say that majority of the activities seem to take place at three main areas: playground, beach ball court and amphitheatre.

Young ones are often seen having fun usually at the playground, while the elderly watched them from the rest benches nearby. The two swings in the playground are well loved by all ages. By the way, the swings are not the typical ones which looks like a metal piece seat. Take a look at QW enjoying a ride on the swing and you will know what I mean.

Far view of the playground

Close up on one side of the playground 

Close up on the other side of the play ground -
the two swings are on the right of this picture.

QW on the swing :)
QW ootd: Carters onesie and Tollijoy pants

BBQ pits opposite playground

I have not seen anyone fly a kite in SunPlaza Park before. But, I think it might be possible to do so near the Beach Ball Court. You might be wondering why are those circular pathways around the two trees in the below picture. I was told that the circles are created by those who practice Qi/Chakra while walking in circles around the trees.

Beach ball court

It was mentioned in the National Park and Wikipedia websites that the amphitheatre has the capacity to hold 700 people (seating and standing). With such a large space, it does make an ideal venue for events such as band performances, exhibitions, etc. True enough, I often see music enthusiasts often gather at amphitheatre (or one of the pavilions) to sing songs and/or play musical instruments ranging from guitar to Kompang and Rebana.

Music enthusiasts playing at one of the pavilions 

Amphitheatre with stage

Toilet near amphitheatre
I heard it is very clean (but yet to verify)

I like that this town park has rest benches and sheltered areas (like Punggol Park) which are quite closely scattered around it. As I have mentioned before, sheltered areas are great to have within sight in case of sudden downpour.

Shelter/Pavilion near amphitheatre

Shelter/Pavilion undergoing maintenance

Again unlike Punggol Park, SunPlaza park does not have a restaurant within its compound. But, if you ever feel hungry, you can always grab a bite at the town centre located opposite to the park, at nearby coffee shop or at void deck shop houses.

SunPlaza Park with its many facilities does cater to its growing visitors as more flats and condominiums are being built around it. If you happen to be in Tampines, do pop by and breathe in some fresh air.

References:

1. National Parks - Sun Plaza Park
2. Wikipedia - Sun Plaza Park

Travel: May 2012 Chelsea International Hostel, Manhattan, New York, U.S.A.

Taiwan hostels such as H132 Hostel (used to be known as Star Hostel) and Hualien11 have pampered me too much. I knew it the moment I arrived at Chelsea International Hostel (CIH)[1][2]. Oh, I only took 2 photos while I was there since most of the time I was out exploring. So, do refer to Chelsea International Hostel's Facebook page[3] for more photos of their interior to get a better idea.

Before I proceed on, I must share that I checked out of CIH and moved into Sleep Inn Jamaica (SIJ) for my last night in New York (NY). It was not an easy move but I just could not stay there anymore. Even if I had to lug my suitcase and 2 bags of 20+kgs down the VERY narrow stairways of CIH, walked 3 streets and down another flight of stairs to get to the subway, I was glad to make the move.

As I have mentioned before in my Hualien11 blog post, there are three main factors that I gauge a hostel by: location, facilities and price. So, was it really all that bad staying at CIH? Well, CIH is located within Manhattan, along 20th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenue. It is located near 3 metro stations (18th and 23th Street on 7th Avenue and 24th Street on 8th Avenue) and served by many subway lines. Hence, a very accessible place. Exploring Manhattan using CIH as the base was much quicker/convenient than SIJ (which require a hotel shuttle bus service after exiting Queens subway station). So, no complaints in terms of location.

Facilities wise, there is free Wifi but only if you are in/near common area, lobby and courtyard. Luckily for me, my room was on top of the dining area. So, I was able to access it in the comfort of my room (though the signal was pretty weak and unstable). So, free Wifi satisfied.

There is a kitchen if you want to whip up a meal for yourself. I did not use it as it seemed to be always occupied by someone. Not to mention that I am pretty much a clean freak (OCD), so I do not feel comfortable using their pots and pans. Mainly, it was because I was out most of the time.

Breakfast provided was pretty decent though the spread they offer do not change much from day to day. Typically, you will find cereals, bagels with the usual jams and butter. Drink wise, there are coffee, tea, milk, and maybe fruit juice. I normally just grab the portions I want and bring it up to my room as the dining area was pretty crowded with people who were either there for the food or for the electric points and free Wifi. Sometimes, I take a bit more and bring it out for my lunch.

Price wise, it cost much more than any hostels which I have stayed in. Perhaps, I was just paying for the convenience of being within Manhattan because it was only slightly cheaper than SIJ! Why the exclamation mark? Well, SIJ was so much larger than CIH in terms of room size. SIJ could fit a Queen size bed with quilt, a wardrobe, a proper desk, bath tub, etc.! The heater worked wonderfully and the breakfast provided looked more appetising.

But CIH? The private room I booked had a single bed, a metal lock, a basin, some open shelves, some hooks to hang your clothes, a heater that only worked below certain temperature. Blanket was provided, but I felt too cold on my 1st night there before the heater even started. For subsequent nights, I wore my jacket to sleep. Yet for all that shortfall, CIH was only SLIGHTLY cheaper.

Where is the bathroom (you might wonder)? It is not within the room. As far as I know, I don't think they have ensuite private room. The bathroom and toilet ARE located outside the room for all to share. Yes, the bathroom and toilet (bowl) ARE in separate rooms. They are connected by the same wall which separates them into two rooms.

The size of the bathroom is SO small, I can't even spread out my arms fully. Mind you, I am very petite. It does its job but I felt like a prisoner in it. It was so unappealing that I did not even take a photo of it. The toilet fits, well, just the toilet bowl in it. That's all. Nothing fancy.

By the way, when I was staying at CIH, my supervisor was in NY with his wife on a vacation too (after our business trip). He kept in touch with me throughout my stay as he was worried for my safety. I am not sure if it was because CIH is located opposite to some sort of police station (I saw a lot of police car parked opposite it), I actually felt quite safe being in NY. So much so that I even walked back to CIH after midnight. So, I guess there is still some good staying there.

Thinking back about my experience staying at both CIH and SIJ, I am not going to save on lodging if I revisit NY again. I don't mind staying at SIJ again especially if I plan to explore outside Manhattan since I had a good experience there. But if I plan on further exploring Manhattan, I will just book a hotel within Manhattan even if I have to pay more than SIJ's rate.

You might be thinking why should I fork out more on lodging since I would be out and about most of my time there. Well, by the time I next visit NY, I would probably be with my family. With QW around, I think I will just pay a bit more for our sanity. If I was alone, then I would go for SIJ. At least I know that if I stay SIJ, there are elevators and I don't have to lug my luggage up and down flight of stairs.

References:

1. Tripadvisor - Chelsea International Hostel
2. Chelsea Hostel
3. Facebook - Chelsea International Hostel

Travel: 2012 May New York Pass

Before I arrived at Manhattan, I actually did not do a lot of planning except seeking advice from a friend who just got back from New York (NY). The best piece of advice she gave was to purchase the NY Pass[1] online and collect in NY. Why? Because it costs less than buying either the NY pass or admission tickets over the counter in NY itself!

You can match the duration of the NY pass to your stay. They offer 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7-day NY pass. I got myself the 7-day NY pass because I was there for a week. It came with a free guidebook, which was informative and small enough to fit into most bags.

For my 1st day in NY, I arrived just in time to collect the NY pass from the Times Square[2] Planet Hollywood. Purposely chose there to make sure that I visit the iconic Times Square at least once to soak up the Broadway atmosphere.

While at Times Square, I took a while to visit the NY tourist information counter to understand how their Metro subway system works. I also visited Madame Tussauds NY which is in the vicinity.

Times Square

To make the most out of the NY pass, I headed back to the hostel and spent the rest of my 1st night planning to squeeze in as many places as possible. Some quick tips on how I planned:

1. Select those places (usually the walking tours) which require online reservations and book ahead. Do note that some are not available daily, while others have limited slots. So, (personally I feel) it is best to plan your other visits around them;
2. Select as many places that I want to visit and start grouping them by location;
3. Indicate the Must-Go places.

The trickier part, as usual, was weather. To make the trip worthwhile, I cleared as many trips which are weather dependent as possible on days where the sky seemed clear. Such trips are rooftop view of Empire State Building and Top of the Rock (Rockerfeller building). 

View from Empire State Building
(aka King Kong building)

As for those pre-booked walking tours, I prayed hard that the weather would be good that day. Luckily for me, I booked 2 walking tours and both days were sunny days. As for the remaining days, I cleared places such as museums, libraries, Grand Central Terminal, etc. 

Here are some of the places I conquered during my 1-week stay in NY:

Rockerfeller building, Empire State building, Madame Tussauds NY, Central Library (where Day after Tomorrow was shoot), Grand Central Terminal, Central Park, NY Skyride, Radio City Music Hall, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, America Museum of Natural History, The Museum of Modern Art, Museum of the City of NY, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Sex, The Charging Bull, Trinity Church, Times Square, Ground Zero, etc.

There are more places which I wished I had time to visit. That will have to wait until the next time I set foot there then.

Before I end, do note that the NY pass is valid for one admission per attraction (unless they change their terms and conditions) and it is activated for consecutive calendar days when used at your 1st attraction.

So if you are going NY, I hope this post has been of some help :)
Enjoy the Big Apple!

References:

1. Official New York Pass
2. Wikipedia - Times Square

Travel: May 2012 Sleep Inn Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S.A.

Usually, I have good experiences staying at hostels when overseas. Okay, perhaps an exception is U.S.A. I realised that when I reach Chelsea International Hostel (CIH) located in New York (NY), U.S.A. on 29 Apr 2012.

Truthfully speaking, CIH did the job it was supposed to do: provide a cheap lodging right in heart of the busy Manhattan. I have totally no complaints about its location as it gave me the convenience which I much needed to explore Manhattan and fully utilise my NY pass.

But even for a someone who is used to staying in hostels, I could not make myself stay there until the day I fly back to Singapore. I booked to stay at Sleep Inn Jamaica (SIJ) a.k.a Sleep Inn JFK Airport on my last day in NY using the WiFi provided by CIH. Yes, I was desperate to get out of CIH.

As compared to CIH, SIJ was a godsend. But still, do not go in expecting to enjoy the usual hotel facilities such as swimming pool or cafes/restaurants. It is more of a no-frills lodging. But, it was definitely worth forfeiting the money I paid for my supposedly last night stay at CIH.

Entrance

Corridor

SIJ's staff were friendly and helpful, especially their manager, Wendy, who will make you feel just at home. I still remembered that when I had trouble accessing their WiFi and needed to print my flight check in confirmation badly, Wendy took the extra trouble and helped me print it.

The room size is sufficient for me and nicely decorated. Important thing is that heater is in a better working condition than CIH. At the very worst, I had a quilt to keep warm in SIJ instead of a blanket provided by CIH.

Queen size bed

In-room heater

The bathroom size was so much better as compared to CIH. And yes, it does come with a bath tub. Another thing that made me fell in love with SIJ is the little notes found in the bathroom. They made me feel wind down, stress free and well taken care of. It was definitely very reassuring to know that I can always approach the front desk in case I need to replenish my toiletries.

Lovely note in the bathroom

Lovely note (again) in the bathroom

Though SIJ provide simple complimentary breakfast, I mentioned that they do not have cafe/restaurant within the hotel where you can have lunch or dinner. Instead, you can refer to the menus in the room or at their front desk to order food delivery from local nearby restaurants.

The major down side is that SIJ is located in the Queens borough of New York which is kind of far from Manhattan (about an hour subway ride in). So if you are planning to stay there to explore Manhattan, do factor in more time for travelling.

Other than that, it will not appeal to shoppers as there seem to be no shops around it once you take the free bus shuttle ride back from the subway station (according to my 1 night stay there).

Shopping mall next to subway

View outside the entrance

View from the room

Thinking back, I pretty much enjoyed my stay with SIJ :)

References:

1. ChoiceHotels.com - Sleep Inn JFK Airport
2. Tripadvisor - RYWsg in Jamaica