Beach weekend destinations near Singapore - part 2

Hola Folks! Its summer time ! Sun is bright, the sky is blue and the beaches are beckoning. So, its  time to pack those swimsuits and head to the beautiful and exotic beach destinations!

Few months back, i had done a post on beach getaways near Singapore  (click here to read part 1 ) and thought its time to a part 2. Living in Singapore, we are so blessed to be located in such close promimity to such scenic locales and  its only fair that these lovely destinations deserve a mention. So, Without further ado, here is my list of the beach weekend destinations near singapore part 2 .
 

1. Tioman island
   

Tioman Island is a popular destination from Singapore because of its proximity. This island is located of the coast of peninsular Malaysia and is easily accessible through air from Singapore. The other popular route is to drive down to mersing and take a ferry. Visitors can look forward to exploring the aquatic life while enjoying the various shades of blue that explode on a single canvas across the ocean. Think azure waters, sandy beaches and a peaceful retreat overlooking the vast ocean. Its certainly a scenic escape!

Picture courtesy - CW YE's photostream , Flickr

        2. Langkawi

Since Malaysia is home to some gorgeous beaches, it comes as no surprise that the next destination is also located here. Langkawi is famed to be a popluar honeymoon destination. Its white sandy beaches, mountains and luxurious resorts make for one heck of a indulging holiday. Conveniently connected by air from Singapore , Langkawi is a perfect place for a luxurious and pampered getaway!

Picture Courtesy - Life in Macro's Photostream, Flickr 

Phuket - lifeinmacro 

3. Phuket

Right on. So, after Malaysia we move on the powdery white beaches of Thailand. Phuket is famous for charming us with the surreal beauty of its aquamarine waters and aquatic life. Its also a popular holiday destination with Singapore expats. Its not as expensive as langkawi so its more affordable , the beaches are beautiful and you get to savor the delicious thai food. The beaches in thailand are the ones you could see on a wallpaper on your desktop.Apart from the golden sunsets, resorts in south Phuket offer tranquility .

Picture Courtesy - Life in Macro's photostream, Flickr

 

4. Coron, philipines

The next paradise on my list is located in the Phillipines. Really, the extraordinary places should be seen to be believed. Thanks to the friendly Phillipinos i have met in Singapore, i was introduced to the little hidden gems that probably many foreignors dont know about. Coron has mystical lakes, crystal clear water nestled among hills and some of the most scenic beaches in the world. They even have underwater lakes in Philipines but thats fodder for another post someday. Head to Coron if you want a little peice of paradise minus the thronging Tourists. Its no less than heaven here :)

Photo Courtesy - 13th Fool's photostream on flickr

5. Bali

What post would be complete without the mention of Bali. I believe, Bali is the most popluar destination for Caucasians namely beacuse they get to experience a different culture, its incedibly cheap and has ancient Hindu Temples. Though the beaches arent great, the do offer a great weekend respite. if your idea of a holiday is savouring fresh local seafood on the beach with the waves lapping on your feet, then Bali is for you. Recently , i came across the luxurious Bvlgari resort in Bali. It is an epitome of luxury. The views are breath-taking ! Also, i must add that Bali is unique in its accomadtion options as many of the resorts have villas with a private pool. ( Click here to read about my Bali Trip) . The villas are usually built in balinese style with a feel of a rainforest. So, head there if you are looking for a getaway from the city.

Cafes in Singapore - o'coffee club

Brunch is my favorite meal of the day and   what better way to spend a weekend  than with loved ones enjoying a good meal. A conversation filled with laughter and some delicious food ! That's all I need :)

 If you fancy savoring scrumptious egg Benedict's with warm farm bread, you are a brunch person like me . So on  a warm Saturday afternoon we headed out to o' coffee club to have our yummy fix of delicious comfort food.

Brunch is a popular concept in Singapore which is why cafes are so popular! More rightly so. Meeting up with friends over brunch is a lovely way to spend your weekend and that is exactly what we did :)

Here's us, enjoying a sunny Saturday outside the cafe.

Picture from my Instagram . I love pink.. Which I guess is pretty obvious  . Pink dress, pink flowers and pink building. Tehee ;)

Once inside the cafe, we ordered a bunch of things. Fries, mushroom burger , Cesar salad and my favorite .. croque monsieur. I have wanted to try croque monsieur ever since I saw Steve Martin relishing it in "it's complicated". It looked so mouth watering on the screen and glad to announce that it lived up to Its expectations. 

Unfortunately since we were so hungry, I forgot to click pictures. It just shows that either the food was really nice or we were just a bunch of hungry Gauls ( I think I ate like obelix .. Haha . ) since I couldn't take pictures, I took some from o'coffee club's Facebook page.

Pic courtesy - o'coffee club

The desert is to die for! Unfortunately since we ate like pigs, we don't have any space left for dessert. The portions are really big so my advise would be to order wisely :) 

That concludes our little brunch date. O"coffee club is a great place to hang out and spend some quality time with your friends. After all, gotta love girlfriends :) xoxo

O'coffee club 

http://www.ocoffeeclub.com 

Ps- this post is not sponsored . 

A trip to Cameron highlands , Malaysia

April 2013 was a very eventful month. Not only did I get a few days off from work , but we used that time to plan a short getaway to the cooler climes of Cameron highlands . Nothing like escaping the city heat and traveling to a Town which has still retained the charm of the bygone British era.

We decided to drive up there on a Thursday so we could avoid the weekend crowd as Cameron is very popular weekend destination . 

On the way, we stopped for lunch at the lakehouse . This quaint little hotel is adorned by a colonial bungalow perched on a hill. Built  in true Victorian style,the bungalow   is reminiscent of the british past .True to its name, the hotel  overlooks the lake and you can enjoy a meal outside among the flowers and greenery.

That's us , happy after a delicious meal and a to-die for strawberry milkshake . Cameron is famous for its locally grown strawberries and seriously , the strawberries here taste so much Sweeter   and fresher .

The view from the lakehouse . The water isn't exactly blue , but sitting here among the flowers swaying in cool breeze while eating a delicious meal is an experience not to be missed. 

Post lunch, We continued out drive uphill and after checking in to our hotel, we spent the day exploring the tea gardens , Tudor themed restaurants and strawberry farms . 

The tea gardens were absolutely breathtaking. Cool , green with white clouds that kissed the peaks. It felt so great to be away from the city to enjoy this green lung space .

The tea gardens have a nice restaurant perched on top of the hill. The most favored seating is on the edge of the restaurant that offers a Panoramic view of the entire estate. It's also a good place to catch a breather and enjoy some hot chocolate .

Also, if you are a filmy indian like me , you  may want to strike a "spread your hands and hug the wind " kinda pose. Hmm.. That doesn't really make sense but you know what I mean. This picture is from my Instagram so it looks very different than the other pictures . 

We were tired after this and headed back to catch some rest and good night 's sleep. The next day, we headed out to the smokehouse . This is a great place for a brunch in an idyllic setting. The garden here is Tudor themed and is filled with pretty flowers of every possible color . In fact the server asked us to enjoy the   garden and take some pictures while the chef was preparing the food . 

Lovely little corner in the garden. 

Beautiful or what ! Love this English  garden setting . I would have lunch here everyday if I could .

Another Instagram picture below. I absolutely love flowers and nothing gives me more happiness than sitting in a green expanse surrounded by them. 

So that was a brief glimpse into our brief getaway. Most people come here on the weekend but I genuinely think that Cameron is more than just a weekend getaway. There is so much to explore. It's a great place if you want some peace and quiet . So, forget your work woes and head there for a Victorian experience !