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In Krabi – Aree Tara Resort

March 02nd, 2011 · 3 comments · Categories: Travel

Searching for a hotel can be a daunting task. One has to take into consideration of many factors such as the cost (rental), location, availability and facilities while choosing a right hotel that meets the allocated budget. Well… the facilities are optional but the rest are the crucial ones. If one (variable) does not meet with the requirement, the whole search plan will go disarray and everything will be back to square one.

Aree Tara Resort

I’ve been in such situation before and I can tell you that it is not a fun part to go through when it comes to planning a holiday especially when I’m new to a location. I can still vaguely remember the amount of research I’ve done prior to my holiday trip in Krabi, Thailand. The hotels’ reviews on TripAdvisor did help me a lot that I managed to narrow down my selections according to my budget and specifications. Coupled that with a good deal on AirAsiaGo website, I managed to book myself an accommodation and leave my worries behind.

The package I got included a return air ticket and 4D3D stay at Aree Tara Resort with breakfast and hotel transfer. It could be cheaper if I book earlier but I did it on last minute (one month before my trip) and hence, the price. However, price may vary according to the ‘season’. Therefore, it is best for you to check the seasonal rates over here to get an idea.

Internet Area

Located about 30 minutes from Krabi International Airport and 10 minutes from the popular Ao Nang beach, Aree Tara Resort is a modern resort that provides a combination of luxury and comfort at affordable price. Being categorised as “Minimalist Graphic Hotel”, it exhibits simple elegant yet homely environment that welcomes guests of all sorts of age.

Swimming Pool

There are approximately 60 rooms ranging from Superior to Deluxe rooms and the most expensive one is the Deluxe Pool Access room whereby it is located on the first (ground) floor with a direct access to the swimming pool via its private balcony. The swimming pool is not the smallest or biggest I’ve seen with 1.5 metres is the deepest on one end and 0.5 metres on the other end. Having said that, guests are welcomed to use the swimming pool for leisure swimming or dipping.

Deluxe Room Bed

Being on *cough* tight *cough* budget, I opted for Deluxe room (with breakfast) which I found it to be pretty good as well. Big comfy bed with extra pillows, the room, which faces a green empty land, is simple, comfortable and nice with basic room amenities. Complimentary water, hair dryers, dressing table, refrigerator and flat TV screen are all within reach.

Dressing Table

There’s no LAN port at the dressing table for internet connection. They only provide WiFi and it is not free of charge. I couldn’t remember the rates but it starts from 50 Baht for 30 minutes. If you did not bring any laptops or any internet connecting devices, there is a internet station with desktops setup for its guests’ usage. I guess that’s chargeable as well.

Shower Area

In the en-suite bathroom, there is a standing shower as well as a bathtub which is located opposite for those who like to soak in warm water after a long hectic day.

Toiletries

Toiletries such as bath foam, shampoo, soap, cotton buds and shower cap are provided for guests’ usage. Pretty basic I would say but it is sufficient as they replace / refill them everyday.

Bathtub

The shower can be tricky at times as I’ve experienced a sudden burst of hot water each time I used it. The water pressure can be quite low for some but I’ve no complaints about it.

Restaurant

The buffet breakfast is held at the resort’s restaurant on the second floor. I bet that is where lunch and dinner are served as well. Spacious, clean and airy, I like to dine there as it is comfortable and clean and I enjoyed the natural air breezed through the slits of the large opened windows.

Juices

Condiments

The restaurant is well lit by natural lights from the outside and there are ceiling fans above to provide extra soothing air. Wooden chairs and tables are placed spaciously from one another and basic condiments such as chilli and tomato sauce, salt and pepper are placed on each table.

Breakfast

The breakfast provided is simple. Eggs, (pork) bacons, sausages, hams, breads, croissants, tarts, cereals, noodles, fried rice, pancakes and fruits are served everyday.

Breakfast

Omelette

Occasionally, they do serve pork sausages, ham and some unique dish. Custom-cooked eggs are available at special counter and they are prepared upon request. I like my omelette to be cooked with hams, mushrooms and cheese in it.

Salads

Breakfast

There’s nothing shout about neither there’s extraordinary selections to choose from. It is simple and healthy buffet breakfast with no-frills or whatsoever. As they say, a scrumptious healthy meal is the key to a good day ahead.

Deluxe Room Bed

Overall, I had a pleasant stay in Aree Tara Resort. The experience was great, the breakfast was simple yet delicious and the staffs were down-to-earth friendly, attentive and helpful. Free welcome drinks were given upon arrival / check-in. Location wise, it is a little far from the popular beach (Nopparattara and Ao Nang) or the main street but a short walk won’t do any harm, right? They provide motorcycle rentals for their guests at affordable rates. Besides, one can book island tours through the reception counter too. I did my booking there and I was given a competitive rate without haggling. So, do consider this place if you are in Krabi for holidays.

Address :
177 Moo 3, Aonang Soi 8 Road,
Aonang Beach,
Muang,
81000 Krabi,
Thailand.

GPS Coordinates : 8° 2′ North, 98° 49′ East

Telephone Number : +66 75 637 377
Mobile Number : +66 81 477 4868 / +66 86 476 8353
Fax Number : +66 75 638 343

E-mail : reservation@areetara.com

Website: http://www.areetara.com

Penang Trip – Day 4

February 16th, 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Food and Beverages, Travel

It was our last day in Penang… unfortunately. There were many (food) places we have yet to explore but time wasn’t on our side as it was the end of the weekend and we had to get back to the grind the following day. Just like the previous day, we woke up late again since we only had to check out of the hotel by 12PM.

New World Park Food Court

It was close to 1130AM when we checked out and left the hotel. At first, we weren’t sure where to head to for breakfast as we had tried almost everything what we wanted to try in the list. Either that or we were to lazy to drive out far for our brunch. The closest place to our hotel was this place; New World Park Food Court.

New World Park Food Court

Imagine this place as a shaded food court whereby there are plenty of food stalls selling a variety of hawker food. Most importantly, it is a clean place with cool breeze flowing through the food court. Besides, there are parking lots available for patrons.

There were ample of empty tables and chairs when we arrived. Perhaps, it was still early for lunch crowd to kick in. Nevertheless, it gave us freedom to choose where to sit. We selected the one closer to the food stall for no apparent reason. This time, it was me who did the ordering for the first round while my friend waited for the food to arrive.

Assam Laksa

I knew something was not right when I looked at the stall with bowls stacking up on one another while I was placing my order at an Assam Laksa stall. To my horror, upon ordering, the lady handling the stall took a bowl of ready-cooked noodles and poured the soup into it. That pretty much made me speechless as I knew from that moment that bowl of Assam Laksa won’t be good. And my friend agreed as well. It was lacked of characteristic as it didn’t taste like a bowl of Assam Laksa. As you can see, the broth was rather diluted with little toppings on it. Oh… there’s a big fishball in it. What the heck?! For RM4, it’s not worth paying.

Hokkien Mee (Prawn Mee)

The hokkien mee appeared average. There’s nothing to shout about although we hoped that they are generous with their topping (sliced pork and prawns). But it was way better than that bowl of so-called Assam Laksa although it wasn’t fair to compare them both since they are different.

Char Koay Teow

There’s something about char koay teow with duck egg. They definitely complement one another really well as the inclusion of duck egg adds flavour to the dish. Every time, without a second thought, we opted for duck egg to go along with the char koay teow. This plate though tasted alright. There were ample amount of prawns and cockles in it. Best of all, it came with ‘lap cheong’ but it didn’t really contribute much to the dish.

Chee Cheong Fun

My friend ordered chee cheong fun (RM2) and or koay (RM2) from the same stall. The chee cheong fun was alright; springy firm texture but the sauce was generic one unlike the one we had from Genting Café.

Or Koay (Yam Cake)

Or koay is essentially a common Chinese snack called yam cake which is made out of mixture of rice flour, tapioca flour and diced yams. The mixture is then steamed and served with dried shrimps, spring onions and fried shallots. Or koay usually goes well with chilli sauce and sweet brown sauce. This version was pretty good as there were cubes on yam in it while the batter has a firm texture. It costs RM2 per piece. I guess I know why the stall serve both of them since they came with the same type of sauce.

Ice Kacang with Ice Cream

Chendol

To wash it down, I opted for ice kacang with a scoop of ice cream while my friend went for chendol. There’s nothing to shout about for both of them although there were load of corns, grass jelly, peanuts, banana and red beans on my ice kacang. The chendol tasted normal although they could do more with palm sugar. Both of them cost around RM2 to RM3 per bowl.

Although the food was just alright, we were pretty stuffed by then. We walked around New World Park for awhile before grabbing a cuppa at Starbucks. By 130PM, we decided that we should make a move and head back to KL… with heavy heart.

Penang Trip – Day 3 (Part 2)

January 31st, 2011 · 4 comments · Categories: Food and Beverages, Travel

It was close to 9PM when I realised that my tolerance level (by this, I mean that my stomach ain’t giving me much trouble) was increased to an hour without having to go to toilet. That was when we decided to have a quick dinner before the next ‘reaction’ starts to kick in.

New Lane Hawker Stall

10 minutes away from our hotel, the hawker scene at New Lane was way better than the one found at Kimberley Street. It is easy to spot this place if you are driving along McAllister Road. There are more hawker stalls on both sides selling the usual affair such as hokkien mee, satay, popiah, or chien (fried oysters), curry mee and etc. Leaving the order duty to my friend, I sat at one corner waiting for the food to arrive.

New Lane Curry Laksa

Although there were a lot of people, it didn’t take long for the food to arrive. The curry mee was alright. With the usual ingredients such as prawns, squids, cockles and tau pok, a small bowl costs around RM3.00. Pretty decent I would say as it was slight spicy.

New Lane Or Chien (Fried Oysters)

Priced at RM7.00, the or chien (fried oysters) was a disappointment as it was really sloppy, oil and starchy. We literally saw there’s more starch than the egg. The plus point was that the oysters were huge. I had a couple mouthfuls and I didn’t bother to finish ‘em after that.

New Lane BBQ Chicken Wings

The BBQ chicken wings arrived at our table lukewarm-ish. It was sticky sweet though the meat was moist. It didn’t come cheap as it costs us RM5.70 for a pair.

New Lane Char Koay Teow

The char koay teow was okay. Big prawns and decent amount of cockles, we paid RM5.50 for it. A little pricey but given that the portion was decent, I didn’t mind except it was not as good as Ah Leng’s. Nevertheless, it was still decent enough.

New Lane Beef Soup

The beef ball soup was probably my favourite dish of them all. I liked the broth which has beefy flavour in it. The beef balls were meaty and bouncy while there were other essential stuff like sliced meat and tendons in it. Priced at RM9.00, it might be pricey compared to others but it was worth paying, for me at least. It pretty much calmed my raging stomach down for a moment.

All in all, it is an alright place to have quick dinner with a variety of hawker food readily available in one place. We spent about an hour or so at the location before we headed back to our hotel to end the day.