Bintan Agro Beach Resorts

ABBEY: We bought this 98sgd - 2-day;1-night tour from Groupon. This includes back and forth ferry ticket and land transfers, breakfast, lunch and dinner. All other expenses will be shouldered by the tourists. 

We rode the ferry at Tanah Merah. An hour later we were at Bintan Terminal. It took us another hour to reach the resort. I assure you that it is far but it's worth the travel. Upon arriving, we proceeded  at the front desk and ask if we can have an early check-in. 

Once we received our room key and the coupons to be used at the resort we went to the room to have our backs and legs stretched. At 12 noon we had our lunch at Sunmoon restaurant which is located 150 meters from the beach. We had nasi lemak, grilled catfish and fruits. After lunch we made an appointment for the spa. A little rest and then we got our massage. Feeling relaxed, we headed to the videoke kiosk and sang a couple of song while waiting for our dinner. 

Our dinner is at Asiana restaurant just beside our room. It offers wi-fi so we can still connect from our room. That's a bonus. The restau offers a beautiful view of the sea and the pool. After the dinner we headed to the room and rest. 

Breakfast is still at Asiana. I had a big breakfast because it's buffet; fried rice, satays, omelet, fruits, juices and other drinks. We checked out at midday and has lunch before heading back to Singapore. We got an earlier booking a reached home at 6pm.

WILL: Saw this at Groupon and we are very happy to go. This will be our first time to be out of the country as husband and wife and this is a great gift for Abbey's birthday.

      Bintan Agro is an amazing resort. A very huge place that caters almost all you need for relaxation and enjoying the nature. The deal is so great. From transportation, accommodation, sea sports and food it was all included.

      If you don't feel to splash your way to the waters of the sea, you can soak your body to one of their two pools. Do not want to swim ah, try this their karaoke, fitness centre, take their shuttle service to their sister resort, or play basketball.. these are all for free. you might want to try to roam around their city for $10.

     We really enjoyed our 2D1N vacation. Bonding and relaxing to its finest! I really do not know what is with the lands of Indonesia because every time I am here, it just gave me a feeling of very long sleep. 

     You do not need to exchange your SGD to Rupiah, all their price list is in SGD, but if you have Rupiah they can pay though. Try go in here, the one hour ferry boat and land transfer is worthy! 

Oceanic Spa Bintan Indonesia

ABBEY: We gave our aching bodies a trip to the spa when we went to Bintan. The cost is more expensive than the one we had at Batam. Good thing is they have a special offer: Swedish and Thai massage for an hour at 80sgd for two persons. Upon entering the room we were given a robe to change. We chose lavender oil to calm and soothe the muscles. After the session we felt light, refreshed and relaxed.

WILL: This is definitely a must! its been almost 5 months after our last visit in a spa. This is included in our itinerary. This is more expensive, expensive than the deals I saw here in Singapore.

       The massage is amazing, they are pressing some points that I think never been  knead by other masseurs. One hour of massage, one hour of pampering. 

       Here, only here at Bintan I experienced that before a spa they gave us a very cold ginger tea for us to drink. And don't be wary, after the massage a complimentary hot tea will be serve.

      Added info, book a day before so you can avail their 10% discount in their services. 

Groupon Singapore

ABBEY: I did online shopping back in Philippines thru Ebay. But now, lots of online promos are just to extort money. You never know which are true and legal. 

We tried Groupon Singapore. For me as long as they didn't ask for any password for any of my accounts, its ok. We did also a review of the company and got a couple of good comments. What we got is our Indonesia trip and  my surprise manicure and pedicure set for her. 

We were saddened and worries by the news that the company is about to close as it can't support its operation due ti lack of funds. I hope they can recover and give more discount coupons to their customers.

WILL: From manicure spa set, massage, travel to yoga sessions they all have it all discounted just for us. As the news widely spread that Groupon all around the world is falling hard to its prime, Groupon Singapore is still hits the city.
      When we purchased a travel deal, we saw that almost 400 bought that deal. And when we booked for it, all staff of the Anita Travels were smiling back to us and accommodate us very friendly, unlike the stories in America.
      We do hope that they will prosper and keep the deals on! ;) 

11-11-11

ABBEY: This is a chance ticket for us. I received a call that we won passes for the premiere and asked if we could come. The film was shown at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard. The movie is a suspense. A writer has the all the major events happened at 11:11. As curiosity arises he finds clues why its all happening. The date is predicted that something supernatural will take place. One advice; beware of the writer's father :)

WILL: Whew! Thank you so much Incinemas for this movie ticket. I know this is not so feel-good movie but we want to try this for a change. Hehe.

      On our way to Orchard my palm is sweating, my gosh, this is not my kind of movie and what Abbey expects came true! Almost half of the movie, my eyes were shut, but do not get me wrong, I fully understand the tale.

      This movie has a twist! Find it for yourself. 7/10.

Jewel Coffee

ABBEY: We pass-by this coffee shop whenever we went to Vivo City from her office. We planned to have a cup there but it only materialized a week ago. 

They're selling a stylish coffee cup called keep-cups at 50% off with free drink. We also tried their spicy pasta at 10sgd. The food was good and even better when we had a chat with the owner. He is accommodating as well as his staff. The shop us located near Lau Pa Sat festive market.

WILL: This is my first time here in Singapore to be welcomed by an owner of a restaurant. He is very accommodating.

      We won and entitled to buy the keepcup for 50% off with free coffee or tea. Of course, right there and then we get our 2 cups of hot drinks. The taste? Awesome! Unordinary drink while sitting on their high-cahirs. Superb experience on a delightful sunny afternoon. 

      Baby also tried their pasta, spicy yet the taste is so flavorful. I hope I can determined the spices in it but I can't so there is no way I can copy this pasta for me to cook this at home, hehe. 

      It is true, indeed, they are jewel to treasure. Thanks Jewel Coffee. 

       

Pacquiao vs Marquez - Third Bout

ABBEY: Manny always give me a birthday present. And yesterday he never failed me. He won by a majority decision over Juan Manuel Marquez. That was their third bout. 

Both fighters improved from their last encounter. Marquez was up to his feet until the final round proving to Manny that he can still fight. I was hoping only for a draw. I was nervous what will be the outcome as from what I've seen Marquez keeps landing right and left to Pacquiao. 

The scorecards were read and two judges favored Pacquiao. I knew he was hurt and surprised about his opponent's performance. I hope he will be better and stronger on his next fight. Congrats Manny!

WILL: Efforts all thrown away, sweats dripped and two of them were hurt... scorecards were given out. Still the champion is Manny Pacquioa. 
      I admit it, I am very nervous to see that Marquez thrown all that power punches and Manny cannot do his quick moves. I am a big fan of Manny and I do not want him lose any of his title. Hehe.
      Congrats Ninong Manny! ;) 
      

My Waterway @ Punggol

ABBEY: We were not able to complete yet our trip to Punggol Promenade and another nature park unfolds.

This time its a walking distance from our place. The waterway is a good place to jog. Fresh breeze will brush your face as you ride a bike or run. Bridges, fountains, water and lights are the main attractions. People can do picnics. It also offers a large sandbox for the kids and sand castle enthusiasts.

WILL: When we on our jog we already saw this site, it was under construction but do not have any idea what this will be.

      23rd October it was opened to public and the roads here at Punggol is almost jammed and we were also excited about this! 

      One afternoon, after a quick dinner, I asked Abbey to roam around and as expected, this is a jaw dropping place. National Parks designed this area with love and passion.

      To go here, just alight at Punggol MRT and from there you can jog up to this place. 

      Thanks Punggol! Thanks NPB! Thanks Singapore! 

Ginvera - Green Tea Aqua Whitening Cream with Oil Control

ABBEY: Our face reacts immediately if we apply creams or other beauty regimens on it. For me rashes will occur. That's why I was hesitant when Ginvera was applied to me. I was waiting for itching but it didn't came. The cream is cold upon applying and the smell is good. It leaves a soft and moisturized skin. And the bonus; your wife will  tell you that you are handsome every morning :)

WILL: Abbey had this very dry cheeks last week and I am so freaking anxious about it. I immediately asked him to stop to use his facial wash.

      Every evening after his clean-up, I applied to him this Ginvera Green Tea Whitening Cream. Religiously using this make our face moisturized and as I observed it lessens the oils on our face. 

      We also love too. Thanks Ginvera. 

Hello Panda

ABBEY: I first tasted this cookie when we were in Korea. It's shaped as a panda with chocolate filing inside. Nowadays they use strawberry and milk as filing. Smallest package is the foil pack but if that was not enough you can buy it in box.

WILL: Helloooo Panda! When I munched this again, the memories flashed back. *tears* I just missed my mom when do our monthly grocery.. sigh! Can you imagine for just Php3,000 our car is full of goods! Really missing that time! Hayyy!
      These cookies is so delicious most specially when the chocolate filling came out. Love the filling, love the taste, love Hello Panda! ;)  

Valley Fresh Premium Juice

ABBEY: This is one of the brand of juice that we buy for our supply. Just like the other manufacturer, they  offer diffrent kind of fruit juices such as lime, carrot, and apple. I like the most is their orange juice. It's not that sour nor too sweet. The taste is just right. Price is not more than 4sgd.

WILL: Valley Fresh is a great choice for our weekly dose of fruit juices. As far as I know, at Sheng Siong, this is the cheapest among others. Cheap yet the taste is good. 

Casa Verde @ Singapore Botanic Gardens

ABBEY: This diner is located at the center of Singapore Botanical Gardens. We have tried their Western breakfast set for 13.5 sgd. It includes bacon, sausage, grilled tomato, fried/scrambled egg, orange juice, and coffee/tea. A complementary toast with butter and jam is being served also. 

The ambiance gives a great sense of relaxation as trees and plants surrounds the place. This is a good option to have breakfast with family and friends.

WILL:  Who says that Singapore Botanic only caters lush and greenery scenes, they also give their visitors the Casa Verde "greenhouse" restaurant.

       This is located at the middle of this garden, a very nice spot to take some rest after a 20 minute walk form MRT station, yellow line. 

       Casa Verde staffs is very kind, always smiling leh! Marineth bought our breakfast western set meal worth $13.50 each. Thanks Neth. It was consisted of egg, bacon, hush brown, chicken sausage, grilled tomato, bread, orange juice and coffee or tea.

       Aside from green background it was also surrounded by mini waterfalls. The sound of the water makes it more relaxing. 

       A perfect mini-getaway on a buzz of the city. 

Singapore Food Trail

ABBEY: When my parents went here for a visit, we took them to the flyer. We bought the tickets and we were informed that each ticket has an 8-dollar voucher for the food trail. 

The trail caters food served in stalls during the earlier years. They got chicken rice, nasi lemak, satay beehon, bak kut teh and many more. A meal ranges from 5-10 sgd. The place was designed with a street-like ambiance.  It is located at the foot of Singapore flyer; a futuristic ride that stands from humble beginnings.

WILL: As we planned that my in-laws will be going here for some vacation, I always keep an eye to the websites where we will be going. Why? of course for promotions! Hehe.. Last September, Singapore Flyer not just offered a 10% discount on flight tickets but also a voucher of $8 on Singapore Food Trail.

     We do not have the chance to use that voucher that time due to schedule glitches, so we decided to use those 5 vouchers once Marineth went here for a visit. 

     OMG, I was shock at the prices of the well-known foods. For as low as $5, you can make yourself full. Hehe. So, imagine how full we were when we spent all our vouchers on this dinner. 

     Yes their food is cheap but they do not compromise the taste, the ambiance is very nice, all the store owners are smiling and by that, you can order for more. Haha!

     Thank you to Singapore Flyer for this very nice idea it is blast from the past! Keep up the good work Singapore Food Trail!

Empress Jade Fine Dining

ABBEY: This is one of the restaurant at Jewel Box. It caters Chinese cuisine. At 33sgd, we got a sample plate of appetizer, soup, main entreé and dessert. We had a three-piece appetizer that includes steamed abalone siew mai, crispy beam curd skin roll, and deep fried taro with diced duck meat. 

Double-boiled pork soup is the soup for the day. For main entree I had wok-fried pork ribs with sweet sauce along with seafood mee sua. Chilled mango sago with pomelo is what I got dessert. I was full and and satisfied with the dining experience. The food is great as well as the ambiance.

WILL: After our very magnificent ride of Cable Car from Harbourfront we arrived at Mt. Faber's The Jewel Box for our Executive Lunch at Empress Jade Fine Dining.

      We know there is dress code for this restaurant kaya tignan nyo ang aming get-up.. hehe.. 

      At the top of a hill, indeed, this is a nice place to dine and unwind. 

      Steamed abalone siew mai dumpling, crispy bean curd skin rolls, and deep fried fluffy taro with diced duck meat is superdb. every bite gives delight and keeps wanting for more. But this appetizer makes us full and I am thinking if I can eat the rest of the food on the list.. hehe.

      Daily special boiled soup came in, and I think I can finish that not less than 10 mins but I savor its taste on my every sip of this hottie and must eat soup! Delicious!

      I ordered for pan-fried cod fish, I do not have any other words to describe this other than tasty. Its natural fish flavor and the the sauce blends well in my mouth. Nom-nom-nom.. definitely the star of this lunch set.

      I thought we will dig in to the dessert, but wok-fried mee sua was on our plate! OMG, there is space in my tummy.. hehe.. I think I only ate half of it, and this is Chat's favorite.. She ate  the other half. But do not get me wrong! This is the best seafood noodles I have tried here in Singapore.

      True, I am not into sweets or desserts, but when I saw their chilled mango sago with pomelo, i gave it a try and that try is worthy! 

      This set do not came along with drinks so I ordered of course a tea! 

      We love the experience, we will never forget this. Our longest lunch ever. We spend almost 2 and half hours munching and talking gleefully not only us three but with Marineth, the tourist! 

The Cafe Lobby

ABBEY: I just used to pass-by this cafe whenever I go to office at Harbourfront. The queue is always a long one. They offer breakfast and merienda like nasi lemak, bee-hon. Hot and cold drinks such as coffee, tea, juice are sold here. We got a chance to dine in here at their Sengkang branch. It is where I buy Wilma's sugarcane juice.

WILL: Here Abbey bought my fave drink, the sugarcane juice. This is very accessible to all Sengkang commuters. 

      Food and drinks price are reasonable and yet they do not compromise the taste, no doubt that this store is always packed up! 

Sugarcane Juice

ABBEY: When I was a child I grab a small part of sugarcane and munch it until the sweetness is gone. When i came here is Singapore they're offering a cup of the juice for 1.8sgd. Sticks of sugarcane will be fed into a machine that will extract the juice and voila a very sweet all-natural drink. No need for munching. All you have to do is to sip and relax as the sweetness fills your mouth.

WILL: Whenever I have a chance to sip this very very refreshing drink, I will. Sarap kaya. For only $1. :) Definitely my favorite! 

Spam - Hot & Spicy

ABBEY: I thought this canned delight is so spicy but it's not. Upon opening the can and even if it's cooked you can smell the rich aroma of chili. I enjoy eating it with newly cooked rice as breakfast.

WILL: Spam, hot and spicy indeed. While cooking it, the aroma of spices within the meat filled up the kitchen and alarming Abbey that his breakfast will be smoking hot. ;) 
I love this variant Spam!