The Sky Lounge Of Grand Paragon Hotel, Johor Bahru

The Sky Lounge is situated on 26th Floor of Grand Paragon Hotel, Century Garden - Johor Bahru. The company I attached with was held the Annual Dinner in the lounge on January 2010. That gave me a chance to explore the Highest Lounge in Johor Bahru for the moment!

The entrance of Sky Lounge, Grand Paragon Hotel

The dinner started about 7pm on that day, before that...some of my colleagues already enjoy their ice cold beer in the lounge. Alcohol is serve mostly for the local or foreign company when they celebrates their Annual Dinner. Even the Wine and Liquor were serve in the house, but I'm only enjoyed the Tiger Cold Beer...:)

The beer serve in 'Tower', during the 'Happy Hour', the charges is MYR108.00 and MYR128 after 'Happy Hour'.

And the foods served on that night was pretty delicious, they had Local food, Japanese food and International food...

The foods for the night :-

The local food and fruits

I Love the Japan Sashimi on the left!

I had this Roast Lamb a lot! My favorite! :)

There were Only 3 Lovely Ladies (waitress) serve the party in such a big Lounge on the Top of the Hotel...They did it well!

The Lovely waitress of Sky Lounge

Beside the foods and drinks, there was a Nice Red Piano display on the left of the stage. The performer play some nice song during the performance...

The RED Piano in the lounge

Another advantage of the lounge is...you can take the Johor Bahru city photo from the open air balcony! Because of the height of the Hotel, the vision is from Johor bahru City till Singapore. That was nice! I will share in my next post.

As usual, our colleagues and guests arrived about 8pm. Everyone were enjoy their food very much! Following with performer on the stage and lastly...the lucky draw. The First price was a 32" Sharp LCD TV! But I didn't get it...:)

I was attracted by the lighting in the lounge while others were busy with their foods....

There was a Cigar Bar at the right side of the lounge, if you are cigar lover, you will definitely love the environment!

Overall, we were satisfied with the services provided and also the foods. The dinner party end about 12 midnight and left some colleagues and guests chit-chatting until 3am in the morning! (I'm one of them...)

I'll be back again, not for the alcohol but for the spectacular night view of Johor Bahru!

Grand Paragon Hotel at Century Garden, Johor Bahru

Grand Paragon Hotel 4* (N1 28.867 E103 45.700) is one of the famous hotel at Johor Bahru at the moment. It's located at the junction of Jalan Harimau and Jalan Seladang of Century Garden (Taman Abad), Johor Bahru.

We stayed here for one night on the day our company having the Annual Dinner at the Sky Lounge (26th Floor) of Grand Paragon Hotel. The room rate we had was a special discount! I only paid MYR160.00 for a room with 2 Queen bed. That was really reasonable because the published rate on their website is MYR230.00 for Standard room and MYR250.00 for Deluxe room.

The 2 Queen Bed room was spacious and so do the bathroom!

The bathroom of the room at Grand Paragon Hotel, JB.

We checked-in about 1pm, and have plenty of time to explore around the hotel area....

The main entrance. The staircase at the end is towards the Japanese Restaurant at M Floor.

The lobby area is spacious!

You will fall asleep if you relax on the sofa, because the Air-Conditional was cold...

Nice Lightning!

Japanese Restaurant at M Floor

After the Ground and M Floor, we continue to 11th Floor, the swimming pool...

The swimming pool of Grand Paragon Hotel

The swimming pool is kind of special which located outdoor and in the shape of half circle. It's not the Olympics size but it's comfort enough...

I woke up late in the next morning and I missed the breakfast! But my wife and my daughter were enjoyed the delicious breakfast very much!
Overall, we are satisfied with the 4 stars Hotel and the staffs are very friendly! It's worth to have a comfort stay at Grand Paragon Hotel, Johor Bahru.

Rated : 4.8/5

GRAND PARAGON HOTEL

18, Jalan Harimau, Century Garden, 80250, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia.
Tel : +607-268 5222
Fax : +607-268 5333
Email : info@grandparagonhotel.com.my

Website : www.grandparagonhotel.com.my
Reservation Hotline : 607-268 5331 / 607-268 5332

Location map of Grand Paragon Hotel, Johor Bahru

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Series of Steaks from Thamara Cafe, Taman Bukit Indah, Johor Bahru

Wanna share the New series of Steaks from Thamara Cafe, Taman Bukit Indah, Johor Bahru.

Grilled New Zealand prime Striploin with Beef Jus served with Mesclun Salad & Mashed Potatoes.

Grilled New Zealand Prime Steer Rib-eye with Special Beef Jus, Mashed Potatoes and Mesclun Salad

Grilled New Zealand Tenderloin with Portobello and Special Truffle infused Beef Juice, Mashed Potatoes and Mesclun Salad

Grilled New Zealand Tenderloin - Medium (Pinkish and succulent)

Grilled New Zealand Tenderloin served with Red Wine Jus

If you are Steak Lover, you definitely won't miss the steak serve by Thamara Cafe! Probably the Best Steak in town!

Related post :
*  Thamara Cafe at Taman Bukit Indah - Skudai, Johor.

Thamara Cafe
14, Jalan Indah 16/7,
Taman Bukit Indah, Johor Bahru.
Tel : +6012-7373103 / +6016-7171343

THE CAFE IS CLOSED SINCE FEBRUARY 2012, SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE!

Location map of Thamara Cafe, Taman Bukit Indah

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TKK Seafood Restaurant (2nd visit) at Teluk Jawa, Johor Bahru.

Our last visit was almost 3 years ago, you can read it from here : TKK Seafood Restaurant at Teluk Jawa (N1 28.606 E103 50.728). So we decided to go back again...

The TKK Seafood Restaurant was not so crowded during our visit on the Saturday night. This time we found a table at the outdoor area where good atmosphere and cool sea breeze...beside that, we enjoyed the night view of Johor Straits...

The waitress was responsive and took our food order in less than five minutes. My wife did the order and the foods are served in 10 minutes...everything was so Express!

Our order:-
1)  Vegetables
2)  Salted Egg Crabs
3)  Claypot Drunken Prawn
4)  Hotplate Tou-Fu
5)  Sweet Sour Squids

Vegetables

Salted Egg Crabs

Claypot Drunken Prawn

Hotplate Tou-Fu 

Sweet Sour Squids

All the seafood were just average...it was different from the last time we visited this restaurant! Maybe the Chefs are different.
The total damage was MYR140.00 for 4 adults and 1 child (included drinks). The price was reasonable especially with the good environment of the restaurant.

Over view to Sembawang Singapore

Map location of TKK Seafood Restaurant

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Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (青云亭) and Kling Mosque at Malacca

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (N2 11.850 E102 14.814) And Kling Mosque (N2 11.806 E102 14.848) are located at the Goldsmith Street (Jalan Tukang Emas aka Jalan Tokong) of Malacca town.

These are the First Place Of Worship for the two religious in Malaysia, and of course they are the oldest too! You can read more about their histories below...

History of Cheng Hoon Teng Temple :
"Built in 1645 by Kapitan Lee Wei King with building materials imported from China, Cheng Hoon Teng served as the main place of worship for the local Hoklo (Hokkien) community. The main hall was built by Kapitan Chan Ki Lock in 1704 and was rebuilt in 1801 by Kapitan China Chua Su Cheong, who contributed to the aesthetic and magnificent structural additions of the building.
In 1962, then abbot Seck Kim Seng ordained Houn Jiyu-Kennett, a Zen nun from England and the future founder of the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives, at this temple.
In 2003, Cheng Hoon Teng was awarded a UNESCO award for outstanding architectural restoration." Source from Wiki.

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple at Malacca

"The richly decorated Cheng Hoon Teng temple covers an area of 4,600 m².
Featuring a magnificent main gate along Jalan Tokong, the Cheng Hoon Teng temple consists of a complex of several prayer halls, with a large main prayer hall dedicated to the goddess of mercy, Kuan Yin. Additional smaller prayer quarters were added later. One of these is dedicated to the Taoist gods of wealth, longevity and propagation, while another houses ancestral tablets." Source from Wiki.

Entrance to Main prayer hall

The building was built without a single 'nail' or 'screw'. That's one of the masterpiece! There are many tourist visit this temple everyday, sometimes it can be really crowded...

Below are some photos of the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple...

The roof decoration of the temple

Candles

Dragon on the main door is common on Chinese Temple

I spend about an hour walking around and continue visit the next place of worship - Kling Mosque. The distance between this temple and mosque is only 120 meter.

"The Masjid Kampong Kling, built in 1748, is one of the oldest mosques in Malaysia."

"A courtyard behind the mosque contains a fountain-like pool for ablutions that is raised a few steps above ground level and circumambulated by a similarly raised and covered walkway. The commanding minaret was built entirely of masonry in contrast to the accompanying timber mosque. Likened to a Chinese pagoda or stupa form, this type of minaret has become characteristic of Malacca. Renaissance embellishments include the use of engaged columns as well as the arched windows and piping that traces them. Minarets are not traditional to Malay Islamic architecture, though they have become increasingly more prevalent and are useful in demarcating the mosque in dense urban areas. In 1868 the mosque and its minaret were enclosed by a high wall to protect it from the street."

"Chinese ceramic tiles were imported to adorn the roof, the floor and the lower walls of the mosque. Furthermore, decorative motifs such as those applied to the doors and windows and ornamentation such as the curved eaves terminating in sculptural finials on the roof are attributed to an Oriental influence, as is the rooftop ornament, or mastaka. Built during the Dutch occupation that followed the period of Portuguese rule, European touches reveal themselves in the mosque in such elements as rendered plaster on the internal masonry walls." Source from here.

I found the special of this mosque was the Pagoda at the right. According to some history articles, it was due to Dutch architecture.
I was not enter the mosque because I saw many tourists looking at the mosque from outside and seems like not allow to entering the mosque. So I just snap a few photos of the building.

The location map of Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

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Baba Chendol - Cafe 88 at Jonker Street (Jalan Hang Jebat), Malacca

Malacca is famous with the Baba Cendol (Chendol). We had been searching for the best Cendol around Malacca, and finally we found it at this Antique Peranakan Cafe - named Cafe 88 (N2 11.806 E102 14.795) situated along Jonker Street (Jalan Hang Jebat) of Malacca town.

This cafe was packed with peoples during our visit. You will notice customers are queuing at the entrance for ordering their foods and drinks. The shop was long (about 100 meter) and narrow, and it's preserved the Peranakan decoration.

We got our table after waiting for about 15 minutes...

Then I ordered the Baba Cendol at the entrance of the shop. It's advised to find your table first before your food order, or else it might end up standing at the corner while enjoying your food! :)

The Baba Cendol of Jonker Street, Malacca

The Cendol cost MYR1.70 each. It was tasty and we love it very much! This was the Best Cendol I ever have it before! Especially the genuine 'Gula Melaka' (Palm Sugar) that's make the different!

Some of my friends told me there is another Indian motocycle hawker selling Cendol around the Stadhuys area claiming to be the Best in Malacca, but for me...I was satisfied with this! The main reason is because this cafe provide proper sitting area rather than enjoying the Cendol beside the road...

The special Gula Melaka (Palm Sugar)

The Cafe also selling the Nyonya Laksa and other local delicacies. We will definitely visit again if I'm happen to be at Malacca! Do drop by and taste it if you are visit Malacca, you won't disappointed!

Location map of Cafe 88 at Jonker Street, Malacca

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The Resort World Sentosa, Singapore

There are two roll of shops at you both direction when you stand at the Main entrance of the Casino, but all of them are closed when we were there...
We moved to the right, it's direct you to the Festive Hotel.

The shops located at both direction

Beautiful lighting

The lobby of Festive Hotel was crowded. Maybe because seems like the only hotel allow visitors to hang around the lobby area...I didn't check out the room rates, but you can reach them by click here.

The lobby of Festive Hotel, Sentosa

Nice decoration

It would be nice having a mug of beer at the cafe area...

The Cafe (or Bar) of Festive Hotel

Beside that, we also discovered this...

The King of Pop - Micheal Jackson

One of the shop along the way...

Then we walked by from the same path that we came, and follow to another path which was full of branded shops at both side...
We were attracted by the 2 naked statue at the hall, and it's 18X! Haha! Some parents explaining to their kids about what was 'That'?! Interesting!

The attractive statues

There were another 3 paths branch out from here...First will be the Festive Walk, Michael Hotel and Crockfords Towers.
The 2 hotels are not allow public to step-in, Only for guest. So I did not manage to snap any photos about it...the Only way we could proceed was the Festive Walk.

Entrance to Michael Hotel

The entrance of the Festive Walk of Resort World Sentosa, Singapore

Before we entering the Festive Walk, the car which was parked at the entrance attracted me! It's another Lamborghini Gallardo! Not only one but...4 of them! She was Beautiful!

Lamborghini

It will be nice if I come earlier...The area was huge (Festive Walk)! I believe there will be many beautiful lighting around the area...isn't it?

The Festive Walk of Resort World Sentosa

Direction Signage

Lake Of Dream at Festive Walk 

(But there was no dream at all when we were there...too late...)

Unique design

The Trademark of Universal Studio

The Entrance of Universal Studio

Universal Studio Singapore was open on 18th March 2010. But it was not ready yet when we were there...What a Miss!!

Alternative entrance of the Sky Bar from Festive Walk

Wondering the different between the Sky Bar of Singapore and the Sky Bar of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia?!

Pillar of The Festive Walk

Since there was nothing at the Festive Walk (especially at that hour), we saw the staircase towards the rooftop when we entering the Festive Walk and decided to search for some surprise on it.

We were actually standing on top of the hall we passed by just now...(which have 2 statues). And the Huge  Purple Merlion really drag our attention which situated in front of us! Marvelous!

The Purple Merlion of Resort World

The beautiful lighting beside the Merlion

After about two hours explore the outdoor area, we went back to the Casino for a cup of cold drink because of the weather was too hot! That time was about 1am in the morning...and I curiously check out the traffic out there with a Surprised! It was still congested at the alley...
This is the Sleepless Resort of Sentosa, Singapore!

The traffic at the basement parking area at almost 2am

Before we left the Resort, we discovered the 'interesting scene' at the Festive Walk area...

They must the gamblers after a Serious 'fight' at the Casino who wanted to have some rest and Go back again! What do you think? (They can't be the tourists who cannot find a Hotel in this Resort.)
That is the scene where you can easily see it at Genting, Malaysia. :)

We will be visit the Resort World again in the future, and that definitely because of the Universal Studio of Singapore!