The Treasure Resort is located closer to the shore, although all of the 54 rooms are built on stilts on the lake itself. Upon entering the resort premise, there’ll be a pedaler jumping onto your boat to “foot pedal” your boat to the main resort entrance as the use of boat engine is restricted. This really gives you a close and personal view of how foot pedaling works.

Upon checking in, you’ll be presented with welcome tea and hot towels to freshen up, and these do help during the chilly afternoon.

The reception desk and restaurant are located in the middle of the resort, while the rooms are divided into 2 wings on each side. While the lake-front villas give you fascinating views of sunsets and provide for really enjoyable and romantic evening, the mountain-view has something beyond imagination.

The wooden villa we checked into is spacious with a roomy living area, study table, and a balcony. Depending on the type of villas that you book, you can most certainly enjoy the picturesque view of Inle Lake and surroundings. The generous bath area consists of both indoor tub, as well as outdoor shower, both are equipped with hot shower so that you don’t have to brave the cold winter temperature.

Of course we did try the outdoor shower, while enjoying the view of the full moon above.

Dinner buffet is served from 7.30pm with rather good selections of salads, main courses, fruits and juices. While enjoying dinner, the resort arranges shows of local dances before ending with an acoustic guitarist, who will keep playing on all night if you want to. Again, I’ll have to stress that I really appreciate the good services of the staffs who have been ever polite and helpful at the restaurant.

Another example of such attention was found in our bedroom after the staffs, during our dinner, came to put down the bed, together with some extra blankets and hot-water bag to keep us warm at night.

The next morning we woke up to the breathtaking view that the Treasure Resort presents.

So if you’re looking for a good place to stay during your trip to the Union of Myanmar, and Inle Lake in particular, check out the Myanmar Treasure Resort. We love it and hope you do too.

While there are a lot to see in Mandalay, we decided to visit a few highlights, with more to be covered during our future visits. Before we checked in to the Sedona Hotel Mandalay, we stopped for lunch at one of the more popular Thai restaurants in town, Ko’s Kitchen. Interestingly, Thai food is very popular in Myanmar and the locals do see it as “trendy” to dine at these Thai restaurants.

We spent the afternoon visiting one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in the Union of Myanmar, the Mahamuni Buddha, which is one of the five likenesses of Buddha (2 are in India and 2 are in heaven) according to ancient belief. It is believed that those who worshipped the Mahamuni will get their wish granted. The evidence of those fulfillments can be seen in the gold and jewelry being offered to the Great Mahamuni.

What is more amazing is the daily ritual of face washing of the Mahamuni Buddha, which starts from 4.00-4.30am. This ritual has been ongoing since 1988 and has never missed a date since. Each morning, hundreds of devotees, both locals and tourists alike, join in to witness this fascinating ritual.

As the drum struck, the elder monk, chosen from other senior monks from across the country, assisted by several lay helps. will start washing the face, and teeth of the Mahamuni Buddha, all the while saying his prayers. All the utensils use in the ceremony are made of pure gold, offered by the devotees. Some offered fresh towels to be used during the ritual, which will be returned to them to worship at their own residences. After the washing is done, the elder monk sprinkled scented water on the Buddha, with some devotees offered a fresh bottle of perfumes to be used with the belief that this will be auspicious to them.

We next flew to Heho via Air Bagan from Mandalay with our destination begin the Inle Lake, a popular resort town by many expats and European tourists. From Heho Airport, we need to take a bus to Huping Pier to get on the long tail speedboat to our destinations. Along the way, we were accompanied by flocks of seagulls, many of them flying very close to us.

People living in the Inle Lake have been doing their cultivation on the water, with the helps of dense layers of weeds. Tomatoes are grown on these weeds, with natural fertilizers coming from the water. In fact, Inle has been producing the best tomatoes in Myanmar that are being used all over the country. Along our boat rides, we could see the locals during their farming, as well as “foot” pedaling their wooden sampan. An interesting sight.

We visited the Phaung Daw Oo Temple to pay homage to the Lotus Buddha. The five Buddha Images were handcrafted by ancient King, which are now covered in gold by the gold leaf offered by devotees over the years.

From the temple, the speedboat took us to Ko Than Hlaing Silk and Lotus Weaving House. The house produces lotus weaved cloths and scarfs, which are believed to be better than silk. From the demonstration, the process is rather time-consuming as the workers need to carefully cut the lotus stems to get thin fiber that will be used to weave together before producing them into scarfs. In fact, I did purchase one and I can guarantee you that it can really keep your neck warm during those chilly boat rides. I was also told that the lotus scarf will keep you cool during hot summer days too.

With the sunsetting, we decided to head back to the Myanmar Treasure Resort, where we spend a night. Obviously, I have always expected sunsets to be beautiful in Inle Lake, but what surprised me more, was the next morning.

While winter morning was cold, it was also beautiful. We spotted this view from behind the resort. I believe that I don’t need to say a word.

We then left Inle Lake, heading back to Yangon for our flight back to Bangkok. Nonetheless, with a couple of hours to kill before our evening flight, we visited another important pilgrimage site in the old capital, the Botataung Paya Pagoda, which resides the Sacred Buddha’s Sacred Hair-Relic. Botataung Paya means “stupas of 1,000 leaders”, named after 1,000 military leaders who gathered to welcome the Buddha’s Sacred Hair-Relic to Yangon. Next to the pagoda is statue of the revered Bo Bo Gyi, a Buddhist saint who has been worshipped by both locals and Thais.

With so many other places to see, I will definitely visit Myanmar again in the future when chances permit and I hope to bring you even more fascinating stories about the country and its people. If you’re deciding on your next vacation, I can recommend the Union of Myanmar as a good option.

*Please note that when visiting temples or religious sites in the Union of Myanmar, you must take off your shoes, and your socks in certain places, to show respect.

You can see more photos from our fascinating journey at our Facebook page.

Mingalaba! Myanmar has always been one of the countries that many are curious about. Little is known outside this Golden Land, and we have only heard about it through certain news coverage or social networks, most of which have been negative. Personally, I have to confess that I was a little skeptical before my recent trip to the Union of Myanmar. It has really been an eye-opener, and has since became one of my favorite destinations in the region that I will definitely go back for more!

We arrived at Yangon International Airport some 4 hours behind schedule due to some technical problems with our flight, which had to return to Bangkok International Airport halfway through the journey. After staying a night at Sedona Hotel in the old capital, we left early the following morning for the Golden Rock of Kyaikhtiyo, one of Myanmar’s most sacred and magical places some 160 km southeast of Yangon. Situated deep in the woods, the journey took over 3 hours via bus, and open-top lorry to get to the terminal, where you can choose to sit on the stretcher, or take an hour walk up to the summit, enjoying the scenery along the way. I decided to take the slower, yet fulfilling route.

Once you arrived at the foot of the hill, you’re most likely be greeted by local kids, who have good eyes to spot tourists, that “volunteer” to become your “personal bodyguard” during your trip to the Golden Rock. You’re welcome to give them token of your appreciation when you arrive safely back down.

With the sunsetting, the Golden Rock sits magically on the cliff, with hundreds of pilgrims gathering, some were staying overnight, for early prayers the next morning. I could feel their faith. Both young and old gather to chant their prayers. This is a rare sight even from countries such as Thailand, where temples are more readily related to the older generations. In Myanmar, however, this is commonplace.

There were even more pilgrims crossing the mountains the next morning to say their prayers to the Golden Rock.

It is interesting to see how the people will adapt to future changes and development as the country prepares its role as ASEAN leader in 2012, as well as becoming a more open society to the world.

From Kyaikhtiyo, we headed back to Yangon and over to another highlight of Myanmar, the 2,500 years old Shwedagon Pagoda, which enshrines strands of Buddha’s hair and other holy relics. The site consists of hundreds of temples, stupas and statues of the past, while the summit of the pagoda has been decorated with diamonds, ruby and gold that have been offered to the Shwedagon Pagoda by companies and people both locals and foreigners.

Entering the Shwedagon Pagoda through the South Gate, as it’s believed to be the most auspicious, you’ll be greeted with an elevator tower, that will take you up to the great pagoda. Entrance fee is USD5.00.

As we visited Shwedagon Pagoda on a Buddhist Holy Day, the place was full of Buddhists coming to pay homage to the great pagoda. It was bustling with people even at 8pm.

Before we called it a night, we stopped for dinner at Sabai@Inya Thai Restaurant located along the luxury Inya Lake. The restaurant is well known to both locals and tourists alike and serve some pretty good authentic Thai delicacies. Another surprise for us.

We flew out of Yangon to Mandalay for more fascinating stops early the next morning.

More of these fascinating photos can be found at our Facebook page.

While Highway 1009, via 108 will take you to the highest spot in Thailand in less than 2 hours from Chiang Mai city center, we decided to take a the road less traveled.

Even though the alternative route via Highway 1013 double the time for us to get to our destination, we witnessed some of the more amazing views along the way. From small local villages, rafting station in higher waters to the picturesque padi fields, it was truly an amazing journey.

Looking back, the journey actually reminds me what traveling is all about. It’s how you get there that matters most.

In fact, the long and winding roads mimic the journeys of our lives. There are ups and downs, well-pathed roads, or those that need repairs along the way. While we can truly enjoy the view on those silky smooth rides, the bumpy and winding ones will test our characters.

You can take the u-turn and go back to where you started, or you can endure the pain and keep pushing forward to the goals and destinations that you believed and set out. In the end, it’ll worth the efforts.

We were grateful to accidentally took that road less traveled. Our destination, Doi Inthanon, is a beauty when we got there. The journey made it even more enjoyable.

It’s really about how you live. Be passionate.

We flew over the Gulf of Thailand onboard one of Bangkok Airways daily flights to the island resort off the coast of Surat-thani. As we arrived much earlier than the check-in time at Shasa, we decided to drive around the island, enjoying the scenery. With ShaSa located at the tip of Laem Set, it’s quite a drive if you want to get into the city center.

Of course, one of the first attractions that we visited was Hin Ta Hin Yai, an unusual rock formation along Lamai Beach. After we’ve done sightseeing, we stopped at a popular seafood joint on the island, Sabieng Lae,  for lunch before headed back to check-in at ShaSa Resorts & Residences.

The One-bedroom Deluxe Suite is surprisingly huge, with a full function kitchen equipped with all the necessities, an 8-seat diner, living room with daybed in addition to the bed and bath rooms. This would be perfect if you’re planning for a few days on the island, while also doing your own cooking away from home.

While I wouldn’t recommend swimming in the open water of the resort-front beach, you can still enjoy some splashes in the comfort of the main infinity pool that let you view the Gulf of Thailand. Else, you can relax in the huge jacuzzi next to it.

Breakfast at ShaSa serves at Beyond the Sea, its in-house restaurant. Again, having your morning coffee while enjoying the cool breeze and view is a real pleasure.

While we did enjoy our stay, we would have to mention about the blackouts during both nights of our stay. Each of these occurred after some heavy rains in the area.

So if you’re looking for a quiet resort, which feels like a home away from home, check out ShaSa Resorts & Residences. You might be able to get some good deals during one of those travel fairs in Bangkok as well.

For more information, check out their website here.

Indeed, the ever-friendly and helpful staffs are always there to accommodate your needs, something we’ve come to expect from any luxury resorts these days. 

With 2 opposite properties, you would have to indicate which you’d prefer, either a beach villas or their original non-beach rooms. Nonetheless, you are welcome to access both premises during your stay just like we did.

The San Sky Villa that we checked into is quite spacious. The first thing you’ll see upon entering the room is the living area with large daybed with LCD TV on the rotating wall that you can flip between the living area and bedroom. Clever! The high ceiling, white bathroom is also quite spacious and we’ve that it has a good air circulation. Each of the living area, bath and bedroom are separated by the moving partitions. If you like, you can ask the staff to prepare your barbecue on the 2nd floor of the San Sky Villa as well.

In addition, the 6 San Sky Villas have their own pool right in front of the villas, along with private daybeds that will be tended to by the staffs each morning.

While we stayed in the San Sky Villa, we decided to spend our time at the beachfront sala with some chilled cocktails and snacks, made more pleasant by the beautiful breezes sunshine amid the rainy season.

Breakfast at Putharacsa is aplenty with good assortments of pastry, juices and different meat. In addition to the typical ABF, there’re several selections of local dishes that cater to your Asian style breakfasts.

What we love about Putharacsa is actually its location. While it’s close to the city center and night market, it still provides the privacy where you can enjoy your quiet and relax weekend during your stay.

For more information, visit their official website.

AKA, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World of SLH, has 2 properties in Hua Hin and another in Samui. While AKA Resort is an all-villas retreat, AKA Guti is an exclusive monastery styled resort located higher up on the hill.

With the help of GPS, the journey through the unfamiliar roads in Hua Hin was a breeze. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the friendly staffs, who also brought us our welcome drinks while we were checking in to our suite. From the reception, we took the golf-cart ride to our room, along the way observing beautiful scenery with the resort overlooking a village below, as well as mountainous horizon ahead.

The Suite was spacious, with a large living area, with 2 daybeds that both of us could relax on, an outdoor sala, again with 2 mattresses, and of course the outdoor infinity pool with a stunning view.

With the intention to be as close to nature as possible, we decided to take a walk around the resort. The main pool of AKA Guti is situated near the main diner, and you could actually enjoy another stunning view of the sunsetting during your evening swim there.

Breakfast at both AKA Guti and the main resort were equally impressive. While we had our a la Carte at Guti during the first morning, we decided to drive down to the main resort on the 2nd day for a change of environment and experience. While we’ve found that the main resort was more crowded with groups of tourists arriving and leaving, breakfast selections and quantity were in abundance.

If you’re looking for a really peaceful stay, with your own private pool, as well as trying a totally different experience in Hua Hin, both AKA properties would be great alternatives for you. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, and appropriate the friendly staffs, as well as the decor, food and spa offerings, especially at AKA Guti.

We arrived in Trang via the overnight express train from Bangkok, and after some lengthy transfers, we checked ourselves in at Coco Cottage on Koh Ngai, a small, environmental friendly resort on the beach.

While it’s actually situated in Krabi province, Koh Ngai is easily accessible via Pak Meng Pier in Trang, which is about 45 minutes boat ride away. Unlike many other more popular destinations in the southern sea, the beauty around Koh Ngai is relatively untouched. This may be helped by the annual monsoon seasons where all islands in the Andaman become inaccessible due to high winds and waves between May to October, helping to rejuvenate the marine lives in the area.

Obviously when you’re at sea, one of the things that you must do is dive. And whether you’re scuba diving or just snorkeling, you’ll be able to see many interesting creatures in the area. If you’re really lucky, you might be able to catch a glimpse of whaleshark or turtles passing by. During peak condition, the water is crystal clear, with colorful corals and marine lives in abundance waiting to greet you. Nonetheless, remember that we’re just visitors to this beautiful underwater world, and nothing is for us to take home.

If you’re looking for a quiet getaway to unwind and recharge your battery, look no further. While you’ll be able to enjoy your books, you’ll definitely love the beautiful sunrise and sunsets, as well as all that mother nature has to offer in this beautiful island and the sea surrounding it.

Also, remember to switch off your mobile phones.

Once we’ve checked in at Hotel Hillarys and freshened up, we decided to explore Namba and Shin-saibashi. We did try the Japanese curry rice at one of the roadside stalls even though we weren’t really hungry (we were lured by the nice aroma). Freshly made by our chef, we were served a big plate of the Kare Rice with tonkatsu that took both of us to finish.

Both sides of the street on Shin-saibashi are filled with all kinds of shops, from well-known fashion chain like H&M, Uniqlo or local brands, as well as local and international food and snacks. Along the way, we’ve found one of the more distinct stores, called Crepe Ojisan, which, obviously serves some of the more interesting crepes. As a crepe lover, I couldn’t pass this opportunity up. So we’ve ordered ourselves one of the original chocolate banana crepe. Yummy!

Note that Japanese don’t eat while walking, so we finished our crepe before continuing with our shopping down Shin-saibashi.

From Ojisan’s Crepe, we crossed the street and found a canal running through the city. Along the way, there were people hanging and chilling. It was a pleasant addition to any city around the world as this “water park” actually breathes lives to the people. In addition, we could get some beautiful sunset here too.

One of the attractions for many Thais (or other tourists) would be the giant Glico neon sign along the canal (we’ve seen countless posts on this one across the web). We didn’t really pose with it, though we were observing people who actually did it. So if you come across anything interesting poses with this sign, send them our way and we’ll repost them here.

It was quite late when we were done with our shopping in Shin-saibashi, and we headed back to the hotel as we had an early train to catch the morning after to Kyoto.

We checked out rather early to the empty streets, headed to Kyoto on the JR train with our remaining luggages, which we’d put in the large coin locker at the Kyoto Station and headed to enjoy the old capital.

It took us around 30 minutes from Shin-Osaka to Kyoto Station, and it wasn’t difficult to get ourselves the day-pass bus ticket that would take us to all the major temples and attractions in Kyoto. The only matter would be whether you have time to visit all of those impressive temples.

Our first stop was the Kinkakuji Temple, or the Golden Pavilion. While I wasn’t entirely sure if I’d enjoy the visits to temples, Kinkakuji would be one that I’d love to go back. The impressive golden pavilion is beautiful and picturesque.

We were really enjoying Kinkakuji, and absorbing its history that it took us longer than expected, and it was already 1 in the afternoon when we left. As we were heading to our 2nd destination, we ran into an Udon place for lunch. Though we couldn’t recall the name, it was near the bus stop in front of Kinkakuji and we recommend that you check it out. The Udon was unlike I’ve tried before and tasted very good.

Next stop, Kiyomizu-dera or the Water Temple as many people called it.

From the bus stop, you’ll need to walk up the steep slope towards the temple. Again, you could find many stores selling souvenirs along the way. The main hall at Kiyomizu-dera was built on tall pillars that support it off the cliff. This has given it some of the most spectacular view of Kyoto. With many sights to see within the temple compound, we spent our last few hours in Kyoto here even though we wished to go to more sights. Hopefully we can catch more of that during our future trips to Japan.

As night approached, we got on the bus that took us to the Kyoto Station, heading back to Osaka, though this time to the Kanku Hineno, the hotel close to Kansai International Airport that we would stay before departure. While there was some incidents during our trip back to the hotel, we’ve found that traveling in and around Japan isn’t that difficult with the fact that most transportations will have English subtitled.

So the next time you want to plan a trip to Japan, don’t hesitate. Pack up and go. We love it!

While many non-Japanese speakers might be put off by the perceptions that most Japanese don’t speak English, mind you, their eagerness to help you to make your visit to their country a pleasant one, will surprise you and you wouldn’t be alienated even if you don’t speak their language. Communication isn’t only about those spoken words.

After arriving at Narita, we took the Keisei train to Ueno Station and checked in at the nearby Sutton Hotel. While the hotel and its decor are nothing to write home about, the friendly atmosphere and ever helpful staffs will be the things that you can find here.

Our first dinner in Japan was Yakiniku-don at one of the shops opposite Ueno Station. While I’m not really a beef lover, I have to say that this is one of the best I’ve tried. The meat was tender and whole, while the egg somehow tastes sweeter.

With the first meal over, which added to the first of many beautiful experiences in Japan so far, I was sure that there’ll be many more like this to come over the next few days.

We got up the next day rather early as we planed to visit the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa. It’s only a couple of stops from Ueno to Asakusa and it took us just 5 minutes to stand in front of the famous red lantern of the Sensoji. We recommended that you visit earlier in the morning as it can get very crowded from 10am onwards.

Once you stepped past the main entrance, both sides of the walkways are filled with souvenir and snack stalls. With our limited time, as we were to head to Kawaguchiko at noon, we decided to do the shopping on our way out instead.

After praying our respects to the Buddha at the Sensoji, we headed to Shinjuku where we would take the Keisei bus to Kawaguchiko, the small town by Mount Fuji, and another destinations to enjoy Japanese Onsen.

After 3 hours on the bus, we finally arrived at Kawaguchiko, and the staff at Sunnide Resort was kind enough to pick us up from the station. Upon entering the room, we were blown away by the view above. Mount Fuji was right in front of us! In addition to Onsen and beautiful Kawaguchiko lake with Fujisan as the backdrop, we decided to explore the town on bicycles available free at the resort. With Sakura still blooming, it was really an enjoyable ride for both of us along the lake. We practically spent the afternoon on the bicycles, riding around town and enjoying the blooming Sakura.

Soon after, and it was time for dinner. We decided to out on the Yukata provided in the room and head to the diner where we’d be served some traditional Japanese dishes, with assortments of meat, seafood and vegetables.

The Onsen that we had later in the evening was very relaxing (and naked). While you might feel that the water was a little too hot initially, after a couple of minutes you’ll be able to adapt and start enjoying it.

Our initial plan for the 2nd day was to head a little closer to Mt. Fuji. Unfortunately, with changing weather during that time of the year, we woke up to find “Fujisan” covered by heavy fogs. Thus, we decided to head back to Tokyo a little earlier than planned after our breakfast.

We arrived back at the Keisei bus terminal in Shinjuku a little after 1pm, with cold winds and rain still covering most parts of Tokyo. So we decided to go underground, fortunately, found a nice ramen place. Now, that was what I was looking for, ramen in Japan!

While we thought that the ramen was pretty good, 2 Japanese women next to us actually confirmed that for us when we were hearing them saying “Oishi! Oishi!” while having theirs.

So since were were in Shinjuku, we decided to do some shopping in the area before heading back to re-check in at the Sutton Place Hotel in Ueno where we left our big luggage at the reception. However, it wasn’t too long before we headed out, this time to one of the places I’ve been wanting to go, Akihabara!

With too many malls to choose from, we decided to make a safe bet and went to Yodobashi-Akiba, which is one of the largest electronic chains in Japan. With 8 floors to explore, it’d actually took us our whole evening, and a few tiring legs. While I didn’t really get anything, it was a nice experience for me, a gadget/tech lover. Nonetheless, we capped off our evening with dinner at one of the authentic Japanese restaurants in Yodobashi, and my wife did enjoy her Unagidon.

With an early program the next morning, we decided to get early rests with the fish market, and a whole day of shopping awaits us for our final day in Tokyo.

First off was Shibuya.

Then Ginza.

While we couldn’t really recommend any specific shops in these areas, we would recommend that you spare 2 days to visit major shopping areas in Tokyo like Akihabara, Shinjuku, Shinbuya and Ginza. Also, you might want to check out Omotesando, and Roppongi.

Another tiring, but extremely enjoyable day for us in Japan.

We spent our last morning in Tokyo at the Ueno Park before taking the morning Shinkansen to our next destinations, Osaka and Kyoto, coming up in our 2nd part of “From Tokyo to Kyoto”.

Day 1

With our hotel being only a block away from the Skycity, our first stop after we’ve checked in was to the 328 meters tall Auckland Skytower, the tallest man-made tower in New Zealand. Upon our arrival, we could hear people screaming from above. It was actually from those who did the Skyjump off the platform from the tower, some 198 meters above. Or if you’re a bit less adventurous, you might want to do a Skywalk on the same platform instead. We, though, chose to do some sightseeing instead.

Downtown Auckland is rather compact (not small), just as I had expected. Somehow, walking along the streets, apart of this touristy feeling, Auckland is pretty chill! People are walking at a comfortable pace, unlike many other major cities around the world. I kinda like it here.

We had our first dinner in Auckland at The Occidental, as reviewed earlier at Urbanhideaway. You can find one of the best mussels and beer there.

Day 2

While in Auckland, you might want to visit Devenport, a small town by the hill, across the Auckland Harbor. You can either drive there or get on the ferry and enjoy the sea breeze. We took the Fullers Passenger Ferry from the ferry terminal on Quay Street, which is right at the bottom of Queen Street, and the ride took only 15 minutes.

On the Devonport main street, Victoria Rd., you can find many cafes, restaurants and boutiques. If you love chocolate, you will want to visit the Devonport Chocolates boutique as well. To enjoy the true Kiwi afternoon, we decided to buy our lunch and have them in the park, enjoying the Auckland Harbor view. However, be prepared to be accompanied by the huge number of seagulls at the park.

After lunch, we walked along Victoria Rd. towards Mt.Victoria. While there was a paved road to the top, we decided to take the road less traveled, meandering around the mountain for a little adventure of our own. And not to disappoint, we found the beautiful view, along the way too.

On top of Mt.Victoria, you get the 360 view of Devonport, as well as the Auckland Sky Tower across the harbor.

Day 3

We began our final day in Auckland quite early as we wanted to visit Rotorua, a 3 hour drive from Auckland to the south. You will pass countless sheep and green trees along the way to Rotorua, something that we were initially excited to see.

While many would head over to the hot spring in Rotorua, our first stop when we arrived at Rotorua was at the Skyline Luge, where they said that “once is never enough!” And rightly so.

Initially we were thinking of getting only a ticket that permits 1 ride on the luge, but after some persuasion from the sales guy, we decided to get a 3 ride ticket each. We really enjoyed it! With different difficulty levels to choose from, we began from beginner and end up on the advance, and more exciting course. So If you have a chance, try this in Rotorua!

After our luge ride, it was time to get freshen up and relax in the famous hot spring in Rotorua. We chose to do this privately at the Polynesian Spa. Once we were done, we head over to the Rotorua Lake to observe the locals, and enjoy the sunset in Rotorua before heading back to Auckland for our last day in New Zealand.

Day 4

Our final day began a bit late, after we only got back to Auckland around midnight. We took off to another popular destination, for both locals and tourists alike, the Piha Beach, which is just 30 minutes from downtown Auckland.

One of the distinct feature at Piha Beach, apart from the big waves, is the Lion Rock that stood elegantly on the beachfront. You can actually walk up the Lion Rock to enjoy some 180 view of the small town below, and it’s not really for the faint-hearted.

So that’s for a brief tour of Auckland and around. While there were so many things that we planned to do initially, each places just took us longer than we expected as we were really enjoying the experience. If you’re not in a hurry, I think you’ll enjoy them as much as we do.

Our photo slideshow below chronicle our journey. We hope you enjoy them.

The beachfront resort is situated not far away from Hua Hin town center, and thus, while easily accessible, able to enjoy the true peace of Hua Hin when the city has seen an incredible rise in tourist numbers over the last couple of years.

While the resort offers 5 different room types and 3 pavilions, we decided to check into the Pool Village suite where each room has direct access to the large infinity pool overlooking the Gulf of Siam. With high ceiling, as well as the white and light-colored wooden furniture, you’ll definitely feel relaxed and comfortable just to spend your day either on the daybed or king-sized bed.

Moreover, the resort also offers an iPod touch in each room, filled with soothing music that will ensure you enjoy your stay a little better. On the other hand, you may check out its “pretty” efficient movie collection at the front desk for your late nights too.

True to its name and theme, the friendly staffs at Rest Detail always try their best to accommodate your needs at every details, as well as keeping you relax and hide away from the bustling life just like their three wise monkeys that you can see around the resort: hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.

While others may enjoy yoga or spa for an even more relaxing getaway, our stay at Rest Detail Resort was like home away from home. It has this charm that we’ll definitely love to go back again when opportunity arises.

Aleenta Resorts & Spa is a collection of small, luxurious suites, and villas on this peaceful beach and it is now under the Small Luxury Hotel of the World group.

While the main resort, Aleenta Wing, consists of white washed villas, with thatched roofs with several private pools, the Frangipani Wing has been recently converted from the residence of the owner’s family, into 5 stunning beachfront suites, each with direct access to the infinity pool overlooking Pak Nampran Bay.

The decor in each suites are simple, with wood and bamboo being used widely in all the furnitures. Moreover, Aleenta also do their part in conservation, by installing sensor to the slide door that will suspend the air conditioner if the door is opened for longer than 5 minutes.

What we love most about our stay would be the easy access to the infinity pool. While it’s not a private pool, each suite, being partitioned from one another, still allowed certain privacy in their section of the pool right in front of its room. So you can just dip in, and enjoy yourself, peacefully. One concern that we have would be the fact that Aleenta allows children in their Frandipani Wing. Thus, you might prefer the main Aleenta Wing if you want to be free from all the cheers, laughter and cries of the children.

Breakfast at Aleenta is well-served at the main wing, where you can choose either an A La Carte or buffet. With the restaurant situated on the 2nd floor, you will enjoy the view of the ocean while having your breakfast too.

So if you’re looking for a unique and truly boutique experience in Pranburi, I recommend Aleenta as an alternative for your next visit. Whether you’re newly weds or family, Aleenta can surely accommodate your needs and make your stay a pleasant, relaxing one.

Under the Six Senses umbrella, you can surely expect the best services from this luxurious resort during your stay in Pranburi. Even though the resort has been well-established in Pranburi longer than many other boutique resorts that sprang up in the area over the years, Evason has continued to offer the best services that I’ve personally experienced during my stay. The polite and helpful staffs are always on hands to accommodate your needs in a way that you won’t find it awkward like some other resorts might make you feel.

The room is clean and spacious, with an additional daybed on the balcony where we could enjoy our books, while listening to the ocean, taking in some fresh air. In each guestroom, you’ll find an elephant doll on the bedside table, with your donations allowing you to take the elephant home with you. The proceeds will be donated to various charities that the Evason Hua Hin and Six Senses are currently sponsoring. So it can be said that not only that you’ll have a peace of mind, you’ll feel twice as good doing something for charity as well.

What my wife and I loved most about Evason Hua Hin is their selections of breakfast. In addition to the standards ABF that you can find at other resorts or hotels, you can find several local dishes such as freshly made noodles, porridge, and pastry. In addition, they have a wide selection of juices for a healthy start to the day too!

It took us a little over 3 hours before we arrived at Villa Maroc. Greeted by friendly and helpful receptions, who actually asked to take our photos as souvenir for the resort, we delightfully checked in, and decided to check out the resort just before we went to our room. True to the title, Villa Maroc is truly photogenic with many corners of the resorts that you’d love to get photographs at.

The Pool Court that we requested is located at the other side of the resort where we could get a good view of the quiet Pranburi beach. On the ground floor, in front of the room, is a small dip pool, while the main infinity pool is located in the middle of the resort, overlooking the ocean.

With a Moroccan design theme, the Riad Nana (Mint), is the most central of all the Pool Court that allows both good view to the beach, as well as the fountain and  gardens. Nonetheless, the room is well-equipped by all standard amenities, as well as an iPod touch that is filled with soothing music that will likely make your stay a little more relaxing in addition to the firm mattress and comfortable pillows.

If you need more relaxation, you may contact the hotel for a session of Hammam, which is an Arabic spa that will soothe you from your stress.

After we’ve freshened up from the long drive, we took a stroll on the Pranburi beach. While better known for its peacefulness, rather than the white sand or blue ocean, we were still able to see some visitors from other resorts, riding on the “banana boat” in the water, screaming with excitement (mmm).

Nonetheless, Pranburi still remains one of the more peacefully beaches in Thailand that you can find today, especially now when Hua Hin has become a more bustling destination for city dwellers. So if you’ve never been there, give it a try and I’m sure you’ll come back more energized!