Planning a family-friendly stay in Pahang

~ Posted on Monday, December 27, 2021 at 12:33 PM ~

As a stay-at-home mum, family is always number one priority for me. And hence, when I plan for a family vacation, it must be a family-friendly place that has activities for all of us to do while we relax and enjoy some downtime.

When the school holidays started recently in early December 2021, we have been having some day trips at the nearest beach (Port Dickson) and while it was fun, I do feel that a longer stay would be more awesome! After all, the drive from our house to Port Dickson is about 1.5 hour to and fro and we only get to spend about 6 hours every time, not sufficient I would say!

At the moment, I am currently looking at holidaying in the state of Pahang. When you say the word ‘Pahang’, the image that comes to mind are the green luscious forest, the long stretch of white sandy beach and the blue sparkling ocean.

The hotel that got my attention at the moment is De Rhu Beach Resort. It is located in Balok, Kuantan. There are several reasons why I choose De Rhu Beach Resort, amongst them are:

1.    It is a beachfront resort, right on Balok Beach
2.    It has a playground in the pool that will definitely score points with my kiddos (refer picture below – see how glorious and fun looking are those pools!!!)
3.    There is a large swimming pools for adults to plunge in for some fun
4.    Lots of ample parking space
5.    It has restaurants that serve good food throughout the day
6.    It is eligible for Traveloka promotion!

Image source: Traveloka

Who doesn't appreciate a good promotion, eh? Thanks to Traveloka, I can choose from a variety of hotel promotions available. You can also get a discount if you're vaccinated or if you're travelling by air too! I am contemplating to go with the Cuti-Cuti Malaysia #supportlokal promotion as this promotion gives me a 10% discount on De Rhu Beach Resort. Not only that, if we are taking a flight, we can also get up to RM50 off but I think for my family size, it would be easier to travel by our trusted family car as we can stop by R&R along the way whenever circumstances arises (nature calls, hunger pangs etc).

Additionally, I can also claim for an income tax relief up to RM1000 by 31st December 2022. How cool is that?! Traveling and also getting income tax relief is a win-win! If you would like to know more, do check out Traveloka's full promotions at hotel promo.

FYI, De Rhu Beach Resort is rated an impressive 8.5/10 in Traveloka with hundreds of reviews! Customers’ reviews are important factor to me as it means a whole lot of people have tried out and agreed to the good service and conditions of the hotel. The check-in and check-out time at the hotel is at a standard 3PM and 12PM respectively. From what I see, the rooms are spacious, so I can squeeze in my whole family into 1 room and still have space to walk about.

Now I can just imagine how relaxing it is to stay at De Rhu Beach Resort! I can feel the wind blowing in my face as I have a break with a light stroll by the beach with my family.

Image source: Wikipedia

So, I hope the Kuantan holiday plan will materialize soon as we are badly in need of some vitamin SEA and I am looking forward for a longer stay at a beach area with my loved ones. That’s all the updates from me for now. Stay safe everyone!

Tips to Bring Your Children to Staycation

~ Posted on Saturday, January 30, 2021 at 8:57 PM ~

A family staycation is a perfect chance to treat yourself and your family, giving you all a break from reality and our day-to-day responsibilities, to rejuvenate our mind and body, and to see and feel a different environment for our sanity's sake.

You can let your hair down. There is no need to worry about cleaning the house whenever your children make a mess as there is room services to handle that. At least for a few days, you are worry-free on matters of cooking, laundry and to-do-list as a mother and housewife. All you need to do is just focus on the break and rest as much as you can during staycation.

Traveloka

Staycation also reduces the traveling time. Have fun being a tourist at your hometown. You can pack lightly and reduce the cost on airplane and airport transfers. You just need to go to any hotel for a staycation by driving your own vehicle. Most of the hotels provides free parking within their premises too.

Anyway, it is every mom’s concerns to check on the places to go for holiday that will suits her family and children. Whether the hotel is suitable for children, whethere there have any children pool, no smoking rooms, and if possible, connecting room for the children. Also do note that not all hotels are child-friendly. So here are few tips to plan a staycation with your family and children:


Choose a hotel that caters to your little ones

When scouting for a hotel, not only scout for the best deals, you must also check on child-friendly hotel or family-friendly hotel from beds and amenities to children activities. If you have extra budget, you can go for a hotel that offers spacious rooms, with extra amenities such as baby cots, bottle warmers, and stroller. Some hotels also offer exciting activities for children such as children’s yoga, rock climbing, and cooking class. This is to ensure you and your children will have a good staycation experience.

 

Make sure all items and belongings are well-packed

With the little troops I have (5 children between 2 to almost 12-years old) packing can be an overwhelming task. But when packing for a hotel staycation, the list become less as most hotels provides toiletries and basic amenities such as towels, hair dryers and iron. So all you need to do is just pack important things that are not easy to get such as medication and diapers. Also don’t forget the children swimming suits if they love to splash in the swimming pools. I'm actually very glad that I'm at the phase where my older 3 children can pack their own clothes when we go for our family holiday!


Stock up on some healthy snacks close to you

This is to avoid the typical tantrums, hunger meltdowns or crankiness in the younger ones. You can stock up on nuts, biscuits, or raisins as well. It easy to carry and perfect to control a little hunger pangs. Some hotel also provides snacks in their freezer, but it is better if you prepare ahead. I usually stock some in my diaper bag and some in one of my child's backpack (as we might be split into 2 groups while walking around hence, the backup hahah)

 

Include ‘me time’ and time with your spouse

Staycation is the perfect opportunity to spend quality time with your spouse or partner. Beside getting some rest from daily responsibilities, this is the time to recharge your romantic battery. Get the children busy with activities, or get the babysitting and childcare services under your staycation hotel for a few hours. You and spouse can get some much needed alone time together.

Of course for now, it is still impossible to have a staycation because we are still under MCO. Sigh.... But heyyyyyy, for our neighbouring country, Singapore, they can enjoy Staycation Singapore! Not only that, there is also promotion on hotels by Traveloka.

Traveloka

Do go check out their campaign Singapore Rediscovers Vouchers for more interesting offers and tips on attractions and hotels!

That’s all for now. Hope these tips helps to give some ideas for mommies out there to have a little break. Stay safe everyone!

Guide to Transporting Your Pet

~ Posted on Sunday, September 6, 2020 at 10:33 AM ~

Planning to move house across the country and you want to know how to prepare your furry friend for the move?  Pets are family and moving with them across the country can be an adventure.  How well they transition during the moving experience is extremely important. Moving long distance requires a lot of thought and planning, not just for your belongings, but for the well being of all family members.

As pets have an instinctive fear of new environment, pet owners want to help them adjust quickly. Pre-planning for the transfer of your pet, as well as for your household goods, should start as soon as you know you are going to move.  A long distance move can be a stressful time for anyone, pets included. If you are moving to a new city or state, you are likely to be worried about your pet's wellbeing. Do not let this cause additional stress.

Do scroll down for some tips on moving with our pet safely and make it an enjoyable experience.

 

Laws and regulations

Be sure you understand all rules and regulations related to animals for your new state, city, apartment complex, etc.  Health certificate from a veterinarian is required in several states as well as up-to-date vaccinations.  Certain breed is ban too so you will need to be aware of that. Exotic pets, reptiles and rodents may have additional requirements.

 

Schedule a vet visit

Bring your pets to the veterinarian for a general health checkup and to get the necessary documentation, vaccinations or medication.  Ask your vet for recommendations for a peaceful travel if your pet gets motion sickness or extreme anxiety in the car.

 

Ground Transportation for Pets

If you are unable to drive your pet to your new home on your moving day, you can use a ground transportation service. This service is typically more expensive than the other options but you can expect your animal family member to receive top-quality care and attention.

 

Choosing the right moving service

When there are pets involved, it is important to think about the moving service you use. Depending on the service you choose, your furry member may travel alone or with animals. All ground transportation services offer a fast and safe ride.  Finding the right shipping company for moving your pet should not be difficult with Shiply, an online shipping platform.  Shiply has a range of rated pet transport services that can send personalized quotes for your job and allows you to make comparison in one place.

To choose the best ground transportation for moving with pets across country, remember to find out if the companies provide insurance or you will need to purchase it, ensure that the business is properly licensed, and do research the company online.

 

The Cost Of Pet Transport

The cost of moving your pet can are based on a variety of factors such as distance, pet size, timing,  location for pick-up and delivery as well as the time of the year. These services can be costly, but if a pet is a cherished part of your family, no effort or expense should be spared to ensure that your pet is comfortable and safely transported to your new home.