Useful tips when travelling to Hong Kong

AIRPORT
Travelling out of HK with Air Asia is from Terminal 2, not Terminal 1. However if you like me, alighted the bus at Terminal 1, no worry.

You just need to take a lift down and make your way to the bus / train direction. Near the entrance of the train station, pls take an escalator or lift to go down. When you walk out, you need to take an escalator up one floor to reach the check in counters.

Sounds confusing? No worry.. as HK is very systematic, they have personnels on hand to give directions.

EATING
even though most signboards and menu are in chinese, there are high chances are they will have english menu when you ASK - the operative word is ask. You have to request for it!


SIGHT SEEING
1) you can get cheaper entrance fees from local hong kong travel agent - eg from your hotel or etc. They are normally cheaper by HKD20 - HKD30.

2) Ngong Ping 360 cable car
you may get cheaper vouchers from travel agent but the best method is to pay FULL online as the queue can be very very long especially during weekends. I waited for 1 hour on Sunday at about 11am. The queue got longer at about 12pm. You do NOT have to queue when you purchase online.

What's there?
Well unless you join a local tour once you reach Ngong Ping Village or you are into climbing up the hill to see the Big Buddha or eat the vegetarian food, there is basically nothing much to see or do in Ngong Ping.

3) Ocean Park vs HK Disneyland
This is personal preference. If you like colours and taking photos of animated characters, then Disney is for you. I mean, how to fight with Mickey and gangs right?

But if you are into nature, there are a lot of interesting exhibits in Ocean Park especially in the Grand Aquarium. You get to see real sharks, jelly fish, sturgeon, pandas, sea lions, penguins and etc.

Price
Ocean Park HKD280 adult
Disney HKD399 adult

Rides
More thrill rides in Ocean Park but no 3D or 4D rides in Ocean Park.

Rides at Ocean Park

Overall feel around the park
Disney beats Ocean Park on this hands down. I mean the entrance at Ocean Park looks very aged and boring to say the least and the signboards inside the park are quite confusing in Ocean Park and a lot of places looks a bit 90s, like the sitting places as well as eateary outlets.

Even some of rides look outdated.

Getting There
This deserves a special mention as again Disney beats Ocean Park on this hands down on this cos at the end of the Symbio show (which runs at 7pm daily) in Ocean Park, everyone rush out to go home and only mode of transportation are either taxi or bus no. 629. Can you imagine the queue??

VERDICT:-
Priority is Disney but if you have been to Disney and you have the time and money to spend, then you can go for Ocean Park as well cos where else can you find 4 pandas in one park outside of China.

SHOPPING
I actually enjoyed most of my shopping in Citygate Outlets, which is a big mall adjacent to the Ngong Ping Cable car station with the largest number of outlets shops!

Because of it's close proximity to HK airport, you'll see a lot of people with luggage in the mall.

It's big and most major brands are there but dont expect good service as due to the crowds most of the staffs will be missing in action. You basically have the find the size, colour etc yourself.

But you'll be rewarded with good prices and extra discounts when buying more than 2 items at most shops.

I prefer here cos it's air-con, covered and you get everything under one roof cos I find Mongkok area too  crowded for my liking :(

ACCOMMODATION
I stayed in a budget place called Golden Wave Hotel. They do not have online booking as you basically call and speak to the proprietor themselves. Prices are seasonal and fluctuates from time to time. Dont expect big rooms but this is HK!

Location is very very convenient. Just a stone throw away from Jordan MTR station exit C2. To get here from airport, the fastest and cheapest way is via airport bus A22 HKD39 one way as the bus stops right next to the hotel.

Worth mentioning is the hotel is just next row to Australian Dairy Co. and same row as Yee Shun Dairy Co.! Yummy yummy!!

CONCLUSION
leave me a comment if you need help getting around HK and I'll be most obliged to help when possible =D

Oliferin - for better skin!

If you are a follower of my blog, you might have read about me getting lots of sand flies bites (click this link sand-flies-bite-and-treatment).

When I could no longer stand the itch, I visited a doctor and whilst I was there, asked him a lot of health questions. Like why do I always come back from a walk in the park with rashes on my leg.

The doctor explained it's cos I have grass allergy. Meaning my skin gets easily inflamed and react cos it's not balance. So he recommended that I take a supplement named Oliferin as it's a powerful anti-oxident made from olives from Spain.

To visit the official website, click this link Benefits of Oliferin

Well I did not take to his advice immediately as the price is quite high for me and I was taking GNC Double Strength Fish Oil then. But I did keep the pamphlet and google on it. Finally in February 2013 I thought ok, why not give this a try.

I bought it from OUG pharmacy and it was running a promotion pack, meaning buy 2 bottle (60tab x 2) and free 1/2 bottle (30tab). So I paid RM270 for 150 tablets meaning each tablet costs RM1.80

The packing was a bit of a put off as the paper stopper on the cap was discoloured.

But do not let this stop you from trying Oliferin because after about 2 weeks of consuming 1 tabled a day, I noticed the skin on my legs were better and the pigmentation on my face lighter.

Now I am going to finish 1 bottle and my legs have improved significantly. Previously my legs were so dry that it shines and is very very tight to the point of cracking. Too bad I did not take photos of my legs before consumption. It was much much worst than the photos below.

After 3 weeks

Improvement after 3 weeks

Now it looks more like normal skin though it still shines a bit. Even the ugly veins have improved!!

After 50 days

So if you suffer from dry skin, I will definitely recommend Oliferin to you!

New Jubah Gaun - Cinta Mustiqah

Cinta Mustiqah the latest gown design in Turkuaz / Gulyn comes in 2 different colours. Made with very comfortable material imported from Europe and Japan with full chiffon lining. There are piping and elegant  cut to accentuate the body shape.

Sizes are from S - XL (code 330-1302).

In total there are:-

21pcs each for the brown blue (poly cotton)
- price is RM379.90 but member or online purchase can enjoy special price of RM330.

36pcs for the green design (chiffon)

- price is RM339.90 but member or online purchase can enjoy special price of RM290.

So these designs are available for sale at all outlets and online sale only (except Plaza Angsana).

Traditional remedy for heatiness

As we are living in tropical Malaysia, the weather can sometimes be too hot for our body.. coupled with lack of rest, stress and poor diet which can lead to "heatiness" in our body.

A tell-tale sign of heatiness - bad breath or heaty breath and possible body rashes or pimples.

To combat it, try boiling some chinese herbs such as barley, crysehthemum (or kekwa in malay).

Alternatively for extreme heatiness especially in cases of CHICKEN POX, I boil a pack of concoctions purchase from chinese drug store.

You can drink 100 Plus, Pocari Sweat, Livita or even coconut but these herbs worked for me besides I find coconut gives my stomach wind.

The key ingredient in those packs are the shavings of animal horns.. Any animal horns will do but of course horns from exotic animals like antelope, gazelle or water buffalo are more effective and pricier.

The ones in the picture below, even though stated as antelope, I highly suspect are just plain cow or goat horns cos the pack only cost me RM10.

So next time you feel heaty, why not give traditional remedy a try! Just buy a pack, boil it in water! Easy peasy!!

When boiling there's a slight smell.. hard to describe it. The boiled water is almost colourless and tasteless just like normal drinking water.

Between Coconut n Olive

Life is so ironic.

Seriously! Perfect example:-

My Turkish boss was planning a trip back to Turkey and a malaysian friend asked him to look for an olive oil supplement for him as the price here is higher and the brand is from Turkey.

So when he is Turkey, while he was looking for this olive oil, a turkish friend asked him to look for a coconut  oil supplement as the price there is higher.

Both these friends were adamant that the respective oil works wonder for them!

Just goes to show that human are never satisfied with what we already have. Seriously coconut is very cheap in Malaysia and we have plenty of them.. Guess the guy in Turkey will say the same about olive oil ;p

In conclusion, my boss couldn't find that particular brand of olive oil supplement in Turkey.. Not sure if he found the coconut oil in Malaysia. I think the chances of finding the same brand here are quite slim.

Package "Hamil Baru Bayar" @ D'Cost Seafood, Indonesia

Introducing cheap seafood in Indonesia. It costs Rp22,000 (approximately RM7.50) for a box of this takeaway complete with rice, 4 different types of dishes, a bottle of water and a thin slice of fruit.

Well the food is nothing to shout about.. like a normal bento set with (from left to right) stir fry vegetables, tempura squid, fish and prawns.

A check on their website reveals that these boxes are part of the delivery menu.
D'Cost Seafood delivery
D'Cost Seafood delivery menu

For dining in, they are a real seafood restaurant which serves crabs and fish dishes.

They also have a dish called NASGOR.. Simply out of curiosity, I clicked on it and found out that it's short for NASi GOReng... Haha.. Such ingenuity! Price from Rp10,000 (roughly RM3.40).
D'Cost Seafood nasgor

Interestingly they have this new promotion called "Promo Hamil Baru Bayar" which is a special package for those planning a wedding reception, where you pay when the bride gets pregnant! Wow!! I guess they must be really convinced that most, if not all brides get pregnant pronto =D
D'Cost Seafood promo

Why Bing Han ginseng

Why eat Ginseng? 

Ginseng is extremely rare and has long been considered the "king of herbs" throughout the world. For 5000 years, the Chinese and Koreans have used the root of the ginseng plant. The botanical name of this Asian variety - PANAX GINSENG is derived from the Greek word panaces, meaning "all healing".

Benefits of Ginseng

Ginseng is largely regarded as a supplement and an all round tonic as well as curative. It is also believed that the continuous use of ginseng leads to longevity.

In summary, Ginseng:-

• beautifies skin complexion
• improves blood circulation
• regulates metabolism
• reduces fatigue
• stimulate the central nervous system
• reduce blood sugar level
• inhibits the growth of cancer
• supports hormonal functions
• promotes general well-being

Why Bing Han Ginseng?
1) Bing Han's premium quality assurance that only 6 year old ginseng are used. Bing Han has been established since 1989 (24 years as at 2013).

Each ginseng are transplanted every 2 years to ensure that the ginseng absorb all the best essence of nature.
Furthermore the land used must be rested and planted with Red Cedar trees for the next 30 years before the land can be planted for ginseng again.
(other brand:- age of the ginseng is inconsistent and there is no quality assurance)

2) Uses whole ginseng, produced under low termperature of 28 degree Celcius, suitable for the needs of all physical conditions
(other brand:- produced under high temperature of 128 degree Celcius, not suitable for all types of physical conditions. Likely to be too intense or heaty in terms of nutrition)

3) Convenient to use by mixing with liquid; easy to dissolve, digest and absorb
(other brand:- inconvenient to use)

Why is the price of Bing Han ginseng cheaper and more affordable (RM570 for 150gm) than those sold in traditional chinese medicinal halls?

NOTE that the prices of ginseng differs drastically between wild or cultivated ginseng as well as the age of the ginseng. It is very difficult for an untrained eye to differentiate between them.

So it is always safer to buy from a reputable company.

1) because the owner of Bing Han is in agreement with the State Forestry Administration, Changbai County, China to use, besides the vast land in Changbai Mountain, any abandoned land and forest for the planting, processing and development of ginseng at the rate of 5-10 hectares of clear-cut land annually.

Bing Han further owns more than 526,630 sq feet of land for it's headquarters and offices.

With this huge amount of land, Bing Han is able to plant and harvest large numbers of ginseng per year, enough to supply to worldwide demand.

2) all the stages from planting, processing, packing, development, distribution, marketing and to sale of the ginseng are fully controlled and owned by Bing Han, which ensures prices are kept low as they eliminate the need for ANY middle men.

Marketing are also done by word of mouth by Bing Han users and appointed distributors, meaning there is no excessive advertising costs.

All these savings are then channeled back to the users in the form of cheaper product as well as a rewarding compensation schemes for its appointed distributors (see Bing Han's marketing and compensation plan).

In summary, for a company to be in existence for more than 20 years selling just one product, this alone is strong validation of the quality of Bing Han's ginseng as well as the strength and reliability of Bing Han company.