Paya Beach Resort at Tioman Island

Paya Beach Resort
Tioman Island

Paya Beach Resort in Tioman Island is one of the popular resorts located at Kampung Paya which is right in the middle between all the other villages. The beauty about this resort is that it is located strategically between mangrove and sea. Getting here is fairly simple as the ferry service from Mersing would make various stops along all the villages at Tioman Island. If you should also know, this is a Singaporean run resort with Malaysian partners so you will see many Singaporeans here.

Paya Beach Resort - Porter to carry your luggage

On arrival at the Kampung Paya jetty, a porter from the Paya resort will be there to collect your bags to be sent to the resort. The Paya Beach Resort is located at the end of this traditional Malay Kampung (Village). So you will be taking a nice scenic walk to your resort.

Paya Beach Resort - View from the beach

Walking along the bronze coloured sand beach you will see some local Malay homes, restaurants and convenient shops. There are also other guesthouses and chalets along the way which are run by locals.

Paya Beach Resort - Main entrance

On arrival at the Paya Beach Resort, you will be served a welcome drink and cold towel on checking in. The staff are pretty well trained and friendly who speak good English. A quick drink and I could not wait to see the rooms that were promised. Lakeside or should I say, Pond side chalets at the Aman Damai Wing were the ones I booked for 3 days.

Paya Beach Resort - Aman Damai pond chalets

My first impression was 'Wow, not bad at all'. The wooden walkway over the pond lead to our chalet. They actually created a man made pond and built the chalets over it. Something different compared to most of the other chalets and hotels I stayed. Looks like I was in for a fun time here.

Paya Beach Resort - Pond chalet room

The chalet room was pretty simple and tastefully done. No smell, proper sheets, nice mattress, comfy pillow and simple decorations in the room with a television and air condition. The shower was basic and clean and the chalets were also connected to just one unit next door. Loud lovemakers beware.

Paya Beach Resort - Pond view from room

View form the chalets was pretty nice too. You could see the entire pond and other chalets from your bed window. It looked even nicer when night falls. Just so you also know, the Paya Beach Resort has 4 types of Malaysia-styled chalets available. Even deluxe beach front and garden chalets.

Paya Beach Resort - Deluxe Sea Front Chalets

Paya Beach Resort - Night view, chalet walkway

At night, the Paya Beach Resort pond chalets are well lit and walking around brings a nice feeling. That true feeling of being on holiday, I kind of liked it. This is what a holiday should feel like.

Paya Beach Resort - Night view of the chalets and pond

I spent some time every night outside the chalet sitting and just relaxing, watching the lights reflect against the pond while having a nice cold beer. Occasionally you would get some noisy groups of teenagers laughing on top of their voices but that did not disrupt much of the beauty here.

Paya Beach Resort - Main beach

One thing about the Paya Beach Resort is that you are not going to get white powder sand beaches here. The beach is normal with bronze coloured sand and when the tide goes out, you start to see the coral rocks. So best be very careful if you plan to swim around the resort area.

Paya Beach Resort - Snorkeling

However, for snorkeling, this place is absolutely fantastic. Coral life and fishes are abundant here. One has to go out about 100 meters into the sea and start snorkeling to witness the beauty of this underwater world which is ranked highly as one of the top snorkeling sites in the region.

Paya Beach Resort - Live corals and coral fishes

Even from the main jetty, you can see the corals and fishes as the waters here are really clear. Do bring along some bread and you can feed the coral fishes from the jetty. You can buy some from the sundry shop along the beach too.

Paya Beach Resort - Sunset at Rama Rama Restaurant

At the Paya Beach Resort, the only main restaurant there is called the Rama Rama Restaurant serving buffet and also a la carte. Breakfast is served buffet style from 7am to 9.30am while a long lunch is from 11am till 5pm and is also a la carte or set lunch. You have an option to choose from pizzas, sandwiches and also salads. Dinner is from 7pm to 10pm and both options are available. Usually when you book your package, they will suggest full board were all your meals are taken care of.

Paya Beach Resort - Kampung Paya local drink stall

However, there are also other local options available along the main beach of Kampung Paya. A number of local run stalls serve kampung style food like fried rice or fried noodles. There are also some who do a variety of mix Western and Asian. You could also order a Chinese Fried Rice and have an ABC or Ais Batu Campur from these local restaurants. Prices are cheap too.

Kampung Paya view from jetty

Exploring Kampung Paya would be pretty quick as there is only one main beach road for about 500 meters. There are no cars or motorcycles here and to go to other places on Tioman Island, you need to book a boat there. You can enquire with your resort or even some of the local shops along the beach.

Kampung Paya main jetty

I spent a good 3 days here and if you do not dive or snorkel, there is nothing much to do but laze around reading a good book or just catching up with that much needed sleep, get a tan, go island hopping or even a nature trek provided by the Paya Beach Resort.

Kampung Paya - View of the jetty to sea

Evenings at the main jetty would be a nice touch as sometimes there are excellent sunsets here. You can see locals going out fishing or even some local kids fishing from the jetty. While the Paya Beach Resort has a nice wooden sun deck, I see most travelers hanging out here. There is a small Beach Bar and also Karaoke for the wannabe singers. Internet is also available for those who cannot be disconnected from the net world.

Paya Beach Resort - Swimming pool and spa area

A swimming pool is also available at the resort. Nothing big but a general sized pool especially for those with kids would find this handy. There is also a spa and massage called Paya Holistic Spa at this resort so for the ladies, your holiday here would be so complete with a spa treatment. The Paya Holistic Spa is open from 10am to 10pm and prices start from as low as RM66.00 (US$19.00) for a Head and Shoulder Massage.

Paya Beach Resort - Activities available

For other sea activities, the Paya Beach offers you Canoeing and Fishing besides the general snorkeling. They have a sports center where you can rent the equipment. For those who wear glasses, you can check with the resort if they have powered goggles, if not, you best get a pair of contacts as snorkeling here is a must do when visiting Tioman Island.

Paya Beach Resort - Duty Free Shop

A fantastic Duty Free Shop at the Paya Beach Resort and it is pretty well stocked up with lots of cigarettes, beer, wines, champagnes and liquor. For the party groups, this is a must visit. Along the entire Kampung Paya, this is the only shop which is duty free. Other items available here are chocolates, beach wear, sunglasses and some souvenirs. Playing cards for the gamblers too.

The other shops on the main beach are local run sundry shops and food stalls. There is one main sundry shop that also sells beer and souvenirs. A popular shop that everyone needs to pass while walking the beach.

Paya Beach Resort - Diving tanks ready to be loaded onto the boats

Finally for scuba divers, the Paya Beach Resort has a dive shop called Paya Diver's Cove which is a full range dive shop catering to all kinds of diving around Tioman's best dive spots. Dive courses are also available for first timers right up to the professional level.

For the Open Water Course the price starts at about RM920.00 (US$263.00) and the Advanced Open Water Diver priced about RM830.00 (US$237.00). The dives that are available here are Deep Dive, Night Dive, Wreck Dive and general dives.

More dive packages from Paya Diver's Cove or visit the Paya Beach website below.

Visit the website of Paya Beach Resort

Average standard room rates for a 3D/2N package for a single person is about RM330.00 (US$95.00)for full board, including all meals and boat transfers with two snorkeling trips. Weekends and holidays are an extra RM50.00 (US$14.30).

Best to check with you travel agent or call the Paya Beach Resort for promotions. I would easily recommend this resort as it is one of the better resorts which give you pure value-for-money. Professional, clean and quite reliable in every way possible.

Address;
Corporate Sales Office
400 orchard road #06-12
orchard towers singapore 238875
tel: (+65) 6733 4333 fax: (+65) 6733 4330
email : sales@payabeach.com

~ jrhogan

Lao Food in Vientiane, Laos

Lao Food -

Hawker food, Cafe Food
and Restaurant Food in Vientiane

Lao food or Laos Food in general is pretty interesting to try. I had the pleasure of trying most of them while on my 9 day visit there. From local Lao hawker food to Lao restaurant food, I must say that it was quite an experience for me. Similar to Thailand and Vietnam cuisine, the Lao people also have a main staple of rice or sticky rice.

The first dish that I had on reaching my guesthouse hotel was the Chicken Laap. And I swear, this was the best Laap I have ever tasted considering that Thailand also has a similar dish and most of the local Thai restaurants in my country try to pull it off by claiming theirs are authentic and the best.

Lao deep fried spring rolls

Next on the menu were some mini Lao deep friend spring rolls. Similar to the Vietnamese spring rolls, these were much tastier and the sweet chili sauce that came along with it was not as sweet as the ones you usually have. So, a thumbs up for the Lao Spring Rolls from me.

Rice Noodle Lao style

A typical Lao rice noodle with chicken and vegetable dish was also quite tasty as the herbs used here was different to the normal Chinese noodle dishes. Overall at the hotel guesthouse, the food there was above average considering one of the owners also runs a cooking school at the hotel.

Talat Sao Shopping Mall Restaurant

Lao menu with 2 languages. Typos too.

While exploring the Talat Sao Shopping Mall in Vientiane, we had to try out some of the more modern looking restaurant cafes there. So just at the entrance facing the main post office, there was a nice cosy looking Lao Restaurant. Not to be confused, there is also a food court located inside the Talat Sao Shopping Center. This restaurant is facing the road.

Lao Papaya Salad (Tam Som)

The menu was in 2 languages, Lao and also English, however one of the items in the menu was pretty amusing. They were serving Deep Fried Crap, an honest type which I am sure was supposed to mean Deep Friend Crab. Laos is well known for their version of the Papaya Salad or Tam Som locally, so that was our starter.

Lao Fried Rice

I also ordered a Lao Fried Rice to be safe and to my surprise, it came out to be quite nice. It was not wet nor sweet and a whole lot of vegetables was chucked inside. Tasted quite alright.

Lao marinated deep fried beef

We had also ordered the deep fried Lao beef as it was recommended by the local waiter there. The marination was well done with local herbs and the final cooking resulted in a nice texture which was a little crunchy outside. This was one of my favourites.

Lao fried flat noodles served with banana flower

Inside the Talat Sao Food Court, I did get a little greedy and ordered a plate of fried flat noodles. Looking very impressive with the banana flower by the side, I could not wait to dig my chop sticks into this Lao noodle dish. Sadly to my disappointment, this was totally off my taste. It was rather different from the normal Chinese noodles I usually have and I didn't have a clue on how I was to eat that piece of banana flower. I ended up just sampling this noodle and gave it a miss.

Location of this restaurant:

Ground Floor of the Mall at Post Office Entrance.
Talat Sao Shoping Mall,
Vientiane

JoMa Bakery Vientiane

JoMa Bakery Cafe - A full meal for 2

One of the more popular modern bakery cafes in Laos, the JoMa Bakery is the place to have a good hearty breakfast and hang out with the foreigners and expatriates while in Vientiane. Apparently there is another outlet located at the Nongchanh Water Park as there is more parking available there and the place is less busy.

JoMa Bakery - Super sized sandwich

At the JoMa Bakery, there is also WiFi available but you have to purchase it from the counter. Vegetarian dishes are also available here and there are English newspapers, namely the Bangkok Post or Vientiane Times.

JoMa Bakery - Excellent iced coffee

I would easily consider JoMa Bakery much better than Starbucks. The food here was excellent and service was fantastic. If you're up for a cafe style coffee or snack, you should try this place. Anyway, you can't miss the place as it is near the main fountain in town area where all the cafes and restaurants are.

JoMa is also an acronym for the 2 couples that started this place in 2004.

JoMa Bakery Addresses

Vientiane:
Office/Factory: 856-21-412-792
Nam Phou Café: 856-21-215-265
Nong Chanh Café: 856-21-223-765

Luang Prabang:
Café: 856-71-252-292

Website: http://www.joma.biz/

Khop Chai Deu Restaurant and Bar

Khop Chai Deu Restaurant and Bar (*image taken from KhopChaiDeu website)

Khop Chai Deu is the most popular place in Vientiane. Trust me, everyday I passed the place, it would be packed with people. From locals, foreigners, travelers and backpackers, this was the Hard Rock of Vientiane. No kidding, the crowds just keep pouring in and eventually I had to check out the place to see what was so special about this restaurant and bar.

Khop Chai Deu Restaurant and Bar - Western Burger

We went for dinner at the Khop Chai Deu Restaurant and were greeted at the main entrance by some lovely Lao workers. They ushered us to an outdoor table for two and a menu was left with us. In dual languages, it was pretty easy to identify the dishes. They even had a plate of fried bugs on the menu but I gave that a pass. I ended up staying safe by ordering the burger and a good cold Lao Beer. I must say, the food was good, atmosphere and ambiance here is amazing. Check it out when you are in Vientiane, no regrets.

Address in Vientiane:

Khop Chai Deu Reataurant and Bar
54 Setthathirat Rd, Nam Phou, Vientiane, Lao P.D.R.
Tel: +856-21 251564
Catering Service: +856-20 5619107
Email: info@khopchaideu.com
Website: http://www.khopchaideu.com/

Random Local Lao Coffee Shop

Local Lao Food - Yellow Chicken Curry

Walking around Thanon Fa Ngum Street in Vientiane would pull some surprises when eating at the local coffee shops there. The street is a popular place where most tourist and travelers would wander around day or night. Mainly because most of the hotels and restaurants are located here. So exploring the street, we decided to try out one of the local coffee shops here.

Local Lao Food - Fresh Lao Spring Rolls

They have outdoor tables where you can sit and watch people so we decided to sit there. The menu was pretty much easy with a lot of local Lao dishes and some Western dishes available. Obviously we went straight for the Lao food. Starting with some Lao raw spring rolls, these were very similar to the Vietnamese spring rolls. Tasted pretty nice too and the sauce that came along was quite tasty.

Local Lao Food - Papaya Salad which is spicy

The next was the famed Papaya Salad. I found this a little too spicy for my tongue but my partner Lilian loved it. Simple and effective as the kick back from the chili does get to you.

Local Lao Food - Available at most coffee shops

We then had the Lao Chicken Yellow Curry with sticky rice. This was done superbly as the taste of the yellow curry was really authentic. The flavours were simply awesome and it was not spicy. However, I still have not gotten use to eating sticky rice so I had a little but to compliment the curry and then ordered some plain white rice. So if you are exploring Vientiane, don't forget to check out the local eateries at Thanon Fa Ngum Street which is along the Mekong River. This place is hard to miss in town.

One thing that stood out like a sore thumb would be the local Lao coffee. Looking like a plain cuppa, when you actually drink it, it is really powerful. Laos is well known for their coffee and this clearly showed it. In fact, they serve the coffee with condensed milk usually and I can never forget how strong the Lao local coffee is. Till today, I drink local Malaysian coffee and it is nothing compared to this. If you are a coffee lover, you have to try the Lao coffee in Vientiane and also in Luang Prabang.

Lao Baguette

Baguettes in Laos are a common sight so trying one of them was also on top of my list. After tasting one from a local coffee shop, I never knew they tasted so good here. Simple and basic yet it tasted awesome. Must have been the fresh herbs and greens used here. The bread is also very nice. If you are in Vientiane or Luang Prabang, do make it a point to try these Baguettes. Usually there is roast chicken in them and one full baguette can fill you up for a few hours.

Khambang Lao Food Restaurant

Khambang Lao Food Restaurant in Vientiane

One of those nights whle asking around with the locals on where we could get some real Lao authentic food and we were directed to this place called Khambang Lao Food Restaurant. Apparently more locals dine here an it was located in one of those roads where there was not much traffic. So even more, it looked really authentic. By the way, we walked here from town center.

Khambang Lao Food Restaurant - Selection of local Lao dishes

At the Khambang Lao Food Restaurant, the people working there did not speak or understand a word of English so we were in for a good time here. Trying to comminucate with them was hell as the menu was totally in the Lao language with some pictures. I think we must have spent a good 30 minutes trying to figure out the dishes and when we did, the food came pretty fast.

We had the famous Lao Beef Jerky which was a tad spicy and 3 types of vegetables. Also a bowl of soup served with plain white rice and some sticky rice. Seriously, I would recommend you bring someone local to help you if you plan to come here. The food was pretty good but I had no idea what we ordered besides the Lao Beef Jerky and rice.

Khambang Lao Food Restaurant

049 07 KhounboulomRd Watchan

Vientiane Cap.
LAOS

Tel: +856-21 2171 98

Mobile: +856-20 5324 147

Le Provencal Restaurant

Le Provencel Restaurant - Menu

Le Provencal Restaurant is one of the few French restaurants in Vientian which serves one of the best French Cuisine in town. Located just next to the Scandinavian Bakery near the main town fountian, this place is pretty easy to find.

Le Provencel Restaurant - Ratatouille

We had a fantastic meal at the Le Provencal and for starters I ordered the Ratatouille which was really good. Pices were in US dollars so it was east to convert and they were in fact very cheap compared to back home in Malaysia.

Apparently the Le Provencial is run by a local family that lived in France for many years before coming back to Laos to set up this little cosy restaurant. The main chef, Mr.Daniel, runs the kitchen ala French style and also has a French hybrid pizza menu. The pizzas are known to be one of the best in Vientiane with the thin crust and full toppings. So if you're a pizza lover, this would be a great place to visit.

Le Provencel Restaurant - Rib Eye Steak with Rocquefort Cheese

For the main, I ordered a Rib Eye with Rocquefort cheese, fresh cream and white wine. The steak was juicy and medium well the way I like it. Sauce was perfect in all ways and this was one of the nicer steaks I have had in a long long time.

Le Provencel Restaurant - Dark Lao Beer

Well, nothing completes your Lao cuisine with a good bottle of Lao Beer. This time around, I tried the Beer Lao Dark. It was pretty good considering that Beer Lao was the only brewery in the entire Laos.

La Provencal Restaurant
Address: 73 - 1 Pang Kham Rd., Vientiane
Phone: 021 219685

With this, I hope you enjoy your Lao food if and when you visit Vientiane or Luang Prabang.

~ jrhogan

Treetop Chalets at Malibest Resort in Langkawi Island

Malibest Resort
Treehouse Chalets
in Langkawi

Malibest Resort which is located along Pantai Cenang (Cenang Beach) in Langkawi Island has unique Tree Top Chalets, just 4 units on the beach overlooking the Andaman sea. This is the only resort on the island that offers you tree top living on a beach. I could not help but stop to take a closer look at these chalet units while on my beach walk.

Malibest Resort Langkawi - Treetop Chalets

Run by a local Malay family, the Malibest Resort is a very basic hotel judging from what I saw. Technically I did not stay here but from the information I have gathered from friends and websites, the Malibest Resort is pretty much on a 50-50 rating. What do I mean by that? Well, simply meaning it is neither here nor there. I am guessing for the average backpackers, the this Resort could meet their lifestyle but then again, for those expecting a 3 star rating, this place would not meet your fancy as this is a pure budget friendly place.

Malibest Resort Langkawi - Single tree top chalet on the beach

Overall, the Malibest Resort with the Treetop Chalets are very different compared to the neighboring resorts, motels and hotels located along Pantai Cenang in Langkawi. So what does different actually mean? I would safely say if you are a bunch of teenagers looking for a getaway and a party in Langkawi, this is your place. Also if you do not mind living conditions of all sorts, try this place.

Personally for me, I have stayed from the worst to the best resorts and hotels so I do not have a problem with places like the Malibest which is un-starred (no star ratings). To me, the experience counts and of course I would not recommend this to a honeymooning couple but to friends who just want to chill out, drink and have a place to sleep.

Malibest Resort Langkawi - The beach outside the resort

The main beach, Pantai Cenang is just below the treetop chalets and is the premier beach of Langkawi. It stretches for a few kilometers and numerous entertainment outlets, restaurants and bars are found here. So location wise, it is almost perfect for the budget seekers.

Malibest Resort Langkawi - Great sunsets

Finally, if you do choose to try out the Treetop Chalets at Malibest Resort, please do book ahead as they seem to be always occupied and just accept the conditions they are in. Remember this is a local run business and not a 3 star hotel. They also have the normal concrete rooms which are priced about RM100 to RM130 ($28 - $37) per night.

Malibest Resort Langkawi - A beautiful Langkawi sunset

Prices for the Treetop Chalets are averaging from RM200.00 to RM230.00 (US$57 - $65) per unit for 2 pax. The rest of the rooms are:

Treetop Chalets (4 combined units) from RM 180
Superior Room (Double) from RM150-180
Family Room from RM 140
Super Deluxe Room from RM130
Deluxe Room from RM120
Standard Room (which is across the road) from RM120

Malibest Resort
Pantai Cenang, Mukim Kedawang,
Langkawi,
Kedah Darul Aman.

Tel : 04-9558222 / 9558202
Fax : 04-9552822
Email : malibestlgk@yahoo.com.my
Website: http://malibestresort.com/


~ jrhogan