A Retreat at Eco Murai Rimba, Batang Kali

In the fever and agitation of modern life, the need of escapism and physical repose impresses itself on tired souls who desire to have a short retreat and get back to nature. The purpose of a short retreat, is to temporarily leave behind the usual distractions we all face for a time long enough to allow relaxation and spiritual rejuvenation to happen. Unfortunately for us all, especially for those who lives in the city, does not exactly have the luxury to get away from daily routine or work commitment long enough to travel to exotic places for some undisturbed R&R. One way to solve this issue is to travel domestically or in your own residential state and go to nearby places for an undisturbed retreat.

To be honest, I didn’t exactly know much places that I can go for a short retreat with my family, that’s in the vicinity of my home state, but I recently discovered that Selangor have plenty of hidden paradise. One of it is Eco Murai Rimba. Here’s sharing with you my family’s 2D1N experience in Eco Murai Rimba with friends from Tourism Malaysia Selangor.

Eco Murai Rimba is a secluded Bed & Breakfast place located somewhere by the riverside in Batang Kali, Selangor. It takes about just 45 minutes drive from Kuala Lumpur.

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My son AlienGoTravel and I were particularly impressed when we were greeted with this beautiful view upon arrival. The feeling can be likened to walking into the lush forest and stumbling upon a beautiful white cottage in the midst of it. As a romance novelist, I would fairly describe it as stepping straight into an intimate world of undiscovered romance.

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Stepping beyond the white picket fence, we were treated to this beautiful view of colourful cottage. If my memory serves me right, have a total of 9 rooms here. Each of the room is named Murai 1-9 respectively. Each of these Murai rooms could comfortably accommodate 2 person.

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Here is where my family and I stayed for a night last month. Our room was Murai 6, the one with sky blue door. The sight of it is very homey and cozy. There is even a pair of small rattan chair in front of the room for lazing purpose. Couples, lovers and even honeymooners would ubdoubtly appreciate this. I know my husband and I did. 🙂

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Our room was pretty much basic and clean. True to it’s eco retreat theme, the room does not come with any entertainment unit, which I greatly appreciate. It would definitely spoil the mood for a complete R&R if there was an idiot box in there.
Our room comes with a cozy Queen sized bed. The additional mattress was prepared upon request to accommodate my son AlienGoTravel. There was no bathroom ensuite. The bathroom and restroom is located outside and is public sharing.

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Apart from the Murai rooms, there’s this small cottage that could accommodate 4-8 person in it. Very beautiful and romantic sight, don’t you think? A small cottage with white picket fence and pretty hanging flower plants in a pot at the front door.

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Back view of the cottage shows that there is even a small balcony facing the riverside attached to it.

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View from the small balcony

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Here is the interior to the cottage. Perfect for a night stay with your family.

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Refreshments were prepared for us upon arrival just right outside of our rooms.

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Traditional cakes and Eco Murai’s special welcome drink was served.

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This is Eco Murai Rimba’s specialty drink that’s usually served to guests. It’s known as Murai Rimba drink, a refreshing concoction of drinks in ocean blue.

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Settling down for teatime

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Enjoying our snacks and refreshments.

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Our host also prepared some BBQ for for dinner, and since it’s still long time to go before dinner, it’s free and easy chillax time. Some of us decided to go for a swim in the river while some decided to just relax at the common area.

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There is a common lazing area with comfortable bean bags for you to lay on. The best part of it, it is facing the riverside and you could be easily lulled with the sound of the river.

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It wasn’t long before we flocked the common area.

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Being city people, I guess we couldn’t resist clinging to our smartphones.

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But I’m glad to report, we found other modes of entertainment besides going online, and not before long, the place was filled with singing and the sound of music.

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Lazing around

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Night fall at Eco Murai Rimba

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If I thought it was very cozy and welcoming during the day, then the nights in Eco Murai Rimba is romantically beautiful.

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Our table, with candlelight and all.

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Yes. This is a picture of a romantic place.

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BBQ dinner being prepared

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And it’s time to dig in. One thing about Eco Murai Rimba is that it doesn’t have a planned activities for you, so you will have to come out with your own program or games to keep yourselves entertained throughout your stay here. We didn’t have much to do, but luckily for us, our friends from Tourism Malaysia Selangor are a creative bunch. And during our 2D1N stay there, they came out with plenty of games and things to do.There were lucky draws, best costumes and singing session that night.

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And guess what? They asked me to sing. Yes. Of all the things, they asked me to sing! Gosh. Really not my forte, and I believe I actually croaked than sing but my performance earned me a standing ovation that night. Well, sort of.:P It was not because I sang well and astounded everyone present but because I was really unprepared for a public performance and panicked. The only song I could remember at that moment was Malaysia’s national anthem, ‘Negaraku’. 😉 And so, I sang that and everyone had to stand up and sing along with me out of respect for our beloved country. 😛

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We chilled out together that night and had a long session of singing and playing the guitar before retiring for the night. I usually have troubles sleeping at night but apparently, just for the night, Eco Murai Rimba cured me of my insomnia and I slept like a baby. Perhaps, it was the nature factor that lulled me to slumber and morning arrived way too soon.

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I woke up at about 8am and was absolutely famished. So I went down with the rest to the dining area where our breakfast awaits while my husband and son slept in awhile longer.

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Here’s the kitchen area where meals are prepared for the guests.

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Our breakfast was the all time Malaysian favourite; Nasi Lemak and condiments and tumeric fried chicken as the side dish. There were also sliced baguette and butter for those who prefers light meal for breakfast. Sorry. No picture of my breakfast. I was too hungry to even remember to snap a picture of it. Surprisingly, that’s a first too. 😛 There is really something about this place that makes you want to just sit back and connect with nature instead of clinging to technology.

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Mr. Libra of Tourism Malaysia Selangor, chilling out with us at breakfast.

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After awhile, one of the owner of Eco Murai Rimba, Mr. Charles Arphutam joined us for breakfast and told us all about Eco Murai Rimba. It would be too long of a story for me to share here, but at the end of the conversation, he offered me and my family a free stay on our next visit so that he could bring us to explore the place more. Well, a promise is a promise and I told him that I’ll take a raincheque and I fully intend to take him up on that one. 😉 One night stay in Eco Murai Rimba is definitely not enough. At least to me it is not enough.

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My view, from the dining area.

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This is, my kind of paradise.

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I was obviously enjoying my breakfast and breathtaking view before me, but my cheeky friends decided to start swimming in the river without me.

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Will you just look at that cheeky face. 🙁 Being a foodie and quite a glutton, I was naturally planning on a second helping of Nasi Lemak but they keep tempting me to join them.

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I had no choice but to quickly finish off my meal and drag my husband and son with me to the river and join in the fun. The food will have to wait. 🙁

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Warning sign spotted. 🙂 Swim at your own risk.

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And so, my husband, my son and I went down to the river and here’s our trademark feet picture. 😛 No shoes on since we were at the riverbed. 😛

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The river stream was practically a natural jacuzzi and I decided up give my legs a soothing hydro massage for a lil bit.

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And I could see that I wasn’t the only one who utilizes the natural jacuzzi to the fullest. These guys apparently were enjoying it themselves and had their back massaged by the soothing water.

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After awhile, I decided to join the ladies and we had some spa session done. 😛 Girls will always be girls and beauty regime is never forgotten, even you’re in the middle of nowhere or in the jungle.

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We scrubbed our bodies with the sand from the riverbed and guess what? Our skin became much smoother than before when we washed it off. I kid you not. Thinking back, I ought to have bring back a jar or two of the sand. 😛

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Like mother, like son. AlienGoTravel scrubbed his body with the sand too.

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The pebbles here are all so lovely and I was tempted to bring some home, but my husband told me not to. According to him, we’re not supposed to bring anything back from the river, in case there is a spirit in it. Quite ridiculous to me, but I wasn’t going to argue. The notion of bringing ‘weird things’ back does not appeal much. 🙁

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One moment in peace at the river before water fight ensues.

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Splashing around in the river

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But it doesn’t last long, as everyone started to feel cold and were absolutely famished.

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But we did not have enough of the river, so we decided to have a picnic by the riverside with half our bodies still in the water.

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Nothing gourmet.

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Just some bread with canned chicken curries and canned sardines. They are instant food that I usually will not touch unless under emergency circumstances, but at that moment, it was the best thing ever.

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Enjoying our picnic by the riverside.

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Time was envious and it’s finally time to get back to reality and say goodbye. So we gathered at the common area for one last time.

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Tourism Malaysia Selangor Director Mr. Libra Lee Hanif giving farewell speech

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Announcement of the winner for the contest held the night before was made. Token of appreciation in the form of merchandizes as well of certificates were handed to all who were present.

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Our host, Charles and Shaun saying goodbye to us.

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And here’s one for the album.

Eco Murai Rimba is much more than just a secluded Bed & Breakfast but a hidden paradise.The place is family friendly and it is a must visit place if you are looking for a short eco retreat with your loved ones. Would be great for adventurous honeymooners too.

One room for two with breakfast costs RM150 per night. Charges for extra mattress in the room applies.

For current promotions, room bookings and reservations, please refer to the information below:

Eco Murai Rimba
B66, Jalan Lama Genting,
Sungai Pinang,
44300 Batang Kali,
Selangor.
Telephone:012-2505507 & 014-6355081
Email:[email protected]
Facebook: https://facebook.com/EcoMuraiRimba

UNESCO World Heritage Exhibition

Looking forward to spend quality and educational time with your family without spending a dime? Here is one place in Kuala Lumpur that you can go; the Sultan Abdul Samad Building.

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UNESCO World Heritage Exhibition is being held at Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Kuala Lumpur. This exhibition features the four UNESCO World Heritage sites in Malaysia namely the cities of Melaka and George Town, the Archaeological Heritage of Lembah Lenggong, Gunung Mulu National Park and Kinabalu Park. Though small, the exhibition is packed with many interesting exhibits and information about each UNESCO site, and is a great stop before tourists decide to visit any of the actual destinations. The UNESCO World Heritage Exhibition runs from 18 October 2014 until 31 December 2015. Admission is free.

Venue
Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Kuala Lumpur 

Organiser
Department of National Heritage

Phone
+603 2260 9000

Travel Beyond Boundaries in Singapore

Traveling exposes you to a variety of experiences that will leave an impact in your life. However, the travels that will make a mark in your life are those that will challenge you to come out of your comfort zone, push you to your limits and give you the thrilling satisfaction of being a Champion.

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Embark on a journey that will push your limits and leave you feeling triumphant like a champion – by planning a weekend trip in Singapore.

To be a Champion you must face many experiences that life, or in this case – travel – throws at you. Be ready to face a very different environment that you are not used to, or be open to face the fears that haunt you. Tackle the tasks that will challenge all your mental and physical skills. Remember a Champion never gives up. There are many milestones that a Champion will have to endure before he or she can be rewarded the title. If you are looking to embrace the experiences of a Champion, your first task is to plan a short weekend getaway.

Singapore is the ideal choice of destination for a Champion.Not only is it just a short flight away, but it is also the host country to many events like theWTA Finals, electrifying rides at Universal Studios Singapore, adventure-driven experiences at Sentosa’s MegaZip Adventure Park and many more. Read on to find out how these experiences can mould you into the ultimate Champion.

Discover the Dynamics of a Champion
Observe a star-studded game such as the WTA Finals

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Observe what Champions are made out of. And there is no better place to start off than to catch a star-studded tournament like the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals in Singapore where the top ranking stars are in action.

With 10 days of unlimited tennis excitement, you will be able to catch live matches featuring tennis stars like Serena Williams who will be competing to defend her title as the World no.1. This year, we will see the expansion of the 8 days of competition and activities – so make sure you take this golden opportunity to watch your favourite tennis player – whether it is Eugenie Bouchard or Caroline Wozniacki on the open field. Who knows you may pick up a thing or two that will change you, character wise, to be a world-class champion that will wow everyone around.

To further inspire you to be a champion, it makes good sense to party with the other champions. This year also introduces the first-ever “Singapore Tennis Evening at Marina Bay Sands”, a gala event on the 30th of October to celebrate the annual achievements of the best women players in the world. Prepare to be serenaded by double-platinum UK artiste Paloma Faith. Prior to that, there is also an “Advantage Singapore”, the official program of fan-friendly experiences and public engagements designed to provide a series of learning journeys and various training programs to cultivate an enduring tennis legacy in Singapore.

Date: 23rd October 2015 – 1st November 2015
Address: Singapore Indoor Stadium
For more information, visit https://www.WTAFinals.com/

 
Be a Champion in Overcoming Trials

Defeat your fight against fear and reign with victory. Even the most courageous of people will have some irrational fears that they will need to overcome. No matter what it is that scares you, as a champion, it is your duty to overcome and take ownership of your fear that is preventing you to move forward in your life. There are two kinds of common fears that most people will have in their lives – fear of heights “acrophobia” and the fear paranormal activities “phasmophobia”. If you happened to be encountering one or both of these fears we have just the cure for you.

Steps to Defeat the Fear of Heights

If you happened to have acrophobia, it may become unhealthy for you over time, because it prevents you from exploring greater heights. It can rob you of the beautiful experiences and views that this world has to offer.

To conquer acrophobia you must first accept that you have this fear and then face them push away your second thoughts. To prevent yourself from backing out on something that you have set your mind to do, here are a few suggestions that will guide you to the path of becoming a Champion.

Discover the flight of your life at the Sentosa’s MegaZip Adventure Park

Instead of diving straight in and looking for the tallest building in Singapore to conquer your fear of heights, we recommend you to take a fun, light-hearted and adrenaline-rush approach.

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To start off, sign up for the MegaZip experience in Singapore. At 75 meters high, 450 meters long with a heart-pounding speed of 60kmph MegaZip is the first 3-wire zip line which will allow you to experience the exhilarating and breathtaking race from the jungle canopy of Imbiah Hill to the white sands of Fox Finish Point.

If you are feeling a little jittery or even a queasy, take a deep breath and calm yourself down. If you are unable to face the terrifying view below, feel free to keep your eyes closed. After experiencing the thrill of your first MegaZip experience, try it for a second round but this time round open your eyes. Only then will you enjoy the thrill of the flight.

Address: MegaZip Adventure Park, Imbiah Hill Road, Singapore 098967
Tel: +65 68845602
Hours: 11.00am to 7.00pm
Visit: https://www.megazip.com.sg

Take a walk on the wild high side at the TreeTop Walk at Bukit Timah

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Once you are a slightly more confident, it is time for the next step in overcoming your fear of heights. More so, it is best done amongst nature at one of the longest freestanding suspension bridge in Singapore.

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The TreeTop Walk in Singapore is definitely a good place to challenge yourself. The TreeTop Walk, at the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (MacRitchie), is a 250m long freestanding suspension bridge between two-highest, points (Bukit Peirce and Bukit Kalang) in MacRitchie, it the first of its kind in Singapore. Up the ante, and enjoy an unimpeded overview of the forest in MacRitchie at the Jelutong Tower, a 7-deck observation tower. If you are feeling a shortage of breath just at the thought of the height and the length of the bridge, try motivating yourself by thinking of the reward that will await you at the end of the tunnel such as having a bird’s eye view of the forest canopy. Or experience a National Geographic moment by being able to spot the different wildlife in their natural habitat.

Address: TreeTop Walk, 601 Island Club Road, Singapore, 578775
Weekdays: 9.00am to 5.00pm, Weekend: 8.30am – 5.00pm
Visit: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/parks-and-nature-reserves/central-catchment-nature-reserve/tree-top-walk

 

Be Treated to the Glorious Night at the Tiger Sky Tower

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Now that you are making positive progress in conquering your fear of heights, it is time to take this experience to a whole new level. Equipped with your smartphone or DSLR in hand, your challenge now is to make your way to one of Singapore’s tallest viewing Tower – The Tiger Sky Tower.  If you are thinking of bailing out – don’t! After all, you have been making so much progress, you may as well cross the finish line with bragging rights armed with beautiful images of the scenic view of Singapore on your social media pages.

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Being Asia’s tallest observatory tower, The Tiger Sky Tower boasts a panoramic views at 131 meters above sea level across Singapore, Sentosa and the Southern Islands. A must visit as the view at Tiger Sky Tower is definitely scenic and breathtaking. We would recommend you to schedule your visit at night so that you can capture the beautiful lighted views of the cityscape.

Address: 41 Imbiah Road, Sentosa Island, Singapore 099707
Tel: +65 62599288
Visit: https://www.skytower.com.sg

 

Beat your Paranormal Fear at the Universal Studios Singapore Halloween Horror Nights 5

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For some of us, ‘Phasmophobia’ – the fear of ghosts feels very real. We experience a certain thrill of anxiety when we are told ghost stories or watch movies that feature supernatural or paranormal activities. However, Phasmophobia is also very difficult to diagnose. Most people are able to control this fear but for others, this fear can be overwhelming, life limiting and at times affect our daily life.

As a champion overcomer, the only way to work towards this fear is to dive headfirst into your biggest nightmare. Before you retaliate and throw the question, “Are you kidding me?” you need to convince yourself that these ghosts are merely fiction and a figment of your imagination. And as humans, we are capable of creating things that we struggle to understand in the first place.

To overcome this fear, it is best to get a few friends together to support you. Start off with the biggest immersive experience of this year’s Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights 5, Singapore’s only fully immersive Halloween experience that will run for 14 nights across 5 weekends, starting 2nd October 2015.

While you are at the event, keep convincing yourself that these ghosts are nothing but creative human characters created to entertain us. Who knows, instead of being scared, you may actually find it very amusing and may end up enjoying the night. Take this opportunity to find creative ways to spook your friends too while you are there.

This year’s Halloween Horror Nights 5 will be a new chapter of True Singapore Ghost Stories inspired by horror stories on the train, an epidemic-stricken HDB block, a hell house featuring effigies and experience the first ever dark house, a fortress named Tunnel People.
Book your tickets now at the https://www.halloweenhorrornights.com.sg

Be a Champion Role Model
Fostering Teamwork towards Achieving Something Greater at The Forest Adventure

Professional Tennis Champion, Caroline Wozniaki once said, “I try to be myself and of course, be a good role model. I don’t really find it hard, but you think about what you do, and that other people look up to you.” A Champion understands that it is important to influence and inspire others. And one of the ways a champion can cultivate important values into others is by fostering good teamwork.

Fostering teamwork brings many benefits for all, because not only will the champion not be walking on his journey of success alone, but he or she will also be creating a culture that will grow and work together in achieving a common goal.

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A great spot for teambuilding is at Forest Adventure at Bedok, a place perfect for bonding with friends or colleagues. Offering 35 different obstacles divided into 4 individual sites, you and your friends will have the time of your lives, trying out the different courses such as the fantastic big Tarzan swing and many more.

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Best of all, these activities are not only limited to adults but are also open for kids to try. Specially designed for kids aged 5-10 years old, the kids’ course is a fun and rewarding experience for children to enjoy.

Address: Forest Adventure, 825 Bedok Reservoir, Singapore 479244
Tel: +65 81007420
Visit: https://forestadventure.com.sg

Emerge as an Eating Champion

Challenge Yourself to Eat All you can and who knows you might score yourself a Free Meal and become a Food Legend
For some of us, food is King and we love a good challenge especially when it comes to dining in Singapore, there are a few monstrous food challenges that will challenge our bottomless pit and satisfy the ruthless foodie in us!
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Chomp it down at the Monster Pizza Challenge at Tony’s Pizza Singapore

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Think you have what it takes to swallow 18 inches of Pizza? Serving up true New York style pizza at its flagship outlet in Bugis Junction, Tony’s Pizza is currently on the lookout for its next champion Monster Pizza eater. If you think you have an elastic stomach you may want to experience the Monster Pizza Challenge. All you have to do is chow down the 18” Monster Pizza in 25 minutes and you will be rewarded with a free meal. If not prepare to fork out $50 for just trying. The Tony’s Pizza tyre-sized pie features over the top mix of 12 ingredients, including ham, pineapples, mushrooms and pepperoni. You may want to practice a few rounds with their other pizzas first, before jumping in to take this challenge.

Address: Tony’s Pizza Singapore, 397 River Valley Road
Tel: +65 67774992
Visit: https://www.tonyspizza.sg

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Test your Ultimatum at the Little Diner’s Empire Burger Challenge

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If you have a competitive streak, you may want to experience this “scale the heights” of Little Diner’s Empire Burger. Comprising of a sloppy assembly of bacon, cheese, onions, tomatoes, lettuce and 3-beef patties – each weighing 200g, along with fries. Finish it under 20 minutes and you will get your meal for free! If not, they will charge you for the monster burger, but throw in a dessert for free!

Address: Little Diner, 789 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 269763
Tel: +65 64664088
Visit: https://littlediner.sg

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Test your Spice Level at the Ultimate Hotness Challenge at Lower East Side Taqueria

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Think you can take a little heat? At the Lower East Side Taqueria your spicey taste buds are challenged. If you are able to scarf down 3 tacos ($18) covered in level 5 hot sauces in 5 minutes, your meal is free! Chef Claudio Sandri’s Mexican-inspired East coast eatery prides itself for its tacos. There are several choices of signature trio tacos for you to choose from such as Tilapia, Hake, Chili Con Carne, Chorizo, and Vegetarianos.

Address: Lower East Side Taqueria, 19 East Coast Road, Singapore
Tel: +65 63481302
Visit: https://www.lowereastsidesg.com/

A Champion simply does not procrastinate. Instead of waiting around for other opportunities, choose your weekend and plan a trip down to Singapore to experience a rewarding Champion getaway experience. Who knows you will come back a completely change person!

Media ASEAN Bloggers Tourism Hunt 2015

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Tourism Malaysia is taking domestic travel to a higher level and is hosting the  ‘ASEAN Media Bloggers Tourism Hunt 2015’ in October. 

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The program aims to promote the tourism products of renowned domestic and international level, especially to the Southeast Asian markets.

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A total of 40 Media and Bloggers participants from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philppines, Brunei, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia involved in this program in the form of ‘fly-drive’ and ‘explore race’. The participants are representatives of the media and bloggers who will be taken to explore the tourism destinations that includes Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Port Dickson and Melaka Historical City.

Tedmi Malaysia 2D1N Fun Retreat at Wave Rest House& Cafe

I recently scored myself a fun retreat with Tedmi Malaysia at Wave Rest House& Cafe. To find out more about Tedmi, click HERE.

Wave Rest House&Cafe is located somewhere in Jeram, Selangor. There’s loads of things for me to share but being me, I could never simplify things and stuff it into just one blog post, so here’s sharing a chronological summary with links to my in depth 2D1N retreat experience with Tedmi. You may click on the links to read more about my experience with Tedmi Malaysia at the rest house.

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Arrival at the Wave Rest House & Cafe

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Craftmaking session

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Mangrove forest exploration tour

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Seafood dinner

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Killer in The Night Game

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Bicycle ride to the beach

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Boat Ride and Birdwatching

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Chill out session, courtesy of Kindori and The Foodie Place. Thank you Tedmi Malaysia & Wave Rest House & Cafe for having us and giving us such beautiful memories to look back to.

And here is a special mention for the rest of the sponsors who have generously provided us with:

TS Camera – Organisation Support 

Spectrum Hair Studio – Free Haircut 

Melissachen’s – Exclusive free session of facial treatment

La’ Mode Coiffure – Exclusive free session of hair colouring treatment, 

Mykeep.my InstaxParadise – Mini selfie stick & Instax Hamper

Kindori – Free ice-cream dessert 

Pevonia Malaysia – Exclusive free session of facial treatment .

More info on Wave Rest House&Cafe :

海•浪滔滔民宿(Wave Rest House & Cafe)
Jalan Bagan Sungai Janggut, Batu 15, Kampong Sungai Janggut,
45800 Jeram,
Selangor.
Tel : 017-716 4389 (Mr Steve Lee) 
GPS :  3.173789, 101.313618

Weekday – RM139.00 (Adult) RM69 (Children)

Weekend/Public Holidays- RM169.00 (Adult) RM69(Children) 

Price includes accommodation, breakfast & dinner, craft making, bicycle ride to the beach, mangrove forest tour and bird watching at the sea.

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/wavehomestay

Tedmi : https://www.facebook.com/tedmimalaysia

Tedmi Malaysia Fun Retreat: Boat Ride and Birdwatching

The last time I went for birdwatching was a few months back, with friends from Tourism Malaysia Selangor . You may want to read my experience about it HERE, but back then, I did not manage to spot much birds in comparison with my retreat with Tedmi Malaysia at Wave Rest House &Cafe in early September 2015.

Boat ride and birdwatching at the sea is one of the planned activity by the Wave Rest House & Cafe, one that I enjoyed most besides the mangrove forest exploration tour. The boat ride with both my husband and son was an amazing experience to say the least.

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We gathered at the back of the Wave Rest House&Cafe for briefing and chose our lifejacket.

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As mentioned in my first post about the Wave Rest House & Cafe, they have lifejackets of all sizes prepared for the guests to use specifically during the boat ride and birdwatching activity.

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One of the guest during the 2D1N trip, Darling and her puppy getting ready for the boat ride with us. Yes. Pets are welcomed at the rest house, so if you have a cat or dogs that is friendly towards people and is well trained for outdoor activities, you may want to bring them along. However, please be mindful and do take good care of them throughout the duration of the trip.

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Heading to the boat that is waiting for us at the small jetty located behind the rest house.

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Our captain that day

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The boat have the capacity about 10-12 passengers per ride. So here’s the group during our ride, consisting of children, adults and one pet dog.

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Little puppy, anxiously waiting for the boat to start moving.

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Darling and her puppy on the boat.

Our boat ride to the sea. The weather was pretty much favourable on the second day of the retreat, and the sea was quite serene.

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Puppy, enjoying the ride

 

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Me, enjoying the salty sea water splashing.

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Obviously, we are not the only one who enjoyed the ride immensely. Romantic drama was practically rolling in the boat too. 😛

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There was not really much things to see at the sea, but we did spot a fisherman pulling his net during the ride.

Fisherman pulling the net

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Bird spotted perching on a branch

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Another bird spotted

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Passing through the fishermen’s village.

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A closer look

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This is the kind of boat used by fishermen to catch fishes at the sea.

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Fishermen’s boat with fishermen in it spotted

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They were heading to the sea

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A closer look at the men of the sea

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Magnificent view

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Looks familiar? No?

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Here’s a closer look. 😛 see the hanging windchime made from seashells? The building is part of the Wave Rest House&Cafe, the place where we had dinner and chill out sessions at.

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Time was envious and the ride ended too soon. And so, we disembarked at the jetty, which is located just behind the rest house.

It was indeed an interesting experience that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. Both my husband and son enjoyed the experience immensely too, which gives me a little pang in my heart as I took a trip down the memory lane. Unlike me, who is pretty much free spirited and adventurous, my parents are quite academic and exam oriented. Things that usually matters most to them was me and my younger sis doing well in school. While there was occasional picnics and holidays, I had not much memories of doing things like this when I was growing up. As an adult, I feel quite wistful, but glad nevertheless that my son had the opportunity to experience all these as time as a child is really short, and being able to give my son a great childhood memory such as this one to reminisce when he grows up is a blessing to me.

To experience all these and get away from the superficial world for awhile to explore the nature with your loved ones, you can hop over to Wave Rest House& Cafe. Their package starts from RM139 for adults and RM69 for kids on weekdays and from RM169 for adults and RM69 for kids on weekend and public holidays, inclusive of meals and planned activities. There are 9 available rooms and the entire rest house can cater up to 30 pax. The place is about 60km away from Kuala Lumpur. You may drive there using Waze: https://waze.to/lr/hw28413e6s.

Packages includes accommodation, seafood dinner, breakfast, bicycle riding to the beach, mangrove forest exploration tour, craft making and bird watching at the sea.

Details of the homestay is as below:

海•浪滔滔民宿(Wave Rest House & Cafe)
Facebook: facebook.com/wavehomestay
Address:
Jalan Bagan Sungai Janggut, Batu 15, Jeram,
45800 Kampong Sungai Janggut,
Selangor.

Tedmi Malaysia Fun Retreat: Bicycle Ride to The Beach

Let me tell you a secret. I’m not an early riser. Never was and never will be. If you asked me to describe myself, I’d pretty much tell you with conviction that I’m a vampire. I sleep late and I like to wake up late. Not many could understand, but as a writer, I feel that I’m much more relaxed and productive at night. Darkness is my friend, but during my previous trip with Tedmi Malaysia to Wave Rest House & Cafe, I was required to wake up as early as 6pm to get ready for a bicycle ride to the nearby beach.

Did I complain? Well…I’ll be honest. I did grumbled a little bit when they gave us a wake up call. And I was very cranky that morning but for what it’s worth, it was really worth all the troubles. I have forgotten when I actually see the sun slowly rises over the horizon, and it was such a beautiful thing.

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Anyway, bicycle ride to the beach is a part of the planned activities by Wave Rest House&Cafe, and here’s us, before setting out for the beach, which is about 5km away. It may be quite far, but everyone was positively pumped up for it.

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There’s plenty of landmarks to see along the way, but we didn’t stop at any of it for a selfie or two as the entire group was more than eager go be at the beach as soon as possible.

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I got to admit, after more than 13 years of no riding bicycle, this particular activity is quite a feat and I got left behind quite often. Luckily for me though, I have my husband watching my back most of the time. And course, the Tedmi Malaysia team has assigned 4 personnels as security team to follow us from behind.

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Breathtaking green views along the way to the beach, but I nearly cry here. There are so many snakes. I mean dead snakes on the road. I hate them. Dead or alive, they freak me out. 🙁

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Fishermen village spotted while on the way to the beach.

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After the long ride, we finally reached the nearby beach, Pantai Indah.

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The view was worth a thousand words.

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Soothing and healing, I must say. Definitely worth all the troubles.

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The beach was rather murky and rocky, so it’s definitely not for swimming.

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It is great for sightseeing and seashell collecting, however. Just check out the seashells.

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See what I mean? There’s so much of them.

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The children took the opportunity to collect them to bring home as souvenir and so did I. 🙂

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Anyway, after awhile, our host asked if we want to walk to ‘the middle of the ocean’ via a rocky path since it was still low tide that morning. He promised us that it will be worth all the troubles and the view would be instagram worthy. Being an adventurous lot, we said yes, of course.

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The rocky path is about 1km towards the sea, with breathtaking view. It’s actually fishing and mussels harvesting spot, but the locals have an interesting story about it. I was told that if you walked to the end of the path on a full moon, you will be able to reach the entrance to the Dragon King’s palace. Whether or not there is really a dragon kingdom at the end of the path, in the middle of the ocean, I will never find out as the tide is always high on a full moon night, but it was an interesting story nevertheless.

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The rocky path is extremely slippery, so ladies, this is a place where you can act like a cute damsel in distress and guys, this is where you can play a macho hero.

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Romantic movie in progress. 😛 okay, okay. I better stop teasing this lovely couple before they decided to get even and share my lovey dovey pictures with my husband that’s probably bordering to the 18 and above cinema rating 😉

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As I said, the path is really slippery and dangerous, but it is not impossible to walk on. All you need is good balance and supportive hands to help you along the way. 😉 If you are ever there, don’t be afraid to walk on this path. If my son can do it, so can you. Besides, the view is indescribable.

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Reached as far as the path could allow us. No dragon king or dragon kingdom in sight, but here’s a passing fisherman’s boat before we quickly walked back as the tide started to rise. A humbling experience, I must say. If there is one thing I learned by walking on the rocky path is that the nature is not something you can mess with. There are places you can’t reach, even if you try, and how small human are against these forces of nature. The sea is not always calm and can’t go against the tide, but when the sea is serene, do enjoy whatever majestic things it has to offer and etch it into your memories forever.

To experience all these and get away from the superficial world for awhile to explore the nature, you can hop over to Wave Rest House& Cafe. Their package starts from RM139 for adults and RM69 for kids on weekdays and from RM169 for adults and RM69 for kids on weekend and public holidays, inclusive of meals and planned activities. There are 9 available rooms and the entire rest house can cater up to 30 pax. The place is about 60km away from Kuala Lumpur. You may drive there using Waze: https://waze.to/lr/hw28413e6s.

Packages includes accommodation, seafood dinner, breakfast, bicycle riding to the beach, mangrove forest exploration tour, craft making and bird watching at the sea.

Details of the homestay is as below:

海•浪滔滔民宿(Wave Rest House & Cafe) 
Facebook: facebook.com/wavehomestay
Address:
Jalan Bagan Sungai Janggut, Batu 15, Jeram,
45800 Kampong Sungai Janggut,
Selangor.

Tedmi Malaysia Fun Retreat:Killer in The Night Game

 
How long has it been you kept yourselves entertained with things either than the television, smartphones or tablet? How long has it been you played a card game or boardgames? Until I went to the retreat with Tedmi Malaysia in Wave Rest House & Cafe, I’d have to say it’s been awhile.

This is not a part of the planned activities by Wave Resthouse&Cafe, but something the people from Tedmi Malaysia cooked up after dinner for some good old times fun.

We played the ‘Killer in The Night Game’ or simply known as ‘The Killer Game’.

There are plenty of variants of the game but here’s sharing one of the variant of the game, the one we played that night.

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Introduction

Killer in The Night Game is an 8 plus player game that takes about a half hour. It has no board so it’s perfect for a large party especially late at night.

The basic concept is that members of the dreaded murderer have infiltrated our community and we, as concerned citizens, need to root them out. So every day we hold a town meeting and lynch someone we suspect of being a member of the mafia (it’s not as bad as it seems: we vote first). Then, every “night” the murderer secretly meet and pick a townsperson to kill; the townspeople learn about it in the morning. There is a also an undercover cop and healer floating around somewhere who can help the townspeople.

At the end of the game when there are only murderer and two townspeople left, the remaining townspeople must shake hands. The problem is that they don’t know who is killer ks and who is innocent and the killer will try to appear as innocent as they can.

If “murderer vs. townspeople” doesn’t suit your taste, you can change the theme to be “werewolves vs. townspeople” where the undercover cop is a psychic. The rules work exactly the same either way.

Set Up

Take a deck of ordinary cards and pull out the two black queens, a red king and an ace. Add to this a as many non-face cards as are needed to equal the number of people playing. Shuffle the cards carefully so that no one has any hint which cards are which. For extra security, face up on the bottom of the deck to hide the value of the bottom card.

Give each person a card, being very careful that no one sees what anyone else gets. If someone sees, collect the cards, reshuffle and redeal; it’s important that it be secret.

The players with the queens are the killer, the player with the king is the police and the ace is healer (it doesn’t matter, anything works) while everyone else is a townsperson (also known as an innocent citizens). Be sure to explain this to everyone several times — there is nothing worse than having a killer ask in a loud voice “what does the queen mean again?”

General Rules

It’s important that no one reveal their cards until they are dead. The one exception to this is the police who may reveal his/her card at any time — this is an important power of the police (one of the few) and so should be emphasized. Dead people are allowed to open their eyes at night but must not participate in the game in any other way kno who the killers are and could easily ruin the game. Have people keep their cards face down in front of them and dramatically flip them up when they die.

First Night

Now that everyone has their identities it’s time for the killers to meet each other. Everyone must close their eyes. Then tell the killers to open their eyes and reveal themselves to each other. The two killer players will open their eyes and look around to see who the other killer is. When they’ve had enough time to do this, tell them to close their eyes and have everyone open their eyes. That’s the first night.

Days — The Lynching

During the first day, as on every other day, the townspeople including the killer and the police, since no one knows who they are have a meeting. The goal of the meeting is to lynch a killer member.

Nominations

First, anyone can nominate someone to be lynched. They should give a reason but the reason doesn’t have to make any sense.

The Defense

When there are three nominations each of the nominees, in the order of their nomination, gets to say why they should not be lynched. Their defense should be one or, if they are longwinded, two sentences — short and to the point, we haven’t got all day. “I’m innocent!”, is.a valid defenses. Common decency dictates that everyone should listen respectfully and not make rude comments during the defense statements but remember that the killer would really like to manipulate the townspeople into lynching other townspeople so you want to watch for that.

The Vote

In the order of their nomination, the nominees are voted on. For example, someone says “All in favor of getting rid of him, raise your hand,” counts the votes and moves on to the next person. Everyone who is still alive should vote for someone; no one may vote twice. In the case of a two way tie, re-vote but leave the third person out. In the case of three way tie (or a two way tie when you’ve already removed the third person) just keep voting until someone gets picked. Getting people to agree on someone to lynch is all part of the game.

Nights — Secret Deeds

The night turns after the first one require a moderator. And — what a coincidence — we now have someone who is dead (i.e. the guy just lynched)! He or she is the moderator. Note that only the moderator may talk during the night (or the killer and police will be revealed) and he or she must be careful not to talk “to” anyone — it’s pretty obvious even if you have your eyes closed when the moderator is talking to someone.

The Killer Kills

The moderator will have everyone close their eyes. Then they will have the killer open their eyes and kill someone. They must note who the killer is and who the killer kills.


The Healer Heals

Then the moderator will have to get the healer heal someone. The person they picked will not be killed. Healer can choose to save themselves.

The Cop Accuses

Now they have the police open his or her eyes and make an accusation. If the police is right, they silently indicate an affirmative otherwise they indicate a negative. There is an odd case in which the police is killed before he or she makes an accusation; it doesn’t matter what you do because they’re dead and can’t use the information anyway. Then the police closes his or her eyes and everyone opens their eyes. The moderator announces who was killed during the night and it’s now day again.

A Script

“Everyone close your eyes.” (Check that everyone’s eyes are closed.)

“Killer, open your eyes.” (Identify the killer and verify that there are two of them.)

“Killer, make your kill.” (Identify the victim, silently point to him/her and get it confirmed with a nod.) If the two killer don’t agree, this is not your problem; just wait until they decide (this can be quite entertaining, watching a silent argument).

“Killer, close your eyes.” (Verify that they have closed their eyes.)

“Healer open your eyes.”

“Healer choose someone to save” ( take note on the one chosen. That person can’t be killed)

“Police, open your eyes.” (Find the police)

“Police, make your accusation.” (Verify who the police is accusing and then indicate whether he/she is right.)

“Police, close your eyes.” (Verify that he/she has complied.)

“Everyone open your eyes.””So-and-so is dead.”

End of Game — The Showdown!

Night follows day which, in turn, is followed by another night. Every day and every night another person is dead. If we run out of killer then the townspeople win! Otherwise, even if only one killer survives, we get to the showdown when only two townspeople are left.

In the showdown, the two townspeople must shake hands to win while the mafia members would like to shake hands with a townsperson. This can take a while but, eventually, someone shakes hands with someone (the killers are not allowed to shake hands with each other) and the game is over. If the two people who shook hands are both townspeople, the town wins and the killer loses.

This is not exactly a card game, but a parlour game. Nice to play when you are having a huge party of people to entertain and expect a lot of snickering, groaning and giggles along the way. Try it soon when you have lotsa friends at your place and let me know if you like it.

Tedmi Malaysia Fun Retreat: Seafood Dinner

We were practically famished after the mangrove exploration and so, we hopped over to the cafe in the vicinity of the rest house for dinner.

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The cafe. It also doubled as activity centre. Most of our indoor activities or briefings are done here. It’s a pretty cool place, overlooking the river and you could see fishermen in their boats passing through every now and then.

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The table was already set by the time we got there.

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And food was already served. On the table for us to enjoy that night: Chilli crab, fried mantou, prawn omelet, stir fried water spinach, spicy shark slices, mussels with woldberries, seafood soup and last but not least, steamed freshwater prawns.

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Not always a fan of crustaceans as they are usually a fuss to eat but the chilli crabs was irresistible. The crabs was fresh and naturally sweet while the sauce serves only to enhance the natural sweetness of the crabs.

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Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, the mantou was adeptly fried and made quite a pair with the chilli crabs.

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Mussels with cooked with wolf berries. Not a fan, but I had a taste of these lovelies and thought they’re quite a tummy warmer during the rainy night.

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Prawn omelet. Humble and homey, it’s my son’s favourite that night after the chilli crab and mantou.

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Steamed freshwater prawns. No additional flavours was added to the dish, but it was wonderfully sweet due to the prawn’s freshness. It was gone in a jiffy after being placed on the table.

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Last but not least, the star sensation of the night; sliced shark fillets in sweet and spicy sauce. Yes. Shark. Taste wise, it was pretty good. The meat texture was much firmer than ordinary fish and yes, I’d have this again in the nearest future. Definitely won’t be the last shark I’ll have, I assure you that.

To experience all these exotic seafood and get away from the superficial world for awhile to explore the nature, you can hop over to Wave Rest House& Cafe. Their package starts from RM139 for adults and RM69 for kids on weekdays and from RM169 for adults and RM69 for kids on weekend and public holidays, inclusive of meals and planned activities. There are 9 available rooms and the entire rest house can cater up to 30 pax. The place is about 60km away from Kuala Lumpur. You may drive there using Waze: https://waze.to/lr/hw28413e6s.

Packages includes accommodation, seafood dinner, breakfast, bicycle riding to the beach, mangrove forest exploration tour, craft making and bird watching at the sea.

Details of the homestay is as below:

海•浪滔滔民宿(Wave Rest House & Cafe)
Facebook: facebook.com/wavehomestay
Address:
Jalan Bagan Sungai Janggut, Batu 15, Jeram,
45800 Kampong Sungai Janggut,
Selangor.

Tedmi Malaysia Fun Retreat: Mangrove Forest Exploration

My husband is so sexy when he is all slick and wet. :p Even more so when he pulled me into his embrace when we are both slick and wet. Okay. Sorry for the erotic description. I didn’t mean to send your head running to the gutter and beyond. 😛 I was feeling a bit naughty when I’m writing this post. My sincerest apology. I can’t help myself when I reminisce about our trip with Tedmi Malaysia at Wave Rest House & Cafe last week. :p

My husband and I, we enjoy getting wet together. I mean, bathing and showering together in the comfort of our own home, or hotel rooms for that matter whichever applicable, but we don’t usually do such things in public. During our trip with Tedmi Malaysia, we did, though. We got down, wet, and dirty in front of everyone else.

Okay, okay. I’ll stop the innuendoes. What I really want to share with you is part of the planned activities by Wave Rest House&Cafe, which is the mangrove forest exploration tour.

As mentioned, mangrove forest exploration is part of the planned activities that’s included in the iterinery, but it was raining and the owner of the rest house suggested us to chill instead. Unfortunately for the owner, we’re all adventurous lot, even the children, and we got bored hanging around with nothing to do after our craft making session and insists on exploring even when it’s raining. Our request was complied.

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And so, we pick out boots to wear at the mangrove forest.

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Choosing boots was a bit tricky. Most of it was either too big or too small, so if you have your own boots, please bring along should you come to stay over at Wave Rest House & Cafe and wants to go for the exploration.

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So here’s a candid photo of us, getting ready to get wet and dirty. :p

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Jane and her children, ready to explore.

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The entrance to the mangrove forest. It was just about 15 minutes walk away from our rest house.

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Making a beeline to the mangrove forest.

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It’s dark, scary and mysterious.

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The founder of Tedmi, Andrew Lim, posing and beckoning us towards him.

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It was indeed scary, but we were given a mission to find a few types of snails in the mangrove forest. The mangrove forest is their natural habitat and they could easily be found scattered around in the mangrove forest, so hand in hand, my husband, my son and I braved through muddy and slippery ground together. This is a first for us but we’re determined to accomplish the mission given.

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Walking in the mangrove forest while it was raining is practically like walking in the quicksand, where you can easily get stuck in the mud and slowly sink inside the soft ground. Thinking back, it’s pretty scary, with rain pouring heavily and the vision was somewhat clouded.

Here’s a video of all of us, trying to walk in the mangrove forest.

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It takes a lot of assurance, motivation and teamwork to explore the forest during bad weather the way we did.

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Scary and uncomfortable as it is, it doesn’t diminish our spirit or deter us from trying to find those elusive snails.

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Young or old, everyone gave their all, without a single complain.

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Meticulously looking for the snails.

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And I could proudly say that these is what we managed to find. Quite a lot, don’t you think?

Jane and her children, singing, as they celebrated finding one more snail before throwing it into their container.

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It was getting really dark after about one hour in the mangrove forest, so we wrapped it up and headed back to Wave Rest House&Cafe to get ourselves cleaned up.

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I know I shouldn’t be saying this but everyone, me included, looks pretty much like ducks trying to walk in our soaking wet boots. :p The fun didn’t end there, though. When we reached the rest house, my husband and I decided to shower outdoor with the Tedmi Team.

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Getting all cleaned up, together.

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And then, after awhile, someone decided go be a tad naughty and things started to get very interesting. :p

The video says it all. :p

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One for the album. That is my husband and I. Picture taken during our outdoor showering. 😉 Blurred on purpose to protect our innocence. :p

Pictures was taken with Nikon Coolpix S33; waterproof and shockproof.

To experience all these and get away from the superficial world for awhile to explore the nature, you can hop over to Wave Rest House& Cafe. Their package starts from RM139 for adults and RM69 for kids on weekdays and from RM169 for adults and RM69 for kids on weekend and public holidays, inclusive of meals and planned activities. There are 9 available rooms and the entire rest house can cater up to 30 pax. The place is about 60km away from Kuala Lumpur. You may drive there using Waze: https://waze.to/lr/hw28413e6s.

Packages includes accommodation, seafood dinner, breakfast, bicycle riding to the beach, mangrove forest exploration tour, craft making and bird watching at the sea.

Details of the homestay is as below:

海•浪滔滔民宿(Wave Rest House & Cafe) 
Facebook: facebook.com/wavehomestay
Address:
Jalan Bagan Sungai Janggut, Batu 15, Jeram,
45800 Kampong Sungai Janggut,
Selangor.