Friday, December 28, 2018
Desaru Coast Adventures
The drive from Singapore was relatively straightforward and took around 3 hours after a 1.5 hour wait at Woodlands causeway. Other than that, it was a relaxing journey dotted with palm tree plantations and sleepy towns. We even spotted some wild monkeys along the way.
The hotel was slightly humid as we entered in the afternoon. Ventilation is lacking in some areas, especially the toilets. Beware of mozzies lurking on the first floor.
Carpark lots are ample and parking within the hotel grounds is currently free. Overlooking the hotel is a giant wavepool which we mistook for the hotel’s private beach at first (thinking that the concept was similar to Singapore’s Hard Rock).
While we appreciated the brisk check in, certain important info was lacking. For example, the hotel collected myr400 as a deposit and issued a receipt. Little did I realise that the receipt had to be safekept and presented on the last day at checkout. Not sure what would have happened if I threw it away.
We excitedly made our way to our allocated room on the 5th floor. It is located at the extreme end of a side wing far away from the lobby and restaurants. Our favorite part of the room was the spacious and tasteful bathroom (boohoo to no bath tub though). Whilst our booking was clearly for 4 pax, there were only 3 towels provided and we had to either make do sharing a towel or call room service. The safe was faulty and the sink stopper could not properly release water. Aircon temperature control was also faulty.
Kudos for the complimentary mini bar, which is replenished everyday and well stocked with yummies like KitKat, double decker and Fanta. The kids had a field day. Also great is the bedding which is comfortable and provides for an excellent night’s rest. In line with its eco friendly endeavour, the hotel does not provide guests with bottled water but has instead equipped each room with big opaque metal flasks which are refillable at water kiosks conveniently located at each level. Whilst this is a commendable initiative, the flasks are difficult to refill and inaccessible to kids, who will instead have to make do with the water cooler.
Dining options are painfully limited, especially if one does not drive. The hotel only has 2 proper dining facilities- Sessions and the Elephant and Butterfly. The others only serve ice cream or drinks.
Elephant and butterfly is by the poolside. Its restroom is absolutely filthy. Dishes and drinks are lacklustre. My Long Island iced tea was weak and definitely not befitting of hard rock standard. Do not order the grilled octopus, which is extremely chewy and stale. We later found out that room service is another viable and reasonable option which (surprise surprise) offers a more extensive menu range than the restaurants at equivalent prices. Unfortunately, by the time we found out, it was too late. There is a side gate on the first floor (near the kids club) leading to a little enclave outside the hotel with largely unoccupied mini kiosks. Keep your eye out for a delightful convenience shop run by Desaru Fruit Farm serving fresh fruit, juices as well as all sorts of interesting snacks.
The key attraction is undoubtedly Desaru coast water adventure park, which is mainly a waterpark complete with a huge wavepool, water roller coaster, lazy river and numerous slides with varying complexities. Older kids will undoubtedly have more fun than younger ones. Entrance fees are rather exorbitant. We paid about myr528 for our gang of 2 adults and 2 kids (remember to book one day in advance only if u want a slight discount) and entered through a dedicated gantry for hotel guests which is conveniently located within the hotel grounds. The kiddos enjoyed the wave pool best and were thrilled by the huge waves crashing out in intervals of 30 mins. Hubby exclaimed that the Kraken’s revenge rollercoaster was intense even based on his standards. He also spoke fondly of a delicious beef burger from a food kiosk called River Grill near the Kraken ride. Everyone was quite exhausted by afternoon and decided to call it a day, even though we were permitted to make same day re-entries as hotel guests. The blistering heat can really cause serious damage so do slather on tons of sunblock.
The locals recommend Nelayan seafood restaurant for dinner if you drive. It is located a stone throws away from Hard Rock Hotel and supposedly serves excellent seafood. Also further down the road is a lovely stretch of picturesque beach with soft powdery clean sand and rolling waves that will sweep you off your feet.
We rounded off our trip with a short stopover at KFC (10 mins drive from hotel) before heading home. This was hand down the cheapest and best meal we had this trip. The kids didn’t require any cajoling whatsoever to finish their meal. Kfc rocks!
Will we come back to Desaru? Probably not in the near future. The hotel still seems to be experiencing teething problems which hopefully even out over time. I think Legoland still offers more bang for buck given its closer proximity to Singapore and stronger appeal to young kids like ours. The food is also much better too.
Signing off till our next adventure.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Level 33 @ mbfc tower 1
Wednesday, March 04, 2015
Fish maw soup
Char restaurant
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Best eats 2014
Thursday, January 01, 2015
Apple tartin
This one featured on 8 days eat sounds promising..definitely ranks v high on the "must bake" list for 2015.
Happy New Year and bon appetit to all!
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Rainbow cake
Wednesday, October 01, 2014
How to save on meals in a Singaporean restaurant
(1) Look for restaurant friendly promotions
You can find them randomly everywhere. Just to name a few: Peach Garden is shaving 50% off its dim sum prices on weekdays.
(2) Skips the frills
I went for a dim sum buffet at a 5 star hotel once. The price of the buffet was reasonable at SGD$45+++ per head but I almost fell out of my chair when I got the bill. Pickles, nuts and wet towels were charged as well as a hefty SGD8 surcharge for tea. Next time, I'll just politely decline these frills and skip to plain water instead, thank you very much.
(3) Don't be shy. Ask for credit card discounts
We went to Chili's last Sunday and the bill came up to almost SGD200. When the server came with the bill, I had to ask her for applicable credit card promotions before she told me Citibank offered 15% off. That's a SGD25 saving! Imagine if I had not proactively opened my mouth. Recently I also signed up for the Amex card, which comes with Feed at Raffles and Palate dining privileges. These privileges allow me to partake in hotel dining at a yummy 50% discount if the dining group comprises of 2 pax. Jaan here I come!
(4) Look for set meals
Once in awhile, set meals offer better value than ala carte, especially if you are dining in a group. I find this especially true for big Chinese dinners.
(5) Cut down on appetizers/drinks and share dessert
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Lunch at the newly opened Wild Rocket
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Paying it forward at Menya Musahi Tampines Mall
Monday, July 28, 2014
Steak Alert at La Barca at Goodman Art Centre
Steak was tender and juicy, charred in all the right areas. We were also given a hot stone to sizzle the beef if additional "doneness" was desired.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Hoshino coffee @ plaza singapura
Basil @ Kallang Wave
Friday, May 02, 2014
Patisserie G at millennia walk
Pity I don't drink coffee. Heard they serve mean javas with fanciful froths.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Shiok maki
Thursday, March 06, 2014
Shabu sai at changi city point
Alas! I seem to have caught the shabu shabu and sukiyaki bug. The dining experience here was much better than sukiya. Food is generally of better quality although the price is also slightly costlier. We paid under $30 for 90 mins of unadulterated gorging. The beef slices are definitely of higher grade than sukiya. Also thoroughly enjoyed the assortment of fish balls, mushrooms and somen. Of special mention is the sukiyaki soup base which was v flavorful. I'll definitely be back for more.
Wednesday, February 05, 2014
Sukiya @ Tampines Mall
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Db moderne bistro
Dinner on Monday Nov 11. I had the special restaurant tasting menu while he ordered ala carte. Starters were exemplary while mains failed to impress. Dessert was disappointing.
Must tries: escargot, fries, pumpkin marshmallow soup, seafood capellini and lemon madelines














































