Magical Majorca

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To many, Majorca is the godfather of summer holidays. It has long been a favourite of sun-seekers and beach-lovers, who come here to soak up the warm rays on golden sands and relax for a week or two of castaway bliss. Many holidaymakers choose to come back here, year after year, for their annual fix of sun, sea and sand. So what makes holidays to Majorca so magical?

A large part of Majorca's appeal lies in its ability to attract holidaymakers from all walks of life. From clubbers to families, adventure-seekers to those looking for a week of relaxation, it's all here.

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Majorca is a particularly popular spot for families. It boasts well-equipped resorts and family hotels, many of which offer great facilities such as pools, water parks, kids' clubs and more. Vibrant resorts like Alcudia and Palma Nova offer a lively mix of daytime activities for all ages, with plenty of bars, pubs and clubs for after dark.

Cala D'Or is a cracking resort on the island's east coast, which is home to beautiful sandy bays and an attractive marina, not to mention a superb selection of shops, bars and restaurants. On the quieter side is Santa Ponsa, a sleepy family-friendly resort on the south coast with a large beach and several smaller coves close by. At the opposite end of the scale is loud and lively Magaluf - a clubbers' paradise with stacks of nightclubs and booming bars.

And if you fancy a day in the city, head to capital Palma to satisfy your inner culture vulture! Here you can wander among beautiful buildings, explore its winding streets, melt some plastic in the fabulous boutiques and discover Palma's beautiful gothic cathedral. And, once you're ready for a break, you can take the weight off at one of the city's lovely pavement cafes or dive into a cosy restaurant for a classic taste of Spain.

Didn't I say that Majorca holidays are nothing short of magical?

Celcom Talk & Surf, A MUST GET!

I always have this problem every time I get back home, which Telco to use while am in Malaysia. Either that I could lose my simcard of my previous number somewhere somewhere. So when I found out that Celcom now offers a new Postpaid package called Celcom Talk & Surf, I told myself I need to check that out! 

With the new Celcom Talk & Surf, this Celcom First packages now allows you to TALK & SURF so much more for such lesser price! With the latest package, subscribers can enjoy 226 minutes and 5GB data for only RM 88 per month! With everything around me that going super fast; fast work to be done, fast booking of flights and hotel and fast researching, what I get from Celcom First is a privilege. Not only that I get a lot more than I get from my normal package, it's only from only RM88/month with Celcom First. 

To make things easier for you, here is a comparison chart:

a. Celcom First Prime + mPro = RM88/month (Usual price: RM128)
b. Celcom First Premier + mPro = RM128/month (Usual price: RM168)
c. Celcom First Elite + mPro = RM198/month (Usual price: RM238)

With the new special offer, I can now talk with my mom and family a lot more if am on trip, likewise you can too! Yup, more talking with the one you love. Yes mom, I know now I can call you more even when am about to go to bed! :P

Since am an avid internet user, this Celcom Talk & Surf package is an ultimate deal for me to chat and share my blog with you guys and my friends about my adventure around the world when I get back. I can surf and stream more videos to inspire me to keep going and download all the awesome application for travel and information on my smartphone. Bargain!

I'm always curious to see what you can do with 266 minutes and 5GB data? Here is a comparison that can best explain it to you:

• 266 minutes gives you over 3 hours of calls to your loved ones. 
• 5GB data lets you send up to 150,000* emails @30kb/email, download up to 1,000* MP3 songs, stream up to 1,500* videos or watch up to 3* HD movies. *Terms and conditions apply

Come and sign up with Celcom newest Celcom Talk & Surf at your nearest Blue Cube, Celcom Xclusive and other participating outlets and partners by 31 December 2013. What are you waiting for? See you at one of the Blue Cubes as am definitely heading there to Q one for me! :D

Get more details by visiting : Celcom Talk & Surf

This is an advertorial, interested to engage me for advertorial, media appearance, sponsored trip or live-social media update- email me at r.haries.er@gmail.com to request for my rate card & media kit! :D

Hong Kong Disneyland Revisited with HKDL Challenge Trail.

I revisited Hong Kong Disneyland again! Twice in the same year, that's magical isn't!

This time around I was invited for Hong Kong Disneyland Challenge Trail, a filming for NTV7 Breakfast Show. I couldn't say no can't I? What more this time around, I took the opportunity to play all the attractions in Hong Kong Disneyland that  baby princess(my little sister) didn't want to play when I was with her earlier this year.

What I like most about Hong Kong Disneyland is that it's relatively 4 hours away from Kuala Lumpur and it's easily accessible by all major flight. I flew in via Cathay Pacific (Yay, another airline to the list!) and the comfy flight prepared me for my Hong Kong Disneyland Trail Challenge! 

Anyhow, little that I know that I would be staying at Hollywood Hotel AGAIN and when I told baby princess, all see can said was "Y U NO BRING ME?" All I could do was just laugh and said "It's work baby" without telling her that I had loads of fun playing! You can read all about the Hollywood Hotel in my post here. 

Nothing better than starting the day a selfie! All geared up for HKDL Challenge Trail.

The Hong Kong Disneyland Trail was divided into a few challenges that involved some of the most interesting rides in Hong Kong Disneyland including the newly opened Mystic Manor.

We kicked off with a fun ride on the Big Grizzly Mountain ride! Honestly, I don't do well with high speed attractions whatmore having to focus on the challenge, which was to look for coloured cardboard and do movements accordingly. But I survived though I probably shouted some of the most ridiculous things on the ride!

The next round begins at what I thought the most innocent park in Hong Kong Disneyland - the Toy Story Land. Apparently the ride which was RC Racer we were taking wasn't any innocent, thank God I didn't have to do it. I have to thank Glen (the HKDL Challenge Trail NTV7 Breakfast Show winner!) to take the bullet for our Blue team. I did enjoyed reminiscing my childhood by loitering around The Toy Story Land - I wanna be a kid again!

After the gruesome ride, they decided that we can have a rather fun-loving ride at the Fantasyland in the
Mad Hatter Tea Cup Rides. Too bad I don't have photo on the ride, we were given equations to be solved while being spanned around! Our Blue team took it way too seriously and ended up counted everything wrongly! Talk about having engineers in our team, kidding! :P

Then the HKDL Challenge Trail continued at Main Street Usa where the Monster University(Yes, it exists people!) and the Animation Academy are for our next challenge. It all boils down to who knows how to to draw, too bad I only have hands for writing, my Mickey Mouse turned out 70 year older than he should be!

 

It then goes to the final challenge, which I had enticipated since before leaving Malaysia - the Mystic Point. It was here that that the both teams had to put our focus-brain on and focus on all the detailing in here. It was a combination of technology and tricks that gave us the chance to travel in the Antic of Lord Henry Mystic with his companion Albert the Monkey. It's such an enchanted journey that I nearly lose my focus. Definitely a MUST VISIT for anyone visiting Hong Kong Disneyland!

If you are keen to visit Hong Kong Disneyland, here are some reviews I have written:

1. Eating and Halal Food in Hong Kong Disneyland 
2. Hong Kong Disneyland Park Review
3. How to use the Hong Kong Public Transport to get to Hong Kong Disneyland
4. Hollywood Hotel Hong Kong Disneyladn Review

All in all, it was such a great trip - thanks to the organizer who made this trip possible and to the NTV7 The Breakfast Show people who were really nice to us and filmed us throughout the trip. I will be back! :D

This is a sponsored trip, interested to engage me for advertorial, media appearance, sponsored trip or live-social media update- email me at r.haries.er@gmail.com to request for my rate card & media kit! :D

Photos in this post were taken with the latest and most advanced Sony Nex series, the SONY NEX 5 T - your travelling partner! 

Cruise Like a VIP with Celebrity

There's cruising, and then there's cruising. With Celebrity Cruises, it's the latter!

This first-class cruise brand certainly knows how to lay on a great show, and it's evident in everything from the delicious cuisine and exquisite decor, to the tiny details that speak volumes about great service.

And, aside from the exquisite onboard living, with Celebrity Cruises you can sail to some of the world's most beautiful destinations and enjoy organised excursions or the chance to explore each new port under your own steam. From Mediterranean gems to Australia and New Zealand, from the Caribbean to South America and even the Galapagos Islands, there is a stunning range of destinations on offer to suit virtually every different holiday wish-list available.

Take their 7-night South America cruise, for instance. Start your voyage at Isla Baltra before heading off to explore the volcanic Galapagos Islands on a spectacular tour of this world-famous biodiversity hotspot, visited by Charles Darwin himself. This biological marine reserve, cast out into the Pacific Ocean, is home to rare and indeed unique species, and is of course famous for its resident giant - the Galapagos Tortoise, the largest living species of tortoise.

The adventure doesn't end there for Celebrity Cruises. If you fancy warmer climes, you could embark on a sizzling 7-night tour of the Caribbean, departing from Miami in Florida and visiting San Juan in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and the fabulous city of Philipsburg in St Maarten. Or choose something closer to home with a sun-drenched voyage around the Med, visiting such hotspots as Italy - including Rome, Naples and the island of Sicily - along with Athens in Greece, Turkey, Santorini and Mykonos.

Whatever you fancy, check out the range of itineraries available through Celebrity Cruises here - http://www.thomascook.com/cruise/lines/celebrity/. Use the search panel to highlight your most important criteria, be it destination, departure date, duration or even ship, and then filter the results until you find a favourite. From here, you can also compare Celebrity against many other big-name cruise brands to help you identify the perfect cruise for you.

How's that for VIP treatment?

This is a paid advertorial, interested to engage me for advertorial, media appearance, sponsored trip or live-social media update- email me at r.haries.er@gmail.com to request for my rate card & media kit! :D

Standard Chartered ICT Competition 2013 Winners!

Last time when I was home-bound, I was invited to the Standard Chartered ICT Competition Launching as well as the roadshow. I was ecstatic about this competition simpy because it promotes creativity and youth! And guess what, there was a team who came out with an innovative app for Travelers like me! Awesome!

The announcement dinner was held at The Marriot Hotel Putrajaya and accompanied by a really good dinner for the attendees. Throughout the night, they were already announcing the Consolation Prizes for the  Employees Category. Oh yeah, Standard Chartered allows their employees to explore their creative side while working for a bank industry!

 I seriously think that is pretty cool move! So here are the 2 teams who won -Team Knight Riders & Team Thinkers.

The Top 3 winners for the Employee category goes to

1. Team Charlie Missing 1 Angel
2. Team Trade Stars
3. Team Convenience is Life 

As for the University Students Category, some of these teams I personally were rooting for! The consolation prizes finally goes to :

1. Creassion for Life (University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus)
2. MVPs (UM) 
3. Dysoft Global (UPM) 
4. 5th Month (Taylor's University Lakeside Campus) 
5. Irene (Monash University ) 
6. Jasmine ( APIIT) 
7. Creative Leopard (APIIT)

The top 3 winners are  :

• 3rd Drone Swarm ( Taylor's University Lakeside Campus)
• 2nd Green Warriors (UTM)
• 1st 4GM (UMP)

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WINNERS! Till then, keep on traveling and being creative peeps! :D

This is a paid advertorial, interested to engage me for advertorial, media appearance, sponsored trip or live-social media update- email me at r.haries.er@gmail.com to request for my rate card & media kit! :D

London's Theatreland: Top Stage Shows this Autumn.

London is a perfect option for a city break, whether you’re planning on visiting for a couple of days or a week. The sheer multitude of things to do in the city is incredible, ranging from free trips to museums and seeing the iconic sights to treating yourself to a night on the town, sampling one of the top class restaurants that have made a home here. With plenty of affordable London hotels from Hotels4U, you can book a break in the city that won’t break the bank while also placing you in the heart of the action. 

London’s Theatreland is a major draw to the city – a magnet for theatre lovers from all over the world. As the summer season comes to an end and the schools reopen for the autumn term, the West End is just getting started. Here are the top five shows you should consider seeing this year. 

The Book of Mormon 

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This new, satirical musical made by the creators of South Park and Avenue Q has already taken the US by storm and is set to be a smash hit here too. It tells the tale of two missionaries in Africa who want to spread the Mormon word with hilarious consequences. 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 

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Hot on the tail of the hit musical, Matilda, Roald Dahl’s classic tale of Charlie Bucket and Willy Wonka comes to the stage. With direction from Sam Mendes (Skyfall, American Beauty), audiences of all ages will love this stage adaptation of the magical children’s story. 

Barking in Essex 

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It doesn’t open until mid-September but when it does, you’re in for a treat. Starring Sheila Hancock and the hilarious slapstick comedian, Lee Evans, this rib-tickling show tells the story of dysfunctional mother and son and their antics as a jailbird turns up on their doorstep. 

The variety that the West End offers is out of this world – musicals, comedy, drama and thrills – it’s all here in London’s Theatreland. 

My Raya Moments of Closeness with Samsung!

While everyone else anxiously thinking about what kind of clothing to buy or what kind of cookies to bake. I was wondering if I'm even going to be in the country during this Aidilfitri. As a travel blogger/writer, my schedule is very much unknown; I could be in different places in just days. Believe me; I just got back from a 7 week trip! :P 

So when I came across this video of Samsung Family Portraits: A Story About Hari Raya 2013, I remembered how I used to enjoy being at my hometown and celebrate hari raya. It is like a fiesta like no other, the days before the first day of Raya, we will be busy cooking, cleaning the house. And I still remember being small kid back then, the memories of going around the village collecting dried wood, coconut and leaves for my grandmother. 

She would usually go like these (My Opah/grandmother is from Perak hence the slang/accent): 

“Kome bior bebenor sikit! Ate aye hambat kome, gi kutip kelapa sana nu!” 

(Excuse me, behave properly or I will smack you! Go pick some coconut for me!”) 

“Aye udohleh tak larat, kome ni menyusohkan, udahler semak bebenor!” 

(I’m not that strong already, you guys like to cause me trouble! Now, see the mess!”) 

I will usually laugh it off; my grandmother can be that funny sometimes. Especially during Hari Raya, when it’s the busiest time for her. She will be going around commanding us to clean and not to make mess. Well, we grandchildren are bound to be a little bit naughty though. Sorry Opah! ;) 

Now that am older, I still feel like that little kid creating mess and troubles to her. Since am usually out-of-the-country most of time, I find time to come back to Ipoh and visit her often. Oh well, I like it better her in the village rather than KL. It was just about time when I was in the country that the Ramadhan month started, after contemplating of what to do in KL, I hopped on the next train off to Ipoh and found myself grinning in smile. Opah, I’m home! :D 

Little that I know, she has already planned for me to be the one to help her with finding woods for Lemang by the riverside. Being an avid social media user and with the help of my Samsung S Advance, I found myself taking photos instead of chopping down the woods for her. She was being noisy about it but cracked up laughing instead when I fell by the riverbank while trying to balance myself. Told ya, my Opah can be one big joker sometimes. And thanks to technology from Samsung, memories are now captured and stored in my mobile for me to view at anytime and anywhere.

To me, my Raya Moments of Closeness comes days before the real Hari Raya itself; it’s the preparation, the chaos, the busyness that brings us closer. Like my own experience today, going in the forest like a good-grandchild. Hehe

It was not easy to carry those wood but we bond closer, never in my life seeing my Auntie, Mak Yong, without fear climbed up the tree like Tarzan (Oh yes, like a man!) and coolly chopped the branches of the tree. In the meantime, my Opah kept talking about how good the wood is for Lemang and how no one is back to help with the preparation for Hari Raya. Me being a good-grandchild, obediently listen to her while my hand swiftly chopped the leaves and small branches of the big bark.

Moments like this I wish I’ve had Samsung Galaxy Camera, the one with the cool function to capture and upload instantaneously! So that I could Video her talking about Hari Raya in Full HD and upload it straightaway for my cousins to see it or in other way to tell them; COME BACK SOON, YOUR OPAH IS WAITING!

Oh better still, I want the Samsung Galaxy Camera for this Hari Raya, so that I can capture all the silly faces my cousins make when my open goes on warfare on them when she job-assigned them!I believe that way they would definitely love me better! :P

To me Hari Raya holds a totally different meaning, it is not about those Duit Raya (Gift Money) or the food but it is all about cherishing the moments of closeness you have with your love ones. Like how I forced my lovely auntie, Mak Yong and my niece, Alya to don their new Hari Raya attires to record this message in the video. 

I also realized that this Hari Raya, Samsung is being very generous and if anyone shares their Hari Raya Potret here, you might be rewarded with a Family Movie Treat. With Samsung, Hari Raya will totally be on a whole new level, the moments will be captured and stored for us to look it again and glee in happiness. I think I should upload our photo, not the cliché ones but the one where my auntie on the tree, calmly chopping the wood for Lemang! :P 

So, this Hari Raya, enjoy your time with your love ones! I wish you have a prosperous Hari Raya.


Info for those who are not familir with the terms:

Opah: is grandmother in Malay Language
Hari Raya: is Eid Mubarak, where the Muslim celebrates after fasting for one month
Lemang: glutinous rice cooked in bamboo, fragrant and creamy.
Mak Yong: the calling for the oldest auntie in the family. 

LG gave me the biggest TV in the world!

Haha. How I wish that I could get the tv. No, LG hasn' confirm yet but am pretty sure I will be getting the TV *move aside y'all!*

Last few weeks, I was back in Kuala Lumpur after being on the road for a while. So after settling down, I came across an email inviting me to LG Blogger's even at the Curve, Damansara. Since I had nothing to do while waiting for my flight the next day, so I went and attended it. 

Been a while since I met any fellow Malaysian bloggers and they were all there at LG Blogger's event! That made me miss the olden days of being in the lifestyle blogging industry! :D

So I was given number 7 and that put me with KellyChin, Kid and oh-dear-cant-remember-her-name (But I know he is half Malay and Half scottish). 

There were so many things going on that day, like quizzes and games and the most fun part was the Gangnam Dance off! :D

First let PSY feast you with his, ehem "handsome-ness"! And you shall see how we dance off but off and literally won the session will almost perfect mark!

 AND WE GOT THE 10 9 10 10 MARK! Oh yeah we can dance ! hahaha

Anyhow we were there to witness the first 84 inch Ultra HDTV from LG! This TV is massive I tell you! Even my bodysize wont cover it! How fantastic that I can now watch all my traveling shows on bigger screen yaww! 

I've also prepared some pointer for you to see if this TV should be in your living hall ah? I cant wait to get one! ;) Here is the link to read more about it peeps , click here!

Y'all know the drill, keep on travelling and thank you for reading this seriously non travel related post ya! I miss doing event so that's why I went and mingle with em all! Travel safe everyone! :D