[this post includes a video – scroll right down for it!]

This post is about the most elaborate and fantastical hotel I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying: JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa. 

Earlier this year, I managed to drag Ricardo along to South-East Asia with me. For a full six weeks! We did a whirlwind tour through Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam (and Malaysia of course but that’s not counted since it’s home).

While in Vietnam were lucky enough to spend a few days at the JW Marriott Phu Quoc, which seems to be the most impressive Marriott hotel I know of to date!

ARRIVING AT THE RESORT

 Phu Quoc island was only a 50-minute flight away from Ho Chi Minh City, which I really couldn’t wait to leave since it was so full of unnecessary noise. We flew Vietjet for under $70 each, return.

I was so excited to be on what I imagined would be a serene, noiseless island that I honestly cannot remember any details about the flight. Though it could also be frequent flyer problems.

At Phu Quoc International Airport, we were greeted by staff specially sent from the hotel to collect us. We were offered some snacks and bottles of cold water during the ride, which took barely 20 minutes.

Nevermind that our car entered the hotel grounds via a road that was flanked by a GIANT gold dog on each side, Egyptian style..

When we entered the lobby MY JAW DROPPED. I really didn’t know where to look first.

WHAT WAS THE WELCOME DRINK?

I wanted to take photos of every wall, every corner, and every piece of beautifully designed furniture that seemed to have been created or custom-made for the place. 

I was so distracted that I found it hard to pay any attention to our host or notice what the welcome drink was. Did I even drink it?

What I did notice was that the staff all had specially designed uniforms that matched the building in which they worked. Here are some of the bell boys/front desk staff. Bummer, I didn’t manage a photo of the ladies – I LOVED their uniforms – in their black/white/yellow themed dresses and headband with feather combo. It was almost like festival attire.

LAMARCK UNIVERSITY

The concept behind the Marriott Phu Quoc is the brainchild of renowned hotel designer, Bill Bensley, who conjured an elaborate story of a former university-turned-hotel, complete with all sorts of characters and events that tie in with Phu Quoc island’s own history of French colonialism. 

 

We were given a tour of the hotel (a.k.a. Lamarck University) so we could fully understand its background and how it came to be. 

 

As the theme is so meticulously followed throughout the resort and the stories so believable, I found myself questioning the host, ‘is this part real or made up?’ more than a few times.

 

I mean, they had portraits of named family members related to the ‘Founder of Lamarck University’ hanging around. They also had old gym/sporting equipment and trophies alongside photos of university alumni.

 

THE PINK PEARL

This was undoubtedly my absolute favourite part of the resort.

 

At the time we visited (end of January 2018), the Pink Pearl fine-dining restaurant had only opened the week before. I feel like using words to describe it would be pointless, so here are photos (which don’t even do it complete justice):

The ground floor comprises the main dining area – the most stunningly stylish dining area I’d ever seen. It transports you to an alternate, whimsical reality, drenched the sweetest shade of pink. The chairs and sofas are the kind you wish you could steal and put in your own home.

Simply being in that room made me feel glamorous (even though I was dressed for a stroll on the beach). 

Four private dining rooms occupy the first floor of the Pink Pearl. The transition from ground to first floor involves walking past a pink flamingo mural, where the stairs were. A FLAMINGO WALL!

Ricardo and I had dinner at The Pink Pearl one evening and it was a real treat. The resident chef is rotated every two or three months. At the time we went, the type of cuisine being served was Thai – as they had invited a chef from… somewhere in Thailand (haha).

Being there when the whole place was lit up with all those fancy lights made it a magical meal – not to mention the food was delicious.

WHERE WE STAYED | THE TURQUOISE SUITE

The Turquoise Suite is the largest suite on the property; ours was 90 square metres in size. That’s bigger than our 1-bedroom apartment at home.

What I loved most were the twin showers – I’d always rejected Ricardo’s attempts to shower together because I hate when it’s not my turn under the shower (I get cold easily). But with this setup we could get clean together AND have a conversation whilst doing so!

LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS! 

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL ROOM WITH BEAUTIFUL THINGS!

The Turquoise Suite is located in the Department of Botany, hence the plant pictures and old seed packets.

There were so many places to plant my butt that we were simply spoilt for choice. I don’t think we managed to sit on all the things that were sittable things. The ratio of available butts to available sittable things was 2 : too many!

The suite comes with a huge balcony overlooking the pool and beach (Emerald Bay). Really, this is the room to get if you’re visiting and want to give yourself a grand treat for a special occasion or because why not.

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

The School of Professional Studies was so much fun! It essentially contains the meeting/conference rooms of the hotel and other spaces you can lounge around in.

It was like someone’s gigantic living room with lots of compartments.

We particularly enjoyed the blue room above because it seemed to have the strongest air-conditioning.. 

This place is truly a visual paradise!

Everywhere we looked – it looked good. It was clear to see that no detail was spared in the process of bringing to life Bill Bensley’s colourful imagination.

Oh yeah, this place cost almost $250 million to build  😎
.

CHANTERELLE SPA

The Chanterelle Spa was easily the most beautiful spa I had ever seen.

It had a mushroom theme (‘chanterelle’ is the name of a type of mushroom) tied in with some elements of Alice in Wonderland.

I think this was just a clever and politically correct way to fuse magic and mushrooms into the narrative of the spa  😆 

This includes picture frames that aren’t straight or aligned with each other, and a hallway with arches of different sizes and heights.

I LOVED ALL THE ROOMS here. Even if you’re not getting a spa treatment, it’s worth coming by just for a tour of the facilities. Every room is stunning.
 

HOI AN LANTERN MAKING

When you enrol at Lamarck University (a.k.a. check in to the hotel), you’ll be given the timetable of student activities for the week which you can sign up for.

I thought it was a really fun idea; it reminded me of being at Club Med when I was a kid.

You could visit the Fish Sauce Factory nearby (did you know that Phu Quoc Island is famous for producing fish sauce?), or cycle to the local bee farm.

On-site activities include surf yoga, Vietnamese classes, towel sculpture, t-shirt painting, and.. beer yoga.

We took part in the Hoi An lantern making class. It took some patience and good fine motor skills, but I loved the finished product. I gave my lantern to my mother – it’d been a while since I gave her a handmade-by-me gift!

THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

If you haven’t already guessed, The Department of Chemistry refers to the bar. It also has a pink colour theme, and is located next to the Pink Pearl and also the beach.

At the bar, you’re able to request a unique cocktail that will be mixed according to your preferences, or not – depending on how much you like surprises..!

Bite-sized or tapas style food is served here.

WHAT IS THE FOOD LIKE?

I don’t usually have high expectations, or any expectations, about eating at hotels, but the JW Marriott Phu Quoc really outdid itself in terms of the variety as well the quality of the food offered.

Let me just point out that there are five dining options at the resort. FIVE! 
Ok maybe four-and-a-half since the bar/Dept of Chemistry only serves small plates.

Tempus Fugit restaurant is the main dining area, where the daily buffet breakfast is served. It was a dream to be able to have Vietnamese pho and banh mi (amongst a number of other savoury asian things) in the morning instead of what is the bane of my breakfast life: ‘continental breakfast’.

Red Rum is a seafood restaurant on the beach – this was my least favourite, though we got the chance to eat GIANT CLAMS there!

French & Co is cafe style eatery that I remember for their AMAZING smoothies. I still fantasise about the green tea & coconut smoothie. And the blueberry ginger smoothie.

Then there’s the Pink Pearl of course.

I’m not ashamed to say that WE ATE ALL OUR MEALS AT THE RESORT during our three-night stay. They have good food! You will be well fed.

JW MARRIOTT PHU QUOC: FINAL TIPS

• If you can only swim in one pool (there are three!), make it the Shell Pool.
• Definitely try the blueberry or green tea smoothie at French & Co.
• Rent a stand-up-paddle board or body board for free at the beach.
• Have dinner at Pink Pearl Restaurant. Go upstairs to have a peek at their private dining rooms if possible!
• Ask for a tour of the Chanterelle Spa if you’re not getting a treatment.
• If you can manage it, stay in the Turquoise Suite! Otherwise, I can safely say that every other room is also a delight.
• I would recommend staying for at least three nights. I wish we could’ve stayed longer!

  The resort is so huge that it’ll take quite some time to explore. This is something you’ll want to do as everything is so beautifully made, and with little quirks to be found if you look hard enough. You’ll want to be able to experience at least some of the activities available; and time to enjoy all the immaculately designed rooms/areas of the resort.

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The post Review: JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa (Vietnam’s Most Colourful Resort!) appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

Last November, I made my second visit to Japan – my first time being in 2000 when I was fortunate enough to spend five weeks as part of a cultural exchange programme, when I was still at school!

This time I only had one week, split between Tokyo & Kagoshima. The trip was organised by the JNTO (Japanese National Tourism Organisation) and I could select a preferred region/city to visit. I chose Kagoshima as that was where I’d been before and I wanted to see it with my new, grown-up eyes. And a digital camera. Haha.

I had hopes of meeting up with my old foster family, but luck had it that they were out of town that week.

*skip to bottom of post for a video round-up!

GETTING INTO TOKYO 

Flying from London Heathrow to Tokyo took under 12 hours direct, with ANA (Japan’s largest airline). I slept most of the way as it was a red-eye. I was amused by the in-flight menu which was presented as a laminated card with pictures of four meal options to choose from, including rice porridge (which I love).

It was on this flight that I discovered my love for menbei – a kind of rice cracker made with spiced cod roe (a specialty of the  Fukuoka region). They were served as snacks throughout the flight. I ate a lot of them.

Sadly, I spent my first couple of days in Tokyo feeling extremely unwell from the worst sore throat I’d ever had in my life.

My hosts bought me pretty much the entire pharmacy. I tried  one of those white face masks for the first time and I must say – IT WORKS. It made breathing so much easier at night!

TODEN-ARAKAWA LINE

When I was well enough to get out for a bit, we went to experience riding a streetcar/tram on the Toden Arakawa Line, which took us into the quieter, older parts of Tokyo, away from the popular tourist spots.

This tram was unlike any tram I’d seen or ridden before. It was SO CLEAN! And the conductor’s uniform was too cute and perfect. At every crossing there was a ‘ding ding’ of a bell. It was almost like we were in a toy-town. Japan tends to make me feel that way.

This was.. I think.. the most scenic tram route I’d ever taken. Perhaps I also enjoyed the novelty of passing through the small, suburban streets and neighbourhoods along the way.

ARAKAWA AMUSEMENT PARK

We got off at Yuenchi-mae station to have a stroll around Arakawa Amusement Park. It’s said to be one of  the oldest in Tokyo!

It had a really retro feel to it. In today’s world it would seem more like a fun-fair. It reminded me of my childhood. The rides were carnival-style (small and simple) and there was a mini-zoo as well (including a lot of monkeys!). More suited for families/kids and frequented by locals, mostly. I liked it.

JOYFUL-MINOWA SHOPPING ARCADE

Made another stop at Minowabashi to have a quick stroll at Joyful-Minowa Shopping Street (still in Arakawa ward). This is another remnant of old Tokyo and is made up of pedestrian alleys lined with stalls and shops selling food, flowers, and other market-things. I watched and smelt pickles being made there!

We also sampled a couple of snacks, such as yakitori and other grilled food. Unfortunately, it still felt like knives when I tried to swallow them >.<

Definitely a place to check out if you’re looking for a taste of local life and something outside of the usual tourist routes.

OFF TO KAGOSHIMA!

I was really excited about this part of the trip. Partially because by now my sore throat had finally alleviated (thanks to a clinic visit in Tokyo which got me some much-needed antibiotics)!

We flew to Kagoshima via Tokyo Haneda Airport. I was glad it was a short flight of under two hours because I got the worst seat on the plane. I mean literally THE WORST. I was in the middle seat of the middle section, in the last row.

Windows stopped existing from 3-4 rows ahead of me. It was kinda sad and dark.

Did you know that Kagoshima Prefecture is one of the top producers of tea in Japan? So naturally, on arrival at Kagoshima Airport, we were served some green tea as a token of welcome.

We then boarded a bus that took us to the city. This took about 45 minutes and as you can see in the photo above – it was packed. I couldn’t help laughing at the pull-down seats in the aisle. Apparently it’s like this in China, too.

We went straight to lunch at a cosy, traditional restaurant called MOZE, where I ordered a set menu consisting of a a number of local dishes, including the famous Kuronbuta pork (from black pigs). I remember the food in Kagoshima being immensely good during my first visit, and this meal didn’t disappoint!

SENGAN-EN GARDEN

Next on the itinerary was a visit to Sengan-en, a beautiful Japanese garden that’s also UNESCO World Heritage site.

Tickets are ¥1000 (about USD10 per adult) and can be purchased at the entrance.

We were able to see Sakurajima, the city’s iconic volcanic island, from the garden. It was too bad about the gloomy weather, but at least it didn’t rain!

There was an annual chrysanthemum flower growing competition going on when we were there – it was funny to see who was obviously not good at growing these plants, haha.

Sengan-en is a must-do for anyone visiting Kagoshima. You can easily spend a good couple of hours here. There’s a hill to be climbed that supposedly leads to a good viewpoint, but that was something I didn’t do because.. I got lazy.

I spent time wandering around the picture-perfect gardens and took some photos with our lovely hosts instead.

We ended the afternoon with some sweet potato ice cream, and also shochu ice cream. I was excited about the sweet potato (probably because it was purple), but turns out I much preferred the shochu flavour.

DAY TRIP TO SAKURAJIMA

Another must-do in Kagoshima, we took the ferry 15 minutes across to Sakurajima. On a clear day it’s usually puffing away beautifully against the blue sky, but we were unfortunate – it was cold and gloomy.

I loved the welcome art on the floor of the visitor centre. Apparently, this is created every single day and has gone on for many years.

Just beyond the visitor centre was a 100m hot spring (onsen) foot bath. Kagoshima is well known for its abundant hot springs and there are quite a number of these foot baths scattered around the region.

I don’t know how I had the amazing foresight to wear a dress – it made my foot bath experience so much more convenient, haha. I don’t remember doing this when I visited in 2000.

Our stay on Sakurajima was brief. We stopped by a random temple and I think that was it. I was disappointed at not having seen a giant/mutant radish, which the island is meant to be famed for.

IBUSUKI NO TAMATEBAKO

In the afternoon, we took a special (themed) train journey to Ibusuki, which is farther down south. The train is half black, half white, divided along its length and only has two carriages.

It was the cutest train I’d ever been on in my life. 

It was a magical experience, like a fairytale! The wooden interiors included bookshelves and most seats came with a a table top or space for you to have lunch, for example. There are even sofas and a play area for children. There were swivel seats next to big windows on the side of the train, providing passengers with a great view of the sea.

We bought a special black sesame pudding sold on the train and it was delicious. We especially enjoyed taking pictures wearing train conductor hats handed out by one of the staff – what a fun idea! The journey from Kagoshima to Ibusuki was about one hour.

Seats are limited and advance reservation is advised. Tickets are about USD10 per way.

How do I look?  🙂

IBUSUKI NATURAL SAND STEAMED BATH

Getting buried under hot black sand is the thing to do in Ibusuki!

We went to one called Sayuri, about 15 minutes by car from Ibusuki train station. It had the baths next to the sea, which normally is very scenic but when we arrived it was raining, hence we had to do it in a covered area (under some tents!).

We were given yukatas to change into – you’re not supposed to wear anything else under it. I think this is because you go straight  to the onsen for a dip after your hot sand experience is over. As you may already know, it is customary in Japan to enter hot springs completely nude.

After picking our ‘plots’, we were each given a towel to wrap around our necks. It reminded me of a cemetery..

Once laid down, warm black sand was piled onto our bodies using a shovel (haha) until we were completely covered from the neck down. I was surprised at how heavy the sand felt. There is a 15 minute limit for how long you can stay buried. When the time was up, we simply wiggled out and shook off any remaining sand – it was kind of hilarious.

Completing the experience in the indoor onsen was amazing. I felt warm and refreshed after it. Warm enough to have an ice cream at the reception area even though it was still raining!

NISHI-OYAMA STATION

Our last stop in Ibusuki was to Nishi-Oyama Station, the southernmost train station in Japan.

The grey weather kind of ruined the scene, especially after I learnt that during the warmer months, the surrounding fields would be flush with yellow flowers!

Still, it was beautiful. It’s only a tiny station with a view of Kaimondake volcano in the background.

Apparently, it brings good fortune to send a postcard via the bright yellow postbox outside, so we bought some colourful postcards from the shop nearby and did just that. I sent one to my mom and kept the extra postcards for myself, as they were pretty.

KAGOSHIMA FISH MARKET TOUR

The following day was tough – we had to get up super early. If you know me, you’ll also know that I hate early mornings with a passion. Luckily, this time was worth it!

We were meeting at 6.45am for the Kagoshima Fish Market Tour, which is run by group of local hotels/ryokans.
If you happen to be staying at one of these hotels, your ticket will cost ¥1000. Otherwise, its ¥1500.
Tours run every Saturday from March to October and last one hour.

It was a lot more fun than I anticipated, despite it raining hard when we arrived. It was windy and really cold, but I felt like it was fitting weather for a fish market tour. Perhaps I like a dramatic setting.

Rain boots can be borrowed.. along with hats that look like fish and other sea-things! I was pleased to be a yellow fish that morning.

An English-speaking guide took us through the market to observe the fish landing and lively auctions that began with the repetitive sound of a loud bell. Buyers would be mulling around boxes of fish, trying to decide, I think.

At one point, I witnessed a large number of hammerhead sharks being thrown into pile – which was really a bizarre scene to  me. They had apparently swum into the net that morning by accident. Fortunately, they won’t go to waste – they’ll be resold or eaten eventually.

There were only two restaurants by the market. We picked one, without any particular preference other than it was less crowded.

I had a typical Japanese breakfast of rice with grilled mackerel and a bowl of miso soup with clams. It was fantastic. What a great  morning. I highly recommend the fish market tour if you’re in Kagoshima.

WHERE TO STAY IN KAGOSHIMA

Nestled on a hill with spectacular views of Sakurajima, Hotel Shiroyama is undoubtedly the best place to stay in Kagoshima City.

I remember my foster parents driving me up here one evening, 17 years ago, just so we would enjoy a stroll around fountain with the city lights twinkling beneath us. Something I’ll never forget.

During the night, they put in a musical fountain show complete with cheesy music and dancing lights. I watched from my window and loved it!

Other plus points include a beautiful open-air onsen looking out at Sakurajima and a generous and diverse breakfast spread 😉

Check room rates at Hotel Shiroyama 

Watch the video below for a recap of my entire trip! 

The post How to Have Fun in Kagoshima appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

Let me begin by.. I can’t stand the cliché statement ‘music plays an important part in my life’. I mean, in whose life does it not??

I’ve always been a bit picky with the kind of music I like to listen to. But there really is only one broad criterion I go by: it has to be happy or FUN!

I basically only listen to tunes that are very melodic, happy-sounding, or upbeat. I love quirky sounds and if you had a look at my current playlist, you’ll probably only recognise one or two names at most. I don’t have a favourite band but I enjoy a variety of small/lesser-known ones (I can’t stand pop music or anything that’s on the Billboard top whatever).

DANCING MAKES ME HAPPY

And as long as the music invokes in me a happy feeling, I will dance! There’s not much in life that I love more than dancing to my favourite tunes. I can dance for hours. Until my toes are blistered (this happened in Tanzania) or until there is no music left other than what’s in my head and I’m seen bopping around to silence (this happened in Portugal).

I have no qualms about dancing to music that other people cannot hear. Once, I was awarded the prize for ‘best dancer’ at a silent disco competition (on a Monday morning). This meant I snagged a trip for two to Las Vegas – where of course I attended a dance music festival so that I could dance even more!

Since a lot of the music I love is more on the obscure side, I tend to indulge myself using earphones if I’m out in public. There’s pretty much no chance that I’d catch my happy songs at an event/party/bar/club – sometimes, I jam my earphones in even if there’s already music playing around me (that I don’t like).

SO, because I’m stupid and a bit slow to the game, I finally got my first pair of noise-cancelling headphones a couple of months ago! They’re a beautiful pair of Libratone Q Adapt On-Ear headphones.

I’ve been travelling with them all  over South-East Asia. I really don’t know why I never thought to get a pair earlier. On flights, they are a LIFESAVER. They help block out the crying babies and I can listen to my music (or movies) SO MUCH BETTER.

Obviously, I’ve also been dancing with them..

Dancing at a flower festival where I didn’t like the music playing at the event

As now I am *WIRELESS*, haha.

My life just got a lot better  😎

The only thing I can’t do is jerk my head around too much. I’ve tried it (got too excited) and the headphones swung right off and I looked like an idiot.

I pack them in my backpack together with my camera and laptop. It comes in a really neat case!

The outline of the little bird LIGHTS UP and glows when it’s on. I love anything that lights up!

As this was my first pair, I can’t compare it with other types of noise-cancelling headphones, but I can tell you that I love them. They have a sleek, clean design and they work wonders. There are three levels of noise-cancelling you can choose from – I didn’t even realise that such technology existed  😮

I especially love them because they enable me to enjoy my fun tunes more often. Which means more dancing. And more happiness!

Leaving you with two little videos of me.. dancing 😀 :

*this post was created in collaboration with Libratone

The post How Music Makes Me Happy appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.