Have a great trip. Hope the weather at ORD cooperates.

Have a great time, Craig and Jeane. Will try my best to catch up with you in SIN, if possible, for a cold beer, glass or wine, or cup of coffee!

Chicago weather should be pretty good the rest of the week. Knock on wood... Hope you have great weather in all of your South East Asia stops.

Carol

Carol, Marija - It does look like smooth sailing tomorrow through ORD - zero percent chance of rain. As you know, our last experience was kinda stressful with a February snowstorm that forced us to reroute through IAD at the last minute.

Have a wonderful time, Craig. I'll look forward to hearing all about it.

Have a fun trip you two!!!

Weather in SE Asia should be more of a concern. Looks like it will be hot and humid when not raining,sorry. Hope I am wrong. Looking forward to reading all about it.

Aloha!

Nope, HT - forecast is for hot and humid with scattered thunderstorms pretty much the entire time - just like on our first trip to SE Asia (also in July) 11 years ago. The weather back then certainly didn't stop us from returning almost every year...

Best wishes for a cheerful and aggravation-free trip.

Bon voyage! Your itinerary sounds wonderful. Enjoy.

My very first trip to Asia -- heavily coached here -- included United biz ORD-HKG as the major leg so I have enduring fondness for that flight. We have had a good experience each time we have taken it.

Our plans include a July week in Georgetown/Penang so I will look forward to comparing impressions.

Best wishes to both of you.

Have fun - and eat well!

Have fun and safe travels!

Bon Voyage!

Looking forward to your report as my husband & I are planning a trip there Sept/Oct 2012. Love gathering info for our trips. Have a great time. Chris

Sweet and smooth flights you two! (And my fine firm - and others - thank you in advance for spending money in our little home of Singapore; warm, sweet place.)

Have fun. (And on your UA HKG-SIN sectors, you could get lucky being served by one or more former SIA Girls. Great women; always makes those specific UA C rides that much more enjoyable for me.)

macintosh (robert)


... Fly the Friendly Skies ...

have fun... anxiously awaiting trip report and of course pics and more pics... enjoy clove hall--i'm sure you will... hope you are in club at IC---its the best we have ever experienced..

B&K

Have a fab time, really looking forward to hearing all, don't forget to eat the Nonya platter at Bon Ton.

I'll see you for a cocktail at the IC! I'll be there 11th to 14th, Club Floor.
Carol

Arrived in Singapore late last night. The Crowne Plaza Changi is pretty nice for an airport hotel (nicer than the Bangkok airport Novotel).

Carol, Jeane and I look forward to hooking up with you.

More later.

Glad you arrived safely. Enjoy Singapore!

Kathie, not in Singapore anymore (just another one-night stand .) But we are in Kuching - Pullman Hotel (Accor Group), just two years old, 19th floor (Club room) overlooking the Hilton and the river...

It was pouring in Singapore when we left at mid-day but weather in Kuching was partly cloudy and hot when we arrived so checked out the riverfront and main bazaar shops for 2 hours. A huge storm came through at dinner time so with our jet lag, we opted to do the one-hour buffet and drinks in the Club lounge - very, very good with lots of choices and Tiger beer.

Asia Air was actually pretty good - flight was delayed slightly due to the weather but was smooth otherwise. The plane was about half-full - Jeane lay down in a 3-seat row and slept for the entire trip. I just listened to tunes on my iPhone and shut my eyes for the 1-1/2 hour trip.

Carol, we are good to go.

Nicky, we are so looking forward to the Bon Ton and the Nonya platter at it's restaurant...

Orangutan sanctuary - saw 16 o's according to one young attendee from Australia.

Shopping is crappy but bought a bunch of Sarawak whole peppercorns.

Pool at the Pullman is good sized with some shade. Very refreshing in the afternoon.

Dinner at the Hot Spot: chile pepper crab and fried rice to soak up the delicious juices, red snapper grilled with garlic, midin fried with garlic and a big Tiger beer. AWESOME!

Unbelievable free computerized massage chairs in the exec lounge...

River was all lit up at night with entertainers, food and other Friday night activity.

O's are my fave! Good for you, Craig.
Food sounds delish.

Shopping is crappy? I guess we must be looking for different things. I bought a number of pieces of the traditional textiles. If Jeane would like some lovely things made in traditional patterns but in silk, visit Edric Ong's store.

The Sarawak peppercorns are fabulous. I was so sorry when we ran out of them several years ago. They have a unique "winey" flavor.

We loved the midrin/midin (jungle fiddleheads) we had several places in Sabah/Sarawak.

So glad you arrived ok and love the updates.

Hope the weather stays good for you all...Wish we were there .Anxious to hear what you think of Clove Hall. Be sure and get back for a late afternoon swim and "Tea" on the lawn.

trip report seems a bit lite???

Kathie, while Jeane is really not looking for textiles on this trip, we are disappointed with the quality and sameness of much of what is being sold here.

Karen, weather has been mostly hot and humid - it poured a couple of nights ago but that did not affect us. Forecast for today is sunny, clear and temps in the 90's.

Bob, as I stated at the beginning, this is not the "official" trip report. Otherwise you would know such fascinating details as how much we paid for our meal at the Top Spot hawker center and what we did for transport to see the orangutans. All in good time...

Craig, if you are interested in tribal arts, textiles or other items, you have to ask to see what is in the back of the shops. They keep their highest quality goods in back and only show them on request.

nothng like a good leg pull

Craig - David said the mustard mash with steak is one of his most favourite meals ever... ( top 3) which he ate ( along with the Nonya platter not on the same day) at Bon ton!!!!! Hope you enjoy it there and it's not a damp squib for you! Really looking forward to your more detailed report, hope you are enjoying yourselves? 6 weeks today and I will be in Singapore too!! Can't wait

Kathie, I think Jeane just does not care for the tribal items. Thanks for the suggestion though. Kuching is a very cool town and I am happy that we are here based on your recommendation...

Bob, my leg is all stretched - gotta get back to those massage chairs.

Nicky, we're totally going to chill at Bon Ton and hopefully enjoy the restaurant - I'll certainly consider Muffin's mm w/steak and, of course the Nonya platter. Too much food, too little time.

Did the Sarawak Cultural Village today - too many organized tours with locals. The Village itself is a bit disorganized but somewhat interesting - really seems to be geared towards organized tours (mostly with Malaysians) and the surrounding resorts. The cultural show was very good.

Visited the Sunday market also today - great local market which opens Saturday afternoon and hopping when we were there - lots of interesting food items for sale from vegies to fish, live turkeys, pet rabbits, toys, textiles etc.

Doing the highly recommended restaurant "Junk" tonight.

Head to Langkawi and Bon Ton tomorrow via KL. Not sure how much we will be in touch from there so be patient...

Loving the Bon Ton. Mangrove kayaking tour coming up today. Jeane and I shared both the Nonya platter and Muffin's beef dish at the Bon Ton's restaurant - our best meal so far...

I'm glad to hear you are enjoying yourselves. I'll be interested in your reactions to Georgetown.

bon ton is simply fab!!!

watch out for people eating snakes in the water

Well I hope that means it's your best meal so far because it was good, not because the others haven't been very good??
So glad you love Bon ton, I wonder if the ginger cat with the really bad limp is still there, he was gorgeous....

i think poor "ginger" was part of that meal.... it was ginger chicken right?

All the food has been good, even "ginger" (just kidding - the cat is still here limping around). The Bon Ton restaurant was exceptional. We also ate next door at the Temple Tree - good food but the cozy space overlooking the pool did not match the ambiance at the Bon Ton. The Temple Tree has a pool table and satellite TV though...

Kayaking tour was great. Sky was slightly overcast so while it was hot, it was not unbearable. We had a late seafood lunch as part of the tour so dinner was from the tapas menu at the Bon Ton.

On to Penang and Clove Hall this afternoon...

Enjoying your report but I suggest that you head due North and join Carol, MaryW and I for a GTG!

i have my fingers crossed that you love clove hall as much as we did...

cake and tea while in the swimming pool late afternoon is the best..

btw, we did not find the thai restaurant across the street to be good at all.... go downtown...

Craig, you mentioned a pool table at Temple Tree. Are you taking up the game of pool? I can show you some great places to play if you come to BKK, as Pook suggests, for our little GTG.

If not... I'll see you in SIN next week!

Carol

Craig vs Brad at pool - my money is on Brad!

craig is a shark in sheep's clothing...

Who's afraid of a furry shark?

Who's afraid of a furry shark?

No one.......it's Jeanne who scares me. My bet is that she is the pool shark of the family,lol

Cake and tea while swimming in the pool? You Bostonians have strange ways.....

Aloha!

.....Cake and tea while swimming in the pool? You Bostonians have strange ways.....

My thoughts exactly! I can't imagine.... I don't think it would play in Peoria!

I agree, gotta watch out for Jeane. She's tricky (as those of us who have seen her 'perform' at GTGs can attest to)

i would never eat cake in paris or peoria

You all beat me to it...I'd put my money on Jeane as well.

Sorry Brad but I've seen that woman in action. She's cute and well mannered, but got a wicked streak hiding in there. Plus she knows how to knock out teeth.

You got it in one lucy...Jean is the one to watch

Sorry to disappoint you guys but I cleaned her clock, 5 out of games...

We are enjoying Clove Hall. Although we were confirmed for the Saffron Suite, we are in the Cardamom Suite instead - mirror image but does not overlook the pool. I have yet to take this up with the manager as she has not been around when we have. Our hostess Irene has been wonderful - more to come about her in our trip report.

Yesterday was a public holiday in Georgetown to celebrate it's World Heritage status - lots of colorful street performances and photo ops last night. Spent the daylight hours wandering the Old Town. Toured the Blue Mansion which was so-so compared to our self-guided tour of the Peranakan Mansion (wait til you see the photos!) It was a hot and exhausting day but most rewarding. We have taken our dinners at restaurants with a/c which might disappoint some of our readers - a new one Sri Malaya and a fave of Bob's, Sire Int'l Rest & Museum. Both were good.

Touring Penang with Mr. Lee today. More to come.

Oops - should be "5 out of 5 games"

(Jeane LET you win, Craig!)

never beat your stock broker!!

I'll see you guys on Tuesday, if not before! Have a safe trip to SIN.

Arrived in Singapore at noon. The IC is everything we expected and more. Asian Civilizations Museum a highlight.

Had a great day yesterday touring Penang with Mr. Lee. The huge Kek Lok Si Buddhist temple was amazing - just did not expect this at all. Also did the Tropical Spice Garden which we really enjoyed and the Botanical Gardens which will be dwarfed by our visit to Singapore's tomorrow morning, I am sure.

Heading to the Grand Hyatt for their version of Singapore hawker food in air-conditioned comfort. Night Safari after diner...

After the Botanical gardens, tomorrow is a much-anticipated shopping day for Jeane - she has purchased virtually nothing so far.

Perhaps those who disdain air conditioning are just rehearsing for their afterlife.

Great detail on the report; thx.

Craig, your trip sounds fab and I have now added the AC museum to my list for when I am in SP. Can't wait for the "official" trip report.

Made it to the Botanic Gardens about 9 am. Not too hot - spent 2-1/2 hours there. The National Orchid Garden section was awesome!

Scoped out Tanglin area near the Botanica Garden - some interesting clothing and furniture for Jeane. Tomorrow we will go back and make some purchases.

Crazy, maybe but we are going to check out Sky 57 at Marina Bay Sands tonight.

Zoo, more shopping and simpsonc510 tomorrow...

All sounds perfect. I remember seeing a carving in Tanglin years ago and I STILL regret not buying it. Have fun tomorrow.

Nicky, craig will get it for you!!

Sky at 57 was wonderful. We were fortunate to have a beautiful sunset which we watched outside with our pre-dinner (very expensive) drink. The food was fantastic (more later on this, including some photos) and the view throughout the evening was spectacular. With a Singapore $80 minimum on food only, our check with two drinks each exceeded anything you could ever imagine...

Went to the zoo after breakfast this morning with simpsonc510 (we also ran into each other at the lounge last night). The zoo was wonderfully shady and one of the best we have been to. We spent 2-1/2 hours there. Shopping was not productive - went to the Dempsey road area - too many upscale shops, too little time. Frustrating that we did not have more time in Singapore to cover it all. We will return.

Off for home very early tomorrow - flight departs at 6:05 am - uggh!

Lucky you! When we were there it was raining so didn't bother to go up. Glad you had a good time and look forward to your photos.

Have a safe trip back home!

Safe trip back and looing forward to the "real trip report" and of course the pictures.

It sounds like you had a fine time. I'll look forward to your trip report.

how about a boston GTG in singapore next time??

have a good flight

A BOS GTG in SIN sounds good to me, Bob! I really love SIN.

Boy voyage, dearest Craig and Jeane. I hope your upgrades manage to stay intact all the way home for you. I really enjoyed the dinner and conversation in the lounge last night. Sharing the day's experiences, stories, friends, etc. Fun fun fun. Have a safe trip home.

Carol

isn't it odd how different bkk and sin are??

Well, this is a first - stranded in Hong Kong due to mech difficulties - Grand Hyatt.

Now at hotel - not much time to do much - no word yet on departure time but expect it to be very early am. No info of course on connections to Hartford. View of Kowloon is rather nice from 27th floor but at this point we'd like to be be heading home.

What? I thought they would have fixed the plane, from the time of your first post, by now! This is crazy - what airline are you flying Craig? I would insist on transferring to another airline in the equivalent class. Don't tell me they put you up in the airport Regal hotel?

Also, a good time to check your travel insurance as I believe most have clause for delays. Or even if you paid for you ticket by a premium credit card, they have flight delay payment as well....

Departure time is 19:00 tomorrow which is about 12 hours later than I would have expected. Looking at alternatives but our bags are on the plane and they will take them off if we are not on the flight.

Man that's another full day, over 24 hours from now! Make them put you on another flight or airline! I've done that in the past by just "strongly" insist that you must be home.

We're okay - now leaving on the regular noon flight in biz all the way to Hartford, arriving late Thursday.

Don't you hate it...when you have done months of planning and research and then there is a blip in the road , that YOU have NO control over. As long as you are safe, then there is always a plan B. Maybe not the one you like, but traveling is rolling over those blips. At least you were in a comfortable place to wait it out. Safe trip home.

Well, an unplanned stay in Hong Kong. At least they put you up at the Grand Hyatt. I hope all will go smoothly now.

i agree with kathie....GH in HK, how sweet is that....

don't worry, i went to jeane's office this AM, and every patient who comes in i pull 3 teeth so cash is flowing...

Wow, stranded in HKG. I hope everything worked out OK for you. Ah, the adventures of travelling abroad. At least you are flying in biz all the way home from there.

I'm off the the SIN airport shortly, for my flt back to BKK.

Waiting for our "new" flight in the HKG RCC lounge. Managed to get 2 seats together upstairs for the 14 hr flight to ORD. Thanks for all of your kind wishes. Grand Hyatt was excellent btw. We had a meal allowance so the only expenses we incurred were for wifi access and the taxi back to the airport. The service at the Grand Hyatt was great from putting us on the 27th floor (of 30) to the 4 free bottles of water we received at the restaurant when we asked.

welcome home!!

Not home yet, but closer. Flight was delayed for almost 2 hours due to weather which assured that we would miss the flight we were waitlisted for in coach and take the next one in 1st class with a 3 hour layover in the Chicago red carpet club. Flight from HKG was otherwise pleasant with friendly flight attendants and sympathetic passengers. Note to self and other Fodorites: avoid tight connections when arriving internationally at O'Hare - between immigration, baggage claim, the shuttle between terminals and lines at security, it takes a while. There was even a line to get into the RCC.

Travel is an adventure! You are right about tight connections at ORD. Because int'l flights come into terminal 5, one always has to check into a different terminal after clearing immigration and customs.

Glad you had a nice ride from HKG to ORD. The Hyatt sounds great. Was it by the airport or in the city or on Kowloon? I suppose by the HKG airport, although you do mention taxi fare to get back for your flight.

Hopefully you are back in Hartford soon. Keep smiling!

Carol

(My own flight from SIN to BKK was delayed one hour, but the pilot said it was because of air traffic, not weather)

by international rules i think they were to provide you transportation to and from as well???

The Grand Hyatt is on the Hong Kong side, and is not close to the airport. I'd much rather be put up at the Grand Hyatt than at one of the airport hotels!

Yes, the GH is on the island - 35 min from the airport. I am writing this from Htfd so we are home at last.

We would have had transportation both ways if we had not changed flights. Perhaps I should apply for a refund of our taxi fare.

i think a refund would depend on the rules governing the change of flights... but go for it!!

did they send you to the hyatt or did you go there on your own?

Arrived home with all of our bags at about 11:30 pm. United was able to remove our luggage from the other aircraft at the last minute.

United sent us to the Hyatt and provided a bus to get all of the biz and 1st class passengers there.

I'll start work on the "official" trip report this weekend.

anxious to read all the details...

dump united and start using a "real" airline....

So glad you guys made it home!!

Glad you made it back. Anxious to hear all the details of your trip.

LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA

Awoke at 4 am to catch our Malaysia Airlines flight to Langkawi via Kuala Lumpur. We had ordered a room service breakfast the night before and while it arrived a little late, we were not charged for it. I was concerned that Malaysia Airlines would hit us with about $200 worth of excess baggage charges. However, the gate agent told us that if we carried on one of our rollies (in addition to our other 2 carry-ons), we would not exceed the 20 kg/person limit. I felt it was necessary to fly Malaysia Airlines for this leg rather than Air Asia so that our bags could be checked through to Langkawi. The extra hassle of retrieving and rechecking bags at KL was not worth the savings we would have had with Air Asia. Both Malaysia Airlines flights were fairly full. We had a free meal on the flight to KL and soft drinks on the flight to Langkawi. Both flights left and arrived on time. At Langkawi, we retrieved our bags and picked up our voucher for the 15 minute taxi ride (MYR 18 or about $6) to the Bon Ton Resort.

We loved the Bon Ton. It was raining a bit when we arrived but that gave us an excuse to relax and explore the resort. For those that have not been there, the Bon Ton consists of 8 reconstructed 60-year-old Malay villas that have been updated with all of the modern amenities plus a rain shower bath that opens to the outdoors, dual sinks (the only place we stayed at on this trip that head them) and an antique wooden bath tub. Our bed and our living space were huge with plenty of nooks and crannies to store things and a safe to store our valuables. The a/c was designed mainly to keep the sleeping area cool and it was very effective at doing this. If we had one complaint though, it would be that our villa could get pretty warm during the daytime, even with the oscillating fan on and the windows open to catch the cross breeze. Just before sunset each evening, our housekeeper would put the next morning’s breakfast in our tiny refrigerator and prepare our room for the evening by shutting all of the windows, pulling down the mosquito netting around the bed and plugging in a couple of electric mosquito zappers. Mosquitos weren’t really a problem though, except on our first day because of the rain.

Our villa was the “Laguna”, so named because it faces a lagoon where we could see water buffalo in the distance and many species of birds. All of the units were strategically placed for privacy but I liked Laguna’s location the best. It was wonderful having breakfast on our covered porch each morning with the lagoon right there in front of us. We were told that the Bon Ton was originally a waterfront property. We weren’t told exactly what changed but we think that the land was reclaimed to build the airport which thus relegated the Bon Ton to the status of an inland resort. Incidentally, while several of the beachfront resorts on Langkawi were hit hard by the 2004 tsunami, the Bon Ton was saved by its location. The location was not a big deal to us though as we are not beach people. For swimming and cooling off, guests can use the uncrowded pools at both the Bon Ton and the Temple Tree, the sister resort next door. There are no televisions in the villas but the Temple Tree has a large flat screen TV in its pool room. Jeane and I spent most of the afternoon playing pool there on our first day while drinking the house New Zealand Chardonnay. For those that crave Internet access two PC’s are located in the gift shop that guests are free to use. There is also free Wi-Fi access throughout the resort.

On our first night we had dinner at Bon Ton’s open-air Nam Restaurant. Smeagol had told us that we had to order both the Nyonya Platter (9 local dishes served on a banana leaf) and the Seared Fillet of Beef with Mashed Potatoes, Mustard Relish and Balsamic Sauce (her boyfriend’s favorite). Jeane and I decided to order both and share. We were glad we did - we thoroughly enjoyed them.

Next up - our next two days on Langkawi. Gotta go to work now...

Craig - you have posted this on the wrong thread!! (enjoying it though!)