Okay.
I take back my words.
I was wrong.
I ABSOLUTELY ENJOYED BANJARAN AND AM LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING BACK AGAIN SOMETIME SOON!!!
view from reception area
Day 1:
We agreed to meet up with parents and sisters at the Sg. Buloh R&R at 10am and head up to Ipoh together. The night before we left, Jodie called me and told me that mummy was prepared for us to be late and to arrive at only 10.30am (because we're always late).
Of course when I heard that, I was determined to prove them wrong and show them that we weren't always late la. So I told SK to get everything packed and that we will leave the house by latest 9am!
Miraculously, we did leave the house by 9am!
Ok. 9.30am.
But important thing was, we got there before them and even had time to have breakfast!
So take that. Hmph!
We arrived in Ipoh at about 1pm and stopped to have lunch at one of the coffee shops.
Restaurant New Hollywood.
Nama glamour saja tapi memang coffee shop.
And SK insisted that he's brought me there before during our dating days but I have no recollection whatsoever. He must have mistaken me for one of his many girlfriends. Player.
our private plunge pool
We each had our own villas but each villa was so big I think all of us could have stayed together in one. But they only allow 2 adults per villa that's why we had to take 3.
So mummy and daddy had one.
Jodie and Sarah had one.
And SK, Renee and I had one.
The villas were so big and gorgeous we were 'Ooh-ing' and 'Aah-ing' at everything.
Upon entering the doors to our own respective villas, we were greeted with the gorgeous view of our own private plunge pool.
A huge living / dining area faced the pool, facing the open greenery that surrounded the villas and of course, the spectacular caves around as well.
We were surrounded by lush greenery, hot water springs everywhere and really tall natural caves.
warm water pool outside our villas
It was raining when we checked in so we spent the afternoon checking out our own villas, unpacking our toiletries and just getting used to what was to be our 'home' for the next 3 days.
When the rain slowed down, we headed out to the warm water pool and just lazed there for the remaining daylight hours.
We had huge lizards lazing around the pool with us.
Talk about being one with nature.
the lizard that lepak-ed with us
We also tried out the hot-springs dipping wells but it was soooooo hot, I couldn't even put my feet in for more than 5 seconds!
I really do not know how mummy, daddy and SK could sink their whole bodies in.
Just sitting around it was making me perspire.
So while the 3 of them dipped in the BOILING HOT WATER, Jodie, Sarah, Renee and I sat squatting down around the well like monkeys, afraid to have our feet touch the water.
Sarah did try putting her legs in for more than 10 seconds and they came out RED.
Like boiled lobster red.
In her words, it was so stressful!
surrounded by natural hot springs that was too hot for people to be allowed into it
We then went to check out the Dr. Fish Spa, which was a shallow pond filled with tiny fishes that eats away your dead skin when you soak your feet inside.
I happily enjoyed having them pick at all my dead skin that I didn't even realize that one part of my feet started bleeding.
They were freaking chewing on me!
I never went back again after that.
the dipping wells where the 'cooler' water were, kononlah. Was still so HOT!
We had dinner at The Pomelo, their in-house restaurant.
Too lazy to drive out for dinner after the long drive from KL and Renee was sleepy as well.
It was buffet-styled dinner and I was expecting 'light, healthy dishes' as was stated in their website so I wasn't really looking forward to it.
But boy was I surprised when I saw their array of food!
There was Acar, Kerabu Mangga, Kerabu Chicken Feet, Cold Cuts, preserved fruits, tom yum seafood soup, steamed rice, ayam masak kicap, ikan pedas, stir-fried vege, ginger beef, and all sorts of desserts, cakes, fruits and puddings!
Of course the variety is nothing compared to our 5-star hotels in KL la but for a retreat, the food was good enough lor.
So that was Day 1 of the Banjaran weekend getaway and so far, I was already falling in love with the place.
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