Trying to let Lydia sleep in the lounge since our flight didn’t leave until 11:50pm Vancouver time (1:50am Winnipeg time)

We all managed to sleep at least 7 hours but that wasn’t even half the flight! Lots of movies were watched. We landed in Singapore just before 7:00am (on Saturday) which meant the entire day was ahead of us.

We had planned to stay in an arrival lounge and then check out the changi airport which doesn’t open until 10:00am, but the lounge was full. We decided not to stay at the airport and took the train into the city instead.

Playground at the Changi airport

MRT train

We were very thankful that our hotel room was ready early and we could put our bags down and brush our teeth.

We were all starving so we decided to try Singapore’s most popular breakfast called Kaya toast. It’s very thin toast with kaya (coconut jam) and butter. It’s served with soft boiled eggs that you add soy sauce to. It sounds super strange and we were a little weary to try it but honestly it was delicious, even Lydia loved it!

Not pictured: some very strong, much needed coffee.

All fueled up and feeling better we headed to Gardens by the Bay. We visited the cloud forest which has a Jurrasic Park theme as well as the flower dome. There were plants from all over the world and it was pretty amazing! Lydia loved all the dinosaur spotting.

Jurrasic Park music played as you entered

Picture with a baby dinosaur 🤪

Her patience was beginning to wear thin

The flower dome had an interesting “Swiss” installation.

We were all starting to get a bit crabby and knew it was time for more food so we stopped in Chinatown. We went to one of their famous Hawker Centres (a place where all the street food vendors come together). We had 3 foods on our list that we wanted to try and ended up having them all.

Chicken Rice. Name says it all but it was so good! Super flavorful and tender.

“Carrot cake” which actually has no carrot and is made of radish. 😋

Did you know that the #1 fast food restaurant in the world isn’t McDonald’s? It’s actually a chain called Mixue, mostly only available in Asia. It’s primarily ice cream and bubble tea. Yummy but nothing crazy.

Bubble tea ice cream + grape and taro drink

We then went back to our hotel to relax a bit. Nick is going to F1 tonight and Lydia and I went to the hotel pool and are currently fighting to stay up until 7pm. She is such a trooper, what an incredibly long day! More pictures from Nick’s F1 adventures to come!

Nick’s F1 experience:

He watched a band called “Baby Metal”

We are staying in a small historic hotel built in 1927 right in the heart of the city. We’re in an old “shop house” where families would carry out their trades on the main floor and live upstairs.

Lydia is very happy to have her own room!

First things first: food! It was nearly 3pm and we hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Malaysia is has representative from many cultures including Malay, Indian, Chinese, and colonial influences. For lunch we decided on a popular Indian restaurant.

Next it was time to explore. Georgetown is a UNESCO world heritage site because it was historically a hub of trade between the east and west. We visited the Chew Jetty’s, a community of floating buildings built by Chinese clans who came to work here over a century ago. Today it’s a mix of shops and homes.

Penang is also know for its street art

It was so HOT today 🥵

We walked around a bit more but Lydia was getting pretty tired so we went back to the hotel to rest in air conditioning.

Malaysia is primarily Muslim country and as a result, alcohol is quite expensive!

After a bit of a rest we walked and explored a bit more. Then made our way back for Lydia to get some rest.

It was a great day and Lydia was a real trooper again. I think we’ve been walking at least 15k steps a day!

The top of this hill was pretty socked in so we didn’t get to see too much of the view but it was still beautiful.

We visited The Habitat which is a big rainforest. We saw monkeys which Lydia really enjoyed.

Some really neat canopy walks

We grabbed a quick bite to eat before visiting Kok Lok Si temple, the biggest Buddhist temple in Malaysia.

Noodles and a burger

We took a cable car to the top of the temple and then walked down. It was all unnecessarily complicated and treacherous at times but we made it. The temple was stunning.

Lydia made an offering on their wishing tree

We came back to the hotel to rest a bit. Nick got us some fresh papaya and mango from a local stand. Yum!

For dinner we went to a local spot and tried Nasi Lemak and char kway teo (noodles). Lydia chose what she wanted…a big bowl of bok Choy!

She ate it all

We explored a bit more on the way home and called it a night! Another 15k step day.

Monitor Lizards also like swimming in the pool

We walked down the beach to a lunch spot. Unfortunately the water is filled with jellyfish so it isn’t recommend to swim. Too bad because it is beautiful!

Lunch views

Beers for us, milkshake for missy

We spent around 6 hours at the resort. Totally worth the price for the day pass. We were pretty tired so we took a grab taxi home which cost $6.

For dinner we went to a halal restaurant. We didn’t know what to expect but the flavors were unlike anything we’ve had before. I had a beef randang and Nick had a chicken dish I can’t remember the name of. It was all so good! Might have been the best meal so far.

Chicken satay for Lydia. She ate all of those raw onions.

It was a nice way to spend our last day in Penang. Tomorrow we’re off to a new city!

We hopped on a ferry and then a 4 hour train to Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur (KL) is totally different from Penang. There are huge skyscrapers and people everywhere. We are staying at an Airbnb this time which has a huge wrap-around balcony. The views are spectacular!

Before we left Lydia said she was most excited to eat dumplings and so that’s what we did tonight! 😋

We then got to see the Petronas towers lit up at night and watched a light show in KLCC park. Tomorrow we will explore some more!

View from our balcony

Yes that’s sweat from being on Nick’s back

You have to be careful of monkeys living at the temple as they can steal food, sunglasses, and cell phones from tourists. We saw a woman’s watermelon being stolen right from her hands!

Mama and baby

After the Batu Caves we visited KLCC park again for Lydia to play at the playground.

We got another view of the towers during the day

For lunch we went to a popular Malasian restaurant in the mall and ticked off a few more dishes we wanted to try.

Curry Laksa

Cendol- a popular malasian dessert. I was the only one who liked it.

They even had a kids menu. Lydia was very happy to have spaghetti.

We walked through the mall and picked up a few groceries before coming home to relax and use the pool.

We had the rooftop pool to ourselves! The views are unreal!

For dinner we went to the famous Jalan Alor night market. It was a lot different from the ones in Thailand. There were still small stalls but most people eat at a series of outdoor restaurants. We settled on a Chinese restaurant and ordered too much food! It was delicious though!

Can’t take this girl away from her Bok Choy

Clams. I think?

Satay

Pork noodles

Squid battered in creamy egg

After Lydia went to bed Nick and I got to enjoy the nighttime views from our balcony!

She wants to buy everything! We settled on taking a picture instead.

Famous peanut pancake

Yum

Mochi coated in peanuts 😋😋

Temple

For lunch we went to a Michelin star Chinese beef noodle spot. We queued about 10 minutes to get in and then waited about 30 minutes for our food but I’d say it was worth it!

We wandered around Chinatown for a bit longer before Lydia really had to use the bathroom. It was a good excuse to sit and have a beer!

These 2 beers cost $23 CAD

We came back to our apartment to relax. Lydia and Nick went swimming while I perused the malls a bit more. Didn’t buy much but did pickup some Asian sunscreen.

It’s our last night in Malaysia so we opted for more traditional food tonight. I couldn’t tell you what it was but the flavors were incredible. I don’t think we’ll ever eat these foods again (unless we come back)!

Missy was pumped to get a hamburger. She ate it all.

Something Malaysians do really well are drinks. Because they don’t drink alcohol there are endless drink options!

Pineapple juice

White coffee & Bandung

Soursop & Teh Tarik

White coffee & passionfruit soda

We walked around yet another mall before heading home.

It’s almost Diwali and the festivities are starting to ramp up!

We walked to an artisanal coffee shop which offered coffee from all over the world. We settled on a coffee from Uganda which was interesting!

After that it was time to pack our bags and make the trip 1.5 hour train journey to the airport. Our flight to Bali took around 3 hours and then it took forever to get through customs. Currently enjoying a 2 hour drive to our accommodation, let’s hope it’s all worth it tomorrow!

Nick and I celebrate our 12 year anniversary today and we wanted somewhere special to relax. After eating breakfast at the resort we swam in our pool for the entire morning.

We ventured off resort for lunch at a fried chicken place. It only cost $5 for 3 meals and 3 drinks!

We relaxed more in the afternoon.

These beautiful flowers are constantly falling from the trees above us

We ate dinner at the restaurant at our resort. I don’t think Bali is known for their food but it was still very tasty. Nick even got the restaurant to play our wedding song, what a sweetheart ❤️

Lydia took pictures of us dancing ❤️

What a perfect day. I couldn’t imagine a better way to celebrate and couldn’t ask for a better partner in life.

We had lunch at a warung (local restaurant) and I enjoyed a Balinese massage in the afternoon which only cost $12 CAD! It was heaven.

Turtles at the on-site spa

For dinner we went to a cute restaurant which was really tasty. They pick you up and drop you off which was great but we did have to wait a pretty long time for a ride. Still good though!

Seafood platter, crispy duck, and spaghetti

Trying the local spirit called arak

Strawberry smoothie

Tomorrow we leave this oasis for the hustle and bustle of Ubud.

After that we headed to Besikah Temple, Bali’s “mother temple”. 90% of the Balanise are Hindu which makes this place so special. Everyone has their own mini temple inside their house to pray each day and they make pilgrimages to the main temples for big events. When you’re driving down the street it’s hard to make out what is a temple and what is a house!

We stopped for a quick lunch before making the grueling 2 hour journey to Ubud.

Ubud is very busy but we are staying in some rice fields just a 10 minute walk from the city center. It is super tranquil and quiet here, we can hear frogs and watch fireflies in the evening! We did have to to take a short motorbike ride here which Lydia thought was exciting, I thought it was a little terrifying!

Views from our villa

We ate dinner and came back to our place for an evening swim.

Fish curry

Private pool at our villa

She’s looking so grown up lately!

Those are our villas in the distance

After we ate we walked to the Campuhan ridge walk which was ok, it was nice to be away from the hustle and bustle but it is extremely hot and humid. We stopped at a cafe with nice views to cool off.

It was then time for lunch at a nearby warung.

Smoothie bowl

Mie Goreng

Beef Randung

After that we checked out some local shops. The markets are crazy busy and the haggling here is next level. The merchants will give you a price for an item and as you walk away will start shouting lower and lower prices at you. We got a seashell windchime at about 40% of the original price he first quoted.

Lydia was promised ice cream for being such a trooper today.

Next up was a visit to the Ubud palace. Lydia always spots the best places for pictures and is happy to pose for them!

By afternoon Lydia and I were pretty tired and decided to spend some time by the pool. Nick went out for more exploring and got himself a pretty cool ring, I think it was only $2.

Time for dinner at another local warung. The servers were so sweet and gave Lydia some bracelets for free. The Balinese people are incredibly kind.

She got a full adult meal of Mahi Mahi and ate pretty much all of it

“Spicy” chicken curry. We had to ask for more chilis because they really dial it back for tourists.

Next we went to Ulu Petanu Waterfall because you have to see at least 1 while you’re in Bali. Many are difficult to reach and require intense hikes but this one was pretty easy to get to.

Our driver recommended a restaurant with some really nice views. Everything in Bali is so incredibly beautiful, it’s unbelievable.

The restaurant even had a play area for the kids

I had gado-gado which is Balinese salad

After lunch we went to a water temple called Pura Tirta. It is believed that the water is healing so people will come here to bathe in it. We chose not to do that, but it seemed to be a popular option.

Our driver recommended a local coffee farm which turned out to be very interesting. We got to learn around how the coffee is made but also got to see inside a traditional Balinese home.

Lydia playing a traditional instrument

Inside of the home

They roast all the beans by hand and then grind them by hand as well

This is a lampung. It eats coffee beans and then poops it out. They then harvest the beans and make coffee.

We were shown how to make the traditional offerings we see everywhere

Next it was time to try the coffee and tea. We ended up buying some coconut coffee and mangosteen tea.

Lydia got to feed the fish which she was very excited for!

The incredible grounds at the coffee farm

We were all pretty spent so we decided to head back home for a quick swim and dinner.

The restaurant we went to for dinner. We were the only ones there!

It was a busy but great day!

Pic from google

We had a late dinner and a late bedtime for missy.

Bbq ribs are a thing here. They were yummy!

The breakfast restaurant had a ton of cats and Lydia was very happy to get a picture with one.

We took another short motorbike ride out.

After meeting our driver, our first stop was a butterfly park. Lydia loved this, she even got to hold a giant one that had just come out of its cocoon- it flew away after we held it!

Right nearby is a really nice waterfall. Lydia and Nick even waded in.

We stopped for lunch at yet another beautiful spot before making the couple hours drive to Tanah Lot. Bali is so beautiful and special but man we won’t miss the traffic!

We’re only staying in Tanah Lot for 1 night partly because we wanted to stay for sunset and partly because I got us a room at a really nice hotel for only $40 haha.

Had enough time for a quick dip

There is a famous temple here that sits on the coast. It was super busy so we will try to visit again in the morning.

We also wanted to see a traditional Balinese dance and tonight felt like the perfect night for it. The show was amazing! Everyone enjoyed it.

We had a late dinner and called it a night!

Pork belly fried rice. Popcorn chicken for Lydia.

We had breakfast included with our stay and for $40 a night it was the best breakfast yet.

We puttered around Tanah Lot some more, checking out some shops and enjoyed the boardwalk before getting a taxi to take us to Seminyak. It was 17km and only took 1 hour so that was a win!

Found another cat. This one was very tolerant of Lydia. She named it Luna.

We stopped at a local warung for lunch and checked into our hotel. This one has the benefit of a kids club where we can drop Lydia off for a few hours and they have activities and toys so we took advantage of that. Lydia didn’t want to leave!

Balcony views

Kids club

A couple beers while she was at the club

And we went to a nearby cafe

We were supposed to have a professional photographer takes some pictures of us but unfortunately he couldn’t make the commute due to rain. I was pretty disappointed but we went to the beach anyway to checkout the sunset.

For dinner we went to a BBQ spot. Everything was very tasty but we were a little disappointed with the portions.

That’s it for today. Only one more full day in Bali before we say goodbye to this country!

She was very happy with the breakfast choices

Nick and I had a nice morning that started off getting some massages. We got a 30min foot and a 30min back massage, it was heaven! Nick said that the woman was standing on his back haha! Thankfully they didn’t do that to me because of my spinal cord injury.

After the massages we walked to the main shopping area but we don’t need anything else and our bags are at max capacity as it is!

We grabbed Lydia for lunch. We decided to have some sushi which was superb.

Lydia loves raw fish

We dropped Lydia off again, she had an absolute blast making new friends. The ladies working there are so nice and Lydia was hugging them all by the end of the day.

Nick and I chilled by the pool all afternoon!

We grabbed Lydia and watched one more sunset at the beach before having dinner.

Looks stormy but nothing came our way

Pictures don’t do it justice!

Our last dinner was at a more upscale place and the food was my favorite so far.

Nasi Campur

Fish & Chips

We took a taxi to the airport and sat at a lounge for a few hours before boarding our plane back to Singapore.

We got in pretty late and still needed to eat. Food was great but man is it ever expensive here!

A boring but necessary day. We only have 2 more sleeps until we head home!

We spent the next 5 hours exploring the zoo. The Singapore zoo is unique because there are very few enclosures and you get to see the animals really close up.

They also put on a variety of shows. We watched 3, I liked the sea lion one best.

We took a cab ride back to our hotel and enjoyed the pool. Lydia has spent so much time in pool this trip that she’s starting to swim on her own!

For dinner we had Korean hot pot. I got us a deal so it was reasonably priced for once. Definitely won’t miss the prices in this country.

She ate mostly shrimp and raw veggies

What a fantastic time we had these last 3 weeks. It wasn’t without its troubles, Lydia has definitely been more opinionated this time around and we’ve all had days where we were a bit crabby but it was all worth it. We have made some memories we’ll never forget! We aren’t looking forward to the long journey home (or the jet lag) but it will be nice to get back to our normal routines.