You will agree with me, you cannot go wrong with the food in Penang. Malaysia is definitely the paradise for foodies all around the world and one place stood at the very top will be Penang! If you are looking for a slice of heaven, then let me assure you, you will want to take the stairway to Penang Island. This is the every foodie’s heaven. Penang has been voted more than once as the haven for street food. Sounds good? Just hop on the next bus to Penang already!

If you are still going to the regular eateries like Gurney Drive, you are not doing it right. Here are the top 8 eateries for you to eat like a local.

1. Penang Road Teochew Chendol

Just like many other delicacies, there are many places in Penang where you can get a mean bowl of chendol but if you are planning to experience on local eating ways then you will need to go Penang Road. Some says that this is the birthplace of this delicious dessert. The original taste simply cannot be compared with those from the franchised air conditioning stores. Come to think of it, having a bowl of cold chendol while standing under the scorching sun is simply delightful. The thirst-quenching bowl of chendol will help you defeat the heat!

2. Wai Kee Char Siew Rice

To be candid, i have never thought Penang could be famous for char siew rice. Here, you will get the perfect combination of roasted pork, char siew, roasted duck, roasted chicken and Chinese sausage. The char siew is barbequed at a very delicate level where the fat will melt in your tongue and don’t even get me started with one of the crispiest roasted pork in Penang.

3. Hong Kong Tea Garden

Hong Kong Tea Garden is a good example of a private hawker market where stalls arise around an already existing restaurant. The coffee shop is located along Macalister Road, directly opposite Court’s Mammoth. The food is ranges from all time favorite fried oyster, clay pot noodles, roasted ducks, dim sum and fried koay teow.

4. Tua Pui Curry Mee

Kimberley Street is one of the many streets in Penang that offers the best of the culinary Penang has to offer. But one that stands out will be Tua Pui Curry Mee. The curry mee is fames for its array of toppings that you can add on to your bowl of warming curry mee. You can easily find the curry mee in a mountain with curry chicken, curry squid, fish balls and cockles.

5. Balik Pulau Asam Laksa @ Nan Guang Coffee Shop

Asam Laksa is indeed a famous local delicacy in Penang and it is even coined as Penang Laksa for being an indigenous food of Penang. You can find asam laksa in every nook and corner of Penang but one specifically stands out will be Nan Guang Coffee Shop’s Asam Laksa.

Beyond the buzzing city with bumper-to-bumper traffic and premium complexes and high rises, lies a quiet town named Balik Pulau. Although it sounds like a place far away from the city, it is actually still consider a stone throw away with 15 to 30 minutes drive away from Georgetown. This is the very place for you to get a taste full of the famous asam laksa.

6. Peng Hwa Lok Lok @ Pulau Tikus Market

Lok Lok means Dip Dip in Cantonese where you dip skewered food in hot boiling water until when it ends up cooked. After that, you dip the food with the sauces whichever you prefer. There is a number of skewers for you to choose from that is seafood to vegetables.

This is no ordinary Lok Lok stall when you get to sit in a round table and have all the ingredients you have chosen to cook in the communal pot in the middle of the table. Besides the impressive selection of food items, the most important aspect of the entire process with be their dipping sauce. They provide up to 6 types of dipping sauce that basically cater to everyone’s taste.

7. Goodall Café

Goodall café has been well established for many years and is familiar to almost every local Penangites. You can basically find all the local delights here but top the list of many will be their curry fish head, chicken satay, wan tan mee and popiah.

8. Tandoori Naan Set at Kaasim Mustafa Nasi Kandar

Tandoori chicken which is the Flamingo esque, Indian grilled staple hen was first adopted by the locals hen the Indians first arrived in Penang just after Penang had being colonized by the British in the 1800. If you take a walk across most of the shops, you will come to notice that there are tandoori chickens hanging on long spikes. However, these are not the same as the tandoori at Kassim Mustafa Nasi Kandar.

The Tandoori here is special and above all, open 24/7 to serve people from all walks of life. This is normally served together with any naan you prefer. The Chicken is also served with a sweetened tomato and mint chutneys, a yellow daal and a collection of lime carrot and onions to use at your own preference. The serving will also include mango or pineapple lassi. The Tandoori chicken can be taken as an early morning snack or a late dinner serving depending on your preference.

There you have it, regardless where you travel to, you should absolutely eat like a local as only then you will get the true taste of the destination.

The post Eat like a local in Penang appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

Thanks to the internet that most of us can’t seem to live without, everything is just a click away. From getting your favourite outfit to ordering food online to even purchasing your gadgets online, the internet has everything, just search it up in the toolbar and you will be presented with thousands of options.

That’s not all, if travelling is what you crave for, getting all your travel preparation done from flights to hotel can be done online. (LIKE WHAT??). But if your wallet does not allow what your soul craves for, this is where Traveloka comes in like a superhero. Saving your day with cheap flights and great hotel deals that you can never find anywhere, let me repeat that again, YOU CAN NEVER FIND ANYWHERE, Traveloka Malaysia will surely be your ultimate favourite page (It has surely been mine).

Why Traveloka?

With a plethora of travel apps and websites that can be found online, finding for the best offers for flights and hotels can be quite a headache. With these many platforms, which will be your ultimate choice?

I love travelling whenever I feel like it, some may be planned and most of it is based on impulse. I could never wait around for great promotional seats that flies like what, next year? NO WAY! All I wanted when I leave on a spontaneous trip tomorrow, two weeks from now or even 5 months away, was a convenient page that finds the best deals for me whenever I want.

After months of depending on Skyscanner, I coincidentally stumbled upon Traveloka. Count me lucky or what, but I found my best money saving deals on this page that I couldn’t find anywhere else and made it my go-to travel website for all my travel needs – hotels and flight.

Trust me when I say that this travel page is surely the next big thing especially for Southeast Asian Travel. Here are why:

• Best all-round convenience
  Traveloka offers their wonderlust customers a complete, amazing solution- book for the cheapest flight tickets and hotels all around South East Asia at the SAME TIME with great savings. Your wallet will surely thank you for this.

• Best Price
  The Team behind the brand filters only the best, lowest prices for both flight tickets and hotels in South East Asia so that you never have to bother with other websites.

• Honest Price
  Be rest assured that there are no hidden, hanky-panky business going on under the table. The price that you see on the website is what you pay at the end. Everything, the extras and whatnot are all included.

• Promo quick finder
  Check for the cheapest price from the last 48 hours just by clicking on the dates. For impulsive travelers like me, this is so awesome because I get to pick on deals whenever I want. Do keep in mind that the prices are subject to change at any time.

The best part of all this, THEIR APP. This travel page has created an app both for the android users and the IOS users to make their life, I mean booking easier. Finding for the perfect Traveloka hotels and flights can now be done anywhere, at the comfort of your own house or even while you are having your coffee outside.

So, just like what I did, make Traveloka your ultimate, travel website when it comes to convenient and money-saving booking.

The post Travel Made Easy with Traveloka Malaysia appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

Wondering an exciting retreat for the next break? It’s time to steal a glance to Ipoh. The capital of Perak state situated on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia has a lovely nature and numerous recreational spots.

The nature of Ipoh is really shady and serene. Some of them even can be very adventurous. Aside nature, there is the Orang Asli village with their incredible customs.

So, Ipoh is worth to visit because it offers you a great retreat. Retreat in Ipoh may also flawless if you stay at the best Ipoh Hotel. Especially for you, this recommendation handpicked 3 first class Ipoh hotels for the impeccable retreat.

The Banjaran Hotspring Retreat

Persiaran Lagun Sunway 3 no. 1

This is the best Ipoh Hotel for those seeking the impeccable retreat. The 5-star hotel is combining the unbelievable facilities, where the guest is brought to stay amidst nature, embraces dense rainforest, limestone hills, natural caves, waterfalls, and the signature – geothermal natural hot springs.

The accommodation consists of 25 private villas that perfectly designed mingling with the natural scene. You can choose between the Garden Villas that set amidst the garden or the Water Villas that set like floating on the natural lake. The entire villas are offered with private pool, patio, outdoor bathroom, and geothermal hot spring pool as the Jacuzzi.

The #1 Ipoh hotel completes the retreat with outstanding facilities. The signature absolutely the geothermal hot spring Jacuzzi that lies on the 16-acre area. There is a unique sauna set inside the private cave with the crystal-clear hot springs pool. While staying in The Banjaran Hotspring Retreat, you can try various natural health therapies, such as ice-bath, Garra Ruga Fish Spa, and the exclusive spa treatment. Some other facilities pervade healthy restaurant, wine bar inside the cave, swimming pool, and the fitness center.

The Happy 8 Retreat @Pasir Putih

Jalan Shah Bandar 8, Taman Happy

This 3-star Ipoh Hotel is uniquely designed to couple the beauty of art, nature, and the sophisticated technology. The hotel essentially wants to embrace the nature’s positive energy by applying natural materials and art elements throughout the property.

The Happy 8 Retreat @Pasir Putih may be considered as your sanctuary. It’s set amidst the natural setting, surrounded by the bamboo garden. The property is built majorly using the stone and timber element. There are exclusively 5 guestrooms set in different themed one to another and supported with modern amenities, including AC and cable TV. Selected rooms feature a private veranda and semi-outdoor bathroom with stone bathtub, both overlooking the bamboo garden. The hotel also offers the on-site restaurant with great selections of the local and international menu.

There’s another The Happy 8 Retreat located at Market Street 46. Known as The Happy 8 Retreat @Old Town, the 3-plus-star hotel features 13 guestrooms with unique natural touches. The furniture of the entire rooms are designed so uncommon made from natural material, such as bamboo, wood, and stone. There’s also a café inside this hotel.

Ipoh Bali Hotel

Lorong Cheah Cheang Lim, Off Jalan Tambun 12A

The Ipoh Bali Hotel is introduced to bring you the Balinese nuance in Ipoh. The 3-star Ipoh Hotel is “truly Bali”, not only because it’s built in Balinese style, but also because the entire hotel is built using the material that originally came from Bali.

The major walls in the hotel were built using the Bali’s black volcano stones. The construction building uses the 70 to 100-year-old materials, especially the hardwood. Some gates and doors are assembled using the antique Bali House door. The entire furniture throughout the property is made from Balinese solid wood. Even the tropical plants in here are using the Balinese plants, such as the iconic 60-year-old Frangipani trees.

The hotel boasts 12 guestrooms designed in a tropical setting. Some rooms feature the attic. There’s also selected rooms with the private garden where you can relax on the swinging bench overlooking the fishpond. Ensuring the perfect retreat, the hotel presents on-site salon and spa, also a rooftop restaurant. The rooftop restaurant is the perfect place to hold a private gathering with your family and friend while staying in Ipoh.

The post 3 First Class Ipoh Hotels For Impeccable Retreat appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona