The Golden Sands Resort Hunt For Activities

Well my second day in Penang, or should I say Batu Ferringhi? Apparently it takes like an hour to get here from Georgetown.
There is nothing much to do at the Golden Sands Resort. Even their activities list is boring. I mean it lists stretching and towel folding as part of their fun holiday activities list. Whoever is in charge of Shangri-la resorts, I hope you will put more thought and care into planning activities for your guests!
Why else would they pay RM700 a night for? To learn how to fold towels?
Anyways since I’m writing on what to do at this resort and around Batu Ferringhi, let’s continue

It’s 10AM and I am looking online for spa packages near me. I realize Pure Energy Spa is right next door at the Lone Pine Hotel. I contact them and they respond quite quickly via messenger. The spa manager or receptionist sends me their latest promotions and their spa menu.
The prices are like every other respectable hotel spa along this stretch and I can’t make up my mind.

I search some more and speak to the people at Penaga Spa, Tjantek Mulus Spa and Danaispa
They are all very polite and those links will take you to their respective websites.

I also looked up The Rock Spa by Hard Rock Hotel and wow I would love to go to that hotel the next time I come here for a holiday. Their fantastic promotions and packages I will leave for another day in another post.

So I still haven’t decided what to do with my day and it’s almost 12. So I get dressed and traipsy down to have a looksee. Across the road from the hotel I find a pretty well stocked shop full of bathing suits, sandals and sunglasses. I get a pair of sunglasses and am pleasantly surprised they cost the same as the ones in Petaling Street.
RM 19.90 for a pair of buy and throw away sunnies.
Next I walk a little further down the street and find nothing really interesting besides a mini mart, a few fish spas and some dodgy looking massage parlours that have the sticker no hanky panky ( which probably means they do or some poor guy has tried asking before).
I also found three ATMs. Maybank CDM machine at the petrol station and Ambank at the 7-11 and CIMB at Eden plaza next to the nasi briyani restaurant.

The Hotel Poolside

I get back to the hotel and stroll down to the poolside cafe for some lunch.

The menu with the same prices as TGIF in KL.

A really nice lady helps me get my order and I pick a nice cold coconut from the bar. She gets me a nice table in the smoking section and I order a Caesar Salad with Smoked Salmon.

Ice cold fresh coconut minus the cocktail umbrella

View from my table ... yes they overstated their amazing themepark-like slides and fountains

Sunway Lagoon on it’s worst day ?

not even close! .... i know right!

I am not posting a photo of my salad because I

• Started eating it before thinking about taking a photo.
• The poor Caesar didn’t even have croutons and the salmon looked quite thick and vulgar.

The cafe gets points only for the fantastic service from that malay lady.

With lunch out of the way, I get down to the beach to have a look around for activities to take part in.

Beachside Activities

I find out that this beach actually belongs to our government! They have rented small cabanas for some people to open beach beauty outdoor spas.

They offer services like Manicure , Pedicure, Hair Braiding, Nail Art, Threading and Foot Reflexology.

The prices are all about the same as I went around asking each place.
I finally chose the one closest to the hotel so I could walk back later without ruining my pedicure.

I sit down on a deck chair and the lady starts with a foot bath and ends with nail polish.
Only RM40 which is pretty decent

Services offered include Manicures, Pedicures, Hair Braiding (like a beach hippee rasta)

Nail Art, Henna Art, Massages, Facials and Ear Candling

Beach and Seafront Views

There were people parasailing and having fun on jet skis. I was offered discounts by the vendors
“ Hotel price RM180 ++ , Miss I give to you RM100 only.” Is the standard selling point from the competitive companies.

I am not an outdoorsy person so of course I smile and decline politely. I’m already red from having no sunblock!
When I get back to my room I request for bath salts and bathrobes to be delivered to my room. I’ll just have a spa in the bathtub while I decide on what to do tonight.
I am mid soak when inspiration strikes! I think I will go and explore the night market at long beach. It’s just within walking distance and i think I will be safe enough.

The Hunt For Penang Or Chien

My mission tonight was to find and devour the best OR CHIEN in Penang. I love this dish of oysters and eggs!

Check out the sunset! I took photos till I ran out of battery

Beautiful skies ... Thank You God!

A couple of hours later the hunt begins

I couldn’t find out who created Or Chien, but it seems to have originated from Taiwan and then everybody else in Chinese populated countries did their own version of it.
Penang version is supposed to be like a Framble which is a cross between scrambled and fried eggs!

Back to the Or Chien Mission.

I was about to walk up the road to the famous Long Beach Hawker Center but as I stepped out of the hotel lobby, I discovered that it had started to rain!
Nothing will stand between me and my Or Chien. I whip out my phone and order myself an RM4 Grabcar which arrives almost immediately.

The Long Beach Hawker Center is really nice! well-lit and with nice seating arrangement. I walk around all the stalls reading their menus and looking for my Or Chien.

I see Grilled Fish, Bah Ku Teh, Malay food, Thai Food, BBQ Chicken Wings, Hokkien Everything and finally almost at the end of the row of stalls I see a lone Char Kway Teow stall with Fried Oyster on the menu!
It’s crazy, my heart starts beating faster and I walk quickly towards the stall.
At first it seems deserted and I almost burst out in tears! But I lean over the counter and see an old Aunty sitting behind the stall reading the newspaper.

“Aunty , got Or Chien please?” I ask hopefully.
“Where you sitting? “ she asks me in hokkien which I can’t understand.
I’m speechless for a minute because well I hadn’t actually looked for a table yet. I look around and see an empty table infront of her stall.

“That one Aunty?” I point at the table

“ Big or Small?” She asks again in Hokkien ( i am translating based on her body language and hand gestures).

“Small!” I squeak out in Cantonese. At which point she suddenly realizes I am not a Hokkien speaking Penang native and smiles for the first time.

“ Ok I send to you!” she says in English.

I thank her and grab a seat. Within 2 minutes another lady appears next to me and asks me what I want to drink in Hokkien. I answer her in Cantonese and she just shakes her head because it looks like Penang is a whole separate country where people converse in Hokkien Exclusively
Strange isn’t it? You would think for a country as small as Malaysia, us Chinese would be able to handle three to four dialects. But for me a Malaysian born and pure KL Banana (yellow outside, white inside) I am handicapped because I can only Understand and Converse in broken Cantonese.
Finally she understands when I say “Barli Ice No Sugar” and I get my order of barley ice while waiting for my Or Chien.
I look around and decide to take some photos for all of you who have not been here before.

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The Long Beach Hawker Center

My Or Chien Stall! Hooray

The Chef At Work, Creating My Or Chien!

The Anticipation Is Killing Me! She is Almost done

Holy Or Chien! Tadaaaa

Check Out The Plump Baby Oysters , Headcount 12 Succulent And Sweet Oysters

About 8 minutes later Habis, Gone, Finito!

The Or Chien was definitely like a Framble. Scramble egg fluffy yet with crisp edges and then the burst of flavour from the sweet and plump baby oysters!

Okay so I completed my Or Chien Mission!
If you are totally craving Or Chien after reading my post, here is a link to a good and simple Or Chien recipe for you to try at home.
Homemade Or Chien

I walked back to the hotel through the Long Beach Night Market. All the same stuff you can find at Petaling Street. But if you want then go ahead and buy a T-shirt with “I Love Penang” or some fake Nike sneakers.

Back At The GSBS (Golden Sands By Shangri-La

Back at the hotel I was still hungry so I ordered a Chocolate cake from room service.

Supposed To Be A Sacher Chocolate Cake. More Like A Sucker Cake For RM20

I booked my ticket on the Aeroline bus for the 8th. Keep watching my blog for a full review of my journey home!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed my post! Stay tuned for Part 4

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