When choosing a good and affordable hotel it is always not easy, especially travelling with a child.  We want a clean bed (no bed bugs), comfortable, modern and centralize hotel.  After a long search and list down plenty of hotels, we finally chose Holiday Inn Express Luohu Shenzhen.  We never regret making that decision.

Indeed, Holiday Inn Express Luohu Shenzhen is a affordable and comfortable hotel for individual and family travellers.  Easy to access for food and just across the street which is less than 5 minutes walk you will see McDonald fast food, a mini market and some small shops.

At time of our reservation, we managed book at a very low rate and it is guaranteed the lowest internet rate!  It’s an international chain hotel, a 3 star hotel and during our stay we only pay USD45/night!  Holiday Inn Express Luohu Shenzhen is affordable, even the lower category hotel in Shenzhen cost around USD36.  So why not pay a little more to have a better stay.

Overall, Holiday Inn Express Luohu Shenzhen is a very affordable accommodation for everyone.  If we ever return to Shenzhen for a visit, we surely will stay there again.

Holiday Inn Express Luohu Shenzhen

Non-Smoking Room with Shower

The shower room

Travel tip:

At Holiday Inn Express Luohu Shenzhen, there are no concierge or bell boys to help us on our luggage but there is enough trolley for the hotel guest to push their luggage to the room.

There are no room service provided, so if we really need to dine in the room, we can call to order but will have to go to the restaurant to pick up the food ourselves.  Afterall, it is an express hotel.

The reception personnel are very helpful and can speak English well, so remember to get your destinations name written in Chinese before you start your journey.  Most of the taxi driver could not speak English.

Well, since I was travelling with a baby, I do not want to argue and I just pay to the driver. Later that day, I have a little chat with the hotel staff and found out that the earlier taxi that we board is an illegal taxi. No wonder the so called “taxi” looks like a private car!

Anyway, we all learn from it and during our holiday in Shenzhen we board on a legal taxi and have no problem with the rate at all.

Below is a photo of a legal taxi.  This is how it looks like, with Chinese words on the side doors and the local taxi is red in colour. So, make sure you only board on this kind of taxi (refer to the photo).

Legal Taxi In Shenzhen

Travel Note:

Always get the destination written in Chinese because most of the taxi driver can’t speak English.  You can get the help of the hotel reception to write in Chinese for you before you go any where.  Most importantly is your hotel name in Chinese.  (Before you travel, it is possible to email the hotel to request the hotel name and address in Chinese.)  Trust me, you need it!

The red taxi starting rate is 12.50yuan for the first 3km and then 2.40yuan for every additional km.

The yellow taxi has the same fee schedule as the red one. The yellow taxi only operates within the Special Economic Zone of Shenzhen while the red taxi operates within and out of the zone.

Beware of fake money; ensure you have loose change when travelling in a taxi.

The drivers in Shenzhen do drive like a “F1 driver”, they drive with no safety measure in their mind and they speed all the times.  Be sure to seat tight, hold on tight and if travelling with baby, for safety purpose please seat behind.

Dong Men Pedestrian Street is a shopping place for everyone. Most of the gathering is at this street and shopping also starts from here and leads to the other side of  the road.  At Dong Men, there are different building selling different kind of things.  Building with little stall selling things like electronic stuff, adult and children clothes, fashion accessories, toys, shoes and more.  Basically you can find all your shopping needs in Dong Men.

Dong Men Pedestrian Street

Travel Note:

Dong Men nearest Metro station is called “Laojie”, exit A to reach Dong Men.

Be careful with pick pockets while shopping.If possible, make sure you have a lot of small notes and BEWARE of FAKE MONEY especially 100 Yuan.  Also look at them when they preparing change for you, they might mix with fake money and Taiwan notes.

Not everything is worth buying at Dong Men.  Quality can be really lousy but not all.  Some shop sells good quality things.  So shop wisely and be selective.

Shuttle Bus to pick up Air Asia passenger upon arrival or departure

Travelling by Air Asia-The Arrival Hall

As for departure, you are not allow to bring in any fluid.  So if your are bringing your water bottle, you need to discard the water.  No worry, when you enter the waiting hall, there is a water dispenser ready for you to refill your drinking water.

Water Dispenser at departure waiting hall

Travel Note:

Make sure your know which building ( A B C D) at Shenzhen Bao An International Airport for your departure or arrival, so you will able to let the taxi driver know and drop you at the right entrance.  If not it will be a distance walk, some area is not trolley friendly.

At arrival and departure hall, if you are looking for a taxi, make sure you get your taxi at the TAXI STAND, if not there are some illegal taxi that is there to cheat your money.

If your mobile phone is low in battery, you can get it charged at the departure waiting hall.

Comparing Shenzhen International Airport with our LCCT Airport, thumbs up to Shenzhen International Airport.  The airport area is clean and I was shocked to see Shenzhen Airport toilet…it is super clean.  The toilet cleaner always ensure no litter and the toilet floor is always dry and of course there are toilet rolls!.

The next trip I am hoping to go is in July.  The sale will only ends on 26 July, so definitely I still can SHOP!

During the Singapore Great Sales, most of the hotels are giving special rate and therefore it is better to book early to secure the discount, of course to have a comfortable place to sleep.

Fat Mum Restaurant serves local Chinese home cooked food.  It is the wife that cooks and the husband taking order.

Location:

Fat Mum address:

Fat Mum Seafood Restaurant – PANTAI TENGAH
734, Jln Teluk Baru, Kg Tasik Anak,
07000 Langkawi

Contact: Raymond Chong – 012-489 1923

Sotong Goreng or Fried Calamari

Fat Mum Seafood Restaurant

You must also try their famous homemade tofu and also quench thirst with Pandan Coconut drink.  The coconut juice is fragrant and juicy, even my little daughter like it.

The Loaf is a Japanese style bakery and a bistro that owned by Tun Dr. Mahathir.  It serves freshly bake breads and pastries.  When I first enter the bakery shop, I was surprised to see so much selection.  So much that I don’t know how to choose and decide.  I walk round and round looking at different shapes and sizes of the breads & pastries, reading the description next to it then I slowly pick up one by one and put it into the basket.

Although the bread price is expensive but it is worth getting a bite on it and trust me, it is very mouth watering.

The Loaf Japanese Style Bakery and Bistro

yummy breads

Location:

LOT NO. C9 PERDANA QUAY
TELAGA HARBOUR PARK
PANTAI KOK 07000, LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA
TEL: +604-959-4866
FAX: +604-959-4803

Remember, after buying all the breads and pastries that you want, you must take a stroll along the harbour.  It is beautiful.

Personally, I would say the best way to travel the whole Langkawi Island is with a car.  During our trip to Langkawi, we already plan ahead that we should rent a car upon arrival.  Since it is a low season, we should able to get good rate.

Upon arrival into Langkawi airport, we have to walk a bit to the conveyor belt to collect our luggage.  Not far away, like a few steps away we can see at least 10 car rental counters.  Every car rental counter at the arrival hall is placing a huge cardboard to display their special car rental offer.  But I prefer to use Sea Hill Management & Tour Sdn Bhd car rental service.  Anyway, it was recommended by a friend that are working in Langkawi Island.

Sea Hill offer us a few cars with a very good rate, finally we chose MAZDA 5, fully automatic and only RM290.00 for 4 days!!  It is really cheap.  Sea Hill will only rent out new cars, so if they deliver a old n dirty car to you, you can reject it and ask for another one.

I like the car very much, the door is automatic, which mean hubby can open and shut the door for me from his driver seats and is so spacious. It saves fuel too.

Our rented car, Mazda 5

Always remember to lock the car and do not put any valuable things in the car if you are away.

CLICK HERE to get more information from Sea Hill
CLICK HERE for Mazda 5

Langkawi also known as the Jewel of Kedah.  It is an archipelago of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea. This clean and beautiful island is a part of the state of Kedah.

Upon our arrival at the Langkawi Airport, I was surprise to see that the airport is so small but very clean and the people are friendly.  After collecting our luggage we headed to the car rental counter which is just opposite to the luggage conveyor belt.  We managed to rent a MPV for 4 days and then with the FREE MAP provided, we managed to find the resort easily.

From the outlook of the resort, it was very impressive but when we enter to the lobby, it looks a bit old and simple.  The fountain in front of the reception is very miserable and they need to add more colour to it with flowers.  With this kind of first impression, we are still excited about this holiday.

Our chalet is the normal standard chalet with a bath tub and a balcony that facing trees/bushes.  It is clean but a bit run down, furniture are faded and the picture that hang on the wall looks moldy.  Hubby doesn’t really like the chalet but since it is free stay and we only paid for one night, we might as well take it.  If next time, if we ever returning to Berjaya Langkawi and Spa Resort, we will go for the newly built water chalet.  Oh ya, night time we need to cover the bottom of the chalet door because a lot of bugs fly in!

Other than complaining about the chalet, the other services were good.  The shuttle from lobby to chalets is very frequent and is a nice view along the way.  The beach is just OK, nothing impressive but the water is crystal clear.  Overall surrounding is quiet and peaceful.  If you are fortunate, you might see some wild animal like fox, owl, monkey and bat.

We never dine in the hotel but we did order mushroom soup through room service for our baby girl and the soup is warm and delicious.  During our swim at the pool we order beef burger with fries that cost RM23.00 which is not worth it at all.  The burger and fries comes in very small portion.

Fountain in from of resort reception.

Chalet interior

Resort's shuttle

Berjaya Beach and Spa Resort's private beach

Overall our stay was pleasant and safe.

To find out more about Berjaya Beach and Spa Resort, CLICK HERE.

At Langkawi Airport

It is not easy to choose a family vacation when travelling with a 20 months old baby and also is our first time.  So a lot of things we need to considerate like food, place to stay, transportation and so on.

Finally we decided to go Langkawi.  Our first family vacation was on the 3rd March 2009.  We spent 4days 3nights in Langkawi, staying at Berjaya Langkawi Beach & Spa Resort and rented a Mazda 5 MPV for 4 days.  Our hotel was sponsored by brother-in-law and our rented car only cost RM290.00 for 4 days!  It was indeed a good deal due to low season.

Travelling with baby is not easy but not that diffucult to handle too.