Travel ~ Hatyai 9-11 Sept 2011

It is the time of the year Dad's company go for their annual company trip. Destination: Hat Yai. And this year, we tagged along. Made Dad a very happy father and grandfather! The more the merrier! I am excited as well. My last trip there was almost 10 years ago.

Journey started at 2am!! Thank goodness Isabelle continue to slept like an angel, from the moment I transfer her from the bed to my arms, then into the car and up on the bus, into her toddler car seat.

Sound asleep while the rest of the entourage grabbed

a very early breakfast at Changloon

Even when we had to get down to get our passports stamped at both Malaysia and Thailand immigration counters, she continued to sleep! She is such a good girl and made me a happy & stressfree Mommy! :)

At 7am, she rise and was a little astonished. But it didn't take her too long to get warmed up and started getting acquainted to everyone in the bus.

photo taken at a bus-stop outside a shop we had our breakfast

before hitting Hat Yai town

Time for shoes.

At a bag and shoes souvenir shop

After stopping at 2 souvenirs shops, we head for lunch. Pork knuckle at Restaurant 59, here we come! By the way, the locals caught my by surprise. They speak real fluent Hokkien and Mandarin.

Glorious braised pork knuckle

Very tender and juicy

Chive buds stir fried with crispy beancurd

MUST TRY : Very good

What is a trip to Thailand without tomyam?

This tomyam was so so, nothing to shout about.

Except, it was seriously and fatally SPICY!

A glass of chilled SINGHA, a hot & spicy lunch's best friend

*** PEK LEK 59 Restaurant ***

273/1-2 Niphat Uthit 1 Rd, Hat Yai

Food therapy done. Time to get some well deserved snooze. Checked into Siam City Hotel. Not the best choice of hotels but because their regular Mayflower were fully booked, we were left with no other choice. But I must give thumbs up to the concierge and doorman service! I forgot to catch his name but he has the 6 star hotel service and attitude in a 3 star hotel! I hope he gets a job elsewhere because he deserves better!

Shoes again.

Right after we checked into Siam City Hotel

After a power nap, we gathered at the hotel lobby and head to Floating Market, about 30 minutes away from the city centre. Weather was not too hot as it rained earlier in the morning. So it was pretty comfortable and didn't drive me crazy.

I was too busy playing around with my camera and didn't really had the chance to taste much of the food sold on the sampan vendor. Only remember tasting some coconut juice served in clay cups and mango sticky rice. Both was nice. Not forgetting the scenes was colorful and most of the vendors were decently dressed. The ladies vendors even had make up on their faces!

Colourful scenes at the floating market

God was good, as usual :) It started pouring heavily once we left the floating market. We adjourned to dinner at Washington Restaurant. We have an extra agenda. Mom's surprise birthday!

Here are some more pictures of our 'extravagant' dinner.

Squidballs stuffed with prawns on sizzling plate

with lots of fragrant garlic bits

DELICIOUS

Suckling pig (pitiful)

Kids connection

She found the stage and the mic and the fun began

And the fan went frenzy taking picture of her on stage

Cute figurines stolen from Mom's birthday cake

*** Washington Restaurant ***

130 Niphat Uthit 1, Hat Yai

(Next to King's Hotel)

A trip to Hat Yai would be incomplete without a visit to their streets and night market. So that was where we went. We had about 2 hours before the stores close. Had a brief shopping trip to Central and Odean before we hit the night market.

After dinner stroll at the night market

Head back to hotel and snooze away. The rain welcome us the next morning and since we were made immobile by the rain, we had breakfast at McD Lee Garden Plaza. Isabelle had her first tuk tuk experience and was very excited about it. She kept saying 'Car... no door? Where is the door?'

Happy tuk tuk passenger

McD Spinach Pie

I wish this is available in Malaysia!

SO SO SO SO YUMMY!

Time to pack and go home. DH tried to take a picture of us queuing up at the Immigration Counter despite knowing it was an forbidden act. Took our luck and was warned. Right after he took a shot, the officers asked us to go into the office. Everyone thought we were in trouble and for once, I thought my camera is going to be confiscated. However, it turned out that the kind officers saw us with a toddler and exempted us from queueing. We get to sit in the comfortable office while we get our passports stamped and the rest had to stand and wait for their turn outside! How nice!

Onboard entertainment

Hopped on board and on our way home. It was a short trip but we enjoyed the company, the fellowship and most of all, we enjoyed just being with our loved ones. Goodbye Hatyai!