Prudential Hotel in Jordan, Hong Kong

I stayed at Prudential Hotel in my recent trip to Hong Kong. However, it only has one plus point which is its location. It is directly linked to Jordan MRT station so it is sheltered all the way. However, if you are out before 10 am in the morning and come back after 10 pm, the escalators in Prudential Centre, leading to Prudential hotel is switched off. It means one has to climb 3 flights of stairs after a long tiring day. After the 3 flights of escalators, you turn left and you would see the concierge of Prudential Hotel. They would be able to help you up to the lobby level with your luggage as the lift is not accessible to the public. The escalators from the concierge to hotel lobby is extremely narrow. Large luggage would definitely have a problem. The staff wasn't very friendly but check in was quick and efficient.

There is another exit to Prudential hotel which is linked to Nathan Road and the airport bus A21 bus just stop right in front of the hotel. I stayed in the Premier room with free Wifi. I forgot to take a photo of its bedroom but basically, the bathtub was a little dirty with black spots so I have never used that. The pillows were springy so it was quite uncomfortable.

Will I stay here again?
Maybe? It is located at a terrific location but terrible service. On my way back to the airport, it was raining and they refused to call a cab for us and the reason behind it was that if the cab drivers cheat our money then it is their responsiblity and that was something that they didn't want to bare. Hmmm... Ok. I understand their point of view but I have been to so many HK hotels and this was the only one that said this. So...

For superior rooms, Wifi is chargeable so it might be better if you would just get a sim card from the convenience stores downstairs. You would need to purchase a sim card at HK100 and open your internet browser to select 7 days worth of unlimited wifi access at HK78. They have different options too, HK8 for 1 hour of Wifi access and HK28 for 1 day of Wifi access.  The rest of the money could be used to make international calls.

How to differentiate between real and fake Bioderma toner

Bioderma toner has been clinching many different awards in various magazines. It is also one of the must buy item in my recent trip to Hong Kong. However, one would have notice the vast difference in prices across different shops. So do note before buying. I have saw a few fakes selling at Argyle Centre, a popular shopping spot.
Before buying, take note of the following points.

1. The sentence ' For face and eyes' must be written until the 'Bioderma' word.
2. Try to twist on the cap. If it opens easily, don't buy!
3. Check for residues in the solution.

I bought mine in Bonjour for HK$118 (500ml).

Hitachi Hada Crie Cool N1000 - How to get it cheap in Japan?

Finally got my hands on this beauty gadget that has been top on my wish list for 2 years! Hitachi has brought in its range of beauty gadgets into Isetan last year but they are quite costly if you compared to their prices in Japan. I will not go on and on about how good and effective it is as there are many detailed reviews about it online. See cutiefishball's review for detailed reviews about the difference between n810 and n1000.

Now comes the more important factor! How to get it cheaper? If anyone is going to Japan, this is one of the cheapest way to get it. AMAZON! It is more expensive in stores and ordering online is a lot cheaper. You could compare the prices of different Japanese products at Kakaku. This website will tell you the cheapest place that sells the items.
1.Register online on Amazon.jp
2. Search for Hitachi Hada Crie
3. Click on the items and add to cart.
4. Proceed to checkout and select pickup at convenience stores (Lawsons and Familymart).
5. Enter the zipcode of your hotel and Amazon will give you a map of the nearby convenience stores. Select your desired store and proceed to pay via credit cards.
6. Look out for the mail containing the transaction and confirmation numbers. Once you reached Japan, collect the orders at the convemience store that you have selected. You would need to key in the transaction and confirmation numbers into the machine (see picture below) at convenience store. A receipt would be generated and just bring over to counter to collect your items.

Word of Caution: The machine is in Japanese! If you do not understand Japanese, remember to bring out the emails in Japanese and bring it over to the staff at the counter. Japanese are usually friendly and they would help you with the collection via the machine.








*Important points to note
~ For in stock items, it normally takes around 2 to 3 days for the items to be delivered to the convenience stores. For the whole buying process, Amazon would send you 4 emails, after orders had been confirmed, after orders had been shipped out, after orders had reached the convenience store and after you had collected your orders. The most important email is the one that states that the orders had reached the convenience stores as it contained the transaction and confirmation numbers that you would need in order to redeem your orders.
~ You would need to collect your items within 10 days once it has arrived at the stores. If you do not collect the items within the 10 days, they would be shipped back to Amazon. Don't worry! If this happens, Amazon would refund you the full amount.

An portion of the email that states the transaction number and the confirmation number.

How much do you save?

Pricing of N810
Singapore vs Japan
SGD $249 vs 9090 yen(~SGD$125)

Pricing of N1000
Singapore vs Japan
SGD $450 vs 11500 yen(~SGD$158)

For usage in Singapore, N810 would be less troublesome as it is catered for usage in all countries. It works on a voltage from 100 to 240V. Hence, you will only need a universal adapter for its usage in Singapore.
N1000 only works on a voltage of 100 to 120V. Hence, you would need a 70W voltage step down transformer in order for it to work in Singapore. 70W voltage step down transformer can be bought at Sim Lim Tower for $9.

Batam? It is so boring.. Where got things to buy??

This was what I usually hear from people when I ask 'Hey, how is Batam like?'. Having no expectations, I was surprised with what Batam could offer. I was there with BFF for a cheap getaway during the weekend before Christmas. Booked a package with Chan Brothers express at $125 per person for a 2D1N stay at i Hotel including round-trip ferry tickets and land transfer. Note that you will need to pay a terminal fee of $20 in Singapore and $7 in Batam. Ferry from Harbourfront to Batam Terminal takes around one hour.

Stay at i Hotel?Why?
To say the truth, this hotel wasn't my first choice. We were looking at Harris resort and  Holiday Inn but unfortunately these two hotels were all fully booked. We had no other choices left. However, I hotel was a pleasant surprise and we would definitely stay here again.

• I Hotel is situated besides the largest shopping mall in Batam, Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall. It is a 5-minute walk away from the hotel. 
• Easily accessible to Batam Terminal, less than 15 minutes drive away.
• Swimming pool and heated jacuzzi at Level 3 were opened until 10pm every night.
• It is clean and big.

The trip started off with the land transfer from Batam Terminal to i Hotel. The mini bus stopped at multiple hotels (Harris, Holiday Inn and many more) before reaching i Hotel. It is a waste of our time as it took almost an hour to reach i Hotel from Batam Terminal although it is less than 15 minutes away.
Best service during our trip
We went to Isabella Massage House for spa. The spa looks a little rundown and I couldn't say that their therapists have the best skills. BUT but but but but! Their service is excellent. They provide free pickup services from anywhere in Batam to everywhere in Batam. It means they could pick you up at your hotel, drop you off for shopping and pick you up again for dinner at seafood restaurant and send you back to hotel.
Things to buy
We went shopping at the nearby nagoya hills shopping mall which holds many shops including j.co donuts, A&W, Polo Ralph Lauren and a departmental store, Matahari. Polo Ralph offer you 20% discount if you buy 2 pieces and 30% discount if you buy 3 or more. Wacoal lingerie at Matahari are a lot cheaper as compared to Singapore. They are on the average at about SGD$25 each. Although prices are comparable to Bangkok, Bangkok definitely has a lot more variety in terms of designs and colours. Prices of lingerie from Pierre Cardin and Young Hearts are about the same in Singapore. Both Polo Ralph and Matahari accept Visa and Masters card payment but not Amex.
Hypermart is our favourite shop in Batam. It is a huge supermarket that sells toiletries at a fraction of Singapore's prices. Seriously, how cheap can it get??  A MUST buy in Batam is Ellips hair products which are also sold at Watsons Singapore. Big plasters are also extremely cheaper at SGD$1.20 for 24 pieces. Laurier sanitary pads (22.5 cm) are selling at SGD$1.20 for 20 pads. Quaker oatmeal is only SGD$0.25.

Ellips Hair Mask

Ellips Hair treatment