Bukit Gasing - Hiking and Trekking

Bukit Gasing is the place to go to for short hikes or for trekking. We had no idea how easy or difficult it might be as, when it comes to fitness activities, everyone has a different perception based on his/her own level of fitness.We had been consistently walking up Penang Hill so Bukit Gasing is relatively easy. It would be a good place to start out hiking and also, there are many paths so if you need to hike more or for longer, just make loops or use different paths. We really enjoyed the walk in this forest/park. At certain areas, all you hear is sounds of insects and animals. At one point, we heard the trains go by, maybe the LRT. And there was construction too.

From the entrance, there is a stone path, about a third of the width of the path is covered with reflexology style stones. We walked straight ahead until the stone path ended. We then walked along the forest trail until we came to a junction with a bridge on the left and a trail on the right. We chosed to go left, across the bridge and up the steps. 

After about 15-20 minutes of walking (or less), we arrived at the watch tower. The view is of the peak on the opposite, with two towers on it. 

We continued upwards for a bit and then the path was quite flat for awhile and then we descended and came upon a signboard. On our right was the "pagar" path. We took the path on the left again. 

After some walking, ascending and descending, we came upon the bridge and took some photos. Then we walked back to the watch tower and down to where we started. 

Don't worry if you're unfamiliar with this area. There were other hikers even on a Wednesday morning. They were friendly and helpful, telling us where each path leads too. So, if you're unsure, just ask around.

Hilton Petaling Jaya - King Executive Room Plus

Are you looking for a hotel in PJ or thinking about staying at the Hilton? Here is what it was like for me. I stayed for 3 nights at Hilton Petaling Jaya in the King Executive Room Plus. 

Overall rating : 9/10
Would I stay there again? : Yes!
Food : 9/10
Service : 8/10
Room Cleanliness : 10/10

The whole experience begins with my arrival on the first day. After parking in the basement, I went to the reception counter at the lobby to check-in. There were three members of the hotel staff standing at the front desk. One of them checked the system and I was told that I could check in at the executive lounge based on my Hilton Honors tier. He showed us the way to the elevators.

I stepped out of the elevator on the 21st floor, which is the topmost floor. There was a sign pointing me to the Executive Lounge and so I followed it, down a short walkway. Entering the lounge, the first thing I saw was a christmas tree and a desk. I had to wait a few minutes because the hotel staff in the lounge were all busy. The hotel staff who performed the check-in procedure was very friendly and the way she handled everything was really professional A big thumbs-up to her. 

Once I got the room card, I went and checked out the room. It is spacious and inviting. The room is pretty much the same as what you would see in the photos of the rooms on the website of the hotel. 

There was a king size bed with 6 pillows! I'd requested for two extra pillows. There is a nice wardrobe with two sections. 

In the bathroom, there was a bathtub and a separate shower area. Body cleanser gel, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion is provided and they are all from 'Peter Thomas Roth'.

After resting, I went back to the executive lounge to relax and have some snacks. They serve breakfast in the morning from 6:30 to 10:00. After that, there are snacks and some beverages. From 6-8pm, there is food and alcoholic beverages (liqour, red and white wine, and beer). I had the choice of having breakfast at the executive lounge or at the lovely Paya Serai restaurant at the ground floor. 

 Christmas deco at the Paya Serai Restaurant, Hilton Petaling Jaya, Selangor

The first morning, I decided to have breakfast at the Paya Serai Restaurant. For breakfast, there is cold meat, fresh fruits, a variety of Malaysian dishes, noodles, cereal, yogurt, salad, porridge, eggs, pancakes, waffles and some Japanese style food such as miso soup and udon.

Fruit juices and water, part of buffet breakfast at the Paya Serai Restaurant, Hilton Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Me, having breakfast at the Paya Serai Restaurant, Hilton Petaling Jaya, Selangor

I really enjoyed having warm porridge first thing in the morning. I had plain porridge with an assortment of pickles. There is century egg, fermented soybean, salted radish, pickled spinach and black bean mackerel. 

The mini chocolate tarts served one afternoon at the lounge were superb, every bite was delicious. They are in the photo below, a must try if you see them at the lounge. 

Tiger beer. They only served Tiger beer at the executive lounge when I was there. 

The first evening, the service at the Executive Lounge was excellent. The staff there took our drinks orders and also cleared the empty plates and bowls quickly. The following two evenings however, the service I received was below expectations. No one came to take ask if we would like to drink anything and after we got the attention of one of the staff, he took our orders and we waited for about 5-10 minutes. I had to go and remind him of our orders. Apart from that though, the finger food served is really good and is a must-try! I loved the mini-bagels, sandwiches, turkey wrap(roll), cakes and tarts. 

If you have questions, you can PM my facebook page ericayinadventures. Follow my instagram for photos of my travels and adventures. 

Good Food Friday : Sushi Mentai Elit Avenue, Penang

Japanese Food, Sushi, Sashimi, Salmon - Yes! I'd say yes to these any time. As part of my Good Food Friday series, I'm recommending Sushi Mentai! I was there about 7:15 P.M on a Friday. It wasn't too crowded at first and it filled up pretty quickly around 7:30 P.M. so I'd suggest going earlier than 7:15 P.M. if you want to avoid the dinner crowd. The waiter took drink orders awhile after we were seated. We ordered hot tea. It's not green tea. It is brown tea. The tea was a little too bland for our liking. I prefer my tea thicker.

Now, let's get to the main topic here, the food. We tried a few types of sushi, a salmon roll and soba soup with seaweed. The salmon rolls are made up of raw salmon, cucumber slices and crabstick wrapped with Vietnamese rice paper. This is a must try. I found this to be really delicious. 

Salmon Rolls - Sushi Mentai Special

There is a variety of sushi here. There is the typical conveyor belt with sushi going around and you can also order sushi from the menu. We had 6 red plates and 2 yellow plates of sushi. Here are some pictures to tempt you. I didn't get all of them. I liked the scallop sushi and inari ebiko sushi. 

Hotate Mentai

Fresh scallop sushi with mentai sauce. Recommended.

Inari Ebiko

 This is the typical sushi but it is delicious. Recommended.

Inari

Let's not forget the soba. It wasn't the best I've ever had. I would stick to the sushi and the rolls when I come here again. Also, I might try the 'don' as I've yet to try that.

soba with seaweed

The Good :I'd recommend the sushi and the rolls. I loved the salmon roll. Yes, love. You have to try it. The ingredients on the sushi are fresh. 

The Not-so-good : I wish they'd offer green tea like sushi king or at least thicker brown tea. Also, one of the sushi we ordered never came. 

The verdict : TRY! And I would definitely go there again soon. 

Address : 3 Elit Avenue, 1, Jalan Mayang Pasir, Bandar Bayan Baru, 11950 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia