Flying on the Cessna C208B Grand Caravan from Senai airport to Tioman Island

We reached the Senai International Airport before dawn, because need to group with others before our departure...

The arrangement was perfect by the Tunamaya staffs, the check-in process for taking the private chartered flight from Senai airport to Tioman airport was smooth. Once the baggage check, we walked through the private lane way to the plane.

It was my first time flying on this Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, the plane had change and refurbished into a luxury seats and facility. We can rotate the seat for 180 degrees which convenience for discussion among the passengers.

Cessna 208B Grand Caravan

The view inside the plane

The cockpit of the Cessna 208B

Mineral waters, tibits and snacks were ready for us in the plane. All of us happily wearing the orchid garland presented by the airport. The inaugural flight from Senai to Tioman, we ready to take off!

The weather of that day was good and the take-off was comfort.
This was my first time enjoying chatting with my friend and browse through the social media app in the plane...
Let me show you the breathtaking view along the way...

cotton puffs of cloud

The background was the mystery Linggiu dam...it was also the where the Srivijaya Empire started more than thousand years ago...as the legend said.

Beautiful green lake in the middle of the jungle...

I wondered this might be some kind of plantations...(photos above)

About 30 minutes later (around 8.35am), we were approaching Mersing town...

The coastal of Mersing town

Leaving Mersing and towards South China sea...

The plane took around 15 minutes to cross the ocean, noticed from the GPS device in the cockpit...

After the plane flew through the clouds, the island appeared from the windows...the first scene was the 'legendary twin peaks' of Tioman Island. Yes, it is the landmark of Tioman.

The mythical twin peaks of Tioman Island

Followed by the lush canopy of greenery and the blue water...

One of the resort at Tioman island

Approaching the Tioman island (Tekek town in the background)

It took around 45 minutes from Senai to Tioman island.
Once we touched down in Tioman island, the Tunamaya's staff was at the airport to help us ferry our luggage to the Tekek jetty.

At Tioman airport, Tekek town

It was a pleasant flight and different experience compare with the commercial flight, we enjoyed very much!

The weather in Tioman island was hot and humid, as we walked to the jetty, our luggage already stand-by before us...

Our journey to Tunamaya Beach and Spa Resort continue on the next post...

Related post :-
*  3 days 2 nights exclusive trip to Tunamaya Beach and Spa Resort in Tioman Island

Location map of Tioman Airport in Tekek Town

Ratatouille La Gourmet in Austin Heights, Johor Bahru

There are many cafes and restaurants just started to operate within the Austin Heights area, which will also another prime location for this area. One of the restaurant I visited was the Ratatouille La Gourmet Austin Heights (N1.56222 E103.77841), another branch for the Ratatouille La Gourmet restaurant from Adda Heights. Operated by the same owner - Mr Brian, but with slightly different concept compare with the Adda Heights outlet.

Ratatouille La Gourmet Austin Heights

The restaurant has a simple and neat setting, clean and comfort environment. Let the photos below show you...

Simple and comfort setting of Ratatouille La Gourmet Austin Heights

Choices of 2 persons, 4 persons or group of peoples...even with one of the window seat. :)

The restaurant is suitable for family, friends gathering and also couples. The soft music was playing during we waiting for our food...

Each of us had a plate of mushroom soup and garlic bread complimentary from the restaurant, this is also the 'Ratatouille culture' since they started from the small stall in the kopitiam (Hokkien dialect means : food court).

Mushroom soup with garlic bread

Starter :-
Grilled and Baked button mushroom.

Grilled button mushroom

Baked button mushroom

Both were juicy! The original taste by the grilled type, and the fragrance with the cheese baked mushroom, you even can taste the fresh tomato from it. We like both!

Here come the main courses...
*  Aglio e olio
*  Bolognaise (or bolognese)
*  Chicken cordon bleu
*  BBQ Pork Ribs
*  Pork Chop

Aglio e olio

Bolognaise

Chicken cordon bleu

BBQ Pork ribs

Pork chop

Aglio e olio
The spaghetti was well prepared with the fragrance olive oil and garlic.  The spaghetti was not overcook and we all like the springy-ness of it, I like the taste of the olive oil very much. The dish was just nice to my liking.

Bolognaise
Served with fresh minced beef, cooked with their homemade tomato sauce. Creamy cheese but won't stop us to finish it. Another signature from Ratatouille La Gourmet.

Chicken cordon bleu
This is a common dish easily available in western restaurant around Johor Bahru area. But the Chef of Ratatouille prepared the chicken so tender and succulent unlike others made it too dry, every pieces of the chicken went well with the cheese!

BBQ Pork ribs
Well control of the heat where the ribs were tender and yummy! It served with their own recipe of BBQ sauce and you got to try it yourself!

Grilled pork chop
This was the surprised for the night! The pork chop served with moist, well done and delicious! It is difficult to have a nice pork chop around Johor Bahru area, but this was definitely scored the highest marks of that evening! Well marinated and good control of the heat, must not miss this for the pork chop lover!

The lovely dessert served after our main courses...they were same as their Adda Heights outlet, tasty!

Ratatouille signature tiramisu

Cheese cake

The lava chocolate cake

Beside the dishes above, they do serve Roast herb coated lamb rack, Pan seared Norwegian salmon, Mixed grilled platter and many more...all dishes are reasonable price.

The different of this outlet compare with Adda Heights outlet is...Adda Heights serve beef but no pork, Austin Heights serve pork but no beef.

It was a awesome dinner for all of us! Thanks and appreciated for creative and excellent Chef from Ratatouille La Gourmet Austin Heights.

Related post :-
*  Ratatouille La Gourmet Adda Heights

Ratatouille La Gourmet Austin Heights

30, Jalan Austin Heights 8/9,

Taman Austin Heights,

Johor Bahru.

Tel : +607-2893175

Business hour : 11am - 11pm daily

Website : http://www.rlgourmet.com/

Location map of Ratatouille La Gourmet Austin Heights, Johor Bahru.

New series of dishes and breakfast menu from Mama Nyonya FOOD Restaurant, Tmn Molek - Johor Bahru.

Mama Nyonya FOOD Restaurant (N1.52416 E103.78535) has a new series of dishes available started from this December 2014 onwards! Beside the new menu, they also serve Nyonya style breakfast today, you can view through some of the dishes below...

The restaurant new business hour also changed from 7.30am - 5pm (weekday) and 11am - 8pm (Fri and Sat). That means the breakfast is available on weekday only and the dinner only during the weekend.

About 9 of us visited the restaurant on one of the evening to try out the new dishes. Let me show you one-by-one...

*  Fish in brown sauce
*  Itik Sioh (duck)
*  Fish maw soup
*  Portuguese style steam sotong (squids)
*  Battered eggplants in sauce
*  Itik Tim (duck)
*  Ikan sambal garing (Fried mackerel fish with Nyonya sambal)

Fish in brown sauce

Itik Sioh (duck)

Itik Sioh (duck)

Fish maw soup

Portuguese style steam sotong (squids)

Battered eggplants in sauce

Battered eggplants in sauce

Itik Tim (duck)

Ikan sambal garing (Fried mackerel fish with Nyonya sambal)

Ikan sambal garing (Fried mackerel fish with Nyonya sambal)

Fish in brown sauce
- One of the special taste which you can slowly differentiate the sweet, sour, slight salty and spicy-ness of the fish in your mouth. The authentic mixture of Nyonya ingredients were great and we all like it!

Itik Sioh (duck)
- This was the first time tasting this authentic Nyonya Itik Sioh out of Malacca town. The gravy was tasty and really went well with plain rice. The duck was tender and succulent.

Fish maw soup
- The fish maw soup served with salted veggie, mushroom and chicken. Tasty and enjoyed the soup. The fish maw was prepared from raw by the restaurant, and it was fresh.

Portuguese style steam sotong (squids)
- Another Portuguese dish that we tried out of Malacca town. The ingredients were unique, spicy and sour, provided a different taste from local Johor Bahru town. The squids were steamed to perfection.

Battered eggplants in sauce
-  One of the 'very special' dish we had! Eggplant prepared with bean paste, it was crispy on the skin and juicy inside. Unforgettable! All of us like it very much!

Itik Tim (duck)
- Another Nyonya signature dish, cooked with authentic Nyonya recipe as home dish during the old era, we were fortunate enough to taste it today. Appreciated.

Ikan sambal garing (Fried mackerel fish with Nyonya sambal)
-  The fried mackerel fish was different from those available in the nasi lemak stall, it was really crispy and fragrance on the skin and moist inside. The sambal served with the fishes was the best combination!

They served the plain rice in the antique basket (correct me if I'm wrong) with the feel of rich Nyonya touch.

All the dishes enough to ease our Nyonya temptation for the evening. Satisfied dinner in the comfort environment, not to forget the friendly owner (boss and lady boss) which remind me of the Nyonya culture.

Beside the new dishes, they also serve the Nyonya style breakfast in the morning session.

Breakfast menu :-

Curry chicken noodles

 

Roti Jala served with curry chicken (photo below)

 

Nyonya mee-suah (vermicelli)

 

Nyonya Lontong

They also serve nasi lemak and other noodles which I didn't take the photos.
Among all, I like the Nyonya mee-suah and Nyonya Lontong very much! This 2 dishes are really unique within Johor Bahru area.

As all of us rated, Mama Nyonya FOOD Restaurant is one of the worth visit restaurant in Johor Bahru.

* The above comments are based on individual taste bud, not related to any commercial purpose.

MaMa Nyonya FOOD Restaurant

8, Jalan Molek 1/28, 

Taman Molek, Johor Bahru 

(behind Alliance Bank Tmn Molek)

Tel : +6016-7167190 (Grace Lim)
Rest day - Sunday

https://www.facebook.com/pages/MaMa-Nyonya-FOOD/110292562374357

Location map of Mama Nyonya FOOD Restaurant at Taman Molek, Johor Bahru.

3 days 2 nights exclusive trip to Tunamaya Beach and Spa Resort in Tioman Island

Tioman island is one of the beautiful and nature island which is closer to Johor state at the east side of Pennisular Malaysia. This is one of the island which I won't get boring despite how many times I visit, beside the crystal clear water, the island also has many jungle trekking and hiking trails.

I was invited for the 3 days 2 nights trip to Tunamaya Beach and Spa Resort (N2.72072 E104.15162) on last month November 2014, it was a all-in exclusive package and total relax trip offered by the resort. We were the privileged few to experience the new package which officially launch on 20th December 2014. The package included the 45 minutes private chartered flight (Cessna 208B Grand Caravan) from Sultan Ismail International Airport Senai to Tekek Airport Tioman Island, that made us excited because it was a inaugural flight from Senai to Tioman. (90 minutes flight from Subang to Tioman island)

Cessna 208B Grand Caravan

Our itinerary for the 3 days 2 nights trip for Tunamaya Beach and Spa Resort, Tioman Island.
Day 1
*  Depart from Senai Airport to Tekek Airport Tioman by private chartered plane.
*  30 minutes ferry ride from Tekek to Tunamaya Beach and Spa Resort.
*  Check-into Tunamaya Beach and Spa Resort and breakfast at the restaurant.
*  Free and easy around the resort.
*  Dinner at the restaurant

Day 2
*  Breakfast
*  Jungle trekking activity
*  Lunch
*  Free and easy
*  Tekek town duty free shopping
*  Evening photography session
*  Dinner at resort in conjunction with the first annual dinner and dance of Tunamaya Resort
*  Party time

Day 3
*  Breakfast
*  Check out and bye to Tunamaya Beach and Spa Resort
*  Ferry ride to Tekek town, private chartered plane ride from Tioman island back to Senai airport.

Aerial photograph of Tunamaya Beach and Spa Resort

The trip was excellent, all of us enjoyed very much!
The resort was clean with lush of greenery surrounded, employees were really helpful and friendly, all the basic facilities available within the resort and a 'bearable' speed of wireless internet service accessible around the reception area. Mr Paul Cheah, the Resort Manager of Tunamaya said, please feel free to enjoy the facilities and relax in the fantasy island, don't always check or look into the smart phone and Ipad...that's the reason of the 'bearable' speed of internet access in the resort. Well, we AGREE!

Mr Paul Cheah - Resort Manager of Tunamaya (right)

We had a chat with the friendly resort owner - Mr Gan after the dinner. Understand that Tunamaya was built from scratch 2 years ago, the partners of resort chose the piece of land because of the mystical 'Twin peaks' as a backdrop of the resort.
As the 'Tunamaya' was named by the reason of one of the partner owned another 'Tunabay' resort in Perhentian island, and the followed by the word 'Maya' means mystical in the national language of Malaysia.

Mr Gan - owner of Tunamaya Resort

The Exclusive package is included the private chartered plane from Senai or Subang to Tioman island, all meals and coffee break, activities within the resort and Spa therapy. Please check on their Facebook page (below) for the latest promotion.

East coast of Tioman island

It is a hassle free, relax vacation compare with other rushing tour. Relax yourself and choose each activity within the island as you wish, rather than rushing from places to places with limited time from early morning and exhausted-ly back to hotel in the late evening, some of my friends wisely said...

I will definitely visit Tunamaya again!

*  All the detail itinerary will be update soon! Stay tune!

Tunamaya Beach and Spa Resort, Tioman Island.

Lot 20 & 21, Kampung Mukut, Pulau Tioman 

86800 Pahang, Malaysia.

Tel : +607-798 8108

Email : info@tunamayaresort.com

Website : www.tunamayaresort.com

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/TunamayaResortTioman

Location map of Tunamaya Beach and Spa Resort, Tioman Island.