We got our deal off deal.sg: $130 per pax which includes 2-way transport, 1-night stay @ KSL resort + breakfast, 1-day admission to legoland + guide tipping.

 

The trip didn’t start off too well. When we reached KSL, the receptionist told us that they were unable to check us in as the tour agent had changed the booking to 2nd August!

 

So we had to make a few expensive phone calls back to Singapore and waited at the lobby for them to rectify the issue. This coupled with an earlier incident where the coach arrived late despite their booking slip warning that the coach leaves sharply at 1.30 pm, really wore our patience thin.

 

They even tried to play the blame game (agent claims hotel made the wrong reservation, hotel claims they received orders from agent to change the booking). So it was after much delay that we finally got our room.

 

 

We met up with our relatives who brought us to their houses in Horizon Hills, Iskandar. Yes. Plural. They had two bungalows in the area, both are a couple of times larger than our modest hdb apartment. Entering the neighborhood was like going into an army camp. Each time we drove past the guard house, the guards would salute us.

 

 

After a tour of the houses and the impressive club house, we went for dinner. We wanted to try something local and decided on a recommended claypot rice restaurant.

 

 

Although the wait was a tad long (~25 min), it was quite worth the wait. Pushing out a cart at the entrance, the helper did a mini performance, mixing the rice and condiments. A worthy mention about our claypot chicken rice was that the chicken was really tender.

 

 

There was the 咸鱼五花肉 which was strongly recommended by the boss. The small bits of meat were extremely flavorful with tinges of bbq-ed taste. It tasted a bit like satay but not as chunky and not too overbearing.

 

 

After dinner, we returned to KSL and walked around the mall practicing our mental calculations converting the price tags to sing dollars. And each time we arrived at the same conclusion: Wah! So cheap! But yeah, we tried our best to restrain our reactions, lest incurring the wrath of the locals.

 

When we got down to the lower ground level (basement2?), a unique and unmistakable aroma grabbed our attention. There's Penang laksa nearby! If the stream of aroma wasn't enough to guide you to the stall, the long queue is an unmissable signpost.

 

 

We tried the same stall once at Singapore Expo food fair and I thought it tasted really authentic. So despite our already bulging waistlines, we decided to grab some supper. And at RM5 a bowl, we got 2 bowls (one as takeaway for World Cup viewing later that night).

 

The noodle was really springy and infused with the laksa flavor. It is amazing how they managed to get the noodles to be so infused with the flavor despite only adding the soup just before serving.

 

 

Anyway, the takeaway was a bad decision. Kept for a few hours, the soup had concentrated into a slurry and on cooling, the sardines smell became rather pronounced. Surprisingly though, the noodles stayed springy.

 

Watching Argentina vs Belgium while eating Penang laksa. That will be one of the memories of World Cup 2014.