Wake Up!

That's it. I'm pulling the covers off! Have to check out in an hour and the boys were still snoozing away. Both Anita and I had had our breakfast. I wonder what time they finally fallen asleep. I went to bed at around 1 and they were still at it last night. Now they couldn't pry their eyes open!

Time form some drastic action!!!!

Goodbye Thistle

I was about to start packing for the return to Kuala Lumpur, but I couldn't resist penning this entry. We actually enjoyed our stay here at Thistle. The room was cosy, the food was good, and the best of all, the staffs were friendly.

Over the years, we always had some issue with hotel staffs treating us local Malaysians as second-class patrons. Maybe we didn't tip them enough. But it tended to be rather obvious.

To start with the staffs here are Malaysians in the majority. So, communications were not an issue. They were also prompt and keen to help, which is always good. Yes, they were not perfect, but not everybody could be perfect - although Marina Bay Sands was damn near that if only they serve Halal food. But I digressed.

They still lack the finer things. For example, not offering us the parking pass despite basking for the vehicle number and where we parked. And not offering seats on the Legoland shuttle despite us checking in with a couple of kids. They still have plenty of room for improvement.

Three things you should try should you checked in here were the pool, the Executive Lounge at Level 15 and Oasis, an Italian-Japanese fusion restaurant by the pool. The pool was great and well-maintained, with separate children area and ample seating. No lifeguards though and the beverage service was pretty slow. The Lounge was quiet and exclusive, service breakfast in the morning and afternoon tea. The scone was a hit. And lastly, Oasis, with the freshly baked pizza at a stone oven at the restaurant, and fresh sashimi. It was a winner. Add to that live music from an acoustic band. Perfect! Good thing that my children loved Italian food.

Definitely I would consider coming back here in the future. My boys definitely loved this place, so that was always a good start.

Dinner at Thistle

Strolling around the poolWe got ready to leave Port Dickson just after Maghrib. As Mother’s Day will be the day after, and with my Mum and wife on tow, I decided to treat them for dinner. We took off to Thistle.

Leaving our apartmentNormally, we visit Thistle for either lunch or afternoon tea. This was the first time we turned up for dinner there - the last time being a Ramadhan Buffet does not count! The boys wanted the children’s menu that they do there - fish and chips called ‘Little Mermaid, and chicken nuggets which I forgotten what it was called. While waiting for the food, it being a long day, the boys were expectedly grumpy. Usually, we get to sit by the children area where there things to get them occupied. Unfortunately those seats were taken because we were late. I took Irfan for a stroll around the swimming pool instead.

Checking into the restaurantFish + alphabet chips = 'Little Mermaid'We were fortunately served by this kind young gentleman called Stephen for the evening. He got the children’s food ready in double quick time and offered us to take the desserts from the buffet even though we ordered a la cart. It turned out that he was the outlet manager, hence the prompt friendly service. Even without him, as far as I can remember, the service there was never that bad. However, since we never really spent a night here, I really can’t comment about the service. Looking through the review, it has been a mixed bag. There were more negatives and positives since the new owner took over - it used to be called Guomon, but lately that has changed.

Irfan reaching for his nuggetWhat I liked about the place is the family-orientated service. They have a separate kids area - called Kid’s Zone - where you can take your child to play in a padded ball room. There were also video shows and games for children. There was of course the separate menu for children I mentioned before. The usual gripe I have about the place is the lack of lifts. There was only a single lift taking us from the lobby to the restaurants, which during peak times can be an issue. The lobby however was really nice and roomy. I was hoping for a conference to be held here for a long time in order to sample the services first-hand.

Margherita

For the evening, I had some salad and pizza. The children were thrilled with their food and finished them. The local menu was not that bad either, with my Mum having some fried rice. I had steak there before - which I remembered being on the dry side, but with really nice salad and accompaniment. Price? A little steep for PD standard, but very reasonable if you regularly eat out in KL. Very affordable. This being Mother’s Day weekend, why not have a treat. After all, my credit card offered a 'Mother's Day' discount ….

Lunch at Thistle Port Dickson

The separate children eating areaThe plumber seems to be taking ages and the boys wanted to go out and play. They wanted to have their fish and chips at Thistle. Definitely worth trying if you are in PD. The main eatery called 'Glass' has a separate area for kids. The buffet was rather average but the a la carte menu is not bad. They also do a separate children's menu - pizza, fish and chips and the lot. The boys favourite is called 'Little Mermaid', basically fish and alphabet-shaped cutlets of fries. There was also a play area outside, and entrance was free until April 2010.

Exercising before food ... a good habit I've been toldDaddy's saladThe aforementioned 'Little Mermaid'Finally the work was done at around 3. We left for KL soon after and only reached home just after 5. The boys will be back to school tomorrow. We were hoping that our driver remembered that it will be school as usual tomorrow. He had a knack for turning up late ....

PD - Final Day

PD 2-5, originally uploaded by Haris Abdul Rahman.

We only stayed in PD until Merdeka Day. Since we did not hit the beach on the second day, the boys demanded that we go down before we leave for KL. The morning was rather windy and overcast, so we made our trail at around 10am.

Thistle main lobbyAs usual, they were playing in the sands. Since the tide was low, some of the sands that they dug contained shells and crabs. That got them really excited. Idlan then took up a crabshell and his pet and named him Peter. We spent a good hour at the beach until the clouds open up and the day became too hot. I got some sunburn on my back since I took off my shirt when I went for a dip. It is still smarting now and I think the skin is going to start peeling soon.

We then took Peter and some live shells up to our apartment. Idlan wasnted to bring the crabshell home. However, I was not sure if we can look after it in KL, so I had to let it back to the see. On the way back to KL, Idlan kept on crying. He was still asking about Peter when he woke up the next day. That's when we decided to get him a pet. That's why we got the current Peter and Jane for him.

Ping Pong anyone?We got back to KL at around 4. The traffic was heavy around Seremban, but it got better right after. All together, it was a nice weekend. I just cannot believe how cheap the food was over there compared to here in KL. A Ramadhan buffet at a 5-star facility for under RM40? That will just not happen in KL.