Penang & Singapore (Justin)

Three weeks quickly flew by and I am back on US soil. Anyway, here is the recap of the last segments of the trip.

PENANG

Flight out of Saigon on Tiger Airways, the “Southwest” airlines of Asia, was quite an experience. First, the airline limited each passenger to 15 kg of checked luggage and 7 kg for carry-on luggage. We, of courses, had tons of stuffs with us (all checked luggage weights a total of 98 kg!). Tiger Airlines charges $5 USD for each kg! After repacking and negotiating with Tiger Airways rep., we had to pay $150 USD for excess luggage charge! And of courses, Tiger Airways at Saigon Airport do not accept credit card, just cash! Running around the airport looking for ATM that actually works was another story. None of the ATMs near the international section of the airport were out of order. The only ATM that worked was located in the domestic section. And if you have never been to Saigon airport, it means that I had to pass through a sea of people to get there!

Fight for a decent seat on an air plane is not my cup of tea. So, no more Tiger Airways from now on! (I am not a big fan of Southwest Airlines either!) The flight to Singapore was a quick 2-hour and it was eventful. From there, we transferred to a Singapore Airlines to Penang. This flight is 55-minute and yet they offered special order snack! (I ordered seafood … it was smoked salmon … and it was bad!). Singapore Airlines lives up to its reputation! All flight attendants were extremely nice, and even offered to help customers with carry-on luggage … even for economy class! (I have never seen this before on Northwest Airlines … with the exception when I flew WBC to Manila … forcefully … another long story, so I saved it for next time!).

Penang was much bigger than I imagined. The city is quite modern, along with the old section. We stayed at the beach resort area. And wow, the hotel, Grand Plaza Parkroyal, is beautiful! The breakfast buffet was amazing, probably one of the best on our trip. The highlight of the trip was the tour to Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (or the Blue Mansion where the film “Indochine” was filmed) and Kek Lok Si Temple on Penang Hill. Just in front of the hotel is the night market, where I bought most of my DVDs.

SINGAPORE

It rained for most of our time in Singapore. But it didn’t deter Singaporeans from going shopping and getting ready for the Lunar New Year. It was quite festive in Chinatown. So, I basically shop, shop, and shop in Singapore.

That is how the trip ended. The next blog will be about my First Class experience on Korean Air, which I have never flown before.