Hello readers! Recently i was just chatting with my bff that we realised we have never go overseas together or had a staycation together excluding our old old times back in poly when we had our chalets. So it was quite impromptu when we checked our schedules and decided to book the hotel that i had a good experience with during my last stay - Amari in Johor Bahru for a 3d2n staycation!
As both of us still have to work during the weekend, so we only check in late in the evening on sat. This is also the first time Michelle walked in with me through the woodlands checkpoint all the way to clearing the malaysia customs. Haha, thankfully it was not too crowded so we only take about half an hour to clear all customs and was on our way to check in to the hotel.
Even though i stay in the junior suite the other time, but somehow i feel that this room is much more spacious and better than the junior suite. Most of their rooms comes without the bathtub unless you book the junior suite or the one bedroom suite. For us we booked the deluxe room type this time. If you are interested to see photos of the junior suite. you can click Here to read more.
The rate was pretty fixed at Rm 14 picking us up at Amari hotel and upon returning back.
By the time we went there, it was pretty late, we was catching a movie ' Monkey King 3, so we only had time for a quick dinner before shopping around the various stores in Paradigm mall.
In case you have not heard before, Paradigm mall is the latest new shopping mall open in Johor Bahru, it is almost the same distance from city square to sutera mall probably abit ahead of Sutera mall. The frontage of the mall is very distinctive as they had many of the retail stores brand banner hanging on it so there's no way that you will miss it. This was the 2nd time that i been there, and if you ask me, i love this mall because there are lesser crowd, higher ceiling height of the mall makes the interior looks spacious too.
We was checking the rates for manicure and massage as we knew we will be coming back tomorrow again because of the constraint time that we had. In paradigm mall, they have the ice-skating rink, cinema, arcade and rock climbing as well! I thought it would be perfect if they could have the archery tag, pool, bowling or even KTV next time. Then this will be a one stop entertainment mall for all its visitors. You can spend a day just in this mall. Haha
So, even though we return back to the hotel late after the movie, we were able to call for grab to bring us back to the hotel. As we didn't include the breakfast inside our reservation, Michelle was suggesting to call for mcdonald delivery because it's her routine whenever she go overseas. must order their macdonald breakfast. Haha, but it was so funny as both of us try to find the drop pin while in bed, registering the account before it display that they cannot take orders as they close at 9pm.
This reminds us, how we should be thankful for our Macdonald delivery guys back in Singapore because they operate on 24hour basis. It was a shock to me after we spend so much time, figuring out how to order.
Nevertheless, the next morning, i try again and it works! Our order was accepted, and i was excited because i never order macdonald delivery to our hotel before and without any contact number, i doesn't know what is the best way except to go down according to their delivery time to spot any macdonald delivery man.
Being kiasu, i went down early before the delivery time to the hotel lobby, thankful, i manage to identify the guy, checked my orders, pay him and got our food! So anyone who are planning to stay in Amari hotel, you can choose to order macdonald breakfast since now i have experiment it and it works! Haha
After our breakfast, we lazed around before returning back to paradigm mall, this time round we decided to try their premiere class by watching the movie 'Liang Xi Mei' In Paradigm mall, they have installed the self ticketing kiosks which allow you to purchase your own tickets, accepting creditcard or cash so it was very convenient to do it my our own!
So when you buy the premiere class tickets, which is similar like the gold class in Singapore, just that you are only paying just S$10, they have a separate lounge for you to chill while waiting for your movie to start. i took this photos only after the movie because we were rushing and barely just make it in time for the movie. Haha
Selfies time before the movie starts
After the movie, we went to shop around and this was one of my fav ice-cream that i love ever since i try it for the first time in Kyoto, Japan. Even though it cost slightly more than what i paid for back in Kyoto, it was worth it! This can only be found in the malaysia KSL or the Paradigm mall at this particular shop that looks has a red logo that looks like duty free airport store. But actually it's sell a range of products from household, snacks, toys, pottery, etc, almost similar like Daiso.
So i was eating my ice-cream when we was checking the manicure cost, we thought the rate was reasonable but i was eating and thought of coming back later after i am done when the staff told me that it's ok for me to eat in their shop. I was pretty surprised at the same time paiseh because usually most stores would either put a No food or drink allowed or stop you if they see you bringing some sort of beverages or food inside a store. Both michelle and I was doing pedicure and manicure.
After doing our nails, Michelle wanted to go for a massage, there are a few massage parlors but i think after this experience with this massage parlor, my conclusion is, i only like to do spa treatment and not those typical massage treatment unless my leg is really sore.
We choose this DVC Borneo wellness, the masseur doesnt really understand english, so i was asking this staff if it's painful, she tell me no. Liar.
I choose the foot massage while Michelle choose the full body massage. But for the one hour plus session,i think it was my first and last session that i will even step into this shop again.
I had foot massage before back in Bangkok, and it was not as painful as this masseur did for me! At times, as i was texting with my friends, i couldn't focus because the pain was so unbearable and i had to pull back my leg. I don't like this kind of massage. After our massage session when i went back, i realise there were many green veins appearing around my calf, which infuriate me even more that i know i will be sharing this experience over here. If you are a person with low pain tolerance, don't visit this store even if they convince you that it's not painful. So far whenever i ask for any services, if the person tell me it's not painful, it really is not. But this time, i feel deceived, i thought she would have given special instruction to the masseur not to overexert so this was blacklisted from my list forever now.
It was late by the time we were finish with both our nails and massage session, and here we are at this mookata restaurant!
The shops closed by 10pm and since we were not watching any movie again, we decided to return back to our hotel to rest. Initially, Michelle was telling me it seems there are nothing to do for a staycation in Malaysia for 3D2N, but so far, she is wrong, we didn't even have time to go for the premium outlets as we had to check out the very next day already.
Till then.
