Luxe Girls Trip | Day 1 | Penang 2018

This post is about several months late, with nothing to blame but my own laziness and also because real life got in the way. There was a part of me that was tempted to leave this half written post sitting in my draft together with all my photos that were taken and edited sitting in a folder on my laptop's desktop. It could happen.

But I feel like if I do not write about this then I worry that I may forget just how amazing this short trip was. And it was all thanks to Leena because if she had not invited me, then I probably would never get to experience the beauty, luxury & amazing service of Macalister Mansion.

The invitation from Leena to join her on this trip was quite sudden and if you knew me, then you'd know that my immediate reaction was to reject the idea. But I was in a pretty weird headspace when she asked and I thought it would be fun to get away for a short while. Plus my horoscope even said something along the lines of "you need an adventure, go for it".

So on the morning of the 7th of June, I met up with Leena at KL Sentral station to take the ETS train down to Penang.

Girls trip officially starts now!

I had a thought of driving but in the words of my aunt, my 'toy car' is not safe to be driven for such a long journey. Plus my mom was not comfortable with the idea of two girls driving on the highway for such a long period.

And in truth, I was not looking forward to driving in Penang. We all know just how scary the drivers up in the North could be. So the train it was because a flight was most definitely out of the question for a nervous flyer like myself.

It was a 4-hour train ride down - not too bad in all honesty. There was a section in the train where they sold some food in case anyone was hungry. The seats were pretty comfy too even if we both had our luggages tucked in front of our legs.

To be honest, I felt a little bad because Leena did suggest that we take a flight to & from Penang. But I am the kind of person where I would avoid taking a flight if I could because I hate the idea of sitting in a plane. Even if the journey is only an hour tops. So we took a longer time to reach our destination all because I am afraid of flying and luckily, I have a super sweet friend that did not mind enduring the journey with me.

The train headed for Butterworth took a stop at Ipoh Train Station and immediately I sent a picture to Reuben. Who was, by the way, also in Ipoh at the point of time but was headed on a holiday of his own. But I had demanded for another trip together soon because it has been too long since I last met this boy and our get together is way overdue.

I don't know how much we finally got to catch up with each other in that 4-hour train ride but it was not long since our brief stop at Ipoh before we finally reached our final destination! Or, well almost, because there was still a car-ride into town before we will actually get to our actual final destination.

Can you tell that we are pretty excited for our long overdue girls' trip? 

Maybe we arrived at the wrong time or it is just how it is in Penang but, the first thing we were greeted with is traffic. And here I thought that I'd be able to get away from the sight of traffic when I left KL city but then...... Cars, all heading towards the town in a slow pace.

But maybe it won't be too bad to be stuck in traffic if I had this view with me the entire time. With that being said, keep in mind that I was in a holiday-mood when I had that thought and plus, I was not driving then. If I was the one behind the wheel then I'd probably be frustrated as hell.

After a slow drive, we reached Macalister Mansion a little over 4pm and we will be staying at for the next 4 days. Truth be told, nestled between two very mediocre looking building on Macalister Road, I was quite surprised by how pretty it looks like from the outside.

Based on what I've read about this beautiful mansion that had been converted into a hotel, the mansion is named after Sir Norman Macalister. This hotel has won several awards for being one of the best hotels in Penang. The hotel is also part of Starwood Preferred Guest and Design Hotels.

Anyways, the reason we got to stay here for the few nights was because Leena is awesome and also lucky. She entered into a giveaway from Elle Magazine & managed to win 4 Days, 3 Nights worth of complimentary stay at Room 4 of Macalister Mansion. Which was why we took a train ride down to Penang together for our little getaway.

Once we walked into the mansion, the receptionist greeted us and offered us a glass of perfectly chilled grapefruit & orange juice which was perfect for the hot weather. Also what we both found very amazing was how it was served to us seemingly out of nowhere while Leena was busy handling the check-in.

Just a little note from the hotel as they welcomed us. So thoughtful.

We were then ushered to our room and was in absolute awe by how pretty the entire room actually is. I think we both took a good ten minutes just taking it all in, convincing ourselves that this would be our home for the next few days.

In truth, pictures really does not do the room, well, the entire property really, justice. I think we spent a good hour, maybe even more, just admiring every aspect of the room and taking ten thousand pictures of from every imaginable angle. Because in truth, I don't think I would ever be able to stay there again unless I am looking to splurge - which is quite a rare feat these days.

There's just so much natural light which kinda illuminates the room very prettily. Everything just looks so regal and just.... Luxurious.

I really think that the room we stayed in really deserves a blog post of its own because I can go on and on about just how amazing everything is. Words can't explain just how lucky I am to be able to stay here for, not just one night, but two nights and complimentary too!

My favourite part about the entire room is the super big King Sized bed. I don't know why but I absolutely love hotel room beds and try as I may, it is very hard to get my bed to be similar. At least not without burning a giant gaping hole in my bank savings.

But, I firmly believe that hotel beds are the beds because it is almost always covered in crisp white sheets or that it feels the most lush. Being the regular insomniac that I am, I will sleep super well on hotel beds. Also the blankets are always perfectly tucked in for you everyday and me, I love being spoiled like that.

And yes, I sit really crudely most of the time. I even get told off a lot but... Its comfortable so I don't care.

Also, another interesting feature of the room, among the many, was the contemporary art piece on the wall. I thought it would have been cooler if there was some neon lights but still, I think the artist did a good job at keeping with the classy theme of Macalister Mansion.

And yes, that is me sitting in the most ungraceful manner researching for all the yummy food places that we should go to while Leena & I were in Penang. Especially for our dinner for our very first night in town because we both ventured there with little to no planning - and for someone like me, I am surprised that I did not end up hyperventilating the night before.

The best part was that the entire trip was amazing from start to finish. With little to no planning involved.

The bathroom, holy hell, was just beautiful. I mean, holographic tiles? What is not to love?

There were two sinks on each end of the room so there is no need to wait on each other to get ready in the morning. Also, next to each sink was a very uniquely designed rack with all the toiletries which were quite the necessities, provided complimentary by the hotel.

Also, there is a shower AND a bathtub separately. Which to me just makes the entire room perfect because not many hotels comes with a bathtub and, I know this seems kind of overly dramatic, but it is quite disappointing when a hotel room does not have one.

But like I said before, the entire room will get a post of its own because I can gush about everything in Room 4 endlessly. 

Out of all the eight rooms in Macalister Mansion, the most special thing about Room 4 was the spiral staircase that leads up to a little tower where you can feel like Rapunzel. Minus the fact that you have been locked in a tower involuntarily and a prince that requires your hair to climb up just to meet you.

Once you climb up the stairs, there is a designer looking chair for you to lounge on. Also, there's a fan so you need not worry about the Malaysian heat making this space incredibly unbearable to be in. Plus, there are multiple windows which you can open to let the breeze in.

The little turret, which is what the space is called apparently, seemed like a perfect little nook if you are looking to just have a private reading space or just look at the pretty pool while you daydream.

And if you open any of the windows, you get a different view of the property. The window that I opened had the perfect unobstructed view of the entrance of Macalister Mansion and also the picturesque pure white pool.

This is such a pretty view. It is good enough to make me forget the life & work that is waiting for me back in Kay-Hell. But at least for a short while, I got to run away from everything. And everyone. Ignoring the craziness and drama that I knew waited impatiently back in town.  

While we were going about the room just admiring everything, there was a knock on the door and this was brought to us on a tray. There were two Raspberry Chocolate and Pandan Macaroons served to us in these cute little cloche.

Not only was there sweet treats offered to us but also turn down service - something neither Leena or I even thought about requesting. And to be very honest, I never quite understood turn down service because all they do is unfold the corner of the blankets after setting the pillow down. Does it make a difference to anyone's hotel stay?

Or is it just another additional luxury service provided by the team at Macalister Mansion because they just think of everything?

The minibar in the room is the best thing ever.

Not only did Macalister Mansion provide us with a Nespresso machine and 4 capsules for us to brew complimentary and these are also replenished daily. But it does not end there. There are also some local biscuits and some m&ms on the table too.

Then comes the surprise because.... When you open the mini fridge, you will find that there are extra goodies in there too. Already, they have kept two bottles of mineral water chilling in there because they know how hot Malaysia's weather is and Penang is no exception.

There are also bottles of San Pellegrino's lemonade, grapefruit and orange soda, still water and soda water. All of this are replenished daily when the staff come to clean the room. I mean, hello, has any hotel you stayed in ever provide you with such extra treats for free?

None that I have ever stayed in, that is for sure.

After a change of clothes, Leena and I decided to a short walk around the property before heading to our dinner location.

What I realise was that the exterior was decorated in a minimalistic fashion with most furnitures in white which adds to the elegance of the property. There was also just the right amount of greenery in the lawn area which makes one feel as if they have wandered right into Wonderland.

Yet when you turn around and see the Mansion as a whole, there is a very regal and colonial feel to the entire property. Whoever the decorator was, they have done an amazing job at revamping the entire place and turned it into something luxurious in the middle of the bustling city of Penang. 

But, what you need to know is that there are two buildings that sandwiches the mansion. Because to your left is a high-rise apartment and then there was an office building to your right - both could be easily ignored really. As long as you keep looking at the beauty of Macalister Mansion.

Anyway, we called a Grab once we have finished exploring and headed off to New Lane Hawker Street for dinner. And surprisingly it was only about 5 minutes away from where we were staying at - luckily for the both of us since we were both hungry for some very good Penang food. 

Although on google map's, it is called New Lane Hawker Centre; it isn't really. Just imagine small little shop kiosks lining an alley road with two restaurants on either side of it. Depending on which side you are sitting at and apparently which tables you sit at, you have to order drinks from the restaurant that is 'owns' said table. But you can order food from any stall though. 

The first thing my eye spotted was this - Eng Kee Famous New Lane Fried Oyster. Now this was something I was looking forward to eating days before our trip to Penang. I have an entire list of foods in Penang that I really want to eat and among it happens to be Fried Oyster.

I presume that it was pretty good because even though we were there slightly earlier than the usual 7.00pm dinner crowd, we still had to take a number and wait for at least 10 - 15 minutes before our order was done. Note, you do have to collect it yourself.

For a plate that was about RM12.00 and after waiting for 15 minutes, I actually think that this is a pretty good plate of Fried Oyster.

The uncle was very generous with the oysters because there was quite a lot of it and it was nicely plump without the fishy smell - which tells me that the oysters were all fresh. And there was a good ratio of egg to starch in the mixture so it was not too dry or mushy. The portion is pretty big too because with the both of us picking at this, there were still some that we could not finish.

Now that I am writing this blog months later, I do wish I had a plate of fried oyster next to me right now. Almost nothing in the city of KL could resemble what I had in Penang and it is depressing.

While we were waiting for more food, Leena also got us two rolls of Popiah to share. I am not sure if I was extra hungry or because we were on a holiday, but I thought this tasted pretty good too. The filling was just nice and the popiah with the spicy sauce tasted the best.

And then there was Penang's version of Chee Cheong Fun. I never thought I would like it because I do like the KL version where there is lots of added ingredients like fish ball, bean curd and yong tao foo pieces, then flood it all with sweet sauce. This just brings back memories of primary school days for me because that is all I wanted to eat after school.

But the kind that you'd get in Penang is just the plain Cheong Fun with a mix of prawn & sweet sauce. Which is actually pretty good because it is very savory. Different from what I am used to but I liked it.

Leena got a bowl of Assam Laksa because that was what she had been craving for. At first glance. I had expected it to taste kinda meh because the soup looked really watery and it just looks somewhat uninteresting. To me at least.

But the soup was surprisingly flavourful and after adding the spoonful of prawn sauce, it definitely had a kick. There was lots of additional ingredients in the bowl like fish, mint leaves, onions and slices of pineapple too. So it is definitely a filling bowl of noodles.

Just enough food for two girls I think. By the end of it we were both pretty full and felt rather lethargic since we started the day quite early. Once we finished as much of our dinner as we could, we were both just very excited to head back to our hotel for the night to relax.

Which was what we did after a pitstop at 7-Eleven to get lots of snacks for our night in. Instant noodles & potato chips are a must! Chocolates too!  

If you think Macalister Mansion looks pretty during the day then it looks even more so at night with the lights on.

Leena and I decided to take a moment to sit by the pool so we could enjoy the view of the mansion at night, illuminated by all the spotlights surrounding the property. Even at that point, I was still wondering if this was all really happening or if I was still dreaming.

Not long after, we both headed back to our room because we had a plan to enjoy the night with snacks and a good movie. Plus, there was something waiting for me back in the room which I was quite excited for from the moment I stepped into the room. It is something that starts with a B and also ends with a B.

I have been looking forward to filling up this tub with water and taking a nice long soak in it. Such a shame that I did not bring a bath bomb with me to enjoy when a bathtub was provided in pretty bathroom. I mean... We really were not expecting the beauty that awaited us when we took the trip down, especially me.

But I made do with my travel bottle of Strawberry scented bath gel from Body Shop. At least it smelled pretty good & still gave me a good amount of bubbles to make my bath very satisfying. After pouring a good amount into the water, watching as the tub gets full and then it was time for me to soak my weary self into the warm waters.

Can anyone explain the scientific reason behind by a bubble bath always makes you feel so good?

I would do this everyday if I had a bathtub at home. Just take an hour to myself to destress from a day of work and pamper myself.

But as of now, I still live in my parents home and a bathtub seems to something that we will not be adding to our home of 20 years as of now. So I can only hope that someday when I get my own place, whenever I will be able to afford it, I could also have a bathtub in my bathroom.

For now, a soak in the tub will just be a luxury enjoyed every now and then when I get to stay in hotels that provide it. And a reminder to myself would be to stock up on bathbombs for the next time.

Post bubble bath and the first thing I do is lay on the bed. In hindsight, I should have taken advantage of the bathrobes that were provided to us from the beginning because it was super comfortable to lounge in it.

This is probably the most relaxed I have felt for the entire 2018.

While I was waiting for Leena before we start our movie, I decided to take advantage of the minibar and poured myself a glass of Limonata from San Pellegrino. Refreshingly good after spending a good twenty minutes in the warm bath.

Of course it is a no-brainer that we would choose to watch the Devil Wear's Prada. We both have quite the unhealthy obsession with it to a point where we both can memorize almost each and every line from the script.

Words cannot explain how good it felt to just be laying in bed, watching a movie while munching on snacks till super late on a normal work day without caring about waking up early the next day for work. And knowing that we would be spending the next 3 days completely free and easy was the icing on a very delicious cupcake.

Good night! Bonne Nuit! 

This marks the end of our first night staying in Macalister Mansion. Also the end of the first day of our Luxe Girl Trip but, this is just the beginning. There are still much more interesting fun to be had.

Safe to say that I have been missing those few days for the longest time now. I will go through periods of me just scrolling through the many pictures that were taken for the duration of the trip, wishing and longing to be in the same moment once more. 

When can we do this again?