The Haven Ipoh ; Your Secret Ipoh Retreat

If we're connected on social media, you will definitely know that i had a secret get away to Ipoh last weekend. And since i havent exactly seen Ipoh before, might as well experience it first hand and share about my trip. And in this post, im proving to you that even on weekends, there is always time for a moment to unwind and relax in the surroundings of nature.

I decided to travel to Ipoh by taking the ETS (Electric Train Service) to Ipoh from KL Sentral and it roughly took me about 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach. Who knew that you could be in contact with nature at about just less than 3 hours away from KL? If you enjoy nature, the train ride passes through some really nice sceneries which you can enjoy along the way.

The reception area.

Once we reached Ipoh station, The Haven Ipoh had a shuttle which picked me and a few friends up, and brought us to the hotel. We didnt even have to wait, because the minute we arrived the station, they were already there before i could say 'Jack Sparrow'. So efficient! The ride from the station to the hotel took us around less than 20 minutes, and once we reached, it was check in time!

The Haven Ipoh, is located in Perak's tallest and most top rated luxurious resort Condotel, and has a one of its kind in the world where you get to live within the surroundings of an untouched scenery of nature, and yet still be within the city. Operated by Best Western International (BWI) family chain of hotels, which is also the worlds largest, under its 'Premier' 5-star status, definitely one the of the finest eco-resort by Best Western.

Gradient tones to blend in with the surroundings.

The Haven Ipoh is among the first developments in the country to harvest all available renewable energy resources which includes rainwater harvesting, solar energy and windmill turbine, within a sustainable budget to reduce carbon footprint. Even the colours of the building was carefully thought of where the exterior starts with green, to match the green surrounding, then which gradually changes to blue to match the colour of the sky. Wait till you see the interior!

The bedroom area. One with a TV. 

Another bedroom, but without the TV.

Single bedroom

The dining and living area.

The kitchen fully equipped.

A safebox and iron for your convenience. 

The view from our room on the 12th floor.

We were offered to stay in their 2+1  Bedroom Lakeview Suite which was very spacious with a breathtaking view. If you're coming in a group of 5 or a maximum of 6 people, this Suite would be just the perfect size to have a bonding session with loved ones to spend time together. And you dont even need to worry about the space. With a spacious living room and dining room, youre free to move around without feeling cramped. This room includes 3 bathrooms, where the master bathroom has a bathtub, and the 2nd room has a shower, with 1 more public bathroom for public use.

It would be a dream to wake up every morning to such a magnificent view of the their iconic 14-story centrepiece, 280 million year old limestone outcrop "Rockhaven". The hills in this particular site are rare geological features, which can only be found in a few locations in Southeast Asia. So without wasting any more time, i decided to go downstairs to explore more of The Haven Ipoh.

Fatin enjoying the Scenery.

The outdoor amphitheater. 

A dinosaur to signify how old RockHaven is.

The alluring jogging track

It gets greener when youre down in their park, with a jogging track, a meditation deck facing the lake, an amphitheater and also a dinosaur to blend in with this pre-historic centre piece. haha. And dont worry, the dinosaur wasnt real, but if youre planning to bring the kids out, this would be an experience they would never forget.

The kids pool provided with a slide.

Jacuzzi area.

If you havent realized, the pool is in a shape of a seahorse.

And if you prefer being in the water, then they have tons of options to enjoy the pool. From jumping into a hot water jacuzzi, to a relaxing jacuzzi with the view of the lake, and not to forget about the kids, a slide to play around with. Whats there not to love about infinity pools? ;D And after so much activities in one day, we got a little hungry. To our convenience, they even had a restaurant which serves you authentic Ipoh dishes so you dont have to worry about food.

Kerabu Chicken

Kerabu Fsh

Laksa Ipoh.

Chicken Rice.

 The famous Ipoh Steam Chicken.

Blueberry Cheesecake.

Personally loved the Kerabu chicken and fish because im a fan off sweet-spicy-sour dishes. Hehe. But  the highlight of Ipoh would usually be their Ipoh Chicken Rice, where what makes The Haven Ipoh different would be that they serve the best type of chicken which are entirely organic with no hormones or chemicals. And i was also told that their meals are all cooked without Ajinomoto, which guarantee's one of the best healthy meals that you can have in Ipoh. As much as people would always say that healthy food doesn't taste as good as junk food, this was an exception. I even managed to get online since they had wifi provided with optic fibre speed! And believe me, i was impressed with the speed despite being so far away from the city. With such a heavy dinner, i completely dozed off once i reach my bedroom for the night. Zzzzz.

The next morning

Me doing some Yoga Poses. hehe

Their badminton court.

Ella working out to lose some calories after our heavy dinner last night. hehe

The gym facilities surrounded by green sceneries.

They even have a playground for the kids.

Woke up the next day and decided to catch the sunrise which had a lovely scenery to enjoy. I decided to do some yoga poses in the morning to enjoy the atmosphere and the weather, because it was just so relaxing to be in peace. They even had a tennis court and gym for those who cant miss out on building some muscles even on holidays. What i love about their gym would be that the gym is not air-conditioned, and they actually encourage you to sweat as there are windows which can be open. Nothing beats working out in the environment of green sceneries and a lake to motivate you to look as beautiful as the scenery. hehe

Cuisines.

For every room booked, they provide free buffet breakfast which varies from asian to western cuisines. So i guess you could tell that i 'kind-off' overdid myself with my helpings. But what do you expect? With all that workout in the morning, that really got my appetite running! hehe. I was also approached by the manager of 'Cuisines' who said that their Nasi Lemak is one a kind, which definitely was different than your usual Nasi Lemak. So be sure to try their Nasi Lemak if you happen to be there.

Even though it was a one night, 2 day stay, it was definitely a memorable journey to Ipoh. Personally it felt like i was re-connecting back to nature, and it truely felt peaceful for being away from the concrete jungle. So if youre looking for a luxurious get away, why not consider The Haven Ipoh ? hehe. Before we left The Haven Ipoh, we decided to  try out their mediterranean ala-cart lunch.

The Haven signature fruit cocktail

Moutabal and Hummus & pita bread. 

Chicken Shawarma.

The Lebanese Taboule Salad.

Swish Tawook

Aglio Olio Spaghetti.

Creme Brulee.

The mediterranean ala-cart lunch menu was super yummy! It reminded me of my recent trip last year in Turkey. Cooked to perfection, you can never go wrong when youre dining at their restaurant. With tummy's full and ready to leave, it was really sad to say goodbye to such an amazing place. Will definitely make another visit soon as im looking forward to their 'The Haven Captivating Adventure" activity which will start in another 2 months from now. With so many challenges from rope traverse, wall creeper, rope bridges, gecko trail, vertical ladder, narrow descent, woobly log, flying fox, rock climbing and more, how can i resist?! Hehe

One of the most ideal places for a family or even for a group of friends to catch up with. They even have team building courses provided for company trips too. What is better than bonding time around nature right? hehe. There are absolutely so many reasons to love The Haven Ipoh! For more information on the hotel, be sure to visit their official website at www.thehavenresorts.com. Also visit www.bestwesternhaven.com.my or www.facebook.com/thehavenresort for more details on this amazing place.

Thank you to the team from The Haven Ipoh for having me there and not to forget for the amazing hospitality too. Your services are superb! Did you also know that The Havens has achieved 33 first for the state and 12 for the country? With 28 prestigious awards, (and more to come) its no doubt that The Haven Ipoh has been loved internationally and locally. Psst, they're even in the running to win the Best Eco Resort Award by Going Places, the in-flight magazine for Malaysian Airlines.

Good luck to that i do have high hopes that you'll win! :)

Well readers, thanks for reading, and be sure to leave a comment below if you have any questions. Theres just too much to share that i might have missed out some details. hehe.

Much love,
Sara xx

Dulcolax ; Your solution to Constipation

Lets talk constipation.

Hey y'all, this is a super duper late post but this is important if youre going through constipation. Believe me, i think almost everyone has suffered from constipation, including me, at some point. With reasons due to stress, lack of fibre diet, lack off exercise and many other possible reasons too.  But not to worry as constipation is a common thing, and its how you know that you body is working. And occasionally getting constipated myself, i think it really sucks when you dont know what to do about it. Thats why, Dulcolax is here to save the day!

Ms Carmenza, Head of Consumer Healthcare Malaysia & Singapore.

I was lucky enough to be invited to attend a chat session with some professionals, who were glad to share their findings and solutions to constipation. Just what i needed at the time. Dulcolax functions as a laxative, with more that 60 years of experience in the market. It comes in a form of a table and has provided predictable, overnight and gentle relief for constipation in more that 50 xountries worldwide!

We also had Ms Carmenza Alarcon, Head of Consumer Healthcare Malaysia & Singapore to share a thing or two about constipation where she mentioned that "Dulcolax is a gentle on the stomach because it acts only where its needed, and is clinically known to provide safe and gentle relief of constipation",

From left: Dr Sunita Derksen, Yasmin Hani, Carmenza and Kevin Zahri.

Present at the talk to debunk myths and misconceptions of laxatives usage was local actress Yasmin Hani and Kevin Zahri (fitness guru), who both shared their experience on personal views on alleviating constipation. Dr Sunita Derksen was also present to support the occasion.

Two types: Dulcolax Tablets and Dulcolax Comfort

Dulcolax is available in both tablets and suppositories to cover different needs. Available in a Dulcolax Tablets 5mg, packs of 30 tables and box of 200 tablets for gentle, predictable relief within 8-12 hours. Advised to take before going to bed, and be at ease the following morning.  For Fast relief would be the Dulcolax comfort shaped suppositories 10 mg (Adults) & 5mg (Children) that relieves constipation within 15-30 minutes. Dulcolax can be purchased from major pharmacies nationwide.

Kevin Zahri sharing his experience on constipation.

Kevin Zahri said that he has to admit that he has constipation issues at home daily, and he cant go a day without 'throwing what needs to be thrown' from the body. And he was hilariously sharing his home experiences about being a husband, and a father, who has constant commitment to his family, but sometimes he would lock himself up in the toilet for an hour or two when he's constipated. YIKES. But of course, he still advices to take in more natural fibres and live a healthy diet in oder to overcome constipation. Well said Kevin!

Yasmin Hani who also had a say on constipation.

Yasmin Hani who was present decided to share her experience when she was travelling as an actress and particularly to Cambodia. She mentioned that the place is just breathtaking, but due to eating a wrong meal which most likely interrupted her digestive system, she was in constipation for 3 days while she was there. Knowing that Dulcolax comes in tables, its now easy for Yasmin Hani to bring it around with her on her work trips and holidays to make sure constipation doest ruin her day.

Dr Sunita Derksen sharing her knowledge on the myths and misconception of Laxative.

Dr Sunita Derksen was there too who supported the occasion and shared the causes of constipation which was very informative, and we can conclude that no one really likes to be constipated. Dulcolax is a more gentle option than normal laxative which works like a charm overnight. And im pretty sure you must be curious on whats true, and whats not on Laxatives. So let me spill the deets for you:

Myths & Misconception of Laxative

1.“A diet lacking in fibre intake can cause constipation. Constipation can be treated by increasing dietary fibre content & dietary fibre supplements.”
Although a fibre-rich diet helps prevent constipation, increased fibre intake can worsen the situation for those with severe constipation.

2. “Increasing fluid intake can alleviate constipation.”
There is no evidence to suggest increasing fluid intake alleviates constipation. Increasing fluid intake can only successfully treat constipation when there is evidence of severe dehydration.

3. “A sedentary lifestyle contributes to constipation. Constipation can be treated by increasing physical activity.”
While older people find that being inactive could lead to or worsen constipation, there are usually other contributing factors eg. Medication, medical status, diet.

4.“During lactation, women cannnot take laxatives.”
Laxatives like Dulcolax can be used during lactation as neither active or derivatives component are excreted into mother's milk.

5.“Patients could become addicted to laxatives.”
There is no potential for addiction to laxatives although they may be misused by psychiatric patients.

6.“Women get constipated before their period.”
Despite hormones playing only a small part in constipation, some women find their menstrual cycle affects how often they go to the toilet.

7.“Laxatives can cause abdominal cramps.”
Well-known laxatives like Dulcolax has a comfort coating layer and will only work where it is needed. This reliable formula is safe that even lactating mothers could use it.

8.“Laxatives help with weight loss.”
Taking a laxative where there is no need for constipation relief will merely result in the loss of water, salts and nothing more.

9.“Laxatives can lead to a recurrence of constipation.”
There is no evidence that constipation comes back as soon as you stop taking laxatives for constipation.

10.“You have to be natural to be gentle.”
Dulcolax has a comfort coating, is gentle on the stomach and only works where it is needed.
 

Just because this cactus doesnt look constipated to me. haha

And there you have it! I hope this post was informative and for more information. For more information on Constipation, do visit www.myconstipatedrelief.com where they feature useful facts, solutions, quick tips and as well as myths surrounding the use of laxatives. Or do visit https://www.dulcolax.com for more information on Dulcolax. Hoping this solves your constipated needs.

Sara xx

Maybank Go Ahead Challenge 2015 ; Season Of Smiles Campaign

Making a mark in Bukit Bintang.

With International participating countries which includes, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, United Kingdom and the United States. With many participants up in game to be in the grand finalist to join the Global Maybank Apprentice Programed, participants are up to challenge themselves to compete from across the globe and engage with top leaders from diversified industries. Not an opportunity to miss if you’re up for an adventure. 

This year is all about the season of smiles!

This year, MGAC has many opportunities to offer to participants,  from a 2 week internship to New York, London, and Hong Kong , to  a “Transitioning  Leaders to CEO programed” and more life-changing experiences to earn a fast track pass onto the prestigious Global Maybank Apprentice Programme. 

Along Bukit Bintang, you will definitely notice the participants anticipation anywhere.

It has been running for quiet a while now, and recently marked their top 60 challengers from around the world to proceed to the final challenges. As part of the challengers, the global finalist of #MGAC2015 took over the entire area of Bukit Bintang designing creative projects and activities for the public, through their CSR fundraising initiative in the #SOS (Season Of Smiles) campaign. The 60 challengers were divided into a group of 10, consisting of 6 challengers for each team. 

Team Terminator // Disabled Children

Team Inception // The Elderly

Team Star Wars // The Blind

Team Avatar // Abused Women

Team Kingsman // Sexually Abused Children

Team Dark Knight // Single Mothers

Team Men of Steel // The Homeless

Team Transformers // Disabled Children

Team X-Men // Animal Welfare

Team Avengers // Disabled Community

If you were not aware that the teams were required to design their CSR project  and each of them had their own booth to design and also figure out on what is to be done to attract passerby’s along Bukit Bintang, to donate for a good cause. Since I managed to be there, here I am sharing to you my experience of watching these inspiring people trying to make a difference in the world. They really put a lot of effort into making this a success, be it rain or shine,  nothing could stop them from spreading the word of the season of smiles.

Puan Nora, Head of Group Human Capital showing some support

Puan Nora, Head of Group Human Capital showing some support.

At the event, we also had Puan Nora, the Head of Group Human Capital for Maybank Group to support the meaningful campaign. Among the 10 booths I visited, here are the few that really caught my attention. Booth ‘Shrooms’ has a special concept of providing a car simulator game and a pillow fight station, which was quite a work out.I love how they provide you with a space to just be young, and you are free to donate any amount to be given to the disabled community. 

Shroom had a relaxing concept of a room and a game station to play with.

Pillow fights on the streets, checked.

And of course, a donation box.

Next was ‘Sof-Toys’ booth, where they were raising funds for the disabled children. From having a really cute play house, to selling adorable cupcakes which you can decorate yourself too! The booth was one of the cutest booth I’ve seen as it looked like a giant present. Hehe. They even sang some melodies to attract passerby’s to possibly contribute to the cause. It definitely made me smile!

Sof-Toys had an amazing PINK booth which caught my attention

There was even a play house for kids to play in.

Tried out their games to possible win myself a tumblr. haha

I believe that each of the teams had their strengths of their owns when it comes to creativity, but im amazed on how much passion that they have put into this to really make a difference and raise funds for a good cause. ‘Hamilton’ here had a different way of spreading smiles! They were offering instant photo printing services for just RM5! And not only that, they were even giving recording services too to record your own cover of your favorite song for just RM10! Insane right? I was soo tempted, but I might make it rain. Haha

Even the rain couldn't stop Hamilton's booth to keep going strong.

The DJ's in the house to manage the studio.

The services provided to raise funds.

From dining in the dark, to fun pillow fights, and not to forget a chance to tryout the oculus rift, it was way too much excitement in just one-day of #SOS fundraising campaign. Being a humanitarian myself, I think it’s a great campaign organized by Maybank, and im glad to see the youth taking action into giving back to society. Every team seems to be a winner to me, because they have hearts more valuable than gold. 

Group photo of all the 10 teams in 1 photo .

All good things usually would need to come to an end, and at the gala night, the event was held at Mandarin Oriental to announce the winners for the #MGAC2015. If youre wondering who won, drum rolls please…

The winners of the night was announced at the gala night.

Champion: Team Star Wars (USD 40,000)

1^st Runner up: Team Terminator (USD 20,000)

2^nd Runner up: Team X-Men (USD 10,000)

Most Popular Team #MGAC2015 Team: Team X-Men.

Even Blogger Mary Jane and JessietheKLchic was there too with me to support the event.

Congratulations to the winning team who walked away with amazing cash prized and global internship opportunities! And to those who didn’t win, dont be too down about it cause you’re definitely a winner to me too. You guys freaking made it to the top 60 finalist, and there over Billions of people in the world. You definitely deserve a pat on the back for being the chosen ones (: As of now, I do hope to see you again in the Maybank Go Ahead Challenge 2016 next year! If youre rooting for a chance of a lifetime yourself, be sure to keep yourself updated by checking out www.facebook.com/roaring. Well, Thanks all for now.

Sara xx

[REVIEW] C.Jello ; Collagen Jelly Bar

C.Jello Collagen Jelly Bar

Im sure if youre here, you're wondering what is this C.Jello Bar? Well, i'll be honest as i decided to write a review on this, because this would be my 2nd box of C.Jello im consuming for the past 3 weeks. Hehe. This C.Jello bar has no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives which makes it all natural. Its also gluten free, dairy free and egg free for those who are concern. What it does it basically it promotes youthful & radiant skin.

Some nutritional facts and information on ingredients. 

There are 18 types of Natural essential Nutrients. It basically contains German Fish Collagen, Artichoke Extract, Mulberry Extract, Vitamin C, Rice Bran Extract, Gardenia Yellow, Hyaluronic Acid Mixture, Purified Water, Locust Bean Gum, Carrageenan Gum, Anhydrous Citric Acid, Xantan Gum, Fructooligosaccharied, Cyrstalline Fuctose, Sodium Citrate, Pear Concentrate, Peach concentrate, and Melon Concentrate. Carefully chosen to have age fighting benefits with proven results which includes :

1| Aids in digestion

2| Attenuates dark spots

3| Brightens skin

4| Bids moisture & Enhances Skins hydration level

5| Boost immune system

6| Boost energy production

7| Delays the ageing process

8| Excellent skin whitening effect

9| Inhibits melanin production

10| Low in calories, high in essential nutrients and vitamins

11| Promotes skin firmness & youthfulness

12| Promotes healthier joint and Ligaments

13| Promotes healthier hair & Stonger nails

14| Reduction of fine lines and wrinkles

15| Rich in peptides and antioxidants, anti-carcinogen

16| Reduce calcium loss

17| Stimulates collagen synthesis

18| Overall health improvement

Void Seal on every box.

25 sachets  in one box of C.Jello.

Every packaging comes with a void sticker for security purposes on the box which i think its great! And each box of C.Jello comes in a metal tin box, which includes a flip book filled with information on the product, and also 25 sachets of C.Jello Bars individually wrapped for easy consumption.

For easy consumption.

The texture is exactly like jelly.

The texture is like any Jelly texture and the colour is like the colour of tea. C.Jello contains type 1 collagen which is highly beneficial for the ski. It doesnt burn fat, but they assist the body in building muscles by using the excess calorie in the body. A great way for those who are building up to get toned bodies. hehe. The theory of this is if collagen protein nourishes the muscles, those nourished muscles will burn off the excess calories in your body. Type 1 collagen is found mainly in the skin, tendons and muscles. Do also keep in mind that it also helps speed up healing of muscular and joint pain. Its amazing that all these benefits can come from this Jelly. 

The origin and source of the collagen determines the purity of the product and reduces the risk of contamination, which i think the manufacturing of this product has taken careful considerations into making sure that the product is free from contamination. 

Also, did you know that this has a 99% absorption rate? The molecular weight affects the absorption of the collagen. C.Jello has a molecular weight of 500 to 3000 Da therefore, making it a highly absorbable collagen substance. I've been consuming this for 3 weeks now, and i've seen that my skin has been looking healthier and bouncier too. hehe. (Despite being only 23 this year) It works great! 

I have another box to consume, and this post will be updated with a before and after photo soon for your convenience to see what can it do! :D Cant wait for the results. For more information on C.Jello, be sure to visit http://www.c-jello.com or https://www.facebook.com/cjello.collagen.jelly.bar . Do not hesitate to leave me a comment below, as i love to get insights of what you think of the product. 

Till then,

Sara xx