Snorkeling at Chicken Island (Koh Gai) - The Island with No Live Chicken @ Krabi [Thailand] #chickenisland #fourislandstour

I had seen this so many times while researching on the things to do in Krabi that it felt kind of surreal when i saw the 'real' chicken head right in front of me as the speedboat neared the area where we would have our first snorkeling for the trip! 

Known popularly as the chicken island (given the iconic structure that can be seen from far), it might be a surprise to you that there's no live and kicking chicken residing anywhere on the island. 

Time for the guide to distribute the snorkeling masks which are covered in our tour package pricing. For Alex and i, we prefer our own EasyBreath snorkeling mask from Decathlon! You should consider getting your own since it's more hygienic; furthermore, the price has dropped to only about S$30.00! 

Let's jump in and join the rest! 

The marvelous underwater world never ceases to blow my mind away and it's in the water where silence is the norm and your eyes open wide with anticipation. Thankfully, the area was teeming with fishes, although you cannot expect crystal clear visibility.

Spot the fishes! Compared to my first snorkeling experience (in Krabi in 2011) where armies of sergeant major fishes were everywhere, the variety was way wider this time.

One fish that i look forward to seeing; the parrot fish! Also known as the trigger fish, they were known to be territorial but don't you think they have such beautiful colours!?

Random photos! The third one appeared to the Neptune's Cup sponges which were said to be extinct but reappeared in Singapore and Thailand in recent years.

Was that a stingray?

Sea anemones! In addition to parrot fish, this would be another marine species i look forward to seeing! And there's one particular fish almost synonymous with sea anemones and i don't see them here with the two sea anemones i found. Clown fish; popularly known as Nemo due to the movie "Finding Nemo".

Luck as on my side as i did find them eventually and they were directly under the speedboat we were on. Problem was; they were deeper than the rest and the above was the best photo i could have taken.

Done with snorkeling and a customary shot with the chicken head! 

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Click here for the itinerary of my

four-day, three-night visit to Krabi

Hans im Glück German Burgergrill - Not Perfect Yet Totally Worth The Price with the Top Up to a Set @ Vivo City [Singapore] #hansimglucksingapore

On the invitation from a friend cum colleague a few months ago, i had my first dining experience at Hans im Glück and told myself i will be back again; this time bringing along my DSLR for an official review! 

For any first-timer, the thing that would definitely attract your attention shall be the wood-based interior design. Bring someone blindfolded and i bet this person would think you have brought him / her to a unique cafe built to accommodate existing trees on site.

There's even a well with overhanging vines! Although fake, you can't deny the overall design and concept does throw one off the feet. p.s. the tables surrounding the well are ergonomically bad despite being functionally space-saving. 

Two reasons i would strongly recommend Hans im Glück; one is the decor which i have shared above and the second shall be the optional top up to a set (either alcohol or non-alcohol). 

It's extremely worth it as you get a side (salad / fries), a burger (including vegetarian and vegan options), a cold drink and a hot beverage; all for just an extra 5 bucks for the non-alcoholic set.

A friend would indicate a third reason; the set of sauces available on each table! He was so insanely in love with the sauces (chilli, grill, mayonnasie, mustard) that he had to inquire with the staff if they were for sale! Anyway, let's start with our meal.

With 7 types and a further breakdown to a few flavours, i guarantee you would have a hard time choosing the thirst quencher that's supposed to quench your thirst. 

Eistee (Basil Cucumber) - my choice for the day; the ice tea was refreshing with a noticeable cucumber taste and a touch of basil. The one i really want to try, yet don't have the guts to, is the Kids Malt Beer.

My side; the Signature Sweet Potato Fries and the Alsdann burger! The sweetness was just right but i do prefer a crispier bite. I am never much of a french fries person and the increasing popularity of sweet potato fries is in fact good news for me. 

Alsdann Burger - despite the variety of vegetarian and vegan burgers, i am sorry to say that i am first and foremost a meat lover and i will feel sorry for myself if i forgo the meat option; hence, this 100% beef burger with multigrain bun (you can also op for sourdough / naked), fresh lettuce, onions, tomatoes, grilled pear, mild blue cheese sauce and walnuts! 

On its own, the pear was nice and crunchy but i was a tad disappointed with the beef patty; it was relatively thin and pretty dry. The one at shake shack was considerably thicker and juicier! Overall, it didn't elicit an excitement for me even though it could have been due to wrong choice of burger as i had birkenwald on my first visit and it was better. 

Nonetheless, it's still pretty decent for a burger and it doesn't make sense for me to waste food! I literally cleaned up the entire plate; with the help of the sauces! 

Mocha - most sets in other restaurants would usually stop at one drink. Not the case in Hans im Glück as they offer a hot beverage to complete the meal. As some of you are aware, i am a coffee snob and enjoy my kopi gao over espresso. Whatever the case, i do like this glass of mocha; not overly bitter yet sufficient to perk me up on a Saturday afternoon.

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Address

1 Harbourfront Walk, 

#01-57 Vivo City, 

Singapore 098585

Website

https://hansimglueck-burgergrill.sg/

Menu

https://hansimglueck-burgergrill.sg/burger-menu-singapore/

Pricing

Alsdann Burger - S$17.00

Top Up (Non-Alcoholic Set) - S$5.00

(Subject to GST and Service Charge)

Washing Your Feet at Nopparat Thara Pier @ Krabi [Thailand]

After a day at the beach with the salt water and sand, there is one thing i desire to do; an area for me to wash up so that i do not have to endure the stickiness on my skin and sands dirtying our room back in the hotel / resort. 

It's always good to visit the washrooms before we take the local transport and while there's no private bathroom like what we encountered after Similan Islands (via Seastar Andaman Tour); i am happy to be able to just wash my feet after my four islands tour at Krabi. 

You can consider washing up using the pail in the toilet but do keep in mind the fine of 1,000 baht if we were to contravene their "no shower in toilet" rule! 

Problem is; i am not comfortable to wash my feet at the above area outside the washroom! Brownish and god knows how long the water was already there! I could have use the same pail in the toilet to wash my feet but i found a better option.

This huge water tub behind the washroom! So if you were at Nopparat Thara Pier, do remember the water tub at the back of the washroom where you can wash your feet with clean tap water. 

Click here for the 

itinerary of my 4-day, 3-night Krabi trip.

Yong Seng Teochew Fishball Mee (荣成潮州鱼圆面) @ Hougang 105 Hainanese Village Hawker Centre (Near Kovan & Lorong Ah Soo) [Singapore] #fishballnoodle #105HainaneseVillage #HawkerCentre

I have been focusing quite a bit on Kovan Food Centre recently but there's actually another hawker centre in the vicinity and it's within a walking distance of less than a kilometer! 

Hougang 105 Hainanese Village Hawker Centre, also known as Lorong Ah Soo Hawker Centre in the past, has an interesting name resulting from its location which used to house the uncommon Hainanese village in a predominantly Teochew region. 

It's not my first visit although my last one was quite a number of years ago! In my search for good food, the appearance of a queue is somewhat a reliable gauge and the longest i found at the hawker centre was from the above Yong Seng Teochew Fishball Mee.

My order - mee pok dry fish ball mee (no pork liver) and a serving of their deep fried beancurd skin. The latter was one of six available sides that were featured prominently on the signboard; prayed it would be good.

Fried Beancurd Skin - let's start with this first. The other five sides were popiah, tau kwa, fish cake, ngoh hiang and handmade fish cake. The one i had came with the chilli sauce dip and it tasted suspiciously similar to the ones you get from wuxiang prawn cracker stall.

Delicious and crispy, there seemed to be a thin layer of fish / sotong paste wrapped in the middle of the skin before it was rolled up. Even though nice on its own, you can use the accompanying dip for that extra oomph. I have a question; why was this item not offered in our typical wuxiang prawn cracker stalls? 

Mee Pok Dry Fish Ball Mee - to be honest, i thought this was more a minced meat rather than a legit fishball noodle and this stemmed from experiences with teochew fishball noodles before (click here).

I had mine with chilli and vinegar and while it was flavourful with a generous serving of crispy pork lard; my personal preference is still Li Xin. In addition, the fish balls seemed to have a rougher texture. Broth, surprisingly, was tasty and would make a perfect base for fishball / meatball soup. 

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Address

105 Hougang Ave 1, #02-47,

Singapore 530105

Map

As above.

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Fried Beancurd Skin - S$2.50

Mee Pok Dry Fish Ball Mee - Minimum S$4.00

Charcoal Grilled Squid from Krabi Walking Street Night Market @ Thailand #krabiwalkingstreet #krabinightmarket

I regretted not buying the charcoal grilled squid from the thai temple festival at terminal 21 and i think i should make it a point to buy one this time at  Krabi Walking Street Night Market! It's not hard to find the stall; just follow the aroma! 

100 baht, most expensive, was way beyond my budget and i settled for the second cheapest at only 25 baht! The lady boss immediately put it into a metal grill basket and toasted over burning charcoal.

By itself, the grilled squid would still be a bit too tough to bite off and that's when the above roller equipment came into the picture; it would help to tenderize the texture and make it nicer to chew.

Delicious on its own with that good, old smoky taste; i would personally prefer if it can be a bit more charred though. For an extra layer of flavour, you can also dip it into the accompanying sauce (consisted of sweet chilli and peanuts). 

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Location

Within Krabi Walking Street Night Market,

Krabi Town, Thailand

Price

Charcoal Grilled Squid - 25 Baht

Click here for the 

itinerary of my 4-day visit to Krabi