Day 1 - First time in SQ 🛫 + Kuala Lumpur Sofitel Damansara Height
feat Savoring Gold Status benefits with Singapore Air
Finally the day has come! This year has been a bit of busy year wandering around different parts of globe - well mainly Asia (and NZ).
This time, I did have a legitimate reason to spurge with another overseas holidays - A destination wedding👰🤵
I’ve already been to Singapore and Malaysia a few times, but this time I was a bit more excited—first flight with Singapore Airlines and Gold status with Star Alliance, courtesy of my HSBC Star Alliance credit card.
So excited with my new July Checked luggage and the cover :)
With Star Alliance Gold status, check-in was a breeze—smooth and speedy. Sadly, I wasn’t in blogger mode back then, so no photos to share. They handed me a separate paper lounge pass at check-in, though usually, there’s a little note on the boarding pass itself inviting you to the lounge.
With Star Alliance Gold, I had access to the newly renovated Singapore Airlines SilverKris business lounge in Sydney. While it’s not as spacious as the Qantas international business lounge, I have to say—the food selection was spot on (and free!)
The food selection included congee, dim sum, fried noodles (breakfast noodles, I think), and all the classic hot breakfast options—toast, pastries, scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausages - you name it. There were also cold breakfast choices like granola, yogurt, and milk. Kind of regretting not grabbing the breakfast congee, but oh well!
This was my breakfast situation:
After lounging around, catching a few episodes on Netflix, boarding time finally rolled around. Thanks to Star Alliance Gold, I was among the first to board, right alongside business class and the other high-flyers.
My seat was 53D in economy class—classic economy experience with everything you’d expect (and thankfully, none of the cost-cutting tricks some airlines pull these days).
The food was great, but my stomach got to it before my camera did! Here’s a shot from another leg, though, to give you a taste of what an economy meal looks like:
It was around the Autumn Moon Festival, so some flights celebrated with festive treats—think mooncakes and pandan desserts!
After landing at Changi, I had to switch terminals for my Kuala Lumpur flight. A two-hour layover is just right for exploring everything Changi has to offer (and, of course, squeezing in a lounge visit)!
Star Alliance Gold gives you access to the KrisFlyer Gold Lounges in both Terminal 2 and 3. I had the chance to check out both, and while the Terminal 2 lounge was more spacious, the food and drink options were pretty much on par.
They offered both Western and Asian options, but don’t miss their famous laksa! I couldn’t resist adding a bunch of other goodies, too—check out those dim sums!
After indulging in some food and lounging around, I was ready for a change of scenery, so I headed out to dive into the shopping scene at Terminal 3!
The popular Bengawan Solo and their ‘Singapore’s number 1 Pandan Chiffon’
I’m not sure if it’s because Bengawan Solo is everywhere, but I stumbled upon another cake shop—Old Seng Choong. This place has been around since 1965! They had chiffon cakes, too, but with some unique flavors that Bengawan Solo doesn’t offer, like Coconut Blue Pea and Yuzu!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CudYUt5vveS/?igsh=bnprZ3cxOHY0b2dr
The biggest mistake I made on this trip? I promised myself I’d grab one of their chiffon cakes on the way back, but I ‘caked out’ the entire trip—totally forgot to even think about it!
Though, I did bring back some Bakkwa! (Pork isn’t allowed into Australia, but beef and chicken are fine—as long as they’re from Singapore and commercially packaged.)
Between Singapore and Kulala Lumpur, I think it was about an hour flight.
I think the view of Malaysia from plane is better during the night :P But here I am in Kuala Lumpur!
This was probably my third time in KL. My friends and I booked a room at the Sofitel Damansara Heights, the hotel where the wedding was held. It’s a bit away from the main area, but according to my local friend, it’s actually a bougie spot with plenty of malls and shops nearby.
To get there from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), there are few options.
- Option 1: KLIA express to KL Sentral then Grab/Uber/Taxi
- Option 2: KLIA express to KL Sentral then Bus or Local Metro
- Option 3: Uber/Grab/Taxi from KLIA all the way to your desintation
I had considered Option 1 to avoid the notorious SEA traffic, but by the time I got to KL, I couldn’t be bothered with transferring, so I just decided to Grab it all the way.
Using Grab was pretty straightforward, though I think the fare could vary depending on the time of day and year. From KLIA Terminal 1 to the hotel, it cost me RM79.86, which was about 28 AUD for a roughly 1-hour ride.
I stayed at Sofitel Damansara Height. This was the hotel venue where my friend’s wedding was held at.
https://www.sofitel-kualalumpur-damansara.com/
We had a great offer for wedding guests, which was an excellent deal. I booked a Junior Suite with breakfast for 3 nights and 4 days (check-in: Friday, check-out: Monday).
The wedding guest offer was significantly cheaper than the usual rate, and I couldn’t resist snagging this deal.
I was on level 17, and my suite was at the very end. The room was incredibly spacious—way more than I needed for just one person.
When I arrived, there was a plate of welcome sweets waiting for me😋
The hotel showed its age, but the room’s design and features still exuded luxury. The walk-in closet, spacious bathroom, and pillow menu (though I didn’t get around to trying one) were definitely premium touches that made the stay feel extra special.
After unpacking, I went out to Damansara Pavillion mall. Yes - it is a same Pavillion mall that is in the city center but newer.
It was already 8pm when I checked in, so I decided to go for pampering myself with mani and padi at this place - Nail Palour. Packages I did also included exfoliation massage as well. I couldn’t take video or photos as both mani and padis were done together - Yes all my hands and foots were busy!
But both for $120 AUD was sucha great deal and such a nice way to end my day!
Other than Nail Parlour, Pavillion Damansara also has supermarket, cafes, numerous takeaway options on lower ground level - including Verona Bread and Patisserie.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7-4BdwsSWH/?igsh=bGYzOTFnaDhndGZu
Sadly, I didn’t get to try it, but they’re famous for their Mille Feuille bread! It opens at 10 AM and is literally next door, so I could’ve done a quick run—but it never quite lined up with my schedule. And of course, it’s all sold out by the time night rolls around… ðŸ˜( I hope you could try if you are reading this in preparation for upcoming KL trip!)
With all the amazing food around the area, I still love the feeling of rolling out of bed and strolling into hotel breakfast fashionably late!
Keep follow my journey in KL in next post :)!