Genting Highland Premium Outlet & Awana SkyWay

Genting Highland Premium Outlet

69000 Genting Highland
Pahang Darul Makmur


Hours
1000 - 2200 daily

Parking Rates
Weekdays: RM5 per day
Weekends: RM8 per day

I don't have a lot of photos of GHPO because on both visits, I was too busy shopping. Finding the place should be no trouble. There are sufficient signs and once you arrived, there should be plenty of indoor parking spots available. Even on weekends.

  GHPO is located just after Gohtong Jaya so you don't have to drive all the way up to Genting. If your main objective is to shop, you can opt to stay at one of the hotels or homestays in Gohtong Jaya. I think the drive from Gohtong Jaya is shorter compared to downhill drive from Genting top.

  There are a lot of popular premium brands in GHPO and their deals are pretty good as well. Restaurants and cafes are plenty; aside from the food court, they have a whole street just for eateries. I saw a playground for kids at the Low Street (food & beverages area). Prayer room and wheelchair are also available. There's a masjid just down the road anyway. Exit the roundabout, go straight instead of taking the u-turn to GHPO. The mosque is at the end of the road.

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Awana SkyWay Lower Station

Next to the premium outlet is the Awana SkyWay station, connected at High Street. I couldn't find the parking (if any) at the station so your only option may be to park at GHPO. From the station, you can get to Chin Swee Temple and go further up to SkyAvenue.

One-way ticket for standard gondola is only RM8 per adult. Return tickets are valid for 72 hours from date purchased. Tickets can be purchased from the self-service kiosks and counters.

  Visitors will have to go through metal detector. One carry-on baggage is allowed. The security check isn't as strict as at airport but the usual dangerous and sharp items are not allowed. So check the notice board. Wheelchair and cane aren't allowed in the glass floor gondola (RM40 per pax).

I took the SkyWay on Sunday morning so the crowd wasn't too big. I imagine it might get quite busy on Saturdays and school holidays. Fret not, you can pay extra for express passes.

So yeah. If you go shopping up in SkyAvenue and plan to return via cable car, consider the baggage limit :) Even if you don't want to go up to the hilltop shopping mall (why not? There are Sephora and Uniqlo and Burger & Lobster up there!) there are shops and eateries in the Awana SkyWay Lower Station that might interest you to hop over the road.

  You can find Kenny Roger's, bak kut teh restaurant, shops selling local/Asian snacks, Family Mart (try their cheesecake ice cream if you haven't), a gadget (and other trinkets) shop, bakery and many more on the station side. 

  Oh, Thai Odyssey is over on this side as well :) I mean, all those shopping walking, right?

Chatuchak Market, Bangkok

Chatuchak Market

Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road

Chatuchak, Bangkok

Hours

Wed & Thu: 0700 - 1800

Friday: 1800 - 0000

Sat & Sun: 0900 - 1800

Note: There is Chatuchak Night Market on Friday - Sun till past midnight!

Chatuchak Market needs no introduction. It is THE shopping destination for many tourists and locals in Bangkok. You can take the skytrain, bus or taxi/Uber. The place is huge so even if you plan to just window shop, don comfortable footwear and outfit. 

  You might also want to get hold of the map for the market. If you already have something specific to buy from a certain shop, the map will be useful. It is however, not very helpful if you're searching by goods category as they can be all over the place. So if you want to buy a handbag for example, you still need to walk from one soi to another to see the options. But, take note of the soi number so you can find the shop selling the handbag you love most again.

  If you have no plan, just head towards the clock tower and start there.

Gorgeous pastels!!! *eeeksss*

A bit like the Chowrasta in Penang eh?

There are many eateries in the market should you get hungry. Dessert carts too. So feast to your heart content and if you need the washroom, there are many public toilet dotted around the place.

Some of the outlets look fancier than the others. Their price wasn't too cheap but still affordable (or at least make sense considering the gorgeousness they were offering)

If only I am as slim as the mannequin...

Halal Food in Chatuchak Market

We had lunch at Saman Islam. It is near the clock tower and very hard to miss. I thought the price was reasonable because their portion was generous. If you have an average appetite, you might want to consider sharing your plate with one or a couple other friends.

 

Aside from Saman Islam, there are a few more halal places nearby. Kah Jak is just a few soi away (to the left if Saman Islam is at your back and you're kinda sorta facing the clock tower). There is also a Muslim prayer room close by.

There are many cafe selling coffee and fruit juice here so if you're tired, you can have a break. I stopped for juice at a very pretty pink & purple-ish cafe =D

Expect to spend HOURS here. Do not believe the kaki shoppings who say that they are gonna be in Chatuchak for "just an hour".

  When your feet are ready to collapse, stop by one of the many Thai/foot massage centre and let the skilled masseur do their thang. Then, you can either continue to shop till you drop or hail a taxi home. Before getting in, ask if the driver will use meter. If the taxi driver won't use meter, simply smile, thank him/her and walk to the next waiting taxi near the entrance. Or book an Uber.

Cicada Market, Hua Hin

Cicada Market

83/159 Soi Hua 21 (Suan Si)

Tambon Nong Kae, Hua Hin

Hours

Friday & Saturday : 1600 - 2300

Sunday : 1600 - 2200

If I need to name my favourite markets in all the places I've been to, Cicada Market would be on top of that list. This open air evening market is beautiful as it is located in a park and the goods on sale are equally beautiful. It isn't a surprise because Cicada Market is an art market where artists and creative souls gathered.

  You can buy gorgeous arts and other souvenirs, enjoy live performance and art exhibition, join workshop, and after a long day, hangout and have dinner here.

  Barang-barang yang dijual di Cicada Market cantik-cantik dan unik semuanya. Ada t-shirt comel, pakaian, aksessori, barangan hiasan rumah dan macam-macam lagi. I sendiri beli jam tangan yang saaaaaangat comel padahal I tak suka pakai jam tangan pun. Orang Thai memang kreatif!

  If you're throwing a party, Cicada Market will have all the decorations and door gifts you need.

  Di tengah-tengah Cicada Market ada bangunan putih. Kalau nak tengok pameran seni, singgahlah ke situ. 

  Sekeliling kawasan pameran tu pula ada meja dan kerusi untuk pengunjung menikmati makanan yang dibeli dari gerai makanan di Cicada Cuisine. Masa I pergi, nak beli makanan pakai sistem kupon. Jangan risau kalau ada kupon yang tak habis sebab boleh pergi ke kaunter untuk redeem cash semula. Tapi kami habiskan je kupon malam tu. Banyak makanan dan minuman sedap nak dibeli :)

Kupon bernilai 100B

  Kalau nak cari tanda halal mungkin susah nak jumpa. Padahal banyak je makanan yang Muslim-friendly macam seafood, vegetarian cuisine dan roti (like the famous rotee Yaminlah in Krabi). Harga pun berpatutan.

Egg fried rice & sugar palm juice (bamboo container cannot be taken back home)

Style kat sini suka curah chocolate sauce & gula padahal roti tu intinya telur dan keju. Silakan bagitahu penjual tak mau chocolate sauce dan gula ising kalau tak mau kembang tekak.

Waffle 65B (up to 3 fillings + whipped cream + 2 toppings)

  Fans of performing arts should head to amphitheater within the market and catch the performance of the night there. The show is changed regularly and ticket price (if any) isn't expensive. If you're on a budget, the exhibition in the white building at the centre of the market is usually free.

  You can find the market easily using Google Map or Waze. It is right by the main road (Nong Kae- Takiap) between Hua Hin and Takiab Beach, about 10 minutes drive. I am not sure about the public transportation in Hua Hin because we hired a private van from Bangkok. 

  I'd suggest taking a public transport or hire car with driver because parking might be a bit of a problem here. I remember traffic was slow at night because vehicles were parked by the roadside. Don't know if they have fixed that problem. Expect to spend almost a whole evening here.

Blúport, Hua Hin

Blúport Resort Mall

8/89 Soi Moo Baan Nongkae

Hours

Sunday to Thursday : 1000 - 2100

Friday, Saturday & Public Holiday : 1000 - 2200

This shopping complex with its nautical vibe is pretty! We took refuge from the hot day (also we were hungry). I didn't see any certified halal restaurant over there so I bought pastries from a bakery and the gourmet market.

I wasn't in the mood to shop so I didn't really pay attention to the shops. We just walked around taking pictures of the decorations :)

P.s. They have prayer rooms

Blúport is a suitable place to get away from the sun and obviously, shop! They have Baskin Robbins,  Boots pharmacy, Watson, H&M, Starbucks, bank, various restaurants and many more. There's also a cineplex on the 2nd floor and a game arcade in case you miss the shopping complex at home =p