I've been told that i'm a COMO fan by someone i was introduced to for the first time. But who wouldn't be really, after getting a first taste of the signature Christina Ong experience at Point Yamu by COMO in Phuket. So immediately after my Phuket getaway, i booked the next COMO holiday in Bali Indonesia- Uma Ubud.  

It was not love at first sight at Uma Ubud for me. For one, you really don't get to see much at a glance. It took a while for my other senses to kick in and that's when the Uma brand of love crept in. 

Environment

If privacy is what you want, privacy is what you get. Uma Ubud is in Ubud, but not in Ubud. You step in, and you leave the world behind. Everything is tucked away and secluded and you're enveloped by the lush greenery, tall trees, bird and insects and all. Pause for a moment, and all you hear and feel would be the pulse of nature and the beating of your heart.

The property is sprawling without any feeling of crowdedness. The planted rock walls that mark each room blend in perfectly with the nature, removing any type of clastrophobia. On several occasions, i found myself lost on the narrow paths that connect the different spaces. It's literally a jungle in there, which is amazing because it was unexpected, at least based on my first impression at the reception area.

Eating and living well is a big part of my life. While it may seem like i'm always indulging in rich and decadent food as shown on my social media platforms, i actually eat simply and healthily on a daily basis and am a regular at my yoga studio. That's how i was drawn to check out Saakalya Yoga's Yogalicious programme, a half day cooking and yoga course, at their Chip Bee Gardens home studio. 

I was struck by a serious case of wanderlust (i get that kind of 'attacks' rather frequently) with nowhere to go and that's when i got started on searching for idyllic spa experiences in hope that it'll take that edge away. The search kinda ended at ESPA at Resorts World™ Sentosa, a massive 10,000 sqm spa wonderland with an on-site spa restaurant Tangerine to enhance your outer beauty with inner goodness.  

Well before i got a chance to check myself into the full day spa treatment, i had the opportunity to sample dishes from the the newly created spa menu by Thailand's Iron Chef Ian Kittichai. Chef absolutely shattered the notion that healthy spa food has to be raw and bland with his version of flavorful Thai flavored Western dishes that are low in calories and big on flavors. You can be sure that only the best, wholesome and sustainable ingredients go into your tummy after a relaxing massage. 

Impeccable service right from the time you step onto the premise and to the time you depart. That is what is expected at any COMO Hotels and Resorts. A recent visit to Point Yamu by COMO in Phuket Thailand sealed my love for this luxury chain. Located at the tip of Cape Yamu overlooking the Andaman Sea and limestones karsts of Phang Nga Bay, Point Yamu is the perfect island getaway.

It's terribly ironic that i'm a food blogger and a yogi at the same time but i guess it allows me that much needed balance in my diet. I typically eat light on weekdays and brunch/tea on weekends. That said, one can never be too sure that they are getting all the required vitamins for daily sustenance (and beauty) and that's where Swisse comes into my life! Here's introducing Australia’s #1 Multivitamin brand, which has just launched in Singapore.

I've never gone to an indoors spinning class till New York and i guess that kinda spoilt it for all the other spin classes that i'll ever go to. Yes i've sold my soul to SoulCycle (that's if i really have to ride). SoulCycle is the indoor-cycling cult that has people paying $34 per 45 mins class plus extras for shoe rental ($3) and water. Yes it is anything but cheap but it's NYC and New Yorkers will do anything to have them somebody tell them to believe in themselves and that is the appeal of SoulCycle.

SoulCycle is more than indoor cycling. It is a motivational exercise experience that combines crazy spinning, music and therapy. 

Once your shoes clip on, the lights dim and you'll be surrounded by flickering candlelight. The instructor (who is also a DJ and motivational speaker) starts spinning his/her set. You pedal on the beat and you lose yourself to the blaring music. There's no giving up because you ride as a pack, as a community. You will push yourself to the limits because you will not accept anything less. At least that's what the instructors will tell you. Nobody gives up. Until you attain that perfect you.

SoulCycle is fitness reinvented. It has put fun back into fitness and they claim that 45mins is all it takes to transform the way you look and feel. I can bet on that feel good factor. Why do you think there are so many gorgeous New Yorkers with slim waists and perky booties coming back to Soul again and again? I have not walked out of the refreshing lemon smelling facility feeling like i haven't pushed myself enough (other than the time when we had a lousy instructor and that is a rarity).

Along with Lululemon, SoulCycle is certainly the other crazy fitness phenomenon/brand taking US by storm. S is absolutely crazy over them (he needs that external motivation to work out whereas i'm naturally intrinsically motivated. I'm a type A yogi.). That said, i'm good with the occasional adrenalin pumping fat-burning cardio, full-body workout sessions (with hand weights as well). SoulCycle is the best spinning experience ever and sadly we just do not have that kinda crazy inspirational instructors or exciting facilities with great music in Singapore. I guess i'll stick to yoga here.

Do you exercise when you travel? Have you experienced similarly great spinning classes in Singapore? 

XOXO
Travelerintransit

Thanks to the Derek Low saga on Singapore Airlines Suites, I believe that the awesomeness of our National carrier product is now known to many. I've loved the Suites since I first tried it on my Melbourne trip (read it here)but didn't truly get to fully enjoy the experience (other than the bed) due to motion sickness. A travel mishap with Thai Airways (TG you suck for your last min change of aircrafts) called for a rebooking on SQ Suites instead (a happy problem I say). The other good thing that came out of it? An extensive review of The Private Room, the exclusive lounge for Suites passengers, just for you! 

Our golden ticket to awesomeness was handed to us at our private check in facility at T3. Fond memories of the private first class check in lounge where I spent a good hour with the helpful SQ staff who sorted out my travel woes some time back. These folks are amazing I tell you. So we breezed through the private immigration counter and headed to the Krisflyer lounge.

Many travelers would check in way ahead of their flight to enjoy the comfort of The Private Room.

I love that The Private Room is situated far away from the crowded Business Class lounge (gosh it could be crazy in there) and it's also a walk through the buffet lines of the First Class section. Since the sprawling and peaceful TPR is only reserved for Star Alliance first class passengers and SQ's top tier elite members, you can be guaranteed of impeccable but non-intrusive service (it was previously only for SQ passengers).

Love the little nooks right by the windows but the daylight could be pretty harsh at times.

Choice beverage for breakfast! Bubbly to kick start the vacation. It's Krug or Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame. I only remembered that it wasn't Dom Perignon. :P

Here is the breakfast menu at The Private Room. We checked in slightly earlier just so that i could sample the breakfast selection. Such hard work for the blog really. :P

Some of the Asian dishes are available for lunch and dinner so i thought i'd give the English breakfasts a shot. Well i regretted immediately. TIP: Stick to the Asian dishes. Really. You'll see why later but first, my top favorite- the Roti Prata.

I should have listened to the folks on SQ flyer talk and gone for the prata immediately. These freshly made pan fried doughs are possibly the best roti pratas that i've eaten in Singapore. Crispy layered buttery goodness. I was so gheeful after eating them (punny me). And that flavorful chicken curry that packs a punch! OMG. They need to sell this somewhere i swear. I think i need another trip back in here to convince the chef to open shop. 

Assorted Dim Sum. Stellar as usual. Freshly made, quality ingredients, just like what i'd get in a good Chinese restaurant in Singapore or Hong Kong. Always order this too. Good thing is that it's available for lunch and dinner too. 

Bak Chor Mee- Egg noodles with a minced pork gravy with shredded mushrooms and meat balls. This is done in a somewhat Cantonese style with mildly sweet saucy minced meat. The noodles are also the more delicate Hong Kong egg noodles which were crunchy. Remember to get the dried chili to pair with. 

Now to the extremely disappointing English Breakfast menu. TPR really needs to do something about this. Can you see the papery egg whites is this Eggs Benedict? Too much vinegar in this one! That hollandaise sauce was also weak in flavor and texture.

And overdone egg yolks. The crispy pancetta slices failed to save the dish.

Even Prima Deli does better waffles than this Waffles with cinnamon apple and raisins. The texture resembled those from the supermarkets.

I can make better french toast than these from the TPR. The bread was too thin and it's definitely the regular white bread from the supermarket again (Brioche should be used by the way). I didn't see what's so Singaporean about this Singapore French Toast. No we don't eat such lousy french toasts in Singapore. The citrus flavored mango coulis was very thin and tasted processed. 

Do yourself a favor and skip the coffee as well. 

Now the lunch/dinner menu at TPR, most of which we have sampled before.

Go with the Lobster Thermidor with 3 cheeses. Well freshly cooked lobster is always better than what you'll get on board plus it's unlimited servings. Love the creamy cheese.

I don't know what got into my head but i opted for a lighter option which is the Baked Snapper Fillet. It's good if you're sick and lacking an appetite but it was too darn plain for me.

Instead of having the entire Wagyu Beef Burger (ok it's actually pretty small but the patty isn't that flavorful), we would always order the seared foie gras on its own (it's supposed to be in the burger). Sadly, it seemed to have gotten more oily! :( 

The Asian selection was yummy once again. The Lap Mei Fun (Claypot Rice)- a dish of steamed white rice with Chinese preserved pork sausage, waxed duck leg, pork belly, salted fish, all cooked in a dark sauce (prep 10mins) is a refreshing dish to see on the menu. Taste wise it was decent.

Assorted Satay- chicken, beef or mutton, served with onions, cucumbers and rice cubes, with peanut sauce. Tastes the same as what is served on the SQ Biz/ First class but slightly juicier.

S enjoyed the Beef Brisket Hor Fun (rice noodles) served with tender braised beef brisket.

Other than eating, there's not much to do in the lounge other than to relax before the flight and i find myself most relaxed if i'm able to get a pre flight/ between flights bath. TPR's shower facility is great with ample space and regular bath amenities.

It doesn't have a full rain shower but this nozzle works equally well. 

Also, the jacuzzi jets to give you a nice back massage during your bath. It'd be great if they provide better bath amenities though. 

Hope this gives you a better idea of what The Private Room provides. Enjoy your next transit here!

XOXO

Travelerintransit

People go on a juice cleanse for different reasons. 1. They believe that the combination of fruit and vegetable juices, rid the body of toxins while flooding it with nutrients, vitamins and minerals to boost the immune system. 2. They wanna give their digestive system a break from digesting solid food. 3. They wanna lose weight, get glowing skin, better digestion etc. After my first juicing experience (read it here), I was still a little skeptical about the benefits but decided to give it another shot, this time with Punch Detox.

Punch Detox is new to Singapore but it's well established in Hong Kong. Other than using organic fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, nuts... they are the only one in Singapore that incorporates a “superfood” in every one of its juices e.g. Amazonian Acai berry, Himalayan Goji berry etc. which are well... SUPER. 

Norwalk hydraulic juicer, the Rolls Royce of juicers, is used by Punch (of course it's cold pressed duh). The juice retains significantly more vitamins and enzymes and is supposedly more tasty too.

There's the regular 3 day cleanse with two levels. Well I forgot and chose level 1, which proved to be waaaaay too easy for me since I already take a lot of veg and fruits. So go ahead, take the plunge and start with a deeper cleanse. What's the point when it's too easy right?

Punch also offers a “Build Your Own Cleanse” program and you can handpick your favorites from 10 nutritious juices. This works well for experienced “juice cleansers” or return customers.

Now back to my Level 1 cleanse. All 18 bottles were delivered on day 0 (the day before the cleanse). I was disappointed to see that the menu for each day is the same. BAH Boring. Differentiation would be good, well at least there's be something to look forward at each juice break. :( 

Some logistics first. The bottles are made of plastic and they're tall and slim. This made them much easier to transport since I didn't want them sent to the office. If you remembered, I hated how heavy the HICjuice bottles were. Also, Punch's cooler bag is sturdy with a sufficiently thick strap for easy carrying but the strap isn't long enough to be slung over the shoulders. 

The Punch Detox Juice Experience 

I started the juice cleanse thinking that I'd get through it easy this time since I've already done it before. Plus the fact that I'm only giving level 1 a shot (which is for the kiddy league tbh). Plus the fact that my appetite hadn't been that well in the days leading up to my cleanse, so I thought that should kinda help with the craving. Well, I was wrong about that craving. I obviously wiped out the memories of me obsessing about food the THE WHOLE TIME. RWARRR. So if you're like me, my advice for you would be to keep yourself busy so you wouldn't think about snacking.

This time, I tried to start my cleanse right, which meant starting my day with some warm lemon water. I hate drinking water but I've been conditioning myself to drink more ie. following the regular 8 x 8 rule. It got easier over the 3 days. So yea, do it!

So let's start with the flavors. There are only 6 flavors so here goes.

Juice 1- Citrus Punch

It has Lemon, Ginger, Cayenne Pepper, Agave Nectar and water. I thought it was honey lemon water because it was a little sweet and not as as sour or spicy as the HIC'Juice Lemon N Spice. W couldn't take the HIC one but I loved that so this is really mild. Certainly minimal afterburn.

Juice 2- Green Punch 

Celery, Cucumber, Kale, Bitter Melon, Parsley, Spirulina and Green Apple. I'm accustomed to this taste since I had plenty of green juices in my first cleanse. My conclusion is that green juices are all the same. This went down easy and made me crave for more veggie!

Juice 3- Red Punch

This is the expensive ABC made with beet, carrot, ginger, orange, goji berry and red apple. I like the lightly spicy cooling ginger taste. Due to the high fruit content, I found the juice to be on the sweet side and I much preferred Heart Beet by HIC. 

Juice 4 Fruit Punch

This was a terribly sweet juice that really tasted like a fruit punch (which I don't like). I know it's natural sugar and all but the ingredients could certainly be tweaked. Meh! I couldn't get through half a bottle and I didn't want to dilute it as well because that would mean more punch. So I threw it away. :P The next day I shared the drink with my friends and diluted mine from 1/3 to half a bottle so it became just about bearable. 

Juice 5 GazPUNCHo
Punch Detox is the only juice cleanse in Singapore to offer a savoury juice, the GazPUNCHo. After tasting the juice, I guess I know why they're the only one... The taste was simply eeeeeks. I've had many a Spanish gazpacho but this featured garlic, cilantro and cayenne heavily. I tried it as a cold drink and I could only finish half a bottle due to the pungent taste and viscous texture. I gave it a second shot as a soup after heating it up and again I could only stomach half a bottle. Another bottle was given away to S's daddy.

Juice 6 Nutmilk

I didn't like HIC's nutmilk at all because it had this really oily mouth feel and a stale oil taste. Punch Detox fared better and it was actually tasty if you like that Chinese almond taste. It tasted kinda like a Chinese almond pudding in liquid form. I'm pretty sure English almonds wouldn't yield that flavor. Anyway, it's a good neutralizing agent for the pungent Gazpacho.

After my second juice experience, I think I've kinda found a use for juicing. While I didn't lose much weight from this (I was a steady 39kg and it dipped below on the last day), it did help with some bloatedness and my tummy was exceptionally flat. I think it's quite a good way to kick start a weight loss/ work out regime as it shrinks your appetite. Since I saw some physical changes, I was slightly more determined to keep in shape too. Don't expect the weight to be kept off forever though. That only happens with a good diet and regular exercise. Also I noted that my skin was kinda clear and dewy during this period. Whee!

Punch Detox is available for order online at www.punchdetox.com.sg or you could email to info@punchdetox.com.sg Each three-day juice cleanse comes complete with 18 bottles and is priced at $330 nett, inclusive of delivery. Individual juices can be purchased at $20 nett per 500ml bottle, with a minimum order of 6 bottles.

As many of you would know, I love love love hot yoga. For people who think that it isn't a work out, you cannot be more wrong and this is coming from a yoga convert. I used to think Yoga is really easy and boring/static until I tried a couple of classes (flow, vinyasa, ashtanga) and then I've not looked back since. But if you're looking at only doing yoga to lose weight, then you better be doing 4h of non-hatha classes a day for an extended period of time.

So i tried BYCH Hot Yoga at Raffles City Shopping Mall some time back. BYCH offers the classic hot yoga series which is practiced in a 40ºC studio. Well essentially it's Bikram and it comprises a fixed sequence of 26 standing and floor postures. Think of it as Hatha yoga in a very very hot and humid studio.

I was wondering how to pronounce BYCH and then I noticed that the floor mat says it all. My girlfriends  commented on how it's a perfect place for me since I'm quite the bitch (sometimes only ok and only to annoying people!). 

Well I guess it's another way to get lazy asses to work out. Sometimes we need some tough love to whip us into shape. So no whining once you step onto the mat. It's all for the good of your body. Trust me, you'll thank yourself later when you see your 6 pack.

This is the first carpeted studio i've been in and it supposed to prevent slipping and to protect muscles against strain. An antimicrobial preservative is used on the mat covering to prevent the growth of mold and bacteria and so the room doesn't smell bad as well. Yoga mats (called Mowels) are used during the class and washed and tumbled dried after each use.

These reminded me of those baby mats to prevent babies from wetting the beds. It looked and felt the same. 

Loose clothing are not allowed at BYCH. I think you're encouraged to wear as little as possible to prevent heat exhaustion as well.

The class hasn't even started and i already started to perspire! Students are not allowed to use towels to wipe their perspiration during the class and that really annoyed me because i really perspire a lot! That made it really hard to hold my poses because i can't grip my toes or ankles tightly. The waterproofed underside of the mat was also kinda slippery and there were moments that i simply had to step off the mat to balance in the poses.

No photo-taking during class duh. Here's my take on Bikram. I don't mind doing it occasionally but i'm not a fan because i don't have that sorta determination and mental strength to follow the exact instruction given (i'm such a free spirit). Static poses really bore me and i cannot imagine myself doing the same sequence over and over again. Well, BYCH also offers a 55 minutes Cardio class which suits me better.

That said, there are many people who only do Bikram. The instructions given by Chin Rei (the instructor) were clear and i could follow the sequence easily. Just a reminder, there's a lot of talking in a Bikram class, as in the instructor will be talking the whole time to guide you through the poses so if you cannot take that kinda environment, then Bikram is not quite for you.

Post 90 minutes Bikram class. Thoroughly soaked from head to toes. My fingers were wrinkled from all that perspiration that i cannot and have nowhere to wipe off on. It felt really good to perspire so much! I wouldn't say that it's a strenuous workout on the body as compared to cardio but it was tough mentally and physically (for those not used to hot yoga).

I didn't quite like the lockers as they are all closely packed and stacked high. Not too shorties friendly. Meh. Good showers with delicious organic bath products (almost edible really). I certainly welcomed the nice shower after the class!

Overall not a bad experience at BYCH. Convenient location, cosy studio with decent facilities. Check them out if you're interested.

BYCH Hot Yoga (moved)

123 Penang Road, Regency House (Office Tower) #04-12/13, Singapore 238465

Tel: +65 6339 6639