Toronto Day 1: Tour of Downtown Toronto @ Sunday Brunch, Yorkville, UofT and TNT Night Market

If you’ve read my food blog, my buddy from Zhao Kun came from New Zealand for a three-week visit to Canada and America. During his visit I will be taking him around Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and New York visiting as many sights and attractions that we can cover!

I must admit having lived in Toronto for the past 8 years I have not done anything touristy in TO except for Niagara Falls. It was quite a challenge for me as I had no clue where to take Zhao Kun in my own city!

Anyways with the help of some friends we planned a Toronto Itinerary that includes visiting some Tourist Spots while at the same time providing him a glimpse of what most of us do when we are not working.


Sunday Brunch @ Windsor Arms:


Being the only Sunday we are spending in Toronto our day began with a Sunday Brunch at Windsor Arms after our Church. The Brunch like my previous visit was excellent especially their Pancakes and French Toast.


Walking around Yonge and Bloor


Since Windsor Arms was on Yonge and Bloor we toured around the area which is Toronto's much smaller equivalent to Paris's Champs Elysee, Tokyo's Ginza or New York's Fifth Avenue. We wanted to visit the Royal Ontario Museum which is another Tourist attraction. But since Zhao Kun wasn't too into museums we just took some shots of the Museum's awkward/artistic design.

University of Toronto


University of Toronto was just a block away from Yonge and Bloor. Being Upper Canada's Oldest University and having studied there we toured around the campus showing Zhao Kun some of the University's Oldest Buildings.


Visiting TNT Supermarket and TNT Night Market




Chinese Groceries and Culture is something that is not missed when living in Toronto simply because of the large Chinese population living here. We took Zhao Kun to the TNT Supermarket which is an Asian Hyper-Market that sells everything Asian from Instant Noodles to Fresh Durian.

The Night Market Culture that is common in Taiwan, Hong Kong and other Asian countries can be found in Toronto as well. We visited TNT's three-day night market (August 7th-10th) which had all sorts of Asian and Western Street Snacks such as Skewered Meats, Curries, Fried Potato Chips, Bubble Tea and etc… Ironically Zhao Kun had his first Smelly Tofu here!


Badminton @ Agincourt Badminton

Being a Malaysian I play a lot of badminton and there are quite a few badminton clubs around Toronto. We decided to burn off some calories by heading to Agincourt Badminton to hit some shuttles since it is open to anyone for a fee of CAD $14 per hour for court bookings.

Bali Day 5: Cooking Class @ Bumbu Bali

For our last day in Bali we signed up for Bumbu Bali's Cooking School to learn more about Balinese Food.




We were picked up from our Hotel at 9am and were given a tour of their restaurant. The design of the restaurant was very unique as the kitchen and dining areas were all housed in different Balinese Huts within one big compound. There were several small gardens where they were growing some vegetables, herbs and spices.


Herbs and Vegetable Garden


Dining Area


Bumbu Bali Kitchen: This is where we had our cooking class

Our cooking class included a nice breakfast of assorted Balinese Desserts and Fruits. Everything was bought fresh from the local market and prepared on the morning itself.



After breakfast our cooking class began with our teacher Pak Bagus introducing us to the basic ingredients of Balinese Cuisine. There was a total of 20 different recipes that needed to be prepared and each of us took turns preparing 1 dish while the others helped by telling how much of what ingredients to put in.




Dishes prepared included Ayam Betutu, Satay Ayam, Urub Jagung and Lawar Ledang. May cooked Be Celeng Base Manis while I prepared some of the Satay Lilit and Satay Ayam.

Be Celeng Base Manis (Pork in Sweet Soya Sauce)


Chicken, Beef and Minced Seafood Satay


Pecelan (Vegetable Salad in Peanut Dressing)


Lawar Gedang (Green Papaya Salad with Prawns)


Urub Jagung (Sweet Corn and Coconut Snack


After all the cooking, the team at Bumbu Bali plated all our meals and served it to us for lunch. Haha surprisingly most of the dishes were not only edible but pretty good. Maybe I'm being bias since we made it =P



Overall this was good way to end our trip in Bali. The only thing we wished for was to have cooked a little more since it was one stove to be shared by 12 people. The price per person with market visit is USD 75 and without is USD 67.5.


Contact Information:
Address: Jl. Pratama, Tanjung Benoa - PO Box 132 Nusa Dua, 80363, Bali, Indonesia
Tel: +62-361-771256
Website: www.balifoods.com

Bali Day 4: Tanah Lot

Today we were suppose to go on a cruise around Nusa Lembongan. Exhausted we decided to call if off so we could sleep a little longer. We took it easy and decided to relax in our hotel till around 2pm where Ade came to pick us up to visit Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot
This is one of Bali's main tourist attraction. It is very tourist oriented and can be seen by the number of souvenir shops and snack outlets. Tourists apparently pays a higher entrance fee than locals!



We couldn't resist those snack outlets and tried a bowl of mango flavored crushed ice, grilled corn and some delicious pork satay.






The main attraction of Tanah Lot is the amazing view of the ocean and the rock formations that were sculpted by the waves! There is a temple where one could get blessed for a small donation.






Dinner at Restoran Serdehana
We wanted to eat where the locals would go and Ade brought us to Restoran Serdehana. The restaurant is known for serving a type of Indonesian Cuisine called Makanan Padang. Basically the waiter brings us a wide variety of dishes to go with our rice and we get charged based on whatever we ate!



For more pictures you can visit my eating blog.

Bali Day 3: Adventure Tours

For our third day we opted to partake in the many adventure tours that Bali offers. There are so many activities you could do in this island that includes Scuba Diving, Surfing, Yachting, Safari and more... Due to the limited time we have we decided to do Water Rafting and a Cycling tour.


Morning: White Water Rafting with Bakas Levi


This was a very fun activity and I highly recommend it especially for beginners who has never been water rafting. The trip lasted for about 90 minutes where we went through drops and waterfalls as we meandered through the rapids with our guide.



The course of the river is apparently not man-made and all-natural according to the guide.

FYI about this activity:

1. Lockers are provided for you to put your personal belongings

2. Bring your cameras as the guide will put it into a water-proof bag. That way you can snap shots along your journey

3. It's not that physically demanding. If you're lazy don't paddle. The guide can do all the work haha

4. Request to be capsized. You won't drown and it's quite fun to play in the water

5. Cost for the both of us was USD $75 which included lunch. We did not take our lunch as we wanted to try something else, so I don't know about the quality of the food


Lunch at Bebek Tepi Sawah
We wanted to eat Bali's famous Bebek Goreng (Fried Duck) for lunch. Ade brought us to Bebek Tepi Sawah which is a famous restaurant known for the dish. The atmosphere was nice as the restaurant overlooked the paddy fields. The duck was really crispy and quite tasty. For more food pictures of this place click here




Cycling Tour of Ubud Village


This is quite a physical tour but if you would like to see a part of the "real Bali", this is a fun way to do it. The tour takes about 2 1/2 hours where our guide took us around Ubud. Besides the usual paddy fields, scenic forests we had the opportunity to chat with some locals and see how they lived their daily lives.







FYI about this activity:

1. Bring Water
2. Wear shoes
3. Mountain Bikes are used but they are quite worn out
4. Let the guide know if you would like to stop to snap pictures
5. Tour includes some uphill cycling and rough terrain


Dinner at Rajas
We were really exhausted by the end of our tour and decided to eat at a famous Balinese Restaurant called Rajas in Nusa Dua Hotel. Conveniently located right next to our Hotel the restaurant serves up a really good Balinese Meal. This in our opinion is the best Restaurant we tried so far in Bali. The Bebek Betutu (Roasted Duck) is amazing! Check my food blog for more information.

Bali Day 2: Kintamani Tour and More...

For our second day we hired a driver/guide to take us on a tour of Kintamani Volcano. Hiring a driver/guide is the most economical way to travel. The cost will vary pending on how you negotiate. My driver Ade speaks good English and charged us USD 40/day including car and gas.

Today's tour was a really long one as it not only included the Volcano but a lot of other tourist attractions along the way to the Volcano and also included Ade's wait for May and I while we had dinner in Ubud which is an hour and a half from Nusa Dua.

Hearty Breakfast in our Hotel
Our first day at breakfast in our Hotel. The buffet spread was huge catering to the diverse guests living there. There were fried rice, ham, salads, porridge, Danish pastries, miso soup and much more. The waffles were probably the best I had in any hotel buffet crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.






Barong Dance
Ade met us at the lobby and took us to watch a traditional Balinese Barong Dance. We were actually late and came in at Scene 4 out of 6. The price for admission is IDR 80,000 (USD$ 8) per person. The story as it says on our handout is about a struggle between good and evil. It is sort of like a musical but with much simpler props.




After the show ended and we had the opportunity to snap some shots around the stage. Funny how all the tourists were snapping the lion head on the stage




Visit to Celuk Village
A few minutes drive and we reached Celuk Village. This area is known for making fine silver jewelery. We visited one of the more well-known shops to Tourists but did not bother buying anything. Everything inside is also "negotiable".





Visit to a Balinese House
This was really interesting as we got to see what a Balinese House looked like which is very different from any houses I've been to! It is one big compound that housed several huts for family members. Ade said every house also has a temple for families to pray and worship.






Mas Village
Mas Village is an area that is famous for their wood carving. We arrived in one of the stores and had a chance to watch how the artisans work. Looking at how beautiful the carvings were we bought a small wood carving of the laughing Buddha.





Visit to the Coffee Plantation
Another interesting place to visit. The plantation did not only grow Coffee Beans but also fruits. We had a taste test of various Balinese Coffees and Teas including the famous and expensive Lopi Luwak for USD 3 per cup! Honestly I don't think it tasted that good. I don't know why we people would pay so much for a particular cat's poop!





Lunch Time at Ibu Oka
We heard a lot about Ibu Oka. According to many, this place serves up the best Roasted Suckling Pig in Bali. We tried and the food was pretty good. Make sure to arrive when the pig has just come out of the fire pit or your going to be faced with cold food.




Viewing Mount Batur
After a long drive up the hill we finally saw Mount Batur; an active Volcano that last erupted 30,000 years ago. The view was amazing and it was really peaceful as you stand atop a gazebo taking in the fresh and cooling breeze.




However, do be careful of being harassed by many of the locals trying to sell you souvenirs. Once they see you're interested the rest will crowd around you begging you to buy their stuff.


Tegalalang Rice Terrace
On our drive down towards Ubud we visited the rice terraces. The view was really nice as you can see farmers working on the paddies.




Monkey Forest
Our final sightseeing destination of the day. There is an entrance fee to the forest and one could purchase some bananas to feed the monkeys. There are loads of monkeys inside including a temple. If you are going to feed the monkeys be on guard for any monkey attacks. We witnessed a monkey pulling the top off a female tourist in an attempt to steal her bananas.





Dinner at Mozaic
Another famous restaurant in Bali. This is a fine dining place that cost a lot of money. Highly recommended if you're on honeymoon or would like to propose. When choosing the menu do avoid the Chef's Surprise which is the most expensive and in my opinion a rip off. For more information you can visit my other blog.