Now, one of our most visited places this year has to be Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Come on, it's so easy for us to get there by car and you see, as long as we bring along passports and go out of the country, it's always a fun holiday to the kids and I reckon they don't actually mind where we head to. I once read that instead of trying to visit as many different places in the world as possible, it's actually more recommended for young kids to have a recurring holiday spot year after year. It will be a place where they get accustomed and grow attached to in their growing up years, a place where they feel safe and familiar in, a place where they build the happiest of memories.
In today's post, I'll be sharing more about Somerset Medini Iskandar Puteri, which was where we stayed in during our most recent trip to Johor. It is an affordable serviced apartment that is family-friendly, easy on the pocket and best of all, it is just a stone's throw from one of our favorite places on earth, LEGOLAND Malaysia. For those of you who are longing for a quick getaway with your family, I have a 2D1N package stay to give away too, so come join in!
INTRODUCTION
Somerset Medini Iskandar Puteri is easily accessibly by car and it is located right across the road from Medini Mall. Boasting 33 storeys and 310 units, the tall building looks striking, stylish and welcoming, and you can hardly miss it. We were pleasantly surprised to find that there was an underground carpark right below the building and best of all, it merely cost us RM10 to park our car there for three days. Yes, three long days! Even if you do drive out during your stay, as long as you keep the receipt, the vigilant security guards will allow you to re-enter the carpark. This was a total relief to my hubby, who has a fear of open air carparks and would prefer this safer option.
The fact that the carpark is underground meant that it was convenient and easy for us to move our luggage to the lobby where we could take a lift to the reception. The labelling on the lift panel was concise and it helped us to find our directions around easily too.
Here is how the spacious and comfy lounge looks like at the reception, where you can read the day's papers, use the computers, watch the TV and just sit back and relax while the staff helps you to check in.
For those who are more observant, yes, you might have spotted it! Standing in the background is none other than LEGOLAND Malaysia. We were so thrilled to be able to see it from where we stood at the reception and the kids couldn't wait to start their holiday. See? I wasn't kidding when I told you the apartment is very near the theme park, right?
ROOMS
Now, we've stayed in LEGOLAND Hotel a handful of times already (you can read my reviews here and here) and while we do love it to bits, we are also all for the notion of staying in an apartment. Why? Firstly, there is much for space for the kids to run about. Secondly, you get more toilets and maybe even a tub. Thirdly and most importantly, we love having a kitchen so that we can whip up simple, healthier meals for the kids.
There are four apartment types in Somerset Medini, namely:
Studio Premier
- 43 - 47sqm, comes with a king-sized bed, fits up to three guests (3rd guest is chargeable with an extra bed)
1-Bedroom Premier
- 58sqm, comes with a king-size bed, fits up to three guests (3rd guest is chargeable with an extra bed)
2-Bedroom Premier
- 70 - 80 sqm, comes with a king-size bed and two single beds, fits up to five guests (5th guest is chargeable with an extra bed)
3-Bedroom Premier
- 110sqm, comes with a king-size, queen-size bed and two single beds, fits up to seven guests (7th guest is chargeable with an extra bed)
We stayed in the 2-Bedroom Premier, which was more than enough to suffice for our needs and I have to say we are very happy with our apartment. I will take you on a short tour so that you can take a look for yourself too! First, here is a look at the floor plan and you can see that the serviced apartment comes with a living room, a dining area, a kitchen, two toilets, two bedrooms and a balcony. It is even bigger than the 3-room HDB flat which I grew up in all my life as a child and teenager so yes, I definitely think it has more than ample space for our family of five.
Now, let's take a look all around. This is the living room which has a 4-seater dining table area, carpeted floor, coffee table, air conditioner and the curtains can open up to reveal a small, private balcony. I was very pleased by the amount of natural light that came in when we first entered the apartment, which made everything feel bright and airy. And guess what? The living room was where we spent much of our time in the house, just idling on the sofa and snacking away while enjoying a good movie on the TV. Yup, that's one of the things I love to do most on a holiday.
The master bedroom comes with a king-size bed, working desk, TV, a 4-door wardrobe and a toilet with a bathtub!! Hip hip hooray! It does state that you need to turn on the water heater 30 minutes before usage but I don't think that will be of much issue, right? My kids miss playing in the tub together so you can imagine how convenient it was for me to put them in the tub while the hubby and I worked in the kitchen or just enjoy some couple time of our own. Oh and before I forget, all guests can enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi too and yes, it works even in the toilets, yay!
As for the other bedroom, it was supposed to come with two single beds but we realised that ours had a queen-size bed instead. Well, this was all the better for us as the girls could sleep together. If you are like us and have this habit of squeezing into one room to sleep at night when on holiday, then the good news is that this room is right next to the master bedroom and yes, even a queen-size mattress can fit into it nicely so everyone can sleep together if desired.
Last but not least, we have the kitchen which is fully equipped with an electric stove, kettle, a front load washer, a 2-door refrigerator, microwave and all the utensils that you need. Yes, this means you get to do the laundry (if you want) and cook whenever you want to! I'll share more about where we bought our groceries later on but I really loved that we had a huge fridge and a stove so we could even have suppers or a quick meal whenever we wanted.
AMENITIES
There are some amenities in Somerset Medini for guests to make use of and I have to say that while I wasn't expecting a lot, they turn out to be better than what I had imagined.
-> Swimming Pool
Firstly, check out the swimming pool with the overlooking view of LEGOLAND and the greenery in the garden below. It was just so inviting that despite us being out most of the day, we had to by hook or by crook find a chance to go for a dip!
It so happened that we were there at sunset so the gorgeous scenery became even more breath-taking as the sun warmed up the waters and our hearts too. If this isn't an awesome family holiday, what else is?
-> Kids Club
We were thrilled to find that that was a Kids Club located on the same floor as the swimming pool and even though it wasn't huge, it was the perfect hideout when the rain started to pour and kept the kids happy and entertained for an hour or so.
Inside the Kids Club, you can find a slide with a small climbing structure, a rocker and a LEGO table with some blocks to play with. There is also a sitting area where you can relax and watch TV while the kids played, though I would personally prefer to do that in the comfort of our room.
-> Gymnasium
For those who would like to work out and can find time to leave the kids, there is also a gym available on the same floor as the pool and Kids Club at Level 1. Note that this is not the same lift that you took from the carpark to get to the reception, you have to walk past the reception to get to this lift which brings you to the amenities and to the guestrooms too.
For those who would like a quick bite or drink after swimming or working out, there is also a couple of vending machines located near the lift lobby too.
-> Oasis Garden
The Oasis Garden located at Level G is one of my favorite places to be in Somerset Medini. There was this sense of tranquility the moment I stepped in and this was one of the things I would look for, and cherish, when I'm on holiday. It is basically a garden with lots of lush greenery and waterfalls which allows you to come up close with nature for a moment before the hustle and bustle (note: theme park rides) start all over again.
I was there at the garden with just my two girls for a stroll and without the toddler, it meant that I had even more peace and just being with the two of them, taking in all the scenery and not forgetting to take some wefies too, that was a girls-only morning that I treasured very much.
DINING
Moving on to food, now this was the part that I felt that had plenty of room for improvement. We had our breakfasts in Somerset Medini and let's just that there wasn't much to boast of. Although it was communicated to all guests that this was a temporary holding while they worked on upgrading the breakfast hall, from what we were told, this had been going on for months and so you would expect the quality and variety of food to be a little more than what we got.
Still, at least we could fill our tummies enough to start off the day. Even though the food was somewhat bland, you do get to choose from a selection of cereal, bread and jam, fried kway teow and noodles, nasi lemak, congee, some cakes and fruits.
The consolation is that there was the egg station that served freshly cooked omelettes and sunny-side ups but the bad news is it wasn't opened every morning when we were there so you might just have to depend on your luck for that.
If you were to ask me, it might just be a better option to get your own breakfast or groceries on your way to the apartment so that you can opt out of the daily breakfast when you book the apartment and save the cost. What's more, you can cook a more wholesome, tastier meal in the comfort of your own kitchen, which provides you with everything you need. Yup, don't forget to bring some seasoning along too or you might have to end up buying them in the supermarket!
NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST
That's all that we have to share on Somerset Medini itself but since I love to share more of our findings and experiences with you, here are some of the nearby places of interest that you can consider visiting during your stay. By the way, we have not been sponsored for any of the below so what I write is purely because of what I wanna share.
-> LEGOLAND Malaysia
We have visited LEGOLAND Malaysia over a dozen times and as its annual pass holders, we have been faithful supporters over the years! I still remember the very first LEGOLAND we visited was the original LEGOLAND in Billund (check out our experience and pics of the firstborn when she was just a toddler here). That was the first time I was mesmerized by the whole LEGOLAND experience and when LEGOLAND Malaysia opened 5 years ago, we were so very thankful to have this magical paradise for kids so near to our shore. Happy happy 5th anniversary, LEGOLAND!
Over the years, we've seen how it grew, with the addition of the water park, LEGOLAND hotel, the expansion of Miniland and the newest ride in the park is the NINJAGO ride which opened just last year. We were so thrilled to get to try it out and it has fast ascended to the top in our list of favorite rides! Yes, the girls simply love to "throw fireballs at the bad guys" and I must say it is so fun to work out those arms while bonding with the kids at the same time.
We also love to dip in the water and go on the rides at the water park, which is why a day at LEGOLAND is never enough for us! Actually, even two days might not be enough because my kids just love this place so, so much. I do recommend that you try to spend at least a night when you visit so that you can take it leisurely, enjoy each and every show or ride, focus on having fun without having to think about needing to beat the jam and rush to get home across the causeway by nightfall.
Oh, and we heard some very exciting news too! Come November, LEGOLAND will be releasing a new ride and creating a brand new experience with the world's first LEGO virtual reality roller coaster ride! We've never been on a VR ride so we are very excited about this new attraction - which combines cutting-edge VR technology with roller coaster thrills - that will definitely get our adrenaline pumping. It's going to replace one of our favorite rides, Project X, so we have really high hopes for this and can't wait to check it out this year end.
We've known of friends who would love to go to LEGOLAND for a family holiday but because of the high costs of staying in the hotel, they dismissed this idea. What I do hope is that they will now know that it is possible to have a more-than-just-one-day getaway in LEGOLAND and stay over in an apartment (located very near it) without having to spend as much. LEGOLAND Malaysia will for sure remain as one of our favorite destinations for a family holiday in the near future at least, that is, before our kids are all grown up!
-> Medini Mall
So if you cut across Oasis Garden, go down an escalator and cross a road, you will be in Medini Mall which is a stretch of shops and restaurants that will lead you right to LEGOLAND. If you prefer not to cook on a holiday, there are plenty of dining options here, including KFC, Burger King, Old Town White Coffee, The Chicken Rice Shop, Secret Recipe, Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks, a Thai restaurant and so on. There is a 7-Eleven at Somerset Medini but if you need to top up your provision supplies, there is a handful of convenient stores here too and you can get items like snacks, bread, fresh milk, drinks, towels, swimwear and more.
We found this Fun Zone for kids (located on the right of Shilin Taiwan Street Snacks) which is basically a mini arcade with kiddy rides, claw machines and some marble ball games. You can get your tokens at the self-service changing machines (1 token cost RM1, the games cost either RM1 or RM2) and just start playing away! We spent hours here and I still can't believe that we caught a total of not one, not two but FIVE stuffed toys at the claw machines, two of which were surprisingly caught by the very lucky big girl. Woohoo!
-> Hello Kitty Town
If you are staying over for more than one night and have time to spend, I recommend that you take a drive to Puteri Harbour because you can easily spend a fun-filled day here with the little ones too. It was our second visit to Hello Kitty Town (read my review here) and even though I was skeptical if the soon-to-be 8-year-old will find it too childish or boring, it turned out that we still enjoyed it as much as we did the first time. So if you have little girls or if you are a fan of Hello Kitty, be sure to pay this place a visit too.
Don't miss out on the newest attraction, Kitty of Oz, which is a fun and cool game that uses smart electronic devices and requires players to complete four challenging activities before they can each receive a souvenir to bring home.
-> Thomas Town
If you have little boys and not girls, fret not! Thomas Town, which was previously Little Big, is located right below Hello Kitty Town. It was our first time here and the girls were thrilled to take up ballet classes with Angelina Ballerina and get a photo opportunity with Pingu the Penguin while the baby brother was ecstatic to see watch a live Barney show and give Bob the Builder a high five.
This place exceeded my expectations with the kiddy rides like bumper car, arcade games like Whac-the-mole and indoor play structures that come complete with balls and slides. Making our way here on a rainy day and getting a two-park pass was definitely worth it!
For instructions on how to get to Puteri Harbour, go here.
-> AEON Mall
It takes approximately 15-20 minutes to drive to AEON Mall from Somerset Medini and here, you can find a big supermarket where you can get your groceries, an A&W if you crave for root beer floats and curly fries, a cinema if you wish to watch a movie at only half of the cost in Singapore, a Toys 'R' Us, an outdoor playground and lots of kiddy rides if you need entertainment for the kids.
This was where we bought all our fresh food supplies and went back to the apartment to cook our dinner after that. There are also bakeries where you can get bread, cakes, pies or pastries for breakfast the next day too.
-> Restoran Chua Kee
We had dinner at this zi char place, thanks to recommendation from our in-laws (who took bus to meet us here just to eat together!) and I have to share it with you. It's located at Gelang Patah and takes you around 10-15 minutes to drive here by car. The roads are dark at night so do be careful along the journey but I assure you that once you find your way here, you will likely come back again and again next time.
Why? Because who can say no to cheap and fresh seafood and a good hearty meal, right? Between the 12 of us, we had FOUR big crabs, one huge promfret, fresh prawns, two soups and a tofu dish and the total bill came up to RM738, which according to my mum-in-law, is less than half of what you would pay in Singapore for the same spread and quality of food. So yeah, I think we will be definitely be coming back here again soon!
So yes, this is such a lengthy post but I believe in sharing what might come in useful for you one day. I think our recent experience in Somerset Medini and LEGOLAND were both so fantastic that the kids are already asking me when we can go again. Yup, recurring holiday spot, remember? I am quite sure that we will be back here very soon but for now, let's just keep it a secret from the kids, yeah?
Somerset Medini Iskandar Puteri, JohorLot 5 Jalan Medini Utara 4, Medini Iskandar Malaysia
79200 Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia [email protected] + 607 560 5555For map and directions, go here. For more information, go here.
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GIVEAWAY ON A HAPPY MUM
Good news! For those of you who would love a family getaway to Johor, I am giving away an exciting family package to one of you! It includes a 2D1N stay in Somerset Medini Iskandar Puteri (breakfast included) and 4 x 1-Day Combo tickets to LEGOLAND Malaysia! Yes, this means you can feel free to thoroughly explore the theme park and water park and enjoy a good night's rest without having to rush! How awesome, right? It took me much effort to get this deal for you but as I've said before, good things are meant to be shared and I'm glad I made it happen!
To participate in this giveaway, leave a comment in this blog post with your name, email address and tell me what you love most about 1) Somerset Medini Iskandar Puteri and 2) LEGOLAND Malaysia. Indicate in the widget that you have done so and to increase your chances of winning, you can choose to carry out the rest of the options.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Terms and Conditions- This giveaway is open to all readers residing in Singapore or Malaysia only- The prizes have to be redeemed within 6 months from date of issue and are non-transferable - The giveaway ends on 15 Oct 2359hrs and the winner will be picked and announced here and on Facebook/Instagram. He/she will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be picked- To be fair to our sponsors, social media accounts set up to take part in giveaways (i.e. those with zero or very few friends) will be disqualified- This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook or Instagram.
Disclaimer: We were invited by Somerset Medini Iskandar Puteri and received a complimentary 3D2N stay in return for this review. Giveaway prizes are provided by The Ascott Limited and LEGOLAND Malaysia. All opinions are our own.
