Melaka

I launched my break with a trip to Melaka AFamosa resort with a group of friends. We had booked a villa for 8 with a private pool. It all sounded very glam and exciting but it didn't turn out to be Banyan Tree. It looked like the kind of spare house an uncle had let us go over to stay for the weekend and sunken in backyard was a pool. It was clean enough with three rooms, one of which had an attached bathroom. There was a shower room, a kitchen with a fridge, a kettle but opps, no cutlery. We pinched some cutlery at the breakfast table to snack on our supper of cup noodles. Towels and toiletries were provided.

The resort is huge with some 534 hectares of condomiums, houses, theme parks, eateries etc. Open shuttle buses speed around to pick up and drop people off within the compound and they rattle a lot. There is no hair dryer in the villa but you can take a ride in their shuttle services; the trip will do a nice job of whipping your hair about your head and giving it a good blow-dry. Of course, you don't get a choice of hairstyle but a quick comb through with your reliable brycream should pad down all your hair securely enough to survive your return ride.

Not all villas are built equal. The more newly built ones which has more beds are actually not as well maintained, not as thoughtfully designed and also less equipped than the older units which are closer to the reception center. So when you plan a trip here, I recommend you keep the group to 6 so that you can request for the older villas numbered between 200-300, which can only accommodate 6 people.

On our first nite we visited the Cowboy Town theme park which operates from 6pm - midnight. It was not crowded. Almost a ghost town with perhaps 100 visitors. We attended several shows, some were quite literally hot. We were impressed that fireworks are let off every night at 9.45pm. And boy, the works are as good as what you get on national day.