Located near the Kuantan Airport, Zaman is really a well known eatery in Kuantan... serving breakfast and lunch fare... their speciality is steaming hot Nasi Lemak.
their Nasi Lemak is well,.. very good... i can't say it's the very BEST... but maybe the Best in Kuantan... the rice is super fragrant and the sambal good enough...
the teh tarik here is also quite good... not too sweet...
the roti is normal... but the kuah is good... dhal and curry mixed + u can smell the spices..
overall a very satisfying breakfast... a must stop by if u pass this way.... since it's quite far off from Kuantan to specially drive and just eat breakfast... 
Located in some of the newer shops opposite the Berjaya Megamall, this shop is supposedly a hang out place for the younger age group...
Overall ambience wise... ok lah... totally open air, not very good for us cuz it meant eveyone could smoke anywhere.
They serve quite a variety of food... malay/thai style and some western... 2 dif operators, where u got to pay drinks and food separately.
I had their teh-tarik which came out almost totally without sugar when i asked for "kurang manis"... but tasted not too bad. [RM2] Julie and Hannah had fresh orange... thick & nice. [RM3]
Food wise, the cooking is not bad... a bit dif then KL fare... and a bit pricy, maybe because it's a hang out place or something.
I had Nasi goreng Ayam, where in KL they would give u a whole piece of fried chicken, here they gave chicken cubes fried in kunyit together with fried rice. [RM7]
Julie ordered nasi goreng USA... .also dif then in KL... where u will be hard pressed to find a sliver of vegetable... here they are generous with the greens, no complains here... taste wise also ok. [RM7]
overall the place is ok lah... only hate the open concept... cuz almost everyone was smoking... not family friendly.
After a whole day out in putrajaya... sightseeing... i really didn't feel up to bringing both kids out again for dinner... so we ended up in the italian restaurant in Marriott, Putrajaya.
A bit odd for just a father and 2 kiddos to go into a classy... quite dimly lit italian restaurant... but hah... who cares... we were the guests here... but i did request for a table as far away from the diners so as not to overly disturb them...
Well... the hotel staff were very hospitable, friendly and obliging...
I ended up ordering just a pasta and soup... with iced water
They gave us a basket of bread first with 3 dips... olive oil, a fragrant minty guava smelling green one and also a tomato spaggetti sauce kind. NICE! Phoebe did eat quite a bit... 
Hannah's Capaccino Wild Mushroom Soup was also interestingly served... like a cappacinno, in a cup with foam and pistacho or some kind of dust... :P
My carbonara Fettucinni was a hotel decorated kind... tasty too... which phoebe and hannah also loved... 
Overall quite a good experience with even a group singing a song to phoebe... heh, it totally enthralled her.
Julie had a meeting in Putrajaya... and the whole family decided to tag along for a view of putrajaya... and some time-out for the kids to enjoy & play in the pool!... kaka! there are no public pools that are currently open in Kuantan!
I had initially hoped we would stay at the Shangrila Putrajaya... woo... but alas... they picked Marriott, Putrajaya instead cuz they have golf facilities... yeah... almost all her collegues do golf...
Well, i was pleasantly surprised... the hotel is quite good. The exterior is nothing to shout about but the interior is quite nice... u can see its age but they are doing some maintenence now... so it should be sorted out soon. 
The room we got... had a pool view... and a very large bed... it's larger then a King size one! thankfully they also had a couch... so Hannah used that as her bed for the duration... They had normal TV (old curvy one) with minimal channels... the usual 5 star hotel stuff... Internet access was totally wired (only wireless in lobby)... and using an old archaic logon system.
Our room per-se had some initial problems... the kettle was leaking and the toilet door couldn't close properly... but ok lah...
The hotel had a wonderful pool, which hannah and phoebe totally enjoyed the 2 days we were there... the slide is a nice touch... adults can have a go at it too... i did :p. The hotel interior is spacious with super high ceilings...
We had most of our meals in-doors... breakfast in their terrace cafe... the buffet spread was good. I did try one of their other restaurant, an italian - Tuscany... good also... In all, their food is GOOD!
IMHO this is definately a business hotel with some added stuff for family holidays... we did enjoy our stay here, but as i said earlier... Shangrila, Putjaraya looks way more tempting.
p/s: did i mention, they had very nice toiletries... i love good toiletries...
Gosh... this is like a super big planned city in Malaysia... all super modern architecture, impressive bridges... expansive gardens... lakes... SUPER IMPRESSIVE... 
i can't really say if it's a step towards the future... or waste of taxpayers money... but Putrajaya is really beautifully done... i can only hope they will maintain it properly... Most of the beautifully lanscaped gardens need another 5 years or so to mature... and who knows what condition they will be by then
Infrastucture here in this city is trully impressive... nice wide roads... good signs... big walkways... internet backbone... but as i say... maintenance is key.
If u do venture to putrajaya... do get a map... as it's quite big... and u can get lost in all the precints and tons of highways all around...
Kuantan's main beach... located 5km away from the city centre...
Well if u're in Kuantan... u most probably been to Teluk Cempedak Beach, or will be... The Hyatt Hotel is also situated here. This beach is probably the hang-out place of the folks of kuantan... and during the weekends, south Terengganu folks also do come down.
This beach is well maintained with lots of convenient stores and eateries... fastfood chains like McD and KFC are also at the beachfront. Our best supper time is having a McD sundae with the wind blowing when we sit either at the beach proper or their outdoor tables...
The beach itself is separated into 2 parts the main beach and another secondary beach after a walk through a rocky cliffside walkway. The main beach is usually crowded during weekends and even nights... tons of activities... with even some beachside private dinner just outside hyatt.
This time round we explored the secondary beach... the walk was certainly pleasant... with views of the rocks, hill and sea... and also the view back to the main beach... superb.
The secondary beach is not as clean as the main one... and the sand having some blackish sand... but otherwise calmer then the main beach... probably due to the rock cover... it was an interesting time but i would recommend the main beach if u want sand and sea... only the walk here is worth it... i heard the rock here can be climbed by rock climbers too...
anyways... Hannah and Phoebe enjoyed themselves... Phoebe just trotted down into the sea without a care in the world...gungho!... thankfully it doesn't get deep till much further... with gentle lapping waves, heh... they played like carefree children!
On our way back we stopped by the food court located at the entrance of the cliff walkway... it has a children playarea which Hannah and Phoebe enjoyed... the icy drinks served in one of the shops nearby is refreshing... it has iced jelly with fruits... an interesting mix.
p/s: we went one day to the beach for supper... and it was a full moon night... whoa! a sight to behold... the sea was lit by moonlight... my first time seeing... very nice!
Well we wanted to do something local... meaning not going for a 1-2hour drive out of kuantan to a nice beach.... so we thought... let's try the Kuantan River Cruise...
we have passed it several times before... it's located opposite the Kuantan General Hospital... the Jetty... Open during weekdays for 9.00am, 11.00am & 2.30pm rides... and an additional 4.00pm on weekends... Fridays are at 9.00am & 3.00pm. Fares were a bit tad expensive after a recent hike... Adults at rm15, children at rm8... They also have joy bot rides at night. with a minimum 5 pax at rm5 each... they will take a boat ride to the mouth of the river and back to the jetty... just to enjoy the river sights... i recommend going during a full moon... (which we will try next round)
Well the boat was ok (overheard some newer boats are on the way!)... able to sit about 20... with lousy safety jackets... safety is certainly lacking... some real lifejackets were on the top ... i could count about 6-7... but thankfully they did say the river wasnt very deep about 20feet at its deepest. 
the cruise will start out to the mouth of the river, going under a kinda new bridge and passing by a fishing village of Tanjung Lumpur and Padang Lalang... it also passes by a police boat jetty. 
After a u-turn, it heads in... coming upon a jetty where all the fish are packed and iced ready to be shipped to the south. Here u can see quite alot of fishing boats, local and some international... the guide did told us u can recognise the states they were from by thier colors...
the entire river is bordered by mangroove swamps... also home to some eagles... there were quite a few... flying and soaring all over... unfortunately without a zoom lens, i couldnt capture any shots.
after a short ride upstream, we docked at a mangroove platform... here u get to walk in a real mangroove forest... with wooden platforms built... it was quite detiorated in certain places... and they were in the midst of upgrading the jetty to a more permanent one... here the guide did tell that in certain times crocodiles are seen in the rivers... whoa! crocodiles in the river! 
overall ... the ride was somewhat a let-down for me... more possibly due to some irritate people talking and standing up, as if the boat was theirs... plus the guide's explanation was all but lost in the din... also due to bad equipment lah i suppose. They should really upgrade their facilities to warrant the extra cost.... but the people manning the boat and guide were definately courteous and helpful.
If u do try the river cruise... go the early morning one... so it's not so hot... but for bird watching... a later one would be better... and do go earlier abit to book during weekends... they tend to get most of their business on weekends.
We will definately try out their night boat ride...as it sounds interesting...
Just 15 minutes south of Kuantan, using the Tg. Lumpur way... u will reach Pantai sepat.
We left kuantan that morning with hopes to go to Pekan, in hopes to have a historical journey of pahang... but Pekan turned up a dead end, both the muzeums were closed... plus the Tun Razak Historic site was closed during weekends also! What a sham... closed during weekends?
anyways... on the way... we did drop by this beach, Pantai Sepat... it was a very scenic and picturesque place... beautiful trees and nice open spaces... the beach was wide and flat, but not very clean... ahhh, but the view here is all u need...
There are proper car parks (recenty done) and a children's play area also... so u could have a picnic here if u want to... a couple of huts too are there serving such a purpose with. The trees around this area of the beach was also unique... bending in such manner, like bowing... 
in all... this beach is just relaxing... soak in the sun, wind and sand....
further up the road... u will be graced with a view to behold... coconut trees lined up one side and casurina trees on the other... beach on one side and an empty road... ahhh... so postcard like...
in all, our mishap trip to Pekan this weekend (which we will plan again sometime much later) was saved by this idyllic stretch of beach front...
Julie's parents came and visit us last weekend... they took the direct flight from Penang via fireflyz. They said the journey was pleasant... woo hoo... we will be traveling to Penang via similar modes too, come june.
After a night in kuantan... off we went to Impiana Resort, Cherating for the weekend... one night only lah
The hotel is quite nice... but its age could be seen, from all the semi-rotted wood and exposed electrical wirings... but thankfully the upkeep of the place is still maintained... we were in 2 adjoining rooms... unfortunately for us, our room had an old aircond unit, and wasn't keeping the room cool enough... we had to keep the fan in the room at max...
The beach was very nice and clean... cant say the waters are crystal clear... but no murky waters like those in the west coast. There was even one portion of the beach with tons of hermit crabs... u could literally feel them under your feet... as they tried to dig deeper into the sand...
Their pool was great too with a cascading waterfall... good for self water-massage... but the supposedly nice jaccussi was never switched on.
overall this is the best "resort" u can get in cherating, the Legend was also similar in outlook... maybe the Holiday Villa, Eastern Pavillion suites would fare better in conditions... but if its all about the beach... impiana sure wins... super long... clean and nice.
we also went to cherating beach proper (gazeted by govt) for dinner... the place we wanted to eat "Never Forget Restaurant" was under renovation, so we had to just hentam a new place... so so lah...
the next day we also drove up to Pantai Kemasik to go pick up seashells for Hannah's cousin... heh... got grandparents to bring it back mah... after that, we checked out and back to kuantan we went... 
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