The Kuantan Blog has 300,000 page views!

The Kuantan Blog just surpassed 300,000 page views over night.

It's quite an achievement when I consider its humble beginnings as a blog that wasn't sure of the direction it would take.

More than 5 years of hard work have been put in to make this blog one of the leading sites on Kuantan, Malaysia, focusing on hotels and attractions in this lovely town on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

Here is a picture board of some of my favourite moments of 2014 so far:

Cathayana Hotel Kuantan

Cathayana Hotel is the newest hotel in Kuantan. It is located on Lorong Tun Ismail 5 and is close by UTC, East Coast Mall and Berjaya Megamall. It opened its doors for business on Friday 17th October. It is awaiting an anticipated 3-star status and stands for now as a budget hotel in the town centre of Kuantan. We were the very first guests to try out the Service Apartment, of which there are 3 units in Cathayana Hotel.

Room rates have not been finalised yet but will be by the end of November. They are anticipated to range roughly between RM100-300.

Cathayana Hotel has 4 room types inclusive of: Superior Deluxe, Triple Deluxe, Family, and Service Apartment. The Hotel Manager, a Mr. Razali Rahman, showed us around the rooms. He has previously worked at Grand Continental Hotel Kuantan, and most recently at Rompin Beach Resort.

The Superior deluxe room at Cathayana Hotel Kuantan features one king size bed and is ideally suited to couples

A king size bed and a single bed are included in the Triple Deluxe rooms at Cathayana Hotel Kuantan

Cathayana Hotel Kuantan's Family room includes a king and two single beds, ideal for a family of 4 or 5

The Superior Deluxe, Triple Deluxe and Family rooms at Cathayana Hotel come with attached bathrooms with storage space similar to this

And now on to our room for the night which was a Service Apartment. The first impression was very good. Spacious, simple, light, and windows - lots of them. We couldn't believe this was a budget hotel.

We stayed in room 402, one of three Service Apartments at Cathayana Hotel Kuantan

Service Apartment at Cathayana Hotel in Kuantan

Kitchen area, Service Apartment, Cathayana Hotel, Kuantan

Living area, Service Apartment, Cathayana Hotel Kuantan

It was exciting looking around the apartment, discovering room layouts, storage areas, the bathroom etc. We were fully aware that as this was a brand new hotel, there would most likely be some small teething problems, but they were minimal. Apart from an odour from the bathroom drainage which disappeared after a few hours, everything was fine. In fact, that seems to be a common hurdle with most hotels as we experienced the same thing at The Zenith Hotel Kuantan when we were among the very first guests there too.

First bedroom view at Service Apartment, Cathayana Hotel Kuantan

Storage area beside the bathroom, Cathayana Hotel Kuantan

Cathayana Hotel Kuantan's bathroom in the Service Apartment

Mr. Razali informed us that we were the very first guests in the Service Apartment and he was slightly worried how things would go for us!

Second bedroom at Cathayana Hotel Kuantan's Service Apartment

We got our girls to sleep together in the second bedroom, which includes two single beds side by side and lovely views of Kuantan. The partition acts as both a storage via two shelves, and on the other side, a make-up area with chair and mirror, and open wardrobe.

Second bedroom view at Cathayana Hotel Kuantan, Service Apartment

In the afternoon, I did my customary exploration of the hotel and nearby surroundings. Cathayana Hotel has an interesting exterior design that resembles a stack of building blocks.

Cathayana Hotel Kuantan

Outside Cathayana Hotel Kuantan at Ground Level

The lobby, while not fully complete (there will be a restaurant opening soon to cater to function rooms on the 9th floor), is extremely spacious, which is an immediate plus point for me. Also, I was drawn in to the marvellous paintings on the wall behind the Front Desk. They are very attractive and create a positive first impression.

The spacious lobby at Cathayana Hotel Kuantan

A waiting area of the lobby at Cathayana Hotel Kuantan

Front Desk in the lobby at Cathayana Hotel Kuantan

Family photo in the Service Apartment, Cathayana Hotel Kuantan

And here we are at the main entrance to Cathayana Hotel Kuantan

Overall we really enjoyed our stay at Cathayana Hotel in Kuantan. It is centrally located and is just a few minutes away from East Coast Mall and Berjaya Megamall, literally just across the road from UTC, and there is a Mydin store 50 yards down the road, along with other shops and restaurants. So everything you need is all just a stone's throw away, making life very simple if you are staying here. There is also private parking on the 1st and 2nd floors.

1st floor parking bay at Cathayana Hotel Kuantan. Parking can be accessed at the back of the hotel. To the right is the climb to the 2nd floor parking. The elevator bay is through the door straight ahead

Thank you to Cathayana Hotel Manager, Mr. Razali Rahman, for making our stay possible and showing us around the hotel. We would definitely recommend Cathayana Hotel to travellers, whether couples or families.

Posing for a photo alonside Mr. Razali Rahman, Cathayana Hotel Manager

Our Horne Family Flag

I've been spending some serious time of late producing our family flag. I'm from England while my other half hails from Sarawak, Malaysia. So I wanted to make something that blends our two backgrounds in a simple way.

The Horne Family Flag incorporates elements of the English, British, Sarawakian and Malaysian flags

On the left hand side is half of the St. George's cross with one quadrant of the British flag, representing me. On the right is the star and crescent of Malaysia, along with the red and black diagonal stripes of the Sarawak flag, representing my wife. The St. George's cross and the crescent combine to make the letter 'H' for Horne.

The British part of the Horne Family Flag

The Malaysian section of the Horne Family Flag

The Horne Family Flag is taking pride of place in our home and is a reminder of who we are, where we're from and how two different cultures have combined harmoniously.

Making a family flag is a lot of fun - why don't you give it a try?!

Casio Watches Zalora

CASIO WATCHES LOOKS FOR MEN

Watches are seen to be one of the most important accessories for men to match with their outfits. While we can't all afford a Rolex, there are plenty of other options. One of the most well-known brands is Casio which was founded in 1946 and successfully became one of the top choices for men as their time-telling instrument. 

The designs are classic and sleek and are suitable for men who are traditional in character. However, the modern man these days could also rock their fashion looks with the perfect selection of Casio Watches. There are 3 different types of looks men can pull together to make their Casio watch look not only stylish but maintain that classic touch.

1. The trendy look

This look is suitable for the man who wants to portray his fashion sense in a unique and creative way. Mix your wardrobe with neon coloured shirts and flash that golden wrist watch from Casio to show off your masculine personality. Not only that, having fun with colours in your clothing selections will definitely make you look a bit younger than your actual age. The perfect way to cheat your age with fashion and Casio watches!

 2. The simple casual

Men who prefer to don their casual t-shirt and shorts, like me, should not miss out on the opportunity to style a Casio watch. Casio watch collections are offered in many designs for men in order to match their own taste and personal interest. This look is suitable for men of all ages during their lazy weekends or travel trips. Select your favourite Casio wrist watch and show it off all around town. 

 3. The Sophisticated Look

The Casio watches will definitely look perfect when matched with a nice suit or business shirt. As the watch designs are classic and stylish, it will effortlessly reveal the sophisticated and mature side in you. Wear this look at parties, the office or even on a date with the special someone - the Casio watch will definitely work its wonders. 

If you're interested in getting a Casio watch, check out ZALORA for a wide selection of Casio watches online offered at affordable prices. I got one and it works nicely for me: