In the evening, we were off to the Galae Restaurant for dinner. The Galae was set amongst gum tree and a lake, aand have been serving diners for more than 30 years. It is extremely popular with the locals. After dinner, all the participants headed straight for the night bazaar upon arrival at the hotel.

The next morning, after a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel, the group headed out to the Chiangmai Zipline and white water rafting at the Mae Taeng River. It was indeed a day filled with lot’s of fun and laughter for all of them. Dinner was held at the Baan Suan Restaurant, a quiet restaurant next to the Ping River. After a good meal, the participants were all treated to a sky lantern release ceremony where they all wrote their wishes onto the lantern and release them to the sky. It was indeed a sight to behold.

After a good night rest, it was time to check out from Royal Princess. From here, we headed to the wet market, where we were introduced to all the various herbs and vegetables that we will be used during our cooking class. It was indeed an eye opener for most participant, but what surprises most participants was how easy it was to cook simple Thai dishes, such as Tom Yam Kun, Pad Thai, steamed  banana desserts, and Thai Green Curry, and when it came to eating what they had cooked, many participants noted that they were surprised by how well the food they had cooked tasted!

Lunch over, it was time to head to Robinson @ the Airport for some last minute shopping before heading to the airport for their flight back to Singapore.

11TH April 2012 was a very special day for an elite group of Very Important Guests of Epson Singapore. They were all flying into the United Kingdom to watch Manchester United Football Club play against Aston Villa. The game was scheduled for the afternoon of 15th April but the group was going there a few days earlier to help them acclimatise to the weather and the jet-lag. Of course, being Very Important Guests of Epson, they also got to visit Edinburgh as well.

The flight into Edinburgh, transit London was uneventful. Upon arrival, the guests were brought to the Castle Terrace, a Michelin Star Restaurant for their welcome lunch. The food was really great and the service was impeccable.

After a sumptuous lunch, it was time to visit the Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh Castle is a fortress, which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Built on an extinct volcano, this is both a fortress and royal palace.

After the tour, the group was off to dinner and then turned in early for the night. The next morning, we were off to the Highlands visiting Loch Lomont and as well as the Auchentoshan Distillery. While at the Auchentoshan Distillery, the guests were treated to The Ultimate Auchentoshan Experience, where they were accorded the rare privilege of sampling whisky directly from the casks and as well as tasting some of the rarest Auchentoshan whisky in the Master Blender Room. At the conclusion of the visit, each of the guests were presented with a bottle of Auchentoshan Single Malt with their name printed on the bottle, a great souvenir to bring home to!

The following day, they were off to Manchester. Arrived into Manchester and had lunch at the Hilton Deansgate Hotel, the tallest hotel in Manchester. After their meal, all the guests were eager to do some shopping and hence, they were all off to the Arndale Centre!

On 15th April 2012, it was match day! Manchester United playing Aston Villa in Old Trafford. The guests were given a tour of Old Trafford, and some time to do a little shopping at the Manchester United Shop before they took their place in the stadium. Two goals from Wayne Rooney and strikes from Danny Welbeck and Nani were enough see off Aston Villa and restore Manchester United’s five point lead at the top of the League.

On 16th April, it was time to leave for home and en-route from Manchester to Heathrow Airport, the group stopped by Bicester Village for some last minute shopping. After satisfying their shopping pangs, the group was off to Marriot Hotel, Heathrow for a good dinner before boarding their flight back to Singapore.



Mitsubishi Electric went to Osaka from 18^th March to 23^rd March 2012. Altogether, 24 participants made the trip. The main purpose of the trip was to bring their very important clients to visit their Air-conditioner factory in Wakayama, have a better understanding of Mitsubishi Electric Air-conditioners manufactured from the factory.

Other than visiting the factory in Wakayama, the group also indulge in a little sightseeing, visiting some of the tourist sights in Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto. While in Kobe, they were treated to the famous Kobe beef, which was both succulent and had the melt in the mouth feel. For the entire long journey they had to endure, they were rewarded to a great onsen on Awaji Island, and what a sight to behold, overlooking the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge!

Of course, being in Japan, we cannot miss partaking in the wonderful meals there, the Osaka Ramen, Kobe beef, the Okonomiyaki and the Kaiseki meals and at the same time, entertained by 2 beautiful geishas.

The group was also fortunate to witness some Sakura blossoming along the way. While the weather was extremely cold, the Sakura brought some warm to all their hearts! Of course, the trip would not be complete without visiting a strawberry farm and eating strawberry plucked direct from the ground.

On the last evening, the participants had a field day, shopping at the Shinsaibashi Shopping area, and generally enjoying the crowd and what Osaka had to offer!

Chiang Mai golf club promises unbeatable experience. These golf courses are full of magnificent scenery, where golf playing will be ultimate fun. It’s a great place you can also bring your family to enjoy. Just enjoy the soothing climate, pleasant sights and surely mouth watering delicacies. Golfing holidays are never a bad idea, in fact it is the best way to spend your vacation- play golf relax and enjoy soothing environment. The best part about Thailand is its weather, all round the year tropical climate of this place makes it it possible to play golf through out the year. You will be paying fewer amounts if you decide to enjoy the game in weekdays.

If you are staying with your family them it is advisable to stay in chiang mai golf resorts to experience luxury. Its magnificent outdoor gardens, private beaches make these resorts excellent for vacationers; these resorts are real tropical paradise. It is surely the most beautiful and visiting place in Thailand.



This year, GSE celebrates it’s 25^th anniversary at the Kirimaya Resort, Thailand from 17^th Feb to 19^th Feb 2012. The Kirimaya Resort is a premium resort situated about 2 hours away from Bangkok, in Khao Yai, the UNESCO Heritage Site. Many staff and business partners were present to join in the celebration with Robert and his family. They all had a good time, participating in a Team Building Activities to bond and build rapport, a Cowboy Theme Nite Dinner to celebrate their success and last but not least, strategise to move GSE forward for the next 25 years!



GSE staff and business partners participating in Team Building

Pow Wow strategies session at PB Winery

Cowboy theme nite and prize giving! Staff and business partners have a good time, partaking in song, dance and wine!

A total of about 120 grassroot leaders participated in this year’s retreat. The discussions and presentation were lively and the participation level was extremely high and of course the results were extremely encouraging. After their hard work, it is time to relax a little and here, the group visited the Nanfeng dragon kiln in Foshan. The Nanfeng Kiln is the oldest operational kiln in China today and dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Foshan is also known as the birth place of Wong Fei Hong and no visit to Foshan is complete without visiting the martial art school.

Here, participants were treated to some sleek display of kunfu and as well as Lion dance.

Guangzhou has always pride herself in serving the best cuisine and all the participants were treated to Dim sum and some great Cantonese cookings for their meals. Even the Muslims were not forgotten. They were served a whole roasted whole lamb for one of their dinner as well.

All the participants had a great time and were already looking forward to another retreat next year again!

The tournament was held in the Miramar Golf Club, and as well as the Formosa 1 Golf Club in Taipei. Rainy weather was forecasted but it turned out that we were blessed with good weather for all 5 days. The golf courses at Formosa and Miramar Golf Clubs were in pristine condition. The golf courses were both challenging and scenic as well. It helps that it was extremely windy, forcing the golfers to work a little harder, and challenge them in their club decision.

Other than fantastic golf games at the 2 great golf courses, participants were also treated to great food and entertainment as well. The golf courses chosen were the best there is in Taiwan and hosted most of the major golf tournaments in Taiwan.

Overall, the tournament was well received by all participants and many were already reserving their places for next year’s golf tournament in Japan.

A total of 12 golfers went on the trip. They were all weekend golf kakis and all very good golfers. The golf course they chose to play were the Golden Pebble Beach and as well as the Red Flag Valley Golf Club in Dalian.

Red Flag Valley Golf Club

Red Flag Valley is a private 36-hole member’s golf club is situated in 5,000 acres of natural valley and forest land to the west of the city.

The 36 holes golf courses, known as The Dragon and The Unicorn respectively, were designed by internationally acclaimed golf architects IMG. The scenery in these courses were amongst the most picturesque I had seen in a very long time.

Golden Pebble Beach Golf Club

Another beautiful and challenging golf course in Dalian in which my group of golfers played was the Golden Pebble Beach Golf Club. Like the Red Flag Valley Golf Club, the Golden Pebble Beach have 36 holes in total and as you can see in the pictures below, they are challenging and beautiful.

The weather there, during end September was just fantastic, ranging between a cool 15 degrees Celcius to about 24 degree Celcius, perfect weather for golfing. Just imagine golfing in cool air-conditioned comfort!

Not only was the golfing great, the seafood there was also something to shout about. It was reasonably priced and fresh, and most important, delicious as well.

For those who are keen, do drop us a note at sales@golfalternative.com.

Opened in December 2004, Kirimaya is a high-end nature retreat just two hours from Bangkok and the first boutique luxury resort in Khao Yai (“Big Mountains”). Nestled at the edge of the revered Khao Yai National Park, the Kirimaya Experience includes the discovery of nature’s gifts, wellness spas, culinary adventures and the exhilarating challenge of an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus.

The exclusive 18-hole championship golf course is set within natural surroundings with panoramic views of Khao Yai’s lush greenery and mountains. The course ranges from 4,875 yards (ladies) to an incredible 7,115 yards (tournament) and with its single-track layout, golfers feel as if they are the only ones on the entire course for a truly memorable golf experience.

Kirimaya, formerly The Country Club Khao Yai, is a ‘must play’ for anyone visiting Thailand. The golf course and resort is set within natural surroundings with panoramic views of Khao Yai’s lush greenery and mountains and is described by the Nicklaus design team, to be one of the 3 best in Asia. Nine holes out, and nine holes in, you’ll struggle to see another group as the holes weave their way around what well may be the best course design in Thailand. Critical shot making and strategic course management are required to shoot a good score. Adding to the challenge are many water hazards, waste bunkers, and fast greens.

Unlike prevoious years, this year’s tournament was scaled down, not for want of golfers but due to time constraints faced by the organisers. Despite that, all those that joined were not disapointed. They were treated to 2 of the best golf courses in Thailand, The Kirimaya and Muang Keaw. Recently redesigned by Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley from the USA, Muang Kaew now boasts 18 well guarded greens, many of which are elevated with large side catchment areas, a very unique design aspect and hardly ever seen on Thailand golf courses.

Wide fairways give players some respite for approach shots, most of which are into difficult to hold greens due to the high lipped bunkers, and shaved fringes. The course seems to get better by the hole with the back nine offering a great variety of holes starting with the exciting risk-reward Par 5 13th, where players have a blind tee shot and an approach shot over a large and intimidating water hazard. Even shorter hitters can bite off a bit of the dogleg and have a go at the green, although you’ll need to carry the ball at least 150 yards over the water. 

With the many prizes sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, who also sponsored the sumptious Prize Presentation Dinner, it was indeed a grand affair. Each golfer was also given a welcome gift, in the form of a golf tower, golf balls and tees from the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, who also sponsored a dinner as well. In all, all the golfers had a very good time in Thailand, experiencing the nice weather, beautiful golf courses and as well as the famed Thai hospitality along the way.