Category: Travel

Everyone longs for a quick getaway from home even just for a few moments to perhaps enjoy an entertaining movie, have dinner outside with loved ones or friends, or have a drink of coffee with only yourself for company. More often than not, however, one of the things that can keep one from venturing out is the thoughts of going through the hustle and bustle of a crowded mall. Thankfully, Commercenter Alabang offers a place just like that. It’s a place for “#JustUs.”

After having lunch at Butamaru that day and while waiting for dinner at Tus’ Clay Pots and Skillets, we visited Commercenter Alabang to watch a movie and stroll around to pass time. 🙂

with Jeng, Chen, and Marge

Here are five things to love about this lifestyle center in the South:

5 Things to Love About Commercenter Alabang

1. Relaxing, Less Crowded Retail

Commercenter Alabang showcases various convenient, exciting  retail stores that offers a refreshing way to spend time with your family without going through the frenzied trip to a typical mall. With its non-complex layout, it’s a perfect go-to place for those into sports and hobbies. Present are: Kitchen Gallery, Bridgestone Tire Center Alabang* (see description below), Ducati, Callaway, Epic Cycles, and the soon-to-open Luxuri Boutique and Decor Contemporary Furniture.

2. Carefully-chosen Restaurants

The lifestyle center’s establishments have been carefully chosen to ensure varied dining. Commercenter Alabang houses dining choices that come with a warm and cozy feeling, including: Yellow Cab, Army Navy, Cocohut Fried Chicken and Fish, Mona Lisa Ristorante, Bacchus Epicerie, Buffalo’s Wings ‘N Things, Chubby’s Ribshack, Lasa Bistro, Le Coeur de France, KXP Kulinarya Express, Maple Restaurant, Elbert’s Cheesesteak, Kessaku, The Black Pig, Belcuisine Belgian Restaurant, A-Won Korean Restaurant, and more.

3. Fitness and Development Center

For fans of fitness and development, Commercenter has well-placed establishments such as Bikram Yoga Alabang, Asian Center for Dental Specialties, Fringe Salon, Asian Eye Institute, Centro Holistico, CMA Mental Arithmetic, 4C Early Learning Station, and the soon-to-open Aivee Institute.

4. Upscale and State-of-the-art Cinemas

To cater to the Southern community’s entertainment needs, Commercenter Alabang has Commercenter Cinemas that present a premium movie experience easily evident from its grand hallway down to the thematic ambiance of the theater. This is the newest place for a Dolby Digital 7.1 and 3D movie experience!

Inside the cinemas, we found highly comfortable seats, adjustable arm chairs, and wide legroom. Seats are easy to locate with the bold numbers on them and numbers lit at the side by the aisles. Food and drinks are allowed. Each of the four cinemas can accommodate 100-130 people.

5. Great hangout place overall

If you are having a staycation in any hotel in Alabang or just food-tripping like us, Commercenter Alabang is a great hangout place to consider as it has everything for dads, moms, kids, friends (barkada), and couples stationed in one building. It is located at Commerce Avenue corner East Asia Drive, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. This is my new favorite place in Alabang. 🙂 More stores are opening soon! Follow its updates by liking its Facebook page here.

Quick Guide on How to Go to Commercenter Alabang

Note: Basement Parking Main Entrance is located along East Asia Drive, just in front of Parque Espana.

* Short Feature on Bridgestone Tire Center Alabang

Commercenter has the one-stop tire shop and automotive services provider, Bridgestone Tire Center Alabang. Bridgestone offers unrivaled value, professionalism, and customer service. Built on the value and good reputation established by Bridgestone’s exclusive distributor, Philippine Allied Enterprises Corporation, Bridgestone Tire Center Alabang managed by Gian Carlo Lee and Martin Tee Ten make sure that every customer will be in good care.

With an automated aligner machine, a nitro air machine and a total of ten lifters, all equipment allow a comprehensive range of tailored vehicle services: oil change, under chassis, engine, suspension, steering, brakes, and tire services. Operated by highly trained and competent mechanics, service is swift, precise and highly professional. They ensure that all vehicles leave the shop in the best shape!

Along with the 25 tire centers in the country, Bridgestone Tire Center Alabang is actively promoting the Ecopia line, the most eco-friendly tire to date (made of eco-friendly materials), as well as other tires approved to have the eco-badge stamp. The eco-badge assures that all tires have passed a high standard, improved rolling resistance for fuel efficiency and reduced emissions, longer lasting tire life and lower-noise technology and improved safety.

For more information, please visit its Facebook page.

Since it’s already the last quarter of the year and the mid of -ber months, my family, boyfriend and I were excited to feel the natural cool breeze of Baguio, escape Manila for three days/two nights on a weekend, and experience a simply luxurious way of a perfect staycation in the “Summer Capital of the Philippines.” It has been almost a decade since our last visit, and my mom had terribly missed this travel destination located in the province of Benguet in northern Luzon island of the country.

To recall, we’ve had four trips to Baguio before and we’ve stayed in a different hotel every time (but always near Session Road) to experience something new. So when the question “Where is a good hotel to stay at the quiet side of Baguio City?” is placed, consensuses gather around two choice areas: either The Manor or The Forest Lodge—both situated at Camp John Hay, away from the busy streets downtown.

Note: We intended to book a stay at The Manor, but unfortunately it was fully booked on our chosen dates. While searching for an alternative, we chanced upon Forest Lodge’s website and decided to reserve for two rooms in advance. So, Forest Lodge it was! 😉

Touchdown Baguio!

We traveled on a Thursday night via Genesis Transport – Philippine Rabbit and reached Baguio City in about six hours. From the bus terminal, we took a ten-minute taxicab ride to the hotel. Temperature was very nice, a lot colder than Manila! Everywhere was like air-conditioned.

From Manila, I called the hotel front desk prior going to reconfirm our reservation. It was a good move for us to feel rest assured that we would not end up not having a place to stay upon arrival. And thank goodness, we didn’t experience any problem in checking in.

The Forest Lodge’s lobby has a rustic and elegant feel. Several sets of sofas, handsome furniture and tribal décor provided dashes of color bringing a warm and cozy environment. The space was also decorated with Christmas-themed accents, Filipino paintings, arts and crafts.

We were welcomed by the front desk hotel staff who asked for my name and identification card. It didn’t take more than 20 minutes for us to get to our room. Our luggage and carry-on bags were delivered to our room quickly.

Here are the top five activities we covered, plus a review of The Forest Lodge:

Top 5 Activities We Did in Forest Lodge (Hotel in Camp John Hay, Baguio City)

1. Sleep and Relax

We got two Superior Rooms—each fitted with two double-sized beds with clean sheets, comforters and comfy pillows good for four people, cable television, furnishings, bar area complete with a mini fridge, water heater, mugs and bottled water, dressing area, large cabinets, and a decent bathroom.

Weather in Baguio is normally cold, so hotel rooms don’t have an air-conditioner unit. Compared to the previous hotels we’ve stayed in, The Forest Lodge has a ceiling fan to make sure that guests can be pretty much satisfied with coolness and ventilation, if air from the outside isn’t sufficient.

Superior Room 1

Our sleep quality was great, with the consideration that this hotel is inside Camp John Hay and our rooms were facing the parking lot side (thus less traffic noise from the front side of the hotel). The Superior Room didn’t have a veranda but view outside the window can be seen vividly. It was of beautiful and tall trees and lush greens.

Superior Room 2

In the bathroom, the rain-head shower with easily controllable water temperature was also a treat. Of course, the last thing we wanted was to bathe in cold water when in Baguio. 😛 Amenities included were The Forest Lodge shampoo, lotion, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste. Clean bath towels, hangers and a hair dryer were also provided for convenience.

I should also mention that there’s free and fast Wi-Fi connection everywhere in the hotel. It was definitely a plus for me so I could regularly update my followers/friends on Twitter and Instagram.  #SocialMediaAddict

2. Dine and Indulge with Food

We had breakfast and lunch at the only restaurant inside The Forest Lodge: The Twist Café by Chef Billy King. If you’re interested to learn about their Asian fusion dishes and breakfast offerings (available 6:30am to 10am) we’ve tried, click here. We also dined in Le Chef at The Manor. You can read about the food and restaurant review here. 🙂

3. Stay in Music Room

My dad has a wide collection of records, as he’s a large enthusiast of bands and songwriters of his era. We used to have a turntable at home, but then the needle is really hard to find and replace in this modern day. Being in charge of disposing stuff that are not usable, my mom sold the old music player out but still kept the records at my grandfather’s house.

So… you can just imagine how a large smile was plastered on my dad’s face the entire time we were in The Forest Lodge’s music room. 😛 He was completely astounded upon learning that records of classic artists mostly from the ’60s to the ’80s can be played through a turntable. We just had to ask permission from the hotel manager and staff to play and sound-test some of the records.

The sound that came out from the Polk Audio surround speakers was very clear, and there was absolutely no detectable vibration noise. The more records played, the more you’ll find yourself appreciating it. 😉

The music room was also filled with books, so I guess book lovers may spend a lot of time here.

4. Unwind with Live Music

At the Forest Lodge, entertainment does not end at the music room. Guests may also unwind by listening to live music at night in the lounge area. I’m not sure of the nightly schedule but just to share, when we were there on a Friday night, entertainment started at around 6PM when a pianist sat down and did a virtuoso performance.

At 8PM on a Saturday night, conversely, we were serenaded by the jazz music presented by a band composed of doctors. They were really great singers! No wonder there were some audiences who rose to their feet and felt compelled to even dance at the back. The crowd here had a way of showing their appreciation. 🙂

5. Explore Camp John Hay via Shuttle Service

Camp John Hay hotels offer shuttle service operated by Camp John Hay Leisure, Inc. for guests to go around the camp and explore its facilities and tour the city. As I was not at all familiar with developments inside CJH, I humbly asked the front desk personnel for recommendations. She made the arrangement for us and the shuttle driver took us to five stops:

Choco-Late de Batirol

Known as “The King of Chocolate,” Choco-late de Batirol is the most awarded and recognized garden-restaurant in Igorot Park, Camp John Hay, Baguio City serving home-cooked meals and specialty drinks. The ambiance was very lovely as it looked like a paradise for nature lovers. The furnishings, including the roofing material, tables and chairs, were made from recycled materials.

We tried a short order of their hot chocolate that everyone was raving about. It was thick and rich with the perfect amount of sweetness, worthy of being famous for.

For reservations and bookings, contact 0916-375-6510 (Socorro) or 0915-933-3474 (Michelle) or email chocolatedebatirol@yahoo.com

Camp John Hay Golf Club

We’re nowhere close to being experienced golfers but just the sight of a par-69 golf course following the Nicklaus design of Golden Bear International impressed us. The Camp John Hay Golf Club is said to be one of the best in the Philippines.

It’s located 5,000 feet above sea level, and is surrounded by rolling hills, crystal clear lakes and tall pine trees. Because we’re non-members, we could not get any further than the space near the veranda restaurant. Anyway, we enjoyed picture-taking and wandering around the scenic area.

To book a golfing holiday, contact +(63-74) 444-2131

Tree Top Adventure (Beside Bell House Museum)

The Tree Top Adventure in Camp John Hay, Baguio features unspoiled nature and a breathtaking view 100 feet above the ground. This is an ideal tripping experience with jungle trails comprised of platforms nestled on branches, suspension bridges and the world’s first motorized canopy tour.

In Tree Top Adventure, you may choose up to five adventures to embark on: Canopy Ride and Funicular (PhP 350/person), Superman (PhP 300/person), Tree Drop (PhP 150/person), Silver Surfer (PhP 200/person) and Trekking and Skywalk Adventure (PhP 100/person). We just went there to know what the place offers (almost same as those in Subic) and didn’t continue taking any of the packages since we’re all afraid of heights! 😯 Haha.

For inquiries, contact Mr. Donald Estrada at 0932 7449594 or Mr. Jim Bocanog at 0932783 2137

Shalan ti Kabadjo

Translated to “Way of the Horse,” Shalan ti Kabadjo has a bridle path and riding circle for pony rides amidst the lush Kabadjo Pine Forest. We all rode the pony and posed for the camera. Only Mom was brave enough to ride the pony, feeling like a true cowboy up in the saddle. With some guidance, she learned how to handle the pony well by her own. She had so much fun in half an hour.

Butterfly Sanctuary

Offering a rare close encounter with the forest’s winged creature, the Butterfly Sanctuary in Camp John Hay a lush garden home to different butterfly species. Staffs here are known to be friendly and accommodating. They allow guests to hold the colorful butterflies with their bare hands.

We would have wanted to take a look at the colorful butterflies in the Butterfly Sanctuary, but the weather battled against the plan. It was already drizzling! 🙁

Wrap Up

True to the word of Heinrich L. Maulbecker, its managing director, the Forest Lodge at Camp John Hay gave us the best of both worlds last weekend: comfortable living spaces at reasonable rates (see below) and an outdoor environment with plenty of views and grounds for the wanderlust.

I believe there will be more improvements in the coming years, and these can be made further possible when amicable settlements between the developer of Camp John Hay in Baguio City, CJHDevCo, and BCDA will be reached. In any case, I recommend this hotel as it’s huge, inviting and overall great. Also worth to mention is that staffs were gracious and hospitable all throughout our stay. Kudos to the team! 😀

The Forest Lodge: “The Best Deal in Baguio!”

Room availability can be checked through their website. Room rates are as follows:

[schema type=”review” url=”https://www.facebook.com/TheForestLodgeCampJohnHay” name=”Forest Lodge” description=”Forest Lodge, Camp John Hay, Loakan Road, Baguio City” rev_name=”For inquiries, call The Forest Lodge in Camp John Hay at (074) 422-2075 to 76 / (074) 422-2080 to 81, Manila Sales Office at (02) 678-6710, 687-0351 and (02) 687-6524, or email theforestlodge@campjohnhayhotels.ph” author=”Rochkirstin Santos” pubdate=”2014-11-3″ user_review=”5″ min_review=”0″ max_review=”5″ ]

Last Sunday, we had an outing to Splash Mountain Resort in Los Baños, Laguna—about two hours away from Manila. Venturing in this resort is best for those who are looking for a kind of adventure that’s friendly for everyone in the family. Activities done here will surely make your vacation memorable and meaningful. 🙂 Read on for a host of things you need to know when planning for a visit.

Top 5 Things You Need to Know When Visiting Splash Mountain Resort (Los Baños, Laguna)

1. Room Rates and Reservation

Splash Mountain Resort boasts a variety of excellent lodging options, all housed in its tastefully developed outbuildings. Guests can choose to stay in for the night or just book a room for the day. Room reservations can be done via email or phone call. The room rate is the same for both day and night. This means that even if you are not staying overnight, you’re still charged the same amount. Check-in time is 2pm and check-out time is 12nn the next day.

For more info about the room rates, visit their website.

2. Food

Splash Mountain Resort has a restaurant that serves American, Filipino and Chinese food and it’s open from 6AM to 10PM. If you don’t prefer eating food from the inside restaurant/cafe, you are free to bring your own. Selected items such as alcoholic drinks and softdrinks incur some corkage fee though. You may also grill seafood, meat and vegetables, as charcoal grills are available for rent. Moreover, they can accommodate kitchen service.

Note: They offer complimentary breakfast for occupants of the Suites and Oasis hotels. No need to worry about breakfast. Whew! 🙂

3. Swimming Pool

For me, the main attraction in this resort are the swimming pools—19 of them, in various sizes catered to all ages! This is a great place to experience natural hot springs from Mount Makiling and the relaxing breeze of the countryside.

There are activity pools with waterslides designed for both children and adults. Also, the giant waterslide will be opened in the summer of 2015, so watch out!

With regard to swimming attire, the resort management is not strict. Any clean and decent shorts (not briefs for men) and shirts can be worn while swimming. That said, you don’t need to feel shy about wearing tight swimsuits (two-piece or a maillot) and short trunks. 😛

4. Other Facilities

Aside from swimming pools, Splash Mountain Resort has a gym, a basketball court, a tennis court, and venues for team-building activities and events such as weddings, debut parties, and seminars that accommodate up to 400 guests. (The Splash resort phase I has a capacity of 1,000 to 3,000 guests.) Plus, they are open for an exclusive day tour package for the whole resort to include lodging, swimming and food.

5. Entertainment

Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you have to completely unplug from the world. Wireless free internet (wi-fi) is available in the lobbies of Splash, Suites, Oasis and City of Springs hotels. Surf the net all you want. 🙂

For those who want to sing, the good news is that they have a coin-operated videoke in the resort area. If you’re staying in a function room, you can choose to also rent a mobile videoke setup at the convention building in front of the giant waterslides.

A convenience store slash souvenir shop is nearby, where you can buy gifts for your loved ones back at home.

Wrap Up

Dreaming of sun-kissed days on a resort? You’re in luck. Splash Mountain Resort is open all the days of the year. Whether you already live in a steamy locale (like we do) or are just looking forward to a sunnier climate, you’re likely going to both beat the heat by swimming into the colder pools or relax with warmer pools here. Hate the sun? Stop by in the late afternoon or early evening. Their gates are also open for night swimming.

Another good thing is that this resort is easy accessible. For directions on how to go to Splash Mountain Resort, read this.

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Gloomy weather, flight cancellation, a big travel extravaganza that put a hurt on the wallet—who cares about these when we can opt for a staycation? First, what is a staycation? Glad you asked! 🙂 It’s a fancy term for “stay-at-home vacation” or by definition, a vacation spent in one’s home country rather than abroad.

Now let’s admit it, most of us have spent more time going to places outside the country than we have sites to travel to on our own town or area. We tend to dismiss exploring the local regions because of the assumption that going there is easier as we wish. But by having stuck with this same thought every time, we’re missing out on wonderful places around us that showcase great explorations.

Case in point: F1 HOTEL MANILA in 32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila. 😀

I’ve read reviews on F1 Hotel Manila and I’ve also seen the pictures online. Thanks to “Daddy” Richie‘s recommendation and Boss Spanky’s invitation, my mom, sister and I had the most awesome time at this hotel last weekend. 😀

Warm Reception

After parking at a secured car park slot at Basement 3 of F1 Hotel Manila without any hassle, we set foot at the fifth floor where we were greeted by the friendly hotel staff and met another early bird, Jeng of www.foodinthebag.com with his companion. We felt so welcomed, as we were offered treats at the Premier Lounge.

For this coming Halloween, F1 Hotel Manila is featuring the Marvel theme, and this explains why the cookies have the Hulk and Green Lantern’s symbol on them. Good-looking and delicious pastries have the magic, always and forever, to draw us in and put smiles on our faces. 🙂

Our two-day staycation itinerary was delivered via this cute piece of rolled paper tied to a Christmas ball. From there, I knew—F1 Hotel Manila would be making us experience how it is to stay in a “Home of Happy Experiences.”

Top 7 Staycation Activities to Do in F1 Hotel Manila (Bonifacio Global City, Philippines)

1. Indulge with Food

We had the Christmas lunch buffet, an awesome barbecue dinner and the buffet breakfast at the F Café. Chef Sau Del Rosario is no longer their executive chef and for now the kitchen team is being handled by Sous Chef Pierre Tan. Anyway, food was still great. F Café presents a wide array of dishes for an enjoyable meal, we pretty much loved everything that came out of their kitchen. Here is the Review of F Café / F All Day Dining (F1 Hotel Manila, Bonifacio Global City).

2. Surf Online

We appreciated the free, fast and reliable Internet connection everywhere in the hotel. The availability of free Wi-Fi is an important factor for choosing where to stay. As for any purpose of the travel, people nowadays want to be connected online.

Since residents of F1 Hotel Manila, as we observed, are mostly holidaymakers and business travelers, it’s good that the hotel’s Internet connection wasn’t at all disheartening. Laptop users can also make use of the LAN cable in the room to work and maintain constant contact with clients and the office.

3. Relax and Have a Massage (Spa & Wellness Center)

F1 Hotel Manila offers a nice massage for hotel guests. My mom and sister received a relaxing Swedish massage from the masseuse who went to our room.

The massage therapist was pleasant, professional and obviously experienced. She spent more time than what’s expected and offered kind advice to Mom who’s suffering from some leg pains. She paid careful attention to problem areas and used an appropriate amount of pressure, quickly adjusting her technique based on response. These prompted us to give a service tip she deserved.

We also visited the Spa & Wellness Center at the 3M floor, where hotel guests can have the massage service as well. I just wondered why the beds are arranged side by side in one room with a bath tub at the side with no curtains or any walls in between. What about privacy issues of people who don’t know each other? I guess the room will be booked exclusive to a family or a group of friends who are comfortable to be in the setup.

Furthermore, the Spa & Wellness Center has a sauna room for those who just want to steam and like to stay hot.

4. Go Out

Staycation activities are not limited inside the building. There are lots of exciting places to go around at Bonifacio Global City, and a number of them (e.g. SM Aura, Market! Market!, Serendra, etc.) are just a walking distance away from F1 Hotel Manila. Mom was thrilled to go to S&R Membership Shopping for some retail therapy immediately after seeing it nearby. Upon hearing this, Jane of www.sugargospice.com was really sweet to offer us to use her membership card. Yay! Thank you so much, Jane! 😀

5. Sleep and Stay Sound

F1 Hotel Manila has these room types with the respective published rates:

• Deluxe Room (PhP 9,500 per night)
• City Suite (PhP 10,700 per night)
• Fort Suite (PhP 13,100 per night)

Each is good for 2 adults and 2 kids. The rate is inclusive of breakfast, applicable taxes and service charge.

We stayed at the Fort Suite. Checking in was seamless. The staff gave us the access key cards to tap on the elevator and on our room door, and they promised to bring us our luggage thereafter.

We got into the room easily and were super awed by its coziness and beautiful design. An abstract painting on the wall welcomed our view, providing a visual link in the background. A few steps brought us to the “living room” area which obviously has all of requirements. It’s very clean and spacious, equipped with an air conditioning unit, a sofa bed, telephone and television on a work/study table, stand lamp, cabinets, kitchen counter and a mini refrigerator.

The big windows with the view of the neighborhood made the ambiance shimmer in the mid-day light. There were plenty of outlets (to charge our gadgets), and the TV had plenty of channels. We were also happy that there’s a full-length mirror that’s perfect for checking out our outfit, ensuring there’s nothing stuck in our teeth or other things I’m sure you can imagine. 🙂

It didn’t take five more minutes before we heard the door bell ring. It was the hotel staff carrying our bags and another staff carrying the folding bed (pull-out bed) that he placed beside the sofa bed nicely. My mom and sister jumped in right away to test the comfort of the bed. As you can see in the picture, it passed! The pillow was fluffy yet adequately firm.

Moving on, there’s a door separating the living room and the bedroom, assuring that privacy never feels intruded. As in the living room, the bedroom has thick blackout curtains that prevent sunlight from waking you up from a good night’s dream. The bed was plush and the bedding, including the sheets and comforter, was high quality, so make sure to set an alarm clock if you have to wake up earlier than your body clock is set for. It felt like sleeping on top of the cloud. Weeeee! 😛

There’s also an LCD TV mounted on the wall and a cabinet which has an existing closet light.

Inside the closet were a full-size ironing board, an iron, hangers, a mini vault, hotel slippers, bathrobes and weighing scale. We got plenty of space to put our stuff.

Attached to the bedroom, the bathroom looked lovely and elegant with minimalistic interior. It had one of those modern waterfall shower heads installed with the right water pressure. The hot water made showering feeling good after going through the rainy weather. Temperature was easy to control.

The glass door doesn’t have a latch but it’s great that it has seals that stop puddles of water from leaking out of the shower area. Toiletries available were nicely scented shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, tissue paper, shower cap, razor/shaver, and body lotion. The face towels, hand towels and bath towels provided were wonderfully clean and soft.

6. Work Out at the Gym (F1 Hotel Manila’s Fitness Center)

F1 Hotel Manila’s gym at the 3M floor is quite small for more than 10 people to be accommodated. But the good thing is that it’s open for hotel guests 24/7. There are three treadmills (my cardio favorite), two stationary bikes, one stepper (also a great way to elevate the heart rate), weights, a yoga ball and other machines at the back.

7. Swim – Infinity Lap Pool, Kiddie Pool and Family Pool

We planned to go swimming but then it rained on a Saturday afternoon. I hoped that the swimming pool area could be covered with a roof that can protect us against the sun rays and rain and that can slide open to the sky on balmy days. Anyway, it was fun watching the kids splash around in the kiddie pool the next day.

The family pool was great for a refreshing dip as the water’s not too deep as the infnity pool so both kids and adults can play and waddle in the water.

The infinity pool looked most inviting and mesmerizing against a spectacular view of the city. I’d have to say it’s one of the main attractions and highlights in this hotel. Shame that I could not try to even swim a lap because I had some signs of a common cold last Sunday and the water was just soooo cold. For sure, I won’t pass up the chance to swim in the infinity pool the next time we book for a stay at F1 Hotel Manila! 🙂

Wrap Up

Recently, I was again realizing that life is too short not to spend time with people you love and do things together that you love. If you want a short break and are looking for a great place to stay for a vacation and a perfect bonding time, know that F1 Hotel Manila in BGC for a staycation should not be skipped, especially in this coming holiday season. It’s a top notch hotel in Metro Manila where you can take refuge and a nice dose of luxury at a reasonable price. There’s so much more to rave about, but do yourself a favor and come visit F1 yourself. You will not regret it. 😉

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Rambler Oasis Hotel is a chic hotel accommodation in Tsing Yi Road, Hong Kong. It’s a member of the Habour Plaza Hotels and Resorts, which manages eight full-service hotels all over Hong Kong and some parts of mainland China. It’s located near Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) and just about 15 minutes away from Hong Kong Disneyland. Hence, if you are planning to go to Hong Kong just to visit Disneyland, this is a recommended place to stay. Other than that, Rambler Oasis Hotel doesn’t get my stamp of approval. Here’s why.

Review of Rambler Oasis Hotel (Tsing Yi, Hong Kong)

Ambiance: ★★★☆☆

The hotel lobby had a sleek ambiance that contrasts with the laid-back “container port” or “pier” surroundings outside (picture large containers being transported one by one). Up to the elevator area, it’s decorated with simple but rich textures and daring architectural elements that seem to create a cosmopolitan comfort kind of vibe.

Compared to average hotel room sizes in Hong Kong, the room we got in Rambler Oasis Hotel was pretty okay. We felt satisfied with the electrical plug (for compatibility) given to charge our devices, satellite TV, no-noise air conditioner, electric kettle, hotel slippers, clean bedding and sheets, and clean bathroom complete with toiletries.

However, we were sad as the hotel didn’t have wi-fi connection for guests in the room; it’s only available in the lobby area (with added fee). Other misses were: (1) the mini refrigerator could only generate little coldness close to none (we thought it stopped working but the hotel staff confirmed it’s normal), (2) the light switches were far from the bed side so we had to stand up to turn off the lights when we go to sleep, (3) the bathroom doors can’t be locked because they’re the sliding type, and (4) we had to go to another hotel building (Rambler Garden Hotel) for breakfast which was about 10 minutes of walking distance away.

Our room was good for three people, but we sneaked in another headcount-my sister. It was great that two beds were already put side by side so we did not have to arrange them to be so. The bed ensured good nights of sleep for me. There’s no good view of Hong Kong we could see from the hotel room window, but that’s alright as I wasn’t expecting to see that anyway.

From the 21st floor, we saw how the swimming pool area on the ground floor was beautifully landscaped. Guests can dip into the pool for an additional cost.

Service: ★★★☆☆

The hotel’s reception area defies the standard hotel in look and service, offering a personalized approach to guest relations. Its setting had a combination of modernity and urban flavor, with a touch of laid-back hospitality. The staffs were professional and just quick to respond IF you know how to speak their local language, Cantonese. Well, Mandarin also works. Else, you would have to explain your thoughts in English with matching hand actions or common sign languages to help in the two-way communication. There was no one who guided us to our hotel room and no one to carry our bags, yet we ended up fine.

What got us annoyed mostly was the elevators. The elevator operator was only present once in the many instances we had to use the lift. Elevators were the worst as they were always busy. We readied ourselves to go into battle every time we had to ride the elevator up or down because of the volume of people in the hotel composed largely of Chinese mainlanders who took a 10-hour train ride to Hong Kong. If you plan to stay in Rambler Hotel, be warned that waiting time to get into the elevator at least is 15 minutes. There was a lot of pushing, squeezing and shoving, much like riding the MRT in the Philippines. 😆 Haiyoo.

Food: ★★★☆☆

As mentioned, the restaurant where breakfast of hotel guests is served is at the Rambler Garden Hotel (ground floor). The restaurant is called Café de Coral, which apparently is like the McDonald’s of Hong Kong but Chinese version.

It is run by a fast food restaurant group in Hong Kong that owns and operates several fast food chains and restaurants such as The Spaghetti House, Manchu Wok, Oliver’s Super Sandwiches, and Ah Yee Leng Tong.

With our complimentary breakfast vouchers, we could choose either one of the following: luncheon meat, sausage and ham. All choices are served also with egg and bread and butter spread. For drinks, we could get either hot tea or coffee.

Food tastes were okay but we had grown tired of eating the same ones for breakfast in three consecutive days. Also, Café de Coral not having food for vegetarians was a let-down. 😐

To order, we queued up at the ordering counter to have our marked vouchers taken and in return, the counter staff gave us a receipt which we should forward to another ordering counter serving food in trays. Café de Coral is like the epitome of fast food. You order, you pay, and 30 seconds later, you sit down with your meal handed out by staffs who don’t greet you “good morning” and whose faces are those that don’t seem capable of breaking into a smile.

Wrap Up

Rambler Oasis Hotel is not a tourist destination in itself and not one that provides guests much pampering, but it’s generally a good hotel if you’re staying in Hong Kong for only a short period and if you have a packaged tour service. If not, then traveling to places may be a hassle. Since the location is away from the city center, you need to take a 20-minute cab ride to go to the prime shopping areas because there’s also no nearby MTR (train) station. (Read the rest of our activities in Hong Kong and two-day trip itinerary here.)

Note

We booked at Rambler Oasis Hotel via our travel agency of choice, Happy Sun Travel and Tours, so I don’t know the hotel rates we had availed of. A quick check via their online booking facility suggested the following prices. For your reference, here are the rates for one night of stay: Superior Twin or Double Room – PhP 6,784; Business Double or Twin Room – PhP 7915; and Deluxe King or Twin Room – PhP 9,046.

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To maximize our overseas trip every time, we make sure that it’s thoroughly planned from the hour of arrival to the minute we bid a pleasant goodbye to the land. And this was how we lived through our very tight Hong Kong tour itinerary in the last week of July 2014. The result? Swollen and very tired feet; nonetheless, happy faces. 😀 This was a trip we booked a year ago, with my family and friends, and was arranged by Happy Sun Travel and Tours, Inc.

5 Tourist Spots We Have Visited in Hong Kong

1. Avenue of the Stars

Two whole days were all we had to cover the prime tourist spots in Hong Kong. Our adventure kicked off at about 8AM last Monday with the first stop: Avenue of the Stars, where the view of the Hong Kong skyline can be immensely seen and appreciated. It’s a great vantage point for those who know several celebrities of Hong Kong. For others like us who are not really familiar with the country’s film industry, seeing the life-size statue of Bruce Lee and the hand prints of Jackie Chan and Jet Li was enough.

Avenue of the Stars in Hong Kong has a wonderful backdrop (even in broad daylight). Our tour guide just suggested that we go back there, if time allows, to take a quick stroll at night as it’s when all the lights of the skyscrapers are turned on. I’ve seen some pictures of it before and I think it’s similar to the view of tall buildings you see when you’re standing from Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay in Singapore.

We had lots of photo-ops and the experience might had been better if there were not so many other tourists around (because we had to wait until there’s minimal “extras” in the frame).

2. Hong Kong Jewellery Shop

Not far away from Avenue of the Stars, our tour bus driver took us to the Hong Kong Jewellery Shop next. It’s the oldest jewelry store and the most popular one for selling good-quality diamonds and all sorts of jewelry (including rings, bracelets, necklaces, watches, bangles, anklets, etc.) at reasonable prices.

Before heading on to the store area, we attended a short briefing where we learned about the origins of the products they have—ruby, diamonds, jade, gold, pearls and other colorful rhinestones. The staff showed us famous personalities like Manny Pacquiao and Isko Moreno who have bought the latest of their award-winning feng shui designs that are blessed by the temple and believed to transform luck and produce harmony in life.

The staff also taught us how to choose which one to buy. When faced with several designs, clap your hand to each piece and bring it to your ear to listen to the sound of the rotating fan in the pendant. The one with the loudest sound, by virtue of feng shui masters’ advice, would be most suitable/best for you.

Because I’m not as superstitious as most Chinese in my circle, I nonchalantly disregarded the meaning and looked at the “fan” feng shui designs merely as designs of the jewelry pieces, and I did not like them at all. Thus, no matter how hard the staff tried in convincing us to buy (lifetime guarantee and exchangeable), they were not successful.

In other case, I got a crystal apple pendant with silver chain necklace for myself and my sister. It’s a classic design also featured by the Hong Kong Jewellery Store. It’s an absolutely gorgeous apple-shaped crystal adorned with a dazzling silver leaf. My childhood friend also bought one so we’ll look like trios when we wear the same necklace at the same time. 😛

3. Aberdeen Fishing Village

The Aberdeen Fishing Village is said to be one of the earliest settlements of Chinese people and now it represents the old Hong Kong. With boats abound, we toured this “over-hyped attraction” via a round-trip boat ride called sampan (junk fisherman boat) that cost us HKD 60 per person in less than half an hour.

I thought we were going somewhere or hopping off and on the boat but after a while, we realized that we were only going around and taking pictures of the old boats and ones under maintenance was the only activity we could do. Too boring. 🙁

It’s a waste of time to see the rubbish-filled harbor because we’re already used to seeing a similar sight back home (we live close to the Pasig River). Also, it’s a waste of money to ride the sampan because the boats are viewable even from the outside. The tourist guide reminded us to “try to enjoy anyway.”

There’s a floating restaurant in Aberdeen named Jumbo, which offers food with CRAZY jumbo prices. Our tourist guide told us that three pieces of har gow (shrimp dumplings) cost HKD 50. That’s thrice the price of har gow sold in regular restaurants in downtown Hong Kong!

4. Hong Kong Ocean Park

I’ve heard rumors that the Manila Ocean Park is way better now with its modernized and improvised facilities than Hong Kong Ocean Park. With that in my bubble thought, I looked forward to visiting HK to see if it was true. Lo and behold, Manila Ocean Park is nothing compared to the size and attraction centers in Hong Kong Ocean Park! 😆

This world-class theme park is so large that we have not had the chance to get to every part, watch all shows and try all rides. At least, we had completed the activities we desired to accomplish. We rode the cable car to The Summit, rode the Ocean Express (speedy train) back to The Waterfront, watched the dolphin show, tried one ride (The Rapids), ate at the Old Hong Kong Street food stalls, take pictures everywhere, shopped for souvenir items and spent our remaining time queuing for our turn then actually enjoying the darkest depths of the ocean floor in the Grand Aquarium.

Our Day 1 packaged tour itinerary ended at 6:30PM. We reached Tsim Sha Tsui after an hour and had dinner at Yuen Kee Restaurant before shopping. Tsim Sha Tsui (or TST) is a shopping haven like the Orchard Road of Singapore or Ginza in Japan.

5. Hong Kong Disneyland

Disneyland was the main reason for my excitement, anticipation and eagerness to fly to Hong Kong. It’s a wonderful and magical place with activities for all ages: Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Adventureland, Mainstreet, Toy Story Land, and Grizzly Gulch. Lines for the rides were on average 45-60 minute wait, so we had only tried two rides: Toy Story Land’s Slinky Dog and Grizzly Gulch’s Grizzly mountain mine cars.

Chinese mainlanders were just about everywhere, estimating to 90% of the crowd. It almost seemed that the place is catered for them. We braved the hot summer sun, stayed patient with poking nuisance of umbrellas and experienced being kids again. My advice is to try and go there in the cooler months and definitely out of holiday time.

The highlights for me were the Disney characters parade at 3:30PM and the spectacular fireworks show at the end just before the park closed at 9PM. I was so happy that I almost cried seeing my Disney friends. All in all, it was a whole day of fun and pleasure. Indeed, Disneyland brings everyday magic, magic every day! 😛

(Read about our lunch at Crystal Lotus Restaurant inside Disneyland Hotel here.)

Wrap Up

This is the end of my trip report. Two days was nowhere near enough time to see everything that we wanted to in Hong Kong. But as someone else had said, two days is better than nothing. Anyway, we have survived rushing through exploring its main attractions without wasting any of our precious time. We worked out the most efficient ways of getting from one place to another. Hong Kong is a small city yet we barely scratched a large part of its surface. We have to be back someday soon! 🙂

Have you been to Hong Kong? If yes, which places to eat and tour do you recommend? Feel free to comment down below! 😀

Seeking both style and comfort in all my travels, I applaud Hotel Pudu Plaza for overall good facility maintenance, accommodating staff and good food. This three-star hotel located at the heart of Kuala Lumpur has kept its décor very simple yet quite elegant and pleasing to guests, paralleled with a cool sensibility of the country’s tropical climate. Let me go through the details of my ratings for Hotel Pudu Plaza’s ambiance and breakfast offerings below.

Review of Hotel Pudu Plaza (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Ambiance: ★★★★☆

The hotel reception area was wide and bright. Floors can only be accessed via tapping over the hotel access card with RFID chip on the controller. The same key card is used to open the room door. This is good for security considerations, making guests feel better. For some unknown reason though, the chip failed to work two times and we had to report the key card back to the receptionist for his to reactivate it. Sien one lah. 😯

Moving on to the room — Hotel Pudu Plaza is house to 348 rooms of various categories. We stayed at one Standard King Room with window (overseeing the car parking lot). The room’s interior design was passionately low-key but exquisite with well-thought-out details from the carpeted flooring, framed pictures on the wall and nice cabinetry to fine in-room amenities: split-type air conditioner (very quiet and effective in cooling), wall-mounted LCD TV airing local channels, vault (digital safe), study table (or a dresser), basic snack nook composed of a small fridge, hot pot, and lots of power outlets.

The hotel bed mattress was not so firm but good enough for us to rest after a long and tiring day of traveling.

I also liked the ambiance of the bathroom because it’s spacious. It’s stuffed with daily refillable toiletries like shampoo, toothbrush, soap, hand towels, bath towels, body wash, two rolls of tissue paper and cotton buds, so guests don’t have to worry about having to bring them. The sink counter was made of granite. The shower area was enclosed with glass, and a heater could be used for a warm shower. Nice. 🙂

Service: ★★★★★

Once we arrived, the Hotel Pudu Plaza receptionist named Tommy gave us free Wi-Fi access (username and password) and our complimentary breakfast vouchers for our five days of stay. Staffs were helpful all throughout. Even though some only spoke in Malay and little English, we were directed to English speakers and communicated without a problem. Our room was made every day without fail.

Hotel Pudu Plaza also helped in guarding our travel bags after we checked out on the last day, before our tour guide picked us up to the airport. They have a stock room near the elevators on the ground floor, and we’ve seen how bags were properly labelled so they could be handed back to the owners when claimed.

Food: ★★★★☆

We had complimentary breakfast four days during the KL trip. It’s worthy to note that Hotel Pudu Plaza served different varieties of food on the buffet table every day. Welcome to the dining hall at the third floor! 🙂

Some of the staple food presented were the white and wheat bread, watermelon, drinks (water, coffee, fresh milk, tea, mango juice and orange juice), breakfast cereals, porridge and the beans. Beyond those, we took delight in eating local cuisine and common comfort food.

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Wrap Up

Thanks to Transpipol Travel and Tours, we had a hassle-free reservation at Hotel Pudu Plaza for our entire Kuala Lumpur trip last July 5-9, 2014. The hotel is attached to the newly renovated Pudu Mall which has a grocery store, food stalls, restaurants, tea shop, shoe store, clothing store, tech gadgets store, etc. It’s not a fancy mall but is considered okay for hotel guests who don’t want to travel far to get essentials.

Another good thing about Hotel Pudu Plaza is that it’s just a stone’s throw away from KL’s finest shopping malls. Walking to the shopping arena hence didn’t take much of our time. We were also happy to learn shortcut directions to get to Berjaya Times Square, Sungei Wang Plaza and the Low Yat Plaza on our second day. Weeeee! 😛 This is a recommended hotel. Good and satisfying!

Read on the 12 Tourist Spots We Have Visited in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia here.

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Last week, Louie and I traveled to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for five days, four nights. We have booked for this trip one year ahead, when we availed of Cebu Pacific Air’s Piso Air Fare Promo. For our daily itinerary and hotel accommodation, I have trusted Transpipol Travel and Tours to seek the most convenient and decent options available for our tour (dated July 5-9, 2014). Truly, this travel agency had delivered its promise; in the same vein, E World Choice Travel and Tours KL, its counterpart company in Malaysia, had taken good care of us.

Our Kuala Lumpur itinerary was arranged months before our departure, but it was only about a week prior our travel when I started to really examine every stop, see pictures online and read the background stories behind to get a quick glimpse. #SoBusyAtWork

After packing my carry-on bag with the help of my mom, I waited for the day with the same excitement of a six-year-old waiting for Christmas. 🙂 In this post, let me share with you about the places we have visited in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

12 Tourist Spots We Have Visited in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Day 1 was nothing so special. We arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) at 6:30PM and met our tour guide from E World Choice Travel and Tours KL named Lukman. We introduced ourselves, shook hands and rode the private bus as he transferred us to the hotel. Travel time to Hotel Pudu Plaza was about an hour. (Read my review of the hotel here.) Let’s fast forward to Day 2: tour in Genting Highlands and Berjaya Times Square.

Early at 9AM, Lukman drove us to Genting Highlands together with two Filipino tourists who stayed at a hotel nearby. In the car, I broke the ice and asked for their names, using the Filipino language to converse. They were surprised as they thought we’re Chinese who spoke only in Chinese. That was a funny moment there. Admittedly, I may have a tad weird accent when speaking in Filipino, but arguably, I’m still fluent at it than most native Chinese living in the Philippines. 😛

1. Genting Highlands

It was unfortunate that we did not get to try riding the Genting Skyway Cable Car because it was ongoing maintenance. The indoor theme park in Genting Highlands was also closed and only two rides were open for adults. To make up for the unexpected halted adventures, we went inside Snow World where we experienced -6 degrees freezing cold. 😀

I’ve never witnessed real snow and have never been to anywhere that cold. So for the rate of RM 30 per person, Snow World was relatively a good attraction to visit. Coats, gloves and shoes were lent to us. We put our things including cameras into the lockers. No picture-taking was allowed. Only Snow World photographers took our photos and we bought the CD with all 21 pictures afterwards at RM 150.

Until 2:30PM, we enjoyed strolling around Genting Highlands (Resorts World, Bowling Center, restaurants and stores), going up and down the escalators, exploring the different hotels: First World, Awana Hotel, Genting Grand Hotel and Maxims. The outdoor theme park was also under construction and is expected to be done in three years.

2. Berjaya Times Square

At 5PM, the tour guide brought us to Berjaya Times Square per our request. This shopping complex has eight levels with a diverse range of stores from middle-priced to economic/bargain-priced items. We were amazed that a theme park was built inside with an operational roller coaster! 😯

Berjaya Times Square is a rather cheap mall to shop—the higher you go, the more inexpensive things you will find. We walked end to end from the first to the seventh floor in two hours. Our tiredness had definitely kicked in. Before heading back to the hotel, we moved to the mall across called Low Yat Plaza (KL’s version of Sim Lim Square in Singapore). Mobile phones, tablets, cameras, laptops, computers, and accessories—name it and they have it! This place will be a paradise if you’re into tech gadgets.

Our third day in Malaysia consisted of the arranged half-day city tour and the long drive to i-City in Shah Alam, Selangor, as follows:

3. Istana Negara (King’s Palace)

At 9AM, we were off to another busy day. Lukman took us first to the Istana Negara (the new palace of Malaysia’s king). This is the official residence of the Supreme Head or Paramount Ruler of Malaysia.

We could not vividly see the palace from the closed gates because it’s way far, but the surroundings were fine. We took pictures beside the steady standing security guards and “knights” on horses. Guards change post when the clock strikes 12. Amazing!

4. Tugu Negara (National Monument)

According to Lukman, Malaysia was conquered by the British colony and communists. Fallen heroes/soldiers who died defending the country’s freedom during the second World War were honored by the national monument. The giant bronze statue was sculpted and designed by the same person who did the Iwo Jima Memorial in Washington DC.

5. Kuala Lumpur City Gallery

We passed by some other tourists spots such as the National Mosque, Islamic Art Museum, Police Museum and KL Railway Station en route to our next destination: the KL City Gallery. This is an information center for tourists with a gallery of artistic works, a cafe and a room showcasing the entire Kuala Lumpur in miniature form. Armed briefly with the city’s history, we were more ready to move to the next attraction.

6. Beryl’s Chocolate Kingdom (Chocolate Gallery)

Chocolate lovers must stop by at Beryl’s Chocolate Kingdom. Also known as the Chocolate Gallery, this place offers several flavors of chocolate. To name a few, there’s durian, chili, curry, almond, raisin, coffee, tiramisu, green tea, coconut and ginger (in assorted nature: dark, milk and white). Staffs accommodated us by giving us free samples of each one. We bought almost every sort except for the chili, curry and ginger.

7. Batik Canting and Coloring

Very near the Chocolate Gallery, the Batik Canting and Coloring must be in for your liking if you appreciate Malaysia’s national costume. Full of colorful flowers, these clothing are made manually by local artisans. We watched the demonstration and were awed.

8. Petronas Twin Towers/Suria KLCC Mall

A trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia without at least one “obligatory” shot with the Petronas Twin Towers on the background is just sad. Momentarily, before driving to Suria KLCC Mall which is situated underneath the twin towers, Lukman took a picture of Louie and me. Yup, the Petronas Twin Towers are indeed a sight to see!

Moving on, despite that almost everything in the Suria KLCC are at a premium price, I felt happy in it. Window shopping is really a relaxing way to spend time without having to fork out big bucks. 😉 We also went to Avenue K Shopping Mall which doesn’t compare to the sophistication of Suria KLCC but is worth the trip as well as it’s filled with Japanese stuffs and oh, a huge H&M store. 🙂

At 5PM, Lukman picked us up and sent us outside KL to i-City, currently Malaysia’ coolest hot spot (no.1 technology city). We entered i-City’s Trick Art Museum (RM 15 entrance fee pax) and the City of Lights, where trees and plants were decorated with LED lights. At night, it was like stepping into a wonderland. 😀 We would have also visited The Red Carpet (wax museum with popular celebrities and figures) and the Horror House if we just had more time.

9. Menara Tower (KL Tower)

Our fourth day was a free day. This meant that Lukman would not be around to guide us tour the city. We managed to get help from TripAdvisor reviews and listings for recommendations. First thing in the morning, we walked to Imbi Station and rode the monorail to Bukit Nanas Station. It was disappointing that the monorail took a very long time to arrive. Louie noticed that the gap is every 15 minutes.

People in KL were friendly in giving out directions, so we did not find it hard to locate the Menara Tower, the world’s seventh tallest communication tower. Also thanks to the height of the tower, it was easily visible even when we were still far away.

10. Lake Gardens

We have researched online and sought suggestions from our hotel receptionist on how to go to Lake Gardens. All were saying that there’s no accessible train or bus straight to Lake Gardens, so getting a metered taxi or hopping on the HOHO (Hop-On-Hop-Off) bus would be most ideal. From KL Tower thus, we took a blue taxicab to go to Lake Gardens.

We enjoyed the orchids, hibiscus, herb and lake gardens. There wasn’t much to do rather than take pictures of flowers, greenery and nice views. It’s a tropical paradise to a busy city. Entrance fee was for free during weekdays and RM 1 for weekends and holidays.

If you’re planning to go there and tour the entire park, good luck. It’s better to save your feet. Unless you’re keen to walk long distances for more than four hours, it’s next to impossible finishing the trail here.

11. Bird Park

Opposite Lake Gardens is the Bird Park, “the world’s largest free-flight, walk-in aviary,” which I thought was not more wonderful than Magaul Bird Park in Subic, Philippines and the Malagos Bird Park we visited in Davao City, Philippines. We paid RM 48 pax and the price was just not worth the visit. We didn’t see a lot of bird species. I remembered eagles, love birds, owls, parrots, chickens, toucans, peacocks, ostriches and flamingos. There was no interaction, no tour guide explaining about the birds and the whole place was ordinary. It didn’t live up to my expectation. Sigh. 🙁

12. Chinatown (Petaling Street)

We took our final cab ride to Chinatown (Petaling Street), where fake goods are aplenty. This is where you haggle to the best of your ability. Cheap counterfeit designer bags, wallets, sunglasses, belts, watches, DVDs and perfumes were all over the place. Lined with shops, Chinatown in KL is very colorful and noisy. We didn’t bother to further explore Chinatown except for the Petaling Street because most were just selling the same type of items anyway. Plus, it’s too crowded and I heard that it’s like a heaven for pick pockets.

Wrap Up

This was not my first time to visit Malaysia as I’ve been to Melaka and Johor Bahu three years ago. In our recent trip, our impression on Kuala Lumpur is that it’s a fast advancing city that’s safe and friendly as a tourist destination. There are many establishments, roads and trail railways on the work so we can expect to see an improved KL three to four years from now.

Engaging with the locals in Malaysia was easy because most of them know how to speak English and Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin). Don’t be shy about asking them for advice. They all know the area and can often point you toward activities and places not found in guidebooks. Just be specific about what you want to see in KL and the level of activity you’re up for. You’re guaranteed more options than you’ll even have time for, but each one will make it well worth the trip. 😉

I’ll post about the review of restaurants we’ve tried soon.