help the Philippines

It's a very sad time for the Philippines.  But I don't want to post pictures of the typhoon tragedy, dead people, houses drowning in mud and people walking in neck-deep water.  Yes, right now the capital and the provinces surrounding it look like a war zone.  But being a Filipino, I know that we will bounce back, this time with a vengeance and with more knowledge on how to take care of our country.  It will be beautiful again, probably even more than before.

For readers who are from other countries, you can help the typhoon victims now by donating to the Philippine National Red Cross.

But, in the future, help us by visiting our beautiful country.  By sunbathing in our pristine beaches.

Scuba diving in our seas.

Exploring our mountains.

Discovering our rich culture

And getting to know our people.

Our country is so beautiful, we need others to discover its beauty and, at the same time, help our economy through tourism.  For more information on how to visit the Philippines, please go to WOW Philippines.  The best time to visit is during the warm months of February to May.

This tragedy is temporary. I believe that it will strengthen our people and unite us in making our country a better place.

Thank you to Michel Letendresse, Bruno Di Giusto, destinationsaboutph.com and 101arabian.net for the photos.

will be lounging in Laos

This weekend, husband and I will be in Laos, a country that I never thought I would be excited to see. I'm looking forward to seeing temples, hanging out with monks and biking around town. And probably have a swig of Lao beer that has been getting good reviews. I'll try to do it in a lounge chair facing the Mekong at sunset. I can't wait to go.   

Will be posting what happened to my trip soon. 

Tioman Island - Japamala Resort

It may sound like a cliche but I found paradise in Tioman Island, Malaysia. Drama aside, this place is wonderfully perfect for a romantic getaway. The website states the resort's philosophy as "jungle luxury living", which I think fits the place to a tee.  

When to go?

Anytime from February to October. Peak season is from April to October so the rates are higher and the place is more crowded. November to January is the rainy season and although the rates are cheaper, you won't get to enjoy swimming in the beach that much. Make sure to book at least 2 months in advance as Japamala only has 14 chalets/sarangs so it gets filled up rather easily.  My husband and I booked 3 months ahead and there were only 4 spots left. 

How to get there? 

Berjaya Air flies to Tioman Island every day at RM428 ++ (around $115) for a round trip. Book your flights at https://www.berjaya-air.com

Their planes are a bit old, cramped and they scare me so if you're frightened of flying, take a boat. 

You'll arrive at a very small airport that doesn't even have air conditioning.

Staff members of Japamala will pick you up in a cool speedboat and serve you a refreshing lemongrass drink. The boatride from the airport to the resort takes around 10 minutes. Japamala has its own coast, that is secluded from the other areas of Tioman, so the only way to get there is by sea. 

Our Chalet

We booked a Sea Cliff Chalet which I think is the best accommodation in the resort because of its breathtaking view. 

It's a luxurious wooden hut with a king size bed that's surrounded by aromatherapy candles, 

have a lot of balinese decor and mood lighting,

an open toilet and shower room overlooking the sea (I kid you not, I kept wondering if someone can see me, but I guess we were so far up, nobody can),

and a big terrace overlooking miles and miles of ocean. 

The Food

Well, since the resort is far away from everything else, we had no choice but to eat at the two restaurants available there. But that's not actually a bad thing since the dishes served are delish! Mandi-Mandi restaurant serves rich Italian and Western cuisine (fresh tagliatelle...hmmmm) 

and Tamarind Terrace serves Asian food. 

The fish above was the one that we caught on our fishing trip. Food is around $15 to $30 including drinks. It's a bit expensive but portion sizes are very big and they are really really yummy. Breakfast is included in the room stay. They also serve complimentary Asian snacks (fruits, yam cakes) around 10am and 5pm.  

If you're staying for a long time (7 or more days), I guess you'll get tired of the food selections and long for something more. We stayed for 4 days so it was just right. 

The Facilities  

They have an excellent spa where you can have a massage overlooking the ocean, 

a chillout area with books of different languages and music 

a small swimming pool that I don't think anybody uses (well, when I was there anyway)

and equipments for snorkeling, kayaking and hiking. Plus, you can go take their boat to go snorkeling or diving in other parts of the island, visit Tioman town or go fishing, which we did.  At a price, of course.  

The Beach

is excellent with light powdery sand. 

There are corals a few steps from the shore and you can snorkel as much as you can without even going through deep waters. The abundance of marine life is just amazing.  We were able to see schools of fish of every different color. It's almost like diving. The best spot is the one surrounding the Mandi-Mandi restaurant where corals are still full of life. 

One thing I don't like is that the beach turns this way during low tide which is in the morning around 7am to 9am.

But it goes back to being beautiful around 10am.  

The Service

They know who you are and call you by name (formally, of course). I must say that this is the best service I ever had from a resort or hotel. Everyone was friendly and you can tell that they are doing their best to make your stay a great one.

They also give your room an aromatic turndown while you're out for dinner so it becomes oh-so-romantic when you get back. And if you want to have a private wine and dine at the beach, they can set it up for you. 

The Cost

A Sea Cliff Chalet costs around RM480 to RM890 (around $140 to $260) based on the season.  If you don't like heights, they also have Treetop Chalets, Jungle Sarangs and Seaview Sarangs but I think the Sea Cliff one is the best.  The cost is only for the room and breakfast and does not include airport-hotel transfers and food. For more information, go to http://www.japamalaresorts.com/Malaysia-boutique-resort-Tioman-Island.html 

If you've found the love of your life and want to spend some romantic time, I recommend to splurge and go to Japamala. It's worth every penny. Really.   

Crazy Jakarta

I was in Jakarta tagging along on my husband's business trip thinking of having a relaxing week of sleeping in, going to the spa and going for an E True Hollywood Stories marathon. Little did I know that I would witness an earthquake shaking up the already chaotic city on the 2nd of September. It registered at 7.0 on the richter scale with an epicenter 242 km away from Jakarta which makes it quite strong. 

The quake struck at exactly 3pm, Indonesia time. I know this because my facial appointment was at 3 and I just got into the treatment room when the world started shaking. Small fountains in the spa were spilling out water, people were screaming and running for the emergency exit. It is quite hard to go down the stairs when everything else is shaking and people are pushing you. But, thankfully, I survived. And cancelled my facial. I figured that fate did not want me to have a facial on this trip. My husband is OK, otherwise I'd be freaking out and won't be writing this blog.

Now for the damage. I don't think there are any damages reported yet but our hotel suffered a long crack in the lobby wall.  

I hope it's not a sign that there's some big damage going on underneath.  I like our hotel because the people are so nice so hopefully it will be repaired soon and there won't be any more damage afterwards (well at least not before we get out of here). The name of the hotel is Manhattan Hotel.  I think it's a great hotel situated in the middle of Jakarta but low key enough not to be targeted by suicide bombers (well, you have to think about that when you go to Jakarta, right).  Service is excellent. 

Anyway, after the earthquake, everyone in Jakarta decided to go home, thus the traffic

I'm just thankful that my husband and I are alright.  Now I can't wait to get out of here.

loved the locations not the reflections

Much have been said about this book.  After all, it's been #1 at the New York Times bestseller list for a year with five million copies in print and reviewed to death by critics, newspapers, book associations, bloggers, my best friend, my neighbor and almost everyone who can read. 

But I'm not going to talk about Ms. Gilbert's musings, her reflections and feelings about finding herself (not my cup of tea).  I want to focus on the places she visited.  I drooled over the way she described the food in Italy, especially the pizza in Naples (supposedly the best in the world...must go there) and the pasta in Sicily.  She also gave a lot of indications what to eat where.

The medicinal food Wayan prepared in Ubud seemed savoury.  I want to go to her shop and have those, too. And lastly, the island in Lombok, where Ms. Gilbert traveled with Felipe seemed like such a romantic place. I'm already bugging my husband to take me there. 

I'm not the mushy, romantic, reflective type so good thing the book featured wonderful locations.  Otherwise, I would have gotten bored with Ms. Gilbert's musings and whining.  I see it more of a travelogue than an autobiography and worth a read. Thanks to my friend, Sheila for giving me the book.   

 

Air Asia flies to Abu Dhabi!

I have a few good friends in Dubai and the reason I can't visit them because fares are just too expensive. A flight to Dubai costs as much as a flight to Paris so I guess there's no question to where I would rather go, right? 

So I'm so happy to find out that my favourite budget airline is flying to Abu Dhabi (which is 60 minutes by bus from Dubai). Cost is RM99 (around US$28) for a one way trip. Now I can go visit my friends early next year and probably take a side trip to Petra in Jordan. Hope I can make it and post it here. 

To book, go to http://www.airasia.com/site/ph/en/promotion.jsp?reference=rr056 

don't you just love long weekends?

I love long weekends. Especially the ones where you just do nothing but relax all day. That's why Mandarin Oriental Manila's 2+1 Long Weekend Deals got me hyperventilating. And there will be a couple of long weekends in Manila before August ends (one this coming weekend, August 21 to 24, and another one next week, August 28 to 31). Ha! Don't you just love staying in a country with too many holidays?  

Just book two nights to get one night free or book 2 rooms overnight and get the extra one free. Prices start from P4,500 ++ for local residents or expatriates.

The nice thing about this deal is that the Mandarin is one of the hotels where you can have fun just staying there all weekend long.  They'll also give you a 10% discount on all the restaurants and bars (hmmmm...Tin Hau's crispy duck). And, of course, they have a spa, too.  Probably one of the best ones in the country, in my opinion. 

So go go go and reserve now because tomorrow is a Friday and the long weekend is coming.  E-mail them at momnl-reservations@mohg.com or visit www.mandarinoriental.com/manila.

Thanks to my friend, Erika, for this great tip. 

 

Sa Pa, Vietnam

The best way to Sa Pa (or Sapa) is by train. Don't bother to even think about taking a car or a bus since Vietnamese highways are not that good. 

From Hanoi, take a Livitrans tourist train (http://www.livitrans.com/en/index.php) at 8:35 pm. The cost is around US$33 for tourist class accommodations, which is not bad and quite comfortable. But if there are only two of you traveling, don't be surprised if you end up sharing your cabin with strangers (there are 4 bunks). If you want privacy, get on the VIP class which costs US$72, which I think is a waste of money for just one night on a train. 

You'll arrive in Lao Cai station at 5:00 am. Make sure to make pick-up arrangements with your hotel in Sapa since the town is 45 minutes to an hour's drive from Lao Cai. If you don't have arrangements, good luck with the buses because they don't look too comfortable. At least the ones that I saw.  

Our hotel was an additional 18 kilometres away from Sapa so it took almost two hours--oh it was raining hard--so it took more than that until we were able to relax and rest. More on our hotel later. 

Sapa is a nice, quiet town in the northwest of Vietnam, located quite close to the Chinese border. We were there in July, which is a good time to visit, but be prepared for some rain. 

Also be prepared for a lot of hill tribespeople persuading tourists to buy their wares. They are pleasant and mean no harm but very persistent to the point of annoyance. So if you don't want to buy anything, be firm and act uninterested. One show of interest or even a short glance will send them going after you again. 

But if you want to buy some souvenirs, their stuff (caps, silver accesorries, handphone trinkets, bags, etc) are very pretty and well-made. You get to help the local economy, too!

Best souvenirs are pillowcases made of silk and hand-embroidered by some of the tribespeople. 

Aside from shopping, you can also spend the day exploring this town.  It's so small that you can see every nook and cranny for less than a day. Use sturdy, comfortable shoes as the town is very hilly.  Go check out the Sa Pa Market

Take pictures of the nice architecture 

or have a beer in one of the local taverns overlooking the main street.  

And if you're adventurous enough, you can take a hike (with a guide, of course) in the surrounding areas to visit local villages inhabited by the tribes. 

If you want to go further, you can rent a motorbike for a few dollars a day. Make sure to get a local guide because the roads are quite dangerous and mostly cliffside so if you're not really that good on a motorbike, don't drive. 

If you want to stay in Sapa town, Victoria Hotel is the best and most expensive choice. We didn't stay there so I'm not familiar with their rates but you can visit their website at http://www.victoriahotels-asia.com/eng/hotels-in-vietnam/sapa-resort-spa

It's located on a hill overlooking the town. To get there, you have to drive up the hill or go up a flight of stairs. We had lunch there and the food was excellent. 

If you want cheaper accommodations, there are a lot of small hotels on the main street like the Auberge. A lot of them have websites for reservations but make sure you check tripadvisor.com first for recommendations. You wouldn't want to end up in a rathole. 

OUR HOTEL - TOPAS ECOLODGE

I don't know how my husband found this place (maybe at http://www.topasecolodge.com/ haha!) But it was quite a find and has a unique concept. It is located in the middle of Hoang Lien Son National Park where a lot of the tribes live and is 18 km away (about 30 mins) from Sapa town. It was raining heavily when we arrived so the road was scary with waterfalls from the mountains spilling into it (literally).

I wanted to scream at my husband for taking me to a godforsaken place but decided that his intentions were pure and not some plot to take me away from the comforts of civilization to make me the next 'Survivor' winner.  So I kept quiet.  And was so relieved when we got to the beautiful Topas Ecolodge

and whisked away for breakfast at the second floor.

A word on the breakfast.  The bread they served was homemade and delicious, hot and soft. Yummmmm...

Now for our bungalow.  This is where we stayed. 

Our lovely bungalow was very clean with a big toilet, wooden floors, comfortable beds and a spacious balcony. Electricity and the water heater are all solar powered although regular electricity kicks in when needed. There's no aircon so it could be warm and humid when the day is hot so better not stay here during the summer months. Winter also could be quite cold but every cottage is provided with a portable heater. Staying there in July was just right.  

The best part of the bungalow is the balcony. The view of the Hoang Lien National Park is breathtaking. You can actually see two mountain ranges from our balcony. 

and also some non-environmental stuff like this eroded land. 

The Ecolodge also offers free rides to Sapa town and back, you just need to book the van. Since it's far away from the main town, this place is great for relaxing and just appreciating nature. They have  garden chairs overlooking the valley were you can just lounge around.  

There's a cute gazebo on a hill where you can see the whole compound, plus the valley and the mountains and beyond.  A very romantic area (sigh).  

They have one computer with internet connection that guests can use, board games, racquets, balls, and they arrange numerous hikes to the valley and tribe villages near the Lodge. 

We hiked, met three tribeswomen (more on them later) and saw this view, 

a Red Dao tribe family,

a water buffalo that can't stop looking at the camera,

and the view of Topas Ecolodge from afar. 

We paid US$217 per person for a 3 day/2 night stay including meals and the train ticket from Hanoi to Lao Cai and back. So it's quite a good value.

Some points to ponder on Topas Ecolodge. Although the Vietnamese staff members were very gracious, the managers (or owners) were German and a bit cold. They won't talk to you unless you talk to them.  No suggestion of what to do. No asking how we are, whether we enjoyed our stay, if we need anything, etc. 

They had friends staying in the lodge while we were there and they just socialized with their friends, which I think was quite not right for people who were in the hospitality industry. I hope they become friendlier because they have a really good place.

Our meals were included in the package (because there's nowhere else to eat) and although the breakfast was excellent (the bread!), lunch and dinner was only so-so.  I was expecting more Vietnamese dishes but most of the food were kind of pan-Asian (not quite Chinese, not quite Vietnamese, not quite Thai).  They did not even serve my favourite fresh spring rolls and Pho.  

But if you ask me if this place is worth coming back again, I'll say that it is.  If only for the view and the bread.