AsiaRooms at your service

It's less than three weeks before my Hong Kong all-girls trip. Initially, we wanted to hire a tour operator for our travel while in HK. You know, save our time planning and thinking where to stay, where to go, what to do and eat. But after much consideration, we decided to plan the trip on our own.

The next step after having our flight tickets confirmed is our place to sleep for 5 nights stay. I've been asking around and thanks to Vera, I have gained much from her info. She recommended that we book our accommodation via AsiaRooms and that is exactly I did.

It's so easy!

After surveying the rates and had thorough info of the hostel that we are going to stay, I made the booking and we are half way to HK!

If some of you have not heard of AsiaRooms, do try to check out on this website the next time you are planning for your overseas trip.

*hugs*

Mabuhay Maynila - Taal Volcano

I must say that the highlight of our trip to Manila in December 2008 is the visit to Taal Volcano. We went there on Day Two of our stay there. An exhilarating experience that no money can buy.

We were asked to get ready at our inn by 6 in the morning since it will take about 2hours to drive to Tagaytay from Manila city. But it was a Sunday, so traffic jam was not really an issue although we reached Tagaytay at almost 10 o'clock. My friend, Badong helped us get a rented Avanza at 2000 Pesos. His friend, R.A. drove us the whole day.


Tagaytay is a hilly area. If you are Sabahans, it's like going up to Kundasang. Our first stop was to Caleruega. It is a serene place where most Catholic devouts come for retreats, seminars or simply to relax and witness God's beautiful wonders. It has a chapel which is favoured for wedding ceremonies. The scenery is simply breathtaking.


A mini structure plan of Caleruega. Seen here is the main entrance to the Caleruega.


In front of the Caleruega chapel entrance.


Some framed photos of couples who have gotten married at the chapel.





The Caleruega area is surrounded with greenery and fresh chilly air.


In front of the Transfiguration chapel.


And inside.

After the visit to Caleruega, we stopped by at one of the road side restaurants. When it comes to food, we trusted our Pinoy friends to decide what's best. I couldn't remember all the food names except for Chicken Adobo which is still the best Adobo I've tasted so far. I mean, I've tried the Adobo cooked by pinoy in one of the Filipino restaurants here in KK but none can compete with what we had while we were in Tagaytay. Then, there was this beef broth with veges in it that was super delicious. We forgot the name of it. Something like 'sup tulang'. No photos of the food managed to be taken cos we were really occupied with eating. And since the weather was quite chilly there, the food requires no delay in eating. Ha!

Photo of the smaller crater from the place where we had our lunch. The bigger crater? It's the whole land and lake that surrounded the smaller crater (the one with hills). Read more about Taal Volcano HERE.

Stomach filled. Now, we are ready for Taal Volcano!

Our visit, or rather, hiking, to the Taal Volcano was guided by my online buddy, Duni and Badong from Manila. Duni is hailed from Talisay, a small city in Tagaytay that locates Taal Volcano. His aunt runs a place that specialize for guided tour to the Taal Volcano, right down to the crater.


Since our boat wasn't ready until 2 hours later, Duni brought us to his parents home which was on going renovation.




I was told that we have to cross a lake to get to the smaller crater but what I didn't know was that we were going using this boat!


It wasn't really scary initially but somehow, the weather was kind of rough that day. Wind was blowing hard. Even with rain coat readied, the splash of water still got through and inside, getting our clothes wet. HOWEVER. That was a very adventurous boat ride I have ever experienced. I mean, we were like shouting, trying to veer out our fear but in the end, our shouting were more like enjoying ourselves to the max. You know, like riding on a roller coaster, sort of.

All wrapped up in rain coat. The boat ride from the jetty to the smaller crater takes about 20 minutes.


I never ride a horse before so when I was told I can actually ride on a horse to ascend the hill, I thought, why not? Price per horse per return trip is 500Peso.


My horsie named Brando.


Finally, after 40 minutes hiking up the hill, we reached the top of the smallest of the crater. However to get up close with the boiling 'lake', one must hike down for another one hour journey. We didn't.





For people who don't fancy hiking during their vacation, this kind of activity won't please them much. But for us, I think it was the best that we have had while in Manila. To actually be on top of an active volcano, you can't tell that often to your friends, can you?

Me and my Pinoy friends at Taal crater!




On our way back, descending the hill on foot. I felt it would be a waste to not experience what it's like to hike on foot on an actual volcano trail!


Steam was actually coming out from this hole. Goes to show that this volcano is still much alive and kicking.


The trail along the path going up and down to the Taal crater is actually formed by the hot larva that flowed down when the volcano erupted years before. Amazing huh?



We tried to stay back until sunset but Duni said it was not advisable to cross the lake when it's already dark. So we had to get back to shore quickly before dark falls.

Wet again.



We head back to the city. On our way, we stopped by one of the small town along the way to shop for extra clothes. Apparently, Jeanette (another friend) did not bring spare shorts. While she went shopping for shorts, we took the opportunity to get our very own Fear Factor episode - eating Balut!



I only had a bite of the Balut. Ain't that bad, really.


We reached Manila city around 9pm. Had a quick shower and change clothes at our inn while Badong and the rest waited outside. We went for dinner cum supper at San Miguel by the Bay, a long stretch of esplanade at the back of Mall of Asia (4th largest shopping mall in the world).






We had sisig on the first day we were in Manila. It was superb. So we asked for Sisig again on the second day. This time, sizzling Sisig.


And oh...Crispy Pata.


Badong thought of getting us to see Christmas lights display at one village in one city which I have forgotten its name. The village is famous for its Christmas lighting displays during the months of '-ber' leading up to Christmas where the whole village would be lit up with colorful lights and Christmas ornaments. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we were told that the lighting display was switched off at 10pm to save energy. Apparently, there's a hike in electricity price during our visit to Manila.

We bid our good night and farewell to Badong, Duni, Jeanette and R.A. and thanked them for the hospitality that they rendered us for the whole day. We ended the day exactly before midnight. Exhausted but happy.

Summary of our expenditure:

Rented car (Avanza) - 2000 Peso + 500 Peso that I tipped for R.A. as our driver the whole day. (approximately RM175)

Boat ride and tour guide - Ampara Resort@4000 Peso. (approximately RM280)

Horse fee - 500 Peso + 300 Peso (Alvin decided to get one half way up).

Food - roughly 1800 Peso for 6 pax for each lunch and dinner. (approx. RM252)

Next up, will be our visit to Intramuros.
Stay tune!

Sawadeeka Bangkok! - Final Day

Our last day in Bangkok was only spent with last minute shopping. We went back to Pratunam Whole Sale Market to see what we can get at the eleventh hour. This time, all of us trooped together.

The thrill part when entering this market is due to its small alleys and jam-packed small streets. Going in there is like going into clothe-maze. The prices are definitely cheap but of course, expect nothing luxury to the like of Prada, Gucci, etc. However, if you are able to walk through all the small shops, you might find a piece or two that is of good quality and one of its kind.

When we were at the Rose Garden on Day Two, SIL and I saw these range of bags with Kandee-like print on it. They were so beautiful but we were in-decisive about purchasing it since we were in a tourist attraction souvenir shop. We thought the price might have been jacked up. We decided not to buy and made it a point to hunt down for the bags at the whole sale market or other shopping malls. Unfortunately, we couldn't find any of that bag after that.

However, right after our shopping spree at the Pratunam Whole Sale Market, we crossed over to the other side of the road to go to Indra Square. The minute we walked in the building, we spotted THE bag on the first shop we saw. SIL was like, "What? All this while, the bags were actually a walking distance to our hotel!". And that was true. Indra Square is nearby Baiyoke Hotel but we hadn't have the time go around in the earlier days. Bliss was enough to describe our joy seeing those vogue bags. Both SIL and I bought three bags each! Glad we did the last minute shopping for if not, we would not have bumped on those bags ever.

From smallest to biggest - RM12, RM15, RM18 (or was it 20).

Well, not exactly ever cos I have seen these bags selling when 1Borneo just opened. But then again, the price is more expensive that those we bought in Bangkok.

Went back to the hotel, contented with our last minute purchases, SIL and I decided to head to the reflexology shop which by the way are like mushrooms, scattering around the city. The one that we went offered a 30-45 minutes foot massage for about MYR18. Cheap right? And it was a good one too cos the foot therapist put emphasis on making our experience a pleasant one - not painful.

Before we left the hotel, took the time to ascended the hotel's tower and play around the displays shown around the floor.

Finally, it was time to wave good bye.

Laew phob gan mai (see you again) Bangkok!

Sawadeeka Bangkok! - Day Three

Only one destination on our Day Three, The Grand Palace.It served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand from the 18th century onwards. Although the current king doesn't stay here anymore, this palace is very much in use mostly for royal ceremonies purpose i.e. coronation, royal funeral, marriage and state banquet. The Palace ground also contain the offices and buildings of the Bureau of the Royal Household, the Office of the Private Secretary to the King and Royal Institute of Thailand.




The golden stupa on the left is Phra Sri Rattana Chedi, one of the main pagodas that can clearly be seen from miles away. 



This painting on the wall is more than 100m in length. Restoration on the painting is always on going to maintain its beauty. My SIL jokingly said that when that guy in the picture has finished with that area he was working on, the other area would already be faded and needs re-touching. That means, being the illustrator/painter specifically for that wall is no joke. Non-stop working. :)




School goers doing their study trip at the Palace, learning their own history. That looked fun considering the magnificent structures and carving in and outside the palace that already tell stories.




A model of Angkor Wat (the most sacred of all Cambodian shrines)  was also built on the Upper Terrace.




Apsara, a female spirit of the clouds and waters.






Wat Phra Kaew also known as Temple of the Emerald Buddha where it resides the Emerald Buddha, the palladium of the kingdom of Thailand. Except for the Thai King, no other person is allowed to touch the statue. The King changes the cloak around the statue three times a year, corresponding to the summer, winter, and rainy seasons, an important ritual performed to usher good fortune to the country during each season.

On the left is one of the Garudas that hold the Nagas and on the right, us in front of the entrance of the Temple of Buddha. Camera is not allowed inside so no picture of the Emerald Buddha here.

Some amazing intricate details cladding the wall outside the Temple of Buddha.


Enthralling statues.



Office buildings for the government on the Palace ground.





Chakri Mahaprasat Hall.
Its architecture was influenced by Italian Renaissance with a touch of Thais. Initially, the roof was built domed cathedral-like but subsequently replaced with an elaborate, pointy-style Thai roof. To this day, the Thais refer to it as “the westerner in a Thai hat.”







On on our way back to the hotel, we saw this bunch of people camping outside the Ministry of Agriculture's building. Our tour guide told us, these were people from the rural areas that hold a silent protest to the government due to unfair economic distribution or something. I couldn't remember much. But with what have just happened in Bangkok (the Red and Yellow shirt war) recently, we were lucky to visit Bangkok when the country was in rather peaceful time.




We didn't have other things to do after visit to The Grand Palace and were left to roam Bangkok city all by ourselves. SIL and I (left the hubby to tend the kids at the hotel room) did what we women good at - SHOPPING! We went to Pratunam Whole Sale Market. No picture while doing our shopping activities to which I regret much now. Below are pictures I shot when we had our Thai fried rice at one of the stalls alongside the street of Bangkok.





Shopping experience in Bangkok was quite thrilling and definitely fun, especially when you have excellent bargaining skill. We didn't but we still enjoyed the bargaining experience we had with the local traders. There was this shopping complex that houses all the factory outlet products where one can buy in bulk and get huge discount. That made our heart jumping up and down. There's never a time before that we would think so much of others (Read: friends, friends of friends, friends of friends of friends).  We were like, " If I buy this, I can buy 9 more and sell them to dearest brother and his friend and his friend's friend and his friend's friend's friend, etc". You get me?

After shopping , we wanted to have our aching and tiring feet pampered but decided to put it on hold for the next day. So yeah, that's it for Day Three in Bangkok.

Stay tune for the final day in Bangkok!