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#XhePeyBicolAdventure: ATV Ride in Mayon

Hi guys! It’s been a looong month since you haven’t hear from us, so I guess it’s time to update our backlogs. ;) This is actually the continuation of your last year’s episode of #BicolAdventure, such as long hiatus right? Haha 

Anyway, let’s start?!

Our last but not the least and the high light of our adventure in Bicol is the ATV Ride in Mayon! 

We really enjoyed our experience riding the ATV because it is our first time to drive in a muddy and rocky trail. Plus the beauty of nature! Isn’t it exciting? ;) 

Mayon Sky Drive is a newly opened ATV Adventure Provider in Albay. They were the one who guide us in our first ATV experience and provide us a memorable experience.

We chose their Skydrive Combo trail that is approximately 50 mins. u p to 1 and half hour depending on driving speed. We had lots of stop over for photo op with our guide who serves our photographer as well.

The trail was exciting, we pass through the hill, rocky roads, trees, river and swamp.

Crossing out from our bucket list - Mayon ATV adventure!

After the exciting and adventure ride, we deserved a treat! ;) Tried out one of Bicol’s pride, the sili (chili) ice cream from 1st Collonial Grill.

Aside from the sili flavored ice cream, they also have kamote (purple) and malunggay (green) flavor! So amazed, how they come up to this idea. ;)

That’s it for our #BicolAdvanture! Give us some love guys and share us your ATV and sili ice cream experience here in Bicol region. ;)

[xienaandphaye-blog]

#XhePeyBicolAdventure: Cagsawa Ruins

Heading on our last and the highlight of our #BicolAdventure, to see the very famous and the pride of Bicol Region, Mayon Volcano!

Cagsawa Ruins is the best place to see perfectly the beauty of Mayon Volcano. It is located in Barangay Busay, Cagsawa, in the municipality of Daraga, Albay, approximately 20 minute drive from the city of Legazpi.

This cone-shaped volcano is very shy. Most of the time she’s hiding behind the clouds and we thought we cannot see her full shape because when we are on our way going to Cagsawa, the clouds are around her. Surprisingly, when we reach the park, this beautiful view welcomed us!

Yoga pose with the view of Mayon Volcano!

Thank you for showing up Daragang Magayon!

It is our first time together here in Legazpi and ‘twas really fun. Check out our last adventure here in Legazpi, Albay! We’ll be ticking off one of our bucket list. ✔ Stay tuned! 😉

XoXo,

[xienaandphaye-blog]

#XhePeyBicolAdventure: Sunflower Farm, Pacol, Naga City

The rain was about to fall when we left the resort and we thought maybe it is not the perfect time to visit the next destination on our itinerary. Luckily, when we are on our way the sun started to show up and immediately had our short stop to this Sunflower Farm, just along the way to Naga City proper from Panicuason Hot Spring Resort. 

Who would’ve thought that this sunshiny farm is existing in Bicol that can usually be found in Baguio City. Though the flowers are not that big like the ones we see in Baguio but still it will surely give you a happy bright feeling!

Pacol is also called Little Baguio because of its blooming fresh flowers. They supply freshly cut flowers all over Bicol.

The farm is a private property, so please do ask permission first from the owner before entering.

Visitors are free to visit the farm and have photo opp but it would be nice if you will buy flowers. It is not good to disturb them just for the sake of your Instagram feed update.

Each full bloom of sunflower cost 20 Php.

Farmers in Pacol are nice. We bought 5 full bloom sunflower and gave us another 1 sunflower for free! He also gave us sunflower plant that is ready to transfer in bigger pots from its small black plastic plant bag. Forgot to ask his name but thanks again Manong!

Planning to visit Naga City? Don’t forget to drop by in Sunflower Farm in Pacol and share with us your sunshiny experience! 😊

Love, ❤

[xienaandphaye-blog]

Do you have a boyfriend???

Hi! May I know your name please? Hmn, actually Yes! Phaye has a boyfriend and Xiena has special someone. Haha Thanks for your message. God bless! ;)

[xienaandphaye-blog]

#XhePeyBicolAdventure: Panicuason Hot Spring Resort

After our deer-y experience with the lovely antlers in Ocampo, we then drove back to Naga City to have our scrumptious dinner before heading to our next stop for our Bicol adventure - the Panicuason Hot Spring Resort.

The resort was approximately 45 mins. drive from the City proper of Naga. We reach the resort almost 8:45 pm and after paying the entrance fee, we instructed to enter the gate. We thought that the resort would be few meters away, but to our surprise we took again almost 10 mins. drive on a steep and dark pathway. After some uphills and very steep downhill drive, we finally reach our destination. 

Panicuason Hot Spring Resort was set near the foot of Mt. Isarog that is why the water in each pool was freshly come from the falls of the mountain. Very refreshing, isn’t it?! 

The resort has numerous natural pools with different temperature varying from 20°C up to 39°C with a depth of 4 to 5 ft. Imagine soaking in a steaming hot water or jumping on a chilly pool?! After all, the water is rejuvenating, relaxing and can alleviate fatigue and stress.

Relaxed at the steaming 37°C water.

Family enjoying the hotness of sulfuric water with healthy benefits!

Yes! We enjoyed this slide in a 35°C pool.

The place was so quite and peaceful surrounded by trees, wild ferns and different kind of plants. Perfect place to indulge with nature!

See those cables on our back? Those are for adventure seekers like us! But unfortunately, we haven’t tried their zip line because of limited time. Maybe we should do it next time! :) 

We stayed at the resort overnight, but forgot to take pictures of the room. (When excitement strikes! Haha) Anyway, its a family room with 2 double beds and 1 single room with 1 double bed. 

Entrance fee costs 200php for Adults and 100php for Children. Visit their FB page for room rates.

If you are planing to connect with nature and detached yourself from stress and anxiety, this resort would be perfect for you! 

Try it guys and we would love to hear stories from you. 😊 Enjoy! ‘Till our next #BicolAdventure!

Love, ❤

[xienaandphaye-blog]

#XhePeyBicolAdventure: Deer Farm, Cam. Sur

Hello everyone! Long time no hear from us? Yes! It’s been a long time since we last update our blog. But if you are following our social media accounts you know the reason of our backlogs. Haha

Last month, we had our vacation in the Philippines. ‘Twas a great time to spend some quality time with our family after a year and since we only have limited days to come home for vacation. Despite of Xiena’s unpredictable schedule, again, God showed his favor to us! 

Prior to our vacation schedule, we planned ahead of time so we can maximize our vacation. At first, we have lot of choices where to go but after consulting our family and because of time constraints, we decided to explore nearby places and more of our own province - the Bicol Region!

Ready for our first stop??

Deer Farm in Ocampo, Camarines Sur is our first stop. Yes! We have our own Deer Farm here in the Philippines and it was in Bicol Region. When we posted our photos in social media, many of our friends ask where it is located and some of them thought it was in other country. They couldn’t believe it was just somewhere in Camarines Sur. Haha

These herd of Deer was set in the foothills of Mount Isarog and is located in Sta. Cruz, Ocampo, Camarines Sur.

The farm consists of different Australian species of deer such as Chital Deer, Red Deer, Fallow Deer and Elk. But the time we went there, Rusa Deer was the only species we interact with.

The view of Mt. Isarog plus those lovely deer are so surreal!

Tourists and guests can interact up close to this lovely creatures by feeding them with grass and weeds. 

This five hectare farm was owned by the Government of Camarines Sur.

Deer in the farm is nice and harmless, but please be gentle to them also.

Family photo without the brother before leaving the farm.

Indeed, it was a great experience with the family! Dios Mabalos!

By the way, have we said that there is no entrance fee in the farm? Yes! You can visit and interact with these adorable deer for free! Experience Australia or Arizona here in Camarines Sur. 😊

Where to next?? Check out soon... 

Much Love, ❤

[xienaandphaye-blog]

Xhepey in Al Qudra Lake, Dubai

Sorry for the backlog for this post guys! We’ve been busy this past few weeks with lot of workloads and other activities. Actually, this post is a part and continuation on Xiena’s birthday getaway last March. Such a long hiatus, right?! Haha Anyway, as what we have said on our previous post, Al Qudra Lake is on the top of our places-to-go list so we opted to visit this man-made lake since we don’t have proper plan on her birthday.

At first, we were hesitant to go to this place because it’s far from the city and the RTA bus routing there is very limited. But one of our good friend Leomar asked if he could come with us with his car. Well of course we agreed! Haha

Al Qudra Lake is a man-made lake in the middle of Saih Al Salam Desert and Bab Al Shams in Dubai, UAE. It is the home of almost hundred species of migratory birds but unfortunately we haven’t seen them when we went there because we reached the lake late afternoon already and maybe they the birds are already resting. Haha! 

We just enjoyed watching these lovely ducks all around the lake!

This lake is a good choice if you want to breathe and escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

Al Qudra is one of the great camping spots also here in Dubai, actually our original plan is to have camping here but because of the ambiance, we opted not to pursue. Hoping we could try next time!

We were supposed to visit also the swan and flamingo lake just few meters away from this lake, but we haven’t seen them because of time constraints and we need to leave the lake before the sun sets.

That is our short visit in Al Qudra Lake! We hope to come back again and visit the swan and flamingo lake and try to do camping also.

‘Till our next posts! 

Much love,

[xienaandphaye-blog]

#XhePeyInHillsongUnitedConcert

[xienaandphaye-blog]

Hillsong United In Dubai: A Birthday to Remember

Hi guys! I’m so excited to share with you how we celebrate my 25th birthday last week. Yes, I’m on my silver age now and I can feel already the pressure of adult-ing. Haha! I am so blessed and favored to welcome my special day with this awesome band Hillsong United. Seeing them performing live and hearing them singing their best songs are one of the perfect gift I have received on my birthday. *Hashtag-Kilig*

Hillsong United is one of my and Ate’s favorite Christian band. They are passionate in writing songs that awaken churches and individuals and lead them to Jesus through music. That is why when we heard the news about their live performance here in Dubai, we grabbed the very rear opportunity to watch them. 

We bought our ticket last January 18, three months before the concert. Well, that’s how excited we are! Haha Selling of tickets last only three days and it become sold out. Woah! That’s Hillsong! And because of the overwhelming demand and response to the Christian band, Voice International opened the second night concert of Hillsong United which is supposed to be one night only.

“I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground...” - Touch the Sky, Hillsong United

Most of the songs they performed was on their latest album titled “Of Dirt and Grace: Live from the Sand” released last July 2016 including Touch the Sky, Heart Like Heaven (Falling), Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) and more.

“And I'll throw my weakness, Into Your greatness...”  - Heart like Heaven, Hillsong United

“A thousand times I've failed, Still your mercy remains...” - From the Inside Out, Hillsong United, from their album United We Stand, 2006

“But this broken heart is all You want...” - Heart like Heaven, Hillsong United

The songs in their newest album, Let There Be Light are also included to their line up like What A Beautiful Name, Let There Be Light and more.

“I cast my mind to Calvary, Where Jesus bled and died for me...” - O Praise The Name (Anástasis), from the 2015 album - Open Heaven.

“God is not looking for our perfection in this life. He has never asked us to put on an act for Him. He has only asked that we come as we are...”

Hillsong United is not just about singing and performing. The main purpose of their concert is to share Jesus Christ to their listeners through their songs and music and that is what they also did here in Dubai. Before the end of their concert, they lead us - the crowd to pray and come to Jesus as who we are. As what have said in Romans 10:9 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

The crowd came from different emirates, different nationalities and raised from different culture, united as one to praise and give glory to our God.

Another bucket-list unlocked! Thank you Lord! #SisterGoals

Sisters Act x Hillsong United. 

Thank you Lord for the gift of life. And thank you also to everyone who extended their greetings and wishes for me and to those who remembered me on my special day. I may not be able to thank you one by one but God knows you by name and He will surely bless you beyond your expectation. God bless everyone! 

Cheers for the blessed 25th! 

XoXo,

[xienaandphaye-blog]

Cravings Satisfied: Last Exit, Al Qudra

As what Xiena wrote on her birthday post last week, we opted to celebrate her birthday by visiting the Al Qudra Lake (will be posted soon) which are on top of our where-to-go-list. And since the newly opened Last Exit is just few meters away from the lake, we then dropped by and took some snack before heading to the lake.

No, this is not the Last Exit in E11 of Sheikh Zayed Road! Last Exit, Al Qudra is the second Last Exit food truck park located in exit D63 and near to Al Qudra Lake. For some update, a further eight Last Exits will eventually open around the emirate over the next few months. Yes! Six more food truck parks will be opened soon! Yiee! So excited to know what would be the next theme of the upcoming Last Exits.

The Last Exit, Al Qudra was designed with equestrian theme where bales of hay, horse boxes and horse carriages are just around in every corner.

As of now, there are 5 food trucks in the park that are ready to serve in their own unique cuisine. 

The food park offers Dine-In or Take-away orders. 

Oh, that rustic farm scenery!

We ordered our tasty snack in Poco Loco.

Upper-Left: Braised Beef Super Nachos. Middle: Mexican Chicken Quesadillas. Right: French Fries.

Tables set on top of bales of hay, adds cuteness to the place.

See those duckling board signs? We’re totally near to the Al Qudra lake! The home of more than one hundred species of birds. Interesting, right?!

Visit Last Exit at the end of D63 to experience the unique ambiance of the city!  Al Qudra Lake will be posted soon. Check it out!

Much Love ❤,

[xienaandphaye-blog]

Xiena’s Birthday: Realization in turning 26

Hello there! Yesterday was my birthday and I celebrated it with my sister and a good friend of mine. Actually, the things we did and the places we went to was unplanned because literally we don’t have any confirmed plan for my birthday. Maybe because of my busy and toxic schedule for the past few weeks that’s why I didn’t prepare for my special day. All I have in mind is to relax and escape from my tiring environment! Anyhow, it all turned well. *insert wink emoji*

Last Exit, Al Qudra, Dubai

As I said, yesterday I turned 26 and I can’t help but think about how blessed I am. For the past 25 years, I learned to value time, appreciate little efforts and realized the adult-ing process. Now that another year has been added to my life, this year seemed extra important in my book of life.

Last Exit, Al Qudra, Dubai

I know it's completely blogger cliche, but I figured another great way to celebrate (besides everything else I have) is to share the 26 things I'm thankful for.

1. Day offs / Pending holidays. In the field of hospitality, I required to work during holidays and weekends so I really value my free days and be more productive like yesterday, being able to celebrate my birthday even in a simple way.

2. Family. Next to God, they are my source of strength.

3. Sister’s Act. To capture and document our leisure and simple activities. #Sister-goals-unlocked! 

4. Being Independent. Living away from my parents to see my capabilities that I can do on my own.

5. Life Lessons. Trials that made me stronger and wiser. 

Atlantis, The Palm

6. My job and my boss. Flexibility, trust, patience and ownership I'm given.

7. Quality Time and effort. Quality time to God, for myself, to my sister and to my friends. 

8.  Community Service. It proves that there are people trying to make a difference in the world and its an experience that can humble a person.

9.  Forgiveness. Being able to forgive those people who hurt me and realized that I’m making myself happier.

10.  Devotional Booklet. Encourages and strengthen my faith.

Atlantis, The Palm

11.  Technology. Keeping me in touch with long distance friends and family.

12.  Music. Hillsong, Planetshakers, Ed sheran, Carpenters acoustic and revive songs. Because music is life!

13.  My KKB and JIL family. Next to God and family, they are the ones who encourage me.

14.  Prayer. The most powerful weapons God has given us so much.

15.  Sunrise and Sunsets. I’m so in love with God’s creations!

Atlantis, The Palm

16. Word of affirmation. Made my every day.

17. Healthy eating education. Not everyone knows what it means to eat a healthy balanced meal and I’m so thankful that I do.. sometimes. Haha!

18. Fresh fruits and vegetables. The beauty they bring to the world and the nourishment they provide my body.

19. Flowers and Teddy bears. Presents of appreciation.

20. Unexpected gifts or written cards. I feel my importance.

Atlantis, The Palm

21. Legs. That can run/walk and go some places you want to explore and experience.

22. Eyes. To see and witness the beauty of God’s creations.

23. Complete Family. Parents, who guide me whatever the decision I made. Siblings, who bully support me and  celebrate with me in my achievements.

24. Simple surprises. Delight to my heart. 

25. Readers. You guys are all part of my 26!

26. Last and more important GOD. For always reminding me that He is there and deeply in love with me. For providing everything I need and encourage me through the form of friendship, nature, experiences and much much more!

Sorry for my woke-up-like-this-face. Haha! Phaye and my friend Leomar surprised me at 12 midnight before my birthday with this gorg cake and their epic Happy Birthday song. Haha! Anyway, thank you so much guys! 

...that is what 26 brought me and I cannot wait to make it my best year yet. Cheers! 🥂  Thank you for all the sweet and warm greetings guys! I love you all. God bless!

Credits to Jed (good friend of Phaye and brother of Leomar) for my beautiful Rafaello cake.

XoXo,

[xienaandphaye-blog]

Hotel Review: Oceanic Khorfakkan Resort & Spa

Staycation is one of our escape in our exacting work loads and freeing ourselves in a hustle and bustle of the city. It is also our way to catch up and have some quality time together so every time we have an opportunity to leave from work (just to match our schedule), looking for a good hotel is one of our choices to relax, unwind and shift our mood from stress.

Most of the time we are dreaming to live in a lush greenery place, wake up in the morning with our face kissed by sun rays through the glass window, sip a cup of coffee over a good book and walk in a warm sand and gleaming waters. Well, our day-dreaming was turned into reality when we found this idyllic resort set on acres of UAE’s picturesque North Coast. So here’s a review of our not so-recent staycation in the beautiful place of Khorfakkan. 

Oceanic Khorfakkan Resort & Spa is a four star hotel located in the coastal town of Khorfakkan. A mere 90 minute drive from Dubai (where Phaye is living) and only 20 minutes from bustling cities of Fujairah (where Xiena is working). The resort was set on a pristine beach in North Coast of Fujairah and spectacular rolling hills of the Hajjar Mountains which is perfect for our relaxation.

We arrived at the hotel around 12:30 pm for our early check-in but normally check-in should be at 2:00 pm. Since our room is ready and available during that time, they allowed us anyway. Thanks Oceanic!

Like any other hotels, their rates may vary depending on the date of your check-in. Usually, holidays and weekends are most expensive than weekdays. Btw, we made our reservation online through booking.com, you can check their rates here.

Lobby was clean and smells good. We think they have a total of 177 rooms including spacious guestrooms and lavish suites. They also have villas for bigger accommodation!

They welcomed us through this message upon entering our room. 

We stay in a Deluxe Partial Sea View type of room with pool view.

Overlooking from the window of our room. ‘Twas superb view! Wish we could stay here longer. 

Toiletries. 

Because of our excitement to explore the place, we forgot to take photo of the bathroom. Haha!

In every staycation, eating breakfast is one of our favorite part. Who won’t be excited if its about food? Haha! Al Murjan is an all-day dining restaurant in Oceanic offering a traditional welcome.

Aside from their contemporary style, the restaurant also offers trendy indoor setting and ample daily International buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Look who’s having a hard time choosing her meal in her runway-like-walk. Haha!)

Woah! Those fresh fruits and vegetables, perfect for our diet breakfast.

They also have wide-range of salads. 

Overlooking vast expanse of ocean, the magnificent pool and the white beach while having our breakfast. Such a nice view!

The hotel has also tea lounge - the Al Diwan Tea Lounge where the guest can chat with their friends, read newspaper over a cup of coffee or enjoy a book while refreshing with fresh juice. They also serve delicious homemade pastries and wide selection of organic and herbal tea.

360° Health club and Spa is also available at the hotel for some pampering and relaxation experience.

They have Facial, Body and Oceanic Treatments. Check the rates here.

The hotel also have steam bath and sauna.

Gym is always available for those figure health-conscious guests. Great view also!

Play and have fun with this giant chess board.

Oh! The pool and the beach... they’re just few steps away!

Guests can have some refreshments and snacks in Amwaj Pool Bar while enjoying the pool at the same time.

Palm trees, salty air and sandy feet - a perfect getaway!

Review Breakdown:

Cleanliness - 9/10

Comfort - 10/10

Location - 10/10

Facilities - 9/10

Value for Money - 9/10

Much love ❤, 

[xienaandphaye-blog]

NIV Bible Review: Growing in Faith, Hope, and Love

Reading is one of the things I love to do. Give me a good book and I will try to finish reading it in one sitting! (Of course during my free time) Inspirational and motivational type of books are on the top of my list if you would mind to ask me what kind of books I like to read. Aside from devotional and inspirational books, Bible is one of my favorite that’s why I make a review on my New International Bible.

The NIV Bible for Teen Girls is actually designed specifically for girls ages between 13 and 18. Yes, you read it right, a Bible for TEEN girls! I know I’m older than what it says on the description but it won’t stop me from having one. Haha! Coming here in Dubai without my Bible (which I use since I was in high school) is a regret for me. But thank God for my special someone who sent this lovely NIV Bible which exactly I want. 

So, here it is! Let’s proceed to my review...

It all start in a good packing! The Bible comes with a box as a packaging where I used to keep after reading.  

Product dimension: 15.9 cm width, 4.7 cm height, 23.5 cm length  

The Bible binds by its leather-soft cover which artfully stylized and executed in debossed floral design. Ribbon page marker is also attached so I can easily mark my last reading. 

There are two different cover design and color of the bible, one is Caribbean Blue (like this) and the other is Pink but the content is similar. 

It contains old and new testament... 

From its design, font style and color combination, you can find it girly and stylish!

One feature that I love about this Bible is that, it has book introductions for each book of the Bible that answer the questions “When did (the particular book) this happen?”, “Who is in this book?”, “Verses you might recognize:”, and explain what’s it all about. Good thing that I was able to know each book of the bible even before reading the whole chapters.

Highlighted promises of God. Those verses are worth remembering!

Character profiles of women in the Bible is another good feature of this Bible which explains the meaning of each name. 

This NIV Bible for Teen Girls is not just a Bible but a devotional as well because it also contains daily reading by some popular Christian female authors like Annie Downs, Bekah Hamrick Martin, Christine Caine, Crystal Kirgiss, Bethany Hamilton, Nicole Weider, Elsa Kok Colopy, Denise Van Eck and more! This daily devos will definitely help you grow in faith, hope, and love.

I love how the index summarizes the name of women of the Bible as well as daily devotions for easy navigation. 

Like any other Bible, this Bible also have concordance that contains an alphabetical listing of words used in the Bible text. This concordance contains 2,474 word entries, with more than 10,000 Scripture references. It is valuable tool for Bible study. While one of its key purposes is to help the reader find forgotten references to familiar verses, it can also be used to do word studies.

Word of God is still God’s Word whether your Bible is stylish or a simple one. It will only matter if you will spend time reading it and apply it in your daily life. Remember that, all things in this world will pass away, but his words will never pass away. (Matthew 24:35)

Btw, you can check Amazon.com for availability of this Bible. I hope we find each other growing in faith, hope and love! Thanks for reading beautiful daughters of God!

XoXo, 

[xienaandphaye-blog]

XhePey in Abu Dhabi: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Happy New Year everyone! First two weeks of the year run so fast and we hope our greetings are not too late. Haha! Btw, how’s the first two weeks of your 2017? We trust that you had a good start - more productive and fruitful! And if you will ask how’s our new year? Indeed, we are blessed to welcome the year together even in our very tight schedule. We just had simple dinner outside and watched the fireworks display.

Holidays are finally over, busy days and conflict schedules are now on the list. And because we do not have opportunity yet for our first leisure this 2017, let us share our last trip for the year 2016.

It is our first time to visit Abu Dhabi to see the largest mosque in the region and third largest mosque in the world  - the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Abu Dhabi is about 153 km ride from Dubai  and almost 1 hour and 50 mins. travel by land. 

The architectural design of the mosque was stunningly beautiful. The pure white color of the Mosque has become one of its most distinguishing characteristics.

Code of conduct is strictly implemented in the mosque and all visitors must follow and abide as a sign of respect, if not, entry will be denied. 

Visitors specially women, must be dressed appropriately. Modest and conservative clothing must be worn. No transparent or see-through clothing, no shorts and skirts (skirt must be ankle length), no sleeveless shirt, profanity and  tight clothing is not allowed.

Headscarf for ladies is a must to cover the hair.

For men, shorts and sleeveless is not allowed.

Smoking and eating is strictly prohibited in the mosque area.

Intimate behavior (holding hands, hug & kissing) is not tolerated by Muslims specially in their worship place.

The Grand Mosque provides clothing for all the visitors who are not appropriately dressed. Abaya for woman and Kandura for men. Just present an ID (health card, driving licence), emirates ID is not accepted.  

For proper dress code click here and for more visitors code of conduct, check here.

A total of 82 domes of Moroccan design with various sizes can be found in the mosque, the largest is located in the center of the main prayer hall.  

The pools along the arcades reflect the mosque's spectacular columns, which becomes even more glorious at night.

SZGM has approximately 1,000 concrete columns which covered with white marble cladding and decorated with precious stones in floral design.

The columns has topped with capitals carved into palm trees with golden plated finish.

Modern and traditional Islamic ceiling design.

Marble in various colors was used to create artistic wall ornamentation.

The Mosque has seven 24-carat gold-plated imported chandeliers incorporated by millions of Swarovski crystals.

The largest chandelier inside the mosque is the biggest chandelier in the world.

Four blue colored chandeliers can be seen in the foyer entrances surrounding the SZGM.

The adhan or prayer clock displays the sunrise and sunset times and five daily call time for prayer. 

The Qibla wall features traditional Kufi calligraphy, showing the 99 names (qualities) of Allah.

The internal elevations of the main prayer hall feature traditional geometrical Islamic designs with a unique floral addition.

White marble with floral design for the flooring.

Another astonishing feature of the mosque is the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet made by Iran's Carpet Company.  

The intricate Islamic medallion design was made by third generation carpet maker and artist, Dr. Ali Khaliqi.

Btw, taking photograph is free to all visitors but it is strictly prohibited to take photo of the mausoleum beside the mosque. Be sure that your poses are not disrespectful if you don’t want your photos to be deleted by the disgruntled security officer. 

‘Till our next adventure guys! Thanks for reading. 

Much Love ❤,

[xienaandphaye-blog]

XhePey in Global Village

Another leisure and entertainment destination in Dubai opened for this year’s season, the Global Village. Last month, we were able to visit and experienced this first cultural and family destination in the region that also offers a shopping experience at about 36 pavilions representing more than 70 countries with different cultures.

Global Village is the largest seasonal cultural extravaganza in the region that offers visitors an amazing array of festivals, shopping and entertainment in an open-air theme park.

Compare to other leisure and entertainment destination, Global Village has the cheapest entry ticket worth AED 15.

You can buy tickets online and also available at all Global Village gates starting 3:30pm every day until half an hour prior to park closure.

Majestic Global Village from the outside. ✨💫

The famous Statue of Liberty of US welcomed us as we enter the village. 

Pharaonic statue heads of Egypt.

Replica of Dubai’s very own Burj Khalifa. 

The Big Ben of London.

Hope we can ride this Big Bus so we won’t get tired of walking. Haha!

London’s iconic red telephone booth!

The village provides location map with complete details for easy navigation. Out of 36 pavilions, we only visit 6 of it because of limited time and long walks. We just pass by from the others and took some photos from the outside. 

Jordan is the first pavilion we get into. It has a wide range of Jordanian  traditional food you can buy inside and some Jordanian folk group presents lively shows.

Russia pavilion was one of the nicest pavilion we’ve seen during our visit. 

Souvenirs found in Russia pavilion. You can personalized it and can have your own design!

With Russian gentlemen.

With lovely Russian ladies.

Arts and handicrafts found in Russia pavilion.

The Americas pavilion, which is bringing a wide range of interesting products that represent North, Central and South America.

 If you are looking for authentic leather jackets, fur coats, handbags and accessories, you should visit Pakistan pavilion. 

Keep the winter chill out – and do it in style!

Haggling for prices is a norm at the pavilion and shoppers can get bargains commensurate with their bargaining skills - like us! Haha!

The Yemini Pavilion at Global Village is designed with the look and feel of the country's old bazaars. Meters away, the smell of Yemen's famous spices fill the air.

We think India is the largest pavilion we saw from 30 other pavilions.

Global Village is not just for shopping, it can be for entertainment also. Fantasy Island is a portion of Global Village where kids will surely enjoy. Different kind of rides are available, from children to family rides and from extreme to not-so-thrilling rides. 

One of the thrilling rides in Fantasy Island - the Take Off.

Fireworks display is one of the highlights in Global Village. Every night they illuminate the sky with colorful and brilliant fireworks.

Spiral Potato for snack!  Seasoned with salt, pepper and chilli powder.

To end this photo-heavy post, here’s our sisters-mandatory photo while having snack! Haha!

Btw, Global Village is open until 8th of April 2017 from 4:00pm to 12am (Saturday to Wednesday) and 4:00pm to 1am (Thursdays, Fridays & Public Holidays). 

Enjoy your visit in Global Village guys!

Much Love ❤,

[xienaandphaye-blog]

Oh, O’ Learys!

Seven months back, Phaye celebrated her first birthday here in Dubai but since our schedule didn’t matched we opted to have a post-birthday celebration during the holidays in one good restaurant in Fujairah, the O’ Learys.

O’ Learys is a sports themed restaurant originated in Gothenburg, Sweden. Its concept was inspired by the founder’s love of sports - specifically Boston’s sports.

Upon entering the resto, we felt the sporty-vibe of the place by seeing this wall frames and decors. They have a green interior filled with memorabilia from local sporting heroes.

Screen TV’s are provided where you can watch Boston’s game and any other sports related movies while eating or waiting for your order.

Now, let’s go to food. O'Learys menu is American inspired dishes. We had a hard time to pick our meal because it all looks delish & good!

After ordering, the staff gave us a complimentary popcorn to ease our hunger while waiting. Haha  After almost 20 mins. of waiting, finally they served our orders.

Salmon (With sauteed with baby spinach and balsamic vinaigrette.)

This is usually paired with steamed rice but we choose not to have rice so we can’t get easily full. 

Surf & Turf (Skewered prawns with 200gr sirloin steak. Served with Bernaise sauce.)

Grilled to perfection! Two side orders are included in each grill dish, half a grilled tomato, half a grilled lemon and corn on the cob.

Top-Left: Soup of the Day (Creamy smashed potato with parmesan cheese), Classic Caesar Salad (Romaine lettuce with Caesar dressing, garlic croutons and parmesan cheese. Served with garlic bread.) Middle Plate:  The Classic Combo (Buffalo wings, quesadillas, BBQ ribs served with blue cheese dip, guacamole, salsa and sour cream.) Beverages: Strawberry and Chocolate smoothies.

A selection of our favourites! Ooh! We haven’t took close up photo for each dishes because of our eagerness to eat. Lucky we got a close look for the two main dish. Haha 

Such a scrumptious dinner! Thank you also O’ Learys for the complimentary birthday cake for Phaye. (Forgot to took photo because of their delicious food. Haha!) 

Thanks for reading lovies! ‘Till our next post. ;)

Much Love, ❤

[xienaandphaye-blog]

Piece of Eden

Last January, we spent our free day in one of the most popular tourist attractions here in Dubai during winter season, the Dubai Miracle Garden. We're so in love with flowers that is why we didn't miss the opportunity to visit this astonishing garden called "Piece of Eden".

More than 45 million flowers were spread across the garden. The flowerbeds were arranged and styled beautifully, forming various shapes and patterns. Flowers are decorated in shapes of heart, stars, different styles of circles, flower pyramids, igloos, flower-decked vintage cars, arc-shaped walkways, colorful umbrellas covered pathways and many more!

Dubai Miracle Garden was launched last February 2013 and gained world recognition by the Guinness Book of World Records as the ‘Largest Vertical Garden’, during its 1st phase. 

It was Sunday when we went to DMG and as expected people are few, no long queue in ticket booth and the place is not crowded. Perfect for our photo-walk!

Tip #1: Weekends, peak seasons or holidays are not a good choice in visiting the garden. Instead, you can go during weekdays (like us) to avoid long queue to get your ticket and to have decent photos without someone spoiling it. Haha!

After getting our tickets, these two tilted house caught our attention from the entrance. Imagine living in that kind of house, like everything inside will not be in its proper place or you can’t even walk or stand properly. Haha! But its cute outside tho!

Tip #2: Get your camera battery full because everywhere is camera-ready. You might regret if you couldn’t capture the entire garden. 

Flower Arcs with different styles, shapes and colors are waiting for us! 

🎶🎶 You have stolen my heart. I'm captivated by you. Never will you and I part, I've fallen deeply in love with you ... 🎶🎶 - Deeply In Love (Hillsong United)

Fragrant Village or The Aromatic Garden is one of the highlights in Dubai Miracle Garden. Houses are designed and covered with sweet-smelling and colorful flowers. So nice to live in a village with houses like this! 

Tip #3: Wear comfortable footwear and be ready for long walks. However, the garden provides sitting and rest area for you to relax or even take a nap when you get tired.

Celebrating your birthday in Dubai Miracle Garden is a great idea too because there is a part of the garden for birthday celebrants - the Floral Clock.

Looks like snow-capped mountain right? But those are real flowers! 

This enchanting colorful-umbrellas-covered pathway is so adorb! Wish we could have this in our garden. 

Dubai Miracle Garden has an elevated ground where you can be able to see its panoramic view.

When we saw this crying flower one verse from the bible reminds us. “The pain that you've been feeling, can't compare to the joy that’s coming.” Romans 8:18

Coffee shops, ice cream shop, small grocery store, food chains and different kind of refreshments, the garden have it all! So when you get hungry and thirsty, there's a lot of snacks to choose from.

You can choose from different kinds of fresh fruits to make it juice or smoothie or this fresh-cut fruits. For our refreshment, we tried avocado and banana smoothie!

“Meditating in this beautiful atmosphere. 🌸 #hollandfeels” **Xiena posted this in her IG a year ago.

And yeah! Instagrammable background, perfect for your OOTD. 

Dubai Miracle Garden is located at Al Barsha South 3, Dubailand Area. It is not accessible by metro. Sharaf DG and Dubai Internet City are the nearest metro stations and almost 11 km. away from Miracle Garden. Like what we did, from there you can take taxi and will cost approximately AED 25. 

If you are looking to get to Miracle Garden in cheapest way then you would need to take Dubai Metro and stop in Mall of Emirates Station (Red Line). Take Bus 105 and it will take you directly to the Miracle Garden. It only cost AED 5 and will take about 15-20 minutes ride. Updated bus route for Miracle Garden, click here.

Tip #4: Be aware of bus timings (to those taking public transportation). Perhaps you don’t want to left by the bus. For more location details you can check here. 

Season 5 of Dubai Miracle Garden will open today, November 27, 2016 from 9:00am to 9:00pm every weekdays and 9:00am to 11:00pm during weekends (Friday & Saturday). 

This year’s season ticket price is a little bit higher compared to our visit last year. Ticket price for Adult is AED 40, for Children is AED 30 and Children 2 years old and below are free. 

The Dubai Miracle Garden operate from November to April and remains closed from June to September due to high temperatures with the average of 40 °C (104 °F) where it not conductive for flower gazing.

So that’s it for our one-day leisure! Don’t forget to include Dubai Miracle Garden in your must-to-visit-list this coming winter. We are sure you will enjoy it! 😉

Much Love ❤,