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yuppielionheart · 1 year

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Northern & Southern Cebu Trip 2023

It wasn’t my plan to go back to Cebu this year as I was already here last year but a friend of mine randomly asked me to accompany her on her Cebu trip this year. We haven’t seen each other for almost two years and I always say to my friends, if we haven’t seen each other for quite some time, I want our reunion to be at the airport. So when she asked me to go with her in Bantayan Island Cebu, I did not hesitate to say yes.

It’s just a month before the trip so I booked my flights that matches her flight.

Finally, we met again after several years.

The line for check-in and bag drop is quite long but we had an assurance that we will be assisted right away just in case that it’s already our last call for boarding.

We are in Terminal 2 and the line is mixed up for local and international flights of PAL. Afterwards, we went to boarding gate. Charging station and free water is available in the area. There are also several shops and stalls wherein you can buy food and drinks.

Day 1

We arrive in Cebu past 6AM. From the airport, we book grab going to the North Bus Terminal. But if you don’t want to book a grab or taxi, you can always make use of their P2P bus from airport to SM city Cebu.

From North Bus Terminal, there are two options to get to Hagnaya port. Either you take a bus or van. Bus is quite cheaper than the van but of course, the time travel will be longer. So we chose the van. The fare going to Hagnayon port from North Bus Terminal is P300. We aren’t supposed to ride the van that time as we plan to eat our breakfast first but this Kuya told us that they will have a stop over so we can ride now and just eat our breakfast on the stop over. We made a stop over in Carmen, Cebu and had our breakfast there.

After 2 hours and a half of traveling on the road, we finally reached Hagnaya port. From here, we will ride a ferry going to Bantayan Island. The fare is P385 plus the P5 terminal fee. A porter will help you carry your luggage from the terminal to the ferry. The porter charged us P70 for this but I don’t have smaller bills so I just gave the porter a hundred. If you plan to seat on the second floor of the ferry, you will really have to get a porter as it’s hard to bring your luggages to the second floor. So I highly suggest to just take a seat on the first floor. But the view is way better in the second floor.

You may book your ferry ticket via Klook and get a 5% discount by using my unique code: KRISTINEMAEB5OFF

Book ferry tickets here

It’s a one hour ride from Hagnaya port to Bantayan island. Upon arrival at the port, our hotel has a free shuttle for their guests so we after we paid the ecological fee (P30 each) we went straight to our hotel.

It’s still early for our check-in when we arrived so we decided to eat our late lunch first in the hotel restaurant which we have just for our selves.

The food is really cheap and delicious plus you get to have a nice view of the beach front.

Since we’re kind of tired with the travel, we decided to take a rest first then late in the afternoon we went to the beach front to take photos and swim.

There’s a bar near the beach so you can drink as you enjoy the beach.

If you want to stay in La Playa Estrella Beach Resort, you may book a room via KLOOK and get a 5% discount by using my unique code: KRISTINEMAEB5OFF

Book a room via Klook

For our dinner, we decided to go to MJ square. This place has variety of restaurants, bars and souvenir shops. We ate at Bantayan Burrito Company. My friend told me that this place is trending on tiktok that’s why we ate here. We are the first customer that time then afterwards, customers started to pour in. The one who took our orders is the cook himself, we found out later on, then we figured why he knows the menu really well. (My friend was a bit in doubt if the one on display is the same as the one she’s asking for and then the guy told her it’s the same, it’s just presented in a different way. He knows my friend, he’s the cook :D)

After our dinner, we decided to go back to our hotel accomodation to rest as we will have our land tour the next day. Good thing, the tricycle we rode offers a cheap land tour and has a contact for island hopping. So we decided to get him for our land tour.

For the tricycle ride, according to the receptionist in the resort, the cost is just P25 but based on our experience, it depends on the driver, it ranges from P25-P30. But our ride from the hotel to MJ square only charged us P20 per head.

Before sleeping, we decided to chill at the bar in the beach.

Day 2

Before going to our land tour, I decided to enjoy the sunrise view of the beach front. But it’s lowtide so I had to walk extra this time.

We started our land tour at 8AM. There are five destinations before we go on island hopping.

First destination: Mangroove

This is where you can find Camp Sawi and Camp Wagi.

So there is an entrance fee and it differs for adult and children.

Second destination: Sandira Paradise Beach

Entrance fee: P60

It’s worth it, the place is really beautiful.

Third destination: The Ruins

So this place doesn’t have an entrance fee and famous as a cliff jumping spot.

Don’t forget to try the buko and the grilled banana in front of the ruins.

Fourth destination: Balidbid Lagoon

To reach the Balidbid lagood, you will have to ride a boat (P100/pax) then pay the entrance fee on the lagoon itself (P100). The place is astonishing and picture perfect. But I noticed that the waves in the area are quite strong so if you’re not a swimmer, I don’t think that you should test your fate.

Fifth destination: Kota Beach

The beach is free of charge, no entrance fee required and you can eat in the restaurant bar nearby plus there is a sand bar. Billiards are also available. It’s nice that the place is quite near a secondary school so there are students in the area.

It’s already past lunch hour so we decided to eat our lunch first before we go on island hopping. According to our guide, the last boat available would be around 3PM.

Originally, we plan to go to virgin island and kalanggaman island. However, since it’s already late, we decided to just visit virgin island.

Before riding the boat, my friend decided to buy a shake for a drink as we travel across the ocean. There is an ecological fee of P100/pax then the boat rent is P1,000 good for 15 persons. But since, it’s just me and my friend, we had the whole boat just for the two of us.

The boat ride going to Virgin Island is around 20-30 minutes.

Upon arrival to virgin island, you will have to pay for the entrance fee (P300) then they will give you a wrist stab.

The island is privately owned, there are cottages available and a famous place for cliff diving (up to 35 feet). We went around the island to check out the whole place. There is a notice that non-swimmers should wear life vests. I noticed that the waves in the area is quite strong.

Afterwards, we decided to go back to our hotel and bought some dried goods as we wait for our tour guide.

For our dinner, we decided to try the restaurant bar that caught our attention last night. However, we were informed that the waiting time is one hour. Since, we are quite hungry this time we decided to look for another place and we found Igbaw (it means top in Bisaya). So it’s a rooftop restobar and I can say that this place serves good meal with awesome entertainers. It’s like they are already performing abroad, they are really good.

It’s our last night in Bantayan so we decided to have a drink at D’Sip in MJ square. There are only few ATM machines (near Prince) in the island and most of the establishments here only accepts cash. You can rarely see establishments that accepts GCash and Credit/Debit cards. So make sure that you have enough cash on hand when you visit this place.

Day 3

Last day in Bantayan before we head back to the city.

Time to go back in the city as we’re running out of cash here.

We informed the front desk that we’ll be needing the shuttle to go to the port.

This time the roro fee is just P300 plus the two terminal fees which costs P5 each.

After one hour, we arrived in Hagnaya port. There are a lot of guys who will offer you bus/tax ride going to the city. But what we are looking for is van going to the city. Fortunately, we found one. The fare is still P300 from Hagnaya port to SM City Cebu. Last time, we only had 2 hours and a half of time travel including the stop over. But this time, since it’s saturday, the traffic is quite heavy plus we had a stop over in a hospital for around 40 minutes (there’s a passenger who had to get a result in the hospital and the driver willingly waited for this passenger) so the total time travel going back to Cebu city is 3 hours and a half.

Since it’s already past 2 in the afternoon, we are very hungry so we decided to eat our late lunch here in SM City Cebu before heading to Naga City.

Was able to score a good deal at Surplus so I couldn’t let this pass and bought it right away.

We are supposed to ride a bus going to Naga city from SM City Cebu, however, none of the buses on the terminal is heading to Naga. So we figured to book a grab car going to Naga but there is no grab car available going to our destination. We ended up hailing a taxi but the driver gave us a price of P800 to take us to Naga City. We were able to ask for a lower price of P700. We already took it as we wanted to have a rest.

It took us 2 hours before we reached our destination, there is only light traffic during our travel. It’s just that Naga is quite a distance from Cebu city.

After we settled our things to my friend’s ancestral house we went straight to boardwalk. We just saw this on tiktok and fortunately the place is walking distance from the place that we’re staying. So it’s from tiktok to reality.

Afterwards, we had some drink at Osting’s. The place is very cozy with a sea view and a live band.

Day 4

Originally, our plan was to go to Simala upon arrival in Naga City. However, since our schedule was pushed back because of the delay caused during our transit from Hagnaya to the city, we decided to visit Simala on the next day.

From Naga City, we plan to ride a bus going to Simala but since we got offered by the relative of my friend to take the car with us, we grabbed the chance. Since it will be much faster for us to reach Simala by private car. It took us 2 hours from Naga City to Simala, Sibonga.

Since it’s palm sunday, it’s expected to have a volume of crowd. We had a hard time on finding a parking space since the place is quite full.

We lighted a candle and bought some religious items.

So while we’re waiting for the car, we bought some souviner items outside the church. Some of the stores here accepts GCash as a mode of payment. Then the cousin of my friend gave me this delicacy and I really like it, so I bought a pack of it. But I wasn’t able to ask what it is, even the cousin of my friend doesn’t know the name of this delicacy.

Since Carcar is on the way, we decided to stop by the area to buy a pasalubong. As soon as we alight from the car, a lot of vendors offered us different snacks.

The price differs per store so I highly suggest that you check out each store first before buying. For the street vendors, the price is almost the same but some of them gives you an extra pack depending on the number of items that you buy from them.

I only know this one powerful word “pila?” which means “magkano? / how much?”

I’m trying to blend with the locals.

Since it’s almost past 12, we decided to go to the market where we can buy lechon. I was told that there is a distinguishing difference between the lechon made in Carcar and Cebu city.

We decided to have our lunch in Acacia Grill and Restaurant in Carcar.

The place is quite instagrammable and very relaxing. It’s an open-air affordable restaurant.

Since it’s getting late, it’s time to go back to the city. We stayed in Apple Banawa Heights Cebu City.

For our dinner, we went to La Vie Parisienne. I just saw this place in instagram, so I decided to check out this place since I’m in Cebu.

The ambience is very instagrammable. However, it’s not a restaurant type wherein waiters will take your order from your assigned table. Here, you will go to the counter to take your order.

They serve pasta, gelato, wine, beers and more.

The water is quite pricey for P80/bottle. The water in the aiport is much cheaper (only P60). It was my bad that I did not check the google reviews of this place before heading to this place.

Day 5

Chilling at the unit before my flight.

Fortunately, I was able to book a grab from the unit to the airport.

I was quite early for my check-in so I had time to relax for a bit then after check-in I still have time to have a last minute shopping before boarding.

Island Souviner is my saviour as I wasn’t able to buy any shirts during my trip for the last 4 days. Then I passed by Nomads and I saw that they have a promo for dried mango balls so I took the chance and they also sell chorizo. So everything that I wasn’t able to buy during my trip was bought in the airport. To be honest, it’s quite expensive here compare to the stores in the places I’ve been but since I wasn’t able to buy ahead of time, this is my only choice.

So far, I love their dried mango balls and it comes with different flavors.

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yuppielionheart · 1 year

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Paano nga ba i-register ang SIM card?

GLOBE, SMART or DITO subscriber?

Mapa ano pa man ang network niyo, parehas lang ang requirements para sa lahat ng network para makapag register kayo.

Requirements:

- Valid ID (government issued ID)

- Selfie 🤳

- Personal information tulad ng pangalan, petsa ng kapanganakan, kasarian, address

List of Government issued valid IDs:

- BIR ID - Driver's License - GSIS e-Card - IBP ID - LTOPF ID - NBI Clearance - OWWA ID - Passport - Philippine Identification (National ID) - Police Clearance - PRC ID - PWD ID - Senior Citizen's ID - SSS ID - UMID ID - Voter's ID - Other ID

Maari kayo mag register gamit ang app ng network o sa pamamagitan ng link.

Narito ang link kung saan kayo pwede makapag register.

Globe: https://www.globe.com.ph/register-sim-card.html

Smart: https://simreg.smart.com.ph

Dito: https://register.dito.ph/

Madali lang mag register ng SIM card, kapag nasa link na kayo, kailangan niyo lang ay:

1. i-fill up ang mga kailangan na information sa inyo.

2. i-Scan o i-Upload ang valid ID.

3. At mag selfie upang masiguro na kayo talaga ang nagrerehistro ng SIM card.

Siguraduhin na maayos ang inyong internet connection habang nagregister.

At hindi lalagpas ng 4MB ang size ng selfie picture.

Maari niyo baguhin ang settings sa camera ng phone niyo kung kayo ay nagkaka error sa step na kailangan niyo mag selfie.

Maari din naman iScreenshot ang inyong larawan para mas bumaba ang total file size nito at iupload.

Ang file type na tinatanggap ay JPG, PNG, HEIC o PDF.

Siguraduhin na hindi cropped ang inyong larawan at ito ay hindi malabo.

Kapag successful ang registration niyo makakatanggap kayo ng text confirmation

Pero kung talaga naman na hindi nagiging successful ang selfie niyo.

Ang maari niyong gawin ay mag reach out sa customer support ng network niyo para sa sim registration.

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Sana nakatulong ito!

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yuppielionheart · 1 year

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Back flying overseas: Singapore 2023

It’s been four years since the last time I went overseas. Finally, the pandemic is almost over and the restrictions are now lifted, which means it’s easier to travel across the country.

Recently, there are a lot of issues in regards with the immigration here in the Philippines. So we prepared all the necessary documents that they might need in case they need any supporting documents from us.

Since this trip is impromptu, we did not have the time to plan it on our own. So we decided to get a travel agency for our itinerary in Singapore. What matters is the package includes universal studios. We booked our flight just two weeks before our arrival in Singapore. We need at least that much time in order for us to file our leaves in our work. Originally, the plan was just to have a domestic travel but I got enticed to visit singapore and as they say, if you want to, you can!

On the day of our flight, we made sure to arrive at the airport at least six hours before our flight. Since, we kept on seeing on Tiktok that they line in the immigration is overwhelming. However, as usual, the check-in counters won’t open until three hours before the departure.

One thing that I like with Scoot airlines is that their staff started to distribute the departure form while we are on queue for the check-in. So after our check-in, we went straight to fall in line in the immigration, which is fortunately the line that time is quite short (at least when we came). So one of the staff asked us if we already have the departure form, which we have already, after we told him that we already have one, the staff nodded.

So basically, the questions asked by the immigration officer is the information already written on the departure form. In my case, I gave my passport and boarding pass to the IO, then he checked it and then he asked me to remove my face mask and to look at the camera. After awhile, he asked the following questions:

“First time?”

“So singapore ka din last time?”

(So I guess this is the tricky part or maybe it was really just a mistake, so I corrected him)

“Sino kasama mo?”

(I look around the area and pointed my friend)

“San ka nag work?”

“Ano work mo”

(So this is the meh moments, because I always get that kind of look whenever I mention my field of practice. So to make it more simple, I mentioned my profession)

“ ---- Holder ka?”

(Bingi moments attacks, napaisip ako if cup holder ba or what? So naisip ko baka PRC license hinahanap, so I said, PRC ID?”

“Dala mo?”

(I gave my PRC ID then he gave it back then next thing he gave me back is my passport and boarding pass. I was a bit lost this time, maybe because I’m too sleepy, so after he gave it back to me, I just stared as if I’m waiting for follow-up questions, then he told me “okay na” and I was like “Ah, okay na?”, and he said again with a nod “okay na.”)

So finally, we crossed the bridge and next stop is Changi Airport!

You can buy some snacks inside the terminal but of course, be prepared for the prices.

It took us more than 3 hours before we were able to arrive in Singapore.

As they say, Changi airport is one of the best airports in the world and I can say that it is indeed.

We bought a SIM card via Klook and claimed it in the airport so that it will be easier for us to contact our tour guide and our driver once we arrive in SG.

Since we have a land arrangement with roundtrip airport transfer, we already have someone waiting for us as we land in the airport.

So this is our service, exclusive for me and my friend.

One of my requests during our booking with the travel agency was to make sure that our hotel is nearby the MRT station. So we got V Hotel Lavender as our accomodation, it is a four star hotel located at the heart of Lavender.

I think it’s not fair that they get low ratings because of the room sizes. The room sizes is quite fair enough and it’s expected that it will be higher than the usual as it is strategically located in the city. The service and amenities are also good.

Day 1

So for our first destination, we had our lunch at Bugis.

We tried their MRT and we used our visa debit cards to pay for our fare. We saw it online that you can use your debit/credit cards to pay your MRT/Bus fare in Singapore.

As we arrive in Bugis, we went straight to a money changer to exchange our US dollars to Singapore Dollars and we started to hit the road and find a hawker.

So this is our first meal in Singapore.

Afterwards, our next destination was Sentosa Island. We booked our tickets online for a combo package, which includes Skyline Luge + admissions to double conservatoris of Gardens By The bay, which are cloud forest and flower dome. It’s much cheaper (only 83 SGD for the 3 attractions) and you will get your confirmation in an instant that’s why it’s better to buy online.

So from Bugis MRT station (Green line), we rode MRT going Outram Park and transferred to Purple line going to Harbour Front. From there, we rode the monorail in Vivo City going to Sentosa Island.

Originally, we plan to visit the Merlion in Sentosa, however, it was already demolished. So we went straight to the Beach station where skyline luge is located. We had our roundtrip skyride and 2 skylline luge rides, which we were able to try two out of their five tracks. It’s so much fun and a perfect way to bond with your friends and family.

It’s cute that you can look for your photos after your ride just by scanning your helmet. So we did not miss the chance to get our photos.

Our next destination is Siloso beach just in front of skyline luge.

Then we went straight to Palawan beach. We did not know at first that there is a beach shuttle in Sentosa. So we kept on walking in the island.

Palawan beach is very nice plus there is hanging bridge which is picture perfect. Don’t forget to check out the observatory wherein you can have a nice view of the beach.

We’re supposed to ride a bicycle so we downloaded the app anywheel, however, it requires singapore mobile number. We only had one mobile number in singapore which won’t allow both of us to use the app for a ride. So that’s the time we discovered the beach shuttle. From Palawan beach, we rode the shuttle going to the Beach station. Then we rode the monorail going back to Vivo city and our next stop is Gardens by the Bay.

So we rode the wrong line as we try to go to our next destination. We’re supposed to ride the Thomson-East Coast line. However, we rode the circle line. There’s nothing wrong with it as it will still reach the bayfront station. However, it will consume longer time than our expected time travel going to bayfront if we rode the other line. It’s already getting late and we have to arrive at bayfront by 7PM so we can still see the attractions. I quickly checked the MRT map that I downloaded in the app store and then I figured that we can alight at Buona vista and transfer to the green line to reach Bugis and from there, we can transfer to the blue line (downtown) to reach Bayfront. And fortunately, I was able to understand the map well enough and we were able to reach Gardens by the Bay just in time.

Since we already have the e-ticket, all we have to do is to go straight to the attraction. No need to fall in line on the ticket booth. Go straight to the line heading to the entrance of the attraction.

The place is really cold so I highly suggest that you wear something warm when you plan to visit this place.

If you are fond of flowers and plants, this is definitely the place for you.

They have cute souviners too.

Supergroove Tree

Marina Bay Sands

Our next stop is Chinatown, this is where we had our dinner for our first night in Singapore. From Bayfront, we rode the blue line going to China Town. The place has a lot of restaurants and bars so it’s kind of fun here.

It’s kind of cool that they have this app where you can order and see the total bill.

Since it’s already late at night and their MRT only operates up to 12 midnight, we made sure that we’re gonna get back to our hotel before 12 midnight.

Day 2

We woke up early to eat our breakfast which is included in our hotel accomdation. It’s a breakfast buffet so we can eat as much as we want to it’s just that I only have a small appetite. We’re the first guests to arrive for the breakfast.

Afterwards, we checked out their gym and pool.

Then since it’s our second day, we will be picked up by our service going to Universal studios. Again, it’s just me and my friend inside the van, so it’s kind of spacious. I just realized, that it would’ve been more fun if there are other guests with us so we can have a chance to meet new people.

So we arrive earlier than expected and we started to take pictures to the ever famous Universal globe. Just make sure to pose on the right angle as there are always a lot of people here.

Before they officially open, there is a mini program and they had some Q&A wherein you can win a prize.

So here is a tip, if you don’t have the express lane ticket, make sure to go around the place first and if you find an attraction which you like with a short line, go for it to save time. Also, you can download the universal studios app for the map and to see the waiting time for each attractions. This is kind of amazing that it will give you an idea how to manage your time and where to go first.

So there is a barcode given to you once you take a picture and you can scan this barcode later on to get your photos, ask for an assistance on the photo shop located near the entrance.

Don’t forget to try goldilocks when you are here in universal studios, they serve good waffle.

If you are too lazy to bring your things, you can always make use of the lockers. So this locker is paid, so it might cost you around 20SGD for the whole day to use these lockers. But we had our life hack with this one! (Let me know, if you wanna know!)

Unfortunately some of the attractions were closed when we went there, so I’ll defintely go back here to try those attractions.

It’s the end of the day, so now it’s time to get our photos. Unfortunately, some of the rides I rode does not have a camera, so yeah, no photos for me. But we’re really thankful to the staff who made an extra mile to look for the photos of my friend.

We did not saw this right away, if only we knew, we could’ve eaten our lunch here since the place offers variety of dishes and with a cheaper price.

As instructed, we waited for our driver to pick us up and bring us back to our hotel accomodation. It’s quite traffic this time because it’s a saturday, but believe me, this traffic is a basic from the country where I came from. Our driver kept on apologizing to us for being late, but we don’t mind and told him that we understand plus it gave us more time to take more photos outside the park.

For our dinner on our second day, we decided to go to Clark Quay as it is a famous place for a night life. From Lavender station, we rode a train going to Outram Park and transferred to the purple line going to Clark Quay.

It’s so much fun here and you can see a lot of people having fun with their friends. Mostly, foreigners are here and we saw one restaurant which serves Filipino food.

(Chupitos @ Clark Quay)

This time, my friend decided to figure out how we can make use of the bus around the city so that we don’t have to hurry going back to the hotel. Fortunately, my friend was good at understanding the bus lines. Hence, we were able to reach Mustafa Center from Clark Quay via bus.

Since Mustafa Center is just a few kilometers from our hotel accomodation, we decided to walk back to our place. It’s already past midnight and the streets are clear. We felt safe as we walk around the area even though it’s just me and my friend walking around. It’s a fun experience, walking late night in a foreign soil.

Day 3

It’s our last day today and it’s time for our city tour. We requested our travel agency to put this activity on the last day so we can have more time to wander around the place afterwards. Since, it’s also our check out day, we just left our luggage in the hotel’s luggage storage area before we went on our city tour.

This time we have another guest in company because we had a joiner city tour.

The tour guide gave us a brief background about singapore and brought us to the tourist spots in the city.

First stop: Gardens By The Bay

Since we already went here on our first day, we didn’t wander around the area and just went straight to the souvenir shop which we were not able to see on our first day. Besides, we only have 15 minutes, so you can just really take pictures and that’s it. If you want to enjoy this, I highly suggest to go here on a separate day for more time.

Second stop: Singapore Flyer

It’s best to ride the singapore flyer in the afternoon but never at night. It’s still closed when we went here as it’s still early in the morning.

Then we drove around fountain of wealth in Suntec City three times for good luck.

Third stop: One Fullerton

This is where you can find the famous merlion statue. As usual, a lot of tourists are here for photo op. Good thing, we were able to take a good photo and for the third time, I was asked by another tourist to take their photo.

Fourth stop: Thian Hock Keng

Fifth stop: Chinatown

Our tourist guide recommends Choco Atelier for chocolate shopping. And he did not fail us, as the chocolates are really delicious. All good buy!

Final stop: Little India

Our city tour wouldn’t be complete if there are no souvenirs, so we went to Precious Moment Singapore Souvenir Shop. The shop is one of the participating stores for GST refund.

After the city tour, we went back to our hotel and from there, we took a taxi ride going to Queensway shopping center. According to our tour guide, this place has the best deals for branded shoes.

My friend was able to score a good deal. The shoes cost around P25,000 in the Philippines, but my friend was able to get it in Singapore for around P11,000 pesos only. You really just have to be patient in finding the best shop with the best deal.

Had some snacks as shopping makes me hungry.

I find it nostalgic to find this Bocca della verita here. I used to see this before in a mall in our country as a child until it was phased out. I wanted to try this but unfortunately I don’t have a dollar.

Afterwards, we rode a bus going to Vivo City.

We went around the mall and had to find another money exchange shop. Then fortunately, we met a fellow filipino who is a staff of the money exchange shop.

A friend of mine requested me to buy Irvins for him before I go home, so I did buy him one and I got a freebie because it’s womens month.

Then afterwards, it’s my time to shop. I was able to shop at addidas as they’re on sale. I also got an extra discount because they made me sign up on their app. I though the membership was unviersal, as I already have an account in the Philippines, but for the points conversion, it’s different due to the price.

Next stop is Victoria’s Secret.

Then it’s time to check out Marina Bay Sands.

We bumbped in with two caucasians, going to Marina Bay Sands. So we walked together until we found the entrance.

Unfortunately, the line is quite long that we couldn’t afford to wait as we had to go to the airport by 7PM. Maybe, next time we can check out the observatory.

From Bayfront, we rode a train going to Bugis Junction. This is our last minute shopping.

Tried iTea before leaving Lavender.

This is just located at the back of our hotel.

Then finally, our driver arrived to pick us up and bring us to the airport.

It’s nice that the airport has a lot of charging station. So we made use of it before we explored the Jewel at Changi.

It’s true that it’s more beautiful at night. Picture perfect.

What I love in Changi Airport is there’s a mall inside it and you can choose from variety of shops and restaurants.

You can find almost all of the luxury brand shops here.

Time to apply for GST Refund before going home.

And of course, one last shopping!

I also love the fact that this airport has a self check-in counters and bag drop counters.

We’re so ready to go back home until the staff on the counter asked for the e-travel which we forgot to fill-up. So we had to fill it up before we can get our boarding pass. We have check-in luggages so we had to stop by a counter. Good thing we did that because if we don’t upon arrival in the Philippines, that’s the only time we’ll fill up the form.

So upon arrival, make sure that the QR code for e-travel is already ready because it will be scanned. Then afterwards, you will head to the e-gates. Don’t forget to get the sticker after you pass through and attach it to your passport.

How funny, we had to wait for almost 1 hour just to get our luggage. This is the reason why I always want to travel light. However, we had so much fun in shopping that we had to buy an extra baggage on way back.

It’s time to part ways after our three day trip. My friend left the car in the airport parking and I booked my grab car going home.

Just saw that there is an UBE Express bus on the airport going to terminal 2,3,4 and the following destinations:

- Victory Liner, Pasay

- Araneta, Cubao

- Ayala Mall South Park Alabang

- Robinsons Sta. Rosa, Laguna

So for those who wants a cheaper fare, you may try UBE express.

Safe travel everyone!

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yuppielionheart · 1 year

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Hi I need advice please for my peace of mind, in your opinion okay lang ba na may kasama sa school room yung girlfriend mo. na nakahubad ang isang classmate nyang lalaki tapos naka shorts na parang boxer then sya lang yung babae sa room tapos nag pa-picture pa sa kanya at sinend nya sa gc nila, tapos apat lang sila sa room. Tatlong lalaki tapos sya.

Hi! That’s kind of weird behavior. Okay lang sana if hindi ganun yung suot ng guy?

Something is fishy. Kahit kasi bonding lang kayo as a friend, hindi appropriate na may guy na nakahubad (topless ba Ito?) then parang boxer lang ang suot. Hindi naman sa pagiging conclusive sa what could’ve happened pero the way it looks kasi, it’s so off? Let’s say mainit? Pero, it’s inappropriate pa din talaga.

Alamin mo ang reason why are they in the same room, then confront your girlfriend how you feel about it. Talk it out with her. That’s the only way you’ll have a peace of mind.

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yuppielionheart · 1 year

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Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu

#whenincebu #sands #writeonsand #hbd #happybirthday #ididnotforget #jl #jltm #101251395 #nix #shangrila #mactan #cebu #secretgreetings #greetings

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yuppielionheart · 1 year

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Sobra Cafe, Sobra Experience

This is my second time to dine in Sobra Cafe. I really had a great experience last time so when my friend asked me to accompany her in Sobra Cafe, I didn’t hesitate to go with her because I know that they serve good food.

My friend drove from Imus to Alabang just to dine at Sobra Cafe and she indeed got a “SOBRA” experience.

It was a Sunday night and the only available seats were outside of the cafe. We took the outdoor seating and made our order, everything was good until the weather suddenly changed. Raindrops started and then the group behind us requested to be transferred, then the other customer transferred on their own to the covered seatings. We couldn’t transfer as there are no other available seats for us to transfer on our own and we already have food on our table, and since they were assisting the group behind us, we assumed that they are just going to assist them first and then us for the transfer because it’s evident that we’re starting to get wet due to the raindrops.

Unfortunately, no one assisted us and we tried calling their attention but no one came. So I personally went inside and asked for a “bill out” as it’s starting to rain and our food is getting wet.

I’m not sure if it’s the manager or supervisor who approached us after. He told us that he’s going to check upstairs if there’s an available seat. I firmly said right away that we’re leaving. Then my friend asked why no one assisted us, then the guy from Sobra Cafe said that it’s because we didn’t ask.

Like what? You already knew the situation, shouldn’t you at least initiate to ask if we’re okay or if we would like to transfer? Then later on, he said that they can’t transfer us because they don’t know if there are available seats, and he added that he doesn’t want us to get wet but he wants to check first if there are available seats.

I told him that we and the food already got wet. That’s what happened. If I didn’t stood up on my own and went inside to call their attention, no one would. I already had an experience before in a rooftop bar in BGC wherein suddenly it rained.

The first thing that they did was to assist us to transfer in a covered area along with our orders. Then when we are already in the covered area, that’s the time that they decided where we can seat and continue eating.

See the difference?

I really got pissed when the guy from Sobra cafe said, “Then I apologize”. The way he said it, insincere and with emphasis as if that he HAS TO APOLOGIZE JUST TO FINISH THE DISCUSSION BUT INSISTING IT AT FIRST THAT THE REASON WHY WE DIDN’T GET TRANSFERRED IS BECAUSE WE DID NOT ASK.

He said that they’re losing customers when it’s raining because they don’t have an umbrella. And yes, indeed you will continue to lose customers with that kind of service.

I know that you’re not a five star dining restaurant like the others that I’ve been but at least, have a good customer service as we are a paying customer.

It’s unfortunate that this is the kind of SOBRA experience that my friend got after driving from Imus just to have this kind of dining experience after her birthday.

#sobracafe #krizeats #poorservice #notrecommended #badcustomerservice #chicken #wheninalabang #mango #foodies #foodgasm #diningexperience #molito #sobraexperience #sobracafesobraexperience #wheninsouth #southies #tigasouthkaba #alabang

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yuppielionheart · 1 year

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Boracay 2022

It’s sem-break so it’s time to unwind!

Hello BORACAY :)

The original plan was to get a package tour via tour agency however they don’t have the package deal that we like because it’s only a month and a half before our chosen travel date. So we considered doing a D.I.Y tour in Boracay since we have a friend who is a regular tourist in Boracay. We already booked our flights but we could not find a hotel that can accommodate us. Most of the hotels are fully-booked on our chosen date. So I kept on searching and then I found a travel agency which offers a land arrangement in Boracay. As I was hesitant to transact online and they are a bit of a slow responder on online queries, I decided to go directly to their physical office in Festival Mall, Alabang. The land arrangement includes the roundtrip airport pick-up/drop-off, land and sea transfer (excluding the port fees) and beach front hotel accommodation. The land arrangement is a good deal so we decided to get one for a hassle-free travel.

Our flight is 1:00 PM so before we got on board, we ate some snacks at Cafe France. There are only few choices to dine in Terminal 2. So this is the best choice we got there.

Ready to fly!

Our plane was able to take off at around 2:00PM after 1 hour of waiting. (The planes are actually in line and waiting for their turn to take off)

Boracay here we come!

Upon arrival in the airport, all we did was to look for the booth of Island Star Express. We just gave the voucher from travel online and they gave us a sticker on the booth so their staff would recognize us a part of the group that they will take to the port and drop to the hotel.

Their staff guided us from where we should fall in line upon entering the port, to where we will pay the required fees and present our travel documents. After settling the payment and scanning of QR codes, they gave us our boat seat number. From Caticlan Jetty Port to Boracay island, it only took us 30 minutes and additional 10-15 minutes going to our hotel.

Boracay sunset <3

Fortunately, we got a room just a few steps away from the beach front. We requested this upon booking, but they informed us ahead of time that they will try to provide us the requested room but they can’t guarantee it because it will depend on the availability.

Day 1: Dinner at Island Chicken Inasal located at Station 2 inside D’Mall.

We had to wait for almost 30 minutes before we got a table here because they are in full capacity when we arrived. I can say that it’s worth the wait because the food is delicious.

After dinner, we went to Coco Bar at Red Coconut Hotel to claim our complimentary drink c/o Travel Online. The place is nice and chill and we were able to play jengga as we drink.

Supposedly, we are going to bar hop on our first day but since my friends are still tired we decided to go back to our hotel to have a rest. On our way to the hotel, we bought some desserts at Halomango (Station 2)

Day 2: Buffet breakfast at La Carmela de Boracay

I had to jump several times so that I can have my foot print on the sand :D #Lightweight problems

Speedboat ride going to the platform for Helmet Diving and Jet Ski.

I got surprised because they have a platform for riding Jet Ski. So I asked the instructor, why it’s not located near the shore and I was told that there was an incident before that two jetskis had a collision so now there is a platform away from the shore to avoid such incidents from happening again.

Station X

Lunch at Nonies (Station 2)

Enjoying the beach front view :)

So my friend recommended Real Coffee Muffins. It’s a must buy when you visit Boracay. I enjoyed the mango flavor.

Dinner at Barlo Two Seasons (Station 1)

Beach front sunset dining experience.

Epic

Never miss out the night life in Boracay!

So our original plan is to have a drink in epic, then transfer to OM bar then Wave. But we had a blast in Epic that we decided to stay there the whole night till dawn!

Day3 : Breakfast Buffet

It’s our last day in Boracay, this morning, most seats are occupied so we got to share our table with one of the tourists. It’s nice to have a chit chat over breakfast with a random tourist like us.

Beautiful <3

If only I could stay here for a bit longer, I would. But I gotta go back to reality and work my ass off again.

Thank you to Island Star Express for picking us up on time to drop us to the airport just in time.

Supposedly we are going to shop outside the airport for our “Pasalubong”. Though we already bought some on the island from day 1 to 3. But most of it are souviner items and I only got one food from the island, which is the muffins. I was looking for more food to bring home. However, we got a bit dizzy during our sea transfer. So we decided to buy inside the airport and this is what we found.

This time, our flight going back to Manila was moved to an earlier time. But guess what? Upon landing to the airport in terminal 2, we had to wait for 30 minutes before we were able to go out the plane :D

We were so thankful that during our travel we didn’t encounter any major problem at all. This is my first time in Boracay, and now I understand why a lot of people kept on going back to that beautiful place. :)

Travel again soon!

#krizWanders

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yuppielionheart · 1 year

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CEBU 2022

Traveling to Cebu S-O-L-O

Originally, I’m supposed to travel with my friend but unfortunately, I ended up going solo on this trip.

Cebu Mactan International Airport

Tip: Use grab to get to your destination

Magellan’s Cross

The iconic tourist spot in Cebu.

Don’t forget to offer a candle and pray if you visit this place.

You can take pictures on your own or accept the offer of the vendors around the area to take a photo of you. At first, I was hesitant but later on I gave in. According to the vendor, he’s also the one who took the photos of the famous celebrities who dropped by to visit Magellan’s cross. And he did not disappoint me, he got the best angle! He refused to get paid for taking photos but I insisted to give him some money as a gratitude.

Roadtrip around Cebu City.

Original plan was to rent a car and drive on my own. However, I’m not familiar with the area so I decided to rent a private car to drive me around the city and to get to my destination. He was recommended by a friend of mine who relocated in Cebu City. Good thing that I did, because the weather is not that good during my visit as there is a low pressure area. Some of the roads are flooded.

Temple of Leah

I’m lucky that there’s only a few people during my visit.

The place is breathtaking. Perfect place to do pictorials.

Entrance fee to be paid gate entry.

Sachiko’s Little Kyoto

This place is a few minutes away from temple of leah so I took the chance to visit Little Kyoto in Cebu!

It’s an achievement for me that I was able to reach the top but I got very tired along the way.

Entrance fee differs for adult and children.

Chikaan

Had lunch at Chikaan. However, the experience isn’t that nice. But nevertheless, I love their food.

Shangri-La’s Mactan Resorts & Spa

The place is a few minutes away from the airport so it’s a perfect place to stay plus they have a nice beach wherein you can relax.

Garden

The staff are very accomodating that you will feel at home during your stay.

Ocean Wing Pool

Make sure to get the room in Ocean Wing so that the beach is just within your reach. Mine was located on fifth floor of the building and a few steps away from the elevator that has a direct access to the entrance of the ocean wing pool

Beach front

Since I was alone, I’m a bit hesitant to leave my things unattended but I had to do the water activities that I booked. So I ended up leaving my things on the beach chair. I left my things unattended for almost one hour. Thankfully, I did not lost anything. But please don’t leave your things unattended, it’s not advisable. Maybe, I just got lucky. Though, I love the sense of security that it gave me.

Parasailing

My first water activity that is very memorable.

I know that there’s a low pressure area present within the Philippine area of responsibility. So I before I proceed with this activity, I made sure that it is still safe to do so. It got rough along the way but it’s fun and exciting!

Jet Ski

My second and last water activity. I got dizzy during the speedboat ride after the parasailing so I said to the attendant that I will just take a few photos riding the jet ski and will not consume the whole time that I’ve paid for. But the attendant told me that I will be relaxed once I drive it. At first, I did not believe him because I’m really dizzy and I just want to go back to my room. But guess what? I ended up consuming the whole time! It’s fun even though the sea is a bit rough that time. I love the thrill!

Ballroom Hall

Buffet breakfast at Tide’s Shangri-La Mactan

Since the restaurant is already full, those who cannot be accommodated in the restaurant dined here. It’s very classy and the ambience is relaxing.

Check-out

If you got the app of Shangri-La, you can just check-out online to avoid the lines. But even though I have one, I did not use the online check-out as I have to pay my “charge to room” bill.

I’m not sure if it’s possible to do online check-out and the charge to room bill will be automatically added and deducted on your card.

Orinal plan was to have dinner in Crown Regency to experience the sky walk adventure. However, heavy rain has started due to typhoon “Agathon”. My original flight going back to Manila is around 11PM. But because of the change in weather, I decided to go straight to the airport upon checkout to rebook my flight to the earliest possible flight going back to Manila. I kept on receiving emergency alerts on my phone at 2AM in the morning that day, tried rebooking my flight online but the website and app kept on crashing.

Due to long line in the ticketing office, I was not able to get the 2PM flight going back to Manila. I ended up getting the 6:30PM flight. After I rebooked my flight, I checked in immediately and stayed on the lounge. What I love in the airport is they have a lot of stores inside wherein you can buy souviners and food if you’re hungry. I didn’t have the time to go to the market to but souviners due to the weather. It’s a bit pricey inside the airport, but it’s okay than to go home empty handed.

I think one of the best coffee bean & tea leaf branch was in here. It got a nice view of the airport. For a while, I forgot that I’m in a rush to go back to Manila.

Then at around 4PM, I got called by the attendant and was informed that I will be moved to the next available flight. So instead of 6:30PM, my flight will be at 4:30PM. But due to delays, we were allowed to board at around 5:30PM. But the clearance was only given at around 6:30PM.

But I’m thankful that I was moved to an earlier flight, I don’t care if I didn’t get the window seat as long as I can go back to Manila. If I wasn’t move to an earlier flight, I could’ve ended up to the flight that was cancelled.

There was a lot of turbulence during the flight. But thankfully, we arrived in Manila safe.

P.S. If you want to book for a private car during your stay in Cebu city. Let me know, I can give you the number of the one I got!

Watch full vlog on youtube!

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