Happy Ramblings

I don't know about you my friends, but me, I am not the adventurous type. I get scared and my knees turn into marshmallows even if I just take a peek from the fourth level of a building. I enjoy theme parks mostly because of the sights and photo ops, not because of the rides.  So when I was informed that as part of the perks of staying in Astoria Palawan I would have the chance to enjoy the waterpark, I was not excited. lol.  I was so sure that I wouldn't enjoy it because in my head, it'd be a scary place for someone like me to enjoy. I assumed that there would be no place for someone who isn't much into adventures like me.   But then, I was greeted by the Palawan Waterpark by Astoria's facade and I instantly felt hopeful that I might actually enjoy it! Wouldn't you feel instantly happy when you see these colors? I was so happy that it wasn't so crowded! Aside from the slides, added feature of this area is that it turns into a wave...

There are trips when I wouldn't mind sleeping on a basic bed and facilities, but here are also those times when I want a really good bed and soft sheets. On my last trip to Boracay, we stayed in a basic accommodation for the first 2 nights and for the last night, we stayed in a fancier place -- Hennan Prime. Hennan Prime is located at Station 1 in Boracay. We stayed in one of the Deluxe Rooms with 1 double bed and 1 single bed configuration. My favorite parts of staying in a hotel are the beds and the breakfast buffets! For the bed part, they got my approval. We checked in at Hennan Prime after out island hopping and snorkeling activities. I was so tired so you can just imagine how happy I was to feel the fresh sheets and soft mattress.  I love hotel robes! Makes me feel fancy, comfy and cozy! :D  I love how spacious the toilet and bathroom is!  What I also love is how good the hair blower in the hotel is! It might not be a huge deal for...

I wanted to end our 4 day trip to Thailand on a high note so I scheduled Ayutthaya on our last day. I love ruins, temples and old vibes so it was perfect! How to Get to Ayutthaya: Here's where we lined up to get to Ayutthaya 1. From our Airbnb, we just rode BTS to Victory Monument 2. We took the exit 4. 3. Look / ask around where the vans to Ayutthaya are. The travel time is approx. 1.5-2 hours depending on traffic condition. I suggest you leave early especially if you are only going to be there for day tour. Our van ride was comfortable, since I woke u early, I slept through the whole trip. We had one stop over at a gasoline station.  When we reached Ayutthaya, we were welcomed by people who were pitching tour package of the place. We spoke to this girl who offered us 6 hour tour. We were given the option to choose between an air conditioned car or Tuktuk to take us around. Of course we chose the latter for a more authentic Thai experience.  Ay...

Once upon a time, we didn't know better. I thought, since it would be our first time in that specific place and we want everything to be convenient and good, let's let the experts handle it.  Wrong move. In a nutshell, we felt like we did not get to experience the place enough. It was not the best experience and we swore that moving forward, we'll do it our way. DIYs Itineraries are the best! I'm no expert in planning trips, I have not traveled enough to be called a legit travel blogger but I thought it would be nice to share how I go about planning our trips.

As part of the perks of being a member of Astoria Leisure & Vacation Club Inc, we received complimentary 3D2N stay at Astoria Palawan. Since we have already visited the top tourist destinations in Puerto Princesa, we decided to not leave the hotel and just relax.  Warning: This is a photo heavy post. LOL Having been able to stay in  Astoria Current  and visited Astoria Boracay, I had high expectation from Astoria Palawan. I kinda knew that I wouldn't be disappointed. Just like Astoria Current, it is so vibrant.

When Private Pool comes into conversation, Pansol, Laguna instantaneously comes up on top of the list. It wouldn't be dubbed as the Team Building Capital of the Philippines for nothing, right? While there really are a LOT of options in Pansol, Laguna, it's also a known fact that the transporation and car rental to reach the Private Pool of choice is going to hurt your budget. A van rental alone, which normally sits 10-12 people can cost P8,000-P12,000. If you're going to add that up with your food and other expenses for the team building or family bonding budget, it will really be too much! I personally had quite a lot of challenging times looking for a Private Pool just within the Metro. If you are looking for a place for team building, family bonding, events place or just a simple swimming/gathering, Lorenzo's Place - Valenzuela is great choice.  With no traffic, in less than 30 minutes, you'll get here if you're coming from QC North Area.  RATE...

The first time that I went to Boracay, I stayed in one of the hotels in Station 2. To be honest, I didn't really like how crowded Station 2 is even on lean season. Station 3, where Current by Astoria is located, might sound a bit far for some; but I reckon it is the best spot in Boracay! It's less crowded, bigger area to swim and nearer to the tents where activities  booths are! So, about Current by Astoria. The first time I saw and came to this hotel was when we got lured by the offer of free buffet dinner at Astoria Boracay. lol. We were given buffet stubs and were told that there was no catch/fees/whantnots. So we went to have dinner in Astoria Boracay in Station 1 and little did we know, it was a marketing strategy. We were 'kind of' forced to go to Current By Astoria to listen to a loooooong presentation about Astoria Vacation & Leisure Club. (We eventually signed up and now members of AVLCI, separate post coming!)

One thing that I liked so much about Bangkok is how easy going around the city is. The train system is not confusing and everywhere felt accessible. For our third day in Bangkok, we chose to visit two of the most famous markets in Thailand. The Damnoen Floating Market and Chatuchak Market. These two are far from each other, but we though it would be the best thing to do since we are already dressed for a market visit. So how do one get to Damnoen Floating Market. Get on to any train and just find your way to alight at Victory Monument Station. From there, you will already find the mini vans going to Damnoen Floating Market. Depending on traffic and stops, travel time is more or less 1.5 hours. Fare was 90Baht. We stopped at a gasoline station for pee break and I got myself iced coffee! I love their iced coffee! We finally reached the boat station. If you someone from what looks like an agency offers you a boat ride for 2 markets, just say no. The second market was not ...