Products for Dry Skin (Body)

I do have very a dry skin especially on my legs.  Eversince I was a kid, I regularly apply lotion after bathing.  That becomes a habit until now.  My (dry) skin on my legs looked like snake skin and flaky.  During cold months, it tends to become really dry and itchy.  I have experienced having wounds on my legs and lower back because I scratch off the itchiness.  I tried lots of lotions and oils through the years but very few products have helped  ease the dryness.  Most products just give moisture for few hours and then flaky again in the afternoon.  So I’d like to share with you my holy grail products which gave my skin the moisture it needs for 24 hours.  Here are some of them.

ctto: Photo from Jergens website

1. Jergens Lotion

This was the lotion that I’ve been using eversince I was a kid, in grade school I believe.  I use the original scent variant.  They have improved their product line through the years and added various variants that's why I also tried their Ultra Healing variant.  Both are effective on my legs as the moisture lasts all day.  The only problem is that it can feel quite sticky due to its thick consistency which is not advisable when you are commuting or when its summertime.

ctto: Photo from Google

2. Vaseline Lotion

I use the yellow variant or the Intensive Care Essential Healing.  I like its consistency as it is light.  The moisture is also long lasting, no sticky feeling even on humid climate.  I tried other Vaseline variant but I go back to this one.  Light consistency and absorbs quickly.  It also smells good.  And of course, this is one of the cheapest!

ctto: Photo from Bath and
Body Works website

3. Bath and Body Works Lotion and Shower Gel

Most of the Bath and Body Works lotions have shea butter ingredient which is known for its moisturizing properties.  It also have coconut oil and Vitamin E which are also good in moisturizing skin.  I use the Warm Vanilla Sugar variant, not only with their lotion and shower gel but also their fragrance mist.  When the shower gel and lotion is used, you can really achieve 24 hours moisturization.  But using only the lotion works wonders already. It also smells good and yummy!

ctto: Photo from St. Ives website

4. St. Ives Softening Body Lotion

I found this lotion in Landers and was on sale. I was in continuous search of effective lotion then that’s why I bought this.  The variant I bought is Coconut and Orchid. Similar to Bath and Body Works, coconut is known to provide moisture to dry skin at the same time nourish it. I’m so glad I bought this! While all the lotions mentioned above were effective, this one performed best! The snake skin look on my legs has become less visible. It is also non sticky, absorbs quickly and smells nice.  This is my ultimate holy grail! Unfortunately, I can no longer find this in Landers. Local supermarket and even Unilever store in Shopee doesn’t carry the same variant. 

ctto: Photo from L'Occitane website

5. L’Occitane Shea Body Shower Oil

Aside from lotions, I am in constant search for a non-drying soap, shower cream/gel, and body wash.  I found this L’Occitane body shower oil which is good for dry skin according to the sales lady.  Well, the sales lady is right!  This is quite expensive but really effective. I mostly use Dove soap or body wash but I still get a dry feeling on my skin after bathing.  But with L’Occitane, I never felt that.  Skin is smooth that I can do away without a lotion (but habit permits me not).  This variant of L’Occitane also has body lotion, soap, hand cream and foaming bath, but I haven’t tried any of those.  It's quite expensive!

I also tried applying oils directly on skin such as coconut oil, jojoba oil, sunflower oil but I feel they’re not as effective.  Or maybe I have not used them for long as I don’t like the heavy and sticky feeling.  I also tried Human Nature lotion so as to be environment friendly but unfortunately, their lotions doesn't keep my dry skin hydrated for long hours.  I also tried Aveeno lotion but its too sticky for me.

On way, I believe, that helps in keeping skin hydrated and moisturized is drinking plenty of water.  I admit, I am not a fan of drinking water frequently when I was younger which maybe the cause of itchiness on dry skin during cold months.  But now, I no longer experience those.  I try to drink at least 1.5 to 2 liters of water everyday.  It does not only keep you hydrated, it also have lots of benefits in your body.

I hope you will find this blog post useful especially if you’re suffering from a very dry skin in your body.  You may also share your holy grail products in helping you ease dryness and itchiness on your skin.

Review: Bag repair at Besa’s

People who knew me knows how I carefully take good care of my bags. I wouldn’t want my bags to be placed just anywhere to avoid scratches and dirt. I haven’t had my bags cleaned, restored or repaired by any bag restoration shop, though I once had one of my leather bags tighten up its loose hardware.  I send it to Mr. Quickie to do that.  It did its job but it kinda pound the hardware that made the brand name slightly unreadable.  Well, it doesn't matter much as it was in the interior of the bag.

Anyway, what I will be posting today is the good work that Besa's have done in "upgrading" my bag (This was done last year, so this is already a long delayed post 😂).  I had this wonderful Kate Spade bag that looked like Celine Trapeze. Its Kate Spade Magnolia Park Laurel in Soft Rosetta and Black color combination.

Size is just right when I ordered online but when I received it, its kinda big for my liking.  But still I am able to use it.  Whenever I use it, I had difficulty in closing the bag once opened most especially when there are "bag inspections" in every entry of office buildings or even at the malls.  Once opened, the bag tend to widely show everything inside.  The bag only have flap closure and nothing more.  So I decided to put a zipper inside similar to the actual Celine Trapeze bag.

I had searched and asked around for shops to have zipper done on my bag.  I wouldn't want to go back to Mr. Quickie as I think putting zipper is not a "quick" job.  Some suggested Besa's as they've been in the bag restoration/repair industry for decades.  And so I chose Besa's.  Besides, it is near my workplace so I can pick it up after office.  I didn't expect much on the outcome as I have never had bag restoration in Besa's (nor in my entire life) before. But to my surprise, their work was really amazing.  No traces of "addition" of zipper.  It seemed like its really part of the bag.  Even the zipper color almost matched the  rosetta color of the bag.

Zipper when opened

Bag when closed

Color of zipper compliments the bag

See how neatly they attached the zipper, not a trace on how they did it!

As a first timer in Besa's, I am very much satisfied and I had plans of having my other bags cleaned/restored by them.  I had a few designer bags that also need cleaning or even color restoration. I had this one particular bag that got stained by hair color on its leather handle (vachetta).  I wonder if Besa's can remove it. But I am also considering other bag cleaning service providers that is focused more on leather materials. Any suggestions? I only knew a few but which one can remove stain in vachetta leather: Doctor Leather, Bag Rx, Leather Fix, Vintage Restore or any other?

The New Normal in this Covid 19 Pandemic

It’s been more than 5 months and our country is still in community quarantine period because of this Covid 19 pandemic. Our lives have been changed because of this and we’re now adopting to the new normal. I know my post may already be late in enumerating the new normal but this is different, hopefully.  I’d like to share some of my new normal aside from the usual wearing of mask and face shield, sanitizing or bringing of alcohol every time. 

This pandemic have caused many people, including me, to be anxious, crazy thinkers or praning in Tagalog. As what my boss said, treat everyone as Covid positive person. That’s why in everything that you do, safety should come first. Here are some of our safety measures in adopting the new normal on this Covid 19 pandemic.

1. Simplicity is beauty.  

When General Community Quarantine was enforced, I was able to go out already at the same time got back to work in the office on certain schedules. That means, I get to wear my outerwear clothes again.  Because of this pandemic, everything you wear must be removed and placed in the hamper to be washed immediately.  Thus, wearing of jeans is out of the question.  Frequent washing of jeans will make it worn out and look old.  Jeans are the most versatile but I wouldn´t want to wear them yet. So my choice of clothes this time are those light, flowy and a bit loose fabric. Those that can easily be washed and comfortable to wear. No fancy designs or adornments on the clothes.  That simple. I also mostly wear pants and shirts with sleeves to cover more skin, for added protection I guess, every time I will be out for long like in the office.  I thought buying those fashionable PPEs (not the medical type) but I thought I´m not always out so I´ll leave it to those who really needs it. And oh by the way, for the shoes, I only wore Crocs slippers which I leave outside the house.  For the office, I also leave my shoes outside or quarantine first plus spraying alcohol before bringing it in. 

2. Minimalist.

Just like in clothes, other accessories must be minimal.  Of course I still bring a bag with me but I keep it as small as possible.  And I only bring essentials such as wallet, mobile phones, tissue and of course alcohol. My wallet, tissue and alcohol must also be small or pocket size so it can fit my small bag. My bag choices at this time are either leather or nylon. Nylon is perfect as it an easily be sanitize.  With leather, it should be carefully sanitized as it can dry out the leather material.  Best to apply leather cleaner or conditioner after sanitizing to maintain its leather quality and not dry out.

As for the accessories, I no longer wear one, even my wedding ring.  When my husband will no wear his wedding ring, so am I.  If he do, then I will also.  That´s the only accessory I wear.  No more bracelets, earrings, necklace and even watches.

3. Work From Home.

I am glad that I work in a company where digitalization is part of our initiatives.  We´ve started I think way back 2017 and now we´re reaping the fruits of our labor.  The advanced technology our company invested in were very useful at this time of pandemic.  These makes our Work From Home set up more efficient.  The only concern will be one´s internet connection.  Luckily for me, our internet service provider is stable and quite strong.  The only challenge is my mobile network signal which is very weak in my area.  So basically I can do work from home efficiently and without or less hassle.  I even bought office chair and table so I can work comfortably at home.

4. Groceries

When I had the chance to go out already, I accompany my husband to the supermarket to do some groceries.  My first grocery visit was at Landers.  Unlike the ordinary days where we browse through every shelves, this time, we only get what we really needed.  No more tambay and staying too long, for safety reasons.  And when we get home, all groceries were sanitized and left in an area for quarantine for some hours before placing in its proper storage location.  Bottles and canned foods were washed.  In case we did not brought our eco bags, the plastic bags used were not thrown away immediately.  Instead, we sanitize them as well and reuse it as plastic for trash bin.  When all groceries were put in storage, the area where we quarantine it is sanitized afterwards.

5. Deliveries

At this time of pandemic, many sought to online purchases to keep them safe and practice staying at home. We also do that for some of our ¨shopping¨needs and some foods.  When we receive deliveries, just like groceries, we sanitize and quarantine them.  Except for the food.  But for the food, we sanitize the handles and the outer plastic bag first before placing it in the table. Foods were also transferred to our plates/containers before we consume them.  Evertyhing else is thrown away afterwards.

6. Don´t forget your car!

Every after trip outside our home, my husband sanitizes the seats, flooring, handles, steering wheel and everything inside the car.  We even sometimes spray alcohol all over our foot and clothes before riding back to our car.

This pandemic has really made a difference in our lives.  We are slowly adopting to the new normal just to go on with our lives.  I know this is a difficult time for us but I hope and pray that this will soon be over and we can all go back to our real normal lives soon.  Keep safe everyone!

Is blogging dead?

I hope not.  I think it was 3 years or so ago when vlogging replaced blogging. There are still a few who are still into blogging. And there are some who have both a blog and a youtube channel.  Now that we are in this pandemic, many set up their own youtube channel maybe primarily because of one, to hopefully earn from vlogging and two, to have something to do out of boredom.

So why am I still blogging? Well, I am shy in front of the camera! I’m not the celebrity type and I’m trying to keep a low profile, haha! But honestly, I feel comfortable in speaking my mind through writing rather than an impromptu speech.  Even if you can edit your vlog and have a script beforehand, I don’t think I would be comfortable at it.  I had this experience at work where I was conducting a training virtually.  My audience’s camera was not on so I couldn’t see anyone. I wouldn’t know if they understood what I was saying or what their reactions were. I felt nervous, more nervous than when I conduct training face to face. Weird feeling.  But I’m not closing my doors to vlogging. Maybe someday. It’s a good opportunity to earn!

Now I am back to blogging. Well, I just enjoy writing. I am earning here too! Time just gets quite tight that I no longer post contents. But I will still try my best to write something worth reading.  So is blogging dead? For me, not yet. There are still people who are still into reading and of course writing. Let’s just keep reading!

Discovering Romblon

I have known Romblon to have nice white sandy beaches but never really had the chance to visit it. The only nearest place in Romblon that I could think of and attempt of visiting was the Carabao Island which you can visit coming from Boracay.  When my husband and I recently decided to have a vacation, the immediate place we could think of was Boracay, one of our favorite destination that we won't get tired of visiting.  But upon checking the flights, it was quite expensive already since our planned trip was less than a month away.  Going through the destinations of Cebu Pacific, I found Tablas and wondered where it was.  Googled it and viola! It was in Romblon.

Based from initial research, Romblon is part of MIMAROPA region.  It is composed of three major islands: Tablas, Sibuyan, and Romblon, and 17 small islands. These islands are all surrounded by deep waters.  With this, you can just imagine the various beaches encircling the islands.  And by the way, Romblon is also know as the Marble Capital of the Philippines.

Romblon map, image from Google

Of the three major islands, only Tablas has an airport located in Tugdan municipality. I think only Cebu Pacific has direct flights to Tugdan Airport.  One can also get to other major islands of Romblon and Sibuyan via ferry boat (2Go shipping lines travels directly to Romblon from Batangas port; From Tablas, there's a ferry boat in San Agustin that travels to Sibuyan Island).  Each island has its own beautiful beaches to boast for.  There's Aglicay and Binucot Beach in Tablas, Crest de Gallo islet in Sibuyan, and Bonbon beach in Romblon.  There are also some waterfalls in Sibuyan Island that is also a tourist attraction.  We chose Tablas since this is the only one with direct flight from Manila.  We'd love to visit Sibuyan but due to time constraints, we decided to just stay and hopefully explore Tablas Island.

There were a number of beaches in Tablas aside from Binucot (located in Ferrol municipality) and Aglicay (located in Alcantara municipality).  There are also other beaches in municipalities of Sante Fe, Ferrol, Odiongan, Calatrava, San Andres and San Agustin.  Aside from the beach there are also tourist attractions in Looc (Looc Bay Marine Sanctuary), Tinagong Dagat in Calatrava, Mainit Falls in Odiongan,

Beach view from Binucot Beach Resort

Aglicay Beach, image from Travelbook

Beaches in Tablas are quite far from the airport.  You will need to ride a tricycle or book a transfer to take you to your chosen beach.  We chose Binucot beach as it is quite nearer to the airport (about 45 minutes).  In my next blog, will post a review on Binucot Beach Resort.

Budget Accommodations in Tagaytay part 2

Following the success (or should I say, most read) of my blog post about budget accommodations in Tagaytay for Php 1,500 per night or less, here's part 2 of budget accommodations in Tagaytay still at Php 1,500 or less.  Please note that some prices may change during peak season, weekends and holidays.  Prices may be exclusive of VAT and other charges.

Sunburst Lodge
Location: near Mahogany Market and Sky Ranch
Budget room - Php 765 (fan room, without breakfast, double deck with pullout bed)
Standard room - Php 1,360 (air conditioned, without breakfast, double sized bed)
For info and bookings: click here

Casa Marcosa
Location: along Sta. Rosa Highway, Barangay Francisco
Deluxe Double or Twin Room - Php 1,338 (air conditioned, without breakfast, double bed)
For info and bookings: click here

Jessar Apartelle
Location: 213 Francisco Road, near Sta. Rosa Highway
Standard Room - Php 1,350 (air conditioned, without breakfast, queen size bed)
For info and bookings: click here

Jacob's Hill Tagaytay
Location: Hollywood Subdivision, Tagaytay-Calamba Road
Budget Double Room - Php 1,360 (air conditioned, with breakfast, double bed)
For info and bookings: click here

Mountain Breeze Hostel
Location: Tagaytay City Proper, along Tagaytay-Calamba Road
Double Room - Php 1,146 (air conditioned, without breakfast, double bed, shared bathroom)
For info and bookings: click here

Hotel Georgina
Location: Buho Talon Road, near Emilio Aguinaldo Highway
Standard Double Room - Php 1,257 (air conditioned, with breakfast, double bed)
For info and bookings: click here

Tagaytay Garden Budgetel
Location: along Tagaytay Calamba Road, almost near the Rotonda
Double Room - Php 1,133 (air conditioned, without breakfast, 2 single beds)
For info and bookings: click here

OMP Tagaytay Hostel
Location: Maharlika East Subdivision, near Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway
Private Double Basic - Php 805 (fan room, with breakfast, double bed, shared bathroom)
En Suite Double - Php 1,007 (fan room, with breakfast, king size bed)
For info and bookings: click here

Balai Sofia Bed and Breakfast
Location: Barangay Banga, Tanauan, Talisay, Batangas
Standard Twin Room - Php 899 (air conditioned, without breakfast, 2 single bed)
*Standard Double Room also available
For info and bookings: click here

MonaLisa Tourist Inn
Location: Barangay Francisco, near Sta. Rosa Highway
Economy Room - Php 1,275 (air conditioned, with breakfast, king size bed)
For info and bookings: click here

Again, most of my references are from Travelbook website and Agoda.  There are also number of condominium units in Tagaytay which also offers lodging and accommodations.  Those can be found in Booking.com, AirBnb and also in Agoda.

For pictures and videos of these hotels, you may check them in my youtube channel.  Don't forget to subscribe!

Review: Unica Pointed Shoes

I’m fond of wearing flats that’s why I seldom buy shoes with heels. I had a few shoes with heels that I sometimes wear to work. But most of the time, my feet gets tired and I ended up wearing flats again at midday.

One time, while shopping for clothes, we passed by Unica (Unica Hija) store. I haven’t bought anything from this brand. But I found that they have nice and unique clothes with styles almost similar to Plains and Prints (as well as the price range). They were on sale that’s why I was able to pick a few tops. Then my eye caught this pointed shoes / slip ons with heels in nude color. When I tried it on, I easily fell in love with it. It fits perfectly on my feet. I was quite hesitant at buying it since first, I seldom wear heels, then secondly, it is quite expensive and not part of sale. But then, there’s this “calling” that made me buy the shoes. I thought of various justifications for me to buy it. I can wear it not only at work and formal occasions, but also I can wear it on casual days. Besides, its a slip on which is easier to wear and wouldn’t make my heel dark in case I get blisters. And so I bought it. Luckily, the sales lady said that it was sale at 10% off. Not bad. The price was Php 1,399.75 so less 10% that’s Php 1,259.78.

The Unica pointed shoes I bought is in Nude color (not sure if they have other colors). The heels was about half inch. The material was like a suede leather, not sure what it is called but it was soft to touch. It has a metallic looking strap in gold tone but made of plastic. The pointed part has perforated floral style which makes it versatile to wear on formal or casual days.

It was yesterday when I first wore this Unica pointed shoes. I thought I might get blisters on my small toes as the style is pointed. And most of the time, for first time wearer of shoes, you have to “break it in”. Luckily, I didn’t get any blisters and the pointed style isn’t painful at all. I walked, run, wearing this shoes for more than eight hours in the office. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel any pain or discomfort wearing this shoes! It was so comfy! I think the soft suede leather like material made the difference. Since it was soft, it is not painful. Also, I thought the metallic like strap will scratch my feet but it did not. It isn’t bothersome at all. And best of all, my feet didn’t get tired even after wearing it for long hours! That was really a surprise! I am so happy that I bought this. So worth it! Too happy that I even wrote a review on it and even posted it on my youtube channel! I seldom post reviews about shoes, bags or clothes. But not this time. I just wanted to share how happy and satisfied I am with my purchase even if it is quite expensive (for me).  I’m even more proud that this comfortable shoes is proudly Philippine made! 

Tagaytay Hotels with Garden

It was a long weekend.  My husband and I wanted some R&R during those times.  We just thought of a staycation or anywhere near the metro just to relax.  We thought of Tagaytay as it has been quite a while since our last visit there. It was already days before the weekend when we scouted for available hotels. Although, we knew that there are a lot of accommodations available in Tagaytay. There are a number of hotels and lodging that we first chose to stay: Chateau Hestia, The Lake Hotel, Crosswinds, Theodore Hotel and Joaquin’s Bed and Breakfast. If you are familiar with these hotels, their common denominator is that they all have gardens outside their rooms.  My husband and I prefer to have a relaxing garden view in the absence of a beach, which I mostly preferred when we’ll be on a vacation.  Since it’s a long weekend and last-minute booking, we definitely won’t be able to get an available accommodation on nearby beach resorts (READ: Batangas).

Chateau Hestia seems like a nature inspired accommodation with cottages and cabins that are made of wood, bamboo and various Filipino inspired materials. From their website, it seems very relaxing as it is surrounded by a garden. However, it doesn’t seem to have any aircon on their rooms. Though weather in Tagaytay can be cooler than in Manila, it can still get hot during noontime at summer season.  So, an aircon is a must! Also, its location is not near the Tagaytay center.  You may check their rates here.

The Lake Hotel is quite known for an events place for weddings. They have indoor and outdoor rooms with the view of Taal Lake. For the accommodation, their standard rooms have mini garden while the others have veranda and lake view room.  This hotel is quite pricey or maybe its summer season and only days before our preferred stay date that makes the price higher than usual.  You can check their prices here.

Crosswinds Resort Suites is located inside Crosswinds Tagaytay village which has a Switzerland inspired house.  It is far away from the busy and usual Tagaytay center so the place is more peaceful and relaxing.  The hotel is more like a condotel where each room is equipped with kitchen area.  All rooms have wonderful view of the mountains and nature.  The Swiss inspired surrounding will make you feel like you’re in another country.  We’re considering this hotel but it’s quite pricey.  Check out their room rates here.

Theodore Hotel is a bed and breakfast accommodation with only 5 rooms.  Each room is designed based on its theme with artsy decors.  Rooms have balcony with garden and Taal Lake view.  This hotel is cheaper than The Lake Hotel.  Unfortunately, it’s quite confusing whether this hotel is still operational or has changed name.  When browsing through goggle, the hotel is tagged as permanently closed but further research, I found that this has been renamed to Basilisk Hotel.  Both names can still be found in booking sites.  Just to be sure which is operational, I tried calling them but there was no answer.  UPDATE: I believe Theodore Hotel has been renamed to Basilisk Hotel according to their signage.  Not sure though if management has changed and if there were renovations made.  Check out Basilisk Hotel rates here.

Finally, I landed at Joaquin’s Bed and Breakfast, which is almost beside The Lake Hotel and also near Theodore Hotel / Basilisk Hotel.  Joaquin’s Bed and Breakfast is a small hotel with just 8 rooms.  Each room has its own veranda where some have mini garden while some just have a balcony.  All have a good view of Taal Lake.  Upon landing on their website, we fell in love with its rustic design and of course your very own garden in your room!  And so we chose this hotel among those mentioned above.  Their room rate is quite expensive when booked directly from their website so it’s best to book from various travel websites.  Check it out here.  I’ll review this hotel in my next blog post.

Do you have any other recommendations for hotels with garden or garden view.  Please do share as we love to explore more of these in Tagaytay.

Trivago, Traveloka, TripAdvisor: What's the difference?

I'm sure you have all heard about hotel booking apps such as Trivago, Traveloka and TripAdvisor.  They all have similarities and I'm not quite sure what are their differences.  I'd like to share with you on how I use these three apps and my opinions on each.

My Travel apps

I've been using TripAdvisor for the longest time in my search for best rated hotels.  Their review sections are legit and believable.  I, myself, is also a contributor to review some hotels and restaurants.  Yes, TripAdvisor also have various restaurants posted per location and even things to do on those locations.  I also make use of TripAdvisor's hotel search for best prices as reference but I haven't really tried booking from them. I will tell the reason why later.

TripAdvisor Mobile App

Trivago has been popular because of their TV commercial.  Since then, there were a lot of reviews already on various hotels which I'm quite skeptical with since they're just fairly new.  Similar to TripAdvisor, Trivago also provides best prices on hotel search.  But the booking companies that they are partnered with were mostly Booking.com (or at least that’s what’s always showing upon search).  Unlike in TripAdvisor, you will find various booking companies upon search such as agoda, booking.com, hotel quickly, hotels.com and even our local Travel Book.  Although these are also available in Trivago, you will notice that mostly Booking.com appears the cheapest.  Again, I also use Trivago as reference in finding cheap hotel deals.  Trivago, by the way, only has hotel search unlike with TripAdvisor and Traveloka which has flight search (TripAdvisor even has restaurant search and things to do).

Trivago Mobile App

I came to know Traveloka through their sponsored ad in Instagram.  I seldom use this app in search for cheapest hotel deals since for me Trivago and TripAdvisor are enough.  But anyway, when you try searching for hotels, their booking partners are also similar to the two apps mentioned above.  They even show prices from TripAdvisor.  What I find very useful to this app is their flight search.  The prices that they will show you upon search on the cheapest flight is very close to the prices when using the airline's app directly. This is very convenient when you want to know which of the airlines provides cheapest flight deals.  Similar to the two apps mentioned above, I only use this for reference.  TripAdvisor also has flight search but I haven't really used it.

Traveloka Mobile app

I only use these 3 apps for reference.  I haven't really used them for bookings, whether flight or hotel deals.  The reason being is that I also have accounts in booking sites such as agoda and Travel Book where I can accumulate points so I directly booked with them instead. (I’m not sure though if you can still accumulate points when booking through TripAdvisor and be directed to agoda or Travel Book.) And there were times that booking directly from booking sites can be a bit cheaper.  But I still use these apps, again for reference.

In may last HongKong trip, these three apps were very useful to me: Traveloka in search for cheapest flight (I booked a flight 3 weeks before our travel schedule), TripAdvisor and Traveloka for hotel deals.  In my hotel search, both TripAdvisor and Traveloka shows different cheap deals that makes it quite confusing.  There are some booking sites which appears both in these apps but shows different prices.  Well, in the end, I just booked directly to my chosen hotel's website.  It is a bit cheaper than these apps.

Trivago, Traveloka and TripAdvisor are great apps in your hotel and flight search.  They will be very useful and really saves time in your search.  But I suggest you still include in your research the hotel's website price and promo deals.  There will be times when your chosen hotel will no longer have available room on your preferred date but when you ask directly the hotel, there could still be available rooms for you. So be resourceful!

Which of these apps you find useful? Or do you have any other recommended similar app?

Happy New Year!

It's new year once again.  It's 2018! Our earth has been living for 2,018 years!

I am writing this short post just to let my readers know that I am still alive! 😋😁  It's been quite a while since I have updated this blog.  Even my FB page.  I was quite busy with my work life last 2017.  Really busy.  I never had the chance to update my blog.  I have a few pending and draft write ups but I wasn't able to finish it.  Hopefully this year, I'd get or should I say I will allot a little time to update my blog before it becomes "dead" (they say blogging is dead and vlogging is in)!!!  But whether its dead or not, I will still continue to write, whatever I please and whenever I have time.

Thank you everyone for continuous support on my blog and FB page.  I will still continue to provide information and share experiences whether on travel, beauty, or whatever, here in my blog.

See you in 2018!  Happy New Year!

Travelbook.ph shoulders the 12% VAT on your hotel bookings!

Travelbook.ph, the leading online travel agency (OTA) in the Philippines, launches a very generous offer that everyone will surely love!


Starting July 18, 2017, all hotel bookings made through Travelbook.ph will be free of VAT as it will be subsidized by the OTA to all participating customers.


“We understand that all people in the Philippines are really burdened with high VAT as it is present in almost all commodities that they need. We feel that we can help more. That’s why we’ve come up with this campaign: We will shoulder the VAT cost for every booking made with us,” according to Takumi Nakazawa, General Manager of Travelbook.ph.

As customers proceed with their hotel bookings with TravelBook.ph, the VAT will be automatically paid by the company and will be deducted from the total cost. Furthermore, discounts from promos and insider deals may be added on top of 12% discount. Customers may enjoy this offer by booking with any of the 3,300 affiliated hotels and resorts of TravelBook.ph nationwide.

This offer from Travelbook.ph also aims to help travelers have stress-free and budget-friendly transactions when planning their trips.

“This is our way to let people know that we care. We want to appease their burden and give them the best deals and opportunities to travel,” Mr. Nakazawa continues.

VAT-free means more money for your trip! Book now with Travelbook.ph to get the best pocket-friendly deals on hotels and resorts in the Philippines! Avail of our Pay-at-Hotel No Credit Card Needed payment option for easier and convenient booking!

This campaign will run for a limited time only. Campaign period may end without prior notice.

GetGo hails TravelBook.ph as Digital Marketer of the Year

TravelBook.ph was awarded Digital Marketer of the Year by Cebu Pacific’s Lifestyle Rewards Program.  GetGo during their second anniversary celebration last March 31, 2017 at the Blue Leaf Events Pavilion in Taguig. TravelBook.ph bested three other competent nominees including other travel service providers and banks.

The Digital Marketer of the Year Award was judged based on the partner’s active participation in promoting the partnership’s proposition by creating effective contents using different relevant digital channels, not limited to SNS. As the future of travel gets more exciting with the continuous thrive of technology, these efforts to actively inject useful information and connect with members online definitely helps the journey of every traveller.

Travelbook.ph has been a GetGo lifestyle partner since 2015 in accord with their objective to provide quality leisure services through traveling. In its campaigns, Travelbook.ph has created weekly features for GetGo that was featured in their website, newsletters, and official SNS.

The joy of successful partnership. From L to R: GetGo GM Nik Laming; TravelBook.ph team: Karen Luminario, Cyra Penol, General Manager Takumi Nakazawa, Business Development Manager Pinky Librada, Steffi Manikan, and Aldo Reyes; and Cebu Pacific Chief Executive Adviser Michael Szucs.

The Digital Marketer of the Year award was received by Ms. Pinky Librada, Business Development Manager of Travelbook.ph. It was awarded by Mr. Michael Szucs, Chief Executive Adviser of Cebu Pacific, and Mr. Nik Laming, General Manager of GetGo’s Loyalty Division.

Other GetGo lifestyle partners that were awarded were Robinsons Land Corporation (Outstanding Promoter), Petron (Customer Whisperer), Citibank (#TheSocialTrendsetter), and BPI (Promo of the Year).

Review: Mangrove Resort Hotel Subic

Located at the Baloy Beach of Subic Bay, Magrove Resort Hotel is one of the nice hotels along the area.  Checking the reviews at TripAdvisor, I recommended this hotel to my family for our family weekend getaway as the reviews were fairly acceptable (3.5 out of 5 stars).  And this hotel is also ranked #2 in the hotels in Olongapo category.

The room rates were quite expensive when you book at their website.  But if you booked through email or phone, they will give you a discounted price on their rooms.  You can also check TravelBook.ph to book your stay here as they are also offering best deals and rewards points to members as well as book now and pay upon check in (no credit card needed) scheme.

We are a family of 11 adults and 3 kids.  Their biggest room can only occupy a maximum of 4 persons (adult) so we decided to book 4 rooms and requested all rooms to be located in the same floor so that we could somehow be near to each other.  We booked 2 deluxe twin, 1 superior room and 1 deluxe room.  Fortunately, these available rooms at the time we booked (about 2 weeks before our travel date) were all located in the 4th floor.

The hotel is a 4-storey building with restaurant, beach, pool and parking area.  Water activities are also available to them.  The pool was located in the 3rd floor.  The restaurant is located in the 1st floor and there is also a poolside bar in the 3rd floor.  The hotel's beach shoreline is quite short but guests can still relax and stay at their beach side loungers.  As expected, beach in Subic is not as white and powdery as Boracay but it seems clean although we were not able to swim at the beach.

Pool and Pool Bar Area

The pool in the 3rd floor has kiddie and adult pools.  The depth of the adult pool is at 4 feet maximum so some kids can still enjoy the adult pool.  The pool is not that big but enough to accommodate guests.  It also has loungers and bar area where you can take a sip on your chosen drink or have a snack with friends and family.

The food were ok and quite reasonable (about Php 250 and up per person). By the way, breakfast is not included in the room rate. We encountered a little problem during our dinner time.  After taking all our orders, the waitress came back and informed us that certain meats are no longer available at their kitchen.  It's quite misunderstanding from their kitchen and the waitress because she has to come back to us several times and informing us of the meats that were no longer available.  Well, it turned out that almost all of our orders were not available. Of course if you're hungry, you will get pissed. The service was also quite slow in their restaurants, both at the 1st floor and at the pool side.

My husband and I stayed in one of the deluxe twin room together with my sister and her family.  I noticed that all their rooms are big or at least the rooms that we booked.  It is also complete with towels (bath, pool, hand and floor towels), toiletries, bath robe, safety vault, cable tv, mini ref, small dining area with electric pot and instant coffee (at least in deluxe twin, didn't see in other rooms we booked).  All our rooms have king size bed so its really comfortable for all of us.  I just noticed though that the single bed in the other deluxe twin room is quite smaller than in our room.  And their aircon is cooler than us.  The magnetic key which functions also as key to open electricity does not turn off the electricity when removed.

*Photos of room below courtesy of google :)

Deluxe Twin

Deluxe Room

Superior Room

The bathrooms were clean with hot and cold shower. Flow of water is ample however, the following day, the water becomes scarce to the point there's not a single drop of water coming out of the shower even on the sink.  You have to wait up to an hour before you see a drop of water in the sink and not on the shower.  This is during late morning where people are about to check out. When we complained it to the front desk, the reason they gave us is that there are a lot of guests during that they. I think that's not an excuse.  They are a resort.  They should've have expected guests to be coming in at peak season. They also have a quite number of rooms. If all were occupied, does it mean there will be no more water at any time of the day? Some of the members of my family used the bathroom at the 1st floor to take a shower while some waited. The only good thing is that they allowed us for late check out because of problems with water.

Toilet

Shower area

Shower area

Sink, toilet with bidet

Toiletries

We almost had a great time in this resort (most especially its my 5 month old niece's first time to dip in the pool). The loungers and snack at the pool side can be relaxing. But the downside we experience on the water, food and food service we're kinda turn off. I'm not sure if I will want to go back here.  Maybe not on a peak season.  And I think I can still recommend this to friends but with a warning.

Willy's Beach Club Hotel: Revisited

We're back again in Boracay last July 2016 with my husband and we've decided to stay again in Willy's Beach Club Hotel.  I've posted in my previous blog about affordable beach front hotels in station 1 which become very useful to me since my husband and I always prefers to stay in station 1, beach front, near Willy's Rock.  From the list, we've already stayed in Blue Lilly Villa.  You can read my reviews of this hotel here. We were supposed to try Boracay Plaza Resort but my husband would like to stay again in Willy's Beach Club Hotel.

Willy's Beach Club Hotel is also quite an affordable hotel.  It's not listed in my affordable beach front hotels in station 1 as this post was more of affordable hotels below Php 3,000 per night price.  Depending on the season, you can book Willy's Beach Club Hotel for a little over Php 3,000 per night.  During my first visit in this hotel last 2013 (see my blog post about it here), the accommodation rates then was below Php 3,000 for a deluxe room on an off peak season.  Since our trip was July 2016, considered as an off peak season, we were able to still get an affordable room rate.  We booked the Super Deluxe Room that has a bath tub and location is nearer to the beach.  For 3 nights stay, the price we got was Php 9,531 through My Boracay Guide website.  I also used My Boracay Guide when we booked our first stay at Willy's Beach Club Hotel last 2013.  Our booking comes with free airport pick up for 2, which saves us about Php 800.  You can read my review on their free transport service here.

The Super Deluxe Room is quite smaller than the Deluxe Room we booked before.  The room we had is still located at the 2nd floor.  View from the veranda is facing the restaurant but view of the beach is nearer (right side view) than our previous room. Other differences are super deluxe room have bath tub, mini ref, facial tissue, and own veranda.  Having our own veranda is perfect since my husband smokes.  Our previous room also has veranda but it seemed shared to the other room perpendicular from us.

Super Deluxe Room

Mini Ref

Another view of the room with small vanity dresser

Veranda and view

Welcome fruits were also provided in our room.  However, some fruits tasted old already that's why we didn't consume it all.

Welcome Fruits

Again welcome drinks were provided upon arrival in the hotel.  There's no more seashell necklaces given to us upon arrival unlike before.

The room is quite old but does not smell one.  I say old as we had a little difficulty in opening and closing/locking our door.  Linens and pillows are clean and smells nice. Bathroom is clean with ample water supply, hot and cold shower, towels and toiletries.

Bath tub beside the Toilet

Toiletries with facial tissue and hair dryer

The bath tub

Our stay still comes with free buffet breakfast.  Again, they served combination of Filipino and American dishes.  The choices were sufficient with breads, drinks and dessert.  They are also offering grilled buffet dinner.  I can't recall how much it cost but I think its not that expensive.  We tried it one time since it was rainy the whole day on our 1st day.  The choices were mostly meat and a few cuts of fish, shrimp and squid with pasta, rice and soup.  For us, its quite enough already but for some, it may not be as inviting since the cut or the portions of the food were quite small.  But anyway, it's buffet, you can get another one without a limit.  What's also good about this buffet dinner is that you can have a freshly grilled meat as there is a standby griller who can grill for you at the corner of the buffet.  Their food still tastes good.  Some servings of their ala carte foods were quite a lot.

Beef with mushroom

Similar to our last stay at Willy's Beach Club last 2012, we did not experience any problems during our stay.  Willy's Beach Club Hotel may not be a fancy and luxurious hotel but it is one of the affordable hotels in station 1 worth staying as it can be relaxing and enjoyable since it is beach front and away from the crowd.  If I'll be visiting Boracay again next time, I wouldn't have second thoughts of staying in here.

Corporate Planning and Team Building Venues

I would like to share a few venues I've searched in the south area (Laguna, Tagaytay, Cavite) where your company can hold corporate meetings, events, planning sessions and even team buildings.

Gratchi's Getaway

Website: http://www.gratchi.com/
Location: Kabangaan Road Barangay Kabangaan Silang, Cavite
Contact info: (02) 664-1633; info@gratchi.com
Amenities: accommodations, obstacle courses, team building packages, swimming pool, function rooms, educational tours.
Price range: Php 800 to Php 2,900 per person depending on the activity, accommodation and number of pax

Forest Club Eco Resort
Website: http://www.theforestclub.com/
Location: Barangay Puypuy and Masaya Bay, Laguna
Contact info: (02) 376-4623 or (0917) 863-3050; info@theforestclub.com
Amenities: accommodations, obstacle courses, team building program, venue for spiritual activities, swimming pool, function rooms, massage (hilot) therapy, family getaway
Price range: Php 525 per person day tour with lunch and snacks
                   Php 4,000 - 10,000 per night overnight accommodation (depends on the type of rooms and number of pax)
                   Php 375 per person for team building activity

Pina Colina Resort
Website: http://www.pinacolina.com/
Location: Tolentino Ulat Road Barangay Francisco Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road Tagaytay, Cavite
Contact info: (02) 994-8557 or (046) 683-7717; pinacolina09@gmail.com
Amenities: accommodations, obstacle courses, function rooms, special packages for corporate functions, swimming pool, basketball court
Price range: Php 2,500 to Php 6,950 per night on accommodations depending on the type of room
                   Php 1,700 per person (estimate) for corporate function

The Green Olive Garden
Website: http://greenolive.ph/
Location: Kabangaan Road Iruhin West, Tagaytay City
Contact info: (02) 245-4890, (0917) 861-6325, (0947) 227-9407; greenolivegarden@yahoo.com
Amenities: accommodations, swimming pool, function rooms, wedding events, corporate events, team building package
Price range: Php 30,000 package for whole day activity (as per our inquiry. price available through direct inquiry to them)

I hope you will find the above information useful.  I only tried Pina Colina Resort when we had our corporate planning session there.  Will blog about my experience here soon.

Change The Way You See Happiness

What makes a person happy?  I'm sure the most common reply that you will hear is that being with their loved ones, family and friends makes them happy.  Or maybe for some, you will hear materialistic responses like chocolates, flowers, shoes, bags among others were the things that will make them happy.  There is nothing wrong with that.  Anything that will make them feel good inside or anybody who can make them smile can be factors that makes a person happy.  But happiness is not limited to the material things that you like nor the people that surrounds and loves you.  There are little things that can bring happiness into your life.  Those things that will make you change the way you see happiness.

I'd like to share some of the few shallow things that makes me happy.  

Sunset - I just love sunsets.  Whenever there's a chance, I try to take a picture of it whether on the streets, on the beach or even when I'm inside the car.  I get a little frustrated when I am not able to capture the beauty of the sunset as seen by my naked eyes.  But nevertheless, I get fascinated on the outcome of my pictures even just using a mobile phone.  This is happiness.

Boracay Sunset

Sunset in Thailand

Sunset in Bolinao, Pangasinan

Capturing sunset in a moving car

Nasugbu, Batangas Sunset

BGC, Taguig Sunset

Sunset in Bantayan Island, Cebu

Capturing sunset again while inside the car

Photography - No, I am not into photography but I love taking pictures!  I do not have plans of making or shifting a career out of photography though.  I do, however, do a little research on how to take nice shot or what cameras (or even mobile phones) can best suite my personality and love for photography.  I took mostly nature shots and night shots. I know my pictures are just basic but when I get some compliments on it, it already makes me feel happy.  This is happiness.

Tinuy-an Falls

Siquijor

Apo Island

Malaysia

Enchanted River

Event in Circuit Makati

Nemo in Moalboal, Cebu

Batangas restaurant

Instax taken in Mactan, Cebu

My cute niece

Artwork in a restaurant in Boracay

Golden fields in Mariveles, Bataan

Fireworks show

Fireworks show

Kabiang Tunnel

Instax capture of our wedding

BGC street at night

Boracay Sail

Blogging - Eversince high school, I already love to write.  I even tried to take up Journalism in college but I ended up in an Engineering course.  My passion for writing has not ended until I put up this blog last January 2011 just to share to the world my thoughts and experiences mostly about my travels.  It really makes me happy when people find my blog useful.  This is happiness.

You see, there are really more than just family, friends, love ones, and material things that can make a person happy.  With our fast-paced and stressful life to some, one can discover various things that can change the way they see happiness.  Even the smallest things can change the way you see everything.  Just like Huawei's new mobile phone, the Huawei P9.  With its cool camera features, it will feel like you have a camera with a smartphone attached.  This will change the way you see mobile photography.  Huawei P9's camera is co-engineered with Leica, one of the world's most respected names in the photography industry.  It has dual lenses at the back where one lens shoots exclusively black and white while when both lenses are used, a DSLR-style shallow depth of field can be produced.  This can definitely change the way you see mobile photography.  It is a mobile phone but with features similar to DSLR when taking photos.  With its 2 lens camera, you can set the depth of field of your shots which has the same effect as changing aperture of a DSLR.  Result, photos will be high quality and users will be able to take amazing monochrome, slo-mo, colored, light painting photos among others.

Living in this world could take you to a lot of challenges and experiences.  But seeing life in a different perspective can make living worth it, so enjoy every bit of it.  Live life to the fullest!