First week of March, my family started planning for our yearly out-of-town trip. After hours of debating on where to go, we decided to hit Cebu and Bohol for 4 days and 3 nights trip. By the way, I will share our family trip itinerary on my next blog posts. So stay tuned!

We all preferred to hit the beach and catch the sun-rays rather than to stay or roam the city. Upon days of searching for a nice beach-front hotel-resort in Cebu, we all decided to choose Happy Beach Cebu for an overnight stay. Why? We foresight that the kids and kids-at-heart will enjoy this brightly-colored summer vibes of Happy Beach. And yes! We did!

» Happy Beach Cebu «

Happy Beach Cebu, is a Bali-inspired boutique resort located in Mactan Island, Cebu, Philippines. Owned by the makers of The Dessert Museum Manila and Inflatable Island in Subic was recently opened last December 15, 2018.

There are so many nicknames for this resort such as The Millennials' Summer Capital, Instagrammable Beach, A Pastel Wonderland Resort, Happiest Beach in the Philippines and so on. You can see many hashtags of this resort in Instagram.

» Booking Procedure «

I booked through its website https://www.happybeach.ph/book-a-room. The hotel is also available on other third-party hotel booking websites such as Agoda.com, Booking.com, and Travelbook.ph.

Unfortunately, the website only accepts 1 room per booking (6 people max). It's pretty hassle to book only 1 room per transaction. We were 8 adults and 2 kids. (Take note that 1 kid per room is free unless stated otherwise.). I did 2 separate transactions for booking the 2 rooms. I suggest that they should revise their website to accommodate those people, who are booking with big groups like us. Nevertheless, the payment process was pretty fast.

Note: They only accept credit card transaction online. Check the website for more information.

» Rooms «

The hotel has 16 rooms to choose from. Because we're a family of 10, we booked two family rooms (4 adults and 1 kid per room).

There is only one room type:

Happy Room - 50 ft²/ 1 double-deck bed and 1 queen sized pull-out bed.

The room can accommodate up to 6 pax including the free kid. The room costs Php 5,999 (for 2 adults and 1 kid only <12 kids y.o and below>). There's an additional charge of Php 1,800 per head with breakfast (as of March 2019). You are also required to pay an amount of Php 2,000 as an incidental deposit upon check-in.

All rooms include:

Free Breakfast for 2 persons
Air-conditioned room
Complimentary High-speed WiFi / Internet
Complimentary bottles of mineral water and snacks
Telephone
LED TV
Hot / Cold Shower with bidet
Personal care set
Safety volt

More info: The Happy Room includes a whole day access to the Pink Pool and Beach Pass. They only have 20% discounted rates for inflatable and unicorn island.

Here's the preview of our Happy Room:

» Day Tour «

The property also offers day tour package from 7 am to 10 pm. You can book and choose dates from their website as well. They accept BPI/BDO bank deposit/transfer, LBC/Cebuana payment, Paypal or credit card transaction.

Reference: Happy Beach website

Happy Ticket - Includes a whooping whole day access to 7 attractions:

🏊 Mactan Beach

👙

The Pink Pool

☂

Pink Bali Lounge
🐬Animal Cabanas

🦄

Floating Zoo

💦

Water Babies Show (2:30 pm and 7:00 pm)

🔥

Dancing Fire Show (7:00 pm)

Weekday (Monday - Friday except holidays) - Php 699 (online) and Php 799 (walk-ins)
Weekend (Saturday - Sunday and holidays) - Php 849 (online) and Php 899 (walk-ins).

Happy Ticket + Inflatable Island - Includes the whole day access to Happy Ticket attractions and play time on Inflatable + Unicorn Island.

Spray (Half-day access) - Php 998 (weekday) and Php 1,148 (weekend)
Soaked (All-day access) - Php 1,098 (weekday) and Php 1,248 (weekend)

Take note that the locker rental and hotel pick up and drop off are excluded.

If you prefer to purchase a colorful Happy Jungle Day Beds, you still need to pay for the Happy Ticket. It includes 2 free towel rentals and Tampipi (assorted food) feast. Here are the price list:

Happy Jungle Day Beds - Php 1,500 (max of 4 pax)
All Access Spray + Happy Jungle Day Beds - Php 2,999 (2 pax) and Php 4,999 (4 pax)
All Access Soaked + Happy Jungle Day Beds - Php 3,499 (2 pax) and Php 5,999 (4 pax)

If you prefer also to book a day tour room, which they called Pink Cabana Day Room, it costs Php 3,500 good for up to 6 pax. It only gives you own private bathroom, private air-conditioned room, wifi and pink pool access from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. It is the same as the Happy Room but not valid for overnight use.

» Amenities / Services «

The Pink Pool. until 10 pm only

Happy Jungle Lounge.

Bali Lounge.

Mango Mama Restaurant. Opens at 6 am to 10 pm. Hotel guests are served with buffet breakfast.

Room Service Menu.

Sunny Function Room. For occasions.

Locker Area. For day tours.

Happy Shop. Souvenir shop.

Water Activities.

Water Babies Show & Dancing Fire Show.

Taken after the shows

» Info «

Website: https://www.happybeach.ph/

Address: Happy Beach Cebu, Tambuli Beach, Buyong Rd, Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu

E-mail Address: hello@happybeach.ph

Nearby: Mactan International Airport (25-35 minutes away from airport)
Private Vehicle: Take a cab or pin location "Happy Beach" or "Tambuli Beach East"

Check-in from: 2:00 PM

Check-out until: 12:00 PM

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I booked our accommodation using my own money.

» Overall «

If you are looking for fun and experience the Balinese inspired resort, you may spend a day or overnight here. Although everything is a bit pricey, I think it's worth it. Frankly, an overnight stay is not enough. I prefer to stay here at least 2 nights because there are arrays of choices on what to do. We failed to explore the Inflatable and Unicorn Island. 😅

Have you been to Cebu? If yes, where did you stay? Share your experience.

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 No comments

Pratunam is one of the most popular district known for famous wholesale fashion outlets, street markets, food vendors and so on. It is also known for its domineering icon, Baiyoke Sky Hotel, which is one of the Thailand's tallest buildings.

We chose to stay here in Pratunam because it's one of the Bangkok's most colorful areas. Who would love to stay next to its shopping areas, right? This hotel is ideal if you're in Bangkok to shop until you drop.

» My Hotel Pratunam «

My Hotel Pratunam, opened in 2009 (renovated in 2017), is a stylish budget city hotel smacked right in the heart of Pratunam. It is 5-minute walk to Pratunam Market, Platinum Fashion Mall and Central World. It is also 10-minute walk to Airport Rail Link as well as BTS Sky Train.

» Booking Procedure «

You can book through its website http://www.myhotelgroup.com/pratunam-bangkok/. For us, we booked through a local Philippine travel agency named Shadow Travel and Tours.

» Rooms «

The property has 7 floors with 71 cozy guest rooms to choose from.

Here are the list of the room types:

Standard Double Room - 22 m² / 1 double bed
Standard Twin Room - 26 m² / 2 single beds
Cubic Studio (no window) - 22 m² / 1 double bed

All rooms include:

Electronic room keycard
Fully air conditioned with individual thermostats
Refrigerator
Built-in desk
LCD television with 39 cable channels
Bathroom with shower and water heater
USB charger
Complimentary bottles of mineral water, set of coffee and tea with electronic water heater
Free WiFi internet access

Here's the preview of our room (standard twin room w/ one extra bed):

» Amenities and Services «

24-hour front desk.

Fast check-in / check-out.

Free luggage storage. It's a must if you arrived early and you want to stroll around the area first.

Free Tuktuk In-Pratunam service. We availed this service and it's a plus points for me.

Buffet breakfast. We only tried once because we had an early flight in the morning. But here's the preview of the buffet breakfast.

MyCafe Restaurant. They offer cheap but good Thai food.

Nira Massage Shop. They have a massage shop for a certain price. We didn't avail this because we were filled with our daily errands.

Local Travel and Tours. They also offer local tours. I'm not sure about the rates though.

» Info «

Hotel Classification: 3-star hotel

Website: http://www.myhotelgroup.com/pratunam-bangkok/

Address: 70, 70/1-4 Soi Petchburi 15 Petchburi Road Phayathai Bangkok 10400
E-mail Address: rsvn@my.co.th
Nearby BTS Station: Phya Thai

Check-in from: 2:00 PM

Check-out until: 12:00 PM

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I booked our accommodation using my own money.

» Overall «

We had the pleasure to spend our nights here. It's surely one of the perfect accommodations in the city with a right budget. They've certainly got it all for you. Guaranteed.

Have you been to Bangkok? Where did you stay?

Sunday, February 24, 2019 No comments

» Wat Arun «

Wat Arun, known as Temple of Dawn, is located in the west side of the Chao Phraya River. It is one of the most stunning temples in Bangkok because of its architecture and ambiance especially at night. It is almost directly opposite of Wat Pho and it's very easy to get to.

📍 How to get there?

Ride a BTS and take off at Saphan Taksin station, Exit 2. Look for the Sathorn Pier and take a ferry boat to Pier No. 8, Tha Tien. After getting of the boat, hop on a small shuttle that takes you to the opposite side of the river for THB 3.

💸 How much?

The entry of to the temple is THB 50. If you would like to experience wearing Thai costume, you can get it as low as THB 100.

⏰ Opening Hours

The temple is open daily from 8:00 am to 6:30 pm.

👍 Recommended?

I would like to recommend spending at least an hour visiting the temple. We visited this temple at 8:15 am to 9:15 am when there are only small crowds.

📔 Notes

Be cautious if you want to climb the central prang because the steps are very steep. Make sure you dress appropriately. There are few cover ups for rent near the entrance.

» Wat Intharawihan «

Wat Intharawihan, known as the Luangpor Toh, is soaring 32-meters high standing Buddha built of brick and stucco. It took over 60 years to complete because it is decorated in glass mosaics and 24-carat gold.

📍 How to get there?

Ride a tuktuk or take a taxi to get there. The location is 114 Wisut Kasat Road, Banglamphu, Old City (Rattanakosin).

💸 How much?

There is no entrance fee.

⏰ Opening Hours

The temple is open daily from 8:30 am to 8:00 pm.

📔 Notes

We just spent 30 minutes roaming around the place.

» Wat Pho «

Wat Pho, known as Temple of the Reclining Buddha, is located across Wat Arun and behind the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. It is one of the largest temple in the city and famed for its giant reclining Buddha that measures 15 meters tall and 46 meters long.

It is also well-known as a centre for traditional massage and medicine. You can drop in for a traditional Thai massage or even sign-up for short-term course after exploring the temple.

📍 How to get there?

Ride a BTS and take off at Saphan Taksin station, Exit 2. Look for the Sathorn Pier and take a small shuttle boat to Pier No. 8, Tha Tien.

💸 How much?

The entry of to the temple is THB 200 (as of February 2019). It comes with a free bottled water.

⏰ Opening Hours

The temple is open daily from 8:00 am to 6:30 pm. The massage school is available from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm only. The last order is until 6:00 pm only.

👍 Recommended?

I would like to recommend spending at least an hour visiting the temple. We visited this temple at 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm.

📔 Notes

This temple is one of the visited temples in Bangkok so all visitors must wear appropriate clothing.

» Grand Palace «

Grand Palace, build under King Rama I in 1782, was once home to the royal family, the royal court and the government administration for over 150 years. The whole area consists of the Outer Court, the Middle Court, the Inner Court and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha or Wat Phra Kaew.

Photo from Royal Grand Palace

📍 How to get there?

Ride a BTS and take off at Saphan Taksin station, Exit 2. Look for the Sathorn Pier and take a small shuttle boat to Pier No. 9, Tha Chang Pier.

Or if you're from Wat Pho, just walk for around 550 meters or 10-minutes.

💸 How much?

The entry of to the temple is THB 500 (as of February 2019). It is free for Thai citizens.

⏰ Opening Hours

The temple is open daily from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm.

👍 Recommended?

I would like to recommend to allocate at least 1-2 hours to wander around.

📔 Notes

It is the most sacred place in all place in Thailand so a strict dress code is applied. You must dress properly.There are cover ups for rent near the entrance.

We failed to venture the Grand Palace at that time but I'll make sure to go there soon.

Have you been to Bangkok? Share your experience.

Saturday, February 23, 2019 1 comments

When I was planning for our Bangkok itinerary, I was torn between Chocolate Ville or Chao Phraya Princess River Cruise for our dinner on first day.

We chose Chao Phraya Princess River Cruise because of the experience itself. We never been in a cruise in our whole life so it's a nice experience to have one. The buffet dinner was included in the package, which was quite reasonable for the price.

» Why Chao Phraya Princess River Cruise ? «

There are different river cruise to choose from but we chose Chao Phraya Princess Cruise because of its high ratings and it's the only cheapest 5-star luxury cruise departing from Asiatique Pier.

Asiatique the Riverfront, opens at 4:00 pm - 12:00 am, is one of the famous open-air night markets in Bangkok.

The other piers at the malls River City Shopping Complex or ICONSIAM will be closed at 10:00 pm. At the time we finished the dinner cruise, they will be preparing to close so we didn't chose both of them.

Unlike the Asiatique, which will be closed at 12:00 am. We have time to stroll around the Asiatique after the cruise. So it's wise decision to choose Asiatique Pier, right?

» How to Get There «

There are 3 piers to choose from: River City Pier, Asiatique Pier, and ICONSIAM Pier.

📍River City Pier - Take BTS, get off at Saphan Taksin Station and take Exit 3. Get a taxi to River City Pier (approx. THB 50). Look for the registration booth of Chao Phraya Princess River Cruise.

📍Asiatique Pier - Take BTS, get off at Saphan Taksin Station and take Exit 2. Look straight ahead and you should see the Sathorn Pier. Take the free 15-minute ferry boat to Asiatique The Riverfront. (The free 15-minute ferry boat starts at 4:30 pm - 11:30 pm only). Look for the registration booth of Chao Phraya Princess River Cruise.

📍ICONSIAM Pier - Take BTS, get off at Saphan Taksin Station and take Exit 2. Look straight ahead and you should see the Sathorn Pier. Take the free shuttle boat to ICONSIAM Pier. Look for the registration booth of Chao Phraya Princess River Cruise.

Credits: Chao Phraya Princess website

» Tickets and Admission «

You can book the tickets on site (walk-in) but to make sure there are slots left, book it online instead. I availed the tickets via Klook. There are different packages to choose from. Here are the prices from Klook as of January 2019.

📍River City Pier - Php 1,441

📍Asiatique Pier - Php 1,535

📍ICONSIAM Pier - Php 1,535

» Check-in and Cruising Time «

The check-in time starts as early as 6:30 pm.

📍River City Pier, the cruising time is 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm.

📍Asiatique Pier, the cruising time is 7:15 pm - 9:15 pm.

📍ICONSIAM Pier, the cruising time is 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm.

Take note that you have to be there early because you need to go to the registration booth and check-in. You can't choose your table because it will be depend on how early you are on the registration booth.

The claiming of tickets was pretty easy. Just give your printed voucher. The staff will look for your name and they will give you tickets (with table number and boarding time).

***I'm glad that we're on table #26 and it's the best table (for me) because it's spacious and near in buffet table. We were 5 adults and 1 kid.

» Chao Phraya Princess River Cruise «

Chao Phraya Princess River Cruise, managed by Tristar Floating Restaurant Co., Ltd, is a luxury 5-star cruise on Chao Phraya River. The cruise consists of two decks: the upper one is the open-air and the lower one is the air-conditioning room. The interior has a distinct modern and classy Thai Style.

Today, there are seven cruises under its fleet and each has prominent features and sizes. For our case, we rode in Chao Phraya Princess III, which holds the capacity of 400 passengers: 240 seats for upper deck and 60 seats for lower deck.

» The Buffet «

Here are some of the photos I took from our buffet dining experience.

» Overall «

We experienced the true sense of Thai Hospitality because of the warm welcome of the friendly staffs. The romantic atmosphere on dinner cruise + the beautiful night sceneries in the heart of Bangkok was superb. The buffet dining also was okay. 👍