Queue Music: Skyline - Mowe If I were to choose one favorite spot in the Philippines, I'd say Coron in a heartbeat. Its clear blue waters and pristine beaches explains why this place left a mark in my heart. Coron still has one of the richest aquatic ecosystem. There are a lot of snorkeling spots where you can see the different kinds of corals and fish. You will definitely appreciate the beauty of the place more when you get to see the underwater world. ;) Aside from snorkeling spots, Coron also has a lot of good beaches where you can just relax and enjoy the sun. They also have the World's Cleanest Lake - Kayangan! I swear Kayangan would be my forever favorite place. I instantly fell in love with it the first time I saw it - the clear blue water, the peaceful environment, everything. It was just so magical for me. My visit last October was my 3rd consecutive visit in 3 years and I don't regret doing it. Every visit is different from each one. There are new learnings, experiences and people you meet that makes it memorable each time. All my tours were arranged by Nice in Paradise Tours. I have been a loyal customer to this company because they are truly reliable. They pick-up the guests on time (OK, not always but at least they make up for it by being extra approachable and kind). I think that amongst all agencies, Nice in Paradise has the best set of tour packages. Just recently, they added Coron Highlights in their packages. For P1800 (joined tour), you get to see the must-see places in Coron. This tour, was by far, the best tour I've ever been to! All my favorites in one day, how sweet is that! For my past 2 visits, I decided to stay in Sunz En Coron. Though this resort was a bit far from the town proper, transportation was not a problem. The resort management got it figured out for you. Just let them know where you're headed and they'll be the one to call a tricycle for you; best part was it being free. The only thing you probably have to think about is your way back to the hotel but it wouldn't even cause you too much trouble because the fares are relatively cheap. You just have to pay P10-15 for each person and you're ready to go! If you have questions on absolutely anything about the trip to Coron, please do not hesitate to hit me up through a comment or an email! :) PS: This is not a sponsored post.
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Okay, I have to be honest... I've never really considered going to Brunei until my cousins from Switzerland pushed me to plan a trip. It was all last minute planning so I had to look for the cheapest flight I could find for any destination in Asia. There were no seat sales available for our travel dates so I had to make do with the VERY limited options. ROUNDTRIP AIRFARE: 5,600 via Cebu Pacific HOTEL/LODGING: 2200/night/2pax/free breakfast | Jubilee Hotel ITINERARYDAY 1: A R R I V A LJubilee Hotel is located at the center of Brunei. It's not a 5 start hotel but it was definitely a good place to stay. It's located near the Business District and Center of Bandar Seri Begawan so everything you have to see within the city was just a walk away. There's really no need for you to rent-a-car or ride the Taxi. But of course, do not set expectations too high because this place is a budget hotel so get what you pay for. There are other hotel options available but this place attracted me the most because they offered a FREE AIRPORT TRANSFER. Some hotels I've seen offers Airport Transfer for a certain amount and I think it's about $10/passenger. Our flight to Brunei was at 8:15PM Manila Time, it was a 2-hour plane ride so we got there around 10:00PM HKT. Obviously, there was no place we could chill during our first night because Brunei doesn't really cater to 'night life'. Everything was already closed by then. We just decided to sleep early to get ready for the next day. DAY 2: CITYtourAll the must-see places within the city can be visited within a day and the best thing about it is you do not need to spend a lot since it's all just accessible via walking. FIRST STOP: Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque I personally loved this Mosque because of how elegant it looks - inside and out. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos inside the Mosque because that's being disrespectful of the very solemn place. We were also asked to wear the Abaya and removed our shoes as we went inside the Mosque. SECOND STOP: Water Village To get to the Water Village, you have to ride a water taxi that costs B$5 per person (if I remembered correctly). It take a 20-minute boat ride to roam around their community. I think it's skippable but also good to have so you'd understand the life of locals. One thing I noticed though was they had lots of schools in the village. They have I think 3-4 schools so education is really one of the most important things for them. To get to the schools, students ride the water taxi (and I think that's really COOL). We roamed around the village for 20 minutes, went to the mall to buy a sim card and had lunch at a nearby restaurant. Brunei does not have their own cuisine but they pretty much offer the same food as what you find in Singapore, Indonesia, or Malaysia. They have Burger King, KFC, Jollibee and Coffee Bean if that will make you comfortable with other food choices. :) After lunch, we went back to the hotel to rest a bit. It was really hot so we had to go back to our hotel to rest, freshen up and prepare for our afternoon activities. THIRD STOP: Royal Regalia Museum (Open form 9AM-5PM) The museum is FREE for everyone to enjoy. Unfortunately, they have strict rules inside the museum. 1) No shoes allowed, 2) No cameras or mobile phones inside. You are only allowed to take photos outside and at the lobby. But the museum houses and shows the very rich culture and traditions of the Brunei Kingdom/Palace. DAY 3: Getting to know Brunei more For our third and last day, we opted to avail a tour. It was very hard to go around Brunei without getting tours. I can do without it if I just need to tour around the Business District because everything was very accessible but the other must-see places are just too far from where we are.... I forgot where I placed the card of the travel agency we contacted for it but once I find it, I will quickly update this blog so readers will be made aware. We booked the tour for B$70/each and we were lucky enough to have a Filipino tour guide and a Filipino driver! Phew! It made everything so much easier. Brunei may not be one of those places that would make you want to visit the place. But it's a very beautiful place with such rich history.
I started 2017 with a quick trip to Taiwan. I spent almost a week trying their street foods and night markets. Damn, I think I gained 10lbs that week!!! I know it's been months since I visited the place but the memories are still fresh as if it just happened yesterday. HAHA. The food there was super duper good! I think I spent most of my money on food than shopping... which I think... was a good thing, right? :) T A I W A NESE STREET F O O DI only shared all my favorites out of the many things I've tried, so there's still a lot of things I've tried that's not on this list. :P I loved the Nian Gao/Tikoy and Wagyu Beef the most and would not complain if I had to eat it everyday. The Nian Gao comes in different flavours, which makes it more interesting and attractive. HEHE.
I also loved the Stinky Tofu but it's not for everyone. I kinda think it was because of the weird odor but the flavor is very unique and that's what makes it interesting too. Taiwanese street food was way cheaper compared to other places I've tried before. You wouldn't feel the pain of spending so much money on food because it's cheap, it's good and it's absolutely satisfying! :) Comments. Questions. Inquiries? Please do not hesitate to connect via Instagram or email [icons below]. |
Reann | 27 MNL
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