Depending on metformin 500 mg dosage where you reside and on the pecuniary eminence you have, you can choose to voyage and splurge your vacation in the Philippines to destinations near and far. One thing unique about our country is that everywhere you decide to go, you will surely have the opportunity to be dumbfounded and wondered at the natural and historical heritage it has.
Whether you make a decision to go on squat trips from the metro, or for longer trips via bus, plane, or boat, you can arrive at a destination that can keep you preoccupied and busy in going places, seeing the sights and hearing the sounds, and even getting the most out of your digital camera.
If you are having some inflexible time to decide, you can glance for sources on the internet on places and destinations where accommodations, attractions, and passions are best met. You may have the knack to feel the unruffled and sunlit summer weather with the pine trees of Baguio, or you may enjoy the tepid and lighthearted sea breeze on the shores of Boracay. As you can perceive, these places go by name, having its fame known all over the land.
However, there are those places that are being visited for its undisturbed and serene beauty being nurtured by the love and care of Mother Nature, like one of Iloilo’s best kept secrets – Carles Shangri-La Family Resort
*click on thumbnail to view pic
Contact details:
Resort : +63 33 3962081
Iloilo : +63 33 5096589
Mobile: +63 09279339155
twitter: @CarlesShangriLa
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See more photos here: PHOTOS
Weather, weather, are you causing my colds?
Okay, so I got loads to say here. First, I feel sick. Change in weather, perhaps? The sound of rain the other day made me jump. I realized summer’s almost over. I don’t like the scorching sun, the heat, the rotating brownouts and I don’t like sweating. I should be glad. Although I feel a bit sad. Maybe because deep inside I heart summer, too?:)
Rock the vote!
The rainy season has started…yet the election fever is still sizzling hot. Although, I’m saddened by the fact that my VP bet is 800k votes behind Jeje. My sis kept bugging me via text to update her so I always reply with the same thing – it ain’t over til it’s over jeje! :p
Chillaxin@Sentosa
HARD ROCK HOTEL SENTOSA
I was in Singapore last week with Jewels and Blithe. The place is pretty amazing – clean and traffic-less city, what more can I ask for? Its friendly people are a plus, too! These positive points will surely make me come back to Singapore. But first, I’ll make sure they have completed all attractions in Universal Studios. I was a bit disappointed that the Human vs. Cylon roller coaster (world’s tallest dueling roller coasters) wasn’t working that day! Bummer! It just sat there staring back at me while I kept complaining, “Dude, you’re the reason I wanted to go here in the first place!”
I was also hoping to witness the Voyage de la vie..I guess I’ll just catch those death-defying stunts next time. Shopping and dining inside the park was fun and the food is superb – especially desserts! I wasn’t able to buy the pillow-sized Hershey’s bar I was eyeing just before we went in the park! When we were about to leave, we stopped by Hershey’s again but the line was too long and we were in a hurry to catch a 3d movie at Vivo city. I wanted to try their casino too, but Blithe was hesitant as she was tired already and wanted to sleep early. The Lamborghini displayed outside the casino was such an eye candy! Haha.
Upon completion, Resorts World Sentosa will look like this:
We were able to do the night safari the next day but we weren’t allowed to take photos (boo!) but still, we enjoyed it. How was it? Hmn, crickets were sounding off, it smelled like nature, and of course, animal poop, hehe! Next time, I’ll try the SG Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Yaya said, we should have tried those ones instead of the night safari. An hour before we left, we met yaya at the airport. We were so engrossed with all the talking and gossiping and we later realized that everyone has boarded the plane already, LOL. Well, they were like…err sort of waiting for the three of us to get our butts up the plane.
To wrap it up, here are more photos (too lazy right now to post em all one after another…I guess collages would do? :p )
You are reading Part 3 of my HK entry.
*Prices were posted to give you some ideas on how much to budget for an HK trip.
*More photos in this post
At dusk, and if you are staying somewhere in Mongkok, take the MTR which travels from Mongkok to Yau Ma Tei (Yes, I tried to familiarize myself with the route, LOL). Go down and transfer a train that heads to Jordan, going to Tsim Sha Tsui and to Admiralty. From there you can take a cab to Hong Kong Space Museum (free admission on Wednesdays). Nearby is the Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront, where you can view Hong Kong Island. A few steps away is the Avenue of the Stars.
Going to Ocean Park is not that confusing. When you get to Admiralty Station, take the City Bus with Route 629. Use your Octopus Card when getting on the bus. You can also buy Ocean Park Tickets at a booth beside the bus station. Tickets are at HK$250 per adult (about Php1,600) and HK$125 for children ages 3-12; under 3 years old is free. Luckily, that day the weather was going along with us – no glaring sun, so I wasn’t worried about getting baked under the sun while enjoying the rides.
The Raging River ride is awesome and the vertical drop may get you wet. I wish they gave free shirts after that 
Don’t miss these exciting rides: Space wheel, Mine Train, Ocean Express, and the Cable car. The park also has an aviary, flamingo pond, Panda Habitat, gator marsh and an ocean theatre where you get to see dolphins and seals perform.
At the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, expect the front desk and concierge to greet you “Have a magical day!” The Victorian-styled hotel is the best so far. The guest room is spacious and detailed to perfection (See room rates here).
From the hotel we took the free bus ride to the park. We had lunch at one of the restaurants in Main street and since it was Halloween, the food was, err- spookylicious:
Dubbed as the smallest Disney-themed park in the world, it didn’t take us that long to go around the 4 parks. We got unlimited park tickets good for 2 days which would cost HK$350 per adult. The glow-in-the-dark parade was fun and the fireworks display took my breath away! As magical as it is, all the pending work and deadlines looming over my head suddenly disappeared, lol.
My favorite activity was shopping although I must tell you, the prices were crazy. I got Goofy and Mickey for HK$195 each (about Php1,250), Chip and Dale fridge magnets for HK$95 each, a few pens for HK$35 each (Php220 for a pen, ack!), a Jack Skellington Rubik’s cube for HK$60, a pair of mickey gloves for HK$100, a few cookie canisters for $55-60 each, A Minnie bubblehead for $40, and a set of cups for HK$95. The shopping craze didn’t end there.
Our flight back to Manila was not until 7 in the evening. So after checking out at 11, we left our luggage at the concierge and took the bus to Disney’s Hollywood Hotel. We had lunch at Chef Mickey’s. At HK$198 (Php1,250) per adult, buffet lunch was good! La cena era deliziosa! – well, the photos below spell it all!
Before leaving the hotel, we stopped at the gift shoppe to buy key chains, magic towels, bracelets, stuff toys, notebooks, and drawing kit for Migui and some pasalubong for our nieces and nephews. Shopping for them is just as nice as shopping for myself. I felt like a kid again carrying a load of goodies in my basket.
A vacation in Hong Kong is kinda pricey if you do not set a budget. Get those tour packages on sale. You can either contact your travel agent or purchase online. Nowadays, most travel agencies have their own websites making it easy for you to compare prices from one package to another. Try searching at Multiply for local travel agencies. If you do not wish to join tours and discover Hong Kong by yourself, expect to spend a bit more – especially on taxi cabs. Although I strongly suggest you take the MTR to cut down on fares. Read hotel reviews online to help you find the right hotel. Ask if they have special promos or ‘long-stay’ packages. If booking online, they will normally ask you for your credit card to guarantee the booking. However, if you want to cancel your reservation, do it at least 3-4 days before the check in date or they will charge you with an overnight accommodation.
Part 1: Discover Hong Kong: Getting Around
You are reading the Part 2 of my HK entry.
Part 3: Discover Hong Kong: Spectacular Attractions
*Prices were posted to give you some ideas on how much to budget for an HK trip
After a few hours of sleep, we decided to have a late lunch at a Chinese restaurant beside the hotel. We had some steamed chicken with ginger paste to taste and some stir-fried beef.
Without an official itinerary, we decided to go to Ladies Market, which by the way, was too far from the hotel. It cost us about HK$175 (Php1,100) to get to that shopping area. The next day, we transferred to Standford Hillview Hotel since it is within shopping areas. While it is true that you can bargain clothes and bags at the Ladies Market, the final price is still, well, pricey. Like the beige and gray tops I bought for HK$300 (about Php945 each), were displayed at a rack in Robinson’s GenSan at Php650 each LOL. I noticed some of their stalls sell the same shoes, clothes and bags but have different prices. Ladies Market opens at 12:30 p.m. until 11 p.m.
One of the nicest things I bought for HK$250 (Php1,575) was a pair of boots!
So, before you buy anything - look around and compare prices. And when you bargain, press down and bargain the cheapest. Learn to say NO and stick with your budget. After a while, they will give up and sell you the item at a price of you like :p Shopping at Ladies Market has some benefits too – you get to walk a lot, sweat a lot and burn loads of calories.
After a day at Ocean Park, it’s time for more shopping! We went straight to Stanley Market, which for me was way better than the Ladies Market. A cab ride from Ocean Park to Stanley will cost you about HK$95 (Php600). You’d be able to see an empty Repulse Bay along the way although it gets crammed full during the summer.
At Stanley, there are more upscale ladies wear at reasonable prices. Some of the tops I bought come with free necklaces too. They have everything from shoes, bags, home decor, souvenirs to ladies and men’s clothing. I saw some pretty bags for sale which are a bit pricey. Some are at buy 1 take 1 but the designs are kinda old-fashioned. Stanley Market is a quieter place and attracts more foreigners during the day. Just a head’s up though, it opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m.
That day, we met Sebastian.
After two days of Chinese food, we gave up. We were already craving for pizza and burgers and fries. On the way to Stanford Hotel, there is the restaurant that gives this certain ‘chinese food stench’ from boiled intestines and liver that makes me want to throw up. Good thing there is Pizza Hut to save our day! KFC and McDonalds too 
Tip: Ask for a spoon and fork if you do not want to use a spork.
Here are some of the must-try foodies:
We arrived at Lantau Airport a few minutes before 10 in the morning. Getting through Immigration and collecting our luggage took us more than half an hour. You need to keep up with other passengers or you’ll be left behind. Blithe wanted to take the MTR to Kowloon but I hesitated as we might get lost and just waste time. Not to mention I was already tired and all I cared was getting some sleep.
We took the red cab from the airport going to Kowloon and unfortunately, we had the worst, if not the most rude cab driver in Hong Kong. When I knew he couldn’t understand a word I was saying, I showed him a map to the hotel and I was surprised when he snatched the paper and studied it with gloom in his eyes. Suddenly, he kept mumbling to his self as if complaining. He dragged our luggage and slammed each in the compartment even though my luggage has a “fragile” sticker on it. He was so loud, he kept talking on his phone while driving and he kept coughing in between. The moment his cab stopped in front of the hotel he yelled “250! 250!” (Php 1,575 )and he pushed the reset button before I could have a chance to look at the taxi meter. He popped the hood of his car from the inside and never even bothered to help us unload the luggage. I had to close the compartment myself and he just went off belching dirty smoke. Later on, I knew from my sister that the meter only registered HK$195. All the while she thought I paid such amount. What a rip off! So watch out how much these taxi drivers charge you.
On the positive side, there are drivers too who can’t speak English but patiently tries to understand my hand signals . And there are friendly drivers too like Jacky Chuen, not Jackie Chan :p who can actually speak good English and sounded like a tour guide every time he spots a landmark. He was such a nice guy that we totally forgot about the rude driver.
Helpful tips!*Prices were posted to give you some ideas on how much to budget for an HK trip
