GO: The Ultimate Trip for 2011

UPDATE: Looks like we're postponing this trip because of some pretty awesome stuff happening in our lives.

I'm actually behind in blog posts as there are still some wedding stories and experiences I have yet to tell (waiting for the beautiful wedding photos to accompany my posts). For now, let me kick off March with a preview of THE trip this coming June. Macau and Hong Kong trip was just the warmup, THIS one is the BIG ONE for this year. This is the trip where we go all out, where we come home not caring if we're financially wounded. This is THE trip, where maybe, just maybe (God-willing), little Jeremys and little Joyces get their acts together and come to life!  This is THE ULTIMATE HONEYMOON of 2011!

Where do we plan to be in June? You tell me...

 

 

 

* stock images taken from SXC.

BOOKED: Novotel Nathan Road, Hong Kong

As I wrote in my last post, we are destined for HK and Macau in our first honeymoon trip. We plan to spend a couple of nights in HK and a couple of nights in Macau.

Probably the most challenging part in this trip so far is getting a good and not-so-expensive hotel in Hong Kong. I'm used to staying in a hostel when I visit HK, but of course, we won't settle for that in this trip. As we do our research we've come across some nice options that other honeymooners can consider when planning for their trip and intend to splurge a little.
 

Novotel Premier Room

Our Choice
Novotel Nathan Road - I initially wanted to stay in a luxury hotel, but we decided to save it for more shopping. We picked this hotel mainly because it is just minutes away from the Jordan station of the MTR and it's in the heart of the shopping district in Nathan Road. I've read good reviews about the hotel in Tripadvisor (which by the way has a great app for Ipod) as well. Room rates start at HK$1,000 + tax (breakfast not included, no cancellation policy).

Also, check out this blog entry from travel blogger Ivan Henares to know more about their room upgrade promo. I inquired about this promo and true enough your superior room can be upgraded to a premier room (with free wi-fi and buffet breakfast) for free. If this promo is availed, the standard room rate for a superior room will be HK$1,200 + taxes.

Other Options

-> W Hotel - This hotel still makes me drool. From the pictures, interiors are just very modern yet elegant. Would love to try out this hotel next time. Cheapest promo rates start at around HK$1,800+.

-> Langham Hotel - Has good location and is near the star ferry pier. Cheapest promo rates start at around HK$1,600+.

-> Langham Place - Right at the heart of Mongkok, this hotel should be perfect for tourists who love shopping. I was just afraid that the area may be too busy. Still, this hotel might be worth trying in the next visits. Cheapest promo rates start at around HK$1,400+.

-> Luxe Manor - Has really unique interiors. All rooms seem to have a mystic feel in them and their themed suites may be worth a try someday. Somehow the themed room pictures remind me of the Victoria Court rooms here in the Philippines. Cheapest promo rates start at around HK$1,100+.

-> Novotel Citygate - Nice hotel, but just way too far from everything else. Very close to the airport as well. Cheapest promo rates start at around HK$1,000+.

BOOKED: The Venetian Macau

Last month Joyce and I booked for our first out-of-the-country trip as a married couple. Taking advantage of Cebu Pacific's 50% off sale, we got MNL-HKG and MACAU-MNL tickets for just P8,500! It's no P0 fare, but it's quite a good deal considering that we'll be greeting the Chinese New Year there.

* Royale Suite

For our stay in Macau, we decided to book a 2-night stay in the very famous The Venetian Macau. And since we were booking early, we got a good 20% discount as part of their early bird promo. Still, the price didn't come cheap as we'll be spending about HKD5,000 for two nights in their Royale Suite (Cotai Strip View) Both Joyce and I wanted to experience the luxury of The Venetian so we never really bothered to look for other options. 

One thing that makes me nervous about our trip to Macau is the timing. We'll be there during Chinese New Year and since everyone's on holiday during that time, I'm pretty sure tons of visitors from the Mainland and Hong Kong will be flocking Macau and gambling through the holiday. Still, I'm pretty sure the atmosphere will be festive and that's something I'm looking forward to. Worst case scenario, we'll end up staying in our luxurious suite during most of our time there. ;)

GO: Legaspi City, Albay, Bicol

Just got back from a much needed vacation in Legaspi City, Bicol. We didn't really have much of an itinerary for this weekend getaway other than a city tour and hopes of getting a day trip to Misibis Bay. Unfortunately, we were not able to enjoy the latter since Misibis Bay was fully booked for the weekend. So we just got a whole day city tour through Hotel Venezia.

*View of Mayon Volcano from Lignon Hill

I didn't really know much about the city other than Mayon Volcano so I didn't expect much from the city tour. We started early with the hopes of getting a really clear view of Mayon Volcano. We went to Lignon Hill first and since no cars are allowed to go up the hill before 9am, we had to take an early morning hike to the top. The hike wasn't really something to enjoy, but the view at the top made the trip worth it! Mayon Volcano is just majestic! The volcano can actually be seen from anywhere in Legaspi, but Lignon Hill will probably give you the best view of it. Lignon Hill also gave us a good look at the airport runway and basically an overlooking view of the city.

*View of Legaspi Airport from Lignon Hill

We also headed to the famous Cagsawa Ruins, where only the bell tower of the Cagsawa Church remains.

*Cagsawa Ruins

We were met by some kids and teens who amazed me with their photography skills as they had some really cool trick shots. The teen who guided us was more than just our photographer, he was also our tour guide as he answered our questions about the ruins and its history. He also showed us his photography skills, even taking a jumping shot of us. The amazing part was, he needed only one shot to capture this with a point and shoot camera!!!

*Jumping shot @ Cagsawa Ruins

Our driver, Joel, then took us to the town of Camalig where the Hoyop Hoyopan Cave can be found. There were a lot of rock formations inside the cave, some would require the use of one's imagination to see what these rock formations are.

Our last stop (because we were dead tired!) was the Busay Falls in the bario of Malilipot. It was unfortunate that we weren't able to bring any swimming attire for the tour. It would've been really nice to take a dip into the water!

There's really not much to see in Legaspi, but like I said, after seeing the famous Mayon Volcano, it was definitely worth the trip. Legaspi is quiet and calm city, just the perfect place to unwind and get away from a busy city like Manila.

TRAVEL: Got miles?

Great news to everyone who's saving up miles for the rainy day! PAL, in celebration of their 70th year anniversary is giving out 70% off on miles redemption.

Booking Period: August 2-4.

Travel Period: August 16-October 20 and November 4-December 7.

Just to give you an idea how cheap you can redeem miles, round trip tickets to Hong Kong would cost you only 4,500 miles (14,000 miles are needed on non-promo days).

Click on the image to know more about PAL's Mabuhay Miles promo.

STAY: Hotel Venezia, Legazpi City

After weeks of squeezing budgets, and drooling over Misibis Bay, Joyce and I finally decided to just let go for the meantime our hopes of experiencing Misibis Bay and find a different accommodation for our Legazpi City trip this August.

While searching I found another great alternative, Hotel Venezia! This boutique hotel is located near the Legazpi City airport and is a great starting point for city tours and whale watching trips to Donsol. The price is way cheaper and starts at Php3,660 nett for a standard room, Php4,880nett for a Junior Suite and Php6,100nett for a One Bedroom Suite . The price includes round trip aiport transfers and daily breakfast.

They also offer half day city tours that cost Php4,000++ inclusive of transportation services and all necessary entrance fees. I've also read that most of the tourists wanting to experience whale watching in Donsol stays in this hotel. Since whale watching is one of the attractions (the other being Mayon Volcano) we are looking forward to in this trip, Hotel Venezia is the most practical choice for us.

To know more about Hotel Venezia, check out their site.

*photos taken from Hotel Venezia website

STAY: Misibis Bay, Albay, Bicol

We first saw Misibis Bay on Trip na Trip (one of the travel shows in ABS-CBN) and after watching the episode, Joyce and I immediately loved what we saw. So when Cebu Pacific launched its promo fares last month, we immediately grabbed the opportunity ang booked a flight to Legaspi City with the hopes of being able to experience Misibis Bay!

Misibis Bay has a very reasonably affordable package called the Exciting Misibis Escapade. For as low as P18,888 nett/person, one gets to enjoy a 3D/2N stay, 6 full board meals, round trip airport transfers, and several exciting activities to choose from.

Activities to choose from includes: introductory diving, hobiecat sailing, sunset cruise, island hopping, windsurfing, snorkeling, kayaking, ATV rides and city tour. The best part is, according to the reservations associate I contacted, you can choose to do as many activities as many times as you want, all for free! The package just seems too good to be true!

We haven't booked yet, but we're planning to soon, simply because the package seems to be really worth it. To inquire about their packages, you may visit their website, email them at reservations@misibisbay.com or call their reservations hotline: 661.8888.

*Photo taken from www.misibisbay.com.

BOOKED: Legaspi City!

Last Friday, Joyce found out about the latest seat sale of Cebu Pacific. So without much thought, we booked a flight to the destination we have been itching to go to for the past couple of weeks...LEGASPI CITY!!!

Another exciting stuff to look forward to this year!

Round trip tickets cost around P1,200/pax. Not bad, considering a 12-hour bus ride costs around P600 (one way).

Happy booking!!!