Tag: friends

High School Squad Weekend: 48 Hours In HONG KONG

¡Hola! I know I’ve been quiet the past few weeks – I’ve been very busy with work & personal life. There’s so much going on around me & I barely have time to write & catch-up. I still owe you everything about my Sapporo trip last February but that’s coming really soon. For now, I will share to you some details about recent trip to Hong Kong.

Touchdown Hong Kong International Airport!

Last March, my high school friends & I went to Hong Kong for the weekend. You heard it right, just for 48 hours! We left Manila Friday afternoon & went back Sunday night. Yes, it was that quick but we managed to visit many places. I’ve been to Hong Kong in 2013 with my office friends so I made sure that I went to new places this time.

Plane Ticket

Last September 2017, Citibank Philippines offered promotional Cebu Pacific Air fares to Hong Kong. Flights from Manila cost as low as ₱1,299 (not including booking fee) per person. Cheap, eh? My high school friends & I took advantage of this promotion; we booked tickets for 10 people. Yes, cheap fares were overflowing that time.

My return ticket to Hong Kong; bought it for only ₱3,710.60

We got our round-trip ticket for ₱3,710.60 (including airport taxes & booking fee) each. A normal return ticket to Hong Kong will cost you around ₱5,000 – ₱8,000; we still got it for an affordable price!

Curios how I get access to or how do I get informed of these promotional fares? You might want to like my Facebook Page for alerts & updates on upcoming & current seat sales. I also wrote how I manage to book super tickets to various local & international destinations. Check the post here.

ACCOMMODATION

Looking for a decent & affordable place to stay in Hong Kong is quite hard. It got harder because we were a group of 10 people. Hotel & services apartment rates in Hong Kong are very expensive. A room in a decent hotel can cost around ₱5,000 per night for 2 people. There are a lot of guesthouses & inns but most of they aren’t that cozy.

Our small & basic double room at Shinny Inn, Hong Kong

My friends & I got lucky for booking our stay (via Booking.com) with Shinny Inn. It is a small inn in the 8th Floor of Alhambra Building along Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong. We booked really early so we got the double room at HK$ 360 per night – that’s HK$ 180 per person / night. What a bargain! We booked 5 rooms in the property.

Had Tsingtao again after so long! Bought this while having dinner in a restaurant near Shinny Inn

The air-conditioned rooms were small (this is normal in Hong Kong) & basic. Each room has a private shower & ensuite, a small table & a cable television. Space is limited but it was alright. We were out most of the time anyway; we only need a place to sleep & prepare. Jeki (the owner) provided each room a free local sim card with a few credits & mobile internet. Our stay comes with free coffee & tea in the morning.

View from Shinny Inn’s balcony

They also allowed us to leave our bags after check out. Overall, I recommend staying at Shinny Inn. The place is affordable for such an expensive destination. The rooms are small & basic – again you just need a place to sleep!

48 Hours In Hong Kong? Challenge Accepted! Places Visited –>

As mentioned above, I’ve been to Hong Kong in 2013 so I decided to skip some places to visited like Hong Kong Disneyland & Ocean Park Hong Kong. Majority of the group went to Hong Kong Disneyland during our second day; but my friend, Echo, & I decided to go our own way.

Central Hong Kong

Central is Hong Kong’s business & retail district. You can find everything here – affordable & luxury brand stores, restaurants, businesses, etc. I’ve been to this area way back in 2013; but I missed visiting the famous Graham St mural. The mural shows rows of townhouses & apartment buildings beside each other, depicting the current Hong Kong situation.

Graham St mural 

Echo & I also tried the mid-levels escalator in Jubilee St. This 800-meter escalator is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the word. We went there for the experience – it only works one way per few minutes plus you will see people at every end waiting for the escalator to go the other way.

Tried the mid-levels escalator in Jubilee St

Access: Central MTR Station

Peak Tram & Sky Terrace 428

Converted our Klook vouchers into tickets!

I’ve been to the Peak Tram & Sky Terrace 428 in 2013 but Echo asked if I can go there again & go with him. I had no choice but to say yes. We got our Peak Tram Fast-Track Combo Tickets from Klook for US$8.9 or around ₱460. The ticket included an express entry to The Peak Tram & a ticket to Sky Terrace to 428. Ticket redemption was easy & the express entry to the tram saved us a lot of time (instead of lining up in the regular queue).

Inside the Peak Tram on the way to Victoria Peak

Dropped by the Trick Eye Museum before heading up to Sky Terrace 428

The tram ride to Victoria Peak took us a little over 7 minutes. We skipped the Madame Tussaud’s & the Art of Chocolate Museum & we headed to the free Trick Eye Museum. We took some photos & then we finally went up to Sky Terrace 428. The weather was cloudy, windy & cold. We were not able to see the skyline in its glory. We stayed for a few hours but the weather didn’t improve. We had no choice but to leave.

The best view of skyline from Sky Terrace 428 – it was cloudy that day!

Access: Central MTR Station | Klook Ticket Redemption Area – Exit K

Hong Kong’s Monster Building

Quarry Bay’s Monster Building became popular on Instagram. Since then, Hong Kong visitors make their way to Quarry Bay area to see the building for themselves, also to get nice photos for their Instagram accounts.

Hong Kong’s Monster Building from the ground

This area is composed of 5 buildings, namely Montane Mansion, Oceanic Mansion, Yik Cheong Building, Yik Fat Building & Fook Cheong Building, which form a gigantic E-shaped complex. Echo & I went to this complex to see the buildings in person & to take photos. There’s another famous & colorful complex named Choi Hung Estate but we didn’t have enough time to go & visit.

Another one!

Access: Quarry Bay MTR Station – Exit A + Walk along King’s Road to Tai Koo

Nan Lian Garden

Nan Lian Garden is a serene classical Chinese garden in Diamond Hill, Hong Kong. Surrounded by skyscrapers, this garden features several walking paths, ponds, wooden & stone structures, trees & a wooden pavilion. The garden’s design followed the designs during Tang Dynasty.

A good friend of ours recommended this place to us. I’d like to echo her. This garden is truly a must-see when in Hong Kong.

Access: Diamond Hill MTR Station – Exit C2

Kowloon Public Pier

View of Central skyline from Hong Kong Convention Center grounds

Given the Avenue of Stars is closed for renovation until early next year, Echo & I looked for a place to relax while enjoying the view of the Central Hong Kong Skyline. We sat down in one of the benches in Kowloon Public Pier & enjoyed the view on a cold windy late afternoon. The skyline wasn’t at its best due to the not-so-favorable weather.

Central skyline from Kowloon Public Pier

Access: Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station – Exit E + Walk towards Hong Kong Space Museum

Hong Kong Clock Tower

The Hong Kong Clock Tower is an iconic landmark in Hong Kong. Located at the back of Kowloon Public Pier & beside the Hong Kong Convention Centre, this iconic tower is the only remnant of the former Kowloon Station of the Kowloon-Canton Railway built in 1915.

Access: Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station – Exit E + Walk towards Hong Kong Space Museum

Mong Kok

Busy Mong Kok on a Saturday night!

Mong Kok is Hong Kong’s busiest & most crowded shopping district. One can find everything here – from original pairs of shoes to class A one. This is the best place to go shopping for tourists. The famous Ladies Market is also in this area. Make sure you know how to haggle when visiting this place.

Had Cafe de Coral’s roast duck meal for dinner. Yum!

Echo & I met the rest of the group here for dinner & some shopping. We also walked around the Ladies’ Market & got some nice finds.

Mong Kok’s Ladies Market!

Access: Mong Kok MTR Station

St Teresa’s Church – Kowloon Tong

The whole group attended the 8:30 am English Sunday Mass at St Teresa’s Church in Kowloon Tong. This church is along Prince Edward Rd West, about 15 minute walk from Prince Edward Station. You will pass by the Hong Kong Flower Market when you walk to the church from the MTR station.

Access: Prince Edward Station – Exit B2 + Walk straight towards Prince Edward Rd West

NGONG PING

Gate to the Tian Tan Buddha & Po Lin Monastery Complex

The group decided to visit Ngong Ping before flying back to Manila in the evening. Weeks before our trip, we bought the Ngong Ping 360 Standard Cabin tickets from Klook. Each person paid US$21.3 (around ₱1,100) for a round-trip cable car ticket. Upon arrival in the ticket station, we exchanged our Klook vouchers to physical tickets, then boarded cable car to Ngong Ping. The cable car to Ngong Ping was 25-minutes long.

Lantau Island’s famous Tian Tan Buddha

Upon arrival in Ngong Ping, we hiked 268 steps up to see the bronze Tian Tan Buddha up close. This status is commonly known as Lantau Island’s Big Buddha. Access to outside of the Buddha is free of charge. After going down from the Buddha, we went to Po Lin Monastery. Located opposite of the Buddha grounds, this Buddhist monastery houses different Buddha statues & Buddhist scriptures.

Outside Po Lin Monastery in Ngong Ping

Access: Tung Chung Station – Exit B + 5 minutes walk to Ngong Ping 360

CITYGATE OUTLETS

Our last stop before heading to the airport is CityGate Outlets. This retail center is the largest outlet mall in Hong Kong. The mall has a lot of international brands, with almost all shops offering discounted items. We did some shopping here before going back to the inn to get our things.

Access: Tung Chung Station – Exit B

To more 48-hour (or more) trips with these people!

And that’s 48 hours in Hong Kong! Our schedule was a bit tight (not for the other group who spent a day in Disneyland) but was all good. We managed to visit a lot of new places given the limited time. My highlight of the trip was definitely the visit to Nan Lian Garden. I can easily spend a day there! I look forward to going there again.

View from the Ngong Ping 360 cable car on our way back to Tung Chung Station

Have you been to Hong Kong in the past? What places did I miss? I plan to go back there winter of next year to try the hiking trails in the different islands. Suggestions are welcome! Got any questions about anything mentioned above? Feel free to post them in the comment section below.  You can also send you questions or thoughts via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. You can also drop me a message on Facebook, post a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Thank you for your time & have a nice day!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Throwback Thursday Treat: 2013 Hong Kong & Macau Photoblog

Soooo guys, today’s Thursday & I thought of having another Throwback Thursday Treat! My friends & I are flying to Hong Kong tomorrow for a short weekend break. Yes, we’ll be there just for the weekend. Before flying out, it should be nice to look back how my previous Hong Kong trip went.

Last October 2013, my friends & I went to Hong Kong & Macau for 5 days. To be honest with you, it’s one of the trips which I did not plan. I was still a noob to international travel. As a Hong Kong first timer, I asked my friends to do our trip itinerary. I also asked them to look for the best possible accommodation.

I forgot the name of the place we stayed, I forgot some of the restaurants we had our breakfast, lunch & dinner. I forgot how to go to this place & how much this ticket exactly cost. All I have with me are the good (and bad? haha) memories I had with my friends.

2013 Hong Kong – Macau crew 😊

There were times where we got lost as a group in Mongkok, lost each other in Central Station, lost a group in Ocean Park (eventually found out they went home early), ate raw & bad food in a random restaurant, enjoyed the thrilling rides of Ocean Park, went back to our childhood during our Disneyland visit, hopped on different buses between Macau hotels & walked literally from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm. These stories will never get old.

PS. I have to say this. Hong Kong is not a cheap destination to visit. Everything is expensive – from food, to water & transportation. Also, majority of the locals we had a chat with were not helpful / welcoming at all. Glad we met co-Filipinos who helped us with some of our questions.

Somewhere in Hong Kong – I think I took this on the bus to the city

I won’t be talking too much in this blog; I’ll just show you photos of the places we visited both in Hong Kong & Macau.

Places Visited In Hong Kong

The Peak Tram & Sky Terrace 428

Central Hong Kong

Hong Kong Disneyland

Ocean Park Hong Kong

My favorite ride in Ocean Park (together with Hair Raiser!!)

Mongkok

Places Visited In Macau

Senado Square

Pork & beef jerky shops right before reaching the Ruins of St Paul’s

Ruins of St Paul’s

‘Forgot-the-name’ Portuguese Egg Tart Shop

Grand Lisboa Hotel

Wynn Macau

Galaxy Macau

The Venetian Macao

We went hotel-hopping in Macau. These hotels provide free shuttle bus rides from one hotel to the other up to the ferry terminal. Very convenient going around Macau. Too bad we only had a few hours in Macau – I’d love to go back to explore more.

These photos pretty much sum up our 2013 Hong Kong Macau trip. Add up some clothes & pasalubong shopping on the side. I apologize for now remembering a lot of details about this trip – I was still a newbie (I think this was my 3rd) to international travels. Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to everyone in my upcoming weekend trip.

I look forward to flying back to Hong Kong this weekend. I want to see how much the city has changed from how it was 5 years ago. I’ll be going with another set of friends; that means new memories (hopefully all good memories lol)!

Is there a place, a shop or a restaurant I should check out in Hong Kong this weekend? Feel free to mention them in the comments below. You can also send an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Drop me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Thank you for reading. Watch out for the next Throwback Thursday Treat! 😜

Throwback Thursday Treat: Bangkok Weekend – All About Reunions, New Friends & Unplanned Adventures

9-13 September 2016 – I went on a long weekend trip to Bangkok, Thailand with my backpack & passport. I really didn’t have plans of going back until I got a super duper cheap ticket during Cebu Pacific Air‘s anniversary ₱1 sale last year.

You probably saw this already – this is a screenshot of my ticket to BKK last year

Bangkok is a big city with beautiful cultural places to visit & fun activities to experience. I had 4 days in the city so I made a rough plan of what to do & where to go. Let me share to you how the 4 days went & how I reunited with old friends, how I met new people & how everything I planned didn’t push through.

NapPark Hostel @ Khao San

There are a lot of nice hostels in Bangkok – most of them offering good amenities for very affordable prices. I was by myself so I had to look for an affordable but social hostel to look for mates to join me in my plans. After reading through different booking websites & asking in different backpacker Facebook groups, I decided to stay in NapPark Hostel @ Khao San. It is a family run hostel in Khao San. Well, the hostel isn’t really in Khao San Road but it’s a few meters away. No issues at all.

Khao San Road in the afternoon – this place gets really busy at night!

Khao San Road is a small street / area in downtown Bangkok where most foreign backpackers go, eat, drink & stay. It’s an area full of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, hotels & hostels that caters mostly to people travelling on budget. Since I was travelling on budget, I decided to stay in this area of Bangkok.

Now back to the hostel – I decided to get a bed (฿460 per night in Hostelword) in a 22-bed dormitory room. I had no issues staying in such big room because each bed has pull down blinds in on the sides. Guests still have the privacy they need. Each guest is also given a locker for their backpacks & valuables. The bed was spacious & comfortable, the room size was just right. Each bed has a reading light & a plug. The common shower & toilet were always clean. WiFi is fast & free of charge.

How NapPark’s 22 dormitory beds fit in a room

The hostel has a small cafe for breakfast (additional charge). They even have a computer area where guests can do research about their next destination & book air tickets & accommodation. They also offer day trips & activities plus tickets to other towns / cities in Thailand. The hostel also features a nice & spacious common area in the ground floor. This is where guests meet other guests & end up having a great time. I, myself, met tons of really nice people here & had good memories with these new friends.

NapPark personnel were super nice & always ready to help. This hostel is a gem! I recommend everyone travelling solo to stay here when you go to Bangkok. Don’t worry about being with 21 other people in a room; it’s completely safe. You’ll definitely have a good time here, I can assure you that.

Inside NapPark’s dormitory room – each guest is given a locker to use.

One of my favorite social hostel chains, Mad Monkey Hostels, has recently opened their branch in Bangkok (also near Khao San Road). Make sure to check them as well. Another favorite social (& party) hostel chain, Slumber Party Hostel, has also announced that they will open a branch in Bangkok soon! I’l keep you posted about the details.

The Plan

Prior to flying to Bangkok, I made a rough plan of what to do & where to go for the trip. Here are the list of places I want to visit / activities I wanted to do: go back to the Grand Palace, take a river cruise around Chao Phraya River, visit Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) & Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn), go shopping in Chatuchack Weekend Market & Terminal 21 Shopping Mall, visit Ayutthaya for a day, take a cooking class, go to the floating market & of course, party in Khao San Road.

Democracy Monument – Bangkok

I know it looks ambitious of 4-day trip but I really wanted to cover as much as I can.

What Actually Happened

Day 1

I arrived NapPark Hostel in the wee hours of the morning (2:30 am) so I woke up really late that same day. I went out for brunch with some people I met in the hostel & went around Khao San after wards. I went back to the hostel to wait for Christina, a Filipina friend working as a teacher in Bangkok. While waiting, I booked an Ayutthaya day tour (฿800) for the next day through the hostel.

How about some pad thai for lunch? 😋

My friend finally arrived. We decided to just stay & walk around Khao San area because Saturday traffic is really bad. We had coffee, then went back to the hostel to charge our phones then back to Khao San again to have dinner & drinks. We had dinner in a nice fancy restaurant in Soi Rambuttri. I saw Cath, a friend back in college, having dinner with her boyfriend in the same restaurant where we were. We then spent the rest of the night drinking & partying in Khao San Road.

With my friend Christina! Apologies for my sunburn (lol)

Day 2

I woke up early to prepare for the pre-booked day tour in Ayutthaya. The guide picked me up at 7:30 am & he drove us about 1-hour plus up to the ancient city. We visited the following ancient temples:

Wat Yai Chai Mongkol

Wat Maha That

Wat Lokkayasutharam

Wat Phu Khao Thong

Wat Ratchaburana

We also went to a local Thai restaurant for lunch in between those temples. The last stop of the day tour was a visit to the Ayutthaya Elephant Camp. The guides encouraged us to watch some elephant shows & tricks. Some even offered elephant rides for a fee. This is something I do not support so my tour buddy Daniel & I just went around the area. The tour group left Ayutthaya a little past 3:00 pm & arrived Khao San Road at 4:30 pm-ish. I immediately went back to the hostel to rest & freshen up.

Met up my Thai friend Exe – met him when I went to Koh Lipe last April 2016

At 6:00 pm, I went down to the hostel common area to just relax. One of the guys who just arrived (hi Jordan! Haha) started to talk & gather everyone in the common area. We instantly formed a group there & started drinking. At 7:30 pm, I left the group in the hostel to meet my Thai friend, Exe, for dinner. He was one of the guys who I met way back in Koh Lipe. We had about an hour of catch up over pad thai (my fave!!) and beer (again haha!).

A group of solo travelers who decided to go out on a random Sunday night 🍺

I went back to the hostel after dinner to meet with the guys again. We all went to Khao San Road, had more drinks & went bar-hopping. Imagine 10 guys & 1 gal from different parts of the world (Canada, India, USA, Netherlands, Singapore & of course the Philippines) all met in a hostel & spent the night like we’ve known each other for so long. It was one crazy & rainy Sunday night in Khao San. We went home at around 2:30 am & still decided to hangout in the hostel common area before deciding to sleep at 4:00 am.

Who cares about the rain? The party must go on!

Day 3

When you try to fit 5 people in 1 small tuktuk 😂 En route to Siam Paragon & MBK!

The boys (same guys I met the night before) initially planned to go to see the temples for my 3rd day but we all ended up walking around Siam Paragon & MBK Centre (probably Bangkok’s most famous shopping center) to go with Destiny, the only girl in the group, in getting some stuff before she leaves. After hours of walking around, buying this & that & eating in a random restaurant, we finally said goodbye to Sam, who left for Singapore that same day.

Inside MBK! Such a biiiig shopping mall 😮

We all went back to the hostel to rest & sleep. While Dennis & Jordan were sleeping, Aman & I stayed in the common area. We started our pre-game there & joined the group of girls playing cards. The playing group became bigger & bigger with almost every guest joining the game. From a group of less than 10, we ended up this big:

Our hostel group during my last night in Bangkok – photo credits to Danielle!

More of that epic night – this time in Khao San Center!

We all went to Khao San to party (again – 3rd straight night for me). Dennis & Jordan followed us in Khao San & joined the party. We almost occupied 1/2 of Khao San Center (haha). Another epic night in Khao San! We eventually got divided into small groups & went our own ways around the area. We decided to go back to the hostel at 2:00 am & found some people in the common area. Guess what? We stayed in the common area until 3:30 am & eventually everyone went back in batches. Suddenly we became another big group again. Crazy night indeed!

Everyone had fun that night!!~~

Day 4

It was my last day in Bangkok. My friends & I didn’t plan anything for the day aside from the beer pong before I leave for the airport at night. We headed out for breakfast & then went back to the hostel with big bottles of water & Chang (Yes, at 11am!). We stayed in the hostel common area from lunch time until around 5:00 pm; met new people; talked to the other guests & watched a movie. For some strange reasons, convenience stores & supermarkets (that time) do not sell alcohol in the afternoon. I don’t know why.

Lazy afternoon in the hostel common area. We watched Ted 2! 📀

At 5:00 pm, we went out of the hostel, got some pad thai near Khao San Road & bought some beer in 7-Eleven. We started to play beer pong. The guys from Chile, Nico & Carlos, even shared to us the brandy they brought from home. I won’t forget the Chilean pisco shots I had!

My last ‘drinking’ day in Bangkok 🍺 Played beer pong before I left for the airport!

9:00 pm – I had to leave for the airport to catch my 12.40 am flight back home. It felt sad leaving while everyone is having fun playing beer pong & enjoying each other’s company. Thank God I made it through check-in, immigration & security even if I’ve had alcohol since morning. My flight bound for Manila left Bangkok & arrived Manila on time.

Verdict

Now to wrap things up… The airfare was definitely a bargain; it’s not the cheapest international ticket I had (click here to know the cheapest international ticket I booked & where I used it) but it was definitely worth it. I made the right choice of staying in NapPark Hostel – it may be expensive than the usual Bangkok hostels but the experience was superb.

It felt nice to finally meet Christina in person after months & years of talking about EDM, Hardwell & rave stuff on Twitter. That day trip to Ayutthaya was a nice experience – it made me remember the temples we visited in Siem Reap, Cambodia way back in 2015. I also had a good time catching up with my friend Exe; it’s been months since we met & shared amazing stories in Koh Lipe.

Chang was probably my best buddy for this trip! 🍺

I feel bad for not going to the other places I planned to visit but I am very happy that I met a lot of cool & amazing people in the hostel. Spending time & drinking with these guys made the trip really fun & memorable (ok, I’m getting emotional – LOL). I may not meet most of them again in the future but I know the good memories we had back in Bangkok will stay in us forever. I will never ever forget the crazy & epic times we had in NapPark Hostel & Khao San Road!

I’m looking forward to going back to Bangkok for some unfinished business – to visit the other temples, the floating & weekend market, etc. Oh, one last thing.. I had too much alcohol intake during this trip; but I had no regrets. No regrets at all.

Kob kun krub, Bangkok! See you soon. 😍

Have you been to Bangkok in the past? If yes, what are the must-see places aside from the Grand Palace? I don’t have a ticket yet but I am now planning to go back there really soon. Feel free to share your experiences to me & to all the readers by posting a comment below. You can also send an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Drop me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Thank you (ขอขอบคุณ in Thai language) for reading! See you next time~

PS. All photos above were shot using my HTC One M8 & HTC Re.

Throwback Thursday Treat: N9 Weekend in Bali

Today’s a Thursday & it only means one thing folks – it’s time for another Throwback Thursday Treat! I know I just posted a throwback entry a while ago, but let’s make this day special. We’ll go to 2 places, just today! We’ve been to Ho Chi Minh City 🇻🇳, Taipei 🇹🇼, El Nido (twice) 🇵🇭, Koh Lipe 🇹🇭 & Siem Reap 🇰🇭. Today, I will take you to a paradise somewhere below the equator – BALI, INDONESIA! 🇮🇩

Bali is Indonesia’s most famous island. It is a place known for its forested mountains, iconic rice paddies, scenic beaches, beautiful temples & accommodating people. The place caters to all kinds of travelers – from backpackers, luxurious tourists, business travelers to families. I was told by a local that Bali is the favorite vacation place of Aussies, with the island being near to Australia.

N9 Bali team~

Last April 2015, my friends & I went to Bali for a ‘longer weekend’ trip. We went to the south of the island to see the beaches & up to the center north for the rice paddies & temples. Let us look back how the trip went, what were the places we visited & enjoyed in Bali.

Kuala Lumpur Stopover 🇲🇾

Random photo taken during our flight to Kuala Lumpur 😍

There were no affordable direct flights to Bali that leave on a Wednesday so we decided to have a 1-night stopover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was one of our friend’s first out of the country trip; so seeing a glimpse of another place (aside from Bali) was favorable. We took Cebu Pacific Air‘s afternoon flight to Kuala Lumpur. We had less than 24-hours in Kuala Lumpur so we only managed to see the following places:

Jalan Alor (for dinner)

Petronas Towers

Batu Caves

Bukit Bintang (for lunch)

We had lunch in Ippudo Ramen in Pavilion Mall, Bukit Bintang (no photo of the shopping district – sorry!)

Kuala Lumpur Accommodation

We had 1 night in Kuala Lumpur so we stayed in a new (that time) & affordable boutique hotel named Izumi Hotel Bukit Bintang. From the name itself, it is located in Bukit Bintang – Kuala Lumpur’s shopping district (less than 5-minutes walk to the shopping street). We paid around ₱2,600+ for a family room (accommodates 4 people). The rate includes free Wi-Fi, 4 bottles of water + coffee & tea, 2 spacious double beds, hot & cold shower & buffet Malaysian food breakfast. It is also located close to the city subway & monorail system.

I don’t have photos of the hotel (I don’t take photos of places I stay with way back) but you can head over to their website to know more about the rates & facilities. If you are to ask me, I will stay again in this hotel when I go back to Kuala Lumpur.

En route to Bali

At KLIA2, waiting for our flight to Denpasar (Bali)

After 24 > hours in Kuala Lumpur, we went back to Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 & boarded our late afternoon flight to Denpasar (Bali). This time, we flew with Air Asia. The flight took around 3 hours.

Bali Accommodation

We booked a 3-night stay in Ida Hotel Bali. It is a boutique hotel located in the inner streets of Kuta – far from the busy night life. We got ourselves a deluxe family bungalow with features 2 queen-sized Balinese carved poster beds, a private balcony & a private outside bathroom & shower. The room costs $80 per night & includes a free buffet breakfast, free WiFi & access to the hotel’s swimming pool & jacuzzi.

Ida Hotel Bali’s swimming pool – the guest’s view while having breakfast

I didn’t take photos of the hotel room & facilities, but you can head over to their website to see how they look like.

Going Around The Island

Bali does not have an organized public transportation system. They do not have a subway / train system. There are buses which only run a limited number of times a day. The main modes of transportation around the island are either by motorbike or by car. We opted to hire a car (+petrol) with a driver for $35 over 10 hours.

Rice paddies everywhere in Bali 🌱

You can also take taxis to the different places but make sure to have the meter on or else you might get scammed. I personally think hiring a car with a driver is the best option when in Bali – at least you do not have to worry about the costs.

Places Visited in Bali

Here are the places & temples we visited in our 2.5 days of going around the island:

Tanjung Benoa Beach

Aside from having the 5-star resort hotels like Sofitel Bali, Melia Bali, Conrad Bali & The Westin Resort Bali, this Nusa Dua beach is also popular for marine recreational activities. There are a number of companies that offer parasailing, flying fish & banana boat rides, jet ski, wake boarding & glass bottom boat rides. You can also book underwater activities here like scuba diving & sea walking.

We went there before lunch time so we only tried parasailing. We paid less than $20 for each.

Pantai Pandawa

Previously known as the Secret Beach in South Kuta, Pantai Pandawa or “Pandawa Beach” is a known surf spot for advanced surfers. The beach was used to be hidden behind a hill; but access has recently been made easier for all people by constructing a road to the beach.

Coffee Plantation

Bali is famous for its coffee industry. People who drink coffee (FYI – I don’t) say that the coffee produced in Bali has a unique rich taste. Alongside with Java, Sulawesi & Sumatra islands, Bali is famous for civet coffee (locally known as kopi luwak). Coffee cherries are eaten & digested by palm civets. These digested particles are then cleaned & processed into luwak coffee beans.

We visited a coffee plantation somewhere near Uluwatu Temple. The staff showed us the different types of coffee & tea that they grow in the plantation. They even showed us how the civet coffee beans are made. We were also given the chance to try all the flavors of coffee & tea grown on the plantation. This coffee & tea tasting activity is for free. Visitors are not obliged to buy products before leaving the plantation.

Pantai Padang Padang

Apart from being another surf spot in South Kuta, this beach is known as ‘the beach from the movie Eat Pray Love.’ The beach stretch isn’t that long so the place tends to be crowded most of the time. If you want to have it for yourself, make sure to go there early in the morning.

Pura Luhur Uluwatu

Commonly known as the Uluwatu Temple, this iconic Balinese sea temple is believed to be one of the six spiritual pillars. Its location, 70 m about sea level in a steep cliff, lives up to the loose translation of the temple’s name, “something divine to end the land.”

This temple is famous for stunning sunset views. Make sure to secure your spot early because a lot people come here for the sunset. You can also watch the cultural Kecak fire dance performance for a fee.

Waterbom Bali

Waterbom Bali is the world’s second best waterpark & the number 1 in Asia according to Tripadvisor. The waterpark has several rides & attractions the guests can enjoy. My favorites were Climax, Pipeline & Green Vipers. We also enjoyed the Super Bowl & the Lazy River.

We paid around 450,00 IDR (that time) & doesn’t include meals, gazebo & lockers. I just checked the Waterbom website & found that the entrance fee now is 520,000 IDR per person plus there are 4 new rides (these were under construction during our visit).

Pantai Kuta

Kuta Beach is Bali’s most famous & commercial beach area. People go here to lay down in the sand & relax, to learn some basic surfing lessons & to watch the sunset. After enjoying Waterbom, we decided to spend the afternoon here – to watch the sunset & also to have early dinner. Too bad the sunset wasn’t that stunning during our visit.

Pura Tanah Lot

Located northwest of Kuta, Tanah Lot Temple is a rock formation / Hindu temple that is found off the Bali main island. The formation stands the big waves that crashes the main island. Just like the Uluwatu Temple, this temple is also famous of its beautiful sunset backgrounds.

We visited this temple in the morning on our way to Ubud, but there were still a lot of people visiting. Be careful when walking around the beach area, waves can really be big.

Ubud Temple

Our driver brought us to this temple (forgot the name, I’m sorry) in Ubud. It was located somewhere between Tanah Lot Temple & Ubud center. We had to wear sarong when we entered the temple as a sign of respect to the Hindu gods.

Ubud Monkey Forest

The Ubud Monkey Forest is a monkey sanctuary & also a temple complex in the heart of Ubud. The forest has playful monkeys wandering freely around the sanctuary. It also has interesting forest trails & ancient temples.

Entrance fee to the monkey forest is 15,000 IDR per person. We went to this sanctuary right before we headed to our Ubud accommodation for our last night in Bali.

Last Night In Bali

My friends & I decided to get a 2-bedroom villa in Ubud for our last night in Bali. Exploring around places for consecutive days can really be exhausting; so we thought of just relaxing on our last night, right before going back to Manila.

We stayed in Villa D’Uma – a 2-bedroom villa with private outdoor pool (with sunbeds) & semi-outdoor bathrooms (with bath tubs). Located in the middle of rice paddies, the villa is a 5-minute drive from the Ubud center & the Ubud Monkey Forest.

Aside from the semi-outdoor bathroom, each bedroom features a cable TV, spacious bed & sofa. The villa also has a private kitchen (complete with kitchenware & tableware), dining area, private garden & a yoga area.

It basically has everything you need. Wayan & his team made sure our we had a great time. They prepared our breakfast (omelette, pancakes, toast, fruits, etc.) the following day at our requested time.

Overall, we enjoyed our stay in Villa D’Uma. We paid 2,230,000 IDR (around ₱9,000) for 1 night but it was all worth it! I’d love to go back to Villa D’Uma in the future. It’s definitely a hidden gem in Ubud!

A few days in Bali are not enough to explore everything the island has to offer. There are just so much to see & do in the island. We were lucky we’ve been to the usual touristic spots during our visit. I recommend staying for a week or two if you can. I loved Bali up to the point I went back for 6 days a few weeks ago. Watch out for my upcoming posts about my recent trip. I can assure you I’ve been to unique & more beautiful places this time. 😉

Sunrise from my airplane seat – taken during our flight back to Manila 😍

Have you been to Bali? Which place / temple did you enjoy the most? Feel free to share your experiences to me & to all the readers by posting a comment below. You can also send an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Drop me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Thank you for reading & see you in the next Throwback Thursday Treat – we might just go to another country / city! ✈️

PS. All photos above were shot using my HTC One M8 & HTC Re.

Throwback Thursday Treat: Third Time Fun in El Nido

It’s been over a month since my last trip blog post. I am very sorry I haven’t posted anything; I’ve been busy with work & personal stuff. I had several birthday celebrations; I’ve also been just back from a week in Bali & a weekend in my hometown in Albay. I hope everyone is doing well. I promise to keep up with all the content planned for the past weeks.

Anyway, back to business. It’s Thursday, so it’s time for another Throwback Thursday Treat! It’s been a year since my high school friends & I spent a long weekend in El Nido, Palawan (my 3rd time). I think it’s a good time to relive the good times we had in that short weekend trip.

View from El Nido town 😍

Airfare

Philippine Airlines had their annual Christmas sale last December 2015. I was able to book a round-trip ticket to Puerto Princesa City for only ₱1,636. The fare included a 10 kg check-in baggage allowance per way & in-flight snack. Not bad, right?

Screenshot of my ticket to & from Puerto Princesa, Palawan

All the while, the plan was to go to El Nido / Port Barton alone for a weekend, but my high school friends decided to join me on that same weekend. We had plans of going to El Nido but I never thought it will be during this trip that we’ll go there. At least, I didn’t have to enjoy paradise by myself.

Trip to El Nido

2 friends flew to Puerto Princesa days earlier & went around the city for a day & a half. Junelle & I flew on the same afternoon, but with via different airlines. Upon arrival in Puerto Princesa, we immediately went to our friend’s hotel located a few meters from the airport.

Upon arrival at Puerto Princesa International Airport

We had dinner at Kinabuch’s Grill & Bar in Puerto Princesa before heading to the bus terminal to catch the last night bus to El Nido. The air conditioned bus left at 9:00 pm & arrived in El Nido at around 2:30 in the morning. We headed to our respective accommodations & slept for the rest of the morning.

Accommodation

I already booked my accommodation right before my friends booked their flights. I got a dormitory bed in El Nido’s newest (that time) hip hostel – Spin Designer Hostel. I booked via Booking.com; the nightly rate includes a bed in a 4-bed dormitory room with toiletries & breakfast. I paid ₱2,750 for 4 nights.

Each guest is provided a room key card, a spacious bed & locker. Guests have access to common shower & toilet facilities. Wi-Fi is only available in common areas (not sure if they have given access up to the rooms). The hostel also organizes day trips & night activities like acoustic nights, sports nights, barbecue nights, etc. The common areas were well-designed & spacious. The hostel is very social; it’s very easy to meet & connect with new people.

The staff were one of the nicest & the most helpful I’ve met. The hostel is also secured with guards on duty 24/7 on both gates. If you are alone & keen on meeting new people, Spin Designer Hostel is the hostel for you. Make sure to book your stay early as they are usually fully-booked.

Note: My friends stayed in a different accommodation because there were no other beds available in Spin Hostel.

Nacpan Beach Day 1

We hired 2 tricycles for ₱1,200 each for a day trip to Nacpan Beach. We left around 10:00 in the morning & decided to stay there up until 4:00 in the afternoon. It was supposed to be a day of relaxation, but the weather didn’t cooperate. It was raining most of the afternoon. We still had fun in the beach despite the heavy rainfall.

‘Habang umuulan’ photo with Junelle 😂

We headed to Las Cabanas Beach to watch the sunset, but it wasn’t at its best. The sky was cloudy; you could barely see the sunset. We went back to our respective accommodations to freshen up. We met up at 7:00 pm to have dinner at Trattoria Altrove, a known Italian restaurant in town.

Tour A Island Hopping Tour

Tour A is a must when in El Nido. It is my 3rd time to visit this place & I still go back for this tour. For the third time, I took Tour A – an island hopping day tour which goes to different lagoons & beaches in Bacuit Bay.

We booked the tour in the agency partner of our Nacpan tricycle driver. The tour is priced at ₱1,200 but we got ours for ₱1,100 each because we were a group of 4. Our driver picked us up at 8:00 am & we went straight to the beach. We left the town at 8:30 am & enjoyed the tour around the islands until 4:00 pm. Here are the places we visited:

Small Lagoon

Secret Lagoon

Snorkelling somewhere near Miniloc Island

Shimizu Island (also the place where we had lunch)

Big Lagoon

Seven Commando Beach

Nacpan Beach Day 2

We had a little debate whether we’ll take Tour C or go to Nacpan Beach again for our 3rd day. We wanted to relax a bit so we went for the latter. The weather was perfect & the beach was at its best! I’ll let the photos show how relaxing the place was.

Nacpan & Calitang Twin Beach 😍

Last Day

Right before eating lunch in Badjao Seafront Restaurant 

We took the 8:00 am Camarih Transport shuttle back to Puerto Princesa; dropped by the pasalubong center to get some goodies for families & friends back in Manila; ate lunch at Badjao Seafront Restaurant (a must-eat restaurant in Puerto Princesa) & headed to the airport for our flights back to Manila.

It was short but fun weekend trip with my high school friends. We’ve been to different places & countries & I think this El Nido was one of the best trips we had. We don’t have anything planned for our next trip (ehem); I hope we get to decide where we’ll go next & when will that be. I could travel the whole world with these people.

El Nido ’16 crew group photo 😊

If you haven’t read it yet, I already blogged about my past 2 El Nido trips – March 2014 trip & 2014 Birthday Weekend. Have you been to El Nido recently? Any notable changes in infrastructure, island hopping tour costs, etc? Feel free to let me know by putting some comments below. You can also send me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Drop me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

The world-famous Big Lagoon during low tide

Curious how I booked my super duper cheap round-trip ticket to Puerto Princesa? Don’t worry, I got you covered. Head over to this post (and this post too) to know more.

‘Til the next throwback Thursday post! 😉

PS. All photos above were shot using my HTC Re.