Missing Hong Kong....

It has almost been a month since our trip to Hong Kong and while viewing our photos, I'm just missing it more and more. Admittedly, our trip was very short and if given the chance, we would probably have just extended it to a week to be able to visit more interesting food and shopping spots.

While roaming around SM Megamall one weeknight, I saw a newly-opened restaurant at the Ground Floor beside Powerbooks and Kaya Korean Restaurant named Chef Choi. The interior was painted oriental red and the first thing you'll notice is the photo strip that features various mouthwatering dishes which I guess the restaurant specializes on.

Entering the restaurant, you'll see the menu board with yellow dish tags. This immediately reminded me of Hong Kong's popular fast food chains such as Cafe de Coral and Maxim's MX.

Looking at the menu then at the photo strip then back to the menu, I really had a hard time choosing which one to order. Luckily, my server suggested one that looks really good. So, I took his advice and ordered the Four Treasures Roast Rice with Soup (Php. 149). Of course, to complete my Hong Kong-inspired meal, I also got the Hong Kong Iced Lemon Tea (Php. 45).

My rice bowl consists of strips of Pork Asado, four pieces of Soy Chicken, Adobo Egg and Tofu. I was shocked that one serving is actually big enough to share! The rice was very soft and fragrant however I feel that they went a little overboard in adding the sauce. The meat was tender although it still lacks in flavor.

What impressed me though was the ambiance. This is a fun casual dining place with pop Chinese songs playing in the background. I even noticed that the chef is Chinese and after chatting with the server, I found out that he actually came from..where else?!..Hong Kong!

Dining at Chef Choi brought back a lot of fun memories of our trip and it even made me more determined to plan my return soon. I will definitely be back this time to try their baked rice or perhaps the spareribs this time.

Chef Choi is located at the Ground Floor of SM Megamall Building A.

Army Navy

Tagaytay has always been and remains to be my family's not-so-secret weekend getaway. Take this month for instance, I have been to Tagaytay twice already and we're going back this weekend to celebrate my birthday! Yep, we love it that much!

My second visit was quick though, it lasted for only half a day because I went there for work. Before heading to our target destination, my colleague Iza and I decided to grab lunch first. Iza, I then found out, is also a food lover. Throughout the ride down South, we were comparing notes on the different food places that we have dined in Tagaytay.

While our list didn't vary much, Iza offered to take me to this place that has become her newest Tagaytay favorite called Army Navy.

Army Navy is located inside the Yellow Cab property along Aguinaldo Highway. I got so amused when I saw the counter. It is located at the left side of the Yellow Cab building with tables scattered outside. Dining here is done Al Fresco style. The structure looked like a bomb shelter which perfectly matches the theme of the restaurant.

The menu is simple. Just as the header says "What will it be today? Burger...Burrito...Both?" However, even how simple it was, I had a hard time choosing which one to try first so I just allowed Iza to surprise me and she took care of ordering our lunch.

Waiting time was longer than usual because I was told that they prepare each order on the spot. No pre-assembled burritos here so freshness is highly guaranteed.

Finally, the 20 minute wait is over! Our friendly server carried our trays of burritos to our table. The sight of our huge burritos with a slice of lime brought silence to the table. A fork on one hand and a knife on the other, in one swift motion, we began to ATTACK!

Iza got me the Steak Burrito (Php. 155) that has juicy pieces of beef combined with Mexican rice, veggies and cheese wrapped in soft tortilla. While I normally add lots of garlic cream sauce to my burrito, this one was so flavorful that I only remembered to add some when I was already halfway through my meal.

Here's a must-try food stop in Tagaytay especially for those who would like to have a short break from the regular local cuisine. I will definitely be back and this time, I'll try the burger.

Army Navy is located along Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay City.

the Community goes Online

Remember those days when having a penpal is cool? How you would wait for days before receiving her reply and it would also take you almost half a day to compose a letter before sending it back to her? Despite the long process of exchange, people didn't mind. That was before email and the Internet became present and very much accessible.

Through the years, more and more things can be done with the computer. Back then, it was just used as a form of documentation and creation of art works. Today, it has become a means of communication between two people living on opposite ends of the world. Even business deals are done online.

For me, I have a lot of reasons to thank the Internet for. First and foremost, this blog would not exist without it. Without an internet connection, I would not be able to maintain this blog where I can share my thoughts and discoveries with my wonderful readers out there. Secondly, it has allowed me to meet a lot of people with whom I have built great friendships with. Lastly, the internet has allowed me to feel that I belong in a community that is alive and very dynamic.

I have been a part of a number of social networking sites primarily to link myself up with old friends whom I have not seen for years. Through these sites we are updated with the lives of our dear friends even we don't get to see each other personally.

The Philippines was said to have the highest number of internet users in Asia, therefore it just makes sense to have a locally made social networking site for Filipinos, by Filipinos.

The secret is OUT.

A couple of months ago, I, together with a community of bloggers were invited to be the pilot testers a.k.a. happy guinea pigs for Smart Telecommunication's newest social networking site called Sandbox.

We were encouraged to try it out and to post our photos, blog entries and a lot more. I was so excited that I signed up for it the moment I got home. Sandbox is so easy to use and I love the big blue buttons that opens up to each section.

With something so exciting, here's the catch.. we are not allowed to tell anyone about it yet as they continue to improve. Finally, the long wait is over. Sandbox is officially open for everyone to enjoy and I would like to invite all of you to check it out.

There are a lot of things to do in Sandbox, all you need is to let your imaginations run wild! Go upload your photos, share your videos, add more friends, post your thoughts, join forum discussions and a lot more!

See you at Sandbox!

the Frugal Foodie

I started blogging as early as 2001, this became my source of relaxation and a way for me to hone my writing skills. My blog back then was filled with personal insights, a bit of drama and less photos.

I stopped for a while when I joined the corporate world but I guess, passion will never die and it will burn even stronger when kept inside. That's how it was with my passion for blogging. Before I knew it, I'm starting to blog again this time through my multiply account.

Eventually, I got around to opening a new blog site. Thus, Frannywanny was born.

As much as I love to eat and write, I also love to read food blogs. From them I would get marvelous recommendations on the newest food spots in town. One of the blogs that I regularly follow is Table for Three, Please.

What do I love about it?

Well, let's start from the photos. A food blog is all about making your readers hungry. Your aim is to make their tummies rumble after reading your blog at any given time of the day. I can't believe that even if the trio would just talk about a simple dish such as Pork Binagoongan, they were able to capture it in its best angle making it look so mouthwatering.

Imagine how happy I was when I was invited by Franco to guest blog. He told me that they are looking for food spots that are easy on the pocket provided that this does not involve a burger, a regular serving of fries and a cup of soda.

This prompted me to go on an early morning food trip. Sharing with you my first ever post as Table for Three, Please's guest blogger and believe it or not, I just spent a total of Php. 130 which made my mission very successful.

The Frugal Foodie: Saturday Mornings at Salcedo

*Frannywanny's note: Thanks Franco!!

Lasagna on my Pizza?

When I first saw the banner promoting Pizza Hut's newest product, I couldn't believe my eyes. Viva Lasagna, was written in huge bold letters and underneath is a photo of a giant pizza. "Talk about Carbo-load", I said to myself.

Who would have thought that a week after, I would get invited to the media launch for the same product.

Seated inside Pizza Hut Bistro, my colleagues and I chatted while waiting for our pizza to be served. We wondered how on earth can they combine a pizza and a pasta without making a single slice too much for a meal's consumption.

Finally, our Viva Lasagna (Php. 475) pizza has arrived and just by looking at it, it's surely the type of pizza that can be shared by a group of 5 or more. Look at how big it is!

that's Cheers, Yummy Magazine's newest editor, looking at the Viva Lasagna pizza
Taking a closer look, I first noticed that the crust is not too thick or too thin, this is what makes the Viva pizza different. So how did they merge the pizza and the lasagna? I noticed bits of meat, lots of cheese and the pizza is actually topped with strips of lasagna pasta. Very clever indeed! :)

Finally, it's time to take a bite.

I enjoyed the sweet, salty meat sauce and the fact that the pizza is literally bursting with cheese. One slice is packed with so much flavor that I really enjoyed every bite. Yum!

My birthday is coming up and I'm actually thinking of treating my friends to a fun pizza party with of course, Viva Lasagna!


Viva Lasagna is available in all Pizza Hut outlets nationwide. Call 911-11-11 for delivery.

Lovin' it at Hong Kong: Sweet Endings

Unlike our Guangzhou trip which was filled with new food discoveries, our Hong Kong escape was a bit more laid back... too laid back in fact that we veered away from searching high and low for interesting food spots. What stood out, however, were the desserts that capped our meals during the three days that we were there.

Mango Loco

During our first night in Hong Kong, Paul and I walked around the neighborhood to re-familiarize ourselves with Tsim Sha Tsui. While walking along one busy road, we saw a small brightly-lit store that actually has a crowd waiting outside. This got us so curious that we quickened our steps towards the store to see what it's all about.

On the counter were laminated menus with photos of iced mango drinks. Scanning the menu, we realized that Hui Lau Shan is a dessert store and inside are tables filled with teenagers and yuppies enjoying their fruity desserts.

In order to satisfy our curious state, we ordered a Mango Sago to share. After waiting for two to three minutes, our number was called. Taking a closer look at the clear plastic cup, we noticed layers of tiny sago at the bottom of the cup poured in with thick mango shake and topped with mango cubes.

As we prepare to take our first sip, we both hoped that the mango was sweet enough to make our dessert experience enjoyable. One sip was all it took to make us fall in love with Hui Lau Shan's dessert! No wonder the place was always packed!

We screamed for ICE CREAM!

It was a warm second day and after walking all the way from Central to the nearest tram station and again walking around Causeway Bay to finally reach Time Square, Paul and I agreed that we deserve a treat.

Actually, on the way to Hong Kong, I made a mental list of to dos and this includes trying Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream. So, to fulfill my wish, we ordered a cup of our favorite Strawberry ice cream.

We love the milky strawberry cream mixed with bits of fresh strawberries. It was so good that we wanted more after finishing a cup.

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

Sweet dessert for Breakfast

It was our last day in Hong Kong and it was hard to accept that our six-day vacation is coming to an end. Luckily, we got the last flight out so we had time to still shop and eat. While walking around looking for a place to have brunch, I chanced upon a stall that sells Egg Tarts.

I guess it is common perception that egg tarts were originated in Portugal thanks to the famous Lord Stow's Cafe. What I later found out was that there are two versions of egg tarts: Portugese and Hong Kong-style.

A Hong Kong-style egg tart is served piping hot as opposed to the Portugese version which is served at room temparature. Also Hong Kong-style egg tarts do not have milk in the custard and spices like nutmeg or cinnamon are not sprinkled on top of the tart too.

I love the silky sweet egg tart that I bought that morning. It reminded me of my favorite dessert -- creme brulee minus the caramelized top. Truly, a trip to Hong Kong is not complete without having a taste of their Egg Tart.

Lovin' it at Hong Kong: Itinerary Must-Haves

It has been 9 long years since my last visit to Hong Kong. Within those years of absence, Hong Kong has continued to flourish and sparkle as a perfect travel destination. That said, my latest trip to this Asian food and shopping paradise was one that's filled with lots of new discoveries.

Unfortunately, we had very limited time available. With only 2 and a half days worth to roam around the city, we made our top 3 must-visit places and made sure to include this in our tight schedule.

Avenue of Stars and Symphony of Lights

As I was creating our trip itinerary, Paul just made one tiny request. This is to visit the place where you can see the statue of Bruce Lee. I was initially dumbfounded. Where on earth will I find this place? After much research, I finally landed here.

Luck must have been on our side as this is within walking distance from our hotel. So, on our first day, we headed towards the Hong Kong Harbor in Tsim Sha Tsui to check out the Avenue of Stars.

We passed through the MTR tunnel and came out at SOGO where we stopped for a quick lunch. Following the signs inside the adjacent mall, we finally reached the strip where we came face-to-face with none other than Bruce Lee, himself.

Oh, Paul had a blast taking photos of the hand prints that lined up the entire harbor strip. We also checked out the souvenir shops and drooled over the yummy smell of grilled cuttlefish. We enjoyed walking hand-in-hand with the cool breeze blowing on our faces. For me, the perfect time to visit the Avenue of Stars is in the late afternoon when the sun is about to set and you can take your time while waiting for the Symphony of Lights.

I'm a lover of the arts and I truly appreciate an artistic production most especially when it is composed of lights and music. I'd say, the highlight of my Day One in Hong Kong was the sight of the most beautiful skyscrapers covered all over with lights that goes on and off to the beat of the music. It's truly a sight to behold and everyone who visits Hong Kong should watch this. After all, with its three viewing points, there's really no reason to miss the Symphony of Lights. You can watch the show along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, the promenade at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai (Hong Kong Island) or on board one of the sightseeing ferries in the Victoria Harbour.

Victoria Peak

This spot is actually a re-discovery as it has been a childhood favorite of mine. I love riding the Tram that takes us up to The Peak. Arriving at The Peak, we marvel at the view that one can see of the entire city.

While at The Peak, you can also visit the Madame Tussauds Museum (HKD 150) that showcases famous celebrities such as Jackie Chan, Barack Obama and Yao Ming. Nature-lovers can also try hiking through the four trails available. Shopping fans and food lovers will also enjoy with the numerous shops and food outlets found there.

How to get there: From the Star Ferry pier, we took bus 15C which has an open top where we were able to enjoy the view as the bus brings us to the Lower Tram Terminus.

Mongkok

I've mentioned a lot of times that Hong Kong is every shopper's haven. Being a bargain shopping fan, I made sure that we get to visit Mongkok during the 2nd day in Hong Kong. Despite having tired legs and aching shoulders, we took the MTR to Mongkok to visit the infamous Ladies Market.

The Ladies Market is a long street lined up with bargain stalls selling clothes, souvenir items, shoes, bags and a lot more. Contrary to its name, the market does not only cater to the ladies but also to the gentlemen as well.

We spent the rest of the evening satisfying our shopaholic hearts with the cutest trinkets, tops and shoes. Of course, haggling is a must here. You'd be surprise with how low some stalls can go.

There are still a lot of places to see in Hong Kong but for this short trip, I'm glad that we were able to visit these three exciting spots that has surely made it all worthwhile.

Of course, there's still more sights such as the Hong Kong Disneyland, the Lantau Island, Ngong Ping 360 and a lot more!

* Symphony of Lights photo by Paul Ang

Related post:
Lovin' it at Hong Kong: 101

Lovin' it at Hong Kong: 101

I can still remember it very well. It was one early morning back in 1989, I entered the Ninoy Aquino International Airport while holding Papa's hand very tightly. I was wearing my best Sunday dress, my comfy M&S socks, my favorite Mary Jane shoes and a cute little backpack on my..uhhh...back. We were going on my first ever trip abroad and boy, was I excited! I think I hardly slept the night before and was immediately awaken when Mommy woke me up to get ready for the airport. We were going to Hong Kong!

Fast forward twenty years and a couple of return visits after, Hong Kong is still one of my favorite places on earth. How can I not love a place that serves the best tasting food? From dimsum lunches to roast goose dinners, Hong Kong is one place where dieting does not exist. However, we can always compensate all those cholesterol-laden dishes with loads of walking. From the lovely Victoria Peak to that romantic walk down Avenue of Stars, you'll definitely get the best leg workout as you explore Hong Kong. This place is also every shopper's Asian paradise. You can definitely shop till you drop at Mongkok, Stanley Market and at the posh malls in Causeway Bay.

How to get to Hong Kong

Hong Kong is probably the easiest place to go from Manila. Most of our local airline have numerous flights to Hong Kong. Due to its proximity to our country, flying to Hong Kong only takes an hour and 50 minutes.

Another good thing is even though Hong Kong is part of China, there is no need to apply for a VISA provided your stay is 14 days or less.

Arriving at the Hong Kong International Airport, the first thing one must do is to load up on all the maps and flyers that are readily available in almost every corner. This will definitely help you maximize your stay and will save you from getting lost in this fast-paced city. Just to show you how HUGE the HKIA is, we had to take a short train ride from one terminal to another where the Immigration booths are.

It is also good to change a little of your money to Hong Kong dollars (HKD) as you will have to pay for your cab/train/bus ride from the airport to your hotel.

Going around Hong Kong

Hong Kong is very tourist-friendly. Almost all of its road signages are in English and the locals are pretty good in speaking English too. There are a lot of mode of transportation going around in Hong Kong. It really depends on where you're heading. For our trip, we were able to take the bus, the tram (both in the Victoria Peak and from Central to Causeway Bay), the ferry boat (which I truly love), the cab and lastly the MTR. Each of these transportation types follow a strict schedule which makes going around Hong Kong very quick and stress-free.

Frannywanny's travel tip: Try to carry a good amount of coins when you commute as the buses and trams would request for the exact amount.

While Hong Kong is relatively small compared to the Mainland (China), there are a lot of things to see and places to visit here. Hong Kong is divided into two main islands called: Kowloon and Hong Kong island. Aside from these, there are a number of outlying islands where Hong Kong Disneyland, the Giant Buddha and a lot more at located. Don't worry though, since moving around Hong Kong is a breeze, these beautiful tourist places can easily be reached either via the MTR or a short bus ride.

This is just the beginning. Watch out for parts two and three of my Hong Kong travel series where I will share with you the best dessert finds, the beautiful tourist spots and ways on how to make the most of your stay in Hong Kong.

TWO Yummy Events coming this MAY! :)

See you ALL there!!! :)

Guangzhou, China 101: Must-EAT.

Despite the fact that our feet and legs were mercilessly battered by walking around Guangzhou to visit their tourist attractions and to see what the China Import and Export Fair has to offer, we made it a point to keep our tummies happy.

Guangzhou was said to specialize in Cantonese cuisine. However, to match our hectic schedule, we settled for these local fast food chains and dishes that didn't fail in delighting our taste buds:

1) Kungfu

If Manila has Jolibee, then Guangzhou has Kungfu. This was the first unique restaurant that I saw when we arrived at the train station. Also, during the short taxi drive to our hotel, I saw at least four more outlets normally occupying a corner lot or a huge area in the mall.

How can I miss it? With a bright red and black logo plus an image of Bruce Lee, Kung Fu has really stirred our curiosity that it was unanimously chosen as our dinner stop for our first night.

The menu board was in Chinese and so we resulted to just pointing our orders out to our friendly server. Paul and I got a Beef rice bowl to share. What we did not realized was that each rice bowl comes in a set and so we feasted on Chinese herbal soup, steaming soya milk and my favorite -- Egg Fu-Yung.

The Beef Rice Bowl was a bit spicy due to the curry powder added in it. It has a generous serving of rice topped with thinly sliced beef, onions and diced tomatoes. Although, Paul enjoyed this as he loves anything with curry, I find it too spicy for my taste leaving me with two empty water bottles at the end of the meal.

What saved me though was the yummy Egg Fu-Yung. I'm an egg lover and I love how soft and silky this dish was. I enjoyed slurping it as it gently glided down my spoon. Yum!

2) McDonald's Egg Puff

I'll let you in on my secret travel tradition. Every time I go out of the country, I make it a point to visit an outlet of McDonald's and Starbucks to see the different menu items that they have which are not available here in the Philippines. I find joy in being able to try something that is uniquely theirs.

On our last day in Guangzhou, we decided to have breakfast at McDonald's, once again, at the Beijing Pedestrian Road. While watching the locals rush to school and work, I slowly bit into my crunchy McDonald's Egg Puff which has the same size as our local Apple Pie. Inside the puff pastry is a ham and egg omelet which is oh-so-good. Once again, another yummy egg discovery!

3) Guangzhou's dumplings

Sadly, we were not able to indulge in an authentic Guangzhou Cantonese meal during our short stay. However, one local dish that really made an impact was their dumplings (jiao zi). We're used to eating lots of this here in Manila but it must be the very Oriental ambiance or the way they mix their dumplings that it was very tasty and delicious!

There are still a lot of restaurants and dishes to discover in Guangzhou. I'm truly looking forward to my return as I have a growing list of places to see, eat and enjoy.

Related post:
Guangzhou, China 101
Guangzhou, China 101: Where to stay?
Guangzhou, China 101: Must-See.

Guangzhou, China 101: Must-See.

While our Guangzhou trip was primarily meant for business, we made it a point to still enjoy and immerse ourselves in the culture that speaks much about our roots. Throughout our four-day visit in Guangzhou, China, we have managed to try a couple of local dishes, visit a popular tourist spot and go on a romantic dinner cruise on our last night.

So, while preparing your itinerary, try to find time to visit these places to make your visit more memorable and truly enjoyable:

1) Beijing Pedestrian Road

This pedestrian road is lined with retail outlets and food stalls for locals and tourists to enjoy. Think about it as a mall without a roof where you can enjoy dining and shopping al fresco style.

Also, this road has actually a long history dating back to the Sung Dynasty and probably even beyond. A proof of which can be seen in one portion where they have a glass display at the middle of the street that shows the actual road used back in 960-1279 AD. Seeing this gave me goosebumps, I can't believe that I am standing on top of another road that existed even way before my ancestors did.

Paul and I enjoyed shopping in the Beijing Pedestrian Road as each store has a bright signage that calls out price-off promotions that sells tops and shorts even for as low as CNY10 (approx. Php. 70)!

A word of caution though, check the item at least three times making sure it's free from oil stain, holes or missing buttons. Note that while these goods are really affordable, quality is not really their strongest point.

How to get there: Take the Metro Train and go down the Gong Yuan Qian station.

2) Yue Xiu Park

Admittedly, Guangzhou is not the cleanest city in the world. During our first day, Paul and I have noticed that the sky was cloudy and we immediately assumed that it might rain pretty soon. However, not a single drop of rain fell that night. The following day, it was a sunny windy day and again, the sky was pretty foggy. This time, we find this a bit odd. During the day, we realized that it is not fog that we see but smog. Yes, the biggest indicator that the city is very much polluted. I guess, a lot of locals have traded in their bicycles for cars or some just opted to take the taxi or bus instead.

On our third day in Guangzhou, we spent the rest of the afternoon in one of Guangzhou's scenic parks that has three artificial lakes, a historical building, lots of jogging paths, and a statue that has a beautiful story behind it.

Just like any park in Guangzhou, there's an entrance fee of CNY5 (approx. Php. 35). There are a lot of things to see and do inside the park but given the limited time we have available we went straight to our target destination: to see the Five-Ram Statue.

It was pretty a long walk towards the statue as we passed through a stagnant pond, made a stopover in front of a waterfall for some photo op, went through a recreational ground and climbed more than 50 steps to finally come face to face with this mythical statue. We did all this on foot! What a workout!

Finally, we saw the Five-Ram statue. Legend has it that back in the days, Guangzhou was a poor province of China and five fairies arrived on a ram bringing grains to the community. After giving their blessings, they left and the rams turned into stone.

Walking down from the statue, we stopped at the recreational ground and watched the senior citizens play a Chinese game. It's amazing how active they still all are.

The sun is starting to set which signals that we have to head back to the hotel, there are still a lot of attractions inside the park and hopefully we can go back and explore more of Yue Xiu Park.

How to get there: Take the Metro Train and go down the Yue Xiu Park station, from the exit, turn right and walk for 2 minutes until you see the entrance to the park.

3) Pearl River Dinner Cruise

We were told that no trip to Guangzhou will ever be complete without visiting the Pearl River. Eversince my first night, I was mesmerized with the beauty of the river as I view it from my hotel room. The river sparkles against the moonlight and during the day, it looks very calm and serene. It was our last night in Guangzhou and instead of going on another shopping spree, we took the more relaxing route which is to have a romantic dinner cruise on board the Pearl River boat.

We got to the ferry port at 630PM and availed of the set dinner cruise worth CNY 48 (approx. Php. 360 / $7). The moment we boarded the ferry boat, we were immediately served with our dinner packed in a styrofoam box and a steaming cup of tea. Sadly, the food fell way below our expectations but the view from the river made up for it. We went around for an hour as the boat slowly cruised up and down the river. We enjoyed the lighted skycrapers and the cool night wind. It was truly romantic and I'm glad to have Paul there with me.

How to get there: Take the Metro Train and go down the Haizhu Square station and walk for 15 minutes along the riverbank until you reach the Ferry port.

There are still a lot of attractions in Guangzhou. On our next visit, I plan to see Dr. Sun Yet Sen's Memorial Hall, Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street and more historial sites.

Up next: What to eat in Guangzhou?

Related post:
Guangzhou, China 101
Guangzhou, China 101: Where to stay?

Guangzhou, China 101: Where to stay?

I am a very cautious traveller. While majority would prefer an adventure-filled trip where anything goes; I would prefer having a set itinerary, a guaranteed accomodation and clear transfer arrangements. This, I figured, would save me from all the headaches and hopefully maximize my budget too.

Since it will be our first time in Guangzhou, we didn't want to take any risk in ending up homeless in a place where English is not their primary language. Finally, after a week's worth of internet surfing and getting recommendations from travel agencies, we finally got a lovely room at the Grand Continental Service Apartments.

The hotel is located at the tip of the famous Beijing Road which is a pedestrian street lined with bargain shops and stalls. Normal room rates range from CNY 248 (approx. Php. 1860 / $38) for the Standard Single Room to CNY 1380 (approx. Php. 10,350 / @212) for the Deluxe Three Bed Rooms apartment.

The room is fairly big and the bed is very comfortable. I love the lcd screen TV complete with a DVD player and an IPOD dock too. Peering outside my window, I can see the beautiful Pearl River where boats decorated with colorful lights would go around and around at night.

A look at the neighborhood

The locals love to walk! During our stay at Guangzhou, we have visited most of its tourist attractions by walking. For instance, the Guangzhou Pearl River is within walking distance from the hotel and so is the Metro Station which is 5 blocks away but is pretty walkable too.

Hungry? Just walk two blocks down and you'll see a wide array of restaurants, food stalls and a lot more! There's even a movie theater in case you're in the mood to watch some Chinese flicks.

The Grand Continental Service Apartment is a good choice for those who wants to be in the shopping district minus the noise and chaos.

However, if you would prefer to go closer, there's the Lido Hotel that is right at the heart of the Beijing Pedestrian Road. This is convenience at its finest with Cafe de Coral and Mcdonald's within the building.

Up Next: What to eat and see at Guangzhou?

Related post:
Guangzhou, China 101

Guangzhou, China 101

This is the first of my 7-part travelling series. Here I will be sharing with you details and tips on two of my latest travel destinations: Guangzhou, China and Hong Kong. No brochure-like narrations here, all you will read are personal insights that we have gained throughout our week-long adventure. I hope you'll find these useful and you'll enjoy your trip as much as we did :)

Guangzhou, China

Guangzhou is located at the Southern part of China. It is easily accessible from our favorite travel destination called Hong Kong. Our trip to Guangzhou was brought about by the Bi-Annual China Import and Export Fair. This fair opened up Guangzhou to foreign investors all over the world. Cantonese is the main dialect in this province of China while RMB (renminbi) is the official currency.

Getting there

Just like any trip to China, you would need a Chinese Visa to be allowed to enter Guangzhou. Since I had to renew my passport this year and it took the DFA a pretty long time before they finally delivered it to me, we were a bit worried that we won't be able to get our Chinese Visa on time. Luckily, our travel agency told us to relax as they took care of the tedious legwork. However, to avoid getting stress and spending unneccessarily, I would suggest to allot at least two weeks processing time.

Being budget travellers, we carefully canvassed all of the possible flights and transportation mode that will take us from Manila to Guangzhou. Note that only Cebu Pacific flies directly to Guangzhou however not on a daily basis.

Finally, we decided to fly to Hong Kong then to take the KCR Kowloon-Guangzhou Train that has 12 trips daily and travels for only an hour and 50 minutes. The transfer was also a breeze! From the Hong Kong International Airport, we took the Airport Express train to the Kowloon station. There, we looked for the K1 Airport Express shuttle bus that drove us directly to the Hung Hom station which is also where we will ride the KCR train to Guangzhou. Cost per ticket is HKD190.

Of course, another way to get to Guangzhou is to take a direct flight which will land at the Baiyun International Airport or to take the bus from the Hong Kong International Airport which will cost you less but will take approximately 4 long hours before you finally reach Guangzhou.

We took a short nap during the train ride but were awaken with the shuffling sound of our co-passengers. I can't believe we're finally in Guangzhou, China!

Going Around Guangzhou

Contrary to rumors and hearsay, Guangzhou is a modern city with a very efficient subway station and road traffic schemes. From the Guangzhou East Railway Station, we were immediately able to get to cab that will take us to our hotel.

Just a word of caution though, although Guangzhou has thousands of foreign visitors every year, command in English is still pretty bad. Most of the building signages are in Chinese and only a handful of locals can converse a bit of English so make sure to equip yourself with the Chinese name and direction to your hotel beforehand. Of course, a trusty map is also a must when going around Guangzhou.

Up next: Where to stay in Guangzhou?

Mommy's Day

My mom is simply the best.

Sure, she can be a nagger..and believe me she can be pretty good at it. She will always remind me to take my vitamins, to sleep early, to exercise, to come home before midnight and the list goes on and on and on. She is also not afraid to tell me if I'm doing something wrong and will also be the first to boast of our achievements.

Mommy is the best shopping buddy, movie partner and food trip companion. She is someone whom my sister and I would run to when we had a bad day at work or things just didn't turn out the way we would hope it would be.

Despite her petite frame, she was the strongest one during our family's darkest moment. I'd like to think that Papa's health has improved so much because of her patience, determination and unconditional love.

It's Mother's Day again this Sunday! Once again, my sister and I are thinking of sweet surprises for her. Look what landed on my email inbox just this morning...

For our mommy who treats herself to a piece of donut after a hectic day at work, I think she deserves a box on her special day. ;)

We love you, Ma!