Frannywanny

I've probably mentioned a couple of times before how much my family loves...as in LOVESSSS Tagaytay City . Growing up, we would frequently drive up to spend a night or two here. In fact, my parents love it so much that they've been talking about investing in a small lot there to turn it into our family weekend home doubled as their mini herb garden. Well, I do hope we can make that a reality for them someday. At the moment though, we would constantly keep ourselves updated on possible hotel accommodations in the area. Recently, I chanced upon Wilson's Place  after browsing through a couple of my fellow bloggers' pages. Wilson's Place is a family home turned into a Bed & Breakfast place in Tagaytay. The location is not really so central but it's a quick drive in from the main road provided you do not get lost. We relied mostly on Waze all throughout out trip. So, during the Christmas - New Year break, we decided to head to Tagaytay with Kong Kong and A-I...

Among all the 7,107 islands or rather the 81 provinces in the Philippines, Cebu holds a special place in my heart. It's the place where I had so much fun dolphin watching when I was a kid, eating to my heart's content every single time and the Cebuanos are just so hospitable and warm. I've visited numerous times but I still get excited whenever the opportunity comes for me to go back again. So, last December, Paul and I took 4 days out of our 2 weeks long holiday visit to the Philippines to relax and spend some quality time in Cebu . It was Paul's first time so I was really excited to show him around and hopefully he'd fall in love with Cebu just the way I did before. After booking our flights, the next step was for me to do a full research on where to stay . The choice was either to stay in Cebu City where we can visit the malls and a number of the famous touristy spots or to enjoy and chill out at the beach in Mactan. We went for the first option and I relied ...

During our quick weekend getaway in Kuala Lumpur, my sister offered to make use of her accumulated miles to fully pay for our 2 nights hotel accommodation at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel . Thank goodness for jet-setting little sisters who got a substantial amount of miles that needed to be redeemed soon! The best part about this is that the choices available were really nice. It was pretty much choosing from a number of 5-star hotels in the city. What a good problem to have! Sheraton Imperial Hotel  is one of the premier hotels in Kuala Lumpur. It's located along the busy Jalan Sultan Ismail where the nearest monorel station (Medan Tuanku) is just right beside the hotel's entrance. It's quite convenient to go to the busy shopping area (Bukit Bintang) or to have some late night snack at Jalan Alor. Sadly, the KLCC area is a bit out of the way as it's too near to take a cab to but a bit too far to walk. The hotel is also beside a street called  Heritage Walk , it's...

When we were sort of planning for our weekend trip to Kuala Lumpur , I'm glad that we had cousin J with us as he took care not only of booking our flights, but he went ahead and handled the booking of our hotel and he even rented a car too! He was so organized that I swear, this was the only trip where I happily tagged along without minding that we didn't had any proper itinerary and I know that we will still have a great time. Cousin J is the best travel companion, I tell you. So, when I casually asked him where we're staying in KL, he told me that he booked us all at Novotel Kuala Lumpur . Yay! If you remember, four year ago, this was also where Paul and I stayed for our honeymoon and save for the drilling and mysterious water sound, we loved the hotel's close proximity to the major shopping malls and the beautiful view of the Petronas Towers too. 

I'd say that one of the most important questions to answer when planning for a trip is: where to stay ? This is where your main priorities come into play. Are you a seasoned budget traveler who don't mind staying in a simple hotel or even to rent a room from Air BnB? Perhaps, you're more like me, a pro-leisure tourist who values comfort and cleanliness above all. Don't get me wrong, it's just that for me, my choice of hotel is important as this is essentially my home away from home throughout the duration of my trip. Nothing beats being able to head back to a nice, spacious and clean room which is complete with all the amenities and facilities after a tiring day exploring the city. Of course, not all the time I can just indulge and stay in a classy hotel. This is where I'm so thankful for boutique hotels. Small-sized hotels with about a dozen rooms yet you are still well taken cared of and every corner, every room is just sparkling clean. As we were planning...

"Hi I'm Fran and I'm a staycation-holic." A few weeks ago, Paul and I checked in at  Days Hotel Singapore in Novena  which is located pretty much the opposite of town from where we live. I have to admit that getting around the area was a bit of a challenge on our first night but come our second, third and fourth (!) night, we were so used to the bus routes that passes in front of the building and even enjoyed checking out the restaurants nearby.  Days Hotel in Zhongshan Park opened sometime in 2012 and it's one of the nicest budget hotels that I've been to here in the Lion City. We got the room for only S$120 a night via Agoda on a spur-of-the-moment-let's-go-have-a-staycation kind of thing. Given the name, it's located right beside a nice park that links the hotel and the Zhongshan Mall beside it. It obviously got a perfect score in terms of convenience as the mall houses a really big Fairprice Finest, a couple of restaurants and fast f...

If there's one thing that both Paul and I are quite nit-picky about whenever we travel, it would definitely be our choice of accommodation. Yes, we can definitely save on the plane ticket or would rather pack light to avoid paying extra for checked-in luggages and saying no to ordering meals on board but when it comes to choosing what would be our home away from home , then rarely do we put on our Mr. and Mrs. Scrooge McDuck hats for this. Why? The reason is simple. Yes, it's true we would go shopping or exploring the city for most parts of the day. If you really think about it, we spend no more than 10 hours per day in the hotel. However, we just love the idea of being able to retire back to our room after a fun yet physically tiring day outside. Nothing beats being able to comfortably shower and to peacefully sleep without having to deal with bugs, mites, weird noises and terrible service. That's basically why Paul and I give so much regard to our travel accommodation...

Looking at this year's calendar, I suddenly realized that Paul and I haven't had a single trip. Sure we have been flying back and forth Singapore and Manila but to really go somewhere far away from our two homes and to call it a vacation, this has not been done so far. The year isn't over so I'm still feeling a teeny bit optimistic. Oh, how I miss those times wherein we would have a trip abroad or out of town almost once a month. Traveling keeps me sane and it's pretty good that I haven't gone nuts for not going on a vacation this year. Guess I'm still happy exploring this beautiful city to mind. That said, let me open this overly delayed Hong Kong travel series that I've been meaning to blog about for more than a year already. I'm so sorry as my bloglag is terrible! Prior to our overnight stay in Macau , Paul and I had a 4 day break in Hong Kong . We both grew up frequenting this lovely cosmopolitan that's just an hour and 45 minutes flight...

As soon as our plane safely landed at the Macau International Airport , Paul and I took a cab to head directly to the jetty port as we will be spending the first leg of our trip in Hong Kong . I initially wanted to take the CotaiJet as I read that it sails smoothly than its competitor Turbojet . Sadly, we got to Macau quite late and only Turbojet was issuing tickets then. Popping a tablet of Bonamin (anti-nausea), I prayed that the waves would be kind to me. Contrary to write-ups, I did enjoyed the ride. It was a quick one and I didn't feel dizzy at all It must have helped that we were seated at the middle of the boat so I couldn't feel the movement of the waves that much. We got a one way ticket in hopes that we will be able to try CotaiJet on our way back to Macau. Click here to see the schedules and boat fares for Turbojet. So let me talk about our Macau trip first as this was actually the highlight given that it was both our first time in this city. Macau , as we all k...

Growing up in a country that enjoys more than a dozen non-working holidays, it took me sometime to get used to Singapore's set of 10 annual holidays and that already includes Christmas and New Year's Day. It's no wonder why majority of the people here do take note of these 10 non-working days and vacations are always planned around it. Last May 24 was a religious holiday as everyone took a break from work and school to celebrate Vesak Day which, I just found out, was Buddha's birthday. Paul and I were no different. We made sure that we made the most of our 3-day weekend by accepting Traders Hotel, Singapore 's invitation to stay for the night. Hooray for another staycation! We got to the hotel a little after lunch time and were quickly ushered up to the Traders Club lounge . Since we will be staying at the a Club Room thus we can do our check-in at the lounge instead of waiting in line at the hotel's front desk. Checking in was a breeze and so high tech! A...

Here's one thing that Paul and I will surely miss here in Manila -- the ability to have a quick weekend staycation whenever the need for one comes about. I know we'll be able to find ways to unwind and to enjoy when we move to the Lion City but that would take some time as we have to settle into our new home, get to know the neighborhood and to adjust to our new life in such a busy city. Having a staycation is something that we both always look forward to. I know it may sound silly and shallow for some but being able to check into a hotel and to just relax and not worry about a thing has proven to be a good way to re-energize after a busy, hectic week. Now that our schedules are literally packed with last minute shopping, medical check-ups, despedida dinners and time at home to pack, we truly welcomed the invitation to stay the night at Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences right at the heart of Makati City. Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences has been around for a cou...

A few months back, after my full day Pasta Class at Global Academy , Paul and I headed down South for yet another weekend staycation. I don't know why but I always get excited whenever the chance to visit Alabang comes around. I guess, it's because of the numerous restaurants that I've been wanting to try and my list keeps getting longer as I only get to visit Alabang at least once a year. So excited was I that I immediately sent fellow Jane an email to ask for her foodie recommendations. She was so nice that she sent me a very comprehensive one making me all the more excited for that particular weekend. The beauty of staycations is that you get to unwind and relax without killing yourself with a long car/boat/plane ride. Acacia Hotel is a homegrown five star luxury hotel situated right at the heart of busy Alabang . It is indeed strategically located making it so accessible to nearby malls, a weekend market and a number of restaurants and coffee shop. We got to the ...

This is to continue our 3-day vacation in Tagaytay City . After spending our first night at the very posh yet homey Discovery Country Suites , Paul and I headed to another accommodation spot called Crosswinds Resorts Suites . I've been seeing the huge signages of Crosswinds' development for more than 5 years already. What I know is that it's located very close to Tagaytay Highlands and while it doesn't overlook the famous Taal Volcano , the size of this property is breathtaking and impressive enough. What I didn't know was that you can actually stay the night or two (or even the entire week) even if you are not a member. They now have two hotel buildings that allow visitors to stay in. We checked into our Studio Bedroom (Php. 6,000) and were pretty impressed with the comfy looking interiors. I loved how clean it smelled and the view was simply amazing. We were told that they have imported thousands of pine trees in order to achieve the Swiss feel . Well, s...

It was indeed a Sweet November for me and Paul last month. Despite being extra busy and stressful all month-long, we both looked forward to every single weekend as we had a staycation or a mini vacation planned one week after the other. Our Sweet November began with an overnight stay at the Marriott Hotel back-to-back with a delicious steak dinner at Cru . The next weekend followed with a fun pasta making class for me at Global Academy and another overnight stay in Alabang. After my quick trip to Cebu for work, Paul and I ended the month with a 3 day break in one of our favorite out of town destinations -- Tagaytay City . Others may find Tagaytay City boring but not me. I grew up going to Tagaytay so often and yet every vacation leaves me rejuvenated, happy and relaxed after. It helps that Tagaytay is so close to Manila that I don't get bored on the road going there and coming back home. That's a big plus as I really do not like long road trips. There are a lot of res...

It has always been a winning solution. This is the reason why I've been dying to get away . I was right.  A trip can take all the gloomy days away and bring back some ray of sunshine back into my life. I'm so happy and even if I obviously have gained a few pounds from all that (lechon) eating, I don't care. Frannywanny is finally BACK and I have Cebu to thank for it. *big grin* I've always been so in love with Cebu that despite being there a number of times, every trip still brings a lot of new discoveries and adventure that I always come home happy, rejuvenated and wishing that I can go back soon. Well, I will but not in a few months so the countdown starts now. that's my colleague Dottie!! :) Anyway, for this trip, Summit Circle Hotel was our home for three whole days. It is adjacent to Robinsons Place Fuente and is located right at the heart of Fuente Circle . This is a good hotel option should you want to watch the Sinulog Festival in Cebu ...

Warning: Lots of photos ahead! :) The past few weeks have been fun for us corporate folks. We had a back-to-back long weekend giving us 4-days and 3-days workweeks one after the other. I know that the after effect of this led to spending more hours at work to catch up with the pending tasks but still, a break is a break and I truly enjoyed mine to the fullest. While half of Metro Manila were out of town or out of the country, Paul and I drove about 5km away from home to stay the night at the beautiful Manila Marriott Hotel . We have reached our travel quota for the year so we decided to just stay in town and to have that much needed R&R. As I arrived at the lobby of the hotel, I was warmly greeted by the doorman and a couple of security staff. Seeing that I was trying my best to balance Paul's heavy camera bag plus our overnight luggage on one hand and my shoulder bag and laptop bag on the other, he quickly offered to hold on to our bags while I checked in. The reception d...

I'm feeling very exhausted lately. True, I just had one of the most relaxing trips ever but here I am back in the daily grind leaving me physically and mentally drained day in and out. Not even the two day weekend is enough to rejuvenate me. Does this mean it's time for another vacation soon? Hmm.. A few months ago, The Food Club was invited to have a quick weekend break at the new Ramada Manila Central Hotel located right at the heart of Binondo, Manila . While we're used to taking a weekend getaway outside of Metro Manila , Paul and I welcomed the thought of just staying in town but still being able to have some R&R away from home. Up until this day, I really get excited every time I have the chance to visit Binondo a.k.a. Chinatown. It reminds me of the time I would go on food trips with friends as we would enjoy the various snacks and treats found in every nook and cranny of this place. I also have spent a good amount of time here when I was preparing for my...

I ♥ the weekend! Oh how I value those two precious days where I get to stay in bed longer, go out for brunch or coffee with friends, watch a movie with Paul, run errands (pay our bills! ugh) and on certain weekends, go on a road trip. This is what makes the Philippines amazing. We have three big islands surrounded by various bodies of water (hello Pacific Ocean, South China Sea and a lot more) yet it is actually possible to go from north to south and back with just a car. Thanks to the RoRo , there has been a number of "cross-country" races that has been done to prove that this is indeed possible. Tiring and nerve-wracking but possible. One weekend, Paul and I joined our favorite eating and travel buddies -- the Co Family for a weekend staycation at The Bellevue Hotel in Alabang. Living at the center of Metro Manila, the farthest that most of us would frequent in the South would be Makati. Thus, upon accepting an invite to visit The Bellevue Hote l, it surely feels ...

When I was planning for my upcoming business trip to Beijing , I was told that I will be staying at the Marriott City Wall Hotel . With that in mind, I planned my itinerary around the hotel knowing that there's a subway station nearby making it accessible for me to sneak in some quick shopping trips in between our official visits and meetings. I've been growing through the Marriott City Wall website a lot of times that I knew the look of the hotel by heart. Thus, when the luxurious black Mercedez Benz (a.k.a. my ride from the airport) made a left turn into a small road and stopped in front of an unfamiliar looking hotel, that got me really confused. I was already too confused with the non-stop Chinese conversations thrown my way as I tried to answer back with my very rusty broken Mandarin and now, I began to question myself if this was really the Marriott Hotel and not as what was I saw in their website. My confusion immediately disappeared as my Chinese counterpart explai...