Frannywanny

They say, traveling is always a good thing. No matter how short or long the journey may be, rest assured that you'll return home richer -- not necessarily monetarily but in knowledge. The experience and the people you'll encounter along the way will give you a better idea about the country's culture, way of life and its rich history too. I'm lucky that my parents made sure that Pan and I got to travel early on in our lives. School, after all, can only teach you so much, but learning a new language or being exposed to something that's unfamiliar to us will always bring about a lot of memories and new learnings. This is also why we're such travel fanatics till this day. So, it has just been a few months since my last visit to Kuala Lumpur and there I was again last weekend. The trip was pretty much spontaneous as it just came about as I was chatting with my sister one afternoon. She commented that she hasn't been to the Petronas Towers and knowing her fa...

Calling all fellow food-lovers based in the Philippines! Here's YOUR chance to be on TV and be a STAR! The Asian Food Channel (AFC) is currently on a look out for the man/woman who'll be their Food Hero ! The winner will star in his/her own TV show on AFC and will have the chance to discover a whole new world of eating, cooking and travelling around the region! It's time to unleash your talent for the world to see.  So, do you have what it takes? Simply submit a video at www.foodhero.asia starting June 2, 2014 (Monday) showing the judges why you are the next Food Hero . Show your fun personality, passion and love for food, travel and adventure. There are no time limits on your video and no limits to your creativity. The video submission will first need to be uploaded on YouTube and must be at least HD, 1280 x 720 size. In order for the judges to access your video, don't forget to set the settings to Public .  Here's more! The AFC crew is heading to M...

Paul and I stayed overnight only in Macau. Our first day after checking in at Hotel Sintra , was spent at the Cotai Strip where we checked out the City of Dreams and the ever-famous Venetian Hotel. We were initially planning to stay at the Venetian after hearing my Kongkong rave endlessly about it. But since Kongkong had a bigger traveling budget than us, we opted to just stay at the other side of the island but made sure to still spend some time explore this much-talked about hotel. Since it was my first time in Macau and I hardly had time to research prior to our trip thus, our first day dining choices were quite disappointing. Not that it tastes bad but it definitely wasn't memorable enough. You see, we had lunch at McDonald's and dinner at Fat Burger. Not very Macanese at all. So, I woke up the next day with a plan. We have to dine at an authentic Macanese or Portuguese restaurant before we fly back home. The question is, where to? Thanks to the impressively fast WiFi co...

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...

Our recent trip to Korea wasn't just devoted to eating. Aside from nourishing our tummies, we also nourished our minds. It's also perfect that we had three young kids with us and I believe taking them to places such as this will allow them to have a better idea of Korea's history and to see what life was back then. After all, traveling should also be educational. True, I'm the type of traveler who wants to have a good mix of cultural immersion while enjoy the fun cosmopolitan life of a particular travel destination however most of my trips just lasts a week and with all the sights and places that we have to visit, I have to be wise and to choice the best spots instead of boring myself out by visiting them all. Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate the history and the culture but at some point, I feel that you see one __________ (fill this in with palace/temple/mountain/ruins) , you've seen them all! There are actually a lot of palaces in Korea but our group de...

My trip to Beijing was really short.  Too short that all days were filled up with office visits, a grand launch party and a quick stop to the Forbidden City. Given that it was my first time in Beijing, China ; I tried my best to soak in everything that I  saw, heard and tasted all throughout my four-day trip. As I was packing my luggage on my last evening, I realized that I haven't shopped for anything! *panic!* Not even my mandatory Starbucks city mug that I always make sure to buy for my growing collection. Thus, on my last day, I invited my Japanese counterparts for a quick morning shopping trip at Wangfujing . This is one place that I took note of after asking my friends K and J for shopping and eating tips in Beijing . I totally can let go of not seeing the Great Wall or the Olympic Stadium for this trip but I'm not leaving Beijing without a short shopping spree at Wangfujing ! No way, José! It was raining on our last day making it very hard to walk around and e...

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...

In every country, there is a particular district that I have grown fond of. There's Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong and Raffles City in Singapore. As a result, I would tend to book hotels within these areas as I find myself most comfortable and at ease when staying in these places. Both districts are considered highly commercial areas as they are filled with lots of shops and restaurants making it so convenient for Paul and I to eat, shop and walk around at any given time of the day. After all, being in a foreign land, it's important to still feel safe to be able to fully enjoy and maximize the trip. As we got to our hotel in Korea , I immediately fell in love with Myeongdong . I love the fact that the entire place is filled with retail shops, food establishments and a lot more. There are a number of malls present such as the Lotte Young Plaza , Migliore and the huge high-end department store called Shinsegae . Just around our hotel, there are a lot of beauty shops which wer...

Annyeong haseyo! I'm back from my week-long break in chilly Seoul, Korea ! With the temperature ranging from 5-12 degrees celsius, I spent most of my stay wrapped in my comfy fluffy jacket, gloves and thermal wear to keep me warm.  My friends Richard and Irene were right..thermal eventually becomes your best friend as the temperature drops and as the icy cold wind hits your face. Armed with my daily dose of vitamin C and a new pair of comfy rubber shoes, I joined The Food Club as we visited the various sites around Seoul and ate to our hearts content! Oh I just love Korean barbeque, Bibimbap and Kimbap! I had them almost every single day! The highlight of our stay was that we were able to catch the full bloom of the cherry blossom trees. So pretty and breath-taking indeed. Before I go on and on about our trip, I'd like to open this Korea travel series with some basis Korea 101 ! The Food Club was able to grab a good deal with Cebu Pacific when it had its sea...

A trip to Hong Kong is not complete without having congee for breakfast. Just to show you how good congee in Hong Kong is, it is powerful enough to pull my husband out of bed and to have breakfast with me as Paul is the type of guy who would choose to sleep and stay in bed more than to have breakfast any day. Of course, given that we normally just have three to four days to spend in Hong Kong , we make it a point to dedicate at least one morning for congee. We also do not frequent just one congee house, instead, we take on the challenge to search for more hidden gems especially those located along residential alleys. We feel, the less commercialized the congee place is, the better congee they make. During our recent visit to Hong Kong we chanced upon Da Shi Fu which located along Ivy Street, a restaurant-filled area across our hotel . Outside the store is a dispenser machine for Soy Milk, Paul's favorite drink and aluminum racks with Chinese crullers otherwise known as...

As with every trip, we try to inject a bit of history in order for us to learn a bit more about the country that we're visiting. For example, we watched the amazing Siam Niramit show in Thailand which I felt was worth every penny because I have learned to appreciate the colorful Thai culture. In Malaysia , Paul and I visited the Petronas Twin Towers which stands as the icon of Kuala Lumpur. Thus, in Taiwan , our trip began with a short visit to the Chiang-Kai Shek Memorial Hall which was just a few MRT stops away from Caesar Park Hotel . I love how accessible going around Taipei is. Almost all tourist spots are adjacent to an MRT terminal making it easy for one to go around without getting lost in the process. Note that it may be difficult to get lost in Taiwan as majority of its population can't speak English that well. Thus, make sure to have a trusty map (make sure it's in English! My sister grabbed a map but it was in Mandarin..not very helpful at all :P) and or...

I'm finally back from my short vacation to Taipei, Taiwan where I spent 3 relaxing days with Paul, my sister Pan and our dearest friends. Finally, after almost 8 months of planning, our Taiwan trip was able to push through and we're all back home rejuvenated and our minds filled with more knowledge about a culture not quite different from ours. Taiwan is located at the northern part of Asia . Slightly above the Philippines and below Japan and Korea. In fact, we were once told that you can actually pick up some Taiwanese radio stations when you're standing along the shores of Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte . It's THAT close. While Cebu Pacific offers the lowest rate for flights from Manila to Taipei (Taoyuan International Airport), the only drawback is your flight is at 1040PM and you arrive in Taiwan roughly two hours after. After going through immigration and customs, we waited for our shuttle service that will take us to our hotel -- Caesar Park Hotel . Caesar Park...

I love it that whenever I travel with Paul , we make it a point that our visit to that particular foreign country has a mix of trying out their local cuisine, visiting historical landmarks, shopping till our legs give up and lastly, being touristy by going to highly recommended tourist spots. Our honeymoon trip to Kuala Lumpur was not any different from our past trips. For instance, we made sure we spent a good amount of time admiring the beauty of the Petronas Twin Towers , we treated our taste buds to their local cuisines and those that we have not seen for sometime , lastly, we planned a visit to the Aquaria at the KLCC (Kuala Lumpur Convention Center) to see hundreds of water creatures and more! Entrance fee is only RM 45 (approximately P650) and you get full access to roam around the Aquaria, watch feeding shows and go inside the Oceanarium to see the fishes and sharks up close. Aside from water animals, Aquaria also has an exhibit of rain forest creatures that is s...

We are on the second leg of our 10-day Honeymoon. From beautiful Singapore we flew to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia via Air Asia. There are actually more than one way to get to Kuala Lumpur from Singapore. There's the 5-hour bus ride, the chartered car drive or the 55 minutes air travel. Not wanting to wait very long, we chose the later and luckily Air Asia was also having a Seat Sale at the time when we booked our ticket! Also, Air Asia passengers goes to the Terminal 1 of Changi Airport that has far more food and retail establishments than its Budget Terminal. Our flight was smooth and stress-free. In no time, we have landed at Kuala Lumpur's Low Cost Terminal (LCCT). After a short walk from our plane to the Immigration Area, we breezed through the luggage belt and out towards a chain of restaurants and transport terminals. To be honest, we had to adjust a bit as we got used to the cleanliness and tight security of Singapore. Malaysia is more lax and it has a good mix o...

It was a bright and sunny morning as Paul and I made our way to Universal Studios Singapore . Going there was a breeze, we took the MRT all the way to Harbourfront which was adjacent to a mall called Vivo City . Just follow the directional signages leading you up to the top level where you can buy your ticket to ride the Sentosa Rail for only $3/round trip. While waiting for our train to arrive, we walked around the outdoor deck and marveled at the cute artsy decors that they have installed for both kids and adults to enjoy. From the balcony, you'll see the signage that says Sentosa. On board the Sentosa Rail, you get to choose any one from the three stations where you want to alight. All passengers heading to Universal Studios and Resorts World will have to alight at the Waterfront Station . Another way to get to Sentosa is through the Cable Car. You have to go up to Mt. Faber where the terminal is located. However, this is not advisable for those who are afraid of heig...

After 10 days of travelling, walking, shopping and eating, we're finally back in Manila for a quick stop before enjoying 3 gorgeous days under the sun. Meanwhile, allow me to share with you some bits and pieces of what made our honeymoon simply perfect. Let me start off with our hotel accomodation in Singapore . Thanks to Paul's cousin J, who recommended this hotel to us, we checked in at the Swissotel The Stamford Hotel . Little did we know that we just check ourselves into the tallest hotel in Singapore. I remember having a photo with my sister back when we were little and the hotel was simply called The Stamford. I was at awe! I couldn't believe how beautiful our hotel was. Entering the room, we marveled at the lovely comfy-looking bed. Perfect to make you feel like a king and queen. The room was very spacious given that we got the standard type, there's a tea box with TWG tea packs and a glass study table on the side. Stepping out on the balcony, I enjoyed...