Frannywanny

"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...

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...