For the nth time, we went to Tagaytay again last weekend as hubby wanted to unwind and I was making the most of my last two weekends before I go back to work. But to change things a little, we decided to visit Paradizoo this time. Paradizoo is a mini zoo and themed farm located in Cavite. We left Manila around 11 AM already so we just grabbed food for takeout along SLEX and we head straight to Paradizoo. I haven’t uploaded the pictures yet but this is one of the family pictures that we took inside Paradizoo:

Bela and Cobi really had a blast even though there are just a few animals in the zoo. But they enjoyed it because some of the animals are just freely roaming around the farm so the kids had a chance to play and pet the animals. After our visit to Paradizoo, we went to Carlo’s Pizza for merienda before heading back home to Manila.

Last month, my family together with my parents, spent an overnight in Taal Vista Hotel. Thanks to Deal Grocer’s promo, I was able to avail it at a discounted price.

Bela requested that we go swimming before his dad leaves for another out of the country trip and since it is the rainy season already, we don’t want to travel far to do that and our first best choice then would be Tagaytay.

We just spent almost the entire time in the hotel as the kids just didn’t get tired swimming. They just got out of the pool when it was almost 5 PM already and they are already feeling cold because of the cool Tagaytay breeze.

This is my kind of weekend. I will try to see if I can get another promo in Deal Grocer so we can have another staycation in our favorite city away from Manila.

One of the unique experiences that we had when we went to Zoobic Safari was the Aetas’ Trail. In this attraction, we were treated with a presentation of the Aetas. They did several dance numbers like the Dragon fly dance, monkey dance and the warrior dance, which they do every time they send a warrior to battle.

There was never a dull moment during the presentation as the dances that they performed are something that is new to us. Even Cobi and Bela enjoyed the show. There was even one Aeta who was playing a musical instrument, something like the theramin, to accompany the dance numbers.

The Aetas’ Trail was the second to the last attraction in our tour at Zoobic Safari. Make sure you will not miss this next time you happen to be here.

Hubby arrived at around 9 PM last Saturday from his tour of duty in Majuro and looks like he really missed us so much that he wanted to go on an out of town trip the very next day of his arrival.

He really wanted to go to Zoobic Safari and so we just had breakfast and drove North to Subic. It was actually our first time here, except for hubby who had visited the place a few years ago. I was actually reluctant at first because I can’t imagine being in a place where I can experience a close encounter with the tigers. But I know that Bela will enjoy it, so I gave in.

The entrance ticket is P499 for adult plus P50 for the tram ride. It includes 11 attractions already like the Forbidden Cave, Bone Museum, Tiger Safari, Close Encounter, Aetas Trail, Coco Loco and more. They do the tour per group and so it was like a field trip where you will visit each attraction per group and they will just give you a set amount of time to enjoy each attraction. This limits your freedom to choose which attraction you like as you really have to follow the flow of the tour.

The entrance also includes the Tiger Safari where we rode a jeepney and we entered the safari area where we can have close encounter with the tigers. Bela was surprised though when the safari was already over as we only encountered 2 tigers during the trip.

Overall, it was a unique and fun experience (although a bit scary for me). Next time we go back here, we should leave early so we can watch the shows which are scheduled at 10:30, 1:30 and 3 PM before or after our guided tour.

Since hubby will be home in 2 weeks, I have started to check the website www.peterglenn.com/ to check out for items that I can buy to gear up for our next adventure.

Hubby promised the kids that we will have a vacation once he goes back so we are all looking forward to that. I am not sure though where we are going. Hubby wants to try Zoobic Safari then go to one of the beach resorts in Subic but I would rather stay in a beach resort all weekend.

Hubby and I haven’t really made any final plans. But I am sure it is easy to book now as it is already the start of the school year and the end of the peak season.

Our family friend from Canada together with his family came to Manila last March for a short vacation. It has been years since he last set foot in the Philippines and it is actually the first time for his wife and kids. So they really had a busy schedule going to the different places here in the Philippines as well as visiting relatives whom they haven’t seen in a long time.

That is why I am very glad that they were able to spend one whole day with us. My husband and I were choosing between Subic and Tagaytay for our quick getaway with them but Tagaytay won as we figured they might find it too hot and uncomfortable if we go to Ocean Adventure or Zoobic Safari in Subic.

We just wanted a relaxing afternoon since they are still battling jet lag plus they just got back from Boracay. So we fetched them at their hotel and we drive to Tagaytay. We first went to Pamana restaurant for an early lunch and we took them to Picnic Grove after since we wanted them to try out the Zipline.

After our thrilling zipline ride, the kids went horseback riding so they can go around and have a good view of the Taal Lake and volcano.

Then we went to Cliffhouse and had our afternoon snack at Café Breton. After eating merienda, they are still in the move for another adventure and so we brought them to Nuvali where the kids feed the kois and then we went shopping after at Paseo de Sta Rosa. We ended the night with a dinner at Racks and then we brought them to their hotel afterwards.

I hope that they can come and visit us more often and we are looking forward to our next getaway with you guys.

Our last day in Singapore was still as busy as our first 3 days. We had breakfast again at the hotel and we let the kids swim at the hotel pool while having breakfast. Then at around 9:30 AM we transferred to Adventure Cove Park as we have tickets to that as well as part of the package of the hotel.

The park was really big, clean, and well-maintained and you can really see a lot of lifeguards on duty so you can be assured of the safety of the kids as well. We initially tried the river ride but halfway in the ride, it will pass by a cave which looks scary and dark (even I myself got scared), that Bela and Cobi chickened out and decided to just walk to reach the other attractions in the park.

Bela was still all game and she tried the giant slide with her dad as well the swimming pool where there are real fishes so you can snorkel.

Too bad we can only stay here until 1 PM maximum as we have to check out from our hotel at 2 PM plus we have to leave by 3:30 PM to catch our 5 PM flight. Bela and Cobi would have enjoyed it more if we were able to stay longer. At least we have a reason to come back to Singapore.

As soon as we reached the hotel, we just checked out and then we tried the Sentosa Express to go to Vivo City Mall for lunch. The kids were requesting that we tried the train since they saw it but our IT was always full that it was only on the last day that we were able to do it.

After lunch we went back to our hotel to pick up our luggage, bought some souvenirs and then met up with the cab driver that we booked for our airport transfer then head to the airport for our 5 PM flight.

And to sum it up, it was a very relaxing vacation for our family. We both thought that it will be stressful since we don’t have extra hands to help us with the kids but it was a good bonding moment for our family. It helped too that we stayed in Resorts World area so we don’t have to commute to go to the theme parks and go back to the hotel after a long day. Also, Bela was being a big sister already and she is helping us take care of Cobi.

That is why we are planning another vacation, hopefully, in November to celebrate Bela’s birthday.

A few days after our Singapore tour will be the birthday of my father. I would have wanted to treat him and my mom and invite them to join us in our Singapore vacation but we have a limited budget this time. And so I just decided to get him cheap humidors instead for our birthday present.

Hopefully, next time we travel, I will have extra budget again so they can come with us too.

We spent our 3rd day in Singapore at Universal Studios. Universal Studios is not open until 10 AM so we were able to rest a bit before another busy day. We had breakfast at the hotel and since we are already in Resorts World, we just walk to reach Universal Studios.

I love Singapore’s Universal Studios as it is not that big so it is not that tiring for me and Howell and the kids. It is also a Monday so we almost had the theme park all to ourselves as there is not much people lining up for each attractions.

We went to the Madagascar section first and tried the boat ride and Carousel ride. They so love the carousel ride that they were able to ride it more than 3 times I think.

Then we went around to try out the other rides and they were also able to watch the Madagascar Boogie (too bad Cobi accidentally deleted the video that I took of the show).

I was so proud of Bela as she was really all game to try out all the rides in the park. Imagine she tried the Canopy Flyer and the Jurassic Park ride which I will never dare ride. LOL.

At 5:45 PM, we decided to leave as we have tickets to the SEA Aquarium too for the same day. I checked the website before we left and they are open until 8 PM but to my surprise, they are only open until 7 PM. I asked the staff about it and I was informed that the 8 PM closing time was only effective during the Chinese New Year week which ended the Sunday before our visit.

As per the advertisement, they say that it is the biggest aquarium in the whole world. They have great collection of fishes, but I think the place is just small and I don’t think that it is bigger than Manila’s Ocean Park. They have one tall aquarium tank inside so hubby was teasing me that I might have read it wrong and it might have been the tallest and not the biggest aquarium in the world.

But nevertheless, Bela and Cobi enjoyed it even though we only have an hour to explore the park.

On our second day, we started early as we want to be early at the zoo as we know a whole day is not enough to enjoy all the shows and attractions in the zoo. We checkout before leaving the hotel and left our things at the concierge.

We arrived at the zoo around half pass 8 and there was a queue already. We started our day at the zoo with a visit to the Panda, which is a preview to a new park that they will be opening this year which is the River Safari.

After that, we went around to see all the animals that we can visit in the time that we have as we know how much Bela would love this.

We were also able to watch almost all the shows – Elephants at Work and at Play, Safari Fights Back and the Sea Lion show to the delight of our kids.

We were also able to enjoy the elephant ride. This was my first time and the entire time I was just saying “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh” but I have to conquer my fear because I want to experience this with the kids.

The kids were also able to try feeding the elephants. We were late for the show and so we were at the last row in the theater so I have to squeeze myself in the crowd after the show so I can buy baskets of goodies for the elphant feeding.

After Singapore Zoo, we also met up with my college friend and her family and went to Night Safari with them. We had dinner at Night Safari then did some souvenir shopping and went back to our hotel.

As soon as we arrived at Peninsula Excelsior, we just grabbed our bags and head straight to Festive Hotel in Resorts World where we will be staying until our 4th day.

This is a long delayed post but just like what I always say. It is better late than never.

Last November, I was able to book a promo fare to Singapore. The price is still a little bit expensive as compared to Piso fare rates of Cebu Pacific but at least I was able to book tickets for a weekend and a long weekend at that.

So last February 23, we took the Cebu Pacific flight to Singapore. This is the first time that we will be travelling out of the country and it is just me and my husband with the kids. We usually travel with my cousins or with my parents, but this time, it is just us so my husband and I were really praying that everything will be just alright.

We took the 2nd flight at 10 AM as I don’t want to wake up that early to be at the airport. Our flight was on time and we arrive in Singapore a little pass 2 PM. We were also lucky as the budget terminal is under renovation so we landed at Terminal 2 of Singapore’s international airport which is far better than the budget terminal.

Upon arrival, we got a taxi and we went straight to our hotel, Pacific Excelsior in the Marina Bay area. We just rest for a bit at the hotel then we went out for a quick city tour.

We went to the Merlion, Esplanade and we also went to the Sky Park of the Marina Bay Sands. After this, the kids are all tired and hungry already so we went to Raffles Mall, which is just across our hotel, for dinner and went back to our hotel and call it a day.

A week before Bela’s birthday I have to work overtime for three days from Friday to Sunday. We were working until 1 or 2 AM and so I did not go home for 2 nights as we just stayed in the hotel where the event was held.

I miss my family during those three days and 2 nights but I am thankful for this great opportunity because I have earned a little extra to treat my family. And just the perfect timing because the Wednesday after that weekend, Cebu Pacific offered a 75% off to all their domestic and international flights.

My husband and I woke up at 4 AM to book our tickets and we are so lucky because we were able to secure a flight to Singapore on February 23-26, 2013.

The good thing about the flight that we booked is that it falls on a weekend and the EDSA People Power holiday so Bela will only be absent for one day.

Now I am really excited. This will be our third time in Singapore but the first time for Cobi and the last time we were there, Universal Studios, Marina Bay Sands and Lego Land is not open yet so there are a lot of new places that we can explore on our trip there this February.

If you are planning for your next family adventure and you are thinking where to go, then going to a beach resort might be something that you may want to consider as the sea, sand and sun is something that the whole family will surely enjoy.

There are a lot of things that kids and adult alike can do while in a beach resort. It can be a whole day full of fun activities, a weekend and even a whole week. If you check out the Things to do in Provo, one of the newest beach resorts in Utah, you will discover a whole lot of activities to keep you and your family busy and entertained while on your vacation.

When planning for a beach vacation, here are some tips that you should consider:

1. Get ideas from all the family members. This will ensure that you will find a beach destination that everyone will enjoy and that they have something to look forward to in your destination of choice.

2. Decide when to go. Do you want to go during the high season where the beach may be crowded or during the off-season where you can have the beach to yourself to relax and have fun? You can also check for events lined up, as it may be something that you don’t want to miss.

3. Check the resort facilities. When choosing your beach resort destination, check for the services that the resort offers especially if you are traveling with kids. You can check if the resort offers babysitting, kid friendly activities, family suite that has a lot of space for the whole family and more. 

If you plan ahead, you will be able to choose the best beach destination that will give your family the ultimate fun and relaxation during your vacation.

In my short stay in Siem Reap, I have learned the following: 

1. I may not be the arts and culture type of girl, but I so love architecture and history as I fell in love with all the temples that we visited in Siem Reap. On the top of my list is Pre Rup and Bayon temple.

 2. There are a lot of vendors outside the temples and if they offer you their goods, don’t say “later.” I said this to one of the girls on our way inside the temple and on our way out she kept on insisting that I buy something from her as she waited for me because I said later.

3. Most hotels have free wifi and some are not even protected by password so we were able to get free Internet connection all the time. But we have to make sure also that our laptop has an updated virus scanner, especially when connecting to unsecured networks.

4. If you will visit the temple, make sure that your shoes are comfortable and water proof. LOL. I was wearing my Toms on our first day and it suddenly rained that my Toms are drenched. Then I realized that it is the reason why the tourists are wearing either flip-flops or Crocs. Good thing I brought 2 pairs of Melissa shoes also.

5. Restaurants surrounding the temples are more expensive compared to restaurants downtown. One meal of rice and viand cost around $4 in the small eateries around the temple when it only cost $2-$3 downtown.

6. Bring a lot of cash when in Siem Reap as majority of the establishments don’t accept credit cards. Even the big restaurants around the temples, the office where you can buy the tickets for the temples and souvenir shops don’t offer a credit card facility. Some shops will have a sign that they accept credit cards but the staff doesn’t know how to use it that we will end up paying in cash.

7. Souvenirs being sold by the kids outside the temple are definitely cheaper compared to the big souvenir shops downtown. The water globe that I bought from one of the vendors in Ta Phrom temple cost only $3 while it is priced at $15 in the big souvenir shops downtown.

8. 3.5 days is not enough to visit all the temples and don’t think that you have seen them all if you visited one as each temple has each of its own characteristics.

My husband and I together with my father-in-law, just got back from a short vacation in Siem Reap. I had been selected to provide IT support for a conference that our company attended there so we found it as a great opportunity again for a short vacation.

We decided to just stay only in Siem Reap and not visit other Indo-Chine countries like Vietnam and Thailand, as I don’t want to stay for more than 7 days as we will be leaving the kids behind for this trip.

For our 3.5 days stay in Siem Reap, we have hired a tuk-tuk as our service. Out Tuk-Tuk driver, Thommas, really provided us with excellent service because not only he served as our driver but he also was our tour guide as he took us to all must-see temples, shopping places, restaurants, and more making our stay in Siem Reap very enjoyable.

His daily rate is very affordable, plus you will get to enjoy the ride more while riding the Tuk-tuk, with the fresh air and the beautiful scenery that you can see during the ride. He also speaks English very well making our communication with him very easy.

Next time you are in Siem Reap, contact Thommas to give you a one of a kind and very affordable Siem Reap tour. Here are his contact details:

Thommas 
Mobile: +855 – 977289909 (To call him when you are already in Siem Reap, just use this number: 0977289909) 
Email: leyhaklucky@yahoo.com

Our last hurrah for the long weekend was a quick trip to Tagaytay. I actually have work but I just filed for a vacation leave because we wanted to take the kids out before my husband’s trip to Ilocos and my trip to Cambodia the following weeks.

We left around 11:30 AM as we were busy watching the news about the recovery of Sec. Jesse Robredo’s body (Farewell Secretary and may your soul rest in peace). Luckily, there was no heavy traffic and so we reached Tagaytay around 1 PM.

Hubby was craving for Crispy Pata and so we decided to have lunch in LZM. After lunch, we went straight to the horseback riding area near Taal Vista hotel as per request of the kids.

After they are done horseback riding, we went to Cliffhouse and had merienda at Café Breton.

We went home after eating, which was around 5 PM as we all have school and work the next day. There was also no traffic on our way home and we reached the house around 6:30 PM.

Almost every Saturday, we are always out as this is the only time in a week that we can spend the whole day with the kids. We either go to malls, use coupons to dine in restaurants, go to their favorite place like Ocean Park and Avilon Zoo, go out of town and visit Tagaytay or Nuvali and more.

But last week, we decided to spend our Saturday differently. My husband and I attended the parents’ orientation in Bela’s school in the morning and then we went home to fetch the kids and instead of going to the mall, we went to…..Luneta park.

It is the first time for the kids and it has been ages also since my husband and I went there. And boy we were surprise as they have a lot of new gimmicks.

They have the tram ride which goes around the park for a fee of P50 for adults and P30 for the kids. There was also a horse-drawn carriage, though we were not able to try it.

After our tram ride, we went inside the Chinese Garden and Bela and Cobi got really excited and they keep on referring to it as Kung Fu Panda’s house.

After playing inside Chinese Garden, we watched the dancing fountain and I must admit it was indeed entertaining.

Bela kept on saying that this was the best day of her life and how she wishes she could go here everyday. What a very fun and affordable way to spend our Saturday.