5 Days in Thailand: Phuket-Bangkok Travel Itinerary

Early 2016, I bumped into a seat sale promotion which perfectly coincided with my homecoming trip. I have been planning to bring the parents to Bangkok and Phuket has been in my travel bucketlist for so long; hence I took the cheap flight offer as a sign to make a family trip happen. 

Wanting to make the most of our less than a week stay in Thailand, I quickly jotted down a Phuket and Bangkok itinerary never really knowing if it's doable for our family or not. Thankfully, although it was quite a hectic schedule for the seniors, my itinerary worked!

Here's our Phuket - Bangkok 5-day tour itinerary.    

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Things to Remember Before You Visit Manjuyod Sandbar

When travel vlogger Lost LeBlanc declared his admiration for Manjuyod Sandbar and fondly called it as The Maldives of The Philippines, I was stoked! The natural beauty is in MY HOME ISLAND - Negros! And it is only a 5-hour drive from my home town.

So, in spite of having a tight vacation schedule last December, my aunt and I made it a point to bring the family in this newly found gem. We were able to squeeze a 3-day Dumaguete family getaway with a side trip to Manjuyod Sandbar in between the holiday rush and Christmas reunions.

Internet-famous, but still an offbeat destination, Manjuyod Sandbar is definitely worth a visit. 

But wait! 

Before you pack your bags, here are 5 things to remember when planning for a trip to the place they call The Maldives of the Philippines.

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Centro Al Manhal: Hotel Stay and Adventure Package

Whenever we plan for a short break within the UAE, Ed and I often book a hotel promotion that includes accommodation and activities. It is a tested and proven way to save money as packages are offered at discounted rates. There are several good offers out there. We're actually spoilt for choice here, but choosing a perfect package depends on our staycation goal. 

If we need is to de-stress, we would search for a beach hotel package inclusive of aromatherapy massage. If we're celebrating something special, we would likely consider a romantic package of hotel stay, dinner and bubbly. But if our goal is to go on a weekend adventure, accommodation and theme park tickets are a perfect match! And for this hotel stay and adventure combo, we recently came across an amazing offer in Abu Dhabi.      

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Dubai Do-It-Yourself Tour 3 Days Itinerary

This blog post is inspired by the emails and Facebook messages I have received from blog readers who are planning to visit Dubai. Aside from FAQs like "Is Dubai safe?" and "How can I go from here to there?" , I was also asked to check DIY tour itineraries a couple of times. 

So, I thought, why not share my own 3-day Dubai DIY tour itinerary?

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Barilla Restaurant in Dubai Festival City

There's a newly opened Italian restaurant in Dubai Festival City and its name rings a bell. If you're a pasta lover, surely you have come across Barilla pasta in the supermarkets. The company behind the world's best selling pasta brand - Barilla - has opened several restaurants in New York, and now, it has arrived in Dubai!

Ed and I had the pleasure of dining in Barilla's first outlet in the Middle East last weekend. Here's how our lunch went.

    

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Mr. Crab Seafood Restaurant in Dubai

I have been constantly hearing about this seafood place in Al Barsha called Mr. Crab. You know me, I go crazy when I hear the word "SEAFOOD". But the thing with Mr. Crab is, it's too far from where I live. And with all those seafood places popping out nearby, I wasn't sure if Mr. Crab will be worth the journey.

But Mr. Crab has good ways of reminding me to seek out for him. First, I saw photos of my friends devouring Mr. Crab's seafood paella on my Facebook feed. Second, I stumbled onto Mr. Crab's drool-worthy Instagram posts. Third, I received an email invitation from Mr. Crab, himself, to try out the newly-launched menu. 

The third reminder had me! 

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Cool Instagrammable Cafes in Silay

My hometown hardly welcomes big national brands in the dining scene. I'm not sad, not even worried. Silay is one of those towns that proudly holds a striking balance between growth and cultural preservation. Popular dining spots in the city weren't franchised from the metropolis. They were created by the locals for the locals! 

One of the best things I have stumbled onto during my recent homecoming is Silay's booming coffee culture. There are plenty of new cafes, each with a different style and concept. And the bonus is, in this Instagram-era, most of those cafes are visually perfect. They aren't just spots for a caffeine fix, they are gram-worthy as well!

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Lunch at Punong Gary's Place in Silay

Tucked in the outskirts of my hometown - Silay City - in Negros Occidental is a little piece of paradise called Punong Gary's Place. It was once a secret culinary hideaway, but because of its uniqueness, it easily became the talk of the town, the world rather! Awesome places could never remain a secret in social media; hence, I already knew about it before Ed and I went home for Christmas!

The moment we got our flight tickets to the Philippines, I immediately placed a reservation for weekend lunch. Although Punong Gary's Place has gained popularity, it remained a hideaway as it is exclusive to guests with confirmed reservation.

I received a prompt reply in their Facebook Page. Getting a reservation wasn't as hard as I thought. I excitedly noted the important details: Sunday lunch. 11am to 3pm. Table for 10. 5-course meal. 750 Pesos per person. 

750 Pesos! Yes, that is not a typo. Punong Gary's Place is quite an expensive dining spot.

Is it worth it? 

Let me show you.   

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