Unexpected Break: Hainan - Hong Kong 2014

It was truly a blessing to flew out of the country last July to visit mainland China for the first time. My visa preparation was fast phased as I had to travel in a week's time. The flight had a 6 hour lay over in Xiamen before we land to Sanya, Hainan. Upon landing, I thought of going around Xiamen for a quick tour, but I feared that I will be lost. I decided to just be stuck at the airport and discover some establishments. 

A very expensive lunch - authentic soy chicken

I was entertained by the name, but upon taking a peek inside - EXPENSIVE spells everywhere!

I was able to endure the waiting time by trying to shop for goods. Too bad, there was no starbucks in the area so no tumbler for me. It was finally time to travel to Sanya, and I just can't wait to check out my hotel as I googled it prior the visit, and my expectations were quite high.

Agoda doesn't disappoint. Hotel was grandeur. It was majestic. I cannot believe I am staying alone it my room! I literally jumped from one bed to another. Another good part is the tub in the balcony overlooking the pool and private beach. I was very grateful to at least experience this kind of lifestyle once in my life.

The hotel's Lobby 

 Panoramic view of my Home for 3 days

Room is all good for staycation. My weakness is really the soft, comfy beds!

 The tub I was talking about. No worries, there is a blinds that could automatically be pulled down in case you want some privacy.

 This is the view from the balcony. Oh paradise! :)

 Another view that could melt my heart...

 This shot was taken around past 7 already but the sun had not set completely.

 The private beach of the hotel. 

 

There was an authentic Thai restaurant inside the hotel. Lucky to have tried it.

 This dish was not spicy enough for them, Oh boy, imagine me eating this! :)

Hainan trip needs to come to an end and my flight back to Manila was via Hong Kong so I decided to re-book my flight and stay in HK for another 3 days.

Upon arriving in Hong Kong, I was so nervous to start my solo adventure without any guide this time around. Good thing wifi is readily available, so I double checked the direction going to Chungking Mansion where I booked my budgeted stay.

Upon taking a glance of the infamous Chungking Mansion, all the reviews were validated. Of course, I have to show courage since I am a woman travelling solo. I cannot show fear, but I kept telling myself "what have I gotten into?", "why not stay in a hotel?". After settling in and calming myself, I reviewed the map I downloaded and braved myself to explore Hong Kong.

First stop was the avenue of stars. It was just a walking distance from Chungking Mansion. It was a Saturday afternoon, so lots of locals and tourists were there appreciating the views.

 I think Hong Kong really has one of the most beautiful skylines.

After being lost for quite some time, because I cannot find the direction to their MTR, I bumped into a person who guided me to the right direction. My next stop was to visit Victoria's Peak. I never anticipated that the queue would be that long. (Took me forever, like 3 hours before I could ride the tram up). At the end of the day, it was worth it. The view was splendid! Wished though that I had spent it with someone. It was breath taking.

 If given the chance, I would love to share this view with someone worthy of my time! :)

Lots of establishment inside this great architectural work, but too bad I was too shy to dine in alone.

I was able to catch up the MTR back to my place (just in time before 12 MN). I was too tired to even have my late dinner since my itinerary the following day was to visit the happiest place on earth. So I dozed off to dreamland right away.

I could not believe my excitement to finally be able to visit Disney land. I woke up early and navigated my way to the happiest place on Earth. I have to make a stop over though to buy myself a breakfast. Upon transferring to the Disneyland train, I cannot hide my happiness already upon seeing those mickey mouse safety handles! The train experience was already that magical!!!

 I am not dreaming anymore! 

 Happiness while watching Mickey goes up and down...

 My ticket to enter the magical world of Disney!

 A quick glance of Mickey and Minnie Mouse...

 She's truly an artist! I was amazed on how she was able to make this street art.

 I just randomly enter whatever attraction I could encounter! :)

 I had no idea that this was an indoor roller coaster! Imagine my shock and fear.

 It's a small small world. Could stay inside all day to balance the heat. 

See that tarsier? 

I realized I did not have a good shot of the castle...

I was hoping to bump into the real ms. potato though...

 Yes, I was able to try this and had a video of me going up and down with this ride. :)

I was not that afraid when I tried this. Maybe I already mastered the art of courage.

I was really tired after a long day at Disney Land and I wasn't able to witness the fireworks already. I dragged myself back to the hostel to have a quick break before heading out again for a late dinner and shopping.

I tried this authentic noodle and milk tea at Canton's Kitchen upon walking around Tsim Sha Tsui

My last day in HK was spent for a last minute shopping before heading to the Airport. I had my breakfast at the must dined Cafe de Coral then walked along TST to check for shops that are open. I ended up in the Giordano Shop where i found good buys.

Cafe de Coral Breakfast Meal

It was an amazing experience to be able to explore the culture of Hong Kong on my own. The first time I visited HK was 16 years ago. This visit reminded me why HK continues to be a progressive country. This blog cannot justify the beauty of the county, so I invite you to see for yourself what the it has to offer.

"We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment" 

Independence Day Escapade: Cebu - Bohol Adventure

The trip was planned randomly when Philippine Airlines had a seat sale last February, so fast forward to June, I was flying to the queen city of the south with my mom and sister. 

En route to where we are staying, we passed this beautiful, enormous bridge.

Upon our arrival to Gran Tierra Suites, we rendezvous with my college best friend to start our sweet escapade. The place we stayed was a family room where we just paid around 1,299 php per night. It's complete with the usual room amenities like free wifi, television, comfortable bedding and the most important of all - clean bathroom.

It was almost 5 in the afternoon, and our first stop was the Santo Nino Basilica. It's the oldest Roman Catholic church in the country and was founded in the 16th century. 

Cebu and Bohol was hit by a 7.2 magnitude quake back in October 2013, so most structures were damaged. The effect could be clearly seen in the Basilica where part of of the church cannot be accessed. 

During our visit, we are fortunate to attend mass with locals at this open space.

We were also able to see the Santo Nino and to explore the other part of the church. It's so liberating to be able to visit something that had been part of history. 

Up Close with the Santo Nino...

 We also witness the restoration being done to the bell tower...

The Magellan's Cross is just meters away from the Basilica. The cross was planted when Magellan arrived in Cebu in 1521. The damaged from the quake could also be observed. Trusses were installed for support.

At the front where Magellan's Cross is housed...

We headed to Crown Plaza to experience some extreme adventures. We tried the 6D but there's nothing much special in that ride, but our next ride - the edge coaster would definitely be one for the books! 

We had our sumptuous dinner buffet before trying the sky walk adventure. 

The following day, we visited the Cebu Provincial Capitol before we head to the port for our Bohol day trip. The building was designed by Juan M. Arellano and it is located in Osmena Blvd. I just find the building very attractive.

The travel to Bohol is a 2 hour fast ferry ride. We decided to avail a package tour to have a hassle free Bohol exploration. My mom and sister did not joined us as they have other plans.

We met up with the tour guide in Tagbiliran Port, and they gave us some important information about the famous chocolate hills, tarsier, Panglao island and the most important of all -  how they are coping after the the quake that hit them.

Our first stop was the Tarsier Sanctuary where we were able to chanced upon some sightings of the smallest primate in the world.

Next in our itinerary was the Loboc River cruise where we had our lunch. Food was superb with the soothing music in our background and fantastic view. Definitely something I'll cherish forever.

After the river cruise, we witnessed the damage caused by the quake to Loboc church. It's sad to see that such old church had been crushed down to pieces. 

We passed by the man-made forest on our way to Carmen, Bohol to visit one of the hundreds of chocolate hills.

To reach the decking view, we have to climb 214 steps but it's all worth it! Amazing formations of hills...

Next on our stop was the butterfly sanctuary. I was personally kinda tired already but nevertheless I was so excited to learn more about them.

Since we are running out of time, and we have to catch up the return ferry to Cebu, we just passed by the blood compact monument and the Baclayon Church. The latter was also damaged by the quake and we could see that they are on the process of trying to restore the establishment.

Upon arriving back to Cebu, we tried the  famous Zubuchon for dinner. I now understand why Anthony Bourdain loved it so much!

For our third day, we have to leave the city very early to catch a bus to Oslob for a whale watching adventure. It's a 3 hour bus ride from the south terminal to Oslob. The conductor will drop you off at one of the resort. The whale shark experience cost us around 500 per head for swimming with the gentle giants. 

Unlike in Donsol, the whale shark sighting here in Oslob is much higher because they are already domesticated. Meaning, fishermen were feeding them so tourists and locals could swim closely with the butanding. Also, it shocked me that they are not that strict with the number of people that could approach the whale shark.

Nonetheless, this is off my bucket list. I was so happy to be inches away from this plankton eating creatures. 

We head off to Tumalog Falls to witness another nature's beauty. To get there, we have to ride a habal-habal that I am always frightened of. The risk was worth it because I had never seen such wonderful view until then.

The water's clear and cold, it made me want to have a picnic there and spend more time. Since we have a tight schedule, we have to head back again to the Cebu and endure the almost 4 hours ride back. We ate at the famous Sunburst restaurant for a late lunch and head back to the inn for a quick shower.

Upon refreshing ourselves, we visited the Fort San Pedro. It is a military defense structure to repel Muslim raiders.

We walked towards the Cathedral to check the structure.

We decided to check the Ayala Mall after the walking tour and met up with our friend from College. After having dinner, our friend brought us to Mr. A Restaurant, where we had a great view of the city for our last night.

The following day, I felt so tired already and decided to just rest until it was time to check-out and head to the airport. My short vacation was truly something I will remember forever. 4 days wasn't enough to explore Cebu. In my next visit, I will spend more time to explore Mactan and other parts of Cebu.

It's truly more fun in the Philippines! :)