I'm Going Back to Lalaland! =)

Just because I fell in love in the City of Angels, I booked another trip to Hollywood.

I remember my old blog entitled, "I Miss Hollywood" wherein I am reminiscent of every moments in California & Las Vegas.

http://kismet85.blogspot.com/2010/07/i-miss-hollywood.htm 



I'm so excited!

Well, I have in my mind a second chance to see Kobe play in Staples Center. I am thinking whether the Memphis or Clippers game. We'll see. I hope they make it to the playoffs by that time.

I'm also going to see San Diego for the first time. And will have a trip to San Francisco for the second time. Ghirardelli Restaurant again!!! Of course, Disneyland is on my mind but this time, I want to stay overnight there because I wasn't able to tour the whole place in a day last time. Three days should be enough.

Did I mention shopping? Oh, yes shopping cheap gadgets, shoes, bags, and accessories. Great!

March 25-April 25, 2013

Let's Go Lakers!

Weeeeeee!

Hanoi, Vietnam Hopping =)

Why did I choose Hanoi and not Ho Chi Mihn last November? 

First, because I want to see Ha Long Bay "descending dragon bay". 

I visited Coron, Palawan last May and fell love with the islands. So visiting Ha Long Bay should be interesting for me. We availed the cruise ship in our hotel. It is approximately 3-hour trip from the city. We rode the bus van together with other tourists and upon reaching the port, we rode the cruise ship and took our sumptuous lunch while cruising the island. It is so windy and you can stay in the second level of the ship. Very nice. Just chilling around a great atmosphere of Ha Long bay. 

Several islands have caves inside. We visited one cave, Thien Cung Grotto. It is so big and I am amazed. I saw the underground river in Palawan before and saw many unique stalactite formations but this is better. And you just have to walk around and see by the light the formations. This is such a beauty of nature joined by great imagination of man. So this Ha Long Bay Trip is like Coron and Puerto Princesa in one. We went back to the port around 5pm and arrived the hotel around 9pm. At night, we visited a small store of pirated DVDs and bought some (maybe 12pcs). In fairness, DVDs here are cheap that are only sold around P50 with Blu-Ray quality. Downside is they are Vietnamese-subtitled, no English  But for some it really doesn't matter. They have a street in Hanoi that sells only Cds & DVDs.

Afterwards, we visited Sofitel Metropole and spent the night here. Chill.

Second reason I like Hanoi is that I read that this is also a Four-season cultural city of Vietnam. When we arrived, the temperature is ranging from 17 °C-22 °C - Winter is just about to start in November. I fell in love with this kind of temperature since going to Seoul,Korea. So I prefer here than Ho Chi Mihn which I heard has a very Manila-like temperature.

Third, I'm so curious of the Old Quarter. I heard that it is very nice and a must see. It is just walking distance to our hotel so we are always here. It is near Ho Kiem Lake, near the  Water Puppet Theater. Old Quarter has the original street layout and architecture of old Hanoi. I remember Vigan, Ilocos here. Every street sells different things. Like a street of fruits, vegetables, coffee, Dvds, Clothing, Shoes, and many more. I can hang out here for a 3 days. Dong Xuan Market is also located here, a good place for shopping.

Laslty, Hanoi is a perfects place for tourists who just want to relax and have coffee, a bit of shopping (Hanoi shopping is cheap) and just want to experience old culture.  Best buy here are bags and shoes. I bought many bags and my luggage here.

I miss Hanoi now.

Calypso Legend Hotel at Hanoi, Vietnam

Although we have big discount in Sofitel Metropole, we chose Calypso because it is #1 in Tripadvisor website. I trust the website and so we booked here and I'm glad we did.


The hotel is like a 5-star to me. You get the 5-star treatment and the 5-star rooms. I feel we paid lesser than we have to pay for their service. It wasa nice experience and I would definitely recommend this to anyone going to Hanoi. It is very convenient at it is located in the heart of Old Quarter. It is just 2-minutes walk away from Ho Kiem Lake and Water Puppet Theatre. It just 10-15 minutes walk away to Dong Xuan Market. 

The rooms were great! Complete with dvd, mini ref, bathub, complimentary water and fruits. They also have wifi in every floor. I tell you it was so fast!!!

They have friendly, accommodating, and nice staff. Tommy is one of their nicest staff. If you have troubles finding your directions, they will give you their own map and tell you how to go to places you want. If you want a taxi, they will call one for you and guide the driver.

The buffet breakfast was also good. You will have to choose from their menu and they will serve it hot and fresh. Aside from the menu, you can get your own cofee, tea, fruits, cereals, breads in their breakfast table.

Now I know why it has so many good reviews. That's why I didn't hesitate to write my own review. 5 stars!!!

Singapore in 2 weeks

My travel to Singapore last June 11-June 23 was awesome. Even if I traveled alone, I never experienced any boredom there. Singapore is a fine city. Even if you walk at night, you will feel secured and safe. For 2 weeks, I enjoyed walking around and appreciating the beauty of Singapore. Also, the city is so small you can tour just by walking.. I did that.. walking from Lavender to Little India, then Bugis, then City Hall. Amazing right? That's Singapore. Every place is so close to each other.

Talk about Malls. Singapore is the place to be. I've went to every Malls in the City. My favorite is Suntec City Mall because it is huge and it has the largest fountain the world, the Fountain of Youth. 

Sim Lim Square is my favorite among electronics mall, because of it is cheap but I advise you research first and canvas before buying. Some are not credible. Ask the reception in the ground floor of where to buy your product. They told me that the stores with "STAR" mark in their floor are the ones who are credible. So watch out. For myself, I bought itouch in 'Song Brothers' in the ground floor. They are cheap and credible.

 I also went to Merlion Park, The Esplanade Theater, the Singapore Flyer, and of course, my ever loved Marina Bay Sands. Unfortunately, I don't have someone to accompany me on top of it. Maybe next time I will go there and see what's in the top of Marina Bay. I heard there is infinity pool. Wow.

Temples? I am not a fan of visiting Temples when touring but in Singapore, with lots of time, I visited EVERY temple in the city. Not actually on purpose, but because I usually walk, I took the chance to see them. In fairness, I enjoyed some of them.

I recommend to go to Chinatown if you are looking for the cheapest souvenirs like keychains, magnets, shirts, and other Singapore items. Little India is ideal if you are only food tripping, but you can't see any special in this place for sight-seeing.

The hawker foods in Singapore are just the best! I visited one of the top hawker food courts in the city, Maxwell Centre in Chinatown. Usually one serving is good for 2-3 persons so if you will have a food trip, go find someone with you. I didn't taste everything in the top list of hawker foods, maybe next time. I'm referring to this list -- http://www.cnngo.com/singapore/none/40-singapore-foods-we-cant-live-without-810208

 

 

That's it!

I really enjoyed my trip in Singapore. 

I'm sure I will be back in Singapore with friend/s next time! 

I would love to!