Postcard Perfect View of Lake Taal, Tagaytay City Philippines

Hotel Review: Innotel Hotel Singapore

On a recent visit to Singapore, my colleagues booked me at the Innotel Hotel along Penang Lane somewhere in downtown Dhoby Ghaut area. More of a business inn rather than the posh RnR jaunts, the hotel provides some relief to the city shortage of mid-class accommodations.

The 4-star hotel which opened in 2011 has about 70-rooms classified into four accommodation options (superior, deluxe, executive & suite) which are spread across a low-rise building. The room sizes range from 19m² to 35m².

I arrived at the hotel on a quiet afternoon and shared the reception area with two other clients checking in for the day. The lobby is small and typical for the hotel of its size but nevertheless functional. The front desk staff was courteous and readily offered suggestions on how to make one’s stay comfortable.

A few months after operation, the hotel was already enjoying high occupancy; during my stay, I was upgraded to a Suite Room which turned out to be a really nice. It had king size bed, complimentary Wi-fi access, LCD TV with cable channels, an Internet Protocol telephones that can divert calls to mobile phones, a stereo set with iPod/iPhone-compatible docks, a bath tub and leather recliners – and a good view of Fort Canning Park.

The room was pretty neat and astoundingly spacious. It differs from most run-of-the-mil hotel rooms with its pastel multi-colored walls that gives the whole area, a youthful and energetic appeal.

The hotel is just perfect for the city explorers because it runs right smack to where the action is — a mere 5-minute walk to the Dhoby Ghaut train station and Fort Canning Park where they hold concerts and other outdoor activities. It is also very close to a popular mall, Plaza Singapura, where one can do the compulsory shopping (well, you didn’t stay in Singapore if you didn’t do shopping…)

Walking around, you’ll discover hidden gems nearby such as the Singapore Philatelic Museum and the National Museum of Singapore.

On the downside, the hotel lacks decent dining options with just a small coffee shop at the lobby and a vintage themed bar on the second floor. Well, there’s always Starbucks at Plaza Singapura for the morning person in you.

Also, the hotel corridors exude an industrial factory feel with steel, nuts and bolts visible and obvious, but it is guaranteed to be forgotten once you enter the colorful rooms.

The bathroom is ordinary but functional and the toiletries were more than sufficient for a the daily traveler’s requirements.

I must say that Innotel Hotel is a good choice for hotel if you’re on a budget. The phrase “value for money” really found its niche in this hotel. I hope to come back again and savor the warmth and hospitality which I rarely find in other Singapore hotels I have stayed on.

Like a Child in Glee at The Tokyo DisneySea

I visited Tokyo DisneySea theme park on a February, winter was about to end and spring time was almost looming but oh boy, temperature was still finger cracking cold.

I was going to visit on a Saturday and was told that there could be many school children visiting so I passed by the Tokyo Station the evening before to secure my train ticket in advance. It was nice to have a Japanese colleague with me since he was able to guide me to the ticket counter and walk me through the Disney line.

So on a glorious Saturday morning, I woke up like a little kid, excited for my very first Tokyo DisneySea adventure. With my good ol’ Canon camera and layers after layers of clothes, off I went to the Tokyo Train Station.

From the Yaesu entrance, I turned right and simply followed the signs to the red line, which was actually the Tokyo Disney Line. One can’t miss the platform by following the kids with Disney backpacks marching like ants.

Using the Keiyo Line, travel time is only 15 minutes from Tokyo Station to Maihama Station passing through six stations until where we stopped to embark on this lovely adventure,

From there, I transferred to another train that goes around the Tokyo Disney Resort and got off at the DisneySea. Arriving at about 930am, the line was already surprisingly long with kids and foreign visitors abound. The ticket costs about 75 USD.

As the gate opened, I was immediately charmed by the colors and unique glow that the theme park readily exudes — flowers are so red, the sky so blue and the music is enthralling.

The Tokyo DisneySea is a 70-ha theme park at the in Urayasu, Chiba,Japan, about 20 kilometers in Outer Tokyo. Built in 2001, it is amazing to note that it is the 5th most visited theme park in the world with almost 12 million visitors hosted in 2011. It is one of the two parks nestled on the Tokyo Disney Resort lot, the other being the regular Tokyo Disneyland. Having visited Tokyo Disneyland in Hong Kong already, I decided to check out DisneySea instead for lack of time. Built and owned by the Oriental Land Company, these twin parks are the only Disney parks in the world which are not owned by the Walt Disney Company.

As the name says so, DisneySea has a great nautical feel into the whole theme park. It is divided into seven sub theme areas called “ports” – American Waterfront, Lost River Delta, Port Discovery, Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast, and Mysterious Island.

Visitors are greeted with the iconic “water globe” called the Aquasphere, which conveniently serves as the starting or meeting point. In this area also, one can find the locker rooms where they can keep unnecessary stuff which may not be needed during their daylong sight seeing.

After having my photo taken with the “globe”, I proceeded to explore the park. Upon entry, one will be treated to the romantic allure of the Mediterranean Harbor – with its Italian flavor of al fresco cafes and Venetian gondolas, the port allows lovers to fall in love more and hold hands throughout cobbled pavements. The area also hosts the Hotel Miracosta, an actual functioning hotel and other structures with architecture similar to those in Portofino and other Italian ports.

Like any other theme parks, DisneySea also succumbs to the “long queue” formula. For my first ride on the Gondola, I spent about 45 minutes in the queue before finally getting on.

The Gondola ride was an experience to cherish (for someone who has not been to Venice, at least). Passing through canals and tunnels much like in Italy, the boats are commandeered by tenor voiced boat men who sing romantic ballads all through out the 10 minute ride.

After the ride, I walked through some pavements built to appear like old Italian villages. The cold weather and the awesome music will make you forget that you’re just in a theme park.

After passing through some nice garden walkways, one is led to the Port of Mysterious Island which features Mount Prometheus, a giant volcano whuch also serves as the park’s centerpiece. It also home two popular attractions: “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”. Obviously influenced by novelist Jules Verne, Victorian style architecture dominates the air.

DisneySea will never be complete without mythical creatures like The Little Mermaid, hence a port of call called the Mermaid Lagoon was strategically placed on the left side of the theme park. Much geared towards the tots and the kids, the area features simulated underwater experience on a mainly indoor area designed like the Palace of King Triton. The younger one s will also have a field day in such attractions like Flounder’s Flying Fish Coaster; Scuttle’s Scooters; Jumpin’ Jellyfish; Blowfish Balloon Race; and tThe Whirlpool. It also has Ariel’s Playground intricately designed with a walk-through attraction that recreates the various settings in the movie; and the Mermaid Lagoon Theater where a musical show “Under the Sea” gives the audience a glimpse of The Little Mermaid.

After a rousing tribute to a beloved Disney movie in Mermaid Lagoon, th theme park gives another nod to a popular Disney animated film “Aladdin” in a port called the Arabian Coast.

Deliciously dark and exotic, this harbor carefully meshed the charm of Arabian Nights and the romance of Aladdin. With attractions like the Storybook Voyage, a boat transit inspired by the “It’s a Small World” staple in all Disneyland resorts, a unique double decker carousel aptly called the Caravan Carousel, and the Magic Lamp Theater, which houses a live-action/animatronic show combined with a 3D movie.

Even more fascinating are the Arabian styled shops and houses which makes one feel like it is actually navigating through the narrow streets of some old middle eastern villages.

At the farthest end of the park, one can find the Lost River Delta. Complete with a Mexican Aztec pyramid which features such atrractions like the Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull, The port also serves as the station for the DisneySea Steamer Line which transports guests back to Mediterranean Harbor. Visitors are also roused from their peaceful walk by ‘Mystic Rhythms’ a live show by the jungle and a scary roller coaster ride called Raging Spirits.

A theme park would not be complete with a zone for futuristic visions. At DisneySea, this is where Port Discovery comes in. With a faux Center for Weather Control, Port Discovery boasts of three major attractions — a simulator ride called the Storm Rider, an overhead train ride called the DisneySea Electric Railway and Aquatopia, a high tech boat ride.

From the future, one is transported back to the vintage era at the American Waterfront. Simulating the early 20th Century US Northeastern Seaboard, this harbour comes like pages from the movie “The Notebook”. Further divided into two sub zones, Old Cape Cod and the New York City Harbor, the area is dominated with two huge pieces – a passenger ship SS Columbia and the Tower of Terror.

With sleepy, laid back American architecture on the background, American Waterfront also hosts musical shows like the Big Band Beat which features swing music with energetic singers and dancers abound.

The lighthouse is good place to looknat the port from afar, and where one can sit comfortably to rest and breathe the fresh retro air.

After the American Waterfront, I was back at the Mediterranean Harbor where a nice elevated walkway provides a good viewing deck to see the The Legend of Mythica, a 25 minute story parade teeming with day time fireworks and amazing special effects.

Unfortunately, on the day of my visit, the nightly fireworks show called “Fantasmic” was cancelled due to the weather. Nonetheless, I will never ever forget the day I visited DisneySea, the cotton candies, the lovely popcorn canisters, the colorful balloons. On that day, I rediscovered my inner child.

The Colors of Disney Sea Tokyo 2011

Breezin Through Hanoi

Jan 30, ’08 2:33 AM

Vietnam is not a breeze. Literally, that is. Going into my recent trip, I checked CNN.com for Hanoi weather just to make sure I was bringing the right set of wardrobe and man, I had a blast seeing the five-day weather had clouds and rain droplets in its visuals. I’d welcome rain anytime. What? With the temps ranging from scorching 35s to the feverish 40s, I’d pay the rain gods for some good and mean thunderstorms.

The trip was also destined to be a historic one for me. I was a “Vietnam newbie” and was taking my first Cathay Pacific flight. The flight to Hong Kong for the stopover was so rnuch like the Pinatubo trek- it was overcast and bumpy. In one instance, the plane hit an air pocket and dipped a bit too low for comfort. It was so scary that someone actually screamed in panic. So much for my highly vaunted CX maiden flight. So ok, fast forward to the hanoi trip. In this trip, I’ve learned a ton about Vietnam but i’m just going to share with you eight:

1. The Vietnamese people are the best elementary school models for “herbivorous” animals. Their daily meals consist of green, leafy vegetables in epic proportions. Our host was very gracious and offered us their authentic cuisine all throughout. I had no choice but to consume an amount which is 300% higher than my self-lnflicted monthly vegetable intake. And I’m talking about a 3-day stint. On my last night, I begun to have this creepy feeling that I’m gonna wake up the next morning to find out that I’ve morphed into the Green Lantern or the Incredible Hulk (Think Green).

2. Artificial skin care products have no market in Vietnam. The Vietnamese have great looking skin – fair, smooth and almost creamy in consistency and no, I’m not talking about ice cream. Know-alls attribute this to the Vietnamese diet which like I said, is composed mainly of green, leafy vegetables. So Dra. Vicky Belo, you can forget about putting up your 71st Forever Flawless branch in Hai Phong. You can just concentrate on hiring attendants who are not attractive to star basketball players who are marrled to multi-millionaire actresses/once-presidential daughters/attempting to become elected future Philipine presidents. (now that is more than enough “slashes” to last a lifetime)

3. Hanoi Vietnam’s infrastructure plans, once in place will make the Philippine DPWH drool. Several construction are now on-going for new roads, flyovers, bridges and walkways aimed to convert Hanoi into a world class city.

4. Motorcycles are the new bicycles in Hanoi.

Seen those postcard pics of Vietnam? Those people who take the bike en masse, pedalling their ways in their salakots? Gone are the days. Motorcycles now dominate the streets of Hanoi taking three lanes out of four. In this city, the motorcycles are the kings of the road. Cars and automobiles take pains in avoiding these motorcycles and thereby avoiding accidents. Well, I look at it on the bright side -more motorcycles means more girls in shorts and more legs on sight.

5. Vietnam has free wi-fi everywhere. As opposed to Manila where wi-fi comes with a price we wonder why turo turo type restos, offices, and coffee shops offer the service here for free. 6. Vietnamese driving offers a unique method of overtaking in highways – Tailgate. Honk incessantly. Flash your lights non stop until the vehicle in front moves away.
7. One of Hanoi’s prime commodities is one of the arts.

According to some information, there is one village near the region where Vietnamese ladies do unique art pieces of mostly paintings. At the Departure Area of Hanoi International airport, tourists of mostly Western descent are seen lugging rolls of canvass for ”take out”.

8. One of Vietnamese Airlines’ flight attendants is an actual deadringer a Filipina celebrity. I’m so hooked with her that I actually refused to deplane for some time. What can I say? I’m exaggerating through my teeth. Only this much is true – she was oh so beautiful, I’m kinda planning to change gender.

So there. Eight beautiful things about Vietnam and its people. Visit them sometime.

Sadly, I found out one more thing but its not about Vietnam. Its about CNN and their freakin their weather forecasts! So entirely erroneous. Boys, it was like Al Gore’s inconvenient truth out there – deep fried hot !

Night Cruise at Huangpu River Shanghai China

Oriental TV Tower Shanghai China

The Royal Splendor of Vimanmek Palace

One of Southeast Asia’s shining stars will always be Bangkok, Thailand. With its flamboyant colors and a charming east-meets-west vibe, the city embodies Thailand’s nickname as the “Land of Smiles”.

In the thirteenth annual World’s Best Awards Readers’ Survey of globally leading travel magazine Travel + Leisure, Bangkok was named as “World’s Best City 2008”, beating 2007 winners Florence, Italy and Bali, Indonesia. With an diverse offering of rich culture, fantastic food, excellent shopping, vibrant sceneries, nightlife, and more, Bangkok has no doubt, have become a well-loved destination – a city which one would go back to, again and again.

For one in constant hunt for new travel discoveries, perhaps visiting the temples, the Reclining Buddha or the Grand Palace may no longer be as exciting. But just recently, we were lucky to find the Vimanmek Mansion located in the Dusit area of Bangkok with the main entrance on Ratchawithi Road.

One of the less popular and underrated tourist sites in Bangkok, the spot has been attracting a lot of tourists lately and is touted as the world’s largest teakwood palace. It was built in 1901 by King Rama V (Chulalongkorn) and has an astounding 72 interior rooms – all using teak wood!

Inaugurated in March 1901, the Vimanmek Palace was used as a royal residence by the King for five years until the completion of Amphorn Satharn Villa in 1906. By 1932, Vimanmek Palace became only a storage place of the Bureau of the Royal Household.

In 1932 however, Queen Sirikit was authorized by King Rama IX to renovate the teak palace and in turn, converted it to a museum to commemorate King Rama V.

The mansion became a historical attraction with an impressive collection of royal photographs and personal effects – a grand showcase of Thailand’s rich national heritage. Many of the gifts and treasures that King Rama V collected during his travels are also displayed in the museum.

Today, one can walk through, albeit without shoes, to marvel at the former palace of the King of Thailand. It is absolutely a unique experience walk along the grand staircase where many royals of many nations have walked on and to be awed by the ivory pieces, musical instruments, the preserved deer heads and antlers which were once conversation pieces during many royal gatherings.

For an entrance fee of 100 Baht, one can get an exciting tour of the Vimanmek Mansion as well as the other buildings in the palace grounds such as the Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall and the Grand Palace. The tours are coordinated and with English – speaking guides to boot. The place is open daily from 09.30am to 4.00pm with the last tour usually at around 3:15pm

A word of caution though – as Vimanmek is a royal mansion, it is considered sacred and dress regulations are in place. Shorts, skimpy tops or tight skirts are not allowed for ladies and men should wear long trousers and shirts with collars. For unplanned visits, Sarongs are available for sale if your attire is deemed to be inappropriate. It is a must that shoes are removed and stored in a designated area before entering the teak-wood building.

The administration also do not allow mobile phones, bags and cameras into the palace. But they provide secure lockers at 20 Baht per locker. You can only bring a wallet or small purse inside the palace where an airport-style security is in at the main entrance to check visitors.

So if you ever get tired of Bangkok’s red-hot charm, visit Vimanmek Mansion for a change and be prepared to be amazed with a little taste of history and some reserved royal opulence.

Hotel Review: Novotel Hotel Mangga Dua Square Jakarta

NOVOTEL HOTEL JAKARTA MANGGA DUAJalan Gunung Sahari Raya No 1
14420 JAKARTA
INDONESIA
Tel (+62)2162312800
Fax (+62)2162312900

Touted as a 4 Star business hotel which is near the manufacturing complex area of Jakarta, Novotel Mangga Dua Square Hotel is a clear choice for first timers. With its dependable brand and affiliation (Accor Group), one would have high expectations for this hotel.

Located in Mangga Dua, the hotel was within a 30 minute drive of the Jakarta’s central business district and the Golden Triangle. But:”the 30 minute” website description isn’t what it really seemed to be with a terrible phenomenon known as “Jakarta Traffic”. Getting to the city proper, major shopping districts and sight seeing location was tedious. On a good day, the fastest you can get to them is about 45 minutes.

Novotel Jakarta Mangga Dua has the usual 4 star fare of coffee shops, swimming pool and business center. It has 363 rooms with the usual amenities such as Audible smoke alarms
Airconditioning
Safety deposit box
Free Wi-fi
Minibar
220/240 V AC
Cable TV

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Our check-in last December 2011 was marred by a series of misfortunes, much like Lemony Snicket’s. First, our group was assigned to different room types even if we were all booked for same room grades – Standard. It turned out that the hotel was fully booked so only the higher room grades (Executive) were available. You would think that they would upgrade the affected guests at no cost but nope, “we can’t do anything about it”. We eventually stayed in the hotel with two colleagues having to upgrade to Executive Rooms.

The biggest problem in this hotel is their security facilities. According to my two colleagues in two different Executive Rooms can open each other’s room using their individual room keys!

As for me, i deposited my camera in the in-room safety deposit box and followed the procedure in locking and opening but could no longer open when I finally needed the camera; it took many calls to housekeeping and front desk before they were able to help me.

But the bigger story was when I took my breakfast at “The Square”. It was buffet type so I left my bag on one of the seats and went around the buffet –without taking eyes off my bag. As I continuously glanced at my bad, a man approached my bag, pulled my room keys out of the pocket and read the details on the key card sleeve. He returned the key inside the bag pocket when I shouted and casually walked away. I reported the incident to the hotel security and front desk and demanded for room change. They promised to arrange everything by the time I return to the hotel in the evening but, you guessed it. Upon return, they still haven’t changed my room. I got my room change at about 7pm.

It was never known who the man was and investigation was conducted. Don’t ask me if I slept soundly after that.

It was something I wouldn’t want to go through again.

The room was clean enough and tastefully designed. the bathroom was clean and orderly. The other plus factor was the Mangga Dua Square Mall adjacent to the hotel. This mall is an Export Overrun Haven – with stalls selling original branded items such as Zara, The Gap, Marks and Spencer, F21 in very low prices. One can easily access this mall through Novotel Hotel.

Checking out early in the morning was also tiresome. Even if I asked the bill to be prepared in advance, there were very few staff members to attend to the check out. Waiting time can reach 30-40 minutes.

We hope the management has already addressed this problem and hopefully corrective measures are now in place.

RATING (HIGHEST IS FIVE)

NOVOTEL HOTEL MANNGA DUA SQUARE JAKARTA

VALUE FOR MONEY – 3 STARS

ROOM CLEANLINESS – 4 STARS

AMENITIES – 2 STARS

STAFF AND EMPLOYEES COURTESY – 2 STARS

LOCATION – 3 STARS

Grand Centrepoint Sukhumvit Terminal 21

Grande Centre Point Hotel & Residence Sukhumvit Terminal 21 is a 4-Star Hotel which opened in Bangkok Thailand in November 2011. It is one of the newest in the chain of hotels managed by Quality Houses Public Company Limited which currently has hotels and serviced apartments in various locations in Thailand including Petchburi 15, Sukhumvit, Silom, Langsuan, Saladaeng, Wireless Road, Sukhumvit Thong Lo and Ratchadamri.

Having stayed in various hotels in Bangkok including Baiyoke Sky and The Twin Towers, we can dare say that the hotel is fresh change from the usual mid level accommodations in Bangkok.

Location is good for those who love shopping – conveniently nestled along busy Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok with a connecting tube to the BTS and MRT stations.

It is also connected to the new pride of Thailand shopping – Terminal 21 Mall. An airport-themed mall with several levels featuring city themes like London, Tokyo, Athens and San Francisco but more on this on our next stories.

We checked out the hotel last July and we were impressed by the amenities. The rooms are quite spacious starting from 32 sqm to 70 sqm. It had a minimalist zen feel lurking around the room with patent white and gray as distinct colors. The window is one wide paneled glass with an automated roman shade-type curtain. The room has a nice view of the pool which is quite refreshing on a clear sunny morning. Unfortunately, the weather was quite gloomy during our stay.

The bathroom is also clean and spacious with all standard amenities. We rue however that they only provide one set of toiletries even if there are two guests occupying the room.

Occupants will also enjoy extra amenities like the free wi-fi and the free use of Mac Computers at the lobby for their “social media needs”. We feel however, that this is meant to compensate for the fact that the hotel does not have a business center yet.

Breakfast Buffet is served at the second floor café, food quality has much left to be desired at as the continental choices are bland and ordinary. I cannot comment on the Thai dishes as I have a very low tolerance for the spicy variety.

The elevators were a little bit complicated with floor selections were different for every unit. In my four-day stay, I think I got lost three to four times.

As for the hotel staff, we get the normal, straight forward Thai hospitality – helpful but reserved.

Barring toiletries shortage and crazy elevators, our stay was a nice one and we do recommend it for your next Bangkok sojourn.

RATING (HIGHEST IS FIVE)

GRAND CENTREPOINT SUKHUMVIT TERMINAL 21

VALUE FOR MONEY – 4 STARS

ROOM CLEANLINESS – 4 STARS

AMENITIES – 3 STARS

STAFF AND EMPLOYEES COURTESY – 3 STARS

LOCATION – 4 STARS