The city that I will forever cherish and love…sounds so cheesy right?  Because I love HongKong!  Seriously, though this place seems so small.  I am always amazed at what I get to discover every time I visit.  I secretly want to live there for a while so I can feel how it is to live in a place that is a “beautiful madness‘.

Honestly, I haven’t really toured around.  Mainly because my mom or aunt bring us around the place.  It’s my second home (literally because I’m proud to be a PR there!)  I only been to Disneyland, Ocean park, Mongkok and a whole lot of shopping areas.

Food is definitely great!  I never miss a good dimsum treat even in small quaint shops I see along the busy streets of Hongkong.  Shopping makes me high as I scout the cheapest and most fashionable pieces.  It’s difficult to haggle in the night markets as they would want you to buy once you give them the price you want (I remember being scolded for not buying what I asked).  Well, aside from some culture shock you might encounter, take note that they speak Cantonese so it’s more difficult to understand (especially taxi drivers, you would need someone to write the street/place you are going to in Chinese).

Remember to visit the Avenue of Stars (Tsim Tsa Tsui MTR stop) where you can see this beautiful lighted city.  At around 8pm, the Symphony of Lights will start and you would see the different lights dance in harmony as it show how alive Hongkong is!
More about HK next time!

We tried to visit malls first (the likes of Siam Paragon, MBK however I found that cheap markets (Chatuchak, Platinum Mall) more fulfilling in making me giddy after a long day of walk.  Aside for a worth it shopping experience, you also can get to eat some authentic Thai food which can titillate your tongues senses (spicy and sour).  We had a handful of experiences Wat (temple) hopping

It was as though my mind was in a whirlwind that went in a short oasis and back.  I held one mango sticky rice on one hand and some coconut juice on the other.  Visiting in a nearby Ayuthaya then the infamous Patpong not for the innocent eyes….a world full of adventure and a whole lot of shopping…it is Bangkok Thailand.  I know I will back soon.  This journey begins with a Sawadeeka…

]]> http://www.wanderlustdiary.com/bangkok-the-shopping-paradise/feed/ http://www.wanderlustdiary.com/bohol-philippines/ http://www.wanderlustdiary.com/bohol-philippines/#comments Wed, 01 Oct 2008 06:18:10 +0000 wanderlustgirl Beaches Bohol Philippinesboat ridebohol beach clubbuffet lunchchocolateschocolate hillsdelicious chocolatelove in the time of choleranatural wonderspanglao islandsocial studiesspaniardstime of choleratourist spotswonders of philippines http://www.wanderlustdiary.com/?p=16 This is one of the natural wonders of Philippines that fascinated me. When I was studying Social Studies in Grade school, I used to dream about seeing this and wonder if it really does look like chocolates. That name itself sounds delicious! Chocolate Hills is one of the wonders of the Bohol. Well, it did shocked me that I can also see other nice sights around.

I’ve been here twice, though I toured the place twice, it’s good to see that it didn’t change at all (well, it was just 1 year apart anyway).

The first visit with my friends, we stayed at Panglao Island resort which is actually good, peaceful but quite secluded. The second visit with my family, we stayed at Amarela Resort which is also good and relaxing but a bit off track. You can actually try Alona Beach Resort or Bohol Beach Club which I heard has better beach front.

One should definitely rent a van (usually around PHP1500-2000/day) where the driver will bring you to the usual tourist spots. We visited some of the usual like this statue that signifies the bond of those first Spaniards who conquered Philippines and those local Datu (leaders). It’s actually called the Blood Compact Monument.

We also tried the boat ride along the famous river Loboc.. There’s this buffet lunch while you ride the boat along the river. It took around 30-40 minutes until you reach the end then go back. The food was so so but it was refreshing to ride the river on a cool day. It reminded me of the book Love in the Time of Cholera.

While we were brought around, we also passed by a man made forest which they call it, it’s quite serene looking at it..it was a long a mountain driveway. The driver told us it was not really natural but it did looked like one.

Visiting the Tarsiers is a must! Bohol is the only place I know features it. There are quite small, as long as my pointing finger. They seem to sleep a lot and hate being disturb. Such lazy animals, but I like it. They know how to relax!

The second time I visited Bohol with my family, I was also able to watch the dolphins which I love. We were suppose to wake up earlier but the boatman was late! I haven’t had a good night’s sleep that time because of a hectic flight. But it was wonderful that I saw the sunrise at the beach. I miss seeing how the sky changes colors upon dawn (or dusk).

Watching the dolphins swim around was great! They were with the usual school and you could catch a glimpse of the playful dolphins here and there. They wouldn’t come near the boat but will definitely swim nearby.

We visited the “Virgin” island and swam along the sand bar. Quite serene.

The other must see is the Bohol Bee Farm (great food there!).

I first came here with my friend who stays in Cebu. She treated us to stay here for a night but after that, I always want to go back. My favorite restaurant here is called Acqua which is surprisingly not that pricey but looks so classy. It serves Italian cuisine which is one of my favorite. Their thin crust Hawaiian pizza is a must try! You can also visit the romantic bar by the sea (Cowrie Cove) or indulge in their spa Chi or have a pleasurable fulfilling buffet dinner at the Tides.

For those who wants to get a tan, you can visit the man-made beach and lounge around. The beach is considered a nice alternative for those who do not have time to go far. The resort hotel is just 30-40 minutes away from the capital of Cebu (Mandaue). If I guessed correctly, I think this is a five-star resort hotel that a lot of tourists (especially Koreans) frequent in.

I had visited this resort hotel for the 3rd time already and it never disappoints me. I keep wanting to stay longer but it can really bore a hole in my pocket. Shangrila Mactan is a best option for a honeymoon as I even captured one romantic view…

Last time, they also have this day tour offer that you only have to pay a measly P 1,200 for the lunch buffet plus a day use of their facilities. You can check out their updated offers at their website (Shangrila Cebu Mactan)

Genting Highlands is one of the famous places for casinos in Malaysia. It’s actually just a small area on top of the mountains which is one hour away from the capital, Kuala Lumpur.

I had an idea what Genting is but I never imagined it was small. It reminds me of a place in my hometown called Tagaytay which has a cool weather like that of Genting and nice nature view.

It was cold that day we went up Genting. And I saw a magnificent view of clouds below us! We had to stop and take a picture but could not capture this beauty with our cameras. We went on a Sunday and I was really expecting that the place would probably be less crowded because people will start going back already but it was still very crowded. It took us 30 minutes to find a parking space and we waiting for more than 2 hours to be able to check in our hotel (First World Hotel).

Honestly, I was astounded by the numerous rooms of this hotel (the rooms don’t have air condition since it is cool outside, you just have to open the ceiling fan). The room was ok, clean and quite spacey but the hotel service is bad.

Inside the hotel we stayed, there were tons of restaurants, shops and also an indoor theme park! They have a fake gondola ride for kids (a far cry from Macau’s Venetian gondola). I explored the outdoor theme park of Genting with my officemates but I wasn’t able to ride a lot. I’m actually scared of rides so I just watch them instead. It was quite different and very cramp for me. But we took a nice walk around the chilly theme park (as it was foggy that day, so the theme park closed early).

There were two huge casino here (one called Starworld, one is Genting Highland Casino). They are strict with age limit, they did check my ID twice (maybe I look young hehe). I just played the Big-Small which was less complicated but I still lost around 50 ringgit.

My only complain is that the place was really crowded. A lot of people were China men/women having the time of their lives gambling. It made no sense to visit Genting for the sake of relaxing already because I do feel the tension of everyone playing inside the casino. Either way, if they have fun, it’s alright. And also, don’t bother availing the free breakfast, it was also crowded!