After a day of relaxation at our resort, it's time to visit the famous attractions which Bohol province is known for. Bohol Travel Buddy I got the number of Bohol Travel Buddy from another travel blog and texted them immediately. Unlike some who did not even bother to respond to my query, they called me right away. I liked that. Upon learning of their rates, I decided to book a car for 8 hours, instead of availing the tour packages per person. The rate is for P2,2000, inclusive of gas and exclusive of the museum fees and the Loboc Lunch Cruise. I made the computations in my head and the difference in the amount wasn’t really that big, only a couple of hundred. Plus, we had the whole car to ourselves so we weren’t very self-conscious about our belongings and the space, and we were able to design our itinerary the way we wanted it. Come morning of Day 2, Kuya Kim, our driver, showed up very early at our hotel - a few minutes even before our agreed time of 8AM. I was immediately impressed, we were not even finished with our breakfast yet. He was pleasant enough. He just gave us bits and pieces of information about the places we would pass, and he left us alone when we wanted to sleep. We decided to go to Chocolate Hills first thing in the morning, and we were surprised to find out that it was still a good 2 hours away from Bellevue, whoa! He also took care of our tickets at Loboc Lunch Cruise. Plus, he was very pleasant in taking our pictures! I would definitely recommend him and Bohol Travel Buddy! Bohol Countryside Tour Our planned itinerary consisted of the following:
We visited the Chocolate Hills first, since it is the farthest and you can pass by all the other locations on the way back. Finally got to see the famous chocolate mounds. One thing was, I wasn't prepared at all for the climb to the viewing deck! Gosh, I seriously need to wok on my cardio! I almost didn't want to reach the top anymore but seeing Von carry a 15-kilogram Elise pa motivated me to go on. The Chocolate Hills is indeed beautiful, but you only spend a few minutes here to take pictures and selfies. The biggest surprise for me was the Bilar Man-Made Forest. I thought “it's a 2-kilometer man-made forest of mahogany trees, so what was supposed to be so special about it?" Going to Chocolate Hills, we fell asleep in the car and Kuya Kim woke us up to tell us that we were passing through Bilar Man-Made Forest. I was like... WOAH! The giant trees prevented sunlight from coming in and there was a faint fog as it was early morning. The place looked enchanted, I felt like I was in Twilight! (Seriously, thats what I thought of while we were there). Haha. The highlight of the trip for me was the Loboc River Cruise. I have taken cruises in Perth, Miami, Bangkok, Corregidor, and I must say, the Loboc Rriver cruise can give these cruises a serious run for their money. Although the boat is definitely not as big or as modern as the Wonderful Pearl in Bangkok, the experience itself was amazing. Traversing the Loboc River was literally a breath of fresh air, as you are surrounded with trees, forests, and more trees. Traversing the river, we also saw local children swimming in the river, swinging in the baging, and having a grand time, which is a nice contrast from the techie babies I see in malls, hehe. Before the boat turned back, we stopped and docked beside a barge where a group of local musicians continuously played for passing guests. We alighted from our barge and joined the ladies playing their guitars, while the other guests joined the dancing. Tipping is, of course, expected. Overall, I found the layout of the docks very organized. As I've said previously, Kuya Jim secured our cruise tickets so we skipped the lines for the walk-ins. Mind you, the food was regular, the usual Filipino buffet, so don't expect too much. But the overall experience surely makes up for it.
Eskaya Resort Von was also invited by a friend who owns the luxurious Eskaya Resort also in Panglao for a day tour. I've heard about it and knew it was an expensive resort so this might be the only chance to visit the place so I readily agreed. We decided to visit the resort on our third day. Eskaya is so beautiful! We were shown the different kinds of villas, and was so impressed with each one of them. I was blown away with the Balai Datu Villa which costs a whopping P100K per night, and comes with your own infinity pool overlooking the ocean. We got Swedish massages as well from their in-house spa, the Handuraw Spa, which was sooo relaxing. I was blown away when I saw the spa room with a view of the ocean. The grounds of the resort is massive so guests are guaranteed privacy. Developments were still undergoing, still, I can see the beauty of the place. Maybe we can hold our 10th year wedding anniversary renewal of vows here? Haha.
* * * One thing I noticed about Tagbilaran, the capital city of Bohol, is how clean the streets are. Overall, I was impressed with how the local government has handled the influx of tourists. The places we visited were mostly clean, organized, with no tourist traps or anything. The attractions we visited were definitely family-friendly. Elise could not stop raving about "Bohol Bohol". Can't wait to go back and maybe we can try the Bohol Bee Farm next time as well as the adventurous attractions in Danao. * * * Read: Part 1 of our Bohol family adventure. For more pictures from our trip, do check out our Philippines Gallery. Enjoy!
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The first time I visited Bohol was in 2014 for a work-related function, so I didn’t have time to explore the province. We stayed at Bohol Bellevue then which I loved so much that I promised I would bring Von and Elise there the next time. Last year, we finally went on a family vacation and spent 4 glorious days also in Bellevue. I didn’t fill our schedule with too much activities so we that we can just relax in the resort and swim. Bohol Bellevue Resort This is my second time to stay at Bellevue Bohol and I still much pretty loved the place. During my first visit, I stayed in the West wing with a view of the town, whereas this time, we were upgraded to an ocean view room in the East wing, yey! The upgrade came with a trade-off. The positive of course was the gorgeous view of the beach. The downside was, the singing of the band can be heard from here at night. They only stopped at around 1030PM. A minor inconvenience for us, but it would have been annoying for guests who want some quiet time. The resort is located in Pangalo, quite far from the famous Alona Beach. The Doljo beach in front of the hotel is gorgeous, but it’s not ideal for swimming in the afternoon because of the low tide. So Elise just enjoyed making sandcastles. The resort makes up for it with the gorgeous infinity pool, though. Gorgeous, right?! The daily breakfast buffet at Lamian Restaurant was excellent. It had a lot of Filipino and Western options. My only gripe with the location of the hotel is that it's far from the local eateries so we ate at Lamian for lunch or dinner most of the time. The food was good (especially the pork humba), but definitely more expensive, although the portions are ideal for sharing. I was also excited to lean that there is a kids’ playroom in the resort, beautifully decorated with an ocean mural. It had a lot of clean and challenging toys, which kept Elise busy for some time. Tempting as it was to stay in the resort the entire time and just chill and relax, one cannot go to Bohol and not visit the other attractions which the province is famous for.
* * * Read: Part 2 of our Bohol family adventure. For more pictures from our trip, do check out my Philippines Gallery. Enjoy! Last part of our trip to Western Australia last April 2016 * * * On our last day, our flight was at 10PM so we still had the whole day to tour Perth and the neighboring town of Fremantle. We took the HOHO Bus Tour again and completed the rest of the bus tour. We didn’t alight anymore at the other stops in order to catch our ferry cruise at 11AM. From the bus, we got to see more of Perth’s beautiful attractions like the Museum and Art Gallery, Crown Plaza, and the rest of the enormous King's Park. Perth is such a beautiful city, hayyy... CHARMING FREMANTLE After the HOHO bus tour, we boarded the Ferry Cruise to the town of Fremantle, the neighboring city of Perth and a major Australian port city. I've read somewhere that you can't visit Perth without also visiting Fremantle, it's supposed to be like "twin cities", so that piqued my interest. Fremantle Prison The Tram took us to see the charming spots around Fremantle such as the WA Maritime Museum and the Cappuccino Strip. The highlight of the Tram tour was the visit to Fremantle Prison. Built in the 19th Century and used up until 1991, it is now part of the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage List. We were only given 10 minutes to explore the place, so we only visited the entrance and the lobby and saw a few displays, but it was enough to give me the creeps! There is a scheduled tour inside the prison and even a nightly ghost tour. Even if we could stay in Fremantle overnight, I would probably pass this up. After the tour, the driver dropped us off at the Fishing Harbour for lunch where we ate my favorite Fish and Chips (again!) at the popular Cicerello’s. After lunch, we walked around the area for a bit while waiting for the Tram to pick us up. We especially made sure to visit the beachside so we can say, “Hey, we’ve touched the Indian Ocean!”. Fremantle was definitely super charming. I would compare it like this: if Perth was Manila, Fremantle would be Tagaytay. You go here on weekends, eat at quaint cafes and artisan shops, visit the beachside, chill... definitely my kind of town.
We returned to Perth at around 5pm, got our luggage from our hotel and took the bus to the airport. So hassle-free! In every trip that Von and I take, there's always the nagging feeling that we should have brought Elise believing she will also enjoy the sights and experiences. But couple time is just as important, too, right? Besides, we can always go back to OZ with Elise and visit the eastern area next time. Maybe drop by New Zealand as well and visit Hobbiton? SO MUCH planning and saving up to do. Haha! * * * Read: Part 1 and Part 2 of our Perth experience. For more pictures from our trip, check out our Australia Gallery. Enjoy! Second part of our trip to Western Australia last April 2016 * * * After Von’s conference, we had one more day to explore the city via the Perth Explorer Hop On-Hop Off (HOHO) Bus. The HOHO Bus tour can be purchased separately, but we purchased this online as part of the Triple Tour from Captain Cook Cruises, which included: 1) a bus tour around Perth; 2) a round-trip ferry ride from Perth to Fremantle; and 3) a tram tour around Fremantle. The tour can be availed of within 48 hours. The HOHO is a great way to explore Perth without your own transportation. The Bus Tour starts at Barrack Street Jetty Riverside Drive, but one can get on the bus at any of the designated stops. We sat on the open top deck and enjoyed the cool autumn wind on our faces. Given our limited time, we did not have the chance to alight at every stop but sitting at the top deck gave us a great view of the Swan Bells, the Swan River, the Downtown skyline, as well as the other stops. Perth Mint Since we cannot alight at every stop, I asked Von where he wanted to go. I suggested going to the Perth Mint which contains a gold and mint exhibition which Western Australia is known for. Although he wasn't excited at first, he was sold when he learned that there would be a gold-pouring demonstration, saying that this might be our only chance to watch one. When we got there, we had a good few minutes to walk around the shop before the next scheduled tour began. Of course we didn’t buy anything because shopping for jewelry and gold wasn’t on our to-do list, haha! According to their website, as one of Western Australia's largest exporters, the Perth Mint distributes some $18 billion worth of pure gold, silver and platinum bullion bars and coins to investors in more than 100 countries annually. During the guided tour, our guide told us about the history of gold mining in Australia, in particular, in Western Australia. As expected, the gold-pouring demo was awesome, and unexpectedly nerve-wracking. Too bad cameras are not allowed inside the museum. The museum was also interactive. I got to lift a real gold bar (which was heavy!), and we found out our worth in Australian Gold. Awesome! King’s Park Due to the schedule of the Perth Mint tour, we missed the last schedule of the HOHO Bus, so we just boarded one of the free CAT buses to King’s Park. Free bus ride, so amazing! The King’s Park is one of the largest inner city parks in the world, even bigger than New York’s Central Park. It overlooks the city and has an amazing view of the Perth CBD and Swan River below. Lemon-scented gum trees line the Park’s main road – Fraser Avenue. So picturesque! King’s Park gave me such a good vibe I could picture our family moving here to Perth and enjoying the trees, the greenery, and the scenery during the weekends. As it was close to nighttime, we just sat at a bench and enjoyed the view and visited a few Memorials before catching the bus back to our hotel. The next day, our last day, our flight was at 10PM so we still had the whole day to complete the rest of the HOHO Bus Tour around Perth and as well as a quick tour around the neighboring town of Fremantle. * * * Read: Part 1 of our Perth experience and Day trip to Fremantle. For more pictures from our trip, check out our Australia Gallery. Enjoy! Our trip to Western Australia last April 2016 * * * The possibility of visiting Australia never crossed my mind, until Von had to go to Perth for an official trip. We agreed that I could follow him there and explore on my own. I applied for my separate Australian tourist visa and got approved. I flew to Perth alone since Von was already there for about a week ahead of me. I had the option to go earlier, but I also couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Elise behind for such a long period. In the end, I thought 6 days would suffice. I left Manila at 5AM and reached Perth around 11PM, almost 18 hours: 2-hour flight to HongKong + 7 hour layover in HK International Airport + 9-hour flight to Perth. I did enjoy the feeling of traveling alone, although I got a bit lonely during my layover in HKIA as I ate in the food court and wandered the shops by my lonesome self. During the flight via Cathay Pacific, I enjoyed the peace and serenity of sleeping and watching in-flight movies to my heart’s content, things I missed out during our 24-hour flight to the US when I took care of Elise the whole time. Haha! SO IN LOVE WITH PERTH... Prior to visiting Perth, the only thing I knew about the city was the fact that it is isolated, and that it was mentioned in the movie Kill Bill. Sorry! Perth is in Western Australia and known for its gold mining industry, the Swan River, and King’s Park, the largest in-city botanical garden in the world, twice the size of Central Park in New York. The fact about it being isolated is correct as I soon found out that it is the most isolated metropolitan city in the world, with the next major city of Adelaide being about 1,300 miles away. It is not the usual go-to place in Australia for tourists, unlike Sydney or Melbourne. But I found it so charming! By the end of the trip, I was wishing Von would be posted in Australia (not in Perth though since there is no Philippine consulate yet in the area).
I loved this city’s vibe. I mostly saw young professionals. There were some tourists, but definitely not as crowded or busy as Hong Kong, or wild like Las Vegas. Since Von was working during the day, I was prepared to tour the city alone. I read an article before that Perth is one of the safest cities to visit when you’re a female solo traveler, so that gave me a bit of security. From our hotel in Rendezvous Perth, I walked alone to the malls in Hay Street and in Elizabeth Quay and sat at the benches, waiting for Von to take his lunch break or finish his work for the day. I didn't feel unsafe at all! During the evenings after Von was done with work, we walked around the Central Business District (CBD) and saw only a few restaurants or bars open, really a stark contrast from the crazy happenings in Manila at night. As for dining, I admit I'm not familiar with Australian cuisine, but I must say Von and I thoroughly enjoyed everything we ate during the trip. Everything was so yummy, from the fish and chips, and the Angus beef burgers, to international fares like Peri-Peri Chicken at Nando’s and Quesadillas at Mad Mex. It’s like all the ingredients were so fresh. During the second night, Von also surprised me with a romantic dinner at the fine dining Opus Restaurant at the Richardson Hotel, where we got to try rabbit! After Von’s conference, we just had one more day to explore the city via the Perth Explorer Hop On-Hop Off (HOHO) Bus Tour.
* * * Read: Part 2 of our Perth experience and Day trip to Fremantle. For more pictures from our trip, check out our Australia Gallery. Enjoy! During the Philippine President's State Visit last week here in Saudi Arabia, the spouses of the Embassy officers were requested to render assistance to the female accompanying delegates from the Philippines. The main Philippine delegation stayed at the King Saud Guest Palace as guests of the King. I was fortunate to get inside the Palace as well---something I never imagined would happen in my lifetime. The other ladies and I were not sure if we could take pictures inside so we were initially shy and took pictures discreetly. But when the Royal Protocol officers themselves invited us to take pictures inside the majestic halls, well, what do you expect Pinays would do? Haha. Of course, we still had to observe proper decorum since we were there representing the Embassy. As for myself, I only took a few pictures as I was too conscious about security protocol. We were also prepared to wear our hijab all day, but upon getting there, we learned that they were not strict about women covering their heads inside the Palace so some of us decided to remove them. My guess is since this is where Heads of State usually stay during official visits, they are used to foreign women roaming around the place without their head covers on. I was stunned when I first saw the Main Reception Hall. It was so beautiful. We stayed mostly at the Mirror Room with its equally gorgeous chandelier. But among the rooms we visited, this is my favorite of all, the Moroccan Room. With its high ceiling, intricate designs and a small fountain in the middle, it just looks surreal. I made a mental note to also put up a Moroccan room when Von and I would have our own palace someday. Haha! The Guest Palace looks opulent and rich, with lots of chandeliers. What else can I say?
It's been almost two months since we moved here to Riyadh and what can I say? It's been mostly good, so far... 1. The abaya. When Von told me the first time that he was being considered for posting in Riyadh, my initial reaction was: oh s***, I have to wear an abaya (think Harry Potter robes EVERYWHERE you go). As it turned out, the abaya has been the least of my concerns, so far. I like that I don't spend time anymore worrying about what I'm going to wear outside (except when we are going to the DQ -the Diplomatic Quarters area-where women are free to remove their abayas or during Filipino gatherings). Mostly, the lack of attention is refreshing. I don't miss at all the leers and stares from some perverts back at home when I dress sexy and even when I don't. The wearing of the head cover or “hijab” doesn't bother me too, since it is not mandatory for non-Muslim women. Nevertheless, I carry one with me all the time in case I encounter the "muttawa" or the religious police who are strict with these things, or if I just want to blend in the crowd. 2. Lack of mobility. My biggest complaint so far. Since this is Von's first posting, we did not avail yet of the free shipment of household items and vehicle via container van which diplomats are entitled to since we don't have that much stuff yet we want to ship. That meant leaving our beloved family car, Pokie, behind, too. Since we're also fairly new to the Kingdom, applying for a car loan has proven difficult since most banks require at least three months residency. We also can't afford to buy a second-hand car which requires full payment. So we're left to our own devices, since public commute is difficult here. Good thing Von's officemates in the Embassy have been nothing but helpful in lending us their cars or driving us around during the first two weeks when we were getting settled in (looking for a house, processing our residency documents, buying basic household furniture, etc.). We have not experienced riding a cab, but we have used Uber on many occasions and we have not had any issues so far. I'm hoping that once we are able to buy a car, we can go around more and take Elise to parks, to Gymboree, and to other places of interest around Riyadh. 3. Women are not allowed to drive. Still struggling to deal with this one, especially since I'm such a travelbug. Back in Pinas, I had all the freedom to drive to the mall or to the supermarket whenever Von was busy with work or out of town. I could easily drive to Tagaytay or Bulacan when I'm itching for some lakwatsa. Here, I have to rely on Von ALL.THE.TIME---which drives me absolutely nuts, since he is also busy with work at the Embassy. There have been rumors online that the government will soon allow women to drive but I'm not counting on it. I'd probably be scared to drive here, too, because of the fast pace of driving here. 4. The segregation. Unrelated people of different genders are prohibited from mixing, so in most restaurants and establishments, and even in some malls, there are dedicated sections or schedules for single men and for families/women. So far, it's been a non-issue for us since we are a family, except that one time when we wanted to eat inside a restaurant which didn't have a family section, so Von bought food to-go and we ate inside the car. The booths at the family sections of restaurants are also covered with curtains, which I found claustrophobia-inducing in the beginning, although I don't mind them now. But it's only been two months and I expect to encounter more instances of segregation. Let's see. 5. Life begins at night. Surprisingly, a big adjustment for us! Von and I are not particularly party-people, so unless we're scheduled to meet friends for dinner or watch a movie, we'd be usually at home by 8 watching movies or playing Wii. Here, we go to our doctor's appointment at 8PM, go to the supermarket at 9PM, and leave the mall at 11PM! Upon arriving, we learned that life in Riyadh starts late due to the observance of prayer times until the evening, and also due to the sweltering heat during summer. We were so surprised when we visited a big mall for the first time and almost all the shops were still closed – at 2PM – on a Friday afternoon! (BTW, the weekend here starts on Friday). I can't imagine a mall in Pinas which would open its doors that late, haha. This is a pretty big adjustment especially for Von since some of our errands run late well into midnight, and he's still expected to report for work the next day at 8AM.
Those are my observations for now. It's been pretty good, but I won't deny, it's definitely challenging. I told Von the other night that it's a good thing we've been married for four years now. For a newbie couple, I just couldn't see it happening. The first year is challenging enough, and I can't imagine the added stress of relocating and all the adjustments it entails. Still, I can see the charm in this city. I'm excited to explore Riyadh more, meet more new friends, and enjoy our life here for the next six years, inshallah (“God-willing”). * * * Read: The Day I Visited a Palace Day 3 of our Fabulous Thailand trip: Day 3 started with us taking an early ferry back to Rattanakosin. This time, we we were set on visiting Wat Pho, Wat Arun, and Wat Traimit. Wat Pho The Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) is the complex directly beside the Grand Palace. We could have visited the complex on our first day. But it was already around 2PM when we ended our tour of the Grand Palace and we were dying to go back to the hotel because of the heat. The complex is really big and there are lots of opportunities to observe Thai and Buddhist architecture. But what we really came for to see is the Reclining Buddha. I have seen this image in our encyclopedia growing up, and seeing it in person was an amazing feeling. (I wish my dad and sisters were with me). The figure is 15 meters high and 46 meters long, and is one of the largest Buddha statues in Thailand. There’s a certain spot and angle where you can take a picture of the whole body.
From Wat Pho, we were supposed to go next to Wat Arun, the temple across the river. However, the temple was under construction, and we found out that they were not letting people climb the steep stairs. So we just decided to skip it and save it for the next time we visit. Wat Traimit We took a cab next to Wat Traimit (Temple of the Golden Buddha. We wanted to try riding the tuk-tuk but I felt we were being ripped off since we were obviously foreigners. The tuk-tuk driver in front of Wat Pho offered to take us to Traimit for B200. I felt that this was too much as I remember that the temple is just nearby. Good thing we didn’t take his offer. True enough, we hailed a cab and we were charged only around B100. Wat Traimit is the home of the Golden Buddha. It’s at the end of Chinatown so if you have some time, you may also explore the area. Inside the Traimit, we only got the tickets for the 4th and 5th floors, which contains the golden Buddha. This is one of the most ornate and beautiful halls I have seen. The Buddha is 3 meters tall and made of pure solid gold and weighs about 5.5 tons. Inside, Buddhists were praying and paying their respects so we just discreetly observed and took pictures from the corner. Chao Phraya Dinner Cruise For our last night, I planned a dinner cruise along the Chao Phraya. I read so many reviews about different dinner cruises and ended up booking the Wonderful Pearl Dinner Cruise. I had another cruise in mind, but eventually ended up choosing Wonderful Pearl because of the difference in prices, and I’ve read enough good reviews. I booked the dinner cruise with shuttle service from our hotel to the Si Phraya Pier, as I didn’t want to worry anymore about hailing a cab to and from Si Phraya. Inside the cruise ship, we were seated in the middle dock, outside the air-conditioned area, but still close to the buffet. The other diners, however, chose to stay at the rooftop deck to take advantage of the view. Personally, I didn’t mind. From where we were sitting, we saw the Wat Arun lit, the Rama Bridge, and other famous landmarks. SO beautiful! (However, I wanted to tell the passengers who chose to sit inside, "Hey, you're missing out on the experience, guys!!!" Oh well, to each his own.) The buffet dinner was good. Not exceptional, but really just okay. The staff were very nice and accommodating. One thing I noticed though, make sure you go the buffet fast enough or you will miss out on some of the entrees. After dinner, when the ship reached the King Rama VIII bridge, we went up to the roof deck and found ourselves vacant seats and just enjoyed the rest of the night. We saw the Grand Palace lit, the Wat Pho, and the white chedi. I made a mental note to try the Bangkok Tram Night Tour on our next visit. The bridge at night was a sight to behold. There was also a singer singing Elvis songs to keep the guests entertained. I enjoyed the music and felt such an oldie! Hehe. What can I say, just a great, treat night. Definitely the best way to end our Fabulous Thailand trip.
* * * Three days is not enough to see all that Thailand had to offer. But we couldn’t stay away from Elise for too long! By the 4th day, we were itching to go back home. Will definitely love to come back and visit the beaches next time and maybe bring Elise, too! * * * Read: Day 1 and Day 2 of our Fabulous Thailand trip. For more pictures from our trip, check out our Thailand Gallery. Enjoy! Day 2 of our Fabulous Thailand trip: Kanchanaburi Province For our second day in Thailand, we decided to take a day tour to Kanchanaburi, a province 123km west of Bangkok. We booked our tour through Viator for around $40 each. Why Kanchanaburi? Even our Thai friends from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) wondered why we chose to visit Kanchanaburi, and not more popular provinces like Pattaya or Ayutthaya. Other provinces like Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hua Hin were farther so I did not consider these places. Between Pattaya, Ayutthaya and Kanchanaburi, we chose Kanchanaburi because I was interested with the historical attractions found here. Von just agreed with my suggestions, haha. Our Viator tour consisted of the following: - Kanchanaburi War Cemetery - Jeath Museum - "James Bond" Boat Ride - Bridge on the River Kwae - Thai-Burma Death Railway The tour was great. I had only some issues concerning our tour guide. She was nice, yes. But she didn’t give much information about the places we saw. She also took us to an elephant camp which was not part of the itinerary. I am no fan of elephant camps because of the hard life elephants face as tourist attractions. I wish we had just stayed a bit longer at the places which were actually part of the tour. Having said that, the tour itself was great. Kanchanaburi War Cemetery After almost two hours of travel inside the van, we finally arrived in the town of Kanchanaburi at our first stop. The Kanchanburi War Cemtery is the main POW (prisoners of war) cemetery for victims of Japanese imprisonment during the construction of the Burma Railway. The tour of the cemetery was very moving. Each gravestone has a different epitaph in honor of the fallen soldiers. A grim reminder of what war takes away the most---loving fathers, sons, brothers, complete families. Unfortunately, we only spent a few minutes of our time here.
"James Bond" Boat The ride aboard the long-tail boat, which Viator and the tour guide excitedly described as “James Bond boat” was thrilling. (Or simply “bangka” in the Philippines). I loved the wind blowing against my face as our boat traversed the River Kwae. The ride was a good 10 minutes, maybe? At the end of the tour, the beautiful Bridge on the River Kwae came into view, giving you a great angle of the bridge. Bridge on the River Kwae We were so anxious to see the infamous Bridge on the River Kwae. I was probably more curious to see it than Von as I remember my father, a big history buff, watching the film "The Bridge on the River Kwai" at home one time. The bridge was constructed during World War II, as part of the Death Railway from Thailand to Burma, meant to transport cargo to India. Due to the difficult terrain, thousands of POWs and Asian laborers lost their lives in the construction of the railway. Simply put, behind the beauty is a tragic history. The bridge has now become a major attraction in Kanchanaburi. You can walk across the bridge from one end to the other. There are also stalls selling street food, water, and souvenirs at the riverbanks. While other tourists may find them tacky due to the loss of reverence of the place, I didn't mind them since they're simply locals trying to profit from the attraction. Death Railway The ride aboard the Thai-Burma Death Railway was the highlight of the tour and honestly, one of the best adventures I’ve had in a long time. The train ride was two hours plus long, but one can't get bored with the view of rice paddies, communities, and the beautiful amazing scenery. We took the tourist car for an extra B200 each, an upsell by our tour guide, but we were happy we did. The tourist car was less crowded, and with perks like snacks, cold beverages, coffee, tea, and my favorite, a certificate to commemorate our ride! Once the train reached the Wang Po Viaduct, I felt overwhelmed at the gorgeous scenery, the train bend, the cliffs on the side, and the Buddha statue inside the cave. Looking down below, one can see the original rickety track made of wood. Looked definitely scary but it was such an exhilarating ride. (Be careful not to drop your phones or camera when taking shots! Took these shots via my then new S6 Edge and I was extra careful!) We got off at Nam Tok, the last station, to finally have some lunch. The buffet lunch was good. The pad thai, sour soup and chicken were very tasty. We ate at a secluded restaurant somewhere in San Yoi, surrounded by trees and wildlife. It was a good respite from Manila and Bangkok heat and the city life. After lunch, we headed to the Sai Yoi Nok Elephant Camp where some of our tourmates rode an elephant for a fee. Again, I am not a fan of these types of activities. Most of us just waited inside the van. After the elephant camp, the tour guide then took us to another spot where we saw hundreds of wild monkeys! They were cute, but none of us went outside the van to feed them. The drive back to Bangkok was very long and tiring because of the usual night traffic. We left Kanchanaburi at around 3PM and arrived in our hotel at around 6:30. Wow. Having chosen Kanchanaburi, we had to forego other day trips outside Bangkok such as the floating Markets and the Chatuchak Weekend Market. Oh well, there's always next time! Bangkok at Night That night, we decided to try Bangkok Street food at the famous Sukhumvit Soi 38. It's just so funny that we avoid eating street food in Manila (unless it's inside UP Diliman) due to hygiene concerns, but hey, why not do it in Bangkok, right? Well, I did like the food! I read somewhere that the vendors will be relocated by 2016, so we made sure to try the experience while the stalls were still standing. We also walked the stretch of Soi Cowboy just to see what it’s like. The night was early, so there weren’t much happening around, but yeah, we saw scantily-clad women inviting us to go in. Von told me he didn’t notice the women. Yeah, right, haha!
Anyway, it was a great but vey tiring day. * * * Read: Day 1 and Day 3 of our Fabulous Thailand trip. For more pictures from our trip, check out our Thailand Gallery. Enjoy! For the longest time, I’ve wanted to visit Thailand as I was curious about its culture. When Elise turned 1, I thought it was the perfect time for Von and I to finally have a proper honeymoon out of the country. We took our trip last June 2015. It was our first time to take a trip together without Elise. I didn’t feel guilty at all because I thought we really needed the break. What can I say, we had 4 amazing days in Thailand! Day 1: Check-in at Radisson Blu Bangkok For me, a good hotel is always on my travel wish list, for it sets the tone for the rest of the trip. Maybe someday I will try backpacking, but not yet. This was an opportunity for us to relax and take a break from our parental duties, so I was willing to splurge a bit. Since we were newbies in Bangkok, we didn’t know the best location to get a hotel. I did a little research and found that many upscale hotels are located along Sukhumvit Road, so I thought it must be a good location. After reading a few reviews, I was convinced Radisson Blu was a good hotel so I booked a reservation immediately. We left Manila at around 630AM. We arrived in Bangkok at around 9AM and headed straight to Radisson via trains. The hotel could not accommodate us for early check-in, but they did process our reservation so that our keys would be ready by the time we get back from sightseeing at 3pm. I fell in love with our room as soon as I saw it. I loved the modern bathroom, the complete amenities, the luxurious bed, and best of all, the panoramic view of Bangkok. Because we stayed for three nights, Asia Web Direct where I booked our reservation offered a free upgrade to a Deluxe room. I believe we got a great view due to the upgrade. I noticed though that most of Bangkok’s famous attractions like the Grand Palace and the Wat Pho are located along the Chao Phraya River, far from Sukhumvit. So we had to take several trains to get to the attractions located in the Rattanakosin area. Public commute is convenient though. Although we would have probably saved on train money if we had chosen a hotel nearer the tourist spots, or riverside. Oh well, we will try that next time. Having said that, one advantage though of staying in the Sukhumvit area is that it’s near malls, restaurants, cafes, and the raunchy nightlife. It’s also a walking distance from the BTS and MTR, which lets you get anywhere within the city. Chao Phraya Express We left our bags with Radisson and took connecting trains to the Chao Phraya Ferry to the Rattanakosin area. We followed tips online and took the Orange Line and paid only around B15 each. The ferry is a good way to see riverside attractions such as the posh hotels, markets, and the Wat Arun. It was a mix of tourists and locals since the Orange Line is also used by locals to traverse the river so you may find yourself without a seat during rush hour. The Blue Line is less crowded as it is catered more for tourists, but way more expensive. Lunch at Tha Maharaj We disembarked at the Tha Chang Pier (N9) to get some lunch first before entering the Grand Palace. At the pier, we were greeted with throngs of tourists like us, along with lots of vendors and food stalls. The road for passage was so small, we walked so slowly. Add to that the sweltering heat, and some tourists insensitively carrying umbrellas and hitting other tourists. I must admit, it wasn’t enjoyable. When we finally exited out of the market, we got lost even though I’ve studied the map thoroughly and in my head, I knew where to go. We were looking for a restaurant along the Maharat Road but we couldn’t find it. At this point, Von and I were already getting exhausted from the heat, the crowds, and walking aimlessly. We were itching to find a good place to sit down, regroup and get some lunch. We walked a bit more towards some vendors and eventually, we stumbled into The Maharat, a complex of cafés, and stores. I was itching to get an iced coffee from Starbucks, but I thought, why not try something local? Eventually, we settled at S&P Restaurant. I think it’s a local casual restaurant with several branches around Thailand. Unlike our vacation in Hongkong when I didn’t try the local food (I was pregnant and nauseated by the smell), I was excited to try authentic Thai food. We had Pad thai, of course, crab rice and fried spring rolls. We weren’t disappointed with our first Thai lunch! The Grand Palace After regrouping at lunch, we headed to The Grand Palace, probably Bangkok's most famous landmark. The Grand Palace has served as the official residence of the Kings of Siam since 1782. It is certainly one of the most exquisite places I have even seen. The Palace screams of opulence and majesty. While we did enjoy touring the complex, we were a bit disappointed that there were no English captions in the buildings, so we were completely clueless with what we were looking at. You can join guided tours for a fee. But for us traveling by ourselves, we just marveled at the architecture. I had read about the strict dress code, so I bought a shawl for cover-up since I was wearing a sleeveless shirt. I was sure my shawl draped around my shoulders would be acceptable. But the lady guard pressed the shawl against my skin and told me that she can still see my shoulders through the shawl. Good thing I had an extra cardigan in my bag so I was still allowed in. Wat Phra Kaew Inside the Grand Palace Complex is the most revered Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) among Buddhists. The temple contains an image of Buddha made out of jade, and dressed in robes which varies in season. Photography is not allowed inside. Tourists are also required to remove their shoes. We are not Buddhists but we did appreciate the sacredness of the place. Remember: do remember to read up on Thai etiquette before traveling to the country, such as removing your shoes when entering sacred places or private spaces, not pointing your feet to any statue of Buddha, not speaking ill of the Royal Family, and not stepping on the door archway (you might be stepping on Buddhist deities guarding the place). The ticket to the Grand Palace also includes a tour of the Vivanmek Mansion, but the heat had become unbearable that Von and I decided to skip it and return to the hotel. And to think we came from Manila! We were torn between taking the same adventurous route we took going there (2 trains + ferry), or just simply hailing a cab. We finally decided to hail a cab because I could not imagine us going through the same crowded market place we passed from the pier. The cab ride was a bit expensive. Some drivers offered to take us back to Radisson for B400 (around P600). But I read somewhere that it should only take around B200. Finally, we found a cab who charged us B300. We just took it!
For dinner, we met friends from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs who took us to a popular restaurant Taling Pling in the Sukhumvit area and we had more delicious Thai food. * * * Read: Day 2 and Day 3 of our Fabulous Thailand trip. For more pictures from our trip, check out our Thailand Gallery. Enjoy! |