Redundant? Why not?! Okay, the trip to Japan this year was meant to be a gift for myself. For such a long time, I had wanted to be able to go there, not just to their airports (which I have done too many times, often a stop over to most of my US flights). So, in the spirit of what I am trying to live by, which is to make things happen, finally I gave in and booked a flight to Osaka (after much convincing coming from Angela too, hahaha).

And so one of the places we planned to go to in Japan’s Kansai region was Kobe. For me, I would have been fine to go there just for their Kobe beef. Others in our group was convinced because apparently there was a shopping outlet somewhere 40 minutes away from Kobe’s main area. And so, we got to Kobe from Nara (which I will tell you a story about, someday, haha). If I remember it correctly, we used our 3-day Kansai Thru Pass for this trip. We did so many train rides this day so it was one of the good days to make use of an unlimited pass. I think we rode the Hanshin Main Line from Osaka Umeda Station to Kobe’s Sannomiya Station. Upon exiting, we were on the search for Kobe Beef Steak Land, which was the main plan anyway.

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Hi guys! I haven’t had the time to sit down and write because, well, of crazy schedules. Anyway, here’s a photo dump of the trip to Siem Reap in Cambodia last week! It was such a blast!

I will be back with more details. But for now, here are a few evidence of our crazy time in Cambodia! Enjoy!

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On special occasions, we would like to celebrate them with the people who matter most to us. I have celebrated several occasions in Sofitel Manila long before it was called that and I have always loved the place, besides the fact that it is the best resort in Metro Manila, the airy ambiance and homey feeling combined with warm people really make all the difference.

Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day, Easter Holiday. Are you ready for these upcoming events? Have not planned or undecided? Think no further as Sofitel has something different to offer just for these special occasions.

Chinese New Year

Starting off with the upcoming Chinese New Year this Sunday. In celebration, Spiral has begun including specialty Chinese dishes in their daily buffet offering since last February 4. Dishes like Chinese Raw fish salad, fried scallop with XO chili sauce (to which everyone on the table agreed is a must-try), Bak Kut Teh noodle soup and roasted Peking duck. For that exclusive feel, you may book their private dining room. On February 10, a fashion show by Albert Andrada will happen during brunch. Of course, Dragon and Lion dance performance is a tradition thus also happening on the 9th (7-8:30pm) and 10th (11am-12:30pm).

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This should have been my first entry, I figured but I was in the mood to write my first post about Egypt a few days ago (see here). Anyway, before I go on mentioning the sights everyone should not miss when in Egypt (Cairo / Giza in particular), let me do a rundown on a few tips for you guys.

1. Two most important things I always pray for, every single night, are safety and good health. As Egypt currently is suffering from political unrest, it would be wise to check with the news and your own country’s bulletin regarding travel advice. I haven’t been able to follow the news about Egypt lately, so I do not quite understand why they just had an election because, if I remember it correctly, an election also happened late last year. Our tour had to be adjusted according to the schedule of the protests as these tend to get violent and unsafe. So, before travel, make sure to check on the safety for tourists.

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Talk about exotic. I did not realize how different the countries I visited late last year until I was there. As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ll be posting about some activities I did (and didn’t) do. So to get this party going, just click below.

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