Family Vacation: Hong Kong (Disney Hollywood Hotel)

We rode a cab from Hong Kong airport to Disney's Hollywood Hotel, where we stayed for just one night. This was a bit of a splurge since we could have gotten a nicer hotel in the city for the price we paid here. However, the hotel was a really fun place if you have kids or if you are a kid at heart. There were hidden Mickeys everywhere and the decor was all Mickey inspired. Plus it was close to the theme park and there were shuttle buses going back and forth, so it was easy to go back to the hotel when the kids were tired or were wanting to nap or rest. We also got the two-day tickets so we didn't have to rush around the park and could explore it at a leisurely pace.

For those of you planning to visit Hong Kong Disneyland, do consider staying at the hotel and getting two-day tickets. Room rates start at HKD1650 (Php8700) per night for a garden view room at Hollywood Hotel, breakfast not included. I suggest getting park view rooms, which was a bit more expensive than the garden view room but cheaper than the sea view room. You can actually watch the fireworks from the comforts of your room! Of course, it won't be as amazing as when you watch from inside the theme park, but it was still awesome. And it worked really well for us since Ally gets spooked by fireworks. Sayang naman if we miss it, diba? Not only did we get to watch the fireworks from our room, we didn't have to worry about the kids being exposed to the elements in the chilly January night. Less worries for me!

Park view room at the Disneyland Hollywood Hotel

Cribs are free of charge, subject to availability though

The room was very child-friendly - no scary corners to be worried about!

Infant/toddler-appropriate Disney Jr was available on TV

Our view of the fireworks 

The beds were perfect, not too soft and not too firm.
Sofia gave it a thumbs up after a good night's sleep! 

What I love with this hotel was that the hotel itself can entertain you with its amenities. It has a huge outdoor pool (which unfortunately was closed for maintenance), expansive sprawling gardens decorated with classic cars (perfect for photo ops), a kid-friendly game room, outdoor playground, a gift shop, and hotel restaurants where you can actually dine with Disney characters. If these aren't enough, you can hop on the shuttle to go to the other Disney hotel, the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, which is a more posh, slightly more expensive hotel (compared to the Hollywood Hotel). Now this hotel has a spa, an indoor pool (which will undergo maintenance from end March to April 2013), live music entertainment, outdoor basketball court and tennis court, storybook playroom and a Mickey Mouse maze.

We weren't able to go to the Disneyland Hotel since we opted to spend our whole day at the theme park instead. Of course, we made time for a mini-pictorial session at the Hollywood Hotel's lobby and gardens with their classic cars.

Even the bench had touches of Mickey!

The two-day tickets on the other hand, allow you to visit the park on any two days within a 7 day period (so it is not necessary to visit the park on consecutive days). And if you are thinking that it is twice the price of the the single-day ticket, you are wrong! One-day ticket costs HKD399 (Php2100) for adults but two-day tickets costs HKD499 (Php2620). See? Not bad for an extra day in Disneyland, right?

Check out their website because they currently have a hotel room + 2-day ticket promo. Rates start at HKD2532 (Php13200) for 2 adults. They also have early booking discounts. I booked our room more than 45 days in advance so I got a 20% discount. Good deal, no? Oh, and like most hotels, the room rates are slightly more expensive Fridays and Saturdays. So if your travel dates are flexible, better to stay during weekdays for additional savings.

More of our Hong Kong trip on the next post!

Family Vacation: Hong Kong (Part 1)

I have no idea how to make kwento our family vacation in Hong Kong. I don't know where to start! I can't do a day-by-day kwento like what I did for our Baguio trip because it would be to cumbersome. We stayed there for 6 days and there was a day or two that what we did was so blah, it'll bore you. Weird naman if I do just the days we actually did something kwento-worthy right? My OC-ness will not allow entries for days 1,2, and 4, and none for the other days. It would bother me to no end.

So, back to my original problem, how do I tell you of our Hong Kong trip? My solution is to distract you with nonsense rambling as an intro, then jump straight to the juicy parts. Did it work? Aren't I sneaky-clever? Wahaha!

The whole point of going to Hong Kong is to bring our daughters to Disneyland. We brought Ally there once before but she was only 14 months old then. While she had a fab time, she hardly remembers the experience. Now that she's older and more vocal of her wants, she has been wanting to go back for a while now. We originally wanted to time the travel on my birthday, like what we did for our Boracay trip last year. Kaya lang the airfare was on the expensive side because it was too close to the holidays. It was still peak season kasi . We chose to postpone the trip to the last weekend of January. By doing so, I saved us about 50% of the total airfare. My kind of deal!

We flew on Air Asia via Clark Airport to save another couple of thousand pesos, even with the additional cost of toll and gas to and from Pampanga as well as the airport parking fee. And I was pleasantly satisfied with Clark Airport and Air Asia.

The airport personnel (the porters, people manning the x-ray machines, immigration people) were all so attentive and accommodating. They greeted us with smiles, which I appreciated a lot given that we were at the airport before 5am. They helped and assisted us in even the littlest things like looking for a vacant chair to seat on while waiting to be checked in. The queues for check in, travel tax payment and immigration were not bad at all! I also like that the airport was much smaller than the ones in Manila so there was less walking. The airport still had some parts under renovation, and they still haven't used the second floor departure area, which looked a lot like the Centennial Airport (NAIA 2). I think when they finally use this area, there won't be any need to walk to the airplanes on the ground anymore. There would be tubes connecting the terminal to the airplanes! Bongga!

The first and only time I flew on Air Asia was way back in 2008 from Jakarta to Bali. It was a much shorter flight and not memorable enough. This time however, I noticed that the airplane was new and the flight attendants were attentive and friendly. The food wasn't so bad and were priced reasonably enough. We were seated on red (premium) seats, even though I did not pay for that when I booked our ticket. Our Clark-Hong Kong flight left on time, and we arrived 30 minutes ahead of the scheduled arrival time. Not bad, right?  

Watch out for more kwentos and blog entries about our Hong Kong trip soon! :)

2010 and 2013

While I'm still trying to figure out how to write about our Hong Kong trip, here are some then and now photos. Enjoy!

Family Vacation: Baguio Day 3

Our last day in Baguio started with hotel breakfast, where I found out that the peanut butter was not homemade after all. One of the waiters told us that it can actually be bought at any local store. Yay! The brand was Baguio Best , in case you are wondering.

We checked out of the hotel around noon and proceeded to Wright Park for lunch. There was this place there called Ketchup, which was sort of a group of restaurants in one area. You can sit at any restaurant and order from any of the other restaurants and they would deliver the food to you. Nice concept, especially for a big group like ours with different food cravings. Jojo and I chose Malay food. Pepper and her family chose Thai food and my parents and Benj chose grilled food. Price wasn't too bad but the service could be better.

at Ketchup

After lunch we went to Le Monet for some ice cream and for some horseback riding for the kids. Well, that was the plan, but Ally (literally) backed out once we got to the horses. Typical Paras, all bravado disappears once close to an animal. So we just got the ice cream and went to a people-free pine-sy area for some family picture taking.

We went our separate ways after that. Jojo decided to use Kennon Road going back. It was picturesque and all, but the traffic was terrible! There were roadworks so there were areas where there was only one lane passable, and for some reason they prioritized the cars going up to Baguio. To make matters worse, the 3G signal in between the mountains was so bad, I couldn't even use my phone to pass time. Thankfully though the kids were asleep. Scary the thought of entertaining them in the midst of that traffic! Being cooped up inside a non-moving car and kids seriously do not mix!

It took us way longer to go back to Manila than it was to go up to Baguio, including our mass stop at Manaoag. But all in all, the short vacation was fun and we all had a good time.

Family Vacation: Baguio Day 2

Our day started with breakfast at the hotel, where I had the yummiest peanut butter ever! I asked the waiter about it and he said it was made by the hotel kitchen staff. I wanted to buy some but they don't sell it. So sad! It really was the yummiest I've tasted. Oh well, I must think of what it would have done to my hips had I been able to take home some.

We went back to our rooms to relax and planned to regroup at the lobby for lunch. Did I mention that my mom got three rooms that are beside each other? So we were able to hear when my sister and her family had arrived, just in time for lunch.

We drove up to Mile Hi Center in Camp John Hay to eat at Little John's. However, the traffic there was bad and the parking was closed so we had to park further up the hill. The reason the parking was closed? It was because PNoy was scheduled to drop by that afternoon. Ngek! I once read about (and basically shrugged off) the inconvenience brought about by his advance party in establishments that he would be visiting. I didn't realize it was this bad. I mean, seriously. It was peak tourist time in Baguio! And it was not as if he dined there or had a meeting or something. He just visited the shops! Ai-yo! No disrespect meant but I think it was just too over the top.

The cordoned off parking area with lots of police and PSG around

Anyway, we dined at Mile Hi, a sort of throwback to the 60's American bistro days. The food wasn't all that yummy, and it wasn't priced reasonably either. We basically just had a long and leisurely lunch-merienda there.

It was mid-afternoon when PNoy arrived to visit some of the shops. My parents brought Ally closer to PNoy and actually got a photo with him. Me, I stayed at the resto, but I did get to see him from afar. I also got to see Rico Blanco (who looks a lot like Christian Bautista in my opinion) and Leo Valdez.

This was my view

PNoy up close and personal

We went back to the hotel after our long lunch to prepare for our 6pm family dinner at Hill Station, a fancy fine dining restaurant where Mama chose to have her birthday dinner at. The place was packed! And, as Mama was a bit chummy with the owner, we found out that aside from being fully booked (for the night we ate) by Dec 15 (we were there Dec 28), the owner also had to turn down PNoy's cabinet staff's request for the president to have dinner there. Wowzers, right? It was the place to be, I tell you. Aside from us (ahem, ahem), also dining there that night were Sen. Bongbong Marcos and his family (group of 30 pax, I think) and food blogger JJ Yulo. Anyway, the place was both homey and fancy, and the owner was very much hands on with running the place and entertaining her guests. She was a very charming hostess indeed! I liked the vibe of the place. There was a bit of a wait for our orders though, which was understandable given that it was full. But the food was worth the wait. I ordered the Moroccan spiced baby back ribs (very tender and oh-so yummy) and Jojo had the lamb. Sorry I don't have photos of our food. We were quite hungry by the time it was served to us, so taking a photo was the last thing on our minds! Entrees were upwards of Php400 each but the food was excellent. No wonder the restaurant is in the Miele Guide and has been listed as one of the best restaurants in the Philippines. I tell you, sulit sya. Their desserts were yummy too. We tried the Death by chocolate and the Chocolate lemon tart, both I love and highly recommend. 

love the hanging drapes and the Christmas decor

SMB - Sofia Macias Battung  

Family picture taking after dinner

We all headed back to the hotel after our long and relaxing dinner. Ally was in high spirits (quite possibly due in part from the chocolate dessert) so she obliged us with a mini photo shoot just outside the resto and again once we got back to the hotel. She is truly a funny little girl. I have no idea where she learns these poses and they are definitely not from me! Such a precocious little girl, no!

Impromptu pictorial at the poorly lit parking lot

...and outside the hotel

...and at the hotel lobby

Well, that was all we did on the second day of vacation - eat, rest and eat again. I should be concerned but I'm not! Vacations are supposed to be this relaxing!

Hill Station
Casa Vallejo, Upper Session Road
Baguio City
hillstationbaguio.com

Preparing for a Trip

My role as a mom is always a bit more real when we travel. I'm the one who needs to make sure we bring enough/the right clothes. I'm the one who needs to make sure we have all the necessities on hand. I'm the one in charge of the travel documents. I'm the one who needs to foresee whatever we may need for the duration of the trip. I'm the one who needs to have everything prepared. I'm the one who stays up late to make sure everything is packed and nothing is left behind. I'm the one who gets stressed! Local trips are easy enough but international travel is always more difficult and requires a lot more preparation on my part.

My first concern (and one that takes me days/weeks of preparation time) is clothing. I make sure the clothes we have are appropriate for the weather and for the activities that we will be doing. It doesn't help that I'm a bit neurotic when it comes to clothing. I have to know exactly what each of us (well, me and the girls. Jojo is in charge of his own clothes) will be wearing so I plan them days/weeks in advance. I write them down and list all items for each outfit (including accessories, bibs, face towels, socks, shoes) so when it is time to pack, I won't forget anything. I plan and bring 2 sets of clothes per day for Ally and Sofia. As for me, I bring one set per day plus an extra set just in case.

Another big concern is medication. I have to bring paracetamol and colds medicine as a precaution in case anyone gets sick during the trip. I also bring band aids, anti-mosquito patches and/or lotion and lip balm. I bring our usual daily vitamins and extra meds for Jojo's allergies. He is in charge of his inhaler for his asthma, but I still remind him the day before our trip, just in case. Then I put all our meds in a clear container so I can put them in my carry-on luggage (I never check in our medicines, unlike a certain local celebrity who made such a big fuss because her kid's medication was in her luggage which the airlines off-loaded, ayayay!).

Another concern I have when traveling is the children having problems adjusting to a place or whether they get bored or unruly. Which is why I bring a bag of activities and toys for their entertainment. I try to bring those that have maximum impact that would entertain the kids longer.

I am also in charge of our cameras, the iPad and our phone chargers. I make sure there is sufficient memory space in the cameras and that all our stuff are fully charged for our travel. And I have to make sure that we get good photos of our trip. This is where Jojo and I have different opinions - he is all for living and enjoying the moment and documenting becomes an afterthought; I need to take a photo and document each little event of our journey. Whatevs.

And I handle all our travel documents - the tickets, passports, hotel reservations, even our international health cards. I put them all in a small case and arrange them in order of usage. I also put a ballpen inside as well as the emergency contact numbers of the hotel and/or tour operator.

Aside from all these, I also make a rough itinerary of what we will be doing for the duration of the trip. I research interesting activities/places, how to get there, how much it will cost, etc. I try to plan a balance of activities that the whole family would love, which means kid-friendly places for Ally and Sofia, good restos for Jojo and shopping areas for me. It can be a challenge to get a good balance, I tell you. And of course, even the most well-planned trips experience hiccups and unexpected detours, so I make contingency plans, too. I try to make the plans as flexible as possible, but I also make some activities/places more important than the others.

And then, when all are packed and we are on our way, I get so stressed worrying about what I might have forgotten or missed out. Seriously, I have so much to think about while preparing for a vacation that it somehow lessens my excitement for the trip. But when our trip goes smoothly and hassle-free, I get an extra sense of accomplishment, as if I'd accomplish something majorly huge.

How about you? How do you prepare for your family's vacations?

Teaser

I'm still in the process of organizing our vacation photos. In the meantime, here's a photo taken last Thursday. Can you guess where we went?

Family Vacation: Manaoag and Baguio Day 1

As part of my mom's seemingly endless 60th birthday celebration (we have already enjoyed 2 lunch treats and 1 dessert treat), she treated the whole family to a short vacation in Baguio. We have all been looking forward to this trip as it was our first vacation as a complete family (the last vacation we had was in Subic back in 2010 and Lila and Sofia weren't born yet). I was extra excited because the last time I was in Baguio was way back in 1994.

The plan was to leave Manila early Thursday (Dec 27) morning and meet up at Manaoag, Pangasinan to hear mass before going up to Baguio. We left the house at 430am hoping to be able to hear the 7 or 8 am mass. Unfortunately, due to a slight miscommunication between me and my mom (I won't elaborate to keep the peace), we reached Manaoag midway through the 10am mass. And then I was disappointed to find out that my sister and her family won't be joining the trip because my brother-in-law was not feeling well. Yikes! The vacation was off to a shaky start, but Mama advised us to just shrug it off and think good vibes. So after the mass we lit up some candles and offered our prayers and thanks, and then we were on our way to Baguio.

I love those floating candles

Bonding with the grandparents

We used Marcos Highway and while there was no traffic, I got a bit biyahilo with the drive. Ugh. Entertaining a toddler and an infant inside a car only worsened my sorry state. Then when we got to Baguio city proper, we got lost finding the hotel and had to go through the SM area (and the horrible traffic as all SM malls have) twice before we finally reached Mircrotel Inn. Thankfully the weather was cool and I felt instantly better as soon as I alighted from the car. It also helped that my mom and brother took to entertaining a kid each.

We ate a late lunch at 50's Diner, a small restaurant off the main road. I was so surprised that for such a nondescript place the queue was quite long! We waited for more than 15 minutes for a table to free up, but it was worth it. The food was yummy and the serving size was good. Plus points for the cheap prices. Our total bill came to under Php800 for 5 adults and 1 toddler. Crazy! 

Our next stop was at Good Shepherd Convent to buy ube jam and chocolate covered cereals. Oh, and I have a new discovery- choco-covered walnuts! Insanely addicting! And at only Php215/200g tub, it was such a good deal! I am so bummed that I didn't buy more.

Sorry, I couldn't resist :)

We went back to the hotel after a quick pass through Wright Park to look at the horses. Ally was thrilled to see a white horse with pink-dyed mane and kept calling it Pinky Pie Princess Pony (I have no idea how she comes up with names like this), but she absolutely refused to go near the horse and have her photo taken with it.

After a not-so short rest at the hotel, we went to Session Road for dinner. We ate at an Asian-inspired resto called Le Cha (I think. I don't know if I remember it correctly though). The food was really yummy and very reasonably priced! We ordered a lot and our bill was barely Php1500. Not bad at all!

Our day ended with a quick drive by Camp John Hay, a nice hot tea drink back at the hotel and an sms from my sister that she and her family would be going up to Baguio the following day. Yay!

All in all, it was still a great start to our family vacation!