HONG KONG FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

Last December, Rina, Rain and I were joined by some of Rina's for a short trip to Hong Kong to Celebrate New Year's. While we were waiting to check in to our Air BNB, we went around Hong Kong and went around exploring the beautiful city!


KKday Pocket Wifi Link: https://www.kkday.com/en-ph/product/11847?cid=5160 

KKday Airport Express Tickets: https://www.kkday.com/en-ph/product/2425?cid=5160

Please don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel: bit.ly/PickiestEaterYT

STAR CRUISES SUPERSTAR VIRGO | FROM MANILA TO HALONG BAY TO SANYA | PART 5

On our fifth day at sea on Star Cruises Superstar Virgo, we headed back to Manila. We Went on a tour of the ship's bridge to meet the captain, and we also saw how clean their galley was! As much as we enjoyed the cruise, I was excited to head back to Manila to see my family!

See Day 1 of our Star Cruise On The Superstar Virgo HERE!

See Day 2 of our Star Cruise On The Superstar Virgo HERE!

See Day 3 of our Star Cruise On The Superstar Virgo HERE
See Day 4 of our Star Cruise On The Superstar Virgo HERE

FROM MANILA TO HALONG BAY AND SANYA ON STAR CRUISES SUPERSTAR VIRGO : DAY 4

On our fourth day at sea on Star Cruises Superstar Virgo, we arrived at Sanya, China! I was totally spellbound by how beautiful the place was. We toured around Nanshan Cultural Zone, Nanshan Hotel, and Summer Mall. It was truly a paradise and I hope to visit for a longer stay some day!

See Day 1 of our Star Cruise On The Superstar Virgo HERE!

See Day 2 of our Star Cruise On The Superstar Virgo HERE!

See Day 3 of our Star Cruise On The Superstar Virgo HERE

FROM MANILA TO HALONG BAY AND SANYA ON STAR CRUISES SUPERSTAR VIRGO : DAY 1

           I joined some of my friends from the media on a cruise from Manila to Halong Bay, Vietnam and Sanya, China, aboard the Star Cruises Superstar Virgo!

This is Part 1 of what would be a 6 day trip! (Although our 6th day ended at 8 am so i don't think it really counted hehe)

AIR ASIA TELLS THE SUNNY SONNY STORY: #TravelGr8 Vacation Essentials!

             Air Asia has quickly emerged as Asia's leading name in budget airline travel. In the past couple of years that I've been traveling with Air Asia, one thing I've noticed with this airline is that they always find a way to go one step beyond their offered services to their passengers. For example, it wasn't enough for Air Asia to provide meals for their passengers, but they went the extra mile to develop a menu that ensures the food they serve are absolutely delicious.

        Their in-flight shopping catalog is no different. Not only are they constantly adding products that is useful to the traveler, but they recently added a product to their lineup that is meaningful not just to their passengers, but to the less fortunate as well. 

        Allow me to tell you all about Air Asia's new #TravelGr8 Vacation Essentials In Flight Catalog! 

         

THE 2013 DAVAO ADVENTURE: MARCO POLO HOTEL DAVAO

     I believe it was in my 2012 year-ender post that I stated that my goals for 2013 would be to incorporate more travel posts to my blog, which would also include a "Staycation" Series. My plan was to make the most out of those deals from various Group Buying sites, and come up with at least one or two Staycation weekends, and possibly one fly out of town trip by the year ends. 

     Never in my wildest dreams did I even consider that I would be flown out to Davao by a world class hotel chain to cover the fun filled festivities of the popular Kadayawan Festival! 

     I had been to Davao before. But like most cities in the provinces that I have  had the pleasure of touring, the most I had truly ever seen were the malls. Case in point.. I was at Davao just last November for work, and again, the most memorable landmark I saw was SM Lanang Premier, which was where the conference I had attended was held. 

      Which was quite sad really, because Davao is much more than that. So much more. Its an incredibly beautiful city, rich in varied cultures, yet undeniably Filipino. 

       For the first time in my life, I would be visiting Davao as a tourist, and Marco Polo Hotel Davao made sure that, Rina and I, together with the other amazing members of our travel group would have the time of our lives. We go to experience one of the Philippine's greatest cities with the full Marco Polo Hotel VIP treatment. 

     So began our wonderful stay in Davao, courtesy of Marco Polo Hotel Davao.  

TAAL VISTA HOTEL: OUT OF TOWN, YET CLOSE TO HOME

            Some time in 2011, I went on a road trip to Tagaytay. One of my stops was Taal Vista Hotel, just to check out the view of Taal Volcano. I walked into the hotel, and truth be told, there was nothing that gave me the inkling it was an actual hotel. I've had an extensive experience with hotels in my life, so think I have a basic knowledge of how hotel staff should be in terms of hospitality and demeanor.

       Sadly, my first impression was that I felt Taal Vista Hotel was being run by robots. When I walked in, no one really noticed me, to the point that I didn't even get so much as a "Good Morning" from the front desk or Bell hops. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting them to roll out the red carpet or throw rose petals in front of my every step, but it's pretty customary for a hotel to treat every guest like they were the most important person in the world. Unfortunately for me, I walked into to Taal Vista Hotel and walked out their doors contemplating whether to use my new found powers of invisibility to fight crime or for world domination. 

        I honestly wasn't expecting a whole lot during a trip back to Taal Vista Hotel in 2012, but instead I was dazzled by the hospitality and graciousness that I had been expecting from a hotel. The difference between now and the previous year was night and day. 

        I knew I was in for an amazing weekend with my family.

       

ALL THE WAY TO MIDWAY GRILL, LA UNION!

              

          In early October, after a long, yet uneventful day at work, I came home to my wife in tears. You can imagine the panic I felt when I saw her crying, and not knowing the cause of her sadness. (In case you were wondering, its because I was worried something terrible had happened to a loved one.. NOT because I was worried I got caught doing something =P) 

    My first instinct was to look for Baby Rain. I breathed a sigh of relief to find my little munchkin happily playing in her crib. I asked Rina what happened, and she showed me the greeting card in her hand. 

    It was a greeting card for Baby Rain. In fact, it was her first Birthday card EVER. And it was from Rina's 80 year old Grandmother that lives all by herself in La Union, who has never met her Great Granddaughter yet. Rina is very close to her "Lalo", as she calls her, and had been hankering for us to visit her for quite sometime, but we could never make the schedules work. 

   Seeing her in tears told me that this was one trip that we could no longer put off. Besides, Rain was old enough to handle long road trips. So we planned it with Rina's sister, Chaikka, and her boyfriend, "Beautiful Eyes" Don, to go visit La Union (which is Spanish for.. umm.. "The Union") during the All Saint's Day Long weekend. 

    Once the plan was set, I asked readers on The Pickiest Eater Facebook Page for their suggestions on where to eat for my very first post from San Fernando, La Union. 

     The most popular answer was "Midway Grill". 

THE AMBASSADOREOS TAKE MANHATTAN!

        For our first full day in New York, Oreo scheduled a City Tour for the Philippine AmbassadOREOS. We were treated to a driving tour around the Big Apple, passing by some of the city's most significant landmarks. 

       Honestly, this wasn't my first time in New York. I had been to there before, but only for the day. I have relatives in Delaware, and when we would visit them, my Uncle would drive us up there to check out the sights. He wasn't too sure what building was what, so we never really learned anything about the historical significance of the structures. Since we had a true blue native New Yorker by the name of Sylvia as our tour guide, this was a wonderful opportunity for us to learn more about one of the greatest cities on earth!

THE GREAT OREO ADVENTURE: THE AMBASSADOREOS ARE OFF TO NEW YORK!

Imagine waking up from a deep in-flight slumber, 

looking out the window, and seeing this glorious sight. 

       If you visit my blog with any form of frequency, there's a chance that you might have stumbled unto a little tidbit of me winning the title of the Oreo's "Official Blogger AmbassadOREO".

     So what exactly did winning that title mean? 

     Well for starters, it gave me and my wife the opportunity to fly on an all expenses paid to New York (with pocket money) so we could attend the highly anticipated "100 Years of Oreo" event, where Oreo lovers from around the world gathered in a fun filled celebration of everyone's favorite cookie!

     So begins the travel log of what I consider, -next to my wedding and the birth of my daughter- The greatest experience of my life.. Our Great New York Adventure, courtesy of Oreo Philippines! 

SINGAPORE DAY 3: THE GRAND FINALE AT IKEA!

THE PICKIEST EATER IN THE WORLD AND THE IKEA GRANDE FINALE from richiez168 on Vimeo.

          For our "Last Supper" in Singapore, I scheduled a visit to Ikea. Rina and Chaikka were both eager to check out the awesome furniture they had, but I could care less about their lamps, sofas, and what not. I was there for one thing, and one thing only: The Swedish Meatballs. Little did I know that, with the help of my friend Nina,  I would discover another dessert that I would add to the Best Thing Ever List!

SINGAPORE DAY 3: THE PHANTOM OF THE FOOD OPERA

Constipation is not fun. (kidding)

        After getting rained out in Sentosa, we took a Shuttle bus from the Imbiah Station to take the token trip to Orchard Road. Just like Sentosa, I honestly don't get the big deal about Orchard Road, and why it's a "must see for every tourist". Then again, it could be the bitterness of my wallet talking. I mean, it's got all these High End shops and all, but nothing anything you can't find in Greenbelt 5. (Sorry Fashionistas of the world, but I'm totally clueless about these things, so I mean no offense.)

       As you saw in my Sentosa post, i took pix with almost every statue I could find in Resorts world.. So maybe I shouldn't be one to judge when I saw people taking pictures in front of a Dolce and Gabbana or a Louis Vuitton. 

    To me however, the true awesomeness of Orchard Road is not found on the surface, but four levels below the famed street. At Basement Four of Ion Orchard Mall, is a gastronomic paradise that every food lover should not miss.. Food Opera. 

SINGAPORE DAY 3: THE DEFAULT TRIP TO SENTOSA

Whenever I take a picture with Rina, I always hold her tummy, 

just so our baby knows that he/she is included in the picture.

        When you ask someone about the places to go to in Singapore, it's very likely that he or she would tell you that a trip to the Lion City would not be complete without going to Sentosa. That was the logic of Rina and Chaikka when we set our trek there for Day Three. Considering Sentosa is dubbed as "Asia's favorite Playground", so you can imagine our excitement when I was planning the things that we could do there.

          But looking at the park map that I got from the hotel, and studying the attractions, I was starting to think that Sentosa wouldn't be as fun as I thought It would be, especially since we had just come from the awesomeness of Universal Studios.

        I did bring up that concern to the girls, but they were steadfast in their decision to go to Sentosa. They did have a valid point though.. Everyone they asked said they should go to Sentosa, and how often will they be in Singapore, so why not make the most of the chance. 

      Outnumbered, I just went along for the ride, hoping for the best. 

    Now, I've never been one to say "I told you so!", but... Rina and Chaikka?  If you both are reading this..

   I TOLD YOU SO!!!!!!!!!!

SINGAPORE DAY 3: ON TOP OF THE WORLD, IN THE SINGAPORE FLYER!

THE PICKIEST EATER GOES TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD! 

from richiez168 on Vimeo.

          I'm afraid of heights. I think that's why God didn't make me tall. Wait, I take that back. I'm not afraid of heights, per se. I'm afraid of Ferris Wheels. Strange, no? So what exactly would possess me to take a ride on The Singapore Flyer, the tallest Ferris Wheel in the entire world? Well, the girls said they wanted to do it, so I had to man up or be left behind. Besides, the ticket was a package deal with our Duck Tour, so I'd be wasting money if I skipped it.

            And I'm glad I did, because the view of the city was absolutely breathtaking, that every tourist should not miss!        

SINGAPORE DAY 2: ONE NIGHT AT MAKANSUTRA GLUTTONS BAY

"Glutton's Bay" could very well have been my birthplace.

          I was so sleepy during our Duck Tour drive around the city, that I can safely say that I can't really remember a lot of the things our tour guide said. I can't recall the story of the war memorial, nor do I remember the name of the tallest hotel in Singapore. But what was clear as day, was that he said, "Food Lovers, you can't leave Singapore without going to Makansutra."


        Just like Food Republic, Makansutra was among the many recommendations that my friends suggested to me when i asked for place to eat in Singapore. According to our guide, Makansutra is a popular food center that features a collection of the best "Hawkers" in the country. He had me at "Food Center'.

       This post marks the first time I'm going to be doing a "Video Review". I'm a bit new to this sort of thing so you're going to have to forgive me if it's not any good hehe.. See the video here:

THE PICKIEST EATER VISITS MAKANSUTRA SINGAPORE! 

from richiez168 on Vimeo.

SINGAPORE DAY 1: MY FIRST TIME AT A VICTORIA (FOOD) COURT

Instead of "Shhhh".. the girl in their logo goes "Buurrrrpp..."

        After our Night Safari trip, we got home at around 10:30 pm. Rina, Chaikka and I were totally exhausted, but starving at the same time. In the end, our hunger prevailed (As it usually does) and we decided to shake off the fatigue and trek down the mean streets of Geylang for some thing to eat. 

     In my opinion though, the so-called "Mean Streets of Geylang", looks closer to Makati's Legazpi Village than it does to Tondo, which was my first perception of it when I was told that I would be staying in Singapore's "Red Light District". I imagine any gangs that would come our way would look more "Sharks and Jets" from "West Side Story" than they would "Blood" and "Crips", but that's just me. 

     Throughout my entire stay there, we were never even approached by a street urchin (in fact I never even saw one) or pimp or prostitute (wait, should I be insulted? Do I not look rich even for them!?). 

      Before we left the hotel, I asked our hotel receptionist for her opinion on where to eat, and she said, at this hour, our best options would to walk out the street and to pick from the places we're open. I said the only thing I wanted to be sure of, was the place was clean. She said with a smile, that should be the least of our concerns, because Singapore has a very strict health code or something, which was good to hear. 

     Practically everyone who had given me advice about Singapore before my trip, told me that you can basically choose any restaurant on the street, and expect an awesome experience. I had no doubt in my mind that the food would be good, but I'm just a bit finicky with cleanliness. I'll be honest with you - when people told me to go to the Hawker places of Singapore, images of  rat infested local carenderias entered my mind. But our Filipina receptionist even assured me, "It's cleaner than the food  courts of SM".

     So there we were, walking down the streets of Geylang, watching guys oogle middle aged women in low cut blouses, but running away the moment the girl makes eye contact with them, when I saw a sign that caught my attention. Perhaps there was an air of familiarity with the name that intrigued me.. 

        Victoria Food Court.

SINGAPORE DAY 1: JUNGLE FEVER AT THE NIGHT SAFARI SINGAPORE

The Pickiest Eater In The World At the Night Safari In Singapore 

from richiez168 on Vimeo.

         While we were waiting for our Duck Tour craft to arrive, the tour staff (comprised mostly of Filipinos by the way) suggested we check out the popular "Night Safari". Honestly, I'm really not into the whole "Zoo" thing. Don't get me wrong, I'm no animal activist or anything like that, but recently I've become more aware and more sensitive to their plight. My trip to Sun Weh was a real eye opener for me. Although I was sure that the conditions of the animals at the Night Safari were far better than the Animal Prison Camp of Sun Weh, I still thought twice about it. Of course any attempt at a protest was easily thwarted the moment my pregnant wife said, "Ah basta, I want to go!".  

      Word of advice to all you men out there- and I don't care how tough you think you are:

      Do NOT mess with a pregnant woman. 

     Please watch the video before you proceed.

SINGAPORE DAY 1: I HAVE PLEDGED MY ALLEGIANCE TO FOOD REPUBLIC !

I'm applying for citizenship as we speak

      As soon as Rina, Chaikka and I hopped down from our Duck Tour Amphibian craft, we entered one of the Towers of the perplexing Suntec City Mall. As I mentioned during my first visit there just a few hours earlier, the place is really hard to figure out, not just for a tourist, but for a human being in general, so I didn't want to go on any more long walks. Being the notorious sleepyhead that I am, I actually just really wanted to go back to our "hotel" to rest for an hour or so before we head off for our next stop. Rina and Chai though, understandably, wanted to go around to possibly do a little shopping. 

    So there I was, in a foreign country, completely drained of all energy at four in the afternoon, due to my being awake since two in the morning. As I entered the mall doorway, I was trying to think where I could muster up the strength to troll around the busy shopping mall. 

    And Just like that, I saw the huge sign that would light a fire under me, and give me the strength I needed to carry on (*tear*).

   In big bold letters, the sign said, "FOOD REPUBLIC". 

 (*Snappy Salute*)

SINGAPORE DAY 1: BY LAND AND SEA ON THE DUCK TOUR!

THE PICKIEST EATER GOES ON THE DUCK TOUR IN SINGAPORE! from richiez168 on Vimeo.

 

      As soon as we arrived in our "hotel" in Singapore (I use quotation marks because.. well.. if you saw our room, you'll know what I mean) I spoke to the resident "Tour Specialist" for suggestions on how to go around the city. (We didn't really have any plans on how to go around, so we thought we'd just wing it, since everyone was saying that Singapore is so small, its easy to get to where you need to go) If I wanted a quick tour of the city to give me an idea of the places I could go to in the next few days, he strongly suggested I go on a "Duck Tour". 

    Our starting point was the Singapore Flyer arcade and we would end in Suntec City Mall. 

SINGAPORE DAY 1: FIRST STOP - CHEN FU JI NOODLE HOUSE!

Bring it on, Singapore!

         Since we were traveling to a country we were unfamiliar with, for the first time in my life, I found myself totally lost when Rina and Chaikka asked me, "Where are we going to eat?". All I knew was that we had to be at "The Singapore Flyer" by 1:30pm to start our tour. Where that was, and how long it would take to get there, I had absolutely no clue. I asked our receptionist Charmaine, (who after our 15 minute English dialogue, ended our conversation with a very Filipino, "Salamat po, ingat po kayo!") what would be the best place to grab something to eat before we went to the Flyer. She suggested going to Sun Tec City Mall, because we would find a lot of choices there, and we could easy grab a cab en route to the flyer. 

    As mentioned in my earlier post, everything you've heard about Singapore is true. It's sparkling clean, it my four days there, not once did I find myself caught in any form of traffic, and whether you're commuting or driving, there's a strong sense of discipline among its people.

      We got to Sun Tec City Mall at around 11:30am, and started going around, trying to find a place to eat. I wasn't really impressed with the choices, especially since Charmaine made it seem like it would be a food paradise. (I would later find out that she wasn't lying, but that's a whole other post) Since were were pressed for time, we couldn't explore the mall, so I had to make a choice right away. 

     With the clock ticking, and my wife and her sister's stomach growling, I decided to go with Chen Fu Ji Noodle House - The restaurant with the best tasting noodles I would try in my short stay in Singapore.