Little Miss Miera: 2015

Bangkok: The Arrival

I can't believe that Christmas just ended! And what better way to start the month of lights and feasts than a trip to Bangkok? My mom had a convention to attend in Bangkok so I decided to tag along.

Our flight was at 6:30 in the morning so my mom and her bestfriend decided to arrive at the airport at around 11:00pm and just stay at The Wings, a newly opened lounge at Terminal 3. It is perfect for travelers who have to wait for hours before their flight.

Our confirmation slip for our hotel accommodation was sent by the travel agency just a few hours before our flight. Fortunately they had a computer station which we could use for free to surf the net, check/send emails and print.

Complimentary food and drinks!

I honestly don't mind waiting for two to three hours (could be more especially if your flight is delayed) in the airport waiting for boarding. It must be the excitement I feel knowing that in just a few hours, I'll be exploring a whole new place and creating new memories - whether it be for business or pleasure.

Be the traveler who would look out the window during takeoff and landing. Whenever I can, I always make sure to take the window seat. Hey, it's not everyday that you get to have a bird's eye view of the city!

It was my first time in Bangkok so I was feeling extra giddy when we landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The airport was big and thank goodness their walkalators were working (unlike the ones at NAIA Terminal 3. Haha!). Just so you know, Bangkok's time is an hour earlier as compared to Manila time. I just found out when we arrived. Haha!

Our hotel accommodation and transportation (airport to hotel and vice versa) was arranged by a travel agency since we were there for my mom and her bestfriend's convention. We were picked up at Gate 3 but had to wait for around 30 minutes or so since we were waiting for another family who'll be joining us in the van. Turns out, they were waiting in another gate. Whoops! Our flight was early and we were already hungry by the time we arrived so we decided to buy lunch at the airport and eat it on the way to the hotel.

We stayed at My Hotel, a budget hotel, which was a convenient place to stay at since it's just a short walk away from the shopping area. After settling in our room, I took a short nap while we waited for our tour guide for our City Tour.

More about my trip in my upcoming posts!

7:00 PM
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Quick Getaway to Tagaytay

Philippines

A few weeks ago, me and my former workmates decided to have a quick getaway to Tagaytay. We met up at Serendra since they also had work in the morning. From Fort, we headed straight to Tagaytay!

It was quite traffic going to Tagaytay so we arrived at the place we'll be staying in at around 7:00pm. I forgot the name of the place (oops) but April found it on Airbnb. The place was composed of two bedrooms (master bedroom and the attic), two restrooms, kitchen (includes a rice cooker, stove, utensils, etc.), dining area, and a veranda. There's also a small TV with ABS-CBN TV Plus on it but we didn't really use it. The master bedroom can fit two people and it also included an extra bed. The second floor had two queen size beds and an extra bed. All in all it can fit around 8 people. One thing I love about the place is its location. It's near the main road but is located inside a village (I forgot the name, sorry!) so there's peace and quiet.

This was candid hence the face. Haha! Spam for dinner and breakfast!

The trip was a birthday celebration of Imnas as well so we surprised her with Chocolate Mousse cake from Conti's! But I have to say, I think Red Ribbon's Chocolate Mousse is better.

We spent the night talking, drinking and eating some more. Haha! We had to wake up early the next day though since we had to leave by 12nn.

I think the appropriate hashtag for this would be #wewokeuplikethis. Hahaha!

Before leaving, we decided to take a walk around the village and, of course, take pictures!

And it was time to go home... It was a short trip but it was definitely a much-needed getaway!

A trip is what you take when you can't take anymore of what you've been taking. - Adeline Ainsworth

6:30 PM
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Haller, Baler!

Baler

Okay, that's a lame title. After how many months, I finally had the time to blog about my trip to Baler with my College friends! We've planned this trip for about a month or two since we had to find a date wherein everyone's available, destination, accommodation, transportation, etc. We weren't complete though but at least majority of us was able to come. It was my first time to visit Baler and I'm glad I got to spend it with my friends!

At around 12mn, we met up at our staple meeting place, Mc Donald's Taft - just like the good old days. Haha!

How to go to Baler:

On the way to Baler, there are zigzag roads so makes sure that the person driving is cautious!

If you'll be commuting from Manila, you can ride a bus from Cubao Bus Terminal.
Cost: Php550/person

For a more comfortable ride, you may try out the Joy Bus which is inclusive of pillows, blankets, snacks and a bus stewardess.
Cost: Php750/person

Travel time is around 6 hours. I slept all throughout the trip (yup, I'm the boring passenger. Hahaha!) so if I remember it correctly, we arrived in Baler at around 6:00 am.

Where to stay in Baler?

We stayed at Surfer Girls Lodge. It's perfect for a barkada since they have a room with double decked beds which can fit around 8 people. But what I like about the place is it's located at the beach front. The owner of the place was accommodating and nice as well.

Here are other options that you may also try (though I haven't stayed in these accommodations yet):

Aliya Surf Camp
Bayler View Hotel

After breakfast, we decided to go surfing. Finally I got to try surfing! I guess, 3rd time's a charm. We tried surfing for about an hour. Take note on the word: tried. The rental of the surfboard is Php200/hour. We didn't hire an instructor even though it was all our first time to try surfing because we thought it was easy to learn. Obviously, it's not! I only got up twice (yes, in a span of an hour). Hahaha! Hopefully I'll be good at it in the future because it's surprisingly fun. As far as I can remember, surfing with an instructor costs Php350/hour. If you're a beginner, I highly recommend you get this package instead (based from experience!).

To make the most out of the day (we just stayed there for 2 days and 1 night), we went to Ditumabo Falls. Since you can't bring a car to the top, you have to ride a tricycle. Then, you have to walk to reach the falls. Reaching the falls and taking a dip in the water was worth the trail. Take note: the water is really really cold! The only downside is that the place is quite crowded.

And the best way to end the day after all those activities? Eating at a buffet of course! Definitely worth the Php200. Forgot the name of the place though. Haha! After dinner we went back to Surfer Girls Lodge and had drinks there.

Day 2

After having brunch at the Baler Surfer Grill, it was time to go back to the busy streets of Manila. It was definitely a great way to spend the weekend!