Day Trip at Woodside Farm and Waterpark Resort

Summer vacation is about to end and I’m not yet ready for the school year 2018-2019. I'm not yet finished with my school preparation because I still want to enjoy the remaining “no school days”. #lazydays Last Sunday, we had a spontaneous family outing at Woodside Farm and Waterpark Resort. 

I woke up early but I just stayed in the bed, I went down past 7AM to prepare breakfast. My husband informed me that we will swim, call time is 9AM at Biñan, Laguna. What?!? Kanina pa ko gising, hindi man lang sinabi ng maaga sa akin so we only have 1 hour to eat, take a bath and pack our things. Spell S-T-R-E-S-S! 

Well, my mother-in-law texted my husband night before the trip but we always sleep early so hindi na nabasa ni hubby and when my husband read the message, he did not inform me right away. #angsayasaya So off we went to Laguna to pick-up my in-laws and convoy na to the resort. We just used Waze App for the direction, the landmark is Wyeth Building and Marcos Twin Mansion. 

I have no idea that there is a resort in Cabuyao, Laguna. All I know is yung mga resort sa Pansol, Laguna so it is nice to discover new resort. We arrived past 10AM, since it was an unplanned trip we don’t have any reservation. Good thing they were able to accommodate us, we’re more or less 20 persons. Day trip is from 8AM to 5PM. 

There is no waiting area for the guests so nakatayo kami talaga kami while waiting for the registration and payment. Imagine na lang kung mahaba ang pila, tagal namin nakatayo. The room and cottages are quite far from the entrance so it was really a long walk under the sun. It was a challenge kasi may nakawheel chair sa amin. Good thing, nung pauwi na they allowed us na ipasok na yung car para less stress sa nakawheel chair. We stayed at the cottage but you can also rent a room if you want. 

Woodside Farm and Waterpark Resort is a 2.5-hectare property that offers wave pool, giant slide, kiddie pool, pavilion pool, and bubble bath. They accept day trip and overnight guests. You can bring foods except for beverages. But if you don’t want to bring meals, don’t worry because they have cafe and convenience store.

There is a schedule for wave pool and bubble bath so just ask na lang kung what time so you can experience it. I’m not sure if every one hour but it was a fun experience for both adults and kids. You can check the video here. 

May break (lunch) din sa Giant Slides because there is only one lifeguard there. I hope there is another staff at the top of the slides who will instruct the guests if they can slide na to avoid accident. My son was hit at the shoulder, hindi pa kasi siya nakakalayo sa slide may nakasunod na. I also witnessed na hindi pa nakakababa yung nagslide, may sumunod na so sabay silang nalaglag sa pool. 

The resort was not fully booked because I can see a lot of empty cottages but the wave pool and giant slides pool looks crowded. Our family stayed more or less four hours only due to a family emergency so medyo bitin ang anak ko but the rest of the group stayed till 5 PM. The resort still looks new, facilities and service are okay.

Woodside Farm and Waterpark Resort Rates 

Weekdays Day tour: 
Adults – 349.00
Kids, Senior, PWD – 279.00 

Weekends Day tour: 
Adults – 399.00 
Kids, Senior, PWD – 319.00 

Night tour: 
Adults – 449.00 
Kids, Senior, PWD – 359.00   

Standard Check-in and Check-out 
Day tour: 8 AM – 5 PM 
Night tour: Rooms 2 PM – 12 NN / Cottages 6 PM – 6 AM 

Note: 

* No Wifi available in Casile Area 
* No bringing of any cooking materials 
* Bringing of beverages, including water, is not allowed in our resort. 
* All cooking equipments are not allowed. Use plastics containers or if you will use casseroles, we suggests to put it in a plastic bag. 
* Pets are not allowed. 

Woodside Farm and Waterpark 
Brgy. Casile Cabuyao City, Laguna

Terminal 21: Travel-Themed Shopping Mall in Bangkok

Bangkok is known for shopping, many people say that it is nice to shop in Bangkok because clothes, foods and other stuff are budget friendly. I cannot deny that because there are so many shopping malls that I’ve seen during our visit. We stayed at Four Points by Sheraton and the nearest shopping malls are Time Square Building Mall, Terminal 21 and Robinson. There is a supermarket that is open for 24 hours so there is no reason for you to be hungry. These malls are just a few minutes walk from our hotel.

On our first day, we immediately went to Terminal 21, I am familiar with this mall because most of the time, this is the view from my husband’s room if he stays in Sheraton Grande. But I have no idea what is inside of the mall so I was really surprised when we entered Terminal 21.

The mall is so big and high. It is a nine-storey building and they have the longest escalator in Thailand, around 36 meters so nakakalula. Terminal 21 is a travel-themed shopping mall, now I know why it is called Terminal 21 because it features world-famous cities under one roof. So it is like traveling the world, each floor has its own theme.

Lower Ground - Carribean Beach Town
Ground Floor - Rome
Mezzanine Floor - Paris
First Floor - Tokyo
Second Floor - London
Third Floor - Istanbul
Fourth Floor - San Francisco City
Fifth Floor - San Franciso Pier
Sixth Floor - Hollywood Studio

We visited each floor just to take some pictures. This is our most visited mall because there is direct access from BTS Skytrain and it is walking distance from our hotel.

From Terminal 21, we went to River City Complex for our Chao Phraya Princess Dinner River Cruise.

Read: 6 Days in Bangkok with Kids

Terminal 21 
Opening hours: 10:00 to 22:00
Sukhumvit Road

Bridge Between Two Continents in Iceland

Our third day in Iceland was exhausting because we did the Golden Circle Tour but I have no reason to complain because I enjoyed our trip to Thingvellir National Park, Geysir, and Gullfoss. I thought that it is our last itinerary for our Iceland trip but out of the blue, my cousin (second cousin) persuaded us to visit Bridge Between Two Continents. 

My second cousin loves to explore Iceland so he is very knowledgeable about all the tourist spots. He was willing to tour us around on our fourth day because it was his day off from work. Unfortunately, we’re going back to Norway on that day. How I wish we have more time to visit other places. So if ever you are going to Iceland, make sure to allot one week.

It was already late at night but off we went to Reykjanes to see the bridge between Europe and North America. It was evening already but the sky is still clear, sa tototo lang hindi ko nakita na dumilim sa Iceland, maybe dahil maaga tulog ko?

If you are getting a tour, it can be part of Reykjanes Peninsula Tour but if you are renting a car, you can just go there. It is open and no entrance fee. It just a few minutes walk from the parking lot. 

When you see the bridge, you might say that “This is it?”. You won’t appreciate the small footbridge but if you know why it is there, you will learn to value the bridge. This bridge is not just an ordinary bridge. This bridge is a clear evidence that the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates are drifting apart. It is estimated that the plates drift apart around 2cm/year or 2m/100years. That is the wonder of nature, the earth moves and reshaping. 

The Bridge Between Two Continents was opened on July 3, 2002. It is a symbol that illustrates the phenomenon of continental drift. The small footbridge is 18 meters long and 6 meters in height. 

It was a surreal experience.

1. This bridge connects two continents, Europe and North America. 
2. You can see and stand between the two continental plates above sea level. I can’t imagine that I’m standing between two continents. 
3. I can go to Europe and North America in less than a minute. 
4. When you cross the bridge, you see an information board “Welcome to the North American Plate” and “Welcome to the Eurasian Plate” 

Welcome to the Eurasian Plate 

Imagine yourself standing on the Eurasian Plate, Earth’s largest continental tectonic plate. The plate contains some of the oldest rock formations in the earth’s crust, in East Siberia on the most expansive plains on Earth. 

The North America plate is drifting to the west away from the Eurasian plate, widening the Atlantic Ocean in the process. In the east, the Pacific and Philippine plates flow under the Eurasian plate and form an arc of the volcanic island. In the south, the Indian and Australian plates are drifting to the north. The collision of these plates forms the highest mountain range on Earth, the Himalayas. 

Welcome to the North American Plate 

Imagine yourself standing on the North American plate, Earth’s sixth largest continental tectonic plate. Around 200 million years ago, it was joined with the Eurasian, African, and South American plates until this supercontinent, known as Pangaea, started to break apart. The Atlantic Ocean began to form to the south between Africa and South America about 135 million years ago, while the separation of the North America and Eurasian plates began around 65 million years ago.

The western part of the North America plate has some fairly young mountains where it collides with the Pacific plate. The eastern part of the plate, on the other hand, has the Appalachian mountain range that formed more than 250 million years ago when the supercontinent Pangaea was forming. 

5. No visa needed to cross North America. Wow, I’ve been to America without a visa. :)
6. Don’t forget to go down the bridge. America to the West and Europe to the East. 
7. I saw some love locks on the bridge. I wish I have an extra lock and my husband was in Iceland too. 

I’m so happy to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity. Better to include this in your itinerary if you are going to Blue Lagoon or before going to the airport. You only need a few minutes here. You can also see the tectonic plate at Thingvellir National Park, it is located in Mid Atlantic Ridge too. 

Read: Reykjanes Peninsula Tour in Iceland 
Icelandair Experience 
Blue Lagoon in Iceland  
The Golden Circle Tour in Iceland  
The Great Geysir in Iceland
Breathtaking Gullfoss in Iceland
Thingvellir National Park in Iceland

Buffet Breakfast at The Eatery

One thing that I look forward every time we stay in a hotel is buffet breakfast. At home, we eat light breakfast but when we are traveling, we need to eat a lot so we have the energy for our next adventure. And of course, breakfast buffet rate is not cheap so diet is off every time we travel.

Most of the hotels include complimentary buffet breakfast for two and a half rate for the kid. During our trip to Bangkok, Thailand, we stayed at Four Points by Sheraton and we had buffet breakfast at The Eatery. You can already see this restaurant once you enter the hotel. It is an all-day dining restaurant so you can eat breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Read: Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok Thailand

I can’t remember if the rate is gross or nett but as far as I can remember, buffet breakfast for Adult is THB550 and Kid is THB275. A bit expensive especially for my son who only eats cereals or bread and few pieces of bacon or sausage.

The Eatery restaurant is not that big and the interiors are not that intimidating compared to other hotels. It is bright and colorful. They serve local and international dishes like Western, Japanese, Thailand, Chinese and others so I’m pretty sure that there is something for your preference. Since we stayed there for five nights, we are eating buffet breakfast for five days too, so as expected we gained a lot of pounds after our trip.

The Eatery restaurant has different stations, they have bread, omelet, noodles, drinks, salad, cold cuts, soup, dim sum and cereals stations. I’m glad that they serve soft and crispy bacon because I prefer soft bacon. I love their omelet too because they are using mozzarella cheese. For five days, 65% of the menu are staples so we ate almost the same thing every day. I have no problem with that because we liked their bacon, omelet, noodles, stir-fry meat and fish at the Japanese station.

One thing I liked in their buffet breakfast is I can try different cuisines especially the Thai dishes. We enjoyed our dining experience. Food is delicious and service is also good.

Watch the video here
Read: 6 Days in Bangkok with Kids

Staycation at Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok Thailand

Whenever we travel, there are certain things that I consider before booking a hotel. I have to consider our budget, location of the hotel, facilities and amenities of the hotel and of course if the hotel is family-friendly. When we went to Bangkok, Thailand, we stayed at Four Points by Sheraton which is located in Sukhumvit Area.

Read: Where to Stay in Bangkok Thailand

Among the four hotels that my husband tried in Bangkok, this hotel is the most affordable one. I already blogged about this hotel, you can check my hotel review here. But now, I will share with your our personal experience during our 6 Days Trip in Bangkok, Thailand. This time mas marami na details because I was there. Hehehe!

Read: Economy Class vs Business Class of Philippine Airlines: International Trip 

Upon arrival to Suvarnabhumi Aiport, we proceeded to Gate 5 because that is where the hotel service will pick us up. They advise us to wait inside the airport while waiting for the car because it is hot outside. When the chauffeur came, the staff ushered us to the car. Sosyal lang ng sumundo sa amin, Mercedes Benz. The car service is only good for 3 persons for THB1800. A bit expensive compared to taxi ride (THB500).

The chauffeur welcomed us and advised us about the complimentary cold towel, bottled water, and wifi. I really appreciate the cold towel, sa init sa Bangkok (like Philippines) need mo talaga marefreshen. I did not avail the free wifi since I purchased 4G Sim Card. Travel time is more or less one hour because of traffic.

Read: Where to Buy Discounted Tickets for your Bangkok Thailand Trip 

When we reached the hotel, we gave our passport and paid the deposit (Amount x No. of nights). There is a complimentary drink in the lobby so just in case you need to drink while waiting for your key card. The hotel staff even gave a big lollipop to my son and accompanied us to the elevator. Off we went to our room which is located in the Pool Wing.

Watch the video here.

This is the room; like I’ve said before, it is quite similar to Crimson Mactan Resort and Spa. Since we are family of three, they asked if we want an extra bed. We asked if there is additional fee but they told us that it free so we said yes. They immediately delivered the extra bed and without asking, they gave extra towels, face towels, bathrobe and bottled water.

The bathroom has a separate shower and bathtub. One thing I liked about this hotel is they have a speaker (at the ceiling) inside the bathroom. So you can watch TV while inside the bathtub and no need to increase the volume because you have your own speaker inside. What I don't like is, they don't have a bidet.

Four Points by Sheraton is under SPG so you can also earn points by staying here. As a hotel guest, you have complimentary access to the gym, rooftop swimming pool, and wifi. If you are hungry or thirsty and don’t want to go out, you can visit AmBar, The Drunken Leprechaun, The Eatery or avail the In-room dining service.

What do I like About Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok? 

I don’t have any expectations about this hotel because as I mentioned, this is the most affordable one among the four hotels. But after staying for 5 nights, I can definitely say that we liked this hotel, they really know how to spoil their guests. Let me enumerate why…

1. The hotel is near Terminal 21 Shopping Mall, Robinson Mall, and Tops 24 Hours Supermarket.
2. There are many restaurants within the area.
3. The hotel is near BTS Skytrain and MRT Subway so commuting is not a problem.
* They have backdoor access if you are going to Sukhumvit 17, Terminal 21 and Sky train.
4. They have a lot of complimentary or discounts (check the note in the mirror).

     A. Very generous in giving complimentary bottled water.
    B. Complimentary tuk-tuk ride.
    C. Complimentary drinks at AmBar for two persons x 5 nights (alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks)
    D. Complimentary snacks during our first night.
    E. Complimentary beer (one beer) if you drink at The Drunken Leprechaun.
    F. Special prices on classic cocktails, beer, house wine and spirits (Every Wednesday)
    G. Free meal if you order from their restaurant.

 5. They replenished our toiletries, tea, and coffee every day.
 6. They changed the bedsheets, pillowcases, towels, and face towels every day. In some hotels, they will only change the sheets if you put the note on your bed.
 7. When we had a problem connecting to the internet because it is so slow, they provided a device for us so we can have a good connection.
 8. Service is good. They are very helpful, they helped us in getting a taxi or giving directions to (insert name of the place). Not all taxi drivers are fluent in English so at least may taga-translate kami.
9. Free laundry per day. (one piece of clothing).

The room package includes a buffet breakfast at The Eatery but I will share more about it in a separate post. On our third day, my son and I were so tired from our Kidzania trip so we don't want to go out anymore. We just take advantage of the in-room dining services, the bill is less than THB500 for two meals.

Read: Buffet Breakfast at The Eatery
Watch the video

Read: 6 Days in Bangkok with Kids

Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok
4 Sukhumvit Soi 15,
Sukhumvit Road, Wattana,
Bangkok, Thailand