Michi Photostory: Manila

Showing posts with label Manila. Show all posts

August 17, 2023

How to Get to Da Nang Vietnam from Manila Philippines

A few months ago, I watched “A Tourist Guide of Love” movie; the story is all about Amanda Riley who went to Vietnam to gain insights about Vietnam Tourism. She visited different places including Da Nang and Hoi An. And because of this movie, I decided to continue my Vietnam series. Let me start reminiscing again about our trip; you can check my summary in this post “5 Days in Da Nang Vietnam”.

Traveling to Da Nang Vietnam from Manila Philippines

There was no direct flight from Manila to Da Nang so to make our life easier, my husband booked our ticket via travel agency. He purchased our ticket four months before the trip but despite that, our airfare is still not cheap. In fact, this is the most expensive airfare ticket that we purchased for an Asian trip because there was no seat sale, we booked via a travel agency and we rode two airplanes.

Vietnam is just a few hours away from Manila but because there is no direct flight from Manila to Da Nang, we need to ride two airplanes; one international and one domestic flight. From the time we left the house until we reached Sheraton Grand Da Nang, we’ve traveled for more than 14 hours so it was really a long day for us.

Manila to Ho Chi Minh City via Philippine Airlines - 2hrs and 45mins

Layover 5hrs and 25mins

Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang via Vietnam Airlines - 1hr and 20mins

Manila to Ho Chi Minh City

We had an early flight and fortunately, our flight is on time. There was no monitor on our seat so for entertainment, we used “myPAL Player” app to watch movies.

It’s been a long time since our last international trip via Philippine Airlines so I was surprised when they serve the food. What!?!, nasa paper na lang yung meals nila. The taste of the food is just okay. Nakakadisappoint lang kasi hindi naman budget airline ang Philippine Airlines so bakit kaya nagkaganito, malayo ito compared sa Bangkok, Thailand trip namin.

On our way to Saigon, I’m happy to see part of the Mekong River; it is a transboundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. This river flows through China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The Mekong River is the third longest river in Asia and the 12th longest river in the world.

After a few hours, we landed at Tan Son Nhat International Terminal which is the Ho Chi Minh City Airport; we passed immigration, got our luggage, and looked for Foreign Exchange Kiosk. We exchanged some US Dollars for Vietnamese Dong and we also bought a sim card for 300,000VND.

From International Airport Terminal 2, we need to transfer to Domestic Airport Terminal 1 for our Ho Chi Minh to Da Nang flight and it was a long walk. We have more than 5 hours of layover and looking at the Domestic Airport, there is nothing to do. We immediately looked for the Vietnam Airlines counter and we were so happy because we could already check in so we were able to go to Menas Mall Saigon Airport.

Menas Mall Saigon Airport

You can already see this mall from the airport, during our trip there are only a few shops that are open so we went straight to the 5th floor where the Menas Food Village or Yum Food Village is located. This food court offers traditional Vietnamese dishes, international cuisine, and fast food.

My son ordered Beef Pepper Rice at Pepper Lunch for 95,000VND and my husband ordered Lau Thap Cam or Asian Hot Pot at Saigon Bistro for 160,000VND. Softdrinks in can is 20,000VND. Since we frequent Pepper Lunch, one thing I noticed is the price because if I will convert it to Philippine Peso, hindi nalalayo sa Pilipinas so Vietnam is a budget-friendly destination.

I was excited to try the Asian Hot Pot but unfortunately, it was not a clear soup and I can’t take spicy food so I went to Pepper Lunch and ordered Beef Pepper Rice too. Hindi yata nagkaintindihan sa pag-order.

What is nice about this food court is the view, you have a nice view of the airport while eating. We took our time eating while waiting for our next flight.

Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang Vietnam

Two hours before our boarding, we went back to Domestic Airport and passed Security Check. Our flight was delayed by 25 minutes and the boarding gate has been changed too.

It was our first time on Vietnam Airlines and upon seated the flight attendant gave wet wipes to all passengers. No meals for this flight and we only got bottled water.

Read: Vietnam Airlines Flight Experience

After 1 hour and 25 minutes, we landed at Da Nang International Airport, from sunny weather in Saigon to cloudy and rainy weather in Da Nang.

From the airport to Sheraton Grand Da Nang, we availed hotel transport service. Travel time is more than 30 minutes.

July 08, 2021

Our Bittersweet Staycation at Sheraton Manila Bay

This blog post has been in my draft for more than a year already but I can’t find the strength to finish this post because this brings so many sad memories. But since I was feeling emotional the past few days because another family member passed away, itodo ko na ang pagiging sentimental ko.

Suddenly, my heart started to feel the pain of losing someone and it is just so sad whenever I look back and realize how much everything has changed even just a year ago. The number of people that have entered, left, and stayed in my life.

Our staycation at Sheraton Manila Bay will always remind me that it was the last day that we are almost complete as a family. The last time that my late father, brother, late sister, and I were together. And that moment is now a memory, no photo or video that I can look back to.

Last year, my siblings and I decided to visit my sick father in Manila so my husband and I decided to book a hotel near my Father’s place so it won’t be hard for me to commute since I live in the province. We chose Sheraton Manila Bay because it is near Robinson’s Place and LRT station where I could meet my brother and sister na magcommute din since wala parking space sa pupuntahan namin.

Sheraton Manila Bay

We left the house after breakfast because we’re going to drop by at H.I.S. Travel Agency for our Japan Visa Application but unfortunately, the office was still closed (extended holiday) so we went straight to Sheraton Manila Bay. We know that check-in time is 3PM pero nagcheck-in pa rin kami just in case may available room na. While waiting, they gave us welcome drinks.

Read: How to Apply for Multiple Entry Japan Visa

After several minutes of waiting, they gave us our room key. Yehey! Early check-in before 11AM, they upgraded our Deluxe Guest Room to Executive, Larger Guest Room, and even allowed late check-out until 2PM. They also provided additional two feather pillows.

Executive Larger Guest Room

The room is 40sqm so it is a little bit smaller compared to our room in Sheraton Manila but this room has its own charm. You have a comfortable king-sized bed, spacious bathroom, office table, mini-refrigerator, and minibar. The room has floor-to-ceiling windows with skyline views of Manila.

Read: Sheraton Manila

The marbled bathroom has a separate bathtub and shower area and in addition, may television pa sa bathroom.

Sheraton Manila Bay has few dining options, you can eat or drink at Pacific Lounge, Sunset Lounge Bar, Lobby Lounge, Adriatico Square, or order from their 24-Hour Room Dining Service. We did not bother to check their menu because we want to save money so we went to Robinson’s Place for our lunch and dinner. You can read my food review at Curry House Coco Ichibanya and Texas Roadhouse below.

Read: Lunch at Curry House Coco Ichibanya

Dinner at Texas Roadhouse

I bought some pastries from Kumori so we have something to eat. Little did I know na may mga freebies pala. Before lunch and dinner, we received some complimentary fruits and sweets. Ang saya, ang daming freebies.

Buffet Breakfast at Pacific Lounge

Our room package includes complimentary breakfast at Pacific Lounge which is located on the 21st floor. It offers a panoramic 360 degrees view of Manila Bay and city skyline. We’re a little bit late for breakfast so occupied na yung may view but it is totally okay kasi malapit naman table namin sa buffet spread. Since late check-out namin, nagbrunch na kami. Hehehe!

The buffet spread has different stations too for the soup, omelet, cereals, salad, juice, noodle, bread, pastries, cold cuts, cheese, hot meals, fruits, and many more. As usual, we were all satisfied with our meal.

Before we went back to our room, we visited the alfresco garden and gazebo of Sheraton Manila Bay.

Of course, we won’t leave Sheraton Manila Bay without trying the swimming pool. It is not that big, good thing hindi rin marami tao so hindi naman ganun kacrowded ang pool.

We checked out before 2PM since mahaba-haba pa biyahe namin pauwi. That was our bittersweet staycation at Sheraton Manila Bay. Sad because I remembered the last moment when my father and sister were still alive and happy because we had no idea that it would be our last travel vacation in the year 2020 because of COVID19. So kahit medyo mahal sa Sheraton, sulit na rin ang staycation experience namin kasi good for one year na pala.

Watch the video here:

Sheraton Manila Bay

M.Adriatico corner General Malvar Street N.

Malate, Manila, 1004, Philippines

March 27, 2020

Dinner at Texas Roadhouse at Robinsons Manila

Day 13 of Community Quarantine and the last time I went to the supermarket was 17 days ago. We wanted to go to the grocery and pharmacy to restock but we were hesitant because the line was so long and the things that we wanted to buy are out of stock like fresh milk and vitamins.

I asked friends who already went to the supermarket and they took more than 4 hours just to finish. I’ve read that some people went to the supermarket as early as 7AM just to fall in line and went home past 1PM. Waah! So we really try our best to stretch our stock because we don’t know when we can go back to the grocery.

Anyway, while browsing my phone photos, nagutom ko bigla sa complimentary dinner roll of Texas Roadhouse. We dined here during our Staycation at Sheraton Manila Bay last January, which I haven’t blogged yet but you can watch the video here. This is one thing that I like in this restaurant, the free peanuts and dinner rolls.

Watch Staycation at Sheraton Manila Video

Read: Our Bittersweet Staycation at Sheraton Manila Bay

It’s been 3 years since the last time that we ate here so we took our time browsing the menu. I ordered something but it was not available and the staff suggested Beef Ranchero P645 + SC but I did not agree because looking at the picture, for sure hindi ko siya makakain. Since hubby was still full, we just ordered Grilled 2 Chops P695 + SC and Mini Cheeseburger P325 + SC.

When they served the meals, we were surprised because they served the Beef Ranchero because as far as we know, we did not order it. The staff suggested it but we did not say yes so we informed the server about it. I tried my best to remember kung nirepeat ba niya yung order namin before he left. The server excused himself and went to the kitchen and when he went back, he told us that he will just remove the Beef Ranchero but my husband decided na huwag na lang alisin. Maybe the waitstaff who took our order is still new, baka hindi pa maregular.

Texas Roadhouse meals are not budget-friendly but they have big servings so you can really share food. My husband and I planned to share food because naka-2 servings din kami ng dinner roll while waiting for our order pero dahil nagkamali yung staff, ang hirap ubusin ng order namin so pinatake-out na lang namin leftover.

Beef Ranchero is a slow-cooked beef seasoned with their own spices, topped with Monterey jack cheese, cheddar cheese, ranchero sauce, and pico de gallo served over a bed of rice. My husband tried to finish his meal even he did not like it. The taste was not bad but it is not something that he will order again.

Mini Cheeseburger is from the Kids Ranger Meals. The meal has two small cheeseburgers with seasoned steak fries. My son enjoyed his burger. The Grilled Chops meal has garlic rice, peppercorn sauce, vegetables, and garlic rice. The taste is good but I was not able to finish this meal because the serving is too big.

Read: Lunch at Texas Roadhouse
Foodtrip at Texas Roadhouse at Austin, Texas, USA

As of this writing, I miss our food tripping so for sure after ng coronavirus health scare, mapapabuffet ako agad. hehehe!

Texas Roadhouse
Level 2, Midtown Wing
Robinsons Place Manila
Pedro Gil, cor. Adriatico St,
Ermita, Manila

March 09, 2020

Lunch at Curry House Coco Ichibanya

On the first weekend of the year, my siblings and I went to Manila to visit my late father. While waiting for them, my family ate lunch at Curry House Coco Ichibanya. This restaurant was founded in 1974 at Aichi, Japan by Tokuji Munetsugu and his wife Naomi.

It is the world’s largest curry restaurant chain. They have branches all over the world, so aside from Japan, they have restaurants in the USA, China, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, United Kingdom, and the Philippines. The first restaurant in Manila was opened last March 2015 but it was only two months ago when we first tried it at Robinsons Place Manila.

The restaurant was packed, we’re just lucky that we secured a table after the guests left. We took our time in browsing the menu and since this is a curry house syempre ang must try dishes ay yung may curry sauce. We ordered Chicken Wing Basket - P280 + SC, CocoIchi Curry Udon P240 + SC and Pork Cutlet P340 + SC.

For the meat curry meal, you can choose your desired rice volume, spiciness, and toppings. You can choose standard rice or 15-grain rice, price varies depending on the grams and types of rice. You can choose from 150g up to 550g of rice. For spice level, you can choose from mild, standard and level 1 -10. Of course, we chose the mild for the pork cutlet.

I thought my son will eat the chicken but he chose the Pork Cutlet. Waah! Maybe he missed the Curry Pork that we ate at C&C Curry Shop in Tokyo, Japan so I ate the chicken basket. The basket is good for sharing, it includes chicken nuggets, chicken wings, and french fries. I was not able to taste the pork cutlet, my son finished his meal except for the curry sauce.

My husband ate the CocoIchi Curry Udon, you can choose spiciness and toppings too. The Spice level is from standard and level 1 to 10. Add-on items are onsen egg or rice bowl. The price of topping ranges from PHP100 to PHP180, there is cheese, seafood, beef, chicken and pork. I can’t remember the spiciness level that he chose pero ang alam ko, pawis na pawis siya and nakailang request din siya ng water. If ever we will visit Robinsons Place, I will dine here again so I can try the Pork Cutlet Curry.

February 28, 2020

Wedding Anniversary Celebration at Cafe Ilang Ilang

February is my favorite month because it is my anniversary month. There are so many things to celebrate like our 17th year as a couple, our 14th wedding anniversary and my 9th blogversary. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough time to celebrate because we're busy with our home office improvement, my son has Saturday classes and the NCOV health scare, parang nakakatamad magtravel muna.

Last year, we were not able to celebrate our wedding anniversary because my husband was on a USA business trip and my grandmother passed away so this year, hindi pwedeng walang celebration. Hehehe! Since we have limited time and budget, we decided na kumain na lang kami sa labas. My husband reserved online but he did not receive any confirmation so he called the restaurant and he found out na close pa pala yung restaurant. Toinks!

Read: Courtyard Forth Worth University Drive by Marriott Hotel Review
Sheraton Greensboro at Four Seasons Hotel Review

The restaurant is temporarily closed after the Taal Volcano Eruption. I guess, we’re not ready to go back to Tagaytay yet so I’ve looked for Valentine’s Day promos, hotel and resort promos, credit card promos and Deal Grocer site. We found the Cafe Ilang-Ilang Buffet promo, they have a buffet for 1 or a group of 4, lunch or dinner buffet for weekdays and lunch or dinner for weekends.

We wanted the lunch buffet since mahina kami kumain pag dinner so my husband called the hotel to check if they can still accommodate us for lunch but the staff told him na fully booked na daw sila, sa dinner pwede pa. He reserved the dinner slot and I bought the voucher at Deal Grocer site. The staff just gave him the email address so he can send the voucher.

We celebrated our son’s 7th birthday at The Manila Hotel so we already tried their breakfast buffet, my husband also tried their lunch buffet during their business meeting so we’re excited to try the dinner buffet at Cafe Ilang Ilang.

Read: Staycation at The Manila Hotel
Breakfast Buffet at Cafe Ilang Ilang
Watch the Video of Lunch Buffet at Cafe Ilang Ilang

Café Ilang-Ilang Dinner Buffet for 4 with Iced Tea (Sun-Wed) for PHP6,540
Merchant: The Manila Hotel
Redemption Period: Dec 09, 2019 - Mar 31, 2020
Redemption Hours: Sundays to Wednesdays | 6PM - 10:30PM

I bought the dinner buffet for 4 persons so my husband invited my in-laws to celebrate with us. I printed the voucher but they did not ask for it, we just paid additional PHP1,387.49 for my 11-years old son, 50% off the regular rate. The total dinner buffet is PHP7,927.49, it is quite expensive for one night meal but it is already a good deal because the regular rate is PHP2775 per person. The buffet rate depends on the day that you are going to visit so check the rates below for reference.

Cafe Ilang Ilang Buffet Rates

Breakfast Buffet (Mondays to Sundays): PHP 1,550.00 NET per person
Brunch (Sundays only): PHP 2,725.00 NET per person with bottomless chilled juices
Lunch (Mondays to Saturdays): PHP 2,475.00 NET per person
Dinner (Themed Nights):
Mondays – International Buffet: PHP 2,775.00 NET per person
Tuesdays – Mediterranean Night: PHP 2,775.00 NET per person
Wednesdays – Asian Night: PHP 2,775.00 NET per person
Thursdays – Surf And Turf Night: PHP 3,370.00 NET per person
Fridays – Seafood Night: PHP 3,370.00 NET per person
Saturdays – American Night: PHP 3,370.00 NET per person
Sundays – International Buffet: PHP 2,775.00 NET per person

For dinner buffet, they have themed nights so we had International Buffet. Cafe Ilang Ilang restaurant is spacious pero napupuno pa rin and kahit mahal, marami pa rin kumakain. Maybe because of the late booking, hindi na maganda pwesto namin. Nandun kami sa Japanese Station na medyo madilim and kung nasaan ang storage ng table and chairs. But anyway, we still enjoyed our dinner buffet.

The buffet spread is not comparable to Spiral of Sofitel but still, it offers a wide array of international cuisines like Asian, Mediterranean, European, and Western. It is indeed a culinary journey for the guests. They have 14 stations that serve appetizers, mains, and desserts. They have 8 live cooking stations, an open kitchen, a churrasco station, a carving station, a fresh seafood station, a wood-fired pizza oven, and a dessert station.

Read: Breakfast Buffet at Spiral

My personal favorites are ebi tempura, salmon teppanyaki, roast beef, mashed potato, cakes, traditional Filipino desserts, and gelato. I was not able to check all the stations because I was busy eating na. Hehehe!

Watch the Video

Cafe Ilang Ilang at The Manila Hotel
One Rizal Park, Manila
(02) 8527 0011
restaurantrsvn@themanilahotel.com
Website: manila-hotel.com.ph