Michi Photostory

Summer vacation is near, tomorrow is the last day of my son’s final exam so school year 2017-2018 is officially over. Yey! No more lessons, quizzes and monthly exams for the next few months. And because of this, I have more time to finish my backlog.

If you’ve read my February posts, you know for sure that we had a Valentine Getaway at Hamilo Coast Pico de Loro. So if you are looking for a summer getaway, you can add this to your choices. You can check here the other resorts that we have tried in Batangas. Let me start with our food trip. 



Hamilo Coast Pico De Loro is so huge, from the main gate it took us more or less 7 minutes drive to reach Pico Sands Hotel. It so far, so tatamarin ka na kumain sa labas. Cooking and bringing of food are not allowed too so we have no choice but to eat at the resort. If you are staying at the condominium, you can cook your own food but if you are lazy, you can take advantage the different restaurant around the resort. You can choose from the following. 

A. Lagoa
B. Lagoa Pool Bar 
C. Sun Coral Cafe (Members Only) 
D. Pico Restaurant 
E. Pico Bar 
F. Reef Bar 
G. B&B
H. Grab N’ Go 
I. Beach and Pool Bar 
J. Brisa Bar 

With all of these choices, there are no reasons for you to get hungry, budget na lang ang kulang. Prior to our visit, I read reviews, forums, and blogs and according to what I’ve read, “Mahal daw ang food sa Pico De Loro” so I was expecting that the rate would be similar to 4-5 stars hotel. But I was happy because when we went there, hindi naman ganun kamahal. Yes, it is expensive pero hindi tulad sa iba na softdrinks pa lang, almost P300 na. 

Since we only stayed for two days and one night, we only tried two restaurants which are Lagoa and Pico Restaurant. After our checked-in, we went straight to Pico Restaurant to eat our lunch. According to their Guide Map, this restaurant is open 24 hours so I was surprised when they told us na 12NN pa daw. They gave us the menu, we can order daw pero 12NN pa daw mag-open. Woah! 

It was quarter past 11AM and we have no patience to wait anymore because we are all hungry or should I say hANGRY. hehehe! So we went to another restaurant which is Lagoa.

Lagoa

Lagoa is located at Pico De Loro Country Club, it is near the swimming pool so you won’t miss it. It serves Filipino, Asian and American foods, you can order a la carte and I think they also offer buffet meals because during our last day, they offered it to us but we chose a la carte because it is cheaper. 



Operating Hours 
6AM to 10PM (Friday to Saturday) 
6AM to 8PM (Sunday to Thursday) 

Lunch 

They offer starters, noodle, soup, main course, desserts, side dishes, and beverage. For main courses, the price range is P260 - P550++. They have Batangas Favorites Menu which is much cheaper because the dishes are good for sharing, the price range is P260 - P780 ++. They also have Kids Menu the price range is from P220 - P375 ++. 




We ordered Pinakbet with Bagnet P390, Pork BBQ P220 and rice. The Pinakbet with Bagnet is good for two, we’re satisfied with the taste and serving. My son’s Pork BBQ includes two mini sticks, vegetables, and rice. 

Lunch 




After our check-out, we went to Lagoa to eat lunch before going home. We ordered King Prawns and Baby Squid Adobo sa Gata P430, Mini Sliders P300 and rice. We were surprised when we saw our order kasi ang konti lang nung shrimp and squid so bitin siya for two persons. We thought, marami din serving kasi yung pinakbet marami e. Anyway, my son was very happy with his burger and fries, I thought hindi niya mauubuos but he finished his meal. 

Pico Restaurant



Pico Restaurant is located in the lobby of Pico Sands Hotel. This restaurant offers food delivery service for hotel guests and condo residents too. It serves Spanish Mediterranean and Filipino Cuisines.


Operating Hours: 24 Hours

Dinner 

For dinner, we went to Pico Restaurant. It was past 6PM and thank God they are ready to serve dinner. 



They have starters, sandwiches, pasta, pizza, appetizer, main course, dessert, Batangas favorites and drinks. Checking their menu, it is more expensive compared to Lagoa because main courses are good for one person only. Good thing we’re on a diet, we don’t eat that much pag dinner. 




We ordered Inihaw na Liempo P380, Pepperoni Pizza P380, and rice. The grilled liempo has side dish pa (ensaladang talong and salted egg). My husband and son ate the pizza, I haven't tried the pizza but according to my husband "Okay lang" lasa. 

Buffet Breakfast 

Our room package has complimentary buffet breakfast for two and half-rate for my son. Buffet breakfast was served at Pico Restaurant too. The buffet spread is not that grand but it is enough to satisfy us. They have bread, cereals, soup, salad, fruits, main course, and drinks. There is omelet station near the garden. Food and service are good.










Read: Pico De Loro Weekend Getaway
Watch the Pico De Loro Getaway video here. 

Update: Meralco has migrated to a new system, Meralco Online Beta so if you want to access your account, you need to register via desktop or download the app and register. Click here to learn more. 

Seven years ago, I saw the Meralco staff left our electricity bill at the gate so I went down to check the bill. I was surprised when I saw the bill because it is not our bill so I called my son and we chased the Meralco staff just to inform him that he gave me a wrong bill. Hiningal ako nun ng sobra because I was carrying my 2 years old son while running.

I posted this on my Facebook and one of my friends mentioned that I can view my Meralco bill online para hindi ko na daw habulin si Meralco guy. So I checked it online but because of my slow internet connection I gave up, hindi ko matapos-tapos.

Then three years ago, I have not received my Meralco billing statement and I know my due date is near, good thing it came before our due date. I remember what my friend told me so I searched the internet again so I can enroll my account online but to my surprise, I could not find the link anymore. My husband even went to Meralco office to enroll our account online. They gave him a reference number and he was advised that he will receive a confirmation email. Until now, we have not received any email. My husband doesn’t want to go back anymore, it is just a waste of time. 



Now, it happened again. Since last week, I’ve been waiting for our Meralco Bill. I have Bill Tracker so I know that I haven’t paid our electricity yet. I asked my friend if she already received her bill and my husband even asked our neighbor if they received their bill and both of them said “yes”. My husband even checked our CCTV kung may nagdeliver ba while I checked “How To View Meralco Bill Online” And finally, I saw the link of Welcome to e-Meralco Bill.

** e-Meralco Bill will be moving to a new home. To continue having easy and convenient access to your bill, register on Meralco Online, available soon, or just update your e-bill profile details on or before March 31, 2018 to be pre-enrolled in Meralco Online. 

O ayan na naman, may deadline ulit so before mawala, register na. Registering is so easy, I’ve registered, viewed, download, and paid my electricity bill (online) within 20 minutes. Mas mabilis pa siguro kung mabilis ang computer ko. 

How to Register your Meralco Account Online

1. Of course, you need to have an online account first to view your Meralco bill. Get your latest Meralco bill because you need to enter some information. 
2. Click this LINK and Click NEW USER. 
3. Read the Terms and Conditions and click I agree button. 
4. Then you need to fill out the form. Enter your Account number, SIN (Service ID Number), Bill Date and Total Current Amount. Click Enroll.
5. Then enter your details in another form, User Information and Login Information. Click enroll.
6. You will receive a note “You have successfully enrolled” and you will also receive a confirmation email. Then after that, you can return to login page. 

How to View your Meralco Bill Online 

1. At the login page, Enter your LOGIN NAME and PASSWORD. 
2. Click Account Number
3. Click SIN 
4. Click Invoice No. 
5. Download and Save or Print your bill. 

Yey, finally, I can now view our Meralco bill online. No need to wait for the billing statement anymore. I really need to pay my bill on time because I already refunded my Bill deposit a few years ago. And one of the conditions is paying your bill on or before due date. 

“We encourage you to continue paying your bills on or before the due date to maintain your good credit standing and avoid having your bill deposit re-imposed."

Read: How to Refund Meralco Bill Deposit 

Hotel Mulia Senayan is not only known as an award-winning hotel but they also boast in their award-winning restaurants. They promise that you will experience a world-class dining experience. This hotel has 5 restaurants, one lounge, a bar, and cake shop. Guests who are staying at Mulia Executive Room and The Suites have exclusive access to Bleu 8 and The Mulia Executive Lounge. 


Hotel Mulia Senayan restaurants offer different cuisines so whether you are an Indonesian or a tourist, there will no problem with food choices. You can choose from the following restaurants. 

1. The Cafe - this is an all-day restaurant, yes they are open daily for 24 hours so there is no reason for you to be hungry. Checked-in guests can eat their complimentary buffet breakfast at this restaurant. It offers Asian, Western and other international cuisines to satisfy their guests' palate. Kids corner is also available if you have kids in tow. 

Breakfast at The Cafe

My husband ate his breakfast at The Cafe and it has a wide variety of dishes. Check the photos. 





Dinner at The Cafe

He also ate here on his third night because he no longer has discounts and vouchers so ala carte meals na lang sa The Cafe, para tipid. He ordered Hainanese Chicken. 


Breakfast: 6 AM - 10 AM
Lunch: 12 noon - 2:30 PM
Dinner: 6 PM - 10:.30 PM 
Afternoon Tea: 3 PM - 6 PM 

2. Edogin is a Japanese restaurant. It is a buffet restaurant that serves your favorite sashimi, sushi, tempura, noodles, robatayaki, and teppanyaki. It has live cooking stations where you can watch the chef while eating. It offers ice cream and desserts to complete your buffet experience.


My husband loves Japanese foods so he once tried Edogin and he really enjoyed his buffet experience here. But the rate is expensive so even if he like the food here, he eats at other restaurants. So when the staff told him that he has IDR500,000 discount at Edogin, he was so happy. They give a discount because my husband is a returning guest. 


On his first night, he went back to the lobby and asked the staff if he really had a discount at Edogin and the staff said yes. Then he went straight to Edogin but before ordering, he asked again the staff if they were aware of the discount. The staff said yes, just charge the bill to the room and they will apply the discount. 

February is my favorite month because there are so many special events in my life. One of those events is my Blog Anniversary. I don’t usually write blogversary post but this time I will because this year is my 7th year blogging anniversary. Yey! I can’t believe that I’m blogging for years because, to be honest, it is not easy to maintain a blog. 

I love to travel but I know that I cannot visit all the countries in the world so I need to have my own bucket list where I will prioritize those places and countries that I really wanted to visit. Jakarta, Indonesia is not part of my bucket list because I don’t know if there are interesting places to visit there but I would love to visit Bali, Indonesia. 



Hotel Mulia Senayan is the first hotel that my husband tried in Jakarta, Indonesia. He stayed here for three consecutive business trips but on his 4th and 5th business trip in Indonesia, his company booked a room at Shangri-la Hotel, you can check my review here. There is nothing wrong with Shangri-la hotel but if my husband has a choice, he likes Hotel Mulia Senayan because less ang traffic so nakakapahinga siya agad after work. I’m sure you are familiar too with Indonesia traffic, mala-EDSA lang. #mayforever.



My hubby doesn’t choose his hotel; fortunately, all hotels that his company booked are all good. When my husband told me that Hotel Mulia Senayan is one of the best hotels that he stayed in Asia, nacurious ako bigla. I immediately searched about this hotel and I read an article before that it was part of the Top 15 Hotels in South East Asia, that was year 2015. I couldn’t find the link of article that I’ve read but I found the most recent one, “Top Hotels in Asia: Readers’ Choice Awards 2017” On this article Hotel Mulia Senayan landed on second spot, yes Top 2. They have a branch in Bali, Indonesia and it is an award winning hotel too. It is one of the top hotels in the world in year 2013.



Few weeks ago, my husband told me that he will be going back to Indonesia and he will stay in Hotel Mulia Senayan, part of me wants to book a plane ticket so I can experience the hotel too. But of course, I have to consider my son’s schedule, final exam is near so we cannot afford to be absent and plane ticket is also expensive. So I just told my husband to take pictures so I can see the hotel.

Glimpse of Hotel Mulia Senayan 

My husband was back from his business trip and he shared me the photos during his 4 days trip. He stayed at Hotel Mulia Senayan. This hotel is near shopping malls and Jakarta Convention Centre so it is ideal for both business traveler and leisure traveler. It is 25 minutes away from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.  

Room 

Hotel Mulia offers spacious room, it has bed, couch and working table. 







This is the bed, according to my husband, this is the best bed that he tried so far. Bed is indeed comfortable, pillows are soft and fluffy and the bed sheets and pillow cases are so smooth. And because of this, he really use the table if he needs to finish his work kasi kung sa bed siya uupo, baka makatulog siya. Hehehe!



The bathroom has separate bath tub and shower area. 





 Aside from the toiletries, what I like in this hotel is their room slippers, the free shopping bag and the cute accessory kit. The shopping bag is really nice because you can use it if you need more space for you stuff, okay na hand carry. It is water proof too so I use it for our beach getaway. Sayang lang kasi they only give one bag per stay, hindi siya one bag per night. Look how big the complimentary toothpaste, yung ibang hotel kasing laki lang ng thumb yung free toothpaste. 



Service 

The room is good and also the service. There are fruits in the room which my husband always eats. There was a time, he was so surprised because when he went back to his room, the staff already replenished the fruits. He was just out for few hours (dinner time), may bago na ulit fruits.

They also give complimentary chocolates every night. My son likes this chocolate so my husband has no choice but to keep this. Bawal kainin, Complimentary Chocolates = Instant Pasalubong. 



They know how to spoil their loyal guests, they give discounts and voucher for returning guests. During my husband’s trip, he was informed that he has IDR500,000 discount at Edogin if he likes to eat there and he was given a IDR250,000 voucher too. 

Restaurants 

Hotel Mulia Senayan has 5 restaurants, one lounge, a bar and cake shop. You can choose from the following 



The Cafe ( 24 hours restaurant) 
Il Mare ( Italian Cuisine) 
Table8 (Chinese Cuisines) 
Orient8 (French and Pan Asian Dishes)
Edogin (Japanese Cuisine) 

Since my husband has a discount, he took advantage of it and ate at Edogin, Orient8 and The Cafe. There is a complimentary buffet breakfast at The Cafe, more of this on my next post, “Jakarta Eats: Hotel Mulia Senayan Restaurants” 

Facilities and Amenities 




This hotel has different amenities that you can enjoy too, there is Mulia Spa (with fee), Mulia Fitness Centre and swimming pool. Only in-house guest can use the fitness centre. The centre features one of the most expansive training space, which is true ang laki di ba? It also provides the latest weight training and cardiovascular training equipment. There is a standby personal fitness trainer if you need one. Drinks are also provided after your work-out, you can see complimentary infused water. 







Mulia Fitness Centre Open Daily from 5:30AM to 11PM 
Mulia Spa Open Daily from 9AM to 11PM 

Hotel Mulia Senayan is indeed a premier luxury hotel in Jakarta and there is no doubt why it received a lot of awards.

Hotel Mulia Senayan, 
Jakarta Jl. Asia Afrika, Senayan, 
DKI Jakarta 10270, Indonesia

If you are a frequent flyer, I’m pretty sure that you already stayed and experienced different airport lounge in the world. You can access the airport lounge if you have a first class or business class ticket or if you have premier status on your airline loyalty card. In my husband’s case, he always travels via Philippine Airlines so he has Mabuhay Miles Card and FREE access to all domestic and international lounge where PAL is a member. 



Who Has Access to Airport Lounge?  

You may stay in Mabuhay Miles Lounges if you are Mabuhay Miles Elite, Premier Elite, and Million Miler member. If you are not a member but you have a Business Class ticket you can access the lounge for FREE. Check the list below of different lounges. 

Domestic Lounges 
International Lounges 

My husband was back from Jakarta, Indonesia and before his flight back to Manila, he stayed at Premier Lounge. It is one of the airport lounges at Jakarta International Airport. I think they only have few lounges in CGK, maybe that is the reason why it is always crowded. This was not the first time that my husband stayed in this lounge but every visit, the lounge is packed with people. My husband’s flight is past 1AM, pero ang dami pa rin tao ng ganung oras sa lounge. 



According to him, mainit (hot) sa lounge or I guess, hindi kaya ng aircon sa dami ng tao. Hehehe! When it comes to free foods, the choices are very limited, there are snacks and hot dishes. For drinks, there are coffee, tea, juice, sodas and even alcoholic drinks (after 12PM). 




There is nothing special about the lounge but this is still better because you have comfortable chairs, free wifi, reading materials in different language, shower rooms and foot reflexology (with fee). If you have Priority Pass, you can also access the Premier Lounge. 

You can check the other airport lounge that I have reviewed here.
Read: 5 Ways to Get into Airport Lounges

Since my husband and his colleagues did not avail the buffet breakfast at The Manor, they dropped by at Hill Station. Hill Station is one of the popular restaurants in Baguio, it is located in Casa Vallejo Hotel. It offers dishes that blend 3 flavors, the taste of Asia, Old Europe, and New World America. So you don’t need to travel that far in order to taste some international dishes.


When you look at the outside, the place looks ordinary and small so my husband was really surprised when they entered the restaurant. Maganda and maluwag pala sa loob. The restaurant looks like a fine dining place but the foods are not that expensive but not cheap too.



For breakfast, he ordered Tapang Usa (Wild Deer) which includes 2 eggs, garlic rice, pickled cucumber. Taste is okay but he liked the carrot cake. Yes, they have cakes and pastries too.



This restaurant is located inside the hotel and it is near North Haven Spa and Mt Cloud Bookshop so pwedeng mag sidetrip after kumain.

Read: Dinner at Hill Station

Hill Station 
Open everyday 7AM to 10:30PM
Casa Vallejo, Upper Session Road
Baguio City, Philippines