Michi Photostory

It was only last year when I learned about Ben’s Halo-Halo Ice Cream, I watched their story in one of the TV shows. Then I saw Ben’s Halo-Halo Ice Cream branch on our way to Tagaytay and I told myself that I will eat there next time. Pero ang tagal ng next time ko kasi naman December pa yung last Tagaytay trip namin so hindi ko na siya nadadaanan.


Ben Pasco is the owner and founder of Ben’s Halo-Halo Ice Cream. He used to be a domestic worker in Italy for 11 years but he was not contented with his position so he decided to return home and start a business in 2013. He started a small bakeshop but it was not successful. The business was closed after six months but he did not give up and he opened Ben’s Halo-Halo. Now there are 29 stores already, one owned which is located in San Pablo Laguna and 28 franchises all over Luzon.

Anyway, last weekend nagugutom ako so my husband suggested na magmerienda daw kami sa Ben’s Halo-Halo. My husband went here before and he likes the halo-halo so off we went to Viewfort Carmona where the store is located.

I thought it was just a small halo-halo store pero in fairness marami din tables and chairs. You can sit inside or outside the store. Of course, we chose the tables inside para malamig. We got the menu and surprisingly, madami din pala food. They offer coolers, sandwiches, pasta, rice meals, pika-pika, and hot and cold drinks.

For coolers, you can choose halo-halo, spicy winter, salty summer, macapuno, banana con yelo, mais con yelo and gulaman. You have to go to the cashier to order and of course pay. We ordered Halo-Halo P90 and French Fries P40. While waiting, they served water.

After several minutes, ou order came and I’m just a little bit disappointed with the fries kasi hindi same sa picture na punong-puno ang lagayan, Expectation vs Reality. hehehe! Good thing the halo-halo did not fail us, it is true that they serve creamy halo-halo. The secret is they mix gelato in the shaved ice.

It is quite similar to the popular Razon’s Halo-halo na pino ang ice shaved but the difference is, mas marami ingredients and mas mura sa Ben’s Halo-halo. After trying the halo-halo, I’m happy na may bago na kami kakaininan, if we are craving for halo-halo.



Read: Razon’s of Guagua 

There are so many hotels, hostel, AirBnB, and backpackers lodge in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia so choosing accommodation is not difficult. Two things that you should ask yourself are, “How much is my budget? and Which part of Kuala Lumpur is best for my trip”. Knowing your itinerary makes it easy for you to narrow down your choices.


You can stay in Bukit Bintang, KLCC, Chinatown, KL Sentral, Bangsar, Chow Kit, Petaling Jaya, or Subang Jaya. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is famous because of Petronas Tower so if you plan to visit the iconic tower, I suggest you stay in Bukit Bintang or KLCC area because you can visit Petronas Tower by walking.

Read: Petronas Twin Tower 

Anyway, If you are looking for a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, check the following hotels that we have or my husband tried in the past. It ranges from budget accommodation to expensive accommodation. Checking the rates of the hotel, it is quite similar to Philippines rates so it won’t hurt your pocket unlike in other Southeast Asian countries.

1. Sky Hotel Bukit Bintang 

Sky Hotel Bukit Bintang is the first hotel that we have tried in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is a budget hotel that is strategically situated in the heart of Kuala Lumpur city center. It is few minutes away from transportation, shopping, entertainment, and even business district.


We booked a room only package so no breakfast for us but since it has a good location, fastfood, restaurants, and even cafes are within reach. If you love street food then visit Jalan Alor where you can eat different Asian cuisines. Petronas Twin Towers, Aquaria KLCC and Menara KL Tower are also walking distances.

Read: Sky Hotel Bukit Bintang Review

2. Saujana Hotel and Resort 

Saujana Hotel and Resort is far from the Kuala Lumpur City center so if you are after relaxation or you just want to have a staycation then stay in this resort. It is a 5-star resort in Malaysia that is ideal for business and leisure traveler.


It sits on 160 hectares so it is really huge, a different type of resort where you can see squirrels, monitor lizards and even monkeys within the resort premises. They have golf course, swimming pool, fitness center, spa and sports area.

Read: Saujana Hotel and Resort Review

3. Sheraton Kuala Lumpur Hotel 

Sheraton Kuala Lumpur Hotel has excellent location in KLCC because it is close to LRT, monorail stations and Petronas Twin Towers. My husband even said that he can see Petronas Towers from his room. It offers a gym, spa and an outdoor pool. My husband likes this hotel because they know how to value their loyal guests. They always upgrade his room to Club room but unfortunately, room only and no club lounge access.


Read: Sheraton Kuala Lumpur Hotel Review

4. Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur Hotel 

Intercontinental Hotel is also located in the heart of the city so it is few minutes walk away from Petronas Twin Tower, Suria KLCC, Bukit Bintang and LRT station. They provide complimentary shuttle services for your comfort and convenience.


The hotel offers fitness center, spa and swimming pool. The rooom looks old but big and clean. I guess, there are already renovated rooms but my husband stayed at the old room. According to my husband, there are a lot of Filipino staffs here and service is good.

Read: Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur Hotel Review 
DIY Kuala Lumpur City Tour 

My mom is an expert when it comes to crochet, so we always have potholder, handmade doll, and other crochet projects. I always see her crocheting since I was a kid but in my mind, this is not something for me. It looks so complicated so I have no plans of trying it.

But during our summer vacation in Norway, out of the blue, I asked my mom to teach me how to crochet. Of course, she taught me the basic stitches which are single crochet and slip stitch. Then my son told me that his classmate knows how to make a bracelet. Waah! Mas nachallenge ako, if a 10-year old girl can do this, mas kaya ko ito. So I told my son, I can also make a bracelet for you so I made a simple chain bracelet. Lol.

1. Cellphone Holder 

But of course, I challenged myself to make my first crochet project. I don’t want a potholder because I have a lot of potholders from my mom so I make a cellphone holder for my son. Every day, I crochet several rows and I realized that it is not easy to crochet kasi masakit sa kamay. So now, I will never look at a crochet potholder the same way again. I know that it takes time, effort, and love just to finish a crochet project.


After a week, I was able to finish my crochet cellphone holder. I know some people can do this in one sitting but it took me a long time because there are times that I have to undo it and repeat because my project was not straight. But I’m proud of my first project and I’m happy because my son was using it. He can put his cellphone and power bank inside the cellphone holder.

2. Handmade Dolls 

My mom always makes a handmade doll, if you are a regular reader of this blog, you've already seen some of her works, but you if you miss it, check it here and here. I also took some photos of her handmade dolls. My mom made these for displays, gift for family or friends and sometimes she sells it too.




Looking at these handmade dolls, feeling ko hindi kaya ng power ko and I’m not sure if I can finish it during our summer vacation. But of course, nothing is impossible when you believe. So for my second project, I will make a handmade doll so I can give this to my husband on his birthday.


My mom has a lot of crochet books and magazines so I just choose the pattern that I like. The pattern was in Norwegian language so my mom assisted and guided me until I finished the project. My first handmade doll was not perfect because I can only make square or rectangle, pagpabilog na medyo mahirap pa sa akin. But after finishing my first handmade doll, I decided to repeat the project para may kapartner.


I just crochet part by part of the doll and after that, I joined them. I’m so happy that I finished these handmade dolls in one month. The blue handmade doll looks good na compared to my first one. Sometimes, I still can’t believe na gawa ko ito. These were my birthday gift to my husband and he was surprised when he opened his gift last month. He knew that I have crochet project pero hindi niya ineexpect na ito yung ginagawa ko. I will make another one if I have the yarn para family of three na.

Even though I prepared an itinerary for our Copenhagen trip, we were not able to follow it day by day. But we have no regrets because we were able to visit a lot of tourist spots in Copenhagen. Our second day is the most tiring one, we started our tour in the Viking Ship Museum and we ended our day at Tivoli Gardens.

Read: Day 1 in Copenhagen

Day 2 in Copenhagen 

First thing on our list is The Viking Ship Museum, it is located at Roskilde, Denmark so we left Urban House before 9AM to make sure that we will arrive at the Viking Ship Museum before the opening which is 10 in the morning. Good thing that we left early because we just walked from Roskilde Train Station up to The Viking Ship Museum, about 2 km walk.

Read: Where to Stay in Copenhagen: Urban House by Meininger 

1. The Viking Ship Museum 



The Viking Ship Museum was opened in 1969, it is where you can see the five original Viking ships that were excavated in 1962. Aside from the boat collection, you can also watch short videos, read about Viking history, dress like a Viking, and if you visit during summer, you can ride the Nordic boat and participate in some workshops. We missed the boat ride and workshops because we visited in the month of April.

Read: The Viking Ship Museum 

2. Roskilde Town Hall 



On our way to the Viking Ship Museum, we saw this Roskilde Town Hall. It is the old city hall that was designed by architect O. Momme and was built in 1884. After the town hall, you will pass a long pedestrian street where restaurants, cafes, and shops are located.


3. Roskilde Cathedral 



Do not leave Roskilde without visiting Roskilde Cathedral, this cathedral is part of UNESCO World Heritage List since 1995. It is not just a cathedral, it is where the 39 Danish kings and queens were buried. You will pass this cathedral if you are walking to The Viking Ship Museum. If you have kids in tow, don’t worry because there is a treasure hunt activity that they can join.

Read: Roskilde Cathedral

4. Roskilde Palace or Royal Mansion (Yellow Palace)



Beside the Roskilde Cathedral is the four-wing yellow baroque building called Roskilde Palace. It used to be the residence of the royal family whenever they attend royal funerals at Roskilde Cathedral. Now, it is used for exhibitions, concerts, and other cultural events. We just took a picture outside and then we had our lunch at Algade Pizzaria.

Read: Food Trip in Copenhagen Denmark

 After our lunch, we’re supposed to visit National Aquarium Denmark, Den Blå Planet because my son loves aquarium but I changed our itinerary to Canal Tours Copenhagen because I want to see Nyhavn. Feeling ko hindi ko nakapunta sa Denmark kung hindi ko nakita ito.

5. Canal Tours Copenhagen 

From Roskilde train station, we traveled back to Copenhagen Train Station and from there, we just walked until we reached the Ved Stranden. It is where we can ride the Canal Tours using our Copenhagen Card.


It is just a one-hour guided tour and you can already see different tourist spots. It is the best option if you are pressed of time because you can see several popular attractions from afar like Christianborg Palace, Nyhavn, The Copenhagen Opera House. The Little Mermaid, Amalienborg Palace, Church of Our Savior and many more.

Read: Canal Tours Copenhagen 

6. Strøget Shopping Street 

After our Canal Tour, we went to Strøget, it is one of the longest shopping streets in Europe. It is about 1 km long that covers the streets in Kongens Nytorv Square (King's New Square) up to City Hall Square. It covers Frederiksberggade, Gammel Torv / Nytorv (Old Market), Nygade, Vimmelskaftet, Fiolstræde Jorcks Passage, Købmagergade (connects to Nørreport Station via Kultorvet), Amagertorv and Østergade.

Thanks to Alfred Wassard because he was the one who initiated to have a pedestrian zone. It started on Nov. 17, 1962, when he was a mayor. He is the Father of car-free Strøget.  Strøget Shopping Street is a combination of expensive brands and budget-friendly shops.

We did not shop because we wanted to visit Guinness World of Records and Mystic Exploratorie. Aside from the shops, there are also restaurants and cafes where you can satisfy your food cravings. We ate waffle and churros at Gelato Rajissimo.

7. Guinness World of Records Museum 



My son wanted to visit this attraction after reading a flyer. It is included in our Copenhagen Card so we added this to our itinerary. This is the only Guinness World of Records Museum in Europe where you can see world records from all over the world like the fastest, strongest, tallest and many more. There are also some displays, trivia, galleries and interactive games.



8. Mystic Exploratorie 




Beside the Guinness World of Records Museum is Mystic Exploratorie. It is a hands-on experience house putting all your senses to the test. It was a small museum so it is better to buy a combination ticket to save money. If you are brave enough, you can sit on the electric chair.

9. Tivoli Gardens



Finally, our last attraction is the Tivoli Gardens. the second oldest theme park in the world. It is already 175 years old. This theme park served as an inspiration to Walt Disney, that’s why we have Disneyland. Do not compare this to Disneyland because it is small but it has its own charm. It is not open all year round so better visit their website for the schedule.

Read: Glimpse of Tivoli Gardens 

I can’t believe that we visited 9 tourist spots in one day. When I checked my activity in my health app, I walked 17.8 km, took 24,578 steps and climbed 12 floors. I’m glad that we made it and I’m so proud of my son kasi kinaya din niya maglakad ng ganito.

Read: Cruise to Copenhagen Denmark from Oslo Norway 
Day 3 in Copenhagen
Day 4 in Copenhagen

Do you know that the 2 oldest theme parks in the world are located in Denmark? Yes, before Disneyland and Universal Studio, there are Dyrehavsbakken and Tivoli. Tivoli is the second oldest theme park in the world and the most visited theme park in Scandinavia.


Georg Carstensen was the founder “Tivoli will never, so to speak, be finished”. It opened on August 15, 1843, so next month, it is already 176 years old. This is where Hans Christian Andersen got his inspiration when he wrote the Nightingale fairy tale and where Walt Disney got his inspiration when he created Disneyland.



Tivoli Gardens is the famous amusement park and garden in Copenhagen, Denmark so it is a must to visit this international tourist attraction especially if you have kids in tow. This is just a few minutes walk from our hostel, City Hall and Copenhagen Central Station so commuting is not a problem.

Read: Where to Stay in Copenhagen: Urban House by Meininger 
Day 1 in Copenhagen

We’re supposed to visit this on our Day 1 in Copenhagen but after we checked-in, nobody wants to go out anymore so our Day 2 in Copenhagen was so packed, we visited 9 tourists spots in one day. Tivoli Garden is our last attraction for that day since it is open until 11PM or 12AM.


We arrived around 6PM so we only have a few hours left before the closing time. The staff informed us that we can only enter once using our Copenhagen Card, so parang sinisigurado niya kami kung papasok ba kami or ibang araw na lang. I’m okayed with it since we already promised our son that we will visit Tivoli and we know that Tivoli is not that big.



This theme park is only 20 acres. Although Tivoli is just small compared to other theme parks, it has its own charm that visitors will enjoy. The scenery of Tivoli Gardens is beautiful especially at night, too bad that we did not witness the colored lights because we went home early. During our visit, it was springtime so the sun sets around 9PM or 10PM.




Tivoli offers 28 rides for adult and children including the famous Rutschebanen. It is the wooden roller coaster that was built in 1914 so it is one of the oldest wooden roller coasters in the world. Since we only use our Copenhagen Card, we need to pay for our ride. You can pay per ride or avail the unlimited ride ticket. The entrance ticket varies depending on the season. Tivoli is open during summer, Halloween, Christmas and winter season.

Tivoli Garden Admission Price 

110.00 DKK - 120.00 DKK - Adult (8+)
50.00 DKK - Child (3-7)
Free Entrance - Copenhagen Card

Ride Tickets 

30DKK - per ride (1yr+)
230DKK - unlimited ride (1yr +)
290DKK - unlimited ride ticket plus (132cm above)
460DKK - unlimited ride companion ticket for children 1-7 years old

Annual Cards 

350DKK - annual card (8yrs +)
900DKK Wild Card (8yrs +)
700DKK - Silver Card
1250DKK - Gold Card

Surprisingly, my son was not in the mood to try any rides in Tivoli. I don’t know why? Akala ko pa naman gusto niya magrides kaya gusto niya magTivoli. Anyway, we saved money because of that because he just played in the playground.


Aside from the amusement rides, visitors can also enjoy different activities like concerts, pantomime, ballet shows, parades, light show, fireworks and many more. We watched the Pantomime show at The Peacock Theater. The theater was built in 1874 so it is the oldest building in the Tivoli Gardens.

Food and drinks are not a problem because they have several restaurants, cafe, ice cream and candy shops inside the theme park.




There are also shops where you can buy gifts, accessories, and souvenirs. We did not stay that long because we’re freezing cold already so we just finished the Pantomime show and off we went back to Urban House to rest. 

Read: Hong Kong Disneyland
Universal Studio Singapore
Tokyo DisneySea
Legoland Malaysia

Tivoli Gardens 
Vesterbrogade 3
1630 København V

Canal Tours Copenhagen started since 1904 so when I was planning for our Copenhagen itinerary, I really included this on my list. It is one of my non-negotiables and I feel that my Copenhagen trip is not complete without experiencing it. So after our trip in Roskilde, we went straight to Ved Stranden.

Read: Roskilde Cathedral 
The Viking Ship Museum 


This was supposed to be on our Day 1 itinerary but for some reasons, hindi na natuloy so we had no idea how to get there from Roskilde Station. We just went back to Copenhagen Central Station. According to my research, we can ride Bus 9A and walk to Ved Stranden but since we are not familiar with the bus station and we don’t want to wait for the bus, we just walked from Copenhagen Central Station to Ved Stranden. It was a long walk.

Read: Day 1 in Copenhagen

Colbjørnsensgade 5, 1652 København V, Københavns Komm
Walk   126 m, 3 min. Hovedbanegården (Vesterbrogade)
Ride Bus 9A Direction Refshaleøen 6 min., 3 Intermediate stops, every 1 - 8 min.
Go down at Christiansborg (Vindebrogade)
Walk   127 m, 3 min.
Arrival at Ved Stranden 20, 1061 København K, Københavns Kommune

The Grand Canal Tour Copenhagen 

There are different ways to enjoy your Canal Tours Copenhagen but since we have a Copenhagen Card, we chose The Grand Canal Tour under Stromma. It is used to be under DFDS but they sold it to Swedish Company named Stromma in the year 2011.

Book your Canal Tour ticket here.


It is free using our Copenhagen Card; it is open daily and the time varies depending on the season. During our trip, the boat tour is from 9:30 to 17:00 and I think we arrived past 3PM. We just showed our Copenhagen card at the ticket booth and they gave us a stub.


The Grand Canal tour is more or less one-hour guided sigthseeing tours. The tour is available in different language, earphones are also available so you can listen to your preferred language such as Danish, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Portuguese. The Canal Tours Copenhagen is a wonderful way to experience Copenhagen because it allows you to see the life along the canals, the old and new architectures and some of the tourist spots from a different perspective.





During the tour, you will see the Christiansborg Palace, Church of Holmen, Holmen, Bank of Denmark, Børsen, Nyhavn, The Copenhagen Opera House, The Little Mermaid, Amalienborg Palace, Amalie Garden, Christianshavn, Church of Our Saviour, The Black Diamond and National Museum of Denmark.




It is surprising how the boat fits under the bridge. I enjoyed this tour because I’ve seen different tourist spots in just one hour. So if you have limited time in Copenhagen, this is the best way to see interesting sights. If you are tired from walking, you can just sit and relax at the boat. One more thing, the company is using CO2-friendly and battery-driven boats so you have peace of mind that you are not polluting the environment during your tour.

Watch the video here

Canal Tours Copenhagen Admission Price 

Child (6-15) 47.50 DKK
Adult 95.00 DKK
Copenhagen Card - Free

Buy your ticket here.

Note: Canal Tours Copenhagen
Copenhagen Card holders must depart from Ved Stranden.
Ved Stranden 26 1061København K