Michi Photostory

The year 2019 is about to end but I’m not yet finished with my Scandinavian series and the last time I posted about Sweden was October. Waah! Anyway, I will try my best to finish my series before the end of the year 2020. hehehe! Nothing special happened on Day 1 because we just traveled from Copenhagen to Stockholm so we woke up early the following day so we can visit a lot of tourist spots.

Read: Where to Stay in Stockholm Sweden: Hotel Generator Stockholm 
Day 1 in Stockholm Sweden

Day 2 in Stockholm Sweden 

As I’ve said before, I did not prepare any Stockholm itinerary so we don’t know where to go and what to do. But of course, there are tourist spots that I wanted to visit but I don’t even have an idea when and how are we going there. Toinks. It is really important to have an itinerary so we can budget our time but since we don’t have a trip plan, we just rely on Stockholm Pass Guidebook.


We just bought our Stockholm Pass at the hotel but if you want to save money, you can buy it online. Click here to buy Stockholm Pass. The rate may vary depending on the season and of course the number of days of the ticket. This was the rate when we traveled last April 2019. We bought the 3 Days Stockholm Pass, the total is 3952SEK for 3 adults and 1 child. (PHP22,497.63)

Stockholm Pass Price

1 Day Adult Pass SEK 669.00
1 Day Child Pass SEK 335.00

2 Day Adult Pass SEK 929.00
2 Day Child Pass SEK 465.00

3 Day Adult Pass SEK 1129.00
3 Day Child Pass SEK 565.00

5 Day Adult Pass SEK 1479.00
5 Day Child Pass SEK 740.00

Actually, I don’t want to stress about our itinerary so I just wanted to follow the sample itinerary but my mom doesn’t like to do a boat tour or sightseeing by boat. Well, I can’t blame her because she lives in Norway and the Ferry boat is just a normal thing for her. But of course, wala niyan sa Pinas so kelangan pa rin namin maexperience so kelangan may isang boat tour. Hehehe!

Drottningholm Palace and Boat Tour 

We just walked from the hotel to the City Hall (landmark) where the Stromma ticket booth and boat are located. We got lost but thank God, we found our way. We’re running late because we only have 7 minutes left and the boat will leave at 10AM. Fortunately, we’ve made it on the first boat trip to Drottningholm Palace. You need at least half a day for this trip because boat travel is already 2 hours (round trip).


On your way to the palace, you can see some interesting sites and when you reach the island, you will see the following places.

1. Drottningholm Palace
2. The Chinese Pavilion
3. Drottningholm Slottsteater
4. Drottningholm Slottspark

Boat to Drottningholm Palace: 230SEK - Adult and 115SEK - Child
Drottningholm Palace: 140SEK: - Adult 70SEK - Child
Chinese Pavillion at Drottningholm: 100SEK - Adult 50SEK - Child
Drottningholm Court Theatre: 110 - Adult FREE - Child


We did not pay anything because the boat and tourist spots are part of the Stockholm Pass. Drottningholm Palace is the home of the Swedish King and Queen and one of Sweden’s World Heritage sites. The palace deserves a separate post so I will share more about it next time. We had our snacks at the convenience store but there are restaurants too but since we want to ride the 1PM boat back to the City Hall, we want fast food.



Stockholm City Hall 


After one hour, the boat docked and we went straight to bus stop #23. The bus stop is near the famous Stockholm City Hall. The beautiful city hall is a tourist spot and it attracts more than 400,000 visitors. It houses offices, ceremonial hall, conference room and the luxury restaurant “Stadhuskällren”. It is also where the Nobel Prize dinner held. We are torn between, visiting the city hall or wait for the bus. But since we don’t want to miss the bus ride, we decided to skip the City Hall Tour.

Stockholm Panorama Bus Tour



For our next tour, we availed the Stockholm Panorama. The bus tour will take you to all the city districts and famous sights such as the Royal Palace, Royal Opera, Shopping Area, Gamla Stan, Museums and many more. There are FREE flyers and earphones that you can get so you can listen to the history and other information during the bus tour. Just choose your preferred language. It is a simple tour but it gives you a glimpse of Stockholm City.

Stockholm Panorama: 330SEK - Adult 156SEK - Child

The bus tour is 75 minutes long but of course, it may take a while depending on the traffic condition. During our trip, there is construction within the city. Stockholm Panorama is free with our Stockholm Pass but if you don’t have the pass and you want to experience this, you can buy the ticket here. We alighted at the bus stop #20 Ice Bar since this is the nearest stop to our hotel. We had an early dinner before we went back to Generator Stockholm.

Read: Pasalubong from Sweden

A few weeks ago I bought a Deal Grocer voucher for my husband. Since we live in the South area, I chose the Madison Galeries branch. Fast forward to my husband's appointment, I was hesitant to go with him kasi mapapagastos lang kami kasi like his colon-cleansing, napakain kami sa The Farm Organics while waiting. But in the end, sumama pa rin kami ng anak ko.



It was our first time in Madison Galeries, a boutique mall located in Alabang. According to their website, it is specifically designed for the Alabang community kaya pala sosyal ang interiors. The lifestyle mall offers restaurants, retail stores, specialty services, entertainment, bank, supermarket, and even office space.

Mardi Gras Bazaar 3

On our way to Karada, I already saw banner and poster of Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 Warehouse Clearance Sale! Up to 80% daw. When we reached the third level, ang dami tao malapit sa escalator; akala ko kung ano meron, nandun pala yung bazaar. We’re still early for the appointment so we went inside. No entrance fee.

When I entered the room, I was happy that I changed my mind at sumama ko kasi napashopping na ko ng Christmas gifts nang walang kahirap-hirap. There is no shopping cart or basket so I have no choice but to buy an eco-bag para may paglagyan ako habang namimili. It was funny kasi nung napaparami na kami nakuha, nagkatanungan na kami kung magkano ba dala namin cash. Baka wala pala kami pambayad pagdating sa cashier. Hehehe! The bazaar is not that big so we were done in less than an hour.

KARADA 



After putting our shopping bags in the car, we went straight to KARADA. I bought Heal Your Aches & Pains: 90-Minute AP & BT by a Local Trainer voucher at Deal Grocer for P1675, the regular price is P2,095. KARADA is a Japanese Body Therapy and they have more than 300 branches across the globe. They offer different packages, you can choose AP Balance, Body Treatment, Foot Treatment, or a combination. You have the option to choose a local trainer or Japanese trainer, of course, mas mahal kapag Japanese. My husband was very much satisfied with his first session and sabi nung therapist balik daw after a week. Waah! Ang gastos naman kung weekly session. But I’m sure we will buy another voucher again pag may promo sa Deal Grocer ulit. I will share more information in a separate post.

KARADA 
Operating Hours: Mondays-Sundays 10am – 10pm
Landline:: 403-4933
Mobile No: 0917-6670128
Email Address: www.ryregula@gmail.com
Website: www.karada.com.ph

Nonna’s Trattoria


After my husband treatment, we went to Nonna’s Trattoria restaurant. We wanted to avail the Buy 1 Get 1 Pizza promo that we got from the bazaar. “For every P1500 worth of single or accumulated receipts from Mardi Gras Bazaar”. Unfortunately, the restaurant was full so sayang hindi namin nagamit.

Burnt Cookies PH 

We checked other restaurants pero wala kami type na kainan, sa kakaikot namin, we found another bazaar. While walking, we got a free taste of cookie at Burnt Cookies and after tasting it napabalik kami sa kiosk. The price is not cheap so we just bought two pieces, we bought Chocolate Chunks and Chips Cookies P80 and Bittersweet Cookies P90.


The cookie needs to be refrigerated but we ate everything on our way home. My husband said, “Sarap noh, kaso ang mahal”. I told him, butter pa lang kaya mahal na. I also bake so I know na nag-iiba talaga lasa depende sa ingredients na gamit mo. The cookies may be expensive but it is really good, after taking a bite you can tell that they are using premium ingredients.



And because of the taste, naparesearch ako nang bigla and I found our that they are using chocolates from Mindanao. Yes, you’ve read it right they are buying chocolates from @aurochocolates and @malagoschocolates. I’m pretty sure, aware na kayo na ang Malagos Chocolate is an award-winning Philippine Chocolate. They received a lot of awards both local and international and the recent one is “2019 International Chocolate Awards”.

Hello December, they say it is the most wonderful time of the year but for me, it is the most stressful month. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas Holidays but I just feel that there are so many things that I like to do and finish before the year ends. It just so happened that I enrolled in another course so life became swamped with lessons again. My head is aching because of too much information but I’m hoping that I can manage everything.

As of this writing, our Christmas tree is not up yet and I don’t know if we will put one or not. There are Christmas Parties and get-together invitation from left to right. I’m contemplating which one will I say yes and which one will I say no because I am not a superwoman so I can’t say yes to everything. Lastly, my Christmas gift list is almost finished since I started buying gifts early but those gifts are still waiting to be wrapped. Hehehe!

Speaking of gifts, are you done with your Christmas list? If not you can add this to your gift ideas. This is a nice gift if you have kids, nieces, nephews or godchildren from 0-10 years old. It is a personalized book where your child is a star. Yes, your kid is the main character of the story. If you remember, I bought the “Super Duper Birthday Party” book when my son was 7 years old. We are still keeping the book as a birthday souvenir too. You can check my review here. How I wish, I bought another book like “Magical Christmas Adventure”. Sayang, my son is already a tween. Anyway, there are more books that you can choose from.



My Magical Christmas Adventure
Super Duper Birthday Party
Underwater Adventure
My Great Space Race for Boys or for Girls
Look Who’s a Big Brother or Big Sister
The Crowning of a Fairy Princess
A Super Hero Saves The Day or A Super Heroine Saves
The Day My Book of Nursery Rhymes
Welcome to the World

What I like in this personalized book is you can check each pages so you will get an idea of the flow of the story, the look of each pages and how can you personalize the book. You can do a book tour on their website.

Aside from the personalized books, you can also order personalized coloring books, wrapping paper, wall art, placemats, notebooks, folded notecards, flat notecards, gift labels, wall clocks. One more thing, they offer worldwide shipping. For more information check the link.

Just last month, Filipinos are advised to have a polio vaccine before flying to Indonesia. This news surprised business travelers or tourists especially those who already have a flight to Indonesia. There were a lot of questions like do I really need a Polio Vaccine or do I need to get an International Certificate of Vaccination? The answer is YES and NO.


No - You Don’t Need a Vaccine 

If you are traveling and staying in Indonesia for less than a month.

Yes - You Need a Vaccine 

If you are traveling and staying in Indonesia for four weeks or more.

You need to present an ICV or International Certificate of Vaccination, medical certificate or any official documents that will prove that you have Polio Vaccine. You can read more information on CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site, click here and here. 

Hubby just came from Jakarta, Indonesia few days ago and he did not bring any Polio Vaccination documents. He was in Indonesia for 4 days only.

A few weeks ago, I’ve blogged about JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi and today let me share with you another JW Marriott hotel. Hubby was back from Jakarta, Indonesia and he usually stays at The Westin Jakarta but the hotel was fully booked so he had no choice but to look for another hotel. He remembered JW Marriott Hotel because they had an event here on his last visit to Jakarta.

Read: Where to Stay in Jakarta Indonesia

JW Marriott Hotel is 30 km away from the airport and it is located in Central Business District in Mega Kuningan, South Jakarta. It is near the business offices, embassies, and even shopping centers. The hotel was opened in 2001 so the look is a little bit old already and you will notice that when you see the room photos.

When my husband booked at this hotel, medyo paranoid ako because this hotel has been bombed twice by terrorist in the year 2003 and 2009. And because of that, the hotel has now five layers of blast walls and the security is very tight. If you have small scissors or any tools, you need to surrender it at the concierge.

Governor Suite Room 

My husband usually stays at Deluxe room but it is no longer available so he has no choice but to book the cheapest available room during his trip which is Governor Suite. The room is about 84 sqm, you have a separate bedroom, living room, workstation, walk-in closet, and 2 comfort rooms. There are coffee and tea area, minibar, fridge, two television, three phones, and wired and wireless internet. This hotel room is spacious for one person and it is bigger than our tiny house. Hehehe!







What special about this room is you have Executive Lounge Access, it is open from Sunday to Saturday, 6AM to 12AM. You have a private access floor, complimentary food and drinks, and other complimentary business services.

* Complimentary food
* Complimentary cocktails
* Complimentary non-alcoholic beverages
* Complimentary 2 pieces pressing per day (non-accumulative)
* Complimentary wifi in the lounge and meeting room
* Complimentary use of meeting room for 2 hours per day (subject to availability)
* Complimentary business services like fax, printing, scanning (free 20 pages per day)
* Free local call excluding mobile phone call.
* Drop off shuttle in Mega Kuningan area from 6AM until 11PM.
* Complimentary culinary offering all day with evening cocktails.
* Personalized check-in and check-out
* Evening Service Bar

Executive Lounge at 29th Floor

Breakfast 6AM - 10:30AM (Weekday) | 6AM - 11AM (Weekend and Public Holidays)
High Tea 2:30PM to 4:30PM
Hors d’oeuvres 05:30PM - 9:30PM
Evening Cocktails 5:30 - 9:30Pm (Wine, Spirit, Beer & Cocktails)
Cheese & Dessert 05:30 - 11PM





 Aside from the executive lounge access, my husband got two vouchers; one voucher worth IDR 150,000 at Alameda Spa & Health Club and one voucher worth IDR100,000 at Sailendra Restaurant. He can also choose one gift from JW Marriott, he can choose from the following.

* Asuka Maki Sushi Roll at Asuka Japanese Dining
* A bowl of Indonesian Soup (Sop Buntut, Bakso or Iga) at Sailendra Restaurant
* A choice of appetizer at Pearl Chinese Restaurant
* A choice of dessert at Pearl Chinese Restaurant
* A glass of house beer at Blu Martini
* A glass of house red or white wine at Blu Martini
* Avail IDR50,000 off your in room dining orders.

Sa dami ng free foods and drinks, parang gusto mo na lang magstay ng hotel at magfood trip. Before his business trip, alam ko diet siya pero ewan ko na lang kung ano nangyari sa diet niya during his trip. hehehe!

Sailendra Buffet Breakfast 

For breakfast, he has two choices; he can eat at the lounge or at the Sailendra restaurant. He tried both. Sailedra Buffet Breakfast offers international dishes like American, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Chinese and of course Indonesian dishes. The advantage of the Executive Lounge is they serve pork dishes daw.





You can also eat and drink at Asuka Japanese restaurant, Pearl Chinese restaurant, Blu Martini Bar & Lounge, and Sailendra Restaurant. If you want to save money, you can eat the nearest shopping mall. My husband just walked from JW Marriott hotel up to the shopping mall.



JW Marriott Hotel is a 5-star hotel that offers a fitness center, spa, swimming pool, meeting room, and event venue. The room, food, and service is good. Just like the Hanoi branch, they give complimentary chocolates every turndown service.

This hotel reminds me of our stay in Sofitel Club Millesime Manila because of the executive lounge and Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok sa dami ng freebies. You can check other Marriott hotels that I have reviewed in the past.

Read: JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi in Vietnam
Marriott Renaissance Shanghai Yangtze Hotel 
Courtyard Fort Worth University Drive by Marriott in Dallas Texas
Chengdu Marriott Hotel Financial Centre in China 
Marriott Residence Inn Austin Lake 
Cebu City Marriott Hotel 

JW Marriott Hotel Jakarta 
Jalan DR Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung Kav E.1.2 No 1&2, 
Kawasan Mega Kuningan, Jakarta  12950 Indonesia

The Farm at San Benito is not just an ordinary resort because it is a Health and Wellness resort. It is an award-winning eco-luxury haven not just in the country but across the globe. This 5-star Holistic Sanctuary is situated in Lipa, Batangas and it is one of the popular holistic medical wellness destinations among local celebrities and A-listers.

And because of that, expect that their rates are not cheap so it is on my bucket list for a very long time. Actually, I’ve been seeing their promo at Deal Grocer for the past few years but I was hesitant to reserve a room because the promo is valid only from Sunday to Thursday so my son needs to be absent and my husband needs to file a Vacation Leave. One more thing, I’m a meat lover so I’m scared that I won’t enjoy my stay if I am hungry or should I say h-angry.

A few weeks ago, we went to Word Travel Expo, because we were looking for a semestral break getaway. My son had a two weeks sembreak, first-time yan since nung nagstart siya mag-aral so I took advantage of it. At that moment, we were planning for our trip but the problem is, mahirap pala magplan nang mabilisan. To make the long story short, among the 3 choices na pinagpilian namin we ended up at The Farm at San Benito.


Why? No need for a plane ticket, malapit lang ang Batangas and lastly, ang mura ng promo nila. We booked Palmera Suites, we can stay for 3 days and 2 nights but we decided to book two rooms for 2 days and 1-night para maisama namin biyenan ko. Good thing that my husband called the resort, kasi akala talaga nila 3 days and 2 nights kami, hindi siguro na-note na pinabago namin sa Expo mismo. The Palmera Suite is PHP20,740 per night but we got it for PHP8000 nett for two persons with free breakfast. My son is still free of charge but we need to pay for his breakfast meal.

The Farm at San Benito 

Fast forward to our trip, our family had a sweet escape at The Farm at San Benito. It is not our usual staycation but we had a wonderful time at the Health and Wellness Resort. Sa dami ng nangyari sa amin this past few months, we deserve to have a short break. Our mind and body are longing for a stress-free environment and we’re happy that The Farm at San Benito did not disappoint us.


Upon arrival, they immediately served cold towels and welcome drinks. Since we are first-timers, the staff gave us a map and informed us about the different facilities and amenities, rules and guidelines, and the security deposit of PHP10,000. We arrived before 11AM so as expected the room is not ready yet so we had a walking tour to kill our time.




The resort is about 50 hectares but only 10 hectares were developed pero nakakapagod din mag-ikot. We checked the Ampitheater, Orchidarium, Big Lagoon, and Mango Lounge. There is a 100+-year-old mango tree and according to our guide, it absorbs negative energy daw.

The Restaurant at The Farm at San Benito 

I was worried at first na baka magfasting ako sa resort but I was so thankful because they already opened a Meditteranean and Pescetarian restaurant so at least may seafood na for a meat lover like me. We had lunch and dinner at PESCE and breakfast at ALIVE! You can read my post here.

Read: What to Eat at the Farm at San Benito


Palmera Suites 

Check-in time is at 2PM but our room was ready at 1PM so early check-in kami. The Farm at San Benito offers 9 different types of suites and villas and we stayed at Palmera Suites. The room is not that big and it is good for 2 adults and 1 child only. It has a semi-private garden, lanais, and open-air showers. The room offers a minibar, complimentary water, and herbal teas.




The bathroom design looks old, it has a safety deposit box, hairdryer, bathrobes, complimentary use of slippers, and toiletries. For a 5-star resort, sila lang yung walang complimentary toothpaste and toothbrush na napuntahan ko. Well, it is not a problem because we always bring our own.


I love their handmade soap, shampoo, conditioner, oil, and body polish. Okay lang kahit amoy coconut ako. Hehehe! What I don’t like is the open-air showers, hindi ko feel na bukas ang shower room. Feeling ko may mga mata na nakapaligid. #paranoid Peacock is everywhere, favorite nila tambayan yung Suite namin.


The Farm at San Benito Activities 

Our room package includes different activities that we can join like yoga, meditation, power walks, mandala flower arranging, and many more. Don’t forget to check the schedule at reception. We did not join the adult activities but we joined the kid’s activities and at that time, kami lang nagjoin. I’m not sure kung hindi sila interested or hindi nila alam na may mga activities.

Anyway, my son joined Fishing, Vegetable Harvesting, Nature Walk, and Mandala Flower Arrangement. He caught the biggest fish again.





Pools at The Farm at San Benito 

There are three swimming pools that you can use, you can go to South Pool, Waterfall Pool and Infinity Pool. There are villas too that have their own pools so bihira rin kami may makasabay na guests. Buti na lang kasi ang hirap mag take ng photos pag may ibang guests, part of their guidelines is “As a courtesy, please avoid taking photos that include other guests without their permission.”





Overall, we had a great time at The Farm at San Benito, we love the place, food, and service. It is no longer surprising that even though the rate is steep, this is a go-to place for celebrities and A-listers. Indeed, you can have your privacy and you can really relax here. I’m glad that we got a good deal and we were able to visit this eco-luxury resort. And because of this, parang mahihirapan na naman kami maghanap ng magandang resort na mapupuntahan.

If you want to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city, then go to The Farm at San Benito, it offers a peaceful environment that nourishes your senses with inner peace and positive energy.