Oct 25, 2013

Christmas Gift Ideas For Travelers

Christmas is just around the corner and I bet everyone is now thinking of what gifts to buy for their family and friends.

Recently, I stumbled across this online shop while searching for things I need to buy for my upcoming travels. LAZADA Philippines turned out to be a one stop shop where you can find most of the stuffs you can possibly think of. Below, I’m putting up a list of some of the things every traveler will find very useful. Although most of us find joy in shopping at the malls, sometimes it's just not possible because of busy schedule and the reality that shopping during Christmas season means going through horrible traffic, chaotic crowd, long queues to the cashier and extreme exhaustion.  Well, smart people know how to do it right and that is shopping in the comforts of their home.

10 GIFT IDEAS FOR TRAVELERS

1.) SPECIALTY/UNDERWATER CAMERA

It's an adventurer's must have camera, versatile enough to capture in still or in motion all meaningful experiences while on the road, while hanging in the air or swimming with the whale sharks. It's small, it's lightweight but it's mighty.

2.) BACKPACK

For a serious adventurer and a smart one at that, a sturdy, lightweight and comfy backpack with excellent features can spell a big difference in getting us from point A to point B with the least amount of hassles. If you know how to pack right then you know what backpack to get. 

3.) SLEEPING BAG

It’s a must when heading outdoors and camping on higher altitudes. Choose the quality that you will be most comfortable with.
Sleeping Bags

4.) BEACH BLANKET

An eco-friendly beach blanket you can use for multiple purposes is a great gift idea for your traveler friend. LAGU is proudly Philippine made, I must say.
Beach Blanket

5.) POWER BANK

Most of the times our smartphones run out of power while on the road and we realized how important it is to own a power bank to recharged our batteries so we won’t miss important calls and instant moments to capture.
Power Bank

6.) PORTABLE SPEAKER

It’s handy and it’s fun way to enjoy music with your friends. A traveler will surely appreciate getting one for Christmas.
Portable Speaker

7.) MULTI TOOL 

A handy and precise multi-tool to address your basic personal needs that we can carry around anytime is an ideal gift suggestion.
MULTI TOOL

8.) DRY BAGS

It’s important that our belongings are safe and dry while we’re out on an adventure. We can dip in the ocean or walk in the rain without worrying about our stuffs getting wet and ruined.
DRY BAGS

9.) TRAVEL ORGANIZER

To make our baggage more organized and less chaotic, travelers will find these items very useful in putting stuffs in order and finding them easily when needed.
Travel Organizer

10.) COMPASS

Well, sometimes getting lost is necessary to find our “true north” literally and figuratively speaking and a compass is there to point us to the right directions. ;)
COMPASS


A gift doesn't have to be expensive but a well thought out one is always better appreciated. Here are travel gift ideas we can buy online from Lazada PH.

Oct 19, 2013

The Right Way To Fly : My AirAsia Zest Destination Wishlist

If the travel bug hasn't hit you yet, don't wait further because now is the perfect time to travel, AirAsia Zest is providing us the right way to fly.

Air Asia, awarded as the world's best low-cost airline for the 5th time as per Skytrax, and Zest Air, a local low-cost airline have merged forces to make flying easy and affordable for every Filipinos. From Clark, AirAsia Zest now flies from Manila at NAIA Terminal 4.
AirAsia Zest logo

Here's their press release:
MANILA, 20 September 2013 – Zest Air is now flying with AirAsia, The World’s Best Low Cost Airline. The Civil Aeronautics Board (“CAB”) approved “AirAsia Zest” as the new brand name of Zest Airways, Inc. CAB also approved the new logo of Zest Airways, Inc., wherein the Zest name has been incorporated into the iconic red hot circle, which is the signature logo of AirAsia. 
AirAsia Zest Chairman Mikee Romero said, “We are excited to introduce AirAsia Zest, and what it represents. With our alliance, we are well positioned to offer our guests the strength of our combined network of domestic and international routes and unrivalled daily low fares, proving a world class travel experience that every Filipino deserves. 
We hope this brand new look is the first of many steps towards making AirAsia Zest an airline that continues to revolutionize air travel in the Philippines. We are geared up and committed to ensuring that AirAsia Zest lives up to the same incredibly high standards of AirAsia,” Romero said.
Aren't you excited yet? I am because right now I'm listing down my Top 3 AirAsia Zest destination wish list around the Philippines and Asia hoping to snag return tickets of my choice.


TAGBILARAN, Bohol


I've been here twice and the place never gets old. The last time was with my family and together it instantly became our fave destination because of the gracious people and the diverse attractions and activities the place has to offer . But by now we've all seen how in bad shape Bohol is after the strong earthquake and it bleeds my heart to see them in this unfortunate condition. However, it never diminished my faith that Boholanos can rise up to the occasion through their resilience and determination with the help of fellow Filipinos to once again reclaim the old beauty of Bohol. For now I'd like to go there not to explore the place but to offer help in whatever way I can.
Bohol

PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan


Puerto Princesa is the gateway to one of my bucket list destination, the breathtaking  El Nido.  It's also the place where the famous Underground River is located, the attraction that puts us prominently in the world map being one of the world's New 7 Wonders of Nature. Tell me, who wouldn't want to see the beauty of Palawan?
Flickr Image

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia


Malaysia remains my favorite Asian destination to date. I've seen a few outstanding Asian countries but nothing beats the place where you've experienced many firsts. I already had my 2nd time here and a 3rd visit is in order, while a 4th, 5th and so on are not remote possibilities since Kuala Lumpur is Air Asia's gateway to most of my must visit destination. As I've said many times, there's always a reason to revisit Malaysia and the right way to fly is through AirAsia Zest.
Flickr Image
Travel in the Philippines and travel in Asia are now easier and more affordable with AirAsia Zest (Air Asia dares you to compare prices) with domestic and international routes from Manila to Cebu, Davao, Kalibo(Boracay), Puerto Princesa, Tagbilaran, Cagayan de Oro, while to Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Shanghai and Incheon in Asia.

What are you waiting for? Head now to their site and book your flights to your must visit AirAsia Zest destinations and experience the right way to fly.

Oct 13, 2013

Bucket List Update : Ticking Off 2 Destinations Soon

    I published my Bucket List to remind me of what I intend to do in my lifetime. I doubt if I can do all but a written list will sure come in handy. It never occurred to me that a reader will actually take notice and challenge me to fulfill 2 items (#1 and part of #4) from the list. Actually it's now 3 items, recently he volunteered to give assistance when I'm ready to embark on #7. :)


The turn of events reminds me of my favorite Paulo Coelho quote that says:
"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."
I guess my lucky stars were all present when this reader searching for something was directed to this blog site. :) Well, you might be curious so I'd let you in how the exchange of comments started. An anonymous commenter left an intriguing comment in my ISDAAN post and since I moderate all the comments, my first reaction was to ignore it and not published the comment but since he raised a valid point, not a spammer and took his time to read the post and leave a comment, I realized the most decent thing I need to do was to published it and give my reply. Below is a snippet of our first exchanges.

I'm just glad I did what I ought to do and that is to always treat everyone the same way I want to be treated. You never know, they could be an angel in disguise. Right, Mr Patrick? ;)

In the next few days, he showed up in some more posts and I can sense his attentiveness to details. I never saw it coming but the next comments were surprising and he's no longer Mr. Anonymous. :)


and then the offer came ....


"When a GREAT ADVENTURE is offered, you don't refuse it" - Amelia Earhart
Of course, it's a no brainer, I accepted the offer! :) Now, I have no more reasons to postpone these activities! The travel funds were transmitted in no time, the basic gears and more which I'll be using during the Mt Pulag climb were provided as well and now in transit coming from the US. I already booked my flights to Batanes and will also get the chance to stay at the expensive Fundacion Pacita (this was just a secret wishlist before, yay!). He's one generous soul, who offered more than what's necessary. I just hope, he'll be very pleased once I write down my experiences and showed him the beauty of these places.

Thanks a lot Mr. Patrick P., as I told you in my email, may your kindness return to you tenfold. :) Cheers and may we all live meaningful lives.

Shie Went to Town will soon tick off 2 from her Bucket List destinations. Yehey to that!!!

You can check my Bucket List here.

Oct 5, 2013

Sushi Overload @ Sakae Sushi

The idea of unlimited supply of Sushi rolling on the side of your table through a conveyor belt piqued my interest to try Sakae Sushi restaurant at Robinsons, Manila.
Sakae Sushi
You can choose to eat all you can or just pay for the ones you ate . Check the prices of each sushi plate according to its colors indicated below. The red and purple colored plates are the more expensive.
Sakae Sushi

It's more practical to do eat all you can for 399 pesos and get all sushi in the red and purple colored plates. Sushi buffet comes with  miso soup and hot or cold green tea. 

But since I wasn't paying attention on the plate's color coding and only realized it later when I'm already full, I ended up getting mostly yellow plates.


Sakae Sushi


Sakae Sushi


Sakae Sushi


Sakae Sushi


Sakae Sushi

Sakae Sushi





Sakae Sushi
Sakae SushiThe freebies; green tea and miso soup if you decide to eat all you can. 

I just go by eye and didn't pay attention to the color of each plate when I pick the one's to eat. The color coding scheme of the plates is a good indicator which one to avoid and which one has more value. The taste of that one in the blue plate sucks. ;) .

If you are expecting good quality Japanese sushi here at Sakae Sushi, you might be disappointed. The rice portion (which is not as sticky as the usual Japanese rice) of the sushi is so big, it will fill you up easily. The soy sauce dip and the tempura dip are also lacking in taste. I guess it was watered down more to meet the volume they need. I was also reminded to avoid leftovers or I'll be charged the actual price.

However, considering the offered price, I'm not really expecting authentic Japanese fare. One thing I can assure you though, expect to be full after dining here. 

Sakae Sushi Branches:

  • Robinson's Manila
  • SM Mall of Asia
  • SM North Edsa

 

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