Wensha Spa -the ultimate SPA

Wensha is not the classiest spa. What makes it the ULTIMATE place to de-stress is the fact that an hour of massage comes with a FREE buffet (with a Shabu-Shabu table!), free use of jacuzzi, steam, sauna, and the fact that you can sleep in for 8 hours after the massage*. The massage is quite good too. There are only two massage beds per room so you can really sleep should you decide to do so. Fo sho I'm coming back! 

Oh and in case you're wondering, body massage starts at 630 going up to less than 2 grand. Not bad huh. I got the aromatherapy and that only set me back 720. 

*There is an additional charge if you want to sleep in for more than 8 hours. Good alternative to hotels don't you think?

Best Tex-Mex in Town- CHILLY WILLY's

Country Fried Steak, Chicken and Garlic Quesadilla.

Mock Fried Ice Cream. Yum!

Ube Dessert

Availabe at Max's Restaurant for P59. I have never seen ube done like this before and it's really really good. Suggest you guys try if you like ube and cream =)

Burger Challenge

Wolf down this 3-patty burger in 5 minutes and it's FREE!

Burger Avenue at A.Venue

Miss Kebab

Kebab places have sprouted like crazy ever since the success of the more popular ones-Mister Kebab and Behrouz. I am a huge Kebab fan and it is a no-brainer choice when deciding with like-appetite friends on where to eat before or after a night of debauchery. A popular choice among people would be the Chelo Kebab and this dish is my main basis for ranking these Kebab Places. Other factors are variety of menu, price, service, etc.

1. Persia Grille, Valero Makati City

- Aside from the usual white and red sauce, they have a special yogurt-based sauce that tastes like no other and is perfect for the grilled meat of Chelo Kebab. They also serve it with a heap of long-grain rice with butter. They also have dishes that are quite uncommon but good such as the chicken dishes. Service is good and the ambience is tops (comparatively with Kebab restos) and prices are not bad at P200-300.

2. Mister Kebab, Timog Quezon City

- The crazy waiting list in this resto makes one wonder if this place is worth it. The answer is yes! For only P100-P200 one can enjoy their Kebab fares. The meat is done right and the red and white sauce taste as it should. Their new location also has a bigger and better ambiance. Sadly the line is still as crazy.

3. Behrouz, Wilson San Juan

- Behrouz is a classic and is ever dependable. Sadly the rising prices (P300-P400) and the badly maintained restos (save for the one in Metrowalk) makes it a number 3.

4. King’s Kebab, Katipunan Quezon City/Shaw Mandaluyong

- They deliver the basic- tomato, onions, grilled meat, and the red/white sauce. The menu is also pretty limited. The dishes taste okay but I wouldn’t really go back here except that it’s near where I live.

5. Perspolis, Katipunan Quezon City

- I figured the taste would be nice as the cartoon is supposedly great. I mean, the owners got to be knowledgeable of Iran and the Mid-east. Sadly I found the whole experience (food, ambiance) just wanting. Then again they are pretty cheap at P150-200.

Hanoi Suggested Itinerary

Charming must be a word used to describe Hanoi countless of times. There is something about the mad rush of motorcycles, beautiful old and new tall narrow French-style houses, temples, communist symbols, and cheap street food that makes it hard to dislike this city. There are also a lot of side trips one can take. In fact, there are just so many things to see and experience that a little planning would certainly maximize any trip to this part of Vietnam. Below is a suggested itinerary and some must-know.

HANOI

For most people who normally only have 3 days or so for trips, I recommend atleast a day to explore Hanoi.

Morning

a. Ho Chi Minh Masoleum

b. Ho Chi Minh Vestige

c. One Pillar Pagoda

d. Ho Chi Minh Museum (Entrance 10,000 dong)

e. Temple of Literature (Entrance 5,000 dong)

I suggest a heavy breakfast since depending on how much time you need per site, the following might run a little past lunch time. I suggest you take lunch in the Old Quarter because of the numerous cheap restaurants one can find. If you don’t mind spending a bit more, you can check out Brother’s Cafe which is near the Temple of Literature.

Afternoon

f. Old Quarter

g. Hoan Kiem Lake

h. Ngoc Son Temple (Entrance 2,000 dong)

i. Hoa Lo Prison (Entrance 5,000 dong)

j. St. Joseph’s Cathedral

k. Water Puppet Theatre

The following sites are picked out because of their proximity to each other which would save you that cyclo trip. Sites a/b/c/d are beside each other and e is probably a 10-min walk away. Sites f/g/h/i/j/k are also a block or two from each other and easily walkable. If one doesn’t mind the heat (if you visit on the hot season), one can also walk it from the Temple of Literature to the Old Quarter area.

If you have more time you can also check the ff. sites:

Ethnologie Museum

Army Museum

For Lodging, Old Quarter have a lot of affordable accommodations. Its location also makes it ideal. My suggested restos to check out are within the area:

Bun Cha Hang Manh – the best Bun Cha: grilled pork, vermicelli, herbs, and spring roll

Cha Ca La Vong – Oldest restaurant in Hanoi and one of the most recommended by guide books. Serves only the Hanoi specialty Cha Ca (fish)

Pho Hang Dong – Good place for the Vietnamese noodle Pho.

Fanny’s Ice Cream Parlor – One of the good French legacy here is ice cream =)

Street XXX – Sit in a corner and have a Bia Hoi (beer brewed fresh daily)

SIDE TRIPS

Ha Long Bay – If you can only do one side trip, I suggest cruising along Halong Bay. There bay is filled with limestone karsts similar to those in Palawan. The difference is that this bay has thousands of these and is really quite breathtaking. Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is in the running for the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. One can also get off some islands and one of the most popular stops is the Thien Cung caves which is also called the Heavenly palace because of the beautiful formations. One can sleep overnight in a junk boat or stay in a hotel on Cat-Ba Island. Of course you can do both if you have the time. You can also do a day tour but would be too exhausting.

Perfume Pagoda – The Perfume Pagoda itself might be a disappointment but the view en route is amazing.

Sapa Valley Trek – Sapa is similar to our Banaue Rice Terraces but more expansive. It is also better preserved.

Best CHEAP SISIG- SISIG HOORAY

Can be found in most food courts =)

Best XIAO LONG PAO

I've eaten in the famed Lin Tai Fung- the famed resto ranked by the NY Times as one of the world's top ten best restaurants. The resto is famous for their dumplings especially the Xiao Long Pao.

Welln folks, I am happy to report that the Xiao Long Pao in Su Zhou is very comparable. Su Zhou is located in Greenhills Promenade. I believe they also have a branch in Binondo and in Little Baguio.

Cambodia on a budget

I admit I got curious about Cambodia because of Angelina Jolie. Then I found out about the amazing Angkor Wat and that's when I started making travel plans. Although it is getting popular, not a lot of people know much about the country and how beautiful, easy, and safe, it is to go here. This post will be in two parts. The first is the getting there part. The second will be all about Siem Reap (where Angkor Wat is).

Going There
Flying straight to Siem Reap will be more expensive or just as expensive as making a stop-over somewhere. Now I know the more popular itinerary for most travel sites is Bangkok-Cambodia. However, I would only recommend this for people who have the time. There is only flight from Bangkok to Cambodia and is expectedly expensive. You can travel via land but will take you almost a full day. Another way, which is what we did because we really wanted to go Bangkok, was to fly via Phnom Phen. My favorite budget airline is AirAsia and the flight cost is comparable to our Cebu Pacific local fare.The bus ride from Phnom Phen to Siem Reap took 6 hours. So again, take the Bangkok-Cambodia only if you have the time (and patience for the bus ride) or if you have the money to spare for an expensive plane fare.

Now while the PAL-Cambodia package isn't bad. There are cheaper ways to fly out of this country to Cambodia. You can choose to go via KL or via Singapore. AirAsia Siem Reap only flies to KL so if your main objective is to just see Cambodia, I recommend this route. You can go via AirAsia to KL, or you can go via Cebu Pacific, which is the more convenient airline in this case.

Now if you are willing to spend more to go visit your friends in Singapore, you can fly to Sing via Cebu Pacific and take JetStar to Siem Reap.

Siem Reap

Siem Reap is pretty cheap. I do not recommend you change your USD as this seems to be more popular than the local currency. While there are the expensive hotels which cost 100USD up per night, Siem Reap is full of really nice guesthouses which cost around 10USD-25USD per night. Hotels can be impersonal and guesthouses somehow add to the Cambodian experience. We stayed in Two Dragons which is run by the guy of Tales of Asia. The place is clean, the staff is friendly, and for someone who visited the Tales of Asia site for travel info, it just made sense to stay there. Of course we have different preferences and Wikitravel provides a list of hotels and guesthouses you can choose from. Meals in Siem Reap can range from 2USD (Already a good burger and drink) to 10USD(Buffet with cultural show).

This hole-in-the-wall place in Bar street is highly recommended.

Just ask Mick Jagger who was spotted here according to Lonely Planet.

Now the main attraction: Angkor Wat

The area is actually full of many temples. Angkor Wat being the most famous. Below are my favorites:

1. Ta Phrom- This is where they shot Tomb Raider. Giant trees grow over the temples giving you that "Temple in the Jungle" vibe.

2. Bayon- Part of the Thom Aron Complex. The temple is full of giant head carvings. Also one of the biggest.

3. Angkor Wat- The outside for me is more interesting than the inside. The surrounding water makes this temple look not only beautiful but majestic.

Some temples are ideal for sunrise or sunset viewing. If you're into photography you might want to heed the reco and troop to these temples as the light is really magnificent. Be warned that the place will be swarmed with tourists during these peak hours.

Other things you can/should do:
Elephant rides- For 10USD you can go up the Phnom Bakheng hill atop this marvelous creatures
Hot Air Balloon- 45USD and you get a good view of Siem Reap
Mine Museum- If you have time this is a good place to know more about the country's history
Cultural show- For dinner, most restos usually have a free cultural show already
Tuktuk ride- I don't know how you can get around the place without atleast riding a tuktuk once

Ratatouille

Because of the animated film, I was curious about "Ratatouille".

So we decided to check one of the more visible french restos around (because it's new and it's right smack in the middle of Serendra), Cuillere.

You wouldn't find Ratatouille in the menu of Cuillere. You have to ask the waiter for it since it's simply a siding of two of their dishes- a Lamb one and Fish.

I decided to order the Lamb, or on the menu, "Epaule d'Agneau. For only Php395 for 200g, it was quite big and actually very very good. It also comes with potato gratin or mashed potatoes.


As for the Ratatouille, it did not look anything like in the film. I really did not expect it to taste good but the real thing is not bad. Don't expect it to taste different though. It tastes like something you've tried before even if it's not the same thing.

I'm a twenty-something FEW. Now I know there are tons of blogs sprouting around on various topics you can think of. But what I promise you is an experience that is within reach but at the same time unique and definitely feature worthy. The goal here is invite you to also try for yourself the wonderful things the metro and beyond offers.