Our stay at Pico Sands Hotel

Our last hurrah for the summer was a trip to Pico de Loro to celebrate hubby's birthday. We've been here several times in the past, but this was our first time to stay in Pico Sands Hotel.

Our stay at Cala Laiya

I was looking for beach recommendations somewhere in Batangas and found Cala Laiya through one of my mommy groups in Facebook. I wanted to try it since it was new and luckily they had an available room when I inquired.

After I posted some pics in my IG, a lot of people messaged me asking about the place, so I made sure to blog about it soon ;p

My Little Mermaid

Since I just posted about my niece's Under the Sea party, I figured I'll share this very rare sighting of a mermaid...

Staycation at Somerset Alabang

Our family loves going on staycations, and our last one here at Somerset Alabang definitely tops our list.

Pico De Loro Beach & Country Club

During our stay at Pico De Loro, we rented a condo via Airbnb. As mentioned in my previous post, you will have to pay a separate club registration fee so you can have access to all the facilities in the resort. Since we went on a weekend, guest fee rate for adults was P1,200 per person (discounted for senior citizens), P400 for kids 4-12 years old, and free for 3 years old below. This is a one time payment for the entire duration of your stay. I believe if you go on a weekday (Monday to Thursday), guest fees are lower.

Our staycation at Acacia Hotel Alabang

We usually stay in Crimson Hotel when we're in the Alabang area, but this time we finally decided to have a staycation at Acacia Hotel.

LEGOLAND MALAYSIA RESORT (part 3): Theme Park & Water Park

Finally, here's the continuation of my Legoland travel posts which is all about the Theme Park and Water Park. If you want to read about how we got here from Singapore, click HERE. For our stay at the Legoland Hotel, click HERE.

Sofitel Staycation

My mother-in-law had her high school homecoming last February 20 at Sofitel, so she decided to book a stay there for the family so the kids can enjoy as well.

Stilts Calatagan Beach Resort

Hubby's family always takes a mini-vacation when his tita from the States comes home to visit. So last month, we went to Stilts Calatagan for a 2 night stay (from February 1-3). I did some research prior to our trip and I got excited seeing the photos of the cottages above the water, plus good reviews on TripAdvisor.

Staycation at Solaire

I was invited to a blogger lunch at Kiwa Korean Grill last January 14, which can be found in Solaire Resort & Casino. Since the kids had no classes on that day because of a school activity, hubby and I decided to just make a family day out of it and book a stay at the hotel.

The Tides Hotel, Boracay

For our trip to Boracay last month, I originally wanted to book at Discovery Shores since we were going to be with the kids (plus I haven't stayed there pa lol). But after checking the rates, I had to reconsider since I was sure there were other good hotels that were more affordable. We checked Agoda and we chanced upon a flash sale for The Tides Hotel.

Our Vacation Villa at Subic Homes

After our overnight stay at Holiday Inn Clark, we then moved to Subic for hubby's triathlon race. We got a villa at Subic Homes since that's really where hubby's team stays when they have races in the area.

Our stay at Holiday Inn Clark

Our family took a quick overnight stay at Holiday Inn in Clark last June since hubby was participating in a triathlon race in Subic. The last time I stayed here was when I was in high school pa ata, so it's been a very long time ago!

Located in Pampanga, Holiday Inn Clark is situated in the Mimosa Leisure Estate. Getting there, I noticed there are now more restaurants near the area and also SM mall. So very convenient to eat out or even buy fast food for the kids.

lobby

Staycation at Manila Hotel

I was looking to book an overnight staycation for hubby's birthday last month and chanced upon this Facebook offer for Manila Hotel. It was one of those sponsored ads and you just had to click the "Get Offer" button and this will be emailed to you:

Our staycation at Fairmont Hotel Makati

For my birthday last August, we just decided to book an overnight stay at a hotel, which the kids really love.

Good thing I found out about a promo for BPI cardholders (BPI Gold MasterCard, BPI SkyMiles Platinum MasterCard, BPI Amore Visa, BPI Amore Platinum Visa and BPI Corporate MasterCard) where they are entitled to 50% OFF on best available rates on weekends at Fairmont Hotel in Makati (available from August 1 to October 31, 2014). Since it was also my birthday month during our stay, they also offered a free upgrade to the next room category.

Palm Beach Resort in San Juan, Batangas

Last month, we went on a little trip in San Juan, Batangas to celebrate the start of summer vacation. We stayed in Palm Beach Resort, located in Hugom, which runs along the same coastline of Laiya (it's actually the farthest and pinakadulong resort in the San Juan area). It's about a 2.5 to 3 hour drive from Makati via the Skyway / South Superhighway.

We've already stayed here in the past (this is our 3rd time) and we like it because the place is clean, the food is great, and the price is very affordable. It was also a special trip since it was Skyler's first time to go to the beach! :)

We got the CASITAS DELUXE, which was a beachfront suite good for a maximum of 6 people. I booked directly at their website and the response was very quick and efficient. We were 4 adults plus the 3 kids and this was the breakdown of our overnight stay. The standard occupancy is only for 4 and there's a charge of P750 per excess person, but we weren't charged anymore for the kids.

The room fit all of us comfortably since it had 2 double beds and a daybed with a pull-out. There was a mini-fridge and cable TV. The room also had a balcony and an ensuite bathroom, meaning the shower, sink, and toilet were compartmentalized allowing 3 persons simultaneous use. The bathroom wasn't that new, but it was clean. A water dispenser was just outside our room too. 

our room is the one on the lower left

I just realized when we were about to go home that I wasn't able to take photos of our room. So I just got this photo from their website since our room looked exactly like this. Only difference is they now have a plasma TV. I really liked the overhead fan too since when we were there, it wasn't as hot as it is now. So we actually turned off the aircon during the late afternoon and early morning and it was so breezy.

photo from their website

outdoor shower

The resort is huge with lots of activities you can do, like wall climbing, speed boat, banana boat, glass bottom boat, kayaking, and snorkeling. Something to take note of though is that there's very weak to no cellphone signal in the whole place though, and we could only access wi-fi in the dining pavilion.

rental area

volleyball area

The 2 pools areas are located on opposite ends of the resort, so if you don't feel like walking, you can always hop on board these golf carts which can bring you wherever you like (we used these to go to the dining hall from our rooms too ;p).

They have 2 huge infinity pools, which we luckily had to ourselves the whole time we were there. There weren't that much guests since we went on a weekday. It really felt like we were in our own private resort. The pools look very new and are super clean too!

pool #1, which is located beside the main dining area

jacuzzi area on the right side

Mowdels! My swimsuit & cover-up are both from SM

pool #2, with the wall-climbing area on the right

super nice and relaxing!

There are lots of nice cabanas where you can just lounge and chill in front of the beach. But this isn't the place to have any wild, all-nighter inumans since they discourage loud noises from 10pm - 8am.

The beach is clean, but the sand is a bit rocky. The waters are clear though, but we didn't swim (only hubby) since it was cold hehe. We just spent most of the time in the swimming pools.

the sand

the sea

pretty shells which Miley collected

This is the main dining hall where all the buffet meals are served. There's a big aquarium in the back which the kids loved looking at. We could also only get wi-fi reception in this area.

They also have more dining areas which they use when the resort is really full, like on weekends and holidays.

For an overnight stay, you get lunch, merienda, dinner, and breakfast the next day. I personally found the food to be really yummy, with lots of choices. We were so full after every meal!

the food during our stay

breakfast spread

There was also a super cute playground which the kids loved playing at. :)

We really had a great time here and for sure this won't be our last! :)

PALM BEACH RESORT
Brgy. Hugom, San Juan, Batangas, Philippines
Website: http://lafrondosa.com

Cruisin' aboard the SuperStar Virgo

Finally, FINALLY I'm able to blog about our family vacation last October! I've just been putting it off for so long since I have sooooo many pictures and I wasn't looking forward to editing them at all haha! It took a while but better late than never right? :p

The departure port at the Singapore Harbourfront Centre, where you check-in just like in a flight

This was such a special trip for me and hubby since this is were we spent our honeymoon 5 years ago! Back then on the cruise, I remember we'd talk about the future and our dreams... There were so many families on board and I would see children running around or swimming and I'd fondly imagine what our own babies would look like when the time came. I remember saying to hubby, we have to come back here when we have kids of our own so that we can share with them this amazing experience. And I can't believe we were able to do so (with even another one on the way haha). God is really so good!

left: newly married in '09; right: 20 pounds heavier and pregnant!

we've come full circle, now with our kids

The SuperStar Virgo is one of the ships from Star Cruises that travel around different Asian countries. We took a 4-day cruise with stops in Phuket, Thailand and Langkawi, Malaysia.

The ship is HUGE at almost 900 feet long and 100 feet wide, with 935 cabins and a passenger capacity of 1,870. There are more than 25 outlets of food & beverage, entertainment, and recreation so you can be sure you won't be bored for even 1 minute with so many things to see and do.

Here's just some of their facilities:

• Amphitheatre (Jumbo chess board, jumbo checkers and table tennis)
• Universal Gymnasium (Gymnasium)
• Parthenon Pool (Outdoor swimming pool, jacuzzi (4), sunbathing)
• Aquaswim (Jet current exercise pool)
• Star Track (Jogging circuit)
• Galaxy of the Stars (Live music, dance lounge and cocktail)
• The Lido (Show lounge)
• Out of Africa (Karaoke)
• Star Club (Games of chance)
• Celebrity (Vodka club lounge)
• Art Gallery, Ports O’Call and Star Boutique (Onboard shopping)
• Computer World (Computer centre in the child care centre)
• Starlight Video Arcade (Video games and onboard shopping)
• Oscar’s Salon (Hairdressing and beauty salon)
• Library/Writing Room (Book loans and reading room)
• Charlie's Child Care Centre (Children's playroom and nursery)

the Parthenon pool

They even have a huge water slide! Too bad I wasn't able to try this at that time since I was pregnant, but hubby and I enjoyed this so much during our honeymoon back then :)

lovely at night

the magnificent lobby

Anyway, the first thing that happens when the ship leaves is that everybody has to go on deck for a safety demonstration. This was kind of nerve-wracking for me since all I could think about were scenes from the Titanic! Good thing there were no icebergs in the sea haha! ;p

After this, they call everybody to the main lobby where they have a party to welcome everyone! The crew starts dancing, music is pumping and food and drinks are served. It was really such a fun way to start the cruise. What's also great is the crew is mostly Filipino, so you can always talk to someone in Tagalog and not get lost in translation. :)

welcome party

matching outfits

chillin' by the pool

This is the kiddie pool called Neptune's Wet & Wild. It could get pretty windy and wavy though, so you have to be careful not to slip on the wet areas. There's also a playroom and an arcade for kids, plus other activities and workshops like arts & crafts, cooking, magic tricks, etc (some fees apply).

This is The Lido, the ship's main theater where lots of shows and performances take place at different times of the day.

The Lido

Some shows were just ok (meaning a bit boring haha), while others were really great like this Cirque du Soleil type show, with amazing production value and performers. Seats are on a first come first served basis.

Even though there's so much to do on board, sometimes the best way to spend the time is to just lounge out on the deck and just watch the sea and sky. :)

You can also have a souvenir picture taken on a green screen, and then choose the background you like. Here's the BEFORE...

and then the AFTER! It's a bit expensive though at SG$20 (or about P600) but we figured it was worth it since we would always be able to look back on it and remember the time we had. :)

Another thing to note, after being on the boat for 4 days, we all developed sea legs, wherein we still felt like we were moving and swaying even if we were on dry land already! I swear, I think it lasted for about a week haha. :p

We had such a great time, but it was also definitely tiring with the kids. It was really a different experience from our honeymoon where all we did before was swim and drink all day! Now, everything was about the kids especially since we didn't have a yaya on this trip. But I will forever be thankful for this time spent with family. I'll still be blogging about the restaurants and food on the ship (there were a LOT, that's why we all gained so much weight after hehe), plus our stopovers in Phuket and Langkawi. :)

the whole gang

If you're interested, we booked everything via a travel agency, Horizon Travel & Tours Inc. Aside from the cruise, they also booked our Singapore flights (via Singapore Airlines) and arranged our hotel and transportation in Singapore.