Singapore Night Safari

08 Sunday Dec 2013

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So, here I am again sharing my Singapore experience from a few months back. Actually, this is the very first part of it since my last one was on Legoland Malaysia.

I hardly visit zoos. There is only one instance which I can recall that I visited a zoo – the Manila Zoo when I was in 2nd grade. There’s something about zoos that don’t interest me even though I love watching the National Geographic. That’s why I was pretty surprised when I actually wanted to see the Night Safari in Singapore.

I look like a dweeb. Then again, I’m a geek. Close enough.

The Singapore Night Safari is the very first safari park for night (or nocturnal) animals. It opened in 1994 and today it welcomes more than a million visitors a year. This award-winning park has more than 2,500 animals housed in areas similar to their natural habitats. A ticket here costs 35 SGD for adults, which is roughly 1100 PHP.

All set for my Night Safari adventure!

The park has different attractions for both the young and the old. Their main attraction is the guided tram ride that takes one across 7 zones from around the world. There are also walking trails for the guest to explore. Quite a number of the animals are too little to clearly see from the tram ride and this is how you’ll see them. Lastly, they have special shows and performances to keep you entertained. There’s a fire dance-slash-stunts show called the Thumbuakar as well as the popular (and definitely a must-see) Creatures of the Night. Continue reading →

Convention

07 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in Personal, Random, Thoughts, Travel

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/kənˈvenCHən/

Noun:
A way in which something is usually done.

Once upon a time, the norm for government buildings was to have tasteful architecture. I was roaming around Metro Manila one fine weekend when I ended up at the CCP complex. An imposing edifice caught my attention while in search of the Coconut Palace.

The Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), completed in 1976, is one of the grand projects of the late President Ferdinand Marcos. Designed by the National Artist Leandro Locsin, it is the first international convention center in Asia. It officially opened in 1976 when the annual meeting of the World Bank was held there.

Back to my little adventure. PICC is beautiful inside and out. Its definitely brutalist. Even if it was designed in the 70’s, the building still looks modern inside and out.

The ceiling is just beautiful.

It looks sparkly inside! Very clean.

The PICC lobby.

The benches are simple yet nice.

What surprised me was how clean the place was. PICC is older than the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 and yet it looks more fresh. Even the comfort rooms were decent!

I just hope in the coming years, government buildings would be like the PICC — timeless.

Feeling Like a Kid at Legoland

27 Saturday Apr 2013

Posted by in Travel, Work

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First of all, long time no write! I have been too lazy to blog recently and I have a heyuuuge backlog of entries.

Last week, I had to go to Singapore for business and stayed there for a six days. It was my first time (Second, technically. But my first one was just a stopover to Jakarta) to visit the prosperous city state and I was very excited.

First stop… Legoland Malaysia! Rather than going around Singapore on my free day, I chose to go on an adventure to Johor Bahru and experience Legoland. I have been fascinated by Lego ever since I was a child and I grabbed the chance to see Legoland.

I arrived in Singapore at around 11 AM of Monday. I went straight to Swissotel the Stamford and deposited my luggage. I rode the MRT to Bugis Station and walked to Queen Street where there’s a terminal for buses going to JB.

Causeway Link bus going to Johor Bahru

In less than an hour, I was crossing the Singapore-Malaysia border. There was some time spent going through Malaysian immigration but it was bearable. The bus ride ended in JB Sentral where I had to wait for another bus, LG1, that goes to Legoland. Continue reading →

Hotel: The Four Seasons Bangkok Experience

09 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in Hotel, Photographic Pursuits, Travel, Work

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Update: The Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok is now managed Anantara.

For eight days and seven nights, the Four Seasons Hotel and Resort Bangkok served as my home. Located along Rajadamri Road, the hotel is considered as one of the best in the bustling Thai capital.

It’s not difficult to see why people are all praises for this oasis in the middle of the city. Continue reading →

Exploring the Thai Capital

09 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in Food, Photographic Pursuits, Shopping, Thoughts, Travel, Work

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Much has been said about Bangkok, the bustling capital of Thailand, which is considered as the world’s best city by Travel + Leisure magazine. Whether you’re into shopping, partying, or sightseeing, the Thai capital has got you covered. Bangkok’s a great example of modernity mixed with traditional culture.

Cruising along the Chao Praya River, the birthplace of Bangkok.

Exploring Bangkok involves a lot of walking, train rides, and river cruises. It’s easy to get around the city since their modes of transport are well-integrated with each other. Also, the sidewalks of Bangkok are usually wide which is great for exploring the city on foot. In the shopping districts, such as Ratchaprasong, there are skywalks similar to Ayala Center’s. Continue reading →

The Grand Palace and Chatuchak Weekend Market

09 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in Photographic Pursuits, Shopping, Travel, Work

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Sunday was technically the only ‘free‘ day that I had in Bangkok. But since I had to review for the training, I only gave myself until 3 in the afternoon to go around.

(By the way, if you’re wondering why I was too serious in my pre-work review, it was because we were told that a test would be given prior to the start of the training. People who’d fail the test would be kicked off from the training. Imagine my frustration when no test was given at all.)

Since I didn’t have much time to go around, I had to limit my destinations. I chose to visit the Grand Palace and Chatuchak (or Jatujak) Weekend Market.

Going around Bangkok’s pretty easy. At the Ratchadamri BTS station, I bought an all-day BTS pass for 150 Thai Baht. The pass is good for both Sukhumvit and Silom lines of the BTS.

This pass is great for tourists. My 150 Thai Baht brought me places.

Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain reminds me of LRT 2, only better. How I wish all of our light rails are as good as the BTS.

My first destination was the Grand Palace. To reach the place, one has to go to the Saphan Taksin BTS station then ride a Chao Praya Express Boat from the Sathorn Pier to the Maharaj Pier where the Grand Palace is nearby. Again, the pier is just below the BTS station. Very convenient! Continue reading →

First Night in Bangkok

09 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in Photographic Pursuits, Thoughts, Travel, Work

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On my first night in Bangkok, I was very eager to sample some authentic Thai cuisine. I walked to CentralWorld, a mall near Four Seasons Hotel and Resort Bangkok, hoping to have dinner in a Thai restaurant. Walking around the mall, I saw many Japanese, Korean, and Italian restaurants but no Thai. After an hour of searching, I gave up and headed straight to McDonald’s.

Big Mac, something that I always try when on foreign shores.

McDonald’s in Bangkok is pretty expensive. The Big Mac meal with medium fries and drink costs 147 Thai Baht, roughly in 196 in Philippine Pesos. To be fair though, their Big Mac had very juicy patties. Continue reading →