Arnoma Grand Bangkok: Your Tourist Haven in the Heart of Bangkok

A visit to the capital and most populous city in Thailand is always an interesting experience. Bangkok is a bustling metropolis known for its ornate temples and lively street life, and this is all within easy distance from one of the best tourist hotels in the central business district, Arnoma Grand Bangkok.

Location

Just across from Central World, Asia's largest mall and a 10-minute walk from the Platinum Market and Platinum Mall in the Siam/Pratunam district, it is nestled among the best offices, shops, and restaurants in the city. It is within a stone’s throw from the Big C Supermarket if you need any essentials, and a 7-11 if you get the munchies in the middle of the night. You can easily stroll around the street market to get a bit of local flavor and some souvenirs, but leave most of your money and passport in the hotel safe as the streets can get very crowded. The hotel is also walking distance from the BTS Sky Train Chit Lom station, which is the best way to travel around Bangkok.  If you are in Bangkok for business or leisure, it is a convenient choice for home base.

Amenities

The hotel was recently renovated, and the lobby is splendid. It has 369 well-appointed rooms and suites with excellent beds, and each one was bright and cheery, complete with welcome drink and basket of fruits. Ask and you can get a room with a great view of the metropolis.  All rooms have free Wi-Fi, large screen cable television, and excellent air conditioning, which is an important feature in humid Bangkok. The hotel has meeting rooms, a fully equipped gym, and both indoor and outdoor covered swimming pools with sundecks. You have everything you need for work and play.

Dining

You can enjoy a splendid Asian-Western buffet at Mango 99 with an extensive choice of cuisines, including authentic Thai. Complimentary buffet breakfast is served at Mango 99.

If you fancy a snack or a drink, head over to the open air Arnoma Terrace or the Camelot Wine Pub. You can also choose to stay in your room and order room service, or you can check out one of the excellent restaurants in the area. 

An upcoming restaurant, Ah Yat Abalone Forum Seafood Restaurant, Bangkok's iconic Chinese restaurant will be opening soon at Arnoma.

Services

The best thing about Arnoma aside from the excellent location is the hotel staff. Everyone from the hotel manager to the cleaning crew is very friendly and helpful, willing to bend over backward to satisfy client needs, and all with a smile.  They all speak English, so communication is not a problem for most visitors. The massage service is a must-try. If you need private transportation, want to book a tour, or require an airport shuttle, all you need is to ask and they will accommodate you. 

The Arnoma Grand Bangkok is one of the best tourist hotels in Bangkok. It combines a central location, friendly staff, comfortable accommodations, and reasonable rates to make it a prime favorite for many visitors to the city. If you want to do a lot of shopping in Bangkok, Arnoma Grand Bangkok is your best bet hands down. 

Arnoma Grand Bangkok

99 Ratchadamri Road, Pathumwan, 10330 Bangkok, Thailand 

Phone +66 (0) 2655 5555 Fax: +66 (0) 2655 7555 

E-mail : arnoma@arnoma.com

http://www.arnoma.com/

Thai Garden Resort Pattaya: Tranquility in the Busy and Vibrant City

Known for its many pristine waters, beautiful shorelines, and its ancient treasures, Thailand is among the most popular destinations in South East Asia. It might be a small parcel of land, but it’s blessed with lush sceneries and rich culture.

If you are planning to stay in Thailand in the next few months and you want to stay somewhere in Pattaya Bay, then it is worth knowing which resorts you should go to. Among the best places that you should check out is the Thai Garden Resort Pattaya.

They are quite popular for their free buffet breakfast, and the excellent dinner buffet that they serve. They mostly serve European dishes for breakfast but also serve Asian cuisine for those who prefer to try local foods. As for dinner, they have different theme each night so you'll surely enjoy it when you stay at the resort. Pizza and Pasta Buffet on Monday, BBQ Buffet on Tuesday, Multi-cuisine Buffet on Wednesday, German Buffet with Roasted Pig on Thursday, Thai Buffet on Friday, International Buffet on Saturday, and Steaks & Skewers Buffet on Sunday. Aside from the good food, you'll also be entertained by their trio band from the Philippines. The buffet starts at 18:00 and ends at 21:00. The rates are Bht399 for adults and Bht199 for children.

Thai Garden Pattaya is a four-star category accommodation that offers over 200 rooms. You can select from the standard room, Superior Room with a garden view, holiday bungalow, and their different selection of deluxe rooms and apartments that can either have the view of a pool or that of the garden. The resort also provide accessible rooms for handicapped travelers. Two rooms are designed especially designed for the resort's disabled visitors.

All of their rooms are inclusive of the basic hotel necessities such as an IDD telephone, refrigerator, working desk, TV, Coffee facility, electronic safe and hairdryer.

Travelers get to enjoy the benefit of the peaceful ambiance of the resorts and their variety of rooms. A great number of guests love the earthy motifs of the rooms and the bungalow. The overall design is very subtle and they used small and fine details for each room to stand out.

The Thai Garden Pattaya is a perfect place to retire in after a long day of walking around the beach or nearby tourist destination. 

I personally love the accessibility of the area, you can readily visit the nearby market to fill your gastronomic desires and walk around to explore the vibrant city. Pattaya Bay is only about 900 meters away from the resort.

You can also get to enjoy using their top notch facilities like their very large and clean pools, their beach benches and umbrellas and even their spa.

Expect a good number of Thai inspired motifs like group of three concrete sculptures by the pool and a number of Buddha sculpture scattered around the resort. There are also a number of Thai designed potteries that adorn some parts of the general area and the garden.

Apart from the high end features of the Thai Garden Pattaya Resort, they also take pride of their very skilled and highly trained employees. They are friendly and approachable, and they do try their best to live up to the label of the Thailand as the Land of Smiles.

All of the rooms are well maintained, and if you need assistance, the resort’s crew members are always on standby to help. They also provide free Wi-Fi connection so you don’t need to worry much about getting connected 24/7 while you are staying in the resort.

The resort is safely tucked in a quiet corner by the Pattaya Bay. It is not far from the city centre, and it is very accessible to all the travelers and visitors. From time to time, you can drop by the malls nearby if you want to find other recreational activities other than walking around the beach front. 

Thai Garden Pattaya Resort

179/168 Moo 5 North Pattaya Road,

Naklua, Banglamung Pattaya, Thailand
http://www.thaigarden.com/

reservation@thaigarden.com

+66 38 370 614-8

+66 38 413 571-4

+66 38 424 356

+66 38 426 009

A Little Bit of Singapore

I have visited Singapore a few times already but I always keep coming back. You'll never run out of food to try in the city as it's a melting pot of different cultures in Asia. When I learned about Cebu Pacific's direct flight from Davao to Singapore, I got really excited. Unfortunately, I was not able to avail of their promo last year so I thought I won't be able to see the place again anytime soon. One day, I browsed Cebu Pacific's website and found a really cheap fare at only Php2,700 for a one-way ticket. I immediately booked a one-way seat and waited for a few days to book for the return ticket hoping that the fare would go down. It didn't and it even started to go up, so I booked my Singapore - Davao ticket for almost double the price which still isn't bad. After about three weeks I found myself eating my favorite chicken rice in Singapore.

Departure

It's my first time to depart from Davao International Airport for an international flight so I was quite naive of the process. It was in 2011 when I last departed for an international flight and it was in Manila. I was also skeptical of the Immigration process since I have a new passport and I lost my old passport with the stamps of the countries I visited years ago.

After checking in, I had to pay the travel tax of Php1,720 and went back to the check in counter to get my boarding pass. I learned that you can also pay your travel tax by showing your ticket before checking in so you won't have to go back and forth.

I then paid the Php750 terminal fee. So in short, before a Filipino can leave the country, one has to pay over Php2,000.

Singapore Circa 2011

At the immigration counter,  I was a little nervous. I don't want to get offloaded since I already booked my onward flights and hotel accommodation. It would be a disaster if I won't be able to fly. The immigration officer asked me a number of questions and I told her I am a travel blogger and that I write travel stories. She asked about my itinerary and my blog url. I gave her my card and she allowed me to leave. That was a relief! Hahaha

Arriving in Singapore

The plane departed on time so in a little over 3 hours, I finally arrived in Singapore after almost five years. We arrived in Terminal 2 and after clearing the immigration, I immediately looked for an ATM to withdraw some Singapore Dollar (SGD). I used my UnionBank EON card and took some cash without any hassle. I checked my account later on and the bank charge was only Php142.00. The conversion rate wasn't bad either. We took the Airport train from Terminal 2 to our hotel for less than SGD3.

Hotel Booking

We already booked a hotel ahead of time through Expedia. We stayed at The Noble Hotel which is in Little India. We did not research on how to get there so we got lost. We were already starving so when we see a food stall we immediately sat and order some Indian food. We continued walking hoping that we'll find our hotel and then we gave up and ended up taking a cab. Good thing, the driver knew where the hotel is. We checked in, freshen a bit and went out to eat again. This time we tried Singapore's famous chicken rice at a nearby hawker near our hotel. After satisfying our cravings, we went back to the hotel, work a bit and hit the sack.

Exploring A Little Bit of the City

We decided to work in the morning so we only went out for an hour to have some brunch at a nearby hawker. This time we ate pork ribs and pork rice. We continued working and decided to go out at 3PM to explore a little bit of the city.

We decided to have a little walking tour around Little India and saw a number of Hindu Temples. They're very interesting and they're just a walking distance from the hotel.

We took the MRT and was supposed to go to the National University of Singapore but unfortunately it started raining so we had to cancel. Instead we head to Marina Bay Sands (MBS) to visit the Gardens By The Bay. To our dismay, it was also closed because of heavy rains. What a bummer!

NUS Circa 2009

We've decided to  go back to MBS Shopping Center to explore a little bit and eat. After all, this recent trip is more about eating rather than exploring. Hahaha

The rain has finally subside, so, we went to the MBS viewing area to witness the light show at the Gardens By The Bay, it was good but since I did not bring a DSLR with me, I was not able to capture great photos. Good thing though, I was able to enjoy the show.

After MBS, we head to Singapore's Chinatown. It's still vibrant and it used to be my favorite hangout place when I stayed in the city for a month. I loved it, I still do. Cheap bargains and sumptuous food will never fail you.

We know that there are a lot more to see and experience in Singapore but our main purpose really was to eat and explore a little bit. Goal, achieved!

My short trip to the Lion city has resulted in me wanting to live in one of the Singapore condos. But I'm not sure that it's the right time for me to move, maybe in the future.

Here's a short video of our short visit to Singapore. Next stop, Melaka, Malaysia!

Amazing Bagan Resort: A Classy and Traditional Burmese Accommodation

Myanmar is an exquisite destination in South East Asia. The well preserved temples are a must see in this country known as the "land of thousand pagodas". The culture is also equally fascinating, as it tells the tale of a colorful and bold history.  It will never be enough to stay here for a short period of time as there are simply too many things for you to check out. But, of course for people who have limited time like myself, a squeezed itinerary is also doable. 

Most, if not all visitors of Myanmar go to Bagan - an ancient city located in the Mandalay region. There are lots of accommodations both in the old and new Bagan. I recommend you stay at the Amazing Bagan Resort for a comfortable and relaxing holiday.

The Amazing Bagan Resort remains as Myanmar’s most recognized name. It is a nice place that you can stay in while exploring the city. It is located in Old Bagan where you can have a great view of the main temples, and the lush golf course of the resort. Contrary to the other hotels, the Amazing Bagan Resort is safely tucked away from the busy streets of the city center.

Upon arrival you will notice the classic Burmese architecture all over the place, from the intricately crafted arches, to the finely sculpted furniture. Their decors which are primarily composed of traditional Burmese art works and craft go well with the timeless feel of the resort. 

If you're worry about going to the city center or to the pagodas, you can rent out their e-bikes for only 8,000 Kyat ($7.00). You may also use their bicycles for free. You can travel to the city to grab an interesting meal, or to visit different places as you wish. You also have the option to rent one of the cars that they are renting out for their guests.

If you want a hassle-free tour of the city, you may avail of the resort's packages for leisure activities. The tour usually lasts for an hour up to five hours depending on the kind of activity. The price ranges from Ks10,00 ($8) to Ks50,000 ($40). 

Apart from these savvy traveling options, they are also popular for their simply delicious servings of breakfasts and dinners. Get to enjoy well prepared Burmese dishes that are meticulously prepared by their kitchen staff. I personally enjoyed their buffet breakfast with a lot of options to choose from. From continental dishes, to Asian and local cuisine, you'll surely have a satisfying gastronomic experience.

You can also get to enjoy other facilities like their swimming pool and spa center. If you don’t feel like going out and you just want to enjoy a relaxing day in the resort, then you can ask for their spa services or dip in the pool. Nothing beats lying down on a bed, smelling essences and being pampered by trained therapists after a long day.

You can stay connected with your social media network and your email with the Free WiFi provided by the hotel available in all rooms. This is Myanmar so do not expect ultra fast internet speed but I guarantee you, their internet speed is more than enough to open websites and send emails. In case you do not have a laptop and you need to browse the web or send an email, you can go to their business center and use their computers.

The resort is equipped with three kinds of accommodations namely the Suite Bungalow, the Suite and the Deluxe rooms. Among the three, the Suite Bungalow is the most preferred kind of accommodation.

The Suite Bungalow features a very spacious room, colored with an earthy palette and accentuate by touches of gold and green. Their bed in the Suite Bungalow is large and it has just the right feel, it’s not too soft and not too hard.

Right now, they have 20 Suite Bungalows. Each are equipped with the basic room amenities such as TV, Coffee Maker, Air Conditioner, Mini Bar, Shower and Bath Tub. The luxurious look of the suite is coupled with its affordable and reasonable rate.

Amazing Bagan Resort

Bagan, Myanmar, Mandalay Division

Tel :95 9 402630885, 2042094

Email: amazingrm.abr@amazing-hotel.com

Website : www.amazing-hotel.com

ARTS AND CULTURE: Marikina Must-See: Shoe Museum

It sits there like an island, in the center of a fork on the road. 

Located along J.P. Rizal St., the building is said to be an armory during the colonial period then eventually became a detention center during the Filipino-American War.  Around forty years later during World War II, it was a motor pool for American soldiers. Whatever it may have been in the past, the building remains to play a significant role in the city’s history.

At present, it has become Marikina’s Shoe Museum – a sort of an archive of things that celebrate the city’s role as the nation’s shoe capital. Its most popular attraction is the former First Lady Imelda Marcos’ selection of shoes. After all, Madam Imelda wouldn’t be her imeldific self if not for her infamous shoe collection. Next to them are some of her belongings, sort of artifacts from the reign of her dictator of a husband Ferdinand Marcos over the islands.

The city is bent on revitalizing the local shoe industry and thus have organized the Sapatos Festival. Held last October, it features locally crafted shoes and bags, celebrating the craftsmanship and ingenuity of local shoemakers. And with Markina City Ordinance No. 55, Series of 2015, it would seem that this event will indeed be a yearly celebration to look forward to. 

The Shoe Museum is situated (almost) across the Our Lady of the Abandoned Church.
One will pass by it on the way to Rustic Mornings. 

Sitting next to the door, hese guys give us a picture of how shoes are  made in Marikina.

The shoe collection of Imelda Marcos occupy both the first floor and the mezzanine. 

A shoe chair for the lady who had so many pairs!

The museum also features one gigantic shoe as well as other types of footwear from around the globe. 

Wooden Shoe Molds  

 

The collection features local and foreign brands like Rustan's and Chanel. 

The building has retained some of its old world charm with its Capiz window shutters and big doors. 

Marikina's famous mayor, Bayani Fernando donated a pair.