Staycation at Swissotel The Stamford

Swissotel The Stamford

It was a last minute booking reservation. To make our 1st year Wedding Anniversary be filled with happy and romantic memories :-) Yay!

Months before, we were already planning to spend it overnight in Bintan, Indonesia.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Hubby and I decided on a staycation in a hotel here in Singapore.

We were choosing between Marina Bay Sands and Swissotel at The Stamford.
At first, we wanted to stay at Marina Bay Sands since we've been there a couple of months back and found the hotel very grand. We changed our mind later on since we weren't able to get a discount. Hahaha!

We decided to check Swissotel for a change. And we did not regret that decision.
It was a perfect venue to spend our anniversary. Quiet, relaxing and romantic.
Marina Bay Sands, on the other hand, I think is perfect for tourists but not for couples in search of tranquillity.

We opted for a classic room, which costs us S$260.00 a night.

Much to our surprise, they upgraded our room from a classic room to a junior suite, which is 1.5 times bigger. Yay!!! Hubby and I were both ecstatic. Hahaha. How lucky we were! I was literally jumping the moment we entered the room.

The view from our room was spectacular. It was beautifully awesome.

View from our balcony. Taken at 9:00

Marina Bay Sands and Esplanade from afar.

Panoramic View at Night. Too bad, we did not bring a professional camera. Aw.

Comfy Bed!

Sosyal. 

The Large Working Desk

Tea Time!

A different angle.

Essential Toiletries

Early Morning Swim. My first time to wear a two-piece swimsuit! Hah!

My Rating:

5 of 5 stars for Value for Money
5 of 5 stars for Location
5 of 5 stars for Sleep Quality
5 of 5 stars for Room
5 of 5 stars for Cleanliness
5 of 5 stars for Service

Perfect!

It was indeed a relaxing weekend for hubby and I.
Every moment was worthwhile.
We have created another memory that someday we would not hesitate to share to our children ;p

Authentic Mun Chee Kee KING of Pig's Organ Soup

Authentic Mun Chee Kee King of Pig's Organ Soup

When travelling or working abroad, it's best that we do not just visit tourist attractions but also try dishes that are out of the ordinary.

Situated along the street of Jalan Besar, a main road which is popular for authentic cuisine, you can find a restaurant best known for its pig organ soup, Cheng Mun Chee Kee.

It was around 4:00pm when we reached the place.
The ambience inside the restaurant is very cozy.
The tables and chairs are made of wood, that makes the restaurant got the homey feeling.
Not what you would expect in a fine dining restaurant but still up to my standards.

Pig Organ Soup

The soup is very tasty and flavourful unlike other pig organ's soup I've tried.
Sabi nga (as they say) in Filipino, sabaw pa lang ulam na.
The soup is surprisingly not peppery. The organs and innards have no noticeably piggy smell.
Di sya malansa. Although a little bit overcooked but nevertheless, still good.
The minced meat and meatballs both taste superb.

Too bad, we did not try their chili.
We also did not know we can have our soup refilled. Wah!

Braised Pig Trotter

The pig trotter was very tender. A mixture of soya sauce and vinegar.
Not too sweet and also not sour. To give a fresher taste, parsley was added on top.
So you can smell the aroma of the dish. Yummy!

Chicken in Sesame Oil

This is a version of our Pinoy adobo.
Taste is so-so. Nothing surprising. But not disappointing.

Vegetable in Oyster Sauce

I have not been to a Chinese restaurant that does not offer this dish.
The veggie is not overcooked. Just got the right amount of sauce.

We just spent S$24.00 for the whole meal. Cheap but very sumptous.

Will I come back to this restaurant? Definitely.
On your next trip, don't forget to add this to your Itinerary.

My Top 8 Dream Travel Destinations

I envy those people who can afford to travel as much as they can.

Pity me, I have just travelled to a few countries and I am already nearing 30.

And whenever we watch shows on TLC, it makes me more envious. LOL.

I bet we all have our dream destinations, places we want to go to before we die.

Places that attract us the most.

This subject is actually quite popular among bloggers out there which I often stumbled upon.

Here's my list in no particular order.

1. Paris, France

Photo credit: Louvre at Night

Photo Credit: Eiffel Tower at Night

2. Santorini, Greece

Breathtakingly Awesome. Photo Credit:Santorini

3. Amanpulo Resorts, Philippines

Oh lala. Photo Credit:Amanpulo

4. Los Angeles, USA

Yes, hubby and I are fans of Los Angeles Lakers. Yeah, baby!

Staples Center.

5. Boracay, Philippines

Yeah, I know, right. ;p

White Beach. White Sand. Paradise.

6. Venice, Italy

I can feel the romance just by looking at this photo. :-) Photo Credit:Venice

7. Jeju Island, South Korea

Hopefully, our plan to visit later this year for our overdue honeymoon will push through.Yay!

Love it. Can't wait. ;p

Feels like heaven. 

8. New York, USA

Statue of Liberty

Now, you might be surprised why 8.

8 is not just a number for us. It is full of memories.

I said the much-awaited "yes" (ehem) to my hubby during our dating stage on the 8th of April.

We got married here in Singapore on the 8th of January.

We had our church wedding on the 8th of October.

That's just 3 of the memorable occassions which happened on the 8th.

The endless list just goes on.

Care to share what is/are your dream travel destination/s? :-)

Day 3 - 4: Macau

Right after our Ocean Park Adventure, we headed to First Ferry Terminal at Tsim Sha Tsui for our Macau tour. It was already around 9pm, everyone was tired but nevertheless excited. 

While waiting for the Ferry to arrive. 

Sands Macau Hotel and Casino.

We arrived in Macau at 1:00am. First unfortunate incident we had that night was that the taxi driver doesn't understand us at all. I was telling myself that time not to freak out. He can hardly speak English. We even tried to converse using Spanish words (since Macau was a former Portugal colony)  that we know of but to no avail. He finally managed to bring us to the hotel when he asked their Customer Service how to get there. Now that I think about it, t'was quite an unforgettable experience. :-)

Hotel Lobby. Photo credit: Ole London Hotel. 

Ole London Hotel Macau  is more than what we expected. It's a 3-star hotel but the ambience and cleanliness of the hotel and the rooms is beyond our expectation. It was also quite near all the tourist destinations in Macau. Just a 15-minute walk to Senado Square. The only thing that bothered me is the location of the hotel at night. It is kinda scary. :-) Overall, this hotel is highly recommended.

We went to a restaurant for our dinner nearby the hotel. Another major turn-off: The staffs also don't know how to speak in English. Boo! Luckily, hubby's phone got the itranslate application.   

My sisters-in-law and the kids weren't able to join us. They were already exhausted and preferred to get some sleep rather than visit Venetian Hotel. 

We went back to our hotel around 5:00 just to get a few hours sleep. I was really dead tired that day.

Senado Square

The next day, we all woke up at 8:00am wearing smiles after an exhausting day. The weather even cooperated. Thank God for a beautiful day!

St. Domingo's Church

St. Paul Ruins

Dad and cutie nephew.

Picture Perfect.

Empire State Singapore

Website:
Empire State

Locations:

• 1 Woodlands Square #02-10/K10 Causeway Point
• 1 Seletar Road #02-04 Greenwich V

I've been wanting to try out this restaurant for quite some time. So last Sunday, after attending the mass at St. Anthony Church, we headed for a very sumptuous dinner at Causeway Point.

 True to its tagline, they serve big portions. It really has a value for money. 

Inviting Menu.

Cute eh? :-)

Twin Double Slider. Price: S$12.90

This is For The Win! The fries was unexpectedly good.  

Chicken Fettucine. Price: S$14.90

I love the taste of this pasta. Very creamy. Not the usual Carbonara that they serve in other restaurants.

Well done Steak and Fries. Price: S$22.90

I might not be the best judge on this since I am not really a fan of steaks. 

When I tried this, it's just a normal steak for me.

Bolognese with Meatballs. Price: S$13.90

I love the meatballs. It has liver in it so as not to make it nakakaumay. Yummy!

The next time I will make meatballs at home, I will surely add liver. :-)

The pasta is just normal. Nothing spectacular.

Overall, I would recommend this restaurant. Great Food. The ambience is nice. The staffs were friendly. Big servings! What more could you ask for?

Day 3: Ocean Park Hong Kong

Should you visit Ocean Park? It's a Yes for Us. We totally enjoyed it.
Regardless of whether you are an animal lover or otherwise, it's a must that you should include this tourist destination on your trip to Hong Kong.

On our way to Ocean Park! Yey!

Di mawawala ang group picture sa entrance, of course! :-)

Here comes the Panda Bear! 

My Dad and I.

Nice to Know.

Eating Time!

One of our fave cartoon movies. :-)

With Hiccup and Astrid.

Thrill rides!

Sea Lion Performance.

Magnificent View of Hong Kong!

My tabachingching niece. 

Jelly Fish!

Moment at Japanese Garden! :-)

Ocean Theater

The Dolphin Show!

Price of General Admission will be as below:

Ocean Park Hong Kong

Admission Price (HK$)

	General Admission
Adult (aged 12 or above)	$280
Child (aged 3-11)	$140
Individuals and members of families receiving assistance from the CSSA	$20
Free admission is granted to children under 3-year-old and local senior residents, who is 65 years old or above with Hong Kong Identity Card or the "Senior Citizen Card" issued by Social Welfare Department. Holder of Registration Card for people with Disabilities and Hong Kong residents with Hong Kong Identity Card visiting on birthday are FREE to enter Ocean Park.