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People from the tropics dream of one day seeing snow.  On the other hand, those who live near the frigid zones dream of the sun, the sand and the deep, blue sea complete with silhouettes of coconut trees.   If you have never seen the beach and won’t settle for anything less than the best the world offers, Boracay Beach, known as Chang Tan Dao in China, is nearby.

The Philippines has 7,107 islands.  Where there are these many islands, beaches are bound to be infinite.  Yes, in the Philippines, there are so many that some consider it to be, “the beach capital of the world”.  Among all the beaches though, there is one that stands out - White Beach in Boracay, known simply to the world as, Boracay.

There are many reasons people consider it the world’s best: the sand, its length, its width and its depth. Boracay is known for its crystal blue waters and white powdery sand that’s so fine, you’d think it would dissolve like milk in water.  Spread over 4 kilometers in the island, it is also very wide. At some points, you can enjoy pure sand for about 50 meters from the shoreline to the waterline.  What’s more, the beach is also shallow, you can wade far and wide before your feet can’t reach the ground.  Even as there are well-developed concrete establishments in the area, your view of paradise from the sea remains unobstructed as thick lines of coconut trees hide these from the sea.

The island is perfect for those who seek a holiday of rest and respite as well as fiestas and parties.  It is a beach-bummin’ barhopper’s or bar-hoppin’ beach-bummer’s paradise.  

During the day, the island is serene and peaceful with just you, the sun and the sea.   Lie on a chaise-lounge or a mat on the beach and sip a mango shake or a margarita.  Then have a massage by the beachfront.  For something more luxurious, spas abound in the island offering all kinds of treatment to pamper your mind, body and soul.

There are many adventures to be had in the island if your concept of a holiday is burning energy.   For the fun-loving, you can ride a Banana Boat and giggle till you drop or paraglide over the sea while shrieking to your hearts content.  For the more daring, scuba diving can be learned in a day.

Come the evenings, the island becomes alive with blaring music from all corners.   After a nice dinner from the many different international and local cuisines restaurant options, you can explore many interesting bars on foot.   You have the option to chill out with cocktails at Juice Bar or Hey Jude or party hard with San Miguel beer at Summer Place.  Because you need not worry about drinking and driving, the possibilities are endless. 

Tips:

• When the long cold winter envelops Beijing and you are dreaming of an escape, the sun and stars are working with you.  It is actually during winter that Boracay is in its greatest splendor.   Peak season begins middle of October till April.  This means that there are less chances of having your holiday rained-out with the sun in full force.  The best time to go is December to February where it is sunny yet cool.  March to May will be scorching with summer heat.
• If you go off-peak season though, you practically will have the island all to yourself.  This is perfect if you want to be reclusive.  I’ve been there before on rainy August and it was just what I needed to clear my mind from work’s hustle and bustle.  Going there during the lean months also means you can get the best hotel deals, sometimes by as much as 50% off.   It is important to note though that there is also a 50% chance you may not see the sun.  Many tourists get really disappointed when they don’t see the postcard setting they come here to expect.
• As you need to land in Manila to go to Boracay, take the opportunity to see Manila’s capital for a day.  The walled city of Intramuros, built during the Spanish colonial period, remains to this day.   The San Agustin Church, a UNESCO world heritage site, is inside the walls while Luneta Park, with the iconic Rizal monument, is just right outside.
• Consider taking Philippine Airlines Boracay Swingaround package.   From as low as RMB5,000 per person, it includes the flights (Beijing to Manila to Kalibo and back) and hotels in both Manila and Boracay.  Visit www.philippineairlines.com or call their Beijing office at 6510 2991-92 for more details.

Getting there:

• Several airlines including China Southern and Cathay Pacific fly to Manila regularly but only Philippine Airlines has direct flights (at least 4x a week).   From Manila, you fly to either Kalibo or Caticlan.  If you land in Kalibo, you will need to take a shuttle service to Caticlan for about an hour-and-a-half.  From Caticlan, take a 10-minute ferry which takes you to the island’s jetty port and from there, hop on a tricycle to your resort.  Believe me, it’s easier than it sounds.  Besides, it is an island and if it were any easier, it’s going to be as full of tourists as the Badaling Great Wall.

Stay:

• The resorts along White Beach are classified depending on which Station they are close to.  The vicinity of Station 1 is the best place to stay to be paces away from the most happening stops.  Heed my advice.  After all, white beach is all of 4 kilometers and you wouldn’t want to hike even half of that after a drinking spree.
• You have all kinds of options on where to stay from the very luxurious - the Discovery Shores (from RMB2,800 for a junior suite) and the Shangri-la Boracay (from RMB3,000 for a deluxe room and from RMB5,000 for a villa) to middle-ranged bed and breakfast types to fan room cottage-types.   Fan rooms start at a little over RMB100 while air-conditioned rooms go from RMB300.  Hotels can vary from RMB600 to 3,600.   There are many foreign and local websites like www.myboracayguide.com which you can use to book your rooms. 

Eat

• Have your fill of fresh seafood.   Many restaurants offer seafood buffets, which includes meats and salads for no more than RMB200.  There will be the usual oysters and prawns but don’t miss bangus (milkfish) which is only found in the Philippines.
• Filipinos love barbecue and roasts everything from seafood to whole chickens to sausages.   These go best with green mangoes dipped in bagoong (shrimp paste) on the side.
• There are a few street hawkers licensed to sell street food in the evenings.  You’ll find squid, hotdogs and even chicken feet barbecued.  Try the sweet and spicy longganiza (sausage) sandwich which is perfect for a late-night craving. 
• Food from international cuisines from French crepes to Vietnamese phos to Korean bulgogis abound in the island.  If you want local food though, many restaurants serve Philippine favorites like tuna belly sinigang (sour soup), adobo, nilaga (beef broth) or kare-kare (stewed meat in peanut sauce).

Drink

• Shakes are perfect to quench your thirst while basking in the sun.   Mango shake is the most popular.  If you want something deliciously rich though, try the choco banana peanut butter shake at Jonah’s.
• You’re here on holidays and to lift your spirits.  Margaritas are perfect spirits during the day.  What’s more, if you negotiate with the bar, you can get Happy Hour prices all day.
• If you’re from a non-tropical place, sipping a Buko juice in its coconut shell would be refreshingly new.
• Immortalize yourself by taking the, “Still Standing at 15” challenge at Cocomangas.  Complete 15 shooters and earn these: a name in the hall of fame, a free t-shirt and a guaranteed hangover.

Do

• Wake up early – at this time, everyone else is nursing hangovers so you have the beach all to yourself.
• Watch the sunset – one of God’s greatest daily gifts can be enjoyed from practically anywhere along White Beach.
• Learn to scuba dive or at least, snorkel – there are diving schools everywhere operated by foreigners who now call the island home.  Find one in your own language.
• Do watersports – from jet skiing to banana boating to waterskiing to surfboarding, you can find them all here.
• Try paragliding for an amazing view of the sea high up in the air.
• Explore the island. Go boating to see unchartered territories for no more than about RMB300 per boat and have a seafood feast while at it.  By land, rent a motorbike and get a feel of the island from end to end.
• Have a henna or if you want something permanent, a tattoo.
• Have a massage on the beach (RMB50) or for something luxurious, let the Mandala or the Tirta Spa (RMB430 for a 1-hour treatment) pamper you
• Get your hair braided if you fancy the Jamaican island look.
• Have sunblock and water handy all the time and rehydrate both your skin and your body.   

Don’t

• Don’t leave your valuables unattended at any time.  If you’re thinking of taking a dip, leave your flip-flops (especially Havaiannas) where you can see them.  Best to leave them in you’re resort and tread bare feet.  You will love the powdery feel of the sand on your feet.  Another unique feature of the sand is, even at the sun’s strongest, it never heats up.
• Don’t take more than photos and memories away with you.  Leave the sand behind.  Imagine what will be left of the beach if each person brought home a jar of sand.  It will perish in a gazillion years.  But seriously, give it the due respect you give other marvelous places on earth.  You wouldn’t want an eternal curse from taking debris from the Great Wall or Angkor Wat, would you?

Shop

• If you’re coming from Beijing where your wardrobe may not consist of swimwear and beachwear, do your shopping at D’Market or D’Mall at Boracay where you can find beach paraphernalia from board shorts to shades to tanning lotions at very low prices.
• Beads of all sorts, from crystals to pearls to shells range from RMB5 to RMB1000.  Aside from being great souvenirs, you will find something that matches your eyes or your swimsuit.
• If you are thinking of food like dried mangoes, its best to buy them in Manila before your flight to Beijing.  That way, this excess baggage won’t need to go island hopping with you.

Fro-Yo aka Frozen Yoghurt

My brother have been posting about this fad that hit Manila and I was a bit skeptic as to how it would taste.  I’m no stranger to yoghurt as it’s one of the staple products in the supermarkets in Beijing.  However, I can’t imagine an ice cream like yoghurt that will satisfy my taste bud.

After watching a movie with my aunt’s family one Sunday afternoon, my cousin suggested having desserts as they were getting a bit hungry.  He mentioned about having fro-yo (frozen yoghurt) and it dawned on me that this was what my brother was saying.  So, I immediately said yes and went with him to Red Mango.

Red Mango is apparently from Korea.  Hmm.. how come I didn’t see this when I went there.  Anyway, they only have two flavored yoghurts, original and green tea.  As I’m not a fan of green tea, I just ordered the original one.  After choosing the flavor, you have the option to put toppings on your yoghurt.  You can choose from fruits, sauces, sprinkles, chocolate bits, crushed graham cookies.  I chose peach and mango.  My initial reaction is it’s similar to ice cream but sour and healthy.  (heh!)

My next taste of fro-yo is at Tutti Frutti with my brother and sister-in-law.  This fro-yo shop is a do it yourself shop.  The cost is 19 php per ounce.  The shop is divided into two sections: yoghurt machine and toppings.  You get a cup from the counter and choose from 8 flavors.  You draw the yoghurt by yourself so you can mix them if you want to try all flavors.  As I’m not that adventurous, I tried the original again.  I put some graham cookie powder and peach.  The outcome: it was sour and the taste wasn’t that great.  If I were to eat fro-yo, I’ll go to red mango.

Max Fried Chicken

I met with my cousin on a Saturday afternoon to give her the Starbucks tumblers, she ordered.  As we both haven’t had lunch yet, we ate at Max Fried Chicken.  Max Fried Chicken has a reputation of cooking up sarap to the bones chicken. 

We both ordered a quarter chicken and sinigang hipon.  The sinigang was ok though the prawn was a little bit too cooked already.  The quarter chicken was a disappointment, we both weren’t able to finish it.  I’m not sure what they did but I don’t think I’ll be missing this anymore.  For dessert, I ordered the pandan with coconut milk and sago.  It was ok, albeit a bit sweet.  It was just an ok meal nothing to fuss about.

Kebab Factory

After church, my aunt invited me for lunch as her reason, I’m not in Manila often enough.  We went to Kebab Factory as they haven’t tried it yet.  When I think about kebabs, they remind me of the lamb kebabs that I usually eat in Beijing.  I ordered the lamb kebab meal but the taste was bland.  I almost wasn’t able to finish it as I really didn’t like the taste.  It’s like fried longganisa but lamb meat. 

Lechon Kawali

As a post-birthday celebration, my cousin Kerry organized a night out with my cousins.   We ate at the Metropolitan Club and had bowling afterwards.  When we were young, we usually go to this clubhouse to eat lunch and swim.  I like their spanish chicken breast fillet and Filipino food.

Since Filipino food is something which I’ll miss, I ordered lechon kawali.  My sister and I shared it as it’s big enough with the help of Christopher.  Whee!  I really really liked it, it was crunchy enough to love the skin and they seasoned it that it wasn’t too salty.

Churros con Chocolate

When I think about this snack, I’m like Pavlov dogs who were conditioned to sallivate.  Hahaha!  The best place to eat this is Dulcinea.  Churros is basically fried dough dipped in Chocolate sauce. 

My friend said I look like I was in heaven when I ate it.  Heh!  I must be in heaven with the taste. 

Conclusion

It was a food trip that I really enjoyed.  I really enjoyed eating nothing Chinese and everything Filipino and other food.  Of course, the best thing about eating is sharing it with your loved ones and friends.  I really must do this once a year at least.  Next year, I’m pretty sure it will be different type of food.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to taste different flavors in my other travels.

In any case, when I came back from my Singapore food trip, my taste bud were quite satisfied with the number of dishes I’ve eaten in my home sweet home.

Vegan Meal

When I was young, I never was a fan of vegetables.  The only thing that I would eat are potatoes.  When I came to China to initially teach, I had to eat whatever is set on the table as I was normally invited by colleagues or students.  The variety of vegetables I eat grew.  Now, I don’t mind eating mushrooms, green leafy veggies, and eggplant.

I’ve never heard of the Corner Cafe at Jupiter street let alone what type of food do they serve.  So, when I went to this restaurant and saw that it was vegetarian restaurant, my stomach growled reminding me that I need meat.  Since my girl friends were late, I can’t back out and wait for them outside.  I ordered a ripe mango shake and look at the main courses that they offer.  No meat.. :(  

When they arrived, I split my order with my friend’s daughter for the Lasagna.  It was so good.  The mushroom and spinach were minced which gave it a similar texture as ground pork.  I was quite surprised on how it turned out.  For dessert, we all shared a slice of their chocolate cake.  Yummy!!!  I just can’t get enough.  There was a hint of mint inside that made me giddy.  I love mint!  To top it off, the cake is not fattening!!

Chicken Teriyaki with Mango Bits Pizza

For my birthday, I invited my aunt’s family for dinner at Greenbelt 5.  I’ve never been to this place as it was still being built last December.  My sister suggested John and Yoko which is one of the restaurants owned by actor Marvin Agustin.  The food is a fusion of Japanese, American, Spanish and Filipino.

They offered free hot tea which my aunt and uncle said was good as it tasted like strawberry.  As usual, I ordered my regular drink of Mango Shake.  hehehehe!   I just can’t get enough of this shake.

For our main course, we ordered steak, chicken teriyaki with mango bits pizza (recommended by cousin Kerry), tempura, paella, tuna sashimi, bacon and musrhoom roll, dragonboat sushi rolls and baked oyster.  Our bill came up to php 2700, which is not bad if I convert it to RMB.

Anyway, back to the food.  The tuna sashimi was a little bit disappointing.    It doesn’t taste fresh and the color was a bit off already.  It might have been frozen for a long time and was thawed quickly.  The bacon and mushroom roll was eaten by everyone so quick as there were only 6 rolls available.  The shrimp tempura was ok and not up to the standards with other Japanese restaurants.  Paella was good according to my cousin and they even finish the whole dish. 

Dragonboat sushi rolls has mango bits inside with salmon slices and mustard on top similar to california maki.  It wasn’t bad as it’s the norm to mix them.  Baked oyster was a little bit disappointing but I can’t argue that I love seafood!  The steak sauce was nice with a tinge of sweetness mixed in the thick sauce.  The steak was cooked to perfection which I like and soft. 

Last but not the least, chicken teriyaki with mango bits pizza.   Sounds weird right but it’s super duper fantastic!!!  The way the teriyaki sauce blended on the melted cheese, it was soooo good!  The dough is not your usual pizza dough but something like tortilla. 

If I were to go back to this place.. I’ll just order the pizza and the shake. 

Well… I’ll end it here for now .. too many food places I went to.  :)  I’ll tell you more next time.

In any case, there wasn’t that much to see in Singapore and my friends are all working so the only time I get to see them is either lunch or dinner.  There are so many food choices in Singapore and most people eat in food court type of places.   Almost all the malls I went to has Food Republic. (We also have that in Beijing but the one in Singapore is better!)

Here are some dishes that I’ve tried in my travel.  Don’t take my review seriously as what may not be fantastic to me might turn out to be your favorite.

Laksa

Laksa is a dish which originates in Malaysia.  I tried this dish upon the recommendation of my friend as one of the must eat dishes in Singapore.  Apparently there are two types of Laksa, Penang and Seafood.  I ate the seafood laksa at Killiney. 

Laksa is a noodle with coconut milk based soup.  It taste like curry without the spicy flavor.  I didn’t enjoy it that much as I had enough of coconut milk already.  The noodle is neither thick nor thin but a bit difficult to eat using a plastic type of chopsticks.  The soup was runny unlike the curry which is a little bit thick. 

If I were to eat this dish again, I’ll try the Penang one.  Apparently, the Penang is better than the Seafood I ordered.

Prawn Mee

This dish gained popularity in Singapore.  At Food Republic, a dish cost SGD5.0 and usually there’s a line on people ordering.  After my visit to Sentosa, I decided to check this dish out. 

I was a bit disappointed as it turns out it’s just semi-fried seafood noodle.  Hehehe.. I don’t know what I’m ordering but my friend said it’s quite good.  The noodle wasn’t soggy but with a plastic chopsticks, it’s hard to eat.  It’s like a dried version of the laksa I ate.  Hahaha!

Chili Crab & Cereal Prawn

On Tuesday, my friend invited me to eat at Jumbo Seafood Restaurant, Boat Quay branch.  Boat Quay is a stretch of restaurants along the riverbank.  It’s just a stone throw away from Clark Quay. 

One of the must try dishes is the Chili Crab.  It’s not really a spicy dish but fried crab swimming in mild chili sauce.  When they brought it out, I was a bit disappointed as I’m not really fond of eating crab swimming in sauce.  It tends to get messy.  The crab was cooked well and could stand alone without the sauce. 

My friend swore on the next dish.  She said it’s been proven a hit with all her guests.  The dish is cereal prawn.  You can order it with the shell or without the shell.  It’s deep fried prawn mixed in flour, egg and cereal crumbs.  If you want a twist to your prawns, use cereal crumbs rather than bread crumbs.  It’s FANTASTIC!!  If ever I’ll return to Singapore, that’s one dish that I wouldn’t mind eating again.

Pepper Lunch Salmon

On Wednesday, I met up with a former chat-mate at Bugis Junction for lunch.  We ended up at the food court area of that mall.  *sigh* I keep eating in the food court.  As we were scouting for places to seat, I noticed the Pepper Lunch Express stall. 

I’ve been hearing raves from my brother about his experience so I thought of trying it out.  I also preferred trying this as I’ve had enough of coconut milk based dishes.  The menu includes steak, salmon and chicken.  I ordered the salmon with rice and corn on the side.  It cost me SGD 9.40. 

When they served the dish in a hot plate, it was surrounded by paper on the sides so that you won’t get hit by the jumping oil.  We were advised to mixed it right away so that it won’t stick on the plate.  It was a different experience but the salmon was ok.  It was just like any other salmon.  I don’t know what the pepper lunch experience is supposed to be but I might have to try the steak to really experience it.  It was an ok lunch food though on the expensive side for the budget conscious.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

I don’t know why they claim this as one of the must try food in Singapore when it originates in Hainan, China.  At first, I was hesitant to try it as I’ve eaten this dish in China and it’s a Chinese dish.  Every time I go on a holiday, I tend to stay way from Chinese food. 

However, I was curious as to how it would taste.  Would it really differ from the ones in China?  On my last day, I had to go to KK Hospital to get the tax refund on the milk that my aunt asked me to bring back to Manila.  At the mall where I had to take the shuttle bus to the hospital, one store specializes in Hainan Chicken Rice.

The Hainanese Chicken Rice in Singapore comes in two types: Roasted and Steamed.  Roasted is not really roasted crispy type but the chicken is roasted then poured with sauce.  The steamed version is similar to the ones in China.

I ordered the roasted version as we don’t have it in Beijing.  It was just a simple food that has roast chicken with sauce, veggies and rice.  It doesn’t have the 3 different sauces that is served in Beijing.  I still like the Mainland China version better.  The Singapore version pales in comparison to the Mainland China version.

Conclusion:

There are a lot of food variety in Singapore.  It can range from the cheap to the expensive.  Best have a local to point you to the good places.  Food court type of food is not really the best ones.  I haven’t tried all the food that I’m supposed to eat but at the end of the day, it really is not to my taste.  The only food I enjoyed is cereal prawn. 

I think I’d prefer to eat Mcdonalds and KFC rather than the local dishes.  Oh well.. we can’t just go for those type of food all the time.  New country, new flavors.  We just have to find the one that suits our taste.

Dragonair is the sister airline of Cathay Pacific.  You can check-in online on Cathay Pacific’s website for your Dragonair flights and just pick-up your boarding pass at the airport.  In Beijing, the office of Dragonair is just across the hall of Cathay Pacific at LG Towers.  Dragonair flies regularly to major Chinese cities and to 25 other destinations across Asia.  The airline is part of the OneWorld Alliance, so you can use your frequent flyer card to credit your miles if you fly with their partner airlines.

Check-in:

As my recent flight home was an emergency, I wasn’t able to avail of their online check-in.  For travelers, if the airline has this option, I suggest you use it.  They have special lanes for you to check-in your luggage or get your boarding pass.

In any case, the terminal for Dragonair is Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3.  As I bought a Cathay Pacific ticket, I presumed that my check-in counter will be at the Cathay Pacific counter.  So I queued on the line for about 20 minutes and when I reached the counter, I was informed that I should check-in at the Dragonair counter as the flight will be operated by Dragonair.  It was so frustrating as nobody informed me beforehand.  There was no sign on the screen that they’re only checking-in such and such flights on those lanes.  Luckily, there weren’t that many people checking-in at the Dragonair counter so I was able to complete my check-in in 10 minutes.

Seating Arrangement:

Dragonair planes are usually Airbus 330-300 series.  That means, the seating arrangement in economy class is either the 2-4-2 or 3-3 seats.  

In-Flight Entertainment:

In Economy class, there’s a small screen every few rows for the passengers in-flight entertainment.  If you’re not familiar with where the screens are you would either squint to see the screen or won’t be able to watch it clearly as it’s overhead or right in front of you.  This happened to me in one of my flight, I was seated in the bulkhead seats and the screen in front of me was too near.  The glare from the sun outside made it harder to watch the movie they’re showing.  If you’re seated near the wings, it will be difficult to listen as the engine roars loudly.  You might also be unlucky with the headphones that they provide you.  Of the six times I’ve flown with them, I was lucky just once to get both earphones working.   I usually have one defective earphone even though they replaced it.

Food:

One of the things I like about this airline is the dessert!  They serve a cup of Haagen Dazs after your lunch or dinner.  I haven’t tried asking for another but I’ll do that and see if they will give me another one. 

In any case, on my recent trip back to Manila, the eggs were cooked to the way I like it but I didn’t try the sausage.  The bread was fresh for my flight to Hong Kong but was a bit hard on my flight back to Beijing.

There’s not much to rave about lunch and dinner but they usually provide a salad, main dish, bread and ice cream for dessert.  Tea, Soda, Water, Red & white wines are complimentary.  Prior to lunch and dinner, they also provide peanuts and drinks.

Service:

The flight attendants are quite pretty and always wear a bright smile.  They look professional in their outfit and makeup.  Their English are quite good and not irritating to the ears. 

In-Flight Magazines and Newspapers:

There’s usually a bunch of newspapers on a rack before you enter the aircraft.  You might as well get what you want to read as there’s none on the flight.   Besides the regular airline magazine and duty-free shopping magazine, most of the flight’s magazines are either golf, or business magazines which are mostly in Chinese.  Bummer!  I don’t mind looking at Chinese fashion magazines at least there are pictures to see the latest styles.  This one they need to improve on.  They should realize that not all passengers are Chinese.

Verdict:  3.5 out of 5 stars.   Need to put individual in-flight entertainment for flights more than 2 hours, more variety of magazines and working earphones.

Another reason why Chinese like to go to Hong Kong is the ease of travel.  Whether you’re on a budget or swimming in cash, there are several ways to reach Hong Kong from Beijing.  Let’s look at each option:

1. Plane (direct) – can be the cheapest or the costliest depending on the season.  It is also the fastest.  Flight time to Hong Kong is 3-1/2 to 4 hours.  There are several airlines servicing this route.  They are Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, Air China, China Southern and Hong Kong Airlines.

2. Plane + Train/Bus/Ferry – sometimes when the direct flight is expensive, some people have the option to fly to either Shenzhen or Guangzhou.  In Guangzhou, there’s a fast train that will bring you directly to Hung Hom Station.  You can also take a bus for 2 to 3 hours which will either drop you at HKG airport, Kowloon and Central.  In Shenzhen, you can opt for the ferry at Shekou airport which will ferry you directly to Central.  You can also take a bus or go to Lo Wu train station and go through border check and take the train to Tsim Sha Tsui East. (Lots of hassle!)

3. Train – the cheapest option for the budget travelers.  You do the border check and get on the train at Beijing West station.  The trip is roughly 24 hours so this will give you time to brood, mingle with other people, catch up with your reading or just plain being lazy.  The drop-off point will be Hung Hom Station in Hong Kong.  The train is better than the usual Chinese trains but have no recreation amenities on board.

Of all the options above, the one I’ve already tried is the first one.  I just don’t like to be hassled by option 2.  Option 3 is too slow for my taste and travelling alone won’t be really that fun.  My friend have already tried option 3 and she said it’s nice in the beginning but tends to get boring towards the latter part. 

Of the Airlines I’ve mentioned, I’ve only have the unfortunate pleasure of flying with DragonAir.  Even though I booked the flight on Cathay Pacific, most of their flights are operated by DragonAir.

Similar to the Real Deal, these are regular tickets with meals, 20 kgs luggage allowance, newspaper, no mileage accrual, inclusive of airport tax & fuel surcharges but exclusive of some government taxes and terminal fees.

The only downside to these tickets are they are non-reroutable, non-rebookable, non-refundable, minimum stay of 2 days, maximum stay of 8 days with limited seats only.  Some of them can only be purchased online.

Here are the prices of the tickets from the different Asian cities:

• Beijing or Shanghai – RMB 1,790
• Hong Kong – HKD 924
• Bangkok – THB 4180 (exclusive of terminal fees)
• Singapore – SGD 284
• Fukuoka, Narita or Nagoya – JPY 36,700
• Saigon – USD 198
• Jakarta – 188
• Taipei – TWD 2948

For more information, please check out their website at http://www.philippineairlines.com

I’m planning to do some shopping probably try some massage and maybe get a facial!  Koreans have pretty good skin.  Hmm.. maybe I should do some plastic surgery and end up being questioned by immigration when I return as I don’t look the same anymore.  Hahahaha!

Marco and I are still contemplating if we will be doing the Jewel in the Palace tour.  We’ll see.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we will enjoy it.  I exchanged some money yesterday and I’m not happy with it.  Their highest denomination is 10,000 won and 3,600 rmb is roughly 698000 won.  Doh!  that’s a thick wad of cash..

In any case, have a good Labor Day weekend everyone!  Cheers!

So.. before we take into consideration as to how many days.. we must consider what kind of trip would you like to have.   Do you want an amazing race adventure or a light and easy trip?   When you’ve decided if you want to kill or relax yourself, decide how many days would you like to stay in the city.  3, 4 or 5 days?

In any case, here’s a 3 day itinerary for you.  When I say 3 days, that’s 3 whole days so make the necessary adjustments.

Day 1   -    Wake up early in the morning and go to the nearest street corner to eat some “Jian Bing”.  That’s a Chinese pancake.   If that won’t wake you up, head to the nearest park and join the morning exercises of the old biddies.  For places to see, head to Temple of Heaven and start from the south gate.  Buy the all access pass for RMB 35.   Allot 2-3 hours there and exit the east gate for the subway line.  After lunch, hop on the subway and proceed to the Olympic Park.  The home of the 2008 Olympics, you’ll get a chance to see the Bird’s Nest, Water Cube, National Indoor Stadium and the NBC Tower.  You can check the inside of the Bird’s Nest for RMB 50.   Allot 2 hours there and be trigger happy especially on a clear, blue sky day.   Take the subway again and get off at Tuanjiehu station, eat some Peking Duck at Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant for dinner.

Day 2 - Rise and shine early in the morning and head to Qianmen Street to catch a tour bus to the Great Wall - Badaling section.  If you don’t want to mingle with the throng of people, hire a car for RMB 450 (2-4 ppl) or RMB 650 (6-8 ppl) and head to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall.   For car hires, you can contact our friendly local guy Mr. Wang Dong @ 13311332360.  Get your Chinese friend to tell him where you want to go and be dropped off.  You can also get Kung Fu and Acrobat show tickets from him at a discounted price.   Allot 3 hours @ Mutianyu wall.  I suggest take the cable car going up for RMB 40 plus entrance fee of RMB 35 then walk on the wall till you reach the toboggan area and toboggan down for RMB 40.  After your hike, grab some lunch at The Roadhouse at Mutianyu(大路馆儿).   In the afternoon, have yourself dropped off at the Summer Palace (颐和园). You can either grab the all access pass of RMB 60 or the regular entrance fee of RMB 30.  In any case, the must see places inside are Suzhou Street, Seventeen Arch Bridge, Tower of Buddhist Fragrance, East Gate and Marble Boat.  If you can do all of these in the whole afternoon, you’re a fast walker.   In the evening, grab some dumplings and fried rice at Din Tai Fung.

Day 3 - By now, you’re so tired after the gruelling day before.  Today, it will be filled with walking again!   Take the subway and get off at Tiananmen West.  Get some photo ops outside “The Egg” or the National Center of Performing Arts.   Afterwards, take a cab and get off at Jingshan Park.  Climb up the hill to get a bird’s eye view of the Forbidden City.  After getting a glimpse of what’s ahead of you, walk down and head towards the north gate of the Forbidden City.  Stroll around the home of the emperors (RMB 60) and check the clock museum (RMB10).  Audio guides are RMB 40 for a history of the place.  Exit the south gate and you’ll get the chance to see Tiananmen Square.  By the way, once you exit, have a photo of yourself with my man “Mao”.   Cross the street to reach Tiananmen Square and have a photo of yourself outside Mao’s maosoleum, Hall of the People and the Museum of National History.  Your day is not yet over as you take the subway to Hujialou Station to watch the 715pm Acrobat Show at Chaoyang Theatre.

Still up to it??  Just writing it makes me tired as that itinerary is really tiring.  You don’t even have time to shop and go out and enjoy the nightlife!  So.. better make it to 4 or 5 days.  If you have 4 days, your itinerary will be something like this.

• Day 1  -  Temple of Heaven and Olympic Park
• Day 2  -  Great Wall and shopping at Hongqiao Market or Yashow Market
• Day 3 -   Summer Palace and Acrobat Show
• Day 4 -   “The Egg”, Jingshan Park, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Qianmen Street

Still a bit tiring but it’s better than combining the Great Wall and Summer Palace in one day which will tire your legs out.   What are you waiting for?  Pack your bags and visit Beijing.  Don’t forget your visa as most countries are required to have one before arriving the airport.

If you want a 5 day itinerary or longer, let me know and I’ll make one up for you.  If you want any other information about Beijing, send me a note or write your comments.

Happy Travels!

There are several ways to reach this city, you can plane or train it from Beijing.  If you plan to fly, you have two airports to choose from: Hongqiao and Pudong.  These two airports are located at the opposite sides of the city.  Hongqiao is mainly domestic and is located west of the city.  Pudong airport which has two terminals serves mostly the international riding public is located east of the city.   To train it, there are two stations : Shanghai Main and Shanghai South.  To check the train schedule and prices, browse through my train guide here.  For flight information, you can try www.ctrip.com or www.elong.com.

Shanghai has a pretty good subway system almost similar to Paris.  Subway fare ranges from RMB 3-6 depending on the distance.  The maglev train or magnetic levitation train shuttles passengers heading to and from Pudong airport at a top speed of 431 km/hr.  Fare costs RMB 50 one-way or RMB 40 for passengers with flight tickets and RMB 80 for roundtrip.  Taxis flag down rate is RMB 11 between 6am to 11pm and RMB 14 between 11pm to 6am.

Top 5 sights:

1.  The Bund (外滩) - A stretch of road overlooking the Huangpu river which hosts buildings that were built in the early 1900s.  It’s pretty nice at night as they light up the stretch of building and gives you a good view of the Pearl TV Tower and the Lujiazui area buildings.  During daytime, if you can enter the buildings and get some stolen shots, make sure you go inside HSBC bank and look up.  However, when we went there, construction was ongoing on the street in front of the Bund.  Nearest subway stop is East Nanjing Road.

2.  Pearl TV Tower (东方明珠塔) - located at Pudong district and is the tallest tower in Asia.  It is 468m high and was completed in 1995.  It has 11 spheres big and small supported by three columns.  It hosts fifteen observatory levels, revolving restaurant, exhibition facilities, shopping mall and a 20 room hotel.  Nearest subway stop is Lujiazui.

3.  Xintiandi (新天地) - is an urban tourist attraction located south of Huaihai Middle Road.  It is divided into two blocks and the architecture reminds me of Europe.  The atmosphere here is relaxing and chic.  Alfresco dining is the norm even during the winter months.  This is a place to go if you want to forget yourself that you’re in China (hehehe!).  Nearest subway stop: South Huangpi Road (Huangpi Nan Lu).

4.  Yu Garden (豫园) - is located in Shanghai’s Old City and houses a market.  Every time I visit this place, it’s packed with people.  There are lots of shops everywhere from tea, food, clothes, souvenirs and jewelry.  The place screams old but painted new.  I didn’t get to enjoy it much due to the throng of people.  Probably in a good day, you will enjoy strolling from shop to shop and enjoy the scenery.

5.  Nanjing Road - it’s a long stretch of road filled with shops and restaurants.  It’s the pedestrian street of Shanghai where no cars are allowed.  If you plan to shop, better head there late in the morning or afternoon.  However, if you’re a tourist, best time to visit this place is at night when the lights are all aglow.  It’s quite near the Bund so you could do a day of both.

Other recommended places to go would be:

• Shanghai Aquarium - located beside the Pearl TV Tower is home to the longest tunnel travellator.  Ticket cost RMB 120 and it’s worth going to if you have kids or like sea animals.
• Urban Planning Museum - located at People’s Square gives you a minature version of Shanghai.  Locals say it’s quite a good museum but I haven’t been inside to comment.
• People’s Square - a smaller version of New York’s central park located at the heart of Huangpu District.  Underground is the main hub of the subway.

Food:

Shanghai is known for their Xiao Long Bao or steamed dumplings filled with soup.  The trick to eat this is either to let it cool a bit or bite a small piece of the bun, drink the soup and eat everything.  It’s a good takeaway food for those on the go.  I can’t point you to the best one but I enjoyed the one at Din Tai Fung.

I think two days is enough for this city for sightseeing.  Nightlife is quite good but the price is higher than Beijing.  Pictures to follow.  Happy travels!