Zpan Teppanyaki - Tagaytay

Japan is closer than you think? Well, food that is! Zpan Teppanyaki is a newly opened Izakaya 居酒屋 style restaurant in Tagaytay.

An izakaya is a type of Japanese drinking establishment. The food is usually more important than in other types of drinking establishments in Japan such as bars and snack bars. They are popular, casual and relatively cheap. The name izakaya is a compound word consisting of “ i” (to stay) and “sakaya” (sake shop). 

Source: http://www.nicjapanese.com/english/e-cul-izakaya.html

Source: Zpan Teppanyaki Facebook Page

I had a photo shoot in the morning and decided to meet up with friends nearby. Before driving back to Manila, they told us to drop by at Zpan to have dinner. WE WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED. If you've been to Japan and misses the food or been wanting to try authentic Japanese food, this place is highly recommend.

The owner is a Japanese National who decided to put up a business in the Philippines. If my memory serves me right, they just opened last August. The Chef is really nice and can speak fluent Filipino too. --- No need to worry about digging up your anime for Japanese references lol

How's my food? AWESOME! I had okonomiyaki お好み焼き and onigiri お結び. While hubby had ramen ラーメン and yakitori 焼き鳥.

Value for money? YES! No need to bleed your pockets to oblivion. Just like their tagline  "Experience and taste Japanese Cuisine at Affordable prices!"

Address:
Unit C-312 Prime Residences City Land, 4120 Tagaytay City, Philippines

Hours:
Mon:             11:00 am - 8:00 pm
Wed-Thu:     11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Fri:                     11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Sat-Sun:                8:00 am - 11:00 pm

Contact Number:
(046) 423 2631

Official Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/zpanteppanyaki/

Will definitely be back!  (★^O^★)

Read More

Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island, Cebu September 2016 (Part 3)

• Day 4 Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island

Today is Camp Sawi day! 

Headed to Kota Beach Resort, still in Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island where they shot the film Camp Sawi. I personally haven't watched the said movie but I was curious if they still have the arc. I tried to look for it but the management said they put it down already.

I wish they didn't. You know, marketing.

The beachfront is perfect for getting tanned. The sand is white but looks darker in the photo because it rained the night before. Locals said that it had been raining in the evening til early morning for quite some time.

But breakfast onward, it's a perfect day for the BEACH!

Nothing really special today. We originally wanted to rent a bike (150 php) for the whole day and go around island. But the care taker was nowhere near. Then we thought of renting a motorbike (500 php - whole day) but they were all rented out.

So we just decided to chill and prepare for our flight back to Cebu City the following.

• Day 5 Cebu City

Hard to eat breakfast because we had to leave the Island in a few hours. We took the 11:30 AM ferry schedule (Island Shipping Corporation) and arrived at Hagnaya Port just in time for the Ceres Bus 1:00 PM departure.

We asked the driver what is the nearest landmark if we are to head to Mactan Airport. He and the conductor were nice enough to help us and dropped us off at Pacific Mall. This place has a lot of taxi and other public transportation, so no need to wait for Grab and Uber.

But if you are unfamiliar of the place and just want to be sure, go ahead, like we did. Uber fare from pacific Mall to DEE Guesthouse is only 150 php.

A night is only 900 php!

DEE Guesthouse is owned by a Japanese National and his wife. I highly recommend this place for travelers. Clean, safe, smells oh so good, 15 mins from the airport and the owners are so accommodating! VALUE FOR MONEY.

Also, don't forget to eat at Zubuchon at the airport before flying. Until next time Cebu!

Read More

Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island, Cebu September 2016 (Part 2)

• Day 3 Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island

Woke up very early to catch the sunrise. We do not have anything for today so we thought of taking an island hop tour of our resort, Amihan Beach Cabana offers.

Official Website: http://amihan-beach.com/
Email: info@amihan-beach.com
Facebook: facebook.com/AmihanBeach
Google+: google+/AmihanBeach

You guys, this place is AWESOME! --- My hubby enjoying life, btw.

(Woke up very early but decided to take a shower and I was 15 mins late booo!)

Island hopping tour cost us 1,800 php for us (2) two for 5 destinations. Which is affordable for a private tour with lunch, right? Also, bring cash for the entrance fees. Below are some of the damages.

• Paradise Beach (50 php)
• Ogtong Cave (100 php)
• Virgin Island (500 php for the first two pax) --- additional of 100php in excess per head
• Virgin Island Cottages (300 php for a table good for 4-6 pax)
• Nature Park (100 php) 

I highly suggest you bring lots of water. If you forgot to do so, be ready to shell out 60 php per bottle at Virgin Island, wherein most probably you will have your lunch.

Here are just some of the photos that I took today. Enjoy!
(Un-retouched, no enhancement, no filters, just watermark)

Paradise Beach - rained the night before so the care taker was busy cleaning the shore for the seaweeds. This place is perfect for marriage proposals and mermaids!

Ogtong Cave - fresh water, I literally wanted to stay for the entire day. Next time when I come back, I'll stay here lol

Virgin Island - where we had our lunch. This place is gorgeous! I can picture myself getting married again here with my hubby. They have snorkeling area, enough number of life guards, resto bar, shops and the likes.

Nature Park - their pool is on the cliff! Non-swimmers, the pool is deep. I think the shallow part is 6ft and it gets deeper the nearer you are to the cliff. But for kids, they have a kiddie pool just beside this.

And this is a big humpback whale at the snorkeling area lol

I will post my time lapse tomorrow and also the continuation of this blog post. Stay tuned gorgeous people.

Read More

Larsian - Cebu's BBQ Haven

Time to get our tummy filled with what Cebu has to offer. I'm pretty much excited to show my hubby why Cebu is food haven for me.

Location: Fuente Osmena, Cebu City

Travel time from hotel via M. J. Cuenco Ave and Gen Maxilom Ave: 8 mins (if without traffic)

We spent roughly 500 php on food because who doesn't?!

• 10 pieces puso, 
• 1 grilled pusit, 
• 2 chicken isaw, 
• 2 gizzard, 
• 2 chicken skin, 
• 2 chorizo, 
• 2 pork bbq, 
• 2 pork liver, 
• 1 chicken bbq (thigh) and 
• 5 bottles of soda what is diet?

The place is open from 2:00 PM until 3:00 AM everyday. So if your flight is in the evening, no need to worry for a place to eat when you get to Cebu.

Hungry now?

Read More

Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island, Cebu September 2016

Everyone's going South but if you would like to chill and get away from the busy city without having to jump from cliff to cliff, the North side of Cebu is for you.

Bantayan Island is an island located in the Visayan Sea, Philippines. It is situated to the west of the northern end of Cebu island, across the Tañon Strait.

The island is administratively divided into three municipalities:

• Bantayan (the largest municipality, covering the central part)
• Madridejos (covering the northern portion)
• Santa Fe (covering the eastern portion)
  

For more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bantayan_Island

Here's our whole Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island itinerary and breakdown of expenses for those who wish to see paradise.

• Airfare via AirAsia total cost for (2) two pax: 1,911.24 PHP (Round trip + Inclusive of Tax)

I booked our tickets (hubby and I) last November 2015 during the piso fare. It was the service charge that took the big chunk of the amount; but for a round trip ticket for 2 people, it really is not bad.

I suggest you grab the opportunity when they announce seat sales and get those fingers clicking.

• Day 1 Flight from Manila to Cebu 

1 night hotel for 2 pax: 1,088.83 PHP (Inclusive of Tax)

We arrived at Cebu past 7:00 PM and took a cab going to Cebu Budget Hotel where we stayed for just a couple of hours. I booked it via Agoda and even earned AirAsia BIG points! If you are not choosy and you wish to be near the north terminal, I would recommend this budget hotel.

Travel time via Central Nautical Highway: 22 mins from the airport (if without traffic)

After resting for a bit, we decided to get dinner at Cebu's food heaven --- Larsian BBQ. The place is open from 2:00 PM until 3:00 AM everyday. 

Location: Fuente Osmena, Cebu City

Travel time from hotel via M. J. Cuenco Ave and Gen Maxilom Ave: 8 mins (if without traffic)

We spent roughly 500 php on food because who doesn't?! 10 pieces puso, 1 grilled pusit, 2 chicken isaw, 2 gizzard, 2 chicken skin, 2 chorizo, 2 pork bbq, 2 pork liver, 1 chicken bbq (thigh), and 5 bottles of soda what is diet?

Local fares:

550 php   Cebu-Mactan Int'l Airport to Hotel
  68 php   Hotel to Larsian (via Uber)
  70 php   Larsian to Hotel (via Uber)
  60 php   Hotel to North Terminal
200 php   N.Terminal to Hagnaya Port (vice versa)
170 php   Hagnaya Port to Sta. Fe Port (vice versa)

• Day 2 Cebu City to Sta. Fe

We were supposed to buy tickets after pigging out at Larsian, but the Uber driver who is a local from the northern part of Cebu told us that we don't need to buy in advance. It's only advisable to do so during summer and holy week for obvious reasons. 

Left the hotel at 2:30 AM to catch the 3:00 AM bus going to Hagnaya Port.
Travel time from hotel via Central Nautical Highway: 5 mins (if without traffic)
Travel time from N. Terminal to Hagnaya Port via Central Nautical Highway: 3 hrs (if without traffic)

Luckily, the bus goes straight to Sta. Fe Port, that means we do not have to take our luggage with us. We bought our ticket at Hagnaya Port and waited for us and our bus to board. Also, there's a 10 php terminal fee that you need to pay too. I'm not really sure about our travel time but it is between 60-75 mins. I was busy enjoying the view and listening to water.

For the updated Bus and Ferry schedule: Click HERE

Once we settled in the hotel, first thing's first ---Emails and conference calls. It is Monday after-all and business runs 24/7. 

Check us out at: http://www.citrus.ph/


So ~ about dinner, from our resort, MJ Square is just few steps away. It's so close I did not break a sweat lol. Taste, price, place and the staff is superb! The place has a lot of restaurants but the biggest one is Chef Panyang that serves almost about anything. Within the place, there's a mini grocery store too. I say, MJ Square is like a one-stop-place.

Please check the part 2 of my blog tomorrow!

Read More

North Cebu Bus Schedule as of September 2016

Traveling to the Northern part of Cebu?
My hubby and I just traveled to Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island from Cebu City.

Breakdown of Expenses:

200 php North Terminal to Hagnaya Port
170 php Hagnaya Port to Sta. Fe Port
  10 php Terminal Fee at Hagnaya Port

Left the hotel at 2:30 AM to catch the 3:00 AM bus going to Hagnaya Port.
Travel time from N. Terminal to Hagnaya Port via Central Nautical Highway: 3-4 hrs (if without traffic)


Photo below is the updated North Terminal Bus Schedule (Ceres Bus) and Ferry Schedule as of September 19, 2016.

 

Luckily, the bus goes straight to Sta. Fe Port, that means we do not have to take our luggage with us. We bought our ticket at Hagnaya Port and waited for us and our bus to board. Also, there's a 10 php terminal fee that you need to pay. I'm not really sure about our travel time but it is between 60-75 mins. I was busy enjoying the view and listening to the water.

For those who are afraid to travel by boat, this Ferry is big enough to make you feel safe during the entire trip.

Shout out to my friend, Cat who left me with lots of hematoma during our speed boat trip at Boracay.

Should there be changes during our next visit, I'll let you guys know.

Read More

UBE Express Premium Airport Bus Service

The DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION and its attached agency, LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING and REGULATORY BOARD has initiated the Airport Bus Service project with the goal of augmenting the current public transport services in our three (3) airport terminals in Metro Manila. This is the direct response to the public clamor for more efficient hassle free and commuter-friendly transport services option for those going to and from the three (3) airport terminals specially now with increasing number of passengers being experience every year.

How much will it cost?

A rate fixed by LTFRB in the amount of Three Hundred Pesos Only (P 300.00) per passenger, which will be paid by the passenger to the bus sales officer at the Premium Bus Service kiosk at the airport.

What are the hours of the airport service?

The airport provides premium bus service at the 3 Terminals of the Manila International Airport. The service of these buses from 7:00AM to 11:00PM.

Where do Premium Airport Bus Service drop off people?

The PABS drop off people to and from Manila International Airport at the ff:
For now, they have assigned booking agents at the NAIA Terminals and drop off points. Soon they'll have an online booking.

Roxas Boulevard 

• Midas Hotel 
• Hotel Jen
• Manila Hotel
• Mall of Asia
• Entertainment City (formerly Bagong Nayong Pilipino)

Makati City

• Glorietta 4 
• Glorietta 5
• Ascott Hotel In G4

Contact Information

UBE Express Inc.3F Cargohaus Building Brgy. Vitalez NAIA Complex, Parañaque
3:00 AM – 12:00 AM Mon-Sun:
+63 879-4497

Let us know what you think!

Read more: http://www.ubeexpress.com/faqs/

Read More

How to rack up points on AirAsia - Part 2

About AirAsia

Asia's leading airline was established with the dream of making flying possible for everyone. With a route network that spans through to over 20 countries, AirAsia continues to pave the way for low-cost aviation through innovative solutions, efficient processes and a passionate approach to business.

AirAsia BIG Loyalty Programme is the exclusive loyalty programme for AirAsia.

How to Earn:

1. Sign up as our AirAsia BIG member at www.airasiabig.com

2. AirAsia BIG member must ensure to provide AirAsia BIG member ID at time of booking.

3. AirAsia BIG Points will only be credited 5 days after the departure date.

Full flight redemption Terms and Conditions: http://www.airasiabig.com/id/en/assets/pdf/tnc-airasia-flight-redemption.pdf

Moving forward, let's see more ways how to gain more BIG points.

• PointsMAX booking on Agoda

To enjoy the benefit of the AirAsia BIG Points award, AirAsia BIG Members of the AirAsia BIG Loyalty Programme (the “Members”) must make booking via the dedicated landing page at www.agoda.com/airasiabig and book a PointsMAX package offer including AirAsia BIG Points.

For more info: http://www.agoda.com/airasiabig

• Booking.com points

AirAsia BIG members are eligible to earn AirAsia BIG Points for each completed hotel stay booked through www.booking.com/airasiabig

Payment made in any foreign currency will be converted into USD on a rate solely determined by Booking.com, and AirAsia BIG Points will be awarded based on the USD value.

AirAsia BIG member ID must be entered at the time of hotel booking to earn AirAsia BIG Points. The name on the hotel reservation must match the name of AirAsia BIG member ID.

AirAsia BIG Points will be credited to the members within 4-8 weeks after the completion of the stay. In the event a booking is cancelled, the points will not be awarded.

Offer is valid until 30 April, 2017.

For more info: www.booking.com/airasiabig

• Magzter.com

The award of BIG Points will be credited to the Participant’s BIG Shot account within Thirty (30) days (or any other period as the Organizers deem necessary) of the Successful Purchase subject to the Organizers receiving all necessary information as deemed necessary.

For more info: http://www.magzter.com/

Read More

How to rack up points on AirAsia

It's Seat Sale on AirAsia!

But but --- only for those who registered for BIG Loyalty programme. You hurriedly check the website only to find out that you are only a member of AirAsia and not the loyalty programme. SMF!

What is the difference of AirAsia membership and BIG?

As a frequent flyer program, AirAsia has a program called BIG Loyalty. By becoming a member, you earn “BIG Points” when you spend on AirAsia and its affiliated brands and products. You will be able to redeem free flight tickets with your “BIG Points” while enjoying the free processing fee if payment is made with you Big Visa Card.

Read more: http://www.airasiabig.com/id/en/?page=whyjoin

Now, you know the perks and already signed up, how would you rack it up? Well booking for a flight is one, but is there anything else?

• GLOBE Postpaid Plan Holders

Check your globe points first. Key in *143# and press call. Look for Globe rewards/points and you'll be ok from there.

If you have at least 100 points, you can convert that to BIG points. 

Text 4438: REDEEM<space>ITEM CODE<space>10-DIGIT BIG MEMBER ID to 4438. 

Example: REDEEM BIG300 1234567890.

Read more: http://www.globe.com.ph/rewards

• BPI Express Credit Card Holders

Redeemed AirAsia BIG Points will be credited to the specified AirAsia BIG member ID within (15) banking days from receipt of valid request.

Read  more:  http://www.bpicards.com and www.airasiabig.com 

• Petron Value Card Holders

1. Conversion starts at a minimum of 200 Peso Points. Rounding-off Miles to whole no. will be allowed.
2. Petron Value Card holders may transfer AirAsia BIG Points to another AirAsia BIG account.
3. Cardholders should allow seven (7) working days from receipt of their request for the transfer (AirAsia BIG Points) to be credited to their AirAsia BIG account.

Read more: http://www.petron.com/web/

Read More