Manila Bay’s picturesque sunset

After watching Ballet Philippine’s SWAN LAKE at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, I chose to eat dinner at a restaurant near the Manila Bay.

Lo and behold, the sun was playful and showed its glory in bright orange hues! I was simply in awe! This is God’s majestic creation and I’m so blessed that I was able to capture this special moment. ❤

“Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your  (God) wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, You inspire shouts of joy.”

– PSALM 65:8

Sunsets are proof that no matter what happens, every day can end beautifully. 

Sunset is a wonderful opportunity for us to appreciate all the great things the sun gives us!

When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the Creator. 

Genesis 1:14-15 New International Version (NIV)

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so.

Hope you enjoyed the beautiful sunset!

Have a blessed day everyone! 🙂

Hotel review: Diary of Taipei – Taipei Station Branch

Hello friends! I am back! Sorry it took so long. Anyway, check out my review and tell me what you think. Enjoy! 🙂

I was looking for a triple bedroom at agoda.com, and stumbled upon this hotel. First, I checked out the room photos and it looked nice. Second, I typed my preferred dates and it was available! Third, they had breakfast included in the triple bedroom.

The Introduction

The moment we entered the hotel lobby, Mandarin-speaking staff greeted us. I could only understand basic Mandarin so my friend helped me talk to the staff. I think some staff could understand Basic English too.

Check-in Time was around 3 in the afternoon but since we arrived way too early – at around 12noon, we left our luggage near the dining area (they will give you a small paper that you need to present in order to claim your luggage afterwards) and headed out for lunch (Din Tai Fung! Wait for my next review)

Nope, these luggages weren’t ours. HAHA.. hmmm, come to think of it, I wasn’t able to take a decent luggage photo. XD

The lobby was quite small but well lit and clean. It has a small circular cushion or sofa for 4-5 guests to sit on. It has two elevators on the right side of the hotel reception for easy access.

The Location

The hotel was just a 5-minute walk to Z10 MRT exit, though you still need to walk for around 15 minutes to reach the underground train station. No worries though, you can check out a lot of stores while walking underground.

Some stores around the hotel area: 7-Eleven convenient store, Starbucks

From Z6 MRT exit, you’ll find H&M, and near the area Mc Donalds and Uniqlo.

From M8 MRT exit, there’s TIM HO WAN (dimsum overload!) and Pablo’s Cheesecake (with no long lines!)

The Room

They gave us a quadruple room instead of a triple bedroom. So nice and generous of the hotel! J The room was small but very clean. It has a table near the door, a mini refrigerator, and a TV. I liked the ambiance and the lights were all working fine. Each queen size bed had four pillows each! So we had eight pillows in total! It was great! The pillows were fluffy and the bed was just right. We had a good night’s rest because of it. Except when your neighbors slam their door without holding the doorknob.

The Bathroom

The bathroom was small but the shower is oh-so powerful! I wished to have more time spent in the shower; it feels like I was being massaged at the back. Haha.

Bathroom amenities include hotel slippers, toothbrush and toothpaste, comb, cotton buds and floss, soap, cup, towels, and pumping shower gel and shampoo (which smells so nice!)

The Food

Breakfast was great! I love the food! They served a variety of food: bread, vegetables with meat, noodles, rice, hot porridge and condiments and my favorite SOUP haha. (check the photos)

 

SOUP!!! MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE, anytime anywhere! hahaha 🙂

 

 

 

 

Hot Porridge in the morning!!!! Mix it with pork yummy!!!! (see pic below)

 

 

CHECK THIS OUT: The hotel offers unlimited water, coffee, hot chocolate, soft drinks and apple juice! Plus eat-all-you-can bread. Hihi You’ll never go hungry here! J

UNLIMITED APPLE JUICE!!!! I WAS SO HAPPY!!! 🙂

AHHHH STRAWBERRY JAMS THAT I COULD BRING HOME TO MY DAD. hehe 😛

Overall rating: Super satisfied!!! Check in and check out time was fast and hassle-free! I will definitely come back and recommend this hotel to everyone! 🙂

Have you stayed or considered this hotel? Tell me more about it! 🙂

Restaurant review: The Equinox

Restaurant: The Equinox

Location: 2 Stamford Road | Level 70, Equinox Complex, Swissôtel The Stamford, Singapore 178882, Singapore

The scene

I love taking photos and told my friend that I wanted the best view of Singapore, so he booked us dinner for 2 here at The Equinox restaurant. This is a very classy place and the ambiance is just perfect – dim lights with candles on each table. It was also beautifully decorated and well-ventilated. The place is very cozy and comfortable too.

The service

When we arrived at the venue, we waited for the receptionist for about 4 minutes because she was entertaining some guests to their seats before us. My friend booked us window seats because that’s ultimately the best view ever! Oh, that’s an additional S$20 too!

Service was pretty good. The waitress was attentive and would frequently ask us if we still need anything. The servers would give us bread rolls while we waited for our meals. ( we were so FULL after the second meal ;D )

The food

Food was really great! I love everything about it! I could still remember telling my friend, “OMG, this is so good.” , “This is so delicious!” or “ The Black Truffle Butter is the best!!!”

Here’s what we ordered:

Appetizer:

Wagyu Tataki, Bonito Braised-Turnips, Grilled Leeks, Truffle Ponzu Scallop

Main Course:

Sea Bass, Cooked in Paper Bark, Saltbush Gremolata, Baby Vegetables

Seared Scallop, Mussel and Broad Beans Minestrone, Calamari, Chervil Oil

From The Grill:

Creekstone, Grain Fed Prime Angus, U.S.D.A 28 Day Aged – 225g Tenderloin

The Sauce:

Black Truffle Butter (THIS IS THE BEST. I highly recommend you try this)

The Side:

Steamed Broccolini with French Fries, Ginger, Garlic, Chilli

Drinks:

Sprite and Earl Grey tea

Do the math: Additional charges – Miscellaneous + 10% Service Charge + 7% GST

The price

Very expensive but so worth it! Go give it a try! *wink*

The dress code

Remember it’s a classy restaurant, so please wear semi-formal attire.

Overall rating: I give this restaurant a 10/10!

Given the chance, I would definitely go back here! This place has the best view of Singapore especially at night! You would see The Singapore Flyer, Marina Bay Sands, The Esplanade, etc in all their glory! Hahaha.

Of course, don’t forget to bring your trusty camera and take lots of great photos!

Nothing but great memories! 🙂

I can’t thank my friend enough for bringing me here! He made one of my dreams come true!

Thanks for reading my review!

Please visit and follow my Instagram @sarahmaytanhuanco

See you! ❤

Cherry blossoms

Lovely cherry blossoms in my recent travel to Hokkaido, Japan. 😍💕🌸 


They are just too beautiful 🌸😍 
All photos are mine. Check out my instagram @sarahmaytanhuanco 

Tangkuban Perahu Bandung,Indonesia

Welcome to Tangkuban Perahu!!!

Tangkuban Perahu is an active volcano, situated 30 km north of the city of Bandung the direction of Lembang. It is the only crater in Indonesia that you can drive up to its very rim. Mount Tangkuban Perahu has a distinctive shape, and looks like an “overturned boat”. The huge crater is an astonishing view and you can walk around and explore this for around two hours. Here you will be greeted by sulfur fumes which the crater continues to emit although the volcano is not active.
Like so many of Java’s unusual geographical features, there is an interesting legend behind this fascinating mountain as expressed in the local legend of Sangkuriang. Sangkuriang was a strong young man, who had been separated from his mother, Dayang Sumbi since childhood. Yet, through God’s he came to meet her again. On the way home, he stopped by a small village where he met and fell in love with a beautiful girl, without realizing that the girl he loved was in fact his own mother, Dayang Sumbi, who had remained youthful through the years.

When Dayang Sumbi discovered the terrible truth of her lover’s real identity, she was horrified and knew that she could never marry her own son. She, therefore, challenged him to build a dam and a huge boat during one single night before she would agree to marry him. Seeing that her son was about to complete this impossible wish, she called on God to bring up the sun early. With a wave of her magic shawl, Dayang Sumbi lit up the eastern horizon with flashes of light. Deceived by what looked like dawn, the cocks crowed and farmers rose for a new day.

When Sangkuriang realized that his endeavor was lost, in his rage he kicked the boat that he had built turning it upside down, which was transformed into Mount Tangkuban Perahu, the name that in the local Sundanese language translates roughly to “overturned boat”.

Tangkuban Perahu has definitely a significant role especially in the development of the surrounding Parahyangan (land of God) Highlands. Its eruption contributed immensely to the formation and fertility of the hills north of Bandung when through its flow of lava carrying large boulders into the valleys, these formed huge cliffs over which waterfalls leapt to form the lake that today covers the Bandung plain.

Located at the highland just at the outskirt of Bandung, Tangkuban Perahu Crater is surely a perfect place to enjoy cool air and relaxing sceneries after a series of shopping activities in some of the city’s factory outlets or the popular Pasar Baru Trade Center.

Reference: http://indonesia.travel/en/destination/392/marvel-at-tangkuban-perahu-s-volcanic-crater

Here’s my review on Tangkuban Perahu:

The Price

The locals have different entrance fee and it’s waaaay cheaper than the tourists’ fee. My friend told me that I should try to look like a local (I even practiced some Indonesian language) but the man at the entrance wanted to see my ID.. so yeah, I paid the tourist fee of : Rp 200,000 or $15 or P683. Hahaha! XD

The Scenery

I’ve been telling my local Indo-Chinese friend to bring me to Tangkuban Perahu and I’m glad we did paid a  visit. We visited on a weekday, so there was no traffic going up to Tangkuban. I love the sceneries and of course the cool weather up there! It’s been raining in Bandung for the past weeks, and I thank God He answered my prayer. It didn’t rain when I was there in Tangkuban Perahu!!! I was  able to see the beautiful crater and took lots of photos. The surrounding was just like Baguio, in the Philippines: cool weather, full of trees, and lots of sellers. Hahaha.

The People and Items

Deciding which souvenirs to buy. Hmmm…haggling nicely too! My charm worked! HAHA. 😛

We also went to the other side and a friendly seller (even if we didn’t buy anything from him) gamely took our photos! To thank him for his effort, I gave him Rp 20,000. Vendors will keep bugging you to buy their products, so be wise and try to haggle/ negotiate nicely. I was able to buy five (5) shirts. Strawberries, Hand crafted ball pens, figurines, caps, foldable batik bags (I bought four), keychains, necklaces, baby shirts can also be found there.

Recommendations:

• Try the fried tofu with sweet and spicy sauce. It’s so yummy!
• Visit on a weekday to avoid the traffic and the crowd.
• Bring umbrella because of the unpredictable weather.
• Wear rubber shoes for comfortable walking and climbing.
• Roam by yourself or with a local friend.

Thank you so much to my Indo-Chinese friends who brought me around Bandung Indonesia. I had so much fun! 🙂

Thanks for reading my review!:)

Please visit and follow my Instagram @sarahmaytanhuanco

Let’s exchange letters and postcards! Direct Message or Email me your complete name and address 🙂

It’s summer time!

Despite the scorching heat we have in the Philippines, these are some of the things to look forward to during summer time (other than swimming of course! 😊) : pretty and vibrant colored flowers and plants! 😍



What’s summer without yellow colored flowers? 🌼

There’s always a new beginning. Don’t lose hope. 😉



Santan flowers. These always brighten up gardens and even dull and boring walls. 👍

Big leaves that could be used as fans during the hot weather! 🌿

She has it all

She’s been there all the time. Her famous smile unwavering. Her stare, oh so captivating! Maybe you need to take a shot or two.. Or maybe more.. to show your everyone back home that you’ve seen the most visited, most parodied work of art, and most talked about painting in The Louvre. You put up your camera and started to shoot. (heads of other tourists pops into view) Uhh excuse me, I need to get closer. No flash please!

Ah yes! That’s Mona Lisa, the half-painted portrait of a woman by non other than Leonardo da Vinci, the Italian artist. Bravo Maestro! 🙌

I was blessed to be able to visit the majestic Louvre in Paris and of course, Mona Lisa was on my itinerary! 

Selfie with Mona Lisa. Perfect shot. No one beside me. No hands, head or any other body part of tourists in this photo. Hahaha. Successful selfie indeed.  

Compared to other huge paintings inside the Louvre, Mona Lisa’s portrait was just small and of course, heavily guarded… You have been warned. 

Anyway, very interesting portrait. Had a wonderful experience too!💁

Roman Forum, Roma

I just love Rome and its beautiful ruins! So this is what it feels like in the ancient Roman times haha. These are ruins of several important government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. The Forum Magnum or simply called the Forum has been the most celebrated meeting place in the world, in all history. It has been the site of processions, trials, gladiator fights, and venue for public speeches. Simply majestic!!! 😍🏰

Edit

Disney’s Elsa

“Wanted by many, taken by none, talking to some, just waiting for one.“

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

新年快乐！ 恭喜发财！ 全家安康！ 万事如意！

Wishing everyone a prosperous new year!

More success, happiness and love! ❤️❤️❤️

Photo by: Sarah May Tanhuanco

Instagram @sarahmaytanhuanco