Travel Jams

I know, I know. I said before that Hong Kong isn't exactly at the top of my places-to-visit list. Maybe it's because it is too popular that I think it could be a little overrated. I never understood why many tourists keep coming back to Hong Kong... until I spent 5 days there. Hong Kong might be small in area, but you could easily spend 5 days and still feel there's a whole lot more to experience! It has an unexplainable charm, and it's not easy to not love it. I seriously contemplated to live in Hong Kong for maybe a couple of months. And I know I'd love to live in Stanley.


Stanley is a town located on a peninsula on Hong Kong Island. It's a charming place away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Although it is a popular tourist destination, it has a kind of 'chill' vibe, perfect for a relaxing staycation.
Email: info@ministudiohk.com 

It is no secret that space is a luxury in Hong Kong. Rental rates are so high, it makes you wonder how start-up businesses survive. One thing I found out during our recent trip to the city is that while space is typically expensive, there are buildings like SOLO that focuses on helping out local entrepreneurs. We visited SOLO in Causeway Bay and found quite a number of local businesses housed in a prime location in the shopping district. The units are approximately 3-4 sqm in area, but with smart use of space, this is enough for an office or mini-showroom.

At the ground floor (near the lift), there's a spot with brochures from the different shops. It serves as a directory as well of all the businesses in the building. We had a chance to visit a couple of shops.

Constance showing us one a bag designed by a creative local.

We met Constance, an expat who is a graphic designer by profession and a business owner by passion. She runs Amazing Creative Boutique, an e-commerce site selling items made by local designers who usually sells at bazaars. The shop, she says, serves as an office and a mini-warehouse, especially when there are no bazaars in the area.



There are bags, accessories, bookmarks, and other creative items for sale.



We also visited Echoes on Earth. It is a lifestyle and fair trade store. The shop promotes fair trade as it supports underprivileged producers, pays fair price to producers, and more importantly, respects people and nature.



They sell a variety of products -- from organic teas, coffee beans, aroma oils, rice and herbs to hand-made accessories and decors. It is a very lovely shop, I tell you.

Other shops at SOLO Radio City

There are many other shops in SOLO. There are make-up and nail art shops, camera stores, gadget stores, and others that sell fashion items.

For my next visit in Hong Kong, I think I'll drop by here:

---

About SOLO

SOLO offers a quick start-up and cost-effective office and shop spaces located at prime locations. They have stylish renovated and facilitated office/workshop with broadband Internet access and professional security system. Entrepreneurs can simply move in, plug in and start growing their business immediately.
More info here: http://www.solohk.com/

Hong Kong is almost synonymous to 'shopping'. A visit in this vibrant city is never complete without shopping. If you want to shop like a local, you must never miss going to Dragon Centre. It is a 9-storey shopping center in Sham Shui Po, Kowloon.


Here's a quick snippet of what's inside this mall:



The most notable feature of this mall is the skylight. Sunlight shines through to the first floor. There's also an indoor roller coaster that hangs from the roof, which unfortunately has stopped operations in mid-2000s.

How to get there:

LOCATION 

LOBBY / COMMON AREA

TIP: There's a vending machine that sells food, drinks, hygiene care kits, and even adapters.

Computers are free to use.

The bathroom as viewed from the bed. That's Xy-Za studying the shower area.

TIP: If you're on the conservative side and uncomfortable of being exposed while taking a shower, turn on the hot shower a couple of minutes before you take a bath. It will fog up the bathroom walls. Of course, don't forget to give a heads up to your companion that you will be taking a nice hot shower just to be sure they won't look. :) 

The bed, pillows, and duvet are unbelievably comfortable! It's seriously a battle to get up early to go around Hong Kong. Bonus points for the daily housekeeping services, making sure everything is fresh and clean when you come home from a busy day of adventures.
There is no wardrobe / closet for clothes so you would have to make use of the space under the bed for your luggage. There's also a safe under the bed for your valuables.

TOILETRIES 

STAFF

PRICE

WiFi

Pros:

• Convenient location; within walking distance to shopping destinations, tourist attractions, and MTR station
• affordable
• online booking available
• with hot and cold shower
• with air humidifier, hairdryer, and electric kettle.
• provides basic supplies, including toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, soap, and disposable cups for your coffee/tea fix
• 24/7 offers bookings for tours around Hong Kong. We bought our Disneyland tickets there. :)

Cons:

• Limited space
• No wardrobe or closet for clothes
• Glass bathroom walls! (sorry, just had to add that to the cons! haha!)

BOTTOM LINE: 

Contact Details:

"Let's go to Hong Kong!"

It wasn't really on top of our bucket list, but hey, it's Hong Kong - a popular travel destination in the Asian region. So when there was a seat sale, we just booked our flights without overthinking anything.

In March, we purchased Cebu Pacific tickets to Hong Kong (thank you, seat sale!). Admittedly though, it was a little less than a week before our flight earlier this month when we sort of finalized our plans. And by "sort of finalize," I mean booking our return flights, arranging our accommodations, and drafting our itinerary. I travelled with my travel blogger friends (the ladies behind Pinay Travelista and The Purple Slippers) and I'm putting our little secret out there: We crammed in planning this trip maybe in a futile attempt at YOLOing.  Ha!

Travel Notes:

---

About S&R:  S&R CDO is a membership shopping club modeled after the warehouse membership shopping chains in the United States. It is conveniently located along CDO-Iligan Road, in Brgy Kauswagan. More details about it HERE.

• Facebook Page
• Twitter: @snr_official
• Instagram: @snr_official
• Website: www.snrshopping.com

Other Locations
BGC • Congressional • Alabang • Aseana • Shaw • Imus • Pampanga • Cebu • Davao • Imus • Nuvali

Rich Manor Pension House is a budget-friendly accommodation option located right at the heart of Cagayan de Oro City. We recently checked in for an overnight stay here last month. We chose this hotel because of affordability and proximity to malls and other key city destinations. Here's my full review of Rich Manor:

LOCATION 

Conveniently located along Corrales Avenue, it is a stone's throw away from Ayala Centrio Mall and Gaisano City Mall. It is also close to Northern Mindanao Medical Center and Xavier University as well. It is within walking distance to many restaurants, including Boy Zugba and Big Flat Bread.

ROOM

TOILETRIES

They offer limited basic toiletries (toilet paper, soap, shampoo). We had to call reception to request for towel and rug for the bathroom. In fairness, the towel was freshly pressed when they delivered it to the room.

STAFF

Generally courteous, although I had to call reception 4 times before they picked up.

PRICE

Room rates are cheap in Rich Manor. If price is your primary basis for choosing a hotel, considering its strategic location, this hotel is quite a deal.

WiFi

There is slow WiFi connection in room.

Important Note

This hotel has no elevator. TIP for visitors, ask for rooms within the first two floors for your convenience.

Pros:

• Convenient location; within 10-min walk to Centrio Mall; easy access to school (Xavier University) and hospital
• affordable
• accepts credit card payments (Visa and Mastercard)
• with hot and cold shower
• generally quiet, although it is close to a busy street
• provides basic amenities
• offers pickup for airport shuttle

Cons:

• Slow WiFi connection in rooms
• No food in cafe when we ordered lunch.
• Poor service
• Musty odor in bathroom
• No elevator

More TripAdvisor reviews on Rich Manor Pension House here.

BOTTOM LINE: 

If location and affordability are your key bases for choosing a hotel, Rich Manor Pension House is your best bet. However, you must lower your expectation. As they say, you get what you pay for. :)

PROMO: 

• Single Standard: Php 498 (~10.56 USD)
• Single Suite: Php 598 (~12.68 USD)
• Matrimonial Standard: Php 699 (~14.82 USD)
• Matrimonial Suite: PhP 820 (~17.39 USD)
• Twin Standard: Php 820 (~17.39 USD)
• Twin Deck: Php 995 (~21.10 USD)
• Matrimonial Deck: Php 995 (~21.10 USD)

Contact Details:

Rich Manor Pension House
Address:  Cor. Ebarle Sts.-Corrales Avenue, 9000 Cagayan de Oro City
Phone: (088) 880 0986
Email: reservations@richmanorpensionhouse.com
Website: http://www.richmanorpensionhouse.com
Facebook Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/richmanorpensionhouse 

Travel light. This is perhaps the most obvious, yet elusive travel tip of all. Especially for the ladies, we have kikay kits and toiletry bags to think about. We shouldn't have to sacrifice our hygiene and beauty routine even when carry-on space is tight, so we make it our life mission to find the right products to bring to ensure staying fresh on our next getaway.