Hotel Chancellor @ Orchard

Hotel Chancellor @ Orchard
28 Cavenagh Road/Orchard Road,
Orchard 229635 Singapore

We stayed at Hotel Chancellor @ Orchard. The hotel lobby wasn't anything to sing praises about. It was drab. But then we weren't there to hang out at the lobby, were we? We were there to sleep and relax after a long day of walking.

The Deluxe Twin Room had a TV, desk, chair, cabinet with a full-length mirror, small safe, iron, ironing board, small refrigerator, mugs, coffee, tea, and a hot and cold water dispenser for drinking. There were power outlets near the bed and near the desk. Towels, slippers, bathrobe, hair dryer, toiletries (shampoo, bath gel, toothbrush, soap), comb, and shower cap were provided.

Because I always bring a water bottle with me whenever I go out, the water dispenser in the room was the highlight for me. Haha!

Forgot to take photos of the room. Photos grabbed from booking.com

Oh, the hotel had a rooftop pool, but I did not get to visit or use it.

My sister chose this hotel for its location. Orchard Road had many malls and restaurants, and the hotel was near a subway station that had direct access to the airport. Just a few steps away was Tai Heng Teo Chew Porridge, an eatery that was open 24/7 and served local food other than porridge. Also nearby was an Indian eatery that was pretty good.

If you have been to Singapore, you know Orchard is an expensive area: we spent Php 30866 for a Deluxe Twin Room for five nights. That's Php 6,173 per night and that does not include breakfast. In Singapore, I became singapoor.

Some Useful Information Before Traveling to Singapore

Most countries nowadays have done away with paper arrival cards. For Singapore, you are required to fill out the ICA | SG Arrival Card within three days before arriving in the country. Immigration Clearance is also automated: all done through a machine (just scan your passport and biometrics).

The languages that are widely used in Singapore are English (or Singlish, if you will), Mandarin Chinese, and Malay. Though many of those I interacted with spoke Singlish, there were times when the accent threw me off...especially the older ones. And they would get annoyed that I could not understand them.

To purchase anything in Singapore, you will need Singapore dollars (SGD). At the time of our visit (September 2025), one Singapore dollar was equivalent to 44.80 Philippines pesos. You don't need to bring a lot of cash; you can pay with a credit card almost anywhere (except maybe in hawker centers). Some places don't even accept cash, like HyperDrive Karting in Sentosa Island. If you are from the Philippines and have a GCash card, use it! GCash currency exchange rates are quite low!

The MRT and Bus system in Singapore is extensive and easy to understand. The minimum fare is 1.19 SGD. You can pay for your fare using a credit card. If you'd rather not use a credit card, you can purchase an EZ-Link Card (transportation card) at any of the MRT stations. The EZ-Link Card will cost 10 SGD, which already includes 5 SGD worth of credits. The card can also be used in 7Eleven stores and vending machines. It can be topped up using cash or credit card at machines at the MRT station. For cash, you need to have the exact amount: the machine does not dispense change.

Singapore uses Type G power outlets. Most of the outlets in our hotel room was Type G, but there was one Type C, and a USB outlet. If you forget to bring an adapter, there are adapters available in 7Eleven.

A Rich Country But With Poor Hospitality

Yes, that's how I felt about Singapore. 

We encountered at least one rude/unfriendly person almost every day we were in Singapore.

At immigration, my sister told my father and me to queue at the assisted lane (for which there was a graphic sign for elderly, disabled, family with kids). Since my father is 71 years old, we queued there. After scanning our passports and entering the gate, the immigration officer asked if we had a small child with us. I said no, but my father is a senior. He berated us and told us we should be at the regular lane because "Even if senior, he can still walk!". Well, sorry, we did not know that the lane is not applicable to all seniors.

The other times (three that I can remember) were at an eatery, kopitiam, and a hawker center. The persons taking the order/cashier sounded angry and annoyed when we could not understand them or we took too long to decide what to order.

Mind, all of them were maybe in their 50s or older. The younger ones that we interacted with in the service industry were not rude. And yes, I know, these were just four people out of the country's 6-million population, but these four people left a bad impression.

I guess to me, as a visitor, the citizens' attitude towards foreigners will matter.

Explore with GPSmyCity

If you're a traveler who likes to explore on your own and skip group tours, then let me introduce you to GPSmyCity.

GPSmyCity is a mobile app (available in iOS and Android) that contains a treasure trove of city guides and insider tips written by intrepid travelers. There are city guides for over 600 cities and insider tip articles for over 1300 cities!

What's special about this app is that each guide/article includes a map with a detailed travel route plotted out (all maps can be accessed for a minimal yearly subscription fee). You can also create your own walking tours! Plus, these can also be saved for offline use. The GPSmyCity app lets you explore at your own pace without worrying about roaming charges or erratic network signals!

I am happy to announce that three of my articles are now available in GPSmyCity:

• Strolling and Snacking in Miyajima
• Remembering the Past in Hiroshima
• Temples and Cherry Blossoms in Yoshino (Nara)

And just in time for the cherry blossom season in Japan, Temples and Cherry Blossoms in Yoshino (Nara) full version article with GPS-aided map is available for FREE from April 14 to 28, 2025. Just click on the link and try it out! (If you haven't already downloaded and installed the GPSmyCity app, it will prompt you to do so.)

With the GPSmyCity app installed on your smartphone, you have the world on the palm of your hand!

GPSmyCity Premium Membership Giveaway

Now that the pandemic has ended, travel has come back in full swing! Woohoo! To celebrate, GPSmyCity is giving away 10 premium yearly memberships! Each membership will allow the member to use the GPSmyCity app on up to two devices for a whole calendar year.

So. What is GPSmyCity? GPSmyCity is an app containing a ton of travel articles and self-guided walking tours written by travelers like you and me. Best of all, it comes with an offline map and GPS routing capability. Searching for things to do, places to see, and food to try has never been so easy!

To claim the free one-year premium membership, all you have to do is:

1.  Download and install the GPSmyCity app.
2.  Open the app, and select Account to register.
3.  Go to More, then select Feedback and send an email to GPSmyCity with the claim code 25840922.

Go on and give GPSmyCity app a try!

Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport

For our almost 19-hour layover in Taoyuan, we opted to stay near the airport since our flight the next day leaves at 755AM. We had two choices: stay at a capsule hotel in Taoyuan International Airport or at Novotel Taipei Taoyuan just two stops on the MRT from Terminal 1 of Taoyuan International Airport. If I were on a solo trip, I would opt for the capsule hotel in the airport, but since I was with my father and my sister's family, capsule hotels were a no-go.

Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport
No. 1-1 Hangzhan South Rd., Dayuan District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan

Location. Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport is right outside Airport Hotel Station, which is two MRT stops from Terminal 1 of Taoyuan International Airport. If you're on a layover and want to go shopping, but the time is too short to be going to Taipei City, the good news is the hotel is just a 13-minute MRT ride to Taoyuan HSR Station where Gloria Outlets is. (Gloria Outlets is an outlet mall with a foodcourt. Bonus: the foodcourt has Hawker Chan, a Michelin-starred hawker stall in Singapore.)

Hawker Chan at the foodcourt of Gloria Outlets

Free Airport Shuttle. The hotel offers free shuttle transfers to/from the airport. Since our flight was very early the next morning, the receptionist booked us seats on the shuttle. (The receptionist also speaks very good English.)

Room. My father and I stayed in a 28 sq. m. room with a king size bed and a single bed. The room also had a TV, desk and chair, refrigerator, air conditioning unit, electric kettle, cups, coffee, tea, and bottles of water. There were power outlets near the bed, and also near the TV. Weighing scale, slippers, and hangers were also provided.

Our room

Photo from booking.com

Toilet and Shower. The ensuite toilet and shower was huge, and complete with hair dryer, towels, and toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, razor). The only awkward thing was that the wall between the shower and the bedroom was of opaque glass.

Price. At 4827 NTD and no free breakfast (though they did have free coffee, tea, and bread at the lobby as early as 5AM), it was way too expensive.

Kyoto Accommodation: M's Hotel Sanjo Omiya

M's Hotel Sanjo Omiya is three storeys high and the upper floors can be accessed by stairs or by elevator. Entry to the hotel and the room is keyless. Self check-in was easy.

The 17-square-meter twin room had, of course, twin beds. There was a power outlet between the beds. Across the beds there was a desk, chairs, TV, refrigerator, kettle, mugs, and free tea.

The ensuite toilet and bath (shower and tub) was a bit small which, for Japan, is not surprising. Shampoo, soap, toothbrush, towels, and slippers were provided.

The lobby had a small "amenities bar" (razor, cotton buds, cotton, hair brush) available for free for guests. It also had a microwave. The hotel also has a washing machine and dryer.

The hotel is in a quiet area. Just around the corner are restaurants, a convenience store, and a supermarket. Although Kyoto Station is more than 3 km away, there is a bus stop nearby, and there are four stations about 10 minutes (or less) on foot:

• 400meters from Nijojo-mae Station
• 600 meters from Omiya Station—Omiya Station has a direct train to Osaka (Hankyu Line)
• 600 meters from Shijo-Omiya Station—direct train to Arashiyama
• 1 km from Nijo Station

My sister booked M's Hotel Sanjo Omiya in Kyoto. If I were to choose, I would not have booked this hotel. Not because it's a dump (it was very clean!), but two reasons: one, I am cheap and this was way over my budget (for four nights, we spent 51689 JPY for a twin room, plus 200 JPY/night/person for the tax); and two, although the hotel is near four stations, none of these stations had direct trains going to the airport (I would have preferred to stay near Kyoto Station since this was our last stop of the trip). 

But if money is not an issue, M's Hotel Sanjo Omiya is actually a pretty good choice.

Temples and Cherry Blossoms in Mount Yoshino (Nara)

Although we were a week late for the peak cherry blossoms, my father and I hopped on the train in Osaka-Abenobashi Station to go to Yoshino Station (90 minutes, 1170 JPY per way) in the hopes of seeing some cherry blossom trees in Mount Yoshino. Mount Yoshino is a popular place in Nara for cherry blossom viewing, because it is said to be covered in about 30,000 cherry blossom trees!

Yoshino Station is on the foot of Mount Yoshino. To get to Yoshino Town up on the mountain, one has to take a cable car (or another option during cherry blossom season, a shuttle bus).

From Yoshino Station, it is a short walk to Senbonguchi Ropeway Station (for the cable car) and the shuttle bus stop. This 1-minute walk will become a 15-minute walk with stops at the Tourist Information Center and the four to five shops selling food and souvenirs.

Seeing a shop selling kakinoha-zushi (sushi wrapped in persimmon leaf), which I had learned about when I joined a walking tour in Naramachi in 2016 but had not had the chance to try, I bought a small box for a quick breakfast. My father and I had our quick kakinoha-zushi breakfast (and no, the leaf is not for eating, it is only used to preserve the sushi) on one of the low wooden benches in front of the shop. I had to gulp down water to wash away the fishy-vinegary taste of the kakinoha-zushi, one of the few Japanese food that did not agree with my tastebuds.

kakinoha-zushi

To get to the Yoshino Town, I opted for the shuttle bus (450 yen), since this would take us farther up the mountain than the ropeway, thinking it would be easier on our knees to walk back down. What none of my research told me was that the final stop of the shuttle bus would welcome us with stairs! Though there were not that many steps, it was way too many steps for my 70-year-old father who hasn't exercised in a long time. My father, trooper that he is, huffed and puffed up the stairs so we could get to the road that led to shrines, temples, souvenir shops, and restaurants.

During the cherry blossom season, there are also mini buses that would take visitors from Nakasenbon to Kamisenbon, farther up the mountain. I wanted to go to Kamisenbon, but with the long queue, it looked like everyone else wanted to go, too. This and the thought of letting my father walk a lot made me change my mind. So it was just Nakasenbon for now.

We had a look-see in Sakuramotobo Temple, which had some cherry blossom trees.

We also came across a parking lot that had a nice view of a mountainside with cherry blossom trees.

This mountain town is also home to three World Heritage Sites: Mikumari Shrine, Yoshimizu Shrine, and Kinpusenji Temple. But I only managed to visit the latter two.

Yoshimizu Shrine 吉水神社 (open daily from 9AM to 5PM, 600 yen admission fee) was founded in the 8th century and was originally a temple. If you're into Japanese history, this shrine would be of interest for, over the years, it hosted some important Japanese historical figures, such as Emperor Go Daigo and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In Yoshimizu Shrine's Shoin (library-like building), there are exhibits relating to these important persons. As a bonus, Yoshimizu Shrine also has an area that offers an unobstructed view of the mountain's cherry blossom covered slopes.

Entrance to Yoshimizu Shrine

Yoshimizu Shrine's Shoin

Exhibits inside Yoshimizu Shrine's Shoin

View from Yoshimizu Shrine

Kinpusenji Temple 金峯山寺 (open daily from 830AM to 4PM, 800 yen admission fee for Zao-do Hall) is the most important Shugendo temple in Yoshino. Shugendo is a religion based on a combination of Buddhist and Shinto beliefs. Kinpusenji's 34-meter tall Zao-do Hall is the second largest wooden structure in Japan (the largest is Todaiji Temple, also in Nara).

Zao-do Hall of Kinpusenji Temple

In between shrine/temple visits, we ate whatever caught our eye: kuzumochi, sakura ice cream, roasted chestnuts, and gohei mochi.

Kuzumochi

I would have wanted to explore more, but my father was tired, and we called it a day after just three hours. This time, to return to Yoshino Station, instead of taking the shuttle bus, we got on the cable car (450 yen, departs every 15 minutes).

Yoshino deserves more than just three hours and I hope to return some day.

This article is now available as a mobile app. Go to GPSmyCity to download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to the attractions featured in this article.

Osaka Accommodation: Hotel 3 O'Clock Tennoji

Because I prefer staying near a station where there is a direct train to the airport, I booked a room for my father and me at Hotel 3 O'Clock Tennoji.

Location. Hotel 3 O'Clock Tennoji is just 250 meters from JR Tennoji Station Parkside Gate exit. There are convenience stores, restaurants, and malls nearby. Tennoji Zoo is just across the hotel, and Shinsekai is just a 13-minute (900 meters) walk away. Tennojiekimae Station, where you can take the old-fashioned tram to Sumiyoshi Taisha, is only 450 meters from the hotel.

Room. We stayed in a double room. The room was very clean. It had a double bed, TV, refrigerator, kettle, table, chairs, and hangers. There were outlets on each side of the bed. WiFi is also available.

Toilet and Bath. The room had a surprisingly good-sized ensuite toilet, sink, bath tub, and shower. Towels, shampoo, conditioner, and bath gel were provided. What I like about Japanese T&Bs is that the toilet is separate from the bath. This is especially convenient for rooms that accommodate two or more people.

Amenities. The hotel is four storeys, and the upper floors can be accessed by elevator or stairs. Entry to the hotel and rooms are via keycard. A washing machine and dryer are available for a fee. There is also a small cafe at the ground floor.

Service. Although the owners couldn't speak English, they used Google translate to communicate. The service was superb. I was surprised that they had a welcome drink, provided bottled water daily, and changed the towels daily. Hair ties, comb, razor, sponge, cotton, etc were also available for free at the lobby.

I would definitely stay here again!

Kansai Airport to Osaka City (Tennoji, Osaka, or Shin-Osaka Station)

There are two railway companies that serve Kansai Airport: Nankai and Japan Railways (JR). On my 2016 trip, I took the Nankai Airport Express to Osaka City's Shin-Imamiya Station. But on my recent trip, since I was staying near Tennoji Station, I took the JR Kansai Airport Express "Haruka" train.

But before doing so, I queued up at the JR West Ticket Office. Although I already had an ICOCA (IC card) and could just add money to it at the machine, tap in at the station gate, and be on my way, it was still worth my time to queue and buy a JR Kansai Airport Express Haruka ticket at the Ticket Office. Why? JR West had a ticket deal wherein if you have an ICOCA, you only pay 1200 JPY for a reserved seat ticket to Tennoji Station instead of 2170 JPY (a non-reserved seat ticket would cost 1840 JPY). The journey takes 33 minutes. Other than Tennoji Station, the Haruka also stops at Osaka Station, and Shin-Osaka Station (the discounted Haruka ticket price is 1600 JPY for either of these two destinations).

My ICOCA (left) which I have had since 2016,

and my father's ICOCA (right) which we bought on this trip.

If you don't have an ICOCA, you can still buy the ICOCA + Haruka ticket at the JR West Ticket Office. The ICOCA would cost 2000 JPY, which already includes 1500 JPY worth of credits. The ICOCA can be used for public transportation (trains, subways, buses, trams), lockers, vending machines, and convenience stores.

Although the website states that you could buy discounted Haruka tickets at other stations, I found it was not so. On our last day in Japan, we were going to buy our discounted Haruka ticket (Kyoto to Kansai Airport Station) at Kyoto Station, but the station staff said it was only for sale at Kansai Airport Station. It was such a bummer to pay 2730 JPY when I knew I could have paid only 1800 JPY had I known it was only for sale at Kansai Airport Station. Argh. So, if you have reached this far, I have one valuable tip for you: make sure to also buy your return ticket at Kansai Airport Station!

One Night Stand in Taipei

 Click bait! The correct title is "One Night Sleep in Taipei". Here's where we stayed for a night in Taipei (April 2023):

Neijiang Hotel
No. 112 South Xining Road,
Wanhua District, Taipei

Why did we choose Neijiang Hotel? Location, location, location! One, it is near Mala Hotpot (our only reason for staying a night in Taipei), and two, because it is just a 6-minute taxi ride (about 135 NTD) or 20-minute walk from Taipei Main Station, which is the last stop of the Taoyuan Airport MRT. Plus, it is in Ximending, where there are many places to shop and eat. Neijiang Hotel is very near The Red House (a red brick building where locals sell their crafts), Wangji Fucheng Zongzi (where, in 2019, my friend and I ate zongzi, a dumpling made of rice and fillings), and it is just across Ximen Noodle (which looked like a popular place for locals!).

We had breakfast at Ximen Noodle, just across Neijiang Hotel.

We had noodle soup (90 NTD), and pork rice bowl (100 NTD).

Check-in at Neijiang Hotel went smoothly, and it helped that the receptionist could speak English. We booked a double room (1580 NTD). The room was clean. It had a refrigerator, electric kettle, two cups, a TV, and slippers. It also had free two bottles of water, instant coffee, and tea. The ensuite toilet and bath had a bath tub. Towels, hair dryer, and necessary toiletries (soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, comb, razor, etc) were also provided. The hotel had WiFi and a small elevator.

Photo from booking.com

Photo from booking.com

My only complaint was that the hallway near our room (on the second floor) smelled like cigarettes though smoking was strictly prohibited in the hotel.

Dumaguete Accommodations: Lufian Dormitel and Check Inn Dumaguete

Here are two places my friends and I stayed at during our recent trip to Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental:

Lufian Dormitel

Nesia Building, San Jose Extension,

Brgy. Taclobo, Dumaguete City

(035) 523 3135 / 0922 825 5469

Pros:

• Rooms at Lufian Dormitel are spacious. We were three in the group, and the room was good for up to 5 persons (Php 1400). They have rooms good for up to 6 persons for Php 1800.
• Rooms are clean, air-conditioned, has a TV, a big cabinet, and table and chair. The room we stayed in had a queen sized bed and two single beds. Since we were only three, they only set up one single bed, which freed up the space.
• Room has an ensuite bathroom, and a shower with heater.
• Towels and soap are provided.
• Water dispenser is available at the reception.
• We were allowed to check in early. And since no one was checking in after us, we were allowed to leave our bags in the room hours after check out.

Cons:

• Lufian Dormitel is about a kilometer from the city center. If you want to be close to restaurants and the Dumaguete Boulevard, then this is considered far.
• The building is not solely a dormitel. On the second floor, where our room was, it had a law office and a conference room. Luckily, when we stayed, the law office was closed and no one was renting the conference room.
• The layout of the bathroom is not ideal: the shower is right next to the toilet, without any division, and the drain is near the sink. After taking a shower, the toilet and floor was all wet.

I forgot to take photos. This photo is from Lufian Dormitel's facebook page. This is the room we stayed in, but during our stay, the interiors had changed: it did not have a wall fan, the cabinet is bigger, there is a table and chair near the door of the bathroom, a TV on the corner across the bathroom door, and the beds were one queen bed and two single beds.

I forgot to take photos. This photo is from Lufian Dormitel's facebook page.

Check Inn Dumaguete

POS Marketing Bldg.

Dr. V. Locsin St., Dumaguete City

(035) 422 9000 / 0928 613 2595

Pros:

• Check Inn Dumaguete is located at the city center. Restaurants like CB City Burger and Sans Rival, and the Dumaguete Boulevard are just a steps away.
• The room for three persons (Business Suite, Php 1680) is spacious. It is clean, air-conditioned, has a TV, a big cabinet, refrigerator, and table and chair. The curtains are thick; if you like sleeping in, this will keep the room dark.
• Rooms have an ensuite bathroom, and a shower with heater.
• Towels, and a box containing soap, shampoo, toothbrush, and toothpaste are provided.
• Keycard doors.

Cons:

• No free drinking water. The two 500ml bottles of water in the room are for sale (Php 20 each).
• We were informed that the room included free breakfast. What they did not mention was that it was only one breakfast (choice of luncheon meat or hotdog with rice and scrambled egg, and a cup of instant coffee)! You're paying for a room for three, but the free breakfast is only for one person?!
• Check Inn is old and the bathroom was not well maintained—scaling was evident on the sink and the shower enclosure.
• Very strict with check out. Guests must check out at 12 noon. They will charge 150/hour for the excess time.
• Our room was on the 4th floor. There is a conference room on this floor. The conference room is near the elevator/stairs. It can become noisy in this area.

I forgot to take photos. This photo is from booking.com.

I forgot to take photos. This photo is from booking.com.

A map to help you find your way:

Glamping at 150 Peakway

Ah, how social media provides free advertising. Yes, this is the reason why I decided to go to 150 Peakway in Mantalongon, Dalaguete. Because of one glamping photo my friend posted on his facebook page. Glamping in 150 Peakway seemed like a nice idea for a weekend getaway.

I booked a glamping tent through 150 Peakway Mountain Resort's facebook page (can also book through their Instagram page or through airbnb). Booking was smooth: whoever was answering messages in their facebook page was very prompt in addressing queries.

150 Peakway Mountain Resort has three air-conditioned glamping tents (4 pax, Php 6,000), three domes (4 pax, Php 10,000), a suite (4 pax, Php 7,000), and a villa (8 pax, Php 15,000). All of these, except the glamping tents, have their own toilet and shower. The toilets and shower rooms for the glamping tents are shared: two toilets, two sinks, and two shower rooms (has a hot shower, dispensers for shampoo and liquid bath soap, and a changing area) for each gender. In spite of it being shared, the toilets and shower rooms were very clean!

Expectation (photo grabbed from airbnb)

Reality. Unlike the picture in their airbnb listing, our glamping tent did not have tables and chairs.

Which was fine—more space for our mess!

Each tent and dome has its own deck, with a dining table and chairs, a lounge area with fire pit, and a foot washing area before entering the deck. An umbrella is also provided for each tent/dome. The domes and tents are spaced in such a way that it does not feel cramped and gives a feeling of privacy. 

Our tent's private deck

It rained the afternoon we checked in. We decided to have our dinner early (6PM) and as we were sitting down to eat (we had our dinner served at our deck), my Japanese friend, trying to hide from the wind, cowered between the lounge chair and the fire pit. We took the hint and called reception (our tent had a phone to call reception) to start a nice warm fire (firepit package is Php 600, which includes a big pack of marshmallows, a bar of Hershey's chocolate, and four packets of graham crackers) while we were having dinner. Wrong move. The wind kept blowing the smoke toward our dinner table and it made our eyes water.

Corkage fee applies, except for cake and drinking water (there are two complimentary 500ml bottles of water; a water dispenser is also available at the reception).

Thankfully, their food isn't overpriced and the servings are good for 2-3 persons.

Light 'em up!

My Japanese friend was so cold and so tired that she decided to sleep early and skip dinner. We asked one of the staff to keep our leftovers and have it served again the following day. Our stay (Php 6000, whether only one or four are staying) included complimentary breakfast only for the number of people checked in.

The rain, accompanied by a howling wind, continued all throughout the night. The bed was nice and cozy with clean and nice smelling sheets, but with the tent shuddering as winds hit it every few minutes, my friend and I only had a few hours fitful sleep. My Japanese friend slept like a log on the other bed. I used to go camping years ago and could get a good night's sleep with just a sleeping bag and a small tent. I guess I was made for camping, not glamping.

As morning came, the winds died down and the rain eventually stopped. The aircon cranked to high cool was no match for the fierce sun. By 8AM, it felt like a sauna inside the tent (except the area nearest the aircon).

The sky was blue that morning and we spent the rest of the morning appreciating the beautiful landscaping, the cute playground, and the small 4-feet deep pool, before the clock struck check out (11AM).

Playground

150 Peakway's small swimming pool

Tram tour. 150 Peakway offers tram tours for in-house guests. The tram tour costs Php 1500 (maximum of 7 persons). The tour take 3 to 4 hours, and has four stops: Osmeña Peak, Lugsangan (Casino) Peak, flower farm, and Pitamz Bistro. The entrance fee for each, except for the Bistro (which is free), is Php 50. Hiking to Osmeña Peak only takes 15 minutes. Although the trail is clear and straightforward, each group is required to have a guide (Php 100 per guide). The entrance fees are not included in the tram tour fee.

Service fee. Heads up! Upon check out, a service fee (minimal amount) will be added to your bill.

Going to 150 Peakway in Dalaguete: At Cebu South Bus Terminal, take a bus (Ceres Bus, aircon, Php 198; Sun Rays Bus, non-aircon, Php 150) that's headed to Oslob or Santander. Get off at 7Eleven in Dalaguete. The journey to Dalaguete usually takes 2.5 hours (but in our case, our Ceres Bus was driver was driving really slow that it took 3.5 hours!). At the junction for Matalongon, take a motorcycle (habalhabal) to 150 Peakway (20-30 minutes, Php 150/person, 2 persons per motorcycle).

Malapascua Notes 2022

Going to Malapascua

From North Bus Terminal, take the bus (Php 306, aircon bus) or van (Php 350) to New Maya Port (4.5 hours). If going by car, there are parking areas outside the New Maya Port. Parking fee is Php100 per day. At the New Maya Port, go to the Tourist Information Office—if you're too lazy to walk from the parking area to the Tourist Office inside the port, you can take the habalhabal/motorcycle (Php 20)—where you need to show your booking confirmation, write your name on a log sheet, and pay the environmental fee (Php 75 for locals; Php 120 for foreigners). Then you can proceed to the ticketing area to buy a ticket (Php 200 per person) for the public boat to Logon Port in Malapascua. Boat trips are every 30 minutes, but the trip will be cancelled if the number of persons do not reach 10. If you're a large group, you can also opt to hire a boat (Php 2000).

Arriving in Malapascua

At Logon Port, you need to write your name and contact number on a logbook. You can either walk to your accommodation or hire a motorcycle (fare is from Php 20 to Php 50, depending on your destination). The motorcycle fare going to Aabana on the easternmost end of Bounty Beach is Php 30. The motorcycle fare going to D'Avila's Horizon or Logon Beach at the northern part of Malapascua is Php 50.

Staying in Malapascua

There are so many accommodations to choose from. A few along Logon Beach (port area), several along Bounty Beach (the main beach area with many dive shops and restaurants), some in the barrio (inland), and a resort here and there sprinkled in other parts of the island.

Logon Beach (Port area)

• Tepanee
  
• Angelina Beach Resort
• Blanco Beach Resort
• White Sand Bungalows
• Kokay's Maldito Dive Resort
• Thresher Shack

Bounty Beach

• Blue Corals Beach Resort
• Mabuhay Thresher Dive Resort
• Blue Heaven Dive Resort
• Malapatel (behind Thresher Shark Divers Dive Shop)
• Malapascua Beach and Dive Resort
• Cocobana
• Little Mermaid Dive Resort
• Ocean Vida
• Malapascua Legend
• Hippocampus
• Daño
• Johan
• Exotic
• Evolution
• Aabana

North Beach

• D'Avila's Horizon Malapascua

Activities in Malapascua

• Swim (of course!)
• Stroll along Bounty Beach
• Scuba dive
• Boat tour (Php 300 per person, minimum of 4 persons; Php 1200 if less that 4 persons) – The tour will take you around the island and has four stops: Coral Garden (snorkeling), North Beach (aka Langob Beach), Japanese Shipwreck (snorkeling), and Dakit-dakit Coral Reef (snorkeling). Mask and snorkel rental is Php100. Our contact for the boat tour was Randy 0936 455 3629.
• Motorcycle tour around the island
• Massage by the beach (Php 450 for 1 hour) or at Buena Vida Spa
• Catch the sunrise at the eastern end of Bounty Beach
• Savor the sunset at Logon Beach
• Go on a day trip to Kalanggaman Island. It costs 1500 per person for the boat trip and lunch. At Kalanggaman Island, an entrance fee of 150 (Filipino citizens) / 500 (international tourists) will be collected.

Eating in Malapascua

There are several restaurants along Bounty Beach and maybe three along Logon Beach.

Angelina, an Italian restaurant located on Logon Beach, is one I always try to eat at whenever I am in Malapascua (but only one meal because it is quite expensive for me; pizza costs upwards of Php375, pasta upwards of Php 370, a scoop of gelato for Php100).

A popular and less expensive option is to go to the "market" where there are food stalls. Some of these stalls also sell fresh seafood that they can cook it for you.

 * Prices and information are as of October 2022.

GPSmyCity Giveaway

The GPSmyCity team has gathered thousands of travel articles and city guides written by travelers like you and me and have put all these travel information in one app. With the GPSmyCity app installed on your smartphone, whether iOS or Android, you have the world on the palm of your hand.

The GPSmyCity app can be used offline, therefore, you can read the articles and use the guides without the need to be on roaming or renting a pocket WiFi or data SIM. You can go on a tour at your own pace. By accessing (for a minimal upgrade fee) the GPS-aided map, the places mentioned in the guide will be pinned on the map, tour routes will be displayed, and turn-by-turn directions between places will be provided. No need for paper maps!

I know most of us cannot travel yet because of the pandemic, but with us spending more time at home, now is the time to prepare and research for our future trips. If you have plans to travel to Taipei (Taiwan) or Hakodate (Japan) as soon as it's safe to do so,  you might want to grab this chance for FREE upgrades (to access its GPS-aided map) to these travel articles:

• Visiting Old Streets of Taipei
• Taipei Foodtrip
• What to See in Hakodate in Just Six Hours

The FREE upgrades are available for a week, from November 30 to December 6, 2020. Please click on the link (or links) that interests you and try it out! (If you haven't already downloaded and installed the GPSmyCity app, it will prompt you to do so.)

Request for Refund of Terminal Fee (Cebu Pacific)

Did you know you can request for refund of the terminal fee for unused tickets for flights that were not cancelled? (They should issue a refund since you did not use the terminal anyway...how could you when you did not travel!)

To request for a refund, go to the Cebu Pacific Website > Contact Us > Guest Feedback Form.
For the Type of Feedback, select Request. And for the Category, choose Refund of Taxes for Unused Tickets.

I am not sure if there is a timeline to follow to request this refund, but you should probably request for a refund as soon as the trip dates have passed but not more than a year later.

If you used a credit card when you purchased the ticket, the refund will be credited back to your card. There is no fixed number of days for the processing, because it would depend on your credit card's billing cycle. They usually advise that the refund will be credited back within three to four billing cycles. But in my case, my refund request from February was only credited back in July. That's five months of waiting. (It's probably because of covid and all the full ticket refunds they had to issue when travel was prohibited by the Philippine government starting around end of March 2020.)

You're welcome.

Escape to Mount Takao

If I had to choose between exploring a bustling city or hiking in nature, I'd pick nature every time. So to escape Tokyo's urban jungle: Mount Takao (Takaosan 高尾山).

Getting to Mount Takao is a cinch. From a Keio Ticket Machine in Shinjuku Station, we bought a Keio Mount Takao Discount Ticket for 1390 yen. The Discount Ticket saved us 370 yen compared to separately buying train tickets (390 per way) and chairlift/cable car tickets (490 one way/950 roundtrip). (If you plan to skip the chairlift/cable car and just hike it all the way to the peak, then you're better off buying train tickets only.)

Keio Mount Takao Discount Ticket

Entrance to Mount Takao

The train ride from Shinjuku to Takaosanguchi Station is about 50 minutes. From Takaosanguchi Station, it's a 3-minute walk to the entrance of Mount Takao, where you have three choices to get to the peak: walk, cable car, chairlift. The latter two options don't take you straight to the peak but will cut the hike by half. Of course we chose the shortest way to the peak. We've been on a few cable cars this trip so between the cable car and the chairlift, it was an easy choice: chairlift!

We arrived at the entrance of Mount Takao around 930am and there were no queues for the cable car nor the chairlift. Although a chairlift can seat two people, my friend and I each had a chairlift to ourself. It was a serene 12-minute ride up the mountain surrounded by trees.

No bars on the lift to keep you in place! Be careful!

From the upper station of the chairlift, it was a short walk to Takaosan Sumika, a building that has a restaurant, snack shops, a souvenir shop, and an observation deck. All the shops were still closed when we arrived (it opens at 10am). But we did stop by on our way down (about four hours later; by this time the lines were really long) to try out the dango (rice balls) with walnut miso sauce (350 yen per stick) and tengu-yaki, a tengu-shaped pastry with black bean filling (150 yen).

Dango

Tengu-yaki

View from the observation deck of Takaosan Sumika

On the way to the peak, we walked on paved paths surrounded by trees and passed a clearing with benches and some shops selling food and souvenirs, a monkey park (430 yen), then more trees until we were faced with three trail options: left via Katsura Forest Trail, which goes through a forest; straight ahead via Omotesando Trail, which passes Yakouin Temple; and right via Suspension Bridge Trail, a trail through the woods and a suspension bridge. All three trails have a difficulty rating of two (from a range of one to five).

It was straight ahead for us via the Omotesando Trail, so we could go see Yakouin Temple. The paved path flanked by tall trees and red lamps went on for a few hundred meters  and then split into two: a 108-step stairway on the left, and a gradual incline on the right. We chose the gradual incline for the good of our knees. The stairway and incline merged at an area with snack shops but no temple in sight. It was a few meters more of walking between tall trees until we reached another snack shop (hikers on this trail will never go hungry) and then Yakouin Temple.

Yakouin Temple

A tengu with a long nose (left), and a tengu with a beak (right)

At the temple, there were a number of tengu statues. Tengu are demon-like beings with a long nose who live in sacred mountains. Although they look quite scary, they are believed to favor and protect the good, and reprimand evildoers. Like many Japanese temples, Yakouin also has a shop selling charms, many of which are tengu-shaped.

I noticed there was a line of locals waiting to have a go at turning a stone wheel, and another line waiting to go through a stone circle then bang on metal rings. I wonder what these rituals mean.

This guy was banging on the two metal rings

This guy was turning the stone wheel many times

We went through the maze-like temple grounds, where we climbed stairs and found more temple buildings. It seemed we have left the temple grounds already when we found ourselves on a paved path surrounded by trees.

We chose to go to Mount Takao on a Friday to avoid the weekend crowd. I was surprised to find that there were a lot of people at the peak of Mount Takao! (There were many people on our hike up but I did not expect it to be this crowded.) Is every day a weekend in this country?!

People lining up to have their photo taken at the sign that says "Mount Takao 599m"

Lots of picnickers on a Friday!

At the peak, there were snack shops, a visitor center, and an observation deck (where, on a clear day, the peak of Mt Fuji could be seen). After just a few minutes at the peak, we decided to head back down via Suspension Bridge Trail.

Suspension Bridge Trail meanders through the woods. There were not as many people on this trail as Omotesando Trail and I was glad to be away from the crowds again. This was the escape I was looking for.

This article is now available as a mobile app. Go to GPSmyCity to download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to the attractions featured in this article.



Sa May Kanto (2019)
Pocket WiFi: Japan Wireless
Keisei Skyliner and Tokyo Subway Tickets
Tokyo Accommodations: Oak Hostel Fuji, Hostel Owl Tokyo Nippori, Centurion Ladies Hostel  Ueno Park
Food for the Eyes and Food for the Mouth at Asakusa
A Day at Ueno Park
Tokyo Sights Using the Toei 1-Day Pass
Teamlab Borderless
Escape to Mount Takao (you're here!)