I was always curious of what's inside the Mind Museum.  The building itself is very eye-catching as it is one of the state-of-the-art buildings in Fort area - one hella architecture.

My nephews are in town so I decided to take them there.   

There are five galleries in the museum: Atom, Earth, Life, Universe and Technology.  The exhibits are very interactive (although some are no longer working! shame!) .  Most of the displays remind me of my grade school days.  




Overall, the exhibits are very educational for kids.  My nephews were happy (I hope so!).

Although, I think once is enough for me going there.  I'm little bit underwhelmed.  There's just nothing much new.  




Adult three-hour pass is P600; child three-hour pass, P450; adult or child all-day pass is P750. The Biorhythm special exhibit is P250 (adult) and P200 (child). Pick your own time slot. 
https://tickets.themindmuseum.org/

A good friend/colleague from Poland visited Philippines.  He wanted to see something of Manila, and thought of bringing him to Intramuros.   Since I already forgot my Philippine history (shame on me!), I looked up for a walking tour. Luckily, Carlos Celdran has tours lined up for December.  


The tour takes you to Intramuros, Fort Santiago, then a kalesa ride, and finishes with halo halo at Barbaras.  Why halo-halo?  Carlos said, Halo-halo is a good metaphor for Filipinos because our language, culture,  have evolved from American, Spanish, and Japanese colonization - it's a mix of different influences.

Carlos depicts Phil history through a theatrical storytelling and it has added sense of humour which makes the tour more interesting.  No dull moment! 

It was indeed a learning experience!  I appreciate Manila more because of the stories behind it..  Now, I know my city better.

Nanbantei of Tokyo is one of my fave Japanese restaurants.  Their service is great, the price is okay, and of course the food is a must try!  Their specialty is Yakitori and I just love their selection.

I also like the ambience, busy but still cozy. You'd hear the cooks' loud voices when they coordinate food orders [reminds me of Hell's Kitchen, but without Gordon Ramsey :) ]

It takes some time before they serve your orders.  To compensate, they have wifi and free vegetable sticks for starter.

They are very conscious about the food's quality.  So after our meal we were asked to fill-up a survey form and the manager also approached and asked us how the food was.   It's always good to be consistent with the quality of food and service.  That's why customers like me keeps on coming back again and again to Nanbantei !  :)

It's my second time to stay at Taal Vista Hotel.  I have to say... it's sweeter the second time around because we got a stunning view from our room's balcony.  We stayed at the new wing of the hotel and the room that we got (particularly room 466) is facing the Taal volcano.

The rooms are definitely newer and they have more space compared to the rooms of the old hotel building.

We just pretty much enjoyed the room.  I think this is what they call "staycation".  Nothing much to do in Tagaytay except to enjoy the view, dine, drink wine/beer, and chill (both literally and figuratively). :)

Love the weather! And the decorations and lightings at the hotel are amazing - it's christmassy feel!!

Happy me! :)

I've been eyeing on this restaurant for months.  Their cozy looking building caught my attention whenever we pass by Aguinaldo hi-way in Tagaytay.

Pamana offers Filipino cuisine with a twist.   The dishes have unique taste and presentation.  It's not a so ordinary Filipino restaurant.

It's also not pricey as I thought it would be. Pamana's menu ranges from Php250 to Php500 (on an average).  

I would really recommend Pamana for families and couples.  I super loved the food  (especially the Ensaladang Bagnet).  Plus the interior makes it more fab to dine.

Truly, it's one of the best restaurants.  For sure I will be back.  [There's too much to try!!]

• P2,750 round trip flight to Manila - Puerto Princesa (vv);  Late bookings are P3,400

• Round trip van transfers from Puerto Princesa to El Nido (vv) - P12,500 (P6,500 PP to El Nido, P6,000 El Nido to PP) - It's actually priced at P7,000 one-way but I bargained for the price.   If you're travelling alone, you can go for shared transfers.  It's P600 one-way. [Renting the whole van is more expensive but it's much more comfortable - yes, you need more space if you're travelling for 6 hours! :)]

• Hotel Accommodation - We stayed at Ipil Lodge Hotel.  P2,800 for superior rooms (with seaview) and P2,300 for deluxe rooms (garden view) - good for 2 persons.  For rates: http://www.ipiltravelodge.com/e.rates.html