Rubel and I visited Vigan a few weeks ago. And it was a trip that consisted using different modes of transportation. We flew to Laoag for almost an hour. Road the bus from the airport to Laoag city proper. Took the tricycle towards the Partas Station. Then rode a bus that was bound for Vigan, which took 2 hours. We were only able to step foot on the Heritage City of the Philippines at exactly 2 pm -- which was the exact and allowed time for checking-in at our accommodations: Grandpa's Inn. Great timing, right? :)
Since we were really running on empty, Rubel and I no longer wandered off the streets to explore the best restaurants nearby. We just went straight to Grandpa's Inn's signature restaurant, which was Kusina Felicitas.
Since we were really running on empty, Rubel and I no longer wandered off the streets to explore the best restaurants nearby. We just went straight to Grandpa's Inn's signature restaurant, which was Kusina Felicitas.
Now, a brief background on Kusina Felicitas (taken from Grandpa's Inn's website) |
I've heard about Cafe Leona from several blogs that I follow. And most of them have had great reviews of the restaurant. I, on the other hand, would have to be on the neutral side of things. The famed restaurant by Calle Crisologo was a tourist site on its own. But I wouldn't really rave so much about their food -- or at least, with the ones that we ordered that night.
With our good friend, and co-travel/food blogger friend Edmar. |
I love staying in hotels and classy inns that have affordable rates to them. Who doesn't, right? So, speaking of --- Rubel and I found a gem for our 5-night stay in Ho Chi Minh City, and the hotel was called Nguyen Khang Hotel. After reading so many good online reviews of the lodging, I was immediately smitten by the idea of booking with them right away. But what made me decide to finally book them? Here's 7 good reasons.
1) LOCATION - Nguyen Khang is situated at a small alley in Phạm Ngũ Lão, a street that was made famous for being a backpackers haven. The location was quite perfect since we were near some of Saigon's famous spots: 10 minutes away from Ben Thanh Market and Saigon Square, a street away from Bùi Viện (famous for its night life and cheap beers), and a few walks away from several mini-marts and food establishments.
You're probably thinking that I got burnt from the flames fuming out of a hot air balloon. You thought wrong! My skin got burnt not because of the balloon blaze. But because of my exposure to the sun. I brought an umbrella. But the sun was just everywhere! The Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ), where the festival was held was an open space. So the only shelter that one could stay in were the Airplane Hangar and the food tents nearby. Both places were a bit distant from all the action. So Rubel and I just braved the lot with just an umbrella over our heads. But even that didn't protect us. It was actually raining a few days earlier. So I was really surprised when the sun showed up last Saturday (February 23), all mighty and proud.