Craving for a home-cooked pork binagoongan and a plateful of pancit malabon? How about a classic afternoon merienda of lugaw and lumpia? If you happen to pass by Quezon City, I have just the place for you. Neatly tucked in a quiet street, an eatery called Lola Idang’s Bahay Pancitan. The place is not that big, with only about ten tables set on a 35-square meter eating space. The restaurant is so unassuming that you’ll hardly take a second look at it; plain white tiles flooring, simple decors, plastic Orocan chairs, and tables laid with generic plaid table clothes. What distinguishes this sma ..read more

AirAsia has recently relaunched its AirAsia ASEAN Pass, which they now rebranded as the AirAsia MOVE Unlimited ASEAN Pass. It’s an annual flight subscription which you pay for once, and which allows you to book an unlimited number of flights within South East Asia for zero-base fare. It can be used for a duration of one year. AirAsia originally launched the AirAsia ASEAN Pass in 2015, which lets you buy 10 or 20 Credit Passes, which you then redeem for flights—a flight can range from 1 to 3 credits—around South East Asia. So, what’s new with the 2024 version of AirAsia’s ASEAN Pass? Is it w ..read more

It was our last full day in Langkawi, our last full day in Malaysia. And our last stop in the country was Tanjung Rhu Resort, and here, for the past two days, we’ve done nothing but eat, relax, and laze around. It was just what we needed after traveling our way through the colorful streets of Penang and Langkawi’s Pantai Cenang. SUNSET AT TANJUNG RHU BEACH Tomorrow, we fly to Singapore, the third leg of our Backpacking With A Kid trip. But for now, we savor the setting sun while we laze on a sandy beach almost all to ourselves. It was quite perfect—well, okay, not really. If we have ..read more

An island vacation on an island vacation? That’s just how our stay went after our three-day stay at Pantai Cenang. I mean, yes, we’re already on a vacation—a 35-day tour around Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, to be exact—but on the Langkawi Island leg of our trip, we moved from one of the most popular vacation spots in Malaysia to a more remote one. Well, not really that remote—it’s just a zoom of a speedboat away from Chenang Beach across the Senari Strait—the exclusive Rebak Island Resort; a private island resort in Langkawi Island.       EASY LINKS FOR Y ..read more

Pantai Cenang is said to be the most visited beach in Malaysia—it is, shall we say, Malaysia’s version of our Boracay. We’ve visited Langkawi a couple of times before, but it is actually the first time we’re staying in the exact vicinity, courtesy of Mercure Langkawi Pantai Cenang. We’re definitely excited since we haven’t fully tried the Pantai Cenang experience, we’re usually lodged on the more remote parts of the island during the past visits. But what exactly can you do in Pantai Cenang, or Chenang Beach, for it to deserve a base camp for your Langkawi adventures? Well, for such a small ..read more

Pantai Cenang is said to be the most visited beach in Malaysia—it is, shall we say, Malaysia’s version of our Boracay. We’ve visited Langkawi a couple of times before, but it is actually the first time we’re staying in the exact vicinity, courtesy of Mercure Langkawi Pantai Cenang. We’re definitely excited since we haven’t fully tried the Pantai Cenang experience, we’re usually lodged on the more remote parts of the island during the past visits.   But what exactly can you do in Pantai Cenang, or Chenang Beach, for it to deserve a base camp for your Langkawi adventures? Well, for such a ..read more

With free time to spare—we arrived very early in Langkawi from Penang and our room at Mercure Langkawi Pantai Cenang was still unavailable—we decided to visit one of Langkawi’s most popular tourist spots, the Underwater World Langkawi. KID A AND BG AT PANTAI CENANG BEACH Located at the southern end of Pantai Cenang or Cenang Beach, it can easily be accessed by booking Grab cars, passing taxis, or simply by walking—that is if you’re staying along the Pantai Cenang area of Langkawi like us. So, walk we did. ►BOOK DISCOUNTED TOURS IN LANGKAWI UNDERWATER WORLD LANGKAWI BLOG REVIEW TA ..read more

It was our third time in Langkawi, and this time we’re bringing our four-year old toddler with us. Langkawi was the second leg of our month-long Backpacking With A Kid 2023 trip. And our first stop here, Mercure Langkawi—a four-star hotel along the island’s famous Pantai Cenang or Cenang Beach. ►BOOK DISCOUNTED TOURS IN LANGKAWI Mercure Langkawi Pantai Cenang Blog Review TABLE OF CONTENTS ~ WHAT’S INSIDE? Checking In Swimming Pool & Play Room Our Room Toilet & Bath In-House Dining Best Location ►FIND THE CHEAPEST FLIGHT TO LANGKAWI CHECKING IN   MERCURE LANGKAWI’S ..read more

George Town is Penang’s main tourist draw. Its city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site—with its charming, old-world shophouses and handsome colonial structures. Its popularity with tourists skyrocketed in 2012 when street art and wall murals started appearing along its age-old walls. ►CHECK FOR AFFORDABLE HOTELS IN PENANG THINGS TO SEE & DO IN CENTRAL GEORGE TOWN PENANG TABLE OF CONTENTS ~ WHAT’S INSIDE? Understand Central George Town How To Get To Central George Town Ernest Zacharevic Louis Gan Julia Volchkova 101 Lost Kittens Penang Iron Rod Street Art Central George Town S ..read more

When you mention Penang, the first thing that comes to mind, besides food, is the UNESCO World Heritage inscribed city of Central George Town—it is the state’s claim to fame. But Penang is huge, and there are other places on the island worth visiting, like the suburbs of Tanjung Bungah and Tanjung Tokong—both off-the-radar places for tourism that can be explored for a day, or even half a day. Perfect for people who’ve already ticked all the places to see in George Town or those looking for a side trip from Batu Ferringhi. ►CHECK FOR AFFORDABLE HOTELS IN PENANG WHAT TO SEE & DO IN TANJ ..read more