We were on our annual daytrip to Tagaytay with my parents, and as usual, we were unprepared on where we would eat. I’ve tried bringing them to the Mahogany Market bulaluhan the year before, but they don’t seem to fancy the food being hawked there. With a couple of hours to spare en route, I Googled for some of the most interesting places to eat in Tagaytay—there are a lot, but I’m particularly looking for a somewhat inexpensive one. What I found was a pancit batil patong place in Tagaytay, with prices that seemed friendly enough. So, before heading to the Tagaytay City Hall, which is what w ..read more

It has been a while since I last ate at Susie’s Cuisine—seven years ago, to be exact. The problem lies in its location, most branches being around the Pampanga area. There is, however, a quick and easy way to quench my cravings—apparently Susie’s Cuisine has a branch in Metro Manila. And they have not one, but two—one in Las Piñas and another much closer to our place, Quezon City. But what’s the fuss about Susie’s? Well, it is one of the go-to restaurants in Pampanga, serving Filipino and Kapampangan delicacies and comfort food since the early seventies. It was at Susie’s Cuisine San Fernand ..read more

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