Jeannie in a Bottle

Today's post features last weekend's stay in Shangri-la's Mactan Resort and Spa, which we were able to avail at a promo rate of P6,500 per room - buffet breakfast for two included. This is a photo diary, and not an actual review, because really, what hasn't already been said about this prestigious, 4.5-star hotel in Cebu?

4:45 PM 25 comments

Cebu is now full of Korean cafes and I'm no stranger to them. I've already written about Cafe Tiala and Cafe Noriter and even though I didn't particularly find those experiences exceptional, I somehow found myself hanging out with friends in two more Korean cafes. The cute ambiance they always come with somehow lures you in effectively.

First up, Caffe Dara. Located in Lahug's restaurant filled area, simply enter the corner where Pizza Republic is located and turn left in the next corner, and you'll find this cozy and tiny cafe. Unfortunately, only one car can park in front of the cafe. Otherwise, you'll have to park in the streets a block away.

9:27 PM 34 comments

While the majority of the blogosphere is in the midst of Fall or Winter, I am left to ogle at the beautiful layered outfits everyone has been donning. What's a girl in a tropical country to do? Satiate my burgundy lust in forever-summer style, of course!

Top - Maldita, Skort - Online buy, Sandals - Forever 21, Bag - Nine West

11:14 PM 59 comments

I don't know if it's just me but it seems like there are only a few restaurants in Cebu that specialize in Spanish cuisine. Compared to its more commercialized counterparts, I'm betting that the majority of the city population actually do not know where to find Arano's.

Simply drive to the Guadalupe area until you reach Guadalupe Elementary School. Across from that, you will see a very small corner, with a large sign that says, "FAIRLANE VILLAGE." Enter, turn right, and go straight. On the right side, you will find a small door with a small signage.

12:35 AM 53 comments

I wasn't really planning on taking outfit photos on this day but I spotted this cute car in a basement parking lot adorned with Hello Kitty stickers!

How cute is that? If the owner of this car ever comes across this blog post.. Hiiii, I hope you don't mind? :)

Hello Kitty car not mine. Credits to the owner. Skirt and sandals from Forever 21.

10:50 PM 52 comments

I've frequently received questions regarding how much we spent on our Ilocos trip. So I've decided to do a quick breakdown of our itinerary and expenses for everyone's reference.

First off, I'm from Cebu so we booked a Cebu-Manila flight, and another Manila-Laoag flight. Although most agencies will offer pick-up from Manila, we didn't want to endure a looooonngg drive since a short plane ride is so much more convenient. We booked our round trip tickets in January even though we had planned an August trip.

Cebu Pacific Promo fare total round trip tickets per person - approximately P3,000

I then booked our trip with J2F Ilocos Escapades and got an unbelievably affordable deal. The more people there are in your group, the cheaper it is. The package tour was customized for us and was inclusive of 3 days, 3 nights hotel stay (don't expect a luxurious hotel, you're only there to sleep and bathe anyway), breakfast, transportation, driver/tour guide and all entrance fees.

Package Tour w/ J2F Ilocos Escapades - P2,500/person

Because we booked a promo fare, the schedule wasn't the most convenient. We had almost one whole day in Manila as we arrived in the morning, with our Manila-Laoag flight in the evening. Check out how we spent that extra time in this post HERE. (What To Do When You Have Spare Time in Manila) As soon as we arrived in Laoag, the driver picked us up and brought us to our hotel.

Manila Stay (Movie, Lunch, Snacks, Dinner, Excluding Shopping) + Driver tip - P1,250
Note: One of our friends had a family car and driver in Manila so we saved on taxi fare.

DAY 1

Check out what we did on Day 1 in my separate posts here:

Fort Ilocandia