My Birthday Staycation

For my  2xth birthday, Erick and I decided to have a staycation just here in Manila. Staycations have been becoming popular these days especially for urban professionals and families who don't have the luxury of time to get away from work or responsibilities at home.  Staycation is just staying in the comforts of your own home or somewhere close to your home for vacation instead of traveling to a destination.

Last year, we celebrated my birthday in Bangkok. Although I enjoyed my birthday getaway with my girlfriends and the boyfriend, I kept thinking about home. So for this year’s celebration, I had it simple and low-key. It was a simple dinner with the family and a birthday staycation.

I must say that I’m very persistent when chasing great travel deals. We attended the Philippine Travel Mart (see related post here) last September and I was able to book a discounted overnight stay at A.Venue Suites in Makati. Aside from that, during the travel mart we booked our stay with Thunderbird Resort in Poro Point, San Fernando La Union. Read the first and second parts of my Santorini-esque experience. 

Our very suite stay

We arrived at A.Venue Suites a little past 2pm, just in time for check-in. It took awhile for the receptionist to accommodate us. He was the only one in the front desk and there were like five of us waiting for him to attend to us. So anyways, we patiently waited for our turn. I filled out some forms and paid an incidental fee.

After checking their records, he informed us that they ran out of deluxe room which I reserved weeks ago so they’re upgraded us to a two-bedroom family suite. Yey! Good things come to those who wait. What a great birthday treat :D

We immediately proceeded to our room at the 12^th floor. And the moment we opened our door, we can help but say that the suite was huge. There was a living room, dining area, and kitchen.

Living and dining areas

kitchen

The moment I saw how big is our room, I wanted to text all my friends that it was house party tonight care of moi.. haha but of course, it was such late notice so I didn't. 

There was a smaller bedroom with a single-size bed and a study desk.

Bedroom 1 aka the smaller room

The master bedroom was complete with a queen size bed, study desk, wall-mounted flat screen TV, closets, and the bathroom.

chillaxin in the master bedroom

nooks of the master bedroom

The bathroom was small but was equipped with the basic necessities. There was a bath tub which is a + point although it was small. There could have been a view while you soaking in the tub – but the outside was a construction site for another hotel/ condominium complex.

the cozy bathroom

Yes, I brought the whole bathroom with me

Our hotel suite has no view at all. Everywhere you look, it’s all construction site.

There was also a hint of funny smell in the suite. It smelled like cigarette smoke that stayed in the couch and the room. 

Another downside of the whole suite is that the rooms would have to share the bathroom which is inside the master’s bedroom.

But other than that, we are satisfied with the hotel room. As soon as we settled in the room and organized our things, we just watched TV the whole afternoon and went online. The hotel has a wifi service but you have to pay for it. Good thing I brought my very portable Globe Wimax.

It was already 6pm when we prepared for our dinner date.

the maxi dress is a gift from Erick and my koosh sandals is from VNC :)

The birthday dinner

It has been planned long before that we’d have the buffet dinner at the Spirals in Sofitel. But unfortunately, as you all probably know the famed Spirals was closed for renovation after Typhoon Pedring storm surge flooded the ground floor of Sofitel where the restaurant was also located.

It was hard thinking of another alternative since we’ve been dead-set to try Spirals buffet. Oh wells. We decided we’d just have dinner at Serendra in Bonifacio Global City. I’ve been hearing good food reviews about Mamou so we tried our luck to get a table there. We arrived at Mamou around 7pm and the attendant reserved a table for us at 8:30 pm. Okies, not a problem.

We checked the shops at Serendra and BHS and then we landed at Topshop where I bought a cute orange bikini. When I was a bit younger (gosh I feel old now), my hobby was to collect swimsuits since my friends and I love hitting the beach almost every month. It was only recently that I had to stop this addiction and instead buy clothes that would actually cover my whole body :D I didn’t buy it but Erick seemed to see in my eyes that I really wanted that cute bikini. So being a good boyfriend, he bought it for me as another birthday gift. Thanks love <3!


We then received a text message from Mamou’s that we already have a table. So we rushed back to the restaurant.

Mamou is one the best restaurants in Serendra and Bonifacio High Street according to my favorite food blog, OurAwesome Planet. It has one the best steaks in Manila and its other entrée dishes could not be missed too.

Mamou's homey ambiance

The restaurant has a homey ambiance for family dinners and get-togethers which makes it a perfect venue for those special occasions. The place is cozy and has an intimate ambiance. We were seated in small corner near the counter. 

We ordered the following.

For appetizer..

Truffle-flavored Vegetable Mushroom Dip with Whole Wheat Melba Chips (Php 195)

We both  loved this appetizer especially the mushroom dip. We kept on munching it until we realized it was gone. That's how we liked it so much. It's also very light on the stomach.

They also gave us complimentary white and wheat bread and butter placed in a small woven basket. The bread was very soft.

Complimentary appetizer

And for our entrées...

I wasn't very happy when they served my plate. First off, it wasn't the look of the Asian Duck I saw from other pictures. Where's the duck?? Look and dig till you find it. It was actually cut into strips instead of a quarter serving of duck.

What it lacked in presentation, it compensated for its taste. Although I did not taste the duck in my meal, the chorizo rice is already good by itself.

Asian Duck with Red Chorizo Rice (Php395)

The Roast Pork and Chicken is Mamou's version of citrus rubbed pork and chicken , buttered onions, red or white Cuban rice (Erick had the red rice), cinnamon saba, and black beans.

Roast Pork and Chicken (Php345)

I think this plate is one of those food where you get the best of everything. There's pork, chicken, vegetable, rice, and even a fruit. Their taste complemented each other. I surely loved this entrée although this wasn't my order.

And lastly for dessert.. It is always the favorite part of my meal.

Whew.. I love their Dark Chocolate Sans Rival! I can be so shallow when it comes to sweets, so please bear my indulgence for the Sans Rival.

Dark Chocolate Sans Rival (Php180)

By the time, we were having our dessert I was feeling very sleepy which Erick noticed. I don’t know if the food was such a comfy food that evoked my feeling to sleep. I felt very bloated after our meal. We finished dinner around 10pm and since I wasn’t feeling very lively that night, we went home to our hotel.

I was feeling a bit guilty because I dozed off to sleep as soon as we got back to our hotel. I was such a lousy birthday girl that night. Me thinks.

Things always get better in the morning as they say… I woke up with a slight fever and I can’t seem to move my body normally. Every step is an effort for me. I was officially SICK. Boo.

But since I am still mobile, we went down Azzuro Bar in the 4^th floor to have our breakfast, I wasn’ hungry to eat but I needed to get something in my stomach. The breakfast spread was limited with soup, fried rice, adobo, scrambled eggs, breads, pastries, and cereals.


We checked out the pool after our breakfast. Erick went for a swim while I stayed in the pool bed.

Pool area

There are two pools - one for adults and the other one for kids. There wasn't any other guests that time so the place was all to ourselves.  I learned that the upper floors of A.Venue is actually a residential condominium based from what I read in the pool policy.

They also have a small gym in the hotel but we weren't able to check that out.

We went back to our room and prepared for check-out at 12nn.

I loved the whole idea of staycation so I guess I'll be having more of these vacations. It's self-paced, relaxed, inexpensive, and fun. Who says you have to travel far to have a vacation?

Our very suite staycation

A Piece of Santorini in the North (Part 1)

 

When I first learned about Thunderbird Resort in Poro Point, I know this little piece of paradise must be included in my travel list for this year. Traveling to La Union for surfing has always been in my yearly travel itinerary, so it would be a shame if I don’t get to see the other gem in La Union - Thunderbird Resort.


Thunderbird Resort in Poro Point is a 65-hectare resort property with a Mediterranean architecture inspired by the Santorini Islands in Greece. The resort is nestled in a cliff overlooking the South China Sea. Its Santorini-inspired architecture is evident in its white hotel building with touches of blue. The dome ceiling and the painting on the lobby is a sight you will never surely miss.
Room rate

I’ve inquired about the resort’s rate months before our travel but I actually found a good deal at the Philippine Travel Mart last September. See related blog entry. We got deluxe rooms for Php5390/night. The rate is 10% cheaper than their standard rates. They only allow a maximum of four persons in the room so we had to pay for the extra persons at Php1000/head and that included buffet breakfast already.

The Santorini-esque experience

As soon as we stepped in Thunderbird Resort’s lobby, I instantly felt that I am in for a grand vacation. The ambiance of the hotel is welcoming and very refreshing. On the reception area, you can already see the blue waters from the sea. The cool breeze blowing makes me feel that it was summer but in October.


I love the interior of the hotel. The hotel furniture are made of rattan and other native products and it complemented the simple yet elegant hotel interiors. The design is minimalist but when put together, it exudes simple elegance.

Checking in was swift. I just had to fill out a couple of forms and pay the incidental fee. After that, we were ushered to our room.
Now the rooms..

As we entered our room, I felt a certain excitement in my bones. First off, there were two huge queen size beds. Weeee! And the bed, sheets, and duvets are just so soft and refreshingly clean that I wouldn’t mind sleeping on it all day.

I couldn’t help but test how soft and firm the bed was..so I jumped and bounced on it. I miss jumping in the bed, I used to do that when I was little.

The room has a 32-inch flat screen LCD TV, DVD player, a JVC surround media system where you can plug your USB or portable hard drive.

There’s a mini fridge and a small bar for the goodies which are for sale.
Our room also has a study table and coffee table near the veranda. This little nook is perfect while sipping your coffee and having a small talk with your friends.

The veranda completes the whole room. Here, you can lose yourself by staring at the blue sea or the pool area of the resort. I already love it here!

The bathroom is immaculately clean and huge. I tell you, it’s one of the biggest bathrooms I’ve seen in a hotel. Too bad, they didn’t put a bathtub on it. It could fit with all the extra space.

And the toiletries, oh em gee.. I love Thunderbird Resort really!
There’s also free wifi within the resort. So no hassle if you wanna be online – whether in your lappie or phone.
Before sunset, we decided to lounge in the pool area. There are two pools – for adults and kids.

Plus, there’s a pool bar where you can order your favorite cocktail drink or just fresh fruit shake. The adult pool is only 4 feet deep all throughout.
We passed our time there and decided it was time to change clothes for dinner.

On our way to our room, the fully lit dome at the dark could not be missed. It made me wish I am really in Santorini. I know that sometimes they allow guests to go near the dome and do photo shoots. And hmmm that just gives me an idea ;P
We had dinner at Olives Restaurant where the ambiance is casual dining.
On our table

Seafood Ravioli. The pasta pillows are not that firm. The pasta was kinda sticky although the seafood is freshly cooked.
Seafood Alfredo Spaghetti

Spicy Sausage pizza and Ilokano pizza

These pizzas baked in wood-fired stone oven were highly recommended by our server so we went ahead and tried it. I liked the Ilokano pizza more than the other. The spicy sausage pizza just tasted just like normal pepperoni pizza.
After dinner, we had our drinking session in our room. We weren’t able to drink the night before since we were all dead tired. We played a game “I never had” which is more like ‘truth or dare’ but with a twist. Each of us has to tell something that we have never done and the others who’s done that thing will then drink the shots.

It was a fun and quirky game! We came to know more about one another and each one’s dirty dark secrets.. :D
The game led us to drunkenness and more crazy antics and of course a bad hangover the next day…
That's it for our first day. It was a long and fun day --from surfing in San Juan La Union to R&R in Thunderbird Resort in Poro Point. The fun never stops!
Read the second part of my Thunderbird Resort Poro Point experience here.