Sink or Swim

If there’s one thing that I’d love to splurge money on, it’s vacations. I love how with a few bucks (or thousands depending on where you’re going), you can escape to any place that you want to go. Whether you’re escaping from work, the loving but sometimes can be too much relatives, kids’ squabbles or just simply need a time alone, vacation will never fail to give you that much needed downtime.

Choosing the perfect getaway always depends on the budget and time/schedule. If my wallet is overflowing with cash, I bring the whole family to a 4-5 days trip outside the country. If I only have the weekend, we usually go out of town and check in at a nice hotel or bed and breakfast for two nights. It could be anywhere as long as it’s near nature. Last summer, we went ahead and tried one of those affordable vacation rentals being offered online. I was hesitant at first for fear that we are being scammed. It’s because on some cases, it’s the owner of the house whose advertising and you have no way of checking if it’s the real deal. Still, we glad that we booked our first rental house.

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If ever I’ll learn how to drive, I’ll definitely get one of those roadside assistance plans. Too many of my women friends have experienced being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no help at all. It’s one of the reasons why I choose not to drive. With my sense of direction, who knows where I’ll end up?

Anyway, the roadside assistance that I’m talking about is for RVs or Motorhomes. I learned about it from a friend who recently bought an SUV and got an offer to sign up for emergency road service plan. It’s highly recommended as it can pay 100% of your towing fees, get immediate help during flat tire situations and have access to 24/7 toll-free roadside repairs. If interested, check out the link above and read about the other benefits that you can get from different plans. One can never be too careful when it comes to safety.

I just love getaways but what I love most is staying in hotel rooms. Of course, it has to be a very nice one, not those motel-types with smelly carpets and cockroach-infested bathrooms. So on to my list:

1. Scented rooms. It could be vanilla, lavender or just clean-smelling. When you enter a 4-star or 5-star room, you just have that feeling of stepping into another world just by the smell.

2. Big, comfortable beds that you can make a mess of and not have to fix in the morning.

3. Huge bath tubs and hot tubs with their neat hot tub covers, bathroom mirrors, lined up towels and free toiletries. The bathroom is the second thing that I check out after the beds.

4. Lighting. Never forget the lights. They set the mood perfectly

5. Comfortable chairs and sofas. As if the room is telling you to stay longer.

Lastly, room service. What better way to pamper yourself than ordering a sumptuous lunch /dinner or a heavenly one-hour massage in the comforts of your lovely hotel room.

I came across some really affordable Disney vacations online and remembered how fun it was the last time with my daughter. I never thought I’d enjoy myself in an amusement park but I was as mesmerized as my daughter to see Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella “in person”. The Golden Mickey’s show were amazing too that even my husband couldn’t help but say “wow” every act. I was told the one in Florida and Japan are much more magical so I really hope we’ll get a chance to try one of them someday.

One more day before our Hong Kong trip! I’m so excited that I can’t concentrate on my glass tiles research for my mom. She’ll probably call me ten times today but I just can’t stop browsing one forum after another so I can maximize our trip. From shopping to cab rates to good eats, I need to take note of all of them because we rarely get to travel out of the country. We have to get our money’s worth! With the new baby coming in the next couple of months, I’m sure we won’t be able to go anywhere until she/he’s about 7 or 8 months.

I know I’ll never be able to experience any of the cancun honeymoons now that I’m married with kids. For one, there’s now way I can leave them while me and the husband are enjoying ourselves. Two, even if we take them with us, I doubt if they will enjoy the romantic atmosphere of any of the hotels in Karisma that is designed specifically for honeymooners.

However, there’s this hotel in Karisma called Azul Beach Hotel that caters to family vacations.

By providing everything a family needs and all kinds of entertainment for both kids and adults, parents are guaranteed to have an enjoyable and stressful trip. If you think you’ll never experience a candlelight dinner by the beach anymore, think again. At Azul Beach Hotel, the staff can prepare one for you while your kids are having fun at any of the beach activities the hotel has to offer. I like how everything is just a short walk away and how the rooms can sleep up to three children and have connecting rooms. You can still enjoy your privacy without worrying about the kids or feeling guilty that they are not having fun just like you.

Tired of eating at the same restaurant? You might want to try any of the restaurants below.

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Kimi Raikkonen, Scuderia Ferrari

Dolphins at Ocean Adventure in Subic.

It’s almost a year now since I treated myself to a nice day on the beach. And since I feel that deprived, allow me to make a post of my dream destination as soon as I acquire a budget that will let me and my family vacation in style.

Azul Sensatori – the first boutique all-inclusive resort located in Riviera Maya and one of the hotels from Karisma.

I always value the importance of booking a friendly-family resort because not only it would mean that my child will be welcome but will also be assured that she’ll have the time of her life. All inclusive family vacations with Karisma Hotels are designed to give your family a fun-filled trip regardless of age. It’s main goal is to give a hassle free, zero planning vacation on part of the parents while coming up with various kinds of activities to entertain everyone in the family. Best of all, they have so many opportunities so parents can have time alone while their kids aged 4 and up hang out either at the Kid’s Club (toys, equipments, programs by Fisher-Price and My Gym®) or at the Breeze Teen Club (interactive games like Wii, CD mixing classes, beach tournaments and tennis clinics).

To me it’s a dream when you can spend a whole hour on the beach without being interrupted. And I haven’t even mentioned the beautiful stretch of white sand, gourmet-inclusive dining, spanish classes, tequila tastings and non-motorized water sports.

Taken by my husband last year during our annual beach trip in Boracay, Philippines.

Can’t think of anything more entertaining than these walking dolphins

My friends and I saw an online advertisement on cruise holidays last week and up to now, we can’t stop talking about it. I believe it was the tagline “Experience the world for less” that let us hope that maybe we’ll get a chance to join one of those tours to Italy. I checked their website (travelsphere.co.uk) to window shop for travel packages and here’s what I found:

We are after escorted tours by the way because we want to make the most out of the trip. Plus you appreciate places, paintings and what-not if you know the history behind them.

Best of Italy – 15 days from £1044

A tour highlighting Itali’s scenes and sights from the beauty of Lake Maggiore and popular Tuscany to the eternal city of Rome and fabled Bay of Naples with Sorrento.

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