tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2454479892630691812024-03-18T21:59:32.724-07:00Dan and MarcelaOur travel, food, and life adventuresDan and Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758438987720993980noreply@blogger.comBlogger189125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-88425177942212846832019-07-21T21:26:00.000-07:002019-07-21T21:26:00.271-07:00Las Alcobas Napa Valley<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We went on a quick overnight trip to Napa to try out the newly opened Las Alcobas hotel, which is part of the SPG program. I was very excited to try this hotel because most of the rooms have direct vineyard views, which is pretty unique for Napa.<br />
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<b>Brunch at Ad Hoc</b><br />
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Before we headed to the hotel, we ate brunch at our most favorite spot, Ad Hoc. I have been to Ad Hoc numerous time, and so far enjoyed all the meals there. Brunch was a set menu (price varies; this particular menu was $34pp), and the meal was served family style. The menu listed items in black ink which were included in the set price, and everything in red was additional. The menu changes daily.<br />
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They are famous for their fried chicken, which is served every Monday dinner, and sometimes on Sundays for brunch.<br />
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To be honest I was a little disappointed that it wasn't the fried chicken. However, the chicken fried steak was AMAZING as well. The thing about ad hoc is that they make everything extremely well. We could tell that they use the best ingredients and prepare dishes as best as someone could.</div>
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We also ordered the additional french toast, which was very delicious. One tip is to order one or fewer add-ons; it does not have to equal the number of people at your table.</div>
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We were too full for the dessert and asked to pack it to go, so we could enjoy it later at the hotel. Overall, we always have a great meal at Ad Hoc.</div>
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<b>Las Alcobas Napa</b><br />
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We drove up to St. Helena where the Las Alcobas is located. The hotel looked deceivingly small from the main road (we only saw one white "house"). But then as we drove up to check in, we could see the other buildings. It was still not a big area overall, especially compared to some of the other hotels in the area.<br />
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Our room was one with the vineyard view, which I was very excited about! All the rooms are pretty good sized. The style is very clean, modern, and very soothing.</div>
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The bathrooms were also very clean looking, and the dominant color was gray. I LOVED the towels and even tried to see the brand so I can buy it for home.</div>
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The vineyard view was just breathtaking.</div>
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There's also a seating area with an electric fire pit that we used to make smores at night!<br />
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The pool area was very small; we didn't use it this time around. </div>
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We did one spa treatment (couples massage). The spa facility was nice although also small. We each chose our own aromatherapy oil blend which was used for our treatment.</div>
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We ate dinner and breakfast at the hotel. Basic breakfast was included, but it wasn't 100% clear what was included versus not. We ordered a couple of hot items that turned out to be an additional cost. If you stay here and eat the breakfast, just make sure to confirm what is included before you start ordering like us. :) But the breakfast was tasty!</div>
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Overall we enjoyed our overnight stay at the newly opened Las Alcobas Napa! The hotel/grounds are a lot smaller than other hotels we have stayed at, and the pool is very small. But it had that boutique feel and overall was very quiet.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180486376981150874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-34242864576734982212018-06-21T08:00:00.000-07:002018-06-21T08:00:04.222-07:00Disney Aulani Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Aulani Resort & Spa</b><br />
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I had heard SO MUCH about the Aulani, and have always wanted to check it out. Everyone said to wait until M was 3 years old and potty trained, so she could take advantage of Aunty's Beach House (essentially an included daycare option where you can drop off kids).<br />
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The price is a little expensive (smallest room cost around $500+), which is why we only stayed for two nights. I think that was actually a good amount of time, since we really maximized our first day by coming early. <br />
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Aulani is located in Kapolei, which is about a 45-minute drive from Waikiki. Since we didn't have a rental car, we booked a one-way taxi with Charley's which cost $89 before gratuities. The Aulani is located in a manicured development area and reminded me a lot of Wailea, Maui and Punta Mita, Mexico. There were a few other resorts/condos around the area, too, such as the Four Seasons and the Marriott.<br />
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There's a small market, restaurants, and coffee shop within walking distance from the Aulani, which was nice as we got really tired of the overpriced hotel food.<br />
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<b>Check In</b><br />
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We purposely came early (around 10 AM) to maximize our time at the Aulani. Even though official check in time is not until 4 PM, we knew we could get started with enjoying the pool facilities, play areas, etc.<br />
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They provided us with lei greeting for the adults and a kid's necklace for M. Right next to the check-in area, there's a kids play area with videos playing. We were given the map of the resort, as well as an access key to the check-in/out lounge to change and shower. We grabbed our swimsuits, dropped off our bags with the concierge, and then headed down to the lounge.<br />
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<b>Room</b><br />
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We booked the Studio garden view room (their cheapest option!), and our view was of the parking lot. :p I probably would recommend booking at least the next category up, which would at least give a view of the lawn area for not that much more.<br />
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The room felt a little small (around 380 sq feet). I think this was probably because we just came from the Hyatt Centric Waikiki which had much bigger rooms. The room is a little bit older, but not super worn out. They do have a microwave, fridge, plates/glasses, dish soap, etc. which is nice. I also noticed a pack and play with sheets in the closet if needed for little ones.<br />
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The sofa pulls out to a queen size bed, which we actually used because the regular bed was too small for the 3 of us.<br />
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In the bathroom, there was also a step stool for kids, which was really nice, so M could go up to wash her hands at the sink by herself!<br />
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<b>Aunty's Beach House</b><br />
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We registered M up for Aunty's Beach House. There's a $12.95 fee/deposit for the bracelet (which is used to track where she is at all times), and this is refundable. There is an "open house" each morning from 8 - 9:30AM where families can stay with their children to explore and enjoy the facility. From 9:30AM onward, only kids are allowed to stay.<br />
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A lot of families took advantage of this and dropped their kids off for the whole day. M didn't want to be left alone, so we only did the open house one morning before heading to the pool.<br />
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For the most part, this is covered as part of the stay. There are some other "premium" activities that you would have to pay extra for, which were noted in the schedule. They offer to serve kids meals (lunch/dinner) for an additional fee also.<br />
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<b>Pool Area</b><br />
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By the time we got changed after we arrived, it was probably around 10:30AM. We went to the towel check-in area, where we showed our keys to get wristbands, towels, and a kid floaty. Every day we have to get a new wristband (different color), which is how the resort knows how to differentiate guests vs non-guests at the pool.<br />
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The pool area was so CROWDED. I walked around a few times and could not find a single seat. I finally found a pair of seats by luck, and we put our stuff there and were finally able to swim.<br />
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I read some reviews on Yelp that said that people camp out slightly before 8 AM to get the "premium" pool chairs. I found this to be true. The next day we came down before 8AM to get the seats we wanted. This takes away a little bit from the experience, as I felt that we shouldn't have to fight to get pool seating when on vacation. The resort seemed to be full, and from what I understand, the hotel has a 4,000 person capacity and only 1,000 lounge chairs, which is not a good ratio. As the time went by, I started seeing more and more guests looking for chairs, and I felt bad for all these guests paying so much and couldn't even find a pool chair! By the second day, we learned that you have to be down by 8:30-9 AM at the latest to find seating.<br />
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Honestly, we were already up early anyway because of the jet lag, so it's not a huge issue to come down by 8AM. It just made the whole experience less relaxing, as we had to make sure we get down at a certain time and make sure we keep checking on our seat (as they remove your stuff after 1 hour if you leave your seats).<br />
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There are multiple pool areas: regular swimming pool, lazy river, kiddie pool, adult pool, etc. so the pool itself doesn't feel that crowded, just the seating areas did.<br />
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<b>Beach Area</b><br />
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The beach area is actually somewhat less crowded. We went around 10AM another day and still found plenty of seats available.<br />
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The resort provides free sand toys on a first come, first served basis, I heard they run out quickly, so we went early also, around 8:30AM to borrow one.<br />
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There's a small shack that sells snacks (pretzel, soft serve, etc.) right by the beach.<br />
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The beach area is in a small cove, and the water is very calm, perfect for little kids.<br />
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<b>Laniwai Spa</b><br />
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I booked a massage at the Laniwai Spa. Dan offered to watch M, which was really nice of him. :) They automatically include gratuities, and the total was around $199. Not cheap, but I guess it is the standard for a "nicer" spa.<br />
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The experience was actually really nice. The whole spa area felt very secluded, not crowded like everywhere else at the Aulani! After checking in, I was greeted by someone who asked me to choose a stone that is engraved with Hawaiian terms - mine meant "Dream". She then asked me to drop it in a small pool area with my wish. She then walked me through the different areas (changing room, relaxation room, outdoor tubs, etc). They have 2 hot tubs, an area with 5-6 different rain showers, and a warm whirlpool and a cold plunge pool. There's also a seating lounge for people to relax. <br />
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They called me in the co-ed lounge and took me to the treatment room. They provided options for the lotion, as well as music. The massage was great, and overall experience was very relaxing.<br />
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<b>Ka wa'a Luau</b><br />
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Aulani introduced a luau not too long ago. We bought the general admission tickets, which was $119 for adult and $79 for kids. The other option is premium admission, which was $159 for adult and $109 for kids. The premium admission allows early entrance (15 minutes before), closer seating, and unlimited drinks.<br />
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We waited in line one hour before because I thought that they would be opening the entrance one hour before, but the opening time was actually the stated time on the ticket (6:15 PM). Again, this is a similar aspect of this resort that I am not a fan of. People line up early to get "better" seats, etc., after already paying for the ticket. I just wished they have pre-assigned seating for everyone, so we don't have to line up.<br />
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There are several pre-show activities that are all kid friendly. M got a "tattoo", learned how to pound poi, made a flower bracelet, etc. There is a little bit of a line for each of the activities, but not too bad.<br />
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The actual food is not served until another hour later (7:15 PM), and by this time, a lot of the guests & kids were very hungry. I wished that they would just start allowing people to eat at 6:15 or maybe 6:30, but not an hour after. The people in our table actually complained to the server about the lines after lines for everything, which I kind of agree with.<br />
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Food is provided buffet style, and they dismiss each table beginning from the first rows, etc. There is a separate buffet food for the kids which had pasta, mac and cheese, fruit cup, etc. The adult buffet style was actually pretty good. There's salad, poke, fish, chicken, pork, and sliced prime rib.<br />
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The actual show is nice, Disney style, and again very kid friendly. They try to incorporate kids when possible (for example: inviting kids to dance on stage with the hula dancers).<br />
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We didn't end up staying the whole show, as M got really sleepy around 8:40 PM.<br />
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Overall it was a nice show, but the lines were too much (lines for entrance, lines for activities, lines for food, etc.). Hopefully they have a better system with pre-assigned seats upon booking, and then serving food not too long after the luau opens. I probably would recommend purchasing the "premium" ticket so you can avoid some of the lines.<br />
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<b>Overall Thoughts on Aulani</b><br />
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We are glad that we were finally able to experience what Aulani is all about. However, we probably will not be back.<br />
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The price of the resort is a little expensive ($500+/night) for the entry level category, and we felt that the experience didn't fully justify the price, as there were lines for everything. When we go on vacation, we want to feel relaxed. However, at Aulani, it's hard to feel relax when you have to wake up really early to get a spot for the pool chairs.<br />
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Everywhere we go in the resort (except the Spa), is super crowded, and it just felt like they really try to maximize the most number of rooms/people for profit, which then negatively affects the actual experience.<br />
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We do appreciate the kid friendliness of the resort (step stool in bathroom, pack and play in every room, etc.) -- and service in general is very good.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180486376981150874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-74270094664880068852018-06-20T23:12:00.002-07:002018-06-20T23:12:40.894-07:00Oahu Trip<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Introduction</b><br />
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We were looking to split our stay between Waikiki and the Aulani resort. So when I heard about the opening of the
Hyatt Centric Waikiki, I thought it would be a good option.
I always like new hotels, and this one was available via Hyatt points
and would have been opened for a few months by the time our trip rolled
around. <br />
<br />
For the Aulani (since it's so expensive!), we only booked for two nights.<br />
<br />
We also didn't rent a car for the entirety our trip. We only rented for one day which worked out fine. There's lots of places around Waikiki that we could walk to or take taxi. It is still more convenient to have a car if you don't mind paying for parking fees.<br />
<br />
This was our second trip to Waikiki; we had done most of the touristy stuff the first time. So we didn't really have anything planned other than relaxing and enjoying some good food.<br />
<br />
<b>Hyatt Centric Waikiki</b><br />
<br />
The facility is actually an old office building that was
completely renovated to be the new Hyatt Centric. The location of the hotel is not beachside but is walking distance to
the beach (3-4 blocks). The hotel provides free beach chairs, beach
towels, and even sand toys that we took advantage of. I actually really
like the location of the hotel--it is close to a lot of eateries and basically next door to the new International Marketplace.<br />
<br />
The main entrance on the first floor is really just the entry way. We had to take the elevator to the 8th floor for the actual lobby and reception area. The lobby is beautiful, with a view of the small swimming pool and is also connected to the main hotel restaurant. At check in, we were welcomed with shell leis and a refreshing pineapple juice drink.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3x7MNlAk-qEvOxo7_q5binj3a9Pf1kHVHdJ_nZtOcFujDmWfbNU5Qe7CKET4Pj1W3PvPN85WYhar671wNRYaD-GkYEJRmGQVk53iua8iQhVWZ4GVS32cRkvlbmgI-4THVORiUePwpI5c/s640/Hyatt+Centric3.JPG" width="480" /></div>
<br />
The room is actually quite spacious, and I love how new everything is. There is a small seating area right by the entrance, a full shower/bathroom, another seating area/office, a seating nook, and a King size bed.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="482" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3GfQloLURAQ6L8m4pikhUFMKaaTyz8Z4zXWGdXJJt6vb9lBkN3vu-3H0C0Vt2F2eMe2N8rco-ZwYtyulHyy-gHQv3Sv4B0Se-T9XnEg_kvKbs8Hs998iU5790N_ieQcHPCEXCrplbFA/s640/Hyatt+Centric1.JPG" width="480" /></div>
<br />
The design is modern Hawaiian, and there's a floor to ceiling window. The only thing "missing" is that there is no lanai, per se. But we didn't mind it too much.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTnpdU0uJEjSfBHflPVM6zTV9RLqSF4pD9tnAMACNBKNlB0YUtKbBUSHJ-VMYNCda0bwG8toGIWi9l1vBlI1uW0HfF3JRn5IEO75dZyKh1Hr9E2otAabEkeq_1L8XAuESHZQ7SNf2plM/s640/Hyatt+Centric2.JPG" width="480" /></div>
<br />
The pool is probably one of the few downsides. It is really small, and extremely shallow. M, our 3-year old, was able to stand in the deepest water area. So it's not really a true swimming pool, more like a water play area for toddlers & kids.<br />
<br />
Another downside is that we could hear the nightclub music and traffic from our room. There did not appear to be much soundproofing. You could probably try asking for higher floors, but not sure if that would help with the noise.<br />
<br />
Also like I mentioned earlier, this hotel is not beach side. It's about a 3-4 block walk to the beach. The hotel does provide free beach chair, beach towels, and sand toys.<br />
<br />
Service was really good; everyone was very friendly and helpful.<br />
<br />
There is a daily resort fee as well as additional parking fee. I think parking is $34 daily. Also, since we booked with points, our resort fee was waived, which was nice!<br />
<br />
Overall we had a pleasant stay. We feel this is a great option if you are looking for a newer hotel in Waikiki area.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Kid-Friendly Activities</b><br />
<br />
<b>Hawaii Children's Discovery Center</b><br />
<br />
We visited the Children's Discovery Center and M had a blast. The center is like a pretend/play city. There are various stations that mimic real life: supermarket, post office, bank, car repair shop, etc. The entrance fee was $12/person, and the center has 3 floors to explore.<br />
<br />
The first floor has the main attractions/pretend city; the second floor has this really awesome Hawaiian Airlines exhibit with actual airplane seats & area for kids to play pilot and flight attendant); and the third floor has exhibits representing various countries.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Overall we had a wonderful time and highly recomend it if you are looking for a place to take young kids in Oahu.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Beach Day</b><br />
<br />
Since the Hyatt is not beachside, we walked a few blocks to access the public beach. The hotel provided free beach chairs, towels, and toys, which was very nice. We still had to carry the stuff ourselves to the beach. The hotel recommended the area in front of Duke's restaurant. We found a partially shaded area by a palm tree, but we ended up renting a beach umbrella from one of the rental shops. In hindsight, I probably would have just rented the umbrella and chairs at the beach instead of carrying from the hotel.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<b>Ala Moana Mall</b><br />
<br />
We went to the Ala Moana mall to look around. We checked out the new Shirokiya food court and the arcade games for M.<br />
<br />
<b>International Market Place - Music/Dancing Show at 6:30 PM </b><br />
<br />
The new International Market Place had just recently reopened. We love the main courtyard area where there's artificial grass, a water area, and stone seatings. They have a cultural music and dance show free to the public every night at 6:30 PM.<br />
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<img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="796" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUOy7Mjj7ynk8XHl0jIpkMQyHw4Wk0iGvPDGpO-_MJL9jSaNP_HocfujOC6fLj03biFb7JVJarsikn4cxitmPsCDXloTQETNyq22Fsf4gInG2tUEvL516hJlQxjpnSd_nqI4OeRasSAw/s640/International+Market.JPG" width="640" /></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Food in Oahu</b><br />
<br />
<b>Island Vintage Coffee</b><br />
<br />
We went here for breakfast almost every day! The location is very close to our hotel, and they open very early at 6 AM. Since we were all jet lagged and up very early, this was a nice and easy choice for us.<br />
<br />
We tried the Acai bowl, Vintage Kona Mocha, taro bagel, peanut butter & mango sandwich, and the Island style breakfast plate. <br />
<ul>
<li>Acai bowl: One of the best Acai bowls I've had. The consistency is very good, and they give LOTS of granola (at the bottom of the bowl, in the middle, and at the top). I usually order extra granola at other Acai places, but Island Vintage knows my heart and provides enough granola! :) They also put lots of honey which I love. </li>
<li>Vintage Kona Mocha: This is one of their signature drinks, it's like a Starbucks Frappucino, but with hints of coconut, macadamia, and coffee pieces!</li>
<li>Taro bagel: It looks so interesting (purple color!). The taste is very mild but still good.</li>
<li>Peanut butter & mango sandwich: An interesting twist to the PB & banana sandwich. It's a tasty, sweet sandwich for breakfast/lunch.</li>
<li>Island style breakfast plate: This was pretty good, but we were not a fan of the purple sticky rice.</li>
</ul>
<div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="796" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjit0DgIBym8trxumEVIE5lgtjhe4YrLECZdaixmWCUvS2z33OuNGK31dLS4gEXgpot0Kassqfb5vZ9OqGCjTlmfj53pZvc2jogh8MpChmQS7Y2C4WQUiiR7QmQ4V6-c-xJ8yaggql7qgo/s640/Acai.JPG" width="640" /></div>
<br />
<br />
Overall this is just a great place overall. Almost everything we had was very good. The Waikiki location is very busy. We were glad to find another location in Kapolei, across from the Aulani, so we could have more Acai bowls!<br />
<br />
<b>Island Vintage Shave Ice</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This was probably the best shave ice in Oahu. I have only tried Matsumoto's and Waiola, and I think Island Vintage beats them all! It is a bit more pricey (I paid around $9), but it's worth it. It's a small stand on the street level, below where the coffee shop is.<br />
<br />
I got the coconut and mango flavors with macadamia nut gelato and mochi. The shaved ice was super soft, and the syrup all tasted home made. I could also tell that the mochi was home made. Overall, very, very good shave ice!<br />
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<br />
<br />
<b>Yokocho Gourmet Alley</b><br />
<br />
We ate twice at this food court: The first time at <b>Tsujita Ramen</b> (same ramen place as the famous one in LA), and the second time at <b>Hannosuke </b>Hawaii.<br />
<br />
Tsuijta Ramen was good. The tsukemen is probably my favorite--very chewy noodles and unique, unlike regular ramen. The noodles come separately from the broth, so you eat by dipping it in the heavy pork broth each time.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="796" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxxfV_ADC-Z-tITtKJNBMcENZQ7ZHBANqAxuX4cuSeQV2PjD5RDucjGjFtVjz1_HiTyCGMNlvrrsNTxa637FKnrv8bS-MuwvRlmKQpUtUErejtFCct2VvNTDHeyo6HGaftNwKTwrEeQ0/s640/Ramen.JPG" width="640" /></div>
<br />
Hannosuke specializes in tempura meal sets. I got the premium tempura bowl, and Dan got the regular tempura set. The bowl includes all the tempura over rice, with a sauce already pre drizzled. The tempura set has a slight salty sauce, and the rice and sauce comes separately. I actually like the bowl as the sauce is mixed in, but Dan preferred the set. There was actually a bit of a line when we came here for dinner. The tempura was very good quality, super fresh and great consistency.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<b>Nana's Green Tea</b><br />
<br />
We were so full after the tempera meal, but I had to try this dessert place. I ended up getting the Matcha Nama Chocolate Parfait, which consisted of a layer of jelly, vanilla ice cream, corn flakes, green tea chocolate, red bean, green tea ice cream, and whipped cream. It was so, so yummy and made me feel that I was actually in Japan! It was a bit pricey ($12.85), but still very worth it.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4jbEI9FvGdbV1fA8AW1EkNQb9JCGRKBgE-a76zjVBRcX3-fzzIpIsmIOmLCNhrhfNgLWKtezPM4KKVgLdTMoUDJG407L51QhvKKkZdbDNpDB17CrOEdkAaShIaZGX7OhyfUOB7xWSOM/s640/nanas+green+tea.JPG" width="480" /></div>
<br />
<b>Marukame Udon</b><br />
<br />
This restaurant is probably the most popular restaurant in Oahu. There are 5000+ reviews on Yelp with a 4.5 star rating. This restaurant is across the street from our hotel, so we passed by it a few times, and there is always a long line of at least 20-30 people around dinner time.<br />
<br />
We went during an off hour (3 PM) and didn't have to wait in line. The restaurant was actually cafetaria/self-serve style, where you select the type of udon, and then self-serve the tempura items.<br />
<br />
The noodle consistency was good. The tempura was pretty good, however, since we didn't come during peak hours, our tempura was slightly cold.<br />
<br />
Overall I was a bit underwhelmed by the food here, and felt that the restaurant was overhyped, but we were still glad that we tried. <br />
<br />
<b>Rainbow Drive Inn</b><br />
<br />
This is the place to go for cheap, no frills, Hawaiian food. We got the mixed grill plate which consisted of beef, fried chicken, fried fish, macaroni salad, and rice. We especially liked the fried chicken and fried fish; both were very tender and the breading was tasty. We also got a side order of chili over rice which was pretty good. We tried the loco moco on our last trip, and it was excellent. The food here is very unhealthy though. :) Almost everything was fried and there's no veggie option at all. :p<br />
<br />
<b>Leonard's Malasadas</b><br />
<br />
This bakery is very, very popular; there always seems to be a line. I probably waited in line for 10-15 minutes. I ordered 2 regular malasadas and 4 with fillings (custard, chocolate, macadamia nut, and banana). I think the regular malasadas are better than the filled ones. Everything is made fresh to order, and biting into these fresh malasadas is just really wonderful.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitAtsXZOlBRbjYnkp-WcuLoF0hdGQIN5XAk8_c49WwlJ9TTGHo4vaJxjEjr97K2OFJOWqSC9RLtKD2nUXbSm2AVl5PeGDC96tfg95OfF5OHsksPMAORhShSEfQD5ybvKOcCaTpekp9aM/s640/Leonards.JPG" width="480" /></div>
<br />
<b>Musubi Iyasume</b><br />
<br />
We tried a few musubi places, and Iyasume was the best. They have various toppings like spam/avocado/egg/bacon, and I also like the other ongiris (tuna salad, chicken salad, etc). Their rice is also very good, very sticky and has nice flavor. I do think that they put a little too much rice, but it's still yummy overall.<br />
<br />
<b>Waiola Shave Ice</b><br />
<br />
I heard that this is the best shave ice in Oahu, but I would have to say that Island Vintage Shave ice is actually better. The ice at Waiola is pretty smooth, but the flavoring was just so-so. I wouldn't make a special trip here, but would stop by if I'm around the area.<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180486376981150874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-51461160133831566142017-02-25T20:22:00.004-08:002017-02-25T20:22:52.258-08:00Australia & New Zealand Cruise on the Ovation of the Seas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Introduction</b><br />
<br />
This trip came together somewhat last minute when my mom suggested that we all meet up for Christmas and do a cruise around Australia and New Zealand. I did quick research and noted that the newest ship from Royal Caribbean, the Ovation of the Seas will be sailing this itinerary. At that point, there weren't a lot of available cabins left, so I quickly asked my sisters if they would all be coming. After I got everyone's confirmation, I booked our cabins for the cruise.<br />
<br />
The cruise was a 15-night cruise, departing Sydney, with the following stops:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Sydney</li>
<li>Hobart, Tasmania</li>
<li>Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound</li>
<li>Dunedin, NZ</li>
<li>Wellington, NZ</li>
<li>Picton, NZ</li>
<li>Tauranga, NZ </li>
<li>Auckland, NZ</li>
<li>Sydney</li>
</ul>
<div>
Our family decided to disembark in Auckland instead going back to Sydney, so we would only be on the ship for 12 nights instead. I had to get special permission from Royal Caribbean, and we ended up having to still pay for the full 15 nights.</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Ovation of the Seas</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The ship is big; supposedly it's the biggest ship ever docked in New Zealand. There were around 4,500 passengers + 2,000 crew on board. There were 15 decks on the ship. We booked the cheapest balcony cabins, which had obstructed views. We were in the Forward section of the boat on deck 6, close to the elevators. The balcony was basically blocked by the tender boats, which was not bad, but the view was partially blocked by the boats.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The room size was not bad, and I liked that there was lots of storage, and we were able to store our suitcases underneath the bed. The rooms were serviced twice a day, which was nice. And every night, there were always animal towels left on our bed, along with the newsletter/activities list for the next day.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
The bathroom included a small shower, toilet, and sink. It was designed pretty well for such a small space.<br />
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiunZ-swsP2Rs_Xz_L_oUHz1AyarlsCBCFphT46zjvGJb65_mVgTYGj28I9xuD3l1BlAZ6IoKJh8t0mABBECS185vZIWBqTU6N4g4WFi23r6fYxPgkq9iDyKS4DTol2hps4yl0prGWXt3v1/s640/Ovation+-+bathroom.jpg" width="480" /> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<br />
<b><u>Food on the Ovation of the Seas</u></b><br />
<br />
American Icon & Silk are located on deck 4, and was the location for the My Time Dining reservation. I highly recommend doing reservations, even if you are doing My Time, as there are limited tables for big parties such as us (we had 12 people total). The food was okay, and towards the end we got really bored of the food variety. Service in general was pretty good and the waiters were pretty helpful. We met a lot of Indonesian waiters working on the boat and had some interesting chats with them.<br />
<br />
We bought the discounted food package while we were on board. It ended up being $115 for 5 specialty restaurants, which is actually better than paying for the upcharge individually. This package allowed us to try Jamie's Italian, Wonderland, Chops Grille, and Izumi. Since we had the package of 5, we ended up eating at Jamie's twice.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Jamie's Italian</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This was probably our best meal on the ship. The up-charge for this restaurant option is $35 per person, but we got it as part of our dining package.<br />
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<br />
<br />
We ordered the meat plank, calamari, and garlic bread for appetizers. For the mains, there were plenty of pasta options; our favorite was the truffle tagliatele! It was seriously one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had in my life.<br />
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Wonderland</b></div>
<div>
<br />
Wonderland is another specialty dining with a $50 up-charge per person. The menu was very interesting, we had to discover the secret menu by using "magic" water to paint over the menu. The restaurant design is very whimsical, even the waiters were wearing Alice in Wonderland type clothing.<br />
<br />
Food was pretty good, but it's not really true molecular gastronomy like <a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2012/06/chicago-anniversary-trip-dinner-at.html">Alinea</a>. Nevertheless, it was still a fun experience.<br />
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<b><u>Port of Calls</u></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Hobart, Tasmania</b> </div>
<br />
For each port, we booked a private tour with a local guide. This was actually, believe it or not, more economical than booking tours via the cruise ship. This was because we had 12 people in our group, so if you divide per person, doing private tour was actually not bad. The private tour ranges between 600-1200 AUD/NZD, depending on each location.<br />
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For Hobart, I booked with Island Time Tours. Rosie was the owner/guide, and she waited for us at the port. She had a slightly older, but comfortable bus with wool seating.<br />
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She took us to Bonorong Wildlife sanctuary and then to Richmond (convict town).<br />
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The Bonorong wildlife sancturary is like a zoo, but not. This is where they rehabilitate wild animals who are hurt. And if they can, they eventually release them back into the wild. We were able to get very close to kangaroos as there was a huge field with lots of them. They let us feed the kangaroos and pet them.<br />
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Afterwards we went to Richmond, which was a lovely little town where they still had a full structure jail. We went inside the women's jail and it was an interesting experience.</div>
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Afterwards, we went to the playground where the little ones played for a while!</div>
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<b>Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound</b></div>
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Originally, we were supposed to visit 3 sounds: Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound. However, due to the rough weather predictions, our stops to Doubtful Sound and Dusky Sound were cancelled. We did spend a longer time in Milford Sound, but we were not allowed to get off the boat. So it was a bit disappointing, but we understood that it was for safety reasons.</div>
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<b>Wellington, NZ</b></div>
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Our stop for Dunedin was also cancelled, which was a bummer, so we had an extra day at sea before our next stop at Wellington. By this time, we had been on board the cruise ship for 3 full days and were more than ready to get off the ship.</div>
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The weather in Wellington that day was not that nice (raining, cold, and windy!), but we were just glad to be able to dock on land. Our guide said that they had wonderful weather all throughout until we got there!</div>
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We booked with Silver Cloud Tours, and Helen and Mark were absolutely amazing! They had a Mercedez minibus for us as well as a smaller van. The vehicles were new and clean, and there were bottled waters and mints, which was a nice touch.</div>
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We did a little city tour, and then we stopped at the cable car museum and took the cable car down the hill and back up.</div>
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We had a lovely high tea at Roxy Cinema (included in the tour package), and it was yummy!</div>
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Helen also took us to a beautiful viewpoint where we took a family picture!</div>
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<b>Picton, NZ</b></div>
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Picton is one of the premier wine countries in New Zealand. We booked our tour with Sounds Connection, and because we were docked in the commercial port, we had to take a shuttle bus to downtown to meet our tour guide.</div>
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Our tour started with a drive around downtown Picton (very, very small), followed by a drive through the Charlotte Sounds, which was beautiful!</div>
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We then went to Saint Clair Winery, which was so beautiful! They had a table waiting for our wine tasting. Dan said the wines were good.</div>
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Our next stop was the Silverwood Sheep Farm. We were greeted by the owners who were very friendly. We got to feed the sheep and pet them for a little bit, and then relaxed at the art gallery. The entry fee was $20 NZD per person, but everyone had a great time!</div>
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We had lunch at the beautiful Brancott Estate. The views were just truly breathtaking! Food was really good as well.</div>
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Overall we loved our stop in Picton, and this was everyone's favorite destination.</div>
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<b>Tauranga, NZ</b><br />
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Tauranga is famous for the Hobbiton movie set tour (from Lord of the Rings). We were debating whether to do it or not, and in the end decided not to. Looking back, I wished that we would have just done it, as it is the #1 tourist attraction in New Zealand!<br />
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We ended up doing a very local city tour where we went to a Kiwi Farm, an Avocado Farm, and then a Manouka Honey shop.<br />
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The Kiwi Farm experience was interesting, as the Kiwi looked like grapevines from afar. We tasted some kiwi fruit, kiwi juice, and candies.<br />
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The avocado farm was interesting, as we actually went to our driver's own avocado farm!<br />
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Overall this was probably my least favorite tour, but at least we still got to do something. :)<br />
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<b>Auckland, NZ</b><br />
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Our last stop was Auckland, which is the biggest city in New Zealand. The funny thing is that even as the biggest city, it still felt small and quiet. It could also be because we came during the Christmas holiday, so a lot of places were closed and the downtown area was very, very quiet.<br />
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We disembarked in Auckland instead of Sydney, and had quite an interesting experience since we had to disembark with a tender boat. Our whole family had lots of luggage (with 3 kids under 3), so we were a little worried how we were going to be able to carry them to the tender boat and then carry them to the port. Thankfully it all worked out in the end!<br />
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We got pick up by our private tour and we dropped off our luggage at the Sofitel which is where we would be staying for one night. The Sofitel is a beautiful hotel, and location is pretty good (close to the Viaduct harbor and downtown).<br />
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We did the city tour, which was driving around the city and went to a couple view points. We were dropped back off around 3PM at our hotel.<br />
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<b>Summary:</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>This was our second time cruising as a big family group, and this time it was a bit harder because we had little kids. However, I still think that cruising is the way to go when you are planning a trip for a big family. It is so easy for the organizer since you don't have to worry about where to eat as the restaurants are all on board.</li>
<li>Private tours is definitely the way to go if you have a big group. It ended up being cheaper than if we had booked a big bus tour via the cruise ship!</li>
<li>If you are going to disembark earlier, make sure you get approval from the ship, but also check if you will need to use a tender ship, as that adds complexity. Also, the ship doesn't really assist you with the luggage if you are disembarking earlier, so if you have a lot of luggage but do not have enough help, maybe think twice about disembarking earlier. :)</li>
<li>Make sure to still bring a jacket (even though it's summer). The weather in New Zealand actually felt like winter most of the time, and my parents didn't bring jackets! So it's always good to at least bring one jacket.</li>
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Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-89072252278920366002017-01-26T19:05:00.002-08:002017-01-26T19:05:57.977-08:00Paris & Malta Trip<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Introduction</b><br />
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Dan had a two-week work trip to Malta, and I decided to tag along for the second half of his trip. Dan's parents were kind enough to watch M for the week. The plan was for me to fly into Paris, where Dan would meet me to spend the weekend, and then fly together to Malta.<br />
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The majority of the lodging was covered by Dan's work. We only had to find hotels for 2 nights in Paris and 3 nights in Malta.<br />
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I had always wanted to stay at the W in Paris, and they had cash & points availability for 10,000 points + 180 USD per night. For Malta, we were deciding between the Westin or the Le Meridien, but went with the Westin, which costs 12,000 points per night.<br />
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I was able to find last minute airline availability using miles, which was great, because otherwise plane tickets would have been too expensive.<br />
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<b>W Paris Opera</b><br />
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We stayed for 2 nights at the W Paris Opera. I really wanted to try this hotel and loved the location. It literally is across the street from Galleries Lafayette. The Metro station is not too far away, and it is actually in the same general area as our hotel last time, the Park Hyatt Vendome.<br />
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We booked transport from the airport using intershuttle, for 55 euro one way. The pick up was prompt, and the vehicle was clean and big. I'm glad we did this option as opposed to finding taxi at the airport. It was so much more convenient and less hassle.<br />
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The hotel allowed us to check in early around noon, which was nice. They also allowed us to do late checkout at 4 pm for our last night, which was great since we had a late night flight.<br />
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The check in area is really small and tight, and there isn't a lobby per se, but there is a seating area/cafe.<br />
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The room was a little tight and the shower setup was a little awkward. It made me feel like I was in a cruise ship shower. All the toiletries were the typical W toiletries, similar to the one in Bali. I wished the packaging was a little better, since at this price point, it looked a little cheap.<br />
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We didn't have breakfast included in the package, but it was close enough to Eric Kayser bakery where we grabbed some pastries.<br />
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<b>Paris Food & Activities</b><br />
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<b>Angelina</b><br />
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I did a little bit of shopping in the morning, and then we went to Angelina for their famous hot chocolate. It's still as good as I remembered. :)<br />
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Dan got a praline eclair but he wasn't that impressed with it.<br />
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We then went to the storefront to get some gifts for M's preschool teacher.<br />
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<b>Les Marais - La Droguerie Creperie</b><br />
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We walked around this area and found the La Droguerie creperie which is supposed to be famous. There was a small line when we started, but it grew to be quite long! We got the jambon frommage and the Nutella banana almond crepes.<br />
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We both preferred the jambon frommage, which had a crispy cheese crust.<br />
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We wanted to check out L'as du falafel for their famous falafel, which happens to be on the same street, but they were closed for Passover.<br />
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<b>Le relais de l'entrecote</b><br />
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Le relais de l'entrecote is a very famous restaurant in Paris that only has one thing on the menu: steak frites (steak & fries). During our last trip to Paris, we didn't get a chance to try this restaurant. So this time we wanted to make sure we did.<br />
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We went for dinner around 8 PM, and there was already a small line outside. We waited for around 30 minutes to get seated. The restaurant was full and lively, with the servers being all women dressed in French maid outfits.</div>
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Since there is only one thing on the menu, they only ask how you would like your steak cooked. I chose medium, and Dan chose medium well.<br />
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The meal included a small salad with walnuts, which was pretty good. It was tossed in a creamy horseradish sauce.<br />
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The steak and fries came with a generous green sauce. Dan really enjoyed his steak. They also provided a second serving. After that, we were both really full.<br />
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Afterwards we looked at the dessert menu, which surprisingly had a big selection! I thought it was funny that they had a full dessert menu but only 1 dinner menu!<br />
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Total for dinner (including a glass of wine) was 68. Each steak dish was around 21 euro, which we thought was pretty reasonable.<br />
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<b>L'avant comptoir</b><br />
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This is probably our most favorite restaurant in Paris. We actually went twice during this trip (and once last time).<br />
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This restaurant is more like a bar, standing room only, with awesome wine selection and great small dishes to share. There are pictures of each dish (the menu) hung from the ceiling, and almost everything we tried was delicious!<br />
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Our favorite dish here is the foie gras burger. It's cooked just perfect (almost raw actually), and with the foie gras the burger tasted so indulgent.<br />
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We also liked their ham croquette and fish croquette. The croquettes were so creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside!<br />
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We tried the artichoke, beef sandwich, croque Monsieur croissant, pork sandwich, and they were all fantastic.<br />
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The other star dish is the bread and the bordier butter on the side. They serve a huge blob of butter to be shared. It is massive!! And probably the best butter ever!<br />
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Outside of the restaurant, they also sell crepes to go which was also excellent!<br />
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<b>Musee D'Orsay</b><br />
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Since we were not able to go to Musee D'Orsay last time, this time we really wanted to make sure to check it out. There was a huge line when we came, and we probably waited around 30 minutes to purchase tickets and enter.<br />
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The Museum is not as big as the Louvre and much less overwhelming.<br />
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<b>Malta</b><br />
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After<b> </b>2 short nights in Paris, we flew to Malta. Dan had been there the full week prior for his first conference. We took Air Malta from Paris and went straight to our hotel.<br />
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<b>Intercontinental Malta</b><br />
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For a few days while Dan was at his conference meetings, we stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel. The location was pretty good, close to the hustle and bustle, as well as the beach. There were some shady areas close to the hotel, but I just try to walk passed it. :)<br />
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The hotel was a little bit older and outdated, but I think the location was very convenient.<br />
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<b>Westin Malta</b><br />
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Once<b> </b>Dan finished his conference, we extended our stay for a few days at the Westin Malta. The Westin was actually not that far from the Intercontinental. The overall feel of the hotel was more like a "resort", and felt more upscale. The lobby was beautiful. We felt so "relaxed" as soon as we checked in. As a comparison, the Intercontinental felt more like a business hotel.<br />
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The room was<b> </b>also a little outdated, but we had a gorgeous view of the pool & ocean, and they upgraded us to a junior suite with Dan's SPG Gold status, which was nice.<br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0h7co2V3dmm8V_i5kW_DYUZvvIDJPc3YJ4-goZJzCbRLWTEvo3XKYoeI2nbUbVbIolziKP1vAt-OxRXe6KyiazGdskroWCbyNda0wvcsjo6jKYUiOKvOnuAlXIsjO3xpuDyc2k8Od11fi/s640/Malta+westin2.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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<b>Malta Food & Activities</b><br />
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<b>Hammam Spa</b><br />
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While staying at the Intercontinental Malta, I decided to try the Hammam Spa at the Intercontinental.<br />
for the traditional Hammam. My package included the following:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Traditional Turkish Hammam Body Exfoliating</li>
<li>Traditional turkish Hammam Full Body Foam Massage</li>
<li>Hair Shampooing</li>
</ul>
<div>
I wasn't really sure what to expect, but was excited to try something new. I was introduced to my therapist, who walked me into this big marble room that felt like a steam room (but very mild steam). She then took me to a separate area where there was a marble bed where asked me to lay down. </div>
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The first step was exfoliation using this rough cloth. She then put soapy foam all over my body, and then did a little massage & shampoo, and then rinsed with warm water. It was a very interesting experience, as it felt like I was getting bathed by someone, which is not something I'm used to.</div>
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<b>Hop on hop off bus</b></div>
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Dan already did the Hop on and off bus tour during his first week in Malta, so I went by myself one afternoon.</div>
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I got picked up at the Paranga beach club, which was around a 5 minutes walk from the Intercontinental. The bus comes every 30 minutes, so I didn't have to wait too long for it. The whole end-to-end trip took around 4 hours! This was probably the longest hop on/off bus tour I'd ever been on. And that's not including getting off; this was 4 hours of just sitting.</div>
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<b>Paranga beach club</b><br />
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There was a beach club a short walk away from the Intercontinental. The ambiance reminded me of Mykonos, as you are sitting by the beach and the restaurant was decked in all white. I had dinner by myself since Dan was working, so that wasn't fun. :p<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Shopping Mall in Front of the Intercontinental</b><br />
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While<b> </b>Dan was busy working, I went to the "mall" a few times to get some items. The mall was very, very small, and they didn't have a great selection. But it was nice to walk around to kill some time.</div>
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<b>Downtown Valletta</b></div>
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We went to downtown Valetta, which is the biggest city in Malta. It is very beautiful, lots of narrow streets and old buildings. There is a nice view right by the garden & cannons overlooking Malta.</div>
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We saw a lot of tourist crowds from cruise ships during the day, and at night the whole city was almost empty once the cruise ships left!</div>
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<b>
</b><b>Mdina</b><br />
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Mdina is the "old town" , and the previous capital before Valetta. The taxi ride cost around 25 euros each way from our hotel. Mdina is much smaller and quieter compared to Valetta. We had lunch at a restaurant with great views overlooking the island.<br />
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<b>Marssaxklox market</b><br />
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This is the main fish market in Malta. On Sundays, they also have other items besides fish where the locals would come and shop (for household items).<br />
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<b>Blue grotto</b><br />
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Blue Grotto is one of the main tourist attractions in Malta. We took this small boat that fit 4-6 people, and the guide took us into a couple grottos, where the water was crystal clear and super blue! It was a little scary as there was a little bit of wind, but overall a great experience. <br />
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<b>Summary</b></div>
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Overall it was a great, quick, trip to Paris & Malta. We didn't take M with us this time, and it was a lot harder than we thought. We found ourselves talking about her all the time, and perhaps this was a little too long for us to be without her. :)</div>
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Malta is a nice destination, although I think one week for me (and 2 weeks for Dan) was perhaps a bit too long. You can probably see a lot of the things we did in a few days, so I wouldn't recommend staying for more than a few days.</div>
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I would have to stay that the people in Malta are very nice, and I felt safe. Almost everyone we met spoke English which was helpful.</div>
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Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-90167092171962128522016-04-19T20:51:00.001-07:002016-04-19T20:51:30.601-07:00Indonesia & Australia Trip<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We recently visited family over two weeks--one week in Jakarta and one week in Sydney & Melbourne.<br />
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<b>SFO - HKG - CGK on Cathay Pacific</b><br />
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We flew Cathay Pacific Airlines, this time in Economy, since we booked it somewhat last minute and were not able to find 3 seats in Business class. We knew it would be a long flight, but we also thought it would work out better in Economy as M could sleep and lie down in between us. And it would be easier to pass her back and forth.<br />
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At check-in, the agent acknowledged Dan's One World Emerald status and gave us access to the business class lounge. Unfortunately, it didn't come with an automatic upgrade as well. :p<br />
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The flight was loooong.... It took 14 hours, and M only slept partly. So we had to entertain her most of the way. Since she's older now, she's able to watch TV or iPad, which kept her occupied for a little while.<br />
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We had a short layover in Hong Kong (about 1 hour), which I thought would be enough time to relax at the lounge and shower. However, after I showered, we had to run directly to the gate as they had already started boarding! This was possibly the shortest and tightest connection ever. Thankfully we made our flight to Jakarta.<br />
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After we landed, Dan went through immigration, and he no longer needed to pay for a visa on-arrival because the purpose of the trip was personal, visiting family and not for business.<br />
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<b>Jakarta</b><br />
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The main purpose of our trip was to visit family; my parents and my sister & her family live in Jakarta.<br />
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We mainly stayed in South Jakarta where they live. Our days were filled with trips to the mall, visiting my sister's condo, and meeting up with friends.<br />
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My sister's son is around M's age, cousin L. They had so much fun playing together -- cousins really do have a special bond, and it was really neat to see them play and grow together.<br />
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M had her second ever haircut! She almost cried, but thankfully her cousin sat next to her and they showed Barney on the TV. :) Aside from the haircut, M enjoyed the many choo choo train rides at the mall.<br />
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Here are some of restaurants we ate in Jakarta:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Bebek Tepi Sawah</b>: This is a branch of the famous Bebek restaurant from Bali. It tasted very similar to the original location (minus the sawah -- rice field -- location). If you go here, you MUST order the crispy duck! I love eating it by hand, with kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) and the sambal bawang (spicy onion "sauce").</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijeSXq34xWjkCAi8BDeQxfGA6ELlLjBRJBMUO8LBgs9kKZEMUZvYjEYj3NFgsbgzY9TWFFnVpqoTjzqpMpDliGQDn6589Hi6M9CY2YFuqyVjMj2TwWeUQsrhxiwS__Ty7emrM5c6TNk2j/s640/bebek+tepi+sawah.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bebek Tepi Sawah - Fried Duck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Fook Yew</b>: This is probably one of my favorite Chinese restaurants. My family knows that Chinese is not my favorite cuisine, but I love Fook Yew, which is more Chinese fusion. My favorite dish here is the salted egg crispy corn.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Shirokuma</b>: Apparently this is a famous dessert place from Japan. We ordered the matcha cake parfait and loved it! The ice cream was not too sweet, and everything else was yummy! </li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcegfCgYWifQAU73bpS2kqfeWfXQvUZgVQtZhAshk9BJmhOzW2HJluwaERQLC5evdcHXZrAbwnsT3PddUzd2-tUdZukOJ9-qF1HdC6gBRpPVBV-Lu0qZQsB84pajqCi41aiFfEq1NkTlX/s640/shirokuma.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shirokuma Parfait</td></tr>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Esina Japanese BBQ</b>: We went here to celebrate my sister's birthday. The quality of the meat was superb, and I would highly recommend it.</li>
</ul>
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<b>Sydney</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
After one week in Jakarta, it was time to go to Sydney. We flew Qantas direct from Jakarta to Sydney (red-eye flight), and arrived early morning Sydney time. My sister and her husband picked us up after we landed, and took us to a famous breakfast place called The Grounds.<br />
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<b>The Grounds</b><br />
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The Grounds is a pretty unique restaurant. There were stands for different foods, and there was a mini-zoo with live animals. M enjoyed having a look at the animals.<br />
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We stayed at my sister's house in the Darlinghurst area, which was pretty close to the city center. There's lots of cafes & restaurants around her neighborhood, which we ended up eating at frequently. I noticed there were lots of smaller, local restaurants, but the food quality was superb.<br />
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<b>Chiswick at the Gallery, Royal Botanic Gardens</b><br />
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For lunch, we went to the Chiswick at the Gallery. The restaurant had a nice view of the water & city, and we noticed that everyone was very nicely dressed (which later turned out to be the norm in Sydney!). The restaurant is a farm-to-table concept, with bigger main dishes to share. The steak and the fish were amazing, and almost everything we ordered was very good. Food tasted fresh and perfectly cooked. We highly recommend this place.<br />
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<b>Sydney Fish Market</b><br />
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We went to the Sydney Fish Market on a Sunday. The Fish Market was actually pretty "clean." I imagined fish lying around everywhere, but they actually had a pretty nice building with lots of restaurants & markets inside. They also sold other food besides seafood (like fruits and juices!).<br />
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My favorite thing at the Sydney Fish Market was this "Japanese stall" that sold scallop aburi, which essentially was scallop on the shell with melted cheese over rice, grilled to order. There was a little bit of a line but it moved pretty quickly. I noticed that the people selling the scallops were actually Indonesian, as they were talking to each other in Indonesian! I almost said hi but I didn't. :)<br />
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Tables were all first come, first served, outside seating. We saw a lot of people ordering the chili crab, so my father asked my sister to order it for us. It turned out to be around $350 AUD! I was shocked, haha. We saw SO many people ordering, so we thought it must be somewhat affordable. I was thinking maybe $50-$60, but not $350! It's funny because almost every table ordered this dish! It was pretty good, but I think very overpriced. I still prefer the scallops. :)<br />
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We also got some coconut water on the shell, which was so refreshing and delicious.<br />
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<b>Bronte Beach</b><br />
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One afternoon, my sister rented a minivan and we drove to Bronte Beach. Originally we planned to go to the famous Bondi beach, but it was just too crowded.<br />
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The beach was beautiful, but also very crowded. The interesting part was that there's a public salt water swimming pool right next to the ocean. Apparently this was pretty common in Sydney, which I thought was cool.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pool at Bronte Beach</td></tr>
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<b>Taronga Zoo via ferry to/from Circular Quay</b><br />
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To get to Taronga Zoo, we rode a ferry boat from Circular Quay. It was a short ride (12 minutes), and the ride was beautiful--great views of the city, Opera House, and bridges. Once we got to the zoo area, we took the public bus up to the zoo entrance at the top of the hill. The zoo tickets were a bit pricey (I think around AUD$46 per person). The weather was a little warm at the time, but it wasn't too hot or humid like in Jakarta.<br />
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The zoo itself was actually quite hilly. There were some parts where it was uphill. We went straight to look for the kangaroos and koalas.<br />
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We first went to the kangaroo area. I was surprised that there wasn't actually a fence in between us and the kangaroos! I was worried that they might jump at us, hehe...<br />
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M was so excited to see the koalas, so we took her to that section. (She said koala was sleeping).<br />
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The best part of the zoo (for me), was the giraffe area. From there, we had an amazing, beautiful view of the water & city skyline behind the giraffes, so unreal!<br />
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Overall we had a nice trip to the zoo, and would definitely recommend it (especially if you have kids)!<br />
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<b>Dinner at Bennelong, inside Sydney Opera House</b><br />
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We had dinner at Bennelong, a fine dining restaurant inside the Sydney Opera House. We could tell the architecture was unique from inside the restaurant.<br />
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We were actually slightly underdressed, but we called in advance and they said we did not need to dine with formal attire.<br />
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Food was a bit on the expensive side, served fine dining style. Taste-wise, it was just okay, but we were really paying for the experience.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bennelong</td></tr>
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<b>Westfield Sydney</b><br />
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Another day, we spent around the downtown area, specifically at Westfield Sydney. There's a lot of shopping malls around, and some areas were no car zones, which was nice.<br />
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We met up with friends of ours who moved from the US and now lives in Sydney. It was good to catch up with them over lunch at Chat Thai (which served excellent Thai food!).<br />
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I was fairly impressed at the food selection on the 5th floor of the Westfield Sydney. They had Tim Ho Wan, Din Tai Fung, and Ippudo on the same floor! These are all highly coveted restaurants that usually have super long waits at other locations in the world. I was able to buy the famous pork bun at Tim Ho Wan Sydney for no wait! :)<br />
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<b>The Powerhouse Museum</b><br />
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I read about the Wiggles museum in Sydney, and thought it would be nice to take M there since she enjoys Wiggles' songs. It turned out the place was called the Powerhouse Museum, and they had a Wiggles exhibit.<br />
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We took a taxi from the Westfield to the museum, which was not too far from downtown. The Wiggles area was not overly huge, but it was nice enough. There was the big red car that M thoroughly enjoyed and asked to ride over and over again. They also had a "fruit salad" section where kids could cut toy fruit and mix them in a bowl.<br />
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<b>Babyccinos</b><br />
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The one unique thing in Australia that we have not found in the US is Babyccino!<br />
One day, my sister bought M a babyccino, and we had no idea what it is. We soon discovered almost all cafes in Australia serve frothed milk, served in a mini cup for kids. How genius! They were usually free or cost very little.<br />
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M LOVED sipping on her babyccino, and asked for it every time. :)<br />
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<b>Melbourne</b><br />
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After Sydney, we went to visit Melbourne for 2 nights. Both my sisters previously lived and went to school in Melbourne. I had visited once before as well and remembered it as a beautiful city. We really didn't have much time in Melbourne, so we spent the majority of the time around the main city area.<br />
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<b>Olsen Hotel, South Yarra</b><br />
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My sister booked a 2 bedroom suite at the Olsen Hotel in South Yarra. The South Yarra area appeared upscale and very nice, but was quite a bit away from the city. The hotel itself was pretty nice with modern decor, although we had a small incident where housekeeping didn't clean our room very well. They ended up comping us free breakfast, which was appreciated.<br />
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<b>David Jones Food Hall</b><br />
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We went to the David Jones store, downstairs to the food hall area. It reminded me very much of Harrod's food hall in London. There's plenty of ready made food options. I tried some chicken katsu roll, which was actually pretty good. Their fruit selections were very good as well.<br />
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<b>Mekong Vietnamese Restaurant</b><br />
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After the food hall, we went to Mekong Vietnamese restaurant, which is very famous in the city. I saw pictures of many famous people, including Bill Clinton who apparently had 2 bowls of soup here. :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pho at Mekong</td></tr>
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<b>Travel back to SFO</b><br />
<br />
We flew Qantas from Melbourne to Sydney to SFO. At our layover in Sydney, we were able to go to the first class Qantas lounge, which was really nice! We originally thought that maybe we could get in to the business class lounge. Dan's One World Emerald status allowed us access to the first class lounge, which we of course happily obliged. :)<br />
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This lounge was probably the nicest one we have ever been to. The area was very clean, bright, and spacious, with views of the runway & airplanes. There was a full service, sit down restaurant. Dan ordered a sandwich and chicken fingers for M. We also ordered ice cream for M's dessert.<br />
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I was also able to book a quick 20 minute spa appointment. They actually had a full spa with individual treatment rooms, which was pretty crazy! The treatment was really wonderful. I wish we could travel like this more often!<br />
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The flight itself was around 13-14 hours long, but the timing of it was perfect. The flight departed at 3 PM. M actually took a little nap early on, then woke up for a few hours, then slept the whole rest of the way back to SFO! So Dan and I actually got some rest and watched movies. I ended up watching 2 full seasons of the Silicon Valley TV show during this flight.<br />
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<b>Summary & Tips:</b><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>If you are not planning on renting a car, you may not need to bring a car seat! We actually brought a car seat for M from Indonesia to Australia, which turned out to not be needed. A car seat is required in a regular car (or regular Uber). But we were exempt from using a car seat if we took a regular taxi. We ended up taking taxi everywhere, so the car seat was not needed.</li>
<li>Before ordering food at restaurants, check to confirm before ordering. :) There were a couple times where I thought I knew what I ordered and the actual food that came was something different. For example, I ordered a fish burger (which I thought would be a fish burger!). What came was a fish fillet, cooked steamed, served with vegetables. Another time I ordered a sausage roll, and what came was ground beef with sliced potatoes. Very interesting right?</li>
</ul>
<br />
We really enjoyed our time in Indonesia and Australia. It was nice to be able to visit both places to break our trip up. We actually liked Australia more than we thought we would. It had the familiarity of the US (and the cleanliness), though it still felt like a different country with its own uniqueness. Australia was also very kid friendly!<br />
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Until next time!<br />
<br /></div>
dyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09366489311559442431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-81744087094697097722015-11-30T20:54:00.001-08:002015-11-30T20:54:50.084-08:00Disneyland Trip<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We wanted to take M to visit Disneyland, and so we marked one weekend in early November. I thought that would be a good time to visit, before the Thanksgiving/Christmas rush. But this turned out to not be true as the resort was fully packed!<br />
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<b>Sheraton Garden Grove</b><br />
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We used SPG points to stay at the Sheraton Garden Grove, which was pretty close by. The hotel was a little older, and having last stayed at the Four Seasons Punta Mita, I could definitely tell the difference. :) But hey, it was free so can't complain much.<br />
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Dan got "upgraded" to the SPG club floor which included lounge access for breakfast/snacks and early evening hors d'oeuvres, which was nice.<br />
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The room itself was a bit small, but the King size bed was definitely big enough.<br />
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Bathroom was basic but clean.</div>
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M kept asking for Kids Club (again because of our last trip to Punta Mita), but this didn't have one. :p<br />
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<b>Disneyland</b><br />
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We had lots of fun at Disneyland! We tried to find "Discounted" tickets, but it was really hard for single day tickets. We ended up purchasing at full price online. We only did Disneyland and not California Adventure since we only did one day and knew a lot of the rides at California Adventure were probably for older kids.<br />
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Our friend told us to come early in the morning and do all the rides, since it gets crowded after lunch time. The park opened at 8 AM, and we came around 7:30 AM to park and shuttle to the entrance. They actually let us to Main Street, but not beyond. From 7-8 AM, only Disneyland hotel guests could enter early for the extra magic hour. Exactly at 8 AM we were allowed in and did a lot of rides:</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Mr. Toad - a little too scary for M</li>
<li>Alice in Wonderland - also too scary for her :)</li>
<li>Teacup - she loved the teacups!</li>
<li>Dumbo - she loved this, too</li>
<li>Jr. Circus train - she liked this one</li>
</ul>
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Then we head over to Toontown and to check out:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Minnie's house: There was a small line to enter Minnie's house because Minnie was actually inside. M actually cried when it came time to take a picture with Minnie. :p</li>
<li>Toontown playground: She had lots of fun at the playground</li>
<li>Roger Rabbit ride - this was ok. She liked the steering wheel.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Afterwards we did:</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>It's a Small World: This was probably her most favorite ride. They had all the holiday decorations up and the songs were a medley between Jingle Bells & It's a Small World.</li>
<li>Princess meet & greet: We waited probably 10 minutes and got to meet and take pictures with three princesses: Snow White, Cinderella, and Belle.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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Just before lunch time, we noticed the crowds started to get bigger and bigger! M took a nap and after lunch & nap, we could only fit a few more rides since it was already really crowded.</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIOkeNf4_peWfx2Y7IG7xXwFkva-AU7bnhk5ChDaVELXIw2-kBHGvdaKNmdCCDkqI_gHiRABlZWPgYQcKmrJ3_UDp9s1QharAPD9hjnMZq4oDK3oDCKUC6Wi9rr0NGYhV2HpWkKkDIzoGl/s640/001%252821%2529.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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We did the following activities after lunch:</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Carrousel</li>
<li>Disneyland Train</li>
<li>Autopia</li>
<li>Winnie the Pooh</li>
<li>Watched Mickey's Soundsational Parade</li>
</ul>
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After the parade we were pretty tired so decided it was time to go to dinner. M didn't want to leave, but we told her we could come back another time.</div>
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<b>Food in Orange County</b></div>
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<b>Halal Guys</b></div>
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I had always wanted to try this, so when I heard that they recently opened in Orange County, we made sure to stop by right after we arrived at the airport.</div>
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We went around noon and waited for 25 minutes. I got the small chicken rice and Dan got the regular combo over rice. The small size was actually very filling and definitely enough for me.</div>
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<div>
This was my first time trying it and I thought it was definitely yummy. The combination of the seasoned rice with chicken, crispy lettuce, tomatoes, and the creamy white sauce was very comforting. The red spicy sauce was actually VERY spicy, so I would recommend just getting it on the side.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjjIz5URS7KFvZOyk4ZOnjldjQJFMHtM_S3FgtuipaE3Y9Wnpe1p054zFZiNihGM1msQVcYTZmqtf-4jRz6NJQ55K1-XTJBm6bhWK5Kn1DO3cjSHaQL10QXaCU5fLJeyLRUlQ9be7OrRW/s640/001%25288%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halal Guys Chicken Rice</td></tr>
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<b>Brodard</b><br />
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For dinner we went to Brodard, since I've always wanted to try their Nem Nuong. We went pretty early for dinner to avoid the crowds and were seated immediately.<br />
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We ordered the Nem Nuong and a rice dish to share. I was so excited to try the Nem Nuong, but was quite disappointed. It was pretty good, but it didn't compare to the one in Sacramento that we love so much.<br />
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<b>Kanghodong Baekjong - Buena Park</b></div>
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Everytime we go to LA, we make sure to save room for Korean BBQ, as they have the best spots!<br />
The newest one that is really good is Kanghodong Baekjong. Last year I went with my sister to the one in K-town LA, and it was really good. They just opened a branch in Buena Park, and Dan wanted to try.<br />
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We got the small beef combo to share which included Chadol, Ribeye steak, and Galbi, and they were all soo good! We could tell the meat quality was superb.<br />
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<b>Bruxie</b> </div>
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For Brunch the next day, we went to Bruxie in Orange for their waffle sandwich. We shared the fried chicken, prosciutto & gruyere, and the seasonal creme brulee sandwiches. Everything was very tasty!</div>
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5z17-7mlZSk83yy_HF50_Z8y451bDl1lU0vVZMR8NdBC3Ugyr4xQbhyphenhyphenhwSAyG5OYzk2-URpjSqRjhFeC2nfforgrnwnU58-IE1Fag131TbV3N4bECeFGC_MqayBBR_lntmODa01-LG07v/s640/001%252859%2529.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<b>Popbar at Anaheim Packing District</b></div>
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After Bruxie, we headed over to the Anaheim Packing District. I had always wanted to check it out. It's a really cute warehouse that they converted into a high end food court. It reminded me a little bit of the ferry building in San Francisco, but smaller scale.</div>
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I went to Popbar and got a customized ice cream!</div>
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<b>Summary:</b></div>
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We had a fun time at Disneyland and would love to come again maybe next year.</div>
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Our recommendation is to come early and do as much rides as you can in the morning, as the crowds gets pretty big at around lunch time! If you can stay at the Disneyland hotel and get that extra magic hour, you can even fit in more rides. :)</div>
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Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-37466212575506972322015-11-17T11:27:00.000-08:002015-11-17T11:27:04.216-08:00Trip Summary Punta Mita: St. Regis vs. Four Seasons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">This is a continuation of our Punta Mita trip. You can find the full trip itinerary <a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/09/punta-mita-trip-introduction.html" style="color: #248cc9; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</i><br />
<br />
I had this question on my mind before going to Punta Mita on where to stay: the Four Seasons or St. Regis. Since we got to stay at both, I'm going to do a somewhat detailed comparison of the two resorts:<br />
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<div>
<b>Room</b><br />
<br />
The St. Regis' room was definitely better than the Four Seasons. The room size was larger, and I loved the decor. Everything felt newer at the St. Regis, and it had the beautiful tub with indoor & outdoor shower.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Pool</b><br />
<br />
Even though the St. Regis had beautiful pools, we loved the lazy river pool at the Four Seasons -- so if we had to choose, the Four Seasons wins this category. :)<br />
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<div>
<b>Service</b><br />
<br />
Both resorts provided really good service. The Four Seasons service was a tad better/more personalized, so they win this category.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Food</b></div>
<div>
<br />
Food at the Four Seasons was actually slightly better than the St. Regis. Breakfast was comparable (although FS had the smoothie bar!), but in general, we both felt that the food was better at FS.<br />
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<div>
<b>Transportation</b><br />
<br />
Both hotels had contracted taxi service. We felt that the taxi vehicles at the St. Regis were nicer (more SUVs), versus FS which was more like minivans.<br />
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The only thing was car service at the St. Regis was charged separately, whereas FS billed it to our room, which was much more convenient.<br />
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<b>Kids Activities</b><br />
<br />
Both hotels had Kids Club rooms with toys, books, arts and crafts and other play things for kids. The St. Regis Kids Club room felt a little worn down and even the toys too. FS was much nicer, cleaner, and right by the lazy river. St. Regis set up an arts and crafts area by the kids' water fountain play area in the morning, which was really nice.<br />
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<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
If we were given a choice to pick only one, we probably would go with the St. Regis. But I would say it is pretty close, and we would be happy to go back to either resort!<br />
<br />
Price wise, it was somewhat comparable to Hawaii -- probably because both the Four Seasons and St. Regis were on the higher end.<br />
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We felt pretty safe in general, and this being our second trip to Mexico, we knew what to expect.<br />
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Overall we had a great time in Punta Mita. It's definitely a great destination, not to far from the US West Coast! We loved how the flight was not too long (3.5 hours), and both resorts were family friendly.</div>
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Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-14787967289905901522015-09-18T20:33:00.000-07:002015-09-20T19:45:38.383-07:00Four Seasons Punta Mita<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">This is a continuation of our Punta Mita trip. You can find the full trip itinerary <a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/09/punta-mita-trip-introduction.html" style="color: #248cc9; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></i>
After two wonderful nights at the St. Regis, it was time to move to the next property, the Four Seasons Punta Mita. We were both very excited, as we had never stayed at a Four Seasons before and had heard a lot of wonderful things about their personalized service.<br />
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We took a taxi to the Four Seasons, which was located inside the same gated community. It was maybe a 5-7 minute drive from the St. Regis.<br />
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My first impression was that the property was noticeably older than the St. Regis. The lobby area felt more like a typical hotel lobby.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcnZoOqGvpMbIHk2k5VLDxwU2GIewmt1uMs_h-AsuHQulqyrk038oA8twX_XRU4W431aKTEKZqKi2i6P4mXrZSUySdxmeI0EqEPrqQOGkh7thxbY11i2seDdvGb5204Qjfcjp9QrrMDH2/s1600/IMG_2979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcnZoOqGvpMbIHk2k5VLDxwU2GIewmt1uMs_h-AsuHQulqyrk038oA8twX_XRU4W431aKTEKZqKi2i6P4mXrZSUySdxmeI0EqEPrqQOGkh7thxbY11i2seDdvGb5204Qjfcjp9QrrMDH2/s640/IMG_2979.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Four Seasons Punta Mita lobby</td></tr>
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We were welcomed by name with a cold towel and then escorted to sit down in the seating area. We were given a juice welcome drink, and M also got one in a plastic cup. They also welcomed M by her name (they had asked for names when we made our reservations). It was a really nice personalized touch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSFrx3TUtpAEYfp_Rfm0kOBU8O_dVzQbz400NWn4JkZgN1Fb7JuDzz0pW7xNMOGS4D46p-eqMjbUhSHBV9y0wPXw2kxsjNM3s6WFiuzOyE2xJpJXSE-OoMQmmdVcEa9UJZnAueqQMQp-h/s640/IMG_2977.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toasting to part 2 of our Punta Mita vacation</td></tr>
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Similar to the St. Regis, they transported us to our room in a golf cart. Our driver/host was very nice, and throughout our stay he always addressed us by our name every time he saw us. He mentioned that we could call for a ride 24/7, and so we actually did quite often. The hot and humid weather was a little too much sometimes, and the property was actually quite big. Our room was in the Iguana building, which was a bit further away from the lobby and restaurants, so getting rides on the golf cart was pretty helpful.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6OSG3h3-stv2h1dDsKZKSL1Ibt11Z214Rvo7lClxrB2OL-Y_A4cTXBg5P6GzM3g7bOWMJIzS8wzghVzLm8h0br3rhYl0s9DemyUv-ZwReykI-iNFvGyKTOi_qPB7Lg7dk1V7R7v6k_K4/s640/IMG_3080.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golf cart to take you around the property</td></tr>
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The Iguana building was located next to the Kids Club and the entrance to the lazy river, which was super convenient. However, as I mentioned, it was a bit further away from the main lobby. But we did like the fact that it was very close to activities for kids.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUZB2JoR0Rp3sfHXtvJlmTTm-sXSyJPKP-agPboMv0CMHlm1Aqh0bI4dz2GU3ZGOWk_7CkGrro3IENdcek6PumZhp_v4bwVwq5D3VOVvPsCneHmQLPEtGJ-rNtQe3G-eyV8eWkfbg0hyQ/s640/IMG_3063.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iguana building</td></tr>
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One thing to note was that each building had its own laundry room--washer & dryer machines with detergent. We took advantage of that to do two small loads of laundry.<br />
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<b>Room</b><br />
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The room was a good size, but coming from the St. Regis, it did feel smaller. It's basically a regular hotel room size, whereas the St. Regis was definitely larger.<br />
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We also noticed that the bed was smaller than at the St. Regis. The decor was a little bit older, but everything was in good condition and clean.<br />
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The hotel provided a very nice welcome gift for M, which included both regular and swim diapers, wipes, baby bath set, turtle stuffed animal, and foam letters that spelled M's name. She also got a welcome snack basket--chocolate milk, cookies, and jellies which she loved.<br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQfqabT9DgLnVVgJ-o3HlLjNtfNvaWOerZHJx-z7nXqd84_0k0UK87UqDMdKhEmRKWF3FDgHw10ItNoJH07l1OhZBA8USleDiQLEf-W1RzMKT1BgUeNt6LkwCTS7MqLdKBqfELkiY_Eq_N/s640/IMG_2981.JPG" width="640" /><br />
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The grounds around the property were very lush, as you can see in the view from our balcony. Our room was the garden view, the entry room category. We did have a small peekaboo ocean view. We didn't use the balcony much though as it was so hot out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXDVphq8cwTf3N9-Ve6uAH-yMQszH5KqrYfOR7WV5wjKm8J3aDbuWTHxHaPMtzwD7SQkPU2BFeh5386WOdo3qeFBLW5R1KINKYG-QnybTJ5sLiErUDDgDVYnLeSWeWf9UL7jSMA-VoaT1C/s640/IMG_2980.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seating area & balcony</td></tr>
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The bathroom area also looked a bit dated, but also in good condition and clean. There's a shower area, a tub, and dual sinks. The bathroom amenities were L'occitane brand which was nice, and they even provided after sun healing balm.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmjovjZm2bdLdH06rEGlRiVGXe4_hXm-pUk8ZDK949rQel06-inCjZYEoTWt9UlkjJ3olDewpk1AIzBPvmkcZ0JsnSV032vOENgASeLPpYxueZ5SqZTEhMHsPczEcfe6RlZsWrbURbB_V/s640/IMG_3077.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bathroom</td></tr>
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<b>Food at the Four Seasons Punta Mita</b></div>
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<b>Ketsi</b></div>
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Breakfast was included in our Travelzoo package (which would otherwise cost around $100 for 2 people). Breakfast was at Ketsi restaurant, the open air restaurant near the lobby. The view from the restaurant was nice, although we typically did not sit near the edges because there were a few birds who were pretty aggressive. Even for breakfast, I saw on a couple occasions the birds eat off the buffet table!</div>
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The breakfast spread was pretty good. There's the typical egg station, pancake/waffle/french toast, bacon/sausage, cereal, fruits, pastries, etc. The one unique thing that the Four Seasons had was a fresh juice and smoothie bar. I always got the smoothie of the day which was always delicious. My favorite was the banana/peanut butter/soy milk smoothie!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBb9GT3tlGYu3o0LFR5KZtN968hkY4I4O038zwztnTMYpRQbeDxrE0m_3AvYOMlVH0g31QRWIUC2ZDU85cZ9ZTasTjG_7uDTemFldABCQ2Lknn5HrLfu4jW1XzDRTotA91P94sycwRYY1V/s640/IMG_2985.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ketsi</td></tr>
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Service at Ketsi was typically pretty good. They were very accommodating of M. In addition to bringing a high chair, they always provided her with a set of Hello Kitty utensils, a bib (which she never wanted to wear), and a sippy cup with milk.<br />
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They had a pretty good selection for kids meals that we usually took advantage for M. One thing to note at the Four Seasons, kids under 5 eat for free. We didn't know at first but soon were explained this wonderful benefit by one of the servers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_se-4c-ya761wo0Xd5qsaJRCojHJ3EovVBBdqzussC94gu6_knHlllclttDITkKYFKyErE1GEuiK0PRSHOa0fK6raQz2cFcGdVmnCT3b3FAg7xjoT9tmLR4J4rvA0flkF4nbjgYqaAPUh/s640/IMG_2987.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Ketsi Restaurant</td></tr>
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<b>Bahia</b><br />
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For our first night's dinner, we went to Bahia, located by the beach at the Four Seasons. The food was mostly grilled. We ordered the skirt steak and grilled octopus, and both were wonderful! The skirt steak was very tender, as was the octopus!<br />
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Again, M's food was completely comped, which was nice!<br />
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I believe that dinner for us cost roughly $70 USD.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeRuvCeqbtFT8bJlXxRamNcNcHbfw_4Gt5Odijc31wCbmAd2XlPychAA1HUDVBg4sF5SuFmWZAGzca8mfb4tICEQjmUqtPdqYQO33WHGlCqrs5WVla6l9qsJMNRA6y63y60WaS9bW591DN/s640/IMG_2999.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bahia</td></tr>
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Another onsite restaurant was Aramara, but it was closed during the nights we stayed there.</div>
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<b>Kids Club</b></div>
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The Kids Club at the Four Seasons was definitely much better than the one at St. Regis. It was more adequately staffed, and the toys seemed to be in much better condition. They also had planned activities for older kids. Since M was still young, one of us stayed with her whenever we went.<br />
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They also had an option to hire a baby sitter if you wanted to. I believe they cost $17/hour with a 2-hour minimum. During my stay there I saw a couple kids with the baby sitters, so the parents could enjoy some adult time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPeOyzopM36ZA46_NDzd4TZ7rSMs4F07p_qysTJYei41fUO8rHlguZbml08qneprrKwiq0ObI8FKMFPIFAMgQOeBOk34Cc6ZXF9LuoDTVbjQ1XKzVZmp9Apjp5JOhIlgrjuWnsHFdXY_q/s640/IMG_3019.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids Club</td></tr>
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We could also order food for the children that would then be charged as room service. I ordered lunch for M one time, and again it was comped!<br />
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<b>Pools</b><br />
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One of our most favorite part of the Four Seasons Punta Mita was definitely the lazy river! They had inner tubes and noodles available to float on which was nice. This pool was sooo relaxing and unique. Dan and I would take turns watching M while the other floating around for a lap and then switch off :)<br />
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Service at the pool was generally pretty good. They always brought a small cooler with iced water bottles (free), and we could always order food in addition.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53g1SHrAyZzg8fl4BnyFkMKHLzH3ZiANt9xwLBcZarg_DOVlFu1rlYX5r9fcGi3StJRX7vlZZrAAiolydYdoJMwBOydZoK1K2KJWhhscvbE9sAjji-NEKcST4hPyRDnkMeRjtgcsc3dEH/s1600/IMG_3032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53g1SHrAyZzg8fl4BnyFkMKHLzH3ZiANt9xwLBcZarg_DOVlFu1rlYX5r9fcGi3StJRX7vlZZrAAiolydYdoJMwBOydZoK1K2KJWhhscvbE9sAjji-NEKcST4hPyRDnkMeRjtgcsc3dEH/s640/IMG_3032.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lazy River</td></tr>
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The main family pool was located near Ketsi, and was just breathtaking. See the picture below that I took on my iPhone!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62o7KmLDbfY8UABjDWgujmgd7l9_kUViR1eCS8UKxvL7iLuQbkWpH5bxhfpatcUv5g3m6qXsjHjlc01wdoBSQJcp8pRAa7MP9BxGkrjzipiX3Xc-Zx4xv-yT9wi4JklEbcoCrXh4SCOTj/s640/IMG_3056.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main Pool</td></tr>
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There's also a separate adult only pool which was very private and quiet, but I didn't think it was as nice because there weren't any ocean views, and it's not by the beach.<br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGnNEt5RIzyNVMiCZdLrbjO0ZDYqrvJDn3yxTbC5dzSwGMidQScSGu-ng4p9VX4fF2of8HWFGX2xOOATZaumhnoZCGuiwZsp2oDOm1hUVoEvlTBkrkFRr-GCBfnUgC0ic1CbTCGrIfeMkZ/s640/IMG_3060.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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One standard item at each pool was the "sunblock" station where they had multiple types of sunblock to choose from! I also noticed that the restrooms were air conditioned, which was really nice as the temperature was just too hot otherwise.</div>
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SJ8aiOjjLjR3XCi8i3Q7PoCfbRyCmI24-nnINbllH8CDh0ik98Ap68DebyNHJb1LUfflA5NqwBWOS3St40WsPSEVwgYuW4kl4Sde68HRkwJZ4gK1wo79_xsCEx39lL__XsuOXSH8DZNQ/s640/IMG_3061.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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Every few hours, the staff would bring free little "treats" around. I think we got small smoothies, fruit, and other cold drinks.</div>
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<b>Beach Area</b></div>
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We planned on spending a day at the on-site beach, but ended up only staying maybe 20 minutes. It was just too hot!! We ended up going back to the pool to cool off. :)</div>
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M had a great time though. They had free sand toys for kids to use so she had a blast.</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ozYWDVMVPrIxkkmhlVOYFnd6jfsqV94d2r7OGzYANwJj0LD5sCmMNc7j1SwNBMqVmBayUb9evhfwoFsSDhjowSS6UXOWYd6LOxg6VySAUfJsy3VUtAI_TWsNt_tGXfZzFPUQVvXoE_aY/s640/IMG_3064.JPG" width="480" /></div>
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<b>Summary</b></div>
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We were glad to finally try a Four Seasons resort after hearing so much about it. Service in general was a little better/more personalized than the St. Regis.</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>We loved the lazy river pool; it's so unique!</li>
<li>Similar to the St. Regis, water was very available and free everywhere! So no need to make a stop to buy water outside before staying at the resort.</li>
<li>Overall the resort was a little bit older and could have probably used some updates (note: during the time of our stay, they were doing some construction work near the lazy river, so maybe the resort was getting some much needed renovation!)</li>
<li>The resort provided "free" activities around the resort, such as nature walk, Spanish class, history lesson, etc. We didn't take advantage of it, but there seems to be quite a few options every day.</li>
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Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-74059978368781533862015-09-16T22:44:00.001-07:002015-09-16T22:44:40.362-07:00St Regis Punta Mita<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">This is a continuation of our Punta Mita trip. You can find the full trip itinerary <a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/09/punta-mita-trip-introduction.html" style="color: #248cc9; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"> </span><br />
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We flew to Punta Mita via Alaska Airlines. Even in economy, I felt that the leg room was pretty good. We ordered some in-flight food--chicken banh mi sandwich and the cheese plate--and the sandwich was probably the most delicious paid economy in-flight food we've had! It was warm and so delish! The sandwich cost $7, and we thought it was pretty fair definitely worth it for airplane food.<br />
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M did pretty well on the flight; she played with her new sticker book and was also on the iPad a lot. :) She also took her afternoon nap during the 3.5 hour flight.<br />
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<b>Airport transfer to St. Regis Punta Mita</b><br />
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We pre-booked transportation from the airport to the St. Regis which cost 1700 pesos (around $120 USD) one way. I figured it was a safe option, so we didn't have to deal with looking for taxi when we arrived. It was definitely a great option as they were waiting for us, had an umbrella ready (it was raining), and even allowed us to make a stop at Walmart to buy water and snacks. The driver was also very professional, dressed in uniform, and spoke good English. I definitely highly recommend considering this option.<br />
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I also requested a car seat for M which they had ready (although the quality seemed a bit questionable and also looked quite old :p), but it was still nice to at least have it included.<br />
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The drive took around 45 minutes. Punta Mita was actually located inside a gated community, they checked for our name before letting us in, so it did feel somewhat safe. The whole complex looked very manicured and upscale.<br />
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<b>Check In</b></div>
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<b><br /></b>We arrived at the resort and were welcomed in the reception area. As is common in other St. Regis hotels, there was not a check-in desk. In this case we were welcomed with a cold hand towel to cool down and a drink choice of either iced tea or margarita. The host directed us and provided our stay information in the open air lobby/seating area. Afterwards we were whisked to our room via a golf cart.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DlEOPq-HFEcohb0CmNMbdoBuAwfceRcVPhsK8Wb0kaSmxTzYvIs7A7OFv9SwolZNWet63gAY7wJUCBeTanEabioGv4LQHLqyilZCSlUx1J6M4YdUz6Tkm7Y3K3j7FhNwPtfPBez0fWGn/s640/IMG_2973.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Regis open reception area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The welcome area/lobby was beautiful with views of the ocean. We really felt like we were on vacation as soon as we arrived!<br />
<br />
<div>
<b>Room</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Our building was next to the kids swimming pool, and not too far from the lobby, which was nice. The room was a good size; to me it felt almost like a suite. There's a small foyer area as soon as we walked in.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpA8SLwYk1jldlkQJPGMnzsn6RkGk1G6xNnwZRefv4bBBRCMalbTTEkYx4hR-IwS0_sD_k9FRZ5BmL-0ep8gAN-4JozZWjqznex9MEE114TbLyRQ4L6IULNYuagrVG0o0vcK726gDnq74b/s640/IMG_2883.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foyer area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
To the right was the bedroom area with small desk and TV, as well as a lanai with garden view and a peekaboo ocean view.</div>
<div>
<br />
<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxAU7P6gWnaSjUE7rPtJmJS4rPnqexItp7uQpq_wL19ca2c8qLL_LhNxuc245A1SG4S3AAIqiBVIisor-pIVvysC3hIrodZ4ij71HF8R4fTlgdlGmoCWnc5-f5du9MU83DnFUaIhxnowg/s640/IMG_2881.JPG" width="640" /><br />
<br />
To the left of the foyer was the huge bathroom with dual sinks, a bathtub and indoor + outdoor shower areas.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspXZYppciEQptuC7de7ZpnsTnG9RS52Di8jYCnAkTM3sfEWJ9l4LQsMB0G9jF6GEClQ7m1AchNkq19SVc4A6q_qGaCW6y5YuuLPiBUUlBaX4q08lo43mHrOvDAJq5z_lHKLxTg_UTTy0o/s640/IMG_2884.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shower & bath tub</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffunw_UTa-4gW5ZS52ukSbM6XZYHGgPbgiqP2X13BiQMyHNEeCFsJYOyJf_xu2_CbqNXIhsjixYq42-Ka8T9wsa0uDk3dc_jf0S7AlQG6SYJFlL7jdPlLMVYTjwty9C0zF3zS0jpaoC-r/s640/IMG_2885.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double sink</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The room was in good condition and did not look worn down. The resort is still somewhat new. (I think 7-8 years old?)</div>
<div>
<br />
We got a welcome voicemail message from our butler but didn't really use much of his services during our stay. I almost considered calling them for the complimentary tea service and free garment pressing, but ended up not doing it.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1PSwXNQtJDy2wafOyeKpSotlyZ5uspMnB0MDNtOXnywss6A2ykgaU0pdKpRt4NDOeko7k2JtF0bY7JyAlobpVBedNy49bgTtP2zt73JBRkSxwP1jUrK94qbrc2HQD9eFr_NMp4_Eipts/s640/IMG_2886.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lanai/balcony area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We really loved the room, and it felt bigger than just a room, more like a mini-suite or bungalow.<br />
<br />
<div>
<b>Pools and Kids Activities</b></div>
<div>
<br />
There were several pools around the property. We went to the family pool which was right by the beach. They had some floaties for the kids available in the pool, which was nice. The pool was a good size, but there was hardly any shade. We came in September which was one of the hottest months, so it was too bad that there's not much shade around the pool.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8nMezsJsEO9BLX_mtTAnTEv6hKwPSYe5UPG-4iHPtylFjxb2uLxQ4VRePmYQ15hxIeVcELsyrOEbueFhaJJIbP3QaXvrhlehkkPQsA-Yk0eI4qLU-NTd1Dxg47G-2UXEP_whQHZ_dQspd/s640/IMG_2903.JPG" width="640" /></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Right by the pool, there's a kiddy fountain play area which M loved! They also had sand toys available, and she had a blast. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUCrAxwzaNSs0WA8ejUtT_VZjlAhjmgKz4X3taht5eHlFVABmZZpjpf5zngjCPBmehzbjVoCnTTvGzmDPlTesVAWasME-YWc12pdr_OOlzzjxGrff39kBo0RMGvZmqEUJuEwWD-tcAH2h/s640/IMG_2924.JPG" width="640" /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Nearby they also had a small kids table setup for morning activities. M did water painting on ceramics, and she really enjoyed it. I really felt that the resort really tried to cater to kids and families, which was great for us.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Kids Club</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b>Another one of M's favorite was the Kids Club. It was actually located on the other end of the resort, near the spa and gym area. The kids club was actually a bit run down, which was a bit surprising for the St. Regis. There were not that many toys, and even the ones that were available looked very used and old. Nevertheless, M still had a blast. She got introduced to play doh and she loved it so much. When it was time to return to our room she didn't want to go, the attendant allowed us to take one play doh to the room, which was a nice gesture.</div>
<div>
<br />
<b>Food at the St Regis Punta Mita</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b>For our first night, it was raining really hard so we ended up ordering room service. We shared a pasta dish and <span style="background-color: white;">chicken nachos</span>. They were both pretty good.</div>
<div>
<br />
We added the breakfast package for our stay (I emailed the concierge in advance). The cost was $20 USD per person plus taxes and service charge. I highly recommend this option as breakfast would have cost double that if not already included in the room rate. The breakfast buffet was at Sea Breeze restaurant, which had indoor and outdoor seating. We always sat inside (air conditioned) to keep cool.</div>
<div>
<br />
The breakfast spread was pretty standard: baked pastries, hot food (pancake/French toast/egg/bacon/sausage), cold station (cheese, smoked salmon), yogurt, milk, cereal, fruit, egg station and a quesadilla station. Overall food quality was pretty good, although it's probably not on the top of our favorite breakfast list.<br />
<br />
One thing to note: Breakfast was actually served until noon. So we could have had a later breakfast, skipped lunch, and gone for early dinner (but we didn't).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEVFsTQEdACHvRiGLaMmTYyevacvEKdX4s4MaABnZmUN5EYl0NVChchVJrEyGxj8ZV9GD3UX3wfA2vfhVlEiDqZb8w08-LrIY59lG4zl2PDRAxc0bCvvvcC0Az177W0nH_XwJdQHKIO1J/s640/IMG_2899.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea Breeze</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Other On-Site Restaurant Options</b></div>
<div>
<br />
Carolina was the fine dining option and apparently very popular; reservations are recommended. We didn't end up eating here since we had our toddler-aged child with us and wanted something more casual. I had heard great things about this, so I would recommend checking out. :)</div>
<div>
<br />
Mita Mary was their restaurant on a boat by the beach. It looked really cool but because it was so hot, and the fact that they only had bar seating, we did not eat here either.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Sea Breeze was the main restaurant where breakfast and lunch were served. We had lunch here once, as it was the only option with air conditioning!! All other options were either by the pool or beach with no AC! :)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbu1oslxwRinEExljGc2-T2763I-7kegl9Btn98NvVTD3lsH8qAq6x1ccgF3EBt2R9Ml3ghQAP-iS-IDyxAJ9k7rxG3jpHpOO_Svh_750srO7LIIvnGif3prZfa1bF0BqHZFsF6dC_Y2n/s640/IMG_2935.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish Tacos at Sea Breeze</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Transportation to other places</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b>The St. Regis had onsite "taxi" service available 24/7. When I say taxi, I mean luxury SUV. :) We took this to grab dinner in town one day, and also to transfer to the Four Seasons resort after a few nights. One thing to note at the St. Regis, the taxi service was run independently, so we had to pay either cash or credit card directly to the driver.</div>
<div>
<br />
<b>Summary:</b></div>
<div>
<br />
We had a really wonderful stay at the St. Regis. Service was generally pretty good, and everyone was very helpful. Our room was huge and gorgeous, and I had never been to a place where kids were so welcome and catered to. It was fantastic overall!</div>
<div>
<br />
<b>A couple other notes from our stay:</b></div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Tipping was generally not required. They made a note that a 10 percent service charge was already included and that tipping was not expected. However, I still did get the sense that tipping was appreciated.</li>
<li>We bought bottled waters from Walmart on our way to the resort which was actually not needed at all. Complimentary bottled water was provided pretty much everywhere!!! We had never been to a resort where bottled water was free and so available!</li>
<li>As I mentioned, try to to get the breakfast package included in your room rate as it is cheaper than paying at the restaurant.</li>
</ul>
Overall, we loved this resort and would highly recommend it to others. </div>
</div>
Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-83516032138759137722015-09-11T21:11:00.000-07:002015-11-17T11:27:37.335-08:00Punta Mita - Trip Introduction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've always had Punta Mita on my bucket list. I first found out about it after reading about the St. Regis in Punta Mita from a lot of the travel bloggers. Additionally, a couple friends have vacationed there. Not to mention the Kardashians visit there frequently as well. :)<br />
<br />
Punta Mita is a high end beach destination in Mexico, about a 45 minute drive Northwest of Puerto Vallarta. Puerto Vallarta itself is a 3.5 hour flight from San Francisco, so quite an easy destination to get to from the West Coast.<br />
<br />
Trip planning started when I saw a Travelzoo deal earlier in the year for the Four Seasons Punta Mita. The deal was actually very good in my opinion. We had never stayed at a Four Seasons before since it is usually very expensive. So when I saw the Travelzoo deal, we just couldn't pass it up. We booked the three night deal in a garden view room (their lowest category) for $949 + taxes & fees (an additional $200-ish). This is by no mean cheap, but it is a good deal for a Four Seasons. The package also included breakfast, premium Internet, and 15 percent off food and beverages.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I also booked an additional two nights at the neighboring St Regis, using SPG points at 20,000/night. So we had a total of five nights in Punta Mita! I was so excited, and this trip actually came sooner than we expected.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We were a little nervous traveling with M, but she was older (recently turned 2 years old) and seems to be traveling better as she gets older. So we were hoping that it would be somewhat easier this time around. She could sit still for longer and be distracted with the iPad. She's now also into activities like stickers, coloring, etc. So we just had to make sure to have enough for her to do in flight.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We did not bring a car seat or pack-n-play. The car service that we booked provided a car seat and she could sleep in our hotel bed. We also weaned her off bottles, so it's nice not to have to bring too many extra things.</div>
<div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztsysZt1VEkm3pYgGa0G5CswxR7mUgq27pe32pKC35g7ru_b_T8aJPlOw30FwHyHsMCrOmuZ67y3onRJU-KdUE4MuBnFrHko9mWgRAHL1ujnb-7oZkdSd1h_yeXL7K3UUE4qJe7ufIE-g/s640/IMG_2972.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lobby at St. Regis Punta Mita</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Here's the breakdown of our trip:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/09/punta-mita-trip-introduction.html">Punta Mita - Trip Introduction</a><br />
<a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/09/st-regis-punta-mita.html">St. Regis Punta Mita</a><br />
<a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/">Four Seasons Punta Mita</a><br />
<a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/11/trip-summary-punta-mita-st-regis-vs.html">Summary</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-17857908961744278002015-09-09T22:27:00.000-07:002015-09-09T22:27:13.928-07:00London & Paris - Summary & Tips<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">This is a continuation of our London & Paris trip. You can find the full trip itinerary <a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/05/london-paris-trip-introduction.html" style="color: #248cc9; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"><br /></span>We had such a great time in London & Paris. We definitely packed in so much for the short stay...hehe. We especially loved Paris and hope to come back some day.<br />
<br />
Here are some tips based on our experience during our trip in London & Paris!<br />
<br />
<b>Wi Fi:</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>London: </b>We pre-booked a wifi hotspot device since we did it in Japan and thought it was super useful. For London, a lot of cafes actually offer free wifi, so having a pocket wifi might not be as necessary. But it was still helpful -- the cost was just over $8/day and we got it from Tep Wireless.</li>
<li><b>Paris</b>: We felt wi-fi in Paris was more necessary and useful than in London, because it wasn't as easy to find free Wi Fi. We got ours from Hippocketwifi that Dan ordered beforehand, and cost around 30 Euros. You can choose to pick up at airport, or they can deliver it to your hotel. If you can, do the airport pickup to avoid confusion at the hotel.</li>
</ul>
<b><br /></b>
<b>In City Transportation</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>London</b>: </li>
<ul>
<li>Get an Oyster card if you are going to use the tube (subway) a lot. During our first tube trip to Harrod's, we didn't get an Oyster card, and turns out the one way ticket costs double if we buy a single ticket versus loading money into the Oyster card. The Oyster card requires a 5 pound deposit, and you will have to buy it from a booth. Once you're done, you can get the deposit back.</li>
<li>We also took Uber a lot. Distances between places in London were not that far, so going places for the most part only cost us 5-10 pounds. So I would recommend Uber for in-city transport.</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Paris</b>: </li>
<ul>
<li>The Metro in Paris was a lot cheaper than the tube in London. We got the 10 pack tickets for around 14 Euros, so each trip cost roughly 1.4 Euros. The metro lines were all color coded and for the most part pretty self explanatory. One thing to note though, if you have to transfer lines, the distance between one line and the other could actually be quite a bit of a walk.</li>
<li>It looks like there's an 8 Euro minimum for in city Uber ride as all our ride cost exactly 8 Euros! We used this a couple times before we figured that out. :)</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Airport Transportation</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>London</b>: </li>
<ul>
<li>We booked an airport transfer from LHR to our hotel in Covent Garden with Exclusive Airports. They were on time and we were pleased with the service. It cost 48 pounds, and I paid 50 pounds total. This would probably be my recommendation (versus taking taxi, or even the train). We considered the train but it would still cost around 40 pounds total to get to the city, and then we still have to buy another ticket to get to our hotel, and I really didn't want to be carrying suitcases up and down the stairs.</li>
<li>On our way back from the hotel to LHR, we tried requesting Uber, but the driver canceled our requests twice (probably because they didn't want to make the trek to LHR), so we ended up having to find a taxi last minute! I would NOT recommend using Uber to go to the airport, but it would be better to pre-book return with transfer service like Exclusive Airports. We ended up paying taxi a total of 86 pounds, since they were more expensive and charged a fee for paying with credit card. This was 36 pounds more than if we had pre-booked the transfer! The only positive was I got to ride in a black London cab, but at a premium price! :)</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Paris</b>:</li>
<ul>
<li>We didn't pre-arrange arrival transfer and ended up getting a taxi that supposedly took credit card. However, when we arrived at our hotel, the taxi driver could not process our credit card. We did not have any Euros, so Dan was held up for a while. Thankfully the hotel concierge offered to pay the taxi driver in cash for us, and have it charged to our hotel bill. So in hindsight, we should have pre-booked transport beforehand.</li>
<li>For our return to the airport, we pre-booked transport with reservation@shuttle-inter.com for EUR 55. We were very pleased with the service. It was a bit cheaper than our Taxi, and the car condition was much nicer, and we didn't have to worry about hailing a cab. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Restaurants: </b>Here's a summary of all the places we went and a brief note on each one:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>London</b>: </li>
<ul>
<li><b>Shake Shack</b>: Great burger place (the shroom burger is really good), but not unique to London as they originated from the US (NYC).</li>
<li><b>Hawksmoor</b>: Famous steak place. Not the best that we've had, but pretty decent. The Sticky Toffee Pudding though was outstanding.</li>
<li><b>Corinthia's Afternoon Tea</b>: Good experience, but not outstanding. I think the most famous one (which we couldn't get in) was the Claridge's.</li>
<li><b>Rock & Sole place</b>: Very low-key fish & chips place. Pretty decent and huge portions!</li>
<li><b>Gauthier Soho</b>: Our most favorite meal in London! Price was not too bad for fine dining.</li>
<li><b>Dishoom</b>: Super popular Indian restaurant. We tried eating here twice but lines were always too long. Finally went in for breakfast and it was really good.</li>
<li><b>Bone Daddies</b>: Hipster ramen place - we both think Ippudo is still better, but this place has unique flavors.</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Paris</b>: </li>
<ul>
<li><b>Angelina's</b>: LOVE their hot chocolate. Very touristy place but worth a visit, if not for the hype.</li>
<li><b>Breizh Cafe</b>: Excellent crepe place. Must make reservation in advance.</li>
<li><b>L'avant Comptoir</b>: Our favorite meal during our whole trip. Low key wine bar with menu hanging from the ceiling. Everything we ordered was delicious and price was reasonable.</li>
<li><b>Les Cocottes</b>: Solid restaurant near Eiffel tower.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Other Tips:</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>London</b>:</li>
<ul>
<li><b>West End Shows</b>: We wanted to catch a show very last minute, and tried getting same day ticket from Mathilda's box office the morning of at 10AM. We came a few minutes after 10AM, and the cheapest tickets remaining were 67.50 pounds each. I found an online deal from London Theatre Booking for 33 pounds each, but was too afraid to pull the plug. But we went to their counter next to the Covent Garden station, and ended up getting those seats for 35 pounds each! So definitely recommend last minute tickets from London Theatre Booking!</li>
<li><b>Bath & Stonehenge Tour</b>: I also signed up for Groupon UK (separate login from US), to get Buy 1 get 2 tickets for a Stonehenge & Bath tour with Day Tours London. Definitely recommend looking up for local Groupon discounts during your trip. :)</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Paris</b>:</li>
<ul>
<li>If you are going to be in Paris for a few days and want to visit museums, definitely get the <b>Paris Museum Pass</b> which allows you to visit several museums and you won't need to be in line to buy tickets. We got the 2 day tickets for 42 Euro. The more museums you visit and the longer your stay, the more back for your buck. Don't confuse it with the Paris Pass, which has a lot more included but costs way more.</li>
<li><b>Versailles Tour</b>: If you want to visit the main palace, either come REALLY early (like 30 minutes before opening), or visit it in the afternoon after the lines die down. We arrived at 10:30 AM (1.5 hour after opening), which appeared to be the worst time. The line snaked around multiple times, and we ended up waiting in line for 1.5 hours. If you arrive around the same time like we did and the line is too long, my recommendation would be to go visit the garden first, and leave the main palace towards the afternoon around 3-4 PM when the line was non-existent.</li>
</ul>
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Until next time!</div>
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Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-51614729012432104142015-06-21T15:45:00.000-07:002015-06-21T15:46:37.191-07:00British Airways First Class LHR - SFO<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">This is a continuation of our London & Paris trip. You can find the full trip itinerary <a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/05/london-paris-trip-introduction.html" style="color: #248cc9; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> </span><br />
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We had a 1 night layover in London on our return home, so we stayed at the Radisson Blu Heathrow. The hotel was a bit older but very crowded and actually quite lively that night. We ordered room service and then went to bed to get ready for our morning flight.<br />
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We were both excited to fly in First Class! This would be our second time ever, and hopefully not our last. :) We were able to find availability using miles, and even though the surcharges/taxes were quite expensive, we were glad to be able to experience flying in first class again.<br />
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I had read that the Heathrow airport had a dedicated first class lounge as well as a spa area, so we were excited to check it out.</div>
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The first thing we did once we got in was to put our name down for the complimentary spa treatment (chair massage or facial). Thankfully they had 2 spots open so we put our name down.</div>
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We then went to grab breakfast. At this lounge, we actually ordered food, restaurant style. All the booth seating was occupied so we sat at the bar. It was a nice treat to be able to eat a full breakfast at the lounge.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast at British Airways First Class Lounge</td></tr>
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After breakfast, it was time for our complimentary spa appointment. Dan got the chair massage while I got the facial. I believe the treatments were 15 minutes. During my treatment I kept thinking how nice it was to get a facial as part of your pre-flight experience! If only we can do this every time we fly...hehe</div>
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After our treatment, we lost track of time and our flight was actually boarding. We rushed to our terminal and made it just in time!<br />
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHydTWWDYcMhe0mKIcMO5ouCs0RqggjlGrb_R8gCjact4WMRdZOtJz7vMFK8VOgqlwSWOtHo6Hi427UYRyROrxac606rCw49O3_qdZmsEHzBM_3fJu7Dq0pygJeoCAlz7MsBiXXiLRKl-/s640/IMG_2048.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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The plane was a bit older, but the seats were nice and quite spacious (though not as spacious as <a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2012/09/hong-kong-san-francisco-on-cathay.html">Cathay</a>).</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75q88ohSWvX5xQmc4WXcRisqFZ1rRlBmRVxxK6gIKKsuXnOWWyfS3VeiO21m6sfYIVVZyeA9tQPB4I27yWrrm2z1SwirdPpQRAxo5IbaM_UMx4cLZXjkk8XbIy0J9dgqmCIC5mLEJ_xLD/s640/IMG_2045.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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We were offered a pre-departure drink, and I opted for white wine. They also provided pajamas as well as an amenity kit.</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgczFGi8r4S-_GPntggiI-I0FfcJfvt9mnx52feK4fTZSwGI8kXVNsONEFtILfqCGfBPt1CJQGqK8fXvBdnGkdDp1sm78RkMykh1VGlujS9XFGvaoxZg1gLj26UDLc5QK4RqtQW46DAiYM/s640/IMG_1233.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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We both changed into the pajamas and then food service started. I would have to say that the service throughout the flight was excellent. The attendants were very polite, helpful, and friendly. </div>
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxvps6GsPYQZuOecEOz-J_OuZEo8zNhaBg-gI3zvfeIM-FEMwp9ZVujc9ddYJ_NoMP8eztML2_pUaVtjLpVf4yY9WnAeRxZS2KaxGwGmvfTVEFAvgQUwrSkL7WdsTO0Qvc7-SyGM8NE8J/s640/IMG_1234.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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For the appetizer, I got Asparagus with egg and truffle sauce, it was great. Creamy and refreshing.<br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCWUS1R9-yupI4V3fVD9WKUQAzJtECFQsv3CZumk7rZ09rcUTn6I1lb8OyWN9Wsa96DabkUKHcK0adKCjiBf0JRch3bJF_hjKh4bADusefrN-wfGNsIQDrwBJpUllGs9_DpqgFFu3foIo/s640/IMG_2051.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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For the main course, Dan ordered the salmon and I was excited to get Indian food! I actually love Indian food and I love to order it when available -- I think Singapore Airlines has Indian food as an option, too.<br />
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Here's my dish! It was chicken tikka masala with lentils, spinach, rice, and fried shallots. Yum! Portion was big so I wasn't able to finish all.</div>
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Fdox6M-VqR5wBmJ04JEiqa9VeJzw03rAI6kvgiwHxODts9wqRJ-luRGv66D1gEDshEpmx0ORIVDIS3PELi9lRDbg3kzsimo_cV72CiUxlE8F4OP99amwb6u9Wuhd9Aho_oJaCsy43icu/s640/IMG_2052.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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However, I did save room for dessert, which was chocolate torte with vanilla ice cream.</div>
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Overall dinner was pretty good. Afterwards I watched a couple movies and then took a nap. After I woke up, I was SUPER excited to try their Afternoon Tea. I LOVE afternoon teas and would eat it everyday if I can! The sandwiches were all really good - I almost asked for seconds.</div>
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The scones were served warm with clotted cream and jam. Just how I like it!</div>
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<b>Thoughts:</b></div>
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Overall it was a great flight. I mean, no major complaints. Service was outstanding, food was good. If anything, the hard product itself could use some improvement. The seat was not that spacious considering it's a first class seat. It almost felt like a business class seat. Don't get me wrong, it's still spacious, but it definitely does not compare to Cathay which almost felt like twice as big. Overall, we had a really enjoyable flight with great service.</div>
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Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-87770939083821100552015-06-18T16:02:00.000-07:002015-06-18T16:02:41.279-07:00Activities & Where to Eat in Paris<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">This is a continuation of our London & Paris trip. You can find the full trip itinerary <a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/05/london-paris-trip-introduction.html" style="color: #248cc9; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> </span><br />
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<b>Paris - Day 1</b><br />
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<b>Sandemann Paris Tour</b><br />
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Similar to London, we did a Sandemann Paris tour. Our guide was Nancy from the UK and she was great! Very energetic, passionate, and had lots of information.<br />
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We started at the St. Michel fountain. While we were waiting for our guide, we grabbed a quick crepe from this shop close by the fountain, and it was amazing! It was a simple nutella crepe, but I don't know how they make it taste so good. :)<br />
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The tour was 3 hours long, a bit tiring since we covered a lot of ground. Make sure you wear good walking shoes! There were a lot of people on the tour, so we were split into 2 groups.</div>
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It was a good overview of the city, and I think well worth our time since it was our first time in Paris. One thing to note though that during the tour, we mainly only saw the "outside" of monuments / famous places. Entrance tickets to museums, etc. were not included and must be bought separately. These tours were mainly to give a taste of what's around the city, and you'll need additional days to actually go visit the sites you want to see.</div>
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<b>Picnic at Beautiful Parisian Gardens</b></div>
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Well, we didn't get to actually do one, but this would be an activity that I would recommend if you have extra time in Paris. The gardens in Paris were just SO pretty and beautiful! Everything was so symmetrical and just so gorgeous.<br />
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The main garden was the beautiful Tuileries Gardens, which you would very likely see during a trip in Paris due to its central location and proximity to the Louvre.<br />
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzu9y4AnhN1l9n2PtlWRSkSVY7G7SKaAABrT-np8tCr1PYUR9TcYgCDVkvoE1_4sei9LQPV_NO6v_t2ec_cJyEJkMXCaba0s5mZY-1HkM6sjSgweJTI7VQndZ5JOPaX_sdtZzml5ShXvbk/s640/IMG_1831.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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<b>Snack at Angelina's</b><br />
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I heard about the famous Angelina's cafe and made sure that this was on our list. They are famous for their hot chocolate as well as their pastries. We came in the afternoon around 4 PM, and I was worried about long lines, but it turned out they were able to seat us immediately.<br />
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We ordered the famous hot chocolate, a croque madamme, and a millefeuille.<br />
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The hot chocolate was very good. It was very thick and rich - just how I like it. :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angelina's Hot Chocolate</td></tr>
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The Croque Madame was also yummy! It was served with a small side salad.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Croque Madame</td></tr>
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The restaurant was busy and definitely full of tourists. There's also a small shop by the entrance that sold their famous hot chocolate and other goodies to bring home.<br />
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We didn't realize it at the time, but there's a LOT of Angelina's stores -- they had one at the Louvre as well as at Versailles. So you'll definitely have a chance to try it at least once.<br />
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<b>Walked along Champs-Elysees to Arc de Triomphe</b><br />
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We didn't realize it at the time, but this was a pretty long walk (2.25 mile one way!) and actually up hill, from the Concorde to Arc de Triomphe! If you want to do this walk, definitely start at Arc de Triomphe so you are at least going downhill. :)<br />
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The walk was actually quite tiring. You can do a leisurely stroll, stopping along the way and doing some shopping, but we didn't really take breaks and ended up being super tired by the time we made it to Arc.<br />
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkDtT8KG3KszaPgklKo0FZ845eB_8tjVeW1uObJbawTjh2UpMSkA6y1H11VbuFDpfeOZOe2bTtjD-Ngq1y5EqDGJSrV37zv4q-4tPdHBZ6_ZqpPFfgPGKJnmfyEyBv3OVKrtzlVeodfCr/s640/IMG_1839.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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<b>Dinner at Breizh Cafe</b></div>
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For dinner our first night, I booked a reservation at the famous Breizh Cafe. I emailed our concierge at the hotel to help make the reservation. We unfortunately arrived at the Cafe a little later than our reservation time (we underestimated the amount of time it would take to get there!), so they ended up giving away our table -- but they were able to seat us a little while later at an outside table.</div>
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It looked like there's a restaurant area (reservation only), as well as a store with communal tables for people without reservation. If you plan on coming, definitely make a reservation in advance. </div>
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This place is famous for their buckwheat pancake. We ordered the "Amuses Beurre Fume" which was bread with Bordier butter, Bretonne savory pancake and the Vannetaise (caramel pancake) to share. Dan also ordered a cider which was supposed to be famous as well.</div>
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I was expecting to get actual bread, but was surprised to receive a crispy crepe instead. :) It was a nice surprise. This was basically a simple crepe made crispy, with the famous Bordier butter. It was good and definitely a different way of eating a crepe. It tasted good by itself, without any toppings.</div>
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We asked the server for recommendations and he suggested this Bretonne crepe, which included bacon, mushroom, cheese, and cream. :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buckwheat pancake</td></tr>
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For dessert, we shared the Vannetaise crepe, ice cream and caramel topping. It was FANTASTIC! It was so simple, yet so good. I think the quality ingredients truly shined here. I was telling Dan that the caramel tasted like real locally made caramel, not from a store-bought bottle of factory-processed caramel-flavored sauce. We realized over the time of our stay in Paris that the reason why the food was so good was probably because majority of the ingredients were higher quality and more "real" than what we get in the US.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dMJ3GC7bg8h3r9uD1LNmmfGsSDynkIn_-nhSe1f2meweXLaqvXcSq6ZFW9LXbDJIIdS7w3CFGYPFagifHb4Hdij5QOMfBryHsmQIPB-NfmR2RPqFw3_yWRyJ1Dt5hHLsKF_oku5UmApH/s640/IMG_1847.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caramel pancake</td></tr>
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<b>Paris - Day 2</b></div>
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<b>Shopping in Paris (Chanel & Christian Louboutin)</b><br />
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<b>Buying a Chanel Bag in Paris</b><br />
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We really didn't have much time for shopping in Paris, so I only budgeted one morning to do some shopping. Dan was nice enough to allow me to buy some luxury goods while in Paris...hehe. The USD exchange rate had been pretty strong against the euro, which meant I could save some $$ when buying in Europe versus in the US.<br />
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I had been eye-ing the Chanel classic bag, and decided to finally pull the trigger to buy it during this trip. I figured the price would only keep going up, and with the good exchange rate, this would be as good a time as any.<br />
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This would be my first ever Chanel, and I had to do some research (and ask some of my friends) to get familiar with what I wanted. Similar to buying a diamond where there are the 4 Cs (Carat, Color, Clarity, Cut), there are different combinations when buying a Chanel classic bag. They are as follows: Size (Medium, Jumbo, Maxi, etc), Color (Black, Nude, Red, etc), Material (Lambskin or Caviar), and Hardware (Gold or Silver). I specifically was looking for this combination: Black Caviar Jumbo in Silver Hardware.<br />
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We actually found the exact combination of the bag that I want while we were in London (at Harrod's), but we decided to wait until we got to Paris (which turned out to almost be a huge mistake). We actually had the hardest time looking for the Black Classic in Silver hardware in Paris! It turned out the inventory in Paris was very limited as lots and lots of tourists go to Paris specifically to buy luxury goods. So a word of advice: If you are looking to buy a Chanel bag, and if you happen to find the right combination that you are looking for at a price you are willing to pay, you should just get it and not wait because you never know if you will ever find that exact combination again.</div>
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The first store that we went to was Rue Cambon, which was the main flagship store. We came around 10:15AM and only had to wait for a few minutes for a Sales Associate. I told her what I was looking for and she said that they were sold out of the Black Classic in Silver. :( I asked if she could check other stores, and she came back and said that the store in Avenue Montaigne had a couple in stock, but that I had to go there immediately since she could not guarantee how long they would have them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcLDS7w9tjkQTT-lzOpF6HlS3_NCOk51QBKha-2caMpLb2NJ9g4EqkxH-iMzl6LGNRfvzJL1zFsG56I_65_ngTiudvumKbfldTOflEE8Y5Cl1LIPC3pmeELtBmh1MfpAIxhBQx0Z7AYYg/s640/IMG_1860.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chanel Avenue Montaigne</td></tr>
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So we took an Uber to the other store, about a 10 minute ride. The Avenue Montaigne store was much quieter than Rue Cambon, and we were able to get helped immediately. One thing I learned from shopping at these high end stores was that we first encountered a "greeter" when we first entered, but this person was not actually the Sales Associate. She then asked us to wait, and then found a Sales Associate to help us. There may be a wait to actually get a Sales Associate, but once assigned, she was solely dedicated to you for all your shopping needs at the store. Since we came early enough, we fortunately didn't have to wait that long. However, after we left, the wait for a Sales Associate was around 30 minutes.</div>
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I told the Sales Associate what I was looking for (Black, Classic, Caviar, Jumbo, Silver Hardware), and that I was at the other store but they only had the Gold. The Sales Associate said that they were all sold out of the Silver and only had Gold as well. My heart sunk. So I reluctantly tried the Gold hardware. It was nice, it was really nice....but it's not what I was looking for. I didn't want to spend that much money, feeling that I was not getting exactly what I had in mind. I mulled it over for a while, and then I asked her to double check again, as the other store told me this store should have it. She said she would double check, but was pretty sure that they didn't have it. After a few minutes, she came back holding a bag and I knew that was it!!! She said a shipment had just come in 10 minutes earlier, and now they have a few in stock. YAY!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Bk25DfhZ_7tufRu6PkKbWhgkxg1Y6BW_0DDDTeC891u6IXVgUvyaiUeErEVa7qt4nGngSevgYTTyoFQSMGr126rYjfOXMKJ_CJo29Ksjagxy_i55cJb1kJLZ0P21EgCKxEk9x9qB78-A/s640/IMG_1861.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally!</td></tr>
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I was super elated and purchased the bag! Afterwards she took me to the cashier who helped with the payment & VAT refund process. </div>
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Some shopping tips I learned from this experience. :)</div>
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<ul>
<li>Try to arrive early at the store to avoid longer wait times</li>
<li>When you enter the store, you will have to wait your turn for a Sales Associate. Don't interrupt a Sales Associate who is helping other customers as it turns out that they are solely dedicated to one person (or group) at a time.</li>
<li>Make sure you bring your passport with you because they need it to provide the VAT refund documents</li>
<li>Make sure to let your credit card company know that you will make a large purchase so the transaction does not get declined</li>
<li>I mentioned this earlier, but will re-iterate, if you find the combination that you like, don't wait around to buy it at another store - you should get it immediately :)</li>
<li>With the VAT refund, we ended up saving around 20% of the cost by buying the bag in Paris versus the US.</li>
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<b>Christian Louboutin Shoes</b></div>
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Our next stop was the Christian Louboutin store. :) Louboutin shoes are those with the red soles-- they are very popular and supposed to make your legs look skinnier (it's true!). Similar to Chanel, we went to two different stores to get the exact color and size that I wanted. I got the classic style, which is called "Simple Pump". I purchased one in Black Patent, 100 mm and one in Nude Patent, 85 mm. They were not super comfortable, but they are not meant to be worn for long periods of time. They are really beautiful though. The best part, they were MUCH cheaper than in the US. I calculated the price and we saved about 35% in cost buying in Paris versus the US.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoX8KlwcB5Sv20oEHYCEl_bfgD2Vty-lH9eaxDp5vBUPhDZg0PDAYYLzW__oAYqDnQQzaMiMyre2ni7cfZXUJCUKMsmCP3gEDGzzrP8w4oByLozzl22C3FHmWXjyjekI_rL6WVHAWubwyy/s640/IMG_1868.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful shoes :)</td></tr>
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Overall it was a very productive shopping trip! It took a bit of effort going to multiple stores to find exactly what I wanted, but it worked out in the end. :)</div>
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I wished we had more time to look around to be able to shop more leisurely, but we really didn't have much time -- and I'm sure Dan was happy that this was our only shopping time...hehe.</div>
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<b>Lunch at L'avant comptoir</b></div>
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Our friend highly recommended this place (said she went twice during her trip!), so we gave this place a try for lunch.<br />
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This restaurant was actually a standing room only wine bar, hidden behind a crepe shop. We came during lunch time, and there was a long line for the crepes (and I thought the line was for the wine bar). To make things more confusing, there's a restaurant next door called "Le Comptoir" with its own long line.<br />
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Dan stood in line for Le Comptoir thinking that was it, but I wasn't convinced since the restaurant didn't look like the Yelp pictures. :) I asked around and finally realized that the wine bar was behind the crepe store! How confusing! There was actually NO line for the wine bar and we went right in.<br />
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkTum-zrjyDnQTqTsVGwWdK4JqeHWkiqVUE8pGzp0BPmd2oLQzSn95FfW8bxqHxstwrnZuh1hggpveCFHWOqMpCYZ_VUO4ZtjV4_QnB6SVDKXEjEOXiS4Lg6pPRuvnAfyF0PNfkv6dlM2/s640/IMG_1862.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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All the menu items were hanging from the ceiling, so we had to look up to figure out what we should order. All the plates here were tapas style and prices ranged from 3.5 to 9 euros.</div>
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We each started off with a glass of white wine -- both excellent!</div>
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAfBVIE4RYIE_u9sqqdwcjmsKGIuxyi-mRTMEmLhvFRBYwrGHNmPBU-eyFYleimYXxhHmZtHH4eobn_AWYZCNx1SfVO9leGJIwsBnclx6eztcDQ35x3UTsqRKx8oVfGSVMucAF59Ao6vu/s640/IMG_1863.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Our first dish was the croquette jambon--portion was a bit smaller than I expected but it was really creamy and delicious.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KvRk24WgbZg61BnqBsyXtQmBDpYf17P2w6M5k8dRlD_fZMi1UK49DrLv9w670xq7QRtDt1omILXeT-grsftgSeongdiWgYvGt8esbGwxTDJs86FBDwrqs4LQd0O-e2sDo1eg7yyzmJVM/s640/IMG_1864.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ham Croquette</td></tr>
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Next was the beef sandwich. The size was actually VERY tiny (2-3 bites), but again, excellent. The sandwich was toasted and served with a creamy horseradish sauce.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2Dq2iEDWK1Su2S7SKwq-NPBnm3CG0oT4RB2GkNW8tF0Dn46UrXQPBa-EDsT6Y20R_SIBXz1vDyy4UxjS6FLVcxfEi0XloZsUbutPaJNCdxc4I1p0PxS8rieOoFBU0gewZFo25B3bH8UM/s640/IMG_1865.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef sandwich</td></tr>
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My favorite was the foie gras burger. The burger was cooked very rare (much more rare than what I usually order), but was so perfect for this dish! The foie gras was actually not too overpowering and the burger was put in a sandwich press so the bun was warm and toasty.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdK4JXM5cFmSct6JwMxhQd3WQyLkxeWp7aGNU391cryxesO9tsmMNFATssNNhP_0KzVSqNIPWtiQ4Qphoi5kkQqXBNUJnJ1EID_vsnxx4KUG3pz6W_DeIjXg2cxbQbBR9HEQ10B9QKF_lS/s640/IMG_1867.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foie Gras Burger</td></tr>
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We ordered a couple more dishes, and overall, everything was just amazingly tasty and fantastic. Dan said this was by far our best meal in Paris.</div>
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We highly recommend this place!</div>
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<b>Louvre Museum</b></div>
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This is probably the most famous museum in Paris. The sheer size of the museum was quite overwhelming.<br />
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We got the <a href="http://en.parismuseumpass.com/">Paris Museum Pass</a> (2 days for 42 Euros), which gave us access to multiple museums and skipping the ticket line. This would be a good option if you just want to check out a couple museums and was cheaper than buying individual tickets from multiple museums. The price per day was also cheaper if you buy the longer pass (4 days or 6 days). Be ware that there's another pass called "Paris Pass", which was different from the Paris Museum Pass. The "Paris Pass" included a LOT more but also cost way more. I wouldn't recommend getting the Paris Pass because it's just too expensive.<br />
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We didn't rent the audio guide and just walked around ourselves. There were lots of paintings, sculptures, and artifacts. We wished we had more time to look around, but we only budgeted 1-2 hours and it did feel a little rushed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihuv-9RaGcCk_G_6_Uz-0i4uQ2z4cRqUny-4wr9mj0cNxRBfUp_jovNBFJg6iucCqW2f4zao4KgIs9bk2JvrRyHHZSGPAr0ANGnCL4Um_Y6w79dCchwov1ne7DBD2U9BsJWa3ZZ3UvffeS/s1600/IMG_1876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihuv-9RaGcCk_G_6_Uz-0i4uQ2z4cRqUny-4wr9mj0cNxRBfUp_jovNBFJg6iucCqW2f4zao4KgIs9bk2JvrRyHHZSGPAr0ANGnCL4Um_Y6w79dCchwov1ne7DBD2U9BsJWa3ZZ3UvffeS/s640/IMG_1876.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The most famous painting is of course the Mona Lisa! There were TONS of tourists around the Mona Lisa, with everyone trying to take selfies, ha!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocE-L2nVSs-z2xFA_SoKkPUyHxG67pkjkdpPFmGMCISmukfXPPzc2qrin9X1EqvgZabONp3UrJ1kEP_0Cd-JkhFBzal2uuUwyY5mSr766D9-DxLSQAW4lpgK04m05E94pPUFhCm3SJGyS/s640/IMG_1881.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Famous Mona Lisa</td></tr>
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<b>Dinner at Les Cocottes</b><br />
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Another friend recommended this place, located not too far from the Eiffel Tower. This restaurant was owned by the famous chef, Christian Constant, who also owned several other restaurants around the area.<br />
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We were worried it would be super crowded, so we came in right when they opened for dinner, and it was empty. :) We got seated immediately.<br />
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We ordered the Langoustine Ravioli, Shellfish Bisque for appetizers, the skirt steak and pork with potato for entree, and the waffle with caramel for dessert.<br />
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The Langoustine Ravioli and the Shellfish Bisque actually tasted somewhat similar. and the soup part was surprisingly lighter than I thought, but still really good.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtEX_fheh8So0mhC9JEGSGqAvUAQv6CMewn5cOU0fAQVBjbH-S6rqP_MwqxH60L7WvHOdsmilxQp5BimbmYg4VWl2QuxbGoVtPB_Bwa-1Ys48GrEyzoa6TUP5cSNv3xT4pmYUaUf0oj2F/s640/IMG_1895.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shellfish Bisque</td></tr>
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The beef was really good and tender, and the accompanying carrots are cooked beautifully. Dan's pork dish was also delicious.<br />
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The caramel waffle was also really good, again -- very simple ingredients but cooked really well.</div>
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Overall we had a great dinner here.</div>
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<b>Eiffel Tower</b></div>
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After dinner, we walked to Eiffel Tower. The area around Eiffel Tower seemed to be very pretty upscale. There were lots of people picnicking on the grounds right by the tower, and I wished we had more time so we could spend an afternoon here.</div>
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We also didn't have time to go up the tower (line seemed really long), so we just walked around and then headed over to our next activity, the Seine River cruise.</div>
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<b>Bateaux Mouches</b></div>
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During my last trip to Paris, we did a Seine River cruise and I thought it was a great way to see the city. There's a lot of tour operators, but we went with the original one called Bateaux Mouches. The boat runs every 30 minutes and takes about one hour. We just bought tickets at the dock for around 13 Euros each.</div>
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Our Sandemann tour guide recommended we do the cruise around 8:30-9PM (around sunset), so we could see Paris at night. This turned out to be an excellent recommendation, as we saw part of the cruise in daylight, and the rest of the cruise after the sun had set with the wonderful city lights.</div>
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One of the most amazing parts of the cruise was when we passed the Eiffel Tower at 10 PM and the tower not only lit up, but also "twinkled" for a good 5 minutes. It was kind of cheesy ("Disney"-like), but so pretty!</div>
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There were SO many tourists on the boat though, as this was a very touristy thing to do, so just beware. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQI7SXZgnXIjsHw3Oox3PBMlVeluvrF52ssVSev_5IIuj-qJcosA9SZUSFflLoy0HBksfYW-yl0q97In4rJcvGDuUbQA4zD5RmhTtQ0OvCXyLfCFGoqkfGTJIPMeZzDp2Y0Xfn5W8RD_6/s640/IMG_1221.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eiffel Tower at Night</td></tr>
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<b>Paris - Day 3</b></div>
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<b>Eric Kayser Bakery</b><br />
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Eric Kayser is probably one of the most favorite bakeries in Paris. They have several locations and there was one right by our hotel. We tried their croissant, quiche, and other pastries and almost everything we had was excellent. I really recommend this place.<br />
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<b>Versailles</b><br />
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I really wanted to visit the Palace of Versailles. We went on our last day which was a Tuesday, since they were actually closed on Mondays. We didn't do any guided tours, went on our own by taking the RER train to Versailles.<br />
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The palace opened at 9 AM, and we arrived roughly around 10:30 AM. The line was already SO LONG! We already had tickets from our Paris Pass, so we didn't have to wait in line to buy tickets, but the longest line was actually the security line to get it. It took us 1.5 hours to get through security. Looking back, we should have tried any of these other options to avoid the long lines:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Come 10-20 minutes before opening time. We're not sure how the line might have looked then, but I'm sure it's better than our 1.5 hour long line.</li>
<li>Come in a group tour. There's a separate entrance with MUCH shorter lines for people in groups.</li>
<li>Visit the garden first and visit Petit Trianon, etc in the morning -- and then do the palace tour in the afternoon. When we left Versailles at 3 PM, there was NO line for the Palace. Had we known, we should have done the garden first, and then do the palace at the end and we could have saved 1.5 hours.</li>
</ul>
Anyways, we sucked it up and waited in line. :) Once in, we walked around for a little bit. There were hoards of people everywhere, and at times it felt a bit overwhelming. The most popular room appeared to be the King's bedroom and the Queen's bedroom. Usually I could already tell when we were getting close to the bedroom as it got harder to walk and fight the crowds...hehe.<br />
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vWP9NRu4QVpbaXClHc3hGSfAItH4ckdzdXhXstT9XRhHPcuodWjzNF5YOrlmZ04laEoIOQRfUOIX_lfyCHaTJHrmgdDe882PxG-hdMF5bUtDH3alDOL1ikhNbKjWHv_bsnMkbXxDHjnC/s640/IMG_1969.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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After the palace, we took the Petit Train that took us to several different stops around the gardens. This turns out to be a good option as Versailles was HUGE! Walking around would have probably taken forever and killed our feet. Other than the train, you can also rent bikes or golf carts to get around Versailles.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Petit Train</td></tr>
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With the Petit train, the train made several stops, so we could hop on/off at our own leisure. We stopped at the second stop, Petit Trianon, which was Marie Antoinette's little section. There was actually a separate entrance fee, which covered both Petit Trianon and the Grand Trianon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4blN_xaYHzMO4trGkpPm0nQm4hgXEPqfZjKuMBRZPDY9BdU2oKesXgTny7dOwUCikoRefUXvH8RxYdqFunDxE0mj51i860P3eYKUv2BRA_hfEyiPKRFhyphenhyphenaZueiFacUsJYcB691z8vndmk/s640/IMG_2022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Petit Trianon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We walked around the smaller palace, which was definitely a lot smaller and felt more like a big house. Afterwards we took the train back. The train's last stop was the Grand Canal, which was SO beautiful! There were lots of people rowing on the canal, as well as people eating lunch on nearby cafes. Unfortunately we didn't have time to stop at all because we had to catch our train back. I really hope next time we can come back to Versailles and really budget a day to look around as the grounds were so beautiful.<br />
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<b>Galleries Lafayette</b><br />
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After we got back to Paris, I told Dan I wanted to check out Galleries Lafayette, which was a famous shopping mall.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galleries Lafayette</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The mall was actually a little underwhelming. It was a bit hot inside, and super crowded. The layout was also a little confusing as they have different buildings for everything, and we got lost trying to find the "food court."<br />
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<div>
This was actually our last activity, and then we headed back to the airport.</div>
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<div>
<b>Summary</b>:<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
We LOVED Paris so much! The food was excellent, the city was soooo beautiful, and the gardens were just so pretty. We only had three nights here, which was not enough. We both said that we definitely want to come back and hopefully can visit some other places that we missed during this trip, and just didn't have enough time to explore.<br />
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Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-23506741643929364732015-06-07T21:01:00.000-07:002015-06-07T21:01:26.199-07:00Park Hyatt Paris Vendome<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">This is a continuation of our London & Paris trip. You can find the full trip itinerary <a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/05/london-paris-trip-introduction.html" style="color: #248cc9; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"><br /></span>After London, we headed to our next destination: Paris! We took an evening flight from London and arrived really late to the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome. The hotel appeared to be in a nice/upscale area of Vendome. Location was very close to the Opera metro station, which is somewhat central but not right in the middle of everything. It's a good enough location to do sightseeing, but if you really want to be in the middle of everything, probably better to stay around St. Michel/Louvre area.<br />
<br />
We stayed a total of 3 nights at this hotel, using all points (otherwise room rate starts at 800 Euros/night!), in which case we probably would have chosen a different hotel....hehe.<br />
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We took a taxi from the Airport, and for some reason the cab driver could not process our credit card transaction. As we did not have Euros in cash at that point, Dan was in the cab for a bit while the driver tried to get the card to work. One of the concierge noticed this issue and offered to pay for the cab and have it charged to the room, which was a really nice gesture!<br />
<br />
Our original reservation was for a regular Park Queen room, which was tiny. We were barely able to move around, especially in the bedroom area. The size was actually much smaller then our hotel in London. However, when I came in, I noticed a pretty strong cigarette smell. I wanted to make sure it's not just a one time whiff so I went back out and in again, and still noticed it. We called the reception to request a room change, and they came back 10 minutes later with the room key, an apology, and told us we have been upgraded to the Park Deluxe King room for the inconvenience, which we thought was a nice touch.<br />
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The Park Deluxe King room was definitely much roomier.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">King size bed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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There's a separate closet area where we could put our luggage, as well as a separate seating area -- we definitely appreciated the extra space. Other than that, the decor appeared very similar. The room and hotel appeared to still be in pretty good condition, although I could see some minor wear and tear.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzC6FditfdV8dK_29CCdYhMbM5qdYchfTDnEAWbWjbEgXLf5fzYqmugZJdlpxxWCTEbk1iP65tSix7541jDzu1nifZnQ52Smr94DlC2aPgWMb2aDL1zgoU0C1aRcqad3C-Rj5xTnxmDBsT/s640/IMG_1763.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seating Area</td></tr>
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The bathroom was also pretty spacious. There's a bathtub as well as a separate shower area.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold bathroom :)</td></tr>
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The theme of the room/hotel was "gold", everywhere we saw gold color. :) This was especially noticeable in the bathroom area where all the fixtures were gold. After walking around Paris for a couple of days, we understood why gold was actually very Paris -- so I understand now why the hotel was designed as it was.<br />
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Service in general was pretty good, everyone was pretty helpful and polite. Housekeeping provided complimentary bottled water everyday, which was really nice. Dan & I weren't actually sure if the water was included or not, as there was no note whether or not they are included, but it turned out to be the case.<br />
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Since we no longer had Hyatt diamond status, breakfast was not included. We ended up just buying breakfast on the go, as the breakfast buffet at the hotel was quite pricey. Our favorite place to grab breakfast or just snacks was Eric Kayser bakery which was only a couple minutes walk.<br />
<br />
Even though our overall impression and experience at the hotel was a good one, we did have a couple incidents while staying at this hotel:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>First was the room switch because of the smoke smell in our first room, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise as we got upgraded to a better room</li>
<li>Second incident was that our upgraded room had blinds that did not work and could not close. :) So we had to sleep with the blinds open and woke up with the sun right in our eyes the next day. Not a big deal, they sent someone the next day to fix it.</li>
<li>Last incident was probably the one that caused Dan a bit of un-needed stress. Dan rented a pocket wifi to be shipped directly to the hotel the day that we arrived, but the hotel staff weren't able to find it. Dan contacted the wifi company and they said it had arrived a few days earlier. There were several back and forths and finally on our second day in the afternoon, the concierge found it. It was a mistake on their end as they had a hotel employee with a similar name as Dan as they thought it was for him! This caused unnecessary stress and I wished the hotel had handled it better.</li>
</ul>
We spent little time at the hotel, as we were out and about during the days. Overall we enjoyed our stay here and thought the hotel was nice, in pretty good location, and good service. Not sure if it's truly worth the 800+ euro rack rate, but if you have some extra Hyatt points, this is not a bad place. :)</div>
Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-78270212695081609422015-06-02T22:25:00.000-07:002015-06-02T22:25:27.235-07:00Activities & Where to Eat in London<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">This is a continuation of our London & Paris trip. You can find the full trip itinerary <a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/05/london-paris-trip-introduction.html" style="color: #248cc9; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> </span><br />
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<b>London - Day 1</b><br />
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<b>Covent Garden </b><br />
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Covent Garden is a pretty happening area in London. There's the actual "Covent Garden" market with lots of shops and restaurants, and the theatres were all pretty close by.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iconic Phone booth in front of Covent Garden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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From our walking tour, I learned the following interesting facts about Covent Garden:<br />
<ul>
<li>Historically, Covent Garden used to be a garden run by convent/nuns </li>
<li>The Covent Garden area also used to be the red light district in another historical period, and prostitution is apparently legal in England (but solicitation is
not). So in the past, there were yellow guidebooks that listed all the
prostitutes address and how they were like, etc. :) </li>
</ul>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Covent Garden</td></tr>
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<b>Shake Shack</b><br />
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Our first food stop in London was Shake Shack! I know this is not a true English food, BUT I love Shake Shack and not sure when I'll be in London next. So we ate here. :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shake Shack London</td></tr>
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We really liked Shake Shack from our last trip to New York. I got the 'Shroom burger, Dan got the ShackMeister burger, and we shared cheese fries.<br />
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The taste was consistent with New York, and I'm glad I got my Shake Shack fix.<br />
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<b>Hawksmoor Seven Dials</b><br />
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For dinner our first night, we went to Haksmoor, which is a famous steakhouse near our hotel. We went in a little later, without reservations, and were able to get a table. The restaurant was packed and obviously very popular.<br />
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We ordered the bone marrow appetizer, Ribeye steak (450 gr), creamed spinach, side salad, and sticky toffee pudding for dessert.<br />
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The bone marrow appetizer was pretty good, but the grilled onions on top were a bit too overpowering.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bone Marrow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The Ribeye steak was pretty good, not the best we have ever had, but still pretty tasty. Interestingly they precut the steak for us.<br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-dD_ryGYiZkLY-CNoLSiHIThbEB0pbellTSnLsU2Lq8uj6YQJvUELbDGPo8J69KUL1rxTokYoIZdHVpM114i38iuZn-YcDJAKHW8ulnPofhANptBQj33nsCpGmF0vYdyDa2M-JF2UYUL/s640/IMG_1613.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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I was disappointed with the spinach side, it was not as creamy as in the US and it had a slightly strong flavor that I didn't like.<br />
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The dessert was really good though. We got the Sticky Toffee Pudding! This is a traditional English dessert. It tasted like warm toffee cake. I also asked for vanilla ice cream on the side, and it was just heavenly!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sticky Toffee Pudding</td></tr>
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<b>London - Day 2</b><br />
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<b>Sandemann's Free Walking Tour - London</b><br />
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We did a similar free walking tour when we were in Munich a few years ago. The premise of these tours is that the tour itself is free, and the guide does not get paid by Sandemann. They get paid by tips from the people on the tours.<br />
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The meeting point was at Covent Garden Piazza, which was close walking distance from our hotel. There was a big group that got separated English vs. Spanish speaking. Our guide was Charlotte and she was a really good guide. She was originally from New Zealand but had lived in England for quite some time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buckingham Palace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A couple interesting points/areas we covered during the 3 hour tour:<br />
<ul>
<li>We watched the changing of the guards at St. James palace, which was much less crowded than at Buckingham Palace. Interestingly enough, the guards during our visit was actually the Gurkhas--from Nepal who actually serve in the British Army. Very interesting indeed.</li>
<li>We walked to Buckingham Palace, which turned out to be originally owned by the Duke of Buckingham, and was then taken over (somewhat forced) by the King at the time. This is also the Queen's residence when she's in London.</li>
<li>The roads in front of Buckingham palace were reddish in color, to signify the red carpet (for royalty).</li>
<li>I have always been intrigued about the succession rule in the English monarchy. So I asked Charlotte about the rule and whether only men can rule or why/how a Queen comes to power. She said, in general, if there were only female heirs, then they would rule as Queen. But if there was a male heir, then he would take the throne, even if he had older sisters. This rule has recently been changed and now the oldest would be the heir regardless of gender.</li>
</ul>
Overall definitely a good overview of London and would highly recommend it.<br />
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<b>Afternoon Tea at Corinthia Hotel</b><br />
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After the 3 hour walking tour, we were SO tired! We went back to our hotel to change for afternoon tea at the Corinthia Hotel, which enforced smart casual dress attire (no jeans, sneakers, etc).<br />
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I am a big fan of afternoon tea, and wanted to get the full English afternoon tea experience. My top choice was actually at Claridge's, but they were fully booked for the dates that we were in London (even though I checked 1.5 months before our trip). So I then decided on the Corinthia Hotel. The hotel looked so beautiful and elegant, and I was looking forward to this.<br />
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Since our feet was still so tired, we took Uber. We reserved the 2 PM seating and were seated immediately. I didn't realize that the cost was actually quite pricey (50 pounds per person), so roughly $75 USD per person! lol. Definitely the most expensive afternoon tea experience, even more expensive than our steak dinner the night before. :P<br />
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5gxeoWqqtiMdzotaJFAtMxrHqRQL0iV1faQq003-lbX5hshb_k4RyujvLRbbK5yoW8eQf3Nu-Z8kK3aspEwCmgXpuSqsJgm0mJcCn5-PlfokkmiPl0l3UektlP5CguSW46RhM5UMXB0j/s640/IMG_1638.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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I ordered the Pomegranate tea and Dan ordered the Afternoon tea blend. We were then served a selection of sandwiches (and we could order more as many times as we wanted), and then scones and dessert. The sandwiches were good--my favorite were the egg mayonnaise and the smoked salmon sandwiches (which I asked for second servings).<br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6uAdLpKPAl4m4TlGFOwv6jgbMU1-wiWa1uV_4NhChxUTzlEhhsK7TFcNj4utFTDJTLBeUIjizOQZk7qE9c5WoDXxnbXmDV0vQK1A0DOEtBdz8CntAYT2kLKzAOU3wZ18n7XmRQ3PT3tJ/s640/IMG_1640.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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The scones were also amazing! Served warm with clotted cream and strawberry or raspberry jam. There were also a huge selection of desserts (macaroons, lemon pie, brownie, chocolate mousse, carrot cake, etc.), but I actually thought the desserts were just so-so. The scones were much more memorable.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPa0f9tyRInIqBQ9Px6F9HM8yCevMf8koWzQqbYwrHc-Dw1-zQYZhhBjCQPg2QjjCquIhDcRVQqdv2dVrFd-QhWPnWZjhjAQ1-yruEfROj1g0YJJM-SJAzmzIggUig03T_71L3MEmn9JL/s640/IMG_1644.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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Overall it was a good experience, but I honestly couldn't tell much of a difference between afternoon tea in England vs. in the US. I feel like the US serves very comparable afternoon tea, and there's nothing "different" or more special having afternoon tea in London.<br />
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I probably wouldn't recommend this place specifically, since it wasn't anything special, but we still had a great time.<br />
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<b>Rock & Sole plaice</b><br />
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We wanted to try traditional British fish & chips, so we went to this place near our hotel. The place was very low key. Dan & I shared the traditional large Cod, mushy peas, and extra curry sauce.<br />
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We were SO glad we shared! The large Cod was HUGE and definitely enough for two. :)<br />
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<img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtCOcHLFLtqzZyBokp36UelHBRif1OeEvarCY13ShL9N0zIcGzS2ADZPMr9fQgDpryusoCl8i_zVbPdrWEjlN9pqSC8kLhq-_IdP8-T-kb_mClYp8pGE8sjl0K7iUxP8mynY6zDiE7PmX/s640/IMG_1649.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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The batter was good, very crispy on the outside and fish was soft on the inside.<br />
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I wasn't a fan of the mushy peas, tasted like baby food :), but the curry sauce was a good condiment for the chips.<br />
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What was interesting here (and seems common at places in Europe) was that they had different prices for dining in vs. take out. Sometimes the cost is almost half!<br />
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<b>Piccadilly Circus</b><br />
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Piccadilly Circus is like the Time Square of London (smaller scale version). It was 0.5 mile away from our hotel, so we walked there. And it was a pretty nice stroll, passing through Chinatown.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeOMkIBNUPIHEJJdnjeUiZb4hJwCL5X_e2booRfuAiST1mWS8-FKtqlq0Gji_FeCRwa8johTXSwUurQcRpinNyOvsFkDhVC1bLKGYzn4P5SWbfBjXyosjdrC4es9AH6h5M4lg5-bsWfyi/s640/IMG_1651.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piccadilly Circus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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There were lots of typical American stores (Gap, Toms, etc.), as well as the luxury brands on Bond Street (Chanel, LV, Burberry, etc). We went at night time after dinner, so a lot of the stores were already closed. But it was good to get a feel of that area.<br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX19KKrBXSigJ6yRz1yMkBIi6Jl9n4As2R7lhNmNMhDFCGPsXuyPGg_RG131ivcDHNPQ2udlQPgrQzOWoW0vTY7CIiW-rfNDU9fpkShqHjP0benf83b2-8xrxuc4g5FUM_4tbYgCkFzQ2z/s640/IMG_1652.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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<b>London - Day 3</b><br />
<b><br /></b><b>Stonehenge & Bath Day Tour</b><br />
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I found a Groupon for a discounted Stonehenge & Bath day tour. I thought it would be good to spend a day in the countryside, away from the city for a change. Plus, I wanted to see a bit of the countryside and visit the famous UNESCO world heritage site, Stonehenge.<br />
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The Groupon I got was for 65 Pounds for 2 tickets from Day Tours London, which was actually a pretty good value. It included the coach bus ride, narration/guide to the two sites as well as ticket entry to Stonehenge.<br />
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We met quite early, 7:45AM at the Gloucester Road tube station. There were a total of 25 people. Our guide was a lovely English lady (forgot her name), but she was excellent! She had been a guide for a long time and used to do the Hop on/off bus tours.<br />
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She explained to us about the town of Bath, the Georgian period (named Georgian because of the various King George's), and that Bath was the "in" town for rich people/landowner to socialize.<br />
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We stopped by a "Pasty" shop per the recommendation of our tour guide, called Pasty Presto. A Pasty is basically a pastry with various fillings, we tried the beef & potato one which was the traditional one.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubi2aZbc04K2j1PjB6D_1P8vkH8_C9ehQlnfjaoIJONktOR6AF_6rqj8ZMcgLs_F2eUjLlrHX6RQeL52WVcV4rwTBnAAwFIUgfU8oVGbmbEKpFsoehE-p6rHWMhq3wtTqjZyx8uqRlNbp/s640/IMG_1663.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Pasty" :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We then went to the Pump room to try the warm Bath water. It just tasted like warm mineral water. :)<br />
There's also a museum for the actual Roman Bath, but we didn't want to pay the entry fee so we just went to the Pump room for free. Afterwards we walked around the town, which was very beautiful, but a bit too commercialized. I wasn't expecting to see a Gap store there!<br />
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We took the route that was suggested by the tour guide up to the Circus and the Crescent, which is like a millionaire's row of beautiful townhouses. Very beautiful!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSt5udrmUxWKTXulG1-OfCOY6ZzEMz22_zydFSCm8-e4NXsVerZ_-KRDiHYho8wqZctWzEYVun-T6LpGQ5arbxgBe9TaiDquB7LjAQXHk6Gv_8Uy2cIZFzvucDM3ZNMpLIOzWEMqxWgcS-/s640/IMG_1670.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan in front of the Circus in Bath</td></tr>
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Afterwards Dan did a cider testing at Westgate Pub, and I convinced him to try Sally Lunn Bun for lunch. Dan had the salted beef bun and I had the bun with clotted cream and jam. The bun basically tasted like a French Brioche, and was pretty good.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW454Iv6RRC_Z6MMSG91-K5DKTJJxFjCANSlk05EsOP6Jn26Fn8sMrIdw7fbw9JmbXweSULnRDgun3cQrGmDqT8RogEKiQt2Oh8lp6SnDpQRsO4VST3kk-Zd4hEbyGBnYn3DAhKcJv2IoG/s640/IMG_1679.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sally Lunn Bun</td></tr>
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After Bath, we went on our way to Stonehenge, which was located not too far away from Bath. The bus dropped us off at the coach lot, where we got our the audio guides. We then walked to the main entrance where there were restrooms, a bookstore, small museum, and cafe. From the entrance, we took the shuttle bus to the actual area where the stones were.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3FcPKLeQeVR_gDNozUdIwC8gFdej49jKpIf4RrrLmKILviWFnYUYKrB5kF7wSPOqrnqSf-OW7heBg6Fkcel7otQVrtPm9WlbrKOSwpBojsUtV6xYzilCw-F8hef1GvUA9KxlO7KiSE13S/s640/IMG_1697.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stonehenge</td></tr>
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I'm sure you've probably seen a picture of Stonehenge before. I wasn't quite sure what it was actually, and it turned out no one knows 100% what it was for. The theory is that it's some kind of memorial/cemetery.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLcUgsqLmp7GazeD38S_JGO8i2Xq_RYd-ePhK1c9CmEOmhEAo-oTk7cbD-2lFsclPLgrIFVATzbuztHskg4BTazAy0yAkI6bucAsGwab3W-tJqGX80efiFFbRKwIi5bHhhjTL4fSfBTRZ/s640/IMG_1135.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stonehenge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It was nice to be able to see this place!<br />
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Overall it was a great tour. I would highly recommend doing a tour of Bath & Stonehenge while in London. It's a great way to see the beautiful countryside, and was a nice change from the hectic & busy city.<br />
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<b>Gauthier Soho</b><br />
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I booked dinner for us at Gauthier because I wanted to celebrate somewhere nice for our anniversary. We got back to London around 6:30 PM and headed back to our hotel to change into nicer outfits and then walked to Gauthier. Thankfully, the restaurant was located not too far away from our hotel (10 minute walk).<br />
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I didn't know much about the chef, but apparently he was either in Top Chef or Master Chef or something like that. :)<br />
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The restaurant was located in an old townhouse, and we had to ring a doorbell to be let in. Since I made a note that this was our 5 year anniversary, they set up a private table inside their wine room for us, which was a very nice touch!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjgJq5z0E-uCtHdFzBfzMVIYBw3OHn2WHHtudawNROsccQXnU2ImP2knYbrIFdIkvdaZI0A0qmUVSkQ8-K1Gvf0vH9FOYXH3wknxhlZzu8r-lhN_MraxL8Tp2BfNkp9UNbAqPkgkNNyEgG/s640/IMG_1730.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Private dinner setup</td></tr>
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They had a three-course option for 40 pounds, four-course for 50 pounds, and five-course for 60 pounds, or the tasting menu for 75 pounds. I thought the price was pretty reasonable for fine dining (same price as our afternoon tea, haha!). Of course, drinks were additional. We ended up choosing the four-course for me and three-course for Dan--my fourth course was dessert, of course. :)<br />
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The meal started with several amuse bouches--a parmesan crisp which was yummy, and mousse in a cup. I also loved that they served the bread warm!<br />
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My first course was scallops, and Dan's was asparagus with salmon. Both dishes was excellent, though we both favored Dan's slightly more. It was so light and wonderful, and the fish was cooked beautifully.<br />
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My second course was risotto with truffle (10 pounds extra), and Dan got truffle pasta. Both tasted very similar to each other, very rich!<br />
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My third course was sea bass with pesto, and Dan's was the filet (15 pounds extra). I actually preferred Dan's steak and ended up eating most of it, haha!<br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_bcnssnJL_qhh0WNGAAZDlHbrRspwPqLEavZK1KeXF6HiG6t6uRJ4IAkn5MCjgzH-InSRkKl8IAEPrE5H5G5CEv4wAvs6W6HXJkrQVCmpbGPZ1bQn1dUc1wv1LkjZAl6MnzITNlEY6KP/s640/IMG_1723.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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We were so full at this point, but still had dessert left. We ordered the famous Louis XV, which was a chocolate mousse with hazelnut crisps. It was actually not as heavy as it looked, and we finished it off!<br />
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Total bill was 141 pounds, which we thought was pretty reasonable and definitely a great meal to celebrate our 5 year anniversary!<br />
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<b>London - Day 4</b><br />
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<b>Dishoom</b><br />
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This is one of the more famous Indian restaurants in London. We tried going for dinner one night, but the wait was over an hour. Every time we passed this restaurant there always seemed to be a line, so we decided to go on our last day for breakfast/brunch (hoping for a shorter line)!.<br />
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We went around 10:30 AM and there was one group in front of us. We ended up waiting about 15 minutes. The restaurant was already full at 10:30 AM! :)<br />
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We ordered the Bombay Breakfast and the Bacon & Egg Naan. The Bombay Breakfast was a good mix of everything. I loved the scrambled egg; it has a unique flavor to it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37LSw0lB62McPcxEAWaFiYwqeWaLjDChJLcO4G1tSc25e9s1O-Ygx-3f8CxEvDbWAt26VzRTfiHcqJ0GX7UY0VSfLXR1KCN-x69YYEvB1VHMuzXG1cc3AC8slG2Vm67hu9Yiy23VeEjVT/s640/IMG_1151.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bombay Breakfast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The bacon and egg naan was also yummy. Very unique, and it came with a sweet & spicy jam.<br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeMIEKjQPVyDYD3j4kb1iXI5xSrXWvW_NakWRdxfpwMJ27LpO1OqW5V0Ej1T5nBcqqmMg0M_DBQGVbbrKaTAvPtzJQejzMClKlZ_OHo-z8o9bnnCbjKzq1XXnlHzgVYLysc8tNQNLiGd1/s640/IMG_1737.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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I also ordered the Masala Chai (they make the best one!). Definitely get this if you go to Dishoom.<br />
Overall we both liked the food and would recommend this place.<br />
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<b>London Eye & Walking around River Thames</b><br />
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We didn't have much planned for our last day, and I wanted to at least see the London Eye. We made our way via underground tube to the Waterloo station, and then a short 5-10 minute walk to the London Eye. The line was SUPER long, plus I wasn't planning on going up anyway, so we just took a picture and then walked along the River Thames. It was a nice stroll.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw5ULtTv1Uaz8P4OoyLDTUGtvB0v13gY1AY6wuJT_Rm4nkhqKJAqjX7fwfHxIEonvv0oDv-2Ah5TFXuN767hx8v5QUwPqSW_swvYXvqdVm0i_MX_KbhxiosXXA6tnzByZyprabTWMOh4Pd/s640/IMG_1743.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">London Eye</td></tr>
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<b>Mathilda the Musical</b><br />
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Since our hotel was by the Covent Garden area, we kept seeing lots of ads for different West End shows, and I wanted to at least catch one show while we were here.<br />
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We ended up getting really good discounted tickets for Mathilda by purchasing on the day of from this company called London Theatre Booking. I found this company online, and was a little worried if it was legit or not. They had an actual retail outlet in Covent Garden, so we went there to buy the tickets. Interestingly enough, we first tried the Mathilda theatre box office directly, but the cheapest available tickets there were much more expensive than what we got from London Theatre Booking. I believe we paid 66 pounds total for two tickets, which was a really good price!<br />
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Mathilda the Musical was a very cute story and very child friendly. We went to the Saturday matinee show at 2:30PM, and it was a great way to spend our last afternoon in London.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDI7tqvvarbpIQ2LCpy4D109984DfopW6Jqj1qL4AioJx93pvt9M2xkuUsttxWCzoa1oNZgYmOMvgoSU859e1i4AR7LA9v7DLKCj5ydSSDFP_xGJ8dnCEu2lo8sLryFP9hMj3-dUeLCzC/s640/IMG_1747.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mathilda London</td></tr>
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<b>Bone Daddies</b><br />
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For our last meal in London, we went to Bone Daddies. We were considering Ippudo and Bone Daddies, but decided to try this place since we hadn't been (we already had tried Ippudo in New York). Bone Daddies is a hipster ramen restaurant located in Soho. The restaurant was quite full when we arrived at 5 PM, but we got seated immediately. The restaurant only has bar seating, so it would be hard to bring kids here.<br />
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Dan ordered the sour ramen, and I got the tonkatsu ramen. Dan liked his sour ramen; it definitely had a unique flavor.<br />
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My tonkatsu ramen broth was VERY thick. Overall was pretty good, but not the best that we've had.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZunpscjaSWx2hv3NOQpXXzjnU_-J-518ASQwpSrhhy3hxZT_eexH0wGIMmv4TzHpoa-kkWWJhY-s0D4wtlc_RGHy6fx_TeXyEJpyHAuQArsDeqaIyCBxdaVmQjbLyIFFrcUENl5AB-n_/s640/IMG_1751.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bone Daddies London</td></tr>
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Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-5247384591429963322015-05-30T21:40:00.000-07:002015-05-30T21:40:04.437-07:00Radisson Blu Edwardian Mercer Street<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">This is a continuation of our London & Paris trip. You can find the full trip itinerary <a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/05/london-paris-trip-introduction.html" style="color: #248cc9; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> </span><br />
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We pre-booked an airport transfer for around 50 pounds from Heathrow to the Radisson Blu Mercer Street Hotel (which turned out to be a great price, cheaper than taxi!) and arrived around noon. There were a ton of Radisson Blu hotels around London. I chose this one because of the location, right in Covent Garden which turned out to be a great base spot while we were in London.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ysj4WaL-8vHKrMU0r-KmZxlrz3iPn59TZNvC0EQPLFT3_Ic5g7Rf7VxJJgNvZSgD1-d2WxTIp6mhOmZGAiE3MfOy1GvEVgO7U2fgtmMyh0kPevF5bq4OErLMaA455ZRgMiODEW6V-thj/s640/IMG_1731.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Radisson Blu Mercer Street Hotel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The hotel itself doesn't have a "grand" lobby, as it is situated in a pretty central area where the buildings were older and not that big. Check-in was easy enough and supposedly we were upgraded to a larger room.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGKyLVkH6YlXdQ2rQTMVf_Y9SMBYji8loqkX9XF7BLP09suXLExHsFdmkCE0AfyPm3NGPgKLggvAbFjpBKpyfV6OK6CIlowjoZpO60jU8oZ-bi-FNHwnyn7hc6OcXbQG0JCfKj66lLhCH/s640/IMG_1587.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel Lobby</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Our room was in the corner, so maybe we did get an upgrade. It did look a little bigger than the regular rooms on the website. It still wasn't that huge but considering we were in a pretty central location, it made sense why the rooms were smaller in general.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9AJ9I31rez2FsWPt5ZvvhfjHChZGj7MHzTamhV0nHCn2kTMMl3q4Sxnfpov1KCJObfr7zl-SqfxlPdL_VgALo9T9RNHU16m5wIAByf_EshjS3YzggMhA4HfbT9aLQEHPk7zqUzPIAJ2E/s640/IMG_1581.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Bed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I noticed that a lot of the Radisson Blu hotels were decorated very similarly. This particular one had a green and pink theme, and other Radisson Blu hotels have different colors, but very similar decor. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMytg4d4cfcFTqsRwUgl9ukmcR4M0HctW90DX61IoKZGVfXnmYzsIwCrRI4R4d0yzf_nn6WYbTmMqu2rFr1gUeovUTzXmLMcL3yIW3eUAQ9H15IhsOzOLdrzV0VR0TW5yhH7MBa-ueaIHw/s640/IMG_1582.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seating Area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There's a separate seating area, and bottled water was included free of charge and replenished daily and/or during turn down service, which was very nice.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9sQGyW4yAfBkwLVcFLJ2yHGlXHeWbRdYAvQNJe_9MIUPwCEiUoVUByfa-meymtHkl3eUAQWWZzKnikjCte5DEXYL-5ac81w7R_GoAp4L5q5N9BQfA1Vt0lnyWlnciFdcQOuUADfDfseC/s400/IMG_1583.jpg" width="300" /> <img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MqBWj9Q5d-HLBGbFqq7rcQM1krBd45e6Npfwd02wpZb-xRO_48kg2gsSBZWbhBstGWZIp0JvxrbeX-7Ri1nCNLwZgl6QufH0hQw6EQcCjKv-WskQmz4gah1NBVFmVPqkdY-O3dUxRHiJ/s400/IMG_1584.jpg" width="300" /></div>
<br />
<br />
The bathroom was a little on the small side -- one interesting thing was the soap, shampoo, and conditioner, were in refillable containers, which I guess is somewhat more eco-friendly rather than the typical travel size disposable containers. :)<br />
<br />
As I mentioned, this hotel was truly in a great location. It's within a few blocks away from the Covent Garden tube station (although at the time of our stay, this station was closed for renovation) and the Leicester Square tube station was not that far away. There's plenty of shops/restaurants/small markets within walking distance, as well as the actual "Covent Garden" and theatre district. The hotel was also not too far away from Soho, Chinatown, and Piccadilly Square. All in all, I felt that this hotel was very centrally located and a good base for exploring London.<br />
<br />
The hotel itself was nice -- not luxurious or anything like that, but clean enough and overall a good value. Did I mention that the location was great? :)</div>
Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-54809098967107956442015-05-29T20:07:00.000-07:002015-05-30T21:38:07.188-07:00Seattle Layover<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">This is a continuation of our London & Paris trip. You can find the full trip itinerary <a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/05/london-paris-trip-introduction.html" style="color: #248cc9; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"><br /></span>
We decided to fly to Seattle the night before our long haul flight to London. We didn't want to miss our connection and thought it was a good excuse to spend the day in Seattle.<br />
<br />
We arrived at night and took the train from SEATAC to downtown Seattle. The train took around 45 minutes and cost $3 per person one way. If time is not an issue, this is a pretty cost effective option. The train was clean and we felt pretty safe. We got off at the Westlake station and walked 3 blocks to our hotel (Hyatt Olive 8), which was located at Olive & 8th Avenue.<br />
<br />
The guest service at check in was Brittany, and she was very friendly. She asked us what brought us to Seattle and when I told her that it was to celebrate our 5 year anniversary, she insisted on sending complimentary mimosas for us in the morning.<br />
<br />
The Hyatt Olive 8 hotel was relatively new and had a slight modern feel. The room was quite spacious and felt clean. The amenities were standard/typical for Hyatt, but it was more than adequate for our one night stay.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Activities & Where to Eat in Seattle</b></u><br />
<br />
We didn't really plan much and ended up spending most of the morning around the Pike Place Market area. Afterwards, we did some shopping and then headed back to rest at the hotel.<br />
<br />
<b>The Crumpet Shop</b><br />
<br />
I read about this place called the Crumpet Shop and we walked around the market for about 20<br />
minutes and couldn't find it. It turned the place was on 1st Ave & Pike, and not inside the market itself.<br />
<br />
I have had crumpets before (from Whole Foods), and thought they were okay. But I was intrigued by this shop preparing crumpets with different wonderful toppings. I read online that this place gets quite packed during peak hours. Since we came pretty early in the morning, there was no line.<br />
<br />
Dan ordered the special which included green eggs, tomatoes, and cream cheese & smoked salmon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqnFnldMzLqkLzr1oxBCrVS02bXDv8zwxkqL8sNyDqxZzevhDxqkRhisoZ_fXBSY6fwtAyGV3eEvWktVn-FqMj54KJGjgi1p04rSg-421TVLnSGOZk6qc2JTRUrMhtHOZynPryxqMa4w-/s640/IMG_1571.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green egg & salmon crumpet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Mine was a sweet flavor (of course!), called the Vermont (ricotta cheese, maple butter, and walnut).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidfni-ck7fJq338N9StBycFIBDXl0VR8DnpJ-wYv5JlA-CV2zGRjYYuk2i6Hwo7O43BvwgsZ6I-Zss1JXUc75b5k2VHgDSgcDm8nfNwvjGYYgA4kAVUkhuW-FxDLWtt5VEg_fU_GM5-mFN/s640/IMG_1573.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy crumpet!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Both crumpets were delicious, I wished they were toasted warm a bit more, but overall they were really good. I love how creative the toppings were, instead of just the typical butter & jam.<br />
<br />
<b>The Original Starbucks</b><br />
<br />
Dan wanted to visit the original Starbucks, which was located not too far from the Pike Place Market. There were several reserve coffee bean flavors only at this store, and were individually poured. Dan ordered the Pike Place Reserve. This store had a slight rustic feel although still felt like a Starbucks.<br />
<br />
<b>Piroshky & Piroshky</b><br />
<br />
We were actually not 100% full from the Crumpet shop, so we stopped by this famous place and shared the Hazelnut Chocolate Piroshky. The hazelnut tasted more custard-y, but still good. Their most famous item is the smoked salmon piroshky.<br />
<br />
<b>Tilikum Place Cafe</b><br />
<br />
I had a hard time deciding between trying this cafe or Toulouse Petit (which serves Cajun food). I ended up choosing this place, and it was definitely good. This place is famous for the Dutch Baby, which is like a very thick custardy pancake. Their version was definitely a really good one. The outside was crisp and the middle part was soft, doughy and custardy...very yummy.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2_poOBj_YDNxxoNDKPGlnITjPn-jy8Bap9Q6oIF8Gc_NJIVOmrM-P8JLk4-RwP19C6RihVjcn_vsvyEBN4wO5OQsXa3do-h9nTBRPV5ubAeA0jSzW214U2ZgxdayGtVU5hRfHJixxhyphenhyphent/s640/IMG_1575.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excellent Dutch Baby!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Dan ordered the breakfast place which came with egg, bacon, toast, and pork baked beans.<br />
<br />
After lunch, we walked back to our hotel and then took Uber to the airport for our flight to London. <br />
<br /></div>
Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-63716717067957384722015-05-28T23:35:00.002-07:002015-09-09T22:28:56.255-07:00London & Paris Trip - Introduction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We booked a trip to London & Paris to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. Dan had a travel together ticket (i.e: buy one get one free) from British Airways that was about to expire, so we thought we would use our miles & the travel together ticket to book the tickets.<br />
<br />
We did not bring M this time, so it would be our first time to travel just the two of us in a long time! :) Because we did not take her, we also didn't want to be away for too long as to not to overburden the grandparents, so we were only gone for 8 nights.<br />
<br />
We booked our tickets almost a year in advance to make sure we got the seats that we wanted and even then it was a bit tricky. We had to route via Seattle on our way to London. So our trip ended up like this:<br />
<br />
1 night in Seattle<br />
3 nights in London<br />
3 nights in Paris<br />
1 night layover in London<br />
<br />
We flew British Airways business class (called Club World) from Seattle to London, and then we managed to snag first class seats on our way back from London to SF! :)<br />
<br />
The surcharges and taxes came out to be quite expensive, almost like paying a full fare economy ticket each. We figured we were using miles to basically get an "upgrade", since the out of pocket cost for the surcharges and taxes were quite hefty.<br />
<br />
For London, we had enough Radisson points to book a three night stay at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Mercer Street (awesome location), and one night at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Heathrow for our return layover.<br />
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For Paris, we booked the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome.<br />
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I also have to preface that we have no pictures of our flight to London as well as the Seattle hotel, as I accidentally lost our camera on the flight (forgot to pick it up when we left the aircraft) -- so the rest of our pictures were taken using our phones.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8boO01vtWpj4khuSS_xYsB1SNuSrkwgNcZvj_EHFdsUoyKO2CJSH6bXkA1qYwydFTKrNr7f3Q9W_-t9OMpaJciOizSsQzjNTab9FRpFzwBQSdLYECZuKrAokTr8L3UD8cUNOXjbuDRfk/s640/IMG_1906.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us in Paris</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Here's our trip report:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/05/london-paris-trip-introduction.html">London & Paris Trip - Introduction</a><br />
<a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/05/seattle-layover.html">Seattle Layover</a><br />
<a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/05/radisson-blu-edwardian-mercer-street.html">Radisson Blu Edwardian Mercer Street - London</a><br />
<a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/06/activities-where-to-eat-in-london.html">Activities & Where to Eat in London</a><br />
<a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/06/park-hyatt-paris-vendome.html">Park Hyatt Paris Vendome</a><br />
<a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/06/activities-where-to-eat-in-paris.html">Activities & Where to Eat in Paris</a><br />
<a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/06/british-airways-first-class-lhr-sfo.html">LHR - SFO on British Airways First Class</a><br />
<a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/09/london-paris-summary-tips.html">London & Paris Trip - Summary & Tips</a></div>
Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-29578536367084285292015-05-28T19:26:00.000-07:002015-05-29T00:45:23.369-07:00Portugal Quick Work Trip<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I (Dan) had the incredible opportunity to travel to Portugal for business recently. Unfortunately, I was only given a few weeks notice, which didn't give us enough time to consider or plan to extend this trip for personal travel. Marcela would have had to jump through hoops to get a tourist visa, take time off from work, plus flights weren't cheap and mileage redemption options were very limited given the short lead time. So I went by myself.<br />
<br />
<b>SFO-LIS roundtrip</b><br />
<br />
I flew Air France (Delta codeshare) because they had the most preferred flight times and only one layover at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Since Delta was not my preferred airline, I didn't have status and so flew Economy at the back of the plane.<br />
<br />
I must admit that since we started more seriously earning and redeeming miles, I've been spoiled flying business class for nearly all of our international flights (for vacation). Luckily, the flight from SFO to CDG was not full and there was an empty seat next to me. The return flight (CDG to SFO), not so lucky. It was fully packed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh966s_QebykNf_jwQD4sB6MJsh7itVJHGyrPS93bVdBP6pd8ZU8_j-ixRanQ6vSUimDqn55EhysSPgsYh9_jkMZCFcdAwMGrfHIxIGD8TYpnS6vhaz9zt2rLte-2ndSLQEnvRKuIylSFf1/s1600/IMG_0649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh966s_QebykNf_jwQD4sB6MJsh7itVJHGyrPS93bVdBP6pd8ZU8_j-ixRanQ6vSUimDqn55EhysSPgsYh9_jkMZCFcdAwMGrfHIxIGD8TYpnS6vhaz9zt2rLte-2ndSLQEnvRKuIylSFf1/s1600/IMG_0649.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Extra Seat SFO-CDG</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Air France's carry-on luggage weight restrictions were very strict for Economy (max 12 kg / 26 lb). So I had to check in my carry-on sized roller board.<br />
<br />
Thankfully, the flights both ways were pretty uneventful, no major delays. On-board service was fine, meals were alright, and the entertainment system was functional.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4BB-W5uInYaKzOE87Ga5kQlWeLjJ6VmiTE9F-sVZWYIAZqGFLckHlB3SKiZaYWFfRKOHSHyy3U7SMERuv2X0-zC4x3NcBeZL9ktVkpL_PZGnH5IJ2AWzXWN6rsxQCq_L-lqg6ESVj7Ds/s1600/IMG_0647.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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Interestingly, passport control/immigration was at CDG, the port of entry into and departure out of Europe. I suppose because France and Portugal are both part of the Schengen Area in the EU.<br />
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<b>Penha Longa Resort</b><br />
<br />
Upon arrival at the Lisbon airport, I picked up my luggage from baggage claim and took a 30-minute cab ride to the Penha Longa Resort, where I would be staying for my business meetings over the next few days.<br />
<br />
When the taxi turned into the entrance of the property, there was a gate guard who asked for my name, confirming I was checking in, before letting us through. Then upon arrival at the hotel, I was warmly welcomed by name, given a cold towel to wipe my hands and face, and directed to the check-in counter. What a great first impression! Overall, I felt service was noticeably very good throughout my stay.<br />
<br />
The resort was extremely beautiful with gorgeous, scenic greenery and hills. The hotel appeared very clean, well kept, and had a business/professional vibe with a little European historic flair. Not surprisingly, the Penha Longa is a Ritz Carlton property with all the amenities--golf course, gym, spa, pool, restaurants and bar/lounge, and even a kids play area.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3us6AMcuTURaZ5VFaUA15OtNgTLGcv2hGfEefK3EEg-rtql8mN2MWojMdC6P_1xU9HAQa_YnHPR4Sh5xuDLwQnaunQ6DkIaKxxLbMEhiktOqTtmzEKZgo6N77oc6pFvIHXtmHGtR6PKzf/s1600/IMG_0679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3us6AMcuTURaZ5VFaUA15OtNgTLGcv2hGfEefK3EEg-rtql8mN2MWojMdC6P_1xU9HAQa_YnHPR4Sh5xuDLwQnaunQ6DkIaKxxLbMEhiktOqTtmzEKZgo6N77oc6pFvIHXtmHGtR6PKzf/s1600/IMG_0679.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lobby Entrance</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DZag5sYzIKfYNcq3NwB2NLAc7qomoajVyUZlP9qN5Y8AkDVdWTmgzZyvbZQfkMD6moPaoUxA4T1M-37IHGBrtohWLHrzGqAlAcASQeZsz5ALAjtoXsz1pF-5LRLTxtLGRoRCzKwM2MbO/s1600/IMG_0702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DZag5sYzIKfYNcq3NwB2NLAc7qomoajVyUZlP9qN5Y8AkDVdWTmgzZyvbZQfkMD6moPaoUxA4T1M-37IHGBrtohWLHrzGqAlAcASQeZsz5ALAjtoXsz1pF-5LRLTxtLGRoRCzKwM2MbO/s1600/IMG_0702.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pool</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxDjGiSuKc4VSjyRcPDs9AeN1VYFbdbPIUmwAsFax_bYAshYKMKYBxNBG71KAuZLHvn3r_C7S_TbHCGQ8_ZPfbukl5_DnYwwNZDYU9Q7vodzo61wZ_dvGjLY-Z7OscqbTA7israCVelY8/s1600/IMG_0686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxDjGiSuKc4VSjyRcPDs9AeN1VYFbdbPIUmwAsFax_bYAshYKMKYBxNBG71KAuZLHvn3r_C7S_TbHCGQ8_ZPfbukl5_DnYwwNZDYU9Q7vodzo61wZ_dvGjLY-Z7OscqbTA7israCVelY8/s1600/IMG_0686.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lobby</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The room was nice, too. I stayed in a standard room with two double beds on the second floor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtT8RM6ulalc0PZjlXDWfXWct-WRoIGoFbhikBar9sJWWUB-bTnVVytrtOcEvxlZZLbxaNeQ22e1DRzSd3Sd4DKHW4JKZGVL6xPzMI3EU_JX5pn-qU3DLrPPLubCrwwgS8q234TH4hwD55/s1600/IMG_0662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqMc3pQc2rGho6a5fexFEaxxibrw0X4dQDf_Jng94pgH7_BefkVLr_CKn4KOrwaA-XfV122hN5Oqba2iw0A9kuqDIDFoXc1oGfA_kbjJjBGNHCOWGqW-gd31F_A0QcXJiOqqUhAHHvtjF/s1600/IMG_0661.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entry way</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtT8RM6ulalc0PZjlXDWfXWct-WRoIGoFbhikBar9sJWWUB-bTnVVytrtOcEvxlZZLbxaNeQ22e1DRzSd3Sd4DKHW4JKZGVL6xPzMI3EU_JX5pn-qU3DLrPPLubCrwwgS8q234TH4hwD55/s1600/IMG_0662.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minibar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiB-tvAXsluDFMOPpASj7iCFlw9pM5QSo8po19ybZst8ougc40VmChmtcopdyomRzsEIt1n-rYHYYyHYkVs-gvpo5NuCNLdOhmOaxr0C6u2pybDR-hEWEkBLAVPiuNhdFpEBH_rmDtXYW/s1600/IMG_0666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiB-tvAXsluDFMOPpASj7iCFlw9pM5QSo8po19ybZst8ougc40VmChmtcopdyomRzsEIt1n-rYHYYyHYkVs-gvpo5NuCNLdOhmOaxr0C6u2pybDR-hEWEkBLAVPiuNhdFpEBH_rmDtXYW/s1600/IMG_0666.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flat screen TV</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjSx1GFN-qMwhizY-tmRke4se6HAKx51SLPALd-QWTO-ECVOKMiT9L71AWrTrUQy-ZU9BTrAdp8pqf7r8zU4JIIXDnmVrDQgzGEFht-bM8aBiEPUZ20ytPZfIBRx4XPdSFsYx0fYEmRpV/s1600/IMG_0667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjSx1GFN-qMwhizY-tmRke4se6HAKx51SLPALd-QWTO-ECVOKMiT9L71AWrTrUQy-ZU9BTrAdp8pqf7r8zU4JIIXDnmVrDQgzGEFht-bM8aBiEPUZ20ytPZfIBRx4XPdSFsYx0fYEmRpV/s1600/IMG_0667.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modern Bathroom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7U0ZFwEYY7LHOx7YmzkydVMHz1LPXXo6oSNroqhc_8ibMa_GHumM8R_ci84Bm7ByBpwRiuJ8JWyUvM5zkJRu7tQXxMAuYvFlJXaczIEQW_tlE3BXt0TjgGzadWmBKFidpqU-ddnXPQTtI/s1600/IMG_0668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7U0ZFwEYY7LHOx7YmzkydVMHz1LPXXo6oSNroqhc_8ibMa_GHumM8R_ci84Bm7ByBpwRiuJ8JWyUvM5zkJRu7tQXxMAuYvFlJXaczIEQW_tlE3BXt0TjgGzadWmBKFidpqU-ddnXPQTtI/s1600/IMG_0668.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dual Sinks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4V8H3HTGsMBHczKCGGW9j0S0MizENNrcgzn7dzhJQ1lg3HNq0cuge92BM8UAKPSbzbKvDsk8wsuNaNVmSXkH-OcFFqrtwTby6NM9HNfz7aGN1aJyoCbf0P2qQzy56T7XtzvMlklyrXEhB/s1600/IMG_0677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4V8H3HTGsMBHczKCGGW9j0S0MizENNrcgzn7dzhJQ1lg3HNq0cuge92BM8UAKPSbzbKvDsk8wsuNaNVmSXkH-OcFFqrtwTby6NM9HNfz7aGN1aJyoCbf0P2qQzy56T7XtzvMlklyrXEhB/s1600/IMG_0677.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Balcony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnAxZh3NlDs1ELEWFuwTM3F7MDSDMhnquCrt5_TZBDhLlKEDceYZNT5ZSirOhWvMsNlVSP0CV9yBwaJvhKEOtlqrC3KM7Qyvu1XRiEYA5S7_UoLnonHRu6PcfUn9LkDdvECDnJ6FO218N/s1600/IMG_0674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnAxZh3NlDs1ELEWFuwTM3F7MDSDMhnquCrt5_TZBDhLlKEDceYZNT5ZSirOhWvMsNlVSP0CV9yBwaJvhKEOtlqrC3KM7Qyvu1XRiEYA5S7_UoLnonHRu6PcfUn9LkDdvECDnJ6FO218N/s1600/IMG_0674.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Balcony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Sintra</b><br />
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Work meetings lasted two and a half full days, including dinners and networking at the bar afterwards. On the last day, we wrapped up by lunch time, so a group of us went to a nearby town called Sintra that afternoon to sight see for a few hours. It was about a 10 minute cab ride from the hotel.<br />
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Once we were dropped off in town, we somehow stumbled upon the (public transport) bus that would take us to the castle on top of the hill called Castelo dos Mouros. The views were absolutely amazing from the top.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-_mk_e3_HVsLTqIRAh-NE6iONUiOThFftXBxxye-w-vae5gY9-q4yKYHVTcS7zP_KBujgOj5C61tPFEL9cpuKaqksuMDwkdPks7vJp9ZzCMMjzAA4nP9INzXQtvaj7S3aq8ddAVSCazo/s1600/IMG_0705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-_mk_e3_HVsLTqIRAh-NE6iONUiOThFftXBxxye-w-vae5gY9-q4yKYHVTcS7zP_KBujgOj5C61tPFEL9cpuKaqksuMDwkdPks7vJp9ZzCMMjzAA4nP9INzXQtvaj7S3aq8ddAVSCazo/s1600/IMG_0705.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbrB0EtUblLTkThaEwYrOx356hnvSnKAKrC52uBIChTB_N_Jw7D2rSU-kIermAD2Wx-lylWKKCS77ieDF88xQI_kaiEG-B8lKtRXkK1vKx7H8CqRPRYrUelfX-yT11mnJsbWSUJxG9byf9/s1600/IMG_0717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbrB0EtUblLTkThaEwYrOx356hnvSnKAKrC52uBIChTB_N_Jw7D2rSU-kIermAD2Wx-lylWKKCS77ieDF88xQI_kaiEG-B8lKtRXkK1vKx7H8CqRPRYrUelfX-yT11mnJsbWSUJxG9byf9/s1600/IMG_0717.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJ_znOM8bJymUcU_3gazKwOGPttDo0EsLzWI4bAALxL7CqcNcDR0M6c5h0unAbRtZZhq339ffnCHiMZCT13dDmd5A2eipDSKH21sexJnwV_AmjvQ6Y8XKbT1bYYM5xZ-Wxy0QicTy2iHw/s1600/IMG_0711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJ_znOM8bJymUcU_3gazKwOGPttDo0EsLzWI4bAALxL7CqcNcDR0M6c5h0unAbRtZZhq339ffnCHiMZCT13dDmd5A2eipDSKH21sexJnwV_AmjvQ6Y8XKbT1bYYM5xZ-Wxy0QicTy2iHw/s1600/IMG_0711.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the top</td></tr>
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We then walked a few kilometers to Palácio da Pena, which was interesting...and colorful.<br />
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Afterwards, we took the bus back down, and then taxi from Sintra back to the Penha Longa Resort. I stayed that night and flew out early the next morning.<br />
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<b>Concluding Thoughts</b><br />
<ul>
<li>I'm glad I got the opportunity to visit Portugal for the first time, and even got a tiny bit of sightseeing in</li>
<li>The Penha Longa was a very nice resort</li>
<li>The food was fine--nothing jumped out as super spectacular or unique (not picture worthy), though all meals were at the resort. So, at least in my mind, I didn't really get to try true "authentic" local Portuguese cuisine.</li>
<li>If I ever come back, I'd like to spend some time checking out downtown Lisbon</li>
</ul>
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Dan and Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758438987720993980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-2480113562811163962015-05-27T19:28:00.003-07:002015-05-27T19:30:37.266-07:00Activities & Where to Eat in Tokyo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">This is a continuation of our Bali & Tokyo trip. You can find the full trip itinerary <a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/02/bali-tokyo-trip-introduction.html" style="color: #248cc9; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> </span><br />
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<b>Sushi Zanmai</b><br />
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My brother-in-law recommended we try this place while in Tokyo. Sushi Zanmai is actually a "chain", but we were surprised how good this place was. We went to the one near Tsujiki Fish Market and ordered the Omakase and several a la carte items.<br />
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizSTaVJXU8VdhR1On1wWn3jaOG9lozwx3QBdzf81gNeU71pcys9NT8Axq18DFxSjLqEQv6kkoi4F-6LKqiAV__G7lpposVwRX8IQRPlITZLGy88frIy_n1uN8W_a3i0E3ty3OxSxYsInaZ/s640/IMG_3870.JPG" width="480" /></div>
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The fish tasted so fresh! I mean the restaurant was literally steps away from the fish market. :) The outstanding item was for sure the toro (fatty tuna). There was also a very interesting item, the "grass" sushi...haha</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5rkx5qzK_AGT34pPDCnY0xt_GLeC14Hz6FRE2nzWHrUkQ8YA3ozWLAB8KfMoKdX2HNxCYkkdrglkZ67UKO6gBxB7L7TLTrz1frkDWxMYdzi3HKtTOZQyt3Ct3vL4urbp70y9ykznD6rZ/s640/IMG_3867.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Omakase </span></td></tr>
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The toro melted in my mouth and did not taste like anything we had ever tasted before!<br />
The restaurant was also quite family friendly as it's not super cramped and there's actually table seating instead of just bar seating. There were multiple floors though, and we got seated on the 3rd floor. So lots of steps.<br />
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We really enjoyed our meal there. We know this probably may have not be the "best" out there, but we thought it was excellent for us. Given that we were traveling with a toddler, we couldn't always seek out the best places and instead we usually sacrificed for what's more convenient. <br />
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<b>Yakiniku Jumbo Shirokane</b><br />
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This was another recommendation from my brother-in-law. This place was a little bit out of the way from our hotel, but the trip was definitely worth it.<br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ99pU9cBWkLpDkR6lxjL7PZkhnjQytRl-eMzYvHtpAigeB1vWIieqw3dMp9b8xUYpKupDofmsUxeh3ouZ6756Dh33txPdDL15Dw6OF6EfnDiV0Cwm3FjcR-mVgOxS8Nd5Gt-Y0gSdiPW_/s640/IMG_3908.JPG" width="640" /><br />
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Make sure to have reservations as this place gets very full! I made reservations through our hotel concierge at the Conrad.<br />
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We ordered a couple types of meat as well as the signature Nohara yaki (must get this!). Everything was AMAZING, like melt in your mouth amazing! We could see the marbling in the cuts and knew it would taste so delicious.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryu1rvT_vvgjyCvzv9aRHc8I9TeZQ-2U3EzHrAkqyr9ZzbVXoqSumpS4vEXF749am7n-iJ0xlN3p1_LaG5vbiDslBsnfgEN9WPlT6gMdhPVUBfkYfD5T-TKTa6jAJp4fItGyoLHlV5qSv/s640/IMG_3911.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nohara yaki</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuEqhWq8b6JCu2crWcA9EpXTGKHIdHkST2Zyh6huTwz4f2AQAGhhezdWvJLovzPiW7IEAbCp4qrRDg7VEcq_OE9kg_V_4uxTvDU5xWKAbqZDFS2zzqDEUcR0q9y-NQ4W8pVHDibSbiU76/s640/IMG_0520.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nohara yaki - cooked</td></tr>
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The signature Nohara yaki cut was a bit expensive, as it's sold per slice -- but it was definitely excellent. We dipped it in raw egg, which probably wasn't the best idea as we both had a bit of a stomach ache the next day. Next time we'll skip the raw egg dipping sauce. :)<br />
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<b>Pattiserie Sadaharu Aoki</b><br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrUaRdb9KL4zwPcOphr1_9-LqkQHPKYexGUIa7Lq8DVwX8Shg8ysmTIZR3j8OJ9AXiTRcKUsu0cMmj4oM66JVD_7PwMag7QXoVZthFV09hyphenhyphenSv32P3th_P1vU-p2bv7ukBUs_YfQpNPoDN/s640/IMG_3926.JPG" width="640" /><br />
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I really wanted to try this place so we visited the one in Midtown.<br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpMEOxI-fQh99Yx6A_NGUEOHt-9R1Mxz_JicDu1liKq0Wf_hTV5tB2SyRUr8s5C0BktjOi4sxxvDAwJ9iEOcNkQr8XAYjqA5bcJPSNBu70lZIHXkavLMSiylv_LcJHe6y4zd899IstlkY/s640/IMG_1225.JPG" width="640" /><br />
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We tried the omakase dessert, which was pretty good (but not outstanding).<br />
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I also got a couple of macaroons to try. They had some pretty unique flavors like green tea and sesame macaroons.<br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk457SuJ_L5rEzKlmLBQDWnTX174hk8cgjb9eBw4z0MqXti5Ce_TRhLuct0tcI8nxAEwYXqfVAu-Gm5rg7FO2muRTSQmJgSGO6D0J8H6tqAcbS9ujZZYSRmusJ_3TwpVCWNU4dHCUnEQXg/s640/IMG_3954.JPG" width="640" /><br />
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What was outstanding was the matcha croissant. It was probably my favorite, very unique - combining the best of Japanese and French flavors!<br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7-K7d93_RG5144XoaATDL0fd5gpf-k7i02k22HnBBRCxmDwoPMJs8GA5wPOQzeMNaK3jQ4piPjkXYoJUt3fR2STtHuNymEnGkp8UJXYIs4vOhvZ4cebHaJ52OlQ-NuZGuJAYg5vTpEYG/s640/IMG_0523.JPG" width="640" /><br />
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We also got the Green tea eclair - which I thought was ok (not as good as the matcha croissant). Price was a bit on the higher end, but we're glad we were able to try this place.<br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WvP_ARhPlZL0eb5CJc1SoSiC_t3i90kyZlsug5Ou752aB0U0DbcK0oR4yoMzQ87s8AQcyISQSDJbHKuJcWOl4bWQq7s9UH96Bo6DTLbSbx8JpcB4TzIakGCTBwr5Gpdr0Jv11HsgQnLZ/s640/IMG_1228.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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<b>Laduree</b><br />
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I squealed when I saw this store in Ginza. I had heard so much about this place, so to finally see a real store in person was a treat. We grabbed a couple macaroons to go and thought they were really good.<br />
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<b>Haagen Dazs Crispy Sandwich Ice Cream</b><br />
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Haagen Dazs is one of my favorite ice cream brands, and whenever I'm in Asia, I always make sure to get the crispy sandwich since they don't have this available in the US!<br />
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This is basically ice cream in between 2 thin wafers. I don't know how they keep the wafer so crispy in the freezer!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRo83vtLAzRNi0O9h2Q1KVxAOEXTtMamMCsCwjiOpQ0PbPLNufvXu9aCGyJIhXXoCSPnUm2iSZPXX941nIm0H-umWc45bIDkxAfuAs_dVqJi7n4Q_VrfjlC2o98SEoNMBX5KoEUGUz_hO/s640/IMG_1185.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haagen Dazs crispy sandwich on the left</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Tokyo Skytree Food court</b><br />
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We were not able to make it up to the top of the Tokyo Skytree, but we did have lunch at the food court. :)<br />
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I was so happy that there was an Ippudo Express (not quite the same as Ippudo, but I'll take it), as well as the famous Gindaco Takoyaki. The food court was really, really crowded, but we managed to find seats and really enjoyed the food. We also got katsu curry which was yummy as well.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjie6aG5lIEbzgpMDYONY6KgEHjHdLEsQsLj2Y1oqeETR0xCJKStWu_RzCZtKZ3ila_Pp3Vf0PWzLXSnzKD1_NTW-8564UiRWND-CMngXwE-xYqHCbeuMG6H2Ur_NA2fudM5wld9y913ozQ/s1600/IMG_3883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjie6aG5lIEbzgpMDYONY6KgEHjHdLEsQsLj2Y1oqeETR0xCJKStWu_RzCZtKZ3ila_Pp3Vf0PWzLXSnzKD1_NTW-8564UiRWND-CMngXwE-xYqHCbeuMG6H2Ur_NA2fudM5wld9y913ozQ/s640/IMG_3883.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ippudo Express Ramen</td></tr>
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I have had lots of takoyaki before, and I can say that Gindaco is definitely on the top of my list. It's crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEu8tjuBWuI8aLcWDpTNLTU3WFN8d5Hcot0lkU3Jlt7WGmnoKsdtFKwX7gRi0cR00-ZWek0SXFbQJ8tnanXwh_q6Q17wMadmWM-S7-PXu0DZkS-AJ_e85Ct7GjUMLkK4nO2yEUXV5EDC7m/s640/IMG_1204.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gindaco Takoyaki</td></tr>
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<u><b>Activities:</b></u><br />
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<b>Tokyo Skytree</b><br />
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Tokyo Skytree is one of Tokyo's newest attractions, where you can go up to the observation deck to see the city from up high.<br />
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We didn't reserve a place in advance and the line was too long when we came, so I highly recommend booking in advance.<br />
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRueIii4katsdRTY8aGnioMo63fSwrkBEanJ6JpAF3aK0lrVGL4w83cjq5svO12Z42oZNh-BfWdaZlQBDzEaWrpTQeLh3cxTzB2ntEHXRhlHbpUhJFGuaXl9hDA42rq4uX8FOrZZ3l3xO9/s640/IMG_3880.JPG" width="480" /></div>
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<b>Asakusa</b><br />
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Since we were not able to make it to the Skytree, we went to the Asakusa area, which is like Japan's old town. There's a temple in the middle and lots of shops that sells souvenirs all along the walkways. It was nice to stroll around, although it was very cold since it was January!<br />
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfXpC_PSJpcFI4p7AKu6f890Q6vyZnRsI4s6pmEAL-CxrMBMAAE1jitc_rfFpLlyWq4AtH30h1L_FqTBpZqWdat4h4MjQLeF-bcZKWA4GY0sxOivTAnvb36FTFyFoZS7NzmhT2PDcGvhq2/s640/IMG_3901.JPG" width="480" /></div>
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<b>Odaiba</b><br />
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We wanted to visit a Hello Kitty store so our hotel concierge recommended going to Odaiba. It's actually a very "interesting" shopping center, and if I had known what it was like, I probably would have chosen to go somewhere else. The good thing from this place was we got to try green tea/vanilla ice cream swirl, as well as chocolate drizzled potato chips.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zI_k3jggFidNkPOh-CWyoPfnqmRKrbE9UMXSvotTBerwsT3_sTd1qaPQkmxoxLW0N_2b8OoJ2WwtRdAKnSHX9A_Wl48zb8VRusMaxQ2rP-QZ3uSSNScF6gX2kAndY1Gi2Oe9qzbjekFb/s640/IMG_1191.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello Kitty Swirl</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXWgxlupK2dP1CvKtdc5HVVjVH8lLm5r3qlzga6s4dAzZFxRdw2zPaZLOZkmHVK2gcVHDnD1CO4ODrGrRJ3-fSKQp1v8Rpzw7J3DmyPtLX_8l0hAG4wVY-Nezdt-0Kit8Z9MktuYvAgA4U/s640/IMG_1190.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calbee potato chips & chocolate</td></tr>
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<b>Ginza</b><br />
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Since our hotel was located near Ginza, we took a stroll one night to see the shopping stores and find something to eat. We could definitely tell that it's a more upscale area. Unfortunately since it was really cold, we only went for a short walk before deciding to head back to our hotel. :)<br />
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<u><b>Summary </b></u><br />
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There were several other areas that I wished we could have visited, like Omotesando, Roppongi Hills, Shibuya, and Shinjuku to name a few. To be completely honest, work had been very busy the last few months and I didn't really had to time to sit down and prioritize what to do during our layover in Tokyo, so I felt like the places we visited during this trip was a bit unorganized. Thankfully some of my Japanese coworkers actually took us out to the Skytree and Asakusa, otherwise we may have visited even more random places...haha.<br />
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We LOVED Japan, and three nights in Tokyo was definitely not enough. It did give us a good preview, and we definitely want to go back and spend more time in Tokyo and other cities in Japan. Food was amazing, even though this time we weren't really able to go to all the places we wanted. We realized now when traveling with a baby/toddler, we just have to go with the flow and convenience over trying to hit all the must hit spots. :) </div>
Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-73178972720814392162015-05-17T22:22:00.000-07:002015-05-27T19:30:15.046-07:00Conrad Tokyo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">This is a continuation of our Bali & Tokyo trip. You can find the full trip itinerary <a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/02/bali-tokyo-trip-introduction.html" style="color: #248cc9; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> </span><br />
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On our way back from Bali, we wanted to stop in Japan since I have never been. We decided on 3 nights, since by that time we would have been gone for about 3 weeks, and couldn't take too much more time off from work. <br />
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We looked into a couple different hotel options and ended up booking the Conrad Tokyo. We were very happy with our choice. We reserved the Conrad using two free nights from my CitiCard Hilton Reserve (and which also gave me automatic Gold status), and then I booked the last night via Expedia. The hotel was located just a few blocks away from Ginza, which definitely felt like an upscale area, but the immediate surrounding area felt very "business-y".<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJLMbNh9Z1L__94LL_Oe-TD53ERHZCSpb-YDWJ1zq8zmNtxB_mn7q_Fwf-er093DR2-ka32Stz2FJPVQjljmLXqRMJiI9-BPt6dqHeY2VyqMffQ5agnU0HXSYhe9mD_-vBX-GFAuOPr-b/s640/IMG_0482.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ginza</td></tr>
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When our taxi pulled in to the entryway, there were Japanese doormen wearing long coats and white gloves to open the car door! It turned out to be just the "welcoming" area, because then we had to take the elevator to the 28th floor, where the actual lobby area was. My understanding was that the rest of the floors were actually used for office space.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejEx85twRDM8lzR0LaD7uKXglDF0tngWYrOJYxEna91TK0O7uaxud5f9B-LKLYeNs5AiUeEHuF3TYYme_c2ZW-wpQhoNGoUWHf1XUOyhhG7vAe3FSqo6hYnisuZU2vF-UBtdVTTa3kdYa/s640/IMG_3925.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lobby</td></tr>
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The lobby was beautiful as it had huge glass walls to the ceiling with a great view of the Bay.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhw7DC8oXlJ0lJXw8TET9kzhl3-p7f0BhtDhDBIxKRnEESxdIqY5WfrSNUBL5LVsgT6o3iQRakBhegQ_cOFYxefwXzSpATsEpRbTXMVOq9-TYUqiGMyhkw3WTavt1xJeFmO9J9LUBJ8Wt/s1600/IMG_3923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhw7DC8oXlJ0lJXw8TET9kzhl3-p7f0BhtDhDBIxKRnEESxdIqY5WfrSNUBL5LVsgT6o3iQRakBhegQ_cOFYxefwXzSpATsEpRbTXMVOq9-TYUqiGMyhkw3WTavt1xJeFmO9J9LUBJ8Wt/s640/IMG_3923.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bar Area with huge floor to ceiling glass</td></tr>
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We then took another separate elevator to go to our room. This could be annoying sometimes as we would basically had to change elevators every time we wanted to go out and when we returned. Not a big deal, but definitely interesting and could be a hassle at times.<br />
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The room was quite spacious for Japan, with a beautiful bath tub, separate shower area, and double sinks.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzK08hN1tRNLe0KSTG4sW-vNOWibiBxVzZN7myl4D78KLntFEVaBa5nQ39NGQfe2RGXx8oUwlhXlBOohGsKGgdaR9l6mN2wCTgFPyeNawuKT-SHuMCFUW6wSF7YKisXrbxQ929BP_7OC9o/s640/IMG_3842.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Bed</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxjjATyDcE81nhKDZd-h64foCjzwnYZ7bYFlh7j94dSZyT7yO-DQ_IbmxYKeGqFkZPSWd1OvRH1V6X4U81vSpNIoI8ojh9L4Lv0ll8_0M4OxFZJmka4c7rvBMjvxwwaludGU-UaPQ8OXM/s640/IMG_3845.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glass window between bathroom & bedroom</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgj3IOKlna2ZryUgSW-_B3vLBW2ViPmrpT_x24RvsOfVwjDJc-e35XgtpC2rzgOc7gdpmYvFD9HeAMiNxvqS_AnSAOGfF8j-zTU3YR3LXoE34n2A6VAmmTU-vavoEZa-SfdrPi4lQ1DTBT/s640/IMG_3844.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double sink, shower area</td></tr>
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Service at this hotel was really, really good. Everyone at the front desk & concierge were very friendly. Usually after we got back from an outing, they would always ask how the day went and said hi to our daughter. Another day we came back to the hotel, and the cleaning service lady noticed that we had a daughter. She then rang our doorbell soon after to leave 2 small Conrad teddy bears for M, which was really sweet of her.<br />
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Due to my Hilton Gold status, we were also entitled to free breakfast at the cafe which we took full advantage of.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvfETVsaqXi0tt_y0aGIHs0eQxS8NgIhV1AszG_qObk1KWbKqz_uE90xk7qJ3bIUk1b3nwXpJ3n9bOmCA1Bp0tbcv2RGgneUYBpIxQOa7lDKNKlnGPa_TJ8bzO5f8Sf-I_7yEUpF_r_-lx/s640/IMG_3855.JPG" width="480" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">The breakfast buffet spread was good, and we could also order from the menu.</span><br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWswKrD8-rnKvPibhsjkdZDJDeYpvr5CVAOqhSruSnYPRnabY-KvbQ8vLdPCuFrq7RFlKAAGVVisuhSlDJ_x4RCDBJZtOjQ8AbjkSWkRVNlDmR2Gafaf5riYQCFhkxy8aKvea302dvhQV/s640/IMG_3859.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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Overall we really enjoyed the hotel. Room was spacious and clean, and everything was very well maintained. One thing though, the hotel did feel a little stuffy/dry, maybe because it was the winter season and the heater was always on? Another negative about this hotel was that there's not really much in the immediate surrounding area. It's not a far walk to Ginza but the hotel by itself did feel a little isolated.<br />
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Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-69935301034131648802015-05-14T06:15:00.003-07:002015-05-27T19:30:53.743-07:00Activities & Where to Eat in Bali<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">This is a continuation of our Bali & Tokyo trip. You can find the full trip itinerary <a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/02/bali-tokyo-trip-introduction.html" style="color: #248cc9; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> </span><br />
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<b>Bali Safari & Marine Park</b><br />
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Since we traveled to Bali as a family with 2 toddlers, we wanted to do a fun kid-friendly activity. I had heard about the Bali Safari & Marine Park, and we decided this would be a good option.<br />
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My mom rented a van so that all of us could fit in one vehicle. The drive to Bali Safari & Marine Park took about one hour.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuEH8pDB7jjq_m6Ie4jq9lUbmhVSNfacI5H_lB6Y3ocimZsdC8T503YpuvTPWqghXG3QKYPDEuvjeBjBaK-3zfgjH1k_pgWmSPJVQ4FCjQ_uT1LlicytAtbZp7Nl39VHmW52L4joW2Vfd/s640/IMG_3645.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Bali Safari Lobby</td></tr>
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I was pleasantly surprised with the park. The first half was walkable and I loved that overall it's quite shaded. They also styled the park very Balinese, but you can tell that this was a professionally managed park.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIsHyXn-RR0pT8i5WL2QZErzSa6xsKb8STUKIxRjlAdAA7UtQVnmJGZ84mSSw4J2Kgl_vQC_MfV7dn4npZ1ohBRrwAIvYt-Ohld7o21n7HlOQ76qxj9cKIdEPukmFeikV3DdVdzsICYD_/s640/IMG_3675.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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M especially loved the bird section near the lobby.<br />
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfK9-fs_Yejr10SsNm1ID2_vBhj1RZXy7JZBk2uDD66e7n6C-pgXOEkUK6VGiIElb-AmrqlHxLSfrGrhA4IGdJA0QHTg3htMIEGXTSREzsNQYC_YlWPDJDGedq4xmAK1lmWV-m6scWgVj/s640/IMG_3646.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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There's also various eating options, ranging from very cheap stall food to actual sit down restaurants. Dan tried Nasi Djinggo (traditional Balinese rice) for the first time!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgkiI-dIJc6UA0WdV6iKNZTIL9tgLjo84cGHx2xkpJ6p6KCwsGnsBIxQsffwpI3ZtpETX4AABrceP4QUoa3V_UQCiUiOC_AqBGbqemORYyBqJvfb7GwtT8_7unRV0oQctb854dWH9O72E/s640/IMG_3657.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating Nasi Djinggo</td></tr>
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Like I said, the first half of the park was walkable, which then directed us to the line to take the safari ride. The safari ride was air conditioned (a huge plus since it's so hot & humid in Bali!) and was enjoyable. We did have to wait in line for around 40 minutes though!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLufBMQGPLpr_F9sqVLZONcK05pbjtfEA6ZP_-scZS9DGfmTnQw73P2WKXw_G71bng2YG8IbtF3b141VghZjYF0IEUCEp2I9Ujx_f-3AcOrkwXoizQxaiGKOQYRgyL1YYphqN2tdPQNE8/s640/IMG_3659.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our ride!</td></tr>
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The ride was enjoyable and we got to see lots of animals!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzw5F5JpFZ4gUWmUl-8k9SRD6slKY1IlBordnygtlCIsVXstvJQWdio4JF3EfTXgK1jBiinFPZN-rEaEtJsK4V_mi6z6Hw6ulGpkgp5AwC-MNPV5cigIasFMgRUbU3DVHKrrB3xA222Nfd/s640/IMG_3674.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lion at Bali Safari Marine Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Overall it was a wonderful day and I would highly recommend it if you have young children!<br />
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<b>Bumbu Bali</b><br />
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Bumbu Bali is probably the quintessential Balinese tourist experience. The place is clean, has Balinese feel, and serves traditional food. Make sure to get a reservation here, as we had tried to get in for several days without reservations and were unable to.<br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7grChcGSLa21xNp_HxXHz2EQRTIQ4GgHfAxcXUVR5iM7_DL2wEJyeFlhdTM6NjGWoY9ER8ywQE4msDbbWbD-7ZEv1hoWJrS5-U5fVKYpaINvsg7B0l2lDtKNYQfSuBdedKfzbh9rEB1r/s640/IMG_0416.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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My main gripe with this place is that since the setting is outdoors, there's lots of mosquitoes, so be prepared to wear long pants and/or use lots of bug repellent.<br />
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Food is wonderful. We've usually ordered several <i>R</i><b><i>ijsttafel</i></b> (Rice Table set menu) to share. It's a good way to try different food for everyone at the table. Price is a bit more expensive than a typical Balinese restaurant, but it is a good quality. <br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgucZ6NZeA26kgol6EO6TVu2e6S5IdWuP7510OVrg-hzlOUYoIJPPsQZMhOfadlA-34zgxZuysXcM3SrL2tGGF9cg34JM0yFvZIfbNWbUF01-tPTvT6kzlmjIwa9NRUqBWu74A92SwMhpFF/s640/IMG_3710.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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The Rijsttafel includes various curries, satays, cooked veggies, etc. Yum!</div>
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUY6jmLxJoETLdFd44fz623CjNhR7y1mjGAAUvu-gRTP6wq-jqDY-gOwoyUD4fBG2xwjKIw1q1ccbPXB1_HKr-QRU7gwMe6hx_MZs9GFgWf0_a1fuj4qpB9BpgbCYcQKQcmR2yCfOwgMfn/s640/IMG_3711.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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The Rijsstafel also came with a selection of yummy Indonesian dessert!</div>
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfAdXFrFFqmPPV2jrrzXigq2C4dNlkwRytmjcvroO36U0FiQlrmMXdAgB7rwftd_dixA68k87NrmFKI2kAIbwWAuFFwOD8ePsyH9wSVA_pXo6MvjGM_vWgCaiIYFeCH33hS-Dl9KyR1or/s400/IMG_3712.jpg" width="300" /></div>
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<b>Potato Head Bali</b><br />
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Potato Head is a famous bar by the sea that is always full of locals and westerners. Make sure to get reservation in ahead as well as this place is always packed! They have a section for "western food" and another section for "local food".<br />
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<b>Finn's Beach Club </b><br />
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My sister told me about this Beach Club, and I made the mistake of trying to go without reservation. By the time we get to this place, they were fully booked. One thing I learned from this Bali trip during the high season is to always make reservations in advance!<br />
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So we didn't end up going to the beach club, but I did spend time at the spa at the hotel.<br />
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<b>Amanusa</b><br />
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Our hotel was across the street from Amanusa, and we were intrigued to see what the hotel is like since it's very upscale ($1000/night) and had heard wonderful things about it.<br />
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I booked lunch at the restaurant for our family. The resort and the restaurant was located up on a hill. The resort seemed very quiet and had a strong Balinese influence. Unlike our resort at the Mulia, we barely saw other resort guests at this place. I think they only have around 80 rooms or something like that. The view from the restaurant was amazing! I'll let the picture do all the talking.<br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HkAbNyqnvBiAQjIdNjOpPimKe4PMnNu6RdlyvZrI14LR9dd2aSSppJfkXPhn-GdcGTsMoEDQ5Fj8BnwHIRfuLr37lhzEvxctuiZPVaYwa-zcovwS7PSnSuSk5797wIfS0G23yJ2aW4Bi/s640/IMG_3701.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br />
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rP6nHdMZbl1eXuUW7JZELmHeM0jUfbKRnITvfoLcbxXcjhEIPWSvLaf4246JoBKcyOrPZpJqSHMF7aezDoa2kagTd5r3uuhro92xeXifjjB3Yf3JmO7aTEzwnGWSOPIzWf2sJLpaMBxR/s640/IMG_3703.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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Food was pretty good (not outstanding, but definitely good). Price was typical hotel price.<br />
It was a good lunch and definitely a good way for all of us to take a peek of how the ultra rich live. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYbsj_kQuOC29jjynU3NVXgPGxYE60QNcAJKR8irkIlyFTZocXYKpINYwUXqU-f7YLansjpRPKqP_N7q4ea4Wd45aIN_82XBPKvkvfBwfBY6aUkjUlwbGVjMzIZ9u8tjQbhUJi0zj4lrs/s640/IMG_3705.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nasi Campur Bali</td></tr>
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One thing for sure that was obvious was the service here was much better than at the Mulia.<br />
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<b>The Rock Bar</b><br />
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If you are going to Bali, you must go to the Rock Bar at the Ayana. Unfortunately, when we came, the line was too long and we didn't want to wait hours to get seated. So we ended up reclining at the lounge area. If you are guest at the hotel, you have priority to get in. The Ayana is definitely a beautiful resort worth checking!<br />
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<b>Ah Yat at the Ayana</b><br />
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This place serves really good, upscale, Chinese cuisine at the Ayana resort. The place was quite empty when we went. I'm typically not a big fan of Chinese food, but this place was actually good. :)<br />
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Here are more list of restaurants that people have recommended me, but unfortunately we didn't get a chance to try all....but maybe you can! :)<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Metis</li>
<li>Kudeta: Really nice to catch sunset on the beach.</li>
<li>Nuri’s ribs: Famous ribs, they have 2 locations. One in Ubud and another one in Seminyak.</li>
<li>Bebek Bengil or Bebek Tepi Sawah: We love either one! Really good, in Ubud area. They both now have branches in Jakarta too</li>
<li>Nasi babi bu Oka: I thought it was overated but this place is very popular.</li>
<li>Mozaic or Mozaic Beach Club: Mozaic is the fine dining restaurant in Ubud, and Mozaic Beach Club is the beach side restaurant in Seminyak</li>
<li>Brunch at Soleil: The Sunday champagne brunch is very popular and very good</li>
<li>Merah Putih: Upscale Indonesian restaurant in Seminyak</li>
<li>Biku: Casual, good food in Seminyak</li>
<li>Menega: This place is famous for seafood/beach dining</li>
<li>La Lucciola: Really good Italian food in Seminyak</li>
</ul>
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Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-4252804527209953502015-03-21T18:50:00.000-07:002015-03-21T18:50:37.425-07:00W Seminyak Bali<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">This is a continuation of our Bali & Tokyo trip. You can find the full trip itinerary <a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/02/bali-tokyo-trip-introduction.html" style="color: #248cc9; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> </span><br />
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For our last 2 nights in Bali, I originally booked a private villa for my family via Airbnb. We checked in to the villa and were not happy with the condition of the villa. So we decided to find another accommodation last minute. Thankfully, the W in Seminyak had availability for 4 rooms. We made reservations online and checked in to the resort after lunch.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYeYTmwXl8kTkS53PSLkVzb-GD734rcjNiKIvcNhPbPZeqKU1PxfMt5GJP02qsiOfah0i1YhJTTJqZqOh8Bvt5TF1MCVU70e7ZvU6RQ4aiuj8GQDZzZ1nrisx5uBck434nyJNLWc3FHAZc/s1600/IMG_3775.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></div>
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<b>Hotel Lobby</b><br />
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This was actually my very first time staying at a W property. We all noticed a very different vibe from our stay at the Mulia. Where the Mulia's style was more classic, elegant and luxurious, the W was very hip and modern and had a boutique feel to it. The size of the W was a lot smaller compared to the Mulia.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UmKsTIKDbw1iLxSXPxnQzKTa5YBCUPfJWS4F5Cu5nPLKn04LJEwbHBoGcNtpCj0YuhmzujBZkzjn-KWYKWt-i-LPqAFGm0zawxBzeGVR-6PVK0Tw8xc0pzyhmGZMuCjRUE9_9o1izWkj/s1600/IMG_3767.JPG" height="480" width="640" /><br />
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The lobby was open air and had views of the pool and the ocean. During our check-in, we were introduced to the daily drink refreshment free of charge at the lobby. For our first day, it was mint iced tea. For our second day, it was mango/pineapple juice.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymg8Cwd0k1hhwmlOfZ7I9raCO3E3JdlTS9ffgob3vFHL_Jve0p1s7QryFbO60CLI788STNnIx-R5jmThgRupiY5Ogq6c9uG5gW6A5iZuQlTCsA6LtZkLw_pon7tdlytFxSowxpGMZe1GZ/s1600/IMG_3766.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></div>
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<b>Room</b><br />
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The room was good sized, with the first half being the bathroom, and the second part the actual bedroom. Bottled water and milk were free of charged at the minibar (which was huge since we were traveling with a toddler). They also had movies available to borrow for free.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRv0Mkr7IjXWehPVxQKBNqjgkJYomT81TD7rR5tuWQN6T0XSmlYLVdbwYgpSeVn_IdoTM8Cdvc4B476NT1povFNTzN-qK-apTH0HpqGx1ojQCRAbjqeqcNoTbR1dR7NQP4IhFl9w50Byz/s1600/IMG_3740.JPG" height="480" width="640" /><br />
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The bathroom had dual sinks, a tub and a big shower area. I actually noticed some minor wear and tear in the bathroom area, specifically near the shower. I'm not sure if it's the material that they used, or if the maintenance was not up to par, but something about the bathroom didn't look terribly clean.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqxN3U_SX-3CqgJ-abMHl4xcA-2WnwPc7uJ_B_0lUG10sBl9b0r2t_3lJg8BRbvQKjslOz7sQZSDmV-1H9MLcKxyOl7X34BdZnAhWd2PWabwF3xkzUUr7VdsVyQvnRtr2OG42QGQd2jfe/s1600/IMG_3739.jpg" height="400" width="300" /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDa3X4-An79_7HO5ZsqvcafaOwO1dajLFnv8kiIT2JdrxryP0oSocNwe-3dgPRRH7YbLvaxddBci11aAA8_SqfzB-X6VUOnFSZBDorNO39rC1mXo0KuJts1FgxoYnbA_s8_Yj6jmwQkofy/s1600/IMG_3742.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></div>
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There's a sectional that actually turns into a bed. My sister shared a room with my parents, and they converted the sectional into an extra bed.</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs70R-eSwAkFqAgsT8F3Swp5aByTm2Hamr-CqxeSJWLUno07fYX1fK1LVBXf3YHPgLIchRCGbjd3TWA4lHJQ0B2-S72J6W8dAj9xqwo0yvPm5KLnRx5MNkY7A3OlkTvwviyNbqfMZRKSRT/s1600/IMG_3744.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></div>
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We booked a garden view room, so our room overlooked the back of the property. There's a good size balcony area with a table & lounge chair.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4keXHZX8C1oZzWYKJloOEe0ipkUz7XAUoiarW3QE8_uWvdO4wAhX253xsauEQNFx0CrbsTuQV8WYSrZLzcm9HLtnkrV-X4PaWjoz3SzKpMX5rQjaJyT0iIvDdWgCi6mmuyoo-Fpfymj8/s1600/IMG_3746.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></div>
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Our rooms at this hotel were all right next to each other, so it made coordinating meals and excursions a whole lot easier compared to the Mulia where our rooms were all quite far from each other.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZwboP5dp1bIr7X41JnlVWchyA4bjcR9hmFWO5IMvFI1WX2JP2BsnmebumbzEXWt9quKRx3-buAXaUp8DWS8YBMFpwqlD8bJfnQ6q1QLu-UQ2H02F72DgEgCmqB20_j9HXpuHk8f4uebT/s1600/IMG_3748.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></div>
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<b>Breakfast</b><br />
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Breakfast was included in the rate and we all liked the W breakfast more than the Mulia. I think because the W was a much smaller resort, they were able to offer a higher quality breakfast. The decor was very modern and interesting. You can choose to sit inside or outside.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPqBatQh9hDHPUNtUjf95T3_lLhzJjbAH2Vmf5FLbfnD4t2Bht-jsJvbDwn2CSY_lG-Wl6pwiolKvS4ifZaASUqIUBlr2AcsIOcqhzpEtiC97REatGL-Q0uNHbKDUoSC4riwkCkqXBjYm/s1600/IMG_3749.JPG" height="480" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br />
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Upon entering the restaurant for breakfast, we were given an option to select our own mug from a selection of vintage mugs, which I thought added a nice touch.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJVn1BLFTGg_Vnd-gmz0iXVojyz3UyiL1Kg8PHvEQ6RedOGZgE51kHSgzJXpm3blK-qDsHjO8ibllgNN-F4-2nNZMqe5taMWuHmHnnOGWk_1i3Xke4_P6itSQZJ4MWIQvovQDX7fou-Qf/s1600/IMG_3761.JPG" height="480" width="640" /><br />
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There were different stations such as dim sum/porridge, pastries, desserts (with chocolate fountain!), egg station, and even their own barrista station! We could also order from the a la carte menu if we didn't want the buffet, and they had a huge menu selection! Overall I think this breakfast was probably one of the better ones we have ever had. We highly recommend it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pewtKjOzjlgLoAE112WSYwxUAXsvkdUDKRDf7vQUmDUyq_LAmcB5nC1nbO6msRFQzdohRPRfiBki8wnGlzWQZJFZjMrvTzvyqUrXafwHjgCnS4l-3gmT7TekT7Q4JiAk7SIRb6IieGhH/s1600/IMG_3753.JPG" height="480" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheese & Cold Cut Station</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW789ouv5LKfOquqtL6frpqURbDRBk9yw4EtwwFw1ESX2jytLDAJxVsJZ2ipFf8q9QNde6FjsB0-PEtVby-lGIyocgjrOhoJl7P087ysY6wUuuy5FkyhhKx6f1kCKacE5GoyD_A9oKStbg/s1600/IMG_3752.JPG" height="480" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cereal/Milk Station</td></tr>
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I loved their pastries display which were in between books as if the pastries were part of the display. Can you see the hanging donuts below?</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg89t0Fg9WGfrSrvoxyFrZF3N3lcFfCJSsA37oxqLEs6WHpvvg7xc7HTW2uRS4XQ-GOEl5SoZCRMafhMnnBVrp4KxHqzy9piDDGPbO1iirnfI-17N-NIuWkX6VWBPgEO3X3rKvBuWl4aCJn/s1600/IMG_3757.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></div>
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I ordered an ice latte, and it was just perfect!</div>
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<b>Fitness & Spa</b></div>
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We checked out the fitness center and spa. I saw a special which was 100 minute spa treatment (massage, wrap) for around $100 USD, which was a pretty good deal. However, our schedule was so packed we didn't get a chance to try the spa.</div>
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<b>Buggy Service</b><br />
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Since the resort was quite a long walk from the main road, the hotel offered complimentary buggy service to take us to the main street. My mom and sister used this service quite a few times to go shopping. :)<br />
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The location of this hotel was definitely more convenient for shopping and just being in the hustle & bustle of Seminyak.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfMiIRD2sxyVB6QW7FUK-sFtnepD5qJOdh99CsVHhZDWvqJdutv1y6PYP1qBUFv4zmgOSkq6ntzpB9j7xYGjmWlGPsYi6i1_uEolKTeIBmMcGa_W41bkomyycqlDuXjelGrH7ZreVbw8_/s1600/IMG_3765.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></div>
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<b>Lounge Area</b><br />
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Just next to the lobby, there's lots of seating/lounge area where you can order drinks & snacks, and enjoy the view of the pool and the Ocean. Dan & I spent a few hours lounging on one of these sofas.<br />
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<b>Pool & Beach Area</b></div>
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The pool was tiered and had a beautiful curved design, overlooking the ocean. </div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5EkmSWxI1wdaBIZdqhqkXGb5H6ux3fiE7-T1Tk9qg7jIbkVGUnkdQE6CO0KIYXNzJtTy5ARgzuiuobLOBTuQUnjjWewt1y1rc0QcO0AY9m2FRIBlBEbLkqkoCBkrambOYyDrDLXkD3zTZ/s1600/IMG_3770.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></div>
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The pool area was not that big (especially compared to the Mulia), but it never felt crowded.</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4_ri1_eT88T_uQrMi4FSv9gLaKhLPilwFJQw9xiFzwtBItNnNbCSo_YFK9oox8zT5idrZ7cy66p-tTAo4Z3jJ5klQxFhYPQbNmJJLvWw9mtdNbJOeIrsbgp2cOnBzOn7yjt_czyp1Wed/s1600/IMG_3771.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></div>
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The ocean waves in Seminyak were much stronger compared to Nusa Dua. I do not think the beach in Seminyak was actually safe for swimming. During our time in December, the waves were very strong and people were not allowed to swim. Additionally, when we walked by the beach in the morning, there were tons of debris and trash on the shores and local people cleaning them up. I talked with the security guy to ask why there's so much trash on the shores and he said that from January-March (rainy season in Bali), there's lots of tree branches/debris that got swept away to this part of the shore.</div>
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So in general, I would recommend staying away from the main beach and just spend your time "inside" the hotel resort boundaries. :)</div>
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<b>General Observations</b><br />
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<li>Service generally was really good. The workers were very friendly and helpful. </li>
<li>At night, the hotel/lounge area looked like a Vegas nightclub :) </li>
<li>Majority of the clientele appeared to be from Europe or the US</li>
<li>I noticed that they tried to use unique short words to describe different areas. Such as "Wet" for the pool and "Away"for the spa. Sometimes it was confusing because it wasn't super clear what things meant. However, I appreciated the concept of it.</li>
<li>Although the hotel was not too old, I could see some wear & tear, especially in the bathroom. </li>
<li>The location was great if you enjoy being in the middle of the hottest restaurants/clubs/shopping. </li>
<li>In summary, we really enjoyed our stay at the hotel and we were really glad that we were able to get a last minute reservation.</li>
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Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245447989263069181.post-74383867657276518092015-02-15T20:23:00.003-08:002015-02-15T20:23:53.554-08:00The Mulia Resort & Villas Bali<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">This is a continuation of our Bali & Tokyo trip. You can find the full trip itinerary <a href="http://darcela.blogspot.com/2015/02/bali-tokyo-trip-introduction.html" style="color: #248cc9; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> </span><br />
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We stayed at the new Mulia hotel for our first five nights in Bali. I was pretty excited to try out this relatively new hotel in Bali as it had been ranked as the #1 Beach resort in the world as well as #3 on Top 100 Hotels & Resorts in the world per Conde Nast traveler. I first got to know about this hotel from one of my guilty pleasures, the Real Housewives of Orange County. The Wives took a trip to Bali last year and stayed at this very resort!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIsBYVIaa0t0o3fO61dH79GUS1VCnPj2OV-qGR2XgqV-Y41bNKlJAc3GReqI3TPC0TBChIa3dFO-2Tsz-2OjmHE8ZVe64Wpz45pIbLvnwhcBFfsWe9ReeIj6-99FfttsJADpij7igbjJF/s1600/IMG_3700.JPG" height="480" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mulia Bali</td></tr>
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Mulia is a local Indonesian hotel brand that is known for its quality and good
food. The Mulia Jakarta is probably one of the better hotels in Jakarta
and is the almost default choice to hold Multi-million dollar weddings
for Jakarta's socialites. The Mulia Resort in Bali is relatively new and was quite highly anticipated.<br />
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It is located in Nusa Dua which is a more quiet, upscale resort area in Bali. The Mulia is located next to the St. Regis and the Ritz Carlton. I actually like the Nusa Dua area as it is more quiet and not as touristy. However, it is a bit far from places and not as convenient compared to other areas such as Kuta or Seminyak. I didn't mind it though as I liked the seclusion and exclusivity, and being able to enjoy the resort and what it had to offer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH04kCOcOs2OW_Q4Pov5c1ff9yii9KFsYGHUB7jg6OrbXHsRNxIZMw0fqA9WngApOz27F6Qt_yIwjiFeiKH6jAGHOMcd3FGjF8oIxwHlwa8OzT5wAdBdDKH4lQw91I-Zf59KZWqGIwkKga/s1600/IMG_3721.JPG" height="480" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Mulia lobby</td></tr>
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We stayed in the "Resort" part of the hotel. There's another part which is the "Villas". We ended up booking four rooms because there were so many of us. :) We actually had a bit of trouble booking the four rooms because of limited availability and high prices since we were staying over New Year's.<br />
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We arrived mid-day and were greeted with fragrant water by the attendant. The lobby was open air and we immediately felt the humidity. Check-in process was very cumbersome. I think it took at least 30 minutes because they asked for everyone's ID/passports, made photocopies of them, filled out multiple forms manually, and finally also asked for a "deposit" of 1 million rupiah (around $100 USD) for each room per night that we will have to sign for. Since we are booked for 5 nights and 4 rooms, they are basically "holding" $2000 USD on my parent's credit card. I found this confusing and unnecessary, but my parents told me that this was common.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYnEvN34smQcetwqBVmdAAR3gObdM8GsBlyP781_AwzdexGvexNJTq4u69Qnv1_YB_KxZ46YsGOAThlZJSCXxumhzzdujniVWgd9nveLB16YpTJ9vdIOOMDhcNPRLHbWamvUXyYWbBVT_F/s1600/IMG_3723.jpg" height="640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mulia Lobby</td></tr>
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My first impression of the resort was that it was huge, beautiful, and had a more "classical" design (as opposed to modern). This hotel also did not have many Balinese elements to it. It could have very well been in Mexico or Hawaii, and I wouldn't have known any better.<br />
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We booked a regular garden view room for all of us with the exception of my parents who stayed in the Royal Suite Oceans Court room. The hotel was fully booked at the time so we were not able to get rooms close to each other. My parents and I were in building 1 where as my two other sisters were in building 2. The resort was actually quite huge, and it would take around 10-15 minutes to walk from our building to theirs.<br />
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The room was actually quite spacious. I'm not sure why, but we got 2 twin beds pushed together. :p I think maybe I forgot to specify that we wanted a King bed. We requested a baby crib for M, although she ended up co-sleeping with us the whole time!<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGxI2lmGoLQS-_-nI9_XwV8kfK4bARcFsJfCf2Hk0rg24vPwQqj2iL718-Q9nzcpsxvfyCLimgU7uPIMeAITRIDo1H4-mEXd9u_sxE4t5w1mu0EzSc-AQbpCyyhYuElrFncYFmyf1mx__/s1600/IMG_3638.JPG" height="480" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br />
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The bathroom area was large and beautiful: dual sinks, big tub, separate toilet and shower area.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuN8YujfH1LT_dchV6GBsqkdUUSWA9KX0pAN9OppA3z_Qh5mBj6FT3gsCHnXVvGJTkeb8DcvIZDhKidFbuRvDmPSoRosGHnriuqYeDyGb4QMu4MjspC4MjPvomJeerPLrpRiTrw9kg1wF/s1600/IMG_3640.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></div>
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There's also blinds for privacy that can be lifted up which opens up to a glass window that overlooks the room.</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_Tj7huyK_zH0S9-qQ5FAQrjmU5g77UxeRbEr_f1CSEYrl5aC9R_J3TQ1Kkr5SwyV9OigN7qbsc0z8aveiolqCd3981PCW4cfofYck0D43HxMsB9qJ3h0MVEtRAmzgPTsGZw8gVNhkCzj/s1600/IMG_3641.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></div>
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One thing worth mentioning was the super high-tech toilet. The toilet was very advanced/automated - similar to ones in Japan. The toilet seats automatically opens and closes, and there's multiple buttons to flush or clean yourself. :)</div>
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<b>Mulia Pools</b><br />
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One of the great things about the resort being so huge was that it could afford to have multiple pools. They have so many pools (at least four large ones), where it never felt crowded. We especially enjoyed the kids pool for children, and the Oceans Pool for adults.<br />
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The kids pool was large, shallow, had some shaded area, multiple fountains, and was just very kid friendly. M loved swimming and playing here with her cousin.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzKCTbw7DEwQQQbJrmD6xKx1HQZ_EYjcTod6QKYbBObQ0LqUmgJhoBo-scKfSbx41gK5FNd6tayAVEQrXZKBLbMEsnnrpDAvyQI_gPDbIaExUSCGAWbPXcHMR7PSiMHuy-7Lf14vdyK0S/s1600/IMG_3689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzKCTbw7DEwQQQbJrmD6xKx1HQZ_EYjcTod6QKYbBObQ0LqUmgJhoBo-scKfSbx41gK5FNd6tayAVEQrXZKBLbMEsnnrpDAvyQI_gPDbIaExUSCGAWbPXcHMR7PSiMHuy-7Lf14vdyK0S/s1600/IMG_3689.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Mulia Kids Pool</td></tr>
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She loved the fact that she could stand on her own in the pool!<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNVvvdnqi4xuv_nzQdec1AEBxY7idjU_awrXeWeqYwpMUQv-iKhrld0DhoZQQth03q5Qj1s4zM9p4WAtKoPRGFyHmkN9u7u7QS9-8EulHus5R2-RaQImOunJ7iyT1enNmuc6KMWk7mXXMO/s1600/IMG_0398.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div>
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When not swimming with the kids, we really enjoyed the Oceans Pool, which was located in the bottom, closest to the Ocean. It's probably the largest and had a dining area where we ordered drinks and food. I think we spent more time at the pool bar versus swimming...hehe<br />
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<b>Mulia Beach</b><br />
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The beach area was pretty nice. It did feel exclusive because I believe only resort guests have access. So there's not a lot of sellers or people walking around randomly.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLDH85G9TlgxmSFwg5SCJiyJZ8RaJ29dw4xQ8mGUnDP1WhGfuW5miPsVm3LXK862kW2MYmPZZPhEh6vSuxsJISYH-OiprFuJfcGyA9EE7cME_-csFAFS4ZCyXzY6r0Cavj-ds59zccnGB/s1600/IMG_3696.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></div>
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We didn't spend much time at the beach, but we did try the lounge chairs to relax and took a quick nap under the shade which was nice!</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBMoeLoiYqBK8I3CiUgZfjrWUS3MDNIYC9rhkLW6vskFFwIoXDqmDO45FUHToxJZjrjA0bQx4Gk3CbOUWwiDuIsO6Gk6mXL0dUab1iLu2xmO3KcOqtQMe0RG4YjIHD7TSbFNkbTfAQ0D5/s1600/IMG_3697.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></div>
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<b>Restaurants</b><br />
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<b>"The Cafe"</b><br />
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Breakfast was included in our rate and was served at the Cafe. It was huge and plentiful. There were stations for pastries, eggs, pancake/waffle, Indian food, hot food, chinese food, sushi, and fruits. There's definitely something for everyone. We noticed that over New Year's when we stayed, sometimes there's a long queue outside of the restaurant, so make sure to come before 8 am if you are here during peak season.<br />
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The restaurant was a little strict with dress code for males. My sister's boyfriend was wearing a sleeveless shirt, and he was asked to put on a shirt over it and was given one by the restaurant to wear!<br />
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<b>"Soleil"</b><br />
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For New Year's Eve, we had dinner at Soleil. The dinner was included in the booked rate for two people per room. We had to buy an additional seat for my sister's dinner since she was an extra guest in one of the rooms, and the dinner cost $380 USD! I told her that dinner was more expensive than French Laundry. :)<br />
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Dinner was seven courses. It was quite good actually, but a little too heavy.<br />
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One thing Dan enjoyed from the dinner was the wine tasting option, as each "taste" was almost like a full pour, so we ended up getting 3 glasses of wine for the price of one taste!<br />
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I heard that Soleil serves a mean Sunday brunch. But by the time Sunday cane around, we were all a bit tired of the resort food and decided to cancel our reservations.<br />
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<b>"The Bar"</b><br />
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Over New Year's, due to the capacity being at maximum, most of the restaurants only offered buffet and they usually cost around $50++ USD per person. For my big family, that equaled to almost $500 per night for dinner, which could really add up. So for one night, we ended up eating at "The Bar", ordering sushi rolls, noodles, etc. to share, and our bill was only $80 USD total for 8 people. Not bad!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHTHEcuHyRAnOdmNctrvPhclvcD-lHx_FmRGoC7AE-YQxFmcczXW8UHNWXZN9ZBXltU4CE53jxBg_eCcFIbDqsqMmU8GjepsG1W888SZXJEOfezDj5llaNQVh5p9WP5eQev8iuOgSoj6k/s1600/IMG_3713.JPG" height="480" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Bar"</td></tr>
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<b>"The Skybar"</b><br />
<b><br /></b>As part of our check-in, the hotel included two free drinks at the Skybar, which was located just above Soleil. Dan & I redeemed this on our last night. The setting was actually quite nice as it overlooked the Ocean, and you could look up to see the stars in the sky. But, they closed pretty early (I believe around 11pm).<br />
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<b>"The Deli" </b><br />
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Mulia has an in-house "deli" which was more like a dessert shop. I loved all the displays. I think they did a wonderful job with the presentation. We tried their version of Lady M's cake, but were very disappointed. :(<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4TvpYEPINtNJU9h9jQTqSPgWrywsM9YdUmS2lNWn87aLB7EZvJz49_a1oNxBn3Rml_crFeUWGtldZh_cn-aojkbaY_ikC1bdAaM5RXuO-PTi39QjH3XzLq7LnCe48ngA-um-jQeQ3xD-/s1600/IMG_3706.jpg" height="640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Deli</td></tr>
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<b>Mulia Kidz</b><br />
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I was excited to check out the Mulia Kidz program. They had a pretty nice playroom with different toys and there's a guided activity every hour. They take children three years old and above unsupervised, and younger with supervision. Since we had a nanny while we were in Bali, we dropped M off with our nanny for a couple hours and she loved it.<br />
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Mulia Kidz was a great space, although we had a small incident when we were there. M and her cousin were playing in the ball pit area enjoying themselves. There was a boy who was probably 8 years old, watching them play and played around them. All of the sudden, this boy undressed himself and exposed himself in front of the kids. My sister and I witnessed this whole thing and panicked, grabbed our kids, and removed ourselves from the ball pit. We immediately notified the Mulia Kidz staff and it took three people to calm the boy down and force him to put his pants back on!<br />
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Afterwards we felt that the staff didn't really try to supervise the boy. So this incident made us feel a bit uncomfortable, and we ended up not coming back to Mulia Kidz after that. I felt that the staff should have tried to address the incident better and provide better supervision.<br />
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<b>Overall comments:</b><br />
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We enjoyed our stay at the Mulia. The resort was beautiful, and I loved the pools!<br />
Food was also generally pretty good, although after a few days we did get a little bored with the options.<br />
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I do have several comments about the hotel that I felt they could improve on:<br />
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<li>The check-in process was too long and cumbersome. Probably the longest ever I've experienced anywhere. As I mentioned, they took photocopies of everyone's passport, made us fill in multiple forms, etc. I think they can make this more efficient.</li>
<li>The hotel had too many rules & restrictions. In some ways we felt that the staff was watching our every move and ready to scold us if we broke their rules. They actually had a book of rules as well as posted some of their rules for us to see. I heard a story about a couple who went swimming in the ocean, and afterwards sat in the hotel sofa, and got charged for making the sofa wet! It sounds crazy, but I somehow believe that this is a true story based on our experience here.</li>
<li>Based on our experience at Mulia Kidz, we felt the staff should have taken a better approach in addressing the situation.</li>
<li>Their accounting system was confusing! To give you an example, breakfast was included in our room rate. However, every morning after breakfast, we would have to sign a bill for Rp. 798,000 (USD $80), which was the value of our breakfast. They insisted that this was for record keeping purposes only and we wouldn't actually get charged. But to still have to sign my name and room number next to a monetary value did not give me any assurance that I wouldn't get charged for it. In the end they did not charge us, but it was just a very confusing experience. PS: This was the case for almost all instances where the service was included; they always asked us to sign for it.</li>
<li>This last comment is probably just a preference, but I do miss the fact that this hotel did not have ANY Balinese elements to it. It felt very Western and sterile.</li>
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Tips if you are staying at the Mulia:<br />
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<li>My parents and I were in building 1 while my sisters were in building 2. I think I slightly prefer building 2 as it was closer to Mulia Kidz as well as the Cafe for breakfast and overall just seemed like a more convenient location.</li>
<li>Sign up for their Mulia Rewards program as in-room Internet was complimentary (although they will have you agree to pay for it online first :)</li>
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Marcelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041126561189421122noreply@blogger.com1