NEW SITE!

WE GOT A NEW SITE

HTTP://FLIPTRAVELS.COM/

We will be posting our adventures and misadventures to the new site moving forward… see y’all there!

 

Air Asia’s Free Seats Are Back!

Air Asia’s most awaited 1 million free seats are ready for the taking. Log on to www.airasia.com on November 11 and treat yourself to an early Christmas present! Booking period is from November 11 – 15. Travel from May 1 to October 30, 2010! If I were you, I’d keep my eyes glued to the pc… starting now!

piron

Khmer is a culture that I rarely encounter in books and in school. Despite the fact that we live right across the South China Sea, they are literally the next door neighbor. With the Cambodian robust history of fierce Angkor warriors, I would think that the modern Khmer’s would be someone who is cold-hearted, aloof and supercilious… man, I was wrong. FLAT WRONG.

Meang introduced us to Piron, our tuk tuk driver for three days. When they fetched us from the Siem Reap International Airport, he was quiet and a bit shy, but his warm smile was good enough for us to feel so much welcomed.

The moment we reached Prohm Roth Guesthouse, we unloaded the bags. I immediately shook his hand, then I started blabbering non-stop about the flight from Kuala Lumpur. He flashed a big smile, occasionally nodded, sporadically giggled while I animatedly shared my stories. The moment I stopped talking, he instantly turned his head to Meang. Still smiling, he asked something in his native tongue. Something that I interpreted as–“What is he talking about?”

Apparently, Piron doesn’t speak English.

We figured out that the easiest way to communicate with him is through signs and gestures. That was how it went for three days.

He knows where to go for good finds like shopping places, cheaper bottled water and he can guide you to a mini- Cambodian street food trip. While roaming the complex, we were stopping every now and then for him to show us and have us try all sorts of deli’s ranging from spicy clams to dried insects. He really knows how to please adventurers like me and Monette.

One time while driving across Bayon, I told monette “Gutom na ko!” (It means “I’m hungry” in Filipino). Piron immediately pulled over. We were wondering what he was about to do, then he bought something like sweet sticky rice in a bamboo shaft from a local vendor.

“You… hungry…?” he gestured something that translates “Eat this, this is for you…from me!”

We were left speechless and profoundly touched by his thoughtfulness.

I tried telling Piron that he looks like one Filipino newscaster. I tried to put it in the simplest possible sentence. After continuously talking about Howie Severino, I paused for a gap. He responded with his unwavering big smile–“YES”

I curled up my forehead to show confusion. Trying to connect what he just said.

He immediately reverted his response… “NO”

No doubt, I love Piron.

the taste of sunday

Finally posting the best breakfast I had, ever…

Ever woke up to the smell of coffee being brewed, bacon slowly being crisped, eggs sunny-side-upped, and fresh croissant bread being baked? You can almost taste the air. That must be what Sundays taste like. We literally woke up with smiles on our faces knowing a heavenly breakfast awaited us at Common Grounds Coffee and Cyber Cafe. They have the most amazing menu ranging from American breakfast to grilled cheese sandwiches to salads to smoothies that are to die for. Ron and I however, gorged on their bacon and egg sandwich and drowned in their iced coffees for three straight days. They even included a fruit bowl of tropical fruits including my favorite, pitaya!

The interior of the place is very relaxing with comfortable chairs and soft lighting. They also have free wi-fi! And the people were more than amiable. They were cheerful and very hospitable. One of them even remembered my name when I went back the second day. I was so ashamed, and still am now, as I am a goldfish and tend to forget a lot of things. I love how they made our simple breakfast seem like a 5-star hotel entrée. Served in lovely ceramic plates, they even included cold towels with mint scent to freshen tired guests before they eat their meals.

Ran by the non-profit organization People for Care and Learning, this place not only serves great meals but also helps the community in setting up micro-enterprise development and training. During the time we were there, the band “The Saturn Project” from America had a benefit concert to support the Relocation of the Poor Project. We were scheduled to visit the spa that last night but when I learned of a rock concert, I had to ditch the aromatherapy session and leave Ron to the mercy of fish doctors and decided to cap my Cambodian vacation with great music.

Make sure you visit this place when you go to Siem Reap. You will definitely forget Starbucks…

Common Grounds Coffee and Cyber Cafe
Address : 719 – 721, Street 19 Siem Reap
Behind the Old Market near ANZ
Phone : 063 965 687
Store Hours: 7:00am to 10:00pm

the graveyard… shift

they roam at night, while everyone’s in deep slumber…

This year we spent our halloween shenanigan separate from each other. But that doesn’t stop us from matching our costumes this year. Originally, we wanted to do Dora and Diego, then it became Annie and Shaider, but due to lack of time and budget we decided to pay homage to the humble heroes closest to our hearts.

The Manong’s and Manang’s, Ate’s and Koya’s, Guardigans, Ermenguards, SEKYU!

They got the scarriest stories of horror from the offices and establishments they patrol. They witnessed the darkest nights and felt the creepiest haunts. But all they can do is grab on their flash lights, aim the wistle and tell the scary tales to everyone.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

best place to stay in siem reap

Aaahhh Cambodia… We watch it in travel documentaries, we read it in history books, we saw it in Tomb Raider, we talk about it and dream about it. Who would’ve thought we’d see it this lifetime? It was almost surreal arriving at the Siem Reap Airport. And when we were greeted by our host Meang together with the tuk-tuk driver Piron, we felt like we were in a dream… Mainly because he said “kamusta?” which is “how are you?” in Tagalog, Ron and I instantly reacted in unison–”Pilipino ka?”. Meang is fluent in Tagalog because he spent several years in Makati to study and work.

The pick-up was free and it’s good old Khmer style ride–The Tuktuk. we were taken on a sight seeing pre-tour around the city. It was scorching hot but the fact that I am inhaling Cambodian dust was enough for me to suck in my complaints and enjoy the ride.

I booked a different hotel initially but Ron decided to change it after seeing the website for Prohmroth Guesthouse. When we got there, I was happy we decided to make the change. The room was nothing short of perfect. It was huge and homey and our toilet tissue was pink. We had our own bathroom and a queen-sized bed which was totally opposite of what we had in Kuala Lumpur. We opened the window and there was a temple that greeted us. I had to restrain myself from taking bricks that are shaped like little buddhas.

View from our room

But it wasn’t really just the nice ambiance and the huge bed that would make us book this hotel again when we go back to Cambodia. It’s Meangsophean Suon and his family that made our experience wonderful to the Nth power. He arranged our tuk-tuk ride for three days. He gave us tips on our tour. He reserved a seat for us when we wanted to watch Apsara. He even took Ron on a food trip on our last night. He was more than a landlord to us and up until now, we still keep corresponding. We would never want to stay anywhere else.

Facade of Prohm Roth Guesthouse

Ron with our Khmer friends

Prohm Roth Guesthouse
# 251 Pub Street extension, Phum Mondul I,Khum Svay Dangkum,
Siem Reap Angkor City, Kingdom Of Cambodia.
Phone: +855 (0)12 46 64 95, (0)17 356 817
Email: prohmroth_guesthouse@yahoo.com or smart_khmer@yahoo.com

FLIP’N PERKS: when you arrive/book for reservation, tell them that you heard it from us, and they will give you a discount!

Check out what other backpackers has to say, CLICK HERE!

and oh! they got the best hotel/hostel breakfast that we experienced to date. That one deserves a separate article.

the land of angkor

I am really excited to blog about Angkor Wat. But I don’t know where to start. I’m still under anesthesia while I’m writing this, a perfect time to reminisce the moment I first set foot in the land of the Angkor. What I’m feeling right now (or not feeling) is the same numbness I felt when I’m flying across the land lock plains of Cambodia. I was so excited I can’t feel the tips of my fingers and toes. Buergers Disease? Diabetes? or simply bliss?

I live in an archipelago, ocean view is always (the most) an hour drive away from any point in the country. That’s why it felt unreal flying over a vast of land where you cant see a sign of body of water in the horizon. I can’t remember hearing the plane engine or the flight attendant asking us to fasten our seat belt. It was a moment of trans, I honestly remember hearing a solitary string instrument playing that moment. This is another time in my life that I will remember every single second of its realization.

Touching the walls and pillars of Angkor Wat is more than a dream come true. 3 miles above sea level, I started seeing all shades of green and brown fields. Like a huge mosaic of rice paddies and lush forest. Monette is on a different isle, so while the aircraft is descending I was talking to myself “Where are the Temples?… Where are the Temples?”

You cannot see the temples from the plane, however, there’s one Angkorian structure you cannot possibly miss from overhead, The West Baray. from the ground it looks like any other huge lake, but from above it’s a ginormous rectangular swimming pool the size of Sampaloc Manila.

Fact: the magnitude of the Angkor complex was discovered using satellite images, scholars thought Angkor is just as big as Manhattan, apparently it’s just the main temple compound. but the lost civilization’s temples and ancient archeological site is spanning a land the size of Los Angeles, and it’s still growing.

The moment the aircraft hit the runway, you can see everyone’s stretching their necks waiting for the announcement that we have arrived. you can feel the anxiety inside the plane. The flight attendant even called the attention of an Korean passenger, “SIR PLEASE REMAIN SEATED!” he’s too anxious to get his bags that he stood up even before the aircraft came to a full stop. And I can’t blame him.

As I walked down the tarmac, It felt like I’m floating, gliding down as the tip of my toe touches the soil.

“Finally, I am really here!”

I’m sorry I’m not really a sentimental blogger, but this amazing trip deserves proper prologue and rolling of drums.

here’s a teaser

KL… set… go!

When we arrived teleported from Singapore to KL. We were several hours ahead of schedule. I mean waaaaaay ahead of schedule. We were welcomed with a silent treatment, because it was like 3:30 in the morning. We booked a room at the Equator hostel a week before the trip. It’s the same hostel where we stayed exactly 2 years ago. I like its homey ambiance, unassuming aura, clean facilities and friendly hosts. However, when we arrived, it seemed like everyone’s in deep slumber, we waited outside the gate for an hour but no one’s responding to our distress signal. We can’t blame them, they’re expecting us to arrive at 6-ish. And we never thought of booking a plan B Hostel.

think-think-think

Monette suggested that  we can stay in the police station until dawn breaks. We both paused for a jiffy–”NOT!”

think-think-think

“can we just go to the nearest Starbucks? oh, everything is still closed”

think-think-think

I walked couple of blocks along Lorong, and EUREKA! Just like a cheesy movie plot, providence played a cameo: the good guy ran-out of bullets in the middle of an action scene in an abandoned warehouse, and then  there’s a new gun conveniently sitting prettily right beside him… There’s another Hostel that wasn’t there a year ago. And so we rudely woke the receptionist, Thana, by furiously knocking on the window (CLICK HERE to read a separate entry about Thana). And so we walked-in and good thing, they got available dorm beds for us.

Classic Inn hostel is a softer version of its contemporaries in the post war row houses cum hostels along Lorong 1/77A. The dorms are clean and comfortable. We took two beds in the mixed dormitory. When Monette opened the sliding door slowly, her eyes quickly adjusted in the dark, then she gasped and closed it instantaneously.

“HOH MY GAWD, RONNIE”.
“why? what’s wrong?”
“there’s a guy in the room!”
“uh, duh! its a mixed dorm!”
“he’s sleeping…
“uh, duh…”
“….NAKED!”
“oooh–WHAT?!”
“Happy FI-YES-TA!”

Here’s another unsuspecting victim (by the way, he knows that we took his photo)

They got an al fresco porch in front where you can eat breakfast, read papers or randomly talk to other backpackers. They also got a small garden where they hold an acquaintance barbecue parties for the guests. Breakfast is free, they serve roti canai with sambal dip, butter toast, fresh fruit and coffee or tea. we shared the table with a retired couple from London. We talked about travel, work, economy, politics and they taught us pointers about Life… We walked off the breakfast table, and we never saw them again. We never got the chance of asking their names and introduce ours, but we had a very meaningful conversation with them.

CLASSIC INN
52, Lorong 1/77A, Changkat Thambi Dollah,
Off Jln Pudu 56100, K.L. Wilayah Persekutuan
Dorm MYR30/person
http://www.classicinn.com.my/

EQUATOR HOSTEL
70, Lorong 1/77A, Changkat Thambi Dollah,
Off Jln Pudu 56100, K.L. Wilayah Persekutuan
Dorm MYR25/person
http://www.equatorhostel.com/

Going out of KL via the international airport, it is not as convenient like in Manila. It is outside of the city, one hour and a half  travel by bus (Like manila to Clark). We didn’t expect this. Our flight to Siem Reap is at 7 AM and we have to be in the airport at least two hours before the scheduled flight, but buses will not operate until 5 AM. Cabs are ridiculously expensive. It may range from MYR100 -MYR200 while buses are only MYR9. But now you can take the newly opened KLIA EKSPRES. I haven’ tried it but it will be a shorter trip and will cost around MYR35 (one way).

Click here to KLIA EKSPRES website

So we decided to catch the last trip to the airport and stay there overnight. With only 1 hour before the last bus, we still managed to go to the mall in front of our hostel to eat a good nasi lemak, because we’re unsure of the food in the airport, then we took off and run for dear life. We’re like contestants of amazing race, running with our huge bags, catching our breath, squeezing ourselves in the LRT cabins. Some drama because I lost my train pass. But we were able to get there in time.

We reached the airport at around 9:30 PM. then we started thinking of ways how to kill our time and how to try finding a comfortable corner to sleep… for it’s going to be a long 10 hours of waiting.

TIP: Air Asia is the most affordable airline of choice to Siem Reap. But unlike Cebu Pacific that has free baggage allowance of 15 kg, you have to pay something around MYR15, so make sure you reserve few extra Ringgits in you pocket.

learn from the masters and win some

Learn:

See how everything falls into place as business experts from Travel Club share their stories of success.
Watch Negosyo Atbp. at NBN-4 on Saturday;
October 17, 2009 at 5:30p.m.

Win:

Hop On Board!

Sign up for a chance to win products and Sign up and Shop for a chance to win free flights!

Cebu Pacific Air.Com and Primer Group of Companies invite you to visit participating outlets and get a chance to win one set of the “featured product” every other month as well as roundtrip tickets for two to selected domestic destinations via Cebu Pacific every other month.

Mechanics:

1. Fill out a CRM form and get a raffle coupon at any Primer stores*. You may qualify for a Regular Raffle Promo (RRP) or a Special Raffle Promo (SRP).

2. For the Regular Raffle Promo (RRP), customers will get a chance to win one set of the “featured product” every month. There will be two consolation prize winners of one product per draw. Non-winning entries after each draw will qualify to the succeeding RRP draws.

To qualify for the Regular Raffle Promo (RRP), you must update your existing CRM form at the Primer Store where you first registered or fill out a CRM form at any of the Primer Stores.

3. For the Special Raffle Promo (SRP), customers will get a chance to win roundtrip tickets for two to selected domestic destinations via Cebu Pacific every other month. There will be  one winner per draw. Non-winning entries after each draw will qualify to the succeeding SRP draws and Grand Raffle draw. Validity of domestic flight airline tickets won are up to one year after the receipt.

To qualify for the Special Raffle Promo (SRP), you must update your existing CRM form and purchase an item worth at least Php1,000 at any of the Primer stores to receive one raffle coupon or purchase an item worth at least Php1,000 and fill out a CRM form to receive a raffle coupon.

4. All raffle entries must be completely filled-out and dropped in the designated drop boxes inside the Primer stores. Winning raffle entries should match the customer information in the CRM form. Otherwise, the entry will be nullified and the prize forfeited.

5. Promo runs from October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010 at selected participating Primer stores*.

6. Deadline for the submission of all raffle entries for the RRP and SRP will be at the close of business hours on the last day of every other month.

7. Draw dates for both the RRP and SRP will be at 3pm on the 2nd Friday of every other month at the Primer Star office located at 2282 Leon Guinto St. Malate, Manila. Grand Raffle Draw will be on October 8, 2010.

***for more details, drop by at any participating Primer stores***

*The Travel Club (Alabang, Ayala Cebu, Festival Mall, Gateway, Glorietta, Power Plant, Robinsons Manila, Shangri-La, SM Bacolod, SM Baguio, SM Batanggas, SM Cagayan, SM Cebu, SM Clark, SM Davao, SM Iloilo, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa Annex, SM Pampanga, TriNoma, SM Marilao, Robinsons Tacloban, V-Mall, General Santos, Greenbelt 3, Marquee Mall)

*Bratpack (Ayala Cebu, The Block, Greenbelt 5, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Manila, SM Cagayan, SM Davao, SM Davao, SM Pampanga, SM Southmall)

*Flight 360 (The Podium)

*The North Face (Glorietta, Shangri-La, SM Cebu, SM Davao, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa Annex, Cagayan De Oro)

*Recreational Outdoor Exchange – R.O.X. (Bonifacio High Street, Taguig)

*Columbia Sportswear (The Block, Festival Mall, Gateway, Greenbelt 5, Limketkai, SM Cebu, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall)

*Kickers (The Block, SM Megamall, SM Southmall)

*Res|Toe|Run (Ayala Cebu, Gateway, Glorietta, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Manila, TriNoma, Marquee Mall)

*Sledgers (SM Cebu, SM Mall of Asia, TriNoma)

*Tough Jeansmith (Shangri-La, TriNoma)

*Sanuk (The Block, Glorietta, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, Robinsons Manila – Kiosk, Limketkai)

*FitFlop (Rockwell, Ermita Kiosks)

it’s ronnie’s turn!

To my partner Ronnie…

You have a world to conquer. Don’t let this year take toll on your bones.

Take flight, as you’ve always done for your soul is boundless.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Love you much! Mwah Mwah!