When I considered moving to the USA as part of an exchange program, the first opportunity was to go to Boston, Massachusetts, and I had a photo of Boston Harbor on my desk for months. After it fell through and I ended up in San Francisco, the city I fell in love with, I returned […]
The Philippines are a popular investment destination for companies from South Korea and Japan as well as for tourists. With a lot of Japanese expats in Manila, you’ll find plenty of Japanese food as well. And the latest Japanese restaurant in Manila is Fukudaya at the Arya Plaza. It’s an upscale restaurant in a quiet
If you have a few days in Lisbon, I recommend you include a day-trip to Sintra, only 45 minutes from the city in the mountains, with two fantastic palaces, an old fortress and a chance for some nice hiking! The beautiful setting has inspired a few writers in the past and attracts lots of visitor
For many years, Asian chains, Accor and InterContinental ruled the luxury hotel scene in Manila. But more recently the large US chains have “uncovered” the capital of one of the fastest growing economies in Asia and opened up hotels. The latest to the party is Hilton Worldwide with their upscale Conrad brand opening near Manila Bay.
Most credit card reviews on travel blogs are about the reward points you can earn or the elite membership benefits you might get. One concern rarely addressed is the safety of your financial information when traveling in countries with lots of credit/ATM card fraud. I have previously recommended the prepaid American Express Bluebird debit card
I travel frequently to Bangkok, the City of Angels, and one of the best area to stay in Bangkok is around Asoke. That put the Park Plaza Sukhumvit, part of Carlon’s budget brand Park Plaza, on the top of my list for places to stay and I’m glad I did. A great location, nice rooms
My passion for points & miles has resulted in a lot of great-value hotel stays with the big chains, but that hasn’t stopped my love for stylish, boutique hotels. One of the first boutique hotels in Bangkok, the City of Angels, is the Dream Hotel in the Sukhumvit area. I stayed there years ago and
While I generally recommend to take your time when traveling, Singapore, Asia for Beginners, is the easiest city in Asia to see on a “Perfect Day” itinerary: The compact size of the island nation and the great public transfer make it easy to see the multiethnic heritage, enjoy amazing parks, great shopping and dining, all
After living in San Francisco for almost twenty years, I now frequently visit the city I love. And when I stay at a hotel, the InterContinental San Francisco is my favorite place to stay – it’s modern room and great location, as well as the wonderful ISpa are the main reasons to come back over and
I have lived in San Francisco for almost 20 years and know the hotels in the city pretty well. When I saw a new Hampton Inn opening in downtown, I was eager to try it out and was not disappointed. It offers modern rooms with good service in a great location and is worth considering
Low cost carriers have been giving passengers what they want – low prices. And the legacy carriers have struggled to respond. The Big 3 US carriers have now all decided to offer a Basic Economy fare with even less features and amenities than before to compete with budget carriers on price. American Airlines is the
If you are looking for a hotel in Manila’s Ortigas business district or near the massive SM MegaMall, the Mercure Ortigas is one of the newest hotels in the area and the third to open for the Accor Group of hotels. I stayed to re-gain my platinum status in the LeClub rewards program and was