Trying SG's Marché

When I went to Singapore for a convention, I contacted a friend working their for a meet up.

We met in Orchard where my company has an office. Since it was nearing lunch time, we decided to have lunch. She suggested that I try Marché. I had to idea what they serve their but since it sounds like a good idea, I agreed.

We then entered the mall and went down  some stairs. There, I saw this really great looking restaurant with a tavern like theme. I loved their concept of a buffet-like grouping of foods and customers can just choose the variety they want. They have groupings from salad to pizza & pasta to rosti to drinks and even to sweets! I just love it!

To order, customers would just advise the server of their food choice then give the server their Marché Guestcard for charging the amount. Bill will be totalled at the cashier before customers can exit the restaurant. 

Another plus for this restaurant is their dedicated area for kids where the kids can play. They even have balloons for each of the kids!

The food taste good but pricey. We ordered two varieties of food and two drinks and that totaled to ~45Sg$.

I was lucky that was a free lunch. Haha.

Ace Water Spa (Enjoying the City Life)

I've heard of Ace water Spa through friends who tried it but didn't see the need to try it..... Until one Christmas break when we didn't have any plans while in the metro so I thought why not try this. It was a good thing we tried it. 

When we got there, I saw that they were offering a loyalty card that has lots of freebies. Computing all those, it was worth it specially if you are planning to visit again.

Pictures at the locker room until the spa itself are not allowed. So what I took were from the windows before entering the locker room and from the restaurant.

Mae and female locker rooms are separated for obvious reasons. And there are rules to be followed for safety purposes.

The spa has different areas. There is an olympic size swimming pool, the water massage area then the sauna and hot pool area. We spent most of our time at the massage area and the hot pools. 

For Php599.00, we were able to enjoy and relax for up to 4 hours. That was a really good deal. Plus, the ace buffet restaurant offer discounted rates for spa customers who would also dine with them. 

That was when we realized that their food, though less choices compared to Vikings, is really good! The food tasted so delicious. 

After our first visit, I noticed that we came here almost monthly! Hope they would expand to the provinces soon. 

Oh, there was a time we used a Metrodeal voucher. Entrance was only Php350.00 per person. 😊

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ATV ride around Mayon Volcano

When my dad asked me to make an itinerary for our Bicol trip, the number 1 thing that came to my mind was to ride the ATV at Mayon Volcano. It would be another great family adventure to add to our memories.

After searching the net, I came accross the site of Bicol ATV adventure. I then contacted them at (0917) 571 4357. I was asked of the date of the trip, number of people, preferred trail and ATV to use. I was then asked to deposit to serve as a reservation fee. It was deductible from the whole amount payable.

Their office is located at the Cagsawa Ruins area. It is just beside the dike and it's easy to spot since their ATVs are colored yellow and black. 

When we arrived at their office, we were asked again of the trail and ATV we would like to have. They recommended the Green Lava trail and that's what we got. For single riders, the 150cc ATV was enough. It costs Php 1,500.00 each. 

After paying the balance, we were oriented on what to expect and the basic instructions. Next, we were given our helmets and off we went to practice driving the ATV at the river nearby. 

When our guide saw that we were ready, we went under the dike and passed through more water and some greeneries. 

There was also a part of the trail that we passed by local neighborhood and a few times we also had to give way to big trucks (from the quary) passing by.

Our guide stopped for a while and informed us that we have just entered the 6 km permanent danger zone. When there are warnings of volcanic activities, ATVs and tourists are not allowed to enter the said zone.

After around 1.5 hours, we finally reached the end of the trail which was at the foot of the volcano. Unfortunately, it was showering during that time so there were clouds around the volcano. 

Here, we had some rest and bought buko juice from a manong selling there. It only costs Php25.00 per buko so we didn't hesistate to buy. Though there were clouds around the volcano, its beauty still shows and I'm still at awe. 

After around 15 minutes of rest, we decided to go back. The trail back is a bit different and downhill so there was a constant use of the break this time. 

Our whole adventure was documented by our guide. We just gave him one of our phones and he was the one taking pictured and videos.

Last part of the adventure was a dip in the water before going back to their office.

The Php1,500.00 paid for this adventure was soooooo worth it! My family really enjoyed it and that was priceless.

Thanks Bicol ATV! Will come back once I get the chance. 😊

Discovering the mystical Mt. Banahaw

Part of the package we took from Nature Villa Banahaw is the day tour around Mt Bahanaw. 

The trip started with us walking past the neighbors and going through some grassy area. We were guided by Junjun one of the two guides of Nature Villa. 

The first stop was at the stores selling candles which will be used throughout the whole trip. The smallest candle costs Php 35 per pack (20pcs). They also sell empty water containers. Each 1 gallon container costs Php20.00. They also have bracelets, necklace, rosaries. Etc which you can wash in the waters of Banahaw. 

After buying the stuff we needed, we went down a stairs and were greeted by the first grotto where we lighted some candles and offered our prayers. We then continued to go down the stairs until we reached the second altar for lighting candles and prayer offering. Past that is where the "Tubig ng Ina" was situated. This looked like a falls where we can "cleanse" our body. The water is potable and believed to cure diseases. 

Just a few feet away from this is the "Tubig ng Ama". The water is also potable. We filled our empty containers and climbed back. The climb was a bit hard but doable :)

Upon reaching the top, we rested for a few minutes and started our walk towards the caves. We passed by locals' homes before reaching the nature part of the mountain.

The first cave we went to was Jacob's well. The entrance to the place was really small. Our guide had to go before us to light candles for our light inside the cave. 

To enter, we had to lie down and push our bodies down until we reach the area for lighting candles. From there, there is a steel stairs where people are asked to hold on to when going down since the water level is deep. Going down to the water is one at a time. Once down there, the person is requested to soak his whole body 3x as part of tradition (still holding at the stairs).   

Going back up was harder since there were no rocks to step on. But with the help of my dad and brother, we were able to climb back up. 

Next cave was the Presentahan (Presentation) where we presented ourselves to two caves (St Peter and St Paul). 

Last cave we went to was the Ina ng Awa Cave which had a heart shaped rock at the entrance of the cave. 

After the last cave, we went back to Nature Villa using a different but easier route. As we were going back (even going up), we saw some of nature's beautiful creatures.

Staying at Nature Villa Banahaw Bed and Breakfast

When I was looking for things to do and a place to stay in the Quezon provinces, I was able to read blogs about Nature Villa Banahaw and the tours they provide. 

The trip going there however was terrible. We came from the Bicol Region and was able to reach Dolores around 6 in the evening. It was already dark by that time and we were following Waze for directions. Unfortunately, Waze failed us. It lead us to a place behind an elementary school. We had to call Nature Villa's manager for help. But we had some misunderstanding about the directions so we were going back and forth for around 30 minutes until the owner's son remembered that his parents were in the same location we are and we could meet with them and just follow them to the area. And when we saw them, we felt relieved! We will be able to reach Nature Villa and have some well deserved rest.

Upon arriving at the place, we were greeted by their arc. They have their own parking space with a gate so it was safe to leave the car. But the space is good for just 2 vehicles. Oh, by the way, all this time I thought that the villa will be in a secluded area. I was wrong. They are houses all around the villa! :)

The house exterior was superb! It was nature at first glance! Upon entering, the reception table will welcome guests and behind that is the dining area. Right before the dining area is a wooden stairs leading to the second floor of the house. Everything just screams nature! 

When we were shown our room, we were at awe. The place is just so beautiful! The bathroom is even designed to look like you're taking a bath in nature.

Service here was also great. They even agreed to wait for our arrival and serve as and made sure we were comfortable before they went home for new year's eve celebration.

Since it was New Year's Eve, we were the only guests around. We were lucky that the original owners were with us during that time. We had a bit of chit chat with them. According to them, this used to be a small vacation house for the family. They have been convinced by friends and relatives to convert it into a structure for business. They only decided to do so when their daughter graduated Entrepreneurial Management and she is now the one managing the villa. The owner is a contractor so all this was his concept. He was able to gather so much wood to use for the villa but it was only after years and years of gathering and stacking the woods. These are the best of the woods. They can last up to hundred of years.

Signal is really weak in the location. There is even no signal inside the villa. There are also no TVs inside and the only way to get news from the outside world is through the radio.

The food they serve tastes great! Except for the longganisa serve during breakfast. 

Here are some of the pictures from the villa: