It’s been five weeks since I picked up the Toursafe Handbag, and I’ve been using it almost every time I go out since. I use it when I go to the mall and last weekend, I bought it with me when I traveled to Baguio. I feel I’ve gotten to know the bag now, than when I wrote about my first impression.
I’ve been in the lookout for a new bag for months now. I wanted a bag that isn’t too casual, yet something that I can bring when I travel. Pacsafe came to my rescue when they gave me the latest model in their women’s bag line: the Toursafe Handbag.
I just got the bag yesterday, and haven’t really used it yet, so I’ll just write about my first impressions of it.
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I’m trying to think back why we chose to stay in Marina Garden Beach Resort, but all I can think about is how glad I was that we agreed to stay here. The resort has the best stretch of beach for lounging and swimming. Though most of the resorts in town have beach fronts or have access to the beach, Marina’s beachfront is the widest and cleanest, and hardly any boat dock on its shore, which makes it the best for swimming. That’s why guests of other resorts flock to Marina’s beachfront.
Hostelling International Sukhumvit is one of the hostels in Bangkok getting high ratings from travelers who have stayed there. I’ve stayed there twice in 2009, and it’s getting high rating from me as well.
The Sukhumvit area is called the embassy row — almost all of the embassies are located there (including the Philippine embassy). It’s also said that Sukhumvit is where backpackers go when they tire of Khao San Road. Sukhumvit is a very quiet neighborhood, and you can walk for a kilometer without anybody asking you if you want to go on a tuktuk ride or buy a fake Rolex. Though Sukhumvit is not exactly a central station, the BTS run along the main road, so it’s easy to get around without having to deal with Bangkok’s infamous traffic jams.
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There are several factors that I consider when picking a hostel to stay in: location, price, Hostel World rating, and whether they have wi-fi. That’s how I ended up booking a room at Mandalay Inn when I went to Siem Reap.
Location and price are the two most important factor for me. I like to walk around new places, so I prefer staying at hostels that are close to the town or city center. I liked Mandalay’s location: it’s on a street just off the main road, and very near the old market. Mandalay Inn’s area is also mostly residential, so it’s a pretty quiet neighborhood.
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I’ve no trips until the end of the month, so in order to have something to blog about, I’ll be writing reviews of accommodations, airlines and services that I’ve used in my travels last year. I figured now’s the time to do it, as people are making plans for their trips in the coming months. I hope you find these posts useful 
This was my second stay at Shambara. I stayed there before, on my first trip to Thailand in 2006. Not a lot has changed: there are still only 9 rooms, the bathroom is still shared, footwear is still strictly not allowed inside, and it’s still always full.
Shambara’s biggest appeal is its location: it’s in an alley off Khao San Road. If you’ve been to Bangkok or have researched about the city, you’d know that KSR is the backpacker’s hub. This is where most of the young and first time backpackers go to stay in Bangkok, because everything a traveler needs is in Khao San Road. Cheap accommodation? Check. Clothes and accessories? Check. Bootleg CDs and DVDs? Check. Foreign exchange and ATMs? Check. Pharmacy and convenience stores? Check. Travel agents offering cheap tour packages to Thailand’s islands and beaches? Check. Restaurants and bars serving Western food and cheap booze? Check. Thai street food? Check. McDonald’s, Starbucks and Apple Store? Check, check, check!
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I was looking forward to going back to Boracay, and staying at Taj Guesthouse, where we stayed last December. However, since Taj only had four rooms, it filled out pretty quickly. So I was left with having to find another place to stay in Boracay. I headed over to the place where I can get good recommendations: the Girltalk forums. True enough, in the many pages of the Boracay thread, I was able to find a place that still have a room for the weekend: Tans Guesthouse.
When people ask me for hotel recommendations in Boracay, I couldn’t name any hotel because the first time I went there, I stayed at a friend’s house. This time however, I already have one hotel I wholeheartedly recommend: The Taj Guesthouse.
Nina, going through quarterlife crisis, decided to stop talking about traveling and actually start traveling. Starting with a solo weekend trip to Cebu to a backpacking trip in Thailand and Singapore, she finally made it out of Asia and into Australia. After spending close to six months down under, she's happily settled in Manila (for now), intent to explore the best things the Philippines has to offer.
