The Henry Hotel Manila: Truly a Hotel Like No Other

There is hope for Manila! Who would have thought that a hotel as beautiful as this exists in this metropolis? The property only opened last December 2014 but it already caught the attention of urban dwellers and bloggers alike. Everyone needs an escape from this busy and chaotic Megacity once in a a while. You won't have to go far this time.

Welcome to the newest and most chic in Metro Manila. The Henry Hotel. (Same people behind Henry Hotel Cebu)

The character of this property was all because of the vision of Eric Paras, a renowned interior and furniture designer. He has blended modern amenities with mid-century furniture. 

Let the pictures speak for themselves.

I can now say I have a favorite place in Pasay.

Siem Reap Diaries: Shinta Mani Club - Your Gateway to Angkor Wat

Backpacking across IndoChina and Europe was one of those things that I had to do as young man. I remember doing this with friends from medical school a long time ago.  We stayed in this guest house in Siem Reap which was under $50 per night. It had dreary lighting, sconces reminiscent of a funeral parlor and uncomfortable beds but the promise of the Angkor Wat's grandeur was enough to make me overlook all of those things.

Fast forward to 2014. I am already 30 years old with the stress of residency training in my hands.  At this point in your life, you want the finer things in life. A beautiful hotel can set the mood for the rest of the trip. If you could pick the best accommodation, why wouldn't you, right? After carefully searching and reading all the reviews, I ended up choosing what would be one of my favorite hotels to date- Shinta Mani Club.

Shinta Manila Club is a sophisticated and upscale boutique hotel located in Central Siem Reap. When you have a genius like Bill Bensley in charge of the design, you are sure that you'll have a unique hotel experience.

Beautiful lotus flower arrangements.

Siem Reap Diaries: Floating Village

In general, going around the temples for an "x" number of days can be exhausting and almost a chore. This is what most people know as temple-fatigue.  Some of you may feel the need to see other sights in order to break the seeming monotony of these spiritual monuments. On our last day in Siem Reap, after having reached the ceiling of our temple visit, we decided to visit Chong Kneas, a floating village on the famous Tonle Sap Lake. It is an interesting day trip that may change your own perspective on what it means to have a simple life. Or Maybe Not. 

I must warn you though that this "tour" may feel like an annoying "tourist trap". No one told us that before you actually enter this village, you will need to pay $20 per person (and that includes the one-hour boat ride). We were expecting this trip to be cheaper but we thought wrong. We left most of our money in the hotel room but it was a good thing we brought enough to pay for the entrance fee. The twenty-dollar fee was pretty high, even in western standards.