Sunday, July 16, 2017
#SK2017: Planning Guide
Just want to share, Raych Ramos is really making me excited for our SK trip in September!!
Monday, July 10, 2017
Overnight Blues: Aloft Hotel - Al Ain
If you ever find yourself in an urgent OT (overtime) situation in Al Ain, there are a multitude of hotels to stay at so you won't risk sleeping during the drive home.
It was a hard decision on our end because we're all strapped for cash but splitting the bill 4 ways is a lot easier than getting in an accident at night along Al Ain's deserted highway - even if I did just update my life insurance payments (see: http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/emergencies/good-friday-crash-four-filipinos-killed-in-abu-dhabi-accident-1.2012494) Safety first people!
Just go to booking.com, or if you already have a SPG rewards account (from booking too many nights in Aloft Hotel - Abu Dhabi HEHEHE), you can use their website as well to book a room, with their best rate guarantee along with earning starpoints which you can redeem for free nights later on.
However, be prepared to pay for the following in addition to the room rate:
Tourism fee 6%
Municipality fee 4%
Service charge 10%
Municipality fee 15 aed (not sure if this is per night)
Goes to show you that Al Ain is more than a deserted place in the middle of nowhere (as townies like us might think). I'd move here if I get to live in the accommodations near Aloft *wink wink* and it's a big plus that it's more quiet, the greenery has better maintenance and malls are far less frequent than Abu Dhabi so you'll be able to save more. But you'll need something to help you get around though, as taxis now have a 12 aed minimum rate T_T Y LIKE DUBAI HUHUHU
Anyway, if you're using Google maps, it will lead you to the back parking lot (sort of like a loading dock, see below) so make sure to turn on the first left prior to the red location dot to go to the correct entrance.
We didn't have the extra clothes to enjoy the pool and the gym but the bed and the TV more than made up for it!
Day 2, we get to stay in a different hotel courtesy by the boss, I'll share it in another post :) Shukran Dr. K!
Pak pak para sa ekonomiya! :)
It was a hard decision on our end because we're all strapped for cash but splitting the bill 4 ways is a lot easier than getting in an accident at night along Al Ain's deserted highway - even if I did just update my life insurance payments (see: http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/emergencies/good-friday-crash-four-filipinos-killed-in-abu-dhabi-accident-1.2012494) Safety first people!
Just go to booking.com, or if you already have a SPG rewards account (from booking too many nights in Aloft Hotel - Abu Dhabi HEHEHE), you can use their website as well to book a room, with their best rate guarantee along with earning starpoints which you can redeem for free nights later on.
However, be prepared to pay for the following in addition to the room rate:
Tourism fee 6%
Municipality fee 4%
Service charge 10%
Municipality fee 15 aed (not sure if this is per night)
Goes to show you that Al Ain is more than a deserted place in the middle of nowhere (as townies like us might think). I'd move here if I get to live in the accommodations near Aloft *wink wink* and it's a big plus that it's more quiet, the greenery has better maintenance and malls are far less frequent than Abu Dhabi so you'll be able to save more. But you'll need something to help you get around though, as taxis now have a 12 aed minimum rate T_T Y LIKE DUBAI HUHUHU
Anyway, if you're using Google maps, it will lead you to the back parking lot (sort of like a loading dock, see below) so make sure to turn on the first left prior to the red location dot to go to the correct entrance.
 |
If you turn here, you're on the wrong entrance. (aka Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, Home of Al Ain FC)      |
Day 2, we get to stay in a different hotel courtesy by the boss, I'll share it in another post :) Shukran Dr. K!
Pak pak para sa ekonomiya! :)
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
#UAE2017: 9 Day DIY Eid Al Fitr Celebration
As soon as I got back from my annual leave last year, I was homesick for at least a month after ~ I kept missing my nephew and niece (self-declared #TitasofMLA), my parents, our youngest (who was already in his 3rd year of med school but was still a baby to me) and practically everybody I left back in Manila. It was my 3rd vacay home to date, but the homesickness was still as pervasive, if not more intense, as soon as I left for the boarding gate.
So 2 weeks into the post-vacay blues, CebuPac had 399aed sale flights again! Granted, it was nothing compared to their original seat sales before where you can get 300aed roundtrip flights DXB-MLA (#ErrorFare) but it was better than their most recent promos so yalla, I booked for 3 people in time for the Eid holidays! Just dropped the bomb a month after that they have no choice but to weather the sweltering heat in UAE for a week and a half HEHEHEHEHEEEE*evil laugh*
I booked the flights in early December so I had plenty of time to plan their itinerary as well as to plot the budget I'll need to allocate for their stay.
However, the main problem I encountered during this stage was actually getting the Affidavit of Support that the PHL immigration is requiring from Filipino tourists. The full list of requirements (which made me feel exhausted just by looking at it) and the need to take time off from work to personally request it from the embassy really stressed me out for a month before I was able to finalize everything a week prior to their flight.
Here's the list of requirements that the embassy needs:
Ugh.
This affidavit was originally implemented to help curb human trafficking but personally, I don't think it helps. Anybody can circumvent the process and it's just a potential avenue (if not yet) for corruption. Plus, I had to request for NSO authenticated certificates for proof, and klutz that I am, I don't have any remaining hard or soft copies on hand so what to do?
I scoured the net for possible alternatives on how the parentals can breezily go through immigration without so much as a glare. I wasn't able to find any, only opinions on just how useless this affidavit is yada yada yadaaaaa so I just made my own checklist of what they need to present to the officers and how to effectively present it to avoid being offloaded. I'll share my tips on another post ;)
Mash'allah :) everything went off smoothly and they were able to experience the mega sales that Eid Al Fitr has to offer, along with the glorious heat/ humidity, local culture and authentic shawarmas that UAE had in store for them! Till the next holidays!
Eid Mubarak!
So 2 weeks into the post-vacay blues, CebuPac had 399aed sale flights again! Granted, it was nothing compared to their original seat sales before where you can get 300aed roundtrip flights DXB-MLA (#ErrorFare) but it was better than their most recent promos so yalla, I booked for 3 people in time for the Eid holidays! Just dropped the bomb a month after that they have no choice but to weather the sweltering heat in UAE for a week and a half HEHEHEHEHEEEE*evil laugh*
 |
However, the main problem I encountered during this stage was actually getting the Affidavit of Support that the PHL immigration is requiring from Filipino tourists. The full list of requirements (which made me feel exhausted just by looking at it) and the need to take time off from work to personally request it from the embassy really stressed me out for a month before I was able to finalize everything a week prior to their flight.
Here's the list of requirements that the embassy needs:
Ugh.
This affidavit was originally implemented to help curb human trafficking but personally, I don't think it helps. Anybody can circumvent the process and it's just a potential avenue (if not yet) for corruption. Plus, I had to request for NSO authenticated certificates for proof, and klutz that I am, I don't have any remaining hard or soft copies on hand so what to do?
I scoured the net for possible alternatives on how the parentals can breezily go through immigration without so much as a glare. I wasn't able to find any, only opinions on just how useless this affidavit is yada yada yadaaaaa so I just made my own checklist of what they need to present to the officers and how to effectively present it to avoid being offloaded. I'll share my tips on another post ;)
Mash'allah :) everything went off smoothly and they were able to experience the mega sales that Eid Al Fitr has to offer, along with the glorious heat/ humidity, local culture and authentic shawarmas that UAE had in store for them! Till the next holidays!
Eid Mubarak!
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