Philippine Travel Notes

Nothing much to talk about. It is the same as other Toyoko Inn branches worldwide! But for the sake of fellow Pinoy Travelers, let's talk about that "nothing much" na yan! It becomes even more interesting and worth discussing hehee! If you would remember, I said sometime ago, that the Toyoko Inn in Mandaue , Cebu (their only Philippine branch) looks the same as branches in Japan, pati mga gamit. Well, this hotel in Phnom Penh (their only branch in Cambodia) is also the same. That's my story. Yun na iyon. The End! Pero sige, ituloy natin ng konti pa... hehehe! I actually once asked (in Mandaue): if those furnishings and fixtures all come from Japan. The answer: ay sir, pati papel, folder, stapler, pare-pareho lahat yan, kahit saan! So that got me all the more curious. And I confirm, pareho nga din talaga. As in! But as always... let me start from the very beginning! Why here? Ahm, this was the first hotel I saw when I searched for hotels near the ...

Oh yes there are Aeon Mall s in Phnom Penh! The original branch was near my hotel. It was my go-to place (~600 meters away) when I needed anything while in this city. This was nearest to me during this stay, though I saw that other establishments are coming up soon on this riverside strip alone. Yep, Phnom Penh is modernizing, fast! In fact, while walkable (for me), Toyoko Inn has a regularly scheduled free shuttle to and from Aeon Mall - very safe & convenient when returning to the hotel late nights. Not that the area/vicinity is unsafe security-wise. But lately, this stretch of riverbank here, teems with simultaneous high-rise developments. Lots of construction debris. They have longer mall hours here. Most shops are open 9AM until 10PM, while the GF supermarket/foodcourt opens at 8AM. Bowling and Cinemas are until midnight. Why was I all-of-a-sudden interested in malls? Uhh, while I'd rather go to museums, plazas, churches, beaches or mountains than a mall big ...

Wonderful Khmer Architecture! Everywhere is " instagrammable "! But let's start from the very beginning! Visit Times & Duration Foremost, you may encounter a 'minor issue' on the web, about opening and closing times for palace visits. Some say 7-11AM & 1-4PM ; some say 7AM , 8AM and so on. On this visit, it was written everywhere, 8:00AM~11:00AM AND 2:00PM~5:00PM . Heads up to my boldly written AND above. It can make or break your satisfaction! It means that: at 11AM the palace closes (for lunch?), so all guests will have to leave. Di ko alam kung me loudspeaker yan or megaphone na ipagtatabuyan kayo, o baka me mga guards na umiikot para sabihan kayo, o maybe the paths are cordoned-off. Basta ang sa akin, isang tanga at kalahati ka, kung papasok ka pa ng 10AM. Eh ang laki kaya ng compound na yan! Many tour groups aim for the earliest entry - at 8AM. I surmised, sangkaterbang busloads siguro ang tourists entering at 8AM. Hiyay! So, I ...