Bino

The Definitive Guide to Nobu Hotel Manila in City of Dreams

July 3, 2015 by Bino Leave a Comment

Manila has seen a boom in hotel openings in recent years with several established hotel chains adding properties in the city. Part of this is due to the rise of integrated resorts and casinos – like those in Solaire or Resorts World Manila – which has led to a rapid change in the local hospitality scene. The newest integrated resort to open this year – City of Dreams Manila – comes with three new hotels. Namely, these are Nobu Hotel, Crown Towers and Hyatt. I was most curious to check out the Nobu Hotel Manila, the hospitality arm of the famous celebrity restaurant, Nobu. The property in Manila is just the second such hotel to open in the world which makes it really special as it brings about an experience that cannot be had elsewhere in Asia.

Everyone seems to be well aware of this unique selling point and it was quite evident when I was at Nobu Hotel Manila just earlier this week. When I entered the hotel lobby for the first time, I witnessed a large group of staycationers checking out. Business has been brisk for the property since it opened, with weekends typically booked out. My stay was for Sunday-Monday which fortunately was much quieter.

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Travel Guide: Bataan – From Balanga to Bagac

June 27, 2015 by Bino 12 Comments

One of the most popular weekend and holiday destinations for those living in Manila and a must-see for World War II history buffs, the province of Bataan has only quite recently entered the mainstream, thanks to new investment in hospitality and recreation.

I remember Bataan from when we used to venture out some 20 to 25 years back to Montemar Beach Club, one of the more decent beaches within a 2.5 hour radius from Metro Manila. I had not been back to Bataan until this year to check out some interesting restoration of heritage architecture in some places. Here were some of the places I discovered:

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Hotel Jen Manila – Great Value and Pleasantly Surprising

June 26, 2015 by Bino 2 Comments

Looking at Hotel Jen Manila (the former Traders Hotel Manila) from the outside, one would be forgiven to skip the unassuming facade while speeding past Roxas Boulevard. The Hotel Jen name is at once mysterious as it is seemingly disproportional to the mature building that houses it. Following a global rebranding effort by the Shangri-la group, almost all Traders hotels were renamed to Hotel Jen as part of efforts to effectively segment the two brands under the group. The name Jen is meant to exude a youthful and travel-savvy persona, in effect contrasting nicely with the Himalayan luxury that the Shangri-la flagship brand is supposed to imbibe.

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A Humongous 8,000 Square Meter Ballroom Just Opened & It’s at Marriott Manila

June 25, 2015 by Bino Leave a Comment

Trust the Marriott for doing things in a big way! The hotel group, through its property within Resorts World Manila, the Marriott Manila, just opened the largest ballroom in the Philippines with a total of 8,000 square meters of function space. The complex has several spaces for meetings and celebrations, from intimate meeting rooms to the grand ballroom with a capacity for 4,000 guests, a 3,000 square meter hall that’s so long it can probably double as a racing track. It really is a new step for the fledgling MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) industry in the Philippines with a new venue like this.

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Kitsho at Hotel Jen Manila – A Must-Try Japanese Restaurant

June 24, 2015 by Bino Leave a Comment

If I based my choices on what my family or friends recommend, I probably wouldn’t have come across Kitsho, the unassuming Japanese restaurant located inside the recently rebranded Hotel Jen Manila (former Traders Hotel Manila) along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City. The Ermita and Malate area is of course, quite famous for standalone Japanese restaurants which on paper sounds like a good location for another Japanese eatery.

I managed to try Kitsho during a recent stay at Hotel Jen Manila and I must say, this is one undervalued place for Japanese food! Entering Kitsho for the first time, I noticed the interiors were pretty humble – just the standard that one would expect for a Japanese restaurant sans the fancy lighting or artwork. The main thing to focus here is the food, without the other distractions.

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Hotel Review: Plaza Hotel Balanga – Accessible Luxury at the Heart of Balanga’s Plaza Mayor

June 23, 2015 by Bino Leave a Comment

The humble, newly proclaimed city of Balanga is probably not a place where one would expect to find a boutique hotel of international standards. Relatively untouristed, Balanga has a population of less than 100,000 and is often a transit point for those heading to the tourist attractions of Bataan. It was actually by accident that I discovered The Plaza Hotel in Balanga, Bataan. I was reading about how the plaza mayor or the central square of Balanga, Bataan was being spruced up to look similar to those in Spain when I chanced upon the property. Located right smack at the plaza mayor, the hotel facade was constructed in the Spanish colonial style and looks especially atmospheric in the evenings when floodlit.

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New Italian Flavors at EDSA Shangri-la’s Paparazzi

June 17, 2015 by Bino Leave a Comment

For a populace that that enjoys homey Italian dishes such as spaghetti and pizza, it is no surprise that those living in Metro Manila have a wide array to choose from when it comes to Italian cuisine. The degree of sophistication is quite impressive considering the number of expats (including expat chefs) here trails in comparison to other Southeast Asian capitals. One doesn’t have to look far for a decent plate of Risotto or a hearty serving of my favorite Italian dish, Osso Buco.

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How to Get a Tourist Visa to IRAN

June 11, 2015 by Bino Leave a Comment

Iran is on a most deserving rise as a travel destination, thanks in part to a government that’s been perceived to be more liberal in recent years. While it’s still common to be thought of as mad for traveling there, people are discovering the many wonders of this Middle Eastern country in greater numbers. And there’s no shortage of these wonders – from the ancient ruins of Persepolis to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in cities like Esfahan, and of course the very friendly citizenry which makes traveling around Iran a true delight!

It’s been a few years since I visited Iran but until today, I am still getting a lot of questions on how to get a visa to enter the country. Here, I share my personal experience in obtaining a tourist visa to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Most nationalities require a visa to enter Iran. The only exceptions as of this writing are Malaysian, Sri Lankan, Bolivian, Venezuelan, Azeri, Syrian and Turkish nationals.

Most other nationalities can apply for a visa either at an Iran embassy in their home country or obtain a visa on arrival. There are notable exceptions to the granting of visa on arrival however and this includes Americans, British and Canadian passport holders. These nationalities can only get their visas at the embassy in their home country.

Singapore and Philippine passport holders can opt to get a visa-on-arrival. This facility is available only for those entering by air at key airports which include Tehran, Shiraz, Esfahan, Tabriz and Mashhad. Compared to elsewhere however, a visa-on-arrival isn’t as straightforward as an approval code still needs to be procured before being eligible to enter! While there have been many reports of people successfully getting a visa-on-arrival without an appoval code, it’s still wise to get one just to play it safe.

I applied for my visa via Pars Tours Agency. Their website can be found here. There are other agencies that handle approval code applications

My approval code application process:

Contacted Pars Tours Agency via the email address found on their website. Got the visa application form, filled it out and sent it back along with a copy of my passport
They charged me EUR 30 for processing which I had to remit to their account in Germany. At that time, they also charged me for the visa cost itself. This is no longer practiced and the actual visa fees are collected only upon arrival at the airport
Around 2 weeks later, I got the approval code

I chose Shiraz as my airport of entry in Iran. The departure process from Singapore was quite uneventful. I took Qatar Airways from Singapore to Shiraz via Doha and at no point did airport authorities ask me for my Iran visa.

The flight to Shiraz from Doha took a mere hour. I was only among a handful of foreigners on the Doha to Shiraz flight. I arrived at the airport in Shiraz at around 4AM and had to call someone to man the visa on arrival desk. They got my passport and approval code and processed my visa which took about an hour. Other than the long wait, it was quite painless. They visa they gave me was a 15-day single entry visa.

Although not particularly straightforward in that they required an approval code, Iran’s visa application process is relatively easy. Unlike in other countries, I never had to submit my bank or employment details. Aside from the application form, the only other thing they took from me was a copy of my passport photo page. That being said, the whole process is definitely worth it!

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