our very FIRST family vacation

DESTINATION…
manila

DURATION…
4 days, 3 nights

PACKING…
was hard cos i wasn’t sure where to start! i knew what to pack for hubs & myself but for 2 kids?!? now i know what mommies go thru when they pack for everyone. i brought everything extra for the kids, just in case.

AIR TRAVEL…
was great. i thank GOD that the kids were alright with the take off & didn’t fuss in the air. i was a bit concerned beforehand but lil han surprised me when he dozed off after we've all settled comfortably in our seats, before take off i.e.

BUS RIDE…
from clark international airport to metro manila went smoothly except for the heavy traffic flow. we arrived on a saturday, hence the jam. it'd normally take 2 hours or less to get there from the airport but the plus side was that we got to see the outskirts of the city.

ACCOMODATION...
edsa shangri-la. beautiful hotel. very cozy. scrumptious breakfast. need i say more :o)

SHOPPING...
was my main intention. haha! i was told by many that manila is a shopping paradise. i shopped mostly for the boys & YES, i definitely see more choices & greater bargains there! we managed to experience the last day of sale in asia's largest mall, a.k.a. the mega mall manila.

the best part about this shopping centre is that there are strollers for rent. we rented one for P180 (approximately RM13.23) to last the whole day. i carried lil han while big bro an sat contentedly in the stroller when he's tired from walking.

i for one love shoes & bags & i got to see so many - it's crazy! i'll have to go shopping for ME on our next trip. yup, there'll be a next trip. i'll make it a MUST :o)

of course not all is perfect. the kids did get cranky & lil han wanted ne-nen all the time! so he was hanging onto me 24-7! i'd really have to put us in the marsupial category - i'm mama kanga & lil han is baby roo.

we headed to greenhills on the second day of our travel. i absolutely enjoyed this place. it's a flea market-cum-shopping mall under one roof, selling all sorts. i love flea markets! hubs & nico, my BIL babysat the boys so that faridah, my soon-to-be SIL & myself can go bargain hunting. i'll give her 2 thumbs up for being a hard bargainer.

PICTURES...
were hardly taken since lil han was extremely attached to me. hubs managed to snap a few, so here goes...

lil han twisting away in bathroom slippers

outside the hotel - an made sure daddy took a picture of him with the water jetting upwards

big bro an sure likes fountains - big & small

outside teriyaki boy, waiting for our table

NICE BREAK...
for all of us. i'm grateful...