Checking in at The W Bangkok

I recently made a post about trading in my backpacking ways when I go on business trips, which would usually mean a stay in at least a decent hotel. But a few weeks back, I had to go to Thailand for a working session and stayed in my favorite hotel yet - The W Bangkok. I had never stayed in a W Hotel prior to that trip, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that a W Hotel is apparently no ordinary hotel - in particular, The W Bangkok is edgy, youthful, and just...really, really cool.

Contests!

Check out some travel-related contests below and get a chance to win a copy of the new book "All's Fair in Blog and War", Easytrip Tags and an iPad mini!

Get a chance to win a copy of the book "All's Fair in Blog and War" by checking out the contest page on The Girl Who Read and Other Stories here! Contest ends on August 3, 2013. 

 

Contest ends July 31, 2013.  Like the NLEX and SCTEX Facebook Page for more details!

Terms and conditions apply.

Finding The Exit, the New "Secret" Speakeasy in Makati, Philippines

This week at the office, a co-worker tipped us off about The Exit, a month-old, speakeasy-style joint right in the heart of Makati. In existence within its winding veins and traffic-clogged arteries. Somewhere in there.

Part of the fun is finding it on your own, as I did one night when I realized I had time to kill after work. I love my new job.

So let's not talk about where The Exit is exactly. But across Greenbelt 1, around the area of the Rolex Building would be a good place to start, if you're keen on finding it. The pictures below might help too.

If you ever find it, sit by the bar. The staff are friendly, will introduce themselves and will ask for your name. Order the De Rigeur - bourbon, grapefruit, honey. Or better yet, get a classic Black Label with a dash of sparkling water or soda (now you know where my loyalties lie).

You know what? It's bound to turn up in Foursquare one of these days. But wouldn't you want to find it for yourself before everyone else does?


P.S. Is my title for this redundant? Aren't all speakeasies secret by default?

Myanmar + Mausi + Travel Video + Last Set of Bagan Photos!

I'm officially out of Myanmar photos to post! These are the last of the lot, and for real this time. I saved them for posting with our Myanmar travel video, which Mabs has dutifully edited, and now it's finally here!

I absolutely love my GoPro Hero2 - Mabs and I each bought one at half-off from Black Friday last year and I really love how the footage turned out, especially the ones from when I would just leave the camera in a corner or on the ground to record random stuff. Mix that up with footage from Mabs' badass Canon EOS camera and play them with Mausi's awesome summer track "sol." in the background and voila, an epic travel video to forever remind us of our awesome trip to Burma.

Even more awesome is how Mausi tweeted me back when I sent them the link to the video, AND they retweeted the link to their followers, and they followed me back! My love for them just increased by about a thousandfold.

Check out the video below, and my last photos of Bagan under the cut!

My fangirl heart is happy! Mausi is awesome! :)

Life in (Flip Flops) Heels: Traveling for Work

Every now and then I would have to trade in my flip flops and my backpack to travel for work, and the experience is quite different from how I would normally travel in my own time (and out of my own pocket): the room accommodations are suddenly too big for one person (especially after having stayed with two friends in a tin can of a hostel in Hong Kong once upon a time. Good times!), and there's just too much concrete and buildings in my surroundings (especially compared to the vast, dusty plains and ancient temples of Bagan). I think there's plenty to like about work trips - for one, they're a great way to meet new people and to learn about how your counterparts in other markets work. There's also something magical about being able to do your work outside of your office - it's nice to be working somewhere else for once instead of on your desk, and sometimes the change in scenery is enough to get some good ideas flowing, as if being in a new place also gives you a new perspective of the work you've been doing.

The following are just a few photos I've taken from the work trips I've taken in my old job, mostly in Singapore and one time in Malaysia. They're a lot different from the photos I usually post here. Have a look!

Where to Eat in San Juan, La Union, Philippines

Planning a surf trip to San Juan, La Union? Getting stoked requires a lot of energy, and thankfully there are plenty of food places to check out in and around San Juan. The awesome guys at The Circle Hostel La Union invited a group of travel bloggers including myself to stay in their eco-friendly accommodations for a weekend and kindly took us to three great places to eat around the area. Check out Urbiztondo Grill House, Kahuna Resort, and Thunderbird Resort below!