Frannywanny

Ever since we moved to Singapore , we've been fortunate to have old and new friends who have tirelessly exerted so much effort to ensure that we feel right at home. From taking us to the must-eat places around the island to inviting us to house parties and all sorts of events, Paul and I have easily adapted to our new life here and we got all of them to thank for. In addition to that, I'm also lucky to have met the nice ladies of Shangri-la Singapore . After a short email introduction, Paul and I were invited to go for a weekend staycation at the Garden Wing of the hotel and this was definitely one that we were really looking forward to as relocating to a new country is definitely not an easy walk in the park. Thus, a staycation was definitely a good way for us to unwind and to enjoy each other's company. The following year, our friends from Shangri-la Singapore , once again surprised us with an amazing 3 days, 2 nights stay at the Valley Wing for our 4th Wedding An...

I can read minds. Yes, I really can! Don't believe me? Hmmm... I can read what's on most of your minds right now. Ready? "How I wish the long weekend can last forever!" Am I right? Am I right? :) Kidding aside, I'm pretty sure most of you share the same sentiments as I do right this very minute. After all, being able to take some time off work and our daily responsibilities is something we all welcome with open arms. Agree? So, a few months back, Paul and I took a weekend off to spend a nice R&R at Marina Mandarin Singapore . We love staycations and we would make sure to have one especially on special occasions. That would mean -- Valentine's Day, our wedding anniversary and if we have a bit more budget and time, our birthdays too. Knowing the Marina Mandarin is one of the most sought after hotels in the city, we made our Valentine's Day staycation booking as early as December and since this day was so close to the Chinese New Year period, I...

"He was enjoying that pleasant mingling of physical ease  and mental alertness which seemed to him, of all sensations,  the most truly civilised.  So far, the appointments of Shangri-La  had been all that he could have wished -- certainly more than he could ever have expected."   - from the book The Lost Horizon To celebrate our 4th Wedding Anniversary , Paul and I were treated to a really nice weekend staycation at Shangri-la Hotel's Valley Wing here in Singapore. We're truly so thankful to our sweet friends from Shangri-la who made our anniversary weekend nothing less than PERFECT. It was indeed a very relaxing weekend as we didn't even bother going out of the hotel throughout our stay. There was really no reason to as everything we wanted can be found right within reach and our goal is to relax  and to indulge  through and through. From the moment we stepped inside the very exclusive and posh lobby of the Valley Wing , we both knew that this wi...

"Hi I'm Fran and I'm a staycation-holic." A few weeks ago, Paul and I checked in at  Days Hotel Singapore in Novena  which is located pretty much the opposite of town from where we live. I have to admit that getting around the area was a bit of a challenge on our first night but come our second, third and fourth (!) night, we were so used to the bus routes that passes in front of the building and even enjoyed checking out the restaurants nearby.  Days Hotel in Zhongshan Park opened sometime in 2012 and it's one of the nicest budget hotels that I've been to here in the Lion City. We got the room for only S$120 a night via Agoda on a spur-of-the-moment-let's-go-have-a-staycation kind of thing. Given the name, it's located right beside a nice park that links the hotel and the Zhongshan Mall beside it. It obviously got a perfect score in terms of convenience as the mall houses a really big Fairprice Finest, a couple of restaurants and fast f...

Let's play a little game! Before that though, allow me to let you in on a little secret. This is one trivia about me that I'm pretty sure not a lot of people know about -- okay, here goes: I have a secret pasttime .  Wanna know what?  I love watching Pinoy entertainment talkshows and I continue to keep myself updated with "current events" via this website and this magazine . Just imagine how happy I was when our local cable provider here suddenly opened all channels which includes The Filipino Channel two weekends ago. Paul seriously had a hard time dragging me out of the house as I was glued to The Buzz all afternoon. The fun part about keeping myself update with local showbiz news is sometimes I would come across blind items which I love playing Sherlock Holmes too as I would piece out the clues to make my wise guess.  Given that, let me tell you about our experience at the Spa at Traders Hotel in Singapore and to make things exciting, I'll t...

Growing up in a country that enjoys more than a dozen non-working holidays, it took me sometime to get used to Singapore's set of 10 annual holidays and that already includes Christmas and New Year's Day. It's no wonder why majority of the people here do take note of these 10 non-working days and vacations are always planned around it. Last May 24 was a religious holiday as everyone took a break from work and school to celebrate Vesak Day which, I just found out, was Buddha's birthday. Paul and I were no different. We made sure that we made the most of our 3-day weekend by accepting Traders Hotel, Singapore 's invitation to stay for the night. Hooray for another staycation! We got to the hotel a little after lunch time and were quickly ushered up to the Traders Club lounge . Since we will be staying at the a Club Room thus we can do our check-in at the lounge instead of waiting in line at the hotel's front desk. Checking in was a breeze and so high tech! A...

If there's one personal belief that I hold dearest to my heart, this is that vacations and staycations are always good for you . Even the famous chocolate bar Kitkat would agree with me that once in a while, we really have to kick off our shoes and to have a break .  As much as it may be nice to live a fast-paced, highly productive life, we always have to bare in mind that our brains, spirit and body need to slow down every so often and after that break, you'll see how much life and energy you'll have again to get into the daily grind. Well, that's what Paul and I did this weekend. For the past months, we both have been extremely busy adjusting to our new life here. Every weekend is normally spent fixing up our new room, refilling our kitchen pantry cabinet and familiarizing ourselves with our new surroundings. Thus, I was so happy when I received an invite from Shangri-la Hotel,   Singapore inviting me to have a weekend staycation which is the best excuse to le...