Planning Our Trip:

We didn’t. We had been speaking of taking a long haul flight somewhere in the weeks to come but that was it.  Nothing was set in stone, nothing was booked. As I’m having a nice dinner at home on Monday night, Brian approaches me and we start playing with the idea of going to the Philippines. Next thing you know, we’re pulling an all nighter packing to catch a 5am flight and make our connection to Seoul, South Korea. All within less than 24hrs!! If last minute was a person/people then we would be it. This is not for the faint of heart, but if what you like is taking risks then I say go for it and make it WERK!

 A lot people will have their personal opinions about this and that’s alright but this is ours.  We have always loved traveling and exploring new cultures, places and hidden gems. As soon as we welcomed our son, we got his passport and continued on with the adventures. He has now been to 5+ countries and counting, we don’t regret a single trip. Yes he will not remember but you are opening up his eyes to the cultures of the world and igniting a passion for travel. Yes it might be hard at times but take it for what it is, these are memorable memories you are making together.

With this being said, preparation is key when traveling with children! I have a few nuggets of wisdom but if you have other tips and tricks please do make sure to comment so we can all stay in the loop as well!

Preparing for a long haul flight with a toddler:

•Snacks! (This will keep those tantrums at bay for a little while)

•Inflatable foot rest–  set this DIY “first class bed” up and they’ll have some decent sleep for a good few hours.

•A magic coloring book!

•A few magnetic tiles and let their imagination run

•One or two changes of clothes of course

Transiting through Seoul, South Korea

Surprisingly, Levi behaved so well during our 16hr flight from Detroit to Seoul.  We decided to stay for one day on our way there, and our way back to the states, just to mitigate the chaos a bit and rest as much as possible.  With a total of two days in South Korea, we were able to explore a bit but not as much as we would have liked to. Below are some of our recommendations.

A Taste of Seoul

As much as we wanted to try Korean BBQ, sorry to disappoint but we didn’t.  The first night we just wanted to have a light bite and on our way back, I wasn’t feeling really well by the time we decided to try it.  All of that being said, the packed streets of Myeong-dong were filled with the delicious smell of street food everywhere we turned.  We encountered everything from cheese pancakes to octopus, and even fried oreo churros.  I wish I would have tasted each and every cart to give a better review but my gut was not having it.

We did get a chance to eat a these two places which were excellent!

2.  Korean BBQ Restaurant (뱃터양꼬치)

This was a small place we randomly walked into, our first night in Seoul.  It was in Incheon, not too far from the airport. I loved everything we ordered, especially the egg fried rice, yummy! Their specialty are lamb skewers!

WHERE TO SHOP

The only place we really explored was Myeon-dong, and let me tell you that was all I needed for everything I needed to shop for.  You might know by now, Koreans are known for their skin care products and what better place to get all the goodies at?

Our first stop was at Olive Young, which is basically a really big store just dedicated to skin care, make up, scalp care etc.  You can find thousands of products here, especially the viral tik tok products people rave about.  Below was some of the “splurging” I did.  Wish I could have bought more but we’ll see how my skin reacts to these first.

You can visit the Olive Young website  and use my code VIASARANGO20 to get 5% off your purchase / or click the links below to find them on Amazon!

1 Day in Manila

Where to stay in Manila:

Makati is a bustling metropolis which we can safely say it’s the central business district of the Philippines.  It is a great place to stay for first-time goers, since it is vibrant, full of life and overall safe.  We stayed at the Citadines Benavidez hotel and they were beyond accomodating.  It is fairly new and everything from the amenities to the food was fantastic.

WHERE TO SHOP

Philippines take pride in their malls and let me tell you, it shows!  This was the biggest and most dynamic shopping center I’ve been to. You can find Everything from a movie theater, dentist, hair salons and more.  Interestingly enough, even with my major in Fashion design, I don’t really enjoy shopping, but let me tell you this, their department store called The Landmark, is all my shopping dreams could ever be. I wanted to take every single item on the shelves. Not only because they had really pretty things but the price was unbelievable. Two tops and a pair of pull on bottoms for $15!  The department store is located inside Glorietta Mall, you can find everything from high-end luxure stores, to the department store I mentioned above and more. 

What to eat:

Ok now to the real fun part. I’ve never really had Filipino food other than the occasional lumpia and jolibee spaghetti. Everything was about to change with my first bite of Sisig.

MANAM 

Comfort Filipino food. The first sip of that Ube shake and a bite of their homemade crispy sisig blew my tastebuds out! I didn’t know what to expect and I think that’s what made it even better.

•House crispy sisig (like small pieces of chicharron with delicious mayo based sauce)

•Beef Salpicao

•Lumpia

•Beef tapsilog (thinly sliced sweet-salty peppery beef with crunchy garlic rice and a fried egg) this is a Filipino breakfast which I honestly ate at any hour of the day. 

Budget: All of this for $36 USD!

WILDFLOUR RESTAURANT

We decided to head here right before catching our flight to Palawan. Pretty scenery inside the Glorietta mall with perfect weather to sit outside and enjoy a nice brunch.

•Assorted pastries (my favorite was the cronut)

•Blue dreams shake

•Hong Kong milk tea (Brian rates 5 of 5)

•Beef tapas (so yummy even our picky eater ate it!)

Palawan Island

Day 1: Puerto Princesa

Palawan is known to be one of the worlds most beautiful islands, and trust me, it is everything people boast about and more.  We have decided to stay one day here and explore as much as we could so we could have more time around El Nido and its beaches in the coming days. 

where to stay:

This AirBnB apartment was our go to. It is a spacious 2BR duplex right near the city center, and it was also just a few minutes from the airport. Everything was walking distance, from bars, supermarkets, pharmacies and even a crossfit gym right across!

where to eat/drink:

J1 KTV & BAR: Around the corner from our Airbnb we had a fun bar, where even Levi was welcomed ! We left shortly after 8pm when the crowd started to arrive.  Good drinks and finger food, as well as great music!

EIGHTYNINE CAFE:  Right before we left for El Nido, we had breakfast at this small but mighty cafe and it did not disappoint.  We ordered tapsi, a traditional breakfast, lemon sour spritz , matcha latte, and a Bailey’s coffee pictured below. 

Budget: All of this totaling roughly $20 USD.

El Nido

Getting to paradise

Stay with me here, after all these flights and jet-lag, this is the last stretch. Palawan, if you didn’t know, is named as one of the top islands of the world.  If we were able to manage with a two year old, so can YOU!

From Puerto Princesa to El Nido, you have to take a 4.45 ride either in a shared van or rent a car and drive at your own pace (like we did) we paid roughly $67 USD to rent a car for 4 days, meanwhile the ridesharing starts at about $9.  You can also book a flight from Manila to a private airport (ENI) which starts roughly at $250 roundtrip.

The roadtrip sounds long, but you can see so much of the people from Palawan, their culture and interact with them.  Our favorite was chatting up with a group of young kids and their parents while making a quick stop, and the minute we offered them milkshakes (which is what the store was known for) their eyes lit up.  It was such an unforgettable experience for all of us.

 WHERE TO STAY

High Chaparral Cottages :   

This is THE place to stay.  “Far enough from the crowded streets, but still 5 min. away from the center of town”. The best way I can describe it, it’s like being in a mini farm which my son and myself absolutley loved.  There were baby goats roaming around, chicken, hens, roosters, dogs, even a cow! Safe to say they have them under control and they are lovely animals overall! This was definitely a plus for us.  Hospitality from the heart goes a long way, and they were truly exceptional.  Everyone from Nita, Hans to Arleen and Boisy were wonderful, it was one of the best customer experiences I’ve had since they make you feel like family the minute we walked in (give them a warm hello from us if you go!).

Budget : Roughly $160/ night

 WHERE TO EAT

This part of the island is where you will find all the tourist, so naturally they cater more to tourists therefore offering a variety of cuisines to chose from.  We had everything from Thai to Italian, Japenese and local food! Below are some of the ones we visited.

Gorgonzola Pizzera –  A family style setting where you sit wherever you find a seat.  Lovely cozy place with tons of options from pasta to pizza and more.  We opted for the 16″ half 5 cheese / half tropical w/ no jalapenos.  I also enjoyed a refreshing glass of frozen mint lemonade!

AP Kala Beach Bar  and Modern Cafe – One of our favorites due to the spacious setting and open concept.  One of the many places to lounge in a sofa, while sipping your favorite drinks and having appetizers.  We ordered the calamari, turkey sandwich, fried pork belly and shrimp.

Big Bad Thai- YUM! very crowded but mighty place.  I was craving some thai and we ended up here and let me tell you everything was delicious! Started off with shanghai lumpia, and chicken skewers as appetizers.  As far as entress, Brian and I shared the cashew chicken which was enough for both of us.

High Tides – Stumbled upon this bistro on our last night in El Nido and safe to say it was a fun night.  Filipinos love karaoke so of course there was a band doing karaoke downstairs which I personally jammed to because I loved all of their song choices.  That night we opted for sushi (really good) and fries as appetizers, beef bulgogi and the tempura platter.  They did have a happy hour (buy one and get one free) which we definitely took advantage of.

Hama Cafe – A very simple, yet aesthetic looking cafe, with plenty of good choices for breakfast.  Our favorites were the fruit bowl, and beef tapas.  Brian was also obsessed with their matcha latte.

Budget: All meals with appetizers and drinks included range from $37-$60USD max.

WHERE TO BEACH / ISLAND TOURS

There are several tours offered in the island.  These often take you from 4-5 islands per day where you can explore beautiful beaches, see caves, kayak and even snorkle.  This is the one we chose and we couldn’t have made a better choice (Life’s simple pleasures).  They went above and beyond to make sure Levi and I were okay in the water, leaving and getting into the boat and I will forever be grateful with them.  You can check out the different tours on their FB account and see the pricing as well.

We chose Tours A and B.  They start roughly at about 8-9am each day and you get back into the docking area at around 5pm.  Be sure to bring a waterproof bag (like this one), a waterproof case for your phone, some snacks, plenty of water and tons of sunblock! The tour does stop at a beach and provides lunch which is already included, just be sure to bring cash to buy refreshments at some of the islands.

Lido Beach & Nacpan Beach

Just 45 minutes from El Nido, you can catch a ride to Nacpan Beach.  For some reason, this was by far our favorite beach, maybe it was the long stretch of white sand, the daybeds to lounge on or my pina colada served in a coconut.  Whatever it was, it was magical.  Levi loved being in the water as there are no waves, as well as making sandcastles and playing soccer with Arleen <3.

Note: Lido is only 10-15 min from El Nido “center” and it is a perfect place to watch the sunset.  There are many restaurants/bars/ lounges on the bar facing the beach and a nice long boardwalk on the water.

Wrapping up our trip!

This has been a once in a lifetime trip that was much needed by our family.  We learned so much from one another and we grew closer than ever.  We are grateful to have met such beautiful souls, and despite their tragedies they still move forward and bring genuine smiles to the table.  Filipinos are welcoming, hardworking, warm individuals who are willing to go the extra mile to help you in any kind of way, or at least that’s the experience we were blessed with.  Thank you Korea and The Philippines for an unforgettable trip! 

If you’ve ever been and / or plan to go, please comment below for more tips, questions and concerns!