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Bali High: Homes, Sweet Homes

During our five-night Bali honeymoon, we stayed at a grand total of three places: a resort in Ubud and two villas in Seminyak. For the first three nights, we chose moderately priced accommodations. But for the last two nights, we opted for something a little more luxurious. (This was honeymoon, after all!) And it was worth every rupiah!

Bonsai Villas
Jl Raya Seminyak Gg Keraton No. 188 Kuta
www.bonsaivillas.com

We wanted the villa experience because, well, there's something about having a small room and sharing a building with a bunch of strangers that seems...unromantic. But we also didn't want to break the bank. We ruled out Kuta, because friends who had been to Bali before described it as "magulo" (chaotic), so we cyber-scouted around Seminyak for a home. At least for two nights.

We found the moderately priced Bonsai Villas, a charming place that I would recommend to anyone who doesn't want to shell out millions of rupiahs on a villa.

Little pond at the entrance

The features:

Just two villas on the property, so you don't bump into a lot of people. And because of this, the staff is so incredibly attentive. They saw us swimming one afternoon and asked if they could get us tea and biscuits. Just because.

A living area, dining area, kitchen, and separate bedroom in the villa. It's pretty much open, with no walls on two sides of the living area--there are bamboo shades to keep out the elements. The bedroom has a flat-screen TV, DVD player, and safe.

(Top) Living and dining area, and kitchen; (above) our bedroom, with its super-cold A/C

A veeery spacious bathroom with open shower, meaning, you get a view of the sky as you take a refreshing shower in the middle of a pocket garden.

A pool shared by the two villas. But since our neighbors were out, we had it all to ourselves one afternoon.

The pool right outside our villa

Other things I loved about it: The stuff in the mini bar cost as much as they did in the supermarket, so Hamil had his fill of Bintang beer. Also, Bonsai is walking distance from the main Seminyak road, where there are a lot of boutiques and places to eat. In fact, quite a number of Lonely Planet suggestions can be found nearby. Owner/manager Rudi also has his own restaurant recommendations printed out and waiting for you in the villa. Thoughtful!

It's a bit of a walk to the beach (about half an hour), but we didn't mind because we got to see a bit of the area. And it was a good way to burn off at least some of the calories from all that Nasi Goreng. If you'd rather not walk, it should be easy to flag down a cab on Seminyak road.

Cendana Resort & Spa
Monkey Forest Road, Ubud
www.cendanaresort-spa.com

On our one night in Ubud, we wanted a cheap place in a good location. We relied heavily on Trip Advisor reviews, and settled on Cendana Resort & Spa. We chose the least expensive room--a standard room which, from what I could tell, was a lot like the pricier rooms but without a TV or a mini bar. With tax and all, we paid just $61! And this comes with breakfast!

The rooms are divided among Balinese-style cottages with ornately carved front doors.

Ours had a canopy bed, the kind of bed I thought of when I imagined "honeymoon." This one was made of bamboo, and were kind of just two beds stuck together--you could feel a lump of bamboo running down the center.

The bathroom had a shower as well as a small bath tub. Hamil's favorite feature at the resort: the saltwater infinity pool! It seemingly runs straight into the rice fields that Ubud is known for.

There's also a regular pool on the property. Service was just OK--I met much friendlier and more helpful people elsewhere. But the location is great, right in the middle of Monkey Forest Road, providing easy access to a lot of sights and restaurants.

Uma Sapna
Jl Drupadi No 20xx Basangkasa, Seminyak
www.coconuthomes.com

We wanted to treat ourselves to a top-end place (defined by our trusty Lonely Planet as a place costing more than $120 a night) on our last two nights in Bali. A friend recommended this little gem, and after some research, we decided to go for it. Four words: I could live here! No, wait--make that five words: I could live here! Sigh.

The guy at the reception area was so friendly and accommodating, and after getting all the check-in requirements out of the way, he ended with, "And we will be giving you a free room upgrade!"

Having read so many glowing reviews on Trip Advisor, I was hoping, hoping, hoping to hear those magic words, the upgrade that many lucky customers were given. And we got it!:) From a one-bedroom spa villa (which means we got a small Jacuzzi-like spa pool) worth $141, we were upgraded to a one-bedroom villa with private pool priced at over $200 a night--at no extra cost!

We were shown around our villa, called Ambon...

That big lounge chair in the corner is a good place to read. That wooden chair at right is part of the breakfast nook where we would have our first meal of the day (included in the package).

Lounge chairs underneath a tree in our little garden, facing our own little pool!

Elegant interiors done up in the tropical modern style. There's a flat-screen TV, DVD player, and safe too.

A spacious bathroom with his-and-hers sinks and this huge-ass tub! Their bath foam was also super bubbly! Yay!

The minute the Uma Sapna staffer left, I did a little happy dance! Hamil and I were so thrilled to be calling this place home for three days. We even got a 15-minute complimentary welcome massage! Ahhhh. I remarked that it was a good thing that we were only staying here for three days--otherwise, we wouldn't have seen much of Bali! We were happy enough just staying in and enjoying our private villa. The bonus: It's walking distance away from Boutique Street, location of Hamil's favorite Bali restaurant (more on that in a future post). While it's a ways away from the beach, it isn't hard to get a cab. Besides, who needs a beach when you've got your own private pool?:D

In case all this gushing hasn't made it obvious, I highly recommend Uma Sapna. Will definitely stay there when we go back!

Kiss #5: Honeymoon, At Last!

Because of our crazy busy scheds, it took us more than a year after our wedding to finally get this kiss...

This breathtaking photo was taken on the cliffs of Ulu Watu in Bali, Indonesia. Hamil actually high-fived the tour guide for taking an outstanding pic. There's us, with our sashes--required wear for anyone who wants to enter that temple in the background. And there, to the right, perched atop a cliff, is the famous temple of Ulu Watu, one of a thousand temples on the small island. It's a little unnerving, walking beside a steep drop to those waves crashing against solid rock. But it's quite beautiful. I hear the sunset from here is a sight to see.

More on our trip--our honeymoon!--in the next post.

Kiss #4: Singapore Swing

We toasted our first time together in Singapore with--what else?--a couple of Singapore Slings! (Mine was virgin, of course!)

I had been there a couple of times before, once on an audition for a travel show hosting gig on the erstwhile Discovery Travel and Living channel (now TLC), and once en route to my first Indian wedding held in Bintan, Indonesia. Hamil had gone previously on business. Wish I could tell you that, together, we did all these exciting things in the 24 hours we were there. But we were just so exhausted from the lack of sleep (three words: six a.m. flight), and were happy enough to spend a good part of the trip watching a How I Met Your Mother marathon and snoozing at my sister-in-law's apartment! Ah, well. We had enough adventures in the following days to make up for it. Stay tuned!

Have a No-Fuss Christmas!

Grab a copy of our December issue to find out how! Easy pot luck recipes, dreamy holiday dresses, loads of gift ideas, and anti-stress tips to help you survive this most hectic of seasons.

Photo by Rene Mejia. Makeup by Kat Erro. Styling by Pia Rojas.

We've also got a little something for you Gleeks out there--Glee guest star Charice with her mom Raquel! (Yup, our little songstress will be back on the show!) They talk a bit about the whole Glee experience. (Did you know that other local stars auditioned for the show? Hmmm.) It was so interesting, listening to their interview, and learning about everything they had to go through before Charice found international fame.

Since I had my arm around her, my Glee sign was inverted. A friend says it's a broken "Pyramid." Har.

It was such a great experience working with this mother-and-daughter tandem. They were just so pleasant and down-to-earth! You'd think Charice would be all big-headed by now, but the entire staff was just so glad to find someone so...normal! How refreshing! It was also quite a treat to hear her randomly bursting into song. Wow.

This uber thick issue's only P100 so grab a copy now!

Tishie's Travels: The First Ever Good Housekeeping Get-Together!

"Your lipstick stains/On the front lobe of my left-side brains/I knew I wouldn't forget you/And so I went and let you/Blow my mind..."

Good Housekeeping Philippines associate pub Melody and I had a major case of LSS (last-song syndrome) when we heard Train's "Hey, Soul Sister" outside the window of our hotel room in New York City. It was probably blaring from a passing truck, and played for no longer than a few seconds, but we found ourselves humming and singing the tune all day. The next day, seated in a theater at the Hearst Tower, we chuckled as that very song accompanied the opening video for the first ever Good Housekeeping Get-Together.

This conference brought together all the editors and most publishers of GH from around the world. I got to meet such amazing women from such places as Mexico (whose editor was only a week and a half into the job!), the UK (I now have a place to stay in case I decide to go to London for the royal wedding next year!), and Kazakstan (yes, there's a GH Kazakstan!).

"Just in time/I'm so glad you have a one-track mind like me/You gave my life direction/A game show love connection/We can't deny..."

I can't tell you what it was like to spend three days with over forty people who had the same goal I had--to deliver the best magazine possible for today's "housekeeper." It was so inspiring to listen to such brilliant people from all the different editions, talking about the magazine we all know and love.

I was asked to give a presentation as well, and it was a tad bit intimidating, after hearing and seeing the others' brilliant presentations, but Melody says I did good. So phew!

That's me at the podium. Others onstage: Indonesia's Budiana, Ukraine's Viktoria, and Hearst International's Astrid.

Other activities lined up: cocktails, where we got to meet and greet everyone, a tour of the super cool GH Institute, and a sit-down dinner wherein we got to further bond with our international counterparts.

At Norwood with Mexico's brand new editor Raquel, China's Wendy, Mexico's publisher Mariana, and our own associate publisher Melody. My sequined top from Express, blazer and bangles from Forever21, jeans from RDS, clutch by Aranaz.

All in all, it was a frenzied three-day affair that left me with a renewed vigor to give our readers an even better Good Housekeeping Philippines. And the best part? I got to connect with women who can totally relate to the joys and challenges of nurturing this tried, tested, and trustworthy brand--my fellow editors, my soul sisters!

All smiles after an awesome conference: India's Manjira, Indonesia's Budiana and Titin, UK's Liz, Hearst's Kim, Mexico's Mariana and Raquel, me, and Melody

"Hey, soul sister/Ain't that mister mister/On the radio, stereo/The way you move ain't fair you know/Hey, soul sister/I don't want to miss a single thing you do/Tonight."

I hear that we'll be having this conference every year from now on. Here's hoping I don't miss a single one while I'm with GH!

Tishie's Travels: Hakuna Matata

I waited years and years and years to catch this on Broadway...

As cameras were prohibited in the theater, and I'm a very obedient theater goer, I got this photo from here.*

And that doesn't even show the elephants! Aaaah!

I remember as a college freshman, I had the late, great Doreen Fernandez as a teacher. She had just come back from NY where she saw the Broadway production, and this master of words was speechless! She had no words to describe the spectacle that is The Lion King. While it didn't make me cry the way Wicked did, the set design made my jaw drop. I wouldn't call it elaborate--more of...ingenious. You have to see it to know what I mean!

My favorite character was Rafiki! Although my brother and I did have our photo taken with Mufasa afterwards--for a price. Hey, it was for charity. *stage whisper* And my brother paid for it. (Thanks, JC!)

(Top) With Mufasa! Bro just took a photo of the Polaroid shot using his iPhone, hence the blurriness. (Above) Me, horsing--er, gazelle-ing?--around at the lobby. Dress from Memo, turtleneck from Mango, tights from Lucky Doll, boots from Topshop.

I also kind of wanted to see Promises, Promises (heard it's hilarious), just so I could see and hear my darling Kristin Chenoweth. Next time!

*No copyright infringement intended.