Kimpura Japanese Restaurant Revisited
Its been awhile since we visited Kimpura. This is a Japanese Restaurant in Greenhills that we used to visit when I was little during special occasions. Its a bit expensive but the experience is a must-try. You develop a certain appreciation of having the food prepared in front of you by a professional teppanyaki chef. Most people visit Kimpura precisely for this reason.
Last time I have been here was a few years ago already and I am glad to see they have still kept their charm. The chefs were polite, skilled, and friendly. The ambiance is old traditional Japanese with private rooms in tatami flooring. We went to their Greenhills, San Juan branch but they also have branches in Trinoma and Makati.
Futomaki
As you can see, as a recent enthusiast of photography. This meal provided me lots of opportunity to take some decent food photos. All images here are taken by yours truly.
The food here is great, go for the teppanyaki table whenever possible as there is no extra charge anyway. Of course it goes without saying that you should order most of your food from the teppanyaki menu. I’d recommend the fried rice, teppanyaki chicken, beef, squid and your choice of fish (salmon and tuna are good choices). Be sure to tell them you do not want any MSG. As always, thanks for reading. Be sure to subscribe or drop a comment. I’d love to hear from you.
Kimpura Japanese Restaurant
Greenhills Shopping Center, Ortigas Ave.
San Juan, Metro Manila
Philippines
Phone: (02) 721-8816
Web: www.kimpura.com.ph
Opens Daily at 10:30 am – 3:00 pm, 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Food Review: Burritos & Tacos Mexican Kitchen
Sorry that life got a bit busy and I missed posting for almost a month. Here’s an overdue post on BT Mexican Kitchen or Burritos and Tacos Mexican Kitchen as the full name would have it. I apologize for the photos also in advance as I was using my iPhone 3GS with its not so good camera.
Anyhow, the place was packed as there was a party going on and someone reserved almost all the tables. The owners of this place were previously associated with Ristra’s (another Mexican restaurant in San Juan). BT Mexican Kitchen is located in Sekai Bldg., Ortigas Avenue (same building as Masuki). This is besides North Greenhills.
There was only 2 of us for a snack so we just ordered what was recommended by the owner. There were so many things on the menu but alas, we settled for an order of Taquitos(Php 300) and Chicken Wings(Php 335).
Of course their main dish is still the burrito and they have options of california, japanese or korean if you are feeling adventurous. They also serve Pizza and Burger as seen on the menu to the right.
They have the same way of ordering as you did in Ristras:
- Choose your kind of meal of burritos, tacos, quesadilla, chimichanga, etc.
- Choose your meat. (This is where price varies)
- Choose your sauces and sides.
The other food item we ordered is the Mango Glazed Habanero Wings. Its a basket of chicken wings glazed in mango sauce. An order is 8 small pieces so they are enough for 2 people. Its not very cheap though at Php 335 but the quality is indeed good. It did get me to thinking if this is more value for money or does the chicken wings at Charlie’s Grind and Grill is still the winner. We had them prepare half of the order spicy and the other half non-spicy. I kinda liked the non-spicy better as the mango glaze shines best there without the spiciness overpowering it.
Thanks for reading as always and keep checking my blog for more things I want to share.
Burritos & Tacos Mexican Kitchen
G/F Sekai Building
368 Ortigas Avenue, San Juan, Philippines
Phone: (02) 9751850 / 0917-812-6218
Email: bandtmexicankitchen@gmail.com
Food Review: Krazy Garlic
We tried out a new place last week called “Krazy Garlic”. I guess from the name you can infer what is the theme of the restaurant. Its operated by Bistro Group which is the same group that owns Friday’s, Italianni’s, Flapjacks, and Fish & Co. The menu was nothing extraordinary but given its a new place, we gave it a try.
The decor of the place is fine and they have these cute garlic plush toys that’s matching with their logo. The staff was very attentive as you would expect from Bistro Group’s training. The food however is another matter.
Krazy Garlik Salad (Php 275)
We started off with the Amazing Krazy Garlik Salad (Solo portion – Php 275). Its a salad mix of cucumber, lettuce, peppers, onion, and chicken strips with sesame lime dressing with fried wantons, and peanut sauce. Its ok but nothing special.
Korean Style Garlic Sesame Beef (Php 275)
For the main dish, we tried first the Korean Style Garlic Sesame Beef. In reality, I don’t see this being any different from your standard Korean Bulgogi. As you can see from the picture, the garlic theme was just in the inclusion of a full clove of garlic on the side. For Php 275, the portion is also not alot.
The other main course we tried was their 40-Kloves Garlik Chicken. Its supposed to be chicken marinated in garlic cream sauce and simmered in 40 cloves of garlic. In fairness, this dish actually seems more unique and flavorful. Its a tasteful dish but again, the portion is very small. For Php 375, you would hope they can afford to give more than half of a very small chicken (about half of Max’s spring chicken). Their cup of plain rice is also very overpriced. Each cup of rice sells for Php 80 and is really just a single cup placed in a slightly larger bowl.
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40-Klove Garlik Chicken (Php 375)
All things considered, I would not go back to this restaurant nor would I recommend it unless you want to just try it once like I did. The food is nothing extraordinary despite the garlic theme but the price is more than it should be and gives little value for your money.
Note that all prices quoted are still subject to 10% service charge. A very expensive meal indeed for such simple fare and so few portions. I think its probably because Bistro Group is used to high margins and where their other restaurants that offer more portions cost in the average of Php 400, their menu in Krazy Garlik is quite cheap by their standards.
Thanks for reading and feel free to comment and let me know if you had a more positive experience here. This is all subjective to the person eating there anyway.
Serenitea goes hi-tech! New Order Buzzers!
This post is overdue, I wanted to post this maybe 3 weeks ago but was so busy with work that I was not able to. So yea, went to Serenitea about 3 weeks back and got intrigued in their newest system for claiming your orders.
The system is linked to the cash register when you make your order. You get issued a disc that has a digital number. You bring this around with you and its wireless trigger will alert when its your order is ready for claiming. It will light up and buzz around. Pretty cool. Now if only they add WiFi to their stores…
Food Review: PINO resto•bar
I’m putting out a feature this time on our recent vist to PINO resto•bar in Malingap Street, Teacher’s Village, Diliman, Quezon City. PINO is actually 3 establishments within the same building. You have a resto-bar in the first floor, a vegetarian themed restaurant and a culinary school above. In the resto bar, you can order the vegetarian menu as well if you so wish.
The place is quite small and it was packed when we went for a Sunday family lunch. It has a cozy ambiance to it as furniture are simple dark colored wood. The walls are adorned with artwork and I get the impression they feature exhibits from various artists regularly.
I went with no expectations of good or bad and was just in the mood to see what they had to offer. I was pleasantly surprised as most of the dishes were good and fairly priced as well for their quality and posh. We started off with an appetizer platter of pork and shrimp lemongrass skewers, nori cheese sticks, pino fries, crispy calamares, and chicken lollipop. Nothing special here and the quantity is enough as appetizer for a party of 4-5.
Appetizer Platter (Php 425)
Longanissa-topped Nachos (Php 195)
The longanissa-topped nachos are not so bad either. Its corn tortilla chips with diced longanissa, mango salsa, cheese sauce & aoili. The longanissa is actually ok but did not make the dish pop. The nachos are crispy and the adequate amount of cheese and salsa makes the dish.
Kare-Kareng Bagnet (Php 245)
The kare-kareng bagnet is their self-proclaimed house specialty. The pricing here at Php 245 is for a single order. They have a for-sharing portion at a higher price. The single order comes with bagoong rice and its a delicious dish overall. The bagnet is crispy but not too oily and the kare-kare sauce gives it a sweet peanuty taste.
Red Wine Adobo Tadyang (Php 215)
We also tried out the Red Wine Adobo Tadyang and this is again a good dish albeit oily. The sauce is really good if paired with steaming white rice and its stewed well enough that the meat is tender. Again, the price of Php 215 is for a single order and for-sharing portions are also available. The dishes are prepared as you order so it may take 15-20 minutes before they are served.
Turon ala Mode
For desserts, my mom wanted to try the Turon with ice cream. Its basically banana and mango wrapped in a crispy lumpia skin paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream glazed with chocolate and strawberry sauce. Nothing out of ordinary from what you can expect but the contrast of a hot (and literally smoking) turon paired with ice cream makes for a proper meal-ender.
Before leaving, I took a look at their back as this is a bar at night. Turns out they have extra parking spaces at the back and there is a cool al fresco alternative. I am sure this photo would do the place more justice if taken at night with the dimmer lighting on.
PINO resto•bar
Address: 39 Malingap, Teachers Vill, Quezon City
Phone: 441-1773
www.pinorestobar.com
Accepts Credit Cards.
Open:
Mon-Fri: 11am to 10pm
Sat-Sun: 7am to 10pm
Food Review: Meidolls Cafe
Thanks to the treat of a friend, I was able to experience what a maid cafe feels like. There is a little cafe in Rizal, Philippines that is quite unique. Its a cafe where all the waitresses are dressed like cute maids and they insistently call you “master”. They even “power-up” your food. (Find out if you visit).
The concept is from Japan and its a big hit for anime and cosplay fans. Its not something you will frequently look for but is nice to have an experience. The “maids” are all young, sweet looking girls dressed in French maid outfit that answers to your needs in the cutest way they can. The place just opened in Jan 2011 and its not a high budget place. The price is cheap but the food is nothing fancy and the ambiance of the cafe is a little run down. Then again, you are probably here just to try what a cosplay cafe/maid cafe is anyway so that’s alright.
As you can see from the menu(click image to enlarge), its your usual average Japanese items. Its funny though they offer paid games. You can pay Php 25 to play Rock-Paper-Scissors with your maid and if you win, you get a free dance. If you lose, you will have to drink something unpleasant(so they say, not sure if they will force you). An easier way is just to order the Banana Mango smoothie as its the secret drink that gives you a free dance. Hmm.. I guess its no longer a secret..
Just for amusement, here is a quick video of their sample dance. By the way, one of the maids(Rei) is the owner. Lastly, before anyone has any ideas, no they do not give out their numbers as apparently enough people tried hitting on them enough that they have a signage to say they do not give out their numbers.
So there you go, if you are ever in the area and in the mood to explore, might be worth checking them out. Its like a cosplay convention restaurant.
Meidolls Cafe
2nd floor of Saunterfield, Km.20 Ortigas Avenue Extension
Cainta, Rizal
Food Review: Jang Ga Nae Korean Restaurant
We recently tried a little Korean Restaurant hidden away in Ortigas. The name of the place is Jang Ga Nae and its formerly known as Minato. Its located behind UA&P and is on the same street as Astoria Plaza. Its not a new restaurant but it has a solid following of mostly local Koreans. You notice this right away as you walk in as 50% of the customers are Korean. When that many Koreans go to a Korean restaurant, you know it must be authentic.
The place has good seating capacity and the staff are very attentive. Everyone greets you when you walk in and they keep on bowing whenever they need your attention to serve you. All very polite and very good service.
The offer free appetizers and they are good. I especially liked the Kimchi Pancake. It was a fried pancake made of cabbage and bean sprouts and its really good. They serve this free so you can ask if your server didn’t give you. On to the main course, we ordered a few variety of dishes but we did not get to order any barbecues this time as there isn’t that many of us eating. I’ll be posting the English names of the dishes as I cannot remember how its called in Korean.
Korean Seafood Pancake
The seafood pancake is very similar to Japan’s Okonomiyaki Dish. Its about 1/4 inch thick and filled with shrimp, squid, and a variety of seafood and vegetables. Its crunchy on the outer layer and soft on the inside. I believe the price is Php 250-ish (sorry I should write these down next time) and is good for about 4 people.
Korean Beef Stew
Their beef stew is also good. The texture is soft and stewed just about right. Its easy to eat and very flavorful. Its a bit sweet but not too much and its sprinkled with sesame seeds. The dish is about Php 350-ish and should be enough for about 3 people. The sauce is creamy and good when paired with Korean steamed rice.
Shabu-Shabu (Php 750)
My mom wanted some soup so we ordered a Shabu-Shabu. This dish featured several different kinds of mushroom and vegetables along with some sliced beef. You can have your choice of how spicy you want to soup to be. You can cook it yourself or your ever-so-attentive server can do it for you as well. It also comes with 2 kinds of Korean noodles one of them being glass noodle like the ones used in Japchae and the other one is flat egg noodles done Korean style. Both are included and all in all, this is a large dish for sharing for the group at Php 750.
Japchae
Lastly, we had to try the Japchae as its really a traditional Korean dish. Again, it did not dissappoint. We were actually expecting some dishes to be bad as its seldom a place have everything right. We were happy to find that we were wrong. Nothing too special about this dish compared to the others but it was done well. Flavors were just right.
After the meal, we were served free slices of pineapple. The Korean lady owner even came by our table to make sure everything was alright. That is the mark of a good restaurant when the owners themselves check up on customer satisfaction. Overall, this is a place I would recommend if you are in the Ortigas area and have a Korean food craving.
Jang Ga Nae Korean Restaurant
8137 Plaza Escriba
Escriva Drive, San Antonio, Pasig
Tel: +632 633-6960
Cell: +63917 8586369
Food Review: Wee Nam Kee
Wee Nam Kee is a place in Paseo de Roxas, Ayala Triangle Makati (click for map). They opened not so recently but also not so long ago. Best place to park is below the Makati Stock Exchange Building by going through Ayala Avenue and taking a right at Paseo. There is an underground path that leads to a covered basement parking with more spaces. Their specialty is their Haianese Chicken and Roast Chicken. I must say both dishes are good. They are a franchise from Singapore and compared to what they have over there, ours is already considered a posh place.
This is their store in Singapore:
@Singapore (photo c/o sistafood.blogspot.com)
This is their store in the Philippines:
@Philippines (photo c/o ilivelovelife.blogspot.com)
It can sometimes be difficult to get a seat when you come late in the evening past 7:30pm but since the place has been around for a few months already, its not as jam packed as it used to be. Usually a 15-20 min max waiting time from my experience.
I love the cereal prawns the most from this place but here is a photo of their famous chicken dishes. They are done very well with the meat tender and juicy oozing with flavor. I believe this dish is said to be priced at Php 888 for the large which is for around 6 people where smaller orders start at Php 168 for solo and Php 248 for small. You can only have combos with the small size order and above.
Haianese Chicken and Roast Chicken Plate Combo (photo c/o foodtrippings.com)
This is their Cereal Prawn which I loved and the reason I craved to go back to this place a 2nd time even if it is out of my usual way. I like the texture and taste but I swear to minimize eating this as it filled with calories and cholesterol I’m sure. I like the breadcrumbs (/cereal?) as much as the prawn itself. Its not a cheap dish though with priced at Php 375 for a single order of 4pcs.
Cereal Prawn of Wee Nam Kee (photo c/o me)
Their barley drink is also nice they say but I haven’t tried it. Having had barley in Hong Kong and Singapore, its just not really my drink. Though something to try if you have not experienced it yet. Barley is a rice drink that is typically flavored with lemon.
I’m sorry I didn’t take much photos of this place as I didn’t plan to blog about it but later figured what the heck. I enjoyed their cereal prawn enough to tell you about it. So thanks to the other bloggers for their photos and credit is given where credit is due.
So seeing this is just to share my personal experience of the place, its not meant to do an in-depth analysis of the place as dedicated food bloggers do. If you still want to know more, here are some good blogs posts already done by others:
Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice
Restaurants at the Ayala Triangle Gardens
Makati Avenue, Makati City, Philippines
Telephone: +632 846-8924
Operating Hours: Everyday 11am to 10pm
Reservations are accepted on Weekends & Public Holidays only
Chatime, the newest milktea place in Greenhills
I just found saw this new milktea place that opened up in Wilson St., Greenhills, San Juan. Its just one block away from Jose Abad Santos St. and is one block away from the famous Diao Eng Chay(DEC). The name is meant to be pronouced “cha-time” I believe as “cha” means tea in Chinese. Chatime is the #1 Milktea brand is Taiwan that started in 2008. Chatime in the Philippines has been brought over to us by Mike Koa, the brother of Johnlu Koa of The French Baker.
I’ve already heard about them before and when I saw the new store near me, I just had to try it. I ordered the Pearl Milk Tea with 30% sugar. I must say the drink is good. Its creamy and smooth in texture and very easy to drink. The pearls are soft and chewy in just the right size. I found my drink a bit bland but I think that’s my fault. I do not like very sweet drinks so I just made it 30% but I think I need to increase that a little more. The price is also fair at Php 90 for the large (16% cheaper than Serenitea’s Php 105 for large drinks).
The ambiance of the store is ok but not too posh. I hear that the Pioneer branch which is their flagship store is nicer. I forgot to ask if their stores has free wifi and I hope they do. That has been my gripe with Serenitea for awhile now that if only they had WiFi would I be inspired to maybe hang-out more.
Anyhow, Chatime lets you choose your sweetness, toppings, and even the ice. You can go for less ice or more ice. They also have a buy-1, take-1 promo ongoing but not sure if you have to mention it because I went there within the promo hours of 12pm-2pm but didn’t get any since I only found out about the promo after I left and looked them up on the web. Chatime Philippines do not have their own website yet but you can find out more about it through their Taiwan site at www.ichatime.com
Just take a look at that cup of goodness above. Since this venture is backed up by the talents of the people behind French Baker, I am sure this milktea brand will have things going for it. Go have a try and see how it suits you.
Chatime Wilson Street Branch
207b Wilson St., San Juan
655-5797
Dalmatia and Adriatic Riviera Tour, Part 4 of 4
This is the last part of my documentary of my 2011 trip to Europe. We will visit 1 more city in Croatia and finally end with 2 days in Venice.
Part 1: Munich, Salzburg, Bled
Part 2: Lipica, Postojna, Ljubljana, and Plitvice National Park
Part 3: Dubrovnik, Split, and Zagreb
Day 10: Rijeka
Rijeka is our last stop in Croatia. Rijeka has a very fresh open market and there has been concerns that this will go away once Croatia becomes part of the European Union (EU). I believe there are some regulations and standards that need to be followed and one of which is that markets should be in closed spaces. Its a very small city but people in Rijeka are very friendly. It was a rainy day in Rijeka when we were there and people were looking at us because we are the group of wierd Asians with colorful umbrellas that stood out in the plaza.
Day 11 & 12: Venice
Venice is really one of the most beautiful city in Italy. While it is supposedly filled with romance, I really do not get that vibe as its literally crowded with too many tourists.
The photo on the right shows the Basilica San Marco which is the city’s only cathedral and is one of the most famous tourist place in Venice. Its a good place to visit but everything in Venice is expensive. The cheapest meal you can get with sidewalk pizza is roughly 10 euros (Php 630) and an average meal inside a restaurant is 40 euros (Php 2,400). When choosing restaurants, you can ask if there is a ‘cover charge’. Some restaurants charge that because there is a view.
Shopping in Venice can be fun if you are into signature brands. I am not a brand person myself but Louis Vitton, Channel, Gucci and all the Italian brands are well represented here. They are slightly more expensive than in Paris but they are about 30% cheaper in Venice than what you can find in Manila.
Gondola rides are also popular. Its 80 euros (Php 5,040) in the daytime and (Php 7,560) in the evening. Its charged per gondola and you can share with 6 people max.
It would also be a remiss if you missed taking a trip down the Grand Canal to see the Rialto bridge and most of Venice. This is especially true if you have limited time in Venice. A trip back and forth the grand canal would take about 1 to 1.5 hours and its will show you the good architectures of houses along the canal as well as see the busy water traffic.
Overall I enjoyed this 12-day Dalmatia and Adriatic Riviera Tour by Enchanted Tours and Travel. We went to alot of places, saw beautiful cities, experienced their culture, tasted their local flavors, and generally had a good vacation. This is a trip I would recommend for anyone looking for road less traveled.
To enjoy more photos from my trip, please check out my flickr album.
This completes my documentary about this tour. I hope you enjoyed reading. Thanks!
Chocolatier Cafe Review
Last night, we went out for a chocolate dessert experience. We went to a place in Jupiter Street, Makati City called Maitre Chocolatier Boutique Cafe. It was opened by the distributor of Lindt, Ferrero Rocher, Mercy, and Ritter Sport. The owner Chef AJ Javier created a menu is full of gastronomic wonders made of chocolate. While the main courses seem interesting enough, we went there already after dinner so we just had desserts.
I ordered the ‘Classic Hot Chocolate’. Its a bowl of chocolate made from Lindt and it was so thick that you had to drink it with a soup spoon. They offer variants of dark chocolate and spicy but I personally prefer the classic.
Classic Hot Cholocate (Php 150)
Besides being a cafe, Chocolatier also offers all kinds of chocolates you can ever find and they are probably one of the most complete in variety of the good stuff. They also offer bouquets made of Ferrero instead of flowers and all sorts of gift baskets. I find them to be a bit pricey though but again they are unique.
Overall, its a unique experience that you should probably try at least once. The chocolate drink also is a good value for money at its current price of Php 150. Its a great place to meet up with friends and family but its not something you will be coming back too often because most other menu items are expensive and too much chocolate is not a good thing.
Maitre Chocolatier Boutique Cafe
Unit 2A No. 28 Jupiter St. corner Astra St. Bel-Air
Makati
(+632) 8978559 (+632) 8962529
Dalmatia and Adriatic Riviera Tour, Part 3 of 4
This is Part 3 of my documentary about my recent trip to Europe. All cities below are in Croatia. Here are the other parts:
Part 1: Munich, Salzburg, Bled
Part 2: Lipica, Postojna, Ljubljana, and Plitvice National Park
Day 7: Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city that has been listed as part of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. In the middle ages, it is the only eastern Adriatic city to rival Venice in wealth and development. During the war in 1991 when Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia, Dubrovnik was attacked by heavy artillery and sustained massive damage to its buildings. The city endured 7 months and 650 rounds of artillery.
The main tourist attraction in Dubrovnik is the city walls that span about 2km around the city. As seen on the photo, the view of the city from the walls is quite nice.
Day 8: Split
Split is the largest Dalmatian city and is located on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the oldest cities and is famous for its landmark, the Diocletian Palace (photo on right). Roman Emperor Diocletian had this palace built near his hometown. There are 4 gates into the palace and one of which is along the coast and is only accessible by boat.
Modern-day Split is a harbor and tourist destination of many cruise ships and tourists. Our local guide has shared that one of the pastime of locals is to enjoy coffee by the boardwalk and identify tourist nationalities. Their attitude and culture is very laid back and relaxed.
Day 9: Zagreb
It was Easter Sunday when we were in Zagreb. We had nice weather and everyone was mostly outside. Stores were closed for Easter as they observe the holiday. Only the tourist souvenir shops were open.
Zagreb is a beautiful place, it has a lot of beautiful parks and gardens. It is the capital of Croatia and it is where central government is located. Some of the more popular tourist attractions include the Mimara Museum and St. Mark’s Church. There are more tourist attractions and you maybe need 4-5 hours to have a leisure stroll in the parks and to take in the sights.
If you have free time, having an afternoon coffee or tea by the plaza is also an experience. Somehow, having coffee in Europe’s many cafe’s is different from the commercial Starbucks and other coffee chains here in Manila. Its a lot better ambiance and the environment itself is more welcoming.
To enjoy more photos from my trip, please check out my flickr album.
This completes my entry about the tour for this week, be sure to check back next week for Part 4.
Does Everything Have To Be in 3D?
It feels like since Avatar has made a huge success with 3D, every movie that comes out nowadays seem to think that just having 3D adds value to it. While there are merits to movies that are made for 3D, there are just as often 2D movies that were just ported for a 3D version. This is very much different from planning the movie from the ground up for a 3D experience.
I am kinda disappointed that marketing always needs to hype the 3D instead of just focusing on making a good movie with good storytelling and great acting. To add to the irritation, theaters not only charge double for 3D, they also take up theater allocations that could otherwise make for additional showings. Now your choice is either to watch in 3D, or scramble with other patrons for those few seats in the non-3D theater options.
Am I really just the one feeling that there should be less movies done in 3D?
Dalmatia and Adriatic Riviera Tour, Part 2 of 4
This is Part 2 of my documentary about my recent trip to Europe. Here are the other parts:
Part 1: Munich, Salzburg, Bled
Part 3: Dubrovnik, Split, Zagreb
Day 4: Lipica and Postojna Caves
Lipica is a village in Slovenia that is famous for its white horses. It has a stud farm that is the origin of the Lipizzaner breed of horses. The horses bred here considered one of the best in the world for horse riding and for shows. They are friendly and easy to train. They are however not fit for racing. It is a unique trait that all pure breed horses here will turn white by the age of 2 regardless of the original color they are born into.
The Postojna Caves can be done in the same day as with the Lipica Stud Farm. The Postojna Caves is the longest cave system in Slovenia. The cave features many unique and beautiful rock formations. The tour of the caves start with a 15 minute train ride that takes you deep inside the caves. From there, there are guided groups sorted by language preferences. It takes about 30 minute walk for the tour and exit via the train again.
The cave itself has a constant temperature of about 10-degrees Celsius so be sure to bring a jacket. This is one of the most famous tourist places in Slovenia and rightly so.
Day 5: Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. Main attractions here are the town square and the Triple Bridge. It features a unique architecture of 3 adjacent pedestrian bridges creating a pathway. It also has a Dragon Bridge that was built in 1900-1901 by a Dalmatian architect who studied in Vienna. It is considered as one of the finest works in Vienna Succession style.
This was also a place where alot of fighting took place in the 10-day war that happened when Slovenia liberated itself from Yugoslavia to become an independent country back in 1991.
Day 6: Plitvice Lakes National Park
This is our first place of visit in Croatia. Plitvice Lakes is a very very far place to get to. I believe it took us roughly 6 hours drive to get there. We spent a night first in the resort/hotel and day had a half-day tour on the next day. It contains a series of lakes and waterfalls and is protected by UNESCO as a world heritage. The place is rich in fauna and nature and is a great place for photographers and nature lovers.
It has been properly maintained and the walkways are very friendly for tourists. Prepare for a lot of walking but they are quite easy steps to make. There are also certain areas that can be accessed via ferry boats as well. Its far but it’s probably worth the trip if you are in Croatia.
To enjoy more photos from my trip, please check out my flickr album.
Check out Part 3 where I present more beautiful cities in Croatia.
Dalmatia and Adriatic Riviera Tour, Part 1 of 4
Lake Bled, Slovenia
I recently came back from a 12-day tour in Europe. We went to Germany-Austria-Slovenia-Croatia-Italy. These places collectively are considered part of Dalmatia and Adriatic Riviera hence the tour name. Most of the trip were in cities of Slovenia and Croatia. These are beautiful places rich with culture, art, and natural beauty. It would be very good to travel with family here but even if you are alone or with friends, the places are very much enjoyable.
I was fortunate enough to be able to travel here c/o my aunt who generously offered me the job of being the tour leader for the trip. My trip was sponsored by her company and many thanks goes out to Enchanted Tours and Travel. There were 23 group members I had to take care of and make sure they have a memorable and enjoyable vacation. They were all very nice people and did not make things much difficult for me. I look forward to the next trip with these new friends again.
Day 1: Munich, Germany
We went to the compound of BMW Headquarters in Munich and went inside the adjacent BMW Museum. It was beautiful work of engineering. The building is very spacious and boasts of impressive renewable energy capabilities.
What is equally interesting is that wealthy individuals can make custom orders to BMW for vehicles with specifics on say interiors seat colors, wheel sizes, tint, etc. When they buy from the headquarters like this, they are flown in to Munich to view their vehicle as it is raised into the platform to approve of it and drive it out. They are then treated to a few days of road trip vacation c/o BMW. When they are done with their 4-5 day road trip vacation, they are flown back to their home country and their vehicle is exported to them by BMW as a 2nd hand vehicle since its been used already. This way, the duties and taxes are much lower than a brand new vehicle.
Day 2: Salzburg, Austria
Here, we went to Getreigedasse, a very famous street where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born. We visited his house and got to visit the culture of the town where he grew up. It was very rich in art and culture and up to this day, street artists like the one in the photo just nonchalantly draws right in the middle of the street. It was pure art. He doesn’t mind that his work will be stepped on and will be faded away in a few hours. You get to feel their lifestyle.
We also got to see Mirabell Palace. This is a shooting venue for the famous movie ‘Sound of Music’ by Julie Andrews.
Day 3: Lake Bled, Slovenia
Slovenia is not a very popular tourist destination for people in the Philippines. We hear Slovenia, Croatia and most people would not even be sure where those countries are. Slovenia is not often traveled but it is beautiful. The first city we saw in Slovenia was Bled. The have this main attraction which is Lake Bled(featured article photo). Its a nice island with a church at the center of it. You need to take a pletna (boat in bled) to get to the island.
There is an urban legend that when you pull the rope for the church bells once but it rings 3 times, your wish will come true. What is interesting to note that Bled’s economy is tourism. So during Nov-December where it is very cold and there is no tourists, its actually cheaper for locals in Bled to buy plane tickets and pay hotel in Thailand rather than stay in Bled and pay for more expensive heating. So they work for 3 quarters of the year and spend 1 quarter vacationing. Its not the most productive but it makes more economical sense for most.
That wraps up Part 1. Thank you for reading. To enjoy more photos from my trip, please check out my flickr album.
Continue to Part 2.
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