Cracking the Code to a Beautiful Life

Rotorua, New Zealand - Holiday Mecca

2019-10-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

Imagine going out on a holiday with the entire family! Yes it can be logistically challenging - everyone comes from different places, everyone has their own personalities and preferences and budget restrictions.

Certainly, the key is, how could it be possible to satisfy the needs of the most number of people? I hope these top 2 tips help:

1. The first idea that comes to mind is to look for a central destination. Rotorua fits this requirement. It's a leisurely drive from Auckland and Wellington being in the central part of the North Island.
It's a well-known adventure paradise. The tourism destinations in Rotorua are well-developed. There are tons of adventure activities for the energetic younger adults and beautiful gardens and walking trails for the older generation. Most importantly, there is a huge selection of cafes and restaurants that have competitive pricing.

2. Choose a clean, spacious, affordable and air-conditioned accommodation. I can not stress this enough. Summer in NZ can be humid! It would be uncomfortable for everyone in high humidity and tiny spaces. However, the costs for comfort need to be reasonable. This is where Cleveland Apartments in Rotorua comes in. Check out their room rates on their website and pay attention to the quality of rooms they offer. The owners of Cleveland Apartments in Rotorua pride themselves in making sure that their accommodation is clean and comfortable. They regularly in improving their facilities and appropriate renovations to ensure that guests have the loveliest stay and most relaxing sleep. And of course, the room rates are affordable giving the guests the best value for the level of service, size of room, amenities.

Studio unit
One-bedroom unit
Two-bedroom unit
The Cleveland Cottage

Asure PRINCE Taupo, New Zealand

2018-07-17T15:34:00.000-07:00

Taupo is a very popular holiday town for Kiwis. However it is an overlooked holiday destination for many international tourists. I’ve been to Taupo several times, each time I admire the majestic lake view and snowcapped mountains in the backdrop.

However, it’s only when I stayed at Asure PRINCE Taupo that I understood why locals consider this a special town.

Taupo represents the ideal life for many Kiwis. It’s carefree, casual, close to nature and relaxing. It has a vibrant cafe and restaurant district - healthy, hearty and beautifully prepared food made from fresh ingredients. Good food, great nature, that feeling of peace and gratitude is what Kiwis want to share with their loved ones. This is why they go to Taupo. This is what I understood when I stayed at Asure PRINCE - the value of relationship - sharing the good life with family and loved ones.

Asure PRINCE is a beautiful hotel located at the heart of Taupo. It’s clean, cosy and comfortable. It’s a minute walk to the Great Lake and the cafe district. Aside from its fantastic location and improved facilities, it is a professionally-run hotel with a very warm and friendly atmosphere. It’s an affordable place to stay and particularly perfect for a family of 4, 2 adults and 2 young kids.

However the main reason I will be back in Taupo is to visit the lovely owners of the hotel. They make you feel like family and that means a lovely holiday home to me.

Restaurant and Food Reviews Accommodation Tips Personal Health Investment Ebooks Travel in the Philippines Living in New Zealand

Review of The Clan Terrigal

2018-07-15T16:24:00.001-07:00

We stayed at The Clan Terrigal for 1 night on our way to a Sydney conference. We thought, the beach location (direct access) was handy so I can get over my coughing. The sea breeze in the morning worked its wonders. I would just usually tell my friends and family about a nice, quaint little place I get to visit. However, the Terrigal Clan deserves a blog post.

When I checked in, I was greeted by a really friendly lady at the desk. I wasn't expecting so much because I have read one recent review which wasn't appealing. So I told my partner, let's just stay one night, walk on the beach and just appreciate the place for what it is. When I walked in, I was pleasantly surprised:

1. Very clean - my #1 pet peeve is an unclean hotel room. It's more stressful to travel if the accommodation is not clean.
2. The King Bed - just the right firmness, at least for me. The lady at the desk said there's no view from my room but it was not an issue at all.
3. The location - The Clan Terrigal is EXACTLY at the beach. No need to cross busy roads! I walked barefoot from the hotel to the sandy soil. It's an incredible experience to watch the sunrise. Australia you're truly the lucky country.
4. The restaurant - My partner said - "This is literally the best breakfast I've had in long while". No explanation needed. :)
As our context, my partner and I cherish our breakfast mornings. It's the most important meal of our day especially when traveling. We would always try to visit unique, local places and surprise ourselves. We love being surprised with healthy and tasty options.
5. Lastly, the people at The Clan Terrigal.
When I checked out, I told the lady at the desk that I loved my stay. I slept from 9pm till 7:30am. Uninterrupted. This was important as I needed all energy for a digital conference over the weekend.

That's my top 5.
There are more little things I loved about this place but the most important is the way I felt at the end of the stay. Thank you for a memorable experience.

-----

I've been a digital marketing consultant to high end accommodation providers since 2011 in New Zealand. I have worked closely with business owners who have near zero digital presence and assisted them in taking their business online. I may have done a lot of coaching and strategy planning but these business owners taught me so much more in terms of life and business. Let me take the opportunity to give them credit.

Owning and managing a motel / accommodation business in New Zealand / Australia is incredibly challenging.
The moteliers have put a huge investment in their properties. They live in it, they work hard for it, they re-invest in it continuously. To say that they put in so much work is an understatement.
They consider their business an extension of themselves -- it's a conviction.
There's so much competition and industry disruptions that moteliers are also now required to keep up with what's going on with the tech industry:

Air BNB
Booking aggregator websites like Booking.com, Agoda, Hotels.com, Trivago etc that spend over a billion dollars in digital marketing advertising
The customer reviews and increasing expectations - Tripadvisor and Google Business Reviews are relevant to tourists. The trend is that customers research, on average 7 times, before they make a purchase.
Innovative online and social media marketing

Amidst all these and on top of operations and service requirements, moteliers and their staff greet you with a smile. You can see passion in their eyes albeit sometimes tired. You can see persistence in their hands. It's amazing to watch these business owners in action, especially in the service industry. Thank you for the inspiration.

Restaurant and Food Reviews Accommodation Tips Personal Health Investment Ebooks Travel in the Philippines Living in New Zealand

Exploring Tokyo's Izakayas

2015-05-25T02:52:00.001-07:00

No doubt Tokyo is an amazing city. Every tourist says so. There's just this unending feeling of wonder, awe, amazement and glee. Each station within Tokyo's main wards is bursting with choices! The dishes are authentic, stylish, flavourful and delicious.

Here are just some photos.

Some notes about my izakaya trips.

1. It's great for socializing with close friends and family.
2. You can request for a non-smoking section but you better have a reservation. Tokyo's izakaya's are usually packed and when people are partying, there's always cigarettes. It was hard for us just to pick any place. We wanted non-smoking restaurants all the time.
3. There're great healthy choices within izakayas. Good fresh fish and lots of vegetable-based dishes. There's that handy 300Y edamame I just can't get enough of.
4. The chicken karage is a must-try... but of course I tried to contain restrain myself.
5. You can expect to pay around 300-600Y for each little dish you want to try.
6. House tea is mostly free.
7. Beer is not cheap at 1000Y or $9-10 each.
8. Expect to pay 2000-3000Y each person.

The only question then left for me is how do I gather all my horses and find a way to live in this amazing city. I barely scratch the surface each year when I visit and I have this itching feeling there is so much more to see!

If you too are taken by Japan's amazing wonders - technology, nature and culture, I highly recommend this book and this blog on Japan Living and Property Investing.

Restaurant and Food Reviews Accommodation Tips Personal Health Investment Ebooks Travel in the Philippines Living in New Zealand

Springvale Cafe, Wanganui

2014-11-13T01:32:00.001-08:00

I only go to Springvale cafe once a year in the past. A week ago, I visited them for a quick cappuccino and creative work on some digital banners. The garden was full of flowers. It was pleasant. I knew at that time that I will be back.

I heard about the citation that this cafe is nominated as the best cafe in New Zealand. It is a good contender.

I had to try their masterpiece. Their entry to the competition: creamy black doris quinoa porridge.

Verdict!

I loved it!! $11.90 all worth it

- too much for a small person like me who is afraid of sugary sweets

I researched about quinoa and found out that it has very high protein content. I ate about 3/4 of the meal but was full for six hours! I couldn't eat. Now I understand why they said this meal can be good for lunch as well.

- presentation - absolutely creative!

Coffee at Springvale is GOOD. I like their cappuccino.

Springvale cafe is such a lovely neighborhood cafe. Every 30 minutes or so, people were coming in! Groups and families are visibly enjoying their time.

This is an inspirational story to me. I couldn't imagine a neighborhood cafe can be a great contender for a national award. This cafe is not located within the city center but in a nice suburb in Wanganui.

This cafe is one of the finalists in NZ's best cafe for the Lower North Island.

The real winner here is customer service. I met a lovely lady who just made me feel like a valued customer. An extra smile goes a long way; eye contact shows sincerity; and perhaps the porridge became sweeter because of her. I will be back soon... hopefully next time with my parents when they visit me here in Wanganui.

Fat Dog Cafe, Rotorua

2014-11-07T16:29:00.004-08:00

Rotorua's Eat Street - Selection of award-winning restaurants and cafes

Fat Dog cafe is one of favorites - big servings, beautiful menu choices and free wifi! Most importantly, it's a 10 minute walk away from MALFROY motel, our accommodation of choice in Rotorua.

Restaurant and Food Reviews Accommodation Tips Personal Health Investment Ebooks Travel in the Philippines Living in New Zealand

The Best Cafe in Wanganui is Big Orange

2014-10-29T19:48:00.004-07:00

No beating around the bush. The best cafe in Wanganui is Big Orange.
They have the right formula for taste of coffee, value for money, location, customer service and menu options. This cafe is practically a tourist destination in the Wanganui-Manawatu region and perhaps deserves more mentions online.

I consider these top 3 aspects as the main reasons why I would recommend any cafe.

1. Customer Service. Yes it matters. Cafe lovers like myself consider cafes as our little escape on a challenging work day. A cafe is where some of the best creative juices come out. It's a place where I can be most productive at work. I personally feel refreshed after seeing people who are happy and friendly. Most cafe lovers though want to feel they are welcome and they are part of the town's little coffee lover's club. I'd join that club if there was such a thing in Wanganui ;-)

The entire experience starts with customer service.

2. Menu Options and Pricing

- Perfect combination of taste, presentation, ingredients, serving size and price

- Value for money is the key here.

- $15-18 for eggs benedict and $4 for a coffee only sound ridiculous if do not get that unique flavour. Often, I pay $18 for eggs benedict... some are ultra-cheesy disappointments. However, Big Orange's Mushroom on Sourdough Toast is a breath of fresh air. It's just the right size and it's just the right price at $16.50. It has, I believe, the little details which make me appreciate it more: a bit of pesto, parmesan, loads of mushroom, my favourite bread type and I think a bit of balsamic. So there, that's something I can't really make at home.

- I might sound like a broken record but for the others who just read about my posts on Big Orange, they have the best coffee (mochaccino, cappuccino and plain long black).

3. Ambience

- Music (Jazz, Classical, Guitar, some beat)

- Location (sun, sun and more sun) People want to go out and embrace that good vibe. If you don't have an outside area or not much of sunroom in your cafe, I suggest having brighter coloured rooms / furniture and interiors. Plants and fresh flowers help, too.

- Did I forget to say Big Orange has free wifi on top of being close to a Telecom Wifi zone?

Big Orange transforms into Ceramic Lounge at night and jazz bands play gigs there occasionally. They have wider range of menu offerings now and I get the sense that the management and staff are quite keen to improve their game year after year! I like Big Orange because I like it's one of the cafes where I can see people proud of their work and make extra effort to make their food creations a bit more special... at an affordable price.

No I don't get any favors or fees to endorse this establishment. I just love coffee and I'm a foodie.
And when I get a unique and worthwhile experience, I make sure I write a positive review.

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Merry Macarons best in the Philippines

2014-07-11T00:25:00.001-07:00

No I am not trying to be precious or fancy by ordering several boxes of French Macarons. In fact I do not see the value in paying as much as $3 per piece (in NZ and AU).

Red Velvet, Cookies and Cream, Chocolate

But my attitude towards these little French delights changed when my good friend visited Paris and started making macarons in the Philippines as soon as she got home. I have known Maye since University.... She was one very close friend. She would make picture collages of our girlfriend trips up north. We studied Psychology in UP Diliman but her creative inclination made me wonder if she made the right choice. :) Kidding, Maye!

She regularly attends food fairs to showcase her creations. Her prices are affordable but the value you get is much more than value of macarons you get at the local cafes.

She must have experimented on hundreds of flavors for her business Merry Macarons.

My favourites are:
Coco calamansi
Cookies and cream
Red velvet

She does custom shapes and flavors too!

The presentation, flavors and price prompted me to give justice to her craft. Every year, on special occasions and for special people, I would order a few boxes of Merry macarons!

Recent feedback from people whom I have given these macarons are:
Soft filling, not dry like other Macs
Rich and exciting flavors! We want to taste all the flavors!
We didn't use to like macarons...
Can I have more? (after having 3 already...)

Follow Merry Macs on Facebook!

My recent merry macs order!!

Super yummy Merry Macs!

The Magic of Mochi

2014-06-15T01:54:00.000-07:00

My love affair with Japan is not yet over.

It started when I was 26 years old, when I tried looking for a way to find work and live in Japan. Since then, I often would just look at internet photos of the values I see in it:

Simple but efficient
Small but self-sustaining
Traditional yet futuristic

Japanese people are extremely creative and systematic. These two traits are too hard to combine.

A simple mochi displays how these two values are highly integrated in the Japanese culture.

This is just a simple set of instructions on how to make Mochi. Note that to make the mochi featured in my blog requires skill and a lot of creativity.

Ingredients

1 cup Mochiko (Mochi flour)

3/4 cup water (180ml)

2 cups sugar - you may reduce sugar definitely

cornstarch

Anko (sweet red bean paste) or

Add filling if you like - you can add different types of ice cream, chocolate or nutella, cream or caramel, fruity jam or fresh fruit like mangoes, banana

Remember only your creativity can stop you!

Instructions

Mix Mochiko and water in a glass (or other heat proof) bowl and mix well. Add some more water if it's too dry, 1 Tbsp at a time.

Steam the Mochiko dough (leaving the dough in the bowl) in a steamer for 20 minutes.

Transfer the steamed Mochi into a pot and cook at medium to medium low heat with 1/3 of the sugar (2/3 cup). When the sugar is completely dissolved, add another 1/3 of the sugar and mix well. Add the last part of the sugar and cook some more until the sugar is dissolved. Take the time to melt the sugar, but be careful not to burn it.

Take the hot Mochi out from the pot onto a sheet pan liberally dusted with cornstarch. Shape as you like.

There is a discipline and technique in making mochi - and making them consistently the same each time - in terms of taste and presentation. And yet, there are hundreds of mochi varieties. Each train station would have an entire 500 ft area where you can buy an assorted range of mochi!

These are my parents shopping for mochi at Osaka train station.

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Peanut Butter Sandwich with a Twist

2014-06-14T00:45:00.001-07:00

I seriously do not like repeating tasks, let alone recipes. This is a big issue in my restaurant dream! Hopefully I will learn a psychological balance one day.

But since I am still that free spirit when it comes to cooking, let me share with you my peanut butter and jam sandwich with a twist!

This is made specially for mum!

Ingredients

White bread
- multi grain is better but since I made this in the Philippines, I do not have much choice

Crunchy peanut butter

Jam, any fruit jam would do

Banana

I sprinkled crushed choconut after I spread the peanut butter and topped it with thinly sliced bananas. I think chocolate powder would work too :-)

I spread the jam on the other piece and made a sandwich of the two slices.

Then I used the regular oven toaster to heat up the sandwich. It takes three to five minutes.

Watch it closely to prevent burning.

Mum loved it! She didn't like the idea of a banana sandwich before but she finished the sandwich in ten minutes! Hehe =)

Jollibee in Lipa City

2014-06-03T23:12:00.001-07:00

There are five Jollibee branches in Lipa City: city center, hospital area, inside SM, inside Robinson's mall, and the latest is next to star tollway.

This is the Filipino counterpart for McDonalds. It is actually not that bad.

I particularly like the 1 piece burger steak with rice. It is about 350 calories. This is the only meal I would think of buying. Just like any fast food chain, Jollibee is not a healthy choice. Gravy, fried chicken and chips, sugary sundae ice cream, white bread are killers if eaten daily. It is a cheap alternative and a harmless meal twice a month.

There are no vegetable dishes at Jollibee. It's targeted towards kids and their parents. The restaurant is a place where kids can be noisy and have fun with family.

They are also famous for jolly kiddie parties.

So if you are visiting the Philippines why not try them. Spend about $10 and you can feed a family of four!

Avocado delight

2014-05-25T21:55:00.001-07:00

Avocado is one of my exaulted fruits. Here are some of my ideas in using avocado as part of your diet:

1. Avocado dessert, half a fruit, expect to gain 200 calories of monosaturated fat! Yeah well I do not care! =) My heart smiles as I write. This is good fat and the only fat which you really need.

As dessert, I simply add a tablespoon of condensed milk. Heaven!

2. Avocado on toast and vegemite

3. Avocado as my mayonaise on my chicken sandwich

4. Avocado in my salad!

5. Avocado dips

Salmon Dish: Simplicity is the Key

2014-05-24T01:00:00.001-07:00

I LOVE sashimi, grilled or baked salmon...but pan fried? Well not until I learned to make this salmon dish myself.

It took me four years to perfectly fry this succulent dish so do not be too hard on yourself if you don't get it right the first few times.

First, pick a fresh Norwegian or New Zealand salmon. Second, cut it right and pat it dry. Get a fillet cut if you are not very good with knives. Some people like me love to eat skin. Most do not. So this salmon I bought has the skin peeled off already. I bought this from South Supermarket in Lipa City. There is no other place you can buy this variety in Lipa, with this level of quality. The fillet is 225 pesos each.

Once the fillet is patted dry, cut in two. Salmon is rich and fatty so taste can be overpowering if served in too big a quantity.

Drizzle the fillet in good olive oil. Then season with salt and pepper liberally.

Heat pan, no need for extra oil in pan. Once it is hot, fry the salmon, 4 to 5 minutes on each side. That is it!

Place it on top of mashed potatoes!
This delectable dish is filling and it is healthy.

For my mashed potato recipe:
4 potatoes boiled
Two tbsp cream cheese
1 small tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley
1 calamansi or lemon juice 1tsp

I am so happy that I had a chance to make this meal for my parents! They loved it!

Smallest Banana in the World

2014-05-17T23:12:00.001-07:00

I do not particularly love bananas but there are tropical varieties which I enjoy. One of them is the senorita banana. Small as it seems, it is packed with sweetness. Cute and bite-size, it is a great healthy dessert alternative.

Bananas, like the cavendish variety, contain 90 kcal per fruit.

This photo shows the senorita is no bigger than my credit card.

Westfield Food Court Sydney Australia

2014-05-13T01:23:00.000-07:00

It's not cheap to eat in Sydney - in any restaurant. You might expect $35/person, drinks included...

So if you are a tourist and already paid a fortune for accommodation and airfare, it makes sense to look for best value food or pack some lunch.

I take pride in finding value deals so you may like some of my advise below:

1. Dunkin donuts coffee is just $1 but it will not wake you up... better find a cafe which sells long black for $3, it's good value, any cafe selling long black for more than $3 will definitely have more expensive items on its menu.

2. Restaurants are expensive. Cafes would be a good choice. The price point for a regular egg benedict meal shall be considered. A good value cafe would only charge $16 for eggs benedict, 2 eggs and some mushroom at least. Usually good value cafes can be found in suburbs. But do not be mislead, some suburbs have ultra posh prices because of their location. This is particularly true for lower north shore and eastern suburbs in Sydney.

In terms of city cafes, well it's just best to visit the Myers food court. See my photos below. This cafe offers a clean and modern ambience and a good range of food choices:

Malaysian

Chinese

Indian

Japanese

Italian

French

This Westfield Food Court Sydney Australia offers free wifi so you may work or post your selfie immediately online. This food court also has restaurants within the same floor.

If you order from Food court stalls, expect to pay $15 per person for a good meal.

I ordered this meal for less than $15 only. I am a small person and this is good enough for me. I ordered the same for my 6ft 1" darling and he liked it and it satisfied him. At the end of the day, we ate healthy and filling food. That's good enough. Anything too sweet is an indulgence for us now.

Restaurant and Food Reviews Accommodation Tips Personal Health Investment Ebooks Travel in the Philippines Living in New Zealand

Wonderful Gardens of Hamilton, New Zealand

2014-03-02T16:04:00.001-08:00

I was not expecting much from Hamilton as it's always just been a highway from Auckland to Rotorua down to Lower North Island.

However, due to lack of reasonable good value accommodation in Auckland when there are big events and celebrity concerts, we were forced to book in Hamilton.

We were pleasantly surprised when we visited the Hamilton Gardens. You will definitely marvel at the variety of impressive cultures and learn how they showcase their creativity with gardens.

The most impressive garden is the Medici court - a replica of Italian Renaissance gardens.
However, my all time favorite is the reflective Japanese garden - all with its elegant simplicity.

This is a must-see attraction.

There are a lot of other sights in this garden like amazing Maori, Chinese, Indian and American gardens. There is also a fantastic and expansive Rose Gardens with Eucalyptus trees - best to visit in Summer - Nov to Jan 2014.

These gardens are also well in bloom in Spring - October to November.

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Morisson Street Cafe Nelson

2014-02-26T02:30:00.001-08:00

I have not visited Nelson, New Zealand for more than thirty minutes in the past. This time I wanted to make sure I would at least try its best cafe - Morisson Street Cafe, 244 Hardy Street.

I was impressed with the menu on the website. I was even more satisfied when I had my eggs benedict. The serving was large and tasty. I ordered the ham eggs benedict while my partner had the mushroom version.

I am happy I tried this character, Italian-inspired café with my partner. It is close to a telecom hotspot so we were able to work.

I love the indoor and outdoor decor at Morisson café. Very relaxing. High ceilings, open windows, well-lighted, simple yet classy.

The price, well not too cheap but comparable to others I have tried in the past.

They even have suspended coffee which I think is a nice touch or adaptation of an Italian tradition.

Will visit them again when I am back in Nelson. ♥

Beautiful Gardens in Cromwell

2014-02-25T14:09:00.003-08:00

This beautiful secret garden looks very European with its tall hedges and abundant rose displays. This is a hidden garden in a highway fruit store : Mrs Jones Orchard.

The fruit store boasts a wide array of fresh local fruits - peaches, apricots, plums, cherries, blue berries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries.

It also has dried fruit varieties: Papaya, fig, apricots and more!

The pricing is competitive. However you can easily spend $30 just by buying your favorite fruits in big bags! There are tons of tourists buying from the fruit stall all year round, especially during summer.

Just over the Kawerau area, you'll also find the Dam Good Fruit cherries where you are allowed to pick your own cherries!

Truly a feast for fruit lovers!

Cromwell is a quaint town, the area near the river is quite nice and there are some charateristic stores as well. The town center has free wifi cafes.

Restaurant and Food Reviews Accommodation Tips Personal Health Investment Ebooks Travel in the Philippines Living in New Zealand

Accommodation at Kirkton Park Hotel

2014-02-24T21:32:00.000-08:00

Our view from our room, early morning

Kirkton Park Hotel is our number one choice when visiting Hunter Valley. My friend Barbara just loves to host the family reunion in this place every year.

The drive to Hunter Valley from Sydney took about 3 hours. When we arrived at Kirkton, I was impressed with the vast, manicured surroundings blending smoothly with the Aussie outback.

The view is relaxing, majestic and calming. I think Barbara chooses this hotel all the time because it caters to all age groups. Couples can have a relaxing walk along the plains. Kids can swim in the covered pool, watched by their parents.

The rooms are spacious and very comfortable. The bed is also just right. The rooms are clean and I had a good sleep.

The place has its own restaurant serving unique and tasty dishes.

I am happy to visit this place every year. It was free wifi internet which is always a plus for me.

Restaurant and Food Reviews Accommodation Tips Personal Health Investment Ebooks Travel in the Philippines Living in New Zealand

Vila Chaumieres Port Vila Accommodation

2014-02-03T23:40:00.000-08:00

Vila Chaumieres is a true gem of Port Vila Vanuatu!

It's a great place to take your loved ones for a quiet and peaceful holiday. Surrounding Vila Chaumieres in Port Vila, Vanuatu are unique, natural cascading falls, beautiful flora and fauna and the friendliest people.

Vila Chaumieres has private villas and beautiful gardens. It has its own pool and a water-front restaurant. The Vila Chaumieres restaurant is well-known in the region for its wonderful meals and sumptuous menu. The hosts make sure that their staff are well-trained to offer excellent customer service to tourists. It's a great idea to ask for the day's special or the most recommended dish. They serve the best and freshest seafood!

We recommend staying at least 3 days (2 nights) in Port Vila to thoroughly enjoy the best the Efate Island in Vanuatu has to offer.

Restaurant and Food Reviews Accommodation Tips Personal Health Investment Ebooks Travel in the Philippines Living in New Zealand

Beautiful Cafe in Greytown New Zealand

2014-02-01T22:21:00.001-08:00

Greytown is a must-see, beautiful town in New Zealand's North Island.

It's difficult to choose where to have a coffee as its mainstreet is full of wonderful little cosy cafes and restaurants. It even has a good share of boutique bed and breakfast.

In our search, we stopped by Main Street Deli Greytown. My partner choose this cafe despite is uninviting front door. Good thing I headed and we decided to have breakfast here. It is near the library so we had access to wifi to be able to check emails and do some work! Lovely!

We were surprised to see that inside this cafe is a wonderful outdoor courtyard. It's absolutel beautiful in there! We sat next to the counter, under hot sun! We ordered eggs benedict and eggs florentine and we each had a coffee. I think the total price is reasonable at flat $40. It was great coffee and the meal was filling! I definitely enjoyed my eggs benedict!

eggs florentine $16.5

eggs benedict $16.5

We highly recommend visiting this cafe!

And if you are a sweet tooth, you may like their pecan pies! Heavenly!

Restaurant and Food Reviews Accommodation Tips Personal Health Investment Ebooks Travel in the Philippines Living in New Zealand

Martinborough Hotel, Martinborough New Zealand

2014-01-27T18:49:00.003-08:00

A quick 3 hour trip the vineyards of Martinborough from Wanganui is worth it.

We had dinner at the Martinborough Hotel - good food, reasonable price and great wine and beer.

The Martinborough Hotel is actually one of the more affordable places in town. We visited other cafes / restaurants in Martinborough last year and we paid $75 for 2 people for dinner, excluding the $12/glass of wine. With Martinborough Hotel, we only paid $50 plus our drinks which were below $8 each.

The Martinborough Hotel is located at the square, town center. It's the only two-story building so it's very hard to miss. I believe there is a wifi hotspot in the location but you'd need to pay for it - eg Zenbu. I think Martinborough needs to sponsor free wifi for tourists - even just 100 mb per day is good - just like Mcdonald's does it.

Martinborough is a 60 minute drive from Wellington.

View Larger Map

Restaurant and Food Reviews Accommodation Tips Personal Health Investment Ebooks Travel in the Philippines Living in New Zealand

Paper Road Cafe Masterton New Zealand

2014-01-27T00:52:00.001-08:00

Paper Road Cafe

I truly enjoyed my experience at Paper Road cafe. I had a ham and cheese platter for only $18. Instead of wine I had long black coffee. The drive from Wanganui was long and dehydrating. We didn't intend to stop for lunch here but this was the first vineyard we saw and we were very hungry we couldn't wait for Martinborough where we intended to have a fashion shoot for a men's fashion line of stylish suits and shirts.

This cafe has fast and free wifi which is needed by travelers these days.

The manager and staff were all friendly and very accommodating.

I would recommend visiting this place because of the great value they offer!

Red Eye Cafe Wanganui

2014-01-03T13:27:00.001-08:00

Wow free wifi! Awesome service and very friendly owner! It is open on Saturdays in the quiet Guyton street in Wanganui.

This is a simple cafe with a great cup of all black at $3.5

Small cakes are available! Perfect! I can have a bite size sweet treat and not worry about packing more calories! I just love the idea of offering smaller sweets for sweet tooths like me who has a family history of diabetes. No I don't want to fall into the same track as my grandfather but I still want to eat a bit of sweets. Thanks Red Eye for offering this option at a fantastic price of $1!

The coffee is good too!

The exterior of the cafe matters to me if I have to try a new place. This is only the reason why we haven't tried Red Eye! I think a big pot full of flowers, more colorful sign outside would help.

I also think new funky paint or something more appealing like purple, yellow or something with red outside would attract people.

We've passed by this cafe many times by car but we get lost in the signage so that needs revisions one day too.

But once inside you will appreciate this cafe. Simple. Affordable.

I wonder if they are on Facebook? I wonder if they serve lunch? I heard they make eggs benedict, my other favorite! Still have to try it.

What's great is the potential for this cafe to be professional-friendly and tourist friendly. It already offers free wifi. Many people would appreciate this.

Wanganui really has a great cafe culture!

Wanganui's pride - Big Orange

2013-11-09T18:04:00.001-08:00

Today is quite a regular day except that it is a start of summer in New Zealand.
I had to have a quick treat so I head to Big Orange café.

This time I will indulge and pack extra calories with a moccachino. I have been having long blacks lately so I felt I deserved some sugar. I try to stay within 1500 cals a day.

For small $3.80 I was happy.
:) that's an extra four hours boost of mental awareness as I was finishing up a deadline for design works.

All the calories, around 125 I think were worth it.

Definitely the only coffee preparation I will highly recommend to anyone visiting Wanganui.

This coffee reminds me of the documentary - Jiro dreams of sushi. It is about spending a life time coming up with the perfect recipe. I used to think I could run and own a cafe one day. But now I decided, I will leave it to the experts. Little things make the perfect cup. Consistency of taste and preparation - I get the same coffee taste I expect every time I visit... with Orange, I've been visiting for almost five years now.

Visit Big Orange cafe - orange building, next to old fountain. The menu is affordable and delectable.