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  • Hotels In Manila, Philippines

    The Manila Cathedral.

    The Manila Cathedral.
    The Manila Cathedral.

    How do you or which other way can you photograph a nearly 500-year old landmark that was already drawn, painted and photographed a million times? I walked around the building for inspirations.

    See here for over 1000 hotels in Manila.

    Saw a big puddle of rainwater and waited for church goers to come by. I captured their reflections and that of the church in the water.

    Included part of their feet to screw with the viewer’s mind. I then inverted (vertically flipped ) the picture. In theory, you can also hold the camera upside down.

    Built in 1571, Cathedral Basílica Metropolitana de Manila suffered through earthquakes and bombings. The current version was re-built in 1958.

    See over 1000 hotels in Manila.

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  • Hotel 81 Tristar Geylang Singapore

    Mirror, Mirror On The Wall.

    Hotel 81 Tristar Geylang Singapore
    Hotel 81 Tristar Geylang Singapore

    To have quick access to the Singapore Ramadan Bazaar, I stayed at a hotel on the doorsteps of the street bazaar known as Geylang Serai. I tried to recall the name of the hotel but there are like a dozen 81 chain hotels in the Geylang area!

    The one I stayed was Hotel 81 Tristar and only thing I didn’t like was that the room had no windows except for a big wall mirror. Kind of like a love hotel except it can spook you at night when you are staying alone and you noticed something moving that was your own reflection. Credit to the receptionist for telling me in advance. Some hotels don’t tell you and it may be a good idea to ask when checking in.

    For a budget hotel (in the Singapore context – over RM 200), it has an outdoor pool on one of the floors and a minibar in each room. There is a convenient 7 Eleven downstairs to fill up the minibar (mini fridge). To recall the hotel’s name, I was lucky to have taken some pictures at a mamak or Malay restaurant downstairs. The restaurant’s name Al Wadi was captured and it allowed me to do a Google Street View walk to find the name of the hotel next door.  Kind of nostalgic because I used to take long exploration walks as a 7 or 8 year old kid from Everitt Road nearby, where we once stayed.

    Book Hotel 81 Tristar here (Booking dot com) or here (Agoda)

    Address: 1 Onan Road.  Singapore 424780

    Find over 470 hotels in Singapore here

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  • The U Hotel Penang

    The U Hotel.

    The U Hotel Penang
    The U Hotel Penang

    When I was last in Penang, I stayed at the area known as Bayan Lepas at the U Hotel. It is a budget boutique hotel in a relatively peaceful and unknown part of Penang. Even Penang island friends don’t know where it is. They know the exact area when you mention Tesco Extra Sungai Dua though, which is just behind the blue hotel.

    Address: 676, Jalan Sungai Dua, Taman Pekaka, 11700 George Town, Pulau Pinang.

    I know there is a U in Blue – I like blue. But what is the U in its name then? It is explained vaguely in their web site as “Urban. Unpretentious. Utterly Unique”. Utter Marketing Bullshit. Undisguised 🙂

    It is also near the campus of University of Science, Malaysia or USM in Gelugor. I don’t like that its car park is at the back and very dark at night, Same shit as Tune Georgetown  Penang Hotel that I stayed previously and liked. I wanted a fairly cheap hotel as I needed a hotel for several nights to attend the annual St Anne’s Feast in the mainland town of Bukit Mertajam.

    Getting on and off either Penang bridges was quite easy due to its location. I also like that the hotel is near food places and many food courts. For its price, it is comfortable, serviceable and functional for someone like me who spends 18 hours outside. Not cheap at about RM150 a night though.

    Better book in advance if you are going to St Anne’s in July. See also Hotels in Penang at http://www.mycen.my/hotels-in-penang/

    Check a room availability and book the U Hotel Penang.

    Find around 700 hotels in Penang here.

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