Cliff(y) Goes Travelling

MNL-SYD (8h 20m) Airbus 330-300 ETD:  10.25pm  (GMT + 8) ETA: 8.45am (GMT + 10) After enjoying some quiet time at the flagship  Mabuhay Lounge , it was finally time to board the flight to Sydney, Australia. It'd be my first time in the country, but strangely enough, I have to admit that I didn't quite feel the usual surge of excitement that comes with discovering a new destination compared to some of my previous travels.

Andrews Avenue, Ninoy Aquino International Airport  Terminal 1,  Manila, Philippines Daily: 24 hours Philippine Airlines operates its flagship Mabuhay Lounge at Terminal 1 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. Stepping into the lounge was a much-needed break from the rather chaotic scene at the terminal. I really appreciated having a quiet space to grab a bite, recharge and gather my thoughts before the next flight to Sydney, Australia.

SIN-MNL (4h) Boeing 777-300ER ETD:  2.15pm  (GMT + 8) ETA: 6.15pm (GMT + 8) “What? You’ve never been to Australia?” was something I’d grown used to hearing up to the age of 35. Indeed, this travel series marks my very first Down Under experience. While Melbourne can be reached directly from Singapore, I set off in the opposite direction first, heading to Manila, the Philippines with the oldest commercial airline in Asia.

MNL-BAH (10h 10m) Airbus 330-243 ETD: 11.25am (GMT + 8)  ETA: 4 .35pm (GMT + 3) The next morning, My BFF and I left Kabayan Hotel for Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 by making use of the hotel's one-way airport shuttle service mentioned in the previous post. We couldn't wait to fly to Bahrain by Gulf Air, the flag carrier of the Kingdom, which was founded in 1950 as Gulf Aviation.

347 Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, Manila, the Philippines For the one-day stopover in Manila, I'd wanted to book a room at The Mabuhay Manor where I stayed at last June, but somehow the rate wasn't very favourable for the date. Not far from it is Kabayan Hotel (3*), which is also very close to EDSA railway station, with a total of 276 guest rooms.

SIN-MNL (3h 40m) Boeing 777-200 ETD: 12.15pm (GMT + 8)  ETA:  3.55pm (GMT + 8) The recent trip that I've just completed began with a somewhat nondescript flight from Singapore to Manila, the Philippines with Singapore Airlines. The flight to Manila was the first out of the three flights under my booking with Gulf Air, thanks to the partnership.

MNL-TPE (2h 15m) Boeing 777-300ER ETD: 12.40pm (GMT + 8)  ETA:  2.55pm (GMT + 8) After we got bored with the new, but uninspiring Terminal 1 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport , it was finally time for my BFF and I to fly to our last holiday destination for our mid-year trip: Taipei, Taiwan. That was my virgin experience with EVA Air.

Andrews Avenue, Manila, the Philippines Today's short post is aimed to offer a glimpse of the only airport serving the capital city of the Philippines, specifically the relatively new Terminal 1 that underwent a major renovation in 2015. The airport is named after the late Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. who was assassinated at the airport in 1983.

F. B. Harrison Street, Manila, the Philippines The Mabuhay Manor (3*) is proud to be the first balikbayan (lit. homecoming) hotel in the capital city of the Philippines. I'm not too sure why, but the hotel does feel pretty homely. It's located not far away from Baclaran, which seems to be a popular shopping district.

J. W. Diokno Boulevard, Manila, the Philippines Mon-Fri: 11.00am - 10.00pm Sat-Sun: 10.00am - 10.00pm SM Prime Holdings is the largest mall chain owner and developer in the Philippines, managing a total of more than 70 shopping malls. SM Mall of Asia is the fourth largest shopping mall in the country and the 11th in the world. Nearby is SM by the Bay for some exhilarating amusement rides.

Santo Tomas Street, Intramuros, Manila, the Philippines The full name of what's commonly known as Manila Cathedral is the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Established in 1571, the church was raised to a cathedral eight years later and is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the principal patroness of the Philippines.

General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila, the Philippines Known to be the oldest Roman Catholic church in the Philippines built by the Spaniards, San Agustin Church that resides within Intramuros has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It's one of the most popular churches for wedding consecration.

Manila, the Philippines Intramuros (lit. Within the Walls) is the oldest district of the capital city of the Philippines. It covers an area of 0.67 square kilometres, surrounded by stone walls and fortifications that almost completely surrounds the entire district.

Independence Road, Manila, the Philippines Daily: 10.00am - 8.00pm Opened to the public in March 2008, Manila Ocean Park houses approximately 14,000 sea creatures, most of which are indigenous to Southeast Asia. It includes other attractions, such as Birds of Prey Kingdom and World of Creepy Crawlies.

Independence Road, Manila Ocean Park Complex, Manila, the Philippines Located within the vicinity of Manila Ocean Park, Hotel H2O (4*) is an aqua-themed hotel with eight different types of rooms available. One of its kind in the country, the hotel isn't far from Rizal Park.

[BI822] BKI-BWN (40m) Airbus 320 ETD: 8.50am (GMT + 8)  ETA:  9.30am (GMT + 8) As mentioned previously, I'm going to combine the trip report onboard BI822 from Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia to Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, as well as BI683 to Manila, the Philippines into a single post. That was my second time being airborne for around 20 minutes only. Still, that's not the shortest commercial flight in the world.