When in China: Dinosaur Park

China is one of the fastest growing countries in the world. With more and more cities being developed, infrastructures being built and citizens rising from poverty, it's hard to be not impressed by what China has accomplished in just a short period. I am always at awe whenever I go to Canton Fair, one of China's biggest trade shows held twice a year for it has everything in at least twos. And just when I thought China has everything, I had no idea that it also includes having its own version of Jurassic Park!

Hello, Dinosaur Land.

Located at Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, this compound which covers theme park, hotel and even spa, is a gem worth checking out!

A Paradise in Jiangsu: Wuxi Hubin Hotel

China never fails to amaze me. From its mouthwatering regional cuisines to jaw-dropping infrastructures, each trip to China leaves me mesmerized and makes me yearn for more. I sure am lucky to have an opportunity to visit areas such as Shandong, Chongqing, Guangzhou and Shanghai among others as seeing these places gives me better appreciation of the country and its beautiful complexities. And one of my favorite experiences to date was with Wuxi Hubin Hotel.

Hello, Wuxi Hubin Hotel.

Located beside the scenic Lihu Lake in the beautiful Jiangsu province, Wuxi Hubin Hotel is a marriage of elegance, pristine nature and unparalleled comfort. Its huge compound covering 80,000 square meters and houses top class facilities and amenities that would make anyone's stay a memorable one.

When in Tagaytay: Sky Ranch

I usually visit Tagaytay for a quick getaway whenever there's a short holiday. And two weeks ago, I decided to spend a day there to take a break from the insane city life. But instead of unwinding at our favorite resort, R and I decided to do something different and visit Sky Ranch. 

Hello, Sky Ranch. 

This amusement park developed by SM group has been around for a couple of years now and has been a destination of choice of local travelers. It is easy to spot the place with its ginormous Sky Eye ferris wheel. 

My eyes twinkled with delight upon seeing several restaurants surrounding the park. And I saw a few more inside. I figured that it might be best to go on a food trip first before going crazy with the different rides available. 

Let's Go to Legoland

I have always wanted to visit Legoland but I never get to find the time to visit it. I remember my sister and I drooling over the commercial. Who cares if the rides are kiddie?! We'll be surrounded by colorful blocks!

It took a bit of effort before I managed to convince N to go to Legoland. But finally, we found ourselves on our way to Carlsbad, California for some bonding time with the lovable toys. 

We arrived a bit past 1 p.m. and K and T welcomed us with their matching blue tops. N too was wearing blue. I was a bit blue (excuse the pun) as I was wearing white then. Boo! I didn't get the memo!

Hello colorful piece of land! 

We were amazed by the blocks and blocks and blocks of wonderful Lego creations. At first, we were debating on whether the whole statues were 100% Lego. Of course the staff would say yes but we have our doubts.

We started the day with a hearty lunch. We spotted a place that serves Chicken Stir-Fry, Grilled Steak Sandwich, and Spicy Shrimp Linguini. T and I tried the sandwich while N ordered chicken and K got the linguini. N got the best dish.

Our first ride was a mini version of Enchanted Kingdom's Anchors Away. It was fun but it made us slightly dizzy. Just like the guy here. (Note: I failed to take pictures of the rides so I'll proceed to the things that mesmerized me.)

I'M IN LOVE: Disneyland California

I have this weird plan of crying as soon as I hear the Disney hymn while watching the fireworks go off over the Disney castle. I find it… romantic in a kiddie way. Okay fine, that’s a bit confusing. I wasn’t able to experience it when I went to Disneyworld, Florida last year as I was stuck inside a ride waiting in line. I wanted to strangle my (lovable) sister that night. But an unexpected opportunity came in when K, who happens to be an artist working for Disney offered FREE tickets to Disneyland, California.  

Hello, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, and everyone! *ahihihihi*

We planned on leaving early so that we get to avoid the crazy lines but we ended up arriving around 12 noon.

We first went to the place where we could reserve tickets for the Aladdin show and headed straight to Disneyland’s newest attraction, Cars!

We waited for two hours for this ride but it was worth it! The ride was awesome as we get to feel like we were part of the movie. We passed by the different stores in Route 66 and the end of the ride was the best as there was a race between two cars! Woohoo!

We were famished after the long wait so we stopped by a restaurant around the Cars area and I had the NY Strip Loin ($11.99) while N ordered the Pork Loin ($11.49).