My birthday at Sofitel Hotel

Jhellai at Sofitel, a photo by anjellavalino on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
It looks like an album cover. hehehe :)
Taken with my Nikon D3100 + 35mm f1.8 lens.

It was a suprised dinner at Spiral located at the basement area of Sofitel Hotel. Yeah it is a buffet dinner! Thanks to bf :) so sweet!  Sofitel Manila is a five star luxury resort hotel near Mall of Asia, Intramuros, US Embassy, Manila Ocean Park and major shopping centers in Manila.

I researched "Sofitel" and according to Wikipedia:

"Sofitel is a luxury hotel chain managed by Accor, which opened its first property in Strasbourg in 1964. Its first overseas opening in Minneapolis, USA was in 1974. In 1995 Sofitel had 100 hotels in 40 countries and employed 12,500 people. Two years later Sofitel joined the Accor Group, founded in 1983 and in 2000 opened properties in Philadelphia and New York. In 2005, Sofitel continued its expansion with Sofitel Asia Pacific. In 2007, Sofitel created a strategy to compete on the international luxury hotel market with its French Touch and the slogan "Life is magnifique". In the following year Sofitel became its own unit in the Accor group with 161 Hotels worldwide. In 2009, the new brands Sofitel Legends and SO by Sofitel were introduced."

I think Sofitel in Manila is formerly the Westin Philippine Plaza hotel? Correct me i f i'm wrong!

The food was great and i enjoyed every piece of it. hehe I'm resisting myself to eat rice on the first round so i can taste all the food.  Their sweets and desserts are tempting too. My sweet tooth is jumping! My friend Johnna and Marc was with us also. What a happy birthday and a happy tummy! :)

Here are the shots of some food that i tried. hehe..

With our dinner mates, Marc and Johnna

Us <3

For more information about Spiral buffet dinner. You may visit their website: http://www.sofitelmanila.com/

Danelle's 7th Birthday

Danelle's 7th Birthday- Her Cake, a photo by anjellavalino on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Danelle's 7th Birthday at One Corporate Center in Ortigas. It's good to capture happy and unforgettable moments-- Birthdays! This event is fun!

This is the 2nd time (paid shoot too hihihi) that i cover a birthday party! and first time also to use my newly bought Nissin Di622 Mark II Flash. Amazing! it adds glossy effect to my photos. It feels like I'm shooting like a pro! haha! I did enjoy this party (ooops work) Hope to get bookings soon! *wink*

more photos (Photos by: Anjella Valino):

June, Wedding Month?

Have you ever wondered why June became the wedding month? For me, June is not advisable for weddings especially if you want to spend it in a garden, park or beach because of the unpredictable climate. For me, ideal month of weddings is December to February. The weather is cold and humid perfect for beautiful garden wedding.

Anyway, I'd like to share the wedding photos that i have taken last October 10, 2010 at Sonya's Garden Tagaytay City. Enjoy!

"You may now kiss the bride!"

Nice wedding cake! Very Creative :)

The Couple's Dance

Caleb & Sheryl's Wedding: http://iamjhellai.blogspot.com/2010/10/lucky-101010.html

Infanta Quezon Escapade

This is my first time to visit Infanta, Quezon. We came from the road of Antipolo Rizal that crosses to Quezon province. About 3 hours long drive from Manila.I guess this is the shorter route. No Express way! No Toll fees! just plain road trip with fresh air, mountains and trees along the way. The place is not yet commercialized so don't expect to see 5 star hotels and resorts but i can say that i love their beach.

We stayed at Pacific Beach Resort. It is the one of the most affordable resort in Infanta. It is located at Barangay Libjo, Infanta, Quezon. It's indeed awesome and ideal for family get-together, friends, and group outings. They have cottages for you to rent from 300-500. and 20php per pax for day tour. Airconditioned and non-airconditioned rooms are also available for your accommodation. But i don't recommend their shared comfort room. I hope they will renovate it as soon as possible.

The Nikon D3100- New Travelling Buddy

Letting go of my Sony H7?... Hmmm *it hurts*. LOL

I got my new toy last Feb 19, 2011. The Nikon d3100. I bought it at Mayer's Store in Hidalgo. It's cheaper than the mall price for about 6-8k difference. It also comes with free 4gb SD card, Camera bag and 1 year shop warranty. Not bad!, This is my first ever DSLR camera and I'm happy with this model. I believe that Mayer's price is the cheaper among those camera store in Hidalgo (hindi na ko nag canvass sa iba kase base sa mga forums kay Mang Ramon na yung pinakamababa at nung tinanong ko kung magkano, Pak! mababa nga talaga). D3100 is Recommended to all photography enthusiast as entry level camera! click here for infos from DP Review. I also love the review from Ken Rockwell www.kenrockwell.com Tutorials are great too! I so heart my D3100 partnered with nikkor 50mm f 1.8 lens which i bought in Singapore (Sim Lim Square), but since the d3100 doesn't have a built in motor as well as the 50 mm, it will only focus manually. but i love it anyway... will post sample shots of d3100 + 50mm f 1.8 soon... ;)

Here's the photo of my Nikon D3100

Discover Magalawa Island

Magalawa island is another perfect getaway to spend summer. It is located in Palauig Zambales, approx. 4 hours drive via private vehicle from Manila, then about 5-10 minutes boat ride from Palauig. The island has cream-white sands and the water is ideal for swimming. You can enjoy snorkeling and rafting too. You can also see star fishes around the beach but it is prohibited to pick up those cute star fishes. The island is not yet commercialized and what good about it is, people of magalawa will only allow a certain number of guest per visit/day. So it is advisable to inquire and book first before going to the island (Click here to inquire/book).

Here's our itinerary (Overnight-stay) with transportation, food (4-meals) and Kubo accomodation:

Price: 2500/pax

Day 1:

4am: pick up at Total Gas Station in Libis QC

10:00 am: Arrival at Palauig Zambales

10:15 am: Arrival at Magalawa Island

12:00 nn: Lunch

1:00 pm: free time

7:00 pm: Dinner and Socials

Day 2:

7:00 am: Breakfast

8:00 am: free time

12:00 nn: Lunch

1:00 pm: pick up at Magalawa via Boat

1:15 pm: Van going to Manila

6:00 pm: back to Manila

My Magalawa Panoramas:

Here are some of the photos that i have taken during my stay in Magalawa:

Photos by: Anjella Valino

Magalawa Island Team Building

We had our team building last April 9-10, 2011 at Malagawa Island in Palauig Zambales. I can say that this is the best team building (Division team building) so far (for my 2 years stay at MSI-ECS as a web developer). Magalawa Island is an awesome place for family, friends, lovers and team building activities (I will blog about Magalawa Island soon...) The food was good also especially seafoods-- that's my favorite! All of us enjoyed the trip and we can't really get over it until now. We keep on reminiscing those funny moments and every captured photos in our cameras is indeed memorable.

I'm happy also because I'm one of the game facilitator together with Joy, Jay-a & Lui. The "facis" really made sure that they will enjoy the games and activities in the island. Games includes Sponge relays, ball relays, 2 minutes Cheer-dance with team symbol and the most exciting among them all is the "hiluhan" game which made us crazy and wild because we just laugh and laugh to our peers (lalo na pag nadadapa lol) . Kudos to us because we made them happy! I'd would like to thank Reign for organizing our team building, the rest of the team for coordination and the people of Magalawa island.

Here are the snapshots during our team building!

Enjoy isn't? ^__^

Hit the beach this summer! Book now at Magalawa Island! Here's the official FB page of Magalawa >> CLICK HERE

What a Wonderful Place!-- Coron

Photo by: Anjella Valino

Coron Island Palawan is a wedge-shaped limestone island, with few of its coastal areas being covered by mangrove forests. It has seven lakes, famous of which is the nationally-acclaimed cleanest lake in the Philippines, the Kayangan Lake. It also has a number of islands with white beaches and clear blue waters perfect for snorkeling, deepsea fishing and shipwreck diving. [coronphilippines.com]

Coron is really amazing. The water of Kayangan lake takes my breath away! The coral reefs, the sea connecting to lakes, the lagoons-- Twin lagoons, Baraacuda lake, CYC island, the fishes at Siete Picados, fresh seafoods (We had lunch at Banol Beach during our Island hopping) and the good people of Coron makes my birthday vacation perfect (oops another overdue post hihi) It's not pricey though, the airfare only costs 1158 php for a round trip via Airphil [promo btw]. Maniquit Hot spring gives me a "stress-free" feeling after i soaked my body for 30 mins-- it's literally hot but i love it (pores are widely opened haha) I didn't get much photos during my trip there because I might drop my beloved camera to the water! I advise that you must bring waterproof camera or a digipac for you to be able to capture the beauty of Coron.

We stayed at Coron Village lodge [http://www.coronvillagelodge.com/] Accomodation are reasonable and affordable. You just need to book prior to your scheduled vacation.

How to get there?

Just book a flight going to Busuanga via Zest Air, Airphil or Cebu Pacific.

Travel Bohol

Want to explore the beauty of Bohol?

Bohol is located in Visayas, it is an island famous for its well preserved natural environment and crystal blue water beaches. One of the islands' pride are the world-famous Chocolate Hills and the fine white sand of Panglao Beach. I really enjoyed my trip to Bohol with my friends last November 2009 (yes. this is an overdue post) Tiring but happy trip! Beautiful place perfect for family, couples and friends. I'm so lucky to witness and see God's creation, indeed awesome! Guess what? I'm coming back soon! ^_^

Btw, here's our itinerary:

Day 01 [November 26, 2009. Thursday]:

- 09:45 AM Flight: Manila to Tagbilaran, Bohol at Domestic Airport via Zest Air

- Lunch @ Sinugba ni Abdul, Chicken Ati-Atihan

- Beach Bum/Photo Session at Panglao Beach

- Dinner at Dumaluan Beach Resort, Panglao

- Charade Games and more

Day 02 [November 27, 2009. Friday]:

- Dolphin watching

- Snorkeling at Balicasag Island

- Switch hotel/resort, Dumaluan Beach Resort to Alona Studio, Panglao

- Stroll and Dinner along Alona Beach

- Swimming at Alona Studio's private pool

Day 03 [November 28, 2009. Saturday]:

Country-side Tour

* Dajon Loboc Tarsier

* Man Made Forest

* Chocolate Hills

* Mr. Buko King's Hanging Bridge

* Diocesan Museum of Tagbilaran Loboc Branch / St. Peter the Apostle Parish Loboc

* Loboc River Cruise

* Baclayon Church (the oldest church in the country) in Baclayon

* Blood Compact or "Sandugo" Marker in Barangay Bool, Tagbilaran City

- Dinner along Alona Beach

Day 04 [November 29, 2009. Sunday]:

- 11:25 AM Flight: Tagbilaran, Bohol to Manila at Tagbilaran Airport via Zest Air

I'd like to thank my Kankies friends for this unforgettable getaway and of course Caleb for organizing this adventure... til next escapade!

Here are the photos that i have taken using my travelling buddy- Sonic (Sony H7)

I love Panglao <3

Destination: Zambales- Updated!

Let me explore you to my favorite spots in Zambales!

Zambales is gifted with natural beauty from landscape to waterscape. It is located at the Western part of Luzon where beaches and other tourist spots are totally awesome! It is well-known for its white sand and crystal blue water. Approximately 4 hours drive away from Manila. I really enjoyed my escapades to this place. Truly a paradise! No need to book for a flight, Just pack up and drive! You can also ride a bus from Manila that will take you to the different destination in Zambales. Best for weekend getaway with family, friends and love one.

Pundaquit Beach

Pundaquit Beach is located in San Antonio Zambales. Around 4 hours drive from Manila. Nice beach and clear water but too bad, it was gloomy in the afternoon and the sun didn’t show up when I visit there.

Camara Island

Just across Pundaquit. Around 10 minutes boat ride. The place was relaxing. You can see the view of Pundaquit Mountain.

Capones Island

I love the white sand there. The water is clear like a crystal. You will definitely enjoy the place. A great place for Photoshoot too… Capones is just around 5 minutes boat ride when you’re coming from Camara. I didn’t get a chance to explore the Capones Lighthouse because the water going to the side where the lighthouse is located was rough that time.

Anawangin Cove

Around 15-20 minutes boat ride from Capones. This is a Paradise! I love the environment in Anawangin- the two different bodies of water, the mountains around, the white sand, the clear blue-green water, the pine trees…the views and all about Anawangin! This is a true breath taking place. But—I was frustrated when I saw trashes around. **People, Please do not leave your trashes in the island. Save Anawangin!

Potipot Island

It is located at Candelaria Zambales, the farthest so far approximately 5 hours away from Manila and around 15 minutes boat ride from the nearby resorts of Candelaria. The fine beach and white sand can swept you away. You can stroll around the island for 30 minutes. Some tourist stayed for overnight together with their tents. There was no electricity and signal but this is truly a great place for your adventure!

So now you can choose your destination with your family, friends and love one! Don't forget your camera and sunblock! ;)

NEXT STOP??? Magalawa Island on April 9-10!

PHOTOS by: Anjella Valino