Kabayan Hotel's Kapsule Rooms: a visit!

Kabayan Hotel is a three-star hotel situated in the heart of Pasay City. Its strategic location beside the MRT and near the airport district has made it a viable place for backpackers, travelers, or those looking for an affordable and decent place to stay in. 

The hotel was founded by Wyden King, a businessman who saw the need for more places for transients and travellers. Using his resources from his previous venture in the Anito group, he divested his resources into businesses such as this. 

The hotel was in the center of one of Pasay's busiest districts. It was near bus terminals, the MRT, and Mall of Asia. It is also near educational institutions and business districts. 

Our stay revolved around testing their new Kapsule Rooms. This was composed of dorm style rooms which can fit 8 people. The beds are arranged into sleeper style setups.  The pictures will tell you more.

The lobby had a dominant wood motif with lots of flowers strewn around.

These were the Kapsules. These were a primarily Japanese invention which made its way to the Philippines. These Fiberglass compartments are made for sleeping. These are usually big enough for some seating room. In this case, there were two Kapsules stacked atop each other per column. Each room had about 8 Kapsules

This was the Kapsule interior. It had its own light, mirror, power outlets, and light. I could actually sit inside the room, despite my earlier misconceptions. I even had a comfortable sleep in this small, yet cozy space. I do wish I had more pillows to sleep with, though.

A stay in the room came with a locker slot. The locker was big enough to fit 3 or more bags.

They had a shower and toilet with an electronic bidet. Toiletries were not included with the stay though, so we had to buy our own.

The food was quite decent. Breakfast is free with every stay; while lunch and dinner come at a la carte set menus for Php 140.

This was their dinner selection for the day.

I got Pork Steak and Paksiw with Tofu. The steak was quite tender; while the Paksiw was tasty too.  You do get what you pay for with the Php 140 rate, though.

This was a sample of the locker space.

The food was served at the Pinoy Star Cafe. It was well lit and had a lively ambience. The food was mostly composed of Filipino favorites.

My colleague tried out the locker. 

Kabayan Hotel is located at 347 Epifanio de los Santos Ave, Pasay, 1300 Metro Manila beside the EDSA MRT Station.

Albay and Its Historic Sites, Events, and To Do's

Albay is one province with many hidden and known beauties, it bears beauty that is pure, basic and grand. Albay has a certain charm that will sweep you off your feet and bring you to the time that was or give you a majestic feeling that is simply indescribable. With fifteen 15 municipalities and three 3 cities, Albay bears so many things to see and experience.

Governor Al Francis Bichara was a gracious host as he welcomed us to his place. Hospitality reflected on the people, from the people and this was reflected by the people of the various local government units (Dept of Tourism and Dept of Agriculture) and that of Human Explore Travel and Tours.

The tour given to us was both informative and time worthy. Tiring as it may be BUT truly worth every moment. Our gratitude to Ms. Dorothy Colle and her people from the Department of Tourism Provincial Division Region V – Albay, Ms. Che Rebeta of the Provincial Agriculture Department and Ms. Farah Sobremisana – owner partner of Pepperland Hotel. They truly made our visit such a wonder thru their efforts and time generosity.

Albay is filled with old churches, old craft making, worthy places to go to, old houses, natural beauties and beautiful festivities. With magnificent places around the majestic Mayon Volcano, if you do a whole 360 tour like the one we did ours, one would get to see this natural wonder in all its beauty. Try to learn also the story behind this famous volcano and and unconver the Daragang Magayon mystery.

From the ruins of Cagsawa (with a average guest of 150pax per day) to the churches in Camalig, Ligao, Sto. Domingo and Daraga, to the calm Sumlang Lake and the historic Japanese caves in Quituinan Hills, to the traditional way of metal smiting in Tabaco, farms and various beautiful parks and landmarks all over Albay, you will never have a dull moment when you decide to do a full exploration of the province. It is also filled of noteworthy food places that you could and should try out (story and review in another write-up). Albay also has spring resorts with water source coming from near the volcano or underneath the ground making it cool or even cold depending on the time of the year – such resort is D’ Hacienda Spring and Nature Resort in Guinobatan, Albay.

 For active people, I would highly recommend for you to try out the Japanese tunnels/caves in Quituinan Hills. The trek is not that stressful but the crawling (should you be adventurous enough) is like having an archaeological dig. For historical buffs, try seeing the various churches of the different municipalities and compare notes in terms of its style and story behind it.

Should you wish to see various craftsmanship of the place, go to Sumlang Lake to see the woven beauties of Albay, the metal smiting of Tabaco, pottery shops in Tiwi and pili delicacy making in Legazpi. Don’t forget to visit the various farms in the province that show the resiliency of the people as reflected in their farms – some of them are IG worthy too. Experience Albay and, you get to see this natural beauty in all its grandeur. With clouds or without, Mayon will surely captivate you may it be morning, noon, mid afternoon or sunset. With its romantic yet tragic story behind this beauty, you will definitely want to be welcomed by it every time you are in the said province. Albay is truly beautiful! The people reflect their place and the place live through its people.

PRESS RELEASE by: Arnold “Arnie” Alesna 

Up Dharma Down in Collaboration with Singapore Tourism Board bring you: "All the Good Things" song and music video

Up Dharma Down's photo montage of their Singapore trip

The bar at Level33

Armi Millare at Haji Lane

Armi at vocals

Carlos Tanada with the Ferrari test drive 

Carlos Tanada with the Guitar

Ean Mayor at Level33

A stunning backdrop with the Marina Bay Sands and Ean Mayor in Drums

The Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay

Modparade at Haji Lane

The Black Angus Tenderloin at Level33

Paul Yap at Pidgin Kitchen and Bar

Paul Yap dining at Level33

Paul Yap with the Bass

Shades of Green from 2am:dessert bar

UDD with another band (The Next Movement)

UDD at Gardens by the Bay

The band at Haji Lane

The band enjoying their lunch

a snapshot from the music video

During my college days, I have avidly listened to Up Dharma Down as they launched album after album. I personally enjoy the beat and rhythm of their songs, particularly "Oo" and "Tadhana". Naturally, I was elated when I found out that I was invited to one of their events in 12 Monkeys, Century City Mall, along Makati Ave on May 19, 2015. At around 7 pm, the band went on stage to perform a number of their greatest hits. The crowd couldn't help it but sing along with the band as the songs which were all too familiar to a generation filled the air. 

After the performance, the show went on with an exhibition of the band's newest song, "All the Good Things" along with a music video. It was during the event that I found out that the Sinagpore Tourism Board sponsored the event and the creation of a song especially for its tourism promotion activity in Philippines. Up Dharma Down was specifically chosen to become the official music partner of the Board.

In this new music video, the band captures their entire Singapore experience, particularly its cuisine, sites, and attractions, in the span of four minutes. The video shows some of their fun and thrilling side of the country they had not experienced before. It takes us through Up Dharma Down’s journey to various iconic and off-the-beaten-track locations in Singapore, sharing the experiences and personal moments that inspired them to create their new song.

The trip took the band on visits to quirky places like Haji Lane to explore concept stores that featured unique creations by local designers and artisans, and stops at various Mod-Sin cuisine establishments like Pidgin Kitchen & Bar and 2am:dessertbar that reimagined local hawker favorites into gastronomic innovations.

Attractions like Gardens by the Bay and the Henderson Waves captivated the band with its marvelous sights, and Carlos Tañada, the band’s guitarist, even got to experience being driven in a Ferrari through parts of the famous Marina Bay street circuit used for the Grand Prix night races. They capped off their visit to Singapore by immersing themselves in the city’s bustling nightlife, drinking signature brews at LeVeL33 and hanging out with local musicians, The Next Movement, at The Mad Men Attic Bar.

As for the song, the upbeat tune expresses the band's delightful experience of the country. According to the band, this tune "captures the soul and spirit of the Singapore" they have come to love. They were also proud to note their accomplishment. They also recognized travel as "one of the most inspiring experiences for any artist", and that "their trip to Singapore was a journey that opened their eyes to another side of it."

All this is in line with Singapore's celebration of its golden jubilee as a nation. Singapore Tourism Board’s Area Director for Philippines & Brunei, Mr Adrian Kong, added, “Through this collaboration with Up Dharma Down, we hope that Filipino travelers will view Singapore as a destination where they can partake in unique experiences across retail, dining, entertainment and attractions .”

The music video of "All the Good Things"

In celebration of Singapore’s 50th year, having these inspiring experiences to shop, eat and play is made even easier with the Golden Jubilee deals. The Golden Jubilee promotion is an exciting selection of exclusive deals on flights, hotels and more. Take advantage of special airfare deals, stay at any one of the participating hotels in the city for 2 nights to get the 3rd night free, shop till you drop during the Great Singapore Sale for a chance to win S$500 daily, and embark on a gastronomic adventure with exclusive dining discounts from various establishments.

With all these and more, there is no better time to plan your own inspiring visit to Singapore to discover all the good things. 

To see what inspired Up Dharma Down in Singapore, visit www.yoursingapore.ph. To know more about the exciting Golden Jubilee deals, visit www.yoursingapore.com/goldenjubilee.