So, my family and I traveled back to the Philippines after exactly a year and a half. If you are following my blog, you would have read how I documented our travel since from the airport, travel guidelines these days, and some helpful tips when traveling.
As I mentioned previously, we all have to go under a 10-day mandatory quarantine in the hotel designated to us. Fortunately, we have been assigned to a 5-star hotel in Grand Hyatt- Manila.
Grand Hyatt-Manila is a high-end (high-rise building for about 50+ floors I guess) cozy and elegant hotel set in a business district of Metro Manila. And believe me, as soon as we enter the hotel premises, I immediately fell in love with its structure.
Welcome Message
And just as we checked inside the room, we were welcomed by this warm note from the monitor.
Our room is located on the 38th floor, (3808 to be exact). It has a floor to ceiling windows allowing us to see the City view right from where we are. We are also provided with free Wi-Fi and smart TV, so definitely we will never get bored while on quarantine.
Small lounge
Bed view
Our hotel room– We were given a hotel room with a big bed facing the wall-to-wall glass window, beautiful wood panelled walls, with a separate vanity room with tub, a separate bathroom and toilet, a separate small closet with a sliding door, a small living room/ sitting room with a mini bar and a relaxing couch and dining area.
Who wouldn’t be relaxed to wake up on a comfy king bed in this elegant room every morning and look outside at the magnificent Metro Manila skyline?
We were also provided customary needs enough for the 10 day period such as big bottles of water, sachets of coffee and tea, toilet rolls & tissue boxes, laundry soap and dishwashing liquid, and the usual hotel toiletries and vanity kits.
We have our food delivered daily on our doorstep (knock and go) three times a day, breakfast at 7am, lunch at 12pm, and dinner at 7 pm. You can also order whatever you need from the hotel at extra cost but it is not allowed to order anything outside.
I was initially worried about our son getting bored for the long stay without going out, but to my surprise, he didn’t and so am I. We both actually adjusted immediately and even started to build our daily routine as always.
My son super loves the warm bath in the tub, probably because the water in BH is super hot especially in the summer that is very much different from the relaxing water in the Phil. I’m giving him a dip in the tub for about an hour in the morning and half an hour before bedtime and still, going out of the tub is a struggle for me, haha.
But overall, it was like a paid staycation for both of us, just eat, sleep and play and a lot of bonding without having to wake up early morning the next day to go to work as I’m working full time in BH and the only chance I have with my son full time is during weekends and holidays.
Oh well, I know it’s a bit exaggerating to say that I super enjoyed our staycation, but yes I did!
More so, this stay wouldn’t be that comfortable if we didn’t stay in a cozy hotel (thank you) like the Grand Hyatt- Manila, not to mention that the food are great, the staff is all well trained, approachable and with good customer service skills.
Needless to say, this is highly recommended and I definitely, would love to go back if I can.
Planning a long journey with a toddler? Oh, you better be prepared ahead of time as traveling with (a small human being) baggage will not only take a lot of your time but also a lot of space 😂
To be honest, I’m not a light traveler. Whenever I decide to fly, I already had a long list to bring with me listed on my mind before that. And that’s not including the things I have to purchase for my family. That was before the arrival of my son, I used to travel bringing everything I need up to the smallest detail, and in order.
How much more when you are traveling with a toddler?
This is not the first time I long travel with my baby, I brought him to BH when he was just 3 months old in early 2020, just the beginning of the pandemic. And believe me, packing was difficult!
I’m very very paranoid when traveling especially with a baby. I always have so many what ifs going on in my mind like what If I ran out of this and that in the plane and I don’t have anywhere else to get it? What if something happened and I ran out of milk or diaper or water? So to relieve me from paranoia and stressful thinking, I always pack more than what I know he can consume on a normal day. Not only when traveling on a plane but also when we are just going out by car.
And these thoughts are just for the things I have to hand carry on the plane, I still have a lot to think like what to put in our luggage 😂. Have to fast forward my mind for the things he needs for the entire trip.
If you are a person like me, then maybe you can get some tips that could be helpful when traveling with a toddler.
1. Plan ahead- Weeks before traveling, I already purchased extra cans of milk, extra packs of diapers, medicines, and other baby essentials such as wet wipes, etc.
2. Packing- Better to pack the baby bag early in case you might forget something. Good to realize it early than travel and found out you are missing something important. However, you can pack baby clothes later or even a day before traveling.
3. Have a separate check-in luggage/bag only for your toddler things. In that way, arranging is easy and accurate just like arranging his drawer, you will always know what’s missing. Also, there is a minimal tendency to forget something as you would easily see what needs to be there.
4. What’s inside the hand-carry bag?
A. Milk- I always have his milk prepared in a milk container for easy dispensing. He couldn’t finish more than 3 bottles overnight but just to make sure I will not ran out of milk on the plane, in a 9 and a half straight flight, we brought 2 milk containers full that can fill up to 8 bottles.
B. Diapers- I brought 5 more extra diapers in the baby bag aside from the diapers in my hand-carry trolley.
C. Extra changing clothes- oh well every parent knows this when traveling. Don’t forget to bring a jacket and long pants as it might be cold at the airport.
D. Wet wipes, sanitizers, baby face mask, bib, biscuits.
Note: These are what’s inside the baby bag, I still have a hand-carry full of his extra belongings, even a full can of milk just in case.
5. Baby Luggage- this is the harder part as I have to think in advance about all the things he usually needs on a regular day.
Food
A. Food- Cans of milk, baby biscuits, cereals, ready-to-eat cereals.
Meds
B. Vitamins, medicines like paracetamol and flu meds. I brought this specifically because these are the only meds that can make him feel better, 100%. I also pack the thermometer, the baby nail cutter, the saline, and the bulb in case he gets the flu. (I just hope this change of environment and weather will not make him sick, praying)
C. So many extra diapers, (I’ve always trusted pampers premium and pampers premium night. A little handful expensive than the other brand but this won’t even wake him up overnight as it can carry all his wee wee’s without irritating his bottom for the full night, I do not have to change every after few hours) powder, diaper rash cream, cologne.
Toiletries
D. Of course, I have to bring my Bebe toiletries with us. I bought these travel sizes to be compact but in reality, I always get the bigger ones, cheaper than the small ones and for long usage.
For washing
E. And things can’t live without. The ever-useful bottle rack ( yes, I have to tag it all along with us, the easiest way to dry the bottles not to have any water residue on it), the bottle cleaner & brush (not in the photo), and his food bowl.
What else?
Personals
F. Clothes, shoes, and slippers. I brought a lot of extra baby clothes and clothes that would get along in every kind of weather.
G. Baby book/vaccination card- in case you need to see a pediatrician while on vacation, you have the vaccination record with you.
These are “what is inside our bag” lists.
Make sure to make your own list before traveling so you will not rush out afterward. I know it’s kinda heavy but better to be prepared than to run out of things.
Oh, and don’t forget the stroller! It will be easy for you to walk around inside the airport with a baby in the stroller so you wouldn’t exhaust yourself too much running after the baby or carry him up throughout the waiting period.
You can’t light travel when you have a baby with you. So, as much as possible it is not advisable to travel overseas particularly these days of covid not unless there is really an important thing to do that can’t wait and you can’t leave the baby that long to anyone. If there is not other choice, better to plan accordingly.
As the pandemic isn’t over yet, there are still so many travel restrictions in different countries and as the Philippines is on a red list nowadays, travelers, mainly those who are coming international have to face a lot of rules and procedures to comply with.
Moreover, please note that all Filipino Overseas Workers (land-based or sea-based) have to go for a mandatory 10-day quarantine upon arrival to the Philippines (regardless if you are completely vaccinated or you came from a green list country) to a hotel designated by the OWWA. Glad that it is free of charge, all expenses, food, water, and other utilities are provided by our Government.
Additional quarantine of four days will be spent inside your home upon obtaining the negative result of the swab test (PCR) given on the 7th day, which the result will come on the 9th or 10th day along with the certificate that you are cleared (and free to go 😁) from the Bureau of Quarantine (still in quarantine so I have no idea yet, to be updated)
But prior to that, here are some of the guidelines you have to follow before traveling.
1. Booking of tickets– make sure that you ask the airlines if PCR is required before traveling. There are some airlines that requires a PCR from 72 to 48 hrs before departure, so don’t forget about this. As for us, we traveled on a direct flight (9 and half hours straight) via Philippine Airlines (by Gulf Air) and PCR is not necessary.
Our tickets
2. Register- You have to register through google for the following:
A. oasis.owwa.gov.ph– This is the easiest part. There isn’t so much to fill up and easy to follow. Just provide all the necessary personal details and will not even take you more than 5 minutes to fill up.
B. http://www.onehealthpass.com.ph– (this is only required if you are traveling via Gulf Air). Although it’s a little bit confusing registering at first (I have to register for three person, myself, my husband and my baby), I wasn’t able to fill it up correctly the first time. So, I’ve tried several times to accomplish. Please read all the questions carefully and repeatedly as there are some confusing questions that need your concentration as so not to start over again.
C. http://www.balikpinas.ph– After finishing the health pass, the site will notify that you have to complete the process by directing you automatically to balikpinas.ph. Again, please read all the questionnaires properly to avoid confusion. This online form will not proceed to the next step with incomplete details.
From what we were told, the health pass will send an email to POLO (I also received a notification email from the site to POLO) to verify if the vaccination details you provided in the form are accurate (make sure to write down your complete vaccination details such as type of vaccine, date and batch number of first dose and second dose, including Health Center where vaccination has been done.
D. Traze App– It is also indicated that we have to install this application. I’ve downloaded it in BH but I don’t know the purpose yet. This is individual registration, again with your personal details in the PH, and will give you your own QR code upon completion. So, I guess this is for contact tracing while we were in the Phil.
Once you are done with this, you are now READY TO TRAVEL!
3. Preparation: Dont forget all the travel-related documents regardless of whether you will be needing them or not. Better you have it in advance and photocopied in multiple sets.
A. Yellow card- Health card provided by the Ministry of Health BH for our vaccination details.
B. I expected that the beaware app BH (this is the full app that shows our complete vaccination report, marked green which means that you are fully vaccinated with your own unique QR code, and all other BH information regarding covid like total number of people vaccinated, number of people tested positive, recovered, world covid meter and other information and Govt latest covid news) will log out in the Phil and so, I’m right as I can’t open it in the Phil. It says I have to log in again, and when I try to register, it requires a verification code sent to my registered BH phone number which unfortunately I have turned off for safety purposes so, I have printed and photocopied all our details in hard copies prior.
C. Folder- As I’m an OC person as always, I wanted everything to be organized and properly arranged according to my ways, so I have a separate transparent folder/ envelope for all the documents. Having this actually saves time as I do not have to rumble thru our things finding something. The same applies to our luggage, everything in order and packed according to usage. I don’t want to look for things and don’t know where I kept them.
✅ A separate envelope for our passport and tickets.
✅ Another separate folder for other documents such as Health cards, OWWA membership receipts etc.
✅ Big file envelope for the passbooks, Bankcards, Phil ID’s and other important files.
Departure
The flight was at 8:40pm but we went there by 6pm (left home at 5:30) in case we needed more time to check in. Actually, checking in at BH airport is always easy, you can even go there an hour before departure but I just assumed we need more time as I thought manpower will be less due to the currently implemented 70% workforce.
Not much queues but took a little bit longer than usual to check in as we have to provide the Healthpass (mentioned above). Not to mention that the foreign couple in front of us were having some check-in issues (based on their body language and foreign conversation, the airline ground staff has to go and come back for whatever reason)
Finally, got our tickets, passed the immigration and waited to board.
Flight
Noticed that the plane was not even half full of passengers. There were so many vacant seats, and almost half of the plane was empty particularly at the tail of the plane.
We occupied the three seats in the middle and yet the other sides, both left and right were empty, so it was like we had the whole aisle just for us.
I’ve known this from the beginning as these days, airlines will take limited passengers due to covid (social distancing and all) and actually took like a month to confirm our bookings.
And so we fly on a big plane!
Philippines 🇵🇭
While onboard, the flight attendant gave us two fill-up forms, a yellow and brown small form, one is the arrival form and the other one is for the Quarantine.
As we landed 10 hours later and after the immigration, we were all instructed (all returning Filipino workers) to go to a separate hall (gate A) and they gave us another small white fill up form which the staff told us, for OWWA. After a small briefing, (like where to go next, what to do next, rules and procedure for quarantine, do’s and don’t while in quarantine and how to go home after the quarantine period)
We were then told to collect our baggage and head to the OWWA counter. We gave them the white form we filled up in gate A and from there, they gave us three meals and water, a small booklet (which indicates the hotel we were heading to, the Grand Hyatt for us- it’s a five-star hotel anyways), and then we went straight to the big bus outside that will take us there.
Booklet
Grand Hyatt- This is now where the slight inconvenience happens upon reaching the hotel. As we are traveling with a baby, it gets a little inconvenient waiting inside the bus for more than an hour as the passengers have to go in the hotel one by one, set of two to be exact.
From the bus, we have to transfer to a van (which is actually in front of the hotel already, and just by going inside, we still have to ride the van that goes in the parking floors underneath)
We didn’t pass by the actual reception, but in a different room that looks like a make-shift reception, maybe it is intended for the vacationing OFW’s only. All the staff there are in full gear PPE, covered from head to toe, a little exaggeration but if that’s the rule then be it, better to be safe than sorry, right, because what if we are a carrier of the virus, so better be cautious.
The staff are all warm and approachable in fairness, and they were all ready to answer whatever questions we have in mind.
Again, we have to provide all our details (they took our passports and register it in their log)
Please note that even a family has to be in a separate room, so I’m with the baby and my husband is next door to mine. We asked if we can be in one room together but we were told that it is a strict rule to comply with a one-person, one-room policy.
Finally in the hotel room!!!❤️
The hotel room is super cozy, we (my son and I, haha!) super love it! With a glass-paneled window that allows me to open up the curtains and see the full view outside, big comfy bed, a separate bathroom, and vanity, with a bathtub, a separate toilet, a separate closet, a sofa, and a big TV plus high-speed internet connection, what more can I ask for? It’s like a paid staycation for us! (I will write my review about the hotel in a while)
I‘ve also noticed that they provided everything we need for the quarantine including laundry soap and dishwashing soap, big water bottles, a lot of coffee and tea sachets, soaps, shampoo’s, toilet rolls, and tissue boxes, towels, vanity kit, and all.
And so we are going to spend 10 days here, free meals for baby and me three times a day. 5 days down, 5 more days to go and as of today, my son and I are enjoying here a lot. My son never gets bored with me and so am I as much as this is also our quality time spent together. We didn’t have much time during the daytime in BH as I’m also working full time. Not to mention that this is also one way to train him according to my way not to be a very brat little boy, and as the days passes by, I can see a different Jan Francisrain here, never cries for no reason, can follow simple instructions, knows what not to touch or do and so on, proud Nanay here!
Is it exaggerating or am I the only one who is enjoying the quarantine? 😂
This is it! Please wait for my next blog to follow:
And so finally, we are traveling International after exactly a year and a half! We are going for a PH vacation! I know it’s kinda inconvenient to travel these days amidst the pandemic, but we have to go all through these hassles due to some important matter that we have to attend to.
For a starter, please know that we are both (husband and I) fully vaccinated and our son has a flu vaccine, just in case. But still, we have to be extra careful, will still practice social distancing, follow the proper health protocols, and wear mask/ face shield if necessary every day.
So much for the long intro, to begin with, I just want to flex our newly opened ( less than a year of operation I guess) International Airport. Although the old one is not that bad in terms of cleanliness, service, and maintenance, the new airport is much bigger and more convenient in many ways!
From the very first time I set foot in an airport, (been to a lot) I have to say that BH Airport is one of the best!
I love traveling, and so, I so much love airports! I just love to be there and wait for my flight. I love the waiting. I love the Duty Free. I even love just to sit down there and eat and watch people’s faces walking around. Oh well, I actually blog why I love airports way back before, just couldn’t help not to write over and over again, (giggles)
Entrance
This is the Entrance going to the check-in. See how it is well maintained and awesome clean.
Sanitizer booth everywhere
You can find sanitizer booths almost everywhere.
Walkway
A walkway for those who are too tired to walk with heavy bags.😀
Lounge chair
And this is what I love the most! A waiting chair where you can actually stretch your legs, lie down and relax, or even take a nap!
Ready to board the big plane, toddler!
Not to mention that the air conditioning unit is very good, my son has to wear a jacket inside despite this mid-hot summer season. This is our first time flying to the new airport and I would gladly say it’s very convenient. I didn’t have much time to roam around as I have a toddler to attend to, but as far from whatever I’ve seen, restaurants, shops, charging stations, smoking areas, toilets with baby changing stations and all, this would be one of the BH greatest pride.
Durrat Al Bahrain is the third-largest artificial island in Bahrain after Northern City and Diyar Al Muharraq Islands.
Durrat Marina is located within the seaside resort of Durrat Al Bahrain offering residential, leisure, and retail facilities.
It’s actually almost an hour’s drive from our place in Gudaibia.
Entrance to Durrat Al Bahrain is limited to those who own villas there or have friends or relatives living there. You can also visit Durrat Marina Yacht Club, which is outside but near to Durrat Al Bahrain. And can hire a jet Ski and ride it around.
We’ve been there once during a Colleague daughter’s Birthday party celebration. It was actually early January of this year and the weather is still not hot.
The area is super cozy and nice. We brought the baby out (and the weather is super nice) to play in the playground.
He loves the slides, and the swing and sea horse, I guess because he used to watch it daily in Cocomelon.
And then we had a nice little photo session in the gazebo and the pool adjacent to the beach.
Chescadventures 