I flew 3.21 hours, the exact time according to our pilot, to Tumon, Guam to find myself back in Philippination. It was sun, sand and Pinoys everywhere all over again! It was also the land of PPR and LVMH. Below, the highlights of my trip.
The Place
It was refreshing to be in a place with lots of open spaces and trees. Although the sun in Tumon was as, if not more, intense as here in Manila, the wind was cool and made the heat from the sun more tolerable.
Hotel
Holiday Resort looked like it had been around for quite sometime based on its spacious hotel interiors and marble floors and columns. It wasn't maintained very well, so I was thankful it was at least clean.
From top: lobby, coffee shop (add: I found a UCC coffee in can made from Kona Hawaiian coffee beans but it tasted the same as other instant coffees in cans), the view from our room, and a lone, tattered chair in the balcony
Shopping
Outrigger probably has the most strategic location for shopping. It also looks more modern than most of the hotels in the area. Unfortunately, no room was available at the time of our booking. DFS, The Plaza, J Superstore and other shops are all within walking distance from Outrigger.
I heard that designer goods such as LV bags are supposed to be cheaper here because Guam is a tax-free zone but I found that the price is not really any cheaper than in HK. However, I discovered that some cosmetics and skincare including Chanel, Clinique and Clarins are cheaper by 10 to 15% than in HK, but Shu Uemura, L'Occitane, HR and La Mer are more expensive.
Some shops located in Guam Premier Outlets include 9 West, Levi's, Nike and BCBG. But the real treasure trove would have to be Ross where I scored Sanuk, Sam Edelman, and Franco Sarto flats at dirt cheap prices.
From top: Outrigger, shopping central, J Superstore which has Diesel, Juicy Couture, Paul Frank, among others, DFS Galleria has a fantastic chocolates section, ABC Store is a convenience/souvenir shop located at almost every corner, Guam Premier Outlets, HR Lash Queen Extravaganza is an upgrade of my favorite Lash Queen mascara, Vans galore, some fantastic grocery finds include a box of See's Candies lollipops, Kona ground coffee beans which is way, way cheaper than in Citysuper in HK, and a box of giant, coconut flavored Pretz made especially for Guam
Transportation
The Tumon Shuttle is $3/ride or $20 unlimited for a week. It goes around to all the major shopping destinations and hotels. DFS Galleria and a few other shopping centers have their own free shuttles. According to the hotel staff, a taxi will also take tourists to DFS Galleria free of charge.
Dining
Nothing exciting about the food here especially for vegetarians like me. Basically, I overloaded on mozzarella cheese which was both yummy and gross (afterwards).
From top: CPK, Hark Rock, HR spring rolls, and veggie burger, I saw homegrown food chains Yellow Cab and Coffee Beanery (and HK's Circle K), mozzarella sticks and chocolate Darigold (!)
Coffee
There weren't a lot of coffee shops around. In fact, I didn't spot a single Starbucks anywhere. But I spotted a few free coffee stations like this.The Japanese Tourists
Majority of the tourists were groups of twenty-something Japanese in interesting resort wear. Maxidresses and long skirts were a popular choice of clothing among the girls, but what I found amazing was how they managed to pull these off with high heels, or worse, Crocs! (not ballet/mary jane Crocs but the original big-headed kind). What's more interesting, though, was their hair, makeup and accessories. Fedora hats, fake orchid hairclips, and false eyelashes were common but the complicated looking bun, which I'm dying to find out how to do, was my favorite. The guys with their dyed and overly styled hair looked super kawaii as well!
On the Way to K-Mart
The trip to K-Mart has its own section because I was able to take good pictures on the way there. K-Mart is located away from the tourist area, and we had to get off at Guam Premier Outlets and switch to another bus to get there. Of course, we only discovered that we could actually walk to K-Mart from Holiday Resort when we were already off to the airport.
O.P.I. nail polish was being sold almost everywhere, but it was cheapest in K-Mart at $8.50. Other than this, there wasn't much to see. I was planning to hoard body wash and lotion but it's way cheaper in SNR here in Manila.
Me on Vacation
I didn't get to have a lot of pictures of me taken as I was too busy taking pictures myself. Plus, I spent a lot of time gawking at the cute Japanese boys and girls.
My vacation wear was also a snoozefest and to add to this, I got eye irritation due to the strong sea wind so I had to go around in my eyeglasses or not see anything at all. Good thing I also brought a hat as I couldn't wear sunglasses.
All in all Guam is a great place to just chill and relax. No one seemed to be in a hurry to get to anywhere as everyone else was a tourist. I wouldn't mind going back just to sleep and walk around that is if I could score a nice and affordable tour package at Outrigger.
