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Sunday, December 30, 2012

Puerto Princesa: The Concluding Part

We marveled at the rock formations in Puerto Princesa Underground River; a renowned 7 Wonders of Nature. I have to say that nature really has its own wonder as proven by the journey inside the cave.

We hated the fact that we have to leave the place that soon. But we must; as the queue of tourists awaits our return. We headed back to Sabang Port. With too short a time at hand; having the Honda Bay tour would be impossible. But, Hey! We were on Sabang Beach; so, why waste time??

I talked to our tour guide and see if we can plunge in the water as we awaits for the other van passengers. Having such a charm; we managed to get his YES and Go! Go! Go!

The Beach area is just a few minutes away from the Sabang Port. We walked under an scorching heat of the sun; but we cared less. By hook or by crook; we will get our skin soaked and salty :)

We stopped at Sheridan Beach Resort; one of the high-end resorts in Puerto Princesa. There you can find the South Sea Restaurant where you can get some refreshments after a tiring walk. That's what we did. We had few drinks before we started the plunge. I am a Margarita drinker.. Sad to say that their Margaritas did not meet my taste; although their Mojito did :)


Thursday, December 13, 2012

Puerto Princesa: Underground River

It is known as the longest navigable underground river in the world. The stunning natural formations of stalactite and stalagmite mixed with some residues coming from the bats made it as one of the recently added 7 Wonders of Nature.


Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Puerto Princesa: Plaza Cuartel

We had too little time to eat at least a fishball in Puerto Princesa City Baywalk; unless we would wish to skip the Plaza Cuartel. So, we hurriedly jumped off the van and head towards the once Japanese Garrison that is just across Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral.




Monday, November 26, 2012

Puerto Princesa City Baywalk

Alright, alright.. I owe you more updates as I stopped feeding you information on my whereabouts lately.. But hey guys, please be patient.. try to understand that love stops the time..

Anyways, where were we? Aha! from Binuatan Creation; we headed towards the Manila Baywalk counterpart ~ Puerto Princesa City Baywalk. It is located within the city proper.

The Puerto Princesa City Baywalk carries the city's emblem; the PEACOCK-Cock-cock (singing while writing :) ) and the port offers a grand view as you lazily walk around the Baywalk. Wait for the sun to set to awe in magnificent display of lights.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Puerto Princesa: Binuatan Creations

The Baker's Hill adventure mesmerized us and brought the child in everyone of us. The next destination was more of a trip towards arts.

We went to Pajara, Sta. Monica and visit the Binuatan Creations. 
Binuatan is a Cuyonin dialect that means creations; so in other words; Binuatan Creations means "Creations" creations.. talking about redundancy. But this is how we usually named names. 

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Puerto Princesa: Baker's Hill

As we departed from Mitra's Ranch; our tour guide told us that we will be having our snack really soon. I thought, why not just have the snack in Mitra's Ranch on a picnic style.. Good thing; it wasn't that way or I will miss the adventure of being young again.

A very short ride took us to Baker's Hill. The tour guide said it is the home of famous baked goodies and it started as a very small bakery that has been transformed into a Theme Park.

Baker's Hill Palawan showcased goodies that are awesomely delicious and a Disneyland inspired-park to play around. This place is really good for the kids and and those who would wish to be kids once more; just like the Besties :p

I think the most harassed fiber glass sculpture is this man...
 Dunno about the belly; but it sure does get all the attentions..

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Puerto Princesa: Mitra's Ranch



Besties' City Tour continued..

After seeing the silent fangs in the Crocodile Farm; our tour guide headed us to relax at Rancho Sta. Monica or better known as the Mitra's Ranch. The ranch was owned by the late house speaker; Ramon Mitra and currently by his son; Baham Mitra.

It is surprising that a privately-owned ranch is open to the public for free from 6am-6pm.

For a private land; Mitra's Ranch has one of the most envious view deck I had seen. It offers grand views of Palawan Island. It entices anyone who would wish to seek peace and solitude. I loved the greens that surround it. I love staying in this place for a little longer than what our tour guides had given us :p (It went back to the tour guide again..hahhahahaha).


Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Puerto Princesa: Crocodile Farm, keeping endangered species alive

It was almost noon when we arrived at Ysabelle Mansion in Puerto Princesa town proper. The tour was expected to start the following day and since we still have lots of time to start it earlier; I talked to the staff of Ysabelle Mansion if we can have the City Tour on that very day.

The staff made the necessary calls to the tour provider and made it happen. "Kudos" to that staff at Ysabelle Mansion :)
Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (aka Crocodile Farm)

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

BESTIES Review: Ysabelle Mansion in Puerto Princesa

Palawan, one of the prides of the Philippine Islands. Surely, the BESTIES would never miss experiencing Palawan's treasures and beauty. The BESTIES is a group formed by six lovely ladies (AHEM!) who had been friends for more than a decade; bonded with their passion to keep the friendship alive. That's us, and that's what we will always be :)

We planned this tour for 6 months and had everything ready 3 months before the actual trip. I, as the "pasimuno" (initiator) of the trip read a lot of reviews of places where we can stay in Puerto Princesa; and among them was Ysabelle Mansion. We simply would like a good place that is budget-friendly and this inn ranked 5 among the 74 inns currently reviewed in tripadvisor. As a contributor in hotel reviews; I decided to make my unbiased personal review of my stay in Ysabelle Mansion; taking some notable notes from the rest of the members of the BESTIES.

Details of the trip:
Date of stay: August 11-13, 2012 (3d2n accommodation)
Purpose of stay: Leisure Trip


Friday, August 10, 2012

Bohol: When saying "I DO" is paradise IN PARADISE

"I DO".. two words, one commitment..

A parchment unfolded in my hands. It was not an ordinary parchment. It was designed signifying a great occasion. A wedding indeed! I don't know; but, weddings always give me a leap of joy; and; with two lovely people close to my heart bonded with this holy matrimony, it brought me more than happiness but hope. 

I scrolled down the invites and there it was! Location: Peacock Garden in Bohol. Attire: Grecian! Grecian? hmm.. this brought me into panic mode. I sure do hell love to dress up like goddess; but, 'lo can I just wear my pair of jeans and still look like Greek Goddess? LOL!

Alright, I decided to just look sexy and did not mind scouting for a grecian dress.

I booked my flights and accommodation with Sunny dear as my companion. We decided to stay in Alona Tropical; a beach front accommodation in Alona. It was far from the Peacock Garden; but we had coasters to pick us up during the wedding.

Alona Beach offers a fine white sand and crystal blue water that keeps you closer to nature. I already knew what to expect in Bohol as this was my second visit. My first visit was with my mom.

Aerial shot of Bohol Island

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Bohol: Tracing a not-so-distant past

I gathered the bits and pieces of a not-so-distant past trips I had in Bohol. Men, that wasn't easy! These I believe are the common denominator of all travel bloggers; backlogs! Backlogs of stories meant to be shared at a point in time; preferably just right after the trip; but kept in memories until some were half-forgotten.

'twas an agonizing memory check on my part. But, my Bohol experience keeps hunting me up to this day.

My first trip in Bohol was a year ago; and one of the most treasured trip I had. My mom was with me! With her heart condition at that time; travelling far wasn't a good idea; but, she was overwhelming with enthusiasm that she would be able to to enjoy the trip as much as we would. And,she did. :)

My mom and I; both excited with our Bohol Trip

Friday, July 20, 2012

From "single" to "in a relationship"

Ever since I started using FB; from the time of account creation until just 3 hours ago, my FB status had always been "single". Then all of a sudden a twist of event took place and I changed it to "in a relationship". So many people hit the "like" button and some made few congratulatory comments. In fact it's currently trending now. Wow! I don't know whether I'll be happy about it or I'll feel sad as it seems the change hit them more likely as a shock than just a mere information.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Sabah, Malaysia: The concluding Trip

The last road to travel..
The last chance of redeeming what happened the day before..
Were our prayers heard?

The last destination is for the young and the young at heart. We traveled going to Penampang-Papar for almost 45 minutes from our hotel. As usual, our tour guide/driver accompanied us on the trip. We were so lucky to see the sun shining brightly.Maybe,our prayers reached up above after all :)

Uphill Penampang-Papar lies Lok Kawi Wildlife Park. It offers both zoological and botanical parks. We were charged RM10 as our tour guide got our tickets. Usually, RM20 is the cost of the ticket for non-Malaysians like us; but, we just got lucky to get it in half a price.


Sunday, July 15, 2012

Sabah Malaysia:The 3rd day

Learning is inevitable whilst one travel. And, in Sabah I learned to expect the unexpected and to find the rainbow after the rain.

We got up with only 2-hour sleep. With a drowsy head; we intended to grab some more sleep while moving.
Our itineraries were planned by our driver/tour guide. He too was the one who picked us up at the airport; so, we were at ease with his company already. He's a nice guy :)

The sun was shining brightly and there was no sign of rain falling down as I looked at the sky.

He led us first to see the Mount Kinabalu Park where the tallest mountain in South-East Asia lies. As we traversed a winding road; the cloud grew darker. That wasn't a good sign as we intended to trek the mountain. True enough; the gatekeepers almost didn't want us to get inside. They said that the mountain is not good for visitors at the moment. But; we saw the natives moving up and got the courage they had, we insisted. As we moved up; the chill got into our bones. Our get-ups were never appropriate. Wearing thin clothing became our worst enemy. We only got the courage but not the armors to conquer the Kinabalu Summit. The climb became harder as we get near the next gate. Slippery rocks due to water flowing down made us almost stop and go back. We lessened our target heights as the keepers thought that was a bad idea to continue after all.  We heeded.. defeated; and just took some shots to remember the place.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Sabah, Malaysia Part 2

It was way past 7 when we decided to grab a dinner in the Filipino Market. It's a huge market that offers variety of Filipino dishes. Different seafood to choose from as you walk from one stall to another. A plate of rice is good for 2 to 3 people. When you eat in the Filipino market; expect to use your hands as there's a ready basin to wash them; just like a typical Filipino way of eating food. However, since we were already dressed for clubbing; we decided to ask for spoon and fork (maarte lang??). We ordered too much food that I felt my belly was about to burst right after forcing myself to eat almost all of them. Over-all, the Filipino market offers cheap quality and good tasting food; but the "pasalubong" cost higher than buying them in Boracay or Palawan.


Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Sabah, Malaysia: Setting my foot on the Land Beneath The Wind

I was there with a passport; when I should have not even bother to have one to see Sabah. Well, that's life. If we really never fight for what is rightfully ours; then, we lose the fight even before it started. I'm trying hard to put my words just as common as it should be; as I know by fact, my travel to the Eastern Part of Malaysia is the reason why you're reading this blog; and not because of the Philippines claim to Sabah. But, true enough you'll feel the Philippines presence once you step your foot in it. Why?

  1. Majority of the so-called Malaysian natives there speaks Filipino.
  2. Buying goods using Philipine peso is much appreciated; so, they can just send it straight to their families in the Philippines. Haha! But when asked if they're Filipinos; they would readily say "I'm Malaysian". They preferred to be Malaysian, I got the point.
  3. The crafts cannot be denied as made by Filipinos.
  4. The market place is like going to any "Talipapa"in the Philippines.
  5. I felt I never left the Philippines at all!

Sunday, July 8, 2012

New Wave of the 80's Mix

This is the first mix I've ever had that I've loved listening to over and over again. If you like it; give all credits to my favorite DJ, DJ eL Reynolds.




Playlist includes:

DJ eL Reynolds

Well, I came across DJ eL Reynolds' mixes while I was browsing the net for some good mix of the 80s. He is one of the well-loved and applauded DJs in mixcrate.

Here's DJ eL Reynold's Bio taken from mixcrate:

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Bantayan and Moalboal Tour Invitation

Okay; I must admit, I am having a Cebu addiction.

The first time I went there; i knew that i would be coming for more of what Cebu can offer. I don't know; but, each time an airfare promo is announced; i always look if going to Cebu is included. Thus, I booked again to CEBU once more :)

I grabbed another promo from airphil express going back to Cebu with below details:

Thursday, June 28, 2012

When THE FARM offers more than the VEGGIES




I thought I still would be needing more time to have this place crossed in my bucket list of places to visit. I thought
wrong. Somehow, the invites I got shocked me and needless to say I sent back my RSVP right away. It says: "Yes, I would love to JOIN you in going to THE FARM at SAN BENITO". I forgot if I placed too many exclamation point at the end; but, my expression let me not hide my excitement.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Abundantly yours, Abra (Part 2)

Read the first part here..

The rain tested our patience as we drove to see the Abra river. Each time we had to get down the wheels; the rain heavily poured as if its playing a joke on us. We didn't heed to the calling of quitting; instead, we ran and stole few shots before the huge drops hit us.


The plan was to swim in the river; rent a hut and enjoyed a few moments of being just there. The mother of all rivers where other rivers known as her sons come back every now and then; that Abra is to me. I marveled at the wideness of her scope. Even at a glance; she fascinated me. Pity as the plan never materialized; somehow, the rain got his victory over us. We had children on board and we couldn't take the risk of having anyone get sick if the plan will push through. The Calaba bridge is long; and it provided us a better view of the Abra River. It served as our refuge to get to know her more. And the three of us awed in fascination. "Beautiful" it is. All is said and done.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Abundantly yours, Abra (Part 1)

Tik, tok, tik, tok... I glanced as my watch hit 10PM comes Friday night on the the 15th of June. Yeah! it's Abra time.:)



Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Cagbalete Island ~ The Sandbar tells the story


Listed as one of the Philippines beaches you must see before you die.




Cagbalete Island boasts for its widest sandbar you could ever imagine especially on low tides. It is one of Mauban's treasure in tourism.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

DIY your VACATION!


Pity..pity..pity... on deep thoughts as I read about the complaints of people who got scammed by sites giving cheap travel tours. The agony is waiting who to complain after all. Was it the deal site or the agency? Don't get me wrong; there are legit deals on the net; but, knowing which one is for real would be diffifult. If you have ways of deciphering them one by one, by all means go ahead; otherwise, my suggestion is to DIY! Yes, Do-it-yourself (DIY) is better option than grabbing those deals. But, you've got to learn how to do it. I may not be

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Mauban Quezon (Dahoyhoy Falls)


I planned and invited them on this trip. I ended up hearing their stories.

Enticing Water rush in Dahoyhoy Falls

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Traveling the City of Dreams, MACAU




For few days now; I've been trying to trace the events that took place when i traveled Macau last October 16, 2011. And, I can't help but smile on how this travel all started :)


Saturday, May 26, 2012

Pictures this Good (and so i thought) need to be shared


I was looking at the pictures of my travels; and every time I see these pictures; I paused and mesmerized..


It seems I have captured the best in the place or so i thought :)

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Boracay Never fails to AMAZE me (Day 1)


I’d been here six times! Yet, Boracay never fails to amaze me J


Boracay is a paradise that everyone should never fail to pay a visit. Although, you must really save money for the trip as grand vacation requires.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Tour Invitation - 09 08 12 Digyo Island Inopacan Leyte At P1100/Person

Tour Invitation - 09 08 12 Digyo Island Inopacan Leyte At P1100/Person.


Just showing what I might see in there:)


This Picture is just grabbed in http://pics.totalphilippines.com


I will definitely join this trip.. To all my friends, let me know if you are interested.

Cebu: Hail, to the Queen City of the South Part 2

And there I was still roaming Cebu. All I have in mind was that the trip is worthy of my time; my money and the risk I took to travel this city alone.


You can read the first part of my travel in Cebu here.


I saw two crowns of the Queen already and as I moved along with my tour; 3 more crowns were revealed.


The Crown of Faith ~ When the Spaniards came to the Philippines they spread Christianity like a wild fire.Lapu-lapu's defense on invasion did not stop the spread of Catholicism in Cebu. It is visible in the relics left behind and preserved by the Cebuanos. One of these relics is the oldest image in the Philippines as passed-on to Filipinos by the Spaniards way back 1500. It is known as the image of Sto. Niño de Cebu. The relic survived the Parish fire in 1565 miraculously; and, is currently housed in Basilica Minore del Santo Niño in Cebu City.


Our family is a devotee of Sto. Niño. I intentionally did not take picture of Sto. Niño. I fell on a long line to see HIM. I offered that very moment to give thanks and praise not to take HIS picture. The very reason why my mom allowed me to go to Cebu alone knowing I will be seeing the Sto. Niño personally.









Just outside the church; I saw the Magellan's cross housed in a chapel. The very cross planted by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 is encased in the huge wooden cross at the middle of the chapel.







Is Cebu all about Catholicism? Nope! But, majority of the Cebuanos are Catholics. However, as I passed-by different churches; I saw that other religions are present there. I even went inside the Taoist Temple.


I heard a great story about this temple. The huge dragon was not just simply placed there. It was chosen because of a dream from a Chinese merchant who said that a dragon with 5- fingers visited him and told him about the place where his statue should be built for prosperity. Later on, the Taoist people built their temple there as it will be a great place for worship. They believed that the 5-finger dragon is the Highest spiritual form for worshiping. Well, that's the story behind it. Authentic or not; I just relied on my intuition that the place is calming and divine.

















The Crown for Great Culture and Craftsmanship ~ Did I buy things there? Of course! their Cebu's crafts are one of the best in Asia. Sad to say that their best craft, the guitars are not exported as the manual work entails long days to commit in exporting huge volumes of guitars. I saw how tedious a guitar is made and how beautiful the outcome product is :) I visited that famous Alegre Guitars and even got the chance to play there :)













As we were driving around Cebu town proper; I saw a good structure and stop-by to take a picture. I didn't know that it was Cebu Cultural Center. Bruce, the driver told me that it is not possible to enter the establishment; but, when the guard saw my persistence; he let us in :)


There was a cultural dance exhibit going on that time as well as crafts and food exhibits. I got really lucky! :) But, taking pictures of the product is prohibited; buying them is not :) So, my money was gone in a snap of a finger! Haiizzz... hihhihiihi. I even went inside the Dance Hall and mimic the dancers from all over the Philippines.
















The Crown of Vast Tourism ~ The last crown of The Queen City of the South was evident on the latter part of my travel. The vastness of tourism is overwhelming; from the places I visited to the places I still have to visit.


Cebu got almost everything. From beaches to sports to culture to heritage to falls to food and to a lot more; Cebu can offer its guests with them.


I got a better view of Cebu when I went to TOP hill. I love greens and best scenes and great structures; I found them there in one place; the TOP hill. It was just 30 minutes ride from Cebu Town Proper. A minimum charge of PHP100 is collected as entrance fee. Stores and restaurants are made available. The cool breeze in a hot summer day was sufficient to relieve me from exhaustion of the tours. I felt like I can almost touch the sky!


















My trip wouldn't be complete if i couldn't see a beach. With the many great beaches Cebu can offer; I opted to relax and wander in Mactan Island because it is where I stayed. So close; yet, so beautiful. Sad to say that the battery of my cam got drained; so, I used iphone to take the pics. Most of the pictures got blurry; but, i managed to save some good shots. :)


I went to Bluewater in Maribago; a high-end resort in Mactan. The place is huge and offers great beach front; great amenities including 4 big pools and private area. The floating gazebos are added attraction where you can drink and listen to soft music as you marvel on the clean water rested on fine white sand.




































I laid asleep so peacefully. I had to fly back home early in the morning. Certainly, this was the BEST TRAVEL I EVER HAD so far :) I will come back in Cebu to catch its infamous beaches. Very soon, I will be back...


Places to visit back in Cebu:


Badian Island


Bantayan Island


Camotes Island


Malapascua Island


Moalboal Beach


Nalusuan Island


Sumilon Island


'til next travel of the itchy-foot of the G; here in gfootsteps.


Thanks for dropping-by! :) Muah! Muah!


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