I am here to promote Albay. Oas edition

Cagmanaba Oas Albay is the newest destination of Bicolanos looking for that budget friedly beach outing.

Must do/see: Trinity islands, white beach/cove with no name. The beach at diwata imacoto resort is so-so, crushed corals/rock instead of sand is not friendly for my feet. The boat rental is a major rip-off, 1,200 for about 4 hours, two destinations which are very near.

Captivating EL NIDO, Palawan

What to expect:

1. The road is long and winding, hence, bonamine for the hiluhin. Van travel takes an average of 5 hours, over concrete yet bumpy because there is no asphalt overlay, with portions of rough road. Read: B-U-M-P-Y. May I suggest you set your schedule according to the sked of Daytripper vans which I heard is very comfy. But, your time in El Nido wont be maximized. If u want to maximize ur time, take the last trip, its safe, dont worry :)

2. There are vans at the airport, check them out and see if the seats are comfortable before committing and what time it will leave.

3. Do Tours C and A, in this order. Spare yourself from the hassle of scouting for cheap tours by booking thru your hotel.

4. So many food choices! But don't miss the real nido soup :)

5. Get a gopro or rent it but practice with it first, to get that perfect shot and angle make sure its not foggy.

Why Do You Travel?

Getaway. To get away from it all. The daily grind of worklife and family life can be stifling at times. Add a sprinkle of frustrations, unrealized dreams or goals, difficult people you have to deal with, and its a recipe for an emotional breakdown. Sometimes, prayer is not enough, I need space, space to breathe. To be away physically from the source of the stress gives me relief, a temporary high. While I know that this does not solve the problem, it still feels nice that for a brief period of time I was carefree, happy and content. It is educating of course, getting to see and experience a different culture, or way of life and be amazed by the wonders of God's creations. Yes sometimes it is pleasing to the eyes, nature's beauty is bewitching, and man-made wonders will leave you baffled at how it was achieved. But still, what drives you to explore? Isn't it to be happy and away from it all? Perhaps you might disagree with me, perhaps you won't. So tell me, why do you travel?

Boracay Beaches

Puka Beach, where the water is cool, and not too salty, is my favorite. Fewer tourists here. Peace and quiet :)

 Bulabog. Not worth it :) but this dog loves it

 Diniwid, hmm. docking area of boats for hire. Some lumot. Not going back.

White Beach, station 1, sad.

CALAGUAS : Mahabang buhangin beach

The powdery sand everyone is raving about is located at far end of the beach, when facing the sea, right side. It is not the sand that is enchanting but the sea and the view. It is a pity that its pristine beauty has been tainted by so-called resorts and tents that seem to think theyre pleasing to the discerning tourist's eyes. Add to that some rowdy liquor smelling vacationers that you will come across while enjoying the beach.

CALAGUAS : Waling Waling Resort

This is the only resort in the island offering accommodations with "ensuite" comfort room. I won't bore you with the details which you can find on their website or fb account. Here are some tips to help you out in planning your getaway:

1. There is no proper port in Paracale. If your package includes boat transfers, look for the "waling port" and you will be directed to a concrete house beside the bridge. There's no one to meet you there so just ask around.
2. Electricity at the resort runs from 6pm to i dont know what time in the morning. Pack as many powerbanks as you can for your cameras.
3. Bring earplugs for a good night's sleep, impromptu parties by other guests who think that theyre the only ones in the resort can ruin your vacation.
4. Do not expect that brewed coffee is available, so bring your "pressers" or ground coffee in teabags for your caffeine fix.
5. Always check the weather forecast. If there's gale warning, dont expect the staff to inform you about it!
6. Lower your expectations.
7. Towels will be provided, but not toiletries.
8. Good news! The mattress and pillows are comfy.
9. The sleeping area at the kubol sleeps 4 people comfortably, two queen size mattresses.
10. Have a plan B like Mercedes group of islands, or Caramoan, where its cheaper :)

BIRI Beautiful: How to get there

Biri is an island municipality in the province of northern samar. It can be reached by means of a passenger banka from the port of lavezares of the same province. The boat ride can take 45 minutes to more than an hour, depending on the wave conditions. Fine print: the waves can be rough, very rough.

We initially rented a banka from Matnog port, but after 45 minutes, the boatman decided to turn around and return to the port. It was a boat ride from hell, it wasnt my first boat ride, ive been to many island hopping sprees but this one was one for the books. Tip: check the wave forecast before you rent a banka from bulusan or matnog sorsogon.

And so, we decided to take the ferry from matnog to allen, northern samar. Oh the trip was a breeze, despite the fact that we were soaking wet from the previous attempt to reach samar. When we reached allen, we boarded a tricycle to take us to the jeepney terminal which was less than 5 minutes away. The jeepney was bound for catarman but it will pass through lavezares. The roAd was concrete thank goodness. In 15 minutes more or less we reached the small port of lavezares, just behind the fish market.

The banka fare from lavezares to biri is Php 50.00. If youre in a group of more than 6, its better to rent the banka for a special trip. The rate can be as low as Php700.00 one way :) Tip: waterproof your stuff! need i say more? oh and bonamine for the seasick!

Roughest travel ever but it was soooo worth it. Just look at the picture below.

PANGLAO ISLAND

GOOD MORNING PANGLAO!

This will greet you in the morning when you wake up in Panglao Island. Bolod/Dumaluan beach is actually made up of flattened coral beds. On top of the coral beds is fine white powdery sand. Explore it while lowtide and you'll notice something like this:

WTF is this?

Bohol Beach Club

This is the beach of Bohol Beach Club, adjoining Dumaluan Beach Resort. Its beachfront goes on forever! We did not reach the end of it, got too tired from all the walking.

Dumaluan Beach

I wanna wake up each day with this as my view. I recommend the resort not for its great service but for its perfect location and facilities. The resort has a pool and wifi and the only resort near it is Bohol Beach Club. The beach is never crowded and noisy.

PANGLAO, BOHOL ISLAND HOPPING

This is the view of Bolod Beach a.k.a. Dumaluan beach where we stayed for two nights, as we leave the island for the island hopping and dolphin watching. Yes, it is soooo low tide. We had to walk for at least 100m to reach the bangka. notice the pearl white sand. Just lovely! beats boracay IMHO.

This is why we woke up before sunrise... these dolphins don't like the sun :)

Virgin Island

This island has a semi-circle sandbar. This was the first sandbar I have been to, made a big impression. Overcast sky and a drizzle of rain did not prevent us from having fun. The island itself is not interesting, but i love the shape of the sandbar. Photo hobbyists will have a blast shooting this island :)

Balicasag Island

These are the two lighthouses of the island, but these are not what you should see here. Underwater, you will be amazed at the fishes and corals here. We had lunch at the island courtesy of islanders who cook for the tourists. Freshly grilled food gave us a hearty appetite :)

BOHOL DAY TOUR

Upon arrival either at the pier or the airport, you will notice hordes of van drivers advertising and enticing tourists to hire them. There is a standard tour which will take you to the places or tourist attractions being offered by Bohol province. Some are worth it, some are not so take your pick...

CHOCOLATE HILLS

Need i explain why it is called as such? This is the attraction bohol is famous for. It is essential that you visit this site. It's pretty isn't it? Wait till you make the hike towards the viewing area. Haha. I think I was cursing while going up the hundreds of steps. I stopped complaining when a middle aged lady was cruising her way to the top. Shame on me for not being physically fit. :)

MAN MADE FOREST

This is called as such because this was a product of bohol's efforts in preserving the environment. They reforested several hundreds of hectares of forest with mahogany trees which after many years, multiplied and voila. What a sight! I havent seen anything like it before. I thought the road lined with mahogany trees will never end. This is a happy place. Very peaceful. Could not resist stopping and walking along the road hhww :)

BACLAYON CHURCH and MUSEUM

This is one of the oldest churches in Bohol, very photogenic except that we didnt take a good picture of it haha. It is made of coral stones cemented by white eggs. Most of the churches in Bohol were made using this material, which is very abundant in the area. Fortunately, the province is seldom visited by typhoons so their churches are well preserved. There are tour guides in the church, and there is also a museum which i found creepy so we did not go inside.

LOBOC RIVER CRUISE with Buffet Lunch

(Riverwatch Floating Restaurant)

My absolute favorite. The breeze, yummy food and gentle boat ride relaxed me and made me sleepy. There are several floating restaurants here but our guide recommended this one, and we're glad he did. The food is good and there is a folk singer on board singing visayan songs i hardly understood, but i liked it anyway. He sang some english folk songs too. The boat stopped at several barangays who danced and performed for us. The tourists even joined in the dancing. I was entertained :)

TARSIERS - smallest monkey

And I thought I was tiny.... They look like medium sized mice, ugly tails. They are nocturnal creatures and i felt sad for them. Some of my companions chose not to take a picture with them and I almost joined them but for posterity's sake... Anyways, I love sleeping and I hate getting disturbed and waking up early so I can only imagine what it's like not to be able to get enough sleep because of the noise of the tourists and the camera clicking and flashing. I wish there were some ways they could be enclosed in a glass viewing area... sobrang kawawa sila. They all look so forlorn...sad

We also visited the phyton sanctuary - not worth the effort of uploading pictures and describing it. Butterfly Garden - so so, although kids who havent been to a butterfly garden will love it. Hanging Bridge - bailed out! did not manage to cross it :)

Hongkong Ocean Park

HONGKONG OCEAN PARK

A visit to hongkong's ocean park involves a lot of walking and trekking. Wear your most comfy footwear. It's a bit mountainous and larger than disneyland in my opinion. It has a lot to offer specially to kids. There is a dolphin and seal show, check out the schedule and map so you can plan ahead your itinerary. There are tons of people during weekends so better come and visit during weekdays.

My favorite is the sea jelly aquarium. Here is a sample picture, the aquarium has lights which the jellyfish reflects. It was so cool. The other aquariums are similar to Manila's ocean park.

For the adventurous, the rides can be challenging. We didnt try it though, the queue was so long (Thank God!)

This place is exclusively devoted to seals. They are sweet. You can even feed them if you are lucky.

I had to literally drag my hubby to get to the Panda sanctuary. We had to take the cable car to get there. The baby pandas are so cute and cuddly! i wanted to take them home.

Hongkong Disneyland

HONGKONG DISYNEYLAND - A MAGICAL PLACE

It is truly a magical place for the young and the young at heart. The disney train station is a marvel, it feels and looks like an old train station ala harry potter. The moment you ride the disney train with the trademark mickey silhouette appearing in all corners of the train from the windows to the hand rails, the excitement builds. Upon arrival, you are greeted by this.

And of course, a picture with your favorite disney characters is a must. Prepare to wait in line for at least 5 minutes :) We were lucky the assistant was a Filipino, he gladly accommodated our request to take our picture using our own camera. Be prepared to dip into your pockets for the souvenir snapshots taken by official photographers :)

This was my very first 3d animated movie experience, way before the imax. It was wonderful!!! the kids around me were trying to catch the images hahahaha. i tried catching one too!

Don't be tempted to ride this one. We boarded the english speaking guide- boat, but sadly i did not understand a word they were saying. sucks!

Don't dare miss the fireworks! The fireworks is synchronized with the disney music... sigh. what a magical experience indeed.

Hongkong Part 2

NGONG PING 360 AND THE GIANT BUDDHA

Day 2. We decided to check out the ngong ping 360 and giant Buddha in the morning and Disneyland in the afternoon, to save time and train fare because ngong ping is near Disney. We were lucky, even though it was raining, the ngong ping 360 was open. I must admit it was really very scary. The ride was so high, slow and so very long. Imagine being suspended in air for more than 30 minutes. Thank God i managed to calm my nerves and enjoy the ride, particularly the view it offered. Please check the website if its open, before you decide to go.

We arrived at the ngong ping village which was really cute! It is situated on top of a mountain and the Giant Buddha is just nearby. We were running out of time so we did not climb the steps to the Giant Buddha and contented ourselves with a picture from afar.

Hongkong Part 1

The airport is impressive and very grand, need I mention very large too? But don’t worry too much if you have a lot of luggage, your feet won’t get tired at all. You can just ride the conveyor and off you go! There are only small gaps between the conveyors and you will be reminded each time it ends and it starts so you won’t get into any accident. Cool . I wish our own terminal has this too. Sad.

Anyway, don’t forget to drop by the tourist corner where you can grab all the travel guides, maps that you need, for free! Also, before you leave the airport, buy an octopus card. I call this the all around debit card. You can use it in the trains, buses, and fastfood joints. I absolutely love this card. I cannot rave enough about it. You don’t even have to take it out of your wallet, no need to swipe, you just put it on top of the machine, and voila!

The transportation hub is very easy to find. Instead of taking the express train which was a bit expensive, we chose to ride the double decker bus haha. Commuting in Hongkong is a breeze. Buses have designated routes and stops you just have to consult the sign and/or your map and you will know which bus number you have to take to your destination. Again, I love the buses. Every impending bus stop is announced. You surely won’t miss your stop, you can even read the LED signage on the bus itself to know which stop is next. Most hotels give directions on how it can be reached and we just followed the directions we downloaded from the web. We did not get lost.

We chose an accommodation in Nathan Road and near the train station. We did not regret it. Tsim Sha Tsui is accessible by foot, so after checking in and taking a short rest, we took a stroll.

First, we visited the Museum of Art and the Science Museum. I recommend visiting the Museum of Art and History. If you don’t have kids with you, you can skip the science museum. At the museum of history, you will get to see a lot of artifacts, from scrolls to china. I specially love the section filled with gold ornaments made by ancient chinese.

After the museums, you can just walk to the cultural center, which is a marvel that a photo-op is necessary. The avenue of stars is just nearby and the clock tower. The tsim sha tsui promenade is ideal for whiling away your time and don’t forget to wait for the Symphony of Lights. The view from Tsim Sha Tsui of Victoria Harbor is beautiful both at day and at night. Stay longer and enjoy the sights. By the way, if you're not an experienced photographer, you need to shell out a few bucks for a really nice picture at the victoria harbor. For me, it was worth it. We also had an artist sketch us, a nice souvenir :)