A Different Boracay Experience

I have been to Boracay for several times now since 1997 when only a handful of small hotels and restaurants were available and only Station 3 was fully developed. During those frequent visits to Boracay, I have come to know the island as a beautiful serene place that offers visitors a truly relaxing vacation. The turquoise water is normally calm and peaceful. The sea breeze is very gentle. People enjoy strolling along the beach because of the beautiful and tranquil surrounding.

However, I saw a completely different Boracay when I spent my vacation there last Sept 28-30 together with officemates. There was a typhoon that headed to the north that weekend which brought bad weather on this exquisite island. The water was so wild. The wind was so strong. The waves kept on pounding the shore that went as high as 10 feet. The island was at the mercy of nature's fury.

But despite the unnatural behavior of nature, we still enjoyed our vacation as we continued with all our fun activities. We dined in our favorite restaurants like the Shanghai Restaurant which offers the best shanghai rice and the Gasthof Cafe Deli Grill which is home of Boracay's famous baby back ribs. We took a sip of Jonah's fruit shake. We hopped on some bars like Cocomangas. We swam on the sea and enjoyed the big waves which I only used to see on TV or magazines. Some of our mates even proceeded on their island hopping and snorkeling activities. Some had their tattoos while the others had their massage on the beach. Some took advantage of the cold weather as they stayed and slept in the comfort of the hotel room while a few enjoyed walking on the beach to take pictures of the surrounding using their SLRs.

It was a different Boracay mood because of the bad weather but still, it was one unique Boracay experience for me that will be remembered through times.

Palawan... Captivating, Stunning!

Going on a trip to far-flung provinces has never been this easy and cheap. Thanks to the One-Peso promo of Cebu Pacific, my wife and I together with friends were once again able to go on out-of-town trip last Sept 5-8... this time to the enchanting and beautiful Palawan.

Palawan is known for its many great unspoiled beaches. From Puerto Princesa which is at the center of this long island, you can either travel to the north or to the south. Either way, you will end up strolling and swimming to the glimmering turquoise water of the several powder-white beaches of the island. In our case, we headed to the north to a place called Port Barton which is one of the several uninhabited areas of Palawan.

Port Barton is a simple community far away from civilization that offers a very laid back vacation to visitors. At Ysobelle resort where we stayed (the owner of which we got to know through a friend), there are no imposing buildings that distract the majestic view of the beach landscape and no glowing lights and island music to entice beachcombers. Only the natural beauty of nature is all what the resort offers. There are no TV sets. No air conditioning system. In fact, electricity is only limited to six hours a day from 6PM to 12midnight. Had it not been from the availability of Smart signal in the area, you would really have thought that you travelled back to stone age. But who needs electricity and those other modern conveniences on this part of the planet? With the fresh cool air that keeps on blowing into the nipa hut cottage combined with the sounds of the chirping birds and sea waves and the magnificent view of the sea and mountains around you, you would definitely not miss your favorite telenovela while having your vacation here.

The islands and beaches nearby are equally stunning. The boatman brought us in the Exotic Island which is really a paradise of unspoilt beauty. The water here is crystal clear and the sand is pristine white. Turtles are natural habitants of the Exotic island while sting rays are a frequent visitors on the shore. Luckily, there were no sting ray when we were there, otherwise we would have not enjoyed swimming to our hearts content. Another island nearby called Blue Coral also captivated us. It has a resort that is still being developed and owned by a British guy whom we were able to talk to. From him we found out that he’s been there for only two years and that he fell in love with the place the first time he saw the island. Well everyone will really fall in love with the sheer beauty of that island.

The Port Barton area has also a lot of dive and snorkeling sites that are indeed a feast for the eye. Whatever beauty of nature is displayed above the sea, the grandeur is reciprocated underneath. Several corals and fish thrive underwater that is really a sight to behold. Edible sea weeds are also abundant which we found out are hard to find and a bit expensive in Manila. I'm sure it will not be long that I will find myself once again swimming on this magnificent water of the island. Indeed, Palawan is our last frontier.

A Weekend in Laiya

Summer maybe over but this does not stop me, my wife and friends from going to the beach and enjoy the water.

Last August 25 & 26, we headed to the fast-rising popular destination in the south which is the beach resorts of Laiya in Batangas. As early as 8AM, we already hit the road as we traveled to the long and sometimes narrow road going to Batangas. There was even a portion of really rough terrain which we later found out marks the start of the beach stretch of Laiya. It's good that we brought along a Ford Escape and Honda CRV which made the trip a lot convenient even on rough road.

After around 3 hours of travel, we have finally checked in to the Blue Coral Resort which is one of the more expensive resorts in the stretch of Laiya. The resort is not that impressive but it has a pool which the other resorts in the area lack. The room where we stayed is a bit big but lacks the architectural design of a hotel room. The bathroom is a huge empty space that is half as big as the main room. The food though is great and the meals were served in buffet style which we really enjoyed so much.



The water and sand of Laiya are not comparable to Boracay or Bohol but good enough to enjoy your swim as the water is crystal clear. Just be careful and watch your step under the water since thare are some sea urchins near the shore that are waiting to poke unwary swimmers.

Our stay in Blue Coral was good overall. It's nice to know that we still have remaining beautiful and clean beach that is just within 3 hours travel by land from Manila. A few years from now and Laiya may be crowded already as more resorts and restaurants will surely sprout along the beach similar to Puerto Galera. We're just glad that at least, we have seen Laiya on its most pristine moment as we have seen Puerto Galera and Boracay during its unspoiled days.

The Amazing Bohol

Though two months have already passed, I can still vividly remember the fun moments that we had during our 3-day stay at the amazing Bohol with my wife and friends. I can still see the clear blue water of the sea and the magnificent coral reefs beneath it. I can still feel the fine white sand of the beach under my feet. I can still hear the lovely voice of the Children's Choir at the Loboc river.

The first day of our trip at Bohol was already packed with excitement as we headed for a day tour around the different famous landmarks which the province boasts. We went to Baclayon Church which is said to be one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. We then took some pictures at the Blood Compact monument which history tells us that Legazpi and Sikatuna made a blood compact on the shore of this island to seal their friendship and brotherhood. From the park, we went to Loboc river where we got to see and hold the smallest monkey in the world, the Tarsier. It was merely 4 to 5 inches in height and more similar to a bat without wings rather than to a monkey. Afer some picture taking with the Tarsier (the caretaker even placed it on my head for some kodak moment), we took our lunch right at the middle of the Loboc river aboard a boat. It was really a great experience to eat lunch while cruising the Loboc river and being serenaded by a local folk singer. At the end of the river, we were then serenaded by a group of children with a pop song "No Arms Can Ever Hold You" but to the accompaniment of ukelele and guitars. It was a nice rendition that I had a last song syndrome for the rest of the day.

After that sumptuous buffet lunch, we then proceeded to the world renowned Chocolate hills. The hills were literally like gigantic chocolates that spread in a vast array of land. We had to climb several steps of stairs to reach the summit of the viewing deck which almost exhausted me, but upon seeing the majestic view, I was really caught in awe. It was indeed a sight to behold.

We ended the day with a trip to a local pasalubong house where we bought some delicacies which the province produces. Before the sun set, we have finally checked in to Dumaloan Beach Resort which is a quiet, neat resort with good quality service on this small island of Samal. The food was also great and cost less than what you would expect from a beach resort.

The next day was another exciting day for all of us which is supposed to start with a dolphin watching at the break of dawn. Unfortunately, we did not make it early to the site as everybody woke up late, hence no dolphin was seen in the sea which normally show up at early dawn as we were told. To our disappointment, we just proceeded to the next island where we made our first dip in the water of Bohol and had snorkelling. Our disappointment was taken away after we have seen the view underneath the sea which was really breathtaking. The fish and corals were so diverse and almost all colors were represented by the differerent species in the water. There were yellow, green, red, orange and blue color underneath. Another fantastic sight to behold.

With our hotel close to Bohol Beach Club resort, we had our lunch there and took a dip on their swimming pool. I don't know what's on this pool but it's now on top of my list as the best swimming pool I have ever been. Maybe it's the view of the beach at the background or maybe it's the water that keeps on falling and flowing on one side of the pool. Whatever it was, it really made me enjoy the water and made me stay in the pool despite the scorching heat of the sun. We ended the day with a dip in the pool of the Dumaloan Beach Resort. Altough it was not as great as the pool of Bohol Beach Club, we still enjoyed swimming until past 10PM.

On the third day, we did not have much time to swim as we needed to go back to Manila on an early flight. Though our vacation was short, we had the best time of our life. Certainly, Bohol will be a place that we will visit again and again.