Ligpo Island, Batangas

Some days, God gives me the things I wish for. In between our father-daughter bonding in an almost secluded island in batangas, I found a spot where I was able to do yoga facing the sea. Ain't that cool? Ujjayi breath never felt so good.

"Twinkle's Spot" (by CFerence)

The rooms (and my dad in the foreground)

The beach seen from the island

Samal Island City, Davao - Pearl Farm Beach Resort

July 21-22, 2011. This was my sister's treat to mommy for her 55th birthday, and her treat to me as a 'bakasyonista' from Manila. She originally planned a day trip tour, but because the price for the day tour changed to approximate the promo price of an overnight stay, she decided to just book us for an overnight stay in the beautiful resort. Her boyfriend, Joseph and her good friend, Nikki, came along with us.

This was our second time to stay here, actually. We were able to tag along when my dad, who was working for Caltex then, had a department outing. Compared to what it was more than 5 years ago, there was no major changes, just some touch ups and the same refreshing ambiance.

My sister booked us through the Pearl Farm Beach Resort office at Abreeza Mall. She just had to present the receipt to the Pearl Farm Marina at Lanang, Davao City where we boarded the boat that took us to the resort. It was hassle-free. They checked our bags to make sure we're not bringing in any food/drinks and deadly weapons with us, then we were ushered to the dock when the boat was ready for us. Excited:):):)

Hello Pearl Farm!!



We were greeted warmly by the staff at the parola, where we were immediately given an ice-cold, delicious complimentary pineapple juice. They gave us a short orientation just before our room keys were handed to us. The good thing about this resort is that we never had to worry about carrying our luggage. They took care of it from the moment that we entered the Pearl Farm Marina, and the bags were inside our rooms before we even got in. Very impressive :)

And so the fun began:) How else to start the adventure but by a speedboat ride. Leather seats, very nice driver, exclusive use for around 5 minutes to take us to Malipano Island, and suddenly, the regular humans had a taste of the good life of the rich :) Here's the proof, look at our stunned faces hehe. Wine na lang ang kulang :)



We decided to go to Malipano Island first. This is an island separate from the main Samal Island where the expensive villas and the VIP houses are located. It is also here that the aquasports (which are too expensive for me) facilities can be rented. This island has two beaches, but the better one is exclusive for the use of their villa guests. The other one is not bad either :) I remember that we were able to tour one villa during our first visit, so we did not attempt to do that anymore for this trip. We just enjoyed the beach and the buko juice that mom ordered for everyone which were delivered from the main island by the way, along with our beach towels. Told you the service is superb. We stayed there for an hour an a half, having the beach to ourselves for the most part. The interesting part is, when you look to the right of the main island, you see the really nice structures of the resort, but when you look a bit to your left, there are a lot of squatters. Just about the time that we were leaving (via the speedboat again of course hahaha), we noticed that the surging waves brought a lot of debris. Didn't really spoil the experience, but it was worth noting.





Manong speedboat driver was very accommodating, he did not just wait for us until 5:30pm, but he also took jump shots perfectly with just one try. I know this so out of the topic but we were all amazed. Look.



Came dinner time. Yum Yum! Just our luck, the dinner buffet price was discounted that night, and the hungry stomach got what it wanted from an afternoon of swimming - good food. Prawns, garlic fish fillet, chicken teriyaki, pork and beef bbq, buttered vegetables, buttered potatoes, sushi, sashimi, salad with all the dressings i know so far. The dessert choices were to die for too - grilled blueberry cheesecake, mango crepe, fruit cake, chocolate fudge cake and mango float. I'm not sure if I've forgotten anything, but the above list is good enough for me. Let the pictures speak for themselves.







Here are more pictures!!!:)

For a complimentary breakfast, this is not bad at all!

Where guests relax before and after a swim.

The infinity pool. This fronts the restaurant and it has a breathtaking view of the beach and the malipano island.

A nice view of the parola and the beach in the morning.

We chose to go home late in the afternoon. We boarded the boat ride scheduled at 4 pm. Now I know why we should choose to go home earlier next time. The waves were big and the boat rocked, and the passengers were shouting and were joking nervously to relieve the anxiety. I was quite confident that the boat will be able to reach Davao safely because it was big enough, and the boatmen didn't show any signs that they were concerned. Well, thank God we were able to reach the dock safely.

It was such a nice experience. Pricey, but definitely worth every centavo.

For more info: http://www.pearlfarmresort.com/

Palawan Adventures: Quezon

So I spent a year and 7 months working as a medical officer in a hospital in Quezon, Palawan. Those were fun times! I'd like to show you what that humble municipality has to offer in terms of its beaches. Do you know that Quezon is home to the Tabon Cave - where the famous Manunggul Jar was discovered. It was home to the earliest men and women.

It may not have the best beaches (because I think the beaches up north are better), but it has a number of good islands too.

Tabon Cave. There are 200+ caves but only a few are explored and are open to the public. You have to go hike all the way up and down its trails to be able to visit each of the caves. Right down below is the beach, where you can take a dip after a really tiring trek. Each cave has different attractions, but I was really drawn to the amazing stalactite and stalagmite formations in that cave known as the Cathedral. I've never seen a cave big enough to be a gym, and a stalagmite big enough that you have to climb through it. To reach the Tabon Cave, you have to ride a boat from the mainland. You have to set an appointment with the Museum and they will arrange the trip for you. A tour guide will meet with you and guide you through the trip.

Tabon Cave entrance seen from inside. I call this the "Tabon Man's Gate"





The cave known as "The Cathedral". It's beautiful.

Another view of the Cathedral Cave. Note that the stalactite and stalagmite almost meet.

A sound-producing stalactite.

In this cave, 500+ jars with human and animal bones were excavated. A jade bracelet was also retrieved.

Quezon has a lot of undiscovered islands which are comparable to the beaches of Samal Island. Here are some:


Sidanaw Island. The tabon cave looks so near from this view.


Frederick Island.


White Island. Heard this has no owner yet. Hmmm. :)

Another view of the White Island. Just to give you an idea how narrow it is. This is also me practicing to smile like I'm this island's owner.

Tataran Island. This is the island seen nearest to the Tabon Cave from the mainland. Unfortunately, this is privately owned, so we were not able to visit it.

Villa Esperanza Resort. This is a quaint, quiet resort in the mainland which is actually my favorite spot in Quezon mainly because I feel like I have the whole place to myself. They do not charge much too (a 10-peso entrance fee, a 600 pesos cottage rental fee for an airconditioned room). They have several cottages which can be rented, a wide garden, a nice view of the Tabon Cave and a beautiful view of the sunset. The beach is not good for swimming though.





I wish that the tourism in Palawan could also look into what the Southern part of the island can offer. Quezon, Palawan is an interesting place. I think that its caves have formations comparable to the underground river, except that here, you have to trek rather than ride a boat, and you don't have to use a flashflight because it's already well-lit by natural sunlight. The beaches are not as spectacular as el nido's, but, they are definitely beautiful as well. It's way way way cheaper too. At 800-1000 pesos for the boat fuel (which can accomodate 8-10 people already), you can go to Tabon Cave and to the several islands already. Definitely worth the 3-hour trip from Puerto Princesa.

Palawan Adventures: El Nido

I've been to El Nido twice - the first one was when I tagged along the higher ups of the Palawan Provincial Health Office around April or May 2010. The second time though, was when I really got to go around with my doctor friends Gerome and Arnel, from September 1-4, 2010.



El Nido is breathtaking. You know when you've reached it when you're greeted by the giant limestone formation. It's gloomy and refreshing at the same time. For a place so famous, it is surprisingly quiet and not congested unlike boracay. We took a van from Puerto Princesa. It was a long and bumpy ride - we left Puerto Princesa at 6-7 am and arrived around 3-4 pm, considering that we have several stop-overs. Gerome actually thought of inviting us over since he was resigning a month after. He took care of our villa rental.

After settling down, we went to take our first meal at Sea Slugs. I don't remember everything that I ordered anymore but the shake was delicious, and the view was very refreshing. We were eating while looking at the peaceful El Nido Bay.



Soon after, we took a quick dip at the beach right in front of the villa then rested for the next day's island tour :)

The day started early. To be able to enjoy our time in each island, we decided to rent an entire boat, which included a lunch and snacks for 6 people! :) We secured permits prior to leaving the island, and we were on our way to enjoying the whole day.



Since this blog entry is almost a year too late, I've forgotten all the islands that we've visited, but a few ones were more memorable.

Small Lagoon. This is memorable because my friend, Arnel, used to work in the island where this is located. When he was still employed, they were FORBIDDEN to explore the tourist spot, and he has longed dreamed to be able to go there. When he finally saw it, there was just overwhelming joy. He said "Annie, I'm so happy!" more than 5x. :) But really, the small lagoon was a sight. We had the place to ourselves. The water was cold and clear. The area was secluded and had I not been with companions, serenity would have been converted to an eerie feeling - like some sea monster would grab you from below and no one would know. I remember being amazed at how quiet it was there.



Big Lagoon. I was not smitten as much by this as I was by the small lagoon, but it is still a beauty. We stayed there for a dip. Unlike the small lagoon where we had to pass through a narrow passage, we walked through a wider path to the swimming area.



Schimizu Island. How can I forget this island when we had 2 delicious lunches in this beautiful place? The boatman served as our cook and waiter too. He set up the tables and chairs (beneath a tree on the first day, then beneath the huge rock formation of the second day) while we snorkeled and enjoyed the colorful corals, fishes and other sea creatures. And I did mention there was food enough for 6 hungry people right? Yum.





Seven Commandos. According to the story, several American soldiers were stranded in this island, hence the name. Just a few meters away from the shore, it started to rain hard, and the experience was just like being trapped in an island because of a storm. We still swam anyway. The rain stopped just before we left. It was a cool experience.



Pangulasian Island. Our boat stopped in the middle of the sea to make us feed the fish. The island was rumored to have been bought by a popular real estate company, so soon, we may not be able to come as close.



Entalula Island. They claim this has the finest sand in El Nido. Yes, its sand is boracay-like. This is actually the beach exclusive for the guests of Lagen Island Resort, but a part of the island is open for the public. As in the other islands, we had the island to ourselves until a couple came to join us half an our later.



Snake Bar. A sand bar seen entirely from the viewing deck.



Matinloc Island. I was sorry to see this island simply because I felt like it should have been maintained. From above, this island is heart shaped. They built a chapel on it but then it is barely used. It also has a grotto and a museum. It's actually a perfect wedding setting with the beach, its seclusion and the island's heart-shape. Sayang! I hope the LGU or the department of tourism could do something about it. The place really looks like it needs to be refurbished, in a major way.




Hidden Lagoon. Thanks for this candid shot, Gerome! I think we snorkeled the longest in this island stop because we had to go around to be able to get back to the boat. The view was great! I saw really huge corals, fish in all colors and i don't know what else. :)



Cave. I forgot its name. We had to crawl through a small opening to enter and it was very challenging for not-so-slim people.





Dinner at Art Cafe. The supervisor of this place was just gracious. Food was superb, I particularly love their pizza!



Dinner at La Salangane, a french restaurant. The food was just okay, but I really loved its ambiance. We also got free rhum shots.

Singapore With The Sunday Club

November 11-15, 2010. My first out-of-the-country trip with my college friends. The first stamp on my passport.

We arrived at Changi Airport and the first few minutes were funny! See, bringing in cigarettes to Singapore is not allowed, and if you get caught not declaring them, you will get jail time and will be required to pay a few thousand singapore dollars. It was my first trip out of the country, and I am sure that Singapore is more stringent in enforcing their rules. The best thing to do is to play it safe. My friend was asked by her singapore-based friend to bring a few packs. We were able to convince her to surrender them. She was ushered to the customs office where the cigarettes were cut and thrown in the trash. We, on the other hand, thought of having our picture taken in front of the customs office with the logo to document the experience. An officer walked over to us and demanded to see the camera. Turns out taking pictures there wasn't allowed. Good thing they were nice and forgiving and we were able to get away with it with free changi airport candies :)



If there was one word to describe the whole trip, it would be "WALK". I did not anticipate how much walking was required in Singapore that I hated myself for not buying a comfortable pair of sandals in Manila. I was forced to buy a pair of slippers on the 2nd day.

But don't get me wrong. It was fun! Despite the fact that we were lost on the first day, we were able to find our way. There was pleasure in that adventure. In learning how to ride the train, in using the EZ-link, in finding for ourselves which restaurants offer good meals and in being lost several times in a day.

Hungry, we hurried to find the nearest restaurant while we waited for our friend who was based there. Funny how we told her to find "Kopitiam", only to find out later on that the term refers to any kind of place in Singapore that sells food (more like foodcourt in the Philippines). Food was cheap at S$3, and iced coffee at S$1. Our walking adventure started after dinner when we were trying to find our hostel at Perak Road - Footprints. It's a quaint hotel, with friendly staff and guests. We met Filipinos there who were all eager to help us. One even walked with us to help us find a taxi, and gave us maps and directions.



Midnight Safari was nice, though I would have appreciated it more if I were not in heels, and if I wasn't so tired from running to catch the last train/bus. Good thing my cousin, Ate Jan, was there to help us find the shortest route. We were able to make it. We boarded our tram and proceeded with the tour. It was like a normal zoo, except there were no cages to hold the animals. I wasn't sure what to do if the lion jumped through the canal which served as a partition between his small territory and the tramway. I even asked if anybody has been attacked before. There were also wild animals crossing through the road. Pretty cool.



Shopping was incredibly fun too. Charles and Keith products were on sale at 50-70% off, gadgets were also much much cheaper. I was able to buy my dad a 500 gb external drive for a little more than 3000 pesos. I noticed though that clothes were expensive, and designs are not as impressive as in manila. We went to Ikea, to Funan Digital Mall, and to others too which I can barely remember now.

Sentosa. Need I say more? Most of what people look for in Singapore is in this place's three train stops. Universal Studios, Imbiah's Beach, Hershey's Store, the biggest merlion statue, rides like the Luge, museums. Too bad we were only there for a short time so we were always running to catch the attractions, but we were able to manage with the time that we had. We watched a really nice play and toured around Universal Studios. Of course, we did not leave the place without taking pictures of ourselves at each corner hehehe!



Chinatown is known to be where the cheap Singapore souvenir items can be bought, much like our Chinatown in the Philippines. But more than the shopping experience, it is also home to the Chinese Temple and museum. We were able to witness a ceremony where the faithfuls were chanting. There were buddhas everywhere, in different poses too.



Food was great. My cousin treated me to a local crab restaurant and boy, it was so good. The ice cream along orchard road and in the market place was so worth its S$1 price.



It was definitely a trip worth remembering, especially because I was with my friends with whom I have shared much of my life with. Joanne who is based there, was gracious enough to juggle her time with work and being with us. I was also able to meet new friends like Arn, Weng, CheAnn, Esti and company. I was also surprised to receive a nice wallet - a perfect wallet actually - as a birthday gift from them. Donna and I received matching wallets from Charles and Keith just about the time when we were saying our good nights and goodbyes. It was a perfect way to end the trip. My only regret was not being able to go up the marina bay sands. Next time, hopefully with Tatette :)