Posts Tagged ‘ Visayas ’

Apo Island – Swimming with Sea Turtles!

November 5, 2015

My main bucketlist the last time I travelled back to the Philippines was to be able to swim with sea turtles (locally referred to as pawikan). I invited a few friends to join me for this trip and dragged my brother along too.

Sea turtle!!! <3

Sea turtle!!! <3

Booking a return flight from Manila to Dumaguete, we set off for a daytrip to Apo Island on our second day there. We headed to the bus terminal where we got on a Bayawan-bound airconditioned bus. We got off at Malatapay where the fare cost us 50php per person. It was a comfortable 40min bus ride with non-stop Air Supply songs blaring from its speakers – felt like a Sunday for me since that’s when radio stations will play oldies classics! We then crossed the road and walked towards the end of the street where we headed to the registration area. They then allotted a boat to us after we’ve decided to invite 2 foreign girls along to save on boat fee. Definitely on our list was making sure that we buy enough food for us before getting on to the boat. ;)

Making sure we have enough food to eat, we bought lots of food!

Making sure we have enough food to eat, we bought lots of food!

It was a pretty rough 40minute boat ride. I was seated on the middle of the boat and got an impromptu shower from all the waves that splashed onto our boat. Seeing Apo Island beckoned closer felt amazing as it meant seeing them sea turtles!

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Just as we were about to reach Apo Island!

After another set of paperworks wherein we had to get registered, we rented our gears (snorkelling mask and swimming shoes – it was a rocky coast), got ourselves a guide (we were informed that to be able to swim in the turtle sanctuary, you’ll need to take a guide with you), then swam right in.

Playing around with the fins while we were deciding which ones to rent

Playing around with the fins while we were deciding which ones to rent

And there they were, several sea turtles, lazily grazing from one patch of sea grass on to the other without it seems a care in the world. :D

DCIM100GOPROGOPR3983.

More pictures from the trip:

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Pretty corals were there to be seen too!

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Apo Island – above and below

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Group picture before getting on a tricycle to take us back to the city

 

Expenses:
50php – bus ride to Bayawan
3000php – boat for 10pax
100php – registration fee for foreigners/ non-Bisaya
100php – rental fee for equipments (snorkel gear, shoes, fin)
300php – guide fee, max of 4pax
300php – tables rented for our stay
400php – tricycle back to Daumaguete City for 5 of us

 

 

 

 

 

2015
12/14
CATEGORY
Philippines
Trips
Visayas
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Bohol: A 3D2N Adventure!

Welcome to Bohol!

Whenever friends would ask me where in the Philippines they should go if they don’t have the time, I’d often say, visit Bohol! Why? That’s because this lovely island is sort of like a sampler of what can be had all over the country! Delicious foods, rich history, endemic animals, scenic sights, eco adventures, beautiful beaches and an amazing  marine life just to name some!

Located in the Central Visayas region, Bohol has two main islands namely Bohol and Panglao. Bohol island, the tenth largest island in the country is famous for its limestone formations more popularly known as the Chocolate Hills. While Panglao is where you have to head to if you want to beach bum or dive.

The first time I was there was when I went on a trip with a German friend I met in Singapore. From Manila, we flew for an hour to Cebu then took a 2hour fast craft from there. Buying tickets for the fast craft ahead of time would really save you money. Say if you buy it on the day itself, you’ll have to pay for the full amount but if you’ll purchase one (online), you would pay only half of it! Alternatively, just book a flight directly to Bohol’s Tagbilaran airport. ;)

To maximize your 3 days there (although you can definitely stay there for an extended period of time), I’d suggest you have an agenda for each day. Something like:

Day1: EAT Danao

Day2: Bohol countryside tour

Day3: Panglao sea tour

Or just remove one from the list so as not to tire yourself out too much. We only did the countryside as well as the sea tour. I have to go back to experience Danao! ;)

DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN BOHOL + COUNTRYSIDE TOUR

I’d booked with Bohol Bee Farm because I’ve heard wonderful feedback from friends about the foods they have there. And since I sometimes travel for a locale’s food, it was a no brainer for me. Once we’re at Tagbilaran’s port, there was a guy outside waiting for us. This is a free service that they have for their guests. It was just us and another pair of visitors. It was only a few minutes away but the Farm is out-of-the-way from the main road. The road leading up to it was kinda bumpy and wasn’t paved. While I was checking us in, they told us that since they have vacant rooms, they’ll upgrade us to one of their ocean view rooms, free of charge! Sweet!

BBF's lounge area

I’m not so sure if BBF would appeal to everyone though since it’s quiet there. I love that everything there was very native and they try to be as fresh as possible. Their lounge area (sunbathing platform as they call it), is a nice place to chill in. And not to forget, a perfect spot for taking pictures. To get there though, you’ll have to walk down the stairway they made on the side of a cliff. They don’t have a beachfront (coz it’s on a cliff) but during low tide, you can wade through their waters if you want.

Not normally part of any itinerary, my friend and I wanted to check out Mag-Aso Falls because it was just so beautiful in pictures! We weren’t disappointed, it really is beautiful and more so! My companion was crazy enough to actually trek to the top of the falls so I can take his picture while he jumps. BUT since I wasn’t able to get a decent shot, he did it 4 more times! He didn’t really needed any prompting as he was just so excited to do it. hehe

Happy to be in the water! ;)

Next stop is the Baclayon Church. Then it’s a buffet lunch in Loboc while on a river cruise. On our way to see the Chocolate Hills in Carmen, we stopped by a roadside to see how small the world’s smallest primate, tarsier,  really is! While I loved how green it was at the man-made forest of Pilar! THe Chocolate Hills didn’t look like chocolates coz they were covered in grass hehe We went to a butterfly garden afterwards. That was the best butterfly garden I’ve been to in the country since the very well-informed guides told it in such a way that you’re laughing while learning at the same time. I bought some souvenirs near the hanging bridge. We also went inside Hinagdanan Cave despite the fact that it’s supposed to be closed. The guides still let us in. Oh, and they’re amazing with all types of cameras! They know how to set it to actually get some good shots in the dark! ;) I can very well say that I learned useful infos from them. hehe Cheap souvenirs can be bought when you stop by Prony the Python’s. He is said to be the biggest in captivity but I couldn’t vouch for this coz he was coiled unto himself when we saw him.  :)

Loboc's river cruise

At Baclayon Church with the image of Padre Pio

Spot the tarsier ;)

Man-made forest

The famed Chocolate Hills!

Walking along the hanging bridge after buying souvenirs :D

It was already dark when Kuya Tatsky dropped us off in Panglao Island’s Paragayo Resort. It’s in Alona Beach. We stayed there coz there were more options for us with regards to where to stay and eat at (and it’s cheaper here too). The other beach is Dumaluan. On a different trip, I stayed here with my family. The beach here, Dumaluan, is really nice. They have a wide beach front and thw sands are powdery fine here as well! The only drawback is that there were fewer choices to eat and it’s more expensive (Eskaya, Bohol Beach Club, Amarela, Dumaluan Beach Resort to name a few). On the plus side though, it’s a more relaxed  and chill out place. :)

*An option for day 1 is to have your tour guide pick you up from the airport then head straight to the countryside tour. Instead of staying at Bohol Bee Farm, it’s actually included in the daytour itself. Would save more money but it could be tiring. ;)

DAY 2: SEA TOUR

We woke up early so that we could be at sea by 7am. I was sooo excited to see the dolphins! The boat was arranged by Kuya Tatsky as well. There were only 2 of us in the boat aside from our guides. After several minutes, we were out in the open. We saw other bancas (boat) making their way there as well for the same reason. It was so thrilling when I saw a dolphin making a flip and diving right back into the water. There was a whole pod of them! They were fast! It was amazing! I didn’t want to ruin the experience by taking a video so I only took  a few shots and just enjoyed the moment. After a while though, we told the boatman that we had enough and would rather leave. We realized that every other bancas were chasing the pod. I, well… we, didn’t enjoy that cat and mouse game (or so it seemed to us) so we opted to leave. We saw them which was good enough for us. :D

Dolphins!!! :D

Next stop, Balicasag Island for some snorkeling fun! It’s a small island in the middle of a marine sanctuary. I don’t think I’m a good swimmer. I can swim, yes. But if I get scared, I can’t. Totally sucks. Anyways, I told my friend this and was expecting him to not leave me on my own as I’ll go snorkelling by the deep (there was a drop there) without any lifevest on. I was totally enjoying myself and I knew I was swimming away from our boat but I didn’t realize I was completely on my own. When I did, I started to panic (my heart started beating faster)! I tried to keep calm. It’s a great thing our guide was keeping close watch on me and the boat was beside me instantly when I called out to him. I got back ito the boat safely but I was dizzy coz of the panic attack! lol We didn’t bring any lunch  so we had some foods cooked for us there. Yum! I had to wait for a while before I could enjoy it though as my world wasn’t stable yet. hehe Next stop was Virgin Island. To my disappointment. it was high tide so you can’t really see it. Not good for pics! ;) We still enjoyed it there though but the water was up to our knees already.

Chilling by Balicasag Island

DAY 3: CHILL TIME

We had no other agenda here because we have an early flight back home. So we spent the day enjoying the beautiful beach of Bohol. :)

Totally clueless as to how these sand formations came about! haha

Waking up early to enjoy the beach :)

Still sleepy hehe

I had a wonderful time when I went there the first time that I came back with my family the second time around :D

*pics used were from both trips

*more details coming up! ;)

This is my entry for Pinoy Travel Blogger’s blog carnival for the month of January 2012 hosted by Eileen of Possibly Pinay with the theme “The 3Days/2Nights Challenge.”

2012
01/15
CATEGORY
Bohol
Philippines
Trips
Visayas
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17 comments

Boracay: Where To Go

For most people, Boracay is White Beach. Some probably haven’t ventured out of there except when they island hop or were too lazy or maybe just had no idea where else to go. Here are some spots that might interest the beach bum in you. ;)

Bulabog Beach

Located opposite of White Beach, it takes about 10-15 minutes of walking to get there. Depending on the season, this part of the island is popular with windsurfers and kiteboarders coz of the strong winds.

Diniwid Beach

Located north of Station 1, it took around 15-20minutes of walking before we got there. It’s a chill place to hang out since most of the crowd’s by the White Beach. It’s very nice there. Microtel and a few other hotels can be found here. It’s unfortunate that the effect of soil erosion is most evident on this place. I never got  to see the sands at this beach when I visited in March 2011. However, the last time I was in this beach (July 2011), it was there! hehe So that was why it looked different! Maybe it was also a seasonal thing?

Puka Beach

Puka Beach's crowd ;)

Located at the island’s northern tip, this beach is named after puka shells found along its shoreline. The sands aren’t as fine as those in White Beach. The place is very secluded. It was just me and my companion and another group (a family) when we were there.  You can go as crazy as you want or just enjoy the solitude this beach can offer. ;)  The waves when I visited Puka Beach were quite strong.  The tricycle driver who drove us there even advised me against swimming in it. He said, “Mam, will you go swimming there? The waves are very strong! Be careful. Better to just take pictures.”  I took pictures, yes, but we just had to take a dip in the waters too. hehe  To reach it, you either go there by tricycle (100php one way) or by boat when you go island hopping.

White Beach

Making sand art using a spoon :)

With its powdery white fine sand, it’s Boracay’s main attraction. The reason why it became famous. These famed beach draws in thousands upon thousands of tourists yearly. It stretches 4kms with lodging and dining for every kind of budget available. White Beach is divided into stations 1, 2 and 3. Station 1 is the northern section of this beach and it has the widest beachfront. This is where most of the big (and expensive) hotels are located, giving it some sort of high-end reputation. Station 2 on the other hand is the most happening place in this stretch of the beach, the center of hustle and bustle on the island. Many bars, restaurants are located here, also a good place to look for budget to mid-priced rooms. Station 3, located on the southern end of the beach, is the least popular amongst the 3. I was telling a friend that the sands here felt “fluffier” coz there weren’t that many people walking on it as compared with the first 2 where even if it’s very fine, it feels more compact. hehe

Angol Point

Located past Station 3, you’ll meet few people when you reach this point. Very cheap accommodations can be found here. We saw a dorm room that you can have all on your own for 300php. I’m not choosy with my lodgings but seriously, I would pass that one up. hehe Beautifully designed villas are up for rent too. Further on, there’s one hotel that’s already closed. It has a tunnel that you can opt to explore (with the guards’ permission), at the end of which is a garden with a grotto.  Back at the beach, located several meters away is Asya Premier Suites, a very nice hotel with their own infinity pool and with its distance from White Beach, guests are given ample seclusion and privacy. It’s not the end though, there’s a rock with a passage that leads to another more seclusive spot. My travel bud and I spent our afternoon  lazing by this small part of the beach. An ideal spot for taking beautiful pictures too! ;)

Mt. Luho

Boracay’s highest point, the site offers a panoramic view of the island. From previous readings, to rent a tricycle to get there costs around 250php (roundtrip as you’d be heard pressed to find one to take you back). From experience, every ATV ride makes a stop here. hehe There’s also a mini zoo inside. Entrance fee: 50php/pax

West Cove

West Cove's eccentric design :)

One of my favorite spot on the island. It gained bad rep lately because turns out that some of its cabanas were built over  centuries old rock formation. It was ordered to close but it resumed operations after receiving a go signal from the DENR. To give credit to this place (located in Diniwid Beach, hugging a mountain) famous coz it’s supposedly owned by the Pacman himself (it’s actually a certain Mr. Aquino, Pacquiao’s flag bearer, according to an employee who showed us around), it’s a very good spot to catch the sunset while sipping a refreshing ripe mango shake (the best I’ve tried in Boracay so far!) while watching the bats fly out of their cave heading to nearby islands  to feed for the night. With its eccentrically designed huts and rooms (the Lord of the Ring’s hobbit houses came to mind hehe), peaceful ambiance  with music playing in the background, we truly enjoyed chilling here while star gazing on a clear, night sky. :)

These are just some places you can check out when visiting Boracay Island. Others not mentioned are some coves, caves and other beaches. I’m hoping to visit the others the next time I’m on the island! ;)

Related Posts:

Boracay

Getting to Boracay

Boracay: Where To Stay At

Boracay: Where To Eat

2011
09/08
CATEGORY
Boracay
Philippines
Trips
Visayas
TAGS







14 comments

Boracay: Places To Stay At

Whether you’re on a tight budget or you wanna pamper yourself, there’s a place that can cater to your every whim. :)

Boracay Regency Hotel

Boracay Regency Beach Resort & Convention Center

View from the top, well, 3rd floor that is :)

Located in Station 2, this is the largest hotel on the island. Whenever I’d go there with my mom, we’d stay here. I guess she likes the fact that it’s very comfortable there but it’s not as expensive if compared with other big hotels in the area. They have a package wherein you’d be paying 7500php per person for a 3D2N stay at the hotel inclusive of transfers (900php) as well as (6) buffet meals (500php). They have 3 pools and a gym that guests can use. There’s no free wifi access in the rooms though. I had to go to the lobby, lounge area or even by the pool for some free wifi.

Frendz Resort

The path that leads to Frendz

Frendz native style cottages

Located in Station 1, this hostel is popular with backpackers. The place with its 15 native style cottages is a 2-minute walk towards the main road from White Beach. I went there twice with a friend who stayed at the place for almost a month. The employees there were very nice. the place has a common area where guests can talk to each other and share travel stories and experiences. They have a billiard table, books and board games as well as wifi for their guests. Dorm rooms are good for about 4-6people (400php/pax) while private rooms start at a little over a thousand pesos.

La Carmela de Boracay

La Carmela

Located in Station 2, though I thought it was already in 3 seeing as how far way it was from D’Mall, etc. hehe La Carmela de Boracay Resort Hotel seem to be a popular choice with people traveling in groups. They have promos wherein you’ll pay 2500php per person for a group of at least 3pax and that includes a 3d2n stay + meals. :)

La Fiesta Resort

La Fiesta's non beach front rooms

Contact Person: Armarlda Tupas – 0919 8610886

Located in Station 1, several meters away from the beach front. But they have rooms on the beachfront too. We paid 1000php per night for a room for two. Our airconditioned room was on the second floor and it was very spacious. We had a mini ref too. The caretakers on the floor below us provided us the assistance we needed; if we’d be needing some utensils coz we bought some food, they’d lend us some etc. I like the fact that it was a quiet place yet it’s a very short walk away from the beach.

Residencia Boracay

Residencia Boracay's beach front

Bird cage-like swings :)

Located in Station 1, Residencia Boracay has a very good location on the island. It has a large beach front and is surrounded by nice hotels. The rooms here are spacious and the rates aren’t as expensive as the others. The employees are very helpful but more so the owners, Tirol-Labios Family. I stayed here with almost 40 of my friends and we had a truly wonderful time. :D

Two Seasons Boracay

Located in Station 1, this hotel likes its rooms in a zen minimalist  style but is still looking very nice and comfy. The presidential room can cost as high as 30,000php per night! The rooms here basically have the same price as the other hotels in the area (it starts at 6,000php but they have promos from time to time so do check it out).

Villa Simprosa

Contact person: Noriel Pascual – 09173274076/ 09228491950

Located in Station 2, this place is right smack of the hustle and bustle of the island. We paid 1200php per night for an airconditioned room that accommodated all 4 of us. We had to add another 300php (or the extra mattress) when another friend decided to join us. We had our own porch and it was a beach front room; a convenience store was below us. At least we didn’t have to go far for our necessities.

PS: There are tons more to choose from that I haven’t included here. We even found a dorm room for 200php but you can get the whole room for 500php (max of 4pax), but I wouldn’t recommend the place as it’s in Angol Point (at the far end of Station 3) already and the room isn’t so nice. Also, all prices are invariably dependent on whether it’s the off or peak season and on your haggling skills. hehe If you don’t like the room you booked in, move on to another place. There really are tons to choose from. Unless it’s super peak season, probably. ;)

Vacant rooms...

...abound

Related Posts:

Boracay

Getting to Boracay (and back)

Boracay: Where To Eat

Boracay: Where To Go

2011
07/13
CATEGORY
Boracay
Philippines
Trips
Visayas
TAGS














12 comments

DIY: Getting to Boracay (and back)

For first timers to this beach island (I know lots who haven’t been there yet), there’s no need to avail of package tours to get there since it’s simple. Here’s a guide on how to get there. :)

Last update: July 13, 2011

Boracy Island's many sails :)

Catch a flight from Manila bound for (preferably) Caticlan or Kalibo by booking flights with local airlines. For Caticlan, check out Airphil, CebuPac and Seair. Aside from the first two, PAL and Zest Air also have daily flights for Kalibo. OR ride a RoRo from Batangas pier to Caticlan port. It will take about 12 hours and costs less than 1000php.

In Kalibo:

Outside the airport are buses/ shuttle vans (200php) bound for Caticlan. Get in on one of those. It would take around an hour and a half to reach Caticlan.

In Caticlan:

Caticlan’s newly renovated airport was unveiled on June 25, 2011. They added a second floor to the building and modernized it along the way. Though it’s not as big as the other airports in the country, it definitely got style. ;)

Caticlan Airport

Upon landing and being ushered inside, there’s a desk there wherein visitors would have to register. They also made it “more” tourist friendly by having this section, just beside the registration area, wherein you can pay for everything (tricycle and other fees if you’re doing it DIY)  at once so that you don’t have to go through many lines to pay for various fees.

  1. Tricycle – 80php for a tricycle that’s good for 3pax
  2. Boat – 25php
  3. Terminal Fee – 25php
  4. Environmental and Admission Fee – 75php

You can register and pay your fees here

Waiting for our backpacks :)

Caticlan and Boracay make use of two ports depending on the season. During summer months, it’s Caticlan’s jetty port which is just around 5 minutes away from the airport on a tricycle. One can probably walk towards there but I have yet to try that. hehe Then, you get on a boat that would sail for around 15 minutes to get to Boracay’s  jetty port. During the rainy season though (July-October), they make use of Caticlan’s Tabon Port which is around 10-15minutes tricycle ride away from the airport. Then it’s a few minutes boat ride til you get to Boracay’s Cagban Port. Get on a tricycle (100php flat rate) to take you to wherever your destination is on the island. If there are many of you, better get on a multicab for 250php.

Riding a boat to get to Boracay Island

Multicab terminal at the port

Heading back to Manila, you only have to retrace the steps given above. Though this time, you would only have to pay for the boat (25php). Caticlan airport’s terminal fee is 20php while it’s 40php for Kalibo International Airport.

Checking in at Caticlan Airport

At the pre departure area one rainy afternoon

If you can get to the airport early, it’s possible that they’d let you in on the earlier flight. It happened to us twice for my last trip there. Also, if you’re going there during the rainy season, always check with your airline for changes or cancellation with your flight schedule to avoid hassles.

Related Posts:

Boracay

Boracay: Where To Stay At

Boracay: Where To Eat

Boracay: Where To Go

2011
07/04
CATEGORY
Boracay
Philippines
Trips
Visayas
TAGS





12 comments

Boracay

July 2, 2011

Boracay, one of my favorite destinations in the country! :D

Boracay Island is approximately 7kms long , dog bone-shaped with the narrowest point being less than a kilometer wide. The island is located just off the north western corner of Panay Island.

A dog bone-shaped island

Boracay Island is a popular destination for beach lovers. It was voted again and again as having one of the best beaches in the world. Its white sand is its most popular draw in. But I guess what draws visitors (like me) over and over there again is the fact that its white sand is just so powdery soft! Also, the sand never gets “too hot” to thread upon barefooted. The island also has beautiful sunsets. These days, aside from its beaches, it’s the lively atmosphere that makes it a must-visit vacation place. Its party reputation however has kept others who are seeking for a quiet vacation away. I say that Boracay island can offer solitude too. One just has to keep one’s distance away from its main attraction, White Beach.

Boracay's White Beach

Getting there is easy. Catch a flight bound for Caticlan or Kalibo, or ride a RoRo for Caticlan then get on a boat that will take you to the island. Lastly, ride a tricycle or a multicab to take you to wherever your destination is.

Enroute to Caticlan from Kalibo airport

In Boracay's Jetty Port

Whenever I go there with the family, we’d stay at Boracay’s Regency Hotel. ;) However, when I’m with friends, we’d try to find the cheapest room we can stay at (that has a good location) or couchsurf if possible. :)

Residencia Boracay's comfy swing :)

There are a lot of stuff you can do at the island: for sea loving people… island hop, helmet dive, snorkel, dive and swim; parasail, skimboard, kitesurf and cliff dive if you want a more adrenaline rush kind of activity. Others ride the zorb or go around parts of the island on an ATV. While there are those who enjoy lazing most of their day away by the beach.

Kite surfers going at it :D

My first trip there was because my cousin, vacationing from the US, wanted a trip to somewhere we’ve never been to. I kept coming back ever since! :D The craziest of which was when a friend celebrated her birthday and decided to host all of her guests there. There were probably around 40 of us coming in from different flights  in a span of 2-3 days! We were there for 4 fun days. The most chill was my last trip. I stayed for a week and having done most of the activities I mentioned before, I spent most of my time by the beach or explored parts of the island I have never been to. I thought I’d be bored by the end of it but days flew me by and the next thing I knew, I had to leave. :(

Staying out late with friends

Happy faces after a day of ciff diving :D

Lazy day at the beach

Think happy thoughts: I’ll be going back there next week! :D

Related Posts:

Getting to Boracay

Boracay: Where To Stay At

Boracay: Where To Eat

Boracay: Where To Go

2011
07/02
CATEGORY
Boracay
Philippines
Trips
Visayas
TAGS









19 comments

Bacolod Food Feast (day 1)

January 14, 2011

Whilst everyone was flying to Cebu for the Sinulog Festival, I along with 2 of my closest girl buds flew to stay overnight in the city of Bacolod for some food tripping. Mmmm!

I was able to book really cheap tickets a few months before. Our roundtrip airfare costs 550php and that’s for the 3 of us! To maximize our stay there, I booked the first flight out and the last one in. We were tempted to travel to Cebu for the Sinulog but the thought of spending 6hours to travel from Bacolod to Cebu made us decide against it. And since we were flying into Bacolod, might as well enjoy what the province has to offer. ;)

We got to the airport at quarter to 4am and our breakfast was at the 7-11 store inside the airport. When we got to our gate, the other passengers had already started boarding the plane that was why when we got inside, there was almost no space for our bags in the overhead compartment, well, almost ;)

Negros Occidental’s Silay Airport is new and looked nice. To get to our hotel by not spending much, we first rode a tricycle parked just outside the airport’s premises. If we’d opt to wait for other passengers to reach 6pax, that means we’d only have to shell out 10php each. However, we got a special trip so that’s 60php for us 3. We were dropped off at the main road  wherein we rode a minibus bound for Bacolod, bus fare costs 13php each.

New Bacolod Silay Airport

Getting out of the airport

Tricycles waiting in line

First in our agenda was to check in to our hotel. We stayed at Luxur Place. I wanted to stay at The Suites at Calle Nueva but the former’s pool swayed the majority into its favor. Wifi’s provided for; rooms were quite spacious and their housekeeping’s efficient. Turns out that Luxur Place used to be the convention center in the area but almost half of the place is being rented out to a call center. That was why there were people almost always hanging out by the pool, smoking. And there’s no direct jeepney route to get to the area. :( If you’re heading down to Bacolod,  the most convenient place to be is at Lacson Street. It’s being developed for tourists because this is where their famous restaurants are located as well as where you’ll find  landmarks like their Capitol. After settling in and getting refreshed, it was time to head out. :D

I love sweets! Since Calea is famous for their sweets, this is the perfect place for me to visit! The place is located along the corner of Lacson and 14th St. If  you can’t choose since they all look so good, just ask for their best seller. ;)

Ice cream chocolate cake!

Mmmm!

After satisfying my sweet tooth, the next in the agenda was where to eat proper lunch. hehehe We want some chicken inasal and the place to have it is at Manokan Country which is near SM. But since we’re still full, we decided to walk to get there. Not a bad choice really since we did pass by several landmarks like the city’s Capitol, Cathedral and a museum. Gave us enough time to digest our food. :)

Children running around by the Capitol

With travel buddy, Irene...

...and Abby :)

The Cathedral

It was too hot to walk all the way since we weren’t using any umbrella. We decided to ride a multicab for the last stretch to get to Manokan Country. Probably a hundred meters ride. hehe Manokan Country reminds me of Dampa though you wouldn’t be buying your chicken live. It’s just that there were many eateries selling the same kind of good food side by side and at an affordable price at that (it can cost anywhere from 20-65php). Also, they serve oysters for 30-40php per plate! Nice!

Since it was already late in the afternoon, we went back to our hotel. But passed by SM to buy some drinks and snacks (fruits) to munch on. When we got back to our room, we took a nap. But our nap turned into a sleep for several hours. I was woken up by the sound of the rain pounding our window. I figured, we wouldn’t go out at such a weather and went back to bed. We were planning on going to Mambukal for some spa. They woke up at different hours too. We did get out of room though but only because we were hungry. We bought some foods and ate it by the pool. It would have been a very good place to hang out save for the other people loitering there with cigarettes on hand. Well, we’d just wake up early to compensate for tonight. ;)

2011
05/24
CATEGORY
Bacolod
Philippines
Trips
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