Most people spend their money on the latest gadgets, expensive clothes, bags, shoes etc. But I get my fix on travelling. When I become rich, I shall conquer the world one continent at a time. But since I don't have the moolah yet, I'm starting in our own beautiful country. The Philippines has 1,707 islands waiting to be explored and discovered. It's beyond the usual. Why not experience it? Don't be a foreigner in our own land. I've crossed out some places in my bucketlist. Here are some snapshots of my favorites (so far). MALAPASCUA 2005
When Daut and I were so called berks. I know, we look so baduy! HAHA. This was an "awhhhhh moment" for us. Going up the lighthouse was the highlight of our trip then.
BORACAY 2005
When we were too shy to party in our bikini. We thought we looked so COOL with our shorts! HAHA.
CAMOTES ISLAND, CEBU 2007
Because my friend's dad was the mayor. VIP treatment, yewww! Camotes has beautiful beaches and many spectacular sites.
BANTAYAN ISLAND, CEBU 2007
Since I graduated high school, it became a tradition for my friends and I to spend Holy Week in Bantayan every year. Blue skies, warm sunshine, white sands, cool water..aaaah I love the island life!
SAGADA 2008
I was absolutely enchanted by the charm of Sagada when we went there. The peace and quiet, the friendliness of locals, the glorious rice terraces, the cold breeze, the amazing hanging coffins, the refreshing waterfalls, the adventure of trekking and caving got me!
BAGUIO 2008
Afternoon delight in the city of pines. Enroute Sagada-Manila.
CORREGIDOR 2009
Funny enough, I never knew much about Corregidor till we took the tour. I greatly appreciated the way the structures were preserved, in all it's raw beauty.
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY 2009
Whitewater rafting with my DDG's. Yup, that's me! Always accident prone. OOPPS!
CAMIGUIN ISLAND 2009
Aaaahhhh a taste of Tahiti :)
ILIGAN CITY 2009
L-R Ciarra, Ina, Molly, Loura, Kymoy, Le, Tantoy, Nivien. Ma Cristina falls behind us! WOW! The current of the great twin falls was very strong.
ANAWANGIN COVE 2009
Went camping because we turned 4 years old. Secluded beach surrounded by pine trees, volcanic greyish-white sand from Pinatubo's lahar. No electricity, no resorts, no establishments, no potable water. Just us and the sea :)
SUBIC 2009
Surely we were able to quench our thirst for adrenaline rush in the Treetop Adventure. And I was like a kid with a new toy in the Ocean Adventure. Happiness up to the roof!!!!
HUNDRED ISLANDS 2010
Couldn't pick one island? Daut took me to hundred islands for my 24th birthday. Wooooot! I was pretty amazed to actually be there coz I've only seen them in postcards and learned about it through our elementary textbooks.
BOHOL 2010
All in one day: Danao Adventure, Chocolate Hills, Manmade Forest, Loboc Floating Restaurant, Baclayon Church, Tarsiers, Pythons. With the added bonus of Panglao troplical villas overnight. Thanks for tagging me along Zsa, Eugene and Brit. Til your next vacation!
VIGAN 2010
Calle Crisologo is perhaps the best place in Vigan. The look and feel from the Spanish colonial period is simply amazing!
PAGUDPUD 2010
Surf's up in Kapuluan Beach Resort! My first wave, yewww! I'm a surfer wannabe.
BANGUI WINDMILLS 2010
The windmills are simply AWESOME! We couldn't help but jump for joy! These giant electric fans are used to generate electricity in the province and at the same time serve as a major tourist spot in Ilocos Norte. I voted for Bong Bong Marcos because of this! Haha.
PAOAY CHURCH 2010
Part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. This uniquely beautiful church stands wowing people with its majestic structure of oriental, gothic and baroque influence.
ANILAO, BATANGAS 2010
♫♪Magdiving sa Anilao.... Met the Philippine Surfing Team. Really cool, down to earth people.
CORON, PALAWAN 2010
Trust me, it's paradise. Beautiful. Amazing. Awesome. Stunning. All those adjectives and more! :))) Here's to our fifth, dawg!
CALAUIT, PALAWAN 2010
Who would have thought we have giraffes, zebras and other African animals in the Philippines? HANDS DOWN TO PALAWAN!!!!
DONSOL, SORSOGON 2011
Get high with the Butanding! We did!
LEGAZPI CITY 2011
What better way to experience Mayon than an ATV ride towards the lava formation. View was MAJESTIC!
SUMILON ISLAND, CEBU 2011
This is the life! Hammock hanging in our own lil paradise. Celebrating Lai's birthday/ 2nd year anniversary as a nurse in CCMC.
See how beautiful our country is? Like a halo halo mixture of different flavors that makes up a greater whole. If I could just write BATANES in my travel resume, I will feel COMPLETE and ready to travel the world. As for now, I'll daydream and hopefully it will turn into an actual trip one day.
For our last day in Legazpi (March 29), we charged through Mayon's lava trails thru ATVs passing through streams, muddy areas, rocky areas and all.
There ain't no ride like the ATV ride! Yewww! As you all know, we kiddos travel on a budget. ATV ride costs P1,800/head which we can't afford. Kuya Juvi was kind enough to allow 2 persons/atv. We took turns in driving which lasted about 2 hours. AWESOMENESSS!!!
With Mayon Volcano as backdrop. The haze of clouds was covering Mayon's perfect cone. But the view was still breathtaking.
Climbing a hard trail towards the top. Which was totally worth it as the view was amazing.
Mayon Volcano blew as away! Dawg, you look so gay here! Haha.
Go Motha Molly! Supportive Daut and Gabo throwing volcanic rocks! Haha.
HADUKKEEEEENNNNNNN!!!!
Who's the underdog, now????
The locals never run out of camera tricks! Haha. Fly me to the moon, dawg!
Another attraction in Legazpi is Lignon Hill. The hill's summit offers a breathtaking 360 degree view of the City. We had an evening walk up the hill where we enjoyed the city light and cold breeze.
Chowking for dinner c/o Daut. Thank you Sir! Look at them faces. Still high from the butanding experience!
To sum up our Bicol Trip, it was a dream fulfilled! We had mishaps along the way (e.g. bad weather, butandings not showing up on 1st attempt) original itinerary not followed but it turned out to be one of the bestestttt. EVEERRRRR! Surreal as it may be, no words can utterly describe our encounter with the gentle giants a.k.a. Butanding. And the ATV ride was just RAD!!! My mind captured those unbelievable moments way better than any camera could.
My dear friends, we can discover the beauty of our own country even with minimal resources. We spent more or less P5,000 and we had the best of both worlds. An experience of a lifetime!
My friends and I have booked a Legazpi trip thru Cebu Pacific's Piso seat sale a year ago. And finally, March arrived (with a bad weather. tsk.) Our flight was on March 27, 2011 6am from Manila-Legazpi. The captain noted heavy rains and poor visibility in Legazpi. Our hearts sank when he said we might return to Manila. We prayed real hard. Crossed our fingers and toes!
LO AND BEHOLD, "The airport is open. We are now on our final descent." Twas the best news we heard. Woohoo we made it!!! Thank You Lord!!!
And our Bicol adventure starts here...
We made prior arrangements on airport pick-up + Legazpi tour + Donsol = P3,000. Of course, we had Bicol express for brunch to jump start our Bicol adventure!
Daraga Church.
An 18th century Baroque church built on top of a hill (overlooking the magnificent Mayon Volcano but sad to say, Mayon did not appear that day due to the rain).
Cagsawa Ruins.
The 1814 eruption was recorded to be worst eruption of Mt. Mayon. Some 1,200 people who took refuge and sought the sanctuary of the church during the eruption all died when the church was engulfed by the flowing lava. Only the Cagsawa church belfry remains today. (Entrance Fee=P10)
Funny photos taken by a kid we called, Kuya Sam Milby. Please don't mind his thumb on the stone. Haha. He goes like, "1,2,3..okey na po." (in a very calm voice) He was more acquainted with my lx3 than me! Doesn't he take brilliant pictures? :)
Embarcadero.
The entertainment center of Bicol Region offers a mix of retail, restaurants, markets and shops.
Amor Farm Beach Resort, Donsol.
Our home away from home. An hour drive away from Legazpi City. Gabo, Daut and Motha chillin outside our room. (P1,200/room 3pax)
Kawnkita Restaurant, Amor Beach Resort.
Everything was deliciousoo! My favorite has to be kinunot! Why not, kinunot? Daut ate the burger before I could take a picture. Ate Joan, the waitress was always smiling, happy to serve us! :)
Donsol Tourist Center.
Registration fee=P100/ head
Boat Rental=P3,500 6pax
Equipment rental =P150 (snorkel mask)
And we are now ready for the best time of our lives!
LIVE, LAUGH, SWIM WITH THE WHALE SHARKS!
March 28 2011 SURE THING, BUTANDING!
Bicol is cursed with its location within the typhoon belt. Locals said it was raining for 2 weeks already. But we were blessed with the sun and a rainbow when we were there! Kuya Sinong, our BIO (Butanding Interaction Officer) gave us a brief intro. We were all giddy and waited for motha's lover a.k.a. Butanding. But 3 hours have passed and we have not been lucky :( After lunch, we had our 2nd attempt because we can't go home without seeing one! It started to rain but we did not lose hope as Kuya Sinong, the spotters and crew patiently waited for the gentle giants to show up.
The spotter balanced himself in the pole for more than 3 hours! Rain or Shine!
Ito na, ito na. Kuya Sinong told us to get ready. If I could frame our facial reactions now, you would see kids panicking! HAHAHA. What an adrenaline rush! On cue, we all jumped and swam. Or rather, Kuya Sinong pulled me forward and the butanding was just an arm length's away! It felt amazing! Seeing the shining silver spots of a giant creature was such a captivating experience. We had 6 encounters all in all. I still feel high from the experience. Wooahhh enjoy the video! :)
