It’s more fun in the Philippines – Oslob edition

A few years back I created my bucket list and one of my ultimate goal was to swim with the world famous whale shark. I just happened to fulfill that ambition recently and I’m so blessed to have done it with my family.

Here’s a video of our encounter with the gentle giants of the sea and our stop over in the dreamy Tumalog falls.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox4y5U1Sz0Q

Here’s how we got there:

Day 1: Arrival in Cebu 

I got in from Thailand via Singapore while my brother and parents flew in from Davao. (Tiger Airways have direct flights from Singapore ; Cebu Pacific and Air Asia are somehow the cheapest airlines to island hop around the Philippines just make sure to plan and book ahead for promos).  Taxi ride from airport to the the hotel was roughly PHP 400.00

HOTEL ACCOMMODATION: I got a really good deal at the Tune Hotels Cebu for 2 rooms (PHP 2763.00) good for 2 nights  via Agoda . The hotel is conveniently located next to the Ayala mall.

Day 2 : Off to Oslob

We woke up and got ready as early as 3:00 A.M., took a cab to the South Bus Terminal (less than PHP 100.00) to catch the first Ceres trip to Brgy. Tan-awan, Oslob at 4:00 A.M.  to avoid the morning traffic. Ticket’s around PHP 150.00/person.

It took about 3 hours to get there. The bus driver dropped us off at Aaron Beach Resort and from there we took the whale shark encounter trip. The resort also offers food at reasonable prices.

The fees were:

• PHP 500.00 for locals and PHP 1000.00 for foreigners (whale shark encounter + goggles)
• PHP 100.00/ person for resort entrance ( includes lockers and toilet/shower amenities)
• PHP 500.00 for waterproof camera rental (optional) additional PHP 50.00 for SD card (we didn’t rent since I already have my own)

Before swimming with the sharks, everybody must register and listen to a short safety guidelines conducted by local tourism board. The encounter itself is only 30 minutes but it’s more than enough time.

We got famished after swimming so we decided to have breakfast first before proceeding to the next adventure. We paid about PHP 600.00 for 4 persons (not that bad).

Next stop: Tumalog falls

• Roughly 20 minutes habal-habal ride up the mountain at PHP 100.00/person two-way.
• Entrance fee PHP 20.00 each
• habal-habal ride down the falls PHP 50.00/person two-way (this is highly recommended for people with weak knees; although the road is mostly paved it’s a tough and steep climb coming back).

 

After spending about an hour at the falls we head back to the resort, took a shower and waited for the bus outside the resort back to Cebu City.

Day 3: Heading off to Bacolod City

Bacolod adventures will follow…

Food for thought

 

agree or disagree? 

share your thoughts. 🙂 🙂 🙂

wonders of Trang, Thailand

*Ko Muk and Tham Morakot (เกาะมุก-ถ้ำมรกต) are the most prominent points in the Trang Sea. Ko Muk is mostly occupied by sea-facing towering cliffs to the west. Located on the eastern side of the island is a village of fishermen who have still maintained their ways of life as islanders. On the island to the west is Tham Morakot, a unique sea cave. With light from the outside, emerald water can be seen inside the cave; it is unusual and beautifully nature.

*Ko Kradan (เกาะกระดาน) is arguably the most beautiful island in the Trang. It has an area of 600 acres (2.4 km2). Most of the island (5/6) is under the responsibility of Hat Chao Mai National Park. The rest are privately owned. The most striking feature of Ko Kradan is its powdery white beach and crystal-clear water that permits a decent view of the coral reef underneath that stretches from the beach’s northern end to the coast. A variety of colourful fish inhabit the shallow water corals. Ko Kradan is to the west of Ko Muk and Ko Libong.

*Tam Lay Kao Kob is 8 kilometers away from Huay Yod District, Trang Province. It is a limestone cave with a stream running underneath the mountain. Inside the cave you will find many stalactites and stalagmites. Entering into the cave is not difficult. You will be less tired than expected. In fact you will enjoy the most exciting time of your life. Lay Kao Kob is water cave and never dry. You need to take a flat boat to go inside the cave. Each boat will be accompanied by a navigator at the front and a steersman at the back to help each other in rowing the small boat. You will be visiting the different chambers inside the cave. There are 23 of them but only 3 are open. Each chamber will be lit in a different color to create a different ambience. The cave is so damp that drops of water are created on the walls, reflecting the lights like glitters. After a tour of the three caves, it is time to duck underneath the “Dragon’s Belly” — a 250-meter pathway and definitely the climax of the trip. Your flat boat will travel under a very low cave ceiling and you will need to lie down flat, stretching yourself along the length of the boat. The ceiling will reveal stalactites one after another — a thrilling adventure making every traveler scream on and on.

Bohol Part1: the island of many wonders

Philippines, my home country has 7,107 islands and I’ve only been to few of them. One particular island is inhabited by the smallest monkeys in the world.  Tarsiers are small animals with enormous eyes; each eyeball is approximately 16 mm in diameter and is as large as its entire brain.

These nocturnal creatures are shy and timid. Unfortunately their numbers have greatly fluctuated due to the destruction of their habitat. Needless to say, I am lucky to have seen them in person and glad to know that the local government are making efforts in preserving their species.

However, Bohol is not only known for its tarsiers. The Chocolate Hills have been the landmark of this alluring island for years, and i had the circumstance to see most of the wonders. During the heat of the summer, the grass wilt turning the hundreds of hills across the towns of Carmen, Batuan, and Sagbayan brown hence the name.

It is also in this island that the peace pact signified by a blood compact between the Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and the native chieftain Datu Sikatuna took place.

Statue commemorating the “Blood Compact” in Tagbilaran City

Another interesting historical artifact is the long standing Baclayon Church founded in 1596; that’s exactly 418 years old! Unfortunately the bell tower and the front facade of the church collapsed during 7.2 magnitude earthquake of October 15, 2013. Hopefully, the church will be restored soon.

The Bilar Man-made Forest is never to be missed. Stretching up to two kilometers, the dense forest made up of red and white mahogany trees is located along the border of Loboc and Bilar towns.

They also have the well known ship house and the loboc river, where you can experience a cruise while having lunch or in my case a romantic dinner ambiance on the boat.

The next day adventure was the dolphin watching and island hopping…which will be in Bohol Part 2.

The Unspoilt Beauty of Trang

After 9 years of living in Thailand, Trang which is about 3 hours away has never rang a bell in my ears. Located on the Southwest coast of the country, this province is peaceful and fascinating. I could not believe how much I have neglected to visit its glorious islands and white sand beaches until now.

 On a beautiful morning of April, I had the opportunity to explore some parts of Trang with some local friends on a private vehicle. We started our travel from Songkhla at the break of dawn and reached our destination at the pier near Pak Meng Beach for our Island tour(THB900.00/person including lunch).

First stop of the tour was the infamous Morakot Cave a.k.a Emerald Cave on the west of Koh Muk (Mook Island). It was a long weekend holiday thus hundreds of local tourists flocked, nonetheless I was ecstatic.

I made my research beforehand and found out that in order to access this cave one must swim into the 80 meter long channel which gets really creepy midway as it gets pitch black. After passing the entrance to the other side, one will stand at the large hall roofed by the sky looking like standing inside the very large funnel.

The reflection of the  midday sunlight beaming straight through the mouth of the funnel creates the emerald color thus the name “Morakot Cave” which means”Emerald Cave.”

Our next stop was a snorkeling in the nearby water and feeding some tiger fish. It wasn’t my first, but I always rely on life jackets as I do not trust myself swimming in deep waters.

The tour of course will not be complete without stopping by the exotic Koh Kradan (Kradan Island). The beach was just pristine and the turquoise waters was to die for! It’s always my little piece of heaven!

 

Could you resist this?

The Majestic Kingdom of Cambodia

The Majestic Kingdom of Cambodia.

Laid-back Laos

Situated in the middle of the tourist hubs Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia down south, Laos is rapidly gaining more and more tourists every year. This really nice country has it’s own hidden marvels, one just have to look closely.

I had the privilege to discover this wonderful place back in the summer of 2009 (when i say summer it means March -May in South East Asia). I left my previous job so i had to leave the country to get a visa. How else to spend the summer but with some holiday trip way up North!

There were 5 of us on this long journey but it was worth it. We hit 3 birds with 1 stone; first stop was in Vientianne, the capital city where we got our visa at the Thai consulate. For side trips, we got see the Patuxai monument and the beautiful temples including the Pha That Luang and the buddha park.

 

We continued our journey to Luang Prabang. It’s a really nice place…i felt like I time- traveled some 30 years back! We found our home for for few nights at My Lao Home for only USD 4/night a person. It’s a cool town so no air-cons needed.

In this country I have seen the prettiest waterfalls ever with its blue waters..the Kuang Xi Waterfalls! It’s AHH-MAZE-BALLZ!

my models (tourists who doesn’t know they’re included in the shot! lol)

Since the Mekong river was near, we went for the river trip to see a cave temple. It was a great experience.

When i get to travel like this it just put me into trance. It’s a natural high for me and it just makes me appreciate all the beauty and wonders in the world!

Koh Lipe my favorite place to visit!

Crystal clear blue waters, serene and calm waves….that’s how i would describe the tiny yet amazing island of Lipe!

Who couldn’t resist going back there again and again?? It’s my favorite place to go here in Thailand and I’ve been there a couple of times yet every visit was always a great surprise. My visit last March, was the most special; I got to bring my favorite person in the world – the love of my life to my favorite spot in the world!!!!

Getting there isn’t hard. We started our adventure from Songkhla where I currently live, we took the minivan going to Hatyai. I called my favorite tour agency in Hatyai for advance booking… here. From their agency, a van picked us up for our almost 2 hours travel to Pakbara pier. We purchased roundtrip ticket bundles( van = hatyai – pakbara pier , speed boat = pakbara – koh lipe and vice versa) for only THB 1,200.00/person. It was a good deal. The speed boat ride took 1hr. and 45 min. And we were dropped off at the pontoon to pay environmental fee of THB100.00/person and take another long tail boat for THB50.00/person. We got off the famous Pattaya Beach.

We found our bungalow at the http://www.kohlipe-greenview-resort.com/rooms/#!prettyPhoto for 3 nights at THB1,200.00/night. ( I know it’s a steep price but the Seaside Bungalows which is only THB300.00/night next door was fully booked!) 

We ate, hang out, walked around, shopped, relaxed by the beach.

We went out on a boat tour. Snorkeling was the best part! It’s like being in a huge aquarium full of exotic fish and live corals! My partner and i had a blast!

The sunsets were always breathtaking…it’s my favorite time of the day.

And catching a fish while waiting for the sun to set was a great surprise!

It was always hard to leave the place but I felt successful knowing that my fiance definitely loved the place! I know it won’t be our last time to visit this sanctuary.

Lake Sebu Seven Falls Zipline is the place to be!

Do you want some exhilarating experience in your life? Never miss the Lake Sebu Seven falls zipline in South Cotabato Philippines. But don’t miss to see the other nearby places and taste the fresh tropical fruits that’s abundant in the province.

nature’s gift to mankind

I myself was born and raised from the nearby province in North Cotabato. I’ve visited this place way back when I was in first grade. Things were different back then. I felt like I was in heaven then because of all the fogs that covered the place even at high noon.

I went back home last month for my holiday and since Lake Sebu has been the rave for sometime now, I wanted to see  and experience it!

I  didn’t go solo on this adventure, i tag my parents and my cousin along with me. It’s about an hour and a half from my hometown M’lang to Lake Sebu but we made lots of food stops; one those stops was just outside of  Koronadal city for a really good homemade halo-halo by the road…

mom and dad enjoying buko(coconut) halo-halo!

By the way, you can only find halo-halo in the Philippines; it’s a mixture of different sweet preserved tropical fruits (such as jackfruit, macapuno/coconut sport, sugar palm), beans, nata de coco, purple yam, leche flan, unflavored jellies, let’s not forget the crushed ice and some milk. To make it more special, people serve them in a young coconut fruit.

Soon after we arrived in Lake Sebu we made another stop for lunch at Punta Isla Resort. As soon as i stepped out of the car, the fresh and cool air greeted me. 

stairs going down to the cottages by the beautiful lake.

After our sumptuous meal, we’re ready to visit the 7 falls. On our way out, these two local T’boli girls caught my attention and i just couldn’t resist taking a snapshot!

T’boli folks are one of the local tribes in the Philippines. They have such nice traditional clothes!

The way going to the zipline isn’t that difficult, it might be during rainy season as it possibly gets muddy up there. And it’s best to go there in a private vehicle as it’s not easy to find public transport. 

Then entrance fee was PHP 25.00/person and you will have to walk down a bit to get to the place. Zipline cost PHP 300.00/peron on weekdays and PHP 350.00/person on weekends and holidays.

I was scared like hell to ride but since my cousin was willing to go for it, I dared myself! But in my mind I was cursing and praying at the same time that the wires don’t snap! NOT even 5 minutes after i booked, our numbers were already called! Oh crap!

I know I was super pale and super nervous while the crew were prepping us up. And with no delay, they pulled us back a bit and just pushed us…in seconds we were on the air 600 feet above the ground flying for 700 meters on the first leg of the ride! i was screaming my fear out loud like a maniac!

The second leg of the zipline was about 400 meters long and that part gave me time to appreciate the beautiful falls! 

My zipline experience was one I would never forget! It’s the most exhilarating adventure I’ve done in my life thus far! I felt so high!

If you’re reading this now and haven’t done it yet…you should add this in your bucketlist!

My savings plan

Save, save, save!!!! That’s all I’ve been thinking and talking about for the past 7 years. Time has past and I got zero in my savings account! Now that responsibilities are getting heavier, it has been a struggle for me to save. WHY? Simply because I am a compulsive buyer! I love shopping especially shoes!!! I love spending my money on food and most especially in travelling!

my addictions: shoes, food and travel(I was in Beijing on the last photo)

Based on the evidences above, it only makes sense that I don’t have savings. I read a blog the other night about “The $5 savings plan” and one lady saved up to $12,0000.00 in two years! This inspired and motivated me so starting this day, I am taking my saving scheme to a different level. I’m doing this savings plan but instead of dollars, I’m using Baht  since I’m here in Thailand and I need to fill my bottles within a year using 100 or 500 notes. So, here are snapshots of the things I’ve done so far to attain my goal!

Here’s what i’ve done so far: 3 bottles to fill with monetary notes shown in the middle, and my first THB500.00 savings! 😉 🙂

I think this time it will work because I’m saving up for my dream wedding! If you feel like doing this, please share what you’re saving up for. Good luck and hope to hear your story. 🙂