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…

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.

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. 🙂

Swimming with the whale sharks.

One of my greatest dream is exploring the waters of Donsol, Sorsogon Philippines. The big gentle creatures (whale sharks) gave me an itch to swim with them and if possible touch them. The big hiccup is that I have a great fear in deep waters. I can swim, not as good but when I see that the seabed is already out of my reach, I just panic! As soon as I overcome my fear and improve my snorkelling skills, I will be visiting this jaw-dropping creatures!

Swimming with them is not impossible to do especially when you’re in the Philippines between November and June and in the months of February to May. Accommodations are available to tourists which varies from resorts to homestays. Just be cautious that most of the establishments accept cash only. The nearest banks and ATM machines are in Legaspi which is about an hour away. Boat rental and guided tours are also available.

This is not the only thing you can do when in Donsol. It has unique night firefly tour and shrimp-catching night tour available all-year round. You can also go for trekking and biking due to the abundance of hilly areas and fields. This is going in my bucket list.

Photos courtesy of: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/62648951, http://www.mitchellkphotos.com, http://www.heelsandwheelsonline.com

Resource(s): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donsol,_Sorsogon

the “photobucket”

I have been a benefactor of blogs from all over the world for as long as i can remember. I have tried writing in the past but i just could not stick to my guns. I am turning 30 this month and i have been thinking of putting myself into something meaningful to my life.

I always have so much ideas of doing this craft and that DIY project or travel here and there but i always end up forgetting about it because i’m scared to try or I create alibis that forbids me from actually doing one.

So I put up a bucket list (my partner calls it “our photobucket”) for me to do and this time, i really have to achieve it, no excuses….TIME TO TAKE THAT RISK!

I have nothing to lose anyway. Instead, I will gain more fun and learning experience.

Here’s a collage of the things i need to achieve for the next ten years.

they don’t come in order. The goal is to achieve them in those years. And I will be posting blogs on the progress of achieving them. Therefore, this blog will not only be about me, but I will be posting projects, tips, ideas and what-not for your inspiration(s).

This challenge, by the way shall commence on the day of my 30th year (that’s on the 25th of October 2012).

BRING IT ON! ^^,