The Island Explorer

Thailand has really got it right. It is Amazing indeed. And I envy how robust and profitable their local tourism industry is. Thailand does give you everything, from gorgeous beaches and islands to mesmerizing mountains, to rich culture, sizzling nightlife and irresistible shopping. Add on to the warmth and friendliness of their good natured people, Thailand is indeed a gem in South East Asia that everyone should visit. I seem a bit off promoting Thailand rather than the Philippines, but I just can't stop praising them in the hopes that we would eventually be like them, even better. This blog entry is about Krabi, a province in Southern Thailand, more known for its limestone cliffs and islands that boast of white sand beaches, without the hustle and bustle of Phuket. We arrive in Krabi after an hour's flight from Bangkok. Ao Nang is our first destination. It is an idyllic beach town that was very clean and is a main jump off point to the islands. Ao Nang town has a lot of resta

Oroquieta City in Misamis Occidental is perhaps one of the smallest cities in the country, and one of the quietest for that matter. After landing in Ozamiz, we took a van ride to Oroquieta that lasted for an hour. We checked in our hotel, probably the only hotel of class in the city, Sheena's Hotel. I actually liked Sheena because of its breezy ambience. The rooms were large and clean, and of course cheap at P1,200 a night. I can't remember if we paid for breakfast though. What I liked about Sheena is this quaint courtyard. There's Wifi by the way in the hotel, so I ordered a cup of coffee and worked for a little while under one of the umbrellas. Oroquieta has nothing much to offer, except for unchartered trips to waterfalls and rivers. We went around seeing nothing. They told us that there were more sights outside the city but I didn't have the time. So we just made our way to the city hall plaza, where a pleasant park provides the only venue of entertainment

One spontaneous evening, we decided to head to Cubao X, formerly known as the Marikina Shoe Expo, in Cubao, Quezon City. To all you backpackers out there, here's one place you would enjoy for the vibe. Ever since I witnessed the changes in Cubao X, I was always raving on how it can be transformed into the backpackers hub of Manila, much like Khao San in Thailand. It's near the bus station (actually beside it). It is a great home base for travellers rto Manila since it is near both the MRT and LRT. There are lots of shopping, dining and yes, now with the transformation, culture. The culture though is very hippy - young and free. Cubao X features several innovative shops, boutique galleries and antique stores. It has a few bars and this popular Italian restaurant called Bellini's that perhaps was the magnet of development here in Cubao X. Bellini's has become bigger, and was almost full when we arrived. However, we were very much disappointed with the food quality. They u

I love Baguio, like most people do. But nowadays, it's been really stressful there, because of the increasing crowds and traffic. So, when I am in Baguio, I often look for hotels that are far from the maddening central district. I turn my head to Camp John Hay. Although known to be expensive, the manor at Camp John Hay is the perfect hide away for a weekend in Baguio. When I was there for Panagbena and a wedding of a friend, it was fully booked. I had to go to another inside the area. Welcome to the Igorot Lodge. There is another cheap option in John Hay, and that's Mile Hi Inn, but the place creeps me out, so I decided to go to Igorot Lodge which is beside Starbucks, Cantinetta and House of Waffles. The rooms here cost P2,800, still quite expensive for standard accommodation, but the place offers the same peace and ambience of Manor, in a much smaller and simpler scale. For some weird reason, the photo I took of my room got damaged, so I have nothing to show of the interior. B

I found myself back in Moalboal. It seems like it's my new favorite escape from Cebu City. I thought I could just go there and check in Ravenala, my choice of resort in the area, but when I arrived, I was surprised that it was fully booked. So I had to find another place. They recommended Dolphin House, which was also pleasant, but it was also full. So I had to go to Bas Diot more popularly known as Panagsama Beach, to look for a resort. We settled for this one. Tipolo Beach Resort is actually at the end of the strip of resorts along Panagsama Beach. This beach area has a very relaxed atmosphere. There are a lot of dive resorts, since Moalboal is known for its diving, which is centered in nearby Pescador Island. By being at the end, Tipolo enjoys solemnity. There are still a lot of resorts beside it, but the native design of this resort sold me to it. We got a room for P1,500 a night, with A/C and twin beds. The deluxe room cost a little more, P1,800, and had a queen sized be

If you wish to spend a day trip in Samal, I recommend Sonrisa de V Resort. Upon entering the resort for the first time, I was immediately reminded of my favorite resort in Samal, Chema's by the Sea. The design was natural, unlike the other resorts that seem to have an excess of cement in the making. Sonrisa de V is a sprawling resort. It has a huge lawn area, that's actually perfect for events such as weddings. I was surprised that the resort was really huge, and seemed like it was three resort lots combined . It has only 5 spartan cottages, one of which is good enough for an entire family. Don't expect luxury though. Think your basic bahay kubo. The resort has a bar in the beach front, so I really think it was made for day trips. There are two beach areas separated by their jetty. There is no pool. The beach is typical Samal, white fine sand (not so powdery). However, you can get one of the largest beach fronts here, next to Paradise Island. There are huts that you can ren

On the way to Moalboal in Cebu, you will notice this intriguing signage in the scenic town of Barili. The Molave Milk Station is a popular stop over for travelers going to and from the western coastline of Cebu island. They sell cow's and carabao's milk, ice cream and shakes here. The ice cream is of course their popular product. It comes in soft serve as well. You have flavors like chocolate, buko pandan, vanilla, mango, strawberry and even pandan chocolate and buko chocolate. I was wrong not to take pictures of their products. I only realized it now as I write this. The vanilla ice cream I got was not that milky, but has that homemade taste. It's tastes more like a sorbet. The Molave Milk Station is actually a private farm as I was told. Animals graze freely in the fields. We weren't able to enter though since it was restricted. I love the town of Barili as it reminds me so much of Ubud in Bali. I think the Cebu government can convert this into an arts and culture des

The Northern part of Cebu has a wealth of white sand beaches. From Bogo, to Medellin, Daanbatayan and our feature for this post, San Remigio. We were headed North once as a big group of 20, and figured it would be difficult to find a mainland beach resort good enough for all of us without any prior arrangements. But the explorer in me made my instincts excited. After an hour of searching for a perfect resort in San Remigio, we stumbled upon a road sign of Elegance Beach Resort. The name of the resort turned us off, but I had a gut feel that it would suit us. We thought it would be near the town proper, but getting to the resort took us 30 minutes. Good thing we weren't disappointed with what we saw. We were the only guests when we arrived at Elegance. The resort had a dorm room which could sleep 16 people in one room at only P500 per person. Perfect. The other standard rooms cost us P2,400 each, good enough for two. The resort was surprisingly well maintained, considering its size