The Island Explorer

Enchante is the newest and long overdue restaurant of Chef Jessie Sinsioco. I'm so glad that she decided to set up in Ortigas, where I live. I think that Ortigas has no good restaurant, until Enchante and Cafe 1771 arrived. Enchante was recommended to me by a friend, and I didn't think it would be this busy on a Sunday. Well, it was Mother's Day that day, so probably, they had more guests than usual. I like the bright interiors. Enchante is located in the Joy-Nostalg Center, where Oakwood is. It's not part of Oakwood, and you enter the ADB side of the building to get to the restaurant. Now let's go down to the food. This was the Smoked Salmon, Grilled Prawn and Sauteed Mushroom Salad (P495). There were two pieces of perfectly grilled prawns that had an unforgettable smoky flavor. I didn't care much for the Smoked Salmon though, but everything blended well in the creamy balsamic dressing. There was a Special Menu for moms, and it was my Dad who ordered the set (g...

If there was one place I would like to move to, it would be Hong Kong. I simply love this mega city. It's filled with so many things to do, so many things to see, so many food to eat, so many people to meet. I've been to Hong Kong twice in the last month. The first time I went was to buy my new Mac.Book Pro. HK has the cheapest Macs in Asia, that if I buy a ticket, it would still be cheaper than buying from here. That is if you spend just a day there. Which was what I did. For those familiar with HK, you will instantly know that this scene is definitely Mongkok, one of the busiest shopping districts of the city. I spotted this cool ice cream truck on a corner. Mongkok is filled with people shopping and creating a scene. There are promotions and performers left and right, some of which are very interesting, like the one below: The guy stood there, and had anyone paint on his clothes. See the big Cebu writing? I guess a Cebuano was excited to paint this guy. I love Hong Kong also...

After the out of this world experience, we silently and hungrily headed back into the town of Biri. We visited this resort, owned by a German. I wasn't able to get the contact details of the resort, but it is past the municipal hall from the port. You can't miss it since it's only one road and it's a walking distance from the pier. You can just ask the locals for directions. The Biri Resort is probably the best place to stay in the island. There are around 5 resort hotels in Biri town, and there are also homestays as well. They don't get guests, except for adventurous travelers from different countries who fall in love with the place and stay for a month. And who shouldn't? Biri is a very laid back town, quite busy but has a cool and relaxed island vibe. There are a few eateries, a simple market, practically no night life and yet, I feel that the island is very alive. I found the people to be very accommodating as well. They were quite shy at first, but once you...

There are a few places in the Philippines that have made me nod in disbelief. Last year, Magpopongco in Siargao and Tambobong in Pangasinan were successful in doing that. This year, the rock formations in Biri in Northern Samar made me do more than that. Who wouldn't be enchanted upon this sight? Rock islands around 200 meters away from the main shoreline, separated by small mangrove plants arranged in almost perfect straight lines. The majestic rocks of Biri are a wonder of nature. There are 6 in total, covering an area of almost a kilometer across. We were only able to visit the one at the end of the line. You could easily walk to the island if the tide is low, but when it's high, the water reaches up to the chest level, making it very difficult to get through. Even the surroundings were breathtaking. The sand at the shoreline of Biri Island was not fine, but was glistening at the heat of the noon sun. We passed through coral reefs revealing itself in the low tide, so we wer...

When I found out that I was going to Catarman in Northern Samar for an event, I knew I had to visit one place. We landed in Catarman, and after getting over with the Grill Fest in the town's park, we drove straight to the port town of Allen. Allen is the gateway of Samar, having a regular ferry from mainland Luzon through Sorsogon. The journey to Sorsogon takes only 45 minutes via ferry, so it's around 2.5 hours to Legaspi City in Albay. We stayed in Kinabranan Resort, owned by our hosts. You won't miss Kinabranan along the highway of Allen, as you will see this huge Montery Meatshop sign. The resort is 15 years old, and is listed in Lonely Planet. It had recently renovated its rooms, making it cleaner, but still very basic. After all, it's more of an inn, than a resort. So don't expect luxuries here. Nevertheless, we spent a comfortable night here, and the next day, we rose early to drive to the town of Lavezares, which is actually the town before Allen coming from...

As soon as I received the email from Tripadvisor, I got another link to CNN, which touts the island of Marinduque as one of the next tourist hotspots in Asia. Of course, this is attributed to the beautiful Bellarocca Resort. The article also enumerates the plans for the island to grow tourism. We do hope Marinduque revives itself in the near future. Read the article here.

Finally, a much deserved promotion on the Philippines. Tripadvisor, one of the most informative and reliable travel blogs in the world has come out with the 2010 Travelers' Choice Awards with 3 destinations in the Philippines landing in this coveted list. Boracay has landed on the top spot for beach and sun destinations in Asia, beating the Maldives and all the other islands of Thailand. It is also no. 9 for beach and sun destinations in the world and no. 9 again for Relaxation and Spa in Asia. Interestingly, I found out that I have no entry on Boracay in this blog. Weird. Though I haven't been back to the island since 2008. This is the longest time that I haven't been back. I hope to revisit this June, and finally, have a comprehensive series on this tropical paradise. Then, the two wonders of Palawan, El Nido and Coron, land on 5th and 6th spot respectively for Outdoor and Adventure destinations in Asia. El Nido also landed no. 8 in beach and sun destinations in Asia. Pa...