The Island Explorer

I am not a big fan of churches, since in the Philippines, they pretty much look the same to me. There are some though that mesmerize, like the Miag-ao Church in Iloilo and this one, the Basilica of our Lady of Charity, more known as the Agoo Church.

On this day, December 20, I was expecting smiles and a lot of fun from our Mindanao Christmas party in a lovely resort in Jasaan.  Today, we visit them with smiles to cheer them up. I have come to love Mindanao, and CDO has been special to me this year. This is what Emily Homes looks like now, which is reminiscent of Ondoy's wrath in my former home in Provident Villages. It has happened again, and will happen again soon.  Help CDO and Iligan and all the other affected areas of Sendong, by donating in whatever way. We are here to help.

Guess where my next destination is. More on one of the country's top tourist draws up next! Merry Christmas everyone!

I I wanted to end my Camotes blog with Santiago Bay, but if there's one thing that made my trip memorable, it was the impromptu bicycle tour that we took on our last day.

When one mentions a beach in Camotes, one would probably say Santiago Bay. After visiting Timubo and Lake Danao, we decided to grab a snack at Santiago Bay Garden Resort, perched on the cliffside of Santiago Bay.

Just like most islands in the Visayas, Camotes has primed up its popular tourists spots. The island has its share of destinations, making a day trip around the countryside worth your while. We hired at multicab to take us around for P2,000 a day. We were also picked up from the wharf with this  fee. We also had a bubbly and informative tour guide, who took us to the right spots. Our first stop was the Timubo Cave.

I find great satisfaction in discovering new places. The Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort was an accidental find, since we were really supposed to stay in Mangodlong Rock Resort beside it. When I saw the new resort, I was already lured towards it.

Finally, after 5 years of wanting, I found myself boarding the ferry to the island of Camotes in Cebu. If you have been reading my blogs on Cebu, you will be familiar with Camotes, as the destination I've wanted to go to, but never got the chance. So now, boarding this ferry is indeed surreal.

I was walking in IFC headed for Pret-a-Porter, when BOOM! It was there. I was planning to check out the Apple Store afterwards, but as I went up the escalator, it was there.

I must admit, I am back to my younger days, when clubbing was a addiction. But it's probably not because of the drinking and wild nights that I crave for, it's the music. And for the past years, I have been hooked so much on house and electronic music. In fact, I even wanted to become a DJ because of this.

And so I come to the reason why we are staying in Galaxy Macau. Just like roof deck and sky high bars, beach clubs are a growing trend in Asia. So when I chanced upon the beach club at the Galaxy, I definitely said to myself that I needed to experience it for myself.

I have been moving in and out of Macau to go to HK recently because of Tiger Airways fantastic prices to Macau from Clark. For example, for this flight to Macau, I only paid P1,500. It was even more expensive to travel to Baguio because of the gas. So, Macau has been my entry point for my past visits to HK. However, when in Macau, who could resist the lure of their ever growing luxury hotels.

We stumbled upon the newest boutique hotel in Tagaytay after giving up our search for a new restaurant. We got intrigued by Agui's fresh Tagaytay cuisine concept, because it was very vague. What was Tagaytay cuisine anyway? 

Most cruises to the Loboc River in Bohol take place during lunch time as part of the standard countryside tours in the island. However, I discovered that taking the night cruise is a better experience.

It was a bright and breezy morning as the sun rose from behind the house, revealing the beauty of the sea and the surrounding islands. I got so excited, so I planned our short island exploring trip. We hired the boat that was parked beside the house for P2,500. The rate was quite steep, considering we only used the boat for 3 hours. 

For the Halloween long weekend, we decided to go to a beach town that I haven't visited in years, probably because I'm not a diver. Our trip to Anilao was one of the long drives that put a smile on my face. From Alabang, it only took us a total of 1.5 hours, all because of the Sto. Tomas expressway being connected to the Star Tollway. The next thing you'll know, you're in Batangas City, and just 30 minutes away from Mabini, where Anilao is.

Before going back to Manila, I decided to explore Dumaguete city by foot. I had myself dropped off at the boulevard, and looked for lunch. The last time I visited, I wasn't really able to digest that I was in Dumaguete, so it was just like any quaint city to me. This time however, I was pleasantly surprised to see how it reminds me of a laid back Southeast Asian coastal town.  

For some reason, I have been dying to see this resort in Siaton, Negros Oriental for the longest time. Even before villas were the trend in accommodations, Antulang Beach Resort boasted of its villas with private pools overlooking the Sulu sea. So when I finally got to go back to Dumaguete, I immediately booked a room in Antulang, which is located an hour away from the city.

Bohol's accommodations are a bit tricky for me. For one, I still haven't found the perfect resort even after being here for more than 8 times already. I get to check out most hotels as part of my work in events, and the last event that we had in Bohol was set in probably the best looking resort in Bohol. This is the Amorita Resort.

W Hong Kong has got to be one of the best hotels I've stayed in. The moment you arrive, you get that feeling that this stay would be special. And it was a warm and special welcome indeed.

From Singapore, we were thirsty for more beach. I still wanted luxury, but didn't want to spend so much, given that Shangri-La already set me back a lot. So, the most obvious choice is Phuket, since it is relatively nearer than Bali (thus cheaper airfares). I searched extensively for a great resort, but with an affordable price. Low and behold, I never thought I would end up in a Marriot property in the quieter and more luxurious northern part of Phuket. Welcome to the Renaissance Phuket Resort and Spa.

Oh yes, Shangri-La. I may have fallen for the hotel chain as it has satisfied my needs for truly relaxing vacations. My latest experience is in its Sentosa Singapore property. This is the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa Resort.

Anybody who has been to Bacolod must have heard about Calea. When I first stepped into its doors four years ago, I immediately fell in love with the White Chocolate Macadamia Cheesecake. I even branded it as one of the best cheesecakes in the country. It's now 2011 and because of its inevitable popularity, Calea has grown immensely.

I discovered the latest hotel I am raving about after a last minute reservation with Agoda. Harolds (I mistook it for Harrods) is centrally located in Gorordo Avenue. I knew it was a business hotel and initially, I thought it was just any other new business hotel.

Despite all my criticisms on the resort's design and food, we still managed to have a good time in Misibis Bay. And as they say, you really go to Misibis Bay to enjoy their activities. "Activities" are all the things you can do in the resort, most of which are for free!

In my quest to find the best luxury resort in the Philippines, I stumble upon that elusive destination in Cagraray Island in Albay. This is Misibis Bay.

There has been a sudden surge of celebrity and Michelin star restaurants in Asia recently and the top venues are of curse, Singapore and Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, we have Bo Innovation leading the list for its molecular gastronomic take on Chinese cuisine. With the opening of Marina Bay Sands, several celebrity chefs put up restaurants, such as Wolfgang Puck's Cut, Mario Batali's Osteria Mozza and Pizerria Mozza, Daniel Boulud's Bistro Moderne and Guy Savoy among others. The list goes on, in Singapore, having new Michelin starred spots such as . Perhaps one of the most celebrated chefs is Joel Robuchon, who finally opened not one, but two restaurants in Singapore's Resorts World Sentosa. 

When I heard an indoor skydiving tunnel was being built in Sentosa, I was so eager to try out the new adventure. So when it finally opened, I didn't pass on the chance to fly.

We were on a roll. After being blown away by House of Dancing Water, I realized it will take a long time for another show of that proportion to come along my way. Hence, everything was downhill. Nevertheless, we were getting bored already, and since we were staying in the Venetian, we decided to catch Zaia's matinee performance.

This year, the Venetian in Macau brought in an interesting attraction: Ice World. Located in one of the convention halls of the resort, the ice sculpture exhibition brings the experience of the northern Chinese city of Harbin to the shores of balmy Macau.

It was spontaneous and very exciting indeed. Our trip to Macau was booked two days before I scored some tickets in one of the most anticipated shows staged in Asia, Franco Dragone's House of Dancing Water.

When I last visited Macau, the City of Dreams were on its final stages of completion. Now, it is fully operational, brightly lit and beaming with promise. It may not look like a city, but the newest kid on the Cotai strip is definitely making some noise.

I'm quite familiar with Macau already, having set up events there for my corporate clients. This will be the first time that I will be blogging about the place though, since it's my first official time on vacation here. 

If you read the title, how many of you would think this post is a rant? I guess, a majority. But I'm not going to write about how useless our government is. I am here to share a recent experience. I was on flight 5J 143 bound for Manila from a recent 5-day 3 country tour. I was with my 10 year old daughter who would be leaving for the US the next day. We arrived at midnight, and we breezed through immigration and baggage collection. We had to pass the customs desk, so I gave the declarations form to the officer. I checked the electronics part, since I bought a Mac Book Pro in Hong Kong. I've always bought my macs in HK, and I have probably brought in 4 pieces already in the past 5 years. I was supposed to buy an iMac, but settled for a Mac Book Pro since it was just really such a hassle to bring home.  Because of my intention to buy an iMac, I asked a friend who knew someone from the Customs if it was indeed legal to bring in an iMac. I mean, a laptop could be easily be kep...

I was getting bored of the food in Cebu, so I asked for something different. I was looking for a place that was not fancy and non-Filipino. After some researching, we decided to head off to Guadalupe in Cebu City, near the capitol building for a hole-in-the-wall Spanish restaurant called Arano.

The Grand Quartier Suites is located in the upscale residential hillside community of Crosswinds. The hotel takes its design inspiration from the Swiss Alps, hence, makes it try unique from the other hotels in Tagaytay.

When we were walking back to our room, we took a wrong turn and ended up in the garden villas near the poolside. We were able to catch a glimpse of these villas, so we curiously approached the front desk and asked how much the villas were.

It is often said that the "flaw" of Shangri-la Boracay is the beach. Well, if one compares the sand quality of the resort's private beach to White Beach, then it is really inferior. 

We took too long in our lovely room so we pushed ourselves to explore the all-inclusive resort. We wore our swim suits and headed straight for the beach area. As soon as we left the room, we were greeted by their friendly personnel who was fixing the other room. I asked for the fastest way to get to the beach.

Last June, a close friend of mine got married in Boracay. I actually recommended him to Asya Premier Suites, so that was where the wedding was held. I was with my daughter who lives in the US, so we decided to splurge for our first night in Shangri-la Boracay. This begins my journey back to Boracay, now older and not really after getting drunk every night (though this still did happen). 

So, after hearing all the hype and raves, I finally made some time to score tickets to the first Cirque du Soleil show in Manila - Varekai. 

So where did we go after that horrific experience at Casa Ibiza? We left Ibiza and headed straight to a nearby resort, Loreland which was one of the most popular resorts in Antipolo. I was really hesitant at first, but some of my colleagues told me it was nice there.

As you can see by the title, this will be a rant blog. It's been a while since I've written something bad about a place, because I try to censor my articles already (don't write anything when there's nothing good to say about it).

And so it begins. Cebu Pacific finally opens their 50th route to the southern most province in the country, Tawi-Tawi. I've been wanting to go back to this elusive group of islands, given its remoteness and charm. Of course, one cannot discount the security concerns, but as long as you keep close guard, Tawi-Tawi is relatively safe. So, time to escape to Tawi-Tawi. I'm not a fan of Cebu Pacific, but I just want to congratulate them for opening a whole new era of tourism for the province. With Sitangkai, Simunul and even the Turtle Islands on its realm, Tawi-Tawi is indeed the new Batanes. Time to explore! Read more on Tawi-Tawi from my previous entries here .

And yes, more on this top island destination coming up next.

A trip to Pagbilao won't be complete without a visit to Puting Buhangin, arguably the best beach on this side of Quezon Province. To get here, it's best one takes a boat from the Silangang Nayon coastline. We, however, took the trail by land, since the waves were strong.

It was the end of Summer, and we hoped to shipwreck ourselves to Cagbalete, one of the destinations I desired this 2011. However, the weather was bad (a storm was still lingering), so we decided to go to Pagbilao in Quezon Province instead.

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands is one of the best looking malls in Singapore. It's just the right size, sprawling yet still luxurious in feel. Of course, most of the stores here are high end, but there are your regular favorites as well. 

We were granted a late checkout at 1PM, and decided to head up to the Sky Park. This was one of the top draws for the hotel after all. I kind of regretted staying in the room the whole morning after seeing the  highest infinity pool in the world.