The Island Explorer

Ever since I went to Zoobic early this year, and noticed the signs of a resort I have not heard of in Subic, I  have been running after Kamana Sanctuary in my mind. Finally, because of iTravelerAsia.com, I was able to experience it and satisfy my curiosity. 

Our newest resort experience was spontaneous. I thought of going to Bohol because I finished my work early in Cebu. Since I need to do some work in Bohol as well, I decided to stay at one of the newest resorts in the island - Bluewater Panglao.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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 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).

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.