The Island Explorer

One of my favorite resorts this year is surprisingly just 2.5 hours drive from Manila. When I came to Anilao last year and rediscovered the famed diver's paradise, we drove past a resort with lots of cars parked on its street. I turned to look for the sign that Azure. It was also pleasant to see that Azure was by Vivire, a pioneer hotel in the Alabang business district.

I’ve heard of Amarela from a lot of my friends and peers in the industry. Having been opened in 2006, it is one of the most established boutique resorts family built and run in Bohol. The 25-room charming Filipino designed escape is tucked away in lush foliage of bright pink bouganvillas and verdant bushes and hanging gardens.

I must admit, I had low expectations of the Peacock Garden in Bohol. It bills itself as Bohol’s premier luxury boutique resort. Those many descriptions made it look very pretentious. I was also a bit off with its European design since it was located in a tropical island. It just seemed out of place. So when I entered the imposing gates of the resort and drove across a grand and manicured driveway that led to what looked like a clubhouse from afar, I still didn’t know what to expect.

If I thought 2011 was my least travelled year, then 2012 was the total opposite. I was out two thirds of the year, though most are on international trips such as South Africa, Bali, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and two more destinations that I haven't blogged about - Mongolia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. So as you can see, I had a drought in local destinations this year. Some in the list are new, but most are rediscoveries. I have been to almost all provinces in the country except for Dinagat Islands and Batanes (yes, yes), so it's hard for me to find new places. And with work becoming more demanding, it's just hard to travel locally and further away from Manila. But there was one clear winner for me this year, as I reveal the Top 10 of my Philippine experiences this 2012. 10. The Farm at San Benito Let's begin the list with a well known resort very near the Metro. Just an hour's drive from Makati is the city of Lipa that holds one of the co

Everybody loves White Beach, so most prefer to stay on this side of Boracay. However, just as I learned recently, there is more to White Beach in Boracay. It started actually when I fell in love with Shangri-La, that piece of heaven that made me forget all together that I was in Boracay. And that's a big feat. Then, I got to savor sleeping in Bulabog which was a treat as well. Now, I got to stay in one of the biggest resort developments in the island, and also one of the first massive developments as well. This is Fairways and Bluewater.

Let's take a step back for a while and fly back to one of the best beaches in the world that is found here in our country. I've spent a reasonable amount of time in Boracay this year, and what follows are the accommodations that I've stayed in for almost a period of a month. Let's start off with the lesser known side of Boracay, Bulabog beach.

As I've said, I never left my villa till the next day for breakfast. Good things must come to an end, and as soon as I was ready, I told the reception that I will be moving to my more affordable deluxe bungalow.

I booked a water villa for one night, since this will truly cap my Maldivian luxury experience. I mean, you go to the Maldives for these types of accommodations, which is what made the country land in every travel bucket list. So it's easy to imagine when I was upgraded to water pool villa.

Welcome to my first Maldivian experience. Maldives is associated with luxury island escapes and thus, I expected that to befall me in this much anticipated trip. But what made this trip so special to me was that it was all spontaneous. I was in Sri Lanka which is just 2 hours by plane from Colombo, so NOT going to the Maldives will be a definite regret. So, as soon I had the chance, I booked for a 3 days, 2 nights trip to this famed archipelago.

This is my first time to start off a series with an unnamed blog entry. I am just so excited to write about this place, especially that I have been back here twice this year. So, let the suspense build up as I begin my adventure - in this airport lounge.

And finally, the last post on this Sri Lankan Diaries. Let me take you to a whirlwind tour of Galle, the UNESCO World Heritage fort located at the southern coast of Sri Lanka. From Amangalla, we decided to do a walking tour of the fort.