The Island Explorer

So this begins my return to Boracay after 2 years. And that's a pretty long time. I used to go to Boracay twice a year every year since I got out of College. But the past two years have isolated me from one of my favorite islands in the Philippines. And yes, no matter what they say, Boracay is still Boracay. Since I live in Astoria Plaza in Ortigas, I've been seeing the new Astoria Boracay poster in the lobby. It said, "making waves in Station 1". The picture looked nice, so we tried to book for a room for 3 nights there. When we inquired about the room rates, I was surprised that they were significantly higher than if you booked online via Agoda. So that's what we did. Booked the last room in Astoria Boracay in the Agoda website. Astoria Boracay was actually at the end of Station 2, and not really part of Station 1. That was a disappointment for me, since the beach front is small, compared to those in Station 1, that has the widest and finest Boracay sand. There

And it gives you this view. More on Boracay in my upcoming posts.

The last time I went to Camayan Cove was probably 3 years ago. So, I was pleasantly shocked when I saw a new Camayan Cove Resort beside Ocean Adventure in Subic Bay. What used to be dilapidated cottages are now rooms located in 2 new resort wings. The rooms are bigger and more modern. The Sunset Wing have more luxurious rooms, with private verandas and balconies. The price is a bit expensive though. A standard room can go as high as P4,500 during peak seasons. We stayed in the "other wing", which is made of two new resort buildings. These rooms all face the beach, though the foliage block the view of the sea. The restaurant is also bigger. Now called Reef, the dining area can seat up to 200 people. There is also a bar beside it. The food is not impressive though, except for the Grilled Prawns, which at P240 was a bargain. Camayan Beach may be the busiest beach in the Subic area, so don't expect paradise. Lots of people go here on day trips, so you will be sharing the beac

One of the simplest yet best ways to see Singapore in the fastest way possible is via the Singapore River Night Cruise. Some of my colleagues arrived in SG, and only had that night to see what the Lion City looks like. So, I took them on a night cruise, that lasted for an hour. The docking station is located at famous night spot Clark Quay. I forgot how much the ride costs, but I think it is between SGD15 to 25. We took the last trip, so we were the only ones on board. The cruise took us to 3 main sites in SG, passing through the Riverside Point and City Hall area. The Fullerton Hotel was lit up in extravagant beauty. The trip I felt would be perfect for romantics. You go under bridges that are also lit up. Then you pass by the Esplanade, that durian shaped theater that is found in most SG postcards. You will also see the Merlion nearby. Perhaps the latest addition to this wonderful view is the new Marina Bay Sands Resort/Hotel that establishes its towering presence on the horizon. We

When I go to Singapore, it's usually for business. I've always branded Singapore as the most boring Asian city, so I didn't bother to do anything but to shop and eat when I'm there. I've been to Sentosa Island before, but I remember it being a typical theme park, except probably for the Sirens of the Sea lights show. I headed to Sentosa because of Resorts World, particularly Universal Studios. But when I wasn't able to buy tickets to the park, I decided to rediscover the island again. I was in for a big surprise. The last time I visited Sentosa was 2005. Again, I really wasn't compelled to go back. There was a lot of construction going on, so I thought I was just going to take a quick look around. There was still the mini merlion, but there were new things being put up. The new Merlion park will be open in the last quarter of 2010 as the signs say. Images of Singapore, a museum on Singapore's history and culture was still open. I didn't bother going

A recent business trip to Singapore opened my eyes to a city that I once thought was boring. This series on Singapore may just be in time for the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix (not attending though). So let's begin, with the most obvious new attraction - Universal Studios Singapore. Universal Studios is located in massive Resorts World in Sentosa Island. From Vivo City (take an MRT to Harbourfront), you can cross to Sentosa via its monorail. This is perhaps the most convenient and fastest way to visit Sentosa. The first stop on the monorail is Resorts World. I came on a Sunday, which means tickets are almost impossible to get, especially if you arrive 30 minutes after opening. I don't know if this is still the case, but during that time, I had to purchase my ticket for the next day. Thus, I wasn't able to get into Universal. Instead, I explored a new Sentosa. More of that on my next entries. So, moving on to the next day, I was finally able to get inside. The first thing yo