The Island Explorer

It was almost 4 months ago when I first stepped into a newly opened French cafe and bakery for a meeting with a client. The place was called Alexandre located at the ground floor of the Grand Hamptons condominium in Fort Bonifacio. Ever since, I have been retreating to this sophisticated yet surprisingly comfy cafe for an afternoon of catching up with work. One time, I decided to take pictures of the place, but at night, after a hearty dinner at Eat Well in Net Cube. The place is owned by a french guy I guess, or a Belgian, who is always there. The staff are pleasant and very accommodating, probably because most of their guests are foreigners. I have never been to this place without seeing foreigners buy some bread, sip coffee, or enjoy their pastries. It really seems that they have marketed well to expats living nearby. Their selection of pastries and bread is not extensive. Around a dozen kinds of pastries are displayed in a glass shelf, all looking so appetizing. For some reason, I...

The first time I was in Malapascua , I had my first dive lessons. It was just an introductory dive. I remember seeing nothing but the mating of two mandarin fishes, which were said to be rare in this world. The dive wasn't deep, but the current was strong, and since we were diving at sunset, I managed to have my first night dive as well. Yes, all in one go. Now, I am back, three years after. Malapascua is an idyllic island off the northern coast of Cebu. Bantayan Island is an hour away by boat. Most people mistake Bantayan for Malapascua. Malapascua is actually further north, and east, leaning towards Leyte. The island is known for thresher shark diving. We took a pump boat from Maya Port in Daanbantayan (again, not Bantayan). The port for Bantayan is in Hagnaya in Bogo I think. We paid P100 each for a special one-way trip to Malapascua. The waters were rough then, so it took us 45 minutes. On smoother days, the ride takes less than 30 minutes. Malapascua is actually famous amongst...

2009 was a great year for local travel for me. Ironically, from my wish list for the year, I only set foot in one spot. Nevertheless, 2009 made me a live on my trusty backpack. I have taken a spectacular and unforgettable trip to Southwest China , and discovered how much Siem Reap in Cambodia has changed. I finally got to travel outside of Ho Chi Minh, particularly in Mui Ne , and experienced the villa life in Bali . However, since we're all about promoting local tourism, this list will cover only my top local travel experiences. I can't wait to experience what 2010 has in store for me. 10. Baler, Aurora Finally, after 3 years of not being able to go on trips to Aurora, I was able to drive all the way to Baler. Passing through the majestic mountains of Sierra Madre and parts of isolated Nueva Vizcaya, I witnessed dams that looked like seas on top of mountains. Baler proved to be one of the most laid back towns I have ever been to. It's like the place forgets about time. T...

I must admit, I haven't been to the movies this year. In fact, I've only watched a dozen films in the theater this year. Seeing the line-up also, this year's offerings were not as great as last year's. I've been catching up with movies I've missed at home, and still, nothing has made an impact to me. Compared from last year, when Slumdog, Revolutionary Road, Benjamin Button, Juno, Doubt, and the rest of the gang wowed me. It was even difficult to make a top 10 list with all the nice movies. Now, I'm complaining there's no good movie yet. So, as plain as it is, here are my top movies for 2009. 10. Inglorius Basterds It's a Quentin film on the Nazi occupation, so it must be interesting. I can't help but be reminded of Kill Bill, which I thought was better. Despite the long dialogues, Basterds was suspenseful, and kept me impatient on what's to happen next. 9. Star Trek One of the first good movies of the year, Star Trek received high grad...

Now, let's get to business. 2009 was not a highlight year for dining. No new restaurant shook me. It's a good thing I was always in Cebu, so I had a lot of new places to experience. Here is my list for 2009: 1. Maya (The Crossroads, Banilad, Cebu) I have seen new Mexican establishments sprout about in Manila, such as Jalapeno in Ortigas Home Depot. And with the growing popularity of Zapata's in Clark (which I also visited this year only), Mexican was on the up trend. Though among all the new Mexican hotspots, only one caught me on fire. That was Maya in Crossroads, Cebu. Probably the only high-end Mexican establishment in the country, it has been the place to be when it opened. The interiors will transform your mood instantly - exotic and modern. Owned by the Abaca proprietors, their food was top notch as well. And drinking here was an experience as well. I highly recommend a night out in Maya when in Cebu. 2. NY Buffalo Wings (The Food Strip, Ortigas Home Depot) My co...

It's the end of the year, and it's time again for me to present my BEST LISTS for the year. This time, I am adding my best music for the year. As some of you may know, I am also addicted to all types of music, from trip-hop, opera, pop rock and metal. As long as the tune is unique and what I call musically superior, they would be repeating in my iPod for a month or more. Here are my best and noteworthy tunes for 2009 in no particular order: 1. Make You Feel My Love by Adele (Album: 19) If last year was Chasing Pavements, this year, I've discovered that Make You Feel My Love is even better. Beautiful and moving lyrics that stir the soul to love without condition. 2. Use Somebody by Kings of Leon (Album: Only by the Night) My rock song of the year. the same way that some electronic beats put me into a trance, Use Somebody mesmerized me with a soothing rock melody if that's even possible. Reminds me of U2. 3. Eet by Regina Spektor (Album: Far) Her new album Far is n...