The Island Explorer

It was one of the fastest years of my life. My blog entries are piling up already, and the oldest ones are a year behind. I haven't posted my holiday trips last year even! I still vow to finish them though within the next month. I always thought I lacked travel compared to other years, but upon reviewing my year, I think it was still enough to make a complete list. I traveled mostly out of the country this year, from the UAE at the start, to Australia in the end and of course, a lot of Asia in the middle. I found myself in the same places, from Phuket, Bali, HK, Singapore and Malaysia. I also took my first cruise, which I still have to write about. I also decided to spend time in the Philippines this Christmas for the first time in 4 years, but soon left for Hanoi, where I am currently writing this. I actually spent more time abroad than in the country. So, it was difficult coming up with my list for 2013. Because of my recent trend in travel, I decided to split the list into T...

I don't even know how many times I have been to Sumilon. But every time I go there, I always feel it's my first time. For this post, I will be posting pictures of the resort but using my iPhone and Instagram. I have so many shots on my iPhone that I never post on this blog, so I hope this is a start.

For years, we may have made the journey to Tagaytay to savor the organic cooking of Sonya's Garden. Known for serving up delightful buffets of pasta and salad, this Tagaytay institution should be given credit for making this burgeoning city of the South into the food mecca that it is today.

Before I move on writing, let me just explain a new feature on my experiences with hotels and resorts. At the end of each write up is a score board that churns out a rating (score) based on my experience. The criteria are: Ambience: the over-all character and atmosphere of the place Room: the quality and amenities of the room Service: the one key thing that separates a five-star hotel from the rest Facilities: activities and places in the hotel and resort like the gym, business center spa, etc. Dining: the most overlooked criteria of a hotel and resort, also the state where you dine in Over-all Experience: was I happy, satisfied and wanting to come back at the end of the trip These sum up to the Island Explorer Score, which is a 0 to 5 rating that I give to all the hotels and resorts I have visited. 0 - forget it 1 - unacceptable 2 - fair 3 - good 4 - excellent 5- perfect So far, the highest score goes to El Nido in Pangulasian with a score of 4.6. Congratulations...

When someone mentions about Pico De Loro, I can't help but think SM. I know it seems very racist, but I couldn't help downgrade my expectations of a place when it has the brand SM to it. And I am ashamed, since I just can't give them the benefit of the doubt. So when we arrived at Pico Sands, the only hotel in Pico de Loro, a seaside development by SM, I naturally gave a half smile.

One may go to Baler for one reason only. That is to surf. Baler is an emerging surfing destination, following the footsteps of San Fernando in La Union, Daet in Camarines Norte and of course, Siargao. Being closer to Manila, Baler is indeed a growing mecca for surfers old and new.

Whenever people ask me where the best place is nearby Manila, I always mention Baler. It may not be appealing to some, but I have found my place in this secluded town eastern seaboard of Luzon. But Baler is not all about Sabang Beach and surfing. Many find new places to explore, such as mountain and waterfall hikes. Here we explore the most famous waterfall in town, Ditumabo.