The Island Explorer

After having a splash in Bagasbas, we decided to move on to San Jose in Talisay, a town adjacent to Daet (take a trike to San Jose from Daet). San Jose was more laid back than Bagasbas, and more surfers were riding here when we arrived. We met some cousins who were surfing. We were hoping to hire a boat to an island called Quinamanukan, which supposedly was owned by another relative. It was already 3PM, and thus we knew we had little time to negotiate. From San Jose, we traversed through rough waters on a medium sized fishing boat to Quinamanukan, which was seen from the San Jose shore. Quinamanukan Island was a delight. It was literally deserted. Some watchdogs made up its population. The sand was also nice, with a bit of an orange color. It was a small island, and I managed to go around walking for about an hour. The island was all beach around, with a part where some jagged crags resisted strong waves. I went to the side facing the Pacific Ocean where the waves were high and in full

I always stay in Manila during Holy Week, but this year, my siblings and I decided to go to our home province, Camarines Norte. The last time I went here was way back in 1997 when my grandma died. After 10 years, I finally made my way back. The trip to Camarines Norte took about 8 to 9 hours and this was a Holy Week. It was so traffic in SLEX and in some parts of Laguna and Quezon. As soon as we passed Lucena, it was a smooth ride. The roads to CN are surprisingly well kept and even better than those in more progressive Quezon. My deceased grandpa was the one who designed the long and seemingly never ending zigzag going into the heart of CN. It took me 2 hours at an average of 60 kmph to travel the tiring distance. And so we arrived in Daet, the capital of CN just in time for dinner. We were supposed to stay in a relative's beach house in Talisay, but since we planned our trip a day before, someone was already occupying it. We looked for a place to stay in Bagasbas, so we would be

The popular Italian canteen from Don Bosco in Makati is now in Tomas Morato! Amici finally opens a branch in Quezon City with brighter and modern interiors. The canteen atmosphere is still maintained and self service still rules. Savor their sumptuous gelato and yummy pizzas. The menu is still the same. I heard that the former owners of Red Ribbon bought the franchise, and plans to expand further. I hope they still maintain the great quality of their dishes. Nevertheless, after all these years, Amici begins to reach out. So for those nearer QC, here's your chance to taste the famous Italian canteen. Amici is located along Tomas Morato in Quezon City, in the the same building of Coffee Bean and Ratsky's.

We were scouting for a new restaurant in Greenbelt 5 when we stumbled upon the Travel Cafe. Last time I went to GB5, it was still closed. I chose to have dinner there because of the concept. I didn't expect much on the food, since it was more of a tourism marketing thing for me than a restaurant or a cafe for that matter. I hoped their coffee would be great, since they were promoting the several coffee beans that you can find in the country. They have the Monk's Coffee from Bukidnon, the beans from Cordillera, and the expensive Alamid Coffee. The place looked great. There were two 42 inch Philips LCDs that played AVPs on Philippine tourist spots. There were travel brochures on the travel concierge. Yes, they had one, with a desk and all, for any inquiries about tours around the Philippines. The design was indeed inspiring, and very modern. I loved their plates. They were all customized with the travel cafe logo. It took a while to order, even though their menu wasn't long.

The first live action 3D concert is here! Beginning April 1 at the SM IMAX Theater in Mall of Asia, the U2 3D show is deemed one of the best media experiences of this generation. It is ground breaking, history in the making. Reserve your tickets now as they are selling out fast. Click the box above to reveal the You Tube screen.

The Hundred Islands National Park is probably one of the oldest tourist attractions in the country. It has been promoted as a tourist spot even before I was born. It is actually the First National Park in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Noting this, I was expecting nothing much, since tourist attractions in the country have the reputation of degrading over time. It seems that the DOT or local government still doesn't know how to keep these attractions as natural as they were. No excuses here. It's done outside by all our neighboring countries. And true enough, the Hundred Islands is a rundown. It took me 5 hours to drive all the way to Alaminos in Pangasinan, the town of the Hundred Islands. Arriving at the port in Anda in Alaminos, I immediately felt that abusive development. We stayed in some resort near the pier (forgot the name, sorry, but I have pictures). Going to the Hundred Islands requires a boat trip and you also have to pay a conservation fee (entrance fee) to th

We were in Tuguegarao for work, and had to catch a plane to Manila, but the only flight available was in Laoag. So, were decided to take an entire day driving from Tuguegarao to Laoag, stopping by popular spots on the way. Our first stop were the Callao Caves in Cagayan, just less than an hour from Tuguegarao. The Callao Caves had a chapel inside, which made it unique and interesting. A young boy presented himself to us as a guide. The kid spoke to us in English, which was nice. He said he had to because he usually takes in foreigners. We traversed through the 7 passable chambers which were all huge. Though plain, it was still fun to trek down the cave and see the light pass through the cracks on the surface. We then continued our journey. The road to Laoag was smooth. Cagayan province looked the same from town to town. The scenery changed when we reached the northern coast of Luzon. After seeing the Cordilleras from a distance, we arrived at Ilocos Norte. The view was impressive. Amaz

This is my first post of an island outside the Philippines. Of course, it has to be in Thailand. Actually, this was my first beach experience outside the country, and so, I made sure it would be nice. We initially planned to go to Pattaya from Bangkok, but it was a good thing I discovered this island off the coast of Rayong just an hour away from Pattaya. This makes the entire journey from Bangkok around 3 hours. We boarded a bus that went straight to the Ban Phe pier in Rayong. These buses can be found at the Ekamai Bus Station (Ekamai BTS stop). Just ask where the bus to Koh Samet can be found. Most of the buses leave in the morning so make sure you arrive early. Being close to Bangkok, Koh Samet is popular among the Thais, and the island is packed during weekends. We came on a weekday, so the crowd was mostly foreign, like any other place in Thailand for that matter. We arrived at night already, since unfortunately our bus stopped at all places along the way, making the journey last