The Island Explorer

When I heard about a pottery garden, I was bent in making a pot or a plate for myself. But we didn't plan anything so we made an ambush visit. My friend Jason was raving about the place, saying that Ugu Bigyan's house looked like a claypot. The fact is, he built his entire house himself. And when I arrived, I was in awe. Yes, the facade of Ugu's house had a clay color, but it didn't take the shape of a pot as I've imagined. That would be too eccentric. Ugu Bigyan's compound looked more of a high end resort actually. It had nipa hut cabanas, wooden furniture and clay furnishings. It was a joy to notice all the details in the design: fishes in between stone paths, carvings on walls, and even wooden white lizards in empty corners. I thought a pottery workshop would look a bit rustic, dirty and dusty from the mud and clay. His place is the total opposite. I went at the area where they made their pieces. It was neat and organized. It was inspiring to see the pieces s

After a hearty and home cooked lunch at Casa San Pablo, we then decided to visit Sitio de Amor, a sprawling 4.5 hectare landscaped orchard. It is also situated near the Maharlika Highway. You turn left at KM 88 (watch out for those small markers), upon seeing a very small sign that leads you to the place. The property is huge and you'll get that feeling when you enter massive gate pillars of the orchard. e were met by the catertaker as the owner was not around. She told us that all their guests had just left, so we had the entire place to explore ourselves. Sitio De Amor is a huge garden oasis in a the middle of a coconut plantation. You will notice how well maintained it is considering its size. When I got out of the car, I thought I was visiting some relatives or something. It was inviting. Sitio de Amor is trying to make business so they put up a pavilion ideal for garden weddings and other special events. We were led to the man made lagoon, which was the highlight of the place

I have heard about the Viaje Del Sol more than a year ago. I knew some of the places it promotes, but have visited only two in my lifetime: Villa Escudero and Kusina Salud. Last Monday, we decided to head off for the Journey of the Sun to visit at least 3 stops in the tourist trail. Here is the first of four parts in the Viaje Del Sol Series: CASA SAN PABLO became our first stop, as it was positioned to be in the map. Upon entering San Pablo City, take a left to the city proper after seeing the Caltex along Maharlika. A hundred meters more and you will see the Casa San Pablo sign to your right. Actually, I knew about Casa San Pablo ever since 2004, and I already planned to stay overnight at the famed inn. But work foes got in the way so I had to cancel. 4 years after, I was able to set foot on the place where artists cast themselves away to. And it was indeed a very inspiring place, mostly because it had a very relaxing atmosphere. It actually had the feel of Baguio, having a pine tree

Finally, I was able to find time to visit one of the best kept secret restaurants, the Cookbook Kitchen. Most of you may have heard about the place from other blogs and magazines. It is actually featured now in Yummy's April issue. You must know how to go to there since it's hidden in the middle of the labyrinth of Mandaluyong. But it's actually easy once you know the directions. So here: from Shaw Blvd coming from EDSA, turn right at Torres, the street just before Nissan. Then at the end of the road, turn left to Araullo, then left again to S. Fernandez. It's just beyond the curve. It's beside Explorations as well, a pre-school that's supposedly known for its exceptional instructional scheme that makes kids geniuses. Parking was a problem here, since it really had no parking slots, and you have to park along the road. With the pre-school also there, you have to fight for space. I was surprised to see that there were actually a handful of people having their lun

This is a late post, since I put up Anawangin early on. Pundakit in the town of San Antonio , Zambales is the jump off point for Anawangin Cove. However, from its wide grey sand shores, you could see three islands from a distance. They are the Cameras and Capones Islands. Going back, getting to Pundakit is easy as I have mentioned in my Anawangin post. San Antonio is just after Subic Town and San Marcelino in Zambales which is like 40 minutes to an hour drive from SBMA. In Pundakit, we stayed at the Canoe Beach Resort, that was fully booked during our stay because of the long weekend. Good thing we made reservations. The rooms were small and shabby, but alright for just P1,500 a night. We arrived in the afternoon and decided to head straight to Capones Island which is just 15 minutes away from Pundakit Beach. The waters were rough so it took us more than 20 mins or so to get there. The island hopping experience made me feel I was in the Visayas or Mindanao, so doing it in Zambales is a

Tucked away in the greenery of San Pablo City in Laguna, Kusina Salud offers a unique Filipino dining experience that you should not miss. Hailed as one of the ten best restaurants in the country, I must say that the place has all the elements of a successful restaurant: great food at good prices served in great ambience. I was able to sample Salud's fare when we came home from Camarines Sur. It was already nearing dinner time and I knew that this was the time to experience Kusina Salud. You'll find their signage lighted up on the highway leading to Tiaong, Quezon. It is actually just outside the center of San Pablo City. Once you see the signage, just drive down the road, until you see their quaint entrance to your left. Kusina Salud offers fabulous and unique Filipino dishes. They put a twist into the normal Filipino fare. I wouldn't call it gourmet, but more of comfort food with a twist. It's not really fine dining, but has a more casual atmosphere. It's great ha

There's this website set up by some foreigners who got frustrated at the lack of information at the ferry schedules in the Philippines. So, they put up this site, hopefully to help travelers plan their trips more efficiently. This is great for an island nation like us. Now why didn't we come up with this a long time ago? http://www.schedule.ph/