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The Charms of Ubud: Bali Series

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On my last trip to Bali, I was not able to go to Ubud, the premier highlands town of the island, around an hour's drive from Kuta. Ubud is the supposed center of arts and culture of Bali, luring artists, writers and other creative minds. To us Filipinos, Ubud will look like Tagaytay, sans the beautiful Taal Volcano. It has the same atmosphere, cool and pleasant weather, and lush vegetation that stems from the mountainous backdrop. Ubud has attracted a lot of designers from local to international ones, thus, making it a great place to visit some fabulous design hotels and restaurants. We only had 3 hours to spend here though, as we intended to just have lunch in a hillside Indonesian restaurant. Ubud has more Western visitors than Asian visitors and I could see why. Ubud is a mountain village, painted with green rice fields, cascading waterfalls and gushing rivers and creeks. It can be any of the millions of rice plantations we have in the Philippines. What makes Ubud so special is

The Vibe of Kuta: Bali Series

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Kuta is the heart of Bali, where most of the action happens. The long and wide Kuta Beach has inspired artists, stoked surfers and attracted beach bums from all over the world I have never swam in Kuta Beach, because I don't find it that clean. Since it is a huge public beach, there are a lot of people here, and sometimes, the litter find themselves on the shoreline. The water isn't as clear as well. The Philippines has way better looking beaches. Kuta is a seaside town, and a very vibrant one for that matter. It has several shopping areas, such as the Kuta Square, a strip of international brands and local stores as well. The Matahari Department Store is also located here. Several hotels line up the beach road fronting Kuta Beach. Here, one can find the first Hard Rock Hotel in Asia. Since Kuta is a busy and congested area, most of the hotels here are not ultra luxurious. There is a wide range of accommodations to choose from, from cheap beach inns to high-end mega resorts, to

The Island of the Gods: Bali Series

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Welcome to the Island of the Gods - the ultimate island destination in Asia, Bali in Indonesia. After spending 2 days in Jakarta, my family managed to make last minute arrangements to the famed tourist spot. We were fortunate to find reasonable airfares (4k pesos roundtrip) via Air Asia flight from Jakarta to Denpasar in Bali. I have been in Bali 3 years ago, so I was expecting that much have changed. My parents were just in Bali six months ago, so I was expecting them to reminisce about their recent trip. We arrived at 8AM, after an almost 2 hour flight. After getting our luggage, I arranged for an AUV that would be delivered to our villa after lunch. Yes, we stayed at a villa. The best thing about Bali is that the island was the birthplace of villas - detached private accommodations that mostly boast of its own pool and luxurious amenities. I will be talking about our villa in my next entries. For now, we were picked up by the villa manager, and jetted off to Seminyak, the upscale ne

Jacob's Real Turkish Doner

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There was a quaint red sign near our office in Ortigas Center that got me curious. It read: Jacob's Real Turkish Doner. With kebab places growing ever so popular these days, I thought if it was just one of the dozens that have sprung out. But the one word got me curious: the word REAL. So, one evening, as I was going to 7-11, I decided to pass by this new place to finally satisfy my curiosity. As soon as I entered, I knew I was in for a treat. The decor was out of taste: bright red dining benches and red and white plastic covers on small tables. The walls were adorned with stretched and framed tarpauline images of Turkey, and when I look up its high ceiling, I see the Turkish flag. I approached the counter, and was surprised with what I saw on their menu. A chicken shawarma. Yes, only one item on the menu. I asked the attendant if they had something else. She just mentioned they had Baklava for the day. Beyond the short list of drinks (which includes Turkish yogurt drink and coffee

Yellow Cab's Dear Darla Pizza

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When I saw the ads of Yellow Cab in Galleria showing a new pizza offering that was rolled with alfalfa sprouts and arugula, I couldn't resist but try it. I found myself lining up to order the Dear Darla Pizza. Now, if you watched the kiddie movie, Little Rascals, you would understand why the pizza was called this way. Darla was a little girl being courted by a little boy named Alfalfa who wrote letters to Darla. And thus the poster. Now for the verdict. The alfalfa sprouts and arugula came in a separate box, and the pizza that arrived was thin crust as expected. I forgot the toppings, since I hurried to roll a slice. The pizza was a bit difficult to roll though, so you have to do it carefully. When I had my first bite, I knew I was in for a treat. The same Yellow Cab goodness now made more pleasurable with alfalfa sprouts and arugula. I was nodding my head in satisfaction. In fact, I finished an entire regular order. How I wished I got a bigger one! The melted cheese blended perfec

Punta Riviera Bolinao: Pangasinan Series

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For me, the best of the lesser evil resorts in Bolinao is Punta Riviera Resort, located in Brgy. Ilog Malino, which is before Brgy. Patar. So, it's nearer if you're coming from the Bolinao Town Proper. It's the first of the big resorts in a very expensive beach strip. Expensive strip of resorts. We chose Punta Riviera because it offered the most value. Our Sunset Room cost P5,500 for 6 people, which is not that bad we thought. But when we saw how small the room was and how basic the furnishing were, I didn't think it was enough value. We were previously booked in another room, slightly bigger, but still with the same cheap furnishings. We opted to stay in the Sunset Room because it had a cabana and was even cheaper than the other room. Now that was weird, since the Sunset Room had a view of the sea and was bigger now because of the cabana. Our room was also beside the beach access and the river. Now, this gave the bathroom a very funky smell of sewers. The non-tiled bat

Matabang Beach Resort at Tambobong: Pangasinan Series

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As of this writing, there's only one resort in Tambobong: Matabang Beach Resort . If you're coming in from Dasol, it's the first establishment to your left as you enter the beach road. If you're taking the Burgos route, then it's at the end. Since Tambobong is not developed, you can either choose to stay in Matabang or stay in one of the houses in the barrio. I've heard there are some residents who open up their homes for guests. Matabang Beach Resort is owned by a very friendly retired couple. The accommodations here are very basic, as you can see on their website. There are open air cottages for picnics or for day trips. I highly recommend you stay overnight though, since Caiman Cove (the entire area) has a lot to offer. There's also a fishing pond at the back of the resort, that makes the ambience of the place more relaxing and soothing. With towering rocks and coconut trees as backdrops, the pond has a fresh water fishes that you can cook. Tr