The Island Explorer

I love Baguio, like most people do. But nowadays, it's been really stressful there, because of the increasing crowds and traffic. So, when I am in Baguio, I often look for hotels that are far from the maddening central district. I turn my head to Camp John Hay. Although known to be expensive, the manor at Camp John Hay is the perfect hide away for a weekend in Baguio. When I was there for Panagbena and a wedding of a friend, it was fully booked. I had to go to another inside the area. Welcome to the Igorot Lodge. There is another cheap option in John Hay, and that's Mile Hi Inn, but the place creeps me out, so I decided to go to Igorot Lodge which is beside Starbucks, Cantinetta and House of Waffles. The rooms here cost P2,800, still quite expensive for standard accommodation, but the place offers the same peace and ambience of Manor, in a much smaller and simpler scale. For some weird reason, the photo I took of my room got damaged, so I have nothing to show of the interior. B

I found myself back in Moalboal. It seems like it's my new favorite escape from Cebu City. I thought I could just go there and check in Ravenala, my choice of resort in the area, but when I arrived, I was surprised that it was fully booked. So I had to find another place. They recommended Dolphin House, which was also pleasant, but it was also full. So I had to go to Bas Diot more popularly known as Panagsama Beach, to look for a resort. We settled for this one. Tipolo Beach Resort is actually at the end of the strip of resorts along Panagsama Beach. This beach area has a very relaxed atmosphere. There are a lot of dive resorts, since Moalboal is known for its diving, which is centered in nearby Pescador Island. By being at the end, Tipolo enjoys solemnity. There are still a lot of resorts beside it, but the native design of this resort sold me to it. We got a room for P1,500 a night, with A/C and twin beds. The deluxe room cost a little more, P1,800, and had a queen sized be

If you wish to spend a day trip in Samal, I recommend Sonrisa de V Resort. Upon entering the resort for the first time, I was immediately reminded of my favorite resort in Samal, Chema's by the Sea. The design was natural, unlike the other resorts that seem to have an excess of cement in the making. Sonrisa de V is a sprawling resort. It has a huge lawn area, that's actually perfect for events such as weddings. I was surprised that the resort was really huge, and seemed like it was three resort lots combined . It has only 5 spartan cottages, one of which is good enough for an entire family. Don't expect luxury though. Think your basic bahay kubo. The resort has a bar in the beach front, so I really think it was made for day trips. There are two beach areas separated by their jetty. There is no pool. The beach is typical Samal, white fine sand (not so powdery). However, you can get one of the largest beach fronts here, next to Paradise Island. There are huts that you can ren

On the way to Moalboal in Cebu, you will notice this intriguing signage in the scenic town of Barili. The Molave Milk Station is a popular stop over for travelers going to and from the western coastline of Cebu island. They sell cow's and carabao's milk, ice cream and shakes here. The ice cream is of course their popular product. It comes in soft serve as well. You have flavors like chocolate, buko pandan, vanilla, mango, strawberry and even pandan chocolate and buko chocolate. I was wrong not to take pictures of their products. I only realized it now as I write this. The vanilla ice cream I got was not that milky, but has that homemade taste. It's tastes more like a sorbet. The Molave Milk Station is actually a private farm as I was told. Animals graze freely in the fields. We weren't able to enter though since it was restricted. I love the town of Barili as it reminds me so much of Ubud in Bali. I think the Cebu government can convert this into an arts and culture des

The Northern part of Cebu has a wealth of white sand beaches. From Bogo, to Medellin, Daanbatayan and our feature for this post, San Remigio. We were headed North once as a big group of 20, and figured it would be difficult to find a mainland beach resort good enough for all of us without any prior arrangements. But the explorer in me made my instincts excited. After an hour of searching for a perfect resort in San Remigio, we stumbled upon a road sign of Elegance Beach Resort. The name of the resort turned us off, but I had a gut feel that it would suit us. We thought it would be near the town proper, but getting to the resort took us 30 minutes. Good thing we weren't disappointed with what we saw. We were the only guests when we arrived at Elegance. The resort had a dorm room which could sleep 16 people in one room at only P500 per person. Perfect. The other standard rooms cost us P2,400 each, good enough for two. The resort was surprisingly well maintained, considering its size

Legaspi Suites is the only boutique hotel in Davao. What makes it boutique is its size and attention to design and ambience. Legaspi Suites is located in a complex that was once an ancestral home. The landmark still remains in tact at the middle of the complex and a 4 story apartment building was built around it to house the hotel. Once you enter the lobby, you would feel that the hotel thought about its design, which is uncommon in Davao. I would think this would be normal in Cebu already, but in Davao, good design is still scarce. I got the cheapest room, a standard room for P1,600 since I was only staying for one night. The room was huge and very bare. I'm assuming this room was made simple because of the class. The rooms have different colors, as seen from their brochures. I passed by a suite room which was open, and I thought it looked charming. My room was located on the second floor beside the spa, so I had a view of the courtyard downstairs. I love this place because it had

The Bali Village in Tagaytay is along Maharlika Highway, a little past Taal Vista Lodge when you're headed for Batangas. The resort is still under construction, but they are already building a swimming pool, an event venue and a restaurant. The design is Filipino, so you stay in Spanish inspired cottages with Filipino materials like nipa and bamboo. Its wooden interiors give a very relaxing mountain retreat experience in Tagaytay. The rooms are relatively small, so if you are coming in as a group, better get the Big House, which has three bedrooms. You can even rent an entire house made up of three separate rooms, with a living area upstairs. I like that they have small porches in each room. The Filipino design of the resort is what I like about this place the most. Though they call it Bali Village, I still think it is more Filipino inspired. Only the roof designs are Balinese (and some decor at the reception area). Bali Village is relatively affordable as well, around P2,500

Summer is definitely here. I've been so busy since the year began, so I missed out a lot on my travels that usually happen the start of the year. Seems like I will be traveling more this Summer, as trip to the Camotes Islands, Leyte and Korea are on schedule. Plus, I am planning to go back to Camarines Norte, to explore the other islands the beautiful province has to offer. So, as always, here are my recommendations for destinations this summer of 2010. 1. WEEKENDER BEACH: MORONG, BATAAN Why not travel 3 hours to Morong in Bataan. This is where Anvaya Cove is nestled, plus a string of affordable resorts stretches the coastline near the town. You could even visit a turtle sanctuary and explore the hidden coves with a unique view of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (don't worry, no radiation here). 2. REDISCOVER: GUIMARAS If you've been to Iloilo, it may be unwise not to stop over Guimaras, or better yet, spend a night or two there. Guimaras is the home of the sweetest mangoes

I've had a string of bad new restaurants recently. The most recent and probably the worst of the year so far was Bordeaux in Burgos Circle at the Fort. That experience was bad enough for me not to take any pictures of the place and food. French food and service at its worst. To think I had a wonderful experience at Je Suis last Valentine's. So when I was again in search of a new restaurant, I became nervous. I pass by a new restaurant called, Celsius in the Morato area, near Shakey's. The place intrigued me, but I was afraid it was another pretentious restaurant, since there were very few guests. So when I went back to the area last night, I took a bold move of having dinner there. Celsius called itself a gastronomic lounge, where you can get a unique gastronomic experience. I thought I made the wrong move going inside, since again, we were the only guests. But, as they say, you'll never know until you try. So we did, made it up to the 2nd floor lounge area. Their menu