The Island Explorer

Up next is a destination that has eluded me since I began travelling the Philippines. The picture below shows the beach beside the port of this wonderful unassuming island. Do you know where it is?

Phi Phi is the ultimate destination for me in Thailand. After months of patiently waiting, I find myself here, in this heavenly place, where limestone rocks tower above the glistening aqua sea. The water was serene, as we head into Phi Phi Le from Koh Mai Pai. Phi Phi Le looks very much like El Nido in Palawan, and more breathtaking than Coron in Palawan as well, and Caramoan in Cam Sur. I haven't been to Halong Bay, so this surely becomes the most awe inspiring limestone landscape I have seen. We were supposed to snorkel, but our tour guide tells us that time was running out and that we had to make it to Maya Bay soon. So, we made our way through the rocks, and found ourselves entering the bay made popular by the one of my cult movies, "The Beach". As soon as I saw the familiar opening into the bay, I played Porcelain on my iPod. I was truly in heaven. Though the scene was utterly disturbed by hundreds of other tourists and speedboats, I tuned out to the song and imagine

The next day was the day that I was waiting for. It was the trip that I had been wanting to do since I set foot on Thailand the first time in 2004. Now, I am very near. But before that, a beautiful stop over in one of my favorite islands in the world, Koh Mai Pai. Koh Mai Pai is also called Bamboo Beach. Located in the Andaman Sea, the island is small enough to be encircled in 15 minutes. It's perfect for a stopover, and since there are picnic tables and small huts, most tour operators use this again for a lunch time venue. Koh Mai Pai has great powder white sand - very soft and fine indeed. Pine trees line up the wide shoreline, and creates a pleasant and cool atmosphere. When we were here, the waves were crashing playfully on the shore, so it made swimming very irresistible. Koh Mai Pai was just a stop over that set my expectations of the BEACH even higher. If all of the islands of the Andaman Sea were like this, then this part of the world is heaven for me.

We woke up the next day with a blessing. It was bright and sunny. The receptionist at our resort told us it was the first time in days. Good thing we booked a tour the night before to 4 Islands around Krabi - better known as the 4-Islands Tour. What's good about Thailand is that their tourism facilities are actually cheap and organized. Here in Krabi, there are several tour operators, thus, prices can be competitive. We booked our tour for THB 800 or around P1,200 for a day, to visit 4 islands, with lunch at the last island. And we would be traveling via speedboat. Our first destination was actually a beach at the next cove to Ao Nang - a popular backpacker's place as well, Railey Beach. The place is known for its limestone rocks and caves, which is actually seen in most of Krabi. Here one can do rock climbing, which is the most popular activity. I wasn't able to go rock climbing because I was on a tour, so we just explored the beach, and its caves. There are some rocks off

Thailand has really got it right. It is Amazing indeed. And I envy how robust and profitable their local tourism industry is. Thailand does give you everything, from gorgeous beaches and islands to mesmerizing mountains, to rich culture, sizzling nightlife and irresistible shopping. Add on to the warmth and friendliness of their good natured people, Thailand is indeed a gem in South East Asia that everyone should visit. I seem a bit off promoting Thailand rather than the Philippines, but I just can't stop praising them in the hopes that we would eventually be like them, even better. This blog entry is about Krabi, a province in Southern Thailand, more known for its limestone cliffs and islands that boast of white sand beaches, without the hustle and bustle of Phuket. We arrive in Krabi after an hour's flight from Bangkok. Ao Nang is our first destination. It is an idyllic beach town that was very clean and is a main jump off point to the islands. Ao Nang town has a lot of resta

Oroquieta City in Misamis Occidental is perhaps one of the smallest cities in the country, and one of the quietest for that matter. After landing in Ozamiz, we took a van ride to Oroquieta that lasted for an hour. We checked in our hotel, probably the only hotel of class in the city, Sheena's Hotel. I actually liked Sheena because of its breezy ambience. The rooms were large and clean, and of course cheap at P1,200 a night. I can't remember if we paid for breakfast though. What I liked about Sheena is this quaint courtyard. There's Wifi by the way in the hotel, so I ordered a cup of coffee and worked for a little while under one of the umbrellas. Oroquieta has nothing much to offer, except for unchartered trips to waterfalls and rivers. We went around seeing nothing. They told us that there were more sights outside the city but I didn't have the time. So we just made our way to the city hall plaza, where a pleasant park provides the only venue of entertainment

One spontaneous evening, we decided to head to Cubao X, formerly known as the Marikina Shoe Expo, in Cubao, Quezon City. To all you backpackers out there, here's one place you would enjoy for the vibe. Ever since I witnessed the changes in Cubao X, I was always raving on how it can be transformed into the backpackers hub of Manila, much like Khao San in Thailand. It's near the bus station (actually beside it). It is a great home base for travellers rto Manila since it is near both the MRT and LRT. There are lots of shopping, dining and yes, now with the transformation, culture. The culture though is very hippy - young and free. Cubao X features several innovative shops, boutique galleries and antique stores. It has a few bars and this popular Italian restaurant called Bellini's that perhaps was the magnet of development here in Cubao X. Bellini's has become bigger, and was almost full when we arrived. However, we were very much disappointed with the food quality. They u

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