The Island Explorer

We arrived in Siquijor late night, and we had a bit of a trouble looking for a resort to accommodate all of us. We tried to call up resorts as we were on our way to Dumaguete, but most of the highly recommended ones like Coco Grove were all fully booked. So, we took a risk in finding one when we arrived. It was a bad move, but fortunately, the other recommended resort, Salagdoong Beach Resort was available. We spent the night at this government owned resort. It was also one of the oldest resorts here, however, they had a newly built hotel building on top of its hill. The rooms of Hotel Agripino were very basic, and very cheap as well for around P800 to P1,500 a night. Everything worked well in the room and they were surprisingly clean. Our room had a problem with air conditioning though during the night. The older ones, which were the beach cottages, were also recently renovated, but they were still not entirely finished, so we opted to stay up in the hotel. These beach cottages will s

Yes, you've guessed it. The next destination is the mystical island of Siquijor. As usual, after an event in Cebu, we found ourselves packing up and on the road for a new island wonder. We were supposed to go to Camotes, but after some deliberation, we set that aside and decided to go further South. Getting to Siquijor from Cebu City is relatively easy, but long. From Cebu City, you can take a bus all the way to Dumaguete from the South Bus Terminal. That trip will entail a 30 minute ferry crossing to the island of Negros, and into Dumaguete. Since we were 13 people all in all, we hired a van to take us all the way to Liloan in Santander, South Cebu and took a ferry to cross to Dumaguete. I actually think it's better to take the bus straight to Dumaguete, but I think it's the same way. The ferry crossing to Dumaguete was rather rough and dizzying, even though it only took us 30 minutes. From Dumaguete, we took a ferry to Siquijor in the Dumaguete port. The sea was very roug

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