The Island Explorer

I really don't post about my work, but I just can't help but promote our latest Summer event, the Grill Fest by the Monterey Meatshop and Magnolia Chicken Station. The Grill Fest is the first ever nationwide BBQ caravan fiesta. We kicked off in Catarman, Northern Samar last April 17, and will be ending in Tuguegarao on June 17. What's in a grill fest? Well, the grill fest is actually an outdoor BBQ party. The event has the usual games, raffles and freebies from our valued sponsors. We also have a cooking demo from a master chef. Here you can see Chef Gene Gonzalez in our Quezon City leg grilling away mouthwatering dishes. We have an interactive grilling station where you can grill your own meats. You can grill your own chicken inasal, pork satay BBQ, pork liempo and porkchop. Aside from that, we also have a grilling showdown called Masters of the Grill, where finalists from the area compete head to head in a live grilling competition. So, the Grill Fest is all about free fo

Subic Park Hotel is my choice of accommodations in Subic. It is strategically located along the Moonbay Marina Waterfront road after Pier 1. It is also a boutique hotel, and I have been staying here for the past 2 years when I am in Subic. It is a small hotel with a unimpressive facade. You may not even notice the hotel as it looks like a typical apartment. However, once you enter the lobby, you feel see how charming it is. It is airy, and the atmosphere is cozy. The rooms here range from P2,200 up, which is already of value here in Subic. The only other hotel I can consider of great value in Subic is the Boardwalk Inn, which is almost always full. The rate comes with free breakfast or dinner. The food in its only restaurant is a mix of continental and Filipino dishes. I like the pool here as it remains private even though it looks out to the bay. The pool is also open until 10PM, so you can have a night swim while you wait for your dinner at one of the 2 cabanas. And just outside the

The Lighthouse Marina Hotel is one of the most exclusive and luxurious hotels in Subic. It brands itself as such, and thus, the rates here are one of the most expensive as well in the area. The Lighthouse is situated at the end of the marina bay, and yes, there is a lighthouse that serves as its landmark. It's a small hotel, making it the boutique type. The service here is good, and the ambience quite relaxing. There is a restaurant that served sumputous grilled dishes and international cuisine. We were here to have a night cap after having dinner in Vasco's, another favorite of mine in Subic. It's best to have a drink in their patio/terrace area, near the poolside. I also love their flourless chocolate cake, which was topped with chocolate ice cream. It was one of the best I have tasted. There was a singer performing some chill out jazz and contemporary music. The pool was still open at night, so it was lit up. I still haven't stayed at the Lighthouse Marina because I

Blu Bar and Grill is the rooftop dining experience in Marco Polo Cebu. At first, it may seem that the place is pretentious, but after passing some time here, I realized that it's a perfect place to chill out. The rooftop venue gives you that outdoor feel, and the fresh cool breeze from the hills descend while you savor on great food. Marco Polo for me serves the best hotel food in Cebu, especially desserts. As Marco Polo is already situated in the hills of Nivel, Blu provides you with the sweeping and unobstructed views of the city, especially at night. Blu Bar is a recommended spot to go to in Cebu, where you can enjoy great food and of course, sweeping views. Its ambience sets the mood for an unforgettable dinner experience, high above a city that is brimming with energy. TIP: Have a drink here from 5 to 7PM and get another one for free.

This destination will definitely land in my yearend list. It is one of the most breathtaking landscapes I have seen. And it's here in our magnificent country. Know this place? Let me take you there soon.

We had a great short time in Siquijor, our 2 day stay wasn't enough. We were supposed to head to the mountain side to visit the faith healers in the morning of the third day, but we decided to just relax in Princesa Bulakna before leaving at 10AM for our 12NN ferry. From Maria, it took us a long 45 minute multicab ride again to Siquijor town, where the port was located. And since we arrived in Siquijor late night, we weren't able to see this: Imagine how our jaws dropped when we saw this as we were crossing over the jetty. Yes, this beach was just beside the jetty. We were looking for a nice beach in Siquijor, and we found it here, near the port. Actually, we found another beach nearby the port as well after visiting Coco Grove that also looked like this, but we arrived past sunset already there. We passed some nice beaches in Enrique Villanueva as well, while on the road to Siquijor town. The ferry took 1 and a half hours again, and we docked in Dumaguete. From there, we had a

Because it is the best resort in Siquijor, Coco Grove is always fully booked. When we stopped over here to look at the place, we asked about vacancies. The friendly receptionist told us they were booked for a month. When we were inquiring, foreigners arrived and asked for vacancies too. They were also turned down. So what makes Coco Grove attractive? Well, I think it is one of the best independent resorts I have seen in the Philippines. Like Chemas by the Sea in Samal, Coco Grove is a resort built around nature. It was splendidly designed as a resort that blends with the trees and the beach. It also had a lot of open spaces, and sometimes reminded me of Alona Tropical in Bohol (my recommended value resort in Panglao). There were cabanas in corners, where one can dine, drink or just read a book. I didn't know if they had good food, but when we arrived, the kitchen was preparing a Filipino buffet for its guests. The buffet was sold out, so we couldn't be accommodated as well. As

One of the resorts that could accommodate us for the night when we arrived was the Danish Lagoon Luxury Resort in San Juan. We opted not to stay there because Salagdoong was our first choice. And besides, this resort was more expensive, at P3,000 per room at average. I really thought that the place was not worth the price they were charging. It wasn't a luxury resort for one. I think there were other cheaper resorts that looked even better and more luxurious. Although still under construction, the place was bare and uninspiring. Of course, the theme was Danish, so the rooms were themed and named after the characters of Hans Christian Andersen, the popular Danish writer. We filled up ourselves with a heavy snack here of burgers, crepes and sandwiches. The food was quite good, though their cocktail drinks were a rip off. All the rooms had sweeping views of the sea, and even had a lounge deck, which was very pleasant. There were a few trees, which contributed to the "bare" l

After having lunch in Princesa Bulakna, we drove off on our small multicab to Cambughay Falls, one of the main attractions of Siquijor. The drive didn't take long, as we were already in the town of Maria. There was a waiting shed and a sign board that marked the entrance of the path going down the falls. The stairway was concrete, though it took us around 300 steps going down. Yes, you will take the same route going back. We saw the turquoise blue reveal itself against the foliage as we descended carefully. There were some foreign tourists going back up, who seemed pleased with what they saw. Finally, we saw the first level of the falls, a simple, low drop that created soothing sounds. The water was cool perfect, not too cold, not hot. We couldn't see the bottom as the water was opaque. I moved up to find another drop, a very small one. The third level looked the same as well. The surrounding was very peaceful. There were a lot of locals diving from the top of the first level a

From Salagdoong, we then moved on to our next resort, Prinsesa Bulakna, which was around 10 minutes away, still in the town of Maria. We hired the same multicab that we contracted when we arrived the night before to go to Salagdoong. We got the multicab since we planned to go around the island that day. It set us back P1,500 with gas. At first, we thought Princesa Bulakna was deserted. It was a bit dusty going here, since it also hadn't rained for the longest time. We caught a glimpse of cottages lined up along the road, and headed downwards to the beach front where the reception was located. Turns out that we were the only guests in Princesa Bulakna. The owner, an Italian residing in the Philippines for 15 years now, told us that they had to turn us down last night (we called them up a well) because there was no electricity in the resort. Now that they have fixed the problem, he said he was ready to accommodate us. Princesa Bulakna reminded me of a resort I stayed in Malaysia. It