Punto Miguel: Laiya, Batangas

Batangas, for everyone's information, is a place where you can see great beaches and home for great foods. And I am glad that my parents decided to build a house at Calatagan Batangas.

My mom was a true blood Batangueño. She was born and raise here. Twice a month my parents visit our house there and even have their vacation for a week or so. I myself witness the beauty of this place and will surely recommend anyone to visit and spend their getaways in Batangas.

Our visit to Punto Miguel Beach Resort was part of our "Thanksgiving Stress free out" in the office held from November 26-27. It was organized by our team and the attendees were off course from the team. I am fortunate to have with me my husband  and this was what we considered our "FIRST TRAVEL" as husband and wife. Everyone was saying that we are like boyfriend and girlfriend. That is why we labeled our relationship as #magjowalang. 

Moving on to our stay at Punto Miguel Beach Resort, the resort was really nice. The sand, though not that fine, was white. The accommodation was quite expensive for small groups but since we were a group of more than 10, the sharing is not that big. The sea was clean and clear. Though we didn't try the water activities that they have, we just stay there and relax. We drink and cherished the moment singing at Jay-r's Ipad. Everyone shared their stories and even cried because of so much happiness. Since the travel was organized in a short period of time, we weren't able to prepare or bring any food. All the food that we ate during our stay were bought at the nearest Savemore branch. These were canned goods, packed foods, ready to eat foods and drinks. We paid Kuya to cook rice for us.

Though I was the first to take a sleep, I was informed and got a lot of positive comments about my husbands attitude towards my colleagues. I knew that he can get along with anyone and this is what makes me proud of him. Also. I invited my sister to join us so that she can travel to other places and even relax for a moment.

The following day, My sister (and her bpyfriend), husband and I decided to go home since my sister got a work in the evening and My husband and I needed to go to the bank to get something. We rode a tricycle going out to the highway and waited for couple of minutes for the jeepney to arrive. We drove from the highway to the nearest bus terminal. The only bus terminal that we found that is travelling from Laiya, Batangas to Cubao was ALPS.

Travel heading home was smooth. We thought that we might not make it to the bank but we did. The bus pass through C5 and that's what made our trip really fast and short. Since we are more than 10 attendees, we only spent less P1000 excluding the gasoline used from the cars of our 2 teammates.

Welcome Back!

Hi Everyone,

I am glad to be back after a long rest on travelling. I became busy preparing for my wedding. Then became busy thinking where to stay while saving.

And so, my husband and I decided that I stayed with my parents since the house is near where I work. And my husband is staying with his parents as well in Sta Rosa, since the house is also near to where he's working. Yes, we don't see each other everyday and we don't stay in one house. And for me that is something really difficult.  But like what he always tells me, this is part of our sacrifice to togetherness. And I just hope and pray that it won't be that long.

So, it was great to be back and I hope that you'll continue to read and check out the places that I've been to. :)

As you noticed, the dates of the places I've visited were the same. This is because, I got an issue with the free site program that I used before and I needed to transfer all content of the blog from that free site here. I needed to re-post everything on one day.

Also, the layout, color scheme, tabs and names were changed to the betterment of the site. I hope you'll continue following my posts and place comments.

Nagsasa Cove: San Antonio, Zambales

041114 - 041214

Day 1

My trip to Nagsasa (Zambales) is one of the best adventures i've been with especially that I am with my work mates. I never imagined that I could be in this place and even experienced the strong waves of the ocean.

 

It took us almost 5 hours travelling time going to Pundaquit, Zambales. Nagsasa Cove is an hour boat ride from Pundaquit, Zambales. From Pundaquit, you will already noticed that there are many Aetas in the place and they are very friendly and accommodating especially if you need a guide in going around the nearby places of Nagsasa Cove or even trekking and hiking. I was mesmerized by the nearby islands I saw prior to Nagsasa Cove, though I am not really aware what these islands names are. But, according to Kuya Boat Driver, we pass Capones Island and Anawangin Cove.

 

I was able to visit Nagsasa Cove with my officemates and other friends. It was my first time to visit this place and I must say that this place is a very good place to visit to. The place sounded really relaxing. The water is crystal clear and the sand is fine. There is no  inn, hotel or resort that you could stay with unless you bring a tent with you. There is no electricity and signal for mobile phones. I guess that's the reason why this place is perfect for relaxation.

 

As we arrived the place, we immediately set up our tents and started preparing the foods that we're going to cook. We prepared grilled fish (tilapia and bangus), pork (liempo), squids and appetizers (ensalada). Since most of our time was allotted to travelling, everyone was so hungry. We had dinner at around 9pm. After eating dinner, some of us preferred to take a rest and some preferred to take some time drinking and minggling with one another. I personally took a rest after dinner since I don't drink at all and doesn't have enough rest because I just came from my shift that night.

 

Day 2

The following day, most of us wake up early to prepare the food and go swimming. After breakfast, I decided to have a walk since I can't go swimming. The wind breeze was hot and strong. The water was clear enough for you to see what's underneath. I even saw 2 dogs who also swims in the ocean. That really amaze me, huh. Even dogs can feel the strong heat of the sun and the weather. But i believe this is really what summer season is. 

While walking, I saw different campsites. Nagsasa Cove was surprisingly divided into different campsites having fences as division. There are some campsites that offer free use of clean toilets and lavatories but there are some that don't. Unfortunately, the campsite where we at doesn't have a name and the restrooms were not clean and pleasant. If you're that meticulous type of person, I bet, you won't even use the restrooms on our campsite. So we rather pay and use the toilets of other campsites. We paid P20.00 per use, whether you'll take a bath, wash utensils or do personal stuff, the price is just the same. I advised you to do all the things in just one pay.

 

Looking at some campsites, they offer water activities such as Kayaking and Stand Up Paddle. Some even offer trekking and hiking. I thought hiking won't be possible since the mountains seemed very dry and stiff. I see it thru my eyes that there are some tourist who really tgo hiking and trekking to the nearby mountain. As I have heard, you will only pay P20.00/head for the guide to take to the mountain. I'm not that sure how long is the trekking but most of them stated that the view was impeccable.

 

You can also go island hopping. You'll just need to pay P100/head to be able to do this activity. It'll be best to go island hopping if you're many. Unfortunately on my end, We weren't able to do this activity beause according to the boat drivers, the waves going to Capones Island (which we are about to visit) is too strong and dangerous. So we decided to enjoy swimming and the view of the place.

 

At around 10AM, most of us decided to fix our things and prepare to leave. Since we are 24 in the group, we used 2 boats. The first boat left and I am with that boat. I noticed that the waves were really strong. I felt scared for the idea that the water might go inside the boat. I honestly don't know how to swim even though I am wearing a life vest. The worse is that, I travel without my partner who's good at swimming, so that really scares me a lot. We arrived at Pundaquit safe and even rested for a while, while waiting for the second boat (w/ my other teammates), we ate "halu-halo".

 

Finally, around 3 in the afternoon, we headed to Subic to have lunch. We stopped at Harbor Point. This is one mall that you can visit to. 7 of us decided to eat in a very famous fast food chain. We were given an hour to eat lunch and be back at a certain time. After lunch, we headed back to Manila. Due to traffic, I arrived home at 1030 in the evening. Though, it was a long travel and tiry day, it was still a fun and enjoying experience travelling alone (I mean not with my travel buddy) and with other people.

 

 

How to get there:

We paid a travel tour --- RicJoe Tour since we are a large group. The package depends on the headcount.

 

Breakdown of Expenses:

We only paid P1,650.00/head. This include the transfers from Manila to Pundaquit to Manila and the boat ride from Pundaquit to Nagsasa Cove to Pundaquit as well as tent rent/used, mineral waters (good for 2 days) and nipa rent. 

Crown Jewel of Mindanao: Davao City (Part 2)

Day 2
We woke up early and started our day at our first destination, Crocodile Park. We were one of the early birds who visited the place. We were fascinated by the many crocodiles that we saw here.  Pangil, who was the biggest, largest and oldest crocodile at the Crocodile Park was also found here. Even though the park was named for crocodiles, there were also other animals that can be found here. There were eagles, a chameleon, a tiger, ostriches, chickens, a baby monkey and an orangutan, snakes, alligators, lizards, turtles, goats, sheep's and pet animals. There were also performances before the park closes.
How to get there:
From our Inn, there are two ways how to get to Crocodile Park. One, is by riding a cab/taxi. Two, take jeepney route Ma-a then ride habal-habal going to Crocodile Park or you may ride a cab from Ma-a to Crocodile Park. In our case, we rode a cab. Fare is P150.00. Fare in jeepney is P8.00 + habal-habal or cab. ETT is 20-30 minutes.



Second destination for the day, Tribu K'Mindanawan. They feature cultural dances and traditions of Muslims as they performed. As we walk through, they showcase different houses according to their tribe and way of life.  The staff are wearing Muslim attires as they serve the food and assist the guests. When we got there, since it's too early, there weren't any show yet. They are still preparing for their performance before they closes. Also, had our lunch here.According to the guard, the fire dance show is every  Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 545PM.

Third destination, Butterfly Garden. Having the idea that I'll be seeing butterflies, really excites me. Butterfly garden features different colors and sizes of butterflies. They even have a small museum where you can see the eggs and how the mother butterflies takes care of their babies. Here, I saw a tarantula for the first time. It scares me because it's really big. Outside the butterfly museum were souvenirs such as key chains, cellphone chains, hair clips, books marks and many more. Anything that has butterfly on it. Price vary depending on the kind of souvenir.

These three destinations were in one place only. They're just walking distance from one another. By the way, as you enter Crocodile Park, there is a P200.00 entrance fee including visits to Tribu K'Mindanawan and Butterfly Garden.


Fourth destination, Aldevinco Shopping Center. For every travel I made, I make sure to bring something with me as I go back home. If you're looking for a place where to buy "pasalubongs", this is the right place. From handicrafts, textiles, "batik", weaving, carvings and jewellery, even souvenir t-shirts and key chains, you'll find it here. Just find the right store that matches your budget. I would recommend buying outside the shopping center because the prices were lesser than inside. Check "Sam and Naim's Souvenir Shop" because they give whole sale price especially if you'll buy in bulk. The price of "batik" wallets inside Aldevinco is P180.00 for 10 pcs. while P150.00 with Sam and Naim's.

How to get there:
Since there's no jeepney available inside Riverfront Corporate City, we rode a cab going to Aldevinco Shopping Center. Fare is P105.00. ETT is 15-20 minutes.

From here, we headed to our Fifth and Sixth destination, Magsaysay Fruit Stand and  Davao City  China Town. You'd be able to pass through China Town as you head to "Bangkerohan" (market). Davao China Town is like Binondo in Manila. Smaller as you can imagine. We tasted the fresh durian and pomelo at Magsaysay/Bangkerohan. According to my friend (who's from Davao), there are different kinds of Durian fruit. And the one that we ate was a native durian fruit. Click this to know the different kinds of Durian fruit in Davao City.
How to get there:
From Aldevinco Shopping Center, we rode a jeepney route Magsaysay. This jeepney will pass through the roads/streets of China Town and the end part is the Magsaysay Fruit Stands. Fare is P8.00. ETT is 10 minutes.

After our 5th and 6th destination, we planned to go to San Pedro Cathedral to attend the mass or even just pray (as if saying goodbye). But, we've decided to just go back to Inn and rest for a while before we had dinner. So from Magsaysay Fruit Stand, we rode jeepney route Ponciano, and got off at Camus Ext. We walk passing through People's Park to Carpel's Emerald Inn.


At around 7PM, we prepared and headed to our last destination, Jack's Ridge. This is my favorite from all the destinations that we've visited. Our travel to Jack's Ridge was extra ordinary. We rode jeepney, tricycle or "habal-habal" then walked in the middle of a "nowhere" street. This was the most exciting travel experience from all the destinations we've visited. We only spent P23.00 each going to this place and this is the cheapest travel we've had here. The tricycle was really amazing because it can carry 8 passengers + the driver and the travel is going up the hill. That is what you called, Interesting and Exciting!.

At Jack's Ridge, you'd be able to see variety of restaurants depending on the type of food you'd like to eat. They have:
a. Taklobo Restaurant -  which serves Dabawenyo cuisine. This is where we eat dinner and ordered "Sinigang ala Davao".
b. Kai's Bar and Grill - where the best bands in the city, party place all here drinking and dancing.
c. Karlo's Gourmet and Coffee - serves fusion of French, Italian and some Mexican dishes.
d. Kool Kat's Pool - this was just recently added here. It's has swimming pool where you can swim or just float lazily on the edge of the pool. Since this was closed when we visit Jack's Ridge, we just took photos of the place.
e. Penmar Hall I&II - this is like the function hall where you can celebrate special occassions
f. Tap Room Piano and KTV - another perfect place to relax and hold parties
g. Amphitheater - this looks amazing because of the grassy seats that looks like you're on a small football field. This is also a perfect place to held weddings or other special occasions.

So in going home, we rode "habal-habal" and my fiancé took the courage to video the entire trip while I'm too scary because of the  downhill way to the main road. "Habal-habal" fare is P15 each.
How to get there:
From Inn, we rode any jeepney route to San Pedro. From San Pedro , we rode another jeepney bound Matina. We tell the jeepney driver to drop us off at Shrine Hills near the "cockfight" area. From there, we rode tricycle (or you may ride "habal-habal"). Jeepney fare is just P8.00 and tricycle fare is P7.00. "Habal-habal" on the otherhand, is P15.00 each.  ETT is 15-30 minutes.

Day 2: Destinations
Crocodile Park
Tribu K'Mindanawan
Butterfly Garden
Aldevinco Shopping Center
Magsaysay Fruit Stand
Davao China Town
Jack's Ridge


Day 2:Breakdown of Expenses
P150.00 - Taxi fare going to Crocodile Park from Inn
P200.00 - Entrance Fee @ Crocodile Park
P326.00 - Lunch @ Tribu K'Mindanawan
P300.00 - Souvenirs bought at Crocodile Park
P105.00 - Taxi fare from Crocodile Park to Aldevinco Shopping Center
P1000.00 - Souvenirs bought at Aldevinco Shopping Center
P16.00 (P8 each) - Jeepney fare from Aldevinco to Magsaysay and China Town
P190.00 - Ate fresh durian fruit
P16.00 - Jeepney fare from Magsaysay to Ponciano
P92.00 (P46 each) - Fare going to Jack's Ridge to Inn
P325.00 - Dinner @ Jack's Ridge
  ----------------------
  P2,720.00

First Plane Ride to the Durian Capital of the Philippines: Davao City (Part 1)

It was nice to be back after my last entry/travel. I became busy preparing the initial details of my wedding. And yes, I am getting married! That's also the reason why I can't travel much. But, I guess you just really have to make time to relax and find the beauty of your place.

02/26/2014

Before, I only look up the sky whenever i hear the loud sound of the airplane flying up in the air. I dreamed and thought of riding a plane and visit one of the places I have never been to. This dream finally happened last February 26-28, 2015.  I was able to travel to one of the beautiful places here in my country, Davao!

This travel was booked last year, before my fiancé finally proposed a wedding to me. We thought that we might not be able to go because of the busy schedules. But it was him who made it possible. It was my first time to ride a plane though I experienced riding a helicopter before, since my father was a retired air force. I felt too excited since it's going to be a long weekend for us and it's my fiance and I's first plane travel together.  And because I was too excited, I didn't get enough sleep. We were 3 hours early at the airport. My first plane ride was positive, because the flight is "on time".  The travel was 1 hour and 40 minutes only.

I was told before that, when it's your first plane ride, you will feel nervous, feel like choking or even vomit. My mother's experienced was she felt like she's freezing because of nervousness. I didn't realize that riding a plane was like riding a bus as well. The difference is that the plane is flying while the bus isn't. I felt more excited when the plane is about to take off. I took a video and pictures of how everything looks when you're up in the air. All I can say is --- Amazing!

Day 1

First stop, Davao International Airport. While waiting for my friend, we took pictures in the airport. We found the giant durian statue which was created by Kublai Millan, who was known for his giant sculptures.

Second, we visited SM Lanang were we had our Lunch at Giligan's. I was informed that there were two (2) SMs in Davao. One is the SM Lanang were we visited and the other one is SM City. After our lunch at Giligan's, we went to Supermarket to buy some toiletries that we can use as we checked in later.

How to get there:

From Davao International Airport, we rode a taxi. ETT is 10-15 minutes. Fare: P120.00.

We checked in at Carperl's Pension House (Carpel's Emerald Inn) at Camus St. (down town area). We stayed there for 3 days and 2 nights. Our room rate is only P750.00 per 12 hour (or P1,500.00) for Double Single Bed/Matrimonial Bed . It's fully air conditioned, has own bathroom and toilet with hot and cold water(unfortunately the hot water didn't work on our room), there's a cable TV and free WIFI access. Hot water is only free from 6PM onwards. If you wish to have coffee or drink hot water, before 6PM, you'll have to pay P10/cup or P20/thermos. Food's available upon request/order.

How to get there:

From SM Lanang, we rode taxi passing Diversion rd. ETT is 20-30 minutes. Fare is P170.00.

Before we thought of going or visiting other places in Davao, we thought of taking a rest for a while and plan which nearby place to go to.

Third destination, People's Park. It's a walking distance from our Inn, ETT is 5-10 minutes only. You'll find the sculptures of indigenous people created by Kublai Millan. I've read that this is one of the cleanest and greenest public parks in the country. People visit this place to kill time, exercise, go jogging and take pictures. Before heading to our next destination, we ate durian ice cream. I must say, that the durian ice cream taste better than the fresh durian fruit.

 How to get there:

From Magsaysay, we rode a jeep route - Ponciano, we ask the jeepney driver if they will pass through People's park, we get off the street where it's a walking distance to Peoples park. Fare is P8.00. If you're from the main road (Quirino), ride any jeepney routing Quirino, then get off at Camust Ext or you can tell the jeepney driver to drop you of at Peoples Park (it's a walking distance).

Fourth and Fifth destination, San Pedro Cathedral and the City Hall of Davao.  These two were near each other. San Pedro church is just a walking distance from the City Hall. There were religious items sold outside the church. It's big and got amazing big ceiling fans which I've never seen in other churches I've visited. They say that this was customized and was only built for this church. There were Cebuano and English masses. 

Crossing the street is the City Hall of Davao. What so surprising when we got there was that, a lot of people are outside, sitting and watching at this huge screen. The screen is like a huge television which is as big as a bill board. I wonder what they will watch after the news. :)

By the way, while heading to San Pedro Church, we noticed a lot of Grilled Restaurants. I was informed by my friend that Davaoeños love to eat grilled foods. Also, we noticed that since we're at Mindanao, there were some restaurants who don't really serve pork or even add pork as ingredient to any of their dishes. The nearby restaurant in our Inn doesn't serve pork on any of their dishes. 

After our 4th and 5th destination, we had dinner at Penong's. This is one of the famous restaurants in Davao. Penong's is like Mang Inasal in Manila. They both served grilled pork and chicken. They also served fish and other foods. And the price --- it's sulit!

Day 1: Destinations

SM Lanang

People's Park

San Pedro Cathedral

City Hall of Davao

Penong's

Day 1: Breakdown of Expenses 

P120.00 - Fare, Airport to SM Lanang

P326.00 - Lunch at Giligan's

P650.00 - Toiletries

P170.00 - Fare, SM Lanang to Carpel's Emerald Inn

P40.00 - Durian Ice Cream (10 eachX2)

P170.00 - Dinner @ Penong's

----------------------

P1,476.00 + P1,500.00 (accommodation for 2 days) = P2,976.00

Sta Lucia Falls: Dolores, Quezon

09/21/2014 - My trip to Dolores Quezon was really amazing. They say that the place is Holy and I think it was God who really made it possible for me to visit this place.

I can't say much adventure nor beauty of this place because we only went to one place and only experience one adventure. Dolores, Quezon is said to be a Holy place whenever it's Holy week in the Philippines. According to a friend of mine, a lot of people are visiting this place during Holy week even if this is a very hot month (summer).

To begin my not so adventurous journey to this place, I was invited by my partner to join their ride to Dolores, Quezon. By the way, it wasn't only the two of us who travelled but 15 of us. I was with the Magz Riders Club (MRC), the riders club where my partner is a member. All members were gentlemen but some of them were with there behalfs whenever they make a ride. I am still thinking of the objective of each ride they make. But i only notice that it promotes camaraderie among them as well as socialization and friendship. Basically, most of them haven't been to places they travel to. And so do I. That's why, I didn't let of the chance to visit this Holy place.


Before proceeding on our itinerary, there was a typhoon that damages a lot of houses and made a great flood on our area (Cainta, Phil). The flood was friday (Sept 19, 2014). Most people would compare typhoon Mario to typhoon Ondoy because of the impact it caused to a lot of places. Because of this, I lose hope that I won't be able to join the ride anymore. I already informed my partner that I won't be able to come. I slept early friday night, because I won't be able to come to work because of the high level of flood in our area. But to my surprise, upon waking up early in the morning, there was no flood inside the house and even the flood level outside the house is going down. I got this smile on my face that if it won't rain the whole day, the flood will be gone. And God is really Good! The flood was gone before I finally made a decision to pursue joining the ride the following day.

Sunday morning, at around 7:26AM, we left the meeting place and 15 riders drove to Dolores, Quezon. It took us less than two hours to arrive at the place. We stayed at the cousin's house of one of the member. We had brunch (short for breakfast and lunch) before proceeding to "Sta Lucia Falls". It was a 30 minute walk from the house where we at and took 267 steps before we reach the falls. I was mesmerized by the beauty of the place though the water isn't that clear. The water was so cold, the current of the river was fast and strong. We walk through the rocky roads and got to drink the crystal clear water from the falls.  Since the place is holy, we also prayed for our sickness and even for our love ones. My partner got a liter of water from the falls, because they believed that it can cure sickness. Some of us also felt something strange when under the falls. We felt like the Holy Spirit is within us while praying under the falls. I must say that this is another great trip wherein we didn't spend that much. I only spent less than P500 for this trip. They say that there are a lot of places to visit in this place. Since we don't have enough time and don't have a place to stay (if we decided to go over night) with, we just decided to visit the other places some other time.


After almost 2 hours of stay at Sta Lucia Falls, we've decided to go back and took the 267 steep steps going up. This was were I also felt the pain on my knee. It was really so strange that it became too painful that i can't even walk. I tried to ease the pain and walk until we reach the top. Thank God it became well.

We dresses up but not to leave yet. We ate lunch at 3pm and drove home by 4pm. I am greatful to be able to join their trip and visited this Holy place after all the disaster that happened few days back.

HOW TO GET THERE:
I was with a riders club when I visited this place. We rode a motorcycle.


BREAKDOWN OF EXPENSES:
Gasoline (Full Tank) ---> Php 300
Entrance Fee            ---> Free
Food                         ---> ^_^
Pasalubong/Souvenir ---> Optional