this should’ve been posted a month ago, but i was too lazy to update hehe. summer is back, and public pools that used to be almost empty and swimmable are now swarming with all kinds of people. from regular swimmers to the pool-peeing kid, the underwater pervert, the pick-me-up teenager, and sometimes, lovers straddling each other in a secluded corner of the pool. my highschool friends and i, on the other hand, decided to give ourselves a break from our busy schedule and hit the beach. it was just an idea playing in my head; i never thought it would push through since we have never gone out of town as a group. you should’ve seen how happy i was when three of them (out of, like, 10?) told me they wanted to go as well.

so i immediately booked the flights and the resort. it wasn’t that easy looking for an available resort during the holy week, that’s why we’re so lucky to have found beachcomber. liam and i had several candidates, but the pictures on the beachcomber website were so nice we took the bait hehe. aside from the very affordable rate, it’s just a few steps from the beach and the ever-popular jonah’s shake. Read the rest of this entry »

ever since my folks migrated to the US a few years ago, i’ve been having crappy holidays at home because 1) my relatives are no fun and i can’t relate with them, and 2) my buddies have their own family celebrations (aside from the fact that i have few close friends). i wasn’t expecting to have fun this christmas holiday. in fact, if worse comes to worst, i was planning to finish reading the fresh-and-sealed books i bought months ago, and probably grow mold in the process. (which reminds me of the boxes of tikoy already crowding my refrigerator. they’re probably moldy by now, eek!)

anyway, i’m glad a friend of ours came up with the out-of-town idea. at first, batangas is not my idea of a perfect getaway, really. all i can think of at that time were the overcrowded resorts of matabungkay infested with subic beach jologs who bring their own karaoke machine.

la luz, on the other hand, is a complete opposite. even though we had a slightly bumpy ride going there, it was worth the minor hassle. the resort is located in laiya; clean, peaceful and far from the hustle and bustle. i suggest you bring along an extra sarong or shawl so you can enjoy the very cool breeze, and chismis under the stars hehe :)

the buffet food was not even 3star-spectacular, but it was home-style tasty (and sinfully oily) we were full to brim most of the time lol. the resort is also a nice place to wear your cute bikinis, so far there weren’t any rude oglers. (in my case, since my companions are slim, i don’t have the balls to flaunt my flabs. i still got sunburned, tho.)

i think this will be my most memorable year-ender yet. nothing beats a quiet resort, a good bottle of wine and great company :)

Other Details:
La Luz Resort
http://www.laluzresort.com/
More photos of my travels here!

the following morning, we went back to dumaguete to catch the next trip to bohol. weesam had an emergency maintenance thingy at that time so we had no choice but to get oceanjet tickets.

we arrived in tagbilaran late in the afternoon and there was an ongoing event outside the port to celebrate the sandugo festival. we decided not to stay in alona since our budget went low after siquijor, so we took a tricycle and stayed at la roca hotel. get a free city map from the port’s tourist center. this is a very informative map because it’ll show you almost all of the hotels, restaurants and tourist spots around bohol. with the map, you can easily go around tagbilaran via tricycle. fare was P6 per person. Read the rest of this entry »

the short boat ride to siquijor was a bit bumpy due to the habagat (southwest wind, humid monsoon months), but it’s not as bad as the boat trip from iloilo to bacolod. the weather was perfect that day and you could see the many hues of blue around siquijor as you approach the island.

SIQUIJOR, SIQUIJOR ISLAND

as soon as we got our tickets in dumaguete, we immediately called emily of casa de la playa to pick us up at the siquijor port in an hour. there are three ports in siquijor: larena, siquijor and lazi. i think montenegro docks at larena. the port in lazi receives boats from mindanao.you’d probably be mesmerized by siquijor’s rustic beauty from the moment you step out of the boat. the sand there is as powdery and toasty-gold like bohol’s alona beach, it looked pretty much the same the last time i was there. there weren’t a lot of resorts (or even a hotel) in siquijor since it’s just a small island, but most of them are nice and secluded, perfect for those who want to get away from the hustle and bustle.

a couple of public and resort vans are waiting at the port, you won’t get lost around siquijor since most of these go around the island and its major port cities. you can rent a motorbike for as low as P25 an hour and it’s possible to circle the island in less than a day. daily transportation is not that easy in siquijor especially if you’re not in a port city. it can take hours before you can see a van or tricycle pass by.most resorts offer day tours for P1,500. the tour will take you around the island and see the cities around the island, the st. isidore labrador church and convent, salagdoong beach, to name a few. if you expect the beach to look prettier and not smell like uberscumville, come during the summer.

seaside rooms of casa de la playa. the sea is just 5 steps away from your door :)

we’ve originally booked for this room, but since it was hot that day, we didn’t want to risk sweating like a pig later on. this room is brighter compared to the airconditioned room. it has a kitchen, a refrigerator, a wider closet and a veranda overlooking the sea (and have breakfast there).

view outside the room. almost high-tide shore on the left; low-tide shore at dawn, right.

ST. ISIDORE LABRADORE CHURCH

wooden interior is rotting away, the ceiling has a lot of holes and the paint is chipping.

KAMBUGAHAY FALLS & SALAGDOONG BEACH

it’s easy to go down the loooong flight of stairs to see kambugahay, but the way back up will make you want to devour a jar of lard.

ask your tourguide not only about the tour spots in siquijor, it’s fun and beneficial for both of you if you ask about local news hehe. those running for candicacy must be rich enough to buy the people’s votes, because siquijor is one of the many provinces whose votes can be bought at P1,000 – P1,500 each.

there is going to be a fiesta the following day, we SO wanted to join in the festivities because i haven’t been to one in the province. you see, in manila, people here don’t go around neighborhopping with a ready fork at hand– we don’t even know who our neighbors are. in the province, everyone’s free to dig in. unfortunately, we weren’t be able to join because we have to leave the next day.

we were also able to visit our relative in siquijor, glad that we stopped by to check if they’re there hehe :)

OTHER DETAILS

siquijor is a very small island, and as i’ve said, you can tour the island within a day. so if you’re the type who does not like the deafening silence there, i suggest you leave for siquijor early in the morning, tour the island and return to your room in dumaguete late in the afternoon. it will also save you on cash if you opt to return to dumaguete by nightfall because food in siquijor’s resorts are unjustifiably expensive.

if you’re into diving, look for resorts who offer such service. not all of the resorts there offer diving. i heard there are lots of nice spots out there, not advisable for snorkeling, tho.

most resorts offer complimentary pickups from the port, but will charge for the transfer back to the port. be sure to check with your resort so you won’t have any misunderstandings later on.

CASA DE LA PLAYA BEACH RESORT
Sandugan Beach, 6226 Larena, Siquijor, Philippines
http://www.siquijorcasa.com/beach_resort_siquijor.htm
Tel. (035) 484-1170 / 0928 3093737 / 0917 3140360

COCO GROVE BEACH RESORT
Tubod, San Juan, Siquijor, Philippines
http://www.cocogrovebeachresortsiquijor.com/
Tel. (035) 481-5008 / (035) 481-5006

MANGO TREE RESORT
Olang, Maria, Siquijor
http://www.geocities.com/siquijorisland/page30.html
Tel. (098) 5420803

ISLANDER’S PARADISE BEACH RESORT
http://www.islandersparadisebeach.com/

the bus ride to dumaguete was fairly comfortable, and if it weren’t for the driver from hell, we could’ve enjoyed the trip better. there were 3 stopovers, each enough for you to use the toilet, get some snack and do some stretching. we got off in front of bethel hotel and booked a room for 2.

bethel hotel along rizal boulevard. this is also ceres bus liner’s route going to bacolod.

Read the rest of this entry »