The Hills Are Alive…At Bohol! (A Squeezed Cebu & Bohol Trip)

It stood against mother nature’s tests, be it earthquake or super typhoon. Today, some traces of last disasters may still be seen but indeed, it’s also showing recovery and development. Always a popular tourist destination in Central Visayas, “Kaja let’s go to Bohol!”

Dear always wanted to visit Bohol and see the famous Chocolate Hills and Panglao Island. We achieved this on our 9th anniversary just this May 11 🙂 we made Cebu as our jump off point going here. My parents asked to be left at Cebu since they’re aware of the more adventurous moments in Bohol.

Getting there (commuting):

Direct flights to Tagbilaran are frequent too but you’ll notice that there are less promo fares going here. Travel time is 1 hour and 15 minutes also, same with Cebu. Other option is to commute from Cebu to Tagbilaran or Tubigon via ferry, learn more about it on this post.

Accommodation

Roberto’s Resort, Tawala, Panglao Island

Since we only have an overnight stay at Bohol, we chose to book our accommodation at Panglao Island, it’s our DIY tour’s last stop. We stayed at Roberto’s Resort in Tawala, you can check out the resort’s other details and our review in Agoda under the name of John C, please click this link. In general, the resort’s average for an overnight stay given that they offer lower rates, their place is quiet too but not beach front, we also liked the cleanliness of their rooms.

The Bohol Tour

We did a lot of research & plan for our DIY tour, but we only chose Bohol’s famous spots: Chocolate Hills and Panglao Island. We’re both glad and relieved that we managed our time well and didn’t got lost when the fact that even the commuting part seems like an adventure already. Soon as we arrived at Tubigon Port, we headed to Carmen and rode a tricycle to Chocolate Hills Complex, a van fare is P 80/head, it’s just an hour drive.

Chocolate Hills

We visited the hills first since it’s quite near from Tubigon . Also, to avoid flock of tourists and too much summer heat hehe. Tricycle fare from Carmen Public Market to the complex is P 200.00 back and forth.

Before reaching the view deck, long stairs which we failed to count the steps will greet you. It’s like a leg workout before seeing the hills :p Don’t worry, there are few cottages beside the stairs which you can rest on.

photo-op before 9am’s a good idea :p

Once you reached the top, the fresh breeze and morning sun combines with the serenity of the hills, you can’t help but take many photos and document this nature wonder. I remember in my elementary days, I always drew Chocolate Hills whenever there are project, and nowm seeing it up-close felt like an achievement 🙂

one memorable bus ride..PinaSmile 🙂

Back at the market, we got front row seats in an ordinary bus, it’s like a PinaSmile experience hehe, we enjoyed the 1 & 1/2 hour Sagada like drive to Tagbilaran. There are times that we’re almost falling from our seats because of the zig-zag roads, it’s like an amusement park ride. We can’t even stretch out our legs properly because of our position, no choice but to endure, it’s all part of the memorable experience here. We also passed by some of Bohol’s famous tourist spots along the way. At Dao Bus Terminal, Tagbilaran we agreed to ride a tricycle (P 250.00 all in fare) to Panglao Island than riding the unpredictable mini white buses outside.

Sandugo or Blood Compact Site

The driver suggested that there’s an affordable pasalubong shop beside the Blood Compact Site, and he didn’t failed us, the store automatically discounts the items we purchased. This is just a monument beside a resort, it’s also included in the offered tour packages, but nothing special awaits here, just a few photo-ops. This serve’s as a symbol between the Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna the chieftain of Bohol on March 16, 1565, to seal their friendship as part of the tribal tradition.

Panglao Island

After an hour of bumpy & dusty ride, we’re at Panglao Island, we had a quick nap and we hit the beach late in the afternoon. Honestly, we’re a bit disappointed and it’s not what we expected like what we saw from other blogs. The sand is powdery fine but it’s not white, the presence of many sea weeds and docked boats isn’t helping too. The water’s fine and clear enough you can enjoy snorkeling like we did.

There are resorts, restaurants, bars along the shore. Many foreigners and locals offering tours, massage can be found here as well and gives you a hint of Boracay vibe in a way. We enjoyed the water for a short while, then had our delicious dinner.  I think the resort’s name is Acquatico? Hehe not so sure because we’re really hungry at that time.

We enjoyed Bohol more than Cebu, even though we skipped some spots there we still felt satisfied with the trip we had. Being in Bohol feels a closer to nature kind of travel, the provincial ambiance brings up your traveler mode. It’s really nice to see that Bohol is coping up and many travelers are still visiting it.

Estimated Budget is at least P 5,000.00 (for 2 persons)

• Accommodation – P 916.08
• Ferry to Cebu with Terminal Fee – P 580.00
• Tour Transportation Fares  – P 1,340.00
• Chocolate Hills Entrance Fee – P 100.00
• Food, Pasalubong – P 1,400.00

Contact Info

• Kuya Pros – Tricycle Driver that drove us from Tagbilaran to Panglao, rate P 250.00 Mobile no.: 0949-6139114

• Kuya Albert – Tricycle Driver that drove us from Panglao to Tagbilaran, rate P 250.00 Mobile no.: 0909-4324777

Do rate this post, thanks!!!

 

 

 

 

Burot Beach Quickie :)

It’s officially summer and vacation time, yey! And you know what that means…. time to head on to the beach! However, not most of us can afford to take long days off or go further to other parts of Philippines, well here’s the solution…the title and the beach’s name itself sounds funny and funnier for those with green minds *lols* but a trip to this place makes you feel happy and somehow you’ll long to go back , “Kaja let’s go to Burot!” By far, this is officially what we can call the fastest beach getaway we had thus explains the “quickie” in the title hehe. I’ve read a few blogs about Burot even years ago, but we got discouraged to visit it since they always mention that Henry Sy already bought the place and plans to develop it. Thanks to some of the updated blogs and a friend’s Facebook update, we found our Burot’s still open to the public. A week before I wrote this post, Burot’s also featured in Rappler’s list of beach that’s recommended to visit. Now, Burot really got us and our curiosity lead us in planning this trip overnight haha, ain’t it a quickie?! 🙂

April 5 Saturday

• 5:30am Van Terminal to Calatagan – P 180.00 per head
• 8:30am Arrival at Calatagan Van Terminal / Market
• Tricycle to Burot Beach – P 150.00; 9:00am Arrival at Burot Beach – P 130.00 overnight entrance per head and P 20.00 tent pitching fee
• 9:30am onwards Beach Bum; 4:30pm Swim Time
• 5:30pm Sunset viewing; 6:30pm onwards Dinner, Stargazing, Sleep

April 6 Sunday

• 5:30am Wake up call, Breakfast; 6:30am Pack up
• 7:00am Tricycle to Calatagan Van Terminal / Market – P 150.00
• 8:00am Van to Pasay; 10:45am Arrival at Pasay

Getting there (commuting)

Easiest way to reach Burot is by riding a van directly to Calatagan, fare is P 180.00 each, terminal’s located at the back of Kabayan Hotel in EDSA Taft, the travel time is 3 hours. First trip of van from EDSA Taft to Calatagan is 4:00am, last trip is 7:00pm. Whilte vans from Calatagan Market’s first trip is 3:30am, last trip is 4:00pm. Calatagan Public Market is the last stop and this is where the van terminals are also located. From the market, there are many tricycle drivers that will offer a drive to Burot, fixed fare for 2-3 pax is P 150.00 one way, you can also contact them to fetch you upon leaving Burot like what we did, just get their mobile numbers. Joven (mobile # 0906-5299145) was the tricycle driver who followed us soon as we went off at the market. Our original plan is to ride a BSC or whatever bus lines going to Calatagan directly or a bus going to Lian then ride a mini-bus from 7-11 Lian to Calatagan. Upon arrival at EDSA Taft, some of the jeepney drivers in the terminal at back of McDonald’s said that all bus terminals were relocated to the new terminal at Coastal Mall like the BSC and Celyrosa bus lines. Good thing we didn’t ride the bus because travel time via van is shorter and cheaper and easier.

Accommodation There are no available resorts in Burot, your only choice is to do a day trip or spend a night under your tent like we did. You can rent a tent for P 300.00 but from what we observed some of the tents were old, but it can still provide you good shade. Also, there’s only a limited space where you can pitch tent since it’s just for rent (maybe it’s one of their tent rental policies). There are 2 comfort rooms on the beach but don’t expect much, the water supply varies, there’s no lights inside so bring your flashlight, prepare to fall in line too and be patient *lols* There are grills, tables, even a floating cottage available for rent too, they also have bonfire & torch services at a price.

Burot Beach The 3 hour drive and another 15-20 minutes tricycle bumpy & dusty ride, mangroves surrounding a small road leads you to a secret beach with a funny name 🙂 The sand is not so white as what the others mentioned, it’s beige when dry & turns brown when wet, not so fine and with a bit of small stones & shells in it. It looks white in photos since most of our photos were taken at noon time. The water’s calm & fine but not so clear, some part has many seaweeds & big stones, and literally it’s shallow..it’s like walking in a Metro Manila flooded road during rainy season hehe. The other part of the beach though is really the opposite..clearer water, a bit deeper and some waves are rushing since most fishermen and passenger boats passed by this portion. This is where we spent most of our time taking photos since  it’s less crowded here, yep loners. There’s only one store and yes, it’s not overpriced compared to Puting Buhangin in Quezon. Other vendors also drop by selling ice cream, delicacies, accessories made from pearls & corals while others have a small table selling halo-halo & fruit shakes. There’s also this bridge like formation as what they call as the landmark of Burot Beach. It’s a nice place to hang out for a while, this part’s really breezy but be careful because there are toads, tadpoles in the stones & some are lurking in the water. We also heard some visitors shouting sea urchin  and jelly fish haha.  We haven’t explored the whole part of Burot due to the humid and soooo hot weather that made us stay in our tent for half day hahaha. What we enjoyed though is the sunset viewing, we liked it than the sunset in Boracay and then our camping under the stars.. our fave part, stargazing! If we are to visit Burot, we’d probably do the opposite of our schedule, we’ll go there during low season and arrive mid-day or in the afternoon instead to avoid the heat. Burot Beach to us is not so perfect, honestly. It’s a beach where we can say, we’d choose to camp for the night just to get away from the stress and all. It’s not a place where we look forward to soak under the sun and swim till we get tired compared to other beaches we’ve been to. Maybe it’s also because of the convenience in terms of location and the commuting part that still convinces us to visit again.

Estimated Budget / Expenses (2 persons) 

• Transportation – P 1,100.00
• Beach Fee -P 280.00
• Food, etc. – P 800.00

Burot Beach’s not much and not so less.. but it’ll be a perfect fit for an easy and effortless summer beach escape. 🙂 Please rate this post, thanks!

Boracay Island : Dear’s Ultimate Birthday Vacay

They say coming of age and being a Filipino is incomplete if you haven’t been to this place. When it’s summer time, this is the trending beach of all, always shown in news, documentaries, etc. Gaining top ranks internationally and competing with other well know beaches or top destinations around the world! “Kaja let’s go to Boracay!”

This was one of the easy breezy trips we had, it’s so worth the wait! It was booked a year ago and given the long period of time, we’ve prepared enough. To be honest, when we booked it, we’re not so fond of Boracay, we just wanted to give this place a try and go figure why this is such a hype. What makes this travel really special is it fell on Dear’s 25th birthday, yey 🙂 Isn’t he so lucky haha, spending your special day at this awesome place!? Here’s our itinerary by the way…

March 14 Friday

• 5:45am Taxi to NAIA Terminal 3 – P 150.00
• 6:30am Checked In; 7:50am Boarding Time
• 8:25am Left Manila; 9:30am Arrival Caticlan – Terminal Fee P 100.00 each & Environmental Fee P 75.00 each
• 9:45am Tricycle P 50.00  and Boat Ride P50.00; 10:15am Arrival Boracay Island
• 10:30am Tricycle special ride to Station 2 – P 100.00
• 11:30am lunch; 2-5:00pm White Beach bumming & swimming
• 6-8:30pm White Beach sunset stroll; dinner; back to Amigos 2

March 15 Saturday

• 6am Breakfast; 7:30am Tricycle public ride to Puka Beach – P 50.00
• 8:15am-10:30am Puka Beach bumming & photo shoot; Buko drink – P 100.00; Tricycle special trip to Station 1 – P 150.00
• 11am -Arrival Station 1; Willy’s Rock Photo op; Jonah’s Choco Peanut Banana Shake – P 110.00 then stroll back to Station 2
• 11:30am Arrival Station 2; Dear’s birthday lunch; back to Amigos 2
• 3-5:00pm White Beach bumming & swimming
• 6-8:30pm White Beach sunset stroll; dinner; back to Amigos 2; We’re supposed to try Bora’s night life since it’s his birthday but thanks to Nat-Geo’s Live From Space show we haven’t experienced the booze and we don’t get to watch the fire dancers hahaha so geeky couple 🙂

March 16 Sunday

• 7am Breakfast; 9am Went to meet Jeffrey at Station 3 for Helmet Diving
• 10:30-11:00am Helmet Diving
• 11:30am Lunch then back to Amigos 2; 2:00pm pasalubong shopping
• 3-5:00pm White Beach bumming & swimming
• 6-8:30pm White Beach sunset stroll; dinner; back to Amigos 2

March 17 Monday

• 6:00am Breakfast; 7:30am Tricycle to Boracay’s Jetty Port – P 50.00
• 8:00am Arrival Jetty Port – P 50.00 boat fare; Terminal Fee P 100.00 each
• 8:30am Arrival Caticlan Jetty Port then public tricycle ride to Caticlan airport  P 50.00
• 8:45am Arrival Caticlan Airport; Checked In; Terminal Fee – P 200.00 each
• 9:50am Boarding Time; 10:20am Left Caticlan; 11:30am Arrival at Manila; Taxi back to house P 150.00

Location

The world-famous island of Boracay is located in Aklan province 345 kms. South of Manila. The island is accessible by air from Manila or Cebu through two principal gateways : Caticlan airport or Kalibo airport.

Getting there (commuting):

Book flights either to Caticlan or Kalibo airport but I suggest you choose Caticlan instead since it’s easier & with a shorter travel time, no need to ride a van for 2-3 hours unlike in Kalibo. Travel time is 1 hour and 30 minutes from Manila to Caticlan, across the airport there’s a booth where you can buy tricycle ticket P 50.00 good for 3 pax & boat ticket P 25.00 each from Caticlan to Boracay Island, see it’s easy! 🙂 The boat or jetty is safe, life vests are always required to be worn during the short boat ride.

Accommodation

We don’t want to worry ourselves to do walk-in and on the spot search for resorts given that our travel period fell on Bora’s High Season. We tried booking in Agoda, he booked our 4 days stay with Amigos 2 Beach Resort formerly named as Casa Maugueri, you can check the resort’s overview, photos and our own review tagged under his name John C. on this link.

Overall, we recommend staying at Amigos 2 Beach Resort because of it’s quiet surroundings, it’s centrally located at Station 2, staffs are quick & good in service, it has budget friendly rates, clean and privacy guaranteed rooms. They allow early check in and check out times, easy to deal with. It’s not a beachfront resort though and they don’t have food services there but we still felt relaxed throughout our stay. Standard room rate we got is P 1,350 / night with bathroom, air-conditioner, tv , refrigerator, queen size bed. Rates can go higher or lower depending on the season.

White Beach

This is where the Boracay hotels, restaurants, shops may be found, along the beautiful 4km pure powdery white sand beach. White Beach to me is like still being in a metro but with a beach haha, because everything’s already in it, not to mention the commissioners continuously offers you water & land activities..island hopping..tattoo henna..hair braid..sunglasses..hat, everything that sometimes it already bugs you off 🙂 At day time it boasts the perfect land and seascape while at night the ambiance turns into a party & romantic mode.

 

White Beach is divided into Boat Stations for orientation, although it is one continuous beach connected with a long footpath. Bulabog Beach is Boracay’s secondary beach. It is less than a kilometer from White Beach, and is the wind sports centre of the island but we did not visited it since we’re not really into kind of action yet.

• Station 1 – This is the North-Western section of White Beach that is home to some of the top Boracay hotels and resorts. White Beach is at its widest, and it is considered to be to the upscale section of Boracay. Almost all of these Boracay hotels and resorts are directly on the beach, and having most services on-site.

Willy’s Rock Station 1

• Station 2 – This is the restaurant, shopping, and entertainment heart of White Beach. Some of these Boracay hotels are high-end resorts while others fall into the budget category. D’Mall & D’Talipapa is also here, the shopping centre of White Beach. There are hotels for all tastes and budgets in this area, and this is where most of the tourists will gravitate towards.

Station 2 beach bumming

• Station 3 – This was the last section of White Beach to be developed. Most of the remaining White Beach budget and native style bungalows are located here, although recently more upscale Boracay hotels and resorts have been developed to take advantage of this more relaxed atmosphere. It is the quietest part of White Beach. This also serves as the docking area of tourists going on a water activity.

Helmet Diving

Puka Beach

This is the highlight! We wouldn’t allow this trip to end without visiting this beach. Why? Just take a look at our photos and go search for it online too. We spent almost half day there, maybe this kind of beach still appeals more to us since we’re loners haha 🙂 Puka Beach is like the opposite of White Beach but their beauties are unique in some ways. Here, we managed to do our usual travel photo shoots, get a Buko drink & beach bum like it’s our own island, it’s like we’re transported again to El Nido.

A quiet stretch of white sand along the northern tip of the island, Puka Beach is an image of what most people expect on a tropical island: white sand, azure water, and relatively empty. This is where locals gather the small puka shells for some of the jewelry that is sold on the island so expect the sand to be more coarse than on White Beach.

The water tends to be a little rougher on this side of the island but it is much quieter. Similarly, there are fewer services — at last count there was one restaurant but you likely won’t have a problem getting a cold drink or an ice cream as there are a few vendors that patrol the beach. We did not swam on it’s water since the wind & waves are strong.

We now understand why it’s such a big deal place be it locals or foreigners. Honestly, this is the first place where we saw more foreigners than locals haha. It’s a hype because of  the many reasons I can think of! The white sand, clear water, fishes swimming & biting your feet :), beach itself is shallow perfect for easy swimming, picturesque view everywhere, the island’s ambiance & night life, the booze & gastronomic experience around it, the bikini girls & trunk boys everywhere you look plus the easy & convenient travel to the island itself.

I think going to Boracay be it summer time or not always makes you feel the real thrill of hot summer. Everything in the island spells summer, sexiness, carefree, relaxation that magnets this number of tourists everywhere around the world.

Estimated Budget / Expenses (2 persons) 

P 13 to 14,000 overall consisting of air fare, land & water transportation, accommodations, fees, activities, pocket money.

Contact Info

• John of Amigos 2 Beach Resort’s mobile # 0909-7247836
• Jeffrey of Boracay Land & Water Touring Activities mobile # 0908-1412535

We’re hoping to see Boracay’s beauty again!

Kindly rate this post, thank you 🙂

Dreamy El Nido

This place has been on my childhood travel list and proud to say, this is the first place we flew to, another achievement it is. Palawan is such a beauty, my country’s lucky to have it, but there’s this one place in it that truly got my interest since I was a kid. Now, let us guide you to one of my dream places here in Philippines, “Kaja, let’s go to El Nido!”

We spent almost 3 days in El Nido then went to Puerto Princesa, you may refer to our previous post for our itinerary. I’m so in love with this place that I even chose it than the famous Puerto Princesa Underground River thus explains why we spent our vacay here longer though we’re still planning to visit the famous river in the future too. El Nido holds it’s unique beauty from the serene beaches, islands, limestone formations, lagoons, caves,..name it and this place have it, nature at it’s best! If Vietnam has it’s Hao Long Bay, then Philippines is proud to have El Nido 🙂

Location

Situated in Bacuit Bay, El Nido, covering a land area of 465.1 square kilometres (179.6 sq mi) in the northernmost tip of mainland Palawan. According to CNNGo, it is the Best Beach and Island destination in the Philippines for its “extraordinary natural splendor and ecosystem.”  It is composed of 45 islands and islets, each has its own unique geological formations.

Getting there (Commuting):

Cheapest way of going to El Nido is travelling from Puerto Princesa to El Nido by land all thanks to the van transports. Though the travel time’s longer, it’s almost half the airfare if you are to take a chartered plane directly to El Nido.  Book your flight to Puerto Princesa, Palawan, it’s a 1 hr. & 15 mins. travel time from Manila then ride a van directly to El Nido, travel time is 5-6 hrs. May we refer you to our previous post for the commuters guide, Eulen Joy Express is our recommended van transport. The land travel has 2-3 stopovers, Roxas and Taytay, from this town is where the bumpy drive starts haha. The roads on this town can be unforgiving especially if it’s raining, all thanks to government’s corruption hehe..don’t worry there are on going road repair works though.

Accommodation

El Nido has lots of accommodations, most of it are located in it’s town ranging from cheap to pricey. If you’re ok with night life, busy streets then staying in town’s for you, plus factor here is that you’re also near to restaurants & shops. But if you’re like us who are loners haha, then you should stay at Barangay Corong Corong. This place will come first before the town, it’s 5-10 mins. ride from the market & town so it’s not bad at all. Most of beach front resorts are found in Corong Corong in short privacy & quiet stay is here 🙂

it’s like your second home at el nido!

Telesfora Beach Cottages got our attention out of all the accommodations we inquired with via email and text, they’re the lucky one and now we’re going to spread our good words about them, good service is rewarded. After researching, this place won our interest, all thanks to the owner Ate Rosario “Chat” Jaboli‘s quick replies in our email & text inquiries, plus her patience in our many questions we asked her haha. Our agreed room was the standard non beach front room Php 800 but due to heavy rains who welcomed us in our 1:30 am arrival she got us a beach front cottage worth Php 1,500. The next day,  we are supposed to transfer to the agreed Php 800 room but we chose to stay because it’s hassle for us to transfer, plus the cottage is spacious for 2 persons, it’s comfy & damn beach front haha. Ate Chat is kind and easy to transact with, she agreed to give the worth Php 1,500 room down to Php 1,000 for our 2 days stay, it’s a steal!

beach front cottage

We recommend Telesfora as your El Nido accommodation, why? Small yet homey place..sweet guard dog “Golden”..clean & comfy rooms..free breakfast & you can ask them to cook lunch/dinner for free..good customer service..friendly staff..they have their own island hopping tour and tricycle service..owners not taking advantage of guests..reasonable rates that you can even haggle 🙂

Island Hopping Tour A & B

Our plan is to avail private island combination tour with Northern Hope, but the agreed Php 3,000 price doubled when we’re at El Nido. Neriza said due to bad weather they can only allow big boats to do the tours thus explains the price increase. Of course we didn’t accept her offer, we thought of availing public island tours but for us lone travelers, we know we won’t enjoy it hehe. And so we asked Ate Chat if she can provide us a private tour, she charged us Php 3,000 all in.

Our tour guide’s name is Anthony (forgot his last name) his father is a cousin of Ate Chat’s spouse so he’s like the resort’s tie up guide for private tours. Before posting our island itineraries, we just like to share good words to Anthony and the boat captain for being our trusty guardians. We owe our lives to them during the big waves, strong winds & raining on the tour. We follow their directions over enjoyment, if they say we can’t go this place because of this & that, it’s fine with us, we just follow them..like what they say to us your safety is our priority. We started the tour at 9:00am then went back 2:30pm from an unforgettable sail through the strong rain and wind that we thought we’re gonna be “Castaway” already haha 🙂

Pinagbuyutan Island

It started raining when we are approaching this island, then on our arrival..voila..sun is up though still cloudy. Small island with pure white sand, clear water fit for snorkeling, all of it’s area is perfect for photos, it’s across the famous Helicopter Island.

The owner has it’s own house here, how we wish we own an island like him too.

This island is also known enchanted due to it’s towering limestone walls.

Cudugnon Cave

Our second stop should be Cathedral Cave but captain said there are big waves & it’s raining there so we opted here instead. Small island with smal limestone walls and shore, water here is not so recommended for snorkeling though.

One must crawl through a hole to enter the main cavern. This in turn leads to a smaller cavern which is believed by archeologists to be a burial site during the Neolithic period. This stop is wow, feels like we’re transported to Sumaguing Cave in Sagada.

Sun’s shining up  and so we decided to take our early lunch as well, cottage rental is Php 100. We’re taking advantage of the good weather that’s why we’re putting all in a rush by that time. We had another steal here by the way, the local fisherman sold us lobsters for Php 300 a kilo / 4 pieces, we saved it for our dinner hehe.

Snake Island

We must say we spent longer time on this stop, probably we’re captured by the view deck’s surprise.

It’s also called Vigan Island, located near Pangulasian Island, but it’s famously called as “Snake Island” because of a fine natural sandspit (s-shaped sandbar). Again, an island with picturesque area everywhere 🙂

After Snake Island, this is the part where clouds are starting to appear again, the winds are getting stronger.

Help me on this, forgot the island’s name 🙂

This is the quickest stop on the tour we’ve made, we didn’t the get island’s name and we just did few photo ops. It’s crowded with tourists having lunch so we chose to just leave and proceed to the lagoons.

We skipped Big Lagoon as what the guide & captain suggested since there’s a chance that we might get slammed to the limestone rocks due to strong waves.

Small Lagoon

The tour’s portion that literally made us say “Wow!” and then speechless moments because we can’t help but admire it’s serene beauty.

entrance to small lagoon

Reached through a crack between rocks, the small lagoon is enclosed by towering marble walls.

The guide won’t let us wander alone and said he’ll just row the kayak for us, advised us to still wear life vests because water’s around 10 feet deep. We enjoyed it soooo much, it’s our first time to ride a kayak too hahaha, and so a photo op of course 🙂 If I’m not wearing aqua shoes, I couldn’t imagine what kind of injury I’ve sustained. On the hidden portion of lagoon, our guide stopped the kayak so me and Dear can exchange seats since he wanted to sit in front. I stood and went out of the kayak then I slipped on a slimy big rock, good thing I managed my balance and didn’t get any wounds or injuries.

Don’t miss the “private” pool in the innermost part of the lagoon. If you’re a good swimmer then go ahead and take a plunge!

Seven Commandos Beach

After 1 hour sailing through the big waves, we are now on our last stop of the tour. This is where we spent our free time left..beach bumming..swimming and snorkeling. My first time to snorkel with a clear vision, yep I wore contact lenses, I too like to live dangerously haha.

it’s getting cloudy again..hehe

This island was named after the 7 commandos who lived in the island, their names printed on the rocks at the island but cannot be found anymore.  Some said they died because of the serious malaria  outbreak in Palawan. Island is ideal for picnics due to it’s wide & slightly sloped shore, sunset viewing here is recommended too. We think there’s a resort in this island and they even put fence, off limits sign by the shore, so there’s just a limited space for tourists to wander.

We can’t see the other islands anymore since they’re all covered in clouds and it’s a sign for us to leave 7 Commandos. While we’re sailing few meters away from the island, here comes the strong wind and it rained so hard, we’re both holding tightly to the boat and we’re freaking cold. There’s this point where the boat was about to hit the limestone wall in our left side, it’s one shaky and bumpy sail we could tell. I was even thinking what if this boat will go upside down, though we have life vests, I’m scared and I can’t swim well plus our personal stuff will disappear with this sea, we don’t wanna be like Tom Hanks in Castaway hahaha. I tried to stay calm and kept looking at Dear, the guides, and our surroundings, I think we both prayed hehe then a few minutes, thank God we made it safely to the shores of Corong Corong. That will be included on our unforgettable experiences we had, scary awesome it was! We freshen up, watched the rain haha, did some chitchats with Telesfora’s owners and had those huge lobsters for dinner then dozed off.

 

Our 3rd day in El Nido is our free time, we chose not to avail of the inland tour meaning we skipped Nacpan beach hehe.  We don’t want to risk ourselves again in a bad weather, we just simply want to spend the rest of the day by resting.

We went to El Nido town c/o Telesfora’s tricycle service to buy souvenirs then rode a public tricycle going back, it’s a Php 20 fare, also took some photos of the town.

souvenir shopping

 

dogs everywhere

Of course we wouldn’t leave El Nido without experiencing the “low tide walk” of Bacuit Bay in Corong Corong shores. We were easily amazed with that low tide effect haha.

crabs went hiding.. coral revealed

Visiting El Nido truly is one of our travel achievements, it will be included on those places that we’ll surely do a return trip. Everything here is just too good to be true, feels like you’re in an entirely different place. If we can win the lottery, we’d love to buy our own island, set up resorts, and make a beach front mansion in El Nido 🙂 Truly, this place have captivated our wanderer hearts.

We’ll keep on coming back for more, El Nido! Soon!

Budget/Expenses

• Transportation (tricycles,vans) – Php 2,270.00
• Accommodation – Php 2,000.00
• Tour – Php 3,000.00 plus Php 200.00 tip *optional
• Food & Pasalubong – Php 2,400

Total Budget/Expenses: Php 9,870 On our next trip here, we’ll definitely bring food and snacks. We’ll also take advantage of the cheap seafood and fish treats that those local fisherman sells in some island we’ve been to.

And so the El Nido travel blog is done, hope it triggered your itchy feet and excite you to visit this such pristine province. What’s next? Watch out for our Puerto Princesa side trip post. Please rate and thank you! 🙂

 

 

Palawan: El Nido & Puerto Princesa Travel Basics

Before posting our Palawan travel blog, I opted to make a guide post first covering El Nido (EN) and Puerto Princesa (PP). All based from our experience & first hand info will be discussed on this post. We know this would be of great help to our readers, fellow first time flyers & Palawan travelers like us out there 🙂 By the way, may we remind you this post is more applicable to DIY travelers.

We planned for this trip months from our departure, many points were considered like if we’ll just do a solo PP trip..EN trip..or combine it. Then, we decided to prioritize EN (since I’m in love w/ this place :)) then do a PP side trip to maximize our 5 days Palawan stay. We came up with below itinerary & made a budget of almost Php 15k (for 2 persons & airfare already included):

September 26 Thursday

• 10:30am Lunch @ Tapa King Php 195; 11:45am Taxi to NAIA T3 Php 150
• 1:15pm Checked In; 3:10pm Boarding Time
• 4:10pm PP arrival, rode a tourism accredited trike to Fort Wally Transport Php 50.
  
• 6:30pm Fort Wally Van departure Php 1,200 (600/head); 9:15pm stop over @ Fort Wally Food Store, dinner & snacks Php 180

September 27 Friday

• 1:30am El Nido arrival; 2:00am Check in @ Telesfora Beach Cottage Php 1,000/night. This Corong Corong accomodation’s recommended.
• 8:30am start of private Island Tours A & B Php 3,000 all in Added Php 200 tip to our tour guide & boat captain for protecting our lives, thought we’ll be “Castaway” already haha
• Details of Island Tour: 9:00am Pinagbuyutan Island; 10:00am Cudugnon Cave, lunch, lobster Php 300, cottage rental Php 100; 12:00pm Snake Island; 1:00pm Small Lagoon; 2:00pm Seven Commandos Beach; 3:15pm Back to Telesfora

September 28 Saturday

• 8:00am El Nido town for pasalubong shopping
• 3:45pm Check out @ Telesfora; 4:00pm Eulen Joy Van Terminal Php 1,000 (500/head) Recommended van transport
• 5:00pm Early dinner & snacks Php 200; 6:00pm Van departure back to PP

September 29 Sunday

• 12:00am San Jose Bus Terminal, PP arrival; Trike to Victoria Guest House & Cottages Php 200 
  
• 12:30am Check in at accommodation; 7:00am Breakfast
• 8:30am – 2:00pm private PP City Tour via trike Php 600 (PP Bay walk, Plaza Cuartel, PP Cathedral, Binuatan Creations, Crocodile Farm, Baker’s Hill, Mitra’s Ranch, Butterfly Eco Garden & Tribal Village)

September 30 Monday

• 7:00am Breakfast; 9:00am PP airport; 11:10am Boarding time; 1:15pm Manila arrival

Commuting at Palawan

• Tricycles at Puerto Princesa

– Dept. of Tourism Accredited Tricycles (painted in white & drivers wears white polos mostly located in airport), if you don’t follow a strict budget then this will be ok with you, do note that they charge higher fares than regular trikes. Some said they offer PP City Tour for Php 600 but I doubt if this is still valid. On our experience, the driver said he’ll charge us Php 120 to San Jose Bus Terminal since our plan is to ride a Cherry bus to EN. But from other blogs, regular fare just costs around Php 50.00. See one of our mistakes on this trip is we rode this type of trike upon arrival.  Anyway, we ended up accepting his suggestion to take a van transport since Cherry Bus departs earliest at 8:00pm & we paid him Php 50, still pricey haha. We didn’t hire them for our City Tour since we’re afraid they might over charge us again. If you don’t wanna ride these trikes, then we suggest you to go directly to the main road outside the airport and wait for a public tricycle instead. Downside of this is possible, you’ll be sharing a ride with random people, but fare is lower though.

– Avoid “colorum” tricycles, mostly located at San Jose bus terminal & they usually operate late night. If you’re arriving at PP from EN in the wee hours, and you still have a choice, please don’t ride these trikes. Drivers take advantage of tourists arriving in the wee hours, they double the regular fare price. Unfortunately, we rode a colorum tricycle, wasn’t able to get the plate number but his name is Victor 0907-737-1783. We got his mobile number because he even offered us a city tour for Php 600 but of course we didn’t take it maybe he might have some “hidden charges” in it haha. We learned about colorum tricycles from our trike driver in our city tour (referred by our PP accomodation). He said those colorum trikes usually operate in the wee hours since they don’t have their own registered transport franchise. Colorum trikes usually don’t have registration stickers placed in front. If possible, arrange a pick up schedule w/ your PP accommodation from the bus terminal. If you happen to ride a colorum trike, get it’s plate number & driver’s name then report it to your accommodation so they can also report it to correct agencies & offices.

• Tricycles at El Nido

They are much same with public tricycles in PP, fare per head is Php 8-10 or depends on the distance of your destination. Don’t get surprised if the drivers push their luck to make you accept their offer for inland tours, beach tours, etc.  hehe they can get annoying sometimes but it’s their sideline 🙂 We seldom rode trike in EN since our accommodation has it’s own trike service.

el nido tricycle

If you’re commuting from one place to another, it’s best to just ride a regular/public tricycle, normal fare per head is around Php 8-10. The tricycles in PP & EN are all the same in terms of seating capacity and design, whether public or DoT accredited, they both offer tours.

• Van Transport

We chose Eulen Joy Express over Fort Wally Travel & Tours, that’s it haha. These two are one of the many van transports operating from PP to EN & vice versa. In terms of fare, Eulen Joy charges Php 100 lower than Fort Wally, fare’s around Php 500-600 PP to EN while Php 500/head EN to PP for both van transports. We don’t recommend Fort Wally, their office at PP’s not good at customer service, vans we saw are usually not so new haha, delayed departure, slow drivers.

puerto princesa office

If you want new van, comfy ride, on time departure, fast driver then go with Eulen Joy vans instead. Telesfora (EN accommodation) informed us that it’s like their tie up transport, they make sure passengers gets comfy seats. If we only knew about this before, we really would’ve taken Eulen Joy vans. Imagine, PP to EN c/o Fort Wally took us 7-8 hours travel seated at the back of the van w/ baggage of other passengers, it’s one bumpy ride that our body ached. While EN to PP via Eulen Joy took us standard travel time of 6 hours seated in front of the van, they place baggage under each of every seat, and it’s way comfier than the other ride we had.

eulen joy van’s trip schedule

Accommodations at Palawan

You won’t have any problems in Palawan accommodations especially if it’s not peak season. You can even ask a tricycle driver and he can guide you.

• Staying in El Nido  

Barangay Corong Corong – this area’s where most of beach front cottages can be found, if you want serenity, privacy then this is your choice. We stayed at Telesfora Beach Cottages (they don’t have an updated website but they reply to email/text inquiries fast), it’s a homey place where you feel so comfortable and relaxed.

beach front cottage

 

Staff and owners are all nice, and their service is good. Even their dog “Golden” is  a sweetie who loves us during our stay 🙂

puppy love daw 🙂

They have standard non beach front room Php 800 while beach front cottage is Php 1,500 but they gave it to us for only Php 1,000. All rooms and cottage have air conditions, private bath & toilet, free breakfast. The difference of cottage is it’s bigger, it has 2 double bed & 1 sofa bed. Telesfora has it’s own tricycle service, so whenever you wanna drop by the town, just tell them. Downside here is they don’t serve lunch and dinner, but they can cook for you for free haha, see how nice they are?! 🙂

inside the cottage

Contact Person –  Ate Chat Jaboli 0917-731-8034, 0917-731-8036, elnido.telesfora@gmail.com. Telesfora is recommended and we’re very sure you’ll love this place and really enjoy your vacay in El Nido by staying here 🙂 We’re looking forward in staying again at Telesfora in our next trip.

El Nido Town – if you’re in for night life, restaurants, souvenir stores then this is your choice. Accommodations here are so close to each other that only a wall will divide you haha. Everywhere you look there are inns, lodge, be it cheap to pricey ones. One of the inns we inquired thru text were Blessed Inn and Norther Hope Inn (Neriza 0939-902-2216), they both offer Php 800/night for an air conditioned room, you may contact them for more details.

• Staying in Puerto Princesa

Wescom Road – this is like the counter part of Brgy. Corong Corong in EN, this place is a bit far from the airport. Here you’ll find many bed and breakfast, big houses but still it’s an accommodation with rooms for rent hehe.

Victoria Guest House & Cottage

 

We stayed at Victoria Guest House & Cottage. Standard price is Php 400/head inclusive of breakfast, air-conditioned room with private bath & toilet. It’s an accommodation that’s like you’re so close to nature even in a city haha. Downside again is it’s far from the town, they don’t serve lunch & dinner but you can cook for a minimum fee, they don’t have a service to pick you up during late hours from San Jose bus terminal.

our room big for 2 pax haha

Contact Person – Michelle at 0928-781-4757. We liked our stay with them while in PP, but I guess we’ll have to try another accommodation in our next trip since they are far from the town.

Arranging Tours

It’s not a problem here too, many accommodations in PP and EN do offer tour soon as you check in. Even upon arrival at PP airport, there are sign boards and agencies that will offer EN, PP, Coron tours. You can also visit the town if you want to book directly to the agencies. We availed our EN island hopping tour Php 3,000 with Telesfora look for Kuya Anthony he’s like the tie up tour guide with them. While city tour Php 600 in PP with Victoria Guesthouse, look for Kuya Gil 0905-6908-202. Since we are a couple, we always prefer to do solo tour, it’s more convenient for us.

Don’t forget to bring: Sunblock, Mosquito Repellent Lotion, Waterproof Cases/Bag, Umbrella, Comfy Flip Flops, Drinking Water, Snacks & Packed Lunch/Dinner (food in EN is pricey)

We hope you find our post helpful in your Palawan trip. We’d love to hear from you as well, feel free to tell us any suggestions for a more convenient and affordable Palawan vacay. Do watch for our El Nido and Puerto Princesa travel blog, it will be posted soon! Thanks for reading! 🙂

 

Hidden Quezon: Puting Buhangin & Kwebang Lampas

there it is!

Looking for a beach getaway near Manila…not so hard anymore. Well there’s Cavite and Batangas the famous city neighbors which has lots of beach resorts. Looking for a beach getaway near Manila that’s hidden, quiet, white sand (almost!)…hmm ok, that’s hard right? I’ll tell you about it, now “Kaja, let’s go” to Quezon!

May is our special month, I started looking for our summer/8th anniv getaway since March, actually when we got home from our last Laguna tour haha. As one of our back packing checklist, budget is always taken into consideration and the place should not be so mainstream. Again, we challenged ourselves to travel w/ a whole budget of P 2K-3K for 2 pax already, and this place is a match for our criteria, yey! Below is our schedule and fares computed for 2 pax…

May 11 Saturday

• 3:30am Jac Liner bus to Lucena – P 420.00 // 5:30am ETA Lucena Grand Terminal
• 5:45am Mini bus to Unisan – P 24.00 // 6:15am ETA Pagbilao Church
• 6:30am Tricycle to Ibabang Polo jeep terminal – P 36.00 (fixed fare)
• 6:45am Jeep to Ibabang Polo – P 70.00 // 7:45am Ibabang Polo tricycle to lake – P 200.00 (fixed fare)
• 8:15am Lake boat ride – P 40.00 (back and forth already) // 8:20am Trek to Kwebang Lampas/Puting Buhangin
• 8:40am – 4:00pm Beach bumming // 4:30 pm Tricycle to jeep terminal – P 200.00 (fixed)
• 5:00pm Jeep to Binaan – P 50.00  // 6:00pm AB Liner bus to DLTB Co bus terminal in Pagbilao – P 40.00 // 6:30pm DLTB Co bus to Manila – P 420.00
• 11:30pm – Manila once again

Location

Quezon is southeast of Metro Manila and is bordered by the provinces of Aurora to the north, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Batangas to the west and the provinces of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur to the east. A major tourism draw to the province is Mount Banahaw. surrounded by spiritual mysticism with many cults and religious organizations staying on the mountain. Nowadays this province also draws many tourists because it of it’s not so commercialized islands and serene almost white sand beaches.

Getting there (commuting): 

As shown in above schedule you’ll notice that even going to this place is no joke, even the commuting part is one of this getaway’s adventure haha. I suggest you take the early morning bus trips so travel time will just take 3 hours instead of 4-5. Lucena bound bus terminals are located in Buendia/Gil Puyat along Taft Avenue.

You’ll see this in your left side, you won’t miss this land mark

Your 2nd stop is at Lucena Grand Terminal, you have 2 options: ride a jeep to Pagbilao proper P 35.00 each this might take time since they only leave when the jeep is full or you can follow our DIY on the spot route (hooray for another experiment!) this is suggested since mini bus only waits for 15 minutes then leaves whether it’s full or not. Tell the bus conductor to drop you off at Pagbilao church (in front of Munisipyo) then take a tricycle to 3rd stop Ibabang Polo jeep terminal (recommended to ride rather than walking since it’s a bit far from the church). On the jeep terminal, I’ll have to warn you they really know how to squeeze in passengers and cargoes together haha so be prepared.

4th stop Team Energy Power Plant in Ibabang Polo if you see that thing, it’s a sign that you’re almost there! Just tell the driver you’re going to Kwebang Lampas and he’ll let you off in the tricycle terminal going to…5th stop Checkpoint/Entrance other travelers managed to walk from here to the lake but in our case we just rode another tricycle, I seriously recommend it..why? It’s a long, rough road and hot walk if you do and there’s no shady area so good luck hahaha, you have sun burns already and you’re not on the beach yet!

The 6th stop The Lake wherein the boat kids awaits, just a short ride and then the last stop..

7th Trek to Kwebang Lampas you won’t get lost but still be careful, just follow the trail and watch where you step, trekking this place is not easy as it looks.

if you see these, you’re safe haha congrats!

After 15-20 minutes, voila, there’s your hidden beach, go for it…ruuuuun!

Need I say more why is this place called Puting Buhangin and Kwebang Lampas?!?! You should know that it doesn’t have any resorts/accommodations so you need to bring your tent (overnight stay P 100.00/pax) don’t worry they now have tent rentals (P 300-500 can fit 2-4 pax). Be it day tour / overnight stay please make sure that you have all the necessities especially drinking water & food. They island sari2x store sells way too much than a popular supermarket (try to understand, this place is remote!), soft drinks at P 110.00 each, ice for P 10.00 each so I’ll say it again, please bring all food & drinks that you can to save up haha. Comfort room (don’t expect much) good enough for your nature callings & changing clothes but for a decent bath, not so.. I heard water is P 30.00 per  gallon.

Day tour is also recommended here since there’s an ample space to set your “own camp” nobody cares if you’ll just throw a blanket, put all your stuff there, lie down, stroll. Beach bumming at it’s finest, still please take care of your belongings haha so cliche. During low tide, visit Kwebang Lampas  and take photo ops  but the thing is, that part of the island is crowded boohoo. Anyways seeing that cave from afar is enough for us, amazing!

If you want more then why not go on an island hopping “Quezon Style” I recommend this for groups & families. You get to see Borawan (combination of Boracay & Palawan as they say) and Dampalitan (somewhat like Anawangin but w/ a mini sand bar). There are outriggers parked along the shore and just negotiate w/ the boatmen for the price. In our case, we prefer to stay on the island, enjoy unlimited beach bumming.. stroll.. sleep.. swim and took lots of snap shots! Here are some of our photos taken by of course, my dear http://jcrphotog.tumblr.com/

If you’ll ask me, Puting Buhangin and Kwebang Lampas is one of those places that again we wish won’t get commercialized (haha it applies to all places we went to :p) Seriously, visiting this place well can be hard but it’s worth it, the island is like your own play ground and the beach is your own pool! If this island gets even crowded just like the other famous ones, I don’t know it just spoils a sense of serenity to couple back packers like us. But we can’t be too selfish right? We also have to look on the other side that if this attracts tourism then comes opportunity & income for the natives of this place, more like a win-win situation I guess.

This island is worth visiting again but for now I guess..Potipot Island is still our top fave by heart hehehe. We also consider visiting it’s neighboring islands in the future and other islands scattered in Quezon province such as Polilio, Balesin, Cagbalete, Jomalig. Overall, thumbs up to this hidden getaway.. near the metro, budget friendly, nature tripping, beautiful scenery.. what more do you want!?!?

Budget/Expenses (2 pax)

• Transportation (including boat ride & entrance) – P 1,550.00
• Food & Pasalubong – P 600.00

Total Expenses: P 2,150.00 (challenge done again!)

Contact Info: Kuya Rodel 0919-3736150 (Tricycle ride Ibabang Polo to Lake and vice versa. Again, they offer fixed fare of P 200.00 per way regardless the number of persons.

Enjoy your trip! Please rate this post, thanks!

Back to the place we both love..Potipot Island

For the second time, we found ourselves under the spell of this such wonderful place. We simply cannot trade it for other famous places, it’s simple charm and serenity always gets us coming back for more. After a year, we met again.. kaja let’s go to the place we both love!

I won’t be explaining the basics and guide in this blog post anymore, for know-hows of Potipot trip, simply click the link to my first blog post. Read on…!

https://kajaletsgo.wordpress.com/category/kaja-pinas/zambales/

March 23 (Friday)

We took the 12am (last bus trip) at Victory Liner Monumento, travel time was 6 hours, fare costs Php 423.00 / pax.  It’s one of their new buses and we had the back row seats (near window) w/c we found comfier because it’s spacious and no worries of front chairs pushing against you..haha. The fact that it’s peak season, we didn’t had any problems in ticket buying. My advice? It’s better to arrive a few hours earlier than your preferred schedule, as this will guarantee you seats and less hassle transactions.

March 24 (Saturday) 

5am -We arrived at Uacon and headed to Sunbloom Resort. We tried to book at Dawal, but even 2 weeks prior to our date, it’s already fully booked.  Even Sunbloom was fully booked, but Kuya Allan reserved a slot for us so we’re able to get a room,yeahhh! Few changes on the resort, if you arrive hours earlier prior to 2pm check in time, they charge 100/hr. We decided to check in already so we can still get some nap before heading to Potipot.

we need the energy

8am – Woke up, had breakfast and then boat ride to the island. We opted to start early and stay there for about whole day. That explains the reason behind our sunburned skin and tan lines hahaha.

At the Potipot Island

stories..

swim..snorkel..

moments..

jump shots..

chill..

island stroll..

until we surrendered..lols..the island is ours!!!

4pm onwards – We already had all the fun and relaxation we need, and so we left the island. Back in the resort we fixed ourselves, took a nap while we’re waiting for the sunset. But due to our tiredness, we missed it..slept straight for hours, when we woke up it’s already past midnight so we just slept again hahaha.

March 25 (Sunday) 

Last day of the getaway, we just took some morning snapshots after our breakfast. We wanted to leave the resort early so we won’t have some problems on our way home.

11am – Checked out at Sunbloom Resort, we waited for buses but there weren’t any compared to last year. After a few minutes of waiting, we ride a tricycle going to Sta.Cruz (last town of Zambales) the nearest Victory Liner terminal from Uacon. It’s an half-hour ride w/c costs Php 150.00, a bit pricey but we had no choice.

11:30am – Sta.Cruz terminal’s not crowded, no problems of buying tickets. We got the 12:00 pm bus going to Monumento terminal and fare was Php 451.00/ pax.

6:45pm – Back to Manila *sigh*

Budget (2 pax)

• Roundtrip bus fare – Php 1,748.00
• Accommodation – Php 1.400
• Room extension (5 hours x Php 100.00) – Php 500.00
• Roundtrip boat ride – Php 400.00
• Island entrance fee – Php 200.00
• Food and others – Php 1,000.00

Total Budget – Php 5,248.00

Contact Info:

• Victory Liner Monumento Terminal – 3611506, 3614665 to 66
• Sunbloom Beach Resort (Allan Buenaobra) – 09062793607, or check out their website at www.sunbloomresort.com

WOW Ilocos Norte,the South Tour

The Continuation…

Woke up from siesta nap around 3:30pm and then we decided that it’s quite safe to have fun at the beach since it’s late afternoon already. Haha forgive us for being KJ on this part because we don’t wanna add up our sunburns that we got from the previous tour, coz it really hurts..hahaha :p

Saud Beach – When people say Pagudpud beach, it usually refers to the popular Saud Beach. There are plenty of resorts, restaurants, souvenir shops, henna tattoo stands. Some bloggers say it’s the “anti-Boracay of the North”, because it looks a lot like Bora, except that night-life is absent in this lovely place.  The sand is white when dry and in the middle of the day, but it turns into beige if it gets wet and later in the afternoon. The water is crystal clear and if you tried snorkeling, you’ll see some beach rocks underneath, few corals and fishes swimming around your feet! Be careful not to go far the shore, because the water here is just too deep, I’ve never experienced a beach like this before. The beach is a gradient slope which is very good for a swimming beach but at some point, there is a sudden drop off..so be careful.

Saud Beach

awesome

Finished swimming and snorkeling around 6:30pm, the water’s getting high and the wind is getting chilly, so we went back to our resort. Woke up the next day 6am, had an early beach stroll and souvenir shopping under the drizzle and slightly fogged ambiance of the beach.

uh oh..rain clouds..

still shopaholic even in Norte :p

the destroyer..hehe

Packed our things out, met with Kuya Andrew and off we go for the 2nd Day tour.. the South!

Day 2, the South Tour

pagudpud tour is incomplete w/o a picture in this shell

the South tour starts now…

1. Bangui Windmills – also known as the NorthWind Bangui Bay Project, a project by the NorthWind Development Corporation as a practice renewable energy sources and to help reduce the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Obviously, since there are windmills, expect to have a windy day in here, haha. Doing lots of photo ops and jump shots is also a must when you visit this attraction.

Bangui Windmill

2. Cape Bojeador Lighthouse – also known as Burgos Lighthouse, is a cultural heritage structure in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, that was established during the Spanish Colonial period in the Philippines. Tiring to climb the stairs, and at first, you might find the place a bit eery and spooky. But once you reached the top and felt the cold breeze, it’s definitely worth it. 🙂

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse

3. Kapurpurawan Rock Formation–  is a hill of white limestone rock. Kapurpurawan in Ilocano is Kaputian. The rock rises from the sea, with a gently undulating surface that looks like waves except that you can walk on them. From these white waves rises the hull and sail of a submarine, also white and made of limestone rock. The formation was caused by the combined forces of the wind and the waves. If you’ll ask me, of all the places we went, this one is my favorite! The experience of trekking to reach the place, rock climbing (slight!), seeing untamed nature, unusual white rocks, the beach view from above, the feeling that you’ll slip through the rocks, the scratches and bruises I got haha. Truly a unique paradise hidden from afar, Kapurpurawan rocks \m/!

Kapurpurawan Rock Formation

Going Home (commuting):

Pagudpud to Laoag – Ride a bus along the road with sign-age of Laoag. You won’t get lost here since most of the passengers are getting off at Laoag. The fare costs Php 35.00 per head and it’s a 2 -3 hour travel time. Most of them are provincial buses which means ordinary (no aircon), and it’s a bit crowded with passengers already. But hey, you’re here for the thrill and you’ll love the sceneries..cold breeze along the way!

Laoag to Partas Bus Terminal – Ride a tricycle going to the bus terminals bound to Manila, fare is Php 30.00. In our case, we told the tricycle driver to drop us off at Partas Bus Terminal. We chose the earliest bus schedule bound to Cubao (no choice, because we want to go home early!) the schedule is 2:00pm, so expect to be in Manila around 2:00 in the morning. The fare costs Php 965.00 per head, (no choice,coz it’s a De Luxe Bus,haha). In fairness to Partas Bus, their buses are clean, comfy, fast but safe driving. Along the way, we discovered that the bus we chose is going to Pasay (which much near to our place), the bus conductor told us to just pay Php 20.00 each when we reached Cubao terminal. So overall, it took us Php 985.00 bus fare on our way home.

Our Budget/Expenses (good for 2 persons):

• Transportation by Land *all-in*- Php 3,660
• Jun & Carol Beach Resort – Php 1,500 per night (air-conditioned room w/ shower and toilet, good for 2 to 6 persons)
• Kuya Andrew’s Ilocos Norte Tour *all-in* – Php 1,200 plus Php 200.00 tip (optional)
• Food – Php 695.00 (take note that we brought our own food and snacks to save up expenses)
• Attraction Entrances (Kaibigan Falls, Bantay Abot Cave) *all-in* – Php 160.00
• Pasalubong *all-in*- Php 1,335.00

Total Budget Costs: Php 8,750.00

Helpful Contact Details:

Kuya Andrew Pagudpud Tour Guide – 09264444416

Jun and Carol Beach Resort  – http://www.juncarolbeachresort.com,

 Marvin:09175471270, 09196405630

Jun: 09205740136, 09175486331
Arnel: 09214847746, (077)-676-0183

RCJ Bus Lines –  7412994 located at  1558 España, Sampaloc, Manila

(goodluck in calling them, get ready for your fingers coz you’ll do a lot of re-dials..hahaha)

Please rate.. that’s it.. THANKS!