Malapascua Island Weekend in Cebu: Day 3
March 31, 2010
You might want to check the previous posts on this Malapascua travelogue:
Off to Malapascua Island
Weekend at Malapascua Island, Cebu: Day 1
Malapascua Island Weekend in Cebu: Day 2
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On our third and final day on this exotic island, Peter and I woke up early to catch the sunrise. Malapascua island is just so beautiful that early morning, as the sun’s rays cast its golden glow on the powdery white sands of the beach. Most of the boats were still docked by the shore while a few were out in the ocean, catching some fish, to supply the various resorts lining the island.
Click to read more about Malapascua Island.
Cebu Weekend Part II: Kotex You-niversity with Carelle Mangaliag
February 15, 2010I took this trip last January 29-31, 2010. For those who missed reading Part I, please click the link below:
Weekend at Cebu Part I: Departure, Boeing 747 & Waterfront Hotel
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Looking back on this trip makes me feel so much more blessed. Just when I expected to do some grueling assistant work, I was actually given a day off on my first day. Like I shared on the first part of this travelogue, I just spent my afternoon eating, bonding with my new acquaintances from DECS and Kotex and basically just lazing around the hotel. And so on my first night there, I decided to come see my sister who currently lives in Cebu. They were kind enough to pick me up from the lobby of Waterfront Hotel and from there headed to a laid back food place that sells very affordable seafood. It was pig out time once again! And can I just say that Cebu really has the finest tasting dishes I know. Whether they be hotel-made or straight out of a grillery, they just never cease to satiate my starving soul… err, tummy. ^_^
After our fantastic meal, Abba and Chris decided to hang out in one of the bars and have some drinks. I obliged. After all, I did want to enjoy my night there in case I won’t have time the next day to spend with them.
We checked out Mango Avenue and Cabanas. For some reason, we noticed that Cebuanos (particlularly in that area) were staying outside the bars and restaurants rather than inside. These establishments, including one convenience store, even had monobloc chairs and tables set up to accommodate their guests. And when we checked out one of the bars and went inside, there were no people but us and the waitresses. How weird was that?! Everyone was hanging outside instead!
Oh well, at least there were more room for us to drink and be merry. Hrhrhr! Eventually, we, too, went outside since that was where all the action was. My sister urged me to drink Red Horse with Extra Joss so I can stay with them much longer and not fall asleep. Take note, I haven’t really slept since Thursday that week and it was already Saturday dawn. To further jolt me from slumber, I went to the convenience store I was telling you about and asked if they have this cigarette called Black Bat. Peter discovered it the other weekend when we went bar hopping with Carelle and RR at The Fort. Well, not only did I find the Vanilla Mint flavor I was looking for, but they also have Rose and Special Flavors! Oh wow! Not that I’m addicted to smoking, but there were few occasions when I’d smoked a stick or two just for effect. I know it’s bad. But then again, we need to take some calculated risks in life sometimes. Hahaha! Bonding with my sister Abba and her gf Chris is always a fun and enlightening experience. This is one of the reasons why I never tire of visiting Cebu. I not only get to travel, I get to be with my sister too. Awww.
Weekend at Cebu Part I: Departure, Boeing 747 & Waterfront Hotel
February 4, 2010Jan. 29, 2010, 7:00 am, I was already at the Centennial Airport with my hubby waiting for Carelle and RR. I guess we were pretty early since they were still on their way and our flight was scheduled at 9:30 am. I’m usually like that. Better be early than get stressed about being late. ^_^ To make the most of our time, Peter and I shared breakfast at Le Bistro located at the ground flooor of the airport. It used to be Figaro. But I guess Ms. Chit Juan turned all her Figaro franchises into Le Bistro instead. Smart move! ^_^
We ordered a big cup of hot Mocha drink and a slice of carrot cake. Yum! Had I known that there was Jollibee upstairs, I should’ve ordered Pinoy breakfast instead. I was still kind of hungry then. The carrot cake stimulated my appetite. Hehehe.
Then we met up with Carelle and RR outside Jollibee. As soon as we got our tickets, we checked-in our stuff and spent the rest of the time napping. Well, I tinkered with the available free wifi at the airport while Carelle and RR caught some zzzzzs. They haven’t slept yet.
Finally, it was time to board. It was only when we reached the plane that I realized we were riding PAL’s Boeing 747. I know it’s an old plane (coz they still show CD walkman and Nokia 5110 in their vdieos) but I was just mesmerized by how big it was! It even has a second floor. My seat was comfortable compared to Cebu Pacific’s and Tiger Airways’ seats, I have a touch screen LCD monitor in front of me where I can watch videos and there are foot rests or pedals which are perfect for a five footer like me. Hehehe. Biscuits, nuts, coffe/tea and water were served and the whole flight was just so comfy and enjoyable for me. To think we were seated at Fiesta Class. I wonder how the business and first class sections feel like? Hmmm…
By the time we reached Cebu, I was already quite sleepy. You see, I came from my shift and I promised myself not to sleep so I can change my body clock. I guess it worked! I managed to stay awake until 3am the next day and it was awesome! Anyway, every time I go to Cebu, it feels like second home to me. The truth is, it seems like I get to go here more often than I get to visit my parents in Rizal. Teehee. Bad, Jen, bad. ^_^
Anyhoo, the first thing we did when we reached Waterfront Hotel was to enjoy their lunch buffet! Actually, during this whole weekend trip, all we did was eat all the time. I tried to stay away from the heavy meals but I couldn’t resist the appetizers and desserts. *burp!*
We ate from 11:30-2:00 pm. We were stuffed! Since our room wasn’t ready yet, my roommate (Sheryl) and I stayed at the lobby and talked about politics. Funny experience here… we were bashing two popular politicians all the while forgetting that Cebu is these politicians domain. Oooppss. 
Finally, at 2:30 pm, we checked-in and rested for a while. The room was soooo cold that I was forced to turn off the airconditioning.
Come 4:00 pm, while Sheryl was sleeping, I used the free time I had to explore the swimming pool area. There were only few visitors hanging out here (coz most probably, majority was at the casino like we did before when Peter, Popsy and I went here to enjoy some games and waste some cash). ^_^
Weekend at Malapascua Island, Cebu: Day 1
January 17, 2010On Nov. 28-30, 2009, Peter and I decided to spend the long weekend somewhere we’ve never been to before and Malapascua Island popped in my head. Though we’ve been to other parts of Cebu like Marigondon, Moalboal (this one’s in the Southern part, near Badian), Mactan, Sogod & Bantayan (this one’s going up north), and Cebu City itself, there are still many places in that region that we have yet to discover and Malapascua is one of them. To get to this place, please review my other post on Malapascua:
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The first thing I wished for that day was for Cebu to have a good weather. It’s been drizzling on and off in Manila last November 2009 and I wanted this vacation to be perfect. It might be our only time alone together before that year’s Christmas holiday begins to kick in and Peter will start sleeping again in the office (which actually happened last month). Anyway, my wish was granted because the moment we hit the road, all I saw and felt were blue skies and cold breeze. Whoopee!!!
Click to read more about Malapscua Island.
Off to Malapascua Island
November 27, 2009Everything was so last minute.
My sister and I planned for this when I went to Cebu last October. We only stayed in the city then and due to the bed weather we had at that time plus tons of work I had to take care of online, we didn’t have the time to visit any beaches, hence this plan. However, my sister just got a brand new project and she just couldn’t leave it. She totally forgot we were going to Malapascua so all the while I thought things have been taken care of, well… they were not. And I just found out late this afternoon. We had no accommodations, no itinerary whatsoever. I panicked for about a minute. Then I composed myself and saw it as an opportunity for adventure. I immediately surfed online about the available resorts in Malapascua. And this happened while I was in the middle of rummaging through my closet, looking for perfect little outfits that will go well with this trip.
There were a lot of hotels available and of course all of them have good reviews online. So just like in the movie Sex and the City when Miranda was debating whether to go back with Steve or not, in the end I used my gut feel in choosing which resort to book at. Good thing it’s not super peak season yet so there were many rooms available. And because Peter and I are more into adventure rather than comfort (plus we want to save money as much as we can), we booked at Hippocampus Beach Resort. Their fan room is at P1,450 per night with toilet and bath. I have yet to find out if it indeed feels as wonderful in person as the photos look online. I’ll find out tomorrow. In the event that I won’t feel very good about it, we can always ask around and transfer to another resort.
So anyway, I’m just killing the time. I’m done with work, it’s almost midnight, Peter is not yet home and he still has yet to pack. Our flight to Cebu is at 4:45 am and I should panic. But I choose to remain calm and enjoy the whole process of this vacation. It’ll be our very first time in Malapascua. And I bet it’s gonna be awesome! Here’s how we’re getting there:
Getting to Malapascua 1 The trip from Cebu City to Daanbantayan/ Maya (the jump-off point), would normally take between 4 to 4.5 hours by bus. A 4-hour trip, it is long enough for a supposedly leisurely travel so you should take the airconditioned bus, Ceres Tours, to relax a bit while in transit. CERES LINER is the one without Aircon. Maya is some 145 kilometers away from the city via narrow and winding road passing through scenic landscapes along the way. During the bus ride one will pass Mandaue City and Consolacion The bus ride is far from smooth over a winding and narrow road all the way to Bogo, a progressive city. The bus will reach Bogo about 2,5 - 3 hours later and then after a 15 minute stop for unloading passengers will go to the last leg of the journey. The towns of Medellin and Daan Bantayan are located in a peninsula Daanbantayan, connected to Bogo only by a narrow isthmus. The bus had to slow down as we entered the peninsular towns as the road was surprisingly unpaved About 4-4,5 hours after leaving one will reach Maya wharf pantalan and then continue the journey to the island, this time by boat. Malapascua Island is a 30-minute boatride across a shallow 8-kilometer channel from Maya.
Getting to Malapascua Island 2 First you have to get to Cebu. Then hail a cab to take you to the Northern Bus Terminal. Look for the bus marked “Maya Bagay”. This could be an Cebu-Autobus or CERES Liner. There is a bus leaving for Maya starting at 4AM, every hour until 4 PM. But we advise leaving early in the morning to avoid traffic and to enjoy a cooler weather. Maya is your destination. Bus fare is P 136.00 per person. It is the last stop, the northernmost town of mainland Cebu. The trip takes between three to four hours. There are usually two stops during which you can use the public bathroom or stretch your legs. As the trip goes farther up north, you will realize that the bus seems to be the main transport on the main road. It will stop countless times along the way to pick up and drop off passengers from one town to the next. And yes, you just might get the chance to share a ride with a boxful of chickens. You will literally get off by the seaside. Here you will most likely be approached by boatmen offering to take you to the island or asking if you already had arrangements. We recommend having arrangements with your resort so they will send someone to meet you as soon as you get off the bus. Otherwise, make sure that you have made clear arrangements with the boatmen regarding the fees. Unless you are in a hurry, which we assume is quite unlikely on a vacation, take the boat trip with other passengers on board rather than a special trip. A special trip will cost as much as P800-P1000, which is the normal rate. If you ride with other passengers, the fee is P 50 per person, but the boats are waiting until at least 10 passengers on Board. This could last hours!!! - Malapasciua Island
So as long as we follow these directions, then we’ll have no problem.
We might do some diving, we might not. It depends on how we feel about it tomorrow. Hopefully, we’ll have a good weather there. A tropical storm has just passed the Mindanao region and there were a couple of rain showers in some parts of Cebu. But according to my sister, it’s not raining anymore. So hurray for that! Anyway, I hope to update you more about the travels I’ve had. I’m just so busy with work the last couple of days that when I had the time to relax, I stayed offline and did other things like watch movies or sleep. Teehee. Enjoy your long weekend folks! Catch up with you when I get back. ^_^
DOT Announces 3rd Leg of Phil. Kayaking Series 2009
November 20, 2009
Following the successful first two parts of the Philippine Kayaking Series 2009, Kayak Explore Hundred Islands and Kayak Explore Cavite-Corregidor-Bataan, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is urging all kayak enthusiasts and novices to join the 3rd leg of the series which will be held in Cebu and Bohol on December 4-6, 2009.
Entitled Kayak Explore Cebu-Bohol crossing, the 3rd run will follow the route of Mactan Island to Bohol, where paddlers will cross the 125-km scenic route passing through a motley of islets, coves, mangroves and river deltas. The DOT together with the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC) is supporting the event.
“We have 7,107 islands, with infinite possibilities for kayaking adventure. Exploring the span of our clear waters surely opens travelers to the unique splendor of our country,” said Ace Durano, Secretary of Tourism.
The tourism chief also commended different sectors for their active participation in boosting the eco-adventure package, “The Philippines can undoubtedly become the Kayaking Capital of Southeast Asia with these overwhelming support from the private sector and local communities.”
Eduardo Jarque Jr., Tourism Undersecretary for Planning and Promotions highlighted the country’s bountiful natural waterways, “This unique eco-adventure allows tourists inside secret coves, inlets, channels that lead to stunning views of our mangrove forests, limestone cliffs, unspoiled coastlines and other exciting mysteries around our islands.”
One of the world’s best kayak sites and trails found in the Philippines include, Pinacanauan River, Hundred Islands, Cavite-Corregidor-Bataan, Caramoan Peninsula, Northern Palawan, Cebu, Bohol, Samar, Siargao Island, and Samal Island.
The Caramoan Peninsula offers a view of limestones, rugged coastlines, and white sand-ringed islands, complemented by a stunning view of underwater marine life by snorkeling around shallow waters.
For the high-spending market, the DOT offers Luxury Kayaking in Palawan. Known for its idyllic beaches, lagoons and caves, Palawan enjoins travelers to kayak in El Nido and Coron.
Cebu draws attention to paddling in Hilutungan Island and Marine Sanctuary, Sulpa Island, Olango Island and Mactan Island for moonlight kayaking.
In Samar, the unspoiled waters of Marabut, and Sohoton Natural Bridge Park are featured. While Siargao has Guyam Island, Sohoton Cove, and Del Carmen Lagoon. Samal Island in Davao is likewise a kayak site, promising reefs, mountains and caves along the way.
For inquiries, call (02) 4687091; 0915-435-9321; email philkayaking@yahoo.com or visit www.justgo.ph/kayak; www.kayakphilippines.com.
What’s New in Cebu? Day 3 (Oct. 8, 2009)
October 19, 2009If you want to check out my Day 1 & 2 in Cebu, click the links below:
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Unfortunately, the weather was not very friendly the next day, Chris still had to review for another exam so we just decided to sleep the entire morning. Since I was waiting for word from some of my business prospects, I managed to do another round of online work. Early that evening, we visited Tito Ped and Tita Anne and spent time with them. Tita Anne prepared this scrumptious herbed pasta soup and toasted garlic and basil bread.
Afterwards, we finally decided to give the Sky Adventure a real try. We once again headed to Crown Regency, with our hearts pounding and minds racing. It was then or never so I might as well do it! Lo and behold, as we were buying our tickets, one of my good friends was there — John Aguilar! Of course, he never failed to scare me further. OMG! I hoped to survive that night! The view was so spectacular up there. It was windy and cold which didn’t help calm my nerves. But it was all so worth it!
What’s New in Cebu? Day 2 (Oct. 7, 2009)
October 18, 2009
If you want to check out my Day 1 in Cebu, click the link below:
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Naturally, I woke up in the afternoon the next day. Since Chris had to be in school for her exams, Aba and I just went to Ayala Mall and checked out Terraces. The last time I was in Cebu in July 2008, this part of Ayala Mall was still nonexistent. It took less than a year for the new wing to be built. And it was huge! It’s like Trinoma and Greenbelt rolled into one. The architectural structure was so beautiful it was like I never left Manila at all. I felt so at home. Hehehe.
We checked out Mooon Cafe. It’s a restaurant that originated in Cebu. In fact, I don’t think we have a Mooon cafe branch in Manila. They offer Mexican inspired dishes so we ordered quesadillas, coke zero for Aba and Revitalizing Smoothie for me (made of mango, pomelo and some other fruits). The taste of the quesadillas was okay and the ambience was cool. On our way home later that evening, we passed by the original branch which was a house turned into a restaurant somewhere in the city. It looked so awesome, like one of those cool restos in Bali, Indonesia.
After a while, Tito Ped and Tita Anne dropped by. We transferred to Cafe Laguna where we ordered Lumpiang Sariwa, Chicken Relleno, and Turon na Saging at Langka. Yummy.
I was supposed to go home with Tito Ped and Tita Anne that night. But since my stay in Cebu was limited, I just promised to stay with them next month when I come back and stay here much longer (yeah, my sister, Chris and I are planning to do some road trip all the way to Malapascua and Bantayan Island. I’ve been to Bantayan Island in 2006 with Peter and Popsy and it was one of those beautiful places I’ve seen. I hope Peter can come with us next month). As for Malapascua, It’s always one of those places I’d like to visit. They cater to divers coz of its rich marine resources so perhaps we’ll do a bit of fun dive too. Woot!
Anyway, going back, after we dropped off Tito Ped and Tita Anne at their beautiful house in Banawa, we once again headed to the city at the Arcade. We bought Chocolate Truffle cake and Sans Rival cake at La Marea then transferred to Da Vinci’s Pizza for some Chicken Shawarma Pizza and free wifi. Woohoo! When we weren’t satisfied, we still headed to another happening place in Cebu called The Outpost. Again, it looks like another big house turned into a bar with lots of nooks and crannies to hang out at.
We headed back to my sis’ place at around 1 am, did a few hours of online work and planned to visit White Sands in Maribago the next morning….
To be continued…
What’s New in Cebu? Day 1 (Oct. 6, 2009)
October 17, 2009
At the airport, I was missing Peter a lot that I was just reading my book when I finally decided to eat at Chaikofi… our fave dining place at NAIA 3. Little did I know that back in Ortigas, Peter was also having breakfast at Chaikofi in Robinson’s! Awww.. He even sent me an MMS photo of him. *Melt*
I arrived in Cebu on a Tuesday afternoon, around 1:30 pm. The flight was uneventful except for minor turbulences as we were ascending. I really can’t explain why these things make me so scared… Maybe because I was again traveling alone, Peter was not with me and all those images of scary airline flicks I watched before came rushing back to mind. I should really try to relax and just enjoy the flight. Heck, I’ve been traveling since I was six years old and these things should get petty boring as I grow old. But anyway, let’s just say that too many discovery channel airline disaster movies coupled with lots of caffeine in my system made me this paranoid. Teehee.
Top photo: Relaxing for a little while in my sister’s house together with her girlfriend Chris (in white uniform); Bottom photo: photo op with my sis, Aba, at the lounging area of Crown Regency.
Moving on, this Cebu trip of mine would serve as a precedent for many other business trips that I would make in the near future. I figured, since I love to travel and I am currently getting busy with my Vita Plus business, I might as well mix the two, right? It also helps that my two full time VA jobs only require me to be online and considering that the entire country is practically hooked to the net, my life today has become the kind of life that I’d always wanted it to be — productive, carefree, fun and with a sense of purpose.
Hanging out at the 19th floor of the Crown Regency Tower… Yeah, I was already trying to psych myself at this time to do the skywalk and edge coaster ride before I leave for Cagayan de Oro in a few days.
So anyway, that same afternoon, after my arrival, Aba and Chris brought me to Crown Regency Hotel and Tower to check out their Sky Adventure packages. Since I had a business meeting scheduled that afternoon, I figured that we can just watch the 4D movie combo afterwards and just do a bit of site seeing while waiting for my business prospect.
This moment was one of the best movie experieces I ever had! Whew!!! Thank God I survived this. I was screamilng the whole time. This 4D thing made me feel like everything was real!
Fast forward to the 4D experience itself, we had a blast! The reason why it’s called 4D (and not just 3D like what they offer at IMAX in MOA) is because aside from the usual 3-dimensional experience, there was also real water splashes, wind and earthquake as seen on the three short films – Deep Sea, Dino Rage, and The Lost Island.
Dinner at Mr. A’s Bar. It felt like I was in Antipolo. The overlooking scenery was so beautiful.
My evening and dawn were spent having dinner at Mr. A’s Bar and doing some online work. I took a leave with one of my virtual assistant jobs so I can I manage to do some SEO work on another one. Talk about time management and overall mixing of business and pleasure. C’est la vie! ^_^
To be continued…
Weekend Jetsetters
July 25, 2008
How nice would it be if Peter and I become weekend jetsetters, right? I mean, not like before where we have a whole weekend planned to really travel and do stuff we’ve never done in the past (like scuba dive, surf, snorkel, climb mountains, wakeboard, white water raft, etc.). Now, we’ll just, let’s say, go somewhere outside Luzon and have coffee or go malling! Wouldn’t that be fantastic?! That’s exactly what happened to us last weekend and I almost went crazy. Crazy, coz for one … I spent Php25k (thru my visa platinum, of course) bringing our butts over there via Cebu Pacific (Me, Peter, Popsy, Tita Ching, Tita Eve, Tito Hugo)! Two… we stayed at this small business hotel, Regal, just across Ayala Mall (thank God for their wonderful little breakfast buffet and soft beds). Three… it was raining on and off and we couldn’t even go to a nearby beach or park without getting wet, ack! But the main reason for our visit was to go see Tito Ped, who is doing a lot better after his traumatic stroke a few months ago. And hopefully do a little bit of sight seeing as well.
Our flight was 12:10pm last Saturday. There were just too many planes waiting to fly out of the runway because of the heavy rains that we landed at around 2:30pm. Peter and I haven’t had lunch yet so you can just imagine how famished we were. I was also waiting for some messages from my in-laws who arrived the previous day but it looked like they were having so much fun just getting together (Popsy, Tita Eve, Tita Ching, Tito Hugo and Tito Ped are siblings) that they forgot all about us. We didn’t want to intrude in their quality time with each other so Peter and I adjusted and just sort of went with the flow…
There was something funny I noticed the moment we hailed a cab and headed to the direction of our hotel… I was thinking, this looks familiar… the hotel apparently is located near Ayala Center which looks almost exactly the same as Madrigal Business Park here in Alabang. Hahaha. What do you know… we flew all the way here to spend time in a place that looks exactly like where we live! Hilarious! …Not! To top it all of, it was raining… Aaaarrrgghhh!
And don’t forget, by then, I’ve been awake 24 hours… Nuninuninu…
So, since the situation was the way it was, we just made the most out of it. I couldn’t sleep then even if I wanted to. I obviously didn’t want to make this trip seem like I just went to Cebu to sleep. Sigh.
So, since the mall was just there across the street, we might as well go and find a place to eat.
We found this Italian restaurant and ordered as much food as we can eat.
Now, here look, doesn’t this look like Trinoma? Actually, Ayala Cebu looks like Glorietta, Trinoma and Greenbelt all in one. After all, it’s owned by the Ayalas…so…
Ooohh..did I tell you I started smoking again? I’m trying to quit (for the nth time). But I couldn’t resist when I saw this particular brand, PARIS, and they have cigs in raspberry flavor. Raspberry!
Anyway, that night, for the first time, we met a fellow blogger, Midori. She’s virtual friends with TMB and it was really so nice of her to show us around. For our first stop, we went to The LOFT— the most happening night spot in town. It’s like the Embassy of Cebu Metro.
Because the place is owned by Peter’s cousin in Law, Renault,we got free tickets! Weee!!!!
It’s been so long since I got high and drunk partying like this! I realized I terribly missed it. The smoke, the music, the fun! The feelings of total intoxication… Hehehe.
Partida pa yan… more than 24 hours na kong gising.
