Canyon Cove Residential Beach Resort is located in Nasugbu, Batangas. It is a two and a half drive away from Manila via South Luzon Expressway on an ordinary day. Expect to add another hour on your travel time though, especially on a weekend where traffic is sometimes heavy southbound.

Bringing your own food is strictly prohibited inside the resort and the security guards are searching the guests’ bags upon arrival.

The resort doesn’t look big on the outside and it’s not until you get past the entrance hall/building that you get to see the entire view of the resort and the beach.

They have a huge main pool which is partitioned into two to cater to adults and children and a secondary pool just meters away. In between the pools are the shower rooms and a beach volleyball court. You can also find a mini-bar and children’s playground beside the pool. A number of lifeguards are always on monitor by the poolside.

The resort has a number of villas/condos offering a panoramic view of the beach which is perfect for sunset viewing. Unluckily we were only on daytrip so we weren’t able to check out the rooms.

The beach’ white sand and clear water is likeable, though swimming just a few meters away it already gets rocky. If you don’t like to swim, you can go kayaking, jetskiing or snorkeling.

Food is ordinary and a bit pricey and customer service is average.

Although the resort and its facilities are bigger than the usual resorts, It is more ideal for company or group outings and team buildings. If you are looking for a more private and relaxed ambiance, you can try checking on other resort destinations.

Canyon Cove website

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One of the most memorable moments during my recent trip to Angono in Rizal Philippines is the visit to the Blanco Family Museum. I must admit, I was so surprised at what I saw. An family that is just so blessed with all the talents in visual arts.

I was so amazed to know that one of the Blanco kids, Peter Paul has started sketching at the very young age of eleven months! Wow! It’s just pure talent that runs in the Blanco family blood. Check out the painting below. You will notice that Peter Paul can barely write his name legibly, but his artwork looks so astonishing. Looks like a work of an adult painter.

And all of them are realism painters. This means that their artworks are depicted as they appear in everyday life.

I am just so amazed at their talent. And indeed, visiting Angono will not be complete without going to the Blanco Museum.

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Balay Indang is a quiet and secluded bed and breakfast inn as well as a regular retreat house inconspicuously located in Indang, Cavite. The best way to get there is to follow the Tagaytay route, straight thru the town of Mendez and into Indang. Most people will miss it as there are no signs outside the gate except for the numbers 88.

Click on images to see larger pictures.

The place is like a garden in a farm with several small houses peppered across a hectare of lot. There are several cabanas and cottages within pockets of garden as well as a swimming pool with a recreation or yoga area.

The rooms are spacious — some with air conditioning while others have ceiling fans. You won’t be needing them anyway as it’s always chilly there and the breeze just creeps right thru the window. An old and rustic design with Bali and Chinese influence completes the entire package.

Click on images to see larger pictures.

Meal are served 5 times a day — breakfast, morning snacks, lunch, afternoon snacks and dinner. That, plus the accommodations and facilities will set you back Php2,000 per head each night. Not bad for some real peace and quite.

Click on images to see larger pictures.

Meals usually starts with a green salad or soup, with fresh ingredient from their own garden. That’s usually followed by the main dish of either fish, a stuffed roast chicken, adobo or their special embutido which is to die for.

At night, it really gets cold and between 5pm to 7pm, tons of mosquitoes would go out and try to take a sip off of you. You can stay indoors or hang out at the cabana beside the pool for some recreation after dinner. In contrast to city living, people here sleep very early in the evening; sometimes as early 9PM.

Note: You can call Marge Tan of Balay Indang at 09178665825 if you want to book a week-end. Discounts for children available.

Raine (my son) and I don’t often go on a real vacation. Well, except for a quick trip to Manila and Los Baños to re-connect with friends.

I have included in my healthy new year’s resolution traveling out of town (if not out of the country!)  at least once a year.  My son and I need such bonding-retreats (be it just the two us or with a group of friends) away from our daily routine, every now and then.

I have discovered too that unplanned trips are the ones that eventually materialize.

Like we have been planning to visit Ruth in Singapore for half-a -year now but we haven’t gone to finally booking that ticket.  Either I have not much money saved or something comes up that makes me use the money I was supposedly saving.

And then suddenly, Ruth told me that her family is coming home to the Philippines and out of the blue said to me when we were chatting: tara sa bohol!

So, we’re going to join them. Yey!!

We are already booked at the Bohol Beach Club and thank God for the Cebu Pacific low fare rates.

Oh my God, if one commenter (thanks Lia!) didn’t mention this place in my previous butanding encounter post, I wouldn’t have found out about this place: Halea Island Retreat and Nature Park.

HALEA ISLAND RETREAT AND NATURE PARK
San Miguel Island, Monreal, Masbate
Philippines

Contact: Carlo de Leon
Telephone: +632 725 7628
Mobile: +63917 844 7023
Email: carlo.deleon@mac.com

Guys, this is definitely worth checking out.

Another proof that I do not know my own region at all! I guess it’s time to start finding out…

For starters, they have a website. So check it out.

I’ve checked the website, drooled and wondered where I have been hiding all these years. I knew I shouldn’t have worked inside a research lab at all, I missed out on a lot of things.
O ako lang ba ang hindi alam ang lugar na ito before now?

It has always been in our culture as Filipinos that traveling is always declared as a group activity. Most or shall I say, many of us would often go out of town together with friends or family members.

But, how many has actually traveled alone? I doubt if anyone will raise hands here.

Unknown to many, traveling solo has its perks too. It was through journeying alone that I was able to develop my skills in communicating with the strangers. I get to know a lot of people. I was able to appreciate local history more.

Traveling alone is a very liberating experience for me. Imagine, I don’t have to wait for friends at the airport for an extra minute before queuing at the check in counter. I dont have to worry extra budget in case my friends would ask to dine in an upscale restaurant, or take a taxi instead of the usual jeepney ride. I can go to any place that I want. What if my friends love to go to the park, while I want to visit a local museum? Hard, isn’t it? Traveling with friends always limit your choices of itinerary. Not to mention limiting the foods that your going to binge in. I love seafoods, but my friend is allergic to crustaceans. While my other friend is a vegetarian???

The pace of your traveling activity is not a problem when you are alone. You can set your pace if you want to tour quick, or walk slowly, just like in the park.

I myself love traveling alone. It gives me the freedom to explore a city without the need to tow friends who are not interested in what I’m doing. I really enjoyed my self so much when I traveled all alone last July 2006, from Manila to Baguio, Baguio to Vigan, and Vigan to Manila. December 2006, I saw my self flying alone to the Asia’s Latin City of Zamboanga, then swim at the white sand beaches of Basilan. I also traveled alone for the Dinagyang Festival 2006 in Iloilo City.

So if I were to choose between traveling with a group or traveling alone, I’d still prefer the latter. The adventures are limitless. Who knows what happens next.

Upcoming Festivals to watch out for!

Sinulog 2010
Ati-atihan 2010
Dinagyang 2010
Panagbenga Festival 2010
Philippine International hot Air Balloon fiesta 2009 Clark Pampanga

When I went there, it was not the perfect season for vacation people but there are a lot of people that went to the 10th largest island in this side of the planet: Bohol.

It was Day 2 of our Bohol vacation and my team mates are preparing for the day with the sea.

Dol-FIN watching

So early in the morning, as our team departed to the sea from the powdery white sand beach of Alona in Isla Panglao, after packing up something to munch of and taking pictures. And the motor banca stopped and there was silence.

Bohol Sea is part of the whale’s and dolphin’s migratory route and habitat and so therefore there are many passers-by here. Between the island of Panglao, Balicasag in the west and Pamilacan in the east, the dolphin watching was a thing to get entertained, but to our dismay, the only thing that we saw are few dolphins with their fins the most visible.

Native fishermen once hunted these marvel of the sea for their meat. Yet ever since the media in Manila opened up this issue, the fishermen stopped slaying these gentle creatures and turned into subsistence fishing and now Bohol’s top industry, eco-tourism.

Paradiso Mar: Balicasag

After that dolphin watching and rocking with the waves and the deep blue sea, we head on to the island with a parola on his head. Named perhaps form a specific type of crab that was abundant back then: Balicasag. One of the country’s declared marine sanctuary, the main scene that made Balicasag famous is not on its shores but below the water.

Balicasag is a city of marine proportions. Fish and sea creatures here there and everywhere. The color was azure and the water is clear. It was a sight to behold.

We went their unprepared and no reservations with the PTA-owned resort but with the help of the local residents who are hospitable enough to accept these estranged visitors from the city, we had a sumptuous meal of fish and kilawin. Yum yum! Fresh catch from the sea.

The sun is blazing on a windy habagat breeze, the sky was clear, and we had satisfaction on our faces. Manong Bangkero (boatman) asked us if we wanted to go to a certain place named “Virgin Island” which is near mainland Panglao but for an additional fee. We agreed, it was early to go back to the resort and paid an additional P500.

As we left Balicasag Island, people who are into snorkeling and diving multiplied off-coast of the island. It was one in the afternoon. And we were off to this certain island that is isolated and uninhabited.

Isla Virgen (“Virgin Island”)

It was a choppy 45 minute ride with our banca as we braved the already rough waters of the monsoon wind. It was a thrill of a ride when suddenly the waters were calm. We were approaching Panglao Bay, a very shallow body of water made from several shoals, coral reefs and magnificent and a very virginal island known as, Virgin Island.

It was low tide and we can see the stretch of white sand beach stretching from the island, all the way to the sea, and we were just in time for it disappears during high tide. Silent and no people around. We disembarked and spent an hour in the said island. It was hot yet we relaxed in the shallow clear waters of Panglao.

Habagat sets in

The weather seemed to be very cooperative as we had our morning dolphin watching, an outdoor lunch and going to a different world known as a sea. But it was turning late in the afternoon when dark clouds are already appearing in the sea. As we went back to our resort, we went back again for half an hour snorkeling. And as the rain approaches, we decided to call it a day.

We weren’t tired. It was satisfying. Bohol by the sea has something truly amazing to offer. Azure, verdant and fish. That was one September day that we would never forget and oftentimes still convinces me to go back there again.

Outside the gates of University of The Philippines Los Baños is a place called Grove that winds down to Lopez Avenue all the way to Crossing where the Manila-Sta. Cruz (Laguna) crossroad is.

Ten to 15 years ago, Grove is a line of old residential establishments whose ground floors have been converted into a student’s eatery or restaurant, bookstore and boutiques.

Now, UPLB Grove is  buzzing with it’s new night life. The new buzz word for gimmicks and the place to be: LB Square.

LB square is much like a landscaped sunken garden surrounded by food and bar stools. The cuisine is international, catering to the melting pot of culture that is UPLB, from good old Pinoy, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese and western cuisines to satisfy the varied palate.

While the bars…the bars never run out of anything with alcohol.

If you are like me, I’d rather sit in a quiet place, put my feet up (or curl them under my legs), have a coffee or two while waiting for my friends to arrive, preferably in front of a computer, surfing the net or checking my emails. The last time I was in LB square, Crib Tea and Coffee Bar allowed me to do all of the above. Cool eh.

After making the rounds at LB square and you’re full and tipsy, then nothing like good coffee or tea to perk you up for more chika into the middle of the night at the Crib.

I was looking for a place to get away. Where we could relax and leave all our worries behind? I chanced upon it by accident via their website. And The Farm at San Benito turned out to be a great find! So much more than what I was expecting!

The Farm at San Benito is a refuge for relaxation, healing, wellness and healthy eating. It’s tucked away in a 49 hectare property in the woods and rolling hills of Lipa, Batangas, with a good view of Mt. Malarayat. The Farm has 9 hectares of developed land (the rest are forestry, wildlife, agricultural lands).

The developed area includes three swimming pools, more than 40 cottages, a library, many relaxation and meditation huts, a 100% vegetarian restaurant, an amphitheater, a meeting hall and reception area, at least two ponds, lots of green green grass and trees, a SPA, a gym and … a farm (almost missed that).

The farm is open for day tours, overnight stays or even extended stays of a week or more. It offers SPA treatments, strictly vegetarian food, some medical services and health and wellness classes such as meditation, yoga, stretching or even psycho-emotional counseling. Ah, perfect for a psychotic like me.

The vegetarian food was a wonderful experience, being an adventurous eater that I am. The chef and crew cooked up very interesting dishes. It was fun how we would look at the food, taste the food, guess what it was and relate it to some of the food we’ve tasted before. Some of the dishes I could distinguish as having Asian, Indian and Mediterranean flavors. I liked how the chefs made use of indigenous ingredients (coconut, gata, kalabasa) in many of their creations. It was also my first time to taste seitan, a protein food similar to tokwa but thicker. Have you tasted a pina colada cake, or a Nori biscuit? Well, I did, at the Farm at San Benito.

At the SPA, I had a taste of Moxa Ventosa – also known as “cupping”. I chose it because it looked …. Um, exotic. And yes, after the treatment, I looked like an exotic ladybug with all the two-inch wide polka dots on my back.

But it was the serene landscape, the quiet evening, the relaxing and warm swimming pools, the strolls amidst the trees and singing cicadas – these are some of the simpler features that completes the relaxation package that is The Farm at San Benito.

Valle Verde is one of the few nature resorts found in the southern part of Guimaras. Situated in one of the dense forests of Ravina in the municipality of Sibunag (used to be part of Nueva Valencia), Valle Verde is just one quiet place you can stay to relax, breathe some fresh air and witness one of the best sunsets on the island.

The place has a spring near the bottom of the hill but it hasn’t been cleaned up or landscaped very well. People flock the place to check out the pool, stay in for the week-end on tree-top huts and cottages.

They charge an entrace fee of Php10 per person and if your group wants to use the pool, it’s Php50 per head.

There’s also a route for trekking/hiking the thick forest and hills so you’ll need a guide to schedule that. From the Jordan wharf, you take a jeepney to Nueva Valencia for about 30 minutes to get there. You might need to tell the driver that you want to be dropped off at Valle Verde, lest you could get lost.