Sorsogon : Juag Lagoon Fish Santuary

Aside from being awed by the beautiful Mt.Mayon,we were overwhelmed by the write ups about Subic Beach in Matnog,Sorsogon.

Sorsogon City : My Little Secret Caught on Camera

To see Mayon Volcano uplcose was the only goal I had in mind when I finally purchased my plane tickets to Legaspi. But I wanted to also explore the nearby Sorsogon to visit Subic Beach in Matnog and try surfing in Gubat.

Places to visit in Bantayan Island, Cebu

During our island tour, we were able to go around the island the whole day. Click here to check Part 1 of this post.

 
Sugar Beach
 
It was said to have the finest sand quality in the whole island. Its sprawling coastline is dotted with palm trees to provide shade for those who wish to sit by the beach.

Santa Fe Beach Club

Considered as one of the posh accommodations in Bantayan,Santa Fe Beach Club also houses the Ogtong Cave.They had built concrete steps to make it easier for those who wanted to take a dip.

OMAGIECA

It was built by the concerned citizens of Bantayan to help protect the mangrove forests. During the tour, our guide even gave a short lecture on how important mangroves are and even demonstrated how tedious it is to plant a mangrove seed.(Okay,so was that a seed or something else?Char! )

Walkway

Bontay Baywalk 

At the other end of the island is where one can go to wait for the golden hour. They said it was the best spot for sunset watching.

Kota Park

This was our second to the last stop. The ruins from the old garrison place was a little eerie and rustic at the same time.

St.Peter and Paul Cathedral

The cathedral was said to be the first and the oldest cathedral in Cebu.

Blue hour

Virgin Island

Just a few minutes from mainland Bantayan,Virgin Island is a known spot perfect for snorkeling and fish feeding. They said that a resort would soon be established here.We didn't get to visit Virgin Island because of time constraints but it gave us a good reason to come back.


Tristan's Place

I was surprised by the number of foreigners retiring in Bantayan. They were everywhere. And I couldn't blame them considering how charming and laid back the atmosphere in Bantayan is. This little pizza place by the sea was a popular place among locals and tourists alike.Their thin crust pizza topped with gooey cheese was a good afternoon snack made even more relaxing with the azure waters viewed from the dining deck.

Kota Beach

This is where the shifting sandbar appears.The waters here is shallow, perfect for swimming.

How to reach Bantayan Island 

From Mactan International Airport,take a cab to North Terminal.Ceres Bus Lines has the most number of trips to Hagnaya Port.Travel time is around 3-4hours.Alternatively,some taxi drivers would agree to take you to Hagnaya at around 2-3k depending on your haggling skills.

From Hagnaya Port,one can ride the RORO to Bantayan Island.
Motorcycles can be rented (half day or whole day) as well.It's easy touring around the island.


Where we stayed :

Because of the influx of tourists in Bantayan,it has a wide array of choices when it comes to accommodation.We stayed at this newly built inn owned by an engineer (their house is actually on the same compound) that has really nice view of the beach.Otherwise, you can visit www.wowbantayan.com for the other recommended hotels,inns and home stay facilities.

A First Glimpse of Bantayan Island

Upon arrival at the Mactan Airport at around 4pm in the afternoon,our priority was to find a cheap room to spend the night. 

Why, hello there!

Downtown Cebu City was very much similar to the streets of Manila. The hustling of pedicabs,tricycles,jeepneys and buses seem to last forever. Just as I thought.It wouldn't be tagged as the Queen City of the south for nothing,right? Don't get me wrong though.Going into the "city vibe" was not part of my itinerary and good thing we always have plan B whenever we travel.

After feasting on the delicious pork barbeque,sweet longganisa, barbeque and servings of "puso" (steamed rice wrapped in banana leaves)in the ever famous Larsian (drools) , we were finally able to find a room in one of the hotels downtown.
 

I crave.

Larsian dinner in Cebu

I was exhausted but instead,like a happy and excited little kid,my thoughts wandered on the adventure we were about to experience the next day.(Photo taken earlier that day enroute Cebu)

The bus terminal to Bantayan was only a few minutes away from our hotel,and at the crack of dawn,we found ourselves cruising through lush green vegetation and amazing views of the ocean. 

I just love everything about long early morning bus rides.

Upon arriving at Hagnaya port,we were famished. I have read somewhere that this one little barbeque stand in Hagnaya Port shouldn't be missed when visiting Bantayan. Oh boy it did not disappoint! We even bought more as our packed lunch for the island tour.No pictures for this though. We were starving so, you know what I mean. ;)

The good thing about Bantayan Island is that the electricity runs 24/7. This was different from my experience in Palaui Island, Cagayan Valley and in El Nido, Palawan . Though electricity was not turned on the whole day, the surroundings actually made up with what was lacking.

We were eyeing for the cheapest accommodation in the island (based on the research that I did, was around Php500 a night for 2 persons) but the view on this one was just too pretty that we just had to give in.

The best way to tour around the island is through the "habal-habal" or motorcycle. We wanted to be more comfortable so we opted to rent another motorcycle.

Bantayan has this certain laid back atmosphere and we were curious of what the island has to offer. In a blink of an eye, we were off to our island tour. 




SOON : Places to Visit in Bantayan Island

Lingayen is All About Letting Go of What Lies Ahead :)

For almost two months, I had to be on a travel hiatus.There was this test that I had to take and it required me to be under a tedious review routine. The mortality rate was high and failure was not part of the picture. I had to battle between post stress travel syndrome and achieving above average scores in my review. Plus the fact that it was summer and all the social networking sites were flooded with photos taken either on the beach,on a mountain peak etc and status updates were about how good their vacation was. All these made me dead envious.I felt like a kid,having to do chores while watching other kids play.

Dagupan Village Hotel

Sweet Escape to Cagbalete Island

Quezon province had been known to have secret white beaches and hidden coves though many of which are still waiting to be discovered. One of Quezon's pride is the charming Cagbalete Island off the coast of Mauban.

Lovely.

Magalawa Island : A Beach Bum's Paradise

Having used seven out of the fifteen vacation leaves alloted per year, I was anxiously browsing one blog after another to find a perfect weekend beach getaway. I was itching to get sun kissed and it was also hubby's birthday month.I can't afford to use another vacation leave and boy I was glad to have stumbled upon Pinay Travel Junkie's post about Magalawa Island. 

"Silence is argument carried out by other means." 
Lakas maka-Che Guevara ni Kuya :))

We headed to Victory Liner Terminal in Caloocan and was lucky to catch the Sta. Cruz bus trip that will pass by Brgy. Pangolingan in the town of Palauig , Zambales. As the bus cruised along the scenic countryside, I felt bad for the farmers that lost their crops because of the recent typhoon that devastated the province. Upon reaching the waiting shed, we hired a tricycle to take us to The Oslet Armada Compound in Brgy.Luan.
 We were greeted by one of the bangkeros sent by Armada Resort. It was a quick 10 minute boat ride to Magalawa Island. For rates , check out their Facebook page.

Fishing nets

Shaded campsite

"I think this will get us through the day. We'll try again tomorrow."

The cheerful Auntie Auring and the resident guard dog, Jojo welcomed us with big smiles.We were the only visitors during that time.We settled our bags in our little hut we chose that sat on the farthest part of the shore.

He nibbled on the bamboo fence at the middle of the night just to get inside the hut. Super cute!

Good night world! :)

Being a beach bum,I took a lot of photos.We strolled along the beach all afternoon and watched the local kids play. They played with long dry leaves and turned them into boats.Truly,money can't buy everything.They giggled,laughed and teasingly ran after each other. Their happiness was contagious.

Life is simple. We are complicated.

Whenever I travel, I never miss the sunrise or sunset. Though sunset was at the other side of the island,we had the chance to witness the beautiful sunrise. My camera ran out of battery because of the gazillion photos I took. It was madness. Magalawa Island's remoteness was glorified by the enchanting display of colors before sunrise.

Another day in paradise

How to get to Magalawa Island 

> Take a Victory Liner bus bound for Sta. Cruz, Zambales.  Visit their website for the updated  bus fares and schedules.
> Ask the conductor to drop you at Brgy. Pangolingan.
> Tricycles are available at Php150/2 person for a 15-20 minute ride to Oslet Armada Compound.
> From the port, Magalawa Island is just about 10 minutes away. Fare is Php 100 per head.  

Puerto Galera : 24 hours of Bliss

Puerto Galera had been the go to place for those people needing a quick getaway that's easy on the budget. Nestled in the beautiful Oriental Mindoro, it also boasts of its rich marine life since its geographically situated on the southwestern end of the Isla Verde Passage.

SUMMER!!!

Ilocos Norte Travel Budget

In between my Palaui Island and my happy beach , Calaguas trip, there was Ilocos Norte. This was not part of the plan at all. Not to mention the quick Bolinao escape with mi sibs that I need to organize, I didn't have enough time to plan our itinerary and worse, I had a meager budget. 
 

Paoay Church

With the limited time we had before our flight, choosing which place to visit was a pain in the a**. We wanted to walk around Laoag City, ride the 4X4 to the sand dunes of Paoay, pay homage to the late President Marcos etc. Among all these, we chose San Agustin Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I have seen it in several magazines, postcards and pictures on the internet and we just wanted to see it for ourselves.

Okay. So enough of the blabber. Here's my 4N3D Ilocos Norte travel expenses :


Day 1

 - 9 PM Regular AC bus to Pagudpud ( Florida Bus Lines, Sampaloc ) - 1400**
 - chips and mineral water bought during stopover - 55

TOTAL :  1455


Day  2

- Tricycle fare from drop off point to homestay - 70 **
- Breakfast @ a random resto in front of Saud - 240** 
- Bangui Windmills Souvenir ( 3 ref magnets) - 75
- Drinks in Kapurpurawan ( Gatorade and mineral water) -  90***
-  Lunch @ the seaside eatery - 270***
- Bread, drinks and Pagudpud empanada - 260***
- Southern Tour  - 600**
- Tip - 200
- Homestay - 500**

TOTAL : Php 2305

Standing tall

Day 3

- Tricycle from homestay to Pagudpud town proper - FREE c/o Kuya Rene ( Kuya Arnel's younger brother)
- Bus to Claveria, drop off @ Panzzian Beach Resort - 60**
- Dinner @ Pannzian resto - 380

TOTAL : Php 440


Day 4

- Pagudpud to Laoag van fare -  140**
- Jeepney fare Robinson's to Paoay church - 50**
- Pinakbet Pizza and drinks @ Herencia Cafe - 360**
- Jeepney fare Paoay to  Laoag - 50**
- Tricycle Robinson's to airport  -  100**
- Terminal fee - 80**
- Cab to Mariveles St. -  240

TOTAL :  Php 950


TOTAL EXPENSES FOR THE WHOLE TRIP : Php 5220 


** 2 pax
*** 3 pax 

I did not include the overnight stay in Pannzian Beach Resort since the booking was made thru Agoda  ( Php1500, 2 pax AC room.)  

 Airfare  from Laoag to Manila was FREE! :)) Story here.

View from our table

Herencia Cafe's Pinakbet Pizza

I remember arriving Laoag Airport past 6 PM and had to wait 'til  eternity for boarding time. I didn't have any regrets not being able to visit all the places Ilocos Norte has to offer. It gave me more reasons to come back. Next time I'd be more prepared. But that was least of my worries. The trip back to Manila was delayed and we only had a few hours to start packing again for our early AM flight to Naga to finally set foot on the blinding-white shores of Mahabang Buhangin.

Check out my Ilocos Norte Adventure Series:

> Ilocos Norte : Meeting Kuya Arnel

> Ilocos Norte : The Towering Bangui Windmills

> Ilocos Norte : The Kapurpurawan Rock Formation

>Ilocos Norte : Head Over Heels for Cape Bojeador

> Overnight Stay @ Pannzian Beach Resort