Tag: accomodations

CORON 5DAYS 4NIGHTS DECEMBER 31, 2022 – JANUARY 4, 2023

“My favorite thing to do is to go where I’ve never been”

– Anonymous

Whoever said that is learned in the ways of the world, if you ask me.

There’s nothing like the thrill of discovering a place you’ve never been to, to see for yourself what you’ve read about, to experience firsthand the people, food, and sights.

A LITTLE BACKGROUNDER ON CORON

Coron is the third-largest island in northern Palawan. The island is part of the larger municipality of the same name. It is about 170 nautical miles (310 km) southwest of Manila and is known for several Japanese shipwrecks of World War II vintage.

Because of its unique ecological features, the entire area is protected by several legal proclamations.

DAY 1 SATURDAY DECEMBER 31, 2022

HOW WE GOT TO CORON

We scored tickets from Cebu Pacific.

There are also PAL / Air Asia flights that ply the Manila-Coron-Manila route.

Our flight landed at the Francisco B. Reyes Airport in the Busuanga municipality of Coron.

From there it’s about a 25-30 minute van ride to Coron Town Proper. The van ride was courtesy of the hotel where we were going to stay.

HOW TO GET AROUND CORON

You can rent a motorcycle.

Take a tricycle (fare is P30.00 per person, although we always gave P100.00 as our way of helping out the trike drivers) and zip around Coron Town Proper, where restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, and bars abound.

The place of happenings (i.e. restos, bars, coffee shops, souvenir shops, dive shops/centers/ tour agents) can be found a stone’s throw from each other in CALLE REAL ST., or BURGOS ST., both of which are near the munisipyo.

WHERE WE STAYED IN CORON

There are a lot of options for those on a budget, as well as for those who can afford the more expensive resorts when it comes to accommodations. All of these can be found online nowadays.

It’s best to book your place of stay online and ahead of time.

We were able to book a great room with the amazing ZURI RESORT CORON:

I cannot get enough of this place.

Their staff were very accommodating, friendly, and you can feel their excitement at having you as their guest.

No wonder they are almost always fully-booked.

Aside from completeness of amenities in your room (cable TV, coffee, bottled water, mini-ref, toiletries in the bathroom), they offer good Wi-fi (with the occasional cut-signal but it was okay), hot showers, and clean bed sheets everyday,

The view of Coron Bay is very relaxing, with the hotel’s infinity pools seemingly spilling out onto the Bay itself, with plenty of open spaces where you can lounge, read a good book, or just soak in the fact that you’re in one of the most beautiful places in The Philippines, and far away from the urban jungle rat-race.

After settling in, we decided to explore Coron Town Proper and have a late lunch at EPIC Coffee, located at Calle Real St.

Check out the place:

ANGUS BEEF TAPA
BARBECUE RIBS
EPIC COFFEE MENU

TIME TO CHILL

After that amazing late lunch, we headed back to ZURI to soak in some sun and their pool, and take in a sunset view:

Uh but before that, lemme order first hahahaha couldn’t resist a pool bar

The back of ZURI HOTEL facing Coron Bay is being developed into a port.

Nonetheless, the sunset is still quite the spectacle.

An infinity pool behind me, ice cold beer, The Promised Land by Barack Obama to keep your thoughts occupied, this is bliss.

ZURI HOTEL – CORON @night

Later that evening, we had dinner at the hotel’s New Year’s Eve Buffet:

Lechon, pasta, chicken, fish, salads, desserts, are all on the menu

Later that evening still, @exactly 12midnight, a view of the fireworks display of Coron Town proper from the balcony of our hotel room:

DAY 1 is in the books.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

DAY 2 SUNDAY JANUARY 1, 2023

The Sun rises @Coron Bay

Time to try out the free breakfast of ZURI Hotel

LOAD UP
WHAT A FULL STOMACH CAN DO

PLACES TO VISIT IN CORON TOWN PROPER

ST. AGUSTIN CHURCH (since 1901)

Ongoing Mass during our visit

Capturing still life @LUALHATI PARK

We sort of tried to get to MAQUINIT HOT SPRINGS (it was closed because, well, it’s January 1, first day of the year and right after a night of revelry) and Cabo Beach but the road traversed proved too much for a trike, and by 9:30am, we decided to call it a day with this land tour.

We instead headed back and explored the town proper, and ended up at PACIFICO Bar & Restaurant, located @ the National Highway cor. Burgos St. Brgy. 2 Coron, where we tried out their delicious pastries:

Chocolate Chip Cookie and Strawberry Cheesecake and they also serve lunch and dinner fares

OBSERVING THE TOURISTS: Walking along CALLE REAL ST. or BURGOS ST., it’s amazing to see so many tourists just walking around the streets rummaging through souvenirs, buying @ sari-sari stores, exchanging stories in cafes, having drinks in bars. I asked some locals if this is always the case, and they all said yes, it’s a normal thing.

The languages I overheard walking along CALLE REAL St. were a cacophony of French, Indian, American, Polish, German, Middle Eastern, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, etc.

Even in ZURI Hotel, the influx of foreign tourists seemed never-ending.

According to a shopkeeper in the Hotel, it wasn’t always like this. The pandemic really hit them hard here in Coron, and that it’s only now that they’re recovering somewhat.

Hehehe we took our time and bought souvenirs such as key chains (giveaways to office mates), a ref magnet, replenished our water. I bought a beach sandals for P780.00 because the old one deserved a military – style burial, if you know what I mean.

Before you know it, it was time for lunch, so we hopped aboard a tricycle, and we headed to:

Funny thing is, we could’ve just walked as it was only about two blocks away

Their Bulalo and Pansit Canton portions were awesome, and it was surprisingly delicious:

fall-off-the-bone Bulalo

After lunch we made time to buy rice, fish, pork & chicken adobo ingredients at the Coron public market for our Island Hopping lunch of our Day 3 itinerary.

We went back to ZURI, slept till about 4pm.

I headed out to their pool lounge and swam to my heart’s content with a cold one:

Just breathe and relax

Early on in that particular afternoon we would find out that all flights coming into the country since the early morning couldn’t land at NAIA, and that all domestic flights going to / coming from Manila, were all cancelled because the NOTAMS (Notice to Air Missions) navigation system of the NAIA experienced “technical malfunctions”. What a way to start the new year…

Oh well, it was time for another sunset:

The sky is on fire

After freshening up, we returned to the town proper to sample dinner fare, and we ended up here, @ CRABS & RIBS By CALLE BURGOS located at Corner Burgos St., Poblacion 4, Coron Town Proper:

Of course we had to have crabs
Noodles for long life
Sisig

Needless to say, the food served was delicious.

Day 2 was exhausting, probably because of the tricycle tour over the roughest road we’ve ever encountered.

Something should be done about that road if the municipality wants more foot traffic to Maquinit Hot Springs and the adjacent beaches.

We retired back to ZURI Hotel to rest for the Island Hopping trip for the next day.

DAY 3 MONDAY JANUARY 2, 2023

Sunrise

Early breakfast to get us going

After breakfast, we hopped aboard a tricycle at around 8:00am, headed straight to the port and out to sea. Don’t forget to bring cash with you to pay for the entrance fees of the islands you’re going to.

It’s a beautiful day to go Island Hopping:

Entrance to KAYANGAN LAKE, where the cliffs are made of karst-limestone

IT. IS. SO. AMAZING. HERE.

We had it all to ourselves…for about half an hour only

Our boatman, who goes by the name Rey, guided us to the view point going to KAYANGAN LAKE itself, for some picture-taking:

After this stop, its another sixty or so steps to get to the lake itself….

And when you get there:

A little bit of info, the water at KAYANGAN LAKE is a mix of fresh and salt water but it isn’t that salty.

What’s amazing is its proximity to the open sea.

It must have something to do with the seawater passing thru the karst limestone formations before it reaches the lake itself.

Some more pics of Kayangan Lake:

Our boatman, Rey, actually took us inside a cave under the rock formations here in Kayangan Lake
The world is an oyster…and we are its pearls

And after about an hour, it’s onto the next stop, about 5-7 minutes away: BARRACUDA LAKE

What is it with all these hidden lakes being accessible only by taking hazardous, very slippery steps?!&^$%Q&^ hahahaha
It was named BARRACUDA LAKE because a large skeleton of a barracuda fish was found here
Plenty of snorkeling and scuba diving going on here
It’s like a giant sink hole.
Divers have said that the temperature of the water in Barracuda Lake changes after 4 meters deep, and that the waters change from
fresh water to salt water, and that the texture of the water is often likened to a drop of oil on top of water in a glass.
Crystal clear waters
Amidst very sharp rocks
BARRACUDA LAKE’s razor sharp underwater cliffs
People are now starting to arrive at BARRACUDA LAKE

So we needed to high-tail it out of there. Next stop is the BIG and SMALL LAGOON.

The Big and Small Lagoons are actually one water system separated by rock formations.

THIS IS THE BIG LAGOON

The boats are anchored over there because that’s where the opening to the Small Lagoon is located.
Spectacularly clear waters
This rock jutting out is called “mesa” or table, by the locals. After passing this area, during low tide only, your boatman will slide you under the rock formation opening to take you to
The Small Lagoon

The waters of both the Big and Small Lagoons are fed by the surrounding seas yet what’s amazing is both lagoons are much more fresh water than salt water.

The Small Lagoon’s waters every so often changes temperature, and you can feel it sort of pushing out cold water from below.

Its literally a “cool” and awesome experience, really.

After about an hour and a half of frolicking in the waters of the Small Lagoon, it was time to head out to

BANOL BEACH / LUNCH

This is where those who are on Coron island hopping tours stop for lunch, as this is a public beach with thatched roofs, tables, long benches, white sand and clear waters.

Boatmen usually start cooking lunches upon arriving in Barracuda Lake, and upon arriving here, lunch is ready to be served.

Of course I swam here. This reminded me of the beach coves in Zambales and beaches of islands in Mindoro.
Grilled fish and chicken pork adobo for lunch

We headed out onto CYC beach and it was way too CROWDED for us.

We stayed a while on our boat, bought some popsicles and decided to head on back to Coron.

It was about 2:30pm in the afternoon already, and we were spent.

We freshened up and slept-off what remained of the afternoon.

At about 6pm we took a trike ride to KAWAYANAN GRILL for dinner.

Shrimps, veggies, Sinigang na Lechon Kawali
Barbecues

Food @K-Grill was so good, guys.

Afterwards, more souvenir-hunting, and I bought a Coron T-Shirt here

We returned to ZURI and had a couple of drinks.

Lights out by 9pm. It was a good day.

DAY 4 TUESDAY JANUARY 3, 2023 CHILL DAY

I woke up at about 8:30am and took a few laps

Freshened up and had breakfast

Hopped a tricycle and headed to the drop-off point to hike up to Mt Tapyas View Deck.

Mt Tapyas is about 210 meters in height and to get to the view-deck, you’ll need to climb 720 lung-busting concrete steps!

Its a test of stamina and endurance, so bring along bottled water with you.

At about 300+ steps
Near the top. A panoramic view of the ocean. Very cold and windy at the summit of this hilltop.
People make pilgrimages to this place during Holy Week

Going up Mt Tapyas sort of made me reflect somewhat that we all should be grateful to still be drawing breaths, that life, in all of its uncertainties and complications, is still full of roads (or steps for that matter) to take.

So stay on that road, take those steps, no matter how rough or steep, no matter what.

We headed back to ZURI, and I had a light workout at their gym because the adrenaline was still pumping so I needed to cool down.

We headed back to town to treat ourselves to this place, TRATTORIA ALTROV’E

QUATTRO STAGNIANI (Cheese, Meat, Mushrooms, and Seafood Pizza)
GAMBERI e OLIO de OLIVA, sauteed shrimps with sundried tomatoes, fresh shaved red peppers and parmesan
ALLA CARBONARA, bacon, parmesan and mozzarella in fettucine noodles
FRUTTI DE MARE, shrimps in tomato sauce with a splash of white wine, garlic and butter

TRATTORIA ALTROV’E in Coron serves amazing pasta dishes. Everything tasted delicious and served with pride. They may be pricier but it is worth it.

After lunch we decided to look for a nice place to have coffee, and we ended up in the farther side of town, in Two Seasons Hotel to be exact, at their BAYA Restaurant

Coffee frappes
Iced Caramel Machiato

Since it’s our last night in Coron, we decided to dine out at this place called SHARKY’S

Just a simple sisig and chicken wings

As I was reading The Promised Land back at ZURI Hotel, in my mind, I couldn’t help but go back the past three days.

It felt like a blur. At that moment, I wished I could stay longer. I sort of knew that there’s a lot more to do in Coron but alas! so little time to do all of the things that can still be experienced.

There were some things we missed out on doing.

The CALAUIT ISLAND SAFARI was one.

The other was SHIPWRECK DIVING.

We resolved to learn how to scuba dive this year 2023 ( well, at least I did, and I’ll try to save up for equipment and lessons).

DAY 5 JANUARY 4, 2023 TUESDAY

Having been to numerous beaches has taught me to wake up early to catch sunrises, as well as to wait for sunsets because no two of each are ever the same.

It’s a different feeling when you’re alone and you listen to the wind and the waves while everything is very still but slowly starts to be bathed in the sun’s natural light or the color of everything starts to fade when dusk starts to settle in.

There’s a certain peace and tranquility that soothes the spirit during those moments.

I close my eyes, listen for a while to everything around me, then just let out a sigh, then take a deep breath and exhale, sort of like my own little way of accepting that there are things that I still have to do and I need to go back to the city life and its everyday grind.

We packed the night before because our flight back to Manila was @11am.

BREAKFAST AL FRESCO this time around

ZURI HOTEL brought us to the airport and we were able to board with plenty of time to spare.

They are that good, guys.

I will take solace in the fact that there are more places like these that I still have in my bucket list such as Camiguin Island, Calaguas Island, Caramoan Islands, El Nido, Amanpulo (okay, Amanpulo may be stretching it a bit because of the cost involved), just to name a few.

CORON is definitely a must for those who are into really physical activities.

From climbing up Mt. Tapyas, to sliding under rock formations to get to a hidden lagoon, to swimming inside a cave in KAYANGAN LAKE, to snorkeling in BARRACUDA LAKE, it’s like a never-ending adventure.

CORON will challenge you, and you will find out if you’re up to it.

CORON definitely ranks high when it comes to places that should be visited more than once.

I said it before and I’ll say it again:

THIS PLACE IS AMAZING.

So for all my fellow DIYers out there, here’s a summary of expenses incurred for three (3) people.

Be good to one another.

SIARGAO DIY 4DAYS 3NIGHTS NOVEMBER 1-4, 2021

This trip was supposed to have occurred last Year 2020 but we all know what happened.

My daughter and I planned this again before the summer season of 2021 for us to avoid the crush of people, and then another lockdown happened. After the first lockdown (or Enhanced Community Quarantine, ECQ for those of you who are into acronyms) was lifted this year 2021, we were able to squeeze in a Bohol trip, which was cut short because of the passing of my father in-law.

And then another lockdown happened, which is what Philippine bureaucrats seem to know as the only viable solution to this wildly unpredictable affliction called SARS-COVID 19.

This Siargao sojourn of ours was supposed to be for 6days 5nights but we had to cut it short again, which I’ll explain why later.

HOW WE GOT TO SIARGAO

Book a flight online via either Philippine Airlines or Cebu Pacific. You have the option of flying directly to Siargao, or via Cebu with a connecting flight to Siargao Island, which may have a 1-3hours layover.

We chose a Manila-Cebu-Siargao / vice-versa flights via Cebu Pacific.

Cebu City

WHAT ARE THE SURIGAO DEL NORTE-LGU REQUIREMENTS WHEN TRAVELLING TO SIARGAO

  1. You’re required to secure a Saliva Test 72 hours upon date of arrival, from the Philippine Red Cross that shows a Negative Result for SARS Covid 19;
  2. You’re also required to have a Confirmed Hotel Booking accommodation document with an LGU accredited place-of-stay;
  3. A clear copy of a government-issued Identification (ID) card.

All of the above should be in JPEG format so you can load these onto the s-pass.ph online site, after which you’ll be able to secure an Approved Travel Coordination Permit that looks like this:

By the time some of you read this, these restrictions may have been eased somewhat already or maybe even removed altogether, in line with the so-called lowering of Alert Levels by the Infectious Diseases Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

HOW WE GOT AROUND SIARGAO ISLAND

Alighting at SAYAK AIRPORT in Siargao Island, there are already tourist vans waiting to take you to your accommodations. Fare is P300.00 per person, no more, no less.

We booked our ride to our accommodations and back to Sayak Airport when we departed the island, with ARNEL (09365010921). Travel time from Sayak Airport to General Luna, Siargao and vice-versa, is roughly 35-40 minutes.

There are a lot of options to get around the main island itself.

You can either:

  1. rent a scooter; Fair warning, though, to scooter fanatics. You’ve got to be a real good rider in order to avoid becoming a statistic. A lot of accidents have happened on the roads of Siargao due to over-speeding on wet or dry roads.
  2. hire/rent a van;
  3. hire a tricycle for a land tour;
  4. or pay for a tour with a local tour guide (there are a lot of signboards offering land tours and island hopping tours).

One thing I noticed when we arrived: gasoline was P70.21 per liter, and when we got to Day 3, it was already at P71.40 per liter!

For our Land Tour of some of the island’s popular destinations, we contracted RENCE (09079788198). He also hooked us up with island tour boatmen Bryan and Piloy.

SOME THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN IN SIARGAO

  1. One thing to remember is that there are quite a few nice establishments such as places-to-stay and places to eat that aren’t really very far from each other. A lot of times, in the mornings. I’d walk to LUNARES CAFE for my morning coffee fix. When taking a tricycle, for example, fare shouldn’t exceed P20.00 per person to reach a place to eat or see that is just 2.5klms. away up to 5klms;
  2. DON’T DRINK THE TAP WATER unless the resort staff of the place where you’re staying says it’s safe to do so;
  3. BEFRIEND and be RESPECTFUL of the LOCALS. They’ll help you out for land / island hopping tours, and they may even broker for you a sweet deal;
  4. BE GOOD TO NATURE. DON’T BE A TRASH MONKEY. LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS;
  5. DON’T EXPECT A REALLY FAST INTERNET CONNECTION. It is intermittent, at best, so you’ve got to make do with what you get, ‘man;
  6. TEMPER YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF THE ROADS IN SIARGAO, some are paved smooth but most are rough also;
  7. Book and pay for your flight / resort accommodations / tours early and online. This is to avoid the stress of winging it as you go along.

WHERE WE STAYED IN SIARGAO

When going to Siargao, it is best to stay in GENERAL LUNA, where all the accommodations, places to eat, and where the action can be found.

We stayed at KAWILI BEACH RESORT because all the other accommodations that we scoured for were fully-booked already because of the long weekend holiday (Saturday October 30 to Monday November 1, 2021).

There are a lot of high-end, mid-end, budget accommodations at Siargao but we chose Kawili because of its proximity to restos and it being just walking distance to the beach, and also because we’ve already put down a 50% deposit before for their SURF SHACK.

Unfortunately, because of the two (2) lockdowns of the year 2021, we weren’t able to use SURF SHACK and our deposit was forfeited. The only accommodation available was for their DORM ROOM shared with 4 other people who also had bookings for those dates of our stay. So we took it.

View from Kawili’s quaint lounge, kitchen, billiards, pool area

DAY 1 NOVEMBER 1, 2021 MONDAY

After settling in at Kawili, we immediately contacted Rence, and he took us to the COCONUT TREES VIEW DECK, about 25 minutes away from General Luna:

About 2 minutes away was the MAASIN BRIDGE BENT COCONUT TREE & RIVER SWING in Brgy. Maasin:

A further 3 minutes away, we went to the NEW BRGY. MAASIN BRIDGE:

After taking in these sights, we went back and got to the famous CLOUD 9 Surfing Area:

The place was packed with surfer wannabes and selfie-seeking tourists, both foreign and local.

Time to get in some refreshments at SHAKA CAFE

My daughter had a mango smoothie…
while I was a bit more adventurous, trying out their Bom Dia, which has banana, mango, acai, muesli, pineapple, and berries. It was heavenly.

We returned back to our accommodations and planned to have dinner at KERMIT Restaurant.

Unfortunately, KERMIT Restaurant had a long waiting list that night and we were famished already, so we tried out the home-made pasta at LA CARINDERIA, and they did not disappoint.

Tagilatelle Spaghetti Bolognese
Carbonara

We called up Rence to make arrangements for our pickup to do the Tri-Island Hopping the next day.

It was lights out for us 9:00 pm, as we were flat-out tired from the flight and sight-seeing.

DAY 2 NOVEMBER 2, 2021 TUESDAY

SUNRISE @our backyard
white sand
what’s not to love about this place…

LUNARES CAFE

I accidentally discovered this cafe’ when I was walking along Tourism Road in General Luna, looking for a place where I could score a hot cup. I had coffee and freshly-made croissant at LUNARES CAFE, and I tell you, their croissant looks, smells so good, is hot, and is so delicious, that for the next few days, I got up from bed 6am sharp to head straight for LUNARES CAFE. You must try out their Croissant and Coffee Americano:

TRI-ISLAND HOPPING TOUR

Rence picked us up and took us for a 5-minute ride to the port of General Luna. After paying P100.00 Environmental fee, I rented out snorkeling equipment, and Rence introduced us to our boatmen, Bryan and Piloy.

And off we went.

First stop was the MARINE SANCTUARY, and here are some screen grabs from my GoPRO:

  • I was scared as hell as it has been a long time since I snorkeled hahaha but the corals were worth watching, really

NAKED ISLAND

It is a magical place

DAKU ISLAND

Daku Island is beautiful, easily our favorite, because of its soft, pure white, yet somewhat pinkish sands
The sand, sea, and surf here takes your breath away. The waters were so good, and of course I swam to my heart’s content out here.
Dreamy land and seascape
DAKU ISLAND is famous for its boodle fight food setup,
but my daughter didn’t want it.
So why would I boodle alone? Not much of a fight if you ask me hahahahaha, so I settled for just a light longganisa breakfast

This one took me by surprise. Mango shake with Ice Cream. Need I say more?

GUYAM ISLAND

A small yet beautiful and oh so pristine island
Picturesque

Back at General Luna, where we had LATE LUNCH AT BRAVO RESTAURANT, after spending 6 hours on the islands

Lunch by the sea
What can i say? Its my go-to-drink
Bravo’s Chicken Peri-Peri
Their Teriyaki Chicken is delicious

After lunch and after buying some souvenirs, we came across this (sorry, the gear head in me had to include this), a pristine-looking Toyota MR2. SWEET.

That night, we had dinner at ARKA HAYAHAY and I had about three bottles of beer to go with dinner

Hummus for me, Filipino food for my daughter

DAY 3 NOVEMBER 3, 2021 WEDNESDAY

Siargao seems to stir slowly awake as the sun rises
It is absolutely gorgeous here

MAGPOPONGKO ROCK POOLS AND FLATS

It pays to start early.

After leaving my daughter to do her work-from-home thing, and after having coffee and croissant at CAFE LUNARES, Rence and I started our trip to MAGPOPONGKO ROCK POOLS and FLATS at 7:15am and arrived 8:11am, and I had the place all to myself:

The tide is receding
Pools starting to form
Already had a dip but I can’t wait to try out this pool
The world is an oyster
Its nature’s playground
One of the deeper pools
Just look up at the sky

Here are some screen grabs of what it’s like under the pools:

At around 10:15am, a lot of people were arriving and that was my cue to leave. I left at around 10:24am and arrived back at General Luna 11:15am, and had a late lunch at a place called CASHEY’s PLACE. and it was both instantly regrettable and forgettable. DO NOT EAT HERE.

Later that evening we had dinner at WHITE BANANA BEACH CLUB and the ambience, with its techno-trance music, was so chill and cool. The food was simply divine. You should eat here:

View
Dinner at the sands of a white beach
Vegan Chicken Sisig
Scallops Pasta
Onion Rings
Chicken Nuggets with BBQ Sauce

Craved for Hot Chocolate and dessert so we stopped by at Tom N Tom’s Coffee:

DAY 4 NOVEMBER 4 THURSDAY

I would walk down a sandy alley and emerge from it to this…

The sky is on fire during 5:20am
It doesn’t get any better that this…

We rebooked our return flight to Manila for today Thursday Nov. 4, 2021.

Flight leaves @12:20 noon time. We contacted Arnel for an 11:00am pick-up.

Before preparing to leave, I had my by-now customary coffee/croissant fix at CAFE LUNARES, showered and freshened up after, and we made our way to LAS PALMAS Restaurant for brunch. You must eat here:

Cool and airy dining area
Bacon and eggs
Filipino breakfast with freshly squeezed orange juice
Their Chocolate cake was superb

WHY WE HAD TO CUT SHORT OUR TRIP FROM 6DAYS 5NIGHTS TO 4DAYS 3NIGHTS

There is a directive from Surigao Del Norte LGU that if you stay for more than 4 days in Siargao, before you can leave the island, you would have to undergo testing for C-19, and result should be negative. If the result is positive for the virus, then you can’t leave and you’d be quarantined for 7-14 more days. We knew this before going to Siargao.

What really rankled me was when we went to a local clinic (that I won’t name), no one can give us a definitive answer as to how many cases there are in the island as of the moment, and its staff’s seemed insistent that even if we just spent 4days there, we should be tested before leaving, saying something about us testing negative 4 days ago, October 30, 2021. Even KAWILI resort owner Robert said it was all about making money for the LGU. I’ll leave it at that.

Also, we’ve noticed that the internet connection seemed to go on and off all of a sudden.

Our plan was to go sightsee on Days 1-2, then my daughter will work-from-home on Day 3 Wednesday. then go on Leave Day 4 Thursday to continue sightseeing. But seeing that the internet connection is what it is, and the threat of us not being able to go back to Manila to our jobs, we decided it best to rebook our flight back scheduled for Saturday to Thursday November 4, 2021.

The end-result was I wasn’t able to go surfing, and we weren’t able to visit Sohoton Cove, Coconut Grove, Corregidor and Mam-on islands anymore.

But it doesn’t matter. We will come back for the things we were not able to do next year, as soon as we get Iloilo-Guimaras done hahahaha…

Siargao is an island of super-friendly locals. Siargao is so vibrant but at the same time so laid-back, so much so that it allows you to move forward living the island life at your own pace, and that is probably Siargao’s most alluring appeal, aside from the spectacular sights, surf, sand, and island beaches.

Oh before I forget, if you’re a group, you can actually hire an open party van blaring your own music whilst you go on an all-nighter around the island!

Siagao did not and will not disappoint!

This was a do-it-yourself trip for 2 persons, and I’m sure you guys can do better, so here’s a list of expenses that we incurred for a 4 days 3 nights stay:

Antigen Saliva Test (Oct. 30 Saturday)            3,123.00
Sashamae / Spike Allowance            1,000.00
GRAB ! To Domestic Airport               401.00
CEBUPAC AIR FARE          14,119.00
Taxi fare & BREAKFAST @McDONALD’s LAPU-LAPU, CEBU               650.00
Van from Sayak Airport to General Luna (P300 per pax)               600.00
Check-in to KAWILI BEACH RESORT             2,700.00
TRICY /LANDTOUR:            1,200.00
SHAKA CAFE Smoothies               490.00
DINNER @LA CARINDERIA               750.00
BREAKFAST @LUNARES CAFÉ               180.00
ISLAND HOPPING FEE            1,710.00
Tricycle to Port of General Luna                100.00
Paid environmental fee P50.00 per person               100.00
Tricy fare back to KAWILI                 40.00
Late LUNCH @BRAVO               900.00
Tricy to and from Arka Hayahay                 80.00
DINNER @ARKA HAYAHAY               725.00
BREAKFAST @LUNARES CAFÉ               180.00
Hired Tricycle to Magpupungko Rock pools               400.00
Entrance                 70.00
Tricycle Parking                 30.00
Guide Fee                 100.00
LUNCH @CASHEY’s Place               550.00
GLOBE LOAD               200.00
DINNER @WHITE BANANA (plus tricy going P50 and back P50)               1,420.00
Dessert @TOM and TOM’s Coffee                260.00
Tricycle fare from White Banana/ back to Kawili               80.00
Coffee @LUNARES CAFÉ               180.00
Brunch @LAS PALMAS               920.00
Van Pick-up & Depart for Airport               600.00
Paid Environmental Fee @Sayak Airport               40.00
LUNCH @CEBU airport (The BREW ROOM)               564.00
Miscellaneous expenses incurred (water, beer, cigs, souvenirs, etc)               1,101.00
GRAB ! to residence in San Juan, Manila               476.00
TOTALS               36,039.00

Be kind to yourself and to others.

BALER 2DAYS 1NIGHT D.I.Y. ITINERARY

Just collected all pics from our Baler trip and sad to say, we weren’t able to get to Dipaculao beach and other sites that are equally if not more spectacular. All I can say is one can really fall in love with this place.

We were fortunate enough to come here minus the Holy Week or vacationing crush of people…I would recommend that you do so because you will get to really appreciate Baler’s beauty, the warmth of its people, the truly rustic feel of Baler is an experience in itself…

Include in your itinerary the 1.3 km uphill / downhill trek to Ditumabo falls (you get to draw your inner strength), see the 600 year-old Balete tree, hike up to Ermita Hills, see the Aniao islets (pick sea urchins), go up to the lighthouse shaped like a plane’s wing, watch the sunrise, surf, swim at either falls, river, or sea, or where the river meets the sea, go kayaking, discover a deserted cove…Baler is really beautiful…thank you, Baler…

So to start off I’d like to share some pictures of our Baler trip, and after these, the actual itinerary and expenses we incurred, and it is hoped that this can be of help to those who would want to D.I.Y. to Baler.

Always, always befriend locals wherever you go and Dennis here was really knowledgeable of the history behind the numerous sightseeing spots in Baler.
A wishing well beside the great 600 year old balete tree.
This is the huge 600 year old balete tree. It is imposing, really, and very much alive and still growing.
On the way to Ditumabo Falls. A 1.3 km uphill trek up the mountain..
The stream along the way turns into a raging river during the monsoon season.
But during the summer, the waters are cool, calm, and refreshing.
Ditumabo Falls
Impossible to stay dry here
The very rickety hanging bridge. There are a lot of souvenir shops under its base.
Ermita Hill
It’s a park with a dark past
and spectacular views
here’s another
and another
The Tromba statues…legend says that a town was feasting when an old woman foretold of a coming tsunami, which was heeded by this family, who went up all the way up Ermita Hill, and later that night, the tsunami came, and everyone perished except these families.
@Aniao Islets
like bullets rising out of the sea
literally the word “jagged” comes to mind when you see these rocks
a beautiful day to be out
Dicasalarin Cove
a spectacular view
In the cove is a river that meets the sea
will you look at that
minus the crush of people…it should always stay this way but…
we had it all to ourselves that one beautiful day
this was where I frolicked in the water
made our way up
higher still
till we got to the lighthouse shaped like a fighter plane’s wing
where I took a, shall I say, nervous selfie hahahaha
wow
Sabang beach
breakfasts of champion surfers
still sleepy
Baler Surfer Grill
Dinners
chill
the scenery going to Baler town proper
Don’t forget to buy one of these because it’s delicious.
Marker
Manuel L. Quezon Museum
Donya Aurora Quezon’s house
On the way home

As promised, here’s the actual itinerary and expenses incurred. Hope this helps you guys.

In the meantime, be kind to one another. Ciao.