Will I survive Sagada?

 It’s been a while since I last traveled. Last time was when we traveled to Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte with my family. It’s been almost 4 months since the last trip and now the travel bug has bitten me once more and I feel the need of traveling again. That is where Sagada comes in. Together with Rachel and Mina, my former office mates ( yes, just the three of us ), we will be conquering Sagada. 

Sagada Rice Terraces. Photo not mine.

Why Sagada? Sagada was really not the plan. A friend told me that the place is boring. While some reactions were " SAGADA? Saan yan? Sa Pilipinas ba yan?" Its actually off the beaten path compared to the famous Baguio City. My first glimpse of Sagada was through the Piolo and Juday movie "Don’t Give Up On Us”. In a most unexpected place, love finds its way... But will it survive the journey? Oh ha, ansaveh ng tag line. Haha. Maybe it’s a nice place to fall in love or fall out of love. CHOST! Haha.  I’ve learn some infos about the place from the blogs I’ve read before and I was kinda intrigue on why people would travel more than 12 hours just to be on that place. Maybe there is really something special with Sagada, aside from the cool weather of course. Thanks to my sister too who suggested that Sagada is a must visit place if you’re into hiking, caving and nature tripping. I am not a fan of hiking and long walks but for the love of Sagada, then go lang ng go.

Sagada is a 5^th class municipality in the Mountain province. There are no direct trips from Manila to Sagada. Its either you take the 6 hour bus to Baguio then take another 5 hour bus ride to Sagada. In our case, we will be taking the 9 hour Manila- Banaue bus trip because we wanted to make a side trip to Banaue and at the same time, see the world famous Philippine landmark, the Banaue Rice Terraces. From there, we can catch a 3 hour jeep ride to Bontoc, and then transfer to another 45 minute jeep ride to to Sagada. Ini- imagine ko pa lang parang nakaka haggard na ang trip. But then again, I know it will be a different kind of journey. As what others always say, it’s the journey and not the destination that matters. 

Hanging coffins of Sagada. Photo not mine.

Here are my to do list that I should accomplish ( or maybe TRY to accomplish ) for this Sagada trip:

1. See the famous Banaue Rice Terraces
2. Topload the jeepney.
3. Go caving and spelunking in Sagada’s famous Lumiang and Sumaguing caves
4. See the majestic Bomod-ok or Pongas falls. Either of the one will do.
5. Witness the sunrise at Kiltepan.
6. Food tripping in Sagada ( Lemon Pie and Yoghurt house )
7. Meet locals and new friends ( or meet someone to fall in love with ) Hahaha
8. Experience EXTREME hiking and see the hanging coffins and the echo valley. Take note: EXTREME hiking. Ihanda na ang body pain relievers. Haha
9. Reflect, contemplate and learn something new about myself. ( EMOTERO ) Haha
10. And lastly, the toughest of them all: Spend not more than P4000 for this backpacking trip. Yes, this is a budget trip that is why I will do all my best not to exceed my P4000 budget.

I can’t wait for next week to come. I know this will be another great experience. I hope that I will be able to accomplish everything on my list ( or maybe at least half of it ) so that will all pride, I can say that “I SURVIVED SAGADA!”

Bomod-ok Falls aka The Big Falls. Photo not mine.

Weekend in Dahican Beach of Davao Oriental

Date of travel: April 2010

Dahican Beach, Davao Oriental

Davao Oriental has some of the best beaches in the Davao region, whether for surfing, island hopping or just for swimming and simply for beach bumming. I’ve been to Davao Oriental for a lot of times. My grandmother is from Dawan, Davao Oriental. It’s a small barangay that you will pass by on your way to Mati City and most of my childhood was spent there. That is why Davao Oriental has a special place in my heart.

Just a typical summer trying to beat the summer heat, me and my friends planned an out of town beach getaway in Dahican, famous for its beach perfect for skim boarding and surfing. Weeks before the trip, everyone was so keen and interested in pursuing the trip. The day before the trip, ayun na, dami nang nagba-back out. Urgh! I hate last minute cancellations. So from 8, only 3 of us pursue the trip.

What to expect in Dahican? Turquoise water and big waves.

Our meeting place was the Davao City Overland Terminal, aka Ecoland terminal. We’re taking the bus going to Mati City because we were considering comfort.  Airconditioned buses ply the Davao- Mati route via Bachelor Express which usually takes 3 and a half hours of travel time. Fare is P280 for the a/c buses while its cheaper if youll take the non a/c buses. But in the long run, taking the bus was the wrong choice. The bus has a lot of stops along the way which makes the trip longer. We left Davao by 8:00 am and we arrived by almost 1:00 in the afternoon. 5 hours. HAGGARD!

The moment we arrived Mati City, all we wanna do is eat. We were so hungry like weve not eaten for days. Dagdag pa dun yung stress that we got from the bus trip. We went to Seaside restaurant which is near the bay walk in the city. Food is good and delicious too. And did I mention it’s inexpensive too. But what I loved most was their Empanada. Probably the best empanada in Mindanao. I reserved 2 boxes at 120 each that ill pick up the next day. Sure na ang pasalubong. Haha

Lunch at Seaside Restaurant. Hungry much.

After taking our lunch and buying some food for our baon and necessities (which included alcoholic drinks of course. Haha), we then looked for our habal- habal driver that will take us to Dahican Beach, which is a 20 minute drive from the city center. Price for the motorcycle ride was P40 per person which is reasonable enough. On your way via the habal- habal, youll get to appreciate the rural setting of the place which is so laid back. Probinsya kung probinsya ang peg.

Just arrived. AT LAST!

The smile on our faces. Happy beach bummers!

We told manong to take us to the cheapest resort there. We still have no reservations for that night. Walking in wouldn’t hurt that much. That’s the fun in backpacking. There were rooms available but at P1500 per night. HUWAATTT?!?! Its out of our budget. This trip we were completely on a shoestring so as much as possible wanted to make tipid. We walked a couple of meters along the beach and found this retreat house which was managed by nuns. We asked if we can stay in one of their rooms because we don’t have anywhere to stay. With the nagmamakaawa effect, ayun, sister offered a small room at P800 only. Not bad again. But heres the catch! No smoking, NO DRINKING, there’s curfew and that they will close the gate by 8pm. HUWAAAAAT?!?! “ Para tayong nasa kumbento. Maususnog tayo dito” We told sister that well just be back and get some things. In the back of our mind, “ KALOKA! Wag tayo dun, saying ang beer natin.”

Just beside is the Amihan sa Dahican camp. Its like a small camp where you can bring your bring and pitch your own tent and enjoy the laid- back atmosphere and just chill. The boys of Amihan were so friendly and helpful that they offered us one of their tents at only P300. They even helped us in preparing our dinner. They have a small bar (thank God) that sells soft drinks and beers. Well just what we need. Just in case kulang ang beer. Haha. We pitched in our tent that evening had our dinner and just enjoyed the night. Nothing beat a couple of beer plus a good conversation with good friends in ending the night.

Afternoon stroll in the beach.

Pero ang di ko talaga malimutan. We were already inside our tent when we heard outside the voice of sister. She was asking some people outside if they saw 3 young adults from Davao.

" Sabi kasi nila makikistay sila sa amin dahil wala silang matutuluyan. Gabi na and dapat andito na sila"  OMG! Sister was looking for us. So tahimik lang kami para di kame marinig. Good thing kuya never said anything that we were there sa tent. Haha. Sorry sister. 

Sunrise in Dahican. Photographers in action. 

The morning after, we had our leftovers from last night as our breakfast. Today is the time to enjoy the beach. The weather was good. Sun was shining bright, the sky was so clear and the waves of the clear, turquoise beach was calling and tempting us to take a dip. The boys of Amihan, especially Kuya ( the eldest of the brothers, forgot his name ) even offered us a free surfing lesson. He lends us their surfboards for free. They were so mabait and kind talaga. That is what I loved about them, friendly and genuine. What matters to them is that their guests would have a great time and that they will share their great experience with them to others.

Good morning. Whats for breakfast?

The entire day, we just enjoyed the sand and the beach. The shore plus the surf and skim boards were great props for a photo shoot. Haha

The long stretch of white sand beach of Dahican. A beach lover and surfers paradise.

Surf- surf din pag may time.

Surfer kung surfer ang peg. 

With kuya of Amihan sa Dahican, the best surfing teacher

Kristine, me and Grace. Surfers in the making. Chost.

Skim boarding like a pro. Chot. Haha

Bye! Gotta hit the waves. Haha. 

By noontime, its time to leave Dahican. We have to back in Davao City by afternoon. Good thing they have a friend who has a van that is going back to the town proper. They offered us a free ride back to Mati City. We cant say no of course. We left and bid them goodbye. And we told them that soon well be back.

Loving my curls. Haha

The small bar at Amihan sa Dahican with the awesome Amihan boys

In Mati City, we picked up our empanada and had a quick lunch in a nearby carinderia. Theres also a van terminal near the carinderia that offers a ride back to Davao at P230. We don’t wanna waste our time again in another bus ride so we took the van. We left Mati City at 1230 noon and arrived Davao at 330 in the afternoon.

Van ride from Mati to Davao. Bye Mati.

Dahican is a place that I will never forget. Not because of its beautiful beaches but because of the people I’ve met there. For sure I will be back. Im not sure when but for some day, ill experience Dahican again.

See you again Dahican. You brought the surfer in all of us. 

Hundred Islands of Alaminos, Pangasinan

Date of Travel: March 2011

Hundred Islands- BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!

After arriving in Clark together with my travel buddy Joey from our 2-day trip in Kota Kinabalu Malaysia, we still have like a day and a half to spare before my flight back to Davao. Since we were unable to check the beaches in Borneo due to the fact that we always end up staying longer in bed after waking up, we have to make up to it and at least we would be able to plunge in one of our beaches in the country. And Hundred Islands in Alaminos, Pangasinan was our destination to be.

The Hundred Islands National Park is a national park in the Philippines. The protected area is located in the city of Alaminos, in the province of Pangasinan. he islands, totaling 124 at low tide and 123 at high tide, are scattered in Lingayen Gulf covering an area of 16.76 square kilometres. Only three of them have been developed for tourism: Governor Island, Quezon Island, and Children's Island.

From Clark, we took a bus going back to Manila to meet our friend Rachel and at the same time leave some of our things in her place para less hassle na carrying our bags ( baggage counter lang ang peg ). We had dinner in SM Megamall and just killed the time while waiting for our bus to Alaminos via Victory Liner.

Catching the last bus to Alaminos in Victory Liner Cubao terminal

We went to Victory Liner’s Cubao bus terminal by 10pm to catch the last trip to Alaminos, Pangasinan. Fare will not cost more than P400.00 for a 5 hour bus ride. We took the last air-conditioned bus trip to Alaminos at 11:30 pm which is scheduled to arrive in Alaminos by 5am. At least we have some ample time to sleep and take a short rest. Pero ang ending, no rest pa rin. Bus has wifi connection so avail sa free internet. Haha. It was a smooth trip, and we arrived earlier than we expected. I woke up and manong conductor told us “ Alaminos na po! “ Hay naku, ambilis lang. kulang pa sa tulog. Haggardness pa. The bus terminal in Alaminos is a small and old one, more like a tricycle terminal. It was just near the market. Since its still 4am and still dark, we had no choice but to stay and sleep in the terminal’s benches. Wag nang arte arte. “ Let’s just wait till 6 am or until sumikat na ang araw”. While we were there trying to have our quick rest, some drivers are already asking us if we were going to Hundred Islands and some of them were offering transport to Lucap Wharf and boat tours too. “No kuya, NO! May inaantay kami! Di kami pupunta dun”  I don’t mean to be rude but at that time, I just want to take a nap.

Welcome sign in Lucap wharf, Alaminos, Pangasinan.

As sunlight came, we just strolled around downtown Alaminos, looking for a place to eat and looking for some drinking water and food for us to bring in our island hopping. And of course there’s Jollibee. We ate breakfast and bought some food as our baon. We thought “ Baka mahal ang food dun, wala na tayong pera. Jollibee na, delicious na, afforda-licious pa”.Haha. Then we saw manong  trike driver outside Jollibee waiting for some passengers. I asked if he can take us to Lucap wharf which is the starting point of the tour. He seems nice and friendly naman and he offered a reasonable price of P60/ ride so we took his trike.  He know some boat operators too and he can give discount since its just the two of us and its still not the peak season. For a price of  P1200 for the whole day island tour is not bad. And the fact that I am so keen to hit the beach already, then it’s a go. So we started the  tour and wasted no time.

Lucap wharf- island hopping's starting point

Here are some of the islands that we visited for the whole day island hopping:

Governor's Island- home of the PBB house in Pangasinan, the amazing view deck and pristine, secluded white sand beach. 

The PBB house in Alaminos found in Governors Island.

Force evictees sa bahay ni kuya. Haha

Amazing veiw at the Governors Island view deck. 

Spelunking, Alaminos style.

Children's Island- known for its very shallow, knee deep waters

Acting like a kid in Childrens Island. Chost.

Quezon Island- most developed island among all. This is where we took our lunch and spent most of our time. There are accommodations available in the island if you opt to stay overnight. Sari- sari stores and some small eateries are also available. Perfect for snorkeling and a quick swim. 

Mandatory selfie shot. Haha

Snorkeling around Quezon Island

Pathway going to several huts in the island.

Marcos Island- this is my favorite among all the island. Still a white sand secluded beach but what made it special is that there is a cave that is also a dive/ jump spot for thrill seekers. Jumping that 10 feet high cliff was such an achievement. James Franco aka 127 hours ang peg! Haha

Marcos Island's secluded part of the beach. Beauty, isn't it?

Above the Marcos Island, on our way to the cave.

Tempting yet nerve cracking. Look at how high the cliff we have to jump.

Still alive after the jump. Haha

WHOOAAAHHHH!!!!! Best experience ever!

Thanks M/V Sherwin for the amazing island hopping experience.

By 3:30 in the afternoon, were already heading back to Lucap wharf to cap off our Hundred Islands experience. Overall, I had fun. It is indeed one of the most visited tourist attractions in North Luzon and in the Philippines as well. I only heard about it before during my elementary days on how it was made, all those alamat thingy in my Filipino subject and stuff. It is a wonder on its own. Now I was able to experience it personally. It is one place that should not be missed especially if you’re a beach junkie. One thing I can assure you for sure, there are more than a hundred reasons to enjoy the Hundred Islands of Pangasinan.

My own piece of paradise.

Till the next time Pangasinan.

Sir Jay's Top 5 Beaches in the Philippines

I am a certified beach bum. Ever since I was a child, the feeling of going to the beach was unexplainable. Pinaglihi siguro ako sa dagat o baka taong dagat or sea creature ako in my past life. Syokoy lang ang peg? Haha. I've been to many beaches here in the Philippines and I can say that we are so lucky to have many amazing white sand beaches with crystal clear waters. Take note: Crystal clear ha. But there are some beaches here on the country that are really special to me and I find very breath-taking. Every year, I search for the best beaches all over the Philippines and have a piece of it that I can call my own paradise. So here's my list of my top 5 best beaches in the Philippines.

5. Isla Reta, Talikud Island, Davao del Norte

Of all the beaches near my hometown and in Samal area, Isla Reta is my favorite. Situated in Talikud Island, Isla Reta has pristine white sand beach. It is very accessible since there are direct 1-hour boat ride from Davao City. I'm loving the fact that there are a lot of acacia trees that give shade to the beach goers. Entrance and accommodation is very affordable too. And the resort staff is so accommodating and welcoming. Kaya nga suki na ako dito.


4. Sta. Cruz Island, Zamboanga Del Sur

Believe it or not, I was awed with the serenity of the beach. Only few people go there since you still need a permit from the tourism office. You will also have your set of guards from the army who will accompany you and will serve as your security personnel while you're there. Bongga! Basilan na kasi sa likod ng island. So alam na. Haha. What also made the beach special is that it is known for its pink sand beach. The pink effect is due to the dead red corals that is mixed with the sand. Take me back there please?!?!

3. Boracay, Aklan

Who doesn't love Boracay? Voted as one of the Philippines best beaches, Boracay has been everyone's favorite both local and foreign beach bummers. Been there for two times and the beach always mesmerized me. Great for food tripping, extreme sports and wild party nights, you'll never run out of things to do there. Though I find Boracay very mainstream and over-rated, still it got its charm that kept me and others on coming back. They aint call it the best for nothing. 


2. Blue Lagoon, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

Known as the Boracay of the north, Pagudpud is home to amazing white sand beaches too. The 12-hour road trip from Manila to the province of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte will bring you to Saud Beach and the popular Blue Lagoon. You will realize that the long trip is all worth it. From the name itself, the beach has clear turquoise water that is so tempting.  Many beach bums go here to surf too since it has strong to moderate waves. Though i've been there just for a couple of hours, I felt like the beach was my home in the north.

1. Santa Fe, Bantayan Island, Cebu

Bantayan Island has always and will always be memorable to me. Been here for several times and still looking forward to coming back. Did I mention that I had my first ever vehicular accident while driving a motorcycle here? And I don't even have a freaking license. Sorry LTO. Haha. My first ever solo backpacking trip was in Bantayan Island and it was a blast. It was a brave thing to do. Sta. Fe is so laid-back. Though it is starting to be commercialized, it has maintained its simplicity. The locals are very friendly. The beach is clean and calm. I even spent the whole day under the coconut tree while reading the whole book and doing nothing.  It was so relaxing. And the beach again, took my breath away. Paulit- ulit? Haha. This paradise is just a 4-hour ride from Cebu City. Traveling to Bantayan is very accessible too. 


So what are you favorite beaches here in the country? Do we have the same? There is still a lot to explore and im halfway through it. Beach bumming is indeed more fun in the Philippines.