Wow, Panglao!

Date of travel: January 2009

Panglao Island, Bohol

After a very fun day exploring the wonders of Bohol, me, my sister Rosamel and my friend Lucky wanted to spend the night and the rest of our time in Panglao Island. The island is just a 30- minute drive from the city proper of Tagbilaran. The island is famous for its world class beaches, island hopping, caving and dolphin watching. After buying some food and snacks in the downtown area, manong driver took us to Panglao. Since we have no reservations for that night, he also helped us in finding our accommodations. Kuya is all around na maaasahan.







He took us in a resort near the high end Dimaluan resort and Bohol Beach Club. A fan room with private bathroom and with double beds costs P800.00 is fair enough. And the beach is just a minute walk from the room. Not bad. So we booked the room and took a short nap first to freshen up before hitting the beach.

            The beach front of the high- end Bohol Beach Club of 

     Panglao Island.

HOY! Bawal magpa- picture at pumasok dito. Di kayo naka check-in - Manong guard. Haha

Before sunset, hinanda na namin ang ang mga beach outfit para rampa na sa Panglao. Haha. Sunset was perfect. Being there was so relaxing. We spent the rest of the afternoon dipping in the beach and frolicking in the white sand. We even went to Bohol Beach Club's area. That time, a lot of foreign tourists were on the resort. Koreans at mostly mga westerners na mga retirable looking o parang retired na talaga. Anong meron? May party? I was not informed. Haha.

The beach infront our resort. Enjoying the sea, sunset and sand.

  
Though bawal daw, we still went to the resort's premises. Hindi naman pansin at alam ng security doon if you are booked with them or not. Gatecrash kung gatecrash. Haha. There you'll notice that the amenities in the resort are high end. So picture lang nang picture. Avail nang avail hanggang di pa sinisita ni manong guard. Hopefully soon, if I have the enough money to spend for a luxurious vacation, ill book a room with them. 

Two thumbs up for Panglao baby!!!!

The beach is beautiful. Panglao has this powdery white sand beach. The water is clear too. Though ang babaw. You'll have to walk with faith pa just to reach an area para umabot lang sa beywang mo ang tubig. Kakaloka naman. For sure you'll never get drowned. Then on the further part ay lumot na. So chaka na. So babad- babad lang kami on the shallow part. Still we had fun.

Knee-deep beach. Hay naku, ang babaw!

By night time we had dinner in a nearby barbeque stall. Food was delicious and not that expensive. They set up some dining table by the shore. Okay naman. Many were there to eat and dine too. We spent like almost P400 for the entire mea that is enough for the three of us. Busog at satisfied of course. Then we went back to Bohol Beach Club's area. Parang may party. Sosyal ng mga foreigner. May buffet. May beach party. May budget. There were also some bands and acoustic singers that serenaded them. So joiners din kami. Haha. After a couple of hours we went back to our room and called it a day. Napuyat ng sobra because of the activities we did the whole day.

Dinner by the beach. Cheap but oh- so yummy.

Gate-crashing at a party. Haha. Its not a party without us!!!

Then morning came, I had the chance to stroll in the beach again. Had instant noodles and bread for breakfast ( nagtitipid eh ). Went for a quick swim and just enjoyed the moment. After the dip, we prepared our things and we are ready to leave for Cebu. While waiting for kuya to fetch us, photo shoot na naman. After which, kuya already arrived and we bid Panglao goodbye. We then went to Tagbilaran Island Mall to have lunch. Gutom na eh, as usual. Before he left, we thanked Kuya for being accommodating and he thanked us too. After we ate, we bought our pasalubongs like the famous peanut kisses and kalamay and took a trike going to back to the port for us to catch our ride back to Cebu. 
                                                                                       

Dimaluan Resort

Goodbye Panglao beach. Till we meet again

Back in the port. Bye Bohol. Off to Cebu again.

 Bohol and Panglao, see you again soon!

Its All in Bohol

Date of travel: January 2009

Bohol is one of the.most visited places in the country. Famous for its Chocolate Hills and cute Tarsiers, many tourists and travelers visit Bohol to experience the laid back province and be close to nature. Hanggang libro at picture ko lang ito nakikita. Gosh I need to see it personally para malaman ko kung chocolate ba talaga ito or not. Haha. Arte noh? That's why when we visited Cebu last 2009, we made sure that the province of Bohol will be included in our itinerary.

Getting to and from Bohol is a piece of cake. There are direct flights to Tagbilaran, the province capital, from most of our domestic airlines. From Mindanao, there are ferries from Camiguin going to Jagna. But the most common route to Bohol is via Cebu. Fast crafts and ferries have daily trips from Cebu to the port of Tagbilaran. On our part, we took the Ocean Jet fast craft from Cebu's pier one. We bought tickets and made reservation the day before our travel kase daw most of the fast crafts are fully booked especially the morning trips. Return ticket costs P900.00 which is acceptable for an air-conditioned and comfortable 1 and a half hour trip. So ayun, 4 am palang we left our pension house and took the taxi to pier one to catch the 6am trip. The boat left mga 630 am and borlogs muna for over an hour para may energy pagdating ng Bohol.

Waiting at Pier One on a 5am

About to depart. Time to grab some zzzzz

Welcome to Bohol

Past 8am and were already in Tagbiliran. In the port pa lang, you'll notice the large number pf tourist arrivals. We got off the ferry and went to the terminal area. NOW WHAT? We were clueless. Ano na? San na tayo sunod? How can we explore Bohol now? Good thing that outside the port in the departure area ay marami ang nag oofer ng guided tours including the transportation na. So no need to worry if you have no contacts since many drivers and guides will offer you tours at a reasonable price. Try to haggle and you could even get cheper offers. Ilabas na ang mga convincing powers! That is when we met kuya ( I forgot his name ) and he offered P1500 for the 3 of us,  for the guided tour for the whole day via his Toyota Avanza. Carry na actually. At least hassle free na and I wanna start the tour and waste no time. We sealed the deal and were good to go. We had our breakfast first in a nearby carinderia since guttomy hilfigher na talaga before we started our trip.

Kuya's Toyota Avanza. Ayos!

So for the entire day, here were the sights that we visited. Of course manong kuya driver was our guide. And our photographer too. Camera man in short.


WHAT TO SEE IN BOHOL?

 Blood compact site- with matching tagay shot/ pose.

 Baclayon Church- parang feel kong mag simba dito every Sunday

 Loboc Museum- a collection of some Bohol made artifacts

 Loboc River cruise- a cruise along Loboc river with buffet lunch at 300 php.YES UNLI RICE!

Tarsier sanctuary- How I wish I can sneak one in my bag. Ssshhh.. 

 Man-made forest- walang kamatayang mga puno at nature pa ren

 Chocolate Hills- which is not so chocolatey at all.

.

Butterfly Garden- expect many butterflies of course

We finished the tour by almost 4 in the afternoon. Since we want to spend the night ans the rest of our time in the beach, we told Kuya to take us to Panglao. He asked for an additional P500 including pickup the next day. Okay, fine. We bought first some snacks and necessities before heading to Panglao beach.

Bohol is truly a nature lover's paradise. You'll get to appreciate God's gift of nature to its province. So if you haven't been to Bohol and you've been wishing to visit the province, go ahead and explore. For its all in Bohol.

OMG PASSPORT!

                            
                             The same exact feeling when I got my passport. Like seriously. Haha.

Going solo in Indonesia this Summer

It was an achievement for me to travel solo for the first time outside the country. The backpacking trip I did last August 2012 covering three countries, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand was like a huge achievement. SOUL SEARCHING? Hindi, nag iinarte lang. Haha. Gusto ko kasi ma feel ano yung feeling mag solo backpacking abroad. Arte lang. Now I know how it feels and im giving it a shot again.

 














 Went on full-board solo backpacking in 3 countries. Maya Bay in Krabi, Thailand and Ho Chi Minh were some of the attractions visited.

Here comes another seat sale from AirAsia. Ilang beses na akong naka sakay sa kanila, both domestic and international flights and I have no issues with them. Now they're celebrating their 5th year as world's best LCC and they have this P5 fare on all domestic and some international flights. Travel period is Feb to August of 2014. Not bad ha. Napaisip ako. UY, summer sa April. Walang pasok. PWEDE. 

                                                      High Five Seat Sale of AirAsia. Happy soul.

My ultimate dream is to travel to India. I always imagine myself riding their sleeper trains, the picturesque Taj Mahal at mag feeling Bollywood star at sumayaw ng Jai-Ho. Haha. India ha this special charm that makes me wanna come and visit the country. Airsia has direct llights to Kolkata from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. Then pwede nang mag train papuntang Delhi. CARRY LANG! So sige, search na ng at makipagsapalaran na. But checking their flights and schedules the night the seat sale was out, ay mahal pa ren. Would cost to P7,000 more for return tickets. Di pa kasali Manila to KL dun. So there, the India plan was put to scratch. Maybe someday. I know India can wait. So I decided to sleep and deadma na sa seat sale. Wag nang mag book. Wala pang gastos.

The next day, I was tempted to check the site again. Ma try nga, baka maka lusot na naman at may uber low fares pa. Then I checked Manila to Kuala Lumpur. Still expensive for flights this summer season. Manila to Kota KInabalu. All in fare: P465.00. Hey, this is cheap. I can book this. But ive been to Sabah before. I want something new. So I checked all flights out of Kota Kinabalu and boom, there's Bali with an all in fare of P1600. Wow, this can be a great adventure. Davao-Manila-Kota Kinabalu- Denpasar is feasible. Then I can do land trip from Bali to Lombok, then a long bus and train ride to Surabaya, Yogyakarta then Jakarta covering 12 days. AYOS! Good plan. So I booked the flights and now im all pumped up for the upcoming summer of 2014. 

                                       

                                     Manila- Kota Kinabalu- Denpasar at almost P2000. Still a good deal.

So if traveling solo abroad is in your bucket list, dont hesitate. It wlll help you grow. The experience you will gain is incomparable. So go ahead and book that flight and you will know how it feels. And good luck to me in my Indonesia trip.

                                                My Indonesia route map. O ha, career na! Haha

Boracay for the First Time

Boracay Survival Guide

Date of travel: March 2009

Boracay, located at the northern tip of Panay Island, is the country's premiere summer destination. Recently, we went there and everything was a blast. I hope this would be helpful to those who are planning to go there, especially to first time travelers in Boracay like us and I’ll also give a rundown on the expenses (which is everyone's concern) in Boracay. Surprisingly, staying in Boracay can be affordable to everyone.

                                                     Boracay's famous white sand beach

Luckily, me and my three Sutherland friends Mae, Gammie and Mina ( from my previous company ) and Melvin ( a friend from Manila ) were given the chance to explore Boracay for the first time. Before the trip, we had some extensive planning. TAKE NOTE: EXTENSIVE! Haha. First time eh. Good thing everything ended up well.

                                          Team Boracay: Me, Mina, Gammie, Mae and Melvin
 

How to get there?

                                                            Caticlan: Gateway to Boracay

 
Boracay is accessible in many ways. There are direct flights from Manila and Cebu to Caticlan, which is Boracay's gateway. If from Davao, the best way is through Iloilo. Once in Iloilo, go directly to Tagbak terminal wherein buses ( Ceres Liner that is ), will take you direct to Caticlan via Kalibo, Aklan. Be ready for a dreadful 6 hour bus ride to Caticlan. But if in a hurry, take the van or hire a taxi which is much expensive. Good thing is that CebuPac now flies direct to Kalibo from Davao which will cut off the long travel time. If in Caticlan, make your way to the jetty port. Take a 20 minute jetty ride from Caticlan on your way to the island of Boracay. By the way, be ready with a lot of fees that you have to pay in the port. But does it matter? It does not. You won’t think of the expenses since everything is all worth it. And if already in Boracay jetty port, you have two options. You can hire a trike or a pedicab that will take you to your hotel or if in a large group, multicabs are also there to assist you. 

We took the Iloilo- Caticlan route. Imagine mo na lang ang inendure ng puwet for more than 6 hours. Haha.

                                                                  Boracay! AT LAST!!!!!

 
Where to stay in Boracay?

Everyone thought, including me, that accommodation in Boracay is way up high in. That’s true for beach front hotels and resorts. A single room can cost you P5000.00 a night which is too much. Good thing there are cheap resorts and inns that offers affordable rates yet excellent services. For us we stayed in Boracay Tourist Inn, a newly established tourist inn in Station 1 of Boracay beach. At P2500/ night good for 4 pax is a good steal already. It’s not a beach front hotel but a minute walk to the beach from the room is not bad. Rooms in station 1 and 2 are way higher since its in central Boracay compared to rooms in station 3.

 

                                                  Boracay Tourist Inn: Our home in Boracay

Bored in Boracay? How dare you!

Boracay has a lot of things to offer. From the endless nights of party to the extreme water activities or simply a stroll in the beach makes you feel relaxed. You can jog or take a walk along the 4 kilometer stretch of White Beach. If brave enough (and rich enough), try water activities like para-sailing, scuba diving, Jet Ski and the like. Rates of these activities are on a per minute basis. If on budget, better hop on to that banana boat for that (boring) ride or rent a banca that can take you on a tour on the whole island and at the same time, you can do snorkeling to see the rich corals and the colorful fishes that swim with you. If you can’t afford any of these, just take a plunge on the beach. It’s more than enough, trust me.

                                                  Island hopping and snorkeling in Boracay

                                                                                  Spell B-A-N-A-N-A

 
Dining in Boracay

What I love about Boracay are the wide choices of food. From grilled, to Asian, to Greek,Mexican, to deserts, to fast food, everything is so good. There are also buffets along the beach shores for as low as P250.00 which is ok enough. On my part, most of my money was shelled out just to eat. Must try in Boracay are:

Jonah's - the best fruit shake in the world. Choco Banana Peanut is a winner.

Andoks - how can we forget the dokito frito. hahaha. Cheap but delicious

Crazy crepes - mouth watering crepes with ice cream, fruits, cream and corn flakes. Yum!

Yellowcab pizza - nothing beats eating an 18 inch pizza on the shore under the night sky.

Cindy's - their batchoy and bacon cheese burger with fries left me speechless.

Halowich - tempting halo halo though expensive.

Big Mama's Grill - thumbs up to their grilled liempo and chicken.

Lemon Cafe - oh those heavenly muffins

                                                            Pizza night: Bawal ang kanin.

Boracay's Club Scene

Party never stops in Boracay. This what makes Boracay alive at night. If you love to dance the whole night long, the clubs and bars in station 1 are for you. Club Paraw and Guilly's Island were winners for us. Hey Jude Bar is Station 2 is a winner too though you a little pricey.Then there is the new EPIC bar which is epic in its own ways. Beers and alcoholic drinks prices starts at P70.00 but on happy hour, usually between 4pm to 9pm, the prices of these drinks can go so low like you've never expected. If not into dancing, listening to reggae music in Bom Bom Bar is the best for you. With acoustic performances every night, performers will serenade you while drinking your favorite beer and having the best time with your pals. 

                                                             Beers and friends at Guilly's.

Shop till You Drop

A visit to Boracay won’t be complete without visiting D' Mall and D' Talipapa. Buying souvenirs for your trip is a must. From swimwears, to shawls, chimes, and accessories. They all got it. If you want to save, better buy at D' Talipapa. And try to haggle. Trust me, prices can go way down low.

                                           Shopping galore at D' Market. Happy soul, sad wallet. Haha

So here's the rundown of my expenses for our 3 days and 2 night stay

Roundtrip airfare: P1980.00 ( Dvo - Ilo - Ceb - Dvo )
Airport fee: P600.00
Taxi fare: P135.00 per person for a group of 4
Roundtrip Bus ride: P616.00 ( Iloilo to Caticlan to Iloilo )
Roundtrip Jetty Ride: P50.00
Port Terminal fee: P100.00
Environmental fee: P50.00
Roundtrip pedicab ride: P50.00 per person for a group of 4
Accommodations: P1250.00 per person for a group of 4
Food and Drinks: P1450.00
Banana boat ride: P250.00
Island hopping: P300.00 per person for a group of 4
Snorkeling equipment: P50.00
Snorkeling fee: P20.00
Shopping at D' Talipapa: P420.00

This gives us a total of P7231.00. Now you have an idea how much to shell out. At least, if you eat less, shop less, and drink less, you’ll save more.

Whatever happens in Boracay stays in Boracay. A friend told me that Boracay is a place you should visit before you die. I find it exaggerating at first but after being there, I realized it was true. Boracay indeed is a paradise. You’ll get addicted to it and you’ll crave for more. Indeed, I’ll be back. As what I always say. Let’s live life to the fullest. And the best way to do that, go to Boracay. At least once in your life maybe.

                                                               Till next time Boracay.

                                                   The sunset in Boracay. Enough said.

LASTLY, ITS BORACAY, NOT BORA FOR CHRIST SAKE!!!!! 

The traveler teacher is back!

Well its been almost 5 years since I created my travel blog and unfortunately, I realized blogging was a hard thing to do. Ang hirap pala! Been to almost around the Philippines and to most Southeast Asian countries and no single blog was posted. Hiyang hiyang naman ako sa pagka- tamad ko. Haha.  Due to my hectic schedule plus my laziness, my blog site rojinoshe.blogspot.com  officially came to end. All efforts and attempts were tried to recover that blog but still I failed.  WALEY!

Now its 2013 and im giving blogging another chance.My New Years resolution was to come up again with another travel blog that will be helpful to my fellow backpackers and travelers. July na at kahit half of 2013 na ay achieved pa rin.  The past 5 years ive been to many places, in and out of the country and I was able to make it and survive my trips because of the blogs that ive read. Research kung research. Kung maka study eh daig pa ang magbo-board exam. Halos ma duling na kakabasa ng mga travel threads. Thats how eager and passionate I am when it comes to traveling.

  

                                          Your passport, ticket and determination is all you need.

Now its payback time.  Through this I can give back and I can share my experiences to my readers who are hungry to travel and explore new places. In my own little way, I can help and inspire them to do try traveling.

So enjoy my blog and have fun. Hope I will be able to inspire you to venture on your own, with your family, with your friends and loved ones. Basta enjoy and travel lang. Whether locally or abroad. Book that ticket and pack your bags na. Experience and immerse different cultures. Meet the locals. Try authentic cuisines. Or fall in love maybe. WHO KNOWS? Kelan mo pa gagawin yan, kung kelan di na pwede and kaya?.

                                                     Beach bumming in Boracay, 2010



“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, To gain all while you give, To roam the roads of lands remote: To travel is to live.” —Hans Christian Andersen