Philippines Travel Info

Archive for the ‘Travel and Leisure’ Category

So it has been about 6 weeks I have been a Moalboal. I’m now with a new girlfriend but this one is a keeper I’m sure. I left Moalboal and living in a beach hut along a sandy beach near a quiet province.

I will upload some pictures soon and write some mini reviews of some of the services around there.

Kawasan Water Falls, Badian, Cebu
We visited the Kawasan Water Falls near a town called Badian, Cebu around 30km south of Moalboal. We took some nice pics there so those will be online too as soon as I get organized and get my Internet service activated instead of using this slowBrow crap.

When we arrived at the town near the waterfalls we were greeted by a swarm of men asking ask to pay money for parking the motorbike. We asked if we could park it down by the road but they told us we still had to pay to park it there which I didn’t believe but we agreed to pay the guy 50 pesos to park it in his driveway. When we got back it was all in one piece and the helmet was still there.

The men wanted us to pay them to be our guide but we did not bring a lot of cash and we preferred to make our own way there anyway. They seemed offended when we said we don’t need a guide. Actually all this requesting money really spoilt the day as it was even worse when we arrived at the falls. As soon as we got there this man hounded us for money to pay for a table (150 pesos) or to pay for a raft to take us to the waterfall (also 150 pesos). We bought a drink of water at the shop for 50 pesos and that didn’t include being able to use the tables and chairs. We found a spot to put our bag down and politely told the guy who kept bugging us for money that we only had 50 pesos left, he soon left us alone when he realized we had little money.

My girlfriend watched as I swam out to the waterfall and the water was very refreshing, not cold but just right. When I go to the waterfall there was a couple there who had hired a raft and the guys who were standing on it looked very unfriendly when I swam out there. I never touched the raft but I’m sure if I had put one finger on it I would have received an unfriendly reminder to XXXX off.

The swim was very enjoyable and we had a great time taking photos and relaxing before heading back. The walk to the waterfalls from the bike takes around 15-20 minutes and it’s a very beautiful and scenic walk. It was a good choice for us to not pay for the guides as the walk is simple and there is no need for a guide unless you have money to splash around. We enjoyed walking at our own pace and stopping to take photos etc.

So besides all the people bugging us for money, the falls is really worth a trip to see and it’s probably better to be prepared to pay the money for a table and parking so you will feel more welcome when you are there.

….. more soon….

Over a year since the last trip to the Philippines had past and I was now boarding a Qantas flight from Sydney, direct to Manila. It was nice to not have to fly to Melbourne and stop over there which is what you must do when flying with Philippine Airlines. I also found the flight lot better, the food was better, I never got the pain in my ears like I did with Pal and overall it was a lot better experience.

I arrived in Manila after 5.pm the same day and then met my (now ex girlfriend) at the airport. After that we then got on our way to the domestic airport to get a flight straight to Cebu. I had no plan to stay in Manila so we just got the first flight out although it was not a good idea to by the tickets then as they were quite expensive. So make sure you buy tickets online before hand if you ever want to fly out the same day.

The flight was with Cebu Pacific and it was a comfortable and quick flight, less than 1 hour to Mactan airport. The problem is the flight was the last one so we never got to Cebu until the late hours of the night. It was around 11.pm by the time we got our luggage. We rang a couple of pension houses but no one answered so we had to stay in the fairly expensive Crown Agency for the first night at about 3,500 pesos. The room was nice and comfortable though and with great service. We also could have a buffet breakfast in the morning that came with the price. The breakfast was quite good and we certainly felt full after a number of servings of various fruits, cereals and toast. The omelette was also worth asking for.

We met a friend of my ex who showed us around Mactan and Lapu-Lapu but some of her recommendations for accommodation were questionable. She showed us an apartment that we could rent out but it was quite run down and I personally wouldn’t stay in a place like that even if I was paid to. These apartment complexes are common in Lapu-Lapu and surrounding districts, often they have a number of buildings and usually around 3 – 6 floors. When you see that some of the rooms have been demolished right next to ones that are furnished and ready to let then it’s time to move on. Thank heavens we never rented one of these places out as we could have being tied up for months once a deposit is paid.

Our friend showed us a hotel to stay at called the Queenslander in Lapu-Lapu. It was 1200 pesos a night for a standard room. The room itself was ok but they had a picture advert of sex toys behind the door so it wasn’t hard to work out who their main customers are. I guess it explains their terrible service and rude woman on the reception. The young men that would let us in the rooms looked like people I would not let in my home but these guys had our room keys and we were not given them as we had to get these guys to open our doors. Unfortunately we paid for 2 nights in advance and the cheeky B%%%S had the balls to give us a bill for another night when we left and asked for the fridge bill. I said what the F$ and the young man soon realized they had made a mistake or got caught out, one of the two but I would not go back there again.

We found a pretty good pension house/budget hotel called The Axis Hotel that is near the Mactan Markets. Many of the taxi drivers we met had no idea where it was so work out how to get there before you jump in a cab. It is clean, tidy, secure and friendly. The security guard was always helpful getting us a cab or tricycle and the staff were friendly and we felt safe there. The price was pretty good too, only $800 pesos a night + $50 pesos for a fridge. That price includes breakfast, cable TV, air con, hot shower etc.

We stayed there for a couple of nights while we looked at condos and apartments around that area but we could not find anything suitable to live in. So we decided to get out of Cebu city and Lapu-Lapu and head over to a small town called Balamban, near Toledo on the west coast of Cebu. We stayed at Pedros after I heard about it on a forum.

Peter (or Pedro) picked us up from the Balamban bus depot after a 2 – 3 hour bus ride from Cebu. Him and his wife Jenny put us in Tricycles and they took us to their home. We would rent out the largest room for $1900 pesos for one week, I gave them $2000 pesos. Now that is pretty good value considering that we would pay that much in one or two nights for a pension house in Cebu city or Lapu-Lapu. The room came with a large fan and good ventilation through louvers. We got cable TV included, although it wasn’t working properly for the fist couple of days but then Peter fixed it. Same thing with Wi Fi Internet, it was not working most of the time but Peter got it working for a day or two. We could forget these small problems as we were some of the first customers and I’m sure they would get these issues fixed. We did find the nights to be a bit difficult to sleep at times with a number of the local dogs barking outside our window.

Peter and Jenny cooked us up a delicious barbecue the first night we were there. Peters pork ribs were something else and make sure you try them when you stay there. We enjoyed the hospitably there but Balamban did not offer a lot for us to do so after a week we decided to leave our bags at a so called friend named Tim and take a trip over to the south, down the coast to a place called MoalBoal. I thought it was time to leave Balamban, Peter and Jenny were having some of their own issue and I wanted to let them have some time alone so I jumped at the chance to move on. Living so close together there it did feel a little uncomfortable after 6 days.

This so called friend who talked us into leaving Peters to stay at his place for FREE and kept telling us how much better off we will be by being able to leave our bags at his place for FREE while we traveled to other places in Cebu until we found a place we liked. Guess what, one of the first things he asked when we got to his house was for some money so I gave him 200 pesos. Again when we left our bags there for one night he tried to con me into giving him 1000 pesos as a loan. Apparently he was going to pay me back when he and his girlfriend came to Moalboal that weekend to go diving. I gave him 250 pesos anyway for looking after our bags but off course he never came to Moalboal and he never intended to. 1000 pesos to me is nothing but I can’t stand fuckwits like that, glad I found out what a shit head he really is. Certainly fooled me before that, seemed like a nice guy, goes to show how different someone really is to what they appear. I wonder how many more expats he will con who go to Balamban?

To get to MoalBoal from Balamban then you could probably just drive south if you have a motorbike but the only way we could get there was by taking a bus to Naga (going back towards Cebu) and then get off the bus at Naga and take a bus or Vhire to MoalBoal. So all that took us a good part of 3-4 hours but the trip was pretty good and quite scenic.

I rang someone in Cebu and asked him where to stay in MoalBoal and he recommended the Love Resort hotel. So after having a bit to eat on the MoalBoal main street we jumped in a tricycle and got them to take us and our luggage to the Love beach resort. The tricycle should cost around $70 pesos but we gave them $100 as we had so much luggage. But as we got there the driver told us he knew of some cottages nearby were we could rent one out. I was a little reluctant to start looking at places with all the luggage but I’m glad I said yes as we found the perfect place to stay (nearly). The only down side is there was no Internet included and my SmartBro is so slow here that it’s painful to use.

But the cottage I now live in is all I need, it has cable TV, a fridge, cooking top, large fan and I can pay extra for air con if I want but I don’t need it so have not used it yet. It’s so peaceful here and it’s just a really nice place to live. There is an assortment of restaurants, bars and adventure services all in 1 – 3 minutes walk. The water is only 50 metres away with crystal clear blue water and white sand. Divers are based here and a number of travelers come here just for the diving.

There is a large beach only 15 minutes on the bike called the White Sand beach and it really is a beautiful and ideal place to go for a swim with the family. You can rent out huts on the beach for around $150 pesos to have some shade and privacy or do what we did and sit under a tree on the sand for free.

continued at Discovering Cebu Part2

A beautifully stunning, rich in culture with a warm and friendly people the Philippines

Today the Philippines is a politically stable country with a growing economy, a booming tourism industry and a selection of very good property investment for foreign buyers.

The Philippine economy is well positioned to weather the global economic downturn whose effect on the Philippines property market is likely to be subdued because the economy is expected to remain resilient while the property market is exhibiting prolonged growth as the current circumstances have created an ideal environment for a sustainable capital growth because of significant demand and still affordable property.

The Philippines strong and growing economy combined with superb natural attractions, environment and sunny climate, stunning landscapes, beautiful beaches and numerous recreational facilities make the country a very desirable destination for both property investment & tourism.

The country is made up of some 7,000 islands situated in Southeast Asia in the Western Pacific, east of Vietnam and north east of Malaysia between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea.

However most of the people live on just 11 of the islands. The most populated islands are Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao which are mountainous as well as forested.

It is the Tourism industry that is helping drive the Philippines property market as the country received 3.5 million arrivals in 2008 a record year; this number is predicted to continue to grow as a lot of well off people for Asia are attracted to the Islands beauty and peaceful tranquillity. A lot of these visitors are looking to purchase property and of course the residential tourist resorts have to be built and invested in to accommodate for the high and growing demand from overseas visitors.

Sinulog 2009 drew millions of both local and foreign tourists and devotees who convergedover the weekend of January 17-19 to Cebu Philippines, some 600 kilometers south of Philippines, Philippines, to join the Sinulog festival in honor of the centuries-old miraculous image of the Sr. Sto. Nino.

Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan gave the image of the Sto. Nino as a baptismal gift to Hara Amihan, wife of reigning Rajah Humabon, when Magellan came to Cebu on April 7, 1521.

The same image was found unharmed among the burning embers of the city when conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi came to Cebu more than 40 years later on April 28, 1565 to start the formal Christianization and colonization of the Philippine islands.

The festivities turned fever pitch Sunday morning as the carousel-type Sinulog parade rolled off to the thunderousbeat of drums and blare of trumpets at nine a.m. over a 5.2-kilometer parade route.

Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) executive director Ricky Ballesteros said Sinulog 2009 parade participants include 44 contingents and 112 groups divided into higantes (paper mache giants), floats and puppeteers.

Police said the swelling crowd of revelers by mid-morning along the parade route reached as high as 2.5 million.

Thousands more watched the parade on television as this was covered live by major television networks.

On Saturday, an estimated 1.5 million people joined the solemn procession in honor of the Sto. Nino.

The crowd was so huge that the lead pack already returned to the Basilica Menore del Sto. Nino before those in the tail end could even start walking.

Sinulog Festival organizers said this was the grandest parade ever since the Sinulog was enlarged into a full-blown annual festival in 1981.

The Sinulog, a dance of pagan origin performed by the natives to pay homage to their native idols, has been considered as the country’s Christian link to its pagan past.

Historians said the Sto. Nino’s image was found in a wooden box lying side by side with wooden idols when Legaspi came to Cebu 44 years after Magellan was killed by Mactan chieftain Lapu-Lapu in the historic Battle of Mactan on April 27,1521. Legaspi bombarded Cebu to subdue the natives.

This led historians to conclude that the natives worshipped the Sto. Nino together with their idols as they danced the Sinulog even after Magellan’s death in the Battle of Mactan.

The Buyugan Festival of Abuyog, Leyte with its environmental theme, won first place in Sinulog 2009, stealing the award from the current champion the Lumad Basakon of Basak San Nicolas, Cebu which settled for second place in this year’s Sinulog Festival.

The Buyugan Festival dancers wowed the thousands of onlookers
at the Cebu Sports Complex and the thousands of people who lined the Cebu City main thoroughfares, with the mastery and fluidity of their steps and execution, the clear storyline and the spectacular props which provided drama to the total wonderful presentation.

The Buyugan Festival was also adjudged as third placer in the street dancing category which was won by the Sinundalay Cultural Group from Tangub City.

Another contingent from Leyte, the Karatong Festival of Dulag, won the fifth place, showing the entire country and the whole world that Leyte is a province to watch when it comes to festivals and cultural presentations. The Karatong Festival muse also won as the first runner up in the Miss Sinulog 2009.

The 200-man Tribu Kabatuk of Tacloban City headed by Mayor Alfred Romualdez and City Councilor Cristina Romualdez, also participated in the Sinulog 2009 and performed well. Its muse won as the best in production number in the Search for Miss Sinulog 2009.

The other winners in the free interpretation category were one of the most applauded Sinulog Tribe from Carmen, Cebu, third place; and the festival of Lanao del Norte, fourth place, which was headed by no less than the provincial governor.

For the Sinulog-based category, the winners were the Sinandaloy Cultural Group from Tangub City, first place; Don Sergio Sr. Memorial National High School, second place; Silaw Culture and Arts representing Carcar City, while Siloy Festival of Alcoy and Pakol Festival of Sta. Catalina in Negros Oriental were fourth and fifth, respectively.

The first prize winners for the Sinulog 2009 and Free Interpretation will receive P500,000. Second placers will get P300,000 each and third placers will go home with P200,000. Fourth and fifth placer will receive P150,000 and P100,000 respectively.

Winners in the Street Dancing will receive the same prizes as those of the two major categories.

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Plantation bay resort and spa cebu is extended over 11.4 hectares in Marigondon, Mactan where the beach is white sand and the water crystal-clear and blue. It is in Cebu, Philippines, one of the most dynamic urban areas in the country with the most ethnic diversity. It boasts of cottages of colonial-plantation architecture scattered around a number of artificial lagoons.

From the moment you walk in the lobby, the sound of water greets you like a forerunnerto another world. The lobby itself is decorated with old wooden floors, large wooden sofas, large printed rugs, high ceilings, and the thrill of open-air music from a grand piano.

The lagoons of Plantation Bay Resort are the main focus especially behind the reception area. Looking at the lagoon from the main lobby, one would think that it is only one lagoon crisscrossed by several footpaths. But it is really several lagoons with a slightly raised swimming pool off its center.

Every room at Plantation Bay Resort has a view of the water. The overall effect is like being in a Caribbean village. The Water’s Edge is the most sought after room, located right at the edge of the shallow pond. From the balcony, one can be in the water within 2 seconds.

The Lagoon Side has a king and queen beds, with luxurious and separate tub and shower. The ground-floor rooms feature generously sized balconies, which open directly onto the beach. The Lagoon View rooms are situated on the second floor or a few yards further from the beach.

For groups and large families who wish to share one room, why not try the Club Room, a combination of queen and bunk beds. Modified dormitory-style bathrooms, it is suitable for six to eight occupants.

The two-bedroom suite has two master’s bedrooms, both with extra-large bathrooms, living room and powder room. It is the most popular choice for two couples vacationing together and families with several children.

Plantation Bay Resort has two other special suites, each of them unique. The Riverboat Suite is a two-bedroom cottage built on stilts over flowing water, beautifully shaded with spreading acacia trees.

The Penthouse Suite is a two-bedroom house on two floors. The salon and dining area are perfect for entertaining. The master’s bedroom overlooks Mogambo Falls and has a private terrace.

Plantation Bay Resort opened its expanded spa called Mogambo Springs in mid-September of 2007. It is named Mogambo Springs to suit the exotic sounding names of the cottages. It sits on a 4,500-square-meter lot beside the artificial waterfall and a two-storey cottage called Magombo.

In the spa, Plantation Bay Resort makes use of the available materials such as limestone, treated bamboos, “pandan” for the flooring and “nipa” leaves for the roofs, in accordance with its intention of maintaining a Filipino character. In other words, it has the looks of an 18th century Japanese village with an African sounding name and a Filipino character.

Mogambo Springs has 21 massage rooms. Among them is a private villa, ideal for couples and families, with its own lounge area and a hot pool. There are four suite rooms which have bath tubs. A pagoda-like structure stands at the end of the spa facility. It contains two Pagoda Rooms, which can accommodate six persons.

Near the reception area, the spa”s pools are tucked in little crannies and gardens. With a 27-square meter area and seats with Jacuzzi jests, it can accommodate eight persons. Nearby, just behind the artificial waterfall, the thalassic pool has 12 Jacuzzi jets, bubblers, fiber optic lighting loose river stone flooring and salt water, pumped directly from the sea.

It offers an ample multitudeof services, consisting of the usual massages, spa packages and face and body treatments. It also provides salon treatments. It boasts of 35 therapists who are said to be trained in Singapore. Nenette Castillon, who has been with Plantation Bay since it opened, is the spa director.

The massages on offer include the Skinful Pleasures; the Dorn method; the pool massage, which is 35 minutes of a water relaxation therapy (Php600); the stress-relieving chair massage (Php800 for 30 minutes); foot therapy (Php1,800 for one hour); full body massage (Php1,600 for one hour); with choices of shiatsu, Swedish and combination; and aromatherapy oil massage (Php 1,800 for one hour) with choices of harmony, revitalizing, relaxing and sensuality.

The one-hour Skinful Pleasures (Php1,800) is an original creation that involves stretching, squeezing, straightening and other motions applied to the skin and muscles. On the other hand, the one-hour Dorn method (Php2,500) is a German healing method available exclusively at Mogambo Springs. It is a holistic manual therapy that is gentle on the joints and vertebrae and helps many forms of physical discomforts like stiffness, back and neck pains, pelvic and lower body pains and general stress.

The highlight of the Plantation Bay Resort spa packages is the six-hour and 30 minutes Ultimate Mogambo Springs Experience (Php8,800), which premises maximum pampering with a pool massage, a body scrub, a foot therapy, a facial treatment of choice, an aromatherapy oil massage and a hot oil treatment and nail care in a private treatment room.

It is not only the spa which Plantation Bay Resort is noted for. It boasts of several of the finest restaurants in Cebu Philippines – the Kilimanjaro Kafe, the Palermo (an Italian Restaurant) and the Fiji Restaurant which serves seafood, Japanese, Korean and other Asian food while the Savanah Grill is great for families or those in a rush. It serves burgers, hotdogs, and other fast-food favorites, all with 5-star flair.

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People go abroad and think how it would be like to be in that place. The Hotels are just there which you always wanted to have. Resort have done pretty well, providing excellent facilities and great services.

Resort are a better option for both business as well as leisure traveler. You can book online and rest assure about the good time you will spend. Resort come with all the comforts and luxury. This is the best place to stay in.

Resort in Turkmenistan are doing great. They provide facilities which are not only fabulous but also pretty refreshing. Many Resort have spas, gyms and fitness center to keep you up.

There are many places worth visiting and the Turkmenistan Resort provide a good platform to unveil all of them. In these Resort you can stay for a minimum of one night and can extend it for months according to your need.

If you are a business traveler and have come here for attending meetings and conference then these Resort are best for you. They have conference hall which can be used to the most. Apart from the stay in a hotel which is closer to your office or workplace not only it will be handy but will also save your time in commuting.

Turkmenistan Resort also work well if you are relocating. They provide information regarding schools and hospitals. If you have come especially for some events to attend in Turkmenistan then these Resort prove very handy. They manage tickets and make sure that it is very easy and stress free for you.

These Turkmenistan Resort come with a good kitchenette and maid service and if you are more into homely cooked food then it can do wonders to your whole stay in Turkmenistan. There are many places you can visit like the museums where you will enjoy immensely. Turkmenistan Resort have also done well regarding security. The staff is always there for your service and they make sure that your whole stay here is great and hassle free.

There are Resort that cater to all classes of tourists, with all budgets and various needs.

You will not only be fascinated with the Resort’s amazing and superb design but also with the Resort personnel or staff. All of the Resort personnel are very friendly and welcoming and they would make you feel you’re just in your own house. These personnel were trained properly to serve and provide every Resort guest’s needs and concerns. Upon your entry to the Resort premises, their smile and warmness will be the first to greet you.

A side from this, the Resort has different facilities that are perfectly designed to make your stay even more comfortable. There are facilities inside the Resort rooms so that the guests would feel that they are just staying in their own room. The Resort is also equipped with other facilities outside like swimming pool and spa which will make your stay more enjoyable. Efficient Resort service combined with the natural beauty will give you a perfect combination to make your vacation truly memorable and one of a kind.

But if there are cheap and comfortable Hotels in Turkmenistan, there are also channel island Resort in that place.

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