A Weekend Trip to Bicolandia

I was so desperate to go out of town last long weekend. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't cooperating then and like many others I was stuck at home sleeping and just staying indoors. Gladly, last week a CS friend has invited me to join them to travel to Legaspi, Albay. I thought about it for a while since we are only going to travel on a weekend and because of work commitments I cannot afford to take another leave. Well, I was actually saving up my leaves for my travel on November and for next year!

Friday evening, I left the office to board the bus heading to Daet. One of my objectives as well for this weekend trip is to get another stamp at the Rizal monument in Daet, Camarines Norte! I was travelling with another CS friend, Charlie. He is coming from Cubao, but I decided to take the bus from Pasay which is near my office. The bus stops at the Pasay terminal at 9 PM. The bus fare costs 730 pesos one way. After a few around 7 hours we reached Daet - 4:30 AM. Since the stamp site is not yet open we decided to get something to eat a nearby lugawan station!

Lugawan sa Daet

We walked to the monument and just got some photos. There was a Jollibee just at the other end so we decided to stop by there and perhaps have our second session of breakfast. Okay, so I had pancakes and coffee. I was really stuffed.

Oldest Rizal Monument

It was so long ago

When the sun was finally shining, we walked to the capitol building again to finally get my Rizal stamp. Good thing it was already open at 6 AM. We looked and waited for kuya guard to place the stamp. Since we are meeting the other group in Legaspi, we actually still need to travel from Daet to Legaspi.

I need to log my name to be validated

Stamped in Daet!

Capitol Building in Daet

We dropped by the church

From Daet, we took the tricycle that took us to the terminal for vans. Tricycle costs 8 pesos. This is where we will board a van to Naga, then from Naga, take another van going to Legaspi.

The vans leave the terminal as soon as its filled up, so you may have to actually wait a while. The cost for the van to Naga is 145 pesos, travel time of around 2 hours.

From Naga, we wanted to drop by the mall but it was still closed. So we just decided to ride the next van to Legaspi instead. Naga to Legaspi costs 150 pesos, travel time of around 2.5 hours.

We arrived in Legaspi at noon. We have booked to stay at Mayon View Apartelle. Tricycle could be a bit expensive, our tricycle to the accommodation cost us 30 pesos each.

Since it was lunch time, we went to the mall to eat. We had lunch at Chicboy which was newly opened at that time. From our hotel to the mall, tricycle costs 15 pesos.

After lunch we went back to the hotel to wait for the rest of the group. After a while, Jay, Sam and Martin arrived.

Our plan for the day is to climb up Lignon Hill and view the majestic Mt. Mayon. But since the group were hungry, we went back to the mall again. We ate at Bigg's Diner. It looks somewhat like an American restaurant and had nice look and feel! While waiting we were entertained with answering the sudoku on the paper placemat.

With Sam and Charlie

Sudoku while you wait

Entrance to Lignon Hill

After the fulfilling meal, we took another tricycle to Lignon Hill, which is 20 pesos each person. The tricycle won't be able to go up so we had to hike up the hill. It was probably 15 to 20 minutes hike. The entrance to the hill costs 20 pesos.

The view at the top is overwhelming! We are so lucky to have finally seen the unobstructed view of the perfect cone of Mt. Mayon! There is a zipline also for those who want to try it.

Myself and Mt.Mayon

Majestic Mt. Mayon

We took lots of photos and later on decided to head to Embarcadero de Legaspi for dinner.

Embarcadero is great for chilling and should offer a nice view of Mayon on a good weather. We got our dinner in one of the restaurants, unfortunately when we ordered Bicol Express, it wasn't available.

There are a couple of shops in Embarcadero if you are the shopaholic type.

We went back to the hotel to rest and prepare for the next day. It was funny because we had enjoyed sleeping that we woke up so late in the afternoon and was only ready to check out.

We just had lunch again at Embarcadero and rested a while. We didn't have time left for other activities anyway. We had to be at the terminal at 6:15 as it was the departure time for the bus back to Manila.

Walking around Embarcadero shops

From Legaspi to Manila, we took the Deluxe bus worth 1,100 and arrived in Manila at around 4 AM.

Wow, it was such a quick but also fun trip. As always, it would have been better if we have spent more time to explore but nonetheless I'm fine with that spur of the moment trip with CS friends.

I can't wait to travel with my backpack again! :)

Itinerary Summary: Manila - Daet (Rizal Monument) - Naga - Legaspi - Lignon Hill - Embarcadero

Transpo:
Bus - Manila to Daet - 735
Van - Daet to Naga - 145
Van - Naga to Legaspi - 150
Bus - Legaspi to Manila - 1,100

Tricycle around Legaspi depends on location and haggling skills :)

Entrance fee:
Lignon Hill - 20

The See-saw and the Cubby House

"A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors (where it may be called a tot lot in some regions.[1])"

That's the copy-pasted definition of a playground from our online best friend Wikipedia.

I'm quite sure each one of us had that very wonderful time playing at a playground when we were kids. That very sweet moment when we were so young and care-free. Well, I've always enjoyed the playground. It's a place to meet our playmates and consume the day with nothing but joys and laughter. Most of us if not all, had a good chance of having these memories as part our growing years.

Most of us, but not all...not everyone.

More than a year ago, myself and a group of CouchSurfers hiked up the mountains of Ifugao, traveling for a total of 10 hours from Manila.

We just arrived in Lagawe

It's the first out of town trip that I did with CS. Most of them I have only met once before and some were new faces I've met right at the bus terminal. Therefore, we are mostly strangers to each other. Each of us came from different backgrounds with different personalities. Different we all are in some ways, we were common in our goal to head to the mountains. We all decided to spend a weekend to help and volunteer in building a playground for the kids of Pula.

Not looking like a playground yet

Up to this day, I'm still very thankful and humbled I got that chance to travel with the CS group and to volunteer for the playground build.

It was there that we met Felix.

Felix - our favorite

Among all the kids in Pula, Felix was the kid who made a very nice impression to me and the group. He was the kid who was always smiling. He was also one of them who helped us in painting the blocks of wood, assisted if we need anything and kept us going when we were all giving up as we climbed up the mountain bringing the sand from the river. The day before we went back to Manila, I gave Felix a small stuffed toy to thank him of the great experience we had in Pula.

Felix and the rest of the kids enjoying the camera

When I see Felix and the rest of the kids with their smile on their faces, I feel their great anticipation of the completion of the playground. I will always remember the lessons I got from this volunteer work and the kids of Pula.

Kids have the right to be kids and be happy. 

This playground is the medium for them to have fun, interact, learn and enjoy their youth.

Volunteering for a humble cause is one of the most liberating experience. 

After a day of work, we are still poised for the camera

Definitely a rewarding experience

I've done some charity work at school before but that was because it was part of our curriculum, but this volunteer work was something that struck me in many ways because I did it on my own initiative. I tried to tell myself I want to change the world even in my very own small way.

Pula playground cubby house

Yay! There's now a see-saw

That volunteer didn't end with one visit. We went back a few months after we heard the playground is finally complete. It was great to see the kids the second time. Felix has always had his welcoming smile. That time I have a couple of small notebooks as tokens for the kids as I know for the fact we won't be back anytime soon since the playground was almost completed. Seeing them so delighted is priceless.

Rand, Felix and the kids showing off the small notebooks

After more than one year, myself and the rest of the group that volunteered at the playground, plans to revisit the place on October. We definitely hope to see the kids again enjoying the small world that we created for them.

Photo Credits: Two photos came from a CS friend Billy :)

This is my very first entry to Pinoy Travel Bloggers' Blog Carnival, now in it's 11th edition (if I'm not mistaken). :)


Theme for this month of September is “Unforgettable Human Encounters on the Road” and hosted by Marky Ramone Go of Nomadic Experiences.


There's a total of 32 entries for this month's Blog Carnival, go check it out on the link above! ;)

I'm going Solo

Yesterday morning I woke up with an overflowing number of text messages from a CS friend telling me about another Piso fare from Cebu Pacific. Of course, I didn't think twice and got myself up in no time. I logged on to my laptop and hurriedly entered all sorts of destinations and dates that should have a piso promo! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to grab the one that my friend was hoping to get. *Sad* We were actually looking forward to going to flying to Virac!

I wasn't quite happy and so I thought of checking more destinations. As I was actually planning to also finish up the Rizal stamps, I tried and see if I can find one that could get me to either Iloilo or better, Zamboanga or Dipolog. Luckily there were still piso fares available on the dates I selected. Without much thinking, I booked the Manila to Dipolog roundtrip flight for 27th to 29th of January.

Did I say it was only a ticket for myself? Haha! Yes, I might be travelling solo this time! I'm not too sure if there will still be chances I could be travelling with a group but as of this moment, this looks like my first ever trip on my own. And a back packing trip first time on the southern part of the Philippines. I'm not sure if my family will be surprised or what but, hey, will see!

I'm not yet that much excited although I guess I'm really looking forward to it! Woohoo!

Dipolog Cathedral
Source: http://www.dipologcity.com/At_the_Gate.jpg

Map showing Dipolog
Source: http://www.zamboanga.com/z/images/0/0d/Zamboanga_del_norte_dipolog.png

Rant or Rave: Dumaluan Beach Resort (Panglao, Bohol)

One last post for today! Is my experience at Dumaluan Beach Resort.

This is a trip with my sister last September. The whole travel package is pre-arranged and we chose Dumaluan Beach because it has good reviews and the cheapest we can find during that time.

Me and my sister decided to make this trip because we had a feeling she will be flying to UK soon and thus, this will be my despedida getaway treat for her.

I have no qualms about this resort. And the beach is definitely stunning. It can't quite compare it to the liveliness of Boracay because for one, I didn't find the time to walk around because me and sis were really tired on our first day.

The resort has it's own pool which we only tried on our last day. We also liked the food served during breakfast - we actually had a buffet styled breakfast and I think their prices are reasonable.

They have very accommodating staffs as well who made sure our stay in the island was memorable. We even had a chat with one of the waiters who also used to work in Manila but had to go back to Bohol due to the harder life in the city.

Lovely beach during lunch time

DBR's Welcome at the beach

The restaurant

Myself at the restaurant entrance

Nipa huts along the beach

Nice and quiet...relaxing

We got ref and tv

Nice and clean toilet and bath tub

Outside our room is a small coffee table

My and my sister waiting for our breakfast

Clean and refreshing pool

At the resorts lobby, waiting for our transfer

More information about Dumaluan Beach Resort:
http://www.dumaluanbeach.com/

DUMALUAN BEACH RESORT, PANGLAO, BOHOL, PHILIPPINES
E-MAIL: RESORT@DUMALUANBEACH.COM
LANDLINE: 038 502-9092
FAX: 038-502-9081
MOBILE: +639178834888(GLOBE)

Rant or Rave: Tans Guesthouse Boracay

Okay, so I'm getting really pumped up to reviewing other accommodations in Boracay. I've been missing the beach so much!

On my third trip to the island, I traveled with my parents and a few family members on my mother's side. This time we only spent one night because we wanted to explore the rest of the Panay island.

I actually got the idea of this guesthouse from the post of Ms.Nina of Justwandering.org . The guesthouse is not beach front but is just a 1-2 minute walk and whola, you will find the relaxing white beach!

I chose this because of the nice review I have read from Ms.Nina's blog. Also, it was very close to D'Mall so we have the very quick access to the restaurants and shops!

Because we are almost seven people, I had to book 2 rooms. One at the first floor and one at the second floor. Both rooms have A/C, toilet and bath and free Wifi! They of course have the usual toiletries handy and towels to use.

I loved this place mainly because it has nice rooms and really very close to the beach and the mall.

My favorite beach

Cozy bed for my parents

Outside the room there is a towel hanger

Tans Guest House entrance

The way that leads to the beach

If I ever go back to Boracay next year, I might as well stay here again! :)

More information on Tans Guesthouse:
http://www.tghboracay.com/

MS NET SACAPAÑO  
Telephone: 036 288 6878
Mobile: 09285000040 / 09209202481 (FROM 9 AM - 6 PM)
EMail    tgh_bora@yahoo.com

Rant or Rave: La Bella Casa de Boracay

Hey everyone! I'm launching something new in my blog. Starting today, I plan to write and share some information of the accommodations that I have stayed at. Will call this section Rant or Rave! So check out my first post.

For my debut , I will be writing about our stay at La Bella Casa de Boracay.

We stayed in La Bella last year around July when I went I went to Boracay with my cousin. It was actually a spur of the moment decision to head there as I got an immediate invitation from a CouchSurfing friend who is to celebrate her birthday in the beautiful island. Luckily, there was a promo from Philippine Airlines and I was able to grab two promo tickets!

I then immediately scoured for cheaper accommodation in Boracay. That would have to be my second time in Boracay. The first time I went there, we stayed at Club Ten somewhere in Station 2. This time I thought we'd like to try Station 1.

La Bella caught my attention since it's cheap and found it had good reviews. I usually check on Tripadvisor for hotel reviews and start comparing every hotel I plan to stay at. It looked promising and since we will be out of the hotel most of the day, it was a good fit to what we just need.

I have sent our booking requirements via email indicated on the site and I got a quick response. In a day or two I paid our reservation fee and they sent a confirmation email. It was really straight-forward, so points for that.

Our fee has included the round trip transfer from Kalibo so we won't have to bother too much!

La Bella is found on Station 1 but it's not beach front. It's actually located somewhere behind Willy's and had to walk 5 minutes. It's close proximity to the chapel.

We got to the hotel at night. I liked that it has this homey feel. Nice and accommodating staff. At night, we would arrive so late and we still find kuya waiting for us!

We stayed on the second floor. Room has this Asian motif with wooden floors and artful ornaments.

There was even an attic room on top of our room for bigger groups. They serve nice breakfast too and you can even ask it to be sent to the room!

They have nice toilet and bath. Although the water flow can't be that good (maybe because we are on the 2nd floor?).

The staff has also helped and assisted us with our activities, they managed to give us information on our helmet diving and ATV to go up to the mountain.

Overall it was a good experience. Perhaps the only thing I may not be happy about is that it's far from D'mall because we love shopping but it's not a big deal because we can easily walk along the beach or hire a tricycle anytime we want to!

Nice wide mirror

Homey feel

Cute little ornaments

Toilet and shower

Toilet and sink

Living room

I have actually made a review of this hotel in La Bella Casa de Boracay Review on Tripadvisor

Oh my, I'm missing our relaxing time at the beach...

More info about La Bella Casa de Boracay:
http://labellaboaracay.snappages.com/
Station 1, Balabag, Aklan, 5608, Philippines

labellaboracay@yahoo.com

Ph Phone: 036-288-1363
Mobile: 0919-8853042-smart
Mobile: 0917-9641456-globe
Mobile: 0932-6298864- sun