Bacolod, The City of Smiles

Ten (10) Years ago, at Bacolod Circle Inn ,  I bumped into my cousin who is a doctor from Cagayan De Oro and with temporary assignment in Bacolod City. It was my first day at that time in Bacolod, a solo young traveler who just arrived at the inn from the airport  for a business trip.  Lucky for me, my cousin attended an event that night and I was able to see her from afar. She joined me during my spare time in Bacolod.

Considering that she has been residing there for months already, she acted as my tourist guide within the city. At that time, SM City Bacolod is still under construction. I was able to have a taste of the authentic Bacolod Inasal" and got the provincial vibe of Bacolod at night. 

My work assignment that time as researcher is to visit our major clients for a usage, attitude,image study. This type of job led me to go to places I have never been to. The sugar canes that are planted on the vast land of Bacolod created a nice view for first time tourists like me. Going to remote places and nearby areas of Bacolod became my stint =)

2017 - I joined the ASPLI event and the venue is in Bacolod. I have seen the progress and the major changes that transpired during the decade =). Since my first time in Bacolod was more of work, this year, I was able to visit the tourist spots of the City of Smiles.

Jakarta, Indonesia

I was privileged to be part of an official business trip to Jakarta, Indonesia.

Malay (the language in Malaysia) and Bahasa (language in Indonesia) are also similar in context. My brother who previously worked in Malaysia for almost 3 years taught me a little of Malay languages and the one thing I remembered was the phrase "terima kasih" which is Thank you. "Terima kasih" is also being used in Indonesia with the same meaning.

Jakarta highways are the same with the Philippine highways. Good thing I did not experience the so called "heavy traffic" during our visit. Their airport is unique since it has a good landscape with trees/plants at the side compared to the usual airports with modern infrastructure look. 

Palm Beach Resort Laiya

Palm Beach Resort is a private get-away spot you can indulge over a long weekend. The shoreline is secluded from the rest of the Laiya resorts, thus, you will experience privacy and relaxation away from the crowd.

A  45% degree slope run will greet you all the way down to the resort. Almost all rooms are designed with beach front view. The sound of waves will welcome you in the early hours of the day.

Buffets served are good and the swimming pools are clean. The beach sand is quite rocky so be reminded to bring your own aqua shoes.

Nikko and Edo Wonderland Japan

A visit to Japan is not complete without seeing the shrines and buddhist temples which were built centuries ago. Nikko is a temple city and nature park located on the north side of Tokyo, 3 hours away via train. Century old trees will welcome the tourists as they hike all the way to the temples. The cold weather and the green surrounding invite such inner peace to the wanderers.

Also,an experience of "old Japan" will unleash the curiosity of what is it like to live during the Edo or Meiji period. A visit to Edo Wonderland is a must since it is just an hour away from the Nikko Area.

Hakone, Japan

Hakone is a brand of sardines here in the Philippines =)  Little did I know that this was named after a beautiful town in Japan, around 2 hours train ride from Tokyo.

Tokyo is a metropolitan and busy area, in case you want to explore the province side of Japan, visit Hakone. I have learned about the Hakone region while doing my Japan itinerary.

The famous Mt. Fuji can be seen while touring the Hakone Region. If you plan to purchase the Hakone Free Pass, you may have unlimited usage of various modes of transportation (i.e. tozan railway, cable car, ropeway, cruiseship and tour bus). The area is a mountainous region with a beautiful view of a serene Ashi lake and the volcanic activity at the Owakudani Valley.

Tokyo, Japan

I love to get lost in the beautiful country of Japan =)  Sashimi, ramen and shabu shabu are my favorites; watching Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations makes me more excited to explore Japan. It is one of the ten most peaceful countries in the world based on the latest Global Peace Index =)

Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo are the famous cities for travelers but in case of a limited time and budget, one can try to stay first at one city and dwell with the locals . How does it feel to live in a 1st world country?  With all these things in mind, I have chosen Tokyo for my first Japan visit.

Maniwaya Island, Marinduque

Maniwaya Island. I only heard about this island beach this year. Looking at the gorgeous Maniwaya pictures all over the internet, I became interested to join my travelmates' summer getaway.

88 Hotspring Resort Calamba Laguna

Want to try Glamping? Then take a weekend vacation at 88 hotpring resort.

The place is so relaxing; it has several hot spring pools, a small lake with mini-farm at the side, and good hiking trail for adventurous people. For those who just want to relax, you may try their spa services.

Masungi Georeserve

Just few hours away from Manila, you can already enjoy the beauty of the mountainous region of Baras, Rizal. Must see for adventurists is the Masungi Georeserve,a conservation area declared as a "Strict Nature Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary" by the DENR in the 1990s and later on opened to the public in 2015. Masungi is famous for its giant metallic cob web with 360 degree overlooking view of Sierra Madre region.

Visits are through reservation with a minimum of 7 people. Mountaineers,hikers and nature lovers will definitely fall in love with the beauty of the place. As compared to Batad, this is an easy hike/climb but with challenging rope courses. One must conquer fear with heights since there are no harness while doing the spiderman's leg all the way down from cliff. This is an extreme adventure at its finest.

Okada Manila

Casinos fascinate me. It is not just about the wonderful design of the interior and the facade. It is more of the people inside the casino ☺

I have seen gamblers like that of the gangsters/mafia in the movie. There are guests who are just so casual lookin' but are heavy casino gamers. Some are just loitering around and taking their chances in the slot machines while others are just watching out of curiosity on every table game. 

Casinos in the Philippines are now competing with the casinos in Macau. This time, Okada is the newest here in Metro Manila.

Padre Pio Shrine in Batangas

This holiday season, you may visit the Padre Pio Shrine in Sto. Tomas Batangas. Here, you can find peace, thank God for all the blessings you have received for the year and pray for your wishes and dreams.

"Pray, Hope and Don't Worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer" - Padre Pio