Binondo Food Trip with Kalesa Tour

My father lived and stayed in Binondo during his college days since he is a working student. He works for a Chinese man who treated him like one of his sons. He helps in their distribution business of fresh fish to Manila market. 

My vivid memory of Binondo as a young child was going up to the Binondo building high stairs to visit this Chinese family. The first chinese words I learned are the Chinese numbers below which I love to recite repetitively during gradeschool.

1 - it
2 - nung
3 - sa
4 - si
5 - go
6 - lak
7 - tsit
8 - pwe
9 - kaw
10 - tsup
100 - pa

My parents could still recall that as a toddler, I grab an apple in one of the Binondo fruit stands and took a bite but they pay for it eventually. They often repeat this story until now.😅

Shangri La Mactan 5 Star Beach Resort

When I learned that we will be having convention in Shangri-La Mactan, I was ecstatic. First things first, it’s free, then I can go back there for the second time and enjoy the premium class service of a 5 star beach resort with my colleagues.

The food in Shang is on my top choice. I savor every moment during buffet breakfast. Shang is also conducive for convention since the event venue is large and after long hours of listening to the speakers, you can unwind and enjoy beach fun activities or just by strolling in their vast garden. 

The swimming pool has a nice panoramic view and there are play area like billiards. If you want to just chill,you can soak in the seawater, play with the fishes near the shore or just drink you favorite shake.

The resort is relaxing with a minimum stay requirement of 2 nights. You can also go out of the resort and visit nearby tourist attractions or Cebu malls.

Grand Clan Reunion in Lopez Jaena, Misamis Occidental

My mother hails from Lopez Jaena. This is a municipality in Misamis Occidental named after our hero Graciano Lopez Jaena.

The last time I visited there was during grade school years. Our province is relaxing, simple life with fresh air and lots of fresh sea food. I can remember eating Swake (sea urchin) and I really loved this seafood! You can go to nearby beaches easily and there is a river where you can bathe outdoors.

                                                       

This time, I returned back after decades to attend family reunion. It is a well-planned 2 days reunion of 4 generations of Dolotallas Clan (my mother's great grand parents). I felt so loved that I have met my relatives convening together for fun, thinking that we all have the same bloodline. I met again my childhood playmates, my 2nd degree cousins and it brings back good memories.

Farming is the main livelihood in Misamis Occidental. I love to binge on mangoes freshly harvested from the farm. Im excited to go back again on the coming years.

May Laboracay Beach Party (Boracay Island, Philippines)

This is my vacation trip to boracay for the 4th time. This is a visit after the covid pandemic where things are already under normalcy. To make this trip memorable,  I intentionally book a flight during Laboracay (May 1) celebration to experience parties and fun at the island.

May is a busy month and Boracay is flooded with tourists as expected. For my previous trips, my arrival port is Kalibo hub since the planes are big and it is an international airport. For this trip, the port/hub I chosen is Caticlan to save time in land travel via van.

                   

I recommended Southwest travel and tours for the Caticlan Boracay transfers due to convenience. You can easily book even once you arrive at Caticlan. For Hennan hotels (where we stay), they also have affordable Boracay Caticlan transfers which we tried for our return trip in Manila.

Shangri La Mactan in Cebu

 Cebu is special to my heart because of my colorful experience in this place:

• My vivid childhood memory of  a happy sea travel was with Princess of the Orient (before it sank in 1998). I enjoy sea travel, lounging inside the ship with play stations, view deck and double deck beds.You can bring large luggages without kilo limits as long as you can carry it.  Airplane fare are too costly those days. Now, everyone are on short haul flights.
• My previous work as junior researcher required me to travel in Cebu and stay there alone like for 1-2 weeks (i became independent as young adult at age 22). I visited more than 30 corporate offices/businesses due to work, wheew
• My econgirls barkada escapade are beach getaways. Bantayan and Cebu are good memories to keep (see my previous write ups)
• We have relatives in Cebu☺️ my advantage is that I can understand bisaya.

My friend wanted to go to Cebu and considering that I had been travelling there for x times already and done visiting Lapu Lapu City and Cebu City's tourist attractions, I had to plan well the itinerary so I could still enjoy Cebu and its beautiful undiscovered sceneries

We tried Shangrila Mactan for an experience and we were delighted with the 5 star service. The beachwater is clear and you can play around with the fishes  by feeding them. When you swim at the pool, you will be provided with cold face towels to refresh. I love the breakfast buffet and their mango giveaway as way of welcoming their guests.

It was eventful on our Day 1 because it was the Battle of Mactan day. The president was also in Cebu for courtesy visit. Thus, we experienced heavy traffic like 1 hr waiting in taxi just to go to Mactan newtown for the mercato.

Because of the local holiday,  we experienced that the lechons in restaurants were sold out😂. Like we were only able to eat lechon at zubuchon which also has a branch in Manila.The next day,we tried the local lechon known in the Mactan area.

                                         

For this 2024 trip, we visited also Leah's temple, the Sirao garden, the Mactan Newtown Mercato, the hilltop and went to Magellans cross to have a picture souvenir. We also bought sto ninos  and lechon as pasalubong. 

Viansa Sonoma Vinyard, California, US

The first time I went to Napa Valley in 2021 was at the height of covid pandemic. Stores are mostly closed and the wine tasting packages or gatherings are  limited. I promised to myself to visit again the wineries in the area of Napa and Sonoma valley to enjoy what is it like when things go back to normal. A day tour in this region is a must when you visit California.

Viansa Sonoma is just an hour drive from California. When you are in their vineyard, you will feel relax and peaceful, much more if there are varieties of wine to taste test. I love rose, sangria and red wine.  They have the best wine tasting menus and fine delicacies.

Dallas Cowboys & Dallas, Texas, US

I was fortunate to be able to plan well my vacation in the US and visit a relative living in Dallas, Texas. It's surreal to be able to fly with Southwest Airlines from Oakland to Dallas. Some memories of my college life were the business cases of no frills, cheap flight, and peanut snacks of Southwest. During my flight, peanuts were no longer served but i really enjoyed the simplicity of boarding and seat anywhere (like in boarding a bus).

Dallas is a beautiful clean city with a different vibe compared to California. The highways are wide and when you go farther to Grand Prairie, the wide landscape will welcome you. The weather in Dallas was hot that time, I felt i was in Philippines. The weather in Texas as what my cousin told me is either extreme hot or extreme cold. 

What i love the most during my sightseeing are the beautiful big houses "mansions" in Texas that i only see in movies/netflix. Most houses do not have gates and are open.

El Zamba Villas, Liw-liwa Zambales

My sex and the city girlfriends (referring to my college close friends) are my constant companions whenever I wander. It became our pact  after graduation to travel yearly, have a get together frequent with annual summer getaway, and be more carefree and full of life in our 20s and 30s.

New travel experiences, i enjoyed  this more often with Katie and Rona. Flights, land and sea travel, i have vivid memories of how I enjoyed my youth with these pretty ladies. I became  more adventurous and risk taker but cautious as well in my travels also. Some of my best travel memories and  even nerve wracking memories, I experienced it with them, wheew.

• Bantayan, Cebu - we braved the storm literally; weather turned bad and our ferry was dancing crazy on the big waves. The ferry passengers aside from us were so frighten because the 1 hr sea travel almost took more than 2 hrs, with the captain being cautious to maneuver the ferry well (major tsunami news just happened in the philippines at that time but we still pushed with our flight to cebu thinking that weather will turn better.)
• Experiencing the best and hidden beaches of Calaguas and Coron, Palawan. During that time, it was not yet publicized in social media.
• My very first trip abroad, in Kota Kinabalu Malaysia. Who would have thought that Malaysia will be my 1st country to visit and where on earth is Kota Kinabalu. Air asia is promoting this island with super low fares that time.  I even thought my passport even got lost in Clark, looking for  it for 15 minutes with the airport personnel/maintenance team because my travel friend unintentionally placed it in her bag thinking that it was her passport. Lol, very sweaty experience imagining myself that i did not make it my supposed to be 1st trip abroad....
• Riding a small boat without lifevest because there were no available lifevest as the island is not well known to the tourists that time (remote so to speak). To get into the island and we have to transfer from a big boat to small boat as the big one could not dock in the shore. Im a beach girl but I don't know how to swim in deep open water. Like it's a nerve wracking experience since the boat is super small, we were only 6 in that boat and it almost overturned, my vivid memory is that the boatman balanced the boat with his feet. I think, i will never be that risk taker again....

This year, since my 2 girlfriends are already married, with one having a 4 yr old kid, our travels now are more cautious and we prefer to do land travels since we can come back to Manila easily. Now, we are plus 1 with a kid, another new experience for me as i get to bond with Maia (Rona's little one) being her adult tita haha! Again our trip to Zambales is memorable given that we were stopped by a traffic officer, we, somehow violated the intersection rule in Subic (which we are not at all aware off, kindly google search this intersection rule). Fortunately, we were able to explain our side and sincerely apologize that we do not know the traffic rules in Subic; the officer then politely let us go.... 

When we arrived at El Zamba Villas, it kind of reminds me of the Anawangin Cove because of the several Agoho trees without the need of riding a boat. It's a relaxing place and our AirBnB stay is unique since you can view the forest in your window.Roaming around the area, you will be enticed to have a remote work set up there since the rental places and AirBnBs have WIFIs. Its a developing area where you can also have opportunity to have a restau business also since Liw Liwa is being visited by surfers and beach lovers.

Sharing some nice photos from this trip. We mentioned to ourselves, we will continue to travel till we get old. XO XO. mai

Sabangan Beach Resort in Laiya, Batangas

Year 2022 was my hiatus year of blogging but not in travelling. Although I did not have plane rides last year, I still have road trips and visited beaches as my sanctuary.

If there are people who are fond of restaurant hopping or bar hopping, mine is resort hopping😅. In the coast of Laiya Batangas, I have tried and put in my checklist all nearby beachfront resorts -  Acuaverde, Acuatico, La Luz, Palm Beach, Blue Coral Beach, Kabayan Beach and Sabangan Beach Resort. The remaining to dos in my google search lists for Laiya are Henry Laiya and Virgin Beach Resort.

For 2022, my quick summer getaway to satisfy my beach cravings is my Sabangan Beach Resort weekend vacation. What I loved about it? - the resort room  is clean, there are lots of huge old trees and i can feel exclusivity. Food is also ok and i love their kubo type beach chairs. The resort also has a pool so you can swim aside from the salty water of Laiya. Laiya is my favorite hub for summer vacations.

Visiting California: San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Napa Valley and Las Vegas, Nevada

I am one of the travellers with cancelled flights in April 2020 due to the emergence of Covid. My planned vacation to US was postponed since I had to abide by the Philippine government rules on lockdown and community quarantine; international flights were barred last 2nd Q of 2020 due to the pandemic. My plane ticket was refunded. The worst part was that I experienced solo quarantine in Metro Manila for 4 months and I could not even go home to our province in South Luzon due to the enhanced community quarantine rules. 

House quarantine brought out the domesticated version of me. Being a traveller at heart, cooking and watching travel videos during lockdown kept me sane. Luckily, I have friends in the residential unit and loveones who keeps on checking me virtually. Surely, I really missed travelling during this Covid situation.

When the internal travel guidelines were relaxed in 4th Q of 2020, I saw it as an opportunity to re-book my flight. By mid of December, I flew to San Franciso for a winter vacation. Maybe, it was God's way of saying that the delayed circumstance happened because he wants me to be more joyful and experience for the first time a snowy Christmas.

Here are my memorable vacation trips in the West Coast of America!

San Francisco – the Instagram worthy pic at the Golden Gate Bridge & the Fisherman’s Wharf.

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Osaka, Japan

Osaka is like a fraternal twin of Tokyo. They are both charming to tourists in a different way. 

Tokyo is modern, sophisticated and urban while Osaka is a metropolitan with cultural traces of the old Japan. Most of the time, foreign tourists pick either of the two for their first time Japan visit. Lucky for some who can afford longer days of vacation  to check out both cities in one flight trip.

What's in Osaka?

Namba, Dotonbori and Shinsaibaishi are famous districts in Osaka for shopping and food. Various merchandise and shops are located on these areas. Ichiran ramen  and authentic Japan takoyaki is a must try for food enthusiasts. 

Siargao Island, Philippines

Mindanao is close to my heart considering that both of my parents hail from this region. Thus, my travel bucketlist when it comes to beaches definitely includes Siargao.

Siargao is often featured in tv shows as a beach paradise and a favorite surfing destination. When airlines offered fare promotions for clark to siargao flights, I did not hesitate to book it immediately.

Considering that I have watched the Filipino movie Siargao before I went there, I have some preconceived idea that Siargao has a provincial vibe. Yes, the General Luna place (the touristy place in Siargao) is laidback but it is already progressive similar to Boracay establishments. There are various restaurants and establishments along the General Luna road and there are parties every night, be it an acoustic night or bar party. I was fortunate enough to experience the full moon night party in Siargao 😊

#Elyureadyforme "La Union"

Sometimes, those spur of the moment travel decisions are the best triggers of excitement in your normal daily grind. Second time to visit the same place but travelling with different set of companions, makes your trip a whole new experience.

I came to know La Union (Elyu) for its surf and music festival events. This time around, Elyu offers a serene vibe and a laidback morning to beach goers. The hot surface of the sand that touches your sole will make you giddy to spend more time by the water.

Charlie's Hangar surf hostel is a good place to stay if you are a group of 8 pax.  There is a large aircraft outside the dormitory-like building which is instagramworthy shot for guests. How ironic since the room inside is like a shipping cabin in contrast to its name hangar. At night, the veranda is a good place for social gathering. For sure, most of the day time, vacationers will bask under the sun to enjoy the waves and the winds.

Tagaytay: Balay Dako and Calaruega

Tagaytay has been my family's favorite hub since it is few tumblings away from home. It has several food and coffee establishments you can visit every roadtrip. The cool weather entices you to try various restaurants particularly ordering the famous bulalo of Tagaytay.

Balay Dako

This elegant restaurant is conducive for diners in big group or family/clan celebrations. The 2nd floor of the restaurant has the nice overlooking view of Taal Volcano.

The stop-over won't be complete without ordering bulalo. The bulalo meat was cooked well for hours.

A must try also is the piyaya for pasalubong. The best!

Lucban Quezon

In the heart of Lucban Quezon stands the huge statue of Jesus "Kamay ni Hesus" similar to the Christ the Redeemer in Brazil. It is good to spend one weekend here and enjoy hiking all the way to the statue. It has several stops featuring the stations of the cross for believers. The Arc of Noah is also the primary feature of  the shrine with several stalls at the side offering crafts, souvenirs and delicacies of Quezon. 

You can also have a stop over at the Palaisdaan for fresh seafood and yummy gata viand.

Wonders of Catanduanes

In my spare time, I love watching Byahe ni Drew Youtube videos. Drew visited Catanduanes in one of his itineraries. I intentionally did not watch the Catanduanes episode prior to my visit so as not to pre-empt any expectations about the place. I watched it after I went there.

My trip was so memorable; it was my first time that the airline issued me a manual ticket  since I was not a registered passenger due to a system glitch.  My departure flight was in Clark and I had to go through all the hassles of a passenger with unregistered booking despite the confirmed online payment. My friends and I were only able to check in during the last onboarding call. Stressful as you can imagine, the silver lining of this flawed flight service is that it was all worth it when I saw the beauty of Catanduanes.

Catanduanes is still not so famous compared to its neighboring towns in Bicol region. For nature lovers and those who want a "probinsya vibe", Catanduanes is a must see. You'll enjoy the rolling hills, the cliffs and the side tours through the use of "habal-habal" motorcycle. There are hiking requirements but it will be an easy breezy one compared to actual mountain hikings.

Acuaverde Beach Resort in Laiya, Batangas

How I dream that I can bring "Marky" our pet dog in our travels....but Marky is not the tamed and behaved type of best friend, she can get excited outdoors and get anxious to run anywhere.

This time around, I want to try a beach that is dog-friendly. I may not be able to bring Marky but at least I can see various cute dogs lounging around the beach front. Acuaverde in Laiya is pet friendly and has old large trees making the place cozy during summer.

Henann Beach Resort in Bohol

It was in 2007 when I first visited Bohol; it was purely a "chillax" experience since we were enjoying the beach life for 2 whole days. We only have few pictures as souvenirs. We stayed at Dumaluan beach resort which is  adjacent to Bohol Beach Club, the most famous beach resort at that time. My vivid memories of Bohol beach is the crystal clear water with lots of fishes even at the swimming area near the shoreline. One can clearly see the fish above the water surface and even without goggles. I have been to more than 20 beaches and islands here in the Philippines (plus the Kota Kinabalu beach) and I could say that Bohol has the clearest crystal clear water based on my judgement.

This 2019, due to a company convention,I was able to go back to Bohol for the 2nd time around. Since I have not seen the famous Chocolate hills and the tarsier in 2007 due to my beach bum mode, I see to it that it will be part of my itinerary on my 3 days stay in Bohol.

Much has changed from 2007 to 2019 (after more than a decade), the water along the shore was not the same with how I described it way back years ago. Despite this change, I had a wonderful and unique experience with my officemates since we stayed a Hennan Resort. It is a premier 5 star beach resort which is the preference of local celebrities based on my instagram newsfeed.

Villa Escudero, Quezon

A spanish vibe, a museum of antiques, a picturesque lake, a greenery hacienda - these are what Villa Escudero offer.

Riding in their carabao calash and taking buffet lunch near man-made waterfall are some of the unique experiences you can enjoy.

Island Hopping in El Nido, Palawan Philippines

If there is one place I want to visit again and again, it is El Nido, Palawan. I was enthralled by its majestic beauty. The crystal clear water and the limestone formation of the islands are instagram perfect for travelers. El Nido is also a melting pot where you can meet and greet various people across the Globe, share experiences and take pride of the culture you can share with the other fellow travelers.

In a simple chat with foreign tourists,  locals can even discover new stuff related to new Philippine destinations such as the Port Barton in San Vicente, Palawan. While exploring the town of El Nido, you can have an idea  how the town's income is driven mainly by tourism. Various restaurants, hotels, inns, stores and travel agencies can be found in El Nido.