Manuroyta!

             Summer in the Philippines is always the season for out-of-town trips.  An archipelago as it is, there's so much options to choose from - where to eat, where to go, where to stay and what to see.  We have visited Manaoag and Dagupan, Pangasinan two years ago and even spent a lot of time in Hundred islands in Alaminos but I have not seen Patar beach even if its quiet famous.  With that thought in mind, I invited my friends to backpack in Bolinao , Pangasinan . Its was Friday night when we joined the long list of chance passengers in Victory Liner, Cubao for a direct trip to Bolinao. And what a bad decision, Friday night is actually a tiring night to travel.  Its the night of the week where almost if not all employee's in Metro Manila go back to their provinces for vacation or simply going home for a rest day after a week of making a living in the city.  Fortunately, the administration decided to allowe...

             Having been to different beaches in the Philippines, I seriously thought I've seen the prettiest and most enchanting of them all.  Arriving in Tinago island and Kinastillohan Island in Calaguas makes me speechless, then realized - I thought wrong.  Seriously, this is the cleanest, awesome beach I've ever seen.             Calaguas island despite of its beauty and popularity to beach bummers and travelers still get little attention.  It's not because its expensive but its far from Metro Manila and from the most populous town of the region.  This group of islands is part of Camarines Norte, under the jurisdiction of the town of Vinzons.  Another pride of Bicolandia that let you experience the white sand beach - it will definitely rival that of Boracay. Let you get the peace of mind that rival that of Panglao and let you enjoy the freedom from high technology gadgets and connections tha...

            Been planning of going to Mount Pinatubo but nobody wants to join me. Armed with the guts to climb the mountain alone I searched the internet tips on what to bring, how to get there and what are the best way to enjoy the crater and the long walk ahead.            Two weeks before the trip, I stumbled Travel Factor organization on my Facebook news feed and found out  that they are organizing trips to Mountain Pinatubo for a day.  I visited their website and checked their rates per person as well as their inclusion.  I also noticed there are several other groups online that selling services when it comes to organizing group trips and camping in the crater.  I shared this to my friends and luckily, they agreed to join me in this long overdue dream.         We met up with Travel Factor organizer and the rest of the participants at McDonald's at El...

            Having no place to celebrate the Heart's day with a friend, I decided to bask in the sun and enjoy the serenity of the beach in Zambales.  We decided to go back to Nagsasa or Anawangin to chill but realized it's a holiday and more often than not, local tourist plunge to these two scenic places....so I suggested the place a little farther than this but also more quiet and private ---- Silanguin Cove .             It's still the same route for Nagsasa and Anawangin but a little farther which means that "bangka" fare is also expensive.  So, it is advisable to go there with two or more of your friends to divide the fare expenses.  There's not much to see in the place actually however i love it the same because there not much crowd thus it's so quiet.  To the north area of the place, you'll enjoy the fine black sand.  To the south are pebbled and rocky.

        I first heard about this beautiful place when I watched Survivor.  I have watched almost all of their episode, from Samoa, Caramoan, Palau etc.  When i was invited by a travbuddy friend to visit Caramoan - i grabbed the opportunity right away.Hahaha!         So I packed my bag for a week vacation in Bicol Region again, making Caramoan as our main destination.  Arriving early in Naga City, we checked-in first in CBD Plaza Hotel.  It is very convenient because the hotel is right in front of the Naga Bus Terminal - it is easy to find.  Fortunately for the two of us, there' s still an available standard room for two for only P500, includes a hot/cold shower room, 2 single beds with fresh blankets and pillows, TV and remote, and Filipino breakfast for both of us.        Since we still have a whole day to waste (we plan to travel to Caramoan tomorrow), we decided to hopped in a non--air-con...

              Friends saw my Lake Mohicap pictures in Facebook and started bugging me to bring them in the same lake to swim and enjoy San Pablo, Laguna. I would love to indulge them however Lake Mohicap is not for leisure, seriously.  The water is quiet muddy and unclear and there's no refreshment nor cottages for rent in the areal.  So, i invited them instead to Lake Pandin.  Among the seven lakes in San Pablo, this one is most famous and being visited frequently.  It's walking distance from the main road.  If you wanted a tour guide, you may contact the 

             San Pablo City, Laguna was pronounced as city way back 1941.  One of the oldest city in Laguna and in the country.  It is best known as the city of 'Seven lakes of San Pablo' because of these lakes surrounding the area: Lake Sampaloc, Lake Palikpakin, Lake Mohicap, Lake Pandin, Lake Yambo, Lake Calibato and Lake Bunot. I first discovered these lakes when one of my friend who's taking her M.A in Biology in University of Sto.Tomas asked me to joined her get some water samples from Lake Mohicap.  Excited to learned how they normally get the samples and preserve it before bringing it to school for testing - off we went.  Since the place is quiet far and secluded, we contacted a local who owned a tricycle to bring bring us from the city to the lake.  This local happened to owned a house right next to the place and