Loving Boracay

Boracay is an island of the Philippines located approximately 315 km (196 mi) south of Manila and 2 km off the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boracay).

Another recall....last Dec. 2010, me and my boyfriend together with our friends went to Boracay.  We have been planning this get away for quiet some time and we were fortunate to grab a promo fare from Cebu Pacific for only Php 499.00(Cebu-Caticlan). I can say that this magnificent island is indeed a Philippine treasure.  The white, powdery and clear waters will really make one speechless.   

Before our trip, I searched for information about affordable accommodation, activities to do, food and tips in going to Boracay.  I came across this blog

http://justwandering.org/2009/destination/philippines/cheap-accommodation-boracay/, which indeed was very helpful in planning our trip. Checking out the accommodations mentioned in the blog, we eventually stayed at Jerome's Bungalow in Station 2. Each room cost Php1,200 for 2 persons, already cheap for an airconditioned, w/ own CR and cable TV in Boracay.  The place is safe and more importantly, just a walking distance from the beach.  Food is not a problem in Boracay in terms of kinds and price.  There are Eat All You Can every night for (250-500 pesos), more affordable than Panglao.  There is also Mang Inasal with their unlimited rice, very suitable for budget people.  Oh, don't forget to taste Jonah's Shake, the most delicious shake I've ever tasted.

How to Get There

The most convenient way to reach Boracay is by plane.  There are plenty of airlines that fly to  Caticlan which is your jump-off point going to Boracay island.  Upon arriving at the Caticlan airport, you can either walk or ride a tricycle to the Jetty Port.  Here in this port are small boats that will take you to Boracay island for 15 minutes for P20.00.By the way, you will also be asked to pay the environmental fee for Php 75.00.    When you reach island, there are motorcycles or mulitcabs going to White Beach for Php 10.00.  This long stretched of whites, powdery sand is divided into three stations namely, Station 1, Station 2 and Stations 3.  Accommodation in Boracay is not a problem since there are plenty of resorts that you can choose from and affordable.  Most of the time, airfare promos are only Cebu-Caticlan or Manila-Caticlan and no available promo for going back.  The regular fare for this is expensive, so the most budget friendly is to travel from Caticlan to Iloilo which is 5 hours by bus and a little lesser if you take the V-Hire or vans.When you reach Iloilo City, the bus will finally dropped all passengers in their terminal and from their you can take a taxi going to the airport.  The airport is a bit far, so make sure you depart early from Boracay advisably 6-7 am.

City of Gentle People:Dumaguete

Dumaguete City is a small, laid-back capital city of Negros Oriental. In highly urbanized cities such as Cebu,  where people are always racing with time, it's totally different in Dumaguete, life here is slow and simple.  I have been to this city a few times and I have always been fascinated with the place.  I bet nowhere in the Philippines you can see all kinds of motorcycles driven by all kinds of people young, old, men, women, name it!  Even senior citizens are driving their own motorcycles!

Coming to Dumaguete is not complete without visiting the prestigious Siliman University. I remember the first time that I stepped into the portals of this big university, I was astonished with the towering trees, the enormous buildings and the cool students.  A perfect picture of a university that hones independence, maturity and holistic development.  Being a small city, everything seems walkable.  You can take a walk in the streets and enjoy the rich architecture of old and new buildings. One thing I appreciate in the city is the affordable accommodation.  Here you find an airconditioned room, w/ cable, free breakfast for two for only 900++ pesos or even less.  However, transportation here is expensive, mininum fare is 8.50 pesos(higher than Cebu).  Also watch out for some drivers who takes advantage and ask for a higher fare especially if they find out you're new to their place.

How to get there

Ocean Jet travels Cebu-Dumaguete route for 950.00 one way.  There are also domestic flights by airline carriers that will bring you to Dumaguete City.  From Cebu City, the most affordable is via land trip.  You will have to ride a bus from South Bus Terminal to Liloan Port, Santander.  From Liloan Port, take a 15-25 fast craft to  Sibulan, Negros.  From Sibulan, a short tricycle ride for 15-20 minutes will already bring you to Dumaguete City.

Liloan Port, Santander, Cebu

Fares:
South Bus Terminal-Liloan Port - Php 169.00
Liloan Port-Sibulan - 62.00
Sibulan-Dumaguete - 11.00

Fish Tapahan in Danao

One of my favorite food since I was a kid is "Tinap-anan" as what local Cebuanos call for smoked fish.  Smoked fish is different from grilled fish, since the fish is cooked because of the heat of smoke only.  Because of this, it has a unique taste and smell that is loved not by Cebuanos but also Filipinos in general.  Usually, the tinapa is used as one of the ingredients in cooking "utan" or soup with different kinds of vegetables. 

A very famous tapahan in the province of Cebu is in Danao City, a 45 minutes-1 hr drive from Cebu City.  Before reaching the city's church, there are plenty of stalls along the street that will surely catch your attention.  One stick of tinap-anan will cost 50-100 pesos depending on the size. The stores here are situated near the sea shore, so the fish are very fresh.

This is where we eat most of the time. We find it cleaner compared to the others.

Very fresh and taste better than any other tinapa I've tasted in Cebu.

Best combination!

JVR Island in the Sky

"Island in the Sky Resort" is a catching name for a resort. When traversing the challenging roads of Transcentral Highway, you will pass by "Island in the Sky Resort".  The pine trees and cold breeze even on daylight gives you a feeling of being in Baguio, true to its name as the "little Baguio of Cebu".  The swimming pool, according to the staff can be rented for Php 1,500 exclusive to your group.  Entrance fee is only 50.00 and you can now have unlimited picture taking..  They also have a restaurant where you can order food and drinks.  However, it's a bit expensive.  So, it's practical to bring  your own food.  There are also small cottages where you can eat and accommodations for overnight stay.  However, from what I've seen they are very small and not well maintained.  The cost for the cottages is also expensive around 250.00.  The swimming pool when we went there looks like not being cleaned at all.  The water is dark and the tiles seems to scared of brushes.  The view is very nice, I hope the management does something to improve the facilities.

Stairs going down to the swimming pool area.

 

 The scenic view of the mountains in Cebu, with the slide going to the swimming pool below.

Family Bonding at Genesis Valley, Consolacion

Last Aug. 31, 2011, my family drove from Lapu-Lapu City to Genesis Valley, Consolacion Cebu.  This was a welcome celebration for my brother's arrival at the same time a good luck wish for my sister's boyfriend who was set to fly to Brazil for work.  The place is nestled between lush-green mountains of Consolacion, Cebu.

Family bonding in Genesis Valley's swimming pool. At the back are two jacuzzis.

 

Alona Beach, Panglao, Bohol

The second time I visited the beautiful island of Panglao was when we had our company's team building and as part of the organizers I suggested that we held it in Alona Beach.  This part of the island has plenty of accommodations, more commercialized than Dumaluan, active night life and has other activities that you can enjoy.  It's kind of little Boracay setup where resorts are lined up along the beach line and people can just cross from one resort to another.  Resorts here ranges from affordable to expensive rates depending on your budget. After a stressful scouring of affordable accommodation, we decided to stay in Bohol Divers Resort located in the extreme side of the beach.  The resort has the most number of rooms in the area which ranges from backpackers room,fan rooms to air-conditioned executive suites.  We find the resort most appropriate for our needs considering our budget, it has large swimming pool and wide area suitable for team building activities.  At night, you get to enjoy their band offering acoustic and party music for all the guests.  There is also a bar where you can enjoy your drink.  Good food here is expensive and its one thing that I find not amusing in Panglao.  Eat all you can here cost is Php450.00, imagine that! So, if you're on a tight budget, it's recommended that you buy in Tagbilaran before going to Alona Beach.  There are also affordable food such as barbeque along the sides that you can buy.

Beach line of Alona Beach.

 Bohol Diver's Bar.

Serenity in Dumaluan Panglao, Bohol

Panglao is a fourth class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. It is one of two municipalities that make up Panglao Island, the other being Dauis(wikipedia).  The island boasts of white sand beaches and a varying choice of affordable to expensive accommodations.  There are two famous beaches in the island Alona Beach and Dumaluan Beach.

I have been to this island three times, the first with my family where we stayed in Dumaluan Beach Resort.  This part of the island has long beach line, white and find sand even comparable to Boracay's.  At night, you can hear the waves, lie down in the sand and wait for falling stars.  This is one good place to relax and recharge. Food here is expensive and there are no  other food stalls or restaurants other than the ones owned by the resort. So, it's advised that you bring your own food.

That's me and my niece, enjoying the white sands of Dumaluan Beach Resort.

My brother, niece and nephew playing on the sand on a low tide. See the long stretch of find sand.

How to Get There

From Cebu City, you may ride a fast craft such as Ocean Jet, Weesam or SuperCat to Tagbilaran City.  Upon arrival, you can rent a van which is expensive will cost you around 700 one way or car 500.  More practical is you ride a tricycle to bring you to the city's church.  Beside the church area are jeepneys or mini buses that are going to Panglao island, fare is only 30 pesos. Unboard the vehicle when you reach the area where you will see a sign to Dumaluan Beach Resort.  The beach is a distance away from the main road so you may take "habal-habal" or motorcycle for 20 pesos each person. Another option is to pay the tricycle to take you directly to the resort. Cost for this is 200-400 pesos.   There are two resorts Dumaluan Beach Resort I and II, the other is public and the other is more expensive.  We payed Php 2500 for our room good for 4 persons and 150/person in excess.  Accommodation and food in Panglao is really expensive, even more expensive than Boracay's.