Barefoot Travels Magdalena Whitewater Rafting Adventure

 This white water rafting photo above was taken at Ayung River in Indonesia back in 2009.

Bebeko will be here soon and we're joining Barefoot Travels in their white water rafting adventure. Weee!!! This will be my third time to do such an adventurous thing. The first time I did whitewater rafting was back in 2006 in Padas River in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. The second was in Ayung, River, Bali, Indonesia in 2009. 

Bebeko and I wanted to try this before in Cagayan de Oro when we visited my grandparents and at another time when we went to Dahilayan in Bukidnon but we always ran out of time. I guess now, the universe has conspired for us to get what we want because I was personally invited by Rons Nebre, the founder of Barefoot Travels and I'm going to bring my bebe with me. Yipeee!

Heading to Real, Quezon with Barefoot Travels... Who wants to join?

*Due to typhoon Glenda and Henry recently, this trip was re-scheduled to Aug. 2 and September 6.

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Just a quick post... I'll be going with Barefoot Travels this Saturday, July 19, 2014. There are still a few slots left. Who wants to join? Please read the details below:

Surf and Trek Adventure

Real, Quezon

Real is a small first class municipality in Quezon province, approximately 145 kilometers from Manila. Conveniently located only 2.5-3 hours away from the Metro passing by the picturesque Laguna Lake and the scenic Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges, this town is slowly becoming a beach destination for quick and easy weekend getaways. With its coastline facing the Pacific Ocean, this has also become a surfers’ haven due to its great waves and much less crowded surf spots.

Of Endings and Beginnings

I've been feeling the blues and it's been going on for a while now (severe depression which has been on and off since 2012). I was pretty ok last half of 2013. The NLP / Neurolinguistic Programming sessions I took in September helped a lot. In a way, the emotional baggage I've been bringing with me since I was a kid got healed somehow. Plus the non-stop travels I did the past two years did a lot of good to my psyche. 

The non-stop hopping from place to place was tiring, yes, and I was welcoming the rest I will be having from these trips come February, my birthday month which was last month, the only time I got to rest from my travels since January 2012. 

Fun, fun Feb, my birthday month!

Everything was going great; I was looking forward to celebrating my 36th birthday at home despite all the emotional trials I've been going through... until something hit me hard and since then I was never the same. :( :( :(

Summer Travel Schedule w/ Barefoot Travels

Can you feel the heat? Yep, I think summer is here! After that cold spell we all experienced in January, I'm ready to welcome the warm and sunny weather coz that means more beach trips and more travels!

If you're "nomadic" like me and have this immense thirst for traveling, you might be interested in what I want to share with you. Even if you're not the wanderer type, but you've been dreaming about getting out of the office and going on some adventure somewhere, then this post is for you too.  

In the past, I was used to traveling on my own if not with my hubby. Then a time came when I always wanted to travel with my old friends. Then sometime 2012, I started traveling with my bessy. Recently though, I discovered a group who likes organizing fun and affordable travels and I've already been with them thrice! They're called BAREFOOT TRAVELS. My experience with them in Sagada was life-changing! Then last month, I've been to Baler with them twice! The first was for an overnight trip and the second was for a 3D/2N surfcation. 

Before I came to know BAREFOOT TRAVELS, the only other traveling group I've been with was Travel Factor back in April 2012 when I first visited Baler with my hubby and gf Koryn. We had some mishaps at that time with Travel Factor but I still considered it fun because I was with my husband and friend. However, with BAREFOOT TRAVELS, considering that I was by myself and I didn't know anyone when I first went with them (to Sagada),  it was really a nice surprise how much I came to love, adore and miss this group! Plus, it's a bonus that every time I join them in their travels, I get to meet new and interesting individuals from all over! It's really an amazing experience every single time. I think it's because their travel coordinators who go along these trips are really nice, friendly and accommodating people. The bring out the best in each participant and they're also all for the adventure, camaraderie and bond that come with these trips which I love that about Barefoot Travels. 

And now that summer is here, it's time to travel some more and go BAREFOOT! I'm sure many of you are looking forward to spending some quality time relaxing on a beach, or surfing, or climbing mountains or just simply heading out there onto a new adventure, bonding with friends, families, loved ones or simply enjoying yourself or meeting new people. If so, check out the following schedules that BAREFOOT TRAVELS has for you beginning this month all the way through May: 

Barefoot Travels Baler Surf and Trek Adventure

Baler Adventure

Hey gais! I'm still here in Cebu, in Oslob in particular. I've been traveling non-stop so to speak since last year and now that I'n resting a bit here at my bessy's place (my flight back to Manila is early tomorrow at 3am), I decided to make time for another blog post, this time about Baler. I was just there last Jan. 11-12 when I joined Barefoot Travels in their surfing adventure. I'm going back there for a longer vacation this time, from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, for a surfcation as they call it. Two more slots are still available so if you want to join, contact Barefoot now at +63923-5610062; +63917-3589716. So yeah, as soon as I go home tomorrow, I'll have to pack again for another  surfing trip. Just look at some of the surfing videos my new friends took last time. Who wouldn't want to go back there, right? Whew! What a life! ^_^

Barefoot Sagada Package Inclusions

Below are the details you need to know if you want to join one of Barefoot Travel's future Sagada trips. I got these details from the primer they sent me a week before my scheduled tour of Sagada. You will receive one too should you decide to join them. You can also read my introductory post about Barefoot Travels and my Sagada excursion with them. Just go to this link here: Sagada with Barefoot Travels: An Introduction. Barefoot Travels has an upcoming Sagada trip this February 7-9 so be sure to register! 

If you wish to contact them for further details and clarifications, feel free to email Barefoot Travels at barefoottravels@yahoo.com or contact us at +63917-3589716 or +63923-5610062 Go Travel. Be Practical. Have Fun. Go Barefoot. Work Shoes: OFF LIMITS!

The Annual Sagada Bonfire Fest, now on its 5th year and held every last week of December, is organized by the Sagada Genuine Guides Association or Saggas. It is a night of merry-making, food tripping, music jamming and cultural bonding. Experience this one of a kind bonfire feast as Barefoot Travels brings you to the heart of the Mountain Province this December. 

PACKAGES:

 SAGADA EXTREME: Php5,500 per person (Php5,250 for early birds) 

STANDARD PACKAGE: Php4,450 per person 

Sagada with Barefoot Travels: An Introduction

Sagada Rice Terraces

Sagada has always been one of my dream destinations ever since my younger sister told me that she's been there during her UP days (about 15 years ago) and it was such an awesome experience for her. She was telling me all these wonderful stories of heading there atop a jeepney squeezed between her friends traversing the dangerous and steep sides of the mountainous Banaue while intoxicated with alcohol and what-not. It sounded so much fun and I wanted to experience that too. Unfortunately, between my younger sister and me, I am not as brave. So whenever I'd try to schedule a trip to Sagada, visions of buses and jeepneys falling off a cliff would pop in my head and just as soon as I thought of going there, my dream would immediately fade away too. Yeah, I'm such a scaredy cat. 

2014 Philippine Holiday Schedule - Plan Your Vacations Now!

Happy New Year! 

taken in Similan Island, Phi Phi, Phuket, Thailand

It's the year of the Earth Horse and I feel like this year is going to be luckier than ever for me. Life just gets better and better, doesn't it? Just when I told myself (a few months ago) that I'll probably stop travelling so I can focus on other aspects of my life, travel opportunities came left and right that I just couldn't resist. So here I am spending the first day of the new year fixing the schedules of my upcoming trips. I just came from Bangkok and Phuket last week, and just this weekend, I was in Sagada with Barefoot Travels. And next week I'll be in Baler with Barefoot Travels again then Boracay with Baboo and Padi, then Cebu for my Bessy's birthday. Anyway, I'll have a separate blog post for all these trips. For now, just as I am organizing my travel plans, I went on looking for this year's Philippine holiday schedule which I also want to share with you especially those like me who have been busy with life that it's only now they're taking the time to organize the vacations they want to take for 2014. 

I got this from http://www.gov.ph/2013/10/01/list-of-nationwide-holidays-for-2014/. Enjoy planning your vacation, folks!

How to Get from Oslob to Dumaguete and Back (Oslob Diaries Day 1)

April Fool's Day has been a busy one for me that I didn't even celebrate it by pulling a prank on someone, tsk, tsk. I haven't had any sleep since the day before because I had to pack and take a 4:20 am Cebu Pac flight to Mactan, Cebu. 

The Ruins in Bacolod and How to Get There

Bacolod has always been one of those places in the Philippines that I fell in love with the first time my hubby and I visited it back in 2011 which is why I couldn't help but write about its many beautiful sites here on my blog. And since today is the first day of summer (Can you feel the heat? I do! And I'm loving it.), I thought of finally continuing my pending blog posts and hopefully be able to stick to writing about my travels on a more regular basis  in between work, traveling and social networking (crossing my fingers).

One of the things you can do here aside from trying Bacolod's many culinary delights, visiting its quaint ancestral houses (Balay Negrense, Pink House) and taking a refreshing trip to Mambukal Falls is to visit the very majestic and picturesque Lacson Ruins or what is most popularly known as The Ruins. 

Aguirangan Island, Caramoan: Bicol - Caramoan Adventure Series Day 3

My hubby Peter took my first shot at Aguirangan Island. That's Mayon Volcano behind me from afar.

I can't believe I'm blogging for three days straight now. I'm on fire! LOL! Unfortunately, I haven't been sleeping much which is bad. I guess something has got to give if I want to continue blogging. I can't just give up my work nor my time with my Bes Hanz nor my role as a wife, right? If only we can have more than 24 hours in a day... Anyway, I also just want to finish as many posts as I can since I promised myself that I'll finish my travelogues before the year ends and I still have so many. Plus, I'm not so sure if there'd be wifi at the 2012 International Youth Seminar on Life and Ch'an in Taiwan. The first week (July 18-25) is jampacked with seminars, activities and tours, while the second week (July 26-Aug. 3) will be devoted to a lot of meditation. 

Deer Farm in Ocampo, Camarines Sur - Bicol - Caramoan Adventure Series Day 3

This is the third part of my Bicol - Caramoan adventure series. It's taking a while for me to complete the whole series because I've been spending so much time with my best friend Hanz, plus I have a ton of work to finish before I fly off to Taiwan for the 2012 International Youth Seminar on Life and Ch'an from July 18-Aug.3.

Donsol Whale Shark Adventure: Bicol - Caramoan Adventure Series Day 2

This blog post is the second part of our awesome Bicol - Caramoan adventure... 

So, after our trip to Lignon Hill where we did the zip line, then visited Cagsawa Ruins and the nearby LCC Mall, off we went to Donsol in Sorsogon the following day to swim with the gigantic whale sharks. Unlike the ones I saw in Oslob, the whale sharks in Donsol are huge... even bigger than the buses here in Manila! They were so huge (about 12-18 meters and weigh as much as 40 tons) that it was difficult for me to take a photo of its whole body. As you can see from the pictures below, I was only able to capture a portion of its body one part at a time. 

Lignon Hill Zip Line, Cagsawa Ruins, Mayon: Bicol - Caramoan Adventure Series Day 1

I've been wanting to blog about our awesome Bicol - Caramoan adventure for a long while now. But you know how it is. Other travel posts got prioritized, work got in the way, and life just happened. Before I knew it, such a long time has already passed and now I'm swimming in a ton of pending travel posts. But no worries. By hook or by crook I am going to publish all my pending travel posts before this year ends. LOL!

Anyway, here is the first part of our Bicol - Caramoan adventure. My good friend Koryn was the one who organized everything so basically my hubby and I just paid for everything and we didn't need to worry about anything else except to enjoy the whole trip. And we loved every minute of it!

Cloud 9 Surfing in Siargao

Now that I've left my most favorite island, Siargao, I'm regretting the fact that I've only surfed in Cloud Nine twice. Looking back, I did more Siargao wild partying than what the island is really known for --- the great surfing breaks. Hahaha! I guess this just means that I have to come back again and stay longer if possible (perhaps 1-3 months? Praying that my hubby will allow me. Hehehe.)

Taktak Falls in Santa Monica, Siargao

After our awesome trip to Magpupungko Beach, Tidal Flats and Lagoon, we then headed to Taktak Falls in Santa Monica, between San Benito and Burgos. The sky was starting to get dark. Just as we were praying for the continuation of the good weather, huge raindrops started to fall and before we knew it, the entire heaven poured down upon us hitting us like daggers. 

Magpupungko Beach, Tidal Flats and Lagoon in Siargao

WOW! It's been a while since I last updated my blog and all my other blogs for that matter. I guess it means that I'm really enjoying my time in the outdoors and have very little energy left to do anything else. Hehehe. Nevertheless, I'm still excited to share with you some of the things I've been up to.

Surfing in Cloud 9, Siargao

I promised myself that I will one day brave the waves of Cloud 9 in Siargao. But it was only on my 6th day that I was finally able to do it. I guess my previous trauma from before hasn't been completely erased and my heart was skipping a beat the whole time I was in the water. But I gotta do it. I rented the biggest board Ocean 101 has and I hired an instructor who basically just pushed my board and brought me to where the waves were.

Ocean 101 - Siargao Cheap Accommodation

Hello from Siargao! I am currently checked in at Ocean 101 and so far I am loving my stay here that I wish I had booked at least a month's stay like I did in Boracay last year, rather than just 2 weeks. How I also wish my husband is with me. Oh well. Might as well make the most of this trip.

Read more:

SIARGAO CHEAP ACCOMMODATION – OCEAN 101 CLOUD 9 BEACH RESORT

Kawasan Falls and Beach in Badian, Cebu

I'm currently in Siargao right now for my 15-day vacation. I'm enjoying my vacation so much that I barely find the time to update my blogs. But maybe I can post some of my travel photos here just to update you where I have been and what I have been doing.

 That's me. the one wearing an orange life vest at the right side of the frame.

The other day (March 13), I was in Cebu for one whole day. Instead of just staying at the airport to wait for my flight, I decided to visit the town of Badian instead, located at the Southwestern part of Cebu. You can just take one of the Ceres buses at the South Bus Terminal located along N. Bacalso St. Fare costs Php131 for aircon and Php126 for non-aircon.