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.

La Union Things to Do

It was supposed to be a day full of sun and  surf. Yep, we had a ton of sun alright, but no surf. The waves weren't big enough to go surfing so the next best thing would be to bodyboard instead. Good thing that we always bring not just our surfboard and skimboard every time we go to La Union, but our bodyboard as well. At least there'd be other activities we can do in the water.

Speaking of other activities, going to La Union is always such a thrill. I'll just summarize here the highlights of our short trip and perhaps you can do these things too if you wanna go to La Union sometime soon. Here are the amazing things you can do when going to La Union:

Hidden Island Resort in Bucas Grande Siargao

I have a cousin who lives in Surigao del Norte (well, most of my maternal relatives are) and when he found out that Peter and I were going to Siargao, he kept insisting that we go to Hidden Island Resort. When I did some research, I found it to have reasonable rates but unfortunately, I didn't wanna be hidden away from the rest of General Luna. Moreover, we were already booked in Patrick's. Maybe next time. Still, my cousin insisted that we at least drop by the place. He said our Siargao vacation won't be complete without it.

I took note of what he said but at the same time, I didn't hold my breath for it. If it happens, it will. If not, then it's not meant to be.

The Other Side of General Luna in Siargao - Boulevard, Boardwalk and KTV

Aside from the hotels and resorts that line up the shore of General Luna (where Patrick's on the Beach is also located), I'd like to share with you the other side of this quaint little town off the coast of Surigao del Norte; I mean the more local and less touristy side.

Nature's Wonders In Samar's Island Paradise

One of the pleasures of travel includes being able to get up close and personal with the flora and fauna of the place. Most especially, the fauna. Fascinating creatures like dolphins and whale sharks are only a few of the fauna that you can find visiting the islands of the Philippines.

While the whale shark capital of the Philippines is in Donsol, Sorsogon. But a little-known fact is that Northern Samar also has its share of whale shark sightings.

These two islands: Samar and Sorsogon, share some bodies of water, so it's understandable that some of the fauna in Sorsogon may find themselves passing through the waters of Samar.

La Januza Island in Siargao

La Januza island in Siargao (also called La Janosa) is one of the two islands included in the tour package we got from Patrick's on the Beach during our second day. The first one was Mamon island which I already shared with you in my previous post.

La Januza island is also one hour away from the municipality of General Luna via a motorized boat. It is a barangay with about 500+ residents as tallied back in 2007. Although it's not as pretty as Mamon island, its beauty is characterized by its unique black rock formation.

Guyam Island in Siargao

Look at the photo below. See those two islands from afar? This photo is taken right in front of Patrick's on the Beach located in General Luna, Siargao. The two islands there are Dako island on the right (the bigger one) and Guyam island on the left (the smaller one).

From Patrick's on the Beach, you can actually rent a kayak for Php500.00 and kayak your way over there especially if it's not as wavy. In fact, when the tide gets really low, you can walk all the way to Guyam Island.

Dako Island in Siargao

After our refreshing stay on Naked Island, our boatmen brought us to the biggest island in Siargao, hence the name DAKO island. "Dako" or "Daku" is a Visayan term which means big or huge.

Dako island is not just huge. It is also lush with a vast coconut plantation and other shrubbery covering most of the island. See our video below:

Naked Island in Siargao

Naked island is one of the best white sand islands we have ever visited. As its name implies, Naked island is a small round piece of white island that is basically naked, meaning, it doesn't have any trees except for a small patch of greenery on top.

Patrick's on the Beach in Siargao

Our Bohol-Cebu-Siargao trip hasn't been planned properly. As usual, we were too busy. I bought the tickets several months ago but never got the time to plan our specific itinerary. However, even way back in 2005, I have been wanting to check out Patrick's on the Beach located in General Luna, Siargao, Surigao del Norte. It has been recommended by my best friend's ex-boyfriend, and though he was a jerk, I believed in his judgment. Teehee.

That's me enjoying the beach in front of Patrick on the Beach. Behind me is their famous and romantic Beach Tree House.

A week before our departure, I contacted Patrick's on the Beach and was able to secure a nice deluxe room for Php2,100.oo per night. Since we were spending three nights there and I was very much looking forward to this trip since 2005, I wanted to feel really cozy and nice. I mentioned to the owner, Elizabeth, that I wanted to feature their resort on my blog and I was delighted to be given 50% discount on our accommodations. Whoopeeee! That really made our trip so much more worthwhile.

Win MISIBIS BAY Luxurious Getaway through NIVEA Sun

OMG! OMG! OMG! I only have a few more days left to join and hopefully win this contest! After everything Nivea Sun and I have been through this entire summer, I really think I deserve the chance. I am the last person who wants summer to end and the past week has been hard on me with my husband being sick and all. Winning a luxurious island getaway at MISIBIS BAY will more than make up for the fact that we were not able to celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary in a special way. Winning will give us all the time we really need, especially since we will be doing something we both love — traveling and exploring a beautiful and luxurious island, that is Misibis Bay.

Tambisaan Beach in Boracay

I was told before that Tambisaan Beach in Boracay is a nice snorkeling site that can be reached either via boat when you go island hopping or just a mere tricycle ride that will cost you Php100.00 from Station 3. I was feeling particularly adventurous one afternoon that I took a tricycle ride all by myself and discovered this beautiful beach.

My Canyon Cove Escapade @ Nasugbu, Batangas

This three-day weekend escapade at Canyon Cove started when Khrist Caballero of Train Station (formerly Motivating Minds) texted me weeks ago to ask for my assistance in documenting and helping out training 300+ participants from ADP. Of course, I said yes! As long as it's for Train Station and it's about traveling, I'm always all for it!

The Starfish @ Magalawa Island

My favorite hobby whenever I'm at the beach is snorkeling. So while my two girlfriends were sunbathing on the beaches of Magalawa island last weekend, while Peter was skin diving, I was out there in the middle of the sea, on full snorkeling gear, trying to take a peek at what's underwater.

Magalawa Island Water Rafting & Snorkeling

To see Day 1 of our Maglawa trip, please head to:
Magalawa Island - Day 1

To see Day 2 of our Maglawa trip, please head to:
Magalawa Island - Day 2

To see all posts about Magalawa Island, please click the link below:
Magalawa Island
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Part of the package we paid for when we went to Magalawa island last weekend was a 45-minute snorkeling adventure at Magalawa's coral garden.

Magalawa Island Trip - Day 2

To see Day 1 of our Maglawa trip, please head to:
Magalawa Island - Day 1

To see all posts about Magalawa Island, please click the link below:
Magalawa Island
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One good effect alcohol has on me is that it makes me wake up early the next day. It doesn't matter whether I slept early or late, as long as I get intoxicated the previous night, I always get up early the following morning. Maybe it's because I'd feel dehydrated and my thirst wakes me up whether I like it or not.

Magalawa Island Trip - Day 1

To see all posts about Magalawa Island, please click the link below:
Magalawa Island
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Magalawa island is a nice small white island off the coast of Palauig, Zambales. It usually takes about 4 hours to get there from Manila. Click the highlighted link if you want to know how to get to Magalawa Island.

On this particular blog post, I will TRY to just share with you the highlights of our Magalawa island trip. I think photos do say a lot more than words, so I hope you enjoy this...

Boracay Sexy Fire Dance (a video)

I seldom see stars at night these days, except for those nature trips I took in Malapascua where I saw the brightest and the most number of stars as well as in Casa San Pablo in Laguna. I wanted to see the same thing in Boracay. It is an island after all and I expected to commune with nature for the most part. Unfortunately, Boracay, at night, can be as bright as the biggest malls here in Manila. You can probably see the largest of constellations like Orion's belt and big dipper but other than that, you'd be lucky to spot the farthest and brightest of stars even on a clear night sky.

Boracay Island Hopping

One of the things I love to do when I'm at the beach is snorkeling. So it was quite tragic for me when I suddenly had my period during my last few days in Boracay. I was planning to bring Peter to Carabao Island on Easter Sunday so I can at least stay at the shore while I watch Peter swim in its virgin waters from a distance. Unfortunately, the people we were supposed to go with backed out the last minute. They must have been so wasted from the previous night with all the parties that were held. Tsk, tsk. Our tickets got refunded and we had no other choice except to make the most of our time in Boracay.

Boracay Diaries: The Tears Began to Fall

Dear Baboo,

I was watching Project Runway rerun just a few minutes ago. I wasn’t really following the show. I just happened to click on it and decided to stay on it for a while. It was the episode where they finally announced the ultimate winner. Everything was going well; I was feeling happy for the winner (I didn’t even get her name). Then the parents and family members were called to come out on stage to congratulate their 26-year old daughter for winning. All of a sudden, an overwhelming sense of sadness fell over me…