Quick Hike in Tila Pilon Hills DRT

 Coming from SJDM, it took us 1 1/2hrs to get to DRT. It’s not that far but the roads are narrow. Luckily, there’s no traffic so our travel was smooth. You know you’re when you see a huge sign outside the place.

Upon arrival, we paid the 500 for the hiking and guide (50/head for hiking and 300 for the guide) then, JR, our guide, brief us regarding CLAYGO and not leaving any trash.

There are actually 2 paths: the easy one only has 2 ascending trail and the other one has five. We took the easy one but we paid 60 and another 15 to pass by private properties.

I’m not sure how long it took us to get to the top of the hill but the view is indeed amazing. It was easy even for beginners and even our son enjoyed the quick hike.

So, of course, after the tiring activity, we went straight to Tila Pilon Cafe to have lunch. It’s our sweet reward for making it to the top 😁 My son said the cafe offers top notch food and take note, he has high standard when it comes to food. The coffee ranges from 90-150 and the meal ranges from 180-250.

We’re planning to go back sometime to have picnic and just roam around. Even if you don’t go hiking, the place itself is worth visiting. You can just spend an afternoon relaxing and having coffee with a nice backdrop of Sierra Madre.

As of this writing, here’s their rate:

Table rental - 50

Hammock rental - 50

Parking - Car 50 / Motor 20

Biking - 50 (30mins) / 80 (1hr)

Hiking

50 per head

300 for a guide (group of 5)

Overnight camping

100 per head

800 for a guide

Tent rental - 400 ( 2 pax)

Pitching fee - 100

Year End Beach Trip at Subic

Yey! We finally get to spend a few days at the beach, thanks to the eased restrictions.

Anyway, we ended up here in Samba Blueocean because of the location (it’s just a 2hr drive) and the availability (I was able to book Dec 30 - Jan 1 eventhough it’s just less than a week before the trip).

Last Dec 30, we left home at around 4:45AM because we’re anticipating heavy traffic so we’re surprised that only a few cars were on the highway. We paid 60+425 for the toll fee going to Subic, then going back, it’s another 500.

We arrived at 7:20AM and there weren’t that many guests. There were a lot of empty parking spaces so we get to choose a good spot.

We headed over to the front office to settle our balance but since we arrived early, we still need to wait until 2PM to check in. The good thing is we can stay in the waiting area if we already want to swim.

After we had our breakfast, we decided to check out the nearby duty free shops since we still have a few hours.

We first visited Puregold Duty Free, and there were a lot on sale. I scored some sparkling juices for $3 per bottle, some chocolates and snacks for just a little over a dollar. After that, we went to Royal Duty Free. There’s not much to see so I was a bit disappointed. We just went back to the resort to have lunch.

At around 1:30PM, they already allowed us to check in. Our room, Seashell Village, is far from the entrance and a few walks away from the beach.

Our room is basic but super clean. It has its own CR and there a small patio with a table and some chairs where you can chill. They provided us with an extra mattress, a pillow, and a bath towel which is included on the extra head that we paid for. At the back of our room, there’s a common griller and a bonfire.

I was planning to grill our food for dinner but since we’re all tired from the trip, I just ordered from FoodPanda. Luckily, there were a lot of restaurants to choose from.

The next morning, while swimming, we saw a boat selling fresh catch so we bought Tambakol for 250 and grilled it for our lunch. The boatman offered to cook it for 200 but I thought it’s pricey. There’s a small sari-sari store inside the resort selling all kinds of stuff so I bought a small pouch of soy sauce for 20 and a 1L distilled water for 40.

After having our lunch, we then went to the front office to rent a Kayak. It costed us 380 for 1 hour. I’m not sure if it’s just the right price but I think it’s still within range.

At around 3PM, we went back to our room to rest and order food for our dinner.

After having our dinner, we went to the beach to check out the New Year Countdown event. At first, we’re hesitant to join but we’re glad we did. We didn’t even notice the time because we had so much fun.

On our last day, we just took one quick dip before leaving. I also bought a bag of indian mangoes for 100 to ease my craving.

Overall, we had fun. I wasn’t expecting much from the resort but they exceeded my expectations. We’ll definitely come back here for quick trips.

Boodle Fight at Ka-On Restaurant (Tides Hotel) in Boracay

During our Boracay trip last February 2020, We were able to try Ka-On Restaurant's Yapac Boodle Set and I'd say it's one of the best food we had in Boracay. I was able to buy their voucher from Klook for just P2150 and the Boodle set is already good for 6 (or 4 super hungry people which is us).

We arrived at 3:30PM and there are no other guests apart from us. We took three flights of stair to get to the rooftop where Ka-On is located. Upon entering, I immediately noticed everyone smiling at us. The staff were all warm and welcoming.

Just a few minutes after we're seated, they're already setting up our table. They also provided us a pitcher of water with calamansi that we can use to wash our hands with.

The (Yapac) Boodle is consist of Banana Fritters, Tortang Talong, Buttered Garlic Shrimp, Grilled Tuna Belly, Pork BBQ, Steamed Okra, and Rice.

The whole experience was great, from the food, to the service, to the ambiance and I'd give them 5 out of 5 stars.

Boracay Trip - February 2020

Since my son's first trip to Boracay in 2017, he can't stop talking about it. He even mentioned in his school assignment that his visit in Boracay was his happiest moment so I made it a point to bring him back here again.

This time we're with my mom. It's her first time, and, travelling with a senior means I have to skip the DIYs and make it convenient for everyone. So, I booked our transfers ahead of time (through Klook), and I had to  be thorough in picking our hotel. Well, after carefully reading the reviews, I ended up booking our stay in Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel.

On the day of our flight to Kalibo, we parked our car in T4 Terminal Parking and checked in. Airport Parking rate (P300/overnight) is cheaper than Park n' Fly's rate (P340 + VAT), not to mention it's more convenient and time-saving since it's just a few steps away from the entrance and you don't need to ride a shuttle to get to the airport anymore. Air Asia doesn't allow online check-in for Seniors so we had to proceed to their Priority Counter. Luckily, no one's in line before us so checking in was a breeze.

After we arrived in Kalibo International Airport, the staff from Southwest Tours called our name so we proceed to their counter and they gave us stickers and told us to meet the guy outside the airport wearing a Klook Shirt. The guy then led us to the bus. It took us just 1 1/2 hours to get to Caticlan Jetty Port. And after we had our body temperature checked, we were then directed to Southwest's waiting area where the staff gave us a boarding pass and in a matter of time, we're already riding the speedboat bound to Boracay Island.

The boat ride from Caticlan Port to Cagban Port (Boracay) only took 10 minutes and upon arrival, another Klook staff was waiting to assist us with our luggages. He then led us to the multicab that will bring us to our hotel. We're with another group and they were dropped off first since their resort is just in Station 3 before we were brought to our hotel which is in Station 2.

Cagban Jetty Port

Upon our arrival in Mandarin Island Hotel, one of the staffs offered us cold towels and gave each of us a refreshing glass of juice while the front desk is validating our booking. A few minutes and we're being escorted to our room already. We just left our bags there and went to Ka-On Restaurant, Tides Hotel's rooftop restaurant for our Lunch Reservation.

Boodle-style lunch at Ka-on Restaurant

After devouring everything in our Boodle-style Lunch, we went back to our hotel and my mom spent the rest of the day watching Netflix on the 65" Smart TV in our room while hubby and our son went to swim at the pool.

In the evening, everyone's still full except for the little guy so we took him to Andok's in D'Mall for dinner. After that, we capped off the night with some buy 1 take 1 cocktails from our hotel's in house restaurant, Don Vito Ristorante Italiano, while listening to live bands.

The following morning, Mom and I went shopping for pasalubong while hubby and our son spent the whole morning swimming. After our late lunch, we attempted to go to Willy's Rock before the sunset cruise but the sun is at its peak so we just decided to visit Jonah's and have some refreshing fruit shake. Jonah's used to be located near Willy's Rock but they were affected by the rehabilitation of Boracay so they moved to a new location which is near Astoria in Station 1.

At exactly 3:50PM, the boat for sunset cruise left and the acoustic singer started to play the guitar. We stopped in the middle of the sea, and while waiting for the sun to set, the crew provide free use of snorkeling gears, tube, kayak and paddle board to the guests. They even have mermaid tails for that ultimate IG moment. We just did snorkeling and kayaking. At around 5:30PM, the boat was already moving slowly and everyone's just chilling while watching the sky turn from yellow to orange.

Sunset Watching

After the 2 1/2 hour sunset cruise, we had dinner in Hoy Panga! and since we can't get enough of Don Vito's Pina Colada, we had them served in our room to end our second day in Boracay.

On our third day, we met with hubby's family after breakfast and we all went to Willy's Rock. I can't remember how long it took us to get there but all I know it's already lunch time when we arrived in Station 2.

Willy's Rock Station 1

After lunch, everyone took a rest and prepared for Banana Boat that they scheduled late in the afternoon. I'm not into extreme water activities (yes, Banana Boat is extreme for me) so Mom and I just chilled out in Crown Regency in Station 3.

After a few drinks and a plate of Cheese Sticks, the gang finally arrived. It was fun to see my mom and my mother-in-law relaxing and enjoying. Everyone's just laughing, sharing stories, and singing on the karaoke.

Hubby and his brothers went parasailing the next morning so I planned to take my mom to D'Talipapa but I was surprised to learn that it burned down 2 years ago and until now it was not renovated so we just went to check out Station 3.

On our last day during the check out, the Southwest Staff is already waiting to pick us up from the hotel to take us to the port. They scheduled the pickup 5hrs departure time to ensure we don't miss our flight. The transfer from our hotel to the airport is as smooth as when we arrived.

It's sad to say goodbye to Boracay and going back to reality but at least I have new memories and experience to treasure.

Our Boracay Sunset Cruise Experience

I booked our Sunset Cruise through Klook a few weeks before our planned trip. Their rate is P675 for Adult and P350 for Child. It's cheaper compare to the walk-in price of P800 / P400.

At exactly 3:30PM, we're already in front of Astoria in Station 1 and the guide wearing a My Boracay Guide T-Shirt approached us and asked us what name the reservation is under and how many of us will be joining. The guide then brief us of what we can expect and told us that we can still buy some snacks if we wish to bring some, and that the cruise will leave at exactly 3:50PM.

They offer free use of Paddle Board, Kayak, Tube, Snorkeling Gears, Mermaid Tails and they even set up a hammock where you can relax while waiting for the sunset.

The boat started to move slowly while the sun is setting and the guide/photographer took photos of the guests.

The whole experience is superb and it's something not to be missed when in Boracay.