DAY 1
We hired a van since it will be more convenient for us especially that brought our kids with us. Manong Ronnie, the driver/owner of the Starex van served as our tour guide.
Here's his FB page: https://web.facebook.com/ronnienievera59/
Mobile Number: 09088753073
9AM - Start of City Tour
* Lourdes Grotto
* Lion's Head
* PMA
* Lunch at Ketchup Food Community
TIP: Reserve your seats and order your foods early because the place is always jam packed
* The Mansion
* Wright Park
* Mines View Park
TIP: If you're not yet tired, buy Ube Jam from Good Shepherd near Mines View Park
4PM - End of City Tour
After resting for a few hours, we went to check out the Night Market along Harrison Road, Session Road, and SM
DAY 2
Hubby and I had a walking tour to nearby points of interests
* Burnham Park
* Cafe by the Ruins
TIP: Have your breakfast here
* City Market (for pasalubongs)
The summary of our Baguio Tour can be found HERE
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Family Day in Baguio - June 2015
It was 2008 since I last visited Baguio and I felt mixed emotions to see that it's very different now. It doesn't have the laid back ambiance that it used to have before. It lost its simplicity but in spite of that, the city still didn't lost its charm and beauty.
It was June 12 and we didn't have any plans earlier that day. My mind is set to just taking a beauty rest for the whole week that I was on vacation leave but then, Hubby texted his brother who happen to be here in Manila for a week long leave too and asked if he wants to go to Baguio. After exchanging a few text messages, our trip was set. I searched online for possible accommodations but all inns are fully booked during that time because of the long weekend. We don't want to spend a lot in fancy hotels so we just decided we'd find a transient house once we're there.
By 7PM, there were no tickets in Victory Liner and Genesis available for reservations anymore while in Dagupan Bus Line, they're on a first come, first serve basis but we don't want to be travelling early in the evening since we don't have any hotel reservation and we don't know where we'll be staying until morning so, we just agreed on catching the 11PM bus. It's a good thing that Hubby's sister went to the terminal earlier since they were able to get us a van that will take us there. Fare is P600, a bit pricier compare to bus fare of P420 but the trip is smooth and fast since the driver took the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX). It's expensive to go that way since you have to pay three toll fees (NLEX, SCTEX P218 then TPLEX P218) but if budget's not a problem, it will be better to take the expressway. We left Cubao by 12MN and took the usual 6-hr trip to Baguio in just 4.5 hours so we arrived earlier than expected. It's a good thing that my Uncle and his wife are already awake at that time so, as soon as we're at the terminal, I texted my Uncle to ask how we can go around the city but instead of giving me instructions and tips, they picked us up from the terminal right after we had our breakfast.
After an hour of looking for a place to stay, we were finally able to get a transient house. It's a unit inside a building just beside Golden Pine Hotel. It has a living area, kitchen, dining area, 2 large bedrooms, and a decent comfort room and it only costed P3500.
We only rested for an hour then by 9AM, the van service arranged by my Uncle arrived to pick us for our city tour.
The driver is also the owner of the Starex and he said that we're the second group of tourists that hired the van. We can see that it's really new because the plastic covers are still intact. We paid P2000 for the 8-hr city tour. It's supposed to be P2500 but my Aunt and Uncle haggled so we were given discount. I created another post for the details of our city tour which can be found HERE.
It's just 4PM but we're already tired so we asked driver to take us back to our unit so that we could rest for a bit.
Everyone's tired but happy but our day didn't end there. I woke up at past 10PM and I asked Hubby if he wants to check out the Night Market since there's one just a few steps from our unit. We went there and I didn't expect to see a lot of things are being sold there but mostly Ukay ukays. I checked out things I can buy for pasalubong but there are just key chains and scarfs. After we reached the end of the night market, we went to eat street foods. I bought Dinengdeng and Rice for just P35 (the taste is just okay for the price) while Hubby bought Shawarma for P50. After eating, we went back to our unit to fetch his brothers since we passed by some bars there and thought we'd drink a bottle or two. We're already late because his brothers were already out when we arrived so, we just decided we'll walk to Session Road. I felt sad to see that it's already different from what I can remember. Before, there used to be old restaurants and thrift shops but now all we saw were fastfood restaurants. There's even Starbucks along Session Road. Oh well, nothing's really constant. I was expecting to feel nostalgic but instead I felt disappointed. And so my day ended with disappointment and a bit of sadness because I have a lot of happy childhood memories in Baguio which seem to have disappeared with those old buildings and shops.
The following day, Hubby and I walked down the market to buy pasalubongs after our morning jogging in Burnham Park. We happened to pass by a Korean Street Food stall. We tried out Gimari. It tasted like the Vietnamese Spring Rolls and it's good. Then we went back to our place to pack our things. At exactly 12NN, we left the unit and went to SM to have our lunch. It's jam packed but we're able to get seats at Dencio's.
We had our pictures taken there and after that we went to the bus terminal just beside SM. The Saulog bus left at 4PM and we arrived at our house at 10PM.
The trip is very tiring but it's worth it. Next time, I'm hoping to visit Banaue and Sagada, and maybe Ilocos and Batanes but for now I need to save a lot for those trips. LOL
It was June 12 and we didn't have any plans earlier that day. My mind is set to just taking a beauty rest for the whole week that I was on vacation leave but then, Hubby texted his brother who happen to be here in Manila for a week long leave too and asked if he wants to go to Baguio. After exchanging a few text messages, our trip was set. I searched online for possible accommodations but all inns are fully booked during that time because of the long weekend. We don't want to spend a lot in fancy hotels so we just decided we'd find a transient house once we're there.
By 7PM, there were no tickets in Victory Liner and Genesis available for reservations anymore while in Dagupan Bus Line, they're on a first come, first serve basis but we don't want to be travelling early in the evening since we don't have any hotel reservation and we don't know where we'll be staying until morning so, we just agreed on catching the 11PM bus. It's a good thing that Hubby's sister went to the terminal earlier since they were able to get us a van that will take us there. Fare is P600, a bit pricier compare to bus fare of P420 but the trip is smooth and fast since the driver took the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX). It's expensive to go that way since you have to pay three toll fees (NLEX, SCTEX P218 then TPLEX P218) but if budget's not a problem, it will be better to take the expressway. We left Cubao by 12MN and took the usual 6-hr trip to Baguio in just 4.5 hours so we arrived earlier than expected. It's a good thing that my Uncle and his wife are already awake at that time so, as soon as we're at the terminal, I texted my Uncle to ask how we can go around the city but instead of giving me instructions and tips, they picked us up from the terminal right after we had our breakfast.
After an hour of looking for a place to stay, we were finally able to get a transient house. It's a unit inside a building just beside Golden Pine Hotel. It has a living area, kitchen, dining area, 2 large bedrooms, and a decent comfort room and it only costed P3500.
We only rested for an hour then by 9AM, the van service arranged by my Uncle arrived to pick us for our city tour.
The driver is also the owner of the Starex and he said that we're the second group of tourists that hired the van. We can see that it's really new because the plastic covers are still intact. We paid P2000 for the 8-hr city tour. It's supposed to be P2500 but my Aunt and Uncle haggled so we were given discount. I created another post for the details of our city tour which can be found HERE.
It's just 4PM but we're already tired so we asked driver to take us back to our unit so that we could rest for a bit.
Everyone's tired but happy but our day didn't end there. I woke up at past 10PM and I asked Hubby if he wants to check out the Night Market since there's one just a few steps from our unit. We went there and I didn't expect to see a lot of things are being sold there but mostly Ukay ukays. I checked out things I can buy for pasalubong but there are just key chains and scarfs. After we reached the end of the night market, we went to eat street foods. I bought Dinengdeng and Rice for just P35 (the taste is just okay for the price) while Hubby bought Shawarma for P50. After eating, we went back to our unit to fetch his brothers since we passed by some bars there and thought we'd drink a bottle or two. We're already late because his brothers were already out when we arrived so, we just decided we'll walk to Session Road. I felt sad to see that it's already different from what I can remember. Before, there used to be old restaurants and thrift shops but now all we saw were fastfood restaurants. There's even Starbucks along Session Road. Oh well, nothing's really constant. I was expecting to feel nostalgic but instead I felt disappointed. And so my day ended with disappointment and a bit of sadness because I have a lot of happy childhood memories in Baguio which seem to have disappeared with those old buildings and shops.
The following day, Hubby and I walked down the market to buy pasalubongs after our morning jogging in Burnham Park. We happened to pass by a Korean Street Food stall. We tried out Gimari. It tasted like the Vietnamese Spring Rolls and it's good. Then we went back to our place to pack our things. At exactly 12NN, we left the unit and went to SM to have our lunch. It's jam packed but we're able to get seats at Dencio's.
We had our pictures taken there and after that we went to the bus terminal just beside SM. The Saulog bus left at 4PM and we arrived at our house at 10PM.
The trip is very tiring but it's worth it. Next time, I'm hoping to visit Banaue and Sagada, and maybe Ilocos and Batanes but for now I need to save a lot for those trips. LOL
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Weekend in Nasugbu
Since everyone agreed to Nasugbu, I searched online for resorts and one of my colleagues, Ron suggested Berna Beach and L Caraz. We checked out their websites and the following day, I inquired for their rates. Berna Beach is a bit pricey so I contacted L Caraz. I talked to the owner and he suggested that I rent their private house (it has a private pool and costs P8000 good for 20 pax) but when he checked the bookings, the private house was already reserved on the day of our outing so I opted for their Family Units instead. A Family Unit costs P5000 and is good for 12 pax. It has 2 bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining area and a living room. We're 24 so I reserved 2 units. After securing the resort, I had to search for a van. Luckily, Hubby's officemate has a van available for rent. For just P6000 for 2 days (plus P1500 fuel and P350 toll fee), we're able to get a good deal.
On the day of our outing, we left Cubao at 12 in the afternoon. The supposedly 2-hr travel became 4 1/2 because of the traffic in C5 and Alabang.
When we arrived, the girls and boys splitted up. Boys stayed in Family Unit 1 and the girls in Family Unit 2. We requested for extra matresses since each room only has 1 bed. Since the place is huge, each room can fit an extra matress and the living area can fit 2 more. The charge for each matress is P200 but they offered us a discount so we're able to get the matresses for just P100 each.
Just outside the resort, we bought charcoals, ice and filtered water and it's very convenient because we can just go out and buy there if we run out of supplies.
L Caraz Beach Resort
Apacible Blvd., Nasugbu, Batangas
+63 9178418281
+63 9228110629
+63 9103088895
On the day of our outing, we left Cubao at 12 in the afternoon. The supposedly 2-hr travel became 4 1/2 because of the traffic in C5 and Alabang.
When we arrived, the girls and boys splitted up. Boys stayed in Family Unit 1 and the girls in Family Unit 2. We requested for extra matresses since each room only has 1 bed. Since the place is huge, each room can fit an extra matress and the living area can fit 2 more. The charge for each matress is P200 but they offered us a discount so we're able to get the matresses for just P100 each.
Just outside the resort, we bought charcoals, ice and filtered water and it's very convenient because we can just go out and buy there if we run out of supplies.
 |
| A picture of Hubby and our son taken by Martin from his iPhone |
After dinner was prepared, everyone gathered at the common area of Family Unit 1. The common area is huge that we all were able to eat inside.
In the morning, after having our breakfast, we headed off to the beach. We noticed that the nearby resort was jam packed. The cottages are full of guests but it's a good thing that at L Caraz, we're the only ones swimming.
By 10AM, we're all packed up and at exactly 11AM, we headed off to Manila. I think it was already 12:30PM when we reached the boundary of Tagaytay and Batangas and we had a stop over to have lunch at Betchay's Bulaluhan and another stop over in Collette's Sta. Rosa Road to buy pasalubongs. We're supposed to go to Rowena's but it's crowded and we're all tired so we just decided to go to Collette's instead.
We arrived in Manila at almost 5PM already because of the traffic but we all enjoyed and everyone's looking forward to our next outing.
Each of us only shed out P1120 (P700 for the food and P420 for the van) for that fun and exciting weekend getaway.
L Caraz Beach Resort
Apacible Blvd., Nasugbu, Batangas
+63 9178418281
+63 9228110629
+63 9103088895
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Hidden Paradise in Batangas - Burot Beach April 2015
I was here last April 11 to camp with my friends and I have a lot of things to say about the place.
First things first, Here's the breakdown of my expenses:
The total figure was the amount my Hubby and I spent for an overnight stay.
Now, How did we travel to Burot Beach? There are different ways to get there. You can either travel directly to Calatagan by bus or van or travel to Tagaytay then Calatagan which is what we did and for me, it's the most exhausting way to get there. From Cubao, we rode a San Agustin bus bound to Tagaytay. The bus took off at 8:15AM and for two hours, we're stuck in Cavite due to the heavy traffic. We arrived at Tagaytay Crossing at around 11:05AM and we waited for a few minutes before we're able to catch an ordinary Celyrose bus bound for Calatagan. Our travel from Tagaytay to Calatagan Market took another two hours. Riding an ordinary bus for that long is very inconvenient especially that the bus is full.
Finally, when we arrived at the Calatagan Market, Dominic, a young tricycle driver, approached us to ask if we need a ride to Burot as he can assist us in getting there. We bought charcoals, rice, and beers from the market first and went on to our final destination. When we reached the guardhouse, we paid P20 and were given a trash bag and a reminder sheet. And when we finally reached the beach, the caretaker approached us and we paid him for the entrance fee and tent pitching. The first thing I thought when I saw the place was that it was so overrated. Or maybe because it's already 2015 and so many people have already read about it on the internet that's why it's already crowded. There's not much to see but a lot of people swimming, grilling and eating with their tents pitched all over the small beach.
We found a spot under the tree to pitch our tent and after preparing our food for late lunch, One of my friends bought refilled water from a nearby store. He paid P260 for it (P200 as deposit for the container and P60 for the refilled water). I went to the comfort room to pee but it's clogged and so filthy.
By 3PM, we all decided to swim until past 5PM. After that we waited in line for hours just to take a shower and we've not even lasted for ten minutes inside the shower room because it's really, really dirty. I've read blogs about Burot Beach so I was aware that the facilities there are basic but I didn't know that when they say basic, they mean disgusting.
After we had our dinner, we went inside our tents to rest but the group just beside us is so loud that we're not able to sleep well.
The following morning, I woke up early and saw that there are vendors roaming around selling Puto, Pan de Sal, and even freshly caught Tilapias. We took our breakfast quickly and texted Dominic to pick us up at 9:30AM since he said that the next van to head off to Pasay is scheduled at 10AM. While on our way to the terminal, Dominic was asking us about how the place was and if we have plans of visiting again. We mentioned about the comfort room and he advised us to take a shower in the public rest room of Calatagan Market instead. There is a fee of P5 but the place is clean. Maybe next time that's what we'll do, or maybe, there;s no more next time for Burot Beach.
Over all, I was not impressed with the place and I don't have plans of going back. For an entrance fee of P130 and fare of P500+, I could have gone somewhere better.
First things first, Here's the breakdown of my expenses:
The total figure was the amount my Hubby and I spent for an overnight stay.
Now, How did we travel to Burot Beach? There are different ways to get there. You can either travel directly to Calatagan by bus or van or travel to Tagaytay then Calatagan which is what we did and for me, it's the most exhausting way to get there. From Cubao, we rode a San Agustin bus bound to Tagaytay. The bus took off at 8:15AM and for two hours, we're stuck in Cavite due to the heavy traffic. We arrived at Tagaytay Crossing at around 11:05AM and we waited for a few minutes before we're able to catch an ordinary Celyrose bus bound for Calatagan. Our travel from Tagaytay to Calatagan Market took another two hours. Riding an ordinary bus for that long is very inconvenient especially that the bus is full.
Finally, when we arrived at the Calatagan Market, Dominic, a young tricycle driver, approached us to ask if we need a ride to Burot as he can assist us in getting there. We bought charcoals, rice, and beers from the market first and went on to our final destination. When we reached the guardhouse, we paid P20 and were given a trash bag and a reminder sheet. And when we finally reached the beach, the caretaker approached us and we paid him for the entrance fee and tent pitching. The first thing I thought when I saw the place was that it was so overrated. Or maybe because it's already 2015 and so many people have already read about it on the internet that's why it's already crowded. There's not much to see but a lot of people swimming, grilling and eating with their tents pitched all over the small beach.
By 3PM, we all decided to swim until past 5PM. After that we waited in line for hours just to take a shower and we've not even lasted for ten minutes inside the shower room because it's really, really dirty. I've read blogs about Burot Beach so I was aware that the facilities there are basic but I didn't know that when they say basic, they mean disgusting.
After we had our dinner, we went inside our tents to rest but the group just beside us is so loud that we're not able to sleep well.
The following morning, I woke up early and saw that there are vendors roaming around selling Puto, Pan de Sal, and even freshly caught Tilapias. We took our breakfast quickly and texted Dominic to pick us up at 9:30AM since he said that the next van to head off to Pasay is scheduled at 10AM. While on our way to the terminal, Dominic was asking us about how the place was and if we have plans of visiting again. We mentioned about the comfort room and he advised us to take a shower in the public rest room of Calatagan Market instead. There is a fee of P5 but the place is clean. Maybe next time that's what we'll do, or maybe, there;s no more next time for Burot Beach.
Over all, I was not impressed with the place and I don't have plans of going back. For an entrance fee of P130 and fare of P500+, I could have gone somewhere better.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Cebu Pacific Air's Easter Sale
I was not able to book last time when Air Asia had their Piso Fare last March 23-29. I tried to book a couple of times but I get issues paying online. Three roundtrip tickets to Bohol should've only costed me P650 plus the Processing Fee of P350 so a total of P1000 (yep! it's true!) Oh well I think it's not for me.
So anyway, while browsing through my FB feeds, I saw an ad for Cebu Pac's Easter Sale. The base fare only costs P100 and so, I was not able to stop myself from checking it out. I told my friends at the office about the sale and they immediately searched for flights to Tagbilaran and Puerto Princesa. They were able to find good dates for the five of us. I was a bit hesitant at first to book with Cebu Pac since I already experienced some flight delays in the past and on their website, their performance is just at 69.1% but I really can't resist the super cheap airfare.
We were able to book five round trip tickets to Puerto Princesa for just P3539. So it's just P707.80 per head for the tickets. I think the sale just went on from April 5-6, 2015 because when my office mate checked it out the following day, it ddin't reflect on the website anymore. It may not be as cheap as that of Air Asia's but still, it's cheaper than taking the dreaded bus ride to Baguio.
I still have to count four months before our out-of-town trip but I'm already excited and I have already came up with plans when we get there. I'll be updating this after our actual trip and while I'm waiting, I might be checking out seat sales for next year. (LOL!)
So anyway, while browsing through my FB feeds, I saw an ad for Cebu Pac's Easter Sale. The base fare only costs P100 and so, I was not able to stop myself from checking it out. I told my friends at the office about the sale and they immediately searched for flights to Tagbilaran and Puerto Princesa. They were able to find good dates for the five of us. I was a bit hesitant at first to book with Cebu Pac since I already experienced some flight delays in the past and on their website, their performance is just at 69.1% but I really can't resist the super cheap airfare.
We were able to book five round trip tickets to Puerto Princesa for just P3539. So it's just P707.80 per head for the tickets. I think the sale just went on from April 5-6, 2015 because when my office mate checked it out the following day, it ddin't reflect on the website anymore. It may not be as cheap as that of Air Asia's but still, it's cheaper than taking the dreaded bus ride to Baguio.
I still have to count four months before our out-of-town trip but I'm already excited and I have already came up with plans when we get there. I'll be updating this after our actual trip and while I'm waiting, I might be checking out seat sales for next year. (LOL!)
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