[mcdoodlesoup]

Painting again after so many years! 💕 🏰 I used acrylic paint on this one. I never really thought that it will come out just the way I wanted. 😊 👩🏻‍🎨💕 Thanks to that art gallery that inspired me to paint again. ♥️ Now, I need a new canvas. 🎨

[mcdoodlesoup]

Feeling grateful and alive! 🌹Almost a year ago, I’m so scared to swim out the ocean. Freediving really turned my fear into love. It gave me a sense of excitement and something to look forward. I know there are still so much for me to learn. Just be patient and love what you do. ❤️Thank you again, Apo Reef, I am so mesmerized by your beauty.

[mcdoodlesoup]

I can’t believe that our wedding turned out to be more than the way we wanted. We can’t thank God enough for everything. We can’t find the right words to appreciate all the support and love from our friends and relatives. Our hearts were filled with love and joy. Thank you for sharing this special day with us. We are so grateful for all your sweet messages. We will cherish this forever, indeed a day to remember.

Again, thanks so much to Russel Julio Photography x Beyond Emotions for capturing every moment and emotions.

[mcdoodlesoup]

TAIWANventure

We immediately booked our flights when we found out that Taiwan is offering a visa-free policy. I am very excited because there are lot of things to do and destinations to visit in Taiwan. 

Day 1 . 

Taipei 101 - Commune A7 Foodpark - Raohe Street Night Market

Taipei 101. One of the tallest building in the world. 

Commune A7 Foodpark.

Raohe Street Night Market. Taiwan is also known for its abundance of fruits and vegetables. We really enjoyed visiting the local markets because of many food options. Taiwanese food is simply amazing.

Day 2 . 

Northern Coast Tour. ✨Yehliu Park, 🍢Juifen Village, 🏮Shifen Old Street, 🍍Pineapple cake making

Taiwan Main station. Taiwan’s train system is one of the most efficient, safe,reliable, and cleanest subway every city should emulate.

Yehliu Park. We visited the coast for some incredible landscapes at Yehliu Geopark. There are many unique, otherworldly rock formations.

Shifen Old Street. Lighting of the giant lantern was one of my favorite activity during our tour. 

Pineapple cake making. I enjoyed this activity so much! Taiwan is also known for its abundance of pineapple.

Day 3 . 

⛩Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, ✨Taipei 101 mall, 🏯Chiang Kai-Shiek Memorial Hall, ⛩Longshan Temple. 

Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall.  Hi Sir, I can’t believe you are right next to me. I learned about you in history when I was in high school. 

Chiang-Kai Shiek Memorial Hall. During our visit, the giant hall is under renovation but you will still be amazed by its beauty.

Longshan Temple. Temples here in Taiwan are undeniably beautiful.

Day 4 .

🐘Taipe Zoo and ❤️Ximending Night Market.

They say that Taiwan Zoo is one of the largest zoo in asia.  The zoo is 90 acres full of all sorts of wildlife – giraffes, hippos, tapirs, lions, flamingos, koalas, insects, kangaroos, penguins and more.

Biking is a convenient and environmentally friendly way to get around Taipei, and the government sponsored (Ubike) rental system makes it a breeze!

My first time to ride on a cable car. There’s really nothing much to see during our short ride but I still enjoyed it. I never had the change to ride on this thing when I was in Hong Kong. 

Ximending NIght Market. This is our last destination.I really want to spend more time to roam around the night market, however, we need to rush because of our flight back to Manila. 

If you’re looking to visit somewhere that has incredible food, affordable and easy to travel around, and the friendliest people you’ll ever encounter, go to Taiwan.  Taiwan is an affordable destination. Locals are warm, hospitable and likely to help tourists find their way despite the language barrier. 

[mcdoodlesoup]

Luljetta's Hanging Garden and Spa

Infinity pool

Fish Spa

Garden

View from the Restaurant

Massage Pool

Relaxing Scented candles all over the place

View of Infinity pool

Sauna Room

Traditional Suman Latik and Ginger Lemon Tea

[mcdoodlesoup]

Watching too much air crash investigation videos today. My favorites are the ones who made it. 👏 Pilot heroes! 👨‍✈ And here's a view of a #RollsRoyce engine flying across the west Philippine sea. ✈️ Excited to fly again. #cebpac 👨‍✈️

[mcdoodlesoup]

When in Hong Kong

It was just last year when we decided to get ourselves a passport because one of my travel goals for 2017 is to visit a foreign country. Hong Kong is not a bad idea at all. It is actually one of the great destination for a first out-of-the-country trip. 

Since many of my friends are asking me info about this travel, I will do my best to break down everything. To be honest, I was not able to keep track of everything. Just a piece of advice, don’t ever travel here without an itinerary especially if it’s your first time.

We got our plane tickets last February with Cebu Pac for a cheaper price. Thanks to piso fare, we got our ticket for 5,500php RT/pax. If you are lucky, you can even get it for a cheaper price. I know a friend who booked it for just 3,000php RT. You just need to be very patient because it’s very challenging to booked discounted tickets.

Day 1. Airport + Olympic

June 12, 2017

Flight to HK in the afternoon. Paid travel tax (1620.00php/pax) and went to immigration for interview. Make sure to print your itinerary (Plane and Hotel) because immigration officers are very strict. If you don’t have a Visa/Master card, make sure to have enough cash before entering your gates because you can’t go outside anymore after the immigration and security check. Plus you can’t use a normal ATM to withdraw cash in HK.

Our flight is at 4:30 PM. Travel time to HK is about 2 and ½ hours.

We reach the destination at around 7:00 PM. It’s raining and the weather is not very good. June is supposed to be the summer in HK. By the way, we are two couples travelling. My best friend have a cousin who works in HK and his cousin offered his apartment for our first 2 nights stay. Yes, we save a lot on that. :D

Nothing much on this day since we arrive late in HK. We were just amaze how big the airport is. It can actually be part of your itinerary. HAHA. They have trains inside the airport just to transfer passengers on their respective gates. So imagine how big the airport is.

The first thing we did at the airport is exchange our currencies. We exchange our PHP to HKD and during that time, exchange rate is 1 HKD = 7.8 PHP.

To be honest, I really don’t know what’s going to happen if we travel without knowing someone in HK. We’re just lucky because my best friend offered his cousin’s apartment. There is a free wifi in HK airport and you will be surprise because it’s faster than your office internet connection. We bought 1 simcard at 7-11 in HK airport for 88HKD to contact his cousin on his mobile phone.

Our apartment for first 2 nights is located near OLYMPIC station, but they said that the best location to book a hotel is in TSIM TSA TSUI since it’s very near to tourist attractions. You can book a travelers budget room in booking websites like Airbnb or Booking.com for around 1,800php to 4,000php per night.

They have many train lines in HK and they call it MTR. Here in the PH, we only have 3 train lines (Lrt 1&2, and MRT). Train map is complicated at first but you will get used to it. From the airport, they have the Airport Express Train and the first thing you need to know is to what train station is your Hotel more accessible. You will need to transfer trains until you reach your destination. Just imagine yourself in PH, you will need to transfer from LRT 1 to LRT 2 or MRT depending on your destination.

You can ask people around but it’s really hard to get someone who can understand and speak English when you are already outside the airport. For what I remember, we got our Train Tickets from the airport to our destination for roughly around 180HKD for 4 tickets and that is with a Travelers discount. Always tell the ticket facilitator that you’re travelling as a group to get a discount.

You can also get an Octopus Card but we decided not to since we really don’t have plans of roaming around HK that much since our original plan is to visit Macau and Disneyland. And we spoke to a Chinese guy and he said that the only difference of having the octopus card is that you don’t have to fall in line anymore. It is just like a beep card here in PH but it’s definitely your option to get one. 

We arrive at the apartment at around 11pm. We rest for a bit and went outside to buy food. We found a Mcdo nearby and prices is 40 HKD to 100 HKD per meal. There are also a lot of 7-11 around the area.

Before that, we receive a news that there is a typhoon in HK during that day. We are so worried because we heard that Disneyland might not be operational for the next days. I will cry if that’s gonna happen.

Day 2. Unplanned City Tour

June 13, 2017

We are supposed to go to Disneyland on this day, but the weather is that good. We were also told that Disneyland will be operating late on that day (which is 1pm) due to the weather. We decided to go to Macau but ferries were also cancelled on that day. In the end, we decided to roam around the city.

We went to Mongkok which is just 10-15 minutes away from the apartment. We don’t have plans of shopping that day since we want to do it on our last day.

We didn’t stay that long in Mongkok since our original destination that day is The Peak Tram.

We actually lost our way going to The Peak Tram. HAHA. It was not really planned at all. It was a long exhausting walk but we did enjoyed it because at least we were able to roam around the city with our feet.

The Peak Tram

It’s a great experience to ride on this tram. It’s a train up to the mountain which is almost 90 degrees.

Ticket is 90HKD RT. I’m not very sure if what’s the way down if you’re not going to purchase an RT Ticket. 

The tram itself is a cool experience because I cannot imagine that there is a train going up the mountain. If it is a sunny day, you can see the view of the whole Hong kong city because this is the highest point of HK.

Escalator etiquette: Stand right, Walk left!

On our first day, you can observe that HK is such a busy city. There are a lot of tall building everywhere and they don’t have houses like here in PH. People live in a condo unit.

There are many other places to visit in HK but we decided to go back to our apartment to get some rest. It was a long day for us and we enjoyed roaming around and experiencing the city. This day is not really planned at all so we are not really expecting to visit all the tourist attraction.

Day 3. Disneyland!

June 14, 2017

This is the probably the most awaited part of our trip. Weather is not that bad anymore and the sun is up already. Disneyland is also back to its normal operating hour. Disneyland ticket is 589HKD.

The moment we entered the theme park, it was already a surreal experience. I still can’t believe I was here.

Picture with Mickey

I can’t believe my eyes! 

Sleeping Beauty Castle

Wish I can live here!

Toy Story Playland <3

Disney in the stars Firework. This is my favorite part of my Disneyland experience. It was really a dream come true and a day full of magical experience. I cannot explain in words how happy I am on that day.

Disneyland is truly the happiest place on earth. It was one of the best day of my life. It was really hard to leave the place. I really had so much fun on this day. 

Day 4. Shopping at Mongkok Ladies Market

June 15, 2017

This is our last day in Hong Kong. It was a good sunny day and feeling a bit emotional because I don’t want to go home yet and I feel like there are many more places to explore in HK.

By the way, after our Disneyland trip last night, we went back to the apartment to get our bags and went to Yau Ma Te via Taxi wherein our Hotel for our last night is located. Taxi is just 60-70HKD for places that is 10-15 minutes away.

We booked our hotel through booking.com for 1800php (tax included). It is a small room (double bed) with bathroom and hot shower. Small but a very clean room, not too bad for just a 1 night stay and for it’s price.

We had our breakfast at a McDonald nearby and check out at the hotel at 11am. We went straight to Ladies Market to go shopping before going to airport.

Ladies Market is a happy place for people who loves shopping, especially if you love branded things. The price is cheap compared to the mall price in your home country.

Here is where we bought our pasalubongs. You should also apply your good bargaining skills. I bought fridge magnets here with selling price of 20HKD but I got it for 8HKD.

Our flight is at 7pm but we decided to go to the airport at around 3:30pm. We do not want to go home yet but it’s going to be a big problem if we missed our flight.

Overall, my very first trip out of the country turns out to be one of the best trip I had. Three nights in Hong Kong is not enough to explore the city but it was really a great experience. I wish I can do more trips like this.

[mcdoodlesoup]

Upside Down Museum

Celebrated our 4th year anniversary in this super cute museum in Pasay City. <3

My Dream Kitchen

Popeye and Olive

Dinner time!

Because chess is everything.

Bath time!

My dream house...

The thinking chair.

[mcdoodlesoup]

21st Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2017

This is my first time to attend the hot air balloon Festival. It’s an annual event that showcases colorful Hot Air Balloons, paragliding, skydiving and many more aerial shows. It’s really a weekend of everything that flies. Since it is also the month of love, we decided to attend this activity to celebrate Valentines.

The only reason we went here is because of the kids. I am more excited to see their reaction upon seeing the colorful Hot Air Balloons. 

But I also want to be very honest about my experience. We arrived at Clark, Pampanga at around 3am. I thought we’re too early but we were so surprise that a lot of people are already falling in line. This is their 21st event and I was expecting that everything is well organized. But no, lines are scattered everywhere and even the security guards’ instructions is not very clear. We already purchased our tickets through TicketNet so we’re expecting that it will be easier for us to enter the gate.

At that point, we really don’t know if we made the right decision to attend the activity. I will not complain that much if we don’t have kids with us. But it’s really annoying to know that it’s the 4th day of the event but it seems like the people who organized the event doesn’t care about the convenience of the people entering the event.  

Starting the event with the National Anthem

Let’s go to the positive side. Thank God because we were able to enter the event at around 4:30am and it was really a relief to get a spot in front of the activity ground. The event start off with Paragliding Exhibitions and few minutes later (maybe at around 6am), they started inflating the Hot air Balloons. Of course, this is the best part of the event.

As expected, there were a lot of Balloons but not as many as what I saw on pictures in the internet. I enjoyed watching the kids enjoying the hot air balloon. It lasted for 2-3 hours. So at around 9am, nothing really much is happening aside from the skydiving activity. Well, yes, I enjoyed taking pictures but it was too hot.

We just roamed around to see what else this activity offers, there are a lot of souvenir stores and food stalls inside but you have to be very patient falling in line. But the worst part is the Comfort room, needless to explain.

At around 10am, We can’t find any convenient place to eat inside the event so we decided to leave the event and we went straight to our Van to eat our lunch.

All of us are exhausted so we stayed inside the van for a while to take some rest. Originally, our plan is to visit SAND BOX but our organizer told us that it’s not a good idea since there are also a lot of people going. So he said to spend the afternoon in SKYRANCH. It’s only 10-20 minutes away from the event but it was really a very hot afternoon. When we are already in the location, all of us doesn’t want to go out anymore. So we end up going home.

At around 3pm, we are already in Manila. It was very exhausting. We went straight home while others choose to spend time at the mall because they want to maximize playtime with Kids. But me, I went straight home to get some rest.

Overall, it was a fun experience especially if you love taking pictures, but to be honest, I’m not sure if I will attend the next Festival again. Maybe Yes, if I’ll be staying in a hotel or if there’s a better side trip aside from sand box or Skyranch. But it was also nice to experience the festival at least once in your life.

[mcdoodlesoup]

ISLAS DE GIGANTES

January 2017 -  23rd Birthday Vacation

2016 has been a great year for me. Sometimes, I ask myself if I truly deserved all the things that I had. But when I look back, I think I’ve been a very good and responsible daughter and employee so it’s okay to give myself a vacation. And it’s my birthday anyway.

I never thought that my first travel for this year will be so memorable. It was a funny experience too! Have you ever tried departing and arriving on the same destination? That’s what happened on my first plane ride for 2017. We departed from MANILA and expecting to arrive in ROXAS CITY, but when our aircraft is about to land, pilot said that we are diverted back to MANILA because of the bad weather in ROXAS CITY. It’s very frustrating but we can’t blame anyone. What we did is we just requested to fly again the next day. For someone like me who is always excited to ride a plane, it’s not really a big inconvenience for me. I’m just lucky because I have a week paid leave.

So the next day, I’m happy because the weather in Roxas City is so much better than the previous day. Our main destination? ISLAS DE GIGANTES.

DAY 1

It’s not very hard to go to ISLAS de GIGANTES. You will never get lost as long as you know where you are going.  But to give you an idea, here’s how to get there from ROXAS AIRPORT:

1.      Ride a tricycle from the airport to Roxas City Transport Terminal located at Pueblo de Panay. 

2.      From the terminal, ride a bus/van bound for Estancia. 

3.      From Estancia terminal, ride a tricycle to the port. 

4.      From Estancia Port, ride a public boat to Gigantes Norte, Islas De Gigantes. Take note that there’s only one trip per day to Gigantes Norte so be early. The boat departs ESTANCIA before 2pm daily. 2 hours boat ride.

Gigantes Norte Island

Before that, we already have a contact in GIGANTES. There’s a lot of resorts in GIGANTES NORTE but we decided to stay at JESA BEACH RESORT. The most famous resort is the HIDEAWAY INN RESORT but I made my research and I found out that the beach in front of this resort is not feasible for swimming because of mangroves. We will be staying for 3 nights and 4 days so I want a beach near our resort and I’m so lucky to stumble upon a blog that features JESA BEACH RESORT. Price is just the same with HIDEAWAY INN.

We arrived at the resort at around 4PM. I’m not really expecting to have activities on the first day. And we’re going to stay for 3 nights so we actually have a lot of time to chill and do all the activities included in the package. We visited Pasil Beach on our first day. :)

Beach in front of our resort.

DAY 2 – ISLAND HOPPING (MY BIRTHDAY)

Thank God because it’s a sunny day! For our first destination…

TANKE SALTWATER LAGOON

I’d never been to Palawan (it’s on my list) so I can’t really do much comparison. But Tanke lagoon looks really the same with CORON and EL NIDO based on the pictures I’ve seen on web. It’s a hidden lagoon surrounded by giant Limestones.

We are very lucky because we were able to enjoy the lagoon with just me and my boyfriend (and our guides). 

The rock formation looks very beautiful and I can’t imagine what more Palawan can offer if this one satisfies me already.

CABUGAO GAMAY ISLAND

Scenic View of the whole island.

Twin beach! 

This is my favorite part of the tour and probably the most photographed location in Islas de Gigantes. I can’t imagine I was here exactly on the day of my birthday. The view can really take your breath away.

BANTIGUE SANDBAR

Bantigue Island is famous for its long stretch of white sand in the middle of the ocean. One amazing fact is the sand bar’s shape depends on the Monsoon winds. It can be an S-shape or C-shape depending on the season.

This is also the island wherein we had our lunch. We really enjoyed the seafood served – overflowing scallops and wasay-wasay as expected.

Last destination of our Island hopping tour….

ANTONIA BEACH

This is the best island for snorkeling! I can’t imagine that the snorkeling spot is just at the seashore. You don’t even need snorkeling gears to see the fishes because you can see them through its clear water while feeding them. We stayed here till 5pm and this is also the last part of the island hopping tour.

Day 3

BAKWITAN CAVE

This is my first time to enter a giant cave. Bakwitan Cave was the local’s evacuation site during the old times from the Japanese Soldier. Originally, “Evacuate-an”. It was not really easy to climb because of the mud since it’s very rainy for the past few days. We didn’t do the “spelunking” activity since it’s dangerous that time and I don’t think I’m ready for that. LOL. That’s the activity wherein you have to crawl and hike through the small cave openings. Based on blogs I read, it was really a “buwis-buhay” activity.

I did enjoy this part of the tour even though my feet were filled with mud. It was my first time to see a “Buhay na Bato” which really amazed me. “Buhay na Bato” is sparkling like a diamond because of its minerals. We were advised not to touch them so they won’t die.

GIGANTES NORTE LIGHT HOUSE

The original Spanish-colonial parola was replaced with a modern day solar-powered lighthouse donated by Japan, but the old quarters ruins was preserved. 

The view from the lighthouse is really relaxing. Needless to say, it’s also a perfect spot for taking pictures.

Inside the Lighthouse ruins.

PASIL BEACH

We still have so much time in the afternoon to chill and relax so we decided to visit again Pasil Beach which is just 5- 10 minutes away from our resort.

Photo above is actually from our first day on the island.

Pasil beach is just beside the port of Gigantes Norte. The white sand beach is flattered by the huge rock formation behind it which will give you an amazing view and a good impression on the island. The corals are scattered along the shore. Scallops on this island is abundant so you can find shells everywhere.

DAY 4

Back to Manila. By the way, the closest airport to ISLAS DE GIGANTES is ROXAS AIRPORT. We actually have some time to explore Capiz/Roxas City because our flight is scheduled in the afternoon. But since the weather is not really that good, we decided to just stay and wait at the airport. There are also a lot of places to visit in Roxas City, so if you are a traveler who wants to make the most out of your time, you have the option to roam around the city as well.

Since I also promised myself to blog my travels in detail and a lot of my friends and relatives are asking me, I also created an ITINERARY that I hope can help.:)

ITINERARY - 4 days and 3 Nights

I had so much fun on this vacation and I can say that this is one of the best birthday I ever had. I can’t thank God enough for a wonderful birthday celebration. :) Happy travels everyone!

[mcdoodlesoup]

An Afternoon in Intramuros.

I am a Manila girl my whole life. My parents, grandparents, and everyone in my family were all born and raised here. I lived here ever since I was born, never leaving the island of Luzon until I was 21 years old.

Manila Cathedral Clock Tower

Manila has such a great history. You can see a lot of beautiful Spanish architecture because we were colonized by the Spaniards many years ago. One of my favorite places is the "Walled City" of Intramuros. It's a very popular destination for tourist because of its historical significance. It is considered as the heart of Manila. It has survived many wars and calamities.

For us Filipinos, Intramuros can represent the story of our country itself. The main purpose why it was built is to be the Spaniard’s political and military base in Asia. It is where the most powerful and richest clan lived a long time ago. Here you can visit a lot of places like Fort Santiago, the beautiful Church of San Agustin, La Casa Manila, and the Manila Cathedral.

Flores <3

Inside Casa Manila

Intramuros is a very popular destination here in Manila, but for someone like me who has been living here my whole life, you wouldn’t believe that I just visited this place when I was 22 years old. This is because those 20 years were all very sheltered years, where my experience of Metro Manila was largely limited to Pasay City, where I grew up. I got very excited to visit the place for the first time and was mesmerized by its beauty. It will take you centuries back and will tickle your creativity and imagination.

Weird that I've been to so many places outside Manila but this is my first time to visit Intramuros. My University is on the other side of Manila. Ain't nobody got time to visit Intramuros during College days.  😂

Lovely ambiance at Barbara’s Heritage Restaurant <3 

Manila Cathedral

Manila City Hall Clock Tower. 

Casa Manila

Across Casa Manila is the San Agustin Church. I believe this giant door is part of it.

Everywhere is a lovely architecture which resembles a typical Spanish Mansion.

 As the capital city of the Philippines, Manila will welcome you with open arms and the signature warmth of Filipino hospitality. If you are travelling from a different country, Manila would be your first stop. So before thinking about visiting the other places of our country, I highly suggest that you take time to get to know our city. Manila has a lot to offer. It is truly adorned with beautiful sights and places.

[mcdoodlesoup]

Found this cutie from my old files. (at Crystal Beach, Zambales)

[mcdoodlesoup]

Accidental Travel Freak

I can’t imagine how many places I visited at 22. I want to blame my office mates and travel friends who turned me into an accidental travel freak. I started working when I was 18 wherein at the same time, I’m also studying. So I really don’t have the time and money to travel a lot. That was the time wherein I’m still wondering how does it feel to be on the beach; if how the sand on feet and how the wave feels like to hit your skin. I feel like I’m working and studying all my life, so after graduating from college, I promise myself to have fun and relax. It wasn’t that I had a burning desire to travel; it was just something I thought I had to do. I listed down all the beaches I visited for the first time. I realized I haven’t blogged about them yet and it feels like I’m being unfair. 😂😂

May 2013

Nasugbu, Batanggas

I remember I was 19 that time and my Boyfriend’s family were so surprised to find out that I have never been on a beach. Haha. I was this Manila girl all my life and whenever my family plans a summer vacation, all they know are the resorts in Pansol. To be honest, the beach is not really that surprising especially for a first timer like me who dreamed of visiting a white sand beach. But I still appreciate the brown sand of Nasugbu beach and it was really a cool experience with my boyfriend’s family. Photo above is from the webpage of Maryland resort FB page. 

January 2014

Laiya, Batanggas

Already made a blog about this, this is where we had a celebration of my 21st birthday with my former team mates. :)

May 2014

Borawan-Dampalitan-Putting Buhangin (Kwebang Lampas)

Borawan Island

Puting Buhangin Beach

Kwebang Lampas

Sunset at Dampalitan Beach

I must say, this is the cheapest get-away I ever had with my friends considering that you can visit 3 beaches in 1 weekend. This is also where I burned my skin so much because I didn’t bring a sunblock. It so happen that we went here 4 days before my graduation day. Guess who’s Negra on her graduation day? Haha. I enjoyed the beach so much that I didn’t even care about having sunburn. I really appreciate the beauty of these islands especially when they are not yet popular during the time that we visited.

November 2014

Puerto Galera

This is the first time that me and my college friends had a well-planned vacation. It’s really something when your friends’ plan is turning into reality.  Haha. I really enjoyed our 3 days stay. There’s really so much more on this island than the famous “White Beach”. We visited a lot of beaches, went to a waterfall, visited the Mangyan Village and even went up the mountain with the Van. Certainly worth the money we paid.

April 2015

Nagsasa Cove, Zambales

No words can describe the beauty of Zambales. Nagsasa is probably one of my favourite beaches. This is also my first time to hike a mountain and the view from above is really breath-taking.

May 2015

Cagbalete Island, Quezon

This is my first time to travel with just me and my boyfriend. It was a fun experience because you’ll feel proud of yourselves when you were able to reach your destination without getting lost. Haha. Up until now, I can’t still forget this Island. It was really a paradise for beach lovers. What amazed me is the very wide white sand bar. It’s funny because when we visited the beach in the morning, the water is still 3-4ft and then after 2-3 hours, the water was gone! You still have to wait in the afternoon if you wanna swim in the shore or you have to walk very far to look for water. Haha. It’s a good thing that I’m a morning and afternoon type of beach girl.

August 2015

Burot Beach, Calatagan, Batangas

One of the closest beaches from Manila! It has a semi fine-cream sand beach kissed by calm waters, beautiful rock formation and dotted by trees-- perfect for a short weekend getaway! Though it's still undeveloped, we really enjoyed the peacefulness and the natural beauty of the beach. The place is uncrowded, such an ideal place to have some quiet time, to unwind, and reconnect with nature. I fell inlove with the place.

November 2015

Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan

This one is very special because this is also my first time to ride a plane. Haha. I don’t have any bad memories on this island except that our flight back to Manila was cancelled due to the “APEC MEETING”. We are forced to stay for 5 days until flights were resumed but I’m not even mad about it. It was really a great experience for me and my friends.

My frequent visit to the beach turned me into a beach lover. I was hooked and addicted. Looking forward for more travels to come. :)

[mcdoodlesoup]

💛💚💛🌿🌻🌿💛💚💛 (at Two E-com Center, SM Mall of Asia)

[mcdoodlesoup]

Capones and Camara island 🏄❤ (at Pundaquit Beach, San Antonio, Zambales)

[mcdoodlesoup]

CITY OF PINES

Our original plan was to visit Baguio by the end of the year but since my boyfriend’s sister wants to visit the city last August, we decided to go with them. :) Not my first time but I’m excited because the last time I went there was more than 10 years ago. I was so young and digital cameras were too expensive back then so we didn't have so much pictures and I wasn’t able to keep one. I can still remember how emotional I am way back because the pictures on my film camera couldn’t be printed for some reason. Haha. I don’t have any proof of my Baguio experience during my childhood so I came back for my revenge. 

This is a very short weekend get-away. And we don’t even have our itinerary. We just have the list of places that we want to visit.

We rode a bus (Victory Liner-Pasay) at 1am and it took us 5-6 hours to reach Baguio City. So at around 7am, we went straight to our Transient House to which we already contacted ahead of time. We’re a bit exhausted but we didn’t mind because we are more excited to visit some places.

Day 1

We went first in Burnham Park just to have a quick look. We didn’t plan to stay for long since the park is near to where we stayed and we can go back anytime. So after taking few photos, we went straight to Mines View Park.

MINES VIEW PARK

The viewing deck. You can see here an amazing view of few small rice terraces on the steep slopes across the valley.

Us wearing Igorot Costume. 

With Doglas the Saint Bernard Dog. He’s so big but so cute! It was my first time to see a giant dog which is not scary at all. Haha. I have fear of dogs because they always bite me in my dreams, but Doglas is so much different because he is very friendly. 

THE MANSION

My favorite pictures from Baguio were taken here. Haha. The Mansion is simply beautiful and great for selfies and groupies. I also love the gate of the Mansion, I feel like I’m in the Buckingham Palace of London. :) 

WRIGHT PARK

Just across The Mansion is the Wright Park. The place is perfect if you want to try horseback riding. Just a tip for someone like me who is always excited about taking pictures, be mindful of the Vehicles passing thru when crossing. I remember how mad my boyfriend was because I almost got hit by some speedy vehicle. I almost ruined his day. Haha.

Colorful Horses

Strawberry Taho

DE JAVU BED & BREAKFAST  + SPOON and STONE CAFE

I don’t have any regrets of choosing De Javu bed and Breakfast as our place to stay. The place is perfect because it’s just a 2 minute walk from Burnham Park and away from city noise at night. Also, there’s a cute restaurant/café inside named “Spoon and Stone”. We are really surprise because food inside taste so good for a very affordable price. Such a perfect spot to meet and chill with friends or family. Later on, we saw some vehicles parking and people coming in and we realized that their restaurant is well-known.

Picture below from their Fb page.

The room they gave us was very spacious. They have a cozy living room and a mini art gallery. And the customer service was great! The staffs are very friendly and will attend to your needs. It was such a good find for someone who is on a tight budget but wants to have a comfortable stay.

Day 2

BURNHAM PARK

After having a breakfast at the café, we decided to visit Burnham Park again. We rented a go-cart side car which we really enjoyed. Burnham Park will really bring you back your childhood memories.

CAMP JOHN HAY

My second favorite place in Baguio because of the tall pine trees. If you want to have cute pictures with Pine Trees as your background, I recommend this place. I feel like I’m in a different country too.

CHOCO-LATE DE BATIROL CAFE

Located inside Camp John Hay is this cute café. We tried their famous Traditional blend Tsokolate Batirol served with Bibingka and Suma de lihia. It tastes really good. The place is cozy and you will enjoy the relaxing ambiance of nature.      

GOOD TASTE RESTAURANT

My Tita recommended me this place because she told me that it’s very delicious and very affordable. The place is too crowded but we didn’t mind because it’s lunch time and we’re already hungry. Although there are many customers, we were assisted immediately as soon as we enter. It was very surprising that we only waited for less than 10 minutes for our food to be served. It was delicious and satisfying, plus the price was very affordable! I’m thankful to my Tita for recommending this restaurant.

TAM-AWAN VILLAGE

We are supposed to visit Lourdes Grotto as our last destination in Baguio but we’re a bit tired and not in the mood to climb 100+ stairs. I can still remember how tiring it was when I first went there, plus we also have a baby with us which will make it more difficult for us. To make the story short, we decided to visit Tam-Awan Village. I don’t have any idea about the place but it’s popular and recommended by friends. The entrance looks great. It was a funny experience because we didn’t know that it also includes a mini hiking activity that we’re all avoiding that time. Not really recommendable if you have a young kid or a baby with you. But overall, it’s enjoyable and educational along the way. Going up, you can experience the life of indigenous people. The place is complete with huts, gallery, restaurant, and souvenir store.

At around 3pm, we went back our place and We immediately packed our things to get ready for our bus ride back to Manila. :)

We weren’t able to visit all the tourist destinations in Baguio due to a short stay. But I really enjoyed everything especially the cold weather and tall pine trees everywhere. I’m not sure but it seems like Baguio became my perfect place to relocate. Haha. I always got this attitude wherein I easily get too attached to whatever beautiful place I visited.

[mcdoodlesoup]

#surfing season 🏄 Thank you God for this wonderful view. (at Pundaquit Beach, San Antonio, Zambales)