Boracay Trip via 2go

It was my second time to go to the beautiful paradise of Boracay. Thanks to my friends who instantly agreed with me that we should spend the long weekend (Nov. 1 to 5) despite the short preparation and planning. Since we were running out of time to plan for our Boracay trip, and in consideration with our budget constraints, I suggested that we try out sailing to Caticlan Jetty Port via 2go. It was the combined companies of Negros Navigation and Super Ferry which now carries the name 2go. 

There are actually limited blogs about 2go. But, based on internet research, it was a pretty reliable and comfortable alternative way of going to Boracay (or so I think). So, I hope this blog will serve as an eye opener for those who are curious about how it feels like traveling by sea through 2go.

What I liked most about our 2go experience:

Less hurtful to the wallet. 

2go's prices vary depending on the type of accommodation that you avail. In our case, we booked for the cabin-type that can accommodate up to 4 persons; it is air conditioned with private bathroom and cable tv. We paid around Php 1000 per person, and terminal fee at Batangas pier was about Php 30. So, it is less damaging to your wallet compared to flying over to Kalibo or Caticlan. Other accommodations available are suite room which is the most expensive and the tourist accommodation which was around Php 800. I am not quite sure as to the maximum number of persons that can stay in the suite room, but it has a sala area and private bathroom, too. If you avail of the tourist accommodation while on the ship, you have to share the bathroom with a hundred others.  

Feels like a cruise ship. 

While you are on the vessel, it feels like you are actually on a cruise ship because of the very chic lobby area and the staff assisting us as we enter. If you don't like to stay in the cabin, you can spend the night at the bar. You can order some drinks and enjoy the sea breeze and moonlight (if you are traveling by night). Sad to say there is no wifi available, so, its either you stay in the bar, relax in the lobby, eat in the restaurant or sleep in your room. 

Very chic interior. 

The front desk and lobby were pink in theme. It was cool and impressive. You'll initially feel that everything else is glamorous (not until you learn my not-so-good experience). Overall, it was neat, and everything else makes you think that it will be a smooth-sailing trip. 

It has a bar, restaurant, and lobby. 

These are the three places most frequented by passengers so, expect them to be a bit crowded. But, it was good enough that they had a bar to enjoy the night away; the restaurant to keep your tummy happy; and the lobby where you can just hang out and watch tv.

Sleeping quarters are very decent. 

The ship was pretty neat, and so are the rooms. Bathrooms were maintained well, too. I guess 2go made sure that you will feel comfortable for the 9-hour travel. 

Online booking facility. 

It is also a good thing that you can book your ticket through an online booking facility. You can choose the type of accommodation you like with just one click which is similar to booking an airplane ticket. 

What made me disappointed in our 2go experience:

Disorganized ticketing system. 

The online booking system was awe-inspiring but the actual ticketing system in Batangas was quite a dismay. We were at Batangas pier 4 hours earlier the departure time, but it was too late when we noticed that we were assigned at different rooms. There were 3 of us, and I was exiled to join in with 3 other passengers in another cabin. My 2 other friends were a bit shocked that they were led to the cabin with 2 male passengers who had a tattoo all over their bodies. It was very opposite to what we expected that we had an entire cabin to ourselves. It was very frustrating and made you feel unsecured that you are going to sleep with other people in the same cabin, sharing the same comfort room. Ugh! It was like living in a dormitory meeting your roommates for the first time. We were really disappointed because there were only 3 of us and was not even informed about this chaotic arrangement. Other passengers who availed of the cabin were complaining about the same thing!

The bar can be improved; separate smokers from nonsmokers. If you are not fond of being surrounded by smokers, better stay away from the bar. But, if you are not that sensitive to smoke, then the bar area would be a really nice place to chill out and maybe, get a bottle of beer to help you sleep through the night. It would also be nice if there were a live band. Otherwise, you just have to appreciate the upbeat music through their sound system.

Add more facilities where passengers can hang out. It would have been nicer if there was a swimming pool, videooke lounge or game room (or something like that) where passengers wouldn't feel so limited to move around. It can be a bit boring especially for first timers like me who had difficulty sleeping. I would have enjoyed the ride if there were other options for onboard activities.

The 2 photos above is a comparison of the bunk beds in the cabin accommodation (the one with the yellow curtain) and the bed in the tourist accommodation. The pictures below show the restaurant which is more like a canteen and the "tipid" food serving at breakfast. :(

Improve food serving in the restaurant. Food in the restaurant isn't that expensive. We ordered tocino with rice and egg, but there was no egg available, so they substituted it with french fries. It was priced at Php 80, but the serving was too measly. It was just enough to fill your stomach but don't expect that you will get satisfied. 

Overall, I give 2go an average rating considering all the things that transpired from the time we checked in until the time we arrived at Caticlan Jetty Port. I can say that it was a good first time experience minus the "getting-exiled-to-another-cabin" incident. I would recommend it for first timers for the sake of experiencing how it is riding a "cruise" ship or traveling by sea. But, if you do not have the time as you have to travel for 9 hours, then flying in through any domestic airline would be the best option in going to Boracay.

I shall return! :)

Advantages and Disadvantage of oDesk Fixed-Price Contracts

Recently, I've been receiving invitations for a job interview on oDesk for fixed-price projects. But, this is my personal take on why I seldom accept fixed-price contracts.

What I like about Fixed-Price contracts:

• Fixed-price contracts bring you money in bulk. And it feels gratifying when you see such sum of money in your oDesk "wallet." 
• You can work any time you want. Fixed-price contracts allow you to work at your convenience. You may log into the oDesk Team Room for monitoring purposes, but payment is really made once the deal has been completed.
• You can basically accept unlimited fixed-price contracts and receive payments almost instantly.

What I don't like about Fixed-Price contracts:

• You are prone to accepting bogus projects. Scams are everywhere. Clients who ask you for trial jobs and at the end of the day, will not pay you for the job. 
• You have to update your client of the progress regularly. Well, it is your duty as a contractor but, for me who has a full-time job, I admit that I am having difficulty in this aspect.
• There are demanding clients who expect you to submit projects within a short period. 
• When you accept fixed-price contracts, you have the tendency to neglect it because of the flexibility given to you.

I had my fair share of failures in some of the fixed-price contracts. But, one thing I learned is that never accept projects which you cannot do. Most of all, be careful of scams so you won't waste your time and effort. Whether hourly or fixed-price contracts, commitment is essential as it reflects your sense of professionalism.

It makes me giddy thinking about going to one of my favorite places in the Philippines! This time I'll be spending the long weekend with college friends. Since we had a short time planning for this trip, we are on a tight budget so, we will be traveling through 2Go. But, we booked a promo ticket via Seair in going back to Manila. 


I hope our trip will be blessed with good weather so we can enjoy the beach and for the safe travel via sea. I'm actually very curious about 2Go's services. It's also my first time to go on a "cruise" as there is minimal information about 2Go. I'll blog about the details when I come back.

Boracay Trip: My First Time Ever!

Last September 2 to 4, I was able to set foot in Asia's most popular island beach resort, Boracay! I wouldn't have afforded going there if not for the AirPhil Express' promo fare. I remember making an online booking last July 2011 for this September Boracay trip (Talk about advance booking, huh?). Compared to the usual rate of more than Php 3500 round trip Caticlan-Manila-Caticlan airfare, I got my tickets for only Php 2700+. It included airfare for 2 pax, roundtrip Manila-Caticlan-Manila with free check-in baggage. So, I was really delighted with the very cheap airfare deal. I guess the schedule of the trip is also a factor because usually, rates are very high if you travel Friday to Sunday as compared to my itinerary which is from Sunday to Tuesday. 

Accommodation: Of course, after booking your plane ticket the next task in line is to find a good package deal for a hotel. Boracay hotels can be quite expensive, but there are a lot of informative travel blogs which can help as you go through your search for the best hotel deal. In my case, I was able to find a reasonable hotel accommodation package from MetroDeal which included 3days/2nights stay at Patio Pacific Boracay for 2 pax; daily buffet breakfast; 1 set dinner and 1 set lunch; Resort - Caticlan Airport transfer. All of which cost Php 8000. The digits may look expensive, but EVERY penny was all worth it. I'll tell you more about it in the next few sections of my blog.  

Patio Pacific Boracay may not be a beachfront hotel but, they have a private passageway going to the beach. Perhaps, it will take you a 2 to 3-minute walk from the hotel to the beach. The hotel has a pool, restaurant, a very neat room with well-maintained comfort rooms and cheerful staff. I just find it awkward that you have to cross the main road to get to the front desk of the hotel. This is so because there are two buildings of Patio Pacific. We were lucky enough to be assigned in the section leading to the access road going to the beach. But, we had to cross the street if we want to leave the keys in the front desk. One good thing about crossing the street is that Patio Pacific has its own security personnel who will assist you in getting to the other side of the road. If I were to rate the hotel, it would be a 4 out of 5 (5 as the highest and 1 as the lowest). And yes, I would recommend Patio Pacific if its not much of a hassle for you to do some walking as you hit the beach.  

Food:  Daily buffet breakfast at Patio Pacific was more than the average meal. They may not have a wide variety of cuisine, but they have the traditional selection of soup, pastries, pancakes, make your own omelet, fried bangus, pancit, tocino, garlic rice, yang chow rice, ham, sausage, fruits, and free-flowing coffee and juice. These are the sort of dishes they serve in the buffet table. Our set dinner and lunch were equally tasteful. I actually thought we will only be served with a plated dish just like the meals you order in fast food chains. But, I was totally wrong. Our set dinner/lunch was composed of vegetables in oyster sauce, pancit, grilled squid, special chicken (I could not remember the name, but it was good!), soup, rice, and iced tea shake/water. The desserts they served are my favorite --- turon with butterscotch dip and the mango crepe. I am merely biased with sweets, but Patio Pacific food was generally delicious, and you'll feel that the        Php 8000 worth of package was indeed worth it.  

Activities: There were lots of activity that you can do in Boracay. If I could stay there for one week, I would. With our quite limited schedule, the afternoon of Day 1 was spent lounging on the beach and taking pictures. It felt like everything was perfect. The beautiful, silky sand and romantic sunset were just amazing. While we were strolling on the beach, we met a tourist guide who offered us a 1-hour ATV ride to Mt. Luho Viewpoint where you can have a 360-degree view of Boracay Island for only Php 350 per person. This is a bit lower price as compared to what I've read in other blogs where ATV-ride was priced at Php 500 per hour. Another activity we tried out was the 30-minute Helmet Diving. It was offered to us for Php 250 per person only. Apparently, the foreigner rate was different from Pinoy rate in Boracay. This was one reason why we got a low price for helmet diving as we were grouped with four (4) other foreigners in the boat. Lastly, we toured around D'Mall. It was like a commercial complex with souvenir shops and restaurants. There were lots of good stuff, and it was tempting to buy, but items at D'Mall can be a bit expensive. The rest of our time was spent swimming and hanging out on the beach.

I must say that it was "love at first sight" as I witnessed how beautiful Boracay was. Boracay is genuinely captivating no wonder it's one of the most popular beaches in Asia and all over the world. When we were homebound, I realized that I want to go back again and I swear, I'll be back before the year ends. 

Boracay in Photos

I have yet to finish my budget traveller tips for those who are planning on a Boracay trip. For the mean time, I am sharing my personal photos to summarize my wonderful Boracay memories...

Coming up are my quick tips on saving for a Boracay vacation! 

oDesk Paid For My Boracay Trip

After months of waiting, I had my first Boracay trip last from September 2 to 4. I booked my flight with AirPhil Express since last year when they had the Php 12 base fare promo in any domestic destination. Making an advance booking actually provided an opportunity for a budget traveler like me to prepare long-term for the much awaited Boracay trip. 

You must be wondering how does this relate to my online job at oDesk? 

Even if I had a long time of preparation, I honestly had difficulty saving up a portion of my allowance for this Boracay trip with what I am getting from my full-time job. But, I am just simply grateful that I have existing oDesk contracts (then and now) which gave me extra money to spend on this long-planned Boracay vacation. 

With my low rate of less than $10 per hour in oDesk, I was able to save my 2-weeks worth of project for my Boracay trip. It also dawned upon me that if I make this a full-time job, I might not just be able to send myself to Boracay but perhaps, to other parts of the world, too!

My realization: learn more skills which I can use for my future odesk contracts and increase my hourly rate so, I can just work at home on a full-time basis.

For now, my deepest gratitude to my oDesk clients. Cheers to more projects and a good working relationship.

More about my Boracay trip in another blog entry....

My Daily Routine as Part Time Virtual Assistant on oDesk

I started being a part-time virtual assistant on oDesk last October 2011. To be honest, I was only trying it out to see if it really works or if I can really earn money. It was pretty much like the same feeling of a newbie in an office except that your so-called "odesk colleagues" are on the other side of the planet.


I don't clearly remember when exactly was my first withdrawal of earnings from odesk but, I surely recall that I was able to buy a microwave oven! Haha! I earned that small an amount compared to the odesk professionals who are making thousands of dollars already. But, for a part-time virtual assistant like me, I was happy and thankful. Most blogs that I've read from full-time VA's inspired me to create my own blog as a PART TIME VIRTUAL ASSISTANT. This is simply to share what is my daily routine as a part-time VA. 

I work in an educational institution and work starts at 8am and ends at 5pm. The good thing about my office schedule is I don't have work on weekends unless I am asked to go in on a Saturday for special activities. Throughout the weekdays I used to stay in the office until around 6pm just to finish my work whether I have to meet a deadline or not and thinking that I have nothing else to do at home. Ever since I started taking writing jobs on odesk, my routine drastically changed. I felt the motivation and eagerness to go home thinking that I have an odesk project to finish. I realized that I am even more willing to spare more time doing odesk jobs thinking that I am going to earn more dollars. Indeed, a great reason to avoid overtime in the office. At 6pm, I am already at home and would relax a bit. After which, I eat dinner and watch tv for a while. Then, at 7:30pm I start on my odesk projects and would stay late until 11pm or even as late as 12 midnight if I have to beat a deadline. On Saturday and Sunday, I spend 6 to 10 hours doing projects for my odesk clients. oDesk is also the reason why I love weekends, aside from the fact that I earn money and spend time with my family all at the same time. 

Being a part-time oDesk contractor has changed my general perspective of work and time management. The months of working on oDesk led me to opportunities with a higher job offer. To be a full-time oDesk contractor is something that I want to achieve. For the meantime, being a part-time online writer merely is going well for me, and I love it!

oDesk Feedback: Just Another Experience

I seldom apply for fixed-price contracts in odesk unless the writing job is something I would enjoy researching and writing about. Recently, I accepted a fixed-price contract where the client asked me to write ten articles about Strep Throat for a minimal amount. I researched through google about the topic before taking the job and thought that it was kind of easy to do so, I agreed with the terms. My client was a Bangladeshi, I think he is maintaining a blog site and earns through advertisements because he reiterated that I had to use the keywords he noted in his instructions. I further learned that he was an SEO expert; hence, the repeated instructions for me to use the keywords as often as I can. Anyway, I finished the project successfully despite the struggle to understand his "roller coaster" English grammar. Actually, whenever the client would send me messages, I cannot help but be more than proud of how Filipinos speak and write English efficiently (hehehe!). In short, I finished the project, and my Bangladeshi client promptly paid me and ended the contract at the same time.

As usual, when an odesk contract ends, both parties are invited to leave feedback. Thus, I received a notification about the positive feedback, and this client was apparently, expecting good feedback from me too. I wanted to laugh upon reading the message considering his jumbled English grammar. At the same time, I thought it was a bit rude of him to tell me to log onto Skype just to remind me that I HAVE to leave him good feedback. But, out of professionalism, I did as I was asked. Besides, he was equally punctual with the payment and was always available for consultation if I needed to clarify something. Apparently, I gave him feedback without double-checking on the rating that he gave me. I did not expect that he would give me a perfect score so, I ended up giving him a lower score as compared to the five-star rating he gave me. Then, just this evening when I checked my odesk inbox, he sent me another message instructing me to change my feedback! This is simply unbelievable! It was quite funny that he is very conscious of not getting a five-star input from me. I did not give him a perfect score, though. I know you understand that grammar affects the entire sense of the message, right? But then again, out of professionalism, I edited my feedback and changed it to a perfect score so, everything is fair and square.


I just hope that he will not bother me again. It was a unique experience for me being an independent odesk contractor. The experience also reminded me how multicultural the virtual world is. Every nationality working or hiring in odesk has their own way of communicating and relating with clients/contractors. Above all, I realized that Filipinos are simply incomparable workers as online jobs start to become more popular and Filipino contractors are always in demand and trusted by foreign clients. 

An oDesk Testimonial of Gratitude

For the past 10 months I have worked as an independent contractor in oDesk, I would say that I am delighted with how things are going for me right now. I started with a very minimal amount not to shoo away clients, and I considered my first 3 months in oDesk as my "trial period" just to see the terms and how constant the projects will be. I have had more than ten clients where I did several tasks of writing for website content and SEO, research, blogging, survey creation, and forum posting contracts. I must say, I enjoyed all my oDesk contracts but as what other contractors would say, working at home with an online writing job could be somewhat erratic. But then again, for me who is working on a part-time basis, I could not be grateful enough to oDesk and my clients (past and present) for the opportunities and trust they have given me. My self-esteem and confidence in my writing ability have grown because of the several projects, positive outcomes and healthy relationship I have built during those months.

I am writing this blog entry to express my gratitude to oDesk and to both contractors and clients to carry on in widening our horizon as we serve each other through our unique talents. Currently, I am deeply in awe of how I have closed another 3 projects with 3 different contractors. Rest assured that I will do my best as we go along this working relationship which hopefully will last for the longest time. Thinking about how blessed I am with these oDesk contracts, I just couldn't help but be grateful for EVERYTHING. And I really wish that this will eventually lead me to be a full-time work-at-home professional.

Work at Home: A Realization

The past two weeks was really challenging for me because I experienced getting confined in the hospital for the second time (in my entire life!). When I was a kid, I would remember my parents convincing me not to be afraid of the nurse, doctor or the hospital, per se. But, up to this day, I do not like the thought of needles, oxygen, hospital bed and the whole idea of getting sick and being admitted. For the past two weeks, my fever had been shooting up and down so, I had to spend a few days in the hospital and underwent some tests. When I was finally released from the hospital, I felt so relieved thinking that I can finally go back to my odesk duties. Actually, it was a mixture of disappointment and rejoicing. Disappointment because a few days of additional rest would mean deductions from my sick leave which is convertible to cash at the end of the year. On the other hand, it was a day of rejoicing for me too because it would mean more hours on odesk! I must admit that the thought of staying at home and being able to get some odesk work done is a bit liberating and gives an absolute thrill. 

It has been my ultimate goal to work at home on a full-time basis ever since I learned about people working on the same terms. I have been hearing about people working at home but did not fully believe that it can actually happen not until I started attending free webinars which presented actual people who are working at home and earning double or at times, triple than the routine office job. So, my recovery period became an opportunity for me to actually try out what it really feels like to work at home on a full-time basis. Luckily, I currently have three clients who have given me many writing jobs, and I made use of my so-called "rest days" to work on the projects they gave me. I have started this part-time virtual assistant career as a writer/blogger/researcher since October last year, and it has been very fulfilling. Now that I get to experience doing work at home tasks on a full-time basis (even for just a week) made me appreciate it even more.  

Honestly, I am now contemplating resigning from my full-time job at the university and just continue with this work at home set up. Don't get me wrong because I like my job in the university but at some point, I just get so exhausted from all the office politics and stressful bosses. There is something inside me that just wants to give up everything and continue with my work at home gig. It's just a matter of finding the right opportunity on odesk and the ideal client who can finally give me a full-time VA work. And I am going to find it in the next few days or weeks...I promise.

Buri Beach: The Unusual Puerto Galera Escapade

I remember my first time in Puerto Galera was spent on the White Beach for a company summer outing a few years back. But, my longtime friend, Ate Rita has been bugging me that she wanted to go to Puerto Galera, too. I told myself that, if I go on a trip with Ate Rita, I don't like to go to the crowded White Beach anymore. So, I made a little research on the prime beach spots in Puerto Galera, and my quest led me to this elegant beach resort, Buri Beach Resort. 

Buri Beach Resort in Puerto Galera is indeed an ideal place for relaxation. We visited the site around December so, traveling by sea was quite wavy. Plus, the way to Buri Beach Resort was the unusual route. To get to Buri Beach, they say that you really have to pass through the waviest part of Batangas-Mindoro sea. It was the longest 2-hour boat ride of my life! From Batangas pier, we hopped down to Muelle pier and then from Muelle pier, a private boat was waiting for us to reach Buri Beach Resort. Alternatively, we booked our boat tickets through the Sicat Bus Transport which was connected with a hotel in Ermita, Manila (sorry I forgot the name of the hotel). They ferry hotel guests by a private bus and then, book the boat tickets for the group. So, we settled for this kind of arrangement just to make sure that we get to Muelle pier in time. Also, during that time we were unsure if there are boats bound to Muelle pier if we are going by ourselves. 

Surprisingly, the short boat ride from Muelle pier to the resort was very peaceful. The scenery also reminded me of Coron, Palawan. 

When you get to the resort, this very cozy pool will welcome you. The accommodations are uphill so, you have to climb several steps to reach the villas. You will feel very close to nature with green surroundings, and it is really an excellent place to retreat from your busy schedule.

We got the Garden Villa which was priced at Php 6000 to 7000 per night and suitable for 2 persons. It was the exclusivity and peaceful time that we were after and so, we did not mind paying for the amount. The Garden Villa is a two-story apartment-like accommodation. There is a veranda, and the big sliding door leads you to the bed. At the back, you will see the outdoor bathroom and stairs leading up the second floor, which can still accommodate 2 more persons but for an additional charge.

We decided to avail of the massage services, which was a bit pricey. Prices range from Php 450 to 1500, depending on the type of massage. We availed of the foot spa/massage as it was the cheapest just to try out what it was like. We were led to the spa area, and it was like a herbal treatment where leaves were applied to the legs.

spa area

view of the villas from the pool area

Buri Beach Resort can be considered really one of the best resorts in Puerto Galera. However, I didn't find anything unique in their restaurant. The ambiance was very nice but food was a bit expensive. Every meal would cost Php 200 per person and it was the usual dishes like roasted chicken, seafood, fish, barbecue, sisig and all the typical food you can think of. We didn't have much choice but to eat in the restaurant because bringing of food (from other establishments) is not allowed in the resort.

Restaurant

dinner

watermelon shake

This was one of the most expensive villas.

Overall, Buri Beach Resort is indeed a good weekend getaway to refresh your mind and body. It is an ideal place for friends, family, and couples. I loved it because it is far from the usual crowded Puerto Galera beach. This is the place where you get pure peace and relaxation at its finest. 

Weekend Getaway at Acuatico Beach Resort Batangas

I have been very blessed to travel in different places around the Philippines, more specifically the pristine white beaches. Traveling is even more exciting when it is shared with great people, to catch up and to simply have fun. This trip to Acuatico Beach Resort - Batangas, I must say, is one of the short-distance trips where we splurged a lot. It was a long-planned trip, so we had time to save up for it and enjoy our hard-earned money. 

Acuatico Beach Resort is one of the prime beach resorts in Laiya, Batangas. The moment we set foot in the place, we were able to say to ourselves that every penny we spent was truly worth it. 

                                                                                                                  

This is what will welcome you as you enter the lobby of Acuatico Beach Resort.

                                                                 

Laiya is quite tricky but to reach if you do not have a private transportation. In our case, we took the commute route. There were four of us who travelled from Manila and then, we hopped down at Lipa City. There was this bus and fx terminal just across Robinsons Mall Lipa City. Then, from there take the van going to Laiya. 

In our case we just added a few more bucks as the driver agreed to take us directly to Acuatico Beach Resort. I think we spent around Php 400 to 500 from Manila to Acuatico.

I don't have the full room details but, we got the Php 12,500 room (good for 4 persons). Yes, it was costly for an overnight stay but, as I've said you will just get the total value for your money and the well-deserved relaxation time. Acuatico Beach Resort will make you feel like you are in a really exclusive place, peaceful and employees were friendly. This is one corner of the room. It was like a two-story small house/villa. When you enter the door, it was like a mini lobby, area for drying clothes and  shared bathroom. Located on the second floor is the bedroom. There were 2 double beds, cable tv and air condition. The interior was minimalist and very dainty. You may also check out Acuatico's website for the accommodation details: http://www.acuaticoresort.com.ph/accommodation.php

I think this picturesque view of the pool and villas is the Acuatico Beach Resort trademark. Everything seemed so perfect, if it weren't for the rainy weather. 

the pool

the bar in the middle of the pool (at night)

the bar in the middle of the pool

the view from our villa

The next pictures will showcase the Acuatico Resort restaurant. Take note, everything is buffet. And every buffet meal costs Php 500 per person. They have ala carte meals for children, though. We actually thought it was way too costly but, once you taste the food they serve, you won't regret every single centavo you spent. There were a lot of food options, mostly are Filipino dishes. Desserts were very yummy! It was one of the things I really enjoyed. Excuse my bias for desserts. :) 

The Kare-Kare was exceptional. And they don't repeat the same dish over and over. So, you are guaranteed of an excellent quality, sumptuous meal. 

Overall, Acuatico Beach Resort can be quite far to be reached by public transportation. The room and food can be pricey but, I do not mind repeating it all over again that, you really get your money's worth. The exclusivity, class, luxury and treatment due to a king and queen are all part of this perfect weekend getaway. The resort is very ideal for family, friends and couples. If I had enough money to splurge, I'd stay here perhaps twice a year just to unwind and get a breath of fresh air. Two thumbs up for Acuatico Beach Resort!