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. 

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. 

Subic Bay Weekend Get Away

It's been quite a while since my last entry. Since the Philippines is a tropical country, I think it is still worth-sharing what I have been up to and the places I have been to last summer season.

Subic is probably one of the most ideal places to go to for a weekend getaway. When I was searching for a sample Subic Bay itinerary, I got a bit confused that one part of Subic is in Zambales and the other one is the business district, Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBMA). For this weekend vacay, we visited the SBMA area.


Transportation

Going to Subic is not as difficult to reach via public transport.  All you have to do is book a trip with Victory Liner (fare is around Php 280 one way). They have several trips from as early as 5:30am onwards. You do not have to make an advance booking which was what I had in mind. You can check Victory Liner's website for the trip schedules. However, another option would be the Saulog Bus Transit but, I am not really sure where the bus terminal is because we rode on this Saulog Bus (Subic bound) by accident. We were actually in Magallanes waiting for a cab that will take us to Victory Liner in Cubao. It would be more comfortable that way since Victory Liner Bus passes through SCTEX which will save us travel time. However, while waiting for the cab along Magallanes, a Saulog Bus stopped by, and the dispatcher was calling for Northbound passengers. I saw the signboard that says "Olongapo." Then, I asked the driver if it is headed to SBMA. He nodded and said that Saulog terminal is near SM Olongapo which is about 2-minute walk from SBMA Gate. However, one downside of riding this bus is that Saulog had several bus stops and passes through the traditional Pampanga route which took a bit longer. Good thing though that it was a Sunday and traffic was really not a problem.

When we arrived in Olongapo, we were dropped off at SM Olongapo; and we saw color-coded jeepneys. The streets are filled with Pinays partnered with foreigners, which is understandable because Subic is a dock area for US marine vessels. We left our backpacks at SM Luggage Counter and explored the mall and tried to ask around as to where we is the Entrance Gate going to SBMA. It was actually near China Bank, just walk a little farther, and you will be able to see SBMA Entrance Gate. It was literally a 2-minute walk. However, due to the summer heat, I was actually thinking that we can take the taxi going to our hotel inside SBMA despite the many comments that SBMA taxis charge passengers a little over the top. Oh yes, there were cabs in SM Olongapo that will take you to your route inside SBMA. From SM to our hotel (Poco A Poco Hotel), the driver charged Php 80. They do not have a metered taxi but fixed rate based on destination.


Poco A Poco Hotel  in Subic Bay

Poco A Poco Hotel was just near the Bay area. It will take about five minutes for you to get to the beach area. It was very near the public beach where a lot of people hang out. In fact, it reminded me of Baywalk in Manila, but Subic's version was more like a place to chill with far way cleaner surroundings and beach area.  The humid weather makes you want to take a dip in the sea, but unfortunately, we don't have swimming clothes. There were hotels along the beachfront area, restaurants, bar and shopping spots. One sad thing though is that the marina area seemed like a prostitution site full of US Navy men hanging out in bars and restaurants with Pinays.

Anyway, our hotel was just near the restaurants so, we walked along the shore trying to explore the restaurants, but there were only the usual ones like Gerry's Grill, Pier One and Giligan's Island. But, it was definitely a scenic location for photo ops.

If I were to rate Poco A Poco Hotel, I would give it a 4 out of 5. It's probably one of the most reasonable hotels in the area but just be careful in the published fees because it may appear as discounted rate, but we were actually charged for a 500-peso processing fee. 



But, the room was spacious, it was very neat, they had cable tv, bathroom was clean and the attendants were also nice.

clean and very cozy parts of the room

Ocean Adventure in Subic

The highlight of our tour in Subic is the Ocean Adventure trip. It is a wildlife park that showcases four parts of a show. We caught the 1:30pm show and paid around Php 600 each person. Going to Ocean Adventure is quite far a distance. We took the cab from our hotel and paid around Php 400. Luckily, the taxi driver was friendly and gave us some little chit chat like a tourist guide. As we travel the highway, we saw some monkeys on the sidewalk and stopped a bit to take a photo of the fruit bats quietly hanging on the trees. Ocean Adventure was like 1 hour away from Poco a Poco hotel. Soon as we arrived, we got our tickets and proceeded to the cafeteria. Food was quite pricey ranging from Php 200 to 300 per meal. It was generally of average quality so, we just opted to order burger and fruit shake which cost around Php 220.  And then, at exactly 1:30pm we rushed to the first show which was the Sea Lion show. After that, we proceeded to the Divers show and then, transferred to another part of the park which showcased wildlife animals -- monkeys, snake, Philippine eagle and even the dog popularly known as "askal." The last show that we watched was the Dolphin show. All of which were very entertaining, educational and the animals were so much fun to watch. It was also an eye-opener for those who lack concern for animals and the environment as well. I think it is one good way for students to learn interactively and entertainingly.

Here are some of the photos we took:

fruit bats

monkeys we saw along the way

dolphins in the air

more of them

divers

sea lion show with a man who volunteered to imitate the sea lion but ended up sliding down the pool

Overall, Subic is another good way to unwind and relax although it would be better to stay in beachfront accommodation. Nevertheless, I had fun exploring and learning more about Subic. You oughta go there, too!