El Nido, Palawan is popularly known for its awesome limestone cliffs and island hopping. The province is dotted with so many islands that locals recommend visiting groups of islands in batches — Tour A, Tour B, Tour C, and Tour D. But there are times when you just want to wind down and relax, just lounge by the beach or walk around town without worrying about making a tour boat wait.

My husband Marc and I needed just that — a day of nothing but relaxation. The past few months have been so stressful at work, it felt so good to just take a break and not worry about any deadlines. Besides, we were already running quite low on cash — island-hopping, food, and accommodations have taken its toll on our wallets. This wouldn’t have been a problem had there been a bank or an ATM machine in sight, but the nearest one was in Roxas, which is hours away from El Nido. We didn’t really mind, and just made do with what we had. After all, its remoteness adds to El Nido’s charm — it was certainly an experience to remember. More…

My trip last October 2009 was my second time in Cebu. A few years ago, I was only able to catch glimpses of the island’s landmarks, as my travel group was only there en route to Bohol. But last October, we held in Cebu the Visayas leg of the Philippine Blog Awards for the first time — and I finally got the chance to fully appreciate touring the island without hurry.

Cebu is a long, narrow island west of Bohol. One of the most developed provinces in the Philippines, it can probably be considered the center of commerce in the Visayas. It’s quite easy to find ATM machines in Cebu, and most of the city’s establishments have credit card facilities so you wouldn’t have to worry about carrying a lot of cash unlike in other provinces. From this, it’s easy to assume that Cebu is very similar to Metro Manila. Well, it is in terms of development, but Cebu has an island charm that you can’t find in Manila (the beaches are just a stone throw away) and a monumental role in the history of Christianity in the Philippines. More…

Whew. After how many months of blog hiatus, I’m finally able to sit down and blog about my travels once again. I have quite a number of travelogues in store for you (seven months’ worth!), but for now allow me to start off by telling you great news: SEAIR is once again having a winter promo for my favorite Philippine province, Batanes!

Book anytime from December 1 to 25, 2009 and get a 10% discount on flights to Batanes! Travel period is from December 1, 2009 to January 31, 2009. To avail of this promo, simply type in “ilovebataneswinter09” in the promo code field upon booking. More…

Right along the commercialized main road of Sucat in Parañaque is an oasis not many know it’s there. Its facade is typical of Bio Research pet shops—you’d think the place is just one huge pet warehouse—but inside is a four-hectare garden of plants and animals.

I first heard of Lost Eden from my friend Jayvee, a fellow animal-lover. I honestly had a few reservations about going all the way to Parañaque to check out the place. Unlike him, I’m not an avid fish hobbyist (I prefer animals with fur, specifically dogs). But my husband Marc is. So together with our friend Juned (who also happens to be a huge fish fan like the two), we set forth on a day of nature tripping and pet shopping in the South’s hidden oasis. More…

Before the Caticlan airport opened, going to Boracay took a long time. Upon touchdown to Kalibo, one must take land transportation going to the Caticlan jetty port—which was usually more than an hour away. But smaller planes landing on Caticlan now makes it possible to get to Boracay sooner—15 to 20 minutes tops.

From the Caticlan airport, the jetty port is just less than 5 minutes away. Hotels and some guesthouses provide “airport transfers” which include the boat ride going to Boracay for a fee, though South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) provide their passengers complimentary shuttle ride from the airport to the jetty port and a boat ride to Boracay Island. More…