Zambales Resort: Canoe Beach Resort, San Antonio

Canoe Beach Resort is located in Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales. It is an hour away from the well-known Anawangin Cove via boat ride. This resort stands along with other resorts. What makes this a hidden getaway is the fact that this its not easy to find the website in the internet. I learned about this by patiently scourging the net for a budget resort. Usually, search results would give you Nora's and Patio Inn.

What makes this resort attractive for me is the fact that it has a pool. The beach in San Antonio is not as iniviting. The sand is grayish, the water is dark and the waves are big. A lot of boats are also docked along the shore. You have to go to the nearby coves to really enjoy the tropical beach ambience. So with its pool, one can satisfy the desire for swimming.

the pool area with poolside family rooms

When I went there last summer, I made early reservations through e-mail. They replied within the day. You can also make reservations through phone. You have to pay half of the amount through their BPI account.
We rented an airconditioned room good for two that costs P1300. This room is facing the beach but the cottages in front of the rooms block the view. It has its own private veranda.

cottages for day trips

The room is very basic- comfortable bed and a clean CR. The lighting is just a bit dim. No frills! You could actually have the room at a cheaper price if you tell them that you would want a fan room. The management would not just activate the aircondition system.

Their pool is also clean and medium-size. There's also a kiddie pool at the other end of the pool. Water is warm so you can swim even until late at night. Night swimming is until 11:00 pm as long as you won't be too noisy.

view on the beach of San Antonio

Staff if okay. They're accommodating enough but not very friendly. They serve food at a reasonable price.

If you're travelling through public transpo, you have to walk for about 5 to 10 minutes from the resort to the main road to get a tricyle. Just tell the driver to drop you at the Municipal Hall where you can get a bus ride to Manila.

For more information: http://www.freewebs.com/canoeresort/rooms.html

PHOTO CREDITS:

http://www.sulit.com.ph/index.php/view+classifieds/id/2545553/Explore+ZAMBALES
http://www.adventuresportsholidays.com/all/canoe-beach-resort-antipolo-199026.php

Zambales Trip: Anawangin and Nagsasa Coves

Summer is not complete without hitting the beach. If you're on a tight budget but you still want to experience some white sand, I recommend visiting Zambales. Zambales offers a cheaper alternative to Batangas. It is also nearer than Pagudpod in Ilocos. It comes quite close to the sand of Boracay.

Aside from the shores of Subic, Zambales is now getting famous with its coves- Anawangin, Nagsasa, and Silanguin.All these can be found in Pundaquit, San Antonio. Although this is a year late, allow me to showcase the beauty of these coves.

Camara Island

Together with my boyfriend, I travelled from Manila to Iba, Zambales via Victory Liner in Caloocan. We rode the 12 midnight journey. Since it's very late, we arrive at San Antonio at around 1:30 am. We got down in front of the municipal hall. We actually didn't know where to get off. The bus conductor just helped us. There were no people yet except for the tricycle drivers. Good thing that we have communicated with our boat man for the following day. He is Manong Johnny. He advised us to ride the tricyle going to his house in San Miguel. He offered us his room to spend the remaining hours of the night.

View from Capones Island

At about 6 am, he woke us up and served us breakfast. Take note, these are for free. He also offered to cook rice since we didn't expect that we won't be able to buy rice. We only have adobo and eggs for our viand. It is advisable to bring lots of drinking water. It was just almost 7 am when we hop in Mang Johnny's boat and started our trip. His house is just about 12 minutes away from the shore.

Our first stop was in Camara Island. It is a rocky island and not very good for swimming. But the water is clear. We just took some pictures before proceeding to Capones Island.

There's an old lighthouse in Capones but you must be willing to trek uphil. It's not a very a rough trek and the view from the top makes the sweat worth it. The shore of Capones is also very rocky.

secluded end of Anawangin Cove

Next stop is in Anawangin Cove. This place has become a campsite. The shores was peppered with tents when we visited. There's a bamboo bridge between the shore and a land mass across it. There are a lot of trees across the shore of Anawangin opposite the beach. We should have rented a tent here and styed for the night. Tents only cost for about P300. We took time to explore the island and swim, By around 11, we hopped into the boat again and proceeded to Nagsasa Cove.

the land mass opposite the shore of Anawangin

Most people prefer to stop in Anawangin because the other coves are quite far already. From Anawangin, we had to ride an hour to get to Nagsasa. But the travel time and the exposure to the sun were all worth it. Aside from some Aeatas, we were the only ones who were in the island. This was where we ate our lunch and lounge.

Opposite the beach shore is a lake where you can also swim. This side of the island feels enchanting to me with the view of the mountains and the needle trees. There's also a fall at the other end of the island. The water of the beach is so calm making it ideal for swimming.

lake opposite the shore of Nagsasa Cove

We would have wanted to spend the night in Nagsasa but we alraedy made reservations at a hotel so we had to end our trip at around 3 pm. Mang Johnny said that the waters could be rough already if we go beyond the time since it's a two-hour boat ride back to the shores of San Antonio.

sunset at San Antonio

Though the sand and the sea of San Antonio is nothing compared to that of its coves, the view of the sunset was simply breathtaking. It was a perfect blend of purples, reds and blues that make a perfect ending to a beautiful day.


Remiders when planning to go Island Hopping:
1. Bring drinking water
2. Bring food or be prepared to cook
3. Bring sunblock because most of the boats don't have roofs

This place is ideal for group outings.

Total Cost of the Trip for 2:

P1,200 - bus fare from Manila to San Antonio and back
        80- tricyle fare from the Municipal Hall to the beach shore
   1,800- boat ride at a discounted price
   1,000- food budget
   1,500- standard aircon room at Canoe Beach Resort
   5,580





Resort in Panglao, Bohol: Paragayo Resort

My boyfriend and I stayed in Paragayo for 2 days last November. The hotel is a sprawling Bali-style lodging. It has open areas for garden which adds to its relaxing atmosphere. We rented a standard aircon room good for two via online reservation. It costs P1300 a night.

The CR was clean. They provided soap, shampoo and toothpaste. They also have hot water. Towels are changed daily. Each room has its own balcony facing the gardens. We stayed at the back portion of the resort  o it was very peaceful. The room also have TV and the bed is comfortable enough.  It was also spacious enough. They also have security vaults for storing your valuables. They clean the room daily even without you requesting them. They also have free WiFi services. Just ask them the password.

Paragayo is not beach front. It is around 3-5 minute walk from Panglao Beach which I think is okay because you get to see beyond the beach. The place looks secured enough because it's along the highway. They also provide one of the cheapest countryside tour. Just P1000-P1500 which is cheaper when you compared with other tour packages. They also have airport shuttle services which is around P500. This the standard price anyway. You need to hire a shutle because Paragayo and even Panglao is about an hour away from Tagbilaran airport.

One thing that I didn't like is that the water from their taps are a bit salty. But what I noticed is that salty water makes your skin smooth. They also do not provide free drinking water because I think drinking water in Panglao is expensive. Even restos do not provide free water.

By the way, they do not have restaurants. Just a bar where you can buy some drinks. It's not a problem though since there are a lot of restaurants around the area. Staff is quite okay. They will accommodate your requests but they don't smile a lot.

In conclusion, if you want a relaxing stay in Panglao Beach,  Bohol without spending too much, try this place and enjoy!

PHOTO CREDITS:

http://www.beachresortfinder.com/paragayo-resort/gallery/

http://www.sulit.com.ph/

Boracay Three-Day Tour in a Nutshell

No matter how long a vacation is, it is never enough. People would always want more, more and more time. This is especially true when you're in the paradise-island of Boracay. Honestly, before I went to Boracay, I was thinking what was the big deal about Bora. There are also a lot of white beaches in other places such as Palawan, Zambales, Bohol, etc. Not until when I step on Bora shores that I fully realize why people love to go to Bora. There are so much things to do. The sand is powdery-white- the finest I have ever seen. All the conveniences are there and there's so much excitement going on. So even if a lot has been written about Bora, let me just share with you my own experience.

Together with my parents and my boyfriend, we had a three-day Bora experience.

Day 1:

We left Manila at around 7 am via Cebu Pacific and arrived at Caticlan airport in less than an hour. We took a shuttle to Caticlan port, rode a pumpbotat then rode a shuttle again to the hotel. These shuttle services were availed from the hotel where we stayed, Boracay Holiday Resort at Station 2. We arrived at the hotel past 10:00 am. We checked in, arranged our things and had lunch. We explored the beach. Station 1 is such a good place for a swim. The sand is finest. You can also find Willy's Rock and the paraw sailors.

At around 4 pm, we sailed through Paraw which is reminiscient of vintas in Zamboanga. It was an exhilirating ride! Paraw costs P150 per head. Just approach the sailors and tell them you want a ride. Some will offer it a higher price. Feel free to haggle. After the ride, we tasted the famous Jonah's shakes which ranges from P90- P120. We went back to the hotel and fixed ourselves for dinner. We capped the day with a buffet dinner along the Boracay shores.

Day 2:

We started our second day early because we've planned to go island hopping. The island hopping cost us P1000 for half day. We also paid P20 per head for fish food. We went to Crystal Cove island where there is a private resort. We didn't go in the resort anymore since you still have to play for  P100. Then we went to Crocodile Island to snorkel and to feed the fishes. The last leg of the trip was to Puka Beach. It is a secluded cove with white sand and clear waters. Our trip ended at around 12 noon. 

After island hopping , we ate lunch at a Mongolian restaurant in Station 1 then went back to the hotel for a nap. Aroud 3 pm, we explored the markets in Station 3 where you can buy cheaper pasalubongs. Then we tried the Banana boats which cost P250 for an hour ride. Before going back to the hotel, we had some pictures taken with the sand castles. We had dinner at a buffet restaurant again and explored D'Mall which is behind the resorts and restaurants in Stations 1 and 2.

Day 3:

The trip ended soon enough. Though our flight was still at 12 noon, we had to leave early because our flight was in Kalibo airport. It will take 3 hours to get to the airport. In short, our Day 3 was uneventful. We just had our last meal in Bora and off we go!

Our trip was jam-packed because we wanted to have a taste of everything that Bora has to offer. But of course, there are still a lot more that we missed. Maybe next time!

Cost of the trip for 4:

P 8,000 - round trip airfare via Cebu Pacific for 4 people  (2,000/pax)
   5,000 - accommodation at Boracay Holiday Resort for 2 nights, family room
   5,000 - round trip services from the airport and back for 4 people (1,200/pax)
      800 - terminal fee at NAIA
        80 - terminal fee at Kalibo airport
   1,000 - boat rental for island hopping for 4 people
        80 - fish feed for 4 people (20/pax)
      600 - Paraw sailing (150/pax)
   1,000 - banana boat (250/ pax)
   6,000 - estimated cost of all the meals we have taken
P28,160 - total

Take note that this is a modest budget for 4 people.

Iloilo-Guimaras Tour (Last Part): Iloilo City Tour

Iloilo is primarily a business district. It is highly urbanized compared to the cities of nearby provinces. So if you're looking for tropical beach setting, you'll be disappointed. But if you're into architecture, history and food tasting, Iloilo has a lot to offer.

Transportation is easy and cheap. Enjoy the local culture by travelling via jeepneys. The drivers are very helpful but you must try to understand their language since they are using Hiligaynon. Feel free to ask the people since they are very helpful. Minimum fare is just P7.50. A half-day is enough to visit relevant places.

Places to see:

1. Iloilo Museum

Iloilo Museum is located just beside the provincial capitol. It is five minutes away from the city proper. You can actually get there on foot if you're into walking around the city. You can find artifacts and Ilonggo artistry. The museum also showcased budding painters when we went there. Entrance fee to the museum is P50.

2. Iloilo Provincial Capitol and the Arroyo Fountain

What make this places significant is there architecture. The Provincial office has an impressive facade which may remind you of the White House. The Arroyo fountain is just in front of the old capitol building.

3. Old Churches

Iloilo has a lot of old churches with Gothic architecture. Almost every town has its own church. During our trip, we specifically went to Jaro Church where the famous Jaro Belfry Tower is located in front of it. We also saw the church in Molo area where a big plaza is located in front of it. Plaza Libertad is also worth seeing and it's also near the city proper. Miag-ao and San Joaquin Churches are famous but they are far from the city proper so we weren't able to see them.

4. Schools

One thing that impressed upon me during our Iloilo City tour is the presence of a lot of universities- Assumption, St. Paul, San Agustin, UP, etc. Visit these places for their old acrhitecture.

5. Smallville

Smallville is the place for nightlife in Iloilo. This is reminiscient of Timog, Eastwood and Metrowalk in Manila. This is near SM City.

6. Villa Baybay

This is where the well-known Tatoy's Manokan and Seafoods is located along with similar restaurants. You can eat along the shore if you request for it. Sunset is spectacular at around 5:45 to 6:15 pm. Food is tasty and affordable. They also have big servings.

Iloilo-Guimaras Tour (Part 2): Island Hopping

At the very least, island hopping in Guimaras will take 3 hours. Unlike in other places, boats are rented in an hourly basis. The first hour costs P400 with P150 for the succeeding hours. A regular boat can carry around 4 to 6 people.

Places you'll see:

1. The Fish Sanctuary

It is a small fish farm where specific types of fishes are bred. We found several big groupers or lapu-lapu that weigh as much as a pig does. They also have breeds of pompona and milkfishes. You have to pay P25 to the caretaker. This will serve as a donation for maintaining the fish farm. Honestly, this can be missed if you're in a hurry. You won't be able to see the fishes up close. It's also a bit far from Alubihod beach and it's opposite of the other islands.

2. Ave Maria Island and Mangroves

Even if it's named that way, this island has no religious significance. According to the boat man, the island got its name because the owners are named Ave and Maria. The sand is yellow and the water is clear in this island. Just be careful cause there are some urchins. Opposite of this island is the island with mangroves. The water in between these islands is the best place for snorkeling in Guimaras.

3. Bat Cave

The name of the cave escaped me so let's just call it the bat cave although I did not see any bat. But I heard them while we took pictures inside the cave. It's a cave and that makes it special.

4. Nagtago Beach

You can find a rest house owned by a German national on top of the rocky cliff of this island. The place is peaceful and relaxing. There were no people in the island when we went there so it's very quiet. Sand is also yellow and water is clear. The calm waters make it a very good place for a dip.

5. Pawikan Rescue Center

You can find pawikan of all sizes in this sanctuary. The volunteers also allow people to hold the pawikans as long as you promise not to lose them. You're not required to pay anything but they encourage you to give donations to help maintain the center. Personally, this tied up the trip quite nicely!

Hotel and Accommodation at Guimaras: Raymen's Beach Resort

Raymen Beach Resort is located at Alubihod Beach, Nueva Valencia at Guimaras Island. It shares the shoreline with two more beach resorts which names I forgot. Raymen Beach Resort was our choice since we read good reviews about it and the price for their room are affordable.

We were supposed to stay at one of their Sampaguita room costing P700. However, upon seeing the room, we decided to transfer to a more comfortable air conditioned room which costs P1350. The Sampaguita room looks decrepit and dim. It has its own CR but the CR looks dirty. We're budget travellers but we also want to have some relaxation. Good thing about their staff is that they are accomodating. They easily granted our request for a change of room. The room that we got is comfortable but a bit small. The shower is also leaking making unceasing small noise of dropping waters. We had to play some music to drown the noise. They also don't have hot water and no TV. But they have towels, shampoo and soap.

Just like in any other resorts, food is pricey and you have to wait for 30 minutes for your food to be served. Since we're too hungry to wait, we went out of the resort compound and found an eatery just right in front of the resort. Food is cheap and tasty and service is quick. We only spent less than P200 for a serving of batchoy, pork sinigang, 3 orders of rice, fruit shake, coffee and pork barbecue. For dinner, you have to place your order before 7 pm because they won't be entertaining orders beyond the time.Their restaurant also closes at 9 pm.

beachfront of Raymen's 

The resort also boasts of boat services for island hopping. The first hour costs P400 with P150 for the suceeding hours. You'll need at least 3 hours to go to the islands so prepare about P700. The shoreline of Alubihod beach is short. You can walk along its shores in less than an hour. The spectacular sunset is also blocked by a protruding part of the island to its left side facing the beach.

The beach front of the resort has nets for for jellyfishes. It was also placed to serve as demarcation from other resorts. At night it is the only resort that is lighted. You can swim until 12 mn but be sure not to drown because the lifeguard is only posted until 8 pm.

There is also no need to contact someone to fetch you from the resort. Just outside the resorts are tricyles that will bring you back to Jordan Wharf for P250. It may seem pricey but you'll understand why when you learn that it will take you about an hour from Raymen to Jordan Wharf.

For reservations at the Resort, contact: 09185207271.

Iloilo-Gumaras Tour (Part 1): Guimaras Town Tour

Iloilo is a business center than a tourist spot. So if you're planning to have an all sea, sun and sand vacation, plan your vacation somewhere else. Guimaras may provide this but personally one night in the island is already enough. There's nothing much to do if you're looking for some relaxation coupled with activities.
So anyways, I'll just write about my personal experiences and leave it up to you if you still want to go.

My boyfriend and I decided to go to Iloilo because of Guimaras. Aside from the oil spill that happened years ago, it is also famous because of its mangoes and its shores. The locals claim that Guimaras has the sweetest mangoes in the world. Since our idea of vacation is beach, beach, beach, we decided to go there first and see if we want to extend our stay.

Day 1: Guimaras Tour

We arrive at Iloilo airport at 6:30 am via Airphil Express. This is your gateway to Guimaras. From the airport, we took a cab to Ortiz Wharf. The cab cost us P350. It was offered to us in fixed rate. Caution: Do not agree for a shuttle because they are offering their services at P600+. The wharf is just around 30-40 minutes away from the airport.

From the wharf, we bought tickets to ride the pump boat for Jordan Wharf  that costs P13.00. We saw that they are petitioning to have it a higher price. It only takes 15-20 minutes of travel from Ortiz to Jordan.

Upon arriving at Jordan, Guimaras, we are met by Kuya Gerald, our tour guide. He drove us around Jordan through his tricycle.  Tricyles in Guimaras can seat 6 people but if you can spare some cash, hire a muticab for comfort. Note that in Guimaras, transportation is pegged on a hourly basis not on distance. We spent P700 for a 4-hour tour, from 8 am to almost 12 nn. Honestly, the tour was just okay. Not much to see except for endless trees and greenery.

Kuya Gerald first brought us at Ambakan Falls. If you're not a hiker, I suggest don't go anymore. We're supposed to go to another falls-Sadsad, but we opted not to. We have to carry all our luggages for a 15 minute uphill trek. No thanks. Good thing about the place is its fairy-like atmosphere. You can bathe but if you're pressed for time, reserve your urges for the beach.

We also passed by Balaan Bukid Shrine which I wasn't able to take a picture of. This is the smallest plaza, according to the locals. After the falls, we went to the Trappist Monastery and met the only Filipino monk. According to Kuya Gerald, the monastery was named Trappist because the first monks were trapped in the island. You can write your prayers and give some donations.

After the monastery, we passed by the Museum which was closed for renovation. The facade was good though so we stopped and took a picture. Kuya Gerald said that saints can be seen inside the museum.

Along the way, we also stopped at the Valle Verde Resort. You have to pay P20 for entrance fee. You can swim at their pool. There's also a spring way way below the resort with a fee of P10. The place looks deserted when we visit so we just took pictures. There's also a 300-step to get to the spring. Since we felt lazy already, we opted not to see it anymore .

Before our trip ends, we stopped at some fruit stands and bought mangoes. The cost was P55 per kilo. Just a word of advice, if the mangoes are meant to be pasalubong, buy the ones in the boxes and buy the ones that are not too ripe. They will be ripe by the time you get to Manila.

Our last stop was the Guisi Lighthouse and Guisi Clearwater Beach. The Lighthouse is one of the oldest in the country which is quite obvious with its rusting facade. There's a resort in Guisi but our guide says that there's nothing much to see if we'll stay there. The sand is yellowish and rocky but the waters are really clear. You have to pay P10 to Guisi Lighthouse but the beach is free.

Our tour ended at around 12 noon without seeing Sadsad Falls. Kuya Gerald gave us a lift at Raymen Beach Resort in Alubihod Beach. Nueva Valencia where we will stay for the night.

Cost of a Half-Day Tour:

P350- Cab fare from Iloilo to Ortiz
P  13- Pumpboat Fare from Ortiz to Jordan Wharf
P700 - Tricycle Hire
P  50-  Tip for the Guide
P  20 - Entrance at Valle Verde Resort
P  10-  Entrance at Guisi Lighthouse
P1133 -total

Allot some more for pasalubong such as dried mangoes, mango biscochos, mango jam and other mango products.