3D2N Legazpi Adventure - Budget

I know this is the post that most of you have been waiting for.
How much was our budget for this trip:

Full Tank, 2x (Corolla Altis 11th Gen) - Php3,000
NeuHouse Inn (3 days, 2 nights)       - Php3,200
Island Hopping (Php 1050/pax)         - Php2,100
Meals ( Foodies in Legazpi)               - Php3,200
Pasalubong (all varieties)                  - Php3,000
Entrance (Lignon and Cagsawa)         -Php60

Approximately a budget of Php 14,500

When we travel we always make it a point that we have enough money to enjoy ourselves.  It takes time to save but the memories that this travels gave us are all priceless.

Let me share with you our Legazpi Trip in more or less three minutes!
Enjoy!



Xoxo

Sagada: A Hidden Treasure worth Exploring

It started with a simple conversation over coffee and then in less than a span of two weeks we were off to Sagada.  I know Sagada by name and that it is far north from Baguio, it was also one of the locations in the movie "That Thing Called Tadhana" but I had no clue what is in store for us there!  

For the first time (after all our travels) I had no time to even check what we can visit there.

Based from what I know, you can either go straight to Sagada via Nueva Viscaya or en route Baguio first then to Sagada.   There are a lot of Travel and Tours company nowadays who offers tours and packages to Sagada so you don't have to drive 12 hours long to visit the wondrous place.  In our case, with the help of our friend Arianne, we utilized one.

Our pick up point was at Megamall, it was 9:30pm and then picked up our two other friends in SM North.  Then we went all the way to Shell Station in NLEX to wait for the other van that will also go to Sagada.

You can imagine the 12 hour drive and it was no joke, I slept almost half of the time and we also had to do stop overs for bio break.  It was unfortunate from our end that while we were stretching Nueva Viscaya all the way to Sagada, a trailer truck blocked the 2way road.  It took us around 3 more hours just to pass by that traffic (of course this information came from one of our friends because the entire traffic I was asleep).  We were supposed to arrive Sagada at 6am but we did at around 10 to 11am.

We went straight to have our lunch at Salt and Pepper.

Looked like someone doesn't want to share his mocha shake!

Aminin na kung kanino ito!!! Ganyan kami ka gutom talaga!

After that quick lunch, we were accompanied to our house.  

It was one of Sagada's Homestay and they called it "The Pink House", it has three bedrooms (2 of the rooms can fit 4 people with two double beds and 1 for 2 people). Then it has one bath and a kitchen.  

Okie, first time in our travel history that I wasn't able to take a shot of our house interior.  Can you just imagine the 14 hours travel that we did, it was very exhausting (Sige, next time no more excuses!)

Then right after fixing our things we went off to our first Sagada Adventure.  
Walang Pagod! Gora lahat!!!

What's next?

Xoxo

How we welcomed Summer !!

The first week of March was gone just like that! 
With this hectic schedule I didn't even had the chance to write about our Panagbenga experience and so before I totally forget -- here it goes! 

Everyone knows that Baguio is the Summer Capital of the Philippines simply because of its cold weather!  One good time to go to Baguio is during the Panagbenga Festival (Flower Festival) and this year the culminating parade was last March 1, 2015.

We (Sweets and I) planned to visit Baguio for that festival this year because we haven't attended that festival before and we traveled together with Mama Lena and Papa Nestor. 

We left Angono at 8pm and we arrived Baguio at 1am.  It was via NLEX, SCTEX, TPLEX and Kennon Road and Sweets was our only driver.  Lucky for us it was not raining and thus the travel going up was smooth, we only stopped when we needed to pee.  We decided to left that night because we anticipated that traffic will be very heavy, specially because it was Panagbenga Festival!

When we arrived at 1am, it was 18 degrees cold and I can feel it in my bones!  We had no plans to visit any tourist spot in Baguio because we really visited because of the Panagbenga Festival parade and thus our Saturday was plain simple: 

- we had our breakfast at Mountain Lodge
- we watched the Dance Parade in Session Road
- we had lunch at Jollibee (Yes, di na kami nag isip!)
- went back to Mountain Lodge to rest
- went to Good Shepherd to buy their finest spreads and sweets
- went to Mines View's carenderia to eat merienda
- went back to Mountain Lodge
- dinner at Zoi's Pizzeria! Burp!
- went back to Mountain Lodge to sleep! 

I can't say that it was a fun filled day -- it felt like we went to Baguio just to eat at Jollibee!! Haha!!  

Let me share more information on our day 2 in Baguio in another blog post! ^_^

Xoxo

Our "You and Me Day 2014" in Boracay

A lot has been said about Boracay, a lot of posts have been shared and I am pretty sure that they were all helpful.

I wanted to share some of the things that we did while we were in Boracay. Where we ate, where we went and how much we spent.

Let me start off with the air fare -- we are used to having Cebu Pacific for our travels but this time we used Air Asia. We departed and arrived in Terminal 4 and although we lost an hour because our flight was delayed (due to air traffic) it was still a good travel with Air Asia.

We chose Kalibo Airport because:
1. It is a lot cheaper than Caticlan Airport
2. Not so much prone to delays (because Caticlan Airport is smaller)

Upon arriving to Kalibo -- 

- we rode a bus (for 1+ hours) to reach the port.
- then on a fast jet (for 15-20 mins) to reach Boracay Island
- then on a van to our hotel.

We booked Southwest Tours Boracay Inc for our Airport to Hotel transfer (back and forth) and I must say that these transfers were very well organized!  They also have a lot of partner hotels that will make your accommodation a lot cheaper.

We stayed in La Carmela de Boracay (where Boy Abunda was a co-owner).  You will see a lot of photos of celebrities at their lobby and it was a good (not to mention cheap) place to stay!

We stayed at the East Wing of the Premium Suites. They offer free breakfast buffet from 5am to 9am and if you like to go pool dipping then you can enjoy that in La Carmela! The staff and crew were all very friendly! 

As early as 5:30am, we were already out in the sea. Simply because there were less people and the heat of the sun is not that intense.  Not to mention the cold beach!! 

Yes this was at 5:30 in the morning where Sweets was trying to do a "jump shot".

Another thing that we enjoyed was eating! 
Most of the time we had buffets and let me share with you where we ate. 

We had our first dinner buffet in La Carmela.
Their buffet costs Php300.00 per pax.

We had one lunch at Astoria Boracay.
Their buffet costs Php420.00 per pax.

Then we had dinner buffet at La Soleil.
Their buffet costs around Php400.00 per pax.

We had another dinner buffet in Boracay Peninsula Resort.
Their buffet costs Php395.00 per pax.

If you ask me where I enjoyed the most.. 
I would rate them as follows:

1. Boracay Peninsula Resort - they had seafood and this is what Sweets and I was looking for at the onset! Oysters, Clam, Crab, fish and other viands! Their pork BBQ was also a winner - naka 10 sticks kami ni Sweets!

2. La Soleil - they also had sea food minus the clam and crab but they had baked mussels!  Their chicken wings were also nice as well as their chocolate balls. 

3. Astoria Boracay - they didnt have any seafood but the taste of the food was a winner! The ambiance was also nice since the tables were located inside their hotel. Can I just say that their New York Cheesecake was the bomb!!

4. La Carmela - the food was not extravagant but can still satisfy a hungry tummy! I loved their chiffon cake and I'm hands up with their butter icing! 

Another thing that we did was to go shopping! 
Yes! We went to "D Mall" and "D Talipapa".  There is definitely no way that we will miss anything! 

If you are not fond of buffets -- then you can go to "D Talipapa" and make "paluto".  They have fresh seefood choices and you have a say on what you want to eat! Plus not to mention it's going to be a bit cheaper than buffets. 

There are a lot to do in this island! 
People will approach you if you would like to do some activities and it's up to you to haggle!  Don't forget though that these people would like to earn a living and thus don't be so much " kuripot"!

The only activity that we did was Paraw Sailing over sunset! ^_^

On average this is what we spent: 

Php 1,000.00 - Transport from Angono to Airport (bac k and forth)
Php 2,000.00 - Air Fare for 2 (back and forth)
Php 8,900.00 - 4 days, 3 night stay in La Carmela + Airport Transfer (back and forth)
Php 3,500.00 - Food 
Php 5,000.00 - Pasalubong

One motto that Sweets and I share every time we travel is that we do not want to be stingy!
"Hindi namin titipirin ang sarili namin!" 

Simply because each vacation that we do is a well deserved one! That it's our reward to ourselves! 

Xoxo

Memories -- it last Forever!

I was browsing through Pinterest when I saw this inspirational quote:

I super agree with this postcard!
Nothing compares with the memories that we can make together with our family. It is something that we can always look back and reminisce. 

We all know that "Time is limited" and we need to make the most of it while we can.  While we have the means and energy to enjoy these travels.

My husband and I always take some time to take a vacation.  With our family or with ourselves -- simply because we are a firm believer of this postcard and we know that memories are the only thing that we can look back when we grow older.

Here are some of the lovely trips that we had.

Nowadays, the word "travel" means expense.
Well, when you look at it, it is really expense but for me it is an expense worth spending.  It will help build a lasting memory and money cannot buy the memories that can be created in any of these travels made with family.

Here are two of my personal tips on how to make lasting memories if you are in a budget mode:

1. Plan Ahead - My husband and I agreed that we will travel once a year, on our anniversary month.  With this in mind, as early as one year prior to our anniversary, we already plan our expenses and (if we can) we book our flights as early as possible because it's cheaper that way.  Last minute planning can be expensive and super time consuming so better plan ahead of time.

2. Start Simple - Creating memories does not mean that you need to go to Bali or Maldives -- it does not mean that you have to spend all of your savings just to have a picture with the Eiffel Tower or have a Euro Tour.  I always suggest to start traveling within our country, within the metro if you can.  There are a lot of places to see within Metro Manila that can be equally relaxing because it's always about perspective (how one define relaxing).  Then once you have explored Metro Manila then you can start traveling to nearby provinces -- like Laguna, Rizal, Batangas and Cavite.

Always remember what the postcard said:
"You can always make Money, You can't always make memories".

Let's do what we can while we are still young!
Enjoy creating memories! ^_^

Xoxo


 

Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah: Fun in the SUN

One of the recommended places to explore here in Malaysia is in Langkawi.  

Langkawi, officially known as Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah (Malay: Langkawi Permata Kedah) is an archipelago of 104 islands in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. The islands are a part of the state of Kedah, which is adjacent to the Thai border.  Langkawi is a duty-free island. (Wikipedia)

I got very excited about going to Langkawi because of the fact that it was Duty Free!!! Let me tell you about it later on.

We were lucky to get promo seats going to Langkawi, we only spent RM45 for our return tickets! Yey!

Before our trip to Langkawi, we already sourced for our Hotel and we were lucky to get one of the best hotels in Langkawi from the Matta Fair.  We got Hotel Bahagia ~ highly recommended from my side, my reasons:

1. Not far from the city

2. Very quiet environment

3. Accommodating hotel staff

4. Can help you arrange for your packages

5. Have nearby shops and restaurants

6. Free breakfast

Together with our accommodation we also rented their van.

The 4D and 3N in Bahagia Hotel with Van (on our own), we only paid RM220 per person which was very reasonably cheap!

When we arrived at the airport, we were fetched by the van.

Then since Louise and Reo will be arriving an hour later, we just rested a bit and drove back to the airport.  My husband was the one who drove the van.

Then first thing in the morning, after having our breakfast, we arranged for an island hopping package.  Island hopping was RM300 per boat (RM37 per pax) and it was a 5 - 6 hours island hopping, if we wanted to stay in an area a bit longer then we just need to inform our bangkero.

Our first stop in the Island Hopping was at the Pulau Singa Besar for the "Eagle Feeding".

It is named after a legend of the giant who possessed a lion as a pet thus it means "Island of the Big Lion". It is located between two small islands which are Pulau Bras Basah and PulauDayang Bunting. About 17km from Kuah it is a 35-45 minutes ride by boat from Kuah Jetty.  

(http://www.langkawipoint.com/langkawi-islands/pulau-singa-besar)

At first, I cannot imagine how are we going to feed the eagles, but when we stopped at the Eagle Bay and saw the eagles grabbing food from the sea then I realized ~ We stopped at the middle of the Bay and our bangkero threw something into the sea.  We asked and it was chicken.. then slowly, one by one the eagle came passing by getting the food!

I was amazed by how precised they were in getting the food. It was really an experience to have!  Not all the time we can sea an eagle grabbing food!

Our next stop was at the "Beras Basah Island".

One of the most known islands of Langkawi Pulau Beras Basah (The Island of Wet Rice) is located at the west end of Langkawi. 

Pulau Beras Basah is famous for its beautiful white sandy beaches with crystal clear blue waters.

(http://www.langkawipoint.com/langkawi-islands/pulau-beras-basah)

No doubt about it because it was really a good and refreshing view to look at.

You have an option to swim the beach or just stroll along the shore, whichever suits you is okie! We stayed in this place for close to an hour.

Our next destination was at the "Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park" then we went to the "Tasik Dayang Bunting", the biggest natural lake also known as The Lake of the Pregnant Maiden. This fresh water lake was formed when a huge underground limestone cave collapsed.  

(http://www.langkawipoint.com/langkawi-geoparks/dayang-bunting-marble-geoforest-park)

 From this view, it seems that you are looking at a pregnant woman lying down which was pretty interesting.

According to legend, if any barren woman drinks the water from the lake or bathe in it, she will be rewarded and blessed with a child. It states that some fairy princess lost her child right after birth and chose to bury her child in this lake and the child turned into a white crocodile. After which she blessed the lake with fertility.

(http://www.langkawipoint.com/langkawi-geoparks/dayang-bunting-marble-geoforest-park)

If this is true then greatness! We all bathe in the warm water!
Btw it was 30 feet (or more) deep and thus we needed the life vest :)

After this awesomeness dip, we were dropped off to our hotel.

We then decided to take lunch first, sleep and rest for an hour and then hit the road again.  This time with the van.

After our quick rest, we then looked at our map and hit the road going to "Black Sand Beach".  We were all excited to see this one and it was quite fascinating.

Legends has it that there was a war between the Underwater Kingdom and Land Kingdom.  The Land Kingdom was outnumbered by the Underwater Kingdom but the Land Kingdom has an old wise man with them and told them to put a lot of fire woods along the shore and burn them.. 

When the armies of the Underwater Kingdom saw the flames, they thought that thousands of armies from the Land Kingdom were waiting for them.  With this the armies of the Underwater Kingdom never attacked and the Lang Kingdom won the war.  

The flames from the fire wood then left the black sand there.

On the other hand, this is the scientific explanation:

The result of the mineral contents in the sand such as iron oxide made the sand black. It is not overall covered with black sand but in shades of white and black sand. During the wet season it is blackeras the mineral deposits persistently wash up on the shore. 

Anyhow, after visiting the "Black Sand Beach" we went ahead to another beach which was the "Pantai Cenang Beach".

This is the most visited beach in Langkawi because of its night life.  The purpose of our journey there was to find a good restaurant to eat but when we went closer to the shore, we saw something interesting.

It's not a bird, it's not a plane and it's not even superman.  It's Parasailing!

Para-sailing also known as parascending, or "parakiting" is a recreational kiting activity where a person is towed behind a vehicle (usually a boat) while attached to a specially designed canopy wing that reminds one of a parachute, known as a parasail wing. The manned kite's moving anchor may be a car, truck, or boat. 

The harness attaches the pilot to the parasail, which is connected to the boat, or land vehicle, by the tow rope. The vehicle then drives off, carrying the parascender (or wing) and person into the air. The activity is primarily a fun ride, not to be confused with the sport of paragliding. (wikipedia)

 

The moment I saw this man flying, I immediately told my husband that I wanted to do it and without any hesitation he said "yes".  

When we got nearer to the shore, we got very excited and straight away booked for our para-sailing activity.  It was only RM50 for a 10 minute ride and for me it was enough.

I was the first one to try it, to show my sister (Louise) that everything will be alright and fun.  Everybody finished and she was still undecided whether to try it or not. I told her that it was a once in a lifetime experience and she might not have the opportunity to do it again, better do with a relative at least she would feel more secure.

At the back of my mind "Lord please take care of this one for me and give a safe and fun fly for my sister!".

After much of discussions, Louise' then tried it. :D

(Ma, Pa, wag nyo akong pagalitan ha! :D)

We then concluded the night with a yum yum seafood dinner!

Watch out for more kwelas in the next blog.
Do not forget to Subscribe to hear more from me! :)

Xoxo

Teaser: Langkawi, Malaysia

Yey! So funny we took our shot at the eagle's behind!
Watch out for more kwelas!

Sweets making some smiley there!
Joel making some Gwiyomi there!

Do not forget to Subscribe to hear more from me! :)

Xoxo

Thailand: Hat Yai (First Half)

I was very excited about this trip because We (sweets and i) will be travelling together with my sister and close friends (Beth and Rod). We planned for this since last year and now we have been into a wonderful place in Hat Yai, Thailand.

Hat Yai is a city in southern Thailand near Malaysia border.  Hat Yai is the largest city and is the business center of Songkhla Province.  The name "Hat Yai" is a short version of "Mahat Yai", meaning big mahat (Thai: มะหาด) tree, a relative of jackfruits in genus Artocarpus. (Wikipedia)
 
Our mode of transportation from KL to Hat Yai was via bus. 
From Pudu Central, we left kL at 10:30pm and we boarded the VIP bus of Konsortium.  It was an 8 hour drive and we were lucky to have chosen the VIP bus (RM60 per pax) because of the following:

1. It was very comfortable and it has spacious seats
2. It has tv with up to date movies, there was also an option for music.

7 hours later, we stopped at the Malaysian Immigration and then to the Thailand Immigration. An hour later we arrived the Hat Yai City Proper.

Few weeks back I was already preparing our itinerary for this trip and just when we arrived in Hat Yai that I realized I left the itinerary at home (Malaysia).  I was like "okie calm down KL" then I told Sweets about it then said to him "okie lang yan tanda ko naman" ~ while I swallow and hope that I remember everything. 

As we are nearing the city proper, I was imagining the things that I wrote in my itinerary and the things that George (my very helpful colleague) told me about.

Okie here we go, when we arrived at the bus station, we dropped off at the side of the Lee Gardens Plaza and we immediately went to the nearest Mc Donalds to have breakfast. 

Then we headed to the nearest Travel Agency near Lee Gardens which was the Hat Yai Varaity Travel Services.  This Travel Agency is specifically partnered with the Konsortium Bus that's why I highly recommend Konsortium for the KL - Hat Yai travel.

We then immediately booked for the following:

1. Songkhla Tour [6 -7 hours] (Thb 1,800.00)
2. Hansa Plaza Ah Gua Show (Thb 350.00 per person)
3. Bus ticket going back to KL (Thb 400.00 per person)

At 8:30am we then proceeded to our Songkhla Tour. I was expecting a Tuk Tuk to tour us around Songkhla, to my surprise, it was a van! Since it was a 12 seater van I was then expecting to have other tourist to join us but NO! We had the van on our own and it was really awesome!!

First Stop: Reclining Buddha in Wat Hat Yai Nai
World's third largest reclining Buddha! Buddha measured 35 meters long, 15 meters tall, and 10 meters wide, was named Phra Phuttha Hattha Mongkhon.
(Trip Advisor).

We were blessed that we were not bombarded by people asking for donations!  Some tourists were not lucky enough and were asked for high donations.

Second Stop: Hat Yai Municipal Park
Kanchanawanit Road and is approximately six kilometers from the city center on the Hat Yai – Songkhla Highway. 

These were our poses besides our Chinese Zodiac Years!

I love the colors! Very lively!

Third Stop: Hat Yai Cable Car and the 20meters + Buddha.

This is the 20+ meters Buddha, standing hundreds of meters above the park. Many locals make their way up by motorbike but it’s an energetic and rewarding hour long climb up. The views over Hat Yai and the surrounding hills are magical – and across to the sea in the distance (http://hatyai.thailandhappy.com/hat-yai-municipal-park/)

After these three stops, we told our driver that we wanted to have lunch first before we proceed to the next destination. We said that we can eat pork and that our only requirement would be "it has to be a cheap lunch". Then he brought us in this place, similar to a hawkers but just along the highway, in the Philippines, it is simply called carinderia.

You will be given a plate with rice and you will choose which "ulam" you like.  Normally for one rice and two "ulams" they will just charge you THB40. 

After lunch, without any doubt in my mind, the food was awesome and the price was indeed cheap! Good job to Kuya for bringing us in this place!!!

Fourth Stop: Chang Puak Camp
Karnchanawanich Road between Hat Yai and Songkhla

The elephant ride was Thb500 per person for a 30 minute ride.

Side Story:
Our Elephant is Meka, she is only 10 years old and while she was helping us roam around, she was currently 6 months pregnant!  Interesting right!! :D

Fifth Stop: Hat Yai Aquarium
Sixth Stop: Samila beach

This beach has a long shoreline but there were only few people who were taking a dip. Majority of the people in the area was having their little picnics with family and friends. I cannot blame them because there were a lot of trees that gives good shade, the wind was nice that its easy to fall asleep, the see was so calm and there were a lot of cheap food with a lot of choices.

Sweets and I took our time to walk through the long shore to have a feel of the beach. Wow! Amazing clear water! I wanted to swim but I can't, we were not prepared to take a dip.

Wow! When we were in the Samila Beach, sweets tried this dessert called "Coconut Ice Cream" it was so refreshing with some fruits in it and I got excited to write about it. When I took a picture of its name, i looked at it twice because I wondered if my eyes were playing tricks on me.. Look at how it was named! :D

It was literaly a "Coconut Ice Scream" ~ was it because you will scream for joy once you have tasted it? Maybe!

After drinking Luctan juice at Samila Beach we headed to our Hotel. We were greatly accommodated by Meridian Hotel in Hat Yai. I highly recommend this place, no doubt about it. 

After one hour rest we then headed to our next destination. We arranged with Tuktuk to take us to the Floating Market and then wait for us and bring us to the Hansa Plaza. For 2 hours, we were asked to pay only Thb 420.

Klong Hae Floating Market (Wat Klong Hae)
Open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 4:00pm - 7:00pm

This is not similar to Bangkok FM where the merchants are roaming around the river to sell. This one is pretty simple, all of the merchants were lined up along the river side and the people get to buy as they walk pass them.

Generally it was all food, from fried to steam sea food, different mees with different flavors, fried or steamed potato and a lot of drinks! Instead of using plastic cups for the drinks, they use bamboo or clay cup ~Very creative. We stayed there for like 2 hours and we were all burping with happiness!  You can prepare at least Thb 100 - 200 for your food trip and it will be all worth it.

Here are the vendors up close.  All of them are Thai Delicacies with some Maki (Japanese) and you will literally burp because of the food!  Rice, egg, fruits, veggies, fish and drinks, just name it and they all have it. 

They serve their drinks in these clay mug! 
Yes below is a violet corn!  More num num than the yellow one! Good try for us!

Our last stop for the day was the Ah Gua Show and it was at the Hansa Plaza! From my research it was like a cultural show but when we got the tickets it was indicated that the Hansa Ah Gua Show was a Cabaret Show. I have not experienced watching a cabaret show yet so I really cannot imagine how it will look like, we were asking if my sister can watch since she was only a minor. 

Anyhow, we all went through without any problems!
You can buy the ticket with dinner but I do not recommend it.  Just get the normal ticket with the free drinks.

We asked to take a picture then they asked for a tip; I was not surprised by it but it was a little awkward.  Anyhow, I really enjoyed the show, they were all beautiful (She-males).

Wow this was a very tiring day indeed but it was all worth it!
This was the first half, watch out for the second half!

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Xoxo