Category: Travel

A Summer in the United States of America

The United States of America was not part of my bucket list. I only wanted to go there because of studying. In 2004, I was admitted to a university to pursue a Master’s Degree and the second time was in 2017 when I applied for EMBA with a scholarship. I did not pursue both. Maybe studying there was not really for me.
Last year I joined being a mentor for the New York Academy of Sciences in New York City. Somehow, I knew I would be going to the USA for the GSA Summit, an event for mentees and mentors every summer. I asked for assistance with an invitation letter last March and interviewed on the last 7th of May. After 3 days, my passport arrived with a multiple 10 years entry visa to the US of A.

I started planning for the trip to where I should go first. My initial plan was to stay on the East Coast. I was only planning to meet my friends from New York and New Jersey. I asked a friend to help me find a hotel there but he offered his place for me to stay during my New York trip. He started planning for us to go to Washington D.C. and to stay for one night in Virginia. He also told me to visit our friend in Dallas.
So I contemplated on where to go and then after a week, I asked some friends and they offered their place for me to stay. I chose to stay longer with my long lost closest friend from my F days, and then meet other friends separately. I filed a leave from work, finalized the days where I would be staying and when to meet friends and bought my ticket. The flights were Manila – New York – Dallas Fort Worth – Los Angeles – Manila from July 20 to Aug 5.


I arrived at my first destination at the wee hours of the morning at John F. Kennedy Airport. I took a cab and the taxi was caught by NYPD because of beating the red light. It was scorching hot when I arrived because of the heatwave and my friend Chester toured me to the City on a 94 Fahrenheit weather. I would give the details of the places I went to in another post and when I was alone. I also met Karen, my favorite client from UPMSI and Patriz’s family, one of our classmates in the UST Chem.

I attended the GSA Summit and met those people who organized the event, the different STEM mentees and their parents. I attended a seminar with Josh Henkins. I met so many wonderful people like Ann, Adrienne and many others.
I got lost while traveling alone, but it was easy to find my way in Manhattan. I saw so many different places in New York, enjoyed my time and the city. Enjoyed walking, the subway and the bus. I love the Museum Mile and Central Park where the apartment was located.


On the following weekend, we went to Washington D.C. to explore. Going to Washington D.C., the bus needed to go through the highways of New Jersey and Maryland. We spent the night in Virginia and went back again to New York the following day.
When I was having fun being a New Yorker for almost 8 days, and I had to leave the city already. On July 29th, it was time for me to go to Dallas Fort Worth Airport.


Texas is like a laid-back place that is a part of the Midwest. It has a different vibe from New York City. Well, Texas is so huge that I feel I could be lost and I could not find my way back home. Every city and town I saw had their distinct beauty. What I love most in Texas was the old and historical McKinney and the museums.
I reconnected with my old friends Beah, Louvette and Robert and meet different people like May, Ted, Marissa and Mitchell and the whole family of Beah.

My friends decided where we should go. The best plan is when you have no plans at all and everything turned out well. Although there were some bumps in the road or should I say expected things that didn’t happen. It was a summer worth remembering.

I would like to thank all of my wonderful friends who managed their precious time to be with me, for letting me crashed their homes for a while, for those who had to take their days off and had to travel 1 to 3 hours to join me with my trip. Thanks to all the friends who sent me messages to meet them, I’d like to travel to different states but there will be next time. And just in case I decided not to come back. I already went to the East Coast and Midwest.  I had a glimpsed of West Coast thru Lax Airport. I went to 4 States and the District of Columbia. I fell in love with America with its chaos and silence. I fell in love with the United States of America.

For the USA tours click here

Taipei City, Taiwan

Listed as No. 1 in 2015 from a survey of CNN’s top cuisine in the world, a land of hot springs and mountainous terrain, a country of rich cultural traditions lies on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean.

We arrived in Taoyuan International Airport around 11PM and there are only a few and passengers were flocking from different airlines. Most tourists arriving were from mainland China.

Diary of Taipei II

We lined up for a taxi and told the driver to take us to Diary of Taipei II in Zhonghua road. The skyway was long and it took us about an hour to reach our hotel. The driver got confused though because he stopped in Diary of Taipei I, and not the Diary of Taipei II. He took the voucher of my hotel where there was a Chinese character of the hotel and the address and turned around to go back, just one block away from where he stopped.
We arrived at the hotel at the wee hours of the morning, luckily, the staff of the hotel was available 24 hours. Our room was also upgraded to a Family room instead of the Standard Room, and our room was located on the 11th floor. The room was okay for a budget traveler because we were upgraded, our room was spacious and artsy.
Breakfast was served at the 12th floor, a buffet of the traditional Taiwanese food. The hotel provided an MRT guide and a map of the Ximending area where our hotel was located. Just a five minutes walk from our hotel is the Ximen MRT. We bought an e-card and load it with money which you could use for both the train and MRT.

Lungshan Temple

Our first stop was the Lungshan Temple, one stop away from Ximen. There were signages that would direct you to the temple, so you need not worry about it. It was a Saturday morning and as early as 9AM, there were lots of Buddhist who were offering food and prayers.

Chiang – Kai Shek Memorial

From Lungshan, we went to Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. Along the MRT hallway going to the memorial hall, paintings hang on the wall that showcased the artistic sides of the Taiwanese.

A park with 2 enormous temple-like building awaits you and these are the National Theater and the National Concert Hall. The Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall was at the far end of the Liberty Plaza with 88 steps going up the stairs towards the top, which was the age of Chiang Kai-Shek. The view from the Memorial Hall was also amazing as you could see the designed garden of flowers. Inside the memorial hall is a monument of the famous Chiang Kai-Shek, the founder of Taiwan.
We also walked through the garden with the lake before going to the famous Taipei 101, the tallest bamboo-shape skyscraper in Taipei.

Taipei 101

It was already past 12 noon when we arrived at the busy train station of Taipei 101. We proceed to the Food Court which was located in the basement of the building. The food court offers different cuisine but mostly Taiwanese food. We ate at a food stall where we ordered squid with beef and bean sprout, eggs and tofu. Afterwhich, my mother and I toured the Taipei Mall which was fully branded and signature shops while we wait for my brother to arrive.
When my brother arrived, we availed tickets to the Taipei 101 observatory, a promise of 360 degrees view of Taipei City. The entrance was 500 NT dollar. Tourists invaded the tower. The only problem was it started to rain, and thunderstorm swept across Taipei. We waited for about an hour in the observatory and when the rain stopped, we started to explore the different sides of Taipei 101 and took pictures of the scenery of the South, North, West and East of the city.

We then checked the level 88 for the wind damper. The mass tuned damper supports the Taipei 101, and it was designed to withstand typhoon winds and earthquake tremors. The 91st where the Outddor Observation deck was located, was not open to the public during our visit.

Sun Yat-Sen Memorial

After which we went to Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall. Sun Yat-Sen is another heroic figure in Taiwan. He’s the forerunner of the Republic of China. The memorial was built in 1972 in his 100th birthday. After which we headed back to Ximen and ate at the nearest mall in the station. The skyscraper Taipei 101 had a good view while your walking in the garden of the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial. We weren’t able to go inside of the memorial because there were activities happening at that time we arrived.

For other posts about Taiwan, please check: Yehliu Fishing Village, Taiwan and Maokong and Ximending, Taiwan

Kuala Lumpur in 24 hours

After my vacation in Koh Lipe, Thailand, I had to go back to Langkawi in Kedah Malaysia to catch my flight going to Kuala Lumpur.  I waited at the beachfront and bid farewell to the beautiful island of Lipe. It was another two hours ride to the port of Langkawi.

From Langkawi port, I hailed a taxi going to Langkawi airport and waited for my scheduled flight going to Kuala Lumpur. KL was my last stop from the 10 days of my Penang – Langkawi – Koh Lipe – KL trip.

Kuala Lumpur

I arrived at 7 pm in KL and my friend Rae picked me up at the airport. We boarded a bus going to KL Sentral, the central transit hub of all connecting stations in Kuala Lumpur. The KL International airport is 45 mins to 1 hour away from the city center called KL Sentral. You can also ride Klia Ekspres for a shorter time going to the city.

Petronas Twin Tower and KL Tower

I booked my hotel in My Hotel in Brickfields, 5 mins away walk from KL Sentral. After checking in and dropping off our bags, we went to the KLCC or Petronas Twin Tower. We took the train from KL Sentral by Kelana Jaya Line LRT and alighted at KLCC. The KLCC LRT Station is connected underground to Suria KLCC Shopping Mall and Petronas Twin Tower.

We tour the Suria KLCC Shopping Mall and walked going to the famous landmark of Petronas Tower in which we took photos of the night view of the Twin Tower. After which we went to Hard Rock Café in which we also had a view of KL Tower.

 

From the nearby stalls, we bought food and brought at the My Hotel where we had our late dinner.

Batu Caves

In the morning, we had our breakfast at the hotel. After an hour we went to Batu Caves.

Batu Caves is located at  Selangor Malaysia and is 40 minutes by train. From KL Sentral, alight a train going to Gombak. The caves are located at limestone hills and one of the top destination in Malaysia. There are series of caves and cave temples across Batu Caves.

There are 272 steps going up to the main cave. But because I am dressed with above knee-level, I was not allowed to go up so I decided not to explore the stairs and just enjoyed the park below with the birds.

From Batu Caves, we went to Merdeka Square or Dataran Merdeka. It is a square or Independence square situated in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building.

There are so many notable places around Merdeka Square like the Kuala Lumpur City, the open field for Royal Selangor Club, and Cop’s Fountain.

For other posts about Malaysia, please check: What to see in Georgetown, Penang, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia Penang Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia

Langkawi is located the northwestern of Malaysia and also known as Jewel of Kedah. Langkawi is a district and an archipelago with 99 islands near the borders of Thailand.

How to get there

I booked my ticket going to Langkawi from Penang for the Super Fast Ferry Ventures.  I met a solo traveler from Toronto Canada named Inga.  We went together to the ferry for a three hours travel from Penang to Langkawi.  The Ferry was to leave at 2PM.

When we reached Kuah Jetty in Langkawi, I went to a money changer first to change for Baht.  It was a Friday and I would be going to Koh Lipe, Thailand on Sunday and I was making sure that I got a Baht currency.  Inga and I were hungry and we checked the food court in the Jetty.  We went to the taxi information and availed the Langkawi taxi.

Langkawi is somehow a very touristy island.  The main problem here is the transportation in which there’s no bus and no train except for taxi and tourist guide vehicles.  The taxi information counter is found just outside the taxi stand on the other side of Kuah Jetty along with the 7-11 store.  There’s a matrix for the Langkawi taxi on where you’re going.  I was booked in Pentai Cenang, the fair is 30 RM.  It was a thirty minutes ride going to Pentai Cenang and the taxi dropped us to Sandy Beach where I was staying.

Sandy Beach Resort

Inga was checking the resort first before she decided to join me.  When I checked in at the resort, I was told that my room was along the road.  We had to go inside some establishment before seeing the hotel and the building looked old and it felt like there were no visitors around.  Inga decided to check another hotel.

After Inga left, while checking the hotel,  I decided to go back to the receptionist and asked if I could transfer to the beachfront.  And luckily there was a room for me on the beachfront so I got my things back and went to the room at the beach front.  I paid an additional 40 RM for two days since there was a difference between the room I booked and room at the beachfront.  I was solo traveling and I felt not safe in the first room I availed.

Sandy Beach Resort is located along the Pantai Cenang Road with a beachfront.  There were stores and shops in the area like massage parlors, 7-11, bazaar, mall, restaurants and other hotels and resorts.  Sandy Beach has a restaurant called Grilled.  When I was settled in my room, I immediately went outside, stayed at the chairs in front of the resort and enjoyed the sunset.  At night, I walked along the Pantai Cenang Road and checked out the stores.  I bought a ring in one of the accessories stores and had a massage in Le Baron.

Pentai Cenang

The following morning after having my breakfast at the resort, Inga and I met up in Sandy Beach and started exploring the beach area.  We walked from Sandy Beach going towards the long stretch of the Pantai Cenang Beach.  Sandy Beach was in the middle and we went left to check the crowded beach of Langkawi.  It was 9 in the morning.  It was a very hot morning in March.  When we reached a not so crowded area of the beach, we enjoyed swimming in the water.

We then went to the end of the beach near The Cliff Bar and Restaurant.  We went outside the Pentai Cenang Road and checked the different hotels and resorts.  There are malls in the area, Cenang Mall and The Zon Duty-Free.

Pentai Tengah

We entered the Sunset Beach Resort to check their facilities and we then end up at the beach where we stayed for a while and once again swam to the waters.

We walked again towards the beach and found a rock formation between the beach to Pentai Tengah.  We went to the main road of Teluk Baru as we enter a resort Frangipani.

We ate at the restaurant it was already past 12 in the afternoon.  We also had coconut juice.  Then we walked from the restaurant to the Teluk Baru road going to Pentai Tengah.  We checked different restaurants, hotels, resorts and inns along the area.  Pantai Tengah is less crowded than Pantai Cenang.  There were stores but you have to walk a little before you reach the establishment.  The road was not busy with passing cars and taxis.

We entered Pentai Tengah Road to go to the beach.  We stayed for about 30 minutes in the beach before going back to Pantai Cenang Road.  Inga and I separated here while she went back to her hotel and I went back to Sandy Beach.

I normally stayed at the restaurant area of the beachfront because the wifi connection didn’t reach my room.  I ordered a Watermelon shake while enjoying looking at the people and at the beach.

Inga and I went to see each other again and I waited for her in McDonald’s.  I ordered an orange burst sundae which was popular in Langkawi.  Inga and I went to Sawadee Restaurant.  Inga said she would have a massage.  I told her I checked out the rest of the Cenang Beach going right from Sandy Beach.

Cenang Beach

It was already past 6 in the evening.  It gets less crowded going there.  I love the sand in this area because it was whiter and powdery.

I reached the curvaceous area of the beach and found the  Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort.  I stayed at the sand bar in front of Rebak Island and waited for the sunset.

I went back to Sandy Beach resort and stayed outside for a while enjoying the stars at night.

Please check my other posts about Malaysia: Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia Penang Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia

It was my first time to travel to Malaysia and I was doing solo traveling. I’d been hearing that Penang’s foods were very delicious. Penang was tagged as the Food Capital of Malaysia and I was intrigued by it and decided to book a flight to Penang.

Arrival at Penang and Sogor Girls

I had a two-way flight to Kuala Lumpur and transferred to Penang flight. My two flights were both delayed. I arrived at Penang International Airport at about 10 in the evening. While waiting for the Penang flight, I opted to arrange an airport transfer going to Sogor Girls Dormitory in Georgetown since it was already late at night.
I met Christine Koo and she was a tourist guide. I asked her first that I’d look for a money changer first since I don’t have Malaysian Ringgit yet. She offered her services to me for the tour in Penang. It was an hour drive from the airport to where I was staying. Christine also toured me along Georgetown at night before driving me to the dormitory. I was able to see the Queen Victoria Memorial Tower Clock and the Blue House. I told her I’d let her know if I would avail of her services.
Upon reaching the dormitory, the restaurant to where I should check-in was already in their closing time. After checking in, Albertine, one of the staff of Sogor toured me to the dormitory. There were only four of us, including Albertine who was staying in the 20-capsule type dormitory. There was a laundry area with the shower and bathroom. A common room is overlooking the street with books and magazines and on the mezzanine is an entertainment room with more books and a dining table.

One Day Tour of Georgetown, Penang in Malaysia

Georgetown City

The following day, I checked my itinerary first and decided not to avail the tour. I left the dormitory at around 9 AM. I was walking and trying to find a nearby bus stop when I saw the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows along Jalan Macalister. I went there to pray for my journey alone. I turned right from going to Jalan Dato’ Keramat and found McDonald’s near Penang Square.

The McDonald establishment was inside the Birch House. I had breakfast first and then I went inside Penang Times Square. I went back to McDonald’s and asked two men talking where was the nearest bus stop going to Fort Cornwallis. The man said he could take me there since he was meeting a client. His name is Lim and he was also tourist guide.
I got a free ride going to the famous Georgetown, a UNESCO Heritage site and it was past 10 in the morning. He told me that he would drive me nearby and he also offered his services to me if I need the tour guide the following day. He dropped me off in Goddess of Mercy Temple.

He also pointed out where I should go because the historical sites were also walking distance and near each other. I went inside the temple which was also called Kuan Yin Temple. From the temple, I walked to the left side of Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling. I turned right to Lebuh Light and found the City Hall, Town Hall and Penang Art Gallery.

I walked straight and saw Esplanade and at the stretch was the Fort Cornwallis. I went inside the Fort Cornwallis. I toured the fort for about an hour and also stayed there for a while since it was already noon time. There are hawkers stall near Fort Cornwallis. From the Fort Cornwallis, you could also see the Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower, which I was able to see from last night.


I walked from the tower and the Esplanade food court going back to Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling to check the St. George’s Church. It was closed for renovation at that time. Next to the church is the Penang State Museum. I went inside the Penang Museum and discovered the history of Georgetown. Besides the museum is Cathedral of the Assumption. Across the street is the State Assembly Buildings.


After which I followed the sign going to Little India. In Little India, I saw the Mahamairamman Temple which was also under renovation. Then I went to Teochew Temple. I went to the next street and saw Kapitan Keling Mosque. Still walking along the streets I also found Seh Tek Tong Cheah Kongsi, Khoo Kongsi and the Masjid Malayu Lebuh Acheh.

Penang Art

Upon reaching Lebuh Acheh Street I decided to take a rest from walking. I saw the “Boy on Chair” Street art in the wall of the restaurant. I went inside the Busy Bodhi Café and ordered a Mango juice. After 30 minutes I decided to check the street art and the marking Georgetown near the area.


But since I was already exhausted because of walking, I only saw the Lion Dance, Cultural Girls, Magic, and Kids on Bicycle along Lebuh Armenian. For the Marking, I saw Cannon Hole, Too Narrow. There were souvenir and restaurants in Lebuh Armenian, including the art galleries. I then walked back to Lebuh Light to ride the free Penang bus going to Komtar Mall.


From Komtar mall, I alighted at the Penang Town Square bus stop. From the bus stop, there was the Nagarathar Siven Temple and Huan Yan Temple before Baru road. At the end of the street was street food and I bought the chicken rice. I was really exhausted with all the walking for almost 7 hours, and it was really hot in Penang.
There were many other tourist spots I wasn’t able to see and there were other street arts and markings that I wasn’t able to check out. One day is not enough to explore Georgetown. The next time I come back to Penang, I would book a hotel along the streets of the UNESCO heritage site. I would still recommend walking along Georgetown.

You can also tour Penang via the Penang Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

Penang Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

I tried the Hop-on Hop-off in Penang, Malaysia when I visited last 2016. This was my experience during the tour. There may be changes already as it has been three years already.

It is a double-decker bus tour throughout Penang Island that has two pick-up points – CITY and BEACH routes. The different routes cover the most popular and visited attractions on the island including the beautiful landmarks of Georgetown, a UNESCO cultural heritage and the second famous destination Batu Feringghi.

Where to avail tickets

The 24-hour ticket cost 45 Malaysian Ringgit. The tour goes by the Hop-on Hop-off concept at any designated stop with the choice of the ticket validity for 24-hours or 48-hours or a single trip.  You can buy the ticket on the double-decker bus; Gurney Drive (Stop 1) counter and in Chowrasta (Stop 7) counter; in authorized agents and authorized hotels. Make sure to get a brochure of the Hop-on Hop-off Bus to have a detailed schedule and information about the tour. The brochures are found on the bus and on the counters.

City Route

There are 8 stops for the City Route. The different City stops are Gurney Drive, Penang Hill, Komtar, Chowrasta, UNESCO Heritage, Cruise and Francis Light Tomb (Stop 7). The schedule time for the City route may also depend on bad weathers, road closures and traffic congestion, especially during peak hours and weekends.

There are so many popular landmarks for the City route. The most visited are Gurney Plaza, Gurney Hawker, Botanical Garden, Penang Hill, Kek Lok Si Temple, Komtar Mall, Chowrasta Market, George Town UNESCO World Heritage City, China Town, Little India, The Goddes of Mercy (Kuan Yin Temple), Clan Jetty, Penang Ferry Terminal, Tanjung City Marina, Victoria Memorial Clock Tower, Penang Town Hill, Fort Cornwallis, Penang Museum & Art Gallery, St. George Church, Cheong Fatt Tze (Blue Mansion), Dharmikarama Burmese Temple and many others.

Beach Route

The pick-up point and the first and last stop of the Beach route are in Gurney Drive. There’s a schedule time for the beach route. The 10 stops for the Beach route are Gurney Drive, Straight Quay ,Flamingo, Miami Beach, Holiday Inn, Golden Sands, Hard Rock, Tropical Spice and, Entopia (Stop 15). From Taman Rimba, the bus will make a U-Turn going back to the different stops and the bus will interchange again in Gurney Drive.

There are 18 attractions for the Beach route. The destinations are Straits Quay Lighthouse Mall, Flamingo, Miami Beach, Holiday Inn, Batu Ferringghi Beach, Hard Rock Café, Tropical Spice Garden, Teluk Bahang Fishing Village, Penang National Park, Pantai Keratchut, Bt. Kerajaan Forest Reserve, Batik Factory, Toy Museum, Escape, Entopia Butterfly Farm, Taman Rimba, Teluk Bahang Dam and Teluk Bahang Forest Reserve.

 

Sightseeing from Hop-on Hop-off Bus City Tour

I waited at the Penang Time Square Mall (Stop 05) and availed the 24-hour ticket since my hotel was near the area. Since I already had my walking tour in Georgetown, I decided to tour it by bus and to see the different places from the top.  But the main reason I went for this tour was going to Penang Hill and to tour the Beach routes.

Penang Hill is the second stop (Stop 02).  It is the oldest British hill station in Southeast Asia way back late 1700’s.  The highest peak stands at 833 meters above sea level.  The funicular service started in October 2013 and the existing train is the 4th generation system which started in April of 2011.  The Penang Hill funicular tunnel is 79 meters long and 3 meters wide with the steepness of 27.9 deg.  It is the steepest tunnel track in the world.

Penang Hill offers a panoramic view of the city.  At the summit, there is a flower garden, a mini bird park, and owl museum, bungalows, guesthouses, love-lock area, old train, restaurant and the historic Bellevue Hotel.  The ride is every 15 minutes going down and going up. I went there during the day, but Penang Hills offer a different view during night time.

I ate at the highest restaurant in Penang Hill called The Summit.    I also went to the two temples around Penang Hill.

After which I again traveled the City tour of the hop-on and hop off.  I had a look at Kek Lok Si from afar, the State Mosque on the right side.    I alighted at Gurney Drive Stop 01 to transfer to the Beach route bus.

Exploring the Hop-on Hop-off Beach Tour

From the bus ride, I saw Strait Quays, Masjid Terapung, Miami Beach, the gates going to the National Park and Tamban Rimba where the Teluk Bahang Dam and Teluk Bahang Forest Reserve were located.

I went down to Tropical Spice (Stop 19) and lingered at the white sand beach around the area.  It was also called Teluk Bahang Fishing Village.  I enjoyed a meal in the fishing village. At the far end are rock formations overlooking Batu Ferringhi at the left side.  I went to Hard Rock Café to check the store and went to Batu Ferringhi.

Batu Ferringhi is the most popular beach area because of its winding stretch of the sandbar.  Water sports are available in the area.  Different restaurants, shops, hotels and hostels are found in the area.  I explored the long stretch of the white sandy beach of Batu Ferringhi. I waited for sunset in the area while watching the different water sports activities in the area. I also enjoyed the view while I sat at the sand.

While waiting for the bus I checked out the night market. When the bus arrived, it was already night time and I enjoyed the cool breeze from the top of the double-decker. We were dropped off at Gurney Drive. You can also see the Gurney Plaza and the Gurney Drive Hawkers food stall.

I explored the different hawker’s food stall and bought Satay or Marinated Meat Skewers and Char kway teow or stir-fried rice cake strips. The Gurney Hawkers offers delicious hawker food in Penang Malaysia.

Moalboal, Cebu

Moalboal is located in the Southwest of Cebu and famous for the “sardine run.” It is also one of the favorite spots for scuba diving and free diving. There are so many diving shops and schools in the town of Moalboal.

Panagsama Beach

Most of the beach resorts and restaurants are located along Panagsama. Also known as Basdiot, most of the diving shops and diving resorts are located here as there are so many divers who go to this place. The shoreline is called Panagsama Beach. There are so many excellent restaurants and coffee shops in Panagsama. The nightlife in Panagsama is also booming because of night bars.

White Beach

White Beach or Basdako Beach is a 2-kilometer sand bar in the north of the peninsula in Barangay of Saavedra. There are so many high-end resorts in White Beach and nearby barangays. There are stalls near the beach where travelers can stay and enjoy the long and wide sand bar. There are food houses nearby. There’s a minimal fee for entering White Beach.

Pescador Island

This most famous island in Moalboal is a diving spot with the amazing “sardine run” with the school of several thousand fish. You can also do cliff diving in the area.

Moalboal Backpackers


A place to meet locals, local tourist and foreigners. A nice place to enjoy staycation.

How to get there

From the South Bus Terminal, ride a bus going to Moalboal. It is a three to four hours bus ride depending on the traffic. The drop off will be at the town of Moalboal. Ride a tricycle going to your resort in Panagsama or in White Beach.

Lucban, Quezon

Lucban Quezon is known for the Pahiyas Festival and tourists flock the town to enjoy the festival. Here are the other places to see in Lucban.

San Luis Obispo Parish Church

A baroque design, Lucban Church or San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Parish Church is a Roman Catholic church under the Diocese of Lucena. The construction of the church begins in 1595 under Father Miguel de Talavera. In 1629, the first church was ruined and the second church was established on its present site but was caught on fire. The third church was rebuilt in 1738 but was partially damaged by a bomb in 1945.

Batis Aramin Resort and Hotel

Since we were kids, Batis Aramin had been around where we go swimming in the cold spring water coming from the Mountain of Banahaw. In the present, it has evolved as a tourist attraction and as accommodation for visitors of Lucban

Kamay ni Hesus

A pilgrimage site which is 15 minutes away from the town of Lucban, for more information please check my older post.

Historical Markers

In 2011, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines unveiled the Km 134 Battle of Piis Memorial Marker. There are other historical artifacts that can be seen in Lucban, like the remnants of the Fuente del Binusuan Stone Marker and Fuente de Bamban.

Rizal Park and Municipal City Hall

It is a small park in front of the Municipal City Hall and the oldest park in Lucban. The Municipal Hall is also an old building. Within the vicinity of Rizal Park is the Patio Rizal Hotel.

Falls

1. Taluyong Falls
2. Mayapis Falls
3. Pilipit Falls
4. Abuhin Falls
5. No Name Falls
6. Puki Falls
7. Asana falls
8. Lanot Falls
9. Hangga Falls

I had been to the different falls in our province but I never knew their names before. Two of the falls were near the land of my ancestors in Barangay Piis. The trekking will start where there is Maapon river. I knew the Maapon river, but I think locals started calling them.

Mount Banahaw

You can also go mountain climbing to Mount Banaha, but please check with the tourism office of Lucban for details. Or to also preserve the mountain, it’s also good to just look at it from afar.

Oslob Tumalog Falls and Samboan Aguinid Falls

Cebu is blessed with stunning waterfalls from North to South.

Tumalog Falls

Tumalog Falls is located at barangay Luka, in Oslob, Cebu. It is also known as “Toslob” or Mag-ambak” falls by the locals.


From Aaron Beach resort it was a twenty minutes motorbike or habal-habal ride heading to the Bacalso National Highway before turning left to Tumalog Falls Road before we reached the registration area. We can either walk going to the falls or hire another motorbike going down. We opted to hire another habal-habal as they told us the road was steep going down. Going down the slope you can also see the top of the Tumalog Falls from the road. As we reached the rocky road, we were near the falls. We could see the small river where the water flows from the falls.


And we reached Tumalog Falls. It was still early and we were the only persons in the falls. Tumalog falls is taller and grander and there are lots of trickling water from different sides. The water that is flowing is also cold. There is a pool that everybody can swim in.

Aguinid Falls

Aguinid is located at Samboan, Cebu, two towns from Oslob.


From Aaron Beach Resort, it’s 25 to 30 minutes ride along the Natalio Bacalso National Highway and becoming Santander – Barile – Toledo Road. The resort offers a motorbike ride that you can hire.
There are 8 levels of Aguinid falls that is according to the locals. But only 5 of them are open to the public. The eight levels are a system of waterfalls that runs for a couple of kilometers along Tangbo River.


The best thing about Aguinid Falls is you need to trek through the cascading waters for you to reach the different level. There are two guides that will help you.
You will definitely get wet during the trek because of the flowing water from the top. Some of the treks get harder because of the raging waters. Make sure that you also have a dry bag or waterproof case for your phone.


Reaching level 5 is really worth it. You will see the majestic waterfalls where you can also swim or hide on the rocks and be mystified with the water falling.

Oslob: Whale Shark Watching and Sumilon Island

Famous for the whale shark watching, Oslob has been a fast-growing tourist destination for years now. It is located at the south of Cebu and near Negros Oriental.

Tan-awan

There are many resorts on the beach side of Tan-awan. The beach resort where we stayed was Aaron Beach Resort in Baranggay Tan-awan. It has a fascinating view of the sunrise, Sumilon Island and a beachfront. The resort also offered the whale shark watching the tour.

Butanding or Whale Shark Watching

Tourists from all over the country and all over the world flocked thru this site to witness every morning the whale sharks. Before we get to see the whale sharks, there were briefing areas where the tour guides explained the necessary precautions and guidelines for tourist. The local government also protects the butandings welfare.
The tour guides and boatman have their ID’s so we felt secure about the tour.


After which, we rode a boat and lined up with other boats at the viewing area. And alas, we were seeing the gentle giants near us.
We were near the boat that was giving them food. There were so many whale sharks who came, there were 6 of them circling around the boats and swimming people.


If you want to swim with the whale sharks, do not put any lotion and do not to touch them.

Sumilon Island

After which, we went to Sumilon Island. Sumilon Island is privately owned by Bluewaters Sumilon Island. They offered an overnight stay and a day tour with lunch. The resort owner allowed non-guest to experience the sand bar which is the highlight of the island. We opted to just stay at the sand bar for a minimal fee.


We enjoyed the sand, sea and sun. During high tide, the sand bar is covered with water, so it’s best to see Sumilon Island during low tide.


There were no shades and no facilities in the sand bar. Tourist bought with food and water because there were no shops. As a reminder, we should always take our trash with us.

How to get there

It is a three to four-hour drive from Cebu City from the South Terminal. Or a 30-minute boat ride from Dumaguete City to Liloan, then a tricycle ride from Liloan to Oslob.