Summertime, a time where we can all unwind and forget about the worries of life. I think it’s important for families to go out, have a vacation once in a while. Bonds are strengthened and everyone will have a new experience.

I’ve said in my previous blog that I belong to a family who enjoys travelling and the company of each other. Well, this is a log from when we went to Bohol back in June 2016.

How to get there:

• Book a flight bound to Tagbilaran and rent a car/hail a cab to go to your hotel (AirAsia has really cheap seats!)
• Catch a ferry bound to Tagbilaran

What to visit:

There are soooo many things to see there, I mean the list goes on and on.

• Visit the famous Chocolate Hills (cannot miss out on this)
• Panglao Island (great scenery)
• Hinagdanan Cave
• Alona Beach
• Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary
• Loboc River Cruise
• Pamilacan
• Bohol Bee Farm
• South Sandbar

What to do:

• Island hopping
• Snorkeling
• Whale-watching
• Dolphin-watching
• SCUBA diving
• Cliff diving
• The
• Kayaking
• Get henna’d/tattooed

A must-try: the Buzzz Cafe’s salted caramel ice cream flavour. I’m telling you, it changed my life forever. It was the best I’ve tasted and I probably had at least seven in my whole 4 days in Bohol. After all, I am an ice cream connoisseur (kidding.)

I believe my stay in Bohol was worthwhile, I was able to see and experience new things like seeing a tarsier, holding a python, seeing the chocolate hills, and so much more.

Well it wasn’t exactly chocolate because it was green at that time.

Before going to Bohol, when I’d hear it, all I could picture were the hills and tarsier. Now I see beautiful things. The people, the food, the culture.

Oh and have I mentioned? We were able to book a cool hotel – Bohol Coco Mango. They had free shuttle use going to the beach which was 5 minutes away. Free breakfast and Wi-Fi too.

I spent most of my time in Panglao Island where my cousins and I swam, took photos, and kayaked.

Spot the henna tattoo on my wrist! Hebrew characters for “Jesus.”

In the photo above, I was on the boat on the way to island hop. Such a pretty place. I was also able to see dolphins swimming and boy was I giddy.

All smiles. Such a beautiful time. This was taken on the Loboc River Cruise or the famous floating restaurant in Bohol. It was amazing, plus the food was really good. Imagine unli-crab. Yup.

Again, I’d just like to say how travelling has made my bond with my family stronger. It’s one of the things we have in common: the love for travelling and new places. Despite everyone having other commitments and busy schedules, we were all able to spend time as a family.

For a school project back in grade 11, we were asked to vlog (video blog) about absolutely anything. Of course, what did my adventurous self think of? A hike! It was also probably an excuse for my dad to allow me to go hiking with friends but… here I am writing about it.

Budget

Days before the hike, my friends and I all researched about the place, prepared our budget and everything we had to pay for. Originally, we planned to take an FX from Cubao to Rodriguez, Rizal and then a tricycle to the start of the trail. And making use of the services of a tour guide would cost P500.

• GrabCar from Cubao to Rizal – P200, shared among the four of us
• Tricycle to the start of the trail – P60, shared among the four of us
• Environmental/registration fee – P20 each
• Tour guide – P500, shared among the four of us (we gave our guy an extra hundred just because we were probably hard to handle, plus he took bomb photos)
• Lunch – P50-100 per meal

Sample Itinerary

0300 Meetup Cubao
0400 Trycicle from dropoff to Brgy. Wawa
0415 ETA Brgy. Wawa
0430 Register
0445 Start Hike
0530 The Rockies
0545 Viewpoint
0615 Peak 1. Photo Ops
0645 Peak 2. Photo Ops
0700 Start Descent
0830 Back to Jump Off. Wash Up
0900 Breakfast
1000 Wawa Dam. Chill. Photos Ops.
1200 Lunch
1300 Start Trek Karugo Falls
1400 Karugo Falls. Chill Photo Ops
1600 Pack Up. Trek to Jump Off
1700 Jump Off. Log Out. Head Home
1900 Home

Tips

• Be there by 3:30 am in order to catch the sunrise and sea of clouds
• Bring and wear your own hiking gloves (stones were sharp)
• Be prepared (i.e. it could rain)
• Bring lots of water
• Prepare to get dirty
• Get lots of sleep the night before because the hike is tiring
• Bring a change of clothes, towel, and toiletries

On the day itself, we were on the road by 3:45 and not via FX but GrabCar (disappointing, we know.) We got on the tricycle and boy was it the coldest I have ever felt. (This was in November 2017)

We were oriented and because that was the first time three of us ever climbed up a mountain, we had to be guided a little extra. So without further ado, we hiked! In the first two minutes, I slipped on my butt…

It was supposed to be an hour to two to reach the summit but we kinda needed a little longer than that. We were on Mt. Binacayan for EIGHT HOURS. Even I don’t know how that happened.

We chose Mt. Binacayan because it’s famous for its sea of clouds. Unfortunately, we were unable to catch it.

We were offered drinks going down the mountain.

By the end of the hike, this is what we looked like. So let me stress on this again: bring extra stuff. This was kind of our fault too as we decided to just slide on our butts on the way down. Nonetheless, this experience was definitely one for the books.

Finally reached the summit!

One of the best feelings must be reaching the top, well because you. did. it.

Some of the shots I liked most taken by our tour guide (guy knows how to hold a camera and his angles)

Can I just say some of these photos he took with one hand on a rock and the other on the camera. Respect.

It’s that time of the year again. Plane seats are on sale, like crazy. And I’ve always enjoyed planning things: booking hotels & flights, and the likes. So I showed it to my dad. Months later, it had been forgotten and the next thing I know, we were on the plane bound to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

Tips for those who plan to go to KK:

• Invest in a good hotel
• Visit museums, mosques, and parks
• Go on a tour
• Try out all different kinds of cuisine

In my experience, I was not able to do a lot of things in Kota Kinabalu with my family. Luckily, I was able to book a good hotel. Not overreacting, the best hotel I’ve ever stayed at. Facilities were complete, housekeeping was approachable, and everything looked nice and clean. Plus, there was a free shuttle to the supermarket and it was right by the beach.

There was so much about Kota Kinabalu that I did not get the chance to see and explore. My family and I flew here with no itinerary at all (which is bad because immigration usually asks for your itinerary) and we stayed five days. However, this time was used to unwind, as if I had never been more relaxed than I was prior to KK. It felt like home to me, if I’m gonna be honest.

Things I recommend did:

• Go to local markets and try their street food – I loved this pancake-like delicacy that I’ve been craving for since I left
• Take good photos. I mean does this even need to be explained?
• Go to Poring Hot Springs
• Visit the Kota Kinabalu National Park
• Visit Mt. Kinabalu
• Explore Desa Cattle Dairy Farm and try their famous ice cream

There was a whole day where we didn’t do anything at all besides go to the market and eat. One could say that was a waste of time and money but to me, it felt just right. It was able to give me the feeling that I was right where I was supposed to be.

On the other side, I had a whole bunch of new experiences: I saw a real squirrel for the first time and fed it! I also witnessed a cow getting milked. Oh and need I say? Ice cream was the bomb.

We were supposed to go up Mt. Kinabalu, but because of the weather, we weren’t allowed to anymore.

Moments before this photo was taken, I had just fed a squirrel which explains my giddy smile. What can you say? My sister and I were excited to go hiking.

One thing I loved most about KK was its beautiful blue skies. It felt like there was no pollution at all. Everywhere I looked there was either a tree or a body of water. This says a lot about the place’s conservation of nature.

Lastly, the quiet scenery. If you’re a fan of calm and serene places, Kota Kinabalu is for you. There weren’t a lot of people, so you could do anything you wanted to. It has been nine months but I still think about this place.

I mean, where are the people?! And those skies, breathtaking.

As someone who belongs to a family who likes to travel despite busy schedules, my cousins and I thought it was time to visit our grandmother’s hometown, Odiongan during Holy Week 2019. (For the first time. Oops.)

How to get there:

Since there are no direct flights from Manila to Odiongan, my cousins and I drove from Mandaluyong to Batangas Port at around 4 in the morning to catch a ferry bound to Odiongan at 10am. (Fare per person is around P700-P800)

You can also choose to take a plane bound to Tablas Island and then catch a ferry to Odiongan Island.

Usually, travel time from Manila to Batangas Port is 2-3 hours depending on the traffic and Batangas to Odiongan is approximately 7 hours. (If you happen to be on board during sunset or sunrise, you’re lucky!)

What to expect:

• Uncrowded place
• Very blue skies
• GREAT BEACHES.

This is not an exaggeration, I mean –

I’ve been to a lot of islands and beaches but none of them have stunned me like Romblon’s shores. Some people even say it could be the next Boracay (I kinda disagree because there are not a lot of tourists here but locals.) The white sand, the breeze, and the scenery itself made me fall in love with the place so easily. Besides, there are so many activities!

What to do:

• Island hopping
• Cliff diving
• Island tour
• Eat (duh!)
• Snorkeling
• R&R

Island hopping is a must. You may avail of a package inclusive of tour, island hopping, and transportation around. My cousins and I joined another group for the entirety of the trip.

My family and I got up at around 6 a.m. to have breakfast and join the group at 7 a.m. on our second day (technically first because we arrived at our hotel at around 8 p.m. and rested.) By 7:45 we were about to ride the boat to a different island.

By 11 a.m., we were already tired. And hungry. That day was quite reproductive. We got to eat with and hear stories from locals by the shore. I even met two pugs!

The next day, we didn’t wake up as early and we had a little less destinations. We hopped on a boat, swam in the middle of nowhere (boat brought us to a floating sanctuary), had amazing lunch at a local carinderia, and visited a grotto.

Finally after all these destinations, we went to Villa M to relax and have dinner with the rest of the group.

Our last day, we heard mass at St. Vincent Church and my cousins and I realized something: everyone owns a motorbike. We visited the resting place of our great-grandfather and left to catch the ferry back to Batangas.

That concludes our trip!

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton