Sumaging Cave, Sagada, Mountain Province

can you spot the bear and the rice terraces?
this is nature's art for you to discover...



































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Bohol in more ways than 1

June 13-16, 2006. 4 days in Bohol, wow! Fil and i left Davao June 12 and arrived in Cebu in time for the independence day parade. Traffic, grabe! Too bad no plane travels from Davao to Tagbilaran so we spent the night in Cebu and took the Ocean Jet ferry to Bohol the next day. 

Our official residence for 4 days is the Ananyana Resort and Spa in Doljo Beach, Panglao Island. It took some research before we finally decided to go to Doljo instead of the more popular and populated Alona Beach. Ananyana is one of the only two resorts in Doljo Beach, an ideal resort for those who want to enjoy privacy, anonymity and personalized service. We made the right choice (for a price, of course! hehehe) because during the entire duration of our stay there, we shared the resort with only four other foreign couples. We almost had the whole place to ourselves!


Tourist Spots
We did the usual visits to tourist spots - Chocolate hills, loboc river, tarsiers, Baclayon church and the blood compact site. Ananyana arranged the tour - just me and Fil and the driver/tour guide/photographer. We left the resort 9am and we were back by 3pm. The chocolate hills are located in Carmen town, more than an hour drive from Panglao, so it was first in our itinerary. We ascended the 214 steps leading to the top of the observation hill before we were rewarded with the best view of the chocolate hills. There are countless of them...as far as your eyes can see.My favorite was the loboc river cruise...great view, happy cruisers, nice food and entertaining music coming from manong who sang mushy old love songs and funny visayan songs while skillfully tickling his guitar.

The tarsiers were sleepy, being nocturnal animals, but we successfully coaxed them into opening their big, big eyes. Cute!!! :-)

We went inside Baclayon church, the oldest coral stone church in the Visayas and Mindanao (built in 1727) and one of the best-preserved Jesuit churches in the country. Since it was my first time, I made a wish (come to think of it, my wish was already granted when Fil came to my life. Naks!). We also checked out the museum inside the church before we went out to take a picture of the church's facade.

Last destination was the site which commemorates the blood compact made by Spanish Captain General Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Rajah Sikatuna, a local chieftain, in 1565 to seal friendly relations between the Spaniards and the natives. This scupture was made by national artist Napoleon Abueva, a Boholano, who was with me and Marinette (just the 3 of us ha!) last year when we visited the Banaue rice terraces.
Island Hopping and Dolphin/Whale WatchingThe next day we rented the resort's private boat inclusive of food and a 3-man crew (the boat driver, waiter and dive guide) to do some island hopping and dolphin/whale watching. We were off by 6am and reached Pamilacan island after an hour where we waited (and prayed) for the dolphins and whales to show up...and show up they did! It was another first for me - we were lucky to see a number of pilot whales and playful dolphins up close. There were 3 other boats filled with foreigners also on the lookout for whales and we engaged them in a boat race whenever we hear somebody shout "There! Ayun! Doon! Naa didto! Whales! Dolphins!!!" Ang saya-saya! :-)
After that we went to Balicasag island where our friendly crew prepared lunch in a private hut while Fil and i waited and relished the tranquility and beauty of the surroundings. Around the island are some of the best diving spots in the Philippines - a world-class overhanging wall, going from about 7 to more than 60 meters deep, and some wonderful coral reefs that are worth the trip alone. For non-divers like me, it was a fun place just the same. We had a great time snorkelling and I swear, i saw Nemo and his relatives. Hay, wish i could be a mermaid in my afterlife...

Resort Spa, Sunrise, Sunset
The 3 nights we were there we surrendered our tired but happy bodies to the strong yet gentle hands of the resort's pretty spa therapists. Aromatherapy massage, body scrub, body wrap...hmmm, i miss those nights of soothing music, scented candles, relaxing sound coming from an artificial waterfall. No requirement from me but to lie down and yield to a complete pampering.

And of course, there's the beautiful sunrise to start the day (although we saw it only during the 3rd day when we woke up early to catch the whales) and the romantic sunsets which we never missed.

There are many other ways to enjoy Bohol. Compared to other tourist destinations, it offers the choicest menu of things to do: caving, bird watching, visits to the watch towers, nature trips, private dinner in a secluded island and a lot of white-sand beaches to choose from to suit one's preference. Whether you're on a dream vacation or a budget trip, all you need is to bring with you your sense of adventure and you're guaranteed to have FUN!

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Pearl Farm Beach Resort

June 7-12, 2006. After our Baguio-Sagada-Banaue trip, Fil and I spent only two days in Manila then flew to Davao City. I am familiar with the city (having spent my highschool in General Santos City) but my last visit here was in 1997! I didn't know what to expect ...t'was like visiting an old friend, not sure if things will still be the same.

Surprisingly, things are NOT the same...they're bEttEr! The streets of Davao are impressively clean, buildings are taller and there are more gimik places to explore. Food is great, too, I gained more than 5 pounds in 3 days after we stuffed ourselves with everything edible at Yahong, Hilltop, Jack's Ridge, Asia restaurant and all those restos that serve tuna, kilawin and ihaw-ihaw stuff. Of course, there's also buffet breakfast at Marco Polo hotel, lunch at Figueroa residence featuring the delectable home-cooked menudo prepared by Fil's mom, halo-halo at Chowking and the mini-siopaos we munched on while driving around the city. I swear, I had to buy a new swimsuit at SM after i found out that i could no longer fit in the one i bought a week before the trip! eeeeeeeekkkkkkk! hahaha...

And so...after we're done with family duties, Fil and i checked out of the hotel and escaped to the beautiful island garden of Samal. YES!!!

Samal island is just a 45-minute boat ride south of Davao City, part of an archipelago of islets that offer a getaway from city life and some adventure activities. The island offers fabulous sunrises and sunsets and a fascinating topography of rolling hills, white sandy beaches and dozens of caves. Its coastline has the usual coconut palms, mangrove swamps and coral reefs, together with some little fishing villages, washed by clear, clean water. Hmmm...i'm beginning to sound like a TV travel ad here..mabuhay!:-)

Anyway, we stayed at Pearl Farm Beach Resort that lies in a secluded cove - a property that was once a pearl farm where thousands of white-lipped oysters, transported from the Sulu Sea, were cultivated for their pink, white and gold pearls. Today, the resort is a marine sanctuary and a perfect place to relax.

We availed the resort's dream holiday package for a worry-free stay so the only thing that stressed me was my public appearance in a swimsuit hihihi. During the 3 days that we were there, Fil and I explored the resort, climbed to the hilltop rooms, checked out the game room, fed the fishes, shopped at the 'butik' (as in boutique), played chess while downing a bottle of sanmig light at the parola bar and had romantic dinners at the pool side while being serenaded by a young singing trio, first night, and a strings triplet the 2nd night. We first stayed at the Mandaya house located at the farthest end of the property and transferred to the Samal house the next day. These samal houses are nice 'coz they are patterned after the stilt houses of seafaring Samal tribes of the Sulu archipelago. During high tide, you can almost touch the waters with your feet and you can really jump from your room and swim your way to the parola bar.

We also treated ourselves to an aromatherapeutic massage offered by the resort's Ylang-Ylang spa. Ha!ha!ha! I remember the masseuse was offering us to try the "is-wis" massage and when Fil and I couldn't make sense of what she was saying, she pointed to the brochure that says "east-west" massage! Oh well, bisaya gyud...no problem, bisaya man pud mi uy! :-)

The resort also maintains 7 private villas at malipano island, just across samal, and a boat travels to it every 10 minutes so we went there and swam in its private beach. The place was so quiet and very private...ideal for honeymooners or celebrities who want to enjoy anonymity.

The secret to our enjoyable stay at the resort? Chad, the waiter! He was really, really nice. While other waiters paid attention to foreign tourists, Chad was there to attend to our needs - he took our pictures while we're being serenaded, suggested some must-try dishes and made sure we got the sweetest mangoes for dessert! Thanks to you Chad...wait 'til i get my own resort and i'll hire you as head waiter!

All in all we had a blast at Pearl Farm. One kodak moment? It was raining heavily on our second day but instead of staying inside and wishing for the rain to go away, Fil and i went out to play. We walked (holding hands... uuuyyy!) from the samal house to the beach infront of the mandaya houses and attacked the waters: upper half of our body being showered by cold rain, lower half soaked in warm sea water. Grabe...feels so great to be alive and inlove. How about that? :-)

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Enchanting Sagada

June 2-4, 2006. Sagada, one of my dream local destinations...a mystery I've long dreamed to unravel. I finally went there in June with Fil and have I gone there with a female friend or in a group with strangers, I may not have enjoyed the place as much as i did. This place is so romantic it's a sin to go there without your "palangga".

Sagada is a charming, peaceful and enchanting town in the Mountain Province. Life here is so simple but its natural beauty and the tranquility that prevails can heighten your senses, making even a simple coffee break an experience to remember.

The people are very friendly and warm too and the tour guides are surprisingly organized. All you have to do is register in the municipal hall (located right at the center of town, you won't miss it!), choose from the tour packages and the fixed rates and a tour guide will be assigned to you. It was a great adventure, we had a blast! In Sumaging cave, we climbed from rocks to rocks and walked/jumped through small bodies of water. We even had to slip through a number of cracks and a waist-high crevice - feet first - and walk along rocks beside deep ravines. Caving is so much fun, kakaibang level, and I want to do it again! It even made me forget about my claustrophobia!

After we have conquered the cave, we passed the hanging coffins held by the rock walls and went to see the Lumiang burial cave where wood coffins were laid inside the chamber on top of each other, even filling-in the small spaces that lead to the cave's mouth. Our guide explained that the coffins were small because the dead were laid in fetal position, believing that they will reincarnate.

Dining in Sagada was another great experience! Tired from all the climb and descent, we had lunch at Masfere's restaurant. Masfere is a spanish photographer who lived in Sagada during the 1900s and took photos of the town and its people. Thus, the restaurant does not only offer great food but showcases these photos which are not only posted on walls but printed on bags and shirts as well and sold to tourists. We also ate at St. Joe's cafe more than a couple of times because they offer food that satisfied both mine and Fil's contradicting tastes plus they serve great-smelling coffee that's perfect for the cool climate. Another must is dinner at the Log Cabin. We were lucky to get seats for a Saturday buffet dinner prepared by a "local" French chef and shared a table with Rey and Joyce who've been staying in Sagada for about a month already to learn Sagada pottery. Wow! Wish I have the luxury to do the same thing!

In the afternoon and the following morning before we left, we enjoyed leisurely walks with the view of the rice terraces, visited the episcopal church and bought souvenir stuff: must-haves are bags and wallets showcasing the intricacy of Sagada weaving.  

For those who want a more physically-challenging adventure, there are other interesting sites to see in Sagada - echo valley, small falls, big falls. You want privacy and hot shower? We stayed at St. Jo's and for P1,500/night, our cottage on top of a hill was really nice, clean and private and had a great view of the surrounding mountains. But for party rats looking for non-stop fun, this place is not for you. Sagada locals follow a 9pm curfew. No loud music allowed, aha! not for the noisy couples out there! hahaha... sssssshhhhhh!

We also went to Baguio and Banaue and these places are worth a visit too. If I may suggest, better go to Banaue first to appreciate the same view of the rice terraces in your P1,000 peso bill, proceed to Sagada then celebrate and party in Baguio! What we did was a reverse (Baguio-Sagada-Banaue) and we were already tired and uninterested (or maybe we were just too smitten by the beauty of Sagada) that by the time we reached Banaue, we only stayed for a couple of hours and took the bus back to Manila. But hey, I love Banaue too! I went there last year (check out my posts on the 8th wonder of the world, the amphitheatre batad rice terraces & the tappiyah waterfall).

So if you are planning to break away from your sedentary life - away from the urban jungle, far from the noise, traffic and confusion of the polluted city - pack your things and go to Sagada. Let me warn you though that it takes at least 12 -13 hours to get there from Manila (by land) but it is worth it. By the way, did i tell you about the landslides? We encountered a fresh one on our way to Banaue and that alone was an edge-of-your-seat-praying-and-fearing-death bus ride adventure! :-)

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