Cebu (Part I: Bantayan Island, Virgin Island)

Bantayan Island has been dubbed one of the best beach places you will see in the Philippines. It is also said that it can rival that of Boracay with the perks of having a non-existent commercial vibe to the island. I've been planning for years to visit this place but there was always something that hindered me from getting here. Case in point was the tragic typhoon that struck our country last 2013 which largely affected the Visayas region. As a result, we took it off our list and went elsewhere.

Headed to Cebu

Come by 2014, we again re-considered coming back. I already had an itinerary (for years) but the trip just never materialized. After a few inquiries here and there, we were assured that the island has recovered. Finally, we were set to visit one of the must-sees in my bucket-list! 

Ferry from Hagnaya to Santa Fe

Getting there: Take a flight via Cebu Pacific from Manila to Cebu. (Like 70% of the time, our flight was again delayed which added much to our frustration). Once you reach Mactan Airport, take a cab and head straight to the North Bus Terminal near SM. Get the bus headed to Hagnaya Port. It will take between 4-5 hours before you reach the port. Once you're at the docks, take a ferry headed to Santa Fe (in Bantayan Island). This will take another 45 minutes to an hour before you reach the island.

Bantayan Island

Once we reached the island, the staff from Anika Island Resort picked us up from the pier. They have been in contact with us even before we boarded our plane. Those simple gestures really made a big difference. Since we were here for the beach, we booked their Ocean View Room. Best view in the house!

Anika Island Resort

View from our room

Our first day was more of a relaxed day. It was late in the afternoon when we arrived so all we did was check the beach and chilled by the veranda at night. We hanged out by the veranda until it was time to rest.

Bantayan Island

We didn't catch the sunrise during our second day because the weather was quite gloomy. From morning until afternoon, the rain was pouring really hard. Since we were already at Bantayan Island, we tried our best to make the most of this trip. When the rain subsided a bit, we pushed through with our trip to Virgin Island. We brought our rain gear and a few bottles of beer to keep ourselves dry and warm.

Boat ride to Virgin Island

Contrary to its name, Virgin Island is privately owned. The island has an entrance fee and you have to pay if you want to use any of their amenities. Though we would've preferred the island to be more bare, it is quite well-maintained.

Virgin Island

Virgin Island

Virgin Island

It rained throughout the whole day (but the rain did stop for a few minutes) when we were at Virgin Island. Due to the mostly bad weather, we had the whole island to ourselves. After our island excursion, we were so tired that we didn't even make it to dinner time.

Bantayan Island

Bantayan Island

During our last day, the weather was better and we were lucky enough to catch the sunrise. I wasn't able to take a lot of photos since I took a video of the sunrise. The sunrise is absolutely more stunning in person.

Our island trip ended with an early checkout after breakfast as we still had one more night in Cebu City. The ride going back seemed to take longer and it was not as comfortable as getting to the island. And yes, it rained again when we reached Cebu City. I guess this was part of the whole experience. Hate it or love it!

Bantayan Island

Bantayan Island is what I exactly expected. I wish we could have stayed longer as we did not really wander around due to the bad weather. Maybe next time!

Head to Cebu (Part II: Cebu City, Henry Hotel)

- Just Another Wanderer

Bali, Indonesia (Part VII: Ossotel, Boron Blue Driver)

Ossotel

As mentioned in Part VI, our stay in Legian would not have been complete without Ossotel. Our stay here may have been shortlived but I'll try my best to feature as much about this place.

Ossotel

Located in the busy area of Legian, Ossotel is a fairly new establishment catered to the young crowd. Just like our stay in Brown Feather, this was an awesome find for us. We have read a lot of negative reviews about the Legian and Kuta area so we had to make sure that we stayed in a good place.

Ossotel

From the moment you step foot, the place has a very hip but cozy feel to it. This can be seen all throughout the establishment

Deluxe Pool Room

Ossotel

Apart from their suites, all rooms are streamlined with the only difference that the rooms located in the first floor provide direct access to their pool. Since it was already our last day, we decided to get this room type. Access is literally a few steps away.

Beach access

Beach access

If you want to hit the beach, they have a direct access at the back. You have to walk through a small alley for around 5-10 minutes before reaching Legian beach.

Ossotel's Romeos Restaurant & Bar

Since we had to leave before sunrise the next morning, their staff was nice enough to pack our inclusive breakfast. They even called us during our wake-up time. These small touches really made us want to stay longer at this place.

Our car during the trip

Before I forget, I would also like to give a shout out to our driver Boron who made our Bali trip awesome! He made our trip very convenient and would often go out of his way. The small chit chats were also a big bonus as we learned more about Indonesia and Bali from a local standpoint. Again, thank you and we hope to see you again in the future!

For those who would like to contact Boron, just search Boron Blue Driver on Facebook.

- Just Another Wanderer

Bali, Indonesia (Part V: Potato Head, Ku De Ta, Pandawa Beach)

Entrance to Potato Head Beach Club

Day 3 means a more relaxing day for us after two days of temple touring. Our first stop was Potato Head Beach Club. Contrary to what I thought it would be like, this place has a laid back vibe to it. People were casually lounging around pool beds. We were hoping to stay around that area but it was full when we arrived.

Potato Head Beach Club

Potato Head Beach Club

Right at the back of Potato Head is Seminyak Beach. It is a long sandy beach connecting Legian, Seminyak and Kuta. Unlike other beach lines, you can only see a few resorts along the front. There were only a few tourists along the beach. The sand is more on the darkish-grey color and the water is bluish-green. 

Seminyak Beach

Seminyak Beach

Afterwards, we decided to go to a beach that our driver, Boron, has been mentioning about - Pandawa Beach. We headed to the southeastern-most part of the island to reach our next destination.

Passed by this road to Pandawa Beach

Before you reach the beach, you will pass by a road that cuts straight through the mountain. I am not certain but this seems like a quarry before the beach was discovered. Looks like it!

Pandawa Beach

We stayed at the far end of the beach as there are less people here. The place is not yet that well-known to tourists as majority of the visitors are locals.

Pandawa Beach

Bintang by the beach

Pandawa Beach

The sand is soft and almost-white in color. Water is clearer compared to the one in Seminyak Beach. We keep seeing signs not to swim though. The beach gets rocky along the shore during low tide.

The signs that says swimming is not allowed

Because this was more of a chill day for us. We decided to head back to Brown Feather after our beach excursion. For dinner, we went to a nearby place called Crab Bar. As their name suggests, they specialize in crabs cooked the way you want.

To cap off our night, we headed to Ku De Ta. Bali has really been great to us so far!

Head to Part VI for our last day in Bali.

- Just Another Wanderer

Boracay: Fifth Time Around

It's my fifth time in Boracay when I visited last November 2014. I've been back almost every year since 2005. Whatever you heard about Boracay is true. Whether it be the good or the bad. Bottom line is, you have to visit the place yourself. I've been here during the summer months, rainy season and off-season. Each season means a whole different vibe to the island. I somewhat prefer the weather this time when we visited. It wasn't rainy at all and was sunny during day time but cool at night.   

Boracay Island

I won't be thoroughly reviewing the must-sees as there are numerous blogs about this already. Our trip was mainly composed of beach bumming in the afternoon and lounging with drinks at night. Here are the place we visited during our short weekend stay:

1) Dos Mestizos

(Address: Remedios street, Sitio Manggayad,, Boracay Island, Sunset Road, Malay, 5608 Aklan)

One of the places I'd like to recommend is Dos Mestizos - a Spanish restaurant located near La Carmella Boracay bordering Station 2 and 3. Food was great and I recommend that you order their Salpicao de Vaca and Ensalada de Pulpo. Don't forget to try their Paellas as well. They come in different portions depending on your group size.

Dos Mestizos is a must-visit

We were fortunate enough to catch their Rockaoke Night. Our group participated and jammed to the tunes of Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers and Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd. 

2) Real Coffee

(Address: Station 2 2/F Sea World, 5608 Boracay, Aklan, Philippines)

A must-try when you are in Boracay. Their calamansi muffins is a staple pasalubong among fellow local travelers. Don't forget to order at least a day before if you're planning to take some back home. Real Coffee has since moved (to the address above) and this was my first time to visit their new location. There's also another branch along Station 1.

3) Jonah's

(Address: Aklan Brgy. Balabag, Boracay Island, Malay)

Fruit shakes at Jonah's

You will easily locate this place heading towards Station 1 from D'Mall. Jonah's is another staple in Boracay who's best-known for their fresh fruit shakes. You can make your own fruit shake mix or order straight from their menu. Very affordable!

4) Aria

(Address: Beachfront, D' Mall, Station 2, Boracay Island, Boracay)

Aria

Situated just in front of D'Mall (and beside Epic), Aria is one place that you will not miss spotting in Boracay. The place gets packed each time I visit the island. They offer Italian cuisine much to the delight of everyone. They branched out a few years back in Metro Manila but has since closed. Aria is one of those good-eat places in Boracay but only in Boracay. Yep, you read that correct!

Boracay Island

Boracay Island

Our trip was cut-short as we had to return back from a long-weekend holiday. Other than the one's we went to, we were hoping to try the much raved Tilapia 'N Chips (a local version of Fish 'N Chips) but failed to do so.

I will definitely be back for the 6th time!

- Just Another Wanderer

Subic - Olongapo - Zambales (Part III: Anawangin Cove and Talisayin Cove)

It was officially January 01, 2015 at this point. What better way to spend the first day of the new year than to be spontaneous. After brunch, I invited my brother to try to reach Anawangin Cove. Prior to this trip, I have already researched a few details on how to get to this place. I also inquired with the hotel staff and they said that it's doable. It was raining hard in Subic at that time but the staff said that there might be less or no rain at all in nearby areas. It was oftentimes like that around the area.

Port town of San Antonio, Zambales

Due to our persistence and new year good vibes, we decided to push through with our trip. We took the same path exiting through the Kalaklan Gate heading north via the RH5 National Highway. With the simple help of Google Maps, we followed the route towards the port town of San Antonio. Before reaching the destined port town, you will pass by the towns of Castillejos and San Marcelino. It took us around 1 hour and 10 minutes to reach San Antonio. We were lucky that there was no traffic and the rain subsided as we headed further north.

Kuya Sonnyboy and Kuya Jong

From the port town, you will easily pass by several properties offering parking spaces. We were charged P50 to park our vehicle. On the same spot, there were several locals there that we approached and inquired about getting a boat ride to Anawangin. Because it was almost sun-down and we were very impromptu about our whole trip, we agreed to pay P1500 to get us to both Anawangin and Talisayin Cove and return us on the same day.

Rock formations

Several tourists returning back to San Antonio

To reach Anawangin, you will pass by several rock formations and Agnain Cove. It probably took us around 20-25 minutes to get to Anawangin Cove. As a reminder, you will experience dead spots to zero signal once you head out of the port town.

Anawangin Cove

Anawangin Cove

We only had the chance to stay in Anawangin for around 10-15 minutes as it was nearing sun-down. The weather was also gloomy so we had to take that into consideration as the waves might grow stronger. Since we didn't stay long, we only caught a glimpse of the forest trail in Anawangin. 

Anawangin Cove

Anawangin Cove

Anawangin Cove

Anawangin Cove

As it was nearing dark, we were still able to navigate through to reach Talisayin Cove. The boat ride took another 15 minutes from Anawangin.

Cloud formations on our way to Talisayin

Talisayin is a quitier version of Anawangin. One of our boat men owns several huts in Talisayin. He boasts that unlike Anawangin, tourists who stay in Talisayin have the privilege of a generator. In addition, there are less tourists around this area if you want more privacy.

Talisayin Cove

One of the huts in Talisayin

After our visit to Talisayin, we headed back to San Antonio. It was already nighttime when we navigated back (with only a flashlight in hand). Luckily, our boatmen knew what they were doing and getting back at night was not a problem. We arrived in Subic around 8 in the evening.

All I can say is, we will definitely be back for sure and will do an overnight camping in one of the coves. Whatever you've read or seen in other blogs are true. Anawangin and Talisayin (and the rest of the other coves) are a must-visit. Soft white-sand, clear waters, fresh air, secluded, no cellular signal, pine trees...paradise within reach...it's all true.

Our trip ended on a high note with this one!

- Just Another Wanderer