Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Life begins where WIFI is weak
Published on
Cebu Taoist Temple, Prayer room, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The prayer room at the highest peak of the complex.

​Cebu Taoist Temple and a date with the dragon

Cebu Taoist Temple is located in Beverly Hills Subdivision of Cebu City, Philippines. The temple is built by Cebu's substantial Chinese community in 1972.
Cebu Taoist Temple, Dragon, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

One of the many dragons which are protecting the area

Pray and make a wish

The Taoist temple is open to the worshipers and non-worshipers alike. A ritual among devotees is where one prays to the gods to grant one's wish. The ritual includes washing of hands, going inside the chapel barefoot and dropping two blocks of wood. If the blocks of wood are both face up then one could make a wish. If not then it is not yet the time for one's wish to be granted and one has to come to the temple some other time.
Cebu Taoist Temple, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The entrance to the temple is a replica of the Great Wall of China. ( This is not the entrance though )

Cebu Taoist Temple, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The temple includes a chapel, a library, a souvenir shop and a wishing well.

Amazing view from here

Cebu Taoist Temple, View, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

On a clear day you can spot the islands of Mactan and Bohol from here.

Unwind for a while

The Taoist temple is easy accessible from downtown Cebu. We took a taxi from Ayala center and paid around 150 PHP. The view from here is amazing and the surroundings are relaxing for a busy mind. To come here was like to unwind from the hectic and busy city life down town Cebu. I really liked the place for its quietness and beautiful view!
Cebu Taoist Temple, The stairs, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

There are 81 steps in the stair... (representing the 81 chapters of Taoism scriptures)

Cebu Taoist Temple, View, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

My friends were enjoying the visit to the Taoist temple

Cebu Taoist Temple, Fisherman in the pond, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

A friendly fisherman. You were not allowed to throw coins in this pond.

Cebu Taoist Temple, Selfie taking, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Any place is good for taking a selfie!

Cebu Taoist Temple, View, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The wishing well

Cebu Taoist Temple, View, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The view is spectacular

The dragons

Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology. Chinese dragons have many animal-like forms such as turtles and fish, but are most commonly depicted as snake-like with four legs. They traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, typhoons, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for people who are worthy of it in East Asian culture.
Cebu Taoist Temple, View and two dragons, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Chinese dragons stand on the temple’s roofs like protectors and sentinels of the site

Cebu Taoist Temple, View, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The dragon is a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for people

Reminders

Even if you don’t share their faith, you must always keep in mind that it’s a sacred site for Taoist worshipers and is a place originally intended for meditation and prayer.
  • Don’t wear sleeveless or shorts if you wish to enter it’s altar
  • Don’t snap photos inside the prayers and temples (you can allowed to take photographs of every other part of the temple complex)
  • Stay in the temple for just 30 minutes to an hour
  • Observe silence
Cebu Taoist Temple, View, Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Going back to downtown

When time to go back downtown again there are numerous options, taxi, habal habal or jeepney. But we chose to walk. Actually it's not far from Ayala center only about 30-40 min of easy walking. And... yes it's no problem, it's perfectly safe to walk here at least in day time. 
A short video clip of our walk back downtown. My friend was also in a desperate need of a cigarette!
Published on
SumoSam Restaurant, Ayala Center Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

SumoSam in Ayala center, Cebu city

SumoSam Crafted The Japanese Way

I don't know about that... but at least that's their slogan. I was there and unfortunately not impressed. But more about the negative later. They serve a wide variety of Japanese dishes with beef, chicken, salmon and other seafoods. I tried the Seafood Teppan Platter. A little bit pricy but it looked good. Two kinds of fish, squids, large shrimps, oysters and scallops.
SumoSam Restaurant, Interior, Ayala Center Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The interior was nice

But I had to wait

I was looking forward to my meal. But after 20 min waiting I remember I was thinking, hmm (!) but maybe it's good it takes a bit time to to prepare the food after all. After 30 min the waitress obviously noticed that I was beginning to look impatient because she told me that I just had to wait a few minutes more. Well she was observant at least and I was thinking: The one who is waiting for something good is never waiting too long. We have that nice saying in Sweden to comfort yourself when you are waiting too long for something.
SumoSam Restaurant, The menu, Ayala Center Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

There were many tempting dishes on the menu

SumoSam Restaurant, The menu, Ayala Center Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

I ordered the Seafood Teppan Platter

Warm and cold

Finally I got my food and it looked good actually. It had also probably been good if the different pieces on the plate had been equally hot. The temperature ranged from "fresh from the grill warm", lukewarm to cold. The fish was "fresh from the grill warm" and the oysters were cold. The oysters had also a little bit strange fishy taste, so no thanks!
SumoSam Restaurant, Seafood Teppan Platter, Ayala Center Cebu City, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Seafood Teppan Platter

Conclusion: too long waiting time and too much rumble

Waiting time
The food had probably been perfect if everything had been "fresh from the grill warm". But it wasn't. When I pointed out for the waiter about the cold oysters, he actually offered me new fresh from the grill. But at that point I wasn't in the mood to wait for another unspecified time again for the oysters to be grilled.
Rumble
The ambience in the restaurant was nice aside from one thing. One of the AC:s there, obviously needed some kind of service because it was by far too noisy! There was a constant loud rumble in the whole place which made it very tiring to be there. I felt sorry for the staff who had to work in that environment but hopefully the management would fix that soon.
Rating:
​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
3 Food 
4 Service
3 Value
2 Atmosphere
SumoSam
G/F The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu, Philippines
Phone: +63 32 401 0643

And finally a link that might interest you:

Published on
Picture

Some friends were here today

Lively neighborhoods of Cebu

Today I had a visit of some friends here in Cebu city. After we been to the Taoist temple we went for a 2,5 km walk through some lively neighborhoods of Cebu. And yes Thomas was craving for cigarettes!
Published on

A walk in the park

Autumn in Sweden is from September to October/November. It's generally windy and rainy, to put it simple it's the sign of the upcoming cold winter. But it's also the season of colors, when all the leafs turns to yellow, orange and red before they eventually fall off the treas. So what can be better than a walk in the park this beautiful autumn day?
Stockholm, Sweden, Autumn, leaf © www.travelblogonline.com

This leaf is already brown, soon it will fall and will be released into the soil, where it can be taken up again by plants to foster new growth. The eternal lifecycle...

Stockholm, Sweden, Autumn, leafs © www.travelblogonline.com

These leafs shines like fire in the sunshine

Stockholm, Sweden, Autumn, promenad © www.travelblogonline.com

This day was a nice day, the sun was shining and the temperature was around 18 degrees. So it was perfect for a walk in the park!

Stockholm, Sweden, Autumn, Sunflower © www.travelblogonline.com

This sunflower is still proudly standing

Stockholm, Sweden, Autumn, fence © www.travelblogonline.com

A nicely painted fence

Stockholm, Sweden, Autumn, Tanto koloni © www.travelblogonline.com

New meets old. Stockholm is a city in a constant change.

Stockholm, Sweden, Autumn, Tanto koloniområde © www.travelblogonline.com

The view here is from Tantolunden which is a large park by Årstaviken on the island of Södermalm.

Stockholm, Sweden, Autumn, bridges © www.travelblogonline.com

Old and new. 1929 vs 2005. The two bridges which connect Södermalm with the southern suburbs.

Last but not least... a link:

Published on

​Adventure for free, well at least almost for free!

Pungtod Island or now known as “Isola de Francesco” or Virgin Island, a seventeen thousand square meter privately owned island off the coast of Panglao. It's named after Francesco Forgione, widely known as Padre Pio. The island was conceived by the owners to serve the growing number of Padre Pio devotees in Bohol and promote devotion to the Italian Capuchin monk who is the first stigmatized priest in the history of the Church. The island is also known by the locals as the “Hidden oasis”. It's easy to come here. Just take the free yellow shuttle boat near the St. Agustin Catholic Church in Panglao.

Highlights: Sand reef, fresh sea urchins and comfort room!

One of the higlights is of course the long sand reef where you can take a swim or just enjoy the white sand and the beauty of nature. You should also challenge your taste buds with fresh sea urchins directly from the sea. Season with vinegar to taste. Then maybe it's time to visit the comfort room. Don't hesitate, it's clearly one of the nicest comfort rooms I ever been to here in the Philippines. So try it out! There are also kayaks you can borrow and explore the waters around the island. Or why not just grab a regular Filipino snack near the entrance and relax in the shadow, listen to the doves... there are for some reason many doves here. I guess they have found a quiet refuge here in this peaceful environment. And yes, everything is for free here... boat ride, sea urchins, kayaks and snacks but of course small donations are always welcomed.

Note! Click on images to see slideshow and captions!
Free shuttle boats to Virgin Island Virgin Island is also known as the "Hidden oasis" Francesco Forgione, widely known as Padre Pio The beautiful sand reef A challenge for your taste buds, sea urchins directly fresh from the sea Scrape the meat out Ready to enjoy Don't forget Philippines nicest comfort room! The mens room Filipino snacks available Kayaks which you can borrow A 60 sec video clip showing the beauty of Isola de Francesco. The fruit in the video is ​Pandanus fruit. Related links: Pamilacan island Philippines​ ​Snorkeling at Pamilacan island Alona Beach, Panglao​ Where to stay in Tagbilaran, Bohol​ Day trip to Isola de Francesco​ The Hills​ Where to eat in Tagbilaran? Find a house for rent in Panglao Review of the Food Court in Island City Mall (Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines) Bohol and Panglao Islands, Philippines Isola de Francesco or Virgin Island, Panglao, Philippines Review of Swiss Zurigo Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Bojol Grill Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of A's Chicken Nuggets & Grill Haus (Bohol, Philippines) The giant Arogo and the smallest primate, what do they have in common? Review of Panglao Island Nature Resort & Spa  (Panglao, Philippines) Review of Henann Resort Alona Beach (Panglao, Philippines) Review of Shang Palace Seafood Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Bo's Coffee (Bohol, Philippines) Review of The Buzzz Café (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Golden Cowrie (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Staylite Park Bed and Breakfast (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Arabelle Suites (Bohol, Philippines)
Published on

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park

I had my two Swedish friends visiting me here in the Philippines, so I wanted to show them how beautiful the nature can be in Negros Oriental. I decided to take them to Balinsasayao Twin Lakes not far from Dumaguete. We had our own transportation so the ride from Dumaguete went smooth as silk. Every time when I drive up that mountain slope of Mt Talinis I get stunned how beautiful it is.
Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

My two friends from Sweden were also impressed of the views on our way up the mountain

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, Visitors center, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Before we arrived at Balinsasayao Twin Lakes we needed to register and pay at the visitors center. After registration we needed to drive for additional 5-10 minutes to reach the actual park.

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, Landslide, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Sometimes when going up in the mountains you can see the effects of landslides

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, Habal Habal, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

If you don't have your own transportation you can ride a habal habal, a motorcycle taxi. Room for 4 passengers and a driver!

Behind the visitors center...

Behind the visitors centers we took some stunning pictures. There is this lake which I don't know the name of which is really beautiful. The surface of the lake was like a mirror. After registration and paying the entrance fee we saddle up again and drove for another 10 minutes before we came to Lake Balinsasayao. 
Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

A small fishing boat

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Fishing net

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Picture picture time!

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The lake was like a mirror

Walk or rent a boat

When we arrived at the Lake Balinsasayao I presented the two main options for my friends. Walk or rent a boat. We wanted to go to the watch tower between the two lakes so either we could walk the trail along the shore or rent a boat. But since we all needed a little bit exercise they decided that we would walk the trail. The trail itself is not long, only maybe around 600-700 m to the watch tower. 
Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

One of the twin lakes, the Lake Balinsasayao. Depth 90 m and around 850 m above the sea level. From here you can rent small boats for roaming around in the lake.

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, The trail, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

Off we went on the trail! Not advisable to walk here when it's wet, then it will be very slippery for sure!

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, The trail, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The winding trail made the distance felt longer than it actually was...

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

View over Lake Balinsasayao along the trail

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, Ants, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

The ants were marching smoothly up the tree

The watch tower

Our walk to the watch tower went well and took about 20-30 minutes. I was amazed by the fresh air and how quiet it was. We only met a few other visitors here. We stayed for a while and just enjoyed the scenery before we started going back. If you are the sporty type of person, I recommend the trail if not go for the boat.
Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

They were also admiring the view over Lake Balinsasayao, but they came by boat

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

This is the bigger lake of the two, Lake Balinsasayao

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, Lake Danao, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

This is the Lake Danao, the smaller lake.

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

This little guy was very curious on me and likewise I was curious on him

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, Two Fishermen, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines © travelblogonline.com

When we came back after our walk we saw these two guys fishing... I didn't see them catching anything though.

The video is a compilation of our walk back and forth the watch tower

Facts:

Description
Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park is a natural park  surrounding Lake Balinsasayao and Lake Danao in the province of Negros Oriental, 14.5 km west of Dumaguete. Lakes Balinsasayao and Danao are two small crater lakes separated by a narrow mountain ridge. They are located on the eastern slope of the Talinis mountain range which are volcanic in origin. Lake Balinsasayao has maximum depth of around 90 metres (300 ft). The smaller Lake Danao, on the other hand, has a maximum depth of around 58 metres (190 ft).
Entrance fee
The entrance fee to the park is P100 for foreigners and P50 for Filipinos.
A restaurant also
At the Lake Balinsasayao there is a restaurant that offers variety of dishes at an acceptable rate.

To get there:

Own transportation 
The far most convenient way is to have your own transportation. Beware of that the road going up the mountain is very steep at some points, means slippery when it's raining. It's possible to drive your own car all the way up there but motorcycle is preferable.
Public transportation  
With public transportation you can go by bus or jeepney to the Lalaan junction for Twin Lakes, 7.5 km from the Sibulan town or 13.5 km from Dumaguete. Around P10-15 per person. From the Lalaan junction take a habal habal up the mountain an additional 13 km until you reach the Twin Lakes. You find the drivers at the junction. Standard rate is P300 for a solo passenger and P400 for two back and forth. You will probably need to pay the entrance fee for the driver as well since after registration there is an additional distance to cover before reaching the lake. The driver will wait for you until you like to go back.
If you like to see other blogposts (including this one) related to Negros Oriental click the link above!
Published on

Breakfast before hiking

Before you go hiking you need to eat a real breakfast, right? So this morning Danica went out and bought the breakfast... I usually advised her not to buy so much food, but as usual it was more than we could finish. For just around P100 we got noodles, chicken livers, vegetables, some kind of pork meat, soup and of course the mandatory rice! 
Bohol, Breakfast, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Danica prepared the breakfast, means she went out and bought it.

Bohol, Breakfast, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Noodles, veggies, chicken liver, some pork meat, soup and all served together with rice of course

Corella, Bohol, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Now happy with a full stomach Danica was ready to go

​Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary

One of the starting points for the hike is the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary. We had decided to make a combo, first visit the Tarsier Sanctuary and then do the hike since the hiking trail starts just behind the sanctuary. As usual we were assigned a guide who took us along some narrow trails around the sanctuary. Despite the dense vegetation I was able to spot several of the shy tarsiers and I regretted deeply that I had been lazy and hadn't brought my big camera with me. Grrr... 
Corella, Bohol, Tarsier sanctuary, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

We were not allowed to talk loudly or use the flash on the camera

Corella, Bohol, Tarsier sanctuary, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Our guide showed us the way through the dense vegetation

Corella, Bohol, Tarsier sanctuary, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

The tarsier is very shy but we spotted several of them.

After tarsiers then hiking

Our main objective this day was the hiking. We easily found the beginning of the trail behind the actual sanctuary but after a couple hundred meters into the rainforest the trail wasn't that that clear to follow. We had been told it was easy to "just follow" but suddenly it didn't feel obvious. Danica was more concerned of the potential "monsters" hiding in the rainforest but I was afraid to get lost.
Corella, Bohol, Hiking, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Hmm just follow the trail...

Corella, Bohol, Hiking, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

We were relieved when we spotted the first signage but hmm... we were heading for viewing deck one and this was viewing deck two (!)

Corella, Bohol, Hiking, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

We decided to walk in the opposite direction of viewing deck two and 10 min later we finally discovered something on the ground...

Corella, Bohol, Hiking, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Yess we found the direction to viewing deck one! So yes... easy peasy just follow the signs!

Corella, Bohol, Hiking, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

The trail was slowly getting steeper and steeper...

Corella, Bohol, Hiking, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

When we approached the viewing deck the trail become even more steep

The rewarding view

Soaked in sweat with empty water bottles we finally came up to the viewing deck one. The view was breathtaking! We had almost a 360 degrees view over Bohol. It was worth all the blood sweat and tears to come here. A perfect spot to take photos from or having a romantic picnic or why not do both! Maybe even stay here overnight to experience the most awesome sunset and the sunrise... in that case I guess I have to convince Danica that there are no monsters hiding in the bushes beneath... 
Corella, Bohol, Hiking, Amazing view, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Ohh the view was really rewarding!

Corella, Bohol, Hiking, Amazing view, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Snack time! But we had ran out of water so be sure to bring some extra bottles of water

Corella, Bohol, Hiking, Amazing view, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

The mandatory picture picture time!

Corella, Bohol, Hiking, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Finally before it got dark it was time to go back!

Facts:

How to get to Corella

It's about 13 km going to Corella from Tagbilaran City.
Via public transport: From Sikatuna Jeepney Terminal, (This is right infront of Island City Mall) get into a jeepney bound to Sikatuna via Corella. This jeepney drops you off at Philippine Tarsier Foundation. Fare is P17.00. Tell the driver of the jeepney that you are headed to Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella. Upon arrival there is a huge signage and rough road, take it and walk for 300 meters to the research building. 
Going back, just take a jeepney headed to Tagbilaran. And yes it is safe to hitch hike here. Fare is P15.00 for jeepney.
If you have your own motorcycle it's very easy to go there, just follow Google maps. 

Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary and the Sikatuna Tree Park

You can start your hike either at the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary or at the Sikatuna Tree Park. There are two viewing decks to visit and the hiking trail connects the Tarsier Sanctuary with the Tree Park. Just follow the signs. Viewing deck one is closer to the Tree Park and the viewing deck two is more close the the Tarsier Sanctuary. Hiking from the Tarsier Sanctuary, visiting both viewing decks and end up at the Tree Park should take around 2-4 hours depending on your fitness level.

Comfortable shoes and water

Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, it can be very slippery. Bring lot's of water. Plan ahead so you will be out from the rainforest before it gets dark, unless you intend to spend the night there. When it's dark it will be very hard to negotiate the trail.

​Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary is worth a visit

If you begin your hike at the Tarsier Sanctuary you should take the opportunity to visit the sanctuary itself. The entrance fee to the sanctuary is P60. If you just go for the hike, it's free of charge whether you start from the Tarsier Sanctuary or the Tree Park.

Click this link to see other posts about Bohol:

Published on

A real Filipino breakfast is never wrong!

What can be better than salty bangus (fish) fried to crispy perfection, scrambled eggs, rice together with spicy sawsawan sauce? Did I hear crispy bacon and eggs?? Well, I guess ​nothing excludes the other, right?
Bangus breakfast, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Salty bangus (fish) fried to crispy perfection, scrambled eggs, rice together with spicy sawsawan sauce

Why are mangroves so important?

Fully loaded with protein, good healthy omega 3 fats, carbohydrates and caffeine we headed for Oboob Mangrove Garden. Maybe you have heard that mangroves are important...? So why are mangrove habitats so important? Basically ​Shoreline protection. Mangroves protect shorelines from damaging storm and hurricane winds, waves, and floods. Mangroves also help prevent erosion by stabilizing sediments with their tangled root systems. They maintain water quality and clarity, filtering pollutants and trapping sediments originating from land.
Oboob Mangrove Garden, The Entrance, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Welcome to the Oboob Mangrove Eco Park

Oboob Mangrove Garden, Walkaway, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

The Eco park has a bamboo walkway through the mangroves which makes for a refreshing stroll with good photo opportunities

​​Oboob Mangrove Garden/Eco Park

It was easy peasy for us to go there with our beloved scooter. We paid the entrance and then attended a short lecture about the Eco park. In my opinion they are doing a great job preserving this sensitive habitat. We were assigned a guide who told us more about the Eco park and of course she even helped us to take some pictures according to Danica's directives.
Oboob Mangrove Garden, Lecture, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

We had a short briefing about the Eco park

Oboob Mangrove Garden, The Guide, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Our guide who showed us around and helped us with some picture picture!

Oboob Mangrove Garden, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Along the walkaways there were spots suitable for picnics, not visible on this pic though

Oboob Mangrove Garden, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

The Eco park is relatively big and this is the utermost tip towards the ocean

Oboob Mangrove Garden, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Dannica is pointing a finger... hmm

Oboob Mangrove Garden, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

A walkaway back to land

Park Entry Fees:

How to get there:

Adults – 50 pesos
Students and Children – 20 pesos
Kayaking – 150 pesos
Boating – 350 pesos
From Sta Fe: travel west on Bantayan Sta Fe road. After roughly 7 km turn left on Obo-ob Road. There are a couple of signs there that mention the eco park.
After additional 2 km ​The Mangrove Eco Park will be down on your right.

Tropical storm Basyang

This morning at breakfast it had been quite windy. So later when we came back to our resort we heard about the tropical storm Basyang. There were rumors that the ferry would be cancelled for going back to Cebu Island. So of course we became a little bit worried. It was not the first time we had been stranded on an island. We had already been away for two weeks and it was time to go back to Dumaguete.​ In the evening we clearly noticed that the wind gained strength. Me: What's the problem it's romantic to be stranded on an island, right? But Danica: I am longing for my daughter huhu...
Picture
Tropical storm Basyang, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

In the afternoon we really felt the weather was changing

Tropical storm Basyang, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Later on in the evening the wind increased in strength

Stranded

The typhoon luckily became degraded to a tropical storm but still with hard winds and lot's of rain. The result was that the ferry going back to Cebu island was cancelled. We decided to move from the somewhat remote Bantayan Nature Park and Resort in to the more central located Adelaida Pensionne. We were lucky, we got the last room! There were many other guests with the same strategy, staying near the ferry terminal and wait for the ferry to resume.
Adelaida Pensionne, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

In Bantayan Nature Park and Resort we had no tv... but here at Adelaida Pensionne we had so someone was very happy for that!

Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

After a few days the tropical storm faded in strength and the sea became calm again

The ferry was resumed

After a couple of days the ferry was resumed. That day we had a quick breakfast at the Boulangerie Francaise and off we went. We reached Cebu Island at lunch time and then we had roughly 300 km to travel from north to south to our second ferry over to Negros. We had our dinner break at McDonalds in Toledo. I was beginning to be stressed. Time was already 5 pm and in one hour it would be dark.
Boulangerie Francaise, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

It was like a meeting point at the Boulangerie Francaise for the french speaking guys on the island... I wanted to join but my french was too bad

The driving went awkward

Around Barili the the driving really went awkward. The tricky road crosses the mountains and the traffic was horrendous. Big trucks and buses speeding and overtaking each others and not to mention it was pitch black! We took a short break at a little sari sari store and I swept two Coca Colas to regain some energy. We still had roughly 60 km to Alegria where we had booked a room at Lucci Pension House for the night. Slowly I realized my mistake, 60 km is very far when driving in the Philippines specially when it's dark and you are drop dead tired. Lesson learned, be sure to plan ahead so you can avoid to drive long stretches in the dark.
Lucci Pension House, Cebu Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

After Barili we soon reached the coast again and the road got straighter with less traffic. Around 11 pm we arrived at Lucci Pension house where we spent the night.

Coffee with creamer, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

A quick coffee in the morning before saddling up on our scooter again.

Dulot Eatery, Cebu Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

We had our lunch break at Dulot, an eatery with true Filipino food. No fancy Jollibees or McDonald's in sight here... Hey we were still in the province after all!

Fish soup, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Nutritious and healthy fish soup, full of good Omega 3 fats!

Back to Dumaguete

From our lunch stop at Dulot we just had a couple of hours more to go before we came to the ferry over to Negros and back home. We had been away for roughly 2 weeks. We drove 600 km back and forth and maybe at least 200 km on Bantayan Island. 

Road trips are fantastic!

Making a road trip is really a fantastic way to experience the true Philippines. You see a lot and have full flexibility to go and stay wherever you want. But beware of that the traffic might be very different from what you are used to from back home. In my experience you need to adjust yourself to the Filipino way of driving otherwise it might be difficult. Always bear in mind that there are many accidents daily in the traffic so driving a scooter in the Philippines is certainly a high risk activity. Use your common sense and follow some basic guidelines and you will be less likely to get in serious trouble.

The guidelines:

1) Be sure you rent a scooter in good condition and with all paper works in order
2) Don't drink and drive and always wear helmet
3) Don't drive fast and furious, better to be safe than sorry
3) Avoid driving in the dark. You don't want to collide with a stray dog...
4) Plan ahead, out in the province it can be far between the nice places you want to stay at
5) Don't bring too much stuff, travel light and easy is part of the freedom! ​​

Related links

Published on
Dauin Marine Sanctuary, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

A day at the beach

Get the girls on the motor, don't forget the snorkel and the mask. Leave the bustling city and drive for 30 minutes. Once there, rent a table and buy some snacks and then enjoy the day. 

Below the surface

The beach might look a little bit dull with its brownish sand. But wait until you plunge in the sea fully equipped with a mask and snorkel.

Facts:

​Marine Sanctuary in Dauin, is about 15-30 minutes travel from Dumaguete City. For those taking the public transport, you can find jeepneys to Dauin at the bell tower in Dumaguete City or near the Robinson's Mall. Fare is PHP 13.00. Inform the driver you are getting off at the corner leading to the Marine Sanctuary. It’s a couple of blocks away or a good 4-5 minutes brisk walk. The entrance fee for the sanctuary is PHP 150 with a table included. Without table it will be less.
Published on

Madridejos, Bantayan Island

One beautiful morning we decided to explore the north side of the island. We were heading for the very north tip, the Kota Park in Madridejos. So off we went with our scooter. As usual I kept one eye on the road and the other eye on Google maps. There were basically two main roads going north so that shouldn't be complicated, right? But crazy as it sounds we ended up going south instead of north... oh my gosh! Anyway after a big roundabout I got the bearings right.
Madridejos, Kota Park, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Parking among the big guys

Old Kota Fort

Finally we reached our destination, the Kota Park. We found a parking spot just near the Old Kota Fort. Obviously there had been some kind of meeting among the big guys equipped leather vests, tattoos and bigger bikes than our cute little scooter! But they left at the same time we arrived.
​The Kota Fort is just adjacent to the parking. When we reached there and read the signage outside the Fort you could really feel that this was a historical ground. I could lively imagine the dramatic scenes which have been taken place here over the years.
Madridejos, Kota Park, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

The Old Kota Fort

Madridejos, Kota Fort, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

My thoughts went to those soldiers who were executed here during the Second World War...

Madridejos, Kota Park, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

The pier down the beach

The beach

Where there is a sea there is a beach or at least a shoreline. So we went down to the pier and walked along the beach. The water was really seductive, clean and clear. Farther down they were playing music as loud as they only can do in the Philippines. Though it was my kind of music I can only hope that the neighbors in the hood liked it too, otherwise it would be impossible for them to live there...

We made lot's of friends

As always in the Philippines the kids are very curious. They came and asked us where we came from, what we were doing there etc etc and Danica did her best to keep up with all their questions. We saw some kids playing in the water and they had such a nice model of a fishing boat.
Madridejos, Kota Park, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

We soon got company from the kids in the hood. They were curiously asking all sorts of questions about us.

Madridejos, Kota Park, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

At first the boys were shy but Danica made them feel comfortable for picture picture!

Madridejos, Kota Park, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Look at that beautiful model of a fishing boat!

Madridejos, Kota Park, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

As always Danica is popular among the guys!

The two fishermen

We also met two fishermen which just had come back from the sea. They had a really nice catch of big squids. If it hadn't been for our poor cooking facilities at our place I had bought one squid. Mmm... super fresh squid directly from the ocean cooked in it's own ink, so yummylicious! 
Madridejos, Kota Park, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Two fishermen just arrived from the sea with a fresh catch

Madridejos, Kota Park, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

Super fresh directly from the ocean

Madridejos, Kota Park, Bantayan Island, Philippines, © travelblogonline.com

A friendly hug is never wrong!

The buko stand

I use to say, buko juice is the travelers best friend, at least in the Philippines where it's available almost everywhere. With that being said, so just before we started our trip back to our hotel we refueled ourselves with fresh healthy buko juice (coconut juice). Danica was hungry as usual so she even scraped the coconut meat out from the shell and ate it.

Related links: