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Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Life begins where WIFI is weak

Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay

19/1/2019

6 Comments

 
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, Sunset, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
Yes, there are sunsets here at Punta Ballo Beach
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, Main entrance, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
The main entrance to Easy Diving Resort
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, Beachfront, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
Down at the beachfront

​Come as guest leave as friend

Come as guest leave as friend, is Easy Diving's motto. And yes, I think so. I made some friends here. Easy Diving and Beach Resort is beautifully located on Punta Ballo Beach around 15 minutes from downtown Sipalay. Expect to pay around 200-250 PHP to the tricycle driver. The Resort has 20 air-conditioned bungalows plus 2 bungalows with fan. 
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, Beachfront, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
It was very quiet here
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
The restaurant comes with sea breeze and ocean view

The bungalow was very fresh

Since I don't like air-condition I booked my bungalow with fan instead, actually there were two fans. Everything was very fresh and clean. The bungalow had a nice little porch with two chairs and a table where you could sit in the evenings and enjoy the quietness and practice stargazing. A so called free WiFi was included as a pocket WiFi. As far as I remember you had 3 GB of load for free. When you had consumed that you had to pay extra to get an additional 3 GB load. I was told this was only temporary until they had fixed a more permanent WiFi solution. I hope they did.
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, My room, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
I really like the idea of bedside tables with lamps
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, My room, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
The bungalow had no AC instead it had two fans which suited me much better!
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, My room, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
It was very clean everywhere
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, Say no to plastic, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
To fight the plastic pollution you could buy an aluminum bottle for 500 PHP with free refill of service water


Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
The restaurant where you could enjoy Easy Diving's delicious food. They also accept walk in guests.
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
In the evenings they had mosquito coils so I was spared from mosquito bites

The food heaven 

In the restaurant they served excellent food, both Filipino and European style. The tuna steaks became quickly my favourites. Not to mention the delicious pancake with fresh mango and ice cream which was really addictive! In the evenings the atmosphere was really cozy in the restaurant. I was just sitting there inhaling the sea breeze and watched the sunset and contemplated about how good life was.
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Tuna Steak, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
Oh my! I could die for this tuna steak with spicy wasabi sauce and garlic rice
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Tuna Steak, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
My second love, tuna steak with creamy yellow curry sauce...
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Pancake, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
My secret lover forever! Pancake filled with fresh mango served with ice cream and chocolate sauce
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Bicol Express, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
Bicol Express, a famous spicy dish from the region of eastern Philippines, Bicol
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Breakfast, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
As delicious as it looks, the crispy bangus (fish) with rice and egg. So so Philippines!
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Breakfast, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
After a night of stargazing you need a real breakfast, so what can be better than hash browns with bacon and egg??
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, The restaurant, Shrimps, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
A delicasy for the most demanding taste, spicy shrimps fried with chilli and garlic

Easy Diving has lots to offer

Easy Diving offers a lot, specially for those who are divers and I was told there are some really good diving spots just near. But even snorkelling was good if you swam enough out from the shore line. All the staff, from the owner to the room service were all very friendly and helpful. My highlights were the food, the quietness and beautiful location by the sea and not to mention my stargazing moments from my porch. 
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, Stairs, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
One of the many stairs at Easy Diving
Easy Diving and Beach Resort, Sipalay, Reception, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
The friendly hotel dog taking a nap in the reception

Video clip

The video shows a bit of what to expect from the stairs and the snorkeling near the beach.

Conclusions about Easy Diving Resort

I paid 2300 PHP per night for the bungalow with fan and breakfast included. That was competitive when I compared with other resorts in the same area at Punta Ballo Beach. The location of Easy Diving is more convenient than those resorts at the famous Sugar Beach which is only accessible by boat. But be aware of the stairs, if you can't or don't like to walk in stairs then Easy Diving might not be for you. There are many stairs to walk when moving around in the resort. Aside from that, the food, the friendliness of the staff, the cleanliness in the bungalow were excellent. 
Rating: 1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
5 Location
5 Sleep Quality
5 Rooms
5 Service
5 Value for the money
5 Cleanliness 
Easy Diving and Beach Resort
Punta Ballo
6113 Sipalay-City
Philippines
(0063) 91 730 003 81
6 Comments

Go Hotels Dumaguete, Philippines

16/1/2019

1 Comment

 

Go Hotels in Dumaguete, surprisingly good! 

I spent one night at Go Hotels in Dumaguete and it was surprisingly good. I usually have other options in Dumaguete but they were fully booked. I kind of hesitated when I arrived there coz at this time they were renovating the place so I was worried it might be very noisy. The receptionist promised me that it wouldn't be any problem with noise and it turned that she was right.
Go Hotels, Lobby area, Dumaguete, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
The lobby at Go Hotels
Go Hotels, Lobby area, Dumaguete, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
The lobby area was large and spacious


Convenient location

Go Hotels is nothing for the one who is looking for a beach resort near the sea with amazing sunsets and a white sand beaches. Aside from that Go Hotels has a very convenient location. It's 2 minutes walking distance from Robinson mall with shopping and restaurants. It's 5 minutes walking distance from the Ceres bus terminal. It's 10-15 minutes walking distance from downtown and the famous Rizal Bouleward (Or just the Boulevard) where you have everything you can wish for.
Go Hotels, Coffee shop, Dumaguete, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
The adjacent coffee shop

The room but no breakfast

The room came with a private shower and CR and it was nice and clean. The AC was quiet and easy adjustable. The TV was working with all the channels that you ever want. The bed was fresh and of good quality so I had a good night's sleep. I paid 1500 PHP for one night and the breakfast not included. 
Go Hotels, The room, Dumaguete, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
The room had a good, quiet, and easy adjustable air condition
Go Hotels, The room, Dumaguete, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
I love to have a window in my room!
Go Hotels, Breakfast, Dumaguete, Philippines © travelblogonline.com
Breakfast in the coffee shop. Nothing out of the ordinary, a traditional beef tapas with coffee stick and creamer. The breakfast was not included in the room price.

Conclusion

If you are not looking for a beach resort or that cozy little family owned hotel with personal service and home cooked food... well then Go Hotels can be an alternative. Competitive price, good location, nice and clean room make Go Hotels to an excellent choice to stay for a couple of days.
​Rating: 1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
5 Location
5 Sleep Quality
5 Rooms
4 Service
4 Value for the money
5 Cleanliness 
Go Hotels Dumaguete
Calindagan Rd, Dumaguete
6200 Negros Oriental
Philippines
Phone: +63 35 522 1100

Related posts to Negros >>>

1 Comment

Cebu Taoist Temple, Philippines

13/1/2019

1 Comment

 
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!

Related links to Cebu island >>>

1 Comment

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Copyright © Patrik Lord Travel Blog, All Rights Reserved
  • Travel Blog
  • About
    • Me
    • Professional Life
    • Sweden
  • Contact
  • Other Pics & Stories
    • Hiking >
      • Hiking Kebnekaise
      • Hiking 2006
    • Europe >
      • Nice, France
      • Visiting my roots in Paris
    • Philippines >
      • Mt Pinatubo
      • Video clips Above ground
    • Tanzania
    • Thailand >
      • Notes from Thailand 2006-2007
      • Bangkok
      • Hua Hin
      • Ko Phi Phi
      • Temples
      • Fishing in Udon
    • Food >
      • Food, one of life's necessities
      • My Recipes
    • Sweden Off Road Tour 1999