Category: Other

Bantayan road trip

14/3/2018

A longer road trip this time

Inspired from our previous road trip to Sipalay we decided to go for an even longer one this time. So why not make it big and go roughly 600 km back and forth, like from Dumaguete to Bantayan island!

The need of travel light

When you are two persons on a regular scooter you need to travel light. There are many considerations you need to think about and one thing is not to bring too much clothes.

Someone really needed to rethink the amount of clothes to bring

Go with the flow

We hadn’t made any detailed plan for our route. Our motto was to be spontaneous and go with the flow. We took the ferry from Tampi over to Bato to Cebu island.

The ferry over to Bato on Cebu island went smoothly

We took our lunch here and witnessed a motorcycle accident. A reminder for us to take it easy. By the way no one was hurt except maybe for the self esteems.

Overnight in Malboal

Our first stretch was not that far. We arrived in Malboal when it started to be dark so we realized we had to stay there for the night. Some consultations among the booking sites and we ended up at the T Breeze Coastal Resort which was nicely located by the sea.

Life could be worse

Breakfast was not included in the price but at least the view was for free

Doing FaceTime with the daughter

Hit the road again

The T Breeze Coastal Resort was really a nice place but we were bound for Bantayan island after all, so we had to hit the road early the next day.

A friendly hotel dog accompanied us at certain moments (when we were eating) at T Breeze

Buko juice

Aside from dogs, buko juice is the man’s best friend when it comes to drinks. Refreshing and healthy at least if it’s fresh and comes without sugar. Strangely enough it’s sometimes hard to find fresh buko juice... despite there are so many coconut trees everywhere here.

Buko means young coconut in Filipino

I have this weird thought that one day someone will chop the hand off while preparing the Buko juice...

The buko stand had many satisfied customers

Gathering energy for the next stretch on the scooter

The last stretch to Bantayan island and our first lunch at the Bantayan Island Nature Park and Resort

Tuburan city

It took longer than expected to drive so we had to stay overnight at Tuburan city. Still around 80 km from where we would take the ferry over to Bantayan island. Tuburan hadn’t much to offer but we found a hotel and a 7/11. That’s all we needed!

Tuburan was a sleepy little town which hadn’t much to offer

We were lucky, we found the only hotel in town just in time. It offered a simple accommodation and a nice sunset from the balcony.

Breakfast was not included in our hotel stay but we had a 7/11 just nearby.

First time ever I had breakfast at a 7/11 and to be honest the sausages are warmly recommended

Tired of driving

The next day we started early after breakfast. This last stretch up to Hagnaya port went fairly smooth. But I started to feel tired of driving so I wanted us to reach the ferry as soon as possible.

Here we took a short break

Hey I just want a small ice cream... cege nahh...??

Finally at Hagnaya port where we took the ferry

Someone was seasick again

Finally Bantayan island in sight!

Pamilacan island Philippines

11/3/2018

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Something special

Since we had two friends from Sweden visiting us here in the Philippines we wanted to show them something special. So we decided to go to Pamilacan island.

A beautiful house with an astonishing view located inland on the island

And of course there were amazing sunsets here as well

Boat from Baclayon

At Baclayon we met with Mam Elvie who had arranged our stay at Enas cottages. The weather was good and the sea looked calm. Mam Elvie told us that it normally takes 45-60 min to go by the boat to Pamilacan.

Going from Baclayon to Pamilacan island

Someone was still seasick after the boat trip

Free coffee was included in the room rate

I wanted to extend

After an hour or so we reached Pamilacan. The sea was calm in the beginning but later on it became quite rough. Nevertheless we made it and as soon as I sat my foot on stable ground I realized I wanted to extend our stay to two nights instead of only one night. Hey, it’s not everyday you pay a visit to the paradise, right?

A visit in the paradise

Accomodation

The accomdation at Enas cottages was simple but nice. No AC, tv or hot water. But a fan, a mosquito net and a private toilet with a bucket of cold water were available. This accommodation is not for everyone but it was good enough for us. Three meals per day were included in the price.

Pancakes with coco jam for breakfast

Bonding with the guys

Snorkeling

The main activity here at Pamilacan is snorkeling aside for just unwinding and contemplateing about how good life is after all. You have at least two beaches where you can swim and snorkel freely. Then you have the Coral garden and the Marine sanctuary where you need a guide to accompany you. We did both the Coral garden and the Marine sanctuary. We were more lucky with the Coral garden since the weather was better and the sea was more clear.

Highlights

We also did dolphin watching in the morning. It was a long ride with the boat but the only thing we managed to see were the tails of a couple of dolphins. We were also supposed to see sea turtles just outside Enas cottages but we didn’t see any. My highlights were the spectacular sceneries of the island specially under the water and the quietness at night time.

The highlights of our trip to Pamilacan island

Facts

Boats are available from Baclayon on Bohol. Expect 60 min to go with the boat to Pamilacan. We paid 300 PHP per head one way. Inquire at the pier in Baclayon.
Accommodation was 850 PHP per head and night with three meals included at Enas cottages.
Snorkeling guides 250 PHP per hour. 150 PHP for renting snorkeling gears.

Another breathtaking sunset

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Snorkeling at Pamilacan island

10/3/2018

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One night became two nights

At first we were supposed to spend just one night here at Pamilacan but I immediately felt that I at least needed two nights to satisfy my cravings for the touch of paradise. Pamilacan island is the perfect getaway from the bustling city to ease down and just enjoy life to the fullest.

There are only simple accommodation here at Pamilacan... ;-)

Snorkeling

Obviously you can do snorkeling here. There are the Coral garden and the marine sanctuary where you need a guide to accompany you. We paid 250 PHP per head and hour for the guide. We went out in a small paddle boat and did the snorkeling from the boat. There are other beaches also where you can do the snorkeling for free and with easy access from the shore. If you are lucky you can see sea turtles here but we didn’t.

This our experiences from the snorkeling. The clips are mainly from the Coral garden.

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Alona Beach, Panglao

9/3/2018

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Alona Beach where everything happens

Alona beach together with Chocolate hills and the Tarsiers might be the most popular tourist attractions here in Bohol. If you come to Alona beach you can expect many restaurants, lively nightlife and many other tourists to bond with... and of course a white sand beach.

And hey, don’t forget to watch video at the bottom!

Kids playing in the sand

There are palm trees here also

You are always welcome at the Outback Grill

Which one would you like to have for dinner?

Sometimes it’s hard to find parking

If you don’t like to walk and if you don’t have your own motor bike you will probably end up in a tricycle.

An afternoon when we visited Alona Beach

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Outing with the girls

5/2/2018

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An afternoon at Sans Rival in Dumaguete

At a Sunday afternoon, what can be better than taking the girls for an outing. Bonding, having a nice time and relaxing... oups maybe someone will not agree about the last statement hehe. Well check out the short video clip at the end and you will see what I mean...

Outing with the girls, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

The beautiful ceiling in Sans Rival

Outing with the girls, The Little Cookie Monster, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

The cookie monster

Outing with the girls, Caffe Latte, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Cutie overload

Someone gets lot's of attention

The mothers helping hands are always there

Sometimes the attention can be too much for someone

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Baslay Hot Spring in Dauin

4/2/2018

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Baslay Hot Spring, Pools, Dauin, Negros, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

We came and they went. Btw this was the pool which was not suitable for bath.

The unknown pearl

This is one of the more unknown hot sulphur springs in the area around Dumaguete. The place is located remotely in the rainforest so expect no shops, changing rooms or comfort rooms here. The hot spring basically consists of five pools where one of the pools is not suitable for bathing due to no maintenance. So that leaves us four pools, where another one is by far too hot, more suitable for boiling egg. So what remains are three pools with hot, medium and a little bit cooler water. The water is not clear but I guess it depends on the minerals... hey this water is volcanic and comes directly out from the mountain after all! The area is quiet and peaceful and if you are resonable fit and are not dependent of shops and changing rooms this is the place for you!

In some places the water was so hot so you burned your feet when stepping in it!

The water was not clear but I guess it was due to the minerals from the mountain.

The pools from upper left clockwise: far too warm, medium warm, luke warm and warm.

The medium warm pool suited me perfect. The water had a small scent of sulphur.

Going down to the hot springs. Indeed we saw many people at the turnback, but they were there for cock fights not for the hot springs.

Going there

The sulphur Baslay hot springs are accessed along a bumpy road 10 km off the main highway, best accessed by motorcycle or habal-habal (motorcycle taxi). When you drive south from Dumaguete, pass Dauin proper and when you see the Blue Pearl Minimart you turn the next available road to the right. Then go the bumpy road 10 km until it ends in a turnback. From there follow a cemented path with steep stairs down to the river for about additional 10 min. Expect it to be steep and slippery at some points.

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Road trip to Sipalay

2/2/2018

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Travel to Sipalay, Negros, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Sipalay is famous for beach resorts with astonishing views and the mythical Sugar Beach.

Going by scooter to Sipalay

We decided to make a road trip on the scooter to Sipalay. The distance is roughly 180 km from Dumaguete to Sipalay one way. Either you can go along the coast which is a little bit longer and with more traffic or you can take the way through the mountains and Pamplona. We decided for traversing the mountains. The road was in very good condition, incredible beautiful and not much traffic.

Well equipped with shades, helmets and face masks we were ready to go.

We traversed the mountains and passed Pamplona.

The mirror is the girls best friend.

Sometimes we needed to ask for directions.

The video shows the first stretch going from Dumaguete to Bayawan. We ended up having a huge barbecue dinner at Maricel's place.

We stayed in Bayawan, coming halfway

On our way we were surprised by heavy rainfall so we decided to stay overnight in Bayawan. We arrived like drenched cats at the sleepy little C & L Top View Inn centrally located. It was a nice budget hotel with a simple filipino breakfast included.

Quick stop for a quick bite!

Yes I never eat ice cream... Huh?

The way to a woman's heart goes through her stomach...

Hey! Noo picture now... I haven't had my breakfast yet!!!

The video shows glimpses on our way to Sipalay and from the Jamont hotel. We also tried to get to the Sugar Beach but instead we ended up in the beach next to it.

Sipalay

We stayed at Jamont hotel downtown. It was near to the market and near to the beach. We had a nice spacious room and they served good coffee in the restaurant. Later we went out to look for the Sugar Beach that we heard so much about. The road going there was a little bit tricky so eventually we ended up at the beach next to the Sugar Beach. It turned out we had to take a boat the last bit to get there. But time was late and it was beginning to be dark so we skipped it, for this time.

We stayed at the very nice Jamont hotel.

You could buy all basic ingredients for Filipino cooking of this lady.

Sniffing on shrimp paste, smells bad but tastes good in cooking!

New Sipalay Government Center, the building was impressive but they had forgot to asphalt the road going there...

Sunsets are for free in Sipalay.

Small smiling faces

Someone is eager to have her dinner...

Our search for the Sugar Beach ended here...

Tinagong Dagat Island Resort and Perth Beach Resort

The next day we went on beach resorts safari. First we visited Tinagong Dagat Island Resort and then Perth Beach Resort. Both are located south of Sipalay, easy accessible if you have a scooter. Perth Beach Resort is famous for its pool with an incredible beautiful view overlooking the archipelago of islands. Both of these resort offer nice and simple accommodation to very reasonable rates.

The hanging bridge going to Tinagong Dagat Island Resort.

View from the observation deck at Tinagong Dagat Island Resort.

Nice views everywhere

We met the smiling beer man on the bridge.

The breathtaking view from the pool at Perth Beach Resort

The video shows our beach resorts safari with clips from the beautiful Tinagong Dagat Island Resort and from the pool of Perth Beach Resort with the totally astonishing view (!) overlooking the whole archipelago of islands.

Downtown Sipalay. The Sugar Beach is located north and the resorts we visited are located south of downtown.

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A day of exercise

25/1/2018

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With more than 30 degrees and a distance of totally roughly 8 km back and forth, where some stretches were pretty steep uphill, would probably be considered as a good exercise. Right? Yes, for sure! We went to Puncak Tanawan today. The purpose was to get some kilometers in our legs. A real bonus was that this place is incredible beautiful and quiet coz it's far from the bustling city of Dumaguete. I really enjoyed it here today. The technical details of hiking Puncak Tanawan is covered in an earlier post: Hike the Puncak Tanawan

Hey! Don't forget to check the video clip at the end!

Puncak Tanawan, Negros, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Someone was obviously really enjoying every step she took! Or hm was it in pain...?

On rare occasion I can smile for the photographer hehe

In one moment it's clear and in the next it's cloudy

Carabao, Puncak Tanawan, Negros, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

One of the big guys was roaming around here

We were lucky this day, we hadn't any rain

Combo Meal, Puncak Tanawan, Negros, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

At the summit there is a kiosk where we bought the Combo Special Meal. Just 120 PHP for two.

The view from here is breathtaking

A table for four

Heading back downhill was worse for our legs than going uphill. But we had the sun in the back so we could really enjoy the scenery.

A short compilation of our exercise up to Puncak Tanawan

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The fine art of eating an ice cream

22/1/2018

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A little girl's own way to enjoy an ice cream, that's happiness to see. But for the mom in charge I guess the feeling is somewhat double-edged. The happiness is mixed with trying to avoid a total mess which is of course often is inevitable! But for me as a photographer, I could just sit, relax and observe.

Hey! Don't forget to watch the short video clip at the end!

Eating an ice cream © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

Ube and vanilla ice cream... yummy!

Mom don't worry... I will not mess up

Ouch! Here we dropped the ice cream...

But the help is never far away

Mom is always there with a great patience... most of the time

Now we are back on track again

Baby wipes every parent's best friend

No baby wipes is necessary here!

It could have been worse

Done!

Heey... I want more! I want...

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Postcards from the Philippines

20/1/2018

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Fruit vendor, Bananas, Sibulan, Dumaguete, Philippines © Patrik Lord Travel Blog

You should buy the fruits from the vendors on the streets instead of the supermarkets. It's cheaper, more fresh and you exercise your negotiating skills.