Bohol: Lovelier the 3rd time around (part 2)

Finally, I was able to bring a decent underwater camera on my 3rd snorkeling escapade in the island of Balicasag, Panglao, Bohol.

Luckily, the weather was fine and it wasn't too sunny.

 

Bohol: Lovelier the 3rd time around (part 1)

The 1st visit made me fall in love with the humble province of Bohol. The 2nd was like an Amazing Race since we missed our flight and had to pass by Cebu to get there. And the 3rd was for relaxation yet filled with adventure.

I'm sorry I broke your arm... err... claw

Dumaluan Beach Resort - Panglao, Bohol, Philippines

The idea of bringing home a wet swimsuit came in while having breakfast by the beach. I can't resist it... I need to take a dip and savour the white sand beach of Panglao 5 hours before my flight back to Manila.

The Nearly Extinct: Manila Zoo

Aged elephant, shy hippo, balding ostrich, lazy tigers, domesticated monkeys -- These are the few remaining animals left of Manila Zoo. For the past two decades, I have witnessed the drastic change of the place... pairs or herds of animals have mostly gone solo... worse, some of which are nowhere to be found... have gone extinct.

Missing Tagaytay

Casino Filipino - Tagaytay

It's been a while since the last time I've been to Tagaytay. Known as a quick getaway destination, Tagaytay has always been my second refuge. I miss:

Escape to Hidden Valley Springs

It was a hot Saturday afternoon and I didn't feel like going to the mall. Impulsively, I quickly called Hidden Valley Springs to make a reservation (as of 2 Nov 2011, its website doesn't seem to be working).

Though our house in Alaminos is just a few minutes away from Hidden Valley Springs, I was hoping there's an available room so I could fully enjoy the rest of the night and the following day in the stillness of the rain forest.

Backpacking in Bolinao

Last week has been very stressful and frustrating so my friend suggested to escape... go out of town. Our destination: Bolinao and Baguio.

It was a Friday afternoon when we finally decided to go backpacking with Bolinao and Baguio as our destinations in mind. With a little research, we have identified which bus lines offer daily trips to Bolinao and Baguio. As we are nearer to Pasay, we opted to go for Five Star which offers direct trips to Bolinao.

Blending with Bolinao

RATING: 3/5

LOCATION AND TRANSPORTATION:

About 276 kms from Manila, the town of  Bolinao in Pangasinan is reachable by land that would take about six hours of travel time.

Five Star and Victory Liner are common provincial bus lines that offer day and night trips to Bolinao. With Five Star, ordinary bus fare would cost around Php300 while Php400 for air-con. As a tourist, it is better to get to Bolinao with your own transportation so you can easily move around the town and tourist spots or perhaps, even go on a side-trip to the nearby provinces of  Subic, Clark, Tarlac, La Union and Baguio. There's not much traffic en route to Bolinao as you can take the SCTEX (Subic, Clark, Tarlac Expressway) route. As you pass by Alaminos, the road to Bolinao starts to ascend through a zigzag road which will give you a scenic view of the mountains.

Through My Lens: Paco Cemetery

I had to check-in Pacey (my Acer Aspire One notebook) at Acer's Service Center in Paco, Manila when I recalled a place worth visiting in the heart of Manila.

Other than the cemetery, Paco Cemetery (also known as Paco Park) also houses the Chapel of San Pancratius. To my surprise, it is a popular venue for weddings. In fact, there was an ongoing wedding when I got there. Luckily, the sun was just about to set. Just the right time for a photo shoot.

My Kodak Moments

The Areola Store & Canteen: City Proper - Bolinao, Pangasinan

penis-shaped coral: Patar White Beach - Bolinao, Pangasinan

Ladies & Delicacies Upstairs: Apropriana Souvenir Shop - Tagbilaran, Bohol