To Tagaytay City, after a long time
Post New Year, the whole family motored down to Tagaytay City. Excitement was in the air because the kids and I haven’t been here for a long time and it was also the hubby’s first time to see the place.
Due to the notorious traffic along the South Expressway, I’ve mercilessly given up going to Tagaytay through the years in favor of other itineraries in the North. But I guess absence does make the heart grow fonder….
On the way there, we first make a lunch stop at Kanin Club in Paseo de Sta. Rosa. As expected of this in-demand resto, we had to wait for a few minutes to get a table and a longer time for our food. Even though a part of me wanted to try their crispy dinuguan again, I was craving for the paksiw na bangus but it fell short of expectations. The sauce of the paksiw had the consistency of soup 
Arriving in our destination, we checked in at Hotel Dominique which was quite near the rotonda. We chose this hotel because we were able to get a good rate here: P4,500 or approximately $100 for a two bedroom, two bathroom casita with attic (and own parking space.) The Spanish-inspired hotel looked small from the highway, but it was spacious inside. It even had a swimming pool.
Coron Gateway Hotel
As I said, even on a lean month like September, lodgings in a tourist town like Coron were fully-booked, especially popular ones like the Village Lodge and the overrated Sea Dive. So we ended up in the most expensive place, the Coron Gateway Hotel which was on its soft opening at that time. This was located in a nondescript building that looked more like an office than anything. The room cost us P3,500 a night, but we were certainly satisfied when we saw it.
I liked its interiors, and an LCD TV wasn’t something I expected to find in a provincial hotel. We also had a balcony that looked out into the sea, a big bathtub, a shower and a marble-tiled bathroom. Because of its features, I’d happily recommend Coron Gateway to couples scouting for their Coron honeymoon. It’s better than being marooned in a resort like Club Paradise, especially as there are many activities you can do in Coron itself.
Coron, Palawan travel tips and mini guide
Truth to tell, Coron in Palawan was the most memorable place I visited this year, especially if you count the uber-turbulent flight we had there on bad weather. I also couldn’t forget this place since this is where we made Baby Z, tee hee. I guess it was the powerful combination of nature and nurture that did us in
Coron foremostly entices you with its lush beauty. One major activity here is island-hopping where you can enjoy the sea, the mountains and the islands in their full splendor. Must-visits are the some of the town’s famous nature spots:Siete Pecados, the Twin Lagoon, Cayangan Lake, Barracuda lake and Maquinit Hot Springs.
For a fee of P1,300 or so, a boatman and his team will take you to the islands for a day on an outrigger boat. Be prepared to shell out extra because entering each island will set you back another P100-200 which they charge to tourists as “environmental fees.” Before setting off to the sea, you can also choose to have the boatman buy fresh fish and produce in the wet market, and they will grill it for you when you have your lunch stopover (we ate in Banol Beach, a small stretch of a beach maintained by the Tagbanuas, a native tribe.)
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Canoe Beach Resort & Punta de Uian in Zambales
A stay in any of the beach resorts in Pundaquit (also spelled Pundakit), San Antonio, Zambales is a must if you’re going island-hopping around Capones, Camara and Anawangin, Cove. The number of resorts in the area has really grown and expect a few being built to reach completion as the area becomes a must-visit beach destination. In the days of the US bases, San Antonio was the site of the US military’s San Miguel Naval Communication Station, and even Anawangin was just their practice grounds then.
Our tour guide billetted us at the Canoe Beach Resort. I have no complaints about this place since it was simple and no frills – just the way we liked it. The centerpiece of Canoe is its huge pool, and of course the beachfront. There’s also a large barbecue pit for the use of the guests and it’s good since this means you can cook your food for free! Otherwise, there’s a separate pavilion where the coffeeshop is located. I liked taking my meals here since it has the view of both the pool and the captivating San Antonio mountains.
Here’s one picture I took of the beach after sunset. I like scenes like this since it makes me admire the rustic beauty of this country:
Sidetrip to Anawangin: Capones Island
A trip to Anawangin wouldn’t be complete without dropping by the adjoining islands, namely Capones and Camara. We were supposed to go to Camara first, but the waves proved too strong for our banca (outrigger boat) to dock and so we hopped over to Capones instead. It’s a good 20 to 30-minute ride away from our hotel in Barangay Pundaquit, depending on the weather. Along the way, you will not get bored and just admire the scenery because the sight of the vast blue sea and majestic mountains are simply breathtaking.
Finally, we arrive in Capones island which is made remarkable by huge boulders of rock. I admire the formations here because it looks like a sculptural work of art. Because the harsh noonday sun was beating down on us, hubby and I take refuge in a rocky shade and even enjoy a power nap. Waking up at an unholy hour that morning made us tired, and taking a rest here meant we were ready to embrace the cradle of Mother Nature.
Finally, Anawangin Cove….
It’s quite a shame that some of my friends have been to the gem of a beach called Anawangin Cove ahead of me. Having been here with the hubby over the weekend, I can only be thankful that I didn’t pass up the chance to go here. (Waste no time, if you must. My friend J predicts that in two years, Anawangin will no longer be the off-the-beaten track destination that it is now. The tourists will come in droves, and then it will be another Boracay or Puerto Galera. Hope not.)
One big attraction of Anawangin is that it is so cheap and easy to go here, being only three hours or so from Manila via the spanking new stretch of a super-highway called SCTEX. If you choose not to camp out, accommodations will only set you off by an average of a thousand pesos per night and a boat trip around the islands is only P1,500 or so.
On the way to Anawangin, the Zambales mountain ranges were, in themselves, a revelation: they were simply magnificent and breathtaking.
The landscape was dotted by unique rock formations and deep blue waters which have made this part of town a popular spot for surfing and diving.
This Cebu Pacific Wandering Juan went to …… Coron, Palawan
Our trip to Coron, Palawan last September would prove to be one of the most memorable ever, especially for this blogger who is Little Miss Afraid of Plane Rides I really should know better than ride a propeller plane on bad weather, but there was simply the inescapable lure of Coron beckoning me and the hubby on our planned second honeymoon.
Our plane wasn’t even half-full when we left NAIA Terminal 2 that morning. I felt comforted by a group of giggling college students who were having the time of their lives taking group pictures before the flight. Like us, they were excited because this was their first trip to Coron too. I would see the same college students holding the motion discomfort bags 30 minutes later, when it became evident that the plane ride was far from being pleasant.
On the other hand, Mr. Z – who’s used to riding helicopters- considered it normal, even though at one point he commented: “I don’t know why they’re flying into the clouds, when they should be over the clouds.”
I distract myself by talking to the stewardess:
Me: Miss, have you been in a flight this,ehrmm, turbulent?
FA: Yes ma’am.
Me: Oh well, what flight was it?
FA: In an Airbus.
Me: Oh. So why hasn’t the pilot spoken since the flight started?
(and before Miss FA can answer me, the pilot is finally overheard on the PA system)
Pilot: Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching Busuanga Airport. Please expect light to moderate turbulence before we land…..
WAAAHHH!
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Images from Sentosa
I remember how excited I was to see Sentosa – Singapore’s island resort – on this trip, as I haven’t been there before. It was “masterplanned” like all of Singapore. Don’t know if it was because September was no peak season, but I found it too quiet in fact. Far from being the crowded nightmare that was the Hong Kong Disneyland. And certainly far from the “character” of our beach resorts with its barbecues on the beach and ladies selling pearl necklaces by the road.
The most “touristy” thing I did was visit the Underwater World but sadly, our Manila Ocean Park was better (and bigger!), if only because nothing rivals the view of the Manila Bay. Underwater World’s advantage was the moving travellator and the fact that along with the Sing$18 fee came a free ticket to watch a dolphin show in the Dolphin Lagoon. They also offered an interesting Dive with the Sharks package.
In Singapore: the ION Orchard basement Food Hall
It’s amazing to see how Singapore has changed in a year’s time since I went there. There’s a lot of activity in the landscape, as judged by construction cranes all over the place. Take for example the new mall, ION Orchard, which is beside the Wisma Atria and Takashimaya on Orchard Road. Mostly I went here because some friends of mine were talking about its food court, which is now shadowing the Food Republic in terms of its offerings.
Initial impression: awesome! In a place like Singapore, am quite content not to be eating in hotel and other fining dining places. Why not, when even their fastfood has chandeliers?
And supposing you get tummy ache after digesting all the food (the ION Orchard Food Hall has 80 or so stalls in their location) …. you’d be happy to take a break in their swanky-looking toilets.
Restos in Angeles City: VFW, C’ Italian Dining & 19 Copung Copung
Most recently, a foreign friend bent on staying for a time in the Philippines asked me for recommendations about places to go and the cost of living in the country. “Anywhere I should avoid? Like Angels City? I mean those places where sex tourist and ’sexpats’ gather. Don’t want to end up somewhere like Thailand’s Pattaya. ”
I presume Angeles City has such a rep among the males by virtue of word of mouth and what they read in the forums. I was here this week and the trusty pedicab I rode in drove through the city’s (in)famous bar strip in Fields Avenue where some joints were indeed open 24/7.
However, it’s an unfair accusation to just associate Angeles City with ‘ affordable girls’ and sleazy entertainment. I really like the food here…and I don’t mean the carnal kind 
The place was after all one of the sites of our forget-your-diet, ultimate food trip way back in ‘06.
This time around, I made sure to try the much-acclaimed C’ Italian Dining along Don Juico Avenue (also known as the Friendship Highway.) My first attempt to visit this resto during Christmas ‘07 was a failure because the place was closed. And my first impression now was that it looked like an enoteca due to the bar with all those bottles of wine that greeted guests upon entering. And of course those plates on the wall signed by satisfied guests.
Blogging since 2004 and recently married to Mr Z. I can't live without coffee....and brown sugar.
