Food Trip in Cebu and Zamboanga

zamboanga-food-trip-antonio

Jana and I spent a few days in the Philippines a couple of weeks ago to be with family and to accomplish some tasks. After having been in Dubai for 4 years, there was a lot of catching up in terms of responsibilities and planning for the future. What was once a travel for travel (or travel … Read more

Zamboanga City Highlights: Things to Do, Places to Visit

zamboanga airport

I spent 9 days in Zamboanga City. I visited my girlfriend’s hometown and also toured the area in the process. I was a little worried in the beginning because I left on the day that Typhoon Pablo entered the Philippines. However, Zamboanga was one of the few destinations where scheduled flights still pushed through.

For the sake of having a new blog post, here are a few highlights about this trip. I’ll be writing more detailed accounts about these places soon.

Zamboanga City Highlights: Things to Do, Places to Visit
December 2-10, 2012

zamboanga airport
Zamboanga International Airport

Sta. Cruz Pink Island

I read about the Sta. Cruz Island (also known as Pink Island of Zamboanga) through Chyng’s blog post. The island is called such because of the crushed red corals that have sort of “mixed” with the white sand. We were also escorted by an armed soldier for security purposes.

Blog post here: Picnic at Sta. Cruz Island aka Pink Island

sta cruz pink island zambonga
Sta. Cruz Island aka Pink Island

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Cagayan de Oro Trip: Whitewater Rafting Adventure with a Family

first rafting adventure

I travelled to Cagayan de Oro because of an assignment and I spent my weekend there alone. The previous weekend, I went to Siargao by myself, too. I’m starting to embrace the notion of flying solo and it’s not really that much of a big deal for me anymore. I still prefer travelling with friends as I get to enjoy the company of other people. But this recent trip gave me another thought to ponder when travelling to different destinations as I spent this trip with another group of people; this time with a family.

White Water Rafting in Cagayan de Oro River
December 4, 2011

CDO Family rafting
CDO’s wild rafting adventure

Feeling restless that I didn’t have anything planned, I Googled ‘whitewater rafting Cagayan de Oro’ to finally experience one of the more popular activities in the City of Golden Friendship.

One of the websites that came up was that of 1st Rafting Adventure. I called them and made a reservation, hoping I could join a group that can accommodate one more head on their raft. It’s tough to get a good deal for packages when you’re alone. Luckily, I was given a go signal as there was an available slot with other companions the next day.

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1st Rafting Adventure Office

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Zamboanga Trip: Gorgeous Merloquet Falls

The day before I left Zamboanga, I was able to visit the gorgeous Merloquet Waterfalls in Barangay Sibulao. This was one of the main highlights during my trip to this side of Mindanao known as Asia’s Latin Cty.

Merloquet Waterfalls in Zamboanga
December 9, 2012

merloket falls
Merloquet Falls in Zamboanga

I initially thought there were only two of us going to Merloquet. Jana and I were planning to take a bus to the junction, and then hire a motorcycle (habal-habal) to the falls. Fortunately, Jana’s family also expressed interest. We hired a jeepney from the city to the destination instead.

The 2-hour trip to the junction was a scenic route of plantation fields and mountains. I also noticed that there were many Philippine National Police (PNP) checkpoints for security reasons.

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riding a jeepney

trek to merloquet falls
going down

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Zamboanga: Pasonanca, Fort Pilar, Paseo del Mar and City Hall

During my trip to Zamboanga City, I was able to visit the gorgeous Merloquet Waterfalls and spend the day at Pink Island. I also made sure to check out different food places to eat. Aside from these, here are other spots you can visit in Zamboanga City.

Zamboanga Trip: Pasonanca Tour, Fort Pilar, Paseo del Mar and City Hall

Pasonanca Tour

It was pretty hot in Zamboanga City and one way to cool off was to head to the upper area of the city. Going on a tour of Pasonanca is a good place to relax and walk. You can find the Pasonanca Park there. During my trip, Jana and I only dropped by the La Jardin de Maria Clara Lobregat which has different flower and butterfly species surrounding the garden. I wasn’t able to take pictures of the place because it was already night time.

pasonanca zamboanga
metal teepees in Boy Scout Grounds


Boy Scout Grounds in Pasonanca

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Zamboanga City Food Trip

I had nine days to spend in Zamboanga City. Aside from visiting tourist spots, I couldn’t wait to have a food trip adventure. I didn’t spend my money by going to different restaurants everyday, but I made sure to taste the specialties of Zamboanga.

Zamboanga City Food Trip
December 2-10, 2012

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Foodtrip in Zamboanga

The best way to travel in the city is by tricycle. These trikes don’t have a route so be ready to pay a minimum of 50 Php per ride, depending on the destination.

zamboanga city
best to travel by trike

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Zamboanga Trip: Picnic at Sta. Cruz Island aka Pink Island

Aside from the Merloquet Waterfalls adventure, I was also excited to visit the famous Pink Island of Zamboanga. Aside from wanting to spend a day on the beach, I was curious how “pink” the sand was.

Zamboanga Trip: Sta. Cruz also known as “Pink Island”
December 7, 2012

pink island
I was told that the corals before were bigger compared to these corals now.

Prior to the trip, we went to the Department of Tourism (DOT) to inquire about the day tour to the island. I’ve heard that tourists need security escorts to avoid unfortunate incidents like kidnapping. To be honest, I was a little hesitant because of this; but we were assured that it’s safe so long as we had these military men with us.

We registered our names at the DOT for reservation. Alternately, you can directly go to the port in Paseo del Mar as walk-in clients.

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security escort with his rifle to Sta. Cruz Island

pink island sta cruz
nice day to be at the beach!

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Davao City: Solo Travel to My Hometown

My mind was switching back and forth, hesitant if I was going to push through with a trip to Davao that I already booked months before. Sitting at my desk in the office, a lot of questions came to mind: Where will I stay? How much do I have left? Should I even bother?arrival davao

It was only a day after a one-week vacation in Bangkok and Cambodia, yet I already had another ticket scheduled for the next. A temporary break in my hometown; something that was also long overdue.

I almost decided to just let it pass and continue with my work. I only paid around 200 Php for the airline promo fare so it wasn’t much of a loss if I didn’t push through. Besides, I didn’t even have a concrete plan.

But it didn’t convince me enough to cancel the trip altogether. I’ve been waiting for a long time to go back to Davao just to see how it’s been; without visiting people I know and just doing things my way. I already filed for a vacation leave so durianit was only me that was stopping myself from pushing through. But I’m glad that I did go and board the plane.

Arriving in Davao

Armed with a knock-off Lonely Planet guide book and my backpack and gadgets, I arrived in Davao without a clear sense of goal. But in the end, I visited my younger brother, met other PTB members and bloggers, and ate one of my favorite fruits–durian.

The only place I truly went for a nature-trip was Isla Reta in Samal Island; a beautiful place to spend a night with friends over drinks under Talisay trees. I can still recall the fallen leaves on the sandy beach – how they add drama to gloomy landscape.

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Isla Reta, Samal Island

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One Vacation after Another

You just came from a long vacation and now you’re leaving again?

The expression on his face was priceless. There was no need to answer as I understood that it was a rhetorical question. I just had to smile to eliminate the moment of silence between his eyes and my smirk.

Hong Kong – Macau – Cebu – Boracay

After a trip to Hong Kong and Macau, I spent one day working at the office, and then headed to the airport to catch a flight to Boracay.

September 1-8, 2010 – Hong Kong-Macau
September 9, 2010 – Cebu (working at the office)
September 10-12, 2010 – Boracay

Thailand – Cambodia – Cebu – Davao

After a trip to Thailand and Cambodia, I spent one day working at the office, and then headed to the airport to catch a flight to Davao.

January 18-26, 2011 – Thailand-Cambodia
January 27, 2011 – Cebu (working at the office)
January 28-31, 2011 – Davao

hongkong street macau fisherman boracay beach
Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong | Fisherman’s Wharf, Macau | Station 2, Boracay

khao san road bangkok angkor thom south gate isla reta davao
Khao San Road, Bangkok | South Angkor Thom Gate, Siem Reap | Isla Reta, Samal

History repeated itself and recalling these two scenarios crack me up. It’s such a crazy situation that even my manager asked me if I was alright.

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Magpupungko Rock in Siargao

I miss Siargao. This was one of the first places I visited two years ago which started my love for traveling and blogging about the place I traveled. The pictures below were taken at Magpupungko Lagoon in Siargao. The main attraction aside from the crystal aqua blue waters is that they have this giant rock … Read more