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Jungles And Mud Karts In Puerto Galera

As I walked along the road, the sun beat down. The jungle canopy stretched overhead; protecting me from the hottest sun rays, but many still landed on my back. I drank a mouthful of cold water. Sweat dripped down my back. A motorcycle sped past, spitting exhaust fumes into the atmosphere as it disappeared around a corner. Where was I? I was in Puerto Galera, a small town on the island of Oriental Mindoro.

Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro

Roughly 4 hours from Manila, Puerto Galera is a popular town for weekend getaways. It attracts tourists of all types. The Filipinos congregate around White Beach, a popular nightlife district, while the foreigners tend to set up camp around Sabang. I was staying at a Puerto Galera resort in the middle, approximately 10 minutes motorcycle ride from White Beach and Sabang.

Today, I’d forsaken the motorcycle for my own two legs. I was on my way to Sabang, one of the tourist areas.

BadLadz Resort

About 15 minutes away from Paoay Lake, we went to the sand dunes of Suba, Ilocos Norte for a quick stop. This was not supposed to be part of our itinerary but since we had a few minutes to spare, we were lucky to be given the time to check the place out.

Quick Stop at Suba Sand Dunes
Paoay, Ilocos Norte

view from the bus

“Guys, 10 minutes only!” Ivan of Ivan About Town said that we shouldn’t take long as we still had some activities lined up for the rest of the day.

I was happy to have the chance to step down the bus and not just stare at the place from afar that I hurriedly took my camera out and stepped foot on the sand.

Lakbay Norte 3 Victory Liner Bus in Paoay

So I’ve been late on the news and I found out that Filipinos have easier access to direct flights from Manila to Cambodia courtesy of Cebu Pacific Airlines. I’m currently based in Siem Reap and I was told that the airline seats are fully booked for April 2012 onwards!

Cebu Pacific Air is set to roll out these Manila to Siem Reap flights 3 times a week starting April 19. I know I’ve had my fair share of adventures during my trip last year and now because of this Cebu Pacific flight, the Philippines can fly directly to Cambodia.

Normally, travellers will have to go by land from Bangkok to Siem Reap or Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap and it would take at least 9 hours via bus from Bangkok and 14 hours from Ho Chi Minh. But with this recent news, this is a welcome treat for those who want to see the great Angkor Wat temple.

Formerly known as Hotel Vida, the Widus Resort and Casino hotel in Clark, Pampanga was the last place we checked in during our Lakbay Norte 3 trip. This was a nice and relaxing place to cap off our eight-day adventure to different parts of North Luzon.

Widus Resort and Casino Hotel in Clark, Pampanga
January 28, 2012

Hotel Widus, Clark, Pampanga

To be honest, I didn’t expect a lot from this hotel. I was just happy to rest after a long day of pampering. But when I saw our King Bed and Single bed room, I was amazed.

our room in Hotel Widus

One of my most favorite hotels during our Lakbay Norte 3 trip was Hotel Manor in Baguio City. We arrived after our Airsoft game at the Baguio Country Club and it was nice to see the place all lit up.

The Manor Hotel
January 26, 2012

night scene in Hotel Manor

When we arrived at the lobby, chandeliers and a fireplace greeted us. There was also a band at the Piano Bar and I could see an old couple dancing to the song being played. It was a nice welcome after a tiring day of activities and it made me want to go directly to my room so I could change and then explore the other parts of the hotel.

lobby of Hotel Manor

After six hours of travel time from Tuguegarao, we arrived we arrived at the Kapuluan Vista Resort in Pagudpud to have lunch. The resort, hotel, and restaurant is owned by couple Mr. Mike and Alma Oida and they’ve been running the place since 2006.

Lunch at Kapuluan Vista Resort
Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

Kapuluan Vista Resort, Hotel and Restaurant

They gave us a preview of the food that they serve in the restaurant. What was striking about their menu is that the ingredients are taken from their garden. Their items are prepared fresh, with no preservatives added. Don’t panic they’re organic!

1. Flower Decoration, 2. Kapuluan Kinilaw (Polynesian Style), 3. Cabbage Parsley Soup, 4. Bagnet Ceviche

I love the water. Even as a kid, we would always go to the beach or pools during weekends. We’d normally take a swim, build sand castles, jump into the sea, and do just about any activity available. I’ve developed this fascination that even as a grownup, I’d be willing to try any physical exercise that involves water.

Lakbay Norte 3: Surfing at Blue Lagoon
Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

steady now
(photo by Marcos)

I prefer experimenting with watersports and it’s only a few that I’ve done so far – skimboarding in Argao, Cebu and kneeboarding in Camarines Sur. Both of which, I know I’m not good at but I’m happy to have at least tried them.

I remember the time when I rode my first (and only) wave in Siargao. One hour wasn’t enough but my body couldn’t take it anymore as I easily got tired. I also never had a picture of me standing on the board, until now.

cone-shaped islands

I was hoping to publish a couple of entries while travelling to different places in the North. But every time I checked in the hotels we were assigned to, I was more excited to hit the sack to get some much-needed rest. The Lakbay Norte 3 trip has ended but I’m still getting a hangover from all the activities we did.

Lakbay Norte is a media tour set up by the North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB) to introduce different media groups about travelling and the places to visit in North Luzon. With the banner “Rediscover the North”, NPVB and its partners (Manila North Tollways Corporation, Mcdonalds, Robinsons, Smart Communications, and Victory Liner) helped each other in showcasing that there’s still a lot of places that are undiscovered in the North.

Let me just say that the bus was really attractive!

Travelling on a Victory Liner bus for 8 days in North Luzon (Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Cagayan, Kalinga, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Baguio, Pangasinan, Tarlac Subic Bay, Clark, Pampanga).

Adventures

I’m so glad that the theme for this year was “Outdoor Adventures in North Philippines” which mean that I had time to try out different physical activities. Spelunking, sport fishing, white water rafting, surfing, paddle boarding, airsoft, kart racing, offroad adventure, jungle survival; not to mention the karaoke night and a day of pampering.

jam-packed adventures during the trip!

Spelunking at Pinagrealan Cave, Bass Fishing at Cabanatuan, White Water Rafting in Kalinga, Surfing in Pagudpud, Paddleboarding in Paoay, Trekking & Tree Planting in Holcim Ecotrail, Airsoft in Baguio, Dawell Reivercruise in Dagupan, Go Karting at Kart City in Tarlac, Jungle Survival at Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Spa and Massage at Ritz Spa, Offroad Adventure at Puning Hot Springs in Greater Clark

The 17th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Clark will be happening on February 9-12, 2012 at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

I’ve been wanting to attend this event since last year with so many hot air balloons being showcased. It’s a photographer’s treat to witness so much color in the air. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to drop by this year due to a trip that I’ve already planned. So I gave away two of my tickets to friends who’ll be able to join this festival.

A Weekend of Everything that Flies!

photo source: Jep

This is a four day activity and below is the schedule of the balloon festival from February 9 to 12:

I was so overwhelmed by the responses I received from my previous blog entry that I don’t know if I can come up with another ‘share-worthy’ post. But based on the comments, a lot of people have but a slight idea of my plans after announcing that I was going to resign in order to start a location-independent lifestyle. In reality, I don’t really have a clear idea on what I’m going to do. All I know is that I have a few tickets booked and I’ll pursue a freelance career online. Slow travel is what I aim to do. But before going on that trip, here’s an event that also helped me decide to resign earlier than expected.

Lakbay Norte 3 Adventure

I was chosen by the North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB), along with five other travel bloggers, as part of a media group to tour Northern Luzon dubbed as Lakbay Norte 3: Outdoor Adventures in North Philippines!

Note: Photos were taken from the bloggers’ profiles without their permission. Peace guys! 😀

I hurriedly finished my work and delegated tasks to my peers. I also made sure that all my client sessions were in place before I left. I clocked out early so I could meet up with my friends outside. We were going to see the whale sharks (butanding in Tagalog or tuki in Bisaya) in Oslob, Cebu!

Whale Shark Sighting in Oslob, Cebu, Philippines
December 23, 2011

Butanding or Tuki Encounter
photo by Doi

I’m really lucky that my day job has a little flexibility when it comes to special requests whenever the need arises. So long as I don’t compromise the deliverables, then all is well.

We arrived at the South Bus Terminal station around 3:30am and the bus left after 15 minutes. It was only a 3-hour ride – a quick nap that wasn’t even enough since I didn’t have any rest.

Entrance to the resort in Cebu’s Tanawan, Oslob, for whale shark watching

A few more steps and I was already at the Osmeña Peak in Cebu. Actually, it was a few hundred more but it didn’t seem much as I was in a hurry to get to the top. I left my friend, Doi who was resting her swollen leg down below. I would’ve stayed with her but she advised me to catch up with our other companions before it turned dark.

I needed to deliver the tripod plate that was attached to the base of my camera. The tripod body was already with Dom but it was useless without the integral part of the device that was with me.

Osmeña Peak,
Mantalongon, Dalaguete, Cebu
November 12, 2011

Edwin already at the top

green

We’ve been trekking for over two hours and although we paused at times, I felt my legs weakening at every step. I wondered why my strength was failing on me. I realized I haven’t been doing my rounds of exercise at home so my body was caught off guard due to the sudden physical activity. However, it didn’t stop me from continuing the trek.

view from Osmena Peak

Eating a cup of agar-agar that I bought on the weekend Saturday market in Sagada, we rode a shuttle that took us to the starting point so we could trek down the Aguid Rice Terraces and see the Bomod-ok falls. Trekking Aguid Rice Terraces to Bomod-ok Falls Sagada, Mountain Province March 5, 2011 view from … Read more

Sagada Trip: Weekend Saturday Market

After the sunrise at Kiltepan Peak, we headed back to our inn so we could freshen up and eat breakfast. But we had to finish up fast as we were going to have another adventure by trekking to Bomod-ok Falls. Tita Myrna and Tito Raul decided to just stay to rest while we rode our … Read more

Jungles And Mud Karts In Puerto Galera

Suba Sand Dunes in Paoay, Ilocos Norte

Cebu Pac Manila to Siem Reap, Cambodia Flights

Widus Resort and Casino Hotel in Clark, Pampanga

The Manor Hotel in Baguio City

Lunch at Kapuluan Vista Resort, Pagudpud

Surfing at Blue Lagoon in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

Lakbay Norte 3: Rediscover the North

Adventures

Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2012 Schedule

A Weekend of Everything that Flies!

Lakbay Norte 3: Outdoor Adventures in North Philippines

Lakbay Norte 3 Adventure

Cebu Trip: Whale Shark ‘Butanding’ Encounter in Oslob

Cebu Trip: Reaching Osmeña Peak

Sagada Trip: Trekking Aguid Rice Terraces

Sagada Trip: Weekend Saturday Market