my rekindled sanctuary.

my rekindled sanctuary.

travel and places
a self proclaimed foodie
my creative photography attempts
music and books that helps me escape
my random thoughts.

a summary of the things i love, like and find interesting - bits and pieces of my life.

enjoy, explore and discover..

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Last Day in Puerto Princesa



Day three came – our last day in Puerto Princesa. It started with a sleepy head despite heading back ti the hotel last night. First alarm - snooze. I wake decided to start prepping after a few minutes and 3 more alarm had passed. And since I prepare longer, I need to prep up ahead of her: a quick shower here, then a dab of lotion there and packing the small bag there. After an hour, we are all in to go. The van picks us a bit late. And we are surprised that we are last one to be picked up but happy that it will be the same group as yesterday.

Happy that the ride is not boring, though I opt to take a short nap during the ride. Our guide is making jokes and sharing stories of his life and stay in Palawan. He also explained the activities for the day. This consists of island hopping, visiting some islands in Honda Bay. It’s an hour or more van ride since its 11 kilometers away from town.

We head to Sta. Lourdes port for the boat ride to the island. Before the port, I noticed some huts built near the marshland. I wonder how will they stand the storm or heavy wind knowing it’s not strong compared to a stone house. And I learned that only limited houses are allowed to build there as part of conservation. The limit will help but still the huts is not that safe. :(
Once at the port, we are requested to head first to the booth. As a standard procedure, we are asked to register our names and address while waiting for our boat. Also there are small stores there selling souvenirs, hat, food and drinks. There are also stalls where you can rent cam protection in case cams will be used underwater. And I bought some bread for the fish.

Lucky, the weather is fair – a bit sunny and not to windy. Our first stop is the Pandan Island. The island is quite big with soft powdery sand. There are huts and cottages there people can rent. In February, we are lucky the place is not crowded. There are allotted areas where we can swim and some areas restricted for the boats. We roam around the island mostly taking pictures and some dip in the water.


After 2 hours, lunch is served. Our lunch is yummy and cooked in the island. It consists of pipino with vinegar (cucumber salad), grilled pork, tanigue (Spanish mackerel), crab, and fruits – banana and mango with alamang and of course rice.



After lunch, we head to next Snake Island. It is known for the long sandbar connected to the main beach. There are few huts created for the trippers. Unlucky, there are too many people here having lunch and its crowded. And since we are done with ours, bumming is the plan. Hoping we can reach the end of the island. Some people in the group head to snorkel and some, like me head to the sand. It’s a long walk on the sandbar while the sun is up and hot but it feels good anyway (since I am doing night shift most of the time). I don’t mind the scorching heat against my skin but opt for it to be darker so it looks good on the pictures. But the sad part is, we were not able to reach the end, though we made it more than half way.



Our last stop for the trip is the Pambato Reef. The area is for snorkeling and fish feeding. There are two huts in the middle on the sea connected by bamboo bridges. One hut is for fish feeding and has a small store and the other one is a staging area for those wishing to do some snorkeling. Make sure to a good grip on the bamboo since some part of the bridge is slippery from greens clinging on the bridge.

I got the bumps so I decided to skip joining the snorkeling (which I regret now) and Bernz hates me for that. Though I still enjoy it here as we sat on the bamboo bridge and feed the fish with the bread bought earlier. After some hours here, we head back to the port and then to the hotel.
Sad part is it’s our last day. Means we are heading back to the busy city again. Back to work. And it’s the end.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Another Tour of Puerto Princesa

Our destination for the second day is the Underground River. We are picked up from the inn around 7:30 A.M. (it should be 7:00 A.M.) It is late but still good for us; me and Bernz have enough time to enjoy breakfast and some girly stuff before the trip.

The land travel from Puerto Princesa to Sabang, where the Underground River is located, will take 2 hours. There will be 2 stop over during the trip. Lucky, our guide is talkative thus the trip is not boring. He shares experiences and information with us. He even throws some jokes to lighten the mood.

Our tour guide informed us that our group scheduled to the Underground River is after lunch. So we head out first to the Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour. It is located 30 minutes away from Sabang Port. You need to register and pay a fee to join the tour. The boat capacity is 6 persons plus the paddler and a guide that comes along. They also provide life vests for safety purposes.

On the shore, you may spot mudskippers and monitor lizards while snakes can be seen on the branches of the mangroves. The tour offers an educational tour by boat through Sabang’s mangrove forests. The information includes the importance of bakawan in the ecosystem. The mangrove guide also explains the types of mangrove tress and how to determine the type (one is through the shape of the leaves). The guide sang a folk song that is dedicated to the mangroves. The whole trip last for 45 minutes. Once back in land, they offer free taste of tamilok (wood worm and a local delicacy), which they say taste like oyster but I decline to try it.

We head to Sabang beach after the Mangrove Tour for lunch. The lunch last for 1 hour but will need to wait until 4:00 PM for our turn for the ride to the Underground River. From the Sabang port, you need to ride an outrigger boat that runs the length of the coastline to the opening of the cave where the river flows directly to the sea. The ride took around 20 minutes and view is great. There are the forested mountains on one side and the beaches on the other side. We arrive on the shore and a little trek heading to the area. We need to wait for our turn as well as the vest and helmets (been a busy day).

The ride is great and its really different seeing the place with your own eyes compared to the one seen on pictures and videos. I was overwhelmed and I wish I can go near the structures or stay a little longer inside.

The sad part is I got problem on my cam’s flash and I cannot take pictures inside the cave but still lucky that Bernz cam got one. :D

We head back to our guesthouse after trip. This takes shorter compared on going to Sabang. It’s still early thus we decided to refresh first before we head out to dinner. It’s another ride heading back to the main streets and we keep on debating where to eat. Bernz suggested we try this restaurant with the colorful designs (I am too hungry thus I do not argue anymore but say yes). It’s easy to spot the Tiki Bar Restaurant since its along Rizal Avenue. We got another round of yummy dinner. And we stay a little longer there for a few drinks and watch the band before we call it a night.

Weekend Get Away at Puerto Princesa

The year 2010 is a bad year for me. No travel. Not even a short trip. So I make it a point that I’ll allot time this year for travels even if it’s as short as 3 days trip. So here comes February, first trip of the year, and for just 3 days 2 nights trip to Palawan as my friend Bernz insisted (I really want at least 5 days vacay and my first option is Boracay).

Friday morning, Bernz knocking over my place. Bags are packed and all prepped up but my head is still aching and spinning from the booze last night (can’t help but drink even before trips). Geez, need to drink a glass of cold water to wash it down; can’t take any med for my acidic stomach without any food. It’s still early but I need to hurry. Reason is it’s hard to get a cab Friday and harder to find a metered cab heading to the airport (from Edsa Pasay it should be around PHP100 or less but most cab either ask for additional PHP20 or a flat down rate of PHP150).

After a few minutes scrambling, we head out to NAIA Terminal 3. Terminal 3 carries flight for Philippines Air Lines and Cebu Pacific. Also it is much better compared to the other 2 terminals – security, wi fi access and much food choices (though some are still pricey). We checked in right away to avoid problems. The sad part is the flight is a little delayed due to the weather.

We arrived at Palawan in mid morning. Just enough time for a nap and refresh for the day activity. We stayed at Ysabelle Mansion ( review at http://lovelywanders.blogspot.com/2011/10/stay-at-ysabelle-mansion.html), a cozy place to stay in. We take a package tour as checked by Bernz (was busy with work and have no time to research). First day is city tour.

First stop is at Mendoza Park. It is small park that resembles Bay Walk in Roxas Boulevard with all those light structure. But hey, it is day time and I cannot appreciate the place with the sun all up. Next stop is to the souvenir shop. The top choice here is cashew nuts (fave snack at home) plus some key chains and bracelet for pasalubong. However, I find it early to do shopping on the first day of the trip.

Third stop is at the Crocodile farm. The area is friendlier to animals compared to the zoo in Manila and the area is well maintained (except for few visitors who do not know how throw the trash). I just feel sad how they treat the baby crocodile used for photo opts. The caretaker throws it a bit harshly on the box.



The fourth stop is at Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm. The entrance feels like entering a Hacienda with complete security escort. The place reminds me of our backyard with all those farming works however it is similar to some area in Caramoan – nipa huts, veggies and crops and luscious green surroundings. There is a mini store in the penal farm where the works of the inmates are sold. The works are great - paintings, wood art, hats, and accessories though some things sold there are commonly sold in market area. There are friendly inmates however they are few insistent on selling crafts and frutis which is a little annoying.


Last stop for the day is at Baker’s Hill. Baker’s Hill is known for its yummy hopias and other baked products. The area has 2 mansions beside the bakery and a small well maintained garden. Also there is a theme park with human-sized statues, figure of Disney characters and another garden with various plants, tables and chair and Mini Park for children. I can say the recreation area is added to give Baker’s Hill a more relaxing atmosphere as well as to attract more visitors.



After an almost 1 hours stay there, we head home but kuya driver suddenly stopped at The Legend Palawan to pick up for his work. He invited us to enjoy the area (thus we do a quick photo opts) while he is busy. It’s quite a long way home (dropping a family in Sabang that left me and Bernz on the van). We are both sleepy on the way home but urge on arguing on when is the best time for dinner – do we need to refresh first or eat right away – until we decided to eat before we feels lazy doing anything.


Luckily, kuya is obliging dropped us at Kinabuch Bar and Grill Restuarant (review at http://lablitawanders.blogspot.com/2011/02/great-food-at-kinabuch-bar-and-grill.html) for dinner. Bernz ordered lumpiang shanghai with rice while I ordered grilled pork with rice plus soup for my aching stomach. Then we added sizzling tanigue for a sumptuous dinner. After a couple of hours taking pleasure with the food and a enjoying the place, we head home (P.S. Do not ride trike that is in line outside the area. They charge fixed price for the ride.).



Friday, February 18, 2011

Palawan 2011: Stay at Ysabelle Mansion

Finding a good place on a trip is hard with lots of things to consider –location, amenities and room. But I feel lucky that me and Bernz have the same taste of a “good place” to stay. So during the Puerto Princesa Trip, we opted to stay in Ysabelle Mansion.

Upon arrival at the airport, we are picked up the owner’s husband at the airport with a welcome banner. Quite impressive because other hotels I’ve checked in before does not offer such service. Also they give us a ride back to the airport during our last day.


Once in the hotel, I notice it is clean and nice. It is accentuated with local products to add homey effect. There is small garden and veranda. Also they offer free wi fi connection to its residents. However the place is far from the city proper thus when heading back here, some tricycle drivers ask for payment for PHP 20.00 or more to cover a trip.

Our room is big and spacious. It has television with cable and one lamp. Also they provide Good morning complimentary set – toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo and soap. I can say it’s too big for 2 persons with 2 double beds, though they only add one cabinet to occupants with a couple of hangers. With girls staying, the cabinet won’t fit our clothes thus we opted to use it to house our used clothes. The bed is a little old yet still comfy to sleep on, pillows are small and thin but I can say the sheets and bed cover are still new.


They also have a small restaurant that offers mostly breakfast set with all the sinangag (fried rice) and egg combination with various add on to choice from like tocino, tapa, hotdog and corn beef. And upon checking on the menu, I can say that they prefer to serve local meals but I wish they consider to add other stuff like sandwiches. Also they require pre-order for breakfast meals. The price of the food is expensive and in small portion as I compared to other breakfast I’ve eaten.

The owners are friendly and approachable. I even see them allowed a guest or two to use the computer to book flights. However, the sad part is, some of their staffs are not friendly and not accommodating. I even need to call them twice just to notice me.

Overall, the room is great, service needs improvement (or the staff needs training) however I might think twice staying here again since I prefer a location much nearer to restaurant and stores.

Palawan 2011: Great Food at Kinabuch Bar and Grill Restaurant

Kinabuch Bar and Grill is one of the well-known restaurants in Puerto Princesa City. It is an open bar and restaurant which makes the place relaxing as the cool air flows. They use light material like the one used for nipa huts as well as old styled tables and chairs with few modern add ons (tv and fan on inner dining area) though mostly are made of wood. Members of the staff are very friendly, approachable and accommodating.

Menu wise, they offer a variety of choices from chicken to pork to seafoods plus cooked in sizzling, grilled or with sauce. Also food here is inexpensive yet still delectable (wish I can order another round of the yummy tanique).Food is served fast and hot and in good proportion – good for sharing. They also offer meal set good for one person. Too bad it’s just me and Bernz, eating thus I cannot order many seafood ‘coz she is allergic. Drinks like shakes and soda are a bit expensive but I’ll say that majority of restaurant add extra or double (even triple) the price of drinks (any argument on that?).




They also have a small bar for drinking and chatting. Local drinks are not expensive but the hard ones like vodka and tequila are a bit pricey but not as expensive compared with bars in Boracay. They play soft music for good conversation. There are few games there like darts and billiards or just sit down and watch soccer/sports events on TV and big screen.

Overall, I will definitely dine here again but still won’t try tamilok if I visited Puerto Princesa.