Out of Town Blog » Ecotourism

Columbia 5th Eco-Trail Run in Liloan Cebu

melo — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:26:17 +0000

This February 5, 2012, 360 trail runners will be joining the Columbia 5th Eco-Trail Run in the mountain barangays of Liloan, Cebu as part of a drive to promote eco-tourism in this central Philippine island province.

Columbia Eco Trail Run in Cebu

This leg has attracted the most number of participants compared to its four other legs. The first trail run was held in Family Park. The second was in Barangay Pulang Bato, Talamban, then in Barangay Napo, Guadalupe. The fourth one was in Barangay Budlaan, Talamban.

Adventure Eco Trail Run

According to race director Ralp Pilapil, the eco-trail run, which features a 10.5-kilometer route, has attracted a lot of newbies. ”There are about 108 female runners and more than half of the participants are first-timers. We are praying for good weather, so that the participants will have more fun,” Pilapil said.

He added that the participants could expect an adventure-filled run and a very challenging route especially the part where runners need to cross a river. ”In all of our trail running races, we usually include a river,” Pilapil added.

Pilapil also emphasized that this is also one way of promoting trail running in Cebu because most of the Cebuanos are into road running.

”We want to show nature’s beauty, for our participants to appreciate it. We expect the participants to be surprised. One participant checked the route and was taken with the breathtaking view,” Pilapil said.

”During the race, aside from the river crossing, participants will be passing through a small waterfall and amazing rock formations,” Pilapil said.

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Mount Pinatubo Adventure Trek with Pinoy Travel Bloggers

melo — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:37:09 +0000

Itchy feet, passion for travel, a talent in story telling, a not so abused camera, a Travel Blog and a totally raped backpack (but not complaining), these are the common denominators of the 30 young (and not so young) travel bloggers who recently had a day trip to Mount Pinatubo Crater last January 28, 2012. It’s the biggest out of town trip of Filipino travel bloggers to date and the three major islands in the Philippines are also well represented.

Pinoy Travel Bloggers in Pinatubo – Ada Lajara

Who wants to join for a Pinatubo trip? – A question i read from a Travel Bloggers Facebook Group few weeks back. With total uncertainty If I can still hike due to lack of exercise, I still said yes to challenge myself and also to meet other travel bloggers from different parts of the country.

Crossing the River

We left Manila at exactly 3am, no Filipino time for seasoned travelers like us.. time is valuable. We had a short stopover in one of the Shell Stations in NLex to have breakfast, buy water and hoard some snacks. After the Jollibee fix, we headed to Capas Tarlac for our ultimate Pinatubo Adventure.

Stopover #1 at Shell NLEX

The 4×4 jump off point in Capas Tarlac was already crowded when we arrived and according to our driver, we were about 300 people to trek that day. We started the 4×4 adventure soon after everyone got their assigned vehicle with their group mates.

Nerd Shot by @Winston

We had a short stopover in the middle of the rocky road for nothing but photo op.. Well if its for photo op, nobody will complain for sure LOL.

Stopover #2 at the Mount Pinatubo Trail (photo by Winston)

The crowd was composed of local tourists, Koreans, Chinese, Japanese and Caucasians. I was truly amazed with the huge crowd, I thought we were the only ones to trek that day haha.

Local Transportation

I know I’ve been to this place twice already, one was a trek back in 2005 and the other one was via a sky tour back in 2006 during the Hot Air Balloon fiesta but this trip has a different jump-off point in Capaz Tarlac unlike the one we had before which started in Sapang Bato in Angeles City Pampanga.

Ready Get Set Trek

The 4×4 ride was totally an adventure ride but not as adventurous like the one I had in Paoay Sand Dunes back in 2010. We crossed some wetlands, rivers, rocky areas and dusty roads covered by lahar. I really wanted to take photos while on the road but there’s too much dust and the road is too bumpy so I just decided to keep my camera inside my white (turning brown) Jansport.

Testing the Waters

Back in 2010 when the skyway was still available, the crater can be reached by a 30 minute trek but now that SkyWay needs rehabilitation, we had to trek for almost 3 hours to reach the crater’s view point.

Single Line

Philippines is not just about Imelda’s shoes, Manny Pacquiao and Celebrity turned Politicians, The Philippines bannered the headlines last June 15, 1991 when Mount Pinatubo produced tons of volcanic ashes which brought several parts of the country in the state of calamity.

Mount Pinatubo Crater

On a positive note, the volcanic ashes blocked the sun’s heat from entering the earth for couple of days and eventually cooled the earth down. The data collected after these eruptions show that mean world temperatures decreased by about 1 degree Centigrade over the subsequent two years. This cooling effect was welcomed by many scientists who saw it as a counter-balance to global warming. (source : http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/)

Watch your Steps

Mount Pinatubo is known to all those who travelled to the Philippines. Just to make everyone aware, it is a famous volcano that is located at the island of Luzon which is considered to be a tri-point that combines the Philippine provinces of Zambales, Tarlac as well as Pampanga. The mountain became more popular when it had one of the largest volcanic eruptions in the World in 1991. The volcano as well as the ash cloud generated from that affected the lives of thousands of people.

Tawid Batis

After two decades since the volcano erupted, Mount Pinatubo is now one of the best places in Philippines for trekking. It is for sure that people who go for Mount Pinatubo Trek will be amazed to feel the extreme calmness as well as peace while trekking to Mount Pinatubo.

4×4 Adventure

Couple of years ago, an easy shortcut known as Skyway was developed for the hikers, allowing them to have a shorter route that will extend up to a drop off point for trekking to the crater. During the time that the Skyway is still functional, tourists regardless of age can enjoy trekking in Mount Pinatubo unlike now that the trek entails almost 3 hours of trek to the crater.

Almost Halfway

Along with the two hour hike, an hour of 4 x 4 ride as well as a maximum of 20 minutes to 45 minutes trek to the crater means you will be spending almost four hours to reach the crater. Basically the hikers travel by 4 x 4 vehicles that will take them up to the river bed then a two hour trek will start from where the 4×4′s were parked.

Carbo Loading

Scenic beauty is overwhelming during the entire Mount Pinatubo Trek. With the whole area covered with vegetation with uniquely shaped mountain sides as well as sheer cliffs that are located along side bare volcanic rocks, there’s no shortage of beauty in the place. Adding to the scenic beauty is the 2.5 kilometer lake that is situated inside the crater.

Short Break

Upon reaching the viewpoint, everyone was wowed and amazed with the natural beauty of the crater. The first question I had in mind was, Why does the lake so blue-green? I then asked one of the tour guides and I was informed that it was a product of chemical reaction between volcanic minerals and algaes. Can we swim there? Yes but its risky, make sure that you know how to swim before you even try. You should also avoid drinking the water in the lake. Are there fishes in the lake? The sulphur content in the lake is so high that no underwater fauna can even exist.

Getting Ready to Jump

With Mount Pinatubo Trekking becoming one of the major attractions for locals and most of the foreign tourists who come to the Philippines, there are several travel agencies as well as tour companies that provide attractive tour packages to the crater.

Pinatubo Lake

It was almost 4pm when we left the crater, Going back is the easiest part in all hiking activities but for me I guess that’s not the case. My foot is literally aching that time and I cant wait to reach the jump-off point. We finally reached the 4 x 4 parking area in less than two hours. We headed back to Capaz to freshen up before going to Isdaan for dinner.

Almost There

I was really impressed with the cleanliness of the area and the organized tour guides. The tour guides didn’t only made sure that everyone enjoyed the trek, they also made sure that all the trash will be brought back to the town for proper disposal – that’s what we call eco-tourism in its finest.

Loving the Lake by Journeying Pinay

Tips :

Wear quick drying trekking shoes instead of sandals to avoid sharp tiny rocks that will eventually hurt your feet while trekking.
Bring extra set of clothes, light trekking gear, sunglasses, sun protection and extra food.
Schedule your Pinatubo Trek during weekdays for you to enjoy the Crater area without too much crowd.
Avoid scheduling your Mount Pinatubo Trek during the rainy season since there are increased chances of risk involved in it.
You will be sweating a lot so make sure to bring at least 1.5 liter of water for the trek, there’s no store along the way.

Melo Villareal in Mount Pinatubo (photo courtesy of Oman)

Our Creed : Take nothing but pictures; Leave nothing but footprints; Kill nothing but time.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Trek:

Question : Is it really hard to reach the Crater?
Answer : No! If you are physically fit and you can manage walking for two hours then you can do it:)

Got Questions about Mt. Pinatubo Adventure? Join Philippine Travel Forum for any Pinatubo trekking related discussions!

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China Tourist Guide : 5 Awesome Places To Visit While In China

melo — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:47:12 +0000

Who hasn’t heard of China? The country is famous for its huge population, their great wall that is the only stucture visible from space, and their awesome food. Thank god China shared their recipes to the world, allowing us to cook and eat versions of their delicious food, and learn a little bit about their country too.

Ancient Warrior on Great Wall of China

So if you’re reading this you are probably thinking about going to China, or maybe you already have bought the tickets and you want to compile a list of places to checkout? Whatever your reason is, This article will help you prepare your itinerary for your next holiday in China.

The Forbidden City
In Beijing for a day or two? Why not take a trip to The Forbidden City? Located in Beijing north of the Tienanmen Square where the famous portraits of one of the most well known dynasty emperors once sat: Mao Zedong.

Forbidden City in Beijing

The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall is a symbol to China, and to its rich history. Created in 1368 the wall still stands today. It has a length of 5,500 miles and is entirely functional and walkable. The Great Wall is truly a symbol of power, dominance, and stability. This place should be on the list of every tourist!

Hangzhou – Paradise On Earth
It isn’t everyday that you get to visit paradise, but if you are in China you can. Hangzhou is beautiful city located on the shores of West lake. The city is lively featuring an array of pavilions, temples, and a variety of gardens. Hangzhou is quite close to Shanghai but you don’t have anything to avoid like traffic and polution. The city if very quiet with a laid-back culture.

Jiuzhaigou
Jiuzhaigou is one of China’s most beautiful nature reserves. A great example of the beautiful, and tranquil landscapes. Jiuzhaigou has plenty of crystal blue water lakes and multi-level waterfalls. Tibetan villages surround the area. So finding food, culture, and history is 100% guaranteed.

The Bund, Shanghai
During the 1800′s and 1900′s Chinese business men would flock to The Bund. Some of the best Chinese architectual is found in this city. So it is a must see if you like scout out architect.

China is a huge country and I wouldn’t be able to list every place, attractions or restaurants you should go to. You’ll have to do it the ol’ fashion way, exploring!

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Kauai’s 5 Best Beginner Surf Breaks

melo — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 02:16:28 +0000

Most people associate surfing in Hawaii with Oahu: Waimea Bay, Sunset Beach and the Banzai Pipeline, Waikiki and Makaha are all famous surf spots. Oahu’s less visited neighbor, Kauai, also has great surf breaks and several are perfect for beginners. Below are the 5 best beginner surf breaks on Kauai.

Lawai Beach

Understanding Hawaii’s ocean will help you pick a home base for a surfing vacation. In the winter months, Hawaii’s northern coasts experience big surf, the result of far away storms in the north Atlantic. In the summer months, the situation reverses. Since the southern hemisphere experiences winter those storms send waves thousands of miles across the pacific until they reach Hawaii’s southern coasts.

Beautiful Hanalei Bay

1. Hanalei Bay

Hanalei Bay is a two mile long beach on Kauai’s north shore and one of the best surfing locations in Hawaii. The bay contains many different breaks including a few reef breaks for advanced surfers. Depending on swell direction and size there are several beach breaks that are ideal for beginner surfers. A favorite location during the winter months is around Hanalei Pier. The location is protected as big waves have lost their energy by the time they reach the pier.

Kalapaki Bay

During the summer months, lake-like conditions return the Hanalei and surfing lessons move to the south shore. There is still the occasional day when 1-2 ft surf rolls in, particularly in June and July, so keeping an eye on the surf report is important.

2. Kalapaki Bay

Kalapaki Bay is a beach that’s situated beside Nawilili harbor and hence protected from large waves. Beach boys have been giving surf lessons here for decades. Kalapaki Bay doesn’t have as many good wave days as Hanalei Bay, and the waves break in deep water, but this is one of the cleanest breaks for beginners because there tends to be less turbulence in the water compared to other locations. For people vacationing near Lihue this would be the first location to check.

Rock Quary Beach

3. Kiahuna Beach

For kids getting into surfing, Kiahuna beach is the preferred south shore location for lessons. The break is usually only about 1 foot high, but instructors stand in the waist high water and help students by pushing their boards. Although Kiahuna beach is mostly sand, there are rocks in the water and reef shoes are recommended. The break is only 20-30 yards from shore.

Kiahuna Beach

4. Rock Quarry Beach

Rock Quarry Beach, also known as Kahili beach, is situated on Kauai’s north shore. Surfing schools will sometimes take students here when Hanalei Bay is flat. This is not a clean break as the area experiences mostly wind waves, but for beginners with the right equipment (big boards), it’s still fun and instructive to catch the white water. It’s also often the only north shore option in the quieter summer months.

5. Lawai Beach

At Lawai beach directly in front of the Kuhio Shores Condominiums is a popular reef break. Although not suitable for beginners, novice surfers will want to investigate this location when the rest of the south shore is flat. As with any reef break, checking the surf forecast and tides is important, and this location should only be surfed during high tide. Surf instructors may take more experienced surfers here for advanced lessons.

There are many surf schools and instructors on Kauai. If you’re not a confident swimmer it’s important to chose a semi-private lesson as opposed to a group lesson so that the instructor can assist you at all times.

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Saving Meloy – Hambongan Islands RARE Pride Campaign

melo — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:56:29 +0000

Continuation of – Hambongan Island : Discovering a RARE Path

Like Saving Nemo, the Disney film with a lovable clown fish – Meloy is the mascot of the Hambongan Island RARE Pride Campaign. He is a Phanter Grouper – a fish that belongs to a vulnerable group of species that lives in the local reefs. The fish are used for food and are popular with those who are aquarium hobbyists. As a result, the numbers of Phanter Grouper have gone down dramatically.

Meloy Hambongan Island Pride Campaign Mascot

Meloy was chosen because he is a signature fish of the region and I have to admit, for a fish, he is very cute. Since 1997, Inabanga has been working with fish wardens, coastal police, and barangay tanods to build 23.85 hectares of marine sanctuaries in Hambongan and Cuaming. In addition, 43 hectares of sea grass sanctuary and 303 hectares of mangrove reforestation.

Adobong Pusit

Now, with the RARE pride campaign, the community aims to increase fish density by 7 percent and coral cover by 8%! It’s a huge challenge because there is still illegal fishing and harvesting in some protected areas so a main goal of the campaign is to educate and empower the whole community pro-actively and to create an intelligence network for conservation enforcement. In addition micro loans for seaweed farming as an alternative to fishing are another goal of the project.

Effects of Dynamite Fishing in the Elementary School Buildings

While I can’t say that I discovered or was the first to write about Hambongan Island, I feel proud to have been able to participate in this event that is designed to keep the Island’s coral reef in shape for many generations. As I watched this community coming together to preserve and protect, I thought of the many places I’ve been in these more than 7000 islands and realized how lucky I am to be able to dive in gorgeous coral reefs, hike through verdant rain forests, and travel to so many destinations within my own country.

Blue Pride Award

The Philippines has the richest biodiversity in the whole world and the highest diversity of coral reef fish too! Preserving our biodiversity means conserving our heritage and the gift we were blessed with. Not to mention, all this conservation ‘work’ can be pretty fun too. Like the RARE pride campaign here, the drive to conserve can start at the local level.

Low Tide

One of the big problems with conservation is how little people know about the danger their own regions or neighborhoods are in. By providing awareness and bringing in local community support, the groundwork is laid for policy change, legislative reforms and legal protection for sensitive areas.

Random Environmental Portraits

Not to mention that a shift in public behavior is all that is really needed to save a place that would otherwise disappear. Sustainability isn’t hard, but sometimes changing the way people think or do things is very hard. One way to do this is to focus on critically endangered species and ecosystems.

Mangrove Area

Another important factor is to foster the development of alternative livelihoods and ways for people to survive. It’s all well and good to say ‘stop fishing with dynamite’ but unless you are able to provide a different way to let a man or woman feed and protect their family, you may as well be just beating your head against the wall. The RARE Pride campaign here is a great example with instruction of sustainable fishing practices and the aforementioned micro financing for sea grass farming.

Text Hotline

This entire trip for me was something that I’d really needed to become involved in. Sometimes it’s easy to forget just how fragile and delicate our natural environment can be. The growth of the tourism industry has made preserving the environment more obvious but also offers challenges that need to be met.

Vegetable Store

Increased pressure on reefs and closed ecosystems by more visits, more boats, more divers has also had an impact on the natural world and as such we will need to figure out ways to not only preserve from destructive practices but also to make sure that biodiversity is not threatened.

The RARE organization is based in the USA and is a leader in social marketing for biodiversity. Using social marketing and community based activities, RARE works to change attitudes and behaviors in a positive way through building local awareness, the need for conservation, and training local officials and representatives in practices that help to build awareness, influence attitudes and create meaningful change.

If you would like to find out more, to contribute towards saving coral reefs, or to join RARE you can get involved at http://www.rareplanet.org/en. For monetary donations, checkout this link https://www.charity-pay.com/d/donation.asp?CID=13.

Be a catalyst for change. Help in your own little way:)

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Hambongan Island – Discovering a RARE Path

melo — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:30:19 +0000

As a travel blogger, one of the things you dream about is discovering a new destination that is off the beaten track and either hasn’t been written about or has been written about so little that you just might get credited with the ‘discovery’. Like the ancient explorers, we want to be the first- but there is of course a downside. Telling the world about a destination can change or even destroy it.

Arrival in Hambongan Island

When you find a place that is beautiful – whether you are the first or any that come after, you have a responsibility to help preserve and protect it so that you are not the last to see it. Nothing could be so sad as to see the last of a species, the last sight of a beautiful place or the end of a beautiful ecosystem.

Elementary Students in Hambongan Island

It’s for this reason that the RARE Conservation Fellows (CF) have become so important to the protection and preservation of both flora and fauna in delicate ecological areas. The mission of CF’s are to adapt and replicate demonstrated solutions by effectively implementing a community based solution.

Inabanga Mayor Jose Jono Jumamoy

What this boils down to is teaching communities to be more sustainable through the use of new tools, effective training, economic incentives, and to promote a change in the way people look at the world around them. RARE wants people to see the value of what is all around them.

An afternoon in Hambongan Island

It was with these ideas in my head that I sat on the two hour bus ride to the town of Inabanga on the beautiful island of Bohol. Inabanga is a small town but one that takes pride in it’s beauty and uniqueness through the help of its effective local government and civic organizations. With this in mind, I was not surprised when we were welcomed to Inabanga with a parade and a celebration consisting of students, government officials and local residents.

RARE CEO Brett Jenks

The parade wasn’t so much to celebrate us as it was a response to a call everyone had put out to preserve and protect the incredible natural beauty and resources of nearby Hambongan Island with a marine conservation program. The entire town came out in support of the program and it’s energetic champion, Mayor Jose Jono Jumamoy – who is the youngest mayor in the Philippine history. Of course, that’s not surprising in the town that was the birthplace to Francisco Dagohoy – the man who led the longest revolt in Philippine history from 1744-1829 – rightly called the Dagohoy Rebellion.

Hambongan Island in Bohol

I was there with a team of Conservation Fellows and with the Mayor, we all headed down to the port to see some of the program and what was being done to protect Hambongan Island. We were met by volunteers and elementary school students who welcomed us with seashell leis and huge amounts of enthusiasm. With speeches and a delicious lunch, the launch of the program got under way.

Ruins in Inabanga Bohol

First we had a tour of the island itself. A big part of the conservation program is to understand the amount of destruction that practices such as dynamite fishing cause – from the destruction of coral reefs to actually cracking the school buildings on the island!

Sari-Sari Store

The program has aimed at teaching local fisherman about the long term destruction caused by things like dynamite fishing and cyanide fishing.

Kid’s Pastime in the Island

The Philippines is home to 488 of the 500 known coral species and as pointed out by RARE Senior Vice President from UK, Paul Butler – many of these are becoming endangered or have already gone extinct.

Over the past few years, locals have come to realize that destruction of the reefs means destruction of their livelihood, their way of life and their home.

Philippine Marine Protected Areas

RARE members from around the globe were in attendance on the island and the locals welcomed them with indigenous dance, hearty applause for the speeches and more than a little bit of excitement as RARE CEO Brett Jenks and RARE Philippines Director Stuart “Estong” Green awarded a plaque to the community leaders for their fantastic efforts for the “Saving Meloy – Hambongan Islands RARE Pride Campaign.

Continuation – Saving Meloy – Hambongan Islands RARE Pride Campaign

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Davao City : Home of the World’s largest Eagle

melo — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 23:07:30 +0000

It’s our second day in Davao and since we hired a Toyota Van, we decided to visit the Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos Davao City. It has been more than five years since I last visited this park and I saw a lot of improvements.

Philippine Monkey Eating Eagle

The trees have grown and the place looks like a well maintained man made forest with a beautiful landscape. They constructed a film center where Philippine Eagle documentaries can be viewed, its intention is to build awareness for the conservation of “Haring Ibon” (Philippine Eagle).

Our tour guide

Upon entering the park, we were welcomed by a “poser” tour guide, a male “pusakal” (street cat). The lovely cat constantly followed Gail until we reached the eagle center. In the middle of our walk, the cat suddenly stopped following us and started posing for a pictorial. We immediatly grabbed our cameras and pointed it to the “camera / attention whore” cat. Oh Well, we enjoyed that pit stop.

Philippine Eagle Center

The Philippine Eagle Centre used to be primarily a breeding and conservation facility, but it has opened its doors to students, locals and foreign tourists for educational purposes.

Monkeys in Philippine Eagle Center

Like the American bald eagle is to the United States, the Philippine Eagle or “The Monkey Eating Eagle”, is now known as the National Bird of the Philippines.

Flowers in Davao Eagle Center

According to Wikipedia, The Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) or Banog (the local name) is the tallest, and one of the rarest, largest and most powerful eagle in the world. This bird of prey, or raptor, belongs to the family Accipitridae and also called “Haribon” or “Haring Ibon,” meaning “Bird King.”

Philippine Eagle Park

Apart from the wide collection of Philippine birds, the park also showcases the best of Philippine Flora and Fauna.

Davao’s Colorful Flora

The park is sorrounded with colorful flowering plants and various endemic trees. No wonder, The Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos is considered as the country’s best eco-tourism destination. The Philippine Eagle Centre is located in Malagos, Baguio District in Davao City. If you have inquiries about the eagle park, you can email them at info[@]philippineeagle.org or you may call them at +6382-2243021.

Philippine Crocodile

How To Get There:

To get to the PEC in Malagos, you can hire a taxi in Downtown Davao, it will only be a 45 minute drive to reach the Philippine Eagle Concervation Park. If you prefer to go there by Bus, Calinan Bound Buses departs from the Annil Terminal located at the corner of Quirino and San Pedro Extension every 15 minutes. From Calinan, you need to take a pedicab to reach the eagle centre.

Before entering the park, the Davao City Water District will collect an entrance fee of P5 for adults and P3 for kids. Entrance fee in the Philippine Eagle Centre is only P50 for adults and P30 for 18 years old and below visitors.

If you want to hire a van for a Davao day tour, you may contact Dan de Castro at +63927-9417888

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Island Hopping in Cebu with Islands Banca Cruise

melo — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:51:51 +0000

One of my readers got confused about island hopping… she asked “How can you go to an island and do island hopping? Aren’t you stuck on the island?” – It’s a fair question if you’ve never been to Cebu. Cebu is so much more than an island. More like a small continent surrounded by few beautiful islands. If Cebu were a planet it would be a planet like Jupiter that has many moons around it that are actually bigger than most planets. Do you see what I mean?

Pandanon Island in Bohol

All I ‘m trying to say is that Cebu is a great place to base yourself if you plan on doing some island hopping while you are in the Philippines. Not only is Cebu a great island to explore, filled with resorts and plenty to do, but since it is a major international city and a hub of the Philippines it means you can pretty much go to wherever you want to go from Cebu!

Getting Ready for Island Hopping

Cebu was once before known and marketed internationally as “An Island in the Pacific” and surprisingly some foreighners that time who visited Cebu doesnt even know that the island is part of the Philippines.

Welcome Aboard

Radisson Blu Cebu actually offers an Island Hopping Tour which begins at Mactan Island on the northeast side of Cebu. Mactan is reachable by road so even though we island hopped, we won’t count that as part of the tour.

Islands Banca Cruise Staffs

Now, let me warn you, most island hopping cruises are on small pump boats or maybe worn down cruisers but the one we had was something totally different. Big deck, bean bags, comfy chairs, iPod dock so we could pick our own music and the rest is total luxury. When I saw the boat, I knew I was in for something great.

Lunch Break

Radisson Blue Cebu staff loaded up refreshments and as I watched the boxes and bails come on board, I knew I would probably gain a few pounds – with pleasure I might add. As we motored, I wasn’t forced to stare at the empty sea. I used the onboard wi-fi while I sat in the cabin munching fresh fruit. The boat holds up to thirty people – comfortably I might add… Haha

Planking in Cebu City

This was a small island hop since we had plans at the Radisson Blu Cebu for the mid-afternoon. So we went to Gilutungan Marine Sanctuary where we had an incredible snorkeling adventure and then we went all the way to Pandanon Island which is already part of Bohol. The awesome Cebuano crew and amazingly luxurious banca made this an afternoon of island hopping that I will certainly never forget.

Want to experience island hopping in Cebu? Take the islands with you! Heres the contact information of Islands Banca Cruise : Telephone: (+63 32) 236 4896(+63.32) 516.1903Mobile: (+63.917) 6300.736 Email: info@islandsbanca.com Web: www.islandsbanca.com YM Chat: islandsbancacruises@ymail.com Twitter Account: @islandsbanca

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Pico Sands Hotel in Hamilo Coast

melo — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:05:14 +0000

Theres nothing more relaxing than waking up seing a huge man-made lake sorrounded by limestone cliffs and untouched rainforest in your hotel window while sipping a freshly brewed coffee in a cold foggy morning. Gosh! The last time I felt this was a couple of years ago while in the island of Batanes.

Room with a View

Hidden away on the gorgeous shores of Nasugbu in Batangas, the Hamilo Coast is one of the Philippines best kept secrets with lush mountain rainforest, gorgeous beaches and secret coves waiting to be discovered.

View from my hotel window

Amidst this wonderland is the perfect place to spend your vacation, The Pico Sands Hotel – a boutique hotel of incomparable quality that offers 150 rooms with huge interiors, a custom landscaped private pool area and plenty of in house entertainment and recreational activities that you might even forget to go out exploring.

Hamilo Coast Beach Club

Whether you seek to get away from it all and treat yourself to elegant or alfresco dining or you just want to have some quiet time lounging on the shores of the Pico de Loro Cove, this unique club hotel allows guests and members the perfect opportunity to do both.

Great Food at Pico Cafe

With spacious rooms, a spa, fitness center, and more than a little luxury – the Pico Sands Hotel will be the highlight of your visit to the Hamilo Coast.

Lobby Bar

Don’t worry, while the hotel and resort are primarily for members, guests can enjoy the accommodations too for a daily fixed rate. This fee makes you a member with all the privileges during your stay and you can enjoy all the facilities from the pool to the bowling lanes, badminton courts, ktv and all. One caveat is that during the week you must present an invitation letter from a member or be accompanied by a member during the weekends.

Hotel at night

The surrounding area contains vast tracts of unspoiled wilderness and more than twenty five kilometers of unspoiled, undeveloped coastlines. All of this adds up the ultimate leisure playground developed by SM land as a private members and guests residential resort.

Hotel Vanity Kit

Pico de Loro is an eco-friendly experience and SM Land has worked hand in hand with the World Wildlife Fund of the Philippines to make sure the natural beauty and wonders of the area are preserved and protected. With over 99 species of fish and 45 bird species of which 38 are indigenous with eleven endemic to the Philippines, this is a place for nature lovers to revel in the glory of the coves abundance.

Inside The Rain Spa

The Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club boasts pools, bowling, billiards, basketball, tennsi, badminton, squash, Wii, toddler play areas, game rooms, karaoke rooms, library, ballrooms, and much much more. It is the crown jewel in the Pico de Loro community.

Pico Cafe

This is all in addition to the wealth of outdoor activities like biking, kayaking, sun bathing, running, and swimming. Among the activities we had in Hamilo Coast, I really enjoyed the 90 minute vitality massage at The Rain Spa. The Spa therapist were all polite and very accommodating and I am very likely to feel tempted to visit the place for an overnight spa treatment.. hmmm why not?

To get there, you will need to drive 2-3 hours from Manila on the much touted Tagaytay-Nasugbu Route or take a 90 minute ferry ride from the pier at the Mall of Asia Complex to the neighboring Papaya Cove. SM Land is currently seeking to shorten the drive time to as little as an hour and a half which will be a boon for both members and residents.

For more inquiry, rates and reservation at Pico Sands Hotel, call (02) 858 0333 or log-on to www.hamilocoast.com.

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Hamilo Coast Regatta 2011 : Celebrating the Coastal Lifestyle

melo — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 05:29:33 +0000

For some reason when I imagine a perfect coastal community, I always picture sailboats. Maybe that’s the reason all those Renaissance artists painted puffy white clouds – they were really thinking of sails.

One of the Sailing Teams in Hamilo Coast Regatta 2011

The truth is there is little that makes you feel so alive as having the sea breeze in your face and the wind filling your sails. In fact, just watching can put you in a special zone of relaxation. Maybe it’s the endless variations of blue tints and hues…one thing for sure, it is Paradise.

Colorful Sail Boats

I was fortunate to be invited last weekend to a very eco-friendly sailing event that took all the stress out of my bones and made me sure that paradise awaits all sailors. Myself and a group of fellow travel writers and photographers were invited to the 2011 Hamilo Coast Regatta. While this was my first time in Hamilo Coast in Nasugbu Batangas, you can be sure that I will go again and again.

Racers Briefing at the Beach Club

The Hamilo Coast is on it’s way to becoming one of the premier eco-destinations in the Philippines with SM land and the WWF working together to develop sustainable green eco-tourism and lifestyles along the thirteen coves, wild coastline, and vast hectares of verdant forests in the area.

Sailors Warming Up

In just a short time, the property has become the premier destination in Nasugbu Batangas and a part of that was this wonderful event. The wind was much friendlier during the second day of the race so we decided to watch and take photos of the racers up-close by riding the spectator speed boat provided by the Hamilo Coast. Did I say the wind is friendlier? Oh It was a whole lot of pure exhilirating fun

Think Green – Join the Philippine Regatta Series

PHINSAF, a group of sailing aficionados grouped with SM Land to hold the most celebrated Regatta event. In the event, ocean lovers including many PHINSAF members sailed Hobie 16s for the first time in the area much to the delight of the participants like us and those who watched from the shore.

Maria Vidueira and her teammate John Hagedorn proudly display their Louie Coson memorial trophy as winners of the Hamilo Coast Regatta 2011 masters division.

“This event is a means for us to show the world our support for the sport of sailing, in keeping the overall vision for Hamilo Coast” said Rona Torres-Tan, Senior Vice President of Costa del Hamilo Inc. (CDHI) “ Though the Regatta, she said, Hamilo Coast seeks to show how it will define and redefine the coastal lifestyle in the Philippines”.

Getting Ready to Jump

She went on to explain that the Hamilo Coast is a chance to expand on the definition of the Coastal Lifestyle in the Philippines and that this sort of event not only supported the environment but also encouraged protection of it. They envisioned the property to be the center of water activities and eco-activities for the entire region and the regatta is the flagship event. The value of environmental sustainability is important to PHINSAF and as the organizers pointed out – sailing is about as environmentally friendly as it gets. In addition, sailing gets participants close to nature and thus nurtures sustainable ethics and values.

Hamilo Coast celebrates the coastal lifestyle with the 2nd Regatta series organized by PHINSAF.

“The sport of sailing is very eco-friendly – it does not use any fossil fuels to power boats, instead, they use the natural wind. What’s more is that sailors are usually also very environmentally-aware as they are so close to the elements in the practice of their sport. You cant get closer to mother nature, to your co-sailor, than when you’re sailing — its just you, the sun, the sea, the wind” said Monchu Garcia of PHINSAF.

Ridgely Balladares and Romer Chavez (center) are this year’s champions of the Hamilo Coast Regatta; with them are PHINSAF race official, Jerry Rollin; Elizabeth Sy of Hamilo Coast and Rona Torres-Tan, Senior Vice President of Hamilo Coast.

The Hamilo Coast is the perfect place for that and the members only Pico de Loro Cove Beach and Country Club brings luxury, eco friendly ethics, and spectacular beach and mountain activities and settings. The Pico Sands Hotel, an Exlusive 150-room hotel hosted participants and guests at the Regatta.

Hamilo Coast is accessible by the Tagaytay route going beyond to Nasugbu Batangas which takes approximately 2 ½ to 3 hours. By air on helicopter, travel from the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City will take as little as 20 minutes.

** I misplaced one of the SD Cards I used during the Regatta event:( Many thanks to Amiel M. Mendoza of http://www.eon.com.ph for sharing the photos.

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