How far can Bubbles go?

Travel Date: April 19, 2015      One weekend, we decided to ride a bus to Tagaytay to hike the smallest volcano in the country.  We took the DLTB bus bound to Nasugbu and we got off to Rotonda Tagaytay and rented a tricycle to take us to Talisay.  From there, we rented a boat to take us to Taal Volcano jump off point.      Taal Volcano is currently active, but it is safe to hike.  The trail is steep and dusty.  You can walk up to the crater for 2 hours or simply just ride a horse.  We chose to walk instead and at the same time we caught all the dust from the horses that are carrying tourists.  Since I don’t exercise, I easily get tired and out of breath.  I stopped a couple of times to rest and determined that I will reach the top soon, even when there were times that I feel like I want to pass out.        Near the top of the crater, there are a few areas where hot steam comes out of the...

Travel Date: November 26-27, 2014 The Long Mile Barracks      The Japanese-American War during WWII happened many years ago, but its battlefields remain some of the most popular historic landmarks we have in the country.   One of the most important is Corregidor Island.      But the trip here is quite expensive if you will book a regular rate.  Luckily we grabbed a good deal at CashCashPinoy website for a package tour to Corregidor.  It includes hotel accommodation, guided tour, lunch buffet, and a round trip ferry transfer.      Here in Corregidor Island you will journey back in time and tour through tunnels, ruins, batteries, and graves via tranvia bus.  The tour guide will bring the battleground to life through stories plus the light and sound animation effects inside the Malinta Tunnel (main tunnel only).  With the guided tour, you will learn more about the island aside from the information t...

     Whether you are an art enthusiast or not, you will love Pinto Art Museum located inside a village in Antipolo City.  The museum is big enough for you to consume 2-3 hours going around and interpreting their artworks.  The galleries are painted in white and designed like a vacation houses.  The garden is lovely.  It’s like you’re spending some time in your favourite resort.      They have great collections of Filipino contemporary arts.  Colourful paintings and even black and white.  Intricately designed mixed media and sculpture - small and big.  So many for your eyes to feast on.      If you get tired and hungry, you can visit their cafe and order some food and drinks.  Although, we never tried it.  They look delicious, I guess...       I highly recommend this place because it’s not your ordinary type of museum.  It’s educational, enjoyable, and rela...

Travel Date: June 15, 2014      A popular day trip among locals and just 2 hours away from Manila, we travelled to Tanay, Rizal to visit Daranak Falls and Calinawan Cave.       The hike to the falls is easy and near the entrance area.   Entrance fee is cheap and you can rent a cottage if you want.  There are public toilets and canteens to order food.  The falls is small and the water is clear.  It is deep so you can jump if you want.      After the falls, we hired a guide to bring us to Calinawan Cave.  For only 15 or 30 minutes of hike, we reached the area and hired another guide to the cave.  Going down the cave we saw stalactites and stalagmites.  What amaze me were the shiny stalactites crystals.  I never expect that I will see one here because of its proximity to Manila.  There were number of levels to explore, but we did the easy one.  The cave is beautiful and f...

     It was my lucky day!  Finally, I could see now the entire volcano!  But it was my second visit already.  The first time I went here, I never got a chance to see its peak because it was covered with clouds.  The view is really breathtaking! Cagsaua Ruins Where to Stay?     Mayon Backpackers Hostel

Travel Date: April 6, 2014      You have to see this ancient artwork!  The carvings that are believed to date back late Neolithic Age (6000 BC to 2000 BC) are engravings of animals, people, and other shapes.  It was the national artist Carlos “Botong” Francisco who discovered the engravings in 1965 while leading a boy scout troop on a hike.      If you are fond of history and know how to appreciate a high value treasure, it is a must that you visit this site.  Also, there is a small museum for artifacts and something to read about the discovery.      To protect the petroglyphs (scientific name for carvings), they installed a wooden view deck to prevent the visitors from touching it.  Some are hardly visible.  I think you really need to get really close to observe and identify some of the carvings.  How to get there?      The easiest and cheapest way to go there if you are com...

Travel Date: May 1-3, 2014      Perhaps you know how beautiful Boracay, Bohol, Cebu, and Palawan.  But have you heard that there are amazing rock formations at Northern Samar?      Shaped and sculpted in million of years, these rock formations can be found in Biri Island.  The difficulty of travelling to this tiny island remains the province untouched and hidden from most tourists.  There are few hotels, guest houses, and restaurants.  Motorcycles and boats are the only means of transportation.  And the electricity supply is only available from 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight.      Around the formations, you can see a great number of corals, mangroves, seaweeds, sea urchins, sponges, fishes, and natural water pools.  The natural water pools are crystal clear and shallow.  You can swim in one of the pools all by yourself.  Then imagine that you are in paradise while listening to the sound of w...

     Riding a bus on our way to Ifugao once again is not to see the famous Banaue Rice Terraces, but this time to see the Batad and Nagacadan Rice Terraces, both listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Batad Rice Terraces      Not knowing the difficulty of the hike can be of advantage somehow, because it gives you the courage to go on.  Well, the guide told us that it was 2.5 hours going down and another 2 hours to the falls.  And he said in a humorous way that after this trip we will curse Batad for the experience it gave us.  Oh yes, at first it was easy to go down which I can manage to walk for hours until we reached the restaurant with the magnificent view of Batad Rice Terraces.       After feeding ourselves with nutrition, we started our hike again, this time to the Tappiya Falls .  We traversed through the rice paddies of Batad and once we got to the middle, we were amazed with the stunnin...

Travel Date: February 14, 2014      It was Valentine’s.  That day most couples were celebrating in restaurants, hotels, and resorts.  But we want to spend our heart’s day in a different way, so we opted to climb Mount Batulao, a favorite day hike among adventure enthusiasts and mountaineers located in Nasugbu, Batangas.  Just 2 hours away from Manila and near to Tagaytay, we did this trail for only a day.      Mount Batulao has an elevation of 813 meters.  A good start for beginners, but not the easiest mountain to hike.  So a day trip can be really tiring.  You only have 15 to 30 minutes to rest, then it’s time again to move on.       It was my first time to hike a mountain, but not for my boyfriend.  Also, I don’t have a proper clothes and shoes.  My body was not prepared for this, but I’m determined to reach the highest peak.  There were times that I hold on to grasses an...

Travel Date: May 15, 2013      Last year, my wish to watch the famous Pahiyas Festival finally happened in an instant decision.  No itinerary or preparation, we drove all the way to Lucban, Quezon with just a map and cameras.      The Pahiyas Festival is held every 15 th of May, where the people of Lucban celebrate good harvest in honor of San Isidro de Labrador.  At the town proper, the houses are creatively decorated with fruits, vegetables, rice stalks, and leaves to symbolize prosperity of their agriculture.      During the festival and procession, we walked all around the town center to watch the parade and see the houses boasting their designs.  The parade includes carabaos decorated with vegetables and fruits, higantes, cowboys on their horses, and ladies dressed in indigenous materials designed by local designers.  We got hungry from walking, so we ate pancit habhab, one of the most popular di...

Travel Date: April 20-21, 2013     It took time for me to write my trip to Zambales last summer.  Not because I don’t like the place, but I’m just too lazy and busy nowadays.  So here are my reviews of the coves and islands we visited. A summer getaway with friends in a perfect weather and without the comfort of hotel or guest house. Anawangin Cove       Anawangin Cove was our first stop.  It has a beautiful mountain backdrop, crystal clear river, and what makes it unique are the Agoho trees surrounding the area.  A favorite camping site among travelers because of proximity from Pundaquit.  Also, the boat transfer is much cheaper.  Although, I was disappointed to see littered items and animal waste along the beach.      After we explored Anawangin Cove for a couple of hours, we moved to Nagsasa Cove where we pitched our tent for the night.  It was hot like hell, but the first time camping exp...

Travel Dates: February 24-25, 2013      This large property of Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan is distinct in design and location.  Mr. Acuzar with his passion for old Spanish houses brought the old houses from the different part of the Philippines, restored it and put all together in one place to form a village.  It’s like you stepped back in time as you look at the old Spanish mansions around you transformed to its old glory.      Our one night accommodation was a birthday present from my boyfriend.  I enjoyed every minute of our stay here with very romantic scenery of old Spanish houses, brown sand beach, lovely pool to swim, vast rice farm, river that flows under the arch stone bridge to the sea, and majestic mountain in sight.       Each of the heritage houses, with 2-6 bedrooms, is available for rent.  Currently the hotel rate is ranging form Php 10,800 to Php 19,000 a night.  ...