My recent trip to Pagsanjan, Laguna was capped with a boat ride to the Pagsanjan Falls. Unfortunately, the view of the falls wasn’t that amazing as I thought it would be.

For more pictures of Pagsanjan Falls in Laguna, check out the photo gallery.

A week-end trip to Subic, Olongapo City for a ski ride, Zoobic Safari tour and kart racing.

More pictures in the gallery.

Want to go on a trip to the La Mesa Ecopark? Check out this entry.

The SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City is the home of the largest cinema in the country - the IMAX.

View the Picture Gallery here.

The natural world of Malagos Garden in Davao.

A small garden, named Malagos Garden Resort in Davao City hosts a rich collection of rare indigenous Philippine flora and wide assortment of orchids. Several species of butterflies also thrive in its enclosed sanctuary. Within its area, a bird park has been built to shelter rescued and rehabilitated birds. Make precious moments come true with your families, and friends at Malagos Garden Resort. Come and spend your weekend here and discover a whole new world of nature. A hidden place in the mountain where you’ve always dreamt you could be one and alone with mother Nature. Come and discover your own hidden paradise on earth. Come to Malagos Garden Resort. An adventure for both body and mind, Malagos Garden Resort also offers day tours and vacation tours for families and tourist groups.

Visit the Malagos Garden HomePage.

The Patio Pacific in Boracay.

Patio Pacific, formerly known as Pink Patio, welcomed its first guests in 1990. It is considered one of the best resorts in the country, representing quality service; distinct Filipino hospitality and total customer satisfaction. Then a modest 8-room paradise has bloomed into a 60-room, Triple A rated resort accredited by the Philippine Dept. of Tourisim. It also won the” RESORT OF THE YEAR 2002″ Award in Region VI through the Kalakbay Awards - the award-giving body of the Toruism Industry. The resort is just few minutes away from the major attractions such as the famous dive spots, bars and restaurants, the wet market and souvenir shops. Its perfect location spells convenience for you. So pack your bags now and experience Boracay with Pink Patio.

Getting there and away.

Arrival
Caticlan is the jump-off point to Boracay at the jetty port, where most travelers arrive either from Caticlan airport or from Kalibo airport. Bancas (motorized outrigger boats) transport passengers to Boracay Island. The boat trip takes 15 to 25 minutes to the island.

Porters
At the Caticlan jetty port the uniformed porters are more than happy to help with heavy luggage. The going rate for porters is 5 -10 Peso per piece of luggage, depending on the size and weight. Always have small change ready.

Transportation
On the island public transportation is mainly by tricycle (motorbike with sidecar). Tricycles for island trips can be rented through the resort’s Front Desk staff. Other means of transportation are mountain bikes and motorbikes. Motorbikes along the White Beach and the beach path are however forbidden by law.

Departure
If you take a flight from the Kalibo airport you should depart the island at least 4 hours before the scheduled flight while 2 hours for the Caticlan airport.

The summit of Mount Arayat in Pampanga.

Mount Arayat is a dormant volcano with an area of 3, 715.28 hectares situated in Pampanga. Legend says it is the home of Mariang Sinukwan, a fairy who safeguard the mountain’s foliage and wildlife. At the foot of the mountain is Mt. Arayat National Park, a picnic site with lush foliage, natural waterfalls, two swimming pools, and a countless variety of unique and interesting flora and fauna. One would be delighted to experience the cool breeze, natural spring water that fall from the mountains. At this point, even without any infrastructure, busloads of foreign and local tourists regularly flock to several private resorts in Arayat, as well as the government-operated Mount Arayat National Park in Barangay Bano.

How to get to Mount Arayat.

From San Fernando, ride a jeep going to Arayat, Pampanga. The fare would be approximately Php 20.00/person. From Arayat town proper, hire a tricycle going to the resort, fare is only Php 40.00. Resort and park entrance fee is Php 30.00 for adults, Php20.00 for children. The swimming pools have an entrance fee of Php10.00/pool. Cottages can be rented for as low as Php60.00.

The Roaring Rapids of Pagsanjan.

In recent years, Pagsanjan has become the leading travel destination spots in the Philippines. About 700 tourists from all corners of the world visit Pagsanjan daily (reaches 1,000 on summers). The tourists are ferried to the enthralling Pagsanjan falls in native bancas paddled by expert boatmen. They all experience a exciting memory of adventure, seldom surpassed in their lifetime. It is on this return that one has to shoot the rapids … an unforgetable thrill of a lifetime.

Before reaching the gorgeous Pagsanjan falls, one may behold many mini-falls, especially during rainy days. The first of this mini-falls is the “Talahib falls”. Farther are the “Kaluykuy” falls and the misty “Bridal Veil falls”. The other mini-falls, numbering more than nineteen during rainy months, have no names. Pagsanjan Falls Lodge and Summer Resort is a major launching point for boat rides to the great falls…beginning where most other journeys end. The first resort built in this Laguna town of folk rites and sweet lanzones; it offers first class amenities in rustic surroundings.

Where is It?

About 102 kilometers southeast of Manila, the tranquility of Pagsanjan town is bounded by the Municipality of Lumban in the north, the Municipality of Cavinti in the south, the Grand Canyon of the province of Laguna in the east, and the municipalities of Sta. Cruz and Magdalena in the west.

The Chocolate Hills.

Nearby to the little village of Loboc on Bohol there are the Chocolate Hills. It is about 25 kilometers away, so for the sporty people it is possible to do this on a mountain bike. The Chocolate Hills are a strange phenomenon. There are about 1270 of these hills, which are almost of the same height, overgrown with grass. At the end of the dry season the grass turns brown, so they look like chocolate hills. A cruise along Loboc River will take passengers upstream passing by large vegetations of palm trees, coconuts and other tropical flora. Another show up is the visit of smallest monkeys on earth known as “Tarsiers”. Sure enough, the Chocolate Hills are everything they are made up to be: beautiful, eerie, and nicest when the sun comes up.

Where is It?

If you come via Manila, you’ll probably want to take a connecting flight to Tagbilaran, which takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes. It is also possible to take a boat to Bohol, but will take 25 hours, and is only advisable if you have plenty of time and enjoy a trip on sea. If you come from Manila, you can also go to Cebu by air, and then continue by boat. There are numerous daily flights from Manila to Cebu. The flying time is about 50 minutes. The transfer by taxi from the airport to the pier takes about 30 minutes in normal traffic conditions. The following airlines fly on the from Manila to Cebu: PAL, Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines, Asian Spirit, Astro Air, and Grand Air.

The Hundred Islands in Pangasinan.

This National Park covers a land area of 1,884 hectares with 124 islets (during low tide and 123 on high tide). However, only three (3) islands have been developed for tourists namely: Governor, Quezon, and Children’s Island. Of the three (3) Islands, only the Governor’s Island keeps a Guesthouse which is ideal for family use. The bahay kubos at Children’s Island are for budget travellers as it consists only of screened bedrooms with kerosene lighting and one (1) drum of fresh water and linens. Quezon Island is for picnickers and campers. Hundred Islands was established as a park on Jan. 18, 1940 under Proclamation No. 667 issued by the late President Manuel L. Quezon making it the first national park, and in whose honor the biggest of the islands was named. The islands are mainly composed of coralline limestone, characterized by a wide reef flat. A highly diverse ecosystem supports a variety of marine and terrestrial floral and fauna and wildlife resources while various marine resources such as sea grasses, corals and numerous fish species abound in the waters.

How far is it?

The Hundred Islands National Park in Brgy. Lucap, Alaminos City, Pangasinan is 250 kms. from Manila.