Glamping Vacation at Casa Antonio

the welcome sign

As much as possible when going on a vacation, I want it to be hassle and worry free; especially that it would be a birthday treats for me and my sister. So I decided to try glamping – glamour camping. After searching the internet for a glamping site, we decided to head on to Casa Antonio at Calatagan, Batangas.

We get a package of Php 5,000.00 for overnight stay for two inclusive of 3 complete meals (lunch, dinner and breakfast), 1 hour massage, and use of kayak and paddleboard. And since it is glamping, the tent, mattresses, pillows, electric fan and lights are all provided.


Since we went on a Sunday, there are only four (a couple and me and my sister) of us in the campsite. It’s like we own the whole place to ourselves. They even gave as a chance to choose the tent location. And the tent that was provided to us was big; I think it was good for 5 people. The mattress, pillows and blanket was all newly placed in the tent.

our tent at campsite

the beach area

The beach was shallow and clear. At the front of our tent it full of rocks and corals so we always wear our slippers, but on the volleyball area there is already sand but the water is still shallow. On the farthest part there are already sea grasses and the water is still shallow. At the afternoon, the water is hot due to the weather but in the morning it is cold. Since the water is clear, you can see starfish in the corals.

the kayaks and paddle board

the sunset

the sunrise

For the food, don’t expect gourmet food to be served. The cooking is simple but because of the huge amount of serving it will surely compensate to the amount you paid for. I personally love the fried tilapia that was served for dinner and inihaw na bangus for lunch. We were only two but serving of food is good for 4-5 persons.

our dinner, fried tilapia, roasted chicken and sinigang na baboy

our breakfast - fried rice with egg, baloney and danggit

They have common comfort rooms and shower areas wherein you need to walk for a couple of minutes to reach it. The comfort rooms and shower areas are all clean and well maintained.

Since the water is shallow we enjoyed floating around the volleyball area. After floating, we will then try paddle boarding. Since there are only four of us, we can use the paddle board as much as we like. I even learned how to row and stand at the paddle board. And since the water is shallow, it’s not that scary to stumble down; just be careful near the rocky area.

Overall our vacation at Casa Antonio was relaxing and enjoyable. I enjoyed watching the beach as boats of fishermen go by from afar, hearing the waves, looking at the clouds, listening to the birds and some reggae music into the background.

To go to Casa Antonio, you can ride a bus bound to Calatagan at the Coastal Mall terminal. Fare is Php 160.00. Drop off point is at the Calatagan market. Get a tricycle ride and tell them to bring you to Casa Antonio. Fare is Php 50.00 per head or Php 200.00 to hire the whole tricycle. Don’t forget to get the contact number of the driver as you will need it to fetch you on your way home. There are vans at Calatagan market going to MRT Pasay that you can ride when returning to Manila or the bus bound to Coastal Mall. Fare for the van is Php 180.00 and bus is Php 160.00

 

the other side of the campsite

shallow water

Baguio Trip 2016

The last time I went to Baguio City was in 2012 to watch the Panagbenga Festival. After almost five years, I decided to visit again the City of Pines. My destination for this trip is to go to Bencab Museum and eat at Café by the Ruins.

Upon getting off the van at the terminal, I am already shivering due to the intense cold. Add the rain and winds from the storm, the coldness of the place doubles. This is the second time that I went to Baguio during a storm and every time the wind blows, my whole body shivers even if I am wearing a three fourth sleeve blouse and a jacket. 

After checking-in at our hotel, we have a breakfast at a nearby fast food chain. At nine in the morning we are already our way at Bencab Museum. The Bencab Museum showcases not only the works of Mr. Benedicto Cabrera (Bencab) but also the works of other Filipino artist. My sister and I even spotted a work of Mr. Ramon Orlina. Aside from the paintings and statues, you will also be awed by the beautiful garden at the back of the museum. After viewing all the artworks, my sister and I dined in at Café Sabel - a restaurant located inside the Bencab Musuem.

We went back to our hotel after our trip to Bencab Musuem. We took an afternoon nap as we were not able to get a decent sleep during our travel to Baguio the night before. At three in the afternoon, we went our way to go to Burnham Park. We walk our way to Burnham Park since it is near at our hotel.

Even if it was raining, Burnham Park is still crowded with people. There are still people taking the boat ride at the lagoon, kids and young adults riding a mini car, fortune tellers and vendors selling different souvenir and food. When it was already dark, we watched children playing at the colorful fountain area.

We have our dinner at Café by the Ruins. When we arrived we have to wait to be seated as the place is packed by diners. When we were seated, my sister ordered for the bagnet with rice and soup, and I ordered for a beef mignon with rice. To complete our meal, both of us ordered for their brewed coffee. Their coffee has an after taste that is like of a ginger. Even after adding sugar, the ginger taste is still there.

After dinner at Café by the Ruins, we returned to our hotel. Again we walked our way to the hotel, since it also near.

The next morning we went to Our Lady of Lourdes Church which is also near the hotel. We were just in time for the mass. The Church is small but what caught my attention is the altar that is designed just like the place where the children saw the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Of course, the trip to Baguio would not be complete without buying the souvenirs. For the souvenirs, we went to Baguio Market to buy keychains, jams, pastillas and other sweets.

By twelve noon, my sister and I are aboard the bus going back to Manila. Though it was just a short stay, I still enjoyed the trip; especially we were able to accomplish what we came for. I also like the experience of walking around Baguio going to Burnham Park, SM Baguio, the public market, the church and Café by the Ruins.

Walking the streets of Macau

Macau landscape

After our stay in Hong Kong, my friends and I took a one-hour ferry ride to reach the island of Macau. The island of Macau is known for its hotels and casinos that attract a lot of tourist. But aside from the hotels and casinos, Macau has a lot more to offer.

The Venetian Macau

Aside from going to the Venetian and Parisian Macao, what I enjoyed most in our trip is walking around its cobble street of Macau. Since our hotel is just a few meters away from The Ruins of St. Paul and Senado Square, we mostly walked our way going to these tourist destinations.

The Grand Canal inside The Venetian

a view of the Eiffel Tower at The Parisian

It was an uphill walk going to The Ruins of St. Paul. By the time we reach our destination, we were already tired. But instead of getting to The Ruins, we set foot on Monte Fort. Monte Forte is an old stone fort that gives a great view of the towering hotels and casinos. 

A Filipino security guard in the area gave us the direction to The Ruins and told us to come back by ten o’clock for the opening of the Museum of Macau. Following the directions of the security guard we reached The Ruins. The place was crowded by fellow tourists when we arrived. But most of them did not enter the museum located at the back of the stone façade. At the museum are religious artifacts and history of the once Cathedral of St. Paul.

The Ruin of St. Paul

Pictures showing the history of The Ruins of St. Paul

After The Ruins, we make our way to the Se Catedral and Saint Dominic’s Church. As a tradition, whenever I visit churches during my travel, I lighted up a candle at Saint Dominic Church and say a little prayer for my wish to come true.

Se Catedral

Few meters from the Macau Cathedral is the Senado Square or Lago de Senado. The Square is full of colors. The buildings are in pastel colors and the cobbled street is in brown color. There are lots of store in Senado square where you can buy signature clothes, pastries and souvenirs. Fortunately for us, most of the stores in Senado Square are on sale. Key chains, magnets, clothes and other items for souvenirs can be also bought at stores surrounding Senado Square.

Senado Square

directional signage at Senado Square showing the way to tourist spots

We returned to our hotel that day tired from all the walking, but we feel accomplished as we were able to finish our itinerary even just by walking. It was also nice to see the everyday lives of the people of Macau while we walk along their street.

 

The Ngong Ping Village in Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Ngong Ping Village Entrance

When my friends decided that we travel to Hong Kong, I am not too much excited as I am not a fan of shopping, in which Hong Kong is very popular. But after some research, I discovered the Island of Lantau and the wonderful adventure that it has to offer aside from Disneyland.

The Po Lin Monastery, the big Buddha and Wisdom Path are all located in Ngong Ping Village. You can ride a bus from the Shung Tung MTR Station to the Ngong Ping Village or you can also ride the Ngong Ping Cable Car which is much faster and a must-try experience in Hong Kong. The Ngong Ping Cable Car opens at ten in the morning, but I advised that you come early to avoid waiting on a long line.

While at the cable car you will enjoy seeing the landscape of Hong Kong. The 25-minute ride in the cable car will let you see the lush green mountains and plateau, the ferry crossing the Tung Chung Bay, and people trekking to the Ngong Ping Village.

View from the cable car

cable car on the move

When we arrived at Ngong Ping Village, our first destination is the Hong Kong Big Buddha. Be sure to pack up a lot of energy, as your stamina will be tested in climbing up the stairs of the Big Buddha. When you reached the top, take a deep breath and be awed by the beautiful scenery of the Ngong Ping Village.

Tian Tan - the Big Buddha

The view of Po Lin Monastery from the Big Buddha

After the Big Buddha, we walked for fifteen minutes to reach the Wisdom Path. Unlike the Big Buddha, only few tourists went to the Wisdom Path. I was afraid that we might get lost but there is enough signage to point the directions towards the Wisdom Path. The Wisdom Path is composed of thirty eight big wooden monuments, which forms the infinity sign, with Chinese calligraphy. The calligraphy written in the woods are verses of prayers. Again, be ready to get mesmerized with the beauty and tranquility of the place. It is actually a nice place to relax after the tiring climb to the Big Buddha.

the Wisdom Path

Our last stop at Ngong Ping village is the Po Lin Monastery. Many tourists come to this place to say their prayers and give offerings. Despite the crowd, you can still feel a sense of sanctity and serenity. Inside the temple are statues of deities, paintings, and intricate interior designs. There are also three Buddha statues inside the temple where you can say your prayer. After saying a prayer, me and my friends offered some incense.

Po Lin Monastery

Monastery visitors offering incense

Our visit to the Ngong Ping village maybe the most tiring part of our trip in Hong Kong, but for me this is my most enjoyable and most beautiful place that I have visited in Hong Kong.

Exploring Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

A friend of mine, who have visited Hong Kong several times, suggested that if we would be looking for an accommodation in Hong Kong it should be within Tsim Sha Tsui. Her reason is because there are lots of tourist destinations within the area that can easily be visited on foot. I checked the internet and I found myself already enumerating the go to places in Tsim Sha Tsui.


For our Hong Kong Trip, here are the list of places in Tsim Sha Tsui that we visited: St. Andrew Church, Kowloon Park, Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower, Garden of Stars (previously Avenue of Stars), and the Victoria Harbour. Aside from these tourist destinations, Tsim Sha Tsui is also a go to place if you love to shop. Designer stores lined the whole street of Nathan Road and if you’re lucky, you may catch them on sale.


Our first stop is St. Andrew Church, since it was a Sunday and we always see to it that we stop by a church on our every travel. There were no mass when we went there and only three or four people are inside. After praying, me and my friends left the church and went to our next destination.

Our next stop is Kowloon Park. It is not very hard to locate this park; once you see a colorful stairs lined up with statues of comic characters, you are in the right place. Once you entered the park, you will still see more statues of comic book characters. Aside from these statues, another attraction of the park is that it become a home to different kinds of birds, it has a pond with koi fishes and turtles.

After Kowloon Park, we then walk along Nathan Road to go to the Clock Tower at the Victoria Harbour. It was a long walk going to the Harbour, and you don’t need to worry if you are not familiar with Tsim Sha Tsui as there are many directional signage. The Clock Tower is located near the Cultural Center and the Star Ferry and from there you can have a good view of the Hong Kong Island.

We walk along the Victoria Harbour looking for the Avenue of the Stars. Unfortunately because of the ongoing construction in the harbour area, the Avenue of the stars was relocated and is now called the Garden of Stars. Walking along the harbor, we again followed the directional signage until we reach our destination. From the Garden of Stars, you can again see Hong Kong island.

We went back to Victoria Harbour at night to hang out with an old friend. With some beer, chips, and music from local street performers we look at the night lights from the skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island.

My Summer Vacation in Alibijaban Island

It took us roughly ten hours to reach the island of Alibijaban. Upon arrival at the island we were welcomed by the white sands and kids playing by the beach. We opted to rent a room instead of pitching up tents, since one of our friends wanted to have a room. The rooms cost us Php 1,500.00 for an overnight stay. This already includes lights and electric fans.

Alibijaban Island from afar

The house owner is very nice and accommodating. She helped us settle down, making sure that she could provide everything we need for our stay. She lent us their cooking utensils, like a pot for cooking our rice, a grill for our inihaw, a pitcher for our water, some tupperwares to store our food and plates. 

We finished cooking just before eleven in the morning. It was too early to eat lunch so we decided to take a quick dip into the beach. The beach was refreshing after being soaked up in the heat of the sun. Honestly speaking, the beach at this side of Alibijaban is not that beautiful. It is full of stones and weeds are all over drifted by the waves. 

the Alibijaban shore

Before 12 noon, we got out of the water and decided to have our lunch. Our lunch is inihaw na tulingan and salted eggs with tomatoes and onions. We also have green mangoes sliced as our dessert.

After lunch, most of my friends decided to take a nap. I on other hand was not feeling any sleepy. I urged two of my friends to take a walk on the beach. It was a good decision for us to take the walk as the beach area is very windy unlike in the house where we are staying that was hot. After spotting a bench and table under a tree, my friends then decided to take a nap.

At around two in the afternoon, after I took some pictures and my friends awaken from their afternoon nap, we then decided to explore the island. We wanted especially to see the sand bar and mangrove trees in the area which is very popular among tourist.

river full of Mangroves

the shore filled with Mangroves

They say that the sand bar is just walking distance from where we stay. So instead of hiring a banca, we decided to search for the sand bar on foot and by the help of our guide – a black dog. We were walking along the shore when the black dog decided to tag along with us. He even went ahead of us trying to show the way. We also met some town’s people on our way and they also gave out some directions. And most of them are surprised that we are following a dog to lead us to the sand bar. 

After almost an hour of walking, we saw one of the most beautiful part of the island. It has a shore line with mangrove trees. Unlike the pert where we stayed, this place has no weeds and there are only few stones. There was even a floating-like cottage that is invitingly relaxing. We did not wait for long to get a dip into the water. After the long walk, we all wanted to freshen up.

We were also able to get a chat to the caretaker and told us about the sand bar. He said that the sand bar would show up at low tide which is around five in the afternoon. We can wait for the low tide and stay at the cottage but we need to pay for the use of the cottage as it is being rented out. I think we pay for Php 20.00 each to use the floating cottage.

the floating cottage

Unfortunately, we were to able to see sand bar. It was already getting dark, but the low tide has not yet revealed to us the sand bar. The caretaker serves as our bangkero to bring us back to the other side of the island – where our accommodation was located. On our way back, the bangkero stopped and showed us to where the sandbar was supposed to appear. 

We spend our night by the seashore drinking a mixture of beer, gin and powdered juice with chips and boiled sea shells. We enjoyed our day of adventure and getting to know the whole island with its people and their way of living.

the morning at Alibijaban Island