Malalison Island Day Tour

I did want to have some adventures during my stay in Iloilo so my brother and I decided to go out of town and to the place named "Culasi". He recommended the Malalison Island (sometimes being called as "Mararison" because of the dialect of locals who lived there) which I heard is a remote and beautiful place. We went there for a day tour only and I know it's kinda "bitin" (short) but the place was so spectacular and I mean it.

We took a Van from Iloilo City (since we were not able to catch the Bus) for 6 hours just to reach the Culasi terminal and from there we rode a tricycle going to the port. We then rented a boat going to the island. In the port, we have to register and pay some fees there. (Tip: It would be nice to group yourselves to 5 to minimize the fees of the boat). We arrived at the Malalison Island around noon time and we hired a guide to tour us around the mountain side of the Island. The trail was so easy to trek and reaching the top was way too fast. Indeed, the view up there was worth it. People who have been there called or tagged the place as "The Little Batanes". Our guide told us that the mountain looks like a resting bird with its feathers widely spread out.

Just a side story regarding the sister island, the "Batbatan Island", which was once a tourist destination same with Malalison Island. During those early times, locals taking care of the that Island and those how lived there would put poison on the water they offered to the Tourists for drinking. This is the reason why there were not a lot of Tourists go there anymore and if ever they do visit that place, they will never drink the water the locals offer them. Maybe the locals were not that fond of people going into their home place but still, a little bit scary.

Now going back to Malalison Island, the top of the mountain offers a scenic and panoramic view of the island. Just a perfect place to take some beautiful pictures with different angles. Of course, I didn't let that moment swift away without taking Instagram worthy pictures and of course, for my blog. After the trek, it's time to eat our lunch. It was a bit late already but thankful for the people there because of their hospitality. They cooked food for us and it was good and affordable. Actually, you can even request a dish or style of cooking you want. After eating our lunch, we went to the seaside for a walk. Since we only went there for a Day Tour, we did not have a room for our things. Good thing our guide offered us a "Kubo" where we can put our things safely while we go on swimming.

The Island has a short white sandbar that makes the place looks gorgeous. I even spotted some white foreigners in the island having a good time swimming. The sandbar was so perfect for me. The locals kept on reminding us not to go beyond the sandbar for our safety. I got some photo of the sandbar and a picturesque of Mt. Madja'as in front of the island. The view of the mountain from the island makes me wanna stay a bit longer. I even promised myself to climb that mountain in the near future. There are so much on that Island that I was not able to do or even visited because of lack of time. We even need to chase the last trip going back to the City since the place is a bit far off.

Our way back to the port is a bit adventurous I can say. The boat that fetches us is a bit smaller compared to the previous one who drove us to the Island and we can really feel the waves in the water especially those big ones. I don't know how to explain it but just one wrong move of the driver, the boat will sink. Every time there was a big wave, I feel that we were on top of it and then it tries to pull us down. My brother got so nervous that time and did not even moved an inch thinking that the boat will sink if he does. And as for me? Yeah, I felt nervous a little but enjoyed most of the ride and even got excited. That was my first time riding a small fishing boat, four of us and in an open sea. :D

My experiences there was kinda fulfilling for me and adventurous. It was my first adventure alone (without my husband whom I kept on relying) along with my not so little brother. I would really recommend the place to visit for those who love adventures. I would advise you to stay for a night, go for island hopping to see the caves at the back of the Island, diving/snorkeling, trek the mountains and talk to some friendly locals about the history of the place. Going to remote places like this will make you a new person. Feel and embrace what nature can bring you.

"Let nature heal your soul, sometimes we need that."

Preset By: Arjhay de Leon

Iloilo City Escapade

I was so excited when my husband booked my plane ticket going back to our hometown. It's a blessing in disguise that he went to Cape Town, South Africa for a business trip for two weeks. It gave me enough time to stay in Iloilo. Going back home to our place was nostalgic. Remembering all those happy and sad moments when we were there. The life we have now when compared to before, says it all. Anyway, I have 20 days to enjoy my hometown which means I need to maximize it and make sure that my itinerary should be followed so that I won't miss a thing.

I arrived in Iloilo at 7:00 PM with heavy rain welcoming me and my first dish was laswa (Mixed vegetable soup) and fish. It was so delicious and perfect for the cold night. On my first week, I decided to stay in the house and did some cleaning and fixing of our personal stuffs. I also went visiting families and eating foods where I missed the most. Seeing my family happy and okay was my goal.

I really missed the peaceful nights at our place, the simple lifestyle, the fresh air, the rice fields, chirping of the birds and the smell of the plants and trees during sunrise. For me, this is the life that I've missed and has always been missing when I'm in Manila. Again, I experienced eating without buying anything where I can just pick all the ingredients in our backyard. The taste of the food that my Nanay (Mother) cooked can't be compared to any restaurant I've visited. I have experienced again how to ride a Tricycle in the bumpy rocky road in our town. It was so funny remembering how I have been complaining all of those time when I was still living here. All those times I thought life was so hard but it all changed when I experienced living Manila. Experiencing traffic for hours, flood anywhere and expensive kind of living. I can now just simply say that life in the province is far more better and easy. Reminiscing the past made me laugh and teary-eyed. I am a different person now I can surely say. I have changed a lot. Changed to someone better, stronger, loving and more understanding kind of person. I praise God for that and to all of His promises to my life. Life taught me so much.

Iloilo City I must say, is a well developed city already. Living for 3 years in Manila caused me to miss a lot of things. More buildings were built, more restaurants and bars to hang-out, more amenities to enjoy and many investors coming in. I am so proud to what the City of Smiles has become.

Iloilo has so much to offer as well if going out of town is your trip. My brother was my tour guide during one of my trip outside the city. He let me experienced staying in a well-known resort of San Joaquin, Iloilo, The Assemblage Point Resort and Convention Hub. From Iloilo City proper, it will take you at least 2-3 hrs riding a Jeep. The place has an overlooking view of the sea and it was not crowded. The calmness of the sea gives another flavor of peaceful time during your stay there. This place is perfect if you are looking to relax and be far from the city noise. Booking our stay there comes with breakfast. The room was cozy and comfortable with nice interiors. Expect to have no signal on your mobile phones there and that the place does not offer free WiFi. The place though was a bit expensive for an overnight stay.

My Iloilo itinerary comes with meeting my close friends and trying some new places to hang out. I've been to different restos and coffee shops. My favorite from all of them was the San Jose Café, located in Southpoint Annex. I like their smoothies and sandwiches. The place was cozy and they have excellent customer service. I also did running in a fully developed Esplanade which the City is so proud of. It is estimated to be around 3 kilometers from end to end. The view of the sunset is so dramatic and bizarre. Make sure to have this on your itinerary when going to Iloilo.

The simple life in my province recharged me and helped me to recover from all the stress I have experienced in Manila. All the gala and touring around makes me appreciate what we have. I know there are still a lot of things I might have missed during my 20 days stay in Iloilo but I will be back soon, ready to explore more and enjoy what the place can offer. I just want to thank God for the overflowing blessings we have received from Him and for the good health.

Till next time guys. God bless you all.

Baiyoke Sky Hotel in Bangkok Thailand (Tower II)

This is the continuation of my Thailand story, our last day and night in Bangkok. We headed to the city and checked in to the one of the amazing hotels in Bangkok, The Baiyoke Sky Hotel. We booked our room at the 41st floor. Just perfect view and experience for a luxurious night in the city. The hotel is strategically located in the heart of downtown where you can find all the cheap shopping bazaars, the Pratunam Bangkok.

Baiyoke Sky Hotel is the tallest hotel in Southeast Asia and the second tallest building in the city of Bangkok after MahaNakhon was build in 2016. It is an 88-storey with its height of 328.4 m (1,077 ft.) skyscraper hotel including the antenna. The Hotel features a 360-degree revolving roof deck on the 84th floor and a public observatory on the 77th floor. There is also a "Roof Top Bar & Music Lounge" on the 83rd floor which we didn't experience when we were there due to time constraints. But the place was so nice especially during the night with spectacular view of the city. The Viewing Deck and the Restaurants can still be accessed by anyone even not checked in to the Hotel, just deal with the Entrance Fees :) .

It was a beautiful experience and this was my first five-star hotel experience so far. Seeing the city in a 360-degree view with all the buildings, sky ways and railways going to Suvarnabhumi Airport. We had a lovely and delicious breakfast at the 76th floor with the magnificent view of the sunrise. We were able to taste different cuisine the Hotel offers and we enjoyed it so much. Booking a suite room in Baiyoke Sky Hotel comes with a buffet breakfast for two. The Hotel also offered a Free unlimited Wifi access. One thing that somehow disappoints me is that place was so crowded and the streets around it was so narrow (though I know its in downtown but still, safety is priority). It seems that the location of the hotel is not suitable for its elegance. But when it comes to their rooms, it was luxurious and I will give them a 4 Star and thumbs up.

Sharing you all some more pictures captured during our stay. Enjoy!!!

When in Thailand

It's been awhile since my last International Adventure. Thanks to my very supportive hubby for making this happen. Never in my life did I dream that I will be visiting Thailand and experience its culture. The only thing I know is that Thailand has a famous celebrity (one of my personal favorites) and that is Mario Maurer. But since we have friends there and all the stories I heard from my hubby since he used to work in a Company there years ago makes me wanna visit and explore it. I also wanted to know more about their culture and beliefs. One that amazes me the most is their language too. How they communicate to tourists and why there are many English teacher from Philippines working in their country.

Before anything else, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Cebu Pacific for their promo fare. It's a big plus for our trip since we saved a lot. Without your promo fare we won't be able to experience traveling to different Countries. Perks of staying late at night. 😅

Our itinerary was prepared by my hubby with some help from our friend who is already there. We left home at around 2:00 am for our 5:00 am flight. We arrived in Suvarnabhumi Airport around 8:00 am (9:00AM PH Time) and we headed directly to Pattaya. We took a Bus and traveled for about 3-4 hours. Since we did not have enough sleep due to early flight, we took the chance to get some while in the bus. Thanks to hubby he knows a little Thai language so it somehow helped a bit when asking for directions. It was both our first time to go to Pattaya and we met a lot of foreigners heading there as well. 

When we arrived in Pattaya, we took another 45 Minutes Ferry ride going to Koh Larn, one of the beautiful Islands around Pattaya. The place was so beautiful during the day and peaceful during the night. I've noticed that most of the people there don't know how to speak in English and they were afraid to talk to us. We then settled our things and place to stay for a night. The Resort we got offered free motorcycle for Customers to use to drive around the place the reason it was not hard for us to see most of the place in a few hours only. Koh Larn have beautiful beaches with affordable food and places to stay.  We visited Pattaya view point and some old historical places the island offers. The scenery was so awesome and dramatic and the food was so delicious and tasty. Everything in Koh Larn Pattaya was beautiful.

 Staying only for a night in Koh Larn was a bit short but we need to move to our next itinerary which is going to Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. Another 3 to 4 hours Bus ride again from Pattaya to Bangkok and of course, chance to get some sleep. We stayed in our friend's apartment this time and it was near the old Bangkok Airport. Our Day 2 were almost spent on traveling places to places. We experienced eating dinner on sidewalk food stalls (it is so popular in Thailand) with freshly cooked food served in front of us. The food we ordered were very cheap and delicious (we had Kao Phat Moo, Moo Krook and Tom Yum Goong) and we enjoyed it a lot. Thailand is really all about their affordable foods, lifestyle, and beautiful places.

I was not informed that our Day 3 itineraries in Bangkok were so packed. But thanks to my previous training (jogging and mountain hiking), it helped me a lot when it comes to all day walking and non-stop travels. Our Day started at 7am and it ends at 11pm. It was a continuous roaming around with a combination of riding, walking, eating and taking photos. We visited different Temples during this day. We rented a Taxi with a Thai driver but can speak English very well. He toured us around Ayuthaya, Elephant Camp, Wat Mahathat and Wat Yai Chai Mongkhol. For the price for that trip, I would recommend him to other Tourists since he knows most of the places and he is very friendly.

The ruins in every temple we've visited were fabulous and left me a feeling to know more about their history. They were so beautiful and appealing. It also  makes me wonder how it was built and how it looks like before it was destroyed. How the King of Thailand lead his people in this magnificent Kingdom? You can see it for your I felt puzzled and speechless while roaming around and taking photos. After Ayuthaya, we went to Chatuchak Weekend Market. The market was so overwhelming that at the very moment we arrived, I had no idea where to start and what to buy. Everything in my mind I wanted to buy before this trip were all gone and I ended up buying nothing except for a small souvenirs I brought home. 

Other Photos from temple ruins:

I really felt so sad that time and learned a lesson to make sure to plan out every thing especially when we have a very limited time. And before our Day ends, we dropped by to Asiatique The Riverfront for our Dinner and a couple of beers. We took MTR from Chatuchak going to a Station near the Terminal of the free Ferry Boat going to Asiatique. This place is a large open-air mall in Bangkok. It is situated in the former docks of the East Asiatic Company, and faces the Chao Phraya River and Charoen Krung Road. They have different food selections, the selections of shops is interesting too, with a good range of unusual brands. We had our dinner at Baan Khanitha, a Thai Cuisine and their food were so delicious but a bit pricey. But still it was worth the experience.

Because we were so tired, our Day 4 was limited to Wat Pho, Mont Nom Sut, and Terminal 21 only. Wat Pho, is a Buddhist temple complex in the Phra Nakhon District. Known also as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. It was near the Grand Palace where the body of the late King of Thailand was place and open for visiting. Going here should have in proper dress code. Technically everyone (men and women) should wear long sleeved tops and long trousers. All shoes should have the toes covered as well. Realistically this only applies when you go inside the Reclining Buddha building and any of the bots (chapels). 

I experienced also dropping coins in their 108 bronze bowls in the corridor representing the 108 auspicious characters of Buddha as it is believed to bring good fortune, and it also helps to maintain the place. After Wat Pho, we went to a well-known successful food chain in Thailand, the Mont Nom Sut. Famous for their toasts and milk. Their toasts comes with a variety of delicious fillings (Original Coconut Custard, Coconut Custard, Condensed Milk, Sugar, Marmalade Jam, Chocolate, Corn Soup, Strawberry Jam, Taro Custard) at just 23 baht. Of course, we tried their chocolate, strawberry, condensed milk and pandan fillings with their delicious juices. They also have a variety of breads for sale. Mont Nom Sut is really famous were foreigners and even locals spend time to visit this place. So be patient a bit as you need to wait for a while to get a table were you will enjoy your food. After having snacks, we went to Terminal 21 where we experienced riding their underground train (which my second time after Hong Kong). Terminal 21 brings the dream of traveling the world to downtown Bangkok, with it's cutting-edge concept that places several world-famous cities under one roof.  Here you will experience a lifestyle mall with a personality. A luxurious place for me with a very nice architectural designs and a good ambiance. People who love shopping for branded items will love this place.

Other Photos from Wat Pho:

Our Day 5 was all about Baiyoke Sky Hotel experience and I will just share it with you guys in a different page. 

Our Day 6 was the most painful part, the moment you need to leave and go back home. I will really miss Thailand, their food, lifestyle, transportation, locals and especially my Filipino friend. Special mention to our dearest friend Jane Secula who helped us in planning the trip and letting us stay in her apartment. Thank you friend for everything (our tour guide/interpreter, introducing us to different Thai food, being our UNO master and especially cooking my midnight snack). I know that you had a personal struggles prior this but still you let us enjoy our stay there. My experience and beautiful memories won't be that awesome without your help. And to my hubby whose been very supportive in everything I do, I love you! 😘

Pictures with friends: