Back Issue: Pahiyas Festival - A Way of Giving Thanks

When : 15 May 2009

Where: Lucban, Quezon, Philippines

The Girls with Kiping

My cousins invited us to witness the annual Pahiyas Festival held in their province. According to Mr. Wiki, Pahiyas Festival is celebrated every 15th day of May and is in honor of St. Isidore (San Isidro), the patron saint of farmers. During this time of the year, street of houses are adorned with agricultural products and the famous kipings. Kiping is a decor painstakingly prepared rice shaped into a leaf which can be eaten later on either by frying or grilling :D

In the duration of the festival, families would display their harvests outside creatively to let their priest bless them. Families would also compete for the title of the best decorated house, and whoever wins will give away all those fruits and vegetables as a free treat for everyone. Of course, a Filipino celebration will not be complete without a parade. The parade showcased the winners for the categories during the festival. She got to ride a carabao! :D

This joyous moment that we experienced was wonderful. The whole day walk that we did was greatly compensated by our eating the entire day. And the meals in between weren't those that one will consider as snacks. We had stuffed eggs, pancit habhab to name a few. Every house that we went to visit will serve sumptuous and mouthwatering food that only a fool can say no to.

Before heading home the following day, we stopped by Kamay Ni Hesus Shrine. The shrine is located at the slopes of Mt. Banahaw in Lucban. The church celebrates a healing mass by the renowned healing priest Fr. Joey Faller. You will also see the 200+ step hill with life size figures depicting the 14 stations of the cross. Upon reaching the top, you will see a huge statue of Jesus Christ. This is a good place to commemorate the Passion of Christ.

To end a weekend trip, we treated ourselves to a nice mais-con-hielo :D yum!

PS: View complete photos here :)

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Posted in: Festivals,Philippines,Quezon

Back Issue: Hard Rockin' Bali

Date:  June 04-06 2010

Destination:  Bali, Indonesia

We joined the post summer get-away of our Kaladkarin friends.  We originally wanted to avail the free and easy package (3D2N Hard Rock Bali) from Take Me To Travel.  The package inclusions are as follows:

R Two-way airfare (SIN-DPS-SIN) via Qatar Airways

R Return airport transfers

R 2 nights stay @ Hard Rock Hotel
R Welcome bucket (beer/softdrink)
R Head and Shoulder massage (30mins)
R 15% off F&B, spa treatment and all merchandises

Unfortunately, there were no available seats for the Qatar flight.  We decided to book our own flight and avail their Land Package instead (everything above, minus the plane transfers :P)

When we arrived, we headed first to the money exchanger in the airport.  The conversion from SGD to IDR is 1:6,400.  We literally were millionaires in Indonesia! :D Hard Rock Hotel (HRH) was a place to fall in love with.  Their halls were categorized as Blue, Jazz, Reggae, etc. :)

We tried to learn how to surf for IDR 350,000 (for two pax) and they will teach you until you can stand up on the waves on your own.  Unfortunately for her (pilyamaldita), she was only able to do a few-second successful attempt.  But that was not the case for him (jaykul), as he was able to conquer the wave on his 2nd attempt \m/

Since Kuta beach is the surfer's paradise, it was not really that fun to swim into.  So we all decided to head to the pool and we had the best pool chillax (pool bar, sand pool, waterfalls, water sports, etc.).  Of course, this travel will not be complete without a SHOP-TILL-YOU-DROP activity ;-)

Their local beer, BINTANG is something you shouldn't miss trying as well!

The getaway was short.  But we got to live like rockstars!  Hard Rock Bali is ♥

 

Photo credits to Leo :)

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Posted in: Asia,Bali,Indonesia,Kaladkarins

The Big Two!

August 08, 2008

They became an official 'couple' when the Beijing Olympics was opened (hence, the name of the site :P).  As itchy as their soles could ever be, they decided that every year, they will have a "quality time" trip together (domestic or international) to celebrate their hatching days and their anniversary.  Their first plan for an anniversary trip was a backpacking trip to Bicol.  

August 08, 2009

...and the backpacking trip did not materialize... It didn't work out because he had to go to Singapore for a work trip.  
But when the universe conspires, there will be a way.  A week before their anniversary, she booked her ticket to Singapore for two reasons, and one of them is to celebrate their first year anniversary together.

August 04, 2010

Thailand Itinerary

Our much awaited trip has finally arrived!  After months and months of saving, planning, and 3 sets of itinerary, we were ready to hit Thailand.  We created a tracker to ensure that the things we planned to do will be within our "budget".  This is how our IT looked like (we purposely removed the amount :)) --->

As we were packing our stuff, the room was a COMPLETE disaster :P  We were putting stuff out of the closet here and there and all the clothes and other things are everywhere!  By 3am and without any place to sleep, here was our checklist:

• Dive Equipments - R
• Swim wear (bathers and board shorts) - R
• 5-day summer clothes - R
• Passports and passes - R
• Toiletries and sunblock - R
• Pocket money - R

After "cleaning up" the room, we hit the sack and put our restless souls to rest even for a few hours.

August 05, 2010

Our flight bound to Phuket, Thailand was scheduled to depart at 1315.  We headed to the airport at 1000 so we will have ample time to roam around Changi.   Before we checked in our luggage, we had our giant equipment duffel bag wrapped by SecureBag for additional safety.  After wrapping, it looked like a giant green blob :P

After checking in, we bought coffee from Starbucks and had our brunch outside our boarding gate (coffee + blueberry strudel is **love**).

Upon arriving in Phuket International Airport, a local telco provider (true move) booth was giving away free sim cards!  We got 2 for both of us, topped up one of them with SG$4.00 and we went our way out to meet our driver who will take us to Club Andaman in Phuket :)

Phuket Accommodation

We stayed in Phuket for a night for one sole purpose... to BUNGY JUMP! We didn't even had the opportunity to take advantage of the hotel amenities neither swim in the infamous Patong Beach.  After checking in the hotel, we changed our clothes and headed off to Jungle Bungy Jump. We originally planned to walk from the Hotel to the jump off area because we thought it was only a kilometre away from where we were staying. It's a good thing we decided to ride the "modernized" tuk tuk because apparently, it was 20mins away by tuktuk!

Upon arriving in Khatu, she was actually undecided whether to jump or not from a platform attached to a 50m crane (pre-jumping jitters). See the following photos to know what happened next :)

3...2...1...BUNGYYY..waaaahhh!!!

3...2...1...Bungy...SPLASH!

After jumping and receiving our CERTIFICATE OF COURAGE, we headed for Thai dinner @ Patong Beach while we waited for the sunset. :)  No shopping was done at this point because this was just the appetizer of our entire trip.  We will be transferring to Phi Phi Island the following day :)

August 06-08, 2010

We woke up a tad early so we can still do some photoshoot around the area after breakfast.  One particular thing that caught our attention were the Tsunami Evacuation signage.  We did some jumpshots and took some photos of the hotel before heading back to the concierge to wait for our transportation to Ao Po Grand Marina pier where the Phi Phi Island Resort boat will take us to our next destination, Phi Phi Island! :D

Phi Phi Island Resort & Spa offers a 5-star service!  We were treated like spoiled royalties (from the pickup from the hotel to the pier to the resort's private speedboat to the resort itself!) Winner na winner!  Here are some snapshots of how SMOOOTTTHHH the trip went :)

Phi Phi Island Resort & Spa is a secluded resort located in Phi Phi Island itself.  That means, no shops, limited restaurant options, quiant, and quiet.  The resort is about 30 minutes from Ton Sai Bay by Long Tail Boat.

Long Tail Boat

We stayed at Phi Phi for 3 days.  Talk about major major relaxation :)  We had buffet by the beach on the first night and Italian buffet on the second (with live band).   The infinity pool is awesome.  It was paradise!
On our 2nd day, we went diving with the resort's inhouse dive centre.  We wanted to dive at Shark

Shore of Phi Phi Island Resort

Point and King Cruiser Wreck but  unfortunately, the sea condition was rough on the northern part of Phi Phi. They brought us in Phi Ley wall and Bida Nok instead, which by the way wasn't a disappointment.  We saw 2 sharks despite the strong strong current cradling us left and right! :) The Phi Ley wall initially had a low visibility and a strong current but the condition got better in the middle of our dive session. Free drinks, free lunch and free fruits!
Maya Bay, a.k.a The Beach is also located in Phi Phi.  We weren't lucky enough to make a trip to this area because of the rough sea condition.  Hopefully we'll come back soon and make a trip to this beautiful lagoon :)

Later in the afternoon, we booked for a 1.5hr Siamese massage spa session.  It was relaxation at its best.  He was a bit ticklish though ;))  Here are some of the island's photos that we took during our stay.

August 08 - 09, 2010

August 08 2010... we turned two years!! :)  This is the last part of our Thailand vacation.  Our last stop: Krabi, Thailand!  At 1300, we were sent to Ton Sai Bay where we rode the boat to Railay Bay.  The transfer was not as smooth as what we had from Phuket to Phi Phi Island but it was okay nonetheless.  We were just too pampered during our previous transfers ;))

The main boat stopped in front of Railay bay, a few hundred metres from the bay itself.  We took a long tail boat to drop us off nearer the bay, however, we had to walk a few more metres, carrying our luggages on top of our heads to reach the resort because it was low tide.  It was a bit of a hassle but once we saw our room, all the ranting was gone :D  It was huge and beautiful!

We stayed at Railay Bay Resort & Spa and stayed in their suite.  It was near the pool and overlooking the sea and the limestones :).  However, just like in Phuket, we weren't able to take advantage of the resort's amenities because we were only staying for a night.

Krabi is every rock climber's paradise.  True enough, the limestones are just gorgeous.  You can see guys and girls alike climbing each and every rock available.  We actually wanted to try rock climbing as well in Krabi but we didn't have time to do so since we arrived later than what we have planned.

We did some shopping in Krabi.  On our way to Krabi International Airport, our driver was nice enough to drop us off in the Outlet Shop first to do some shopping :D  We were able to buy some bags and shorts :D 

Overall, Thailand is a wonderful country, full of friendly and warm Thai people.  We certainly would come back and repeat this wonderful experience :)

Kap Kun Kha! Kap Kun Krub!

   

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Posted in: Anniversary,Asia,Dive,Thailand,Travel

How much of the Philippines?

Here's roughly how much we've seen in our very own country :) We're planning to explore some more :) We will be posting more photos once we get the backup copies we have back home.

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She says:
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My Lakbayan grade is C!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.


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He says:
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My Lakbayan grade is C!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

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Posted in: Philippines,Travel

Advanced Open Water Certification

Location : Pulau Tioman, Malaysia

Dive Operator : Apache Divers (http://www.apachediver.com/)

Budget for this trip : SG$530 (exclusive of pocket money)

Quick facts about Pulau Tioman (Tioman Island)

• Pulau Tioman is located 32km east of Peninsular Malaysia
• Strictly enforced nature reserved (diversed marine life, inland rainforest)
• From Singapore, you can reach Tioman Island through Mersing Jetty (almost 2hr ferry ride)
• Duty Free!
• Water in Pulau Tioman is fairly warm, hence, you can dive without a full suit on! :)

The dive spots in Tioman Island is b.r.e.a.t.h.t.a.k.i.n.g...

We visited 4 dive sites
- Renggis
- Fan Canyon
- Tomok
- Labas

... did 5 dives (Peak Performance Buoyancy, Deep Dive, Night Dive, Navigation and Drift Dive). :)

We encountered an extra large dudddee! (sea turtle), a couple of cuttlefish, and an extra large pufferfish at Renggis. Some of the divers claimed they saw 3-5 sharks. Our dive instructor saw one, but when we tried to look for it, it swam away :(

We saw fusiliers, huge bat fishes, a car wreck, a blue spotted lagoon ray and tons of marine life has to offer. The corals and the rock formation in Labas dive site is very awesome. :D

Here are some of the photos taken from this trip :)

finding nemo?

a huge puffer fish :)

dive / snorkle boats :)

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Posted in: Dive,Malaysia,Pulau Tioman

Back Issue: Kota Kinabalu

Selamat Datang! Here are some facts about Kota Kinabalu!

• Kota Kinabalu (a.k.a KK), formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in Malaysia.
• The five islands (Gaya, Sapi, Mamutik, Manukan and Sulug) comprises the preserverd Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park.

• KK's hottest months are April and May, while December and January are the coldest
• People mainly speak Bahasa Melayu.
• The currency accepted in monetary transactions is Malaysian Ringgit (RM).

The people in KK are hospitable and made our stay truly wonderful :) We stayed in Borneo Beach House (BBH), which by the way offers great service and cheap accommodation. We had a 4-bed airconditioned bunker reserved for us. They can help you book your itinerary as well (such as White Water Rafting, Climb Mt. Kinabalu, Island Hopping, etc.) We would like to thank David, Hanz and Mark for being so warm and friendly :) By the way, we walked from the airport to BBH, that's how near it is from KK International Airport :)

photo taken from http://www.borneobeachouse.com

On the first day of our adventure, we searched for any good deals in Jesselton port, where we got the chance to meet Borneo's beach bums (Borneo Beach Bum). Their staff are very warm and accommodating.

We were able to drive a speedboat since we were the only ones going on the island hopping! :D And most of their staff were Pinoys as well :)

We went to Mamutik, Sapi and Manukan islands. Did parasailing, ate some yummy buffet lunch and went on diving. It started to rain late in the afternoon but fortunately, we were already on our way back to the beach house.





The food shops there closed earlier than we expected (either that, or we just went out later than we should have :P). We ate at First Beach Cafe along the beach shore. Had some drinks and yummy finger foods :)



That was pretty much how we spent our weekend in Kota Kinabalu :) We siyurely will come back, and this time, with our friends :)

How To Get to Kota Kinabalu:
(depending on your country of embarkation :) )
======================================

- Air Asia
- Cebu Pacific
- Malaysia Airlines
- Silk Air
- Tiger Airways
- Jetstar
- Dragonair
- Royal Brunei Airlines

Mode of Transportation:
====================
Taxi (Teksi)
(we don't know how to go around using the public transportation so we took Teksi to go around KK).

Budget (all in RM): 488 (exclusive of pocket money)
======================================

Room (4-bed airconditioned bunker): 70/night
Dive: 250
Buffet Lunch: 50
Parasail: 75
Jetty: 27
Manukan Fee: 10
Tariff: 6
Pocket Money: 100-150
======================================

...that's all for now folks! :)

-=08.08.08=-

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Posted in: Asia,Kota Kinabalu,Malaysia