The province of Capiz offers many natural beauties for people to explore and experience from their fresh bounties of the sea to cold springs hidden in lush forests. And if you want to dip in cold water and have some exploration, head to the caves of Capiz.

While on a road trip in Capiz, we dropped by in Suhot Cold Spring in the municipality of Dumalag.  Another place  that attracted the freelance writer spirit in me. The place was rather simple yet unspoiled.There were many people when we went there ( it was a Holy Week and the height of summer) but sans the crowd and vendors, the whole place was rather untouched by modernity.

But we were more attracted to its natural cave formation. I can imagine how these caves were used as a temporary shelter during the Second World War or as a secret meeting place to lovers..wink! wink!

Since it was Holy Week, we saw a man ( I think a babaylan ) dressed in long robes with his white candle entered one of the small chambers of the cave. If I remember my Anthropology class in college, some people believe that they can gain supernatural powers during the Holy Week. Sadly, my husband ( my official photographer) failed to take a shot of him.

If you are not interested to take a dip in Suhot Cold Spring, the whole place is a nice venue for trekking either inside the cave or outside. The whole place is very natural and with its hilly and mountainous terrain, it is really a nice adventure to do while in Capiz.

Readers of this blog often ask me about room rates for some resorts I have featured here while some asks for sample itinerary.

This post is for one reader who emailed me asking if I can help her craft their itinerary in Guimaras Island. True to my promise and to promote this island as a freelance writer, here it is. Take note that this IT is for those bound for Nueva Valencia, Guimaras.

Day 1

* arrival in Iloilo City

*transport from Iloilo Airport to Ortiz port ( where you can take a boat to Guimaras; travel time is 45 minutes -1 hour)

* arrival in Jordan port then proceed to the resort of your choice ( you can take some photos along the way which will make the trip a  little bit longer)

*swimming

* after lunch..boating ( visit Bat Caves and SEAFDEC fish sanctuary, Turtle Island)

Day 2

* rent a motorcycle to Guisi (about 400php back and forth; driver will wait for 5 hours)

*Guisi Beach and Lighthouse

Day 3

* Trappist Monastery for pasalubong

* if you still have time, you can explore the city of Iloilo

For accommodation, I suggest Villa Igang Resort.

I hope this helps..just follow the link to the posts I wrote for more information..and forgive me if this is not as good or organized as those prepared by travel agents, I’m quite in a rush to finish some tasks as a freelance writer..enjoy!

Ilocos Norte Provincial Capitol

Ilocos Norte is the perfect place for those seeking unique adventures as well as heritage tours for their holidays. With its picturesque coasts, well-preserved structures and awesome modern wonders – Ilocos Norte should be one of the destinations that you shouldn’t miss.

I have written 15 posts for the last mont about Ilocos Norte- that is how interesting this place is with many captivating sights to drop by. I have written this post to sort of give you a summary and quick links to those posts which are very helpful if you are planning to visit the province of Ilocos Norte.

Getting there

The fastest way to Ilocos Norte is taking an hour flight from Manila to the Laoag International Airport. If you want to save money, you can take a 12-hour bus trip from Metro Manila. We preferred to take the bus to see different provinces and views along the way like La Union and Tarlac. We took the Farinas bus going to Batac City where we began our trip and going back to Manila, we took the Partras bus in Vigan City.

Accommodation

Laoag City which is the capital of the province has plenty of accommodation choices while in Ilocos Norte. Based on our travel, I can only suggest two accommodations in Ilocos Northe which I have stayed and visited as well.

Balay da Blas Pensionne House

Fort Ilocandia Resort and Casino

Sights and Attractions

Marcos Mausoleum

Paoay Church

Malacanang of the North

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse

Kapurpurawan Rock Formation

Pagudpud

Patapat Viaduct

Bagui Wind Farm

Sarrat Church

Marcos Museum in Sarrat

Dining

Ilocano Culinary Feast

So enjoy and have a thrilling time exploring Ilocos Norte!

]]> http://www.valcaulin.com/article/northbound-to-ilocos-norte/1046/feed/ 1 http://www.valcaulin.com/article/parasailing-in-boracay/728/ http://www.valcaulin.com/article/parasailing-in-boracay/728/#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:33:29 +0000 admin http://www.valcaulin.com/?p=728

No one can argue with the limitless number of diverse activities that you can do and enjoy in the island of Boracay, one of the top destination in the Philippines for both local and international tourists.  Just take a long walk along its shoreline and you will meet many people carrying menu-like laminated cards offering different activities from snorkeling to parasailing.

Flying in the air above clear waters of Boracay is one of the activities that you must try and experience if you want to splurge and indulge in the island. Parasailing in Boracay like other parasailing offerred in resorts uses a special type of parachute where passengers from two-three are pulled by a motorboat up in the air.

The thrill and excitement definitely awaits you when you engage in Boracay parasailing. A nice view of the coastline and the waters with the gentle breeze kissing your body.But one thing that you must consider is the price- and to be honest, it is frankly more expensive than other activities in the island.

The rates depends on the season, from 3k t1,500 pesos per pax. Don’t be scared to bring out your warmest smile and haggle with the staff. You can save more if you try parasailing in Boracay during low season when all rates would drop up to 50%. There are few groups that operate Boracay parasailing, so they are happy to offer you discounts just to make you choose them among others.

Points to ponder

• My brother who tried it said ” I just vomitted my money”…referring to the almost puking expereince he had to entertain rather than enjoying the whole expereince.

• It is best not to eat prior to parasailing to avoid motion sickness.

• When the weather is claerly not good with strong winds, do not attempt to parasail in Boracay.

• You can choose to be dipped in the water as you descent, if you bringing your prescious camera up the air, instruct them before hand that you prefer not to be dipped to save your camera from snorkeling in the water.. .

Kalibo, the capital of Aklan is somehow overshadowed by Boracay Island in terms of tourism but still, this quite place is a nice destination for a short stop-over or a lazy weekend. And when you ask where you should go in Kalibo, people would always utter the words- Sampaguita Gardens.

I can’t count the number of times I have visited Sampaguita Gardens, a prime resort and spa in the town of New Washington which is just ta few minutes away from Kalibo. And I have brought my family from Cebu and soon my friends-all awed with this unique resort in Aklan.

Perhaps, the highlight of Sampaguita Gardens are its dolls from the famous Precious Moments. After all, this resort was founded by Samuel Butcher, who is the artist behind this cute dolls. You can buy these dolls of different themes and costumes in Sampaguita Gardens.

Aside from that, here are some of the amenities of the resort:

- spa and fitness center

-restaurants (Chinese, Italian, etc)

-outdoor pools

-convention center

- comfy accommodations

- gift shops

- sightseeing facilities like the famous SJB Mansion and Jojo’s Christmas

House

But the main reason why I love this resort more than what it can offer and a great place for me to unwind is how it helped the locals of Aklan specifically in terms of employment. Whenever I see the staff members and other employees of this resort, I can’t help but wonder where would they be if not for this resort. It’s such a good news that locals don’t have to leave their hometowns to find work and the town of New Washington itself benefited from this resort.

Entrance fee: 50php ( consumable)

For more information, visit the official website of Sampaguita Gardens. Click here!

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Province of Aklan

Sin in New Washington

Museo It Akean

Nicknamed as "Bonsai Falls" by local boatmen, the journey ends here..

To make this itinerary more appealing even to local tourists who can’t find the uniqueness of traversing in a river, the local tourism authority added many activities. One of these are the  floating restaurants.

al fresco dining- the Boholano way

Though there are many boats that you can hire to cruise the river, dining as you witness the simplicity of the rural life in Loboc is a very nice experience. And along with native singers and dancers, encounter with Loboc River is one of the liveliest and noteworthy. And with 300pesos for a buffet of sumptuous meal with the freshest ingeredients, you can really say “c’est la vie!”

Aside from the floating restaurants, another attraction in the area are the world-famous tarsiers – the smallest of their kind in the world. Tarsier has been the icon of Bohol’s tourism along with its Chocolate hills for many decades now. And before you hop in to a hired boat or hungry to take the floating restaurant, take some snapshots with this cute lemur as one of your souveniers from Bohol.

Do they also felt harassed with all the tourists shooting at them?

]]> http://www.valcaulin.com/article/by-the-banks-of-loboc-river-i-cry/678/feed/ 4 http://www.valcaulin.com/article/santa-barbara-golf-course-philippines-oldest/669/ http://www.valcaulin.com/article/santa-barbara-golf-course-philippines-oldest/669/#comments Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:55:01 +0000 admin http://www.valcaulin.com/?p=669

Golf enthusiasts must know the significance of the golf course in Iloilo as the oldest in the country as well as in Southeast Asia. It is recognized both by the National Historical Institute and the National Golf Association of the Philippines as the “oldest existing golf course”.  Located in Brgy. San Sebastian in the Municipality of Santa Barbara it is 16 kilometers from the city of Iloilo. It is just less than 5 minutes of driving from the Iloilo Airport.

This 18-hole gold course covers a span of more than 37 hectares. Aside from its natural contour of plains and rolling hills, this golf course is such a wonderful scenery and have one of the best sunsets in Panay. International tournaments are also held here.

How it all started

Golf is a European sport and it comes no surprise when Scottish and British engineers started this golf course after they noticed the rolling hills as they were constructing a railway system for Panay during the height of the sugar industry in the early 1900s.  During 1920s, Santa Barbara Golf and Country Club as it was called was exclusive for the Americans and the British. As time goes on, Filipinos became members mostly from the most affluent members of society.

During the Second World War, it was ravaged by Japanese forces but it was also used as barracks for American troops. After the liberation, it was formally known as Iloilo Golf and Country Club, Inc.

As a national treasure, it is nice to know that although it is a country club based on membership, you can freely wander around for free…

For more information, visit their official website. Click here!

my knees were trembling but it was blast!

I never had a chance to be active in my entire life. When I was a kid, I detest running and would like to settle in board games or hide and seek games. Blame it to my asthma or just the lack of interest but I was never a sporty person.It changed now that my son is becoming a toddler, I have no choice but to run around and keep on panting. So with my husband for our anniversary tour, we packed and went for some adventurous post honeymoon idea- water rafting.

Water rafting is an extreme sports of dealing with rapids caused by big boulders in rivers. In the Philippines, water rafting is synonymous with Cagayan de Oro. It used to be reserved for business tycoons spending at least P10K each but President Gloria tried it herself and paved the way for more operators for water rafting. Now, one can experience this amazing sport for less than P1K each or for the whole team more or less P6-7K.

meeting point

We waited for our tour operator in one of the plazas or town squares in CDO and traveled for more then 45 minutes to the river. We passed by rocky roads in higher altitude and going down again. The scenery is nice with green trees along with some plantations like banana.

we did it!

It was raining when we went there and it added some adrenaline rush for the whole group. You can listen to your guide or else you end up swimming in the river. For us, we conquered it all! It was the best adventure experience that I ever had.

I’m hoping to go to CDO again and try the “advanced” level where the rapids are wilder…till next time Cagayan!