El Nido, Palawan: Day 3

Egrets Ahoy! 

At the crack of dawn, we were in National Geographic mode as we set out to spy on Eastern reef egrets. We passed through thick mangroves, as we came nearer and nearer to the cluster of trees where the white, long-necked, wading birds sat huddled.

At first, they looked like a pale grey mist that had settled on top of the trees. Then suddenly, one by one, they flew off -- noisy flecks of white against the light blue sky. The few that remained behind, waded near the shore and ducked their heads into the water, catching their breakfast.

Our companion, a frequent El Nido guest, said that the sight of the egrets on a descent was even more spectacular. We'll have to wait another day to witness that. Meanwhile, it was off to the bat cave.

Cave of Wonders 

Cudugnon Cave was a bit tricky getting into, one has to lie down and perform a small acrobatic twist, to enter its small opening. Inside, a tall hollow space is embraced by high stone walls. There, high up at the ceiling, crowded the cave's resident bats.

Photo courtesy of El Nido resort

El Nido, Palawan: Day 2

Our wake-up call was 4 a.m. Thankfully, coffee and hot chocolate awaited us at the pier, which did wonders to ward off the early morning chill. Feeling very much like commandoes with our cool black lifejackets, mega-watt  flashlights and powerful speedboat, we sliced through the waters to Pangalusian Island, five kilometers away. Our mission? To catch the sunrise form the Pangalusian view deck. But first, the Pangalusian trail.

Every Breath You Take

"I-gasp!-need-gasp!-to rest!" For the first few steps of the mountain trail, I jauntily walked right behind the film crew doing a Palawan documentary. But mid-way through the climb, my legs felt like jelly and I was breathing hard through my mouth.

The trail wasn't exactly difficult -- a 2 km trek that took us deep into the lush tropical mountain forest. But boy, was it hard to keep up with my group's seemingly superhuman pace. Plenty of stops and a bottled water later, I stood on the view deck just as the sun tiptoed on the horizon. Mission accomplished.

Photo courtesy of El Nido resort

El Nido, Palawan: Day 1

For most of the time, the fish I met on the dive seemed unaware of me. They swam inches away from me-- displaying their splendid array of copper, and lime green and blue . One of them, however, looked me straight in the eye and held my gaze so steadily, that I almost dropped my mouthpiece. Face to face with an especially inquisitive fish -- it could only have happened in El Nido, Palawan.

Day 1: A Tropical Party 
El Nido is named after the nests (nido means nest in Spanish) which are built by the edible nest swiftlet (balinsasayaw) into the cracks and crevices of Palawan's ubiquitous limestone cliffs. Climbers scale these cliffs to get these nests -- for this is the main ingredient in the prized oriental bird's nest soup.

The resort lies 430 km southwest of Manila and it took a mere 1 hour and 15 minutes by plane, plus an additional 40 minutes by outrigger to get to El Nido. A veteran travel writer I knew of described this place as "heaven on earth," and when I first caught a glimpse of Miniloc resort -- a cove whose mammoth limestone cliffs surrounds dazzling blue waters and cottages on stilts -- it was clear that this was no exaggeration.

I checked into the Cliff Cotttage, which is set amidst coconut trees and against a massive cliff. The bed was big enough for three and woven sawali (bamboo slats) covered the walls. Armed with an El Nido map and wildlife checklist, I set out for my first day.

First in the schedule was a little acquaintance party right at Miniloc's pier. I knelt down and immediately, neon-colored parrotfish swarmed my outstretched hand. Even the jackfish -- one meter long and grey-black in color, gathered around us for their share of free food.

photo by Harvey Tapan

How To Travel on A Budget: 7 Tips

Many of my friends are surprised that a 3-day stay in Beijing cost only 20,000 pesos, or that our five-day trip to Busan and Seoul in South Korea came up to just around 30,000. But there's really no big secret behind it! Just good old planning, budgeting and lots and lots of street food. 

1. Watch out for Seat Sales

My favorite by far is Cebu Pacific's seat sales. Because they drop prices so low (as most Filipinos know, as low as 1 peso),  I've been able to book tickets for places like Beijing, China for only 3,500 pesos roundtrip, Busan, South Korea for  2,500 pesos round trip, and for Boracay -- 482 pesos, roundtrip.

Piso Fares 
This really slashes the cost of your trip drastically. Cebu Pacific usually times their seat sales during Philippine events, holidays, or special occasions. Our Busan tickets, for example, were the 11 peso promo fare that came out on November 11, 2011 (11.11.11).

EVEN MANNY PACQUIAO FLIES CEBU PAC. Taken in February 2011, as Manny and his entourage board a Cebu Pacific flight to Macau.

Photo of the Day: Krabi, Thailand

Krabi, Thailand Photo by  Jomel Gregorio 

 Asian Traveler magazine sent photographer Jomel Gregorio and I, to Krabi Thailand to do a resort review of the ultra-luxurious Ritz Carlton Reserve, Phulay Bay.  

As part of the resort's offering, they arranged for us to go on a gourmet picnic lunch to a nearby island, and we found these bright orange paddle boats on the wide stretch of white-sand beach. 

Soon, soon, I will write about the fairy tale experience that was Phulay Bay. 

Beijing Day 2: Highlights

Our second day in Beijing consisted of just two places to visit: the Great Wall and the Olympic Park. 

Part I: The Great Wall At Jinshanling 

We woke up at the crack of dawn -- day 2 of our three-day Beijing trip -- and discovered that it was snowing. We were a bit concerned that our Great Wall trip happened to fall on the one day when it snowed in this Beijing winter.

But Rick, our hostel's manager said, "Snow on the Great Wall is magical." 

Beijing Day 1: The Itinerary

1. Eat a hearty breakfast at the hotel. 

Dimsum for breakfast in Beijing

As I explained in a previous post, we discovered that food in the capital city of China, leaned towards the bland side. So these dumplings and noodle dish are tastier to look at, than to actually devour.

After this quick meal, we headed out, for our first day of adventure in Beijing.

Travel Photo of The Day: Seoul Palace Guards

We visited Seoul, South Korea in the autumn of 2012, when the wind was chilly and the sky was a light shade of grey. Still, the guards at Gyeongbokgung Palace marched on, in their fierce red uniform, and we were just in time to witness it.

U2 in Magnificent Morocco

This video is actually one of the reasons why Morocco is on my bucket list.

Here, one can only marvel as Morocco is unveiled, quite literally, as billowing white sheets are stripped away and the city wakes up to a brand new morning, a brand new day.

And the lyrics. The lyrics rhapsodize about a love that lifts you up, and brings you to your knees at the same time.

Travel Movie Monday: Lost In Translation

This movie pretty much captured perfectly what it is like to be surrounded by the neon lights and glittery trappings of a foreign city -- and feel so completely detached from it all.

thomthom from fanpop.com

That is until, until you meet someone.

Photo of the Day: The Bird's Nest In Winter

Photo by Jotham Manlapaz

Can you believe it's been five years since the spectacular Beijing Olympics?

The Bird's Nest still beguiles with its exquisitely whimsical design -- and it is especially photogenic at night.

See my post on the second day of our three-day Beijing trip, when we visited the Bird's Nest.

Our Beijing Hostel: Sitting on the City Walls

When we booked our hostel back in 2011, we relied on no other site but the very trusty, very helpful TripAdvisor.com 

The top hostel that popped up on the Specialty Lodging section of the site was Sitting on the City Walls. The reviews were positively glowing -- great location, clean rooms, very helpful, English-speaking staff -- and best of all, affordable room rates. Clearly, it was the best among the cheap hotels in Beijing, perfect for budget travellers like us.

photo by maltman23 at flickr.com

So how did our own experience compare to the reviews on TripAdvisor?

Beijing Day 1: Highlights

1. The Planning Stage 

Even before, it was never China, it was always Beijing. We were going to the sprawling capital, of an even more sprawling country, and we had only three days to do it. We had in mind an ambitious itinerary -- one that would include all the must-see tourist spots, plus an activity or two that had more of a backpacker feel to it. 

But upon closer study, we found out that the Summer Palace would take an entire day all by itself, and there was also the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube to squeeze in --which to be honest, I never really considered. Then there were the either/ors. Houhai Lake or the Drum Tower? Jinghshan or Beihai Park?

Travel Photo of The Day

The Forbidden City, Beijing. February 2011.

*Watch out for our post tomorrow on the best of our first day in Beijing!

Travel Movie Monday: Stealing Beauty

I was 14 years old when this movie came out in 1996. I remember being very taken by the splendor of the sun-drenched stretches of the Tuscan countryside, and the utter abandon by which the character of Liv Tyler lived her life. 

To be honest, I don't remember the plot much. 

What I do remember: the overall seduction of Tuscany. Its lush greens and carefree afternoons and visions of a summer that never seemed to end.

24 Hours in Ho Chi Minh

We were in Ho Chi Minh, the capital of Vietnam for only 24 hours. We had flown in around midnight, and had a day to soak in this colorful city. Early the next morning we had to hop on the bus to go to neighboring Phnom, Penh Cambodia. So what follows is a catalogue of sorts, of a day well-spent in the city formerly known as Saigon.

1. Good morning, Vietnam!

Hong Han hostel, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

The Phantom of the World: 5 Cities, 1 Moving Musical

"You alone can make my song take flight.  Help me make the music of the night." 

 -- "The Music of the Night," The Phantom of the Opera

On A Side Note: Guess who replied to our tweets?

 "Say the word and I will follow you." (at least on Twitter)

 
"Could it be? Could it be Christine?"  

The Bucket List 10

Just last year, I crossed two items off my bucket list -- Climb the Great Wall of China, and see the limestone karsts of Krabi, Thailand. Both of these happened purely by grace -- they were an unearned, undeserved, and unmerited blessing from above.

What is also striking about both experiences, is that they happened when I least expected it, but just at the right season in my life. They were not on any of my timelines or to-do lists, they just happened at the best possible time.

So these that follow -- I've no schedule for them. I trust that they will be given to me, or not be given to me, for all the right reasons. After all, my God is a God of perfect timing, and perfect wisdom.

1. Experience the cherry blossoms season in Kyoto

 

Siem Reap: 5 Things You Need to Know

© Jiewwan stockfreeimages.com

1. OVERVIEW 

Siem Reap,which is located in northwestern Cambodia, means "Siam Defeated" -- in reference to long years of conflict with  neighboring Thailand.

The main reason why people visit Siem Reap is that it is the gateway to the 12th century temples of the ancient city of Angkor. And though the town started registering into travelers' radar as far back as the 1960s, it is only recently that tourism has really gone well under way.