Camara Island, San Antonio, Zambales version 2

Love is sweeter the 2nd time around, well, same goes with my Camara Island experience! The first time I visited this place we had high tide, we stopped, took a few photos and left. This time, I'm in love!!

Check this island out guys! It is just opposite Pundaquit beach, around 10 minutes boat ride. After a whole day of mountain trekking from Pundaquit to  Anawangin Cove, we were rewarded with a good weather so we decided to island hop before going home.   We fell in love with Camara! White sand, clear water and nice view!

We went here a week before the movie "The Love Affair" was shown in cinemas, and guess what, they shot a love scene of Richard Gomez here in Camara island!  ;)

the kiddos enjoying the water

You can visit my previous post about Camara Island here.

Lovely island right? Next time you'll drop by, wish for a low tide so you can enjoy this island at its best!

How to get here: Take a bus going to Zambales, ask the conductor to drop you at San Antonio town. Take a tricycle going to Pundaquit Beach, rent a motor boat and ask the boatmen to include Camara Island in your itinerary for the day.  I will recommend Mang Mike, you can contact him to arrange a boat for you 0928 340 5136.  Enjoy San Antonio!

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A trip to Hundred Islands National Park with my cute little niece

I died 7 months ago. Where I am now, I'm not pretty sure, is this what you call purgatory? You see, my baby died a month after birth and after 2 pregnancy losses, she's my precious little one.  We can't contain our happiness when we had her, and just after a few weeks with us, she's gone. Everything still feels surreal. All of a sudden I'm at a crossroads and it hurts to realise  that the only place I want to be is wherever I can be with her and my husband again. Sigh.

How do you move on after a thing as tragic as that? I don't really know, for now I'll just pretend to be that brave little girl I used to be.

A few weeks after her death, we decided to have a road trip. Not to grieve, but to celebrate her life.  To say "thank you" to God for the opportunity to spend those precious time with her.  From Subic we travelled to Manaog, stayed overnight with relatives in Dagupan, then stayed at my mom's hometown in Lingayen. We had a chance to visit the Hundred Islands National Park with our family and my cousin let us spend time with their daughter, bitter sweet yes, but seeing her with my husband made me happy. I knew deep within we both want her to be our daughter, our Eia.

I just want to share some of the photos I took of them together. Hoping that someday, that would be our kid he will be playing with.

they look good together right?

I enjoyed watching them having fun. 

Isn't she cute? But as a mom who just lost her daughter, nobody can replace my Eia. Even the cutest and smartest baby can never replace her.  Forever, that's how long I will grieve for her, forever, that's how long my heart will ache. I will just be thankful that every waking hour means another day closer to her, until we meet again my Eia.. until then. 

a day with hubby and my cute little niece

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Philippine Holidays for 2016

We can now plan for our 2016 vacations! Yey! Malacañang released on Wednesday the official list of nationwide holidays for 2016. No wonder why I dreamt of Batanes last night, I can finally schedule my trip there soon!

Long weekends are as follows:

• January 1 - 3
• February 6 - 8
• August 27 - 29
• October 29 - November 1
• December 30, 2016 - January 2, 2017

Holidays and special non-working days are as follows:

Regular holidays
New Year's Day	1-Jan	Friday
Maundy Thursday	24-Mar	Thursday
Good Friday	25-Mar	Friday
Araw ng Kagitingan	9-Apr	Saturday
Labor Day	1-May	Sunday
Independence Day	12-Jun	Sunday
National Heroes Day	29-Aug	Monday
Bonifacio Day	30-Nov	Wednesday
Christmas Day	25-Dec	Sunday
Rizal Day	30-Dec	Friday
Special (non-working) days
Chinese New Year	8-Feb	Monday
EDSA People Power Revolution	25-Feb	Thursday
Black Saturday	26-Mar	Saturday
Ninoy Aquino Day	21-Aug	Sunday
All Saints Day	1-Nov	Tuesday
Additional special (non-working) day	2-Jan	Saturday
Additional special (non-working) day	31-Oct	Monday
Additional special (non-working) day	24-Dec	Saturday
Additional special (non-working) day	31-Dec	Saturday

Proclamations to declare national holidays for Eid'l Fitr and Eidul Adha shall follow after approximate dates of the Islamic holidays have been determined.

So go ahead and plan for your 2016 travel schedules! Good luck and have a fun filled vacations!

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A walk along Lornie Trail, MacRitchie Reservoir

MacRitchie Reservoir is a popular destination for joggers and runners, it covers a total of 11 km nature trail loop popularly known as MacRitchie trails. The walking trails skirt the water's edges and snake through a jungle which is ideal for all nature lovers and fitness fanatics. 

For this post, let me share my photos of Lornie trail.  It is connected to MacRitchie Reservoir park and  around 45 mins to an hour walk. The footpath is uneven with rocks, stones, roots and fallen branches which adds thrill to your walking adventure. 

here's the entrance to the trail, connecting the MacRitchie Park to Lornie trail

on the right is the start of the wooden path of Chemperai trail along the water edges of the reservoir

The trail is well paved and a lot of signages to guide you so don't worry about getting lost in the forest. Just make sure to follow the path, there are also plenty of map boards along the trail. Expect pools of mud when it rains, so make sure to wear appropriate clothing. Bring enough drinking water with you since there are no stores nearby.

a well-maintained path at  Lornie Trail

wild monkeys along the trail, pls don't feed them!

This is our last trail from Venues Drive, it took us around 4 hours to complete the loop from Venus drive to treetop walk, golf link, Lornie trail and MacRitchie Reservoir Park.  This is our exit point to Lornie Rd.  Please be reminded not to enter Lornie trail after 7pm because there are no lights along the trail.

Getting there:

• MacRitchie Reservoir is served by multiple bus services : 52, 74, 93, 130, 132, 156, 157, 162, 162M, 165, 166, 167, 852, 855, 980) that stop right at its doorstep. 
• The closest train station to the reservoir is Marymount, approximately 1 km away. Take a bus (services 52, 74, 165, 852, 855) to get to the reservoir from Marymount MRT Station. 

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Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, Bagac Bataan: Pride in the Past, Hope for the Future

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is a 400 hectares heritage resort located in Bagac, Bataan. It is owned by art collector Architect Jose Rizalino “Jerry” Acuzar, which aims to showcase our Filipino heritage. The resort features a collection of 27 Spanish Colonial Buildings which were carefully dismantled and transplanted piece by piece from Manila (Binondo, Tondo and Quiapo), Quezon, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, La Union, Ilocos and Cagayan to Bagac for rehabilitation and reconstruction. 

The resort aims for both local and foreign visitors to have a glimpse of the past, and experience the Filipino traditions and practices. I am fortunate to have the chance to enjoy my childhood staying in my grandparent's old house which resembles some of the old houses inside the resort. It made me miss my childhood playing "sungka" and "patintero" with my friends. The moment you step inside the resort you will be transported back in time, from the old buildings, to  the furnitures and fixtures of the hotel and casas, the calesa ride and even their swimming pool is "batis" inspired. This is a great venue for the kids nowadays to experience the life we used to have.

Paseo de Escolta

Las Casas offers day tours and accommodation:

1) Package 1 at Php1,200 nett per person (set meal)

    inclusions: 

• welcome drinks
• 30 minutes to 1 hour guided tour of the Heritage houses
• entrance fee and use of beach area
• 1 lunch, afternoon snack, 2 bottles of mineral water
• all taxes and service charge

2) Package 2 (buffet meal) at P1,500 nett per person

    Inclusions: 

• welcome drinks
• 30 minutes to 1 hour guided tour of the Heritage houses
• entrance fee and use of beach area
• 1 lunch, afternoon snack, 2 bottles of mineral water
• all taxes and service charge

3) Php850 nett per person (Php425 for children) Day Tour Entrance fee with snacks

4) Php685 nett per person, Day Tour Entrance fee only 

5) Overnight accommodation. They have a hotel (Paseo de Escolta) and the old houses are available for rent, accommodation includes:

• set breakfast
• use of swimming pool and beach area
• Heritage Walking tour
• all taxes and service charges

Lubao Church Replica 

Casa Mexico

Casa Hagonoy

Casa Tondo

Casa Cagayan

Casa Quiapo

Hotel de Oriente

beautiful interior of Marivent Cafe

Marivent Cafe / Casa Unisan

Calesa time with hubby

the beach

sunset at Las Casas

the "batis" inspired swimming pool

the "batis" inspired swimming pool

Casa Luna

Casa Baliuag

the Maranao houses

We stayed here overnight for free as a gift from my sister in law. Hotel accommodation is affordable at starting rate of around P5,000 and the casas are for rent (2 to 6 bedrooms) at a price range of P20,000 to P60,000 a night.

Overall, the experience is superb! Dinner is not included in our accommodation and we were on a tight budget so we decided to go out of the resort for dinner but enjoyed their restaurant for the free breakfast. For me, the day tour is quite expensive, if you will pay Php850 per head for a day tour (with snacks) and there are 4 of you including 2 kids, better to just stay overnight.


Resort Address:  Bo. Pagasa, Bagac Bataan
T:(+63) 546 9123
Manila Sales and Reservation: (+63 2) 332 5338, (+63 2) 335 3032, (+63 2) 332 5286   reserve@lascasasfilipinas.com

                               

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MacRitchie Reservoir Park, Singapore

Getting tired of Singapore's urban jungle? Then you should visit MacRitchie Reservoir Park. it is a 12-hectare park anchored by Singapore's largest reservoir which is a popular destination for nature lovers and fitness conscious individuals. It is the oldest reservoir in Singapore and offers hiking trails and recreational activities, both on land and in water. 

MacRitchie offers a 11km nature trail loop known as MacRitchie Trails which is located within the tropical rainforest of Central Catchment Nature Reserve.  To date, the trails are still being used as cross-country running routes for various inter-school competitions.

Schools are regularly using the reservoir as a place for water sports such as canoeing and kayaking. There are certain competitions held here annually. Avid water sports enthusiasts can also try their hand in kayaking and canoeing as these amenities are available for the public too. Kayaks are available for rent at the Paddle Lodge and they also offer Orientation courses.

Paddle Lodge schedule:

•  Monday to Sunday 9:00am – 12:00pm and 2:00pm – 6:00pm (Last rental at 4:30pm) 
• Closed on selected Public Holidays (New Year’s Day, Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Puasa, Deepavali and Christmas) 
• Rates is $15 / hour for sit-on-top kayaks (novice zone only) and $20 / 2 hours for closed-deck kayaks, $35 / 2 hours for sprint kayak

The zigzag bridge and Performing Arts Pavilion at the reservoir

The iconic MacRitchie Pavillion is often used to host performing arts presentations and solemnisation ceremonies.

We entered the reservoir from the Venus drive going to the TreeTop Walk, Petaling Trail to Golf Link, Chemperai Trail to Lonie Trail and MacRitchie Reservoir Park as our exit point. It took us almost four hours to complete the 11 km circuit and I am glad to have shared this adventure with my hubby. It's undeniably one of the best bonding moment we ever had.

the submerged boardwalk at the park

With so many attractions and scenic spots to offer, MacRitchie is an excellent destination for anyone who loves fun and the outdoors. 

Getting there

• MacRitchie Reservoir is served by multiple bus services : 52, 74, 93, 130, 132, 156, 157, 162, 162M, 165, 166, 167, 852, 855, 980) that stop right at its doorstep. 

• The closest train station to the reservoir is Marymount, approximately 1 km away. Take a bus (services 52, 74, 165, 852, 855) to get to the reservoir from Marymount MRT Station. 

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