on the Verge of

Last night my family and I arrived in Cebu for our 'early summer vacation'. But my mom wasn't much of a fan of beaches and island hopping. So for our first day here, we decided to explore the Temple of Leah and Sirao Garden in Upper Busay, Cebu City. We took off from JY mall which is usually the starting point when going to Busay. There were habal-habals (motorcycles) waiting in the area that will take you to our two destinations for P150 per person roundtrip. However, we hired a taxi instead which agreed to take us to the temple and garden for P1,000. It was a fair deal. First stop was at the Temple of Leah. Entrance is at P50 per person while senior citizens are free of charge. After walking a short distance from the entrance, the huge temple and its vast courtyard welcomed us with a panoramic view of Cebu Island. Temple of Leah The temple's courtyard Some areas of the temple were closed so we only got a few pictures inside. The temple is a work in pro...

I have a friend or two who've been asking me about places to go to Cebu for a weekend trip. Since I made a blog on our recent ' Davao City Tour: A Weekend Itinerary ', I thought why not do a 'Cebu City Tour: A Weekend Itinerary' post as well? Here are my proposed destinations for two days: Day 1 1. 10,000 Roses - This new cafe featuring a  vast field of 10,000 white roses is a sight to behold. This unique cafe in Cordova, Cebu has quickly become a favorite tourist destination because of it beautiful ambiance. 2. Temple of Leah -  Temple of Leah, a relatively new tourist spot in Cebu, was built out of love by Tedorico Adarna to his loving wife Leah Adarna. The temple is Greek-inspired complete with a museum, art gallery, library, and a balcony with an overlooking view. 3.  Mactan Shrine - Mactan Shrine hold a historical importance in Cebu since it is where Lapu-Lapu defeated Magellan. Take a picture with the bronze statue of the country's firs...

Lately I've been looking back at my memories during my brief stay in Cebu. I was able to explore much of the island but nine months was not enough. Even during my last trip to Cebu last year, I was only able to visit Aguinid Falls and revisit Simala. Hopefully when there's another opportunity for me to visit Cebu, I'll be able to explore new places. Here are some of the places I wish I'll be able to go to when I return. Bantayan Island This beautiful island is located in the northernmost area of Cebu. It gained more popularity when it was featured in the movie 'Camp Sawi'. My boyfriend has been to Bantayan and he's been wanting to go back there with me. Unfortunately when we were in Cebu last year, the weather was not so good so it was not advisable to ride the boat to the island. I hope we'll be able to finally go to Bantayan the next time around. Moalboal Moalboal is famous for its island hopping activities. There's the Pescador ...

When our friends from Cebu, Therry and Charles, told us they were going to Davao for a weekend vacation, Keen and I were completely excited. There were a hundred activities and places I could think of that we could tour and enjoy over their two-day stay. Keen and I had to plan out every single detail in our itinerary to make sure we can cover as many places and eat as many local specialties as we can. All this without breaking our budget as well. Here's our weekend itinerary for the Davao City Tour. Note that we had a private vehicle so we just chipped in for the gas :) Day 1 7:30 am - Pick-up from Airport James and I picked up Therry and Charles from the airport. Thankfully their flight was not delayed. Therry and Charles did a quick photo op by the famous Durian sculpture made by one of Davao's highly respected artists Kublai Millan. Charles and Therry 8:00-8:30 am - Breakfast at Driver's Choice/Rommel's Eatery The original Driver's Choice in Roxa...

2016 had very few long weekends since most of the Philippine holidays fell on a Saturday or Sunday. This 2017 looks more promising though with at least nine confirmed long weekends for the year. This means more opportunities of travel and discoveries. It's never too early to plan ahead and book a flight. Just make sure to fully enjoy and make the most out of these long weekends. Here's my personal travel guide for the upcoming long weekends of 2017. April 13-16: Holy Week For Catholics, Holy Week is an important period of repentance and recollection. With the 4-day holiday break, try a Visita Iglesia in Cebu and visit one of the city's oldest and most renowned churches: the Basilica Del Sto. Nino. One may also take a short pilgrimage to the Birhen ng Simala and offer intentions to the miraculous statue. On Easter Sunday, cap off the trip with a swim at the beautiful Bantayan island or try the famous canyoning activities that will trek Alegria to Kawasan falls. ...

Travelling is food for the soul. While some who belong to older generations find it as an unnecessary expense, most millenials have learned that travelling is more of a personal investment. Travelling gives you space to think outside the corporate/entrepreneurial world. It gives you a break from the recurring activities of work. It takes you away from the monotonous routine that's been giving no meaning in life. It makes you realize that there is more to life than just looking at the computer and documents the whole time. Travelling takes you outside your comfort zone and into unfamiliar territories. It gives you the opportunity to marvel at the beauty of mother nature or other urban jungles. It gives a new sense of awe and fulfillment. It gives you a wider perspective of the world which used to be boxed in just one city, region or country. Travelling builds stronger relationships. It allows people to personally know each other's weaknesses and strengths. Thus, it makes y...

Cebu is one of the most well-endowed islands in the Philippines. Aside from its pristine beaches and rich historical destinations, the famous Visayan island has at least 90 known waterfalls as listed by Pinoy Travel Freak ( http://www.pinoytravelfreak.com/2015/09/full-list-of-waterfalls-in-cebu.html ). South Cebu, in particular, is prominently blessed with these amazing cascading bodies of water that will leave you inspired by mother nature's beauty. Since there's usually limited time and resources to visit all of them, here's my top 3 must-see waterfalls in South Cebu: 1. Tumalog Falls Tumalog falls is located in Oslob which is also famous for its whale shark watching activities. Among the three falls I am naming here, Tumalog falls is the most majestic one for me. The descending body of water cascades and scatters into layers of rock and foliage that eventually falls down a single pool. The pool's depth depends on the season if there's enou...

Last year was probably my most traveled year so far. I wanted to look back at the wonderful places, things, people and food that I discovered in my journeys last year. So here's a timeline of my 2015 travels. January 2015 I kicked off the year with a trip to the beach with high school best friends. We had an overnight stay in Paradise Beach Resort in Samal Island. It's one of the oldest and most renowned beach resorts in Samal. Funny thing is, it's my first time there! (LOL) We played some music, charades, Frisbee and even monopoly at the beach. We had so much fun in our first beach outing together. Our colorful friendship bracelets Frisbee at the beach In the middle of January, I was lucky enough to be in Cebu with some of my workmates in time for the famous Sinulog festival. We took the opportunity to have some fun during the festivities. We attended the fluvial parade and had some crazy street dancing and drinking in the streets of Cebu. Hundreds of ...