My First Singapore Trip

Since my fiance is based in Singapore, he invited me to come for an all expense paid vacation in Singapore. Here are the pictures of my first trip to Singapore.

Changi Airport

I love Changi Airport. It's so world class. There are lots of shops here. Since I was on a tight budget, I was only able to buy keychain souvenirs, a Singapore t-shirt and chocolates for my mom, sister and relatives.

Flats in Singapore (aka HBD)

Here is a picture I've taken over the window where my fiance stays. It's an HBD or a flat. This is where most people in Singapore live. They are like condominium units in Serendra, Fort Bonifacio and their parks are like the parks in Salcedo Village and Legaspi Village, Makati City

Indian Temple

This is the Indian Temple at the Indian Village in Singapore. We had to take off our shoes to enter this temple. The floor was wet so I was kind of uncomfortable I didn't stay long. Inside were the dieties of the Hindu Religion and it had a mystic and ecclectic feeling inside.

Old Changkee

These are some of the street food found in Ng City Square. They are quite good actually.This was across Lucky Plaza.

Clark Quay

Clark Quay is one of the most beautiful spots in Singpore. Just take a look at the blue bridge and its reflection in the water. I have never seen such a beautiful place to hang out. It's over looking a beautiful river. My fiance said this is where most upper class hang out.

Beef Hao Fan

This is the food we ate at Singapore Botanical Gardens Restaurant-- very tasty indeed! Look at the serving !!! So many and looks yummy huh? Lucky me!

MOre pictures on my next post..

Boracay Honeymoon

Wouldn't it be sweet to have a picture like this with my hubby to be? This is at the infinity pool of Shangril-la Boracay, Philippines. Since we had a great time in Boracay which led to the proposal, a honeymoon in Boracay would be significant and memorable for both of us.

However, me and my fiance are still undecided where to have our honeymoon. I want to have it at Shangri-la Boracay, Philippines, though. I could just imagine how breath-taking it would be.

If not, we'll have Indonesia, Thailand or Singapore.

PUCA BEACH, BORACAY

These are the summer dresses you will see along Puca Beach, Boracay.

Alta Vista, Boracay

Alta Vista Boracay Hotel is one the nearest hotels in Puca Beach.

Sands at Puca Beach

Boat along Puca Beach

Theres are lots of boats along Puca Beach, Boracay. Unlike Balabag Beach in Station 2, Puca Beach is not as crowded. However, the waves are high and rocky and thus, not a lot of people come here to swim. Most couples come here for quiet time.

Puca Shell Souvenirs

The Puca Beach is well know for the puca shells made into bracelets, necklaces, earrings and decorations. Be sure to buy a souvenir in Puca Beach. There are stalls selling these souvenirs from as low as Php 50 to as high as Php 500.00. Be sure to haggle.

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BORACAY SIGHTS

Guilly's Island 

Lucky me-- it was lady's night!! I was able to enter Guilly's Island bar and resto for free. My fiance on the other hand had to pay around Php 200.00.   This was the place where we partied all night long. The DJ played different mixes of dance tunes from salsa to hip hop to reggae to swing! The place was so crowded but we enjoyed every second of it as we danced the night away.

Hawaiian Bar-B-Que Restaurant

They have a version of this restaurant in Mall of Asia where my fiance proposed.  However, the Hawaiian Bar-B-Que in Boracay is more romantic and cozy since you can eat and drink in front of the beach.  

  

D'Mall, Boracay 

  This is the famous D'Mall.  Dont' expect  to see a big mall comparable to the ones  in Manila though. Shop here for souvenir like bags, key chains, Boracay T-shirt, swim wear and something to hang on your wall to remember your trip! 

SeaBreeze Cafe is one of the fine dining areas in Boracay Regency Hotel. Food here is great but a bit pricey. 

 NEX BLOG: PUCA BEACH, BORACAY

Win a Free Boracay Vacation Package by WOW Philippines Travel Agency

WOW Philippines Travel Agency, Inc. is celebrating it's 5th year in business during July of 2010, and we would like you to have a chance to celebrate with us, so we have decided to give-away a FREE Boracay Package complete with 5 Star accommodations at the luxurious Artista Boracay Resort on Boracay Island. The lucky winner will win the following Boracay vacation package. 

Vacation Package Inclusions:
- 5 Days / 4 Nights Luxury 3 Star Accommodations at the Artista Boracay Resort
- Flights to Boracay from Manila to Caticlan Airport on Philippine Airlines
- Island Transfers - Door-to-Door from Manila to the resort and back to Manila Domestic Airport
- Three (3) Meals each day, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Boracay Activities - Horseback Riding, Island Hopping, Glass Bottom Boat 

Read More Information: http://www.packagesboracay.com 

BORACAY FOOD TRIP

travel diaries by rivober is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Philippines License.


Pictures of our Boracay  food trip. This was taken during our December trip last year. Warning: Mouth-watering!!! 

Seafoods galore 

Boracay Mandarin offers the best eat all you can promo! I was bloated but the food kept coming. Look at all these fresh seafoods!! All for only Php 300++ per person.

 Tapsilog

Daing na bangus 

 Hot choco

This was our sumptuous tapsilog breakfast and daing na bangus breakfast with hot choco at Alice Boracay Hotel. We spent around Php 150++ per pax.

 Chopsuey

 Crispy Calamares

Watermelon shake 

 This was our lunch at Boracay Regency-- Chopsuey, Crispy Calamares and Rice plus refereshing watermelon shake. We brought our refreshing drink in front of the beach and my what a very relaxing and enjoyable time it was for me and my fiance. Costs us Php 800++ . It was so sumptous! Really worth every peso paid. We would love to eat here again when we go back for our Boracay food trip.

More photos on my next blog....

BORACAY TRAVEL

Centennial Airport, Philippines

Last  December, me and my fiance went to Boracay via Philippine Airlines("PAL").  Boracay is best known for its pristine beaches and remains to be one of the most visited tourist spots in the Philippines. It is located in Caticlan, Panay Island, Visayas, Philippines.  My friends always tell wonderful stories of their trip to Boracay and being a beach buff myself, it has always been a dream of mine to one day visit Boracay. I got my best post-Christmas gift when my fiance invited me to visit their hometown Iloilo, which was a bus ride away from Boracay. He listed Boracay beach in our itinerary and was I excited? But of course, I was ! ! I packed my shades, swim wear, sun block lotion, slippers, and aloe soothing lotion and with a big smile on my face went with my fiance to the Centennial Airport bound for Kalibo airport. 

I love traveling but this was the first time I ever rode an airplane.  Our boarding time at Centennial Airport, Philippines was scheduled at 8:50 a.m. and we were supposed to arrive at Kalibo airport before 9:00 am.  However PAL announced that two (2) Korean businessmen wanted to exchange seats with two (2) passengers at our flight. We went to PAL office inside the airport and  PAL arranged our swap of flight schedule from 8:50 to 4.30pm with the Koreans. Me and my fiance  just signed a "denied boarding compensation agreement " and  were paid equivalent to one way fare going to Kalibo, Island. At  that time the one way fare was  Php 3,000++ per person.  As an additional compensation, we were given stubs for "free" lunch since we'll be staying at the airport until 4:00 pm. So while waiting, we used our pocket money and ate breakfast. We spent around Php 150.00 for a toast, choco and boiled egg using our "pocket money"/compensation. 

 This was our breakfast at"Ya Kun Kaya" cafe. 

My first airplane ride went out fine, although there was slight turbulence while going to Kalibo Island,since it was a bit rainy. I would look at my fiance with "big" wondering eyes and he would look back with big eyes and smile and that would immediately take away my fear that the plane would crash any time soon. The flight took about one hour. I would always look at the safety guidelines. I opened the window and saw it  it was still drizzling.  We arrived at Kalibo airport around 5:30 p.m. and rode a van going to Kalibo and stayed at the first inn we found. I forgot the name of the inn but I never forgot the Chicken Inasal we ate at RML Manokan. Chicken Inasal or barbequed chicken is a native delicacy in the Visayas region and one of my favorite. 

Chicken Inasal at RML Manokan

The following morning, we rode a van going to Caticlan, Boracay Station 2. At Caticlan, we rode a Montenegro fast craft. It was a fast 15 minute ferry ride to one of the Boat Stations of Boracay. We went to Station 2. There are three famous boat stations to Boracay beach--Stations 1,2 and 3. Station 1 is for the upper class because the accommodations there are quite expensive. Station 2 is for the middle class and Station 3 is for those who are not so choosy and with low budget. 

 Montenegro Fast Craft

We went to Station 2 at Boracay and once we docked, there were lots of hawkers asking us if we already have a place to stay. We viewed Alice Boracay Hotel and chose it because it's  near the beachfront, the room looks nice and cozy and  the rate was quite reasonable considering that December is peak season at Boracay. We got our room for only Php 3,00.00++.  It looked like a new condominium unit  and was overlooking the police station, so we felt secure and safe.  

Our pictures of Boracay beach, Station 2 , nearby Puca beach and Mt. Luho Viewpoint.  

 Station 2, Boracay

  

  

 Puca Beach

  Mt. Luho Viewpoint

Your Philippine trip would not be complete if you do not visit beautiful Boracay. Happy trip!




Here's How to Go to Boracay:


Travel by air 
(Main Routes)


1. Manila - Caticlan
a) Sea Air
b) PAL Express 


2) Manila - Kalibo
a) Philippine Airlines
b)Cebu Pacific with
c) Air Philippines


3) Cebu - Caticlan
a)Asian Spirit
b)Sea Air
c)Caticlan - Busuanga (Coron Isl./Northern Palawan)


Alternate Arragements (Land or Sea) 


From Iloilo to Caticlan


1)Ceres Bus has regular bus schedules, some of them air conditioned, from Iloilo to Kalibo and three times daily directly to Caticlan.


2)GM Liner is another bus company plying the route Iloilo - Caticlan with air-conditioned buses twice daily in both directions.


3)Alternatives are the mini-vans from Iloilo to Kalibo and another mini-van from there to Caticlan. Another alternative is to rent a taxi from Iloilo directly to Caticlan. The trip Iloilo to Caticlan takes between 4 to 7 hours.


From Kalibo to Caticlan


Southwest Tours, Star Express and 7107 Island Tours ply the route from Kalibo Airport to Caticlan with air-conditioned buses or coasters. Included in the price is also the boat transfer from Caticlan to one of Boracay's boat stations. Other means of reaching Caticlan are mini-vans, which are a little cheaper, but don't provide boat service to Boracay. The trip takes one to 1.5 hours.


Ship Manila to Caticlan


MBRS Shipping Lines have two boats plying the route from Manila to Caticlan. The ships leave Manila's North Harbor, Pier 8, every Friday, Monday and Wednesday at 5 PM. Arrival time in Caticlan is the next day between 6 and 8 AM.


Other shipping companies service the route Manila to Dumaguit, half an hour east from Kalibo. The companies are WG&A and Negros Navigation.

By Car from Luzon
 

Caticlan, the entry point for Boracay, can be reached also by private cars or air-conditioned buses, via the 'strong republic nautical highway', stretching from Batangas, Luzon, to Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao. A RoRo (Roll On - Roll Off) vessel leaves Batangas daily at 8.30 AM to Calapan, Mindoro. From there drive your own car or board a mini-van or air-conditioned bus to Roxas, Mindoro, where another RoRo vessel leaves at 2 PM for Caticlan, where the boat arrives at 6 PM. Private cars can be parked at one of the many shady and secured parking lots for a fee. No cars are allowed on Boracay Island. The same RoRo vessel leaves Caticlan daily at 9 AM. Contact number: Montenegro Shipping Lines, Inc., Main office Batangas City, Tel.: 043 723 7975/ 723 7598 and 723 2964.


Source: www.boracayisland.org