Siargao: Surfing in Jack Horse, Cloud 9

And when I tell you to go, you gotta go. You gotta paddle your little heart out. You can't hesitate, you can't pull back, you can't hold back. No fear. Because if you do, you'll gonna eat sh*t

~Blue crush

I was really hesitant and excited about surfing here in Siargao. Well because Siargao is a reef break , that when you fell out of your board, there's a huge chance you may land on one of those reefs. Hurts! But I still went coz I'd look like a loser if I dont. haha.

Instructions were vague. I get to compare coz I already surfed in Baler. That was my first time and it was pleasant. I was surprised that Marga and I will be having the same instructor. Two is to one? That doesn't sound good. But we still went ahead.

We see a lot of people surfing. That afternoon, we were to surf in what locals call Jack Horse. In cloud 9, the waves were huge for beginners. 
So, we paddle on our short boards, yes you read right, short boards instead of the long boards we were used to.  And so I got my first wave. Without warning, Kuya just pushed my board and shouted shortly "Tayo!", "Tayo"! After which, expectedly, I wasnt able to stand up. I get frightened whenever I see the reef underneath my board, so i just couched. hehe. duwag lang. haha. 
I don't know. It was a bit unpleasant. Unpleasant, because I'm comparing to the surfer instructors in Baler, which were so good to me. It was like a friend teaching a friend. Me konting biruan pero they'd encourage you whenever you fall..But in Siargao, my instructor's mad whenever I wasn't able to stand in my board. MAD. as in he'd shout at you and make you feel an idiot. nakakawalan ng gana. Well, I don't know. I don't want to generalize all the surfing instructors in Siargao but mine was not cool. As for the rest of my friends, except Marga, theirs were good. 

Baler pa rin :) But still, surfing in Siargao IS bragging rights! Hell yeah! :))

Siargao: Naked Island, Guyam Island, Dako Island

The following day, we went for our island hopping. The tour costs 1,500. This includes Guyam, Naked and Dako Island. 

Some fisherman selling their fresh catch

  Nothing really. Its just an island with nothing on it, thus naked.

We had our lunch at Dako Island. I manned our things while the rest went for some snorkelling. It was raining and didn't felt like swimming.

Then when we went to nearby Guyam Island, where we saw some marine life, which was amazingly just a few steps from the shore.

The surfing experience deserves a separate post. After all, Siargao is the ultimate surfing destination.

Photoblog: Anilao

Photoblog: Apo Reef

SIARGAO: OCEAN 101, BOARDWALK

I boarded the 32seater plane to Surigao. The boarding was on time but we got held up at the runway for 30 minutes coz of the "traffic". Its Holy Thursday and everyone is on vacation, including me. So my almost one hour flight to Surigao begins. Btw, this is my first time in Mindanao and the longest domestic flight I've had.

We were not able to catch the last commuter boat to Dapa, Siargao. So the option was to hire an entire boat, which will costs us Php 15,000. Luckily a group of 20 people came, also headed to Siargao. Yey! lucky us.

The expected four hour boat travel became almost seven hours, experiencing rough seas at the middle of the trip. It was already dark when we reached Ocean 101, located at Cloud 9, Siargao.

I finally saw the famous boardwalk! which is a 5 minute walk from Ocean 101. There are no accommodations at the Cloud 9 shoreline. One has to take a 5-10 minutes walk to get to the nearest accommodations. And for those luxury or boutique hotels, a few more minutes. Restos are scarce. Or maybe, we came in a bad time. If in Manila, Holy Week means vacation, here, they do observe the Semana Santa. You can hardly see tourists in Siargao and most establishments are closed.

waking up for that famous Cloud 9 sunrise

Expect no nightlife in Siargao. The resorts have their own bar and restos so the nightlife happens in their own backyards. But that's just for the expats. The locals hang at Boulevard. So, we went 'coz there was only a single coffee shop that was open near Boardwalk. Since coming to Mindanao, their choice for food is quite interesting. Wait, you have to hear our burger story.

On our second night, we were really craving for some "real" food (that means fast-food). Anything that tastes familiar and cheap! We see this stall selling burger for only Php35! Let me tell you that that is already a steal coz a basic meal out here costs Php100, minimum! yes, tourist price.. So, we see this cheap burger and we all ordered. The menu says "BURGER WITH EGG". So what do you reckon when it says burger with egg? A burger patty with an egg, right? We waited for a good half an hour. That's fine coz we ordered six. It takes a while for burgers to cook, we understand. Then, our order came. Like kids, we hungrily ate our burgers! with egg! But then, two bites through eating, we noticed there was no patty! DId they just forgot the patty, perhaps? Coz it wouldn't take them that long to cook if it is only eggs!! One of us ask the staff and they confirmed that, yes, that the order was right and no, they didn't make a mistake. We were so pissed offed. Gutom kaya kami!! The menu actually means BURGER BUN WITH EGG with the staff pointing at the bun while explaining to us. At kami pala ang hindi maka-gets, after all. haha.

Now, I wonder what will the rest of this trip has for us.

Photoblog: Siargao

Photoblog: Why travel?

...for that brief moment

when you see something spectacular..

you can't put into words what you feel..

Panglao: Tarsier Botanika

The following day we decided to move to Bohol bee farm. Because the Bohol Beach Club was closed, we have no itinerary for the day so we decided to see the newly opened Tarsier Botanika and end the day at Dumaluan Beach. 

Going to the Botanika was not a bad decision after all. You see, I'm not really into zoos. I believe animals should not be caged, they should be in the wild, where they rightfully are. But I was amazed how the whole zoo was kept. Most animals roam the place freely. Of course, under supervisions. But you get to see them, touch and feed them. It was just unfortunate we came in at their siesta time, so most were lounging, sleeping. Nonetheless, the whole experience was great.

The whole Botanika is located on a ten-hectare private property owned by a Filipina ballerina, who loves horses and a French businessman whose into collecting art. Which, explains the horses and the massive art collection. On which, I may say was awesome. 

At the receiving area of the Botanika, you can immediately see that the place is something. We paid Php200 for the whole tour. A tour guide is provided upon arrival. You can opt not to have the services of the tour guide but I think you need one. The place is huge, one can easily get lost.

We started the tour of the animals.
70 percent of the animals in the botanika are rescued from illegal vendors of wildlife animals and the remaining 30 are owned by the couple. I was wondering why it was called Tarsier Botanika and I can't see any tarsiers. The local government doesn't allow private citizens to own one, all tarsiers in captivity are surrendered at the tarsier conservation center. This was implemented a short time after the Botanika was built. I wonder if they'll change their name.

Then we proceeded to see the art collections.

It was unfortunate I can't take picture inside the galleries. But men, the pieces were exquisite. According to the tour guide, the husband loves attending auctions, where he purchases his art collections. The gallery is divided into Asia and Europe. On the Asian collections, there were period pieces from China and some pieces were purchased from their travels. I liked most the Europe collections. There were paintings from Picazzo's student. 
Every single thing in the area where personal collections of the couple. From the ceramics found at the garden to the most exquisite painting. It was a private property which, in turn, was opened to the public.

We ended the tour at their restaurant, Tarsier Paprika, a fine dining restaurant. From the restaurant, you get a panoramic view of the ocean. I was wondering how the place looks like at night.

Tarsier Botanika is not finished yet. Our tour guide said they'll soon be opening accommodations at the place. The whole place was magnificent. I didn't heard of the place until I was in Panglao. When the word's out, people will surely be flocking to see this place. 

view from Tarsier Paprika

Panglao Island: Whale and dolphin watching, Balicasag snorkeling, Puntod island

The following day, we woke up early to see Bohol's dolphin and whale watching. It's really different whenever you see animals in their natural habitat.

And went to Balicasag for snorkeling. Corals aren't at par with Coron, which I was expecting would rival them. But the marine life was impressive. I saw a school of fish and a turtle! Still, my heart is in Coron. Coron parin!

Then went to see Puntod island. This island was featured in a Travel and Leisure magazine. Hailed as one of the world's secret beaches and one of the reason why I wanted to go to Panglao.

And I'm in awe. 
I cannot wait to get off the boat! 
The only thing is, a lot of vendors set up their stores along the shore occupying and blocking the whole view of the island. We should have gone earlier to see the whole island before it was submerged underwater. But still, the beauty of the island is still there..
Let the photos..

  

 

 

Panglao: Bohol Bee Farm

For our last day, we moved to Bohol Bee farm. We were smitten by the place when we had our lunch there on our first day in Panglao.

Bohol Bee Farm is not a beach-front property, instead it sits on top of a cliff. We got a room for Php2,500. Big enough for the three of us. This comes with a buffet breakfast and a free shuttle to either airport or pier.

We stayed at their newly opened building, which is a far cry from their old one. I do hope they'll renovate the old building. And lucky us, we get to try their new rooms. I also notice that herbs are planted in almost every empty space there is instead of the usual ornamental plants. In fact, in front of our room were a patch of basil, thyme and among others.

the new building

I first knew Bee farm when we tried their malunggay ice cream on cassava cone at Loboc River. We loved their organic-flavored ice cream that when I finally had the chance to actually be in their farm, I can't wait to try their other dishes. I notice how they often make use herbs. I find it amazing how two or three herbs can make a simple pasta tasty.

They usually have their farm tours in the afternoon but we were informed that there were no bees at the time because of the last storm. Nagsialisan daw un mga bubuyog. Sayang. excited pa nman ako dun sa beekeeper outfit.

honey ginger iced tea

breakfast, lunch, dinner..everything served was superb!

Most of the things were either recycled or refurbished. Unused bottles were made as lamps. Old stools/chairs were spruced up. They find use to things that are usually thrown. And it works. 

Notice how furniture are brilliantly mix-matched

old sewing machine used again as a table

Aside from the restaurant and the hotel, the farm has its own store which sells their well-known organic products. Honey, spreads, bread, chips. Their store is a well-known tourist stop over.

We really had fun at the Bee farm mainly because of the food. Will definitely be back and recommend this place.

    Live, Laugh, Love in Bohol? Do it in Bee farm!