We took a Super Cat Ferry to Bohol from Cebu and stayed in a small resort in the Baclayon hills called Sunrise Sunset. It was out of the way from most things and a good place to rest & recuperate in. We were introduced to the owner, a Filipina artist-writer who lives in France, by my Uncle Claudio.
When we got picked up by the resort service at night I asked if we could go to a Seven Eleven and driver kind of laughed, “Ma’am there’s no Seven Eleven in Bohol”.
Bohol is quite a popular tourist place, but definitely still a lot smaller than Cebu.
The daily fare was traditional Filipino – fried Bangus (Milk Fish) w/ Garlic Rice, which we got a bit addicted to. Bihon Soup (thin rice noodle in broth) and Achara (Shredded Green Papaya Salad in Vinaigrette) were on the house.
There was a small infinity pool as well which was open all day & night. A good place to just relax, be lazy and do nothing. We actually tried to catch the sunrise and sunset most days, just because…. 🙂
On the way back home from Oslob, we stopped by Simala Church to light candles. I was told it was designed by one of the local nuns. I’ve not seen a church like it before- it’s so big and sprawling and it’s not even finished yet.
Whale sharks are considered a threatened species, and it turns out one of the largest populations of Whale Sharks in the world are in the Philippines – with Oslob in Cebu being one of the most famous swim sites. We had to leave the house really early (which was a feat in a large group and Oslob some 3 hours away), as visitors to the Whale Sharks are controlled by the local government; and all the watching and swimming had to cease by midday.
This was at the briefing, before going in:
The Whales Sharks of Oslob
Hopping on to the motorless bangka (traditional wooden boat):
Whales Sharks of OslobWhales Sharks of OslobWhales Sharks of OslobWhales Sharks of OslobWhales Sharks of OslobWhales Sharks of OslobWhales Sharks of OslobWhales Sharks of OslobWhales Sharks of OslobWhales Sharks of Oslob
There’s some protocol. You’re not allowed to put sunscreen on for example (you can wash it off before going in), which is partly why Craig and I decided to stay on the boat (we had put some on at home), while the rest of our group dived in. We had an underwater camera with us however, which we dangled beneath the surface from the side of the boat.
There are also Marine Biologists on site and small local boats without rotary motors are used (to prevent accidental harm).
One of the main reasons for our trip to the Philippines was to attend the wedding of my cousin Earl and his fiancee Mia, especially as my mother was too ill to attend the wedding at the time. We arrived in Cebu from Palawan at lunch time on September 24, with just enough time to drop off our bags and freshen-up for the Soltera that night.
The wedding, attended by some 420+ guests a few days later on September 27, was an opulent affair designed/organised by Earl’s eldest sister Abigail (who we affectionately call BomBom).
Congratulations to the happy couple! x
Not the Soltera – out about before the big night at Pino Restaurant #EarlMia2014#EarlMia2014#EarlMia2014The very glamorous BomBom, informal wedding planner & stylist extraordinaire
Palawan is still a very quiet port city and we love it because of that. This is the main street in the CBD, with the most popular form of transport being a tricycle.
Main street of Puerto Princesa CBD – from the top of Harbor Light building.Houses that my grandmother builds and sells in Puerto Princesa – if anyone is interested in a holiday house, please message me.Sari Sari StoreWooden carvingsLocal store
Tried spelunking and zip line for the very first time. In rubber thongs no less! A bit scary. The guide made us do a prayer for safety before starting out the cave climb as well.
Free play 🙂Hard hat safety 🙂ZiplineFrente! shirt spelungked for the first time 🙂Matamang Salamat Po!
A beautiful boat ride to Sabang. Feels quite isolated to get there, but is actually a reasonably popular place to visit.
On the way to Sabang Island – with our bangka boat driverOn the way to the Subterranean River – a stunning boat ride.
After being dropped off the island we had to walk through a jungle trail populated by wild monkeys & geckos. The guide told us to make sure we had no food item before going through the jungle because the monkeys are sometimes hungry. I had woken up really early that day to get started for the trip to Sabang and had wrapped my half eaten Pan De Sal (local bread roll) in toilet paper (as you do) and placed it in my bag for later. I had forgotten all about it of course by the time we got to Sabang and proceeded down the jungle trail, when within a few minutes a wild monkey had grabbed my bag, unzipped it and taken the bread roll out. I was scared from the unexpected experience of having to wrestle my bag from a monkey and Craig had tried to shoo it away. It bared it teeth at him, made an awful sound and ran away with his loot. He was harmless really and was just focused on getting my/his breakfast.
After hopping off our bangka (boat ride) to Sabang Island) w/ one of my maternal grandmothers 🙂Vanishing Biodeversity Sign at the start of the Jungle TrailHungry Monkeys
The river that is open to the public is about 1.5 kiloetres long, which we paddled through in the dark with the use of strong flashlights/floodlights. But the actual river itself goes even longer underground the mountain/cave – some 8 kiloetres long, and unsafe for people to go to. There were constant drips of water which the guide told us were bat droppings. We saw, heard and smelt the bats constantly – which wasn’t really terrible because it was more of a faint scent rather than something putrid. At the highest point the ceiling of the cave looked like looking up a cathedral ceiling. Artists in the past used to talk about the sublime, when faced by something extraordinary that leaves them in awe. We felt a bit like that.
Inside the subterranean river – using a strong torch to guide us slowly through. Felt a bit like Invaders of the Lost Ark 🙂Bye! 🙁
Tourism is carefully monitored in Palawan & eco everything is taken very seriously. The tourguides at the river itself are very well trained and are also members of the local tribe from the area. Would recommend this place to visit for Filipinos and foreigners alike.
The Underground River Palawan is a UNESCO & World Heritage Site and considered one of the new 7 wonders of the world.
We finally made it to Puerto Princesa, Palawan. One of my maternal grandmothers live there with her husband and their young children – so we were very lucky, as we had a very knowledgeable local to show us around 🙂
In front of lola’s grotto
They take eco-tourism very seriously in Palawan, so there are lots of bicycles and pedicab bikes available for hire. This is at the Baywalk. It’s a bit like an Ai Wei Wei installation… 🙂
At the Baywalk in Puerto PrincesaIsland hopping – on the way to Pambato Reef and Cowrie IslandAlmost there… 🙂Lola brought some snacks – Boiled Camote & Saba BananasRelaxing under Coconut TreesEat all you can seafood buffet for $A 5.00Young CoconutHappy Suki
We’re only here 4 days but what can we say, Manila is full on. Here is the view from our balcony from WakWak in Greenhills. Not many hills and only a little green…
The view from our balcony in WakWak
Except for the exclusive golf course to the right for the lucky few. Everywhere else, as far as the eye can see, are built-up.
Wack Wack Greenhills in Manila. Thank you to Dominic Hing & Maan Ngo-Hing for looking after us.
Craig (my partner) wanted to see something historical and somehow came across a walking tour online called “Walk this Way“. It was being run by an artist called Carlos Celdran at Fort Santiago in Old Manila. I didn’t really know what to expect, as I didn’t know the artist (only what Craig and I read together online); nor much about Fort Santiago- despite the fact that my father’s family used to live in and had businesses (which all had fallen into disrepair and sold over the decades) in a nearby place called Ermita (some 2 kms away). So being the clueless Filipino coupled to the even more clueless foreigner, I tagged along.
It was a very powerful show, despite the simple production values (one man with a few props) and we learnt something about Philippine history too. I’d say this tour is definitely a better way to see Manila, and worth the effort to go to, even if you are short on time. It gave humanity and context to what seemed like a chaotic city on steroids.
The crowd at Walk this WayWalk this Way Walking Tour by artist Carlos Celdran
Signage at Fort Santiago, Old Manila
Part of the show was a ride on a Kalesa (a horse drawn carriage) through Old Manila, with the Kalesa driver (in costume) acting as a guide as well. It was a really fun way to get around – to be out in the fresh air, with the feint scent of the horses and hearing the musical clip-clopping of their shoes. I’m not really sure if I’ve ridden in one before or not. My mom told me in passing once, that my maternal great great grand-father composed a song about Kalesas before I was born (I never had a chance to meet him). So I’ve always had a soft spot for one because of that. Also I was born in the Year of the Horse 🙂
So we are flying to the Philippines in several hours and staying for 3 weeks! A cousin of mine is getting married and we thought we’d throw some island hopping in, while we were at it 🙂 The Philippines is an amazing holiday destination, what with over 7000 beautiful islands to explore and go to. Some of the places we are thinking of, aside from Manila and Cebu (where the wedding will be) are Bohol and Palawan.
Palawan is getting cult status these days for being one of the most beautiful islands in the world (Conde Nast, Huffington Post etc) so we are quite excited. Packing luggage on the other hand, is another thing all together…
Looking over all the packing that still needs to be doneNope not impressed…
Hopefully it’s a good flight. See you in the Philippines! Woof! x Suki
