Welcome to the Eastern Side of Rizal

What comes to your mind when someone utters “Let’s go to the province of Rizal.”? Some would think of the hometown of the national hero, while some would refer to the mountainous area of Montalban, that can be seen from some parts of Marikina and Quezon City.

For someone who grew up in the City of Antipolo, the province of Rizal (for me) is the home of the famous Daranak Falls in Tanay.

From the metro, you may reach Tanay via public and private transportation. Shuttle services are available at SM Megamall and Star Mall (Mandaluyong). Some jeepney terminals may be seen across Shangri-La Plaza mall in the Greenfield District. Via private transportation, take Ortigas Ave until you reach the Hamaka monument in Antipolo, then turn right to follow the provincial road. Road to the left will take you to the Shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Paz Y Buenviaje.

Few of my favorite spots within 10 km radius from Tanay town proper are the following:

1. Windmills in Pililia

These giant fans (similar to Ilocos) contribute to the energy sources in nearby towns.

Below is my travel buddy, Duke the Juke Skywalker. 🚖

These windmills line up just across the provincial roads to the eastern side of Laguna. 

2. Regina Rica National Shrine

Several devotees gather around even on weekdays. There are several sign boards going to the shrine, so once you’re in Tanay, you will never get lost.

I traveled with my family and my 2 yr-old pomeranian, Micmic. 🐶

3. Daranak and Batlag Falls

It was raining hard when we got there so our photos were either blurred or with several watermarks.

It was a good experience to be bathed with fresh water once in a while.

4. Jala Jala Sunflower Farm

The farm is not as big as the Cordillera Sunflower Farm, but you can choose your angle to get nice photos of these beautiful flowers.

They also sell sunflowers pots. 🌻🌻🌻

5. Momarco Nature Resort

There are several nature resorts in Tanay, but this one in Aldea, caught my eyes.

We will revisit the place next month, so watch out for more photos. 😎

There are more tourist destinations in Tanay. The San Ildefonso Church is one of the oldest

churches in Rizal and deserves a visit. The Bulawan Floating Restaurant and Lorenzo’s Grill are my favorite stop overs for a gastronomic boost. Other nature resorts are the Bakasyunan (Bali-inspired resort) and the Martessem Resort, which also offers day tours.

On your way back to the metro, you may also stop by the churches of Baras and Morong, Rizal. They are also old-school churches that deserve a visit.

When you reach Antipolo, visit the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Cathedral, and add the Hinulugang Taktak Falls to your itinerary.

From Antipolo, take Ortigas Avenue Extension, until you reach the EDSA Shrine. 😎

Until our next trip. 😎

Laiya Road Trip

I have been checking out pet-friendly resorts within 100km radius (by land) for the last 3

months, and Sabangan Resort in Laiya, Batangas is our first stop.

Laiya is 3-4 hours by land via STAR Toll way.

Via private vehicle

Take the South Luzon Express Way (SLEX).
Take the Star Tollway at the end of SLEX.
Take the San Jose-Ibaan Exit.
Turn left at the intersection with a sign pointing to Rosario (Key landmarks: Ibaan Municipal Hall).
Turn right at the fork road pointing to San Juan.
Drive straight along the road to Rosario Town Proper (past Jollibee and South Star Drug) to reach San Juan Town Proper.
Upon entering San Juan Town Proper, drive towards the San Juan Municipal Hall and turn right immediately to head to the main road of Laiya.
Drive along this road to reach the resort.

See map below:

Via public transportation

Take ALPS Bus from the following terminals: EDSA Nepa Q-Mart, Araneta Center Cubao, Alabang Grand Terminal.
Earliest trip is at 3:00 AM and the last trip departs at 5:00 PM.
In San Juan (in front of the Municipal Hall), take a Laiya-bound or Hugom-bound jeepney (last trip is at 5:00 PM).

To check rates and availability, visit: https://www.sabangan.com.

Micmic (my 2-yr. old pomeranian) has been enjoying traveling by land, and this makes me want to explore more places that we can reach by car.

This is his first beach experience and I love how he enjoys the sand and the sea water.

Sabangan Beach Resort offers full board meals by the beach. They allow pets on most rooms and can roam around the resort as long as they are on leash.

We stayed in a bamboo bungalow room.

Rate is 10,000 per night for 3 adult guests and a pet.

We only stayed over night due to limited time, but enjoyed the sea breeze and the fresh Batangas air.

Until our next road trip. 😎

The Parisian Experience

I have always wanted to visit the Parisian Hotel in Macao or Vegas eversince they were built. The idea of having to see an iconic replica of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, within a crowd full of casino bright lights and colorful architectural structures and interiors, makes it feels like you are in a world where everything is perfectly built and designed.

Touchdown: MFM

It was a short weekend trip, so I had to choose the less expensive and shorter travel time.

What’s up, Eiffel tower?

What’s new, Cotai strip?

It has been a week, but its beauty still awes me.

The hotel interiors, the view from our room, the amenities, the restaurants, shops and casinos, the staff, and hotel location all deserve a double thumps up.

How to get there: 

By air: Choose MFM as destination.

From MFM: Hotel shuttle services are free. Follow the arrows. You will never get lost.

How to get around:

Buses are near the hotel connections within Cotai strip for only 6 MOP per way. Taxis are also available.

Hotel Rate: Book in advance to get the best rate. 14 days in advance is ideal and will cost you less than a 5-star hotel in MNL.

Other places of interest:

St Paul Ruins, Macau Tower, Senado Square

Other hotels with casino and shopping centers:

Venetian, City of Dreams, Studio City, Four Seasons, etc.

Must try: Macao Tower 360 Buffet. It offers international gastronomic dishes on a rotating platform with a 360 degrees view of Macao from the 60th floor.

Macao tower also has fabulous convention centers and offers extreme adventures, from Skywalk to Bungy Jumping.

What’s more important is I get to travel and learn new things with the love of my life, and I get to meet some friends and shared several good conversations over a sumptuous meal. 

Until our next trip. 😎

Dinadiawan Weekend

Have you ever heard of the place, Dinadiawan? How about Dipaculao? If yes, good for you. If not, you’re not alone. 😆 But what’s special about the place? Glamping. And yes, you heard it right. 

Though this is not my first glamping adventure, the experience is comparable to Blue Water Sumilon Glamping in Cebu. The only differences are the price, amenities and travel time. It is very much cheaper here, and there’s no need to book a flight. All you need is a travel arranger who will bring you to this beautiful town in the province of Aurora. The pricey overnight glamping on the latter, on the other hand, has great amenities and better restaurants. 

Below is a photo of me and my babe inside the glamorous tent.

If you are up to a relaxing weekend getaway, with a little twist of new experience, then this is the place to be.

The beach is creamy white and powdery. 😎

We spent the whole day by the beach, by the tent and by the nipa huts playing uno stack. The night was spent with friends over bottles of beer and chips.

On our way home, we had some stop over in Baler, another famous landmark in Aurora province.

The 7-8 hours on the road (one way) is worth all the muscle pain.

This is a must-try weekend road trip.

Until our next trip. 😎

Legazpi Weekend Getaway

Short weekend getaway is the best stress therapy for me. Why? First, it doesn’t cost that much. Second, flight times are only 1-3 hours including air traffic. Third, it doesn’t require approval for long vacation (if you are employed). That said, the preparation is not stressful to begin with.

So where did we go this time? Legazpi, the home of the beautiful Mayon Volcano, in Albay. It’s approximately an hour away from MNL via plane. 

We stayed at the Oriental Hotel near the city center.

They offer buffet breakfast. They have two other restaurants within the lobby area and a grill near the pool area. Rates are reasonable. 

There are several tours to choose from for a short trip and we chose the ATV adventure (to Mayon) and a Misibis Bay Day Tour. Both are pricey, but also reasonable.

It was raining when we had our first tour, so we had to wear rain coats.

The rain adds to the fun. Crossing the river via these terrain vehicle is extremely enjoyable.

It took us an hour (including a short trek) to reach the Mt. Mayon marker. Going down, you have two options: there’s a zip line and slippery trek. We chose the former.

On our second day, we were picked up early after breakfast and had a shuttle to Misibis Bay.

The place is majestic. 

There are also several activities to choose from. They have pools for all ages. The beach is clean and powdery.

It’s a relaxing escape after our short ATV adventure yesterday.

The rest of the stay was spent on church visits, food trip and pasalubong shopping.

It was a short trip, but definitely one for the books.

Until our next trip! 😎

My Favorite Journey So Far

Falling in love is a journey. 

Of all the hundreds of travel escapades that I have ever had, traveling with the love of my life is, so far, the most wonderful experience I have ever encountered.

I can document all my travel expeditions with a thousand beautiful words, but spending this holiday with her is, so far, the best getaway, one travel blogger can ever have.

We took advantage of the holiday and squeezed in all our favorite things to do in one and a half weeks of fun-filled vacation.

Our first conversation, after 24 years of knowing each other, started with a coffee date invitation. Everything else was history.

We spent several moments talking about life goals and future plans, while enjoying the moment together over a cup of coffee or a bottle of beer or wine. We have spent a lot of time catching up over good food, live band and cozy ambiance, with our favorite fruit shakes and cocktails. 

There was never a dull moment with her. Just staring at each other, holding a promise that we’ll make this vacation worthwhile, makes every moment more meaningful to both of us.

When we started the relationship, we both agreed that God (not religion) should be the center of our relationship. We had several church visits during this holiday break, and we made sure that we hold on to our promise of staying true to each other no matter what.

Most visits were accompanied by mom and Micmic.

We also spent moments at the beach at night, listened to the waves, gazed at the stars, and had a relaxing body massage in a popular beach resort.

We also spent time exploring our hobbies together. From indoor firing to jet skiing, biking, mall hopping, movies and pop corn, food trip and a lot more, we tried to squeeze them all in a short period of time together. 

Every little moment counts and every little things that we do together is part of this journey. This journey, that not only a traveler wishes to have. This journey, that’s inspired by a strong foundation of love - a journey that leads to forever. 😍

Until our next trip. 😍