Discovering the Undiscovered: Sipalay

Sipalay City, one of the best kept tourist destination that will surely make your summer vacation in the Philippines an awesome and gratifying one. This remote town of Sipalay is surrounded by Bohol-like chocolate hills made of limestone or islets suggestive to the ones in Hundred Islands.

Getting to Sipalay:

Sipalay is located approximately 200km both from Bacolod and Dumaguete and travel time is 5-6 hours via bus (with stop overs) or 3-4 hours via taxi. From Dumaguete, you can take a bus to Bayawan City then take another bus to Hinoba-an and finally hop into a Bacolod bound bus stopping in Sipalay. On the other hand, what we did was from Bacolod we took a cab outside the airport going to the South Terminal Bus Station and from there you may take the Hinoba-an bound bus that stops in Sipalay or you may also take a cab from the terminal. Bacolod to Sipalay is roughly P300.

Sipalay’s Attraction:

Our first stop was in PGA tower formerly known as Perth Resort.  The place is certainly a piece of heaven for me considering that it has a very peaceful and massively breathtaking view of the sweeping Sulu sea… plus the fact that we had the pool all to ourselves. In PGA Tower the rooms are pretty basic (nothing fancy) and the resort has a restaurant of its own that opens from 6am to 9pm only.

it's always a good time with IanC

The next day, we can’t wait for our bangkero to tour us around taking us to the following places:

Tinagong Dagat translated as “hidden sea” sprinkled with dozen islets covered with a lush vegetation.

One of the most highly visited place by foreigners is the Punta Ballo Beach that has a shoreline that stretches up to a kilometer long. This is an excellent beach that is apt for divers as there are dive shops in the area and the beach in itself is filled with corals. Take note it has fine white sands, just like the ones in Boracay.

And in less than 10-minutes boat ride from Punta Ballo takes you to Campomanes Bay. The entrance of the bay has a wide area of corals and shipwrecks, MS Jojo and SS Panay that makes it an excellent dive spot. We were told by our bangkero that Campomanes Bay was once the venue of extreme sports event.

Sipalay is not only favorable for beach bums, but for those spelunker (or those who explores caves as a hobby). Matlag Cave features remarkable cave formations while Mamara Cave surprises explorers with its underground. We also tried the Maasin Cave where snorkeling is allowed near the mouth of the bay.

in Maasin Cave

We were extremely happy to experience sunset by Sugar Beach, which I consider my happy escape. Up close, the beach is a medley of brown, white and gray powdery fine sand with its perfectly gradual slope making it the best place for swimming.

With no hotel reservations whatsoever, we were extremely delighted to find a very nice room in Buenaventura Resorts owned by a Swiss guy named, Brian. We spent a night here and I was just so pleased with its service. I absolutely would recommend this place for having very clean rooms and an incredibly accommodating owner. Meanwhile, food was excellent almost everywhere (because most of the Beach owners which are foreigners cooks for their own resorts) and a must try are the ones in Big Bam Boo Resort and in Driftwood Village.

The following afternoon we left Sipalay to go to Bacolod (our side trip) where we stayed in LFisher Hotel. Truly a pampering stay at this very elegant hotel where we got to experience their pool by the deck and where we joined a bunch of people in the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight.

For more of Sipalay, you may also contact their Tourism Information Center at (034)473-2101 or visit them at www.sipalaycity.gov.... and if you need a tour guide or someone who can fix the itinerary for you, I highly recommend Mang Dado...you may contact him  at (+63)09217865615 c",)

Something not to miss in the Philippines… Sipalay is truly another sweet surprise in paradise.

H2.0: The Matabungkay Beach Resort Re-Launch Party 2015

Every 70s baby would not have missed Matabungkay in their lifetime… and I bet everyone has their own childhood memories of it as their favorite summer destination… I remember spending every summer at the Matabungkay Beach Resort with my family and after more than 10 years ---- it’s definitely great to be back.

Legend has it that Matabungkay was discovered by Germans in the early 1950s who were looking for a go-to paradise near the bustling Manila as slowly it gained fame and was known as the it destination in Southern Luzon.

Today, Matabungkay may not be as famous as it was before but seeing it for the first time after more than a decade has surely convinced me that it still offers an unwinding space…. Infact, much better NOW because of its restored facilities which is bigger and better than ever.

Lucky me to have hosted The H2.0 Matabungkay Re-Launch Party last April 11, 2015 and to tell you frankly, I was really surprised to see how the facilities were much more accommodating, a lot more amusing and without a doubt, a resort that is family oriented.

Upon arriving we were escorted to drop our things in our room which happen to be the biggest suite they have in the resort. As we enter our ‘Calatagan Suite’, we were amazed of how big and how beach-y the ambiance is c”,) (excuse me for the word beach-y for its beach feel…hehehe). 

dining area at our suite

our door room....welcome to Calatagan Suite

isn't it so enticing to just stay in the room?

The interiors is just awesome and made it perfect for us (me and my boyfriend Ian) to really relax despite that its a working weekend for me (because I had to host for its re-launch party that night and run back to Manila asap to host for show).

Then we had to eat late lunch while I was getting my script done for that night…and since the easiest way to a man’s heart is his stomach, my man couldn’t lie about how he enjoyed the food but was too shy to order for some more. Everything we tried  from lunch to dinner to our breakfast the following day was certainly pleasant & flavorful… my favorite was their halo halo (for a self-confessed sweet tooth like me, I just couldn’t resist it).

din din with the bloggers

That night, I hosted for the official re-launch party of Matabungkay Beach Resort and was so happy to have met its very down-to-earth, beautiful and enthusiastic owner, Ms Charlie Leviste Antonio. The resort also invited well-known DJ Galo Marquez to spin good music for the crowd, sponsored by Tanduay Distellery Inc and part of their program was getting to know more about the re-styled resort, the launch of their newest pool and not to miss their exciting games.

DJ Galo in the house

with Ms Charlie Leviste Antonio (owner)

with Ian chilling out c",)

Here are some information about the Matabungkay Beach Resort: 
- It has been in the industry for 33 years
- Has 5 types of rooms: Deluxe Room, Deluxe Suite, Family Room, Superior Family and their Beachside Villa
- Has 4 dining areas
- Has 2 function rooms
- Has 3 pools
- 1 spa area
- 1 salon area
- Has team building facilities  and other recreational activities including their famous FLOATING BALSA (which is my childhood favorite)

their newly launched pool

For more information you can visit their website at www.matabungkaybeachhotel.com

In my short stay I must say: I SHALL RETURN! One night is definitely not enough to explore the many things to do at Matabungkay Beach Resort. There’s even a lot more to it than I can write about and it’s for you to rediscover this ‘IT’ place to be this summer.

*** Thank you to Ms Henrytte Guidangen (for making sure we had the best short but sweet stay), Jeoff Solas (together with the entire Bloggers United) and Ms. Charlie Leviste Antonio… and oh, my travel & adventure partner/boyfriend/best friend, Ian Camara for accompanying me on my working weekend***

Up In The Air

I have been a fan of the famous movie “UP” hot air balloon since 2009 and every time I see it, it makes me happy as well as the unconditional love story of Carl and Ellie.

This year, I decided to experience it for myself…well, not the love story…but the feel of being up close with a Hot Air Balloon and glad to have covered for the Biggest Hot Air Balloon Festival in Southeast Asia in Pradera Verde, Prado Siongco, Lubao Pampanga.

Because, I had to feature it on our Morning Show in Good Morning Kuya at UNTV, me and my crew were at the venue as early as 2:30am. No signs of big balloons yet, but I could definitely feel the spirit of being a kid at heart as soon as I entered the place filled with booths and festivities in-stored for its visitors.

At exactly 5am we went live for our morning show to do the spiels and features…and here are some photos during that day:

Prior to my live reporting, I had a chance to interview one event organizer who told me the following details: 
• That there are two types of balloons at the event: one is the Tethered Balloon (it’s a regular and small shape balloon that is supervised by a rope, it can go as high as 100meters only and you can enjoy the ride for 3 minutes for only Php500.00) & the Special Balloon (the colorful and specially designed balloons that can go as far as you can imagine it to be depending on the wind and gas allowance, it’s worth the ride for Php10,000.00)
• One or two persons can ride a balloon at a time plus the pilot
• We are expecting at most 40 brilliantly designed balloons at the event… the balloonist and pilots are coming from different parts of the world.
• There’s no need to worry about the safety of the balloons because they had pilot tested it preceding the event and regarding where the balloon where land, they made sure that there’s a chase van assigned per balloon to pick you up from where you will put down.
• For the entrance fee its only Php200.00, but if you want to get access to the balloon ground, you just have to add Php250.00
• Aside from the Hot Air Balloon itself, they also have other amusing activities such as Zipline, Paintball, Circus Show, Motor Paragliding, Bazaar and Concerts.

There you have it, it’s a must try for those who want to try something stimulating and pleasurable. Glad to have another one marked off from my bucket list…Thank you so much to the organizers who made it possible for us to feature this awesome event. #lubaoibf

Trick and Be Tricked at the Trick Eye Museum in Singapore

Throw yourself into the ultimate compilation of 3D artwork, get ready for more than 80 optical illusion paintings and installations which will boggle your mind and make you do a double take, trick and be tricked at the Trick Eye Museum in Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore.

Definitely not my first time in visiting a 3D Art Gallery, as there’s one within reach at the Manila Ocean Park, but I must say this is by far more fun and amazing than I’ve ever been here in Southeast Asia. 

The museum occupies about 800 square meters that presents six theme zones: World of Masters, Love in Winter, Star of Circus, Safari Kingdom, Adventure Discovery and Dreams of Fairytale. The Museum which opened to the public last June 2014, is meant to be interactive where visitors can creatively pose with paintings so they’ll look as if the subjects of the masterpieces. Something I enjoyed because without a doubt, I’m a self-confessed SELFIE-holic (hahaha…if there’s such a term like that). 

Here’s a look of some of the photos I took inside the Trick Eye Museum:

My first CAN-did photo inside the Museum

Abracadabra!!!

Too cute to be this small...

Just like Circus...Let the show begin!

Run T-Rex as fast as you can... 

Coz Baby Im a Fireworks...

Don't let go... 

I'm your angel c",)

I've always wanted a race...

with the Friendly Dolphins...

look Ma, feet on the wall ;p

Inside the Snowball....

Don't judge a book by its cover....

A word of advice: bring someone who’s good at taking photos so you’ll have the best results at every shot… ;p

So what are you guys waiting for? Dont miss an opportunity to check this place when you get to Singapore. The Trick Eye Museum at the Waterfront at Resorts World Sentosa opens daily from 10am to 9pm. 

Ready your camera and your inventive poses on this one. Have a blast!

Scoop Adventures at Winter Garden Desserts: Where Sweet Treats Meets Science

Talk about dessert, that’s my favorite part of the meal being a self confessed sweet lover. But not just anything sweet will satisfy my cravings because I want something ultra fulfilling. 

When my friend Rodel, invited me to try this new ice cream store in town, I thought it would be the same old ice cream shops Ive been through…to my surprise, it wasn’t. Defintely, its more than just an ice cream store – it’s awesome!

Welcome to Winter Garden Desserts, my perfect wonderland in Katipunan area, where people can experience nitrogen desserts and find comendable home-made ice cream. Winter Garden’s concept was based on Kazahana, a meteorological phenomenon where snow ironically falls on a clear blue sky. 

Fall in love with the beauty and romance of snowflakes glittering in the sun with its stimulating blue toned walls -- simply perfect to experience the Kazahana. 

What makes them more than just an ice cream store? Watch them make ice cream from scratch in just two minutes! What’s more amazing? With the help of liquid nitrogen you instantly get the ice cream you are craving for.

According to studies, the liquid nitrogen at -321 degrees Fahrenheit helps in immediately freezing the ice cream with less ice crystals, creating a smoother and creamier blend compared to a regular ice cream store where it takes a first blast freeze and the use of a commercial freezer in order to freeze the ice cream that makes it grainier in texture with larger crystals. For Winter Garden Desserts, it’s the flash freezing that makes it the creamiest almost like a gelato. Now that’s Science!

Have a taste of their Sweet Treats:

Whoever said you can’t have campfires in the morning? Here’s Morning Campfire with toasted marshmallows, homemade cornflakes in flash frozen milky vanilla delight.

Rockin’ Rocky Road with its goooooeeyy, ooooeeyy, fudgy remake of your classic rocky road.

Omnomnom says Cookie Monster after gobbling up a whole lot of this butterliciously good cookies n’ cream.

This is your Grandma’s heirloom peanut butter ice cream recipe with healthy chunks of peanuts and peanut brittle. Its so good that you can actually Make Grandma Proud.

Italians will never say no to this Nociolla -- Nutella infused ice cream.

Sugar burnt to perfection blended with exotic Mediterranean sea salt. Sugars in the Sun that will undeniably combination will turn your passion into obsession.

Winter’s Breath Snow Blooms that will make you chant in Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Popcorns and Mallows, flash frozen for you.

Whatever they say, this picnic tray will make you play. Sweets and smokes!!! Smokes and sweets!!!

Nothing surely beats the chill of winter on a warm meal. So, what are you guys waiting for? Huff and Puff with the kids and the kids at heart as they will surely enjoy bonding at Winter Garden Desserts. .. and before I forget, price is very affordable… trust me its pocket friendy and student budget ;p

Visit Winter Garden Desserts now located at 299 Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights (across Ateneo, beside National Bookstore, just behind Sango and Ersao). 

Open from 12nn to 10pm, Monday to Sundays.

Don’t forget to share your experience by using the official hashtag #wintergardendesserts