Any asian Country Trip – Clap clap clap.. LOL

Achieve na achieve! 3 countries

Singapore

Singapore! panalo ang pic na to! LOL

Kualalumpur Malaysia

KL Malaysia

Kota Kinabalu Sabah Borneo Malaysia

Kota Kinabalu

Binondo Food trip – FAIL

Buy a Backpack – Achieve

I was able to buy a North Face Borealis before my Singapore trip and it never fails me up to this moment.

North Face Borealis - pinag ipunan ko yan haha

Buy Camera – FAIL

Buy watch – Achieve

I bought a Guess watch in Duty Free Philippines which is cheaper than buying it in malls.

Guess Watch

Calaguas Trip – FAIL

Caramoan Trip -FAIL

Davao Trip – Achieve

I’m happy with this trip because I’m with my family well aside from one of my brother who’s very busy so he wasn’t able to come with us.

Ume-emote sa Eden Nature Park kaso umextra si kuya sa pic

Ilocos – Vigan, Laoag, Pagudpud Trip – FAIL

Join/ Volunteer a charity work – Achieve

I joined two charity events this year both organized by Habitat for Humanities

La Union Trip – FAIL
Learn a new sport – FAIL
Mt. Batulao -FAIL
Mt. Pulag -FAIL
Pampanga Food trip -FAIL
Read 5 books – FAIL -
I was able to read one book actually ebook (click to download ) -Remember Me – Sophie Kinsella

Sagada Trip
Siquijor Trip – Achieve

Love this trip – Mysterious Island of Siquijor

Siquijor Beach

Taal lake – FAIL

6 out of 19 – Boo! will make it up this 2012. Will list my 2012 goals soon

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 41,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 15 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Thank you so much!  

Click here to see the complete report.

Eden Nature Park Davao

Eden Nature Park

Eden Nature Park

Samal Island

Paradise Island, Samal

Samal Island

Hagimit Falls and Nature Park

Hagimit Falls and Nature Park

Hagimit Falls and Nature Park

Pearl Farm

Pearl Farm

Pearl Farm

We ride the Delta Ferry (P120) and paid the terminal fee (P14) and off we go. The trip going back is a little scary because we can feel the waves rockin the ferry. Great thing we arrived safe to Dumaguete.

Siliman University - Dumaguete

Back to Dumaguete, we went to Sans Rival Cakes and Pastries to buy some of pasalubong and just walk near the bay before we head to the airport.

Sans Rival Dumaguete

Truly the Dumaguete and Siquijor places is just wonderful. I want to go back again some time soon.

Here’s my budget for the trip: (Food and other activities not included) – Click the image for better view

Dumaguete - Siquijor budget

Jaziel Ferry

It’s a 45 minutes trip from Dumaguete to Suquijor port.

super nice view of Siquijor Port

I contact Joam (09276932095) to rent his tricycle and to be our guide for the siquijor trip. He’s nice and always offer to take our pictures. He knows where exactly to pose to get a better view of the place. He was able to tell a story in each place we visit.

Siquijor tour

Here’s a few places we’ve been to:
St. Vincent de Ferrer Bell Tower
Cang-isok Old house
St. Isidore Labradore Church & Convent
Local healer
Cambugahay Falls
San Juan de Capilay Spring

We also drop by in Salagdoong Beach where we eat breakfast. The beach sand is ivory and not as powdery as Boracay.

Salagdoong beach

The waves are ok and you can jump off the cliff to the sea if you’re a dare devil (not me! hehe my knees are actually shaking when I took these pictures)

Salagdoong Cliff

There is a slide and platform where you can jump.

Salagdoong Platform

After lunch we went to Coco Grove Beach Resort where we are going to spend the night. The place is really nice. I was greeted by Macky with my welcome drink (iced tea).

Macky welcomes you to Coco Grove Beach Resort

They upgrade our room yehey! The room is very nice It has 1 king bed and 2 single bed upstairs. It has a mini sala and a refrigerator. Down side – no TV so it gets really boring at night.

We are already hungry and ordered food to one of the restaurant – Salamandas.

Salamandas Restaurant

The food is expensive (pang turista price) but it’s actually good.

Food we ordered at Salamandas

We explore the resort and the beach of course. The sand is ivory but not totally fine. But you can see that  the place is not crowded, we owned the beach because no one is there.

Coco Grove Beach Resort

Explore Coco Grove Beach Resort

Coco Grove Beach Resort

Souvenier Shop

Swimming Pool

Pool Side

Here comes the sun

nice view

Photo op in the resort name

Coco Grove Beach Resort

At night we tried the other restaurant – Sunset Restaurant

Sunset Restaurant

We ordered some food and dessert:

Food from Sunset Restaurant

The place gets really dark at night so you better bring a flash light with you. You can also get a few drinks in the bar area and play billiards as well. The wifi is down that night so we went back to our room and had a good night sleep.

Touch down Dumaguete city

I’m not really familiar on what places to visit in Dumaguete so I made some research on what to visit there and where to stay. We landed at Dumaguete airport around  8:20 am from the airport we ride a tricycle P100 going to Hotel Nicanor which is one of the most recommended hotel there. Since it’s too early to check in and because there’s no available room yet, we just left our bags in the lobby and went ahead to Apo Island.

Apo island is in the town of Dauin in Negros Oriental. The island is considered as one of the top ten dive sites in the country and around the world that’s why we are thrilled to get there. From Hotel Nicanor we ride a tricycle P9  going to Siaton terminal where you can see jeepneys bound to Malatapay P20. From Malatapay market we walk going to the port. It’s just a 5 minute walk don’t worry

Malatapay Market

You can see the port easily where the small bancas are parked (parang kotse lang LOL). We paid P2000 for small banca to get us to Apo Island.

Rent a boat to Apo Island

It takes 30 minutes to get there great thing the sea is so calm that day. There’s an environment registration fee P100 to the island and we also paid for the entrance fee P50 to the marine sanctuary. We also rented a few things for snorkeling: goggles P100, snorkeling shoes P100, life vest P100 and ofcourse the guide fee but there’s no fix price so you just pay him whatever the price you feel like to give them after the tour.

Apo Island

It’s lunch time already so we looked for a restaurant in the island. Here’s what we ordered

Apo Style Fish (P230)

Tuna fish smothered in fresh garlic and onions with steamed rice.

Beef Adobo (P245)

Fried in traditional Filipino soy sauce and onion with steamed rice.

The food in the restaurant is expensive so you may opt to ask a local fisherman to get a fish or any seafood and just have it cooked in the restaurant. Our guide said its way cheaper that way.

After lunch we went ahead to where the turtles are…too bad the water is too low so there’s no pawikan swimming around

looking for pawikans @ apo island

So we just went to the marine sanctuary.

Apo Island Marine Sanctuary

The corals here are huge. It shows that they really take care of them.

Apo Island corals

Apo Island corals

It’s really hot that day so we decided to take a bath around 3pm to find out there’s no shower room but there’s a well where you can get water and get refreshed. Amazing haha I have never really seen a well that has water on it because most of the time I only see wishing well. There’s a room where you can change your clothes though.

get refreshed in a wishing well

The Apo Island is great for snorkeling but not for leisure swimming because the sand is not fine and the shore is very rocky.

Goodbye Apo Island

We went back to the Dumaguete city and check in to Hotel Nicanor.

Hotel Nicanor

The hotel standard twin room with 2 single beds PHP 1,050.00 is  just good for 2 guest so if you added an extra bed actually a mattress there would be no space.

• extra person: PHP 150.00
• extra bed: PHP 250.00

Tiring day but it was all worth it!

DAY 2 : around the city of KOTA KINABALU

This is my last day in my solo trip. I already packed my bag the night before and good thing all my stuff fits in my backpack. One last shopping na lang, I need pasalubong for my friends. Someone recommended the Gaya Market which only happens every Sunday morning just like Legaspi market in Makati.

Gaya Market

A lot of home made food, clothes, plants, pets and a lot more. I bought traditional malaysian cookies just like a piapia in a pretzel form, spinach crunch and barquillos.

Inside Gaya Market

Gaya Market stalls

After I finished packing all my pasalubong. I went out and just walk around the city. I realized there’s nothing to fear being alone in a new place. It’s good to know that I can be myself and get out of my comfort zone. It’s refreshing I was able to discover something about me.

Waterfront

Only a few minutes after that walk I’m back on the lodge and a taxi is waiting for me.

Airport again, wahhh too many people and Airasia counter has a checkin fee here so I just used the web checkin in one of the computer counter. Cool! as easy as 1 2 3 lang pala.

AirAsia

One bad thing happen to me on this trip is the man that seated next to me on the plane has ewwy smell as in gosh foreigner that doesn’t took a bath for i dunno how long.. ang baho ng kilikili mo man pede mag deo!  I got really dizzy promise the whole time I feel like vomiting.

It was raining when we landed at clark airport. Good thing there’s a philtranco bus waiting outside so it wasn’t that much hassle although pricey because from there to Megamall costs 400. Someone told me I can just take a taxi and tell him to drop me to a bus terminal outside the airport I guess it’s cheaper but I’m so tired already so Philtranco na lang ulit.

Diosdado Macapagal Airport

I’m back home around 8pm. It was a great soul searching trip. My braveness added a plus 1 point after that trip!

I had a good night sleep so I woke up a little early. Honestly I don’t have any itinerary prepared for this trip since I’m alone all I want is to relax. After I prepare myself I went down to eat breakfast. I saw Jen and they will have their breakfast too so I join them.

Toast and Hot Tea

After breakfast we stroll around the city. The city map from the airport is really helpful so be sure to get one if you want to explore by foot.

First stop, Atkinson Clock Tower, Sabah

Atkinson Clock Tower, Sabah

It stands along Signal Hill Road adjacent to the old Police Station. Built in 1903, this all-wood, no-nails structure was built in memory of Francis George Atkinson – the popular first District Officer of Jesselton during the British North Borneo Chartered Company Administration, who had succumbed to a tropical disease at the young age of 28.

This Clock Tower has the distinction of being the oldest standing structure in the whole of Sabah that survived the destruction of Jesselton town during World War II. Till today, it still serves to keep the city’s time. ( see Atkinson Tower)

After that we just walk around the city

Sabah Tourism Board

Sabah Tourism Board

Signal Hill Observatory Platform

Signal Hill Observatory Platform

Signal Hill, the highest point in the city, is one of the best places to get a good view of Kota Kinabalu. Just a couple of minutes drive from Padang Merdeka will bring you to the airy deck where you can get amazing views that extend to the outlying islands of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park and further. (source: Signal Hill Observatory Platform)

Opening Hours
Daily from 8.00am till 12.00am
Admission is free.

and arrived at Jessleton Point

Jessleton Point

Formerly known as the Kota Kinabalu Ferry Terminal, this quaintly scenic place has an unmistakable historical feel to it—complete with olden days snapshots of Kota Kinabalu city (Jesselton) and vintage red English phone booths.

English phone booths

Jesselton Point Waterfront serves as the only ferry terminal for Labuan-bound passengers as well as the main (and cheapest) boat terminal for the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park and Gayana Island.  Ticket to 1 island (RM17)

It’s already luch and my friends need to go back to their hotel because they are bound to singapore that day. That only means it’s time for me to go shopping . Honestly I wasn’t able to explore Kota Kinabalu that much because all I can think is I want a colder place to stay. It’s so hot there parang summer lang dito sa pinas.

I went to Suria Sabah MetroJaya which is one of the newest mall in Sabah.

Suria Sabah MetroJaya

I’m so hungry by this time and saw a familiar shop.. Tadaa…

I heart Chicken Rice

Ordered my comfort food.

To tell you the truth the shops here are quite expensive even if you go to other malls like Centerpoint and Warisan Square good thing I made a research first and look for stores that were not found in the Philippines like cotton on, vincci which is vnc in the philippines and some other shops that has cheaper value than buying them here in phils.

All in all I’m a happy shopper I was able to grab 3 shoes, 8 clothes Yay!

I’m so exhausted from the heat and walking galore so I went back to the lodge around 7pm and met Mark again. We went out to grab some dinner. He wants noodles so we look for local food store that serves one and I ended up eating:

Chicken Noodles Soup

local Teh

YUM! after dinner we went to local night market and I bought a magnet then went back to Lavender Lodge

going solo @ Kota Kinabalu Borneo

So come the day of the trip, I’m excited and nervous at the same time. Here’s my flight schedule.

Air Asia flight going Kota Kinabalu

AirAsia flies from Diosdado Macapagal Airport so I need to go to Clark Pampanga. I went to Philtranco Bus terminal in Pasay where there’s a trip directly to Clark Airport. The fee is Php450 from Pasay terminal and Php400 from Megamall.

Philtranco going to Diosdado Macapgal Airport

The bus is decent so I was able to fall asleep during the almost 2 hours trip from Manila to Pampanga. I seated beside tita lari she greeted me and ask me where I am going and I said I’m going to Kota Kinabalu, she said she is going there too with her 2 daughters jastine and jen. So yeah just inside the bus I was able to gain friends kagad.

The Diosdado Macapagal Airport is just small so you can easily see the line where to check in, pay for the travel tax (Php 1620), pay for the terminal fee (Php 600) and ofcourse the immigration. I was a bit scared of  the immigration officer because what if they would not let me go because I’m going in a solo trip but great thing he did not even ask me anything just stamp my passport and viola getting my bag scanned and finally I’m inside the terminal already waiting for my flight. I met tita lari, jen and jastine again inside the terminal and one more dominic who is also in a solo trip. Nice I have a few travel buddies now.

at Diosdado Macapagal Airport with Jen, Dominic, Jastine

Since we are not seated together we just meet each other inside the Kota Kinabalu International Airport. There’s a shuttle service for lavender lodge guest but it’s not free I paid 20RM from airport to the lodge. There I met Mark who is also in a solo trip

Kota Kinabalu International Airport with Dominic, Jen, Tita Lari, Mark

Lavender Lodge

Double Deluxe room with washroom en suite (RM 75)

Lavender Lodge Double Deluxe Room

I requested for a room with window and they suggested the Double Deluxe Room. The room is just enough for two person. It has a cabinet and a small desk. The shower room is just beside the room so I had no problem with it. The room is clean and the bed is comfy.

After I settled my things in lavender lodge, I asked the receptionist who is a pinay (that’s what I love at lavender lodge, you may feel at ease because you can ask questions in tagalog haha) to where I can exchange my Peso to RM and she pointed me to a white building in the corner of the street and that building is the Centerpoint Mall.

CenterPOINT Mall Sabah

It’s just a five minute walk to Centerpoint Mall from the lodge. I found the FOREX easily and exchange my peso. I felt really starving at this point so I look for something to eat and I found McDonalds . Ordered cheeseburger meal. Pretty much the same as what we have here except aside from ketchup there’s a chili sauce which I love. YUM!

After dinner I went back to Lavender lodge and take some rest because I’m really tired.

to be continued…