TRAVEL: Boracay Island, Aklan 2008

It's that time of the year again! No, it ain't Christmas but company anniversary! For employees, like me, it's a date in a calendar that you look forward to because celebrations and awardings usually take place. Last year, we had an outing in Sigayan Beach Resort (see post here). This time around our generous bosses flew us out to none other than..... BORACAY! Woohoo!!! It's the first time for most of us to be riding a plane so that contributes greatly on the excitement factor of this trip. Plus, who would not want to go to Boracay, if given a chance, for free! :)))))

Although Boracay is just a small island in the Philippines, located at Aklan, just by the photos on the Internet, you will be already mesmerized by it... white sand, clear water, fresh seafood, night party... 

We flew via Seair and I'm a little anxious about the airplane because it is an open-propeller type of aircraft... Scared... What if it hits a bird... but since everyone is so excited, I pretended to be very brave :))

We stayed at Boracay Courtyard, which is a cheap hotel located in Station 2, Boracay. It is non-beachfront and a few-minutes-walk to white beach, restaurants, and shops. I don't have the rates but it is considered one of the cheapest hotel in Boracay. It is managed by the well-known La Carmela Resort, where we had our buffet meals. Super Sulit! Super Busog! 

It is my first time to experience a banana boat ride and it was a blast! We managed to get a hold of the banana boat and prevented it from flipping upside-down despite the many attempts of the driver to do so by doing those crazy sharp turns! Other activities that you can do in Bora are island hopping, helmet diving, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, jet skiing, aqua sub, bar hopping and MANY MORE!

And what better way to finish the exhausting day than to relax (oohhhh spa!)... buy souvenirs & pasalubongs... and do some reflection while enjoying the sound of the waves and the beauty of nature in Boracay...

TRAVEL: Sigayan Bay Beach Resort 2007

The company that I am working at had its first 3days/2nights anniversary outing at Sigayan Bay Beach Resort last May 24-26, 2007. The beach resort is located at Laiya, San Juan, Batangas. 

The girls stayed at Halaan 1 & 2 rooms. Halaan room is air-conditioned, has lying capacity of 8 persons, has a private toilet and bath, and water dispenser. The boys stayed at Sigay 2 room, a big room with lying capacity of 10 persons and has 5 double-deck beds, private toilet and bath, and water dispenser. Of course the bosses, have separate bigger rooms and their helpers are in charge of the cooking. 

Day 2 is activity day. We had games like Sack Race and Tag of War... I'm not a very active kind of person so you can imagine how much I struggled with Sack Race... Ugh.

We also went snorkeling... Now, I had a totally different feeling this time because I just love water! The sea, sand, and whatever's under! Too bad the corals are already dead and there are only few fish to see underwater but it's a new experience for me, well for most of us. I want to do this again next time!

That night, we also had occasional drinks, videoke (sing-along) and forum. Revelations and affirmations! I will always remember this trip! Always...

-Glai

TRAVEL: Caylabne Bay Resort, Cavite 2006

The company that I am working at celebrated its Christmas Party at Caylabne Bay Resort in Ternate, Cavite. We came from Carmona, Cavite so it wasn't a long drive at all, there's just a lot of turns on an uphill road where you will also be surprised by cows's parade :-) It is a bay resort, so after reaching the peak, a downhill drive is expected where you can see the top view of Caylabne. We just bought snacks because we availed the set lunch by El Patio Restaurant. Of course, the party isn't complete without exchange gifts and games (with prizes)! We had Pinoy Henyo and kayak race. Other water sport activities that the resort offer include swimming, aqua trike & banana boat riding, water skiing, and fishing. It was a short but fun outing with office friends.

-Glai

TRAVEL: Dampalitan, Padre Burgos, Quezon 2006

In May 4-6, 2006, I had my FIRST beachin' with a group of friends at Dampalitan, Padre Burgos, Quezon, Philippines. YEY! It was a non-commercial island, with pure white sand, without electricity, and no stable source of water (we had to buy fresh water for consumption). Everything's fun except on our way home, when the boat we were boarding sank... :-( yeah and because it's saltwater all my gadgets were dead (HP R707 camera, Apple iPod shuffle, Nokia 3650 phone)... Yeah, such a pain... Good thing my memory card's functional. whew! It's really an unforgettable first time.

-Glai

TRAVEL: Hong Kong 2006

My first trip to Hongkong was my college graduation gift from papa. We (me, papa, and his wife) were there on April 22-24, 2006. We took PAL's PR300 8:00am Manila-Hongkong flight on April 22. It was my first time to ride on a plane, so the feeling was mixed excitement and nervousness. The flight took 1 hour and 45 minutes. I enjoyed taking pictures of the clouds while we are up there. But aside from that, you know what else I enjoyed? The FOOD :-D. PAL serves delicious meals during the flight, and I say "meal" not "snacks".

These are the arrival procedures at the Hong Kong International Airport:

1. Immigration - We presented our passports and completed arrival cards and health declaration forms at the Immigration Hall
. Arrival cards and health declaration forms are distributed by the airline before landing. If in case they are lost, there are blank forms at the Immigration Hall. I noticed there are counters exclusively for Hong Kong citizens for presentation of their Identity Cards.
2. Baggage reclaim - After immigration check, we proceeded to the Baggage Reclaim Hall to pick up our bags. Is there an airline who is careful enough in shipping the baggages? 'Cause when I got my baggage from the conveyor, its strap was ripped :-(
3. Customs and Excise - We proceeded to Customs and Excise control after reclaiming our bags. The red channel is for those who have items to declare while the green channel is for those who don't need any declarations.

After that, we went to Holiday World Tours booth in the airport lobby and waited for the other tourists. The travel agency provided a bus to bring us to our hotels. Ours is Panda Hotel, formerly Kowloon Panda Hotel. It is a four-star hotel in Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong, located between MTR Tsuen Wan Station and Tai Wo Hau Station. It is the largest hotel in Tsuen Wan District with a total of 1,026 rooms, and the nearest city hotel to the Hong Kong International Airport.

From time to time the travel agency provided a shuttle service for us to get around. The tour guides are friendly and are generous in giving information. Few places that I remember going to (in group) are: Victoria Harbour, The Peak, Disneyland (where I felt like a child again), TSL Jewelry, and night market.

We also went to the common places for the locals. Like the usual wet market, chinese restaurant, and others. I think more than going to the tourist spots, it was more interesting to learn and know more about the people and their culture. Three days are not definitely not enough! I really hope I could go back in the future.

- Glai