A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
Sonya’s Garden has long been a family favorite for road trips. This bed and breakfast and restaurant is one of the most romantic getaways near the metro. It’s actually the first place I think of whenever someone mentions Tagaytay. With all the new establishments, hotels and Metro Manila chains that have set up in Tagaytay. Sonya’s Garden still offers a refreshing escape where you can enjoy healthy meals in a lush garden setting.
Tagaytay City in Cavite is the most popular destination near the metro for a day trip. However, with the traffic and high cost of gas and toll fees, sometime’s it’s best to make the most of a road trip by staying overnight somewhere. This way, you can visit the more sights at a leisurely pace.
From the port of Ivana, we spotted a small wooden boat loaded with passengers approaching the shore. The boats called faluwa are the main means of transportation between islands in Batanes. They’re quite small and don’t have outriggers, so they can easily navigate the strong waves at sea. This was our ride to our destination for the day – Sabtang Island, the smallest of the three inhabited islands of Batanes, the northernmost province of the Philippines.
The Circle Hostel is a chain of eco-hostels in the Philippines catering to surfers and backpackers looking for a community atmosphere and budget-friendly lodging. They aim to be a “sanctuary for the artsy and the adventurous” where people can express themselves freely.
On the left side of the road was a towering rock wall. On the right was a cliff that plummeted down into the sea, complete with dramatic waves crashing into the rocky coast. The winding road carved into the hills narrowed into one lane as it made its way around a sharp bend. Yellow “Blow Ur Horn” signs painted on stone markers signaled blind spots in the road, leading to landscapes that wouldn’t look out of place in a fantasy film.
Batanes, the northernmost province of the Philippines, has been on my bucket list for years. Referred to as “the Home of the Winds” because of its cool and windy weather, Batanes offers a unique blend of breathtaking scenery, natural attractions and well-preserved culture. It’s the only province in the country that’s been declared in its entirety as a protected Landscape and Seascape. You could spend days here and not get tired of the views.
Jariel’s Peak in Infanta, Quezon is a popular weekend spot for motorcycle riders based in Manila. It has everything that makes a for a great half-day trip – enough distance to make the ride feel “not bitin,” twisty mountain roads, and cool climate and scenery that transports you visually to Baguio or Sagada. In fact, the place is located in a sitio called Little Baguio. Plus, it’s off the grid, if you like that kind of thing. No electricity or phone signal here, folks. You’ll have to wait to post on Instagram or Facebook once you get home
Spiky branches of vivid orange, yellow and teal swayed lazily in the water. What looked like purple clam lips on pink brain-like corals seemingly smiled as I snorkeled by. A school of rainbow colored fish swept past me, darting in and out of the corals.
Photo by RadManila Communications, Inc. courtesy of Kawil Tours
Snorkeling in the Crowning Glory Reef, a marine protected area in Culion, has got to be one of the major highlights of my trip to the Calamian islands late last year. This site is the BEST place I’ve ever tried snorkeling and my standards are now very, very high after this. All other underwater destinations I’ve visited now seem to be muted seascapes that pale in comparison to the rich marine life I saw in the Crowning Glory Reef. Continue reading “Isla Culion: Crowning Glory Reef & Lusong Shipwreck”
Park, Rest & Dine is an eclectic and quirky restaurant located along Marcos Highway (Marikina-Infanta Highway) that serves pretty good meals. During road trips, I always prefer eating in places with character and these are few and far between along this highway. There are lots of small carinderias and a couple of resorts that have their own in-house restaurants along the highway if you’re not too picky about meals, but Park, Rest & Dine offers a pretty good selection of affordable meals in a pleasant setting.
On the first day of 2014, I took a solo motorcycle ride as a “good luck ride” for the year ahead. I ended up finding a very nice waterfall not that far from the city. This relatively unknown waterfall that’s just an hour away from the Quezon City area is a promising weekend destination for motorcyclists and mountain bikers.
Continue reading “Palo Alto Falls & Leisure Park in Baras, Rizal”
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