Enchanting Coron, Palawan

I must say just how excited we were when we booked our trip to Coron. We've heard a lot of great reviews about the beach, and we wanted something completely different from the usual Boracay experience. We believe that there are just so many beautiful islands around the Philippines still waiting to be discovered and Coron is one of those that truly surprised us from beginning to end. Looking at pictures online, we were astounded by just how beautifully pure and untouched the island seemed to be. When you book your trip, it's wise to avoid the coron tours from the hotel because it's really expensive. It's better to find a tour when you get there instead, and the most affordable one is the one we got from Coron Galeri. 

On our first full day, we paid Php650/pax for the Coron Island Ultimate Tour. It's inclusive of 5 destinations and grilled lunch by the beach. As we hopped on the boat, we were amazed by how breathtaking every view was. Everywhere you looked, you couldn't help but feel a sense of tranquility and calmness.

As we were nearing this view of Coron's famous rock formations, our jaws just dropped by the wonders of this magnificent place. This is marine life at its finest. Our first destination was the Kayangan Lake. You will need to hike all the way up to get to it, and no matter how tiring it was, it was definitely worth every single step. As you descend from the stones, you will be amazed at the sight!

This is the famous view of Kayangan Lake which is often used as a picture for tourism purposes. I know it's already beautiful in the picture, but I must say our pictures doesn't even do it justice. These are the types of sights your own eyes have to behold for itself. There's nothing like seeing something so grand that it just takes your breath away. This is a popular photo op place so be ready to meet a little bit of inconvenience, as you wait for others to finish for you to take your turn.

Our second and third destinations were the Twin Peaks Reef, and the Twin Lagoons, respectively. The Twin Peaks Reef topped Kayangan Lake, no matter how impossible it may seem. The water was crystal clear that you could even see the fishes from below. For you to get to the lagoon inside, you have to ride the balsa, or the improvised bamboo that's tied together. We didn't get to ride it though, since it was high tide when we went so we used the the ladder instead. It's important to be careful when hiking up the ladders since they are made out of wood, and underneath lie sharp rocks.

We had lunch after in Atwayan beach, which offers big huts where large groups of friends can dine. The boatman is the one that grills the food and I must say, they grill it well. We had grilled liempo, fish (an extremely LARGE fish) called bisugo and seaweed salad. By this time, we were all hungry from all the hiking, trekking, and swimming so imagine our delight when we were served with such good and fresh food. The fish which was freshly caught from the sea is definitely one of the most memorable dishes here.

Our last stop is the CYC Is. where we stayed for snorkeling and swimming. The fishes here are so diverse that when you see them, its absolutely nothing short of amazing. Some fishes are even multi-colored that they're just so beautiful to look at. It's like landing right in the middle of the set of Finding Nemo, but even better. This is heaven for most divers! It's important to be careful though as there are numerous sea urchins and jellyfishes that are sneakily situated around the area.

On our second full day, we availed of the Sun, Sea and Sand Eco-Tourism Experience which set us back at Php950/pax. We had a hard time deciding between this or the other tour named as the Las Islas Tribal Eco Tour which also consists of islands similar to our first tour. Since we wanted to experience a chill day at the beach, we decided to go for the Malcapuya Island instead. It takes an hour and a half to get there from the Coron Port so make sure to get to your boat early to make the most out of your day.

Malcapuya Island completely battles the white sand beach of Boracay. The place is undisputed, and the sand is so fine that your feet still sinks in it. It was like living in a postcard, and you will find yourself really wanting to relish every moment. It really is one of the most beautiful islands we've ever been to and we liked the fact that we could just drink, and chill there.

One most important person you will ever meet here is a local named Kuya Chris. He will offer you his boat, to take you to the famous white buoy where there is big coral reef. Snorkeling in this area gives you a great view into the aquarium like paradise where all the beautiful fishes live. When you shift your eyes to any side, you will be astounded by just how numerous the fishes are! He even dives deep into the bottom of the sea just to grab a big clam underneath! We will always remember Kuya Chris for he led us to one of the most Perfect Storm moment of our lives. The heavy rain started pouring as we got on the boat to make our way back to the shore, and for a group of 3 boys and 2 girls, we honestly thought it was the end of us. The boys had to paddle really hard, and us girls had to dispose of the water that was quickly filling up the small boat. The rain was so painful against the skin, that we honestly wondered if we would ever get to shore. Luckily, Kuya Chris was a natural in all of this, having lived in Davao before and led us to safety. The rain lasted for a good 30 minutes as we panted our way back to shore. We were just so lucky we got there safe! Although the experience was scary, it was definitely worth seeing all those beautiful fishes and marine life for.

As the rain poured, we went to our boat and made our way for our last request stop which was the Barracuda Lake. This wasn't originally part of our tour, but we requested Al Linsangan (the owner of Coron Galeri) to bring us there. He was so nice that he didn't even ask for extra payment, only that we had to pay the entrance fee which was Php100 per person. The Barracuda Lake looked like the Kayangan Lake as well but there are rumors that you could actually see a barracuda if you looked hard enough. We asked the boatman if this was true, and sadly, he said it merely just a rumor. We still spent a good hour looking for the fictional barracuda but alas, to no avail! The lake was beautiful, though, so we didn't mind the fact that we didn't see one.

As we made our way back, we were extremely sad that our Coron adventure was over. We felt that there was still so much to see in this beautiful place, such as the zoo, the other tours and the Maquinit Hot Springs to name a few. Our experience here really made each of us marvel at the beautiful nature around us. I can definitely say that there is so much to the Philippines, if one just takes the time to look hard enough. What made our trip even more memorable, was just how accommodating and welcoming the locals were. Never did we once come across a local that was rude. Everyone helped us in their own way to make our experience truly fulfilling. From Orley, our personal butler from the hotel who granted our every need and wish, to Bunso, our personal trike driver who happily agreed to take us to the best spots in town, to Kuya Chris, our personal life saver who took us on the adventure of our lives that we will remember forever and lastly, Sir Al Linsangan, who actually is a marine life advocate and photographer who made our tours possible. It’s the strangers along the way that always make the travels worth it. More than the sights, sounds, and taste of a town, the feelings of meeting strangers that turn into friends are the most important stories you can tell once you head back home. All the expectations we had about this trip, was met and eventually, was even exceeded. We will definitely make our way back to this island where every moment has left a remarkable imprint in our hearts.

We suggest you book your next trip to Coron town and we assure you, that you will not regret it. :)

Milky and Sunny

Milky and Sunny is an all-day breakfast restaurant located in Kapitolyo. The first thing that drew our attention was how cute the interiors of the place was. The light blue color that dominated the restaurant showed its casual and chill vibe. Kapitolyo is a place with many good restaurants in the area, that's why we made it a point to achieve our goal of eating in every single restaurant here!

They also sell art here which is a pretty good concept since this is easily exposed to the customers of the restaurant. I must say that the art on the wall was really not to my taste and liking, but we're not here to critique that!

These interiors remind me of a Tumblr dashboard with all the vibrant colors and inspirational messages that cover the walls. It's refreshing to be around such cute decorations! But, sad to say, what Milky and Sunny greatly achieved in the look of the restaurant, they sorely lacked in the taste of their food. Of course if we're talking about breakfast food, we'd expect something different as to what we eat at home. For me, when eating out, I want to experience food that I can't normally taste from lutong bahay food. But I was deeply disappointed with just how ordinary the food here was.

Our friend, Renz, ordered the beef tapa and we must say that the Queen Tapa of Tapa King would taste a lot better than this. The serving of the tapa was little, too, which is a big disappointment if you're super hungry!

I ordered the spam with rice which is just as ordinary as the spam I eat at home. The spam was sliced super thin and wasn't even crunchy, which is how I usually like my spam. I can't believe they'd only serve 3 pieces of thinly sliced spam! It was so bitin, and the eggs weren't even cooked well. The scrambled eggs were overcooked and it wasn't fluffy.

Thirdy ordered the corned beef with bagel, as an alternative to rice. We liked the fact that you could choose an alternative to rice, for those who are going on a diet. A major plus is that the bagel is whole wheat which makes it naturally healthy. When asked how the eggs were to be done, he said they wanted them over easy which meant the yolk would be runny, but instead, the egg became over hard. Taste wise, the corned beef was normal just like the two earlier dishes.

Milky and Sunny was a great disappointment to a hungry pack of people who not only looks for quantity in food, but quality as well. An all day breakfast restaurant should offer something different than those we can eat at home, but this was an ordinary and disappointing food experience. We prefer the all-day breakfast of Banapple compared to Milky and Sunny! We suggest that you don't waste your money trying the food here, head to Charlie's instead if you're in the Kapitolyo area.

The Mind Museum

I remember blogging about this museum back in my old blog, and I was extremely happy when Thirdy surprised me with tickets to The Mind Museum for our monthsary! The vision for this place was extremely enticing, so we were really excited for it to come to life. The first thing you will notice when you get there, is just how immense the structure of the building is. The place is also very clean which makes it that much more attractive. Make sure you get there early because you will need all the time you can get during your slot to make the most out of the experience.

Upon entering, you will be greeted with Aedi, the robot who will tell you on how to go about your Mind Museum adventure. We were so amazed by just the beginning so imagine our delight when we actually went through all the exhibits.

These are the different exhibits we saw:

They have helpful descriptions like this one to guide you throughout the museum. We suggest that you really read up, instead of only trying out the exhibits themselves, to actually serve the purpose of your visit.

This station was the most interesting one for me. The decoration of the ceiling were made up of lights that try to recreate the night sky. Imagine just how beautiful this place was. It was like sitting in a park at night, with the cold breeze!

The huge brain was also a big attraction for most of the people who went during our time slot. It was actually fun to see people try out the games on the interactive screens because we could see just how much fun they were having.

This is the large butanding or whaleshark near the brain. I just cant believe how much imagination, hard work and money it took to actually make exhibits like this one.

Unfortunately, by the time we got to the second floor, Thirdy's camera ran out of battery so we weren't able to document anything. The second floor was the different kinds of technology that stemmed out of the basic foundations of science that was present on the first floor.


This is the perfect place to bring your family and most specially kids, for them to learn while having fun. For adults like us, it still remains interesting because of how the exhibits were made. Thirdy and I always remarked to each other just how amazing the creation process was for every exhibit. All the tools used to make each one seemed like it went through meticulous steps. We were just disappointed that some of them weren't working when we went there. We felt like we didn't get our money's worth. Nonetheless, the Mind Museum is definitely something Manila can now boast about. For a long time, we haven't had any interesting and interactive museum located here, and now we finally have one!


We suggest you book your visit now, if you haven't already! If you've got nothing to do this summer, devote at least a day to visit the Mind Museum and we promise you won't regret it. And do tell us about your experience after! Happy reading! :)

Revenge

Revenge is a dish best served cold, the old saying goes but never did I expect it would be sinfully wrapped in a delicious American TV show with the same subject matter. This summer has been all about diving into TV series and I must say that the easiest I got addicted to was Revenge by ABC which stars Madeleine Stowe and Emily Van Camp. Admit it, everything we've watched in TV series basically have the same plot and storyline that we're just craving for something fresh and new to watch. Revenge is exactly what I've been looking for!


The story is about a woman named Amanda Clarke who seeks revenge against those that framed his father for terrorism when she was younger. Amanda returns with a new identity as Emily Thorne, in the privileged Southampton where her father's former co-workers reside. Every episode shows how she skillfully plans every downfall of those who framed her father. The series is a fresh approach to the usual privileged, beautiful setting a la Gossip Girl but even more interesting. Seeing the two sides of Amanda Clarke remind me of the Black Swan, the co-existence of two seemingly different personalities in a character. Emily Van Camp does a very good job personifying both good and bad characters.


Each episode feels like a roller coaster ride, as the plot thickens and thickens. There are many moments I found myself catching my breath with its intensity and pace. The way the series was structured makes every episode worth watching! I always want to quickly jump to the next episode just to see what happens next, and not a lot of TV series can actually do that nowadays.


If you're looking for a fresh new show to watch that is cunning and interesting, then you know what to download next!

Nolita

The new Bonifacio High Street Central offers a breathtaking al fresco view of the Fort. Numerous restaurants line up this area, and Nolita is one that deserves much recognition. Upon its opening, we  saw Twitter reviews raving about the authentic New York style pizzas they serve, so we knew we just had to try it. Nolita is another restaurant haven created by James Patrick Santos who is also behind the success of Borough located in Podium. It's no wonder that Nolita and Borough offer the same vibe and are very reminiscent of each other.

Everything here is self-service so get ready to meet a little inconvenience. If you order a lot, you would have to bring all of those yourself to your chosen table. This was one of the few disappointments we experienced here. The pizza is sold per slice usually at Php200 and up. Seeing just how pricey the slices are, we were ready to dig in to amazing authentic New York style pizza.

The first that caught our eye was the Spinach and Artichoke pizza (Php 220) which we knew we just had to order. It was really good and had the perfect balance of flavors. We loved the fact that the artichoke was served in chunks, which made us want to gobble it all up. One downside though is the amount of oil in the pizza which is probably enough to cause a heart attack.

The second one we ordered was the Chicken Parmesan Pizza (Php 230) which was just as good. The chicken chunks were a treat to eat and they were very generous with their serving.

We were just very unhappy with the price of the pizzas since it seemed a little bit too expensive for the serving itself. The taste of the pizza is a big thumbs up but it still remains overpriced for a mere slice. It's not very sulit when you come and eat with your barkada, because upon computation, two slices of Nolita pizzas can equate to one big box from another pizza chain. Although quality remains very good, Nolita should be more realistic when it comes to their prices.

What's even better than pizza? The combination of beer and pizza! A good bottle of San Mig Light will greatly compliment your meal.

These are the interesting interiors of Nolita. We really loved their decorations.

The steps on how to order and eat your Nolita pizza:

All in all, we enjoyed our Nolita experience and we encourage everyone to head here to satisfy their New York style pizza cravings! Let us know how your experience goes! :) Happy summer!