Albay Wildlife Park

Hello everyone!

Last month, we went to Legazpi City because I had to attend the 18th birthday party of my good friend’s daughter while Mama Pat had to attend a deceased relative’s wake in Malilipot, Albay. And so, the day after the party and the wake, we were able to have a little detour to Albay Wildlife Park and later in Cagsawa Ruins before going home to Naga City.

Albay Wildlife Park has been there since I was in college (which was some years ago, I’m telling you). Despite that, I can only count with the fingers of my one hand how many times I’ve been there.  For those who haven’t been to the park, do yourselves a favor and go in the morning as the weather is SCORCHING HOT in the afternoon. Despite that, I bet the kids will surely enjoy.

They have this man-made lake where you can rent a boat.

smart

smart

They also have a playground for the kids.

smart

smart

smart

After Julienne explored the playground, we went to see the aviary. They have beautiful birds on display.

smart

smart

smart

smart

smart

smart

smart

smart

smart

The thing about this aviary is that you kinda feel sorry for the birds in captivity. They have no room to “spread their wings and fly.” That is expected of course since they are not in their natural habitat. A lot of them were really lacking energy too.

We also went to see the reptiles. The cages of the lizards and the snakes were not very clean. They also have no drinking water when we saw them. I had a feeling like they were being kept there and nobody cares if they died. It was just a feeling I got when I saw their living condition. I could be wrong but it was feeling I had as a visitor of the park. So, shout out to the local government of Albay, please see to it that the animals are well taken cared of.

We also saw the lion and the tiger, which was the highlight of the trip. The lion was walking around inside his cage whereas the tiger was hiding so no pictures.

Another highlight was the encounter with the funny monkey duo.

Over-all, I think it is a nice place to take your children and tourists. Although you’d probably see more animals in Manila Zoo but this is a good place to walk around, hang out and spend time with your family.

Alinchlo Tourist Inn

Last month, I traveled solo to Sorsogon to see my family but before going there, I had to spend a night in Daraga, Albay because I already made a booking for Alinchlo Tourist Inn. I was supposed to stay there with Yoy and Julienne but they couldn’t make it so I had to go by myself. It has been raining too so I was like, yeah, bad weather, solo travel. Not exactly my idea of fun.

First of all, how to get there. I googled the location of this inn, and since I was travelling from Naga City via UV Express, I got off at San Ramon Nonato Church in Brgy. Tagas, Daraga along the Diversion Road on the way to the airport and van terminal. This also works for those coming from Manila by bus. From the church, you can just turn left and walk for about two minutes but I took a tricycle going to the inn (paid P20.00) because of my bags.

The staff who greeted me was welcoming and friendly. They have a small store at the reception where you can buy instant cup noodles, toothpaste, shampoo, biscuits and candies, other stuff too. I bought one cup noodles (batchoy flavor) and the room boy got hot water and utensils for me.

The room. Kudos to the inn for its cleanliness. The room was newly painted, had simple but new furniture and good working aircon. The smell was nice and clean. I instantly felt comfortable. 

The view from my window.

The bathroom was clean with new toilet and fixtures. There’s hot water in the shower too.

Since I was by myself, I met up with Caressa (who I work with in Naga), who also happened to be in Daraga that time. We met at Ayala Mall in Legazpi to buy supplies and to have dinner. I just had to mention that when I was about to cross the road to board the Loop 2 Legazpi-Daraga jeepney to meet Ca, I very nearly got hit by a speeding bicycle. That was scary sh*t.

After about two hours outside, I was able to go back to the inn in one piece. Now, going out was a breeze since you know when you are in Legazpi because of the landmarks (malls, buildings, etc.) but coming back was a little tricky. First of all, you have to take the Loop 1 Daraga-Legazpi jeepney in front of LCC Mall (remember that from the inn I took the Loop 2 jeepney). Then, I felt like the ride was taking way longer than before and the sights were becoming more unfamiliar. So, when I was feeling like I might miss my stop, which was the San Ramon Nonato Church, I asked the driver to drop me off at the church (which happened to be a stone’s throw from where we were that time so I asked at the nick of time).  Finally, I can rest my feet and enjoy cable TV and the strong wifi before sleeping.

The next day. That’s looking out my window and the weather was still gloomy. After putting in some work on my laptop, I checked out and went on my way to Sorsogon City.  

I recommend this tourist inn for solo and group travelers, and for families too. If you travel with your own car, this is good value for money because you wouldn’t have to commute. Their rooms start at Php 800.00 if you book at the reception. I got mine at Php 896.00 via travelbook.ph.

 

 

Euresian Paradise Resort

Last week, we went to this resort that I discovered online – Euresian Paradise Resort in Pasacao, Camarines Sur.

As there is a serious lack of beaches near Naga City, we decided to go to Pasacao again. However, I wanted a clean place to go to since the first time I have seen Balogo Beach I did not find it very clean.

So, I checked Euresian Paradise Resort online and instantly became interested. We arrived around 10:00 in the morning and the sun was thankfully bright enough to enjoy a dip in their swimming pool.

The view of the horizon was great from their viewing deck.

Although the resort barely has its share of the beach to enjoy (the area is composed of mangroves and marine plants), they have developed a swimming area with concrete divisions separating it from the mangroves.One important thing to consider if you want to enjoy this swimming area is to get there early in the morning because by 12:00 noon, the tide will be low and the water becomes too shallow. 

For lunch, we grilled some marinated pork, chicken and some hotdogs.  We paid P50.00 for the use of their grill and the charcoal was also included in the fee.

Entrance Fee: P150.00 (adults), P100.00 (kids).

Cottage is priced from P500.00 to P1,000.00.

Thanks for dropping by! See you again next time. Bye!

 

Victor Hotel (Jose Panganiban)

Hello guys! I missed you and I missed blogging but I’ve been really busy these past weeks. And I’m only finding my writing/blogging mojo back just now. I hope you all are doing well!

BTW, this post is about this hotel called Victor Hotel where we stayed during our short trip to Jose Panganiban – a town in Camarines Norte province. This would be my second time in Jose Panganiban. The first time we went there was last year during All Souls’ Day, and this time, to pay respect to the remains of Yoy’s aunt, our beloved Tita Iyah.

We weren’t able to see much of the town because of the very reasons why we had to go there anyway. Add to this the fact that travel time took more than 3 hours because of the ongoing road constructions resulting to heavy traffic and some of the roads are still really bad, particularly in the Cam Sur areas.

Here are some snapshots I was able to take when we tried (and failed) to go to the breakwater (sigh!). The breakwater seems to be the favorite spot to hang out for the people in town. We failed because the streets leading there that Yoy remembered from his childhood were either closed or blocked that time.  

So, there is actually a new tourist inn… I guess we’ll check it out next time.

This (below) is Victor Hotel where we stayed for the night. There are only two hotels in Jose Panganiban, the other one is APOLONIA HOTEL, which was also featured in my blog last year. 

The room we shared (there were 5 adults and 1 kid) was spacious enough with two beds (1 double bed and 1 queen bed) and was very basic. The room was clean enough but the bathroom was not very well kept. It was old and smelled of mold or some strong bathroom odor. One more thing, if you need to charge your cellphones, you might find it very challenging since the only electric socket in the room was very nicely hidden under the dressing table. Also, wifi worked great in mobile phones but I was never able to connect using my laptop so I still had to go to a computer shop to send my report. Good thing the shop charged only Php12.00 per hour and the owner was friendly. Actually, I have yet to find an unfriendly soul in J. Panganiban since all the people I encountered were friendly and helpful.

THE ROOM (Sorry for the mess though………..)

THE HALLWAY

THE STAIRWELL GOING TO THE SECOND FLOOR

I’m not showing you the bathroom because it’s not very nice to look at. Trust me. The thing that is better about this hotel compared with the other one (Apolonia Hotel) was that they have running water 24/7.

Julienne takes a pic next to her Lola Iyah who remains beautiful in our memories…

I hope someday we’ll get to explore the quiet little town of Jose Panganiban, and maybe explore its beautiful islands and beaches too. I’m looking forward to really getting to know the place. Right now, the impression that I have is in the kind and smiling faces of its people. Oh, and the cars and tricycles are overspeeding so when you’re there, better watch out.

Thank you for taking the time to read! =)

Bee Farm (Camalig, Albay)

Welcome to the Bee Farm in Camalig, Albay! This place is great for sight seeing and relaxing because of all the beautiful flowers all in bloom. Just look at the pictures below.

This is the sight that will greet you upon entering the farm. BTW, there is no entrance fee so you can look around all you want and take pictures for free.

Love this red tractor, it gives the place a sorta Farmville feels =)

I’m not very happy about the fact that I left my trusted Sony camera at the hotel and left with no other choice but to take photos with my 0+ cellphone instead. Now, this phone of mine doesn’t have a very good camera so there was like a cloud hanging over my head as I contemplated this dilemma. Anyway, blogging must go on and this is the best I can do for now.

The flowers are amazing clouds of pinks, purples and whites all around us.

There are fruit bearing trees too, like these avocado and calamansi trees.

 

Thank you Caressa for taking my photo =)

These bees are about as small as flies (langaw) and they won’t bother you any, for as long as you don’t bother them, maybe.

That’s about it, our short stop at the Bee Farm in Camalig, Albay. Hope you liked it and hope you’ll go see it for yourselves. Till our next trip, bye! ❤

Panicuason Hot Spring & Adventure Park

Hello everyone!

Summer is here again. There’s no escaping the heat. They said we are experiencing the El Nino phenomenon right now, and there was also the water shortage in Metro Manila which was all over the news a few weeks ago. Yes, it’s summer time, indeed. Summer heat may be aggravating but with it comes the excitement of adventures to come and dreaming about trips that we may or may not actually take but enjoyed planning for anyway haha.

So, my first summer adventure was just within the city, we went to Panicuason Hot Spring Resort and Adventure Park. Everyone in Naga probably has seen this place before, it’s the main go-to destination. Even I have been here before.

The resort is located at the foot of Mount Isarog and if you are the nature lover type, you will most certainly like it.

We had fun in their hot and cold spring pools. The temperature in the kiddie pool was just right (not too hot and not too cold like the other pools) so I lingered there even though it was pretty crowded. 

The most fun part though was our adventure uphill to see the infinity pool. We did not expect that there would be that many steps. The best thing about it though was the view (and the exercise!).

A lot more walking than we signed up for…………

Across the fields, we went….

Only to find that the infinity pool was being cleaned and we will not be able to swim. Darn it!

The view was still nice though, so we took more pictures like normal people.

In the canteen, they also sell organic produce and products. Unfortunately, we forgot to buy some to take home.

This trip was a nice way to kick off our summer. I must admit that if it weren’t for that uphill hike, our outing would be kind of bland and ordinary. So, if you visit Panicuason Hot Spring Resort, make sure you’re up for a hike to the top of the hill where their infinity pool is.

Entrance Fee: Adult – Php200.00, Kids – Php160.00

Entrance Fee to the Infinity pool: Php50.00 (additional)

 

 

Naga City Ecology Park

I’ve Google searched this park a few times before and I’ve read some Trip Advisor reviewers say that Naga City Ecology Park (located in Barangay San Felipe) was mediocre, “so-so,” not well-maintained and not even worth the Php20.00 entrance fee. However, I beg to disagree because our trip was worth it.

I admit those unsatisfied reviews and the lack of pictures on the internet were the reasons why it took me so long to visit the park. We went there just this morning though and I am glad to learn that we have a beautiful place like this in Naga City.

As I noticed that there are not a lot of features and blog posts on Naga City Ecopark online, I am now going to share what awaits you, what you can expect when you visit and the things to see and do. Let’s go!

Take a relaxing walk while enjoying Mother Nature.

Discover the different kinds of trees, plants and flowers… 

Even some fruits like this unripe chico and these curious berries (which are not edible BTW).

Explore the maze.

People seem to think that the maze is the main attraction of the ecopark but for me, this place has more to offer than just the maze. It was a dry spell when we visited this morning so it was not very green as I would have liked it to be. Looking at my photos, you cannot even tell that it’s a maze.

Visit the Topiary Garden

The Topiary Garden was where I felt that the short trip was worth it. It was well-kept, clean and as you can see, well-manicured trees!

Flowers are everywhere in the Topiary Garden.

Let your kids enjoy in the Graceland Ecopark Playground.

Visit Ellen White Garden (where all the flowers are white)

Find Inner Peace in Hardin ni Ina

Visit Jose Rizal Mini Eco Park

You have to kinda lower your expectations though and maybe you should save this one for last because it was not well-maintained and not much to see.

Over-all, Naga City Eco Park is a great place to visit in my opinion because there is no other place like this in Naga City. It is a great place to commune with nature and enjoy its beauty.

A VERY VERY IMPORTANT reminder though, please clean up after yourselves. Let’s not throw away trash anywhere around the park.

Till next post! Bye!

Annyeong Samgyupsal

Annyeonghaseyo yeoreobun!

Hello everyone! It’s me again, and I would like to take you on yet another food trip here in Naga City, to another Korean resto along Magsaysay Avenue (infront of Villa Caceres Hotel) that offers unlimited Korean barbeque for Php299.00 – it is called Annyeong Samgyupsal. So what are we waiting for? Let’s eat!

Samgyeopsal or Korean barbeque may be one of my most favourite Korean dishes. It’s right up there with Korean Seafood pancake, which I love oh so much, by the way. So when we had a meeting and what might be considered as a “company lunch” at Annyeong Samgyupsal, I did not pass up on the opportunity to try it out.

I found the ambiance to be a bit better than in Cjzave because Annyeong has a bigger space, the air conditioning is better and they have suctions for the smoke coming from the grill. I noticed it being a big hit with the teenagers, probably because of the nonstop K-pop music blaring from the speakers and the way the resto tried to imbibe everything Korean in their design to give their customers an awesome dining experience. Jeongmal daebak!

Let’s talk about the food. Korean food is always good. I admit some restaurants do it better than others but if it’s Korean food on the table, especially grilled pork belly, fresh lettuce, various side dishes and samjang (fermented soy bean paste), it’s always good, right? I’m sure K-food lovers out there would agree.

The barbeque was superb because the meat was very fresh.

It went really well with the equally fresh lettuce greens and pickled cucumbers. I also found the baby potatoes side dish really tasty. Their kimchi was the best one I have had so far, probably because it was fresh kimchi and not at all the fermented kind (which I find too tart). I found it delicious, crunchy and packed with just the right hint of spiciness. All that food was downed with bottomless pitchers of refreshingly cold cucumber lemonade.  

I just don’t know how much I love the grilling part though. At some point, it would feel more like a race against time, followed by overcooked and burnt meats. Can’t help but think how much nicer it would be if these restos had grilling services as well.

They also have flavoured or marinated pork, beef and chicken. All the meats have to be ordered from the attentive waiters while the side dishes were placed near the liquor bar where you can get as much as you like.

 

Until our next food adventure. Annyeong!

Wings N’ Things

A few weeks ago, we happened to try the new chicken place in SM City Naga – Wings N’ Things! As I love chicken wings, I was really game to try what they have on offer. The place is always packed and I remember trying a couple of times to eat there (with my family) but we just couldn’t get a table. So, that day was our lucky day.

Cutting right to the chase, we ordered the Grand Slam meal (Php 768.00) which is good for four persons. There were only three of us though, and I eat like a bird, but what the heck.

That was a lot of chicken wings and chicken fingers! And we got to choose different kinds of sauces. My fave was Garlic Parmesan and Honey Barbeque. We also needed to put our plastic gloves on because things got messy pretty fast.

Grand Slam came with three cups of rice, four glasses of iced tea and a serving of fries with gooey cheese on top.

I’m actually getting a little hungry as I’m writing this, remembering the yummy taste.

The ambiance of the place was nice, pretty Instagrammable. It is also cool because SM has centralized air conditioning anyway so it was comfortable.

Hope you guys enjoyed that, and sorry if you got a little hungry too! Till the next post! Bye!

 

Aling Cely’s Kinalasan

As they say around here, “Another day, another bowl of kinalas.”

Yep, no such thing. Made that one up just now haha. Lately, I’ve been struggling for lack of better words and then there’s lack of energy left after doing other stuff (like my day job). Thing is, I have another kinalas story to tell because, well, I live in Naga anyway where it is hands down the most famous delicacy.

This time, we tried the locally famous Aling Cely’s Kinalasan in Dimasalang St, Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Naga City, it is located very near Naga Metropolitan Cathedral. The place is very simple and basic, just like every other local eatery, but people are drawn like moths to the flame.

People come to Cely’s for their famous kinalas, of course. For those who are not familiar with this local delicacy, that is what Bicolanos call this bowl of goodness. It is a noodle dish with thick rich broth, pork or beef, topped with onion chives and boiled egg (by request). For a more detailed description, you can read my previous post on kinalas.

There are also those who prefer to eat Loglog (just noodles and broth, no meat and eggs). It costs less and parents often order this for their small kids.

When Naguenos think of this dish, they almost always think of Cely’s Kinalasan. Yoy said it is because many students frequently eat there as it is close to UNC and Universidad de Sta Isabel. Even he himself frequently ate the dish at Cely’s along with his closest friends so he’s got a lot of good memories associated with the place. He always ate kinalas paired with baduya (fried bananas).

Julienne herself has become partial to eating kinalas. The Sorsoganon in me though prefers to eat stuff like a lot of dried fish, dried squid, mud crabs and balaw (fermented shrimp). So, kinalas is not my all-time favorite, but it is a yummy Nagueno delicacy that is a must-try when in Bicol, particularly in Naga City.

By the way, if you notice, sometimes the quality of my photos are different with every post. When my photos are really nice and clear, it means I used my digital camera but when the pictures are somewhat pixelated like in this post, it’s because I used my phone to take the photos.

Thank you for reading! See you again soon! ❤