Her Bright Side: 2017

Bohol 2017 Day 2 - Island Hopping, Snorkeling, Dolphin Watching, Balicasag Island, Virgin Island

3:20:00 PM

We started our second day in Bohol really early for our Island Hopping tour that includes Dolphin watching and snorkeling in Balicasag Island. I was looking forward to this part of our Bohol trip because it's been two years since my last island hopping during our Hundred Islands tour in Pangasinan.

I couldn't remember how much we actually paid for the tour. I think it was about Php 2000-2500. The package also includes packed lunch for the three of us. For the snorkeling gears, I believe we paid about Php 200 per head.

Beautiful sunrise 🌅

One of the highlights of our island hopping tour in Bohol was the Dolphin watching. It was the main reason why we started the day early. I got so excited when we first saw the dolphins from afar. Our boatman was really good in chasing them and eventually our boat was just a few meters from the dolphins. It was such a memorable experience. 🐬

After about an hour on boat, we finally arrived to Balicasag island. This is where the snorkeling is gonna take place. Boyfriend and I rented snorkeling gears while our friend Gabe brought his own gears. We also rented water shoes. This is a must! If you want to survive the snorkeling with your feet unscathed.

View from Balicasag Island

Our crew :)

The aqua shoes / water shoes. A must for snorkeling if you don't have fins

I'd say this was my very first legit snorkeling experience in an actual marine sanctuary. There are lots of colorful fishes here and beautiful corals to see. It was such a great experience for a first timer!

After the snorkeling, we ate lunch then we're off to Virgin Island. This island is a must-see! With its long sandbar and beautiful blue green water great for that landscape shot. We enjoyed our time here just taking in the beautiful sights. Although there are lots of people, we still enjoyed the view and there are vendors as well where you can buy merienda and fresh buko juice. Virgin Island was our last stop before we went back to Panglao. Overall the Island hopping tour is a must especially for first timers in Bohol. Enjoy these photos taken at Virgin Island! xx

Please check the rest of my blog posts about our trip to Bohol (these posts will be up soon!):

Bohol 2017 Day 1 - City Tour: Chocolate Hills, Tarsier, Loboc Floating Restaurant, Man-made Forest

Bohol 2017 Day 1 - Panglao Regents Park Resort

Bohol 2017 Day 3 - Hennan Resort Alona Beach, Bohol

Bohol 2017 Day 4 - Bohol Bee Farm

Bohol 2017 Dav 4 - Ocean Suites Botique Hotel

Also sharing our Bohol 2017 Travel Diary video:

places and events

Bohol 2017 Day 1 - Panglao Regents Park Resort

4:37:00 AM

On our first two nights in Bohol, we stayed at Panglao Regents Park Resort. This affordable hotel is just about 5-minute walk from Alona beach.

Main building

Since our first two days in Bohol were spent touring the city and island hopping, we opted to stay at an affordable hotel yet clean and relaxing. We didn't expect a lot from it although I already read the reviews online. When we arrived, I immediately had a good impression of the white and clean look of the front of their buildings and that got me excited to see our rooms. We arrived at around 4 in the afternoon from our City tour so we badly needed to see the room and take that much needed rest.

Panglao Regents Park Resort is divided into two buildings: the Main building where the bigger pool is located and the West Wing. We stayed at the West Wing building that is just across the Main building.

The lobby and main reception area seems to be located at the West Wing. I liked the clean and fresh look of their lobby because of the white theme. It's refreshing and I also liked the artworks and accents they picked to decorate their all white lobby.

And now our room! I don't know but I didn't get to take more photos of the inside of our room. I was surprised that the room is really spacious. For just about Php 1500++ per night (breakfast not included), it's hard to get accommodation this affordable and yet very spacious.

Yes, we had a small tv where we binge watched Dance Moms and Zumbo's Just Desserts haha 😄! The bed was really comfortable. The sheets and towels were all clean. The bed is not too soft and I liked it because it's good for my back. Like I said I didn't get to take a lot of photos of our room and that's maybe because we had really good two nights sleep 💤 in our room.

Bigger pool at the Main building

We also tried Panglao Regents Park's very own restaurant Bistro Café at the Main building and their food was amazing! They also have happy hour from 3 until 9PM where you can buy their delicious cocktails 🍸for only Php 99. And please try their food selection because they're really good!

Overall we had a really nice stay at Panglao Regents Park Resort. 😊

Bohol 2017 Day 1 - City Tour: Chocolate Hills, Tarsier, Loboc Floating Restaurant, Man-made Forest

Bohol 2017 Day 2 - Island Hopping, Snorkeling, Dolphin Watching, Balicasag Island, Virgin Island

Bohol 2017 Day 3 - Hennan Resort Alona Beach, Bohol

Bohol 2017 Day 4 - Bohol Bee Farm

Bohol 2017 Dav 4 - Ocean Suites Botique Hotel

Also sharing out Bohol 2017 Travel Diary video:

places and events

Bohol 2017 Day 1 - City Tour: Chocolate Hills, Tarsier, Loboc Floating Restaurant, Man-made Forest

7:38:00 AM

Finally got the chance to post about our trip to Bohol last month! This trip was really memorable and I would say one for the books. We had a simple itinerary because we wanted to just relax and truly enjoy our much needed vacation. I wasn't really expecting much (we only had 4 days to stay in this beautiful and peaceful island) but I was so excited to see the famous landmarks and of course the Tarsier!

We booked our flight to Bohol last year during a seat sale. It wasn't planned though. We just thought, okay we haven't been to Bohol so Bohol it is! Even the dates were unplanned. We just chose the dates with the cheapest fare. Originally we were planning for a Cebu-Bohol trip. We decided eventually that we'll just explore Bohol for this trip because we wouldn't have enough time to make a side trip in Cebu.

For this trip I am with boyfriend and third wheeling us is our friend Gabe. Gabe wanted to go scuba diving. I think he booked with Genesis Divers and had a great experience. He said he would definitely go back and would try other diving sites.

This is gonna be a heavy photo post so, shall we start?

Climb 214 steps to the view deck

We didn't book ahead for our city tour. We opted to just be spontaneous and book the tours once we landed in Tagbiliran. We paid Php 2000 for the city tour package that includes a car/van and driver that would take us to the tourist spots in Bohol. We personalized our tour and just went to the sites that we want. Since the tour was exclusive to the three us, it wasn't rushed and we did enjoy the sceneries and the tourist spots we visited. If you are traveling with a group, of course the tour package fee can be divided amongst your group although the fee could be different based on how many you are.

To save time, we went to the farthest spot first. We left the airport around 7:30 AM. It took almost 2 hours drive (I'm not sure) to our first destination. Our first stop was at the Chocolate Hills viewing deck! What a stunning view! Entrance fee is Php 50.

The climb to the top was worth it! There are lots of tourists as expected. The weather was kinda gloomy that day but that didn't hinder us to enjoy the great views. Next we went to the Butterfly Conservation Center. This was an educational trip. Too bad we didn't see lots of butterflies which I was really expecting. Since it rained earlier, the butterflies were hiding. Entrance fee is Php 45. The fee includes one funny guide :) Now I know how to differentiate a moth from a butterfly.

Next we went to the Tarsier Conservation Area in Loboc. While writing this post, I learned that this was not the official Tarsier sanctuary in Bohol. I suggest you avoid this one and instead go to the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella Bohol. Please don't be like us and do your research. I am so sad I thought we supported the official one.

Now on to the man-made forest. No entrance fee but you gotta be careful posing for the camera. This is what you call buwis-buhay photo op. :) The trees are along both sides of the main road. You need to wait for the cars to pass before posing in the middle of the road.

Our last stop was at the Loboc Floating Restaurant just in time for lunch. The lunch fee was not included in the tour package. We paid Php 450 per head. Don't expect much on the food though. What you would pay for is the river cruise experience. I miss the fresh air and the greens surrounding the river. We had a great time here.

It was a productive day overall. After the city tour, we drove to Panglao island where we would stay for the next 3 days. Would I recommend the city tour? Yes for the first timers in Bohol. It's a must to support local tourism and to experience the famous tourist spots in Bohol.

Please check the rest of my blog posts about our trip to Bohol (these posts will be up soon!):

Bohol 2017 Day 1 - Panglao Regents Park Resort

Bohol 2017 Day 2 - Island Hopping, Snorkeling, Dolphin Watching, Balicasag Island, Virgin Island

Bohol 2017 Day 3 - Hennan Resort Alona Beach, Bohol

Bohol 2017 Day 4 - Bohol Bee Farm

Bohol 2017 Dav 4 - Ocean Suites Botique Hotel

Also sharing our Bohol 2017 Travel Diary video:

personal

My Sinaya Cup Experience

9:41:00 AM

It was October last year when I decided to buy a menstrual cup. I searched online and found the Sinaya Cup which I believe is the only one so far available locally. So why all of a sudden I wanted to try the menstrual cup?

places and events

Coffee Project at Vista Mall

9:37:00 PM

If you know me, you would know that I'm an avid coffee drinker although I'm not the type who regularly goes to popular coffee shops. As long as I have my everyday coffee fix (my favorite "3 in 1" coffee is Nescafe Blend and Brew, red one!), I am solved! However, when I heard that a new coffee shop called Coffee Project opened recently at Vista Mall Taguig, I got so excited to visit the place.

Before we even visited Coffee Project, I already saw some of the instagram-worthy photos of the coffee shop's interior. When we arrived there, I was surprised that the place is so spacious. I really like how cozy the place is. They don't only have tables but there are also comfortable couches. The inside is very homey and such a great place to hang out with friends and families. Since Vista Mall here in Taguig is more like a small town mall, you won't see a lot of corporate workers or people in a hurry to buy their coffee.

The first time I went to Coffee Project was last December with my boyfriend. We wanted to sit on one of the couches but they are already occupied even after we left. Next time I visited was with my high school friends, and this time we got to sit on the couch. I liked it better there because it has a nice background great for photo ops! :)

I don't have much to say about their coffee other than they are cheaper and sweeter compared with the popular coffee shops. They also serve food and pastries. I'd say the coffee and the food are reasonably priced. Besides the cozy interior and the rustic feel of the place, what I like most about Coffee Project are the lighting and the witty coffee quotes that you can find all over the place. Sharing some of our photos below. Enjoy! xx