First, I want to greet everyone a happy and prosperous New Year! Yes I know it's already Feb but some have just celebrated Chinese new year so I am not too late on my greeting yet. I was so busy the past couple of weeks because I have a new job! Finally after two years of working hard, thank you Lord for this blessing.

Last year was pretty good with me. A lot of first times and traveling I guess. I'm hoping I can travel more this year and do things I haven't experienced. For motivation, here's a look back to my 2015.

Here I am with the QA team. It was a good start of the year when I received the news that I got in to the QA post in my previous company. The best however was meeting these two.

My first time wakeboarding!

This was fun! My previous company held the summer outing at Nuvali so we had the chance to try out wakeboarding for free. I'd love to go back there.

One of the highlights of my 2015 was when we went to Baguio last May to celebrate our anniversary. It was my first time in Baguio so I was really excited for this trip.

A bit foggy. Not sure if it was really fog/smog or just my camera phone. hehe

For our anniversary dinner we went to Cafe by the Ruins Dua. D loved their hot chocolate. Of course we tried their strawberry shortcake.

We had the chance to try the Treetop Adventure and I would definitely recommend you try this out the next time you plan to go to Baguio.

After our canopy and silver surfer ride in Treetop, we went to Choco-late de Batirol for lunch and for our hot choco fix. It was really cold that afternoon because it rained and we're soaked from the treetop rides.

I so love this photo with the St. Bernard in Mines View Park. The dog was so sweet to us that he/she (not sure with the gender) pushed himself to us so we can carry him. :)

It was my first time to attend the Manila International Book Fair last September. Happy gal there with the boyfriend and more books.

Last year was the boom of adult coloring books and I jumped on the bandwagon.

Even back in high school and college I already love writing and hand lettering so when I saw brush lettering photos on Instagram I thought it's something I can learn. Well after a few months of practicing, I made progress but I'm not yet a pro.

Of course, I won't forget our trip to Hundred Islands last November. I posted about our experience on my previous post so go and read!

Another year had passed and a new year to look forward to. I'm hoping for more adventure and great experiences to share with my loved ones this year. Happy 2016!

"Eat well, travel often." I like this to be my mantra for next year. After our adventure last week, I realized I haven't been to many places in the twenty-five years of my life. Although I've been to some provinces and towns outside the metro, there are still more places in our country that are worth traveling to. And yes, one of them is the popular Hundred Islands in Pangasinan!

It took us more than 5-hour long drive to get there. We left Manila around 9 AM and arrived at Eddie & Josie Transient house at around 3 PM. The long drive was totally worth it because of the scenic views we passed by.

Traveled with the boyfriend and office friends.

Eddie & Josie Serna Transient House

We opted to stay at a transient house instead of a hotel so that we can cook our own food. I must say I picked the best transient home for the weekend because the owners were really nice and accommodating. The rooms were clean and well-maintained. The caretaker was also nice and took care of our boat rental and tour. I would highly recommend Eddie & Josie Transient house if you are planning to go on a weekend trip to Hundred Islands and are looking for an affordable place to stay. The house is just along the road and 5 to 10 minutes away from Lucap Wharf. Their contact details are posted down below.

Sunset. Our view from outside the house

Next day after our arrival was when we went to tour the Hundred Islands. The transient home owners also offer boat rentals. The caretaker accompanied us on our tour so there was no hassle going to the Hundred Islands National Park in Lucap Wharf and in taking the boat ride.

Ready for the amazing photos we captured from Hundred Islands?




Our first stop was at Governor's Island. There are 3 main islands opened for tourism: Governor's Island, Quezon Island and Children Island. More islands are already open when we went there. Most of these islands are not fully developed yet but are great camping sites if you wish to stay overnight.

To get a great panoramic view of the islands, be ready to hike up to the top of Governor's island.

this amazing view awaits you

Before we hiked up to the top, we first registered for the island-to-island zip line. Such amazing experience! It was our first time and the experience was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. For me, it was unforgettable.

Group shot before we rode the zipline

The guys were too scared.. so ladies first daw haha

Yup, caught the experience on cam through my phone.

Look how far the starting point was!

The 546-meter zip line is a must try! I suggest you start your Hundred Islands tour early so you don't have to wait too long to ride the zip line. The end point of the zip line is at Virgin Island. Then you need to hike up and then down to get to the bridge to go back to Governor's Island.

seashore at Virgin Island

And so we're on to our next island. We get to see the undeveloped Islands and the other main islands but we didn't explore these islands anymore. To enjoy the beach, we decided to stay at Children Island. The boatman said this is the most beautiful island and recommended us to stay there. I believe it's literally called Children Island because children can swim there because of the clear and shallow water. Well, for us, the young at hearts also enjoyed our time there.

There is a shorter zipline here at Quezon Island.

The rest of the day was spent swimming, snorkeling, kayaking and beach bumming. I enjoyed snorkeling the most because it was also a first time for me. I didn't expect to see much underwater but I was so surprised to see corals and fishes. Not far from the shore, you can snorkel and already see corals and other marine life.

Delson and Mishtert enjoyed kayaking. It was their first time and they couldn't stop talking about the experience as it was a bit scary because of the strong waves but really fun at the same time because they get to kayak around the islands. Well, Gabe and I enjoyed our time by just taking in the view and God's wonderful creations.

That's Children Island behinds us

View from our cottage in Children Island

Yes, that's how near that Island was! Just swim a few yards to reach it.

Mishtert and Delson excited to kayak!

Gabe and his diving fins

Ooops Delson! Don't touch it! haha

Thanks to my friend Sarah for letting me borrow her brand new Nikon waterproof camera. We took these great underwater photos.

Gabe spotted this sea urchin and all of us took a dive to see it.

The view of the sunset completed our Hundred Islands tour experience.

haha.. In awe of the beautiful sunset