Maldives (Day 4)

This morning, we were awakened by the sound of the pitter-patter of raindrops blanketing the island. This usually is a delightful sound to wake up to, unless you’re on summer vacation…on a tropical island paradise! This has always been my nightmare, that rain will spoil a much-awaited, much-prepared for, much-saved up for holiday, the way we spent our Koh Samui vacation a couple of years ago in our resort room as the island was battered my torrential monsoon rains.
Thankfully, it wasn’t the case. The rain eased up by the time the sun came out, and soon the sun was on full blast, the way it has been the past three days, allaying any fears of being rained out.
So soon, we were swimming and sunbathing as we had the past day, and finally got to some reading. I decided to continue reading “The Life of Pi”, which I never really enjoyed, so I stopped reading after a few chapters, but now I find it a gripping read. I guess being so close to India, and the fact that we’ll be out at sea for the next three days, makes the story a little more apt, a little more gripping (although the whole boat sinking story arc doesn’t really sit well with me, given our looming boat jaunt). I devoured the book too fast, that I had to stop myself. I only brought three books and I’m almost done with two. And I don’t think the last book will last any longer.
We spent the afternoon sitting on our beach chairs, watching the sun set. It was hella romantic. Couples were drawn to the sunset like moths to a flame, walking along the shore, mostly holding hands, bathed in the warm orange light of the setting sun. If you were friend-zoned, bring him or her to this spot and I guarantee you, makakatikim siya ng malisya!
We’re spending our final night in the Bonthi area of the resort, so we found our check out letter on the bed, and our table in the Bonthi restaurant had a table cloth that said, “See you soon!” on it.
We spend the next three days on a wooden yacht, then transfer to the Sangu water villas for our final four nights. Like most dream holidays, this one is zooming past way too quickly. One can’t help but feel melancholic once hitting the halfway mark, like lamenting a delicious meal that’s been half-eaten. Trying to enjoy the present, the now, instead of dreading the looming end, but it’s a hard task. It’s like trying to enjoy a summer love, knowing you’ll eventually part at summer’s end. I’m weird like that, I usually get depressed on the first day of a nice vacation because if it starts, then it means it’s also about to end.
I don’t think I’ll have a blog entry for the next two days, because I don’t know if they have wifi on the yacht, so maybe I’ll post three days worth when we get back to land?
Pi Patel had a tiger with him on the boat. I have a Baby Whale. Talo siya.

Maldives (Day 2)

Today has been crazy amazing.
We started the day with a full-day snorkeling expedition. We visited about 4 or 5 snorkeling spots and we saw a manta ray, 6 eagle rays swimming in formation, gray reef sharks, and tuna! But best of all, we saw pods of dolphins, with lots of babies, just following our boat and interacting with us! We even snorkeled a sunken ship, with only the bow sticking out of the water. Breathtaking. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much on one boat trip. It’s bad-ass hardcore snorkeling, if there ever was one.
And the whole time we were treated like royalty – snacks, food, a sumptuous lunch, coffee, etc., overflowing the whole time. We wowed everyone when we brought out a bag of dried mangoes. They kept closing their eyes and exclaiming how orgasmically delicious it was! The whole crew just spoiled us rotten. The whole experience was just magical.
We also had nice company, we had German, French, South African, and Peruvian people as groupmates. When we were introducing ourselves, as they proudly stated their home countries: “Germany!”, “France!”, “South Africa!”, “Peru!”, I was tempted to say, “The proud land of the Pinoy Republic of Jejemon!”
The water was incredibly clear and warm. Even in between snorkeling spots, we would jump in the middle of the ocean just to soak in the soothing turquoise brine of the Indian Ocean. It’s like we get separation anxiety from the ocean.
We were actually sad to see it end, our little seafaring jaunt, one that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
And to our surprise, our day was far from over. Apparently, it’s Earth Hour, and to celebrate, all four “resorts” within the resort (our resort is divided further into four sub-resorts) are dining by candlelight, under the stars, serenaded by Maldivian performers, singing and dancing as we feast. Okay fine, it was crazy romantic, so I was imagining it’s our wedding and it was our reception (hahaha, I can’t believe I admitted that!). But it was perfect: overflowing scrumptious food, romantic setting, the sound of the surf crashing into the shore, Maldivian chanting and music wafting into the air, under the clearest skies imaginable, with the one person I’d want to be experiencing this with, how could I not swoon? What a perfect way to end an already perfect day.
Did I mention that this is now my most favorite place in the whole wide world? No? This in now my most favorite place in the whole wide world.

Panglao Island, Bohol

Even as early as a week before our little weekend in Bohol, we were bracing ourselves for testy weather since all forecasts pointed to gloomy, if not all-out typhoonic weather altogether. So we were surprised that although it was as bright and sunny as we would’ve wanted it to be, the weather at least wasn’t foul. It was mostly cloudy, with some decent sunny periods every now and then. Plus, we were mostly there to dive, so rain wouldn’t really be a problem when you’re 60-100 feet underwater. We stayed at Amorita Resort in Panglao Island, at the very end of the quaint Alona beach. The digs were nice enough, not as luxurious as the fancy resorts we’ve been to, but more than sufficient for a nice weekend out of town.

The food was also okay; you can see the effort that was put in presenting the food. Nothing exceptional, but every now and then they like to spring a surprise, like their unique version of kare-kare, which was a pleasure to explore.

For me, more than the rooms, it’s the outdoor stuff that far outshines what the interiors lack in punch. The highlight of the resort is the pool area, which is right outside the dining area. Either swimming in the pool or just lounging in those wonderful cushions on the wooden pool decks is a lovely way to chill, especially at sunset when the winds get a bit chilly, and you’re wrapped snuggly in a blanket as you read a book or just watch the sun go down as you look over a beautiful view of the beach and the ocean.

It’s such a lovely place that I spent more time in the pool area than I did inside the room. They also have a nice view deck, just to the side of the pool, also overlooking Alona beach, where you can just chill, have drinks, and whatever it is you like to do as you look at the ocean view. They can also set up a romantic sunset dinner at the deck for a special touch.

And of course the beach. We didn’t get to explore the lovely Alona beach until the afternoon of our second day. What a shame, because given how much we loved it, we would’ve wanted to spend more time there. It’s supposedly even better during the amihan season because the winds blow away from the beach so no sea grass washes ashore, unlike now, during the habagat season where there was quite a bit of vegetation on the seashore. It’s like a smaller, less harried Boracay. Or maybe a finer, less bedraggled Puerto Galera. Actually it reminded us more of Koh Samui in Thailand. I promised myself I’d return soon to spend more time at the beach and enjoy that little piece of white sand shore.

Of course we had our little scare on our way home. We were supposed to take the SuperCat ferry from Bohol to Cebu, spend the afternoon and evening there, then take the last flight out to Manila. When we got to the port, all ferry trips to Cebu were cancelled due to bad weather. We had no choice but to rush and see if we could still get plane tickets from Bohol straight to Manila. The last Cebu Pacific flight back was already about to take off. PAL was already fully booked. Our last chance was Zest Air. Funny, they had TWO LAST TICKETS LEFT. So we immediately booked, albeit begrudgingly, since we forfeited our AirPhil Cebu-Manila tickets and lost a half-day jaunt in Cebu. But I guess better that than stranded. On our way back, we were welcomed with open arms by Juaning, the whole flight engulfed by billows of clouds, quite awesome to see actually, but thankfully deposited safely to the ground, just the way we want it.

Sareeraya Villas & Suites (Koh Samui, Thailand)

When we decided to go to Koh Samui in Thailand, we had a slew of resorts to choose from.  The newest one of MANY along the different white beaches of the island was Sareeraya.  The pictures on the website were impressive, but as a traveler I know better to take website pics with a grain of salt.  Many times I’ve been hoodwinked by resorts that looked great on the website, but looked crappier than a bowl of warm sh*t when you finally get there.  Sareeraya lived up to expectations.  For me, the crowning glory was the room:

It was spectacular.  You literally gasp a sharp intake of breath when you see it.  It was so luxurious, every nook and cranny was well-designed, well thought of, and invested with high quality materials.  We were deluged with complimentary bottled water, and other supplies.  I usually hate the soaps and shampoos in hotels and resorts that’s why I always bring my own even in 5-star hotels, but this resort had wonderful aromatherapy shampoos, conditioners and body washes that made me abandon the toiletries I had.  The bathroom was equally impressive:

The shower is separate from the tub, right next to it, with a rainshower-type shower head, and from the shower, you can look out into the bedroom because of a huge window that separates the 2 areas.  It’s sexy, but in a classy way, not in a sleazy motel way (not that I would know…).  And when you open the closet door from the bedroom, it empties out into the bathroom as well, so you can go from one to the other via the closet.  Those little design quirks make this room extra EXTRA special.  But the icing on the already bountiful cake is the veranda:

From the veranda, you can go straight into the swimming pool.  And right in front (you can’t see it from the photo), there are seats which act as the jacuzzi as well.  There is another shower in the veranda for a quick rinse.  The pool is accessible only by the 5 or 6 “pool access” villas.  Here’s how it looks like from another angle:

This is still separate from the main pool that everyone has access to. And speaking of the main pool, it is the first thing you see once you enter the resort:

Here’s the view from the opposite vantage point:

Can I just gush even more and say the pool is one of the best I’ve ever swam in?  Even if the water was chilly due to the cloudy weather that hounded our entire Thailand trip, I loved soaking in the pool because the water was so clean and fresh (with no trace of chlorine) and the tiles were so pretty and the design was so much fun with different levels inside the pool.  It brought out the kid in me.  If the frigid temperatures didn’t shrink my nuts to the size of jolens, I would’ve stayed much longer.  But I prefer my family jewels warm and toasty so I’d opt to get out while I could still thaw them gently with the blow dryer.  Right in front of the pool was the sunbathing area:

And right in front of the sunbathing area was Chaweng Beach:

It was nice, with its white powdery sand, but being from the Philippines, I’ve seen much more jaw-dropping beaches back home.  But to be fair, we caught Chaweng right after Koh Samui’s version of our Ondoy just days before we arrived.  Just like Ondoy for us, it was Koh Samui’s worst flood in 40 years.  Our resort was waist high sunk in floodwaters maybe less than 5 days before we got there.  So a lot of the water from the streets was still draining out into the ocean.  So the water along the beach was murky, silty, and not fit for swimming.  Maybe during better days, Chaweng would look much more impressive than it did when we were there.  But as far as Sareeraya was concerned, everything was top notch.  The price?  Exorbitant.  We were only able to afford it because we booked more than 2 months before we went, and we booked during November, which is monsoon season in Koh Samui.  Traditionally, it’s their lowest season, with hardly any tourists daring to go when rains some almost on a daily basis.  Honestly, I don’t think we can afford the regular rates if we went during regular season, even more during the peak season.  So I feel really lucky we were able to experience such a high-end resort without paying an arm and a leg.  We were living the life for 4 days like spoiled royals.  If given the chance, we’d also like to try out the high-end resorts of Koh Phangan or the dive resorts of Koh Tao.

 

 

Thailand 2010 (Day 1)

This picture is the stuff of my nightmares.  It was this satellite photo of the wicked monsoon that swamped southern Thailand early this week that was plastered all over Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok since many flights were cancelled throughout the week with flood disasters in many areas.  But I get ahead of myself.  The nightmare started much earlier on along C5.

We left the Ortigas area at 7pm, our car being coding, but we thought we’re okay since we had to be there before 8:50pm, which was a good almost 2 hours to go.  But with the Magallanes flyover thingy, C5 was flooded.  Seriously, the traffic was so bad I really thought we were going to miss the flight.  We were considering leaving the car at McDo near Resorts World and walking to T3.  But eventually, we crawled into some good luck and got to the Cebu Pacific counter at 8:45pm, just 5 minutes before missing the flight.

As we were boarding, there was this hulk of a foreigner who reeked of alcohol and rotten bayabas, and was a bit rowdy, and he was engaging anyone who’d pay his rants any attention.  The flight attendants were already checking him out if he’d be causing any trouble. I distinctly remember thinking, “Please God, let my seatmate be anyone BUT him!”  When I got to my seat, who should be my seatmate? HIM.

Finally, we get to Bangkok at 12 midnight, and we had 4 hours to wait until our connecting flight to Koh Samui.  Then the lady says flights have been canceled all week because of the monster monsoons that have been submerging southern Thailand in many flood crises the past days.  Seriously.  I’ve waited for this vacation all year, and our plans sink in monsoon floods.  The good news was, the rains stopped late yesterday, so there were chances of flights resuming today.

So for 4 excruciating hours, we waited to find out if we were going to Koh Samui or if we were to look for a cheap hotel in Bangkok to spend the night in.  While waiting, we decided to eat in one of the restaurants in the airport, and had one of the best meals of my life at 2 in the morning.  Maybe it was the stress, maybe it was the hunger, maybe it was the fatigue, but the 2 items I ordered tasted like orgasms on a plate!  I got the green papaya salad and the tom yum goong:

It was deliriously delicious.  It reminded me of why Thailand is a favorite destination of foodies.  I couldn’t feel my mouth after, because of the spicy chilies, but it melted away all the emotional toxins I had in my system.  I felt like I needed a cigarette after that quasi-sexual encounter with Thai food.

By then I had a massive headache, like ten demons pounding away at my head with stone mallets.  I slept for an hour on the airport benches until finally, 4am came, and we went to Bangkok Air to see if they’re flying to Koh Samui.  And like a beacon of light from the heavens, the news came: We’re cleared and flying on schedule!!!  Relieved, we ran straight to check in, only to find out that our friend’s credit card was not accepted and we had to repay the airline ticket or else we forfeit the booking.  When will this punishment end?  We paid again, with a different card, then we were off finally.  This was the view of the clouds over Koh Samui as we descended:

It was cloudy in Koh Samui, but the clouds broke about lunchtime and we experienced some sun.  Tranny luck was smiling at us through all the road blocks to this coveted pit stop.  But seeing the resort was worth all the trouble.  Seriously, the best room I’ve ever been to, EVER.  Our resort rocks.  I’ll post photos when we get back, but here’s a sneak peek.  Our luxurious room opens out to a veranda that has access to the pool.  So cool:

I spent most of the day sleeping, since my headache was killing me and my eyes were red because I’ve been wearing my contacts for more than 24 hours now.  Woke up at 5pm then walked along Chaweng beach looking for a nice place for dinner.  All the entertainers were Pinoy.  In our restaurant, an older chanteuse was crooning older heartbreak tearjerkers like “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” and “It Takes Too Long To Learn To Live Alone”.  Her accent was odd, so we couldn’t figure out if she were Thai or Pinay.  Then, while bantering with a foreign couple she goes: “From Australia? Oh, England po?”  Then we knew she was Pinay.  At many points during the dinner she was trying to outsing the younger Pinay performing in the adjacent resort belting out angrier, angstier songs like “Torn”.  It was like a movie, “The Dueling Divas”.

Walked back to the resort, passed by a convenience store and bought a big bagload of snacks, and we just finished pigging out on different squid and cuttlefish snacks, rice crackers with pork floss, and caramelized cashews, as we lounged at our veranda by the pool.  I was barraged with a parade of new flavors, many alien to my tongue.  What an experience.  This is the life.  It is so worth the stress.  I’d go through all that all over again if the rewards are this good.  I just hope the weather cooperates for the next 6 days.

And can I just say, I love free wi-fi! คุณขอบคุณ!

 

Acuatico Resort, Laiya, Batangas

October was really toxic for me, no, let’s call it hectic instead, because my hosting load was unbelievably heavy since October 1.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely grateful for the blessings that came my way, it’s just that it was taking its toll on me, physically.  So we decided to get away for the weekend, just an overnight trip, and booked ourselves at Acuatico in San Juan, Batangas.  We’ve tried many resorts there, Tivona, Balai, Virgin, and we’ve always wanted to try Acuatico but they were always fully booked.  Finally there was an opening, and we took it.

This was our cottage.  Even from the outside, it looked really nice.  It had 2 floors, with it’s own balcony, the bathroom downstairs and the bedroom upstairs. The room we got was good for 4, but since it was the only room available, the other queen-sized bed was left unslept in.  Here’s our room, the view from opposite ends:

The rooms are quaint and cozy, not luxurious like the high-end resorts, but very much comfortable.  I just like the unique way the cottage was designed, very odd, but in a good way.  One thing though, there was free internet available in the rooms, but the server was down, so I wasn’t able to avail of it.  Not really their fault, it’s just a downer if you’re expecting to enjoy free wi-fi.  And another thing, because the resort is really small, noise management is a bit of a problem.  Because one group was having a drinking session at the bar, we could hear every guffaw, every rowdy conversation they were drunkenly exchanging.  It was okay when the TV was on, but once we turned it off, the inuman noise was a bit inescapable. Thank goodness I was drowsy, so sleep came easy despite the noise.

The resort’s crowning glory is it’s sprawling swimming pool.  It’s a water-lover’s wet dream!  It’s got 3 “levels”, one for kids, the other for the bar, and the last, an infinity pool facing the sea.  The pool is surrounded by the cottages, so technically all the rooms are poolside.  We spent half the time in the salty sea water, and half the time soaking in the pool.  Here’s are the 2 views, one facing the bar, the other facing the sea:

The food is okay; not bad, but not great.  But what really impressed me in this resort is the service.  I really give it my highest marks!  I mean, everyone was really waiting on us hand and foot, and even before you had a chance to ask for something, they were already there to assist you.  The staff was always asking if you need anything, they have good dispositions, and generally courteous, friendly and eager to please.  It’s actually rare to find such good all-around service outside of the big Palawan resorts, so it was refreshing to find great service in a small resort like Acuatico.  We really enjoyed our couple of days in the water, as typhoon Juan threatened the country.  The price is not expensive, but it ain’t cheap either.  But for me, worth visiting if you’re a weekend warrior looking for a little pocket paradise a couple of hours drive away from Manila.