halfwhiteboy

All sorts of touches along one of the hallways of Flotsam & Jetsam. Surfing or not, La Union has been steadily figuring out as a go-to destination for quick vacations, particularly the town of San Juan . Several establishments have of course mushroomed in the wake of this boom. Now where to stay in San Juan? We've tried Flotsam & Jetsam Artist Beach Hostel , which, by all accounts is no longer just a humble hostel because it now has a dozen accommodation options. Business must be good. Now here's a rundown of our experience.

Wearing prints with a different set of prints can be tricky, which is why it's best to pair them with something in a plain and solid color. But then what's left to enjoy of summer when the majority of beach and swimwear come in prints of all colors and patterns? For one, you can choose a bright-colored top with printed swim shorts so both pieces stand out without clashing. Go for neon if you may. Conversely, if your top is quite busy, tone it down with something solid but in a color that still stands out, like I did before with an Aztec print tank top and plain green swim shorts .

Long sleeves? In the heat of summer? And on the beach at that? Why not? Whether your intention is to cover yourself up because you simply abhor the sun (but ironically want to be on the beach) or because you just want to for whatever it's worth, the key is to wear a shirt in a breathable, lightweight fabric. In my case I picked linen, which is as summer as it can get. You can also opt for something sheer if you want. Leave your flannels and all those heavy fabrics at home.

I've been down for a week and have just been discharged from the hospital yesterday. Bummer, I know, but life goes on. As I'm psyching myself up for my return to work tomorrow, I'm trying to have nothing but good vibes. I'm even thinking of when I can make another trip to the beach while it's still summer (*wink wink*).

It may be a cloudy day but the sheer beauty of Matnog's sand and sea still shines through. On our recent trip to Sorsogon I was nearly bummed out when I woke up to the sound of rain on our second day. Rain may be a welcome relief to a hot and humid weather but no, not on my vacation! Especially on a vacation where I'm going to the beach! But we were still pushing through, of course, because everything was already arranged by the staff of the very chic Siama Hotel . At least the rain started letting up by the time we boarded our van. We were headed for Matnog .

 The winding wooden walkway at Cloud 9 in Siargao Island.   With the Siargao International Surfing Cup drawing near – which is now on its 20th year, by the way – I'm taking a look back at that one time I visited the lovely Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte, Philippines. Dubbed as the "Surfing Capital of the Philippines," Siargao first came into my consciousness after I chanced upon an article from our company employee newsletter. It was about a certain international surfing competition where our company was one of the sponsors. I got intrigued. Fast-forward to February 2002, I found myself in Surigao City for a work assignment. With Siargao just 3 hours away by slow ferry and about 1.5 hours by fastcraft, the chance to visit the island was just too good to pass up even if rains are expected in the area from January through July. Undaunted by the weather, I embarked on this little journey of mine – alone – and sailed for three hours while huge waves rocked our ...

Parasailing in Patong Beach. Arguably Phuket's most popular beach, Patong is pulsating with activity and is, as expected, its most crowded. And for that reason, people either love it or hate it. On our first time in the island province back in 2010, we skipped the presumed crowds and opted instead for the much quieter Bang Tao Beach  and later, Mai Khao Beach up north. This time around, however, we decided to embrace the chaos and the loudness of Patong, and booked a really spacious suite at BYD Lofts .

Still couldn't reconcile Basilan's beauty with the terror that engulfs the island. The kid on the right seems just as puzzled, but with me. The mere mention of it almost immediately makes you think of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf. Basilan, after all, was where those kidnapped tourists from Dos Palmas Resort in 2001 were brought to and held captive for over a year (throughout that time frame some have escaped, others ransomed). Needless to say, a venture into Basilan is either an extremely far-fetched idea or a downright stupid one. Or maybe not.

  A small neighborhood resides along this lovely stretch of beach in Bgy. Lourdes, Tiwi. My mind is always on some beach these days and yet my body is still pathetically holed up in the office. I thought about my early trips with My Bibe, back when we'd go to these far-flung areas with no advance bookings or anything. But it was fun, those days. Back in February 2005 we had one of those trips and Bicol was our destination. It was the first time I saw Mayon Volcano (yeah, poor me) and the butanding (whale sharks) of Donsol, Sorsogon. We wanted to be in some black sand beach for some reason. We tried Tabaco, a town a few kilometers away from the capital Legazpi City, but no one could point us to one. We tried the next town, Tiwi, and savored the magnificent views of Mayon and ricefields along the way.

How inviting, isn't it? This was taken back in October 2004 in Malapascua Island in Cebu. It was a trip by my lonesome, one of those side trips I normally make when I'm out of town for some audit work. I have long read of Malapascua and it has been on my travel wish list ever since. So when I finally had the chance, I seized it, even if it was just for 3 days. I knew I took some notes of my trip but I just couldn't find them right now, so I'm writing this all from memory. Yeah, it can get a little sketchy given that all this was 9 years ago. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Getting there I hopped on a van at a terminal beside the old White Gold Club at the North Reclamation Area. I don't know if the terminal still exists but you can always take a bus bound for Maya at the North Bus Terminal. I've read then that the bus trip takes really long because of so many stops, plus there were no air-conditioned options. So I went for the more expensive...

Everyone's starting to feel the steadily rising heat once more, a sensation that seems to automatically trigger a dormant part in the deepest recesses of our brain that wants us to escape, go someplace, anywhere but where we are stuck at the moment. Our thoughts run wild, feet itch, and alas, the wanderlust in all of us has awaken once again! But where to go? This might help. I've compiled a list of 12 resorts and out-of-town hotels in the Philippines that I've been to and that I thought people (maybe at least some) might want to check out. It doesn't necessarily mean that they're the best of the best but my time at each of these places--even despite some negatives--has still been good overall, good enough that I want to go back. To yes, all 12 of them. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 1. Club Paradise Dimakya Island, Busuanga, Palawan Don't you just want to go and take a plunge?

In the posh resort area of Nusa Dua in Bali, not all hotels are on a beachfront property and such was the case with our second hotel while in the island, Mantra Nusa Dua . Not to worry, however, since these hotels have special access to a nice little patch of cream-colored sand called Geger Beach . Yeah, life's a bitch. I mean, beach. A five-minute ride from Mantra, Geger Beach is several meters from the main road bound by the gargantuan resort The Mulia on one side and the exclusive St Regis on the other. In between are a few residential homes, concession stands, and other structures.

It's where Balinese locals readily tell you to go to catch the sunset and enjoy fresh seafood. Jimbaran Beach is a ridiculously long stretch of cream-colored sand located on the southern tip of the island of Bali, Indonesia. It's just a short 15 to 20-minute ride from Alindra Villa where we were holed up for one night and which provided complimentary shuttle service to this spot. Apart from a good view of the setting sun, they also promised fresh seafood. Well, this was what My Bibe and I had: As fresh as they can get! The restaurant and the food A strip of about 24 different restaurants line up the beach, all of which have a small area for unloading passengers, a wet market-like section where you choose your fresh catch for cooking, an adjacent grilling section, an indoor restaurant, and of course, an outdoor area by the beach where everyone basically is. I mean, who stays indoors when there's a gorgeous sunset outside?

On our recent trip to Laiya in San Juan, Batangas, I tried to break away from my usual routine as far as taking pictures on our holidays is concerned. So apart from ourselves and the resort in Laiya where we stayed, I tried at least once to walk around and snap some shots of what else is there outside our resort, and here's what I got... I reckon they must be from somewhere nearby and were headed home after work at one of the resorts. My Bibe would freak out at the size of this outrigger (or lack thereof) yet one of them was comfortably texting her way away.

Two weekends ago My Bibe and I hied off to Laiya in San Juan, Batangas for a weekend getaway. We booked two nights at Acuaverde Beach Resort , which is managed by the same people behind the more popular Acuatico Beach Resort just a few meters away. Judging from the photos I've found, I suspected it was where Balai sa Laiya used to stand. Turns out I was right. It was the exact same place we've been to and loved more than six years ago, only now it's a different resort. So how is this new establishment? Here's a rundown. Architecture and general ambiance What we loved about Balai sa Laiya was that there were lots of open spaces and huge trees. So I was glad to see that the trees are still there and despite adding more rooms, Acuaverde has maintained its wide open spaces.

My Bibe and I took to the beach over the weekend just to unwind for my birthday. We went to Laiya in San Juan, Batangas, to the exact same spot we've been to almost seven years ago, only now it's a different resort. It was overcast for the most part although there were few brief moments of sun. At least it didn't really rain. Being at the beach, I was clad in shorts the whole time, mostly brightly-colored ones. On the three-hour drive going there (that stretched to four because of a pit stop), I wore an electric blue number that I paired with a printed gray tee to balance out the loudness.

That's the face of a very paranoid cat. Our dear Kwittie Boy is not used to being around unfamiliar people or territory. We feel guilty that we don't get to bring him (and our two other cats) out really and this one time that we took him to the beach with us back in February 2007 was definitely something he did not enjoy. He spent the whole time under one of the beds in our room and didn't really eat much or go to his litter box either, a behavior he once again exhibited when we had a short getaway with the cats at Sonya's Garden in Tagaytay last year. Six years and seven months later My Bibe and I are checking out the beach in Laiya, Batangas once more. I can't believe it's been that long and I thought of reminiscing our time back then -- when I was several pounds lighter and before all the surgery scars .

Caramoan's Matukad Island. Simply beautiful, don't you think? By this time Caramoan is already on everyone's radar, especially since the French edition of the hit reality series Survivor filmed its 8th season there in 2008. Since then, around ten other seasons from different editions of the show have been shot there, the latest of which was the "Fans vs Favorites" season of the U.S. edition. The Caramoan Peninsula is home to at least ten main islands and a host of other small islets, making it a great place for island-hopping with white-sand beaches and limestone rock formations. However, ever since the place became Survivor capital, I've both heard and read stories from disappointed visitors who have gone to the peninsula at such inopportune times when some filming is ongoing. Call it an ill-timed visit because a lot of these islands that make up the Caramoan Peninsula are off-limits to tourists when filming is underway and hence, the disappointment. ...

Everyone seems to be so familiar with Palawan's Underground River, thanks to Puerto Princesa's massive campaign for its inclusion in that 7 Wonders of the Natural World thing. Sadly, people are also quick to overlook the gorgeous beach right there at the jump-off, which, in itself, deserves some respect. This is Sabang Beach. Happy me on Sabang Beach. I first fell in love with the beach ten years ago when I went to see the famed Underground River in one of those side trips I make when I'm out doing field work. Sabang is a long and wide beach with cream-colored sand that's very fine and foot-friendly. It has a gradual sloping seabed that's perfect for swimming although there was nary a soul in sight.

I mentioned in a previous post that we've recently been to Pico de Loro Cove in Batangas, the first phase of development on the sprawling 5,900-hectare Hamilo Coast by SM Land. Pico de Loro is but one of 13 different coves along this property, so more construction can be expected. However, only 1/3 of the total land area is developable and the rest will be left to nature, at least according to their representation. The lagoon area Development on Pico de Loro involved construction of condo units spread among several buildings around a (presumably) man-made lagoon. And with the surrounding mountains that somehow serve as a perimeter around the structures, it's a beautiful and picturesque layout. Picturesque, I kid you not. Buildings are reflected on the placid waters of the lagoon. People could either own a unit or simply become a club member to enjoy access to the place and its facilities. But since they've added a hotel into the fold, the Pico Sands Hotel ( rea...