Marina de Bay

The T House

I must say, this resort grew on me. When we first arrived at the place, I thought it was acceptable. But as we spent more time there, I became convinced that it was ideal.

One of the cottages

It's about 20-25 minutes away from the city center so, if you're looking to roam around in the late hours, this place is not for you. But if you're looking for a relaxed ambience, a nice view of the bay, very friendly and efficient service and value for money, then you've found the right place. Our bed and breakfast package for 5days 4 nights cost Php4,000/person. Breakfast was a choice among danggit, longganiza, corned beef or ham. I was even treated to bacon and rice one time even though it wasn't part of the menu selection.

The Clubhouse

We arrived on a Saturday and found ourselves to be the only guests at the resort. Aware that we wouldn't be disturbing any guest, we had videoke at the lobby lounge till 3am. The staff patiently waited on us without complaints. In tours, the resort sent a representative to go with us and attend to our needs. Going to Honda Bay, we asked if we could inihaw for lunch and we were happily indulged.

Massage cabana with a view

For fishing

Although the resort is some distance from the center, there's a free shuttle bus that can drop you off at your destination. And the reception desk will happily arrange for a tricycle or multicab for you if a shuttle is not available.

I. Covet.

Panasonic's Lumix LX3 camera. Now.

'M so looking forward to this

Premieres July 2010 at the CCP. Lea will pray the role of Grizabella. Yey!

Honda Bay

We saved the best for last--island-hopping on Honda Bay.

We departed from Marina de Bay at a few minutes past 8am. It took us 20 minutes to get to the wharf where we registered our names, rented snorkeling equipment, and bought an underwater camera (I keep forgetting to bring the underwater casing for my cam).

Our first stop was Pandan Island, so-called because of the abundance of pandan trees. The kids were content on snorkeling near the shore but our boatman, who doubled up as guide, insisted that they venture farther towards the sea to see more varieties of fish and corals. I joined the throng. We all donned our life vests because the water was deep, except for Mr. G who's a fantastic swimmer. The seven-year old started to panic as we swam towards the deeper area so his mom held his hand for reassurance.

We had fun feeding the fish and tried our best to calm the seven-year old, but when the strong winds began to summon equally strong waves, there was no arguing with him. We quickly returned to shore.


It was perfect timing because by then Merlyn was done grilling the liempo. We also had packed meals of adobo and chopsuey.


After lunch, we relaxed and took a siesta. I found a nice, quiet spot with lounge huts at one end of the beach. We couldn't stay long, however, because another island was waiting.


Snake Island got its name from its shape, a twisting rope of an island with a long narrow tail made of blinding white sand. It was the most beautiful of the three islands we visited that day, although it is by no means superior to the other islands of Palawan. The islands of El Nido are still tops on my list.

After a long, blistering walk on the beach, I decided to spend the rest of my time on the shade with a book. Mr. G opted to sleep.


Our last stop was Starfish Island. According to Merlyn, it was the most beautiful of the three islands and the most ideal for swimming, which gave me high expectations. I was disappointed. I didn't see the starfishes I expected. The boatman had to fish three out of the water to appease me. And with corals and sharp stones mixed in with the sand, I found swimming full of effort.


The starfishes, back where they belong.

Tour cost: P1,100/person

Fishing

After Baker's Hill and shopping at the city center or bayan, we went back to the resort to rest not knowing that Mr. G prepared a treat for the kids. He bought fishing lines and hooks while we were busy shopping.


He asked one of the resort staff, Ali, to get thin bamboo poles that can be used as makeshift rods. Ali did a great job with the improvised fishing equipment and gave us strips of sapsap (slipmouth fish) to use as bait.


We didn't catch anything that afternoon but one of the kids did on our last day in the island. I accidentally caught a talangka when I cast a line but we let it go.


Our day ended at Kinabuchs grill where we feasted on crabs, inihaw na panga ng tuna, kalderetang kambing, and more. I forgot to take pictures of the food, sorry.

Baker's Hill

We had lunch at Baker's Hill in one of our slow days and I was pleasantly surprised that it had much more to offer than just the Palawan hopia that we came here for.


There were two contemporary American style homes, one bungalow type and the other three-story high with a roof deck. Although livable, they were unoccupied and were there for show, to reinforce perhaps the theme park spirit conveyed by models of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and other theme park characters in the garden.


There were benches to sit on and picnic tables, a playground for kids, an aviary, and a cactus and herb garden. But before exploring further, there was the matter of lunch.


There was an open-air barbecue shack, a canteen called Baker's Kitchen, and an enclosed air-conditioned restaurant called Twigs. We opted for the last one because the heat was searing.


The restaurant was bedecked with Dutch country decor, which I'm not too fond of but the kids enjoyed.


We were served complimentary tinapa pate, which I loved.


This reminded of Sonya's Garden's flower salad. It was good although not at par with Sonya's.


I just had a taste of the sisig. I've had better.


We had a laugh when the waitress took our order of this salad because she pronounced Caesar as Cesar. When our order arrived, we thought she may well have been right because the salad didn't look anything like the usual Caesar salad. It had breaded squid and kani, and the dressing was thousand island.

I failed to get a shot of the pork bbq I ordered because the sight of it made me very hungry. It was a two skewer serving of smoky substantial chunks of pork. For only Php100 including a cup of steamed rice.

Dessert was halo-halo at Baker's Kitchen. Loved the leche flan topping. The ice was shaved, not crushed, and the the halo wasn't overwhelming. I'm not a big fan of halo-halo but this one I really liked.


Back at the resort, we enjoyed our hopia. There were three varieties--monggo, ube and baboy. We bought only the first two.



Not as good as Eng Bee Tin's but good.

Palawan Sunrise

My kind of sunrise...

After our breakfast of fried danggit (danggit caught fresh and then fried, as opposed to danggit that's dried and then fried--makes all the difference), we headed for the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, more popularly known as the Underground River. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea. The river is part of a national park, of which it is the main attraction.

After Mr. G picked up some junk food and drinks on the way, our van sped to our first stop, the Sabang wharf, where we were to transfer to a pump boat that will take us to the Underground River. The drive took two hours, including a brief stop at the Buenavista Viewdeck.

From the Buenavista Viewdeck

After a 30-minute boat ride, we arrived at the park, greeted by monkeys and lizards at the entrance.

We followed a boarded path to where the cave guides were. Here, we wrote down our names as tourists, donned our life vests and hard hats, got into a paddle boat and, after one group picture, went on our way.

Paddling towards the cave entrance

One of the kids got frightened when we entered the cave because it was very dark. Our only source of light was a flashlight held by the passenger at the frontmost seat who was tasked to aim the light to interesting cave formations as directed by the boatman at the rear.

It was fascinating to see formations of the Holy Family and The Last Supper; mushrooms, corn and jellyfish; dinosaurs and birds; and many more. The lofty cathedral put all of us in a solemn mood but not for long. The boatman kept us in stitches through most of the ride with his hysterical spiel. Although the river was over eight kilometers long, we navigated only less than one because a special permit was needed to proceed. On our way back, I found myself drifting off to sleep, calmed by the cool breeze and quiet.

An interesting mode of transpo in Sabang Beach

Lunch was served at Sabang Beach. After enjoying our adobo, tuna steak, prawns and mangoes, the kids swam and bravely took on the roaring waves. I settled at my spot in the cottage where we had lunch and resumed reading Steinbeck's Travels with Charley. A full, enjoyable day.

Tour cost: P1,500 per person.

Chicken binakol

We decided to have dinner at the resort because we were all tired from the tour. The chicken binakol that Mr. G ordered was superb. All that was left to do after was videoke and a little bit of Facebook.