Amid My Silent Reverie

If you're a working girl just like me, then the announcements of long weekends are like music to the ears. Pleasant and lovely. Of course, the next question that comes to my mind is, "How am I going to spend it?" Some days I am a homebody but this specific holiday is extra special. Thank heavens that the boyfriend's family invited me to their summer getaway. I must say it was, by far, my most jam-packed long weekend ever. 😂 It was a back-to-back Baler and Bataan weekend. I'll share with you my takes in visiting these two B's. BALER From Baguio, it is roughly 6-7 hours depending on the number of stopovers you will have. In our case, we left Baguio at around 4:30AM and we arrived in Baler at around 12:30PM because we had several stopovers and it is the first time for everyone to drive going there. If you are coming from Manila on the other hand, based on Google Maps, it will take about 5-6 hours to get there. The assumption is you are riding a private veh...

The spot for my first out of town trip for this year goes to Nasugbu, Batangas with no less than my friends. And I am very much thankful and happy of how supportive they are in adjusting their plans depending on the amount of budget I have. 😁 True friends, right? But they would've been the BEST if they went out of their way and treat me instead. But that's a different story. Haha! For this specific trip, we availed of a promo voucher in  Metrodeal   - a day tour package at Canyon Cove Hotel & Spa for only P499.00 which is originally priced at P1200.00. I can't seem to find the price list in their website, but you can contact them for further inquiries  here. (Screenshot of the voucher we got.) Since majority are from Laguna, our travel time was only limited to a little over two hours. If you are coming from a farther place, make sure to leave early since Tagaytay road is REALLY traffic nowadays because of the never ending commercialization of the area. C...

I admit that I am an obsessive compulsive when it comes to trips. And it's a bit hardcore I guess because I hate it when we don't have an itinerary or if we can't complete it as planned. I get disappointed big time to the point that it stresses me a lot. Let me share with you my minimum requirements when going out: 1) reading travel/food blogs so we can shortlist and prioritize the places we want to visit and the food we want to eat, 2) checking the weather so I could plan on what clothes I need to bring, and 3) making an excel sheet of expenses (this is especially true for out of town/ out of country trips) and other minor reasons. I would like to believe I am like this because first, the money I used in splurging is limited and hard earned; second, we don't always get to go to a particular place so it would be better if we make most out the trip meaning we follow the proposed itinerary; and lastly, I don't always have the luxury of time to go on vacation. But I a...

I consider myself lucky, because I still have the luxury to travel and to go to different places even if it is just once or twice a year, not everyone are as privileged. Last weekend, it was a Sagada trip with the boyfriend and a few new found friends. Admittedly, I am an obsessive-compulsive planner when it comes to vacation getaways. I gather all related information from the place, do's and don'ts, things to bring down to the appropriate clothes to wear. Of course, I do believe in spontaneity but I also value our safety and security above anything else, hence the importance of researching. We found out about the tour through Metrodeal . For P3399.00 per person, we are entitled to (1) a 3D/2N stay at a hostel/inn, (2) a round trip transportation fare and (3) a tour in the town proper. Excluded in the package on the other hand are the following: Tour guide fee to Sumaging Cave/cave connection - P150 and P450 per person respectively Tour guide fee to Bomod Ok Falls - P100 ...

Joining the list of my "places to be" in the North Luzon area just the past two weekends is Subic. It is roughly 3 hours away from the Metro (plus two if you're traveling past the rush hour which is 7PM, just like what we did Thursday night). We went there through a private vehicle because we thought that it would be an easier and much accessible mode of transportation to the locations we want to visit in the area. I should just warn you, Subic is very strict on their traffic regulations. There are many "Stop" signs everywhere, where you should cease for 3-5 seconds regardless if there are pedestrians or vehicles that will cross. Furthermore, "first stop, first to go" on intersections is also being observed. The hotel we chose is Subic Park Hotel. It is situated along Moonbay Marina, Waterfront Road and is near Pier One and Gilligan's - just perfect for people who are always in the mood to go partying and bar-hopping. It turned out to be a goo...