philippines Archives | Meghy Was Here

Maniwaya Island Guide: The Hidden Gem of the Heart of the Philippines (Marinduque)

Meghy — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 11:57:54 +0000

Honestly, I haven’t heard much about Maniwaya Island of Marinduque on the past few years that I am traveling. Our country, being an archipelago, has so many pristine white beaches that we can show off the world but little did we know this silent province island of Marinduque has its own prime destinations that one would love to see and experience.

The Province of Marinduque is known as “The Heart of the Philippines” as the shape of the provincial island is in similar shape of a human heart. Its location on our archipelago is also similar to the anatomy of where the heart is, in the human body. I often mislook Marinduque on my go-to destinations as I haven’t heard much of the public transpo going to the island not until I saw several travel and tour groups in Facebook that offers all-in tours on the island.

Knowing Maniwaya Island

Maniwaya Island is an island which is part of the town of Santa Cruz, Marinduque. It lies between the main island of Mariduque on the left and the Province of Quezon on the right. So, the said island is accessible through those provinces. Maniwaya Island is a home of several beach resorts that showcase cream to white powdery fine sands, blue and clear sea waters and offers island hopping tours to nearby pristine must-see stops like Palad Sandbar and Ungab Rock Formation. Located about 6 hours away from Manila, it is a worthy place to visit to please your thirst for beach waters and your desire to continue discovering secluded beautiful attractions of the Philippines.

How to go to Maniwaya Island?

Via General Luna Port

This is the easiest route with lesser vehicle transfers. Ride a bus from Manila bound to Lucena Grand Terminal (JAC Liner, JAM, A&B Liner etc.). From Lucena Grand Terminal, ride a van or bus bound to General Luna Port. From General Luna port, ride the public boat to Maniwaya Island or rent a boat that will take you directly to the island.

Via travel and tours

Since it’s pandemic and we were not sure about the availability of the public transportations, we opted to book a tour for our convenience. We directly contacted Wawie’s Beach Resort and they immediately arranged and assigned a travel coordinator for us. The tour already includes an overnight stay in the resort (tent accommodation) with three meals and all-in island tour to Ungab Rock Formation, Palad Sand Bar and a Snorkeling experience. Less hassle, all you have to do is to be there on the pickup points and enjoy the actual travel experience. You can also upgrade you accommodation into an actual room for additional fee.

You can contact Wawie’s Beach Resort directly on their Facebook Page here to assign you a coordinator or you can directly contact HAPPY FEET PH here if they have scheduled tour to Maniwaya on your desired date.

We were picked up at around 10:00 PM Friday night, had series of stop overs along the way and reached General Luna port at around 5:00 AM. We ride a boat going to Maniwaya Island at 5:30 AM and reached their barangay at about 7:00 AM to register our visit and checking of our vaccination cards.

Wawie’s Beach Resort

Wawie’s Beach Resort is one of the known resort on the island. It offers various accommodations from tent, native rooms, AC rooms and cabanas. The resort proffers taintless shores and blue waters. It was weekend when we went there and the resort is quite crowded. You’ll never imagine that at the middle of a somewhat secluded town, there is this tropical island everyone would enjoy. The resort is good, well-maintained, staffs and even the owner are very accommodating and friendly but comfort rooms should be improved (we even suggest it to the owner). Lining up to use the comfort room could take time especially during the weekend and holidays.

Ungab Rock Formation

Ungab rock formation is a natural rock formation in shape of an arc located on the Island of Mongpong. Better be careful taking photos on its rock formations as waves swashing fiercely on the area. We actually got some wounds on our knees and foot while trying to explore the vicinity. Overall, this distinct rock formation is worthy of our visit.

Palad Sandbar

A stunning sand bar with powdery white sand surrounded by turquoise clear waters. It only appears during low tide but don’t worry as the tour coordinators and boat operators are pretty much familiar of the low tide schedules on the area. On our case, we got to visit Palad Sand bar at around 10:30 AM.

Snorkeling

There’s also a snorkeling area around the waters surrounding Maniwaya Island (no specific name). Here you can enjoy snorkeling, swimming, feeding fishes and see the rich marine life of Marinduque. Snorkeling gears can be rented on a very affordable price to truly enjoy the splendid aqua life seen below waters such as living corals and peculiar fishes.

Maniwaya Island Sample Itinerary

DAY 0:

11:00 pm ETD from Assembly Location to Gen Luna Port

DAY 1:

08:00am ETA in Maniwaya Island

09:30am Relax time at Maniwaya Island

10:00am-1:00pm Island hopping to Palad Sand Bar and Rockformation

01:00pm Lunch

02:00pm Lots of chill time [swimming/volleyball/sun bathing/]

07:00pm Dinner

08:00pm Socials

11:00pm Lights Out

DAY 2:

6:00am Breakfast

7:00-10:00am Free Time

11:00 pm ETD FROM Maniwaya Island to Gen. Luna Port

12:30 Lunch

9-10pm ETA manila

More photos of us in the island

The post Maniwaya Island Guide: The Hidden Gem of the Heart of the Philippines (Marinduque) appeared first on Meghy Was Here.

Mt. Manabu: Overnight Travel Guide

Meghy — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 14:57:42 +0000

I can say that trekking Mt. Manabu is one of the easiest climbs I’ve done so far. Not just because the trail is relatively easy but also the trail itself is mostly covered by trees and shades that could tone down one’s exhaustion during the overall trek. There are also a lot of stations you can rest along the way making it a good Mother Mountain for any beginners. Not only beginners would love the place but there are a lot of ace hikers who keeps on getting back here to spend a night to relax, enjoy nature and just to have a fun day of hike.

Knowing Mt. Manabu:

Mt. Manabu is one of the peaks that can be found in the Malipunyo or Malarayat Mountain Range. Malipunyo Range is an extinct volcano that lies across the provinces of Batangas, Laguna and Quezon. The range is known for its three distinct peaks namely: Mt. Manabu, Mt. Malipunyo and Bagwis Peak or also known as Susong Dalaga. For this trip we only went to Mt. Manabu where jump off point is located in Sitio Sulok, Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Sto. Tomas, Batangas. Manabu came from the word “MAtaas NA BUndok” which means “high mountain” in English. Difficulty level is 2/9 and one can reach the peak in about 3-4 hours.

How to go to Mt. Manabu:

From Manila

From Buendia/Cubao ride a bus bound to Lipa, Batangas and ask the driver if it will pass through Fiesta Mall junction. If not, tell the driver to drop you off in Robinsons Lipa. From Robinsons Lipa ride a jeepney bound to Fiesta Mall Junction. From there, look for a tricycle that will take you to Sitio Sulok. Inform the drive that you’ll go to Mt. Manabu (fare is 40 Php each). You’ll be needing to stop over the registration office to register and pay for an environmental fee first before the driver will drive you again directly to the jump off.

From Laguna

Make your way to Turbina Terminal and look for jeepneys bound to Lipa. Tell the driver to drop you off in Fiesta Mall junction and fare will be 70 Php each. At the Fiesta Mall junction charter a tricycle that will take you to the jump-off in Sitio Sulok.

Start of trek:

We reached the jump-off point (which is the parking area too if you bring your own car) at around 9:30 AM but decided to eat first as we didn’t have any breakfast yet. We just asked some locals and found this local “karinderya” that cooks and sells the famous Batangas Lomi. After eating, we started our trek at around 10:30 AM. Our supposed tour guide, Kuya Allan, was still on the station 5 of the Manabu trail as we arrived too early on our agreed time. So, he let his uncle, Kuya Floren, guide us for today during our ascend. We started the trail by passing through a water tank (station 1) and the trail was kinda forthright. Station 2 is just few hundred meters away and there are huts and sari-sari stores to buy snacks and take a seat to rest along the way. One store sells wooden trekking poles for 10 Php that I suggest you to have one as the trail could be muddy especially during rainy season. You’ll be needing it as a support if you always stumble on a muddy trail.

About 500 meters from station 2, you’ll be reaching station 3 which is located beside a creek then take another 378 meters and you’ll be reaching station 4 where you’ll be seeing a Jackfruit tree as a landmark. The trail is almost covered by trees and plant lives so no intense heat of the sun that could make you too exhausted.

After another 25 to 30 minutes, we reached station 5 where the famous kubo of Tatay Tino can be found. Mt. Manabu, aside from its peak, is famous also for the civet coffee that Tatay Tino offers to the hikers for free! Here, you can drink as much coffee as you want. You can also purchase Tatay Tino’s civet coffee as he already had it packed if you wish to bring some back home. They also sell foods, drinks and Mt. Manabu’s souvenirs such as bracelets, keychains and t-shirts. We also met here our supposed tour guide, Kuya Allan. Tatay Tino and our current tour guide, Kuya Floren, are brothers and both uncle of Kuya Allan. Their family owns this hut in station 5. We sat here for some time and talk with our Kuya guides and Tatay Tino. Your hiking experience wouldn’t be complete without meeting and talking to Tatay Tino and I think all hikers on Manabu will share the same thoughts.

After some rest, we started the last leg of assault going to the station 6 (Manabu peak). I must say that this is the hardest part of the trail as it is a continuous ascend and there are parts not covered by trees anymore so scorching heat will make your way harder. There are around three camping grounds located just below the summit. We reached Mt. Manabu summit by around 2 PM and were greeted by the big white cross. We had the stunning view of Batangas from above all by ourselves. We were blessed that we had a clear view during our visit though the weather signals a rain anytime soon. We spent some time on the peak for picture taking (of course! Haha) and enjoying the view right in front of us.

Camping ground for our overnight stay:

After getting enough photos, we decided to trek down back to the camping grounds to setup our tents since we’ll be spending the night here. Kuya Floren left us and informed us that Kuya Allan will fetch us by the next morning. Right after setting up our tents and settling our things, a heavy rain poured down. Water came inside in one of our tents so I suggest to bring a waterproof tent especially when there is a high chance of rain on the day of your hike. Good thing, the rain only poured for about an hour or two. We ate early dinner and took some rest.

At around 5:30 PM, another two sets of well-equipped campers arrived. I can say that they’ve been to Manabu multiple times since they came without a guide. They setup their tents, cooked foods, invited us over dinner and spent the whole night talking about life and likes. I can say that hiking is their escape. Manabu is a perfect sanctuary to relax and disconnect with the reality and turmoil of the jungled city once in a while. If you’re looking for solace, Manabu would happily give you that.

The next morning:

We woke up at around 6 AM and decided to get back on the summit wishing that we could witness a sunrise but due to the thick clouds, we were not able to see one. We sat on the summit and waited for the clearing. It was such a nice encounter to just sit down and behold how the clouds slowly getting washed away by the wind and greeted again by the same beautiful view from yesterday that I’ll never get tired of seeing.

We packed our tents and stuffs and started our descend at around 8 AM. It was Kuya Allan who went back and fetch us instead. We opt not to do the rosary trail anymore and decided to just continue our trek down back to station 5. The trail down back to station 5 became trickier as the path became muddier due to the rain the other day. We took a lot of rest along our way down and even washed our muddy shoes on the waters of the creeks we passed by. And I think that’s the purpose of traveling and hiking, to just slow down and enjoy every experience of it.

We reached the jump-off point at around 11:30 AM. There are bathrooms and comfort rooms on the post so we cleaned ourselves, took a bath, fix our things and head back home.

Other things to know:

Registration fee that you have to pay is 30 Php.
If you are looking for a tour guide, you can contact Kuya Allan on this phone number 09099586191 or contact him through his facebook page here.
Jump-off point of Mt. Manabu is in Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Sto. Tomas, Batangas while Mt. Malipunyo jump-off point is in Brgy. Talisay, Lipa, Batangas. So, if you wish to have the Malipunyo-Manabu traverse you’ll be having a different entry and exit point.
Hiking to the summit could take around 3-4 hours.
We paid our tour guide 1,500 Php for an overnight hike. We didn’t get the day hike rate but you can contact the guide beforehand.
If you’ve been to Mt. Manabu before and you’re confident enough that you know the trail path, tour guides are no longer required.

The post Mt. Manabu: Overnight Travel Guide appeared first on Meghy Was Here.

Mt. Gulugod Baboy And Anilao Beach Travel Guide 2021

Meghy — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 08:03:14 +0000

Aside from being famous as a diving hotspot of the south and an oasis of rich marine life, Anilao in Batangas is also known to its climbing spot, Mt. Gulugod Baboy. Just 2-3 hours away from Manila, Anilao is a perfect place if you want to experience and see lushes of the mountain and at the same time see more of our prolific aquatic existence.

Knowing Gulugod Baboy:

Mt. Gulugod Baboy which means “Pig Spine” in English was named because its peak resembles of a pig spine. The mountain is also known to the locals as Mt. Pinagbanderahan. As per locals there was a Japanese aircraft that crashed on the mountain long back. The Japanese aircrews survived and raised a flag on the mountain that’s why it was called “Pinagbanderahan”. Standing 525 MASL with a 2/9 difficulty level, it is a famous hiking spot for beginners. The trek may take around 2-3 hours depending on your pace and you will be rewarded by a scenic lush rolling hills on the top with a 360-degree view of blue waters surrounding Mabini and nearby islands of Sombrero and Tingloy.

How to go to Mt. Gulugod Baboy:

From Manila

Ride a bus (Buendia or Cubao) bound to Batangas Grand Terminal. Upon arrival, look and ride a jeepney bound to Mabini (fare is 70 Pesos each). From Mabini ride a tricycle to Anilao, tell the driver to drop you off on the registration area located after the Philpan Diving Resort sign.

From Laguna

Make your way to Turbina Bus Terminal and wait for buses bound to Batangas Grand Terminal (fare will be 92 Pesos). Upon reaching Batangas Grand Terminal, ride a jeepney bound to Mabini then from Mabini proper ride a tricycle that will take you to Anilao.

Mishap before our trek:

We initially decided to stay overnight on one of the resorts in Anilao so that we could start our trek early in the morning and have a chance of watching sunrise upon reaching the peak. Since we still have work the same day, we waited for our shift to end and left around 3 PM hoping that we can still catch public transpos going to Anilao. We ride a bus from Turbina at around 4:30 PM but due to heavy traffic we reached Batangas City at 7 PM and were not able to catch the last trip to Mabini which is 6 PM (last trip is now earlier due to pandemic).

We’re actually unsure of what we’ll do by that night. We’re thinking of just staying overnight on the terminal and just ride the first trip to Mabini by 4 AM, look for a nearby transient houses or rent a vehicle that would take us to Anilao. All these options went all down to buying the famous Batangas Lomi on one of the remaining open food stall in the terminal. Who can’t resist this delicious food especially when your tummy says it’s hungry? While eating, drivers and dispatchers gathered around us negotiating to take us to Anilao for around 1500 to 1800 Pesos which is too much for us. Good thing our tour guide from Anilao, arranged a jeepney ride for us for only 800 Pesos. It’s a pretty good deal because we decided to just start our trek that night and just sleep on our tents halfway of the trail so there’s no need to pay for an overnight stay on a resort. We’re luck enough that our tour guide made sure that we’ll be able to reach Anilao safe that night.

Start of journey to Mt. Gulugod Baboy:

We reached Anilao at almost 9 PM and were welcomed by our guide on the registration area. We paid 50 Pesos as registration and started our trek right away. First part of the trail is a very steep cemented road. Though the road is cemented and kinda easy to walk on your first few steps, it gets too exhausting because of the continuous ascend of the road.

After the cemented road, we set foot on the unpaved or dirt trail where our exhaustion slightly toned down. The trail was dark but thanks to our phone’s flashlights and few light posts along the way. You’ll also see few houses on the course. We finally reached our guide’s house at around 10:30 PM where we’ll be spending the night. We setup our tents inside their compound, freshen up and took a sleep so we could be ready for the next half of our trek by the next morning.

Journey by the next day:

We woke up at around 5 AM by the next day, geared up and ate some biscuits to have some energy before we start our ascent. The trail of Gulugod Baboy is pretty direct and uncomplicated. We saw few more settlers along the path and as per our guide, those settlers are also their relatives who are native of the place. Around 6 AM we didn’t witness any sunrise due to the rainy and cloudy weather the other night. The place was so gloomy, no clearing and what we can only see are mountain fogs all over the place. We decided to stay on a sari-sari store first to eat some decent breakfast before our final ascent on the top.

1.5 hours had passed, there’s still no signs of clearing and I was already losing hope. We decided to take on the last pace of the trek to the peak. Upon reaching the top, we can’t appreciate fully its beauty yet since no view can still be seen. We decided to take some photos first while hoping and praying for a clearing.

We waited for about an hour before our prayers were finally answered! The sun shines so bright, mountain fogs were washed away and we were greeted by a beauty no one can’t deny. We’re stepping on a green rolling hills similar to Batanes and we’re surrounded by blue waters of Batangas Bay. Such a beauty we can’t resist and I thank God for letting us see the scenery He created.

Descent and visiting Anilao Beach:

Seeing the blue sea from the peak will make you want to splash on its waters upon descent. So, we decided to go down as fast as we can so we’ll have more time to swim our hearts on the beach. We haven’t been to the beach for a long time due to lockdowns so we were really excited. Our guide introduced us to a local resort. The resort doesn’t have any name but it’s definitely cheaper compare to other known resorts on the area. We bought foods to cook and let one of their local cook it for us for a very affordable price. She even let us borrow eating utensils since we really don’t have any at all. The place is an old resort but we really enjoyed it since we’re the only guests, no crowd and the beach water is as clear as like on the other expensive resorts. If you wish to go here, you can simply ask our guide Ate Rose Ann.

Recommended tour guide: Ate Rose Ann/Kuya Jaymar Ilao (you can contact them through their facebook page here)

Other things to know before going:

Tour guide fee is 500 Pesos for dayhike and 800 Pesos for overnight hike.
If you are not into hiking, there’s a road on the other side of the mountain where you can ride a vehicle. The road leads to the parking lot of the main campsite.
If you wish to stay overnight on the main campsite, please coordinate with the people from the registration first or with your tour guide.

The post Mt. Gulugod Baboy And Anilao Beach Travel Guide 2021 appeared first on Meghy Was Here.

Luisiana, Laguna: Hulugan Falls Travel Guide

Meghy — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 15:28:39 +0000

Laguna might be known for its hot spring resorts, location of the country’s biggest freshwater lake, Laguna De Bay and being home of Philippine’s famous amusement park, Enchanted Kingdom but this province situated Southeast of Metro Manila has a lot of natural attractions waiting to be explored. Multiple waterfalls can be found in the province but for this article we’ll be talking about Hulugan Falls located on Laguna’s little Baguio, the town of Luisiana.

Knowing Hulugan Falls:

Hulugan Falls is one of the few falls that you can visit in Brgy. San Salvador, Luisiana. Locals would agree that it is the most stunning among all. Standing 230 feet, you’ll be amazed by its natural beauty and to be drizzled by its strong water drops is an experience you must look forward to. As per our guide, with the effort of the barangay’s ex captain the place was finally opened to the public last 2015 and since then many tourists were captured by its charm.

How to get there?

From Manila

From Manila ride a bus (Buendia, Cubao or Alabang) bound to Sta. Cruz, Laguna. Upon reaching Sta. Cruz town proper, ride a jeepney bound to Luisiana. Jeepney terminal is located at the back of Jollibee Sta. Cuz, fare is P50 each and tell the driver to drop you off on Brgy. San Salvador. Upon arrival you’ll be seeing a sign “To Hulugan Falls” at your right. Walk to your right and you’ll be greeted by tour guides. Once they assigned a guide, they’ll accompany you to the old Captain’s house for registration. After registration, you have to ride another tricycle going to the jump off (80 Pesos per ride good for 4 pax).

From Laguna

Make your way to SM Calamba and look for jeepneys bound to Sta. Cruz on its transportation terminal. Fare will be P60 each and travel time is around 1 hour. Upon reaching Sta. Cruz town proper, ride a Luisiana bound jeepney (located at the back of Jollibee Sta. Cruz). Fare will be P50 and travel may take another 45 minutes to 1 hour. Dropped off at Brgy. San Salvador and walk to your right, have a tour guide assigned and have your group registered at the Captain’s house. After registration, ride a tricycle going to the jump off.

Journey to Hulugan Falls:

On this trip, we only decided to visit Hulugan Falls. Upon reaching the jump off, we make our way to the right where we were greeted by the “I Love Hulugan Falls” sign. Long tables and chairs are also available on the area where visitors can take a quick rest. After this part, this is where the real tricky trek starts. You have to descend a very steep natural stairs and since it poured the day before we went, the trail is too slippery, muddy and a bit complex. Good thing is they managed to put bamboo railings that one can hold and use as support all through his journey. We also have a very nice guide that holds and assists us anytime we need.

The trek may take around 30 minutes and after a tiring descent, you’ll be rewarded by the majesty that awaits you. It rained the day before we went to Hulugan, making the waterfalls white in color, larger than usual and water drops powerful. Regardless of its color and not being in its best glory (as per guides and locals), I was just stunned and overwhelmed by the beauty right in front of me at that moment. It’s such a gem that doesn’t deserve displeasure.

We have to put all our belongings inside a big plastic bag (prepared by our guide) to keep our things dry. Due to the strong current of water, we were not allowed to go below or near the falls itself for our safety. You can take photos on the big rocks around the area but make sure to be careful since it can be too slippery. Make sure to bring as well waterproof phone cases so you could take good pictures without worrying about your phone getting showered. Enjoying being poured by water drops from the falls is a must experience! It’s like bathing one rainy day back on your childhood days.

Getting Back From Hulugan Falls:

You have to take the same route to get back above. It may be extra tiring as you’ll need additional strength during ascent. Still, be mindful of your steps because one missed step could make you slide. Upon reaching the top where “I Love Hulugan Falls” sign is located we took some time to rest and that’s when I noticed that I lost my gold ring given to me by my mom. Our tour guide was too kind and decided to went back to the trail to look for it but unluckily, he didn’t find it. (He even went back to the falls by the next day to look for my ring again but still didn’t find it).

We continue our ascent until the drop off and ride a tricycle going to a house where we can take a bath and change clothes (P20/ligo). After fixing our things, we ride another tricycle back to the main highway and waited for a jeep back to Sta. Cruz.

Additional Information To Know:

Aside from Hulugan Falls, you can visit the other two falls in Brgy. San Salvador namely Talay Falls and Hidden Falls. You’ll take around 1.5 hours of trek when visiting the three waterfalls.
Registration Fee is 40 Pesos only. During this pandemic, they don’t require any requirements but you have to fill out their registration log book with your passing temperature.
Standard guide fee is 500 PHP (mandated July 2020) for Hulugan Falls.
For a recommended tour guide, you can contact Kuya Jayson. Once you are sure, tell him your desired date to visit so he can reserve you under his name. Kuya Jayson’s phone number is 09094522936.

It’s such a refreshing activity anyone could try since we have been forced not to leave our home for the past months due to the pandemic. We’ll surely be back and will try to visit the other known “Aliw Falls” on the nearby barangay. Please follow health protocols and safe travel to everyone!

The post Luisiana, Laguna: Hulugan Falls Travel Guide appeared first on Meghy Was Here.

Bearseum: A Happy Place in Tagaytay

Meghy — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 08:57:23 +0000

Tagaytay would always a go-to place anytime you think of a little adventure after a whole week of your busy schedule. Aside from having a view of the beautiful Taal and eating on Tagaytay’s best bulalo houses, another attraction opened to add up on your next Tagaytay road trip. Bearseum Suites is a hotel and a museum that anyone can visit to reminisce one’s happy childhood memories. You can finish the museum for 15-20 minutes and load yourself with all kinds of teddy bears one could ever imagine. Located in 045 Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Rd., Tagaytay City this place should be definitely a must-try place whenever you are already on the area.

How to Go to Bearseum?

From Santa Rosa, Laguna

Make your way to Balibago, Complex and ride a jeepney bound to Tagaytay Market. Jeepney terminal is located beside Victory Mall and the fare would be around P40. Travel time is around 45 minutes and Bearseum Museum stands beside Loumar’s Cafe.

From Tagaytay City

Make your way to Tagaytay Market and ride a jeepney bound to Balibago, Santa Rosa. Just asked the driver to drop you off on Bearseum or Loumar’s Cafe. Alternatively, from Tagaytay Market you can simply charter a tricycle that will take you directly to Bearseum. Tricycle drivers might ask you to pay P20 each.

Going Around Bearseum:

Upon entering the compound, you have to register for an entrance fee. The entrance fee would be P190 during weekdays while it’s P240 during weekends, this includes the entrance to the museum, a string bag to put in your shoes and two tokens that you can use to play on their claw machine afterward.

Guests of different groups are not allowed to enter the museum at the same time so you really need to wait for your turn. You might wait in their receiving area or in their restaurant. For our case, we chose the latter and we got overwhelmed already of the decorations that welcomed us. Everything was beautifully designed!

Once your turn in the museum, footwears are no longer allowed and you need to put in your socks. The first room is the room of endless circles. It has a huge white-blue bear and the staff is more than happy to assist you in taking photos. They would even ask you what to pose.

Second corner of the room has these huge pink and brown teddy bears. The walls of it suggests the benefits of hugging.

Next corner would highlight a bathtub full of plastic balls and of course, teddy bears. And yes! Bathe yourself with love and happiness as they suggest.

Next room showcases a staircase to your happiness. It is a stairway full of Pandas on the sides. On top, a big teddy bear awaits you and I couldn’t agree with the sign that it holds “Your way to happiness is through your own self”.

Below the staircase, there is a bear inside a big box that you can take a picture with. Standing inside would make you look like a part of a gigantic toy. In front of the big box is a waiting area that is still undeniably instagrammable as well. You can took photos here while waiting to enter their last and biggest room in the museum.

The last room is probably the highlight of your visit here. It has many corners with different themes.

One corner would showcase a “Bear-y Happy” as a backdrop.

Another side is like a thrown for the king and queen teddy bears.

This side is like a wedding booth.

This corner has bicycles and beautiful frames as background.

My favorite part is this side that they made like a tree. The colorful trunk and branches stretches to the leaves made of cloth and colorful papers on the ceiling. Every corner is so beautiful, sweet and really radiates happiness to anyone.

After getting around the museum, you can now use your token for the claw machine or eat a sumptuous meal in their restaurant. They also have a souvenir shop that sells teddy bear memorabilias. Museum is open from 9:30 am-8:30 pm.

Bearseum Suite:

Since Bearseum is a hotel as well they offer themed-accommodations that one would surely love. Each of them, of course, showcases teddy bears. If you wish to check out their rooms and plans to reserve, you can check their official website and Facebook Page.

The post Bearseum: A Happy Place in Tagaytay appeared first on Meghy Was Here.

Torres Farm and Resort: Getting Around the World in Naic, Cavite

Meghy — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 18:41:10 +0000

If travelling the world is one of your wildest dream but money and time won’t allow you for now, visiting Torres Farm and Resort would pretty much give you “the same” excitement as they showcase replicas of the world’s famous landmarks. Torres Farm and Resort is a private resort in Brgy. Sabang in the town of Naic, Cavite and it’s just an hour or two away from Manila!

How to Go to Torres Farm and Resort:

From Manila

Ride a bus bound to Naic, Ternate or Maragondon (Cavite) and tell the driver to drop you off on Mcdo Naic. These bus terminals bound to Cavite are on Coastal Mall in Parañaque and in Pasay. Upon reaching Naic, look for a tricycle that will take you directly in the resort. Fare will be P30 each.

From Dasmariñas

From Pala-Pala, ride a jeepney bound to Tejero. Jeepney terminal is beside 7-Eleven Pala-Pala and fare is P32 each. Upon reaching Tejero, ride a bus or mini-bus bound to Naic. Fare will be P25 each. Drop off on Mcdo Naic and charter a tricycle going to the resort.

Getting Around the Resort:

Upon reaching Torres Farm and Resort, you have to pay a P180 entrance fee (picture taking only) and a bracelet will be provided as a ticket. From there, you can start your little journey around the globe.

Windmill of Amsterdam

Windmills are icons of the landscapes of Amsterdam.

Eiffel Tower of Paris, France

One of the world’s most famous structure in the most romantic city, Paris.

Moai Structures of Easter Island, Chile

Moai are human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island between 1250-1500.

Stonehenge of England

Prehistoric monument found in Wiltshire, England.

Arab Pool

One of my favorite spot on the resort. Who would not love to swim with an Arab Palace as the background?

Statue of Liberty of New York

Iconic structure in New York Harbor which is a figure of Roman liberty goddess.

Pyramid of Egypt

Egypt is known for their pyramids that were built as tombs for their ancient pharaohs.

Santorini, Greece

The building is inspired by Santorini’s Cycladic architecture. Known for their white-painted walls and blue dome.

Garden of Morning Calm of South Korea

A botanical garden located in the East of Seoul.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

A freestanding bell tower known for its nearly four-degree lean.

Merlion of Singapore

A symbol of Singapore with a body of a fish and a lion’s head.

Philippine Villa and Pool

Castle of Disneyland Hong Kong

Aya Sophia Temple of Istanbul, Turkey

This resort is perfect for family outings and barkada trips. Choose from their series of themed-pools and enjoy a dip on it. Check-ins, check-outs, and other hotel queries can be done on their tourism office which they set as an airport. It really looks like a boarding area on an airport with screens that flashes boarding gates!

The resort has their own food hub called “Garden Cafe” so food would not be a problem. It’s such a good place to eat as you can have a fresh air, a relaxing garden ambiance while eating a sumptuous meal.

Here are the current rates of the resort:

The resort is open from 8am-11pm everyday but make sure to check their page because there might be announcements regarding resort’s availability. For inquiries and reservations, you can directly message them as well on their Facebook Page. Here’s the link.

The post Torres Farm and Resort: Getting Around the World in Naic, Cavite appeared first on Meghy Was Here.

Fresno Agro Forestry and Eco Tourist Campsite: Journey to Mt. Kulis and Noah’s Ark

Meghy — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 15:40:27 +0000

The municipality of Tanay is probably the must-go destination now in terms of mountain hiking due to its accessibility from our country’s center, Manila. And one of its newest attraction is Fresno Agro Forestry and Eco Tourist Campsite or also known as Mt. Kulis or “Bahay ni Cardo” that made fame from Coco Martin’s TV series “Ang Probinsyano”. The campsite is the perfect venue to catch a beautiful Sea of Clouds that won’t require a radical hiking to reach the top. Yes, you read it right. It was an easy hike (pabebe hike as they say) that you can only reach Mt. Kulis peak by around 15 minutes from the registration office.

Getting to Know Fresno Agro Forestry and Eco Tourist:

The campsite is located in Sitio Maysawa Brgy. Cuyambay/Laiban, Tanay, Rizal just few meters away from the entrance gate of Treasure Mountain. The difference is that, Fresno is on a higher location which means a better chance of getting a nicer view. The place is new as well so there are lesser crowd here for you to enjoy the sight. One of its major attraction is the house built for the TV show “Ang Probinsyano” starring Mr. Coco Martin, the place was made as a shooting area for few months before it finally opened to the public.

Mt. Kulis, Sambong Peak and Noah’s Ark:

When we contacted the campsite through their official facebook page, we were given options where to pitch our tent for our overnight stay. First option is on Mt. Kulis where “Bahay ni Kardo” is located and where most of the campers spend the night. Second option is in Sambong Peak which is the peak next to Mt. Kulis or third option is on Noah’s Ark which is our main purpose of visiting. We heard and read about that as early as 5am there are already a long line of people wishing to ride the arc and take pictures on it. So we decided to take the third option so we could be the first in line to ride the arc and as recommended, this vantage point has the higher chance of seeing the Sea of Clouds.

According to our tour guide, we were the first group of campers to pitch our tents beside this distinct vantage point of Noah’s Ark! Take note that there is no proper camping area beside Noah’s Ark. We only pitch our tents on the man-made bamboo bridge that they made where the long queue of people stand while waiting for their turn to ride the arc. As per our tour guide, Kuya Lolong, the camp area on Noah’s Ark can only accommodate up to five tents.

Our Overnight Journey:

We supposedly start our trek at around 4pm but due to the heavy traffic and the heavy rain upon reaching Tanay, we started our trek at around 5:40pm. We first settled our bills and entrance fees on the registration office before starting our ascend. It’s almost dark and we were wearing raincoats as it is still raining when we reached Mt. Kulis and picked up the tent we rented. It’s already dark when we head to Sambong peak where we met another set of campers who were already set for the night on Sambong.

The trail after Sambong peak became a bit complicated as the trail is pitch black and we only have one headlight with us and the rest used their cellphones to see through the dark. And since there was a heavy rain on the afternoon, the trail is too muddy that you can’t even step your feet properly due to the heavy mud that piled up on our shoes and sandals. A lot of sliding into the muds happened that made our clothes and bags full of dirt.

After more than an hour, we reached the Noah’s Ark. No more rain, we assembled our camping tents and washed ourselves to had a dinner. After an hour or two, the Sea of Clouds started to show from our camping area and it’s one of the most beautiful overnight scene I’ve ever witnessed. Though it’s night, you can still see the Sea of Clouds as the moon shines so bright from above. I keep on getting out of our tent from time to time and we had the Sea of Clouds view all by ourselves on the middle of nowhere. I can’t still believe with the beauty that stays right in front of my eyes.

We slept for few hours and manage to wake up at 3am. As early as 4am we already saw a group of trekkers from afar making their way on the Noah’s Ark so we started to fix our tents and things so we could start the line and wait for the sunrise. In order to take a photo within the arc you needed someone to climb a rock formation in front of it. Good thing, we had Kuya Lolong to take a photo of us and he was a good photographer.

As we ride the arc, we saw from above the long queue of people waiting for their turn and its kinda awkward to pose with all eyes on you (lol). I can’t imagine ourselves waiting on that long line and it’s really such a good decision to spend the night in Noah. We started our trek down to take photos on both Sambong Peak and Mt. Kulis as we didn’t get a chance to get good photos the other night.

Upon reaching back Mt. Kulis and “Bahay ni Cardo”, there is a small store that offers “silog” dishes for P100/meal only. We tried their tapsilog and tocilog. Other attractions of the site that you can visit are the Lion Falls House, the Hanging Bridge and the newly open Spider web.

Rates and Charges:

Day trip– P150/pax (4:00am-3:00pm)

Overnight– P200/pax (4:00pm-1:00pm)

Tent Rental– P500 (Good for 2 persons)

P800 (Good for 4 persons)

P200/tent pitching (Bring your own tent)

Guide Fee– P500/5 pax (Day tour)

P1250/5 pax (Overnight)

Note: Mandatory guide if you go on Noah’s Ark and Lion Falls House

How to get there?

Via Cogeo

Ride a jeepney or van to Cogeo Gate 2. Jeepney fare is about P25 and van fare would be P35 each. Walk towards the end of the City Market to reach the jeepney terminal bound to Sampaloc. Tell the driver to drop you off in Maysawa Circuit and fare will be P48 each. Upon reaching Sitio Maysawa ride a tricycle that will take you to Fresno Agro Forestry and Eco Tourist. One tricycle ride would cost you P150 good for 4 pax.

Via Tanay

Ride a jeepney or van going to Tanay town proper. From Tanay Public Market, ride a jeepney that will take you directly to Sitio Maysawa. Upon reaching Maysawa charter a tricycle that will take you to Fresno.

Additional information:

Address: Sitio Maysawa Brgy. Cuyambay/Laiban, Tanay, Rizal

Contact number: 09465523659

Official website: Fresno Agro Forestry and Eco Tourist

Official Facebook page: Fresno Agro Forestry and Eco Tourist

I Was Here Baybayin Travel T-Shirts

The post Fresno Agro Forestry and Eco Tourist Campsite: Journey to Mt. Kulis and Noah’s Ark appeared first on Meghy Was Here.

Visiting The Ruins: The Taj Mahal of Negros

Meghy — Wed, 06 Nov 2019 03:19:15 +0000

Visiting Bacolod or Negros Occidental wouldn’t be complete without visiting the iconic structure called “The Ruins”. Being dubbed as the “Taj Mahal” of Negros, this beautiful structure is a result of the undying love of a rich sugar baron for his wife who died before giving birth to their 11th child. The Ruins is located in Talisay City just few minutes away from Bacolod City and unquestionably one of the must-see place when visiting the province.

Taj Mahal of Negros

Don Mariano Lacson was a sugar baron who came from a rich and known family in Negros. On one of his travels abroad he met this Portuguese lady named Maria Braga who eventually became his wife. They were given ten children and before giving birth to their 11th child, Maria had an accident that caused her death. Out of his lasting love and longing for his wife, Don Mariano decided to build a mansion located on his 440-hectare plantation. The mansion was built in 1920 and was considered as the “Taj Mahal” of the province of Negros.

Knowing The Ruins

It was 1920 when the mansion was built for Don Mariano and his children to live in. It’s made of cement and egg white as finishing. The walls and pillars are articulately designed making it undeniably a sight to see. The fully built mansion was burned in 1945 by the Filipino guerillas as they disagree to make the mansion as a military headquarters of the Japanese soldiers. They burned the grand abode for 3 days but due to the high-quality materials used for the structure it was not totally burned and its framework is still intact and still standing beautifully up until today.

The Ruins is now being managed by Don Mariano’s great grandson, Mr. Raymund Javellana. It is now open to the public since 2008.

Getting Around The Ruins

The ruins is open every day from 8am-8pm with an entrance fee of P100 for adults, P70 for PWD or senior citizens and P60 for students with valid IDs. Upon paying the entrance fee you have to walk a few meters to reach the hidden mansion and I can say that every corner of the ruins reminds you of its colorful and endearing past. The concrete framework stands gorgeously on a garden and blue skies as its background. I must say that it is best to visit it during the late afternoon so you can wait until it lights up through the dark night.

Playing around on its every corner and pillars will give you various photo ideas. Walking inside, though empty, will still make you feel walking in the past. There are also available local guides on the vicinity that will tell stories about the mansion’s interesting history. Their guides are naturally funny and can crack jokes anytime making your visit worthwhile.

Your visit wouldn’t be complete without taking a photo outside the ruins, standing on the garden and having the grand concrete framework as your background. Just be patient having a good picture as there might be a lot of extra people on your background.

The Ruins lodges as well a restaurant which is for me the highlight of our stay on the place. After a tiring hour of taking pictures, we decided to eat on their restaurant to kill time while waiting for the sun to set. While enjoying a meal, there is this local singer that sings live on your scene and his voice is one of the most romantic voices I’ve ever heard. Hearing a piece of sweet live music on an open air while staring at the lit up ruins is one of the most romantic and most chill nights you could ever spend.

More photos we took during our stay:

How to go to The Ruins?

From Bacolod City (Along Lacson St.), ride a Bata-Libertad signed jeepney. Fare will be P9.00 each. Asked the driver to drop you off on the tricycle terminal near Pepsi Cola plant. Upon reaching the terminal, charter a tricycle that will take you directly to The Ruins. Fare will be P50.00 per person.

The post Visiting The Ruins: The Taj Mahal of Negros appeared first on Meghy Was Here.

Mt. Talamitam: Day Hike On Its New Trail

Meghy — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 10:32:11 +0000

Most people probably heard and experienced the beauty ranges of Mt. Batulao but most people do not know as well the charm of its “younger sister”, Mt. Talamitam, has to offer. Mt. Talamitam is located on the other side of Mt. Batulao in Nasugbu, Batangas. The mountain got its name from the “Talamitam trees” that used to grow on its slopes but sad to say the tree no longer exists on the highland.

Though Mt. Talamitam does not have the mountain range landscapes as grand as those found in Mt. Batulao, it has a huge grassland next to the summit that will makes you feel stepping on the rolling hills of Batanes or New Zealand!

How to get there?

Manila to Mt. Talamitam

From Manila ride a Nasugbu bound bus (DLTB or BSC) and asked the driver to drop you off in Mt. Talamitam drop off point (that is before Sitio Bayabasan Basketball court). Then you have to charter a tricycle that will take you to the registration point in Brgy. Kayrilaw.

Laguna to Mt. Talamitam

If you will be coming from Laguna, you can ride a Nasugbu bound van from Balibago Complex (Fare is P150) and asked the driver to drop you off in Mt. Talamitam drop off point (that is before Sitio Bayabasan Basketball court). Then you have to charter a tricycle that will take you to the registration point in Brgy. Kayrilaw.

The Climb

Mt. Talamitam has now a new trail that passes through Brgy. Kayrilaw. After the bus drop off in Nasugbu hiway, you actually need to ride a tricycle going to the registration point in Brgy. Kayrilaw but we didn’t take the drivers advice. We decided to start our trek from the hiway and it took as an hour to reach the registration area. We already got tired of the 3 km walk before starting the real trek (haha!).

The old trail actually passes through Sitio Bayabasan in Brgy. Aga. According to the person in charge in registration point, one part of the old trail passes through a private property and the owner no longer allows any hiker to pass through the property. The registration is P50/person and tour guide is required to reach the summit. Tour guide fee is P500/group. We were 14 in the group and they required us to have 2 tour guides for this journey.

According to the locals, the new trail is actually longer but easier compared to the old trail. At first, you will pass through the forest like trail, the way is manageable until you reach the first jump off point where series of stores are situated selling variant of foods like hotdogs, barbeque, fishballs and even banana cake! As per the locals, horses are the their means of transporting goods to the mountain top. Imagine how strong their horses are?

After taking a rest on the first drop off, we walked through the woodland again. By this time the way is becoming steeper and challenging. There are moderate slopes and many trail disparities until you reach the wide grassland where the Talamitam peak lies. The scene is picturesque that it takes us time to capture its beauty. This part will give you a “Batanes feels” so you can get as many worthy pictures as you want. This part of the trail is an open green field without any trees or shade so the trek can be very exhausting due to the direct heat of the sun. There is another store on this point where you can quench your thirst with their cold drinks and where you can rest for a while before you can start your trek again on the last assault before reaching the summit. I already felt the exhaustion at this point of the trek that takes me time in reaching the peak. Since the last assault is really steep, I literally took a rest every minute before finally reaching its mesmeric summit.

At the peak, you can reward yourself with a Halo-Halo being sold by the only store on the peak. The view from the summit is mesmerizing making your trek a worthy one. The view is so dreamy and makes you feel happy and fulfilled that you did something you never thought you could. The green plateau and the summit for me is the most scenic view I had on the whole trail. We rest for a while and when we got enough photos and rest, we decided to start our descend at 4PM.

How long did it take?

As per the locals, the trek should only take 2 hours per way or a total of 4 hours but on our case it took us almost 8 hours to finish the whole trail. The trek time is acceptable since the walking from the hiway that started about 10:30 AM already consumed our time and energy which can be saved if we ride a tricycle. Since we are 14 in the group with few first timers, we took a lot of rest time and talk with the locals on both ascend and descend. We reached the registration point of Brgy, Kayrilaw at 6:30 PM and ate Batangas Lomi and Arrozcaldo near the Baranggay outpost.

What Realizations I Got?

I am not used to physical activities that requires strength and stamina or for short, I am not your sporty gal. When I am in grade school, my teacher would always let me stay beside or sit during our PE class since I have this allergy that comes out every time I sweat or stay under the heat of the sun (I already overcome that allergy now!). So each time I decided to go up to the mountains, I always tell myself that “I won’t be doing it again!”. I can easily judge myself based on my known capabilities without knowing that there’s still more of myself that I can give. But after all the struggles that I have every hike and telling myself that this won’t happen again, I always eat my words and do it again next time. Maybe it’s the irony of life like how we still decided to love even how many times we got hurt or how we still decided to forgive someone regardless how painful the mistakes they given us. Because at the end of the day, we need to focus on the beauty that we can get from love and forgiveness that we decided to give like how we focus on the beauty that awaits us in the mountain summit. I think we just need not to let our pain and struggles hinder us from getting the greatness we deserve and always remember that somewhere between the lowest ground and the mountain top is the journey that makes you believe that you CAN.

Have you ever been to Mt. Talamitam before? Share your experience below.

The post Mt. Talamitam: Day Hike On Its New Trail appeared first on Meghy Was Here.

Gingerbread House PH: A Must See Spot in Alfonso, Cavite

Meghy — Tue, 05 Mar 2019 08:04:13 +0000

Let’s get back on the pages of our bedtime storybooks and live through again our childhood fantasies by visiting Gingerbread House PH in Alfonso, Cavite. The place was conceptualized by the famous story of the siblings, Hansel and Gretel, who lost in the middle of the woods and found a gingerbread house full of sweet pastries without knowing it is owned by a witch.

It is a sweet oasis in the middle of Alfonso, Cavite every kid and kid at heart will surely delight in. Though it is located in Alfonso, Cavite it is just few minutes away from Tagaytay City so it is a perfect side trip on your Tagaytay itinerary.

How to get there?

From Tagaytay Olivarez, ride a Nasugbu-bound jeepney or bus and ask the driver to drop you off in Brgy. Upli (right beside the Shell gasoline station). Upon reaching Brgy. Upli, chartered a tricycle that will take you to Gingerbread house (fare will be P70 one way).

Getting Around Gingerbread House:

Upon reaching the entrance of Gingerbread house you have to pay a P50 entrance fee. The bakeshop in left front where fresh breads and pasalubongs were being sold serves as the main entrance as well.

After the main entrance you have to pass through a mini forest-like tunnel with hanging vines. At the end of the trail, you will be greeted by a wishing well where you can bid your wishes.

The main structure of the place which is the Gingerbread house itself charmingly stands at the middle of the area. It will make you a happy kid wanting to taste its sweetened façade. It has candy canes on the staircase, artificial snow at the entrance and sweet pasties design on the walls making the building like a gigantic cake ready to be eaten! The main Gingerbread house is actually a Christmas-themed restaurant that offers mouth-watering pastries such as muffins, cakes, brownies, milkshakes, gingerbread (of course!) and even serves all day breakfast.

Right beside the gingerbread house is a fish spa that you can try for P50 per 15 minutes.

They also have as well a Candy Village where a lot of gingerbread house miniatures and playhouses perfect for picture taking.

You can also buy a dream board where you can write down your dreams and tie it on their dream wall. It’s fascinating how many dream boards are tied up on their wall! It’s like a wall of thousand dreams waiting to be fulfilled.

The place also has a small man-made waterfall, open air bed, swings, souvenir shop and even offers s’mores making session.

Gingerbread House PH also has their own Gingerbread Hall where various activities can be done and have their own museum where a lot of gingerbread houses are being displayed.

Contact details

Address: Brgy. Palumlum, Alfonso, Cavite

Operating hours: 8:00 AM-6:00 PM

Facebook Page: Click here

The post Gingerbread House PH: A Must See Spot in Alfonso, Cavite appeared first on Meghy Was Here.