Malasimbo Festival: Another Great Reason to Visit Puerto Galera! Book at Agoda.com for the Best Rooms!

 By Frank Ruaya & Mae Ilagan on March 28, 2013

 with our new beach buddy

This weekend, the winds took us to yet another must visit place in the Philippines to re-discover its beauty! You see, you don’t really have to go so far from Manila if you wish to enjoy the beach!

It may seem as though Puerto Galera had lost its luster over the years due to the new destinations being promoted and developed  around the Philippines but to our surprise, we never thought we’d be at awe with what we experienced and guess what? Not only was it able to thrive but also, it has now established itself as a place for fine art and music with the increasing popularity of the annual Malasimbo Arts and Music Festival!

 

Join us once again for another thrilling trip!

 arriving at Sabang port

 This trip was more of a “spur of the moment” type for us. We have been quite spontaneous with most of our trips lately, but we always managed to get there with no hassles! Good thing we found a really great deal at Agoda.com! But next time… please do yourselves a favor and be sure to book early when planning to go to the Malasimbo Festival!

Anyway, great thing Agoda.com has a lot of  partner hotels from the most affordable to the most luxurious! Another great thing about booking at Agoda.com is that it’s soooooo easy to confirm your bookings and it offers the MOST AFFORDABLE rates!! Anyway, we were able to book ourselves at this nice and modest place called Swengland Beach Resort located at Sabang, Puerto Galera. If you’re looking for an affordable place to stay which offers nice clean rooms and good food, then you won’t go wrong with Swengland Beach Resort!

 Swengland Beach Resort

We were famished when we arrived, so first thing we did was to eat! We were surprised to see that they served Indian dishes!

 I got addicted to their papadoms!

 Chicken Madras

 Tenderloin Steak

The Malasimbo Festival which is annually held during the 1st of March is indeed a great reason to visit Puerto Galera!  

No matter where you are in the island, there will be available roundtrip jeepney services on specific places to take you at Mt. Malasimbo and back to where you’re staying. It costs around P300 roundtrip.

 The Malasimbo Festival is truly a much awaited music event in the country!

 During that night, we were able to witness the set of the legendary Reggae icon Jimmy Cliff!

I’ve been a fan of Jamaican music for a long time and seeing him finally in the flesh was a dream come true!

 This year’s Malasimbo was a hit! A feel good event with feel good music!

Imagine the effort each person made just to get there? Phenomenal!

that night was so enchanting…

 attended by people from all walks of life which share a common passion for the arts

 we enjoyed watching the trees as they swayed and danced along with the crowd

 

 the best view? on top of a jeepney! thanks to Frank!

 

 it was great to see old peeps from the music scene

It was a night to remember! I can’t wait to be there next year!

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P 9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09164422611/09173373687.

Camayan Beach Resort: Fun-filled activities to fill your vacation

 By Cholo Isungga on March 29, 2013

When In Manila and seeking a vacation packed with tons of activities to fill your summer? Let Camayan Beach Resort sun-kiss your skin and keep you smiling under the summer sky!

 Cute Camayan logo on the mosaic floor!

Camayan Beach Resort: Touring the Grounds

Just recently, I and some other When In Manila blogger friends were invited to come over toCamayan Beach Resort. To be honest, I have heard of the resort’s name from radio commercials quite a few times… Although my thoughts of Camayan Beach Resort was: “It’s just a simple resort that catered a pool on some extra amenities…”, I was still curious on how the resort really looks like. And so after our stay-cation there, I realized, I WAS DEAD WRONG.

Camayan Beach Resort in Panoramic View

We set-off heading to the resort at around 11am and arrived roughly around 1pm with some stop-overs. Upon arriving, I already set sight on the beach and was surprised to see so many equipment for rent, I was then sure that this quick vacation was going to be fun and exciting!

 Camayan Beach Resort’s Beach Front

We were welcomed by Mrs. KC Simpson and escorted at the resort’s reception area. While waiting for our rooms to be ready, we didn’t waste any time and started touring the Camayan Beach Resort grounds.

Welcome to Camayan Beach Resort!

We first headed around the restaurant that was by the beach side–The Reef. Some activities like the billiards table, the karaoke room and function rooms were virtually beside the restaurant, which I guess really ignited activities at night in this area. 

 Camayan Beach Resort’s The Reef

Karaoke Room: Well, I wanted to do some karaoke, but… maybe next time!

Camayan Beach Resort: Function Room

Camayan Beach Resort houses 44 Superior Rooms, 38 Deluxe Rooms and 3 Spacious Suites. Breaching the rooms, I was astonished at how well-furnished each room was. I’ve been to a number of well known and expensive beach resorts, and I can say that Camayan Beach Resort might just be the most ”bang for the buck” resort in the aspect of the rooms. Definitely well worth it!

Camayan Beach Resort Superior Rooms

Both Superior and Deluxe rooms had well ambient lighting that matched that wood/mustard reflection of the colors. The ceiling had good height and have wood weaving designs that gave the room a much bigger feel. I loved the rear balcony type doors and semi-outdoor lounge of each Deluxe Room. 

 Camayan Beach Resort Superior Room

 When In Manila, Welcome to our Deluxe room! 

 Our lovely balcony

I swear, even if I just stayed inside our room, I would definitely have proper relaxation to fulfill my vacation. Camayan Beach Resort also has their in-house SPA that can do room services with prior reservations. Or you can go to their SPA room and have yourself pampered there!

 Camayan Beach Resort SPA Room

I would really love to have myself pampered; but then, the beach was already calling out our names.

Touring the Camayan Beach Resort grounds, I really didn’t expect the place to be so clean and so relaxing. It has this aura that is very welcoming and very “cool & calm”. The resort really felt like how a “true” resort should feel, retaining its youthful sight and relaxing aura.

Camayan Beach Resort grounds 

 Balcony of the Deluxe Rooms facing the beach

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P 9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09164422611/09173373687.

Cebu 101: Where to Stay, What to Eat and What to Do When In Cebu!

 By Frank Ruaya & Mae Ilagan on March 12, 2013

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And so the adventures of Frank and Mae continue on and for this week,   they’ve decided to crossover Luzon island and fly directly to the Queen City of the south to discover  and experience its magnificence and to give you all a heads up on the things you never should miss when going to Cebu! 

There is no doubt that it’s truly more fun in the Philippines with all the various sites, sounds and experiences all readily there for everyone to adore!

Experience a luxurious and comfortable life + affordable rates and plans. Click here.

Choosing a place to stay is indeed very vital in any vacation of course! Keep in mind that these occasions serve as your reward to yourselves so before booking a hotel or a resort, it pays to do much research to get your money’s worth. For us, a place must have a good location, great amenities, fantastic food and one-of-a-kind service.. basically, a place which can remind you how great life is! Yeah, that’s how we epicureans think!

Ok time to start the journey again and take you to majestic Cebu with our photos!!  

Like most Filipinos, we also enjoy  booking flights whenever Cebu Pacific  sell very affordable fares! Cebu Pacific  made it sooo possible for locals to fly and see the country! Before, flying was considered as a luxury and only for a few who can afford it, but now Cebu Pacific fares are sometimes even more affordable than land travel!  Flying via Cebu Pacific is very easy and safe and no matter how other airlines would also offer affordable rates, we still go for a tried and tested name like Cebu Pacific!

The flight from Manila to Cebu lasted for about an hour via Cebu Pacific. We arrived at the Mactan Int’l Airport around noon and we were just in time for our check-in at our preferred resort for this trip - Crimson Mactan! 

 Crimson Mactan: Our home in Cebu  

Crimson Mactan is definitely one of those places which provide you with a glimpse of paradise! Yeah, the sites were breathtaking with awesome amenities and service! Everything looked so perfect, calm and serene! 

 hello paradise!

I’m so glad we made the decision to stay at Crimson Mactan!

We noticed that majority of visitors were foreigners. I couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholy… I wish more Filipinos would get to experience this paradise as well!  Perfect for romantic getaways, family outings and honeymoons!

 

 and now, we go to our villa!  Our villa was super cute! Looked more like a small home loaded with all the stuff you need!

 It felt like playing “Bahay-bahayan” the entire weekend!

 Here at Crimson Mactan, guests are given VIP treatment and much pampering! 

 Our villa was just perfect! From the design down to the intricate artsy details! Bravo!

cool ey?

It’s one of those places which make you feel so at home! We sooo love everything about it and we can only say great things about Crimson Mactan!

Our villa even had its own mini pool/Jacuzzi inside! It was such a delight to see Frank already taking a dip when I woke up 

 from all the places we’ve been to, Crimson Mactan had the most elegant and spacious bathroom with all the luxurious amenities you can ever think of!

it even had its own lcd tv! 

The Food:

Oh! Their buffets were all satisfying! I remember spending a lot of hours devouring on their dishes! We loved their desserts station so much! Their cakes were so delectable! We also loved their healthy smoothies!  The restaurant staff were also very warm and attended to our every need!

 they got a really nice selection of dishes at their buffet! Frank and I had such memorable meals during our stay!

Frank and I always look forward to breakfasts and we sure had wonderful ones during our stay at Crimson Mactan!

I even remember having breakfast for almost 4 hours!!  When you’re at Crimson Mactan, you wouldn’t wanna go out anymore.. SERIOUSLY!!

expect glorious meals at Crimson Mactan 

Crimson Mactan was just soooo perfect that we didn’t want to leave the whole weekend! But of course, it would be a shame not to experience the majesty of the Queen City of the South so Frank and I made and effort to search for MUST EXPERIENCE things when in Cebu!

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P 9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09164422611/09173373687.