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thetravelure · 3 years

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Beach during a Pandemic? Yes, please!

If I could count the number of months I had to stay at home during the past 2 years, I would say it would total to 24 months! LOL.

You see, a year prior the pandemic, I got pregnant with our first baby and up until February of this year, there were no travel plans of any sort at all.

This year though, we couldn't let the opportunity pass us by. Our baby daughter has spent 17 months of her life indoors and it was not a healthy way for her to grow up as she takes in everything that surrounds her. We thought bringing her outside and exposing her to what the natural world looks like would boost her developing skills.

And so we did.

We wanted to experience the cool weather of Tagaytay before enjoying the view at a nearby beach + pool accommodation on our final stop. If you are thinking of the same, plus this itinerary gives you ample time to relax and breaks in between driving, here’s our itinerary:

Overnight at a Bahay Kubo in Alfonso, Cavite

Overnight at a beach house in Balayan, Batangas

My go-to accommodation platform:

AirBnB

You may also try:

Agoda

Booking.com

Be sure you have it downloaded in your mobile and that you are a registered user of all three mentioned above.

Booking the accommodation in advance (a month at least), helps lessen the expenses during the actual trip. What we only did spend on was for food, save for the fuel and toll gate fees (if applicable).

Tip: Consider buying from the nearby market especially the perishables. If there is none, opt to buy them from your local supermarket the day before the trip and pack them in containers tightly shut and store them in the fridge overnight. If you have an ice chest, better bring it as well for long drives.

As for snacks, you can buy them easily from the grocery store. The same goes with your toiletries. That way, you only spend for the essential ones when you get to your destination.

Speaking of essential ones, I also brought with us what the baby will use for the next three days. Such as her nappies and a container of distilled water. The rest, are her usual stuff that she consumes and uses at home. We brought everything including her blankets, pillows and her own inflatable pool!

So, for 6 adults and 1 infant, our expenses (in estimate) for a 3D2N trip are as follows:

Accommodation: PHP 15,000

Food: PHP 3,000

Groceries: PHP 1,000

Other expenses: Toll gate fees + other necessities you may need during the trip.

If you were to follow this itinerary, you would have spent approximately PHP 3,167.00 for a 3D2N out-of-town break. Do you think this is worth a try? Let me know.

#short drive trips #metro manila #batangas #tagaytay #beach near manila #weekend trips #out of town #philippines #philippine beach #thrifty manila trips

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thetravelure · 4 years

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I created a video recently. After yeeeears of it sitting in my phone memory, I finally had the time and focus to edit the clips and create something memorable out of one of the trips I made back home. This ECQ actually has reminded me to do what I love doing which are video creation, taking notes of my thoughts, taking photos and practicing hand lettering.

No actual traveling for me since the wee baby came but hopefully, I’d get to fund those old travel videos and make more of these. 🙃

#philippines #travel #travelvideo #iloilo #videoediting #bestfriends #iloilobeaches #iloilomansions #lapazbatchoy #madgecafe #tsokolatedebatirol #pawikan #guimaras #taklongisland #gigantesisland

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thetravelure · 5 years

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Pioneer Street Market

I’ve lived in the Tiger City ever since I moved in the Metro in 2011. Minus the year and a half I had to move to Makati to be nearer to a new job, I’ve been a Mandaluyong resident for nearly 8 years!

Recently, we moved to Pioneer Street and that’s when I have started to explore nearby banks, grocery stores, restaurants and by chance, discovered this street market called Pioneer Street Market. It was easy to locate since it is already situated across TV 5 along Reliance and Sheridan Streets. And so, the husband and myself walked towards the location.

Pioneer Street Market

Since it is Labor Day on a hump day, the place wasn’t packed at all. At the entrance you’ll be greeted by a bar with loads of foreign and local beer selection to your heart’s content.

As you enter the building, you’ll notice the variety of food options you could try. There’s Japanese cuisine, an all fruit stand, an all rice bowl kiosk, a coffee restaurant at the second floor and further down at the center are the tables.

There were more kiosks inside - those that serve Italian cuisine, Greek, native Ilonggo food, and more but what really got our hunger pangs was this quaint Indonesian kiosk, Bakmi Nyonya.

We initially thought it wouldnt cost us as much, but it probably was because we were already expecting to pay for less. Still, the price range wasnt too bad, because if we were to pit their price against a restaurant that serves the same quality and taste, bet your a** that the latter is guaranteed more expensive!

For a price of about 800 pesos, the husband I got the following:

Nasi Goreng;

Bakmi Goreng;

Chicken Satay;

Mango Smoothie by Thirsty Turtle;

Honeydue Lemonade by Thirsty Turtle;

and,

1 bottle of Corona beer purchased from the bar at the entrance!

The highlight for me was Bakmi as it had the texture of a freshly-made pasta plus the unique taste of only an Indonesian goreng could give.

9 out of 10. And we’re definitely coming back!

#mandaluyong #pioneer street #street market #food market #metro manila #indonesian food #nasi goreng #bakmi goreng #satay

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thetravelure · 8 years

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The Baler, Aurora Experience

March 2016. Queue “The Nights” by Avicii

It’s summer and the first official getaway I’ve had since my Dad passed away last year. It hasn’t been a year but I’m holding onto the message of the song that always bring me to tears when I listen to it.

Who knew this Baler trip was going to be a memorable one?

Exactly.

Nobody!

So, together with the BF and BFF, we ventured up north past the plains of Tarlac and Nueva Ecija and through the mountains of Aurora towards the town facing the Pacific Ocean in the island of Luzon that has once been called the surfing capital of the Philippines - Baler, Aurora. It was a pleasant Saturday morning when we stepped foot, for the first time, on Aurora soil.

As expected, only a decent number of tourists were in town just because it was two weeks shy from Holy Week. For those who are not accustomed to the Holy Week celebration in the Philippines, think of it as the Black Friday in the US. People flock to the popular places, only this time, they don’t line up for discounted gadgets and thingymajigs, they flock to chill or party in the summer destination of their choice. This means, most people have already planned their long weekend break set for the Holy Week. Hooray for us because it’s an advantage to travel ahead of a national holiday. If you commute on the exact date of long weekends and Philippine Holidays, expect to experience severe headache or probably a few more episodes after the major one because of the swarm of people!

Our travel itinerary was composed mostly of chill, surf, eat, sleep and swim. It doesn’t have to be in that order but, you get the gist. We were following a 4D3N schedule and in my opinion, that should be the standard schedule when one is after an ultimate “tunganga” (chill) getaway. Factor in the travel time and schedule setbacks (which happens most of the time during travels), this length of time should be just right.

So, where am I leading with this? Ah, yes! The ever elusive Baler trip that finally, I was able to enjoy.

I’ll be posting several articles about this trip as it would take a long article if I did include the Baler experience in one go. So, here are the following topics you might be interested to read about as soon as its ready:

Bahay Kubo Accommodation in Baler

Surfing with the Locals

Trek to the Mother Falls

Experience Diguisit Beach

Baler Takeaways for First Time Visitors

#baler #philippines #summerph #summervacation #longweekend #getaway #travelph #travel #auroraprovince #surfing #philippinedestination

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thetravelure · 9 years

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A Beautiful Day Out

For anyone who’s curious, this photo is taken from the only amusement park attraction in Tagaytay, Cavite. The place is called Sky Ranch Tagaytay and it’s pretty much an amusement park on it’s own, scaled down to a smaller size, overlooking the iconic Taal Volcano.

It houses a decent number of rides for kids and adults plus there is horseback riding for the laid back and zipline for a more intense adrenaline rush.

I never did get on any ride, probably because it wasn’t really in my agenda to try any at the time. Maybe, when I get the chance to go back.

#tagaytay #sky ranch #friends #cold weather #rides #colors #philippines #thetravelure #travel #philippineweekend #january #philippinedestination

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thetravelure · 10 years

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We love pastel skies!

#sky #pastel #day

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thetravelure · 11 years

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Red Tree.

I was reaching for something but I couldn't seem to reach it. This is one of the prettiest trees that we've seen in Rotorua. They bloom beautifully during Autumn.

#rotorua #autumn #action shots #travel #new zealand

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thetravelure · 11 years

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