Longing for The Outdoors

It's been 4 months since I last went out to work in the office or to eat at a restaurant with friends. Many of us are longing to spend time outdoors again. Travel is not an option at the moment and meeting up with friends is not viable either. 

Nostalgic View

Virtual meetings are a blessing but there is something missing in these meetings since participants are unable to actually interact physically. As that is not possible now, all we can do is reminisce memories of scenes outside that we usually take for granted. 

An Afternoon with Flowers at The Sunflower Maze, Pangasinan

Following our stopover at the Our Lady of Manaoag Church, we headed to The Sunflower Maze located at Brgy. C. Lichauco, Tayug, Pangasinan. This is quite a long way from the beach where we came from so that's why we went to the church first.

One of the most picturesque spot in the whole maze.

Even though it was a cloudy afternoon, there was still enough sunlight to take great pictures with the flowers in the maze. I actually didn't explore the whole maze as we just went to and fro hunting for good spots to take pictures. (Of course, more pictures after the jump.)

Appreciating Nature and Visiting Our Lady of Manaoag Church

After an overnight beach escapade, it was time to head back home. This time, we were able to better appreciate the natural scenery unfolding before us as we traversed the dusty path back to the city.

A piece of the beach reminds us of our previous day's adventures.

So what scenic spots did we see along the way? We took pictures to remember them although these are not enough to show how vast and pretty they are in real life.

Theme Parks in the Philippines: Tree Top Adventure Baguio

There are so many destinations in Baguio such as Mines View, Strawberry Fields, Ben Cab Museum to name a few but there's only one theme park inside the popular Camp John Hay and that's Tree Top Adventure which is just walking distance from Manor Hotel and Le Monet Hotel and just 10 minutes away from Azalea Residences.

Tree Top Adventure Nature Park
Source: Tree Top Adventure Facebook page

Tree Top Adventure is the only theme park in the Philippines with motorized activities plus different kinds of Zip line adventure in the heart of nature; Superman, Canopy, Tree Drop, Silver Surfer, Free Fall, Funicular, Trekking, Skywalk and many more to be added.

Exploring the "Death Pool" at Cabongaoan, Burgos, Pangasinan

Aside from enjoying all that the beach had to offer at Amayaj Bora Beach Resort, we were also open to exploring other places along the shore. We were told that there was a very deep part of the ocean near the shore that was named the "Death Pool". The grim name gave us doubts if we should go but we wanted adventure so we decided to visit the spot.

Sunset was the start of another adventure for us.

We had noticed that there were boats coming and going from the shore so we asked one of them if they knew about the place. We learned that they had been taking people to and from the spot. So for a fee of Php50 each, we made a deal with one of the boat owners. It was supposed to be better to go there at around 5pm when there were fewer visitors. So we enjoyed the beach as much as we could as we waited for the boat to get us.

Fun Under the Sun at Amayaj Bora Beach Resort, Cabongaoan, Burgos, Pangasinan

Our summer would not be complete without a beach adventure so we looked for a new destination to explore. This time around, Kala and Karin found a beach spot in Pangasinan. We also found Amayaj Bora Beach Resort which had great reviews from those who have tried their amenities already.

Posing at the signage in front of the beach.

We just wanted a decent place which provided the basic amenities for comfort and convenience. So we booked our stay and were on our way to see if the long travel time was worth it. Our travel started very early in the morning and we were treated to some awesome views along the way. Upon arriving in Burgos, Pangasinan, a different kind of landscape greeted us as well.

Kala and Karin Soak in The Sunshine on A Roadtrip

Kala and Karin have been on many road trips; some short, some quite long and even boring. Through all these trips, we have learned that the journey itself has its own rewards and attractions. 

Is that a meteorite speeding across the sky? Is that a volcano erupting in the distance?

On this particular journey, our destination was quite far away and so we needed to start our trip very early in the morning, at 3AM. This meant that we were sleepy or asleep as soon as we got on the van. A few hours later, we were witness to the spectacle of the sunrise. It happens every day but we seldom appreciate its beauty. Since we had the scene unfolding right before our eyes, we could not help but click away.

More Than the Beach at Laiya White Cove Beach Resort, Batangas - Day 2

The second day of our early summer vacation, we woke up later than usual and took our time going around the resort in the morning. It was fairly quiet and if you sat on one of the wooden benches just listening to the sounds of the waves; it was easy to feel drowsy and fall asleep again.

View of the covered area near the beach.

Cool breeze, quiet atmosphere and beautiful surroundings definitely made me want to just doze off again as the sound of the waves lapping the shore was a calming lullaby. But it was time to wake up the rest of the gang for some breakfast.

Early Beach Escapade at Laiya White Cove Beach Resort, Batangas - Day 1

Kala and Karin planned an early summer trip for some friends who wanted to enjoy a weekend at the beach. We looked around for an ideal location close to Manila so an overnight stay would be convenient and we chanced upon Laiya White Cove Beach Resort in Batangas.

Sand, sea, sky and mountain surround the resort.

Going to a beach before the summer season starts was a good idea because we had the whole beach to ourselves. It also gave us the opportunity to appreciate the facilities even more because the place was not crowded. Check out our little escapade with lots of pictures of course!

Exploring Mines View Park at Baguio with Kala and Karin

The day after visiting The Strawberry Farm, we were off to an early start to visit Mine's View Park. It had been rainy the day before so we were hoping that the fog would lift up so we could see a clear view and take good pictures. Fortunately, there was only a slight drizzle when we traveled from the hotel.

Our friends Ms. Jane and Mr. Sing posing at the Mine's View Park entrance.

We got there before 8AM and we thought that we would have to wait until after 8AM to get inside the park but we were told that we could already go inside. This made us quite happy as we could explore the place without any other visitors around.

Kapurpurawan Rock Formation with Kala and Karin

Next on our itinerary after the Bangui Windmills visit is the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation. There are many pictures of this famous rock formation but we learned that there was more to it than the single rock you often see in pictures.

The famous rock formation of Kapurpurawan in Ilocos Norte.

Luckily, the slight drizzle had stopped and the sun shone through the clouds. It was the perfect weather to explore our next destination and to take pictures, lots of pictures.

A Summer Escapade at Calaguas Island, Camarines Norte

In my childhood days, summer was not complete without a family outing to the beach. As a grown-up, work has been the focus of many of my activities. However, I still crave for the sand, sun and waves come summer time. It is hard to get away from the city to schedule some downtime but me and a friend were able to realise our plan for a summer escapade.

Picture-perfect beach, taken from the shade.

We have always wanted to explore hidden gems in our islands and what better opportunity to visit one of them than this summer? So off we went planning and finally exploring Calaguas Island in Camarines Norte. Heads up! Another photo journal coming up.

Experience Fun and Adventure in the Heart of Nature at Camp N, Nuvali

If you're looking for some outdoor fun not far away from Manila, why not explore the newest outdoor adventure hub in Laguna?

Entrance to the Camp N facility.

Camp N in Nuvali offers fun and adventure experiences that everyone can enjoy. Whether you're going solo or with a bunch of friends or with your family, Camp N is the perfect place to discover yourself and log in a lot of bonding moments.

Morning Climb at Kamay ni Hesus Shrine, Lucban, Quezon

We spent Valentine's Day admiring the awesomeness of Hulugan Falls, the Caliraya sunset and the scenic spots along the way. The next day, we carried our aching limbs to Lucban, Quezon to visit the Kamay ni Hesus Shrine.

The name of the place in large letters.

At first, my friend Sarah and I didn't want to climb anymore because we felt too weak and achy to climb after our adventure at the falls. Our friends were eager to go though, so we let them go ahead while we looked around to soak in the cool air and the scenery.

Sunset at Caliraya and Other Wonderful Sights at Cavinti, Laguna

It's officially summer! While this memory I'm sharing is still from the month of hearts, I still want to have this story told (or shown as might be the case) just because it provided me a much-needed respite from the city bustle and gave me the chance to appreciate the beauty of nature once more.

Caliraya Lake

Heads up to those of you who may have started to read this post. There's not much going on in this story since we mostly spent it snapping away at all the beautiful places we were passing by. So if some of these pictures look blurry, I apologize. They were taken in a fast-moving car, with a digital camera but mostly with a camera phone. I still think we managed to get decent pictures, so you may enjoy the rest of this photo album if you still want to see more.

Falling in Love with Hulugan Falls, Luisiana, Laguna

The month of hearts has gone by and while I didn't fall in love with someone, I did fall in love with a place which still makes me smile even now whenever I recall it.

Early morning trek to Hulugan Falls with the foggy mountain peak greeting us.

We were invited by some friends to spend our Valentine weekend away from the city. We readily said yes and opted to sweat for health so we could experience some of nature's wonders which took our breath away in at least a couple of ways.

Getting Up Close with Mt. Mayon in Legazpi, Albay

On a summer getaway with friends a year ago, we went island hopping in Caramoan for 3 days and from there we had a stopover for lunch in Naga and then headed straight to Legazpi, Albay to explore the city.

One of our celebratory jumpshots after reaching our destination.

Our first goal upon reaching Legazpi was to book ourselves a schedule for an ATV ride to see Mt. Mayon up close. Unfortunately, the trek to the side of the mountain would take more time than we had so we opted for the shorter trek.