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.)

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!

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.

Vegetarian Find: Green Earth Health Food at Lucban, Quezon

One dilemma that I always have when travelling is whether I will find a place that offers vegetarian/vegan food options. It has always been difficult to do so in most of the destinations I have been to but on our trip to Kamay ni Hesus in Lucban, Laguna, there was one such place that allowed me to eat the healthy food I was craving.

Vegetarian/Vegan Food Options in Kamay ni Hesus, Lucban, Quezon

I was feeling rather achy, cold and weak that morning but seeing the words Green Earth on a sign among the food stalls almost made me jump for joy! I was excited to see what foodie treats they offered.

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.

Spirited Away to Subic

A road trip had always been on my bucket list. I had the impression that it would be fun and thrilling but also quite scary as the perfectionist in me keeps reminding me that it is not good to be unprepared.

Very happy to welcome the chance to beat the summer heat.

Luckily, I had friends who do think of road trips as fun and so took me on a road trip that was memorable for so many reasons; mostly good and some, maybe bad. :-)

A Mini-Tour of Legazpi, Albay

After basking in the beauty of Mt. Mayon, next on our list was a tour of the city. We rented a car with the driver and headed off to explore as much as we can of the city in the little time we had.

View of Mayon from the Cagsawa Ruins, Daraga, Albay.

Our first destination--Cagsawa Ruins, Daraga, Albay. There were many tourists when we arrived and it was hard to take pictures of the place without any people but I was finally able to take this picture of Mt. Mayon when people started going back to their cars for lunch.

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.

St. Michael Archangel Church and Naga CWC - Day 3

It was our 3rd and last day in Caramoan and I had wanted to walk along the beach and watch the sunset rise. Unfortunately, I woke up later than my companions so I was only able to take a quick snapshot before sunlight flooded everything brightly.

Early morning by the beach.

Our last stop before saying goodbye to Caramoan was an old church on the town of Tawog where we stayed. We got there via tricycle early in the morning before heading to the pier to board the motorboat to Sabang Port.

Sun, Sea and Sand in Caramoan - Day 2

More island-hopping adventure awaited us as well as more sights of ocean waters, blue sky and fluffly clouds.

On our way to the next island.

We we're still exhausted from our activities from the previous day but our excitement gave us the energy to wake up early, get our breakfast and discover more islands.

Sun, Sea and Sand in Caramoan - Day 1

A beach getaway is always a welcome idea to detox from the stress of city life. So when a friend vouched the idea of a vacation that involved just that, I was eager to go.

We finally arrived at the port in Caramoan.
Raymund, Dia, me, Chelle

But this was not just another beach getaway as we soon found out. We saw lots of beaches and experienced much, much more.

Travel Memories and Inspirations for Future Destinations

I love traveling! Most of my travels are with friends and locally. I would love to travel solo one of these days and see how that feels.

I love traveling because I get to meet new people, experience local culture, local food (even if it sometimes leads me astray from eating healthy), and of course, fun and unique memories. A side benefit is you get to bond with your friends and companions.

Lunch in the Middle of the Sea at Manlawi Sandbar, Caramoan

I had recently gone on a summer escapade with some friends to escape the summer heat and the general stress of our daily lives to have some fun, experience new things and hopefully, come back refreshed and energized to face our daily responsibilities.

Our first destination was Caramoan, the island-hopping paradise where we were sure to get lots of sea and sun and sky. Of course, we brought along lots of sunblock because we had no desire to end up looking like toast in the middle of this paradise. (We ended up darker than we anticipated anyway but no regrets!)