GLOBAL CLOSET
DON’T RAIN ON MY PARADE
Don’t let the rainy weather bring you down. Here’s all you need for a rain-proof, splash-free day!
by Rj Roque
Your travel essentials are best kept in this printed shoulder bag, P4650,
Harajuku lovers
Protect yourself from spills and splashes by donning this blue hooded jacket, price available upon request,
www.yesstyle.com
Make a statement with Echo Design’s clear orange umbrella, P2450, Echo Design
This water repellent sling bag is a must-have this rainy season, P1000, Sacked
Add a splash of color to overcast skies with this striped blue and red umbrella, P1950, ECHO DESIGN
Travel light with Converse’s bright pink backpack, price available upon request, Converse
Purple ankle boots from Melissa will keep your feet dry and warm, P2995, Melissa
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STEAL AWAY
One of the best five-star hotels in Southern Metro Manila, The Bellevue Hotel is urban bliss for frazzled city dwellers
by jing lejano
I am only a few minutes away from home, but I might as well be in some kind of paradise. I am lounging at the pool area of The Bellevue Hotel. True, there is a bit of a drizzle, but I refuse to let a little shower rain on my parade. Having been on stress mode for weeks, I wanted some peace and quiet. And now, here I am: 24 hours with nothing to do except hang out in one of the five-star hotels in Southern Metro Manila.
A resident of the South, I am well acquainted with The Bellevue. Before it opened its doors in 2003, we had to go all the way to Makati to enjoy luxury accommodations. That the Bellevue Group has flourished through the years—they’ve added a new wing and put up B Hotel at Madrigal Business Park—comes as no surprise. The Bellevue staff understands the meaning of good customer service. The buffet at Café d Asie always comes up with a good selection of tasty dishes. Its Chinese restaurant Phoenix Court is fast becoming a favorite. And of course, its Grand Ballroom is the must-book destination for people celebrating special occasions.
Bed and Spa
Ah, the bed! The great thing about staying in hotels is that the sheets are always fresh and the pillows always fluffy. But sleep would have to wait. My bones weary from stress, I head off to Mandarine Spa. The spa had only opened last February and felt luxuriantly new.
Ushered into a room with a steam shower and a massive tub, I was giddy with delight. Claire, my therapist, asked me to place my feet on a tub of lukewarm water while she gave me a back massage. Afterwards, I lay down the massage bed and Claire started kneading every aching muscle of my body. It was heaven!
Drink and Dance
Fresh and recharged, I was ready for a night at Vue Bar. Letting loose is easy at the Vue with its panoramic view of Alabang, its swinging dance floor, and its stable of bands. That night, Mulatto was on stage. I can still recall when Mulatto first broke out in the music scene years ago. Seeing them again was a real treat. If the eighties is your thing, then drop by on a Friday when Juan Miguel Salvador takes the stage with his Authority Band.
Dine and Dream
Over pasta and tempura at Café d Asie, Jehn Domingo, Bellevue Assistant Manager for Marketing and Communications, reveals that the Bellevue Group is opening a luxury resort in Bohol next year. They hope to bring the same Bellevue experience that residents and professionals from Alabang, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, and Quezon enjoy to tourists in Bohol. Located in Doljo, Panglao, Bellevue Bohol will have a 200-meter beachfront, two swimming pools, a spa village, 200 rooms, and beachfront villas.
If a day at Bellevue Bohol is anything like the day I spent at The Bellevue Manila, with the added attraction of being in a beach paradise, then I’d definitely be one of the first people to steal away to Panglao.
TURISTA GUIDE
From Makati, it’s a 15-minute drive via Skyway. Exit at South Station, and turn right to North Gate. The Bellevue is on North Bridgeway.
This August, Phoenix Court goes Szechuan with such dishes as Roasted Chicken, Szechuan Garlic, Steamed Bean Curd with Scallops, and Braised Assorted Seafood with Hot Sauce.
Until September 30, 2011, stay two nights at a Bellevue Deluxe Room for only P9,000 net or at a Tower Deluxe Room for only P11,000 net. At B Hotel, stay two nights at a Standard Room for P6,000 net or at a Penthouse Suite for P9,000 net.
Mandarine Spa specializes in massages with reflexology. Try their signature Foot Reflex, which lasts for 1 hour and 10 minutes or the Fusion Massage 2, which lasts for two hours and 10 minutes. Spa parties may be arranged.
Celebrate your birthday with three of your friends on your birth month at Café d Asie and get your buffet for free!
The Bellevue Manila
North Bridgeway, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang,
Muntinlupa City
+63 2 771-8181
www.thebellevue.com
B Hotel
2107 Prime Street, Madrigal Business Park, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
+63 2 828-8181
www.thebhotel.com
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Stubbornly Unspoiled
Between such popular beach escapes as Batangas and Puerto Galera is a charmer of an isle happily trapped in its own space and time by isabel roces | photos by iroc images
In Lubang Island, Southwest of Manila, just off the Northwestern tip of Mindoro, there are no five-star hotels and no coffee-house franchises. There are no noisy parties and no crowds to avoid. On some days, in fact, you might find yourself the only soul walking along its coastline.
Constantly, you are greeted by an island so unfettered by development that it isn’t farfetched to believe that you are seeing exactly what its first settlers must have perceived. There are tracks of unexplored beach coasts, lush forests, and underwater caves as well as mangroves, waterfalls, tidal flats, and coral reefs.
If you fancy yourself an explorer, then Lubang Island might just be your dream come true.
Perfect Hideaway
The island’s singular claim to fame is the Onoda Trail. Named after Hiroo Onoda, the last Japanese soldier to surrender after World War II, the trail is largely unexplored. The Onoda Cave itself is quite fascinating with its marble stones and natural grotto. Located in Sitio Mataas na Lupa, it is strategically covered with plants and trees. Onoda hid amidst these surroundings for 30 years, losing himself among Lubang’s forests
and caves.
Exploring the beach coasts via motorized banca, it isn’t difficult to see how Onoda could have hid in Lubang all those years. Apart from the fact that the island is only accessible by ferry, Lubang looks so gorgeously desolate that only the singularly adventurous would feel any sort of welcome.
Perfect Day
Far from the maddening crowd, a day in Lubang is so simply refreshing that it borders on the spiritual. When the hardest decision one has to make is whether to get a nice tan or to take a dip in the sea, one is suddenly bestowed with the gift of time: time to watch a Kingfisher fly by, time to appreciate the shape of corals, and time to wander down caves that hint of forever.
Rocks and boulders line the white beaches. Along most, the sea is only half a meter deep, stretching out to about 100 meters from the beach. At Kaypalad Beach, it’s hard to find a smooth patch of sand to put down your towel. Nevertheless, there is much to do in the aquamarine waters.
Mornings are best spent snorkelling and skin diving, exploring the island’s subterranean and underwater caves and crevices. Most of these underwater destinations are situated about 2.5 km. from Kaypalad Beach. Although diving gear is ideal, skin divers could still see a variety of marine life such as angel fish, clown fish, and parrot fish swimming in and out of the underwater cracks and crevices.
In the afternoons, riding a kayak would allow one to explore rock formations, tidal flats, and other beaches. The Hulagaan Beach, for example, nestles a six-meter waterfall. Though relatively small, it is still amazing to discover such a natural wonder. The Hulagaan Falls is a 40-minute walk away from the beach.
Whether you want to walk the trails of Onoda or swim the waters of Lubang, one thing’s for sure: There is no need to hurry. Peaceful and pristine, Lubang seems untouched, even by time.
TURISTA GUIDE
There are two ways to get to Lubang. From Manila, take MV Nikki of Moreta Shipping Lines to Tilik, Lubang. The boat leaves Tuesdays and Saturdays at 10 a.m. The trip takes 6 hours. For inquiries, call Moreta Shipping Lines (632) 245-3025. Their offices are at Pier 8, Manila
North Harbor.
Or you can take the MV Catalyn E of San Nicolas Lines, Inc. to Tilik, Lubang, which leaves Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 9 p.m. The trip takes 8 hours. For inquiries, call San Nicolas Shipping Lines at (632) 245-2830. Their offices are at Isla Puting Bato, Pier 2, Manila North Harbor.
There are no hotels in Lubang. Expect cottages and homestay accommodations. The Turista crew stayed at a rustic but stylish beach hut situated on a cliff, overlooking the sea. There are no individual rooms; guests sleep on mattresses in a common area. The hut has a bathroom with running water and electricity from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Food is fresh, home-grown, and organic. It’s either grown in backyard gardens, caught at sea, or harvested from reefs. Our crew was able to feast on Steamed Lobsters, Sinigang na Isda, and Vegetarian Sinigang.
When the Malayans first arrived on the island, they found the original settlers eating from a family-sized wooden bowl known as “Lupang.” That’s where the name Lubang came from.
Most of the beaches at Lubang are rocky so it’s best to wear reef shoes. There are also no snorkels for rent; bring your own. Some accommodations offer the use of a kayak as part of the package.
Uncharted Philippines
Unit 621, City & Land Mega Plaza, ADB Ave cor. Garnet Road, Pasig City 1605
+63 2 621 5399
www.unchartedphilippines.com
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All the Wonders in Between
It’s impossible to explore the Philippines’ thousands of islands except,
maybe, if you travel by boat by isabel roces
With over 7,107 islands, it’s nearly impossible to explore all of the Philippines in a lifetime. A plane ride will get you from one point to the other, but you’d be missing out on the thousands of awe-inspiring islands in between. For true freedom of exploration in an archipelago, the ideal mode of transport is a boat, and those made by Trevally are as fine as they come.
Manufacturer of top quality boats for the Philippine market, Trevally Boats will allow you to feel the spirit of the sea, safely, efficiently, and comfortably. Whether you want a personal day fisher, a group dive boat, or an ocean explorer, Trevally offers vessels guaranteed to thrill.
Each Trevally Boat is made of fiberglass, laminated together to form a solid one-piece structure. It will not deflect or twist in rough sea conditions. The rigid hull forms many watertight compartments for added safety. Each boat is designed to self-bail and remain positively buoyant.
For our trip to Mindoro, we jumped into a Trevally speed boat that took us from Punta Fuego to Lubang Island. A plane would have certainly gotten us there faster and a ferry far more comfortably, but there’s no denying the sense of freedom having your own vessel provides. After all, when was the last time you pulled up to a coral reef in a ferry or landed on a pristine beach in a plane? Because of their size, speed boats have easier access to snorkel and dive spots, remote beaches, and seaside caves.
The Philippines is a country with a rich maritime culture. What better way to explore it than in a vessel that takes you right to your desired destination?
“Whether you want a personal day fisher, a group dive boat, or an ocean explorer, Trevally offers vessels guaranteed to thrill.”
For more information, call 0917-5255002, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.trevallyboats.com
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Beyond the Perfect Tan
Discover the many pleasures of Boracay during habagat season
by isabel roces
Boracay’s weather is ruled by two seasons: the hot and humid Amihan and the wet and rainy Habagat. We’ve all experienced the island during the peak months from March to June. That’s when the weather is perfect and the nightlife is hopping. However, the off-season months also offer a number of pleasant surprises.
For starters, don’t let the rainy season moniker fool you. True, there are rainstorms from July to September, but they don’t usually last long and are often relieved by sunny spells. This gives you enough time either to indulge in adrenaline-pumping activities or just lounge around the sand.
Off-season rates are also much lower and affordable among the island hotels. You can extend your vacation for a few days without worrying about burning a huge hole in
your pocket.
But the best deal of all: The dazzling island is undeniably less crowded. You can take a walk down the beach without going through a horde of bodies.
Enjoying Habagat
In Boracay, you can always just take out your beach towel and enjoy its turquoise blue waters. But this island paradise now offers so many thrills and adventures that it would be a pity not to experience them, especially during the off-season.
Ride it rough
Boracay is not just that strip of white sand lined with all sorts of hotels, bars, and restaurants. No, there is more to the island that one can discover and explore—and more fascinatingly so when you’re riding on an all-terrain vehicle.
Ride up to Mount Luho, where a spectacular view of the island awaits you. Or drive on to Puka Beach, where the scene is more peaceful, less frantic.
Explore some caves
Between Caticlan and Boracay is Crystal Cove, a tiny sliver of an island with cool rock formations. A trail, which zigzags along a craggy cliff overlooking the sea, will lead you to two underground caves; one would have you walking on all fours to explore its beauty; the other opens out to the sea. Although swimming is not advisable especially when the waves are strong, a quick dip in its natural pool is invigorating.
Walk the reef
OK, you’re not into diving or snorkelling; why not try reef walking? No lessons need be learned, no training sessions, either. Just put on a fiberglass helmet attached to an oxygen tank, and you’d soon find yourself underwater walking on Boracay’s beautiful reefs, enjoying its corals and sea creatures.
Sail in a paraw
The strong winds do offer a few fringe benefits. To fully capture the essence of the Habagat season, you must experience sailing in a paraw. Pack a picnic basket and dock on one of the many uninhabited islands dotting the area. Sailing is a breeze especially with the help of able-bodied seafarers.
Fly off to the sunset
Of course, lying on its white sands with a bottle of beer on hand is still the best Boracay we know. But if you want to see White Beach from another angle, how about doing so 100 meters off the ground? Parasailing gives you the high of flying in the sky while firmly secured on a speed boat. The view is just incredible!
Indulge in your accommodations
Of course, if you truly want to make the most of your off-season vacation, then book a suite at one of the finest luxury hotels on the island, Discovery Shores. After a day of discovering the best of the island, you can retreat to this haven of a resort, whose panoramic design frames the sea. Rejuvenate your body and spirit with a variety of treatments from Terra Wellness Spa. Take pleasure in the culinary masterpieces of Chef David at Indigo restaurant. Have a bite of the pepper-crusted tuna steak or the sweet miso-glazed gindara. At Sands, you can have a delicious helping of New Washington Oysters, and at the Sandbar Beach Bar, all the mojitos you want. Afterwards, take a quick dip in the privacy of your own villa swimming pool. Discovery Shores’ natural environment will soothe your mind, body, and spirit with its five-star service completing your deluxe experience.
Indeed, there is nothing like Boracay during Habagat. It gives a refreshing perspective to this most photogenic of beaches.—With additional reports from Jing Lejano
TURISTA GUIDE
Boracay is one the most popular vacation destinations in the country and flights to this island paradise are a-plenty. All major airlines fly to Boracay, some more than once daily. Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, ZestAir, Seair, and Air Philippines all fly to Boracay.
Make the most of every hour in this island by indulging in activities such as: rough riding, reef walking, paraw sailing, and parasailing.
There are other new adrenaline-pumping activities in this island paradise: Zipline and kiteboarding.
Experience a piece of Boracay’s wistful past at Baling Hai. Just a few minutes away from White Beach, this secluded cove makes for some great snorkelling. You can stay at one of their cottages, which integrate cement and carved wood, or dine at their restaurant, which offers the freshest seafood and vegetables of the island. For inquiries, call (6336) 288-3646 or visit www.balinghai.com.
Guests of Discovery Shores get to enjoy exclusive discounts at selected Manila and Boracay establishments with its Passport to Indulgence. Some of these establishments include Chelsea Market Café, Momo Café, Mr. Jones, Museum Café, and Mossimo in Manila as well as Aria, Bamboo Lounge, Café del Sol, Cyma Greek Taverna, Hawaiian BBQ, Kasbah, Tibraz Creperie & French Bistro, True Food, and Valhalla in Boracay.
Discovery Shores Boracay
Station 1, Balabag,
Boracay Island
5608 Malay, Aklan
Manila Sales and Reservations Office
Discovery Center
25 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center,
Pasig City
+632 719.8888 / 914.9888 / 310.7788
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Far From the Maddening Crowd
On a lonesome hill somewhere in the province of Tarlac is a retreat of such solitary beauty that you may never want to leave by jing lejano
My mom and dad used to take me and my three sisters to these long road trips. We went everywhere: Baguio, Bicol, Zambales, Pangasinan, Batangas, Bataan. Everywhere!
The thought of being cooped up in close quarters with my family was never daunting; we always ended up swapping stories, laughing, and singing. That’s why I like road trips. And one of my most memorable took me and my loved ones up North to Tarlac on a hilltop hideaway.
Alto San Jose is Myra Salvosa’s idea of sanctuary. A gift from her parents Jose and Monica Soliman, Alto San Jose sits on the highest point of Barangay Balanti.
“I wanted a place where friends and family can get together and at the same time get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. It has served its purpose to the hilt,” Myra says.
Inspired by Bali architecture, Myra and her husband Bong built four huts around an oval-shaped swimming pool. The first hut serves as the living and dining quarters, the second harbors the kitchen and shower areas, and the third shelters the sleeping quarters. The smallest kubo is for reading and canoodling.
What to do amidst such lovely surroundings? Take a walk around the farm where Myra has planted 2000 calamansi trees, 70 mango trees, 20 langka trees, and 30 kasuy trees. Daddy’s Lake is not too far away. There, you can paddle a boat, go fishing, or take a quick dip. Afterwards, have a foot spa and pedicure at one of the huts before curling up with your favorite book.
When there is no such thing as an itinerary to your vacation, you find yourself doing what you really want to do. Eat. Sleep. Read. Swim. Make love. You have all the time in the world.
TURISTA GUIDE
Take the SCTEX and exit at Hacienda Luisita. Find your way to the National Highway. Go straight, passing by Camp Aquino and SM Tarlac. At Siesta Bus Station, meet up with Alto San Jose’s caretaker Jack. He will guide you the rest of the way as you drive through a patch of lahar desert and up a mountain. A four-wheel drive is advisable.
Alto San Jose can be yours exclusively for P2,400 a night. This rate is good for two people with an additional P600 per person. The sleeping hut has two levels, and can accommodate up to ten people.
Susan, Jack’s wife, will be more than happy to prepare meals for you. Just give her your groceries and she’ll do all the cooking. In Manila, Myra runs a restaurant specializing in barbecue and sisig. Ask if she can bring some over during your visit.
Are you a history buff? Visit the Capas National Shrine along the way. The final destination of the infamous Death March, it was once a concentration camp and was subsequently turned into burial grounds.
Daddy’s Lake is just a few minutes away from Alto San Jose. Pack a picnic basket and have your lunch there alfresco.
Alto San Jose
Barangay Balanti, Tarlac City
(0917) 813-0410
