Happy Tripper

Vigan

Posted by Carambs

My hubby and I went to Vigan last August 25-27, which was a long weekend. To truly enjoy the place, one should allocate at least 3 days for a trip to Vigan, mainly because of the long drive. It is situated north of Ilocos Sur, around 8-10 hours away from Manila via car. The journey from and to Manila lasts almost a day (20 hours) already. So if you go there for the weekend, you will only have practically 1 day to go around.

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Vigan Heritage Mansion

Posted by Carambs

During our last roadtrip with Vigan as our destination, I wanted to be sure that our chosen hotel wasn’t “spooky”. You see, I’m a scaredy cat. And most of Vigan’s hotels are actually preserved old houses. I researched online, and came across several hotels. We ended up choosing Vigan Heritage Mansion because of 2 reasons - its location, and its supposedly “modern” feel even if it’s a restored, antique mansion.

Location - Vigan Heritage Mansion is literally 10 steps away from Calle Crisologo, the most popular street in Vigan. It is lined with stores that sell Vigan goods such as woven blankets and bags. It’s a short street, so you can easily walk from the hotel to the end of the street and back. But it’s still advisable to ride the kalesa going back, even just for the experience.

Modern Feel - The Vigan Heritage Mansion is an old, antique house built in 1885 and restored in 2003. The paint is new and colorful, but the doors, chairs and other furniture are antique. It is not “spooky”, as with other old houses. The owners were able to achieve a balance of making the hotel accommodating while retaining the things that showed Vigan’s rich culture and history.

We paid P1,500 per night - I think this was a promo rate. This includes breakfast - longganisa or tocino, scrambled eggs, and rice. Unfortunately, the rates listed in their website shows 2005 rates. To inquire, you may contact them through email (inquiry@viganheritage.com) or by calling them in Vigan (+6377) 722-6495 or their Manila office (+632) 410-7955 and (+632) 371-0831.

Tripper 5: Amazing Photos of the Philippines

Posted by Carambs

Well, I’m choosing from among my photos, so these may not necessarily be the best of the best out there. But they’re pretty good photos of the Philippines. I’ve been posting them to different Flickr groups so other people may see how beautiful our country is.

1) Bohol - This photo was taken during our island hopping tour after snorkeling near the Balicasag island. This is a photo of a small, uninhabited island which was somewhere in between Panglao and the snorkeling site. Bohol is a beautiful, beautiful place - if I were rich enough I would buy property there so I can just go back anytime. It’s relatively quiet, the beaches are not yet commercialized, there were so many dolphins to watch it was amazing, and the people were genuinely nice. Bohol is one place I always recommend to business associates and other acquaintances when they ask about interesting destinations in the Philippines.

2) Kadayawan - Experiencing the different fiestas or festivals in the Philippines is awesome. Kadayawan, which is celebrated during the third week of August by Davaoenos, is one of the more popular fiestas in the country. Participants go all out with their costumes, props, and presentations - which end up being truly awesome! Here you can see some very happy participants, still smiling even if they were very tired. Other popular Philippine fiestas are: Ati-Atihan in Kalibo, Aklan (third week of January), Sinulog in Cebu (third week of January), Dinagyang in Iloilo (fourth week of January), Panagbenga in Baguio (fourth week of February), Pahiyas in Quezon (second week of May), and Masskara in Bacolod (third week of October).

3) Vigan -This is a photo of Calle Crisologo, the most popular street in Vigan. Cars are not allowed here, so you will either see people walking or riding the kalesa. The street is lined with stores that sell Vigan products such as woven blankets, placemats, and bags. The houses are well-preserved, and they give us a glimpse of what it was like in the past. At night, the lamps are lit, and you will feel that you’ve travelled through time.

4) Antulang Resort - Antulang is located south of Dumaguete City. It’s around 45 minutes from the airport. I recommend this for couples or divers, not so much barkadas who just want to go to a resort. It’s a bit isolated, and there’s not much to do. But it’s a beautiful place - great for taking pictures, and just to relax. This photo was taken from the cliff. Watching the sunset was awesome! The people are very friendly and pleasant. I will try to dedicate one post just for Antulang sometime in the future.

5) Baguio - This is the view from the window of Little John’s in Camp John Hay. Baguio is a good place to get away from Manila mainly because of its cool climate. It’s somewhat crowded, but still a destination of choice for many. For the activities, you can choose from shopping at Ukay-Ukay stores, buying Good Shepherd products, shopping for blankets and walis, eating at Rose Bowl and Cafe By The Ruins, bike around Burnham Park, or ride horses in Camp John Hay. This is our default destination when we can’t think of a new place to go to, and we usually stay in Hotel Veniz.