Ironwulf.net: En Route – The Philippines, Travel, Photography Blog

It’s one of those trips that I just said yes without knowing exactly where I was going. I was yearning for a downtime after a somewhat busy week that I was ready to escape anywhere. It was an invitation to check out a resort in Batangas but I only knew of the details that day when I got into the car onto a road trip down south. We were going to Balayan, a town virtually out of the radar among four of us in the car. So following a crudely drawn map, a series of instructions and some pictures landmark as puzzles, we rolled on with a sense of adventure to find the resort named Blue Dolphin.

The Sepang International Circuit gave the much needed adrenaline rush but we had some down time by the sea when we had our lunch at the Golden Palm Tree Resort at the Sepang Goldcoast. It’s a beautiful 5-star resort ran by the Swiss-Belhotel group. Its stilt-house like accommodations is eye-catching but what caught my attention was the tasteful lunch buffet they had from the Indian Tandoori to the delectable desserts. It gave enough fuel for our Go Kart Race before heading back to Kuala Lumpur.

For a moment, I thought I was lost in Bali as I stepped out of our hotel building. Having checked in past midnight coming from a night of entertainment at Balay Da Blas, our sleepy heads and droopy eyes were longing for a nights rest just gave our surroundings a passing glance. But now waking up, seeing the manicured garden, neat pathways and Bali inspired casitas and structures made me knock my head off why I didn’t take a moment to stop a moment in Currimao whenever I pass by the road from Vigan to Laoag or vice versa.

Buguey’s seafood buffet was more than enough to fill us during the two hour journey to Claveria, the last town in Cagayan next to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. I was enjoying the view from my window despite the rain while sliding sideways from our seats as we traverse the twisting highroads to the town of Claveria. A coastal town where the river flows, numerous blue boats parked on the shore and people in their blue rain coats were tending their nets were seen. It was really interesting.

For a while there I thought I was in a land somewhere in China with all the facilities and style of architecture similar to the ones found in the mentioned country. It doesn’t help that the cable channels are mostly Chinese with only a couple of English speaking channels in line. If not for the, tropical climate, Filipino staffs and their hospitable vibe here, I’d be lost at this high-end Cagayan Holiday and Leisure Resort (Sun City) in Sta Ana Cagayan. They’ve been up here in Cagayan Valley for years now and was enjoyed exclusively by tourists from Mainland China and Hong Kong. Now they are ready to open the doors to Filipinos as well.

Greece would be an ideal place to be lost in if I were to travel to that part of the world. But that seems to be a distant dream for now. It’s a good thing international resort chain Thunderbird brought a piece of the Greek Island, Santorini at the land of La Union. Perched up high on a scenic cliff at Poro Point, the grand Greek architecture stands out from a distance to welcome visitors at Thunderbird Poro Point Resort.

From the main coastal road of Baclayon, Bohol, just a few minutes past the Baclayon Church and Baluarte, our van took a left turn on a narrow road. We passed through a small community as we ascend taking a couple of turns on the road. It seems a distance away from the main road, I thought. But suddenly on my right I saw a large yellow gate with no pedestrian entrance. It opened to let the van through and I saw this large manicured garden with well cut grass and placed trees. Then on a higher ground stands a mansion that seemed to have been plucked out from a scene in Europe. Everything seems so elegant. I had no idea Bohol was hiding another wonder beyond what it is known for, I thought as I walk the grounds of the Peacock Garden Luxury Boutique Resort.