After trying out juicing, I can totally feel the difference in my body. I was refreshed, had more energy and haven't been sick for a month now. I realized that going natural will do my body a whole lot of good. Don't get me wrong, I still want my medium Mcdo Cheeseburger Meal once in a while but generally I want to change my lifestyle and infuse more natural elements in my living. Perhaps, not too quickly but at least little by little.

Human Heart Nature Website

Enter, Human Heart Nature...

I tried out a couple of their products before but now I decided to slowly switch to their line of products. As it is part my faith goal to be a good steward of this body. If you want to go all-natural as well, order here.

My product choices includes:

1. Natural Moisturizing Shampoo - It’s the only one with breakthrough CREAMFoam® technology, which acts like a lotion to soften and nourish your hair. Plus, it’s got Philippine coco nectar, bursting with amino acids, vitamins and minerals! What’s more is that since our shampoos are sulfate-free, it’s definitely good for you and for our earth too.

2. Natural Moisturizing Conditioner -  It's made with avocado oil with Omega-3, one of nature's most intense moisturizers, seaweed extract to restore elasticity, and organic virgin coconut oil for a healthy shine… without the chemicals.

3.  Balancing Facial Wash - Nature’s blend of manila elemi, prized ingredient revered by the world’s beauty industry, and marine extracts for shine-free, glowing skin. Infused with sugar beet and aloe vera to help replenish lost moisture while bamboo scrubs and loofah gently exfoliate clogged dirt and trapped oil.

4. Fragrance-Free Cleansing Bar - Wash away the day’s dirt and grime while leaving your skin feeling clean, fresh and moisturized. And because it’s  fragrance-free, your skin is left clean and clear from all synthetic irritants found in chemical soaps.

5. Natural Feminine Wash - Switch to nature’s gentle touch with our pH balanced, clinically tested feminine wash. It has soothing aloe vera and chamomile, cleansing agents from coconut, as well as natural preservatives from rice and anise.

6. Sunflower Beauty Oil - The premium and best-selling Sunflower Beauty Oil is 100% Natural and packed with vitamins A, D & E that help moisturize and nourish your skin to give it that healthy glow -- without any harmful chemicals. It’s so effective and so versatile, the uses are endless.

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

KJV Bible, Genesis 1:29

Product Text Description came from Human Heart Nature Website

I have 3 travel destination in my faith goals for the year and praying for the Lord's favor and provision. We started our travel early this year... Numero uno reason is that hubby celebrated his birthday last weekend. Also, this would be our first time to travel with family members in tow. My in-laws just turned 60s recently and we want them to get out from their seniorly daily lives to enjoy an inter-island vacation while they still can. So the challenge for me is to arrange and plan out everything for 4 pax instead of my usual 2 pax...of course, the main concern is the BUDGET!!!

But God is faithful, it was December last year when I saw GJM International Facebook post regarding their Boracay Package promo just around the time I got my 13th month bonus. Remember they were the same group who made our land arrangement in Hongkong-Macau. I asked hubby's permission first and when he gave me the go signal. I started coordinating with assigned agent, Grace to plan out our itinerary.

After some few email exchanges, I deposited the 75% amount due to their Union Bank account for reservation and paid the remaining balance a month before our travel dates. They have other payment options but I prefer bank deposits because they do not have processing charges unlike credit cards.

GJM Service: I still find their offerings quite reasonable however comparing my first transaction with them, medyo nakulangan ako sa mga information na sinesend sa akin this time. I had to make several follow ups and at times had to call for details. But generally, I was still satisfied as they were able to deliver what they promised in their advertisement.

The Flights: Unlike in the past travels, I usually arrange the airfare by waiting on promo fare but GJM package already included this. Since this is just a promo so it was expected that the flights are scheduled on "off-peak" hours of the day to take advantage of the lowest fare possible. 

MNL to KLO via Air Asia Zest in Terminal 4 at 6:50am in the morning

It was our first time with Air Asia Zest on an A320 plane and I was quite pleased with it. However, since our fare did not include baggage we had to pay extra Php 350 (for maximum 15 kgs) for hubby's bag because they did not allow the tripod for camera as hand carry.

KLO to MNL via PAL Express in Terminal 3 at 10:40 pm in the evening

We were booked under Fiesta Deal or the Budget Economy in A320 so we had no baggage allowance. While still in Boracay, I tweeted @flyPAL and inquired about their Prepaid Baggage because as estimated we needed one from all the pasalubong plus again the tripod issue. After getting a tweet back, I called up their Kalibo office to get further instructions. Good thing our flight was still later that evening, I dropped by their ticketing office in the airport to pay up Php 350 for maximum of 20 kgs. The usual cost is Php 200/kg so imagine the difference but keep in mind prepaid baggage is available up to only 4 hours before the flight.

Both flights took less than 1 hour, sobrang bilis lang talaga promise. Parang kakatake-off pa lang, pababa na ulet. Mas matagal pa yung traffic sa EDSA! No wonder, a lot of people with money goes to Boracay often.

Kalibo Airport: There are 2 airport that you could fly in to Boracay - Caticlan Domestic airport and Kalibo International Airport. The Kalibo Airport caters to International flights thus the airplanes are bigger BUT it is around 70 kms away from Caticlan Jetty Port. It took us another couple of hours on a van to drive up then down the mountains to get to the port.

Caticlan Jetty Port:  From the boat terminal, it is less than 20-minute boat ride plus a 10-minute tricycle ride is what keeps you away from the white beach of Boracay. Kaya lang for a stay of 5 minutes sa jetty port, you still have to pay for the terminal and environmental fee. Sa sobrang lapit nung 2 island, parang mas feel ko pa magbayad ng fee para sa isang mala-Ocean park see-through tunnel habang naglalakad underwater with sightseeing.

Accommodation: Also included in the package is 3D2N stay in Boracay Travelodge, formerly Boracay Courtyard. The room only has its bare essentials, nothing fancy or picture worthy. But if you plan to stay at the beach and spend the whole day trying out all the activities, this one will do. There is heater in the shower although the water pressure is not strong but the aircorn works fine in room 204. Good thing, it is under La Carmela Hotel Management so we get to eat the daily buffet breakfast there and also use their amenities.

By the way, it is located at Station 2 and a few steps from d'Talipapa. A place of many many souvenirs shop and wet market where you can buy fresh food especially sea food and have it cooked in the restaurant nearby for a fee or what we call "Paluto". Think: Dampa-style here in Manila.

Additional Charges: Lastly, although our package stated all-in there were additional expenses on the way. I do remember confirming with our agent in one of my calls about the terminal fees, sabi covered daw but when we were there the person attending to us confirmed hindi. I checked my print out service vouchers, walang nakaindicate specifically so indi ko na pinush. We were already there and I see no point of calling my agent to verify it. Lesson-learned na lang to make sure to have it in writing for all the inclusion.

Caticlan Jetty Port

    Terminal Fee - Php 100/head x 2 (back and forth)

    Environmental Fee - Php 75/head

Airport

    Kalibo Terminal Fee - Php 100/head (going back to Manila)

    Baggage Fee - Php 350 x 2

Breakfast

    The package only included daily buffet breakfast for 2 pax so you have to pay extra for the other 2 in the group.

Activities
     Although we did not do any of this considering our companions, I overheard that mostly they offer Php 1,300/head for 5 activities like helmet diving and AVR ride, etc.

I know there are already a lot of information in the internet about Boracay but I hope this still helps! Feel free to comment in this post for questions or share your own experience in the planning stage of your trip.

P.S. Do not call Boracay as Bora, there is an ongoing petition by the locals on that as they do not want to be confused from Bora-Bora which is another travel destination found in French Polynesia.  

More about Boracay here.

Balaibinda Lodge is a charming, compact, cozy place located at the Coron Town Proper. It is a few steps away from the Local Tourist Center Building and a 2-minute walk to Lualhati Park where the boats docking area are also located.

Outside the lodge is the usual provincial town set up where the public market and small establishments are accessible. A few more walks or a tricycle ride is the Municipal Town Hall and Plaza. It has the common busy rural feel outside. But once you step inside the Balaibinda, you will find some quietness and homey feeling featuring a pocket garden at the center of the 2 storey-lodge with rooftop.

Reception and Lounge Area adjacent to the Garden

We stayed at Room 205 Courtyard Queen. Inside the room you will find a queen-sized comfy bed, 19" LCD Cable TV, Aircon and ceiling fan. A slim built-in cabinet has 4 hangers while the bathroom has a shower heater. The available toiletries are 2 white towels, a shampoo split sachet, 2 soaps and toilet papers. There were no toothbrush and toothpaste. Knobs and locks are working and no problem whatsoever in all furniture. Wifi signal is also good in our room, we actually saw a couple of routers so just in case you still want to stay connected.

Right outside our room in the second floor is the restaurant where set breakfast is being served daily.

Although the place is small and compact, you cannot discount the fact that it is adorned intricately with different ornaments. Since it was Christmas Season, they have Christmas decors combined with their locally

made displays. We spent a good hour just taking pictures around.

One thing I also love about Balaibinda is that right beside its gate is a Zagu Pearl Stand...my favorite!!! It is a good way to refresh coming back from Mt. Tapyas hike and Island Hopping Tour.

Balaibinda Building Facade

Read here on how to reserve to Balaibinda Lodge

One of the many things we learned from watching Paco Guerrero in his travels to is to get the story behind the people you meet in the places you go to. So even before blogging about details of the tourist spots in Coron, let me introduce to you first our Island Hopping Crew.

Aside from their accomodation, Balaibinda provided us with all the land arrangements and tours during our trip. So they were the ones who facilitated and contacted the local tourist guides. Our Day 2 Itinerary is for the Island Hopping Tour and it was through Calamian Islands Travel and Tours.

We were picked up from the lodge then dropped off to the docking area in Lualhati Park (5-minute ride). We met up with the boat crews which consisted by a Captain, a Boatman and of course Rico, our tour guide.

Our group only consisted of 4 adults and 1 kid: with that we had more time to ourselves to explore so Rico opened by asking us whether we want to walk 300 steps NOW or LATER. Our legs are still shakey from the 700+ steps of Mt. Tapyas the day before so we agreed to do it later.

Maybe because Rico was already doing this almost everyday, he would just utter information about the places very softly. His lack of gimmicks in explaining is well compensated in his skills once we were already in the water. He patiently "pulled" while three of us were holding on the floater and snorkeling looking at the scenery below us.

Rico fixing my mask and giving me instructions

When we reached the 91 Beach that is were we all started to bond. We actually had ample of time there to take pictures of the rock formation, the beach and underwater. During lunch time, even though we tried convincing them but the guides would not eat with us. (It was sort off a SOP to them not to eat with the guests). So instead, Rico entertained us by answering our kulit questions while we were eating.

Gangsta lang yung peg pero mabait yan!

Rico is just 30 yrs old so we stopped calling him Kuya since we were a year older than him. He doesn't have any girlfriend by choice because according to him "Mahal po ang bigas! Php 32 NFA Rice, may amoy pa yun". Hahaha.

The funny banter amongst us continued to Twin lagoon and Kayangan Lake. Rico even took great photos of us and really directed us how to pose. San ka pa, di ba?

Twin Lagoon

Kayangan Lake

Buwis Buhay Underwater shots of Hubby and Rico

Shot inside the cave

Lastly, this is my personal favorite among all of our pictures in Coron

Shot by Rico for YAPtography

Innate to Pinoys is their light hearted nature despite living a life with rotating brown out in Coron and receiving a minimum wage monthly salary. The crew cannot accept freelance tour so if you wish to avail their service please coordinate with Calamian Travel and Tours and if possible request for Rico. And do not forget to tip them especially if you enjoyed their service!

Boat Captain

Boatman sometimes Hubby's Photographer

Thank you everyone for taking good care of us.

I speak blessing upon your way and may the Lord use your skills to send out His blessings.

Keep safe and stay down to earth!

Three months before the date of our trip to Coron, I started sending out my inquiry to different travel tour agencies and accommodations. Although their package for 2 pax is slightly higher than our budget, I decided to reserve at Balaibinda Lodge. They just opened last March 2012 so their facilities are pretty new. And since only a handful of people have blog about it, I thought it would be interesting to feature them in their first year of operation. It also helped that when they replied to my email, they answered with all the information I needed.

One month before our trip, I deposited 50% downpayment to guarantee our reservation to their BPI Account. Below is the tour inclusion they prepared for our trip:

Number of pax in group: 2 persons

Length of stay: 3 days 2 nights

Preferred room: Courtyard Queen

RATES:

3D2N Coron Island Joiner Tour P4,050/person

INCLUSIONS:

1. Round trip airport shuttle service

2. Room accommodations in a Courtyard Queen
3. Tours:

   a. 1/2 day Town tour (exclusive)

   b. 1 day Island tour (joiner)

4. Fees:

   a. Transportation (trike & tourist banca with life vests)

   b. Tour guide

   c. Entrance fees

   d. Cottage rentals

5. Meals:

   a. Set breakfast at the lodge

   b. Picnic lunch during island hopping days

   c. Snacks during island hopping days

  * Guests are given the option to explore other restaurants around town for Dinner or place an advanced order at Balaibinda restaurant with an extra charge (P250/order from the regular meals menu, P350/order from the deluxe meals menu).

ITINERARY:

DAY 1: CORON TOWN TOUR (4 - 8 p.m.) exclusive

1. Souvenir Shops - pasalubong shopping

2. Lualhati Park - leisurely stroll by the bay side, photo-op

3. Mt. Tapyas - trek up 700+ steps to view the Calamian Islands from the top

4. Maquinit Hot Springs - relaxing dip in hot spring waters to soothe tired muscles from the hike up Mt. Tapyas

DAY 2: CORON ISLAND TOUR (8 a.m. - 5 p.m.) joiner

1. Siete Pecados - snorkeling at a marine sanctuary

2. Kayangan Lake (Hall of Fame awardee for cleanest lake in the country)- short trek, swimming in a lake

3. Atwayan Beach - picnic lunch, swimming

4. Twin Peaks Reefs - snorkeling

5. CYC Beach - swimming, beach activities 

DAY 3: FREE TIME

- Visit the local market and casuy shop for more pasalubong & souvenir shopping.

- Relax and pack for trip back to Manila.

Balaibinda Lodge Reservations

Mobile: +63.929.322.1776

Email: reservations@balaibinda.com

Website: www.balaibinda.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Balaibinda

Twitter: @balaibinda

Budget conscious traveler like us only count on Seat Sale Promos that the airlines usually offer during holidays. You can say it is definitely a midnight madness sale since once the promo is up at 12MN, the seats get sold out very easily like hot pancakes and you will already have a hard time finding available dates if you search at 7 AM. 

If you are suki of the Seat Sale, you are probably used to on how crazy cheap you can book a flight compared to normal days. So I am writing for those who are first timers and new to this. Just to give you an  idea, here is how much our airfare cost for roundtrip to Manila-Coron for 2 pax:

Seat Sale cost less than 2K

Just for comparison, I tried booking 3 weeks before the travel dates and almost to the same flights. Here is what I got (wala pang fees and taxes here if I am not mistaken):

Regular Fare cost 15K+

WOW!!!

Definitely we cannot afford the regular fare just for traveling so I am pretty glad knowing that we get to enjoy the Philippines without hurting our budget. For this year we have to give kudos to Cebu Pacific. Hubby and I only take one domestic travel per year since we got married. As I oftenly say, we do not have a credit card so we save up first and wait for good deals then travel without worries. Thank God for His amazing provision that He doesn't only provide just for our needs but also for leisure.

Here are my personal strategies when availing for seat sale:

1. Goal Setting: Have an idea where and when you wanna go. Ensure that the travel dates you pick are not in the near future, at least 3 months to 6 months before. You can have options like below which you will use when searching for deals para hindi basta kung saan at kelan na lang kayo pupunta just because may sale doon.

      Plan A: Destination 1, Travel Dates 1

      Plan B: Destination 1, Travel Dates 2

      Plan C: Destination 2, Travel Dates 1

2. Don't get yourself into debt. Although credit card number can easily be inputted in your web browser doesn't mean you should do so. Since this is for leisure, it is better that you save up first, at least for the air fare muna. As you saw, your Php 2000 is already good for 2 pax, roundtrip flights. 

3. When you have the money at hand, monitor the Seat Sale Promo via alerts in Facebook or visit Cebu Pacific website daily or every other day. Base on my observation, they go on sale during the holidays and the promo is up either 12 MN or 12 NN. So be ready to stay up late on the sale day.

As for me, when I don't have the airfare budget yet I just ignore the ongoing seat sale. I'd rather wait for the next one instead of pushing it. You travel to unwind and explore new places with your love ones. So beginning your traveling plans with stress is no good sign at all. So make it a delightful experience at the very start... Enjoy!

It's more fun in the Philippines

Also happening last Sunday while I was in the Nuffnang Blogopolis, hubby Jasey met up with his side of the family to have lunch at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay since one of his aunt is vacationing from Canada. He went in earlier before their scheduled meet up since he wanted to take practice pictures using his new zoom lens. So basically, eto yung pasalubong nya sa akin:

I think someone had fun people watching even without me =)

Like us in Facebook: YAPtography

Here is a throwback photo set also at MOA back in 2009 during our honeymoon.

I decided to go under the radar for my birthday which constituted the removal of FB and Yahoogroups birthday reminder. All I wanted to do is to have a staycation with my favorite person on earth, my hubby ♥♥♥. But since we are also saving up for our out of town trip on December, I did not want to splurge either.

I was on a hunt for a bargain to an overnight stay to a hotel that has swimming pool but nothing fits my budget. My next option was day tour to resort club of some sort until I googled the key phrase 'swimming pool manila' which led me to Ace Water Spa in Kapitolyo Pasig. Then I remembered passing by it last July on our way to a friend's wedding.

We would always murmured about trying it out everytime their ad would come up on TV  (Ace Water Spa Quezon City) pero drawing lang. Kse we are not both familiar with the north area of the metro - QC, Marikina, Rizal and the likes. But anyhow after doing further info gathering, I sent my proposal to hubby and he approved it. Hahaha...parang office task lang dee vah!? 

About Ace Water Spa Pasig

Located at the corner of United and Brixton streets in Pasig. Ace Water Spa offers massages through hydrotherapy massage or simply put, through the use of heated water pressure instead of the usual hands of a masseur.

Location Map

Here are some of the services they offer for adults:



 
Quick Guide:

• Rates are Php 550 for adults & Php 250 for kids, good for 4 hours.
• Dress Code for the Spa area is strictly fitted swimwear. No board shorts, no tshirt or loose clothing.
• Toiletries are provided. Swimming cap and slippers are borrowed. Bring your own towel.
• No cameras allowed inside the spa area.
• Lockers are provided to secure your belongings.
• Eat light only before coming in for the massage treatment.
• Ample free parking space & restaurants can be found within the building.
• Visit their informative website to get more details.

Ace Hotel & Suites (Ace Water Spa Pasig)

Spa Rates and Rentals

Lobby Area

Lovely Ladies that will assist you at the Reception

Ample Parking at the 5th Floor

Cameras are prohibited once you step in the locker room up to the Pool and Spa area to respect privacy of clients. Thanks to the zoom feature of my digicam, I was able to take shots of what is behind the glass wall.

Your massages awaits for you in here

Good to be safe than sorry

PERSONAL NOTES:

Ace Water Spa has made all possible efforts that their customer will have a full experience with their complete amenities. The only thing that could stop you to have a good time is YOU! So follow the rules to the letter, they are there for a reason. Since camera is prohibited, here is a descriptive account on what happens in the spa.

Prescribed Clothing

One big issue to the very shy Pinoy is wearing the proper fitted preferrably spandex swimwear (strictly no cover-ups, t-shirts, or loose clothing for both men and women). Why? The water pressure could really balloon up loose clothing. For instance, I wore a FITTED kaso not spandex short on top of my bikini and umaangat talaga sya ending eh lalo lang kayong macoconscious sa kakahawi. Tendency is baka mahubaran lang kayo completely if you do not wear spandex type! On the otherhand do not wear something too skimpy din naman. Make sure the strings are durable kse again the pressure in the hard massages could tore it apart. Bawal din ang underwear (panty, briefs) underneath the shorts plus always put on your swim caps.

Locker Room

At this point, no camera allowed na kagad for privacy issue. Present your stub and locker key number as you enter. Kukunin na rin nila yung footwear nyo at the entrance. Inside here, may cubicles for changing, showering and peeing hahaha. They will give you a swim cap here before you proceed in the spa area. If you forgot a towel or swimwear, you can avail it here as rentals. Take a shower, remove your jewelries and undies and keep them inside your locker. The key itself you have to wear as a bracelet. You can wear it while you are doing the massages.

Shampoo, soap and hair dryer is available. So you have to bring your own conditioner and moisturizer if you need them. Chances are you have to hydrate your hair and skin after the treatment.

Massages

Each section of the spa area has a button to turn on the massage. Press it to experience different variation - soft, moderate, hard. There is a placard in each section giving a brief description about the target body part. Be extra careful with the hard massage and hold on to the railings because the pressure could make you lose balance. I couldn't open my eyes in those section for the amount of water gushing out. But our personal favorite is the rainfall acupuncture. We enjoyed it so much we hit the button 6 times (3 times/2 sets) to give way din naman sa mga iba pang gagamit.

Medyo mas maingay in this area because of the sound of water pressure and open to adults and kids. You have to move around to get to the different section.

Hot Herbal Pool

There were 4 hot herbal pool in the adult section of the spa - red, green (mint 36 degrees), yellow (jasmine 38 degrees) and violet (lavander 40 degrees). Then a cold pool at its center. At this point it was really relaxing since only few people take a dip into these pools kse nga mainit sya especially the 40 degrees. Indi ko din na sya kinaya sa sobrang init, I just had my feet and leg into it for a minute. But I enjoyed the 3 other herbal pool. It is adviced that you take a dip also into the cold pool after the hot one known as Contrast Therapy Plunge. So now I know how it feels like to be a teabag, nilagang karne at can coke na nasa cooler. Hahaha!

Steam and Sauna

My first time to enter a steam room and sauna. The steam room was foggy and I breathe through my mouth na. Then sa sauna feeling nasa pugon ka na nilulutong pizza. But kidding aside, in this area masarap for the skin!

There is water dispenser nearby since it is advisable to drink up to prevent dehydration.

Swimming Pool

Basically the big pool is divided into 2 parts but 80% of it is for NON-STOP swimming meaning bawal yung ginagawa nating pagbababad na nakatigil ka lang at nagkukuwentuhan like sa normal swimming pool. If you are not a swimmer better magstay sa lap pool side lang para naman indi ka pituhan ng mga lifeguards.

Kids Pool - Available to kaso of course wala naman akong kids so di na ko nakigulo in this section.

Time Frame

The given 4 hours is more than enough for you to enjoy the facilities since each section is good for 2-3 minutes. Two and half hours pa lang solb na kami at the same time pagod na. So we went to the balcony and rested for a while on the plastic lounge seat.

Interior

The facilities are impressive kaso I am not a big fan of the plastic flowers and plants. Di ko din magets yung banderitas effect. I also think they could do the 'ACE' lettering way much better that complements the slick design of the hotel lobby.

Food

At dahil bawal ang pagkain sa loob ng spa area at magugutom ka rin naman talaga, its now time to dine at Ace Cafe Lounge. Read on to the next post!

Staycation: Ace Coffee Lounge Pasig

Thank you note from the Bday Girl

Updated: Dec 26, 2013
We went back with the rest of the family

The Clubhouse

Casitas

Dead Branches

Ducks

Breakfast with Fuse

Glass Etching

Two Pines

Residence

Texture

Weave

Native Throne

Details on our Overnight Stay at Canyon Woods Batangas

Also, I was testing this Android App movie maker "Magisto" and with just 3 clicks was able to put together videos of my random shots in CWRR into a mini-clip complete with background music pa hihihi. Too bad it was just less than a minute.

   Make awesome movies from plain videos automatically, for Free!