A Dreamy Haven

A Dreamy Haven By JO ERLINDA G. NEBRES Printed in Fil-Am Megascene Chicago February 25, 2009

Basking under the cerulean sky, lying lazily at the immaculate white sandy beach beside the calm waves of the azure seawater makes a getaway perfect for intimate moment at Caramoan Peninsula !
There is no paradise like Caramoan Peninsula, the hidden treasure of the Philippines located in the province of Camarines Sur!
Getting there, you will readily fall in love with the beautiful place. Its beauty never stops to entice each visitor who comes to this place. The pristine white sand and the crystal indigo sea found in the cape of Caramoan are very alluring to the eyes of many. You’ll never stop wondering what’s beyond this dazzling azure water when riding in a boat. What promises lies ahead?
Seashore that can match a beach in Miami, Florida and privacy, a quiet, serene Caramoan Peninsula can be a wonderful retreat, a seventh heaven to be part and enjoy the nature. The place has its own beauty and pride of its own uniqueness. An undeniably charming paradise!
Caramoan Peninsula’s beaches are truly magnificent with its immaculate powdery white sand surrounded by sparkling cerulean water, unexploited by commercial tourism. Each beach has its own uniqueness.
Touring around the place gives island hopping a new significance to witness its enthralling beauty in many ways. A great ocean adventures for kayakers, snorkel and scuba dive to experience the diverse marine life, trek and search for the unfathomable lagoon, rock climb the limestone cliffs, explore the caves or star gazing at night!
There are many islands and caves clustered in Caramoan to hop around, each boasting its own beauty and individuality.
Here are some exciting islands to see.
The Lahos Island, the most popular, has its name which means "overflow" where the sea can wash over a part of this narrow island from one side to the other.
Matukad Island exemplifies the portrait of a perfect tropical island.
Honongan Island is the first resort in Caramoan to open. This hundred-room development is set off the cliff facing the beach. Its beachfront has beautiful views of immaculate islands right across the calm sea.
Island hopping won’t be complete without seeing the mysteriously majestic caves. Omang Cave is part of the Caramoan National Park located in Barangay Paniman and Barangay Ilawod. Its entrance is about 30 feet above sea level and the interior is like architecturally designed. The air is very cool inside. It is dark and, if lighted, shows extravagant beauty. It is like entering a new dimension of a limestone world.
The most intriguing Manipis Cave is located at Barangay Pandanan. It is believed that General Yamashita hid his treasure in this cave but you don’t need to look any further for the cave is a treasure in itself!
This cave has rich guano reserve.
Calapnitan Cave in Libmanan contains countless stalactites and pillars ranging from massive to extremely delicate. Thousands of bats make this cave their home. The site of the hundreds of bats also is a very extraordinary spectacle. Their presence provides a very good source of guano supply and phosphate.

The fresh cool water from the underground stream of Taisan is simply irresistible in Bulang-Bugang Cave. Explore the deep underground river of the cave.
Don’t miss the twin waterfalls of Itbog Falls in Sta. Cruz Buhi and the Malacsay Falls in Mt. Isarog in Panicuason. The cascading water measures about 40 feet from the top to a wide pond below.
Malacsay Falls could compare with famous waterfalls in the Philippines like the Pagasanjan Falls in Laguna.
There are many activities to do and places to see in this dreamy haven of Caramoan Peninsula and there 's a lot of natural wonders to discover. Island hopping, swimming, skin diving, limestone cliff expeditions, snorkeling, scuba diving, caving or spelunking, rock climbing , hiking, beach camping, kayaking, inland and island lagoon exploration, sea and marine cave adventures, subterranean river adventures and gold panning!
Whew! Aren’t these adventures enough for you to entice you to come in one paradise called Caramoan Peninsula? Think of getting thrilled in wakeboarding on your way home?
Let’s have fun basking under the sun and explore the many islands of Caramoan Peninsula together! Email me at gagabytes@yahoo.com.

Experience the very unique Bohol

Experience the very unique Bohol

By JO ERLINDA G. NEBRES

Printed in Philippines Today US

February 18, 2009

Did you know that the tarsier was the inspiration of the famous movie E.T. of Stephen Spielberg? Yes, it’s true. Stephen Spielberg used the tarsier-look for the lead character ET of the movie E.T. Tarsiers can be found in Bohol , Philippines .

Bohol is the home of the unique tarsier, the smallest mammal in the world. This cannot be found in other country, except perhaps in Borneo and Indonesia .

Bohol is also famous for the matchless Chocolate Hills, pristine white sand beaches, dive spots, and old stone churches, which are among the oldest in the country.

There are many tourist spots to visit there and fine dining restaurants and great accommodations,too.

Bohol province is accessible by land, sea and air transportation. When in province the unique shape of thousand of hills called Chocolate hills are the first destinations of most people who visit there. It is matchless. You cannot find anywhere like it but in Bohol . It is a pride of every Boholanos living there.

Bohol also has few springs and caves ready for exploration.

. Swimming or diving is a must for every diving enthusiast in Bohol's Panglao Island. Whale and dolphins everywhere!

Panglao Island is well-known destination for divers who love to discover marine life. Hotel and resorts in the Island offers scuba lessons for scuba aspirants. If not interested in scuba, there are lots of activities you can do. Swimming, dolphin watching, jet skiing, kayaking, snorkeling and more water sports and activities available in the hotel and resorts of Panglao Island. You might try boating and fishing there.

Many fine dining restaurants available in the area offers different specialties. Seafoods, native delicacies, Westerners dishes and many choices to choose from when in comes to dining in the province. Try the Pyramid in Aloha Kew to experience the dampa type of restaurant wherein you will need to buy in the wet market for food and render in the restaurant their cooking services. Whether you like it grilled, in soup or you might want it spicy, sour or anything, just give the restaurant your instructions.

When it comes to dining, Loboc River Cruise Lunch is a must visit cruise-restaurant in Bohol . The food and service is superb! A band will serenade you with old and news songs and some Spanish songs while eating and cruising the Loboc River . Curiosity behind the jungle scenarios might want you to try hiking amid the jungles. What a spectacular dining experience!

Bohol Bee farm has a unique food to offer. They serve natural organic food freshly picked from the farm that actually not seen in the market.

Your travel won’t be complete without trying the local sweet delicacies – Peanut Kisses, Calamay and Broas. Don’t forget to bring ‘Bagol ng Bohol ’, a sweet dessert from coconut milk, grind glutinous rice, brown sugar, and peanut.

So, come to Bohol. There are many more to discover when you are in the province, known for the warmth and hospitality of its people.

A Magical Night in Donsol River

A magical night in Donsol River
By JO ERLINDA G. NEBRES
February 10, 2009
Published in Philippines Today US
http://www.philippinestodayus.com

Fairy tale stories will come alive in river boating in the long Donsol River in Sorsogon. It’s an extraordinary experience and a different kind of river boating. Night rowing might seem eerie to you, but in Donsol, magic reveals when the sun sets in.
An imaginable experience starts around 5:30 in the afternoon. River cruising in a small boat while waiting for darkness to envelop the place is worthy doing. You’ll be awestruck by the beautiful view of the sunset and feel yourself melt as the color of the sky changes to a deep orange and the sun falls into the calm Donsol river waters.
As the sky blackens, the mystery unfolds as few tiny lights start to emerge around you. While observing them, you can’t imagine the thousands to millions of little lights already there surrounding you.
The unfathomable fireflies swimming in the air, glow-dancing and forming like a giant Christmas tree around the lined-up mangrove trees beside the river. You could even see its lights reflecting on the river water.
The river is like an enchanted place which comes alive from the fairy tale story. The site of thousands to millions of little fire balls with wings swimming around you, the moon and the billions of stars twinkling above you makes you young at heart. It’s delightful to watch the entire place. The only light would be the stars and the moon and the immeasurable numbers of fireflies that brighten the area. At times, you cannot even tell the stars from the fireflies!
When the boat river tour is over, one can't help but shed tears. How beautiful the world really is!
The picture of glowing lights from the water up to the skies above will continue to dance in your mind!
Rarely do we see fireflies in nowadays. In fact, firefly-watching tours are not available in all countries but only in three countries in Asia and Philippines is one of them.
Visual feast of fireflies won’t end during your visit to Donsol. Donsol is rich with locally known Butanding or whale shark. You might want to have an interaction with giant whale shark while you are there. A once in a lifetime experience to see fireflies and whale sharks!
Let the magic unfold before your very eyes. Witness the enchanting place like Donsol River at night. Let the magical experience starts by emailing gagabytes@yahoo.com.

Palawan's enchanting underground river

TRAVEL TIME

Jo Erlinda G. Nebres

Published in Philippines Today

http://www.philippinestodayus.com

Palawan's enchanting underground river

Marvelous! Enchanting! Extraordinairy! Wow!

These are a few words to describe this-must-see Underground River !

This simply unique underground river has been known as the world's largest underground river and is found in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

The mystical eight-kilometer St. Paul Subterranean River runs under a mountain range hollowed out by a cave system at the bottom of karsts limestone cliffs, topped in rich rainforest cave system of sprouting and most awesome stalactites.

Outside this cave, you can lie down sunbathing on a pristine, powdery white sand beach or begin snorkeling on the emerald blue waters on the coast! Nothing beats the excitement of cruising in a mystical underground river!

From Puerto Princesa it will take you two hours drive to the pier where a boat ride takes you to the underground river. Going to the underground river is an adventure itself. Upon reaching the island, there is a little bit of trekking on a forest trails leading off into the jungle. One of these leads to a boat landing point where you charter your boat and boatman to take you into the caves. While hiking, there are monkeys and large monitor lizards roaming freely. You can hear and watch many beautiful birds there! The entrance to the underground river is a sight to see with its calm deep blue green water encased by sharp, pointed rocks!

Now, going inside the underground river is another totally different experience. More mystery unfolds. If you’re afraid of the dark and deep water, then this adventure could pose a problem for you. Each boat carries one light only that primarily points to fantastic stalagmites. The boat ride is quite long, more than 30 minutes and if I remember correctly, covers at least four kilometers of the distance but when riding on kayaks it will push farther.

On your way back, when you see the opening of the river, you kind of heave a sigh of relief because the ride is almost over. Then again, you’ll see breathtaking sceneries that make you want to stay a bit longer.

Marveling at this one of the Seven Wonders of the World , interesting rock formations are very noticeable, and the thousand of bats and swiftlets, including the one that produces the edible birds nest.

Puerto Princesa, capital of Palawan, prides itself as the cleanest city in the Philippines. To protect its mega diversity, only eco-friendly programs are adhered to by tourist establishments. And there are strict ordinances against dynamite fishing, with only net and line fishing allowed. Palawan may have opened itself to tourism but it has also taken serious efforts to preserve this last frontier.

So come to the Palawan underground river and find out for yourself why it is now leading in the search for new wonders of the world.

For comments, email gagabytes@yahoo.com.