Tour of paradise on board the 7107 Island cruise ship

By Jojie G. Nebres
Published in Philippines Today Us April 22, 2009
http://www.philippinestodayus.com

Ever dream of cruising around the islands of the Philippines? Now this is your chance!
The 7107 Island Cruise Ship opened late last year as the first luxury ship that can accommodate 400 guests in great cruising experience around the country.
Through 7107 Island Cruise we will finally have a chance to tour around the greatest beach and island destinations, journey to these beautiful places like Boracay, Coron, Ditaytayan, Panlaitan, Calauit, Apo Reef, Subic and access to other private islands.
The ship provides a five-star luxury accommodation for every island hoppers and travelers on their journey to these beautiful places in the country.
No other travel package can beat this summer cruise expedition the 7107 Island Cruise is offering. A visit to these beautiful places on a journey while in the comfort of a five star cabin hotel!
Cruising in 7107 Island Cruise Ship could mean this itinerary.
On the first day, embark 7107 Island Cruise Ship at Batangas pier around 10 o’clock in the evening sailing towards Boracay. For first time sailors who can’t sleep at night, there are lots of activities onboard to tire you to sleep like live bands, bar, spa or have a quiet time sightseeing or stargazing at the deck.
The morning comes and long anticipated Boracay oh Boracay! known as the Party Island Escapade! Arriving around noon time the following day will give us a half day lazing around the immaculate white sand beach and a whole night of partying! Make sure you have enough energy to wake up early to enjoy a whole day of fun for water sports activities the following morning.
Following night, the ship will glide again heading to Coron. Let us relax for awhile in Sauna room and have a beauty sleep. We have a whole day unraveling the Coron Island of Calamianes, Palawan!
The Calamianes is rich with coral reefs, mangrove forests reserve, sandy beaches, protected bays and inlets, and majestic karsts and cliff formations which provide diverse array of marine and coastal habitats, making it one of the most bio diverse groups of islands in the Philippines. Coral reefs, sea grass and mangroves border every island that is why some of them are nesting grounds for sea turtles, inhabited by dugongs as well as two species of endangered marine crocodiles, making it a high potential area for marine tourism.
From Coron Island, the ship will transfer in a short distance island also located in Calamianes, to the Ditaytayan Island and Malcapuya Island. These are privately owned by 7107 Islands Cruise’s sister company. It is a special treat to 7107 Island Cruise ship guests. This is where powdery white sand beaches and flourishing coral gardens meet!
Guests can enjoy a picnic lunch in Malcapuya’s Cabanas and then island hop to neighboring islands of Cheron Island and Banana Island and have dinner on the sandbar of Ditaytayan Island which swirls towards the azure sea. Don’t forget to look for Dugong or Sea Cow, Monkey, Wild Ducks and Giant Clams while you are there.
You must be exhausted from Palawan’s island escapade, to bother you an early dawn sailing to Panlaitan. Sureness, you’ll be rushing your breakfast to go out and play volleyball on the beautiful long white stretch beach or start snorkeling to watch the coral gardens bloom beneath these clear waters.
As we sleep at night, we’ll be awake by the time the ship reached Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary and later a stop at the Apo Reef where the second largest contiguous coral reef in the world can be found!
Spend the rest of the day explore the world of Apo Reef and discover exotic marine life and fabulous coral walls and lagoons!
During dinner time, the 7107 Island Cruise ship will be leaving for the final travel destination – Subic!
Arrive at Subic the following day before noon time where you may await for another travel adventure! From aqua sports to paragliding, hiking and trekking and many more!
So what are you waiting for? Let’s cruise and have fun aboard the 7107 Island Cruise ship this summer! Email me at gagabytes@gmail.com.

A veritable rest break away from the city

By JO ERLINDA G. NEBRES

Printed March 10, 2009 Philippines Today US

http://www.philippinestodayus.com

Therapeutic breath in a warm tranquil place, lying in a finely white sand beach of La Luz Beach of San Juan, Batangas is a rester’s timely place, only two and a half hours away from Manila.

Arriving at La Luz Resort, one could not possibly believe a jewel resort existed in Batangas. A cozy, beauteous and picturesque beach with pleasing accommodations is hard to miss! Nevertheless, one cannot forget a utopian beach…

La Luz Beach Resort is an aspiring place to an impeccable escape from fussy life of busy city. Resting under a white umbrella, lying lazily in a foam beach wooden chaise lounge, star gazing at night, enjoying the sultry air, or behind the elegantly lacy white curtains of a four post wooden outdoor cottage with nipa roof of cabana.

La Luz Beach Resort is a privately owned beach resort which was recently opened to the public but its owners have maintained its orderliness and cleanliness. There’s no loud music, no crowd or vendors to pester you during your stay. You can enjoy your break at the wooden chaise lounge while drinking their lush shake of mango fruits - an idyllic place to relax!

If you are seeking for water adventure, La Luz is not a diving spot but there are two dive spots available near the resort. A motorized banca is available for rent for those who wish to do an island hopping or snorkeling at shore. You would be surprised with what you would find during your underwater exploration.

La Luz is located in Barangay Laiya in San Juan, a small town of Batangas, whose shores abound with barracuda. This is where I had my close encounter with this kind of spiny-finned fish surprisingly. The large fish I thought at first were something else. The moment I realized they were barracudas, I broke the record as the fastest swimmer to get back to the canoe which we rented during our sea exploration there!

I will never forget a perfect serene place like La Luz Beach Resort. The romantically-elegantly dressed cabana, the white sand, the graceful white canopy beside the chaise lounge, tranquil breeze of beach air and the wild blue sea gives a magnificent relaxing atmosphere!

A solitary retreat is hard to find. La Luz Beach Resort is an ideal rest oasis for everybody! It's the ultimate haven for honeymoon or romantic gateway for its simplicity and tranquility -- a lavish atmosphere of adventure for amatory affairs!

There is not a single television available at La Luz Beach Resort. One either has to enjoy its veritable luxury in harmony of mini-break, rejuvenating escape from the hustle and bustle of city life or work to enjoy the nature.

While you’re there, you might want to try hiking at Mount Daguldol , a popular site for hikers or see the Naambon Falls and the Peak with breathtaking views. This will be the highlights of the journey. A tourist guide is available to take you there.

If you are looking for nightlife, this place is not for you. The place is best suited for people who are up for a revitalizing and peaceful beach experience.

San Juan, Batangas is not only famous for beautiful white beaches. Never leave the town without a journey to the bat kingdom of Laiya Aplaya Mountain. A horse ride and trek to the bat cave is a must and never miss this experience!

Don’t forget to buy tuba or lambanog (coco wine or coco vodka) and palayok (clay potteries) on your way home.

For comments, email gagabytes@gmail.com.

Blogging - My New Best Friend

Blogging - My New Best Friend
By Jo Erlinda Gabot
January 22, 2009

I’ve been writing for many years now for a Filipino community newspaper in America. I first started as a freelance media relations officer at the Office of the Mayor of Manila. Along the way, I sidelined as a media relations consultant to some officials and friends as I grabbed the opportunity to earn more, taking advantage of my connections with the print, radio and television media editors because my father is one of them.
Last October 2007, I met a tragic car accident in Nasugbu, Batangas. The car I was driving hit a parked gasoline truck which I did not notice because it was dark. Due to the great impact of the collision, my car hood smashed my windshield hitting me in head and face. I woke up in the hospital three days after coma and learned that my nose broke, there were holes in my face and you can even see my skull during my heartbreakingly incident. If it wasn’t by God’s grace, I would not be live again. If you see my totally wrecked car, you would not believe that I would survive that mishap. It was a miracle. A miracle of God.
After operations on my face and broken legs and bones and almost a month of recuperation at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, the doctors finally allowed me to go home. My recovery continued in the house. After several months, I went down to the pit of depression. I could not accept the damages on my face.
My friend advised me to start writing my thoughts down. I went home that night, inspired to write my thoughts. After several write ups, I noticed the word blog on my friendster profile. I began to type blog on the query box of the search engine of Google to get more information about blogging. To my amazement, my query returned huge number of results. I read some of them.
Even when I want to go places to while away time, forget all my troubles, especially my tragic accident, I just go to my blog and find beautiful places, far or near, which you can enjoy and you will be at peace with yourself. The Philippines, my country, has plenty of good and beautiful sites which you can even call paradise. El Nido, Puerto Princesa underground river, Tubatahha Reef, Hundred Islands, Boracay, Coron, Panglao, Siargao -- all gems for tourists, local and foreign. Indeed, blogging has become one of the most effective marketing tool nowadays. You blog and while away time and earn at the same time. Why not?
At that thought, I began using my friendster’s blog. I began putting my masterpiece on the site doing my best to make my blog’s lay-out friendly to my readers.
It’s amazing what blog can do for online marketers. Most especially to the online entrepreneurs and writers like me. Blog today is the most powerful tool for ranking a website in Google search engine. Most Search Engine Optimizers or SEO use blog to drive links to a specified website they wanted to promote for Google love to read texts on the net!
Every writer wants to be read on the net. They want to share their thoughts to the world. The writers' challenge is to encourage readers to agree on what’s written on their blog. They want to be seen on the world of W3’s. They want to gain popularity as a blogger and to gain avid readers and friends thru their site.
As a blogger, I am happy to know that someone read my articles or someone commented on it. I was surprised at first when lots of readers commented on my articles although I don’t even know them. I never invited them. Wow! Next thing I knew I began researching on how search engine works and learned the importance of quality content of the articles to the ranking of Google’s search engine.
It’s really fun to write. It’s really engaging to blog. It is every writer’s new best friend. Most especially, it is free to blog. It’s free to share your thoughts. Make one now. You might never know what writing and blogging your thoughts can do to your life.
Blogging has played a significant role in my road to full recovery, physically, spiritually and emotionally. Now, I am so confident and optimistic about the world we live in. Sharing one's thoughts verbally to your friends, acquaintances or even to not so friendly folk isn't that easy. But through blog, this best friend of mine, I can now share everything to the world!

IT'S PARADISE!

It's Paradise!
Jo Erlinda Gabot
March 27, 2008

A fun way to start snorkeling begins
at Long Beach, Puerto Galera







Many of my friends would ask me, why do I always want to go to the beaches?
I’ve never been addicted to the beach, though I was trained to swim during college. I hate beaches for their salty water and it irritates my skin and eyes! I didn’t enjoy swimming there for my fear that something would actually attack me. I usually spend my time at the shores making sand castle or enjoy grilled food at the cottages there.

My first experience in Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro last summer 2006 changed everything. My badminton peers went there for three days and spent time at the San Antonio Island. The first time I saw the water, it was really inviting for its clearness. The sooner I put down my traveling bag, I immediately spent practicing snorkeling. There, I saw colorful and unique sea creatures that I’ve never seen in my whole life that close.
The following day, we rented a motorized banca and went island hopping. Our first stop was Puerto Galera’s famous Giant Clam Shells.
As my first time snorkeling experience in deep water, I made sure that there was someone beside me or there was a person I see not far from me.
From the Giant Clam Shell, we took our stop in an island where there is cave for our picnic lunch.
Our next stop, the most important place a first-timer should be in, was Long Beach . On the Long Beach shore, you mustn’t forget to rent a banca to take you to see the bountiful rainbow-colored coral garden! You wouldn’t ride in that small motorized banca. Youʼll grab a piece of handle beside it, and it will pull you to the destination while snorkeling and feeding the fishes.
A very exhilarating experienced that surely no one can ever forget. A first close encounter by hundreds and hundreds of different species of fish eagerly and waiting for their turn to take a piece of food in your hand! You can even hold and feel the fish as you feed them. What a spectacular sight and a mind-blowing experience! It’s like being inside a gigantic aquarium. To add to the momentum, you’ll see the coral gardens and reefs multi-colored in all shades of the rainbow deep below. There are shallow coral gardens, interesting rock formations, and colorful species to watch, like crabs, shrimps, sea anemones, moray, and trumpet fishes.
When it was time to leave, all of us didn’t want to reach the shore. We continued snorkeling and there I begun my own venture alone. After gaining my confidence in snorkeling, I wandered around and looked for something more interesting.
Before going back to our cottage, we stopped at Coco Beach Resort Hotel and had a few drinks and rented kayaks.
As our second and last night, we went to White beach for a party! I was amazed that there were many people there. It was jam-packed and full. You can’t even find a table immediately. Every adult looking for a drink should try their Mindoro Sling!
After that unforgettable experience in Puerto Galera, I had wanted to go snorkelling there again and again. And maybe find another place as beautiful as the waters of this famous place and its denizens in its pristine waters.
Yes, Puerto Galera. My tropical paradise.
Send comments to gagabytes@yahoo.com

The blue waters of Anilao beckon

The blue waters of Anilao beckon
This Batangas adventure zone is only 4 hours away from Manila
By Jo Erlinda Gabot
Printed in Philippines Today

Anilao in Batangas is world renowned for diving and snorkeling wannabes. The waters are teeming with marine life, bountiful and colorful corals, and amazing diversity of fishes.
It seems hard to imagine that this beautiful place is only 3 to 4 hours away from Manila .
In the amazing blue waters of Anilao, many diving spots can be found. You can arrange and rent a motor banca for island hopping to discover them.
Never mind the sunburn; it will disappear. Never mind the jellyfish that irritates the skin; it is but transient. What will certainly remain after your trip here would be great memories of swimming and snorkelling, and the beautiful pictures of sea and sun of Anilao.
This marine playground is just 140 kilometers away from Manila , and access is now made easy with cemented roads. More importantly, it literally faces the haven of marine biodiversity in the world, sharing the same waters as Isla Verde and the islands of Sulu Sea such as Apo Reef and the farther but world famous Tubbataha Reef.
There are over 300 species of corals in Anilao, and one dive site alone – the Cathedral Rock – is said to have more coral species than the entire Carribean!
Yet, you do not have to be a scuba diver to appreciate Anilao or its marine wonders: the reefs are just steps away from the shore – just be careful lest you step upon the razor-sharp corals!
A whole day of fun in the shore with lots of water sports adventures available for rent. Enjoy swimming and before the very end of the day you will find damselfish, clownfish, sea anemones, nudibranches and, of course, the coral clusters in a rich array of colors and textures!
At the end of the day, you can celebrate the phenomenon of the sunset sitting at the beach as fleeting as other wonders of nature- yet more poignantly so!
Surely, Anilao is hard to miss!