Popular weekend getaway in Nasugbu

By Tessa Prieto-Valdes
Philippine Daily Inquirer

 2 29 23

PICO Sands Hotel premier lagoon view

With the Philippine economy on an upswing, more and more Filipinos are looking at potential second homes outside the city. Beachfront properties are booming; mountain-view homes are peaking; real estate is on a roll.

Pico Sands Hotel

Just three hours away from Manila lies the 1.5-kilometer sandy shore of Pico de Loro Cove along the Hamilo Coast, SM Land’s premier coastal development in Nasugbu. Nestled amid the lush green trees and rolling hills of Batangas, this picturesque coastal enclave is a popular weekend getaway that boasts a cluster of modern, mid-rise condominiums, a tropical contemporary hotel and a full-service beach and country club. The community is built around a tranquil, manmade lagoon with the beach at one end and the mountains framing the opposite side.

The SM land bank encompasses vast hectares of land, a total of 13 coves, and kilometers of the country’s finest coastlines. Hamilo’s long-term master plan envisions a network of communities with a variety of lifestyle experiences.

First coastal community

The 37.5-hectare Pico de Loro Cove is the first coastal community to rise in Hamilo Coast. Eight low-impact condominium buildings, along with an exclusive Beach and Country Club, and the Pico Sands Hotel comprise Phase I of Pico de Loro Cove. These coastal condo homes and exclusive club facilities offer an active and dynamic leisure lifestyle, and have redefined the concept of weekend getaways with convenience, immediacy and privacy.

coconut trees

The Pico de Loro Cove’s condos are divided into four clusters, each composed of two buildings. Jacana and Myna were the first two clusters launched in 2007, and Carola and Miranda followed in 2008.

The centerpiece amenity of Pico de Loro Cove is the Beach & Country Club. This exclusive members-only club brings the comforts and conveniences of home into a spectacular beach and mountainside setting.

A more social venue

The Beach Club component, located near the coastline, is a more social and engaging venue, with its dining facilities and lounge areas. The Sun Coral Café is the signature restaurant and the Brisa Bar is an al fresco dining and entertainment venue.

The Country Club offers a recreational atmosphere with its family-oriented facilities, as well as amenities for ball and racket sports. The Lagoa Restaurant caters to the families, as it is next to the indoor kids’ play area.

Country Club Lobby

The Pico Sands Hotel is an exclusive 154-room hotel designed with efficiency and comfort in mind. Club members and their guests can choose between rooms with captivating views of the serene lagoon or the lush mountains of Pico de Loro. All rooms have standard modern amenities such as individually controlled air conditioning, cable TV with high-definition programming, Wi-Fi access and safety deposit boxes. Furnished in a contemporary, seaside palette of seashell white and sandy creams, and complemented by minimalist furniture in resort-friendly materials of rattan and wood, the hotel is an inviting haven for city-weary souls. After a long day of exciting adventures, the hotel’s Rain Spa is a great option, with its selection of relaxing massages and soothing beauty treatments.

Commitment

SM Land, the exclusive developer of Hamilo Coast, has respected the natural beauty and resources of the area. It has committed itself to the sustainable development of Hamilo Coast and has made this a deliberate part of its operations and plans.

SM Land works closely with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF Philippines) in three areas: coastal resource management, solid waste management and use of renewable sources of energy. Three of its 13 coves—Pico de Loro, Etayo, and Santelmo—have been declared as marine-protected areas, with the help of WWF and the local government. Costa del Hamilo Inc. has also been undertaking proactive measures to conserve and support the environment, such as clam seeding, coastal cleanups, the release of pawikan or sea turtles, the formation of bantay dagat or marine patrol groups, and the establishment of cooperatives that support local communities in order to engage them as stewards of their natural resources. For info on Pico de Loro, visit www.picodelorocove.com.

Visit www.tessaprietovaldes.com or follow @tessavaldes on Twitter.

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P 9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09155734856/09173373687/09222737836.

GOOD READS!

• Travel Tips: Top 5 Things to Remember when Traveling
• Keane Live! in Manila: Strangeland Presscon
• FHM Girls at the "House of Sexy" Party: LAX Manila the Nightclub
• Look chic in Louis Claparols' S/S 2013 collection, previewed for MEGA Style Series
• URCC Tribal Brawl Championships and Philippine BJJ International Open: Two Free Events You Shouldn't Dare Miss!

Home   >   Editor's Choice   >   The Enchanting Waters and Dirt Roads of Coron, Palawan

The Enchanting Waters and Dirt Roads of Coron, Palawan

 By Nikka Corsino & Owen Ballesteros on April 11, 2013

• 1

When in Manila and eager to get out of the air-conditioned office cubicle and into the sun, sand, and sea, one mention of Coron in Palawan is enough to send anybody packing and ready to go.

Coron is so staggeringly beautiful from any point—underwater, on top of a hill, in the middle of its savannah-like landscape—that it is difficult to find the right words to give it justice. One thing becomes obvious though to anyone who visits: Coron’s raw beauty is worth going back to over and over again.

The town of Coron is part of the Calamian Group of Islands in northern Palawan. It is one hour away from Manila by air. You can opt to fly to Busuanga via PAL Express, ZestAir, Cebu Pacific, or Skyjet.

When we arrived in Coron, the nearest to an itinerary we had was a text message from our hotel confirming we had a place to crash for the night. Apart from that, the trip had been a big, blank slate we were excited to write on!

C O R O N ‘ S  E N C H A N T I N G  L A G O O N S

We wouldn’t for the life of us miss Coron’s main draw—its waters and marine life challenging what is commonly acceptable as crystal-clear and vibrant. By the end of that day, we knew that future snorkeling trips would have to top this one we just had!

T H E  O U T S K I R T S  O F  C O R O N

Although Coron had tricycles to ferry tourists around, we wanted to have a bit more freedom with our route so we decided to rent a scooter. We neither own nor regularly drive one back home, but whenever we are someplace else, we always try to rent for three reasons: it’s convenient, it’s cheaper than chartering, and it lets us come and go as we please.

Most day tours around Coron’s town proper cost above P500 each person, but with our rented scooter at P500 for a whole day, we were able to save half the usual amount. The better part of the bargain? We could go anywhere we wanted, anytime we wanted!

The road from the airport to the town proper looked straight out of an African landscape. The small concrete road snaked along fields and grassy mountains on both sides.

Coron’s long, winding, traffic-free roads are perfect for leisurely road trips!

You just have to watch for crossing cows though!

No cars also meant we could take several jump shots without worrying about being run over :P

Continue reading

pages: 1 2

About Nikka Corsino & Owen Ballesteros

Two_2_Travel

Nikka and Owen are a pair of trigger-happy travelers who cannot wait for their next big adventure around the Philippines and beyond. When not out on the road, they take on writing, photography, and illustration projects as freelancers. Follow their travel adventures on www.two2travel.com.

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P 9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09155734856/09173373687/09222737836.

Calaguas: An Unspoiled Beach Destination for the Boracay-weary

 By Reg Silva on April 9, 2013

When in Manila, ask any urban-dweller about the best beach in the country and you are guaranteed a popular answer: Boracay. And why not? Boracay’s blindingly white powder-fine sand and its clear, azure waters have spoilt us Filipinos. The Philippines’ top tourist destination has set the bar for beach-goers who cannot help but compare other beaches they visit with that of Boracay’s sand quality and the clarity of the water.

This is not Boracay.

However, Boracay’s popularity comes at a price. With throngs of tourists flocking to the beach, it has been called “Manila with sand,” capturing the essence of what Boracay is like during peak seasons where the beach is so crowded that running into someone you know from Manila is a regular occurrence. With the influx of more and more foreign tourists due to the Kalibo airport now an international gateway, and the degradation of the beach due to unsustainable tourism practices, people have started looking for alternatives. Fortunately, with over 7,000 islands to choose from in the Philippines, there are plenty, and you don’t even have to fly from Manila to get to some of them.

These are the easy and obvious choices: drive down south of Manila for the beaches in Batangas, a destination known for scuba-diving. A little further south of Batangas and a boat ride away is White Beach in Puerto Galera, Mindoro. Go north of Manila and there’s Anawangin Cove in Zambales, where you can camp on a beach fringed with pine trees.

But if you’re willing to go further and off the beaten path, away from the crowds, lying off the coast of the province of Camarines Norte is a group of pristine, virgin islands called Calaguas, a reward for those who make the time and the effort to journey into the typhoon-battered region of Bicol.         

Calaguas is a collective group of islands and islets, one of which is Tinaga Island where there’s a cove of clear, turquoise waters and an approximately 1-kilometer stretch of white sand called Mahabang Buhangin (long beach). In recent years, it has gained a bit of a cult following among beach aficionados, thanks to travel blogs and the adventurous ones who seek out the island and write about it, but mention Calaguas to just about any other person and 3 out of 5 times, you will be asked, “Where’s that?”

We set off for Camarines Norte from Manila at 10 PM, arriving in the gold-mining town of Paracale at 7 AM the next day after a few gas and restroom breaks along the way. From the port of Paracale, Calaguas is an often rough and choppy 1 1/2-hour boat ride into open seas, which can be dangerous when there’s a low-pressure area or approaching storm (of which the region encounters a lot due to its location as a battering ram for typhoons coming in from the Pacific). There was a low-pressure area that had just barely left the day we sailed off to Calaguas, and we felt its effect on our boat’s outriggers, its tips and ends dipping alternately into the sea, rocking our boat back and forth, splashing salt water on our faces.

Approaching Mahabang Buhangin beach on Tinaga island, Calaguas group of islands

Near the island of Tinaga, on which Mahabang Buhangin lies, are a handful of other islands with lush vegetation, fringed with beautiful beaches and rock formations, all looking perfect and surreal as if they were manicured and groomed on purpose to convey the idea of paradise to approaching visitors. And paradise it is. We landed on Mahabang Buhangin, its warm waters as clear as gin, our feet sinking into silky, soft sand.

For a beach that’s so unimaginatively-named, Mahabang Buhangin (quite a mouthful to say, so people have resorted to simply calling it as Calaguas) is an unspoiled and undeveloped destination that awaits the traveler who dares make the long and uncomfortable journey. That particular beach is often thought of as the Boracay of several decades ago, before Boracay became what it is now. With white sand just as fine as Boracay’s and water that’s as clear and as blue, it’s easy to see why. But the comparison stops there.

The fine, silky sand and the clean, clear waters of Calaguas

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P 9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09155734856/09173373687/09222737836.

Continue reading

pages: 1 2 3

Awesome Tour Package to Pangasinan via Byaheng Victory

 By Cheryl Golangco on April 6, 2013

When In Manila and you’re ready for an adventure, hurry and visit TravelFactor.org and check out their awesome getaways planned.

Everyone loves travelling, and each has his own reason why. Some enjoy it because of the adventure, some for the food, some for the sights, and still others to simply relax. Regardless of the reason, people enjoy the luxury of it. Thing is, not many people enjoy planning it.

Doesn’t this picture just make you want to get up and travel else where?

Planning takes a lot of effort, especially if you’re going to a place you’ve never been to before. You have to do some research, ask around, etc. to make sure you find all the “hidden treasures”. The best thing about Travel Factor is that they can do all that for you! All you need to do is pick a date, a place and deposit your payment! Moreover, you get to meet new people! Travelling just got even easier with Travel Factor’s new partnership with Victory Liners in a joint project called Byaheng Victory!

Personalized bag tag and souvenir item!

Byaheng Victory booked for Pangasinan

Our trip to Pangasinan was booked as early as February. I was extremely excited! Booking is really easy, all you need to do is visit their site, pick which adventure you want and click BOOK NOW. You can pay online via PayPal, bank deposit via BPI (Peso) and Metrobank (USD) or cash/check at the Travel Factor Headquarters. You will be sent a welcome email to confirm once they’ve received your payment.

A week before your adventure, you will be sent a primer. Everything you need to know about your trip is there. Date, time, things to bring, etc. There’s really nothing much you need to worry about!

Meet Up at Victory Liner, Cubao

We all met up at Victory Liner in Cubao. That’s where we met our guide Ma-ann Rabino. Ma-ann was very welcoming! She had this big smile on her face the moment she saw us and immediately gave us our cool personalized bag tags (photo on page 1) and asked us to sign a waiver. We were then led to our bus and off we were on our 5 hour ride to Alaminos.

Breakfast and Hundred Island Tour

As soon as we “landed”, we had a hefty breakfast at a nearby restaurant and immediately headed off for our Hundred Island Tour. Again, everything was already pre-arranged. We just needed to follow Ma-ann to wherever it was we were going.

Breakfast is inclusive (depends on the package)

We rode our boat and sailed around a few islands. We stopped and swam on 3 or 4. Our two friend, Elijah and James even decided to go snorkeling and had the chance to see the magnificent giant clams!

 Swimming at one of the hundred islands

One island had this cave which was connected to the ocean. You’d have to climb up and dive in!

We had the chance to climb more hills and mountains on the different islands, but my favorite would have to be Governor’s Island. Here, you get to climb to the peak where you will be able to view all 100+ islands! (There are more than just a hundred islands now) The islands were just BEAUTIFUL! The wind blowing in my hair, clear blue sky above and crystal water down below with green islands popping out every few meters. It is definitely a work of art and one you should see at least once in this lifetime!

 Hundred Islands in the background. Astonishing ain’t it?

It was soon getting late and time to head back. The weather started to turn and it started drizzling too. Everyone was happy for the rains as it cooled us all off, but then it just got scary! While in the boat on the way back to the main island, the rain started pouring really hard! We could even see long bolts of lighting from afar. For some reason, I didn’t feel scared as I felt how confident the boatman was. Ma-ann also made sure everyone was okay and even asked us all to wear our life jackets just to be sure. I could sense she was scared but she tried her best to hide it. I loved how our entire group kept laughing the entire way back despite the fear of our boat actually sinking from the strong rains! I would say this turned out to be the highlight of the trip! Kudos to our guide Ma-ann and the boatman for being leaders during this event.

Eli’s hair-raising reaction when the rain suddenly poured. The rain felt like hundreds of needs being thrown at us for some reason!

Check in at Villa Soledad Beach Resort

Finally settled down, had a change of clothes and rode the private van to the resort. I honestly expected a crappy resort in which we would just stay to sleep. Most people, especially travellers usually don’t mind where they stay as long as the adventure is worth it. I however can be very picky. I want my room to be just as nice as my adventure ahead, and I was thrilled to see Travel Factor took care of that as well. Our rooms were big and clean. The beds were also very comfortable with blankets I absolutely loved! The resort even had its own basketball court and 2 huge swimming pools! Absolutely divine!

Rooms/Houses at Villa Soledad Beach Resort

Some rooms had 3 beds, others just 1. Ours had 2 as we were splitting the room with our friend Eli too.

Before ending the night, our tour group drank a couple of shots and bonded with a few bottles of beer and a bottle of Jack Daniel’s. It was a fun fun adventure with wonderful people!

Wake Up and Go! Bolinao tour!

Ma-Ann woke us up around 7am the following day to have breakfast and off we were to Bolinao. We were supposed to visit the waterfalls but because of yesterday’s downpour, it had to be cancelled. It was sad but of course, we all understood. Safety always comes first. We visited a nearby beach instead and a quick stroll to the light house.

Cool lighthouse!

We then headed off to the ENCHANTED CAVES. Just the name itself already got everyone excited and cracking corny jokes. (hehe) We climbed a few steps up and then went slowly down to what seemed like a very small opening. Underneath however was a beautiful stream with clear blue water. Left me in awe. Just WOOOOWWWW….

Going under to the Enchanted Caves

Swimming in the clear blue waters

The guys swam for a while and we headed to lunch and a quick tour at the Marine Life Conservatory. There wasn’t much to see but we did see a giant clam! Soon, it was time to head home and board the Victory Liner bus back to Manila.

Did I mention their buses have Wi-Fi and are high end? Aircons, TV, lamp and all!

Byaheng Victory = Success

The trip was wonderful. It was relaxing, exciting and allowed me to appreciate the Philippines even more. Seeing the hundred islands is just breath taking. Had I seen this when I was learning my history back then, I might have listened to my teacher more. Absolutely fascinating!

Group photo! (L-R) Joseph, Ize, Ize’s mom, Ma-Ann, Adrian, James, Say, Philippe, Elijah, Me

“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us.  When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.“ ~Aldo Leopold (1887-1948)

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P 9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09155734856/09173373687/09222737836.