Destination Antulang

Nestled 40 kilometers south of Dumaguete City, Philippines, ANTULANG BEACH RESORT is proud to be the first Philippine resort to offer private pool villas to guests. Each of our flagship accommodations comes with its own swimming pool (no plunge pools here), heated Jacuzzi and luxurious, spacious rooms all decked out in Canadian pinewood.

Suspended on ten sprawling hectares of sheer cliffs peppered with a kaleidoscope of bougainvillea blooms, swimming pools and premium rooms are positioned right at the cliffs’ edge, ensuring guests a commanding view of an endless sea, while winding staircases lead directly to a kilometer’s stretch of isolated white sand beach strewn with large, natural rock formations. So on any given evening, let the gentle lapping of waves caressing boulders on the beach lull you to sweet, glorious slumber, and catch up on unhurried, leftover dreams of Antulang...

Antulang, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental
image and text source: http://antulang.com

Wow! I can't believe I'm blogging again... I've been travelling for quite some time and I wasn't able to document it and I promise myself that I'll start doing blogs to save an online copy of the pictures and write the experiences that I've had. And the best way that I can think of is to do it here in travelblog and travbuddy... I've got so much information from other travellers/bloggers that Im gonna use for the travel plan that I'm making for my December holiday... it's my turn to share I guess... hehehe...

March 22, 2008

Right after work at 1AM, I went straight back home to pack some stuff for just a 3-day adventure to the nearby island of Negros Oriental. I went to my friends hotel room to pick her up and around 5AM went out again to meet other friends. we're all heading to Santander, Liloan, Cebu to take a ferry to Dumaguete City. The view on our way to Santander is AMAZING!!!... I think it was my first time to pass thru a highway wherein you can see the beautiful sea and I was surprised that there are alot of churches. Cebu seems to be the center of Catholicism here in the Philippines. One of the most memorable church that I saw was the one in Boljoon, Im not sure what the name is but it's really awesome... The church is fronting the sea. Breathtakingly beautiful...

I grew up in Manila, and seldom do I get a chance to travel in a very short notice... because most of the good places to visit are far away from the city... Im starting to really like my stay here in Cebu...

Anyway, upon arrival in the pier (Puerto del Sur is the name if the port in Santander, Liloan), we bought our tickets and waited for around 20 minutes for our ferry. The travel time from Santander, Cebu to Sibulan, Negros Oriental is surprisingly short... roughly 15-20minutes I guess. We quickly hailed a cab as soon as we got out of the Sibulan port and the driver took us directly to C& L Hotel. Left our bags, took a 30-minute rest and geared up for the next destination.

We rode a tricycle that took us to Ceres bus. It's about 25-35 minutes I guess from Dumaguete to Bais. As soon as we arrived in Bais,
we started asking around about the dolphin and whale watching... a nice tricycle driver took us to the pier where we found our boat for the whale and dolphin watchin activity. The good thing is there are always dolphins in the area where we're going but the bad thing is, its not whale season. They told us whale sightings usually occur between May and June (so I'll guess we'll be back again). We're still excited anyway so we decided to book the boat and off we go.

After a few minutes in the open sea, I started to see some splashes and then I saw one tail and then they started jumping... It's really fun and amazing... the boatman told us its a spotted dolphin, usually in the morning they see spinners (which I think will be more fun to watch). I was hoping I could see spinners too but luck was not with me hehehe... Anyway, I saw alot of spotted dolphins and its really really fun.

After the dolphin watchin activity, we headed to the infamous sandbar in Bais, I was just expecting a regular sandbar protruding from the island though Im not really enthusiastic about it when I saw the pictures in the internet. But damn was I wrong... Its really really wonderful it looks like a small white sand island in the middle of the deep sea... It was really really amazing. I really cant explain it in words, so Ill just post pictures.

March 23, 2008

We're planning to go to Siquijor on this day, but we're so tired because we lacked sleep since yesterday. We decided to stay in Dumaguete and look for another activity that we can do within Negros. We decided to go to Casaroro falls. It started with a 15 minute jeepney ride to Valencia (one of the most beautiful and charming town, Ive ever seen), 30 minute motorcycle ride and I cant remember how much time it took us to descend to the forst and walk our way to the falls.

It was majestic... maybe because its the first waterfall that I saw in my life but it's really really awesome. And we're the only people... It's like having your own private waterfall... in your own private forest... hehehe... the water is real cold and near the waterfall lagoon you can actually feel the force of the water... wind and water vapors are being sprayed into your face... This is really cool... After an hour or two we decided to go back to the town of Valencia to eat. We didnt bring enough food and water for the trip (lesson learned).

The ascending part is the hardest and most painful part, well travelling is not all fun right, there are parts of it that we all hate... hehehe and for this trip, taking 333 steps in the manmade steep staircase is so damn painful in the legs... or maybe I just need some exercise...

But it was worth it though, after seeing the Casaroro falls, and having the chance to see the splendor of that forest... really worth everything... I hope the people in Valencia can preserve it... it maybe one of the remaining gems in our country... Travelling helps me to understand more about environment and my role. Its like taking a class, I'm learning so much... from the people that I meet, from the stories that Ive heard and from my actual experience.

March 24

As I was writing this blog... I cant help but smile... the beauty of he serene mountains and Casaroro falls is like a movie being played over and over again in my head... I can't wait to see more places...

'Till the next adventure...

The flight into Dumaguete was quite interesting.  The plane came in for the approach on a sharp angle, swooped down below the trees and landed rather quickly.  It was like landing on an aircraft carrier - Very short runway that disappears into the sea...

I spent a few days healing my swollen leg in Dumaguete and watched the Giants win the Superbowl in dramatic fashion.  Finally, a Superbowl that lived up to its name!  Then it was off to Sugar Beach via the gateway village of Montilia on the west coast of Negros.  Getting to Sugar Beach is half the fun.  After taking a bus for 5 hours, a tricycle (motorbike with sidecar) for 4km, I had to cross the broken bridge by foot, then hike thru a remote village another 1.5km, before arriving at another river.  This one was crossed by boat.  Then another 500 meters on the beach before arriving at the Driftwood Village.  The first night I stayed in a tent, then the next 4 nights in a nipa hut.  As you can see from the photos, the ladies of the Driftwood could make any traveller want to stay longer than he had planned.  I spent 5 days hanging out with Madeleen from Amsterdam, Thor from the UK, and the wonderful ladies of the Driftwood.  Many people say the beach here is one of the best and actually rivals that of Boracay, which is the most famous beach in the Philippines.  The water is crystal clear, the sand is white and the hammocks in the shade can swollow you alive.  Days on the beach and in the hammock, nights in the bar (sand floor of course) shooting pool, playing foosball and the hammering nail game (What's that you ask?).  Hammering nails into a log, but with the backside (very thin area) of the hammer.  Much harder than it looks and even funnier the more you drink....

Sugar Beach was a nice getaway for 5 days and very therapeutic.  Seems the water sucked all the swelling from my foot and it was healed.  But now I had simply traded one problem for another, as my stomach turned ill.   Like I said before, its always something in Asia....

So then it was back to Dumaguete.....

I've always wanted to visit Mt Patag. It is a popular place with Mountaineers. Located just outside Silay City, it is about 45 km or 28 miles from Bacolod City. I just moved to the Philippines and was staying with an aunt. She and her sisters decided it was too dangerous for me to visit Patag. There was a recent report of a Frenchman being abducted by the NPA, New Peoples Army. There are NPA territories, they do not wander the whole mountain range but still paranoia had set in for them

One day, my biological brother offered to take me to Mt Patag. He has been there many times with his Mountaineering group. I was excited to finally visit the "NPA infested" mountain I've been hearing so much about. He picked me up early in the morning. We were accompanied by my biological mother, my two biological sisters, and my older biological brother. So yeah, lots of biological bonding

We first went to an abandoned hospital. It is now used as a base camp. There were a few people and tents inside. From there, we started our trek through the forest. Huge ferns and giant bamboos everywhere.  We went to Alligator Lake and waded at the foot of the waterfall

It was such a beautiful place, a haven from the noisy, polluted city. It is one of many mountains in the island of Negros

The pics are few and old but hopefully it portrays some of the beauty that the Philippines offers

I lingered before finally leaving Sipalay. I wished that I could've stayed longer, but like what Cathy said, if I wouldn't leave then I couldn't come back.  And I had a date to keep so I needed to move on.  Takatuka's boat transfer was supposed to be just until the river, but somehow I was brought straight to Poblacion Beach next to the highway, effectively giving me a 50% discount on the cost.   

To get to Danjungan, Joy had told me to take the bus to Crossing Remolyos, then a tricycle to the pier where a boat would be waiting.  The tricycle took me over a dirt road to a remote pier where we stopped near an abandoned copper mine.  At the small beach there were some people swimming so I felt less paranoid. But there was no boat!  I called Joy and it became clear that we've had a major miscommunication.  We had had to re-schedule several times: Joy because of a marine camp for 40 schoolkids that would be held in the island, and they'd needed to do preparations for; me, because I needed to travel to Dumaguete on a specific date.  We finally had agreed on a date. Or so I thought, because she booked me a day later!  I asked her if I could go anyway, but she told me that only the warden was there, and no staff, and thus nothing to eat!

So there I was at the neglected, windswept pier with poor cell signal and Joy already running low on phone battery while we figured out what do next.  Joy suggested Punta Bulata, a posh white-sand resort, but it was too expensive.  Our conversation was cut short though when Joy's battery gave out, so I had to make my own plans.  Duane, my driver, took me back to Elsie's sari-sari store, suggesting that I find accomodation there.  At the store I mulled over my choices: a homestay and videoke all night at Bulata, or back to Sipalay, or Kabankalan City two hours away where I can find an internet cafe and at least use my downtime to finally write my blog.  I chose Kabankalan City.  I knew nothing about the place except that Faith from Driftwood Restaurant studied there. Plus, the place didn't even merit a blurb on my guidebook.

When I got to Kabankalan, I instantly regretted my choice. I imagined border-town seediness, just being on the outskirts alone. The only two hotels that were first mentioned were too expensive,  but for budget digs, I could go to RTM Traveller's Inn.  I went and the place was really basic and the bathroom badly stained, and I knew that, given the location, I was in for an uncomfortable night. I checked in, but kept asking the caretaker George, "Is it really safe?", then I left my bags to find an internet cafe.  There I googled Kabankalan.  Surprisingly, the city had its own nicely-done website where I found a list of the city's attractions and, most importantly,  a list of pension houses' numbers, which I began to call on my cell, one-by-one.  Top of the list was Justin's.  When I called they said it was near the park, church and the cost mid-range.  Perfect! I went over and was finally sold.  Apart from the clean room and bathroom, there was an internet place in the very same building.  I took my bags from RTM, felt bad for George (because he seemed hurt that I doubted him, and really I shouldn't have because he had really honest eyes), but he gave me back my money anyway.  The next day was Sunday so I went to church and saw the city center and changed my mind about Kabankalan -- a really nice place for a transient like me.