A Little Place Called Paradise : The Philippines

I have heard so many wonderful thinking about the Philippines but nothing could have prepared me for the real beauty this place had to offer. Arthur and I decided to take a week off of school (with approval from our professors) and spend 10 days in paradise. We spent half of our trip in Palawan, and the other half in Bohol. Both Islands were gorgeous, unique, and offered their own great adventures. 

The Philippines was one of the most spectacular places I have even been to. The most pristine beaches with clear turquoise water and white sand, lush vegetation surrounding us everywhere, and kind-hearted inhabitants. The country is extremely poor and it was very sad to see how people in the Philippines lived. It was also inspiring how happy and welcoming everyone was. The trip was very humbling and made a real impact on me. 

Palawan
This island is located on the west of the Philippines. It is the largest island in terms of area. We stayed our 5 nights in the province's capital of Puerto Princesa. When we arrived, after a long night of traveling overnight, we experienced a little bit of culture shock. We tried to get a taxi to our hotel, but there are no taxis in Palawan - only tricycles. A small motorcycle with a small covered side car able to squeeze in two people. Although I think we saw some tricycles with 5 people in them. Not too sure how they managed that. Our first hotel, Hillside Resort, was about 20 minute tricycle ride outside the city was clean, quiet, and comfortable. It would have been perfect if it was not so far from the city. We stayed 3 nights before we moved to House of Rose for two nights that was closer to the city. Both hotels were air conditioned with our own bathroom, and we payed around $25-$28 per night. Pretty good deal. House of Rose was perfect! We fell in love with the kind staff and really enjoyed their home-cooked food. 

There is so much to do in Palawan, and I wish we would have had more time to explore the island some more. If I had the chance, I would return in a heartbeat. Some of the highlights of our time in Palawan:

Underground River
The first activity we did was the Underground River tour. A van picked us up from our hotel and drove us 2 hours to a beautiful beach. We stayed a few hours and soaked up the sun at a beach that took my breath away. We ate some local food for lunch on a table right on the beach before we took a boat to the underground river. The underground river was gorgeous from the outside. The inside was dark, cold, and very interesting. This river is 8.2km and is known at the longest navigable river in the world. 

Honda Bay Island Hopping
The second tour we took was the Honda Bay Island hopping tour, where a boat took us and another Filipino family to a few islands in the beautiful Honda Bay. First we stopped at a famous snorkelling spot that is a floating deck in the middle of the water. Here we saw a great amount of coral and tropical fish. Next we went to a small island where BBQs are common, and the water is crystal clear. We were able to do some more snorkelling. The water was so clear, we got to get up close and personal with many fish. Here our tour guide cooked us a local meal of chicken adobo, rice, salad, tuna, and bananas. After we went to one of the most beautiful islands i have ever seen. The water was so blue, the island filled with palm trees, and the sand white as snow. This is also where the best snorkelling was. The reef was colourful, and the fish were abundant. We also came across hundreds of starfish. When the tide goes out, the small starfish can be found all along the shore. This was probably one of my favourite days of the whole trip. 

Kinabuch's
The food in the Philippines was very tasty. After being in Taiwan for 3 months, the food tickled my taste buds. We found a restaurant that is outside and surrounded by palm trees where we fell in love with the food and ambiance. Here Arthur tried crocodile (which was delicious) and I had the best chicken teriyaki served on a sizzling plate. We ate here a few times and  shared some wine - it was amazing!  

City Tour
This tour was not as good as the other ones, but still had some cool aspects. We first visited some historical places and a tourist market and then we went a crocodile farm where we got to hold some baby crocodiles and take some pictures. Oddly, they were very soft. We also went to a spot that overlooked the Honda Bay, with spectacular views. Lastly we visited a botanical garden where we saw peacocks and tasted some famous local baking. 

Firefly Watching
On our last night we took a tricycle an hour outside the city to go firefly watching. We got to a river and a small boat with a guide rowed us down the river in total darkness to see the fireflies in action along the side of the river. I have never seen anything like this before. It was so calming and beautiful. It was a clear night so the sky was full of stars, the fireflies lit up the trees as we passed by, and if we put our hand in the water, the plankton in the water lit up as well. Nothing makes a girl smile like a little sparkle. 

Bohol

Leaving Palawan was difficult, since we fell in love with the Island. Traveling to Bohol was not the most pleasant experience. We had to fly to Cebu and take a ferry to Bohol. We ended up taking the ferry to the wrong port in Bohol. So we had to take a van down to Panglao Island. In a van fit for 12-14, we were 18 people with all of our luggage driving an hour down the island. This is what travelling is all about, right? We hadn't booked a hotel in advance because we heard that Alona Beach, the area we were staying, was flooded with tons of cheap hotels. When we arrived (around 7pm) we had to try numerous places before finding a room. We stayed at the Citadel Alona Inn. Our room was small, but had air-con and was dirt chear. We had a shared bathroom with the rest of the guests, which I was not too keen on at first so we thought we would stay the night and find a new hotel the next day. The comfortable bed, cheap price (around $20 per night), and the coolness of the air-con (while it is 33 degrees outside and not much cooler at night), and the 5 minute walk to the beach convinced us to stay longer. We actually ended up spending all 5 nights in this hotel. 

Alona Beach is known to be a hot tourist destination, especially for divers. It was much busier than Palawan, but nonetheless amazing in its own way. What made it so great:

Alona Beach Strip

The beach is covered in hotels, resorts, and restaurants. We had some amazing food and drinks right on the beach. The water was warm, although the abundance of boats kind of got the in the way, it was still an incredible sight. At night the strip lights up. We even got to watch a couple put on a fire ball show. One day we spent by the beach started off beautiful and then suddenly started to rain, we were not phased because we ran to a hotel and drank cocktails until the sun re-appeared. The beach is bustling from early in the morning until late at night. 

Bohol Countryside Tour

This tour took us to all the hot-spots in Bohol. We visited an ancient church, a butterfly sanctuary, the tarsier conservatory, the chocolate hills, a hanging bridge and a river cruise. The tarsiers are the cutest things. They are tiny primates (they could fit in the palm of your hand) with big bug eyes. They will melt your heart. Here we also held iguanas and got a snake wrapped around our necks. The chocolate hills are very famous to Bohol. They are numerous identically shaped mounds different sizes that cover a vast amount of space. Their name comes from the fact that in the summer the grass dies and the mounds turn brown looking like big mounds of chocolate. Next we went to the Loboc river where we walked across a hanging bridge made of bamboo. Quite frightening! We then had lunch on a boat that cruised the Loboc river. Here we enjoyed a delicious buffet and beautiful scenery. We also stopped to watch a group of locals put on a show of singing and dancing. This was definitely one of the highlights of the tour. 

Bohol Beach Club
Alona beach is beautiful but quite crowded. We went to a gorgeous resort where we paid an entrance fee and could use their facilities and private beach for the day. This beach was the most incredible sight. The water was a light turquoise and crystal clear. With hammocks and cabanas lining the shore, it was hard not to feel spoiled. We spent the entire day until sunset enjoying the warm water and sun on this nearly deserted beach. It was well worth the entrance fee to the able to use this pristine beach. 

Mag-Aso Falls

This was a little harder to get to. It is not a very popular tourist destination, so we had to find a tour guide with a car that would take us to the falls at a reasonable price. The tour guide that took us was a talkative local with great stories for us about his life in the Philippines. The locals are passionate about their country and are very welcoming to visitors. Once we got to our destination, we had to walk 197 stairs through a forest to the falls. When we got down there, we were the only people there. It was paradise. The water was green, and deep enough to swim and jump into. The name Mag-Aso means smoke, and refers to the mist the falls emit. We spent an hour or two swimming and jumping into the falls. Looking around we were surrounding in forest. It was so pure and beautiful. 

After swimming up an appetite (and walking back up the 197 steps) our guide took us to the Bohol Bee Farm where he recommended a delicious lunch. Here they grow all kinds of herbs, make their own honey, and most of their food is organic. This was one of the most amazing meals I have had in months. The day was absolutely perfect. 

Leaving the Philippines was heartbreaking. I completely fell in love with the people, weather, beaches, and scenery. Hopefully, I will get to experience more of what this beautiful place has to offer. 

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention was the rum! They have their own rum called Tanduay - golden rum that is oh so yummy for less than $1 for 375ml was another highlight of the trip. 

From this trip, I will take home a greater appreciation for what I have, a love for snorkelling, the feeling of the warm sun on my skin, some sand in my bag, a few more freckles, and a bottle of Tanduay ;-)

Chantal

xo

Celebrating My Birthday Abroad

Busy Busy 

I'm sorry I've been kinda slacking with updating my blog, but the past few weeks have been pretty busy. Classes are slightly more work than I was anticipating/hoping for. Between tests, papers, and dragon boat training, there hasn't been much time. 

Dragon Boat

Around 25 international students and a handful of Taiwanese students have been training the past few months for the Kaohsiung Dragon Boat race that will take place in the beginning of June. We train 3 times a week together - one day of track and 2 days of paddling in the pool. The international team has won the past 3 years in a row. It has been a great way to get the international students involved in something together.

A Very Happy Birthday
Once I looked back on the past few weeks - I realized I needed to send out a shout out to all of those that made my birthday so wonderful this year. It was very strange celebrating a birthday away from my friends and family back home, but everyone here in Taiwan really made it super special. 

I haven't really experienced feeling homesick until those closest to me back home started to send me the sweetest birthday messages. It made me so happy and sad at the same time. I think I even shed a few tears. It made me realize how lucky I am with the amazing friends and family I have been blessed with. I missed them a lot. 

I was feeling sad until my new exchange family reminded me of all the love there is here in Taiwan. The night before my birthday Arthur took me to a very romantic Italian restaurant with fantastic food! This cheered me up immediately. The day of my birthday I had to go on a field trip for school that I was less than enthused about. It actually ended up being pretty interesting. We visited the Kymco factory where they manufacture the number 1 brand of Scooters in Taiwan, and also Advanced Group where they make the top 5 brands of golf clubs, and super light carbon fibre bike frames. That night myself, Arthur, Ally, and Justin went to our favourite BBQ restaurant. All you can eat for 2 hours and you BBQ the food yourselves. A real treat! They even surprised me with a cake :)

The next night, to celebrate with another girl's birthday, Tia from Finland, we went to one of our favourite places - KTV. This is Taiwanese karaoke where you rent a room and you can drink for very cheap. They have a ton of english songs, which is great. This night there must have been at least 20 people in our room. It was a fantastic night and a perfect way to end a birthday I will never forget!! 

Stay tuned to hear all about my trip to the Philippines!! 

Chantal

xo

Hong Kong

During our spring break, Arthur and I decided to spend a few days in Hong Kong. The city was absolutely magnificent, and had so much to offer. 

Monday

Our flight left bright and early at 7:30am on Monday morning, which gave us a full day to start off our vacation. Once we arrived in HK, we took an express train to the Kowloon side of the city, where our hotel was located. Their train system, called the MTR is widely used in HK, and I can see why. It is very convenient, and you can get virtually anywhere in the city. The train stations are huge and very busy. Our hotel, the Cosmo Kowloon, was new, beautiful, clean, and the staff was very helpful. After this, we did some shopping, had dim sum, and explored the area around our hotel. By night time, we were pretty tired so we picked up a bottle of wine at 7-11 and relaxed in our hotel. 

Tuesday

The following day we went to Ocean Park, which is an ocean themed amusement park. Here we got to see some animals, walk through an aquarium, ride some rides, and watch a spectacular light show displayed on a 360 degree water fountain. Here we went to a Giant Panda exhibit where 2 pandas lived and were very active and lively, giving us the chance to get some great photos of the pandas. Next we rode the gondola to the other side of the mountain where some more adventurous rides were. Here we rode rides like The Blast (like the Drop of Fear), a roller coaster, and a log ride. We also visited an aquarium where we saw lots of rays, sharks, and many different fish species. We also watched a dolphin show, which was one of the best I have ever seen. 

To end off our day at Ocean Park we watched the light show called Symbio. The show lasts about 20 minutes and tells the story of 2 dragons. It is a show of lights, music, and special effects, all displayed on 360 degrees of water. 

To watch a clip of the show, watch this video :)

Wednesday

We thought we should explore some historical aspects of the city so we took a bus tour visiting some poplar landmarks. We took two routes, one historical route, and one metropolis route. We visited a temple, the HK museum, a western market, times square, and some popular shopping districts. One of the highlights of the tour was some of the amazing buildings. The comparison between the buildings and some of the quaint streets was also really neat. After this, we did some more shopping. The shopping in HK in unbelievable. Wether you are looking for designer goods such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, or inexpensive fashion such as Zara and H&M, or you simply want to find bargains on items such as scarves and sunglasses, there is something for you. I found that luxury stores were everywhere. Unfortunately, I cannot afford anything in these stores, but they were still fun to look at. 

  

Wednesday night we had the privilege of meeting up with one of Arthurs friend from Lethbridge, Caleb, who originally from Hong Kong and went to Canada for school, and recently moved back to HK. He showed us some great markets around our hotel. First we visited the Goldfish Market, where fish everywhere were sold in plastic bags. Every store had dozens of fish hanging on their walls. This seemed odd to us, but Caleb told us they are so popular because housing in HK is quite expensive, so most people have very small apartments and cannot have a cat or dog, so they buy aquariums to liven up their place. Next we visited the Ladies Market where a lot of Knock-Offs could be found. This market was a lot of fun. After this, we visited the popular Temple Street Market. This market being the largest and very famous to HK. After this he took us to a Sheesha bar where we spent the rest of the night eating, drinking, smoking sheesha, and making new friends. The restaurant was located on a cobblestone street filled with restaurants with busy patios, with trees and lights everywhere. This was probably one of the highlights of the trip.

Thursday

Due to a late night, our day got started a little later than we had anticipated. Our first activity of the day was to visit The Peak. We rode the tram to the top of a mountain, where the ride was so steep it looked as if the buildings beside us were leaning. At the top we visited the Sky Terrace which provided us with spectacular views of the skyline and harbours. This was very beautiful and definitely worth the wait in line to ride the tram. 

That night we were to go on a dinner cruise. We wanted to give ourselves plenty of time to get there since we didn't quite know how to get to the Pier. We arrived at the MTR station very early so we decided to walk around the mall where the station was located to pass the time. Of course, we lost track of time and before we knew it we had hardly any time to get to the pier before the ferry took off. We thought we could take the MTR, but weren't sure where it was, so we thought we would be best to take a taxi. After several attempts to get a taxi (nobody wanted to take us to the other Island) a lady offered to take us. The taxi ride proved a lot longer than I was expecting, and the taxi driver was not confident that she knew where she was going. I didn't think we would make it. Finally we arrived at the pier just on time. We ran up to the boat just as the doors were closing. We started yelling until someone heard us and opened the door for us. I was in shock that we actually made it. 

The dinner cruise was pretty nice, although I was kind of expecting something more. We sat at a table with two elderly couples, one from Australia, and the other from Hungary. We ate from a buffet, which was actually really good. We then all walked up to the top deck to watch the "Symphony of Lights" show that lights up along the skyline. This was very beautiful. To top off the night, we took a taxi h   ome and when it came time to pay, I realized I lost my wallet. Yikes!! The taxi driver was so nice, he did not charge us for the ride. I was certain I left it on the boat, so we called the company, but it was 10:30pm so there was no answer. We told the front desk what happened and asked them to help us out, we were leaving the next day, and I was trying not to freak out. It was hard to let go of the situation and go to bed hoping for the best. 

Friday

I was thrilled to wake up in the morning to a phone call from the concierge informing me that the boat company had found my wallet. Almost immediately we packed our bags, checked out, left our bags at the hotel and went to pick up my wallet. We did a lot of riding on the MTR that day. After we got my wallet we visited the Giant Buddha. To get there we rode a gondola that went over the ocean, and through the lush mountains. The sight was wonderful. The is named Tian Tan Buddha and is one of the 5 giant buddhas in China. It is 112 feet tall and we had to climb 268 stairs to visit it. At the top, the views were incredible. I never imagined Hong Kong to be so beautiful. 

Sadly, it was time to go home (our home that is Kaohsiung). Our days were busy, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I loved Hong Kong, and if I could have, I would have stayed longer.

Love,

Chantal

xo