Survivor Philippines - Part 3/3 (The Delish) - Mactan Island, Bohol

The next day we boarded the private board and vehicle pick up together with Sarah and Paulo. The private board picked us up at a more passenger friendly spot, the Logon Beach directly facing Tepanee. I believe that should have been the spot to pick up and drop off resort guests, which made more sense because you didn't have to soak your entire feet walking on ankle-high waters. Also, at the fake-port, we also docked at a spot nearer to the road, where the vehicle was waiting for us. Instead of the initial pick up where we had to walk past the breakwater to our pump boat, the pump boat was nearer inland at the beginning of the breakwaters.

If you can't visualise my description, you don't have to. Just know that the 3Js are a confirmed cheat-pack. Our return trip, Rudy's boss, the President of the Tourism of Malapascua actually boarded the freaking boat with us. So if you can't even trust the main man in charge, who can you trust? And that was when I realised the routes, paths we took, were the "right ones", and not the way by which we came. The "right" routes were more direct and more convenience for the passengers.

Equipped with the names written on my dear's notebook cum diary from Sarah's recommendations, we kept a lookout for the local delights during our trips to the local malls in Mactan - Ayala Mall and SM Mall.

But before that, when we reached Crimson Spa Resort, it was... it was... para.. para... paradise. Even though it was "fake", with the man-made beaches, the swimming pool, the gym, it was the best beach resort I've ever been to. I have to confess, I haven't been to many, I've heard of many such villas like in Phuket and Bali where you'll be able to open out to a private pool and all... but I'm sure Crimson Spa Resort will be anyone's top 3 beach resorts ever. Unlike Shangri-la, the prices are more affordable, and it's not your "high-rise" kinda resort, it's more like a chalet villa resort. 10 thumbs up, out of 3!

The only complain I have of it is the frequency of the shuttle buses to the local malls. Because it's quite ulu, you'll definitely have to take a vehicle transport out. But it's safe, so safe that there was even a security post at the gantry of the resort.

We left Tepanee Resort rather early that morning, enough time for us to settle down and head out to check out Ayala Mall in Mactan once we reached Crimson Spa. Though Ayala Mall was highly recommended by the locals, we preferred SM Mall, which we explored the following day, because we were in search of a travel agency which would offer us a day trip to Bohol. I had initially wanted to also check out Oslob. Oslob is famous for its whale shark watching, but after letting paranoia get the better of me since Oslob was much nearer to Mindanao, where a terrorist group reside, I decided to give it a miss. It would be too easy for terrorist to get their hands on tourists at Oslob and I didn't wanna take my chances just to see whale sharks.

Both malls were pretty mega, with Ayala Mall being more atas and SM mall being more local. Ayala had more restaurants, and was disappointing to know that the Jollibee (highly recommended by Sarah) branch over there was under renovation. There wasn't anything much to shop there. As for SM mall, it was a foodie's paradise, with little stalls lining every connecting walkway. We also did our souvenir shopping and any last minute shopping at SM mall on our last day there.

Initially meant to head out to Bohol on our last day, we signed up for it on our 2nd last day so that we could get any last minute souvenirs on our last day.

Most of the other times, we were either swimming at the beach in our resort or at the infinity pool, or chilling out at the sports bar during happy hour and playing pool till the wee hours of the night.

As for our day trip to Bohol, it makes a good land "getaway". Let's face it, Philippines is more beach haven than land awesomeness. Because we signed up as a package, the day trip was rather rushed, though we were generally given comfortable amount of time at each attractions. The highly anticipated Tarsier Sanctuary and the Chocolate Hills were... I hate to admit it, overrated. We saw like 5 or so Tarsiers, chilling out at their designated mini-trees and because it was rather rushed, see a Tarsier, snap a few shots, move on to the next one, I wasn't able to feel for them. I felt so much for them before going down, but once I saw those cute little "grelims", all I could remember was how mannequin-like they were, moving ever so occasionally due to loud sounds and stuff.

It was quite ironic, because my dear and I were kinda like the only ones whispering while the staff there were speaking rather loudly despite the signs that informed tourists to be quiet.

The Tarsiers were an eye-opener (pun intended) alright, but because they were so small, so far, it felt very impersonal, like they were hookers on display. It's a offensive metaphor, but I couldn't think of a better one, so instead of leaving it out, I apologise if I have offended you in any way. They were just there to act as a photo op for tourists. It was rather... degrading...

The Tarsiers are an endangered species of small-sized primates (no larger than a stretched out adult palm) characterised by their bulky looking heads and cat-like brown marbled eyes. Having a head which looked like a bat, bulb-end hands and feet which looked rather sticky, overall build like a monkey, and a long tail that of a rat, the tarsiers look more extra-terrestrial than animal-like. They are nocturnal, carnivorous (feeding on small insects), solitary and extremely prone to stress. That was why we had to be rather silent. Under too much stress, they would commit suicide by banging their heads. And we were told that their brains were smaller than their eyes... which explains their suicidal methods...

As for the Chocolate Hills, it's just proof of good marketing. They are called so because during the dry season, the hills will turn brown, and some American guy said they look like Herseys, hence, the name was born (well at least there's what the tour guide told us, paraphrasing a little). The observatory is built on the highest hill which allows you to see a panorama view of the other hills. However, during the massive earthquake in Oct 2013, part of the viewing point as well as some other hills were destroyed. There wasn't a 360 scenic view all around, but there was a particular angle which would not disappoint - properly angled hills of varying shapes and sizes with different amounts of "mint chocolate" (greenery) on them.

The steps leading up to the viewing station is an exact 214, and according the guide, there were initially 213, but the government created an additional step to make the number more romantic, more marketable. Because Feb 14 is Valentine's Day. My dear actually counted the number of steps on the way down and true enough, there was an exact 214 steps, excluding the ground and top levels.

We also checked out other attractions, such as the Blood Compact Monument, to commemorate the first treaty the Spaniards and Filipinos, the Baclayon Church and Museum, the oldest coral stone church in the region, drove past the Bilar Man-made Forest lined with Mahogany trees and also a butterfly conservatory where we got personal and up close to caterpillars and butterflies (and mosquitoes). That was where my dear and I become temporary angels (the guide ingeniously took a shot of us standing in front of a butterfly showcase display which made us look like we had wings). The guide at the Butterfly Conservatory was highly entertaining, especially with his words... he had an adjective (be it relevant or not) for every photo he took, and he doesn't repeat them. He was like a walking encyclopedia of photo-taking catch phrases.

We also came across a "leaning tower of Bohol", a watchtower that was damaged due to the Earthquake, and had lunch on the Loboc River Cruise. The food was yummy, very local, and there was a stopover at an entertainment hut on stilts. It was there that we were entertained by the locals, a whole bunch of youngsters playing the ukuleles and dancing for us. They also got us involved into their dancing and all they asked for were a "small tip" (quoted by the guide). Well, it was one of those tips which I gladly didn't mind giving, because I was rather sympathetic towards them. It was them who showed me that it doesn't take good musical instruments to make good music.

Blood Compact Monument

Baclayon Church and Museum

Some surprisingly delish green tea biscuits bought from the souvenir shop at Baclayon Church

The earthquake aftermath of a local church cum kindergarten

Loboc River Cruise

Butterfly Conservatory

Overall, we paid 2,850 pesos per pax for a full day trip, and even though we were cheated of 65 pesos from the taxi driver who drove us there, it was a tour worth taking. We sat the SuperCat, similar to Singapore's Fastcraft and Penguin ferries to get there, to Tagbilaran port which was the nearest port to Bohol. It took around 2 hours by Supercat (1-way) and another 1-2 hours to get to the main sites in Bohol. We had another offer of 3,800 pesos per pax for the same exact trip but thankfully didn't sign up with the other company. Btw, we signed up with 2Go Travels, which seemed to be quite established and the local tour was under Island Skip Trips.

Prices should be competitive since we spoke to this 2 apparently street smart ladies from Sweden and UK who told us they paid 2,890 pesos per pax. They were Kate and Alea, Kate being the UK "gypsy-like" tourist (to quote her) and her BFF Alea, simply likes travelling. 

After telling them about the taxi rip off, they offered to tong pang us to Ayala Mall, which was pretty near to the hostel they were staying at. You see, our taxi driver asked if we wanted to engage him for the return trip, and offered to wait for us. However, despite rehearsing in my mind how to blow him off/lecture him since I found out that he ripped us off of 65pesos (because he said it was for the ticket into the port), it turned out that he stood us up afterall... *Grr*

Anyhows, I noticed this mother and son (from Russia) whom I recognised to be guests from Crimson Spa. Spoke to them and they offered to give us a lift back to the hotel. When I offered to split the cost, they said it was alright because they had already paid. We must have come across as stingy tourists, and rather dubious if you ask me... but eventually everything turned out well. Though rather awkward in their private pickup, I kept assuring myself that it was for the better... that I rather we be mistaken for a stingy couple then run the risk of being exposed to yet another con.

Malls food stomp:

Ayala Mall

"Shaker fries" at Ayala Mall (Stall by the name of Potato Corner)

 Terraces which looked pretty much like Vivocity

"99 (pesos) eat all you can rice" at Giligan's restaurant, an extremely nautical local restaurant situation along the terraces.

Sisig, a local dish made up of crispy fried chopped up pig's head and liver. Tasted very much like crunchy mouthfuls of pork lard, sweetened with chopped up cucumbers.

Lechon, similar to Singapore's "san-chen-rou" (three-layer meat) which essentially is roasted suckling pig. Drier, but crispier and chewier skins...

SM Mall

Sinigang, sour and savoury soup which could be cooked with pork or seafood. Non spicy despite the presence of green chillies. One of my favourite local dishes, just whets your appetite!

Lechon from some random stall (Marina Lechon), roasted chicken from Tiktilaok! (picture below), together with the Sinigang and some rancidly sour seaweed tasting vermicelli at the centre. I let curiosity got the better of me, and realised the vermicelli tasted as how I had imagined it to be... a strong off-putting taste of stale seaweed. Not exactly "my bowl of weed". 

And finally the highly awaited Jollibee meal on our last day at Cebu!

Spaghetti sauce was ooiiissshhiii-nehh!! Tasted not so much like bolognaise, but somewhat more tomato-saucy-like. The milkshakes, Orea and Strawberry were an unexpected delight. However, the fried chicken tasted... less oily, less yummy than KFC.

The bacon beef cheeseburger was oooo-lala. A well blend of "creamy" cheese, burger-lickin' good bacon fats, and a satisfying thickness of beef patty.

Survivor Philippines - Part 2/3 (The Good) - Malapascua Island, Kalanggaman Islet

The best part about Malapascua Island, wasn't the waters, or the sand, it was what happens when dusk breaks - an undocumented intertidal walk that tops Singapore's very own Semakau Landfill. In terms of the clarify of the waters, there weren't very clear compared to Cambodia's Saracen Bay. It was rather "dirty" too, with sea ferns washing up the shore.

Also, the shore was very rocky, making swimming difficult. Especially the promised private beach of Tepanee Beach Resort. The waters there were much better, looked picturesque in photos, but not feasible when it came to relaxing along the beach or swimming it. The rocks were razorblade-like, it was a test of true grit waddling into the waters, fighting the strong currents (cos the resort is on the tip of the island, therefore the waves tend to be stronger) just to experience a bit of paradise.

If you ask me, it wasn't worth it. I came across Ocean Vida resort, and found it to be one of the best places to stay because your room will be facing Bounty Beach itself, unlike Tepanee Beach Resort which was so exclusive, even the pick up boat that dropped us off, the boat that belonged to the 3Js had to dock quite far out in the waters. We had to get our feets wet before we came onshore, to our resort.

Tepanee Beach Resort was #1 in Tripadvisor a few months back, only to be taken over by Ocean Vida recently, and its only fitting. While I didn't stay in Ocean Vida to assess how good it was, Tepanee Beach Resort shouldn't even be #2 in Tripadvisor. The bad hookups and the bad conditions of the rooms which they provided is a recipe for disaster... instead of boosting Malapascua tourism, it only serves to dampen it otherwise. I shall elaborate more on my accommodation reviews because this post is reserved for the good stuff.

The intertidal walk was a walk to remember, seeing locals searching for sea cucumbers and cockles, and waddling the shallow waters onto patches of raised grounds littered with seagrass, the marine biodiversity was "orgasmic". I don't wanna sound crude or rude here but it was such a euphoric experience that it made travelling 3.5 hours by plane, 3 hours by car and 45 mins by boat well worth it.

We saw hermit crabs, crabs, sea slugs, many different types and schools of fishes, sea plants, starfishes, even our favourite Knobbly sea star, sea urchins and many others unknown marine life good enough to take up an entire 2 hours. Even when the sun set, we weren't done yet, I wasn't done yet. Even though we wanted to go for another round of intertidal walk the next day, we were unable to because by the time we got back from Kelanggaman, the skies were already too dim to be able to spot anything.

We were out on one of the seagrass patches when this guy came up to us and asked if we wanted to sign up for the group tour to Kalanggaman. Because there were so many of them approaching us, I kinda mixed them up, the "good" and the "bad". I had kinda promised this 3 others folks that I'll sign up with them after considering and was what I wanted to do that evening but was caught up by this other guy who's perpetually wearing his rainbow colored sunglasses. He mentioned he was JR's cousin and I thought, oh no, not again. I don't want anything to do with JR.

I tried to shoo him off but he was rather persistent. It was until I told him that I kinda promised that I would sign up with this other company, "Fun & Sun", the other 3 guys whom we saw the previous night that he kinda backed off. Before going, I asked his name, and to my disbelief, it was the same freaking guy, one of the 3 guys whom I had "promised" from "Fun & Sun". I was extremely puzzled cos the guy standing right in front of me, Rudy, didn't even realise that I was talking about him, to him. It was quite comical, but I eventually signed up with him and told him that I want nothing to do with JR.

You see, the 3Js are from "5 Brothers 6". There are a couple of other companies, but they appear to be more specialised towards thresher shark watching. Rudy is a freelance for "Fun & Sun".

Rudy promised me that I won't be boarding with JR's crew but to my disbelief, the next morning, we met the 3Js yet again, Tong, another of JR's cousin was trying to leech us over to their boat. I was insisted about it, I rejected it and said that I was with Rudy. I kept throwing his name out like an immunity idol but circumstances resulted in us having to board... JR's pump boat yet again! W.T.F. A blindside!

But... but... Rudy did come on board the boat to apologise and explain to me that he was cropped up with this other group of tourists (think that was what he said cos his English wasn't very good) therefore he was unable to join us... ok, he's forgiven.

Thankfully, there were like about 15 other passengers on board which made the "cornering-pressure" con ineffective in that situation.

There was this other big group of Japanese which also stayed at Tepanee Beach Resort who joined us as well. I saw the guy giving some money to the cheater-pack and Tong pocketed it rather sneakily, which by then I realised they were gonna be ripped off. We didn't mingle with them much only until later that evening but the communication barrier wasn't conducive for exposing the cheat-pack.

When we reached Kalanggaman Islet, it was truly beautiful. The sand dunes though covered with water looked like a golden route to an island paradise.

Though the waters looked turquoisely inviting, the snorkelling site of the islet was so rocky we gave up halfway and decided to swim at the sandier portion. Even the sandier portion was rock-riddened. The only way to prevent his toes from hitting the rocks or landing onto some pokier ones, was to go further out into the ocean, which was kinda intimidating for us without a life jacket.

We were not strong swimmers because we don't swim often, and the tides were rather menacing. After lunch, we headed to the other side of the island where we saw yet another mini-beach. We were told not to swim there due to the strong currents. We had to walk through this palm-like plantation, well cleared for walking where we came across a half-completed altar, crossing birds (think they were quails), and a solitary tree at the extreme end of the islet.

We did a crazy number of jump shots at our "private beach", before heading back to the main site where the sand dune was. It wasn't only until later that we found out Kalanggaman Islet, meant somewhat like a bird, with the sand dunes representing the wings on each side, but the sand dune on the other side of the islet was destroyed during a recent massive typhoon, Typhoon Haiyan during last November (2013).

On the islet, JR came up to me and asked if I wanted to join his alliance (get him for the pick up back to Cebu; he told me all I had to do was to inform Tepanee that I want his services), I mean of course why in the world would I do that? So I told him that my vote goes to Rudy, that I had already signed up with him. And lo and behold... he actually had the cheek to "lecture" me about how Tepanee would be angry about my decision and that I should have stuck with Tepanee and requested for the "beloved" 3Js to be part of our "trusted" alliance. I got a bit irritated then and told him off but asking "Is there a problem?" To which, he finally backed off and to which the alliance was forever severed... 

When the tides finally receded, we headed out to the sand dunes, by then some parts were already out of water. However, while it looked super gorgeous, it was an ordeal to walk on. The sand wasn't the powdery kind, but comprised of coral debris. But it was well worth enduring the pain to take what many would call a "postcard perfect virgin island".

We had befriended a local couple from Manila, Sarah and Paulo whom we eventually carpooled to Cebu/Mactan Island the next day. Sarah's a chef working with Jollibee (their local fast food chain specialising in Burgers and Wings), so she recommended many local delights, which my dear managed to write down in her notebook and told us there was this highly rated Italian restaurant by the name of Angelica which was near our resort. Little did we know that that restaurant was actually right at the foot of our resort, less than 2 metres away from our receptionist!

The food there was ggggooooodddd. Delish! My dear tried the best Chocolate Banana Shake (to quote her), while I tried the chewiest Squid Ink Pasta ever. I'm a fan of chewy stuff so the squid ink pasta, though not the most delicious, was highly memorable.

Together with Sarah and Paulo from Manila

The carpool to my next Resort destination in Mactan Island was 4,500pesos, while the 2 of us initially had to pay 3,500pesos for the private car. We made the deal with Rudy, though persistent, seemed like an honest chap. He was one of the 2 persons whom I think I could really trust on Malapascua Island, the other being Yogi from "Fun & Sun". Remember the 3 persons I told you about from Fun & Sun, there was Rudy, Yogi and Michael. Michael was yet another cousin of JR I think. See? They're all related.

Well he didn't seem such a bad person compared to the notorious JR, the "Fun & Sun" guys seemed more decent in comparison to "5 Brothers 6". So if you're making a trip down to Malapascua, you can try contacting Rudy, whose contact can be seen below. I believe the "Fun & Sun" guys would be able to give you a better value-for-money experience than the 3Js cheat-pack.

Contact: Rudy Rosales - 09194857441

Rudy on the left, his boss on the right

More intertidal walk photos:

  

 

 

More Kalanggaman Islet photos:

  

  

 JR to the left, Jo-Jo to the back, Tong to the right, Japanese beach hunk in the middle ^^