Cebu Westown Lagoon

 

Cebu Westown Lagoon is a breath of paradise in the otherwise busy and cosmopolitan city. The tropical ambience promises the ultimate staycation place in Cebu and gives the locals a quick getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city life. They got Playland for kids, adult and kiddie pools, two medium-sized heated Jacuzzis, and 2 slides that are 20ft. and 30ft. long. They also have a restaurant that is quite affordable for those who don't want to be burdened with bringing their own foods. You can choose to get the small cottages that have one table each or the big cottages that have two tables but you  can also opt out and get the free tables on the common areas at the sides though this is on a first-come, first-served basis. There are also various tents and lounge chairs for you to choose from. One doesn’t have to go far to enjoy day and night attractions of Cebu since a Live Entertainment  Bar, Restaurant, KTV Bar, pool table and a disco are within the hotel vicinity. Two large shopping malls are within easy walking distance as well. One major perk for this place is that they have no corkage fee on outside food and drinks except for Alcoholic beverages and I heard that Lechon is also one at Php500 each item.

Aztec statue at the entrance

Adult pool

Kiddie pool

Playland

Its convenient location made us decide to have our Team Socials/Outing at Westown Lagoon. We paid 200 pesos/person for the entrance fee as they currently are on promo rate. Regular price is 400 pesos for entrance. We went there after work. The place is still nice even at night as the pools are illuminated with colorful lights though they only allow swimming activity until 11PM.

They are located:

FF Cruz Moonlight St., Subangdaku NRA

Mandaue 6014, Philippines

Contact information:

GLOBE: 09772158529

SMART: 09393453129

SUN: 09325672461

e-Mail: cebuwestownlagoon@yahoo.com

You can also visit their website at http://www.cebuwestownlagoon.com/

Badian's Lambug Beach and Kansanto Spring

Badian, Cebu

Badian is a municipality south of Cebu that is emerging as one of the go-to places because of the canyoneering activity there. However, I went there to do some soul-searching and the place can really help you. If you are not into canyoneering then you can check out Lambug Beach and Kansanto Spring.

How I got there:

From the South Bus Terminal, take a bus going to Bato via Barili. There are a couple buses there that has that route like but I took the Ceres bus. They have AC and non-AC type of buses. The fare is Php126 (AC-type) and although the non-AC costs lesser, it is not much of a fare difference. Travel time is 3 hours. Just inform the conductor that you will alight at the Badian Public Market or mostly known as Badian's merkado. You can opt to be dropped at the corner of the road to the golf course but I preferred the merkado as there are a lot of habal-habal there that can take you to Lambug beach. The fare from merkado to Lambug Beach is Php50 although I was able to haggle it to Php40.

Where I stayed:

I stayed at the Lambug Beach Homestay and it was a very nice place. It is very homey and you can use their kitchen and living room. The homestay is just 1-2 minutes away from the beach. They offer dormitory type of rooms for Php400/person and double rooms that cost from Php1,500-Php2,000 but the rooms are spacious and all have AC on them. The caretaker, Ate Vilma, is friendly and nice to talk to. They also serve breakfast for Php150 but you must order in advance. You can check out their website here. You can also contact them through 09167620044 and 09254606573 or email them through: info@lambug-beach-homestay.com

Kitchen and Dining area of the Homestay

Living area of the homestay

The big dormitory room that can occupy 10-12 persons

If you really need to have a place to stay at the beach front, there are also other places to stay. Here are some of the accommodations you can check:

Grandeur Beach Resort*

Magic Beach Resort*

Angie's Beach House

*photos courtesy of owners
 

You can also set up tents at the beach and I've heard that it's for free. You can take your own equipment with you or you can rent one at the hotels and just ask about those. Take that for a budget hack.

The things I did and the places I went to:

Lambug Beach

Lambug beach has fine white sand and clear waters. It is not a crowded beach and when I went there, if it weren't for the locals, I may have been the only one there. It is a quiet place that can make you think and relax. I have not used any cottage and just opted to sit by the shade of the coconut tree with beverage and junk food in hand. With a music player on, I was enjoying the view and chilling out by myself. I wasn't able to swim at the beach as intended due to that time of the month. Still I was able to enjoy my time there. I got to meet locals and was able to try some sea urchin fresh from the sea. I also got to meet some friendly dogs there. I would definitely go back and bring some friends with me.

Sari-sari stores that sell basic needs

Unspoiled beach

The friendly pooch I met at the beach

The boy I met having fresh food for lunch

Fresh sea urchin - is this uni?

The beach is not complete without coconut trees

 

Kansanto Spring

Kansanto Spring is a lesser known place to visit in Badian. It is a cold spring and the water there is brackish. There are about 5 cottages there that you can use for Php350-Php400 and I also see a videoke machine certainly for Filipinos who love to sing and showcase their voices. There is no restaurant or store there that you can buy food from so better have some food/drinks ready or bought from the market before going there. The water is so clear and there are fishes swimming around. There are two other ponds/enclosures where they are somehow breeding fish but I was told that before they had sea turtles there that they were raising but because they are endangered species, it was ceased by the government and they had to set them all free.

I was also able to meet the caretakers, Ibong and Baldo, as I had the courage to join them because I was the only guest there. Yup, I had the place all to myself once more. It really is nice to meet locals, I spent my afternoon there with them and I got to know them a little more. It was a nice thing to get out of my comfort zone once in a while. Definitely, check this place out!

Hammocks to relax in

One of the cottages - not sure if the top part is a private function room

Here is the breakdown of my expense:

What I want you to know:

1. Tricycle drivers will ask you to do a "pakyaw" to take you Lambug beach if you alighted from the Public Market. They will ask you Php100 so don't opt for it if you are travelling alone. There is the habal-habal that you can take for Php50 but I was able to haggle it to Php40 so if you can do that, don't be shy to flash your charm. Of course, take the trike if you have a lot of luggage with you.
2. There are no restaurants at the beach front only small sari-sari stores for basic needs so better buy your meats or groceries at the market. For fish, I was asked by a local if I wanted to buy fish so I think you can ask some of the locals to go fishing but that's not a guarantee. I did see some carenderias at the far end of the beach near the port if you wanna try out local food but it is a bit far from the hotels/homestays.
3. ALWAYS have cash and change with you. There is only one ATM machine found in Badian and it is located next to 7-Eleven just adjacent of the drop off area. There is no guarantee that it will always work so better have cash ready. If the machine doesn't work, you will have to go to Moalboal, which is the next town, to withdraw cash.
4. If you want to have a driver take you to the homestay or to the market, you can contact Kuya Sawi at 09322456126.
5. The locals are very friendly, I recommend that you interact with them. I was able to hear stories from their life and also got to know the place a little more.

Hit me up if you have questions :)

Ilocandia Adventures - (Part 3 - Vigan City)

VIGAN CITY

Vigan City is known for its well-preserved Spanish colonial and Asian architecture. As per UNESCO, Vigan is the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. The city I longed to visit and experience a blast from the past. It surely is one of the unique places in the Philippines.

How I got there:

From Pagudpud, we asked our guide if there is a bus that directly goes to Vigan from Pagudpud since originally, we plan on going back to Laoag and the go to Vigan from there. Our guide said there is but it is a bus going to Baguio City and will just pass by Vigan. He kindly waited with us for the bus until we were able to catch one. It is purely luck to catch one early, we waited for nearly an hour. Our guide does have a contact from somewhere up north and said that there is a bus going our way. The journey takes about 3-4 hours.

A hotel built like it was in the Spanish era but in modern times.

The things I did and the places I went to:

We arrived around 1 o'clock in the afternoon in Vigan and asked the trike driver to take us to a place where we can eat Vigan food. He took us to a carenderia but it is somehow crowded so it seems like it is a popular place to go. Our main goal to is to go to Calle Crisologo where the heritage are is. Only kalesas are allowed to pass through the entire strip due to the preserved cobblestone path and the entire street has European influenced architecture. We didn't spend a night of sleep at Vigan because our flight schedule is tomorrow evening so we need to be in Laoag by tomorrow. It was also 1PM that time and the museums where still close as they will reopen at around 1:30PM. We just decided to walk to Calle Crisologo so to see the buildings that we will pass by as they are as interesting as the ones in Calle Crisologo. There are a lot of souvenir stores located at Calle Crisologo so you have lots to choose from. After that we, went to the Baluarte - Vigan's Zoo. We took a package so that we can have our pictures taken with 5 of their show animals. The package is Php500 and you will have 5 different animals to get selfies with. We didn't have time to go to the museums as it was around 4PM or 5PM that we were at the zoo. They have deers walking around freely and they were white deers. I have heard that Café Uno is a must visit place if you are in Vigan so to kill time, we hang out there and order their carrot cake and my, it was delicious! Vigan is also known for their dancing fountain and that was one of the things we need to witness. It occurs every night at 7PM at their plaza. I recommend you to see it for yourself to see how amazing it was.

Kalesa @ Calle Crisologo

McDonald's @ Vigan City - Combining old and new.

Cafe Uno's carrot cake. Yum!

Vigan's Dancing Fountain lights

What I want you to know:

1. There is a kalesa tour that can take you to their spots for Php150-Php300. Just ask about it and don't forget to check the places covered by the tour, if it sounds like a great deal then take it.
2. There is a bus going that comes from Manila to stop over Vigan and goes to Laoag at night. We were able to catch one at around 9:30PM. Be sure to ask by the time you arrive in Vigan if there is one that day if in case that you don't plan on staying for the night.

Feel free to ask me questions! Leave me a message :)

Ilocandia Adventures - (Part 2 - Pagudpud)

PAGUDPUD

Pagudpud is a fourth class municipality and a coastal resort town of Ilocos Norte province, in the northern Ilocos Region of the Philippines. It is the countryside tour I recommend you do while you're in Ilocos Norte.

How I got there:

I have researched to take a bus or van bound for Claveria Cagayan, as it will pass by the town of Pagudpud, which is the last town before reaching Claveria Cagayan. Travel time is 1.5-2 hours. Fare is about Php70 (as of this writing; may change the without prior notice). Tell the driver/conductor to drop you off at Baduang Market. The bus that we rode though was for Pagudpud not for Claveria Cagayan but we still asked to be dropped off Baduang Market still.

Where I stayed:

Our tricycle guide/driver brought us to Northridge Beach Resort as we have not booked in advance because we originally plan on not staying overnight at Pagudpud. The room was fair and it was Php1000 good for two people. It was located at Saud beach so it was a good location. We were able to walk by the shore and was even able to visit the different resorts there though most of them were closed early in the morning.

For a list of accommodations, please check this page.

The things I did and the places I went to:

From a blog, I was able to get in contact with Kuya Rene at 09208532047 (his number may have changed) for the tour. The tour is actually separated per package where South Pagudpud tour and North Pagudpud tour costs Php600 each. The easiest way to go visiting the tourist spots in Pagudpud and the surrounding towns is through a trike/tricycle tour. The locations are really far away from each other. If you are on a big group, I recommend you rent a van. We took both the North and South tour from our guide which would amount to Php1,200. Because my travel buddy was sick, we opt not to go to Kabigan Falls as we have to walk there for like 30 minutes and so Kuya Rene offered the tour to us for Php1,000.

Here are some of the places we went to:

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse

Kapurpurawan Rock Formation

Bangui Windfarm and Windmills

Patapat Viaduct

Blue Lagoon

Maira-ira Beach Resort

Patapat Viaduct

Agua Grande Park

Mama Mary's Grotto - Paraiso ni Anton

Overlooking the Blue Lagoon

Hannah's Resort at the Blue Lagoon

A cottage at the Blue Lagoon

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse

Kapurpurawan Rock Formation

Bangui Windmills

What I want you to know:

1. Bring change cash with you as this is a typical Philippine town that ATMs are not readily available.
2. I got some stomachache during my stay there but there were no drugstores near and towns close very early in provinces so be ready with your medicine kit for your trip. No worries, I survived that night of stomach cramps. 

Please check out the next entry for my last stop, Vigan City! 

Click here for my Laoag City adventure.

Ilocandia Adventures - (Part 1 - Laoag City)

Ilocandia is the term given to the traditional homeland of the Ilocano people.

From the original western strip of Northern Luzon (now known as the Region 1 or Ilocos Region), Ilocandia has spread throughout the Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, and some parts of Central Luzon.

Being in the Visayas, I have long heard of Vigan which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as it few Hispanic towns left in the Philippines where its structures have remained intact, and is well known for its cobblestone streets and a unique architecture that fuses Philippine and Oriental building designs and construction, with colonial European architecture. It makes me want to go there so that I will have the experience to go back in time to the Spanish era. I was able to find a great seat sale that will allow me to and so I did! I came traveling with my friend/office mate that time so it was a lesser burden when it comes to expenses.

LAOG CITY

Laoag City is our jump-off point. The city is the province's political, commercial, and industrial hub and the location of the Ilocos Region's only commercial airport, the Laoag International Airport.

How I got there:

You can get to Laoag City from Manila in two ways -  by land or by air.  Taking the land route gives you a travel time of 10-13 hours. We are pressed for time so taking the plane is the best and time-saving option. The flight is about 45 minutes to an hour.

 CebuPacific and Philippine Airlines have routes there.

Where I stayed:

My friend and I stayed at Texicano Hotel. Texicano is ‘a bit old’. Yes, it’s not winning awards for, well, anything, but this is still a popular backpacker selection. As long as you don't expect much then it is good for a night's stay. We actually stayed her for two nights - the night we arrived from our flight from Manila and the night we arrived from Vigan city (check details about what happened).

*prices may change prior notice

For more a list of LAOAG ACCOMMODATION: Cheap Lodges, Pension Houses, Resorts and Luxury Hotels, visit this page.

The things I did and the places I went to:

The airport is in Laoag City so we decided to tour Laoag on our last day there. At least, we won't fret much on catching our flight. Flights to Laoag are usually at night time so when we arrived in Manila, we had to stay the night there and we stayed at Texicano Hotel. We were hungry by the time we arrived and the hotel has a restaurant but we opt to check if there are still places open that we can eat. We were lucky to find one, a Kampampangan restaurant in Laoag - Ravanden's. I haven't tried authentic Kampampangan dish so I can't compare it to anything else but it was satisfying. We went back to the hotel after as we had to be early the next day to catch the bus going to Pagudpud.

Inside Ravanden's

By the time we got back from Vigan, we stayed at Texicano Hotel once more. The kuya that we contacted for the Pagudpud tour referred his cousin for the trike tour in Laoag. We paid Php600 for the entire tour. By the next day, he was already waiting outside of the hotel. We were pressed for time as we had a flight schedule at 7PM bound for Manila so I asked  kuya driver if we can cover the places and be done by 5PM. He said that it can be done so and so we checked out of the hotel and brought our things with us during the tour. We first asked him to take us somewhere to eat and somehow requested that it should offer their dishes because we would like to try them. He took us I think to his favorite carenderia and it was what we need. I ordered Dinakdakan,  which is a twist to the regular grilled pork – it’s pork belly plus liver plus ears, covered in pig’s brain , and Sinanglaw, a dish made of the pig’s internal organs, whose broth is flavored by the pig’s bile. Those may sound gross but they were tasty. I am adventurous with food so I wasn't afraid of trying out locals' dishes. After that, we started our tour. Here are the places we went to:

Marcos Museum and Mausoleum

Paoay Church

Paoay Lake

Malacañang of the North

Museo Ilocos Norte

Fort Ilocandia Resort

St. William's Church And Laoag Sinking Bell Tower

La Paz Sand Dunes

The 4x4 experience that we had at the La Paz Sand dunes was awesome. It is a must try if you are in Laoag. It was not part of our tour package but our tour guide/driver agreed to take us there and wait for us. For a group of 4, the ride costs about Php2500 including  the sand boarding experience. But we were just a group of 2 but we were offered Php1500 for half an hour without sand boarding. It was an awesome deal for us so we took it and it was a really fun and exciting ride for us! I enjoyed it very much!

Laoag Sinking Bell Tower

St. William's Church

Paoay Church

Malacañang of the North

Fort Ilocandia Resort

A fountain inside Fort Ilocandia

Museo Ilocos Norte

Dinakdakan

Sinanglaw

What I want you to know:

1. Flights are usually at night, so better make the necessary arrangements with your late check in with the hotel of your choice and of your itinerary.
2. It will never hurt to ask and maybe you can get a good deal with that ;)
3. I had trouble with sand going inside my shoes at the sand dunes, I never expected to get of the 4x4 to take pictures and such so better put on the proper footwear and depends on the time you go there - sun glasses if you can.
4. Bring change with you as there are corresponding fees for museums which varies from Php30-Php120.

Check out my Pagudpud adventure on my next post!