Showing posts with label island hopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label island hopping. Show all posts

July 11, 2025

2 Days in Alaminos Pangasinan

Flashback Friday, so let me continue my North Luzon Road Trip. We left around five in the morning because we’re going to pick up my mom in Valenzuela, and off we went to Pangasinan, Since my in-laws live there, we visited them first before going to the resort. 

After lunch at my in-laws, we traveled to Alaminos. We were supposed to stay in a hotel, but it was fully booked, and fortunately, my husband discovered Laylow Villas. It is a small boutique resort near the Hundred Islands. A thirty percent down payment is needed to reserve the accommodation via GCash. The night before our trip, we received their menu, so we needed to preorder our meals. 


Laylow Villas

We arrived around 1PM and paid the remaining balance. They don’t accept credit card payment, so prepare cash or Gcash payment. After that, they allowed us to check in. 


For an overnight stay, we only booked one room for PHP6,500, which is good for 4 persons. The room still looks new and clean. The bed and pillows are comfortable too.



The bathroom is spacious and there is a bidet but no hot water. They provided a dental kit, shampoo, body wash, and even makeup remover wipes. 


There is complimentary bottled water too, and you can also refill water at their water dispenser. There is free WiFi, but the signal is weak inside the room. 

We were lucky because the resort was not fully booked, 2 lang yung room na occupied so parang nirent namin yung buong resort kasi hindi rin kami nagkakasabay sa pool nung other guests. 



One Island 

There is “One Island” near the resort, so even though we did not go to Hundred Islands, may navisit pa kami na isang island. But in order to reach the island, we need to wait for low tide so we can walk. It was a long walk and buwis buhay din kasi may mga aso sa labas ng resort, and I’m not comfortable with dogs, feeling ko kakagatin ako.




This island reminded me of Bruholmen in Norway, same kasi na kailangan maglow tide muna bago kami makatawid. 

Food at Laylow Villas 

For dinner, we preordered Sinigang na Fish PHP380, Grilled Pork BBQ PHP350, and Rice. 




For breakfast, we preordered Bangsilog and Longsilog. Breakfast is complimentary; it is included in our room package.



The resort only serves breakfast and dinner, and because of that, we decided to check out early and went to the CSI Mall for our lunch. I find it weird na from 12 - 2 PM, closed ang kitchen. Overall, we enjoyed our stay here at Laylow Villas. We liked the room, food, and service. 

Hundred Islands

I visited Pangasinan numerous times since I was a kid, but Ihave  never been to Hundred Islands. Nung nagka-outing yung family namin dito hindi ako nakasama, I can’t remember kung bakit hindi ako nakasama. And hindi rin sinasuggest ni hubby na side trip ito since nakapunta na naman daw ako sa Palawan so baka hindi ko na appreciate. 




Anyway, since we were in Alaminos already, we dropped by at Hundred Islands port so maayos naman pala, may parking area din. 


CSI Mall

We stayed here for two hours. We bought some supplies and snacks. For lunch, we ate at Shakey’s. 


After lunch, we purchased fruits and dried fish sa mga nadaanan sa hi-way and dinala namin yung iba sa in-laws ko before going to Vigan.

June 30, 2017

3 Days in Kota Kinabalu Malaysia

Just this week, out of the blue my son asked me if he has been to Malaysia already and I said yes. He doesn’t believe me at first but I told him that we’d been to Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, and Johor Bahru Malaysia. Then he remembered the Petronas Twin Tower in Kuala Lumpur and Legoland in Johor Bahru but he can’t remember our Kota Kinabalu trip.  


Some people say that it is better to travel when the kids are already old because they won’t remember it when they are still young. But for me, my son may not remember it but I have pictures, videos and stories to tell. There are so many memorable stories that I can share with him. 

Read: Why Do We Travel with Kids in Tow 

In fact, Malaysia is his first out-of-the-country, our first family overseas adventure, and the cheapest out-of-the-country trip we’ve experienced. Would you believe that I only paid P2000+ for our round trip fare and that is for 3 persons. Thanks to Air Asia promo! 

Read: Air Asia Experience


At that time, Air Asia only flies at Clark International Airport so we traveled to Clark Pampanga and parked our car at DMIA. Then after few hours, we landed at Kota Kinabalu Airport, the airport is not that big so we were out after several minutes. 

Where Did We Stay in Kota Kinabalu Malaysia?

I availed the airport pick-up service of City Park Lodge so we won’t have any problem haggling for taxi rate. I’ve read before that they don’t use taxi meter there and base on our experience, kontrata nga lagi pagsasakay, I’m not sure kung ganun pa rin. 

One of the reasons why our Kota Kinabalu trip was cheap is, we did not stay in hotel. We stayed at City Park Lodge, the lodge has a good location too so we just literally walk when we went to the port, restaurant, market, and other tourist spots. They even gave us a coupon too that we can use for our island hopping, RM4 per person discount. 

Read: City Park Lodge

And because of our flight schedule, we have very limited time in Kota Kinabalu Malaysia. Sharing with you our trip. 

Day 1

It was already late in the afternoon when we arrived in Kota Kinabalu so we just bought food and drinks at the nearest convenience store then we had dinner at Secret Recipe

Day 2


The following day, we woke up early so we can start exploring the city. From the lodge, we just walk to Jesselton Point Waterfront. It is where we’re going to ride the boat for our Island Hopping. 


Island hopping in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park  

We can visit Mamutik Island, Sapi Island, Sulug Island and Manukan Island but because we have very limited time, we just chose one island which is Manukan Island. It is 15-20 minute speedboat ride from Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal. We had a great time at the beach, this was the first time na nakapagbeach ako sa ibang bansa. 


Read: Manukan Island


We only stayed for few hours on the island and we went back to Jesselton Point. From the port, we just walked to Suria Sabah Mall to eat our lunch. Most of the time we eat at KFC because it is everywhere and some stores are open 24 hours. 

Monsopiad Cultural Village  

Some people say that a trip to Sabah will not be complete if you will not visit Monsopiad Cultural Village, so I included this in our itinerary. Since we did not want to get lost and we want to save time, we rode a taxi even though the price is steep. RM100 taxi ride vs RM3 per bus per person.


Monsopiad Cultural Village is a historical site in Sabah so you will learn more about its history by visiting the village. Aside from that, they will show you how Kadazan people live before. If you like history, you will enjoy this tour but if not you can skip it. 

Read: Monsopiad Cultural Village

Seri Selara 

After our trip in Monsopiad Cultural Village, we asked the taxi driver to drop us at Seri Selara. He agreed but he asked for additional RM10. Seri Selara is an open-air seafood restaurant so don’t forget to include this in your itinerary. 



This is like Dampa Restaurant here in the Philippines, where you can choose the seafood from the glass tanks and they will cook it for you. We enjoyed our food trip here, there is Filipino staff here and he gave us a discount. From the restaurant, we just walked back to City Park Lodge. 

Read: Seri Selara 

Day 3

Gaya Street Sunday Market 


The following day, we woke up early to take advantage of the Gaya Street Sunday Market. From its name, it is only open every Sunday from 6:30 to 1PM. You can buy souvenirs, clothes, food and other stuff. I bought some souvenirs and pasalubong here.

DIY Kota Kinabalu City Tour 

Since we are budget travelers, we did not book any tour packages so we just hired a taxi driver to tour us around for 3 hours. We visited Signal Observation Hill, Wisma Tun Mustapha (Sabah Foundation Building), Pu Toh Tze Buddhist Temple, State Museum, State Mosque, and Handicrafts/souvenir Center. 


It was just a short city tour since we have to go back to our lodge to get our luggage. After check-out, we went straight to the airport so we won’t miss our flight. 

Read: DIY Kota Kinabalu Tour

Note: If you still have time, you can also visit Brunei, you need to ride a ferry boat from Kota Kinabalu to Brunei. 

January 15, 2017

3 Days in Puerto Princesa Palawan with Kids

A few days ago, I posted our 4 Days Adventures in Coron, Palawan. Now, I decided to share our 3 Days Puerto Princesa Palawan trip with the fambam. Almost seven years ago we went to Puerto Princesa, Palawan for our family outing. This was a much-awaited trip because this will be the first family out of town of via plane. Four generations kami, from my grandmother up to our own kids. 

Read: 4 Days Adventure in Coron Palawan




Ysabelle Mansion



We’re group of 13 people so a month before the trip I already booked our accommodation at Ysabelle Mansion and rented a van for our three days tour.  We stayed in Ysabelle Mansion for our 3 days and 2 nights trip. It is a hostel that offers basic accommodation. The rooms and bathrooms are clean. The service staffs are all friendly and nice. It is very near in seaport, airport, market and restaurant so transportation is not difficult.  


Day 1: Honda Bay Island Hopping 


Our rented van picked us up at the airport and we dropped by at the hostel to leave our baggage and off we went to sea port for our Honday Bay Island Hopping. Since our flight was delayed for almost an hour, we only have limited time for island hopping. 


On our way to sea port, we went to 7 Plates Building to book our Underground River Tour, we bought mineral water and picked up our food. I ordered BBQ liempo, Grilled Pusit, Spicy Garlic Shrimp, Ensaladang Talong, Lato Rice, Grilled Baby back ribs, Buttered lobster, Kangkong w/oyster sauce and Atchara. The food were placed in a bilao and plastic container. I also brought disposables just in case magkulang. Good thing that I already ordered our food in advance because we were all hungry before we reach Snake Island. Sa sobrang gutom, walang pictures ang mga food. 




Boat rental is P1500 good for 6 person, additional pax is P250 including kids. There are different islands in Honda Bay that you could visit such as Cowrie Island, Bat Island, Lu-Li Island (lulubog-lilitaw), Dos Palmas Island, Pambato Reef, Pandan Island, Starfish Island and Snake Island. Each island has its own entrance fee except for Snake Island but you have to pay for cottage. 

Pandan island entrance fee        P 50/head 

Starfish island entrance fee       P 50/head 
Pambato reef entrance fee        P 50/head 
Pandan island cottage               P 400/cottage

Snake Island 




We only choose Snake Island, Star fish Island and Pandan Island. First stop is Snake Island, where we ate our lunch. The place is quite crowded maybe because there is no entrance fee. You will enjoy swimming and snorkeling even you are not a good swimmer because you can see school of fishes at knee deep of water. 


Starfish Island 




Next stop is Starfish Island but we just dropped by and moved to Pandan Island

Pandan Island






Pandan Island has the best facilities and amenities among the three islands. They have their own comfort room, restaurant and massage place. So we already stayed in this Island till 5PM.

Bilao at Palayok 




After Honda Bay Island Hopping, we went to Bilao at Palayok for our dinner. It is one of the most recommended restaurants in Puerto Princesa so we want to try it. The place has native ambiance and look. 




We ordered Boodle Feast, Lengua Estofado, Buttered Garlic Crab and Ginataang Seafood. Among the food, my favorite is Lengua Estofado. For 13 persons, our bill is less than P2000 so price is very reasonable. Don't forget to bring your insect repellent. We took tricycle on our way back to Ysabelle Mansion. 


Day 2: Underground River Tour 


It’s been raining the whole night because there was LPA. I am bit worried that our Underground tour will be canceled but thank God for giving us good weather in Sabang. The travel time going to Undeground River is almost two hours and expect that is very long and winding road. It is not a smooth ride because some roads are not cemented.  




Fortunately, we had stopover at Viewdeck because some of us are really dizzy and about to vomit. So don not forget to take bonamine to prevent biyahilo moments. This road is the same road that I will need to travel if I want to go to El Nido so I am really thinking twice about El Nido

Underground River Expense 


Van Rental P3000 

Permit P150/head local, 200/head foreigner, 13-17 yrs old P50, 6-12yrs old P30 and 5yrs old below free 
Boat (good for 6pax) P 700/boat 

Tip: Do not forget to bring ID because they will look for it. I forgot the cost of terminal fee. For toddlers, bring your own life vest. 




You need to ride boat to get to Underground River, it is just 15 minutes travel time. Upon arrival, you have to wait for your turn, yes pila ulit sa boart for Underground River Tour, it is about 45 minutes tour inside the cave. You will not get bored because the tour guide is really good, he will explain everything to you. I am proud that I have been here. 





We availed the buffet lunch at the beach for P200 per head. The food is just ok so it is not worth the price especially for the kids because they have the same rate. 

Puerto Princesa City Tour 


After lunch, we decided to proceed with City Tour since we still have time. Itinerary for the day: Iwahig Penal Colony, Cathedral, Crocodile farm, Mitra’s house -Sta. Monica Ranch and Baker’s Hill. 


Crocodile Farm and Nature Park






First stop is Crocodile Farm, there is a souvenir shop where you can buy pasalubong while waiting for your turn. I bought crocodile stuffed toy here. Between Crocodile Park of Davao and Crocodile Farm, I like Crocodile Park because there is so much to see in their park. But in Crocodile Farm, we were able to hold baby crocodile. 










Then we visited Iwahig Penal Colony, Mitra’s house -Sta. Monica Ranch and Baker’s Hill. At this point, my grandmother was already complaining bakit hinto daw ng hinto, hehehe! City Tour nga e! So we did not stay long in each spot because our grandmother was just staying inside the van.



You will enjoy the Baker’s Hill because there is a playground for the kids. The place is big and it is not just a bakery. You can also buy food pasalubong here, the famous here is hopia. 




Last stop is Cathedral na ako na lang ang bumaba just to take pictures because pagod na ang lahat. They did not want to go out anymore for dinner so we just ate at Ysabelle Mansion. 

By the way, there is Vietville, Plaza Cuartel and Butterfly garden too but we did not include them in our itinerary. 


Day 3: Palawan Museum 


This was our last day in Puerto Princesa, since our flight was still 2PM, we decided to go to Palawan Museum. We just took a tricycle to get there. P10 for entrance fee. 




We checked-out at 12 noon and naiinip pa kami na ihatid sa airport. Yun pala sarado ang airport, hindi man lang kami ininform na nagsasara pala yun. So we waited more or less an hour bago nag-open ulit ang airport. 

Ysabelle Mansion 
214 Abad Santos Extension 
Puerto Princesa City Palawan, Philippines 5300 
Contact Nos.: Landline (63)(48) 723-0992 
Mobile No. (63)918-4089377 / (63)929-2417797 
Email: info@ysabellemansion.com 
Website: www.ysabellemansion.com 

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