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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Review: Raymen Beach Resort

Raymen Beach Resort is one of the popular beach resorts in Guimaras. It is located in Nueva Valencia, along Alubihod beach area. The resort is fronting the beach so its easy to go swimming whenever you want .


how to get there:

From Jordan Wharf (pronounced as Hordan) ; you can take a multicab or tricycle.  You can hire a multicab (PHP500) or ride a public multicab (PHP20). The downside of riding the public multicab is you have to wait for it to be full before it leaves the wharf. Aside from the waiting time, if you don't mind sitting next to people carrying live poultry or other animals, then go ahead and board! :) A little adventure won't do you any harm. One more thing, the public multicab won't drop you off straight at the beach resort, you have to walk a few blocks to reach Raymen's.

The tricycle costs PHP250. I recommend this for small group. It can carry 4-5 persons. This is what we  took going to the resort. We even asked the driver to stop briefly in some of Guimaras' tourist spots. And he did, at no extra cost! :)


Staff:

The staff are friendly, though I think the management could at least enhance the staffs' general knowledge about the island. There are instances that we would ask them on how to go to some particular island but sadly they seem clueless and kept on asking other staff if someone knew what were talking about.

Facilities:

Room:  The room size was just right. Not to cramp, not to spacious. Our only complain is that the bathroom was 'amoy-kulob'. We have to open the bathroom windows; and as a result, mosquitoes and insects found its way to our room. No worries, we were able to take care of it.
*we forgot to take pictures of the room and other facilities. we were that excited and tired.

Canteen: It opens as early as 6 or 7am and closes at 9pm but you have to place your order on or before 7pm. It takes about 30 minutes to prepare for your food. You can either wait at the canteen or just have them call you when its done. Food choices are limited ; for pork, fish and chicken they only have 2 variety. Prices are affordable.

Souvenir Shop: They sell shirts and key chains. Dried mangoes are also available for pasalubong. Fresh mangoes in which Guimaras are famous for was out of season. :(  I was looking for ref magnets for my mom's collection but unfortunately, they run of stocks when we were there

Wi-fi:  It's not free, PHP100 for 24 hours. Not bad! Internet connection was fast and reliable. I was able to access the net for 2nights. (but i only paid for 1 night, shhh!)


Activity:

Just approach the information counter of the resort and book for you island hopping activity. A flat rate of  PHP450 is charged for the 1st hour, and additional PHP150 per succeeding hour. The resort only owns 1 boat, so make sure to reserve early. Otherwise, you have to wait for the boat/guide to return, to avail of their services. But don't fret, there is a a small booth along the pathway (you'll easily notice it) that offers island hopping activity. They have the same rates as that of the resort.


Verdict:

We stayed here for 2 nights. Booked an A/C triple room for PHP1800/night. Overall, our stay was okay. There are some minor problems like the bathroom but it was kinda bearable. If you wanna book and stay here, you can call or text this number (63)9185207271.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Guimaras' Beauty

Guimaras is famous for its produce; the sweetest mango in the world as per Guinness World Records. But Aside from mango, Guimaras boasts unspoilt beaches.

beautiful guimaras

how to go:

Plane ride from Manila to Iloilo. At ILO airport arrival exit, there are shuttle bus service going to and from  city (SM mall)  which costs around PHP50. From SM mall you  can take a cab going to  Ortiz wharf.

MNL - ILO
Another option is to take a cab. There are taxi stands just outside the arrival exit.

We opted to take a cab from the airport straight  to Ortiz wharf. Its more convenient for us because we are carrying big bags, fare costs PHP350.

From Ortiz, we boarded a pump boat going to Jordan wharf in Guimaras. It's a 15 minutes boat ride, fare is PHP13. If you're travelling in a big group you can rent a boat for PHP300.

where we stayed:   Raymen Beach Resort


activity: island hopping; snorkeling; rappelling; biking


Tuesday, October 26, 2010

hittin' three's

 A few days back I've celebrated my birthday with family and friends. What more can I ask for? I'm  surrounded by loving people.

23.Oct.10  dinner with college friends

college barkada
24.Oct. 10 lunch with my family

 ziplining! what a way to celebrate my 30th! another activity ticked from my bucket list! :)


It was a celebration of life; of 3 decades of challenges and triumphs, frustrations and achievements, tears and smile, heartaches, but mostly love. 

30 years of my life had passed, through all the pains and joy, I grew, I became stronger and most importantly, I learned. Sometimes I get confused and don't know what to do but hey, no one's got it all figured out ; so I'll embrace it as it comes. And hopefully, pick up all the lessons life throws. 

As they say, life's a journey so far I'm enjoying the ride of my life despite some setbacks. I love my life and the people in it! I'm so blessed. I thank God for all you. 

Looking forward to another 3 decades of my life. Life is a journey so keep exploring! :)


P.S. My blog also turned 3 years old! A warm thank you to all who reads and visits my blog. Hoping to share more life stories with you all. Cheers! :)





Friday, October 15, 2010

the story of 'you'

journal entry
12 Oct
from Iloilo, on my way to Bacolod

How do I get you off my mind? Even when I'm supposed to enjoy my time, images of you  would cropped up. I wonder DO YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY TOO?! I guess not because things are going your way, every piece of the puzzle is falling into the right places. Don't get me wrong I'm happy for you, I truly am. I just wish I can say the same for myself. 

And so, here I am wishing you were here with me. Seeing what I'm seeing right now. I wish we could travel and see the world together. :(  *wishful thinking mode*


my thoughts about you..

Thursday, October 14, 2010

2010 birthday getaway

Just got back from our 6-day Birthday getaway. This is Bambi's post birthday celebration, she turned 30 last September; It'll be my turn ( to be 30) on the 24th and Vina's 26th birthday on 20October; 3 destinations for 3 ladies celebrating life! Our first destination is Guimaras, then Concepcion, Iloilo and last stop Bacolod. 

Travel thoughts:

As a sat at the back of the tricycle, I was saw Guimaras' scenic landscape. I never get to feel this on the city, the air is clean, no skyscrapers to block your view of clear skies; and no annoying traffic to ruin your schedule. 




Concepcion roadside scenery offers a glimpse on everyday rural life.



And lastly, Bacolod has a very festive vibes because Masskara festival is just days away from the celebration. 


We had lots of misadventures on this tour, but certainly had fun!

Reviews, adventures and guides on next blog post. Stay tuned!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

lines

As a guest service staff, I'm assigned at the check-in counter, and everyday I have to face these so called lines.

Day by day, I see guests lining in front of me (not to take my picture or autograph, silly!). Some looked happy and excited, others looked tired and weary, while some are impatiently staring back at me as if saying, 'hurry up!'.

As I take my seat at the counter I prepare for my new lessons. You see, as a guest service agent, I compare myself to a student, ready to learn what the check-in counter has to offer.

One by one as I process each guests, chatting, interacting and dealing with them taught me about different life lessons on:

empathy:  on how to identify with the guests, on what they go through.

on being strong: strong meaning being able to face guests who woke up at the "wrong side of the bed". sometimes its a bit intimidating especially if the guest starts screaming at me. at times, I want to give up, cry and pray that the floor would swallow me up, but I know whatever happens, the world would not stop for me and I have to face the guest. this is where empathy and patience comes in, and my being 'strong' develops. its like life is teaching me that whatever comes my way good or bad, I have to take it and make something good out of it.

sacrifice: some guests leave their families behind to work overseas to give their love ones back home a good future.

passion: there are some guests that are really passionate about their dreams and goals in life that through talking to them they have passed on to me their zeal and enthusiasm to do better and strive harder.

and the most important lesson of all is...

love: families travelling together to visit grandpa, grandma, aunts and uncles, nieces and cousin, closing the gaps and rekindling family ties which reminds me that LOVE CONQUERS ALL even DISTANCE!

Those are some the lessons the LINES at the check-in counter taught me. Hoping for more Life Lessons to learn from this unconventional classroom called CHECK-IN COUNTER.