Our Last Day in the Philippines

11 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Food & Drinks, Philippines

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1945 Memorial, Asia, Baluarte de San Andres, Bicol Express, Intramuros, Manila, Max, Philippines, Sisig, St. Agustin Church

On our last day in the Philippines, Mr. Selfish and I spent some quality time with our friends in Manila. We went to Intramuros, which is the historic portion of Manila. We attempted to go into the Manila Cathedral, but it was closed for renovations. However, nearby we enjoyed the 1945 monument, which was dedicated to the victims of WWII. Then, we walked to the Church of St. Agustin, which had a wedding going on. It was interesting to see Asian designs incorporated into a Catholic church (after being in Europe and seeing so many cathedrals there).

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Malls, Massages, and Meats in Manila

10 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Food & Drinks, Philippines

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Aling Lucing, Asia, Goldilocks, Mall, Manila, Philippines, Polvoron, Sisig

Mr. Selfish and I learned that Manila had quite the mall culture meaning that because it is so hot out, people usually hang out at the mall. We accordingly acted like locals and spent time at the mall.

Not only were the malls huge with fun arcades but they usually had a floor full of pampering stores. I got a facial and a couple of massages from the mall. The massages were quite well-priced (about $6USD for an hour) and the masseuses used A LOT of pressure. Mr. Selfish also got a haircut at the mall, which only cost about $4USD.

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Enjoying the Activities at El Nido Resorts – Part II

09 Saturday Feb 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Accommodations, Asia, Philippines

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Asia, Big Lagoon, El Nido, El Nido Resorts, Lagen Island, Miniloc Island, Palawan, Philippines, Small Lagoon

Editor’s Note: This is the final post in a three part series on El Nido. Check out our other posts:

During our third day at El Nido, we decided to visit Miniloc Island, which is another island belonging to El Nido Resorts. We were originally slated to stay on Miniloc Island but we were upgraded to Lagen Island. Both islands are beautiful.

At Miniloc, we watched the jack fish feeding. Dek particularly enjoyed it. We also relaxed on the hammocks, and Mike and Dek played some b-ball.

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Enjoying the Activities at El Nido Resorts – Part I

07 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Accommodations, Asia, Philippines

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Asia, El Nido, El Nido Resorts, Palawan, Philippines

Editor’s Note: This is the second post in a three part series on El Nido. Check out our other posts:

Mr. Selfish and I enjoyed the many activities at El Nido Resorts. During our first evening, we went on a sunset cruise. It was a bumpy ride on the boat, but Dek had a good time. Although it was a little cloudy that day, we still enjoyed the cruise.

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Luxuriating in Paradise: El Nido Resorts

06 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Accommodations, Asia, Philippines

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Asia, El Nido, El Nido Resorts, Palawan, Philippines

Editor’s Note: This is the first post in a three part series on El Nido. Check out our other posts:

While Mr. Selfish and I did a “Homeland Honeymoon,” in which we visited Halong Bay north of Hanoi, our friends went to El Nido Resorts on Palawan Island. Both places have beautiful limestone cliffs and emerald waters. During our trip to the Philippines, we decided to see how El Nido compared to Halong Bay.

We opted to stay on Lagen Island at El Nido Resorts, which is an all-inclusive luxury resort. Although the price was a bit steep, all of our food and activities were covered for the duration of our stay. El Nido Resorts is my favorite hotel of all time. It was absolutely stunning in every way.

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The All-Encompassing Bohol Countryside Tour

05 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Philippines

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Baclayon Church, Blood Compact Monument, Bohol, Butterfly Conservatory, Chocolate Hills, Loboc River, Philippines, Tarsier

Mr. Selfish and I took an epic countryside tour of Bohol with our friends. It was an all day affair, and I dare say that we hit up every major attraction in the area. First, we went to a tarsier sanctuary. Tarsiers are the smallest primate in the world. They have large eyes and are mostly nocturnal. They were quite cute and tiny.

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Hanging Out on the Islands of Cebu and Bohol

04 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Food & Drinks, Philippines

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Amarela Resort, Asia, Bohol, Cebu, CnT, Lechon, Panglao Island, Philippines

After spending a day in Manila, we flew south to Cebu, which is a province in the Philippines consisting of approximately 168 islands. I was excited about Cebu since the lechon (roasted suckling pig) there is legendary. We opted for CnT Lechon, where they chop up the suckling pig in front of you behind plexi glass and you have to buy it by the kilo. It was savory, juicy, and delicious.

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Our First Day in the Philippines: Taal Volcano

03 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, Food & Drinks, Philippines

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Asia, Bulalo, Gerry's Grill, Jeepney, Manila, People's Park in the Sky, Philippines, Sisig, Taal Volcano

Mr. Selfish and I spent nine lovely days in the Philippines with our friends and their adorable son. As I’ve noted previously, we are a little travel planning fatigued, so it was nice just to tag along with what they were doing. They were perfect planners, and we had a wonderful time in the Philippines.

During our first day in Manila, we went to Taal Volcano, which is about 30 miles from the city. It is an active volcano that is a part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The last time it erupted was in 1977 but it has been showing signs of activity recently. We kept our distance and enjoyed the beautiful view from the People’s Park in the Sky. The park is on top of a little hill, and you could walk or take a jeepney, which is a means of public transportation made from left over US military jeeps that have been decorated. We opted to walk for the exercise.