Casablanca Suites : A Modern and Chic Hotel in Legazpi City

After a long and exhausting ride, I finally reached Legazpi City. I was excited to check in at Casablanca Suites to relax a bit before engaging myself into another fun adventure in the Bicol region. I took a tricycle from the the bus terminal going to the hotel and after less than 10 minutes I'm already standing at the lobby. I arrived before check in time and they were still able to accommodate me. The hotel lobby was spacious, well-lighted and elegant. I checked-in, went to my room and enjoyed a relaxing experience at Casablanca Suites.

Casablanca Suites has 19 spacious rooms which are crafted to suit the convenience of a business and leisure traveler. Their air-conditioned rooms are equipped with 32" TV entertainment system, a working desk, a compimentary WIFI and LAN internet access and other amenities that will make your stay more comfortable and enjoyable.

The hotel offers complimentary Filipino and continental breakfast buffet. The restaurant is located on the ground floor and it offers a great view of the majestic Mount Mayon that will greet you a good morning. I really enjoyed sipping my hot coffee and eating my favorite Filipino breakfast while staring at the Mayon Volcano. 

Here's my personal take:

Rates: Reasonable price considering the amenities and services they offered.

Rooms: Spacious, chic and modern. Big and clean toilet and bathroom.

Service: The staff were very friendly and courteous.

Breakfast: Buffet style - good and tasty food

Restaurant: Comfortable seats that offer a great view of the Mayon Volcano.

Lobby: Clean and comfortable with 2 computers available for guests who want to get connected to the internet.

Tips:

• If you want to have a great view, request for a room that faces the Mayon Volcano. It will be a little more expensive but it's worth it.
• There are small coffee shops and restaurants outside the hotel (same building) should you want to try some Bicol delicacies.
• You can take a tricycle in front of the hotel that can bring you to the city center and from there you can take a jeep going to Legazpi's attractions.
• Embarcadero is also just one ride away if you want to hang out at night or go shopping. 

Casablanca Suites is located at Benny Imperial St. (Alternate Road), Legazpi City
You may call them at Tel: (052) 481-0788; Fax No: (052) 481-0789

Hotel Rates:

*Casablanca Suites is a sponsor of Escape Manila's PHL50 : Backpacking the Philippines in 50 Days.
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/escapemanila
Twitter : https://twitter.com/escapemanila
Subscribe by Email:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Read More

Escape Manila's Top 15 Philippine Travel Blogs for 2013

It is very difficult to come up with a list of your favorite travel blogs especially when you follow and read plenty of them. 

There are a number of travel blogs I follow and regularly visits. Some of them are not on this list but I assure you they are equally great and useful as the ones on this list.

These blogs inspired me to travel more and write about my adventures and misadventures. Here are my Top 15 Travel Blogs for 2013 in no particular order:

• Marcos' Ambot-ah
• Gael's The Pinay Solo Backpacker
• Mervin's Pinoy Adventurista
• Enrico's Byahilo : Ito ang Trip Ko
• Edgar's Eazy Traveler
• Doi's The Traveling Feet
• Lai's Pinay Travelista
• Josiah's Lakas ng Trip
• Angel's Lakwatsero
• Edcel's SoloflightED
• Ramil and Edgar's Pinas Muna
• Dom's Eskapo
• Gay's Pinay Travel Junkie
• James' Journeying James
• Olan's The Travel Teller

Like, Follow and Subscribe!
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/escapemanila
Twitter : https://twitter.com/escapemanila
Subscribe by Email:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Read More

Day 12 of PHL50 : Spending A Day in Paguriran Beach

Day 12 of PHL 50 and I did not know what to do. I have been overstaying in Sorsogon City. I could have gone somewhere but I realized it will be good to do some beach bumming instead. I asked some friends where to go and they said to try going to Paguriran Beach.

Paguriran Beach

I left the hostel in the morning and planned of staying in Paguriran beach for the rest of the day. The jeepney terminal was just across the hostel so it was kinda easy to go there. I went to Bacon first and then took another jeep to Sawanga. I did not know where to take the jeep to Sawanga  so I asked an old lady and she answered back "bakit ka pupunta dun eh di mo pala alam" (you don't know the place, why are you going there)? I had a mixed reaction, I should never asked an old lady again for a direction. She then asked me if I have a companion and I told her I am alone and she started preaching me saying that I should not travel alone and the Paguriran beach is not really nice and I should just go and see the hot spring in Irosin. She was about to tell me a story but the jeepney has arrived, I took the front seat and she was at the back. 

A blue starfish

I arrived in Paguriran beach around 11AM. It was low tide so the beach was not really at its best. The lagoon has a little water so I was not able to enjoy it. The beach was also rocky but I manage to find a good spot for swimming and bumming. I swam, I ate and I slept.

I left the beach around 3PM as I do not want to miss the last trip going back to Sorsogon City. It was a relaxing and refreshing day. The beach was not as good as I expected but I manage to have some fun.

Day 12 Expenses:
Hostel - P350
Lunch - P46
Jeepney Fare (Sorsogon - Bacon) P17
Jeepney Fare (Bacon - Paguriran) P30
Jeepney Fare (Paguriran - Sorsogon City) P47
Snacks - P25
Dinner - P65
Globe Load - P100

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/escapemanila
Twitter : https://twitter.com/escapemanila
Subscribe by Email:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Read More

Day 11 of PHL50 : The Bulusan Volcano Natural Park and Other Attractions of Sorsogon Province

I've learned my lesson from the previous day so I woke up early and head to the city proper to catch a jeepney to Gubat. Instead of going straight to Bulusan Natural Park, I decided to drop by an old church in Barcelona - the St. Joseph's Church commonly known as the Barcelona Church. The church was built by the Spaniards in 1875.

After a short photo ops, I took a jeep going to the town of Bulusan where I transferred to another jeepney bound for Irosin which passes by the Bulusan Volcano Natural Park. The park is about 1.7 kilometers away from the highway. There were no tricycles so I decided to just walk. It was not bad after all as the road is covered with trees.
 

Barcelona Church

After about 20 minutes, I arrived in the park. I paid the entrance fee and went to the lakeside and started taking photos. The colors of the kayaks were very enticing. I wanted to try it but did not proceed. Instead, I just watched the other visitors kayaking.
 

The colorful kayaks

When I was walking back to the highway, I noticed that there were a number of people on the road. I went near them and found out that there was an accident. A motorcycle carrying a child dropped in the cliff. The road was wide so people were wondering how the driver missed it. I took photos and interviewed the people around (yes, I became an instant investigator, hahaha). After few minutes the Bulusan police has arrived. They investigated further and concluded that the driver fell asleep. 

Scene of the accident

I left the place and started walking ahead. Around 3 minutes, the police car passed by and the police officer asked me if I wanted a ride, of course I said yes. They offered to bring me back to the town proper but I told them I am going to Irosin so they can just drop me in the highway. They were really nice. I wish all the police officers in the Philippines are as nice as them.

After about 15 minutes the jeepney arrived and I proceeded to the town of Irosin. I initially planned of going to the Irosin Hotspring but I changed my mind the last minute and decided to just walk around the town and took some photos of Mt. Bulusan. 

View of Mt. Bulusan from the town of Irosin

Then, I head to the town of Juban to have a closer look at some of the old houses. There were not so many of them so I decided to leave the place and went back to Sorsogon City. 
 

An Old House in the Town of Juabn

While in the jeepney, I noticed a group of people flocking in a small snack bar eating halo-halo. I was thirsty and wanted to know why there were a lot of people in there. The halo-halo must be that tasty. I was right, it was the best halo halo I've tasted for only P30.

The Halo Halo with Cheese

After the halo halo treat, I bought a roasted chicken for dinner, went back to the hostel, ate, worked and slept. Day 11 was exhausting.

Expenses:
Hostel P300 (discounted by P50)
Trike (Hostel - City Proper) P8
Jeep (Sorsogon - Gubat) P25
Jeep (Gubat - Barcelona) P15
Jeep (Barcelona - Bulusan) P24
Jeep (Bulusan Town Proper - Lake Bulusan) P12
Entrance Fee at the National Park P20
Jeep (Lake Bulusan - Irosin) P15
Jeep (Irosin - Juban) P20
Jeep (Juban - Sorsogon City) P35
Snacks P20
Halo Halo P30
Dinner - P169
Trike (City proper - Hostel) P8

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/escapemanila
Twitter : https://twitter.com/escapemanila
Subscribe by Email:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Read More

Day 10 of PHL50 : Exploring Sorsogon City and Nearby Towns

I woke up at around 8AM and decided to do some work before heading to the Bulusan National Park in Bulusan, Sorsogon. I left the hostel around 11AM and had my lunch at a nearby eatery. I took a tricycle and reached the town proper at 12nn. 

I asked around what is the easiest way to go there and the lady told me to go to Gubat and take a Bulusan-bound jeep from there. So, I took a Gubat-bound jeepney and arrived at the Gubat Public Market after about 45 minutes. 

I asked the driver where I can take the Bulusan-bound jeepney and he pointed me the direction. Luckily the jeepney was almost full so it departed after about 20 minutes of waiting. I arrived in Bulusan around 2:30PM. I asked a passer-by where can I take a jeep going to the Bulusan National Park, he told me to charter a tricycle as the last trip of the Bulusan-Irosin bound jeepney is at 2PM. Yes, I missed the last trip. I did not know that it was that early. She also told me that the last trip from Bulusan to Gubat is at 3PM so if I intend to go back to Gubat I should take it, otherwise I have to charter a tricycle again going to Gubat which will cost me a lot. 

Rice field and Beach = My kind of place!

Farmers were drying their rice harvest on the road

The road was used as a drier

Locals harvesting rice

I decided to take the last trip going to Gubat and just planned of going back there early in the morning the next day.

I arrived in Sorsogon City around 5PM and decided to do a walking tour of the city. It was short but I had fun.

Expenses:
The Carolina's Hotel - P350 (non-AC room with T/B)
Laundry - P105
Lunch - P70
Trike (The Carolina's - City Proper) P8
Jeepney (Sorsogon-Gubat) - P25 [45 minutes]
Jeepney (Gubat-Bulusan) - P38 [1 hour]
Jeepney (Bulusan-Gubat) - P38
Jeepney (Gubat-Sorsogon City) P25
Trike (City proper-hostel) - P8
Dinner/Grocery - P115

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/escapemanila
Twitter : https://twitter.com/escapemanila
Subscribe by Email:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Read More

Day 9 of PHL 50 : The Adventure Continues from Visayas to Luzon

I initially planned of directly going to Matnog, Sorsogon from Biri Island. When I did my research, I found out that it is possible to do so but the boat schedule is infrequent. So, the night before my scheduled trip to Matnog, my guide brought me to the boat operators to ask if they have a boat trip to Matnog the following day. Both the operators do not have a trip scheduled for the next day and if I want to, I can hire a small boat to bring me to Matnog. It is going to be expensive so I decided to just take the Lavezares-Allen-Matnog route.

I woke up early in the morning as I want to depart Biri by 8:00AM and arrive in Sorsogon in the afternoon. I took a motorcycle and asked him to bring me to the port where I can take a boat to Lavezares. Surprisingly, there are a lot of boat stations within Biri during the morning so one does not have to go to Sto. Niño to take a boat ride. We passed by a "barker" who said that the motorboat is only waiting for 2 more passengers to leave. I decided to get off the motorcycle and hopped on the boat. After about 15 minutes or so, another passenger arrived so the boat has departed. It was a little over an hour trip.

When I arrived in Lavezares, I noticed that there were buses going to Metro Manila so I thought of taking it. I took the super 5 bus and told the driver I am only going to Sorsogon City, he was not happy and told me he'll drop me in Allen and I can take the RORO from there then take a bus/jeep from Matnog to Sorsogon City. I wanted to argue but I was tired so I got off the bus in Allen and bought a RORO ticket to Matnog.

I arrived in Matnog after an hour. I wanted to find an accommodation there, but I saw a jeepney to Sorsogon City so I decided to head straight to Sorsogon City. It was about 2 hours ride to reach Sorsogon City. I immediately took a tricycle and told him to bring me to Carolina's hotel to check in and rest. The hotel/inn is conveniently located near the city center. It sits beside an eatery and the ground floor of the building is occupied by LCC Supermarket.

I checked in, freshen up a bit and went out to have my late lunch. Then I went back to my room and then went to the laundry shop. 

I was kinda exhausted so I decided to just stay in the inn, did some work and called it a day.

Expenses :

Motorboat from Biri to Lavezares - P50 (1.15 hr)

Snacks + Water - P35

Ferry fare from Allen to Matnog - P120

Terminal Fee (Allen Port) - P20

Regulatory Fee (Allen Port) P5

Jeepney Fare from Matnog to Sorsogon City P90 (2 hours) 

Tricycle from City Center to The Carolina's Hotel - P10

The Carolina's Hotel/Inn - P350/night (non-A/C)

Late Lunch - P61

Grocery - P105

Globe Load - P100

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/escapemanila
Twitter : https://twitter.com/escapemanila
Subscribe by Email:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Read More