Diving with Butanding (Whale Shark).. Soon..

I'm already excited to dive with whale sharks in Donsol, Sorsogon this Monday. I'll surely update you here my experiences in that tour. Watch for it...

For the mean time your can visit these websites for more info about Donsol:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donsol,_Sorsogon

http://www.sorsogontourism.com/whale_shark_interaction_guide.htm

Penang, Malaysia

Small island fully packed with history, that is how I remembered Penang Island.

I recalled taking up the 8pm train from Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, and reach Butterworth at 3am, where I took the free boat ride to Penang. It was still dark when I reached the place so I stay a few more minutes in the port area but I was a bit scared because of the loneliness so when there was a taxi cab that came I told him to bring me somewhere where I can have my early breakfast.

I stayed in the local restaurant for a while after I ate and when I saw the break of dawn I started my tour over the area. At first I was mesmerized by the sameness of the demography of the with my native place, Dumaguete City, in the Philippines. The weather, small streets, few traffic, and gentle people are almost exactly the same.

But as I explore thoroughly, it became clear to me that it one most unique place in the world. I am a fan watching travel shows on TV or read travel books but I've never seen such a beautiful place like Penang.

As I walk the streets of Georgetown, Penang in the Sunday morning, I realized that the island is composed of many different cultures and tradition. It became known to me because of the number of temples, churches, mosques, museums and cultural heritage facilities available in such a small area.

The popular sites are the Kapitan Kling Mosque, St. George Church, Assumption Church, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Fort Cornwallis, Kek Lok Si and Wat Chayamangalaram, where the 3rd largest Leaning Buddha in the world is kept. There are still many other temples you can visit within the city but I wasn't able to get there names, but I assure you they are also very worthy of your time.

After the whole day of touring, I went to their boulevard (just like in Dumaguete), popularly known as the Gourney Drive, to have my early dinner before I take the boat back to Butterworth where I can take the train back to KL. There are lots of option for food here at a very reasonable price. This is were most of the hotels are located also and where the night life is usually spent by the tourists.

It was really a nice experience to visit such a beautiful place like Penang. But I would just like to suggest one thing, for this is one of the greatest lesson I learned when I traveled this place, never travel alone. There are places that are dull and ugly but seems to be nice when you travel with a good companion, how much more if you visit wonderful place. Plus, there more benefits you can get when you travel in group, such as lesser accommodation cost, travel package discounts, lesser boring moments (like queuing in lines or waiting for transportation) and the most important is its much safer, especially when you go to a place you've never been before.

Sugar Beach, Sipalay City

If you want a real romantic getaway, Sugar Beach in Sipalay City is for you and your partner.

Located in a secluded part of the the city, can only be accessible by banca, this place is a haven for couples who wanted to experience serenity with nature, the sea and sunset.

You will have a different experience here unlike all other beach resort areas such as boracay, bantayan, or malapascua because of its peace and tranquility coupled by its perfect sunset and calm water.

Resorts here are offered a variety of options for your accommodation, from a simple nipa hut to themed accommodation, and food choices, from different international cuisines to simple Filipino food. You can also enjoy lots of adventure activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, island hopping, trekking or hiking and many more.

Besides the sugar-like sand of Sugar Beach, the most anticipated sight in this place is the sunset. You may need to make yourself available during this time of the day in your trip in order to experience one of nature's most beautiful moments. Grab some beer and just sit back and relax and let God repaint the colors of the sky from blue to yellow to orange and then to red before the night would eventually swallow all the lights in the air. You may also try having a picnic for your dinner to experience this, as most of the tourist do.

Sipalay City is 200 kilometers away from Dumaguete City. When you reach the city proper of Sipalay, you may hire a pumpboat going to Sugar Beach or go to Brgy. Nauhang were you would only need a banca to pass by the river.

Lake Balanan

Many sights are available for you if you visit Negros Oriental. One of them is Lake Balanan.

Situated 10 kilometers from the town-proper of the municipality of Siaton, this beautiful natural haven is open for everyone who would like adventure, fun or just pure relaxation.

Surrounded by a rainforest, Lake Balanan provides a place to go hiking, swimming, kayaking, banca-riding, nature tripping and sight seeing. It offers a unique kind of experience for a short adventure trek, were you can try its natural muscle powered floating nipa hut and a walk in its established trail going to its beautiful waterfalls or you may also try to just rent a kayak or ride a banca going there.

Many more options is available for you here if you want to stay for a night or just have a picnic for a day. They have rooms available for rent which could be in a bungalow or in a tree house. They also have a restaurant that provide good food at a reasonable price which offers variety of dishes.

This place becomes more popular now to tourist because of its accessibility. It can easily be reach by any kind of vehicle, even an ordinary car, for most of its road is paved already and the slope or elevation of the roads are not so steep compared to other natural sights. That is why many just go there every now and then just to have a photography session or just pure wasting of time while breathing in lots of oxygen.

They also have a very nice swimming pool that you may want to have a dip when you visit the place. It is right down the area where the restaurant is and where cars can park.

Apo Island

If you love the sea, big corals, and colorful fishes then Apo Island is for you. You can dive or if your new to it, you can just snorkel with no much needed effort to do so. Just few feet away from the beach, its beautiful marine sanctuary host lots of amazing corals that some can just seen in the area. With it, it attracted thousands of colorful fishes of different varieties and sizes. There is even a part of the island where if you get lucky, you can swim with sea turtles bigger than you.

From Dumaguete City, you can hire a taxi or take a bus going to Malatapay, Zamboaguita for 20-30 minutes only. In Malatapay Ferry Terminal you can take a boat going to the island. A good for 5-pax boat is at P1700 and a good for 10-pax is at P2700. For solo traveler, you can negotiate to go along a boat for only P300 for a one-way travel.

Playa de Malatapay Resort and Restaurant or formerly known as Malatapay Beach Resort offers a good place to stay if you plan to go to Apo Island. It's situated at the side of the Malatapay Ferry Terminal and offers the friendliest rates in town. It's the most recommended place to stay if you are on a budget since it offers cozy cottage style accommodation along the beach, 24-hour water and electricity and most of all, the savings you get with their amazing rates. For more info visit, www.playademalatapay.com

Bai Juan is BACK!!!

Hello everyone..

I'm now in full swing to resume blogging on this site.. I will feature here all of the cheap travels I did in the past few years, like backpacking, cheap travel deals, best budget hot spots, hitching in a ride, joining medical missions and charitable events just to have a free ride to beautiful places and everything else I did to inorder make travel more fun, adventuruous and most of all less expensive.

I hope you keep on following this blogspot and hope to meet you somewhere soon.

Bai Juan