My first travel to Thailand  was in Surat Thani, which means "City of Good People". This province is located in the southern part of Thailand. This province is usually the drop-off spot of tourists going to the island beaches of Ko Samui and Ko Pha Ngan.

For me, Surat Thani has a vibe resemblance to that of the provinces in Cebu. I like this place because of its calmness and serenity. Despite the always visible traffic jam, we were able to roam around the area well. Good thing we don't need to take a taxi or bus since our hotel is within the city center. The hotel we stayed at is very cheap. I think we paid around 200baht per person per night which includes free buffet breakfast already. It was the best deal ever. Since there are 4 of us, we got one huge room with toilet and bathtub and a very nice streetview.

buses outside Surat Thani Airport

Our spacious hotel room.

We went there during Oct. 30-Nov. 1 and luckily, during that time there was like a "Moon Festival", I think, so there were always events at night. With only 2 days to spend, walking around and exploring the place was enough for the 4 backpackers wanting to have a weekend getaway. With good friends around, this travel is one of those I could never forget.

As mentioned in my previous post, we recently visited Pulau Ketam. As if the photos were not enough here’s a video of what to expect in this floating island. Enjoy!!!

Pulau Ketam

KTM Train

To go there, you can take the KTM train from KL Sentral to Pelabuhan Klang(Port Klang). Fare is around 5-6RM per way. Once you arrive in Port Klang station, simply take the exit and you can easily spot the port which is just across the road.

Alibaba ferry

There were a lot of ferry options available but since it was a holiday and there were a lot of people going to the island, we were left no choice but to get tickets from Alibaba shipping. Good thing though because Alibaba ferries are new and air-conditioned. Tickets cost 18rm roundtrip. Ferry ride took us about an hour.

The terminal was very crowded when we went there. So keep in mind, not to go to Crab Island during Hari Raya(hahaha).

We arrived there at noon and immediately looked for a place to eat. We were starving already 😁. We first tried this restaurant(I forgot the name) where we ordered Nasi goreng seafood and Char kuey teow. It has a distinct taste from what we usually have in KL. Probably because of the pork fat which was included in our dishes. I love pork, especially fat so I was very satisfied. After having our lunch, we then roamed around Pulau Ketam. What you usually see here are different temples and uniquely structured houses. I was so amazed as to how they were able to build these type of houses in this island. I will just let the pictures do the talking.

Chinese temples

Stilt houses in Pulau Ketam

Purple house

Lala

Crispy squid

272-step stairway

Being in Malaysia for over a year now and countless places visited, I have finally gone to the famous "Batu Caves". Batu Caves, located in Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia, is one of Malaysia's known tourist attractions. It is a limestone hill with a series of caves and cave temples. The cave is considered as one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India.

with the pigeons

So, what has Batu Caves has to offer? Definitely the astonishing limestone formations that you can see from the ground. Though most people say the odor is usually intolerable, but the scenery is definitely one for the books. From the ground leading to the 272-step stairway, you can take pictures with a flock of pigeons (this one I love). Take note though that bringing food or water towards the stairway is not a good idea as there are lots of monkeys waiting to snatch them. They also require you to wear atleast knee-length bottoms.

Entrance area

Temple

Limestone formations

inside the main cave

Going there is pretty easy. If you're coming from KL Sentral or from TBS Bus Station, simply take the KTM Train going to Batu Caves. Fare is around 3-4RM in a journey that will take you less than an hour. Once you got off at Batu Caves station, you can already see the place so just simply walk for around 100 meters or so.

What's up???

After almost 2 years of hiatus, I am now ready to blog again. The previous year has been one of my lows but I've now made it through the tough times. So here I am with BF, in a new chapter of our lives(not married yet), both officially OFWs in Malaysia. Time flies so fast that its almost been a year since I came here. Life's but an adventure and things happen when you least expect it. Who would ever thought I'd have the courage to live abroad? I may have dreams to travel the world, but those were just dreams. But now it seems that it may soon be a reality.

Being here in Kuala Lumpur brought a lot of positive outcomes to my life especially with my dreams to travel. In a span of 6 months since I left the country, I have been to Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. I have lots of new experiences and different food adventures(I would soon post those foodie trips we've had) as well. I still love the Philippines because I believe we have one of the best natural resources, especially beaches, in the world. So I will still be posting a few topics related to the Philippines especially of my beloved Cebu.

@Merdeka Square

I love KL, but there's no place like home. My heart still belongs to Cebu, Philippines.

This was my second time in Rendezvous Beach Resort, Lapu-Lapu City. The first time I was there was more than a decade ago, back when cottages where still made of wooden huts. They did improve a lot since then. The cottages are now cemented and well structured. I really liked the idea of these square-shaped cemented cottages as it looks bigger.

image source: Rendezvous FB Page

Before enumerating all the nega's(negatives) and revealing my reasons why I won't go back to this resort, let's brighten it up first by tackling on its positives. The beach is ok based on public beach standards, it also has a nice facade. There are a number of big cottages which are very much useful for big groups. And, the resort is not that much crowded as compared to its neighboring resorts like Blue Reef and Ocean Pearl, and Banyo Beach, I think.

My greatest concern wherever I go, may it be a restaurant, mall, or beach is the toilet or comfort room. It's one of the basics of an establishment. Everyone uses the toilet, who doesn't? The primary thing that irked me the most in Rendezvous Beach Resort is that they do have a toilet, but the door has no lock. Not only is the door lock missing, but the door handle itself is also missing thus creating a big hole in the door. Who can ever pee or change clothes in a toilet with a big hole? The only remedy for this is that you need to have a watcher who would cover the hole for you. Not only that, water in the toilet is very much limited. I think they only put a barrel of water for a day's consumption. The result of this limited water? A very stinky toilet. (fainting...zzzz...)

To add more insult to injury, they charge 20 pesos for taking a shower with very limited water source. The person watching the shower area kept on telling us that we need to hurry cause the water cost is very high. We were so annoyed then. Really??? How high? Like having a water bill of like 20pesos per pail? I also forgot to mention that the 20-peso shower room is dirty, rusty and not worth the 20-peso charge. Lastly, they don't also have a sink to wash your hands or your plates for that matter. So frustrating...

OMG, sorry for ranting. Enough of this complaints. If my above concerns will still not be addressed, I'm sure I wouldn't be paying Rendezvous Beach Resort another visit. How about you, are you willing to take the risk and try the almost "water-less" Rendezvous Beach Resort?

Thanks to the Tune Hotel promo I booked last year, BF and I was able to get a chance to stay in this economical hotel. This may not be the ideal 4-5 star hotel but this is indeed a hotel worth mentioning.

I booked a room for 2 for only P400+ which is a good steal. The date was during Sinulog(3rd Sunday of January), a major plus factor was that we could watch the fireworks display at Ayala Center Cebu from the hotel - a better view than being in the street.

Upon arrival, we then proceeded to the reception area which is located in the 2nd floor. I gave them my printed copy of the reservation. The receptionist asked if it would be ok for us to have a room in the 2nd floor as it was the only available room because we checked in early and probably they weren't finish cleaning the other rooms yet. We also added toiletries in our room package so we paid additional P90. For those who wants to have a better or nice view from the window, I don't suggest rooms at the second floor. The only view we can get was a wall and a house on the sides. It would have been better if we had the room facing the Cebu Business Park area.

The room was pretty decent and nice, definitely better than that of Sampaguita Suites. There was LCD TV, bedside table and a safe box. The toilet and shower room is big enough that you could actually move freely. The hot and cold shower is also a hit, as well as the hair dryer attached in the wall.

Overall, it was a good experience staying in this hotel. Located just across Ayala Center Cebu, Tune Hotel is a place worth staying especially for budget concious like me.

Santiago White Beach

 This post may long been overdue since summer has already passed but I just wanna share the BEAUTIFUL places we've discovered/toured in Camotes. Haven't been to Boracay yet, so I declare Santiago White Beach as my "hands-down" best beach so far. I'm no "beach bum", obviously, by the fact that I can't swim - but I do love the beach and I often miss the salt water especially during hot summer days.



Back to the topic, we've spent a short overnight stay in Camotes due to some transportation(boat) delays. Nonetheless, the experience was surreal and one of the best I've had. First destination upon arrival was the Lake Danao, which is an awesome lake with a very nice view for photo-ops. This may not be at par with Dumaguete's Lake Balinsasayaw but this should not be missed during your tour, it's definitely worth a visit.



Next stop was a quick plunge at their famous Timubo Cave. This was my first Cave adventure (**another first) and with the cool and clear waters in the cave, my friends and I didn't went out without taking a lot of underwater shots, hehehe.

After getting wet in Timubo Cave, its time for dinner so we headed off to Camotes Bayview and had some barbecue galore. Camotes Island's electricity isn't that stable, it usually turns off during night time but don't worry as resorts and restaurants are their priority so tourists wouldn't be bothered at night.




The next day was the day for "all-out" swimming. We headed off first at Mangodlong Rock Resort. The fine white sand caught my attention and without any further hesitations after paying the entrance fee, I run directly towards the beach and left everyone in the entrance. They say, it has only artificial beach sand - I don't care. What's important is the stunning view and well-structured area.



Last and definitely the best is the Santiago White Beach. This is my favorite beach of all, I'm in LOVE... The fine white sand and crystal clear waters "had me at Hello". This may be a public beach, but it's the best public beach I've been to (second is Tingko, Alcoy). The beach has fine sands "from-start-to-finish", LOL. You wouldn't be worried of having to step into some sharp sea-creatures or sea plants sticking to your skin. The only downside is the very low water level, which is not for those who love to really swim in depth waters.

This beach is absolutely stunning and I couldn't wait to visit Camotes again, specifically Santiago Beach.

Entrance fees and other expenses are posted here.