Showing posts with label beach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beach. Show all posts

Friday, June 16, 2017

8 Days of Summer in Paradise

Since I was born in summer on an island, I decided to begin the best part of my life in El Nido (read: paradise) for a week. Dubbed as "the most beautiful island in the world", it is one pit stop you will want to extend or never want to leave. 

Seeing El Nido with my own eyes - the incredible landscapes and beautiful turquoise waters - by the end of my first day there, it was over. I was sold. It was love at first sight.

The camera cannot capture what the naked eye can see..

Bacuit Bay

Small Lagoon

Nacpan Beach


Bacuit Bay

Bacuit Bay

Places I have been while I was in El Nido (check my IG for more photos/videos):

  • Small & Big Lagoons. Kayaking around and getting El Nido's "badge of honor" - a nasty deep coral cuts on my toe and a few light coral scrapes under my foot.
  • Secret Lagoon, Miniloc Island
  • Entalalula Island
  • Snake Island. Overlooking the S-shaped sandbar (best seen during low tide) that snakes across the water, connecting the island to the mainland.
  • Seven Commandos Beach. Where you can ignore everyone else at the end of the day and just do whatever the hell you wanna do. Been here twice.
  • Las Cabañas Beach. El Nido's best place to catch the sunset. Been here 3 to 4 times
  • Nacpan Beach. Where you will realize that life is pretty amazing
  • El Nido Cove Resort, Lamoro Beach
  • Helicopter Island
  • Fishing Village
  • Talisay Beach. Where I  bagged my 2nd El Nido's "badge of honor" - got nipped by a fish twice and wounded both my legs.
  • Hidden Beach. An unseen beach unless you go further in between two rocks.
  • Secret Beach. A piece of paradise concealed by the cliffs and can only be accessed by swimming through a narrow crevice.
  • Paradise Island. El Nido's best spot to scuba dive
  • Duli Beach. Heaven seems a bit closer here.
  • LiO Tourism Estate. Another best to catch the sunset

Other best places to eat/hangout:

  • Jarace Grill - fresh seafood and beach front dining PLUS a taste of crocodile crispy and crocodile sisig
  • Sava Beach Bar - this is kinda high end beachfront bar. Been here thrice
  • Maremegmeg Beach Bar - while waiting for the sunset in Las Cabañas. Been here 3 to 4 times
  • Mezzanine - the loungey resto boasting views over the bay of Bacuit and its islands. 

Also, when it comes to island hopping in El Nido, if you want to experience the best, Pardz boat is perfect for it. Manned by 2 crew - a captain and a helper, Pardz can accommodate up to 16 guests. The crew know all El Nido's best kept secrets, from hidden lagoons to remote beaches & diving/snorkeling/kayaking sites. They cook delicious grilled foods for their guests too! Contact: (+63) 09303740994

Saturday, November 26, 2016

An Emirati Kinda Wedding - 1/2

A destination wedding experience and an ultimate getaway. 

Got an Emirati wedding invites and didn't let it slip through my fingers as it might be the last opportunity I had to experience such wedding. 

That being said, I was provided with 2 nights accommodation aSt Regis Saadiyat Island Resort inclusive of breakfast and any meals/beverages that aren't part of the wedding banquet – all paid by the bride and groom. A life no ordinary person would ever be able to afford.

The Hotel

The beach front hotel is located on the pristine beach of Saadiyat Island and framed by the prestigious Saadiyat Beach Golf Club in Abu Dhabi. 
St Regis is the most bespoke resort on the Saadiyat Island.
A buffet dinner with the bride and groom and their whole clan, I assumed it was a rehearsal dinner, was held the night before the wedding banquet, the first night on the island. It was set up near the hotel lobby lounge on the 3rd level, conveniently few steps from my room. The thing about dining in a posh place and rubbing noses shoulders with well off Emiratis IS you can't just whip out your phone and snap what's on your dinner plate.

The Room

Alone in the room, the feels of it evoked nostalgic memories of weekend hotel holidays, especially when I wanted a coffee and got no clue how Nespresso machine works, wish I had paid more attention when someoNe made me a coffee over a Nespresso machine. Anyway, let me tour you around my lavishly appointed room. 

Here comes my comfy bed

Behind the table is a door and a shoe rack facing the cupboard
the telephone desk where I call my Butler service

Below the TV is the mini bar and behind it is a spacious double vanity bathroom; left door to the loo; right door to the tub
the bathroom with Remède bath amenities, from the toilet side, Shower in the middle and Tub at the far end

The bathroom with Remède bath amenities; from the Tub side, Shower in the middle, and Loo at the far end

The Butler assigned to me was kind enough to make me a bubble bath a la St Regis

Had to do this, LOL

View from the bath tub

My room has its own private balcony, offering a glimpse of captivating views of the bluest sea and beyond while enjoying a cup of tea, couldn't make me a coffee coz you-know-why

view from my private balcony

for the love of salmon, I ordered room service

The Hotel Interior and The Beach

Buffet breakfast the best and my fave is located on the level one of the hotel with panoramic view of the ocean and beyond, it features cooking stations where staff await guests' every whim. It has indoors and alfresco options and a very relaxing dining experience with local, mediterranean, international menu... superb choices for anyone's taste to enjoy. Again, the thing about dining in a posh place and....

So let's roam around the hotel and beach, shall we? A certain mystique surrounds the hotel due to the Mediterranean architecture and contemporary interior design...









And I can't get over the hotel's turquoise ocean view... breathtakingly stunning! It was super blue and beautiful out there.