Thailand: Sri Panwa Phuket

Sri Panwa Phuket is no doubt one of the best resorts in Phuket, Thailand! I spent two nights in one of their luxurious pool villas one rainy September. Although I couldn't explore much since the weather was gloomy, the pool villa definitely was more than enough reason to stay indoors. The sprawling resort is nestled on a hill in Cape Panwa, the southeastern end of Phuket.

From the main reception area, resort transportation took me to my villa facing the ocean. Every villa has a gate for added security and privacy.

One of the main features is your own infinity pool which connects from the sun deck, bed room and living room all the way to the large bathroom (which has its own jacuzzi and sauna) at the opposite end of the main bedroom. A sound system provides relaxing pipe-in music all throughout the villa.

The room is no doubt spacious, with glass walls that offer a beautiful view of the sea. There were so many corners where I could work or relax and just look at the sea, depending on my mood.

For dinner, I'd eat at Baba Poolclub where a larger infinity pool provides more relaxation to guests.

Pizza is one of their specialties and I obviously choose something different: Tom Yam Pizza and Parma Ham Truffle Pizza. I also tried the Massaman Curry with Pork.

Breakfast was at the main reception area. Aside from the usual offering, they have local Phuket dishes. But these have to be pre-ordered the night before which I made sure to try: Phad Se-Ew with Chicken, Phuket Style Dim Sum, Roti with Chicken Curry, and Phuket Style Soya Milk.

The resort also has its own private beach if you want to stay away from the crowds in Phuket's public beaches.

My stay at Sri Panwa Phuket was extremely pleasing! How I wish I could visit again. Definitely highly-recommended, especially for those who want to spend their honeymoon in Phuket.

Bookings can be made through the Sri Panwa Phuket website.

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Beach hopping in Phuket (Rawai, Kata, Karon & Patong)

Ilocos Norte: Your guide to the best Ilocos empanadas

Much has been said about the Ilocos empanada. Note that there are two distinct varieties, namely Batac and Vigan, the differences of which, I've written about before. But in Ilocos Norte, there are several places to get really delicious empanada aside from in Batac.

Where to find the best empanada in Ilocos Norte is no contest since Batac has always held that honor. Glory's Empanada is the most popular. In Batac, you can order different combinations of empanada ingredients: papaya, monggo, egg, longganisa and even hotdog. Some choose vegetarian. While others double the longganisa or egg or even double both! The Jumbo Empanada has all ingredients plus hotdog. But they also serve a lot of street food in Batac if you want more than just empanada.

In Laoag City, aside from the Dap-ayan ti Ilocos Norte which is the place most tourists go to for empanada, there are four empanadaan which you might find interesting. The first one is JM's Empanada at the Laoag Airport which many locals recommended to me because the longganisa is really tasty! It's just a few meters from the airport terminal building. So you could walk over as soon as you arrive or enjoy empanada right before you leave.

There is Mildred's Empanada, a small cart with tables right beside the Laoag City Public Market. Another place we discovered is along P. Burgos, near the corner of Gen. Giron Street. It's right beside Balay da Blas. They smoke the longganisa before adding it to the empanada.

Locals also recommend the empanadaan near PLDT which is Elvie's Sweet Empanada (tricycles will know where this is) since they use sweet longganisa or hamonado instead of the garlicky derecado.

Finally, Johnny Moon Cafe in Laoag serves Dinardaraan (Dinuguan) Empanada which you might want to try if you are looking for something different.

Finally, just a few minutes from Laoag, there are two empanadaan in Bacarra. What makes their empanada worth the visit is the crust which is extra crisp and crunchy. You can see and taste the difference! You'll find them in Barangay 11 Santa Filomena 1, Bacarra, Ilocos Norte. Just ask for directions, the locals surely know where they are. Note that they are open only from 3 to 7 p.m.

Did I miss any other interesting empanadaan in Ilocos Norte?

Iloilo: Must try Ilonggo dishes

Visiting Iloilo City can be a culinary adventure. Here are some Ilonggo dishes you might want to try out while in Iloilo City.

La Paz Batchoy must be on top of almost everyone's list. You can get the best batchoy at the La Paz Market. This noodle soup contains pork innards, pork cracklings (chicharon) and beek loin among other ingredients. While there are many batchoy stalls outside the market, hidden inside the market is Netong's Lapaz Batchoy which is highly-recommended by locals. And while we were there, I noticed they added a really deadly ingredient to their batchoy — bone marrow!

Kansi and KBL are two classic Illongo stews that are powerful enough to stimulate emotions and evoke good memories, the Ratatouille moment if I may say, among Ilonggos. My search for the fabled Kansi and KBL took me to Punot Flavors of Modern Iloilo by the Esplanande.

KBL (Kadios, Baboy and Langka) is a classic Ilonggo pork stew with batuan (Garcinia binucao) used as souring agent. Punot serves their own version of Kansi, a beef stew. They have Corned Beef Kansi which is corned beef shank in soured broth, jackfruit, lemongrass and atsuete oil with oven-roasted bone marrow on the side.

Then there's another Ilonggo classic — Pancit Molo. Ironically, it's difficult to find a restaurant in Molo known for Pansit Molo simply because it's usually prepared as home. Lucky for us, we got to enjoy a hot bowl of Pancit Molo plus Tsokolate Batirol at the Camiña Balay nga Bato (Avanceña Heritage House), Villa de Arevalo, Iloilo City.

Pangat is the Iloilo version of Bicol's laing. Panay and Bicol have a noticeable cultural connection because of the abaca trade. We had Pangat at Breakthrough Restaurant.

Liempo may be a common dish. But Liempo at Ramboy's is in a class of its own. We got to try their famed Liempo at the Ramboy's branch by the Esplanade.

Finally, there's Pancit Efuven (egg noodles with pork and vegetables). I got to try Teresa's Special Efuven at Carlitos Restaurant from the owners of the Original Biscocho Haus. Their version, cooked light and delicately herbed, is an heirloom recipe of the Guadarramas of Fajardo Street.

Did I miss any more popular Ilonggo dishes?

Iloilo: Santa Barbara Church and Iloilo Golf and Country Club

Santa Barbara, Iloilo has a special place in our country's history. I was honored to celebrate our 115th Independence Day with the citizens of Santa Barbara. One of the town's heritage sites is the Santa Barbara Church, a National Historical Landmark. It was here that the Revolutionary Government of the Visayas led by Gen. Martin T. Delgado convened the junta that raised the first cry outside Luzon.

Another heritage site is the Iloilo Golf and Country Club, the first golf course in the Philippines, which was established by Scottish engineers in 1907. Unfortunately, the original club house was burned down by the Japanese during the Second World War. Except for the historical marker, there's no other structure that highlights that it is the country's oldest golf course. Maybe they could reconstruct the old club house to house the golf course's museum, an added attraction for Santa Barbara. There are many qualified restoration architects who can do that.

With Sta. Barbara Mayor Dennis Superficial, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor & Cabatuan Mayor Ramon Yee during the 115th Independence Day ceremonies

Thailand: Beach hopping in Phuket (Rawai, Kata, Karon & Patong)

People don't realize that Phuket is actually a large island, a province of Thailand in fact. It took me an about an hour to get from the Phuket International Airport on the northern end of the island to my resort on Cape Panwa, the southwestern tip of Phuket. I stayed at what many consider to be among the best resorts on the island, Sri Panwa Phuket, an experience I will share in another post.

Phuket actually has quite a number of popular beaches. Unfortunately, I had a hire a car to take me to see all the beaches. It was a rainy September when I was in Phuket so the sun was not out. But I got to see Rawai, Kata, Karon and Patong Beaches, albeit under overcast skies.

My first beach stop was Rawai Beach which was closest to the resort, being on the south side of Phuket as well. It's not really popular for swimming but you'll find traditional fishing boats and long tail boats moored at the beach, which tourists hire for snorkeling and sightseeing trips to nearby islands.

Kata Beach (Kata Yai and Kata Noi) and neighboring Karon Beach are popular surfing beaches. Kata, with its village atmosphere, is more family-oriented, and a quieter version of party Patong. Kata Noi has the resorts, restaurants and tourist shops while Kata Yai is the less-developed beach.

Karon Beach is the second largest tourist beach of Phuket, with three kilometers of white sand. Most of the beach is public since a busy road separates the resorts form the beach itself. The beach is said to be the most upscale of the beaches of Phuket. 

Patong Beach is Phuket's party beach. It gets rowdy especially in the evening with numerous hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and bars to choose from. While accommodation here can get expensive, backpacker accommodation is also abundant in the area. It actually caters to everyone from budget to five-star.

At the time of my visit, winds were strong and waves were high. While it was surfer's paradise, swimming was not allowed in certain areas. So watch out for the red warning flags before you head for the beach. If these flags are up, please do heed them. Hopefully, I get to visit Phuket again now that there are direct flights from Manila.

We arrange tours to Phuket, Thailand. Contact us at tours@ivanhenares.com for more details.

Indonesia: Jatiluwih Rice Terraces & the Cultural Landscape of Bali Province

An island steeped in deep Hindu-religiosity in a predominantly Muslim nation, with colorful temples and traditions, captivating landscapes and numerous surfing beaches with a vibrant nightlife, visiting Bali can be an unforgettable cultural experience. It is no surprise then that the Cultural Landscape of Bali Province was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012. This inscription has four locations: (1a) Supreme Water Temple Pura Ulun Danu Batur, (1b) Lake Batur, (2) Subak Landscape of Pekerisan Watershed, (3) Subak Landscape of Catur Angga Batukaru and (4) Royal Water Temple Pura Taman Ayun.

The Pekerisan Watershed includes Subak Pulagan, Subak Kulub, Kulub Village, Tampaksiring Village, Manukaya Village, Pegulingan Temple, Tirta Empul Temple, Mengening Temple and Gunung Kawi Site. While Catur Angga Batukaru is composed of fifteen subak namely Bedugul, Jatiluwih, Kedampal, Keloncing, Penatahan, Pesagi, Piak, Puakan, Rejasa, Sangketan, Soka, Tegallinggah, Tengkudak and Wangaya Betan.

I went to three sites early this month. These are the Tirta Empul Temple (which I also got to visit in 2009), the Royal Water Temple Pura Taman Ayun, and the subak of the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, said to be the best-preserved of the subak included in the inscription. My immersion in Jatiluwih was quite profound thanks to the invitation of Heru and Grace Tarjoto. The Tarjotos, who own a rice mill in Jatiluwih, contribute quite a lot to the promotion and distribution of Jatiluwih red rice. And Grace, a Filipina who has lived in Bali for so many years, is the honorary consul of the Philippines in Bali.

It took me two hours to get to Jatiluwih Village from Kuta. There were no highways. Just narrow rural roads that took me through Bali's verdant rice fields. I dozed off at times, having been up quite late the night before. But the view of the rice terraces as we neared Jatiluwih was incentive enough to stay alert. I'd ask my driver to stop occasionally for me to capture the picturesque views of villages amidst the rice terraces.

Towering over Jatiluwih Village are three grand mountains namely Mount Batukaru (2276m), Mount Sangyang (2,093m) and Mount Poohoen (2,063m). Unfortunately, clouds beat me to the view by a good thirty minutes or so. Some photographers stay overnight in Jatiluwih just to capture the scene of the three mountains with fertile rice terraces below.

Jatiluwih Village is further divided into seven communities or tempek that form three subak. Subak Gunung Sari has Umakayu (38ha) and Gunung Sari Desa (45ha). Subak Jatiluwih has Central Jatiluwih (90ha), Besikalong (40ha) and Kesambih (25ha). While Subak Kedamaian has Umadui (30ha) and Kedamaian Utara (35ha).

Most of the rice in Central Jatiluwih had been harvested over the past few days. So the rice terraces weren't as picturesque as they should be. Good thing the harvest in Gunung Sari wasn't due until a few more days, thus giving me the opportunity to experience beautiful scenes of Bali's agricultural heritage.

Subak is all about water management and the beautiful interaction between man and nature. Water for irrigation comes from several natural springs that bubble in various points throughout the subak. Springs are marked by a water temple (bhet gedong), each providing irrigation to the paddies below through water channels called sungai. Farmers care for the spring but don't get to use the water. Rather it benefits other farmers below. And that's the spirit of cooperation in this unique water management system of Bali.

Even cow sheds have a use, each with two cows, and strategically located across the system. The waste produced by the cows serves as fertilizer, with water from the springs and rain washing the manure to the rice fields. Everything is natural here and Jatiluwih's fragrant red rice is proudly organic since even insects and birds are repelled naturally by certain genetic features of the rice variety.

But with the UNESCO inscription, tourists have started to arrive. There's a construction frenzy for tourist accommodation and facilities in Central Jatiluwih which if unregulated, might erase the charm and essence of this beautiful village. I was also told stories of the local government confiscating funds raised by the village through entrance fees, leaving nothing for the community for restoration and cultural promotion. The local politicians say that the collections are rightfully theirs because the village is in their jurisdiction.

Too bad since the locals wanted to use the funds to purchase instruments to train their children on musical traditions that have faded away. Time is running out as elders who can teach these dying traditions to the local community, are themselves dying of old age. It makes me angry listening to stories and the unfair treatment they get because of a question of turf.

More than a tourism masterplan which politicians are more keen on preparing, Jatiluwih badly needs a masterplan to restore its irrigation system and to protect the subak, most especially the forest reserve above the village which is unfortunately privately-owned. What will stop the owners from building resorts and other infrastructure in this delicate forest reserve as Jatiluwih becomes more popular to tourists? If the unregulated development continues, Jatiluwih may lose the springs that produce the very water that irrigates its rice terraces. This development may erase the very essence of the subak.

Before I left Jatiluwih, we passed by the community temple (pura puseh) of Gunung Sari. I was reminded of the philosophical concept of Tri Hita Karana which the subak system revolves around, the interaction between the spirit, man and nature. This egalitarian and democratic system of farming is the core of this inscription. We should keep that in mind when we visit the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces.