Puerto Princesa has a lot of Vietnamese restaurants owing to the fact that it was once host to many refugees from Vietnam. Locally, these restaurants are known as chaolongan because they serve a noodle dish called chaolong. I wonder though why they call it chaolong when the noodle dish is more aptly called pho (phở). Chao long is congee (rice porridge) with pork innards.
The best of these Vietnamese restaurants is Rene's Saigon Restaurant. Unlike other restaurants which serve the local chaolong, Rene bakes his own Vietnamese baguette or bánh mì. Plus he's half Vietnamese and his wife is Vietnamese. The other chaolong restaurants are owned by locals who inherited the restaurants from the Vietnamese after they migrated to the U.S.
At the same time, Rene's Saigon Restaurant has more choices when it comes to Vietnamese food including fresh rolls or gỏi cuốn and fried spring rolls chả giò and authentic bánh mì sandwiches among others. In the menu, you will see the sandwiches under the heading French Bread.
We ordered fresh rolls (Php100) and fried rolls (Php85) for starters. Both are not in the menu but are served upon request. The fresh rolls are wrapped in rice paper and have pork, shrimp, bún or rice vermicelli, herbs, and other ingredients inside.
For the chaolong (again the right term for this is pho), we got Beef Stew with Noodles and Beef with Noodles (Php60 each). And for French Bread, we got French Bread with Pork Barbecue wich is a very popular bánh mì filling in Vietnam.
Among the Vietnamese restaurants in Puerto Princesa, Rene's Saigon Restaurant is on the higher end and rightly so because it serves the most authentic Vietnamese food of all the chaolongan. But even then, it's still very affordable.
The masa version of chaolong is served at Bona's Chaolong House and Restaurant. This is very popular among the locals because prices are very cheap. I ordered the Beef Stew with Noodles Special (Php45) and French Bread with Chicken (Php25). I even took home one of their fusion sandwiches, French Bread with Longganisa (Php28). While it is cheap and good, they're also very generous with the MSG. Not good news for the health conscious.
There are several more chaolong restaurants in Puerto Princesa which are also worth the visit. So if you have more time, you might want to visit them too. Tricycles know how to get to most of these chaolong restaurants.
I just needed a break last weekend. So off I went to Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Having been to Puerto Princesa previously, I decided to forgo the tours: Puerto Princesa city tour, Puerto Princesa Underground River tour and Honda Bay island hopping, and decided to use my time instead to relax at Microtel Puerto Princesa. Although there are two tours I have not tried: Dos Palmas and dolphin watching which is seasonal, which I will reserve for another trip.
Microtel Puerto Princesa just opened last year. Its beach front location is quite secluded and very cozy. But the downside of being secluded is that the hotel is a bit far from the city proper. But they have scheduled lunch and dinner shuttle services to and from the city proper as well as the airport. I took both their lunch and dinner shuttles to the city proper to try out the different restaurants in the city. Unfortunately, if you want to venture out on your own, tricycles charge between Php150 to 200 one-way to get to and from Microtel.
But no need to worry about the tours I mentioned above since Microtel can book all these tours for you and the tour vans pick you up right at the hotel. So it's very convenient.
Those who who want a quiet place with a beach front to relax in Puerto Princesa will enjoy a stay at Microtel. The view is picturesque. And I must admit I spent some time just sitting in the lounge chairs or the hammock for a quiet afternoon nap. The only downside is that the water is too shallow for a swim. So most of the swimming is done in the pool conveniently located beside the beach.
I always look forward to stays in Microtel because of their chiropractic-approved beds which are exclusively made for the hotel chain worldwide. So any Microtel will have the same kind of bed and pillows.
There's free WiFi Internet in the lobby and paid WiFi/LAN connections in the rooms. Ask them for ongoing promos. Right now, they have a Php5,860 per person 3D 2N package (based on quadruple sharing) which includes daily breakfast, the city tour, Honda Bay and Underground River tours, and a one-hour massage. It's almost all-in except for the two dinners. But given that three tours are included, that's a total bargain!
Northbound Magazine Issue 5, which came out during the summer, is now available online! Sorry this took a while since things have been really hectic. In this issue, we featured nine adventure destinations in North Philippines including sandboarding in Ilocos Norte, kayaking and spelunking in Cagayan, surfing in La Union, island hopping in Pangasinan, trekking in Tarlac and Pampanga, horseback riding in Clark, off-road go-karting in Benguet, and zip-lining in Subic Bay. Northbound Magazine is a publication of the North Philippines Visitors Bureau. You can download the online version from the NPVB website.
General Santos is the jump-off point for Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, and Glan (Gumasa) and Maitum, Sarangani. After whitewater tubing in Maitum, I was back in General Santos. I had one more night before my flight back to Manila the next day. So that was enough time to try out at least one restaurant and visit the General Santos Fish Port early the next morning.
The city has some good dining options. So I made sure to try out one restaurant in General Santos for dinner. I was told there are several restaurants which serve really good steak. After getting some leads, I asked for directions from the front desk. When I told them I wanted steak, they suggested this new restaurant called Euro Kitchen.
So I went to the Tiongson Arcade area by habal-habal. Tiongson Arcade is a long stretch of outdoor grills and restaurants such as Gio's Mongo Grill which serves Mongolian bowls and Gusteau's which I heard serves really good crab. If I had more time, I would have explored more.
Euro Kitchen is owned by Finnish chef Henrick Stork and his wife May, which explains the Finnish translations in the menu. The serving sizes are really big which is why I'd give the restaurant a two thumbs up for value for money. I ordered the T-bone Steak with Rice (which ranges from Php300 to Php500 depending on the weight of the steak) and Pork Kebab with Rice (Php90) which I really had a hard time finishing since the serving size was just too much!
The next morning, I woke up early to visit the General Santos Fish Port. I didn't know that they had very strict rules to enter. You can't wear shorts, slippers, or sando. Plus if you want to get in the market area, you need white rubber boots. They won't accept any other color of boots.
We were able to borrow white rubber boots at the hotel. Unfortunately, I did not bring any pants during this trip and was hoping they would allow me in. But the guards were very strict since there was a camera monitoring the gates. So I ended up buying something at the nearby ukay-ukay just to get in.
It's arguably the cleanest market in the country and if you are fascinated by markets, this one is worth the visit. You can even buy your fresh tuna there if you want. The earlier you visit in the morning, the better since the supply of fish comes in quite early. And the better stocks are gone really quick.
With the visit to the fish port settled, I returned to my hotel to prepare for my flight back to Manila. Now I'm craving for sushi and sashimi!
Sarangani is very popular because of Gumasa Beach, a powder white sand beach in Glan. But on the opposite end of the province is Maitum, which has the Pangi River whitewater tubing, Pawikan Sanctuary, and a small museum dedicated to the anthropomorphic pottery that was found in Ayub Cave in Brgy. Piñol.
From General Santos, it's a three hour drive to Maitum. Unless you plan to stay overnight in Maitum, it's best to hire a vehicle going there since the Pangi River in Brgy. New La Union is several kilometers inland. Thanks to Go Sarangani Travel for arranging a vehicle for me to get to Maitum.
It's a really scenic drive. As you cross over to Sarangani from General Santos, the landscape changes abruptly. The rocky hills with a sparse cover of trees actually reminds me of some areas in Spain. This rocky landscape slowly changes into green forested mountains as you move ahead towards Maitum.
When we arrived in Maitum, we first visited the Maitum Municipal Hall where an exhibit of the Maitum anthropomorphic jars is located. Although the pots on display are replicas, the exhibit done by the National Museum is very educational and worth the visit.
Before proceeding to the Pangi River, we dropped by the Pawikan Nesting Sanctuary in Old Poblacion. There were several hatchlings ready for release but since it was early in the afternoon, it was too hot to release any of them. Hatchlings are best released early in the morning or late in the afternoon. There were green turtles (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), and the Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), which is also known as the Pacific Ridley.
After the visit, we rushed to Pangi River in Brgy. New La Union for some whitewater tubing. I wanted to reach the jump-off point early in the afternoon just in case there were mid-afternoon rains that would fall that day.
It costs just Php120 for a 30-minute run down a one-kilometer length of the river. There's a longer 45-minute run which costs an extra Php50 but you have to do this in the morning when the guides are still well-rested since it requires them to carry the equipment further up stream.
Anyway, the only things they will advice you are to stay cool, not to panic, and to hold the handles of the rubber tube as tight as you can. This will keep you from falling off the tube. I did two runs and despite several near falls, stayed afloat because of my tight grip on the rubber tube handles.
It would have been fun to go for a third run but it was another three hour drive to General Santos. More from General Santos in my next entry.
Go Sarangani Travel
Partridge BLDG, 66 J. Catolico St. Gen. Santos City
(083) 552-8015 or 304-4398
Lake Sebu, South Cotabato has several cultural and natural attractions which makes it a worthwhile destination for tourists who look for more than the usual destination. After making my way to Lake Sebu from the General Santos Airport, I spent the afternoon exploring the town's different points of interest.
First on the list are the Seven Waterfalls or Seven Falls which is a series of majestic cascades lined-up one after the other. The easiest to reach is the first falls (named Dongon Falls or Hikong Alu in the local language) which requires minimal walking. While the last two are the most difficult to access since it requires a long hike down to the valley floor to see them.
The Provincial Government of South Cotabato has made efforts to cement walking paths which is fine since it makes it easier to walk. But unfortunately, the designs of the infrastructure that accompanied the project, particularly the welcome arch and function halls beside the second falls, which obviously was not given much thought, make the falls area look like a cheap theme park. What do you expect of government engineers anyway? You may not realize it but the Philippines has some of the worst-designed government infrastructure in the world because we let our engineers design things and not architects.
It's quite unfortunate because each of the seven falls has a T'boli name that describes each waterfall. And if the provincial government had vision, they should have used T'boli-inspired designs for the welcome arch, function halls and huts which they built. When creating infrastructure for tourism attractions, local governments have to give it much thought and ensure that the designs blend with the environment they are built in or are representative of the local culture. Because if they do things haphazardly or without taste, they destroy the very attraction people come to visit.
That being said, the Seven Falls are still worth the visit since although there are now some structures in the area, the views are still free from obstructions. But it would have been better it they injected a lot of T'boli culture in the designs of tourism infrastructure.
Anyway, I'd like to stress that T'boli is a language and not a dialect. I hope people stop referring to our different languages here in the Philippines as dialects. As I mentioned, the seven falls have T'boli names which describe them. Also known as Dongon Falls, the T'boli name of the first falls is Hikong Alu which means passage falls. The second falls, being the highest, is called Hikong Bente or unmeasurable falls. The third one is Hikong B'lebel which means coil or zigzag falls. The fourth falls in Hikong Lowig which means booth. The fifth falls is Hikong K'fo-i which means short falls. While the seventh and last falls is Hikong Tonok which means soil.
From the first falls, you can walk down several hundred steps to the second falls. But the second option is flying over the the second, third, fourth and fifth falls and down to the foot of the second falls by zip-line. The zip-line costs Php250 and they usually do it in pairs. Although you can try requesting for a solo flight which is what I did. It's arguably the most picturesque zipline in the country.
As I mentioned, the end of the zip-line is the foot of the second falls, arguably the most photographed of all the seven falls. Since the rainy season had already started, the force of the falls was too strong. So I could only take photos from a distance. But despite being relatively far already, mist still hit me. In fact, the mist from the falls was forceful enough to reach me while I was on the zip-line.
Going back up is another story and I was told we climbed close to 700 steps to return to Dongon Falls. It usually rains in the afternoon and it started to drizzle as we neared the top. We were quite lucky that the downpour hit when I was trying to catch my breath at the top. So we had to wait it out at one of the stores before we proceeded to our next destination.
After it stopped raining, we proceeded to the house and weaving school of Lang Dulay, a t'nalak weaver and National Living Treasure. The NCCA notes, "There are a few of them left, the traditional weavers of the t'nalak or T'boli cloth. It is not hard to see why: weaving t'nalak is a tedious process that begins with stripping the stem of the abaca plant to get the fibers, to coaxing even finer fibers for the textile, then drying the threads and tying each strand by hand. Afterwards, there is the delicate task of setting the strands on the 'bed-tying' frame made of bamboo, with an eye towards deciding which strands should be tied to resist the dye. It is the bud or tying of the abaca fibers that defines the design."
Lang Dulay is currently in her nineties. They say she doesn't remember her exact age but previous interviews of her say that she started weaving t'nalak at the age of 12. I also got to interview her myself for posterity and purchased one of her t'nalak cloths for a souvenir which usually ranges from Php500 to Php1000 a yard depending on the design. Minimum length is usually four to eight yards since they don't like cutting the t'nalak.
From Lang Dulay's place, we stopped at the Santa Cruz Mission School to check out its charming architecture which is very much reflective of the local culture. I hope the local governments of Lake Sebu and South Cotabato use this as an example when they build tourism infrastructure. In fact, I mentioned that the school can host cultural performances in its quadrangle in the evening or during weekends which could be another tourism activity for Lake Sebu.
Before calling it a night, we stopped by a traditional brass casting artisan who made intricate T'boli designs such as bells, figures and boxes. They use the lost-wax casting method, creating the work in wax first then covering it with clay. Molten brass is then poured into the clay cast which melts and replaces the wax to form the finished product.
The next morning, I was up early since I wanted to be in General Santos before lunch. This time, I took public transportation. From the resort, I took a habal-habal to the bus terminal in Surallah. Along the way, we stopped for a photo at Lake Seloton, one of Lake Sebu's three lakes. From Surallah, I took a bus to Koronadal. Then I hopped on a bus to General Santos from there. Then it was off to Maitum, Sarangani for some white-water tubing!
Go Sarangani Travel
Partridge BLDG, 66 J. Catolico St. Gen. Santos City
(083) 552-8015 or 304-4398
If there’s one cultural landscape in Mindanao that I can’t get enough of, it’s Lake Sebu in South Cotabato. A cultural landscape according to the UNESCO definition, is a distinct geographical area or properties that "represent the combined work of nature and of man." And Lake Sebu is definitely a good example of the perfect balance between man, culture and nature.
From the General Santos Airport, it’s about two to three hours away depending on what mode of transportation you’re getting. It was great that Go Sarangani Travel was very nice to arrange a van for me which picked me up at the airport and brought me straight to Lake Sebu. They also did reservations for my one night stay in Lake Sebu and linked me up with the guides at the tourism office.
If you plan to take public transportation, it will require four connections. From the airport, you will have to get to the bus station in General Santos. At the bus station, you take a bus to Koronadal. At Koronadal, you board another bus to Surallah. And at Surallah, you could take a van (which may take long since it waits for passengers) or hire a habal-habal to get to Lake Sebu.
As soon as I checked-in at the Punta Isla Lake Resort, we proceeded to the tourist information center to arrange a guide for the afternoon to help me get around Lake Sebu’s natural and cultural attractions. Aside from the guides, they also arranged a habal-habal that would take us around for Php250 the whole afternoon.
Back at the resort, I ordered my lunch at the restaurant then went on a 45-minute boat tour of Lake Sebu while waiting for my food to be prepared. The boat rental at the resort is Php400 regardless of how many you are and can comfortably seat up to 15 to 20 people. They have local guides on the boat who explain the background of Lake Sebu and the different points of interest around the lake.
After lunch, the guides arrived at the resort to pick me up. I was surprised to see two guides and wondered if they hired two motorcycles. It turns out, we were all going to use one motorbike and thus, there were four of us including the driver! That number could even increase when a wooden plank is added which gives the habal-habal another moniker, the skylab. We managed to get around anyway and got to visit the Seven Falls and the Lake Sebu Zipline as well as Lang Dulay, a t'nalak weaver and National Living Treasure. I'll share details in another entry. You can also read the entry from my previous visit: An afternoon in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.
I never thought I’d get affected by a train strike in France. We always hear about these strikes in the news. But since we’re thousands of miles away, it never really affected us.
I should be in Bordeaux by now. But unfortunately, I’m stuck in Hendaye, the first train station after the border between Spain and France.
Everything was going as planned. I left Madrid Chamartin at 10:30 p.m. and got off at Valladolid Campo Grande at 1:20 a.m. to change trains. Then I boarded the train for Hendaye at 1:54 a.m. It all worked like clockwork. Trains left on time and arrived on time.
We were scheduled to arrive in Hendaye at 7:10 a.m. where I was to change trains for Bordeaux. I was a bit groggy but I noticed we stopped moving at about 7 a.m. at Irun, the last station of Spain.
By 7:10 a.m., passengers were getting restless. Obviously, we all had trains to catch in Hendaye. Then came in one of the train staff announcing that the train could move no further and would not be able to proceed to Hendaye because of a train strike in France!
We were advised to get off and take a taxi to Hendaye which was nearby. The taxi cost was €11,50 which I got to share with three other passengers. We crossed the invisible border, so invisible in fact that I did not realize were already in France until the driver pointed to the Hendaye Station. So I’m stuck here in Hendaye, no train to Bordeaux, hoping to get on board a 2:10 p.m. provisional TGV to Paris that will pick up all the stranded passengers along the way.
Unfortunately, there are no buses. I had this wild idea since I saw an Avis car rental across the street. But there were no available cars. Crap! I’m really stuck!
Update: The TGV did arrive and I'm now in Bordeaux!
If you've noticed, updates have been quite scarce. That's because I'm currently in Europe and I'm using all the time I have to explore. Plus Internet access is not easy to come by. Anyway, I represent the Philippines in the ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee (ICTC). And every year, the committee meets, usually in a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The ICOMOS ICTC 2010 Annual Meeting was in Lamego in the Douro Valley, Portugal. It also coincided with the International Conference on World Heritage Status: Opportunities for Economic Gain for Tourism Destinations – The Case of the Douro Valley which we also got to attend last June 17.
I'll tell you more about the trip in the coming days. The good news is, the 2012 Annual Meeting of the ICOMOS ICTC will be in the Philippines! I'm very happy our colleagues voted to accept our invitation.
The Kuta and Legian areas are the tourist centers of Bali. The area is very popular for both its nightlife and surfing. As soon as I arrived in Kuta from Ubud, I set out to find some budget accommodation near Poppies Gang 1 and 2 which are two popular alleyways where many of the budget accommodation are located. I found a reasonable hotel right beside the Bali Bombings Memorial.
Being a very popular tourist attraction in Indonesia, Bali was most definitely prone to terrorist attacks. And the unfortunate incident happened in 2002 killing 202 people, 152 of them foreigners. Bali has moved forward from then and is very much alive and kicking. A monument now stands in what was Paddy's Pub on Legian Street. At the memorial, the names of all the fatalities are carved on a large black marble plaque in the memorial.
I spent the rest of the night walking around the area with its vibrant nightlife.
The next morning, I explored Legian Beach (some refer to it as Kuta Beach) where most of the surfing activity happens. It's quite obvious that surfing is a major thing in Bali since there are dozens of shops that sell surf boards, surfing equipment or offer lessons. Plus the beach is lined with piles of surfboards and trainers offering lessons to those around the beach. And one look at the water, you'll see hundreds of surfers waiting for the next wave.
To bad I couldn't really do much that morning since my flight back to Kuala Lumpur was later that day. But Bali is most definitely one island you must visit in your lifetime!
Pura Besakih or the Mother Temple of Besakih is the most important Hindu temple in Bali. Located on the south slopes of Mount Agung, Pura Besakih probably dates back to the 14th century.
This was the last stop of my road trip around Bali, northeastern Bali to be exact. Being the most sacred of temples, a sarong is definitely required. To blend in with the locals, I also got myself a traditional Balinese head scarf.
The driver dropped me off at the parking lot and warned me not to entertain the offers of ojek drivers to the top since they will overcharge me being a tourist. It was quite tempting actually since it's quite a walk from the vehicle parking up to the main entrance of the temple. The hike will definitely let you break a sweat.
Pura Besakih is actually a complex of twenty-two temples that sit on parallel ridges. It's on the tentative list of the UNESCO World Heritage List.
You'll definitely see a lot of locals there, a perfect place to observe daily life in Bali as hundreds make their way to the temple daily to worship, pray and make offerings. It's enchanting as well as serene, especially as a thin blanket of fog makes its way down to the temple late in the afternoon.
Again, be prepared for a lot of walking because the walk from the entrance all the way to the top of the temple is no joke. There are some restricted areas though. And unless you know how to speak Bahasa Indonesia or are a Hindu visiting the temple to worship, the guards won't let you in the other parts which is reserved for worship.
Pura Besakih was the last stop on my Bali road trip. It took about two hours to get back to Ubud, just in time for me to catch my bus back to Kuta.
So when you visit Bali, make sure you allot a day or two for road travel around the island. There was still a lot to see like Tanah Lot, Uluwatu and Taman Ayun Temples in the southwestern part of Bali very close to Kuta. Unfortunately, I had no more time. I hope to come back again for another visit!
One of the best views of Bali is that of Mount Batur and Lake Batur (Gunung Batur and Danau Batur) from Penelokan and Kintamani. You can reach these areas when you do a road trip around Bali. The best way to get around is by hiring a vehicle which is both the most convenient and most affordable option.
In Penelokan, the winding mountain road provides grand views of Mount Batur, an active 1,717 meter-high (5,633ft) volcano. We stopped over every now and then for me to take photos of the picturesque view of the volcano and the lake.
At 3,142 meters (10,308 feet), Gunung Agung or Mount Agung is the highest point on Bali. On the slopes of Mount Agung is the holiest of Bali temples, the Pura Besakih or Mother Temple.
Before proceeding to the Mother Temple in Besakih, I had a buffet lunch at the Mahagiri Panoramic Resort and Restaurant in Rendang Village, Karangasem, again by the suggestion of my driver. It offers a fantastic view of the rice terraces at the foot of Mount Agung, and Mount Agung itself. My driver stressed that these were the best terraces in the world. He hasn't been to Ifugao obviously. But he could be right about it being one of the most-visited since they are readily accessible to tourists.
The Indonesian buffet selection is quite good. I feasted on sate as always. The buffet was about Rp80,000. From there, we proceeded to Besakih to visit the Mother Temple.
