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My Mandala Spa Experience [ The Bora Life #2 ]

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This scene welcomes you as you step out the tricycle from the main street walk along a stone road full of trees and withered vines. This exact photo was described by Marc Macapagal on his Praising Prana article as:

"The open air reception, with its wooden teak floors, lounge chairs and glass tables draped with colorful woven silk fabric, and surrounded with lush tropical plans is a calming sight. You feel like you've arrived in someone's hacienda home."

Mandala prides itself for being a sanctuary for the soul, a place where you experience yourself and go for presence walks. For me, I just came from a Bora night party and stepping into Mandala Spa, I felt like it transported me not into the past or the future, but into another dimension of the present. I felt at home where the staff is friendly, the food is healthy, the air is fresh, and where I felt like the nature and the trees are hugging me as a walk around the spa. Many articles and press releases have been written about this award winning, world class Mandala Spa in Boracay. This is not a press release article but this was my Mandala Spa experience...

Technorati Tags: Beach, Philippines, Restaurants

My Mandala Spa experience begins by putting on a one-piece blue sarong outfit with the locker key as your accessory and nice white sandals to transport you around the place. Actually, I was conscious at first to show off my flabby body to the nice spa receptionist and therapist, but the environment feels like it accepts you for who you are -- sincerely.

You are escorted by the massage therapist to what they call the Yin Yang Pavilion, which is an open air shared treatment area. The spa massage actually begins with a light foot massage. I like the attention to the details of putting flower petals into the foot bath and somehow it gives excitement to the entire experience. I also like the minimalist play of colors in the uniforms of the staff at Mandala. This was the inspiration for this photo to show the contrast of the blue sarong with the violet skirt.

This is the second time I've been to Mandala Spa. The last time I've been here was having a night massage of the Mandala Signature Massage ($35) for 95 minutes. I wanted to erase the memory of that massage because it was so gentle, and relaxing to the point of boredom. I think it was a matter of preference because I like massages that put pressure to your vital nerves but it puts you into a relaxing sleep. So this time around, I tried the Mandala Deep Tissue Massage ($50) for two hours and twenty minutes. Although it was a bit painful because of the serious deep tissue pressure and cross fiber strokes, I still enjoyed it and you feel relax after two hours.

After the treatment, you are escorted into this pavilion, where you are served with tea. This is your final relaxation time before you transport back to the busy party-vibe in the white beach. So savor it, take your time and enjoy the present.

Just one suggestion, instead of just drinking tea, order in advance Prana Restaurant's Pappa al pomodoro or tomato soup (~P200+). I guarantee you that this is the best tomato soup I've ever tasted. It is served with a ginger slush that upon drinking it, it gives you that wasabi kick to your entire body. I've been looking for this taste and I've wondered how a simple ginger juice with honey can taste soo good!

Mandala Spa
Manoc-Manoc, Boracay Island Station 3
+63 917 546-5991
Tel: +63 36, 2885858
www.mandalaspa.com
Just ride a tricycle to this place, all the drivers know where this is located.

Spas To Go To In The Metro:

The Best Therapeutic Massage in Town! P500 ($10) for 4 hours of Reflexology Massage!

Sanctuario -- The best filipino inspired Day Spa @ the heart of Malate

My Mandala Spa Experience [ The Bora Life #2 ]

[The Bora Life.1] Top Ten 10 Cool Things to do in Boracay!

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Our Awesome Planet is not complete without a Boracay posts and here are the Top Ten Cool Things to do in Boracay this year! Just a warning, once you finish reading this post, you'll be tempted to go to Bora as soon as you can...

1). Jonas Milkshakes -- still the undisputed dessert place. This continues to be the best place to hang out for dessert or for watching the sunset. The best part is Jonas is now open 24 hours! It continues to be a mystery as to what is the ingredient of Jonas' milkshakes? By the way, for the diet freaks you can order a Jonas Shake without milk. My favorite continues to be Banana-Choco-Peanut for P70, what's your favorite?

Technorati Tags: Beach, Philippines

2). Authentic Hilot Filipino Massage (P350). I'm a massage freak and Hilot Filipino massage is one of the best massage that I've ever had! I can't understand why people would go for shiatsu or swedish when the traditional Hilot is even better and cheaper. We should support this and we need to elevate this to the level of popularity as Thai/ Swedish massage in the world.

3). Sunset Happy Hour! Normally happy hour starts at 5pm and this sunset party in front of Waling! Waling! is so much fun. There is also some talks about illegal floating bar which operates until the sun sets and I've not tried it personally. What is important is that you are with the company of your friends over a bottle of beer laughing at funny life stories while you wait for the sun to set in the horizon.

4. Paraw Sunset Cruising (P150/head). I have removed Banana boat in my list because it destroys the environment and once you have experience it once you won't crave for it anymore. Paraws on the other hand is the local boat indigenous to Boracay and it is the Boracay equivalent ofthe Gondolas in Venice and the Junks in China. You should try the Paraws with soothing tunes on board for that perfect sunset Paraw Sailing with background music. Check out the Sasha Paraws @ +63 36, 288-4032 or inquire at your hotel's lobby.

5). Try out the coolest Restaurants in Boracay! Boracay is well known for its culinary delights and here are my top five favorites:
(a) The newest authentic Cyma Greek Cuisine in d'mall,
(b) Aria italian cuisine in d'mall,
(c) Banza/ Portugalia Authentic Portuguese cuisine in Station 3,
(d) Travesia Restaurant (originally Dos Mestizos Spanish Cuisine) in Asya Resort in Station 2,
(e) Prana Restaurant in Mandala Spa in Station 3.
I'll cover all these new restaurants in a separate posts.

6). Dance the night away at What-Happens-in-Boracay-Stays-in-Boracay Parties! Need I say more? The best party places continues to be the following:
(a) Cocomangas in Station One
(b) Club Paraw in Station One
(c) Pier One in Station One
(d) Hey Jude! in Station Two
(e) Summer Place in Station Two
(f) Juice in Plazoleta in Station Two
I'm not sure if you notice this but Station One is mostly Pinoys while Station Two has a lot of the foreigners.

7). Shopping and Wheel ride in D'Mall (P20). This is the newest landmark in Bora in the middle of d'Mall where Hobbit House is also located. I'm really not fond of shopping so I'll leave this at this.

8). Chori Burger fad! This food innovation in boracay continues to be the favorite snack of Pinoys in the island. This is perfect for that happy hour pulutan food or an after drinking gimmick meal.

9). Boating around the Bora Island. There are a lot of destinations around Boracay and during my particular trip, I was not able to have a boat ride. Although, this continues to be one of the cool things you can do in Bora.

10). Truth or Truth Sessions! One of the things why people go to Boracay is to have a very good bonding session with Friends. Parties are not a very good bonding session because either you are dancing or you can only talk to the person near you. Here is one suggestion that could make your Boracay vacation truly unforgettable. Find a secure a private hut in front of your resort at night, and find a game that you can play. The easiest would be a card game and the person who will lose will have to answer a Truth or Truth game. This is a no-holds-bar question and answer portion where you can ask anything under the sun and people are obliged to answer it. A good starting question would be, "Are you still virgin?", etc... I guess you get the point. Try it out, and I'll assure you that time will just pass by and you'll just notice the sun rising in Bora.

[Golden Sunset 3] What to do in Golden Sunset?

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Golden Sunset is a very nice place for the family and they have the best Philippines Cultural Show that I have ever seen! Food, Drinks, and Pets are not allowed inside the resort so you have to be contented with eating at the Filipino Fishpond Restaurant or at Cucina de Oro (which serves international cuisine pasta, pizza, etc.). I like the Fishpond restaurant a lot better than the Cucina de Oro (they need to have a better cook). Although the restaurants are not something to rave about in this place. My son, Aidan really enjoyed with the fun swimming pools, playground, kids room, and the butterfly sanctuary. My wife, Rache also enjoyed the massage at the Serendipity Spa for P500 :) For me, I enjoyed the cultural show and taking photos of the surroundings and the golden sunset. So everyone is happy :)

Technorati Tags: Beach, Philippines, Restaurants

Just to give you a feel of how big the resort is.

SWIM

Nice big slide with an olympic size swimming pool.

Aidan loves playing with the water coming out of the side of the swimming pool.

This reminds me of Ace Water spa where it is called a rainfall massage area where you can lie down in the tile bed under man-made rainfall shower. Aidan also loved this place.


This is a view of the rainfall shower massage area at night.

PLAY

This is the butterfly sanctuary but you can only see a few butterflies but there are a lot of instructional posters all around.

A very nice playground but it is too hot during the summer season to play in here.

There is a kid's room beside the Serendipity spa so we had fun here while Momsy is getting her massage.

EAT

@ Veranda Cafe

Welcome Ice Tea Drink @ Veranda Cafe. This is where the videoke is located and normally you can order snacks and drinks.

@ Fishpond Restaurant

The Fishpond Restaurant. The best is their Tilapia because it is fresh!

Pinakbet (P150). The servings are generous and the taste is just OK. The vegetable dishes is lined price at P150.

Tortang Ampalaya (P150). Trying to eat healthy and observe the holy week abstinence.

Tinumok (P150). One of their best vegetable dish similar to Laing.

Inihaw na tilapia (P300) served with steamed talong, okra and bagoong balayan. The best because of its freshness.

You can also go on fishing for the tilapia.

@Cucina de Oro

Nice name but mediocre food...

Florintine (P120). Pathetic and forgettable taste.

Seafood Chowmien (P180). This is just pansit canton with a fancy name.

WATCH

They have the best cultural show that I've ever seen which is a mix of the Philippines and Hawaiian cultural dances. The performers are beautiful, handsome, and really knows how to dance. The fire dance was amazing too.

Aside from the usual Tinikling dance participation, there is a hula dance participation too. My wife did not get away with it because I tried to grab Aidan and take care of him so that I won't be selected to participate :)

Aidan with the beautiful dancers of the Cultural show.

Check out Hocchuan's Photoset on the Cultural Show. Simple the best and truly world class, I should say.

RELAX

Serendipity Spa! My wife loved her massage even just the basic Swedish Massage (P500) for 1 hour.

RELATED POSTS:

[Golden Sunset 1] Allegedly the Best Resort in Batangas :)
[Golden Sunset 2] The Golden Sunset Experience
[Golden Sunset 3] What to do in Golden Sunset?

[Golden Sunset 2] The Golden Sunset Experience

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I was actually skeptical when I first visited golden sunset because of the cheesy marketing gimmicks and later on, I found out that the resort does not have an actual beach front. But still we decided to stay for 3 days/ 2 nights during the holy week to rest and re-charge since this is "allegedly" the best resort (so far) in Calatagan. After our stay, I should say that we really had fun specially because the place caters to families with lots of things to do for the kids. Despite the hot weather, there is a gush of winds passing through the resort which makes the summer heat bearable and it is not that humid. Golden Sunset officially opened to the public just this January 2006 and there was a soft opening during the Ms. Earth pageant last October 2004. Ricky Reyes (commonly called Mader in the resort) proudly designed the entire place and I'm glad to see him during the Holy Week in his resort. The resort is very busy and it would be difficult to get a reservations during the summer weekends in this resort. I'll give you a virtual tour anyway of the resort which is similar to an Island Cove setup but in a much cooler ambiance at night plus a great view of Calatagan's famous golden sunset.

Technorati Tags: Beach, Philippines, Restaurants

Golden Sunset Resort, Brgy. Uno, Calatagan Batangas (www.goldensunset.ph)

Calatagan is about 180kms and 3 hours away from Manila. It's just funny how the brochures would normally deduct 30 mins from the estimated time of arrival in the place and would say that it is only two-and-a-half-hour drive. The best way is to drive south via Tagaytay going to Nasugbu and turn left in the Shell station going to Calatagan. There are signs along the way going to Calatagan. Once you reach this Calatagan archway, it is only less than 30 mins from here and it is right before the Calatagan town proper past the Lago de Oro and other resorts in Calatagan.

After passing through the narrow streets going to the resort, you'll be greeted by this homy reception (small and simple).

This is a very nice photo of Ricky Reyes with a welcoming smile that invites you to experience his Golden Sunset paradise.

I've always believed in resorts or restaurants where the owners are there to entertain and welcome guests. Mader is right in the reception greeting the guests and would gladly pose for a photo or two. This is the lobby of Golden Sunset where there is also a photo gallery. One of these days, I also want to have my own private photo gallery at home.

Just a reminder, the resort only accepts CASH and if you forget to withdraw money, you have to go to Balayan Town 30 minutes away. I've done this and believe me you don't want to go here to get last minute cash because of how far it is and how traffic it would be during busy hours.

One way to control the cash flow inside the resort is with the use of Golden Sunset Passports. You buy them in the lobby for 100, 500, 1000 denominations. I guess the passport system works so that you actually do not need to wait for your change. It is favorable for the resort because you end up maximizing the passport so it is a kind-of-up sell strategy and for us we ended up paying for P2,000 during our stay (which we did not intend to spend...)

The Golden Sunset Golf carts are cool. The resort is huge and most of the rooms are 5-10mins walking distance so these carts brings you from the lobby to the center of the resort. This is very helpful specially when checking in with all your luggage and checking out. Nice overall branding and I like the way the entire resort is well branded and all the communication touch points conforms to an overall concept.

Due to its popularity, Mader decided to setup up Tents for those people who are walk-ins and needed a place to stay overnight. Take note that these tents are air conditioned, carpeted, well lighted and nice folding beds with cushions. So it is a very comfortable place to stay and the only downside is you don't have your own private restroom.

The standard rooms are located at the very end of the resort where the boardwalk is located in front of the fish pond.

The standard rooms are nice with two single beds. This would costs P2,800 during the regular season and P3,080 during the peak season. It has a TV and ref with hot and cold shower rooms. The only downside is that you can already see maintenance problems in the restroom (leaky tubes, clogged toilet, etc...) and the water is salt sticky water.

This is the closet to the beach that you can get. Ricky created a sandy boardwalk and a bar near the sea. Don't be misled by its appearance and there is no beach front in this resort.

This is the view in front of the resort -- Fishpond! That is why there was a lot of fuss about how Ricky's resort is destroying the nearby fishpond areas (not sure how true this is and what's the status).

This is Mader's place / mansion in the resort.

RELATED POSTS:

[Golden Sunset 1] Allegedly the Best Resort in Batangas :)
[Golden Sunset 2] The Golden Sunset Experience
[Golden Sunset 3] What to do in Golden Sunset?

Got Milk? 1st Life Insurance Photo Contest Winner :)

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I was pleasantly surprised to see that my winning photo entry in First Life Photo Contest, Aidan's Got Milk photo, was used as the front cover of the First Life Policy Holder Newsletter. I just thought that I share this with my blog readers who are also a First Life policy holder. Mommy was proud, of course, and this encourages me to join more photo contest in the future :) and maybe, turn pro someday.

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[Golden Sunset 1] Allegedly the Best Resort in Batangas :)

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Golden Sunset is one of the hottest resorts in Batangas now! Thanks to Mader Ricky Reyes (people in the resort calls him Mader) for opening their suppose-to-be family vacation resort to the public. The resort is located in the heart of Calatagan, Batangas -- 3 hours away from Manila via Tagaytay which is the half way point. I say that it's hot because it just fully opened this January (soft opening last Oct during Ms. Earth Pageant) and all the weekends were fully booked and overflowing with tents on its open grounds! If you call the reservation office, nobody would answer you because a lot of people are inquiring about this place and they cannot handle the volume anymore. I actually had to drop by as a walk-in and risk that I will be rejected but fortunately I was able to get a standard room for 3 days and 2 nights. I'll be creating a trilogy series on Golden Sunset to give you the overall experience, what to do and what to expect of the Golden Sunset Resort.

I also got a lot of frequently asked questions in my blog about Golden Sunset because there was really lack of honest-to-goodness article about this place. This is a well-marketed place so expect only the good reviews in the internet and good photos at their official website. Although, for the first time, I hope to provide you with what a Golden Sunset Resort experience is all about. In this first post, I'll tackle the frequently asked questions about Golden Sunset.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

1. How much is the overnight stay at Golden Sunset?

During Peak Season from Mar16 - Jun15, the airconditioned rooms would costs:
- a Standard Room good for 1-2 guests would costs P3,080,
- a Deluxe room with a loft for 1-4 guests would costs P4,180
- Garden Cove with loft for 2-6 guests would costs P4,950

The costs includes a Filipino/ Continental Breakfast, Welcome Drink (iced tea) and use of the facilities (swimming pool, butterfly sanctuary, jacuzzi, playground, etc.)

You can check out the tariff rates , their official website.

2. How much if you only want to use the facilities for a day excursion?

They charge P300/ head which includes entrance and use of the swimming pool. There is a 15+1 group discount.

3. Can you bring food or cook your own food inside?

There are no cooking facilities inside and they discourage bringing food and drinks because there are two restaurants where you can eat from. You can bring snacks, pica-pica, water and some drinks but that's about it.

4. Can we swim in the beach and swimming pool?

Certainly there is a nice swimming pool with a giant slide. There were beach sands but definitely there is no beach because the place is a fish pond area of Calatagan. We had to go to Playa Calatagan to swim in the beach which is a 15-20 mins drive from Golden Sunset.

5. Would you recommend the place?

Let us say this is a matter of preference, and we loved our stay because it was a truly a family vacation spot. My son, Aidan enjoyed a lot in the kiddie pool, playground, butterfly sanctuary and kids' room. We enjoyed the cultural shows at night, the nice cool breeze, and enjoyed the nature including the awesome sunset. It would have been perfect if there was a beach but still since it is new, it is an enjoyable place to be in. During our stay, we encountered some maintenance problems but it was resolved after we complained. As a conclusion, Golden Sunset Resort is like the Island Cove in Cavite but better, homey and indeed Mader's Paradise.

6. The numbers are always busy. How do you make a reservation?

Yes, they are always busy both the landline numbers and even the website! So it is hopeless by now, not unless you go there on walk in. But I do hope it improves after the summer season.

Here are the official Contact Information:
Travelpros, SM Megamall
Tel nos. 6343109 / 6340266 / 6340265 / 6316392 / 6361687 / 6356609 / 6356610
Tel fax: 6340267

Travelpros, SM CITY Fairview
Tel nos. 9388742 / 9395623 / 9396023
TPI, Flight Center, Market Market fort bonifacio
Tel nos. 8897296 / 8897297 / 7572250 / 7572251 / 8897396

Travelpros, SM CITY Lucena
Tel nos. 042-7104055
Travelpros, SM Southmall
Tel nos. 8000467

If you have any more questions, I can offer an unofficial help to answer questions based on our recent experience. In the next post, I'll include what are the things you can do in Golden Sunset Resort, How to get there, and some more postcard shots of the place to give you a virtual tour.

RELATED POSTS:
[Golden Sunset 1] Allegedly the Best Resort in Batangas :)
[Golden Sunset 2] The Golden Sunset Experience
[Golden Sunset 3] What to do in Golden Sunset?

What is the Best Buko Pie in the Philippines?

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Every time I visit the Laguna area, I've always wondered which buko pie is the best among the San Pablo-based Collette's and El Mare vs. the Los Banos-based The Original Buko Pie and Lety's Buko Pie. All of these four brands are raved about by people and each one has its story to tell. Once and for all, I will settle the question for myself on "What is the Best Buko Pie in the Philippines?" (Laguna has the best buko pie in the Philippines). One of the best way to answer the question is to do a relative taste test at the same time. So my friend Lui and I decided to buy all the best buko pie in their main branch in San Pablo and in Los Banos, and decide for ourselves based on four criteria:

Buko Taste -- 4pts
Yumminess -- 2pts
Delicious Crust -- 2pts
Overall Presentation -- 2pts
Total: 10 pts scale.

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The verdict: It depends on your preference really and if you are looking for that juicy buko taste in your buko pie then The Original Buko Pie is the best. Objectively, I think Lety's Buko pie has the best balance in Buko Taste, Yumminess, Delicious Crust and Overall Presentation. I would buy Lety's for pasalubong anytime. Although, worth mentioning is El Mare who topped our blind taste test with friends who have a sweet tooth -- indeed this is the people's choice :) Well, as for Colette's, I should say it is well distributed :) So which one is the best for you?

Colette's Buko Pie (P110) in their Main Branch in San Pablo Laguna. Colette's is widely distributed and the most famous in the Laguna area because you can almost see it in every corner when you are in Laguna.

El Mare Buko Pie (P110). This is a direct competitor of Collette's and they set up shop directly in front of Colette's Main Branch. People in Laguna raved aboved this as a very good alternative if not better than Colette's. We gave El Mare the benefit of the doubt and decided to include it in our taste test.

Lety's Buko Pie (P120) in Los Banos Laguna. Most of my blog readers raved about this buko pie which is directly beside The Original Buko Pie in Los Banos. I was excited to taste this because a lot of people are really raving about this including my friend Luisa.

The Original Buko Pie (P120) in Los Banos Laguna. There is always a long line in The Original Buko Pie which almost always creates traffic because people are double parking along the national highway.

People line up just for the taste of The Original Buko Pie in Los Banos, Laguna.

Buko Taste - 2pts. The buko is just OK.
Yumminess - 1pt. Too sweet!! Taste like Yema.
Delicious Crust -2pts. The crust is OK.
Overall Presentation - 1pt. The branding and photo in the box is worth 1 pt.

Over-all: 6pts. Originally I thought Colette's is the best buko pie since it is widely distributed. But I'm glad that we did this relative taste test that my mind was enlightened :)

Buko Taste - 1pt. There is no buko taste. It's like the buko is marinated so that the filing is absorbed into the buko.
Yumminess - 1pt. Too sweet!! But some people prefer it that way.
Delicious Crust - 1pt. Lousy texture and never crunchy.
Overall Presentation - 1pt. I'll give a one-point for the lucky red color.

Over-all: 4pts :( Although, we did a blind taste test with some friends and people who have a sweet tooth prefer it that among the four.

Buko Taste - 4pts! The Buko was soft and juicy. They took the time to select the right Buko and able to capture its juice inside the pie.
Yumminess - 1pt. It is not too sweet and one could argue that the filling taste does not blend very well with the buko.
Delicious Crust - 1 pt. Forgettable OK taste.
Overall Presentation - 2pts. The crust looks crunchy and you'll get excited with the sight of the buko pie. One could argue that its box needs improvement to have a bigger branding and better color. I should say that its minimalist approach to the box design gives a unique equity to it as being the "original" buko pie.

Over-all: 8pts! If you like your buko pie that taste like juicy buko then this is for you :)

Buko Taste - 2pts! The Buko was a mix of soft and hard buko and you can feel the difference with the original buko pie.
Yumminess - 2pts! This has the perfect taste for me since I don't prefer buko with a sweet taste --- just about right.
Delicious Crust - 2 pts! The crust has a unique salty taste with it that blends well with the filing and the buko. This is very unique to Lety's and I would recommend this.
Overall Presentation - 2pts! It looks good as its taste. I love the yellow color of the box which stands out and the overall branding.

Over-all: 8pts! If you like your buko pie that taste perfect with a combination of right buko, perfect filing, and delicious crust then this is for you :) The box is great as pasalubong to love ones. This is the best kept secret in Los Banos and only people in the know really appreciates Lety's. I hope it stays that way so that we don't experience a long queue in their store.

The Original Buko Pie Store with its long queue.

Los Banos' Best Kept Secret Buko Pie :)

So which one is the best for you?

Sitio de Amor Conversations [Viaje del Sol]

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I had one of the most interesting and stimulating conversations with strangers lately which makes me love Philippines a lot lot more. Meet George and Amor Bondad, owners of Sitio de Amor in San Pablo, Laguna which is part of the Viaje del Sol group. My friend Luisa and I after visiting Tahanan ni aling Meding decided to check out Sitio de Amor because we are hearing some good stuff about it and they say it was featured in a Dec issue of cosmo magazine. This 4.7 hectares farm place is a budding private resort (turning into a public one) which is a hobby of the Bondad couple for 12 years now. I always like to see these places when they are young and you can see them transform into that beautiful resort. What I like about this place is its simplicity and honesty. Of course this is far from The Farm @ San Benito's landscaping and concept, but this is a better than your typical Pansol Laguna resorts. Best time to go is during the Rambutan Festival in August or in time for the cool weather in Dec/Jan/Feb.

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Going back to the conversations, I've never met a person that is more knowledgeable and well traveled in the Philippine Islands! They have been enlightened by the beauty of the Philippines and even gave me two great travel secrets: Blue Lagoon in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte and Unica Flora by Dr. Palinis in Lucban, Quezon (I can't wait to go there). They gave me a reason to go back and explore the north. They said that the best time to travel is during the Christmas Holidays (Dec. 20ish to Dec. 31) and recommended the following 5 day trip itinerary: Manila -- Vigan -- Fort Ilocandia -- Pagudpud -- Tugeugarao -- Manila. (stay tuned for this). Lastly, they reaffirmed my prediction that San Pablo will be the next Tagaytay because it is merely 1.5-2 hrs away, it is the fruit basket of the Philippines, great food and nature inspired restos, cool weather during the Dec-Feb season, and a province that surprises you each and every time you go there. Thanks to the Escudero family who started it all with their Villa Escudero coconut estate. If you are looking for a farm land, invest in San Pablo where you can still get it for P350/ sqm.

All these beautiful structures, stones, and furniture are the fruits of George and Amor's hard work and love for their humble paradise.

This is the mother Rambutan tree which came from Thailand and I'm planning to visit here to see her blossom during the rambutan season in August. The photo on the right is the newly built tree house and you can rent it for 10,000 (for 4 persons) plus P500 for each extra person which already includes the accommodation and breakfast.

I can already envision having breakfast at this table and how beautiful it could be.

This is the camping site area and this is the recommended alternative. P1,000/ Tent and when was the last time you went out camping with your family in a safe place.

This is the reception/ pavilion area where it is reserved for weddings, and special occasions. You can also eat in this resort with prior reservations for P600/ person. I have not tried their food yet but if ambiance influences your taste bud, then I'm sure it would be good.

They are just starting to complete the infinity pool to complement the natural spring pool they already have in the resort. By the way, this resort is beside a creek and this is way a lot more beautiful than the Inn of Seventh Ray in LA. The only missing ingredient is great food, and I can't wait to go back and try this out. Also, in the next couple of months, there would be a spa here so watch out for this place.

George Bondad giving my friend Luisa, farming tips on growing Rambutan. This is the mother Rambutan tree in the farm.

Last word on Sitio de Amor, if I'm going for an overnight stay in the San Pablo, Laguna area, this is the place I want to stay in!

Sitio de Amor Farm Resort
Km 88.8 Maharlika Highway
Brgy. San Antonio 1
San Pablo City, Laguna
+63 918- 9274346
Email: sitiodeamor@yahoo.com

Note: Bringing of Food & Drinks inside the farm is strictly prohibited.

Driving Directions (from Viaje del Sol Brochure)
Coming from Manila after the San Pablo border, stay on the Maharlika Highway until you reach Km 88.8. Along the way, watch for the Vitarich Southern Luzon office to your right. Shortly after Vitarich, look for the Sitio de Amor signage to your left. Follow the narrow road for about 600 meters. It will come to a dead end at the Sitio gate.

Are you a Vieux Chalet virgin?

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Are you a Vieux Chalet virgin? If yes, then you are missing on one of the finest swiss cuisine in the Philippines for 21+ years now. Yes, I was a Vieux Chalet virgin too along with my friends Lui and Maong. I was ashamed that I was only able to try this out last Saturday and I cannot call myself a certified food adventurer if I was not able to try this out. If you are looking for that quaint out-of-the-way restaurant that serves excellent food made from the freshest natural ingredients and mostly home-made from its pasta, bread, cheese, etc., Vieux Chalet is the place to be! As an added bonus, you get a magnificent view of city lights during dinner time and excellent excellent service from Rico!! Vieux Chalet is Antipolo's pride and best kept secret established by Tony Hassig for 21+ years now (since 1984) and it sits on top of the hill in the middle of a subdivision. It has been a witness to countless valentines date, anniversary dinners, and surprise dates for love ones that is truly memorable. Servings are generous perfect for sharing and family-style dining. The trip to this place is not that easy but it's definitely worth it :)

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines

Vieux Chalet Ambiance

The place is small about 10 tables so reservation is always a must specially if you want to have a good view beside the windows.

A piano area.

This was a house converted into a restaurant.

In my opinion this is the best table since it has a full view of the city lights. This place is very conducive for the barkada or family dinner. We went up in Vieux Chalet at around 9pm already they they normally closes at 10.30pm or until the last person leaves.

The Swiss Cuisine @ Vieux Chalet.

Italian Soup (P265). Medium serving good for 3-4 persons. Deliciouso!

Mixed Vegetable Salad (P265). Medium serving also good for 3-4 persons. The salad is crispy fresh and the dressing is tasty.

Fettucine Padilla Pasta (P565). Large serving good for 4-6 persons. Home-made pasta coupled with fresh cream from a cow's milk served with the fresh mushroom ingredient. Most of the ingredients are home-made that is why the pasta is smooth and yummy.

Gindara Fish in White Wine Sauce (P485). We love the fish and it seems that you can never go wrong with whatever you order from this restaurant.

This is the main restaurant. There is actually a St. Moritz Cottage beside this that you can rent for P6,000 with a beautiful garden and swimming pool. Best to go here in the morning to get a good shot of the entire place.

MORE INFORMATION:

Susan R. Hassig, owner
Vieux Chalet Swiss Restaurant
Taktak Road, Antipolo City
Tel# +632 697-0396,
Mob# +63 917 856-5175
Email: srhassig@yahoo.com
Fine Dining. Catering. Corporate Functions. Special Events. Group Reservations.

Driving Directions:
Go up to Antipolo via the Sumulong Highway and you have to drive way past the Padi's point and Cloud 9 (you're just half way through the Sumulong highway). Your first landmark is the banker's subdivision on your right where after seeing it, you need to turn right on the first intersection after Banker's. Go along the road and you need to turn right to Villa Christina/ Mari Arcway. This is a narrow street so don't be surprised. You should start to see signs of Vieux Chalet, if not just go straight and there will be a sign that would show you to go up a steep hill. You should be able to see Vieux Chalet or St. Moritz Cottage on your left.

[Viaje del Sol] Welcome to Tahanan ni Aling Meding

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This is the scene that would greet you as you arrive in this mansion in San Pablo Laguna directly in front of the Sampalok Lake. I was curious to check out this mansion cum hotel and restaurant which was described by the viaje del sol brochure as: " Tahanan ni Aling Meding is a tribute to the Borja sibling's parents, especially their mother, Meding, who kept hearth and warm, soothing and comfortable." One of my readers was also raving about the good filipino dishes they serve and that was enough for me to check this place out.

Just a side note: San Pablo, Laguna is a great alternative to tagaytay because it is merely 2 hours away. Imagine I already left manila at 10am and I was leisurely driving to this place and we still arrive at 12nn considering the traffic already in south super highway and in Batangas. Also, I tried to highlight the beauty of this mansion versus the scarry photos found in their brochure.

The verdict: Tahanan ni Aling Meding is San Pablo's version of Tagaytay's Josephine's or Leslie's. If you have a guest where you want them to taste authentic Filipino food at a homey Filipino Mansion ambiance, then this is the place to be. I love eating in their main dining area where you are served with good food with a hospitable service Filipinos are known for, while the Sampaloc Lake winds kissed your face through out your dining experience. Thanks to the Borja family for letting us enjoy their vacation mansion!!

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines, ViajedelSol

This 4-storey mansion has a breath taking view of the Sampaloc lake at the third floor. This place actually beats Tagaytay since this is directly in front of the lake and it is also sweater-cool here during Dec-Feb. I do hope though that they are able to rehabilitate the once magnificent Sampaloc lake which the residents have taken for granted, sadly.


This is the view from the second floor, which shows you the swimming pool in directly in front of the mansion. If this was a private residence, then the location of the swimming pool is perfect so that you can monitor the people swimming from the first floor dining area. However, ever since it went public, it would be awkward to go on swimming here while guests are driving up along the drive way and people eating in the restaurant.

This is the view from the third floor where you can see the Sampaloc lake with a mountain in the backdrop which is misconstrued to be Mt. Banahaw but it is not. The big patio in the second floor is perfect for family gatherings as you would imagine.


A close-up view of the facade of the Mansion which have a total of 11 rooms!

This is a picture of Aling Meding Borja and family during their 60th Wedding anniversary.

The Rooms @ Tahanan ni Aling Meding
This is just to give you an overall feel on what the rooms would look like and how much would they cost.

Rosas Honeymoon Suite (P3,500/night inclusive of breakfast for 2). This is one of the rooms I like because it has a veranda that faces Sampalok lake.

Ilang-Ilang Executive Room (P2,500/night with breakfast for 2)

Dama de Noche Family Room (P3,500/night with breakfast for 4). This is located in the attic - 4th floor and you cannot open the windows.

The Dining Experience

The dining area is simple and have a formal appeal.

One of their best sellers was their Crispy Pata, but we settled for a healthier option their grilled stuffed squid (P200). You could feel that home-cooked delicioius taste versus the Gerry's stuffed squid commercialized taste.

The chopsuey (P150) was also very good and we were totally satisfied driving all the way to this place.

Proceed with caution when ordering their Halo-Halo which was very disappointing for us (but I guess its the Halo Halo Laguna version that you need to get used to).

Ah, this is life at its fullest! This area is just directly in front of Aling Meding's where you can have a picnic under the shade of trees while reflecting on how life has been very good to you. Sarap ng Buhay! This reminded me of truly enjoying life in the Philippines. I love this scene.

Tahanan ni Aling Meding, San Pablo, Laguna.
Dagatan Blvd., Sampaloc Lake 4000, San Pablo City, Laguna
Phone: (+63 49) 562-5855
Email: admin@tahanan.info
Website: www.tahanan.info
(Note: the contact information in the viaje del sol brochure is wrong)
Restaurant opens from 7am until 9pm daily.

Driving Directions
Below is the driving directions from the viaje del sol brochure although I feel that I need to supplement it.
"Coming from Manila, after the San Pablo border, stay on the Maharlika Highway. You will see a Caltex station to the left, immediately before a fork in the highway. The right side of the fork heads straight to Lucena, the left leads to San Pablo City. Take the left road. At the junction to Calauan, take the main avenue to your right. This is Rizal avenue. Turn left at the corner of San Pablo Central School. Follow the road beyond the city hall. As soon as you see the lake, turn left on the perimeter road. Tahanan will be to your left."

The only problem with this direction is that it did not explain what the phrase "Follow the road beyond the city hall" means. After the San Pablo Central School, you will see a fork road, take the road to your right going up to the City Hall. Turn left at the fork road towards the park (which you would see on your right after turning left) going down to the lake. After going down to the lake, immediately make a sharp left turn along the Sampaloc lake drive and you'll now see Tahanan ni Aling Meding to your left.

[Los Angeles vs. Manila #3] Porto's Cheese Roll

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I still can remember a couple of years ago when eating a carbo-loaded krispy kreme donut is a cool thing when you visit the US. Now, that's a thing of the past, and Porto's bakery is a better alternative. Its famous cheese roll is a must try along with the other cakes and other pastry delicacies. The cheese roll taste like Otap baked to perfection with cheese inside it, similar in texture to a croissant. It's super addicting and I easily ate 5 pieces in one sitting. Porto's Bakery is a cuban family-owned and operated business that has served Glendale and its surrounding areas for over 35 years and they recently opened a beautiful new store in Burbank.

One could argue that Becky's or Conti's taste a lot better, but the I've never tasted a cheeseroll as delicious as porto's. If you can manage to bring one home as a pasalubong, it is highly recommended.

Technorati Tags: los angeles

This fruit tart is so tempting and this is one of Atty. Joseph's favorite...

It's a full-blown bakery / cafe and lots of people eating here.

Porto's Bakery
Glendale Location
315 North Brand Blvd.
Glendale, CA 91203
tel. (818) 956-5996
fax (818) 956-0696

Burbank Location
3614 W Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 846-9100

[Los Angeles vs. Manila #2] Hollywood's famous Pink's Hot Dog

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This is one of the famous must-eat destination in LA, and I was extremely curious why a chili dog can be this famous for 66 years! Paul Pink started this hotdog stand in 1939 and it stood on the same spot, giving the same quality of hot dog for years. I'm glad that Atty. Joseph Joson who was kind enough to accompany me to eat in this so-called hot dog to the stars. The hot dog heritage is a great marketing sell and they have photos to prove it (amazing)! I'm not really fond of hotdogs and I'm eating a vegetable rich diet lately, but this one is a must try (not to mention my weakness is chili). In the Philippines, we don't really have something equivalent to this and Ogie Doggie would be the closest but far from the heritage that Pink's hotdog built over the years.

The verdict: The chili is phenomenal, polish dogs are the best! Read on...

Technorati Tags: los angeles, Restaurants

Their best seller is the Chili Cheese dog. Interestingly, they started to market Hot Dog variations branded by the preferences of a particular celebrity. For example, The Ozzy Spicy Dog by Ozzy Osbourne which is composed of the spicy Polish Dog, Nacho Cheese, American Cheese, grilled onions, guacamole and chopped tomatoes.

As you lined up and wait for your hot dog, your mouth waters as it is being prepared right in front of you.

Atty. Joseph Joson excited to eat his polish chili dog with nacho cheese and bacon.

My order was the second one from the left which is a hotdog with coleslaw and tomatoes. I should say that the standard hot dog tastes ordinary. I would recommend to go for the Polish Dog!

There was a small dining area with pictures of celebrities who visited Pink's over the years with dedication.

There is normally a long line in front of this hotdog place and you really have to drive to this place because it is out-of-the-way.

Pink's Hot Dog
709 N La Brea Ave (near melrose)
Los Angeles, CA 90038-3338,

[Los Angeles vs. Manila #1] Inn of the Seventh Ray! Creekside Dining

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This is the ONLY restaurant I love while I was on vacation and I visited Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Cincinnati, and Chicago. The Inn of the Seventh Ray is L.A.'s most romantic restaurant and in fact, when we were eating on a Saturday Lunch, there was an engagement proposal with the beautiful setting -- 12 red roses bouquet, a carpet of petals and dining beside Mother's flow ( in other words, creekside :). I felt that most of the US restaurants are either man-made, full of dead food (steaks, white bread, etc.), pretentious service and too commercialized. This creekside dining experience is a dining made in heaven indeed and this is a must-eat destination for all of you who will have a chance to visit L.A.

(Note to Jay of Kinabuhayan Cafe: Jay, Kubli Springs can be a lot nicer than the Inn of the Seventh Ray. You just need to have excellent food and an overall concept. Check out the photos... )

Let me pause for a bit here before we go to the rest of the review, it just occurred to me how lucky the Philippines is with the kind of world-class nature inspired restaurants that we have and I can already count seven easily...
1. Antonio's Restaurant, Tagaytay
2. Sonya's Secret Garden, Tagaytay
3. Nina's Kusina Salud, San Pablo, Laguna
4. Ugu Bigyan's Pottery Garden, Tiaong, Quezon
5. 85/15 Restaurant, The Farm @ San Benito, Lipa, Batangas
6. La Cocina de Tita Monings, Manila
7. The Prana Restaurant, Mandala Spa, Boracay

I LOVE THE PHILIPPINES! I missed it during my vacation and I'm glad to be back. I'm creating this series of [Los Angeles vs. Manila] to challenge your own mental models that the Philippines is the best place to be in. I felt like Neo in the matrix scene where he suddenly realized that all of the reality he is seeing is computer generated, and I suddenly felt that visiting the US, everything is man-made. Enjoy this series...

Technorati Tags: los angeles, Restaurants

Health Foods @ The Inn of the Seventh Ray

The food is excellent !! The Inn prides itself with having foods and grains (mostly) organically grown from local farms. The soups are their own recipes using fresh herbs. All food is cooked in nut or olive oils. The chickens are naturally raised and range fed, and they only use natural meats, without anti-biotics or force fed hormones. Only the freshest of fish is served and they minimize the use of dairy ingredients. They use no food colourings, preservatives, refined sugar or bleached flour. Wines are from organically grown grapes and they have a selection of alcohol removed wines. How can you beat this kind of cuisine? Our total cost is only $80 for 3 people so about P1,400/person,just like eating in Antonio's.

Whole grain bread. (free) Their breads are baked daily from organic grains and you can taste the freshness with every bite. The olive oil and black vinegar enhances the overall taste and gets you excited for the rest of the meal.

Organic Orange Juice and Special Soup of the Day. The soup ($7) was healthy and forgettable but the freshly squeezed orange juice ($4) was perfect.

Large Seventh Ray Salad. ($10) "Locally farmed, organic greens. Tossed Tenderly with a lemon vinaigrette directly from the secret files of the Master Alchemist, Saint Germain. Topped with freshly julienned vegetables and sprinkled with nori." It taste as good as it was described in the menu.

Shrimp, Avocado and Scallop Omette. ($10.50) The combination actually works although one could argue that the taste is the same as any omelette.

Crab Quiche ($11.50). This is a winner! I don't know how they made this but the quiche melts in your mouth and each bite is full of flavor and tastiness. I never thought that quiche could taste soo good and I'll never eat a Starbucks quiche again.

Seventh Ray Burger! ($11.00). Have you ever heard of Seitan cuisine ? If not, you're missing on the best food adventure ever and this vegetarian wheat meat is a vegetarian food at its finest. This burger is described as "lightly seasoned seitan, ground and charcoal grilled. Served with cheese, avocado and tofu based herb dressing on a grilled whole wheat bun." I can eat this everyday and I don't know if Seitan food is available here in the Philippines.

Raw Canob Ganache. ($8.00) In cinnamon with a powdered almond coconut. This is a rare healthy dessert that taste soo good! I can't stop raving about this place.

The Inn of the Seventh Ray ambiance.

If you haven't figure out by now, the seventh ray is violet and the philosophy is embodied in this description:
"We, at the Inn, believe in giving you the purest of Nature's foods, energized as a gift from the sun with a dash of esoteric food knowledge and ancient mystery school wisdom tossed in for your seasoning and pleasure. It may just raise your body's light vibration and the extra work may cost you a few pennies more, but we believe in the long run, this way of living and eating may prove less expensive."

You'll be greeted with this lovely doorway to the Inn.

This is my wife, Rache and son, Aidan at Mother Nature's flow...

Look at how colorful the food is? You really feel energized just by looking and after eating the food.

We decided to take this small hut with all green plants around it. This scene is common to some of our best nature restaurants I mentioned.

This is the center of the Inn with a fountain. Sorry for using my brother as a model for these ambiance shots.

This is the creekside dining experience that is unforgettable.

MORE INFORMATION:
Inn of the Seventh Ray
128 Old Topanga Canyon Road
Topanga, California 90290
(310) 455-1311
www.innoftheseventhray.com

Romi Garduce's Mt. Everest Quest -- a symbolic conquest for the Filipino people.

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GMA7 have started to air the feature on Romi's Mt. Everest Climb last night on the reporter's notebook-- this is now mainstream media. What is funny is that GMA7 was able to get all the world class athlete to say congratulatory messages to Romi including Pacquiao, Efren Bata, and our PBA players. He continues to blog at his Official Chomolungma (Tibetan Name of Everest) Site: http://everest2006pinoy.blogspot.com/ and he is now at basecamp -- woohoo! Now you are able to get all the mainstream news, while I give you the side stories and emotions behind this climb.

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There are a lot of controversies surrounding this climb that reflects the crab mentality in our Filipino culture. As you know GMA7 is supporting Romi while ABS-CBN was for the other camp. Smart is supporting Romi vs. Globe supporting the other camp. I'm kinda guilty also with this type of attitude with all the previous post I made on Romi Garduce vs. Philippine Mt. Everest Team. I just read this article from MountEverest.Net on Everest 2006: Philippines -- the battle for the first and it is a shame that even in mountain climbing we are not united.There has been some serious talks about why Romi did not join the team and how selfish his motives are. In our office, there are still people who have the attitude of "who cares?" if he summits Mt. Everest and would even snicker a comment that he has a lot of free time while working for a multinational company.

The fact of the matter is, Romi has a full time work in our company but he did not give up the dream and the vision of putting a Philippine Flag in all the seven summits of the world! As you see, Everest is only part of it and the ticket for more people supporting his climb-for-a-cause activities. This is the winning attitude that our company is known for and I'm proud that he is a step closer to the vision. You'll be amaze at how he used technology and the internet to connect with other world class mountain climbers and form a team going up to the summit.

But this is not anymore about who climbs Mt. Everest first, this is a symbolic conquest for the Filipino people. For years we are contented as a nation (pardon to our former climbers), not to have a Philippine Flag in Mt. Everest. The attitude of "who cares?" or "we cannot do it, let somebody do it" is a thing of the past for the Filipinos. I remember that in our college days, people are saying that our youth is the hope of the Philippines, but guess what that same youth is in his 30s right now and this is the generation that is breaking into greater heights for the Filipinos. My theory is that Filipinos just need to start to love being a Filipino and start believing that we CAN do it! This is the Filipino tipping point and Romi is inspiring other Filipinos that we can do it in whatever endeavor we take!

We should be proud and Filipinos should be united to pray for Romi's success.

a Prayer for Romi Garduce's First Pinoy Mt Everest Quest...

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I break my vacation silence to express my good luck wishes and prayers to Romi who just reached Mt. Everest Basecamp. This is a very dangerous climb that could mean life or death situation and I'm really worried at the same time proud that the dream is within reach in a month's time. I know that you want to die on a mountain but this is not the one, you still have a few summits to go and conquer the rest of the 7 summits and make us Filipinos proud. We pray that you go home safely whether you are successful or not and we don't want to lose the very unique Romi character that we have grown to love and appreciate. May He guide you to the right path and strategies and may He give you the strength to conquer Mt. Everest! Amen.

Please send your good luck wishes and support @ the Official Chomolungma (Tibetan Name of Everest) Site: http://everest2006pinoy.blogspot.com/

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