OUR AWESOME PLANET

Boracay 101: A Bora First Timer's Guide To Boracay's Best Restaurants, Must Try Food and Gimmick Places

BORACAY 101: A Bora First Timer's Guide To Boracay's Best Restaurants, Must Try Food and Gimmick Places

I realized that there are still a lot of Filipinos who have never been to Boracay. I compiled this guide to help them based on what people are raving about and based on my personal experience. I've been going back to Boracay every year and I developed a sense of what is awesome based on what restaurants people are talking about. In this guide, I compiled the following lists:

• Top 10 Best Restaurants in Boracay,
• Top 10 Must-Try-Food-and-Drinks in Bora!,
• 8 Restaurants that did not make the Top 10 list but worth mentioning,
• Top 8 Gimmick Places in Boracay!

Boracay is one of those places that you should visit in the Philippines before you die. Feel free to share this information to everyone. For those who have been to Boracay, there have been a few changes in the restaurant and night life scene in Bora. This guide will keep you up-to-date and in-the-know versus your friends even before you visit Boracay. Enjoy and we do hope that you have a great time in Boracay!

Text and Photos Copyright 2008. Our Awesome Planet (Updated: January 15, 2008)
(Picture from top to bottom: Ati-Atihan de Boracay Parade in Station 1 | Pia of Seair Marketing with Norsan and Anne, Microtel Marketing Ladies | Melo of Lakbay Pilipinas and Gail of Kutitots enjoying the Puka Beach Waves)

Boracay Escape with Pinoy Travel Bloggers

Greetings from a rainy weekend in Boracay!
Most of the travel bloggers were invited by Microtel Hotel Boracay for a "familiarization tour" for bloggers. This so-called fam tour are just offered to travel agents or traditional media. We are so happy that travel bloggers are starting to be recognized as a key influencers online for travelers and tourist. The only thing is once bloggers are invited they will be honest and you cannot force them to just write the good things about the place. Also, the blogging community is careful about bastardizing the reputation of the bloggers and we don't want to go into the "dark side" of media.

If you are sitting in your office reading this, don't you want to just catch a plane to Boracay via Sea Air? In less than an hour, you'll be lying on the beach having a massage! Sarap... Let me share with you a photo essay of what happened on our day 1 in Bora...

8 Lessons I Learned from "Tuesdays with Morrie"

Recommended to Watch! Tuesdays with Morrie

Bart Guingona played the starring role who definitely disappeared into the role of Mitch Albom.  Mitch is a busy and successful sportswriter who made it a point to visit his favorite old professor Morrie Schwatz after knowing that Morrie is dying from Lou Gehrig's disease. Mitch lost touch of Morrie for almost two decades to compensate for his absence.  Every Tuesday, Morrie would give Mitch lectures on life and love that eventually changes Mitch's outlook on life. Morrie is performed brilliantly by veteran theater actor Jose Mari Avellana who likewise disappears into the role of Morrie.

Could it be possible that Professor Morrie Schwatz still be able to touch the people's hearts who read the book and especially the people who would watch the play? Rache cried a lot during the show and she was surprised that I also cried. I would like to share with you the lessons I learned in watching this powerful play. Thanks to Repertory Philippines for staging this show which runs from Jan. 11 to 27, 2008 at the OnStage Greenbelt.

8 Lessons I learned from Morrie

1. Create Memories. Life is too short to waste on trivial things. Invest time with your family to create memories that you will cherish during your lifetime. My blog will be the witness to those memories.

2. Build Traditions. Like Morrie, Tuesdays became a symbolic day and bonding session between him and Mitch. I would like to build these kind of traditions with Aidan and Josh like watching Manila's awesome sunset together and make that a setting for our bonding session.

3. Embrace Life. and Life will embrace you back in ways that you will never imagine. This would take a leap of faith.

4. Cherish Friendships. We had close college friends who already migrated to the US and Canada and we seldom communicate. I was ashamed that I did not even greet them Merry Christmas. I will make sure never to take friendships for granted.

5. Attend Reunions. You live because of the people that you touched. It is never too late to touch someone especially for long lost friends.

6. Learn to Die. So that you can learn to live. The worst thing that can happen is living without knowing that you are already dying inside.

7. Love or Die. We must love one another or die. We should be making a difference in this world or else we die -- nobody will remember us.

8. Bring Tissue. Bring Tissue. You will never know when you will get the opportunity to dry somebody else's tear.

T-House Romance

My Kind of T-House

T-House Romantic Suggestions

When we visited last Jan 5, there were a couple who were celebrating their anniversary. The guy surprise his wife with a massage and a romantic date at T-house. You can talk to the T-house manager to organize your candlelight romantic date complete with a flutist and a singer (who happens to be the manager).

Moon Garden Restaurant, Tagaytay

Afternoon Snack at Moon Garden in Tagaytay

I was intrigued by the concept of Moon Garden Restaurant in Tagaytay. It is mysterious (bordering into the creepy side). One of the owners is fond of the moon so the motif of the entire place is balinese garden with moon accent. You would also see smiling moon hanging from the trees. The food is decent and they only serve breakfast from 7am to 2pm. You can call a day in advance if you want to try their salad experience for lunch/ dinner for P500+. I wouldn't rave about the food but it is a lot better than the fast food scene along the Tagaytay ridge. Rache has an interesting perspective about our Moon Garden experience: Afternoon Snack at Moon Garden in Tagaytay. I would agree with her that we love the fresh Guyabano juice and the yogurt with honey.

2008 Awesome Calendar of the Philippines

Just sharing with you my awesome calendar based on the awesome events I witnessed in the past and the events that I plan to experience this year. Plan your vacations as early as now and you can use this as your guide. It took me a while to compile these so I do hope you enjoy!

2008 Awesome Calendar of the Philippines
The Definitive Guide to Philippine Holidays, Philippine Festivals, Philippine Fiestas, Liturgical Events, and Awesome Events!
Copyright 2008. Our Awesome Planet (www.OurAwesomePlanet.com)

JANUARY

U.P. Centennial Year Celebrations (100 Years)
Best Time to Climb Mt. Pinatubo!

1 NEW YEAR'S DAY | Tuesday | Solemnity of Mary Mother of God | HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION

9 FEAST OF THE BLACK NAZARENE | Quiapo, Manila
An intense, day-long festival highlighted by a mammoth procession through the streets.

13 42k CLARK MARATHON | Clark, Angeles City, Pampanga

18-19 ATI-ATIHAN | Kalibo, Aklan | Ati-Atihan Festival 2008
Commemorates the 13th century land deal between 10 migrating Bornean chieftains and the aboriginal Ati King Marikudo. It also honors the town patron, the infant Sto. Nino.

18-19 SINULOG | Cebu City | Sinulog Festival 2008
Cebu’s biggest and most popular festival in honor of the Holy Image of Senyor Sto. Niño

20 42k SUBIC MARATHON | Subic Bay Freeport, Olongapo City | Subic Marathon

25-26 DINAGYANG FESTIVAL 2008 | Iloilo City | Dinagyang 2008
Street dancing characterized by frenetic stomping of feet and hypnotic drumbeating. It is a colorful whirl of thousands of people dressed in unique costumes dancing & chanting all day and night.

FEBRUARY

Best Time to go to Binondo, Manila!

2-3 BIG BINONDO BOWL - SPECIAL CHINESE NEW YEAR WOK| Binondo, Manila | Old Manila Walks
A Special Chinese New Year Big Binondo Wok Tour by Ivan Man Dy

6 ASH WEDNESDAY | Philippines
The First Day of Lenten Season in the Philippines

7 CHINESE NEW YEAR - THE YEAR OF THE RAT | Binondo, Manila
The Chinese community celebrates the Chinese New Year with pomp & color through a dragon dance.

9-10 HOT AIR BALLOON FIESTA | Clark, Angeles, Pampanga | 12th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
Watch the awesome hot air balloons fly out as the sun rises in the horizon.

14 HAPPY VALENTINES' DAY!
Filipino lover's most romantic event of the year!

24 42k PASIG RIVER HERITAGE MARATHONS | Pasig City

25 EDSA REVOLUTION ANNIVERSARY | Metro Manila | People Power Revolution
Commemorates the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution that Filipinos came to known for.

25-26 PANAGBENGA - BAGUIO FLOWER FESTIVAL | Baguio City | 13th Baguio Flower Festival
Also known as the Baguio Flower Festival, it will be the 10th holding of this annual event which will showcase the City of Baguio as a City of Flowers.

29 LEAP YEAR DAY

a Chateau Hestia Birthday Celebration

Tagaytay's Chateau Hestia Garden

Happy New Year to all friends of Our Awesome Planet!

We celebrated my brother Rommel's birthday last January 5 in the newest garden restaurant that opened in Tagaytay. It was syoti Josh's first time in Tagaytay. We visited Chateau Hestia which opened during the same week that syoti Josh was born. It is envisioned to be an impressive country garden house named after Hestia, the Goddess of fireplace. It is secretly located right after Bawai in Tagaytay. The budding Chateau is quite impressive considering that it was totally made from container vans. The garden is young and it provides a lot of space for Aidan to play around. It serves simple but authentic European cuisine and the menu changes on a weekly basis. We liked the food and we would visit again when the Osso Buco is in the set menu.

Happy New Year to All!

IMG_1753, originally uploaded by Our Awesome Planet.

Happy New Year to you and your family! Thanks for continuing to read our adventures. 2008 will be an exciting time for our family because we are hoping to publish our blook on The Best of Our Awesome Planet.

We wish you more blessings in 2008! May you continue to live an awesome life in 2008!

From Syoti Josh in behalf of Anton, Mommy Rache and Aidan.