Kookoo's Nest

There is a hidden treasure in the Tambobo Bay area of Siaton, Negros Oriental, approximately one and a half hours away from the provincial capital of Dumaguete. It's called Kookoo's Nest. I've heard of this place long before, but I never got to check it out until last Friday. It was a holiday in the Philippines because of Eid'l Fit'r, the end of Ramadan (our population is 20% Muslim, after all), so a couple of friends and I decided to go on a road trip to make the most of the no-work day.

Kookoo's Nest is a beach resort tucked away beside a cliff. It is adjacent to the more posh and popular Antulang Beach Resort. It is a little out of the way, and one might consider it to be in the middle of nowhere, but it is such a charming and relaxing place that I would recommend it to anyone.

The resort has a white sand beach, clear waters, a quaint restaurant right by the water and bamboo cottages. It's perfect for a relaxing weekend getaway because it's quiet and private. You can sit by the beach admiring the view, or read a book or magazine from their ample collection.

Kookoo's Nest is also a place you can come to if you want to dive. If you want to go kayaking, you can do that there as well. But since my friends and I do not dive (yet!), and we didn't bring extra clothes so we couldn't swim, we contented ourselves with taking pictures and enjoying what I think is the best of Kookoo's Nest: the food!

Food at Kookoo's Nest is truly to die for! We had Pork Schnitzel, Filipino Coconut Chicken Curry, and Pork Kebab with Sate. All were amazingly delicious! They were pretty affordable, too, ranging from P150 to 200. For the food alone, I would go back there. If you plan to check it out, though, make sure you order the food immediately upon arriving, as it can take some time for them to prepare it. 

Needless to say, I'm quite happy to have made the trip to Kookoo's Nest. It's definitely a good road trip destination in this part of the Philippines. 

This entry is also posted at Everything Dumaguete.

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The Lalimar (or La Limar) Experience

I spent a night in Lalimar (or La Limar, as some spell it) with friends over the weekend. For those who have not yet visited or heard of this place, it's a government-owned resort in La Libertad, Negros Oriental; a project spearheaded by Congresswoman Josy Limkaichong. La Libertad is a municipality approximately two hours north of Dumaguete. It's a town close to my heart because it is the birth place of my mother. One reason why I wanted to visit Lalimar was so that I could also visit my grandparents as a side trip.

An overnight stay in Lalimar perfectly fits the budget. Their room rates start at P1,400--good for two, and you only have to add P200 per extra person, up to a maximum of six. The cottages are spacious, with a porch outside where you can dine. Food is not a problem because you can either bring from outside, or you can order room service. Their food is not bad, and the prices are reasonable. Since the resort is fairly new, the facilities are still very good. The cottage walls are covered with banig, which adds personality to the room. The bathroom is huge, and hot and cold shower is available. There is no tv or telephone in the rooms, though.

The cottage entrance

The beds

The bathroom

Dinner

Calamares - P180, Breaded Chicken - P180, Potato Salad - P60

Tuna Sandwich - P55

Baconsilog - P80

One thing I noticed about staying at Lalimar is that you cannot sleep in. As early as 5:30 in the morning, when the sun starts to shine, the brightness already wakes you up. The cottage windows are made of frosted glass, and there are no curtains, so nothing blocks out the sun's glory. This is a good thing perhaps, because during sunrise is the best time to enjoy Lalimar's beach and swimming pool. Later in the day, as we witnessed, so many people will be in the not-so-big pool, and they'll be there until late in the evening. So if you want peace and quiet or a private swim, it's probably not a good idea to go there during a weekend in the summer. 

The pool

The water at twilight

Lalimar is fast becoming a popular tourist attraction north of Dumaguete. I'm extremely proud of it because it puts the sleepy town of La Libertad on the map. Even if it's not as posh as the other resorts in Negros Oriental found in Dauin or Siaton, it has a charm of its own. But as I always say, "it's not the place but the company." And while a lot of factors make Lalimar the perfect stopover for a road trip, what really makes an outing unforgettable is the people you're with.

For more information about Lalimar, you can contact them at (035) 409-4020 or 0908-212-7683. You can also check out another blog post by my friend Lorselle.

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Apo Island

The Philippine Society of Information Technology Educators (PSITE) held its annual convention for Region 7 last week at Foundation University in Dumaguete. The event was attended by IT administrators and teachers from Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental (no participant attended from the 4th province in the region, Siquijor). Not being able to participate in the past, I took the opportunity to join the event, because I really am just a newbie and need to be exposed to more IT trends and topics. The event lasted for 3 days, with the third day allocated for the outing where the participants could explore local sights and interact with each other in a fun atmosphere.

The area for the outing was Apo Island, a volcanic island 7 kilometers off the southeastern tip of Negros Island. I have never been there before, so this was a good chance for me. The island is tiny, with a diameter of only 3 kilometers and an area of 12 hectares. They do not have a steady supply of electricity on the island, their only source of water is rain and deep wells, and there are no vehicles as well, but Apo is a top tourist attraction in this area of the Philippines because of the marine sanctuary that surrounds the island. It's a great place for people who want to dive and snorkel, as it is consistently ranked as one of the top 100 dive sites in the world.

To get to Apo Island, you need to board a pump boat from the fishing/market village of Malatapay in Zamboanguita, located 30 minutes from Dumaguete, or hire a boat from any of the resorts in the area. The boat trip to Apo from the mainland takes 30 minutes as well. As we only had a few hours to spend on the island (you have to make the boat trip back to the mainland before late afternoon as waves get bigger during that time of day), we immediately did the main activity for non-divers in Apo--go snorkeling! And it was wonderful! You can find corals with colorful fishes very near the shore. My only wish was that I had a waterproof case for my camera so I could take underwater pictures! After snorkeling, we went to an area where you could supposedly find turtles, and we did find them! I'm happy to say I finally saw a real turtle, not just a Nat Geo one!

Of course, everywhere I go, my main goal is to take pictures of scenery. Here are some photos of Apo for you:

While it is true that there's not much to do in Apo except swim, snorkel, and laze in the sand, being there evokes a peaceful feeling. This is a place where you can't have Internet, cable TV, or airconditioning. It's a place that brings you back to the basics of life... and that's what makes it extremely special.

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Summer Heat

When it's summer time, there's no other great thing to do but hit the pool or beach! Last week, I went with my parents and cousins to a resort named Bahura. They have the biggest pool area in my province and an over-all great ambience, so I had fun!

Bahura is located in Dauin, Negros Oriental, Philippines. For 500 pesos (around $10), you can enter the resort for the day, get a free lunch, and swim in the pool as much as you want. They have awesome rooms as well, although I have never personally stayed there overnight. A visit for the day, however, is totally worth it.

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The Personification of the Sea

The title above is the Greek meaning of Thalatta, the name of the resort I visited today together with my mom and a couple of family friends for lunch.

The quaint city where I am located in the Philippines, Dumaguete, is surrounded by a number of beach resorts within its 30-minute vicinity. Thalatta is one that I only recently discovered, and so far, it has become my favorite. The resort is located in the town of Zamboanguita, the third town south of the city. It is owned by a French-Filipino couple. I have been there a number of times but I keep going back--the resort is beautiful, private, and they have a restaurant right by the beach that serves wonderful food! The owner and staff are also very friendly.

I love the beach, and I'm so thankful that I can go to nice beach spots anytime I want to. A resort like Thalatta is truly a place where you can relax and forget about all the stresses in the world. If you want to know more about them, you can visit their website at http://www.thalatta-beach.com.

Apo Island - a small volcanic island off the southeastern tip of Negros Island in the Philippines which is a popular dive site and snorkeling destination

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