Not The Usual Boracay Trip
Last May 16-19, I had the privilege of going to Boracay with FREE airfare and accommodations for 2 nights at the Boracay Regency Lagoon with 5 friends c/o my friend Andrew winning a Cebu Pacific contest for a video he made of our trip to Cagayan de Oro. Yay! :)
Hilary SWANK!
As soon as we got out of the airport, Boracay Regency Lagoon staff greeted us to shuttle us from the airport to their exclusive port. As in, exclusive. And you have to hand it to Boracay Regency Lagoon. They really know how to make you feel like a rockstar, ferrying guests from Caticlan to Boracay on a super swanky speedboat!
[Below picture is of me and Karlo on our way BACK from Boracay because apparently I didn’t take pictures of our group on the way to Boracay. Actually, it seems I have ZERO group pictures. What up. Classic case of relying on other people for pictures.]
This is a picture of the only other people on the boat. Boracay Regency Lagoon crew, basically, to man the boat and carry our things. We had the boat all to ourselves! Kulang nalang ilabas nila yung champagne at caviar.
So yeah. That was the sosi-est thing in my life ever. And I savored every moment because it is not likely that I will experience this again. Unless a good friend / I win another competition, or the lotto, or if some company gives me this treatment in exchange for an article / design or something. Haha. Otherwise, I don’t think I could ever bring myself to pay for such a service. (Read: Kuripot si Jen.)
We had a pretty much chillax stay. And believe it or not, I never went on a NIGHT OUT night out. Haha. Karlo got sick during our trip, so that contributed to that, but really, it was nice to just stay in in our comfortable, airconditioned hotel room after dinner. :D
[Photos from Boracay Regency Lagoon because LOL I didn’t take photos. But their photos are accurate :D]
We stayed in their Deluxe Room, which was good for three people.
I’ll be living in a lot of budget accommodations in my upcoming trips, so it was nice to have this for now. :)
They also had an inviting pool area:
Complete with lounge chairs half-submerged in the water. Excellent for lazing around on a hot day. :)
Yoga by the beach
I also took it upon myself to explore yoga on the island and found out about True Yoga through a Boracay-based friend.
I joined one of their classes with teacher Louise Lee. Pretty place for yoga, right?
Read more about my True Yoga experience in Boracay.
Bulabog Beach: The other side of the island
Thanks to Louise, my friend Louie and I were also able to briefly explore Bulabog beach, which is basically a mecca for kiteboarders during the amihan season. I’d been wanting to explore this side of the island, and was so pleased that a local took us there! There weren’t any kiteboarders at the time though, but it was nice to see a different side of Boracay. :) It’s also so much closer to the more popular side of Boracay than one might think.
Also got to meet and briefly hang out with Ian Bautista and Djila Winebrenner, owners of The Lazy Dog Bed & Breakfast, also on Bulabog.
I found out about Lazy Dog a couple of years back (via Facebook), was charmed by the whole vibe of the place, and been meaning to book a stay there on a trip to Boracay. Alas, our group was already booked elsewhere.
My Boracay Must-Eat
Also just had to get my favorite Boracay treat (from 2 years back). Not chori burgers (since I’m trying to be vegetarian now), or Jonas shakes (though I did have one), but Tibraz’s Butter and Muscovado Crepe (P100).
I generally like crepes (Cafe Breton-style — and believe me, this is Cafe Breton style, from the chewiness of the crepe to the plating). And I generally like “simple” food where individual ingredients’ flavors can come out. And I LOVE muscovado. So it’s only natural that I LOVE this treat too.
Cebu PAK! - from Caticlan to Kalibo
No, no, no. Not by plane, but by van. And not by choice either.
When Karlo and I arrived at the Caticlan airport to check in for our flight back to Manila. We found that our flight had been cancelled.
Wow. Good job, Cebu Pacific. Thanks for the heads up. You could have at least informed your passengers beforehand. I asked the ground staff for the reason behind the cancellation, and they simply said that the plane had some delay and that there would have been some air traffic congestion or that they wouldn’t be able to land the plane at Caticlan anymore. I don’t know much about aviation or air traffic control, so that sounded like a load of crap to me. So if anyone reading this has a better explanation, by all means, please enlighten me.
A lot of passengers, both local and foreign alike were inconvenienced by this because we had to take a 1 hour and 40 minute van ride to Kalibo. When a foreign traveler asked the ground staff if Cebu Pacific would be providing any compensation for this inconvenience, all they could offer was a ride to Kalibo. That, in my opinion, is not compensation at all, but a mandatory service for the inconvenience. They should have at least offered a partial rebate or a free meal on board or the option to rebook a preferred flight.
They got lucky because most of the passengers were relatively good-natured and no one went all Claudine Barretto on them.
I take the experience lightheartedly because I didn’t have any connecting flights or dinner scheduled upon my return to Manila. And am actually happy because we got to chat with a German traveler because of the cancellation.
But I am still NOT happy about the cancellation at all, and how casually Cebu Pacific dealt with the cancelled flight. I am doubly disappointed because the inconvenience experienced by foreign travelers will most likely surface in their travel stories back home. And I can only hope that the rest of the experience makes up for this gross inconvenience. And that their friends and family still be inclined to travel to the Philippines.
Til the next trip,
Jen
Sophie’s Mom Cupcakes (and other sweet treats)
“If Sophie’s Mom was my mom, I’d be really fat”, said Nica after we paid a visit to their quaint and fresh-baked-smelling shop in San Antonio Village.
With their cupcakes, mochi ice cream, and all their delicious bread and cookies, I have no doubt that I would be too.
It was a last-minute decision to have Sophie’s Mom cupcakes as snacks during our Punchdrunk Panda Skimmer Webisode shoots with JP Cuison, Saab Magalona, Ge Mapa, Selena Salang, Robbie Bautista, Cheyser Pedragosa, Kitkat Pecson, Patricia Prieto, Kasey Albano & Arriane Serafico. I had been thinking earlier in the week of our shoot about what food I was going to provide as snacks, and then I had a eureka moment and remembered Sophie’s Mom.
We usually see them at bazaars we participate in as well, and when we do see them around, we’re sure to get their Mochi Ice Cream (P40). :) I’ve tried their Frozen Brazo, Strawberries & Cream, Cookie Dough & Lemon Meringue, and the Lemon Meringue is my personal favorite. Though I’ve yet to try their Banoffee & Red Velvet Mochi Ice Cream. :)
So anyway, I immediately contacted Tita Tonette Rosal to ask if she would be able to provide me cupcakes for our shoot on the following day, and luckily, she was able to pull through for us! :)
Punchdrunk Panda loves Sophie’s Mom! :D
In the three days that we were shooting webisodes, I personally got to sample their:
- Day 1: Spanish Bread (P12), which has this unique pastillas-like-filling — better than your average Spanish bread.
- Day 1: Red Velvet Cupcake (P50), which has rich cream cheese frosting, while the cupcake itself has chocolate bits mixed into the batter @_@ — it’s REALLY good, though I tend to get overwhelmed by super cream cheesy things in general, but even so, I found this really yummy.
- Day 2: I bought myself a Red Velvet Cookie (P50) and the Cheese Raisin Loaf (P80) — the Red Velvet Cookie is interesting as it is quite literally a Red Velvet Cupcake in cookie form. So yeah, thumbs up for this too! — I must say I was a little disappointed with the “Cheese” Raisin Loaf though, because it looked so cheesy, and being a super cheese girl and an anti-raisins-except-when-eaten-alone girl, I was looking for more cheese and less raisin. But otherwise, it’s an excellent option for raisin and cinnamon lovers.
- Day 2: Ensaymada (P35), cheesy and super chewy-soft bread — I just had a bite from Nica’s because I’m not a super ensaymada girl, but it was REALLY good (sorry, people, I do not have other adjectives). I mean, being a non-ensaymada girl, this is actually an ensaymada I would go out and buy. So that says a lot.
- Day 3: Hazelnut Praline Sweet Buns (P10), Nutella-filled buns — enough said. Haha!
- Day 3: Toffee Caramel Buns (P20), caramel-filled rolls — the bread was uh-mazing. The filling was a bit sweet for my taste, but I would buy this for the bread. YUM.
- Day 3: As if I did not have enough Sophie’s Mom during the week, I bought a Red Velvet Cupcake, Tres Leches w/ Strawberries Cupcake (P50), and a Dulce de Leche Cupcake (P50), all for myself — Tres Leches is a light cake soaked and filled with 3 kinds of milk, rum and fresh strawberries or mangoes, while the dulce de leche is a chocolate cupcake with filling and ganache frosting — and oh my god, I practically finished all 3 in one sitting.
I must have gained 3 pounds this week.
I usually have Red Velvet cupcakes on the top of my favorite pastries/cupcakes, but I have to say, that the Tres Leches is also a strong contender. I wanted the one with mangoes though, but the one with strawberries was really good too! Like a Strawberry Short Cupcake. Since I tend to favor lighter, less rich desserts/sweets, this one sat with me very well. :)
* I can’t really be a food blogger or anything because I usually dig into whatever is presented in front of me before taking a photo, but I managed to gather enough EQ to take the below shot.
So my top 3 picks among the new treats I tried would be:
- Tres Leches Cupcake
- Ensaymada
- Red Velvet Cookie
But yeah, Sophie’s Mom staples would be their Mochi Ice Cream & Red Velvet Cupcakes. :)
Their store is located at 8760 Santol Street, San Antonio Village, Makati, BUT their aiming to open their little take-out kiosk in SM Megamall Bldg. A (in front of National Bookstore) by March 16, 2012. (OMG SO MUCH CLOSER TO HOME)
We’re also hoping to get them to join Anteroom Sessions 2 on March 31, 4-11pm at Cubao X. :D
So yeah, ‘til you get the chance to visit their store or catch them at a bazaar, you can drool at all their yummy goodies here.
Tres leches pounds heavier but happy,
Jen
