Pinoy Tour: Philippines at its finest

Luxury, by its nature, tends to seek the higher ground in the Philippines. What is luxury in places where five-star establishments offer the same treats and extras? Luxury has its tendency to push the limit further. And in the end, it all comes down to what luxury gives in exchange of its cost.

The Philippines is where hard-earned money can go very far, a nice place to buy into. Vacation islands in the Philippines like Cebu, Bohol, and Davao can be really cheap or be really expensive. But, if you know your way around, you may have a Philippine vacation where every penny spent is worth it.

Sanctuary at Davao Pearl Farm (Under $120 a day) Refreshingly far from Manila and the giddy island beat of Boracay, the Samal Island in Davao has made a name for its idyllic atmosphere and dramatic coastline. Its Davao Pearl Farm Resort offers luxury, native-inspired rooms that flank the Davao beachfront.

Pearl Farm combines indigenous touch and modern living to refreshing effect in its Davao resort. Leisure, spa, and conference facilities are available, too, but the real luxury in staying at Pearl Farm consists of swimming with turtles, getting close to sunken war vessels, or simply finding your own stretch of white beach far from the madding crown.

Heritage tour in Cebu City (Under $110 a day) Called the “Queen City of the South,” Cebu is magnificent in the right places. Centuries-old churches and forts stand in the same locale as the commercial hubs in the port city of Cebu. A day at the Crown Regency acquaints hotel guests with the modern ethos of luxury hotel living, then with the quaint charm of Cebu City the next day.

With the tree-lined Osmena Boulevard as backdrop, Crown Regency towers above the Fuente Osmena in Cebu City and brings guests to the nightlife center and cultural hub of the island. Equally interesting is the Peak Restobar at the 23^rd floor of its hotel in Cebu, the tallest in the city, which gives guests a panoramic view of Cebu while sipping cocktails and taking comfort food.

Bohol island adventure (Under $140 a day) Composed of posh beachfront villas, each with it own plunge pool, balcony, and landscaped garden, the Amorita Resort in Bohol offers the perfect place to enjoy the sun, beach, and crisp sea air of the island. With a Mandala Spa set to break cover in its resort in Bohol, Amorita guarantees luxury and comfort in island living.

But Amorita is more than just for relaxation. The water off the Amorita Resort in Bohol is a marine sanctuary, where a glass wall can be seen enclosing an area to protect an array of marine life. From here to the far reaches of the Bohol Sea, various natural wonders, old houses, and cultural sites await resort guests for a tropical island adventure.

Not to miss is a lunch on a boat ride down the Loboc River in Bohol, with thick rainforests sliding along as you feast on favorite Philippine delicacies.

Labels: Beach Resort, Bohol Resort, Cebu, Davao, Davao Resort, Hotel in Cebu, Island Adventure, Travel Tour

Hit the books and the beach with the kids this summer via the season offerings of El Puerto Marina Resort in Pangasinan and the Matabungkay Beach Resort in Batangas. With their eclectic mix of outdoor recreation and education activities, Batangas offers sleep-away camps not only for kids but for parents as well to enjoy the summer of 2008 in the Philippines.

For fans of Gabby and Sharon who can still remember the chase scene in their 80s movie PS I Love You, the Batangas resort of Matabungkay Beach strikes a romantic chord. Now, with the 2008 Matabungkay Summer Beach Camp, even the kids can enjoy this resort in Batangas without ever knowing what happened to the fated love affair.

The 2008 Summer Beach Camp at the resort in Batangas of Matabungkay offers a three-day fun factory holiday for kids ages 6 to 15. With a lineup of outdoor activities supervised by the Philippines Center for Outdoor Recreation and Education, the Matabungkay Summer Beach Camp in Lian, Batangas, is poised to acquaint kids with camaraderie and fun.

But there is more to the Matabungkay Beach Resort in Batangas than the summer camp for kids. Parents can enjoy the bohemian-inspired beach resort in Batangas at the same time that their kids are having fun. Renowned as the premiere destination in the Philippines for belt-tightening vacationers, the Matabungkay Beach Resort offers choice beachside sauna/massage huts and seafront accommodations at low prices.

El Puerto Marina, on the other hand, has lined up anew a bunch of attractive tour packages at its resort in Pangasinan. Families and groups can choose from a wide variety of interest tours that range from the Hundred Island Day Tour to Manaoag Church Pilgrimage and City Historical Tour.

Home to one of the more established communities in the Philippines during the Spanish period, Pangasinan has provided setting to numerous important historical dates and site of a number of old churches in the Philippines. Pangasinan is likewise a port province, gifted with a healthy commerce that thrives in the middle of natural environments like the Cape Bolinao Beach, Lingayen Gulf, and Masloc and Villacorta Caves.

Family suites, cottages, and rooms at the Pangasinan resort of El Puerto Marina mix contemporary design with traditional furniture for a touch of local atmosphere. With rates starting at P1800 a night, be it for historical or pilgrimage tour the resort in Pangasinan of El Puerto Marina provides the perfect jump-off point for vacation-seekers on a budget.

Labels: Batangas, Beach Resort, Pangasinan, Summer Camp, Travel Tour

Forget about flowers and chocolates. February is not just any other month. To be sure, flowers and chocolates still have their age-old charms. But they are simply not for this month of hearts, when almost every couple tries to figure out a way of conjuring some special “moment” with their valentine.

So brush up on those tried-and-tested lines and get ready to be swept off your feet this February. With the champagne sunsets of Boracay, its dramatic beaches and private coves, love is very much in the air in the seduction capital of the Philippines.

From lively beach parties to relaxing spa sanctuaries and sheltered escapes in the Island of Boracay, Pinoy Tour acquaints you with the top Boracay gems that can help you love-drunk with the person who believes in the same dreams you have been dreaming of.

A separate peace at Boracay Paradise Garden—Nestled between the impressive Boracay seascape and the five-star charm of its private resort in Boracay Island, the Paradise Garden Hotel combines luxury and island romance to serene effect. With its lovely island hotel atmosphere, the hotel in Boracay of the Paradise Garden makes even mundane activities like evening saunters, picnic at dusk, or poolside rendezvous a starry-eyed moment.

How to get there: The Boracay hotel of Paradise Garden lies 20 minutes by boat from the Caticlan Airport. Hotel guests can arrange pick-ups to and from the Paradise Garden at the same time they make a reservation or take a virtual tour of the resort through the Paradise Garden Boracay resort hotel website

Floating Spa at Mulligan Golf Hotel in Boracay—The Mulligan Golf Hotel is the perfect place in Boracay Island to get away from it all. Flanked by an 18-hole golf course and its own strip of White Beach, the Mulligan Golf Hotel removes guests from the crowded Boracay Beach scene. But nothing in Mulligan Boracay Hotel could be more helpful to your amorous intentions than the Floating Spa offered by the hotel at its Paradise Cove. Pampering is always good to romance. Add to that the backdrop of the Boracay Beach at Mulligan Hotel and the look on the face of your lover could easily make your heart soar.

How to get there: The Hotel in Boracay of Mulligan Golf has a full-amenity Welcome Center in Caticlan. Guests coming from Kalibo, Aklan, can avail of the air-conditioned buses of the Mulligan Golf Hotel to take them to Caticlan. From Caticlan the 49-seater ferry boat of the hotel will take guests to a 15-minute, sun-drenched ride to the Mulligan Golf Hotel in Newcoast, Boracay. Land and sea transfers, as well as reservations and room rates, can be checked at the official Mulligan Golf Boracay hotel website

Labels: Boracay, Boracay Hotel, Boracay Resort, Romance