Sipalay: A Hidden Gem

Welcome to Sipalay! The Jewel of the Sugar Island. 

Sipalay or officially known as the City of Sipalay is about 175 kilometers south from Bacolod City, over three hours by car or about 5 hours by bus. Once you reach Sipaly, you will be welcomed by this mosque-like structure which is their city hall. 

There are about ten beach resorts in Sipalay. We only went to three. Our first stop is the Perth Paradise Resort. It's situated on the side of a hill and it overlooks a very stunning and relaxing view of peanut kisses shaped islands. Yes, these islands look like floating peanut kisses. 

As you enter the gate of Perth, you will see this view on your left. A short boardwalk to a dock where guests can go ride a boat to go island-hopping or enjoy kayaking leisurely. It's safe to go kayaking because the water is very calm. No waves at all. 

Then, you would have to go up about two flight of stairs to get to the main part of the resort and where a stunning view awaits. 

They have an infinity pool with a view that is just so amazing. Whatever the pool lacked in size, it more than made up for its priceless and very very wonderful view. It's picture perfect and it's like looking at a postcard. You better take in this view and immortalize it for eternity. 

But that's not all, there's more. You can go up to their lookout point where you'll have a 360 degree view of the sea, the other islands and the hills surrounding Perth. So, brace yourself to be astounded once again.

You have permission to go all-gaga on taking loads of pictures and selfies. No one will ever fault you for it. 

One reminder though, going to Perth is probably the most difficult and arduous road we've ever took. And I mean this literally. The road going to the resort is a bit of challenge. You will need all your driving skills and calm. It's a very rough and narrow road with a very steep drop on your left and an unprepared swim in the sea to your right if you miscalculate steering the wheel. So, consider yourself warned. 

And one more thing, parking space is very limited. You will have no choice but park you car vertically or park in a bit of a slope. But no worries, the resort people knew the challenges going to their resort so they have people who will assist you in making sure you don't make an accidental plunge and also find you a parking space. But all these challenges, the sweat and the nerves going there will be forgotten once you see the view. It's all worth it. But I hope your heart can still take it taking the journey back down the rough road again.

After Perth, we went back our way to visit Tinagong Dagat. Actually, we were supposed to go to Tinagong Dagat first but we missed the turnoff. Must be the reason why it's called Tinagong Dagat. Many people have probably missed the turnoff also. Did you get the joke? 

Anyway, the road going to Tinagong Dagat and parking is not as hard as Perth. It's an improvement but this time, you'll have to walk a few meters uphill. Yes, the resort is also situated on a hill and you'll have to cross three connected bridges made of bamboo and there's one hanging bridge. It's actually just one long bridge but then I noticed that there were three different portions of the bridge and the materials used were not all the same. Not all bamboo. It's sort of a hodgepodge of a bamboo bridge, a hanging bridge and there are also cemented areas where you can rest between each bridge. So, it's one of the reasons why to me it seemed like three connected bridges. 

 

Anyway, once you've crossed the bridge, you will see a building with a sign that says Latasan Island Resort. It's still part of Tinagong Dagat. 

I just can't resist benches and flowers, so I had to make sure I have a picture here. You do agree, the flowers are beautiful, right?

They also have a pool with a view but not as stunning as the one in Perth. You will still see the peanut-kisses like islands also but the view is a bit different. 

Then, you'll have to climb steps here also to get to their vantage point. Don't worry, the climb will also be so worth it. If you think you have seen everything when you saw the floating peanut kisses, believe me, it's not all there is. In here, you will see an island shaped like a turtle. Isn't it amazing? Only in the Philippines.

And we have to thank our very creative  guide for some  of the very  impressive pictures here, especially the panoramas. Our  guide, a boy who's about 10 to 12 years  old, has  become  very adept  in taking  pictures  and  knew  exactly  the spots where to take them. Unfortunately, we were not able to get  his name but we did reward him for his  skills with  extra tip  and  a large  back  of Pica  chips to  share with his two  other  friends. I think, the other boy thought he won  the lottery  when  we  handed  him  the  bag of chips. It  was  like  Christmas  came early and it melted our  hearts  because  for  us, a  bag  of  chips is  just  a bag of chips. But  to them, it  seemed like  it was  the highlight  of their day and we were so glad that in some way, we made them happy. 

We just took picture after picture in Tinagang Dagat also. We didn't do any water activities. 

I have something to confess though...

Something happened when were leaving Tinagong Dagat. We blame it all on the avocado ice candy we were eating. We were all distracted. We didn't cause any damage but I think it was the closest thing we did to feel like we were criminals.

We backed into a parked SUV. Good thing, we hit his large tires and the back of the car, our car, just bounced on it. Thank the rubber gods for those giant tires. No dents on the enormous SUV and no additional dent to our already dented backside. I mean, the back of the car. And note, there was an eye witness. One of the bystanders saw us and he also went to check if we did any damage to the SUV. He was actually the one who said that there was nothing (So, we were on the clear. No harm, no foul. No case, so we don't need a lawyer.) and he also pointed out that our car was dented. Well, it was an old dent when my friend and her brother also had a similar experience. We were actually talking about that experience when we were leaving Perth. As fate would have it, a similar thing happened only an hour or two after. This is definitely one of those trips that we will never forget and I have one more thing to add to "My Funny Friend and Me" compilation part 2.

So, it was lunchtime when we got off Tinagong Dagat and we drove back to the main part of the city to eat lunch. Our friend said we would eat by the Poblacion beach. This is their public beach with a shoreline. Perth and Tinagong Dagat didn't have shorelines. There are restaurants fronting the shoreline so it would be fun. But when we got there, not one restaurant was open. Guess, they only open for dinner or late afternoon. 

So, we just drove back to Bacolod. We thought we would just stop by Kabancalan and find some place to eat there. We didn't stop for any other places except for Mila's in Hinigaran. This is a very famous pastry shop and restaurant for their buko pies, bibingka and bitchikoy. We bought one whole buko pie, potato cake, fruit pies and chicken pies. Sadly, we didn't get to try their bibingka and bitchikoy because we didn't know that those were their specialties. Our friend who was from Bacolod stayed in the car and she only told us to try the buko pie. But I was really curious about the bitchikoy. It's their version of a donut with cheese inside. Well, at least, I know what to buy when I go there next time. The buko pie is really good. It's very smooth and it has yema or custard which is what makes their buko pie different. The chicken pie is good but not that impressive. I wasn't a fan of the potato cake either. My friends like it though. But I was really hooked on their fruit pie. I can taste the fruit on my first bite and it's not the canned fruit type but the real fresh fruit. More fruits than pie crust. I should have bought more than three pieces if I knew they were that really good. I will definitely go panic-buying on Mila's fruit pies next time.

So, the next time you're in the Bacolod City area or anywhere in Negros Occidental, try to visit Sipalay. Or if you've been to Sipalay, share your experiences also.

Up next is the third part of our Bacolod trip...Lakawon Island. Watch for it on my next post. Thanks for dropping by.

Thanks to our guide in Tinagong Dagat and to Rhona and Merly for some of the pictures here in which I was in it. Pictures were taken with a Samsung S7 phone, iphone 4s and a Sony Cybershot. Edits done in pixlr.com.

A Weekend in Bacolod: First Stop - Campuestohan Resort

Welcome everyone to the City of Smiles - Bacolod City! This is a must. As soon as you get off the plane, you should take this mandatory picture before officially entering the heart of Bacolod. 

Although, with this trip, we went to Campuestohan first since it's nearer the airport and more logical to go straight there than to go to the city proper.

Campuestohan Highland Resort is situated in the mountains of Talisay City. It's about 21 kilometers from the Bacolod-Silay airport or 38 minutes and about 24 kilometers or 43 minutes from Bacolod City proper. This is a five-hectare resort overlooking Mt. Makawili. The roads are paved going to the resort except for a portion near a residential area that had holes. It's a two-way lane passing a vast expanse of sugarcane plantation. So, the scenery alone on the way is very relaxing. Especially, after a three-hour delayed flight.

The resort itself is easy to find as there are no other way to go. Just follow where the road leads uphill and you'll surely end up at the gate of the resort. There is a 200 peso entrance and if you want to do other activities like going through the hanging ropes or go swimming in the pools, it would be a different fee. We were only there for sight-seeing and of course, to take pictures. For those who own cars, there are parking lots. One is near the entrance which is paved, near the big shoe. And the other one is near the exit which is unpaved and right under the sun.

This is what you will see as you go in - the official Campuestohan jeepney. Yey! To your left is the mammoth pool with slides. There's also a wave pool. To your left is the parking lot and the big shoe. You will also see a statue of Atlas. 

I really like this colorful interpretation of this famous world-carrying Greek God. I love books, so I would definitely always try to find anything bookworm-related.

Moving forward, right behind the official resort jeepney is the restaurant. Right in front of it is another Campuestohan sign where you can take a picture. We went in the restaurant since it's where the restrooms are. The restrooms are tiny. Only two cubicles. What I love about the restaurant though is their furniture. The tables and chairs are made of hardwood. Very sturdy. I was thinking of maybe having one in my soon-to-be dining room. 

Right outside the restaurant, to the left is this building which looks like one you see in Netherlands and there's an Uncle Sam statue right outside. At the back of this building is a pond where there is a giant snail and a cute ferris wheel of giant buckets. 

Right across the restaurant are two life-sized dinosaurs. A T-Rex and a Long Neck about to battle it out. You can see more dinosaurs as you go further into the resort. If you are a fan, or your kids love dinosaurs, there's actually an attraction solely dedicated to these Jurassic creatures. One very fascinating display is a set of three eggs where the new hatchlings pop in and out. We even heard three very cute kids talking about them. Nah, I wasn't able to take a picture of those eggs. 

I think the best attraction in the whole resort was the Hobbit Village. They call it Bonita Huts. These are very picturesque and Instagram-perfect Hobbit cottages where you can just imagine Frodo or his Uncle Bilbo coming out the door to take their morning walk. And yes, these cottages are for rent. Did I say the view is stunning?

If you are not a fan of the The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, you can choose to stay in one of the tepees. Yes, they do have Indian tepee rooms also. They have a little Indian Village complete with a space for a camp fire to complete the camping ambiance.  Very colorful too.

If you feel tired of roaming around, you can sit in one of those benches under a tree. It's a perfect spot to read a good book too. You can also say hello to your favorite panda and his friends. Or you can try out their rope obstacle course, or their zipline. 

All in all, it's a good place to bond with your family and especially for kids. Most of these attractions are made with kids in mind. They have pools and the dinosaur park I mentioned earlier. I'm not sure if staying overnight here is a must since I don't think there's anything to do at night. I am not sure if they allow night swimming in their pools. But if you want to channel that inner Frodo Baggins, then be my guest, or more appropriately - be their guest and rent one of those hobbit-like accommodations.

There's a hanging bridge spanning from one pool to the other.

One thing we noticed while roaming around is that the resort isn't really that properly maintained. The grass were just allowed to grow excessively without trimming or in some areas, they were starting to brown. But it's a good enough place to visit when you are in Bacolod or near the area. The Hobbit Village alone is a must-see. 

Please check out the my next posts on the rest of our Bacolod trip.

Thanks Rhona Kaye for driving and for bringing me and Merly to Campuestohan. I will never forget this place since we had an experience here that is so funny that it's worth to be included in my next "My Funny Friend and Me" post. 

Singapore: The Hawker Chronicles

I have been to Singapore four times but only on my last trip was I able to eat at hawker stalls. Yes, it's unbelievable, right? My first  trip to the Merlion City was with friends and it was also our first trip outside of the country. We were yet unsure of trying new food so we took the safe route--fast food. We ate at one foodcourt though in Bugis where there was rice, finally. Not every restaurant or eatery in Singapore serves rice. So, if you want one, the best place to go is of course, the nearest hawker stall. Hawker stalls are like the carenderia or eateries in the Philippines where you point what food you want on your plate. It's a lot cheaper than going into a fast food or a resto. 

My two next trips were with my family and we had my nephews with us who were a bit picky on food. We can't eat anywhere except at McDonald's. There was no Jollibee at that time yet. Even if my brother-in-law's flat was right across a hawker stall, we didn't try it because of the kids. We either had to cook food and pack them with us when we go out or do fast food. 

On my fourth trip, I was with a friend and after realizing that I haven't even tried any hawker food, she then told me that since we were on a budget, our meals will mostly likely be from hawker since it was a lot cheaper. At SGD2 you can already have two viands and rice. You will have a variety of viands to choose from. Sounds fun! 

For three weeks, whenever we go out, we always ended up eating at a hawker stall. I always brought water with me so I won't have to buy soft drinks or bottled water and of course, to save as much of our limited funds.

Here are some of the hawker foods I tried. I'm more of a vegetable and fish person. I am not so into meat. I call this hawker chronicles because I made sure to take pictures of every food I ordered or ate from a hawker stall. I will try to describe each plate as much as possible. So, here they are. Enjoy!

This was my first food I tried. It's a fish noodle soup. It tasted so good. The ingredients were fresh and the stall was so clean. In fact, the stall was featured in one of the local magazines as a must-eat place. This was at the Harbourfront. This costs SGD3.50.

This was in the Woodlands bus station. This is nasi lemak rice (coconut milk rice) with stir-fried vegies. The vegetables were mostly string beans and eggplant with sambal on the side. Sambal is a chili-based sauce. This meal cost about SGD1.50. This was OK. I wished it had other vegies in it.

Does this look like from a fine dining resto? Well, look at that beautiful presentation. This is fried fish fingers with fries and salad on the side. This costs about SGD5.20. The stall was rated A in cleanliness and taste. Yes, this tasted as good as the picture.

This is the famous Malaysian laksa. This is a very spicy soup with seafood and noodles in it. This was really good. Cost is at SGD3.50. This was in a stall near Bishan MRT.

This is stir-fried bean sprouts and sweet and sour fish fillet. This was from a hawker stall in Chinatown. This was SGD1.50. Not bad, huh?

Stir-fried okra and sweet and sour pork. Yes, the Singaporeans love their sweet and sour dishes. The rice is fried rice or Yangchow rice as they call it. This was about SGD2.00. It would cost you extra if you want pork, or beef, or meat on your plate.

This one is stir-fried eggplant and tofu. Yes, the tofu is really good. I discovered in Singapore that tofu could also come in different variants. They have fish tofu which is my favorite, mushroom tofu and all others. This has cost me SGD1.50.

This is pineapple chicken and fried egg with chives. This was about $2.00. Again, there was meat so that had cost a bit more.

Oh, this one's the best. This is popiah. It's a spring roll with peanuts and peanut sauce. The first one I tried on my last trip before this was not impressive. This one however was so delicious. People are lining up to buy from this stall in Bishan. This is SGD1.50. It's worth every cent. Believe me! This is prepared right in front of you. All the ingredients are still hot and freshly-cooked. I even took a video of how this was prepared hoping I could actually make one at home. Nah, I haven't done it yet. I haven't attempted to make this on my own. 

This is the stall who sells the best popiah, I think, in all of Singapore. It's near Bishan MRT and it opens from 4PM to 7PM.

The color of the day is yellow. The one on the left is obviously scrambled egg. You could never go wrong with eggs, right? The other one is actually squash or pumpkin. It was good. I love squash. It's my favorite vegetable so I just can't pass up the chance to try the Singaporean version. This cost about SGD1.50.

This one is fried chicken fingers and stir-fried bean sprouts. Yes, I always order vegies for every meal. I'm trying to eat healthy. Also, I'm not really a meat eater. This was $SGD1.75.

This is sweet and sour fish and eggs. Again, sweet and sour. It never grows old. This was about SGD1.50.

This is prawn mee. It's a noodle soup with prawns. You can have this with pork or chicken if you are allergic to seafood.  This was very good. We had this in Toa Payoh. This was about SGD5.00 but it was so worth it. I didn't pay for this though. I was treated by one our friends. The owner of this stall happens to be the boss of my friend. The husband of the boss is the chef and the boss helps him during weekends. 

This is the Singaporean version of stir-fried kangkong. It was good. It doesn't taste different from the one we have in the Philippines. Maybe, we learned this dish from the Chinese.

This one is deep fried chicken. You might say, "Ah, fried chicken. What's so special about that?" Well, this one used duck egg for the batter to make it crispy. This was good too. This was an ala carte order. This was about SGD8.00 to SGD12.00.  

For those who haven't been to Singapore, the hawker  stalls have a  separate store or stall for all drinks. Yes, you can choose from a row of stalls selling all the meals you can try but there's only one stall who sells drinks. And this one below is a water chestnut. It actually tasted like ice tea but only better. A lot better. I love this one! This is SGD1.50 a glass.

So, the next time you're in the Merlion City, go and try the hawkers stalls. Believe me, you'll discover really delicious and affordable meals. Having a food trip at the different hawker stalls around Singapore is enough reason to visit this island-state. It's absolutely a feast for the senses, especially your taste buds. Most of all, the stalls are clean and all the vendors are required to have government permits. They are even encouraged to sell healthy foods like vegies and meat alternatives. Some stalls are even featured in magazines because of the quality of the service, cleanliness and of course, the taste.

Have you tried the hawker stalls in Singapore? Tell me about your experiences. Hit the comments below.