Travel Archives - Page 4 of 16 - Mindanaoan - Multi awarded CDO and New York Lifestyle Blog

Feb52017 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Where to eat at NAIA 3 Manila airport

Flights, Food, Manila, Restaurant, Reviews, Travel

I’ll let you in on a secret. Whenever I fly out of NAIA 3 Manila airport, I head there extra early. Like 3 hours early. I’m not kidding! Before, I just make sure I’m at the airport with an hour or so to spare. Now, I’m there really early. I have one very good - no, delicious! - reason: gourmet ramen! Ramen Nagi, hailed as one of the best in Tokyo, Japan (it has fetched top awards in the National Ramen of the Year Competitions in 2011 and 2012), has opened a branch at the Food Hall, located at the 4th Floor of NAIA 3. Now, it’s more convenient for travelers to have a taste of the popular Butao, its signature ramen, and incidentally, the name of the Ramen Nagi franchise in Hong Kong as well. So far, I just settle for the Original King Butao (Php 390) and a Tamago (Php 50). I t...

Feb12017 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Tried and tested: How I saved big on my CDO hotel with the Traveloka App

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Features, Hotels, Northern Mindanao, Opinion, Reviews, Technology, Tourism, Travel

As a frequent traveler, nothing else makes me a happy camper than discovering various ways and means to save money especially on accommodations. We all know that lodging expenses can take a huge chunk off our travel budget so if there’s a way for me to save, I’m game! So when I heard all about this new app, Traveloka, that lets you save not only on hotel rates but also on flights, I just had to give it a whirl! Plus I had a great reason to test this hotel and flight booking platform. My mother and one of my brothers (who are both based outside Cagayan de Oro) were in town and I wanted to treat them to a mini staycation. My hotel of choice - Limketkai Luxe Hotel. Located along CM Recto Avenue, Lapasan, CDO, Limketkai Luxe Hotel is just a few moments away from Limketkai Mall...

Jan232017 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

New fave Cebu hotel: Cuarto Hotel

Cebu City, Features, Hotels, Leisure, Reviews, Society, Tourism, Travel

Every frequent traveler to Cebu knows this – it’s a continuous challenge to find spacious, well-fitted, affordable, strategically located hotel rooms that offer free delicious buffet breakfast. There will always be something amiss – either the hotel is too far from the city proper or the room may be too small you can barely move around with your luggage. Fortunately, I recently discovered a charming boutique hotel a block away from Fuente Circle Cebu that could easily rival the bigger hotel chains. Cuarto Hotel is just across Robinson’s Cybergate and steps away from a few of Cebu’s biggest hospitals and call centers. Don’t worry, though. While Cuarto Hotel Cebu may be in the midst of the hustle and bustle of city life, you will still have the most comfortable stay. I did! ...

Jan142017 by Mindanaoan Irene3 Comments

Bukidnon Kaamulan Festival 2017 schedule of events

Bukidnon, Entertainment, Events, Festivals, Malaybalay City, Society, Tourism, Travel

The largest festival in the Province of Bukidnon will be held from February 1 to March 25, 2017. Here's the Kaamulan Festival 2017 schedule of activities. This annual Bukidnon festival, recognized by a former Tourism Secretary as the only authentic ethnic festival in the Philippines, is an event that gathers the 7 hill tribes of the Province of Bukidnon. The Bukidnon ethnic hill tribes are Talaandig, Manobo, Matigsalug, Tigwahanun, Higaonon, Umayamnun and Bukidnon. Meanwhile, Kaamulan is an indigenous Bukidnon term for “gathering” for any purpose. It can mean a datuship ritual, a wedding ceremony, a thanksgiving festival during harvest time, a peace pact, or all of these together. Need a place to stay in Bukidnon? CLICK HERE > BOOK A DISCOUNTED BUKIDNON HOTEL ROOM Activities ...

Jan142017 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Cebu – Camiguin Island route – Two daily flights now

Camiguin, Flights, Tourism, Travel

Traveling to Camiguin Island, a.k.a. Island Born of Fire, will be more convenient - at least starting today until early 2018. In an announcement released by Cebu Pacific Airlines, the airline announced that they will be flying twice a day to and fro Camiguin every Monday, Friday and Sunday starting April 1, 2017. (Hopefully this isn't an April Fools' joke, right? Hehe!) The new flights will be effective until March 24, 2018. Anyway, the additional flights are: Flight No. DG6693 - Cebu to Camiguin, 9:45am-10:30am Flight No. DG6694 - Camiguin to Cebu, 10:50am -11:30am Ready to visit The Island of Camiguin? Start with this travel guide: Camiguin Island Travel Guide Or you can read my other Camiguin-related posts so you can plan your trip properly: Mantigue Isl...

Jan82017 by Mindanaoan Irene7 Comments

Where to stay in Camiguin Island: HillTop Camiguin

Camiguin, Mindanaoan Update, Tourism, Travel

I have said it time and again. Camiguin Island remains to be one of my super favorite destinations in the Philippines. Camiguin is like a refuge - where I can enjoy peace, quiet, sun, sand, sea, surf. And recently, whenever I'm in the Island Born of Fire, I stay at HillTop Camiguin! HillTop Camiguin is a mansion nestled on a hill in Barangay Agoho overlooking the world-famous White Island. It now offers a few rooms for people to stay in and have a different kind of Camiguin experience – away from the usual hotel/resort vibe. The prices are very affordable – prices start at Php 1,750 only (already good for two and inclusive of breakfast). (Related: Book your HillTop Camiguin room now) Each room, which is good for two, comes with a king sized bed, jaw droppingly spacious (trust me ...

Jan72017 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, Japan

Entertainment, Features, Japan, Leisure, Shopping, Style, Tokyo, Tourism, Travel

It’s the most frantic pedestrian crossing in the entire world. Movies like “The Fast and the Furious” and “Lost in Translation” have featured this very busy, famous intersection. The Shibuya Crossing, also referred to as “The Scramble,” is located in Shibuya, one of Tokyo, Japan’s special wards. The Shibuya Crossing is where pedestrians cross from virtually every direction all at the same time. It’s a crazy scene at this busy junction, I tell you! As soon as the traffic lights turn red, hundreds upon hundreds of people cross. Mind you, however, while everything looks busy and disorderly, you won’t see chaos. In fact, what you’ll see is “well organized, well choreographed chaos,” if you know what I mean. If you’re wondering why so many people cross this junction, it’s because it’s in ...

Jan72017 by Mindanaoan Irene3 Comments

Take a helicopter ride and see Dahilayan Bukidnon from the sky

Bukidnon, Features, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Tourism, Travel

Barangay Dahilayan, one of the 22 barangays of the Municipality of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, has truly evolved into Mindanao's favorite playground. From being the home of Asia's longest dual cable zipline to being the place where you can experience the 8-storey platform base jump to now offering helicopter rides! Dahilayan Forest Park, the property beside Dahilayan Adventure Park (where the popular Zipzone is), now offers helicopter rides. According to the Dahilayan Forest Park management, they forged a tie-up with Lion Air for the chopper rides. They're hoping the helicopter service will stay all year round. Currently, the Dahilayan helicopter ride rate is Php 1,200 per person. Aside from the helicopter ride, Dahilayan Forest Park also offers other amenities and servic...

Oct312016 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

How to pay your Philippine travel taxes online

America, Announcements, Flights, Hongkong, Internet, Japan, Kyoto, Leisure, Macau, Mindanaoan Update, News, Osaka, Seoul, Society, Taiwan, Technology, Tokyo, Tourism, Travel, United States of America

Here in the Philippines, individuals who leave the country need to pay travel taxes. The Philippine travel tax is actually a levy imposed by the government. Filipino citizens, foreign passport holders and non-immigrant foreign passport holders who have stayed in the country for more than one year are usually required to pay full travel taxes when they go abroad. Currently, the Philippine travel tax rates are Php 1,620 for economy passage and Php 2,700 for first class passage. I'm sure frequent travelers like myself will agree that the queues at the travel tax payment booths can be time consuming. To address this, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) has launched a system for travelers to pay their Philippine travel tax online. Here's how you do it. ...

Oct292016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Why You Should Take Maps on Your Travels

Travel

It’s not how it sounds. Having maps is a given for a planned itinerary, but this is for the time when you should ‘intentionally’ get lost on your travels. It’s a very different experience which author Gary Shteyngart describes as having "a look on your face, a humble, peaceful, dreamy, let-that-crow-fly-in-your-mouth look,” and yet it’s good that he wouldn’t have been able to write his last three novels if he hadn’t have got lost somewhere alone the line. Although you can ditch the GPS, it’s still important to have a back-up system for your aimless wandering. You don’t know how it’ll turn out. A lot of people don't like getting lost. Some get nervous, others frustrated, and some just snap altogether. Keep a map within reach, either an actual physical spread out page map or an app on ...

Oct292016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

CDO rafting rate increase now approved – see the new fees here

Announcements, Features, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Northern Mindanao, Society, Tourism, Travel

IT'S OFFICIAL. The Oro Association of Rafters (OAR) will now implement new and increased rates for white water rafting in Cagayan de Oro. These new CDO rafting rates will actually help the industry. Please read on so we may all understand :) Back in January, I first wrote about the rate increase proposal. Now, I learned that the new CDO rafting rates have already been duly approved and that all of the rafting outfitters have started implementing them last October 1, 2016. The new rates are as follows: * Celebrities Aga Muhlach and Rowell Santiago try CDO rafting with Great White Water Tours Basic rafting course / Lower section (2-3 hours) - Php 1,200 per person. Plus Php 200 if you want the package to include snack, lunch (or dinner). This is optional. Advance rafting co...

Oct112016 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Camiguin Lanzones Festival 2016 schedule

Announcements, Camiguin, Entertainment, Events, Features, Festivals, Fiesta, Society, Tourism, Travel

Camiguin Island is again set to celebrate the Lanzones Festival 2016 in a few days and I have the full Camiguin Lanzones Festival 2016 schedule of events. (much thanks to the Office of Congressman XJ Romualdo!) This annual celebration of bountiful harvest in the Island Born of Fire will feature various activities that will highlight the rich culture, tradition and warmth of Camiguinons. Of course, while you're in Camiguin for the 2016 Lanzones Festival, take advantage of the beautiful tourist spots and the abundant (and cheap!) fleshy lanzones fruits. Interested to visit Camiguin? I have these related resources for you: Camiguin Travel Guide Mantigue Island - A must-visit! White Island, Camiguin - Paradise! Eating sea urchins at White Island, Camiguin Sto. Nino Cold Spring, Camig...

Oct12016 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Why Toast Cafe Should Be On Your Must Visit In Cebu List

Cafe, Cebu City, Features, Food, Hotels, Restaurant, Reviews, Taiwan, Tourism, Travel, Visayas

I’m back on Philippine shores! Taiwan was lovely and I can’t wait to share with you all my travel stories. In the meantime, let me share a really cool place I just discovered in Cebu City, where I took my flight to Taiwan from. It’s called Toast Cafe, it’s located at Cuarto Hotel near Fuente Circle, and it’s awesome. Toast Cafe is chic with its brick walls and wooden furniture yet homey with its chalkboards and friendly, attentive staff. Space is limited but is private enough to let you concentrate on your own meal, laptop or book. Tasteful interiors and a great use of space. Plus this may sound peculiar but can I just say that you must use the john (slang for washroom!) while you’re there? Toast Cafe is a nice date place, a place where you can meet your gal pals or have fami...

Jul42016 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Touring the Coca Cola Misamis Oriental Philippines plant

Business, Corporate, Events, Features, Food, Freebies, Media, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao, Travel, Videos

I first had the chance to tour a Coca-Cola plant in Davao City many, many moons ago. I was still studying at the Ateneo de Davao University and Ateneans had regular field trips at the Coca-Cola plant in Ulas. I remember being given ice cold Coke fresh off the bottling line. Best part? We were allowed to drink as much as we can and we were also given freebies at the end of the tour. For any kid, that was truly quite a fun experience. Fast forward 2016, I was again recently given the opportunity to trace the "journey of the Coca-Cola bottle." I was invited to tour the Coca Cola Misamis Oriental Plant located at the Municipality of Villanueva, about half an hour away from Cagayan de Oro City. Built from the ground up and inaugurated in 2011, the Coca-Cola FEMSA Misamis Oriental Plant is...

Apr262016 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

New Iligan City tourist spot: Paseo de Santiago

Features, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Leisure, Muslim Mindanao, Northern Mindanao, Society, Tourism, Travel

Iligan City has a new popular attraction - Paseo de Santiago. Located near Talipapa (Santiago Market), Paseo de Santiago is a privately owned area that has been turned into a seaside complex with open seating, several food stalls, a mini stage for nightly events, a wide view of the Iligan Bay, lots of benches where you can watch the sunset and two huge "Iligan City" and "Philippines" signs. Yup, Paseo de Santiago is where you can take cool selfies, groufies, wefies (what other terms are there, millenials? :D)! Entrance fee to Paseo de Santiago is Php 20 per person. There are corkage fees, by the way. Please take note. There are vintage Japanese-style bicycles for rent, just in case you're keen. And, as you can see, there's spacious parking space. It was almost dusk when my fri...

Apr262016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Iligan City Day Trip idea: Timoga Spring Pools

Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Resorts, Tourism, Travel

Iligan City, also known as The City of Majestic Waterfalls (23 all in all!), has truly evolved into a more highly urbanized area here in Mindanao. Located in the province of Lanao del Norte, what used to be an industrial city now has a merry mix of commercial, business and tourism offers. Iligan City now has more restaurants, shopping centers and hotels. Don't worry, though. The city still retains a certain charm that even well-traveled souls could appreciate. A couple of my friends and I went to Iligan recently for a quick day trip. The main purpose was for business but we all quickly agreed to add a little “laag” time. And, of course, our first stop was one of the pools at Timoga-Buru-un area. There are a couple of spring pool resorts at Sitio Timoga. The pools there all source the...

Apr212016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

How To Find Cheap Airfare – Tried And Tested Methods

Headline, Internet, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Personal, Technology, Tourism, Travel

We all know that the key to a real, budget-friendly trip is cheap airfare. Once you snag a good deal on airfare, you will then have a fairly good idea of how much the rest of your budget will be. After all, it’s pretty easy to scour for budget accommodation, reasonably priced food and public transportation. Airfare is the pretty tricky aspect to consider when planning a trip. Let me share with you some of my personal tips on how to find cheap airfare. I practise these very effective methods (and this is why I have lots of domestic and international trips). Do read and please let me know if you find these tips useful as well. Purchase tickets as early as possible. Promo fares are usually offered more than 6 months (even a year prior) before the allowed travel period. You can book ...

Feb182016 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Where to stay in Cebu: Bayfront Hotel Cebu

Cebu City, Hotels, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Tourism, Travel

Since Cebu is just a hop and skip away, it’s a favorite business and holiday destination for many of us Mindanaoans. Chances are, we have relatives or good friends in Cebu or we source products there or we use Cebu as our jump-off point to other interesting places like Boracay or Palawan. Personally, I visit the Queen City of the South at least two times a year and my recent international flights leave from the Mactan Cebu International Airport. Take my most recent trip to Japan, for instance. I wanted to stay for a few days in Cebu before my flight to Narita (which is an hour away from Tokyo) and just rest. I wanted a hotel that was in the middle of all the hustle and bustle but not too far away from the airport. I also wanted a hotel that offered good facilities, amenities and food bu...

Feb162016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Paloma-look alike Janice Adams tries CDO rafting

Bukidnon, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Entertainment, Features, Society, Tourism, Travel

Fifteen year old Janice Adams, a.k.a. the twin of Coco Martin's character in "Ang Probinsyano," Paloma Picache, recently tried white water rafting in Cagayan de Oro. And she experienced the thrilling CDO rafting adventure with the most reliable outfitter in the city - Great White Water Tours. Best known as the only CDO water rafting outfitter that guarantees TWO river guides per raft (safety is their utmost priority) and the only one that offers the cheapest raft + ziplines (at Dahilayan Adventure Park) packages, Great White Water Tours is the top choice of personalities, celebrities and foreign tourists from all over the world. Visit the Great White Water Tours Facebook page for more photos and information Here's a little trivia: the river where the rafting trips are done is actu...

Jan42016 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Cat Cafe Calico in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

Advocacy, Entertainment, Japan, Leisure, Tokyo, Travel

During our trip to Japan, we just had to visit a cat cafe. To visit at least one cat cafe was definitely a part of our Japan itinerary. We chose Calico Cat Cafe, one of the most popular cat cafes (I read somewhere it's the oldest, too) in Tokyo, Japan. You see, my entire family loves animals. We have a family dog, whom we absolutely adore, but if one of my brothers had his way, he'd also want our family to have pet cats. I like cats as well but not as much as he does! Before anything else, by the way, allow me to share a few things about cat cafes. A cat cafe is where you can enjoy drinks like coffee, tea, juices and shakes and get to interact with various breeds of cats. Cat cafes have become pretty popular since lots of apartments don't allow pets. Anyway, to make my brother hap...

Dec302015 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Finding the Godzilla themed hotel in Tokyo Japan

Entertainment, Features, Hotels, Japan, Leisure, Tokyo, Travel

We found Godzilla! Yup, my brothers and I found Godzilla in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan! A Godzilla-themed hotel, that is :) Even though it was really pretty cold that night, I asked my brothers if they wanted to look for Hotel Gracery in the Kabukicho District in Shinjuku. It's the hotel famous for its really cool Godzilla-themed guest rooms. According to reports, the Godzilla Room on the hotel’s top floor features a life-sized Godzilla claw looming above the beds. The other Godzilla View rooms, on the other hand, let guests overlook the life-size replica of the celebrated mutant dinosaur's head. Hotel Gracery Tokyo also offers Godzilla-themed desserts and merchandise. That night, however, my brothers and I could only afford to see the Godzilla head from the outside. Maybe one day we'll ...

Dec192015 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Kamukura Ramen in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan for yummy, cheap eats

Food, Japan, Kyoto, Leisure, Osaka, Reviews, Tokyo, Tourism, Travel

My brothers and I spent our first evening in Japan in Shibuya, one of Tokyo's special wards. I was really looking forward to spending time in Shibuya especially since it's one of Tokyo's busiest districts. You can read more about our fun Shibuya escapades. Anyway, while my brothers and I roamed around Shibuya, we realized we haven't eaten anything yet after we checked in at Oak Hostel Cabin. As fate would have it, we stumbled upon this ramen restaurant that had an English menu - Kamukura Soup With Noodles. Entering that restaurant was one of the great impromptu decisions we made while in Tokyo :) Because, as it turned out, Kamukura is one of the popular ramen places in Japan that served really good, filling and affordable food! Kamukura Ramen actually has a controversial c...