Every year, my high school barkada and I would always plan a summer get-together. Since we now live…read moreseparate lives in different universities, we make sure that our yearly reunions would be nothing more than amazing! For the year 2015, we initially planned to go to Boracay. Many of our friends from our respective schools are also going to Boracay, so we thought it would be nice if we could also hang out with our college barkada there. However, some of my friends backed out at the very last minute because they didn't want to spend too much money on a place that they've been to several times already. For days, my friends and I tried looking for a place not too far from Manila that's just as good as Boracay. My brother suggested that we go to Calaguas Islands (7-8 hour drive from Manila). When we got there, we were completely amazed. It was just like Boracay minus the wastes on the shore. This place was so much more quiet and peaceful. You can rent a Nipa Hut for 500 pesos a night. In one hut, 8 people can fit. There are also places nearby where you can look for good food and souvenirs to bring back home. Calaguas was just so beautiful that my friends and I immediately brought out our cameras to have our own mini photo shoot. We couldn't let that scenery go to waste!

My college barkada introduced me to the brilliant idea of renting a beach house in Tali and staying…read morethere for the weekend. We would usually scour the internet for great houses that are rented out by the owners, and then we would leave on Saturday morning and head out to Nasugbu. What's great about these places is that they are fully-furnished, and some of them have great stuff, too! I have gone on such weekend trips to Tali exactly six times, and every time, my friends and I have rented a different villa. You know, just to keep things fun and exciting. We have stayed in really creepy and haunted places, and we have also stayed in really awesome, very well-maintained houses. I just love how we don't have to bring anything anymore, since most of the beach houses are fully equipped with great stuff that you can use for cooking. I love preparing food for my friends because I hate seeing them endlessly bingeing on crap food like chips and stale pizza, so we always pool our money, stop by a supermarket in Tagaytay and then shop for an entire weekend's worth of food and groceries. The villas in Tali are usually fitted with nice stoves and a fully-equipped kitchens, so preparing meals in a jiffy is such a breeze. You don't have to worry about food going bad either, since there is usually a fridge where you can keep stuff fresh. Most of the time, though, the best beachhouses are actually still a couple blocks away from the shore, so you would really have to walk or drive just to enjoy the beach. Moreover, there isn't really much of a "beach" to enjoy, because the shoreline is actually pretty short, just a small cove that is partially sheltered by the surrounding bay. It is also advisable to make sure that you have all your supplies and sundries before you even go inside the gated community, because going out for groceries is such a hassle. There isn't any well-stocked store for miles. This is a pretty nice place to just hang out with friends. If you don't have snazzy memberships in nearby Punta Fuego or Pico de Loro (Hamilo Coast), this is not too bad an option if you just want an idyllic weekend getaway.

Tali is a popular seaside resort community in Nasugbu, Batangas, about 2-3 hours away from Manila,…read morejust a short distance from Tagaytay. The place is a private subdivision so you need to have a homeowner with you or at least advisement from wherever you're staying. It's not totally private though! You can go online and just look for beach house accommodations, since many of the residents there already put up their own houses as B&Bs or inns for those who want to go to Tali Beach. It's a really nice place, like how you'd wish it would be if there were beach cities in Manila, hahah. Not overly developed either so it's pretty peaceful. Here, you have a whole village full of summer houses and instead of the regular playgrounds or village parks, they have a beach! However, the beach here isn't exactly fit for swimming. It's rather small, rocky, and full of corals. There's no long, wide stretch of sand where you can lie down and sleep or sunbathe. But they do have gazebos and small open spaces to hang out in with the water splashing about beside you. If you wanna go swimming, better go back to your accommodation. This is why most houses there have swimming pools already. People like to do water sports around there though, so don't be surprised to see boats and jet skis in the houses inside the village. It's also normal to spot people just casually kayaking and standup paddle boarding all around. There aren't really any organized water sports services, you just do it on your own. Of course, there's also the popular Tali cliff jump you have to try at least once! They have great, clear blue waters that you can dive safely into and then you just climb back up easily through the big polished rock boulder beside the cliff area. Just be careful not to touch the sharp rocks/corals by the side of the boulder! Only grab the ropes by the ladder area.

I first stumbled upon this place while I was searching around the Internet, looking for resorts in…read moreLaiya, Batangas. When I saw photos of the place, I instantly loved it and proceeded to book a room for two. The place is quite pricey compared to the other resorts in the area but upon arriving there, I knew why. The resort is very spacious, the cabanas or rooms are spaced quite far from each other, thus giving a lot of privacy to guests. When I went there with my boyfriend, the resort was actually fully booked but it didn't feel like it. The sand was white and the water was clean. It was hard to believe that this place was only 2-3 hours away from Manila.

What a gorgeous beach! While the sand isn't as fine as flour, it's definitely white and doesn't…read morehave too many shells that'll poke your feet as you run. Normally pretty white sand doesn't go with pretty underwater sights, but here I was pleasantly surprised to find corals and colorful fish only a short distance from shore! If you're not the type to snorkel, there are rentable kayaks available at a fairly reasonable price. The rooms are little cottages, either made of bamboo or built like a standard house with aircon. My family stayed in the former and thanks to the sea breeze, it was pleasantly cool during the night. No need to get the more expensive airconditioned room! It's nearly 3000 pesos more. But if you're just going on a day trip, you can rent one of the cabanas on the beach. They have mattresses for midday naps and curtains so no one will see the weird faces you make while asleep. The beachfront itself is beautiful, dotted with lots of coconut trees and smaller trees whose names are unknown to me but look like giant bonsais. The latter's branches are great for climbing and sitting on. Some trees have hammocks strung between them so you can sway with the wind and listen to the waves while daydreaming away that hour between eating and swimming again. Only issue I have with Virgin Beach is you can't bring in your own food. As an added snag, the already kinda expensive fees don't include food; you still have to pay for what you order at their restaurant separately. Overall, this a wonderful resort! My family's been here twice and each time was exactly the vacation we needed.

This family-owned resort is the perfect place for a weekend getaway with family and friends. It's…read morejust a short 1.5hr-2hrs drive away from Manila, making it very easy to get to. Awilihan can be rented for the entire day or for overnight stays. The place can comfortably accommodate 30 people (max). The rental fee is already inclusive of the use of the house (airconditioned rooms with beds, pillows and showers), the pool, sports facilities (badminton, basketball and billiards) and the use of their pool. You can opt to bring your own food or order food from them for a reasonable fee. The entire place overlooks the Taal Lake and there's always a nice cool breeze, making it the perfect relaxation spot. I have taken my family and friends here and all of them love the place so much. Once you enter, you immediately feel comfortable. The atmosphere is very relaxing and homey and it just makes you want to lounge around. Although there's no beach to swim in, their swimming pool is enticing enough to make you want to jump in one you see it. I love how the whole place is secluded... away from the traffic and the noise of the city. I always recommend this place to my friends and family because you really can't go wrong with Awilihan! It really is paradise!

Beach is clean, mostly pebbles and coral so it's hard to walk barefoot on…read more Cabins are ok. Air conditioning works well, huge bathroom. Place is supposed to be "no smoking" but the people next door were smoking on the porch. Food: terrible. They could do better with what they charge. Road to the resort: terrible. We were so worried we'd get a flat tire. No TV (which is not a problem) and wifi connection was poor.

Two things I absolutely love about La Luz. First, the big rock that's perfect for both silly,…read moreimpromptu photoshoots, and thrill seeking if you dare to jump off of it! Second, it's an amazing beach to go snorkeling. The corals are teeming with colorful fish, even clownfish, which are honestly so rare at beaches with a high volume of people. This would be a great place to teach kids the joys of snorkeling since there's a lot to see. Oh god, this is the place when I wanted to go swimming around sunset with my dad, and he said no because it would probably be too dark to see anything...then when he comes back he yells at everybody, "I SAW A TURTLE!!!" Hashtag ForeverBitter. Just be sure to bring beach shoes though, as the shore is full of pebbles. Harsh on bare feet, but very generous towards your shell collection if you've got one; there are lots of gems lying in plain sight, literally right under your nose! Forget about building sandcastles here, you'll be too busy collecting shells. Or avoiding jellyfish. As a ten or eleven year old, I totally freaked out during high tide when jellyfish washed up on the beach. At least it happens during the hottest part of the day when nobody's really in the water anyway. Moving on to the rooms. My family of five (or four and a half at the time since my brother was just a toddler) plus a ninong, ninang, and their daughter who's practically a second sister to me stayed in this pretty cool room which was actually 2 floors. It was my first time to see and sleep in a loft area, so I had fun! Haha. As I remember, the bathroom was decent, although it's hard having only one for big groups sleeping over. I'd suggest maybe adding another one for those types of rooms. Sad to say that recently when my family went on a day trip here to snorkel, by taking a boat from another resort, the beachfront was crowded with rowdy, sketchy looking people. Hopefully during off season there'll be less of those unpleasant characters and enjoying the beauty and adventure of La Luz will still be possible.

4 stars for the beach and the water, which is actually enjoyable and calm. Don't expect waves. If…read moreyou come here book a hut, they are nice and good for 8 people. The food we got for lunch was good and nicely prepared, some in foam cases and some on plates. But bring something to clean the table yourself and don't stay overnight. The showers and restrooms are horrible. I can cope with a lot of situations but I can't imagine to enter these "facilities" with my kids. There was some litter on the beach and even more around the huts and tents. Obviously nobody cared to pick up beer bottles etc. probably left by guests the previous night. Tables in tents and huts were very dirty. You can rent a volleyball for 50 PHP but you don't rent the net. So if other people are playing you can't really use the ball. To be fair we got our money for the ball back. We enjoyed a great day on the beach, but cleanliness and overall appearance should be improved.

we went on a day trip... this place is so dirty and service is terrible…read more we found another beach that is close and way decent

I've been going here almost every week to surf the wave pool if I can't go out of town to chase…read moreocean waves which is often. Well, if not for the Philippine Surfing Academy holding Club Manila East as its main venue for its surf programs, I don't think I'd give this place a second thought. But weirdly enough, my toddler daughter loves it here because of their kiddie pool which has an equally fun kiddie slide and baby fountains for extreme toddler enjoyment. Although I always have someone with my kid to make sure she doesn't drown or get kidnapped. Their lifeguards can be negligent. Anyway, on full weekends, the bathrooms are overused and disgusting but do go for the surfing. It's super worth the workout and the price. You'll definitely get hooked. Another review for Philippine Surfing Academy later on but for CME, the place isn't exactly the cleanest or most sosyal hang out spot. There's lots to do but keep your expectations low if you won't be surfing the wave pool.

Located in Taytay, Rizal, Club Manila East, or CME as it is most commonly referred to, is quite…read moreaccessible to anyone who lives in the metro. I've actually been here a couple of times, sometimes with friends and sometimes with family. Without a doubt, I can say that CME is actually a pretty fun place. There are many pools for different experiences, such as the lap pool, diving pool, kayaking pool, and the wave pool, where you can get lessons from a certified surf instructor from the Philippine Surfing Academy. I personally enjoyed the kayaking around, which was really relaxing. If none of those are your things, you can play beach volleyball at their court, or ride the zip line for just P150. The overnight settings are adequate, but nothing special. The place has many function halls and the like, which are great for company seminars, orientations for team-buildings, and conferences.

We took a bus trip from El Nido to the Underground River. The trip there was a little scary because…read morewe had to switch buses in a small area where there was only a bus stop. We weren't sure that we were in the right place. Once we got on the correct bus, we felt better. The bus ride was bumpy with a lot of turns. My son even got car sick. The town where you get the boats to the Underground River was packed with people. We had to wait in line for quite a while to get tickets. The tour included a lunch which was served in an outdoor tent like area. I even saw a rat! It wasn't very good food. The boat ride to the Underground River we really rough that day. Luckily it wasn't a very long ride. The actual tour of the Underground River was fabulous! My pictures speak for themselves.

When in Palawan, the Underground River is a must! I've toured this river in 2009 (without kids) and…read morein 2018 (with a 1- and 3-year-old) and it was effing amazing both times. It starts at a dock by Sambang Beach where you board a motorized (loud) outrigger boat with about 5 other people. Staff hands out hardhats and life vests. My hubs and I were the only folks who brought kids of any age and while they had childrens' life vests, they were too big for my kids. Yet, we made them work while holding adult hardhats on their heads. We were lucky that child protective services weren't watching. It's about a 20-minute ride to this other spot where you walk a little and switch to a simpler paddle boat you share with about 11 other people. Staff gives you an earpiece to listen to a recorded narration while your tour guide tells you more. It's a short and beautiful ride into a underground/cave part of the river. I don't have good pictures inside the cave because it was too dark, but there are lots of beautiful formations thousands of years old that your tour guide will illuminate with a flashlight within an incredibly peaceful ambiance. This part lasts about 45 minutes. My family really enjoyed it and I super recommend it! TIPS: **Wear rugged clothing (or stuff you don't mind getting f*cked) and waterproof/resistant footwear. **Expect to get your crotch wet. You have to wade at certain parts of the tour. **Try to bring a dry bag (brands like Earth Pak, Marchway, etc. which are also sold at stores along the way there) for your personal belongings. **Your tour guide will offer to take your picture with your own camera/phone. It's a good chance for a full family/group photo. **Life is simple around these parts including the toilet. Bring your own toilet paper for rest stops along the way. Hand sanitizer's also a good idea. **Bring cash to tip your boat crews and tour guide.

Scrolling down my Facebook and Twitter timeline, I noticed that a lot of young people like me are…read moregoing to mountainous regions near Manila to try out hiking. I'm not really a fan of hiking or physical activities in general, but for some reason I got a bit jealous. I also wanted to go hiking with my friends as part of our yearly barkada goals. When my friend heard that I was interested in hiking, he immediately planned a trip to Tanay, Rizal. He told us that he knows this really cool place where we could hike. It took us 1 and a half hours to get to Tanay, Rizal. We first went to Brgy. Daraitan to contact a tour guide. When we finally found a tour guide for our day trip, we decided to head out to Mt. Daraitan. We only assigned one person from our barkada to take pictures, because we heard that a girl fell down the mountain while she was taking selfies (Yikes!). During our hike, there were many campsites and way points where we rested. There's also a super clean river down the mountain where some of my friends bathe in. If you want to visit an ecotourism site, you can take an alternate trail to Mt. Lugang, a beautiful mountainous region deep within Sierra Madre. This place will surely make you appreciate the beauty of mother nature. It was a very tiring adventure. At first, I was really scared, but the tour guide told me that I'll be safe as long as I follow all of his guidelines. This experience is definitely one for the books!

I was so amazed with how the river looks. Although the ride going to this scenic view is quite long…read moreand bumpy, its actually worth the wait. You have to go in groups though so you will not ripped off your pocket. Its also better if you have your own private car because the only means of transportation is trike going to barangay Daraitan. Just make sure the vehicle will endure the rocky road, literally its super bumpy and kinda steep. Also you have to pay for registrations, mandatory tour guide, bridge and so on.. that's why its better if you're in groups. Locals were nice and friendly though.