My La Carmela Review

Only a month to go and still no hotel, I am still torn whether to book at La Carmela or not. The reviews were pretty much half-half and me being the picky roomer that I am don't want to ruin the trip because of problems with the hotel. Posted rates for a standard room is at 2100php but agoda offers it at 1800php. It is the only only hotel that is beachfront and has a pool (always a requirement for me now) at that rate so it still is one of our best options. During the last PTM though, the rooms were offered only at 1600php - that's good for two already with breakfast so went ahead and booked with them - afterall actors go there when they're in Boracay so we can't be pickier than them right?Too bad our dates fell on the block dates or we could have gotten it one night cheaper because of their 2nights + 1 night promo - that could have been only 1k+php a night!

Because of the mixed reviews that we've read we're not setting our standards high. We were given our welcome drinks (strawberry juice) which took me by surprise because it was not included in the package.

At the recep with our welcome drinks

They asked for a 1kphp deposit upon check-in and then we were given Room 107 from the main building. The main building is nearer the beachfront btw and the newer executive wing is at the back. Nearby resorts are Asya, Pinjalo and Boracay Tropics which is at the main road and our stop when going out that way.

Going back, we were happy with the location of our room which is near the resto, the pool and the beach (the nearest one is 103 which I think is a staff room, not sure though). We were pretty surprised (good surprise) with our room. Two double beds occupy most of the room, we have a mini-ref which is working and not amoy amag at all (this proved useful for when we order Jonah's shakes to go). We also have a TV and a closet and a veranda overlooking a mini garden. The room was one of the best that I've stayed in so far.

Our room with the view

The bathroom fixtures are new, both the shower and faucet has hot and cold temperature and the toilet has bidet. The tiles are white, no black somethings in between. There are also the standard toiletries - shampoo and soaps. And we have plenty of towels. It was really cool!

Our Bathroom

We were expecting the worst because of the reviews so we were pleasantly surprised by the rooms, amenities and all. They even have water station where we refilled our bottles everday (we didn't have to buy one every now and then unlike before so plus points for the tipid factor!)

It can be loud when somebody pass by our room on the way to the beach but I only noticed it once. The staff is trained well - they greet us everytime they pass us on the hallway and when we go back. They are helpful with our questions even if it means not dining in their buffet. The owner was there and he looks friendly and smiled at us when he saw us, not snobbish at all.

Beach towels are available for rent for only 30php (btw, their towels are white and looks new even the beach towel). They also have lounges on the beach - nothing fancy just the plastic one with umbrella . The walk to the beach is just a few steps away, same with the walk to the main road.

Beachbum

Their swimming pool is also clean, the jacuzzi is working but I'm not sure if the water is heated. The pool is not large but that is just for when the sea is not inviting. They also have another pool near the executive wing but that may be the one that is just waist-deep for scuba instructions and kids.

The pools

My only gripe is with the food - which is just so-so. We upgraded our first breakfast to buffet (additional 75php each) and we found nothing special so we just had the set breakfast on the remaining days. There's free wifi at the restaurant but the connection is not very good. They sell wifi cards though if you want to be connected in your room. It would have been better if we had free connection in our rooms but it's not a big miss.

Buffet Breakfast

So to dispel any worries this is a good place to go when you're looking beachfront with pool and great value for money. This one is highly recommended!


Value: +++++
Rooms: ++++
Location: +++
Cleanliness: ++++
Food: ++

How To Enjoy Boracay When It's Raining

We were hoping against hope that the weather will be sunny during our trip to boracay. Unfortunately hope was still against us as we landed in kalibo and even after we checked in at La Carmela. we have to reschedule our itinerary and cancel some of the activities. Now what to do? Here’s a list of activities to pass the time while you are in boracay when it's raining. (This is just a list of the things that we were able to do while it's raining during the length of our stay. Feel free to add. :D)

1. Walk the length of station 1 to 2.
After checking in, we checked out the place. We took some pics of the famous establishments and hotels there. Surprisingly since the weather was cold, we didn't notice that we've reached station 1 already without feeling tired at all. This is one acivity that we wouldn't have enjoyed when the weather is sunny.

2. Shop in d' talipapa.
Since talipapa is nearer our place than the d' mall we usually go here for our shopping needs. On our 2nd day it was pouring really hard so we opted to start our pasalubong shopping early. If you want good bargains this is the place to be. we bought some edible pasalubongs (bongbongs piaya in ube and regular, butterscotch, among others - all priced at 3 for 100php except for pinasugbo which is 25php ea and dried mangoes which goes for 100php) and souvenir shirts and sando (some priced at 2 for 140php and others at 2 for 150php for the white ones - the seller gave me an anklet made of seashells which looks a little flimsy but looks cute when worn). There’s also this dress that i really liked but only one store sells it in talipapa (230-250php). I found the same dress on another store in station 1 but the price is almost twice (400-450php). I also wanted a hat and got one at 120php (same hat goes for 250php at d' mall). And lastly i got me a boardshort for 200php - i didn't like the fabric but it comes in sizes (s, m, l doesn't quite cut it) and looks good on me. The place also sells boardshorts with regular fabric priced at 300-350php. (Please be advised though that the alley floods so if you want to go there when it's raining go through the alley from the main road because at least from there there's a path where you can walk on to avoid wading in the flood.)

3. Enjoy the gastronomic delights only boracay offers
What’s a boracay trip without Jonah’s shake? I fell in love with the shakes at first sip - the shakes are really good! I can't rave enough about this; i even bought one to bring home here in manila. There are two branches of Jonah’s both on the main road - one is beside cocomangas and the other is beside the 24/7 convenience store. We tried choco banana (this is love! ^_^), mango milk and choco banana peanut (bestseller). They also serve choriburger (90php) which is really huge. We weren't able to find real coffee soon enough (it was already closed when we found it - 7am to 7pm) for their calamansi muffin. Real coffee is near yellow cab in stn 1 - in an alley beside casa fiesta, for those who want to try it. We only wanted to sample the cheaper ones but there's also aria, true food, the hobbit house, Kasbah, heidiland and a lot more.

4. Tour mt. luho and puka beach via trike.
Since the mode of transportation is land-based, it is relatively safer to tour via a tricycle. The usual going rate is 150php per hour, 500php for 2 hours. We were planning to take the ATV to mt. luho (350php per hour) but since we're just planning to take a few pictures from the viewpoint and there are two of us plus we're lugging tons of stuff, we decided to hire a trike instead. For hose who wanted to tour this way, i highly recommend the services of mang Rio (0927-9080243). He only charged us 250php for 1.5hrs of touring (mt. luho and puka beach). He offers to help us carry our stuff and take our pictures but unlike other tour guides, he also lets us do our thing and not dog our steps and most of all he doesn't rush us. We gave him an extra 50php for tip.

5. Helmet diving (350php with cd)
This is best done in the morning and can be done even if it's raining since the water below is calmer. We contracted the services of mang Nino (0915-8722855) for both helmet dive and zorb. This man is trustworthy. The water is splashing so bad before we boarded the boat that we decided to leave the gears with him plus our money. He was still carrying our bags 30min later when we came back. Anyway here's the deal with the helmet dive. They collect you from the shore and then transfer you to another boat in the middle of the sea. They will teach you how to do the dive - equalize, don't worry about it you just do what you usually do in the airplane and swallowing can often does the trick, the hand signals and don't bend your neck or water will come in the helmet. Then there's a ladder where they will put the helmet in your head when you’re neck-deep in the water and someone will accompany you as you go down. Below, they will give you food for the fishes and then take lots of pics and vids and then go back up. You can pick up the cd a few hours after at mang Nino’s place in station 1 (in front of yellowcab) or have him send it to you.

6. Zorb (380php if two people will ride it at once)
This remains our best activity. The place is really far but the transpo is already inclusive (it is said that before you have to go there on your own which would have cost you another 300php). we wanted to try the hydro zorb (side note: another way is to do the harness ride which is more extreme. you will be tied up against the inside wall of the ball and then go down that way. max weight per person should be 70kg). we went to the top and waited while they prepare the ball - check air, pour two pails of water inside, in you go and then cork you in. after that you roll down the hill. It was really fun inside reminiscent of the jungle log jam ride because of the water splashing all over the place. Too bad it's just a short ride. After that you have picture taken inside and as you go out (feels like being born again). We’ll definitely do this again!

7. Swim
Either in the beach or in the swimming pool. This is why we wanted a resort with a pool - for the times when you cannot swim on the beach. Since it is cloudy, we didn't see the need to put on sunblock (i know we should have put on anyway even if it is cloudy but we're too lazy to do it). What i like best on days like this is that we didn't darken one bit even if we didn't put sunblock during our whole trip, yay!

8. Massage
I decided to forego the massage on the beach in favor of the in-room massage. We availed of the inhouse massage offered by la Carmela (300php) and i tell you it was really painful, not relaxing at all (the problem was with the masseuse so i still consider it an enjoyable way to pass the time if only the masseuse was good). Anyway, what i liked about it is that i could sleep immediately afterwards since i'm already in my room.

9. Seafood buffet
We’re told there are beach buffet everywhere and there are lots which offer seafood in their courses. First since it’s raining there is no beach buffet and the one la carmela offers do not have any seafood in the courses available (it must be popular though since people flock to the place during dinner time - personally I find the food they serve too bland for my taste). So we went looking for a seafood buffet. We found two near La Carmela - Bamboo's and One MGM. Bamboo’s is a nondescript place a few steps from La Carmela on stn 3 side. It serves lechon, oysters, mussels, fish, fried chicken, chopsuey, and other dishes as well as pasta and a few desserts and fruits and unlimited drinks (iced tea or orange juice) for only 250php. One MGM on the other hand looks great and serves lots of meat dishes but only a few seafood ones and maki - also for 250php. Since we’re craving for seafood, we went back to Bamboo’s for their buffet. The lechon was nice and crisp, chopsuey was delicious, mussels only so-so but the oysters are yummy! This is one sulit buffet. Few people know of the place so you needn’t jostle anyone while getting your servings.

10. Fire dancing
W e were already giving up on this one since it is raining every day. I found some clippings where Sand Bar by Bamboo Lounge has shows everyday so we went looking for it. Sand Bar is near yellow cab. The place is covered though so you won’t see the show from the outside. We went looking for Real Coffee and that’s when we saw another show at Hawaiian Barbeque right on the beach. The show was amazing! The group is called Phoenix Firedancers and the music (dance) was more to our style than the gigolo-ish one by Sand Bar. We stayed and watched the show, took a lot of pictures (we weren’t able to get a video though). There’s a donation box going around after the end of the show. On our way back to Kalibo for our flight, we met the whole group and they are really nice. Their founder, Freddie, is known in boracay for his firedancing skills. They were really nice and we had our picture taken with them.

You can also have henna tattoo. There are stalls everywhere on the beach. I had one on my left ankle and another on my right shoulder - both for 150php. But I saw one in stn 1 near Willy’s rock that offers one for 40php only – too bad I already had mine done the day before. Be careful not to stain the sheets though for the hotel charges you if you stain anything. What you do is to rinse the tattoo 30mins after until all the slime gets off. After that you should be good to go. Another thing we found enjoyable is taking shots of the cool cloud formations which is sorely lacking in our summer shots. It adds drama to the whole scene. We also took sandcastle shots for every day that we’re there. Be careful though because some charges a lot for pictures - for others, there are just donation boxes in front where you could put your money in. There also a basketball arcade type game that you could try your luck (or skill -whichever applies. :P) with freethrow or three-point style. Foreigners and locals go here to show(off?) their shooting skills. There' also skimboarding which looks easier than it is. Skimboarding goes for 200-300php per hour including the lessons. We were supposed to try happy hour at Le Soleil (150php for a margarita but it's buy1 get1 during happy hour, until 10pm) but didn't have the time to go back. There's also shisha, which goes for 550php but again no time to try it.

Of course it is a pity that we missed some great sunset shots – which is what we were so looking forward to. And we’ve passed on the paraw sailing since it would be best with a sunset to look at. But that only gives us more reasons to go back. It’ll be another off-season trip though, when the lumot is gone, the weather is cold and the charges are low. We’ll just hope again that the sunset will say goodbye next time as the day ends.

IJM here signing out.

Blast From the Past

i am so pissed off right now! my ex, who cheated on me after more than 8 years of being together (and after all that we've been through, at that) has the guts to email me to move on and stay way from him and his family. the nerve of that guy, really! our last communication was about two weeks ago when he finally paid of his debt accumulated over time from many years before. all i said was to say hi to his family for me (it is after all what you say to people to whom you haven’t had any communication for a long time, right?). anyway, for old times sake (which he’s so hell bent on forgetting) I will respect his wishes. for the record though, i am very much moved on. i am happy where i am and who i am with now. and just so he knows, moving on isn't about forgetting the past. it is, in fact, remembering the past without feeling anything about it anymore - no regrets, no anger, no fondness either, just nothing. Like... it doesn't matter anymore.

Captivating Zambales

We've had our summer outing too early this year and with the weather this hot, I'm wishing for another outing come April or May. Wish granted! Somebody suggested going to Zambales and when I checked out the place in the net, i told myself i have to get me these awesome pics, too!

This is not going to be our typical R&R . For one thing we are going camping this time - no chill time here folks, we'll have to rough it out! Careful planning is needed here because the place is eerily disconnected from the rest of the world - should there be any untoward incident, it will take a couple of hours to the nearest help which, more often that not, would be too late (so to would be campers - beware, be safe!). With that in mind, the safest time to go there would be on the summer months - unfortunately, that also means more campers sharing the beach and the CR.

Planning starts! We got contacts from a forum (thanks riandrew!) of reliable boatmen in the area and we decided to go with Mang Johnny (heretofore will be called MJ, just because it's cuter. :D). Not only will he provide the boat, he also rents tents, and will practically buy and cook everything you need for the trip for you - so much for careful planning and roughing it out huh, this guy will do everything for you! :P

We took the last trip from Pasay to Iba - make sure you tell the cashier that you'll get off at San Antonio or you will be charged the whole trip. Departure time is 11:30PM. The trip only took 3 hours - we slept the whole time, against the usual 4 hours for day time trip. (On a side note, San Antonio is around 1 hour after Olongapo for those who wishes to know.) At San Antonio, we took a trike going to MJ's place, 30php each because it's nighttime - i guess they have to have night diff too! The tour starts at dawn so we slept the rest of the night at MJ's reception area.

MJ's Reception Area

Rise and shine! A few minutes before we go, MJ gave us some coffee and told us to change into our swim clothes because we'll get wet at Capones. As soon as there was light, we went to the beach to board our boat. The boat was really small! We can only sit in a single file and there's no roof to protect us from the sun - or the waves.

One of MJ's boats

First stop, Camara. This is a small island with huge rock formations. The beach is a combination of corals and sand.

Camara

Great background for portraits, btw!

If you have an underwater camera (or any camera that you are willing to risk getting wet, there are lots of rock formations along the way that you may want to take a shot of. and of course there's the glassy water - yes it's really calm in the early part of the morning, with the awesome reflections that you wouldn't wanna miss).

Next is Capones. This is where the famous lighthouse is. The boats can't get near the beach because of huge rocks that can damage it, so be prepared to get wet. You may opt to stay at the beach, or hike to lighthouse - us being the unbelievably fit people that we were (not!) chose to hike. The beach is composed of huge rocks - reminiscent of takeshis castle challenges, and torn slippers (make sure that your footwear is sturdy enough or you will add to the pile).

Capones beach

There's a staircase in the middle of the hike and then rough trail for the rest.

Stairway to heaven (not!)

There's a small tree at the top which will make a good background for you photo op. Don't forget to take a scenic landscape of the view from the top as well and of course the jumpshots - which we were too tired to take. After that, you'll have to walk a bit further if you want to see the lighthouse. We're already there so why not proceed to the lighthouse,right?

The lighthouse

The spiral staircase is full of rust and it's moving (the bolts that are supposed to be connecting it to the walls is no longer attached). After the spiral staircase, there's a steep ladder with a small opening for the upper floors. And then the last one up is a vertical ladder (which only one of us was able to climb up).

Vertical ladder which we were too tired to climb

Oh well, so much effort for nothing. But if you were able to climb up the top there's another climb for the topmost part of the lighthouse. Again, if you were able to, take a picture of the 360 view from the top.

View from the top

Last stop for the day is our campsite at Nagsasa.

Honey and Mark trying to pitch the tent

Finally!(MJ ended up pitching it for us. :P)

After breakfast, lunch (MJ's wife is a good cook. the adobong pusit is yummy!) and a short nap (plus a lot of other things not worth mentioning here), we decided to check out the place.

Mountain

Lagoon

Creek

Beach

We also improvised an underwater cam (underwater pouch + honey's camphone. :D) so that we can take a photo of the fishes.

Underwater Shots

Don't forget to have a shot at the sunset.

Sunset

Since it's getting dimmer, we decided to prepare for the night (long queue in the CR, i guess same thing occurred to most of the campers at this time. :P)

CR nearest our tent

Surprisingly, there were no mosquitoes and we were cozy at our tent. Ho hum...

We woke up early to catch the sunrise. Most of the campers were also up doing the same thing.

Nagsasa Sunrise

After breakfast (leftover from the day before), we broke camp and went to Anawangin.

Farewell Nagsasa

Last stop, Anawangin. This is where most of the campers are. Compared to Nagsasa, Anawangin is smaller, more crowded (with people and boats) and the current is stronger.

Anawangin Beach

The lagoon is much bigger though and more photogenic (unfortunately, some parts already dried up).

Lagoon

And our battery died. So we didn't stay for long here. Back at San Miguel, we took a shower at MJ's place (we wouldn't want to bring the South China Sea back with us, :p) and then we headed to the market to buy some of the famous Zambales mangoes. After a few minutes and several kilos heavier, we went to the highway to catch a bus ride home.

Farewell, Zambales! Au revoir!

Total Damage for 4pax: P1500 ea