Palaui For a Day.

Not to be confused with Palauig (Zambales), Palaui is a an island in Sta. Ana, Cagayan where the international TV series Survivor shot one of it's series.

To get to Palaui, you first need to get to Sta. Ana, Cagayan from Tuguegarao. Vans ply the main road with signages, so it'll be easy to spot and flag them down. Fare is P140 per person. The trip takes about four hours through breath taking landscapes of the Cagayan region. People are familiar with that noon time show theme saying that Aparri is the end or edge of Luzon. In my humble opinion, it's Sta. Ana because from Aparri it still took us more than hour to reach it.  

We stayed at the Country Inn Sta. Ana because of it's reviews. We were not disappointed as the rooms were clean and obviously well maintained by the owners. Our room was in the annex and is very quiet as it is separated from the main building or the beach front. We've noticed that this resort is a favorite among locals as their restaurant is full at night with families or businessmen having dinner.

inside the restaurant

Bar area of the restaurant

We arranged our boat tour to Palaui through the receptionists of Country Inn. A tricycle fetched us from the resort to bring us to Port San Vicente where we were met by the president of the bangka operators. There is no set fare matrix here unlike in Tuguegarao, so it's up to you to decide how much you will give the trike driver. We gave P60 and this is fair enough for the distance that we traveled from the resort to the port. At the tourist office we were given a brief history of the island and the activities they offer. This is also where you choose the package/tour you want.

port San Vicente. 

The boat ride to Palaui takes about 45 minutes to an hour depending on how rough and rougher the seas can be and which part of the island you'll be going to. If you don't like seeing the tip of the boat about to dip because of the waves, I suggest you take the back seat. This rough sea environment will only last about 15-20 minutes so it is tolerable.

Cape Engano Cove

Our main purpose for the trip was to see the Cape Engano lighthouse. It is one of the few standing Spanish lighthouses that are still being used today. The trek to the lighthouse is fairly easy as part of the trail is cemented and this cuts through the old Spanish road. 

this is about 200 steps, fairly easy

In spite of time and the elements, these steel steps are still sturdy

It was nearly noon when we reached the lighthouse, so the noonday sun beat it's harsh heat upon us. The beach where we docked is full of corals, so it's not advisable to go swimming in that area. If you want to swim, best if you get the package that includes Anguib.

After climbing the lighthouse you can still trek to the waterfalls or to the other side of the island where the other coves/attractions are.

Now, how much did I spend? The total came up to roughly about P6,000 per person. You can lower this amount by choosing a different resort and eating at local carinderias. Or if you're a group of five, as we just split the bill between the two of us. It was bad timing that my friend and I were so tired and stressed from our jobs that we didn't have the strength to explore the town of Sta. Ana, the local eateries or go back to Tuguegarao a day early to go to Callao Cave. So we ate at the resorts' restaurant. The prices by the way for the food they serve is not really that expensive. I recommend their plate of grilled Tanigue for P95 that already includes rice and a side dish of vegetables.

Expense Breakdown:
Airfare (RT)- P715
Accomodation _ P2000
Van to Sta. Ana from Tuguegarao P140 x 2
Trike to port P60
Trike back to resort P60
Tour guide (Cape Engano) P300
Boat ride to Palaui P900 (the tour costs P1800, so split by two)
Food roughly about P1000-1500 or P300-500 a day

Liliw Daytrip

I haven't been able to post or monitor this blog for quite some time due to my day job. A few days ago I decided to go on a day trip to Liliw in Laguna. Okay, my excuse is I'm stressed out but what I'm really after is the shoes!

Liliw is known to be the tsinelas capital of the Philippines. As a matter of fact, I was able to buy a pair of sandals for P250 while my hubby scored two shoes for P900. This is a real bargain because he bought leather sandals that sell for about P1500 up if you buy these in a mall.

To get to Liliw we took the bus to Sta. Cruz, Laguna in Cubao. We usually take the HM Transport bus because we are familiar with this bus and its route. The fare from Cubao to Sta. Cruz, Laguna is P140 each. The bus terminal is at the corner of EDSA and Monte de Piedad street.

The trip takes about two hours to three depending on the traffic. When you get to Calamba, this is where most of the gridlocks start, then Los Banos. After that, it's pretty much traffic free with great views of green rice fields, trees and mountains.

You can tell the bus conductor that you are going to Liliw so that you can get off Pagsawitan. This is a crossroad where you can either ride going in to Sta. Cruz proper, or just wait at the highway for jeeps to Liliw, Nagcarlan, Siniloan, Magdalena, etc. Sta. Cruz pretty much is the gateway to a lot of wonderful towns around Laguna and nearby Quezon. The landmark is if you see a footbridge and 7-11, that is Pagsawitan.

The jeep ride to Liliw takes about 30 minutes and fare is P30 each. The jeep will pass the outskirts of Magdalena and if you have the time and wish to have a small side trip, you can visit Magdalena's Baroque church which is visible by the hi-way.

Liliw, like it's neighbors is a small town so you can't get lost. You can get off the intersection of the shoe shops and start your bargain hunting right away. Or you can visit Liliw's centuries old church first. You can ask for directions to get to the church, but here's a tip that I'd like to share. If you are visiting Philippine towns and want to get to the famous centuries old churches, look where the high ground is. Churches and it's bell towers have served as lookout posts by the Spaniards so these are strategically constructed on the highest areas of the land.

It was raining when we went to Liliw and a Sunday at that. So the church was filled with cars, churchgoers and other tourists so I could't get a good shot of the place or the shoe shop stalls.

We had lunch at Arabella's and we were able to get a seat right away as it was just me and my hubby. For groups of four or more you'd have to wait as the restaurant is really small. But the food is great. I had the chicken rolls, while hubby had steak and we also had kesong puti pizza. I also love how they serve water that has sliced lemons as it is a refreshing way to start and end your meal. Budget is around P300 per person and the servings are generous.

Our trip was a short one as my hubby needed to get back to Manila for work. But not until I grabbed three packs of Espasol from their pasalubong center/alley. How I wished I bought more as their Espasol was so yummy, not too sweet and you can taste the bits of coconut in every bite.

All in all, we spent just P500 each for this short day trip. You can stretch this P500 as we mentioned by getting off Magdalena first before proceeding to Liliw and instead of eating at Arabela's there are quite a few food stalls near the shoe shops.