Naga City, Camarines Sur

Like Vigan in the north, Naga (aside from Legazpi) is the progressive town of Bicol. with wide range of accommodation from cheap pension houses, lodges and hostels to fancy 4-Star hotels, Malls, vibrant row of  bar and restaurants along Magsaysay Avenue, home of great schools like Ateneo, Nueva Caceres, Sta.Isabel and a lot more.

Naga is also home to the largest Marian pilgrimage in Asia, thus the city was dubbed as the pilgrim city.

photo credit: www.philippinecountry.com 

Naga City is located 377 kilometres (234 mi) southeast of Manila. located within the province of Camarines Sur in the southeastern tip of Luzon. The City is also known as: the Queen City of Bicol, Residents of the city are called Nagueños.

This is my first trip to Naga City. My friend Peach and I took a night trip bus from Manila, It was a pleasant 8-hour ride.normally travel time takes 8-9hours. Upon arriving at the Naga central terminal, we hailed a trike going to our hotel (Sampaguita tourist Inn) where Brenn is already waiting for us.

Sampaguita Tourist Inn: Located in the heart of the city with affordable room rates.The very strategic location makes it a good base for us (for first timers and even nth timers tourist)

After eating breakfast, we started to tour the city. The city instantly caught my heart. If naga city is a Man, I will marry him in a heart beat! 

Photo-Essay of our NagaCity tour:

A place constructed at the heart of the city, built in honor of the 15 Bicol martyrs. (plaza Quince Martires.)

See that "maogmang naga"? truly, iba ung saya when Im in naga! :)
this is located sa rotanda ng Public Market.

 Just across plaza quince martires is the San francisco Parish.

Solemnity

Lighting a candle. Offering some prayers.

inside San francisco Parish

You can never leave Naga City without paying a visit to these century old church. Located just a few steps from the Centro, one of the oldest cathedrals in the Philippines, built in 1595 during the time the Diocese of Nueva Caceres was established.

 

 Naga Metropolitan Cathedral

 

The Naga Metropolitan Cathedral is a prominent Latin Rite Roman Catholic cathedral located in Naga City, was erected on August 14, 1595. source:Wikipedia

The Porta Mariae or the Marian Gateis a triumphal arch commemorating the tercentenary of the devotion toOur Lady of Peñafrancia. with 18 metres (59 ft) wide, 4 metres (13 ft) deep and 11 metres (36 ft) high, is surmounted by a 10 feet (3 m) tall brass image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia and two angels on each side. The main portal’s two small gates each accommodate three persons, while the central portal accommodates at least eight persons. source: wikipedia

Another Church that you should visit is the Peñafrancia Basilica Minore where the Image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia is enshrined in her sanctuary. 

vast area for meditation, some even jog inside the church vicinity. beautiful place to see the sunset. really :)

you will fall inlove with these vibrant colors!

Be reminded: In times of insurmountable madness, annoyances, and revolt, what would Jesus do? Pray,he will not forsaken you.

Naga city is also the home of the famous and ohhh so yummy KINALAS!  Bicolano dishes are often characterized as spicy, because of the frequent use of chili pepper in their dishes, and "gata" or coconut milk). In Naga city, a famous dish called Kinalas is making name and a reason why tourist and locals flocked to Dayandang street (a street where Kinalas stores can be found). Kinalas is a noodle dish similar to mami except for a topping of what looked like a Pansit Palabok sauce, and the meaty dark soup made from boiling a cow or a pig’s head until the flesh fell off. Hence, the name kinalas. Oh people this is a must-try! 

 too delish not to try!

Another must-try once your in Naga is thier toasted siopao.

the ohh so yummy toasted sioapao which you can partner on your so cold sofdrinks or even the hot and spicy kinalas! perfect match!

If Manileño enjoys fastfoods like McDonalds and Jolibbe, Nagueños fave place would be BIGGS! actually Biggs is all over Bicol region, ika nga tatak bicol :) American dish, pasta, fries and shakes to sandwich and other delish foods can be found here, tough price range is a bit higher compare to other resto, but it tatse delicioso! :)

 One thing i love about Biggs diner is the rock'roll ambiance.

for our snacks

For those who just love the night life, Naga has something to offer you. Magsaysay Avenue is home for accommodations and restaurants catering to travelers and locals. Businesses are open till late at night with some shops also open 24/7. Fastfood chains and restaurant and bars are all over the area.

If you are up for a night bonding with friends with beers and sound, you can drop by at the ever famous "borahut" in francia.

Cheers! :D

Before leaving The Maogmang Lugar, try visiting the Public Market for Pasalubongs. not only you can find the best picks, but you can also haggle the price. and who know's you   can even have souvenir items for free. *nalibre kami ng isang iloveBicol hat from one of the souvenir shop* lucky us! :)

Showing off our NAGA shirt! :)

Another thing i love about Naga city is their Grand terminal. its like a convenient store na bukas 24-oras, ala kuya germs, walang tulugan! :)  The Terminal is near SM-Naga, wide, clean and safe.

Back to Manila

XoXo

If your planning to visit Naga City one of these days, This might help you a bit. :)
enjoy and have fun, indulge and burp and savor the tastiest cuisine of Bicolandia. You'll be asking for more of Naga once you had the taste of the city. The City that captured my heart. :D

Where to Stay:

Golden Leaf Hotel

Location: Misericordia St., Tinago, Naga City, Camarines Sur

Contact Nos: (054) 472-6507 / (054) 811-5118

Website: http://goldenleafhotel.multiply.com/

Rates

Single – P450

Double – P600 (1 bed)

Twin – P650 (2 beds)

Triple – P800

Family Small – P1,000 (good for 4 persons)

Family Medium – P1,600 (good for 7 persons)

Family Big – P1,800 (good for 8 persons)

Sampaguita Tourist Inn

A nice and clean hotel with a large selection of small but well-maintained rooms. It serves reasonably priced food in its in-house restaurant and has free WI-FI access in its lobby. Good hotel that offers good value for your money.

Location: Panganiban Drive

Contact No: (054) 473-8896 /  473-2158

Rates: Panganiban Drive

·Single Occupancy – P150-500

·Double Occupancy – P350-550

·Triple Occupancy – P-450-700

·Family Occupancy – P1000

·Additional Person – P100

*eto pa lang ang dalawang hotels na na try ko. :)

XoXo

Have a safe trip! :)

Lucena, Quezon Province

Lucena is always on my bucket list. That's why I'm so happy when my friend kaloy  invited us to Lucena. His post-bday celebration. highlights: island hopping and overnight camping @Kwebang Lampas. :)

There's just so many reasons why the place is on my bucketlist. One is to actually to devour on their Pancit and Longganisa! Ofcourse ive tasted pancit and longganisa for crying out loud, but not Lucena's style.

After the Island hopping and the beach camping at  pagbilao, the  birthday boy gave us a glimpse of the city. and yes, he let our taste bud  experience the taste of lucena.

Lucena was originally a barrio of Tayabas town then the capital of the Province of Tayabas. Geographically, The city proper is wedged between two rivers, Dumacaa River on the east and Iyam River on the west. Seven other rivers and six creeks serve as natural drainage for the city.Being the provincial capital, Lucena is host to most of the branches of governmental agencies, businesses, banks and service facilities in the southern tagalog region. source: wikipedia

from kaloy's place, we  walked going to one of the best resto in town, Buddy's Resto. Im so elated by the fact that i'll be visiting this resto, when  i was still working in a Lawfirm in Ortigas, Buddy's Pancit always top the list for our merienda. I just can't contain the feeling that i will be seeing the resto that is located in lucena.

*Buddy's ortigas branch is located  near tektite Tower*

As we traverse our way to Buddy's,this magnificent century-old house caught our attention. Superb! beautifu,bewitching, captivating, charming!

Love at first sight! :)

Anyway, the long walk is worth'it. Finally at Buddy's. Paki labas ang pancit! now na! :)

Buddy's seemed like the benchmark for delicious pancit and longganisa. It's a two-story resto, the ambiance is festive, the kiping or the rice crepe  that is famous in Lucban add colors to the place. we go upstairs but it was a bit crowded, so we opted to stay on the 1st floor. 

*******

We actually waited for a few minutes before our order was served, but doesn't matter anyway, for hungry LLantuagon's like us,we immediately dig in!

I always thought this is Embutido, ohh It's Hardinera

Look at those big chunks of Lechon!

It was my first time to eat at buddy's in lucena, although i have tasted their version of the pancit bought from their branch at Ortigas, surely nothing beats the original. :)

Eating is always fun when with friends! :)

*****

After the soumptous lunch at Buddy's, we went to Lucena Grand terminal to catch a bus bound to Manila.This terminal is one of the best bus terminals for me (same goes with Naga Grand Terminal). I don't know, but i  just love seeing those big buses with signs going to different part of Quezon and other nearby provinces. ohh plus the many pasalubong stalls around! 

                                                     

XoXo

Puerto Princesa: My City of Wonders

I have been outspoken that Palawan top my most favourite Island in the Philippines, and Puerto Princesa City is one of my favorite cities (My list includes Naga, Baguio and Legazpi.

Puerto Princesa City boast countless natural wonders, outstanding cleanliness, and is home of amazing and disciplined people.

What I loved most is the tourism industry here is well organized that exploring it's wonder is never a problem. Even first timers will have an easy breezy tour once they set foot in Puerto Princessa.

Few weeks ago, I had my friends joned me in Palawan for our much awaited Elnido escapde. instead of traveling directly to ElNido, We took our extra time in touring Puerto Princessa City. 

Hello Puerto Princessa!

We arrived past lunch and immediately hired tricycle to tour us around. Year 2015 when I first set foot in this city, the first time I saw their tricycle, I find it so cute. Anyway, tricycle here can accommodate up to 4 person's, yet I think the one who will sit beside the driver will get still neck.haha

So to make sure that we will be comfortable touring, we hired two trike, P600/trike.Our first stop? MCDO. Nope not part of the tour.hahaha we just had to take our lunch.
I'm a MCDO lover by the way.haha

Off to Meet the Crocs!

Long winding and dusty road leads to the crocodile farm. About 30mins from the city proper, this is always the first stop during city tour as it's the farthest among the tourist destinations.

Once you enter the premises, souvenir stalls will greet you. usual souvenir goodies like key chains, ref magnet, t-shirts etc. I love the crocodile stuff toys. Cuties!

Entrance fee is P40/pax. The tour is every 30mins interval. Joining a set of tourists, we followed our tour guide to the Hatchling House where baby Crocs are being kept.

Trivia's and good to know informations about crocodiles are posted around.

We had some photo-opt to get a good angle to make sure those Crocs are in frame.

On an elevated ledge, you can have a good view of those enormous crocodiles having a good time doing nothing while their body are submerged in the swamp.

The exit will lead tourist to a photo booth where you can take pictures with live snakes and crocodiles.

Back to the main lobby, we had this lovely photo taken with crocodile skeleton and skin.

Hills with vibrant colors!

Located in Sta.Monica Heights is a piece of paradise owned by the late Senator Ramon Mitra, There is a view deck on top of the hill and it's open to everyone who wants to have a relaxing time - for free!

BAKER'S HILL AHOY!

I am personally excited to visit Baker's Hill. Last time I went here, I was not able to visit the place. Baker's Hill is just a stone throw away from Mitra's Ranch.

This is Palawan's humble version of Disneyland. There's a lot of aww's and wow's from the tourist once you enter the place.

I bet my friends had a hard time choosing where to take their first selfies! Hahaha

I can't even choose what pictures to share here! haha

Can I just upload all our pictures? Haha

The whole Baker's Hill are well landscaped. 

Ohh I love the colors all over! We good around and snap more pictures as we continue to wander the whole place.

 oppss more and more photos here! Sorry! Haha

Getting hungry is not a problem here. There are resto's in the area, tho it's quite pricey.

Before leaving Baker's Hill, it's a must to buy Pasalubongs in their small bakery located near the gate, it actually serves as the exit point for the tourist. Nice Idea!

I love this BorQuoron!

I had some cheese pandesal and borquillos!  My friends grab some Pasalubongs too, which we tasted some when we arrived in El Nido. FromSta.Monica Heights, we headed back to the City proper, and the tricycle halted at BayWalk.

Boulevard of wonderful dreams!

"Just an ordinary bay walk" I thought.

But no! I didn't expect that Palawan's Bay Walk is a catch! The row of the palm trees was just so beautiful! Those peacock arts in the area was just wow! The place was a breath of fresh air!

I had so much fun here, if only we can stay for a night, just one night..

I wonder how this Bay Walk look like during the night? Oh probably, Magical!

Church and Cartel

Few block away from the Bay Walk is the Immaculate Conception Cathedral. during the Spanish Era, it was just a small church. But in 1061, it was reconstructed and was made a cathedral.

Like like many cities in the Philippines, Puerto Princessa also has dark history. Far from the vibrant city of today, it's dark past is evident in a small park located in Barangay Liwanag. (How ironic! Liwanag means light.haha) adjacent to the Cathedral is a place called Plaza Cuartel.

Plaza Cuartel is not your ordinary city park with towering tress and benches. It is the site Palawan Massacre. There is a tunnel were some  American prisoners of war were kept during World War II. On December 14, 1944, the Japanese decided to kill then all by burning them alive. Many were killed  but eleven prisoners were able to survive and escape, the ruins of an old Garrison and tunnels are proof of it's grim past.

After offering prayers and some photo opt at Plaza Cuarter, we head back to the Airport.

T'was a blast Palawan!

I personally include this Palawan (both Puerto and ElNido) trip as one of my most loved travel. Another new adventure awaits us, we are now traveling to    ElNido

Ohhh Lemme share this! Haha

 Sino si "SummerTime"?haha

Before I end this blog, let me say thank you to our Manong Drivers who are so patient and accommodating. They serve not only as our driver and tour guide but also as a story teller and photographer. They are authorized and licensed by the City Tourism office as tour guide.

Manong Jig is the one who drives for Jerald and Brenn, he is so hyper and I find it cool! He owns the tricycle with "summertime" written infront of it, He will make sure that you will have a photo-opt with his beloved tricycle.haha

If you want a driver as cool as them who will tour you around Puerto Princessa, You can contact Manong Jig at 0046.465.789

OTHER THINGS TO DO WHEN IN PUERTO PUERTO

If you have longer days in the city, you can do other Palawan tours. Aside from the city tour, here are other things to do in Palawan. Price is per person.

Underground river tour  P2,200
Honda Bay Island hopping P1,300
Estrella Falls and Crystal Paradise P1,600
Tabon Cave P1,500
Dos Palmas Tour P2,000
Dolphin Watching(half day) P1,100
Firefly Watching P1,100
Swimming with WhaleShark P2,000. Inclusions are: Entrance fees, boat transfer, ottages rentals, Lunch, Air-conditioned can transfer.

These packages has fixed price for Al travel and tours company in the city. Most of these companies offer El Nido tour packages as well.

whoever is reading this, do me a favor, have fun and please please booked a flight! Please tag me along! Hahaha

All the Love,

Yannah