Wednesday 25 March 2009

Summer Getaway in Laiya

Our family outing to Laiya finally pushed through last March 21-22. We planned this last summer but we can't get rooms from well known resorts there like Laluz, Blue coral and Laiya Coco Grove. My siblings who are also frugal like me don't want to shell out a fortune just for a night in these resorts and pay for 300 per head per meal. My officemates also gave feedback on the Laiya resorts I mentioned. The sand is not that white, course and the beach is not level or gradually sloping. Not ideal for kids and non-swimmers because there are deep spots just a few steps from the shore. I was hesistant to go there but after our kidzworld experience, my kids wanted to go to the beach and that triggered my interest to try Laiya again.

I thought all resorts in Laiya (well most of them from the internet) require guests to buy food from them. Although, it's convenient and effortless, the buffet is not for everybody, we have children and senior citizens with us who are choosy with regards to food. I had to search for other resorts on the internet who allow bringing in of food. Since the shores are the same for the whole stretch of the Laiya beach and we just wanted a place to sleep in, I looked for the next 3 pages of the google search results. I came across Kabayan, Sabangan and Sigayan Bay. The first 2 are still expensive so I opted for Sigayan Bay. I found an aircon room with 5 single beds and 2 double sized double deck with own CR, ref, water and cooking facilities for only 6,500 pesos. Since the resort is not that popular, the room was still available for the date we wanted.

We arrived in Laiya around 8:00 am and since we cannot check in yet (check in is at 2:00 pm), the resort provided a picnic table for us to stay while the kids can already play in the sand and the rest of us take a dip. We enjoyed the beach and the sea. I was surprised because it was not what I expected it to be. The sand is fine and the beach is gradually sloping, you 'll be a few meters away from the shore to be chest deep. The water is clear, we saw fishes swimming around us. It was great! Who needs to be in an expensive resort to be enjoying these? The next day, we rented a boat (P600 for 10 persons) that took us to a place where we snorkel and explored the underwater wonders. We also docked in the nearby shore and enjoyed the rock formations.

Here are my negative feedbacks: since the resorts around these area are near each other and they allow videoke up to 10 pm, it was not quiet but since we also have kids with us who keeps on running around and shouting, who cares? The beachfront is full of docked bancas waiting for guests to rent them for snorkeling. But the place where we stayed has a place for beach volleyball so it was not dagat agad. It also had some nipa hut shade to protect us from the sun while enjoying the view. Nevertheless, I consider this resort a value for money find in Laiya. We brought food and we stored them in the ref and the next morning, we bought seafood from the fishermen on the shore and enjoy its freshness. Overall, I gave our family's summer getaway a rating of 8 out of 10, because we enjoyed it without spending too much.

For those budget travelers like me who wanted to have a good time at Laiya, I suggest you explore the resorts near Kabayan and you'll find them cheaper than the others, From Sigayan Bay, there's Punto Miguel, Punta Verde, Martha's Haven and Laiya's White Cove. These resorts allow bringing in of food and some have their own restaurants. The sand is finer and the beach is gradually sloping "hindi biglang lalim". It's like the Station 3 of Boracay - you get to enjoy the part of the beach without spending too much.

Here are some captured moments of our family's Summer Getaway in Laiya:














The rest of our Laiya pictures are posted in my multiply.

Monday 16 March 2009

Dream about Toilets

I had another dream and I hope it comes true. I was in a place where there are dirty toilets and I can't seem to pick out the one I will use because there are feces everywhere. Sounds yucky right? But wait till you see the meaning of my dream.

The toilet is a symbol of emotional relief or unloading unwanted pressure. Sitting on a toilet means that you are getting rid of an emotional or an external burden. Seeing a human excrement or producing it predicts a win or additional income.

So where do you think I'm headed now? >>Lotto outlet hehehe.

Kyle likes to draw

I love our weekend. Me and the 2 boys had a pizza day last Saturday. Then they had fun browsing the toys at Toy Kingdom and I'm glad they were happy with the cheap plastic toys (pizza set and mini sketcher). Kyle is starting to show signs of interest in drawings and the sketcher is a timely purchase hehe. Here are some of the drawings I was able to take pictures of.


House daw yung drawing jan.


Eto naman Humpty Dumpty daw


This week is Aloysius' exam week and after that, vacation na. We are also looking forward to our Laiya outing this Saturday. More stories and pictures later.

Thursday 12 March 2009

Francism


Francis Magalona has made an impact in the Philippine music industry particularly in the RAP segment. His songs will forever be remembered. My favorites are "Kaleidoscope World", "Cold Summer Nights" and "Mga Kababayan Ko", the latter was among his songs of patriotism. Francism is not only a trend but a culture of true patriots that Francis wanted us Filipinos to embrace. He has a clothing line called 3 stars and sun and the designs of the shirts depict the Philippine Flag. When I watched his wake on TV, I'm sure he and his family were happy to see that the fans who went there also wore the 3 stars and sun shirts. I wish that our "kababayans" fulfill francis' dream to embrace the true "francism" >> love and respect to God, to one's self, to others and to our country - The Philippines.

Tuesday 10 March 2009

Magic Splint

I haven't blogged for a while. Thanks to my wrist splint, which prevented me from typing too much. But my CTS is almost gone, I'm done with the therapy and according to my Rehab Doctor, I need to wear the splint for 2 more weeks and after that, as needed or if there is pain. Magic!

Thursday 5 March 2009

Project for Kids: Learn to swim this summer

Summer is almost here and I'm thinking of activities where my kids will be busy with after school. Aloysius had his first swimming lessons 2 years ago and it's time to upgrade his skills. I guess it's also about time that Achilles also join this kind of programs for him to improve on his social skills. I found the latest schedules and venues for Bert Lozada Swimming School. I hope I can find one accessible to us.

But I have to wait for Milo's schedule to compare. I hope other mom's out there will help me choose between BLSS and Milo.