Boracay de Cavite - Marine Base Beach Resort of Ternate, Cavite

Security while having fun on the beach. That's how I would describe my experience in Boracay de Cavite Beach Resort which is also called as Marine Base Beach Resort. Yes, you read it right. Boracay de Cavite Beach Resort is situated inside a Philippine Marine Base found in Ternate, Cavite. So expect to see trainees and people in uniform while you are in the area. Having said that, you are guaranteed that this place is safe. So just enjoy!

How to get there?
From Baclaran, take a Saulog bus or a mini bus going to Ternate, Cavite. You'll be spending 85 Php if you take an AC bus and 70 Php for riding a mini bus. This will be a long drive so just charge yourself up before the actual swim. An estimate of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of traveling time before you reach Ternate bus terminal. From the bus terminal, you need to hire a jeepney because there are no public transportations available going to Boracay de Cavite. A 22 seater jeepney can be hired for 2,000 Php - 3,000 Php. This price is already round trip and may vary depending on how good you are in barking. So goodluck! As for those who'll be travelling in private vehicle, take the Coastal Road and go straight to Cavitex. Prepare 24 Php for the Coastal toll fee and 65 Php for the Cavitex toll fee. From Noveleta Exit, drive all the way going to Ternate. Before you reach Ternate, you'll be passing by the towns of Tanza and Naic. Note: Monitor your gas tank gauge because the most accessible gas station to Marine Base is in the city proper of Ternate. You'll know you're in the right direction if you got to see the jump off point of Mt Pico de Loro, Puerto Azul and Caylabne Bay Resort. Just drive until you reach the Main Gate of the Marine Base (which is hard to miss).

Main Gate of Marine Base

From the Main Gate, prepare your entrance fee. 100 Php is charge for a day swim and 200 Php for an overnight stay.  For those who'll be staying overnight, rooms (700 Php) and cottages (350 - 450 Php) are available in the beach side but if you want to cut from these fees you may bring your own tent and just set-up a camp. There's also a pay parking there - Motorcycle: 10 Php (day) / 20 Php (night), Car: 50 Php (day) / 100 Php (night). You need to go back again to your vehicle after paying all those fees because the beach part of this camp is still 2-3 kilometers away from the Main Gate.

Computing our fees :]

As we reach the beach area of Marine Base, I noticed the creamy (not white) and fine texture of its sand. And thought to myself that maybe it is one of the factor why this place is called, the Boracay of Cavite - Just maybe. The area is amazing. Never thought that Cavite has this kind of beach. Aside from the fine sand, it is surrounded by tall stone walls with waves splashing on it (like the one I see in the movies). Most importantly, the area and the water of Boracay de Cavite is clean.

Nice sand and calm water

We brought our own tent

Aside from the tent, we also rented a hut

It is also recommendable for family outings and reunions. Kids will definitely enjoy Boracay de Cavite because the water level of this beach doesn't change drastically. So, kids and teens can enjoy their swim for as long as they know their limits.

Ate Rain and her cute kids

Swimming time!

Visitors can also play beach volleyball. There is a dedicated place for this sport in the mid part of the area and I believe it is for free of use. Just bring your own ball. It is also ideal for other games and team building activities provided that it has a wide area to roam around.

Playball!

A Sari-Sari store is also available in the area. So if you forgot to bring chips and toiletries, you can buy things there. The comfort room is OK. All covered up and there's no problem with the water supply.

Look how beautiful this place is...

There's not so much amenities in Boracay de Cavite provided that it is a Marine base after all, but I truly enjoyed my visit there. The water and the view is enough for me to say that others should also stop by Boracay de Cavite - Marine Base Beach Resort.

Pack up! EOD... aw (me and my girlfriend)

Before we left Boracay de Cavite - Marine Base Beach Resort...

Breakdown of Expense:
AC Bus (Baclaran to Ternate, round trip) - 170 Php
Jeepney Rental (Ternate to Marine Base, round trip) - 2,000 Php (good for 22 people)
Entrance Fee - 100 Php
Parking Fee - 50 Php (divided by number of people)
Cottage - 450 Php (divided by number of people)
Food - **.** Php

Update!!! (March 3, 2014)

from Ehrm.Bas (Thank you for giving me and my other readers an update! =])

Some were asking for contact numbers, or how you can make reservations.

The answer is they don't entertain reservations in the Ternate Marine Base, and they don't have a landline that they'll give away. However if you have a party of 20 or so people, you can make reservations by going to Marine Barracks Rudiardo Brown (Marine Base Manila) in Fort Bonifacio, Makati. Ask the MP guarding the gate where MC7 is. That is where you can make reservations (you have to pay there also), and they'll be the ones who will contact the personnel in Marine Barracks Gregorio Lim in Ternate.

And if anyone wants to ask the "is it still open to the public" question in year 2015 or 2016, just go to the Marine Barracks in The Fort described above and ask the personnel there.

Some were asking if they will still be allowed to enter the premises if they leave Manila at night.

The gate of Marine Barracks Gregorio Lim is only open from 5AM to 10PM, daily. The MP won't let you in outside those hours. Make sure you have a reliable vehicle if going there alone as there are no street lights in the road going up, and almost no settlements - though the road is very nice.

Additional information:

• There are two stores, and one of them accepts cooking service, also from 5AM to 10PM, for a modest fee.
• Signal on Smart is erratic, at best you'll get 2 bars of 3G signal, then sometimes you get dropped to GPRS or 2G.
• Signal on Globe while on the beach front is awesome. I was consistently getting HSPA/HSPA+ signals while in there and encountered no problems uploading 3MB photos.

BORACAY DE CAVITE IS CLOSED UNTIL MAY 16,2014

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From Korea to the Philippines: Tous Les Jours

Korean craze is pushing to a new level! Aside from the Koreanovelas (Full House, Missing You, Endless Love), Korean bands and groups (KPOPs), photo poses (these are the poses in gwiyomi), dance craze (like gangnam style and gentleman), food and restaurants (kimchi, jampong, bonchon, KBOP) that is so popular in the Philippines, today, Korea has also started to bring-in in the country their Bake shop!

Tous Les Jours is an Asian-French bakery originated in Guri, Korea in 1997. They are known for freshly baked breads and delectable cakes that is made from the finest ingredients. Now, Tous Les Jours has established a bakery-cafe system in the U.S as well as in different parts of Asia like the Philippines. For those you doesn't know (this includes me), Tous Les Jous means "everyday" in French and it is pronounced as "Tu-le-juru". Knowing this, we can now invite our friends to visit Tous Les Jours by saying the actual name of the store instead of saying a "nearby bakeshop". Lol.

History of TLJ are part of the store interior

The cakes and products of Tous Les Jours reflects the creativity of the Koreans. Koreans is known for making ordinary things into a cute and fancy one. Inshort term, they are re-inventive. I don't mean to say that we, Filipinos, are less creative. It's just that in this category of being inventive, Koreans is a bit ahead of us. Ok going back... I can say that the main asset of this store are their cake designs. I adore how dainty and delightful their cakes look like. In addition to its amazing shapes and sizes, they also colored their cakes in a way that people will definitely want to eat them. It's really hard to explain this in plain words but the colors really add extra factor for making these cakes look special. From flower shaped cakes to their bear shaped cakes, it just goes to show that Tous Les Jours have expert and creative pastry artists who really knows how to delight customers. Just simply refer on the photos below to see what I am trying to explain here. (All photos are taken again using my smart phone. Please bare with the quality):

Heart Shaped Strawberry Cake - 598.00 PhP

Strawberry Inspiration - 598.00 PhP

Rich Chocolate Cake - 398.00 PhP and Cutie Bear 498.00 PhP

The french side of Tous Les Jours are can be seen in their baked breads. They have a huge variety of baguette, croissants, and croquette pastries. The aroma of these breads will charm you once you get inside Tous Les Jours.

I really want to taste each one of these pastries :P

The interior is also pleasing. They use perfect lighting to emphasize their products and also the whole store design itself. Most of its interior is in wood which set the right vibe for Tous Les Jours. Customer will definitely love not only the products they sell but also because of the aura of this place. It feels cozy inside and most importantly, it's clean.

Busy cashier equates to revenue :] 

Choose from these varieties!

What I also find bizzare about Tous Les Jours is that all their pricing ends with number "8" - like 398 Php, 598 Php,  68 Php so on and so forth. I don't know if it's just a coincident.

Chocolate Powder Cake - 448.00 PhP

To end this up... if you want to take a bite of this Korean Bakery, you can visit their branch at SM Mall of Asia in the ground level - Entertainment Mall.

Other branches of TLJ:
SM Fairview - Ground floor, Annex 2 Building
Glorietta - G4-129 Ground Floor Glorietta 4
Festival Mall
SM North Edsa
Alabang Town Center
Greenbelt - Ground Floor, Greenbelt 5
Eastwood City - 1st Floor Shop 3 Techno Plaza 2
SM Southmall

Ratings based on my experience [0-5, 5 is the highest] (MOA Branch) :

Taste: 4.5 - cakes are not too sweet. Just perfect!

Environment: 5 - clean and approved interior

Service:  4.5 - they allow me to take photos and they're friendly as well

Price: 4 - approve!

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Sweet and Savory crepes of Crepes & Cream

My craving for crepes and ice cream started back when I was still in college. Melodica, a friend, was the one who introduced me to Crepes & Cream after our successful baby thesis defense in S.A.D (reminiscing those days makes me feel old. lol!). Ice cream in crepe has this balance of sweetness (the ice cream part) and blandness (every time I bite the crepe part) which makes it a great dessert and the main reason why I am fond of it. -- I'll be using again my smart phone for the photos of this entry... aw.

What I love about Crepes & Cream is that their goods are handy. I never worry whenever the store or the stand is full of customers because I can eat it even while walking around the mall. Let me share you my technique. Whenever Crepes & Cream is full, I always bring my ordered crepe in the food court. In the food court, there is a big chance that I can get a chair and enjoy my crepe ice cream while sitting and blogging (yes, I am drafting my blog now).

Aside from being handy, Crepes & Cream also offers a wide variety of flavors and choices. It is not only ice cream they put inside the crepe which is also called as Sweet Crepes. They also serve what they call Savory Crepes. Savory Crepes options are ham, hotdog, tuna, pork floss, shredded chicken, ground beef, etc... rolled inside the crepe . Yup, main course can also be serve in crepes. So if you are in a hurry and needed a quick meal, then you can also try Crepes & Cream (if there is a nearby branch).

Rocky Road with Chocnut toppings!

If you are still not satisfied on the wide range of goods that they offer in their menu, then why don't you try creating your own crepe recipe? Yes, that's right! Crepes & Cream allows us to create our own crepe recipe. For Sweet Crepes, just pick what flavor of ice cream you wanted to start off (where there are more than 10 flavors to choose from). Then add up your spreads (hazelnut, strawberry jelly, peanut butter, etc) and toppings (choco chips, almond flakes, fudge brownie, oreo crumble, chocnut chunks, cheesecake bites, etc... etc!). You can also add up an additional premium and/or sugar free ice cream to complete your crepe recipe. And as for the Savory Crepe, pick first from ham, hotdog, tuna, pork floss, shredded chicken, ground beef and more. Then decide your Veggies (mushroom, lettuce, onion, etc..) and Sauces (cheddar cheese, honey mustard sauce, taco sauce or mushroom sauce). Sound fun and delightful huh?

Choose and mix!

You can enjoy these crepes from 75 pesos up to 165 pesos. Price may exceed if you're an add-on and toppings maniac. Hehe. Fyi, milkshakes, sundaes, and beverages like sodas, teas and coffee are also being serve in Crepes & Cream.

MOA - in front of Bench Body store

So if you are urging for a crepe fix, whether it is a Sweet crepe or Savory crepe, then I suggest to give Crepes & Cream a shot!

Branches (this may change...):
SM City North EDSA | 2nd Flr
Robinsons Place - Manila | 1st Flr
Newport Mall
SM Mall of Asia | Main Mall and Entertainment Mall
Power Plant Mall | 1st Flr
The Podium
SM City Fairview
SM Megamall - Atrium | 3rd Flr
Trinoma | 4th Flr

Ready to go!

Ratings based on my experience [0-5, 5 is the highest] (MOA Branch) :

Taste: 3.9 - thumbs up! 

Environment: 3 - poor lighting and tables are not maintained clean

Service:  3 - this is because of my reason above

Price: 5 - I find it affordable

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Republic Wake Park: Wakeboarding in Nuvali, Laguna

Finally! I got to see and experienced wakeboarding at Republic Wake Park in Nuvali. It's been two months since I first heard this thrilling sport is happening in Nuvali and since then I've been wanting to try it myself. Good thing that my rest day from work was matched with my friends' rest days also. So there's no stopping for this trip to happen.

How to get there?
Nuvali is just a 2-hour drive from Manila. You can take South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and turn right as you reach Sta. Rosa Exit. Turn right again after the toll gate and just follow the main road.You'll know your're in the right direction if you passed by Paseo de Sta. Rosa (found in the left side of the road). Just a few kilometers away, you'll see a big sign of Nuvali and Solenad. This is the time you'll turn left (from the traffic light). Just go straight ahead until you see a guardhouse which is half kilometers away from Solenad. Just tell the guard that you are going to the Wake Park and they'll give you an instruction on how to get there. It's easy but you have to listen carefully. Tada! Welcome to Republic Wake Park!

Be attentive on this sign... we almost missed it (Photo from Baron Cantonjos)

By the way, food and drinks of your own are not allowed to bring-in at the Wake Park. So don't plan on packing your own food. They serve food inside. An open view restaurant is available so you don't have to worry in case you're hungry. Going back... as you reach the Wake Park, go directly to the information area to have your registration. You'll need to fill up a sheet with your information and in the same sheet you'll also see the rates:

Cable Rate 
1 hour pass – P250
2 hour pass – P475
4 hour pass – P595
8 hour pass – P995
Day & Night pass – P1,500
Night riding pass – P595
Private cable rent – P800/hour
VIP pass – FREE!

Unlimited riding package
1 week unlimited – P5,000
1 month unlimited – P15,000
3 months unlimited – P24,000
6 months unlimited – P35, 000
1 year unlimited (cash) – P55,000
1 year unlimited (monthly) – P60,000

Aside from the ratings above, we have also deposited 800 pesos each (Wristband – P200 plus Life vest & helmet – P600). This deposit is refundable. It was returned to us after we had brought back the gears at the counter (beside the registration area) at the end of our play. This deposit will become a fee in case the user damage or didn't return the gears.

feel free to choose your board (Photo from Baron Cantonjos)

After gearing up, we proceed in the activity. The activity area has two parts, one is for the Pro wakeboarders (the course has ramps and obstacles) and the other one is for beginners (a plain course). Of course, we belong in the beginners area. There is also a deck near the activity area where people can put their belongings as you play.

I dream myself, wakeboarding here... The Pro area (Photo from Baron Cantonjos)

Area for beginners (Photo from Baron Cantonjos)

Viewing deck in the activity area (Photo from Baron Cantonjos)

I suggest to arrive in the area as early as you could to maximize your time unlike us who came late in the vicinity. We only got to try gliding twice due to the long wait since there were so many people who wanted to experience this sport as well.

Photo op while waiting for our turn (Photo from Baron Cantonjos)

We're almost there... still waiting (Photo from Baron Cantonjos)

Before you do your turn, there is an instructor to teach you the basic and also the right positioning on riding the board. Listen to him because he knows what he is saying (which i didn't do). For non swimmers, you should also inform the instructor that you cannot swim so they will be more attentive once you get in to the water (which Aizel didn't do).

Byron listens and I don't... I have my own world. Naaaa! (Photo from Baron Cantonjos)

The park opens at 8:30am and closes at 9:00pm, Monday to Sunday. However, beginners area is only open until 5:30pm. Tip: If you're going in big group, Wake park offers a private cable rental. This is a full exclusive use of the wakeboard area which costs 8,000 pesos and can accommodate a maximum of 30 people.

Aizel in her full wakeboarding gear (Photo from Baron Cantonjos)

Baron, author of Baron the Explorer (Photo from Baron Cantonjos)

and of course, me :] (Photo from Baron Cantonjos)

In the end, I didn't made a stand in the board which makes me a loser. Hahaha. It was tougher than surfing and I didn't anticipate that one. Nevertheless, it was a fun adventure and a good alternative destination. A must try for thrill seekers and adventurous type of person. That was definitely not my last time. I'll visit the place time after time until I start wakeboarding at the Pro area. Now, that's a promise!

Contact Information:
Republ1c Wakepark - West Diversity Boulevard, Nuvali, 4027 Calamba, Laguna
Email: info@republ1cwakepark.com

A shop for wakeboarding apparels is also available in Republic Wake Park (Photo from Baron Cantonjos)

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Corregidor Island via Sun Cruises

Corregidor Islandfalls under the territory of Cavite and lies at the entrance of Manila Bay. This island played an important role during World War II  where Philippines fights the Japanese forces from its invasion. Corregidor was vigorously attacked in the latter part of the war where it serves as a grave to many Americans, Japanese and Filipinos who fought during that time. Today, Corregidor Island is a popular tourist destination where people can visit and still see the remnants (e.g cannons, tunnel, etc...) of the said war. So for those who are fond of Philippine history, I suggest you visit Corregidor.

How to get there?
It's super easy. I recommend you get the service of Sun Cruises -- just like what I did. Sun Cruises provides ferry transfer and tour(optional) to Corregidor Island. I had no hard time contacting and reserving tickets from them for this Corregidor trip. Their reservations office is located at the CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City or you can reach them through e-mail (suncruises@magsaysay.com.ph) and landline (917 513-2625 or 922 337-0068 ) for ticket reservations. For more info and packages that they offer, just visit their website: http://www.corregidorphilippines.com/.

My Corregidor trip with my girlfriend starts when we arrived at the port of Sun Cruises near CCP Complex. It is a well known establishment there so just ask the people around if you are in doubt of directions. We boarded and checked in at exactly 7:30am and departed from Manila at 8:00am just like what they mentioned on their itinerary. It was hassle free and very convenient. It was also well organized and the ferry going to the island is fully air-conditioned for which I didn't expect.

At the Corregidor Port (Photo from Faye Nuestro)

After one hour and fifteen minutes of sailing, we finally reached Corregidor Island. And the place is amaaaazing! We also noticed that most of our co-passengers were foreigners. So local guy like me should be prepared in case they ask you something. Haha. I also hope more Filipinos visit the island and see how beautiful this place is. This is a good option for those people who wants to escape the city noise even just for a while.

Stunning!

I didn't get Sun Cruises tour since I am not a super fan of history. I am more to an adventurous type of traveler. And I've heard that Corregidor has a lot to offer that will suit my personality. So even if you are not into the history thing like me, you can still enjoy this trip. Aside from that, the view of this island is worth travelling for...

Islands near Corregidor gives photos a nice backdrop

What to do:
Lights and Sound Show at Malinta Tunnel - Php200.00/person
The Rocket (Zipline) - Php100.00/person
Outdoor Activities (Sunset and Sunrise viewing, Tunnel Lateral Tour) - Php250.00/person
Kayaking - Php500.00/hr.
ATVs (All-terrain vehicle) - Php500.00/hr.

Lights and sound show at Malinta Tunnel

Here's what you can inside the cave

After all those activities stated above, you can go swimming which is also found at the activity area of the island. The sand may not be white unlike the other beaches in the Philippines but the water here is clear and people really take good care of it. Me and my girlfriend really enjoy the water even we started splashing on it in the afternoon. It was refreshing.

Look how clear the water is... (Photo from Faye Nuestro)

Relaxing under the shade of a tree

Regarding the food, there's a hotel where you can buy food at the island but I suggest to bring your own since it is allowed and it will be much cheaper.

This trip is a must try. It drained our energy in a positive way (huh? hehe). We arrived back to Manila at around 4pm which ends this trip. I hope I can go back here again and try other activities and visit the other parts of the island. Maybe someday.

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Swensen's : where Happiness Never Melts

Are you looking for something refreshing this summer? I suggest to try out these frozen desserts of Swensen's in the Mall of Asia (MOA), Pasay City.

My girlfriend and I were just walking and looking for something to eat  under the scorching hot afternoon in MOA last weekend when we came across Swensen's. The moment I saw the ice cream display and photos from the outside, I immediately ask my girlfriend if we can try it out and thank God she said yes (Yikes, I forgot again to bring my camera... smartphone mode again).

As we went inside Swensen's, we were approached by smiling and friendly staffs and directed us to our seats (a good start). I also noticed that the place was almost full in which I can tell that this store really serves good stuff and a hit to us, Filipinos. Having that in mind makes me thrill to order and try it myself.

Cute cup of Swenven's

As the waitress hands us down their menu, my eyes went wild with all the good looking (and I mean by the ice cream presentations) frozen desserts that Swenven's offers to their customers. They all look great and I had a hard time picking on what to eat from the list on their menu. Words are not enough to describe what I mean so just simply look at the photos below:

I wanted to try Swensen's Chocolate Earthquake (just google it.) Unfortunately, my girlfriend was still full that time and I thought to myself that I might not finish the whole thing alone. So we ordered Oreo Brownie and Iced Choc-O-Latte (still no regret!).  It is simply the perfect treat this summer and really a must try.

Choc-O-Latte (125 pesos)

Oreo Brownie (265 pesos)

Aside from the frozen desserts and alike, Swensen's possess a relaxing and cozy ambiance. It is ideal for chatting with friends and loveones. I had fun sitting and enjoying my cold food with my girlfriend. We will definitely visit again this place for sure.

Happy customers =]

Swensen's MOA is located at the ground floor, South Wing of the mall and near SM department store. They also have a branch in Quezon City situated in Eastwood Mall. So come and visit them!

Ratings based on my experience [0-5, 5 is the highest] :

Taste: 5 -  Perfect for the summer heat!

Environment: 4 - clean and homey type ambiance

Service: 5 - smilling crew and very accomodating

Price: 3 - a bit pricey

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