Experiencing Bataan Hospitality at Sky Hotel in Mariveles

I have mentioned on my previous post about how Mariveles has its own unique charm. If in case you have not yet read about it CLICK HERE. The town has many tourist destinations to offer and a day tour will not be enough to stroll the beautiful town of Mariveles. Take it from my experience, a supposedly just a day-tour in Mariveles ended up for a 2D1N weekend adventure. 

Foods will always make every travel more interesting. After experiencing the lutong-bahay menu at Elong's Hapag Kainan, we tried Chicken Deli for dinner. It must be noted that the restaurant is a Bacolod Original. We ordered their best-selling chicken-inasal and halo-halo for our dessert. 

Chicken-inasal of Chicken Deli

Special Halo-halo of Chicken Deli

The like the interior of the restaurant. I felt like I was in Bacolod attending a MassKara Festival. The area is colorful and well-maintained. The place is also spacious, neat and clean. The crews are very accommodating too!

During my trip, we stayed at Sky Hotel. Sky Hotel is managed by Watchlife Workers MPC and is located at 179 Lakandula St., Poblacion, Mariveles, Bataan. The hotel caters tourists and travelers. Also, they allow transients and office rentals.

The hotel offers various room selections: single bed, standard room, family room and view deck. Price ranges from Php 1,000.00 to Php 2,500.00 for overnight stay. They also provide extra bed with additional charge. Breakfast is available upon request with a minimum of 5pax with unli-coffee and unli-rice. Rooms are well-ventilated, clean and fresh. 

Indeed, staying at Sky Hotel was a great choice for my Mariveles adventure. So if you are heading to Mariveles for a weekend adventure, visit Sky Hotel to experience Bataan hospitality. 

The Unique Charm of Mariveles, Bataan

Bataan is a historical province and also known for its Mt. Samat National Shrine as a major tourist destination in the province. Playa la Caleta, Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar and Camaya Coast were the three beautiful destinations in Bataan that I have proudly visited. There are a lot of beautiful places to visit in this province and Mariveles is one of them. Mariveles is a first class municipality and is located at the southern tip of the Bataan Peninsula. 

Mariveles Municipal Hall

I have no idea how uniquely charming this town is until I met Rustan on social media. Rustan is a travel blogger. I have noticed his regular posts about his hometown so I got curious and wanted to visit the places he posted on his social media account. Luckily, he invited me to join a tree-planting activity initiated by the local government unit of Bataan but I decline because the call time of the event is too early. I wast not able to attend the event but I promised him to visit Mariveles on the same date.

Baywalk.

As promised, I visited Mariveles. I took Genesis Bus in Pasay City and arrived in town after a 4-hour ride. While waiting for my friend, I strolled the beautiful town. I visited their municipal hall, bay walk and their parish church, St. Nicholas Tolentino Parish Church. The 1729 parish church belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Balanga. Apo Kulas, the Patron Saint of Mariveles, arrived in the town through the Orders of Augustinian Recoletos Missionaries. 

St. Nicholas Tolentino Parish Church

I was very glad to meet Rustan. We had a great conversation and we were able to share our travel experiences to each other. I was honored to know that he is the person behind Bataan Weather Page. According to him, the page is already making waves in Bataan. I was able to validate the news when I searched the page on FB. Indeed, it is an active FB Page with a thousand of followers. 

Elong's Hapag Kainan

Bulalo for Breakfast!

We woke up early morning to visit other places in Mariveles. I feel grateful that I was able to gain friend who is also into traveling. I requested him for a lutong-bahay restaurant for breakfast and without hesitation he took me to Elong's Hapag Kainan. The restaurant offers varieties of Filipino foods from appetizers, main dish and desserts. The food is great and worth the price. I also love their interiors.

San Miguel Peak on the background.

After our breakfast, we took a tricycle ride to Brgy. Sisiman. Sisiman Bay is well known for local tourists. It is a public beach where bamboo cottages can be rented by picnic goers. 

San Miguel Peak is a landmark in Sisiman Bay. It is an ultimate rock mountain that stands 700+ feet high and can be reached thru trekking for about 30 minutes. The panoramic view of the entire Sisiman Bay can be greatly seen at the summit. For those people who are looking for adrenaline-rush adventure, San Miguel Peak can be a great playground for rock climbing and rappelling.   

Adjacent to the peak is a small hill which offers a greater view of the San Miguel Peak. The hill can be trek for about 20 minutes. On the way up, there is a grotto built on the hill and a steel cross on the hilltop. This hill might be well-visited by pilgrims during holy week season. We took time to rest on top of the hill while enjoying the view and the cool fresh air. 

I must say that my visit in Mariveles even just for a weekend is very memorable. You may want to consider visiting this town for an adventure you will remember. Mariveles has its own unique charm to capture everyone's heart. I will definitely visit this place once in a while. 

Sentinela Cove: A Secret Beach in Claveria, Cagayan

Sentinela Cove is the home of the legendary Ubing-ubing. Ubing-ubing is believed to be the son of the legendary Lakay-lakay and Baket-baket that turned into stones due to their greediness. The cove is located in Brgy. D. Leaño that can be reached thru public and private transportation. The travel time from the town proper of Claveria will take about 15-20 minutes.

Near the cove is the prominent hill known as Bantay Kalbo which is good for a couple of minutes hiking. The view at the top is definitely breathtaking. Sentinela Cove is filled with fine off-white sands that flanked by interesting huge rock formations. There is also a mini-cave wherein you can hide from the heat of the sun. The coves' rugged beauty made this place serene. 

Bantay Kalbo on the background.

Mini-cave.

Every time my relatives visits our hometown for vacation, we always find time to visit the beach. We usually visit the famous Taggat Blue Lagoon and stroll along Claveria Beach in the town proper so I suggested that we visit Sentinela Cove for a change. 

My relatives enjoyed the place. We took pictures for good memories. The sea waves are very inviting so we also went swimming. We stayed longer and gazed on the waves crashing down the shore and rock formations. We waited until the sun sets. 

It's suffice to say that Sentinela Cove is a secret beach. Aside from its breathtaking beauty, the place is not crowded. No resorts situated along the beach. You can really have the beach all yourself.

If ever you will visit up-north and headed to Claveria, find time to visit this place to experience this for yourself. You only need few cash for the fare expenses and food to eat when you get hungry. One more very interesting thing, there is no entrance fee! Visit the cove and you will definitely like its serenity. Have you been to this place? Share me your thoughts my dear readers! 

Experiencing Why Cagayan is called "The Smiling Land of Beauty"

Traveling together once in a while is a bonding moment of our family. Being the jet-setter, I suggested that we explore our home province for a change. This experience is one for the record because it was their first time to visit other parts of Cagayan. Below are the different places we visited that proves why Cagayan is called "The Smiling Land of Beauty". 

MAGAPIT HANGING BRIDGE

Magapit Hanging Bridge is located in Lallo, Cagayan which is 72 kms from Tuguegarao City. It is the first of its kind in Asia and serves as the gateway to the Ilocos Region through the Cagayan-Ilocos Norte inter-provincial highway. Lallo town is also home to the St. Dominic Spanish Colonial Church, the former seat of "Ciudad Nueva Segovia". Ciudad Nueva Segovia is featured in the annals of Philippine History as one of the four oldest cities in the country. 

BASILICA MINORE OF OUR LADY OF PIAT

It is also called as "The Lady of the Visitation" and is located 35 kms from Tuguegarao City. It was originally called the Lady of the Holy Rosary, perhaps because the devotees of the Rosary, the Dominican Friars, supposedly brought it from Macao to the Philippines in 1604. This more than four-centuries old image was first enshrined in Nueva Segovia now called Lallo. The image is famous in the country and abroad as the Black Mary making Piat the Pilgrimage Center in the Cagayan Valley Region. 

CALLAO CAVES

The seven-chambered Callao Cave boasts of massive limestone formations, skylights and a chapel. Its cave entrance is accessible by climbing the 184-cemented steps. This famous cave is located in Peñablanca, Cagayan. 

Pinacanauan River at the background.

184-uphill steps is not for the weak-heart. You have your cardio tested as you go up while enjoying the view of Pinacanauan River and the other parts of Peñablanca, Cagayan. If you are into caving, you will enjoy your visit here. Limestone formations are very inviting for picture-taking.

Exactly 184-cemented steps!

Cave chapel on the background.

After caving, try cruising the Pinacanauan River. It is conducive for kayaking, boating, and swimming while the mountains on its sides are perfect for trekking and mountaineering. The daily phenomenon of the circadian flight of insect-eating bats from a bat cave occur at dusk enthralling visitors. 

With our friendly tour guides. 

These are just 3 reasons why Cagayan is called as "The Smiling Land of Beauty". I believe, Cagayan is not just about bridges, churches, rivers and caves. This wonderful province has more to offer that will make everyone smile. 

Experiencing Doña Choleng Island Resort in Cagbalete Island, Mauban, Quezon

I have already shared my experience on the island paradise of Cagbalete Island. If you haven't seen it CLICK HERE. We stayed at Doña Choleng Island Resort. To fully experience our island getaway, we pitched our tent to enjoy the island's charm.

The resort serves food. Also, they have videoke machines for those who loves to sing their hearts out. We have enjoyed the food that was served to us. The staffs were very accommodating. To sum it up, we enjoyed our stay here. 

If you visit the island, no worries about accommodation on the island because there are a lot of resorts along the shore. While strolling, we have seen some of the resorts. Check the photos below to see what keeps you interested. 

Surprisingly, tourists can pitch tents within the resort of your choice for a cheaper price. If you want your accommodation to be more comfortable, you must ensure your reservation especially during summer season. Go ahead now and book your vacation!