Easter 2014: Guimaras + Iloilo

We stayed at the Cabugan Adventure Resort in Guimaras. It's a pretty small place and here, each resort has their own island!

From the shores, the islands looks super amazing, and they just become all the more beautiful when it became low tide! The other islands look almost like they were floating! Sadly, I didn't get to take a picture. (I know, silly me, right?) Anyways, this was the main beach area where you could do your swimming. The water is super shallow in general so you don't have to worry about suddenly going deep. Like I said, during low tide, you can definitely go from island to island!

As you can see, the resort is all about getting back in touch with nature. Everything felt simple and relaxed and totally organic! When you get bored, you can play volleyball or play with the swing or have fun with a little basketball! Don't expect any legit courts, though.

The resort also has a beautiful lagoon but the water isn't as clean-looking as the main beach area. This area is mainly for kayaking which you can rent for free. According to the owner, it's okay to swim here but I didn't get to try it.

During the sunset, this place becomes magic. It quite literally becomes a nature photographer's heaven!

Sunset shots along the lagoon.

The beach area starting to experience low tide. From there, you could already walk all the way to the other resort! Haha! So much for island hopping! :)

*Cue the Circle of Life from Lion King*

Still can't get over these shots. With a skilled photographer, you can make someone look like they're walking on water!

And then the stars come out, and before I knew it, it was time for bed! Unfortunately, the accommodations were what I feared most as we were staying in poorly insect-proofed bahay kubos or nipa huts and it turned out to be the most awful night ever! Despite the netted windows, bugs can still get in through the small hole between the roof and the walls. Since the beds were double-decked, you can quite literally see the bugs crawling.

With the Easter heat in the Philippines, the non-airconditioned room was super hot as well with just one electric fan to serve 2-3 people in there, which is also useless because it can only cool either the top bunk or the bottom bunk which is ridiculous! In this day and age, it just isn't practical to have a non-airconditioned resort. You can barely relax with the heat and bugs! :(

Eventually, the night came to pass with almost everyone half-asleep as they were all as uncomfortable with the place as I was. Even my dad's friend who barely complained about anything ever, subtly slipped a few jokes about his sleepless night.

This is what the room looks from inside! It's about a 3x5 meter house, I guess. And it didn't feel small at all, but I really wish they would upgrade their rooms for their business's sake. Apparently, there's only one house in the resort with air conditioning, and one of our lucky companions got to bask in it. #Bitter Haha!

The bahay kubo from outside.

There are also duplex style nipa huts where two families can stay in. There's a second floor with a cool terrace!

They certainly perfected the island feel. The improvised swing and the wooden basketball ring feel like they're out of a movie! Cabugan Resort is full of hits and misses. For one, the food here is absolutely fantastic! I enjoyed the unique shellfish so freaking much and the staff are incredibly nice. Unfortunately, they really need to improve the accommodations. If they do, I would certainly go back here!

Soon enough, we went all the way back to Iloilo, using the same travel process from the previous day.

We got into the bus and did a quick city tour! There was so much to see but so little time and I could barely remember the places our guide showed us. :( Hopefully, next time I can fully explore the city!

Our only stop in Iloilo was the super famous Miag-ao Church or the Church of Saint Thomas of Villanova! It's well-known for its amazing front facade! :D

The iconic facade depicts an intricate relief sculpture of St. Christopher carrying the Christ child amidst coconut, papaya, and guava shrubs.

I can't imagine if this church were to become my homework in college. I would go nuts! All the details are just so beautiful and intricate.

Anyone dares enter the door of mystery? LOL Even the church's doors are super photogenic!

The amazing facade aside, the church's entire was kept simple and classic like most churches we see everyday.

And that was pretty much it. We were on our way to the airport afterwards!

For my last meal in this trip, I enjoyed the ever famous La Paz Batchoy. It was my first time trying this dish so I totally didn't know what to expect. We ordered this at the airport and I guess it tasted good. The flavor of garlic rises above the rest and there subtle hints of the egg with every bite. All in all, it's not bad, but I doubt this one compares to the real places in Iloilo that serve  La Paz Batchoy!

And that ends my Easter travel diaries! With the weather finally becoming more bearable I honestly hope my sense of style returns soon! Haha! :)