He liked it when I brought him to Intramuros so Ilocos has always been my choice but he doesn't want to travel by land for hours. I'm interested to see what the Oasis Resort can set up for us. Appreciate your help!
Acuatico looks nice...and expensive! haha Manila Peninsula? I am going to pay for this vacation and a luxurious hotel is a no-no. Thanks for the great suggetsions @ChoiAndJohn
And by the way, I think he will propose to me this time because there is no other time. So I wanted a good date. #assuming You read it right, we aren't engaged yet but the fiancé visa paper works are in progress.
Some more spots to add: Bolinao, Pangasinan Calaguas island in Camarines Norte Caramoan islands in Camarines Sur Baler, Aurora
I reckon that if this is going to be only a short trip and you're going to get engaged, you could still do worse than share the cost, save the airfare, and try and get a room at the aquatico or some other similar resort nearby. Your partner should be able to afford that. It's pennies compared to the cost of an air ticket and an engagement ring (and a visa application) after all. If he doesn't even have a few hundred pounds spare for this, then you've got bigger problems coming up.
He spent money in our previous travels so in this little way I want to be the one to give him a treat. Also, our baby has been admitted in the hospital last week and we have shouldered the bills so this is my way of paying gratitude to him. Anyway, I'd expect him to be the one to pay for parasailing, jetski and other activities once there. PG is booked.
Bohol isnt expensive when you travel by plane via cebu and then a fast craft from cebu to bohol. Bohol is super nice and the people are very friendly. El nido is also not bad if you travel via puerto princesa but the road trip from puerto princesa to el nido was bad a couple of years back (rough, unpaved and winding road).
I was there once again last week. Camotes has changed a lot even between 2010 and 2016, never mind between when I first went there in 2002 and now, since which time it has totally transformed. In those days you couldn't even buy a barbecue after about 7pm in San Fran the largest town on the islands. Now it stays open pretty late. Not quite 24 hours, but you would not have a problem getting ice in San Fran market at about 11pm. they built the big Baywalk entertainment area behind the San Fran market in about 2011, which had previously been a rat-infested health hazard. Now it has children's rides and a nice place for people to gather in the evenings with live bands many nights of the week. Poro has also had quite a bit of money spent on it. in 2010 there was maybe 2 gas stations on the islands. Now there's 16. there's a mall now - the Fiesta. It might be full of made in China junk, but since it opened it has improved and there is now cheapo but ok pinoy restaurants on the site, when there wasn't before. Lake Danao has also totally transformed. Even five years ago there was nothing touristy there to do at all. Now there's a zoo, restaurants, a swimming pool, horse rides, kayaks, and all sorts of stuff. They're making a zipline. there's a foreigner bar there in San Fran now too and quite a good one as well, unlike in Bantayan the foreigner residents are spread out all over the islands rather than concentrated in Santa Fe like they are in Bantayan. But there are more foreigners in San Fran than any other of the island's four municipalities. Mangodlong is quite an old resort, it's not as inexpensive as Santiago but not all that high end. It is the newer Paradise adjacent to it that is the most expensive one. but Camotes has loads of inexpensive places to stay and this is one of the best things about it. Ensuite fan rooms for as low as 300 pesos (5 pounds) a night, even with pinoy tv and situated on the seafront where you can swim at high tide.
I was talking relative to other islands which are a lot more "touristy" than Camotes has ever been, still keeping a certain simplicity and charm about itself. We didn't manage to go Lake Danao this time as it was too hot on the motorbike(burning like a crisp despite being quite covered) so wasn't aware of all the changes there. Not sure why they have the petrol stations (I did see a newly built one) when there are Coke bottles full of petrol on virtually every corner or long straight. There is now BBQ available at the end of Santiago beach which wasn't there in 2010 but again still simple. If you compare the amount of foreign owned places in Camotes to say, Bantayan or Bohol, there is no comparison to be made. I was actually referring to Mangodlong paradise resort and not Mangodlong rock resort. Totally agree about the cheap fan rooms, plenty around so you can lay your hat wherever suits
Some interesting and good info on this thread , I'm interested in trying Camotes soon , as I haven't been there yet . I'm back in Bantayan now, on a quick visit and still like that it's pretty laid back . I've been to Bohol three times now , and will still probably return . I love the roads there and will drive/ride next time instead of taking the tour van. Camiguin is also somewhere that interests me , but any more suggestions on places from Cebu would be appreciated . I've done Palawan, Boracay, Malapasqua and Siquihor so far ,as well as the places in South Cebu , like Kawasan Falls , Moalboal and Badian Island .
