Oh My Janey

Coffee in the Mountain: Mt. Manabu, Sto. Tomas, Batangas (Day Hike Itinerary)

mt manabu sto tomas batangas Almost three years since my traumatizing experience climbing Pico de Loro, I decided to give hiking another try. They promised me that it’d be easy, and besides, it would only be a day hike. So off I went with my former officemates to give mountain climbing another shot.

Mt. Manabu is located in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, and I foolishly didn’t realize that it’s just a stone’s throw away from my home in Laguna. I’ve been surrounded by mountains all my life, but I didn’t really know the names of these mountains surrounding our town. At least now I know Manabu!

Coined from the words “mataas na bundok,” Mt. Manabu is actually not that high. Though it’s listed as the highest mountain in the Calabarzon area, it only took us about two hours to reach the top. Please note that we are amateur climbers. It’s definitely perfect for beginners (like moi) and for those who are only looking for a leisurely climb.

On Saturday, we met up in Buendia to ride a bus to Lipa, Batangas. From SM Lipa, we only had to ride a tricycle to reach the foot of the mountain. We didn’t plan to hire a guide, but since none of us had been there before, we decided to get one. [Read more…]

Valentine Weekend in Baguio City

bagui weekend

My sister  had an entire week off, and we couldn’t think of anywhere else to go. She wanted to go to Korea but buying a roundtrip ticket in a short notice would cost around 20K, so nope! Baguio seemed to be the safest choice since we also planned to pass by Manaoag on our way to Benguet.

So, we celebrated Valentine’s Day differently this year. Our family trooped up to Baguio to spend the weekend embracing the cold and munching on fresh produce.  It’s also cold in Laguna the past few months, but the weather in the mountains was pretty amazing!

I remember when I was a kid and we begged and begged our parents to take us to Baguio. Back then, the only travel destinations on my mind were Baguio and Boracay, haha. Some say that the summer capital of the Philippines is already overrated, but I’m still dreaming of spending months up there, looking for an apartment to rent, and just relaxing.

I still think it’s pretty great, and I’d love to explore less popular destinations next time I visit. This time, we only frequented the family and tourist-friendly spots. [Read more…]

Weekend Escape at Club Punta Fuego, Nasugbu, Batangas

punta fuego batangas punta fuego 3

The supposed two-hour ride to Club Punta Fuego took us five hours, which, I must say, was the only taxing thing about our short trip to Batangas. We ate more than we should and tried swimming in an infinity pool for the first time! Apparently, it’s just like any other pool there is.

Since my sister and I live away from home, our family tries to find a weekend when all us can go on a short vacation together.  But just like every other impromptu weekend outings, we arrived at the resort quite late. We rode on to sunset and reached Club Punta Fuego at around dinner time. [Read more…]

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