Kinabuhing Dagat: A Newly-discovered Sanctuary in Talisayan, Misamis Oriental

 It was my mom's 63rd birthday last week and we were looking for a nice place to celebrate. Due to restrictions brought by the pandemic, we were specifically looking for a place that is not crowded but where we can enjoy and relax at the same time. As I was searching, I came across Kinabuhing Dagat, a newly-opened resort in Purok 3, Barangay Kalamkam in Talisayan, Misamis Oriental. Looking at the photos, I immediately inquired on how to make a reservation, etc.

So, here's some details if you want to spend your day in this sanctuary.

👉 They don't accept walk-ins. You have to make advance booking or reservation through this contact number: 0927 613 3462 

👉 Cottage rate is P2,000.00 and I think it's good for 15-20 persons. 

👉 No corkage and entrance fees so you can bring any food and drinks that you want.

👉 There's a parking area for vehicles.

👉 From the highway, you will be entering a rough road going to the place. So, expect some bumpy ride in going there.

I highly recommend this place because...

...it is very clean. I observed that the staff always go around to pick up dry leaves and trash in the area. 

... the sand is white and the water is clear. 

...it is not crowded. They only have 5 cottages and the place is gated so only those who made reservations can enter.

...the entire place is picture-worthy. 

It's a perfect place to go to if you want to escape from the bustling noise of the city or if you simply want to enjoy and relax at the same time.

Till next time!!!

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A Day in Misamis Oriental: Halseyle Hill + Mantianak + Nita's Place + Alibuag

 Ever since I went on a trip to Bukidnon with my former co-teachers , we have been wanting to travel together again but this time, in a different place. We have been so stressed out in the past few months adjusting to the new normal set-up in our workplaces and we felt that traveling would somehow soothe the uneasiness brought about by the many changes that we are experiencing. We were brainstorming on where to go. We did not want to go far away but we want to go somewhere we've never been before. After a few months of talking over FB messenger, our one-day trip to Misamis Oriental came true. We went to 4 places in 2 municipalities in Misamis Oriental.

 Sharing with you our itinerary and some details on the trip.

1. Halseyle's Hill, Sugbongcogon, Misamis Oriental

Entrance: P50.00

How to get there: It's on the right side of the road when you are traveling from Cagayan de Oro. There's a big sign on the highway.

This was our first stop since it was the closest from Cagayan de Oro. What's nice about this place is that it got a very nice view of Camiguin Island from afar. You can also take a lot of photos from the place since they took an effort to do landscaping of the place. You can order coffee and some from their mini-cafe. There is some ongoing construction to an amenity, probably a restaurant. I would visit again, definitely.

2. Mantianak Zoological and Botanical Garden, Sugbongcogon, Misamis Oriental

Entrance Fee: P100.00

How to get there: Located across Sugbongcogon National High School

I've been to Mantianak once a couple of years back but since we were already in Sugbongcogon and some of my colleagues were not able to visit it yet, we dropped by and enjoyed the place. If you're a plant and animal lover, it's something that you should visit when you are in Misamis Oriental.

3. Nita's Place, Talisayan, Misamis Oriental

Entrance Fee: No entrance to the restaurant, all you have to do is order food. But if you want to take photos of the place near the beach, you will need to pay P20.00.

After visiting Mantianak, it was almost noontime since we head on to Nita's Place in Talisayan to have our lunch.

If you like to take photos of the sky meeting the sea with some 'instagrammable' backgrounds, you can check this place out.

4. Alibuag Beach Resort, Sugbongcogon, Misamis Oriental

Entrance Fee: P40.00

Cottage Fee: varies

After lunch, we went back to Sugbongcogon to spend the rest of the afternoon in Alibuag Beach Resort known for its white sand and crystal clear waters.

I did not swim but my colleagues enjoyed the waters. 

After our trip, we were planning to go back home right away but decided at the last minute to drop by in Balingasag Baywalk to watch the sunset.

It was an enjoyable day with friends!

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Nights in Cebu: The Pyramid + Temple of Leah + La Vie In The Sky

Hello, everyone! It's been almost 3 months since my last blogpost and also almost 3 months since I wanted to right this blog. I got so busy with work and I did not have time to write a content but since it's a holiday, I got the chance to finally sit and write something for this blog.

Ever since the year started, there have been a lot of things that happened in my work as a teacher and one of this is being able to be part of a movement which advocates for the use of educational technology in the classroom. I'll write more about this on my education blog but it's definitely one of the things that we need to look forward to in our education system here in the Philippines. 

Being a part of this movement, I attended a 5-day training in Cebu City on the last weekend of May and for those days, it was jampacked with activities. I've been to Cebu many times already but there's always a place or a tourist spot to look forward to in every visit.
However, due to our schedule, we were not able to go out as much as we want to and stayed in the hotel most of the time. Our only chance to explore the city was during the evenings. 

Luckily though, we stayed in Montebello Villa Hotel, the only garden hotel in the heart of Cebu City. The hotel itself was picture-worthy. So, in one of the nights that we were in Cebu, we just stayed in the hotel, swam in the pool and listened to the band playing at the poolside.

Here are the three things we did in Cebu at night.

1. The Pyramid at the I.T. Park

On our first night though, we went to the I.T. Park to visit the Pyramid. It's an Asian Restaurant being known for its architectural design inspired by the Louvre Museum in Paris. It's definitely one of the places to go to when you are in the heart of Cebu.

Surrounding the area were these standees showing some famous tourist spots in Asia. We enjoyed taking photos with it. My most favorite is the one with a replica of the Merlion in Singapore. 

2. Temple of Leah

On our 2nd night, we went to the famous Temple of Leah owned by the Adarna Family. We were so lucky because the place closes at 8:00 PM and we were able to get there at around 7:45 PM. The guard allowed us to get in and we paid 50 pesos each as entrance fee. 

Then, we realize it was best to visit it at night. We literally have the place to ourselves since we were the only ones who were then we arrived. Our photos were really nice since there were no other people around. Haha. It was also cool at night, so we were able to stay longer. We couldn't imagine going there during the day.

3. La Vie In The Sky

After Temple of Leah, we decided to go to a new place which was recently trending because of its picturesque view of Cebu, the La Vie In The Sky. True enough, we were at awe with the view of the city from the restaurant while eating pizza and drinking wine. We also took photos of the 'instagrammable' place.

Those are the three things you can also do in Cebu at night. All of these three are in the heart of Cebu City, so you don't have to worry about travel time. Temple of Leah and La Vie in Sky are in the same area as well.

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Golden Dream Spring Resort - Jasaan, Misamis Oriental

Golden Dream Spring Resort is one of the many spring resorts located in Solana, Jasaan, Misamis Oriental near Spring View Resort and Laga Pool. If you are travelling from Cagayan de Oro City, it is located at the right side. The huge signage at the side of the road is placed to guide locals and tourists.

Fronting the resort is this untouched piece of nature

Just a few hundred meters from the main road, the small road going to the resort is mostly concrete and accessible. If you are commuting, you can even walk going to the road from the main road. 

Here are some details of the resort:

The resort is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Entrance Fee is 50 pesos for adult, 30 pesos for kids, and 40 pesos for Senior Citizens. 

Table - 300 pesos (rent)

Nipa - 500 pesos (rent)

Medium Cottage - 500 pesos (rent)

Once you pay the entrance fee, they will put a badge on you and you are not allowed to take it off if you are in the resort's premises.

Adult Pool - 4 ft near the slides, 6 ft (the other half)

Children's Pool with slides

We The water is very cool and fresh from the spring. I suggest to go there early. Since its cheap and the water is flowing, the resorts gets very crowded from around 10 AM onwards, especially on weekends. We moved out from the place at around 11 AM because the pools were already full of people. 

Aside from the vending machine for coffee and water, there is a store inside the resort where you can buy junk food and cold drinks.

From left to right: My brother Nets, my daughter Aisha, my nephew Emman, and I

One of the new attractions in the resort are the life-size statues of the Marvel superheroes and cartoon characters. Everyone had a great time taking photos with the life-size figures.

Positive:

• Water is flowing
• Cool and refreshing spring water
• No need to wear appropriate swimwear
• Clean showers
• Clean surroundings
• Cheap
• Accessible

Negative:

• Gets overcrowded especially on weekends
• Does not offer overnight stay
• No appropriate parking (but the employees were helpful)
• No lifeguard
• No reservations

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thekagayanon

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