Tag Archives: Philippines

Destination, Uncategorized

Sunlight Hotel Is A Rose Amongst Thorns

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We were flying through the dimly lit afternoon sky heading towards the small exotic island of Palawan, nested between the Sulu and the South China Sea. At that point in time, I had an idea of how I imagined the island to be fixed in my mind. The stereotypical white sandy beaches with palm trees and fallen coconuts littering the shoreline. As for the city itself, I was completely clueless as to what I should be expecting.

As the captain announced that we would soon be landing, I began staring out of the window trying to see the island. I was staring, looking for the white sandy beaches with palm-filled shorelines but they never came. An island eventually came into view, a small land mass covered with vegetation with the occasional small houses poking through the tree line.

As we flew over the city, I couldn’t help but think about how rural this town seemed. After spending my time in The Philippines always travelling between the urban sprawls of Cebu and Manila, this city seemed so small in comparison. Then I began to realise how low the plane was flying at that point; I started noticing how easily I could easily see the people walking through the streets. I could watch everything that was happening in the streets of Puerto Princesa in detail, as we made our way to the airport.

Once we landed, we quickly walked from the plane got our bags, then set our focus to getting to the hotel. A young man greeted us outside the airport, then went on to offer to take us to where we would be staying, the Sunlight Hotel. I have come to realise anybody who is enthusiastically offering you a ride outside the airport is generally trying to get a bit of extra money from you.

I would love to think that I have stopped falling for these tactics, but unfortunately, this guy managed to fool me and get double the standard fare for that particular route.

After a short 5-10 minute tricycle ride we were there standing outside a multistory supermarket. Our hotel lobby occupied a small section of the supermarkets ground floor as the hotel itself held the top story of the supermarket building. As I entered the building, I let out a sigh of relief. I knew Palawan was an isolated place, so I had no idea what to expect from the mid-range hotels. But from the look of the Sunlight Hotel lobby, I could tell straight away that this would be comfortable there.

After spending the previous sleeping on the floor of a friends condo, it was nice to be in our own room again. The room was beautifully decorated and was so much bigger than an average hotel room. We were only there for a few days before going to El Nido, if I hadn’t planned other activities in Puerto Princesa I could have easily just stayed and relaxed inside our room.

The first morning I was awoken early in the morning by a whistling sound which quickly built to a loud roar, it was the last thing I had expected to hear at that time in the morning.

As soon as it had come the sound disappeared leaving the dull sound of heavy wind. I immediately remembered how low we had flown over the city when coming into the airport; I had in no way imagined that the noise from the plane would be as loud as it was. But this, for me was a minor inconvenience for our stay in the Sunlight Hotel.

After our spending several nights in Puerto Princesa it came time for us to move on to El Nido. I had loved our stay in Sunlight Hotel; I actually would have liked to stay there and enjoy it a bit longer. But our primary reason for visiting Palawan was to see the beautiful scenery of El Nido, so we had to move on.

All in all our stay at Sunlight Hotel was extremely positive. It exceeded my expectation when it came to the quality of the hotel. I liked the hotel so much that we returned there another time, but I think I will save that story for later…

 

 

 

Food, Uncategorized

Healthy Options Within The Philippines

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It’s no secret now that I have been especially conscious of the kinds of foods that I am putting into my body, I have written about it in several of my older articles now. I’ve been having gut related issues for the past year now, to fix the problem I have cut out any foods which may cause any sort of discomfort to my gut. This means I have been avoiding any sugars, soy, dairy amongst other things to let my gut rest and allow it to heal. 

Sticking to this diet would normally be quite easy if I had a permanent housing setup where I could easily cook for myself. But constantly being on the move brings up a lot of challenges with maintaining my diet. To overcome these hurdles, I resorted to doing some research on the internet to find stores and restaurants which could supply me with healthy foods and snacks which reside within my dietary restrictions.

The first store I came across was Healthy Options, which is one of the biggest health food store chains in The Philippines. After a quick visit to their store, I found that this is exactly what I was after. They offered a wide variety of teas and vegetable juices which I drink as an on the go snack during the day.

They also had coconut oil which is crucial for me, as I am not taking in any carbohydrates my body goes into a state of ketosis, which causes it to use fat as a source of energy. So the coconut oil becomes a primary source of energy for me while I am on this diet.

It was also surprisingly hard to find good quality nuts in a lot of the supermarkets within The Philippines. A lot of the nuts come soaked in artificial flavours which to me seems to erase any health benefits you might gain from eating them. But thankfully Healthy Options also stocked a good variety of nuts there too, all in their natural state, not soaked in bbq powder or some spicy chilli powder.

Thanks to Healthy Options I no longer have to worry about where I can get good quality health food. I now have a destination where I can regularly get good quality healthy snacks and supplements to help me get past my health issues.

Healthy Options is now part of my regular shopping routine as I am yet to find another store which caters to my needs as well as they do.
Destination

Its A Pleasure Staying At Hotel Elizabeth

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In no way would I classify myself as being a wealthy man, I have enough to live comfortably off of but I still have to be conscious of living within my means. This means that while I am travelling through The Philippines my accommodation is mostly restricted to the mid-tier hotels as I don’t fancy having to empty my bank account to pay for what might be an extended stay in a high-end hotel.

This allows me to stay somewhere reasonably nice. The rooms are clean, all the services you expect are available, and the common consumable products like tea, coffee and soap are supplied to you daily. Recently I stepped outside my usual string of “go to” hotels in Cebu and decided to try something a little more upmarket.

I was staying at my usual hotel in Cebu, a small hotel within walking distance of Fuente Circle. One evening I was browsing travel websites when I realised something was up with my booking. I had booked the next hotel I would move onto on the wrong date. Meaning that there was a period of a few days where I had nowhere to stay.

I instantly sprung into action and began browsing travel sites, looking for a place to stay for those few days.

Due to the late notice a lot of the popular places had no rooms available, then I noticed one of the high-end hotels in Cebu, Hotel Elizabeth was offering its rooms at a large discount. Without hesitation, I booked it, as you rarely get to experience a hotel of that calibre at such a low price.

Staying at Cebu Cities Hotel Elizabeth

The next day we arrived at the hotel, I immediately went into a mindset of comparing it to other hotels I frequently stay in.

The external presentation of the hotel trumped almost anything else I had seen in Cebu. On approach you know you will be staying somewhere nice, the hotel looks almost immaculate. I was impressed by the quality and attention shown by the presentation of the exterior of the building.

Once I was in the lobby, I unfortunately had the displeasure of having to line up at the check-in counter behind what seemed like an older entitled European man. This changed my mood quickly after having to listen to him shouting over to the porter to take his bags to the room. This made no sense to me as the porter was already in the middle of putting the man’s bags on a trolley to take to the room.

Seeing people treating service industry staff as if they are beneath them always puts me in a bad mood, but this quickly changed as the staff at Hotel Elizabeth were pleasant to deal with. Within minutes they had me checked in and had arranged someone to escort me with my bags to the room.

On arrival, I realised why this hotel is generally priced at about double the rate I would normally pay for a room. It felt more like a house than a hotel room, the bathroom alone was almost as big as the entire hotel room I usually stay in.

The room had everything you would need plus more. Several couches, a large desk to work from then another desk with a mirror and light for makeup, a large king sized bed, a mini bar with fridge and serving area etc.

It had everything you would need to feel at home while being away from home.

It felt amazing being in a hotel room of that size. Once you fill an average hotel room with the bed and desk there’s not much room left for anything else. After being in so many small hotel rooms I appreciated the feeling of not being confined to a little box. I loved the feeling of being in a large open space, it made the room feel a lot more fresh.

Overall my stay in the hotel was extremely positive. I will be watching travel websites like a hawk now, waiting for the prices at Hotel Elizabeth to drop into a range which I can afford. I have had a taste of the next level of hotel living, I’m am now keen to experience it again.

If you can afford the extra cash, I would not hesitate to book at Hotel Elizabeth. I think the comfort and convenience are worth the small financial sacrifice.

Culture

Taxi Drivers In The Philippines Surprised Me

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Cebu taxi drivers have just left one of the most positive impressions I have had with Philippine taxi drivers in a very long time.

As someone who spends a lot of time in Manila, I try to avoid using taxis by any means necessary.

I have even gone as far as trying to book accommodation within walking distance to the LRT and MRT, just to minimize the number of times I may have to rely on taxis to travel the city.

I remember long evenings spent on EDSA trying to find a driver who would offer a price below 1000 pesos for a 10-minute ride.

I remember an instance when a driver – with no explanation – pulled over on the side of the highway, got out and opened the trunk. He then went on to tinker in there for a minute or two. He then got back into the car, barely able to hold back the smile on his face and took off driving again with no explanation.

Within seconds I noticed the meter was moving extremely quickly, easily 3 – 4 times the regular rate.

By the end of the trip, a normally 100 peso ride was going to cost me almost 600 pesos. So I let him know I had taken down all his details and was ready to make a report, this was then followed by him almost crying and telling me to pay what I think the ride was worth.

Basically, if I decide to use a taxi I have to accept that I will be dealing with a scenario similar to these. There have been some days where I have travelled trouble free, not having to deal with drivers trying to funnel money out of me. But days like that are outnumbered by days dealing with hustlers.

At least up until I visited Cebu recently.

The Miracle Cebu Experience

The first thing I do on arrival to either Cebu or Manila is avoid the arrivals area. I will leave the plane to get my luggage and then immediately walk to the departure area to look for a taxi that has just dropped off passengers.

-I am so used to being overwhelmed with people offering 700 – 800 peso fares the moment I step out of the arrival area, now I just resorted to avoiding it completely.

The biggest hurdle I now face on arrival to Cebu is having to deal with an upset security guard, they usually aren’t too happy with people trying to find a taxi in the departure areas. I have been doing this every time I arrive in Manila and Cebu so I now have it down to an art.

Instead of being offered a ride to my hotel at a premium price, I now get a ride from the departure area in a regular metered taxi.

This is why Cebu City is now possibly my favourite city.

Next came my day to day travels throughout the city. This really caught me off guard, I was taking taxi after taxi, not once did they ask for a fixed price.

I would simply get into the taxi, they would then turn on the meter and begin the journey.

I don’t know if this was just luck or if there have been tighter laws have been put in place for taxi drivers in Cebu. Either way, it turned the usually daunting task of having to find a taxi driver who would treat you like a normal person into a simple operation which I had to no longer think twice about.

When getting taxis from malls I have noticed signs which stated that the fixed price rides were not allowed, this I think was the source of my pleasant stay in Cebu.

Every taxi ride I got was either from the front of my hotel or from a taxi queue at a mall. This means I was given the details of the driver and it seemed the driver had to follow certain rules if they were going to take passengers from those locations otherwise they would be reported and face disciplinary action.

Whatever has happened to keep the drivers in line with the first world standard of taxi service – it should be held in place.

Although they might not be making as much money through their scams, I feel it would draw a lot more people back towards using their services. I previously found myself resorting to just using Jeepneys or the more convenient Uber, so my recent experience has helped to build my faith again in the Philippines taxi industry.

 

 

Food, Uncategorized

My Breakfast Buffet Induced Gluttony

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,My stay in The Philippines has now reached a tipping point. I feel I’ve been here long enough to no longer consider myself simply a tourist or visitor. Although I still have people regularly assume that I have just arrived in The Philippines. They will inform me that a new president has just been elected or tell me to plan my travels carefully as delays are common due to traffic.

With spending significant time in the country comes quite a lot of experience with living out of hotels. I took this route as opposed to renting an apartment or condo due to convenience. Earlier I had tried renting condos as the initial price was a lot cheaper than staying in hotels for long periods of time. Though I quickly realized that a hotel is what suits my needs; I am happy to pay extra for the convenience that comes with services such as the housekeeping and room service.

One thing the hotel lifestyle has made me accustomed to is waking up to the buffet breakfasts. When I was younger not a lot got me more excited than my parent telling me we would be dining at a buffet restaurant. The thought of an unlimited spread of all the food you love available to you in a supply only limited by the size of your stomach was overwhelming for such a young mind.

As I have grown older I have usually chosen to have the hotel buffet more due to the financial advantage. To get the buffet a small charge is added to the room; this is a lot less than the cost to get breakfast outside of the hotel. I usually wait until just before the buffet closes to have breakfast; having a late breakfast means that I don’t feel hungry for the majority of the day. Basically, I’m just cheap, also I hate having to eat all the time. So having one big meal later in the morning is ideal for me.

I am starting to realize that there is a trade-off between eating the buffet and dining at a traditional restaurant. What stands out to me is that it feels so informal. I walk in, I am greeted by a waitress who then escorts me to a table. Then I simply take a plate and begin helping myself to what is available. Most of the time I am too lazy to change out of what I wore to bed that evening; it usually seems like the rest of the people in the restaurant made that same decision.

The quantity also becomes an issue; a lot of the better buffets offer seemingly every type of breakfast food available. For me breakfast food is one of my guilty pleasures. I love having coffee and orange juice with a plate of crepes and some fruit. Maybe I can grab a bowl of cereal and some toast once I finish? The possibilities are all there which makes self-control important when you are in the presence of a good breakfast buffet.

One thing I do love about having the option to choose what to eat is that it allows me to grab exactly what suits my diet. Although a lot of the vegetables are not usually the best quality I still love having that option available to me. I have so many dietary restrictions, so seeing buffets which cater to a wide variety of dietary styles makes me extremely happy.

The breakfast buffet for me has become a fairly important prerequisite as to whether I book a hotel room or not. The buffet is an important part of my morning as I can spend the time waking up, getting myself into a relaxed positive frame of mind and take in the energy I need to get the most out of my day within The Philippines.

 

Food

Balut, The Philippine snack like no other.

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Balut is one aspect of a vibrant array of food eaten in the Philippines. Across the countries seven thousand islands, you will find local communities, all with their own unique delicacies. You will regularly find people enjoying sea urchin, worms, and chicken organs. This style of food can be purchased from street food vendors, and markets found across the country.

Within this street food scene, is where you will find Balut. It is often spoken about as a delicacy, though in modern day Philippines, it belongs more in the street food category. Delicacy implies luxury food items like truffles or caviar. Though it once could have been in that category, you will now find Balut being sold in places like the streets of Manila. The locals love the egg to be nice and hot, and love to wash it down with a cold beer. 

So, let’s continue to see what this famous Filipino dish actually is.

So, what exactly is Balut?

Balut is a chicken or duck egg which is boiled or steamed. You then crack open the top of the shell, then pour some salt and vinegar to the top, some people add other toppings like chilli sauce to the egg.

Now, what makes Balut interesting is the egg is fertilised. The embryo is left to grow in the egg for around sixteen to twenty-one days. The egg is then cooked and served to customers with not only the yolk present inside, but also the embryo.

I know it doesn’t sound alluring, eating a half developed embryo isn’t everyone’s idea of a delicious snack. A lot of foreign tourists are put off by the sight of the egg. But many people do try it when they visit the country.

Most “first timers” will opt for an egg that is around the 16-week mark, as the embryo is less developed, the appearance is a little less intimidating. Although it looks off-putting, the taste of the hot egg with the salt and vinegar is actually quite nice.

Besides the large amounts of salt added to the egg, the dish isn’t completely bad for you. It contains all the usual health benefits from egg, as well as being rich in vitamin C, protein, calcium, and beta-carotene.

Where did Balut originate? 

Balut began to emerge in the Philippines starting in the 16th century. The Chinese population in the country were primarily responsible for the adoption of the food in the Philippines. Before refrigerators were created, the Chinese use the fertilised duck eggs as a means of extending the shelf life of the eggs.

The global influence that comes with high levels of migration from south-east Asian nations can also not be ignored. The initial spread of Balut came from Chinese migration to nations such as the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand. Now with high levels of migration into western nations, you can now easily find Balut almost anywhere. It’s as easy as paying a visit to your local Asian supermarket.

Balut holds a particular cultural importance in Philippine history, now reaching the position of being the countries “national street food”. This demand for these fertilised eggs has helped strengthen the farming industry in the country. Ducks have become one of the most profitable livestock in the farming industry.

A lot of sociocultural factors dominate Balut market. These factors are different from the nutritional values. as it is a good source of protein and calcium. But that is not the primary reason why it is loved by Filipinos.

The home to this vibrant industry at one point was found in the nation’s capital of Manila. More particularly Pateros, a municipality within Manila.

Pateros held an estimated 400,000ducks, meaning this was the primary source of income for the residents in the area. During the 50s and 60s, this region was teaming with life due to the duck industry. The local makers had developed their own methods of creating Balut, and salted egg. This started from the careful selection of the egg through to the incubation and cooking process.

Unfortunately, this did not last. With the increasing pollution of Metro Manila came the downfall of the local duck industry. Through the 70s the industry began to move out to more environmentally friendly regions like Laguna.

Click here to read more about exciting Filipino cuisine.

What is involved in preparing Balut?

Balut is prepared in a cautious and controlled manner. The technique used will determine whether or not you get the best flavours. All the techniques used have been traditionally learned by the local makers.

The fertilised eggs are first taken and incubated under the heat of the sun, or they may be buried in layers of sand. Then they are placed in bamboo baskets to sustain the warmth to help preserve the egg. After a period of nine days, the eggs are finally revealed to a light source to see the embryo inside.

The various stages of maturation of the egg and different controlled temperatures play a significant role to accentuate all the characteristics a good egg would have. The egg changes colour during the maturation period also.

Now, you may be wondering when is the egg ready to eat?

Well, the time of incubation of the egg before they are boiled depends on the locals, which vary from 14 to 18 days. After cooking, the eggshell is cracked open, this is were you will familiarise yourself with the primary parts of the dish.

First you’ll notice a mix of the embryo and the egg yolk peering through the crack in the shell,if you then tip the egg, you’ll find the broth inside that everyone loves to drink. Then at the end you’ll find the hard rubbery part known as the rock. The whole process of making and consuming Balut is in itself an experience.

So when visiting the Philippines, it will be hard to avoid trying Balut. You can find it everywhere these days. Most of it you will find is the mass-produced style, these are made at large commercial farms where the ducks receive a generic feed.

Some of the exotic restaurants which cater to tourists have their own version of the Balut where it is had with a lot of spices and salts. This Balut is often sourced from more boutique farms, where they pay special attention to the kind of food they give their ducks to ensure they achieve the highest quality egg.

So, as you can see, the simple act of enjoying Balut is a means to immerse yourself in the local culture of the Filipinos and have a first-hand experience of their traditions.

The preparation techniques of Balut have evolved in modern day life, and I’m sure will continue to develop into the future. This makes Balut one of Philippine’s widely sought after dish; now you can try one too.

Click here to learn more about the vibrant culture of the Philippines!

Culture

My doctor fish pedicure: Doctor fish spas across Cebu

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My first encounter with the doctor fish came about by complete accident. It started with me and my significant other, laying in our room one morning – way later than we should have been. 

I was browsing the internet looking for somewhere interesting to go while my girlfriend took care of her social media accounts. Our days were becoming too routine. I had become tired of doing the same things every day. It was about time we spiced up our day – even if it was only for a few hours.

While scrolling through Google I spotted the name of a place sounded interesting. It was called Rainforest Park Cebu; the website made me feel as if we were going to some nature reserve yet it sat in the heart of suburban Cebu. We went, only because of the lack of any better options.

The Park was exactly where the map had shown. In the heart of Cebu, sitting right next to 7/11 sat Rainforest Park Cebu.

The park has a collection of several interesting activities which I will admit are a lot more fun than I thought; especially the rope course they’ve set up. The main attraction I want to talk about is the doctor fish (Garra rufa). The small fish you probably have seen which seem to enjoy biting dead skin off of peoples’ feet.

We paid for the doctor fish upon entry so after finishing up our activities we made our way to the fish spa. At this point, most of the assistants seemed oblivious to our presence.

Basically, we walked into the area housing the fish, a small boy wandered into the room behind us. He turned on a small tap, then directed us to wash our feet.

From that point on we saw nobody until we left the area. Based on the looks on their faces when we left, it seemed the employees were not even aware we were in the spa.

The experience though was actually a lot more pleasant than what I expected. At first, there’s a period in which I had to get over having these fish feasting on my feet.

Once I began to relax and got used to the feeling, it began to turn from the sensation of small fish biting your feet to a sensation similar to bubbles rising around your feet.

Overall it was a nice way to finish our day at the Rainforest Park. It wasn’t anything miraculous like posters displayed in the room were implying; it just felt like a nice way to relax.

Experience Cebus leaders in doctor fish therapy

Eventually, word got out about our doctor fish experience. We received a suggestion to visit JMall in Mandaue as there’s a good quality shop also housing doctor fish, called Goodwill Dr Fish Spa. We took a while to find the shop; it was at JMall but it was housed in the basement next to the car park.

We immediately noticed the difference in the two services:

  • The fish at JMall are easily triple the size of the fish kept at the Rainforest Park.
  • There were also a lot more fish housed at Goodwill Dr. Fish Spa, this was probably the most noticeable difference; our feet were completely covered with fish, were at the previous fish spa there had been nowhere near that many.
  • The price was lower at Goodwill Dr. Fish Spa, although it’s a small price saving, I’m always happy not having to unnecessarily spend money

After the second fish spa, I again felt little effect besides feeling slightly more relaxed than what I was beforehand. There were a lot of claims made on some posters at the stores about health benefit stemming from using doctor fish, but it really seemed like they were stretching the truth. After using them I really think they are useful purely for people looking for a more interesting method of receiving a pedicure, or people who just want to relax for a while in a serene environment.

Am I going to be okay? Hygiene concerns surrounding Dr Fish treatment

It is important to note that investigations have lead to fish spas being banned in the USA. Unlike traditional instruments which are cleaned after performing a pedicure, the fish maybe used to treat several clients each day.

Concerns of fish coming into contact with multiple clients coupled with concerns regarding the fish secretion in the water have lead to suspicions of fungal and bacterial infections being transmitted to clients using the service. Especially clients who may have cuts or abrasions on their feet.

These issues were addressed by some salons, who attempted to keep the process as sanitary as possible. Many allocate personal foot baths to each client, they then limit how often they use each fish in a pedicure.

Many salons have begun using UV filtered tanks to store fish, also putting more effective filtration systems in the water tanks. This is to make sure any harmful bacteria which may enter the water is removed as soon as possible.

Despite the health concerns being minor, some salons go as far as inspecting the feet of clients. They want to ensure the feet are free from any open wounds before the clients fish spa.

No matter how far salons go, there will always remain a sanitation related risk, albeit minor. Therefore, it is up to the customer to decide whether they are happy to take part in the doctor fish experience or not after weighing up the risk.

So, what is a doctor fish?

The doctor fish or Garra Rufa originate in the Middle East. They are found in the rivers and hot springs of Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, and Syria.

That’s right, hot springs:

The fish are often found in waters averaging 28°C but they are also found in thermal springs which sits at temperatures around 37°C.

The fish are a kind of toothless carp which would eat algae, plankton, and other microscopic organisms found in the rivers. It also seems the fish enjoy the taste of our dead skin cells which they remove by scrapping their mouth along the skin of the foot.

 

Food

The Cebu Yacht Club Experience

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I’m sure it’s no secret that The Philippines can be a crowded place. It’s known for its busy malls, traffic-filled roads and the general hustle and bustle occurring throughout the streets of the Philippines.

From this vibrant social culture comes a few trade-offs, some which become very obvious after experiencing day to day life of living in the Philippines.

The fact is there are people everywhere.

Whether you are in Manila, Cebu or any other major city you will always be surrounded by people.

This may seem like a normal state for native Filipinos but for someone from a relatively small city this really stands out. When dining out, trying to find somewhere which is relatively quiet during the lunch or dinner time peaks is often an impossible endeavour.

The Cebu Yacht Club experience

These are not bad problems:

Though sometimes it’s nice to have a change. Sometimes it’s nice to enjoy a quality lunch or dinner away from the usually crowded restaurant districts.

Recently we visited a quiet tucked away, open air restaurant in Lapu-Lapu, Cebu. The restaurant was called the Cebu Yacht Club. We became aware of it after a friends recommended that we visit.

After a short taxi ride from our place in Cebu city, we arrived at the restaurant. It is located right by the waters of the Mactan channel with views of Osmeña bridge. This restaurant was exactly what I had been looking for.

There wasn’t much to not like about this place. It is situated away from the main street running through Mactan island. This meant there was almost nobody walking through the area. The few people I could see were either dining at the restaurant or were dealing with their yachts.



Dining alongside the Mactan Channel

It was refreshing to dine in an uncrowded restaurant looking out over the waters of the Mactan channel; the only noise coming from the wind blowing through the trees.

I am also currently on a strict diet so I was interested to see what kind of food options they had to offer. Their menu had a diverse range of options which was able to cater to anybody. I am quite strict with what I am able to eat yet I was still able to order plenty of tasty meals from the menu with no hassle.

The food tasted great, it was all really healthy and it was a good price. I ordered their bratwurst sausage with sauerkraut as well as their tuna flake salad. The quality of the food was beyond what I was expecting considering the prices were relatively low.

The restaurant really exceeded my expectations. It had a great atmosphere and is in the perfect location while offering good quality food. The Cebu Yacht Club easily measures up to any other quality mid-range restaurant in Cebu.

Cebu Yacht Club can definitely expect to see me there again. As I noted previously it is extremely hard to find restaurants selling food which caters to my diet. Finding a place like Cebu Yacht Club is a valuable resource for me and others. You can have somewhere to enjoy tasty food and not have to worry about any negative impacts on your health.

So if your in Cebu City and you are looking for a new, relaxing dining experience Cebu Yacht Club is worth a visit.

The Cebu Yacht Club is open on weekdays 8am-5pm; Sat 8am-12pm.

Read more about the unique kinds of food you may find in the Philippines

Food, Uncategorized

The Hunt For Healthy Food

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Within the past year, I have been pushed to be extremely conscious about the kinds of foods I have been putting into my body. In my early adult years, I would always prioritize snack food over healthy food due to my on the go lifestyle.

I would regularly buy drinks containing ridiculous amounts of sugar, then spend my evenings and weekends consuming foods soaked in fat, sugar, and salt followed by an evening of indulging in copious amounts of alcohol.

Unfortunately, this lifestyle eventually caught up with me. Combine the damage to my gut from my avoidance of any healthy food along with a few hits of heavy stress and dysentery after traveling to tropical destinations and you end up with your gut being in an extremely poor state.

I am now committed to not touching any food which may provide more work for my gut than what’s necessary.
I want to create an environment where my gut can sit dormant for a period of time to repair itself. A change from my previous habits of constantly consuming inflammatory products. This means no bread, pasta, sugars, rice, fruit, fried food… Basically, my meals largely consist of some sort of protein accompanied with a large plate of vegetables.
The challenge for me hasn’t been motivating myself to limit the types of foods I eat. The fact I ate myself into this condition is enough motivation for me to change my ways. Now the real challenge has come from actually being able to access the sorts of healthy food I need to eat to heal my gut.
I am currently living in Cebu and have little access to anything which could be used to cook my own meals, this means I am heavily reliant on the hospitality industry within the city to get the food I need.
This so far has been extremely challenging but I am slowly starting to figure out where I can go and what I can buy.
The first thing I noticed is how challenging it is to even get good quality fresh fruits and vegetables. In most of my meals, I would try and include good sources of fat such as avocado. This was extremely important for me as I wasn’t taking in any carbohydrates; meaning my body was now relying on avocado as a source of energy. If I wasn’t eating avocados my body would burn my body fat, I would then begin to drop weight, fast. So obviously to counteract this I was eating a couple of avocados a day. It seems that I arrived at a bad time because I can not seem to find avocados anywhere.
In regards to other vegetables, I found that a lot of them just have no flavor. I eat carrot regularly as a snack food, but I have yet to find carrots which haven’t got a dry, bitter taste to them. I’m sure there is good quality produce somewhere in the city, I just have to hunt them down.
On a side note, I did actually find a small juice bar/food stand in Ayala. I quickly became a regular customer there as their food fits my dietary restrictions so well. It is almost like the menu is made to fit me personally. It’s called Mooshi, you can find it on the third level in front of Rustans. The menu is full nutrient dense foods which will not cause any discomfort to your body. You will not find any sugar packed foods on the menu. This is all food which will
keep you functioning at your best.
So, for the time being, I will be using this as the main source of my daily nutrient needs. Plus their food tastes a lot better than the vegetables I have been eating from various supermarkets in Cebu.
Hopefully, over time I will continue to gain knowledge of places in Cebu where I can source good quality healthy food in order to make my stay here a lot more comfortable for me and also my body.
Destination, Uncategorized

Why I Love Manila PT II

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We were now making our way through The Manila international airport NAIA. Alongside us was a pool of passengers who had also left the flight from Singapore. Our first job was the usual checking in with the immigration department.

Then we needed to find a taxi to take us to our condo so we could finalize our journey. While walking through NAIA my head was flooded with different thoughts of the airport. It was mostly just me noticing how bare and empty it felt. We had just left Changi airport in Singapore, so after that experience NAIA seemed a little more underwhelming than usual.

As I got to immigration I became slightly anxious. I had been told that immigration would ask to see a return ticket, which I did not have. The lady at the counter signaled me through, asked for my documents, and then began checking everything. She asked how long I would be staying, I answered two weeks as that seemed like an average holiday length. Without hesitation, she simply handed me back my passport and gave me a nod.

This is it, we were finally free in Manila. We stepped out of NAIA and were immediately hit with the warm humid air, along with the dull background noise that comes with the chaos of such a densely populated city. I felt like our sweat glands had almost immediately went into overdrive. Most likely because we had just left winter in Australia, this seemed to amplify the feeling of the tropical weather of The Philippines.

Once we had left the restricted area I was immediately overcome by a feeling of entering the lion’s den.  Within seconds of leaving NAIA, we were swarmed by taxi drivers trying to get us into their vehicles. It was overwhelming being surrounded by so many drivers shouting out their prices. It was a stark contrast to what we had experienced in Singapore where we had been approached by one man who directed us toward a driver standing a few meters away leaning on his taxi.

We finally settled on a price with a driver, which I later realized was roughly 3 times the price of what it should have been. We then began our journey to the condo, this was right at the same moment I realized I was desperate to have some rest. This also quickly became the moment in which my mind was blown.

We left the immediate premises of NAIA, I felt a rush of excitement as we were finally on our way to our final destination after roughly 12 hours of flying. Within minutes my spirits were quickly dampened as we came to a dead stop. We had hit a traffic jam, cars lined the streets ahead as far as I could see. I quickly learned that this was just the current modus operandi of Philippine traffic. It also wasn’t exactly a negative experience as that is what gave me the opportunity to really take in my surroundings.

As I began to look around I began experiencing the feeling of being in another world. I was struggling to take in everything that was happening around me. I was in a stupor sitting staring out of the window in a taxi. My first shock came once we were in among the traffic itself. I had been told the driving was unique, but I never thought it would be as unique as it was. We were regularly driving into oncoming traffic, lanes seemed to mean nothing to our driver and he like every other driver on the road seemed desperate to jam the car into any space available in order to keep the traffic flowing.

My other observation was the people walking around on the highway selling their goods. Where I came from walking on the highway was illegal, so I was surprised when somebody walked past the car selling steering wheel covers, I then saw another man further down selling pillows. Something which now seems so normal seemed so crazy to me at the time.

The final 20 – 30 minutes of our drive to the condo still consisted of me having my head jammed out the window staring at the different areas of the city we were driving through. I was still trying to take in the different layout of the city as I had never seen this degree of high-density living. I loved the chaos and freedom of Manila, especially after spending my life in a quiet sheltered town. Now I was ready to shake things up, experience living at the opposite end of the spectrum. Manila certainly was able to accommodate these needs.

Manila was not able to offer a completely sheltered way of life. But it was able to offer the excitement which I was craving. So that is why I love Manila.