Tag Archives: sea

#100Days Photo 41: (Little Miss) Sunrise at Balayan Bay in Anilao, Batangas, Philippines

little Tara Freya, enjoying the morning sun by the Balayan Bay in Mabini, Batangas
little Tara Freya, enjoying the morning sun by the Balayan Bay in Mabini, Batangas

(It’s been a while — like a 295 days kind — I must admit. So, as I celebrate this blog’s almost 100,000 visits and change of domain name/address from theadwanders.wordpress.com to thediaristwanders.com, I’m finally blogging again!)

I’ve always loved sunsets — that’s known. But when you have a baby (yes, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl!) who’s awake and lively at sunrise, you don’t have much choice but to get up and enjoy the morning sun too. So, on our trip to Anilao, Batangas (it’s actually in the municipality of Mabini), little Tara Freya decided she’d like to have some vitamin D while along the shores of Balayan Bay (we stayed at Arthur’s Place Dive Resort). Mommy needed some vitamin sea too, actually. 🙂 But, tell me, which do you think is a more beautiful sight — our smiling little one or the backdrop of her happiness? Anilao is a great place for sure but I won’t trade Tara and that smile for anywhere else.

#100Days Photo 39: Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

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A three-hour drive from Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital city, will bring you to the calm and charming Ha Long Bay. Located in the Gulf of Tonkin in northeast Vietnam, Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has withstood the test of time, and yes, naval battles and legends. Literally translated as “Bay of the Descending Dragon”, Ha Long Bay offers visitors a majestic view of naturally-formed limestone pillars and, if you have much time to spare, over 1,600 islands and islets. A popular way to enjoy the scenery is by taking one of the numerous Ha Long Bay cruises through glass-like waters (although it was a bit too green for me!) aboard these ships that looked like the ones used back in the 1900s era (my first thought was the Huckleberry Finn cartoons!), giving it an old world feel. We spent two days and a night aboard one (and I was happy to see two very able Filipina crew managers) and although we were actually working (yep, no kidding!), in that short time, I really got to appreciate the calmness (so unlike the 2Go weather fiasco!), majesty and beauty that Ha Long Bay offers to its visitors.

#100days Photo 3: Sabang Beach, Palawan, Philippines

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On our way back to Puerto Princesa after the Underground River tour, we stopped by Sabang Beach to partake of the buffet lunch that was part of the tour package. Though I think it isn’t a top tourist, at least for tour package enjoying Pinoys, Sabang Beach is actually pretty cool — blue waters, nice sand, and a lot of coconut/palm trees. Eating all you can, enjoying the waves, and basking in the midday sun — just some of the things you can do while chilling by Sabang Beach, even just for an hour or two. >

FotoFolio: Ko Phi Phi, Phuket, Thailand (The Beach!)

Clear blue waters, impressive stone formations and cliffs, unique long tail boats, fine white sand, amazingly clear skies—yes, it’s the Ko Phi Phi paradise in Phuket, Thailand!

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I decided to include Phuket as part of my 4-week backpacking South East Trip way back in October 2011. I heard somewhere that this is where they shot the film “The Beach” with Leonardo di Caprio, even if the true-to-life inspiration to that came from El Nido in the Philippines! Continue reading FotoFolio: Ko Phi Phi, Phuket, Thailand (The Beach!)