Sta. Rita Beach (part 2)

Coming back to the main resort from the other rocky side of the island was interesting.




We walked the trail back with this ( photo) beautiful sight on the side.

We arrived back to the resort with amazing sky. Clouds formations were a heavenly sight.

The tide was in transition

Our girls discovered a funfilled activity..star fishing!

To those who haven't seen them upclose, they actually look like this (photo).

They had collected quite a number of it and started to play them by forming some images using the starfishes! I had to remind the girls that they are actually living things, like fish.




The girls thought about what I just had said and immediately put the starfishes into the sea, where they belong. Good girls!




They turned their attention to the water and enjoyed swimming. The water was calm and warm.




They were enjoying the water until one of them got an itchy leg and felt something had bitten her. It was a jelly fish. The local man said it's very abundant in this Gulf sea during summer like this time when the water is hot.

I forgot the exact name of this edible jelly fish but the man showed us on the spot how he prepared it with his bare hands and ate it raw and fresh. Yum! But still very itchy when it got to your skin. So beware !

 These tireless creatures once again found an activity to amuse themselves_ boating. They asked their uncle to paddle for them, Just near around the beach.

Unlike the kids, husband and I didn't need anymore amusement around the island..




Watching the sunset in the beach, big time!

part one here.

Padre Burgos, Quezon

I hailed from Quezon and it's funny that I had only discovered Bondoc Peninsula just very recently. Although I would glance at the welcome arch (photo) when we passed by on the way up to zigzag road , I had never passed thru it not until this summer when we went to Borawan , in Padre Burgos , a town in Bondoc Peninsula.










After Lucena, there's Pagbilao then Padre Burgos if you're not coming up the zigzag road in Atimonan. It is approximately 160 kms. from Manila, an easy four-hour drive in non-rush hour traffic.




If you are coming from Manila,this is the best landmark that you can get.From here,it's only 15 minutes zero traffic drive to reach the town of Padre Burgos.



Padre Burgos is the first town of Bondoc PeninsulaThe town proper is small and has a charm of a barrio. Quiet and quaint yet offers some of the best beaches and islands in the country. Nature beauties that are fresh , green and not yet commercialized.














We entered the town and followed our map to take a turn to a fork road. A short rugged road brought us to the gate of the resort we chose to stay_  The Tamarind Tree, see here.








front beach of the resort

we had a marvelous island hopping

the couple islets

more unnamed islets sitting pretty in the middle of the ocean

Dampalitan Island with lots of sea turtle resting on its beach side. See Dampalitan Island here.




the iconic Borawan which brought the town of Padre Burgos in my map. See more of Borawan = = > click here

Nothing disappointed us in Padre Burgos. From the resort, beach, islands, islets , ocean . . we were happy with our short stay. Never to forget the local folks were very courteous and added charm to the place.

Sta. Rita Beach Resort (part 1)

I hailed from Quezon Province and though I spend most of my lifetime away, I never failed to visit my hometown once to thrice a year.



This particular summer , my brother suggested a local resort just a boat ride from our town.

Sta. Rita Beach Resort .

Instead of taking the 30 minutes boat ride , we opted for a land travel. It was also accessible by land. Must be some kind of a cove rather than an island. After one hour and thirty minutes drive, we entered the resort through a narrow man made sand bridge.

The sight won my nature lover heart.



A long stretch of unending fine sand beach sleeping side by side to a quiet giant body of water was the first hint of the countless charms of the place.




Sitting equally silent but pretty were nipa hut cottages, with the same earth tone hues of the sand .

You could either stay in a fresh air beach front nipa hut cottage where I stayed w my partner or in a family villa, with ac rooms and other facilities ( where the rest of my family stayed).


The View Deck







The Viewdeck is one of the highlights of the resort. Going up there was really a challenge, but the rewards were heavenly fulfilling.

Taking the hundreds or more stairs going up to the view deck is an experience with a capital G. Lush of greens above would refresh you after every step you take.


Bird's Eye View



Take 50 steps and you would be granted a view of the tail of the island when you look down.

Do your math and brave to add 10 to 15 steps and the view gets even better and wider.

Reaching the summit , you could either choose to take a sit and rest first or feast your eyes with the sumptuous view of the whole island, the Ragay Gulf, endless mountains across the sea .

To the Rocky Side of the Resort













Going down from the view deck summit, we discovered another stone stairs. We stopped halfway and found a nice family chapel .








The exit stairs led us to another phase of the cove. Leading us to a surprise character of the place.

Uncanny character of the island reveals in this part. Unlike the main beach, this rocky side is good for snorkeling and a lot more. It is private and a bit secluded from the rest of the island.

a quiet bonding moment with my youngest

brod used the piles of rocks as his meditating based

younger daughter amazed by the crab holes and tried to follow their trail.

We came back to the resort here part 2.