El Tzino Beach House (Cauayan)

Would you like to spend a week here?

That place is El Tzino, and I did spend a week there. And it was a nice getaway!

Relaxing Getaway

Being the beach lover that I have always been, I did enjoy my week at El Tzino. But note that I am not really an avid fan of the deep side of the beach, nor the dark-colored waters. But I love going boating, soaking in the shallow areas, and sitting by the shore listening to the waves.

Affordable Rates

photo courtesy of Facebook/El Tzino

So, just right beside the well-known Punta Bulata resort, El Tzino Beach House shares with it the same water and sand – but not the price.

For only 4,000 pesos (as of summer 2010), you can have an entire beach house of 4 bedrooms, a kitchen, a small living room, a small terrace, and the entire place for yourselves (as is the usual case) --& because El Tzino isn't swarming with people. 
                                          If you are travelling as a couple or a group of 3-4 people, they have special rates for that.  If you wish to pitch tents on the beach, you can rent one for only 250 pesos (size is good for 4-6 people).

El Tzino only has a minimal number of guests at each visit, thus, making your time nicer and more relaxing.

Things to Do

You can enjoy leisure walks along the shores of El Tzino, beach volleyball during the day, swimming (especially during high tide), boating to the nearby Danjugon island (which is a marine sanctuary and even holds marine camps for teens during the summer), or just sit and relax by the beach with your favorite drink.

Pumpboat rentals are available at El Tzino for 1,000 pesos if you'd like to go island hopping.  If you want a have a massage, you have the option of having a local masseuse come over, or you can visit neighboring resort Punta Bulata which has spa facilities and amenities.

Although El Tzino doesn't have wi-fi access, you can bring your laptop with you and still be connected to the world with a plug-in internet kit.

Getting There

Getting to El Tzino is easy. You can take the bus, which usually have hourly trips to towns in the South and get off at Brgy. Elihan once you see the sign indicating that it is the road going in to "Punta Bulata". You can then take the tricycle or any local transport going in. (El Tzino and Punta Bulata has the same road going in and is only separated by a fork on the road).

photo courtesy of Noel S. Marañon

If you have a car, it is much more convenient. Upon seeing the sign "Punta Bulata" along the highway of Barangay Elihan, that is your cue to take a right (if you are from the north) and make your way to El Tzino. There are signs along the way. If you are not sure, you can ask locals where El Tzino is, and they will gladly direct you to it.

El Tzino is a mere 30-minute drive (tops) to the town proper if you need to go and buy some stuff. El Tzino is a great place to de-stress, rejuvenate, and be one with nature. A bonus: the locals in the area of El Tzino are so friendly, you'd feel so welcome right away!  

Contact Details
El Tzino Beach House
Barangay Elihan,
Cauayan, Negros Occidental
Landline: +63-34-7037555
Mobile: +639206305165  +639176342467
Email: el_tzino@yahoo.com

Sugar and Style

Bacolod City is where sugar and style can mix irresistibly.

photo courtesy of Clay Tan

Sugar & Style Fashion Show held in L'Fisher Hotel's new La Proa Ballroom last September 9, 2010 was the great culmination to the two-day Ultimate Wedding and Events Fair Exhibit.

photo courtesy of Gerard Dacles

photo courtesy of Gerard Dacles

Sugar &Style featured Bacolod's own BAM models, as well as DJ Leandro and the Patiqueros and GMT (Gerry Grey). 

Designers featured in Sugar & Style were John-John Ditching 

photo courtesy of S. Keiron Tan

and Kelly Cuachon.

photo courtesy of S. Keiron Tan

photo courtesy of S. Keiron Tan

 Guest models included 8 of Philippines' top models too, including Bacolod's own Grendel Alvarado (Philippine's Next Top Model Winner) who is now based in Manila.

photo courtesy of S. Keiron Tan

Sugar & Style -- sweet fashion and style altogether.   How was it?  Sweeeet!

Sights and Sounds: Makati City

Known as the "Financial Capital of the Philippines", Makati City houses the tallest buildings in the Philippines, a number of five star hotels, first-class shopping malls, the various embassies, and the Philippine Stock Exchange as well as the Makati Business Club.

It has been dubbed by Yahoo News as one of the top 10 safest places to live in the world. It is also the 16^th largest city in the Philippines, and is said to be the richest city in the country. One may find lots of expats residing and working here too.


There are several stories as to the History of the name.  One story says That it was brought about by language barrier between the discoverer, Spaniard Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and the natives of the place.

When he asked them what the name of the place was, they misunderstood and started pointing to the ebbing tide of the Pasig River saying "Makati, kumakati na" (meaning "look, the tide, it's already receding").                                                                       
Another said origin of Makati's name came from the Tagalog word "makati" which means "itchy" because the place used to be a swamp with many weeds.  It was, in fact, dismissed as a useless swamp in the past and no one would buy land in this area.





Thus the name "Makati".

Visiting Nuvali

Nuvali, a 1,600-hectare development that integrates central business districts, business process outsourcing campuses, stores and shops, restaurants, residential developments, schools, and civic areas. It is nicely located in Sta. Rosa, Laguna (Philippines) and its goal is to use land in various ways that are essential in supporting a modern metropolitan area.

Nuvali is one of Ayala Land's newest and fast progressing projects that is sure to be another success with its ecological aims to provide a healthier place for the coming generations.                                
To date, you can find several restaurants in Nuvali, including Pig Out, Starbucks, and Yellow Cab Pizza, among others.

Nuvali's recreational park is what people usually go there for too. It has an artificial man-made lake (Nuvali Lake) filled with colorful koi that you can feed. Children and adults alike love this!                
                                                                               To make sure that everything is in order and stays ecologically sound, they have a strict rule of feeding the koi only Nuvali fish feeds which you can purchase at about 15 pesos a pack – it's more than enough. :)




Another thing at Nuvali that kids will love is that you can also go for a boat ride in their water taxi. It will simply take you for a spin around the Nuvali Lake, and you can hire the entire boat for 180 pesos, or you can share it with others and just simply pay about 30 pesos.


photo courtesy of
 http://farm4.static.flickr.com/



The weekend we went to Nuvali there was a bazaar and it was fun looking through the stalls selling clothes, trinkets, perfumes, and many more.

And just near the restaurants stand Convergys (call center) Nuvali, which is very accessible to people living in the area.                                                                               
There's one thing I noticed about Nuvali too – it was so clean!

photo courtesy of http://24.media.tumblr.com/

No wrappers lying around, no spilled food, and definitely no offending smells. And, their public restroom is also clean.
If you get the chance, perhaps you can drop by Nuvali and take in the sights, feed some koi, have some coffee or pizza, and take some pictures. :)

Top It Off With a Bag of Beans

A trip to the Philippines' coffee country, the city of Tagaytay, would not be complete without a visit to Bag of Beans.

Bag of Beans started as a small coffee shop whose specialties were freshly baked products, English pies, and Coffee Alamid (excuse my French, it's coffee made from the beans that has passed through the wild civet cat's digestive system – yes, it's basically "harvested" from its poop).                                                                

                                                     Bag of Beans' Coffee Alamid, also known as Civet Coffee (or Kape Alamid in Tagalog), is similar to Indonesia's Kape Luwak and Timor's Kafe Laku. For certain, Bag of Beans' Coffee Alamid is clean and safe for human consumption – but I just don't have the guts to try it though.

However, for those who have, they have this to say: Coffee Alamid's strong, creamy, and a hint of dark chocolatey taste makes it the best coffee in the world – and quite expensive too.                                          
Well, that sounds good… But perhaps, next time.

So for my Bag of Beans coffee experience, I simply went for a cup of warm white mocha, my sister went for their iced caramel macchiato, hubby had coffee choco banana frost, and my aunt had their bottomless iced tea. We opted to try the famous Bag of Beans farm house white bread which is said to be so fresh that you can't stop eating it. It came with jam and literally a slab of butter too.

                                                                             Often, in restaurants, when their simplest dish is good, then everything else is most likely to be too.

The verdict: Bag of Beans DID NOT disappoint us. The coffee, the bread – it was undeniably fresh and warm upon serving, and the ambience was wonderful.

Aside from the usual restaurant at Bag of Beans, they have their garden and small little nooks that make your time much more relaxing too.

When in Tagaytay, don't forget to drop by Bag of Beans. Their food and drinks are affordable. Basically, our total bill was less than 500 pesos for that afternoon (that's for the 4 of us already).

So basically, your great trip to Tagaytay will just be topped off with a Bag of Beans!




           Contact Details:

Bag of Beans Coffee Shop & Bakery
115 Aguinaldo Highway
Mendez Crossing West, Tagaytay City, Cavite
Landline: +63-46-4134356/+63-46-4132724
Mobile: +639234544797/+639209546370

Sights & Sounds: Tierra de Maria

The 50-foot tall statue of the Lady of Manaoag that towers over the Tierra de Maria Home of Meditation and Enrichment in Tagaytay City

It is at about 2:00 in the afternoon when the sun shines directly at the statue's crown that makes it shine, giving you an awesome sight to behold.                                                                     
The Lady is known as the patroness of the sick, the helpless and the needy. Thus, many flock to pray and visit, seeking (instant) healing of physical, emotional, spiritual, or even financial problems.

It is located at Tagaytay-Calamba road, just after the Japanese Garden, but before the Picnic Grove. :)