We felt like we were part of Timothee Chalamet’s movie, “Dunes,” as we rode the 4×4 in a heart-stopping, thrilling, bumpy ride in Paoay’s Sand Dunes in Ilocos Norte.
It was our first time in Ilocos Norte, and we dared to try the highly recommended experience. We warned our guide, Jessie Silutan of the Ilocos Norte Tourism Office, that we were no longer spring chickens but were daring enough to do something for the first time. It was like a roller coaster ride on the ground as we went up and down on the slopes of the desert-like terrain.
But as we went up and down the slopes, there were also some stone sculptures and art along the way to probably distract us from the bumpiness of the ride.
One of the highlights was a sculpture of Nora Aunor’s Elsa character in the 1982 Ishmael Bernal classic film, “Himala,” on these dunes where her story played out. We tried to copy her iconic pose as she prayed on the dunes. We realized Nora’s bent back prayer pose was so difficult to copy.
The best part was watching the sunset from the sand dunes, which created a breathtaking play of colors of deep red, bright orange, warm yellow, and grand purple. We paused to enjoy the moment and God’s painting.
We had always heard about the famous Pagudpud sunset, so we were excited to visit Saud, Pagudpud. Namnama Bumanglang, also of the Ilocos Norte Tourism Office, suggested we stay at Hakuna Matata. We could already see our two daughters smiling and laughing if we told them we stayed in a hotel named after “The Lion King” song, one of their favorite childhood Disney songs, which means “no worries.”
The Pagudpud sunset was not disappointing as the skies were painted in glorious red, bright yellow, and meditative purples. The white sand and the colorful sunset did make you feel that this is indeed a “no worry” place, a paradise. And you don’t need Timon and Pumbaa to sing the song for you to remind you.
Bohol sunset yacht cruise
We felt we were very lucky to experience one breathtaking out-of-this-world sunset in Bohol by going on a yacht cruise in Tagbilaran Bay.
Yes, we took hundreds of photos, but we also took the time to enjoy every moment while our yacht quietly sailed on the bay off Dauis, Panglao Island. The amazing sunset was overwhelmingly beautiful; it was almost as if we were having an out-of-body experience, just by being enveloped in it.
How do you put this experience in a bottle and bring it home? How do you capture the magical moment and make it last for a lifetime?
We wanted to stay on the yacht forever and let the sunset last for eternity, but it was enough to tease us into coming back. Probably one of these days, we will have a chance to come back and try to recapture the same wonderful moments.
We ended the beautiful day at the beautiful Casa Filomena, where a sumptuous dinner was waiting for us by our gracious and amiable host-owner, Lucio Lim, Jr.
Casa Filomena is the newly-opened Bali, Indonesia-inspired resort nestling on the serene coast of Tagbilaran Bay in Dauis, Bohol – definitely your home away from home. Its spacious villas overlook the breathtaking views of the bay, where you can watch the sunrise or a sunset worth pausing for. The chef at Casa Filomena can also spoil you by concocting your favorite dishes. You may want to just try everything.
Back to Eskaya
Everything good deserves a repeat! And we came back to the Eskaya Beach Resort in Bohol, which we visited a few years ago.
The friendly staff made you feel at home right away, and the local chef at Lantawan restaurant was whipping out dishes that would put Makati’s five-star hotel chefs insecure.
One can enjoy the grandeur of the scenery in the infinity pool or just stay in your private villa, where you have your own swimming pool, and stay until nighttime to watch the fireflies go by like falling stars and listen to the crickets.
One advantage of being in Eskaya is that it is not only close to Panglao International Airport, but it’s also a leisurely ride to other scenic and tourist spots in Bohol, like the Chocolate Hills, the Tarsier Sanctuary, and the Loboc River Cruise.
It was also nice to catch up with Richard Lim, the charming and friendly owner of Eskaya Beach Resort and Spa.
We managed to escape from three storms during our three-week stay in the Philippines. Thanks to Philippine Airlines, which we flew on during our domestic trips, we were able to escape these storms on time, due to their timely email updates and warnings, as well as efficient and fast re-bookings of our flights. We were being teased by the locals as the “Storm Chasers.”
Manila, Manila!
It has been six years since we visited Manila, and it was great to be back!
My Dad, Vicente Miguel Rodriguez, just turned 93 years old, and he was happy to see his firstborn again. The Rodriguez clan has grown to more than 30, with the addition of new grand nephews and grand nieces, and new in-laws.
For the first time, we stayed at the Somerset Millennium Makati, and we enjoyed our new home away from home. Our spacious one-bedroom executive suite was complete with a living room, a dining room, and a kitchen with all the convenient appliances.
One of the best parts of staying there is that their second-floor restaurant, Abuela’s, offers some of the best Filipino dishes that will remind you of good home-cooked dishes.
The staff at Somerset – from the reception to the concierge, from the guards to the housekeeping team – are always very helpful and friendly.
One of the highlights of our trip was being reunited with acclaimed singer Patti Austin, who had a concert with Babyface in Manila. Patti was our Golden Globe guest in 2013, and she remembered us when we visited her backstage to catch up. Thanks to our friends, producers Renen and Celinda “Cel” de Guia, who made everything possible for us to watch the show and go backstage to say hello to Patti!
Renen and Cel also hosted a dinner for us in their warm, art-filled house, where our friends were also invited, including singers Celeste Legaspi and husband, composer Nonoy Gallardo, producer-talent manager Girlie Rodis, record producers Rudy Ty and Narciso Chan, movie executive Doris Torre and husband Ting, and Maan Villareal.
We were also lucky to be able to watch the breathtaking and amazing anniversary show of fashion designer Francis Libiran with the P-Pop band, SB19, at the Araneta Coliseum. It was one fashion show to top any fashion show!
No stone was left unturned for this spectacular show, which combined the futuristic couture of Francis and the energetic music of SB19, laser lights and great visuals, advanced technology, and great direction. Kudos to all the people behind the show – Paolo Valenciano (show director) and Ariel Lozada (fashion director).
Grateful also to Francis and his manager Arsi Baltazar for hosting a dinner for us, which was attended by GMA executive Joseph Francia, fashion designer Nat Manilag, and our good old friend, former recording executive Tato Malay.
On a rare occasion, we were able to break bread with award-winning filmmaker Lav Diaz when we went out to dinner with him and our friends Rudy Ty and Narciso Chan. The vegan director told us how he almost lost his life making the Philippines’ entry to the Oscars, “Magellan,” when he was stricken with tuberculosis, and other stories he shared about his life struggles and health challenges.
Lifestyle editor Millet Mananquil treated us to a memorable lunch with select friends, while my first cousin Helen Limcaoco and her hubby, Bank of the Philippine Islands President and CEO TG Limcaoco, took us out for a sumptuous Japanese dinner.
It was also our first time to be at the Manila House, and we were in awe to see the beauty of the place when we attended the fun 70th birthday party of producer-manager Gina Tabuena. The party was attended by a lot of Fil-Am friends, among them singer Becca Godinez, and Stella Rosa Philippines’ executive Jennifer Lorenzana.
Finally, it was time to reconnect with good old friend-comediennes Mitch Valdes and Fe de los Reyes, in their rib-tickling show “Sex and the Seniors.” It was a perfect night to reminisce about the good old days, to put our hair down and enjoy a hearty laugh on another wonderful night in our beloved Manila!
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Janet Susan R. Nepales is an award-winning journalist and the first Filipina voting member and Associate of the Golden Globe Awards. She has been a member since 2008 and is the first Filipina to be elected to the Advisory Board. She is the author of the coffee table book “FASHION.
Filipino. Hollywood. The World” and the co-author of the first FWN book “DISRUPT: Filipina Women: Proud. Loud. Leading Without A Doubt.” A graduate of UST (AB Journalism, cum laude), she is based in Los Angeles and is a Hollywood entertainment journalist and TV correspondent.
