Don't let your vacation get screwed up

Tips for a great getaway

You're excited about your trip to some faraway place with tourist attractions that will surely get your eyes feasting and your heart jumping with glee. But, are you sure you're well prepared? Check out this infographic which will provide you with some tips before finally picking your bag up and getting your ass out to the road.

I dearly hope that helps you. Plan your trip well, so you'll have a great time rolling around. Bon voyage!

Blissful night and day on Cabalitian

Experience paradise on this island

I didn’t experience rest right after graduation. In fact, a few days before the last of my college life, I began working and practicing my craft.

And since my schedule at my job was hectic as that was the campaign period for the 2013 midterm elections when we had to do a series of coverage, I needed a stress buster.

I was really hopeful I could get that perfect relief from the hustle and bustle the election season ensued. So, when it came, I didn’t have second thoughts even though it meant spending a part of my first salary. (Well, I’ve been known to be a stingy person.)

Cabalitian getaway

Over a year ago, my friends went to a beautiful island in Sual. The trip was a few days after the end of my third year in college. I failed to join them because my budget was scarce that time. When we met with one another again in a get together, they euphorically shared the experience on the marvellous island and how much they enjoyed their getaway. I felt envious and wished that one day, I would get the chance to be captured in wonder and be amazed with the place.

LEAVING THE ISLAND Boats line up the shore, waiting for guests leaving the island. You will, however, find yourself hesitant to leave because of Cabalitian’s natural beauty.

Pangasinan Food Tour 2014: Calasiao

The baker and restaurateur in one

A bakeshop and a restaurant—a perfect combination. After eating at the restaurant, diners can go to the bakeshop for some pasalubong , or they can order some bread as well to complement their meal.

That’s what Jech’s is, a bakeshop and a restaurant rolled into one.

Located in Calasiao, Jech’s Bakeshop and Restaurant let us taste some of its specialty dishes. Regular finds, yes, but undeniably delicious and mouth-watering.

Bibingkang latik making

I am a kakanin (rice cake) lover.

When I was little, every time my mom visited her bestfriend at her office in Malabon, she would bring home a bilao of sapin sapin, a round kakanin with various colors that are pleasing to the eyes and irresistible for the stomach.

Pangasinan Food Tour 2014: Calasiao

Eat like a Don

Not very far from our last stop, Kuya Max, is another diner, this time in Calasiao, offering the usual Filipino cuisine but not forgetting to concoct twists to make a client’s food experience one of the best. Many have tried experimenting on different recipes, but only a few have stood out. Don Armando’s may not ring some bells when others hear about it, but the fact that customers come rushing in and out of the place is proof that it is getting there sooner rather than later.

Evidently, the owners, husband and wife John Paulo and Teng Bauzon, have poured extra effort into this venture. Not to mention the fact that they also cater to customers looking for an American cuisine through Pizza Don.

The Food Tour team

Pangasinan Food Tour 2014: Dagupan City

Food trip to the MAX

Going beyond and offering more than what others do will surely turn on customers looking for dishes other than the regular fare that can be found in most diners. These are acts put together by Maximo Alexis Tan, the owner of Kuya Max Grill and Restaurant in Dagupan City.

About 15 minutes from Mangaldan, our next stop during the Pangasinan Food Tour 2014 exceeded the satisfaction rating that our stomachs can give. It was lunch time when we arrived at Kuya Max situated along De Venecia Road, Dagupan City. We could hear our stomachs grumble at the sight of food. Add to that the inviting ambiance of a combined stone and wood architecture which gave us the cozy feeling of dining.

Pangasinan Food Tour 2014: Mangaldan

From Baguio to Mangaldan to Baguio

Everyone knows where to buy peanut brittle—Baguio City.

But things might have a turnaround—or, already had—as another town in Northern Philippines has become known for a peanut brittle shop.

After our sumptuous pindang tasting at Mama Cela’s Tapa and Meat Products during the Pangasinan Food Tour 2014 on January 11, it was time to rekindle our fiery sweet tooth with peanut brittle of Romana in Mangaldan. Situated along the highway, the same road that motorists take in going to Baguio City, Romana Peanut Brittle and its owner boast of an authentic Filipino favorite that will surely satiate your craving for a delightfully sweet mix.

Peanut brittle, the answer to your craving for a sweet treat.