Robinsons Land Corp. Opens Grand Summit Hotel in General Santos City

Robinsons Hotels and Resorts, the hospitality division of Robinsons Land Corporation, recently opened the first property under its  upscale brand (Grand Summit Hotel) in General Santos City.

Grand Summit Hotel-GENSAN is billed as a 4-Star hotel, with its distinctive Contemporary Asian-inspired interiors and tastefully designed amenities. Apart from offering high-rated facilities, all 102 rooms of the hotel are carefully styled to meet the  needs of its guests.

The Hotel Lobby Lounge
At the in-house Cafe and Restaurant. 📷 Ian Ray Garcia

The hotel also serves international cuisines at Café Summit, the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant.

Grand Summit Hotels Gensan
Address: Lagao, General Santos City
Email: reservations@summithotels.ph contact: +630833200210 , +639296650112

Boracay Quickie Trip : What’s in my Backpack Challenge

Hello,mga bes. Yes, I feel super rejuvenated,alive and fresh from my recent trip to Boracay. Quickie trip lang, 3 days. Di ako excited nun. Di nga ako masyadong nakapaghanda. Before the trip, I just had my hair highlighted with Sun-kissed Brown Balayage, courtesy of the Master Colourist himself, Buddy Congson of Hairs and Nails Salon. May I promote pa noh? Ganun tlga. #LoveLove

Moving forward, I thought of sharing with you guys how I prepared and packed my things for this trip. We all have our own styles of  loading our bags based on the purpose of the travel. Me personally, kahit anong occasion pa yan, I like my things light,organised and minimal, bringing only the necessary. I believe naman na pag may kulang, we can always buy them upon arrival (unless mamundok ka, then Kbye). As much as possible, I don’t baggage check in na. I don’t mind hand carrying my things naman, so that i can get off the plane swiftly and leave the airport agad. I don’t have to wait na for my bag sa carousel and all. Para sa mga nagtatanong, I use a Cabin Zero 44L Backpack. It’s a European brand na super lightweight material with huge storage capacity, parang maleta na ang peg. Hindi ito paid advertisement ha? Wag kayong echosera. I just like how this bag serves its purpose. Although wala masyadong compartments. It would be better if we also use smaller pouches to segregate and organise things.  IMG20170426173107Sadly for this trip, airline crew wanted me to check in my baggage because of the go pro stick. Weird nga eh. I had many trips na before and selfie sticks are allowed naman for hand carry. But Kebs na; life’s to short to question airline protocol.  Anyways, let us proceed with the dissection. Here is what’s inside my backpack:IMG20170426173337( from lower right, clockwise):

  1. Pouch 1 for clothes
  2. Pouch 2 for more clothes
  3. Pouch for shoes and slippers
  4. Pouch for Swimwear
  5. Pouch Toiletry/Skin care/gadgets
  6. Camera. Go Pro tayo kasi beach (On top of my backpack)
  7. A smaller day bag. Though it would have been better kung ung waterproof type nalang, kasi beach eh. Next time.

—–oo——

The Breakdown:

1-2. Pouch for Clothes . Pouch 1 -clothes for super casual, beachwear and the likes, and Pouch 2 -clothes for porma and for dine outs. On other trips, I have separate pouch for semi formal/formal.  Sakto lang ganitong style for quickie, business o leisure trip with friends. For long term backpacking, I have different method of packing. hihi. The Pouches, I bought lang sa 88 store. very helpful to.IMG20170426173419

3. Pouch for slippers and shoes. In Boracay, kasi kailangan porma, I brought one more sandal, not shown sa photo. lol . IMG20170426173534

4. Pouch for Swimwear. Recommend ko talaga mag rash guard sa beach, for skin protection na din. Sa brands, nothing in particular;department store- bought lang.  Meron pa to goggles and ear plugs, di ko na nasali sa pic.IMG20170426173651 Yung rashgard ko, may opening for the thumb to keep the sleeves in place.IMG20170426173708

 5. Pouch for Toiletry/Skin Care/Gadgets  . IMG20170426174028 Toiletries pouch ko sa upper left. Nothing fancy. Toothpaste, conditioner, shampoo in a refillable bottle (less than 100ml). I don’t bring soap nah, body wash lang.Hassle eh. Though when I am at home, I maintain using organic soap from Myskin Origins.

Pouch for Medicine, eyedrops, and my daily fibre supplement.

Gadgets – Just Charger and spare batteries for Go pro.

The white triangle, spare plastic bag, lol, as in silopin from Gmall, pwede na. Always ako meron nito, even in my work bag.

Pouch for Skin Care, lol, dami.  Ito un.

IMG20170426174144Face Mask – The cucumber mask in particular has a soothing and cooling effect to the skin; a perfect night care after a full day fiasco under the sun. I only use mask from The Face Shop; kinasanayan na.

Dermax UV Gel Sunblock for the face. I was advised by my derma to use only gel type water based sun protection, kasi I am prone to break outs. Mejo mahal, kaya for the face lang. I use a different one for the body.

Dermax Hyal C Serum. Serves as my facial moisturizer before bedtime. 

Day-long Sunblock Gel from Cetaphil for the neck and body.

Alcohol in a spray type bottle. Very convenient. Refillable pa.

Eye Roll on. lol. Di ko alam bat nadala ko to, I don’t use this often.

Acne Gel Cleanser from VMV.

Lip balm with SPF 15 from Nivea.

My Favourite perfume in a small handy bottle. Walang reason not to smell fresh during travel.

IMG20170426174205This is my sun protection set. I also bring this with me during fieldworks. 

So, yes basically that’s it. Haha, maarte ba? Sa skin care lng naman. Kailangan yun. Though I am fully aware that I do not have perfect smooth skin at the moment, it could have been worse if I never took care of it. Sabi nga ni Kris Aquino, oiliness is less to joblessness.

It was a fun 3 days trip to Boracay. Kulang tlga. But yes, we can always go back. Good thing Airasia Ph now offers direct flights from Davao to Caticlan/Kalibo. This means cheaper fare na for us coming from Southern Mindanao, because we do not have to pass by Manila or Cebu anymore.

Quickie weekend trip to Boracay? pwedeng pwede nah! IMG20170426111403_Fotor

During our trip, we were hosted by AZALEA Hotels and Residences Boracay, in Station 2. Azalea Boracay is the only 4 star service apartment-hotel in the island. Good location, furnished kitchen on every suites,commendable services. The hotel even has a heated pool at the roof deck. Panalo! Will upload more blogs re our accommodation soon, for now, you may get in touch with at http://www.azaleaboracay.com/.

Til then. Ciao =)

Sitio Maupot Resort: A Patch of Luxury at the Foothills of Mt. Apo

A panoramic view of Mt. Apo,
The calming sound of Kabacan River below,
A fancy infinity pool just outside your suite.

Imagine waking up to that picture,and sipping your hot cup of native coffee by the pool. Very nice, isn’t it?😊

17884368_1325552214194486_4578937895605286696_n

Sitio Maupot is a recently opened mountain resort, 30 minutes away from Kidapawan City. The resort already rests on the foothills of Mount Apo, that’s easily accessible (with concreted road) from the town of Magpet. The Balinese-inspired resort has commendable amenities, and the suites are tastefully designed. The outdoor spa and massage lounge faces the best view of the mountains as well. Private suite packages start at 3,500 for 2 pax. 17903985_1325551794194528_657746063878263643_n17862581_1325551580861216_5175334884644199470_n17951494_1325552137527827_6616378416337841838_n17861453_1325551970861177_2896205752252432210_n17904232_1325552310861143_2908308931637232020_n17634516_1325552387527802_5042396415960780957_nIt is also worth commending that the resort gave an effort to preserve existing nature, as much as they can. Trees and natural contours of the land were largely maintained. There is even a fruit bearing guava tree in the middle of the pool. Very nice,noh? 😊 The resort is also partially solar powered.

To maintain semi-exclusivity, the resort is not listed in agoda and the likes. For inquiries, just click on the link above. Their FB page is quite responsive.
You may also Contact them at 0946-1745-495 or email sitiomaupot@yahoo.com.

Florenda Beach Resort : Samal’s Affordable Semi Exclusive

I just came from a well spent – chillax Saturday outing with my Arki group at Florenda Beach Resort, in Samal Island. It was my first time to see Florenda. In fact, I’ve never heard of it until today, and haven’t came across this as well on most Samal Island resort listings. Surprisingly charming yet affordable , I thought of putting it up here for others to see this resort as one good option, among Samal Island’s beaches.

Saltwater pool at Florenda

Florenda Beach front
Florenda Beach front

Florenda Resort is a Small scale semi – exclusive venue with just around 10-12 overnight cottages. The resort has opened its doors 4 years ago with just a few cottages and a good beach that does not go super low tide.  Today, the resort  now has an ample sized saltwater pool, fully developed beachfront , duplex type  and Dorm type facility. The resort boasts clear shores perfect for snorkelling. Be sure to use proper swimming footwear for protection.

pool

Florenda Beach Resort is located in Catagman ,Samal Island , sharing the same beach strip with Punta del Sol. For navigation, it is easier to find if you google map Punta del Sol. Florenda is just around 200 meters away.

Day Tour 100 pesos

Overnight Facility rates:

Good for 4 with ACU  1,700  – 2,000 ( spacious duplex type )

Duplex type unit, good for 4

Duplex units. each unit is good for 4 pax at 1,800

Good for 6 with ACU 1,800 – 2,000  (Small cottage Type )

Good for 2 with ACU 1,000 (Small cottage type )

Dorm Type Villa good for 24 pax  with ACU  6,000

Dorm Type Villa , good for 24 pax at 6,000 .

My Personal Rating of this place

Price Range : Affordable Resort

Taste  :  You have to pre-order your meals, or better yet, bring your own food. Corkage only applies on drinks.  Cold Beer and drinks are available at the resort at affordable prices. a Bottle of San Mig Light only costs 30 pesos.

Place :  6.5/10    ( Clean, Well maintained. Just a simple resort. Don’t expect anything high end)

Beach : 8.5/10  ( tucked in the quiet side of Catagman, Samal. Fit for snorkeling . Expect live corals, so be sure to wear proper foot gear )

Service : 7/10  ( Nice staff . They let you use the kitchen )

The resort does not have an office here in Davao at the moment.

For reservations, you may contact the resort manager , HENRY at 0929 180 3175.

Banana Beach Resort : Tagum City’s Piece of Paradise

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to join Davao Blogger Society’s visit to Hijo Estates in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, where Banana Beach Resort is located. I’ve heard nice things about this exclusive resort tucked in a quiet corner of Tagum City. My expectations were not failed.

The resort used to be a part of a 2000+ hectares of  banana and coconut plantation, until recently, the family owners saw the land’s potential for Tourism.

What’s unique about this resort community is how well the designers preserved the existing plantation landscape as it is. It was architecture that adapted to the existing contours of the land, and not the other way around, which is very admirable. The resort is actually just a small patch of development situated at the beachfront, surrounded by the existing hectares green filtering all the city noise away. As part of their amenities,the resort reserved hectares of untouched land, for guests to enjoy leisurely canopy walks up the lush forest.

Calm , quiet, exclusive  ! Thats how I see Banana Beach Resort in mind.

Actual Shots shared from  http://www.bananabeachdavao.com . Credits to the Owner

The Infiniti Pool
The Infinity Pool  http://www.bananabeachdavao.com/

the Canopy Walk up the forest grounds .
the Canopy Walk up the forest grounds . http://www.bananabeachdavao.com/

Sample Dish. Deep Fried Catfish
Sample Dish. Deep Fried Catfish http://www.bananabeachdavao.com/

A Local Chicken Delicacy
A Local Chicken Delicacy http://www.bananabeachdavao.com/

The Accommodations

Air Conditioned Casita
Air Conditioned Casita http://www.bananabeachdavao.com/

Cabin-style, air conditioned accommodations for overnight stay.

No. of Units No. of Persons Weekday Rate Weekend Rate
6 2-4 PhP 5,000 PhP 6,000

*Additional guest(s) is charged PhP 700/person.

Al Fresco Casita
Al Fresco Casita http://www.bananabeachdavao.com/

Native-inspired, non-air conditioned accommodations for day use or overnight stay.

No. of Persons Weekday Rate Weekend Rate
Al Fresco PhP 1,800 PhP 2,500
Single (2) 2-4 PhP 2,800 PhP 3,500
Family (7) 4-6 PhP 3,800 PhP 4,500

*Inclusive of breakfast for two and unlimited use of infinity pool.

*Additional guest(s) is charged PhP550/person

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Consumable Pass  === Standard Rate Php 750/head

Valid for one(1) whole day.

Unlimited use of infinity pool.

Fully consumable on food and drinks, activities, equipment & other facilities.

_____00_____

Getting To Tagum is just an hour to an hour half ride from Davao City  via private car. Vehicle arrangements can also be made through Hijo Estate office at Damosa Complex, Davao City.

For Inquiries ,

+63 917 633 7019
+63 999 885 0031
+63 999 885 0032
+63 82 282 3662
+63 82 282 3757

Banana Beach Resort
Hijo Plantation
Brgy. Madaum, Tagum City
Davao del Norte