Siquijor: Kagusuan Beach

by Gay Mitra - January 17, 2011August 13, 201415

Our driver arrived on the dot. He waved when he saw me through Hotel Agripino’s restaurant window. 7:30 AM was what we agreed on. Shervin and I had just finished our brekkie then. A long stretch of powdery white sand.We walked out of the hotel and towards the tricycle. The driver approached us, took our…

Siquijor: Salagdoong Beach

by Gay Mitra - January 10, 2011August 13, 201428

The sun’s rays kissing the white sands of Salagdoong Beach in the late morn was blinding my sleepy eyes. I just stepped out of Hotel Agripino. I yawned and stretched (and heard my idle bones crack) and trudged to the shore. Blinding white.Shervin, equally sleep deprived but already donning his board shorts, walked beside me….

Snapshot Saturday: Island Romance

by Gay Mitra - December 4, 2010August 13, 20146

“As the ocean is never full of water, so is the heart never full of love.” -Anonymous With this gorgeous sunset, who wouldn’t fall in love?Nope, that ain’t me and hubby. This is a snapshot of Amir and his girlfriend who started steadily dating after their Magalawa Island weekend getaway. Neither is a friend of…

Rushing Through Sta. Fe

by Gay Mitra - October 19, 2010August 13, 20143

This was not how I envisioned my Bantayan Island visit. Our entire trip was enveloped with time constraints. Not to mention I was two months pregnant which forced me to move a bit sluggish and overly wary. Sta. Fe was the only municipality we set foot on. And this is where the island’s white gleaming…

Koh Phi Phi Lei

by Gay Mitra - August 28, 2010August 13, 20140

There’s no way you can keep it out of Lonely Planet, and once that happens it’s countdown to dooms day – says one of the characters in the movie ‘The Beach’. Although the popular novel (turned into a Hollywood movie) by Alex Garland is set in Thailand, it’s been rumored that the actual inspiration for…

Koh Phi Phi Don

by Gay Mitra - August 26, 2010August 13, 20140

Koh Phi Phi Don is the largest of the Phi Phi Islands. It is almost separated into two islands, but a strand of flat land (each side has a beach suitable for swimming) connects them. When we arrived at the Ton Sai Pier, Shervin led the way through the jungle straight to Long Beach. We…

Koh Tao

by Gay Mitra - August 21, 2010August 13, 20140

Koh Tao (Turtle Island), lies 45km north of Koh Phangan. It’s known for diving and snorkeling because of its water visibility and abundant coral and marine life. Poch, Shervin and I headed to Koh Tao the day after the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan. Our Couchsurfing host Sameer (who’s from El Salvador and was…

Full Moon Party

by Gay Mitra - August 17, 2010August 13, 20147

We found out about the Full Moon Party when we were in Koh Samui. Travel agents were promoting it because they offer speed boats to and fro Koh Phangan. Since Shervin and I wanted the trip to be as cheap as possible, we didn’t hang out in bars and clubs. We would buy beer from…

Koh Phangan

by Gay Mitra - August 15, 2010August 13, 20142

Getting off an overloaded ferry was hell, but such big relief we docked Koh Phangan alive. Koh Phangan is 15km north of Koh Samui and is considered as the hammock haven of Thailand. Our overcrowded ferry to Koh Phangan.We immediately contacted via SMS a fellow Pinoy Couchsurfer Poch who was already in Haad Rin looking…

Topless at Lamai Beach!

by Gay Mitra - August 13, 2010August 13, 20148

Chaweng Beach is the most popular one in Koh Samui. Its long stretch of beach has lots of posh bungalows and pumping bars. That means, majority of the tourists flock here. But if you’re content to just lay on the beach and have low-key, quiet nights, then Lamai Beach is for you. It is for…