Isla Bonita Beach Resort

 Isla Bonita beach resort is located in San Juan, La Union.

 The resort has a nice reception area and the staff are friendly. The parking at the resort is limited and we have to park at another private parking lot. While I am not comfortable leaving our car there, we have no choice. The staff assured us that it's safe. The courtyard is clean but there are lots of mosquitoes. Staff has this electric gadget to trap and kill those mosquitoes. Our room is big but the layout is weird.

 There is an electric fan at the living room and aircon at the sleeping area. Our 2 queen size beds are comfortable as well as the pillows. Linens and towels are clean. The weird part is that the sink and mini ref are in the bedroom instead of the small kitchen.

The toilet has no wash basin.

We have to use the sink at the bedroom to brush our teeth and wash our hands. The toilet floorings are not level and you can trip if you are not careful. The front and toilet doors are a bit worn out. The front door lacks security feature. Blackish molds can be seen in the bathroom tiles. Water pressure in the shower is not strong and the shower handle is not fastened well. A pail and dipper is provided most likely because of the weak water pressure.

The resort is not PWD /senior citizen friendly. Resort owner could have provided a ramp to the beach and dining area and to some of the beachfront rooms. The room rate includes breakfast and the food is average. The restaurant offers filipino dishes but we didnt find the dishes we ordered delicious. The tripe in the kare kare was not tender and we didnt finish it. The sizzling salmon was dry. There is no fresh fruit available.

breakfast

The beach is wide and clean, free from rocks,seaweeds and trash.

 
Sand is fine gray and waves are suited for surfing.

There are two small swimming pools.

Adult pool

 The pool for adult is cloud and murky when we arrived. They drained the water at night and in the morning there's no water and we cant use it.

Our sleep was not pleasant. We can hear the heavy steps of guests right above our room. The second floor is evidently made of wood and we can feel the heavy walkings and hear the squeaking of the floor.

Sunset is nice though.

Overall, the resort is average and needs improvement . We can give it a second chance but will get the beachfront room, bring our food and some cooking gadgets.

Bondi Beach, Sydney

A visit to Sydney is not complete without seeing Bondi Beach. On our third day in Sydney, we hopped on a train from Town Hall and alighted at Bondi Junction after more or less10 minutes. From the junction, we boarded Bus # 380 and reached the drop off in 15 minutes. The driver would announce where visitors can alight.

We crossed the street and walk to the viewing area. Once can see the wide stretch of beach 1 km long. The waves at the time of our visit were strong, crashing to the rocks on one side of the beach. On the right side of the viewing deck is the famous Bondi Iceberg swimming club and restaurant. On the left , there's a stairway to the boardwalk as well as to the beach.

Bondi Beach has many popular cafes, restaurants, and hotels, with views of the beach. There is also a changing area/ washroom.

We strolled on the boardwalk, had some coffee and cookies , watched the Chinese tour group and took photos.

As in Manly, I had to walk on Bondi beach. Since it's early winter, the waters were cold but I had a nice walk on the wet sands and even took home a handful of sand as souvenir.

There were few surfers braving the cold waters. I guessed they are already used to it.

We spent about an hour at Bondi and it was nice to have visited again one of Sydney's famous beaches.

Hope to visit in summer so we can swim.

Return to Manly Beach

It has been 9 years since I last visited Manly Beach. It was a business trip back in 2007 and now in 2016 the trip was for a short vacation.

We took the Manly ferry from Circular Quay using our Opal cards. It was early winter and it was quite windy and chilly. We opted to seat inside the ferry where it was warmer. I went out on the open area from time to time to take photo of the harbour and other interesting sights.

 I wanted to feel the cool breeze on my face but it was too cold so I went inside and chat with my partner. The cabin was clean and comfortable. There's a monitor which showed how many more minutes til we arrive at Manly wharf. The trip was about 30 minutes.

Arriving at Manly wharf, we took the mandatory photo before crossing the street going to the Corso.

 The Corso is a pedestrian plaza with shopping stores and food outlets. You will pass this area before reaching the beach.

We stopped at a dining area and ordered our fish and chips at Manly Ocean Foods. This food outlet serves several combination of seafood and chips. You know it's good when there's a long queue outside.

Many seagulls flock to this area waiting for visitors to throw chips at them. Be watchful as the birds can sneak and steal your  food.

The beach was at the end of the walkway . It still the same wide, clean beach with powdery off white sands as it was nine years ago.

 It has a long boardwalk where one can stroll end to end. There's a public restroom nearby. Most visitors occupied the benches just passing off the time. Though there were some brave surfers doing their stuff.

We found a bench and rested and enjoyed the view.

I wanted to walk on the beach so I removed my shoes and walked barefooted on the beach.

I felt the cold sands under my feet. It was a relaxing moment. I walked near the shore to feel the how cold the water was. It was refreshing.  I took several photos of the beach and the surroundings.

We stayed for over an hour and we had fun though short.

San Juan Surf Resort, La Union

For those who are into surfing or would like to learn how to surf, San Juan Surf Resort is one the places you go to . Located up north in Brgy. Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union and less than 6 hour drive from Manila ( thanks to the newly opened Urdaneta exit of TPLEX) this resort is very nice. It can also be reached by public transportation and the entrance/ driveway to the resort is right on the main road. This resort was put up by a Fil- Australian surfer - Luke Landrigan- back in the 90s and it has expanded and improved over the years. Luke is a certified surfer having won different surfing events and earning him a license to teach surfing anywhere in the world.

Luke in red cap being interviewed by UNTV crew

The staff at the reception are friendly and accommodating. Even the guard at the parking is helpful and smiling. Check in and out are fast and hassle free.

ample parking space

The resort has very good accommodation and the 3 storey buildings are relatively new.

One VIP room on the second floor which is good for 3 persons has one single and queen size beds. Mattress is very comfortable and there are enough pillows. Free breakfast comes with the VIP room.

There is a cable TV, mini-ref, small safety deposit box and quiet aircon. Bathroom is clean and 3 big white towels are provided. However, there is no coffee maker set or complimentary bottled water in the room and Wi-fi is weak or none at all. 

The VIP room has a terrace overlooking the beach.

The resort's courtyard is green , well maintained and litter free. The lawn is a bit wide making it child friendly.

There are two gift shops where you can buy swimming paraphernalia and souvenir items. I find the items a bit expensive- round collar tshirt with original printed design is Php350, mug Php250, ref magnet Php100

The restaurant is spacious and airy and has mini bar. The food attendants are friendly and smartly dressed. I like their uniform - khaki shorts and white polo shirt and sneakers. They are very apologetic for any delay in your ordered food. ( I feel they should add cooks to improve the serving time). The trick is to pre-order your food 2 hours before your intended eating time. Menu consists of Filipino and continental dishes as well as alcoholic beverages. Dishes are ok and a bit pricey.

Filipino breakfast ( Longganisa , egg and fried rice)

strawberry smoothie @Php155

Thank goodness that there is no videoke or karaoke in this resort. They have a policy of no noise after 9pm in order for guests to have a good relaxing sleep. Glad that the resort knows that one does not want to have sleepless night due to  loud singing and rowdy guests.

resort at night

The beach area is clean and no trash. There are no seashells but the sand is fine and greyish. It's safe to walk barefooted. Colorful surf boards and surf instructors abound from other resorts. Surfing lesson is around Php300 per hour including board rental. I believe that there's a different rate if Luke will be the instructor. For those who are afraid of the big waves and the rip curls, one can dip and wade in the water but be careful as the waves can carry you out to the sea.

If you're afraid of the strong waves, you can explore the left side of the resort and step on the rocky part. This area consists of dead corals which have turned into hard rock. Farther left , you can walk and look for your mini lagoon to wade without being carried by the strong waves.

 You can walk on the rocks farther from the shore and see marine life such as seaweeds, fishes, tiny crabs. It is just ankle deep. Be sure to wear aqua shoes to protect your feet.

If weather permits, an amazing sunset awaits you.

Tips:
1- Call for early reservation especially on peak season. They require 50% reservation fee via bank deposit.
2- Bringing of food is not allowed. However, water and chips can be brought in.
3-There is no hot water in the shower. Though the water is not that cold.
4-There are eateries and coffee shop just across the resort and you may want to try them out.
5-They accept senior citizen's card discount.
6-Credit card is accepted at the reception but not in their restaurant.
7-Order your food way in advance. Service tends to be slow.

Direction:
via private car: take NLEX-SCTEX-TPLEX and exit in Urdaneta. Drive along McArthur Highway up to La Union. Take the left side of the junction or else you will be heading to Baguio City. Pass by San Fernando City proper and in 15 minutes you will see the resort's sign on your left. You will spend at least Php500 for 3 tollways.

Happy surfing!