A Quick Boracay Summer

So there I was again, without any plans of going to Boracay, I got dragged by a friend who wanted to celebrate her birthday at the island. I was only able to make up my mind on the last minute. And because we took Air Asia, it meant another delayed flight, so we waited for more than 2 hours. 

We flew from Manila to Kalibo International Airport, where we met up with our friend who came from Dumaguete, but flew via Cebu. It was already midnight when we got to the boat from Caticlan to Boracay. The boat rates really inflate at those hours so it's better to take day flights. We got to the island at 1am and we just headed out for a quick meal before going to bed.

So basically we did a lot of eating, photo op, and partying (without even drinking much). But I would say that eating was the highlight of our trip haha! In fact, this was the only Boracay trip wherein I have completed all the daily hotel breakfasts. It's because we've been going to bed early because we're not drunk. Talk about change! haha

It's also great to find out that some other friends were there too, so I got to hangout with them. Anyway, here's how the trip went on:

Boracay Getaway from Roycie S. on Vimeo.

Day 1
Station 2 - Friend got a Henna Tattoo
Two Seasons - Oyster Sisig and Four Cheese Pizza (never fails!)
Station 1- Photo Op and a bit swimming by the beach until sunset
Olé - Late dinner
Summer Place - Friend met up with a guy from Tinder but ended up being with a better person we met by the bar
Epic - I met up with my friends from Manila and hung out 'til the break of dawn

summer girls :) #summer2016 #boracayhits #islandlife #citygirltravels #girlsquad

A photo posted by Roycie S. (@royciepoisie) on Mar 31, 2016 at 4:56am PDT

Day 2
Puka Beach - Swimming and chilling (super pretty beach but the drinks were overpriced)
Spider House - Dinner with new friends
Epic - Party (and some drinking)

Day 3
Real Coffee - Lunch
Don Churros - Churro and Lava Cake fix
Jonah's Fruit Shake - Of course, we won't miss this
Las Brisas - Swimming and bonding by the pool
Station 2 - Buffet Dinner (another must for every Boracay trip)
Epic - My friend's birthday celebration
Then while we're a bit tipsy 'coz of our drinks, we had to go back to the hotel to get our stuff; then we headed to the port then the Kalibo Airport to catch our red-eye flight. However, our flight was ultimately delayed for like 4 hours, so we wished we just stayed and rebooked our flight (it's free anyway).

A photo posted by Roycie S. (@royciepoisie) on Apr 2, 2016 at 5:19am PDT

And that's another quick but awesome summer trip! Where to next? Just wait for it! :)

How an Overnight Cebu Trip Turned 5 Days

Even I can't believe it. I didn't even have plans of joining my friends but I ended up staying there for almost forever. I was dragged by a friend straight from a Saturday night party  to the airport to catch the earliest flight to Cebu. Since the first flight was fully booked, we had to take the next one. We bought our plane ticket there and we didn't even get a ticket back home.

Instead of posting a lot of photos here, I just made a video of the trip. Feel free to comment below if you have any inquiries. 

#CebuHits from Roycie S. on Vimeo.


Here's a rundown of all our activities in that 5-day trip:

Day 1

We left first thing on a Sunday morning, went straight to our friend's hotel, the Big Hotel to check-in and take a nap. Then we had breakfast at the hotel resto. Right after breakfast, we were informed that our JCI friends from JCI Mandaue have prepared a boat party so we joined them. We went on a food trip and we had crazy drinking games while on board. 

We rushed back to the hotel to prepare for JCI Womandaue's induction and turnover ceremonies. After the event, we had drinks at the hotel bar. Then some of our JCI Cebu Inc. brothers invited us for a karaoke party at the KTV located next to the hotel. It was at around 1am when we moved to our friend's acoustic bar/KTV lounge, Open Mic, where we continued our craziness until 3am! That was a really crazy night.

Day 2

We all had lunch at a restaurant in SM Cebu. Then we chilled at Ibiza Beach Club at Movenpick Hotel and Resort in Mactan 'til after sunset. For dinner, we headed to a restaurant owned by our friend, Ampersand, wherein we had the best steak in Cebu, and all other sumptuous dishes and drinks.

A photo posted by Roycie S. (@royciepoisie) on Mar 18, 2016 at 12:34pm PDT

Day 3

We had our lechon fix at Rico's during lunch then we visited a new acquaintance's auto shop, Euro Technik for coffee. It was a lazy afternoon so while some of our friends headed to the airport to go back home, me and some of our Cebu-based friends indulged on a 1.5-hr foot and back massage at the Park Mall. It's my first time to try a massage conducted by blind people, and it felt so good. For dinner, we've gone to a local restaurant (like a big carinderia -- which I forgot the name of) that's known for their native chicken. After dinner, we had tea and dessert at Tinder Box. But just when we thought our night was over, we craved for wine and cheese so we headed to La Vie en Parisienne to satisfy our cravings.

Day 4

And out of our spontaneity, at 3am, after our wine sesh, we headed to the port to catch the first barge to Bantayan Island. That was a 2.5-hr drive, which can usually take 4-5 hours during the day. Anyway, we we're only able to catch the 2nd barge at 6:30am and it took us an hour and 15 mins to cross the water to Bantayan Island. In Bantayan, we had breakfast by the market, then we shopped for really cheap seafood. How cheap? Like Php 20/kilo of scallops. OMG! We headed to SantaFe Beach Club, where we checked in. We had the seafood we bought at the market cooked in the hotel and that's what we had for lunch. We were extremely full that we fell asleep after. We failed to wake up in time for our trip to the cove so we just headed out for dinner at Chef Panyang's. The food there were really cheap and yummy. If I come back to Bantayan, it would probably because of two things: the beach and the food. We got free dessert c/o the restaurant's manager. We were also able to have a JW Gold Label we just bought from a store nearby. We continued our drinking sesh at our hotel by the beach front while watching a movie on laptop.

Day 5

The next day, we woke up late again. We felt guilty for having the boatmen wait for 1.5 hrs for our island hopping. Our first stop was at Hilantagaan Island where we bought fish, rock lobsters, and crabs for our lunch. Next stop was at Virgin Island and I super loved it there. It's a lot better than Boracay. While we did some snorkelling, our boatman prepared our lunch. After lunch, we just rested for a bit and headed back to our hotel in Bantayan to catch the soonest flight we can get back to Manila as we still have a formal event to attend to in Taguig. At the airport, we bought our plane ticket and while waiting for boarding, we had our last dinner together.

A photo posted by Roycie S. (@royciepoisie) on Mar 16, 2016 at 11:25pm PDT

That Cebu trip was probably the best and most spontaneous trip I've ever done! It's so exciting to not have exact plans, not even a return flight because it gives you a lot of freedom. Just remember to overpack (while packing light -- to avoid paying for extra baggage) a bit. Be sure that you have extra clothes for any activity -- casual (shorts, tank tops, shirts, skirts), beachwear (maxi dress, short summer dress, cover up, swimsuit), smart casual (polo and pants), footwear (flats/sneakers, flipflops) -- so you won't have a problem.

Styling Stints at Hardware Zone Magazine

After my first styling stint at Hardware Zone Magazine Philippines (HWM Philippines), I have eventually became their resident stylist. Here's the link to my blog post during my first stint with them.

After the Holiday Gift Guide 2013/2014, I also did the styling for their Summer Gift Guide 2014 with Patricia Ejercitado on the Cover, Holiday Gift Guide 2014/2015 with the celebrity couple Gretchen Ho and Robi Domingo on the cover, and the most recent one was the Summer Gift Guide 2015 with Karyn Johnston on the cover, plus  a few pages with Kyle Vergara.

Check out some of my work for HWM:

Summer Gift Guide 2014

Holiday Gift Guide 2014/2015

Summer Gift Guide 2015

And that's it so far! Will keep you posted for more. Just continue buying HWM for your to serve as your gadget guide.

7 Reasons Why You Should Get LG P7

LG P7 Music Flow Portable Speakers, This Summer’s Perfect Gadget

Summer has officially begun and there are so many new things to do, places to see, and memories to create. Nothing makes experiences more enjoyable than being in the company of great friends and even greater music.

Home entertainment trailblazer LG Electronics dishes out exciting ways to amp up your summer trips with the new LG Music Flow P7. This compact but powerful portable speaker boasts unique features for the ultimate hassle-free barkada bonding.

1.      Music anytime, anywhere

Its impressive long-lasting battery enables the gang to enjoy continuous music for up to 10 hours. Whether you are out in the sea or up in the mountains, the LG Music Flow P7 delivers nonstop listening pleasure.

2.      Go with the ‘Flow’

The super sleek LG Music Flow P7 is extremely lightweight and comfortably fits in any carry-on luggage; making it the perfect companion for beach trips and out-of-town vacations.

3.      Make it loud with your crowd

Even with its compact design, the LG Music Flow P7 is capable of playing music in full, crystal clear quality with its outstanding 20W audio output, currently the best in the market.

Fire up the grill, host your own outdoor summer soiree and after sunset, watch a movie under the stars with just a blanket and a projector—with the sounds amplified by your own Music Flow, of course!

4.      Music-sharing made easy

Partying with your best buds made even more fun with LG Music Flow P7’s Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities. Shuffle and stream music right from your mobile phone! The barkada can also get in on the fun with its unique feature that allows up to three Bluetooth-capable phones to connect at the same time.

5.      Double the Music Flow, double the fun

You and your friends can connect two LG Music Flow P7s to one Bluetooth-ready device at the same time for a fun and louder summer trip. Fill every corner with quality tunes wherever you go!

6.      Relax, go do it

Staycations will never be the same again! Cozy up with your favourite blanket and catch up on your series at home by connecting up to two LG Music Flow P7s to a compatible LG TV and enjoy the full LG experience with immersive surround sound.

7.      Keep fit with the beat!

Getting that beach body ready doesn’t have to be a struggle. Stretch, jump, and crunch (not munch) to the beat that’s blasting from your Music Flow P7s. Or you could hold your favourite yoga poses with soothing ambient sounds thanks to your Music Flow.

“Whether you are planning for a weekend trip or simply staying in with the family, the LG Music Flow P7, the smallest and newest addition to the LG Music Flow WiFi Series, is the ideal companion for that unforgettable listening experience,” said Hoony Bae, vice president of LG Philippines Home Entertainment.

Awesome Summer 2013

Summer of every year is what I always look forward to for so many reasons. First, it's been raining all year and it would be nice to go to the beach and have fun under the sun even for just a short time. Second, it's vacation from school. Yeah, even now that I'm in my Masters, I'm still excited for summer vacation. It's the time of the year when I can go out of town or out of the country longer, that's why I spent 3 months with my relatives in Japan last year and in 2010, and a month in Boracay in 2009. Third, it covers the Holy Week and the Labor Day weekend, when everyone's out and spending time with friends and families. And lastly, April is my birthday month! And I haven't spent my birthday under the rain.:)

This year, I didn't go to Japan because I had to attend the summer workshops in school that I've missed twice because I was always out of town or out of the country during summer. But since I'm already about to graduate, I was required to attend them. So I stayed and spent three weeks in Boracay (with side trips in Iloilo) instead.

My friend booked me a flight for her wedding in Iloilo, but I told her to book me to Boracay first then I'll just take a land trip to Iloilo for her wedding. So what happened was, I arrived in Boracay on April 19 and spent the weekend with my bestfriend and PLDT friends. The highlight of this weekend was Jay Sean's concert, and the relaxing time with friends at our hotel, The District, and our roadtrip from Caticlan to Iloilo.

On April 21, we arrived in Iloilo and had a food trip. The next day it was my friend's wedding at Punta Villa. Did my own makeup using Urban Decay's Naked palette, while the hairstylist helped me with my hair. The next day, I moved to my friend's place where I stayed for 2 nights. I had my birthday salubong in Bourbon and Flow at Smallville, then the next day, we had my birthday lunch at our friend's resto, BBQ Shack. I really had a great time in Iloilo.

On the day of my birthday I spent 3 hours in the van waiting for it to be filled with passengers. I should've gone to the terminal earlier so I didn't have to wait that long. Anyway, I arrived late in Boracay and went straight to our hotel, LSM Square, owned by my friend's aunt. That was my birthday weekend and I spent it with my friends from graduate school, and some Manila friends. We also had one Couchsurfer who joined us in this trip. We got passes to "Sunkissed" at White House and The District 'coz one of the organisers was my sorority sister. So that's when we discovered why sunset parties were a lot better than late night parties haha! Some friends and I also had a picnic at Puka Beach, the reason why I missed the Ariel's Point cliff diving with my classmates.

When my classmates left, I was adopted by my friends in their hotel. Then I moved to another place when they left. Good thing I never ran out of friends while I was there. I kept moving from one hotel to another. I think I've stayed in a total of 7 hotels in my 3 weeks there haha, and the only accommodation I've paid for was the actual planned trip which was during my birthday weekend.

Anyway, there came the Labor Day weekend. More friends and acquaintances came to the island. It meant sunset parties everyday. The problem with that was, a lot of my friends are already drunk at around 9 or 10 pm that no one's there anymore at 12mn or 1am to party more. haha! El Hombre, Antonov sponsored the sunset parties at Whitehouse and Sur in Station 1. My friends and I loved chilling at Two Seasons 'coz of their Four Cheese Pizza and Oyster Sisig, plus they serve good cocktails too. During the Labor Day weekend, the happy hour at Two Seasons is exclusive only for their in-house guests, but since we were there everyday, the waiters did us a favor. Sur had the longest happy hour, from 2pm to 8pm I guess. And they sold Jack-Coke for Php 100 only and it's Buy 1 Take 1. Summer was so crazy because of those sunset parties. Vans also partnered with Smart in their Smart Live All Out event in Boracay Uptown. We also joined the Vans family as they celebrated the birthday of WynWyn Marquez at Discovery Shores. That same night was Zedd's concert at Club Paraw sponsored by Marlboro. Unfortunately, we didn't make it 'coz the place was so full that even the VVIPs were not allowed to enter the overly crowded venue.

Then on May 5, my friends and I went on a land trip to Iloilo 'coz our flight was on the next morning at around 6am. That flight only cost me Php 1500 via Zest Air. In Iloilo, we had dinner in Villa, where a basket of fresh oysters only costs Php 40. Everything in Iloilo is so cheap that's why I love it there!

So after 3 weeks in Boracay and Iloilo, I could say that I had an awesome summer!!! It's probably one of the best summer vacations I've ever had! Thanks to my friends.:)