Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant

Nothing beats a seaside ambiance where the air breathes of the ocean whiff and beneath you are schools of small fishes generously bordering the floating restaurant.

Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant is conveniently located at Day-as Cordova, Mactan Cebu, Philippines. They opened their store to the public last June 22, 2012. Accepted credit cards are Visa, Mastercard and American Express.

Restaurant Schedule:

Mon - Thu: 10:00 - 22:00
Fri - Sat: 10:00 - 23:45
Sun: 10:00 - 22:00

 The restaurant is said to float only during high tide or when the seawater reaches  the shore.

 Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant is an affiliate of the infamous Mooon Cafe. You may contact them through (032) 5142959.

It is also best to call them for reservations especially on weekends because it is the part of the week that they are the busiest. Although you can also go there directly and wait to be seated if they are already full.

This is the Grill station where they cook the pork belly, chicken barbeque, and other grilled produce such as fish, squid and prawns.

 What sets them apart from other restaurants in Cebu is the beach setting featured with sumptuous feast of seafood collection and a wide array of gastronomic delight.  

original bacolod chicken barbeque @ P130 

(chicken barbeque paired with java rice topped with garlic crunchies)

sweet chili crablets @ P110 

(a spicy blend of crustacean mixed with bits of chili sword and onions)

lechon kawali @ P185 

This is a lechon kawali like no other, tasty and crunchy. It is best enjoyed by dipping it in soy sauce and vinegar.

Garlic buttered prawns @ P180

 (some portions of the prawn’s shell are conveniently peeled off for easy consumption)

 Cordova Express @ P145

It is a delicious combination of fish and crustaceans. It is mainly composed of shrimps, squids and fish blended with malunggay leaves, chili sword, onions, and tomatoes soaked in coconut milk.

A concoction of orange juice, slices of lemon and orange plus fruit bits such as watermelon.

 refreshment and dessert station

(a unique design of a station wherein the facade resembles that of a jeepney)

How to get there:

Through Jeepney and Trisikad

You need to ride a jeepney going to Opon Terminal - at the Terminal transfer to a multicab going to Cordova and inform the driver to drop you off at the Crossing of Cordova. While at the Crossing you can see "trisikads" bound for Day-as Port. Fare per person is P10.

Through Taxis 

If you are from Manila and start your journey from the airport, you can ask the taxis to transport you to the floating restaurant. Approximate taxi fare from airport to Day-as Port Cordova is P250-P300. If you are from the City of Cebu, approximate fare is P350 – P400. 

If you have plans of going there on a late schedule, it is best to bring your own transportation since no taxis are available during the evening and the restaurant's location is quiet far from the main road.

A Beary Good Stay @ A BEARY GOOD HOSTEL

A few months back, I was surfing the net and was looking for a hostel to fit my needs; economical, clean, with warm & accommodating hosts and definitely accessible for all the tourist spots and places to explore in Singapore.

Luckily I was able to come across the hostel that would certainly meet my requirement – A Beary Good Hostel.

Aside from being Singapore’s number one hostel in Trip Advisor, it also boasts of being the cleanest and most accessible amongst other hostels in Singapore. Besides, the hosts in this hotel are really superb in terms of dealing with existing guests and incoming guests regardless if it’s daytime or nighttime.

They are superb in the sense that they just don’t provide quality service but exceed the need of the guests by providing extra mile service. These services may be in the form of quick responses to room problems such as facilities e.g. fixing of AC, provision of fans if the AC is not cool enough, changing of bed sheets and pillow covers. And they even assist you with the laundry machine. Toilets and Bathrooms are always clean but you can never discount the fact that there are some guests who are really cluttered and messy in nature thus it is not the hostel’s liability. Breakfasts in this hostel are always on time and as scheduled. Although there are times that they do extend their breakfast schedules to those who wake up late.

When talking about accessibility, it is just a few steps away from the MRT station. It is very near the souvenir shops, the Chinatown night market, the food street and very near hawkers that provides cheap but tasty Asian food. People’s park is just across the street with so many varieties of food and native delicacies. It is also very near Maxwell Food Center which is by far one of the best hawkers I’ve visited not to mention the delicious Almond Soya Bean Curd at Lao Ban which is in this food center.

By staying at this hostel, you can have the best of both worlds because not only are you close to souvenir shops but you will be able to binge on your taste buds like trying the famous Chili and Black Pepper Crabs, stingray, baby squid, desserts at Mei Heong Yuen and the tasty Bakkwa.

To top it all, tourist spots are just nearby. Sri Mariamman Temple and Buddha Tooth Relic Temple are just close to this hostel. You can also go on foot if you want to go to places like Clarke Quay, Fort Canning and even the well-known gadget hub, Funan Digitalife Mall.

I so love this hostel that I even stayed for 48 days!

Room Tip: Dorm 2 Bed 8 is by far the best bed. I have stayed at the 3 dorms but so far dorm 2 is the best dorm.

Stepped into Lantau Island, Hongkong

Lantau Island’s Ngong Ping 360 was a 25 minute cable car ride with a choice of crystal cabin and a regular cable car. We rode the crystal cabin (glass floor which means everything beneath you is visible from the seawater to the trees) and paid HKD230 each inclusive of round trip ticket, monkey’s tale theater (which we failed to watch due to time constraints) and walking with Buddha (an immersive, multimedia attraction allowing visitors to follow the life of Siddhartha Gautama - the man who became Buddha - and his path to enlightenment; as described by the Ngong Ping’s website)

 

This cable car ride literally takes your breath away because of the scenic view of the mountain and the calming sight of the ocean underneath. It is a joy ride of your life.

 The Ngong Ping Village Opening Hours:

Weekdays: 10:00am to 6:00pm

Weekends and Public Holidays: 9:00am to 6:30pm

Once in Ngong Ping, you better check first the schedule of shows (walking with Buddha, monkey’s tale theater) to be able to maximize your tour and at the same time cover all there is to explore.

 
You have to climb the 240 stairs before you will reach the 34 meter high Buddha. Once you reach the top, the view is breathtaking and ushers a blissful experience. 

It may seems exhausting to go up the stairs but seeing the Buddha getting bigger and bigger as you go nearer appears to be the driving force to soar higher.

The Buddha statue supposedly sits on a lotus throne atop a three-platform altar.

 The Lantau Buddha statue is considered to be the world’s largest Buddha statue and is made of bronze material. It is said to weigh at 250 tons.

 Taken are photos of three of the six smaller bronze statues known as "The Offering of the Six Devas". These statues show an offering of flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit, and music to the Buddha.

 The path towards Po Lin Monastery is scenic since you get to see a distant view of the big Buddha and at the same time gets to enjoy the landscape surrounding the area.

 

How to get there:

Take the MTR going to Tung Chung (orange) station. You have 3 options: ride an air-conditioned bus, via a cable car or through a ferry.

Via Bus:

Take the bus number 23 from Tung Chung Town Centre going to Ngong Ping. Travel time is approximately 40-45 mins. Bus Fare is $HK16.


Via Cable Car (Travel time is 25 mins.):   


Round Trip Tickets:


Standard Cabin: You have to pay $HK 125 for adults and $HK 62 for children (aged 3-11) and $HK 98 for Senior (aged 65+)


Crystal Cabin: You have to pay $HK 188 for adults and $HK 165 for children (aged 3-11) and $HK 161 for Senior (aged 65+)

Via Ferry:

From Central Pier No. 6 (near Central's Star Ferry Pier or MTR's Hongkong Station), catch a Ferry to Lantau Island's Mui Wo (Fast Ferry is approx 40 mins. and Normal Ferry takes 60 mins.) Upon arrival at Mui Wo, take New Lantau Island Bus No. 2 to Ngong Ping (approximately 50 minutes.)

Sumilon Island Getaway

It has been awhile that I and my friends went on an adventure barely to relax and get away from the bustle of city life. Our choices were moalboal and sumilon and for obvious reasons the vote was unanimous and we chose Sumilon island.

We opted to go there on a weekend and agreed to meet early in the morning. We took the 630am trip and arrived around 930am. The trip from Bancogon to Sumilon Island was quite a rough ride because I believe there was a tropical storm coming on that particular week.

Before we went to Sumilon Island we haggled if it’s ok to pay P1500/person excluding snacks instead of paying the P2000/person. And luckily our request was granted.

• Weekdays: Php 1,500 nett per person

• Weekends (Saturday / Sunday) & Holidays: Php 2,000 nett per person

Inclusions

• Roundtrip boat transfers from Bancogon (Oslob) to Sumilon Island
• Plated lunch per person at the Pavilion Bar

• Island activities (snorkeling, paddle boating, kayaking) and use of picnic huts and swimming pool

Trip Schedule from Bancogon to Sumilon

*Make sure you arrive at Boncogon 20-30 minutes 

before the scheduled trip. Schedule may change 

without prior notice. 

Monday to Sunday

• 1st trip - 7:30 am
• 2nd trip - 9:30 am
• 3rd trip - 11:00 am
• 4th trip - 12:30 pm

Last trip - 4:30 pm 

Trip Schedule from Sumilon to Bancogon

Monday to Sunday

• 1st trip - 9 am
• 2nd trip - 10:30 am
• 3rd trip - 12 noon
• 4th trip - 1:30 pm
• 5th trip - 3:30 pm

Last trip - 5:30 pm (5pm for Saturdays)



The plated lunch was actually a gastronomic display of delicious food. We were served with soups and our own choice of main course (grilled squid, pork humba and chicken bbq) plus mouth-watering desserts (macaroni fruit salad and choco pudding).

 Pavilion Bar (octagon nipa hut)

                                                                 soup with garlic bread

grilled squid 

                                                                 pork humba with egg

chicken bbq garnished with cauliflower, string beans, broccoli and carrots

Delectable Desserts

                                                                  macaroni fruit salad

                                                                      choco pudding

 When in Sumilon, you have a lot of physical activities to enjoy such as kayaking, snorkeling and swimming. You can also do trekking and go to Baluarte (historical watchtower)

 

 kayaking

 jacuzzi

How to get there:

You can either ride a bus or v-hire at the south bus terminal. Ceres buses can take you to Bancogon (Oslob) approximately 3 hours of travel from Cebu City and 15-minute travel from Oslob to Sumilon Island via a banca (motorboat) which is owned and operated by Sumilon Bluewater island Resort. 

Bus Fare: 

·         PhP 155.00 for air conditioned buses

·         PhP 145.00 for non-air conditioned bus

V-Hire:

·         approximately 100-150 price range

TIP: Contact ahead Sumilon Blue Water Island Resort through (032) 481 0801 / 516 7236 for ease in travel. They will also assist you and tell you about the schedule of your trip and where to take a ride.