Tag Archives: nature

Miyajima (Itsukushima Island), Hiroshima, Japan

July 17, 2016 couplemeetsworld Leave a comment

June 21, 2016

Still part of anniversary was our trip to Miyajima Island in the Hiroshima Prefecture. It is known for the floating Torii gate, which fronts the Itsukushima Shrine and is believed to be the boundary between the spirit and human worlds. The Torii gate is also part of the Three Scenic Views of Japan (just like Amanohashidate). We particularly chose to visit it at low tide, so we could walk around the gate and fly the drone (LOL).

Some scenes of the Wolverine movie were shot in this island, which also has cute deers roving.

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Amanohashidate, Kyoto, Japan

July 13, 2016 couplemeetsworld Leave a comment

June 20, 2016

While looking for places to visit in the Kansai region, we stumbled upon articles on this quiet, little place called Amanohashidate, which is one of the Three Scenic Views of Japan, according to Edo period literary artist and scholar Hayashi Gaho. It is located in Miyazu Bay, northern Kyoto.

From Amanohashidate Station, we had to take a ferry and a monorail to the Kasamatsu Park and do “Matanozoki“ to see the breath-taking view of the heaven’s bridge through an upside down bend. We were also able to bike the 3-km. stretch of the Amanohashidate sandbar. It was good we purchased the Amanohashidate Pass (for just 1400 yen per person!), which already covered the ferry ride, chair lift, bike, and train ride from JR Fukuchiyama station (the farthest covered by our rail pass) to Amanohashidate station.

We highly recommend visiting this place!

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Kyoto, Japan: Golden Pavilion / Kinkaku-ji

June 27, 2016 couplemeetsworld Leave a comment

June 18, 2016

Our afternoon was spent at the picturesque Golden Pavilion or the Kinkaku-ji, a Zen Buddhist temple and another UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is about a 9-minute bus (Bus No. 204) ride away from the JR Emmachi Station, which in turn is just three stops away from the JR Saga-Arashiyama Station. Also, the hydrangeas found along the way were so pretty.

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Kyoto, Japan: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Tenryu-ji

June 26, 2016 couplemeetsworld Leave a comment

June 18, 2016

We flew to Japan last week for a family vacation. We arrived early in the morning of June 18, claimed our West Kansai-Hiroshima JR pass (which we will be writing about when we summarize our trip), deposited our luggage in the coin lockers found at the train station, and explored Kyoto for our first day. Note that we had no fixed itinerary for the entire trip. We just had some sites in mind (thanks also to suggestions of friends, especially Janna’s boss) but we had to make up our itinerary as we went along because of changes in weather conditions.

Arashiyama

Sagano Bamboo Grove

Our first stop was the Bamboo Grove in Arashiyama, which is considered nationally as a “Place of Scenic Beauty” and also a “Historic Site”. Our photos here do not give justice to the magical feeling of being surrounded by tall bamboos.

Just within the area is also a Buddhist temple built in the 1300’s, the Tenryu-ji, which has been designated as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site for being a Historical Monument of Ancient Kyoto.

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Oslob: Whaleshark Watching and Sumilon Island

June 8, 2016 couplemeetsworld Leave a comment

May 27, 2016

We started our Cebu trip by going to the Cebu South Bus Terminal at around 4A.M. to take an Oslob-bound bus. Fare costs P160 per person.

We asked the conductor to drop us off at Brgy. Tan-awan. There, we were greeted by May-Ann, our contact in Oslob, who took care of tickets for our Whale shark Watching Activity, and our day trip to the Sumilon Island sandbar.

The whale shark is the largest living fish, and swimming with them was a different kind of experience for us. From what we saw, the whale sharks are well taken care of. The municipal officers are strict with rules, and they have marine biologists overseeing everything. However, we can only wish that every visitor interacting with the whale sharks would be as responsible.

After a 30-minute encounter with the whale sharks, we had lunch and prepared for our trip to the Sumilon Island sandbar, which was just a 15-minute boat ride away from Brgy. Tan-awan. We waited until late afternoon for the sandbar to emerge but we had to leave when it was already getting dark. We were able to enjoy the crystal clear waters of the Sumilon Island anyway.

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Cebu: Oslob, Alegria, Moalboal, Osmena Peak, Cebu City

Video June 4, 2016 couplemeetsworld Leave a comment

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Osmeña Peak

June 2, 2016 couplemeetsworld Leave a comment

We’re back from our 3-day Cebu adventure. We got to cover more than what we expected that’s why it’s going to be tough to share everything right away. Maybe, we’ll just do it in installments and then summarize everything in one post later on.

This part is about Osmeña Peak, the highest point in the island of Cebu. Situated in Dalaguete, Cebu, the peak is at 1,072.6 meters above sea level. However, it was a very short hike because the jump-off point is already near the peak. Since we were pressed for time, we didn’t get the chance to hike all the way up, and instead cheated with the help of a motorcycle, or habal-habal to get to the hiker’s registration area. (Note: We chartered two motorcycles for two days to get to different parts of South Cebu to cover as much as possible, and we’ll write about this in the coming days). From there, it took us around 15 minutes to get to the peak.

The entrance fee is just at P20 per person, while there are no fixed fees set for tour guides.

At the summit, you will see some extraordinary “hilly” formations, the shore of Moalboal, and the islands of Badian, Siquijor, Bohol, and Negros. Definitely a must-do when visiting Cebu!

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Mt. Hapunang Banoi

May 18, 2016 couplemeetsworld Leave a comment

May 14, 2016

Whenever we want to go on a hiking trip but don’t want to travel as far, the province of Rizal is our go-to place. The town of Montalban , which is just an hour away from Cubao, Quezon City, offers different trails going up different mountains, which form part of the Sierra Madre range.

Last Saturday, we hiked Mt. Hapunang Banoi. Just like Mt. Pamitinan and Mt. Binacayan, the jump-off point is at Brgy. Wawa. Entrance fee is at P25/head, while the services of tour guides are at P500/group. The trail is very challenging and would require climbing sharp rocks. It took us probably three hours to reach the summit (which was definitely worth it) and an hour to get down.

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Buntot Palos Falls, Pangil, Laguna

April 27, 2016 couplemeetsworld Leave a comment

April 23, 2016

The province of Laguna is blessed with many waterfalls, one of which is this 90-ft. Buntot Palos Falls, which according to our tour guide is the highest among the province’s waterfalls, and ranked 4th nationwide during the It’s More Fun in the Philippines Department of Tourism campaign.

Situated in the town of Pangil, one can easily reach the jump-off point from Manila by riding an Infanta-bound bus, getting off in Famy, and then riding a tricycle to get to Panguil River Ecopark, Brgy. Natividad. An alternative would also be taking a jeep bound for Siniloan from Robinson’s Cainta, riding another jeepney bound for Famy and then taking the tricycle.

However, from the Panguil River Ecopark, it would take a 1.5 to 2-hour challenging trek, to get to this amazing view.

The services of a tour guide cost P500/group of 5, while entrance fees are at P25/person. Pretty cheap for such a breathtaking experience.

You may reach Kagawad Ester, who’s in charge, for more information at 09267001056. We also offer joiner’s tours; email us at couplemeetsworld@gmail.com.

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Bukal Falls

April 11, 2016 couplemeetsworld Leave a comment

March 26, 2016

Hidden in the town of Majayjay, Laguna is an enchanted pond surrounding the Bukal Falls. We say it’s enchanted because its crystal clear, frigid blue waters reminds us of photos of the more popular Enchanted River in Surigao.

To get to the jump-off point, one has to go to the barangay hall of Brgy. Bukal. Entrance fees are just at P25/person, while the services of a tour guide cost P300/group of 5. We got to the jump-off point at around 3pm, and trekked for an hour to reach Bukal Falls. The trail was quite challenging but was manageable even for older people. In fact, Mommy Evette (Janna’s 58-year old mother) had a great time with us. By 6pm, just before sunset, we were already back at where we started.

If you’re also looking for a place to eat, there’s this new restaurant/resort in Lucban, Quezon called Sam Kara, which is just five minutes away from Majayjay, Laguna. We had a Filipino lunch just before going to Brgy. Bukal.