Genting Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia

THE MOTHER OF RESORTS WORLD

It was our last week in Malaysia and and I heard from a lot of my malay friends the fun and beauty of Genting Highlands, hence they recommends to visit it. Genting Highlands is  an integrated resort with full range of hotels, casino, themepark, cable car ride, golf, convention center and shopping mall located at the boundary of Pahang and Selangor, Malaysia. I asked one of taxi driver in Shah Alam City if how much he charge two way to Genting and its about 360 RM or convert to PhP its around 5,000. Its seems to be expensive for  only two of us to take a taxi so the only option is to take a usual bus ride from KL, short cut of Kuala Lumpur. I search the internet and found the  Genting Express bus is serving  from various pick-up points around Kuala Lumpur and its sub-urbs. Im only 25 km away from KL Sentral and one day is enough already to visit Genting and go back to Shah Alam at night.

More about Genting Highlands, please click the link: http://www.rwgenting.com/

The Genting Express Bus leaves KL Sentral every 30 minutes and this will go directly to Skyway cable car system the  jump-off poin to Genting Highlands. 

So we pack our things the night before and take a good sleep because we will depart in the morning from Shah Alam Concorde Hotel going to KL Sentral.

From Shah Alam Concorde Hotel we took the Taxi going to Shah Alam KTM train station. A 15 minute ride that cost around RM 25.

After arriving at KL sentral at around 10 AM, we right away buy our ticket going to Genting Highlands.  We paid RM 14.6 each two way, which is very reasonable considering the Genting Highlands is around 35 km from KL Sentral. This already includes the Skyway cable ride going up to Genting highlands. We took our breakfast at one of the coffee shop in KL Sentral and at 1230 PM our bus left KL sentral. 

The expansive KL Sentral. There is an ongoing expansion beside the Transport Hub of Kuala Lumpur.

  

KL Sentral, Kuala Lumpur. The transport Heart of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. You can find here a  lot of restaurants, Boutiques, stores, Bus terminal, taxi terminal and express train going to KL International Airport. 

Malaysian women having a coffee chat in KL Sentral. The staff of this coffee shop are surprisingly, all Filipino living in Kuala Lumpur.

A cup of coffee while waiting for our Trip going to Genting ing Highlands

Highway Signage going to Genting Highlands.

Road Sign as we enter the winding road going up to the
Genting Highlands.

This way to Genting Skyway Cable car.

At the Platform of Skyway Cable car. I'm excited in this ride. Im very excited in this

 cable car ride. I have no idea what the cable car route looks like going up.

The starting point of Skylab Cable car at Gotong Jaya town

With a breataking view of lush and  green forest of  GotongJaya and Gunung Ulu Kali at 1,800 meters high, you could feel the temperature easily drops to cooler  state.

Journey to Dakak

Dakak Park and Beach Resort 

Experienced true paradise. It was Holiday and Christmas Day  in 2009 when my family visited one of the popular beach resorts in the southern Philippines.The  Dakak Park and Beach Resort is located at  Dapitan City, Zamboanga Del Norte.

With a kilometer long stretch of fine white sand, the place is truly a jewel of the Mindanao.

This five start resort can be reached by land, sea and air travel from many major cities in the south.

From Cagayan de Oro which is he center of Northern Mindanao we travelled 6 hours going west  passing  cities and provinces in Northern side of Mindanao for the first time. It was a long drive for me but seeing the places along the way, the travel is  worthy as winning a trip to Boracay. We stayed in a relative in Dipolog City to celebrate Christmas eve.

We departed CDO at 0630 in the morning and we arrive at Iligan City around 8:30 AM.

A roadside view of Panagatan, A floating park and restaurant at Opol, Misamis Oriental, in the outskirt of Cagayan de Oro City

Typical Passenger Car in Iligan City

The Macapagal Macaraeg Ancestral House in Iligan City. This is the ancestral house of the late first lady Evangeline Macaraeg-Macapagal, mother of  former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

Fisherman's life in Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte, the jump-off point to Ozamiz city by RORO vessel.

This is the RORO route from Mukas, Kolambugan, Lanao Del Norte. Most of the Buses plying CDO/Iligan  and Ozamis are also using this route instead of circling the longer land route westward which could take 2 to 3 hours the fastest. The trip is easy and quick, I just paid around 250 pesos for my car and 25 pesos each for my companions.

My Innova inside the RORO vessel from Kolambogan, Lanao del norte to Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental. The RORO trip will take approximately 15 minutes, but the waiting time sometimes will take more than an hour, depends on the day.

Exit Gate from Ozamis pier to Ozamis City Proper

After 15 minutes, you are in Ozamis City already, but still in Mindanao Island.

Typical street in Ozamis City

A bridge after crossing Dapitan City going to Dipolog City

Rough road going to Dakak Resort from Dapitan City Proper

Entrance of Dakak Resort

THEN A BIG  HELLOOOO PARASIDE....

Loboc River Cruise, Bohol, Philippines

Loboc River Cruising  is one of the popular tourist destinations in Bohol. This river runs from upland through the town of Loboc and Loay towns in Bohol island before going through the open Mindanao sea.

Going back from our escapade in Chocolate hills, we drove south going to Loboc Town. It was around 30 minutes ride to get there. What amaze me about this place is the calmness and clearness of the river water. I think it is one of the cleanest river I have seen in the Philippines.

A lot of food choices...

River between mountains with coconut trees on riverbanks

You will be serenaded by classic local singers like this one.

You can chose from  variety of local cuisine to satisfy your appetite..

Loboc Church

Eat, dance, sing, merry making River cruise

The Loboc River front view. 

Lunch served. The Loboc Church at the opposite side of the River.

Balicasag Dive Resort, Bohol, Philippines

BALICASAG ISLAND DIVING RESORT

• Balicasag Island is one of the popular diving sites in Bohol. Just about 35 minutes by boat starting from Alona Beach, you can explore this Island. Declared  as a marine sanctuary, you can have a lot of fun such as snorkeling, swimming, diving, fish feeding, sun bathing, etc.  You can hire a round trip boat at around PhP 1,500 good for 6 to 10 people.  Useful link on other Bohol attractions: Guide to Bohol

Our boatman while we are waiting for the Dolphin to appear from Horizon.

A large Banca or boat can handle 20 to 30 people

Boats docking facing Cebu Island 

Clear water, clear skies, and pristine sand shorline

Fisherman of Balicasag Island

Snorkeling class 101

Could see the school of fish from the boat...

Snorkel, snorkel, snorkel

small boats at late afternoon of Balicasag Island