Boracay

I first went to Boracay in 1989 – at that time, there was no electricity on the island, and only a few very basic resorts (forget hot water!) and restaurants. Alasdair and I have been back to the island at least six times since then - the latter three with the children in tow. The past nineteen years have made such a difference to what is sometimes known as the ‘Best Beach in the World’ – from starting off as an island paradise where you could escape the stresses of daily living, Boracay is now a heaving, happening place. You can do every imaginable water sport here, you can eat whatever your heart desires as there are restaurants everywhere along the 4 kilometre beach and you can go dancing in one of the beach’s numerous bars. You can also buy almost everything at D’Mall, the island’s retail hub – at one point, I felt I was back at the Chatuchak Market in Bangkok. Which is not a good thing when you’re not really supposed to be there…

Although Boracay is more like Ibiza now, and has completely lost its rustic appeal, I am still drawn to it. The very clear turquoise waters and the beautiful and very fine white sand are really quite spectacular. Although it can be very busy, you can still find your quiet spot, especially if you stay in one of the quieter resorts towards the ends of the island.

We stayed at a lovely resort called Waling-Waling. We have attempted to stay here countless times, but it was always booked.

I’m glad we kept trying – the accommodation was very good and their little cabañas with hammocks with a view to the ocean was just gorgeous.

We met our cabana ‘neighbours’ – a lovely couple called Trish and Ricardo. Trish had two of her three boys with her, and they played quite a lot with our four. Four because we took Sam, our niece, to Boracay with us for a graduation present. A cute little love affair developed between Sam and Matteo, Trish’s second. They’re both thirteen and it was really sweet! Trish and I exchanged numbers and I promised that I would see her next week, as she had invited the children to her youngest son Luca’s birthday party.

As you can imagine, most of our time was spent lounging around the beach, although we did go snorkelling one day and Alasdair and the children took a banana boat ride, which apparently was not as fun as they thought it would be. The snorkelling was enjoyable, although it was also slightly scary as we stopped at Crocodile Island, and the waves very very strong. Every single time I lifted my head to find out how far we were from our boat, I’d find myself miles out. When I tired, it took me forever to get back into the boat, as the waves kept hitting me and moving me away.

The children had a fantastic time on the beach, and they all got henna tattoos, but sadly, Euan developed an allergic reaction to it. Poor thing. It got quite bad we had to see a doctor as soon as we arrived back in Manila – a henna tattoo is one thing, but a permanent scorpion scar is an altogether different affair! Nikki had her hair done in cornrows, and she looked absolutely lovely! She’s so desperate to keep it until school starts, but I doubt it will last that long.

The rest of our time was spent lounging in our lovely cabaña, getting massages and drinking fresh fruit shakes. Boracay may not be what it used to be, but it will always remain an island paradise to me.

Bangkok, Oriental City

Spent the weekend on a shopping/bonding trip with my sisters Mayet and Tech. As this is their umpteenth trip to this city, they were not interested in doing any sightseeing whatsoever - they were there for a goal - to bag some really good bargains.

After our Business Class fare trip (care of Dad) and our 5-star hotel accommodation (care of Alasdair) we were armed and ready with shopping bags, credit cards and Thai baht to do some serious shopping. We visited the famous Chatuchak market (or Chateau Jacques, as my sisters insisted on calling it) - supposedly one of the places to see before you die. If you're a serious shopper, that is. Or on a bonding trip with your sisters. It is massive, it is packed with people, and it is extremely hot, hot, hot. But if you've got patience, you can pick up quite a few good things.

We also visited shopping malls such as the Gaysorn and the Siam Paragon. We went to the Suan Lum Night Bazaar. We basically did not do anything but shop and eat. Thai food is gorgeous.

I did not visit any temples, nor see the floating market. I did however, shop, laugh a lot, and have an absolutely tremendous time with my sisters. We had so much fun, we've decided to do this every year. Next stop, Las Vegas...

Pagsanjan River

This is my third visit to ride the rapids at Pagsanjan Falls, and Alasdair’s fourth. Pagsanjan River is normally good for visitors, as it’s just an hour away from Manila and it can be quite fun. This time, admittedly, we had no visitors but we thought it might be enjoyable for the children – and also, we needed another river for Euan’s school project.

We arrived at Pagsanjan around 10am, having been harassed along the way by keen boatmen, eager to take us along the river. At one point, we were actually chased by two men in a motorbike, and all the while they were shouting, “Boat! Boat!” (This is what happens when you have a white man in a car with you.) Luckily, we had done our research so we went straight for the Department of Tourism accredited boat rides – which looked quite forlorn and very shut. There were, of course, eager boatmen to take us on the ride on the rapids so we were then divided into two groups: Alasdair, Euan and Nikki on one boat, with myself and Callum on the other.

The ride was pleasant enough. We saw a monkey along the way and some beautiful dragonflies. The rapids are fun and the children really enjoyed themselves. However, halfway along the rapids our boatmen suddenly stopped the boat and made this spiel about how none of the money we paid for each boat actually goes to the boatmen, and could we please give them a very generous tip. We were going to tip the boatmen anyway, but feeling like we were being held ransom got me very cross. I lied and told him that I had left the money in the car, as I did not want the rest of the trip unpleasant because we had not tipped enough.

Got to the end of the rapids for the impressive waterfalls. Alasdair and the children road on a bamboo raft to go underneath the waterfalls, while I amused myself by taking photographs of Korean tourists dressed in suits and the most ridiculous outfits. Thank goodness they were there to amuse me – it got rid of my bad mood from the 'heist'.

Pagsanjan Falls could be so much better. I wish the government would organise themselves (?) and actually do something about it. But the fact that it isn’t regulated – apart from the cost of the boat – means that there are all these touters out to make a quick buck. It can truly ruin a trip. Thank goodness for the Koreans.