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design trail: siquijor

Hello everyone!

We’ve been really busy with work for the past weeks, which explains the relative silence here in Design Folder. But that doesn’t mean that we have nothing to share to you! In fact, a couple of weeks back, we visited and shot some of the showrooms in Nicanor Gracia (aka Reposo St.) in Makati. We are also preparing a sneak peek of two graphic design offices that have been recently renovated, a feature on the ongoing exhibit of Mapua Interior Design in A. Venue Mall, and a home tour of a bachelor’s pad. Lots of new posts to look forward to! We just need to find the time to prepare the features, hehe.

Thankfully, over the weekend, the team was able to squeeze in a 4-day vacation in Siquijor, an island off the coast of Dumaguete. We were impressed by the cleanliness of the island, the beautiful beaches and falls, and the old Spanish Colonial architecture of the province. Here’s a quick rundown of the places that we visited:

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Salagdoong Beach

Cambugahay Falls

St. Francis Church

Lazi Convent

And Lazi Church

The better photos (the ones in mosaic/collage format) are courtesy of our new friend Jay Endaya. {Thanks Jay! }

design trail: a paradise called el nido

It’s December already! But for the benefit of our readers abroad (especially those from the colder regions), we’re warming up this chilly holiday month with images from a local tropical paradise—El Nido!

Last November, Green Guide and I, together with a group of friends, took a 4-day vacation in the beautiful El Nido, Palawan.

El Nido is in the northwestern tip of Palawan. It is famous for its scenic landscape with numerous limestone islands around the Bacuit Bay. The name El Nido is Spanish for “the nest”, referring to the edible nests of Swiftlets found inside the crevices of limestone cliffs. Another popular feature of El Nido is its diverse wildlife. Its clear waters are home to hundreds of species of tropical fishes and corals, and three species of endangered sea turtles. Its forests are host to more than 100 species of birds, a large number of which are endemic to Palawan. (info via elnidoresorts)

There are two resorts in El Nido: the rustic cottages are in Miniloc island while the more luxurious accommodations are in Lagen island. Although our group stayed in Miniloc (top and above), we also got a chance to visit and dine in Lagen (below).

El Nido is a perfect tropical getaway. In fact, according to two of the foreign guests in the resort, among the many tropical vacation spots that they’ve visited, El Nido is the most beautiful. Unlike the other destinations, El Nido has the best of everything in one place—majestic views, virgin forests, white sand beaches, enchanting lagoons, and great dive/snorkeling sites. On top of its natural beauty, both Miniloc and Lagen offer great accommodations and amenities, and a five-star quality service. Someday, if I win the lottery, I’ll probably spend my weekends here! Haaay, I wish….

View the picture gallery below for the rest of our photos in El Nido. You can visit El Nido Resorts’ website here for more information. -ardel

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