MAGINDARA RESORT - Best Place to Picnic in Buhi Camarines Sur

Photo: Angkulet via Flickr

I can't really take credit for finding this place. My fiancé Arlene is from Buhi and told me about the Magindara Resort, so we took my parents out for the day, and what we found was some breathtaking views, natural surroundings, and serenity. It's the perfect place for a family picnic or just to ponder and think about all the things you are grateful for.

Once we arrived, there was someone at the desk that looked like a volunteer with his headphones on, typical for the Philippines, just a very relaxed atmosphere. It was 7 pesos per person to enter the public resort, which is about $0.13 cents USD.

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Just walking in the place looked like it has been there for awhile. Although maintained, there seemed to be some remnants of older structures that I assume were pavilions for rent. Before you even enter the resort area, the sign above the gate says "Magindara Resort", which leads me to believe that maybe this was a resort with overnight accommodations at one point, but all is left is a great place to picnic, lounge and enjoy the views. The main pavilion once you walk in seems to be big enough for special events and community affairs.

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Atop the hill overlooking Lake Buhi, you will find the Sinirapan Landmark. Buhi is known as the place where the "World's Smallest Fish" is from, the Sinarapan. At any rate, the landmark is a great place to snap some shots and read about the Sinarapan.

Check out Itbog Falls in Buhi Camarines Sur

We spent a little over an hour at the Magindara Resort, or Buhi Magindara. It was definitely worth the visit. Here is a quick video from our trip to the Magindara Resort, make sure to visit this place if you are ever in Buhi Camarines Sur.

Magindara Resort (Buhi Magindara)

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Halloween in the Philippines

A few days before Halloween, I was asking my fiancé Arlene if they participate in trick or treating here in the Philippines, and if it was done on the same day, October 31st? She looked kind of puzzled and couldn't really give me a straight answer. This baffled me as I am from the USA, and this is something that I grew up with.

I opened up my matchbook and decided to google "Halloween in the Philippines", and come to find out, this particular holiday, although still a national holiday here just like the western countries, it is celebrated in a different fashion.

Photo: Filipino Australian Journal

For me, once I learned how Halloween was celebrated here in the Philippines, I understood it better and it seemed a lot more meaningful. Growing up in the USA, I was always brought up to think that Halloween was about eating candy and getting rid of bad spirits, and of course there is nothing wrong with that, but the idea of praying and celebrating the dead, and the life that they had while they were here with us just seemed like a better way to celebrate the holiday.

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I made this quick video about Halloween in the Philippines, feel free to watch it, and tell me what you think. And if you are from a different country other than the USA and the Philippines, please let me know how you celebrate Halloween, or if this is even a holiday in your country. 

Halloween in the Philippines

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BTW, as some of you know, my parents are here visiting me in the Philippines, and we have some great adventures planned, here are some upcoming videos to look out for, and of course I will be posting them on here, as well as our family youtube channel =) Thanks again for visiting my blog! 

Upcoming Trips:

- Bicol Region

- Caramoan Island

- Siargao Island

- Banaue and Sagada

- Enchanted Kingdom in Laguna

Have an amazing day!!! =)

Valley of Fire State Park

I've always wanted to visit Valley of Fire State Park which is about 45 minutes to an hour away from Las Vegas, and it was totally worth it. They banned the flying of drones here recently, so I was not able to take any aerial shots for my video =(, but we still took some amazing video footage, check it out!

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Valley of Fire State Park

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Mount Mayon Viewpoint - Legazpi City, Philippines

Youtube: Lagalag Mafia

I took my parents and Arlene's niece's on a road trip to Legazpi City, Philippines. One of the most spectacular sights to see there was the Mount Mayon Volcano which was visible as we were driving from miles away. We had an amazing time at the Quituinan Hills Ranch where I believe is the best place to view the volcano. Another place that we enjoyed was the Cagsawa Ruins, I'll post the links of the places that we stayed =)

Quituinan Hills Ranch Mt Mayon Viewpoint

Cagsawa Ruins Church Tower

Links:

Quituinan Ranch

Cagsawa Ruins

Places we stayed:

Sleepadz Naga City (Get 10% Cash Reward when booking - click here)

Sweet Haven in Legazpi City (Get $40 off your next travel accommodation with Airbnb - click here)

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Enjoy my video, and happy travels!

The Birth of My Baby Girl Penelope

Video below =)

Just in case you missed my video posting on this via facebook, I decided to post it here on my blog.

October 27th, 2018 was a very memorable day for Arlene and I. It was like when my first daughter Lauren was born, my life was forever changed! Now I have 2 Princess's =)

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I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am for the adventures that we are about to embark on, I literally cannot sleep just thinking about it!

So trust me, I can go on and on about family and my daughter's and you probably don't want that, so why not just watch this QUICK VIDEO of my baby girl being welcomed to this beautiful world that we live in =)

The Birth of Penelope Mari Javines Banawa

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