Travels 138: The Hotel Tavern Surigao

One of the best hotels in Surigao City is the Hotel Tavern. We stayed there for the 3rd ACM of the Area 5 of the JCI Philippines. It is the venue of the ACM so we had our room booked and stayed for less than 12 hours. The Hotel Tavern’s amenities are great and the hotel is fronting the port of Surigao so one gets to see how the beautiful shores, both the majestic sunrises and sunsets are gleaned on the waters. The Hotel Tavern Surigao is situated in Boromeo Street, Surigao City.

I took fancy of taking photos of The Hotel Tavern Surigao myself and blog about it. My over-all experience was great. Good staffs and friendly ones. Guests like young men and women going out to surf in Siargao gets their room in this hotel too as well as families of married Filipina women who stayed overseas.

The lobby of The Hotel Tavern Surigao is a great way to relax. The walls are glass so you can see the inside from the outside and the landscape was superb. The interior deco is native inspired and of course, a wide array of minerals are displayed at the lobby.

The elevator of the Hotel Tavern Surigao is fast and its entrance is adorned with faux pax shells. The elevator is half-fiber glass so when you go up and down the hotel, you see the beautiful view of the Surigao port and the seas beyond its premises. The Hotel Tavern Surigao is the best yet that I have seen in Surigaoa City.

The reception area of the The Hotel Tavern Surigao is superbly designed with two native leaves adorning the hotel staffs. Besides it are two internet PCs for the use of the guests however, much to my disappointment, at the time when we stayed there, the internet connection is not as good. They told me they are having problems with their servers. So for the entire day, all of us have no access to emails, facebook and blogs. Needless to also mention is the disappointing towels in our room which has a hole on it but notwithstanding, I am impressed of the hotel.

One of the best I love about the Hotel Tavern Surigao is its own staircase. It’s simply majestic on its own modernity. It can be reached by telephone 0063868268566 ad their fax is 0063868263280.

Travels 137: Swimming in Bitaog Island Surigao

One of the best opportunities I had while journeying in Bitaog Island in Surigao City is the chance to take on the dip and swim even if I am not properly dressed for the occasion. As I had been saying in my previous blog that I am on my jeans and LO uniform, I went to the island-hopping opportunity, one that I will always look back as an blessing to appreciate beauty of nature and how it can transform lives of ordinary people living in their own humble communities.

The power of domestic tourism is one that is of abundance everywhere I go and travel. I have seen that many lives were transformed because of our brief visits.

Bitaog Island is one example of such opportunity. I went to this island with the perception that I will only take photo and then rest while waiting for the my friends taking the plunge and swim. One of my friends told me I can’t resist the beauty of the sea in Bitaog island of which obviously is true. I gave in to the temptation of Bitaog Island because I went to the plunge only on my BENCH boxers and nothing more.

The photos I had in this blog is courtesy of my friend from Cagayan de Oro whose been so generous and kind. Aileen Abao is a great photographer who took these photos.

Travels 135: Journeying Bitaog Island

One of the best attributes of the Philippines is its geographic and archipelagic nature and islands are abounding. Surigao is a place of surreal paradise with its many islands. Sohoton Cove is one of them but since I am not able to go there due to the time limitations, the second island-hopping destination was a great relief and a history maker.

Bitaog Island is an island I can safely call the little boracay of Mindanao. White pristine beach shore, stone formations and fresh waters, unspoilt. One must take the dip and as they say, when you arrived at Bitaog, you can never resist.

Remember that since the beginning of the trip, I was not properly dressed for the island-hoping. All jeans and uniform but when I arrived in the island paradise and journeying Bitaog Island paradise, I can resist no longer, so off the uniform, off the jeans and onto the waters and white sand, only on my BENCH boxers.

I will never replace the chance to take a dip in my journeying Bitaog Island paradise for just my pants and uniform. I shed all that I could and took the historic dip in Surigao. The greatness of the island is its own unique position in the group of islands surrounding Surigao City. It is strategic and more peacefully fronting the waters and many smaller islands too.

In our journey going there, we passed by the Zaragosa Rock formations as well as the Castle of the Ecleos whose majestic presence on top of the mountain is imposing and grand.

Journeying Bitaog Island paradise is a must when one gets to Surigao. Travels to these islands will take your breath away and comes back to you as an experience of a lifetime!