If it weren’t for my dad’s fracture in his femur, I wouldn’t have known about this hospital. The local hospital here in Urdaneta doesn’t have an MRI and we were told of two places that have it – the TMC in Clark, Pampanga and in Dagupan, Pangasinan. We wanted the earliest one that was available and that was Clark.
The travel time there by car from Urdaneta is about an hour and a half thru TPLEX. The TMCC is quite new. It was built sometime in 2013 with state-of-the-art facilities. SM City Clark is just a few minutes away (about 4 km) and they offer a free shuttle bus to and from the mall every half hour daily.
The Medical City Clark Cafeteria
The room rates are relatively affordable at P2,800 (De Luxe) a night. You get 3 meals a day, housekeeping and 24/7 excellent service from the caring staff of TMCC. Patient’s family who are visiting can grab a meal from their cafeteria or drop a coin in their vending machine for a cold drink. If you prefer a fastfood meal, you can take the free shuttle ride to SM City Clark. Their website at http://www.themedicalcity.com/newsroom/news/the-medical-city-hostel-close-to-loved-ones also mentions about a 23-room hostel located at the 9th floor of the Nursing Tower.
The Medical City Clark Guest Elevator
As a PhilHealth-accredited institution, it also provides inpatient and outpatient benefits to member foreign nationals and their qualified dependents, as well. Visit this link for more information – https://www.philhealth.gov.ph/news/2017/expands_coverage.html.
There’s a new restaurant in Baguio City that replaced Kuya J at the Travelite Express Hotel by the Shuntug Road near the City Hall.
Pinares Meal MenuPinares Ala Carte MenuPinares Drinks, Desserts, …
The Pinares Pagkaing Pinoy is an all-Filipino restaurant that is operated by the hotel. The advantage of being run by a hotel is the emphasis on customer service. I had a slight problem with how my order was cooked and the manager apologized repeatedly and corrected the issue immediately. He even gave us a free dessert, courtesy of the Chef as a gesture of an apology.
Pinares Pakbet RicePinares Chicken Halang
Food was great! Even with the low price, the serving size exceeded my expectations. This would be our regular place from now on whenever we’re in the City Hall or the Court House area.
We were there during their dry run but their opening will be on August 2, 2018 and they will be open from 7 AM to 9 PM.
“Yes!”, was my next reaction after the Front Desk lady told us that they have upgraded our Deluxe room to a Suite. My first reaction was disbelief followed by the question, “Is it for the same price?”
Since we arrived here in the Philippines, I have heard about The Manor in Baguio City at least three times in separate occasions. When a time came to celebrate a special moment, I went online and booked a room from their website at https://campjohnhay.ph/accommodation.php. Their price already includes the taxes. I found it cheaper going directly rather than using any of the online travel booking sites due to their added service charge and fees. To give us an idea of what to expect from their famous Le Chef restaurant, we searched for their menu and found it here – http://www.munchpunch.com/le-chef-the-manor/menu. We found out later that the prices have increased and the Filipino Specialties are no longer available.
The Manor Hotel Suite
Their suite room was like a whole house. It has a living area with a veranda, dining, kitchen and its own bathroom. The master bedroom comes with a vanity, closet and a bathroom. There was no A/C unit but they have ceiling fans and screened doors and windows.
The Manor Hotel Children’s Playground
The view at the veranda was so serene – it’s overlooking the well-manicured garden with the pines and the mountains in the backdrop.
Le Chef Restaurant Schedule/HoursLe Chef Dress CodeLe Chef Dinner Char-Grilled Baby Back RibsLe Chef outdoor dining
Dining at Le Chef restaurant was impressive. It has a main room and about three extra rooms. There is also a covered area by the garden next to it if you like the feel of an outdoor dining. Service is great – they pull the chair for you and put on the napkin on your lap. The food was served quickly and there were a lot of servers standing by to cater to your needs.
Le Chef Breakfast Buffet PastriesLe Chef Breakfast Buffet Eggs and Salads
Breakfast buffet was delightful with all the different varieties and volume of food available to satisfy your taste and appetite. They have meat, seafood, eggs (regular, red and black – century egg), cereals, pancakes, pastries and fruits.
Smiling faces at The Manor Hotel Concierge
After checking out, the helpful concierge by the entrance called a taxi for us. Wow, that’s what I call initiative! From check-in to check-out, we had enjoyed our five-star experience at The Manor Hotel.
The City of Love, as they call Iloilo City, is about an hour and fifteen minutes flight from Manila. The best time to take a trip to Iloilo is the week before the fourth Sunday of January which is the city’s Dinagyang Festival.
Travel Tips Iloilo Dinagyang event at Plazuela
It is an event that is similar to the well-known Ati-atihan Festival in Aklan, a neighboring province. Book your accommodation close to SM City in Mandurriao, Iloilo for convenience specially if you’ll be using public transportation – they have a Grab taxi booth there that can assist in your travel needs. If you’re flying to Iloilo, it is best to reserve your ticket early so you can avail of cheaper price. To get there from Urdaneta City, you can take a bus that is headed to Pasay City (via TPLEX will cut travel time to 3.5 hours) from the bus stop infront of CB Mall along the McArthur hi-way. From the bus’ Pasay terminal, grab a taxi (or any of the available app-driven transport) to the domestic airport.
Arriving in Iloilo days before the festival will give you the opportunity to visit some of its fascinating places.
Megaworld
Travel Tips Iloilo Megaworld
Those who enjoy urban life can find themselves at home in Mandurriao’s Megaworld area
Travel Tips Iloilo iQor
and vicinity. It is the newest section of Iloilo City where it is being developed with the live-work-play concept. You will find new hotels, businesses and dining areas.
Travel Tips Iloilo Marriott Courtyard and the adjacent Convention CenterTravel Tips Iloilo Casa de Emperador
It is a few minutes away from shopping centers like the SM City, Plazuela
Travel Tips Iloilo Plazuela
and Atria and the Festive Walk Parade or the Esplanade
Travel Tips Iloilo Esplanade
where you can get a relaxing stroll. You can also enjoy a pedal boat ride along the river
Travel Tips Iloilo Esplanade River Ride
or rent a bike and tour Esplanade 1 & 2 and the Festive Walk Parade. When exhaustion hits you, there are coffee and snack shops along the route to recharge one’s energy like the Riverside Boardwalk.
Travel Tips Iloilo Riverside Boardwalk
Garinfarm
Travel Tips Iloilo San Joaquin Garinfarm
If you have a religious background or love outdoor activities, you might like visiting the Garinfarm in San Joaquin. Travel time is about 45 minutes to an hour ride from Iloilo city. Take a taxi from SM City to the Mohon jeepney terminal where you can get a ride to San Joaquin church. A tricycle can take you from there to Garinfarm. Aside from the heavenly scene atop a hill,
Travel Tips Iloilo Garinfarm heavenly scene on top of a hill.
they also have several activities that young and old can enjoy such as a zip line across a lake, horse back riding, water rides, etc.
Travel Tips Iloilo Garinfarm fees
You’ll also get the chance to feed the doves, fish and the sheeps during their feeding time at around twelve noon.
Guimaras island
Travel Tips Iloilo Guimaras Island view from Iloilo City
Then if you want an island adventure, take a 15-minute travel on a pump boat ride to the Guimaras island. From SM City, grab a taxi to the Ortiz wharf downtown and pay a ticket
Travel Tips Iloilo Guimaras Jordan boat ride ticket booth
for the boat ride to Jordan, Guimaras. Once there, register at the Tourism Office
Travel Tips Iloilo Guimaras Jordan Tourism Office
where they’ll help you find a transportation to your destination. Although all the roads are paved, we opted to rent a jeep for the travel for P450 instead of P250 for a small tricycle due to my stature. We went to Raymen’s Resort in Alobijod (or Alubihod) beach, Nueva Valencia. Here you can rent a room (the hotel type has private bathroom) overnight and explore, swim and/or play in the un-crowded beach. They have their own restaurant that serves cheap but good food
Travel Tips Iloilo Guimaras Raymen’s Restaurant.
which is very convenient since the beach is far from from the town. Check also with the front desk if you want to go island-hopping and enjoy nature at its best.
If you just want to just soak in the water without the waves or sand getting in your flip-flops or shoes, you will love this inland resort in Tigbauan. It’s about a 30-minute travel time from Iloilo city. From the same Mohon terminal, take a jeepney ride to Tigbauan then a tricycle ride to the resort. They have several size pools overlooking the beach where you can wade and bask in the sun.
The cove is located at Masangret, Agno, Pangasinan but accessible through the Cabongaoan beach of Burgos, Pangasinan by
Rocky trails from Cabo Beach to the Death Pool.
heading northward on rocky trails past the famous Death Pool and just over Mary Hill.
Approaching Death Pool with Mary Hill in the distance.Mary Hill (a youth camp) is between the Death Pool and Masangret Cove in Pangasinan.
Its official name is Masangret Cove but I’d like to call it the little Blue Lagoon after the movie with the same title because of its resemblance to the pristine body of water used in the film although in a smaller scale. For those who prefer a tranquil and kids-friendly swimming, this is a perfect spot to go. There are no waves to watch out for not like the neighboring Cabongaoan beach or the Death Pool.
Adventurous dudes who prefer excitement and adrenaline rush should try the Death Pool. It has a diameter and depth of about 20 feet. The level of the water rapidly goes up and down as the waves rush in and out sucking the water from the hole like a flushing giant toilet bowl. There is a smaller version nearby called the Date Pool. It is more like for dipping ones feet while sitted around its edge. You can also ask an unsuspecting friend to peek into a hole that randomly burps out streams of water. These are found on the other side of Mary Hill.
Couples or individuals who just want to stroll on a white sand, collect shells or feel romantic watching the sunset, there’s the Cabo (short for Cabongaoan) Beach nearby.
Whatever age group you belong to and if you’re looking for a quiet beach getaway that is not yet crowded and commercialized, Cabongaoan Beach is the place to be.
Sunset stroll along Cabo Beach.Masangret Cove – our Blue Lagoon.
My Urdaneta Local Guide 