Post-surfing selfie 😘 @millymin #emilyvisits #emilysurfs #millyminvisits #flairtravels #batteriesnotincluded

A photo posted by Hannah Villasis (@flaircandy) on Aug 5, 2015 at 9:34pm PDT

There were so many things we wanted to do like Cliff Dive at Ariel’s point, zip line, surf, and of course take lots of photos. But the weather was not friendly. When we were there a week back, typhoon Hanna (yep!) was wrecking havoc to our vacation.

We had a few sunshiny moments and we took advantage of this by surfing, ziplining and taking bikini photos of each other. No boat dared to sail to Ariel’s point though, so that was a bummer. Even if there’s a storm in Boracay, it’s always summer in the Philippines. Our 3-day vacation was not ruined (not as much teehee) and we still had a great time.

We stayed at the Lazy Dog bed and breakfast hotel near the Bulabog beach (which is only 10 minutes walk to D-mall and a few cartwheels to the Bulabog beach. Will tell you guys more about the Lazy Dog hotel in the next few blog posts but it was quite a cozy place to stay! For now, check out the Lazy Dog at Agoda.com.

I have also noticed something… I need new bikini! I’ve been traveling quite a lot and you will see me wearing the same set. I have quite a lot in my closet, but my selection can’t keep up with the frequency of my vacation days.

Which of these do you think would best suit me?

 
On to the next destination! <3

Thank you @flypal for being my constant travel partner this year! #flypal #flairtravels

A photo posted by Hannah Villasis (@flaircandy) on Aug 6, 2015 at 8:10pm PDT

Greetings from Boracay!  I’ve been dying to have this vacation – to celebrate my birthday and Halloween 🙂

We had a difficult trip last night.

Our flight got delayed for 3 hours and we had our flight redirected to Kalibo airport due to sunset limitation.

On our 2 way ride from Kalibo airport to Jetty came a thunderstorm.  It was kinda scary.  We had to stop a few times because we passed by wires torn down in the middle of the street and tree branches falling.  There was a little bit of flood in some areas too.

Luckily, we arrived at Port Jetty safe.  But we got stranded there because the coastguard won’t allow boats to go with the unruly weather.  I just thought, I’d rather get stuck here than by the road @.@

The boats are supposed to travel only until 10pm.  But since there were still a few too many passangers, they allowed us to leave when the rain slowed down and the waves got easy.

Ah… And we arrived at our hotel – Ariel’s or Boracay beach club.  We greeted by a nice ambiance and we had a really nice room and comfy bed – I was happy that I can finally rest, except for my frowling tummy.

We ordered food for our room – their grilled lemon grass chicken was – THE BOMB!!!

After that we partied a little at Ariel’s restaurant.  Status magazine and Fiamma had a little party going there.  We played flip cups :). It was fun!  I’ve eaten at Ariel’s before but I didn’t know they transformed Ariel’s to a restaurant at night.

Despite my alcohol intolerance, I joined in the game coz it was fun.

By the way, the only cure (for now) to alcohol intolerance is to not drink at all.  My enzyme that should convert alcohol into something that the body could use for energy (vinegar) is deactivated and it is impossible for me to break down toxic alcohol to my body… That’s why I get flushed easy and my heart palpitates.

I did a research and scientists found a chemical to activate this enzym but they are still under research.

To lessen the effects of being buzzed, I had to go outside and eat chori burger! Nomnomnom 🙂 and lots of plenty of water of course and Wheatgrass to cleanse my blood of toxins.

And hello good morning!  Breakfast by the beach =)

Brought Berocca with me to get that energy and immune system boost. The last time I was here in Boracay I got super sick. I won’t let it happen this time… I don’t want to ruin my birthday / halloween vacation 😀

Read more about the benefits of Berocca here:

http://www.flaircandy.com/2011/10/boost-your-day-with-berocca/

*Posted using HTC ChaCha and WordPress app for Android.

Another great weekend in Boracay with a super fast broadband!  I didn’t mind staying in my hotel room longer than my usual trips.  I was uploading photos and videos for Tek Tok TV using the Smart LTE Dongle that was loaned to us for testing.

I don’t mind this being my workstation for a day 🙂

Unfortunately, this amazing technology is super new that it is just up for testing in Boracay (and other urban areas) for now…  But LTE Technology has already been widely used in US and Japan.  I am so happy that the Philippines will soon have this technology!  To bloggers, social media freaks and people who rely so much in the internet like me, this is a great news!

Smart Deploys LTE in Boracay

Smart has made its fourth generation (4G) network available in the island of Boracay for initial testing.  Thanks to Smart for bringing us over Boracay over the weekend to be one of the first few people to test this revolutionary technology!  Imagine experiencing blazing fast download speeds up to 70 mbps!  This will allow us to benefit from the wonders of the web even more.  It doesn’t end there, they are actually ready to increase LTE’s throughput up to 100mbps as soon as the market demands for it.

*did the speed test indoors which will give you weaker signal.  but at 25 mbps, it is faster than 99% of PH!

I was testing the Smart LTE dongle indoors and it only gave me 25mbps but I was already WOW-ed by the super fast streaming speed as I was watching HD Videos over the internet.  It didn’t take us quite a while to test the broadband because everything happened so fast, I was running out of videos to watch lol.

We were in Boracay only overnight but we were able to do a lot of things like testing the Smart LTE Broadband, Paraw sunset sailing (was so relaxing!), dine at different restaurants in Boracay, had dessert at Lemon Cafe!  I was also able to swim at our hotel’s pool, upload a video blog of me, sipping some margarita, sipping some Real Coffee in the morning, buying pasalubong 🙂 etc!

*Paraw sailing at sunset!

Bloggers testing the Smart LTE

What exactly is LTE?

Smart has officially introduced Long Term Evolution (LTE) – its latest network technology which promises blazing fast download speeds and incomparable reliability.  LTE is the undisputed future of mobile internet and telephony.  It has been deployed in countries such as Japan (NTT DoCoMo), Norway and Sweden (TeliaSoneria) and is undergoing tests in the United States (Verizon and AT&T).

This technology is now being tested in Boracay! Whee!

LTE is a mobile standard which promises, at present, actual download speeds of up to 70mbps (as proven during its launch in Boracay) or roughly 35 times faster than that of the current 3G standard.  This can also be upgraded to handle speeds of more than 100mbps, making it a true fourth-generation (4G) technology as defined by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

It is really technical, but if you want to distinguish between LTE (4G), 3G, HSPA and WiMax here it is – LTE’s closes competitors HSPA+ and WiMax top out less than 30mbps in actual use according to tests conducted by Smart.  This officially classifies both as 3G technology.

You can use LTE 3 ways:

1.  Wired Modem – this one is as big as my laptop.  It is the least portable of the three mediums you can use LTE.  This should give you the strongest signal up to 70 mbps.

2. Wifi – I wasn’t able to see how it looks but we tested this over dinner at Epic :)  Wifi is attached to the Modem and the speed distributed to the Wifi network.

3. Dongle – this is the most portable of the three!  It will give you up to 30 – 40 mbps!

It of course depends on other factors as well, like your laptop’s capability, how near you are to the tower, the server’s speed and if you are indoors or not. I am not sure if weather is included though 😛

Where to buy Smart LTE?

I have posted updates of my weekend testing trip over Facebook and Twitter and people have been asking me where they can buy this!?!  It is not yet available on all cities but when it does get deployed nationwide, you sure will know first on my blog!

More photos here 🙂

 

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Everyone knows that I’m simply a beach person!  I’d love to imagine myself at the beach even when I’m in a busy city.  Since I daydream about the beach so often, and I dream so much about it… I sometimes find myself in one!

One day I woke up and found myself in one of my most favorite beaches in the world – Boracay.  I know it’s commercialized and all but that’s the way I like it!  Boracay has a special place in my heart and so does photography, sports and being healthy all the time!

So guess what? all the things I love was in one place!  Beach.  Frisbee.  my DSLR. and Hygienix!

I went to Boracay last weekend to cover the Boracay Open 2011 Ultimate Frisbee competition with Jane and Saab.  I know right? I was hanging out with online and offline celebrities!  Anyway, it was really a fantabulous experience hanging out with Jane, Saab, the people from Hygienix and many other people along the way.

I love taking sports shots so I bought my DSLR and long zoom lens to capture the action.  One of my rather hidden ambitions is to become a sports photographer.  I think I can do it, just give me the proper equipment and I’ll snap those memorable sporting moments away!

 

The Hygienix Booth – Worry Free Zone!

Hygienix has a booth near the Ultimate Frisbee games.

The booth looks really simple promoting a more hygienic way of life <3

After hours of walking, me and Jane got some fab (unlimited time) massage at the Hygienix booth!

Worry-Free Zone 🙂

 

The foot massage was surprisingly good!  I would like to have this machine all around Boracay in case I need a pit stop.  Boracay island stretches at around 4km and it’s no joke walking from one end to another!

 

Frisbee Clinic with Hygienix

On our first day, they had a Frisbee clinic.

Left to Right: X, J, H, W

Seriously, our Frisbee coaches were named X and W – WHADDUP?!?!

And so, Jane and I renamed ourselves J and H too!

That guy above of us is my friend MM 😛 6 pack abs? IKR!

 

X teaching me how to throw using Forehand.  It’s a pretty simple game really, but like any other sports – practice means perfect!

Jane catching the Frisbee I just throwed.

Thank you W and X for teaching us how to play Frisbee!

See you in next year’s Boracay Open! Me and Jane will be joining the Hygienix team and compete! 😛 AS IF lol ^_^

 

The Boracay Open 2011 Ultimate Frisbee Competition

And the games begin 🙂

This is one awesome shot of Derek Ramsay that I took using my Nikon D40 and zoom lens.

Capturing his muscles at work while throwing the Frisbee! *faints*

This was one of the games that I really stayed to watch.  It’s Boracay Dragons vs Pharmaton!

It was one exciting game indeed!  both teams were really good and it was a close competition!

Just a random, clear shot of Derek Ramsay who was playing for Pharmaton

How awesome is playing Frisbee in Boracay?

Pretty AWESOME!  Lose or win, you’re in one of the best places to chill at.  I find Boracay very relaxing and friendly 🙂

Catching the game in action as the competition tightens up!  It was a very intense game!

Got a nice portrait shot of this guy.

Before the game started…

It was actually pretty hard to follow the Frisbee wherever it goes and capture the game.  But patience is a virtue and I just kept taking shots until I captured really good ones 🙂

When you play, SPRAY!

This is their dashboard.  And as you can see, the games are pretty hectic and they have 4 courts set-up.

Fan girl alert at the background 😛

Derek Ramsay getting interviewed right after winning the game.

Found this really big sombrero that’s bigger than me! lol

Ohai! this is me, getting a super tan!

Just some random picture of a lazy dog somewhere…

Nothing beats Boracay sunset with a Red sun 😛

 

Party at One MGM and Summer Place

Your Boracay stay won’t be complete without the beach parties!

This is the booth of Hygienix at One MGM area where the party’s at!

Bloggers me, Jane and Saab at the Hygienix photobooth that prints not just an ordinary 4×5 picture, but a BAG TAG!

Check it out!

On the second day, Hygienix and the athletes of Boracay open partied at Summer Place.

Spotted: DJ Mike of Jam 88.3 at Guilly’s!

Thanks for letting us gate crash your party! 😛

 

More Artistic Photos

Boracay Sunset at Station 1

Lifeguard posts are now built and put everywhere!

This is me and the sunset!

Me, Derek and Jane <3

 

 

This picture is worth one DSLR!

Coz I was clumsy and we got super excited to have our pictures taken with Derek, my camera fell to the concrete ground 🙁

Oh well, at least the picture above is way better than the one I got with him a year ago.

Which was a total fail because I take crappy photos when I’m drunk.  And obviously, at this time – I was! >.<

*photo credits to Jane Chua

Thanks to Nuffnang, Hygienix and people from Splash who invited us to cover this event!  It was a blast!

And oh, next time you see a Hygienix booth, drop by and say Hi!

Till the next adventure,

Hannah 🙂

 

*This post is sponsored by Hygienix. 🙂

Served Fresh, Hot and FAST!

But surprise! It’s the new Beach Hut sunblock lotion with SPF 100!!! OMG

I know there were lots of bloggers who already blogged about this, but I had to take it with me to Boracay on a test run!

 

Last weekend, I was sent to Boracay to cover the Boracay Open Ultimate Frisbee.

My role: photographer / sports journalist (for my own blog 😛 )

(Yes, for my blog, I can be whatever title I want me to be)

 

Super cute content!  They included two products: Beach Hut 100 spf lotion for the body and the Beach Hut spf 65 for the face.

Just some cutie they included – underwater camera!  I haven’t tried this though…

My notes:

– not sticky

– it is moisturizing

– lotion wasn’t as thick as I though it would be (100spf hello!)

– It doesn’t smell like a swimming pool. (doesn’t smell like a laboratory)

– although, like any other lotion sunblock, it kind of is white-ish when applied on skin, but

– this thing gets absorbed by my skin easily (at least for me)

 

I wanted to give this poor guy wearing a really big sombrero a sunblock!

 

I needed to capture some nice Frisbee moves – well hello 6 pack!

 

Me and Jane taking Frisbee lessons c/o Hygienix booth!

 

at the end of the day, after hours of basking under the sun, I just got a healthy tan 🙂

I don’t mind getting dark, it’s more of the invisible UV rays I’m worried of.

and of course, after hours of waiting for photo ops with this guy, the waiting paid off

 

Whaddup Derek Ramsay!

Patience is a virtue 😛

 

More About Beach Hut SPF 100

The first sun block in the country with 100 SPF protection. Now, you can go the beach and do hundreds of things under the sun without worrying about damaging your skin! Plus, it’s non-messy and non sticky! It’s uber sweatproof and waterproof and provides up to 99% UVA/UVB protection.

—

*of course, the basic rule with sunblocks apply – reapply every 2 hours!

I haven’t checked the price in the market but I think it will be around P400 – P500.  Good enough to highly lessen the risk of any skin damage 😉

Do you already have a summer destination in mind where you’ve always wanted to frolic on the beach and get that sun-kissed complexion that your friends will envy?

Easy Pha-max Philippines, the country’s leading distributor of Wheatgras-based health products has launched a summer getaway promo that you can’t ignore.
Called the Easy Pha-max Boracay Getaway, the summer promo offers you the chance to win a Boracay vacation for you and three of  your friends for three days and two nights, all expenses paid!  Topping this generous offer is a PhP5,000 pocket money for the lucky group.

How to join?  Just “LIKE” the Wheatgrass CAN Facebook page to qualify for the instant barkada summer vacation promo which ends on April 30. Only one raffle entry  per account is allowed. The electronic raffle will be held on May 2.

Visit http://www.facebook.com/#!/EPPIwheatgrass to know more about the promo.

That’s me in Boracay, staying in shape with healthy Wheatgrass now in CAN!  Stay healthy, live fully – enjoy summer everyone!

Boracayholics!!! I will go straight to the point.

Here’s another way you can enjoy Boracay’s white sand on a budget.  If you’re itching to go and unwind on the island of fun with another someone but your budget is tight then here’s another option for you.

Boracay Island Guide has partnered with major credit cards and Boracay Regency that entitles you to enjoy deferred payment for their Boracay packages.  You can spread the cost of your Boracay experience by 6 months and pay only P78.73 per day.

Package details include the following:

• package is good for two (2) people
• 3 days, 2 nights stay in superior room of Boracay Regency Hotel
• includes two (2) roundtrip tickets to Boracay from Manila, via Zest Air (Caticlan)
• includes two (2) transfers from the Airport to Boracay
• Free daily breakfast for two (2)

You do the math.  (P78.73 x 30 days in a month x 6 months) = approximately P14,171.40 total cost (for 2) with zero interest! WOOT!  This is a very cheap Boracay Package that comes with a luxurious experience at Boracay Regency.

Major credit cards include HSBC, Metrobank, Eastwest, Banco de Oro, AIG, Diner’s Club International, Security Bank, Union Bank and Allied Bank to give you the opportunity to pay for your Boracay package at 0% interest for 6 months!

You can check out the Boracay Regency package at here.

Also, check out Boracay Island Guide’s other packages with other hotels in Boracay (Boracay Garden and Regency Lagoon) here.

Make sure to read their terms and conditions too!

So there we were, on our first day in Boracay.  We strolled along the shores of Station 1 hoping to get our hands on this heavenly shake.  It was the afternoon and we saw people kite surfing (wind surfing).  It was fun looking at them and I would have wanted to try it myself but I conditioned myself to just chill in Boracay for the rest of our stay.

Just in case you don’t know yet, it’s pretty windy in Boracay from July to October.  Some people even surf here if the waves get bigger.

Anyway, we walked along the shore for a long time and we almost reached the “grotto” (rock).  I remember that Jonah’s never is after the grotto and we were like… “WHERE IS JONAH’S?”

We strolled again for a while hoping to find it… But it just wasn’t there!

And so we asked the locals…  they said that there’s no more Jonanh’s by the beach.  But they gave us instructions to their branch along Boracay Highway.  It was just a couple of minutes walk from our hotel – Astoria Boracay.

Apparently, their contract there on the land was over… That’s what they said… but I hope it’s not politics.  Business politics could get crazy here in Boracay.  Anyway, they will be back soon by October on the White Beach in Station 1 (but not exactly the exact location).

But as for now, visit their boutique restaurant near Crown Regency Boracay.

Jonah’s Shake Boracay (by the highway)

Outside the Jonah’s Fruit Shake and Restaurant Highway Branch (near Crown Regency)

Avocado Shake

Price ranges from P75 to P100++ depending on the mix of fruits

Mango Avocado shake

You can also have it “to-go”

Though it doesn’t look as nice as the one in glass 😛

A peek on Jonah’s shake menu

They also serve rice meals, pasta, burgers & fries, crepes, pancakes and others.

I tried ordering their mango crepe

Mango Crepe P90

It was just okay 😛

Now you know where to find Jonah’s

🙂

Thank you to Astoria Boracay for sponsoring our stay in Boracay 🙂

xoxo,

Candy

My idea of a perfect breakfast…

Bread
Butter and jam
Soup
Sof boiled egg (8 mins), and
Bacon
Having beef ala cubana would be a perfect bonus
There’s waffles too 😛

Perfect 🙂

Breakfast is inclued with your room accomodation.

No sun in Boracay today. So, I will just chill with reggae music. I will probabl surf if the waves gets good. 🙂

Good morning!

We just arrived in Astoria Boracay now and it improved A LOT! Check out the photo below (taken by my BB Curve).

Love it!

It’s off season now at Boracay and there are less people here than usual. The weather is gloomy! But, for some reasone, I love it more! I can’t wait to just chill, enjoy the beach, the ocean, the waves (if it gets bigger I’ll surf here) :P. Check out my post about surfing in Boracay. It’s probably in one of the related posts linked down below 😀

As og the moment, I am on a budget. I am just going to enjoy anything that is free as much as possible. That means, I’ll just enjoy the pure shores of this island, take photos, capture the sunrise and the sunset. And maybe capture the moon by the horizon if I can. 🙂

The last time I went here, I saw the moon almost hitting the horizon. It was 2am at that time. I was just supposed to nap for 30 minutes then go out and capture it near the horizon… But I failed to wake up T_T

I hope I would have that second chance tonight. We’ll see 🙂

TAFN,
Candy