Visiting one of the oldest lighthouses in the Philippines – Guisi Lighthouse
The ruins make for a beautiful background for an OOTD. Had I known it would be this beautiful, I wouldn’t have listened to my friend, Cai, who told us to pack light. Though I do not bring my entire home with me, I don’t identify with light packers. But in Guimaras — I’m not sure how I did it — I stuffed everything inside my small backpack. Needless to say, I wasn’t ootd-ready when we visited the oldest lighthouse in the Philippines,Faro de Punta Luzaran, better known as Guisi Lighthouse.
Getting to Guisi Lighthouse
From Nature’s Eye Beach Resort, we traveled the 6.3-km road that goes to Guisi via tricycle. The road conditions are one of the worst that I’ve seen; it was filled with potholes, wheel ruts, and mud made the journey quite troublesome. Even so, a visit to Guisi is high on my recommendations, whether you want to do it for the gram or not.
To get there, here’s what you should do. First, you need to go to Iloilo and from the airport, do the following:
- Take a shuttle to SM Iloilo (alternatively, you may hire a cab to get you to Parola).
- From SM Iloilo, take a cab that goes to Parola.
- Ride a ferry that goes to Jordan Wharf.
- Take a jeep to Nueva Valencia and stop at Dolores Crossing.
- Hire a motorbike (called locally as habal-
habal ) and ask the driver to take you to Guisi. - From Guisi, it’s just a few minutes’ walk to the lighthouse.

Guisi Lighthouse
The first lighting up of Faro de Punta Luzaran was in 1894. Its materials were exported from different countries; France, Portugal, and England. It used to provide navigational aid to mariners passing through the Guimaras Strait. The lighthouse may just be the shortest I have ever seen. It is no longer operational, it’s metal frame eaten away by rust. But somehow, it’s dilapidated state makes it all the more alluring especially to tourists.

It is surrounded by the ruins of an old building, which reminded me of the Diplomat Hotel in Baguio and the ruins of Intramuros. Plants and trees grow from the cracks, the vines wrapped around the walls. The place looks hauntingly beautiful.
While we were there, I kept blaming Cai for advising me to pack light. The ruins are so beautiful, I was quite disappointed that I missed the chance to do an OOTD shoot. Yes, I know, I’m being melodramatic, but it’s not like I get to visit Guimaras everyday you know.
But Cai was camera-ready, with his elephant pants and willingness to climb on the walls, he got the Instagram shots that I wanted for myself.

Guisi Beach
Just a short walk from the lighthouse is Guisi Beach. We didn’t plan on taking a swim, but looking back, I think we should have taken the opportunity. The beach is clean, not crowded and it looks beautiful. So if you ever visit the lighthouse, you might want to bring in your bathing suit and enjoy a swim here.

Feeling fat on the islands of Guimaras
“Did you gain weight?“
My friend, Cai, asked after taking my picture as I lie down on the hammock. I kind of suspected that I did, so there goes my confirmation. I looked at my photos and frowned; I had a double-chin, my jawline barely visible, my cheeks are too plumped, and my tummy protrudes from my shirt. Holy cow I am fat!
I think I am skinny fat, which according to an article means, “looking slim and fit dressed, but dreadful naked.” I have been doing weight training at home for several months now, but my dream muscles are still just that, a dream. And I have unsightly fats in some parts of my body like my back and my tummy. Having confidence in my body is one of my long-standing battles ever since I started gaining fats in my midsection. And because Cai reminded me of my biggest insecurity, I didn’t take a lot of pictures of myself when I went island-hopping in Guimaras.
Island Hopping Activity
Staying at Nature’s Eye Beach Resort includes an island-hopping adventure. On our second day, we had to be up early, eat our breakfast, before proceeding to our day’s activity. Thank god I brought a monokini, imagine if I wore a two-piece, oh the horror!
According to Cai, who by the way, is now the manager of Nature’s Eye, the island hopping is scheduled once daily, at 9:00 a.m. We had to go down the slippery muddy hill to get to the beach where the boat was waiting. My friend, Alchris and I, were joined with a couple who were also guests of the resort.
The boatman is quite talkative and made an effort to give us a background of the islands that we are passing through. Some of the islands are resorts, some are shaped like animals, and there is one that has a grotto. Most of the time, I couldn’t hear the boatman through the noise of the motor. I just nodded, feigning comprehension.

Bacuan
A few minutes into our travel, I moved to sit at the foredeck of the boat so I can take better pictures. We passed through a mangrove forest, called locally as
The weather was cloudy and the waves were slightly strong. There were times when the boat would pass through a big wave and I was there in front of the boat feeling like I was riding a roller coaster. It was both scary and thrilling at the same time. I’m insecure with my body yes, but not suicidal. I held on to the rope that was tied on the foredeck so I won’t fall off the boat.
Floating Cottage
Our first stop is the Floating Cottage. The boatman asked us for our permission if we wanted to go there because it has an entry fee of ₱50. We all agreed, besides, as Cai mentioned, we wouldn’t be visiting a lot of islands.
Our boatman said that the floating cottage was donated by Gina Lopez, the incumbent Chairperson of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission. We saw three cottages in the area, one is non-operational. And because it’s the off-season, there aren’t many tourists around.
There are several flags mounted on the sea circling the area where people can swim. Alchris skipped swimming so I went to the water alone. I’m not sure how deep the water is, just to be safe I used a life vest.

Taklong Island
Taklong Island is a national marine reserve covering an area of over 1,000 hectares of coral reefs, mangrove areas, and seagrass beds. There is an entry eco fee of ₱60.
This is where you can find what the locals call as The Tower, a 5-story steel building that offers an amazing view of Guimaras islands.
My friend was having fun using his new mirrorless camera, sometimes using me as his test subject. Whenever I caught him taking pictures of me, I’d reprimand him, “Stop taking my photos, I look fat.” If I use the same line with my other friends, they’d be quick to tell me that I am not fat, but this friend of mine is different. He loves fitness, he knows when I gain extra pounds and be the first one to tell me so. I used to be offended but I have learned to appreciate his honesty.
It started raining when the island trip ended. The waves have become stronger that Alchris was slightly agitated. I told him that these waves were nothing compared to the ones that I experienced in Romblon several years ago. It seemed to have calmed down his nerves a bit.
I know I may be hard on myself, there are people who have it worst yet here I am complaining about my body. But I think with body issues, being heavy or being skinny are not mutually exclusive. We all have it, one way or another and we have different ways of dealing with it.
When we went to Guimaras in July, I didn’t restrain myself from eating, which is what I usually do when I travel. Sampling the local cuisine is part of traveling and I don’t want to skip it. But every time I let go, I feel the guilt. And then I’d hate myself because I have deliberately let myself pushed myself further away from my body goal.
The battle between the will to be fit and the lure of the food is still ongoing. Until I reach the time in which I am fully confident about my body in whatever state it may be in, I will keep taking pictures of myself to a minimum. And for now, we call all just enjoy the view, of the places I go to, that is.
Toni & Sergio brings your favorite Italian-Spanish dishes in Eastwood
For quite some time I had been rejecting invitations to attend food blogging events. I got two reasons for this; first, I narrowed my niche to traveling and coffee, second, I am watching my diet and stopped eating pork and beef since the year started. Imagine if I’d been invited in a food event and most of their dishes are meat, what would happen then? I don’t want to be the diva that tells the business owners my diet restrictions. My last food review is in January 2017, that long ago. Soon, I stopped receiving invites and I was fine with that. I only wanted to receive travel-related sponsorships, I love traveling more than eating anyway. Then one day I got an email from Toni & Sergio, an Italian-Spanish restaurant that I reviewed back in 2016. They opened a branch in Eastwood Mall and invited bloggers to sample their dishes last August 1st. I didn’t think twice about accepting it for 2 reasons; I work in Eastwood, I would have no trouble getting to the venue, second, I know Toni & Sergio’s food, they are legit delicious.
The Event
I was expecting there’d be a lot of guests because there were over 50 people in the
There were 4 other guests and I saw them sharing tables, chatting with the owner. I didn’t want to interrupt so I stayed at another table. I introduced myself to the waiter who approached me. After we’ve established that I am one of the bloggers, he asked me what do I want for a drink. He offered their sodas and cocktails, I chose the latter. I went for his suggestion, Sangria.
Drinks

The Area Manager/OIC for Operations, Andrew Pangilinan explained to me briefly their promos. Apologies that I wasn’t able to publish this post early but they had a grand opening last August 4, in which they treated the first 50 tables to a 20-peso 10-inch pizza of any flavors. They have another flavor, but I am not quite sure if it’s still ongoing, but I’ll mention it anyway just in case. All guests have a chance to win discounted or free food if they get lucky with the spinning wheel.

When it was clear that no other guests would arrive, the food started coming in. They served more than we could handle but of course, nobody is complaining, not even me. That week, I had been dieting like crazy, it was the first time I put something heavy in my tummy.
Starter
We started off with Gustoso Chicken Poppers. This is Toni & Sergio’s version of chicken poppers and you can choose from their 3 flavors, Sriracha Spicy, Honey BBQ, and Truffle

Pizza
The Creamy Spinach Pizza has strips of chicken (the only meat that I permit myself to eat) for toppings. Spinach is one of those vegetables I am not quite sold on. It really depends on how it is cooked for me to like it. Fortunately for this pizza, it works. I loved it so much I helped myself with 2 slices. It’s cooked in a brick oven, thin-crust, and chewy, just the way I prefer my pizza.

Risotto
I hereby give Toni & Sergio the award for having the Best Risotto. Their Creamy Baked Risotto is baked in a brick oven and is made with corn, Italian bacon, mozzarella and mushroom topped with bechamel. It was delightful and probably sinful, but I didn’t care because it’s so delicious. I had to pick the bacon bits off my serving though but it’s ok. I am not a very strict vegetarian, well not yet.

Pasta
We tried two of their pasta, Aglio & Olio Salpicao (garlic and oil stirred pasta, topped with
Fried chicken pasta Aglio & Olio
Paella
They served us two paellas, Paella con Pollo (paella topped with chicken chorizo, eggplant, black olives,
Paella Negra Paella con Pollo
Dessert
I am Marjorie, I always have room for dessert. They offered us four kinds: tiramisu, panna cotta, apple crumble, and another one, which name I wasn’t able to get. Out of all of these, my number recommendation would be the panna cotta, it is just as good as the one that I had at the McKinley branch. Creamy, smooth, almost like a flan, I love it.

Toni & Sergio can be found on the second floor of Eastwood Mall and it is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Nature’s Eye Beach Resort [Unplug and reconnect with nature in this Guimaras resort]
“We do not have Wi-Fi. Talk to each other. Pretend it’s 1995.”
If Nature’s Eye Beach Resort’s house rules were written on a piece of paper, I imagine that this particular line would be underlined. We have come to the time when we have to be reminded to engage in real human interactions. Just when communication became as easy as breathing, people have become more distant from one another. Meeting but not really talking, fully absorbed in the life pulsing on the other side of the digital screens. As Alanis says, “Isn’t it ironic?” I am no exception, my relationship with social media is bad, like Brokeback-Mountain-I-wish-I-knew-how-to-quit-you bad. How does a social media addict see a place with a no-Wi-Fi rule? A rehab, that’s what, and it might just be what I needed.

Where is Nature’s Eye Beach Resort
Nature’s Eye Resort is located in Nueva Valencia in the province of Guimaras. The resort is perched on a cliff overlooking Panay Gulf. Years ago, its owner, Ms. Rowena Amancio went on an island-hopping activity in Guimaras during her holiday vacation. Back then, she was working for an airline company in Switzerland where she has been living for decades. Their boat passed by a precipice blanketed with thick foliage and trees. Curious, she went on to explore said area with some locals. Up the mountain she climbed and into the forest, she found the spot in which she envisioned to build her retirement home.
In 2014, her vision was realized. With the help of the locals, her new home was built, far from civilization with a beautiful view of the sea. Later on, she turned her private sanctuary into a rustic resort and called it Nature’s Eye.
Last July, I had the chance to stay in this resort by invitation of my friend, Cai Dominguez (Travelosyo). In the middle part of this year, Cai quit his corporate job to become the manager of Nature’s Eye.
How to get to Nature’s Eye Beach Resort
Traveling to Guimaras to visit Nature’s Eye is an adventure in itself, be ready to hustle. Here’s a guide on how you can get there.

Note: As soon as you arrive at Jordan Wharf, you will be approached by tricycle drivers. If you don’t mind paying ₱500 ($9.41), they can drive you directly to Dolores Crossing. Travel time is only 45 minutes.
What rooms are available
Nature’s Eye Beach Resort has 5 villas that were intentionally built, away from each other to offer privacy to their guests. During our stay, we were able to try two of these, the Sunset Room and the Ocean View Upper Deck.
Sunset Room
This villa has a traditional Bahay-

The bathroom is unlike any I have ever tried before. Half of the flooring is made of thick planks of wood, the other half is of pebbles. It has a huge sliding door, too heavy to close that I sometimes had to ask my friends to open or close it for me.

But inside the bathroom, there is a pair of saloon-swing doors and it gives you a wonderful view of the sea. It gave me a little apprehension taking a shower there knowing that it is not completely closed, but this part of the beach is empty and there were no boats passing by to risk being seen by anyone. Showering in an almost open space can be quite liberating, never have I showered with such feeling before that I felt sorry we had to move to another room on our second day.

For something that is made entirely out of indigenous materials, I was expecting to find bugs or insects particularly in the nook and cranny of the rocky floor and walls of the bathroom; but no. The entire room was remarkably critters free, no ants, no termites, no roaches. Cai said that this villa is subjected to a quarterly pest control procedure to keep the insects at bay. During this time, they close it for 3 days.
The room is located on the lowest part of the resort that it entails a lot of patience and stamina to go to and fro to it. The room rate is ₱2,115 ($39.84) per head for a 2D1N stay.
Ocean View Upper Deck
The Ocean View is a 2-story villa with more spacious rooms. This is where they usually put guests in large groups. We stayed on the upper deck, it has a king-size bed, a private bathroom, AC, and a balcony with a hammock that looks out to the sea. The room has a modern design with some native accents like the handwoven wall on top of the bed.

A 2-day stay in this room is ₱2,700 per head ($50.86).
The Cliff Room
We didn’t stay in this room but I think it’s worth mentioning. The Cliff Villa, as the name indicates, sits on the top of a cliff. The most interesting part of this room is its open shower area. It has no roof and low walls, the only way you can be seen by people while showering is if anyone used a drone. Having said that, this room is recommended
Note: These are off-season rates and only valid until the 30th of September.
A 2D1N stay at Nature’s Eye is inclusive of meals; breakfast, lunch, and dinner and a 3-hr island hopping activity. Their island adventure is scheduled once per day at 9:00 a.m. You will be taken on 2 islands, the boat fee is already included in your payment at Nature’s Eye Resort, but you have to shoulder the eco fees.
They serve homemade Filipino food and every meal that we had was fresh and delicious. Guimaras is known for having the sweetest mangoes in the Philippines so don’t leave the resort without trying it. You may request the staff to prepare this for you for dessert.
Nature’s Eye Beach Resort sits on a hilly landscape, be prepared to use your climbing skills to good use. During our stay we had to ascend and descend their rocky steps all the time so even when I was eating a lot, I was comforted by the thought that at least I’m burning the calories.

The resort is continuously improving, constructions of more rooms and other facilities are ongoing. My friend and I were there for 3 days and 2 nights but I wish I could have stayed longer. I loved being surrounded by nature, away from the noise of the city life and all the stress it brings. Nature’s Eye Beach Resort may
I also respect the no Wi-Fi policy even when it was a struggle given how social media-dependent I am. But when you want to have time off, do a detox, find your soul if you will, you need to limit your exposure from the source of your stress. And that’s one of the best things that this Guimaras resort can do for you. It will make you forget even for a short time your daily concerns. It will give you that moment of peace that you might have been longing for. It offers a venue for reflection, rest, and to the romantic couples, intimacy.
Miss Rowena designed the resort with the wellbeing of her guests in mind. It is secluded, private, and lush with nature.
Here’s a video of our Guimaras trip.
Where to book Nature’s Eye Beach Resort
You may send them a private message on their Facebook page or reserve a room via the following booking sites:
Travel goals within reach at Solaire
Solaire Resort & Casino welcomes AirAsia to the Solaire Rewards Program, to make the dream of traveling within reach. Traveling is a way to enrich the mind and understand the numerous cultures of the world. For many, checking countries off from their bucket list is a life-long dream. Fortunately, the developments in the travel and tourism industry have paved the way for loyalty programs to reward its members with travel miles in every purchase made.
Each Solaire Rewards Program cardholder starts at the Silver Tier and moves up to Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Ruby and finally the Diamond upon earning the corresponding Status Points needed. Loyal Solaire Rewards members will be closer to their ideal destination when they reap travel rewards from the Status Points that they earn.
“AirAsia’s presence globally allows us to continue providing our guests with memorable experiences that go beyond our property. We are delighted that we can reward our loyal Solaire Rewards members with AirAsia exclusive privileges no matter where they are, and fully enjoy their dream destinations,” said Cyrus Sherafat, Solaire Resort & Casino’s Executive Vice-President for Casino Marketing.
One Solaire Rewards Status Point will be equivalent to one AirAsia BIG Point, making it easier to track and redeem that much-coveted flight upon linking the AirAsia BIG Member ID to Solaire Rewards.
The AirAsia BIG Loyalty Program lets its members earn AirAsia BIG Points through every plane ticket bought, hotel bookings via travel partners and even on purchases from over 160 lifestyle merchant partners. BIG members can fully maximize the value of AirAsia BIG Points and use it just like cash to fully redeem for their flights including taxes and airport fees, making their flight absolutely free. The more AirAsia BIG Points they earn, the more they will be able to save when they redeem with their AirAsia BIG Points.
AirAsia BIG Loyalty Chief Commercial Officer Victor Kaw said, “Solaire Resort & Casino offers their customers a multitude of activities and services to enjoy, from recreation and dining to entertainment and shopping. We are excited that we can now extend the privileges of AirAsia BIG Points that are just as valuable as cash to their customers, taking them further around the world easier, faster and better than ever.”
Make every Solaire experience count and let your loyalty reward you with your big dream. Sign up to Solaire Rewards and AirAsia BIG Loyalty and start earning points to your next destination.
Make every Solaire experience count and let your loyalty reward you with your big dream. Sign up to Solaire Rewards and AirAsia BIG Loyalty and start earning points to your next destination.
About Solaire Resort & Casino
Bloomberry Resorts Corporation (PSE: BLOOM) is a public company listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange that develops destination resorts featuring premium accommodations, gaming and entertainment, and world-class restaurants and other amenities.
The company’s flagship property, Solaire Resort & Casino, is an integrated destination resort on an 8.3-hectare site in Manila, Philippines and the first to open in the government-sponsored (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) economic development zone known as Entertainment City.
Philippine-based Solaire Resort and Casino currently operates two distinctive towers, the Bay Tower and the Sky Tower with 800 opulent rooms, suites and bayside villas. Solaire Resort and Casino the first premier integrated destination resort to open in the Entertainment City with luxury facilities and personalized services. Solaire has 15 extensive dining options, bars, lounges, and entertainment venues. A total of 18,500 square meters of impressive gaming facilities. 1,823 seat State-of-the-art lyric theatre. Other facilities are an outdoor swimming pool with cabañas and Jacuzzi, Spa and fitness center. The Sky Range Shooting Club an indoor shooting range for gun enthusiasts and shooting aficionados. 41 retail shops, 2,920 square meters meeting facilities, a grand ballroom, along with full banquet and catering facilities.
About AirAsia BIG Loyalty
AirAsia BIG Loyalty was established in November 2011 and is owned and operated by Think BIG Digital Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of AirAsia Bhd in collaboration with Aimia Inc. As the loyalty program for AirAsia, AirAsia BIG Loyalty enables its members to enjoy the lowest flight fares across AirAsia’s extensive network. More than 18 million AirAsia BIG Loyalty Members can earn AirAsia BIG Points on AirAsia flights to over 130 destinations across Asia, Australia and New Zealand and the Middle East, participating hotels as well as retail, e-commerce, travel and lifestyle partners within the region. The loyalty program makes all seats redeemable by utilizing AirAsia BIG Points. Other member-exclusive privileges include 24-hour priority booking for selected AirAsia sales.
AirAsia BIG Loyalty was named the Loyalty Programme of the Year in 2016 and won gold for Best Regional Loyalty Marketing Campaign, Best Use of Direct Marketing, and Best Use of Social at The Loyalty & Engagement Awards 2016. In 2018, it received the Best Use of Technology Award at the 10th Annual Loyalty Conference and Awards. It also took home a gold for Best Loyalty Programme – Travel/Hospitality at Loyalty & Engagement Awards 2018.
The AirAsia BIG Loyalty app is available for download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. For more information on the mobile app plus other updates, log on to airasiabig.com or follow AirAsia BIG on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

For reference and inquiries, please contact:
Joy A. Wassmer
Director of Communications and Public Relations
Solaire Resort & Casino
Telephone Number: + 63 2 883 8783
Mobile Number: +63 999 886 1698
E-mail: joywassmer@solaireresort.com
Note: This is a press release.