As you know, Kap is a wanderlust. Relaxation, to him, is for the old & the dead lol. He cannot stay put in the house, so he always looks forward to the kids’ vacay & long weekends away from school. Last July, he surprised us with an impromptu trip to La Union & Baguio so the kids can surf & enjoy the beach one last time before school started.

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So grateful for our van, nag-level up na is Kap, lol. Thank God from Whom all blessings flow. Now we can go domestic in a more comfy ride with lotsa legroom & space, hindi tulad ng dati na siksikan at nagsisikuhan kami sa old SUV. #blessup

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Meet the Moon Jelly, a-rouch! @_@

La Union, Elyu or L.U. as fondly called by the locals, is the Surfing Capital of the Northern Philippines. It boasts of the fifth longest coastline in the world and is the nearest surf spot from the Philippines’ capital, Manila. It is also well known for its many, many, MANY stinging jelly fish surrounding the area just waiting for its prey!

Although not all jellyfish have lethal toxins (can kill you if you get stung on the chest or face) like the box jelly, proper care is nonetheless important. If you have sensitive skin like Kap, no jelly is completely harmless because even the more common Aurelia (Moon Jelly) causes stinging & itchiness. CLICK HERE to read more about Jellyfish.

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Caution: Some researchers discovered that vinegar may cause more harm than good in cases of box jellyfish stings, but it’s still the recommended general first aid for jelly stings in the US and Australia. A weak acid like vinegar is good because it neutralizes the stinging cells that can drift around or stay on the skin and still cause trouble. Ammonia, freshwater, and urine are not advisable. One must observe a victim closely, though, because some reactions may be delayed.

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Matchy-matchy ang daddy at daddy’s girl. <3 CLICK HERE TO SEE SURFING PACKAGES AVAILABLE.

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Knowing I hate, hate, hate SUPER HATE nature, Kap did his best to book the best resort in L.U. -by best, I mean by provincial standards ha. So urban peeps, if you’re looking for 5-star luxury accommodation, this is the best that it gets.

CLICK HERE to see Kahuna Beach Resort & Spa’s Rates.

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Kahuna Beach Resort & Spa

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This is our second time at Kahuna. Read about our first Kahuna adventure HERE. This time around (and because the kids are bigger), Kap got one of the more spacious Ocean Villa Suites (Php 10,296.00 nett) with ocean view and balcony/patio area. Our room had two queen size beds & enough space for an extra single bed (add Php 1,609.00 nett inclusive of Ala carte breakfast) for my dear babyson. The patio proved very useful since it served as sampayan for all our wet clothes & shoes. ;P

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Kahuna Resort & Spa has 40 Filipino/Balinese inspired rooms with a choice of either garden, pool or ocean views. The architecture resembles a fusion of Filipino native hut and Balinese-style beach houses with grass roofing and white stucco walls.

CLICK HERE to determine which room is best suited for you.

Kap is truly a nature person so I’d catch him admiring the view & enjoying the seabreeze on our patio during downtime & early mornings.

Overlooking the West Philippine Sea in the center of the beach and surfing activities is The Big Kahuna Bar & Restaurant that offers food local to La Union, as well as International cuisines. Ala carte breakfast is included in your overnight accommodations.

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Unfortunately, nature wasn’t cooperating the 3 days that we were there. Walang ka-alon-alon plus it kept raining, lol. And everytime we’d dip in the ocean, we’d come up with stings so bad we we were scared to go in anymore. Ang hapdi ng jellyfish sting ha! @_@ So pictorial nalang ang nangyari, hahaha!

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La Union is one of the nearest beach getaways from Manila. With TPLEX, travel time has been cut down to about 4-5 hours, making it more accessible for vacationers. Masaya si Kap! 😉

There are many towns in La Union, but if you plan to spend most of your time at the beach, it’s best to base in San Juan (where Kahuna Resort & Spa is located), the main surfing hub. And remember, hydrate hydrate hydrate! even if you’re mostly in the water, the sun can still get to you so make sure you bring sunscreen as well as bottled water. SIP purified water is filtered through volcanic rocks. Refresh, replenish and re-energize your body the natural way with a bottle of Sip! 😉

Can you guess who this dyosa ng karagatan is? Maputi, so it’s definitely Bae hahaha! She’s lost so much weight, right? Naka fish-da diet yan, bangus all day err’day lang ang ulam ayayay!

When in La Union, the surfing capital, you might as well get lessons. Surfing lessons start at P400 per hour (inclusive of instructor’s fee and board rental). Since there were no waves during our 3-day stay, the kids just rented paddle boards. Win-win coz they still got to play in the water, but away from the nasty jellyfish.

Stand up paddle surfing and stand up paddle boarding is an offshoot of surfing that originated in Hawaii. Unlike traditional surfing where the rider sits until a wave comes, stand up paddle boarders stand on their boards and use a paddle to propel themselves through the water. Available for rent at Kahuna Resort & Spa.

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Reminder: If you plan to go to Elyu to surf (I mean, why else right?), the North Swell usually starts around October until March (although beware as well, because this time is also notorious as being the jellyfish season and a lot of surfers get stung); while the South Swell arrives around late May to June until August. To catch better waves, check out the Philippine weather forecast by Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration – and for seasoned surfers, best time to ride the waves is when there are typhoons around the area.

Our food trip in L.U., up next! :-*