Flyfishing at Jonkershoek, Cape Town

Fly fishing at scenic Jonkershoek is a great antidote to a hangover caused by too much wine drinking. Perfect for lazy sunday mornings.
***
Make no mistake about it, Jonkershoek is picturesque. Camwhores will love this place because there are many nooks and crannies that afford beautiful photo ops.

Butterflies, dragonflies, reeds, green grass, man-made lakes for fishing, tables set under shady trees, bird and duck droppings... peace and quiet!

But don't just come here to take a nap. Try your hand at flyfishing where instead of using a worm, you use a fake fly as bait.

Basically you cast your rod in a back and forth whipping motion and once your bait is in the water, sit back, sip some wine and pat yourself on the back because you're fishing! (Warning: easier said than done!)

We spent half the day there and the only thing we caught was a frog. (Fly-frogging?) I guess that's ok because if you ever did catch a fish, I'm sure you wouldn't know what to do with it anyway!
Conclusion:4/5
Four pawikan points. Bonus points for the friendly locals who gave us a couple of tips on how to cast the rod. Give a man a fish and he will not be hungry for a day; Teach him how to fish... and he will spend the morning in Jonkershoek! (tee hee hee).

La Luz Beach Resort, Laiya, Batangas

Rating:4/5
Though the rooms don't pass my will-i-walk-barefoot test, the clean beach, clear water and good food make La Luz Beach Resort a great weekend destination.
***
I've always been impressed with Laiya, Batangas but it can be confusing to choose among the many different resorts that share this strip of beach.

I won't focus yet on the beach because it's common among all the resorts. But here are 3 reasons (that are unique to La Luz) which make the place a great weekend destination:

1. Great website - It's one of the few resorts which has an uncluttered and easy-to-use web presence. They've got what-you-see-is-what-you-get rates (no hidden fees), precise directions to the resort (the kilometer readings are off by about a kilometer or two) and up to date contact information.

2. Good food - Php900/day includes 3 full buffet meals and an afternoon snack. Each meal has a meat, fish, vegetable dish and dessert. Initially I thought that this was expensive but I realized that i'm willing to pay for the convenience of having a good meal on a beach without going through the hassle of cooking. I stayed for 3 days and the viands never repeated for each meal.

3. Decent rooms - They're not great but it's clean and relatively cheaper than others. You pay per room instead of per person which means it gets cheaper if there are more in your group. We stayed at the Php 2,550 room that can fit four people. It's a tight squeeze for four but it will do.

The bathroom and room don't pass my will-I-walk-barefoot test so make sure you bring slippers. Bonus points for the hot water shower but minus points for the too-thin curtains that force you to wake up when the sun rises.

Unlike Boracay, you aren't constantly hassled by vendors. Instead of massage therapists plying the beach, you call for a booking (php250/hr) which makes it much more organized.

There's no television, no noisy nightlife, no clubs, no thumping music (except maybe for the odd karaoke) it's just you, the sand and waves. The resort is thoughtful enough to have a bonfire set up every night and you can lounge on the chairs, look for shooting stars and listen to the cackle of burning wood.

Bring your own snorkel and have a look at the fish a couple of meters from the shore but don't expect some fancy coral because you'll need to hire a boat to get to the nice spots. Plus points because borrowing life jackets is free. Minus points for the dilapidated state of the jackets.

I wouldn't recommend swimming as there are very sudden drops of the sea floor. This could pose to be a hazard specially that there is no lifeguard.

Just stay within a couple of meters from the shore and you'll be fine. Better yet, just be a camera whore and look for the the hidden places that make for great photo ops.

Conclusion
Four pawikan points. Visit from Thursday to Saturday because the place is pretty empty during weekdays. Plus points for the clear water but minus points for the rocky sand.
Make sure you do the following:

• Try the yummy and refreshing yellow mango shake (P40)
• Head on over to the rock at the west side of the beach which looks great during the sunset.

***
If you liked this review, you may also want to read my reviews of Terrazas de Punta Fuego and White Cove Resort.
Latest showbiz chismis? Pinoy internet buzz? Pinoy celebrity bloggers (Francism, Zsa Zsa, Leah Salonga, etc...)? Have a look at my latest project whatsikat.com

North Border, Rochester Park, Singapore

Rating:
A single lane barely enough for one car cuts through this hilly, tree-lined enclave called Rochester Park. A row of bars separated by clumps of trees line one side. I felt like I was walking through a residential village because these restos look like they used to be old colonial mansions.

We skipped sexy looking One Rochester because they don't serve dinner and decided to try dinner al fresco at North Border instead.

The atmosphere is decidedly calm, almost romantic because of the dim lights and candlelit tables. The low throb of the MRT construction outside is muted by the tall trees surrounding the patio where we dined. Comfy net chairs, hushed tones all around and a corny jazz CD playing in the background.

I tried the lamb, the steak and the ribs. Of the three, I recommend the rack of lamb which was tasty and tender. If lamb's not your style, go for the baby back ribs which is big enough for two people to eat. Not exactly the best i've had but it's not too bad. (I was a bit disappointed though because it wasn't very hot anymore... maybe it's so you can eat it with your hands.) I also tried the rib-eye steak with the Jack Daniel's sauce but I dunno the gravy just wasn't working for me.

The night's pièce de résistance came in the form of their chili ice cream! Yummy! It tastes like vanilla but after you swallow a spoonful, you'll feel a glowing hot sensation in your throat. Of course to douse the flames, you eat more of the ice cream and the cycle continues. Yum. Definitely a must try.

Four pawikan points. Extra points for Francis the very entertaining roving mariachi who claims that he can sing in 50 languages. He sang for us in Tagalog (perfect accent!), Turkish and Spanish. Also extra points to the Filipino staff who treated us to complementary chocolate cake. Minus points for their amateurish website. For a classy place such as this, surely they can afford to upgrade their internet presence!

***
To get here, alight at the Buona Vista MRT station, make a right at the MRT exit and walk towards NUS keeping the construction of the circle line station on your right side. You will see the Rochester Park street name after about 800m. Use the stairs at the car park and you'll see North Border on your left.

The Garden Slug, Bright Centre, Singapore

Rating:4/5
Quiet, personal and secluded makes the Garden Slug the perfect place for secret lovers, long dinners and quiet musings.
***
When I got off the bus stop across the Bright Centre, I was hungry, the rain was pouring, the wind was strong, and my black leather shoes were soaked.

Since it was my first time in this area, I couldn't easily figure out where to go because there was no visible signage. I asked a bloke where the garden slug was and he pointed at the grass. Harharhar very funny sir (gago!).

The Vibe
I finally found it and as I stepped inside, it felt a bit Starbucksy because of the blackboard, dessert display, free wifi, couch and unobtrusive lounge music. You could tell that these guys have their priorities straight because on the far wall was a framed poster that said: "Decisions: don't wanna make any today. just wanna eat my cheesecake." (more photos here)

Instead of having just the odd newspaper or two, I was surprised that they've got a whole shelf of books you can actually take home and borrow! (Of course you have to come back to return it which makes it a great advertising gimmick!)

The food
But I didn't come all the way here to read so I grabbed a seat in their dining area, which had a tiled floor that reminded me of Filipino bathroom tiles, and ordered their rib eye steak with Yukon mashed potatoes (SGD$16.90), pasta with roasted pumpkin & plump juicy prawns (SGD$13.90) and a glass of their homebrewed lemongrass iced tea (SGD$3.50).

Their steak was surprisingly tender and it had a distinct flavour that I'm at a loss for words to describe. Was it smoky? pepper-y? I'm not sure but it was definitely tasty. The pasta was so-so and the shrimp was not as plump as I thought they would be. The lemongrass was refreshing but drink it fast because it's best served chilled.

For dessert, try the Pear William (SGD$5.50) which is stewed sweet pears sauteed in white wine and cinnamon topped with gelato. Yummy!

Scary bathroom
I'm tempted to give minus points for the tiny (but clean) bathroom located outside the resto, under a flight of stairs. It's so out of the way that one of the waiters would accompany the ladies to show them where it was. Then again, the scary bathroom could also be a bonus point because you and your special someone could *ehem* get creative here specially when it's raining hard, it's dark and you're both drunk.

Conclusion
Four pawikan points. Bonus points for the personal service that made me feel like I was eating in a friend's house. Heck the location is so isolated that I felt like I was eating in a far-away friend's house!

If restaurants were music, this one would definitely be indie. It reminded me of Manila's Sa Guijo minus the bands but this place definitely has the potential to become one. How about wednesday acoustic nights? On my way out, I also finally got why the resto has such an avant garde name. (hint: it's all in their motto: eat drink don't think!)

***
How to get there
The directions on their website are not helpful at all so use mine instead:
Take bus 155 from the Eunos MRT (it's the bus stop by the street and not in the bus terminal). Alight at the 4th stop from Eunos. Bright Centre's across the street and if you face it, The Garden Slug will be on the left side. To get back to the MRT, take bus 15 to Eunos or 155 to Paya Lebar. Say hi to the slug staff for me and tell them reviewsbyp sent you.