Well it's about time!

Come visit us at skurbanista.com

Balesin Kiteboarding

Can't Wait to go back to Balesin Island Club 

at the same time last year i did a trip to Balesin to visit fellow Roxy girl

Mika Santos who told me about the nice condition (wind, waves and flat lagoon) 

at her island. I was so keen to go and was watching the forecast for a week.

Then the wind dropped down as soon as i got into the island.

i was only gonna be there for 3 days and the first  2days there was no wind 

so i was able to explore the island

and went surfing instead.

Surfing here is amazing and also a very advanced spot, my worst crash on a surfboard happened in this spot, but also one of my best surf sessions ever.

So definitely going back there.

Luckily on the 3rd day...

My flight out of the island was around 3pm if i remember it correctly and 2 hours before my fight the wind picked up so i rushed down first at Costa Del Sol Village but there was a wind shadow caused by the islands in the front,

so we went up on the north tip of the island where Mykonos Village is located and it proved to be amazing and friendly to beginner kiteboarders.

The wind was not so strong but luckily i have my big Kite (12m) 

so i was able to go for a good hour and even went for 2 sessions!

It was also fun to have a group of girls drinking margaritas hanging out at the Beach Villa and they were cheering me on.

five star amenities FTW!

And this time, so lucky to announced that we (me, Jay Ortiz; President of the Philippine Kiteboarding Association and Spencer of JandS surf shop) are opening a kiteboarding community here at this wonderful place.

so excited for this!!! such a great way to end a great year!

Love and Sunshine

GoPro Sessions: Balesin Kiteboarding

Balesin kiteboarding from paula rosales on Vimeo.

What's in my travel bag

yes, i decided to join the bandwagon of bloggers doing a post about what is in their bag.

so am doing my own version.

i have non of those LV bags, expensive organizers and gigantic make up kits that i travel with...but

if you have traveled with me, you know it's not easy at it always involves a lot of trouble with my luggage.

So here is what's in my travel bag 

From Left to Right (Back Row) Kites TS15m, TS12m, TS9m, TS7m

Best Kiteboarding Bar and Harness

Best Kiteboarding Hand Pump for SUP(yellow) & for Kite (Red)

(Front Row) Wetsuits: Roxy Syncro 4/3mm, Roxy Syncro 3/2mm, Roxy 2mm Shorty, Rainbow Tutu 

(Staple)

On me: Roxy Pop Surf Neoprene 2pc Bikini, Leech Eyewear in London (casual), sitting on a JadeYoga Cork Mat

(Front Row) Boards: Kiteboarding 4 Girls 130 TwinTip, Kitesurf 5.6 Shifty Pro, Stand Up Paddle Board +Paddle 10.3

Check out these awesome products available at

http://www.bestkiteboarding.com/

http://www.leecheyewear.com/

http://www.roxy.com/

LENS: Pierre Vogel

Googlers and Kiters

i love meeting kiters from around the world. Especially this batch of riders working at Google here in California. 

Thank you Alexei for inviting me and the other riders.

I must say, this campus errr office is one of the best i've experienced 

so far.

With a lot of positive values and fun activities you can do,

who would not want to work at Google?

Check out this Half pipe in one of the buildings.

 

and it's always nice to meet girls that rip amidst all the men. :)

it's like being on mushrooms... giant cupcakes....

 colorful bikes you can take around


and i even checked out Boracay on the huge Google Earth Screen

Hi guys!
as you can see, information on Boracay island is a bit static.

thank you guys! looking forward to kite sessions with the googlers. 

:)

How To Get To Boracay

due to public demand, and me being lazy to reply to all of you wonderful people asking how.do.we.get.to.boracay?
when.is.the.best.time.for.wind?
parties?
place to stay?
 So am here are some answers to some FAQs about getting to Boracay.
This post is dedicated to FLYING in and out of BORACAY.


1. Which airport to fly?

 It's always best to travel to Manila first from your country. Point of Origin - MLA (Manila, Philippines) and then take a connection from Manila to Kalibo (Boracay) via LLCC or Local Low Cost Carriers.

 **The Philippines main hub is Manila. We have 4 terminals that are on the same area but for some strange reason they are not connected to each other via internal tarmac or even a walkway. So, make sure you check your terminal and transfer time. transferring from Terminal 1 (International terminal) to LLCC (terminal 4 or terminal 3) is a shuttle ride away but MOST of the time the traffic is BAD, so allow at Least more than 6 hours between your international flight and your domestic connection flight to Boracay. If you are arriving in the evening, it's best to book a room nearby or better yet book the earliest flight to boracay the next day and just wait in the terminal.

 NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE TRAFFIC SITUATION IN MANILA, it goes from bad to very bad and worst when it's raining. i have had friends who missed their international flights because of this reason. and i even had my own bad experience with typhoons/flights and terminals

http://skurbanista.blogspot.fr/2010/07/what-dfa-and-lola-basyang-did-to-me.html


 ---- Kalibo is the nearest airport from Boracay THAT ACCEPTS boardbags, from Kalibo you have to take a 1.5 hr VAN or BUS to Caticlan Jetty Port.
 Van Fee = Php (150.00 per person or 3 euros)
*BUSES can cost up to 250.00 or 5euros some companies include boat transfers/terminal fees/environmental fees

 otherwise if you are traveling light and do not mind the extra mind blowing 200usd for a 1 hour flight you can take a flight from MANILA to CATICLAN, which takes you directly to Caticlan Jetty Port.


 Here are some LLCC - Low Cost Carriers you can choose from



 Cebu Pacific Air - relatively the cheapest - most of the time i take this myself, i try to get the earliest flight in the morning because after lunch MOST flights are already Delayed caused by tarmac traffic and late arrival of turn around aircraft.  and make sure you book your sports equipment with your ticket or else they will charge you an arm and a leg in the counter.

 PAL Express/Air Philippines - a bit more pricey. they say it's safer. i don't know really.
 Seair - BEST airline for me and FASTEST. and MOST EXPENSIVE, Flies to both Caticlan and Kalibo.
 Air Asia/ Zest Air - relatively cheap like cebu pacific, i take these planes too from time to time.

 When you arrive at Caticlan Jetty Port you will have to buy / pay for the ff:
 1. Boat transfer = 25php or.50euro or 30php on evenings
2. Terminal Fee = 50php or (not sure)
3. Environmental Fee = 100php or 2 euros

 **OPTIONAL - Porters - porters are people who carry your luggage for you. you can tip them from 20php to 50php per bag. give them more if it makes you feel better. I personally love porters. make sure you hire somebody who wears an ID and Uniform - they usually get to you at the baggage carousel. Porters can take you all the way to the jetty and come with you to the boat or you might have to change to another porter when you get to the other side. The Boat transfer will take 15minutes tops and viola, you are in Boracay. Take a trike(tuktuk) to your hotel/room. **stayed tuned for my next post about places to stay and spots to check out.

For more questions about traveling to the Philippines. like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bestkiteboarding