When you put together complementary elements, you can achieve harmonious relationships and a beneficial flow of qi, or energy. Feng Shui is about harmony and balance that is necessary in our everyday life. It’s important to surround yourself with elements that complement yours. By applying simple principles of feng shui, one can maximize the flow of energy within one’s natural surroundings. Identify your dominant element and this will point you in the right direction, for a wonderful vacation that’s quite plainly written in the stars.

Fire

Those dominated by the element of fire are flamboyant and charismatic types who love to be mystified by a good puzzle. Whether you’re in a formal suit or rugged outdoorsy attire, you are likely to command attention.

The elements recommend:

• An exhilarating mountain trek is in your future. The challenge: Mount Talinis, the 1,800m peak nicknamed Cuernos de Negros, or the cliffs on Apo Island. The Cuernos de Negros Mountaineering Club organize a three-day trek up Mount Talinis. Sights along the trail are Lake Yagumyum, an ancient crater, and the Tolkien-esque forests of mossy maribuhok trees. Sleep under the stars by majestic Lake Nailig.
• Take a side trip to Apo Island, a short boat ride off the coast of Dumaguete. The limestone cliffs that surround the 12-hectare island are a rock climber’s dream. Scale them and then dive 12m into the ocean. Book a rustic hillside cottage on Apo Island Resort’s private cove.
• The enigma of Siquijor. With its long history of faith healers and mysticism, it may appeal to your analytical mind. Just a short ferry trip from Dumaguete, the smallest island province in Central Visayas was named “Isla de Fuego” – the island of fire — by enraptured Spanish explorers. Embark on a challenging trek through Cantabon Cave with its underground stream and huge chambers dripping with rock formations. Be mesmerized by the drove of fireflies that give the island’s mangroves an eerie glow at nightfall. Then ignite fires of a different kind at the romantic Coco Grove Beach Resort.

Wood

Artistic types born under the element of wood exhibit an inner strength and stability. The infusion of heat and moisture brings blossoms forth from wood, so the cards advise a rejuvenating, sun-drenched holiday by the sea.

The elements recommend:

• A quiet weekend soaking up the rays in Bohol. Bohol is bounded by an endless coastline of blindingly white beaches, with a myriad more to discover on its 73 surrounding islands. In the spectrum of the country’s many spectacular beaches, few come close to the 1km stretch of white sands of Alona Beach on Panglao Island. Book yourself a villa at Amorita Resort with its 180 degree view of the Bohol Sea. Laze on a private sundeck, dip into a private plunge pool, and sample local delicacies such as the seashell creature sa-anganon, fresh off a sizzling grill.
• Dip in the healing waters of Camiguin Island’s natural hot springs. The volcanic island of Camiguin has a coastline dotted with beaches and secluded swimming holes. Esperanza Ardent Hot Springs, which can hit temperatures of 40 C, bubbles from the depths of dormant Mount Hibok-Hibok. Bathe in mist-shrouded pools rich with sulphur, believed to have healing properties. Take a deep breath and focus on the rejuvenating atmosphere, and focus on restoring whatever ails you. Spend evenings at Bahay Bakasyunan, a former private villa featuring a beachfront pool.

Metal

Your steely resolve and determination indicates that metal is your dominant element. You are self-reliant and a born leader. Make sure you stay away from heat, which can melt you even the mightiest ores.

The elements recommend:

• A challenging dive trip to El Nido, Palawan. At 96,000 hectares, these waters surrounding the pretty islets of El Nido form the largest marine sanctuary in the country, where sightings of manta rays and the rare dugong are common. Seasoned divers will find comfortable accommodations at the new El Nido Cove Resort and Spa which offers nighttime dive packages and a 15-day dive master course.
• The rush of a rugged island adventure in Caramoan. Koh-Lanta, the French edition of Survivor, shot its eighth season on the Caramoan Islands in Camarines Sur. Producers praised the unspoiled, off-the-radar appeal of Caramoan, which led contestants to believe they were truly lost in the wild. The idea is to move out of your comfort zone and test your physical limits. The Camsur Watersports Complex in nearby Naga City, a water-sports park designed for wakeboarding attracts enthusiasts of the sport from all over the world. Villa Del Rey offers tiki huts and villas just steps from all the wakeboarding action.

Water

People who are water-dominant prefer an indirect approach to getting things done. Water is a gentle element, yet nurturing, bringing entire forests to life.

The elements recommend:

• Birdwatching in Bais. The Bird Sanctuary and Mangrove Park is 400 hectares of lush forest that hugs the Bais coastline. To spy the Philippine Mallard and White Heron in their natural habitat, hop on a short boat ride from South Bais City, then take a stroll on raised walkways of split bamboo. For more information, contact the Bais Tourism Office. Book a beachfront bungalow at Dumaguete Springs Resort. The staff can arrange a car or motorbike rental.
• A trek through Bulusan Volcano National Park. Three supreme peaks dot the 3,600 hectares of rainforest of Bulusan Volcano National Park, declared a wildlife sanctuary in the 1930s. Pristine Lake Bulusan, one of two lakes in the park, is steeped in local legend. Tread softly on quiet trails shaded by a canopy of wild orchids and giant ferns, being careful not to disturb monitor lizards and geckos. Watch the skies for rare birds such as the flame-breasted dove and Philippine hawk eagle. Book a room at the delightful family-run Villa Luisa Celeste. Named for the daughters of a retired sea captain, the mansion is clean, comfortable and charming, and boasts of views of Mount Bulusan and the Pacific Ocean, and is located just 20 minutes from the city.

Earth

The person born under the earth element is practical, methodical and hardworking. You are naturally drawn to fire.

The elements recommend:

• A gastronomical foray into the fiery Bicolano cuisine. Try spicy-creamy dishes made with chilli and coconut milk — laing or Bicol Express, pork stewed in coconut milk, and a stingray dish called kinunot.
• A tour of Pampanga’s heritage kitchens. Viajeng Cusinang Matua is a hearth-side visit into the old kitches of Pampanga, the culinary capital of the country. The day trip begins at dawn in Manila, with stops for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two teatimes. Sample native tsokolate, dinuguan, galantina, and tamales, and kamaru or deep-fried crickets. Historian and chef Lillian Borromeo offers a baking demonstration of San Nicolas cookies, and a glimpse at her family’s heirloom cooking tools and a history of food.

Find your element

Every set of two years is governed by Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. If your birth year ends in 0 or 1, you are a Metal person; those born in a year ending in 2 or 3 are under the Water element, and so on. The cycle ends with a year ending in 9 (Earth) and starts all over again with a Metal year.

Birth year ending in 0: Yang Metal
Birth year ending in 1: Yin Metal
Birth year ending in 2: Yang Water
Birth year ending in 3: Yin Water
Birth year ending in 4: Yang Wood
Birth year ending in 5: Yin Wood
Birth year ending in 6: Yang Fire
Birth year ending in 7: Yin Fire
Birth year ending in 8: Yang Earth
Birth year ending in 9: Yin Earth

One such sport and wonderful recreational activity that’s both exhilarating and relaxing is scuba diving. Usually undertaken by those with a passionate love for the ocean, scuba diving is an amazing activity that allows you to get a glimpse of the spectacular world below the surface of the sea. It takes you under the ocean and allows you to be privy to sights you may never have even imagined possible. Not to mention, being an archipelago, diving is an ideal pastime for Filipinos. After all, with over 7,000 islands we can only dream of what wonder lie in our seas.

From the thousands of outstanding multi-colored corals that jewel our ocean floors to the astounding number of underwater life we host in our seas, the Philippine has one of the largest number of pelagic creatures and is easily ranked among the top five diving destinations in the world. It seems a shame to miss out on the astonishing underwater show right in our backyards when throngs of foreigners come over hundreds of miles just to see it.

Indeed scuba diving is one of the most exciting and informative recreational activities one may choose to take up. And it’s open to everyone. Scuba is an equal opportunity sort available to men, women, and children who are in average good physical condition. Furthermore, while the underwater sights alone are enough of a reason to indulge in the sport, scuba divers can do much more than just check out the fish. Depending on an individual diver’s interest they can specialize in a skill or even choose to make diving a career opportunity.

For those just looking for a great recreational activity though, one that’s both invigorating and relaxng at the same time, scuba diving is a perfect choice. However, as is the case with every other sport, the proper training is essential to ensure you get the best results. Scuba diving in particular requires proper professional training and certification before you can commence your underwater adventures. One of these places where you can start your journey is with Adventure Bound, Inc.

Adventure Bound ensure that each student that goes through their courses is highly trained and efficient underwater so as to maximize the ultimate scuba experience. Additionally, they also plan regular dive trips to all the amazing local dive spots namely Anilao, Puerto Galera, Bicol, Apo Reef, and Apo Island, and the best dive spot in the country, Tubbataha. The group can also plan specialized trips specifically to meet the diver’s needs.

The ocean awaits both young and old alike. It’s never too late to try something new and if you’ve been looking for something that will enchant your senses you should definitely strap on your fins and try the sport of scuba diving.

Adventure Bound
Unit LG02 Alfaro Place, 146 LP Leviste St. Salcedo Village, Makati
Telephone: 8404873
Website: www.adventurebound.com.ph

Here’s a clearer picture of wakeboarding: a rider standing on the board, feet strapped, being pulled by a boat and carving moves on the wake. A wake, by the way, is the wave created by the boat. Sometimes, instead of a boat, a cable system is hooked to the shore an the rider holds on to the cable, riding the waves, getting onto a ramp, flipping and doing tricks in the air and then landing on the water.

The Legendary Griffin

Wakeboarding, indeed, seems a lot like the griffin in that it is an offshoot of four different sports. The riding style is suggestive of water skiing, snowboarding, and skateboarding, and the sport itself was born in the wake of surfing. In 1985, surfer Tony Finn of San Diego, California developed a hybrid of water ski and a surfboard, which he called Skurfer. In the same year, foot straps were added, which proved to be crucial in the development of the sport. This allowed riders to flip in the air, thus jumping off from its surfing genesis.

In the 1990s, wakeboarding began to gain popularity in the United States and throughout the world. Today, it is making waves in the Philippines where surfing still holds a fascination for people and is being promoted further. At the forefront of this revolution is Paolo Araneta, pioneering Filipino wakeboarder who organizes events, exhibitions, and competitions to promote the sport.

In 1999, he tied up with another friend, JB Borromeo, to form the Wakeboarding Association of the Philippines. The two sort of pioneered wakeboarding in the country. The group, however, has since remained inactive. Unlike other serious athletic sports that center on hard training, boarding is done in the spirit of fun and recreation, a lifestyle which attracted many to the sport. Then there is the camaraderie wakeboarding fosters in gatherings and events. However, to be a good wakeboarder, one has to be physically fit, mentally ready, and patient to be able to learn the tricks. Boarders train, but really it is more of practice, and again often recreational in nature. It is only right before a competition when things get a bit serious.

Wakeboarding is divided into runs, in which one can do an average of 10 tricks. They are judged on height, execution, and style. For the Addict Mobile Wakeboarding Experience in Boracay in 2006 and a competition in Batangas, they brought veteran wakeboarders Patrick Viererbe, Bradley Mundt, and Daniel Pyne, who did exhibitions, conducted boarding clinics, and judged in the competition.

Growing Locally in the Philippines

Wakeboarding remains a nascent sport in the Philippines — the participants are few and facilities fewer. A major factor that prevented people from getting into the sport was the cost to own a boat. But with the cable facility first make available in Lago de Oro Resort in Calatagan, Batangas, people started to see that wakeboarding can be fun and within reach. In the last three years, wakeboarding in the Philippines has grown because of the cable system.

Wakeboarding in Lago de Oro, Calatagan, Batangas

Today, the Camsur Watersports Complex opened in Bicol, said to be one of the best wakeboarding facilities in the world. Built within the sprawling 150-hectare Provincial Capitol Complex in the capital of Pili, about a hundred visitors come in daily — making the complex perhaps the biggest attraction of the province, according to governor Raymund Villafuerte, Jr. Citing that there are about two million wakeboarders and only 150 facilities available worldwide, he believes that wakeboarding is the fastest growing extreme sport globally today. He intends to capture a portion of that market and promote the province as the “cable skiing Mecca of Asia”.

While wakeboarders may not be as serious about their sport as other athletes, they seem to live for the exhilaration of the ride — carving beauty between water and air.

Getting to Lago de Oro

Located in the town of Calatagan, Batangas, it is a 2.5 hour drive from Manila. Take the South Superhighway and the Sta. Rosa Exit. An alternative is the Coastal Road that gets you to Tagaytay City. From Tagaytay, drive towards the towns of Tuy and Balayan. At the Balayan town proper, turn right, going to Calatagan. Or head to the Sugar Central junction in Nasugbu, Batangas from Tagaytay, and proceed to the town of Lian, then to Calatagan. Lago de Oro is along Zobel Highway.

Getting to Camsur Watersports Complex

Philippine Airlines has domestic flights to Naga City which takes about 40 minutes. By land, there are air-conditioned and ordinary buses plying the eight-hour route daily to and from Manila. The complex is located within the Provincial Capitol in Cadlan, Pili, only five minutes away from the Naga airport.