Diarrhea, Disneyland, and a Snake on Her Neck: Our Action-Packed Vacation

Kamusta na, mga ka-DadBuhay! 😄

After kwento ko kung bakit kami umuwi sa Pinas, eto na ang pinaka hinihintay kong i-share — our actual vacation adventures. Warning lang ha: it’s a mix of fun, family, konting sakit sa tiyan, and some unforgettable moments we’ll be laughing (and cringing) about for years. 😅

We Landed in Manila ✈️🌴

We arrived in the Philippines last April 21. After a long flight with two little kids, landing in Manila felt like a reward — init ng hangin, amoy ng pagkaing pinoy, and hearing Tagalog everywhere. Home.

After just a few days of rest (or more like, recovering from jet lag + unpacking our lives), we packed again… this time for the beach.

El Nido, Palawan: Paradise + Diarrhea Combo

Yes, you read that right. 😅

We spent 5 days in El Nido with my brothers-in-law and their partners — picture-perfect beaches, white sand, limestone cliffs… a literal postcard view!

We swam, island-hopped, ate fresh seafood, watched the sunset — everything you imagine when you say “beach getaway.” But the real highlight?

Diarrhea.

Yep, almost all of us tinamaan even my eldest daughter (she loves watermelon shake). 😭 We suspect it was from the water or maybe the ice cubes. Lesson learned: even if it’s a fancy restaurant, always ask about the water. And maybe skip the halo-halo with too much shaved ice. (Masarap siya pero risky!)

Kahit may diarrhea kami, lumalaban habang nagpa-picture then takbo na lang sa CR. LOL.

Next Stop: Hong Kong Adventure

 🧳🇭🇰

On April 30, just a few days after getting back to Manila, we flew to Hong Kong with my parents-in-law, brother-in-law, and his partner. Imagine the logistics — a traveling squad with toddlers and seniors. But we made it!

Highlights? Of course:

🎡 Disneyland Magic

Our eldest was in full princess mode the entire day wearing her Cinderella outfit. She met characters, and rode small rides with us — talagang wide-eyed and amazed. Seeing her smile like that? Priceless… Then of course the light show and the fire works was amazing. Sobrang sulit ng pagod at entrance fee. The only sad part was there is no parade. We suspect that it is because a public holidaythat time in Hong Kong, ayaw nilang magbayad ng double pay sa mga employees.LOL

🛍️ Shopping Time

From outlet stores to street markets, we squeezed in some shopping. Siyempre may pa-bili ang mga pamangkin at kapatid. And kahit gusto lang sana naming mag-window shop… alam niyo na kung paano nauuwi ‘yon. 😅

Theme Park Hopping: Enchanted Kingdom & Manila Ocean Park

 🎢🐍

Back in Manila, hindi pa tapos ang adventure. We visited Enchanted Kingdom — and our eldest loved the ferris wheel. She wanted to ride again and again. Muntik ko nang itanong kung pwede kami mag-membership. 😂

We also went to Manila Ocean Park — one of those places you visit para sa kids but end up enjoying yourself, too. From fishes to penguins to sea lion shows, ang saya!

But the real moment?

A snake. Around my daughter’s neck.

YEP. You read that right. She was brave enough to try the animal encounter — and next thing we knew, she had a snake on her shoulders… smiling like it’s nothing. Meanwhile, the yaya almost fainted sa sobrang kaba! Di ko rin alam kung tatawa ako o tatakbo. 🤣

Nature Break: Tinipak River, Tanay, Rizal

 🌿⛰️

To cap it all off, we went to my hometown — Tanay, Rizal, and spent time in Tinipak River in Daraitan. It was our breather — away from malls and traffic, just nature, fresh air, and riverside kwentuhan.

The kids enjoyed the rocks and shallow water, and I got to share with them a part of where I came from. A simple but meaningful way to end our jam-packed trip.

Final Thoughts

Sobrang saya, sobrang pagod, sobrang worth it.

This wasn’t a vacation where we just rested — nope. It was full of life, family, adventures, toilet emergencies, laughter, and stories we’ll be telling for years.

I’ll be honest — traveling with kids isn’t easy. But seeing their eyes light up, hearing their giggles, and watching them experience the world… it’s all worth it.

By the way, for a hassle free sa pagpila to buy tickets for those attractions and tours, I booked all the tickets via Klook. Madalas discounted and mga prices rather than buying the tickets on the same day.

Thanks for reading another chapter of our DadBuhay. Next post, I’ll share tips for traveling with small kids — the stuff we learned the hard way (like… bring your own water. Always.)

See you soon!

— DadBuhay