Stories of Places, People and Photography in the Philippines and Beyond
Surfing has always been attached with La Union. It was great to know that there are other attractions in the area on my recent brief sojourn around the province. I have to thank Thunderbird Poro Point Resort, La Union for sponsoring us on this familiarization trip around La Union. This would be a real good guide on what to see and expect when going around the area, beyond the surfing. Of course our home base was the Santorini-inspired resort.
Three scenic lakes, seven captivating falls, a bunch of endearing T’boli people, fascinating culture, pristine beaches and historical sites – what more reasosn can one ask for to visit South Central Mindanao? Of course I still get those “Aren’t these places dangerous?” or “We might get kidnapped for a ransom!” a lot of times until now. I’ve been saying this over many times, Mindanao has some insurgent spots but not the whole area. Lake Sebu, General Santos and Sarangani are one of those safe places to visit in Mindanao. I’m sure you’ll be aptly rewarded from your gutsy decision.
I kept telling people that there is more to Bohol than the usual Chocolate Hills, Tarsiers and Panglao. I had a chance to go back to Bohol several times this year and coincidentally, most of the activities I had there is to sample exciting adventure activities on different spots. Bohol is turning out to be one exciting adventure hub along with the popular attractions the island is known for. Here’s a nice itinerary for a Three Day Adventure in Bohol.
I like Macau for its beautiful blend of east and west culture as much as coffee aficionados would enjoy their mix of coffee and cream. I would have wanted Manila to be something like this city, or close. Despite the old marble streets and the aging walls, its taints and stains paints a pattern of rich history between two worlds, especially from the Chinese and Portuguese. For such a small island, it’s just a joy to roam around its streets. Here’s the summary of our 4-day trip in Macau.
I have written plenty about Batanes on this blog and I’m sure when I go back there, I’ll find more things to write about again. It just shows how I love the place. It’s like being in a foreign land yet with the familiar warmth and hospitality the Filipinos are known for. For the mean time, here’s the chronicles summary from my recent visit to Batanes in conjunction to the Backpack Photography Workshops to cap off this series. I also hope you enjoy the Batanes Islands video I put together.
I previously though that going into this part of the last frontier of the country we all know as Palawan would be really expensive. But I learned that with a bit of haggling, looking around and being with other thrifty companions while in El Nido can really stretch your budget. In the 5 days and 4 nights, with two days of Island hopping, 1 day of inland tours and sampling some of the good food of El Nido, I only spent P6082 (US$132) (excluding transport to El Nido from Manila). Read on for the details.
Singapore is one expensive place to travel. Food is like SG$3-10 a pop and there are only a few choices for backpacking accommodations here and it’s not actually cheap. But I do love the ease of their transportation system here that it’s easy to find your way around the small country island by Bus or Train. And for such a small place there’s a hodgepodge of things to do and places to visit, even if they may be artificially constructed or whatever earthly natural attraction is left of the country.
