Ironwulf En Route
San Juan Batangas, known for its stunning coastal getaways in Laiya, offers a lot more than just pristine beaches. Venture into the mainland and discover a world of hidden wonders, heritage sites, nature trails, and delectable cuisine. San Juan may surprise you with its rich history, scenic landscapes, and diverse recreational activities. Let’s dive in and explore the treasures that lie beyond the shores.
“Where there’s a river, there’s life!” As they say and it can never be truer as this body of water penetrating the land can be a source of food, livelihood and instrumental in irrigation. When late environmentalist, Gina Lopez spearheaded a clean-up drive for Buhatan river in Sorsogon back in 2014 and they saw the ecotourism potential of this river. Following the path of successful river rehabilitation and ecotourism development like Bohol’s Abatan river, Cebu’s Bojo river and Puerto Pricesa’s Iwahig river to name a few.
Birding has been one of the activities I enjoy while traveling lately. It gets me really immersed in nature. It’s a calming activity. And being able to observe bird behavior and the species found in the area gives me an idea on the state of the environment is. My travel to Coron and Busuanga got me excited to spot more birds in the province. Palawan alone has 23 bird species out of the 218 endemic found in the Philippines. Birds of Coron and Busuanga is a collection of birds I encountered from my last trip. Surely bumped my list of bird lifers.
I wanted to end my last day in Penang with something breathtaking and worthwhile. I didn’t get my desired sunset at Kek Lok Si temple so I made sure to wake up early for the sunrise this time at Penang Hill. Hoping the odds for good light would be better. Also known as Bukit Bendera, the distinguishing peaks seen from the city of George Town is easily accessible. With only around 6km from the city center to its jump-off at Air Itam, it’s one of the favorite cool escapes for the locals and tourists alike.
