Despite seeing many photographs of Coron’s abundant underwater biodiversity, I was still giddy, mainly because I just took free diving lessons and I couldn’t wait to put my skills to the test. Day 1 Mt. Tapyas Maquinit Hot Springs Asia Grand View Hotel We arrived at the hotel just in time for lunch. After a hearty meal, we checked in for a quick nap and … Continue reading Coron, a Diver’s Dream (Palawan, April 2019)
I arrived in Basco early in the morning, checked in B&G Guesthouse, and waited for the tour van to pick me up. Batanes has a different culture of its own. Being disjointed from the mainland, the sheer distance necessitates being independent from aid from the rest of the country, and strong dependence to the community. While waiting for my tour to begin, I decided to … Continue reading A Solo Batanes Trip, and the Culture of the Ivatans (January 2019)
As my time spent in these provinces have been primarily for work, I didn’t think to heavily document our trip with my camera, nor to document the few I took artistically. I’ll primarily share with you my thoughts about the places we’d been, however, which could still hopefully color your mind. 🙂 Siargao Disenchanted, I lost excitement for the trip after seeing so much of … Continue reading Siargao, Siquijor, Dumaguete, Philippines (September 2018)
We embarked on a short trip to the country’s favored Palawan island. During this trip, we explored places not yet frequented by tourists and took our time enjoying the wonders of nature. San Rafael, Puerto Princesa Long Beach, San Vicente So this was what it’s like to have a 14-kilometer stretch of powdery white sand all to myself. Here, I took my time shamelessly getting … Continue reading Palawan Uncharted: San Rafael & San Vicente (July 2018)
It’s been years since I’ve last been to the mountain city, but I recalled a few fond memories: walking down Session Road and seeing the swan boats in Burnham Park once again, and paired them with treasured new ones such as the fascination in shopping at the public market, happy coffee-shop hopping, and discovery of Filipino literature at Mt. Cloud bookshop. Baguio Public Market Patch … Continue reading Baguio City (January 2018)
1. Dumaguete City My friend is a local in the town and she took us around for a short tour. Life in Dumaguete City was slow. People gave way to pedestrians, traffic was when it would take you ten minutes to get home, instead of five. People wake up early, have lunch early, go to bed early. They take siestas, too. It was a university … Continue reading Negros Oriental + Siquijor, Philippines (March 2018)
If you wish to travel for inspiration and growth, to get a heart fix, to explore not only physically but culturally and socially, you landed on the right blog entry. 2017 became my year of venturing into the unknown by myself, so I made this short list of guiding principles, based entirely on my limited experience, for a proper soulful immersion of every destination. 1. … Continue reading 11 Ways to Travel with Purpose
Holidays are most enjoyed in the Philippines. Nature reserves are only a few hours away, serving as quick refreshers from a busy workweek. This lifetime wouldn’t be enough for me to cross off all the country’s pockets of beauty, but I’m counting slowly, one long-weekend at a time. Upon finding out about the long weekend that Thursday, I quickly contacted my friends to see who … Continue reading Hulugan, Talay, Hidden Falls, Laguna (2017)
At one o-clock in the morning, we were debating whether to proceed, as the rain poured just hours before our early-morning meet-up. Our tour coordinator was not responsive to our calls (we later found out that he was asleep as we panicked), though we’re glad to have stubbornly left our homes and gave up a night’s rest for the trip. After a few hours, we … Continue reading Mount Pinatubo (2017)
Food poisoning got the best of me in this trip. Below are some activities I managed to engage in despite the setback, including a stroll around the cool new hip place ‘Station X’. —– MY TWO CENTS We’ve been vacationing to this place for over ten years now, and seeing the horrid changes in this once pristine, virgin island depresses me. The island has lost … Continue reading Boracay, Aklan (2017)
