After a gruelling 18 hours on the road, including several stops for breakfast, sightseeing, shopping, and lunch, arriving at Vitton Beach Resort was a welcome respite from the long land trip from Manila to Donsol, located more than 500 km south of the capital. A replica of the whale shark greeted us at the resort’s …
A romance to remember. Tiny bits of light glitter in a synchronized manner as if a Christmas song is played in the background. But these are not Christmas lights but a colony of fireflies taking residence in one of the trees along the riverbanks of Donsol River. One of the many things a traveler to …
“Look down!” our guide shouted. There he was, in all his splendor and beauty, with his white spots that marked him distinctly as a whale shark. The whale sharks, or butandings, were discovered to have frequented Donsol, a quiet town in the province of Sorsogon at the Bicol peninsula, in 1997. The son of a …
Thanks to the new Cavitex, getting to the historic town of Kawit, Cavite from Makati, the commercial business district of the capital, takes only less than an hour. As soon as we exited the expressway, we immediately saw the residence of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the first and youngest president of the Philippines. Although I have …
Calauit seemed to be a forgotten island. It had its share of fame during the Marcos administration when it was developed as an animal sanctuary. Yes, animals roam freely here and they have a Savannah where they can gather during the day. It’s a long boat ride to this island and not many animals are …
Not everyone knows where it is. It’s not a public place but some events do happen here. For those holding office at the Enterprise building along Makati’s Ayala Avenue, the Sky Garden must be something they’ve heard of. It occupies the rooftop of the lower tower of Enterprise. I came to know it because of …
I have watched several fireworks display before — be it during the New Year celebrations, festivals, or the weekend mall attractions. Yet, the 2012 Philippine International PyroMusical Competition seemed to have gotten the best of me. It’s the 3rd time that the Philippines is doing this competition, bringing in the fireworks makers from countries around …
Resorts World Manila is that beautiful complex across the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 that has a mall, a theater, hotels, condominiums, and a casino. I must say that it is the emerging entertainment center of the capital that offers world-class performances and standard of service. I’ve watched a movie in their theater, shopped …
It was a challenging weekend – three consecutive mornings spent in three different airports, in three different cities. This is the upside and the downside of business trips. They come for free but expect less or no sightseeing in the itinerary. I was going back to two southern cities — Cebu and Cagayan de Oro — …
In December 2011, amid the holiday frenzy, the Philippines was struck with a challenge when typhoon Sendong (international name: Washi) suddenly took everyone by surprise as it caused severe flooding in the southern region of the country. The cities that were heavily hit were Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental and Cagayan de Oro and Iligan …
I remember the time when I was called to a meeting for a big project to be initiated by young people. We just finished the Jimmy Carter Work Project in 1999 that garnered a huge number of volunteers and partners. We had to keep the excitement building…or in building (homes). It was then when we hatched …
The Philippines’ tourism department recently launched the new campaign, “It’s more fun in the Philippines.” To this, I totally agree. There are 7,107 reasons why it is more fun to be in this part of the world than anywhere else. It’s even a lot more fun for a first-time traveler to see the wonders the …
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A first-time tourist in Manila may enjoy going around the city by the traditional jeepney. But smog and traffic can probably make you think twice before loading the jeep. Getting around Manila with all its traffic jams, especially on rush hours, can sometimes become a bane. So why not try taking the route of its …
While excitement at work kicked in pretty hard for me in 2011, it also hindered me to do a lot of exploring outside of my job description and workplace. It’s a good thing though that despite the demands of my job, I was able to do a bit of traveling last year. First off, I did …
Baguio, the summer capital of the Philippines and located in the mountainous region in the north, is a favorite destination of residents of Manila and nearby towns. It is about six hours from Manila by private vehicle or non-stop bus, and can even exceed if one will ride the regular bus routes. I recently went …