I always visit the Philippine Travel Expo which is held every February. But when March kicks in, I feel like it’s a long wait for February to come so when I learned of the Philippine Travel Mart, which occurred in September, I immediately grabbed the opportunity to visit the event. Organized by the Philippine Tour …
The advent of technology has kept people on the go to be in touch with the rest of the world wherever they may be. It’s now an added bonus but it can also be a distraction to your journey. For first-time travelers wanting to be constantly connected, you will not only concern yourself with your …
I was a kid when I first stepped into the urban jungle of Makati. At that time, I gazed at the towering buildings that loomed along its paved avenues. Fast forward to my adult years, when I’m no longer a traveler to this place, but had to make it my home (before I moved back …
I was browsing through the internet about Philippine sights and came upon a section about Vigan, known for its old houses. I became nostalgic of my trip many years back to this northern, quiet Philippine city. (Check www.vigancity.gov.ph for more info). But I’m glad to have been given the opportunity to return I later to …
I have visited the town of San Teodoro in Oriental Mindoro several times. But I have not ventured anywhere near the foot of Mt. Halcon, where we have a possible site for volunteer vacations. The one I did there the last time was mangrove tree planting in its coastal area. At Wednesday morning, I agreed …
It’s the 4th of July. As much as it is part of American history, it extends to the shores of the Philippine islands. Yesterday, July 4, I went to a place of Filipino-American history, Corregidor Island, where both nations fought side by side. The first time I embarked on a trip to Corregidor Island, I …
Every June 12 is the Independence Day of the Philippines. Over a century ago, the Philippine flag was first raised on this day. That flag finds its roots in Taal town in Batangas. The historic town of Taal, which is a three-hour drive from Manila, is a favorite destination of culture lovers and schools for educational …
Read more “Taal Town: birthplace of the maker of the first Philippine flag”
My trip this year to Cebu, particularly to Mactan, brought back memories of a luxurious stay I did three years back in another resort within the same island. It was a press event my former office organized for a client. We gathered media people from various countries in Southeast Asia and booked them in Shangri-la’s …
I was living in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2002, when the Japan/Korea World Cup fever swept Asia. It was the buzz wherever I went. Streets were usually deserted when a game was going on. Everywhere I went, I was seeing products and pictures with the FIFA World Cup logo or paraphernalia. When I was in Bangkok …
Read more “World Cup 2010 Fever: Is the Philippines Ready to Catch It?”
I had never been in a volcano crater before. And the first crater I had visited was the smallest volcano in the world, located within a lake: Taal Volcano. Two years back, my friends and I embarked on an adventure to this famous volcano. We made a side trip to Tagaytay City for lunch before …
Jala-jala is the local’s term for paradise and for those living in the province of Rizal in the Philippines, they regard Jala-Jala as the paradise tucked away in their province. Our office organized a volunteer activity that would take us to this little paradise. We had to meet up early morning last Saturday to embark …
After office yesterday, I went to the mall to meet a friend. I arrived early than our appointed time so I dropped by a bookstore to buy postcards and check on some books. I stopped by the magazine stand to browse the travel magazines on display. When I got hold of a particular magazine, I …
I have three best kept secret islands found in my country, the Philippines, but I’m letting these out of the bag. With more and more people traveling nowadays, getting to a place where others have never been before has become quite a challenge. As I become more connected with other travelers, I observe that those …
Read more “A First-time Traveler’s 3 Best Kept Secret Islands”
I spent an afternoon with a visiting cousin and got us a chance to witness the natural beauty of the sunset at Manila Bay. She and her parents were scheduled to go home to Bacolod the day after so I decided to take her to the biggest mall in the Philippines, the SM Mall of …
It was an unforgettable summer at the Marlou Beach Resort in Nasugbu, Batangas. I love summer and, at the same time, I abhor it. Summer in the Philippines, which often falls from March to May, calls for extreme heat. The sun is always out to find you, even when you are in shaded areas. Often, …