Nothing prepared me for the surprise I’d find in my first-time at Black Island. Part of our Calauit tour in Palawan was some stopovers at islands around Busuanga. A short distance away from Calauit was Black Island, where the Slovenian franchise of Survivor, Survivor Srbija: Philippines, shot some of their episodes. Black Island loomed from …
Right after our plane touched down in the runway of the Dumaguete City airport, at the capital of the Negros Oriental province in the Philippines, we embarked on about half an hour ride by van to the southern part of the island towards Malatapay Beach Resort. It was night when we arrived at the resort. …
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Getting out of the capital of the Philippines, Manila, to nearby cities and towns is not an uncommon occurrence among the urban dwellers. With friends and relatives from abroad visiting every now and then, it gives us more reason to escape the metropolis. But with the “Viaje del Sol”, Spanish for “Way of the Sun”, …
I’ve never experienced hosteling until I went to Guangzhou, a city in the southern part of China. I thought it would just be another small hotel, or an inn, for that matter. I didn’t expect that there was entirely something different with the experience, particularly with youth hosteling, which I never realized till I was …
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As Alex the lion, Melman the giraffe, Marty the zebra, and Gloria the hippo escaped to Madagascar and to Africa, we also had a little escapade of our own into a small island in the Calamian group in Palawan, called Calauit. It’s a wildlife sanctuary created by the Philippine government. Since we had to catch …
Coron is one of the must-see places in my list of destinations within my home country, the Philippines. Together with Busuanga, Culion, and several islands, they form the Calamian group of islands in the northern tip of the Philippine province of Palawan. Though not as hyped as Bali or Boracay or Phuket or any beach …
“LA is great big freeway…” so the song goes. And big freeways, indeed, fill the Los Angeles landscape. Next to rows of palm trees, of course. My good friend Cathy was kind enough to host me all throughout my LA trip right after the conference which I attended in San Francisco and take me to …
Forty-five hundred people. Thirty-something new friends. A grand opening session. This has been the biggest conference I have attended so far. This was the National Conference on Volunteering and Service (NCVS) 2009. It was a gathering of various non-profits, government agencies, and corporations all over the United States. So, why was Hands On Manila part of …
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It was my first time in San Francisco, California. In fact, it was my first time in the US. On a bigger scale, it was my first time across the Pacific. I went to the US to attend the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service as a representative of Hands On Manila Foundation, an …
Sentosa is an island in Singapore that has been home to the tiny state’s major recreation spots. The once fishing village island was formerly known as “Pulau Belakang Mati” which literally means as “island”, “behind” and “death” because so many people died at the other side of the island during the World War. It was …
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The eastern side of the Mindoro Island, Oriental Mindoro that is, is known for the white sand beach at Puerto Galera. Apart from Boracay, it is one of the most sought-after destinations in the Philippines because of its proximity to the main island of Luzon. Despite its popularity, this writer, unfortunately, has not ventured anywhere …
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In Shenzhen, a bustling metropolis, I embarked on a transformative journey that revealed the world’s wonders within one city. It was an extraordinary voyage where time and distance seemed irrelevant. Shenzhen, a gateway to boundless exploration, offered travelers a unique chance to witness a kaleidoscope of global marvels in just a day. Shenzhen opens a …
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More and more Filipino and foreign tourists are finding themselves on the road towards the exquisite beach called Anawangin. A hidden gem in the province of Zambales, Anawangin is about three to four hours from Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It was a place where the boundaries between reality and fantasy blurred, where nature …
As dawn breaks over the sprawling cityscape, Bangkok emerges from the shadows, unveiling a mesmerizing blend of modernity and tradition. Nestled along the banks of the Chao Phraya River, this pulsating metropolis captivates the senses with its vibrant street markets, aromatic street food, and ornate temples that stand as testaments to its rich cultural heritage. …
Macau is a fusion of the East and West. There are Chinese influences everywhere as evidenced in its temples and the Chinese features of the people. At the same time, it has remnants of the Portuguese descent from the old churches to some food and restaurants. The first thing to do when in Macau is …
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