Blogs from Iloilo, Panay, Philippines, Asia
January 19th 2012
Just a short 15 minute pumpboat ride from IloIlo City gets you to one the lesser visited Islands of the Visayas, Guimaras. The Island is famous for having the sweetest Mangoes in the Philippines and there are Mango Plantations everywhere! Very verdant, green little Island. From Jordan Port we caught a very slow Jeepney for about an hour to the small village of Dolores and were dropped off at the side of the road without a clue where to go. Thankfully a few friendly locals soon organised a motorbike taxi to take us the short journey to Guisi Beach. Stayed at great liitle resort called Guisi Clearwater in very simple room without shower outside overlooked by Coconut trees! Nice beach and great fro swimming as so clear! also nice liitle old Lighthouse nearby to explore with ... read more
July 17th 2010
We are going to Guimaras! Wake up! its already 6:30…still sleepy… Hello!!! BEACH I love the beach...we are going to the beach. Excited as usual- our food, swim suit and cameras are all packed and ready in less than 30 minutes. According to my stock info, Guimaras is well known for its sweet mangoes and the not so pleasant Oil spill a few years ago. We hailed a taxi and went straight to Ortiz Pier in Iloilo. To my surprise we only paid P13 per person (one way to Jordan Pier, Guimaras Island) on a 15minute pump boat ride. Koreans, Chinese, local Ilonggos and me a Manileña aboard the pump boat, life vest hanging above our heads. Thank God the water is calm and the sun is out, as we sailed smoothly across a narrow ... read more
July 16th 2010
June 12, 2010 when I confirmed my travel reservation to Air Philippines. Flight bound for Iloilo scheduled on July 16-19, 2010. 4 days, my first and longest out of town vacation. I was nervous at first thinking that I'll be travelling alone. Am not afraid of flying but ALONE? Welcome to Iloilo as the Capt. of flight PR 168792 Philippine Airlines (PAL) welcomes its passengers. Turns out that an early check-in can upgrade you to good seats and a better plane (My 10:45am flight to Iloilo was delayed with no exact time of departure and the first 20 early check-in passengers of AirPhil will be upgraded to PAL if they want to, leaving at 11:50am. Yehey! I was the 2nd person to check-in-obviously excited and nervous). As I stepped out to the airport the atmosphere suddenly ... read more
November 25th 2006
So having caused no end of trouble, we finally arrived at Iloilo airport, to an extremely warm Philippine welcome. This was the beginning of what was to be a superb visit. Tom met us outside the airport and within seconds our gleaming chariot (in the form of a sturdy land cruiser), arrived with a beaming Paul Measures at the wheel. We climbed in, repeatedly offered our apologies for having caused so much upheaval and Paul being the gentleman that he is, told us to forget about it. After a short drive, we arrived at what would be our beautiful home for the next three weeks. We were met by the rest of the household and the manic, black and tan dachshund, appropriately named “Twiglet”. We were later to find, that he had a brilliant party trick ... read more
November 24th 2006
The journey from Bangkok to Iloilo turned out to be the most frustrating of all the trips we have made so far,the day started well with a visit to see the emerald Buddha and the royal palace then back to the tailors to pick up the cloths Emma had ordered, at mid-day back to the Indian embassy to put in our passports for visas, back to our room where Emma starts to pack and I go to the post office to send back all the items that we have collected over the last three country's (7 kg worth), back to the room, re pack my bag and we are ready to head back to the Indian embassy to collect our passports (this is where our well laid plans start to drift from our expectations). The queue ... read more
November 3rd 2006
With a title like that how could you not read?? Well given today's long journey across a seemingly short distance I had plenty of time and material to allow me to get creative with a topic. Instead of lounging away my existence on the island of Bantayan for another interminable day alone I was up with the sun to eat breakfast, again brought hut-side by the smiling sisters of sugar beach and then I was off, straddling the back of a moped as I whisked off to the only other port on Bantayan for what I assumed was a short, one hour, ferry ride to the island of Negros where I would continue my trip to Boracay (Philippines' beach playground). I boarded the boat at 8:30 when the temperature had already risen to 85 degress and ... read more
