Blogs from Philippines, Asia

Tour Day 140, Cruise Day 38 – Manila, Philippines – Author’s Note: José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda ((1861–1896) is considered a Philippine national hero for advocating political reforms for the colony under Spanish rule. His writings inspired the Philippine Revolution, and he was executed by the Spanish colonial government for the crime of rebellion. “Best of Manila: Past & Present” Shore Excursion – Discover Manila, the Philippines' capital city and premier gateway to the country. Your tour begins with a trip through the Makati area, the financial and commercial center of Manila. The first stop is at the American Memorial Cemetery, the largest and perhaps the most beautiful outside continental United States. Pass through the plush residential village of Forbes Park dubbed Millionaire's Row, and continue your drive down Roxas Boulevard by the fabled ... read more

Well, here I am in Palawan for an inaugural visit after all these years, it truly is a dream come true. This marvelous destination is one of the most sought-after places to visit in the world, and I'm absolutely thrilled to be here. Although it is considered a remote destination in the Philippines, Palawan is only 90 minutes flight time from Cebu with most flights going direct to Puerto Princesa. The capital of the province is in the south of the main island, and after arriving safely I advised some locals I needed transport to Port Barton, my first scheduled stop on the island. A local took me to a bus shelter, where I waited with a pair of Spanish girls who were also heading out. There was some fiddling around, then driving around town a ... read more

How could it be so many years since I last visited the wonderful Philippines. It's a travesty, there is no doubt about it! Now that the long radio silence is coming to an end it's time to prepare for a month in these magnificent islands. The flight from Sydney to Manila is a lazy eight hours, everything is super close and convenient for Aussies heading out to South East Asia. After an overnight stopover I boarded a domestic flight down to Cebu reasonably early in the morning. This was my second visit, and I booked a top rated hostel online for the stay before the trip. To my surprise, the hostel was not in Cebu City but further south, however after arriving it was certainly worth the minor inconvenience. Coincidentally two of the top attractions on ... read more

Where do you start with a nation of islands when you've set aside two weeks and a comparatively limited budget? The answer lies in planning a trip to the Philippines as carefully as possible, so the itinerary was narrowed down to 3 islands, Cebu, Palawan and Luzon, for the capital city of Manila. First up was Cebu, and the small coastal town of Moalboal which seemed to be sufficiently shrouded in mystery to work it into the mix. Part of the mystery revealed itself in the shape of a truly outstanding hotel which had enough in the way of attractive features to simply not bother with anything else in the region (!) That approach though does not at all fit the template for a curious and camera-ready international traveller, and as the town of Moalboal itself ... read more

Kis-a lang man ako nagapanglugayawon. Gusto ko lang mabal-an ninyo nga ang akon kabuhi puno sang pagpanglakaton. Sa nadumduman ko, ang una ko gid nga pagbyahe, Hunyo 30, 1991. Amat-amat nga nagakadula sa akon paghaklo ang matam-is nga huyop sang hangin. Aga-aga ato. Halin kami sa Binalbagan, Negros Occidental kag mapuli sa Banga, Aklan kay ang akon nga amay tumandok kabay nga Aklanon. Duha lang anay kami ang nagpuli kag maapas lang sa dasun-bulan ang akon iloy kag duha ka manghod. Madugayan gid siguro antis ko makita liwat ang naga-aso nga simburyo. Pat-od gid nga madugay naman nga tyempo antis ko mabati-an ang mga tinaga nga Ilonggo. Mabudlay magbyahe sa una nga kahigayunan. Nagsakay kami sa bus kag barko, tapos bus liwat. Mga anum ka oras gid. Galilingin ang akon ulo. Daw masuka ako. Ginadagat. Huo, ... read more