Blogs from Philippines, Asia - page 2
May 16th 2012
After our trip to Flores and Komodo Islands, we spent our last week as a traveling family in Bali before the kids flew home to Canada. We definitely missed our house and our cook, but enjoyed staying at a guest- house and trying the various restaurants around Ubud. We celebrated Gemma’s 14th birthday that week with an afternoon at the spa and out for sushi. On May 1stLucas and Gemma left for Singapore then flew back to Canada. Jeff and I had a few more days in Ubud saying tearful good-byes to good friends and reflecting on our six months in Indonesia. We’ve heard good things about the Philippines (countless isolated beaches, reefs, mountains and islands) from friends and fellow travelers, so we decided to spend our last 5 weeks in Asia visiting this enigmatic country. ... read more
May 9th 2012
“Love your PARENTS. We are so busy growing up, we often forget they are also growing old.” When I found this quotation circulating in Facebook, it hit me like a ton of brick. I was guilty. Not that I don’t love my parents, my Mom, in particular (my Dad is a totally different story). I was just busy living my life, working and raising my son that my Mom quickly became a figure left on the sidelines. So, when I read this quotation, I made one hard look at my Mom. She’s getting old. And now that she’s retired from work, life is (sort of) passing her by. And it dawned on me that I needed to be with her more often, no matter how busy I get. My Mom and I weren’t really close. In ... read more
May 8th 2012
This is my first time going to Palawan thru our company outing, thanks to Amkor Travel, my newly found family. We take Cebu pacific Air around 8:05am, the flight was delayed as usual but smoothly arrives at Puerto Princesa Airport. Our group composting of 17 people with our bosses Mr. & Mrs. tismo are so excited that upon landing we took our chance to take a picture, a lot of picture until the airport officer stop us ^_^. Upon securing all of our baggage, our Pick-up service from Crystal paradise resort, which we are going to stay for 2nights, is already there waiting for us with Ms. Jen the supervisor of the said resort. Before we go directly to the resort we stop by to eat at fastfood as it's time for lunch. This time i ... read more
Stories from Home: Provincial Fiesta!
Published: May 16th 2012Asia » Philippines » Eastern Samar » Lawaan
May 8th 2012
Hugs and Kisses, seeing many familiar faces...I am finally writing from home. Lawaan is a coastal town, home to a population of 5,058 with a quarter of it (if not half) probably a relative. The town dates back to late 14th or early 15th century with its discovery by a family, Juan 'Guingot' Gabrillo, his wife, and his children who took refuge from an approching storm under a Lawaan Tree. The storm started shortly after they reached the Monbon Island which was bordering the mouth of what is now the Lawaan River. The town's name was taken from the same tree that sheltered the family from the violent winds. It has gone through the Spanish, the Japanese, and the American occupation and has its own version of local myths & monsters i.e. Agta (a tree demon ... read more
May 7th 2012
Boracay is a very relaxing place to stay..although not the easiest to get to. You'll figure that out if you ever plan your trip for there. Totaly worth it though. The sand on the beaches are probably some of the finest in the world. The locals are able to make huge sand castles out of it because it is so fine..... read more
The New Natural Wonder Of The World (Dariece)
Published: May 7th 2012Asia » Philippines » Palawan » Sabang
May 7th 2012
April 21 - 23, 2012 We ended up spending 14 glorious days in El Nido and didn't see a drop of rain. The weather was spectacular, the sunsets extraordinary, the diving and snorkelling exceptional, and the local rum was delicious! It was a perfect little town. There wasn't too much development, it wasn't overrun with tourists, the locals were friendly as can be and it had just enough traveller comforts to keep us happy. We spent our last couple of days swimming at the beach, wandering around town, enjoying coffee and meals on our patio and relaxing. We had some big travel days ahead of us and we definitely needed to rest up. To Read More & See More Pictures, Click HERE!... read more
May 7th 2012
The last time I wrote I had seen enough of Cebu City and was headed for the bus station and the southwest coast of Cebu Island. The bus system in the Philippines is really good. The air-conditioned buses are very comfortable, with some dvds showing (if you can hear them). I’ve calculate that most bus journeys cost about €1 for an hour or travelling.So if you are told that the trip will be three hours long, count on a fare of about €3. The journey was uneventful but I love taking photos of the homes and people as we drive by. I like to see them working, playing, eating together, shopping, etc. My original plan had been to go to Oslob where, it was said, one could swim with the whale sharks and dolphins. The ... read more
May 2nd 2012
Hi, I had some annual leave days to take before the end of March and I’d heard from people in Beijing that the Philippines are very nice. So I came here for twelve days only, to do a quick survey of some of the central islands. It has been even better than I anticipated. I flew with Cebu Pacific overnight from Shanghai to Manila and then south to the island of Cebu in the Visayas group of islands. I left Shanghai at 12:30am, arrived in Manila at 4:00am and the one-hour flight to Cebu arrived at 7:00am. Because the flights were short and during the transfer I had to keep moving, I didn’t feel the usual tiredness of an overnight flight or bus ride. It was a small plane and I was a bit confused ... read more
El Nido - Sunshine & Island Hopping, This Is The Life! (Nick)
Published: May 1st 2012Asia » Philippines » Palawan » El Nido
May 1st 2012
April 8 - 21 / 2012 After Port Barton we headed up to El Nido, another beautiful beach town famous for its massive limestone karsts that erupt from the sea like enormous green daggers. We checked into Cliffside Cottages, one of the most beautiful and friendly guesthouses we have ever stayed at. Set amongst the stunning cliffs that make El Nido famous, this place has proven to be one of the true gems of backpackers accommodation. The owners here treat us like family and provide service that would be acceptable in a 5 star resort. The manager, Edda, provides hot water every morning for coffee or cooking, she ensures that someone is there to greet you at your room and turn on the light every single night after dark, and when Dariece had stepped on a ... read more
May 1st 2012
Taal Volcano is a complex volcanic system, and it is composed of a small volcanic island, located in Lake Caldera or as many called it also Taal Lake, and the story was the lake was actually the krater of the first Volcano, it is exploded in the 15th Century and after that the rain pours in the krater that build the lake, and now a new Volcano is rising up in the lake. It is very easy to go to Taal Volcano, from Manila to Batangas ( Talisay ),or Manila to Tagaytay. There are a lot of Travel Agencies who offers Taal volcano Tours in Manila, but it is acctually very easy to get there, if you dont wanna rent a Car with a driver, you can take the Public Transportation, There's a lot of Busses ... read more
