Blogs from Philippines, Asia

Hi all, My last blog saw us waiting to flag down a coach to Cebu City from Oslob. Well, this soon happened and after about 5 hours we were back and a short taxi ride took us the 'Beds and Friends' hotel close by the airport with free transfer bus for our early check-in tomorrow morning. We were a bit anxious about this place largely becaise of its name. Was it a euphemism for a knocking shop? Would we enter our room to find a 'friend' tucked up in bed waiting for us? Well, we needn't have worried. In fact it was one of the best places we stayed at in terms of being clean, modern and functional with rooftop pool to boot. There was even a friendly stray cat which had 3 tiny kitties hidden ... read more

We arrived in San Fernando after leaving Port Barton in Palawan via a joiners van trip followed by a domestic flight & finally an airport taxi from Manila which, even though I got a 50% reduction in price, was still horrendously expensive (yeah, I know - we should have tried the coach station but it was getting late on Maundy Thursday and we had to get there at reasonable hour in order to settle in and find somewhere decent to eat) The next day, on Good Friday itself, we discovered that much had changed since the other blogs about these crucifixions had been written. There is no free VIP ticket anymore. These tickets are now $100 each and had sold out 2 weeks ago. We were thus denied access to the VIP tent & faced a ... read more

Happy Easter from the Philippines everyone! So, after having a hospital operation postponed for the 2nd time, I decided there was no point sitting at home worrying so here I am backpacking around the Philippines and what a chilled place to be - a million miles away from the worry. However, visiting the Philippines in Holy Week is a bit like going to Wembley on Cup Final day so it was a top priority to try and escape the crowds and discover the tropical seclusion expected from island hopping. It would also help me recharge my batteries for the potentially dark days ahead. The resultant journey was lengthy to say the least - not helped at all by Cathay Pacific texting me on the day of our outbound flight from London to say that our flight ... read more

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