Asia
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North Batan Tour in Batanes: What to Expect
I remember myself being giddy and restless on my seat as I look outside the window admiring the view I’ve been coveting to witness with my own eyes for years. Our plane started the descent and the hefty clouds parted revealing a vast, rugged verdant landscape with long and winding pavements on the edge. I was mouthing prayers of gratitude as we safely landed with a fair weather in the island. It took me some time and pinching before I could even believe myself that I was there. It was only when we were there on top of the iconic Basco lighthouse waiting for sunset to conclude our North Batan…
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What You Should Know about Getting a Tattoo in Buscalan Village
The year was 2018 and you’re a young adult with a tattoo-free skin from head to toe. You woke up to a dark blue sky melting into warm colors of sunrise; on your last day in the peaceful village of Buscalan. You were about to pack your things when it just hit you: I won’t leave this beautiful place without a tattoo. Fearlessly, you got your first tattoo and the next thing you know, a living legend, the master tattooist is hand tapping her three-dot signature on your waist. If you’re thinking of not missing out on getting inked by the living legend too; hence, getting a tattoo in Buscalan…
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Top Places to Visit in Samal Island, Davao del Norte 2024
Samal island is brimming with natural marvels ranging from its highest peak, magnificent waterfalls, eco-tourism attractions and sanctuaries, diverse array of marine life and more. It promises an ideal retreat and a peaceful respite from the bustle of the nearby city. If you desire to experience what this tropical island has to offer, here are the top places to visit in Samal Island, Davao del Norte this 2023! Places to Visit in Samal Island During an Inland Tour Kaputian Beach Majority of the breathtaking inland beaches on Samal Island are situated adjacent to beach resorts. Although certain beaches may be exclusive and costly, there are also a few options that…
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Top Places to Visit in Sagada, Mountain Province
It may seem tiresome with all the long drives, early morning wake up call and thousands of steps up and down the hill or stairs but I must say, Sagada is more than worth it. All the beautiful and scenic distractions it offers along the journey and the priceless view and takeaways at the end of it are all worth it. It truly has a lot to offer and if you wish to explore this charming little town in Mountain Province, here’s a list of the top places to visit in Sagada, Mountain Province to begin with! Important note: The local tourism office requires the tourists to get a guide…
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La Palmera Mountain Ridge: A Captivating Gem of Sultan Kudarat
“I wish I could say we didn’t sign up for this but hell I know we did.” Our bags felt heavier on our shoulders in every step in a partly uphill trail. It was 9:00 in the evening – four hours later than our expected time of arrival at the place and there we were: using up all our remaining energy for the trek. We had to walk our way to station 2 since it has been raining and the dirt road had been muddy. Our tour guides wouldn’t dare having their motorcycles stuck especially in the dark so we agreed to walk our way to our accommodation. Before our…
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Freediving in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines
I am honestly into chasing new and beautiful things in the places that I haven’t seen nor experienced yet that I tend to miss the ones in those that I have previously visited. Unfortunately, during the pandemic, our destination options and outdoor activities to try are quite limited. On the bright side of it, we took this as a chance to go back to those provinces that are open and we’ve already visited. For more than a year now, we’ve been traveling to nearby towns and provinces where we could go freediving since it’s one of the few that we can do. Looking for some place else to dive aside…
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Ganduyan Museum: A Trip Down Sagada’s Memory Lane
If there’s one mistake every tourist visiting Sagada would be making, it is not dropping by Ganduyan Museum before going anywhere else in the town. This was my thought the moment we finished interviewing sir Lester Aben, the son of the late Christina Aben – the curator of this very museum. I’ve been to a lot of museums as a true sucker for origin, culture and history but only a few have I heard of speaking about the past as if it wasn’t distant. Perhaps because Sir Lester was more than just a museum guide – it was his ancestors, his family, the Applai tribe, his home that he was…
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Panag-apoy: A Night of Remembering the Dead in Sagada
As the sun started to set, thick, dark smoke began to rise towards the sky just above the cemetery. “Panag-apoy must have started“, we thought to ourselves. We then followed the flow of the crowd silently walking to the Anglican cemetery — some carrying the pine twigs on their shoulders. Sagada people’s culture and traditions are rich making it truly interesting. Among those that fascinated and intrigued me big time is their death and burial practices. This year, we got a chance to witness Panag-apoy, one of the most unique ways of Igorots in remembering the dead. Panag-apoy is a Kankana-ey (Igorots of Sagada’s language) phrase that means “to light…
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Travel Itineraries for Travelers by Travelers — Mangroove PH
It was only just years ago when I first decided to embark on a trip around the Philippines. Since I was new to this ‘lifestyle’, I used to join organized tours as they were indeed cheap and convenient. I would only pay and let the coordinator or the tour guide take us to places. It was fun in the beginning until it felt like we only had limited time that do not suffice my yearning to wander around, know and feel the place more. That’s when I decided to go on solo DIY trips. I wanted to savor my time braving the land, summits and the seas of this blessed…
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Top Reasons Why You Should Stay at Bacau Bay Resort Coron
With the unique and naturally beguiling gifts bestowed to it, Coron has made it to the top tourist destinations in the Philippines and the South East Asia. Its raw islands, bone-white, fine sand beaches, limestone formations, lagoons, fascinating coral gardens and historical shipwrecks have drawn tourists from all around the world to this blessed town. I myself could and would never get enough of this beauty that I keep on coming back for it whenever I have a chance to. This year, I was able to rediscover the marvels of Coron as I found out about a new gateway to this paradise. The longer I stayed, the more that I…
