Travels
a collection of detailed travel guides, hacks and stories for travelers by travelers.
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Best Dive Sites in Batangas 2023
It’s undeniable – a lot has been into freediving lately. The ocean and the activity itself is inviting for a million reasons. To start with, it provides stillness, silence, focus and calmness for everyone. As a sport, some would take it as a competition tracking his or her own progress and development paying attention to the longevity of apnea, distance (for dynamics) and the depth. As a recreational activity, some would go and search for fascinating creatures and vibrant, awe-striking reef beneath the scintillating surface of the vast ocean. Once introduced to this sport and recreation and with the appropriate gear, the next thing that divers think about is the spot…
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Calvary Hills Iguig Cagayan 2023 Travel Guide
Every time I travel to a province, I always see to it that I’ll be able to visit a religious site or a church. Since Cagayan is one of our destinations in our North Luzon loop road trip and backpacking, we decided to visit Calvary Hills Iguig Cagayan after traveling to Callao Cave. Calvary Hills, Iguig, Cagayan – the History Calvary Hills is a popular destination of Catholics most especially during the Lenten Season or the Holy Week. It is located in a sprawling eleven-hectare of rolling hills overlooking the Cagayan River which resembles the world-renowned Jordan River. It has a stairway at the back of the church…
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Masasa Beach Travel Guide 2023 (Where to Stay, Budget + Itinerary)
Imagine yourself passing through a vast rice field with an array of towering coconut trees at the other side. As you approach the end of the green vastness, eye candy shades of clear blue skies and turquoise waters meeting at a horizon and a stretch of fine grayish white sand will welcome you. All the vibrant summer shades come into life under the bright sun. Let this be an imagination no more as Masasa Beach can give you this vibe in no time. About Masasa Beach Masasa Beach is located at Tingloy – a municipality that is separated from the main land, situated off the coast of Anilao, Batangas. It…
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Best Underwater Photographers from the Philippines that You Should Follow: Freedivers Edition
Admit it or not – you’ve gone through their photos but you just couldn’t get enough. Their underwater photos and videos challenge you to do this and that, too! But it’s not just what the models do that keep you glued to it. It’s the style and colors that a lot would love to achieve. Indeed, it’s a talent! You might have seen the works of your top favorite photographers but you may still want to explore and check on the others you might have not come across with! With that, here are underwater photographers from the Philippines who freedive that you should check out and follow! The Best Underwater…
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Noon Cafe: Minimalist Coffee Shop near Tagaytay
In a pursuit of a pretty space with coffee for some catching up, my best friend and I looked for a local coffee shop away from the touristy parts of the city since the traffic in here is honestly worst on holidays. Despite the fact that I’ve been based in Tagaytay City for several years, I could still hardly answer the questions like “Where is the best place to eat in or near Tagaytay?” and “Where is the best place to get some coffee?” Having no answers to these most of the time, I then searched on the internet for a nearby coffee shop. That’s when we found out about…
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Reimer Residences: An Exclusive Hilltop Resort in Tubigon, Bohol
Bohol is one of the Philippines’ top favorite tourist destination. Luckily, it is among those provinces that opened its doors to tourists first amidst the pandemic. After few years of waiting, I finally had an opportunity to explore it with a few friends. Philippine tourism may have just started getting back to its feet but a lot of people have already crowded the sought-after spots in the province. To getaway from the tourist-flocked places of Bohol, we drove all the way from Panglao to this exclusive resort in Tubigon – the Reimer Residences. Our Reimer Residences Experience After a fun but long and tiring road trip, we made our way…
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Freediving Certification in the Philippines
Freediving certification course is more than just obtaining a certification itself. One may go on freediving without it but doing so is also choosing to dive with risks without knowing what these actually are; or knowing little about it yet not on how to deal with it. Being certified, on the other hand, may seem unnecessary but getting into it would tell you otherwise. It helps freediver understand Freediving even more as they elevate their skills, too. If you decide to level up your freediving skills and knowledge, here are the things that you need to know when getting a Freediving Certification in the Philippines! Importance of Freediving Certification Deeper…
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Tanaw sa Anilao: A Native Filipino Beach House in Mabini, Batangas
I’ve always wanted to take my family into my “playground“. They have seen a lot of it on my photos, even heard from my stories but never have I had a chance to take them with me especially now during the pandemic. When we all got vaccinated, I had a little courage to take them with me. Part of me was still scared; so I looked for a private beach house where we could have the place all to ourselves. When we finally had a chance to go out again, we took that much needed getaway and stayed at Tanaw sa Anilao in Mabini, Batangas. Arriving at Tanaw sa Anilao…
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Traveling with Decathlon’s Itiwit Kayak
Recently, our family went on a camping trip in Laguna. Since the campsite is surrounded by a lake, we decided to bring a kayak with us. While swimming in the lake is quite fun, we deemed that it would also be fun to be exploring the calm lake with a kayak. With that, we got Decathlon’s Itiwit Kayak. If you’re thinking of getting one to, here’s what you need to know about it. The Itiwit Kayak We got the one-seater, sit-inside type Strenfit DropStitch Itiwit Kayak. It is an 18-Kilogram, inflatable and foldable kayak made of PVC and is good for both the beginners and intermediate kayakers. The kayak is…
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Balai Lawom: New Freedivers’ Chill Hub in Mabini, Batangas
Few months ago, we saw this hostel in Mabini being built. From a distance, it looked like the ones in Siargao or La Union with its Nipa roofing and hanging bamboo light fixtures. Its roof is the only thing we could see making us even more curious about what’s inside. Since we’ve been visiting Batangas for several months now, hopping from one budget-friendly resorts or hostels to another, we thought of giving this place a shot soon as it opens. After several weeks of looking forward to it, we finally had a chance to try it. I must say, the decision of staying in this place called Balai Lawom is…
