Category: Philippines

White Island in Camiguin province is one of the highlights of our 4-day Cagayan de Oro (CDO) and Camiguin tour. Photos below are just teasers. Watch out for the stories and more photos on the next issue. Jump and Shoot Karen with her version of jump shot in White Island, Camiguin Cookie and Quennie’s jump shot in the White Island My leap of appreciation Gbel’s Jump shot with a breeze Ted’s Jumpshot White Island with Mount Mambajao and the Old Volcano in the background

While the rest of the Catholic universe are getting wet and splashy to celebrate the feast of Saint John the Baptist, Barangay Bibiclat’s residents and devotees cover themselves with mud. Taong Putik Festival (that how outsiders named the event) is celebrated every 24th of June to honor and give thanks to the village’s patron. Locals called the religious ritual as pag-sa-San Juan. The Taong Putik (Mud People) gathered to attend the mass to celebrate the Feast of Saint John the Baptist They soak their selves with mud from the rice fields and dress with mud-stained, dried banana leaves or wild ... Read more

Gourmet foods refer to meticulously prepared meals with delicate presentation and aesthetics – and what comes after such sophistication is great price. You can only experience it at fine diners or in in-house restaurants of  luxury inns. But, what if I tell you that I know a karinderya (eatery) that prepares their course the gourmet way. Kanto Freestyle Breakfast at 549 San Juaquin Street, Barangay Plainview, Mandaluyong serves their patrons all day with dedication in style. The carefully refined presentation details and the savory mix of complimenting flavors are surely enough to quench your glutton and food lust. Kanto Freestyle ... Read more

We’d been to an awesome beach bumming in Burgos and Dasol Pangasinan, and here is the guide on how we did it. Day 1: Cabongaoan and Tambobong Beach Bus transfer to Alaminos City, Pangasinan The group met at Victory Liner in Cubao and took a 4:00AM trip to Alaminos. Usually, the travel time is 5-6 hours. Jeepney/Bus Transfer to Burgos From Victory Liner terminal in Alaminos, take an ordinary bus bound for Santa Cruz, Zambales, and then alight at Burgos market. If you are not familiar with the route, you can always tap the conductor to drop you off in front of ... Read more

We got a chance to gather and talk about our next activity during our breakfast. That very moment, we learned that mommies Ghie and Beng wouldn’t be joining the course. They anticipated that they won’t be able to sustain the challenge, though they only saw the trail from the photos. We tried to convince them to pursue the cave connection—telling them that those were just pictures and the trail might be easier than it looked on those images. And, most importantly, we’re with them to assist. Unfortunately, we failed. Sagada Cave Connection We all had no idea what to expect. We heard ... Read more

We left Victory Liner Cubao Station at 9PM and reached Baguio City past 3AM the next day. As expected, it was cold, even colder than the bus’ frosting A/C. We transferred to GL/Lizardo Trans, which left Baguio at 4AM, and navigated the Philippines’ most thrilling and most bewildering highway, the Benguet National or Halsema Highway. After 2 hours traversing the crooked road, we made a stop at Morning Star Fastfood in Barangay Sayangan, Atok, Benguet, where most of us took our breakfast. It was the longest zigzag road ever and surely the greatest torture to persons with kinetosis or motion ... Read more

After looking for the best way to spend a weekend, I made a last minute registration with Travel Factor’s Conquer Sagada tour. I was a solo joiner. I boarded a bus with group of strangers, all with the same destination. I had minimal expectations during that moment and my primary goal was to, at least, enjoy the trip. Meetup with TravelFactor Staff Without counting our guides, Tikoy and Ron, I first met Steph. I sat beside her while waiting for our departure. We only learned that we’re on the same junket when Tikoy started to roll out the attendees’ list and ... Read more

After taking a relaxing dip in Cabongaoan beach and enjoying the gleeful hop in Culebra Island, we fared to Cabacungan Cove, the fourth stop of our Burgos+Dasol Pangasinan escape. The cove has rocky shores so we got off at a distance where there is enough space between the boat’s keel and the scabrous littoral seabed. We were already wet so we didn’t mind taking another drench. Rocky Beach of Cabacungan Cove The cove is primarily made of rust-colored rocks. On one end is a small cave where you can enjoy wading to its emerald water or listening to a ‘surround-sound’ ... Read more

A friend, Marx of Marxtermind.com, invited me to a weekend Pangasinan tour with 2000-peso budget. I wasn’t skeptical in accepting the invite but had kept my expectations low. I didn’t expect to see something wondrous and didn’t reckon something pristine (Oops! Am I giving you clues?). Anyway, whenever I get travel invites, I undoubtedly give my nods without any presumptions, because, at the end of the day, it is the people you meet and the people you share the experience with matters the most. We spend the first half of Saturday travelling. We left Manila at 4AM and arrived in ... Read more