Adventure and Sports – Page 12

Fun outdoor activities for the rainy season

The Philippines is a tropical island, with two major seasons: wet and dry. The months of June to October are generally wet, while September and October are often the typhoon season in the Philippines. While we do get dry days, weather is generally unpredictable, making it difficult to plan travel and vacations, especially if sea travel is involved.

The rainy season can really curb one’s enthusiasm for travel and adventure. But if you’re already in the country during the monsoon season, what can you do?

Bewitching Balete Trees around the Philippines

If I had to pick a favorite tree, it would be the Balete (a relative of the Banyan tree). There’s just something about their haunting appearance, gnarled roots and their close ties to creatures of folklore that I find fascinating. They often look and feel like they could be portals to the Underworld. Or at least the setting for a good horror story.

The Balete tree is infamous in Philippine folklore for being the dwelling place of engkantos or supernatural creatures and nature spirits such as dwendes (dwarves), kapres (tree demons), diwatas (fairies) and tikbalangs (demon horses). If you grew up in the Philippines, you’ve probably been told by superstitious folk not to go anywhere near these trees as these could be gateways to the world of myths. This probably explains why I’m drawn to them.

Marsh Magic: Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary

It’s difficult to put into words what it’s like waking up in a remote floating village in the middle of a vast marshland.

Everything was silent and still. Thick fog veiled the landscape and the early morning air felt icy cold. Eerie trees that looked like something out of a Tim Burton film skewered the water. For some reason, they reminded me of skeletons and the sight sent chills down my spine. The whole night, I was lulled to sleep by the patter of raindrops on the roof. I had on a long-sleeved shirt, but goosebumps covered both my arms. The sight was so bleak yet achingly beautiful. It’s as if someone had put a grayscale filter on the landscape. Then the sun started to shine from behind the hazy veil and breathe color into the landscape.

I never knew a swamp could be this otherworldly.

Road Trip Guide: Mindoro Loop

Mention Mindoro and most people immediately think of Puerto Galera. This party beach that’s easily accessible by sea travel from Batangas Port is one of the most popular weekend destinations for those based in the metro. But that’s literally just the tip of the island. The rest of Mindoro has much more to offer. Mindoro is actually the seventh largest island in the Philippines and is composed of two provinces: Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro.

Mindoro is home to majestic Mount Halcon and Mounts Iglit–Baco National Park, a protected area and ASEAN Heritage Park. It’s the only place in the country where you can find the critically-endangered tamaraw (Mindoro dwarf buffalo). Mindoro is also the home of the Mangyan, eight distinct indigenous groups with their own tribal language, ancient script and customs.

Travel Guide: Antique

Antique is a province of the Philippines located in the region of Western Visayas. Just a couple of hours away from the gateway to Boracay, the country’s most famous beach party destination, Antique offers a different kind of getaway. “Off-the-beaten-path” is the description that immediately comes to mind. This laid-back province comprised of 18 municipalities (no cities!) has a lot to offer for those looking for raw and rugged adventures.

They’ve got it all for you, including riverside jungle hot tubs, beautiful uncrowded beaches, rice terraces hidden in remote mountain villages, multi-level waterfalls, clear rivers and springs, mountain highlands and stunning karst cliffs.

Riding through Lahar in Pinatubo’s foothills in Pampanga

A couple of days before we were supposed to ride through lahar in the foothills of Mt. Pinatubo in Pampanga, I couldn’t decide whether or not I wanted to actually ride. There was an overwhelming sense of excitement and dread forming in the pit of my stomach. Excitement because damn it would be cool to ride through the post-apocalyptic landscape of volcanic mudflow formed by Mount Pinatubo. Riders even have their own hashtag for it: #Lahardcore.

Dread because I could already envision myself crashing and falling royally in front of all the seasoned riders and motoring journalists who’d be ready to capture every move because “semplang” shots always make more dramatic video footage.

Travel Guide: Camiguin

Camiguin is an island province in the coast of Southern Philippines. Dubbed “The Island Born of Fire,” the island’s volcanic origins and eruptions have brought forth an abundance of natural sites. It’s currently the second smallest province in the country after Batanes. But despite its compact size, this lovely island has a lot of natural sites to offer from sea to summit and all around the island.

Camiguin is the type of place you wouldn’t mind going back to again and again. Aside from the natural attractions, it’s the friendly vibe and local hospitality that will keep you coming back.

Road Trip Guide: Baguio – Sagada – La Union

Sagada is a scenic town nestled in the Mountain Province in Northern Luzon of the Philippines. For those coming from Manila and the rest of Luzon, it’s one of the best destinations you can travel to purely by land (no air or sea travel involved). The roads leading up offer the most spectacular view of mountains and cliffs. Once you get there, you can enjoy the cooler climate because of its high elevation and soak in the well-preserved culture of the Cordillera region.

10 Things to Do in Marinduque

Drone cover photo by Ironwulf

Mention Marinduque and most people immediately think of the Moriones Festival. This island province is best known for the folk-religious festival celebrated during Holy Week where men and women in masks and costumes replicating the garb of biblical Roman soldiers, roam the streets.

Project 81: End Game

Visiting the 81 Provinces of the Philippines has been a major travel quest of mine for a while now. The idea of geographically exploring all parts of the country is sort of like a video game thing for me. For those who don’t know, before I started traveling, I was really into video games. Some of my fondest memories growing up involved inviting childhood friends over to play Family Computer and SEGA.

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