A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
“Can the water get any more turquoise than this?” I thought to myself as the main island of Bongao came clearer into focus. Despite the dark clouds on the horizon, the depths of the sea seemed to glow a piercing shade of blue-green, unlike anything I had seen before.
I’ve traveled far just to visit some famous stone beaches in the country. There’s Luna Pebble Beach in La Union, Mabua Pebble Beach in Surigao City, and Valugan Boulder Beach in Batanes. These beaches are known for having shores covered with pebbles, cobbles and huge boulders instead of fine sand which give them a unique landscape.
Little did I know that there’s a nice pebble beach in my own home province of Camarines Sur. Bagolatao Beach can be found in the barangay of Bagolatao in the town of Minalabac, just 45 minutes away from Naga City! Continue reading “White Pebble Beach near Naga City”
Raindrops trickled down through the holes in the tarpaulin that served as the roof of the boat, forming a puddle right next to me and waking me up from my sleep. “Duct tape,” I mentally added to my list of things I should always bring on a trip, as I moved my bag and huddled in the center of the boat with the rest of the people on the boat.
Batan and Sabtang Island are amazing enough. But then I got to Itbayat, the northernmost inhabited island of Batanes, and I was floored. While Itbayat is more rugged and more difficult to explore, it has a unique charm of its own. Hiking over rough roads, hills and steep paths can be grueling, but you will be rewarded with amazing views of caves, cliffs and coasts.
Poverty incidence in Itbayat is high, yet the people are friendly, honest and generous. Itbayanons pride themselves on having no casualties when typhoons hit, since their stone and lime houses were built to withstand calamities. And just like their vernacular houses, the people are strong, resilient, and hard-working.
Continue reading “Travel Guide: Itbayat, Batanes”Siquijor is shrouded in stories of sorcery and witchcraft. Dubbed the “Mystic Island,” this province in the Central Visayas is known as the home of witches, shamanistic folk healers and mambabarang (people who can cause affliction or death by supernatural means). I heard that hexes, curses and love potions were hawked on the streets along with the usual souvenir keychains and magnets. You have to admit, there’s just something so fascinating about any place steeped in such superstitions. While some people are afraid to set foot here, this reputation for dark magic is actually what drew me to the island.
From the port of Ivana, we spotted a small wooden boat loaded with passengers approaching the shore. The boats called faluwa are the main means of transportation between islands in Batanes. They’re quite small and don’t have outriggers, so they can easily navigate the strong waves at sea. This was our ride to our destination for the day – Sabtang Island, the smallest of the three inhabited islands of Batanes, the northernmost province of the Philippines.
A couple of weeks ago, I had a work-sponsored assignment to write about schools affected by typhoon Yolanda around Kalibo and Capiz. It just so happened that one of the days in the scheduled trip fell on a local holiday with no schools open and the people I needed to interview not available. Aside from the direct flights to Caticlan, Kalibo is a known gateway to Boracay, the most popular island destination in the Philippines. Boracay is not a place I am really drawn to, but the free time was too good to pass up. So, without any concrete plans, I made my way there to see how much the place has changed since I had last been there.
The Circle Hostel is a chain of eco-hostels in the Philippines catering to surfers and backpackers looking for a community atmosphere and budget-friendly lodging. They aim to be a “sanctuary for the artsy and the adventurous” where people can express themselves freely.
On the left side of the road was a towering rock wall. On the right was a cliff that plummeted down into the sea, complete with dramatic waves crashing into the rocky coast. The winding road carved into the hills narrowed into one lane as it made its way around a sharp bend. Yellow “Blow Ur Horn” signs painted on stone markers signaled blind spots in the road, leading to landscapes that wouldn’t look out of place in a fantasy film.
For a small, laid-back town, Coron in Palawan has a lot of restaurants serving a variety of international fare catering mostly to foreign tourists. However, it’s not the most budget-friendly place to eat. Dining out can be pretty expensive here, so you’ll want to plan your meals strategically or choose only a few good ones. If you’re planning to spend the holidays in Coron, here’s a rough guide on the best places to eat around the Coron town proper. For things to do, see my previous posts on Coron.
Continue reading “Food Trip: Coron”
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