Category: Travel Tips

Travel Guide: Jomalig Island, Quezon

Summer is coming soon, and beaches in popular destinations near Manila are going to be really crowded as usual. For those looking for a different destination to visit this summer, Jomalig Island in Quezon offers an escape. It’s not that easy to get to, which means the place remains unspoiled. The golden sand beaches, agoho pine trees, refreshing atmosphere and naturally sights here are just stunning. Jomalig Island is best for those who enjoy unspoiled beaches. This is where you can enjoy back to basics camping away from the crowds.

jomalig quezon cove beach swimming

Since I previously wrote about our Weekend in Jomalig Island, I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries about how to get there and other questions. So here’s a travel guide to help you out with tips compiled from my experience, helpful locals who left comments on my previous post, Jomalig Quezon’s Facebook page and some 2016 updates from blog reader Senilicius (in the comments section).

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Hiking to Mt. Pinatubo

hiking mt. pinatubo crater lake travelup

Mount Pinatubo’s eruption in 1991 is one of the most devastating natural calamities in Philippine History. After 600 years of dormancy, Mt. Pinatubo’s erupted. Said to be the second largest eruption of the 20th century, the effects of the eruption were felt worldwide. Continue reading “Hiking to Mt. Pinatubo”

Siquijor: Motorcycling the Mystic Island

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.

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Travel Guide: Tawi-Tawi

One of the most memorable trips I took this year was to Tawi-Tawi. This island province located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is the southernmost province of the Philippines. Often misunderstood by the outside world and the rest of the Philippines, Tawi-Tawi is not your typical tourist destination. The concerns about the peace and order situation in the surrounding areas have kept the place relatively off the tourist radar. I know only a handful of travelers who have ventured to this part of the country for a vacation. That’s probably the main reason why I wanted to go there in the first place. Thanks to a trip to Zamboanga City earlier this year, I got to tick Tawi-Tawi off my bucket list.

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Motorbiking to Calauit Safari Park

Thank God I didn’t insist on driving my own motorbike. That was all I could think of on what seemed like never-ending stretches of dirt roads from Coron to Calauit. Our destination was Calauit Safari Park, a game preserve where animals roam freely, located on a small island at the tip of Busuanga, Palawan. A map showed that it was roughly 70 km away from the Coron Town proper and locals said it could be reached in about 2-3 hrs time by motorbike. But like a real life version of Excitebike, the terrain seemed to challenge us with increasing levels of difficulty the longer we drove. There are dirt roads, then there are demented dirt roads. This was the latter dialed up a notch.

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7 Rainy Day Riding Tips

The weather these days has been really unpredictable. It can be all great and sunny in the morning, prompting you to gear up and ride out of town to get a quick fix. But later, the sky darkens and unleashes a crazy downpour complete with thunder and lightning that will leave you soaked and cursing your decision to get out of bed. Rainy months like August and September are not really ideal for leisure riding, especially for those who like to travel around with an SLR camera or smartphone in tow wherever they go.

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Zamboanga’s Pink Sand Beach

Pink sand beaches are quite rare. There are a only a few of them around the world, the most famous of which can be found in Bahamas & Bermuda. Thankfully, we don’t have to travel abroad to set foot on one. The Greater Santa Cruz Island in Zamboanga City, in the southern region of the Philippines, is famed for having pink coralline sand.

This small inhabited island located in the Basilan Strait is just 4 km south of the downtown area of Zamboanga City. It can be reached within 20 minutes by motorized boats. In recent years, the beach has gained popularity as a tourist attraction in the city. I’m really glad to have visited this bucket-list worthy beach prior to my trip to Tawi-Tawi. Continue reading “Zamboanga’s Pink Sand Beach”

Travel Guide: Calayan Island, Cagayan

My trip to the Calayan group of islands in Cagayan was an unexpected surprise. I’m really thankful for the invitation of Lakad Pilipinas to visit the elusive island along with other bloggers Juanderful Pinoy, Blissful Guro and the family of photographers we traveled along with.

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Hiking up Bongao Peak, Tawi-Tawi

Standing majestic and proud, Bud Bongao or simply Bud (Bongao Peak), is the major landmark that greets visitors to the island province of Tawi-Tawi, the southernmost province of the country, located in the Autonomous Region on Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

This mountain cliff is considered sacred by locals, who believe that it has a power to heal people of sickness and cleanse them of their sins. Many locals hike up to ask for blessings for good health, to pray in the Muslim shrines along the way, or as a form of thanksgiving. Continue reading “Hiking up Bongao Peak, Tawi-Tawi”

Secrets of Sohoton, Bucas Grande Island

“The main entrance and exit is only accessible during low tide” said our guide as our pump boat glided through the water in the dark cave half-submerged in water. The hard hats we had been issued shielded us from the stalactites that hung precariously above our heads. The boatmen expertly maneuvered through the cave entrance towards a pinprick of light that slowly opened up into a vast lagoon. I stared in awe at the stunning landscape I saw before me.

We had just entered Sohoton Cove, a natural haven that is the pride of Bucas Grande Island in Surigao del Norte. Continue reading “Secrets of Sohoton, Bucas Grande Island”