A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
Those who have been to Camiguin often rave about its stunning white-sand beaches, freshwater springs, and sweet lanzones. But there’s a lot more to love in this tiny island province. For motorcycle riders and bikers, doing an island loop on two wheels is a real treat. The food scene is surprisingly good and varied. For mountaineers and outdoor enthusiasts, the island’s volcanoes, particularly Mt. Hibok-Hibok, offer a challenging but rewarding hiking destination.
If you’ve traveled to Baguio City, you’ve probably already been to the typical tourist spots like Camp John Hay, Burnham Park, Session Road, BenCab Museum and the Strawberry Farm. If you’re looking for an outdoor adventure relatively near the city, Mt. Yangbew and Mt. Kalugong in nearby La Trinidad offers two pleasant hiking trails accessible from Baguio City. The trails are beginner-friendly and easy to navigate even for newbie hikers and solo travelers. They’re bike-friendly too!
With Taal Volcano’s ongoing eruption, everybody’s on edge. Thousands of residents who live near the lake have been displaced and animals have been abandoned on the island. The landscape of Taal’s Volcano Island will probably never be the same again.
It’s scary to think of what could happen in the future. It makes you wonder how prepared we are considering that the Philippines is an archipelago of more than 7,100 islands, most of which are volcanic in origin. In fact, there are at least 300 volcanoes in the country.
Continue reading “Active Volcanoes in the Philippines”The town of Tanay in Rizal province is one of my favorite destinations near the metro for motorcycling road trips. Its proximity to Manila, refreshing mountain scenery, cooler climate, and generally uncrowded destinations makes it a good alternative to Tagaytay on any given weekend. Parts of Tanay pass through portions of the Sierra Madre mountain range, making it a great motorcycling and biking destination.
For weekend warriors and families, Tanay has lots to offer in terms of natural attractions. The resorts and leisure camps in the area also make it a popular destination for team-building activities as well.
Continue reading “Travel Guide: Tanay, Rizal”The Marikina-Infanta Highway or Marilaque in Tanay has always been a favorite for solo breakfast and date rides during weekends. With all the Christmas madness, I find myself just wanting to get away from the city, even if it’s just to drink coffee or have breakfast with a view of the mountains, away from all the cars and traffic of Metro Manila.
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?
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.
Continue reading “Travel Guide: Antique”Bukidnon is a province in the Philippines located in Northern Mindanao. Despite being the third largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction behind Palawan and Isabela, this province remains still a bit off the tourist radar. Many travelers have yet to explore the province’s amazing attractions.
Manila is not the most bike-friendly city in Asia. But if you venture a little further from the metro, you’ll be surprised to find that the Philippines actually has some pretty spectacular mountain biking destinations. Ok, so it may take a little bit of time, effort and resources to get there, but for cyclists looking for bucketlist-worthy places to bike in the country, I think we have a few that we can be proud of.
Masungi Georeserve is a conservation area and karst rock garden hidden in the rainforests of Baras in Rizal. I’m sure by now, most tourists are familiar with the giant hammocks, rope bridge courses and spiderweb-like view deck, which are the highlights of the Discovery Trail. For those who would like to delve deeper into the forest, engage with the local community, and make a difference somehow, the park just launched a new trail called the Legacy Trail.
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