There are a lot of places in the Philippines that are great for food-tripping. But ask any frequent traveler, and they’re sure to have Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental in the Visayas region at the top of their list. Bacolod is popularly known as the “City of Smiles” because they celebrate the Mardi-Gras like Masskara Festival, a revelry of street dancing, carnivals and parades every third weekend of October. But foodies will find plenty to smile about even if they don’t go during festival season. Here are some of the must-try specialties and restaurants in Bacolod City.
Category: Travel
Sangay Siapo Island, Tawi-Tawi
“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.
Ten Cents to Heaven Resort in Tanay, Rizal
Updated March 2016
Ten Cents to Heaven Resort is the kind of place you’d go to just to meditate amidst nature. With its cool climate, manicured gardens in front of a sea of hills, stairways lined with pine like trees and wooden cabanas shrouded in vines, this resort and leisure camp in Tanay, Rizal offers a serene respite from city life. Best of all, it’s not that far from the metro.
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White Pebble Beach near Naga City
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”
Weekend in Jomalig Island, Quezon
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.
Chasing Waterfalls in Pili, Camarines Sur
I grew up in Naga City, but I never knew that there was a very nice waterfall circuit just in my own backyard. Most Naguenos are probably familiar with Malabsay and Nabontolan Falls accessible via Panicuason in Naga City, located on the East slope of Mt. Isarog.
But apparently there are also eight pristine waterfalls shrouded by a triple-canopy forest in the Pili section of Mt. Isarog National Park (MINP). The site, surrounded by farming communities and some historical points of interest (including a Japanese memorial and wartime tunnels) is currently being eyed as a potential eco-tourism trail. And boy, does it have potential! Continue reading “Chasing Waterfalls in Pili, Camarines Sur”
Khmer Booze: Must-Try Beers in Cambodia
Aside from temple-hopping by bike and sampling crispy bugs and spiders, we ended up trying a lot of different local beers in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh during our week-long trip to Cambodia earlier this year.
Country Cuisine at Abe’s Farm, Pampanga
Food and travel really go together. More and more tourists are planning their destinations around food, and local cuisine is playing a big part in food tourism in the country.
Food Trip: Cambodia
Crispy spiders, insects fried in garlic and spices, stuffed frogs and barbecued snakes. These were just a few of the snacks being sold along the streets of Cambodia.
Travel Guide: Itbayat, Batanes
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.
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