Before Leaving Manila

A smoggy Makati skyline viewed from my room at Marriott Manila

For a long time, Manila was missing a good airport hotel. There used to be a Philippine Village Hotel but I can't even say if it was any good since I never stayed there. That was a long time ago anyway before my travel itch even began. A couple of years ago, a casino resort called Resorts World Manila opened right in front of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3. Among the 3 hotels built there was a name so familiar in the US market - the Marriott.

Safari Lodge

Taking an overnight bus just after hiking down Mt. Pulag didn't appeal to me. I wanted to rest in Baguio City for the night. It's been a long day after all - a whole morning on the trail and some 3 hours on the jeepney. We arrived at the city's Victory Liner Terminal before 4 PM all tired and starving. I was the only one staying. Since the group's Manila-bound bus doesn't leave until 10 PM, we made plans for a farewell dinner at a restaurant on Session Road.

Top of Luzon

Behold the Cordillera: view as seen from Mt. Pulag's summit

It's only 5:30 AM. It's cold, windy and dark. I was walking behind our local guide along with Carlita, a German backpacker. The guide soon exclaimed "Eto na! This is it!". We made it to the top of Mt. Pulag. The rest of our group was somewhere lagging behind. From our vantage point at 2,922 meters above sea level, we could see a long trail of headlamps headed our way - pretty much everyone else who woke up in the pre-dawn darkness just to get to the summit in time for sunrise.

For a few minutes, the three of us enjoyed solitude as the first to make it up there. Soon that will change.

Camp 2

2600+ meters above sea level @ Camp 2

"OK ka lang Mang Andy?", I asked as I passed by this gray-haired 60-something gentleman on the popular Ambangeg Trail to Mt. Pulag.  He's standing on the side of the narrow path, catching his breath, his weight bearing on a single trekking pole. A vacationing grandfather from the US, Mang Andy shots back at me, "I feel great!". While our group led by Miguel (Yabag Mountaineering) met only the previous evening, we felt a bond already. "I just couldn't take my wife here with me. Papatayin nya ako (She'll kill me)", he laughs later at camp.

From Sea To Summit

From here...

Call me nuts for taking a punishing trip traveling all day and night - from coastal El Nido to mountainous Kabayan in Benguet. It started on a Friday early morning and didn't stop till mid-morning the next day. This involved taking the RORO bus from El Nido to Puerto Princesa (6 hours) where I waited (6 hours) for a Philippine Airlines flight to Manila  (1 hour) to catch an overnight Victory Liner bus bound for Baguio (6 hours) before eventually riding a chartered jeepney the next day to a Ranger Station in Kabayan, Benguet (3+ hours). Whew!

Kayaking on Bacuit Bay

"S--t!, we're not moving", Matt was shouting. The waves were big, pummeling the bow of our tandem kayak as we seesawed up and down. It was almost 4 PM. Our guide and another pair in our group was already ahead of us, this on the second leg of our kayaking that afternoon. We started out  from Bucal Island where we've rested and was paddling on our way to Paradise Beach, more than 2 kilometers on the other side of Cadlao Island, when the winds caught up with us.

Tackling Taraw Cliff

The limestone karst dominating El Nido and the islands around Bacuit Bay is what many visitors usually remember. They're simply stunning. Island-hopping gives us that view but something else was pushing me beyond merely seeing them. I wanted to climb one. The town itself has one such limestone cliff called Taraw. And it was calling my name.

Imperfect Paradise

For many travelers, El Nido's front yard of Bacuit Bay is what tropical paradise is all about.  It is littered with gorgeous islands - those sharp, jagged peaks shooting like torpedoes to the skies. One earlier edition of Lonely Planet Philippines, written by western authors, even declared that El Nido "dare we say it, is better than Vietnam's Halong Bay and Thailand's Krabi". It was a statement that got me excited. Now that I finally made it to El Nido, I wanted of course to see what everyone else came here for.

Sunset a la El Nido

sunset as seen from Stunning Vistas resort

Planning where to stay in El Nido? Besides budget considerations, choosing the right location is important for me. There are three locations to choose from: El Nido town proper, Caalan beach and Corong-Corong. Anything from budget to mid-range are all here. Those seeking luxurious digs will find snooty upscale resorts on some islands in Bacuit bay.

RORO to El Nido

An oncoming RORO bus swirls up a cloud of dust on the unpaved section between Taytay and El Nido

In a country beset with tourist infrastructure woes, it's good to know of some positive changes. Let's look at El Nido for instance. For a long time it's been one of those destinations that seem difficult to get to. It's either one gets on an expensive flight from Manila or, like most everyone else starting from Puerto Princesa (the capital city of the island province), take the longer route via a partially paved road on a 5-8 hour dusty, bone-jarring ordeal.

Puerto Pension

"Sir, kanina pa po ako naghintay sa inyo" (Sir, I've been waiting for you). A still smiling guy holding a placard for Puerto Pension was outside Puerto Princesa's airport waiting for me. The plane wasn't even delayed. There was just a bit of miscommunication involved.

Two Birthdays

El Nido Municipal Hall

What a coincidence. Here I am in El Nido and I find this little town shares the same foundation day as Davao City. That's today, March 16. It's a twin celebration that I'm happy to write about. What's odd is how older El Nido is at 96 years compared to Davao's 75! While I do miss celebrating fiesta in Davao City, it's my enduring love for her that certainly will never cease - never mind the current mayor's abominable behavior last year that made her look like a hoodlum.

Back To Talicud Island

It was a year ago I first visited Talicud island. It used to be "remote" but faster & bigger outrigger boats have made the large island more accessible from Davao City's Sta. Ana wharf. However, going to a part of Talicud not serviced by the scheduled boats is where the difficult part remains, in this case going to Babusanta beach resort. If it was just me traveling, I could just have gone the same way I did last year and hop on a habal-habal to this beach. But I'm traveling with family members.

I Choose Philippines Because...

A distant view of the Cordillera aboard a morning CX flight from Hong Kong to Manila

There are at best 196 countries in the world. While a few may not be as welcoming to tourists, a lot of them do. The market is diverse, the competition strong. I could have easily gone elsewhere but decided to visit the Philippines again. But why? Whenever and wherever I travel I get asked where I'm from, I always say "I live in New York but originally from the Philippines". More often than not, the next question is always about the Philippines. Which is good.

Hooked On Lake Sebu

It's very early in the morning but I knew I had to get up from bed. Outside, out in the lake, fishermen were already doing their daily routine. Tending to their tilapia fish nets and fish cages. There was something calming about what they were doing. Their pace is unhurried. Their dugout canoes so silent. The air is still and so is the water. Even the lotus flowers barely winked. I merely stood in the lake shore, awed at this simple tableau.

Of  fisher folks at work.

Meanwhile, in big cities all over the world, the rat race goes on. Call that stress.

Zip Line and the Seven Falls

There are more and more zip lines sprouting everywhere in the Philippines but - and I mean this - nothing can compare right now to the breathtaking views one can get in Lake Sebu's Seven Falls. You literally fly above the waterfalls. Or at least four of them. Having just done a much longer ride in Camp Sabros in Digos, I almost gave this a pass since I thought all I wanted to see were the falls. Boy am I glad I didn't!

Lake Sebu

The lure of the lake is hypnotizing. Despite the exaggerated advisories, I decided to go. Alone.

Lake Sebu, wedged in the highlands of South Cotabato, has been unfairly tagged as "unsafe". A lot of people, those living even in other areas of Mindanao, think this is where people get kidnapped. As an American passport holder, the US State Department would have frowned upon my plans. I haven't even bothered to register with STEP, or Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, a US government service that enables citizens to be contacted in the event of emergencies. Here's a look at the current travel advisory on the Philippines:

Passig Islet

What used to be a barren islet off Baranggay Bato in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur has been turned into a beach resort. Officially called the Passig Islet Aqua-Eco Park Resort, this came into fruition about a couple of years ago as a project of the provincial government of Davao del Sur. Forget about natural state of things - this is all about an islet that has been turned to look like an island with swaying palm trees. So coconut trees were planted, cottages were erected and old tires ringed portions of the islet to prevent sand erosion.

Is it worth a visit?

Talicud Island

"Alas-dies pa na molarga" ("It's leaving at 10"), so says one guy we asked at the wharf in Davao City. He was referring to a large outrigger boat painted with the name "Pacific". We arrived just before 8AM thinking there's one leaving much earlier so that left us with two hours to kill. No problem, we're not in a mad rush to get there. After paying the ₱60 fare, we took our seats. From where we were, I could see the island's faint outline, an hour away by banca. Unlike the hulking Samal island which is closer - our destination seem longer than an hour away.

Sta. Ana Wharf, Davao City

It's not a tourist destination but Sta. Ana wharf brings back childhood memories for me. In those days when boat travel was the cheapest way to travel in the archipelago, this was where our journeys to the Visayas began. Just being here, getting a sniff of that saline air, seeing passengers struggling with "maletas" and best of all, eyeing that massive hull of the ship signified only one thing in my young mind - we are traveling again! Being  in the high seas (for 2-3 days) was already adventure for me back then.