Philippine beaches get more than their fair share of media attention worldwide, and rightly so. But this is not even scratching beneath the surface. If the Philippine beaches blow you away, wait until you get underwater to get the full measure of the beauty and bounty of the country. The …
Read More »Puerto Princesa for One Dollar or Less
As a rising tourist destination that will soon eclipse all other destinations in the Philippines, Palawan does not come cheap in certain places, especially with the omnipresent travel agencies and tour companies that make a living out of your travel budget. So before you sign up for a 600 peso …
Read More »The Big Guys Have Spoken: Southeast Asian Heavyweights of 2013
When authority speaks, we ought to listen. This year, the heavyweights of the travel industry have spoken; taken their pick (and road-tested) superlative – best, fairest, cheapest – destinations for 2013. Their choices definitely vary, but they arrived at a common conclusion despite differences in criteria: Southeast Asia just won’t …
Read More »Photo Essay: El Nido, Palawan
They call it paradise. Or if you ask the creator of “Peanuts,” Charles Schulz might say “happiness is white sand and karst limestones. And oh, turquoise waters.” El Nido has already been on the path to mainstream popularity before another Palawan attraction six hours away gained worldwide acclaim after being …
Read More »Duchess Pension Palawan Review
Most of the people I met during my journeys were surprised to learn that there are (female) people who travel solo. My trip to Palawan was no different. People I met there have yet to warm up to the idea that women do make trips by themselves without the usual …
Read More »How to Get to Puerto Princesa Underground River
If you prefer DIY tours, then knowing how to haul yourself and your stuff from one point to another via public transport helps a lot. It’s economical and allows you to touch base with everyday people which makes travel realistic and multi-dimensional. In the Philippines, public transport can be a …
Read More »Photo Essay: Puerto Princesa Underground River
Before it snagged the coveted title of one of the world’s newest Seven Wonders of Nature, the St. Paul Subterranean River National Park, now more famously known as the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR), was already on the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed December 4, 1999) for …
Read More »Palawan: One of National Geographic’s 20 Best
Consider these numbers for a Philippine province: 1,780 islands (out of the country’s more than 7,000); 52 living dialects and languages (of the more than 120 in the Philippines); 279 bird species, 27 endemic to the country. There is also that 2,000 kilometers of coastline and two UNESCO World Heritage …
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