dong ho's eskapo 3.0

crossing cebu's mountain range on two wheels

2012-01-23T21:36:00.003+08:00

whether it's riding or driving a bike, it has always been one of the best way to explore the islands of the Philippines. next to trekking, this is the most exciting option to access remote areas under rough road conditions.

still with Edwin, Doi and Ed negotiated two motor bike drivers to bring us downhill. an unusual route. it took us some time to convince them as they have to return back to Mantalongon without passengers. but then they agreed at certain price.

i expected this diversion road to Badian to be part of Cebu's major highway, until we started to access this small unpaved road. along the way, we were passing by rocky hills and some few remaining pine trees.

in Cebu, to cross from East coast to its West coast, majority of the routes would require crossing its mountain range except for the Northernmost and Southernmost portions. among these traverse routes are Sogod to Tabuelan, Cebu City to Balamban, Tabunok to Toledo, Carcar to Barili, and Dalaguete to Badian.

it was in Sarangani when i last experienced the habal-habal ride. doing it this time South of Cebu was amazing. the one hour road trip via Mantalongon's diversion road to Badian has some of the nicest views of the hilly peaks. another side of Cebu that i never knew.

want to experience this?
from Mantalongon market place, you can easily find motor bike drivers but it would take you some good negotiation skills for them to bring you to Badian via this diversion road.

mantalongon cebu

2012-01-10T00:04:00.001+08:00

all the while i thought Cebu was dependent on the nearby provinces in terms of crops as it has achieved big time in the manufacturing and tourism sectors. but Mantalongon has revealed so much thus it was a big surprise for me to found the side of Cebu that i never knew.

if Baguio is the summer capital the Philippines, Cebu considers the municipality of Dalaguete particularly the mountain range of Mantalongon as their own summer capital. a spot that covers Cebu's highest peak and holds Cebu's coolest breeze.

but as one would expect a summer capital to have many options for an overnight stay, this town holds a few. as the most preferred stay here would be to camp over Osmena peak. in our case, we were offered the option to stay overnight in a barangay hall. yes in a barangay hall.

Mantalongon is different from the typical towns in the Philippines, its central area is composed of a small playground, the bus terminal, the public market, the covered court while the barangay hall and the church is located far from it.

a morning walk on a weekend gives one the chance to experience up close Mantalongon's market day. the town's covered court is converted into a large vegetable market. here vegetables are sold by baskets. large, packed and heavy.

despite a tiring day that comes out of hard work on a busy market day, i believe i found one of the best reasons that kept the locals motivated to work. the genuine smile of the little ones.

Profile:

Barangay: Mantalongon
Altitude: 900MASL
Municipality: Dalaguete
Province: Cebu
Region: Central Visayas
Island: Cebu

Location:
Distance from Cebu: 90km
GPS Location:
9' 50'' 9 N
123' 26'' 8 E

How to get there:
By commuting:
[1] From Cebu City, take a bus to Dalaguete from the Cebu South Terminal or buses that is bound to Boljoon and Oslob which will also pass by Dalaguete. (2.5hours due to some stopover)
[2] From Dalaguete, look for the crossing where motorbikes or locally known as habal-habal that will bring you to the small humble town of Mantalongon.
By car or private vehicle:
[1] Go directly to Mantalongon via the Cebu South road and take a right turn from the Dalaguete crossing to Mantalongon market (2.5hours).
[2] You can park your vehicle somewhere around town.

eskapo recommends:

1. if in case you plan to stay overnight in Mantalongon, you can approach the barangay hall which offers an overnight sleepover room for a minimal fee.

el encuentro: nina fuentes y upper viceo

2012-01-07T10:36:00.008+08:00

two good friends who i consider as among the most traveled bloggers from the philippines. nina just won the 2011 nuffnang's best travel blog and also in 2010 as best philippine travel blog. upper on the other hand was born to live adventure. she did the long and dangerous spelunking in samar, the danao jump and backpacked south to north of india. here to feature two filipina travelers and their brief travel profile.

"el encuentro"

nina fuentes blogger upper viceo

justwandering blog offbeatwanders

chefchaouen, morocco farthest north maine, new england

tasmania, australia farthest south malaysia

guam, usa farthest east east coast, usa

marrakech, morocco farthest west india

yangon to mandalay, myanmar longest road trip manila to pagudpud

ko pha ngan to chumphon, thailand longest boat trip manila to boracay

manila to abu dhabi, UAE longest plane trip manila to san francisco

bangkok to butterworth, malaysia longest train trip chicago to new york

mt daguldol highest point mt ripose/koroban, batanes

donsol, sorsogon deepest swim dos palmas, palawan

mt daguldol longest trek jiabong, samar (spelunking)

mt daguldol hardest trek getting lost in adams, ilocos norte

mp3 player item/s lost in a trip sd card in a sewage in new york

thanakah item/s given/bought on a trip copper bracelet (Morocco)

crickets worst food eaten snake wine from vietnam

note:

1. farthest places reached are referenced from Manila (with Manila to Europe as West and Manila to Guam as East).

2. records here are subject to update. as we know travelers break their records from time to time. records here are updated as of this posting

previously featured:

edcel suyo and ferdz decena

chyng reyes and ga-el hilotin

allan barredo and oggie ramos

eskapo turns four

2012-01-05T00:01:00.015+08:00

eskapo just turned four with the mission to document travel and the experience in every journey. each year exploring isolated places, conquering mountains and loving the beaches. but each year was dominated with particular perspective.

the first year was more of the personal aspect and feature of everyday people

the second year was almost endless road trips

the third year was the time in exploring Asian countries and traditions

the fourth year was the celebration of trekking and journeys with other travelers
also on the fourth year i started

El Encuentro - featuring two bloggers and their travel profile.
Eskapo Mountain Series - a series of treks

big thanks to all those who follow eskapo and the people i journeyed with in 2011.

Eskapo Team who joined me in Pinatubo, Calaguas and Batad:
Jarvik, Gerard, Che, Paul, Tina, Carlo, Majane, Rea, Alex, Tine, Cris, Joanne, Sir Toto, Ms Jen, Romeo, Paz, Dory, Shy, Anto, Efren, Gerald, Theo, Rose, Olive, Edna, Rushel, Chacha, Rosa, Gia, Limbee, Jannu, Dave, Rick, Josh, Lea, Divine, Faith, Melody, Dang, Rize, Steven, Kevin, Aeron, Paolo, Kuya Ruel and Kuya Edwin and Pinatubo team,

Bloggers who I journeyed with this year:
Ga-el, Chyng, Alexandra, Mica, Doi, Edcel, Edwin, Allan, Erick, Oman, Chid, Kevin

PTB and PTB Bagets: for the fun times. looking forward to some journeys with other travel bloggers this year.

New friends met along the way:
Kalinga: Josie, Concepcion, Victor Baculi, Otmar,
El Nido: Winwin (Cebu), Leah (Cebu), the solo lady from Australia, Jop De Vos (Netherlands), Jana (France), Josh (Australia) and the rest of the backpackers who i met there
Imugan: Pastor Rice and the entire family, Art (our guide) and Persia (the dorm caretaker)

Team Panasonic
Lanie, Jackie, Ray Anne, Irish, Michi, Nino, Rogie, Ka-Luis and KC.

Lingkod Alabang community and Hormigos, Nunal and Cruz family.

the good years in documenting travel i owe it above all to GOD.

Special thanks to:
R.O.X.
Dispatch
Jansport
High Sierra
Integra
M Magazine
ANC Shop Talk
Alta Vista Boracay
Microtel Puerto Princesa

nineteen of my most memorable trips in 2011

2011-12-31T00:04:00.018+08:00

the entire year closes with another chapter of unforgettable journeys. from finding enchanting island beaches to celebrating years in trekking. new friends came along the way while treasuring the ones i've traveled again. all these filled a year with my most memorable escapes.

[19] Calm Waters of Pinaitan Beach (Bagac, Bataan)

place: this place is often set just as a side trip to a visit to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar by day and by night. there are several beaches that the locals would offer but Pinaitan beach was the nicest that i've seen in the area. too bad that some parts of the beach starts accumulating trash coming from the West Philippine Sea.

experience: this beach covers a wide area of low deep beach shore. it looked like a big swimming pool similar to the beach of Tondol in Anda Pangasinan.

the bonus: finding these elevated tree shades on one of the beach coast near Pinaitan.

[18] An Almost Forgotten Town (Lubuagan, Kalinga)

place: a quick look of the houses, you will know that it used to be a booming little town. interesting old structures of houses with rusty dark roofs is the town's value next to its extensive rice terraces. this became the headquarters of the former president Emilio Aguinaldo in 1900.

experience: passing in between these lined houses while on top of the jeepney was memorable. if not of the limited availability of public transportation from Tinglayan to Tabuk, i could have took time exploring the houses.

the bonus: i've never seen acacia trees as many as the ones in the road from Lubuagan to Tabuk.

[17] One Stop. Fresh Air (Iriga, Camarines Sur)

place: after the adrenaline rush from wakeboarding at CWC, all we deserve was a good sleep and fresh air of the province. it was my first time to stay overnight in Iriga as it has always been just a pass-by town. the view of Mt. Iriga from almost any part of the town was just beautiful.

experience: we thought we would end our night eating ice cream and sleep. not until the barangay captain requested to pick us up, with two tricycles, from where we were staying and invited us for a dinner of Bicol's best. a courtesy call. Iriga style.

the bonus: a short walk of our friend's land that showcased pili trees. we brought home our share of pili nuts.
post/link:
iriga - camarines sur

[16] Family Fun Water Fun (Subic, Zambales)

place: though it would still be best to see dolphins and seal lions in its natural habitat, Ocean Adventure Subic gave the kids the opportunity to be amazed at what these creatures are capable of up close. the facility includes aquariums and amphitheaters featuring sea lions and their fun acts.

experience: what made this trip special was the time together with our nephews and nieces who came from the province. the joy of seeing the dolphins and bottle-nose dolphins.

the bonus: we made a stopover at The Lighthouse in Subic and waited until sunset.

[15] Food Trip in Lion City (Singapore)

place: it is a fine city and home to many oriental cuisine. i visited Singapore three times this year because of my work and in every visit, i would try different specialty. one of my favorite is the popular Bak Kut Teh or meat bone tea. the spicier the better. other favorites includes the famous chicken rice, the Indian masala tea with prata and the Morrocan kebab.

experience: though most would consider Singapore as expensive, the best food are usually found on those restaurants on secluded spots offering cheap but tasty food.

the bonus: i would prefer walking when i go to these places as on the side i would check out some interesting structures like the wall-by-wall shop houses in Arab street and Little India.

[14] Trekking Coastal Hills (Calaguas, Camarines Norte)

place: ever since i visited this island, i can't help but explore more of its topography. on my visit this year, i had the chance to see the Western coast and trekked up a hill that offers a view of two long beach coasts and for the first time realized that the island actually has a small lake on this part. this requires me to update my map of the island.

experience: this time, i was with a group of 25 and despite the odds it was fun.from road trip to boat trip... it was laugh time.

the bonus: we had Carlo and Tina's son Gab with us and also celebrated Carlo's birthday.

[13] Outreach in Pinatubo (Tarlac and Pampanga)

place: let's say this is the nth time for me to trek this crater lake and i've seen the changes. its famous cyan colored lake was for few months brownish but later regained its famous cyan colored waters.

experience: it was my first time to incorporate outreach for this trip and along with the 31 who join and supported, we were able to distribute used books, used clothes and school supplies to the small aeta community.

the bonus: the site again offers the people to cross to the other side of the lake. view from there is really amazing.

[12] Retracing Old Times (Zamboanga)

place: an old city that is thriving to make a return in regaining more visitors despite the news of bombings. now with some additional developments like the Paseo del Mar, the old charm of Fort Pilar and Pasonanca remains a popular site.

experience: when i was growing up i would often go to Zamboanga as it is just about 30minutes away from Isabela city with a fastcraft to buy comics, toys and game cards but i rarely go to these spots. so returning to retrace back the popular sites of the city was a good experience.

the bonus: it was my first time to visit the stilt houses of Rio Hondo.

posts/links:

on stilt houses and eating satti

pasonanca - three stop

[11] Trekking On Grassy Humps Batulao (Nasugbu, Cavite)

place: Batulao's camel back topography is its unique feature. it is beautiful from afar as seen from the church of Caleruega but being on top of its humps gives an even better view. it is quite rare for a mountain to be beautiful from these two perspective.

experience: celebrated my 10th year in trekking here and on that day, the sky and the clouds made a great display of sunset.

the bonus: meeting a 60 year old Japanese who shared his experience of trekking both in Japan and the Philippines. we even surprised us was that he was actually doing a day hike for Batulao.

post/link:

trekking batulao - to ten years of trekking

[10] Above The Clouds in Pico de Loro (Ternate, Cavite)

place: the most interesting aspect of this mountain is the trail itself which is composed of downhill and uphill treks. one part of the campsite is covered by several bamboo shoots that adds shade to the site. its most famous feature is its summit with a rock monolith.

experience: this was the second mountain of the first Eskapo Mountain Series. i joined a group of experienced and first time climbers. our descend was memorable as it was raining.

the bonus: we were like above the clouds when we arrived at the camp site. it was the best reward after an hour long assault.

post/link:

pico de loro - mountain series

[9] Sobrevivimos Batad (Batad, Banaue)

place: one long portion of the terraces was destroyed by the typhoon yet its amphitheater formed paddies remains majestic. trekking over cemented walkways and fascinated at its grandeur.

experience: it was my first time to ride on a topload with almost 20people. we were passing by rough slippery road over steep ravines. we were at the point of deciding to walk rather than continuing the ride but we survived that ride. the night was spent with rice wine and laughter that led to a foreign couple asking us to keep our voice down.

the bonus: we made a sudden turn to visit for the first time the rice terraces of Bangaan. also one of the most interesting terraces of Banaue.

[8] Waterfalls and Pines (Imugan, Nueva Vizcaya)

place: the province of Nueva Vizcaya connects the three major mountain range of Luzon namely Cordillera Mountain Range, Sierra Madre Mountain Range and Caraballo Mountain Range. thus having a great diversity of flora and fauna. among its popular feature is its waterfalls close proximity and the beautiful pine forest of Salacsac.

experience: having to meet Pastor Rice who have a great knowledge of preserving ancestral domain was the highlight of our trip there.

the bonus: despite the occasional rains and drizzle on that day, when we reached the waterfalls, it gave us a perfect timing for a shot of the falls.

posts/links:

salacsac pine forest

trekking imugan falls

he served and loved imugan
imugan - mountain destination
nueva vizcaya - eskapo mountain series

[7] Mysterious Lake Mapanuepe (Aglao, Zambales)

place: the village that was submerged after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption with the church cross as the only visible pole from the entire village.but apart from the lake, the entire site is a place to behold. with great mountain backdrops and lahar remains still at its vastness.

experience: while waiting for our food which was cooked by a local, we had our chance to play bingo which we never won as they had their own rule of winning. we only realized that after we already finished playing rounds.

the bonus: it was a Sunday when we went there and there was no public transport available to return to the city. but with the help of the village chieftain, we were able to hitchhike with some of the workers who were going back to the city on that day.

link: lake mapanuepe

[6] Exploring South (Dalaguete, Cebu)

place: there's more to exploring island beaches in the north and churches in the city in Cebu. the south has a combination of this with well preserved century old churches and above all the province's highest peak. Osmena peak rivals the hills of Bohol with an elevated feature thus adding the adventure on reaching its summit.

experience: with just a day hike on our itinerary for the Osmena Peak trek and the idea of capturing sunset. we had to descend and trek by night with a risk of the trek and some unwanted elements.

bonus: we found a humble abode in the barangay hall of Mantalongon to spend the night.

posts/links:

trekking osmena peak

[5] Swimming With The Gentle Giants (Donsol, Sorsogon)

place: a sleepy town turned to a world renowned tourist destination because of the gentle giants that flock Donsol from February to May. it is seasonal as recommended by the locals, it is best to go there on February when the whale sharks are still in large numbers.

experience: the excitement of seeing these giants up close is unexplainable. on some instance it would come so quickly that each moment seeing it from head to tail is just fantastic.

bonus: despite the cloudy skies and going there on May, which is already the beginning of their migration to the North, we manage to see three whale sightings and seven encounters.

post/link:

encounter with the gentle giant

[4] Home Bound (Isabela, Basilan)

place: filled with diversity of belief and culture. this island province remains on the watch list for tourists yet in exchange of that, this province has preserved its pristine beaches and natural resources. among its highly recommended spot are the wide areas of rubber tree plantations.

experience: after five years, it was only this year when i had the chance to return to my home province. tagging along bloggers who were interested in taking a peek of Basilan.

bonus: it was my first time to see the old airport which is already damaged. it is located on top of a remote plateau several kilometers away from the city.

posts/links:

isabela basilan

white beach - malamawi island

mangrove swamps - malamawi island

road trip to lamitan

[3] Welcoming The Year (Sagada, Mountain Province)

place: Sagada remains one of my favorite spot for walking and trekking activities matched with some of the best cave system in the country. but even the mere fact of being there and trying the food that Sagada offers is worth it.

experience: going there isn't new to me but finally able to bring my parents made it memorable. celebrated the new year bringing with us the family tradition of eating three raisins to make three wishes plus the experience of dancing with the locals with the beat of the gong. the night i wished i was an igorot.

the bonus: we did the Cordillera loop of Manila-Baguio-Sagada-Bontoc-Banaue-Manila. i should say that this route is one of the best in the country and is also included in the world's list of most unforgettable journeys.

link: the night i wished i was an igorot

[2] Finding A Family (Tinglayan, Kalinga)

place: the journey itself to this part of the island of Luzon is tough. probably the most dangerous road trip ive had. but the view is stunning from two sides of hills and the winding Chico river. another unique feature of this simple town of Tinglayan is that its livestock including hogs are freely roaming around the village.

experience: it was a trip that we've spent so much time communing with the locals and the town's influential chieftain and a German who married a Filipina. who later established an inn for tourists. we were offered free authentic barako coffee every morning by the locals and finally finding the few remaining women with a traditional tattoo on their body.

i was overwhelmed with the locals treatment that when we left the village after our three-day stay, it felt like i was also leaving my own home.

bonus: i was given a Kalinga name "Pagtan" by the town's oldest chieftain.

posts/links:

on the road to kalinga

hachan no ad pagtan

luplupa tinglayan

to old tinglayan and chico river

[1] Backpacking El Nido (El Nido, Palawan)

place: whether one explores El Nido by boat, by bike or by trekking, one will always end a day in fascination of how this part of the Philippines can be so enchanting. beautiful from almost any perspective. hopping to a portion of the 45 beach islands. walking to a quarter of the town's land area. cycling as far as one can reach.

experience: I cannot believe that there is indeed a place where I will be awed day by day. I even ended up contemplating of finding a job or just make a silly reason that will require me to stay there. spent each day and night with other backpackers from other countries who shared the same amazement of the islands. plus a time communing with the locals to find some of El Nido's hidden gems.

the bonus: i got a book from a foreign tourist who was also traveling solo.

posts/links:

finding the best island beaches - el nido

small lagoon - miniloc island

big lagoon - miniloc island

seven commandos beach

this sleepy town

el nido coast

looking back at the times of the year when i was lining up to check-in for a flight or for a bus ticket reservation, i realized that all these we learned by following a procedure. but loving the places and relating with people along the way, it comes naturally. something we inherit from Him.

cheers to more escapes in 2012!

osmena peak

2011-12-27T23:58:00.008+08:00

just a day before this trek, the group that i was supposed to join, cancelled it due to emergency reasons. but i was there for the weekend for one ultimate goal. to trek Osmena peak. so it must happen even if it takes me to go there alone.

on the last few hours, i was in one internet cafe checking best option to get to Mantalongon, the peak's gateway. when Edwin of Lakbay Pilipino, who was also online, messaged that he is open to joining me though it was also his first time to the peak but is familiar with Mantalongon. then Doi of The Travelling Feet also confirmed that she will be joining. on the morning of our trek Edcel of SoloflightEd completed the instant team.

we made it to Mantalongon market after a quick stop at Boljoon, here habal-habal drivers gave us the option to ride these motorbikes to shorten the trek to 30minutes. for sure this was the best option for those who just want to see the peak but we chose to trek.

though the trail was not that difficult as majority of the trek was following the rough road, the afternoon heat was still at its peak. two thirds of the trail was passing by several houses and vegetable farms but the view of mountain range remained a great backdrop.

we met some kids along the way rewarding us with cute smiles and sweet good byes. some of them were there to carry drinking water from the water station to the climbers up the summit. they get paid from doing this.

on our way to start the ascend to the rocky portions of the range, a fresh water station with a storage tank was available. it was here when we crossed ways with other climbers and the cow who blocked the path. we tried to make way but it was firm. in the end we realized that the cow's resistance made sense. it leads to the wrong trail.

on our final ascend we did not avoid to encounter sprain specially for Doi who decided to stay somewhere on the last few turns of the trek. we had to hurry our way up to catch the sunset from the summit.

unlike most mountains, Osmena Peak's summit is composed of multiple rocky hills. giving it a special mountain topographic feature. multiple in such a way that groups of these hills come from many points and i wonder if somebody already recorded the number of hills that this part of the Cebu mountain range holds.

a view from the marked peak was fantastic. overlooking the Western coast of Cebu and the

the Tanon Strait that separates the two long islands of Cebu and Negros. a bonus was to see few wild pine trees sprung up on some of the rocky peaks.

after few minutes by surprise we saw Doi making her way up the summit with some of the local kids. she made it just in time for the sunset behind Ed who brought the tripod base plate. i was impressed at her courage to make it to the summit and surprisingly, several weeks after this trek, i found out that Doi made her second trek to OPeak.

finally reaching Cebu's highest peak and experience its sunset view was a big deal for me. but the tandem with three of Cebu's coolest bloggers, Edwin, Doi and Edcel, made the trek even more memorable for the Eskapo Mountain Series. below is the trio sunset posterity shot.

this is the third mountian in the first Eskapo Mountain Series.

companion's related post:
SoloflightEd: Reaching Osmena Peak

Profile:
Mountain Spot: Osmena Peak
Altitude: 1,010MASL (Cebu's highest point)
Barangay: Mantalongon
Municipality: Dalaguete
Province: Cebu
Region: Central Visayas
Island: Cebu

Location:
Distance from Cebu: 90km
GPS Location:
9' 50'' 9 N
123' 26'' 8 E

How to get there:
By commuting:
[1] From Cebu City, take a bus to Dalaguete from the Cebu South Terminal or buses that is bound to Boljoon and Oslob which will also pass by Dalaguete. (2.5hours due to some stopover)
[2] From Dalaguete, look for the crossing where motorbikes or locally known as habal-habal that will bring you to Mantalongon market which is the jump off point to the trek to Osmena Peak or also known as O-Peak. (30mins)
By car or private vehicle:
[1] Go directly to Mantalongon via the Cebu South road and take a right turn from the Dalaguete crossing to Mantalongon market (2.5hours).
[2] You can park your vehicle somewhere around town.

From Mantalongon market:
option 1: To trek from Mantalongon market to Osmena peak summit. If you have no companion or someone familiar with the trail, i recommend you to get a guide. some locals will offer this once you arrived at the market.
option 2: To pay for a motorbike ride or habal-habal from Mantalongon market to the final ascend point. this will shorten to about 40mins to an hour of your trek. final ascend can take to as short as 30mins.

eskapo recommends:

1. If you have the option to stay overnight, it would be better as sunrise is also beautiful from the summit. if you decide to make a day trip make sure that you return early as you might run out of motorbikes that can bring you back to Dalaguete from Mantalongon.
2. if in case you plan to stay overnight in Mantalongon, you can approach the barangay hall which offers a cheap overnight sleepovers.

south cebu

2011-12-14T23:54:00.000+08:00

i consider Cebu as my second home yet like most locals to their own province, they have not seen its entirety. of the five years that i stayed in Cebu, i never had the chance to explore its Southern side. it was always the beaches of Mactan and the North that i visit.

the South has some of the nicest old churches and the province's highest peak. here to feature the third mountain to the Eskapo Mountain Series and a glimpse of the side of Cebu that i never knew.

pico de loro trail: mountain series

2011-12-04T23:48:00.002+08:00

it took me some time to choose the mountain in the Southern Tagalog region for the second trek of Eskapo Mountain Series. a region that envelopes a great number of day hike mountain trails. not until a group posted for an open trip to Pico de Loro, Cavite's most iconic and highest peak.

located Southwest of the province of Cavite which i believe is also one of the province most isolated side. Pico de Loro is part of the proposed Palay-Palay and Mataas na Gulod National Park. covering a large area of mossy forest and a coastal side of the Manila Bay channel.

the most interesting aspect of this mountain is the trail itself which is composed of downhill and uphill treks. the first section of the trek until the first stop was mostly descending over slippery rocks and muddy trails.

two days before and even the night before the trek, rain was continuously pounding Manila and the rest of South Luzon. so i equipped myself with a raincoat and assured all clothes in the bag are inside a plastic.

so good that during our trek, it did not rain. when we reached the second stop at Alibang-bang station, we had our lunch and had enough rest to boost our energy for the long ascend. it was tough for those who had it as their first climb.

the one hour assault included significant five-minute stops and the tree roots was at most a great savior to steep portions. what was surprising was most trees there was thin yet strong and deeply rooted. when we reached the last ascend and when we started descending, our guide realized that we were taking the wrong trail.

but he was also quick in finding our way back the right path. minutes after that we reached the camp site with an awesome view of the boarder of Cavite and Batangas. the towering rocky summit was right infront of us.

we set camp while some other groups, who did a day hike, started to descend. the beautiful view of the mountains did not last long as fog suddenly overlapped it until it reached zero visibility by night time. by dawn, it was already raining hard. just in time for a good night sleep.

Profile:
Mountain Spot: Pico de Loro
Altitude: 660MASL
Municipality: Maragondon
Province: Cavite
Region: Southern Tagalog
Island: Luzon

Location:
Distance from Manila: 54km
GPS Location:
14' 14'' 16 N
120' 42'' 56 E

How to get there:

[1] Manila to Ternate (2-3hours) by bus.
[2] Ternate to Palay-Palay/Mataas na Gulod/Pico De Loro jump off point (20-30minutes) by tricycle or by jeep.
[3] From jump off point, there's a parking space for private transportation. there's also a toliet and a mini food shop. you can buy bottled water and chips from this point.

eskapo recommends:

1. you rent a van or a jeepney from Manila to jump off point.
2. make sure that you have a guide as trail to the peak can be confusing on some areas.

el encuentro allan barredo y oggie ramos

2011-11-30T07:48:00.015+08:00

if i talk about outstanding outdoor and portrait shots, i'll definitely refer you to Allan and Oggie. dispatched to photo assignments oftentimes featuring landscapes and people. beyond these, great stories always came along with it. here to feature my two good friends and their brief travel profile.

"el encuentro"

allan barredo blogger oggie ramos

lantaw blog lagalog

incheon, korea farthest north mandalay, myanmar

sarangani farthest south yogyakarta, indonesia

japan farthest east bislig, surigao

vietnam farthest west bagan, myanmar

manila to davao longest road trip manila to ilocos (as driver)

manila to gensan longest boat trip manila to cagayan de oro

manila to seoul longest plane trip manila toindonesia

tokyo to osaka longest train trip hanoi to lao cai

sagada, mountain province highest point mt pulog, ifugao

palawan deepest swim sandugan , siquijor

mt matutum longest trek pinatubo delta trail

mt romelo during typhoon hardest trek all of them

camera item/s lost in a trip book "the shack"

bow and arrow memorable item/s given/bought on a trip metal nats

live baby octopus, ant eggs worst food eaten expensive pa-sosi tasteless food

note:

1. farthest places reached are referenced from Manila (with Manila to Europe as West and Manila to Guam as East).

2. records here are subject to update. as we know travelers break their records from time to time. records here are updated as of this posting

previously featured:

chyng reyes and ga-el hilotin

edcel suyo and ferdz decena

he served and loved imugan

2011-11-27T19:38:00.007+08:00

dong ho: pastor, good evening. balak po naming pumunta sa Imugan. pwede po ba namin malaman kung saan pwede tumira? thank you.
pastor: sino toy?

dong ho: Dominic po. gusto po namin i-feature ang Imugan sa blog.

pastor: ok. when?

dong ho: this weekend.

pastor: ok po.

dong ho: ano po oras yung earliest trip?

pastor: 1130am

dong ho: may trip din po kaya sa Oct 31?

pastor: of course.

dong ho: ok. thank you. see you.

that was the text exchange i had few days before our trip to Imugan with the pastor who we coordinated for our stay there. since he just arrived from a convention in Thailand we only had the afternoon the next day to visit him.

we waited for him to come out of the door and i was surprised when i saw a foreigner coming out of the house to meet us. "good afternoon pastor" i greeted. "i thought you were a Filipino" he looked at me and smiled "of course i am". pastor has been living and serving the people of Imugan even long before i was born.

we had a long chat about Imugan and its people and how the 1990 earthquake changed the community. pastor was not just involved in the activities of Imugan but actually lead in activities related to sustaining upland communities around the Philippines.

but what struck me the most was when i asked him "what made you stay in the Philippines this long particularly in this small village of Imugan? quickly he replied "i love the people". years back, the missionaries in the Philippines was requested to return to the US. pastor had the option but he chose to remain. all for the love of God and serving the people.

Profile:

Forest: Imugan
Land Altitude: 900MASL
Municipality: Sta Fe
Province: Nueva Vizcaya
Region: Cagayan Valley Region (Region II)
Island: Luzon
Location:
Distance from Manila: 222km
GPS Location:
16' 10'' 20 N
120' 55'' 10 E

How to get there:

[1] Manila to Sta Fe (5-6hours):
There are several option to reach the town of Sta Fe, the jump off point to Imugan. Basically any of the bus going to region 2 will pass by Sta Fe. Options: Bus to Tuguegarao City, Santiago City or Banaue. Bus lines: Victory Bus Lines, Florida Bus Lines.
Note: Sta Fe is the first town of Region 2 coming from Manila. It is the town right after descending from Dalton Pass.
[2] From Sta Fe to Imugan (30-40minutes):
Option 1: Take the public jeepney morning that leaves 11:30am. Cost P18/head
Option 2: Take a tricycle to Imugan which is available whole day. Cost: P135/trike one way

accommodation: when you visit Imugan, you can look for ate Persia, caretaker of the Kalahan dormitory open to all guests visiting the community and the nearby village.

salacsac pine forest

2011-11-17T00:34:00.001+08:00

haven't seen so many pine cones in an area as much as the ones i've seen in Salacsac. it reminded me of the hills of Sagada less the tourists. a great spot for trekking and photo shoot.

read more

after an uphill 40-minute jeepney ride from Imugan to Salacsac, a trek downhill lead to the pine forest. road is unpaved and on many parts steep thus the jeepney that lead us there did not dare drive its way down.

this windy side of Nueva Vizcaya also surprised me with a great viewpoint of the wide plain area of Central Luzon. on the right side, the huge Mt. Ugo, which dominated a wide landscape.

by the looks of the hills, one of my idea when i return to this spot, would be a trek downhill until i reach the Central Luzon plain. that means trekking down 1,300meters down.

trekking between shaded paths of pine trees has always been picturesque but not until i saw a portion of the hill with burned trees and bushes. the cause was not confirmed but i hope that this wasn't because of kaingin system. this pine forest is too bad to be destroyed.

Profile:

Forest: Salacsac Pine Forest
Barangay: Sta Rosa
Land Altitude: 1,300MASL
Municipality: Sta Fe
Province: Nueva Vizcaya
Region: Cagayan Valley Region (Region II)
Island: Luzon
Location:
Distance from Manila: 222km
GPS Location:
16' 10'' 20 N
120' 55'' 10 E

How to get there:

[1] Manila to Sta Fe (5-6hours):
There are several option to reach the town of Sta Fe, the jump off point to Imugan. Basically any of the bus going to region 2 will pass by Sta Fe. Options: Bus to Tuguegarao City, Santiago City or Banaue. Bus lines: Victory Bus Lines, Florida Bus Lines.
Note: Sta Fe is the first town of Region 2 coming from Manila. It is the town right after descending from Dalton Pass.
[2] From Sta Fe to Imugan (30-40minutes):
Option 1: Take the public jeepney morning that leaves 11:30am. Cost P18/head
Option 2: Take a tricycle to Imugan which is available whole day. Cost: P135/trike one way

[3] To get to Salacsac (Sta Rosa), you can check out option of renting a tricycle to this spot from Imugan. But if you can coordinate with a jeepney owner, this is a better option.

trekking imugan falls

2011-11-15T00:05:00.001+08:00

almost all impressive mountain ranges are gifted with a majestic waterfalls. finding the nicest one could require long walks crossing mountains and muddy trails. oftentimes hidden.

read more

took a nap at the dormitory with my camera on the side. this cool weather can really kill time but was also a favorable setting for a waterfalls photo shoot. we did not waste much time as it was drizzling.

equipped with a camera, cover and a tripod we met our guide for the short trek to Imugan Falls. trail was foggy along the way and trail was good except for some drops. best part of trek was crossing low level river with fresh and clean cold waters.

every time you get a good look and a nice composition of the falls, you will forget the muddy paths and the slippery rocks. in the end, even nature proves that the path to a good life isn't that easy. but being determined to get there will always make sense.

Profile:
Waterfalls: Imugan Falls
Estimated Height: 30feet (Falls 1)
Barangay: Imugan
Land Altitude: 950MASL
Municipality: Sta Fe
Province: Nueva Vizcaya
Region: Cagayan Valley Region (Region II)
Island: Luzon
Location:
Distance from Manila: 222km
GPS Location:
16' 10'' 20 N
120' 55'' 10 E

How to get there:

[1] Manila to Sta Fe (5-6hours):
There are several option to reach the town of Sta Fe, the jump off point to Imugan. Basically any of the bus going to region 2 will pass by Sta Fe. Options: Bus to Tuguegarao City, Santiago City or Banaue. Bus lines: Victory Bus Lines, Florida Bus Lines.
Note: Sta Fe is the first town of Region 2 coming from Manila. It is the town right after descending from Dalton Pass.
[2] From Sta Fe to Imugan (30-40minutes):
Option 1: Take the public jeepney morning that leaves 11:30am. Cost P18/head
Option 2: Take a tricycle to Imugan which is available whole day. Cost: P135/trike one way
[3] Though you can make your way to the falls following the trail, it is best to get a guide who can accompany you on your way to the falls. trek is just about 30minutes to Imugan Falls from the village center.

imugan : mountain destination

2011-11-09T06:19:00.004+08:00

when we were there, it felt like it was 5:00pm the entire time because of the fog and the sleepy environ. we discovered this place through Ferdz "Ironwulf " Decena who has been to the place several times to cover the carbon trading initiative being done by the community. this time, i went there with Allan "Lantaw" Barredo to give a closer look on this part of Nueva Vizcaya.

read more

[trekking] this could be one of the most interesting activity in this area. a 30-minute trek can bring you to a waterfalls. about an hour trek can lead you to the carbon trading areas. plus a bonus of seeing the pine forest from a 2hours trek up the border of Nueva Vizcaya and Pangasinan.

[community] Barangay Imugan is an ancestral domain to the Kalahan Community also sometimes referred to as Ikalahan. an indigenous tribe which is now a small community residing on the mountains of Sta Fe. the way of life here of the people remains to be farming.

[unwired] though electricity has already covered majority of the area, there is absolutely no wired internet connection as of this time. there is a mobile phone coverage from specific points.

[tourism] the village welcomes visitors mostly from students who would like to study about carbon trading but we were surprised that there are actually some foreigners who visited Imugan just to trek and discover the place. as of today, the Kalahan community has a dormitory open to tourists. the location entails a 10-15minute walking from the central area. it has a small bridge an is located on semi-elevated spot.

this place has yet to be discovered and thanks to Ironwulf, who opened the way for us to explore this place. up next, trek to the waterfalls and the pine forest.

Profile:
Mountain Spot: Salacsac
Barangay: Imugan
Altitude: 950MASL
Municipality: Sta Fe
Province: Nueva Vizcaya
Region: Cagayan Valley Region (Region II)
Island: Luzon
Location:
Distance from Manila: 222km
GPS Location:
16' 10'' 20 N
120' 55'' 10 E

How to get there:

mountain series : nueva vizcaya

2011-11-04T00:06:00.008+08:00

not much has been known of the province of Nueva Vizcaya. it is the province that connects the three major mountain range of Luzon namely Cordillera Mountain Range, Sierra Madre Mountain Range and Caraballo Mountain Range. thus it has a diverse flora and fauna and has a great mountainscape that includes one of the longest trek route to Mt. Pulag. here is a quick background of my first pick of the mountain series.

read more

Profile:
Mountain Spot: Salacsac
Barangay: Imugan
Altitude: 950MASL
Municipality: Sta Fe
Province: Nueva Vizcaya
Region: Cagayan Valley Region (Region II)
Island: Luzon

Location:
Distance from Manila: 222km
GPS Location:
16' 10'' 20 N
120' 55'' 10 E

How to get there:

Sidetrips in Nueva Vizcaya:

[1] Dalton Pass (Sta Fe)
[2] Kirang Pass (Aritao)
[3] Capisaan Cave System (Kasibu)
[4] St. Dominic Cathedral (Bayombong)
[5] St. Vicente Ferrer Church (Dupax del Norte)
[6] Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Museum (Bayombong)

eskapo mountain series

2011-11-01T15:02:00.002+08:00

trekking has never been better ever since i started ten years back. each peak reached imposes a unique challenge on its terrain. but it's not all about its topography. trekking is also about people behind each trek and the culture that surrounds the elevated land. eskapo mountain series will feature four mountains which i'll be trekking week by week in five weeks.

this sleepy town - el nido

2011-10-29T20:09:00.003+08:00

El Nido is a sleepy town... but not for long. progress is catching up. when i was there majority of the small by-the-beach inns were under renovation. but as much as one would notice the ongoing constructions, it remains a sleepy town at almost anytime of the day.

the narrow Serena Street must be the busiest street but busy in El Nido means seeing ten people crossing path hopping from one travel agency to another. Rizal Street has the most number of those booking centers majority offering the standard tour package rates.

amidst the growing tourists in this part of Palawan, you won't see people or kids begging. most them simply doing their daily chores and errands. treating tourists like they were just one of the locals. this makes El Nido an ideal tourist destination.

i believe that what keeps El Nido from the massive tourists bunch is a good airport to cater bigger aircraft. but a year or two from now, the airport will soon be rehabilitated to cater medium-sized planes which will open its gates to local budget airlines. i say it won't be a sleepy town for long.

how to get there:
>>>from Manila:
option 1: Domestic airlines fly daily from Manila to Puerto Princesa (1-hour flight) option 2: Direct flight from Manila to El Nido via Seair (as of this post, direct flights are not available).
>>>from Puerto Princesa to El Nido:
option 1: Take a van trip from Fort Wally Van Organization to El Nido (6-hour road trip). option 2: Take the regular bus trip from the Puerto Princesa Central bus terminal (7-8hours road trip)
>>>from El Nido van terminal:
option 1: take a tricycle for a short ride to your hotel or to the main beach area if you did not reserve for a hotel.
option 2: if you are willing to walk, the main town area is just a walk away. but i don't recommend this if you have big backpacks and if you have a limited time in El Nido. (15mins walk)
>>>for Tour A:
several travel agency along the main streets of El Nido offers standardized tour packages which includes island hopping and lunch.

location:
island: Palawan island
province: Palawan
gateway: El Nido Coast

GPS location:
11^ 10" 46' N
119^ 23" 16' E

el encuentro chyng reyes y ga-el hilotin

2011-10-24T23:54:00.004+08:00

i started this year traveling with two cool ladies who would go for a top load jeepney ride on a dusty and rough road. apart from being busy with their profession, these two has considered traveling as their passion. chyng and ga-el has proved that ladies can go solo on backpacking journeys. here to share their brief travel profile.

"el encuentro"

chyng reyes blogger ga-el hilotin

no spam no virus no kiddin! blog the pinay solo backpacker

hong kong farthest north palaui, cagayan

bali, indonesia farthest south cemero, lawang indonesia

malaybalay farthest east matnog, sorsogon

bangkok farthest west bangkok, thailand

ho chi minh to siem reap longest road trip cemero, lawang indonesia

paracale to calaguas longest boat trip manila to iloilo

clark to kuala lumpur longest plane trip manila to jakarta

kowloon bay to hong kong airport longest train trip jakarta to yogyakarta

mt pulag highest point mt bromo, indonesia

balicasag, bohol deepest swim el nido, palawan

cave connection, sagad longest trek palaui, cagayan

tappiya falls, batad hardest trek tappiya falls, batad

personalized swiss knife item/s lost in a trip id, debit card, memory card

bali singlet memorable item/s given/bought on a trip javanese dolls

bibingkang abnoy worst/weirdest food eaten fried beetles

note:

1. farthest places reached are referenced from Manila (with Manila to Europe as West and Manila to Guam as East).

2. records here are subject to update. as we know travelers break their records from time to time. records here are updated as of this posting.

experience batad

2011-10-19T23:51:00.010+08:00

experience the Philippine's finest cultural landmark this year as Eskapo sets another open invite to Ifugao. the invite includes a trek to Tappiyah Falls, Batad rice terraces (amphitheater) plus a side trip to Banaue Rice Terraces.

for details email me: i.dongho@gmail.com deadline of confirmation will be on Nov 8.

seven commandos beach

2011-10-16T23:58:00.003+08:00

if there was a place that i would like to build a hut and stay for a month, it would be in this piece of beach called Seven Commandos. i would guess that Alex Garland, author of "The Beach", spent some time on this beach.

often mistaken to be one of the 45 islands of Bacuit Bay but this beach is actually part of the greater Palawan island coast. got its name from the seven soldiers who stayed in this part of El Nido as shared by the locals.

unlike all the other stops in the El Nido package tour A, this is the only part that offered fresh coconut juice. irresistible fresh coconut juice. while waiting, i noticed a number of little dogs. when i started taking photos of these dogs, they started playing around my camera.

the most interesting aspect of Seven Commandos beach are these little low flying birds on the inner portions of the beach. you can sit down in the middle of those shaded spots and watch these birds fly over you with some going fast as if to hit you.

you need not to go far to experience wild. when you observe closely, there are still monkeys jumping over trees. beyond the shade are impressive rock formations to hidden cave entrance.

among all the stops that we made in this tour, this part gave us the best experience of what it meant to be so close to nature. my kind of spot.

El Nido Tour A:
Seven Commandos Beach is part of El Nido standard Island Hopping package tour A which also includes a visit to Small Lagoon Miniloc island, Big Lagoon island, Hidden Beach, Shimizu and Pangalusian island.
Tour A package cost: P700/head.

how to get there:
>>>from Manila:
option 1: Domestic airlines fly daily from Manila to Puerto Princesa (1-hour flight) option 2: Direct flight from Manila to El Nido via Seair (as of this post, direct flights are not available).
>>>from Puerto Princesa to El Nido:
option 1: Take a van trip from Fort Wally Van Organization to El Nido (6-hour road trip). option 2: Take the regular bus trip from the Puerto Princesa Central bus terminal (7-8hours road trip)
>>>from El Nido van terminal:
option 1: take a tricycle for a short ride to your hotel or to the main beach area if you did not reserve for a hotel.
option 2: if you are willing to walk, the main town area is just a walk away. but i don't recommend this if you have big backpacks and if you have a limited time in El Nido. (15mins walk)
>>>for Tour A:
several travel agency along the main streets of El Nido offers standardized tour packages which includes island hopping and lunch.

location:
island: Palawan island
province: Palawan
gateway: El Nido Coast

escape factor:
accessibility: 5.0

beach: 4.5
boat trip: 5.0
seascape: 5.0
topography: 4.5
isolation: 5.0

overall escape factor: 4.8

GPS location:
11^ 10" 46' N
119^ 23" 16' E

R.O.X. Ultimate Sale

2011-10-13T22:34:00.000+08:00

finding the best island beaches

2011-10-09T10:09:00.008+08:00

years on-track and off-shore in search of the best island beaches in the country, i must say that setting the criteria alone is already a challenge. whether you give more credits to the sand quality or the availability of a good resort can be subjective.

but when i was on the shores of the islands in Bacuit Bay i would say that it was easy to declare that El Nido holds the best island beaches in the country. accessible but exotic.

on our third stop of El Nido Tour Package A, we were to have our lunch at the island of Shimizu. meal was prepared onboard while we were swimming around the lagoons on our previous stopover. freshly cooked fish, squid and some meat with bananas and watermelon on the side.

amidst the growing number of tourists visiting these islands, it is unbelievably clean. trees and shrubs around the area are dense green. the waters clean. indeed a top spot for a great escape from the urban lifestyle.

what impressed me even more was the fact that the boat man did not even brief us on keeping our garbage. it seems that it was each one's initiative of the desire of keeping the island paradise as it is, helps preserve the place.

few minutes after lunch, it started to drizzle and the boat man started packing and gathering all that was left over back to the boat. we boarded as we were off to the next stop which is Pangulasian island.

even from afar, this island was stunning. thatched huts, beach chairs under towering golden coconut palms, kayaks and a well secured area. majority of the beach shore is private as it is part of the El Nido Resorts Group. a portion of the beach is open to the public and highly recommend snorkeling here.

Bacuit Archipelago in El Nido holds 45 islands with 3 islands occupied by the world class El Nido Resorts. the rest, offers exotic and hidden beautiful beaches. El Nido for now holds my highest rate for best island beaches.

El Nido Tour A:
Shimizu Island and Pangulasian island is part of El Nido standard Island Hopping package tour A which also includes a visit to Small Lagoon Miniloc island, Big Lagoon island, Hidden Beach and Seven Commandos Beach.
Tour A package cost: P700/head.

how to get there:
>>>from Manila:
option 1: Domestic airlines fly daily from Manila to Puerto Princesa (1-hour flight) option 2: Direct flight from Manila to El Nido via Seair (as of this post, direct flights are not available).
>>>from Puerto Princesa to El Nido:
option 1: Take a van trip from Fort Wally Van Organization to El Nido (6-hour road trip). option 2: Take the regular bus trip from the Puerto Princesa Central bus terminal (7-8hours road trip)
>>>from El Nido van terminal:
option 1: take a tricycle for a short ride to your hotel or to the main beach area if you did not reserve for a hotel.
option 2: if you are willing to walk, the main town area is just a walk away. but i don't recommend this if you have big backpacks and if you have a limited time in El Nido. (15mins walk)
>>>for Tour A:
several travel agency along the main streets of El Nido offers standardized tour packages which includes island hopping and lunch.

location:
island: Shimizu island and Pangulasian island
province: Palawan
gateway: El Nido Coast

escape factor:
accessibility: 5.0

beach: 5.0
boat trip: 5.0
seascape: 5.0
topography: 5.0
isolation: 5.0

overall escape factor: 5.0

GPS location:
11^ 10" 46' N
119^ 23" 16' E

el encuentro: edcel suyo y ferdz decena

2011-10-02T14:34:00.013+08:00

el encuentro is a new eskapo series featuring two influential travel bloggers' profiles. head to head on their travel records. to jumpstart the series, i have two interesting blogger whose blog themes may be unique from one another yet both started their blogs as a personal journal and ended up finding their niche in travel.

"el encuentro"

edcel suyo blogger ferdz decena

soloflighted blog ironwulf

hong kong farthest north sichuan, china

davao farthest south sabah

biliran farthest east guam

thailand farthest west laos

manila to sta ana, cagayan longest road trip manila to claveria, cagayan

manila to davao longest boat trip singapore to manila

clark to bangkok longest plane trip manila to guam

bangkok to siem reap longest train trip hunan to guangzhu

kiltepan peak, sagada highest point emeishan, china

moalboal, cebu deepest swim apulit, palawan

palaui lighthouse longest trek kota kinabalu

sagada cave connection hardest trek bantakay falls

sunglasses item/s lost in a trip shutter trigger, cap

headware memorable item/s given/bought on a trip compass

moma in sagada worst/weirdest food eaten ant eggs

note:

1. farthest places reached are referenced from Manila (with Manila to Europe as West and Manila to Guam as East).

2. records here are subject to update. as we know travelers break their records from time to time. records here are updated as of this posting.

travelers garage sale

2011-09-28T23:42:00.000+08:00

inviting everyone to a traveler's garage sale this Saturday as led by the Sole Sisters. this is to support travelers who will soon be going out to explore like Lois and Chichi.

check out the travelers involved at www.wearesolesisters.com for details. items to be sold includes books, travel items, cds, dvds and more.

singapore airport terminals

2011-09-25T23:58:00.002+08:00

Singapore Changi Airport ranked as second best airport in the world as awarded by the prestige 2011 World Airport Awards and 2011 Skytrax Airport Awards. airports are rated according to its transport system, accessibility, navigational facilities, security and the extra amenities that it offers.

Changi Airport has three main terminals and two other terminals commonly used by the budget airlines. on this post i'll feature the three terminals that caters the major airlines including Singapore Airlines, the country's flag carrier that is also considered as the world's best airlines.

Changi Airport Terminal 1

Operation Started: July 1981

Area: 280km square

Bridges: 29

Hotel: Ambassador Transit Hotel

the oldest among the other two terminals but the ongoing rehabilitation of terminal 1 will bring in a big upgrade. it looks crowded in comparison of the the other two terminals considering that its check-in hall is slightly smaller.

Changi Airport Terminal 2

Operation Started: November 1990

Area: 358km square

Bridges: 35

Hotel: Portion of Ambassador Transit Hotel

terminal 2 is organized by the details that it has a number of information centers, ATMs, money changer and free internet access strategically located to serve all the four major gates.

like terminal 1 it has a large area of shops that will make you think that it looks more like a mall than an airport. GST refund centers are available on all terminals and process is easy to get your 7% rebate.

Changi Airport Terminal 3

Operation started: January 2008

Area: 380km square

Bridges: 28

Hotel: Crowne Plaza Hotel

if Terminal 2 looked so much like a mall, Terminal 3 looked more like a museum to me. its high and intricately designed ceiling are among its most notable feature. as i explored more of the structure, i found that it also holds a butterfly garden.

the basement holds more shops including its popular Slide which took me quite some time to find. with the help of the airport map, the first thing you need to identify is its level and your location. finding the shops will be easier.

along the way, i found my favorite Singapore food shop Ya Kun Kaya Toast. best for its toasted kaya bread that already has a branch at Philippine NAIA Terminal 2 and on some parts of Metro Manila. but i was surprised to see a shop named Jollibean.

despite Changi's three large terminals, transiting from one terminal to the other is easy. the airport's skytrain makes an almost hassle-free transfer. available every 5minutes with a transit time of just 3-5minutes.

this connection makes the entire Changi Airport work so efficiently. arriving at the airport an hour or 45minutes before your flight is okay. the airport is also accessible through the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) that can connect you to Singapore's business district.

this makes Singapore a perfect stopover for flights to India, Middle East and the European countries. Changi Airport is also considered by the Aussie as the Kangaroo route as it serves as the hub for Qantas Airlines to Europe. you will love Changi.

Official Website: Singapore Changi Airport

Interactive Map: Airport Map

sam is cool

2011-09-22T23:08:00.001+08:00

it is amazing how Singapore turned this old mission school into one of Southeast Asia's best contemporary art museum. courtyards and halls transformed from time to time aligning to its visual arts theme.

on that night, the ground floors were filled with people as the museum's Glass Hall was turned into a club, Waterloo Courtyard into an open dinning space and Queen Courtyard into a visual dark room of blue jelly fish shaped lanterns.

the second level were mostly art installations and several video showrooms. each a uniquely designed with a modern representation of making yourself part of the art. video interface was fun.

i rarely go to museums but it was the Night Light show "Lyrical Perspective"last September 2 that got my attention when we were walking along Bras Basah street. a harmonical display of lights and sounds at the main entrance of Singapore Art Museum.

you can check the actual video taken during the light show "Night Lights: Lyrical Perspective.

for upcoming events and exhibits at the website of Singapore Art Museum.

mooncake festival singapore

2011-09-19T23:34:00.002+08:00

i remember my Singaporean colleague who was fascinated at the variety of ensaymadas that we have in the Philippines not knowing that i ended up being more fascinated at the variants of all the moon cakes that they have.

the Chinese communities around the world celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival this month. a tradition celebrated when the moon is full and bright that is on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese Lunar calendar.

lighting lanterns is part of the tradition as family would gather for dinner under the shining moon. a festival based on a Chinese folklore of the lady goddess named Chang'e and the archer Houyi.

this small cake, commonly with lotus seed filling, has evolved over the years. traditionally formed with a wooden mold with a design of Chinese character that represented "long life".

today, popular hotels and even giant has created its own variety of toppings and fillings. some goes with icings on top and some with creamier . but the one that i liked the most was the one with a durian flavor.

but did you know that even our local hopia is considered a variant of these moon cakes?

imprints: soul on sole

2011-09-14T04:50:00.002+08:00

inviting you to Dispatch Magazine's Travel X Thursdays Event Imprints: Soul on Sole a travel art installation of foot wears of various travelers. with the shoes being one of the most vital gear.

during this event, Dispatch will also launch its stop-motion video of travelers including Ferdz Decena, Chyng Reyes, Ga-el Hilotin, Nina Fuentes, Christine Fernandez, Upper Viceo, Jan Michellardi, Erwin Hilao, James Betia, Angel Juarez, Marky Ramone and a lot more. see you there!

singapore comex 2011

2011-09-11T22:33:00.003+08:00

people on top of platforms were holding high their promo signboards of tech gadgets during the COMEX 2011 in Singapore last weekend. camera brand giants like Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Canon and Sony participated along with the other tech gadgets and gears.

Singapore is known for some of the best tech trade shows and exhibits. this year's COMEX was held at the convention halls of Suntec City. exhibitors occupied three floors including hallways which gave way to tech accessories.

you will either get the gadgets at great deals or bring home lots of freebies that comes along with it. camera lens was not included. among the best deals were the portable hard drives. for travelers who would need to have their photos stored.

for those who want to check out the upcoming Singapore Tech Show and Exhibits:

SITEX Singapore - Nov 24-27, 2011 Singapore Expo Centre

Singapore Internet Show - Apr 25-27, 2012 Suntec Singapore Center

Enterprise IT - Jun 19-21, 2012 Marina Bay Sands

surf and music festival 2011

2011-09-05T00:54:00.000+08:00

who says rainy days and the typhoon season in the Philippines is the wrong time to travel in the Philippines? by the end of October this year Travel Factor and Aloha Boardsports brings Surf and Music Festival 2011 in Baler Aurora.

it will be packed with beach fun and surfing activities matched with great bands like Wolfgang and Razorback.

You can check out Travel Factor for details or call

Landline: +632-7465119 TF Mobile: +63917-8475341 / +632-9642527
Office Address: 5/F Bloomingdale Plaza, 200 Shaw Blvd., Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City
Regular Office Hours: 10:00 AM - 7:30 PM Weekdays

Be part of TF, send a blank email to travelfactor-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to join the mailing list. Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter

big lagoon miniloc el nido

2011-08-30T17:42:00.003+08:00

if you remember way back 2004, Amazing Race (US Version) Season 5 had its second to the last stop in the Philippines and the roadblock on climbing the towering karst of El Nido was considered one of the most challenging. i included two clips from the episode below.

“despite the difficult challenges, we enjoyed every place we went. specially Palawan” Season 4 winner Chip and Kim claimed after an interview of their experience of the race. the platform used in that roadblock is now set at Miniloc's big lagoon relocated from Lagen island.

the scrapped walls in the channel to the big lagoon seemed to have been trimmed intentionally. flat downwards touching the shallow waters on its inlet. as we cruised through, water got deeper.

this huge lagoon could have been a large dome and dangerous species is still believed to be dwelling in its deep dark waters. so not one from the group dared jump off. one round cruise inside this lagoon and had our way out on the same channel.

this stop of tour A is just a cruise-and-see as we've had a long time swimming in the small lagoon. both lagoons are actually located at the same side of the island with just a limestone wall separating it.

video clips from Amazing Race Season 5 (US Version) when they had the roadblock challenge in El Nido Palawan. thanks to cfs224 for uploading and saving the video.

El Nido Tour A:
Big Lagoon Miniloc Island is part of El Nido standard Island Hopping package tour A which also includes a visit to Small Lagoon Miniloc island, Shimizu island, Pangalusian island, Hidden Beach and Seven Commandos Beach.
Tour A package cost: P700/head.

how to get there:
>>>from Manila:
option 1: Domestic airlines fly daily from Manila to Puerto Princesa (1-hour flight) option 2: Direct flight from Manila to El Nido via Seair (as of this post, direct flights are not available).
>>>from Puerto Princesa to El Nido:
option 1: Take a van trip from Fort Wally Van Organization to El Nido (6-hour road trip). option 2: Take the regular bus trip from the Puerto Princesa Central bus terminal (7-8hours road trip)
>>>from El Nido van terminal:
option 1: take a tricycle for a short ride to your hotel or to the main beach area if you did not reserve for a hotel.
option 2: if you are willing to walk, the main town area is just a walk away. but i don't recommend this if you have big backpacks and if you have a limited time in El Nido. (15mins walk)
>>>for Tour A:
several travel agency along the main streets of El Nido offers standardized tour packages which includes island hopping and lunch.

location:
island: Miniloc island
province: Palawan
gateway: El Nido Coast

escape factor:
accessibility: 5.0
boat trip: 5.0
seascape: 5.0
topography: 5.0
isolation: 4.5

overall escape factor: 5.0

GPS location:
11^ 10" 46' N
119^ 23" 16' E

choose philippines

2011-08-28T22:19:00.002+08:00

those who want to share their own story of traveling in the Philippines can join Choose Philippines. local network ABS-CBN releases its tourism promotional video.

small lagoon miniloc island

2011-08-25T23:48:00.005+08:00

"this is not small. it is just smaller than the big lagoon" i said to myself while i was swimming through an almost hidden inlet to one of Miniloc island's secret lagoon. i was already running out of breath. thinking that the lagoon was small by its name, i swam without a lifevest trying to cross to the other point. struggled swimming as there was no clear spot to stand and rest on but the crystal clear waters was just irresistible.this was our first stop to one of El Nido's infamous package tours to the enchanting islands of Bacuit Bay. from afar, Miniloc island looked like just one plain karst island but as we moved closer, it revealed the opening to what was believed to be sinkholes thousands of years ago.the view to this body of water enclosed by the mix of gray spikes and lush green mix of shrubs was therapeutic. i believe it is karstification at its best. i was impressed that even though the there is increase of tourists to this part of El Nido, the towering cliffs are free from vandalism. the Tagbanwas knew what it meant to preserve the area. they definitely deserve to be keepers to the Philippines jewel.recommended activities:
[1] swimming. the clear and calm waters makes it a perfect spot for swimming. there's not much to see underwater except for plain white sand and some rocks to stand on.
[2] paddling. kayaks for rent are available outside and inside the small lagoon. this gives you the opportunity to bring your camera and get upclose to the limestone walls.
[3] nothing. even by staying at the boat surrounded by these clustered karst is relaxing.

El Nido Tour A:
Small Lagoon Miniloc Island is part of El Nido standard Island Hopping package tour A which also includes a visit to Big Lagoon Miniloc island, Shimizu island, Pangalusian island, Hidden Beach and Seven Commandos Beach.
Tour package A cost: P700

how to get there:
>>>from Manila:
option 1: Domestic airlines fly daily from Manila to Puerto Princesa (1-hour flight)
option 2: Direct flight from Manila to El Nido via Seair (as of this post, direct flights are not available).
>>>from Puerto Princesa to El Nido:
option 1: Take a van trip from Fort Wally Van Organization to El Nido (6-hour road trip).
option 2: Take the regular bus trip from the Puerto Princesa Central bus terminal (7-8hours road trip)
>>>from El Nido van terminal:
option 1: take a tricycle for a short ride to your hotel or to the main beach area if you did not reserve for a hotel.
option 2: if you are willing to walk, the main town area is just a walk away. but i don't recommend this if you have big backpacks and if you have a limited time in El Nido. (15mins walk)
>>>for Tour A:
several travel agency within the along the main streets of El Nido offers standardized tour packages which includes island hopping and lunch.

location:
island: Miniloc island
province: Palawan
gateway: El Nido Coast

escape factor:
accessibility: 4.5
boat trip: 5.0
seascape: 5.0
topography: 5.0
isolation: 4.0

overall escape factor: 4.5

GPS location:
11^ 10" 46' N
119^ 23" 16' E

el nido coast

2011-08-21T23:54:00.005+08:00

El Nido Palawan has two faces and many, who has not been there, only knew one. expensive and luxurious, a usual impression of most people to this side of Palawan.
apparently, El Nido's main beach coast has a good number of cheap lodges and resorts with fairly comfy room accommodations. this coast is home to backpackers coming from different countries, mostly from Europe.
most of these lodges stand side by side almost sharing the same wall while others separated by narrow alleyways. but some few resorts has small sandy lawns and puny cottages. an obvious shift of nipa made cottages to concrete buildings defines the growing population of tourists.
unlike most of the beaches in the island of Palawan, the main town coast has a short beach shore. surprisingly, even at low tide. possibly because the lodges were built too close to the shoreline.
its beige-colored sand and cyan waters under the towering limestone karst completes El Nido's beach cove. the view of all the white-motored boats scattered in its cove and the nearby Cadlao island is relaxing.
how to get there:
>>>from Manila:
option 1: Domestic airlines fly daily from Manila to Puerto Princesa (1-hour flight)
option 2: Direct flight from Manila to El Nido via Seair (as of this post, direct flights are not available).
>>>from Puerto Princesa to El Nido:
option 1: Take a van trip from Fort Wally Van Organization to El Nido (6-hour road trip).
option 2: Take the regular bus trip from the Puerto Princesa Central bus terminal (7-8hours road trip)
>>>from El Nido van terminal:
option 1: take a tricycle for a short ride to your hotel or to the main beach area if you did not reserve for a hotel.
option 2: if you are willing to walk, the main town area is just a walk away. but i don't recommend this if you have big backpacks and if you have a limited time in El Nido. (15mins walk)

location:
island: Greater Palawan Island
province: Palawan
gateway: El Nido/Puerto Princesa

escape factor:
accessibility: 3.5
road trip: 3.5
beach view: 4.5
beach: 4.0
isolation: 3.5

overall escape factor: 4.0

GPS location:
11^ 10" 46' N
119^ 23" 16' E

on a six-hour road trip

2011-08-18T06:12:00.001+08:00

this year, i took this long trip to a town attracted by thousands of tourist from different countries. everyone coming to relax and see the country's crown jewel. it took me an hour flight and six-hour road trip.
on a six hour road trip, i...
1. met one lady from Cebu who was traveling solo to meet her friend who went ahead
2. finished three chapters of Paul Theroux "Ghost Train to the Eastern Star
3. had two hours of sleep along the road
4. ate lumpia and tortang talong during the stopover
5. an Australian nurse who was also traveling solo on her 40s, gave me a book of Ken Follet
6. got a discount coupon for a van trip back to its gateway

circle of influence : travel

2011-08-14T17:42:00.008+08:00

even at an early age of five i was already traveling with my parents on long hours of boat trips to visit our relatives in Iloilo, Bacolod, Romblon and Manila. after graduating from high school i had to transfer to Cebu to finish college and later got a job in Laguna and now in Makati. thus, traveling by boat, by plane or by the road was a norm. but what kept me from exploring places was a number of people who i would like to feature in this post.

National Geographic Society
"Inspiring People to Care About the Planet since 1888"
now running for more than 120years of great photos, places, people and stories. i grew up browsing National Geographic magazines at home and no matter how many times i would check each feature again and again, it always reminded me that we have a world too big for us to explore for a lifetime. the people behind that yellow portrait frame society has consistently make me love our planet and traveling.
Website: National Geographic

Howie Severino
"Work hard, read a lot, ask plenty of questions, love our country"
this was Howie's answer when i asked him what he wants the younger generation to learn from him. this was taken from one of my earliest post in this blog on an online interview with Howie. his passion to cover those often forgotten stories of people, culture and uncharted places has influenced me so much to explore. yet despite all the achievements he received as guru in making documentaries he remains one of the most humble journalist. also on that interview, he considered the Lamitan siege in Basilan as his most dangerous cover.
Blog: Sidetrip
Online Interview: Eskapo Jan 2008

Ferdinand "Ferdz" Decena
"Everything is the same everywhere, they’re just dancing on a different beat"
i discovered his blog when i was trying to find if somebody has already featured Malamawi island in Basilan in the internet. few months after that i had the chance to meet Ferdz on his exhibit entitled "Living by Water" which included photos of Basilan. his years of experience and achievements in photography, travel and blogging here and abroad cannot easily be surpassed. i always look up to him as he would always upgrade the mode of his blog and travel. i had the chance to travel with Ferdz in Batad and Palawan.
Blog: Ironwulf, Happy Foodies
Portfolio: Ferdz Decena

Rolly Magpayo
we were once on the same community way back in 2003 and i was always surprised when he would start checking people if they would like to donate some school supplies. soon, i learned that he was actually bringing these to remote places. his mission. he also worked as a volunteer for WWF and was assigned in Babuyan islands. though he did not directly influenced me to do mission trips, his actions alone were good enough to have made me consider doing volunteerism. did i mention h e is also a really good photographer?
Website/Portfolio: Rolly Magpayo

Oggie Ramos
"The great unknown. You can only research so much but your actual experience would be different from what the internet or the books may tell you. Either way, you come out richer for the experience"
from an online interview i did with Oggie when i was just starting to blog. this was his reply when i asked him what makes every travel special. if there's a blogger who i've been following for the longest time, it would be Oggie. i've learned so much from this person on how he would connect himself to his photos. he writes really great stories matched with outstanding photos. each post from his blog is a great read. i am fortunate enough to have traveled with Oggie to Batad and Taal where i got great tips in photography.
Blog: Lagalog, Happy Foodies
Portfolio: Oggie Ramos
Online Interview: Bloggurs April 2008

Paul Theroux
"Travel can induce such a distinct and nameless feeling of strangeness and disconnection in me that I feel insubstantial, like a puff of smoke, merely a ghost, a creepy revenant from the underworld, unobserved and watchful among real people, wandering, listening while remaining unseen."
first learned about this person through his book "Ghost Train to the Eastern Star" when Oggie Ramos recommended me to read the part about Tokyo. in just few pages i was drawn to his stories. i don't have time to read thick books with small fonts but not with Paul's stories. he has his way of making each of his journey unique. he made me want to explore more of the countries that he visited. now i have three of his books.
Website: Paul Theroux

uno noche en la casa

2011-08-03T20:44:00.002+08:00

with such a rare chance to explore ancestral houses at night, my two day stay at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar revealed that these houses are as majestic by night. our room was at third floor of Casa Escolta whose balcony gave us an overlooking view of the houses that surrounded Plaza Belmonte.though not all the houses are with lights and open to visitors by night, Casa Mexico and Casa Jaen alone can boast its beauty. the intricate ceilings and its chandelier kindles these empty rooms. outdoor dining experience at the resort was a great add to those staying there for an overnight. a night filled with Filipino cultural dances at Plaza Belmonte's ground. the highly applauded Tinikling, which is also the country's national dance, was the night's favorite.
though the resort gives one the experience of staying at some of these houses, there's nothing better than the idea of diffuse hotels or is more known as albergo diffuso in Italy. this was in the mountains of Abruzzi of a town called Santo Stefano.
i read about this in one of Arthur Frommer's magazine featuring an old forgotten village turned into a hotel. Daniele Kihlgren gave the idea of turning the entire ancient village into a hotel retaining it in its original site. same hope that could have done with the ancestral houses in the Philippines. thus, giving Vigan still the best reputation for heritage value.
how to get there:
Take a bus from Manila to Bagac Bataan.
From town center, you can take a tricycle entering a small almost one way street to the resort. It will just be few minutes from the bus drop off point.

location:
island: mainland Luzon
province: Bataan (Southwest)
gateway: Bagac

GPS location:
14^ 35" 60' N
120^ 23" 13' E

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

2011-07-31T16:44:00.003+08:00

the house was already degrading, some rooms locked, holes on the wooden flooring and the sofa gone. this was the view of our ancestral house in the small village of Begang in the island of Basilan. left closed for almost five years now. the materials almost unrecoverable. a week ago, i had the chance to visit Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in the coastal town of Bagac Bataan. it holds a number of ancestral houses transferred from its original site, rebuilt to be part of a resort.walkways and main streets are made of cobblestones thus giving a nostalgic experience of the Philippines during the Spanish colonization. beautiful landscape of green and gray, fountains and lamp posts. out of the twenty plus houses, six of the houses has rooms open for overnight accommodations. among these houses, there are several stand-outs because of its unique architectural features and the historical value that it once had.
[1] Casa Escolta. the only structure built based on photos of the Old Escolta in Manila and not transferred from an original site. also the largest structure in the compound with 17 cozy rooms each with a balcony of its own.
[2] Casa Lubao. this among all the houses has a beautiful interior design with spacious living room and a nice balcony. two standing small figures welcomes the visitors. the ceilings used light colored paints as backdrops with some colorful fruits on some sides.
[3] Casa Luna. named after the Luna brothers General Antonio Luna and the artist Juan Luna. its ground floor is made up of red bricks and the rear stairs leads to a beautiful veranda. after one looks at the front and back side of the house, one would even think that these are two different houses. inside, it holds some of important items and the guide even revealed that there's a library in the building which is not open to the public yet. visitors are required to take off their foot wear when entering the rooms.[4] Casa Vyzantina. like Casa Escolta, this has three floors and is still under construction. one of the few structures that survived World War II also has large stairways. the covered balconies in the third floor are impressive. the view from the top can make one feel like he owns a whole hacienda.
[5] Casa Hidalgo. considered as one of the most beautiful house during the Spanish era. it soon became the first campus of the University of the Philippines for Architecture and Fine Arts. famous Filipino artists like Fernando Amorsolo, Guillermo Tolentino and Tomas Mapua also finished their studies for arts here.from outside, this building looks small but as one enters its doors, it leads to lined arcs. a small portion of the ground floor now serves as a venue where the celebration of the mass is celebrated on Sundays.[6] Casa Unisan. is a double house structure which has three dining areas and serves as the restaurant of the whole compound. with Cafe Miravent in the ground floor and special dining areas in the second floor. other houses includes Casa Baliuag I which has a beautiful lady pillar while Casa Baluiag II has its entire ground floor open. Casa Mexico which serves as the main lobby for the resort and Casa
the entire resort also has several fountains and statues representing typical Filipino games and symbolism. near the bay area is a swimming pool and on far North is a stone bridge leading to the beach side.
but in contrary, this reminded me of how valuable it would be to restore our own ancestral houses on its original site. it would be important for each province to hold and secure its own heritage houses, where it is still best to be visited and valued.
how to get there:
Take a bus from Manila to Bagac Bataan.
From town center, you can take a tricycle entering a small almost one way street to the resort. It will just be few minutes from the bus drop off point.

location:
island: mainland Luzon
province: Bataan (Southwest)
gateway: Bagac

GPS location:
14^ 35" 60' N
120^ 23" 13' E

my seven links: a quick look back

2011-07-22T00:48:00.009+08:00

it's twelve midnight now and i just finished packing my things for a trip this weekend. a last glimpse of some travel blogs before sleeping reminded me of the seven links project of Tripbase as tagged by Tina of Tina the Frustrated Traveler.

did this as quick as possible. given the short amount of time i have chosen the posts which first came into mind for each category.
[Most Beautiful Post] Vietnam's Cu Chi Tunnel.
my Ho Chi Minh series is among my favorite series and i just realized that the whole series actually covered 15posts. the post on the impressive Cu Chi Tunnels led me to making a spot-by-spot feature with a trail map of the tour.

[Most Popular Post] Batad Rice Terraces
remains as one of my favorite spots in the Philippines. with this post i received a lot of inquiries and even requests of when i would be going again as they wanted to join. one of the photos was also used in a magazine.

[Most Controversial Post] A Stranger.
i dont seem to have a controversial post but this post could come close as traveling solo on a town whose people are not used to encountering a solo traveler. an experience that at once, almost led me to think twice of traveling alone again.

[Most Helpful Post] A Guide to Calaguas.
this group of islands has been a favorite for almost everyone who gets to visit the island. going there three times led me to make a guide to the island which included some of the rarely seen spots of the main island and the nearby islands. the guide also includes a island map with specific spots recommended for beach bums, photographers, underwater activities, and even volunteerism.

[A post whose success surprised me] Lake Mapanuepe.
not yet known to many that aside from the town of Bacolor in Pampanga that a village in barangay Aglao in Zambales was submerged and later formed a lake with the church topmost part being the only part visible from the village. it was just early this year when i went there with travel bloggers and friends Chyng and Ga-el. on;y when i posted it that i realized that very few have known of this place.

[The post you are most proud of] White Beach Malamawi Island
for several posts, i was waiting for the right time to feature the beach which i grew up visiting. it brings back my memories of the island which i first enjoyed exploring.

again thanks to Tina for the tag.

since i noticed that most of the travel bloggers has done their own post on this. here to share instead a list of their seven links which i already read:

Tina [Tina the Frustrated Traveler]
Chyng [No Spam no Virus No Kiddin]
Nina [Just Wandering]
Ed [SoloflightEd]
Gay [Pinay Travel Junkie]
Mervs [Pinoy Adventurista]
Doi [the Travelling Feet]

among mindanao's best blogs

2011-07-19T23:58:00.000+08:00

i just recently got a copy of M Magazine which included Eskapo as one of Mindanao's Best Blogs as compiled by Ria Abella Jose of Life With Ria. the magazine features stories of Mindanao including travel destination of the Southern regions.
among my favorite feature in this issue is the "Journey to Taluksangay" that brings back to the town famous for its mosque built in 1885 and also being one of the oldest Islamic propagation in the country.

encounter with the gentle giant - donsol

2011-07-16T17:04:00.004+08:00

almost unbelievable that despite the technology for marine study has evolved for years, a lot of things about the whale sharks remains a mystery. it was just only 2years ago that the locals in Donsol Sorsogon in the Philippines first recorded a baby whale shark. National Geographic featured it in their article "Smallest Whale Shark Discovered".
it was the whale shark season again and we headed far South of Manila, where the largest number of these species in the Philippines are sighted every year. from February to May, the volume of planktons are enormous in the isolated village of Donsol. way back 2004, Time magazine named the Whale Shark interaction in the Philippines as the best destination for animal interaction.

as the years has passed, the volume of tourists both local and foreigners has increased. this lead the locals and WWF Philippines to develop a program to protect the sea giants and help sustain the locals to benefit from it. part of the program was the creation of the Donsol Tourist Center that established:
1. Video briefing for the do's and donts to maximize safe interaction
2. Limited number of boats allowed offshore
3. Limited number of boats allowed for a certain area of the whale sharks
4. Limited number of people per boat
5. Required wooden tool to protect the whale shark's tail from hitting the boats propellers.
after registration and video briefing, we were assigned to a boat, a guide, a boatman, and spotters. on peak season, one has to wait until the next boat returns. snorkeling gears and flippers are available for rent outside the center. sky turned darker and started to drizzle.
as soon as our group was called we went to our assigned boat, the guide gave the final orientation and some facts on the butanding, the local name of whale shark. our boat headed West and the spotters positioned on top of the boat's pillars.
after half an hour the sky was darker, still no sighting. we instead saw a group of dolphins off the shore to Masbate. after an hour, the whole group was still excited but the chance of seeing became less. at that time, i said "one sighting will be enough".
as the guide would always say, there's really no guarantee of seeing. the guide says that one factor that would cause the whale sharks to go deeper would be the dark skies as it signified rain and rough waters. we were also there in May, where the whale sharks were already migrating off the Pacific.
we went farther but still navigating along the nearby coast where the most number of sightings observed during that week. passed by some other boats, all with its own spotters showing no sign of giving up. we remained hopeful enjoying some of facts of the sharks from the guide.
until the time when all the boats went to the same direction. a sighting. finally! just as our guide directed us, we all positioned on one side waiting for the cue to jump. snorkeling gears and lifevest ready and as soon as the boat was in position the guide instructed "jump, follow me and look down".
water was blurry, no sign of what was supposed to be large and massive. suddenly a large and wide grayish fish passed about two meters below us. it was swimming gently so close that it seemed like it was already hitting the sea floor. we were actually just less than 20feet deep.
swam as quick and as far as i could to catch up with the whale shark. soon as it went off the blurry waters, found out that i was already far away from my group. had to swim back and find the boat assigned to us. the experience was amazing adding to the fact that we've waited for more then an hour.we then went ahead the direction of the whale and just while were still sharing our own experience, our guide shouted "position your self". we were to jump again for another encounter. the whale shark that we've seen was about 7meters, still a young one as sightings of adults were seen here reaching up to 10-12meters. after three encounters, we headed to another spot. this time, far off the coast in the East. we learned from our guide that whale sharks' top portion are the hardest part. used to protect it from its predator the great white shark. when we reached the spot, in just few minutes we saw the shade of another whale shark. it was surfacing that it was that clear even from the boat. we were in position again and this time, the whale shark passed by so close. just about two feet away that with a slight stretch of my arm i will actually touch its side but holding it was prohibited.

this one was really huge and the white spots were very visible. the fins, the tail, large. just as we went up, everyone was cheering. we did more jumps and ended up heading back the coast with three whale sightings and seven encounters. the experience was superb that i'll definitely be back next year.

just borrowed the video from Lenka in youtube.

how to get there:
by land: one can take a bus from Manila to Legazpi City in Albay (8hours) and take a van at the central van terminal to Donsol Sorsogon (1hour).
by air: there are daily flights from Manila to Legazpi City (1hour) and take the van to Donsol at the central van terminal of Legazpi.
when you reach Donsol, inform the van driver to drop you at the Donsol Tourist Center for the Whale Shark Interaction.

eskapo recommends:
1. sightings of whale sharks in Donsol are from February to May but the best time is February when the whale sharks are still in large volumes.
2. if you really want to catch up with the whales, you can rent fins but as caution, make sure that you don't hit the shark with these.
3. van trips to Legazpi are limited and has no schedule, so if possible arrange with the van drivers to wait for you giving them your estimated time of return which you can confirm from the tourist center.

escape factor:
accessibility: 3.5
coastal view: 3.5
tourist center system: 4.0
animal encounter: 5.0
overall: 4.0

location:
island: mainland Luzon
province: Sorsogon
gateway: Legazpi City

GPS location:
12^ 54" 17' N
123^ 35" 44' E

iriga camarines sur

2011-07-11T23:59:00.002+08:00

on the way to Donsol in the Bicol region to see the whale shark, we made our stop at the world class wakeboard site of CWC in Naga. after one tiring day, we traveled south to the town of Iriga. famous for its mountain view of Mt. Iriga.
it is the second peak in the province of Camarines Sur after Mt. Isarog with a difference of just few meters. as part of the Pacific ring of fire, Mt. Iriga is an active volcano which last erupted in 1642 causing a big slice on its Eastern side facing Lake Buhi.with a limited time to explore the mountain, we dropped by the town church at the city center. destroyed several times since it was first built in 1585. its refurbished facade with two bell towers makes it look like an ordinary church in the country but its interior ceiling gives it a different feature.the city plaza covers a large area with small mini park spots including a Japanese ark. across the park is a convention center with an impressive modern design. just at its back is an elevated grotto which has an overlooking view of the town plaza.
as the sunset approached, we went to the Margallo's residence, who hosted our overnight stay in the city. had a special dinner with the barangay chairman eating laing and a night at one of the restaurant with a local band. just right to end that tiring day.
special thanks to Mark and Luke Margallo for hosting our stay.

how to get there:
one can take a bus to Naga city and from there take a bus or a van at the central terminal to the city of Iriga (45minutes).

location:
island: mainland Luzon
province: Camarines Sur

GPS location:
13^ 25" 12' N
123^ 24" 43' E

on stilt communities and eating sati - zamboanga city

2011-07-08T11:06:00.001+08:00

stilt houses if seen from a satellite would even seem to be houses built on an islet. but these houses are actually built on shallow shores on top of strong pillars forming a village often connected by wooden bridges.
if you are restrained to going to Basilan, Zamboanga's Rio Hondo has a large community of houses built on stilts. it is easily accessible from the city but like most of the village, it is recommended that you have at least a local to be able to commune with the locals.
with the advantage of able to speak Chavacano, we had the chance to tag along one of the locals who we just asked to bring us on a nearby area. but while we were sharing him about our interest on the houses, we ended up reaching the edge of the village of Mariki.
it was a great experience that we had the chance to see some of the locals wearing malongs and colorful head covers. most walkways are already wide and strong unlike the ones that i've seen in Basilan which has long wooden pathways that is less than 12inches. walking along these walkways brings back memories of the projec of the Basilan Youth Development Council way back in the 90s where we won overall in the national category as the best project in the Magnolia Youth Achievement Awards. the project supported a long wide and firm walkways to the Samal village in Malamawi including a floating school.our next stop was Zamboanga City's famous Jimmy's Satti House which is just along Pilar St. can easily be accessed by tricycle or taxi. it serves one of the best satay, a Muslim delicacy. not all might find satay delicious as it is relatively considered a typical street food in the city. there's nothing really different in this satay except for the great mix of the sauce.
but if one wants to try it, they say Jimmy's Satti House serves it best. after we had it with chicken, some liver bbq and puso, i would say it is. in Indonesia, it is considered as a national dish and they have a great variety. something interesting. something i would like to try in the future.
how to get there:
you can take any tricycle or taxi from the central city area of Zamboanga. it is just about 15-20mins trip farther than Fort Pilar on the Zamboanga City's East coast.

from Manila, there are daily flights from Manila to Zamboanga with the major domestic airlines. usual flight time is an hour and twenty minutes or less.

location:
island: mainland Mindanaoo
province: Zamboanga Peninsula

GPS location:
6^ 53" 50' N
122^ 5" 20' E

three stop zamboanga city

2011-07-05T22:37:00.002+08:00

the city of Zamboanga holds the most number of Chavacano speakers in the country, also the language which i grew up using. many are fascinated at the language, which indirectly resembles to Spanish. beyond the language, the city also has fairly good spots and here are three of the most of famous. [1] Fort Pilar. it is one of Zamboanga city's iconic landmark, a quadrilateral fortress very significant to the Zamboanguenos. close to the size of Cebu city's Fort San Pedro, this one was built around 1712. famous for the miraculous story of the Virgin Mary's apparition from saving the coastal area from a Tsunami. it has an open shrine that gathers thousands during its feast day.
this is just a walking distance from the central city area passing by the beautiful Valderosa street. but one can take a tricycle or a taxi from anywhere around the city to the fort. by night, the nearby Paseo del Mar transforms to a night spot for food trip and sound trip.
[2] Pasonanca Park. holds a number of spots in the upper portions of the city. accessible by public jeepneys and taxis to just about 15-20minutes from the central city area. it covers a large area with several well maintained green lawn parks. the Boy Scout Camp grounds remains to be one of the nicest camping grounds in the region. a site that commemorates the 24 Filipino boy scouts who died in the 1963 plane crash in India while they were on their to the Jamboree in Greece. one of them is Antonio Limbaga who is from Zamboanga.
my childhood memories of the tree house, the swimming pool, and large the soldier hat in Abong-Abong. the old Zamboanga Convention Center, used to be one of the largest structure in the area. it was in this center where i first saw a large preserved fish.
[3] Zamboanga Barter. one can't end a trip in Zamboanga without dropping by the barters. an area where one can buy goods coming from the city and majority coming from the nearby Malaysia. these includes malongs, batik, dusters, shawls and handkerchief. it's where you can haggle and get the best price.
among my favorite are the imported chocolate biscuits Apollo, which now has several flavors. i would usually place it in the refrigerator which hardens the chocolate inside the thin layered biscuit.

how to get there:
Fort Pilar - it is just a walk away from the central area of Zamboanga city on the East coast but one can also take a tricycle to go there.

Pasonanca Parks - also accessible by tricycle and public jeepney but taking a taxi will be good. in our case, we rented a van to go around the city.

Zamboanga Barter - there are several barters in the city, one would be the one in Canelar. not so far from the airport and area is just fine.

from Manila, there are daily flights from Manila to Zamboanga with the major domestic airlines. usual flight time is an hour and twenty minutes or less.

location:
island: mainland Mindanaoo
province: Zamboanga Peninsula

GPS location:
6^ 54" 15' N
122^ 4" 26' E

road trip to lamitan and kumalarang basilan

2011-06-26T17:19:00.007+08:00

as early as 1914, Basilan was already exporting rubber to the United States as led by American businessman James Strong, who established American Rubber Corporation in the island. President Manuel L. Quezon and General Douglas McArthur visited the island when the exportation boomed.today, more than 50,000hectares of the island produce latex saps, rubber's raw material but are now handled by several local cooperatives. a road trip to the municipality of Lamitan, East of Isabela City would bring you to the great expanse of these rubber trees. the rubber produced in Basilan contributes a small portion to the 94% of Asia's source to the global requirement. among the island's main agricultural industry, coconut, coffee and black pepper are also distributed to the archipelago.Kumalarang, the West side of Isabela also holds large areas of coconut palm oil fields and rubber trees. a usual weekend of the residents of Isabela City would be doing road trips to this part. popular spots includes the water district swimming pools, some fine waterfalls and the old airport.
it is odd that one of the country's National Park is actually part of the war thorn areas of the island of Basilan. established as a National Park since 1939, the Basilan National Park covers 3,100hectares of dense flora and fauna.on our trip to Lamitan, we visited the site of the unforgettable 2001 Lamitan siege. just one of the events that has captured the country's attention. an island so rich with natural resources yet because of the tensions it has kept the island isolated giving the island a weak image.
photo below shows travel buddies Tzed, Erick and Oman during the road trip. you can check out their posts on this trip. this ends the Basilan series and up next a short visit to some of Zamboanga City's tourist spots.
how to get there:
there are regular flight from Manila to Zamboanga with the major airlines - 1hour 20minutes
from Zamboanga, take a taxi to the pier of the ferry that goes to Basilan. better if you ask the taxi to bring you directly inside the pier.
option 1: cheaper way is by ferry to the pier of Isabela. 1hour and 40minutes.
option 2: taking the fast craft which is less than an hour to the pier of Isabela.
for this road trip: one has to rent a van to make stops to the rubber plantations or take the bus to Lamitan going East and Lantawan going West which can partly show some of the rubber tree plantations.

important note:
it is advisable to check first the situation in the island before setting a visit. i also recommend that you know of someone from the island who can guide you around.

location:
island: Basilan
province: Basilan

GPS location:
6^ 42" 22' N
121^ 58" 20' E

mangrove swamps malamawi island basilan

2011-06-22T05:58:00.002+08:00

if Iloilo has Guimaras island, Davao with Samal island, Zamboanga with Sta Cruz island, Cebu with Mactan island, Tagbilaran with Panglao island. Isabela City's main coast is enclosed from the open sea by Malamawi island.
most people think that it's just one island but if one sees it from Google Earth, it shows another enclosed island within the mangrove swamp on its Northern coast. this is the island of Marang-Marang. connected to the main island of Malamawi through the vast areas of mangroves.
just recently, a view point on the island's peak was opened to the public with a great view of the island of Marang-Marang and the main island of Basilan separated by the Basilan Strait. on its West side, it gives the view of Malamawi's White Beach. one can reach this peak by taking a jeep to the top.
one can actually cross these two islands by boat through the swamps during high tide and can walk over muddy soil during low tide. a small community hidden between Malamawi and Marang-Marang can only be seen from this peak.
these shrubs extends to the Basilan strait protecting the main coastline of Isabela from big waves coming from Sulu sea. thus a large area of stilt houses are found within the Basilan Strait. only when i was in high school when i started to explore these mangrove swamps by boat.
how to get there:
from Isabela city:
option 1: take a boat trip from Isabela city's boat dock site for Malamawi bound trips. it is just a short walk away from the main dock site of ferries coming from Zamboanga. Isabela dock site to Malamawi pier (10minutes or less). from the pier, if you've arranged in advance for a pick-up, they will pick you up from here for an hour or less trip to White beach.
option 2: rent a boat from Isabela city pier Malamawi bound that will bring you directly to White beach. warning: this can be risky as waves are most of the time big for this route. this less recommended.
one can then arrange a ride to the peak for the view.

important note:
it is advisable to check first the situation in the island before setting a visit. i also recommend that you know of someone from the island who can guide you around.

location:
island: Malamawi
province: Basilan
take off point: Isabela city

GPS location:
6^ 44" 45' N
121^ 57" 54' E

white beach malamawi island basilan

2011-06-16T23:57:00.007+08:00

i have never been to any beach as many times as i did in Malamawi island's White Beach. there was not one summer that i missed going to this beach years back. we would usually go there twice a month during summer.
the best thing is it only takes about 10minutes boat trip and less than an hour road trip to this beach from the city. isolation on weekdays but one busy beach during weekends. on this year's trip, since we arrived in Basilan on a Friday, immediately we went to White Beach as i knew how people would flock to this beach on weekends.
while doing this post i'm holding one of the old pictures taken there. in the photo, my father, uncle Noli Hizon, uncle Amado Lim, uncle Danny Lim, Danny Tan and uncle Joy Eisma and the rest of the family. my father's usual companions who were there for one thing. snorkeling.
growing up going to the beaches with our father was the major reason why i love the beach. why i love snorkeling, shell picking, sand forming, jumping on waves, picnic, swimming.photo above shows erick taking photo of the beach coast. photo below shows lawstude checking the sand quality.but like most part of Basilan, safety remains to be the most important consideration. one needs to check the situation before going there. when one books a ride from the island dock site to the beach, some armed security are usually provided.
this was different from my trip years back. i remember that we would bring motorcycle to the island and drove our way to the beach. at once we even tried walking from the dock site to the beach. after my high school graduation, our whole class actually went by boat directly from the city. it took about an hour.
the beach has not changed much after years. clean water, fine white sand and the sea breeze of the Basilan strait. only some new cottages, new road route, some beach flags. still one of my favorite beach in the country.
how to get there:
from Isabela city:
option 1: take a boat trip from Isabela city's boat dock site for Malamawi bound trips. it is just a short walk away from the main dock site of ferries coming from Zamboanga. Isabela dock site to Malamawi pier (10minutes or less). from the pier, if you've arranged in advance for a pick-up, they will pick you up from here for an hour or less trip to White beach.
option 2: rent a boat from Isabela city pier Malamawi bound that will bring you directly to White beach. warning: this can be risky as waves are most of the time big for this route. this less recommended.

important note:
it is advisable to check first the situation in the island before setting a visit. i also recommend that you know of someone from the island who can guide you around.

location:
island: Malamawi
province: Basilan
take off point: Isabela city

GPS location:
6^ 44" 45' N
121^ 57" 54' E