The photos capture some of the areas I have covered during my 15+ trips to the Philippines since 1997.
Northern Palawan Island
Palawan is made up of 1,768 islands and is the second largest province of the Philippines. The length of the main island is 425km from tip to tip. The distance between extreme north and south of the island province is 650 km. The narrowest section of the main island is 8.5 km at Barrio Bahile in Puerto Princesa, the widest section is 40 km at Brooke's Point in the south. El Nido is in the far northern section of the main island of Palawan. A beautiful area where locals and their pigs are still living right on the beautiful beach. One wonders how long it will take for the tourist development bulldozers to move them away to make place for resorts.
El Nido airport
Flying around the islands
El Nido
El Nido
El Nido
El Nido
View from the rocky hills around El Nido
View from the rocky hills around El Nido
Traveling around Palawan Island by Jeepney
...and then my Jeepney ran out of steam. Bummer!
Central Palawan Island
Palawan is made up of 1,768 islands and is the second largest province of the Philippines. The length of the main island is 425km from tip to tip. The distance between extreme north and south of the island province is 650 km. The narrowest section of the main island is 8.5 km at Barrio Bahile in Puerto Princesa, the widest section is 40 km at Brooke's Point in the south
Flying above Central Palawan Island
Above Central Palawan
Safely on the ground
Locals having a fish BBQ
The mouth of the underground river.
With a canoe I went in for about 4 km.
Awesome UNESCO site
Island hopping around Honda Bay, Central Palawan
Busuanga Island and Coron Island
Busuange and Coron Islands are further north of the Palawan main island. The biggest attraction here is diving the World War II Japanese war ship-wrecks which I really enjoyed. Just amazing to see the sea-life within the hull and all around the ships.
$1 fish from the market
My room with a view
View from the veranda
Local housing
Local housing
Boracay Island
Boracay is a palm-studded island with white, talcum-fine beaches, balmy weather and warm,crystalline waters.Its quite a small, butterfly-shaped island at the northwestern tip of Panay in Western Visayas.
Street food. In the front is Balut (duckling embrios boiled inside the eggs - 1-2 weeks before hatching)
Boracay beach
Boracay beach
Northern Luzon Province
The Northern Philippines province of Luzon holds in some awesome discoveries for the determined explorer. As with many parts of the Philippines, the beauty is often spoiled by environmental carelessness, particularly in the larger towns such as Baguio where garbage and open fires burn in midtown to worsen the air pollution problem. Locals (even the educated of Manila) seem to fully realize the choking result, but the typical Philippines "can't care less" attitude prevails. Unless the Philippine people wake up and do something to protect their natural treasures (and their lungs), in particular the destruction of the underwater world, they will soon have nothing left but the stinking burning garbage dumps all over Manila. We keep our fingers crossed that the new administration will react and save the wonders of this beautiful country (another faint hope). My visit during February 2001 took me to Baguio, Sagada, Bontoc, Banaue, Batad, and Bangaan, all in Luzon Province of the Northern Philippines.
The Hanging Coffins of Sagada
Sagada, a 150 km (6 hour drive!) from Baguio (1 hour flight north of Manila), is a tranquil mountain-top town (pop. 3,000 - altitude: 1,500m) where life seems to stand still, and the smiles are pasted on the faces of happy local Sagadans (language: Kankanay and English)Don't miss the Log Cabin Restaurant. It offers the most hearty meals in a romantic setting. (Tip: book your dinner 2 hours in advance!)
One of my most scariest travel adventures. Climbing and sliding down (withy my local guide) deep into a cave to swim in the underground river
Coffins having from the side of the cliff
Coffins having from the side of the cliff
Coffins having from the side of the cliff
Coffins piled up in a cave
Coffins piled up in a cave
Coffin in a cave (decorated with my orange)
Rice Terraces of Banaue, Batad and Bangaan
A very scary and dangerous 4-hour (50km) drive from Sagada, lies Banaue, and the smaller surrounding villages of Batad and Bangaan (1 hour by tricycle taxi from Banaue). Batad is another 2.5 hour tough walk from Bangaan). These rice terraces are truly stunning, and is referred to as (another) 8th Wonder of the World. The terraces at Batad is more than 2000 years old and is worth the strenuous walk over the mountains.(Tip: Take enough water, food, and a spare tire for your tricycle taxi)
What an exciting road
Jeepney on a narrow mountain road
Vilage of Banaue
Banaue rice terraces
Bangaan rice terraces
Bangaan rice terraces
Ifagao man near the Batad rice terraces
Ifagao people living around the Batad rice terraces
Pigs carrying their cross. Batad rice terraces
Batad rice terraces
Batad rice terraces
Batad rice terraces
Batad rice terraces
Veggie terraces near Banaue
Veggie terraces near Banaue
The People of Banaue and Batad
The Ifugao people are the largest cultural group in the Cordillera region of Luzon, Northern Philippines. Ifugao, meaning "people of the earth", number around 130,000 and are the original rice terrace carvers. As creators of this 'eight wonder of the world' the Ifugao are also handy woodcarvers.
The Ifagao people around Banaue and Batad
The City Market of Baguio
Baguio, a 1 hour flight north of Manila, has probably the best city wet market I have come across. Second in line would be the market of Puerto Princesa on Palawan Island, to the west of the Philippine Island toward Borneo Island
Meat market
Strawberry season - fresh and preserved
Sausages
Visayas Region
The islands of Bohol, Panglao, and Cebu are all fairly close to each and situated in the heart of Central Visayas of the Southern Philippines. I explored this area during Easter 2003. The biggest attraction in this area is the under water world, the tarsier (monkey) primate, and the friendly people. Don't expect the greatest food!
Bohol Island
Bohol is approximately 803 km south of Manila and 79 km southeast of Cebu Island. An oval-shaped island dotted with 72 smaller islets comprising an area of 4,117 sq. km. It has no less than 47 towns with Tagbilaran as the capital city. The island has roughly a million people and has two distinct seasons: wet and dry.Biggest attractions include the friendly locals, the underwater world, the tarsier primate, and the Chocolate Hills near the town of Carmen, in the centre of the Island
Chocolate Hills
Jeepney
Rowing on the Loboc River
Panglao Island
Panglao Island is directly south of Bohol Island and is blessed with peaceful towns and idillic beaches
Momo Beach
Kids on Momo Beach
Lunday lunch near Momo Beach
Alona Beach
Alona Beach
Cebu Island
I only visited Cebu City area and the closeby islands of Mactan and Olango. The best of Cebu City is the Carbon Market. Nothing else! Mactan is dotted with resorts.Please AVOID the Tambuli Beach Club. The Shangri-La is quite nice, and the Mactan Bluewater is fantastic.
I only visited Cebu City area and the closeby islands of Mactan and Olango. The best of Cebu City is the Carbon Market. Nothing else! Mactan is dotted with resorts.Please AVOID the Tambuli Beach Club. The Shangri-La is quite nice, and the Mactan Bluewater is fantastic.
Cebu town market
Rice at the Cebu town market
Rice at the Cebu town market
Seaweed Rice at the Cebu town market
Fish at the Cebu town market
Fish at the Cebu town market
Bananas at the Cebu town market
Tomatoes and more at the Cebu town market
Cheap and excellent mangoes at the Cebu town market
Local transport
Jeepney
Jeepney
Jeepney's colourful dashboard
The Tarsier
What is popularly known as the “smallest monkey in the world”, the Philippine Tarsier, is distinctly found in the provinces of Bohol, Leyte, Samar and some parts of Northern Mindanao. Belonging to the primitive suborder Prosimii or prosimian, Tarsiers thrive in secondary forests especially in the world-renowned Chocolate Hills, the man-made forest of Bilar and in the dense patches along the Loboc River, all in the Province of Bohol.
While the best way to see the Tarsier is in the forest of the Tarsier Sanctuary at Corella Town (southern Bohol Island), take note of this: Near the boat launch at the Loboc River (not too far from Corella), several of the local teen boys are keeping these nocturnal and endangered primates captive and pass them relentlessly from tourist to tourist in an effort to attract tourists to the boat rides. This is a gross abuse of this little animal. Please add your voice to this cause and write an email to the Tarsier Foundation in an effort to protect the Tarsier. If WE don't speak up, this sad practice will continue! Please lets do something.
