There's a monkey near the entrance of Katibawasan Falls. Tourists are advised to stay two meters away from this monkey. He's probably a grumpy monkey who doesn't like visitors. This monkey is chained to a tree nearby. He's used to seeing guests going and leaving the falls that he barely gives them a look anymore. He looked like he's comfortable being chained, which was kind of sad because nobody wants to be chained. It takes away one's freedom. He didn't seem like he's going to attack us but we kept our distance anyway. Better safe than sorry.

The town where I grew up is small and languid and everyone knows almost anyone. It's called Looc, which in our dialect means 'strangle'. No, don't judge us just yet. We certainly don't strangle strangers. On the contrary, we smooch and welcome visitors with open arms. In other words, we're loving and friendly people. The name 'Looc' is believed to have originated from a local legend about a giant protector (Talabukon) who saved the town from marauding Moros by strangling them.

You have probably never heard about our town. And that's completely understandable. It's not exactly famous like its neighboring island, Boracay. (I'm sure the mere mention of Boracay somehow sparked a glitter of interest). It doesn't have fine white-sand beaches found in Carabao Island (also a neighboring town) either. I can tell you a few interesting things about our town but they're not enough to make you book a flight and travel down here pronto but I really love my town so I'm pimping it out to anyone who might be interested to visit it. A lot of what our town offers remains unheralded, some hidden, few have yet to be discovered, which can be a perfect avenue for wonderful moments of discovery.

1. Cheap Seafood


Crabs, clams, fish, edible seaweed, shrimp... They're available in the market, which is located near the sea, normally in the morning seven days a week. They're fresh and cheap. Although there's no notable restaurant in town that offers seafood cuisine, you can still buy these fresh sea produce from the wet market or talipapa and have them cooked at the lodging inn you're staying. Best eaten with your bare hands.

I'm a sucker for shrimp. It's my favorite food. I'd die without it. It's the first thing I look for every time I dine out at a certain destination outside town. So when I found it on the menu at J&A Fishpen in Camiguin, I forced my travel buddies into ordering it. They couldn't say no, not after noticing that I was holding a table knife. Kidding. What can I say, they're the most supportive couple/travel buddies I've been with.

I don't usually go to church to attend mass (don't tell my folks about this). Not that I'm an atheist or agnostic. I believe in God, I pray before eating, sleeping or before leaving the house. Just like a good Christian. But going to church on Sundays is something I rarely do. In fact, I only go to the holy house when I'm out of town and I happen to see an old church in the area I'm visiting. I really like my church to be serene and peaceful - and you can't find that in the metro during Sunday masses. So yeah, you can pretty much say that, that's one reason I stopped going to church.
To have some serenity and peace wasn't exactly the reason we wound our way up this hill overlooking the idyllic town of San Jose in Tarlac. I'm not sure whose idea was it either. After our fun whitewater kayaking, the group unanimously agreed to make a short detour at Monasterio de Tarlac, a religious monastery perched atop the mountain.

Idyllic town of San Jose

Location: San Jose, Tarlac
San Jose is considered as a fourth class municipality in the province of Tarlac in Central Luzon. It has a population of approximately thirty-two thousand with an economy that is dominantly agricultural. To get there from Manila, take a bus bound for Tarlac City then from the Central Terminal, hop on a jeepney to Barangay Villa Aglipay. The jump-off point of the whitewater kayaking is at Maamot, an idyllic barrio nestled up the mountain about a 30-minute ride from the town proper.

There are plenty of reasons why cruise holidays are so relentlessly popular and appealing to so many of us from different parts of Europe and the world. The food is amazing, the accommodation resplendent and you're always likely to find yourself in the company of some fun-loving people. But possibly the biggest draw of the whole experience is the chance to simply unwind like never before and to escape everything for a glorious period of precious time. 

The Grandeur Of The Seas gives you a passport to sunshine, relaxation and adventure and there are some great deals on top quality holiday packages on-board over the coming months. There is nothing about the ship that is much other spectacular but of course you can be as active or delightfully inactive as you decide to be. And however you decide to spend your time, you will find one amazing location after another drifting into view as your holiday goes by.

Photo credit: VisitNorway

"WHO ARE YOU WITH SIR?" she asked in a tone coated with so much sweetness it sounded nearly cloying.

"Oh, I'm just alone," I responded, mildly hurt with her question despite its innocence.

"But your room has two beds, sir," she argued, ogling at the piece of paper with my name on it, probably checking if she had the correct document.

"Where is my room located?" I said, diverting the topic with an air of apparent annoyance. The receptionist, a local girl in her early 20s, hardly missed the message her guest was trying to send across but she nonetheless maintained her composure.

She called her colleague and asked for assistance but nobody seemed to have heard her. The thickness of the bushes flourishing in great abundance inside the resort must have sucked out her call. Without any hint of irritation, she took on the job of accompanying her guest to the assigned room - a small villa made of sawali, nipa hut and wooden bamboo floor.
"Enjoy your stay, sir," she told me while dropping my stuff in front of the door. The giddiness in her voice was still palpable and far from waning.

As I was taking a swig of Cuba Libre at Epic, one of the many bars in Station 2 in Boracay, a small commotion erupted from an adjacent table. A large chunk of dried coconut leaves fell from the sky and landed unceremoniously on a group of foreign party-goers, momentarily breaking the monotony in that part of the bar. It was such a miracle that no one got hurt, except perhaps for a few scratches on one guy's arm. Like everyone else, he laughed it off. Grinning, I took another sip and looked overhead, wondering if 'falling dried leaves' was a common occurrence in Boracay's famous White Beach.

Night parties are, even in low season (June to October). The long stretch of walkway running from Station 1 all the way to Station 3 is dotted with restaurants, boutiques, bars, hotels, cafes and other tourism-related establishments that get swarmed with tourists especially at night. Some parts of this small path that had become more of an alley can get clogged. You'll practically and literally rub elbows with people from different countries. Parties do get wild and normally last till dawn.

Pretty Young Blood Traveler* Kate Renner is not in any way related to Bourne Legacy actor Jeremy Renner but they nevertheless share a common connection - they both have been to El Nido.   Palawan is just one of the many destinations Kate has crossed out from her list. (And no, her surname isn't Renner; she sometimes goes with Escudero too. Kidding). This twenty-something attractive Proposal Manager is happily married (sorry, guys!) with two cute kids whom she shares her travel stories with. Find out how she's able to wander around the country (and abroad) despite her busy work. 
On discovering her love for travel
A little background -I am a certified Manilenia. Born and raised in the city,I am fascinated with everything outside the metro. I used to envy my classmates in grade school whenever they'd tell me stories about their vacation in the province. My dream back then was as simple as seeing a real clean flowing river.
My love for travelling started on my first unsupervised trip when I was in college. We needed to interview the leader of a religious group in Pangasinan. The trip was a very liberating experience and an eye-opener. It got me fascinated with people and stories.

I found Ellis Ecotel thru Agoda.com, an online site that provides hotel reservations. I was looking for a cheap but chic hotel, one that's decent but not too basic. I predicted a gloomy weather over the weekend so I thought it was a good idea to get a nice hotel room where I could leisurely spend the day in case I couldn't go out. True enough, my stay in Legazpi was wetter than I had expected. I stayed indoor most of the time.
Ellis Ecotel is a newly built hotel that occupies two floors of a shopping complex called Embarcadero just beside the gulf. A modern property with minimalist nautical-inspired design, the hotel serves as an ideal spot to discover Bicol. Its strategic location provides accessibility to famous attractions around the city such as Lignon Hill and Cagsawa Ruins as well as homegrown restaurants that feature local cuisines. Ellis Ecotel also offers guests a variety of recreational activities like ziplining and gokart.

It was raining cats and dogs outside, I knew, even if I couldn't hear the patter of rain on the roof. I didn't have to go out and check the weather. It's all over the news, this typhoon named Gener which brought strong gales and heavy downpour in Legazpi. Bicol isn't exactly new to weather disturbances. Located at the eastern side of the country facing the Pacific Ocean, it's constantly being beaten down by typhoons, strong and mild, its atmosphere always finicky and unpredictable.
With Gener intent in ruining my weekend getaway in Legazpi, I was forced to stay indoor and do my round of alternative exploration. But I just couldn't eat all day - solo dinner can be an expensive affair, not to mention lonesome if done more than usual. I knew that my one day stay would be reduced to holing up inside my room, reading a book, surfing the net, watching a film on my laptop - boring stuff no doubt but nevertheless valid excuses for not going out considering the weather condition.

Accommodation is something that I don't normally worry when I travel with my high school friends. You see, we have a 'travel specialist' who's always in charge of finding a budget-friendly but nice hotel (No, we didn't force him to take that role :-). He's the one responsible for getting as a discount at Sampaguita Inn in Cebu and he also booked us a suite at La Charica Inn for our Palawan getaway.

The inn's facade

For Php1,700 per person for a two-night stay with free breakfast and pick-up, we thought La Charica was a real steal. But Dan 'the travel specialist' reminded us that we shouldn't expect a buffet breakfast. Fine, free breakfast is a free breakfast regardless of what we're served with.

When I embarked on my first solo travel last January of this year, I admit that there was hesitation due to a gnawing fear that the trip might go awry. But I was adamant and there was a strong resolve to just go out of my comfort zone so I took off. I was able to go back home safe and sound with great experiences in tow. It made me more confident and I learnt a few things about myself that I wouldn't have known had I backed out from the trip. On the flip side, it somehow made me a little arrogant. But it's the type of arrogance that bolstered my self-esteem. You know, the sort that drove me to be a tad adventurous.
Six months later, I challenged myself again to do another solo travel. This time at a destination much closer to Manila: Legazpi City in Albay. Storm was brewing in the east which would potentially mean a rainy weekend. Things like this can easily give me the heebie-jeebies. I wasn't too sure if I wanted to push through with my trip but I was left without much choice - I couldn't afford to not use my round trip ticket, so on a rainy dawn, I took a cab to NAIA Terminal 3, apprehensively looking at the horizon, hoping the storm would change course. I didn't trust the weather reports I read online. Despite obvious signs of bad weather, I still wished for a sunny weekend.

One thing you might want to do when you're in Puerto Princesa (PP) is to take the Underground River and Honda Bay tours. At least that's what tourists who've been to PP would tell you. Well, I'd like to say the same primarily because I have immensely enjoyed both activities. I know you will too. If you are time-pressed and only have a day to spare in the city, then your best bet would be the Underground River tour, but make sure not to skip Honda Bay next time you're in PP. Rather, don't just spend a day in Puerto Princesa - there are several things to see and do that 2 days is not enough to enjoy what this city 'inside the forest' has to offer.