Unbeknownst to a lot of people, a little beautifully preserved Spanish town still lies in Vigan. Calle Crisologo is only one among the very few Hispanic Towns left in the Philippines and is also an official World Heritage Site. This small town will allow tourists a sneak peek into a time where the Vigans lived prosperously due to the Manila-Acapulco trade. Calle Crisologo is filled with Spanish-style houses built with red-tiled roofs, enormous doors or staircases, high ceilings, thick walls and magnificent sliding windows made out of capiz shells. They are a treasure indeed, so the owners strive to maintain their picture-perfect beauty. Some houses were transformed into little shops that sell the best products found in Vigan, like woodcrafts, antiques, food, basi wine and more. While the others were turned into inns, checking in will let you experience all the beauty of it even more. If you want to take an even closer look the fine woodwork and craftsmanship, then search for some of the houses that were turned into museums instead. A guide through four blocks of pure history will only cost you five hundred pesos. The best part is you don’t have to walk, you can take […]
Of the thousand islands in the Philippines, why not take on a hundred at once (123 to be exact)? Out of all these islands, only three were really developed so you’ll have a lot more to explore. These captivating islets are inhabited by humans, but are teeming with various kinds of plants and animals all waiting to be discovered. How to get there? Well, since it’s located in Alaminos, Pangasinan and there’s no way to get there through plane or boat, you and your companions need to take a 4 hour bus ride from Manila. Once there, take a tricycle to Lucap Pier, tourists need to pay some fees, but they get to choose from boats or kayaks and even snorkels if they want. Camping at the islands is also allowed, just as long as you pay for the fees and rent a tent, but you can also bring your own. There are a lot of things to do besides swimming, kayaking and eating. You can tap on your adventurous side and explore the Quirino Caves or any of the 10 available ones. You can find various things in them like native bats, stalactites, stalagmites and rock formations. Though you […]
The Philippine’s Banaue Rice Terraces are literally terraces carved into the Ifugao mountains by the indigenous people’s ancestors. Mountain faces are covered with rice fields ingeniously designed to look like stairways. This allowed each and every rice field the proper amount of water through an ancient irrigation system from the above rainforests. Still present today, this engineering feat has stood the test of time at 2,000 years old. The most amazing fact and history about the rice terraces is that it was built with almost no equipment; their hands were the main tools. And to this day, Ifugaos still farm on these terraces, but sadly the younger generation does’nt take it to their liking and look someplace else for their future. Due to this, some signature steps have eroded and now need constant maintenance and repairs. The only way to get up there is through a 10 hour bus ride from Manila which is available every day. We suggest that you go at least two months before their only harvest period during the year, which is February or March, because that’s when the rice terraces are at their greenest. The only kind of rice planted here is the Tinawon Rice, […]
For those of you who don’t know, lechon is a Spanish term, pertaining to a roasted suckling pig dish which is popular in many places around the world. This delicious dish is prepared with so much time and patience over a hot coal pit, leaving the skin crisp and the meat juicy and ever so tender. Occasions are never complete without the star of the show; that suckling pig sitting on the table just waiting to be eaten. Haven’t tried it? Well it’s time to change that! What better way to have lechon than in the Lechon Capital of the Philippines, which is La Loma, Quezon City. You can look almost anywhere and find shops face to face or side to side selling their very own versions of mouthwatering lechon. A great shop to head for is Mang Tomas Native Lechon, yes that very same Mang Tomas on the famous sauce produced in the Philippines. Another famous lechon shop is Mila’s Lechon, guarantees their lechon to be juicy and crispy. One bite from any one of the shops will leave you coming back for more and more. La Loma sure knows how to celebrate their lechon by dedicating a fiesta […]
We weren’t kidding when we said “perfect cone,” the Mayon Volcano has an almost symmetric conical shape that’s renowned and acknowledged worldwide. Hundreds, if not thousands, of local and foreign tourists visit the province of Albay, just to see for themselves how perfectly beautiful the Mayon Volcano is. If you’re just in for the view, schedule a trip during the hottest months or else you’ll only see a volcano covered in clouds. To get an even better view, go to Cagsawa in Daraga, there you’ll also see the ruins of a church. That seemingly small ruin is actually the bells of a church, I bet you’re thinking “How did it get so close to the ground?” Well actually, one of Mayon’s eruptions buried that church alongside villages and even people. People are actually allowed to climb the Mayon Volcano, it would be a shame not to experience and overcome it while you’re there. This climb, like many others, are recommended for the fit and even they need experienced guides. The guides provide two options: rough or smooth adventure. The rougher one will let you climb all the way up to the summit within a minimum of 2 days and one […]
In Central Luzon, there’s a place easily reached by bus from Manila, a place where surfers go for the most radical waves ever. Baler, known as the origin of surfing in the Philippines. Not only that, but Baler was discovered and used as a setting in the movie “Apocalypse Now.” Of course if you don’t want to spend all day surfing, you can hire a banca and explore the beauty of Baler. The waves depend on the year and weather, but they are at their highest from October all throughout February, other than those months the waves are still fairly good. Baler has four famous beach breaks, each suited for a different kind of surfer. First off there’s Sabang Beach, waves great for beginners but since the waters a quite seasonal, there are times when the waves become high enough to attract the experts. Then we have Cemento Reef, take note that this is not for beginners and inexperienced surfers. It provides the biggest and greatest waves, the waves are so good that it hosts the annual Aurora Surfing Cup. Next is the popular setting of “Apocalypse Now,” which is called Charlie’s Point. Waves here are decent and can do […]
Harry Potter may already be gone in the big screen but his legacy lives on at the Universal Studios Harry Potter Japan. Based on the highly popular book series by British author J.K. Rowling and subsequent movies produced by Warner Bros. the theme park in Osaka is the second Wizarding World od Harry Potter site of Universal Studios. The original theme park opened at Universal Studios Florida in 2010, which recently inaugurated Diagon Alley, another section of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal Studios Hollywood, meanwhile, is set to launch its own version by 2016. Two stars from the movie Tom Felton and Evanna Lynch who played Draco Malfoy and Luna Lovegood attended the opening ceremonies wearing their Slytherin and Ravenclaw scarves. Then the two performed a mock “Revelio” spell – a charm used to reveal hidden objects— after which the archway entrance filled with smoke. As it cleared, Hogsmeade Village was revealed to the guests waiting to enter the new attraction. Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson may have been too busy to attend the event, but author J.K. Rowling herself reportedly visited the par before it was launched. She cannot help but be amazed with the craft and […]