nomad4ever

Can you really grasp a whole country by just staying a couple of months there? For sure not. That’s even more the case with the Philippines, guess I never felt the time passing faster than here – or is it maybe that I’m getting older?

Either way, the Philippines is a beautiful island nation, a bit off the usual tourist trail of the rest of Southeast Asia. That is not necessarily a bad thing, more the opposite is true. You will meet less fellow travelers and have more chances to immerse yourself in a country with all its own values and characteristics. Let’s have a more detailed look at that:

written by Chris

Aside from Boracay, the famous island with the ‘whitest beach in Asia’, the Philippines have many more paradise islands with white sandy beaches to offer.

2 of them can be found in the Visayas, a region relatively protected from the onslaught of countless Typhoons, with the worst this year, Ketsana (Ondoy) and Parma (Pepeng) causing havoc in the Northern part of the country.

Although both, Bohol or Bantayan could be your very own paradise-beach islands, they are quite different from each other. Let’s check how they compare to the traveler in search for his very own beach paradise island:

written by Chris

When I moved away from Singapore on to Thailand and Bali a few years ago, I also gave up on desktop computers.

Until then I mainly used self-customized desktops with the graphic cards, mainboards and components I wanted.

Asus always was close to my techie heart then, so I didn’t waste too many thoughts, when I made the switch from desktop to laptop computers just to be more mobile and flexible.

Big mistake!

written by Chris

Beer is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks in Asia. Travelers, Expats and Locals alike are known to happily give it a rest and enjoy a cold one, when leaving the office, sitting in their hang mats, a lively bar or at the many beaches in the region.

The Philippines are blessed with one of the best breweries in Asia. The San Miguel brewery is around for ages, they steadily bolstered their grip on the local market, acquiring more and more rivals until they now have an almost monopoly-like strength in the country. Here is a introduction about their most well-known products, which target every palate:

written by Chris

Boracay is without any doubt the most famous and well-known travel destination in the Philippines for international travelers. It features the whitest beach in Asia, crystal-clear blue waters, resorts and restaurants in all price ranges.

Puerto Galera is not so known outside the Philippines, but has some great beaches too, countless bays to explore, mountains and waterfalls – as well as incredible Dive Sites in close proximity to Manila.

Having visited both within just a few days recently, when passing them during our Tricycle Trip, here is a direct comparison of the status quo, now during low season of 2009:

written by Chris

This post actually should’ve been about the fine roads of Panay Island.

Following the National Highway, you can enjoy marked middle lines, clear sidelines, an abundance of street and road direction signs and a smooth asphalt/bitumen surface, not the cheaper concrete surface, that only lasts a year or so.

It’s really a pleasure to drive on these roads – until you decide to leave them and take a smaller road. That’s what we decided to do, coming from Iloilo, to visit a Hot Spring along the way. Big mistake!

Bumpy Adventure

written by Chris

Just a daytrip from provincial capital Bacolod on Northern Negros in the middle of the Philippines is an idyllic resort in the mountains.

It’s called Mambukal and offers 7 (!) cascading waterfalls, a nice climb through jungle forest along the waters, treetop climbing in the canopy, a sulfur spring basin to rest your aching bones and much more.

Besides those water and jungle activities, you can also have massage (and manicure/pedicure) here, watch gigantic fruit bats flying around in the area and hanging in the trees.

written by Chris

If you chose a base in a host country you basically explore the surrounding area only in a certain radius. That means, even if you have a rented motorcycle, you always have to return to your point of origin.

Of course you can do a daytrip or even multiple daytrips, but still you are limited to an area of close proximity for exploration.

written by Chris