Category: Philippines

After looking for the best way to spend a weekend, I made a last minute registration with Travel Factor’s Conquer Sagada tour. I was a solo joiner. I boarded a bus with group of strangers, all with the same destination. I had minimal expectations during that moment and my primary goal was to, at least, enjoy the trip. Meetup with TravelFactor Staff Without counting our guides, Tikoy and Ron, I first met Steph. I sat beside her while waiting for our departure. We only learned that we’re on the same junket when Tikoy started to roll out the attendees’ list and ... Read more

After taking a relaxing dip in Cabongaoan beach and enjoying the gleeful hop in Culebra Island, we fared to Cabacungan Cove, the fourth stop of our Burgos+Dasol Pangasinan escape. The cove has rocky shores so we got off at a distance where there is enough space between the boat’s keel and the scabrous littoral seabed. We were already wet so we didn’t mind taking another drench. Rocky Beach of Cabacungan Cove The cove is primarily made of rust-colored rocks. On one end is a small cave where you can enjoy wading to its emerald water or listening to a ‘surround-sound’ ... Read more

A friend, Marx of Marxtermind.com, invited me to a weekend Pangasinan tour with 2000-peso budget. I wasn’t skeptical in accepting the invite but had kept my expectations low. I didn’t expect to see something wondrous and didn’t reckon something pristine (Oops! Am I giving you clues?). Anyway, whenever I get travel invites, I undoubtedly give my nods without any presumptions, because, at the end of the day, it is the people you meet and the people you share the experience with matters the most. We spend the first half of Saturday travelling. We left Manila at 4AM and arrived in ... Read more

Paraiso ni Anton is one of the few stops of the Pagudpud Tour Cycle, a local tourism project of the municipality that aims to bring visitors to Pagudpud’s top-notch destinations. Tourist take photos while locals take a sip of the waters dripping from the hill. Kuya Amante, my tour cycle guide, slowly climbed the concrete stairway after approaching the site. He chanted a little prayer in front of the Virgin Mary statuette. He then stepped down and proceeded to the watery part of the hill. Silently, he put his palms together and fetched some drips and then sipped. Paraiso ni ... Read more

Its beach may not be as powdery nor as popular as Boracay and Palawan‘s but its water is equally pristine and clear. The dark, dull rocks that protrude from the fine ivory sand set a grody yet spectacular contrast in the beach front. The slopy terrain of the coastal area offers an unusual experience wherein you can do quick sand surf, slide, or even build a hillside sand castle. Cabongaoan Beach Just another beautiful beach in Pangasinan The surrounding community is slow-paced, opposite of the standard city living. Cabongaoan beach is relatively peaceful and the visitors are not significantly noticeable in number. ... Read more

Luxury, in hospitality business, is always relative to or associated with elegance and comfort, seasoned with unparalleled service, exquisite ambiance, and utmost privacy. It is also well complimented with easily accessible modern facilities and delicately crafted interior designs, which also defines Boracay’s luxury accommodations. Boracay, the Philippines’ premier tourist destination, hosts a number of hotels that offers the comfort and security of your home while on travel. Below is the list of Boracay’s Luxury accommodations. These are hotels that defines luxury and elevates the standard of upscale living. The rates published herewith are rates posted on their respective websites or ... Read more

Philippines is one of the homes of the world’s best shores. You have plenty of beach front varieties to choose from depending on your color and sand type preferences. The country offers fine and crystalline-black, smooth brown, alluring gray, gorgeous peach, and of course, the bright and powdery white sand shorelines. This article shows a compilation of the famous and yet to be discovered white sand beaches in the Philippines. 9. The beach wonder of the North, Pagudpud Pagudpud is a silent town but when you search its remote corners, you can see majestic waterfalls, peculiar rock formations, and of ... Read more

Gogobot, a popular iPhone and Android travel planning app, recently released its 2013 Travelers’ Favorite Award Winners list. In the Destinations category, the list includes; top 20 destinations, top 15 winter destinations, top 15 ski destinations, and top 15 rising star destinations wherein Boracay ranked 7th. Unlike other Gogobot awards lists which are based on popularity, the 15 top rising star destinations were chosen by a team. They enlist destinations poised to take off or ripe for rediscovery in 2013. Boracay, awarded Word’s Best Island by Travel and Leisure magazine in 2012, may not be popular for Gogobot users but ... Read more

Friday morning on the third week on January 2013, I had all my things packed. I still needed to go to work the night after that, so to avoid the frustrations of leaving important stuff behind, I settled to only two packs – a sling bag for my camera and a backpack for others. I arrived at the office and hour earlier than the start of my shift – of course that was due to excitement. Take note, I changed shift so that I can leave at 5:00AM, enough to catch my 7AM flight. It is a habit to check ... Read more