The Most Read Travel Guides of 2012

With the year 2013 slowly eating up our calendar, let’s have a quick look on which Travel Guides garnered the most clicks and traffic last year.   10. Travel Guide: Bucas Grande Islands / Sohoton Cove National Park (Socorro) Ranking tenth on the list is the emerging eco-tourism paradise of Bucas Grande in Socorro, Surigao del Norte. Famous for Sohoton Cove, Blue Lagoon and the amazing Tojoman or Jellyfish Lagoon which is home to millions of no-sting, friendly and playful... Read More

The Best of 2011 for Seasoned Travelers

It is again the time of the year when we look back to our last 365 days to reminisce. The good and the bad times, all its ups and downs, highs and lows, and everything in between. In the end, there is one moment, one event, one place that will draw the biggest smile. Undoubtedly, it was a busy year for me – 26 domestic trips, 2 out of the country, 2 scuba diving certifications, 11 dive trips, 3 running events, 3 epic mountain biking rides, 6 lighthouses, 6 UNESCO World Heritage... Read More

Travel Guide: Moalboal

What seems to be a sleepy town in western Cebu is booming with active coastal life. Moalboal, a two hours drive from Cebu City is a gateway to some of the best diving spots not only in Cebu but in the entire Philippines. Home to around 28,00 inhabitants, this provincial town is a well known tourist and diving paradise due to its unspoiled fine white sand beaches and diverse marine life. Divers and snorkelers will enjoy the rich and colorful underwater life of its numerous dive... Read More

Moalboal Revisited: The Sardine Run, Sea Hawks and Remoras, Pipefish Colony and Underwater Macro Paradise

Millions of sardines cloud above us “This is the southern tip of Pescador Island. Below is a wall, we will drift northward around the wall. We expect to see the school of  sardines, of course; nudis; fusiliers; barracudas; tunas; and if we are lucky, the threshers”, our dive master told us in all smile, before we descended in Pescador Island. It took us twenty months to be back in Moalboal. The urge to revisit the place was unstoppable. The stories of friends about... Read More

Travel Guide: Camotes Islands

“Camote”, replied the island ancestors when asked by the Spaniards about the name of the place. The natives were harvesting sweet potatoes (camote) then and thought that the Spaniards were asking what they were digging. That was how the group of islands got its name according to local folklore. Camotes is a group of islands composed of four towns of Cebu (Poro, Tudela, Pilar and San Francisco), geographically located east of the province mainland, in between the islands... Read More

More of Malapascua: A Walk, A Beach and A Lighthouse

Good morning Malapascua! I woke up on a sunny Saturday morning with my DIY Coron travel buddies and friends. It was amazing that from our room’s terrace at Blue Coral Hotel, we have a fantastic view of sunrise and sunset. Good morning Malapascua sunrise! We were very thankful for the sun, it was raining hard in the city when we arrived in Cebu, the rain followed us in Malapascua. But the blue sky and the sun showed as we were starting to explore the island. A Walk We had... Read More

Snorkeling in Malapascua

Malapascua, the northernmost island of Cebu known for its long stretch of white sand beaches, is also a haven for scuba divers, thanks to its rich and colorful marine life and the resident Thresher Sharks. Unfortunately, not everyone get a chance to witness its underwater beauty since not everyone can dive. But frown no more, you can still enjoy its vivid marine life through snorkeling. Coral Garden Snorkeling around Malapascua is a fun and cheap way to appreciate and enjoy its... Read More

Weekend Dives in Mactan

My dive buddy Ate Claudia and I had an unexpected first dive trip of the year in the waters of Mactan Island, Lapu Lapu City, Cebu. It was unplanned and spontaneous, a simple “hi” and “hello” exchanges on SMS that ended up looking forward for a day of breathing more than 30 feet underwater. So we ended up one weekend of January in Cebu, thanks to the free accommodation in Mactan courtesy of Hilton Cebu Resorts and Spa, part of my winnings in the Cebu Pacific... Read More

Notes from the 22nd Floor of Hilton Resorts Cebu

I am writing this notes from my current address at the moment, at room 2203 of Hilton Cebu Resorts and Spa, Mactan Island, Lapu Lapu City. I am staying in the highest floor of a five star hotel and the highest establishment in the island, overlooking the city horizon, the beach and the sea. Hello from Hilton Cebu Resorts and Spa It really feels good to have a comfortable bed and pillow in a luxurious room with a great view of the city during an out of town trip. This is in total... Read More