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Tagaytay is not exactly near Metro Manila, specially considering the added traffic brought about by the South Luzon Expressway [re]construction, and anyone must have a darn good reason to go up there. When somebody invited us to try Massimo’s, saying this “hidden” restaurant serves great Italian food, I figured that it’s reason enough to go back to Tagaytay. Continue Reading »

It’s probably one of the foods I’ve came to know after milk and infant food. In our place where the sea is just around the corner, kinilaw is usually present at the dining table, and no beach occasion or drinking session is complete without it. In “Kinilaw: a Philippine Cuisine of Freshness” (1991), Edilberto N. Alegre and Doreen G. Fernandez deliciously described kinilaw in this manner: Continue Reading »

The Ocean Adventure is a marine park located at Camayan Wharf, West Alanin Forest Area, Subic Bay Freeport Zone (incidentally, Subic is a former U.S. military base in the Philippines). It has dolphins, whales and sea lions in their natural habitat. There are a number of scheduled shows, including this dolphin show that we were able to catch just in time: Continue Reading »

If you’re planning to travel to the Philippines, and we hope you are, there may be certain helpful information that you might want to know about this archipelagic nation composed of 7,107 islands. We shall be discussing these tips and reminders in this category from time to time. Continue Reading »

While it may sound like an exotic location somewhere in Hawaii, Kalui is actually a restaurant located in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. It’s really not much to look at from the outside, but wait till you get inside. The paintings and art installations, coupled with the cool lights and local-themed interior, create a perfect ambiance. You could choose to sit on the floor and eat with your hands, which we did, and you won’t even notice that there are also other people eating there. Everything else is immaterial — just you, the place and the food. Continue Reading »

They say that when you play with fire, you’ll get burned, something which is true literally and figuratively speaking. When you’re in Boracay, you’ll have plenty of chance to see other people play with fire. Continue Reading »

Quick! Where is the Sinulog festival celebrated every third Sunday of January? Manila Bay, it’s not. The Sinulog festival is celebrated in Cebu City, but I just have to check if you’re familiar with Manila Bay. Continue Reading »

“Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. In the book, “Shangri-La” is a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains. Shangri-La has become synonymous with any earthly paradise but particularly a mythical Himalayan utopia—a permanently happy land, isolated from the outside world. The word also evokes the imagery of exoticism of the Orient. The story of Shangri-La is based on the concept of Shambhala, a mystical city in Tibetan Buddhist tradition.” Impressive write-up, but that’s courtesy of Wikipedia. Continue Reading »

I find it hard to write about Baguio, so maybe it’s best to treat each Baguio destination separately in each post, rather than one long continuous discussion. This post will serve as the anchor, the first among the series of posts about the City of Pines, the Summer Capital of the Philippines, or simply, Baguio City. Continue Reading »

If you’re travelling to the Philippines, you’ll definitely come across the terms probinsiya and probinsiyano. Probinsiya is defined as a “part of a country at a distance from the capital; a big regional division of a country” (see Tagalog Dictionary). It’s equivalent to the Filipino term lalawigan. A probinsiyano, on the other hand, is someone from the probinsiya. Continue Reading »

With sustained daily stress on the job, relaxation is important. There are a number of options to relax, one of which is having a good, soothing whole body massage. One of the recommended spas is the Nurture Spa, located in Tagaytay City. Continue Reading »

I never had much chance to travel while studying, at least not as much compared to the time when I was already working. Villa Escudero is one of the exceptions, a place I first visited at the height of the bar exams review. Continue Reading »

I’ve heard about Plantation Bay, but I didn’t know what’s inside it. It was only when we went there that I learned about its man-made waterways. According to the Plantation Bay website: “Set in 11.4 hectares of secluded grounds yet only 30 minutes from downtown Cebu City, Plantation Bay offers one of the largest privately-owned waterways in the world, with the clean elegance of colonial-plantation architecture. Continue Reading »

Eat anything edible. This is probably one of the tips taught in Subic jungle survival course. I can eat almost anything, except, well, many vegetables. Still, this doesn’t stop me from appreciating good food, specially those with good prices and ambiance. Continue Reading »