
Welcome to Travel-Philippines.com
This site features independent information and suggestions for travel in the Philippines and may be useful as a supplementary travel guide, especially if you are traveling to Northern Luzon or Palawan. I am in Palawan at the moment so that information is being updated constantly. Click on "LOCATIONS" above if you would like to see a list of the destinations covered by this web site.
Latest Articles for 2009
Palawan.
Nov 16, 2009
This article gives a brief introduction to Palawan with an
overview of many of its main attractions. There are
suggestions for travel routes, itineraries and modes of
transport. The information should be useful for both the
overseas and Filipino tourists.
Philippines Weather and Typhoons.
Nov 1, 2009
This Philippines weather article includes a live image from the US
Navy website which will give you the earliest warning of a possible typhoon
formation. I click on this link every day. If I am somewhere where there
is no internet connection, I will usually ask a friend to click on the
link and let me know of any possible typhoons. The article also includes
general weather information about the Philippines. The year 2009 has
been a particularly bad year for typhoons (tropical cyclones) in the
Philippines and the resulting flooding and landslides have been the
worst for some 50 years. Advanced information about a typhoon will give
you time to change your itinerary.
El Nido.
Sept 26, 2009
The recent boom in tourism has brought many changes to El Nido so I have completely rewritten this article. The good news is that
El Nido has not lost its "paradise" character as a consequence and it is still a great, if not better, island hopping holiday destination. There is now a greater variety of accommodation, more choices of restaurants and more live music.
There are also more activities available such as sea kayaking, wind
surfing, mountain biking and motor bike and 4 wheel drive car rental. I have added an ecotourism angle to the article to reflect and acknowledge the positive steps that the local community has taken to protect their environment.
Sagada, Mountain Province. July 22, 2009
This major update of the Sagada information comes after my 10 day visit in June. Reviews of new accommodation have been added and there is more information for Filipinos, who now make up the majority of the Sagada tourists.
Sagada is still one of my very favorite places in the Philippines, which is why I go there about four time a year.
Baragatan Festival Pictures. July 6, 2009
This festival is held yearly and runs for the whole month of June. The
highlight of the 2009 festival was the Jun 23rd dance performances by
the 7 participating municipalities of Palawan. The nearly 100 pictures
in this article show the extraordinary costumes, makeup and performances
of these young people. What struck me most was the gaiety of the event
and the energy that the performers put into their dances. The
videos of the event are now being uploaded and can be viewed here - Baragatan Festival Videos
Palawan - Updated
June 26, 2009
All of the Palawan information is currently being rewritten as I am
currently traveling around the island. The following have been updated
so far - Puerto Princesa
- Sabang and the
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park - Port Barton . More to come soon... A couple of videos of Puerto
Princesa Baywalk have also been added.
Coron,
Palawan. March 4, 2009
Coron, with a population of about 40,000, is the largest city on the
Island of Busuanga, which is in the province of Palawan. My Coron
holiday was during the peak season - Christmas day, December 25,
2008 to Jan2, 2009. The highlights of this holiday were sea
kayaking, which I had
never done before, eating great food every night, watching the stunningly
beautiful ocean sunsets, relaxing in the Maquinit Hot Springs and snorkeling
around the islands. Coron is becoming a popular destination because
it is only 3/4 hours from Manila and it is now serviced by 4 airline
companies.
Camping at Buasao (again)
- Mountain Province. Updated
January 27, 200
You are not going to find Buasao on any map, or any reference to it
anywhere. It is located somewhere in the common-land border region near
where Mountain Province, Abra and Kalinga borders meet in the Cordilleras
of central Luzon. I camped here, under the stars, for three days over
the Easter long weekend in 2004. Updated to include my experiences
of a second trip on January 19-21, 2009.
Latest Articles for 2008
Central Luzon - Rice
terraces and mountains - Updated 31st
May
Luzon is the major Island of the Philippines and includes the capital
city of Manila. Central Luzon covers the rugged mountain range called
the Cordillera, which has been home to the "Igorot" people for over
2000 years. This is where you get spectacular scenery plus an ancient
culture, all-in-one. This update includes a new section
on Bangaan village near Banaue and the section on Sagada has been completely
rewritten.
Banaue Rice Terraces | Batad Rice Terraces | Bangaan Village | Bontoc | Sagada | Tinglayan | Baguio
Latest Articles for 2005
Palawan - Updated 23rd January
Palawan is a large Island at the west of the Philippines. It stretches
down almost to Borneo. It is sparsely populated and is famous for some
of its stunning seascapes, especially those near the town of El Nido.
Near Sabang is the world heritage listed St. Paul's Underground River,
renamed the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. This is
a major tourist attraction, and rightly so.
Palawan | Puerto Princesa | Sabang | Cacnipa Island | Port Barton | El Nido
Latest Articles for 2004
GPS Tracks and Waypoints - 20th April
This is a selection of tracks and waypoints
that I have been collecting over several years. They specifically relate
to the places mentioned here on our website. I have a very compact Garmin
Etrex Vista GPS, which I carry with me on all of my outings. It has
been very useful on the many occasions when I have got lost, especially
in the maze of the rice terraces. I also find it interesting to know
where I am in relationship to other places, how far I have walked or
what altitude I am at. Many more tracks and waypoints to to follow soon.
Tacks & Waypoints | Palawan GPS | Central Luzon GPS
Articles for 2003
Pahiyas festival - The Feast of San Isidro de Labrador -14th December
The Feast of San Isidro Labrador, patron saint of the farmers,
is celebrated each year on the 15th of May. The most famous of these
harvest festivals is in Lucban, a town situated about 2 hours (depending
on traffic) south east of Manila. Janet, Michael and friend Robert did
the day trip by car and thoroughly enjoyed the festival's visual beauty.
The pictures speak for themselves.
Philippines
books - What's on my bookshelf - 12th
October
My bookshelf of Philippines books - reading material that you may want
to consider taking or reading before your Philippines' holiday. They
are arranged in order of favorite and/or usefulness. I enjoy reading
about Philippines culture, anthropology and history.
Donsol - Encounters with Whale
Sharks - 22nd April
Donsol is a small, coastal fishing town, 600km from Manila, on the southwest
coast of Luzon. From about February to May every year, the surrounding
waters are frequented by Whale Sharks.