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.

Privacy Policy