Asia and Philippines Travel and LivingAsia and Philippines Travel and LivingTravel blog of the backpacker Tutubi with stories and tips on backpacking,travel and living Philippines, Asia and beyond. 
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Boracay's Postcard-Perfect Diniwid Beach
2008-06-09 16:27:00 Hidden from Boracay 's main White Beach by a cliff, Diniwid Beach is a secluded beach strip that offers more privacy to visitors unlike the crowded White Beach. It's a favorite destination of Europeans if they're not into the windy feel of Bulabog Beach and looking for a homey vacation place.The most prominent landmark of the beach is the exlcusive Nami Private Villas with majestic view of the place and the sea that you also see in postcards.picture of Diniwid Beach with Nami Private Villas in the backgroundit's on this beach where Caucasian tourists stay. at times, you won't feel you're in the Philippines with bikini babes frolicking or just walking on the beachLess commercialized and not crowded, the beach has its share of commercialism, though a simple ambulant vendor of ice creamThis is the recommended beach on Boracay Island that's away from the crowd, yet so near the commercialized place.---Resorts on Diniwid Beach:Nami Private Villas (namiboracay.ph)Microtel Inn & Suite... More About: Beaches , Perfect , Aklan
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Lipa City
2008-06-07 17:27:00 A popular pilgrimage destination south of Metro Manila, Mt. Carmel Church in Lipa, near the Lipa Cathedral attracts pilgrims and curious tourists passing by the city to marvel at rose petals on display that supposedly has images of Mary and Jesus imprinted that date back to 1948Just before going back back to chaotic Manila from Mt. Malarayat, Tutubi and his officemates decided to drop by Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church.Chaos of vehicles trying to get out of the church compound after the 12nn Sunday mass schedule.devotees offer prayers to Mary Mediatrix of All GraceCatholic devotees attribute the images on the rose petals to Mary, who took on the name Our Lady Mediatrix of All Grace, though the Catholic has yet to fully investigate the event of the miraculous rose petals and release an official statement.How to get to Lipa, Batangas :Commute from Manila: Board any bus bound for Batangas City via Tanauan (Not via Calabarzon) in Pasay City (Taft Avenue near corner Gil Puyat Ave (LRT Bue... More About: Churches
Mount Malarayat Golf Course in Lipa City, Batangas
2008-05-31 17:31:00 Always stressed out at work, Tutubi has a part of his job that takes him to seminars outside of the big city four times a year. The latest was a trip to the peaceful surroundings of Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club.Left Makati at around noon and took a late lunch at Rose and Grace Restaurant in Tanauan before going back to enter the Startoll on the way to Lipa City , Tutubi was again excited by his upcoming change in environment beginning with the gates of the playground of the rich and famous in Batangas .the picturesque entrance of Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Clubthe lagoon view outside Tutubi's room with Mt. Malarayat trek in his mind. Wonder where the jump-off point isThe golf course, designed by world-renowned J. Michael Poellet, is a 27 hole, championship golf course. golfers enjoy early morning flight on the green golf courseputting with bunkers, water, and trees offering a unique challengechildren and adults enjoy at the club swimming poolcute ducks queue up going to th... More About: Mount
2nd Blog Anniversary
2008-05-26 16:41:00 Born as Tutubi Patrol on May 26, 2006, re-christened Tutubi Flight Chronicles a few months later, before morphing into Backpacking Philippines and Asia, along with the top level domain name just last January 2008, this blog is still alive and... blogging!Regarding the domain name, Tutubi was surprised to discover such a premium domain still unregistered when he queried domain registries for various top level domain names. It's just testament to the undeveloped backpacking facilities and routes along with lack of information on backpacking underrated Philippines, a segment of tourism unseen on the radar screen of the myopic Department of Tourism focused mainly on the usual tourists and incompetent travel agencies who only know how to book flights and hotel/resort rooms besides processing passport applications and renewals.To update you on all places Tutubi has visited so far, herewith is the new map of Philippines from Lakbayan:map of the Philippines, so many places, so little time.... More About: Anniversary , Blogging , Blog
The Elongated Skulls of the Incas of Peru and Early Filipinos
2008-05-25 16:28:00 Tutubi had a chance to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull for free at Greenbelt myCinema a few days ago. The new "fake" archeology film takes you to Peru in the Incan capital of of Cuzco and yet Tutubi was dismayed when the pyramid shown was modeled from Chichen Itza from Mexico, the easily recognizable structure of Maya n civilization, and not of Machu Picchu, the authentic Inca city in Peru. It seems the makers of this film, including the director Steven Spielberg, didn't do their homework right by mixing Incan and Mayan architecture.free movie poster from the official websiteAnd how does this post relate to the Philippines?Well, the movie used the elongated skulls of the Incas of Peru were depicted as skulls of aliens made of crystal, related to rumored aliens of Roswell in New Mexico. The elongated skulls were actually made by ancient Incas by binding the heads of infants similar to pre-colonial Filipinos ' practice of cranial deformation of the temporal lobe... More About: Early
Unaccompanied Minor Fees/Charges
2008-05-24 16:46:00 Whenever Tutubi hears of kids flying solo, he remembers the romantic film Sleepless in Seattle, starring Tom Hanks (Sam) and Meg Ryan (Annie), where Sam's son Jonah flew alone to New York to meet Annie to realize his wish for his lonely daddy.That's the movies where almost every rule can be broken for "cinematic effect."In reality, you need to know the rules and the law before before your kid flies on an airline alone. Usually, you need to pay additional fees for the service as well the law of the destination country.For unaccompanied minor children below fifteen traveling to the Philippines alone or without a parent, be aware of the (stupid) Waiver of Exclusion Ground contained in an old Commonwealth Act 613 (that should be repealed, Tutubi thinks). More information on WEG below from one official Philippine Embassy website:"WAIVER OF EXCLUSION GROUND (WEG) FOR UNACCOMPANIED MINOR CHILDREN(12) Children under fifteen years of age, unaccompanied by or not coming to a parent, except ... More About: Fees , Filipinas , Minor
The Virgin Beach of Calaguas Island
2008-05-24 12:02:00 After a hearty lunch of laing, a Bicol specialty of taro leaves in coconut milk and chili, and grilled yellow fin tuna in Apuao Grande Island , Tutubi and his group "sailed" on for more than two hours to reach their desired destination that fueled the whole tour of Camarines Norte: the virgin beach of Calaguas Island. The journey was long even made worse by the not so placid water of the Philippine Sea with sightings of small islands with rolling hills and small patches of white sand beaches visible from afar, but the distance and time was immaterial to the ultimate quest was at hand. There are many islands belonging to Calaguas group of islands but the main island has the longest white sand beach of them all that locals call Mahabang Buhangin (literally long sand, translate loosely as Long Beach ). Upon setting foot on Mahabang Buhangin, the fine white sand of the beach is truly something to behold. The sand is as fine, if not finer than the powdery white sand of Bora, and also n... More About: Beaches , Virgin , Filipinas
Bicol Cuisine ala Survivor Philippines
2008-05-19 16:45:00 Cooking the Bicolano style is not complete without the ubiquitous coconut and chili. During the Camarines tour, Tutubi and his friends were again introduced to authentic cuisine of the Bicol region using fresh catch from the sea bought from local fishermen.Simple Bicol dishes are made from traditional recipes with the two earlier mentioned key ingredients: coconut milk and chiliTutubi, took too long doing something that he wasn't able to take a photo of the coconut being pried open and grated the old-fashined way using a kudkuran (coconut grater). He was only able to capture the on "film" grated coconut being milkedtraditional way of milking coconut done on a remote island. notice also kalabasa (squash) being cut into piecescoconut milk put into a skillet then brought to a boil the victim...err..main ingredient of lunch: a still alive crab with pincers tied together coconut milk mixed with crabs, sliced squash, large green chili and other ingredients Tutubi wasn't able to keep tab... More About: Philippines , Survivor , Cuisine , Filipino food
Bicol: Apuao Grande Island Resort
2008-05-12 18:01:00 On the second day of Tutubi's Camarines Norte Tour the took him and his friends to Daet, Mampurog River and Bagasbas Beach, the group then hied off to the town of Mercedes ' fish port, called pandawan by the locals to baord a rented boat and go island hopping.There were several islands with visible white sand beaches and interesting rock formations along the way but the group's mainly headed to an abandoned resort on Apuao Grande Island with sandbar, mangrove forests, nine-hole golf course and the adjacent Apuao Pequeña Island.one of the tropical huts on the resort island you can rent for P2500/night good for 15 persons.the virgin beach of Apuao Pequeña IslandSimilar to Anawangin's beach lined with agoho (an evergreen species of trees that look like pine trees), Apuao Grande Island, one of several islands belonging to the so called Mercedes group of islands, has beaches without the dangerous undercurrent of Anawangin.the Bantay Dagat boat, with markings BFAR-BDP-2806, that ferri... More About: Beaches , Resort
Sun, Sand and Surf on Bagasbas Beach
2008-05-09 16:29:00 After a the brief "cooling down" in Mampurog River, Tutubi and his friends trouped to the beach of Bagasbas for some "beachy" fun. It's Tutubi's second time on the beach being touted as one of the best surfing beach for beginners. The local surfing school offers surfing classes for those who wanted to learn the rudiments of the exciting water sport. Bagasbas beach's long stretch of fine gray sand with waves good for newbie surfers. Men undergoing lifeguard training ala Baywatch one of the rare times Tutubi saw a surfer on a surfboard for a brief photo opportunity soon-to-be lifeguards playing Ultimate Frisbee on the beach After the mandatory picture taking and mingling with the friendly locals who even lent the group their surfboards for photo opportunity, a hearty "dinner" ensued at K Sarap restaurant and went grocery shopping in preparation for the major event of the trip to a secluded beach i.e. touted as better than Bora... How to get there: Bagasbas Beach is just a t... More About: Surf , Surfing , Philippines , Beaches
The Cool Water of Mampurog River
2008-05-09 15:31:00 After resting for a while and preparing for lunch in Daet, Tutubi and his friends rode a tricycle to the terminal of San Lorenzo Ruiz-bound jeepneys. The road to Club Noah, the name of the resort on the banks of Mampurog River , was filled with potholes and very rural looking.the sign of Club Noah prominently displayed on the Daet-Mampurog road with rates and telephone numbersAfter a few minutes of soaking in the cold water of the rocky stream and few photo opportunities, decided to eat lunch, again took pictures then hurried off to ride the jeepney back to Daet's famous Bagasbas Beach.the cold water of the river, actually just a sapa (stream), is a favorite of locals for picnics and escape from the searing summer suna common site in the Philippines: men drinking while soaking in rivers and lakeson the exit trail of Club NoahNext pitstop: Bagasbas BeachA similar resort, named Sinagtala resort, can also be found in the town of Labo, also a jeepney ride away from Daet. More About: Cool , Water , Rivers
Daet: the Gateway to the Bicol Region
2008-05-04 15:57:00 A mention of Daet to Tutubi will bring back memories of pancit bato and pineapples besides Bagasbas Beach and the first monument of Jose Rizal, remembrances of his first tour of Bicol region during Holy Week of 2003 that took him as far as Naga City (home of the Penafrancia), Legaspi City (Mayon Volcano and Cagsawa ruins) and Donsol (an unplanned trip to see the whale sharks).This time, he returned to Daet, again guided by his close friend, a local from Camarines Norte's capital town, for a long-planned tour of the province, once slated last month, but pushed through recently, to accommodate Tutubi's friends who can't join on the earlier date.Met up at Superlines bus terminal for the 930pm trip (the second of only trips to Daet, the first one is at 9pm), the trip was marred by a flat tire that made the duration of the commute to almost nine hours on the zigzag road (not Bitukang Manok) and arrived in Daet at seven in the morning.The group had pancit bato and binamban (a cassava d... More About: Gateway , Region
Mount Luho View Point , Boracay
2008-04-28 15:31:00 Usually out of the radar screen of most tourists in Boracay , the island's highest peak, Mt. Luho, offers adventurers to an easy to moderate trek/climb and offer a panoramic view of the island. A view deck made of bamboo is available at the peak for an unobstructed view.the Mt. Luho sign at the entrance with concrete steps that leads to the summitsigns also in Korean signifying presence of Koreans on Boracay IslandAn entrance fee of P50 is required for all visitors. The park also has a mini-zoo where you can find the rare and critically endangered Philippine Eagle (one of the largest raptors on the planet that Tutubi would love to see in the wild instead of a constricting cage), bayawak (monitor lizard), several pythons, birds, alamid/musang (civet or wild cat) and a monkey who loves to look at himself on a mirror.a view of Alta Vista de Boracay, a high-end condominium development near Fairways and Bluewater Golf course and Puka beachpicture of Ilig-iligan beach with secluded cov... More About: Mountains , View , Aklan , Point
Ploning's Cuyo Island in Palawan
2008-04-27 15:31:00 Having an incurable disease called wanderlust and insatiable appetite for art films (where he eagerly awaits schedules of CineEuropa, Eiga Sai and other film festivals), Tutubi was already setting his sights on isolated Cuyo Island group in Palawan when he heard about the movie Ploning co-produced by Judy Ann Santos , endeared as Juday by Pinoys, with the teaser trailer released showing location shots in Cuyo.Cuyo is actually a group of 45 isolated islands part of the province of Palawan and yet too far from any land, between Palawan and Mindoro. The island lacks tourist facilities although there's said to be an inn and pension house, no pricey resorts and hotels that cater to mainstream tourists. There are said to be a few European retirees living on the island cherishing a slow paced life away from the rest of the world.Ploning movie review to follow should Tutubi get to see the flick and no, this is not an advertisement for the movie :PCuyo Travel Information:Cuyo town is home to...
Taal Volcano via Talisay Batangas
2008-04-24 17:17:00 Taal Volcano , one of the Philippines' 22 active volcanoes inside the so called Pacific Ring of Fire, usually marveled at from Tagaytay City by people trying to escape the heat of Metro Manila, is in itself a tourist destination for adventurers looking for a different high by hiking/trekking to the crater lake within Taal lake which is actually a crater of a big caldera.A few weeks after their company outing, Tutubi and his officemates went to Tagaytay for another outing at an officemates bahay kubo (native hut) near Southridge.A mini-feast ensued followed by brief rest before hieing off to nearby Talisay down the ridge, checked out properties for sale at Taal View Heights Country Homes gated community, went for a visit at the Buena Vista Nature Park and Country Club (near Tagaytay Highlands) and swam at the club's swimming pool.view of volcanic island from Taal View HeightsOn the return to Tagaytay, stopped for a brief photo opportunity at the view deck of Laeuna de Taal before go... More About: Batangas , Taal
"Koh Lanta" "Survivor-France" Shooting in Caramoan Peninsula, Camarines Sur
2008-04-24 14:13:00 In his perpetual search of unspoiled beaches, "off the beaten track" destinations and pristine spots in the Philippines, Tutubi has been secretly planning to a much raved about place by backpackers and landscape photographers with their images of picture-perpect Caramoan Peninsula in the Bicol province of Camarines Sur . His plan was halted and probably re-scheduled for next year due to a news item by the Philippine Daily Inquirer about the ongoing location shoot of Survivor -France held in a highly secretive deal that involved declaring the famous Gota Beach as closed due to massive development and construction. Even Camarines Sur's official website had the same declaration that the place is currently closed.Of cordoning off of tourist spots, there has been buzz lately generated by fellow travelers about the closure of Kayangan Lake in Coron, Calamian Islands, Palawan to give way to the shoot of GMA Kapuso's Dyesebel (the nth incarnation of the classic komiks mermaid character by ... More About: Shooting
Curacha Encounter at La Vista del Mar
2008-04-20 15:35:00 Due to Tutubi's insistence, he was able to persuade his officemates to eat out at the famed La Vista del Mar restaurant on the seafront of Zamboanga City due to information from their driver that they also offer Zamboanga's sought after curacha, a certain species of sea crab endemic in the waters around Zamboanga peninsula.Going to the place from Garden Orchid Hotel was quite a long drive since it's quite far. Checkpoints were everywhere and security was tight due to the presence of American troops participating in the Balikatan (shoulder to shoulder) exercise, a military exercise between US and Philippine soldiers.the vinta-lined tables of La Vista del MarPicture of La Vista del Mar's last remaining curacha as shown by the waiter on a basin. The curacha is a crustacean found only in the area around Zamboanga peninsula.the underside of curacha with legs that look like crabs and lobstersCuracha is the Chavacano word for the crustacean that looks like a crossbreed between a large... More About: Restaurants , Seafood , Encounter
Boracay Lake Town Bar and Restaurant
2008-04-16 16:48:00 A lake near Boracay 's main road and near the alley of D'Mall lies Boracay Lake Town Bar and Restaurant that got Tutubi's curiosity due to the good location and the presence, of course, of a lake with its green water.Didn't get to peek inside the restaurant but the Boracay Times has an advertisement of the place.Lake Town Bar and Restaurant, Shows, Nightclub6pm to 9pm Mongolian Barbeque dinner with Ati-atihan showreservations 036.288.5897How to get there:location on Boracay's main road, walking distance from White Beach near D'MallRelated Posts:Mt. LuhoTalipapa MarketKiteboardingBoracay White BeachBackpacking BoracayTechnorati Tags: Boracay Lake Town
Boracay: D'Talipapa Fresh Seafood Market
2008-04-14 15:26:00 Most friends and officemates of Tutubi when asked about Boracay will answer it's expensive there particularly food but when asked where they eat, they'll always answer they eat out at various restaurants on the beachfront, hence the pricey and touristy price tags.Tutubi will share his recommended "cheap place to eat" in Boracay particularly fresh seafood at a price much less than those in beachfront restaurants a few meters away D'Talipapa, located near Station 2 and walking distance from White Beach particularly near Boracay Courtyard, Sunset Beach Resort and Culpepper Lodge, is a public market where you can buy souvenirs, vegetables, meat, and other food items at a low price. There's also a service called "paluto" where you can buy your own ingredients, mostly seafood, fish and meat and have them cooked for you for a small fee based on "per kilo" price similar to Manila's Dampa and Seaside buy-your-ingredients-and-we'll-cook-them- for-you paluto system.Boracay's D'Talipapa ... More About: Market , Seafood , Aklan , Fresh
Minani: Paete's Unique Street Food
2008-04-08 16:29:00 It was mentioned countless of times in this blog about minani in Paete but no picture nor description of it was ever posted here so for your appreciation, Tutubi would like to share one of his favorite snacks you can buy only on the narrow streets of Paete: the minani Minani, in Tagalog, means made like mani (peanuts) and aptly describes the way people of Paete prepare cassava (kamoteng kahoy) More About: Food , Street , Unique
Exotic Kape Alamid (Kopi Luwak), Anyone?
2008-04-05 17:06:00 For eons now, Tutubi has been yearning to again sample the famous kape alamid raved about by mainstream media until an accidental meet up with friends at Kape Kesada during Holy Week when Kape Kesada's affable owner suggested sampling his new offering: the exotic kape alamid. After brewing the gourmet coffee, Tutubi egged the others unfamiliar to kape alamid to sample the coffee first, comment More About: Kopi Luwak
Paete: Kape Kesada Art Gallery
2008-04-03 17:01:00 Located on Paete's main road Quesada St, Kape Kesada is a house made from salvaged parts of old houses, brainchild of a dentist and a patron of Paete's budding artists. It's an exhibit venue for artists, mostly painters and sculptors, some of whom already carving a niche of their own or just starting to market their art creations. Kape Kesada, an art gallery, is an artwork in itself with the More About: Gallery , Art Gallery
Boracay Kitesurfing, Kiteboarding and Windsurfing
2008-03-31 15:29:00 Ask many Filipinos a place they've been to or wanting to go to and most likely it'll be Boracay . Ask people who've been to Boracay if they've visited Bulabog Beach and majority will say-- nay! Tutubi's trip to Boracay is actually his first but imagine the amazement of Tutubi's companions who've been to Boracay for 2 or 3 times and yet were astonished at the sight of the "secret" beach Tutubi
Holy Week in Paete, Laguna
2008-03-28 14:58:00 Tutubi spent his Holy Week break not on the crowded beaches or some secluded place but in his hometown, Paete in Laguna . He reached home by braving a 4.5 hour drive with heavy traffic typical of long weekends and holidays. (this is rush post so excuse the errors...for editing later) A Guide to Holy Week in Paete (for those wishing to witness it next year) Palm Sunday/Linggo ng Palaspas/Domingo
Kapamilya's Umagang Kay Ganda in Boracay
2008-03-23 13:24:00 Day 2 of Tutubi's Boracay with a blast, ABS-CBN's early morning show Umagang Kay Ganda was present in Boracay with live telecast in front of La Carmela de Boracay at Station 2. This confirmed the news that they've a shoot there when Rica Peralejo was with Tutubi from Caticlan Airport on her way to La Carmela the all too familiar boracay sand castle in front of La Carmela de Boracay Resort Hotel
Boracay Island: Picture Perfect Paradise!
2008-03-17 14:43:00 Arrived at Caticlan airport on a Cebu Pacific flight and checked in at Boracay Court Yard, Tutubi and friends set out to walk on Boracay's famous (and much too touristy) White Beach famous for it's powdery white sand, and azure water. Picture s of Boracay: One of the top ten beaches in the World by Yahoo Travel in 2007: White Beach in Front of La Carmela de Boracay Resort Hotel Station 2 More About: Island , Paradise , Boracay Island
Cebu Pacific Flights to Caticlan (Boracay)
2008-03-16 14:09:00 Cebu Pacific 's new direct flights from Manila to Caticlan and Cebu to Caticlan is now live. From Caticlan, the world famous beaches of Boracay is just a short boat ride away. Last December, Tutubi availed of the famous Piso Fare of Cebu Pacific to get low cost, short travel time to Boracay Island. He came to explore Boracay Island's hidden wonders the usual visitors of the Philippines' most More About: Flights , Cebu
Nuestra Señora del Pilar and Fort Pilar Museum
2008-03-13 14:52:00 With his limited time to explore Asia's Latin City i.e. Zamboanga City, Tutubi set out to visit interesting places the city has to offer. He was able to reach Fort Pilar by walking from Universidad de Zamboanga,past City Hall and Lantaka Hotel to the old stone fort. the stone walls of Fort Pilar: Manila has Fort Santiago, Cebu and Iloilo both have Fort San Pedro, Cavite City has Fort San Felipe, More About: Museum
Jardin Maria Clara Lobregat in Pasonanca
2008-03-11 14:35:00 Flower pictures and exotic butterfly at Jardin Maria Clara L. Lobregat in Pasonanca Park, Zamboanga City where flowers are in bloom and a butterfly farm is also located the sign in front of the garden the gumamela, or hibiscus, incidentally, is the national flower of Malaysia a lantana, common in exotic butterfly gardens as source of nectar a black butterfly called Common Mormon (not sure
The "Lost" Sheep of Camp Atilano
More articles from this author:2008-03-06 14:45:00 As soon as Tutubi was able to check in at Garden Orchid Hotel and secured a tourism brochure, he boarded a tricycle to Pasonanca Park. It was a miscalculation since the road going to the park was sloping uphill that made it difficult to traverse. Ended up doing quite a trek going to the first visible part of Pasonanca Park: Camp Jose Atilano which is a popular camp site by the Boy Scouts of the More About: Lost , Sheep 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
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