With reckless abandon. That’s how I described our trip to El Nido in general. Not much planning was involved. We dove into it even though we had not even found a place to stay. And we pushed through with it even though we were in the middle of a very critical season at work. All we wanted was that feeling [...]

From where I stood, I could see the sun paint the clouds pink as it began to kiss the horizon. The Poor Traveler was walking with friends to the beach and our excitement was just overflowing with each step towards the shore. As the sound of the waves stammering the name of the sea got louder, the thought of watching [...]

Our first day at Anawangin Cove was totally lovely. But the meat of our trip really was the “leaving the cove” part! Murphy seemed to have hopped onto the boat with us. Murphy’s Law was just at work that day, proving just how poor a traveler I was! On the way to check out nearby Capones and Camara Islands, our [...]

When I first saw a picture of Anawangin Cove, I didn’t think it was taken in the Philippines. Primarily because of what looked like pine trees towering on the beach. I used to have this idea that pine trees in the Philippines were all in the highlands. I was so wrong. Anawangin Cove is a perfect proof of many cliches [...]

Let me talk about my college friend Mimay. To be honest, it’s weird that I call her a “college friend.” Although we shared the same batch, same college org and even same classes, we weren’t really close in college, looking back. She was busy doing theater while I was busy being emo. It was after graduation that we really became [...]

I love walking. I think it’s the only form of physical exercise that I do these days. I loved walking in the streets of Hong Kong. And I definitely enjoyed walking around Singapore, especially in the river area. There were just so many places to visit and so much to see. The only problem I had was that I didn’t [...]

Canceled. That was the fate of our plan of visiting the Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park in Basey, Samar. The Basey Tourism Office said it would be too dangerous to travel up the river to the park. The river current was too strong, they said. You see, the park was somewhere inland and the river provides the best access to [...]

It was still dark when our Cebu Pacific Air flight landed at the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport (Tacloban Airport). Quickly we walked through the baggage claim area all the way out of the airport to the parking lot where taxi drivers stood in a straight line while waiting for passengers. Yes, I swear it was a straight line, LOL. Because [...]

I was planning on just devoting one post about Danjugan Island but it seems like I enjoyed my stay so much that a single post cannot contain everything I have to say about our experience. Just explaining why this island is one-of-a-kind made my previous entry too lengthy. So here’s the continuation and on this post, I’ll write about the [...]

There was a knock on the door. It was Arvee, a Punta Bulata staff, informing us that the boat had just arrived, ready to pick us up. “Are you sure it’s safe to go now?” The rain seemed to be getting heavier and the waves stronger. Honestly, my two friends Celine and Ronnie and I had been having second thoughts. [...]

Hidden 156 kilometers south of Bacolod City, Punta Bulata White Beach Resort and Spa is a tropical paradise in Cauayan, Negros Occidental. Cauayan is the municipality just before Sipalay City, which is also very well-known for white beaches. It’s 4 hours away from the city center of Bacolod. You might be asking, “Why do I have to travel 4 hours [...]

This was no ordinary trip. More than anything, this trip was a reunion. My college friends and I had not met one another in years and it was the first time that all of us would be going on a trip together. Needless to say, the trip was bound to be memorable primarily because of the people I was with. [...]

I’m not sure but local folks said that the name Borawan was a portmanteau, a blend of two words — Boracay and Palawan. The island was named so because it possesses white sand similar to that on Boracay and rock formations reminiscent of Palawan’s limestone cliffs. The question is, is the island worthy of its name? Well, I’m not the [...]

Camping isn’t really my thing. Although I was a boy scout back in grade school and high school, I never got used to tents and, well, mosquitoes. I was even an Eagle Scout (the highest rank a boy scout can attain) but really, give me a bedroom with a restroom. My dislike of camping may be coming from the fact [...]

“Where the hell is Frances?” It was 2am and everyone was ready to hop into the van and hit the road. Everyone, that is, except Frances, for whom we were still patiently waiting. “She said she’s on the way. She should be here any second,” said one of my friends. This was no ordinary trip. It was our very first [...]