Exploring the suburb
since 2019

1 destination

NORTHERN MINDANAO

Northern Mindanao is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region X. I have only been to Camiguin Island in this region, but I'm keen to explore more of the region.

5 destinations

CALABARZON

Region 4A Calabarzon. Top 5 places driving distance from Manila Region 4A Calabarzon is a massive region in Southern Luzon that is split into five provinces - Rizal, Laguna, Quezon, Batangas, and Cavite. The capital is Calamba City, which is located in Laguna province. These are arguably the top 5 places driving distance from Manila. It takes no more than about 3-4 hours drive to hit the outermost extremities (which is pretty good going by Philippines standards!). However, a large majority of the places that are worth visiting are well within range for a day trip, and take about 2-3 hours to reach on average. By Philippine standards, is a pretty good achievement. Region 4A the best places close to Manila The region, also referred to as the Southern Tagalog Region by locals, has plenty of places to choose for an affordable romantic getaway near Manila. There are also numerous swimming pool resorts near Manila, especially around the Antipolo area. You can find a cheap beach resort near Manila by traveling to Batangas. If you venture a bit further in south Luzon to Quezon province, you can also find some cheap resorts. Some of the best beaches in Luzon can be found in Calabarzon Region 4A. Batangas has the best beach resorts near Manila Batangas easily has some of the best beach resorts near Manila. This includes Laiya and Calatagan which are both located within driving distance from Manila. Quezon province is a bit further travel but there are some great resorts down there too. Region 4A Calabarzon has plenty of places to satisfy all comers. From beaches and waterfalls, through to volcanoes and caves. From here, we will look at each province and recommend the best places to visit. Most of these places are within about a 3-hour drive from Manila.

13 destinations

WESTERN VISAYAS

Western Visayas - such a diverse region Once upon a time, I was very fortunate to have a job in the mining and exploration industry. This took me to some very remote places in the Philippines. One of these places was in the Western Visayas, most notably, Negros Occidental. The travels in this job took me all around Negros. From Silay (Bacolod airport), through Bacolod City, and all the way down the western coast of Negros. On my journeys, I passed through the main towns of Kabankalan, Sipalay, Hinoba-an, Basay, Bayawan, and down to where Dumaguete is located. Depending on flights and my schedule, sometimes I would even fly into Dumaguete. From there, I would head back up to towards Bacolod. The Hiligaynon "Ilonggo" language The people of Western Visayas speak the dialect of Hiligaynon,  more commonly known as Ilonggo. It is actually spoken by about 11 million people. I remember when I first moved to the Philippines a friend of mine had a wife from the region. She obviously spoke Ilonggo. He described it to me as sounding like a verbal machine gun. After spending so much time in Negros, I think I can say that is one of the most accurate descriptions I have heard of the language. The Southwestern coast of Negros Island has some of the most beautiful scenery. The areas surrounding the municipality of Sipalay is easily my favourite. I spent a considerable amount of time in Sipalay. It never ceased to amaze me how diverse the landscape is in this area. With a land area of over 20,000 square kilometres, the Western Visayas Region has many places to explore by land or sea. There are large bodies of water surrounding the region, with the Sulu Sea to the west and the Visayan Sea to the east. There are also many islands in the region - several hundred in fact. Therefore, island tourism is rapidly on the rise. Island tourism increasing Further to the northeast of Western Visayas region, you have the island of Panay. Panay Island is home to the world-famous Boracay Island. Boracay Island has what is considered to be the best white sand beach not only in the Philippines but arguably the world. Panay is the sixth largest island in the Philippines, and it is also the fourth most populous. It has a total population of around 4.5 million people. Western Visayas has so much to offer on so many levels. Come with me on this journey as I take you through some of the places I have experienced in Western Visayas.

6 destinations

DAVAO REGION

Davao region is a special place Davao region holds a special place in my heart as it is the birthplace of my wife. Our first trip to the Philippines together was in July 1997 and Davao was my first introduction to the Philippines. I was absolutely blown away when we arrived in Davao City for the first time. The heat, the humidity, the chaos, the thousands upon thousands of people, the traffic (mostly jeepneys and tricycles), it was not like anything I had ever seen or experienced before. Where were the white sand beaches and crystal clear blue waters I had been dreaming of? One of my earliest memories was that Davaoeneos had obviously not seen too many “white” people around before. I remember how intimidated I was as they made very little effort to conceal their interest in me. They were blatantly staring at me as I walked past, hiding behind street poles and corners to get a longer look at me. I felt like a freak. It was as if I had five noses growing out of my forehead. Now I know how movie stars feel! My wife found it somewhat amusing and although I got used to it after a while, it was pretty confronting for me in the beginning. Exploring Davao Region Through my in-laws, I have been extremely fortunate to visit parts of Davao region that the average tourist would not get to visit. From shooting ranges, city beaches (not the most pleasant), fish farms, back streets, crocodile farms, banana plantations, native dance performances, cockfighting venues, you name it. Most of this was done on the back of my brother-in-law’s motorbike - without a helmet of course!

1 destination

CARAGA

0 destination

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