The Charming Cities of Iloilo

The Philippines is filled with a bevy of beaches that are wonderful and world-famous (think Boracay), but the real charm is in the small towns that no one visits, not even Filipinos touring in their own country. My friend and I decided to visit Iloilo because the Guimaras was nothing like it was marketed to …

Sugar Beach: Not the “Next Boracay”—Better

Nearly every nice beach in the Philippines is billed as the “next Boracay” and Sugar Beach was no exception. Fortunately, it was nothing like Boracay, except perhaps beautiful. Sugar Beach was isolated, calm and relaxing. Unlike Boracay, it isn’t really “discovered” yet, so it’s far more enjoyable and affordable. Getting to Sugar Beach is no …

Palawan: The Last Frontier of the Philippines

Palawan is marketed by the Filipino tourism board as the “Last Frontier” of the Philippines. Situated out in the Sulu Sea and at least an hour flight from Luzon, the Visayas or Mindanao, it really does seem like the last frontier of the Philippines. Palawan seemed very different from the rest of the Philippines. Puerto …

I finally made it to the Philippines

I’ve been trying to visit the Philippines for several years. I even bought tickets a couple of times in the past. Something usually came up that prevented me from going (that something was usually work). I was chatting with a friend about how I really wanted to go and she said she did too, so …