LAKWATSA

One year ago, I discovered this new destination in Ilocos Norte. I wrote about and was featured in the December 2007 issue of People Asia Magazine. Here it is . . .   SITIO REMEDIOS: A STEP BACK IN TIME   “Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makararating sa kanyang paroroonan.” (He who does not look back from where he came from will not reach his destination.) A Philippine Proverb. Time-locked Ilocos Norte is blessed with impressive and magnificent architectural landmarks such as the world ... Read More

I have recently arrived from an exhilarating 11-day sojourn. For eleven days, we hopped between 3 countries: from Philippines to Thailand (en route to Kathmandu and back), to Nepal, back to the Philippines and on to Bohol province. In this trip, our “new-found sport” of “hotel and resort-hopping” (tee hee!) have been put to the test once more. It took us hopping between a total of 9 hotels and resorts combined in the 3 countries. Will post a detailed entry soon. But for now, ... Read More

On our last day in Dumaguete, we checked out early from Antulang Beach Resort and drove to The Forest Camp to check out their facilities. Owned by the Vicunas [ Florante & Melba ], Forest Camp is located eleven kilometers west of Dumaguete in Valencia Town. The 2.2-hectare facility is an oasis of natural wonders and offers the best in outdoor experiences like nature and adventure treks to Casaroro and Mount Talinis, camping, and horseback riding among others. Apart from two large nipa guesthouses, ... Read More

It has been fifteen years since my first and last trip to the southern part of the country. In June 1991, when a product development assignment in Catbalogan, Samar, came to an end, I embarked on a backpacking trip that would take me further down south to the Visayan and Mindanao islands. I started my journey by crossing the San Juanico Bridge to Tacloban, Leyte. However, the calamitous eruption of Mount Pinatubo prevented me from continuing with my adventure. Since then, I ... Read More