Trends and Spots

(Bararing,Cuyo, Palawan. Photo from cuyonon/Dante Garcia) When the sun sets in perfection at the horizon of Sulu Sea, the archipelago of the Cuyo Islands up north is a golden scene to behold! Cuyo archipelago consists of 40 islands and islets. Unlike other beautiful archipelagos, Cuyo is still unspoiled and less discovered. Peace is an ultimate friend in this part of the world. The most popular island in Cuyo is the Pamalican Island where the world-class resort Amanpulo is located. Amanpulo is a very exclusive getaway resort spread on the 89-hectare Island of Pamalican. Fishing and socking is prohibited in Pamalican as it was declared as a marine sanctuary. The island has a magnificent white sand beach with a must-experience weather and terrain. South of Cuyo is the village of namesake with a 17th century fort built by the Spaniards to protect early inhabitants from Moro pirates. The high stone walls protect a church, convent and a chapel. Cuyo archipelago is a tapestry of earth colors...

(Photo from flicker) Simply divine! Mouth-watering, crunchy, savory, spicy and gloriously delicious original pizzas can only be found at Armando’s Pizza at Camalig ! Located at the heart of Angeles City, Armando’s Pizza is housed in old grain storage ( camalig ) that dates back to 1840. No other pizza house in the country can match Armando’s genius in concocting its own pizza favorites using native ingredients such as such as salted egg ( ebun buru ), smoked fish ( tinapa ), and processed meat ( longganisa ). The rich history of the old Camalig makes the pizza experience more overwhelming and heavenly. Armando’s Pizza at Camalig is not only known for its original thin crust pizzas but also for its advocacy in promoting environmental awareness. It is the only pizza store in the Philippines and possibly all over the world which uses bilao, a native flat round container made of bamboo originally used by the old Kapampangans in preparing food especially rice. Armando’s Pizza owner Marc Nep...

The Philippine Tarsier or Tarsius syrichta is now considered highly endangered specie. Its name is derived from the mammal’s tarsal bones which enable it to leap from tree to tree at lasteral distances up to 3 meters. Tarsiers can be traced from the Eocene era some 45 million years ago. Today, they can only be found in few places around the world and this includes the Philippines. In the country, there are said to be three races of a single specie and can be found in Samar and Leyte (T. philippensis), Bohol (T. fraterculus), and Mindanao (T. carbonarius). The other remaining species can be found in Borneo (Tarsius bancanus), Sumatra, the spectral tarsier (Tarsius spectrum), the lesser spectral tarsier or pygmy tarsier (Tarsius pumilus), and Dian's tarsier (Tarsius dianae) of Sulawesi, Indonesia. The pygmy tarsier, by the way, is considerably smaller than the Philippine tarsier. Tarsiers are primarily insectivorous and mostly weigh 70-160 grams and grows 10-15 cm excluding tail. To ...

(Photo from caramoanisland) Swimming, trekking, camping, mountain biking, rock climbing, snorkeling, spelunking, star gazing, island hopping and more fun under the sun! Visit the virgin islands of Caramoan, a secret paradise in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. ‘Survivor France,’ a franchise of the well-known reality show Survivor taped its 28-day show in this magnificent pool of islets by the bay near the Philippine Sea. The place has attracted more tourists since and now being seen as the next Boracay! The Caramoan Coast is very accessible and can be reached by land from the town proper.

(Photo from airportdirecttravel ) Grab your beach bag and book a flight to one of the best tropical countries in the south eastern coast of Africa! Dominantly French, the island of Mauritius is best for nature-lover, sea divers, beach buffs and bikers. Discover a large variety of tropical fruit trees, endemic and exotic flowers and simply have fun touring the island. Mauritius is a very historical place with a fusion of different cultures and religions like Hindus, Creole, Chinese, Muslims and Europeans. Flights to Mauritius are scheduled almost everyday to and from all the major cities in Europe including 15 combined flights with Air France to and from Paris. Top European airline British Airways flies to Mauritius four times a week. Mauritius is located approximately 2000 kilometres to the south eastern coast of Africa and lies east of Madagascar on 20°5, 57.5E. It has about 330 kilometer of coastline. For tourists, it is very important to have a valid passport and a homeward ticket. ...