Batangas

Buceo Anilao Beach & Dive Resort: An Underwater Photographer’s Paradise

Posted on July 4, 2017

The birthplace of scuba diving in the Philippines, Anilao in Batangas province has been luring divers from all over the world since the 1960s. Every square meter of this diving destination — only a two-hour drive south of Manila — explodes with a plethora of marine life, the undersea counterpart of the frenetic metropolis. After all, these warm tropical waters belong to the Verde Island Passage, the strait separating the islands of Luzon and Mindoro, where conservationists have found the richestRead More→

5 Great Reasons Why Puesto del Sol in Calatagan, Batangas Should Be Your Next Manila Escape

Posted on August 22, 2016

Working and living in Metro Manila can take a toll on your sanity, so it’s always a wise and wonderful decision to take a much-deserved break from the chaotic metropolis to rest and recharge your embattled spirit. Less than a three-hour drive away from the city, Puesto del Sol is a private retreat in Calatagan, Batangas that beckons weekend warriors. Here are five great reasons why this low-key resort makes for a perfect getaway from Metro Manila with your family or friends:Read More→

Balayan, Batangas: Heritage Tour of the Immaculate Conception Church and Ancestral Houses

Posted on July 10, 2015

A day after the Parada ng Lechon in Balayan, Batangas, we enjoyed a heritage tour of the town, which has an impressive church and a number of well-preserved ancestral houses, just like the neighboring town of Taal.  One of the oldest towns in Batangas province, Balayan was once the capital of a Moro sultanate called Bon-bon, which occupied a large territory from Cavite to Mindoro. From the 11th to 14th centuries, the bayside settlement prospered with native Moro and lumadRead More→

Parada ng Lechon 2015: Witnessing ‘Luwa’ (Religious Declamation) in Balayan, Batangas

Posted on July 9, 2015

The Feast of St. John the Baptist is celebrated with much mayhem in Balayan, Batangas with the cultural highlight of the Parada ng Lechon, a parade of roasted pigs through the streets held on the morning of June 24th, coinciding with the traditional basaan or dousing of water. The parade ended around lunchtime. While the rest of town went to their respective homes to partake in a festive lunch, my friends and I returned to the guesthouse to catch someRead More→

Parada ng Lechon 2015: The Wet, Wild and Weird Festival of Balayan, Batangas

Posted on July 8, 2015

“Hurry up, morning is coming!” a passenger seated across me appealed to the driver in a Tagalog inflected with the distinct Batangeño accent. It was half past four in the morning, and the sky was lighting up with the faintest glow of dawn. My friends and I were crammed in a jeepney heading from Lemery to Balayan in Batangas province. Traveling with three other travel blogger friends, Doi of The Travelling Feet, Julius of Lakwatserong Tsinelas and Ruby of See Hear Explore,Read More→

Anilao, Batangas: Wreck & Reef Diving at Tingloy Islands

Posted on November 20, 2014

We arrived at the only wreck diving site in Anilao. A Tagalog love song blaring from a seaside village was drowned out by the meditative sound of my muffled breathing as we barrel-rolled from our outrigger boat into the calm water, descending right next to Daryl Laut, a sunken floating casino off the coast of Caban Island in Tingloy, Batangas. As we surveyed the wreckage, our flashlights illuminated its tilted pylons, revealing a phantasmagoria of colour and movement. A rainbow ofRead More→