Batangas

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→

Anilao, Batangas: Marvelous Muck Diving in Secret Bay

Posted on November 19, 2014

While most recreational divers are naturally drawn to the coral reefs, macro photographers often choose to scour featureless seabeds instead. The muck diving spots in Anilao reputedly rival more established ones elsewhere in Southeast Asia such as those in Sabah, Bali or Sulawesi. Lying along the species-rich Verde Island Passage, Anilao lies along what marine conservationists have declared the most biodiverse waters in the entire planet – the “center of the center” of the Coral Triangle. But, wait, what onRead More→

Pathways to the Past: Taal Town’s Heritage Trail

Posted on May 2, 2012

Colonial houses lining Agoncillo Street at Taal, Batangas Taal is often associated to the popular caldera lake and volcano, admired by most tourists from the city of Tagaytay in Cavite. A lesser known destination is the town of same name in Batangas, home to heritage structures and special handicrafts like handmade embroidery and the balisong (butterfly knife). Established in 1572 in the present-day town of San Nicolas, Taal moved to its present-day location after the 1754 eruption of Taal Volcano. ItRead More→