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beach

Paradise on Earth: Malcapuya and Banana Islands

May 7, 2012 by Bino 15 Comments

Its diving reputation often takes precedence but Coron has quite a few idyllic outlying islands that are worth exploring for some tropical r&r. In between our excursions in the main town and Coron Island, we devoted an entire day to venture into a few beaches farther afield. These are Malcapuya and Banana Islands, Coron’s version of a beach paradise.

one word – WOW!

These outlying islands lie several miles off the main town, and are actually situated near the open sea. Some of those who have been there fondly call one of these islands as Boracay 2 due to its long stretch of fine white sand beach, sans the crowds. To get there, we had to take a 2-hours journey by hired boat from the main town of Coron, and we went past several other islands along the way.

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Filed Under: Palawan, Philippines Tagged With: asia, banana, banana island travel guide, beach, coron, malcapuya, malcapuya island travel guide, palawan, Philippines, photography, sea, travel, water

Coron, Palawan: Otherworldly Land & Seascapes

May 4, 2012 by Bino 14 Comments

Up until I first visited Palawan some two years ago, I was not exactly that fond of visiting beach destinations. ‘A beach here can be like a beach anywhere’ or ‘swimming can be done in the pool’ were the first two things that usually came to mind. But all it took to change this was that one trip. It’s been a few years but I still remember our small boat being anchored into one of the uninhabited islands in Honda Bay. Seeing the azure waters of the Sulu Sea on a fine summer morning, where the water clarity made the sea seem like a chlorine-free swimming pool that stretched for miles, really changed the perception. I had never seen anything like it up until that point. Of course, it also helped that the marine life was abundant and of great variety.

bird’s eye view of the town of coron

Due to this, perhaps it is no surprise that my summer trip this year again brought me to Palawan, the elongated Philippine province that stretches itself from Luzon in one end and to Borneo in another. I chose to go to Coron this time in the northern part of the province. Aside from the great water quality, I am also fascinated by limestone rock formations such as those found in Ha Long Bay and Guilin, and I heard Coron has lots of those.

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Filed Under: Palawan, Philippines Tagged With: asia, beach, coron, coron travel guide, mount tapyas, palawan, Philippines, photography, Southeast Asia, summer, things to see in coron, travel, tropical, water

One Day in Cebu

January 22, 2012 by Bino 16 Comments

My trips lately seem to be getting shorter and my recent one in Cebu takes the cake! This stopover was actually spontaneous, as my SilkAir flight got delayed in Cebu by several hours. Rather than sulking at the airport, I decided to go out and see what this city had to offer – for 5 hours. To my surprise, I later found this to be a do-able timeframe for exploring this fine city.

fuerza de san pedro

Despite being the Philippines’ second city (after Manila), I had never been to Cebu previously. This is a shame as the city and its surrounds has so much to offer – from bustling and cosmopolitan urban vibe to near-transparent waters just 30 minutes from the city center.

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Filed Under: Cebu Tagged With: asia, beach, cebu, island, mactan, Philippines, photography, travel, visayas

Enchanting Hagimit Falls and the Mysterious Vanishing Sandbar in Samal Island

January 9, 2012 by Bino 10 Comments

The people of Davao City are blessed to have a resort island so close to the city. Currently dubbed as the “Island Garden City of Samal,” this elongated island is just a few kilometers away from Davao CBD and immediately transports visitors from the hustle and bustle of the city to turquoise-colored waters, enchanting waterfalls and other natural sights.

hagimit falls in samal island

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Filed Under: Davao, Philippines Tagged With: asia, beach, davao, hagimit, island, Philippines, photography, samal, travel, waterfalls

Discovering Singapore’s Outlying Islands

December 24, 2011 by Bino 5 Comments

all aboard!

… and I’m not talking about Sentosa here. What most people don’t realize is that Singapore isn’t just made up of just one island (or two, if you count Sentosa). Believe it or not, this tiny city-state is actually made up of 63 islands — most of them being uninhabited! I had the chance to check out some of these islands last year with friends and it showed me yet another side of Singapore that I hadn’t known previously despite living here for several years.

A short ferry ride from the Marina South Pier via Island Cruise (SGD 15, roundtrip, inclusive of stops) transports one from the hustle and bustle of an ultramodern city to tiny, mythical tropical islands lined with lush palm trees and some of the best beaches in Singapore. The ferry ride took us to three of the more well-known southern islands (aside from Sentosa). First stop was the larger St. John’s Island – a great getaway for those planning for a swim and/or a picnic.

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Filed Under: Singapore Tagged With: asia, beach, island, kusu, photography, religion, Singapore, temple, travel, tropical

Puerto Princesa Underground River & Sabang Beach in Palawan

December 3, 2011 by Bino 3 Comments

On our last day in Palawan, we had to get up quite early in the morning to see the famous Puerto Princesa Underground River. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is said to be one of the highlights not just of Palawan but of the Philippines in general and at the time of my visit, it was gunning for a spot in the New7Wonders of Nature (which it eventually got).

the karst formations don’t look out of place in krabi (thailand) or halong bay (vietnam)

Although the Underground River is within the city’s boundaries, it is nevertheless quite far from the city center of Puerto Princesa. A drive of around 2 hours is required to get to Sabang Beach, where pump boats departing for the UNESCO site are located. Somewhere midway however, there is a great rest stop called “Buenavista Lookout” from which one can see a great vista of the surrounds.

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Filed Under: Palawan, Philippines Tagged With: asia, beach, palawan, Philippines, photography, pictures, puerto princesa, Southeast Asia, tourism, travel, tropical, underground river, unesco

Rock Steady

December 13, 2009 by Bino 2 Comments

One of my favorite spots in Singapore has got to be Punggol Beach, which is situated at the northeastern end of the island just a few meters away from Malaysia. It’s one of the last remaining places in Singapore that still has a semblance of wilderness that is more authentic than the well-maintained nature reserves scattered around the country. I have been to Punggol Beach around 3 times now. Each time I go, I see a new paved road or construction that may very well force this small parcel of land to conform to the efficiency and orderliness which the rest of the island adheres to. Huge swathes of swampland and  grass fields have been replaced with concrete, and new housing flats are starting to dot the immediate landscape.

Thankfully, the beach itself is still there. Compared to other beaches in the country, the one in Punggol is not as crowded. Common visitors include fishermen, young parents trying to gather shells with their children and the occasional photographer. During weekdays, it’s even possible to have huge sections all to yourself. What makes this place so picturesque, especially at low tide, are the big rocks resting by the coast. These complement the surrounding waters very well. The only drawback from the place is that the industrial zone right across in Malaysia, are all too visible.

punggol is usually regarded as a boring new town that's simply a duplicate of the rest of residential singapore. this is true to an extent - but a large part of it is still undeveloped

The interesting portion of Punggol is near the end of the island. Otherwise, the rest of the town looks just like any other in Singapore – high rises, condominiums, government housing and the ubiquitous shopping center.

lalang field

Grassy “lalang” fields such as these are being bulldozed and disappearing fast. Land is precious in a small country such as Singapore and these places are prime candidates for the next seaside condominium development.

waves crashing into the rocks

The best time to visit this beach is during low-tide, when the rocks jut out from the sea. It makes for a nice view especially when the waves crash into the rocks, creating a silky water effect.

the waters can sometimes be calm just before it turns to night

The beach has a a beautiful but eerie feel to it, especially just before the sun sets. No surprise, as it’s the site of a gruesome World War 2 massacre which killed hundreds. The place was never fully cleaned up, and some visitors still manage to find bones from those who were killed there.

the lights behind are from malaysia

How to get there: The beach is a bit tricky to find. It’s not advertised in the tourist guidebooks or maps from the tourism board. However, there is a bus that goes there. Your best bet is to take the subway to Hougang station, and transfer to Bus #82 at the bus stop right outside the subway station. Take it all the way to the end. Believe me, you’ll know once you’ve reached the end.

Filed Under: Singapore Tagged With: beach, Punggol, Singapore

Exploring East Timor (2/2)

November 4, 2009 by Bino 3 Comments

I woke up early on my second day in East Timor and said goodbye to Stefanie as I planned to catch the bus to Baucau, the country’s second largest town. Some people had warned me against taking their public transportation, suggesting that it was extremely uncomfortable. But as I was traveling alone, I had no other choice if I wanted to go outside of Dili.

at cape fatucama, in dili

I had the taxi driver drop me off at Becora, where buses to Baucau departed from. It was a dusty station located in a ramshackled part of town (I later came to realize that many of the city’s roads away from the center are nothing more than dirt tracks). I got there just in time as the bus, already filled up, was just about to depart. All the warnings about East Timor’s buses turned out to be true as passengers were stuffed like sardines inside the vehicle. I was seated in between a nun and a farmer, and could barely move. The rickety bus had no aircon and no other amenities aside from the speakers that blared loud, reggae-type Timorese music. Some passengers opted to stand the whole journey (3.5 hours) to pay half-fare while others stood by the (open) door, their hands clenched to the outside handles in the same way they do it with jeepneys in Manila. It was pretty remarkable they could handle it for three straight hours without ultimately falling into the roadside.

tour de timor mural at mercado municipal ruins

The bus had obviously seen better days, and it must have broken down ten times during our journey. For all its shortcomings, the ride included a lot of scenic views of jagged hills falling into the blue sea, rice fields and pastel-colored churches. We passed by several beaches that were more impressive than the ones in Dili, and it’s a shame I didn’t get the chance to stop by.

my bus to baucau… packed like sardines

One of the few passengers who could speak English chatted me up. A native of Mt. Matebian (East Timor’s 2nd highest peak), Atheno was taking a few courses in Dili. He also told me about his student days in Yogyakarta, Indonesia where he previously received a scholarship. He was a nice fellow, and offered to show me around Baucau when we landed. The bus dropped us off at Baucau’s new town, which is a drab area with no points of interest. We had to take a mikrolet (small bus) to the old town, where many interesting sights were located.

at the pousada de baucau, the town’s “poshest” hotel

I made sure to stop by the Mercado Municipal ruins – a fine example of colonial Portuguese architecture, Pousada de Baucau – said to be the most charming place to stay in East Timor as well as the natural spring located near the town center. I had lunch at Restaurante Amalia, probably the only place resembling an eatery in Baucau. After the meal, I parted ways with Atheno- he was going off to Matebian – and I was left alone in that strange town. I had planned to go to Osolata, a fine white sand beach 6km north of the town, but mikrolets were no longer running by that time in the afternoon so I just wandered a bit around Baucau. I had no idea where I was going to stay for the night. For $60, I found the Pousada to be above my budget. I managed to find a place to stay for $30 – still above my budget but it was the cheapest place I could find. The Albegaria Planalto was a simple 8-room hotel at the edge of a plateau and owned by a bishop. When I “checked-in,” I found out there only 2 other guests (both UN workers). I was the only tourist. The manager, Albert, was an amiable fellow. I rode his motorcycle that evening when I went back to Amalia in old town for dinner. It was a wonderful experience traversing Baucau’s zigzagged roads with the cool sea breeze.

staring at the sun in Baucau

The next morning I took off for Dili, onboard the dreaded bus again. This time it was worse. People freely smoked inside the vehicles and it was suffocating. The bus was once again packed like sardines, and to top it all off, a live pig was tied to the roof, squealing and shaking the whole time. I was so relieved when we reached Dili and I asked the driver to drop me off at Caicoli, near the city center. This time, I decided to stay somewhere better and checked in at Hotel Oriental. For $40 a night, I got an airconditioned room with TV but it was still way behind western standards as it did not even come with a toilet and the room only looked half-cleaned. I stopped at a nearby warung (Indonesian cafeteria) for a filling Padang-style lunch for only $2 and ventured to see the other parts of Dili after that.

the xanana gusmao reading room in lecidere

I visited the tais market, where they had local souveniers for sale. I also walked all the way to Lecidere, where the Xanana Gusmao Reading Room as well as Nobel Prize winner Bishop Belo’s residence are located. From there, I grabbed a cab to Areia Branca beach, about 8 minutes drive. Despite its proximity to the city center, the area was still relatively underdeveloped. A few beachside bars and huts were available and I was so relieved to see that it wasn’t over commercialized.

woman weaving tais

woman weaving tais

It was there that I chanced upon this nice Filipino family who were swimming by the beach. I knew because I heard them talking in Tagalog. We exchanged hellos and before I knew it, I was asked to join them. They were from Couples from Christ and they clued me in on the local situation. It surprised me to learn that there was a large Filipino community in East Timor. I was told that Dili had several Filipino restaurants (even beating Singapore). Since I was leaving the next day,   they even gave me an impromptu despedida (farewell party) right by the beach. I couldn’t have felt more at home.

at areia branca beach

I didn’t do much the next day as I was flying back to Bali that afternoon. Before leaving for the airport, I dropped by Arte Moris – an art gallery featuring works by local Timorese artists. The art mostly revolved around similar themes – agriculture, rural life and crocodiles (highly respected in Timorese culture). Arte Moris also doubles as a residence for these talented group of people, and one of them showed me around their studios within the many buildings inside. After this, I was off to the airport once again for my flight out of the country, leaving the dusty streets of Dili for now.

artist at work in arte moris

arte moris

All in all, I could say it was a unique trip. I wasn’t so much enamored by any scenery or historic building as I was with the warm people of East Timor. I believe the country is greatly misunderstood and deserves a visit by travelers doing the Southeast Asian trail. Although it does not offer luxury or comfort, it presents something different – and that is the discovery of a proud culture untainted by kitsch or mass tourism.

Filed Under: East Timor Tagged With: asia, baucau, beach, dili, photography, tais, travel

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Hi, I'm B, a part-time wanderer and a Singapore-based travel blogger. In this site, I share with you my top travel itineraries. Along the way, I also provide travel guides and tips, recommendations on awesome food to try and impressive hotels to stay! Read More…

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