Surfing paradise in the Philippines

Coming soon... in the northern part of the Philippines. 
6-7 hours from Manila by bus.

Boracay: The Philippine island paradise

I FOUND OUT TODAY THAT BORACAY ISLAND is chosen as one of the best travel destinations in the world organized by TripAdvisor (the leading travel site in the cyberspace). Ranked 9 in the World listand number onein Asia, beating Maldives and three of the islands in Thailand, Boracay is the best destination in the 2010 Travelers' Choice Award under the "beach and sun" category.

Boracay is one of the 7,107 islands in the Philippines and part of the central group of islands in the country. The Philippines is an archipelago in Southeast Asia comprising of 3 major groups of islands: Luzon (north), Visayas (central) and Mindanao (south) and out of 7,107 islands, only 4000 are inhabited. The Philippines is blessed with beautiful forests and beaches.

Few months ago, the Philippines was in the headline again after the unexpected hostage drama in Manila City when 8 Chinese nationals from Hongkong were killed in the incident. It is anticipated that this will affect the tourism industry of the country, consequently will bring a big impact to Boracay as one of the popular beach destinations of foreign visitors from neighbouring countries, including China and Hongkong.

Boracay: The Philippine Island Paradise Slideshow: Reymos’s trip to Boracay, Visayas, Philippines was created by TripAdvisor. See another Boracay slideshow. Create a free slideshow with music from your travel photos.

Honestly, when I visited the island in April 2010, I observed that the majority are local tourists and there are so many things to explore in the area. I have been here in several occasions but only this recent visit that I really enjoyed and travelled around the island together with foreign friends. Aside from feeding Nemo and his friends during our snorkelling, we also did the island hopping and visited some underground caves. We did the reef walk, as if strolling under water with a helmet. The accommodation is affordable, including a selection of excellent water rides, food and entertainment.

A morning plunge in the sea and strolling in the beach while watching the sunset are just one of the things you could enjoy in the island. Did you know that Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino boxer owns a beach resort in the island?

NOTE: The original travel journal was posted in JPGMagazine website as the Story of the Week No.39 last September 2010.

Snorkeling in Coral Garden, Batangas (Philippines)

AT LAST I WAS ABLE TO USE MY NEW GADGET, OLYMPUS u850w camera which allows me to take both images and video 3 meters under water. During my recent visit to Puerto Galera (Batangas), Philippines - southwest of Metro Manila and 5 hours ( bus and ferry), I finally tested the waterproof feature of Olympus capturing the under water scenery of Coral Garden.

I was here in this beach town 9 years ago and I was stunned on how the community transformed it into a lively and localised tourist destination (alternative to the commercial atmosphere of Boracay) for short holidays. As usual, I stayed in White Beach (northeast of Sabang) and for the first time I explored Coral Garden for 3 hours (spent almost 18 sterling pounds, 33 US dollars).

One of the video clips taken from the camera as well.

Coral Garden is only a small area of coral reefs, few minutes away from White Beach. The corals are not really stunning but it is worth seeing it and watching different types of small fish waiting to be fed!