Here is our itinerary in the Philippines. You can see a slide show of pictures below.
Also, for journal postings from the Philippines, CLICK HERE.
- Manila – Taal Volcano Trekking Tour – North Highlands Luzon Roundtrip Tour to Banaue & Rice Terraces, Batad, Sagada
- Baguio – Mt. Pinatubo Trekking Tour – Malapascua Island (switched to Moalboal due to Typhoon Haiyan)
- Bohol/Fascinating Bohol Tour with Chocolate Hills – Apo Island (Dumaguete) – Bacolod – Mt. Kanlaon Trekking Tour
- Palawan (Puerto Princesa) & Underground River- El Nido – Manila
You can also browse the map below for where we’ve been. Click a pushpin to find posted articles about that location.
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SLIDE SHOW HINT: If you’ve already seen the earlier pictures in the slide show, use the dot placemarks below the slides to jump around.
Riding atop a 4WD jeepney from Banaue to Batad 
Skirting the edge on the highlands’ road 
Buildings dangling from the hills, Banaue 
Rice terraces of Batad gleaming in the sun 
Rice terraces of Batad including fallow pools 
Within the rice terraces of Batad 
Ifugao tribal home at Batad, newly thatched 
Batad villagers in contemporary dress 
Hanging on the edge 
Along the precipitous road from Banaue, in the highlands 
Picturesque rice terraces of Banaue 
Rice terraces of Banaue gleam in the morning 
2000 year old rice terraces of the Ifugao people 
Banaue rice terraces, UNESCO World Heritage view 
Tam-An villager presents the bones of her great-great-grandfather 
Mummified dead of the Ibaloi 
Coffins heaped in the burial caves of Sagada 
The hanging coffins within a limestone niche, Sagada 
A village amid the vegetable terraces 
Playing to the camera in Bontoc, Luzon highlands 
Carving up the hills with vegetable terraces 
Vegetable terraces near Mount Data 
Vegetable terraces of the highlands 
Vegetable terraces climbing the mountaintops 
Cabbages grow on the terraces 
The perfect storm hits the Philippines during our visit 
Asking for help in the poor village of Panagsama 
Volunteers waiting to head out from Cebu City ferry 
Philippines Coast Guard heading to stricken areas 
Waiting at Cebu City for the ferry to Tagbilaran, Bohol 
Commemorating the Blood Compact between Legazpi and Bool chief Datu Sitakuna 
Broken bell tower of the Church of Baclayon, Tagbilaran 
A butterfly-to-be at the butterfly garden in Bilar 
Two visitors flitting around the butterfly garden 
Pair of butterflies doing “boom-boom” for hours at the preserve 
Making friends with a large butterfly at the gardens 
Chocolate Hills, Bohol 
Chocolate Hills, Bohol 
Viewing the Chocolate Hills across the rice fields 
At the dock in Loboc for the floating restaurants 
Cruising the Loboc River on a floating restaurant 
Filipino fisherman on the Loboc River 
Falls at Loboc River, inviting us to swim 
Retablo untouched by the quake at the Church of Baclayon 
Crumpled 18th century church at Loboc, with painted ceiling 
Yoda-like Tarsier monkey 
The beach at Panglao Island, Bohol 
The community gathers to repair a boat off Panglao Island 
Candidates for local office in Bohol, wanting your vote 
Overlook on Taal lake, and the crater nesting within the small island 
Boarding our bangka at the lake around Taal volcano 
The view from up high near Taal crater 
Steam rushes through a fissure on the Taal trail 
Ponies and perspectives from atop Taal volcano 
The swirling colors of Taal crater 
San Guillermo church half-buried in ash by Pinatubo in 1991 
Interior of San Guillermo, with the arches atop the old windows 
Our jeep searches out a trail through the streams on the way up Pinatubo 
Trekking thru streams running down the lava channel of Pinatubo 
Streaming water and sulfur along the Pinatubo hike 
The shifting light at the crater lake of Pinatubo volcano 
Otherworldly landscape in Pinatubo’s lava channel 
Workers in the cane fields blackened from the sugar 
Mt. Kanlaon volcano 
Tropical plants being grown for market at Guintubdan, Kanlaon 
Roosters bred for cock-fighting at Guintubdan 
Guintubdan gardens on Kanlaon 
Lush tropical forest of Kanlaon volcano 
Chilling out in the icy waters of Busay Buslugan, Kanlaon volcano 
Lower Abaga falls near the village at Kanlaon volcano 
The graceful falls, Busay Kapid, near the village on Mt. Kanlaon 
Time to catch that holiday chicken for dinner, on Kanlaon volcano 
Floating market by the bridge to Panglao Island 
Along the beach of Panglao Island 
Moonlit night at Panglao Island 
Arriving at Apo Island cove 
The view of the cove from our bungalow, Apo Island 
Apo Island cove at sunset 
Enjoying paradise, Apo Island 
Village fishing boats, Apo Island 
The village at Apo Island, seemingly leagues away 
Atop Apo Island, with the world in the distance 
The rich tropical seas at Turtle Bay resort, Moalboal 
Upscale and downscale in the village of Panagsama 
Egg-plant? A tree grows in Panagsama, near Moalboal 
Children playing arcade games at Moalboal “convenience” store 
Funeral passes in Moalboal 
On the motorcycle transport back from Moalboal 
El Nido nestled in the limestone hills at top of Palawan Island 
Our bangka heads from El Nido through limestone islands to Miniloc 
Miniloc Island resort 
The crow’s next o’erlooking the sea at Alternative restaurant, El Nido 
Sea goddess, Alternative restaurant, El Nido 
Kayaking in Big Lagoon, Miniloc, 
Kayaking in Big Lagoon, Miniloc 
Enraptured by Big Lagoon, Miniloc Island 
A safe return to harbor from world-class diving sites 
Looking out to sea at the neighboring karst islands, on Miniloc 
Day of snorkeling, evening of relaxation on our deck, Miniloc Island 
Kayaking in Small Lagoon, Miniloc 
Our private beach after kayaking the islands near Miniloc 
In between kayaking, lunching and snorkeling on our private beach 
Evening light in paradise, Miniloc Island 
Every little leaf seems to whisper sleep well at Miniloc… 
The enthusiastic staff of Miniloc Island salutes our departure 
Driving Negros Island near the coastline, waterway and sugarcane 
Cane fields spread beneath Mt. Kanlaon, Negros Island 
A cane field cleared 
Harvesting the sugar cane 
Harvesting the cane on Negros Island 
Loading cane on the truck 
Spikes of color at Mt. Kanlaon, Negros Island 
Bleeding-heart pigeon at Biodiversity Conservation Center, Bacolod, which saves native species 
Hornbill at Biodiversity Conservation Center, Bacolod, which saves native species 
Art-deco government building for Negros Occidental, Bacolod 
Walking the old walls of Intramuros 
Teeing off at the golf course within the old city walls 
A place of repose at the edge of Intramuros 
San Agustin church, Intramuros, Manila 
Wedding parties await their turn at San Agustin church 
The interior of San Agustin Church, Manila 
The quiet and charm of Intramuros 
Little need for a village (Barangay) patrolman on a Saturday in Intramuros 
Entering Binondo district, Chinatown 
Jeepneys and tuk-tuks throng under the cement train tracks 
The glitzy Robinsons Mall straddling Ermita and Malate districts of Manila 
High-rises and low-slung buildings in Ermita 
A chain-maker in Manila’s Chinatown 
Workers assemble gizmos from a potpourri of metal parts, Chinatown 
Shacks and houses along on a ‘Rialto’ canal 
The friendly people at stalls in Chinatown 
A survivor: 19th century teakwood structure 
Chinese temple in Binondo 
Decrepitude in the view from the Chinese temple 
Caretakers occupying a Chinese cemetery mansion 
A mansion for the dead at Chinese cemetery 
Chinese Cemetery: a moderne dwelling for the dead
PLEASE NOTE: We landed in the Philippines just as Typhoon Haiyan struck the midsection of this island country, though we only experienced light rain in Manila. Ten percent of the people in the country were not so fortunate. And they needed help. We tried to volunteer for immediate support, but relief organizations far from the hard-hit areas were wait-listing volunteers and specific skills/training was needed where the storm caused the most damage. In future disasters here and elsewhere, we all can help though by directing funds for the crucial mid-term and longer-term support of the affected people through the following organizations (just click on the name):
UNICEF
Doctors without Borders
The United Nations World Food Program
The National Alliance for Filipino Concerns
International Committee of the Red Cross
The American Red Cross
Philippine Disaster Relief Organization