Tag: Ocean
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Sunrise Calm in the Coastal Trails: A Morning Walk Through Dampalit, Malabon
A peaceful early morning walk along the coastal trail of Dampalit, Malabon allows me and two colleagues to discover its charm. This quiet side of the city invites us to slow down with some riverside coffee to witness the sunrise.
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Dad’s 70th Birthday: To the Infinity Pool and Beyond
I’m lounging on a poolside chair by an infinity pool that overlooks the beach. My dad swims nearby, his strokes steady and strong. The sky is painted with warm hues of orange and pink in the golden hour. My sister relaxes at the edge of the pool, taking a timelapse shot of the impending sunset.…
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A Sunrise-to-Lunch Tricycle Tour of Baras and Gigmoto
Before the first light of morning breaks on my second day in Catanduanes, I find myself aboard a tricycle, the go-to ride for cruising around these island roads. I’m getting a ride from Kuya Erap, whom I’ve hired to show me around the sights in Baras and Gigmoto. He’s about to show me some of…
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Danjugan Island: Negros Occidental’s Ecotour Paradise
Danjugan Island, a sliver of island off Negros Occidental, is an ecotourist’s paradise. Protected and maintained by the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation, the island was first opened opened as an ecotourism site in 2006. Since then, it has become one of the province’s best-kept secrets, drawing not only tourists from Negros island and…
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Panglao Island: Downtime by the Beach
I spend the rest of my time in Bohol just lounging around Panglao Island, dividing my time between Dumaluan Beach and Alona Beach. My resort, the Marilou Resort is in the former. It’s a budget resort with a great beachside location and clean, spacious rooms. It’s also beside Bohol Beach Club, a more expensive resort,…
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Balicasag Island: Turtles (and Other Marine Creatures) All the Way Down
Part of my tour — well, actually an optional addition — is an island-hopping trip one morning to Balicasag Island. The island is a 45-minute boat ride from Panglao Island and is administratively part of the municipality of Panglao, but it might as well be a world away. Balicasag Island is ringed by a coral…
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Batangas Beach Trip: 2020 in Hindsight
As you’re reading this, I’m hoping you’re healthy, safe, and doing well in general. On a personal note, I am fine as well, though it hasn’t been exactly easy. To say that 2020 is a strange year is such an understatement. To be living in these times feels like an endless series of anxieties, frustrations,…
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The Bohuslän Coast Road Trip Part 3: Tjörn
WE ARRIVE IN TJÖRN in time to see the late afternoon sun cast a warm magical glow to the town. As with the two towns we stopped by today, there are not many people, and the gentle sounds of the ocean are all that we hear. Tjörn is one of the area’s most popular islands,…
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The Bohuslän Coast Road Trip Part 2: Fjällbacka
AFTER OUR PIZZA LUNCH IN SMÖGEN, Yanyan and I continue our drive north to Fjällbacka, another coastal town in the Bohuslän region. This place carries a certain cachet to it, being the favorite summer place of Ingrid Bergman. That association certainly belies the fact that Fjällbacka is really a sleepy fishing town with fewer than 1000…
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The Bohuslän Coast Road Trip Part 1: Smögen
GOTHENBURG MAY BE A DESTINATION IN ITSELF, but it’s also a convenient gateway to the Bohuslän coast. Here, lovely coastal towns feature colorful timber cottages, pine trees, and rugged granite rocks that all make for great photo opportunities. In summer, it draws crowds both from Sweden and neighboring countries, while in the off-season it’s either depressingly…
The Tourist Gaze 