THINGS TO DO IN BONGAO, TAWI-TAWI & TOURIST SPOTS: Roaming Around the Town of Bongao

Planning a trip to Tawi-tawi? Check out these top things to do in Bongao, Tawi-tawi and how to get there.

Walking tours are my favorite introduction to a city or town. It's one of my favorite activities when traveling because it lets me discover the place, see its sights, enjoy its tourist spots and attractions, learn about its history and architecture, try its local delicacies and meet the locals. So after climbing Bud Bongao and eating Malaysian food for lunch, we decided to roam around the town center of Bongao, the capital town of Tawi-tawi.

Sultan Kudarat: The Grand Provincial Capitol Building of Sultan Kudarat

Sultan Kudarat is a province in Mindanao located in the SOCCSKSARGEN region (Region XII). Geographically, it is bordered by the provinces of North Cotabato and Maguindanao on the north, Sarangani and South Cotabato on the south, Davao del Sur to the east, and the Celebes Sea to the west. Isulan is its capital, Tacurong is its only city and it has 11 municipalities. The province was named in honor of a powerful Muslim ruler, Sultan Muhammad Dipatuan Kudarat who reigned the Sultanate of Maguindanao and hailed as a national hero and the most powerful Sultan in Mindanao during his time.

MARINDUQUE ITINERARY: 31 Best Things to Do in Marinduque (Gasang-gasang Festival, Putungan, Boodle Fight and Going Home | Day 5 of 5)

Looking for top things to do in Marinduque? I hope this MARINDUQUE TRAVEL GUIDE BLOG help you in planning your DIY Itinerary.

Time flies so fast when you're having fun. We didn't notice that it's already the last day of our 5-day Marinduque Adventure and we're about to go back home this afternoon. Anyway, we want to make the most of it, there are a lot of activities still lined up for us. So, after having our breakfast at our headquarters in Gasan, we took a short ride to the town proper for their annual Easter Sunday celebration - Gasang-gasang Festival.

Ilocos Sur - Re-visiting the Heritage City of Vigan

Since the town of Bantay is just outside the Historic Heritage City of Vigan, we decided to just walk towards the town square. This leisurely walk brings back memories when I first set foot in Vigan, in 2004. It was a quick trip with my cousins, a time when analog cameras were still widely used and cellphone camera's resolution was only VGA. Hahaha! I'm happy to be back in Vigan, the capital City of the Province of Ilocos Sur known to be the only heritage city in the country.

ABRA TRAVEL GUIDE: Bangued Tourist Spots and Attraction (A DIY Walking Tour Itinerary)

ABRA TRAVEL GUIDE: Things To Do, Tourist Spots and Attractions in Bangued

Whenever I travel, I always do walking tours around the place I visit. It's actually one of my favorite activities! I enjoy walking and wandering around while savoring the place's different interesting sights, attractions, tourist spots, trying out local food and interacting with the people around the community. Last May 26, 2012 I was able to roam around the town of Bangued, the capital town of Abra.

Mountain Province - Wandering Around Bontoc

After exploring Sagada for 2 days and 2 nights, we left the hostel early in the morning to get to our next destination - Tinglayan in the province of Kalinga. But before getting there we have to pass through the town of Bontoc, the capital of Mountain Province. We need to be there early so we could catch the first bus trip to Tabuk.

Marinduque - Provincial Capitol Building

Marinduque is a heart-shaped island situated south of the island of Luzon. Considered as the smallest province in Southern Tagalog (Region IV-B), it is composed of six municipalities, namely Mogpog, Sta Cruz, Torrijos, Buenavista, Gasan and the capital town of Boac. One of the many tourist spots in the island is its 1927 provincial capitol building.

Things to Do in Nueva Vizcaya: Visit the Provincial Capitol Complex

Bayombong is the industrial center and the seat of the provincial government of Nueva Vizcaya. The elegantly landscaped provincial capitol complex is situated in an 8-hectare park that features a fountain, boating lagoon, picnic huts, a stage and sports facilities.

Capiz - The Cathedral, Provincial Capitol Building and Plaza in Roxas City

I was able to tour Roxas City a bit more after visiting the Church of Panay. I asked the driver to bring me to the city center to see how the things are going there and to check some interesting sites that the city offers. He parked his tricycle in front of the cathedral and pointed to me the things that might interest me. I requested him to just wait for me there as I roam around.

Sorsogon - DIY Walking Tour around Sorsogon City

It's my 3rd and last day in Sorsogon. Despite being so tired visiting the different interesting sites in the province the previous day, I tried to wake up early to catch the sunrise and be able to roam around Sorsogon City. It has been my "home" for 2 days already and I'm really loving the simple way of life in this provincial city.

Samar - Catbalogan City Tour and My Attempt to Swim at Kinabut-an Springs

Without any concrete plan, I took a van from Calbayog going to Catbalogan City. I still don't know what to expect or see there. I didn't even bother to book for an accommodation. All I know is I'll be spending the night there. I just want to be there... I want to experience Catbalogan City...

Leyte - The Neoclassical Leyte Provincial Capitol Building

Built in 1907, the imposing Leyte Provincial Capitol Building has a stunning neoclassical architecture typical of American-era government edifices. It played a significant part of Philippine history as it briefly became the seat of Philippine Commonwealth Government from October 23, 1944 to February 27, 1945.

Masbate - The Simple and Laidback Way of Life in a Provincial City

After enjoying Bituon Beach in Mobo, I went back to Masbate City to see how it is to live in a provincial city. I asked the tricycle driver to bring me to the city center because I'm interested in seeing the sites, the landmarks and how is it to spend a weekend here.

Camiguin - Day Tour Part 2: White Island, Cathedral, Capitol and Katibawasan Falls

And so we continued the tour... As we traverse through the island's well-paved circumferential hi-way, I can't help but ask Kuya Jojo to stop for a while so I could take photos and enjoy the stunning sceneries. There are parts where there are only a few houses around and all you can see is the sea on the left and the hillside on your right. I've also noticed that public transportation is rare and the common mode of transportation is motorcycle.

Basilan - A Tour Around Isabela City Proper

We were pushing towards Lamitan to see more rubber plantations. However, when we were about a kilometer away from the city, it started to rain again. The rain is pouring so hard that we decided to take a U-turn and head back to Isabela City. We had few stops to take shelter from the rain. Fortunately, the rain subsided when we reached Isabela City. I took the chance to see the interesting sites within the city proper.

THINGS TO DO IN ILOCOS NORTE: A Walking Tour Around the City of Laoag

Laoag is a 1st class city in the province of Ilocos Norte. It is the province's political and industrial center where the region's only commercial airport is located. Hence, it is considered a major hub for international trade and commerce in the entire Ilocos region.

Within the city limits, there are several interesting places worth visiting. So after having a very challenging sand boarding experience at the La Paz Sand dunes and a visit to Paoay Church and the Malacañang of the North, I roamed around the city to check out these landmarks and attractions.

Batangas - Ala Eh! Batangas City-eh!

Being half Batangueño, my family would often visit the province of Batangas whenever we have time. I can vividly recall that when I was younger, I spend most of my summer vacations in Lipa as my father is from there. I can also remember when I was in college, my friend invited us to spend a holy week in their house in Batangas City, but that was about 13 years ago, I could barely remember the places we visited around the city. In recent years, I just go to the city just as an exit point to my travels to Puerto Galera or just passing by during my travels to Mabini, Bauan or San Pascual.

QUICK INFO

Batangas City is the largest and capital city of the Province of Batangas, Philippines. Known as the "Industrial Port City of CALABARZON", Batangas City is currently classified as one of the fastest urbanizing cities of the Philippines. According to the latest census, the city has an approximate population of 295,231 people in 50,223 households. (source)

My trip to Batangas City is just a side trip, this is after Promding Lagalag and I spent a "3-day escape in Occidental Mindoro" last month. It is the first time I really had the chance to spend more time around city. We enjoyed kapeng barako, tamales and biscocho, visited the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Plaza Mabini and the imposing capitol building of the province.

Here are some of the photos:

Mindoro Occidental - The Capital Municipality of Mamburao

Where is Mamburao? (Photo from wikipilipinas.org)
Mamburao is the capital municipality of Occidental Mindoro, a 2nd class municipality with a population of 34,487 people (2007 census) and has 20,344 registered voters (2010). It has a land area of approximately 33,950 hectares. It is located on the northern part of Occidental Mindoro, on its west is the town of Paluan, on the north is Abra de Ilog and on the southeast id the municipality of Sta. Cruz.

From our overnight stay in Pandan Island, we decided to spend the last day of our "3-day escape" in this town. A 3-hour bus ride from Sablayan brought us in this quiet town. Tough it is the capital of the province, there's nothing much to see here.

BACOLOD TOURIST SPOTS: The Capitol Park and Lagoon Complex (Negros Occidental)

My trip to Negros Occidental will never be complete without a visit to the Provincial Capitol Park and Lagoon Complex. So, after checking-out from the pension house where I stayed for a night, I went to the park to see things around.

It is a park located along Lacson St. in the heart of Bacolod City. This is also where Kilometer Zero marker or the point of distance reference of the city is located. The provincial capitol complex is consisted of the capitol building and an artificial lagoon in front of it.


One of the most distinctive landmarks of the park are the carabao (water buffalo) statues painted in gold. One with a woman standing alongside a water buffalo and other is being pulled by a man. These sculptures are located at the northern and southern ends of the lagoon.

Tarlac - 10.10.10 Weekend in Tarlac

Together with a friend, we went on a weekend getaway to Tarlac. His father hails from Tarlac and he knows some places to visit there. This is my second time to roam around the province. The last time I was here was when I climbed Mt. Pinatubo with my friends way back in 2008. I was so excited as we have planned to eat at ISDAAN in Gerona Tarlac and do side trips in Tarlac City and Paniqui.

We met at around 6:00 AM to avoid the heavy congestion of people joining the 10.10.10 Run for Pasig River that morning. Good thing we didn't get stuck in heavy traffic. At 7:00 AM, we took a bus bound for Dagupan via Victory Liner in Cubao. Fare is 177 pesos each from Cubao to Tarlac City.



By 10:00 AM, we reached Tarlac City. We got off at Metro Town Mall and took a tricycle going to Tarlac Capitol, fare is 30 pesos/tricycle. Took some pictures as souvenirs and appreciated it's old-style design.