Real, Quezon: Retracing Our Steps

A favorite destination of ours for a quick getaway outside Metro Manila, this coastal town boasts a variety of attractions – pristine waterfalls, lush forests, fast-moving rivers for white water rafting, a ruggedly beautiful coastline and the raging swells of the Pacific for surfing.

Chasing Real’s Fish Stalls and Waterfalls, Part 2

Amidst a dramatic increase in Covid infections in recent days, authorities have again tightened travel restrictions in Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces. This means being practically confined to our home as we try to do our part to help control another wave of the pandemic. We were fortunate to have visited a number of places the past 2 months before the recent round of travel restrictions.

Real, Quezon: Chasing Waterfalls and Fish Stalls, Part 1

Although travel restrictions are slowly being eased in the Philippines, we’re still not that confident about traveling by air or sea especially with the Covid infection rate spiraling up in the last few weeks. Confining our trips to travel by land – especially to relatively uncrowded spots – we chose to head up to the coastal town of Real, Quezon earlier this week.

Quezon Province: Destinations at Metro Manila’s Doorstep

Quezon used to be one of the provinces that were last on our list of tour destinations close to Metro Manila. Sure there were beaches all over the place and some hilly or mountainous areas but the few rare occasions when we visited left us feeling unimpressed about the province. Time, however, would prove us...

Waterfall-Hopping in Real, Quezon

Our original plan was to visit Masasa Beach in Tingloy, Maricaban Island in Batangas along with love ones. But with no letup from the southwest monsoon rains – not to mention the rough seas caused by the habagat winds – it was obvious that a change in plans was in order. Lunch at Real’s seafood...

A Cloudy Day at the Beach: Return to Cagbalete

It was our worst fears come to life. Roads leading north from Metro Manila stained red on Waze. Wild rantings on social media lamenting the standstill traffic on Baguio City’s roads. Resorts and accommodations in La Union and Baguio fully booked. With the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit making travel up north a...

Tiaong, Quezon: A Visit to the Master Potter

For an artist who made a name selling his craft at Metro Manila’s plush housing subdivisions, Ugu Bigyan is so unassuming he even chose a relatively hidden location in a quiet town. When we first went here 12 years ago the locals living in the area were surprised such a place existed. So much so...

Real, Quezon: A Quick Getaway

It’s not often that we travel for more than two hours just to savor freshly caught seafood. The coastal town of Real, Quezon is one of those rare exceptions. Its proximity to Manila and the variety of attractions it offers besides the seafood – pristine waterfalls, lush forests, fast-moving rivers for white water rafting, a...

Dahoyhoy Falls: Mauban Beyond Cagbalete Island

The sleepy town of Mauban, Quezon has become popular in recent years due to Cagbalete Island. Unknown to many, however, the inland section of the town is home to caves, forests and – according to the locals – more than twenty waterfalls. Most of the waterfalls have not yet been documented. But at least three...

The Many Faces of Cagbalete Island

August and January are not your normal island-hopping, beach-combing months in the Philippines. Typhoons are the norm in August and January lies smack in the middle of the northeast monsoon season that can make for scary inter-island boat trips due to the strong waves. For some strange reason we ended up visiting Cagbalete, a scenic...

The Yang-In Sandbar, Cagbalete Island

It was a perfect morning when our boat left the beach in front of Dona Choleng Resort at Cagbalete Island, Quezon. Overhead was a partly cloudy sky with the sun peeking through blue gaps in the tangle of white and gray clouds. The waves were calm and our boat easily made its way to our...

Puting Buhangin Beach and Kwebang Lampas: Summer’s Last Hurrah in Pagbilao, Quezon

Puting Buhangin was the final stop in our 3-island return visit to Padre Burgos and Pagbilao, Quezon. When we first came here almost 5 years ago, this beach along with a cave called “Kwebang Lampas,” was just beginning to get some exposure in travel blogs. It was the typhoon season and we just managed to...

Return to Borawan Island and Dampalitan Beach

We’ve been here before when these two destinations and Pagbilao’s Puting  Buhangin Beach were largely outside the tour radars of most local travelers. Five years ago. We had not considered coming back until recently when we visited Nina’s aunt and uncle in Tiaong, Quezon. Since Padre Burgos town – the jump-off point for a trip...

Real Seafood… in Real, Quezon

A visit to the roadside seafood market of Tignoan in Real, Quezon province reminded us about a similar trip to a market in Bantayan Island, Cebu years ago. The various fish, crustaceans and other marine animals for sale here seemed better fit for an aquarium than for the dinner table. At Real, you can buy...

Balagbag Falls on a Rainy Day

Waterfalls are supposed to be best photographed on overcast days. The lesser the sunlight, the better, since it enables the photographer to use longer time exposures that give flowing water that classic silky texture. Rainy weather also gives waterfalls a fuller look. So when we visited the coastal town of Real, Quezon on a cloudy...