Things to Bring and Reminders for Mt. Pinatubo Hike in Botolan Zambales!

We just completed a Mt. Pinatubo crater lake trek from the Botolan jump-off point in Zambales (different route from the Inararo Trail or Golden Trail to the Mount Pinatubo summit and the Tutulari Avatar Gorge in Porac, Pampanga)! This was a special tour arranged for us and joiner tours are available online. I didn’t find much info on the trail before the trip so I didn’t know what to expect. I hope this might help guide someone or myself in the near future like things I would bring or expect from a known tourist destination day trip from Manila.

Where to Eat Healthy - Restaurants to Try in Boracay!

Boracay has changed so much after COVID and the 2018 closure for rehabilitation and redevelopment. We just came back from a much-awaited 5D4N trip this March 2026 and as before, it's still one of my favorite places to be in the Philippines. The White Beach with powdery sand is still there, while the noise and tourist numbers are down. Some of the old restaurants co-exist with new ones we haven't tried before so there's room to discover new favorites! I'm compiling this list mainly for myself so that I can taste them again when I return.

Lasang Chocolate Farm in Bohol - Cacao Walking Tour, Fruit Picking and Tree Planting Activity!

I want to take you next on our favorite adventure in Bohol - finding a cacao farm! I wanted to add another farm to my list and decided on visiting the Lasang Chocolate Farm in Maribojoc! I came to Bohol after all in search of different forms of chocolates from the Chocolate Hills to the Chocolate Chamber and now the actual thing from the source ;) We are so glad we booked this private tour, which included a mini cacao introduction walking tour, cacao picking and tree planting. 

DIY Bohol Countryside Tour Day Trip in Tagbilaran and Panglao Part 2 - Osang's Broas, Tarsier Sanctuary, Gerarda's, Mangrove Forest and Chocolate Hills!

We rented a car to drive for 2 days in Bohol and this is Part 2 of our DIY Countryside Tour focusing on the Tagbilaran side, which is connected to Panglao via bridge. Let me show you where we went and our route - from buying the best broas I've had so far up to the famous Chocolate Hills.

DIY Bohol Countryside Tour Day Trip in Tagbilaran and Panglao Part 1 - Kamaya Breakfast, Hinagdanan Cave, Star Peanuts and Pasalubong!

We rented a car delivered to our hotel in Panglao for 2 days so that we can do our own DIY Bohol countryside tour. At P1500 per day and comfortable for up to 4 pax, I was glad that we had this option for a free and easy road trip to Panglao and Tagbilaran, which is around 1 hour away. I have broken this post down into 2 parts - this first one for our morning Panglao spots including a breakfast spot that we went to twice for this trip! Part 2 is for the Tagbilaran day trip.

Bohol Night Activity at the Maribojoc Mangrove Firefly Watching Abatan River Site!

We drove from Panglao to Tagbilaran to catch this natural phenomenon at sundown! The photo may seem simple but those are hundreds of fireflies behind us shining like Christmas lights in February. You can catch this on a clear day in Bohol almost every day. This was one of the Bohol countryside activities that we did amd we're glad that we chose the Maribojoc Mangrove Firefly Watching boat situated at the Abatan River for this ride.