Where We Have Been, Where Have You Been?

[Sampaguita]

During our marriage my husband and I have covered about 1/3 of Mindanao with some of the areas below listed as examples.Iligan City, Tinago falls, Timuga, Tagoloan, VillanuevaCagayan de Oro City to Davao City by vehicle & including many of the places in between. the Province of Bukidnon including Manolo Fortich, Kisolon, Malaybalay City, Aglayan, Valencia City also we visited rice fields there, Maramag, Quezon, Puntian, Palacapao, Overview, Buda, Davao City also we have a tour of the city there. We have also spent some time on Luzon with some of the areas below as examplesMakati CityCaintaPasigSan Pablo City, Lagunaalso a number of tour around metro Manila by hired drivers & friends.Then while we live in Cebu City part of the year we have also traveled around Cebu Island with some of the areas below as examples.driven all around Mactan a number of times and stop & spend time at many location including shrines, beaches, resorts, mall & boat trips to some of the islands starting off mactan & including one of the islands which is part of Bohol.have covered pretty much all of Cebu City including tourist spots.also on Cebu island like Cosolacion, Liloan, Compostela, Carmen, Danao, Catmon, Sogod, Toledo City, Balamban, Naga, Talisay, Minglanilla, Lutopan, Sangi, Mainggit where some of my family lives.

[Mr Lee]

I may have unfairly stated in another post that I had been to more places in the Philippines than Mikeb had been, since other than meeting him in person last year and him telling me where he had been during his visits, he moved to Cebu this year after my wife and I left, so I asked my wife to please type up a list of places her and I have been to during our now 17.5 years of knowing each other in person, and 17.25 years of marriage, so above is what she came up with and I am pretty sure she left some out in the Luzon region because friends drove us all around and stopped in quite a few places for us to wander around and I cannot remember the names of those areas. So all where have you been? and if Mikeb would like to correct me, then please feel free to list where you have been so I can apologize to you and the members for my possible misstatement.

[MikeB]

No apologies necessary regardless. Starting from North working south, these are the places I remember visiting on past vacations and since moving here. I included those that I spent at least 1 night in, not towns I drove through.Baguio, Subic, Angeles, Manila, Tagatay, Batangas, Puerto Galera, Boracay (twice), Bantayan Island, Bogo, Moalboal/Kawasan Falls, Bohol - Pangangan and Panglao Islands.I may have missed a couple and I intended to see a lot more but an out of control dump truck temporarily waylaid my travel plans in Sept. Next will be Bicol/Masbate where my gf is from and Palawan.

[Mr Lee]

No apologies necessary regardless. Starting from North working south, these are the places I remember visiting on past vacations and since moving here. I included those that I spent at least 1 night in, not towns I drove through.Baguio, Subic, Angeles, Manila, Tagatay, Batangas, Puerto Galera, Boracay (twice), Bantayan Island, Bogo, Moalboal/Kawasan Falls, Bohol - Pangangan and Panglao Islands.I may have missed a couple and I intended to see a lot more but an out of control dump truck temporarily waylaid my travel plans in Sept. Next will be Bicol/Masbate where my gf is from and Palawan.

Well it does seem like you covered some ground and I am not sure who covered more, so either way, if I was wrong then I am sorry.I will also add to my wife's post that we stayed out in province areas quite a bit over the years and even in places where there was no running water or electric and the worst part was taking showers under freezing cold streams running out of the rocks in one area and having to stand there like a monkey in the circus with shorts and a shirt on pouring buckets over my head and trying to wash under the shirt and shorts while all the kids and young ladies got a kick out of watching me. One time on the west coast of Cebu I was bathing in a trench only to be told that the animals usually wash themselves and relieve themselves up stream from where I was, so off to take a bath in well water only to come out smelling like a well, :( I am not sure which was worse because the trench water at least smelled fresh.Then of course came some of the outhouses in Bukidnon with only a hole in the ground and with spiders and webs all around and the geckos in them trying to get the spiders. The worst part was having to go outside during the middle of the night to use the so called facilities, one of which was just a hole in the ground where I could even look down and see all the insects swimming around and bubbling, pretty disgusting. Then there was one time I was standing there peeing in the morning while not realizing that the fence around it was made for Filipino heights and my legs were much longer than those who must have made it for themselves because the next thing I realize is a bunch of women are watching me, so when I was done I walked up to the fence and realized it was about 5 inches below my crotch. :( Sleeping on the uneven wood planks did not help my back too much either and the heat and bugs were out of control most of the time and then freezing at night. :(Living in the real provinces was a learning experience even for me who had done quite a few things during my lifetime prior to coming to the Philippines.Hope others will post their experiences and places of travel. Edited December 16, 2011 by Mr. Lee

[Old55]

Moalboal, CarCar most all of Metro Cebu City area on Cebu Island, Mactan, Bohol, CDO and the hills above CDO, Much of Southern Leyte and most of the East coast, Luzon only Manila and a trip to Subic Bay. We will visit Philippines in July for an important family event but that will be our last visit for some time. We are going to visit Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, or maybe Cuba in 2013. We hope to visit , mainland China, Cambodia and Singapore 2014.

Edited December 16, 2011 by Old55

[ironmaiden]

My travelling really started when I bought my Yamaha DT 125 back in 1999. I left here in Angeles and went to Manila, Gumaca(Quezon province), Naga, Legazpi, Calbayog, Tacloban and Sohotan National Park in Samar (near Tacloban), Biliran island and Maripipi island, Ormoc, Cebu and surroundings, Malapascua island, Dumaguete, Hinoba-an, Bacolod and then on the ferry back to Manila.I made several trips to the mountains of North Luzon, Baguio, Sagada, Bontoc, Banaue and Solano (where I know some people).I made a trip along the coastline of North Luzon via Olongapo, Subic, Iba, Hundred Islands, La Union and San Jose, Vigan, Pagudpud, Claveria, Sta Ana (where they have the best hotel in the Philippines, price quality that is), and Tuguegarao.On another trip we went all arount Mindoro, Puerto Galera, Roxas, San Jose, Sablayan, North Pandan island, Apo reef and Mamburao.Also we visited the entire Sorsogon area in South Luzon.We also went to Palawan, Puerto Princesa, Honda bay, Sabang, Taytay, El Nido and surroundings, Port Barton.Also around Panglao island (Bohol), the Chocolate Hills and Tarsier sanctuaries and the river cruise there.And of course.... Boracay

[sjp52]

what are some of the places that every one has been that are worth while checking out. I like to check out places that people recommend.

[Candyman]

what are some of the places that every one has been that are worth while checking out. I like to check out places that people recommend.

I like all areas of Bohol, Panglao Island and Bantayan Island. We have also been to most parts of Cebu Island, and I like the areas on the Western coast from Asturias, in the north to Badian in the south. I have not gone any further south than Badian and Kawasan falls on Cebu Island.We have also travelled fairly extensively on the island of Negros, from Capiz in the north, through Bacolod then onto Dumaguette, and back up the coast road to San Carlos. That is a nice place, and I wouldn't mind spending some more time there, but the rest of Negros, really didn't do much for me. We took a fast boat back from there to Toledo on the west coast of Cebu, and I like that area too, having stayed there on three separate occaisions.On Luzon, we have mainly been around the Ermita, Malate, Makati, and Intramudas areas. there is lots to see and do there, with Museums and art galleries, Fort Santiago, the Rizal shrine, and of course the San Augustin Church is not to be missed. We have been as far south as Batangas, on Luzon, so we still have heaps left to see and do !This is off Jilantagaan Island Off Bantayan Island.These Following Photos are of the People's Park In San Carlos, Negros.

[Jake]

Thank you Candyman for your photo journalism. I would love to see more of my native land. You guys have certainly have me beat as far as seeing more islands than I have. Thank youguys!Jake

[ekimswish]

I went to Boracay twice, Puerta Galero once, and Subiq Bay, as far as vacations go. Went surfing up in San Juan (Luzon), and Borongan (East Samar). Lived in Marikina, and Julita (a small town down the road from the MacArthur Landing in Leyte). Spent a bit of time in Makati, Malate, and Tacloban, as well as an afternoon on western Leyte. Not too extensive, but marriage and kids have kept me too busy to see all the places I've dreamed of.