Houdongkeng Waterfall

              Yilan, in northeastern Taiwan, doesn’t have much to offer a passing tourist and you won’t find many that stop there.  But if you are making your way down the east coast and looking for a quick and rewarding hike, look no further than Houdongkeng Waterfall. 

Must Try Food in Taipei

              Taiwan is full of amazing food, and there is no place better to try it all than Taipei.  Taipei is a city that never sleeps, with bustling streets and lively night markets, the sheer variety of amazing food here is a foodie’s dream.  Everything in Taipei is delicious, but if you want to make sure to hit the best food Taipei has to offer, there are a few things that you must have on your eating checklist.  From sleepless night markets to must try restaurants, I have scoured the streets of Taipei to experience the best Taipei has to offer, bite to bite.  Here are a few of my personal favorites.

Top 10 Things To Do: Taipei

              Taipei, the sprawling capital city in northern Taiwan, is well worth a visit for any traveler wishing to take an amazing city vacation in a far away land.  Taipei offers world renowned food, transportation, hospitality, and experiences and should be on anyone’s bucket list of cities to visit.  Whether you have only a few days or weeks to spare, you can easily fill your time with awesome experiences, great sites, and amazing food.  If you are looking for what to do here is my list of the top 10 things to do in Taipei.

First Two Weeks in Taiwan

Taipei 101 and downtown Taipei from the top of Elephant Mountain

              Having finished our tour of the Philippines, we boarded an Air Asia flight and jumped across to Taiwan; the second country in our Southeast Asia tour.  Since Taiwan is a fairly small island we had planned on only spending two weeks there, but of course that didn’t happen (currently on day 18 and still have about a week of things to do).  The trip was going to be quick and easy we thought.  Since having a friend that lives in Taipei, the capital, we had planned to stay with him and use his house as a base of operations to go out into the rest of the country.

Top Cities in the Philippines

              During my one-month tour of the Philippines I traveled across a lot of the country, visited many of the islands, and stayed in a lot of its major towns.  Some of the towns were simply stop overs to other things, but others demanded my attention.  Here is a list of my top 7 favorite cities in the Philippines and how they rank. 

Top 10 Things to Do: Philippines

              The Philippines is full of fun and exciting things to do; so many it’s hard to do them all in just one trip.  So, to help you decide on where you should focus your vacation time, I have compiled a list of my personal top 10 favorite things I did while in the Philippines. 

Philippines Promo

         My tour of Southeast Asia started off strong with a month-long trip to the Philippines.  The Philippines might have been one of my favorite places I have visited.  A country made of 7,641 islands, the Philippines has something to offer for everyone.  Whether you want to relax on the beach in Coron, island hop in El Nido, party in Boracay, swim with sea turtles in Dumaguete, or make an adventure in Bohol, the Philippines has it all.  To celebrate the completion of our tour of the Philippines, I wanted to share this video posted by my girlfriend from 'The Jade Parade.'

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Bohol

Tarsier monkey

              Bohol, an island located in south central Philippines, may not be as famous as some of the other islands in the Philippines, but it is well worth a visit.  Most famous for its Chocolate Hills and Tarsiers, Bohol also offers an array of other highlights for those wanting either an adventurous or beach vacation.  This tropical paradise has it all from white sandy beaches to tropical forest covered mountains. 

Dumaguete

Sea turtle at Apo Island

              Dumaguete is a vibrant city in south central Philippines known as the “City of Gentle People.”  A university town, thousands of students pour into the city everyday to attend one of its great universities.  Not only is Dumaguete a jump off point for snorkeling and diving trips or travel to the eastern and southern islands, but it offers up some great sightseeing, food, and entertainment itself.

Bais

Manjuyod Sandbar

              Bais is a small town in south central Philippines known mainly for its large sandbar and dolphin watching.  Though the town itself may not have a lot to offer tourists it is a good day trip town from Dumaguete or to overnight in for an early morning excursion.  

Tibiao

Kawa baths

              Tibiao may not be on most people’s radar, but it’s truly a worthy addition to anyone’s vacation.  Known for their kawa hot baths, Tibiao might be one of the most relaxing places in the Philippines.  The kawa baths are large metal pots that are heated from below by large wooden fires.  As the water heats they add herbs and flowers which, as they release their oils into the water, creates essentially an herbal hot tub. 

Boracay

I Love Boracay sandcastle on White Beach

              Boracay, a small island in central Philippines, could possibly be the Philippines largest tourist draw.  The number of tourist here could be a turn-off for those wanting a quite getaway.  Hyped as the Philippines party capital, it truly lives up to its name, but it has far more to offer than just its nightlife.  

Hooka and beer bucket on the beach

Palawan: A Video Compilation

              Palawan, the most beautiful island in the world, is truly a site to be seen.  From the UNESCO subterranean river to the amazing beaches, Palawan is in a world of its own.  Trying to capture all Palawan has to offer, I have compiled a short video to showcase this amazing place.

Puerto Princesa

              Puerto Princesa, located in the center of Palawan Island, is known as the greenest (due to the fact that they have four annual tree planting festivals) and cleanest city in the Philippines.  Whether you are in the mood for floating down an underground river, having a chill night walking the Bay Walk, or visiting a local craft brewery, Puerto Princesa should be your port of call.  

El Nido

Island hopping in El Nido

              El Nido is one of the most visited towns in Palawan and possibly the Philippinesas a whole.  It’s located on the northern end of Palawan Island in western Philippines. Palawan Island has been rated the most beautiful island in the world and El Nido is its defining city. 

First Week: Philippines

Jade and I in the Twin Lagoon, Coron, Philippines

              I started my new travels in the Philippines and have been at it for a little over a week and this is my story.  It’s a simple story of the confusion of arrival in a new country, excursions on tropical islands and beaches, and that one time we slept outside in the bottle storage area on the porch of a ticket office (yea that happened).  

Flight from Texas to the Philippines

Coron from a Drone

Compilation of drone footage taken at Twin Lagoon and Bahul Beach in Coron, Philippines.  Enjoy!!!

Coron Island Hopping

Banul Beach from the drone

              The town of Coron may be a sleepy little town for tourist’s standards, but the islands that surround the area are far from it.  The most prominent of these islands is the island of Coron (not to be confused with the city) just across the bay.  The island of Coron was the original site of the town till it was moved to its current location for more space.  The Tagbanua tribe still inhabit the island and have a title of Ancestral Domain over it, so all tourist that enter must pay a fee.

Coron

Panoramic of the bay from my hotel

            

              Coron is located in the northern most island of the Palawan island chain and is amongst the most visited areas by tourist in the Philippines.  The town itself is a sleepy little town with not a whole lot to offer in the food/nightlife/tourist scenes, but the tours outside of town are first-rate and are why Coron should be on everyone’s to-do list. 

Tagaytay

Taal Volcano in the distance from Tagaytay, Philippines

              Located about 56 km from Manila, Tagaytay is the first stop for many tourists on their way through the Philippines.  The cheapest option for traveling there is by bus; costing 65 pesos ($1.30).  Tagaytay’s most prominent point of interest is the Taal Volcano.  Sitting in the middle of Lake Taal, Taal Volcano is the worlds smallest active volcano and the Philippines second most active.