Tag: Laguna
Villa Escudero Day Trip Guide
Right off the boundary of Quezon and Laguna province is Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort, a favorite destination of the balikbayan (a Filipino visiting or returning to the Philippines after a period of living in another country). It’s a two- to three-hour drive from Manila or Cavite, and I visited the place for the first […]
5 Tips For Exploring Mt. Romelo
With a difficulty rating of 2/9 and the peak reaching only 300 MASL (meters above sea level), Mt. Romelo is considered a beginner’s mountain. But heed my warning: The “easy” rating applies only to the two-hour trek to the summit. Exploring the waterfalls after the peak is a whole different ballgame, and I give that […]
Enchanted Kingdom’s Newest Ride Takes Flight
Just two months after the launch of the Ghostbusters Adventure, Enchanted Kingdom has unveiled their latest attraction in time for Christmas—Agila: The EKsperience. It’s a flying theater—the first and only in the Philippines. At 2,000 square meters and 9 storeys high, it’s EK’s biggest attraction. The motion theater technology gives the riders a bird’s eye […]
Happy 21st B-day, Enchanted Kingdom!
I remember when Enchanted Kingdom first opened its doors to the public. It was 1995 and I was an awkward teenager in Colegio San Agustin. My parents took my sister and me to EK on the first month it opened. “We finally have our own Disneyland,” we said. Back then, you had to travel outside the […]
8 Reasons To Visit Enchanted Kingdom’s Ghostbusters Adventure
Enchanted Kingdom just unveiled “Ghostbusters Adventure: Live” last weekend by throwing a daylong, ghoul-themed party. We started with a luncheon at the Midway Boardwalk Party Place, where we rubbed elbows with Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, drank a mysterious slimy green beverage, and met the brains behind EK’s adventures. The rain didn’t stop us from joining […]
Soloviento: Not Quite Glamping, Not Quite Camping
There’s a lakeside rest house in Caliraya, Laguna, that visitors are calling “Baguio meets Batangas.” Windsports enthusiasts come for the lakeside activities, while the non-sporty types come for the quiet escape. Soloviento’s accommodations depend on your needs. You may bring your own tent to pitch and just pay for the entrance fee. You may rent […]
This Dog Runs a Resort
My friends and I had just arrived at Lake Caliraya, a 3-hour drive from Manila. We got our bags from the car and saw two Soloviento employees stepping off the barge to pick us up. I noticed a white-and-brown Jack Russell sprinting towards us. “Oh, hi there!” I said. My friend Bixie told me that […]
![[Video] Talim Island Fiesta: Ocean Olympics Come to Life](https://katewashere.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/TalimFiesta.jpg)
[Video] Talim Island Fiesta: Ocean Olympics Come to Life
This is one Philippine fiesta that isn’t well documented or written about. And I’m glad. It keeps the essence of the celebration in its pure form, untainted by commercialization. The Talim Island fiesta, particularly in Brgy. Habagatan, is held every October 3-4. Guests from neighboring barangays (barrios), as well as friends and family from Laguna […]
Help Rebuild Talim Island’s St. Francis Church
Last year I got to know the people of Talim Island, specifically Barangay Habagatan. Their main source of livelihood is fishing, but there is a lack of facilities such as markets, a hospital, or even a medical center in the island. For emergencies and other modern supplies, they have to take a 30-minute boat ride […]