My Lakbayan Map

My Lakbayan grade is A-!
How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!
Created by Eugene Villar.

Gulugod Baboy Climb

Sunset at the Peak

Lone tree at the peak. And it's dead!

I'm on top of the world!

Itinerary: Gulugod Baboy

DESTINATION: GULUGOD BABOY – SOMBRERO ISLAND

Suggested Itinerary

DAY 1: April 12, Saturday

09:00AM Assembly JAM Bus Station, Kamuning near GMA
09:30AM ETD Batangas City
12:00PM ETA Diversion Road, Batangas City
12:30PM ETA Anilao, Mabini

Mt. Gulugod Baboy Peak

An amazing 360 degrees view of Batangas, the bay and its environs.


I climbed this mountain twice already, the first one being the birthday climb of a friend of a friend. It was the first time I met most of the other climbers (about 10 of us) in the group, but they we're a bunch of cool and funny people that is was a great experience.

The second climb,though there were only 4 of us, was more memorable because I was with my beloved sis (it was her first climb) and my special someone (first time climber. The fourth person was my house help, it was my treat for her (though despite the difficulty, I'm sure she enjoyed herself especially with the swim after).

Fast Facts - Philippines

Island hopping in El Nido, Palawan

Philippines

capital : Manila

land area : 299,000 sq km

population : The vast majority of Filipinos are descendants of Malays, Chinese, and Muslim minorities. More than 100 cultural minorities are scattered all over the country.

language : Filipino and English, with 10 other languages and 87 dialects

religion : Predominantly Roman Catholic. Others: Protestant,, Muslim, and Buddhist

government : republic

currency : Philippine peso

geography : The Philippines is an archipelago located between the Philippine the Philippine sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam, and north of Sabah and Borneo. It spans 1,900 kilometers from north to south, 1110 from east to west.

climate : March to May is hot and dry. June to October is rainy. November to February is cool. Average temperatures: 78F/ 32C; humidity: 77%

environment : The Philippines is rich in biodiversity, with around 12,000 plant species, 1100 land vertebrate species, and at least 500 species of coral. Total forest area is around 18%; coastal ecosystem reaches around 20,000 km.

time : GMT + 8 hours

Source: Dept of Tourism

Ilocos View

I took this amateur video on our trip from Vigan to Pagudpod.



Truly a beautiful Philippines!

Dislaimer

This blog is for information purposes only.

The numbers, locations, directions, people, fares and all other data presented in this blog is a collection of my personal experience or collected from various sources as indicated in each post, just to give you a general picture of each place or each travel.

Entrance to the Underground River, Puerto Princesa, Palawan

As much I have tried to present the most accurate data possible, certain errors may occur due to typographical or other mistakes, or as brought upon by changes beyond my control (increase in fares, cessation of flights or routes, changing of contact numbers, etc).

In using this site, you agree to these conditions:

1. I, the blog owner, will not accept any liability to any person for the information or advice (or the use of such information or advice) which is provided on this web site or incorporated into it by reference.
2. The information on this website is provided on the basis that all persons accessing the site undertake responsibility for assessing the relevance and accuracy of its content.
3. The content of this blog may be copied, provided, proper acknowledgment is attributed to this site and the author.

Furthermore, I have no editor and I have no time to review each article on this blog, as such, grammatical or spelling errors may occur. Please pardon my mistakes. Just focus on the contents and the message, ignore the minor mistakes. Don't attack my person because of it.

Questions or request for travel advice are most welcome.

Tara, byahe tayo!™

Froilan Grate | Lonely Pinoy Traveler
Also: No Bystanders | Inside a Green Mind

Important Numbers

Important Telephone Numbers when traveling to the Philippines:

Baler, Aurora

Ninoy Aquino International Airport 877 1109
Bureau of Customs 527 4517
Bureau of Immigration 527 3259
Police/ Fire/ Medical Emergency 117
International Operator 108
Local Operator 109
Directory Assistance 187


HOSPITALS

Asian Hospital 771 9000
Makati Medical Center 815 9911
Manila Doctor's 524 3011
Medical Center Manila 523 8131
Medical City 631 8626
Philippine Gen Hospital 521 8450
St. Luke's MC 723 0101


Department of Tourism

T.M Kalaw St., Ermita, Manila
Hotline: 525 2000

Tourist Security Division 524 1660
(24 hrs) 524 1728

Tourism Information Center 524 2384
(7am-8pm)

Tourist Legal Service 524 1742
(Mon-Fri 8am-6pm)

Source: Department of Tourism

Make sure you have read and you agreed to this site's disclaimer.

Video: Calayan, Babuyan Islands

A video prepared by a friend of our trip to Calayan Island, part of the Babuyan Group of Islands.

Please watch for my next post on the details of this trip and on information on Calayan and how to get there.

Video courtesy of Jo B. Many thanks!

Pros of Traveling Alone 1

Taking a photo of yourself taking a photo is a challenge when traveling along

Surely, we enjoy the company of friends when we travel. But when in a situation where we find ourselves alone, there's no reason to feel bad and miss out on the best that a place has to offer.

Here are some reasons why traveling alone is good, sometimes better:

Why Lonely Pinoy Traveler?

I am not sad. I am very happy, especially when I travel. So why Lonely Pinoy Traveler? For two reasons:

Solo travel in Ayuthaya, Thailand

First, I will be posting about my own travels, here in the Philippines and even abroad. And most of these trips, I am alone.

Second, learning from my experience of traveling alone, I will be sharing trips and tips that will make traveling alone still a hell lot of fun. And this will work even with couples or groups.

Now, you might ask, why do I frequently travel alone. Sometimes, it is by choice but sometimes it is just the way it is given the circumstances. Lets me cite some examples.

1. I am fortunate that my work brings me to a lot of places. Working for an NGO, I am sent to the different parts of the country, often alone. After the work is done, I make sure that I spend a few days to explore the place - also often alone (or sometimes with my hosts.)

2. I also work as a consultant for one senator, a work that also entails lots of travels. In these travels all over the Philippines, the regular staff has to be constantly with the senator leaving me alone with the opportunity to explore the place.

3. Given my age, a lot of my friends are also young. Often, we plan to travel together but at the last minute, they would cancel. Most probably, I would decide to continue with the plan - alone.

4. Sometimes, I travel alone by choice. That is for a lot of reasons, but usually, I do it if I want some time to think about something. In my next post, I will be detailing some benefits of traveling alone.

But just to make it clear, I do enjoy some company when I travel. But when faced with a situation where I am alone, I know how to make the most out of it, and have one hell of trip to remember.

So, read on and please come back for more and discover heaven that is the Philippines.

Welcome

Welcomed by the sunrise in Sagada

Welcome to my blog - Lonely Pinoy Traveler.

My name is Froilan. If you want to know me more, visit my personal blog here.

One of the things that I love doing the most is traveling. And in this site, I will chronicle all my travels in the hopes of showing to the world what a beautiful country we have and hopefully, this will encourage others to travel as well.

Why Lonely Pinoy Traveler? I will explain that in my next post. So please do come back and discover the heaven that is the Philippines.

Thank you for visiting and reading.