Philippines

Swimming with Whale Sharks

The first time the boatman urged me to go below the surface, I resolutely plunged downwards and went as deep as I could go. Unfortunately — apparently — this was as deep as I could go:

♥ ♥ I’ve never seen snow. My city has no trains. It’s always summer where I live. Except on rainy days. And so trains fascinate me; autumn, winter, spring. Cobblestone, padded coats, foggy mountains, glens. I try when I travel to live a different life. But …

The Sumilon Island Bucket List

SGMT | Sumilon Island — Sumilon Island is one of my favorite places in my home province of Cebu. It’s nearly 4 hours away by bus — plus a short boat ride courtesy of the resort that operates the island — but the experience has …

How Much to Budget for El Nido (6 days, 5 nights)

How Much to Budget for El Nido (6D/5N)) | SGMT — An El Nido vacation can cost as little as ₱5,000 to as much as…I don’t know…₱5,000,000 or more. This budget, which we used for our Palawan trip last June, is somewhere in between. It’s …

Anti-Offloading Tips from an Immigration Officer

Anti-Offloading Tips from an Immigration Officer | SGMT — Plus guidance straight from the Bureau of Immigration and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT). I recently had the chance to put a few questions to an Immigration officer and he kindly agreed to give me …

Pinoy Abroad: List of Documents Required by Immigration for International Travel

SGMT | List of Documents Required by Immigration — In 2014, I wrote a post titled “What Filipinos Need to Know About Traveling Abroad: Guidelines from the Bureau of Immigration” and since then, I’ve had a lot of people writing to me and asking for advice …