Philippines
articles on culture, tourism, people and climate in the Philippines
Motorcycle Road Trips: Samar-Leyte Bridge
A while ago I had the pleasure of riding in the Philippines. I used two motorcycles: The Yamaha SZ 150 and the Kawasaki Dominar 400. I rode huge parts of the Pan-Philippine Highway. And with that, I crossed the awesome…
Travel Photos: The best Quiet Beaches in the Philippines
With growing tourism in the Philippines, it becomes harder and harder to find those unspoiled beaches or your private beach moments. Most beaches are so crowded that every selfie you take or every photo includes strangers or belongings of strangers. …
Travel photos: Samar and Leyte in The Philippines
Samar and Leyte are provinces not many tourists got o visit. And that is a shame, for although they are poorer than other parts of the Philippines, they are abundant in everything else. Especially in nature. There is plenty of…
Travel Photos: People in the Philippines
There came a moment in my travels that I started to take photos from people. Street images, random faces which caught my eye. I’d never done that before. Usually, I find people a distraction in my photos. But the Filipino…
How to get from Bantayan Island to Bacolod
Early morning start here, for it is time to leave Bantayan Island and move to Iloilo City. I’ll be travelling to Bacolod first, then take a ferry from there to Iloilo. Since I’ve come from Iloilo to Bacolod a few…
Can a Tourist open a Filipino Bank Account
Using the ATM with a European MasterCard is a costly affair. The max amount of withdrawal is 10,000 pesos per transaction and the withdrawal and interchange fee is around 10 euro each time, add to that the exchange rate and…
Applying for a 6 months visa at Iloilo District Immigration Office
Time for a new visa. so I head to the Bureau of Immigration at Iloilo. You will find the Immigration office on the ground floor of the Customs Building. The Customs building is a landmark in Iloilo City. When entering…
Washing your motorcycle abroad
I am from the Netherlands, a country where the car wash is fully automated and there is seldom a person to wash your car. Even the neighborhood kids do not come to the house to wash your car and probably…
The cost of living in Cebu City
Comparing Cebu City to the Filipino countryside or less developed areas Cebu City is rather expensive. Not in general but in certain areas. Upscale restaurants have upscale menus and prices. For example TGIFridays and Social. Prices on their menu are…
I miss the Magic of Dumaguete
I really was looking forward to my visit to Dumaguete. After all: I’ve been watching all those videos about the place on YouTube during my preparations. So I kind of had the feeling I would know the place. How wrong…
Visa application at the Dumaguete Bureau of Immigration
The entrance is a little hidden inside an alley, but the outside sign shows that this is the entrance to the Bureau of Immigration here in Dumaguete City. Door number 8. Almost at the end of the building. I went…
The beggar and your travel budget – 5 tips how to deal with beggars
It breaks my heart sometimes: children in oversized Tees without any underwear sleeping in the streets, hair all tangled up and so dirty. Their parents look no different, yet they look not mall nourished. The other night I saw an…
My Visa extension beyond 59 days in the Philippines
My visa was about to expire. So I downloaded the necessary forms from the official website of the Bureau of Immigration and headed to Batangas for an extension. Since the Bureau of Immigration closed the office in Puerto Galera, it…
Bureau of Immigration in Puerto Galera
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) in Puerto Galera has moved. Services have been transferred to Calapan. I found the office, which was supposed to be on the first floor of the Public Market building, hidden behind a second-hand shop, empty…
