A Trip to the Philippines

Map of the Philippines and potential places to visit

 

Our drive from Manila to San Fernando, La Union (not far but a long drive!) 

More places to visit or to stay

Great places to go birding. I am working with a guide to take us to the circled area for a day.

Bauang, La Union

Playing Santa at the kids school

Playing Santa at the kids school

Bauang, La Union

Bauang, La Union

Bauang, La Union

Bauang, La Union

Bauang, La Union

China Sea Resort (a great resort that may now be closed?), Bauang, La Union

Christmas parols along the road from Manila to La Union

The point by the bay above the jet is San Fernando

San Fernando from 30,000 feet

Santa visits the kids school

The first non-Filipino Santa that many had seen.

Bauang, La Union

We promised Yrving that we would make gingerbread men!

We need to source gingerbread men before our trip!

San Fernando transportation

Who wants to do a snorkeling trip?

Be prepared for a very, very loud New Year's Eve! Bring face masks for the smoke!

Myrna took us to this place which may be a good place for birding and I would like to visit again.

The area where Myrna took us with lots of trees which may mean lots of birds!

Be prepared to eat lots of pigs!

Brother Edwin's piggery

Poro Point, La Union

Poro Point, La Union

Poro Point, La Union

San Juan, La Union

Fresh fish

Sea Urchin, Bauang

Sea Urchin, Bauang

The Farm, Pias, La Union

Makati at Christmas

The Farm, Pias, La Union

The Farm, Pias, La Union (San Miguel beer is a $1.00 a bottle!) 

Sunset Bay, La Union (my favorite!)

Makati at Christmas

Makati

Aquino statue in Makati

Magellan's cross in Cebu

Cebu

Cebu

Cebu

Cebu

Luna, La Union

Luna, La Union

Makati

Makati

Makati

Fairmont Hotel, Makati

Fairmont Hotel, Makati

Fairmont Hotel, Makati

Philippine Eagle, Quezon (may be the only time to ever see a Philippine Eagle!)

San Juan, La Union (the water is pretty rough for swimming!)

Sunset Bay, La Union

Makati

Cebu

Cebu

Underground River, Puerto Princesa

Underground River, Puerto Princesa

Underground River, Puerto Princesa

Underground River, Puerto Princesa

Banaue Rice Terraces (long drive from La Union but very cool to see!)

Banaue Rice Terraces

Hanging coffins at Sagada

Hanging coffins at Sagada

Hanging coffins at Sagada

Hanging coffins at Sagada

Hanging coffins at Sagada

Hanging coffins at Sagada

Hanging coffins at Sagada

Banaue Rice Terraces

Banaue Rice Terraces

Cebu, Golden Pearls

Banaue Rice Terraces

Banaue Rice Terraces

Banaue Rice Terraces

Cebu

Banaue Rice Terraces

Banaue Rice Terraces

San Juan, La Union

Villas Buenavista, San Juan, La Union (a very nice place!)

Edwin's house

San Juan, La Union

San Juan, La Union

Gacayan family cemetery that we have to visit.

San Juan, La Union

San Juan, La Union

San Juan, La Union

The Farm, Pias, La Union

The Farm, Pias, La Union

Cock fighting, Pias, La Union

Cock fighting, Pias, La Union

A Chinese Egret at The Farm, Pias, La Union

Public transportation: You have to shout "para!" when you want to stop

Family gathering at Larry and Flor's house

Hundred Islands

Hundred Islands

Hundred Islands

Hundred Islands

Hundred Islands

Hundred Islands

Hundred Islands (perhaps the best place on Earth to snorkel and see the giant clams) 

Hundred Islands

Hundred Islands

Hundred Islands

Hundred Islands

Sunset Bay

Sunset Bay

Sunset Bay

The Ayala Museum in Makati

Underground River, Puerto Princesa

Underground River, ziplining over the sea, Puerto Princesa

Jim wants to do some snorkeling!

Poro Point, La Union, Jim saw a Philippine sea snake here!

Diving with the whale sharks in Cebu

Diving with the whale sharks in Cebu

Diving with the whale sharks in Cebu

Diving with the whale sharks in Cebu

Diving with the whale sharks in Cebu

Diving with the whale sharks in Cebu

The Farm, Pias, La Union

The Farm, Pias, La Union

The Farm, Pias, La Union

Hawker Chan in Makati has great food and very inexpensive

Hawker Chan in Makati has great food

Tim Ho Wan in Makati, this place makes my mouth water!

Tim Ho Wan in Makati

San Fernando at Christmas

San Fernando at Christmas

China Sea Resort, Bauang

Sunset Bay resort

Sunset Bay resort

Puerto de San Juan resort

Puerto de San Juan resort

Puerto de San Juan resort, art made from recycled material

Puerto de San Juan resort

Great donuts in Baguio, the mountain province 

Baguio

Baguio

Rainbow tree in Baguio

San Juan, La Union

The best BBQ I have ever tasted, at Edwin's house in Bacnotan

BBQ ribs at Edwin's house. 

Edwin made ribs with Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce and mahogany wood smoked!

The pork ribs came from Edwin's piggery.

A tradition that Nida, Papoy, Terrance and I have dinner and a beer at the German restaurant in San Juan

Our traditional German dinner in San Juan!

The water park at Puerto de San Juan resort.

A reunion with cousin Susan and her son at Max's of the Philippines

Subic Bay, an amazing place where Jim could live!

Makati at Christmas

Makati jeepney que.

Art glass at the Fairmont in Makati

This trip must have a reunion of old friends!

Nida and her friend in Makati

The Philippine Airline business class lounge in San Francisco

Flying on Philippine Airlines is the only direct flight from SFO to Manila

Sunset Bay resort in La Union. Did I mention that I love this place?

Villas Buenavista in San Juan

Villas Buenavista in San Juan

Villas Buenavista in San Juan

Villas Buenavista in San Juan

Villas Buenavista in San Juan

Villas Buenavista in San Juan

Villas Buenavista in San Juan

Family gathering at what may be the best Korean restaurant in the Philippines

Eat-all-you-can in the Philippines is the same as all-you-can-eat in the States

The restaurant at the Villas Buenavista

The Hiwang Native House Inn, former traditional rice farmer houses, Banaue Rice Terraces 

The Hiwang Native House Inn, Banaue

Native people of Banaue

Banaue Rice Terraces

The sunsets at San Juan, La Union are amazing!

The German restaurant in San Juan

The German restaurant in San Juan

Schnitzel at the German restaurant in San Juan

The wet market in San Fernando

The Gacayan family

Sea Urchins, Bacnotan near Edwin's house

San Juan, La Union

Downtown San Fernando

A real treat will be to see the hatching and release of rare Olive Ridley sea turtles in San Juan

A huge spread of food at Larry and Flor's house

Family gathering at Larry and Flor's house

Hopefully the next family gathering will include all the brothers and sisters

I will make a separate family org chart so everyone will know everyone!

Makati at Christmas

Makati at Christmas

You can eat, relax and sleep in comfort on Philippine Airlines business class!

Space, the final frontier!

Good wine, and plenty of leg room!

The food is pretty good too and you get to eat with real silverware!

The metro on Manila

Makati is a safe, modern city where I would prefer to stay for a few days before departing.

The Fairmont hotel in Makati

Underground River, ziplining over the sea, Puerto Princesa

Hopefully we will see some Carabao, who are getting almost endangered

Rice farmers in La Union

Pugo is a great place to buy wood carvings

A traditional wood carver family in Pugo

A rice farmer near Pugo

If you must have a flight layover, the Singapore airport is the best!

You will never tire of the views of the South China Sea.

The following are birds that I saw in various places in the Philippines on our last trip in 2022. These are only for those interested in birding: