When you’re in the Paradise Philippines, you’ll surely notice this unique type of transportation, with an aluminum body, not a bus nor a van but carries a lot of people. This is what we call Jeepney, the most popular means of transportation in the country.

The jeepney originated from the US military jeeps that were left by the Americans to local Filipinos after the World War II. The original military jeeps were stripped down to accomodate more passengers, hoods were added for sun and rain protections and decorated them a little to look more attractive.

If you’ll be visiting the country sooner and looking for a place to stay, here’s a list of the best hotels to consider:
Heritage Hotel – A five-star deluxe hotel, The Heritage Hotel Manila is located at the crossroads of Metro Manila’s main thoroughfares, Roxas Boulevard and Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue, a daily testament to the famed Manila Bay sunset.

Roxas Boulevard corner EDSA, Pasay City, Philippines 1300
tel: +63 2 854 8888 fax: +63 2 854 8833 reservation: +63 2 854 8648
email: inquiry@heritagehotelmanila.com

If you’ll be visiting the Philippines during this month, you’ll probably ending up wet as it is the rainy season. Some good things to do at this moment is to visit Negros Orriental, Albay and Bulacan with their festivals.

At Tanjay, Negros Orriental, they have a twice a year event called “Paaway Sa Kabayo” or horsefight in english. During this event, they held fights among studs to battle supremacy for a lady horse. Around 100 or more horses are being trained the whole year for this exciting event. This is held every July 25th and December 25th of every year.

I have made a quick round up earlier of what I think is the top reasons why one should visit Paradise Philippines. Here’s what came in my list:

Pinoy Food:

• Sinigang – often incorporates stewed fish, pork, chicken, shrimp, or beef and is usually prepared with tamarind, tomato, leek, taro and onion. Other vegetables cooked in sinigang may include okra, spinach, radish, green pepper and string beans.
• Adobo – typically made from pork or chicken or a combination of both. It is slow-cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, crushed garlic, bay leaf, and black peppercorns, and often browned in the oven or pan-fried afterwards to get the desirable crisped edges.

An island with a figure of a man’s face on its side, white sand and green-clear waters compose one of the hidden beauty of the Paradise Philippines…..the Capones Island! It is also known for an old lighthouse built during the Spanish era which will bring you back in time for sure.

With a 5 hours drive from Manila to San Antonio, Zambales…going to Capones Island is a bit tiring but one of a kind adventure. It is located exactly as part of Barangay Pundaquit in San Antonio, Zambales. From the shores of Pundaquit, it’s a 15-minute boat ride before reaching the island’s beachfront.