Beachbumming in Masasa, Tingloy, Batangas

The shoreline of Masasa. A cave is visible at the far right.

There's nothing not to love about Masasa Beach. Hidden in the peaceful island-town of Tingloy in Batangas, this beach is largely untouched by commercialization. There's no entrance fee, and you're free to roam around and do as you please. The shoreline is made up of white sand and broken corals. The corals found not far from the shore are great for snorkeling. Too bad we didn't have an underwater camera, but I'd say the corals are even more varied and colorful than those I saw in Calaguas. Two prominent features of the beach are the cave (which makes a great shelter from the sun, visible in the photo above) and the rock formation which was turned into a stairway (perfect for photo ops!).

Uber Fun Taal Volcano Dayhike

Here's a bit of fact you probably do not know: that volcano looking thing at the back side of the P50 bill isn't Taal Volcano itself - it's technically part of the volcano but it's not where the main crater is. It's called Binintiang Malaki (Big Leg), a dormant crater which was the center of the 1707 and 1715 eruptions. It sits on the edge of Volcano Island, and at present, no established trail leads to its crater because of its steep slopes. The main attraction in the island, the main crater which has a lake in the middle is further inward. An small island sits in the middle of the crater lake - and this is what our tourism ads refer to as an island within a lake (the crater lake), within an island (the Volcano Island) within a lake (Taal Lake), which is within an island (Luzon).

I Left My Heart in Calaguas

This awful picture doesn't give justice to how white and powdery the sand is.

I have long lusted over stories of Calaguas from friends who have been there. Their stories sound like cliches from a tourism pamphlet and told of a long stretch of powdery white sand, crystal clear waters, a paradise. Having been there myself, I couldn't agree agree less.