South East Asia is a hot pot of intersecting cultures and religions, and perhaps as a result, is rife with...
Read more about Boo! Southeast Asia’s Spookiest Places for a Haunted Halloween
Tucked among the many districts that comprise Metro Manila, lies a walled medieval city called Intramuros. Roughly translated as “within the walls”, Intramuros was built by Spanish settlers in 1571...
There are literally thousands of islands in South-East Asia, ranging from tiny, uninhabited atolls to heavily populated slices of land, larger than some European countries. It would take a lifetime...
As local surfing’s popularity grows, overcrowding has plagued most of the known surf spots in the country. Catanduanes’ spots, although spoken about in hushed tones, have seen its share of...
SoutheastAsia.org asked its writers what they would do with 2 weeks to spend in Southeast Asia. Two weeks is very little time to explore such a large and diverse region,...
For travellers to Southeast Asia, a visit to a museum generally isn’t the motivation to come to the area. And for a long time, museums in the region did not...
Long before this progressive city in the South propelled to fame as our world boxing champ’s hometown, General Santos City (“GenSan” to locals) had already established itself in the global...
1. Mystical Island/Province of LoveThere’s something mysterious and magnetic about Dinagat Islands, a province located south of the Leyte Gulf. Adventures are in store for those who do not seek...
The mere mention of Mindoro conjures images of Puerto Galera and Apo Reef in most people’s minds. But, is there anything beyond these popular places that is worth discovering?After spending...
It’s difficult to write about one’s own hometown objectively when you only have superlatives to describe it. Forgive the intensity of a Dabawenya like me who grew up in a...
It is hard to imagine that the second smallest island in the Philippines has seven volcanoes, a few majestic waterfalls, pristine beaches, historical sites, and smaller islands surrounded by rich...
It’s not often that you wake up in Boracay to the sound of chirping birds. But whether you’re a party crawler greeting the noonday sun or an early riser, those...
One weekend, a friend and I packed our bags for a trip to the northern mountains. Our plan was simple: from Manila, we would tackle the Cordillera loop, entering via...
A bamboo raft, more like a floating cottage really, glides serenely on the dark water of the guitar-shaped Lake Danao, cited as the Cleanest Inland Body of Water in Region...
The sheer vibrancy of Manila can often be overwhelming. While long days trudging past attractions and longer nights plodding through pubs are exhilarating though exhausting experiences, the thing that tires...
Sailing into the quiet bay of Coron on the first day of 2009, I found myself counting life’s blessings as I gazed at the limestone islands and white sandy beaches,...
My excitement upon visiting Puerto Princesa came from curiosity at first. I’m from Davao City, which has a lot in common with Puerto Princesa. Apart from both claiming to be...
Ask a native what’s new in Tagbilaran, the capital of the tourism whirlwind that is the Province of Bohol, and he is likely to point you to a suicidal stunt...
My face just beneath the surface of the sea, breathing rapidly through a snorkel after a hurried leap into the water, I looked where the guide was pointing but saw...
The state of the environment – and our impact upon it – is a thorny issue. While responsible tourism and sustainable development have been prevalent concepts for decades, concerns about...
Did you know that Taal was considered the second most important city during the Spanish era? Even though it was not able to maintain its pre-eminent stature like Manila, Taal...
There is a kind of magic that draws you to Tuguegarao, where no tourist leaves this place without being fascinated by its charms. Whether it is for a day, a...
“Hi, I am Paul. You have a bike for rent?” goes an e-mail I had received the other day. Paul is American, and we met the next day at my...
The colonial architectural heritage in Southeast Asia has rarely been emphasized by tourism authorities. The lack of interest was likely due to the difficulty in assimilating the legacy of foreign...
Southeast Asia is a place of vibrant ethnic and religious diversity. The southern region is dominated by Islamic beliefs but there are also large Christian, Hindu and Buddhist populations and...
It is a sight to take your breath away: row after row of human-built terraces snaking along the contours of a valley, bright green before harvest or starkly barren afterwards....
When travelling, there’s no better way to relax after a hard day of shopping and seeing the sights than with a well-made cocktail. It’s even better when the cocktail is...
Chinese merchants were already trading in the Philippine archipelago when explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived in 1521, and later the Spanish colonial rulers encouraged the development of Southeast Asia’s first Chinatown...
“Baloot! Baloot!” the egg man shouts. His basket of wares are a tempting snack for the beer drinkers in Manila bars, and for visitors to the Philippines a few beers...
It's a gorgeous sunny day on an idyllic tropical isle in the South China Sea. You're on a kitesurfing board tearing along in a 20-knot side-shore breeze over a turquoise...
Casinos dot Southeast Asia from small border gaming halls to Vegas-like casinos. Many cater to Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese players, who cannot legally gamble at home, but westerners are welcome...
Typhoon season is undoubtedly the best time to surf the Philippines, but does come with obvious drawbacks. On the East (Pacific) coast, Calicoan Island, off South-Eastern Samar has good right...
My first climbs were a means to an end…jumping into a waterfall pool in central New York’s Finger Lakes region. Tourists know this glacier-gouged region for its vineyards and Cornell...
The culturally diverse SE Asian island country that is the Philippines has a complex national identity that has seen significant influence from centuries of colonial rule by Spain, as well...
No matter where your trip through Southeast Asia takes you, it is possible to be surfing somewhere within hours of arrival. Needless to say, for any serious surfer, visiting Southeast...
If you are slinging on the backpack and travelling to Southeast Asia for the first time, here are a few words of sage advice to ensure the experience is the...
Southeast Asia is perfect those who enjoy watching birds. Not only is it one of the most biologically diverse regions, and home to over 15% of the Earth’s ornithological species,...
I’m in a protected forest in Cambodia's Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area, staring through a high-powered telescope at a Great Hornbill. Five minutes before I had little idea what a Great...
It is an undisputed fact that South East Asia is a shopper’s paradise. Between high-end consumer temples along Singapore’s Orchard Road and the sweaty mosh of Bangkok’s weekend market, you...
Southeast Asia has a wide range of nightlife options, and you’re sure to find something to suit your taste whether you’re after glamorous cocktail bars, crazy karaoke clubs, western-style discos,...
On a recent visit to Dal, an ethnic Jarai minority village in Cambodia's Ratanakiri Province, I had a moment of enlightenment. Standing guard outside one of the tombs in the...
SoutheastAsia.org asked its writers what they would do with 2 weeks to spend in Southeast Asia. Two weeks in spectacular, exotic Southeast Asia is an exciting prospect. While you can’t...
Southeast Asia’s porous limestone geology presents spelunkers with infinite crevices, chasms, caverns and underground rivers to explore. Caves from Indonesia to Laos can challenge the experienced and amaze adventurous tourists....
Southeast Asia has given birth to many wonderful things: fiery food, stunning architecture and holistic healing systems. Added to this cultural smorgasbord is a range of elaborate, highly effective fighting...
One of the most rewarding experiences when arriving in any Southeast Asian country is heading straight to the nearest marketplace and checking out the streetfood. The fruit colors, the aromas,...
If it's true that wildlife conservation efforts favor "cute" species, the endangered Philippine tarsier should get no shortage of attention. The tree-dwelling primate looks like a ball of fuzz with...
The exotic, interesting, unique and occasionally frightening is on display in Southeast Asia. Wildlife encounters and adventures are becoming more and more popular benefiting both travelers and those often volunteer-led...
Divers are generally a hardy lot; they don’t mind roughing it to get to a fantastic dive site. And perhaps once upon a time they needed to, but not anymore....
The diverse landscape that exists in Southeast Asia is an explorer's paradise. Jungle treks, mountain hikes, hillside tribes, remote temples, stunning vistas, the list goes on. When CNN correspondent Anderson...