Slow Travel

Turning Portuguese: Learning the Language

Slow Travel
board texts in portuguese over hills

We are still on the hunt for our forever home country, and all eyes are on Portugal right now.

Contrast to Turkish, navigating the Portuguese language seems friendlier, many thanks to my Spanish knowhow (yes, it’s still alive despite non-use for over 2 decades!).

Learning Portuguese is a good starting point for the basics. I like that it feels like a personal library, put together by Russell Walker who documented and shared his learning process (thank you!).

Hopefully soon, I’ll have more to share about my own learning journey. For now, tchau, adeus, Até amanhã (bye, see you tomorrow)!

Worldschooling in the Philippines in 2023

Education Slow Travel

Collating helpful information here for families who see the world as our classroom and wish to explore the Philippines with their children, combining travel with schooling. Please let me know in the comments if there are places, initiatives, schools and groups that should be here too!


About me: I’m a Filipina artist with 20+ years experience in real estate, also education. I love the Philippines and do what I can to keep fighting the good fight of helping Philippine tourism. I spend my time now raising two kids with my husband: our 4yo daughter and our startup, Leadia. Leadia is our joint life work that is bringing together founders and leaders to live, work and play in multiple inspiring locations around the world.

My recommendations here are a reflection of my interests and preferences for slow travel, sustainability, nature, conversations, impact initiatives, Waldorf, art, farming. Hope you find them useful, and if you need any help, please just reach out in the comments 🙂

Happy travels and exploring!

tl; dr: Crown jewels of the Philippines are El Nido in Palawan and Batanes. Siargao is a close third.
Life-changing experiences unique to PH: Taophilippines.com, Swimming with the whalesharks in Donsol (not Cebu), Benguet trek/Banaue Rice Terraces
Danjugan Island Sanctuary Marine and Wildlife Camps – annual camps for adults 3N and youth 5N. Private camps can be arranged at any date for a min group of 10.
Heritage trips: Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar
Beach towns with surfing and robust communities: Siargao, La Union, Baler.
Best beaches in PH (sand and water/swimmable quality): the remote Islands in the Linapacan strait between El Nido and Coron, Nacpan in El Nido, Darocoton in El Nido, Boracay
Best snorkelling beaches: Bantayan Island in Cebu, Balicasag in Bohol, Bolinao in Pangasinan, Anilao in Batangas
Best dive sites (disclaimer: I’m not a diver): Tubattaha Reef in Palawan, Anilao in Batangas
Luxury island resorts: Amanpulo, Balesin
Family-friendly island resorts: Club Paradise in Palawan, Shangrila Mactan in Cebu, Shangrila Boracay

Overview

The Philippines has 7,107 islands, with over 120 ethnolinguistic groups (that means there are over 120 languages, not just dialects, in the PH). English is widely spoken.

MANILA

Manila is not an easy city, but there are gems if you really try to look.

Caveat: Anticipate heavy traffic, crowded streets and public places, concrete everywhere. Manila is not pedestrian-friendly.

If you want to stay in a walkable neighborhood with city conveniences: Bonifacio Global City, Makati Business District, or Rockwell Makati

Good things about Manila: English is spoken everywhere. It’s where you can see Philippine Art and Museums, take cultural/historical tours. Malls are everywhere and complete with modern conveniences (even 4D cinemas), so it’s a good place to stock up on specialized foods, toiletries, gagdets, clothing, etc. Everything is also available online on Lazada.com.ph or direct to sellers on Facebook Marketplace, with courier service for same day deliveries. Filipinos love to eat so there are lots of dining options and specialized home bakers/ foodies that fit every budget.

Where to check weekly things to do and events: Spot.ph

Popular souvenirs/products: Pearls, dried mangoes (try plain and covered in dark choco), Philippine textiles

Best way to get around is via Grab (car on-demand like Uber)

Intramuros and Old Manila

Lots of groups offering walking / bike tours of Old Manila covering the areas of the old walled city (Intramuros), the Luneta Park, Binondo (oldest Chinatown in the world) and Escolta districts.

Activities for Kids in the City

These are compiled information from recommendations of other parents in Best of the Best Manila.

  • Obstacle course class at Obstacle Sports Factory
  • Malacanang Museum(weekdays only)
  • Ateneo Art Gallery
  • Carpentry for Kids: Taty_mnl on Instagram
  • MiraNila Heritage House – conducts day tours of a Heritage Mansion in the city

Outside Manila

  • DreamPlay
  • Camp Boa
  • Hiraya Farm
  • Pinkie’s Farm
  • Lake Caliraya for camping, fishing, water sports: recommend to stay in The Lakehouse Caliraya
  • Gardenia Bread City in Laguna (weekdays only)
  • Makiling Botanic Gardens
  • Project Curma, La Union
  • Visit the windmills in Rizal
  • Hiking trails in Rizal

AROUND MANILA

Tagaytay

You can view Taal, the World’s smallest volcano (and it’s a volcano within a volcano), from the Tagaytay Ridge

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

Heritage

Masungi Georeserve

Forest school Philippines (Cavite)

Guided 2-hour walk through a forest in Cavite, south of Manila. Take off point is the Canopy Farm, which can be a destination on its own. https://www.facebook.com/thecanopyfarmph?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Antipolo

Mountain city, natural extension of Metro Manila where people who want a greener lifestyle relocate. It has a lot of quaint restaurants, cafes, museums.

Camp Explore

PALAWAN

Puerto Princesa

Microtel: a small beachfront hotel in a mangrove area. When the tide comes in, it’s great for kayaking. Needs transfer service to get to the city center.

Ka Lui: Restaurant serving local dishes. Our favorites: Coco banana milkshake and leche flan. Call to reserve seating.

Dos Palmas: Island resort accessible by a boatride from Puerto Princesa bay

Sabang

Underground River

Taophilippines.com

What is Island Life Plus?

Vision and Manifesto Slow Travel Sustainable Living

My friends know I’m exactly the type to run off to the islands and live a life on the beach. 🏝

Now at 42, with a family of my own and mom to a toddler, I’m revisiting this deep desire with different lenses.👓

What is island life and is it for everyone? Is it for my family?

🏝 Slow
🏝 Simple
🏝 Back to basics
🏝 Nature
🏝 Bugs
🏝 Flipflops

What is Island Life Plus?
🏝➕️ with interesting like minds: conversations!
🏝➕️ sense of new: innovation, ideas
🏝➕️ art, theater, music
🏝➕️ sports
🏝➕️ people sharing themselves: hopes, dreams, expertise, experiences, stories, advocacies
🏝➕️ people working together, both personal and professional collabs: schooling, gardening, dream projects, businesses, tech startups, labs, tinkering spaces, farming, hubs.

Writing all these down this Sunday morning excited me again to no end, and it’s how I know it’s still my life mission: it’s alive! Alive in me, and I will keep it alive in others who wish to share the journey.

My dream project has transformed from Alaya to Montalut to now Leadia. It’s not for everyone, but it definitely is for my family. Wherever we end up building @leadiagrowth, it’s the place I want to be in everyday, and the place I want my daughter to flourish and make lifelong friends. It’s where I see @korayerimez and I growing old with wine in hand, dancing into the night, laughing with friends who believe in dreams, wealth, abundance and deeply connecting with people, nurturing our stories and talents as gifts to ourselves, to each other and to the world.

How are you dreaming these days, friends? 🌟


#dreams #islandlife #creativecommunities #growthliving #conversations #inspiringenvironments #everydayart #everydayartist

Day 2 in Bali: Visiting the Green Village (2017)

Slow Travel Green Design and Architecture

Next up: The #GreenVillage, a compound with 13 bamboo houses and villas about 5 mins away from the Green School. We’re going to see 2 houses today, I’m super excited.

First published on July 13, 2017. Reposting these from my old (now deleted) IG account.

Did you know that there are over 300 species of #bamboo? How to spot good bamboo: 1) White fungus means it is over 3 years old and ready for harvest, 2) A broken top means it is wet inside and won’t get strong. 3) Bamboo with more leaves is better–leaves absorb the moisture and keep the bamboo dry. 👍
#bamboo101 #greenvillage #Bali #creativecommunities #alayaPH
Shown here is the #saltwater #pool by the cafe and waiting area. Really hope the rain lets up!
#Bali #creativecommunities #alayaPH
The piece de resistance of the Green Village’s #RiverHouse. Breathtaking view of the Ayung #River set against the greens of Bali. House tour to follow.

#Bali #creativecommunities #alayaPH #Sustainable #architecture #bamboo
Open air bedroom facing the Bali jungle. A super upgraded bahay kubo.
#GreenVillage #RiverHouse #Bali #creativecommunities
A staple in #GreenVillage houses: #Skylight using polycarbonate and bamboo.
Another showstopper: round glass doors. Talk about a grand entrance. My first drawing of my dream house had round hobbit doors! L-R: Take a guess at what’s inside those pointy huts. Three layers of roofing. Open concept living area with veranda.
How they built these bamboo houses on sloping land, usually 400sqm in size: massive bamboo poles from Java with 40cm steel rod inside, poured in with 40cm of concrete and embedded in a layer of stone. It takes workers about 3 months to lay the foundation and another 6 months to do finishing and interiors.

#bamboo101 #bamboo #GreenVillage #RiverHouse #Bali #creativecommunities

Natural #stoneware in the bathrooms and #kitchen. Love these black stones.😍 One big caveat in bamboo houses: no candles or flames allowed!
#GreenVillage #bamboohouse #Bali #creativecommunities #alayaPH

National Museum’s Nature Walk in Baler on May 3-6

Slow Travel
Baler Nature Walk 2011

I’ve heard beautiful things about Baler and got excited when I got this email invite to a Baler Nature Walk this May 3 to 6 (Tuesday to Friday):

 

Summer is almost here and what better way to enjoy it then to hit the rugged outdoors! The National Museum walks Baler this May 3-6! Take a hike with us and learn about one of the most bio-diverse places on the planet.  A four-day, outdoor learning excursion that will focus on Baler\’s amazing natural and cultural heritage, the National Museum will take you from to the rugged mountains to the sea. Check out rare plant species while you hike Baler’s rainforest, listen to folktales and marvel at awesome rock formations. Join us as we appreciate Baler’s Biodiversity!

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Date: May 3-6
Where: Baler, Aurora
Inclusions:
Outdoor exploration including rainforest walks and coastal experience
Land Transportation from Manila-Baler-Manila
Accommodation 4days/3nights
All Meals and Snacks
On Site transfers, Baler tours
On-site Lectures
All Adventures and Walks
Price:Php 6,500

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I’ve always preferred immersive travel experiences, as opposed to checklist cover-as-much-as-you-can types.  I like calling it slow travel.

Imagine walking through a rainforest with an actual botanist explaining the different trees and plant species you come across, or getting to know the ins and outs of the local terrain as explained by an expert geologist!

I went on a two-week solo trip all over Palawan last November, and for five days I was on a boating expedition, weaving in and out of the 150 islands of the Linapacan group in between El Nido to Coron.  Luck would have it that a marine biologist also signed up for the trip, and all 19 of us guests and crew had a grand time nitpicking her brain for answers to every sea-related question we could think of!

Here’s the itinerary for the upcoming Baler Walk.  Click to zoom in.  

For more information, contact the National Museum:

Elenita Alba
Education Department
elenita_alba@yahoo.com.ph

Charisse Aquino-Tugade
PR and Marketing
National Museum of the Philippines
Email: nmphilippines@gmail.comcharisse@cultureight.com
Philippine Office: 527-1215
Philippine Mobile: \\ +63917-861-3011 ,  Globe Duo: 964-6709
U.S. Office: +925-262-8303
www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph
Facebook: National Museum of the Philippines
Twitter: NMPhilippines

 

Bahay Kalipay – a house of healing

Slow Travel Sustainable Living

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Welcome to Bahay Kalipay, a house of healing in Palawan, where I found myself on a quiet inner journey for six days barely a month ago.

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There’s something about going barefoot that invites opening up, a baring of sorts..
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…and this daily habit of having to take off one’s shoes and walk with naked feet on the floor is simple but it does what it is meant to do… which is to disarm, interrupt, like a cymbal clanging in a church, or maybe more like a flute in a library. It is strange but not unpleasant, maybe even friendly…

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Living in a communal setting also disarms– especially for someone who values private space and the comforts of familiar noise or absolute silence.

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I went to Palawan to visit my old friend, Pompet, and still no day passes that I don’t go back to those six days and wonder what really happened there.

When you go to a place expecting to live simply and commune with nature, you prepare yourself by leaving behind your city habits…  As someone who has no attachment to TV, newspapers, radio and magazines, I didn’t expect to have to adjust much.

I went with a passive mindset–I was there to observe, I was just going to watch.

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The days went by quietly, and to a certain extent, uneventful…

There was no novelty to shock or animate something dormant… The Inner Dance meditation was new, but it was very pleasant, and familiar…

Even the raw food aspect of the retreat–nothing but fruits and uncooked vegetables for 6 days–was easy to adapt to, it was a joy for me to eat so healthily.

I felt I had no need for healing, and let myself get comfortable believing that…

Maybe with no expectations, the true healing I needed happened.. quietly, without drama, without external hints.

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Something I’ve been  asking for this whole year–clarity–came to me so quietly soon after my trip, and I now realize that the search for clarity has always been the search for honesty.   To have clarity is to have the path cleared, so that one can see himself wholly and truly, and hear his own voice, follow his own rhythm.

What comes next is the courage to uphold that truth,  to pursue it, not without fear, for fear is part and parcel of life, but to press on in spite of those fears.

I’ve always wanted to be brave, and here it is–my most trying test:  Do I have the courage to be who I truly am, and also to let go of who I am not?


* * *

Pompet is Pi, healer and in more ways than one, father of Bahay Kalipay.

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Bahay Kalipay, as “a self-sustainable community of healers, artists, gardeners, teachers, and earth-conscious people from around the world, some permanent, some in transit,” is a retreat space that offers Healing, Raw Food, Detox, Yoga in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. It is also the main retreat center of an ancient Filipino Spiritual Healing Practice which is today called Inner Dance.

Bahay Kalipay, Lot 38E, Hagedorn Road Extension, San Pedro, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines.
* Pi Villaraza: +63 9994512765
* Daniw Arazola: +63 09081391139

Dreams are underway to build a community of healing further north, this time on the mountains of Palawan, which makes my heart leap quietly, especially when I liken it to Tolkien’s Rivendell, The House of Healing which was home to Elrond, Lord of the Elves:
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Frodo was now safe in the Last Homely House east of the Sea. That house was, as Bilbo had long ago reported, “a perfect house, whether you like food or sleep, or story-telling or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all.” Merely to be there was a cure for weariness, fear and sadness.

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Imagine living in a place of abundant healing energy such as this:

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“But it feels impossible, somehow, to feel gloomy or depressed in this place. I feel I could sing, If I knew the right song for the occasion,” said Pippin.

“I feel like singing myself,” laughed Frodo. “Though at the moment I feel more like eating and drinking!”

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Bacungan, Palawan.

What do you see?

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View more photos of Bahay Kalipay on flickr.

(Images of Rivendell and Lord of the Rings quotes are fromThe Rivendell Image Gallery)

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back to tagaytay favorites– bawais and chateau hestia

Slow Travel,

For my dad’s 65th and my kuya’s 31st birthdays, we trooped to our favorite places in Tagaytay– Bawai’s and next door Chateau Hestia, deep in the residential rows of Lagusan Drive.

Bawai’s is a Vietnamese restaurant, lutong-bahay style, and is owned by the Tatlonghari family. The word “Bawai” is actually grandmother in Vietnamese, and whenever we come here, we do feel like we’re just dining in a friend’s home!

They set up our table for 26 quite nicely.. \':)\'

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After all the appetizers, I had this dry noodle bowl with beef slivers… really yummy, and only costs P195!

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They also introduced rice dishes to the menu, here’s one with pork chops and omelet:

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We took a stroll to Chateau Hestia next door…

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…where they have a spanky new function room ready for use!

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Nice high ceiling with lots of light coming in… beautiful modern garden kubo!

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The cozy garden still enchants, and still makes me want to have my own garden someday…

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It leads to the main restaurant on the ground floor…

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Where they sell homemade limoncello (it’s good! and strong!) for around P800 a bottle I think..

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…and dense freshly baked bread…

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Happy birthday Papa and Kuy!  Was a lovely weekend with you and our happy noisy family! \':)\'

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Escape to this Tagaytay mountain vacation house

Slow Travel

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With quiet views of the Tagaytay hillside, this charming four-bedroom home can well be your private enclave in one of the most visited cities in the Philippines.

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This home was built on sloping terrain, and overlooks a lovely terraced flower garden that faces the Tagaytay mountainside.   The house is spacious and refreshing, with four large rooms, a den/entertainment room, 5 toilet and baths, maid’s room, a wide roof deck and a charming garden that’s now in bloom! A few mature trees bear guyabano and avocado fruits when in season. The area is windy and refreshing, making it an ideal sanctuary away from the noise and heavy air of the city.

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Location is the ridge area before the rotonda, making it accessible and away from the congestion along the restaurant row of Tagaytay. Nearby landmarks are Iglesia ni Kristo church and Aroma Apartelle.

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The two adjoining lots are also available for sale, making room for a bigger garden or pool.

Please contact Mr. Jose Pilar at +63920-9624873 or our office +632 6337601 for price information or to schedule an appointment.

Also for sale in the same area are the following residential lots:
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Come visit the house and experience for yourself the beautiful Tagaytay mountains that you could be waking up to every morning!

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Click here for more information about this lovely Tagaytay home for sale.

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our tagaytay garden in bloom!

Slow Travel

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Only two months ago, these bushes were low and mostly flowerless.. What a surprise to see them in overgrown mode! There must be something about Tagaytay rain– ang lulusog ng halaman!

Taken by my brother, Pete on Sept. 23, 2008.

More pics here.

Other Tagaytay pics:
Hardwood Furniture in Tagaytay
On the Way to Tagaytay, March 13, 2008
Meet my Lions!

Breakfast at Antonio’s
Tagaytay QT with Mom and Dad at Breakfast at Anotnio’s, January 31, 2008

Sonya’s Garden
Midweek Tagaytay recharge, June 26, 2007, Tuesday

Flower Power
Inspiration for Tagaytay House

Our house for sale

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Click here for more info on our house

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Manos Greek Taverna

Slow Travel,

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I first visited Manos Greek Taverna with two girl friends over a year ago. Always with a soft spot for anything homemade (i.e. made with love), I’ve since listed it as a Tagaytay favorite.

A greek-style carinderia, Manos is a roadside restaurant along the main Tagaytay road (on the opposite side of the ridge) about a minute away from the rotonda.

I really did feel very My Big Fat Greek Wedding-ish the first time I saw those blue and white curtains and tablecloths, not to mention the matching music and paintings of Greek beaches and houses. Add to the scene Manos himself, the place’s most Grecian import, who is such a cheerful and hands-on owner! He’s usually seen grilling meats and preparing dishes in the kitchen himself.

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The only disappointment I’ve ever had here is they don’t serve hummus, but just last month I discovered the perfect alternative: fish roe dip, also served with pita.

Other musts: Dolmades (steamed rice in grape leaves with yogurt dip), Gyros, Grilled chicken, yogurt with fresh honey (from Ilog Maria)

Why the place is charming: The menu offers, before anything about the food, a detailed romp through food history and the place of Greek cuisine in it. Talk about pride and passion for one’s work (told you I’m a sucker for “heart”)!

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Grilled chicken with real smoked flavor

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Yogurt with fresh honey and pistachio bits

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Baklava

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Bill for 5 full stomachs \':)\'

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