The Backpack Adventures

Located in the Atimonan part of the Quezon National Forest Park in the province of Quezon, Cueva Santa is one of the highlights of the Mt. Mirador/ Pinagbanderahan hiking tour. Cueva Santa Cueva Santa Details If you'd Google it, little is only said about Cueva Santa  ( Saint's Cave ) except that it is one of the caves found near the route to Pinagbanderahan . However, it is actually the first of the two caves that you'd see if you're from the jump-off point (the other one is the Cueva Grande). Cueva Santa - Atimonan , Quezon   The Backpack Adventures inside Cueva Santa That is one deep hole... Its name is obviously derived from the Filipino words cueva which means cave and santa which means a female saint. I honestly don't know why the cave was given such a name (even our guide can't give an origin story). I have a theory though, that somewhere inside the cave is a rock formation that looks like an image of a saint. However, I was not able to p...

UPDATE 2019 Jan 2019 - After 11 years of operations, Ark Avilon Zoo's lease contract has expired. It's doors will now be closed and its animals will return to Avilon Zoo in Rodriguez, Rizal. Located in Frontera Verde in Pasig City, Ark Avilon Zoo is an interactive indoor zoo that is famously known for its Noah's Ark themed facade. Ark Avilon Zoo Ark Avilon Zoo details Ark Avilon Zoo boasts its "star-studded" line up of friendly animals. These animal celebrities are: Ayla the Palawan bearcat, Alex and Nardo the cockatoos, Andy and Mercy the penguins, Busty the pony, Krusty the donkey, Tyson the Burmese python and last but definitely not the least Jenny the Bornean orangutan. Ark Avilon Zoo - Pasig City Visitors can interact and have a picture taken with these "celebrities" at a given price though. These animals are spread out in the different parts of the two-story zoo. Reminds me of Noah's Ark Oh, wait! It really is designed as an ar...

Located at 2130 F.B. Harrison Street, Pasay City, Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Church is a religious structure with a modern design. Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Church Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Church details If you would notice, most of the churches that I feature in my  Visita Iglesia  articles are century-old churches. To date, I have featured only two modern-day churches -  Nature's Church  and  St. Therese of the Child Jesus . I blogged those churches because of their unique struc tural designs. (You can click on the links to check them out.)  Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Church - Pasay City Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Church altar Beautiful stained glass windows That is not the case for this church. Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Church has but a humble typical modern-day structural design. It doesn't have a majestic-looking facade, a towering bell tower, and an ornately designed retablo . So what makes the church stand out? The belltower o...

Located in El Nido in the Province of Palawan, Helicopter Island is one of the destinations of Tour C of the El Nido Island Hopping Tours.  Helicopter Island  Helicopter Island Details Also known to locals as  Dilumacad Island , Helicopter Island probably got its name from how it looks from a distance. Well true enough, as you can see in the picture above, it resembles a Eurocopter EC-665 Tiger HAD-E aircraft minus the rotors.  Helicopter Island - El Nido, Palawan You'd be shocked to discover that half of the visitors of the island are foreigners Check out this fine white sand! Upon closer inspection, the island boasts a beautiful white sand beach that stretches up to some 300-400 meters. There is also an underwater tunnel at its northern side and a reef on its southern side which you would be able to see if you snorkel. Aside from being a great place to snorkel (and sunbathe), Helicopter Island is also an ideal place for the family to have their picni...