Matalom, Leyte ~ Canigao Island

The BACKPACKERS visited Eastern Visayas on October 11 - 15, 2012. Their first stop was in the quaint town of Matalom in Leyte. They were divided into two groups, the first group consisted of BPs April, Marion, Percy and Ivan who reached Tacloban via Zestair at 5:40AM. They toured the town of Tacloban before heading to their first group destination: Matalom, Leyte. After enduring four hours of travelling passing through the towns of Dulag, Rizal, Mayorca, Mac Arthur, Abuyog, Baybay, Inopacan, Hindang, Hilongos and Bato, they finally reached the quiet shores of Matalom, Leyte. The four reached the island at around 5PM, pitched tent and waited for the afternoon group who arrived in Leyte at 1PM. The afternoon group consisted of BPs Chons, Weng, Heinz, Ralph and our lone guest Sheryl. Here is what we experienced in this small but beautiful island of Canigao:

Wow Canigao

by: Weng Topasi

Backpacking in Eastern Visayas

Eastern Visayas was the venue of 

The BACKPACKERS Ultimate Adventure 

for the second half of 2012

Here is a quick look at the towns and places visited by The BACKPACKERS:

Baler

Province of Aurora
P H I L I P P I N E S

Let Us Surf & Wander in Baler!

By: Marion Erika Macapagal

Boredom. Who in this world have never felt bored at one point in his life? Stress. The truth is we deal with it every single day. So how do you deal with them? What do you do every day to make your life busy yet happy and satisfied? In my case, I want to spend the next 60 or 70 years of my life (if that is how long I will live in this world) as if everyday is a blessing that I should be thankful for. And for me, the best way to appreciate it is to enjoy life to the fullest.

Perhaps the most effective way to whisk off stress and to get rid of boredom is to find a hobby or a sport that would stimulate your mind and body. Trying out things that you have not done in your life is a good idea too. Or, simply creating your own Bucket List and challenging yourself to accomplish them one by one. Tell you what… I got a hundred of things to do in my own list! And, on top of the list is to explore the beauty of the world.

Today, let me share our travel experience and introduce you to one of the many beautiful and lovely places here in the Philippines - BALER.

Punta Malabrigo Beach Resort

Brgy. Malabrigo, Lobo, Batangas

Relaxing in A Stony Shore

By Heinz Lopez Alvarez, Jr.

As part of the plan, the group proceeded to Punta Malabrigo Beach Resort to have a relaxing side trip after a good climb in Mt. Banoi.

We left the jump-off point in two batches as we had Tami (Wilson’s L300), which transported members of The BACKPACKERS (BPs); and our hired van, which carried our guests and few BPs.

It was a 30 – 45 minutes travel from Sitio Malabnig of Brgy. Balabat to Brgy. Malabrigo, Lobo Batangas. Because of that, most of us opted to sleep to replenish lost energy on the way to the resort. The first group had to stop over King's Eatery at the side of the Plaza to buy our late lunch at the resort. The owner of the eatery was very accommodating and friendly to us and we recommend that you to check out that small eatery when you get to visit this town.

Mt. Banoi

A BUCOLIC AND BEAUTIFUL BANOI

Mt. Banoi Climb

Lobo, Batangas

September 22-23, 2012

by: Ivan Ignacio

The BACKPACKERS had been to several towns in Batangas; Nasugbu, Sto. Tomas, Cuenca, Batangas City en route to Puerto Galera, and Mabini. Being blessed with several majestic hiking destinations paralleled with its proximity to the metropolis, Batangas has been a favorite target. But there's a specific town in Batangas that nobody thought existed: Lobo, Batangas. Nestled on its ranges is Mt. Banoi - a nice and easy minor climb in the vicinity. What made this trip to the edge of Batangas province memorable is the fact that it was everybody's first time in the town, not to mention it was also everyone's first climb in Mt. Banoi.