Video of Philippines photo's November 2013

[Ako Si Jamie]

Bataan, Zambales, Tagaytay, Pangasinan and Puerto Galera.

[Ako Si Jamie]

To view it better click on the white heading at the top left of the video

[grahamw48]

Fabulous Jamie.

Thanks for putting those together. You must have had an amazing time, and visiting so many different places too. Good to see Sheavans again. I've stayed there with my son, and later with my young lady friend.

Hmm...makes me want to go back to the Phils ASAP !

[Doc Alan]

Well done Jamie, welcome back to UK, and thanks for uploading your photos .

[highlander01]

Thanks Jamie - super pictures. What a gorgeous country.

[stevewool]

thanks jamie, looks fantastic and makes me realize what i am missing

[Michael Parnham]

Wow Jamie, you've been to loads of places and lovely photo's, I've only been to Five places in Philippines during 24 years and 30+ visits. Really enjoyed looking at those, more please?

[Ako Si Jamie]

Thanks everyone.

Was a bit more rougher than my last 'tour'. It included a 2.5 hour round trip to a couple of remote beaches in Pangasinan along rocky 'roads' in a trike, about an hours round trip into the jungle of Mindoro aboard a cart powered by a carabao, a horse ride from Taal Lake to the viewpoint by the volcano, a 100 mile bus ride from Alaminos to Subic Bay that took about 6 hours, and the journey from Puerto Galera to Tagaytay that took over five hours.

But as they say, it's more fun in the Philippines.

[stevewool]

more fun plus a sore if that was me

[gWaPito]

Great pics Jamie Thanks

[Terpe]

Thanks for sharing Jamie

Some really great shots and I'll bet some great memories too

Enjoyed my tour

[Ako Si Jamie]

Thanks Peter and Mark.

A bit more on the places I visited.

Puerto Galera
Liked it more the longer I stayed. It's very scenic and apparently has over 30 beaches. I wouldn't recommend staying at White Beach or Sabang though as the hotels look run down. The latter is full of scruffy dive resorts. The best looking hotels are at Aninuan and Talipanan. The best beach is either White Beach or Talipanan IMO. The worst part of Puerto Galera are the vendors on White Beach - they just don't leave you alone and are more annoying than the ones on Boracay. The carabao ride in the jungle is a must-do. Just make sure your breakfast has been fully digested

Pangasinan
Very friendly province with some lovely beaches. Patar Beach in Bolinao is the most famous and along with Saud Beach in Pagudpud it is regarded as the best beach north of Manila. We arrived there and it was deserted until a bunch of Jehovah's Witnesses arrived and sat next to us.....then began a conversation. I don't think I need to tell you the rest.

Went as far east as Dagupan. Bought the missus a dress. Her favourite colour. Maroon.
Hundred Islands was good but Alaminos doesn't have a great choice in accommodation so base yourself in Bolinao is my advice if you fancy visiting.

Went to a couple of remote beaches in the south-west of the province as seen in the video. Cabangaoan is now my favourite beach in the Phils too date.

Would come back to Pangasinan.

Zambales/Bataan
Second time we've been to Zambales. First time we visited Potipot Island and Magahawa Island and stayed in Iba. This time it was Subic Bay with day visits to the lovely Anawangin Cove and Capones Island. Also went to Morong in Bataan but the beach there doesn't compare with some I've seen in the Phils.

San Fernando, Pampanga
This is where the clan lives and it wasn't the best of experiences this time out as I've explained in another thread. Along with Sipalay City in Negros, it's my least favourite place in the Phils.

Tagaytay
Tagaytay is a nice city although I still prefer Dumaguete. Temperatures in the evening are a lot cooler. First time I went on a horse was going up to the viewpoint at the volcano - and the last.

[grahamw48]

Thanks for the update Jamie.

Pangasinan sounds lovely...and it just so happens that my young lady friend is from there...not far from Dagupan.

[Longweekend]

We used to live in Pundaquit right opposite Capones Island, our son was born there but then there was only 1 x beach resort, bit different now though, we are going back for a visit in April...

[London_Manila]

It looks like it was more of an endurance test rather than a holiday
I'm normally too lazy for all that travelling around but each to their own

They do have a Marks and Spencer store in San Fernando but thats about all it has going for it

[Ako Si Jamie]

We used to live in Pundaquit right opposite Capones Island, our son was born there but then there was only 1 x beach resort, bit different now though, we are going back for a visit in April...

Out of all the beaches we went to this time, Pundaquit was one of the busiests. It may have dark sand but it's a nice beach, better than Iba, further up the coast - for swimming anyway.

[Ako Si Jamie]

It looks like it was more of an endurance test rather than a holiday
I'm normally too lazy for all that travelling around but each to their own

They do have a Marks and Spencer store in San Fernando but thats about all it has going for it

We're not the type to lay on the beach all day so we try and see as much as we can. For the livelier places such as Boracay, Bohol and Puerto Galera we stay for 5-7 nights and the quieter places and cities usually for around 3 nights. Works out quite well so long as the travel between places isn't too complicated and planned beforehand. A couple of journeys this time took longer than anticipated but overall it went pretty smoothly.

[andy222]

Great pics Jamie. I bet your glad to be back.

[Ako Si Jamie]

Great pics Jamie. I bet your glad to be back.

Of course!

NOT

[grahamw48]

Hmm...only 5 weeks to go.

[London_Manila]

We're not the type to lay on the beach all day so we try and see as much as we can. For the livelier places such as Boracay, Bohol and Puerto Galera we stay for 5-7 nights and the quieter places and cities usually for around 3 nights. Works out quite well so long as the travel between places isn't too complicated and planned beforehand. A couple of journeys this time took longer than anticipated but overall it went pretty smoothly.

Well that sounds great and i envy your stamina

For me these days i find the taxi ride from Makati to Angeles is about all i can handle

[cebuguy]

at 00.28. was it cause by a quake?
seem a perfect place to build a resort

[Ako Si Jamie]

Hmm...only 5 weeks to go.

Don't rub it in

[Ako Si Jamie]

at 00.28. was it cause by a quake?
seem a perfect place to build a resort

Not sure, but it was the only island of the Hundred Islands to look like that.