Pebble Beach and Baluarte Ruins, La Union

It's a 400-year-old watchtower that faces the West Philippine Sea and serves as a watchtower for pirate attacks and other dangers by the sea. Originally made of adobe and coral blocks, today, it's covered with lighter bricks but still looks stunning. By the way, after Namacpacan, we got in the van, and we traveled 30 minutes to the coastal area and we arrived at Loa Mending’s, a fantastic restaurant with a great view of the beach. Had coffee and their own version of Tapsilog. The food tastes really good but it's 40 minutes before it is served - just too bad! Then, we walked by the beach and discovered the beauty of the Pebble Beach and Baluarte Ruins. 

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Bato de Luna Art Gallery, La Union

In 2000, Bahay na Bato started as a rest house. The owner commissioned Mr. Kim to create the gallery (Bato de Luna) that showcases artistically carved stones, wood carvings, and other materials. Every image is colorful yet unique, making it perfect for Instagram.

Grapes Picking in La Union

You can't complete your La Union itinerary without visiting and tasting their locally produced grapes. Some of the farms opened their gates (for free, some are not) and started offering "grape picking" for tourists. Vineyards are surrounded by greens while the breeze is cool and fresh, so you will really enjoy your day here. Anyways, aside from the remarkable experience and gorgeous photos, of course, with grapes in the background, farm operators sell wines not just from grapes but also from locally harvested fruits such as Guyabano and Bignay.

Ma-cho Temple

It is one of the biggest Taoist temples outside China. With an elevation of 70 meters above sea level, the Ma-cho Temple is located on the hill downtown with a perfect view of the West Philippine Sea. Its attractions include the Majestic Five-Door Gate, the Bamboo Garden, the Liang Thing Pagoda, 2 circular pools or ponds, the golden emblem of a dragon, the Bell Tower, and the Drum Tower. What's good about this stunning temple is that they are open to non-worshippers visitors.

Talikud Island, a stunning paradise in Davao

Talikud Island is located on Samal, Davao del Norte. This is a paradise in the Davao region that bears fine white sand beaches and is surrounded by emerald and crystal clear water. On the other hand, the underwater has a sanctuary of colorful flora and fauna. The shoreline is landscaped with trees and quaint cottages. The ambiance was made perfect because of the cool wind blowing. We didn't do anything for a couple of hours, just staring at its beauty and golden sunset. This paradise was our post-climb destination after the tiring hike on Mount Apo.

SLT Homestay, Lake Sebu

School of Living Tradition (SLT) also offers homestay for travellers in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. I always wanted a unique experience, so I stayed here, just 5 minutes from the terminal. Its structure is based on the cultural wooden houses in the area; has a spacious interior, made of local and handcrafted products and musical instruments. Anything inside the house is unique. Maybe it's the reason why it was chosen as the place where Catriona Gray had her video shoot for Miss Universe.

Lang Dulay, a Filipino weaver from Lake Sebu

Photo: Sebulan Dulay weaving.

A special visit to the house of Lang Dulay in Lake Sebu was epic. She's a former National Living Treasure Awardee for the T'nalak Weaving which the designs were based on her dream, so she was called the "Dreamweaver." By the way, T'nalak is a traditional hand-woven fabric made from refined abaca fiber. This type of fabric got attention worldwide because it is done through a manual process but the finished product has amazing and unique patterns. The picture above is Sebulan Dulay, the successor, with portraits of Lang Dulay.

T'Boli Museum

The architecture of T'Boli Museum is based on traditional houses in Lake Sebu. What's inside are the gongs used for different occasions, outfits made of T'nalak (a hand-woven fabric), accessories and many other antiques that were used by the locals for agriculture. During our visit, the T'Boli Museum was still closed, but Jorie had it opened for us; he knows the caretaker. 

Lotus Farm, Lake Sebu

The Lotus Farm is one of the top tourist destinations in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. It was early in the morning, around 6, when I was brought to this paradise to witness the blooming of the Pink Lotus flowers floating on the waters of the lake. According to my guide, initially, there were 3 types of this aquatic flower farmed but only the pink ones survived. By the way, a manual canoe is used to go to the spot of the flowers.

Ozamiz Cathedral

The Ozamiz Cathedral houses the city's most significant relic and patroness - the Our Lady of Misamis, also known as the Virgin sa Cotta, The Blessed Virgin of Cotta, and Birhen sa Cotta. Initially, the statue of the patroness was set up outside the walls of Fort sa Cotta, but Fray Jorge Carcabilla moved it to this church. 1975, the statue was stolen and returned on December 8, 2017. Also, Ozamiz Cathedral is the home of the second largest bamboo organ in the Philippines, after the Las Pinas Bamboo Organ.