Here you will find destination guides. Each post has information on getting around, sightseeing and some surprises
Philippines
Closer to Spain and Mexico via the fabled galleon trade, and some say to Hollywood bt way of its showbiz politics, the Philippines remains Southeast Asia’s destination of surprises along routes less traveled. There are more than 7000 shimmering islands to choose from, plus endless fiestas, but best thing is the sense that there are still discoveries to be made. With so many islands and comparatively few visitors, the Philippines is one of the last great frontiers in Asian travel.
September to the middle of May (the off-season)-or before Magellan arrived in 1521
Landing on Boracay beach by boat Absorbing the 17 th-century atmosphere of Unesco World Heritage-listed Vigan Joining in the Gras fun at lloilo’s Dinagyang festival Rubbing elbows with Pontius Pilate and Barabbas at Crucifixion re-enactments in Pampanga losing one’s sanity in Manila but finding reasons to return
Read Great Philippine Jungle Energy Café, a magical novel by the award-wining Alfred A Yuson, or Pico lyer’s bittersweet insights in the Philippines chapter of his travelogue Video Nights in Kathmandu
Listen to Ansk (Child), the international hit by Freddie Aguilar
Watch Back to Bataan, a waetime film about WWll, starring John Wayne and Anthony Quinn, with a Filipino cast
Eat dinuguan, a thick, black soup made of pig’s blood with either pork or chicken entrails
Drink guyabano juine, a refreshment made from the soursop fruit
Okey, pare (lt’s cool, man)
Jeepneys; San Miguel beer; barong shirts; Latin-souled Asians with Californian accents; lmelda Marcos’ shoes; ultra-hospitable people
Guimaras lsland, for its delectable mangoes, ethereal islets and Trappist monastery where you might meet T-shirted and denim-clad monks
Somewhat alarmingly for many foreign visitors, Filipinos often deep-fry their meat and fish and also love to you, don’t pass up the chance to try lechon baboy, a spit-roasted pig served with a rich liver sauce. lt’s often jokingly to as ‘my heart attack’ or ‘young man’s food’. (lf you eat too much of it, you’ll certainly die young.)
Trinidad-tobago
Tobago and its twin island, Trinidad, are the Caribbean’s odd couple. ‘Little sister’ Tobago is relaxed, slow-paced and largely undeveloped. Trinidad is a densely populated, thriving island with a cosmopolitan population and strong regional influence. li’s famous for hosting the loudest and wildest Carnival in the Caribbean, whereas on Tobago the reefs are calm and protected and the beaches are good.
Mid-April to mid-December, or go two days before Ash Wednesday for Carnival
Partying the night away at Port-of Spain’s spectacular Carnival festival Swimming and snorkeling at palm-fringed, white-sand beaches on Tobago Spotting birds at Trinidad’s Caroni Swamp Diving at Buccoo Reef off Tobago Exploring Trinidad’s wild and raral east coast-a mix of lonely beaches, rough Atlantic water and mangrove swamps
Read A House for Mr Biswas by VS Naipaul-dig deep into country’s multi-ethnic culture by reading this vived portrait of life as an East lndian in Trinidad
Listen to long-time king of calypso, The Mighty Sparrow
Watch Hosay Trinidad, about the observance of Shi’ite Muharram rites on Trinidad
Eat callaloo (a thick green made with okra, onions, spices and the leaves of the dasheen plant, onions, peppers and seasoning) or head to a beachside eatery for a shark-bake (a sandwich made with a slab of fresh shark and deep-fried bread)
Drink ginger beer or sorrel (made from the blossoms of a type of hibiscus and mixed with cinnamon and other spices)
Carnival!
Twin islands; cricket matches; white-sand beaches and glass-clear water; bird watching enthusiasts
The oddest attraction in Trinidad is Pitch Lake, a continually replenishing lake of tar, which is the world’s single largest supply of natural bitumen; Tobago has only 4% of the country’s population
The lead up to Carnival begins with a weekend of resting and relaxing, saving up the energy needed for the ensuing festivities. Someone in the neighbourhood might make a braf (a sort fish stew) and you’ll take your only regular meal for the next 48 hours. Come Monday or June Tuesday (Shrove Tuesday) the party begins in earnest. ln the predawn hours, the sounding of a whistle and the banging of a cabway (single sheep-skin drum) ushers in the beginning of Carnival. By the time the sun comes up, entire streets have been closed and many people don’t bother to go work. Bosses don’t mind; they’re out in the streets too! Schools don’t even bother opening.
Guam-northern marianas
Looking for tribal villages or ancient cultures untouched by the modern world? You won’t find them in Guam, as this strategic US territory isn’t in the ‘Tropical Paradise’ mould. You’ll have more luck in the Northern Marianas, with their turquoise waters, white sands, fine diving, snorkeling and hiking. And if you really want to get away from it all, hop over to laid-back Tinian or rustic Rota. Guam and the Northern Marianas are inextricably linked by history and geography, sharing typhoons, an archipelago, Spanish and US influences, the Mariana Trench and Chamarro culture.
December to March (the dry season)
Dodging Saipan’s golf courses to find that rare secluded beach Slowing down to the village pace of Rota Communing with monolithic latte stones or bodysurfing the beaches on Tinian Whooping it up at a fiesta in Agana’s Chamorro Village Getting romantic at Guam’s Two Lovers Point where two legendary plunged to a precipitious death
Read Micronesia: Winds of Change, spanning the history from 1521 to 1951 with accounts of early explorers, missionaries and locals
Listen to lt’s Party Time in the Marianas by the Castro Boyz for a funky mix of English and Chamorro tunes
Watch George Tweed’s short film Returm to Guam, which traces the journey back to the island by a former US serviceman
Eat anything with finadene, a hot sauce zinging with red peppers, soy sauce, lemon juice and onions that turns dishes into a real Chamorro meal
Drink a major American cola-they’re here
Hafa adai (a catch-all greeting greeting encompassing Hello, What’s up and How are you?)’
Crystal-clear blue waters and white-sand beaches; crusty American Gls comparing war wounds; package tourists ambling past centuries-old latte stones; beach bars pouring all day and night; spicy Spanish-inspired food
The Marianas are at the edge of the deep-sea Mariana Trench, so if measured from their bases the islands are actually the world’s highest mountains, dwarfing Mt Everest by 10,000 feet
Guam, an unincorporated US territory, is the metropolis of Micronesia. lt is a haven for shoopers: the Japanese come by the planeload to scoop up the duty-free items available at innumerable malls, while locals from nearby islands haunt the enormous Kmart, which stocks US goods at the cheapest prices around.
