We ate our packed lunch there at the Tamaraw Gene Pool Center after visiting the captive Tamaraws Kali and Mimi. It was a simple packed lunch which we ate kamotan style (with our barehands) there at the outdoors but it was fun as if we’re just having a picnic. Had a little rest at one of the huts then made our way back towards the city but not without stopping over a visit at couple of the Buhid Mangyan villages.

The Mangyans is an indigenous ethnic group found in the island of Mindoro. They are said to be the original settlers of the island and currently there are 7 Mangyan groups across the regions of the island. Each of them have different qualities. I was able to interact with one of the tribes, the Iraya Mangyans at Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro. This time we were able to visit the Buhid Mangyans found here the the Southern Part of Mindoro.

The word Buhid literally means “mountain dwellers”. Most Buhid Mangyans live along mountain slopes and are known for planting and growing rice as well as certain root crops like garlics. They are also a creative group of Mangyans known for their colorful weaving and embroidered attires. And among the Mangyan groups, the Buhid along with the Hanunuo Mangyans have retained their old ancient script dating as far back to the Brahmi scripts of Indonesia in 3rd century BC. The Buhids and the Hanunuos still teach their young these ancient scripts even until this day which I’m grateful to learn since this is keeping this important heritage alive. These ancient scripts are so important that it was declared as a National Cultural Treasures in 1997, and were inscribed in the Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Memory of the World Register in 1999.

At this times, the Mangyans no longer wear their traditional garbs, but despite this they still live the way they have lived during the ancient times. Christianity may have influenced their modern beliefs but they still retain their some of their animism practices even at this times. Their sociological model still retains. The Buhid groups still has the main elders whom they follow.

On one of the the villages we visited, they were still living on their ancient type of houses. They have this elevated storage huts in which no one is allowed to pass bu under the house as it it somewhat a sacred space. They were not able to explain why but it seems that doin so might spoil their food stocks.

Visiting these villages were really worth while. Even at this modern age, they can still adapt through the times yet still retain their ancient cultural heritage. Their old nipa style huts, free roaming cattle and poultry, large farm areas, smiling young ones and gentle elders makes up for an interesting cultural experience. The Mangyans, which are most of times denigrated are really an important part of our Filipino culture and should be respected.

I checked out at Levady GH soon after my visit at the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong. When I got to Thony II they were still cleaning up my room at the upper floor. While waiting, I saw a small poster where it says that they can take me to Tat Kuang Si Falls for 50,000 kip round trip. It was pretty cheap than taking a sole tuk-tuk on your own which is around 150,000 kip. I booked to be included on the afternoon tour.

I left my bigger bag at the reception while they clean the room. I went to the nearby internet station to get updated on my mail and had a quick lunch at the nearby resto. As soon as the room was ready I got my stuff in and changed for the tour. I hear a knock informing me that the van is already here.

I knew from the start that taking this tour means sharing the van with several people. While I liked to go to Tat Kuang Si Falls on my time, I can no longer afford to pay for the vehicle myself. Joining tours like this is the cheapest way to go. It’s not even a tour as the Van would just drop you off at the site, wait there and go back to the city.

There was a great mix of people in the Van, from America, Australia, Thai, Israel, Russia and Britain. We made a few rounds around Luang Prabang in search for that Russian Girl before we finally got out of the city. As expected all seats were full but still has that comfort and we go into that usual traveler small talk of “Where you guys from?” and other stories you would expect from other travelers.

There was this American guy with a distinctly Thai woman with her. She actually thought I was Thai but told her I am Filipino. Then a curly haired guy that seems to be dozing off at the front row said “Filipino ka? Ako Filipino” in an accent typical of those Filipinos who have lived in the US for so long. I was surprised and excited at the same time that I get to meet another Pinoy during my travel.

It took almost an hour until we reached Tat Kuang Si Park. There’s an entrance of 20,000 kip to get inside the forest park and follow an easy trail going to the falls. While walking I struck a conversation with Ronald, the Filipino-American guy. He has a thick curly hair, somewhere about 35-45 of age if I’m not mistaken. I learned from him that he’s doing a 3 months tour of Asia and has been around 54 countries already throughout his years of travels. Like some Americans I know, they work for several months then take several months off from their work and travel. How I wish we could do that here.

He says that Filipinos should travel more. In his travels he rarely sees Filipinos so he was quite surprised as well to see me. Sadly he hasn’t been back to the Philippines for many years now and I told him that he should find time to explore the country he was born since he’s already missing a lot. We made some more chit chat on updates on the country and more about his family while we explored the falls.

On the trail before the falls we passed by the Bear Conservation Center. There were a few black bears in the area but it pretty hard to take pictures of because of the poor lighting condition. We continued towards the trail until we got into the lower level of the waterfalls with a real scenic aquamarine waters.

Tat Kuang Si Falls actually has numerous layers going up towards the main falls. And from the main falls there is even another trail towards the peak of the falls. I actually liked Tat Kuang Si. It has beautiful cascading layers which also resembles several craters and the color is a clean aquamarine.

There were several monk tourist there as well which we had fun taking pictures of. With them there, the falls looks much better since it adds a story distinct to the place. Ronald has a Nikon D200 camera which seems to have gone through a battlefield. The LCD screen has a large crack and the body and lens were full of scratches. I wouldn’t think of it as functioning if I wasn’t able to use it to take his photos which he seldom does.

By 5pm we headed back to the city but made a brief stop to a small village where we went through this trail of vendors. Some guys bought some stuff while we just enjoyed looking and talking. Everyone seemed to have a great time. This one English girl was clicking proudly on some rice terraces as she doesn’t see that often. I thought that we had better looking rice terraces but kept it to myself. By the time we got to the city, everyone parted ways. I bid goodbye to Ronald and told him that he should try to come back to the Philippines. The rest of the guys went on different directions. As like any travel companions it was a brief moment of company but enjoyable one still.

I enjoyed a night of rest at Villa Paulina Resort and glad I didn’t have to wake up too early on my second day in Mindoro. This time we’re going into the mainland up towards the north western part of San Jose to get up close to see the rare Philippine Tamaraws. The Tamaraws are endangered species of buffalo, scientifically known as bubalis mindorensis. They can only be found in the Philippines and endemic to Mindoro Island. It’s gonna be an exciting day. My service from Villa Paulina drove me early at 7am to another resort, Sikatuna where I’ll have breakfast and meet my companions for this trip.

I met with Mar at Sikatuna Resort where we had breakfast. Later, Lyanne, Lou and Mam Lina others from the De Lemos family at Villa Paulina soon followed. We were all excited for this trip since we would be getting up close to one very rare animal species along with some surprises along the way. Soon, our ride, an open Jeep arrived and came along is Rodel, one of the members of Tamaraw Conservation Program (TPC). He told us snippets of the process on their conservation.

We moved out before 9am. Rodel left us but we were accompanied by the head coordinator of TPC, Mr Danilo Roca. It was around an hour’s ride towards Barangay Monte Claro where the Tamaraw Gene Pool, the breeding ground and head office of the TPC is located. Once we got out of the city, we navigated through rough and dusty roads heading to Monte Claro. We made a brief stop mid our journey on the road to view what the locals call the Fire Mountain. It was a beautiful rugged mountain with ember peaks resembling the flames of fire. It was a popular destination for mountain climbers in San Jose, Mar said as he had climbed it many years before.

An hour passed, we have finally reached our jump off at Barangay Monte Claro. We dusted off of the road dust which have somehow covered our clothes and skins and headed to the Tamaraw Gene Pool office. But wait, we had to cross a bridge first to pass over a river. What made this bridge exciting was it was a cable bridge and only a couple more wire on the sides to keep your balance. It was fun traverse actually. In truth this is just one option since you can cross on the river on foot. But when the water is high, people use this cable bridge to get across.

The Tamaraw Gene Pool center is your typical provincial office. It to look more like a rural wooden walled school, but houses the members of TPC and also a learning ground for more information about Tamaraw conservation. The TCP which was established in 1979 is an independent organization. We registered here, did a briefing and soon hiked for a few minutes to find an enclosure where there are two Tamaraws held captive for study.

We had to sanitize the soles of our footwear before we entered a large enclosure where they kept two tamaraws. Since these territorial creatures have acute senses, we can’t leave any trace of our scents in the area. They are so territorial that the two tamaraws there are kept on two separate enclosures large enough for them to roam around. We met Kali, the young and energetic Tamaraw and the mild Mimi on the other enclosure who is mother to Kali. I was actually expecting tamaraws to be huge creatures but they are actually cute and small like pokemons about 60-70% the size of a common full grown Carabao (Water Buffalo) . The tamaraws are also characterized by the unique v-shaped horns.

I was sad to learn that their numbers have decreased to an alarming 265, including the two in captivity, whereas they were more than a thousand 10 years ago. TCP head coordinator Danilo Roca explained that the large decrease in numbers was brought by a spread of disease from imported cattle, deforestation and also poaching since a tamaraw’s head fetches for a large sum of money. The TCP and also the local government are closely monitoring the tamaraws by doing regular counts and studying their breeding patterns in order to preserve and hopefully add their numbers.

I was really proud and happy to have an opportunity to see a living tamaraw. It is very rare and only 1 out of 100 can claim they have seen one, even less. Before in the 90’s I only got familiar with them through the Philippine 1 peso coin. While I would like to see them in the wild which entails climbing the peaks of nearby Mt Iglit and Baco, and viewing them from afar through the telescope, I’m quite contented seeing kali and Mimi in their good health in captivity. I just hope that their numbers continue to grow and the TCP would get all the help needed in preserving these precious animals.

My morning temple hopping led me to Th Sakkarin Area. Before I went back to Levady GH to get my bags and move to my new lodging I decided to visit another temple since I had plenty of time to spare before checkout. It’s easy to get templed-out in Luang Prabang, so it’s best to choose which ones to visit. If you would only choose to visit just one it should be the most magnificent temple in Luang Prabang. And that is Wat Xieng Thong.

Found at the northern tip peninsula where the Mighty Mekong River meets the Nam Khan River, the temple can be accessed both by the river and a couple of entrances within the city. There’s an entrance fee of 5000 Kip to enter the temple grounds. It’s a large are with the main sim fronting to the northeast, a funerary, a chapel, several stupas and other structures.

Having looked at several temples, it’s easy to dismiss them that they all look similar already. But closer inspection revealed why they considered Wat Xieng Thong as the most magnificent of the lot. Constructed in 1560, it is one of the old temples in the area. Being under the royal patronage until 1975 and surviving the Black Flag Haw sacking of Luang Prabang in 1887, the temple is mostly intact since it was made.

Wat Xieng Thong has a distinct Lao design as can be seen from the low sweeping roof heading up. I went inside the dimly lit interiors and found an elaborately designed sim interiors. The golden Buddha looks elegant as it is framed by two wooden columns heading up to the ceiling where there are several stencil designs in gold.

Going out at the back of the sim is an beautiful ceramic mosaic illustration of the tree of life. The seramic was done in 1950s as celebration of 2500th Celebration of Buddha’s Nirvana. Though it was made in commemoration of Buddha, the tree of life was pretty unique since it illustrates a story of a local hero from a novel, Siaw Sawat which is more about the village life than religious.

Opposite across the sim is the large Funerary Carriage House. Inside I found a large Carriage like boat which was said to be designed by local artisans. It has urns holding the ashes of the royal family except for King Sisavang Vong, the Queen and his brother. Aside from the remains, the house holds several items like old Buddha statues, glass cabinets, puppets and other Buddha images. It feels like a store room with all these antique items as well.

East, just beside the main sim are a couple of miniature halls before the main monk’s quarters. Wihaan has very elegant facade for a small hall (Haw), there were several people here offering their prayers as it is open. There is another hall at the back called the Red Chapel which also has an elaborate facade.

The Red Chapel was said to hold a rare reclining Buddha that dates back to when the temple was constructed. It is said to be rare since the style is distinctly Lao. The Buddha image was said to be exquisitely proportioned and the hand that supports the head was gracefully done. Unfortunately, the Red Chapel was closed when I was there and I wasn’t able to see it.

I enjoyed my time in Wat Xieng Thong, I found myself sitting at one of the benches under a tree just looking at this Magnificent temple. Since this is the must temple to visit in Luang Prabang, I just had to have my I-was-here photo taken. With several foreign tourist around I had to find an english speaking one and shamelessly ask to have my picture taken with the temple. The disadvantage of traveling alone is less self-portraits. After having my picture taken, I walked to the inner road exit/entrance which leads straight to me soon to be former lodging.

Digital Photographer Philippines, the premiere photography magazine in the country will be celebrating it’s 3rd anniversary this June 27 2009 at Fully Booked High Street It will be a whole day event starting from 10am to 12 midnight. There will be free workshops on several topics throughout the day. I will be conducting a 1 hour lecture on Improving Your Travel Photography at the venue. Other lecturers would be Jo Avila, Ben Chan, Nick Tuason, Pilar Tuason, Nino Carandang, jay Jallorina, jay Tablante to name a few. Check out below for details.

Date: Sat / June 27
Venue: Fully Booked High Street
Time: Open 10:00 am / Finish 12:00 midnight (WOW!)

Schedule: 10:30 am to 7:00 p.m. Free Workshops
8:00 p.m to 9:00 p.m Live Judging
9:00 p.m. to 12:00 Midnight Party

12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Improving your Travel Photography by Ferdz Decena

Read the rest of the details at www.ferdzdecena.com

Island hopping is fun but beach hopping and let alone spending hours on a boat as well can take a toll. One moment I’m looking at those beautiful islands and in seconds I’m looking at the wooden paint patterns on the boat. I think I was bobbing my head up and down getting minutes of those micro-sleeps. While I enjoyed the tour in Ambulong and Ilin Island, I was also yearning to go back to the resort and rest up a little and check up what’s in store at Villa Paulina Gardens and Resort.

I love my room at Villa Paulina. The Paulina Room as they name it is one of their better suites housed on their main building. I have to admit, I only get to sleep in these class of accommodations when I’m working on assignments. And I sure do welcome them. The room is exquisitely designed. A Big soft bed, airconditioning, elegant shower and tub and cable TV. Beautiful room, honestly. Now if only I have wi-fi at my room everything would be perfect.

There are other cottage type rooms as well that are also well decorated. Just look at those bedsheets. Nice isn’t it? I also noticed the furnishings which are clearly designer stuff from the sofa, tables and also table decors. They sure have eclectic taste.

The food is also something worth mentioning here. It’s not your typical resort food, their menu’s are comparable to high end hotels. Believe me I’ve sampled a lot from their pesto fish, mushroom pastas and even garlic crabs and most of them are very good. They have a chef that used to work in one of the known hotels in Makati to make sure they serve high quality dishes. People of San Jose frequents the place even if they’ll just dine in. The resort can also be booked for different functions or occasions.

Another surprise here is their fully furnished spa service. I was able to try their shiatsu massage. It was actually my first time in a steam bath and I felt like a steamed dumpling and saw how the dirt and grime get flushed out from my body as the steam fills in the chamber. Then there was the actual massage, the room has has that balinese design and atmosphere that sets the mood for relaxation. The massage was pretty good but I do miss the extensive body stretches from thai massages. Their spa is pretty new but it is very promising, especially when they have fully trained their people with their signature Ambulong Island Massage which I should try in the future.

The beach at Villa Paulina doesn’t really have powdery white sands but black sands. It does still have nice waters to swim in. But if it’s not your type of beach, the resort can arrange boat trips to nearby islands of Ilin and Ambulong for their white sands.

Villa Paulina Gardens and Resort is a nice find in Mindoro. I wasn’t really expecting to find such a classy resort in these parts so it was a pleasant surprise. Own and named after Paulina Lavarias who I had the pleasure of meeting. She is a well traveled lady but very strong and adventurous for her age . It is also managed by her family the de Lemos which surely made my stay there very pleasant and felt like I was part of their family.

Essentials:
Villa Paulina Gardens and Resorts is at Bubog, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.
For reservations and inquiries you may call 0928.524.7394, 0910.340.7450 or 0917.847.4732
You may also check their website at villapaulina.multiply.com

I enjoyed walking through the Night Market of Luang Parabang but had to withdraw myself early lest I get tempted to spend. I headed to Th Khem Khong Road, another parallel road to the river but quieter and closer. Then I had a quick dinner of Stir Fry Mushroom Beef (16,000kip) and a strawberry shake (6000 kip) at one of the riverside restos there. Checked the internet and emails nearby then headed back to Levady Guest House for the night’s rest. By 9pm the town quiets down. There’s an 11pm curfew in Luang Prabang.

Levady Guesthouse has a nice big room but I think US12 is still expensive for its facilities (or lack of it). I’m not really comfortable with my ground level corner room as well. The walls are paper thin as I could hear the pipes when toilets are flushed on the upper rooms and even the neighbor’s guitar screeching. Thank god there’s no nocturnal moaning that night or I would have left my radio playing blaring all evening.

I went out early the next morning to check out other accommodations then I remembered about the Morning Alms Ritual of the Buddhist Monks in Luang Prabang. It is a daily ritual for the monks as they are only allowed to eat food for the day given to them in the morning of each day either from this ritual or from family. Monks here in Luang Prabang are revered, so for the alms giver, they have done a good deed and would be an added merit to their faith.

While taking photos of the approaching monks, I was approached by this “alms vendor” and she quickly pointed me to an empty mat she placed beside me. She wanted me to join the ritual I guess. I was interested to actually join in with the locals so I did. She gave me a bowl of sticky rice and a bunch of bananas. She showed me how much sticky rice I would give and a piece of banana to each monk. So I went on my knees on the mat making sure my foot is bent back. It is an insult to point your feet to a person in Buddhist beliefs. The Monks went by pretty fast, I was scooping handfuls of sticky rice and a piece of banana then putting them the monk’s bowl as they pass. I think I gave alms to around 8-10 monks until my supply ran off. After which the lady asked me for 20,000 kip for the sticky rice and the bananas. Okay, I guess this is a tourist thing. I should have felt duped but it was kinda nice to participate on what the locals are doing and it’s just the same if I would buy sticky rice and bananas from stores so I paid her.

I went to my favorite French Baguette stall and bought one as my breakfast and sat on a ledge by the river while studying my map. I went to check the nearby Oudomphone Guesthouse which I found was a real backpacker’s place with communal bathrooms for 60,000 kip. I didn’t like it as much even if it was cheap. If I don’t have any important gears with me It would be ok and I’m looking for rooms with en suite Bathrooms so I could do a little laundry as well.

I walked south east along the main road Th Kitsarat then made a turn at Th Wisunarat to find Thony II Guest House. It’s like a 5-10 minutes walk from the town center into a more residential community. Tucked in a smaller inner road, I found Thony II Guest House. It was a two story building with a non-descript facade. The owners were young and friendly and I asked if there’s a room available. Luckily they will have a vacancy by noon but they were able to show me a room. It was very spacious, a big bed, large windows, a cable tv, aircon with fan and a large en suite bathroom with hot water. All of it for the same price as I was paying at Levady GH. I reserved a room immediately and would come back by lunch time to check in.

Having more time in hand, I decided to check out a few temples on my way back. Just across Thony II are a couple of important temples. Wat Wisunarat or Wat Visoun which is originally built in 1513 and is said to be the oldest operating temple in Luang Prabang. The temple has been witness to a lot of historical events like the invasion of the Black Flag Raiders. The front sloping roof heading sideways is one of the unique features of this temple. Just behind Wat Wisunarat temple is a black spherical stupa known as That Pathum (Lotus Stupa) also locally known as That Makmo (Watermelon Stupa) because of its shape. Construction started on 1503 and was done in 19 months. Reconstructions were done again in 1895 and 1932. The stupa used to house important Haw Buddha images and other sacred items. Now those items are displayed at the Royal Palace Museum.

Another temple just over the fence is Wat Aham, where it houses the town’s most important spirit shrines. The temple is also known as the former residence of the Sangkharat, the Supreme Patriarch of Lao Buddhism. There was a lone monk there about his middle age who struck a conversation with the questions “Hi! Where are you from?” I told him where I came from and he thought I was Thai. He said he was Thai and went to the Buddhist faith here in Laos. Shortly I bid my good bye and went to Th Kingkitsarat road behind Phu Si Hills that ran along side Nam Khan River.

The early morning walk along Nam Khan river was pretty pleasant. I found out there are several night hang outs and restaurants there but closed that morning. I also passed by another temple at the foot of the Phu Si Hills, south east side. Wat Pha Phuthabaht was originally constructed in 1395 and said to be a site of a ‘Buddha Footprint’. It’s a pretty nice temple with a Chang Mai influence and also a slight mix of Vietnamese augmentation. From the temple, there’s a nice view of Nam Khan River.

I finally got out of the road along the river and went straight right to Th Sakkarin road. I visited a beautiful temple there known as Wat Sensoukarahm. It is a small Thai style wat built in 1718. It has a beautiful red and gold faced along with golden glowing stupas. There I also met a couple of monks studying under a tree. “Hello! Where are you from?” is how they greeted me again. I guess it’s a common question they would ask falangs (foreigners). I asked and looked at what they were doing. They were studying some English there, perhaps that is why they like talking to foreigners so they could practice their English speaking skills. They told me that they get to study at a nearby university here. I left them to their lessons and went back on the road. It was still mid morning and I already had numerous encounters with local monks and visited a number of temples.

Essential:
Thony II Guest House of Th Wisunarat 00856-71-254779

Just across Inasakan Beach at Ilin Island is another interesting island called Ambulong. Coming from a local word “bulong” which means “medicine”, the island is known as an “island of healing.” Local tourism are intending to make the island known for its medical tourism. It’s barely one fourth the size of Ilin but it also has its a few villages. For my visit, I was able to explore a couple of places perfect for quiet and soulful retreats.

Who else is better in discovering a place where one can have peaceful moments to reflect and introspect? None else than our religious brothers of course who also finds time and place where their group can mingle and hold lectures, conferences and trainings. One such small island which is part of the bigger Ambulong island can be found at the mouth of a limestone cove south of Ambulong. They call this Grace Island.

The island has been owned by the Watcher’s Multipurpose Coop for more than 6 years but has only been developed last year as a resort. Originally a place where most Pentecostal Groups do their retreats, it is now open to the public. Allan the caretaker, narrated how several foreigners visit the place and enjoyed staying at one of their floating cottages.

There are several of them floating cottages at the western side of the island. I remember having caught some sleep in one of them that afternoon. Who wouldn’t be tempted to sleep here when your room is rocking like a cradle. Maybe loosing oneself in a good book here is a great place to pass the time.

Food can be brought here since there are no restaurants yet, but it can be arranged in advance since staff there can cook for you. There are clean baths and toilets so no need to worry about hygiene while on the island. Cellphone signal is only from smart but is very spotty.

The island has very rugged shores which I’m sure a lot of landscape photographers would enjoy. I wanted to take pictures here very early morning on a 2nd visit but had boat problems. Maybe next time I’ll stay on the island itself to catch its beautiful landscape during the golden hours. Despite that, I was intrigued by the unique rock formations the island has.

The waters are also rich in aquatic life. They have resident turtles there that you can meet in it’s enclosed sanctuary. It’s somewhat tight sanctuary and they told me they would extend it further. Dive walls are also abound and snorkeling promises numerous sightings of a good variety offishes. I enjoyed my short visit here and hopefully I could stay longer next time.

Moving on, sailing through the Ambulong straight towards the eastern coast of the island is a picturesque stretch of beach with a few cottages. The beach is known as the Heaven’s Place. It used to be a retreat place for priests but now it’s also open to the public. I find the waters a little rough at that time but the beach and cottages is an ideal place for picnics.

These are just a couple of places which could interest weary travelers and find tired souls trying to escape the urban jungle at rest here. There are more to explore in the island as I heard the community is very rustic and almost left behind by time. But for now these places has left a relaxing imprint on me for a short time. Definitely worth coming back to in the future.

Essentials:
For inquiries on Grace Island, you may contact Grace Island Ms Leah Maglipay at 0928.346.8841 and Allan 0918.600.8426

The street was full of open red and blue tents when I got down from climbing Phu Si Hills. It would seem that come dusk, the whole stretch of Th Sisavangvong is closed from vehicle traffic and as it becomes a ground for a market. I stayed on the upper ground beside a foreigner painting the National Museum. I observed the locals preparing their wares as the darkness deepens and the Luang Prabang Night Market illuminates with a tranquil glow.

I finally went down to closely inspect the wares laid on the floor and some hanging on improvised walls. I could see the whole stretch of the road, a long line of stalls from each end and middle of the road. It was just amazing to be in the midst of all these amusing explosion of sights and sounds.

Local traders here sell a whole variety of merchandise. I could see puppets, silks, lamps of different shades and sizes, clothes, exquisite ceramics, antiques, paintings and even rare spices, coffee and tea. There were a lot more I couldn’t identify but a lot of them are very interesting. Best of all, cheap. I could buy a lot but I was so conscious of my budget so I have to restrain myself from buying anything.

Just wandering around, inspecting the wares and chatting with the vendors was enough for me. What I liked about the people here is that they won’t force you to sell anything. If you ask about their merchandise they are very cheerful to accommodate your query. I could also see other tourist enjoying their time shopping, going from one stall to another. Despite the narrow passages, there was the universal understanding on which way to go.

I was just amazed first time seeing the Luang Prabang Night Market. It was exciting and a feast on the senses. I swear if I had more money at that time and more space in my bag, I would have brought home a lot of items. Which isn’t really bad since buying there would be helping the locals earn their living. Each item bought here goes directly to the sellers themselves. The Luang Prabang Night Market is definitely a must cultural experience.

Cansubong Cave Resort is not the only place to visit at the island of Ilin. Not only is it the biggest island in the group but it also has around 5 beaches, several dive spots and an abundance of shells that the locals harvest. And near its northern coast is another interesting island detour before we explore another beach.

There’s Manadi Island also known as the White Island just 15 minutes from the coast of San Jose and also from Ilin Island. It is a small island with its white sand that can be seen glimmering on the horizon from the shores. The island is known to be a home for turtles and its surrounding waters are teeming with underwater life. The name Manadi actually came from a local word meaning “Sudden Appearance” which the locals described the island due to its sudden appearance many years ago.

Traveling for about 30-45 minutes along the Ambulong Strait, the waters between Ilin and Ambulong, we reached the central part of the island along its western coast. There we discovered a small stretch of shoreline in between limestone rocks. The aquamarine waters were protected by a border of nets. The water was shallow for our large outrigger boat so we had to take a smaller boat to ferry ourselves to the shore.

Forget about Boracay for now and its crowded beach. This beach known as Inasakan Beach may only have a small stretch of powdery white sand, but I’ll exchange its quiet solitude for the former famed beach anytime.

Found at Barangay Inasakan of Ilin Island, Inasakan Beach was formerly known as Mina de Oro Beach Resort, but now, operations has been halted. Still, there are cottages and facilities there for a day’s stay. This beach is also known as the jump off to other sites in Ilin. There are burial caves and interesting snorkeling sites as I was told. If we had more time it would have been great to explore them.

An uncrowded beach, fine powder white sands, picturesque panorama of Ambulong Island on the horizon and shallow shores with crystal clear waters perfect for a family with kids is what Inasakan Beach offers.

Essentials:
Inasakan Beach can be reached by a boat about an hour on good waters, so early morning departure is advised. There’s an entrance fee of P10 per head and a cottage can be rented for P350. There are no dining facilities there so its best to bring your own meals and drinking water. Trips to Inasakan can also be arranged through resorts in San Jose.

I remember Laura, the petite English girl I met down south of Laos in Wat Phu Champasak, telling me that the sunset at Phu Si Hills is really beautiful and I shouldn’t miss it. So I made sure before 4pm, I made my way to Phu Si Hills, a 100-meter high hill found at the center of town along the main roads. There are several temples on and at the slopes of the hill. It’s also a popular place for the tourist to catch that famous Luang Prabang setting sun.

The jump off to the climb of Phu Si Hills is just across the Royal Palace Museum. There is an entrance fee of 20,000 Kip to climb up. The climb up the concrete stairs is easy since the hill isn’t that high, I even found kids there climbing. Shortly I reached the summit and found a crowd of people there. I think I underestimated the time and should have been there earlier.

The temple that stands at the summit is the 24m-high That Chomsi. Believed to be built in 1804, it was recently restored in 1914. The temple is very visible at any ground level of Luang Prabang. I can clearly see it from the eastern part of the the town. It was said that during mid-April, the Lao New Year festival procession starts from here.

The summit indeed has a wonderful views of the east and west side of Luang Prabang. You could see mountains surrounding the town. On the West side is the mighty Mekong River while on the East side runs the Nam Khan River. On the west side of That Chomsi there are stairs going down leading to a cave temple. I didn’t bother to go down since the sun was setting low fast.

Clearly, most tourist have the same thing in mind – to capture the sunset from the hill. Most of the good spots are taken. Some people even sleeping or sitting on the spot while waiting for the sunset. Cameras and tripods positioned. If I wanted a good spot I should have come here earlier. It reminded me of Phnom Bakheng in Angkor Archaeological Park where most tourist would flock to catch the sunset.

The crowd actually annoyed me since some photographers would go to all lengths to get a good spot. Some even climbed to the edge of the rocks at the summit just to get a good view ahead of the others. I don’t think a shot like that is worth dying for. As the sun started descending, the crowd melded in making it hard to move and then some people started blocking my views. It was annoying and thought it wasn’t worth it anymore. Just took a few shots with a telephoto lens and left the scene.

I climbed down from the summit and found myself on the lower slopes where there are only a few people. I noticed that the sun didn’t go down behind the mountains. Probably some clouds blocking the view. Thank god I didn’t stay there. Shortly people came pouring down and I let them go first while I enjoy my time at the lower slopes. When I reached the street, I was surprised to see the road blocked with numerous red-roofed open tents. It’s time for the Night Market.