The Backpack Adventures

Located in El Nido in the province of Palawan, 7 Commandos Beach is a beautiful beach destination that is part of Tour A of the El Nido Island Hopping Tour. 7 Commandos Beach 7 Commandos Beach Backstory If you're wondering about the origin of its name, so did I... Due to my burning passion to find out the origin of things, I asked our boatman about where the name 7 Commandos Beach came from. However, (no offense)his answer is doesn't have the drama that I expected. He told me that it was named by the owner who was a fanboy of anything military. So what I did was search the internet for more of the dramatic backstory that is worth blogging. 7 Commandos Beach - El Nido, Palawan The boat brings visitors to this beautiful beach Summer is always the best time to visit Beyond that "mountain" is the town of El Nido  Check out that view! Rest in one of the nipa huts available... There were several stories on the net but the backstory that stuck

Located in Gumaca in the province of Quezon, Gumaca Cathedral is one of the most historical churches in the province. It is also known as one of the biggest in Quezon. Gumaca Cathedral Gumaca Cathedral History Also called  San Diego de Alcala Cathedral , Gumaca Cathedral was established sometime in 1582 by Franciscan missionaries. The church got its name from Saint Didacus of Alcala or San Diego de Alcala in Spanish. He was a member of the Order of the Friars Minor or Franciscans. He was known as a healer who cures patients through divine intercession. He died on November 12, 1463, in the municipality of Alcala Henares in Spain. Gumaca Cathedral - Gumaca, Quezon  Gumaca Cathedral facade and bell tower Gumaca Cathedral bell tower From Gumaca, the cathedral was transferred to the island of Alabat (the island adjacent to the towns of Atimonan and Gumaca) in 1638. Sadly, it was burned by the invading Dutch forces in 1665. The church was then transferred back to its origin

Located in the Atimonan part of the Quezon National Forest Park in the province of Quezon, Cueva Santa is one of the highlights of the Mt. Mirador/ Pinagbanderahan hiking tour. Cueva Santa Cueva Santa Details If you'd Google it, little is only said about Cueva Santa  ( Saint's Cave ) except that it is one of the caves found near the route to Pinagbanderahan . However, it is actually the first of the two caves that you'd see if you're from the jump-off point (the other one is the Cueva Grande). Cueva Santa - Atimonan , Quezon   The Backpack Adventures inside Cueva Santa That is one deep hole... Its name is obviously derived from the Filipino words cueva which means cave and santa which means a female saint. I honestly don't know why the cave was given such a name (even our guide can't give an origin story). I have a theory though, that somewhere inside the cave is a rock formation that looks like an image of a saint. However, I was not able to p

UPDATE 2019 Jan 2019 - After 11 years of operations, Ark Avilon Zoo's lease contract has expired. It's doors will now be closed and its animals will return to Avilon Zoo in Rodriguez, Rizal. Located in Frontera Verde in Pasig City, Ark Avilon Zoo is an interactive indoor zoo that is famously known for its Noah's Ark themed facade. Ark Avilon Zoo Ark Avilon Zoo details Ark Avilon Zoo boasts its "star-studded" line up of friendly animals. These animal celebrities are: Ayla the Palawan bearcat, Alex and Nardo the cockatoos, Andy and Mercy the penguins, Busty the pony, Krusty the donkey, Tyson the Burmese python and last but definitely not the least Jenny the Bornean orangutan. Ark Avilon Zoo - Pasig City Visitors can interact and have a picture taken with these "celebrities" at a given price though. These animals are spread out in the different parts of the two-story zoo. Reminds me of Noah's Ark Oh, wait! It really is designed as an ar