Guides & News
Weekend roundups, venue guides, and event news — everything you need to plan your next gala around the Philippines.
Things to Do in Legazpi and Albay: Mayon, Cagsawa & Bicol Food
A guide to Legazpi and Albay — the Mayon Volcano viewpoints, the Cagsawa Ruins, ATV rides on the lava field, whale sharks at Donsol, and where to eat the region's coconut-and-chilli cooking.
Things to Do in Camiguin: Volcanoes, Springs and the Lanzones Festival
A guide to Camiguin — the island born of fire, its hot and cold springs, White Island sandbar, the Sunken Cemetery, the October Lanzones Festival, and how to get there from Cagayan de Oro.
Samsung Performing Arts Theater Guide: Shows, Seating & How to Get There
A guide to the Samsung Performing Arts Theater at Circuit Makati — a modern, acoustically superb venue for concerts, ballet, and stage productions. Seating, how to get there, and tickets.
Things to Do in Naga City: Bicol's Pilgrim City, Food and Mount Isarog
A guide to Naga City in Camarines Sur — the Peñafrancia shrine and basilica, CWC and the wakeboarding at Lake Bato, Mount Isarog, and where to eat Bicol's coconut-and-chilli cooking.
Music Museum Guide: Shows, Seating & How to Get There
A guide to the Music Museum in Greenhills, San Juan — the intimate concert institution that has hosted OPM's biggest names since 1988. Seating, how to get there, parking, and tickets.
Things to Do in Sagada: Hanging Coffins, Caves and the Sea of Clouds
A guide to Sagada in Mountain Province — the hanging coffins and Echo Valley, Sumaguing Cave and the cave connection, the Kiltepan sunrise, and how to make the long journey from Manila or Baguio.
OPM: A Beginner's Guide to Original Pilipino Music
What OPM actually means, the eras that shaped it from the Manila Sound and Pinoy rock to the current wave, the artists worth starting with, and where to hear it live in Metro Manila.
Kia Theatre (New Frontier Theater) Guide: Shows, Seating & How to Get There
A guide to the Kia Theatre — also known as the New Frontier Theater — in Araneta City, Cubao. A mid-size concert and events venue: seating, the easy MRT/LRT route, and tickets.
Ibalong Festival Guide: Legazpi's Epic Heroes, Every August
A guide to the Ibalong Festival in Legazpi, Albay — the August street pageant retelling the Bicolano epic of Baltog, Handyong and Bantong, and how to combine it with Mayon and the rest of Albay.
Things to Do in La Union: Surf Town, Cafes & the Elyu Weekend
A guide to La Union — northern Luzon's surf capital. When the waves work at San Juan, learning to surf, the cafe and hostel scene, and how to plan the drive from Manila.
Conventions, Comic Cons and Anime Expos in the Philippines
A guide to the Philippine convention scene — comic cons, anime and cosplay expos, toy fairs, esports events and trade shows. Which venues host them, what tickets cost, cosplay rules, and how to survive a con day.
Higantes Festival Guide: Angono's Giant Papier-Mâché Parade
A guide to the Higantes Festival in Angono, Rizal — the November parade of giant papier-mâché figures honouring San Clemente, its origins as a protest against Spanish landlords, and how to get there from Manila.
Things to Do in Pampanga: Food Capital, Lanterns, Clark & Mount Pinatubo
A guide to Pampanga — the culinary capital of the Philippines. Where to eat sisig where it was invented, the San Fernando Giant Lantern Festival, Clark, and the Mount Pinatubo crater trek.
Sandugo Festival Guide: Bohol's Blood Compact, Every July
A guide to the Sandugo Festival in Tagbilaran, Bohol — the July celebration of the 1565 blood compact between Datu Sikatuna and Miguel López de Legazpi, its street dancing and re-enactment, and how to plan a visit.
Things to Do in Cagayan de Oro: White-Water Rafting & Adventure Guide
A guide to Cagayan de Oro, the 'City of Golden Friendship' and white-water rafting capital of the Philippines — the rapids, nearby highland adventures, and how to get to Northern Mindanao.
Pahiyas Festival Guide: Lucban's Colorful Harvest Thanksgiving
Every May 15, Lucban in Quezon province decorates its houses with kiping, fruits, and vegetables for the Pahiyas Festival — a thanksgiving to San Isidro Labrador. Here's what to expect and how to get there.
Philippine Street Food: What to Order and How to Eat It
A guide to Filipino street food — isaw, kwek-kwek, fishball, balut, taho and the rest. What each thing actually is, how the sauces work, where to find it, and how to eat safely.
K-Pop Concerts in Manila: Venues, Ticketing, Fan Culture & Queueing
How K-pop concerts work in Manila — which venues host them, how the tiered ticketing and fan benefits actually work, the queue culture, lightsticks, and how to avoid the scams that target fandoms.
Things to Do in Iloilo City: Heritage, Food & the Dinagyang Festival
A guide to Iloilo City, the 'City of Love' — Spanish-era churches and heritage streets, La Paz batchoy, the riverside Esplanade, and the famous Dinagyang Festival every January.
Metro Manila Nightlife by District: Poblacion, BGC, QC and Beyond
Where to go out in Metro Manila, district by district — Poblacion's bar warren, BGC's polished strip, Quezon City's live music and comedy, and Manila's older bars. What each area is actually like and how to get home.
Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival Guide: Tacloban's Painted Warriors
A guide to the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival in Tacloban, Leyte — the June celebration of the tattooed Pintados warriors of the pre-colonial Visayas, its street dancing and body painting, and how to visit.
Best Comedy Bars in Metro Manila: A Night-Out Guide
Metro Manila's comedy bars are a nightlife institution — quick-witted insult comedy, singing, and drag. Here's how comedy-bar nights work and where to go, with links to comedy events.
Things to Do in Subic and Bataan: Freeport, Beaches and War History
A guide to Subic Bay and Bataan — the former US naval base turned freeport, wreck diving in the bay, the beaches at Morong and Bagac, Mount Samat and the Death March history.
Things to Do in Tagaytay: Taal Views, Cool Weather & Day-Trip Guide
A guide to Tagaytay, Metro Manila's favorite quick escape — Taal Volcano views, cool ridge climate, People's Park in the Sky, Sky Ranch, bulalo, and how to plan the perfect day trip.