Eats in Gensan: Coffee Lover

If you're yearning for a cup of coffee but have grown tired of Starbucks, Bo's, or CBTL consider giving Coffee Lover a try the next time you're in General Santos City. This café, located in the City of Pacman, opened its doors last year and serves up a variety of tasty dishes, including "silog" meals, sandwiches, pastries, pasta, and of course, an impressive selection of coffee drinks. You can find Coffee Lover situated in Gensan Highstreet, along the Pan-Philippine Highway, directly across from Notre Dame of Dadiangas University. During my recent trip, my travel buddy and I hopped on a tricycle and headed over to Coffee Lover, which was a quick 5-minute ride away from our hotel.

Lake Holon: Crown Jewel of T'boli

When the heavens showered the earth with wonders, the Philippines might have taken the more breathtaking ones. One proof is Lake Holon, a hidden gem nestled deep in the mountains of T'boli in South Cotabato. The lake is lesser known compared to its counterpart, Lake Sebu, but the Internet is expected to blow tourist numbers up in a few years' time. I know because that's how I learned of the lake.

I had originally planned to travel to Lake Sebu, but after doing some research, I decided to look for a nearby, less-travelled location. I stumbled upon Lake Holon on Google Maps and was immediately captivated by its beauty. I decided to go there so I signed up right away, called the local tourism office, reserved a slot for the trek, and booked flight tickets.

Kalibo: The Ati-Atihan Town

Kalibo, the capital and largest municipality of the province of Aklan, is the primary gateway and transportation hub to the island paradise of Boracay, being host to Kalibo International Airport. While a new airport has been built for Boracay, Kalibo is still a destination of choice because apart from cheaper flights going here, Kalibo is already a tourist destination in itself and indeed has many to offer. Learning about Kalibo, I came here two weeks ago to see for myself what it has to offer and truly, one does not simply call Kalibo a gateway but rather a tourist destination in its own right.

The White Rocks of Liktinon

Perhaps upon hearing the term "white rock formations", the first thing that strikes our fellow backpackers is Kapurpurawan or Tinipak. But surprisingly, they are not the only must-see geological marvels of their kind in the country. In Madalag, the largest town in Aklan, there lies a secluded white rock formation that is just as breathtaking as the two mentioned above. There's a catch though: going there is not a walk in the park.

The Magnificent Churches of Iloilo

In my previous post, I mentioned that I am a fan of old man-made structures, particularly those with cultural value. I also have a keen interest in the history and story behind these structures. Because of this, I went on a church-hopping (AKA temple run) tour in Iloilo and witnessed the hallmarks of Catholicism and Hispanic legacy in the province. And since the Lenten season is in the air, I will present to you a list of churches I visited which you might find interesting to visit for Visita Iglesia: