Destination

Philippines

Guides, stories and videos from Philippines, straight from the road.

Videos

I Visited Buscalan: The Philippines' 100-Year-Old Tattoo Tradition

A two-day trip into Kalinga's mountains for the hand-tapped tattoo tradition made famous by Whang-Od, plus waterfalls, rice terraces, and village life along the way.

Do people live inside this cemetery?

Inside a Philippine cemetery community, where families live among the graves - a look at everyday life there.

Stories and guides

Inside Manila's Chinese Cemetery: A Visitor's Guide

Inside Manila's Chinese Cemetery during Qingming Festival: multi-level mausoleums, some with air conditioning, and the caretakers who work there.

Baguio Philippines Summer Capital Guide: Inside the City

A first-person guide to Baguio, the Philippines' summer capital, from cool mountain air to chicken adobo and the night market.

Camping in the Sea of Clouds at Goatcliff, Benguet: A Guide

A day of dawn zumba, a hilltop temple, and strawberry fields ends with camping in the sea of clouds at Goatcliff, Benguet, in the Philippines.

San Pedro Cutud: Witnessing a Real Crucifixion Reenactment

In San Fernando, Pampanga, Good Friday means flagellants, cross-bearers, and penitents voluntarily nailed to wooden crosses — a Holy Week tradition unlike anywhere else on Earth.

Waking Up Above the Clouds at Goatcliff, Then Rappelling

A simple breakfast above the clouds at a Goatcliff campsite in Atok, Benguet, followed by a first, nerve-wracking try at rappelling for about $15.

Baguio's Igorot Stone Kingdom: A Hand-Built Castle

Deep in Baguio, past pine forest and a botanical garden, sits a castle the Igorot people built by hand — with a real gold mine tunnel underneath.

The Magdarame of Angeles City: Blood, Faith, and Choice

Every Holy Week in Angeles City, the Magdarame whip their own backs through the streets — not for show, but by choice, as a vow, a thanks, or a plea.

Buscalan: Inside the Philippines' 100-Year-Old Tattoo Village

A two-day trip into Kalinga's mountains for the hand-tapped tattoo tradition made famous by Whang-Od — plus waterfalls, rice terraces, and village life along the way.