Times are definitely a-changing, so in this issue we thought we’d give you an in on what we can expect from the places, pastimes, and people that matter in this go-getting nation of ours. These should be ideal primers to the highly-anticipated international travel and food expos that will be held in the Philippines this year, adding anticipation to the country’s ascent in the world of tourism.

Third-generation star Janine Gutierrez, for starters, sees a refreshing side of the legendary city of Manila, while talking about her roots and the positive things that lie ahead for the Philippines and the Filipino wanderer. We also list the best, brightest, and the beckoning destinations all over Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, and take a look into a few choice culinary visionaries’ work on recreating some signature local dishes to take today’s Pinoy palate to greater heights. Tour guide extraordinaire Carlos Celdran, meanwhile, talks about history and just how much he loves Manila, and so should we.

The future, indeed, is looking bright and breezy, as stories on modern age head-turners, the Freedom Island preservation, and a hoppin’ new activity place cap off this enlightened edition of EXPLORE PHILIPPINES. So buckle up, put your sunglasses on, and prepare for more and pleasant travels ahead.

Our Issue 18 takes us to an island already familiar but is certain to surprise us still: Siargao. Starring the enigmatic actor Jake Cuenca, our “South Sensation” issue presents the many winning spots of Siargao, taken in by a first-time visitor. (We heard he flew right back to the Surf Capital of the Philippines a week after our trip!)

Photography by Andrea Genota
Styling by Jana Silao
Grooming by Hannah Pechon
Video by
Story by Alyssa Lapid
Shot on location Siargao

In line with our non-stop mission to share our wondrous explorations with you, our dear readers, we thought it best to bring them straight into your hands with as little effort as possible. Call it a sign of the times, to us, we ultimately want to interact with you better. So grab Explore Philippines’ final print issue out on major bookstands. PLUS, an extended Siargao feature will be made available next month for online users. Stay tuned for that! #KeepExploring

The latest edition of Explore Philippines offers many surprises: the frontrunner being cover star Nico Bolzico whose time in the spotlight is only just beginning. As we take a look at his story, he takes a look at Coron, Palawan–both above ground and underwater.

Photography by Tomi Koshikawa, Raniel Juanico, and Eric Yee
Styling by Jana Silao
Grooming by Hanna Pechon De Mesa
Story by Alyssa Lapid
Shot on location in Coron, Palawan

Adventure junkies can enjoy the in-depth feature on activities to do in Coron. The adrenaline rush carries over to our hunt for the hidden culinary gems in Manila that offer the best steak, tapas, and Pinoy comfort food, to an Aquascape Lake Caliraya getaway that serves as a respite from the city with a long list of water activities to boot.

We also take inspiration from the courage of several Pinoy personalities who've paved the way for brevity and boldness in their chosen fields. The Yakan Tribe and the journey of their weaves, Two Monkeys Travel and a life on the road, and Gina Lopez and her crusade for the environment are sure to ignite several embers.

In the latest edition of Explore Philippines, we got ourselves into as many unexpected situations as we could while working on this nature-triggered issue, starring actor and outdoorsman Gerald Anderson on the cover with the picturesque Batanes as the worthy backdrop!

Photography by Tomi Koshikawa, Raniel Juanico, Kevin Clark Tankiko
Styled by Joey Espiritu
Grooming by Dexter Gonzalgo
Story by Alyssa Lapid
Shot on location, in North Batan, Batanes

Our “Earth Appreciation” theme continues in our camping story to catch the stars at pitch black night with the Philippine Astronomical Society, Inc. We then list down our favorite nature reserves in the country and follow the work of UP’s marine biologists as they study and save aquatic life in our precious seas.

With in-depth features on North Batan, the mystical island of Siquijor, and Waves For Water’s Carlo Delantar, expect this Earth Issue to surprise you with Middle-earthy landscapes, immense wildlife, and forces of nature coming at you from all angles.

Explore Philippines' Boracay Issue was 3 years in the making. Good thing we took our time as it allowed us to tread the place from different angles. In this special double cover issue, we highlight 2 sides of Boracay: luxury and adventure, and we have no less than Pia Wurtzbach, Miss Universe 2015 titleholder, and Marlon Stockinger, the first Filipino formula race winner, to embody these two lifestyles. We are also taking a glance at some of the newest food and libation offerings to give tourists a different taste of the country’s most hip island this season.

Photography by Patrick Diokno
Styling by Adrianne Concepcion
Grooming by Hanna Pechon
Photography Assistance by Yosef Ramos
Story by France Pinzon

Shot on location in Boracay

Also in this issue are activities and subjects that show other facets of the Philippines this summer season: weekend riding is supposedly less about the trend and more about friendships, according to The Brap Pack, scuba diving for a cause, specials on the current international ube fixation, the Taw’Buid tribe of Mindoro, and six travel personalities to follow.

This sweater (slash, cuddle) weather-appropriate issue gives a special shout out to the solo trip enthusiasts, who brave the great big unknown alone! In this edition, we take radio DJ, host, speedster, and all-day funny man Sam YG to the surreal mountain town of Banaue, for some visual and cultural awakening and one-of-a-kind self-discovery.

Plus, with in-depth features on the popular rice terraces of the Cordilleras, the Ifugao people, Cavite’s organic farm-to-table servings, community engagement through stunning travel and drone photography, DOT Sec. Wanda Teo, the returning Metropolitan Theater Manila, taking kids to greater heights, and more, let this be your trigger to embrace that solo travel game, ‘cause it’s all about empowering YOU, dear Explorer.

Holidays are coming to you a little early as we roll out the latest Explore Philippines with a brand spankin' new look, featuring the sportive island of Siargao with talented actress Rhian Ramos!

Now as a quarterly journal, we promise more pages, more stories, and more amazing photos to complete your local travel fix every time. We swear you'll enjoy our extended Rhian × Siargao labor of love!

The EXPLORE Team has been looking forward to working on this installment. As much as we’ve love being a travel publication, we also take pride in how we’ve carefully presented the hottest destinations and attractions in the Philippines over the last two years to you, our dear readers. What you see on the cover—in the pages of the glossy, is only part of the whole feat. It is a complicated task that requires the necessary creative juices, wild ideas, major revisions, and the deadliest deadlines for it to be successful. It is never a cakewalk—more like a run, but we get to create and design something we love and with that we feel more inspired to take on the job. THIS was our chance to have more fun with the magazine. Please enjoy it accordingly.

Having said that, the true heroes are the inspiring Filipino creations displayed in this issue! And if you ever get stuck in a personal rut, domestic travel can give you that new lease on productivity; you don’t have to go that far—in fact, that’s where we’re taking you after this. Additionally, a growing demand for cultural diversity and nourishment is apparent these days, thus, more public museums, art exhibits, and quasi-quirky-charming escapes have sprung up to satisfy the need. One of the so-called charming developments is the lovely, very Instagrammable Prado Farms in Lubao, Pampanga,which we’d specifically chosen as our main location with multifaceted artist Kylie Padilla (she’s an actress, singer, songwriter, and painter, among other things!) on the cover! Trivia: those art doodles are hers!

Creativity, however innate in us, manifests itself by what we surround ourselves in. Consider this our small gift for not just your chronic travel urges, but ever-discerning souls as well. Seek new perspectives, try different mediums, react to what’s in front of you, and cast it out there. Let the Philippines inspire you to be artists in your own right. She is your muse and the world is your canvas.

In the great words of The Strokes, “I’ll try anything once.” Save for the context of the song, through the years, that little piece of statement has become a personal mantra of sorts in going through life’s unexpected twists and turns. 

Amazing Race Asia runners-up, TV hosts, and gutsy globetrotters Rovilson Fernandez and Marc Nelson star in our Adventure special, highlighting Albay, Bicol, where being outdoors is the norm That’s not to say recreational fun can be found only in one region; we also list other amazing alfresco activities in the Philippines, as well as dine and drink places for the daring offbeats. Meanwhile, April Cuenca inspires us to discover the Philippines unconventionally. Finally, we delve into A Liter Of Light’s mission of lighting a million far-flung homes by 2017, one of the many gifts of having the courage to try new things.

So go forth and really push yourself further out. It’s all about giving yourself a chance to fully embrace your existence. Half-living is selling yourself short. Try anything at least once and go over that edge and fly. Or fall face first. But if it happens to make a surprise believer out of you, then aren’t you glad you went out and did it?

We are proud and inspired to have singer/ actress/ commercial model and United Nations World Food Programme Abassador, KC Concepcion on our cover. This person, who has tirelessly loved and used her celebrity status for good, as shown in her work with the WFP, rekindles her relationship with Baguio, a melting pot of culture, history and natural resources, which continues to protect, preserve and promote the ones near and dear to them. 

The love theme rolls on in this issue's other specials such as Baguio's three restaurants and their push for organic and local produce and dishes. We have like wise put a spotlight on eight Filipino movers and shakers, who have done more for the benefit of their respective advocacies. 

Explore also turns its attention to the Philippine Marine Corps' mission to promote fitness by way of their exciting obstacle race events and a group of students in Taytay, Rizal and their initiative to clean up their beloved Maningning Creek. With stories on "Mixing Business with Nation Building," year long honeymoons and falling in love with your own hometown, expect this issue an installment to encourage you to explore wider, touch people deeper and simple serve Mother Earth in more ways than one next time you step out to see the world. 

Whether you are in the process of opening a bottle of pinot noir in your PJs at home, or with loved ones at some fancy hotel, or on top of Mount Pulag with newfound hiking buddies, saying farewell to 2015 and hello to 2016, it’s deeply comforting to know that how one starts off Day 1 of 366 (yup, 2016 is a leap year) won’t necessarily be the be-all and end-all of how you will run the rest of your life.

In this issue, we hope we could provide you with some really sound suggestions for reaching your goals and achieving your personal triumphs in travel and, perhaps, also in life.

For you adventure junkies, we have the ever-exuberant model, actor, and host Mikael Daez on the cover, exclusively leading the way in and around the lush forests, besieging mountains, and pristine beaches of Hamilo Coast where Mt. Pico de Loro is near. Adding to that, we have rounded up our top travel must-try activities, must-see views, must-book resorts, and must-meet rare beings in the Philippines to keep you preoccupied all year.

For the infectious revelers who like to bring some company everywhere they go, we list the best travel gifts for their favorite travel companions. We have also invited some of today’s most sought-after Pinoy chefs, with their ultimate Christmas grub to fuel that goal-orientedness even more. 

For the downright visionaries who can see more than meets the eye, we hope to further inspire them with our stories on the dynamic duo behind local brands Float and Ere Plants, mixed-media sculptor Impy Pilapil, and the Juan Portrait movement, among others.

Again, starting is half the task. The other half is one’s ability to follow through. Sure you have set the bar high for yourself this 2016, but should you only come close to working on a couple of items in your to-do list, remember that what’s more important are the discoveries and breakthroughs from within.

This October, we're proud to present our Anniversary Issue with our very own Jet Setting Power Couple Kim Jones and Jericho Rosales taking us through the breathtaking Calamian Islands in Palawan, Philippines! Dive into the beauty of Palawan to get you in the right celebratory mood you need. 

In this issue, check out our feature on elevated ways to honor an occasion, tribute to the Filipino potluck, some of our favorite Explore moments, and find out how others remember their own life achievements by traveling! Other stories worth checking out include the much talked about Jeepney in NYC, a trek up Mount Pinagbanderahan, getting crafty with travel journals, and revisiting the National Museum!

In this Cravings Issue, EXPLORE Philippines features the best Bacolod bites as presented by our cover model, television journalist Atom Araullo. Metro Manila’s three most bountiful buffets are also on the menu, while “12 Little Ways to Treat Yourself in the City” highlights the best steaks, wines, gastropubs, desserts, alternative beverages, spas, and shopping around the city in this issue. Chef Miko Aspiras also talks about working from the bottom to make it to the top of the cut throat culinary world. Other stories, such as a rundown of extravagant means to spoil yourself as told by social media superstars, traveling worldwide in style, luxury gadgets, and more are in store.

Team EXPLORE Philippines together with actress, Jasmine Curtis- Smith, visited a famed heritage resort in Bataan in hopes of unraveling another unique side of the rich Filipino story. Meanwhile we also have our "6 Young Trailblazers Worth Following", inspiring individuals optimistically paving the way for other aspiring leaders to continue reaching for their goals. We also revisited the streets of Intramuros, relished the many ways to prepare Sinigang and reviewed a number of modern-day homegrown treasures including festivals, coffee, art, fashion, and technology to reignite that "Pinoy Pride" we've been used to keep track of since Pacman.

There are so many ways to have fun in the Philippines that it's less about the destination, and more about the company you're with and the many interesting things you encounter in between.

Explore Philippines  Cover - February - April 2018 Edition

February - April 2018

Explore Philippines  - February - April 2018

Explore Philippines  Cover - November 2017 - January 2018 Edition

November 2017 - January 2018

Explore Philippines  - November 2017 - January 2018

Explore Philippines  Cover - August - October 2017 Edition

August - October 2017

Explore Philippines  - August - October 2017

Explore Philippines  Cover - May - July 2017 Edition

May - July 2017

Explore Philippines  - May - July 2017

Explore Philippines  Cover - February - April 2017 Edition

February - April 2017

Explore Philippines  - February - April 2017

Explore Philippines  Cover - November 2016 - Janaury 2017 Edition

November 2016 - Janaury 2017

Explore Philippines  - November 2016 - Janaury 2017

Explore Philippines  Cover - August - September 2016 Edition

August - September 2016

Explore Philippines  - August - September 2016

Explore Philippines  Cover - June - July 2016 Edition

June - July 2016

Explore Philippines  - June - July 2016

Explore Philippines  Cover - April - May 2016 Edition

April - May 2016

Explore Philippines  - April - May 2016

Explore Philippines  Cover - February - March 2016  Edition

February - March 2016 

Explore Philippines  - February - March 2016 

Explore Philippines  Cover - December 2015 - January 2016 Edition

December 2015 - January 2016

Explore Philippines  - December 2015 - January 2016

Explore Philippines  Cover - October - November 2015 Edition

October - November 2015

Explore Philippines  - October - November 2015

Explore Philippines  Cover - August - September 2015 Edition

August - September 2015

Explore Philippines  - August - September 2015

Explore Philippines  Cover - June - July 2015 Edition

June - July 2015

Explore Philippines  - June - July 2015

Explore Philippines  Cover - April - May 2015 Edition

April - May 2015

Explore Philippines  - April - May 2015

EXPLORE Philippines – a quarterly travel, culture & lifestyle magazine, aims to curate and promote the finest and most stimulating sights and stories that ascend from exploring the wonders and fun in the Philippines and beyond. 

With a special theme for every issue, EXPLORE Philippines looks to tackle the many facets of the modern Filipino traveler – that with the moods, the musings, the carry-ons, the traditions, the sticks and stones, and all the destinations that we report about, we may influence more to unceasingly LIVE TO EXPLORE.

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Explore Philippines - April - May 2016

Explore Philippines - April - May 2016

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