#adventuresofbabuandbaby

[adventuresofbabuandbaby]

Future rock climber. (Inside the mouth of Elephant Rock - quick side trip on the way back from the Underground River)

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Highlight of our island-hopping in El Nido: finding the ice cream boatman! Pretty sure he made a week's worth of sales from our group. This truly is paradise!

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Underwater hello from the Babu.

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Underwater hello from grownup!

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From Puerto Princesa, we take a 5-hr van ride through winding mountainous roads (Dramamine...Bonamine...take it. You'll need it.) to reach El Nido for some incredible island hopping. Our first day on "Island Hopping Tour A" took us to the Small Lagoon where boatmen, kayakers, and snorkelers share its crystal waters.

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Finally leaving the city behind for 2 weeks of island-hopping! The Babu and grownup arriving at their first stop: Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

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The Babu enjoying sand and sea!

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From Cebu, we hop on a plane to Boracay for our last stop on our Philippine adventure. Soft sand, tranquil waters, and absolutely nothing on the schedule except soak in the sun. Our hotel, Residencia Boracay, on Station 1 (Boracay's White Beach area is divided into 3 Stations) was beachfront, making it very easy to roll out of bed and onto a beach chair!

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Another cool thing about the Henry…Anthill “honesty shop” where merchandise is laid out with price tags, you choose what you want to buy, add up the amount of your purchases, stick the cash in an envelope, and drop it in the black box. No one’s watching. Just your conscience. Awesome. 😎

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Dinner and a show at Barbaras Heritage Restaurant in Intramuros.

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Sunset view from Cadlao Resort in El Nido.

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Island hopping tours in El Nido include a spectacular lunch spread prepped and cooked by the boat crew. Drinking from coconuts required.

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Planting and harvesting rice at the Museo Pambata (Children's Museum) in Manila.

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Zoom zoom in the Babu's first tricycle ride!

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The Babu's first tricycle ride. Tricycles are a common means of transportation in the Philippines, especially in smaller towns and rural areas. Think rickshaw-with-a-motor! Fares are ridiculously cheap at 10 pesos/person (roughly $0.20).

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The Mind Museum also has an outdoor park with some impressively STEM-based play equipment, like this Brachistochrone Slide. No need to pretend to know what that means. They explain it nicely for you on the pillar.