I normally don’t publish guest posts but today I’ve made an exception. JY is a good friend of mine who recently completed TTC (Teach and Travel China) with i-to-i.Ā I actually remember wanting to do this programme back in 2011, but couldn’t find a review of it anywhere! So, I’ve decided to publish this recap of his; hopefully it’ll be of some help to you budding ESL teachers out there.
I first heard aboutĀ TTC (Teach and Travel China) after being recommended it by a friend. There are literally hundreds of sites offering the same thing, but i-to-i is one of the more reputable ones out there (note: The TTC program is offered by various other agencies too, such as IESGlobal and Bunac, among others).
The price I paid was a little cheaper than the listed $1,800 as I caught it on special (thinking it’d be totally worth it, since it included the $399 TEFL certificate course and a two week training course in Beijing). We were able to choose a start date in either February or August, and I decided to take the August semester.
i-to-i calls this program a “voluntary internship”. The pay is not great, around $400 a month, but accommodation is included as well as 3 meals a day, Monday to Friday.
The year I wentĀ (2012), there were 141 of us – 4 from NZ, about 8 from Aussie, 20ish from the US and 93 from the UK. We all met in Beijing, got split up into 5-6 groups and got put through the 2 week course. In reality, it was more like a two day course – 2 days on actual teaching methods and mock classes and the rest of the time doing things like tai chi, calligraphy and basic Mandarin classes.
Interestingly the process went like this – while we were in Beijing, the schools in the TTC program actually chose us. We didn’t really have a say on where we went. We got to put down 3 preferences, and I chose South as my first choice, then North, then Central. In the end I got placed in Chengdu which is Central. We also were randomly given pre-school, primary, intermediate or high school (luckily I got primary, which is what I had hoped for). As for the location, it seemed like the boobie area was Inner Mongolia. I still remember on our 3rd to last day in Beijing, everyone was running to the pin board as if they were getting their exam marks, but it was just the placements. As soon as one of the girls found out she got Inner Mongolia, she cried.
Then we were given the stats. Of the 141, 30-40% were expected to leave the internship. This was due to culture shock and homesickness, as well as many teachers getting poached by other agencies offering much higher salaries (up to $1,900 per month compared to the $400 paid by TTC).
For the duration of the internshipĀ you get assigned a person who speaks English from your school, so if you ever have any problems or questions you have someone to talk to. This is good and ensures that you’re well looked after during the entire 5 month internship. You can also request to be placed at the same school as your girlfriend/boyfriend/husband/wife.
As for the actual teaching part, we were required to work a maximum of 16 hours a week. Usually that worked out to around four 40 minute classes per day, and sometimes it was as little as two. That might not sound like a lot of work, but honestly, it is! We also had to plan our own lessons, so there was a fair amount of prep time too.
There’s quite a fewĀ downsides to the TTC program. First, it’s expensive. Then there’s theĀ uncertainty and mystery on where you’ll be placed and with which age group. Accommodation quality can be a problem too – I visited some of my friends’ apartments in Chengdu which were appalling.
Lastly,Ā there’s the pay situation – it’s natural to wonder how much TTC is taking of your salary considering a normal English teacher’s salary is around $1,500 a month and you’re only receiving $400.Ā This is probably why it’s so common for interns to get poached by other agencies and in some cases people just go looking for other work themselves. However for me, it was all for the experience and never about money. I made some really good friends, had an experience I’ll never regret and definitely reconnected with my inner roots.
In the end it was quiteĀ a costly way to experience China but luckily for me it all worked out -accommodation was awesome, school was awesome, students were awesome and teaching experience was totally awesome. Every man to his own opinion and experience. Even if I had been placed in Inner Mongolia or some place rugged, I wouldn’t have minded at all – would’ve just made the experience my own and appreciated everything.
For those thinking about teaching in China, here’s my recommendation – get TEFL qualified by doing the i-to-i TEFL course online (around $399, click here to check it out) and then find work through your own agent (the challenge is to find a reliable one and not get scammed – do your research!) Also, travelling in China can be a scary place if you don’t know the language, so make sure you have reliable sources and a backup plan if things don’t work out.Ā As for me, I’m adding a little detour to my next trip to visit my old school in Chengdu. I miss my kids, definitely had an experience to remember and don’t regret it one bit.
Typical day in classTeachers officeAccommodation in Chengdu
Got questions? Taken a Teach and Travel China internship of your own? What’s your experience? Let us know in the comments below!
Note: This is a guest post by a friend of mine. If you have questions about the program, leave a comment below or send me an email and I’ll do my best to connect you.
He looked up at me like I was an alien. He’d probably never seen a pasty, shabby haired oriental specimen like me. If I were in his shoes, I’d probably have turned and run, but he just smiled up at me with a fearless curiosity. It’s funny how kids are like that.
His name was Joseph, a tiny 4 year old with a smile that would melt even the mightiest of men. As we sat beside each other on the concrete floor I tapped my finger on the page in front of him; my way of telling him to look down and write. My job today was to teach this one child, out of a class of 20, to write the alphabet, and we were up to the letter…..A. I guess if I had a Chinese alien sitting next to me I probably wouldn’t get much work done either.
Finally, he looked down and attempted to mimic the perfectly scuplted ‘A’ I had written for him. I watched, almost in slow motion, as he pressed the pencil to the page with his tiny fingers, eventually pushing so hard that the lead snapped off with a blunt crack.
He froze for a moment and then looked up at me wide-eyed, and we both smiled at each other before laughing childishly at the now broken pencil lead rolling on the paper before us. His pencil was only about 5 centimetres long anyway, perhaps the length of a toothpick, and he was holding it like a spinning top rather a writing tool.
I turned and shouted out to the teacher.
“Where’s the pencils?”
She looked at me blankly.
“Only one each.”
I hunted the room for one and to my surprise, found nothing. Not even a sharpener. So, we sat there; a 4 year old Tanzanian kid and a Chinese accountant, staring at our broken pencil wondering how we were going to write the alphabet.
Eventually the teacher came over with a knife, smiling, and sharpened it for us MacGyver style while we both sat there and watched like hungry children. I’m sure she must have been thinking “Geez, does this guy need some kind of magic machine to sharpen his pencil for him?”
How sad. I actually do.
Finally she handed it back to us, and now instead of a 5 centimetre pencil we had a 3 centimetre pencil, which I was starting to look at very differently. This wasn’t just any old pencil anymore. If anything happened to it, well, class would be over for the day. You know that adrenaline spike when you’re on the last stage of Super Mario and you’ve only got one life left? Yeah, it was something like that. Seconds later, Joseph grabbed at it blindly, obviously unaware of the severity of the situation.
“Woah!” I screamed, holding my hands out.
He jumped with fright, and looked up at me, startled. This kid must think I’m crazy.
I smiled as if to say “sorry, just kidding”, and then winced as I watched him etch multiple letter A’s into the page, his fingers wrapped awkwardly around the 3cm stub of lead. I was convinced he was going to break it, but he didn’t. Perhaps he was aware we were in the 4th quarter after all. I stared at him, amazed, admiring the intense concentration on his face as he tried tirelessly to sculpt each letter perfectly, one after the other. His fingers shifted continuously, trying to find some sort of grip on his tiny stump of lead, and as impossible as it was he soldiered on, completely zoned out without a care in the world.
As you can see, it’s a moment I remember quite vividly. But it’s not just because it was funny, or different. It’s because it was the moment that it all hit me- a cold, sudden realisation that the problems here were so much deeper than I had imagined, and that I simply did not have the power to make any real difference to the lives of these kids.
With Joseph after class
That was my first day as a volunteer in Tanzania. I sat on the bus home and thoughts bounced through my head like a pinball. I had come here to escape the world of corporate indifference, to try and do something ‘meaningful’, to give my time to something that would actually make someone’s life better. But the reality, as I was discovering, was that the problems here were far bigger than anything I could hope to solve.
But, first things first. As soon as I got back to the hostel I dropped off my stuff, grabbed some cash and headed to the store to buy a crapload of pencils.
The first week was the hardest. I soon learned that the kids were not afraid of me. When I told them to shut up they’d laugh and hit me, when I told them to sit down they’d stand up and run around. I quickly learned that to have any influence on them I’d first need to earn their respect. In our status-obsessed world we often have titles and money to hide behind but in their world that was all meaningless. Kids are too smart to be influenced by labels. I knew that if I were to form some kind of bond with them, I had to earn a mutual respect and trust with them based on nothing but my character, and, as they say, kids can be great judges of character. It was a frightening and humbling lesson – I’d spent my whole life working towards corporate success, but behind all that, who was I? As a person, why would a kid trust or respect me? I was forced to really look at myself, reassess who I was and what made me a person of value on the inside. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever experienced, and who would’ve thought it’d be put upon me by a bunch of African preschoolers.
Before long the second week rolled around, and the teacher decided it was time to put me on the spot – she simply called me to the front of the room and said, “Today, you teach English”. I stood there staring at her, like, what? Really? Normally I would take care of a select 4 or 5 students, either the youngest group or the oldest group, in a corner of the room, and even that felt impossible at times. Teaching a class of 20 just seemed like a joke. I shuffled to the front while giving her a dark smile, my heart thumping like a drum. And then, I thought to myself, what would I want my weird looking Asian substitute teacher to be like if I were 5 years old – a boring guy who stood at the front and talked, or a crazy looney who did a whole bunch of stupid stuff? So, as soon as I got to the front I just ran around the room, jumping up and down and high-fiving all of them. Of course, they went crazy.
That day I taught them three phrases:
“Hello”
“My name is _____________”
“Nice to meet you” (with a handshake)
Then I got them to walk around the room introducing themselves to each other in English, and for one hour, that’s all we did (I didn’t have time to plan, ok?)
Funnily enough, the kids loved it. From that day on, they would greet me every single day with a handshake and a “Hello, my name is ____________, nice to meet you!” I probably should’ve told them you only say it the first time you meet someone, but they were having so much fun that I just let them roll with it. But there was a greater lesson in all that, which was the fact that they really were learning things from me. And I realised that if I could teach them that, I could teach them anything. So I wondered – what should I be filling their young little minds with?
Finally I understood the mighty Spiderman – with great power comes great responsibility.
Over the next couple of months we slowly built that student-teacher bond. I taught them to make paper planes, to sing “We will rock you” by Queen, and to focus a camera before taking a photo. They taught me their favourite songs, showed me their favourite games and taught me how to eat the local food. I began walking students home after class, where I would see their homes and meet their families. It was an emotional rollercoaster and in all honesty, left me feeling completely powerless. Could I really help these people? They lived in homes with no running water, no electricity, no toilets, usually sharing a bed with 2 or 3 other people and being raised by grandparents or single mothers. Where would I even begin?
Two months flew by, and before long it was time for me to leave. Surprisingly, the goodbyes were easier than I’d imagined. There were no tears, and no last minute phone calls to try and push my departure date (which I’d already done twice). I was at peace with the decision, and although I would’ve loved to stay it felt like the right choice to leave rather than continue getting more and more involved in their lives. Besides, deep down, I knew it was only a matter of time before I returned.
Afterthoughts
After my experience, my feelings on voluntourism are extremely mixed, particularly when it comes to working with children. All of a sudden I was a part of their lives, and then I was gone just as suddenly as I had arrived. I can’t help but wonder if I further contributed to the abandonment issues so many of these kids already have. It’s an issue I feel strongly about, as volunteering in Africa seems to be a popular holiday choice these days, but I suppose I’ll leave that discussion for a later post. For now I think the big question to ask myself is, did I really make a difference?
To be honest, I have no idea.
I don’t even know if those kids will remember me 10 years from now. What did I add to their lives, other than a few laughs and distant memories? In what way did I make their lives better?
I really do struggle to find an answer.
In fact, I think the person who benefited most from the whole experience was…me. As kids we’ve all been told to “finish your dinner, because children are starving in Africa”, and by the time we grow up I think most of us are completely desensitised to it. For that reason I wasn’t expecting to be too shocked by what I saw, but I was. Poverty has far deeper effects than I had imagined, and is a mixture of so many different causes and problems. Solving it will be a far more complicated affair than simply buying food and feeding everyone.
That doesn’t mean the people are any less happy, though. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Their lives were full of laughter and joy and they were all incredibly rich in spirit. While many cultures today are all about material wealth, there’s were all about community and family, and when you think about it those values seem to make a lot more sense. That was a powerful lesson for me – I realised my whole life I’d been chasing the wrong things, and there was a lot of self-reflection going on after I returned home.
Perhaps the best part about the whole experience though was that it’s motivated me more than ever to try and make that real difference I’d been searching for. I now have an ongoing project in Tanzania, which is quite a long story and will need to wait for a later date, but I’ve been lucky enough to return to Tanzania twice since my first trip and the first thing I do is head up to the preschool and visit my old kids. Many of them have since moved on to primary school, but I still see them around and they do remember me. In fact, the first thing one of them did was run over to me, hold out his hand and say “Nice to meet you!”
I guess they did learn something after all.
Have you volunteered before? What is your opinion on voluntourism? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
There are many “pay-to-volunteer” services around that are quite expensive. My volunteering experience was free and I arranged it myself without the help of any agency. If you would like to learn more about how to doĀ this, you are welcome to send me an email. You can also check out Grassroots Volunteering, a great online resource for ethical volunteer opportunities. My friend Dorota also has a great post on responsible volunteering here.
Heading to Tanzania? My Dar city guide might come in helpful!
So…around three months ago Anton from Our Awesome Planet asked me to write a guest post for him. Excited about being featured on one of the biggest blogs in the Philippines I said “Sure! About what?”
He said, “If you were to write an open letter to Filipinos about the things they don’t appreciate and the things they need to improve on, what would that be?” (more…)
This goes back to 2010. I was in my room studying for an accounting exam when I saw this video by charity: water on my Facebook feed. Go ahead, watch it, it’s awesome.
It flipped a switch in me. What was I doing? I was sitting here, memorising accounting standards like an idiot while Scott Harrison was out changing the world. Within five seconds I could hear the passion and drive in his voice; something I hadn’t heard in my own voice in a long time.
Over the months that followed I became charity: water’s biggest fan. While vegetating in my cubicle I would read all their blog posts, watch all their videos and keep tabs on all their campaigns. They became an inspiration for me to escape corporate life and start doing something that mattered. But more than that, their work was a revelation. I had no idea so much of the world was crippled by dirty water, and was even more amazed to learn that just $5,000 was enough to drill a well and bring clean water to a community.
When 2011 came around, I finally got my chance to help. I was turning 25, and instead of having the big quarter century party I had been planning, I decided to donate my 25th birthday.
There was no party and no gifts. Instead, I asked everyone I knew to donate $25 for my big 25.
Around 500 people said no.
It didn’t matter.
157 of them said yes.
Together we raised $5,185, enough to fund an entire water project. Once the campaign closed, charity: water got in touch with me. I was thrilled; due to raising over $5,000, they were naming me as a project sponsor.
22 months later the project was finally completed. Charity: water contacted me with a full report, detailing exactly where the money had gone. They showed me the GPS coordinates for the project, how much it cost, and traced every single dollar back to it’s original donor. They even pinpointed the project on Google maps, and included a collection of photos of the community to prove that people’s lives really had been changed:
You may remember when I asked for your donation, I made a promise: that if we reached our goal I would make an effort to visit this project myself, and show you first hand what a difference you had made.
It was important for me to follow through on that, not only for you, but also for me; to see for myself that charity can still work and that there were still organisations out there determined to do good.
Two years later, I’ve finally made good on that promise. I recently returned from Ethiopia, where we tracked down the village using GPS coordinates and saw the project and the community with my own eyes.
I was welcomed from the moment I arrived. I drank from the water pump, carried water with one of the girls, was welcomed into one of the elder’s homes, shared food, drink and coffee, and was even invited to stay the night. I visited their old, dirty water source and saw what a difference it was for them to finally have clean water just minutes from their homes. It was all real; real people, real lives, real change. More than anything, it reinvigorated my faith in charity and the belief that we all have the ability to make a positive change in the world.
There was no way I could’ve done it alone. To everyone who donated to this project, thank you. I believed in this from the start, and it was heartwarming to know that many of you were able to see what I saw. It gave me the motivation to keep pushing on with the campaign, and kept me believing that it would all be worth it.
Of course, I brought the footage back for you all to see. To all the donors: this video is for you.
While I was reading the newspaper today I came across this article, called Travel Deals of the week.
Here’s what it says:
“We bring you some of the best travel deals going – both in New Zealand and abroad. Bookmark this new page and check back each week for all the latest specials.”
Of course, this is right down my alley, so I browse through it and by the end of it I’m rolling my eyes. In fact, I’m kind of annoyed. It’s articles like this that make people think travelling is so impossible.
7 nights in Bali for $2,399 NZD ($2,050 USD)
Hotels in Tokyo for $351 NZD a night ($300 USD)
The biggest newspaper in New Zealand is trying to make people believe that these are the “best travel deals” of the week. That’s pretty shitty. Most people I know, including myself, would take one look at those prices and think, “Wow, travelling must be expensive. I’ll never be able to travel to those places! I guess I’ll just wait until I win the lottery.”
And it’s also why I get so many people asking me, “How do you afford to travel so much? You must be a millionaire!”
I’ll tell you right now – I’ve travelled quite a bit, and I would really struggle to spend $2,050 in 7 days. (especially in Bali!). And I’ve never paid anywhere near $300 for a hotel room.
Take a look at this Bali bargain:
“The Our Golfing in Bali package from Our Asia includes three rounds of golf including caddy and cart, or two two-hour spa treatments. It also includes airfares from Auckland, seven nights’ accommodation at the Pan Pacific Bali Nirwana and more. It’s priced from $2,050 USD pp, twin share and must be booked by March 28.”
Let’s bust this myth right now.
7 nights in Bali for $2,050?
You could have 7 weeks in Bali for $2,050.
In fact I’ll prove it right now:
Flights
Return flights from Auckland to Bali for 7 weeks (at around the same time as our “deal”):
7 weeks (49 nights) in a private room with en-suite, A/C, TV + DVD player, free wifi, hot shower, parking, complimentary breakfast, 24 hour reception, and security:
With a few simple internet searches, and you’ll get yourself 7 weeks in Bali, including flights and a private hotel room, for $1,281 USD.
I put all this together in about 10 minutes. Actually, it was more like 5 minutes and then another 5 to take screenshots and upload the pics for you. If I was planning this trip for real, I’d browse a few more accommodation websites, do some of my cheap flying tricks and I’m 120% sure I could knock another few hundred dollars off that price. There’s a lot of places to go in Bali, so finding something even cheaper wouldn’t be hard at all.
Also let’s not forget; your “travel deal” also included two 2-hour spa treatments. Let’s throw those in, just so we’ve covered everything.
They were going to put you up at the Pan Pacific Nirwana, so I checked out their spa menu. Their 2-hour spas are $70 each.
Since you’ve saved around $800, I guess you can now have 11 spas instead of just 2. Which is good, because you also have anextra 6 weeks of vacation to enjoy them all, along with all the other great things in Bali.
Anyway, you get the point. Travel being expensive is a common misconception that we need to break, because it makes people give up. It stops people from travelling. It makes people think you need thousands of dollars to see the world, and you don’t.
So why do we think like this?
It’s pretty simple. The reason you only hear about fancy 5-star resorts and super expensive holiday packages is because they are the only ones who can afford to advertise. B&B’s and guesthouses can’t afford a newspaper advert. They can’t afford a billboard. Not only that, no one wants to promote them because there’s no money in it. If you were an agent, would you prefer to collect commission on a $500 room or a $5 room? It’s lame, but that’s just the way it is.
This is one of the reasons I built this blog. I wanted to show you that travel is not expensive or impossible. There’s a good chance it’s even cheaper than your life at home right now.
Take a look at this place in Bali, for example. Its dorm rooms are $6 per night, with free breakfast and wifi.
It’s not glamorous, but if you stay here, you can forget about 7 weeks.
$2,050 would pay your flights and accommodation for 7 months.
Wouldn’t that be nice? Paying for a 7 month holiday with one paycheck?
You’ll also notice it has a 79% rating on Hostelworld, which is pretty good (anything above 80% has been excellent, in my experience). If I were heading on a backpacking trip to Bali, this is probably where I’d stay.
This is how people travel for so long – if you look in the right places, be smart with your money and stop yourself from being too fussy, long term travel is not a mystery at all.
For you aspiring world travellers who have been putting your trip in the “too expensive” box, I hope I’ve changed your mind at least a little bit. If you’re planning on travelling somewhere this year, use my searching for flights guide to get a super cheap flight. Use my accommodations guide to find a cheap place to stay. Be your own travel agent and book it all yourself. And if you have any questions, just ask. Hopefully you’ll be able to do more travelling this year than ever before.
Oh, and please don’t bookmark that travel deals page. Unless of course, you’re a millionaire.
I love Manila. It’s a great city with great restaurants, great people, great shopping and great affordability. However there’s one big problem with Manila that is never going to change.
It has. No. Beach!
The good news is the Philippines has some of the best beaches on the planet, some of which are not too far from the capital. If you’re after your fix of sand and sun, a little weekend road trip is enough to have you sorted.
The journey to Cagbalete Island starts before sunrise. A public bus leaves every morning at 5am which you cannot miss (it’s from the JAC Liner terminal in Cubao). It will take you straight to Mauban in Quezon, where you’ll jump on the ferry to the island. For reasons unbeknownst to me, we decided to take the longer, roundabout route, with a 4am bus to Lucena, followed by a second bus to Mauban. What fun is life if you don’t do things a little different now and then?
It’s a refreshing bus ride to Lucena. The buses are modern, probably with a TV playing The Fast & The Furious, along with reclining seats and a working AC. After a short 3 hours, you’ll find yourself at the Lucena bus station, with a wealth of Filipino food to appease your growling stomach.
From there it’s another 2 hour bus ride, heading to the town of Mauban. Here’s where the real journey begins. It’s an old and weathered bus, which chugs along at a snail’s pace. The seats are hard and unforgiving. The only AC is the open air windows and the panels vibrate with the rattle of the engine. But it excites you, because there’s not a single foreigner on this rickety old bus. Hell, there’s hardly any other people on it, and that alone tells you that something good lies ahead. The road less travelled is always the most rewarding one, and the road to Cagbalete Island seems to be hardly travelled at all.
The bus ride offers a pleasant glimpse into rural Philippines. Staring out the window is like a filmstrip of banana trees and beautiful greenery, minimalist houses and bunches of laughing kids playing outside with nature. After a slow but easy two hours, the bus finally pulls into Mauban.
Mauban is everything you expect it to be. A tranquil little town, where people live in peaceful simplicity. There are no rush hours here, no valet parking. Smiles? Yes, lots of them. Something tells me that’s not a coincidence.
As we make our way through the town, it seems common to buy meat, fish and vegetables at the market to take with you to the island. I’m sensing there is no McDonald’s where I’m going. However, for us there’s no time to shop; our bus has arrived late, and the boat to Cagbalete is leaving any second. For all we know, it’s already gone without us.
A trike takes us to the ferry and we rush out onto the jetty, stopping at the ticketing booth to pay our fares. I scamper to the boat and hurry on board, relieved that it’s still here. After all, we’ve arrived 30 minutes past the scheduled departure time.
I’m a fool. This is not Singapore. Things here run on island time, where 30 minutes late is not late at all. We’re on time, maybe even early. Patience is a virtue, and these people are among the most virtuous I have met.
As workers continue to load up the boat with the daily crates of food and water for the island, we indulge in some of the local treats being sold on board. The damage on a lumpia is 8 pesos (20 cents). Those $3 spring rolls at home don’t seem like such a bargain after all…
The 45 minute boat ride is wet, crowded and bumpy. I tough it out.
As we pull up to shore the local kids swimming in the ocean jump onto the side of the boat and squeal at me in Tagalog. They are tanned to a chocolate brown, and talk at me with urgency. I smile and hide behind my sunglasses. I later figure out they were simply offering to hold my bags for me, perhaps for a negligible tip.
Kids jump onto the boat as well pull up to shore
I’ve made arrangements to stay at Dona Choleng Resort, around a 15 minute walk from the dock. Funnily enough, the owner of the resort is on board the ferry with me, so we follow him through the back alleys and out into the open brush. More than once, we need to wade through puddles of thick, sandy mud. It’s all part of the fun.
Arriving at Dona Choleng is a refreshing change to the crash and bash of Manila. A collection of bamboo huts line the resort on one side and a handful of cabins line the other, with a private white sand beach lingering just a couple of footsteps away. A hut is 1,500 PHP ($33) for the night. I have no problems with that.
Scattered throughout the resort are open air bamboo cabanas, where meals are served and you can relax with a drink at night. Not a bad way to enjoy the island breeze.
I’m fed well at Dona Choleng. Our stay is fully catered; 800 pesos ($18) for 5 meals a day. At a resort? Yes, at a resort. I need to find more places like this. $18 at home barely gets me an uninspiring salad.
During our first meal I start craving for coconut. In a flash, the staff hunt some down and cut them open, right before my eyes. I eagerly down the juice and devour the flesh. It’s magic. I’m convinced that a coconut a day keeps the doctor away. Apples only pale in comparison.
After the gluttony it’s time to hit the beach. It’s November; high season is long gone. We literally have the entire resort to ourselves. Unsurprisingly, the beach is gorgeous. The sand a floury white, the ocean clear and warm. I float in the water and watch the clouds roll by. The freedom is intoxicating. An empty beach is good for the soul.
I sit down one afternoon with the owner Ryan who tells me the story of the place. Dona Choleng is the name of his Great Aunt, who more or less owns the entire island. Consequently, all the resort owners on the island are related. It’s a new resort, built in 2012. The condition of the place reflects that. He tells me I’m lucky I’ve arrived in November; earlier in the year around Holy Week (March-ish) he has over 200 guests at the resort, mostly high school students camping out along the beach. In another decade, that would’ve been heaven.
I ask him about the local people and he explains there is an indigenous population living on the far end of the island, known as the Dumagan (I have no idea how to spell it). I’m intrigued. I ask if I could go visit them but he advises against it, mainly because they’re so far away.
On our last day, Ryan heads back to Quezon to take care of some business, but before he leaves he offers to upgrade me to the resort’s luxury cabin for the night, for free. I make a mental note to remember his kindness, and somehow let him know it’s not forgotten (Thanks, Ryan!) Filipino hospitality is second to none.
After two days of beaching, feasting and eating coconuts it’s time to get back on the road to Manila. However, not before a quick pit stop. Ryan recommends I stop by the town of Tayabas, to eat at a traditional restaurant known as ‘Kamayan’. I have no idea what it is, but I’m going.
After checking out we trek back across the island, one of the resort staff leading the way. He brings us to the loading spot and bids us farewell. As he walks away I call him back and offer him a tip, to which he looks at me in utter surprise. I smile and urge him to take it. His reluctance makes me want to tip him even more.
After arriving back on the mainland I sample a local specialty on the way to the bus stop. The pancit habhab; noodles on a banana leaf, with a piece of pork and a quail egg. Easy, unpretentious food gets me every time.
We jump on the bus to Lucena, but alight in Tayabas to fulfill our side mission. We hail a trike and drop the name “Kamayan”. He nods as if he knows exactly where it is. A good sign. After a good 15 minutes out of the town centre we arrive at a restaurant called Palaisdaan. Despite the different names, I’m somehow convinced we’re in the right place.
It’s serene. Floating bamboo rafts, connected by a maze of bridges and a waterfall to watch over it all. Am I even in the right place? I don’t care. We have a shameless feast.
With full stomachs and happy hearts, we board the bus back to Manila, sleepy and worn, but also refreshed. Who knew two bus rides and an empty beach could be so inspiring.
Thanks for the memories, Cagbalete Island.
Heading To The Philippines and…
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The Philippines‘ capital is a lively, densely populated city, but with a chilled out vibe that sets it apart from the other metropolises in Asia. The Americanization of the city is in full force, from their accents to their fast food culture, but the people still retain their local charm in every way. The kindness of the Filipino people is chatted about in travel circles but it’s not until you touch down in the country that you realise how friendly and welcoming they really are. Life is not easy for many in Manila, but the smiles on their faces would tell you otherwise.
The city itself is surprisingly modern, with world class shopping malls, hotels and apartments as well as a bustling economy that’s growing at rapid speed. However the sizeable gap between rich and poor means the city has it’s fair share of rough patches too.
Metro Manila really is one of the forgotten gems of South East Asia. It hasn’t yet experienced the tourist floodgates but it’s not exactly untouched either. The result is a city just different enough that you’ll see one or two weird things every day but still feel right at home.
Budget
Bed: Decent hostel dorms start at around $10 USD. Hotels are around $30 USD upwards.
24 Hour Apartment Hotel – This is excellent value for money and is located in Makati – Manila’s financial centre. It’s not quite in the business district but a $2 taxi ride will get you to the more happening places in the city.
The cheapest room will set you back around $30 and comes with double bed, cable, aircon, good wifi, hot shower, daily bottled water and toiletries. There’s also a cafe/restaurant downstairs open all day that has great food at a reasonable price (around $4-$5 a meal).
Accommodation isn’t actually that cheap in Manila. Tourism isn’t huge here and most foreigners that do visit are here on business. Upper end accommodation like Raffles Makati is much more prominent.
If you’re staying longer term, there are plenty of condos around that you can rent. I found my place on Sulit.
A weng weng. This was the suggestion of the bartender after I asked him to make me a ‘traditional Filipino drink’. He tells me it tastes great, and is a harmonious cocktail of seven different spirits.
Seven?
Yes, seven.
Of course, I say yes, knowing perfectly well that just one glass will knock me out.
I was wrong. Half the glass was more than enough.
The mighty weng weng
So what’s in this crazy Filipino cocktail? It’s made up of brandy, whiskey, tequila, gin, rum, grenadine, vodka, and just to be safe, a dash of fruit juice. You might think it sounds terrible, but it actually tastes pretty good (both when it goes down and when it comes back up).
Try at your own peril.
I know I’m only supposed to choose one thing, but I’m going to make a special mention here. Make an effort to try the home made ginger ale by Stanford and Shaw, located at the Legazpi Sunday Market in Makati (corner Legazpi and Rufino Street). I remember growing up drinking Schweppes Dry Ginger Ale and every other brand just paled in comparison. Nothing even came close. When I finally found these guys in Manila they gave Schweppes a good kick in the poo hole. Their stuff is fantastic! They tell me that they brew and bottle ferment the ale fresh each week, probably in some underground science lab somewhere. If you’re a ginger ale fan, you owe it to yourself to hunt these guys down.
Make sure you get there early. They sell 1L bottles for around $6 each and sell out every week! It took me 3 weeks before I finally woke up in time to get there early and snag a bottle.
One place you should go to isā¦
I was going to tell you to go to one of the shopping malls; Manila has some of the biggest and best malls in the world that rival even China and Bangkok. Then I realised you would’ve gone there anyway.
So what else is cool? If you head out to Binondo you’ll find yourself in the first settlement in the country for Chinese immigrants. Established in 1594, this place is recognised as the world’s very first Chinatown. How’s that for original? Since then it’s served as a commercial and cultural centre for Manila’s Chinese, and has also seen it’s fair share of bloodshed while the Spanish were around, so it has a lot of history. Maybe it’s just because of my Chinese heritage, but I thought this place was pretty cool to see.
I didn’t get to see much in the way of nightclubs, but Greenbelt 3 is a great place for a beer, mingling, some live music and a night of people watching. Club Havana and Cerveseria really pack out on Friday and Saturday nights, and the many bars around the corner are always loaded too.
Club Havana/Cerveseria on Friday
Brenās Scorecardā¦
Ease of entry 8/10 No real visa issues and the country’s budget airlines always have great fares into the city. Flights leaving on time is a problem though.
Food 8/10 Local food is great and cheap, lot’s of international options and a pretty good fine dining scene too.
Weather 5/10 Pretty painful heat mid year but seems to be bearable outside those months. Flooding can be a problem when it rains.
Safety 7/10 The nicer areas like Makati and The Fort are very safe. The rougher areas might require more caution.
Transport 8/10 The jeepney system is a little hard to figure out, but taxis are very cheap and efficient. There’s also a rail system.
Friendliness 10/10 I would give an 11 if I could.
Cleanliness 6/10 Will vary depending on which part of the city you’re in.
Daylife 7/10 Incredible shopping and dining, lots of markets, and different parts of the city can make interesting day trips.
Nightlife 7/10 My knowledge of this is limited. Letās go with a 7.
Affordability 8/10 Flights, food and transport are all extremely cheap. Accommodation is the killer, it has some of the more expensive budget hotels in South East Asia.
Manila scores: 74/100
I do my best to give an objective score based on my own experience of the city. If you disagree, I don’t care! Just kidding, I do š Did your experience differ to mine? Let me know in the comments below!
One of the first things I repeatedly heard from tourists in Manila is how much they dislike the food in The Philippines. After spending some time in the country I couldn’t have disagreed more. The food here is awesome!
If you’re ever in The Philippines and looking to sample some local eats here’s a Filipino food list to get you started: 29 of the best Filipino dishes that I was wise enough to take a photo of and totally recommend.
The best place to find them is in Manila, which is where I spent most of my time. The Manila foods scene is excellent and especially around Makati and Taguig, you’ll find some really great Manila cuisine and restaurants. But I also travelled up and down the country and I’m sure you can find many of these great Filipino dishes everywhere.
The fresh version of lumpia is a bit like a spring roll crossed with a burrito. It’s big and fat and filled with meat, lettuce, carrots, peanuts, I think there was even some coconut in there. On the side there’s a sweet sauce, or you can opt for vinegar. It’s pretty awesome. Don’t forget to try the deep fried version – even more awesome.
It kind of feels like The Philippines version of Grandma’s chicken soup. It’s got your chicken, shitake mushrooms, carrots, green onions, vermicelli noodles, who knows what else. All I know is that it’s super tasty and you need to try it.
I can’t decide if I like this. It’s prepared by taking a decent cut of beef, stuffing it with pork fat and then slow cooking it in a tomato sauce. Some potatoes and carrots are chucked in too. Sounds awesome right? I think it was a little too tomatoey for my liking, but it’ll grow on me.
While eating this I was trying to figure out how it was any different to creme caramel, because to me it tasted exactly the same. After some Googling I learned that the custard in this is thicker because they use condensed milk and more egg yolks. I couldn’t really taste the difference, which I guess means I’m a few years away from being a judge on Top Chef. Anyway, I had to include this on the list; it’s one of the country’s favourite desserts!
Get it at: Any Filipino restaurant
6. Chicharon
Chicharon are like the Doritos of The Philippines.
One of the most classic Filipino snacks, it’s eaten like corn chips or popcorn – the kind of thing you’ll open a big bag of while sitting down for a movie.
Basically it’s deep fried pork skin, and aside from eating it on its own they also garnish various dishes with it. What’s it taste like? Well, kinda like a bag of very porky tasting cheetos. It’s a basic snack but definitely one of the country’s trademarks. The locals absolutely love it.
Get it at: You will find it in most supermarkets and markets.
7. Lechon
So, I used to think the Chinese made the best pork.
That is until I tasted lechon. Damn! Them Filipinos know how to cook a pig. This juicy, crispy masterpiece is something I won’t even try to describe. I had the privilege of attending a local baptism and they served up this freakin’ life changing roasted pig, I could’ve eaten the whole thing! Apparently the best lechon is from Cebu city, which is going to be my first stop on my next trip to The Phils. If I had to choose the best Filipino food on this list – this one would be pretty close to taking the spot.
Get it at: Sabroso Lechon, one of my favourites (corner of E Rodriguez Ave and Tomas Morato)
8. Bibingka
This is a type of cake made with coconut milk and baked in a banana leaf. I guess the idea is it’s supposed to end up tasting like coconut and banana, which it kinda does. You’re supposed to eat it hot, but not before lathering it with butter and coconut. The texture really reminded of a crumpet, especially with the melted butter seeping through it. I’m a fan.
Get it at: A franchise called Bibingkinitan, or various street stalls around the city
9. Kare Kare
This is a classic Filipino stew, consisting of oxtail, tripe, eggplant and Chinese veges. It has a strong peanut flavour and is served with shrimp paste on the side. It’s one of the flagship dishes here in The Philippines, but I can’t say I particularly enjoyed it. An acquired taste, perhaps.
Get it at: Most Filipino restaurants
10. Lomi
A classic dish from the Batangas area, this consists of flat egg noodles cooked in a very thick, eggy sauce. There’s also a whole bunch of other stuff in it depending on what variation you order (pork, seafood, chicken). It’s so thick that it’s almost like a cross between a noodle soup and a stew. On the side it’s complemented with a sauce of freshly diced onions, chili, calamansi and soy sauce. Put the two together and BAM! It’s seriously magic.
Get it at: Lomi King in Lipa, Batangas
11. Chami
After eating the Lomi I found out it had a little brother known as Chami. This is the dry version of the dish, and obviously I had to try it and see what it’s all about. It’s not really too different from a noodle stir fry, but it comes with a tasty dipping sauce/soup that I don’t remember the name of. Anyway, if we’re choosing between Lomi and Chami I’m taking Lomi any day of the week.
Get it at: Lomi King in Lipa, Batangas
12. Kilawin Na Tanigue
Kilawin is a dish where raw fish is marinaded in vinegar and lemon/lime juice. The high level of acidity cooks the fish and it’s flavoured with a bunch of other stuff like chili, capsicum, spring onion and tomato. You’re probably thinking it sounds very similar to ceviche or the Fijian kokoda, but the taste is rather different. I found ceviche to be very fishy, kokoda to be very spicy and kinilaw to be very sour. All catered for local tastebuds I guess.
Get it at: Most Filipino restaurants
13. Pancit Bihon Guisado
Bihon Guisado is a perfect example of great tasting, unpretentious Filipino food – some scallions, cabbage, celery, carrots, chicken and vermicelli tossed in soy sauce and topped with calamansi juice. Fast, cheap and awesome. Love it.
Get it at: Most Filipino restaurants
14. Crispy Pata
One thing you’ll notice when eating around The Philippines is that they’re completely obsessed with their pork, which is probably why they cook it so well. Enter the crispy pata – a pork leg/knuckle deep fried to perfection and then sided with chili, calamansi and a variety of dipping sauces. I ate it a couple of times, one homemade one and one from a restaurant. Needless to say the homemade one was mouth watering but the restaurant cooked one wasn’t too bad either. If you’re a pork man it might just change your life.
Get it at: Most Filipino restaurants. The crispy pata in the picture is from Kabila Museum Cafe at Ayala Museum, but I think it’s a little expensive for what you get. Manila food can be expensive in some areas – not that it isn’t worth it, but just make sure you’re aware!
15. Sinigang
If you’re a fan of sour soups like Thailand’s tom yum or Hong Kong’s hot and sour soup then sinigang is totally going to rock your world. I had one of these for breakfast almost every day during my month on Boracay. It’s a tamarind based soup with a whole bunch of other goodies in it, most commonly tomatoes, green beans, spinach, green mango and various other possibilities. I tried quite a few variations (pork and shrimp are the most popular), but I’d say the classic pork is probably my favourite. I can’t believe it’s taken me 27 years to try it.
Get it at: Most Filipino kitchens. If you’re a fan go and try the Corned Beef Sinigang at Sentro in Greenbelt 3.
16. Kaldereta
I’m always a sucker for hearty meaty stews so when I met my first Kaldereta we really got along. It’s a basic dish made by stewing cuts of meat in a tomato/liver sauce until tender, with a few carrots, potatoes and capsicums thrown in too. I’ve seen it with most meats but the lamb was easily my favourite.
If you’re after Philippines traditional food, this dish might be them most traditional of them all.
I saw this dish on pretty much every Filipino menu I set eyes on. It’s a basic meat dish which is simmered in a marinade of oil, soy sauce, vinegar and garlic, and sometimes later pan fried to give it a crispy surface.
Like most dishes here they might often add a variation of other veges (onions, potatoes, capsicum). If you’re a budget traveler, this dish is always a tummy pleaser and usually very easy on the wallet.
Get it at: Any Filipino kitchen or jolly jeep.
18. Ginataang Papaya
Tried this bad boy at a jolly jeep and was so pleasantly surprised. Green papaya shaved into thin slices and cooked in coconut milk and pork bits. Who knew it could taste so good?
Get it at: You’ll have to look around the jolly jeeps and Filipino restaurants, I’m really not sure how popular it is!
19. Bacolod Chicken
Due to my fast increasing age and waistline I’ve been trying to eat grilled chicken wherever possible and turn a blind eye to KFC and Chicken McNuggets. My solidarity to this goal can waver rather easily but this wasn’t a problem in the Philippines thanks to the amazing bacolod chicken. I have no idea how they cook it, but from peeking into the kitchen I can tell you they employ a charcoal grill and probably brush some special sauce onto it, who knows. All I know is it tastes amazing. Don’t forget the soy sauce/calamansi/chili combo sauce on the side either.
Get it at: My favourite is Bacolod Express, but there’s various chains around the city.
20. Balut
After hearing about the infamous Balut over and over again I just had to try it. For those who have never heard of it, balut is a street food delicacy in the Philippines; a fertilised duck egg, boiled and eaten once the embryo is half developed. From Wikipedia:
“In the Philippines, the ideal balut is 17 days old, at which point it is said to be ‘balut sa puti’ (“wrapped in white”). The chick inside is not old enough to show its beak, feathers or claws, and the bones are undeveloped.”
If you’re looking for Filipino delicacies, this is the crowned jewel.
When the guy handed it to me I nearly dropped it, it was scorching hot!
After cracking the shell I saw a small amount of juice which you’re supposed to drink, so I did, which tasted very eggy. After that I just peeled it like a normal boiled egg and ate it. There were a few funny textures but nothing overly weird; in all honesty, it just tasted like a boiled egg. Talk about an anti climax. If you’re ever in The Philippines you should definitely try it, it doesn’t taste bad at all, and is apparently great for you.
Get it at: At night you will hear the sellers riding around the streets on bikes screaming “Baluuuuuut!”
21. Tablea Tsokolate
As the story goes, the Spanish colonists began this tradition of growing cocoa in The Philippines as the tropical weather was perfect for it. This tradition has continued until today with growers harvesting, drying, roasting and then grinding fresh cocoa beans into tablea or ‘tablets’. This is used in various Filipino delicacies, including tablea tsokolate – a local style hot chocolate.
The tablea is supposed to have a few minor differences to regular cocoa, which I did manage to find out but I’ve since forgotten. If you know, please share!
Get it at: I got one roll at SM department store and another at the bus stop in Lipa.
22. Bulalo
I fell in love with Bulalo the moment it touched my lips. To cook this they get a nice, fat beef shank, let it boil in a broth until all the bone marrow and fat has melted into the soup and then throw some veges in to top it all of (usually cabbage and corn). The soup is so beefy and flavoursome, probably because they leave it simmering in those massive pots all day (see pic). My mouth is actually watering furiously as I type this. It is seriously delicious.
Get it at: Al Goto King Special Bulalo in Batangas City. It’s not as common in Manila but quite a few Filipino kitchens will have it.
23. Buko Pie
If you travel anywhere by bus in The Philippines you will surely experience the street vendors jumping on board screaming “Buko pie Buko pie!!” After seeing a number of people buy these I came to the conclusion that this Buko pie thing must be a pretty big deal so I had to try one. This blog post on Our Awesome Planet laid out the best brands and eventually I got my hands on a Colette’s pie.
It’s awesome, for real. I did not expect it to be that good. The texture reminded me of a really good apple pie, it had a nice firm pastry with a lovely crust, and it had that ‘freshly baked’ smell, the kind that weakens your knees as you walk past a bakery in the morning. Partner it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you’ll probably end up packing a suitcase of them to take home with you.
So, what exactly is a buko pie? Just a well baked pie packed with young slivers of fresh coconut and condensed milk. How they make it taste so good, I have no idea.
Get it at: I think it’s easiest to find the famous brands at their stores in Laguna, but you can find them at bus stops and markets too.
24. Turon
Take a few slices of banana, wrap it in a spring roll wrapper coated in brown sugar and then deep fry it. Sound delicious? That’s a turon! And yes, it tastes as good as it sounds.
Get it at: I bought mine at a bus stop in Lipa. Also got served to me at a resort in Quezon.
25. Ilocos Empanada
Many countries have their own spin on empanadas, so it was no surprise their was a Filipino empanada too!
This is a snack native to the Ilocos region, hence the name, but I seemed to keep running into it in the various Manila markets. The reason it kept catching my eye was the orange dough; it’s almost a neon orange before it’s cooked. However that’s not the only difference to standard empanadas.
Inside it’s packed with sausage meat, green papaya and a whole egg, and you’ll notice from the photos that the shell is unusually thin. Once it’s deep fried and ready to eat you need to do what you do with everything else in The Philippines – splash it with vinegar!
Get it at: Cucina Andare market outside Glorietta 3 (Fri, Sat, Sun), food market at Mall of Asia (Fri, Sat, Sun) or the Legazpi Sunday Market (cnr Rufino/Legzpi St).
26. Longaniza
Longanisa is a type of sausage that they often eat for breakfast here. Every region of The Philippines has their own specialty, so depending on which one you choose you might get sweet, sour, garlicky, fish, chicken, beef etc. Although almost every time I ate it in Manila it was sweet and garlicky.
Get it at: Any supermarket, food market or Filipino restaurant during breakfast.
27. Banana Ketchup
Not your regular ketchup. It’s made from mashed bananas and you’ll definitely taste the subtle difference (less tang, more sweet). During WW2 there was a shortage of tomatoes and the ketchup makers decided bananas were the next best thing. Judging by it’s popularity today it seems the tomato never really made a comeback – banana ketchup is now a centrepiece of Philippines food culture.
Get it at: Any supermarket. Restaurants will likely have it if you ask for it.
28. Isaw
Another popular street food in The Philippines, this is a grilled skewer of chicken or pig intestines. Splash some vinegar over it and away you go. I’m a fan of the flavour but the texture, not so much (it’s a bit powdery). It’s so popular here that you have to try it at least once.
Get it at: Cucina Andare market outside Glorietta 3 (Fri, Sat, Sun), food market at Mall of Asia (Fri, Sat, Sun) or the Legazpi Sunday Market (cnr Rufino/Legzpi St).
29. Bangus
Bangus (milkfish) is the country’s national fish and I ate a lot of it!
It’s a classic Filipino breakfast, usually paired with a side of garlic rice and egg. Before trying it I wasn’t sold on the idea of fried fish for breakfast (I’m more of a fresh fruits kinda guy), but after the first time it quickly became my breakfast of choice. With the trademark drizzle of vinegar it’s quite the kickstart to your day.
Get it at: Any Filipino restaurant during breakfast.
Heading to Manila and…
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While flicking through fun things to do in Asia I floated the idea of learning some martial arts. After all, with all that Ong Bak and Ip Man running through my head, how could I resist?
The first genius idea that popped into my head was to join a Muay Thai camp in Thailand, spending the afternoons punching pads and getting kicked in the head and spending the evenings chowing down delicious Thai food on a secluded beach somewhere.
After some Googling, I was already convinced this was the best idea ever and was in the process of booking my ticket when I learned of a place called Legacy Gym, a new MMA gym on the Filipino island of Boracay, who had some great boxing coaches and was run by former world Muay Thai champion Ole Laursen. A boxing camp in the Philippines? Learning Muay Thai from some of the best? I’m in.
I had never been to The Philippines and didn’t know much about the country at all, which in itself was a great reason to go there, but the island of Boracay just didn’t sound like a good fit. Party island. Lots of tourists. Lots of bars. Lots of passed out Aussies who can’t handle their booze. I had envisioned a quiet, secluded place where I could revive myself in a Mr Miyagi like environment, and Boracay certainly wasn’t it.
However, after reading about it I was intrigued. Here was this tiny island that was raved about online, winning award after award for best beach on the planet. I just had to see it for myself.
It only took a few days for me to fall in love with the place. Legacy Gym’s tagline is “Train in Paradise” and I really can’t describe it any better than that. The culture is so laid back, the people are wonderful and the atmosphere has a soothing energy that makes you never want to leave. It’s incredible that it has somehow retained it’s local charm, despite the huge number of tourists that flood the island each year.
Let me tell you about a day on Boracay. You wake up at 11am and indulge in a hearty Filipino breakfast; eggs, rice, sausages, maybe a soup. It’ll cost you around $3. Then take a seat in one of the many cafes with your Kindle and sip away at a fresh mango shake, looking out over the award winning White Beach.
At 2pm, it’s time to head to Legacy. Spend the next 4 hours with pro fighters who will push you to get into the best shape of your life, while the Boracay heat causes you to uncontrollably sweat your demons away.
Once training is over it’s time to walk back to your room under the amazing Boracay sunset, the floury white sand beneath you to soothe your aching feet.
Then to soothe the rest of your body, get a traditional Filipino ‘Hilot’ massage for $8, lying just a few metres from the ocean.
Once that’s out of the way head to one of the beach bars and order yourself a gin and tonic. Sit back and enjoy a live acoustic set, dip your bruised toes in the sand, smoke a mint sheesha and relax the night away.
Go to sleep, wake up, and repeat.
If that’s not paradise, I don’t know what is!
Training at Legacy
Let me start off by saying you don’t need to be a “fighter” to train here. The closest I’ve ever been to a fight is when I used to try out Tekken moves in my bedroom when I was 10. The gym is simply a place where you can challenge yourself physically and learn about the many martial arts disciplines.
The gym is nestled amongst a quiet Filipino village, surrounded by bamboo fencing and reminiscent of a dramatic training scene out of Kickboxer. From up here there’s a great view overlooking the island. It really is like training in paradise!
The gym is founded and run by Ole Laursen, a pro MMA fighter and central figure on the Asian MMA circuit. Itās clear that a lot of time and effort has gone into putting this place together and I was pleasantly surprised at the completeness of the facilities.
There’s accommodation on site, consisting of private bamboo cabins up above the boxing ring. That’s where I stayed for the first week.
Boxing
Every day there were 2 boxing sessions (8am and 3pm) and I usually went to at least one of them.
Iāve never boxed before, so this was a little new to me. However I have the whole Rocky collection at home which Iāve watched a fair share of times so I was extremely well prepared, in fact I was sure I was going to secretly end up being the star of the class. I lasted a whole twenty minutes before I busted my knuckle and had to box one handed for the rest of the week.
Hey, even world champs get injuries now and then.
Boxing was probably my favourite class out of all of them. When we werenāt on the pads or bags we were doing circuit training which had me breathing pretty heavy and in the Boracay heat I could feel the fat just melting off me. After the class finished the trainers lay us down and got a good 15 minutes of abs out of us. This is the place if youāre looking for a good workout while on Boracay. Beginners are welcomed with open arms ā Iāve never taken a boxing class in my life and it was no trouble to just jump right in and start punching.
Relaxing after class with the trainer Rufino
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
I only took 1 jiu jitsu class here; the first Iāve ever taken in my life. Once you get over the fact that youāre hugging and wrapping your legs around another sweaty guy you can learn a lot of cool stuff in this class. The class was taken by Richie, a great teacher who is also a pro MMA fighter. After giving us a crash course in how to guard and then quickly going through the triangle and armbar submissions, he paired us up and let us loose to spar. Damn, I was not confident at all and had no idea what I was doing. Needless to say I got a serious ass whooping and was tap tap tap tap tap the whole time. As hopeless as I was, I loved it. I left with a few basic moves and a much better understanding of what fighters actually do on the ground. Whenever I watch UFC now, I actually recognise and understand some of the movements, which is cool.
Muay Thai
Iāve done a few weeks of Muay Thai training back home and so this was the only class where I wasnāt a complete beginner. Zebastian takes the class and is an experienced pro Muay Thai and MMA fighter.
After the first few sessions Zebastian starting getting me in the ring for some light sparring. It was heaps of fun. The only problem is the dude is huge and his legs are so damn heavy that just a little tap on your thigh leaves nice tender bruises to help you along on your walk home.
In his words: “I’m not trying to hurt you, I’m trying to teach you that you need to block.”
It was this kind of teaching style that made me really enjoy his classes, and he taught us a lot of techniques and combos that you see him actually use in his real fights. He also taught us a cool jumping kick which I wasted no time in trying out as soon as sparring time came around. Being the gifted fighter that I am I landed super awkwardly and heard the beautiful sound of a rip through my ankle.
I’m sure my technique was perfect, the floor was just a bit slippery that day…
Icing the ankle
Strength and conditioning
For me this was definitely the hardest session of all of them. Strength and conditioning is twice a week and takes place out on the picturesque White Beach which might have the clearest ocean youāve ever seen. However during Richieās session you wonāt be admiring the water but rather battling to get oxygen to your brain to stop yourself from passing out. The class starts at 8am before the sun has fully risen and the beach hasnāt crowded up.
On my first day Richie and I are the only ones there so we get to it. We head out to a small patch of sand that sits about 5 metres offshore at low tide. I take a look back along the beach and admire the early morning seascape. White sand for miles, a neverending sparkling ocean and a cloudless blue sky to watch over it all. It really does look incredible.
Our patch of sand for training
Weāre doing shuttle runs. We mark out 15 or so lines 1 metre apart and get started. Sprint there, jog back. Sprint there, jog back. I feel my body struggling early on as Iām still half asleep at this hour of the morning. Before long Boracayās scorching sun slowly starts to come out. Weāre only halfway through and now the relentless Boracay sun is hitting me right on the face, Iām shrivelling up from sweating so much and I can feel my legs about to collapse under me at any minute. Yet Richie seems to be just Sunday strolling along like itās his usual morning jog. I plod foot after foot and itās now changed from sprint there jog back to jog there, stumble back. Running on sand f***ing sucks and I can hear my calves screaming at me, begging for mercy. Around this time we’ve probably been running 20 minutes but for me it feels like an eternity. Finally I find myself at the last couple of lines which serves as a small glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Justā¦aā¦fewā¦moreā¦ā¦ā¦..steps. The stubborn voice in my head constantly taunts me not to give up and embarrass myself at my first session, and with every kilojoule inside of me I finally manage to crawl over the final line. My legs turn to jelly and I collapse into the ocean, gasping for oxygen and swallowing a few gallons of sea water in the process.
After a good 30 seconds of catching my breath, Richie looks at me and goes, āReady?ā
āFor what?ā I ask.
āWe got one more set. Letās go.ā
Results
After 4.5 weeks at Legacy I was probably in the best shape of my life. I shed so much body fat and was fit, toned and feeling amazing, despite being injured a couple of times and missing around 10 days of training in total.
I used to train 2 classes per day, usually a boxing class and a Muay Thai or MMA class. That worked out to 4 hours daily, and with a 20 minute jog to the gym and back it really got the body working. Itāll also make you feel better about knocking down some beers on the beach at night.
As for my fighting skills, those definitely improved too.
The guys at Legacy
One thing I learned here was that martial arts is really good for the soul. Fighting often gets a bad rep because it’s associated with hurting people. I don’t see it that way. Everyone is frustrated about something in their life. When I was an office dweller, I felt like I was forced me to lie to myself, to be someone different to who I really was. An environment like Legacy provided an outlet for me to just express myself. Whatever you’re feeling, whether it be anger, focus, or calm, you can express it through fighting. Think about the things that are bothering you and just beat the hell out of the bag. Or really focus and try and master the techniques that are being taught to you. Hit the bag as hard or as soft as you want. Push yourself until you’re about to puke, or just relax, watch and learn. I’m not a fighter, but that gym was a place for me to just be raw and uninhibited, yet still disciplined, all the while bettering myself physically and emotionally. I really felt like a different person by the time I left.
I remember Bruce Lee once said in an interview, “Ultimately, martial arts is about expressing oneself honestly.”
At the time I just thought, what the f*ck does that mean? Isn’t martial arts just about whooping someone else’s ass? However when I watch that interview now, it makes a whole lot more sense to me.
Details for training at Legacy Gym Boracay:
The gym is located about 5 minutes walk from Diniwid beach, a little way out from the main tourist strip, which is probably a good thing because it weeds out the photo tourists and keeps the classes to people who actually want to learn. From the main strip it’s around a half hour walk, otherwise a trike will get you there in 5!
The only downside with living at the gym is the eating options are a little limited in that area. I stayed at the gym for a week and then later moved to a small hotel room on White Beach. If youāre on a tight budget, staying at the gym is a great option (it’s around $75 a week). However if your wallet is a little fatter and you want to be closer to the action, you might prefer to stay around Station 1 or 2. Still not too far from the gym and a lot more stuff to eat and do.
When I was there we had girls, old dudes and even some kids in the class, quite a few of them beginners, but everyone had fun and took the lessons seriously which was the main thing. The trainers here are all pro fighters and some pro fighters prepare for fights here too, but everyone is welcoming to beginners who have never thrown a punch before, as long as you’re taking it seriously and not wasting their time.
If you’re looking for something different, healthy, challenging and probably a little out of your comfort zone, I’d highly recommend heading down and trying out a class. Learn to punch and kick a bag, then some pads, and maybe end up sparring a little if you’re ready. I’m sure you’ll love it!
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Singapore is a bit like the overachieving adopted child of South East Asia – it just really doesn’t fit in. The other countries are ridiculously cheap while Singapore is a tad expensive. The other countries have filthy streets while in Singapore you can lick the pavement. In other countries backpackers find Elysium in the cheap, available drugs while in Singapore chewing gum can add to your criminal record. As soon as you leave the plane it’ll be clear that the third world connotation of South East Asia does not ring true here. Instead you’ll find yourself in one of Asia’s most developed countries, recognised as one of the world’s major financial centres and boasting a quality of living among the best in the world. Oh, and the food is incredible too.
Budget
Bed: The cheapest hostel dorms are around $15 USD. Hotels are around $40 USD upwards.
Food: The hawker centres are incredible. You can feed yourself very comfortably for $3 USD and the options are endless.
Drink: A bottle of water will cost around $1-$2. A beer in a bar will cost upwards of $8.
Transport: Taxi rides will be around $20 USD from the airport into the centre (20 minutes). You can get anywhere in the city on the local metro for around $2. Many choose to catch the bus into Singapore from Malaysia – here’s a great guide on how to do that.
I stayed atā¦
Vintage Inn. In terms of comfort it’s definitely the best hostel I’ve ever stayed in. It has little pod beds which offer complete privacy, fitted out with lockable draws, universal plugs and reading lights. The wifi is fast and free and each room has internet PC’s available for use. Bathrooms were always clean and showers are strong and hot, although a little small. Breakfast is great too. The only problem is the price. It’s not cheap!
The rack rate is around $40USD per night, but I got it for $20 a night on a last minute Agoda deal. I guess the moral of the story is, check Agoda!
Also if you’re after a party hostel this is definitely not the place. A quiet comfortable hostel to get some work done? Yes.
I could not stop eating here. The food is amazing and so cheap, similar to Bangkok, which was surprising considering how expensive the transport and accommodation is. If I’m choosing one thing though, I’m going with the kaya toast.
I landed in Singapore at around 4am and was totally wrecked. The metro wasn’t open yet so I decided to indulge in this Singapore (or Malaysian?) favourite while sitting around the airport. I can see why it’s so popular, it really is a soothing breakfast to start the day.
It seems the standard combo is toast smothered in kaya (coconut jam), a lump of butter, a couple half boiled eggs on the side and a cup of tea or coffee. Simple yet inspiring.
One thing you should drink isā¦
I had heard about the fabled Singapore Sling cocktail at the Raffles bar numerous times and the ridiculous $25 price tag attached to it. Of course I have to have it so before I head to the airport I decide to go to Raffles and see what the fuss is all about. It’s 10:15 am and as I open the door to the bar they inform me it opens at 11. I’m annoyed and relieved at the same time. I’m not one for waiting so I go look for the nearest hawker centre and after a lengthy search I find one, dripping in sweat. The drinks stall has a big sign for ‘fresh sugar cane juice’, which I later find out is super popular here. It really is fresh – he juices it right in front of you. Damn. It was good. Or was I just dehydrated?
One place you should go to isā¦
I thought the way Singapore had been laid out was really interesting. A guy in my hostel explained how the country was split into four distinct areas.
Our hostel was in Little India, and he explained that this was the Indian area (obviously), and historically all the Indians in the country lived there.
The Arabs and Muslims lived over in the Arab quarter, the Chinese lived in Chinatown (surprise!), and I guess the British colonists kept the rest of the country to themselves (note: I’m no historian, I’m kinda guessing here).
These distinct areas still exist today and it’s pretty interesting to see how they’ve retained their character. If I’m recommending one area to spend the day at it’s the Arab quarter – lot’s of good food (both cheap and expensive), cool architecture and some quirky stuff for sale. However if you want something a little more touristy, head to the Gardens By The Bay – a popular place for nature and camera fiends! Also Singapore Airport is a tourist attraction in itself.
Haji Lane in the Arab quarter
One place you should party at isā¦
Apparently Clarke Quay is the place where all the cool kids go. I went during the week and it was still a pretty happening scene, lot’s of neat bars and restaurants where you can listen to live music and various nightclubs are scattered around there too. The catch? It’s soo expensive. The beers run around $12 and the cocktails closer to $15. If you’re planning a night out here make sure you’re feeling flush.
Brenās Scorecardā¦
Ease of entry 10/10 No silly visa issues, one of the most accessible places to fly into and easily the greatest airport in the world.
Food 10/10
I love curry, so Little India is about as good as it gets without actually being in India. The Arab quarter has lots of sexy Middle Eastern food. For everything Chinese there’s the outrageously cheap and delicious hawker centres. For everything else, there’s Mastercard.
Weather 4/10
I hope you like to sweat.
Safety 10/10 Whoever made the laws here wasn’t messing around. I was scared to sneeze.
Transport 8/10 Taxis are not that cheap. The metro is excellent though, similar to Hong Kong’s and the country is tiny anyway.
Friendliness 8/10 I asked for directions so many times and everyone wanted to help. Their accent is so friendly too.
Cleanliness 10/10 If you spit on the street you’re going to jail. Kidding. It’s super clean, it’s so clean that I saw cleaners cleaning the already clean streets, no joke.
Daylife 5/10
I’m going to be honest, I was pretty bored after 2 or 3 days. The funnest thing to do was eat.
Nightlife 6/10 I can’t speak with authority on this. Let’s go with a 6.
Affordability 5/10 Even the crappy hotels cost $50 a night, and nightlife prices are not friendly either. The cheap food makes up for it though.
Singapore scores: 76/100
I do my best to give an objective score based on my own experience of the city. If you disagree, I don’t care! Just kidding, I do š Did your experience differ to mine? Let me know in the comments below!
