We arrived at Best Western Plus The Ivywall Hotel Puerto Princesa, past midnight—exhausted but excited for our family's first trip to Palawan. The vacation also doubled as a surprise birthday celebration for our toddler, Kid A. He arrived straight from school in his uniform, which made for a pretty funny start to the trip! It was also my birthday—but unlike his, mine, obviously, wasn't a surprise.

BEST WESTERN PLU THE IVYWALL HOTEL PUERTO PRINCESA’S MODERNIST FACADE

Having previously stayed at Best Western Plus The Ivywall Resort–Panglao, we were curious to see if the Puerto Princesa property could live up to the excellent experience we had in Bohol. Would The Ivywall's first Best Western Plus franchise in the Philippines deliver the same level of comfort, service, and value? Here's our detailed and honest review after spending four days at the hotel.

Summers at Cabangan start at the beach. Sprawling sandy shorelines fringed by native agoho trees, kids running across the burning sand, massive rolling waves, dogs lazily sleeping along the shades of fishing boats, and fiery colorful sunsets.

My adopted province, it is where my wife spent a very sunburnt childhood, and it’s where we’re making our son spend his. Cabangan is situated right in the middle of Zambales Province—the West Philippine Sea on its west and the Zambales Mountain Range on its east.

Staying in the sleepy town of Cabangan means you’d have to eat there too. However, most food places in the province aren’t really located there—it’s far from being the food capital of Zambales—still, there are a handful of unique places you can dine in when in Cabangan. And during the past years, as tourism started to bloom in town, the number of places to eat in Cabangan started to grow too. 
   
Here are a few of the most interesting food places in Cabangan. These range from roadside stands and food shacks to swanky cafes and full-blown restaurants. These made the list because they’re somewhat unique, have good food, are institutions in Cabangan, or simply because I’ve personally tried them and found them to be worthy.

My Zambaleño food experience was always about mangoes, freshly caught tunas, and delectable kakanin rice cakes. But the past Dinamulag Festival weekend and recent family visits introduced me to more than the usual table fares in the province, discovering the more metropolitan side of eating places in Zambales. From local dishes and Filipino comfort food, to street food and posh café offerings, I was pleasantly surprised at the variety culinary places in Zambales worthy of a side trip from its beaches and mountains.

The successor to the ultra-convenient LUMOS FLOAT home theater projector has arrived, the LUMOS FLOAT EVO. But can it actually top its predecessor? Is it as good and versatile as the original? In this review, let me walk you through its pros and cons, and finally, if it’s actually worth the upgrade.