/
5
Editor’s note
We can promise you a lot of benefits — follow us on Smile Magazine for Cebu Pacific, smilemag
and
SmileCebuPac to get first dibs on promos and updates on contests.
ARE WE FRIENDS YET?
Growing up in Surigao del Norte, in North-East Mindanao,
summers were synonymous with road trips, lots of them. Cousins
fromDavao or Cagayan de Oro would come visit and
tumble out of cars, groggy after hours on the road.
And on bright, sunny days we would drive to the
beach or deeper inland to traipse around countryside
scenes straight out of an Amorsolo painting —
hopping barefoot across little streams with clear icy
waters and shiny rocks to get to lonely huts in the
middle of vast ricefields, mountains draped in lush
forests in the background. The fun meter was always off
the charts.
So our April issue is all about the fun that summer brings,
starting off with —what else? — a road trip across South Central
Mindanao, fromSarangani Bay, through General Santos City, into
Koronadal City and as far inland as Tacurong in Sultan Kudarat
(page 54). Tiring yes, but never dull.
Then we have another road trip
plus
a few challenges as writer
Mabel David-Pilar willingly dares herself out of her comfort zone
(page 76) — always a great idea. And what would summer be
without water, lots of water? Or stretches of beach? Lounge chairs
and picture-perfect sunsets and piña colada? Kristine Fonacier
gives us a peek into the intriguing world of free diving as a growing
sport in the Philippines (page 68); Simon Ostheimer talks to expats
who liked Phuket so much they’ve moved their entire lives to the
popular Thai destination; and Jonathan Evans discovers the joys of
organic living in a less frenetic part of Bali (page 112).
Finally, feast your eyes in our fabulous kinilaw special (page 88)
— a collection of six different takes on the classic dish from across
the country. It’s the ultimate summer treat: light, clean-tasting, and
oh-so-delicious. Happy summer!
On the road again
YOUR
TURN
Got a great road trip
you want to share? Give
us a detailed itinerary
(even better if you have a
detailed map to go with)
and who knows? The
Smile
team might just
head over for a shoot!
Email it to
tara.sering@
ink-global.com.
We’d love
to hear from you!
SULTAN
KUDARAT
KORONADAL
CITY
ALABEL
POLOMOLOK
SEBU
LAKE
BULUAN
TACURONG
GENERAL SANTOS
SOUTH
COTABATO
SARANGANI
Don't forget to
pack lots of water
and nibbles
