TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY

With its winding steep roads and cool breeze, Antipolo provides city goers with a taste of a cool and Baguio like experience without the need to travel for four hours just to get a taste of mountain life. Antipolo, best known for their Kasoy, also now targets the market of young adults, with cafes that offer a sunset or a sunrise view, establishments are popping up left and right, trying to make the “next big craze” in the city. It's easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of tourist destinations that you could visit In Antipolo, from countless museums, cafes, or restaurants, making a choice could be difficult. I would suggest that starting in the Antipolo Cathedral is a good choice, since it is surrounded by countless cafes and other tourist destinations. 

Traveling to Antipolo by car is straight forward, you just have to take Marcos highway all the way until you reach Sumulong highway, and if you keep going up the mountain, you would be greeted by different cafes and restaurants, each boasting their amazing view of the city skyline. If you prefer travelling by public transportation, you have options as well. You could either take a Jeep or a UV express to go all the way to P. Oliveros Street, right at the front of the Antipolo Cathedral, and if you prefer something more comfortable during the first half of the trip, you may want to consider taking the LRT-2 line which goes all the way to Antipolo station, and just ride a jeepney to get around.

The Antipolo Cathedral home of their patron Nuestra Senora Dela Paz Y Buenviaje or the Our lady of peace and good voyage, aside from being a shrine turned cathedral is also a hotspot for tourist, The Antipolo cathedral started out as a shrine, then followers started to flock and it gained followers and supported, which eventually led to it becoming a full fledged cathedral visited by many to have their cars blessed, pray, or get blessed. There are some who are devoted and travel by walking up the mountain just to praise their Patron. The church also became an iconic place in Antipolo because of the story of the Tipolo tree. Other than becoming the inspiration for the name of the city, The Tipolo tree is said to have the face of their Patron Saint appear on the branches of the said tree. Additionally the Antipolo Cathedral is also a place for merchants to sell their local produce or pasalubong since they have their dedicated area providing tourists a wide variety of pasalubong, from Kakanin or Suman, to Kasuy and other nuts. If you’re feeling hungry after your trip or the mass, there are also multiple fast food chains in the area just to get rid of hunger.

If you are tired of the generic processed fast food, Antipolo offers a handful of different cafes and restaurants that offer good food with good views. Crescent Moon is a restaurant and a pottery shop where you could also set up an appointment for a workshop, where you can go and learn how to create your first handmade, clay kitchenware. If you are not in the mood to create one yourself, they sell their own home crafted clay pots, bowls, plates, cups, paperweight, and other clay products. Tired of seeing empty plates? You could take a seat and order food from their restaurant, surrounded by trees providing the area a cool and fresh breeze making it comfortable for anyone to come dine and refuel their empty stomach. Crescent Moon also has a feeding pond, making the environment more relaxing with the sound of running water