Last weekend, my wife and I finally followed through on a long-standing invitation from Intramuros tour guide Carlos Celdran to join his “Rediscovering the Rock” tour through Corregidor Island.

The itinerary was simple and flexible, Carlos explained to us: we’d take our time going through the island’s ruins and gun batteries, with enough time for canapés, “ghost-hunting”, spelunking through old wartime tunnels, and a light-and-sound show.

There were about a dozen of us in the party, enough for a fun time spent poking through old concrete ruins and rusting artillery. Those of us who had our own blogs wasted no time sharing their own experiences of the trip:

Candisssh: “Corregidor is really charming - it's near Manila and is an option for those who want to get to know more about history.... I think the major attraction is that - it brings you back to what it used to be. Something really different from what we have now.”

Jen Bolz Wallace: “the island was the real star. Staying overnight allows you to relax and enjoy the overgrown wilderness that this rock has become. [Tour guide] Armando said that only 25% of the pre-WWII buildings have been uncovered, which leaves the majority of the four-mile-long island still underneath the jungle, monkeys, eagles, and deer. Yes, I saw deer! Though it's still tropical, it has the most New England-y feel to anything I've yet seen in the Philippines (good ol' American colonialism).”

Anton: “Finally, I was able to explore all the lateral tunnels in Malinta. I highly recommend it and it was not scary as you would imagine.” (This blog entry has lots of cool pictures)

Here’s my contribution: my gallery of the Corregidor Island trip.