Our bus was zooming through the jalan tol or the freeway, and traffic was slowly building up. We had been on the road and on the sea for about 10 hours already. I looked out the window, the landscape was vaguely familiar. I was searching for something that can match my memory of Jakarta, Indonesia’s …
The countdown has begun and in just a few days, the calendar will turn a new leaf, the world will celebrate the holidays (we celebrate both Christmas and New Year in the Philippines) and the world will welcome the year 2018. Allow me to highlight this occasion with a BLOG GIVEAWAY of my travel mementos …
As we were doing a budget travel, we took a long trip from Lampung in Sumatra Island, taking a 10-hour bus ride that was boarded on a ship that crossed the Sunda Strait and went further towards Jakarta, then riding an 8-hour train to Yogyakarta. We arrived in the city in the afternoon and ordered …
Yogyakarta, or what we usually call as Jogjakarta or simply Jogja, was a place that I travelled to recurrently when I used to live in Jakarta, Indonesia. Though I was fortunate to have been there five or more times, those instances when I made my way there were usually just day trips or overnight stays. …
The MassKara Festival of Bacolod: City of Southeast Asia The MassKara Festival 2017 theme focuses on “Bacolod: City of Southeast Asia,” which highlights the local culture as part of the larger ASEAN heritage as well as a look to the future towards a stronger ASEAN integration. It is understandable why this is the theme for …
Coming from Singapore, we made an hour flight to Palembang, the capital of the province of South Sumatra, Indonesia. But with the one-hour time difference and since Palembang was behind an hour from Singapore, the clock barely moved when we touched down at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport. The long Musi River came …
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The moment we entered the doors of El’s Coffee House in Bandar Lampung, Indonesia, the whiff of the coffee’s aroma filled my senses, evoking a juxtaposed feeling of calmness and excitement. Jars of coffee beans that are stacked three layers on one side of the wall immediately caught my eye. A map of Indonesia hangs …
After our interesting first day in Lampung (READ: First-time in Lampung, Indonesia) where we had a morning of heritage surprises and an afternoon with nature, it was high time to hit the seas and ride ourselves to excitement and adventure. We first had breakfast at Emersia Hotel (READ: First-time in Emersia Hotel and Resort) before …
Seruwit. It was something new to my ears and to my taste. It was the first time I have tasted of this food when it was served to us at Cikwo Coffee and Resto in Bandar Lampung, Indonesia (READ: First-time in Lampung). It’s a mixture of many things and Tempoyak. Okay, another new Indonesian word. …
Read more “Cikwo Coffee and Resto: Of Seruwit, Robusta and Siger”
Spending the night on the train seating was quite an exhausting one. So, imagine our delight to find our home in Bandar Lampung, Lampung Province, Indonesia (READ: First-time in Lampung, Indonesia) perched atop a hill with a spectacular view of the city and the sea. The photos did not do justice with the breathtaking scenery …
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Arriving on a Saturday morning at the Tanjung Karang train station, we drove through the almost deserted, swept-clean streets of Bandar Lampung until we reached Emersia Hotel (READ: First-time in Emersia Hotel and Resort), our home for two days, where we would be having our breakfast. I’ll tell you more about our hotel in the succeeding …
Indonesia. The largest archipelago in the world. It is home to many natural wonders. It was also my home for almost a year in 2002. This 2017, I’m back in Indonesia to see more of it. And in only 12 days, I’m seeing more of this nation than I have seen it during my seven-month …
In celebration of ASEAN‘s 50th year since its founding, AirAsia is offering low fares to all destinations across its regional network. Learn more about the ASEAN or any of its member-countries. You can start by exploring Philippine destinations, such as Iloilo, Cebu, Davao, and Clark; or discover interesting attractions in Singapore (when you fly direct …
Read more “AirAsia Low-Fare Flights for ASEAN’s 50th and new Manila-Iloilo route”
On August 8, 1967, five countries banded together to form the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). These are Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines. Now, the ASEAN marks its 50th year and it has grown into 10 countries, which now includes Brunei, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam. I realized that I have visited all …
There’s good news for Palau and Guam! And this is good news even for travelers heading to these places, too. There is a recent development in terms of interconnectivity with Southeast Asia and the US that will create milestones on the services and communities of Palau and Guam. Things will get busier in Palau this …
Read more “Philippine interconnectivity with Palau and Guam”