Category: Thematic

  • Kumarakom: Life in a Kerala Village

    Kumarakom: Life in a Kerala Village

    The kids were intently watching our group — mostly foreigners — wandering in one of the backyards in their village. One shyly peeked through the plants and smiled as I eyed her. This was one of the scenes when we went for a responsible tourism visit in a local community…

  • First-time in Kerala, India, Known as God’s Own Country

    First-time in Kerala, India, Known as God’s Own Country

    Kerala Blog Express Season 4, The Trip of A Lifetime, Kicks Off The past weeks, I was mostly on the road, riding a colorful bus that was shared with 28 other bloggers from across the globe, along with the organizers and crew behind this trip. This is the 4th season…

  • A Taste of Italy at Chef Carmine Restaurant

    A Taste of Italy at Chef Carmine Restaurant

    The province of Negros Occidental in the Philippines is a food lover’s haven. And tucked in the City of Talisay is a restaurant that serves authentic Italian cuisine. In this area, it’s the closest one can get to the true taste of Italy because Chef Carmine Restaurant is owned and…

  • First-time Travel Guide: Bacolod City, The City of Smiles

    First-time Travel Guide: Bacolod City, The City of Smiles

    A Travel Guide for First-time Travelers to Bacolod Bacolod City (10° 40′ 12″ N, 122° 57′ 0″ E), known as the “City of Smiles”, is the capital of the province of Negros Occidental, which composes one half of Negros Island. It is located in the Visayas part of the Philippines, an archipelago in Southeast Asia with 7,107…

  • Ramen-joying Izumi Authentic Ramen

    Ramen-joying Izumi Authentic Ramen

    I left Manila almost three years back with ramen houses emerging left and right within and around the metropolis. Not the same can be said of my hometown, Bacolod City. There are only a few ramen houses around the city. Thus, having Izumi Authentic Ramen within our midst is a…

  • K-pop boy band AxisB Visits Bacolod

    K-pop boy band AxisB Visits Bacolod

    The Korean cultural wave or “hallyu” has invaded every corner of the earth and the Philippines is not exempt from it. However, many Korean pop (K-pop) bands that visit the Philippines hold their shows in Manila or in Cebu. Bacolod City, located in the Negros Island, is usually off the…

  • Yakiniku Room: Grill Meat, Eat-all-you-can

    Yakiniku Room: Grill Meat, Eat-all-you-can

    Japan is the country that I have long been setting my sights on, even up to this day. Time will come that I will conquer it, but in the meantime, I take delight with the Japanese food found in our vicinity in Bacolod City. One such place is Yakiniku Room,…

  • A Fresh Start to Healthy Eats

    A Fresh Start to Healthy Eats

    Bacolod City is a food haven to healthy eaters and vegetarians. The province, Negros Occidental, is pushing for organic farming and organic products and Bacolod City has several options for those who are conscious of the food they eat. When in Bacolod, you can definitely go healthy, especially when it…

  • Sinulog sa Kabankalan, Negros Occidental: A Festival with Deep History

    Sinulog sa Kabankalan, Negros Occidental: A Festival with Deep History

    Kabankalan City is where I spent the early four to five years of my life. It was still a town then and we lived in its mountainous areas where my parents worked in a sugar central located there. Kabankalan is in the southern part of the province of Negros Occidental…

  • Canada as Top Travel Destination in 2017

    Canada as Top Travel Destination in 2017

    Canada is emerging as a top travel destination in 2017. While travelers are looking at it as a great destination for some adventure, experience or vacation, many are even planning to work and live in Canada. But before we get to that part, let us first look at the lists…

  • First-time in Malalison Island: Rolling Hills and Sand Bar in One

    First-time in Malalison Island: Rolling Hills and Sand Bar in One

    Lush, breathtaking hills one end and exquisite sand bar on the other. This is the beauty of Malalison Island, or more often referred to by the locals as Mararison Island. With only 55 hectares in land area, Malalison is a piece of paradise located in the municipality of Culasi in…

  • First-time in Tibiao, Antique: Where it Feels Like Home

    First-time in Tibiao, Antique: Where it Feels Like Home

    Tibiao came into view as we crossed from Iloilo into Antique, the road winding through Panay Island’s western countryside. Rice fields stretched on either side, glistening under the sun, their orderly rows giving way to clusters of coconut trees and thick bamboo groves. I knew my father’s roots lay somewhere…

  • Gift Giving to Bicol Residents and PGH Patients

    Gift Giving to Bicol Residents and PGH Patients

    Catanduanes is one of the destinations in the Philippines that I have always wanted to visit, but they were recently ravaged by typhoon, along with other provinces in the Bicol region. For those living in these areas who lost their homes and belongings to Typhoon Nina and for the children…

  • Old Churches and Historical Attractions in Southern Iloilo

    Old Churches and Historical Attractions in Southern Iloilo

    The last time I traversed the southern portion of the Iloilo province (not to confuse with its capital, Iloilo City), as far as I can remember, was when I was in 6th grade during our educational trip. I know that there are wonderful old churches and heritage sites in this…

  • A Road Trip to South Iloilo and Antique

    A Road Trip to South Iloilo and Antique

    I opened my 2017 with an adventure through the southern part of Iloilo to Antique, particularly in Malalison Island (often called Mararison Island), a road trip that I will always remember in my lifetime. The year 2016 was a great one for me, which I refer to as my Globe…