Tag: first-time travels

  • 50 Things to See in ASEAN Countries

    50 Things to See in ASEAN Countries

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    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…

  • First-time in Novotel Suvarnabhumi

    First-time in Novotel Suvarnabhumi

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    Arriving in Bangkok on a dark night from Chiang Mai and an early morning flight to catch the next day can be a bit taxing. Good thing we were to stay the night at Novotel Suvarnabhumi, a stone’s throw away from the airport. But it’s not just the proximity to Bangkok’s…

  • Eat’s More Fun in Bacolod

    Eat’s More Fun in Bacolod

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    Home sweet home. It truly is. That’s because home is Bacolod, the capital of the sugar bowl of the Philippines. It is known for its delectable food, especially desserts. I’ve already written some fine eating places in the City of Smiles in my previous blog post Eat is Bacolod. Ever…

  • First-time in the Sto. Nino Shrine and Heritage Museum

    First-time in the Sto. Nino Shrine and Heritage Museum

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    The Sto. Nino Shrine and Heritage Museum, located at Tacloban’s Real Street, is one of the city’s jewels that houses the antiques and valuable collections of the Marcos family. It is also situated in one of the badly hit areas by typhoon Yolanda when we visited it during our volunteer…

  • First-time in Tacloban City, Leyte

    First-time in Tacloban City, Leyte

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    I have never expected that the almost year-long anticipation of my first trip to Tacloban would change at the last minute. Yet, it was for good, because with the recent onslaught of typhoon Yolanda that ravaged Tacloban and other parts of the Eastern Visayas region, it would be hard to…

  • Volunteer Vacation in Tacloban & Basey

    Volunteer Vacation in Tacloban & Basey

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    It was March of last year when I received a message from a fellow volunteer of Hands On Manila about a plan to go on a trip to Tacloban, Leyte in January 2014 through a seat sale promo by an airline. Tacloban is known for landmarks, such as the MacArthur…

  • Thailand Medical Tourism Blog Contest: An Adventure Like No Other

    Thailand Medical Tourism Blog Contest: An Adventure Like No Other

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    It was a first time for me to be picked as a finalist in a blogging competition. I must say that I’m pretty new in this field as I only started with this blog in 2009. Yet, I’ve made several attempts but never had the chance to really build up…

  • Encounters in China

    Encounters in China

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    One of the good things I enjoy in traveling is meeting new people along the way. May they be local residents or fellow travelers on the road, these persons I encounter in my journeys make my travels more colorful and memorable. I recently had a nine-day tour of China, from…