A Night at the Gardens by the Bay

When I visited Singapore in 2013, I have seen the Gardens by the Bay from afar. It has opened only over a year, but I didn’t have the opportunity to step foot in this popular Garden City. Returning to Singapore for another trip, this destination was at the top of my must-visit list during a …

Guimaras Island

10 Tourist Attractions in Guimaras Island

With a total area of 604.57 square kilometers only, Guimaras is considered as one of the smallest island-provinces in the 7,000 plus islands in the Philippines . It is located in the Western Visayas Region, just across Negros Island and very near to Panay Island, particularly to Iloilo. Apart from the main island of Guimaras, …

Philippine beaches

Fly Straight to these Philippine Beach Destinations

Fly from Los Angeles, USA to Cebu, Philippines (or vice versa) Non-Stop With Philippine Airlines (PAL)! Wanting to go to a warmer place and enjoy the islands? Now, there’s a way for travelers from the US to fly straight to the heart of the Philippines — the Visayas region, where thousands of beaches and islands …

Taiwan

First-time in Taiwan: Exploring Taipei and New Taipei

Taiwan was like our next-door neighbor, often bypassed as a travel destination. If not for a friend who visited the country and convinced us to check it out, our mini-expedition would not have happened. In hindsight, I recall earlier days when friends contemplated going to Taiwan, especially during the height of Meteor Garden and F4 …

Borobudur

Different Kinds of Travels

We travel for different reasons and purposes. Traveling is an activity that encompasses a lot of things that it’s even harder now to box it in just one kind. The constant debate and comparison between a “tourist” and “traveler” had always been interesting but my personal take on this, which has been echoed by several …

15 Reasons to Have More Fun in the Philippines

This is the Department of Tourism video of the Visit the Philippines Year 2015. Although the campaign was in 2015, every year is a reason to have more fun in my wonderful country, the Philippines. As a student of life where the world is my classroom, I always thirst for new things to unravel. That …

First-time in Rucksack Inn

In my travels, I’ve stayed in luxury hotels, boutique hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and inns. Yet, I always enjoy staying in hostels, like Rucksack Inn. Not only are they affordable but they are a good venue to interact with fellow travelers. I found Rucksack Inn as I was searching the internet, which is a good resource …

Paliton Beach

It’s More Fun in the Philippines videos

Smiles. Laughter. Fun. Whatever the circumstance is, Filipinos always find a reason to inject humor or joy into it. And with the catchy campaign “It’s More Fun in the Philippines”, I’d like to share several videos why it’s truly fun to come to my country.

Travel Survival through Language

It was midnight. My friend and I found ourselves at a bus station in Kuala Lumpur. We missed our flight to Langkawi so we opted to head to our destination by an overnight land trip. As we got off our taxi, we were surrounded by men who were trying to book us in one of …

Masskara Festival

Behind Masskara’s Smile: The beginnings of MassKara Festival

I was eight years old and I was standing in front of my mother’s office right across the city plaza watching with awe the crowd gathered along the side walk. I squeezed my tiny head in between two adults so I could get a glimpse of the MassKara Festival parade and street dancing. Men and …

It’s More Fun in the Philippines for a First-time Traveler

The Philippines’ tourism department recently launched the new campaign, “It’s more fun in the Philippines.” To this, I totally agree. There are 7,107 reasons why it is more fun to be in this part of the world than anywhere else. It’s even a lot more fun for a first-time traveler to see the wonders the …

Langkawi, Malaysia

First-time in Langkawi, Malaysia

The Adventure It was past 10:00 pm and we just had finished our meal at Marry Brown, inside Kuala Lumpur’s Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT). My friend, Karen, and I, were surfing through our individual laptops, trying to find a way out of our situation. You see, our trip to Putrajaya delayed us for several …

Rarinjinda Wellness Spa Resort

First-time in Rarinjinda Resort

It may look like a botique hotel from the outside but once you enter its doors, it’s as if you are brought inside a different world. Rarinjinda Wellness Spa Resort is your perfect hideaway tucked in the heart of Chiang Mai. The most interesting part is that Rarinjinda House, or Ruen RarinJinda, is a 140-year …

Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai

First-time in Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai

The golden streaks of the sun setting was our backdrop as we rode towards our accommodation in Chiang Mai — the breathtaking Dhara Dhevi. From a morning flight from Bangkok as finalists of the Medical Tourism Blog Contest, we spent the whole day going to a dentist, eating a sumptuous lunch at a château, and …

Silk Street Mall Beijing

First-time in Silk Street Mall, Beijing

Silk Street Mall is neither your ordinary street nor your usual mall. It was something I’d find anywhere in the Philippines. Yet, tourists, especially those from Europe or the America, love to go to Silk Street Mall. There were a bunch of kids who were having a field trip there. There were Spanish families donning …