Temple Hopping in Ayutthaya, Thailand (26 Photos)

temple-ayutthaya-thailand

We spent a day  trip in Ayutthaya to explore some of its temples and see what it has to offer. This is a province of Thailand which was once the capital of Thailand and is located north of Bangkok. It took about 2 hours travel time from Bangkok to Ayutthaya (including traffic). As we brought … Read more

Food Trip in Cebu and Zamboanga

zamboanga-food-trip-antonio

Jana and I spent a few days in the Philippines a couple of weeks ago to be with family and to accomplish some tasks. After having been in Dubai for 4 years, there was a lot of catching up in terms of responsibilities and planning for the future. What was once a travel for travel (or travel … Read more

Cebu Trip: Snorkelling at Tuble Marine Sanctuary in Moalboal

My friend, Edwin, was negotiating with boatmen in Moalboal, Cebu, while Doi, Gael, and I, set up a table for lunch. Arriving from the night before, we stayed in Basdaku/White Beach in order to spend a day of snorkelling in the Tuble Marine Sanctuary. Tuble Marine Sanctuary Moalboal, Cebu September 05, 2011 Swimming in Moalboal … Read more

5 Luxury Hotels to Stay in Boracay Island, Philippines

Boracay, despite the crowd, is still a great destination to have some sun and sand while you travel to the Philippines. With its powdery sands and pristine water and various beach activities, you can definitely do a lot of fun things in this island. As this is a touristy area, you have plenty of options … Read more

Back in Bali for 7 Days

poppies kuta beach

Either it was Morocco or somewhere in Asia. My wife and I were wondering where we would spend 7 days of our free travel time. We would be able to get affordable flight prices whichever. Since it’s peak of winter time in the Middle East, we opted to go somewhere warm. Asia seemed to be a … Read more

Bali, Indonesia: Monkeys and Cliffs in Uluwatu Temple

In our 7 days in Bali, Indonesia, we spent a day visiting some of the tourist attractions of this island. After dropping by Dreamland beach, we proceeded to the Uluwatu Temple.

Monkeys and Cliffs in Uluwatu Temple
Bali, Indonesia


Uluwatu Temple Cliff

After paying the entrance fee, we were given sarongs to cover our legs. This is, after all, a sacred place so we needed to observe proper guidelines.

uluwatu indonesia
Bali‘s Uluwatu Temple

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Zamboanga City Highlights: Things to Do, Places to Visit

zamboanga airport

I spent 9 days in Zamboanga City. I visited my girlfriend’s hometown and also toured the area in the process. I was a little worried in the beginning because I left on the day that Typhoon Pablo entered the Philippines. However, Zamboanga was one of the few destinations where scheduled flights still pushed through.

For the sake of having a new blog post, here are a few highlights about this trip. I’ll be writing more detailed accounts about these places soon.

Zamboanga City Highlights: Things to Do, Places to Visit
December 2-10, 2012

zamboanga airport
Zamboanga International Airport

Sta. Cruz Pink Island

I read about the Sta. Cruz Island (also known as Pink Island of Zamboanga) through Chyng’s blog post. The island is called such because of the crushed red corals that have sort of “mixed” with the white sand. We were also escorted by an armed soldier for security purposes.

Blog post here: Picnic at Sta. Cruz Island aka Pink Island

sta cruz pink island zambonga
Sta. Cruz Island aka Pink Island

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Thinking of Exploring Bandung, Indonesia

We went to Bali, Indonesia early this year and had a good time enjoying a week of beach, shopping, relaxation and party. Our visit was a laidback vacation that I wondered when we would be visiting this place again. On another note, I’m wondering if it would be good to visit other places in Indonesia … Read more

Shooting Trees at Microtel Inn & Suites Luisita in Tarlac

After a fun afternoon of Go Kart racing in Tarlac’s Kart City, we spent the night in Microtel Inn & Suites Luisita. It was an adrenaline-packed day, like all the other days of our Lakbay Norte 3 familiarization tour. I immediately hit the sack which made me wake up early the next day.

Shooting Trees at Microtel Inn & Suites Luisita in Tarlac
January 28, 2012

microtel tarlac
trees outside Microtel

I’ve been to a Microtel property before. It was where we stayed when I won a blog contest about Boracay. True enough when I checked our room, the chiropractic “healthy for the back” beds were there and they’ve always been consistent about this feature.

microtel luisita tarlac
Microtel Inn & Suites in Luisita, Tarlac | photo by Marcos of PuebloPhilippines.com

microtel philippines room
Microtel Inn & Suites in Luisita, Tarlac | photo by Marcos of PuebloPhilippines.com

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White Water Rafting at Chico River in Kalinga

We arrived from a long bus ride from Nueva Ecija to Las Palmas Hotel and Resort in Tuguegarao. Travel time took about 9 hours so we spent the night inside the Lakbay Norte 3 shuttle to rest.

Afterwards, we headed to our assigned rooms so we could get ready for another adventure prepared for us. But first we had breakfast at 5 in the morning courtesy of Mcdonalds. The meal was what we needed to keep us full as we travel to Kalinga and experience white water rafting by Adventures and Expeditions Inc.

White Water Rafting at Chico River
Kalinga, Cordillera Administrative Region

kalinga chico river
listening to our raft guide

Toploading in Kalinga

It was a chilly morning and the sun was still rising. On our way to the starting point of the rafting adventure, we made a stopover to change seats. Those who wanted to ride on top of the jeep had transferred. This reminded me of my crazy topload from Banaue to Bontoc during our trip to Sagada. It also made me realize I haven’t finished writing about my Sagada series.

toploading to chico river
chilly morning topload

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Our Melting Pot Hostel in Makati, Philippines

I was in Manila last week and I was searching for backpacker lodges in the area since my friend’s place (where I normally crash) was unavailable. I was planning to stay in backpacker hostels in Malate but I found it a bit far from the metro. Good thing I was referred by Dong Ho to Our Melting Pot (OMP) hostel in Makati, Philippines.

I didn’t expect much from this place. All I wanted was a decent bed to crash plus good WiFi connection to work on my online assignments. I got more than what I asked for when I spent the remaining days in this awesome backpacker inn.

Our Melting Pot Makati
entrance at Our Melting Pot

Our Melting Pot Hostel Review

Our Melting Pot is located in what seems like an abandoned building in Makati Avenue. The elevator was a little creepy at first, but I got used to it.

On the 4th floor, I removed my shoes and went inside. I was welcomed by a spacious common area where the staff was already expecting me.

philippines hostel
common area

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Snorkelling at Tenggol Island in Terengganu, Malaysia

One of the perks while working in Tanjong Jara Resort was that during my days off, I could experience the activities that the resort offered. I couldn’t wait to sign up for a snorkelling trip at Tenggol Island in Terengganu, Malaysia when I found out about the adventure. I wanted to spend a day in the water and this was a perfect opportunity to unwind.

Snorkelling at Tenggol Island by Tanjong Jara Resort
Dungun, Terengganu
Malaysia

fishes tenggol
swimming with fishes

nemo tenggol island
clown fishes

I’ve been longing for a beach escape in my backpacking adventure and I was only able to do that during a trip to Bali, Indonesia. But even then, I didn’t get to swim as much as the water was much fit for surfing. That’s why I’m so glad to experience the snorkelling adventure at Tenggol Island twice. Yes, I went to this island twice!

tenggol island dungun
the beach

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Cagayan de Oro Trip: Whitewater Rafting Adventure with a Family

first rafting adventure

I travelled to Cagayan de Oro because of an assignment and I spent my weekend there alone. The previous weekend, I went to Siargao by myself, too. I’m starting to embrace the notion of flying solo and it’s not really that much of a big deal for me anymore. I still prefer travelling with friends as I get to enjoy the company of other people. But this recent trip gave me another thought to ponder when travelling to different destinations as I spent this trip with another group of people; this time with a family.

White Water Rafting in Cagayan de Oro River
December 4, 2011

CDO Family rafting
CDO’s wild rafting adventure

Feeling restless that I didn’t have anything planned, I Googled ‘whitewater rafting Cagayan de Oro’ to finally experience one of the more popular activities in the City of Golden Friendship.

One of the websites that came up was that of 1st Rafting Adventure. I called them and made a reservation, hoping I could join a group that can accommodate one more head on their raft. It’s tough to get a good deal for packages when you’re alone. Luckily, I was given a go signal as there was an available slot with other companions the next day.

1st rafting adventure best
1st Rafting Adventure Office

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Zamboanga Trip: Gorgeous Merloquet Falls

The day before I left Zamboanga, I was able to visit the gorgeous Merloquet Waterfalls in Barangay Sibulao. This was one of the main highlights during my trip to this side of Mindanao known as Asia’s Latin Cty.

Merloquet Waterfalls in Zamboanga
December 9, 2012

merloket falls
Merloquet Falls in Zamboanga

I initially thought there were only two of us going to Merloquet. Jana and I were planning to take a bus to the junction, and then hire a motorcycle (habal-habal) to the falls. Fortunately, Jana’s family also expressed interest. We hired a jeepney from the city to the destination instead.

The 2-hour trip to the junction was a scenic route of plantation fields and mountains. I also noticed that there were many Philippine National Police (PNP) checkpoints for security reasons.

road to merloquet zamboanga
riding a jeepney

trek to merloquet falls
going down

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