Living in the Moment: 2017

Hola! So I've been MIA in the past weeks and it's only until now that I had the time (because ASEAN summit holiday) and the feels to blog. I'm not really in the mood to write and blog in the past weeks and I don't wanna force it so I just had some time off with blogging and enjoyed life outside the blog. Lol!

November 16, 2017 1 comments

Yup! I just underwent LASIK procedure last September 15 at Shinagawa and I still couldn't believe what my eyes see! I still sometimes feel like I am just wearing contact lens (because you know, dry eyes) and sometimes my subconscious tells me to fix to my glasses only to find out that I am actually not wearing one! How's that!

October 02, 2017 25 comments

If you want a truly calm and home away from home type of staycation then Crosswinds in Tagaytay is the place to be. The place is tucked in a very quiet neighborhood making it a very peaceful place to unwind and de-stress. You know, the kind that makes it hard to get out of bed and just lets you be in your own kind of bliss.

August 27, 2017 10 comments

Our official last touring day in our backpacking journey! So our last stop? Bangkok! We're allotting 1 full day for Bangkok as we don't need much time to see this city as we've already seen Bangkok's beauty on our last backpacking journey before this one.
You see, Thailand is beautifully placed in the middle of everything that's why when you see people backpacking in Southeast Asia, Thailand is always on the list. You will not run out of things to do and buses to its neighboring countries are easily accessible.

August 26, 2017 11 comments

Before anything else, I know you might be wondering why would a person visit Laos, and what can we see in Laos, btw? So for starters, if you haven't seen my Luang Prabang travel diaries, better head there now. And Vientiane? Well, this is the capital of Laos and to be honest, there isn't much to see but as an avid traveler, I am trying to visit all Southeast Asian countries before I explore other places. As the saying goes, love your own. You see, Philippines is part of SEA so there...

August 03, 2017 10 comments

Our second day in Luang Prabang was mostly about touring other scenic spots that don't include temples. If you have already visited Indochina, then you'll probably get what I mean when I say temples. Not just one or two. Heck, not even five! There's just too many that after some time in the country, you'll get used to seeing temples everywhere.

July 15, 2017 12 comments

Hi, you guys! So this is the official start of my Kuala Lumpur blog series although I haven't finished my Vietnam-Laos-Thailand travel series yet. Rest assured though I will blog about it as well. If you follow my blog, you'll notice that I usually overlap travel posts just to you know, balance the posts out and not bore you with content of the same destination. And that is why sometimes it takes months for me to complete 1 travel series. Lol.

July 12, 2017 4 comments

If you're going to search for things to do in Luang Prabang, then I'll tell you, every page you will see will most certainly suggest going to see Kuang Si Falls found on the South part of the province and is 29km away from the town center.

July 03, 2017 13 comments

If you know me personally, you know that I love drinking tea. I will not say that I'm not a coffee drinker but for me, tea can be my substitute to water. It helps me feel less bloated while being warm at the same time. What's nice with tea is you can partner it to almost any food. Whether you're having snacks or big meals. You can even choose among different teas which ones suit your palette.

July 02, 2017 1 comments

Our second and last day in Vietnam is all sorts many adventure and misadventure. Well, for one, I got to see many visit worthy places, while the other is if you haven't read this post (From Getting Ripped Off in Hanoi to Struggling to Change Money and Almost Losing my Passport in Luang Prabang) yet, you better check it now. :)

June 15, 2017 No comments

Isla de Gigantes, Carles Iloilo Philippines

This is actually the highlight of my first solo travel ever. Remember my trip to Roxas City and how it almost didn't push through? It was indeed a memorable one as I've experienced a lot of first times. I was even adopted for the night by my father's friend that's living in Roxas. The locals are indeed very nice. I also got to see many visit-worthy places in Roxas.
And you know what's intense? I had mumps all throughout this trip that it barely pushed through, but luckily, the odds are in my favor. ;) And don't worry, I was already recovering so I am assuring you guys I am no longer contagious when I took this trip. :)

June 10, 2017 16 comments

Finally! This is the last post on our Bacolod-Iloilo-Guimaras tour last January. Yes, you read that right, last January and I am only blogging it now. Haha! I'm trying to catch up on my backlogs one by one but it just keeps on coming! Loool. But anyway, I am not really complaining, keep the new adventures coming. 😉

May 27, 2017 12 comments

Guest Post by Himanshu of Pearls India Tour

With the rapid urbanization and industrialization taking its toll on the planet’s forest cover, it is not surprising that only a few countries can flaunt their natural beauty and claim to be rich with flora and fauna. One such country is India. Through its various projects, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, it has successfully created a safe haven for many of its plant and animal species. Many of these are World Heritage Sites.
So, if you visit India, here are the top 5 national parks you need to drop at to have a tryst with nature.

1. Jim Corbett National Park (Nainital, Uttrakhand)

Photo by Prashant Ram, CC BY-ND 2.0

May 16, 2017 No comments

Dear Travelers, Do not Travel for the sake of Passport Stamps - Explore the Country

We've all been there. Being such in a hurry to visit as many places as we can. To get as much passport stamps as we can. It's not bad to visit all as many countries as you can in one go. But you know what's bad and is not doing any good in the long run?? It's when you visit as many countries as you can in a few days!

May 12, 2017 11 comments

Luang Prabang is a small province but definitely has a big history to boast. I never thought I will be able to visit Laos anytime soon as this country doesn't have a direct flight from Manila. I also know no one who already went to this country so I was quite excited to incorporate this place in our backpacking tour around some countries in Indochina. What I know when planning this trip was I just have to create an itinerary that will let us travel to different Southeast Asian countries, and by Southeast Asian countries, I mean Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand.

May 06, 2017 13 comments

Oh yes, you read the title right. Contrary to popular belief, Guimaras is not only famous for its sweet world class mangoes, some of us don't know this but this amazing province also has amazing beaches to offer! And I only knew it prior to planning this trip. If you don't know yet, we had a 4 day trip to Bacolod, Iloilo, and Guimaras. Guimaras being our 3rd stop before we go back to Bacolod for our flight back to Manila.

April 16, 2017 5 comments

From Getting Ripped off in Hanoi to Struggling to Change Money and Almost Losing my Passport in Luang Prabang

I'm writing this on my iPad's note app. We're currently here in Luang Prabang and it's 11:14 PM local time as I write this. (If you're reading this, I am probably already home) Well.. This is our second day touring. We're supposed to tour Hanoi, Luang Prabang, Vientiane, and Bangkok.
We left Hanoi this afternoon and well... This day was all sorts of misadventure. Our first day in Hanoi was fun. Really fun. We saw Hoan Kiem Lake, watched Water Puppet Show (my second time to watch, the first one was when we visited Ho Chi Minh city last 2015), watched the locals, and eat Vietnamese food.

April 14, 2017 11 comments

Coron, Palawan: Bulog Dos, Banana, and Malcapuya Island

Since it's holy week and I am just home for the holidays, I'll make a throwback post about our last day Coron, Palawan. Well, this was supposed to be published months ago but there are a lot of things that happened. So here it is, a little late but should still be documented in my online travel journal. :)

April 14, 2017 1 comments

Okay, first of all, omgggg it was an amazinggggg~ night. Coldplay was super awesome! Nope, that's an understatement. Whatever is the most super duper superlative for awesome, great, and superb, that is the best description.

April 09, 2017 1 comments

11:58AM local time of Hanoi, plane going back to Manila.
This trip was superb! In a sense that I experienced a lot of mishaps but at the same time had a lot of fun. I got to learn a lot. Like, really a L O T. And as much as it bores me to death going to museums and different history specific establishments, it pays to know where the nation has come from as it says a lot about where the country is today. I personally believe Vietnam is a great country and with great food too! (no brainer) And I don't mind eating lots of Pho for the rest my life if it means getting also to eat other Vietnamese food and a good Ca Phe Sua Da (Vietnamese coffee: black roasted coffee with condensed milk)

April 01, 2017 23 comments

Is your life too stressful and busy lately? Don't have time to loosen up? Well, chill out girl! Life's too short to be taken seriously. Just look at me, always thinking of new ways to spice up my weekend. And so when I saw this upside down museum on my news feed, I didn't let the week pass without visiting this not so usual museum.
For some of us, we want to indulge in history, in those old pieces that can take us back to the old times. We marvel at the paintings and its amazing strokes, we look at the things used by known people in our history... We're intrigued with that sculpture... You know, traditional art. And if your not part of that population who goes to a museum to see different paintings and works of art, then you are probably the ones who want to let loose and be a kid again.

You probably get bored easily so you don't use time visit those. And if you don't like visiting those kinds of museum, then probably will like modern ones! You know, Madame Tussauds, Trick Eye, Art in Island.. those kinds of museum? Sounds familiar, right?

March 19, 2017 7 comments

If you have read this post, then I'm pretty sure you know how this trip almost didn't push through. But just like what others said, it might be that the universe conspired and helped me experienced my first solo travel ever! Everything is just scary because I was alone in a foreign city, not mentioning that I'm not really well because I have mumps to take care of. I got long stares because my face is not proportional. Lol!

March 12, 2017 14 comments

The Solo Travel That Almost Didn't Push Through

Me: Malayo ba dito yung Sta. Monica church? Yung may malaking bell? (Is Sta. Monica church far from here? The one with the big bell?)
Tricycle driver: Malayo din ma'am, sa Panay na po yun. (It's far, it's already in Panay.) -----

March 09, 2017 12 comments

It was one fine day when we visited Marian Orchard. Although it was raining in the morning, it didn't stop us from exploring this beautiful garden situated at Balete, Batangas. Yup, South. And thanks to Ian, it was an instant road trip with him, Rae, and Atheena. Like I would always mention, South is so foreign to me that if you ask me to go there alone, I would probably end up getting lost. No exaggeration.

February 25, 2017 23 comments

Here I am! Back in South. The last time I went here was my sister's birthday celebration at Canyon Cove. I am not complaining though because I refuse to book more flights and so I am just exploring the nearby places I can go to while busy being a Manila girl. (lol whut?!) Actually, this isn't the original plan, we actually planned on climbing Mt. Maynoba in Tanay but unfortunately, news about NPAs around Tanay is going around. Even though we want to, we can't risk being hostages. And while our Mt. Maynoba climbed is moved on to another unknown date, we're off exploring other places that can satisfy our wanderlust.

February 20, 2017 6 comments

There was never a year I didn't go to Baguio. I have so many fond memories that consists of Baguio, and this goes way back to when I'm still a kid. I saw how the city evolved and how it has never failed to amaze me even though I've been there for so many times already. As if there's always a reason to go back. I remember strolling around the city with my parents, staying in Teacher's Camp back then, and I remembered how they used to make me eat red rice for the first time. Then there's this YMCA leadership camp I attended when I was in grade 6 and I remembered how happy I am to travel this far without any of my parents accompanying me and how I saw some of my classmates too in my previous school. I don't have a functioning camera back then so I bought a disposable one but I wasn't able to develop the film. Then there came casual year enders with my mother where we would go to Baguio just because of the weather. Then there's a day trip too with my father.

February 12, 2017 15 comments

Spell lucky! We actually didn't think that the day we'll arrive at Iloilo is also the day they celebrate Dinagyang! It was complete coincidence but who are we to complain? We really had fun! Plus this is all our first times to celebrate festivals like this. Well, we all know that Sinulog is celebrated every January but who've thought we'll stumble with Dinagyang!

February 09, 2017 11 comments

You know my personal challenge of going to the 81 provinces of the Philippines? Yep.. I just crossed out 3 province off at once on that list! It's a known fact that I love to travel (who doesn't?!) and I am just happy to travel with some of my high school friends. I've been trying to ask them before if they want to travel and it didn't happen until now! So one random evening when I have nothing to do at work and there came a seat sale going to Bacolod, I just tried my luck asking them if they want to go.. and ta-dahh.. the rest is adventure. So my actual plan was just to tour around Bacolod, but there aren't a lot of stuff to do in Bacolod. I guess a 4 day excursion is too much to explore just one city. Even the famous "The Ruins" is not located in Bacolod.. it's in Talisay City, another city in the province of Negros Occidental. So when I was about to do our DIY itinerary, my friends told me that it's also possible to do a 4 day tour of Bacolod, Iloilo, and Guimaras. And me being my adventurous self, I drafted a 4 day itinerary which by the way is just perfect for our schedule. It was not strictly followed because of the delays of the ferries and some factors we cannot really control but nonetheless, we all had fun and we were able to go to places that we never knew existed!

February 02, 2017 9 comments

I'm so back into hiking again! Yep, that's right! I think this is the best time of the year to climb mountains because the weather is still cold but it's really not raining. As they say, January is the knitted sweater season. I can't blame them though, I'm liking the sweater weather and how it gives off an instant glow! LOL! It's also part of my goals this year so climb as many mountains as I can because it's less expensive than a normal travel plus the view from the summit is always soooo worth it. <3

January 16, 2017 42 comments

Kayangan Lake, Coron Palawan Philippines

First off, I want to say Happy New Year!!! I hope you had a wonderful NYE and new year's day. Let's welcome 2017 with positivity. <3
To start off my blogging journey this year, I will continue our Coron adventure last November. I am trying to complete my back logs so please bear with me. :) --- Our second day in Coron was so much fun and so much #beachgoals. Yes, it rained but it didn't stop us to have fun and be in the moment! As I was saying on my previous blog post, the storm was also in Coron the moment we landed there. And there's no other way but to pray for a better weather the next day.
Waking up on our 1st island hopping day, I was already checking my phone from time to time to see if there's a notice from the tour agency regarding our island hopping.. if it will be pushed through or not. And it seems like God really loves me so much, our island hopping was pushed through!
The weather was bipolar and it's raining from time to time but fortunately, every time we arrive in a tourist destination, it will stop for awhile so we can enjoy the view. This went on until the afternoon, though before our island hopping finishes, we can already see the sun peeking through clouds! And since it is raining, the water on some of the tourist spots are not clear enough to go snorkeling. But needless to say, it was still a pleasant day.

January 07, 2017 10 comments

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Guest Post by Himanshu of Pearls India Tour

1. Jim Corbett National Park (Nainital, Uttrakhand)

Photo by Prashant Ram, CC BY-ND 2.0

About me

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Guest Post by Himanshu of Pearls India Tour

1. Jim Corbett National Park (Nainital, Uttrakhand) Photo by Prashant Ram, CC BY-ND 2.0

About me

Popular Posts

Blog Archive

1. Jim Corbett National Park (Nainital, Uttrakhand)

Photo by Prashant Ram, CC BY-ND 2.0