Photo Diary: Wonderful Indonesia

I'm itching to travel again and I can no longer contain my excitement for my upcoming birthday trip! And for my photo diary series, I'm going to feature our neighboring archipelagic country - Indonesia. This country is more than just a chain of active stratovolcanoes with exotic animal and plant species thriving around it. Like the Philippines, it is home to millions of multicultural communities, historical architectures, local languages, and local cuisines. Last year, I explored Jakarta, Bandung, Bogor, and Yogyakarta.

Here are some of photos that I truly love from my Indonesian adventure last year. Weapon of choice: Canon EOS 1100D.

Twenty Fifteen

As I peered out the window, the sun began to set. The sky radiated beautiful hues of orange, red, and violet. Even after our plane took off, my eyes were locked on to it until the sky slowly fades to darkness, and the clouds started to mask the landscape below. I closed the window and recalled how my year transpired.

This is by far the most difficult year-end post I have ever written.

The Complete KL-SG Itinerary

It's been a month since our KL-SG trip. Some of my friends on Facebook were so adamant that I should post our itinerary as soon possible. If you knew me well, I rarely post itineraries on my travel blog because to be honest, I'm actually too lazy to write about it! Well, for the sake of friendship (and some of them are getting annoyed by my mouthwatering food photos from my recent gastronomic adventure in Cebu), here is our detailed KL-SG itinerary.

An Afternoon Snack at Anzani

The island hopping experience in Mactan was fun yet tiring. Good thing was, our second to the last stop was Anzani New Mediterranean Restaurant. Perched at the side of the hill, it offers a panoramic views of Cebu City and the surrounding verdant mountains. Not only that, this idyllic restaurant served us some of their finest snacks that one can truly enjoy.

Pink Heaven Bakeshop & Bistro

Right across the border of the cities of Cebu and Talisay lies a quaint bakeshop and bistro, offering quality cake products and innovative food dishes at an affordable price. 

A Wine to Remember

Martin Luther once said that beers were made by men, but wines were made from gods. As in?

After devouring too much food at Mactan Alfresco, we went to Dolce Casa Cebu's branch at Parkmall Mandaue to drink something made by the deities above. Drinking wine isn't really my thing to be honest that's why I got really happy when I learned that we're going to have a wine tasting activity in Cebu Food Crawl 2015.

Sailing Around Mactan Island

I am a sucker for turquoise seas, coconut trees, and white beaches. Growing up in Davao, the beach will always be a familiar territory to me. In fact, my undergraduate thesis was all about rearing a marine invertebrate in a manmade saltwater pond. Haha!

For our final day in Cebu Food Crawl, we went island hopping!

Dine Around the World at The Sails Restaurant

A new culinary journey sets sail as Mövenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu's all-day dining outlet introduces its nightly themed buffet concepts. It's a treat in a whole new level - a gastronomic feasts of different origins.

Celebrating the Flavors of Cebu at Mactan Alfresco

A new exciting dining concept in Cebu had recently opened in Mactan Newtown! Food junkies will definitely love this place as it showcases the finest Cebuano cooking and cuisine. Mactan Alfresco is a covered food trip, inspired by the hawker centers in Singapore.

The Chocolate Chamber

A sweet escape.

I was awake for more than 24 hours. After devouring hot wings at Gibbs', we went straight to LIV Superclub and partied way too hard because duh, we only live once. At almost five in the morning, we went back to our hotel, and slept right away without bothering changing my clothes. I was reeking nicotine and alcohol that time, eww.

For our next stop in #CebuFoodCrawl, we went to The Chocolate Chamber in Mabolo, Cebu City for some sweet affair. It was an antithesis of last night's activities.

Cebu Food Crawl: Gibbs' Hot Wings

I was supposed to leave Tacloban at around 12:30PM but due to some unforeseen circumstances, my flight to Mactan-Cebu got delayed for almost six hours. Once I got off from the plane, I waited for another 50 minutes for my cab. The queue was crazy as most taxis in Mactan Island were nowhere to be found due to the large passenger demand at the newly opened mall in SRP.

I was really tired and hungry. Good thing, the next destination of the #CebuFoodCrawl was Gibbs' Hot Wings at Streetscape Lifestyle Mall in Banilad.

Where to Stay in Cebu: Big Hotel

There are so many things that you can do in Metro Cebu like shopping, hiking in one of their off-the-beaten tracks, island hopping, and many more. One of the things you need to consider is a comfortable place to stay right after your activities. And yes, BIG Hotel is the answer.

Photo Diary: Singapore in 50mm

Singapore is a country where citizens religiously follow all rules and regulations, and the mass transportation system is highly efficient and effective. It is considered as one of the most expensive countries to live (or even to visit), but The Little Red Dot will always be my first world refuge.

It's my second time in the Little Red Dot and this time, I was the navigator.

Exploring Genting Highlands

Long journey ahead.

After one whole day of touring KL, we finally had at least 7-8hrs of sleep. And for our second day, we went to Genting Highlands to have a quick escape from the hot and humid weather of the Malaysian capital.

Yep, it's even cooler here than in Cool-ah!

The Cool-Ah Lumpur Adventure: Day 1

I have been to Malaysia twice, but only had the chance to explore the Sabah State. I had a pleasant stay in Kota Kinabalu, that's why I am open to the idea of going back there for a vacation, if time and promo fare permits. I mean c'mon! Who couldn't resist its pristine white sand beaches, the surrounding azure waters of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, the Malaysian hospitality, and the lush rainforest of Borneo?

My travel blogger friends however told me that the other side of Malaysia is different, particularly Kuala Lumpur. To be honest, I was quite expecting Kuala Lumpur to be like Manila or worse, Jakarta, only that KL has a more efficient mass transportation system. Well, glad that I was wrong with my presumptions.

For those who have been asking about our KL-SG itinerary, here's how we fared our first day.

Prologue: The Cool-Ah Lumpur Adventure

Off to a trip to Malaysia's capital city.

Last Easter Sunday, my colleagues and I booked a round trip ticket to Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur. For only Php 3,100, one can book a roundtrip ticket to KL from Manila, all thanks to Cebu Pacific Air's promo fare. I keep on telling everyone that traveling abroad doesn't need to be expensive.

We only have two days before our travel, and we can no longer contain our excitement! Here's a sneak peek of our Cool-Ah Lumpur adventure. I know it sounds lame but, I love puns! Deal with it.

3 Things You Shouldn't Forget when Traveling

Travel checklist

Sometimes when people anticipate a travel, they get overexcited and they tend to leave the important things behind that are essential to their travel. There are some things however, that you can still afford to leave behind prior your trip like an extra polo shirt or shirts. Below are the things that you should never forget when traveling, especially when you're traveling outside your territory.

San Juanico Cruise Tour

Every time I pass the San Juanico Bridge, I couldn't help myself but to appreciate its grand structure. According to what I had learned from my Sibika at Kultura lessons back in grade school, this bridge is said to be the longest in the country which connects the islands of Samar and Leyte. Not only that, the San Juanico Strait, the body of water that passes underneath this bridge, is the narrowest strait in the whole world. We're talking two superlatives here in one region alone!

Days ago, I got an invitation for the San Juanico Sunset Cruise. Don't get too excited though because it's still on its dry-run phase, but allow me to share my experience about this promising project that I'm sure everyone in the Eastern Visayas region would look forward to experience it in the near future.

Top 3 Backpacking Destinations

Backpacking is a great way to see what countries have to offer. From scenic mountain views, to gorgeous waterways and hidden destinations you would never see if you were visiting the mainlands. With this said, certain packing destinations are going to offer more to visitors than others.

One extra thing to think about before going on a long holiday is what to do with the valuables in your house. You don't really want to be leaving expensive gear alone in your house for such a long period of time. One way to get around this is to make use of storage facilities and store your belongings under 24 hour security.

These are the top 3 packing destinations to consider for the avid outdoor enthusiast, and those who want to enjoy the great hiking trails, while taking in the most scenic views possible during your excursions.

Jogjakarta's Hindu Temple: Candi Prambanan

The Borobudur Temple experience was a noteworthy one however, we were told that there's also a temple near downtown Yogyakarta, about fifteen minutes away from Adi Sucipto International Airport. Prambanan Temple, like its Buddhist counterpart, is also a UNESCO heritage site. It is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia.