A Piece Of Something To Call Mine - Quick Escape to Phuket

Just weeks after my trip to Bangkok last August, the travel bug hit me again, and I found myself browsing some flights on the Singapore Airlines mobile app. After exhausting most options, I thought about Phuket again because I was supposed to fly there five years ago, but it didn't push through due to a conflicting work schedule. Ugh, I know it sucks. I wanted to see another part of Asia that I hadn't explored before–so when I came across a flight from Manila to Phuket for only $250 roundtrip, I didn't think twice and booked the flight. Besides, I get to fly with Singapore Airlines again, with a few hours of layover at Changi Airport, my favorite airport.

Exploring Kuta Beach and Uluwatu Temple

Our plane took-off at exactly four in the morning and I fell asleep ten minutes after. The next thing I knew, the sun was already up and we were already banking to the right, preparing to land in Bali, Indonesia. Honestly, I kept my expectations low as I didn't know what was in store for us in the next three days!

Sunrise at Kalanggaman Island

The sand and the waves, and you and me.

I never thought that I'd set foot on this famed island again. This trip, however, was totally different from the first one. Aside from the fact that it was my first time to spend a night with people whom I barely knew (but nonetheless, they're the coolest group I've met so far), the vibe of the entire island was also different.

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!

Scenic Delights and Activity Highlights on a Jamaican Cruise

Image by maxwelld [photo] used under the Creative Commons license

The Caribbean is one of the world’s most popular cruise destinations for those looking to vacation on the high seas, and the island of Jamaica is one of this region’s major attractions. Sailing along the white-sand coastline with its lush green backdrop is a sight to behold but the beaches aren’t the only place worth exploring on this island.

From the seductive beauty of Montego Bay, to the dance-hall parties of Kingston and waterfalls hidden amidst tropical forests – Jamaica is everything you ask for from a Caribbean Island.

Florida's Best Beaches

Florida beach. Photo by Melody Harrison Hanson | Flickr

You may think that beaches everywhere are composed of sea and sand, with some sun thrown in for good measure; so what makes Florida’s beaches so special, apart from the fact that Florida is known as The Sunshine State? The answer, like the devil, is in the detail: in Florida you will find some of the clearest and most sparkling blue and aquamarine seas, the finest white sands and the most warming rays of sunshine.

However, there are also other important ingredients when it comes to a great beach holiday. For example, Florida borders both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean and therefore has an abundance of coastline that offers different kinds of experiences. Here are three Florida beaches that are special and unique.

Packing for a Party: Fun on the Road

There’s nothing like a vacation with your friends where you can really let your hair down. Visiting a top party destination like Ibiza, Magaluf or Cancun gives you the chance to mingle with literally thousands of other people who are out to have a good time, with gorgeous beaches on which to chill out in the daytime and hot clubs where you can dance through the night. In a place like this, you’ll want to look your best, and you’ll want to have everything planned so you don’t run short of anything you need. That way you can just kick back and focus on enjoying yourself.

7 Travel Destinations in Mindanao That You Shouldn't Miss

Samal Island.

I was born and raised in an island named Mindanao - a land of promise, and a land where different colors scream unity in diversity. Most of the Northerners fear Mindanao. Terrorist attacks, bomb scares, and other inhumane acts are everyday occurrences in this island, they say. Truth is, we live harmoniously and peacefully, and those turmoils only occur sporadically, just like any other places in the world. Apparently, the sensationalized news of some mainstream media groups had deeply concealed the beauty of Mindanao.

In this day and age, social media had made Mindanao more visible not just to the whole country, but to the whole world as well.  Thankfully, some Northerners proved to their fellow men that there is so much to see on our island.

Here are the Top 7 travel destinations in Mindanao that you shouldn't afford to miss.

Ready? Well, here we go.

The Sand, and the Waves, and You and Me

Life is Here.

The last time I went to the beach was two years. Say what? TWO FREAKIN' YEARS?! That's quite long considering that I live in an archipelagic state. If I were in Mongolia or any countries in Central Asia, going to the beach at least once a year is considered a big blessing. Due to my busy work schedule, I wasn't able to visit any beaches near my area (ehem ehem).

I know, such a bummer!

Postcard: Dream of Para, Para, Parasailing

Parasailing.

Yet another postcard photo taken somewhere in Davao Gulf last year.

On our way to Babu Santa Resort in Talikud Island, we spotted this group who were obviously enjoying their parasailing activity. I immediately changed my lens (from kit lens to telephoto lens) and took some snapshots. It was pretty evident that they were enjoying it because we could hear their screams even if they were a hundred meters away from us!

Banana (Potato-na) Beach, Tagum City

Let's go to beach, beach, beach!

I went home at around 12 midnight. Call time for the Banana Beach affair was 7AM. Because I was still in hyper mode and was still busy on uploading photos on Facebook (and that includes random video hopping on You___, yep you've guessed it right, YouTube!), I slept at almost four in the morning. I set the alarm at 6:00 AM. The next thing I knew, it was already 6:52 AM.

So much for the 7AM call time!

But then again, a brand new adventure awaits! I shouldn't miss this!

Explore Europe’s Lesser Known Beaches

Avoid the crowds at Europe’s lesser known beaches! Photo credit link

You might think that once you’ve been on one beach holiday you’ve been on them all, but you’d be wrong. Europe is packed full of lesser known beaches that are just crying out for the more adventurous traveller to explore them.

From award winning beaches in Bulgaria to the underdeveloped coast lines of Turkey, Europe has got a lot to offer beach loving tourists, if only they knew where to look. Here are some of the best beaches in Europe, that only the locals know about.

Postcard: Southern Cebu Landscape

Robbie, Jerome, and I traveled all the way from Cebu City to the municipality of Dalaguete, which is a three hour journey from the Metro. Along the way, we were greeted by the picturesque seascapes on our left and old churches on our right. It was such a beautiful sight! Everything was well preserved, the air was clean, and life seemed so simple.

The Island That Vanishes: Sanipaan Shoal

Vanishing Island of Samal

Sanipaan Shoal, Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte

This is probably one of my most favorite places in Davao. I fell in love with this island when I first went here last 2008 for a laboratory field work in Botany. Indeed, the island (technically, it's a shoal) vanishes when the tide is high.

The Visayan Trail

Traveling around the Philippines is indeed challenging. One reason for it is the country's geography. Unlike its Asian neighbors, where provinces and countries are only divided by an imaginary line that we fondly call borders, most provinces in the Philippines are divided by rough seas, stretching beyond what your mind can imagine.

It's quite easy to navigate by land when you are in Luzon and Mindanao. But in Visayas, it's a different story - it is a combination of land, air and sea. Despite the geographical challenge, Visayas is the most diverse island group of the country. The three regions - Western, Central and Eastern Visayas (Region VI, VII and VIII respectively) - have their own share of language, culture and heritage and a myriad of adventures.

The KK Diaries: Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park

Day 4 - Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park

Finally, now on our fourth day, diary!

It was a fine, sunny morning when the Sensi Hostel Team (composed of yours truly, Brenna, Yancy, Cho and the two Spanish duos - Jaime and Alberto) walked all the way to the Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal. We planned to visit three out of five islands of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park namely Mamutik, Manukan and Sapi.

My Kota Kinabalu experience would not be complete if I totally miss this marine park!

Salagdoong Beach: Siquijor's Paradise

It was a hot and humid Thursday afternoon when we toured the island of Siquijor. Due to lack of sleep, I just dozed off inside the tricycle as we made our way to our next destination - Salagdoong Beach. The sun was at its zenith when we arrived at Salagdoong Beach.

Robbie and Ate Gael nudged me. "Gising na! Dito na tayo." (Wake up! We're already here!)

This was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes:

Take me to the beach! Salagdoong Beach of Siquijor

I thought I was still dreaming.

I wasn't.