Love Animals? How To Take An Animal-Packed Vacation

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Are you an animal lover? Maybe your kids are always on the lookout for birds, insects, and wild animals when you go out? Either way, there’s an animal lover in the family! And as a special treat, you’d love to travel and find out what interesting, cute, and downright weird wildlife there is in other parts of the world. 

Although, planning an animal-packed vacation might seem a little bit complicated. Other than booking tickets to a zoo or a safari, and then finding a park to watch birds in, what can you do? Well, we’ve got a few ideas down below that might interest you!

A Talk for Atok

This trip was a spontaneous one. My friends had already booked their flights and tour at Atok, Benguet, a week before this trip. It has been ten years since I visited Baguio. From NAIA 3, we went straight to PITX, the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange. It's a centralized bus terminal with numerous bus networks from Manila to any point within Luzon. We took the first-class bus to Baguio City. It has a reclining chair, an entertainment system, and a lavatory. We left PITX around 10 PM and arrived at Baguio at around two.

As we meandered around the street, we got lost while looking for our hostel but eventually found our way after several minutes.

The following morning, we had a hearty breakfast at Good Taste, Baguio's famous family restaurant. The food was delicious and very affordable! The van terminal to Atok was just right across from the restaurant. I don't know what's in store for us, but we're off to an exciting part.

We Grow

The more I learn, the less I know. Through every high and every low, I grow.

That song, Grow, hits hard. It's a shame that the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 got canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. That song could've been an easy top-ten finish.

The Sky Is Full Of Stars

Photo by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash

The blue sky fades as day turns to night, revealing the night sky. The stars light the sky like snowflakes on a cloudless and moonless night. It only occurred to me how big our universe is once I had basic knowledge about astronomy. For instance, the fastest speed in the universe is light, traveling up to 300,000 kilometers per second. From our perspective, that's really fast. A trip to the moon would take at least a second. A trip to the sun takes more than eight minutes. But a trip to the nearest star, Alpha Centauri, takes four years, and a journey to the nearest galaxy, the Andromeda galaxy, takes at least two million years. The light from the stars was emitted at least tens of thousands or even millions of years ago. Ten thousand years ago, no human civilizations or even settlements were founded in any part of the world. Two million years ago, the first humans emerged in Africa.

Some people doubt and mock us whenever we dream big; it will never happen. But the stars constantly remind us that they shine and glisten under the night sky, even if it takes their light to reach us for a long time.

2021 - Still A Work in Progress

2021 was indeed a rollercoaster ride. I know it sounded like a year-end cliche, but it's true. I have so many things on my mind, but this year was like a series of life lessons. 

Four Years Ago

Okay, hear me out. It's hard to update this travel blog regularly for obvious reasons. I have written more posts on my (personal) blog this year! Today, before I went to work, I found my old external hard drive. It's where I store all my raw photos and videos from my travels from 2014 until late 2019. Since I still have unpublished and unedited photos, I started browsing the 2017 folder. 2017 was so special to me. It was the year I got transferred to Davao, finally got tenured at work, and visited Sydney for the first time, one of my favorite places in the world. Man, I miss my old life. 2017 feels like four decades ago! Those were the days when I'd message my friends and alert them about an ongoing seat sale, read all the travel blogs to formulate my travel itinerary, and watch some travel vlogs on YouTube.

These are some photos I've salvaged (LOL) from my old hard drive and post-processed on Lightroom. I am 100% that I haven't published these on any of my social media posts.

COVID-19 Recovery: The Outlook of the Philippine Aviation Industry

In 2019, the aviation sector of the Philippines was at its peak. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) recorded 737,812 aircraft movements that year alone. It was attributed to the increasing flight frequencies to both international and domestic sectors as more airports cater to the needs of the flying public. As an archipelagic country, it added connectivity around the Philippines, making it even smaller. The aviation sector was gearing towards a brighter and promising future, full steam ahead.

Legazpi Village, Makati City: Through The Eyes of 7Artisans Lens

Okay, I haven't been updating my travel blog for two reasons: One, there are still travel restrictions around the Philippines, and there is nothing we can do about it. Traveling isn't the best thing to do right now, especially in the middle of a pandemic. And two, I have already finished writing and editing all of my backlogs from my previous travels.

Anyway, this post isn't just for the sake of updating my travel blog, but this is something about rekindling my passion, and that is writing and photography.

The Things I've Learned during Quarantine 2020

On March 14, 2020, the president ordered a nation-wide lockdown to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Forced to cancel were flights from Manila. Unfortunately, I was one of the locally stranded individuals. I initially thought that this lockdown would only last for a month. Little did I know that we'd still be experiencing the same restrictions up to this date. As air traffic controllers, we still had a lot to do, even if only a few flights were flying in our designated airspaces, and the radar scope was almost empty. 

Today, there are still cargo and rescue flights flying to key domestic destinations of the country. While there's little that we can do about the global pandemic, here are the things I did during community quarantine.

Eighteen Hours on the Road

Sunrise at Angkor Wat Temple

The longest flight that I have taken so far was almost sixteen hours. Last year, I flew nonstop from Manila to Toronto, and it was a dreadful experience. Don't get me wrong, the inflight services were top-notched, and the inflight entertainment system was up-to-date, but sitting for sixteen straight hours can be challenging. I have exhausted all the possible things inside the cabin to keep me preoccupied–I slept for six hours, watched The Greatest Showman and Crazy Rich Asians twice, and had a skincare routine while everyone was asleep. In a nutshell, I survived, and I think I won't be doing it again for a while. However, I just realized that this experience was nothing compared to what I've gone through when I rode a bus from Saigon to Siem Reap for eighteen hours!

The Future of the Hermit Kingdom

Photo by Random Institute on Unsplash

Now that the news about the death of Kim Jong-Un's has been circulating online for days, North Korea's future hangs by a thread. Some say that his younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, could take over. But, in a patriarchal and reclusive nation, that's a very tough sell. Is this the perfect time for the two Koreas to reunite again?

How I Dealt With My First Tourist Visa Rejection

I was overjoyed ever since I got my first tourist visa (Taiwan Visa) three years ago. For those who didn't know, the Philippine passport is not the strongest or weakest in the world - just right in the middle. After my first trip to Taiwan, I went to Japan, Korea, and Australia without encountering any problems with my visa applications. These countries granted me a multiple-entry visa in less than a week! With that, I grew complacent. Around November last year, I booked a roundtrip ticket from Davao to Toronto via Manila without securing a valid tourist visa first. I took the risk, but I still believe it won't be that hard since I already did this from my previous trips to Japan and Australia.

Little did I know that my overconfidence almost burned my upcoming Canadian trip to smithereens.

Dreaming of Osaka

Osaka is not your ordinary Japanese city. While it is one of the most important cities in Japan, Osaka enjoys a more laidback setting compared to Tokyo, or even Nagoya.

Nusa Penida: A Journey To Bali's Newly Discovered Gem

I woke up from my phone's blaring alarm. With only four hours of sleep, I forced myself to wake up and take a cold shower. Traffic was already building up as we left Seminyak to Sanur Beach. Upon arrival, we were still early for the first boat trip to Nusa Penida. The sun was up, casting an orange-yellow hue from the horizon. Despite being a frequent visitor to Bali, I still feel this sense of adventure overtaking me as we wait for the speedboat to Nusa Penida.

The Bangkok Traffic Story

The news about the death of the highly revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand swept across the world. As a sign of respect, the entire nation of Thailand was in a state of mourning. The famous night clubs and entertainment strips were closed, and almost all the locals wore black. As the country plunged into what it seemed to be the darkest moment of their modern history, it got me thinking if I should still push this trip with my friends.

Why Long-term Travel Isn't For Me

Five minutes after we departed Changi International Airport, the seatbelt sign has finally been switched off by the captain. The cabin crew stood up and started to serve hot meals. To kill time, I watched Dear Other Self on my in-flight entertainment system. The Filo movie was about a working girl on her mid-20s who tried to venture travel blogging and long-term travel. I couldn't help but think what is it like to be in her shoes.

What if one day I would just quit my job, pack my bags, and just travel around the world?

Or maybe not.

First, They Killed Kampuchea

I was crossing my fingers while waiting for the confirmation of our bus tickets to Siem Reap, Cambodia. We were informed that tickets were nearly sold out because it was a holiday in Cambodia the following day. I was preparing emotionally and financially that I might buy a one-way airline ticket from Saigon to Siem Reap. Moments later, the front desk officer of our hotel came out with a good news. "You are all lucky. We still have seats for you to Siem Reap. Tomorrow is a national holiday in Cambodia. Many people are coming home!", he told us cheerfully.

My Five Favorite Travel Moments of 2017

I know it's kinda late, but I would like to share my five most unforgettable travel moments of 2017. I can truly say that 2017 is my travel year. I have revisited some of my favorite countries and cities twice or thrice, and I finally got the chance to experience the four seasons. Isn't that great? Well, I won't make this introduction long.

Here are my five favorite travel moments of the year 2017.

Oh, Mexico!

Mexico is renowned for its breathtakingly beautiful beaches, buzzing nightlife and glorious hot sunshine, it’s often a honeymooner’s choice or seen as an adult-focused place but that’s certainly not always the case. Yes, there are many upmarket hotels and spas perfect for adults but there are also many family-friendly hotel complexes with all-inclusive options as well as many child-safe beaches and a wealth of activities to keep the whole family entertained. Cheap family holidays to Mexico are more accessible than you may think. More so, it is easy to find local accommodations rentals in Mexico. Take a look at some of the great deals online from tour operators like Thomas Cook.

My 2017 in 10 Photos

Who would've thought that I'd survive 2017? I still can't believe that the year 2017 is about to end in the less than 24 hours. I can truly say that 2017 is my most traveled year. It's not just about traveling to different places, but the year was wholly about my personal journey.