January 22, 2016

Places in the Philippines to Avoid This Summer

A note: Hi there! I would constantly update this list. If you have been to overcrowded destinations in the Philippines that you want to include in the list, email us at backpackingwithabook@gmail.com—Jona In April and May, some Filipinos take three showers a day while others suffer from the absence of water […]
December 30, 2015

Florida State of Mind

Florida is not called the Sunshine State for no reason. It is the state that defies terrible weather: while other places brave the winter, Florida provides its own sunshine. Playing in theme parks and enjoying the beaches are just two of the many things to do here. Let your toes […]
December 8, 2015

Remote Beaches in the Philippines 2022

It is too early to be nostalgic. But it is December already, and there is a certain demand to retrace the places we have been to before forgetfulness erases them for good. It has been a fruitful year, and I should pat my own back because I owe it to […]
December 5, 2015

Falling in Love with the Sunny Santa Cruz

San Cruz is a city with a sunny personality.  It is liberal and supports alternative communities. Its warmth does not stop there; its landscape is to die for. This city is home to the renowned Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, a tree-lined downtown, which is a lovely sight come fall. Plus, […]
December 2, 2015

Changes! Changes!

It feels like April here in Cebu; for someone who brags about the seeming eternal summer in her country, I find the heat almost unbearable. And for someone who brags about having a life-work balance, here I am so caught up with revising Backpacking with a Book’s feel and content. […]
November 26, 2015

OUR SKIN DIARY | Filipina Degrade Themselves in Online Chat Rooms

OMG. Reading this made me angry for some reason. Filipinos are a racist bunch, and I’m not even one. I was in Manila last year. Like what the author has pointed out, I saw the same type of couples : fat, old westerner with a local Filipina. We all know […]
November 24, 2015

5 Easy Tips for Getting Amazing Sleep on the Road

This post, 5 Easy Tips for Getting Amazing Sleep on the Road, first appeared on Tailwind, Hipmunk’s blog, on November 15, 2015. If you find that your sleep quality decreases while traveling, you’re not alone. A National Sleep Foundation poll found that most adults prefer the comfort and calm of their […]
November 22, 2015

PRODUCT REVIEW | Sky Travel Luggage Review

Sky Travel Luggage Review is an honest, personal (yes, not a sponsored post) review.  I know how important a good bag is for month-long trips. I know I could not use my old and well-used Jester for this trip. So I kept on checking the outdoor shops to look for that […]
November 13, 2015

OUR SKIN DIARY | Equating the Filipina to Prostitutes

Equating the Filipina to Prostitutes?  Such a horrendous image.  This post by AERA R is a comment on my Rappler article: On Being a Dark-Skinned Filipina Traveling Around the Philippines. With a new partner in a country where they equate a Filipina to a prostitute or gold digger, I told him flatly […]
November 10, 2015

PRODUCT REVIEW: Rubber Mini Flexible Portable Tripod

How portable rubber mini flexible portable tripod is? I rarely take selfies, and by selfie, I mean holding the phone or the camera and pointing it to my face. I find the act lazy and uncreative. But I love taking travel portraits of myself, of making myself the subject of many […]
October 25, 2015

OUR SKIN DIARY | I Have a Husband Much Older Than Me

This post by KIM E is a comment on my Rappler article: On Being a Dark-Skinned Filipina Traveling Around the Philippines You don’t have to look like couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt to be called a lovely couple. I’m a young Filipina and I’m proud to tell that I […]
October 22, 2015

OUR SKIN DIARY | Becoming Invisible

It happened many times. The moment you and your partner checked in a hotel, and the attending receptionist only looked at the white man beside you, as if he was alone, as if you did not exist. I thought I was just overreading and overanalyzing the situation, knowing my mind goes crazy […]