Welcome to BWAB!
I’m Jona. I do SEO and marketing for a living, but I tell stories as a way of life.
I run Backpacking with a Book and HomeHums, where I write travel content that actually comes from being there. Think guides, opinions, and takes shaped by real trips, missed trains, great meals, and sometimes bad hotel choices.
I collaborate with brands on paid partnerships, UGC, and travel content built to rank and feel human. I bank on solid storytelling with search intent in mind.
I’m originally from Cebu, Philippines, now based in Munich, Germany. I used to work as a travel journalist and I’ve been to 30+ countries, mostly fueled by curiosity, child-like wonder, and a refusal to travel the same way twice.
At the core, I’m a writer and poet. My Cebuano fiction and poetry have been recognized with the Palanca Awards for Literature and the Gawad Bienvenido Lumbera Awards back home. It’s why voice matters to me.
If you’re here for travel stories with substance and strategy, you’ll feel at home. Let's collaborate.
what's popular
destination guides
You may not know how to save your soul, but you know how to put one foot in front of another.—Rebecca Solnit
June 16, 2026
When I learned that Vienna has a Shakespeare and Co, I knew I had to visit. As someone who fell in love with its Parisian counterpart, stepping into its Viennese location felt like revisiting an old friend in a new city. Nestled in the heart of Vienna, this cozy bookshop […]
June 15, 2026
As someone who grew up surrounded by waters, I thought I’d seen every kind of blue – but then came Lugano. It was my first taste of Switzerland, and let’s just say… it left a lasting aftertaste of awe. My German-Swiss partner, ever the meticulous planner, mapped out a week-long […]
June 15, 2026
Having roamed over 15 European cities since planting roots in Munich, I can tell you—Vienna didn’t just waltz into my heart, it strutted in like it owned the place. Sure, Prague’s right up there, giving me moody romance and cobblestone poetry, but Vienna? She’s the full symphony. This city along […]
June 15, 2026
Welcome to Boston, where history collides with innovation. I personally believe this city is a labyrinth of colonial charm and cutting-edge culture. From the Freedom Trail’s echoing footsteps to the culinary treasures in North End, every corner tells a story. In one day in Boston itinerary, you’ll traverse centuries—grab chowder […]
digital nomad guides
And her joy would become a restless thing, flapping its wings inside her, as though looking for an opening to fly away.
― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
June 12, 2026
As an expat teacher in Hanoi for four years, I can honestly say this city has a pulse unlike any other. From the bustling streets filled with the scent of street food to the vibrant markets teeming with life, Hanoi is a place that inspires. I came here as an […]
June 9, 2026
Hanoi: chaotic, mesmerizing, and utterly captivating. After three months of exploring this city’s vibrant streets and a month of wandering Vietnam’s diverse landscapes, I knew Hanoi was the place to drop anchor. Four years later, my love for this city has only deepened. As a digital marketing manager turned teacher […]
June 7, 2026
When I declared that I wouldn’t neglect my decade-old blog anymore, I wasn’t kidding. Despite having the most time-consuming and most tiring unpaid job known to mankind: motherhood, a role I took on recently. Little did I know that this decision would lead me down the labyrinthine path of affiliate […]
May 21, 2026
Travel or study… which one will you pick? The thing is, they’re both important – perhaps even essential – in their own way, but you can’t do them both at the same time, and at some point, you’ll need to make a choice. That’s right, isn’t it? Well, perhaps not. […]
reading life
My grandfather says that's what books are for," Ashoke said, using the opportunity to open the volume in his hands. "To travel without moving an inch.― Jhumpa Lahiri
June 16, 2026
When I learned that Vienna has a Shakespeare and Co, I knew I had to visit. As someone who fell in love with its Parisian counterpart, stepping into its Viennese location felt like revisiting an old friend in a new city. Nestled in the heart of Vienna, this cozy bookshop […]
June 12, 2026
I personally believe Joan Didion, Jennifer Egan, Mia Alvar, Eula Biss, and Ada Limon capture the essence of New York. These writers embody the city’s literary spirit, and its independent bookstores are a testament to this legacy. New York City’s independent bookstores are hidden gems offering an intimate dive into […]
June 9, 2026
Vienna is a beautiful city. Of course, that’s the perspective of a traveler—wait, scratch that—a full-blown tourist with eyes wide and heart open, gawking at Gothic spires and Baroque balconies like they’re slices of sachertorte handed down from the gods. But it’s not just the well-preserved grandeur of imperial years […]
June 8, 2026
For book lovers, the State Hall of the Austrian National Library isn’t just a place—it’s a mood, a hush, a full-body goosebump. Tucked inside the Hofburg Palace like a secret too good to keep, this Baroque beauty isn’t just stacked with books—it glows with them. Frescoed ceilings swirl like a fever dream, towering shelves […]
life and food
One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.—Virginia Woolf
June 15, 2026
As someone who grew up surrounded by waters, I thought I’d seen every kind of blue – but then came Lugano. It was my first taste of Switzerland, and let’s just say… it left a lasting aftertaste of awe. My German-Swiss partner, ever the meticulous planner, mapped out a week-long […]
June 15, 2026
Having roamed over 15 European cities since planting roots in Munich, I can tell you—Vienna didn’t just waltz into my heart, it strutted in like it owned the place. Sure, Prague’s right up there, giving me moody romance and cobblestone poetry, but Vienna? She’s the full symphony. This city along […]
June 14, 2026
We all have that one story of how the travel bug bit us. Mine? It started back in university. I was leading the school publication, and the student body president and I were invited to a nationwide student leaders’ press con… in Boracay. That was nearly twenty years ago. Since […]
June 13, 2026
Venice isn’t my ultimate European love story (Vienna already swept me off my feet), but it’s hard not to respect a city that wears age like a velvet cloak. Aside from a quick coastal flirtation with Trieste, Venice is the only Italian city I’ve spent real time in—so no, I […]