June 18, 2026
One of the world’s best regions for scuba diving and paradisiacal beaches is to be found amongst the Thai islands, specifically the Chumphon Archipelago off the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand. In that cluster of azure-watered coconut-palm fringed beaches lies the island of Koh Tao – a mecca […]
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 14, 2026
The Philippines, an archipelagic country facing the Pacific, never runs out of ways to surprise the curious and the wandering. My home island Cebu, for example, has piqued the interest of fellow Filipinos and foreign travelers alike for its incredible and jaw-dropping underwater ecosystem. On top of my list, regardless […]
June 14, 2026
Living in Cebu City for almost ten years, I tagged Moalboal and Badian as my personal retreats, away from my metropolitan woes and responsibilities. But Moalboal, for its many conveniences and locals, draws me more. I made several friends here and saw some kids grew up. And while I left […]
June 12, 2026
Often, Siargao Island is described as a tear drop-shaped island. But, meh, I don’t buy it. It is more like a rough diamond cut, which was really the case some years ago. Siargao Island, although many locals will say otherwise, is gradually taking the route most popular destinations take. In […]
June 12, 2026
I wrote a short story set in Malapascua. It failed as a story. Malapascua, located in northern Cebu, some four hours away from the city, was one of my favorite destinations in Cebu. Almost every month, I found myself aboard the Ceres bus bound to Maya. I made some good […]
June 10, 2026
If I want to avoid as many Hanoi faces as possible, I either go to Quy Nhon and Tuy Hoa for an affordable escape. This part of Vietnam is not too popular yet among expats, but most likely it is going to replace Da Nang and Hoi An for a […]
June 9, 2026
I think I’ve mentioned this countless of times that I love Moalboal so much that I bought a tiny piece of land somewhere between Bas Daku (White Beach) and Bas Diot (Panagsama Beach). I love it for several reasons: it’s quite close to Cebu City (my home back then), it […]
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 9, 2026
After living in Hanoi for four years, I often found the city’s unrelenting energy both exhilarating and exhausting. On days when the honking motorbikes and narrow alleyways felt too constricting, I would escape to Ninh Binh. Just a few hours away, it became my sanctuary—a place where life moved at […]
June 8, 2026
Living in Hanoi made me long for the vast quietness of the countryside. Ninh Binh was always my weekend fix during my four-year stint in Vietnam’s capital. Ninh Binh’s huge rafts of farmed white ducks wallowing in its many waterways, with the expanse of rice fields in different shades of […]
June 5, 2026
Hong Kong reminds me of the paradox of human progress: the dragon-gated skyscrapers at Victoria’s Harbour coexists with the squalidness of Lucky House, infamous for its coffin houses. From the luxury cars becoming a commodity on the streets to the 570 bird species found in its land, representing one third […]