March 14, 2024
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 […]
March 14, 2024
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 […]
March 13, 2024
You’ve probably heard the saying: “You can take the person out of the island, but you can’t take the island out of the person.” For me, born and raised in the tropics, this rings especially true. Since relocating to Munich, Germany, one of my greatest challenges as an island creature […]
February 22, 2024
Punta Cana Travel Guide which focuses on where to stay in Punta Cana lists down all the all-inclusive resorts and travel tips to make your trip memorable. NO TIME TO READ IT NOW? PIN IT! It is a resort town. No mistake for that. Located on the eastern tip of […]
February 21, 2024
This Astoria Palawan blog review first appeared on my column Down South on Interaksyon.com. I included more photos here to give justice to the beauty of this place. PALAWAN, PHILIPPINES—An egret ambled around my deck, peering through the glass wall of my own sanctuary. It must be looking for food. […]
February 20, 2024
One idea if you’re looking to get away is to head out on a road trip. It’s a great opportunity to explore new places and have some quality time with your passengers. It doesn’t mean you should just hop in your car and wing it. Instead, there are actions you […]
February 3, 2024
All four of us, all girls, coincidentally stayed in the same hostel. One is a courageous young Filipino-American woman, one is from Germany, who has a friend joining her, and this friend happens to Filipino-Swedish. What are the odds to have three Filipinas in a dorm by a coast in […]
January 18, 2024
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 […]
January 12, 2024
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 […]
January 12, 2024
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 […]
January 10, 2024
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 […]
January 9, 2024
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 […]