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 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 […]
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 […]
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
May 8, 2026
Sometimes, me yapping about a lot of things get me some personal stories and letters that I think may resonate with others. So I’m sharing someone’s story and take on that matter. Yes, I know I talk a lot about my own financial independence (for sure, therapists, armchair or otherwise, […]
April 9, 2026
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being financially dependent on your partner, especially if you’re the main caregiver. It’s a role that deserves respect and recognition. However, the narrative of the man as the sole provider, often perpetuated on social media, oversimplifies the reality of many households. Financial contributions are just […]
February 27, 2026
After moving countries more than once, I’ve stopped romanticizing the phrase “working abroad.” I’ve done the wide-eyed arrival. I’ve signed contracts in languages that weren’t mine. I’ve built a version of adulthood in places that didn’t raise me – first in Vietnam for four years, now in Germany, where I’m […]
January 22, 2025
As a seasoned travel blogger with over a decade of experience and deep expertise in SEO, I’ve witnessed how strategically optimized content can directly influence a traveler’s booking decisions. Today, travelers are savvier than ever—they research, compare, and weigh their options before making a commitment. This is where SEO-driven content […]
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
July 4, 2024
Summer vacations and a good book go hand-in-hand. My very blog won’t be named as such if I don’t pack at least three books with me wherever I travel. It is just a force of habit because you will never know one book will never be enough. Talking about books, […]
December 7, 2023
Are these names familiar? George Sand. Colette. Simone de Beauvoir. Madame de la Fayette. Gertrude Stein. No? How about Moliere, Voltaire, Balzac, Victor Hugo and Zola and Proust. Yeah? Yeah, now I know what kind of reader you are. 😉 So yes, these are some of the most popular writers […]
October 19, 2023
It is in my DNA to check out the local bookstore scene wherever I am. Most of my favorites are usually independent bookstores that have that well-kept forgottenness kind of vibe. If you get my drift. Think of Paris’ Shakespeare and Co. Or Hanoi’s Tiny Cafe franchise (although this one […]
October 3, 2023
I have a flippant mind, but in this life, my obsessions have been quite consistent the past fifteen years or so. Books. Cats. Travel. Plants. My hobbies, as I love saying now in German, das passt nicht zusammen. They don’t fit together. Well, living in a camper van will make […]
life and food
One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.—Virginia Woolf
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 […]
June 8, 2026
Raleigh, where southern charm meets contemporary flair, is a city that embraces its past while forging ahead. Imagine strolling through historic neighborhoods in the morning and sampling innovative cuisine in chic bistros by evening. I personally think it’s a place where the echoes of North Carolina’s rich history mingle with […]
June 8, 2026
Portland, Oregon, where untamed wilderness converges with cutting-edge creativity, is a city of contrasts. Picture yourself hiking through dense forests in the morning and savoring artisanal coffee in a cozy cafe by afternoon. It’s a place where food trucks offer gourmet surprises and indie musicians set the night on fire. […]
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 […]