January 12, 2024

The Ultimate 40 Siargao Tourist Spots You Must Experience

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 […]
October 28, 2023

Your Ultimate South Cebu Tourist Spots Guide from a Local

Last edit: February 2023 | I included a frequently asked questions section at the bottom of this South Cebu Tourist Spots | Things to Do in South Cebu post. If you got a question, fill free to leave a comment below. I check my blog all the time and answer […]
March 1, 2022

Surfing in the Philippines: Your Ultimate Travel Guide

Surfing spots in the Philippines come aplenty. Thanks to facing the great Pacific. Some kindred spirits look for something more intense and more adventurous, and to heed your plea, here is your surfing travel guide in the Philippines. Surfing indeed is not for everyone. But it does not mean, it […]
February 16, 2016

On Punches and Beautiful Rainbows

“Indonesian???” asked a local who looked at me with a confused look in his own face. “No,” I would smile. “Japan?” “No.” “Thailand?” “No.” “Vietnam!” “Try harder!” “Philippine!” And he laughed, as if he won the lottery. This guessing game is one of the few constants on my trips around […]
February 11, 2016

Ten Philippine Destinations Where Your $100 Can Go Far

Said the overly quoted Pico Iyer, “We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, […]
February 7, 2016

Wanna Make Your Blog Popular? Travel the Philippines and Praise or Bitch It

Here in Cebu, local travel bloggers often meet fellow travel bloggers from Luzon or Mindanao for dinner or beer. We would talk about places, travel plans, and other fellow travel bloggers who succumbed to click-bait articles and listicles such as “Five Reasons I Hate Davao City” or “20 Photos from the Philippines, […]
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 […]
June 1, 2013

Pinoy Travel Bloggers | Summer Epilogue

It is the body  that knows first that summer has arrived. Sweat trails the scalp, the spine, the forehead. It is the exposed skin that turns a shade darker. It is the nape that feels the uncomfortableness of of the heat. It is the body that screams for an escape to the […]
March 28, 2012

Where Does Siquijor’s Magic Come from?

You must have googled about Siquijor witches. Hence, you are here. This one, though, is an essay on my first trip to Siquijor. This was the first essay that led me to travel writing. And I hope you enjoy reading this narrative. *** While sitting under the thick foliage of […]