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SLOVAKIA | Things to do in Bratislava

After a couple of days in Austria, we passed through Slovakia (the fourth country on our Europe trip), on the way to Czechia. Slovakia is a small landlocked country known for its stunning castles, folkloric traditions, and – surprisingly – cars!

Fun fact: Slovakia is the world’s largest producer of cars per capita with major automotive companies like Volkswagen, PSA (Peugeot and Citroën) and Jaguar operating in the country. We didn’t spot any of those cars though, as the main historic center is pedestrianized, which made walking around very pleasant.

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AUSTRIA | Things to do in Vienna

Renowned for its natural landscapes, music, literature and art, Austria is a wonderful destination to visit in Europe. Austria was the third country we visited on our European tour earlier this year. After traveling around Rome and Venice in Italy, we crossed to Austria in Central Europe, which lies in the Eastern Alps. Most of us are familiar with some aspects of Austrian culture having grown up watching the classic 1965 film The Sound of Music starring Julie Andrews. The real von Trapp family once lived in Salzburg and the movie was filmed mainly in and around the city.

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ITALY | Free things to do in Venice

Venice needs no introduction. The world-famous floating city in Italy has been featured in so many Hollywood films, TV shows, books, video games and modern media, that everyone knows what it looks like. Theme parks and malls around the world build artificial canals just to replicate the look and feel of Venice.

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Lonely Planet Philippines 2024 guidebook is now available

If you got bitten by the travel bug before the digital era, chances are you’ve relied on Lonely Planet for your explorations.

For the past five decades, globetrotters have considered Lonely Planet’s classic guidebooks a “traveler’s bible” to help plan in-depth country trips and pick the best things to do, where to stay and where to eat in each country.

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ITALY | Exploring Rome on rented bikes

Rome isn’t really famous as a cycling destination compared to other European cities. The first thing that comes to mind when you think of exploring Rome on two wheels is driving the iconic Vespa rather than a traditional bicycle. My original vision of our Roman Holiday involved whizzing around ancient sites and city streets aboard the classic Italian luxury scooter.

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Travel Highlights: Our 27-day Europe trip

Traveling to Europe has always been on our travel bucket list. We originally hoped to go on a European tour in May 2020 for our 10th wedding anniversary, but we all know what happened that year. In the past few years, I’ve realized that life is short and we should take the time to travel and enjoy life while we can. Fast forward four years later, and the dream came true when we finally went on our first-ever trip to Europe to 10 countries for almost a month in June 2024.

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Travel Guide: 82 Provinces of the Philippines

UPDATE: In September 2022, the province of Maguindanao was split into two, so the Philippines now has 82 provinces. This travel guide was originally completed and written in 2019 before the split and the pandemic, but has been updated to reflect the new province and newer photos from more recent revisits.

The Philippines is made up of 82 provinces, spread out under three major island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanano. Currently, there are 38 provinces in Luzon, 16 in Visayas, and 28 in Mindanao. The provinces are grouped under different regions based on their geographical, cultural, and ethnological characteristics.

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Ultimate Guide to the National Museum of the Philippines: Fine Arts, Anthropology, Natural History & Site Museums

UPDATE: Starting January 1, 2025, all National Museums in the Philippines including regional site museums will now be open 7 days a week, free of charge!

For tourists in transit in Manila for a few days and urban dwellers who need to entertain visiting balikbayans and relatives near the Intramuros area, the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) complex’s three central museums, namely the Museum of Fine Arts, Anthropology and Natural History, are worth a visit.

Entrance is free and no reservations are required to visit the three museums, which are located within easy walking distance of each other. These three major museums are fairly large, and contain over four to six floors each. Going around each museum could easily take 1-2 hours.

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JAPAN | Travel Guide: Sapporo during the winter season

Like most Filipino travelers, I’ve always wanted to experience winter. While our tropical country is blessed with beautiful beaches and islands, the fact that we don’t ever get to experience snow firsthand makes it extremely captivating. Traveling to a winter destination is just one of those things most of us have on our travel bucket-lists. Maybe it’s all the Hollywood movies and fairy tales we’re exposed to during Christmastime, but winter just looks like such a magical experience. My trip to Sapporo, the capital and largest city of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island was my first taste of winter.

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SIDEQUEST | Money Trail: Explore the iconic sites on Philippine Currency

I like to do self-imposed quests and collect certain items when I travel. One of the personal challenges or sidequests I’ve been trying to complete is to visit all the destinations featured on the back of our Philippine currency. The current set of banknotes issued by the Central Bank of the Philippines features Philippine landmarks and tourist destinations, which are considered the most valuable treasures of our nation. As of November 2017, I’ve traveled to and taken photos of the landmarks in five out of the six locations around the country.

GOAL: Take photos of Philippine banknotes with the landmarks featured on the bill STATUS: 5/6 collected

NEXT MISSION: Dive with a 1000 bill at Tubbataha Reef

Where to buy limited edition Beep cards with Philippine designs

If you use public transportation in Metro Manila, you probably already own a beep card. These stored value cards can be used to pay fare in Metro Manila’s 3 elevated railways – the LRT, LRT-2, MRT-3, point-to-point (P2P) buses, modern PUVs and Cebu ferries.

Going cashless saves you the hassle of lining up every time to get a ticket and saves you a bit on fare compared to using single-journey tickets. These cards can also be used to pay for transactions in some convenience stores and LRT-1 stalls.

How to get to and around Intramuros, Manila

Intramuros is one of the top tourist destinations in Manila for good reason. The Old Walled City is the premiere destination for any first-time tourists in transit to Manila and the go-to destination for entertaining balikbayans who might be home for the holidays. There have been a lot of improvements to the area in recent months like the Pasig River Esplanade, new museums like Centro de Turismo Intramuros and new cafes in Intramuros, which might interest the general public.

With the traffic and limited parking in the area, driving a private vehicle and finding a place to park here can feel like a chore. If you plan to revisit Intramuros but are unsure of how to get there and around, here’s a guide to help you out.

Money-saving tips and top payment options for Europe

Last summer, my husband Art and I went on an amazing month-long trip to 10 European countries, including bucket-list destinations Italy, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Amsterdam. Aside from all the pre-trip jitters and planning that had to be made, one of the things I was concerned about was how to handle our finances for the trip.

Unique cemeteries around the Philippines

Going out of your way to visit a cemetery (other than those where your loved ones are buried on All Souls’ Day) isn’t something most people would want to do during a holiday. Visiting crypts, graveyards and tombs don’t hold the same appeal for tourists compared to visiting beaches, waterfalls and other natural attractions. But around the Philippines, you can find hauntingly beautiful and bizarre cemeteries that have become tourist spots in their own right.

Here are just a few of the unusual burial grounds in the country worth visiting any time of the year.

Food Trip: Where to eat and drink in Sagada

After a day of hiking, caving, biking, and other adventure activities, you’ll definitely work up an appetite while in Sagada. Even if you’re just on a chill staycation, you’ll probably get really hungry walking around town because of the cooler weather and steep roads.

While the small mountain town has fewer dining choices than Baguio City, it’s worth checking out all the unique homegrown restaurants that make use of local ingredients and highlight the rich mountain culture.

Food Trip: Where to eat and drink in Baguio City

Baguio City has always been one of the country’s top destinations during the Christmas season. The cold, chilly breeze, Christmas lights, scenic spots, and great eats make the City of Pines a favorite among those based in Manila and the rest of Luzon looking for a quick getaway for long weekends and holidays.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Philippines

Around the world, you can find landmarks and tourist spots that have that distinction of being called UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These spots are selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as having high cultural, historical, scientific or other forms of significance, and become legally protected by international treaties.

Metro Manila Museum Guide | Locations, hours, fees & discounted ticket booking

If you’re looking for something new to do in Metro Manila aside from visiting malls, why not explore museums? Whether you’re on a museum date with friends or exploring solo, there are many notable museums around Metro Manila worth your time. Some of these are completely free to visit.

Here’s a reference list of museums in Metro Manila for those who want to learn more about history, culture, or appreciate art. I’ve included their location, business hours and entrance fees if any.

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