A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
The first thing that popped in my head when I got an invitation to visit Sapporo was beer. Sapporo Brewery is known as the oldest brewery in Japan, named after the capital and largest city of the country’s northernmost island. Though bottled variants of the Black Label variety are now available around the world, nothing beats drinking fresh draft beer right in the town where it originated, right?
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.
It’s been over a year since the Marawi Siege, the longest urban battle in the modern history of the Philippines. No doubt, you’ve seen the images online of the capital of Lanao del Sur in the Southern Island of Mindanao during and after the conflict. Continue reading “#ForMindanao: Hope for Marawi”
Motorcycle Tourism has really taken off around the world and in the Philippines. While you can rent scooters and underbones in smaller island provinces to drive on your own for easy exploration, some riders prefer using higher displacement adventure or touring bikes especially if they have to pass through the expressways going up North and down South in mainland Luzon. Other international tourists who are not that familiar with the Philippines might prefer to ride in the company of a group for safety and security.
Zamboanga Sibugay is one of the newest provinces in the Philippines. It’s the 79th province created in the country, with territories carved out from the third district of Zamboanga del Sur in 2001. Located in Region 9 or the Zamboanga Peninsula in Mindanao, this area lies smack in the middle the road traversing from Zamboanga City to Zamboanga del Sur. But what can you do there? I was curious about that myself. Most destinations have a clear identity or something they’re known for. You immediately think of vintas when you think of Zamboanga City and the steep inclined tricycles when you think of Pagadian, but this province is a bit more obscure and mysterious.
Culion Island in Palawan is not your typical mainstream tourist destination. Locals say that most people have either never heard of Culion, or know it only for once being the world’s largest leper colony. In fact, the island was isolated for over a century. The Culion leper colony was established in 1906, and patients from different parts of the Philippines and hospital staff were brought to Culion. But in 2006, the island was declared leprosy-free by the World Health Organization.
Bukidnon is a province in the Philippines located in Northern Mindanao. Despite being the third largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction behind Palawan and Isabela, this province remains still a bit off the tourist radar. Many travelers have yet to explore the province’s amazing attractions.
With more than 7,000 islands, the Philippines is blessed with beach breaks along both the Pacific Ocean and South China Sea, as well as reef breaks throughout the archipelago. For surfers, this means that there are numerous surf spots around the country to check out.
So I got featured on Prime-time television again. Last month, I got asked to be a guest rider on the third episode of Ride Mo’To, a new show “For Riders and Soon to Be Riders” hosted by Paolo Abrera that airs on ABS-CBN Sports and Action. The episode I was featured in for the rider profile was all about Millennial Travel and Motorcycles with scooters provided by Yamaha and Suzuki, two of major brands carried by motorcycle dealer and show sponsor Wheeltek.
A lot has changed in Siargao since the fist time I visited in 2012. The quiet island where I found peace and serenity during one of my first memorable solo trips felt uncomfortably crowded. Despite it being the lean season, direct flights have made the island more accessible to international and local tourists. Tourism is booming in General Luna.
Continue reading “Revisiting Siargao after Six Years”
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