A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
The Circle Hostel is a chain of eco-hostels in the Philippines catering to surfers and backpackers looking for a community atmosphere and budget-friendly lodging. They aim to be a “sanctuary for the artsy and the adventurous” where people can express themselves freely.
On the left side of the road was a towering rock wall. On the right was a cliff that plummeted down into the sea, complete with dramatic waves crashing into the rocky coast. The winding road carved into the hills narrowed into one lane as it made its way around a sharp bend. Yellow “Blow Ur Horn” signs painted on stone markers signaled blind spots in the road, leading to landscapes that wouldn’t look out of place in a fantasy film.
Lately, beer has become sort of an obsession of mine. In particular, I’ve been very interested to sample all the variants of craft beer made in the Philippines. I was browsing through Facebook when I came across an announcement for a Craft Beer and Food Pairing Dinner organized by Books, Bites & Brews to be held on February 1, 2014.
Continue reading “Books Bites & Brews Craft Beer and Food Pairing”
Batanes, the northernmost province of the Philippines, has been on my bucket list for years. Referred to as “the Home of the Winds” because of its cool and windy weather, Batanes offers a unique blend of breathtaking scenery, natural attractions and well-preserved culture. It’s the only province in the country that’s been declared in its entirety as a protected Landscape and Seascape. You could spend days here and not get tired of the views.
Jariel’s Peak in Infanta, Quezon is a popular weekend spot for motorcycle riders based in Manila. It has everything that makes a for a great half-day trip – enough distance to make the ride feel “not bitin,” twisty mountain roads, and cool climate and scenery that transports you visually to Baguio or Sagada. In fact, the place is located in a sitio called Little Baguio. Plus, it’s off the grid, if you like that kind of thing. No electricity or phone signal here, folks. You’ll have to wait to post on Instagram or Facebook once you get home
Spiky branches of vivid orange, yellow and teal swayed lazily in the water. What looked like purple clam lips on pink brain-like corals seemingly smiled as I snorkeled by. A school of rainbow colored fish swept past me, darting in and out of the corals.
Photo by RadManila Communications, Inc. courtesy of Kawil Tours
Snorkeling in the Crowning Glory Reef, a marine protected area in Culion, has got to be one of the major highlights of my trip to the Calamian islands late last year. This site is the BEST place I’ve ever tried snorkeling and my standards are now very, very high after this. All other underwater destinations I’ve visited now seem to be muted seascapes that pale in comparison to the rich marine life I saw in the Crowning Glory Reef. Continue reading “Isla Culion: Crowning Glory Reef & Lusong Shipwreck”
I often like to think of myself as a character in a video game when I travel. In fact, this blog was inspired by the whole video game concept of “Leveling Up” and I consider every trip as a way to earn EXP points. Last year, I was fortunate to get upgrades for some of the motorcycling gear I’ve been using for road trips. So in the tradition of upgrading equipment in video games, here’s a look at the main features of the motorcycle safety gear by Spyder and what makes them so cool:
Park, Rest & Dine is an eclectic and quirky restaurant located along Marcos Highway (Marikina-Infanta Highway) that serves pretty good meals. During road trips, I always prefer eating in places with character and these are few and far between along this highway. There are lots of small carinderias and a couple of resorts that have their own in-house restaurants along the highway if you’re not too picky about meals, but Park, Rest & Dine offers a pretty good selection of affordable meals in a pleasant setting.
On the first day of 2014, I took a solo motorcycle ride as a “good luck ride” for the year ahead. I ended up finding a very nice waterfall not that far from the city. This relatively unknown waterfall that’s just an hour away from the Quezon City area is a promising weekend destination for motorcyclists and mountain bikers.
Continue reading “Palo Alto Falls & Leisure Park in Baras, Rizal”
It seems like only yesterday when I decided to put up this blog to chronicle my real and virtual adventures. But here I am, writing the third edition of a year-ender post, which is apparently my 200th blogpost as well! Time flies when you’re having fun. It’s been a really awesome year in gaming (separate post on this) and not a bad year in terms of travel. I wasn’t able to travel internationally, but I discovered a few off-the-beaten path destinations closer to home and got to tick a few places off my bucket list. Here are some achievements unlocked and noteworthy adventures in 2013:
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