A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
Motorcycle taxis in the Philippines have been given the go-signal to operate again. However, passengers now need to bring their own helmets. In the past motorcycle taxis would provide helmets for passengers. But with the ongoing threat of COVID, passengers who want to back ride need to provide their own helmets for health reasons.
Hello, Sydney! For international travelers, Sydney is the destination that immediately comes to mind when anyone mentions Australia. Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia and Oceania. It’s among the top fifteen most-visited cities in the world, with millions of tourists going each year to see the city’s most famous landmarks including the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge. But beyond historical and cultural sites, Sydney has loads of nature destinations to offer including beaches and mountains and adventure activities for those who prefer the great outdoors.
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. Located at the Northern end of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Canberra was founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation. Despite being the largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall in the country, Canberra has a laid-back and relaxing “small-town vibe.” The country’s capital offers an amazing mix of history, art, food, and the outdoors.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on a biking boom in the Philippines and around the world, unlike anything we’ve seen before. More and more people are getting into biking as their main means of transportation and leisure weekend activity. Provincial borders may still closed and leisure travel is still prohibited in the NCR, but biking for exercise can really open up a whole new world of adventure.
If you are a solo traveler planning a safari tour, you are signing up for an adventure of a lifetime. The best part of traveling solo is that you get to enjoy everything the way you like. You don’t have to change your plans because your friends or family members don’t feel like doing the same thing. You have the freedom to do whatever you like and whenever you want.
The Balara Filters Park is one of the oldest recreation areas in Quezon City. First opened to the public in 1953, this 60-hectare park (almost as big as Rizal Park) is located in the Diliman village of Pansol in Quezon City, adjacent to the University of the Philippines Diliman main campus. This intriguing place contains an assortment of Art Deco structures, an old windmill, a replica of a fountain designed by a national artist, a picnic grove, an amphitheater, and several playgrounds.
Despite being one of Quezon’s City major parks, the historic value of the structures, and natural beauty of the surroundings, the park now lies in a sad state of neglect and dilapidation, resembling an eerie ghost town rather than a public park. Biking through this area always makes me feel like I’ve just entered Silent Hill or a long-abandoned town in The Last of Us.
Continue reading “Biking in Balara Filters Park”Biking is one of the few allowable outdoor exercises during the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) in Manila. Since the lockdown was declared, we’ve been biking more around our neighborhood for errands and nearby destinations to get fresh air and exercise during the weekends. For new cyclists who bought bikes during the pandemic who are not yet familiar with the usual biking spots in the city, I’ll be sharing more details and photos about safe biking destinations in and around Manila.
The United Kingdom (UK) is a great place to go on a cycling tour. If you consider its geological layout, you’ll find it similar to the rest of Europe in many ways. Cycling tours are popular in Europe, but they are equally interesting and rewarding in the UK as well. The scenery is stunning and the weather is pleasant. There’s usually a nice cool breeze to stop you from getting too hot as you cycle through lush green pathways towards your destination. Everything gets better when you embark on a Sea-to-Sea cycling holiday tour set up and managed by a company like Mickledore.
The idea is simple, you start from one coast and cycle all the way to another. You pass through all kinds of terrain and live adventures and amass stories you’ll tell your friends and family about. Interestingly, it’s not about just the experience and joy. A coast-to-coast cycling tour does something to your body as well and this article is all about that. Let’s get right into it, shall we?
Continue reading “Biking Bucketlist: Sea to Sea Cycling Tour in the UK”If you’re planning to drive a motorcycle or regularly back ride as a passenger, the most basic piece of safety equipment you need is a proper helmet. Since motorcycles don’t provide the structural protection that a car does to keep drivers safe in the event of accidents, riders need to take extra precautions to protect their body, especially their head – and that’s where helmets come in.
A lot of shops in the Philippines sell motorcycle helmets designed for guys. As a female rider, I’ve personally had a hard time finding a helmet that fits me. While I’ve used a few different helmets over the years, the best-fitting ones for me so far have been the ones from LS2 Helmets Philippines.
Continue reading “Gear Guide: Choosing a Motorcycle Helmet”The Philippines is made up of over 7,000 different islands, which can make getting around the country a bit challenging. For backpackers who want to cover a lot of ground at one time, planning your route and trying to visit major tourist destinations spread apart the country can be a bit of a puzzle. While there are ferries and boats that connect major islands, it’s difficult to know exactly where to go.
In most cases, it’s practical and faster to just fly between islands to maximize your trip. For some places in Northern Luzon without commercial flights, you have no option but to take a bus or travel by land from major cities. For first time travelers to the Philippines, it really helps to focus on particular regions and aim for quality instead of trying to visit every major tourist hub.
Continue reading “Top Destinations in the Philippines for Backpackers”
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