Biking – Travel Up

TAIWAN | Biking around Cijin Island, Kaohsiung

Biking around Cijin Island was one of the highlights of my recent solo trip to Kaohsiung, Taiwan. For first-time tourists who have half or a whole day to spare, this small island is one place you can easily visit for beach breaks with safe walking and biking trails.

Getting there is a cheap and short ferry ride from the mainland, you can spot some fun art installations along the coast, visit temples, bike through a tunnel, and hike up to a lighthouse overlooking the city.

Bike-friendly cafes in and near Maginhawa (2025)

Maginhawa Street in Quezon City has a LOT of restaurants to pick from. You could spend a day food-tripping here with different themes. You can find everything from budget-friendly eats catering to students, garden restos ideal for dates, vegan fare, Southeast Asian street food, classic Filipino restaurants, and more.

THE NETHERLANDS | Biking to windmills in Amsterdam

One of the highlights of our month-long trip to Europe last year was taking it slow and getting to bike around Amsterdam, the cycling capital of the world. The capital and largest city of the Netherlands is well-known for its vibrant biking culture. Cycling isn’t just merely a tool for transportation, exercise, or leisure. It’s a way of life.

10 unique & fun things to do in Manila

For travelers, backpackers and province-based tourists, Manila is often just thought of as a stopover between flights on the way to another destination. The big city can be overwhelming with the heavy traffic and crowded streets. It’s often seen as gritty and chaotic, especially if you visit the areas of Quiapo and Divisoria.

I often take the tourist sights in Manila for granted because I live here. But if I were a first-time tourist in the Philippines or if I had to take around foreign tourists, balikbayans, expats or province-based friends, what would I do and where would I go?

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.

Biking Destinations in and around Manila

Compared to many other cities around the world, Metro Manila is not a bike-friendly destination. The city itself, with the urban sprawl, horrible traffic, and lack of safe and secure bicycle lanes, makes it pretty scary to explore on two wheels. Sure, you can find many areas for urban biking in the city but chances are, these spots are difficult to get to or you’ll be exposed to the polluted city most of the time.

Biking in Manila is featured in National Geographic Magazine

My photo biking in Intramuros in Manila is featured in National Geographic Magazine!

Sometime in early 2023, one of the magazine’s photo editors reached out when they were looking for an image to represent new bike lanes being built around Intramuros in Manila. They found this photo with me and a Bambike from an article I published on this travel blog in March 2019 and asked if they could publish it.

Kilometer Zero markers and landmarks in the Philippines

We’ve all got to start from Zero.

Sometimes, a visit to one landmark can spur you to get out of the house and give you a reason to travel somewhere. If you follow this blog, you know that I like to collect random things or visit specific reference points during road trips. One new travel quest I want to do in the future is to loop some of the many islands in the Philippines by motorcycle (the larger ones) or by bike (the smaller ones). And the best place to start in each island would be the Kilometer Zero markers on the road.

Crusoe Cabins and Cocoons offer cozy beachfront stays in Calatagan, Batangas

“I wish I had a beach house,” I thought to myself as I lounged in the air-conditioned comfort of a private beachfront cabin in Calatagan, Batangas. Who wouldn’t want to watch the sunset every night and wake up to the view of the beach every morning. There’s a laid-back lifestyle that comes along with living at the beach even if you have to work remotely from there. There’s no rush to go anywhere. You can easily go for a swim in the morning or evening after work hours, and people seem more friendly without being burdened by the stress of traffic and city living.

Biking to the new Pasig River Esplanade (2024)

Last Sunday (January 21, 2024), we joined a group ride to Binondo with cycling advocacy group Firefly Brigade and went around Escolta afterwards to check out the newly opened Pasig River Esplanade. This area behind the Central Manila Post Office right next to Jones Bridge is set to be the newest tourist attraction along the river.

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