Travel Guide: Baler, Aurora

Baler, the capital town of the province of Aurora, is a haven for surfers and bikers. This laid-back coastal town is known primarily for its waves. Numerous surf shops are situated along Sabang beach catering to novice and the seasoned surfers. 

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Craft Beer Bars in Manila

The local craft beer scene in the Philippines is really booming as brewers infuse local flavors and creativity to homegrown beers. You can find now find a growing number of Philippine craft beer breweries when you travel around the country, with cozy brewpubs and craft beer joints in top tourist hubs like Baguio, Sagada, Vigan, La Union, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Palawan, Davao and Iligan.

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Top 10 Places to Eat in Maginhawa (2019)

Maginhawa Street in Quezon City is one of the top go-to places for a food trip around the metro. However, the turnover rate in the area has become really high lately. I’m having a hard time keeping this list updated every time a new restaurant opens or closes in the area. To make my life easier, I’ve decided to just narrow down this list to 10 places to eat in the Maginhawa area (which are still open as of January 2019).

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Travel Guide: Culion, Palawan

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.

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10 Things to Do in Auckland, New Zealand

For international travelers, Auckland, the largest city on North Island is the main entry and exit point to New Zealand. Traveling from Manila, Auckland was our first and last stop during our family trip / backpacking tour in 2016. This diverse and multicultural city is home to the largest Polynesian population in the world. It’s just one of the amazing places in the sovereign island country of New Zealand located in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean, which I consider one of the best places I have ever visited in the world

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Maranao condiment ‘Palapa’ offers hope for Marawi women

INGREDIENTS: ginger, sakurab (white scallions) and sili (native chili)

PREPARATION: Chop one part scallions, one part ginger and one part chili peppers into small pieces. Crush ingredients finely and pound everything together with a mortar and pestle. As soon as it is blended, the palapa can already be eaten in its raw form.

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Fat Pauly’s Taproom + Pub, Iligan City

Fat Pauly’s Hand-crafted Ales & Lagers is one of the first craft breweries in the Philippines and currently the only brewery based on the large island of Mindanao in Southern Philippines. This proud local brand established in 2010 makes fresh home-brewed beers using the finest imported brew grade malt and local indigenous ingredients like Timoga Spring waters and wild Putyukan Honey.

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Pentahotel’s Eat Street & Pizza Bar

One of the coolest features of Pentahotels in Hong Kong are their in-house restaurants and bars. Combining the hotel lobby, reception area, bar and cafe into a single venue, Pentalounge is a lively gathering place with 230 seats anchored by eatstreet@ pentalounge which offers favorite Hong Kong dishes and a variety of comfort foods and all-day drinks.

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Road Trip Restaurants along Marilaque

For riders, cyclists and road trippers clocking in the miles, meals on the road often just consist of quick stops at fast food joints or meet-ups at gas station convenience stores before heading out. Most riders would be satisfied with cup noodles or hot coffee to warm up along the way. A few years ago, this was pretty much all there was along the Marilaque route (also known as Marikina-Infanta or Marcos Highway), the scenic twisting road traversing Marikina, Rizal, Laguna all the way to Infanta, Quezon.

During weekend rides, I’ve noticed a lot of new places to eat and a lot of other establishments being built along the route. Below is a growing list of old favorites and new places where you can grab a bite to eat and enjoy the view along Marilaque. Manila East Road (specially in towns overlooking Laguna de Bay) also has a lot of interesting dining places that makes it great for road trips. This is arranged by distance coming from the Quezon City side.

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Solina Beach & Nature Resort, Iloilo

For those planning to go island-hopping around the Gigantes Group of Islands in Iloilo this summer, you might want to extend your trip to more than just a day tour. Solina Beach & Nature Resort in the town of Carles offers a luxurious gateway to your Gigantes adventure. The only high-end beachfront resort in Carles is a destination in itself, with stylish swimming pools, its own large in-house restaurant serving local specialties and spacious and comfortable accommodations.

Opened in time for the summer season, Solina Beach & Nature Resort offers three types of rooms for guests from cozy pods, well-appointed villas and outdoorsy glamping-style cabins

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