Category: Geek/Gaming

JAPAN | Guide to Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan, Osaka

Anyone who grew up playing old school video games dreams of visiting Super Nintendo World. This themed section inside Universal Studios Japan in Osaka is a geek-filled paradise where you warp right into Princess Peach’s Castle, punch question mark blocks in real life, and dine on cute Mario-themed food items.

After years of being stuck at home and escaping to virtual worlds, it felt great to get sucked into this immersive video game world in real life in Japan during a recent family trip. 

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Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo -The Making of Harry Potter tickets now available

Want to experience the magic of the Wizarding World on your next trip to Japan? Travel and experiences platform Klook has just launched tickets for pre-booking to Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter on its platform.

In case you’re a Potterhead planning to visit Japan soon and have already been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Osaka, you can add this hassle-free tour to your Tokyo bucket list.

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Video games with environmental themes to play this Earth Month

Climate change, air pollution, and other destructive habits of human beings towards the environment should be a great cause of concern to everyone. Travelers are well-aware of the environmental troubles impacting tourist destinations in the Philippines, including the encroachment of territories in Masungi Georeserve, destruction of mountains due to mining in Sibuyan Island, and damage to marine life brought by the recent oil spill in the wates of Mindoro.

However, kids these days are growing up stuck to their screens rather than exposed to the great outdoors. One way to make the younger generation appreciate the value of nature and our environment more is through video games. 

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Travel Guide: 82 Provinces of the Philippines

UPDATE: In September 2022, the province of Maguindanao was split into two, so the Philippines now has 82 provinces. This travel guide was originally completed and written in 2019 before the split and the pandemic, but has been updated to reflect the new province and newer photos from more recent revisits.

The Philippines is made up of 82 provinces, spread out under three major island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanano. Currently, there are 38 provinces in Luzon, 16 in Visayas, and 28 in Mindanao. The provinces are grouped under different regions based on their geographical, cultural, and ethnological characteristics.

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Video games to keep you busy during the holidays

With work and life normalizing the past six months, I haven’t had a lot of time to play video games. However, I am looking forward to getting back into gaming and escape to virtual worlds again this holiday season.

I recently bought Horizon Forbidden West (months late after its Feb. 2022 release) and am planning to get God of War: Ragnarök (released in Nov. 2022), which has been nominated for the Game of the Year Awards 2022 next.

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Book Museum and Ethnology Center in Marikina

Do you miss traveling and going to museums? The Book Museum and Ethnology Center in Marikina announced that they’re finally reopening on July 18, 2021 (Sunday) at 50% capacity. This colorful and quirky museum offers an interesting visit for book-lovers and avid travelers. The museum contains a collection of limited edition books and published materials from all around the world, including travel artifacts from different regions of the Philippines.

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How video games helped me during the pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on the video game industry. With restricted movement as people are forced to quarantine at home, interest in gaming has just boomed. People have turned to video games as a hobby and means of socialization, organizing virtual meet ups with friends through games. While many industries are still struggling to find their footing, video games continue to be developed and released digitally, so it’s still possible to access new games and content even with prolonged lockdowns.

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Go on a Virtual Scavenger Hunt through Hong Kong

The last time I was in Hong Kong was in 2018 for a solo 3-day trip, I enjoyed walking around the gardens in the city, navigating through the city to hunt for IG-worthy spots and street art, and chowing down on amazing street food and craft beer. Before that, it was on a family trip to Hong Kong Disneyland with my mom, sister and nephew. Hong Kong is just one of those destinations that you don’t mind visiting again and again because there’s always something new to discover.

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Urban legends in Manila: Balete Drive, Manila Film Center and more

The Philippines has its fair share of urban legends. A lot of Filipinos are superstitious or use horror stories to scare children into good behavior. We’ve all heard ghost stories or supernatural tales usually depicted as having happened to a friend of a neighbor or a distant family member and passed along by word of mouth, newspapers, and social media. Some urban legends have achieved cult classic status and become the subject of horror films and Halloween-related segments featuring haunted places in Manila.

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How I’m Coping with a Life of No Travel

Like you, I miss the freedom of the open road. I miss that feeling of discovery, of stepping foot somewhere new for the first time and knowing that there’s a beautiful world just waiting out there to be explored. As much as I used to complain about travel burnout in the past, there are simple things I miss about pre-COVID travels. Like riding somewhere without the fear of being stopped at a checkpoint; those sudden and unexpected trip assignments to cover events in another province; or just random city adventures and drinks at a bar afterwards with friends.

I know there are so many bigger problems out there. So many people have been left jobless and businesses everywhere are suffering because of restricted movements brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. The uncertainty of this virus and the possibility of getting sick and dying is very real. Everyone has switched to survival mode and leisure travel should be the furthest thing from everyone’s mind.

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