Lonely Planet Philippines 2024 guidebook is now available

If you got bitten by the travel bug before the digital era, chances are you’ve relied on Lonely Planet for your explorations.

For the past five decades, globetrotters have considered Lonely Planet’s classic guidebooks a “traveler’s bible” to help plan in-depth country trips and pick the best things to do, where to stay and where to eat in each country.

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Family-friendly holiday in Zamboanga City | Smile Magazine

The article I wrote about our family vacation to Zamboanga City was the cover story in the June 2024 issue of Cebu Pacific’s Smile Magazine.

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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.

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Magnificent mosques in Mindanao

Eid al-Fitr, which literally means the “Holiday of Breaking the Fast” is the first of two official holidays observed by Muslims worldwide. The holiday marks the end of the month-long fasting of Ramadan. In the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is the ninth month of the year, and their holy month of fasting, which lasts from dawn to sunset. This year, Eid al-Fitr will take place on the evening of Tuesday, April 9, 2024 to Wednesday, April 10, 2024 in the Philippines.

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Get inspired to travel, boost your business & earn extra cash from Pinned.ph

Do you miss traveling around the Philippines? Have you started a small business during this quarantine period and are looking for a way to increase your product’s visibility online? Or maybe you just have some free time on your hands and are looking for a way to earn some extra cash for your impulse cravings. If you answered yes to any of the above, you might want to check out the website Pinned.ph, a new digital lifestyle publication that highlights the best of the Philippines, while giving a much-needed boost to local destinations, businesses, and freelancers.

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Travel Up in Going Places Magazine

As a freelance writer and travel blogger, I usually write about destinations or other people. Last month, I was asked to go in front of the camera for a photo shoot and short video feature for Going Places Magazine, the monthly travel magazine of Manila Bulletin Publishing. First published in 1999 as Cruising, this is one of the longest-running magazines in the Philippines.

The editors chose to put the spotlight on “People of Travel” sharing features on Filipino bloggers and digital influencers who are changing the travel scene.

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Ride Review: Kymco Agility 125

The Kymco Agility 125 is a utilitarian scooter in the lower displacement market. Just like its name, this scooter is a nimble machine that’s suitable for urban commuting as well as leisure touring.

kymco agility 125 marilaqueI recently got to use and test it out for a review in Motorcycle World Magazine (which came out in the July 2015 issue). I usually write about travel destinations you can reach by motorcycle, rider’s profile interviews and restaurants that bikers might be interested in. This was my first time to do a motorcycle review and I hope it won’t be the last. Here’s a quick look at the scooter’s main features.

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Illustrado: Motorcycling around the Philippines

Experience Beautiful Philippines like you’ve never done before in Illustrado Magazine’s Issue 73: “Escape.” For this issue, I wrote a feature on five destinations in the Philippines (Marilaque, Sagada, Bicol, Puerto Princesa & Siargao) from behind two wheels and listed a few dream destinations for motorcycle tours.

This issue also has a great fashion spread taken in the surreal Kapurpurawan Rock Formations in Burgos, Ilocos Norte. Check out the photoshoot in Illustrado’s Fashion Gallery on Facebook. The community lifestyle magazine is available in major bookstores in Dubai and selected Fully Booked Bookstores in Manila.

Things to Do in Lake Sebu

With its rough, steep terrain and narrow mountain roads, Lake Sebu is best explored by habal-habal (motorcycle). Located at the southwestern of the province of South Cotabato, this idyllic town is home to a host of natural attractions and points of cultural interest. However, there aren’t a lot of paved roads, so getting around is a thrilling experience in itself. Aboard a motorcycle, you can reach remote areas that can’t be navigated by jeepneys and tricycles.

lake sebu 7 falls rainbow

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Secrets of Sohoton, Bucas Grande Island

“The main entrance and exit is only accessible during low tide” said our guide as our pump boat glided through the water in the dark cave half-submerged in water. The hard hats we had been issued shielded us from the stalactites that hung precariously above our heads. The boatmen expertly maneuvered through the cave entrance towards a pinprick of light that slowly opened up into a vast lagoon. I stared in awe at the stunning landscape I saw before me.

We had just entered Sohoton Cove, a natural haven that is the pride of Bucas Grande Island in Surigao del Norte. Continue reading “Secrets of Sohoton, Bucas Grande Island”