Category: Travel Guide

JAPAN | Travel Guide: Sapporo during the winter season

Like most Filipino travelers, I’ve always wanted to experience winter. While our tropical country is blessed with beautiful beaches and islands, the fact that we don’t ever get to experience snow firsthand makes it extremely captivating. Traveling to a winter destination is just one of those things most of us have on our travel bucket-lists. Maybe it’s all the Hollywood movies and fairy tales we’re exposed to during Christmastime, but winter just looks like such a magical experience. My trip to Sapporo, the capital and largest city of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island was my first taste of winter.

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Travel Guide: Zamboanga Sibugay

Zamboanga Sibugay is one of the newest provinces in the Philippines. It’s the 79th province created in the country, with territories carved out from the third district of Zamboanga del Sur in 2001. Located in Region 9 or the Zamboanga Peninsula in Mindanao, this area lies smack in the middle the road traversing from Zamboanga City to Zamboanga del Sur. But what can you do there? I was curious about that myself. Most destinations have a clear identity or something they’re known for. You immediately think of vintas when you think of Zamboanga City and the steep inclined tricycles when you think of Pagadian, but this province is a bit more obscure and mysterious.

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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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Surf Spots in the Philippines

With more than 7,000 islands, the Philippines is blessed with beach breaks along both the Pacific Ocean and South China Sea, as well as reef breaks throughout the archipelago. For surfers, this means that there are numerous surf spots around the country to check out.

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Travel Guide: Once Islas, Zamboanga City

Most tourists associate Zamboanga City with Sta. Cruz Island, famous for having a pink sand beach. But there’s a new eco-cultural tourism destination that you can check out in the area: Once Islas.

All drone shots courtesy of Escape Manila

This cluster of eleven mostly uninhabited islands and islets belong to the remote villages of Panubigan and Dita in Zamboanga City just recently opened to the public in July 2018. These unspoiled islands are ideal for low-impact activities like swimming, kayaking and trekking.

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10 Things to Do in El Nido, Palawan

El Nido is one of the top tourist destinations in the Philippines. This coastal town in Palawan is renowned for its white-sand beaches, coral reefs, and stunning limestone cliffs. Composed of 45 islands and islets, each with its own unique geological formations, El Nido consistently ranks as one of the best island destinations in the Philippines – and the world.

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10 Things to Do in Macau

Macau (officially Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China) is an autonomous region on the south coast of China. A Portuguese territory until 1999, Macau is a melting pot of diverse cultural influences. It lies just a mere 62 km across the Pearl River Delta from the bustling metropolis of Hong Kong and is easily accessible by direct flights or ferry, making it a popular day trip or overnight side-trip.


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Travel Guide: Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro

Most people associate the province of Oriental Mindoro with Puerto Galera. This party beach has long been a favorite summer destination for those based in the metro because of its proximity to Manila. While Puerto Galera is located at the northernmost tip of Mindoro island, down south on the opposite end lies a destination that will appeal to those looking for quiet and secluded spots for quality beach-bumming minus the crowds – Bulalacao.

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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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10 Things to Do in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of those places that you probably won’t mind revisiting again and again. There’s just so much you can do. As one of Asia’s most popular international hubs with visa-free entry for tourists, it’s a favorite overseas travel destination for Filipino travelers. During previous visits to Hong Kong with my family, I enjoyed all the essential Hong Kong experiences for first-timers like the rides in Disneyland theme park, visiting Victoria Harbour and a day trip to Macau.

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