A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
The first thing that popped in my head when I got an invitation to visit Sapporo was beer. Sapporo Brewery is known as the oldest brewery in Japan, named after the capital and largest city of the country’s northernmost island. Though bottled variants of the Black Label variety are now available around the world, nothing beats drinking fresh draft beer right in the town where it originated, right?
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.
Motorcycle Tourism has really taken off around the world and in the Philippines. While you can rent scooters and underbones in smaller island provinces to drive on your own for easy exploration, some riders prefer using higher displacement adventure or touring bikes especially if they have to pass through the expressways going up North and down South in mainland Luzon. Other international tourists who are not that familiar with the Philippines might prefer to ride in the company of a group for safety and security.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Continue reading “Travel Guide: Once Islas, Zamboanga City”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.
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.
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.
Melbourne is the coastal capital of the southeastern Australian state of Victoria. Known for its vibrant culture and rich heritage, this Australian city certainly deserves a spot in everyone’s travel bucket lists. Consistently ranked as one of the world’s most livable cities, Melbourne has been a dream destination for a lot of travelers.
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