A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
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.
It can be tough to plan trips during the rainy season in the Philippines. There’s a lot of uncertainty when traveling by air and sea, especially if a typhoon hits. Once you arrive at your destination, overcast skies and seasonal downpours can be a downer during sightseeing and typical outdoor activities like going to the beach.
But this doesn’t mean hitting the snooze button on travel. Some places around the country come alive once the rainy season sets in. Natural landscapes like waterfalls look their finest and mountain scenery is at its greenest. The fog in mountainous areas can make places look more captivating.
Continue reading “5 rainy season destinations in the Philippines for nature lovers”Did you know there are currently four UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in the Philippines? The province of Apayao was recently designated the country’s newest biosphere reserve as part of UNESCO’s initiative to conserve and manage biodiversity. Apayao is the country’s fourth province named a biosphere reserve, after Albay, Palawan and Puerto Galera.
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.
Bataan, a 3 to 4-hour drive from Manila via the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), is a rising road trip destination near Manila. This province best known for historical landmarks like the Shrine of Valor at Mt. Samat and cultural destination Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar also has spots that will appeal to foodies.
Manila boasts a variety of historical and cultural museums that offer a glimpse into the Philippines’ rich heritage. The three major museums of the National Museum Complex, all within walking distance of each other, house the biggest collections of artifacts and artworks from the pre-colonial period up to this day. Other museums and parks in Manila also provide areas to appreciate culture and nature.
There’s something nostalgic and calming about railway travel that I enjoy whenever I ride trains in other countries. From the distinctive horn announcing arrivals and departures, the rhythmic clickety-clack of the wheels, the swaying motion on the tracks, and the changing scenery of rural landscapes, traveling by train offers a different experience from what I’m normally used to.
Compared to many other cities around the world, Metro Manila is not a bike-friendly destination. The city itself, with the urban sprawl, horrible traffic, and lack of safe and secure bicycle lanes, makes it pretty scary to explore on two wheels. Sure, you can find many areas for urban biking in the city but chances are, these spots are difficult to get to or you’ll be exposed to the polluted city most of the time.
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.
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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