2 Days and 1 Night in Titi Eco Farm

I am a health-and-wellness freak and I am obsessed with everything organic. I use organic shampoo and soap, drink organic coffee or tea with organic sugar and organic nut milk, eat organic fruits and vegetables and cook on organic extra virgin coconut oil. 

In the midst of this organic infatuation is my desire to visit an organic farm in the Philippines - Costales Nature Farm but I never really had the chance to go. Until recently, some of the bloggers I follow visited Costales and that desire was revived. 

I tried to google if Malaysia has any organic farms since the organic produce here are much more cheaper and more widely available than in the Philippines. The first result is Titi Eco Farm.

Backpacking Pai: 10 Things To Do

Unlike some popular destinations in Thailand, the people here are not prowling on tourists. The fact that most visitors just rent scooters to go around Pai, it is encouraged to explore this place on your own. Also, locals are more than willing to help without expecting anything in return.

One of the reason why Pai is a magnet for backpackers is because staying in this place is inexpensive. This place is so laid back that spending the whole day in the front porch of your room is an acceptable thing to do.

Backpacking Pai: 4 Days Itinerary, Expenses and Travel Tips

"I am going to Thailand."
"Oh nice, where in Thailand? Phuket? Bangkok?"
"I am going to Pai."
"Pai? Where is Pai?"
"In Northern Thailand."  
"Oh, Chiang Mai?"
"No, but somewhere 3 hours away from Chiang Mai."
"Oh, Chiang Rai?"
"No, not Chiang Rai"
"Ok, have a nice vacation."

You have probably never heard of a place named Pai in Thailand and if you will try to google blogs about this place, you will get articles either expressing their extreme love for this quiet town in Northern Thailand or their hate about its hippie culture.

If you are visiting for the first time and is expecting breathtaking landscapes, I think you will be a little disappointed especially if your stay is during or right after their summer when the vegetation are all seemed to be burned down. But if it is the relaxed vibe that you are after, then Pai will not disappoint.

Flashpacking Bangkok: On Perfect Winged Eyeliners and Letting Go

After years of resisting every opportunity to visit Bangkok, I finally booked a flight to one of Asia's consumerism capital.

Bangkok is one of the most popular destination for Western backpackers in Southeast Asia. It is also popular among Asians as a shopping mecca. Popular and shopping, two words I try to navigate away from, and two reasons why I was never eager to visit Bangkok. But since I thought I've changed a lot after I moved to Malaysia, I gave Bangkok a try. I even agreed to travel with a group of people that are not really in my close circle of friends, people whose travel style I have no idea on.

Flashpacking Bangkok: 5 Days Itinerary, Expenses and Travel Tips

DAY 0 - March 24	Time	Price (THB)
ETD KL	9:55 PM (KL Time)	2320
ETA BKK	10:55 PM (BKK Time)
Don Mueang Airport to Khao San Road Taxi	11:15 PM	200
Check in at Lamphu House	12:00 MD	420
Walk Around Khaosan Road
Lights out	1:30 AM

Touchdown Bangkok

The entrance of Lamphu House looks shabby but this is actually a good place to stay.

Bukit Kutu: A New Perspective In Hiking

Bukit Kutu directly translates to louse hill and when someone names a place after a tiny insect and a hill, it would be instinctive to think that it is an easy climb. 

2015: A Year of Why, What and How

"You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have." - Bob Marley

Skytrex Adventure: Defying Limits

Every time I invite someone to go with me to Skytrex I usually get the question "What is Skytrex?", I would then describe it as an obstacle course in the trees but according to their website this is what Skytrex is about:

Skytrex Adventure provides the first of its kind in Malaysia, a tree to tree  ‘sky-trekking’ experience where you can fly, swing, glide and dangle on the various aerial obstacles suspended above the lush tropical Malaysian Rainforest.  Take up the challenge and pump up the adrenaline on our many circuits at the various parks in which we are located and experience the best and most exciting forest adventure in Malaysia. 

Skytrex Adventure has two parks, one in Shah Alam and the other is in Langkawi. I was supposed to visit their Langkawi park last June but for some reason I skipped it and it has been bugging my mind ever since. Fortunately, I was able to find like-minded crazy people to go with me a few months after.

Half-Year in Malaysia: Six Things I Learned About Love and Life

The past six months are probably the most identity-changing phase in my life. I moved to a new country away from my loved ones and away from the culture I am familiar with and then, the only person that was giving me the courage to move forward in my new endeavor decided to abandon me in the worst way possible. My best drinking buddies are miles away, alcohol is expensive and there are no good beaches near Kuala Lumpur.

I have always thought that I knew a lot of things about love and that I am mature enough when it comes to matters of the heart but this past half-year made me realize things that changed my deep-rooted beliefs. 

I perceived myself as strong and independent but as it turns out, it was just a facade. I have been through a lot since I was a kid and I never expected that a broken heart in a foreign country will bring me down, but it did.  One night I found myself wanting to end everything because nothing makes sense anymore and the pain I felt was just too much. 

But here I am, still alive and still able to write this entry in this blog.

Cameron Highlands: On Reaching Peaks and Hitting Rock Bottom

Tea plantations as far as the eye can see, cool mountain breeze, mossy forests, multitude of land rovers, fresh and sweet strawberries. These are not the things that Cameron Highlands remind me of.

Backpacking Langkawi: 10 Things To Do

Only having 3 days to spend in Langkawi, it is expected that our stay will be filled with different activities but all our plans changed after we checked in at Pantai Cenang (Cenang Beach). Maybe it is due to aging or lack of budget, we decided to drop most of our activities for an afternoon stroll at the beach and evening food comma trip at Pantai Cenang road. 

Backpacking Langkawi: 3 Days Itinerary and Expenses

Langkawi, officially known as Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah is an archipelago of 99 islands (an extra 5 temporary islands are revealed at low tide) in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. 

Malaysia: A Month in Review

Tomorrow, Malaysia and I will celebrate our monthsary. The past 30 days are brimming with new experiences but just like any other relationship, we've been through a few rough times.

The Next Big Adventure

"This could be the last solo travel that I will embark in a while." - Paulakwatsera in Cebu, December 2014

Destiny always finds a way to prove me wrong. 

Just when I declared that I will not be traveling alone anytime soon, here comes the greatest solo journey of my life. 

March 20th, what should have been the International Day of Happiness is the day I left my loved ones to work and live in a new country for a few years.

Cebu: The Last Lone Adventure

In a Sukhasana, I face the sunset of Moalboal. Had I done this two years ago, it would have brought me tranquility but I am now a different story.

Cebu: Canyoneering Moalboal

Cebu is my home break in traveling. This is the first inter-island destination I've been to when I was in my tweens but as an adult, I have never been able to return to this place.

If I am going to describe Cebu in one word before this trip it would be elusive. In my previous work, I was never assigned to Cebu even if it is one of the most common destination. November of 2013, I already booked my flight to visit the Queen City of the South but Typhoon Yolanda happened and the trip had to be cancelled. So this year I thought that Cebu would be a great destination in celebration of my birthday solo travel tradition. 

As I mentioned, Cebu is a very popular destination so I thought of something less touristy to do for my week long vacation in this island. The scarcity of a travel guide available about canyoneering in Cebu tells me that it is something I ought to experience. 

Aside from being overshadowed by swimming with the whale sharks as the top activity in Southern Cebu, the hefty price of this activity is probably what makes it less popular to local tourists or so I thought.

Where Do Broken Hearts Go

It is a place where free spirits and wandering souls take refuge, like hers that once found itself in its shores almost a year ago. Wandering and free, a state she should've preserved she thought. But this dopamine-inducing utopia found its way to her mind and eventually her heart and she found herself willingly caught in its zealous trance.

She doesn't know what happened. A couple of months back she was happy and full of love, then one bad decision led to the next and here she is now, ruptured in the in-between.

Broken hearts, shattered dreams, fragmented idealism. A mess beyond repair. 

A Different Road

What do you do when the bug bite wears off?

In as much as I would like to quit my job and travel on a shoestring, I know deep inside my gut that it will not make me happy. Sure it would be nice to be able to update my Facebook timeline and Instagram feed ever so often with a new destination that I just ticked off my bucket list but deep inside, my heart is yearning for something more.

Baler: A Shift in Hellos and Goodbyes

That feeling when you are on your way to a destination and for some reason your heart is beating faster than usual. You know that it is not because you are traveling alone and it is also not because you have not made any reservation on where you're going to stay. 

It is a feeling that is more on the spectrum of the day before a field trip to a theme park in elementary school.

You can't breathe, you check your sleepless self in the mirror, you check the people around you if they are noticing your anxiety. And suddenly, from a distant, you saw his contagious smile and your heart feel that you are home.

Cagbalete: The DIY Paradise

Life is what you make it. If you want to be happy, then smile and do whatever it is that makes you happy. If you let anything or anyone stop you from achieving your bliss, it is not their fault. 

As cliche as it is, Cagbalete is no different. This place is what you make it, you could either make it heaven or hell. 

Even if there are resorts in Cagbalete, the accommodation offered is very basic. Most resorts don't serve rice meals during weekdays. Camping is very popular here and that is why this getaway is popular for families and budget travelers.