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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

A Summer Weekend at Burot Beach

A Perfect Sunset at Burot Beach

How to Get There

1. Take a van bound to Calatagan. This van terminal can be found at the back of Kabayan Hotel in Pasay, near the MRT Taft Avenue Station. 
2. Alight at Calatagan Market. It is advisable that you buy your basic necessities here. As of this writing, there is already a sari-sari store in Burot Beach that sells everything you may need but the prices are a bit higher than usual.
3. Take a tricycle from Calatagan Market to Burot beach. Regular fare is Php 150 - Php 200. It is best that you get the phone number of the tricycle driver so that he may fetch you when you already want to head back. I would recommend contacting Kuya Jun (0946-205-2027). He is friendly and doesn't overprice.

NOTE:
1. Even though multiple google searches would say that there is a bus bound to Calatagan in Metropolis Mall Alabang, there isn't any.
2. DLTB buses bound to Nasugbu in LRT Gil Puyat station doesn't pass by Calatagan. They will drop you at Lian instead, and you have to ride another jeep bound to Calatagan.

Chasing Sunrise in Bagasbas

"Yesterday's failure is redeemed at the sunrise” - Todd Stocker

Bagasbas Beach is a tricycle ride away from Daet, Camarines Norte. It is known as one of the top surfing destinations in the country. In fact, it is the home of one of the best female surfer in the Philippines but what made me fall in love with this place is not in the water. 

Mt. Batulao: Celebrating Life and Embracing Freedom

“A man is not where he lives, but where he loves.” - Latin Proverb

I have never been a fan of Valentine's Day, partly because I've never experienced anything memorable on all my Feb 14s and mostly because of the consumerism that comes with it. But I thought I'd do something better this year than hate on the overflow of love and its corporeal things so I took four of my lovely, single, and unattached friends out on a date that they will never forget. 

Baler: The Uncombed Story

He never looked nice. He looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.

He is not a standout. His beaches are not as pristine as Palawan and Boracay. His sceneries are not as picturesque as the Cordilleras. But she found herself back to him a month after her last visit. 

Yearender: It Comes and She Goes

"Even though I took a step back from things that the metropolitan world would describe as success, I could say that it is one of the best years of my life. It is the year when I discovered my love for the mountains, my affection for the waters and most importantly, my passion for traveling." - Paulakwatsera in Baler, December 2013 

My first job (2009 - 2010) allowed me to become a Mabuhay Miles elite member and be up in the air almost every week but even though I constantly travel during that time, I had the littlest appreciation of the places that I'd been to. Going back home is the first thing that I have in mind the moment I set foot on a new place back then. 

But 2013 is the year when I have discovered a comfort in dislocation. This is the year when I started to enjoy traveling solo, the year when I conquered my first summit, the year when I fell in and out of love in a week, the year when I almost died doing the thing that I love, the year that I experienced my highest highs and my lowest lows, and the year when I developed my love for travel blogging. 

Baler: Coming of Age and Uncovering That Secret Spot

I had planned to be somewhere extra special in celebration of that day when my parents screwed up their lives. I was thinking Batanes or Bali in Indonesia just so I could have bragging rights of being somewhere significant on my day. But just like most of my travels, out of no cognitive reason I ended up in a place east of Nueva Ecija.

If you do not already know, Baler is best known for surfing. I am no surfer nor am I a swimmer, and my surfing stint in La Union was probably out of pure luck or weak waves so there is no real reason why I choose to be here for my birthday. But I guess it is the mindless decisions that always lead me to the most blissful moments.

My First Not-So-Couchsurfing Experience

Couchsurfing

A global community of 7 million people in more than 100,000 cities who share their life, their world, their journey. Couchsurfing connects travelers with a global network of people willing to share in profound and meaningful ways, making travel a truly social experience.
With Couchsurfing, you can stay with locals in every country on earth. Travel like a local, stay in someone’s home and experience the world in a way money can’t buy.

I first heard of this website while researching an itinerary for the South Korea trip. I came across the blog Chronicles of Marianne and I've read about the author's couchsurfing experience in Korea. I thought it was interesting to get free accommodation whilst getting to experience a place on a local's perspective, safely away from the tourist traps.

I immediately signed up and was surprised with how massive the Couchsurfing community is in the Philippines. It turned me off a bit though because most of the meet ups in Manila are in a bar on a Thursday. Being that geeky introverted person that I am, I knew for a fact that it is not my kind of crowd.

The Cordilleras: Seeking Serenity in the Clouds

All this time I thought I was traveling to find myself, I didn't realize that I am just using it as an excuse to escape who I really am.  
It is not always about meeting truckloads of new people and ticking off a new destination out of your list every week. Sometimes living life to the fullest means appreciating the relationships that you already have, bringing joy to whichever place you are always in and being thankful for that awesome person that you already are.

The Cordillera Series
The Cordilleras: Baguio - Sagada - Banaue - Batad Itinerary, Expenses and Travel Tips
The Cordilleras: Seeking Serenity in the Clouds

The Cordilleras: Baguio - Sagada - Banaue - Batad Itinerary, Expenses and Travel Tips

DAY 1 - 11/14	Time	Price (Php)
ETD Manila via Victory Liner Caloocan	9:00 AM	450
ETA Baguio, take a taxi to AJ's Pension House	3:30 PM	50
Check in at AJ's Pension House	4:00 PM	1100 / 3 pax
Walk around Baguio City	5:00 PM
Dinner at Ganza Restaurant in Burnham Park	7:00 PM	700 / 3 pax
Walk around Baguio City some more and appreciate the night lights	8:00 PM
Back to AJ's Pension House, Lights out	9:30 PM

AJ's Pension House

10 Things To Do in South Korea

If you think watching Korean dramas all day everyday is enough to get to know the land of fermented cabbage and epicanthal folds,  I must tell you that are wrong. There is more to South Korea than kimchi, BB creams, insanely unblemished pale people and KPOP.

Below are the list of the things I did to get to know South Korea and eventually fall in adoration with this amazing country.

1. Visit Jeju Island.
Jejudo a.k.a. Jeju is one of the most magical place I have ever been to. No trip to South Korea is complete without a stop at Jeju. If I am going to visit Korea again, I will skip Seoul and head straight to this breathtaking place. The following are the must visit places in Jeju. 

Jusangjeolli Cliff

Itinerary for Seven Days and Six Nights in South Korea

First things first, Filipinos need a visa to visit South Korea. Below are the requirements to get a tourist visa:

1. Application form
2. Passport (should be valid for not less than 6 months)
3. Photocopy of the 1st page of the passport
4. Passport size photo
5. Photocopy of ITR
6. Certificate of Employment
7. Bank Certificate (you should have at least Php 50,000 in your bank account)
 
Note: 
- Visa processing is free.
- Visa will be released 7 days after the requirements were completed and submitted.
- Make sure that the email address on your certificate of employment from the company you work for will not be changed soon because the Korean embassy will do a background check and will require them to reply. In my case, it took me almost a month to get my tourist visa because the HR personnel put in a soon to be phased out email address on my certificate of employment. PFT.
-South Koreans DON'T NEED a visa to visit the Philippines. UNFAIR!!

We booked our flight to Korea last June via Zest Air/Air Asia, fare is Php 5,000. As compared to the promo fares in Cebu Pacific, this is more expensive but at least I only have to wait 3 months and the best part is that there is free food during the flight. :)

My Favorite Place in South Korea

“Don't you think it's better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life?”

― Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler's Wife

Aside from Girls Generation, there was nothing about South Korea that I liked. I am not fond of watching Korean dramas and I think Koreans in the Philippines are rude, loud, and annoying. I actually can't remember the reason why I agreed to book a flight to Incheon last June, probably just out of pure fandom of Chyng Reyes. 

Then a month after, a fateful day came and I met the most amazing guy in El Nido who happened to be Korean. I fell in love with him but he eventually broke my heart so it just made things worst between me and the land of BB creams.