I’m filled with mixed emotions when I reminisce about my experiences during the last 12 months. Everyday I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to do the things that I loved: traveling, taking photos, and blogging. Okay, I haven’t been blogging as much as I should.
So what did happen to me in 2011? I’ve slowed down my travels … at least not as much as I did in 2010. Here’s a recap of my travels in 2011.
AirPhil Express is Now the Official Carrier of Ambot-Ah! What Next in 2011 and Beyond?
As you many already know, AirPhil Express is now the official airline carrier of Ambot-ah.com. I’ve flown with AirPhil Express multiple before and I’ve been very satisfied with their service. AirPhil Express has been very dynamic in servicing the needs of the budget traveler (like me). It’s no wonder that they’re now the fastest growing budget airline in the Philippines. I’m very excited to have AirPhil Express as Ambot-ah’s airline partner and, subsequently, be able to experiences even more travel destinations in the Philippines.
AirPhil Express Airbus A320 at the Cebu-Mactan International Aiport
Dreaming to be a Traveler
Back in 2007 when I was still on my 3rd year in college, I started Ambot-ah as a personal repository of thoughts and realizations of my teen self. Although I chose to study in the nursing profession (as did hundreds of thousands of young hopeful Filipinos), I always wondered about the idea of living the life of a traveler.
The free spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery, coupled with my new found passion for photography, inescapably appealed to my young mind. When I graduated and passed the board exams, I was finally free from my academic obligations and felt the overpowering freedom of having my whole life ahead of me … to be whoever I wanted to be.
Chao Phraya River Ferry in Bangkok, Thailand
Ambot-ah wins “Best Travel Blog” at the 2010 Philippine Blog Awards Visayas
The announcement came during the awarding ceremony of the 2010 Philippine Blog Awards – Visayas leg held last November 27 in The Venue Function Rooms (The Avenue Complex, Smallville, Iloilo City). Thank you to everyone who supported Ambot-ah! Your comments, likes, shares, emails, private messages, and wall posts have helped me significantly to continue blogging about my travels and push myself to go that extra mile. A lot of times during my solo travels, I do have my episodes of feeling lonely but the creeping weariness does not last long because I know there are people out there who care about me and the things I blog about.
Cebu Pacific “Wandering Juan” Travel Blog Contest Winners!
A few months ago Cebu Pacific announced a very enticing “Wandering Juan” contest for travel bloggers. The goal was to highlight the best posts by travel bloggers under a number of different categories. I wrote a few posts about by recent travels myself and sent them as entries for the “Cebu Pacific “Wandering Juan” contest.
During the August 13, 2010 episode of “Trip na Trip”, a travel show in ABS-CBN, the winners were announced as follows:
Planning a trip to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
One of my planned trips in September is a four day visit to Singapore and Malaysia. I’m so excited since it’ll be my first time going there … well, I haven’t gone out of the country a lot to begin with :) It’ll be a four day trip from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (I’ll be flying out of KL early morning on the fifth day, so it doesn’t really count). The Singapore leg will be spent more on theme parks and the usual touristy stuff but I’ll be sure to fit in some heritage destinations as well. While the Malaysian leg will be spent mostly in Kuala Lumpur and its diverse multicultural attractions. I’m planning to squeeze in a visit to a mosque, a hindu temple, and a chinese temple during my short time there. I also arranged a side trip to Putra Jaya, Malaysia’s masterplanned government complex.
Air Asia Promotion Free Seats 2010!
Travel to Asia for FREE! If you’re a frequent traveler, then you’d want to get in on this great promotion by Air Asia, a popular low cost airlines based in Malaysia (Asia’s largest budget airline in fact). Air Asia flies to almost all major airports in South East Asia and because they’re practically giving away flight tickets for free in their latest promotion, booking your flights now will be a great way to explore Asia on a budget. The Air Asia Free Seats Promotion is ongoing from May 18 2010 - May 23 2010 only with the travel period from January 3 2011 – May 8 2011.
photo by carworld
Planning at trip to Cuyo, Palawan
There’s no other place in the Philippines (and even South East Asia) that captures the image of an exotic tropical paradise better than Palawan Province, at least to my knowledge. Palawan is HUGE with a various destinations that will take months to fully explore. This summer, I’m set on traveling to Cuyo Town located in the middle of Sulu Sea between the main islands of Palawan and Panay. Cuyo was heavily popularized by the movie, Ploning, and Amanpulo Resort, one of the most expensive resorts in the Philippines with rates over $1000/night. Of course, I’m not rich enough to stay in Amanpulo but with 45 islands composing the town of Cuyo, there are many other beautiful islands to visit.
Planning a Trip to Bangkok, Thailand Speedlinking
Thailand is best known as the “land of free” derived from the fact that it’s the only country in South East Asia that has never been colonized. With that rich culture intact, it isn’t a surprise that Thailand has become a popular international travel destination. Like most westerners, I’m also drawn to the exotic sights of Thailand since I live in a country that has had much western influence thanks to centuries of colonial rule.
photo by vtveen
Planning a trip to Batad and Banaue Rice Terraces Speedlinking
Ifugao Province is best known for the Banaue Rice Terraces, one of the most recognizable landmarks of the Philippines. Though, many seasoned travelers can attest that the best view of the ampitheatre-like rice terraces isn’t actually in Banaue town but in nearby Batad. It would be great to explore both areas to see which has a better view for yourself and also go on a hunt to find out the exact view where the Banaue Rice Terraces in the backside of the PHP1,000 bill was painted. Here’s a helpful list of links when planning on visiting Batad town in Ifugao, Philippines.
Photo by asteegabo
Planning a trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia Speedlinking
Traveling around the world has never been easier today all thanks to travel bloggers, who have been very helpful in posting about their experiences, itineraries, and guides. I like to research as much about my trips online before traveling or even just planning. I know it’s hard and tedious work to rummage through search engines for helpful blog posts and forum threads so I hope this will be helpful. Cambodia is one of my top places to visit, I’ve always dreamed of walking through the ancient roads and pathways of Angkor Wat. If plans push through, I might finally be able to step foot in Cambodia soon, so I need to finish my itinerary ASAP.
photo by Stuck in Customs
Browsing the archives for the Life Journal category
I’m filled with mixed emotions when I reminisce about my experiences during the last 12 months. Everyday I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to do the things that I loved: traveling, taking photos, and blogging. Okay, I haven’t been blogging as much as I should.
So what did happen to me in 2011? I’ve slowed down my travels … at least not as much as I did in 2010. Here’s a recap of my travels in 2011.
As you many already know, AirPhil Express is now the official airline carrier of Ambot-ah.com. I’ve flown with AirPhil Express multiple before and I’ve been very satisfied with their service. AirPhil Express has been very dynamic in servicing the needs of the budget traveler (like me). It’s no wonder that they’re now the fastest growing budget airline in the Philippines. I’m very excited to have AirPhil Express as Ambot-ah’s airline partner and, subsequently, be able to experiences even more travel destinations in the Philippines.
AirPhil Express Airbus A320 at the Cebu-Mactan International Aiport
Dreaming to be a Traveler
Back in 2007 when I was still on my 3rd year in college, I started Ambot-ah as a personal repository of thoughts and realizations of my teen self. Although I chose to study in the nursing profession (as did hundreds of thousands of young hopeful Filipinos), I always wondered about the idea of living the life of a traveler.
The free spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery, coupled with my new found passion for photography, inescapably appealed to my young mind. When I graduated and passed the board exams, I was finally free from my academic obligations and felt the overpowering freedom of having my whole life ahead of me … to be whoever I wanted to be.
Chao Phraya River Ferry in Bangkok, Thailand
The announcement came during the awarding ceremony of the 2010 Philippine Blog Awards – Visayas leg held last November 27 in The Venue Function Rooms (The Avenue Complex, Smallville, Iloilo City). Thank you to everyone who supported Ambot-ah! Your comments, likes, shares, emails, private messages, and wall posts have helped me significantly to continue blogging about my travels and push myself to go that extra mile. A lot of times during my solo travels, I do have my episodes of feeling lonely but the creeping weariness does not last long because I know there are people out there who care about me and the things I blog about.
A few months ago Cebu Pacific announced a very enticing “Wandering Juan” contest for travel bloggers. The goal was to highlight the best posts by travel bloggers under a number of different categories. I wrote a few posts about by recent travels myself and sent them as entries for the “Cebu Pacific “Wandering Juan” contest.
During the August 13, 2010 episode of “Trip na Trip”, a travel show in ABS-CBN, the winners were announced as follows:
One of my planned trips in September is a four day visit to Singapore and Malaysia. I’m so excited since it’ll be my first time going there … well, I haven’t gone out of the country a lot to begin with :) It’ll be a four day trip from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (I’ll be flying out of KL early morning on the fifth day, so it doesn’t really count). The Singapore leg will be spent more on theme parks and the usual touristy stuff but I’ll be sure to fit in some heritage destinations as well. While the Malaysian leg will be spent mostly in Kuala Lumpur and its diverse multicultural attractions. I’m planning to squeeze in a visit to a mosque, a hindu temple, and a chinese temple during my short time there. I also arranged a side trip to Putra Jaya, Malaysia’s masterplanned government complex.
Travel to Asia for FREE! If you’re a frequent traveler, then you’d want to get in on this great promotion by Air Asia, a popular low cost airlines based in Malaysia (Asia’s largest budget airline in fact). Air Asia flies to almost all major airports in South East Asia and because they’re practically giving away flight tickets for free in their latest promotion, booking your flights now will be a great way to explore Asia on a budget. The Air Asia Free Seats Promotion is ongoing from May 18 2010 - May 23 2010 only with the travel period from January 3 2011 – May 8 2011.
photo by carworld
There’s no other place in the Philippines (and even South East Asia) that captures the image of an exotic tropical paradise better than Palawan Province, at least to my knowledge. Palawan is HUGE with a various destinations that will take months to fully explore. This summer, I’m set on traveling to Cuyo Town located in the middle of Sulu Sea between the main islands of Palawan and Panay. Cuyo was heavily popularized by the movie, Ploning, and Amanpulo Resort, one of the most expensive resorts in the Philippines with rates over $1000/night. Of course, I’m not rich enough to stay in Amanpulo but with 45 islands composing the town of Cuyo, there are many other beautiful islands to visit.
Thailand is best known as the “land of free” derived from the fact that it’s the only country in South East Asia that has never been colonized. With that rich culture intact, it isn’t a surprise that Thailand has become a popular international travel destination. Like most westerners, I’m also drawn to the exotic sights of Thailand since I live in a country that has had much western influence thanks to centuries of colonial rule.
photo by vtveen
Ifugao Province is best known for the Banaue Rice Terraces, one of the most recognizable landmarks of the Philippines. Though, many seasoned travelers can attest that the best view of the ampitheatre-like rice terraces isn’t actually in Banaue town but in nearby Batad. It would be great to explore both areas to see which has a better view for yourself and also go on a hunt to find out the exact view where the Banaue Rice Terraces in the backside of the PHP1,000 bill was painted. Here’s a helpful list of links when planning on visiting Batad town in Ifugao, Philippines.
Photo by asteegabo
Traveling around the world has never been easier today all thanks to travel bloggers, who have been very helpful in posting about their experiences, itineraries, and guides. I like to research as much about my trips online before traveling or even just planning. I know it’s hard and tedious work to rummage through search engines for helpful blog posts and forum threads so I hope this will be helpful. Cambodia is one of my top places to visit, I’ve always dreamed of walking through the ancient roads and pathways of Angkor Wat. If plans push through, I might finally be able to step foot in Cambodia soon, so I need to finish my itinerary ASAP.
photo by Stuck in Customs
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What is Ambot-ah?
In the Philippine Ilonggo dialect, ambot ah literally means "I don't know." After graduating in college, I decided to hold off pursuing my profession and embarked on a free spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery. My travels have led me to many places across the Philippine Islands and South East Asia. I don't know where this path will take me but I'm certain I'll get a lifetime of stories out of it.
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