Browsing the archives for the Manila tag

Ambot-ah Top Travel Adventures in 2010

Back at home after a year of travel, I can’t help but fall prey under the ever so unavoidable feeling of being back where I started. This is one of the reasons why I haven’t been posting AT ALL recently, I guess I just needed to step back, evaluate, and rethink things going on with my life. Traveling for me has not only been about taking a break from home or getting to visit different places but it’s more of a learning process. A process of knowing more about other places, other people, and in the process, about one’s self.

Self-Portait in Kapurpurawan “White” Rock, Ilocos Norte

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Still Wandering in October

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As mentioned earlier, I’ve been AFK (away from keyboard) for a while now. It’s still a busy month of traveling for me. Since I started blogging, it has always been my goal to live the lifestyle of other travel bloggers. To be able to travel extensively and frequently for longer periods of time. If feel really lucky that I’m already starting to live that kind of life and thankful to everyone who continues to visit my blogs and leave comments, which fuels my passion to continue blogging. Here’s a quick rundown of places I’ve traveled to since my last post.

5097019284 77d0646d5f Still Wandering in October
Taken at Kuala Lumpur International Airport just before the return flight from our Singapore – Malaysia trip at the end of September. It took multiple shots … but I still couldn’t keep my eyes open for the shot since I was already so tired.

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The Other Side of Boracay: My Relaxing Summer Break

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While backpacking may be my traveling style of choice, I also get the urge to take a break once in a while so I can relax and clear my mind especially after a long backpacking trip. Despite the thousands of tourists flocking to Boracay every summer, there’s still a lot of space for relaxation. It’s only a matter of looking for the right spots.

Puka Beach, Boracay Island

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Survivor Palawan: A Solo Backpacker’s Travelogue

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Taoist founder Lao Tzu was immortalized by saying “every journey starts with a single step”. Well, that ancient Chinese proverb didn’t exactly apply to me during my recent trip to Palawan. I was out of the house with my overstuffed backpack and enthusiastic vigor on my way to ride the ferry to Puerto Princesa City, Palawan from Iloilo City. When I got to the ferry terminal, the guard told me that the boat was already fully booked and I had to wait a few more days to catch the next one. Total Bummer! So I had no choice but to go back home and postpone my trip.

4793231463 9e81427bbd o Survivor Palawan: A Solo Backpacker’s Travelogue

After four days of recuperating, I was out of the house again with a renewed fervor and the same unopened backpack, except this time, I have already secured the reservation for the ferry. I was really looking forward to visiting Palawan for a few months already. No other place comes to mind to do my first solo backpacking trip than in Palawan, which is definitely on the top of my list of places to travel in the Philippines.

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A Solo Traveler’s Photo Story of Backpacking in Palawan

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While on an island hopping tour of El Nido (Palawan), I chanced upon this lonely kayak lying idly on a small beach cove. The setting was perfect! The high noon heat was glaring mercilessly upon the bay with low lying trees sheltering the shore.

The shallow waters were painted with a refreshing aquamarine and in the distance with lurky deep blue colors. The verdant foliage was lit up like emeralds bordered by jagged rocks and tall limestone cliffs accentuated by sinister shadows.

Images of “Survivor”, “Lost”, and “The Beach” suddenly filled my mind and from than moment on I was relieved of satisfying what I was longing to experience for my visit to Palawan.

4729186205 a125b27a41 A Solo Travelers Photo Story of Backpacking in Palawan trans A Solo Travelers Photo Story of Backpacking in Palawan

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My Welcome Geeting in Thailand; Arrival at Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok) International Airport

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While on the flight from Manila to Bangkok, I was able to get myself to sleep past my pre-trip anxiety, which has always bugged me in each big trip I’ve had. It’s like an anticipatory anxiety mixed with the thrill of adventure and fear of the unknown … more pronounced if I’m traveling solo. The only way I get rid of it is actually setting foot in my destination and shifting my mental thought process into the mode where my sleepless nights of itinerary planning is slowly being realized. When I woke up, the plane was already turning in circles, which means that it’s already preparing for landing.

4600510619 e93362a051 My Welcome Geeting in Thailand; Arrival at Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok) International Airport

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Manila to Bangkok Cebu Pacific Flight

Thailand Itinerary: Thailand and Cambodia Overland (Part 2 of 2)

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Now for the Thailand Leg (Part 2) of my Thailand and Cambodia Itinerary. If you haven’t checked out the first part yet, I suggest visiting the Cambodia Leg first.

4601207196 2c55ab1dbd Thailand Itinerary: Thailand and Cambodia Overland (Part 2 of 2)
Watching the sunset with the view of Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn) at “The Deck” of Arun Residences

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Cambodia Itinerary: Thailand and Cambodia Overland (Part 1 of 2)

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Here is my itinerary journal during my recent trip to Thailand and Cambodia. From Manila, I flew into Bangkok, Thailand first and then traveled over land to Siem Reap,Cambodia by bus via the Aranyaphratet-Poipet Border Gate. I got to visit a lot of the major sights and will be posting more of a general journal rather than a detailed day-to-day itinerary (like my Hong Kong and Macau Tour last year) since my visit was primarily a business trip and I wasn’t in control of my time. I would’ve loved to visit places outside Bangkok and Siem Reap but I guess that would just be reserved for my future visits to Thailand and Cambodia.

4601093858 e7cc023874 Cambodia Itinerary: Thailand and Cambodia Overland (Part 1 of 2)
Monks in formation during an opening presentation for a corporate gala dinner at the East Gate of Angkor Wat

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One Hot and Exciting Week in Boracay

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Just as I thought I would be going back home to get a long rest and start blogging about my trip to Thailand and Cambodia, Aliwan Fiesta 2010, and Banaue, a sudden turn of events came my way and a day after my flight from Manila to Iloilo, I was back on the road again, this time to spend a week in Boracay Island. I was so pumped to visit Boracay again during the summer or peak season. Last time I went there was October last year and although it was also a great trip, visiting Boracay during the summertime is still, in my opinion, the best way to experience this tropical paradise.

4597656487 6e30e0fd8b One Hot and Exciting Week in Boracay