Minimalistic, Oriental but Modern: Jinjiang Inn Makati

Ever since the Chinese brand Jinjiang Inn has reached the shores of the Philippines, I have always wondered what it has to offer in a highly competitive hospitality industry in the country.

The minimalistic aura and the modest size of its building have given me an initial impression about the kind of brand the hotel wants to show - and that is where my curiosity started.

From Manila to La Union: Feeling like a Kahuna (Part 1)

La Union has been a common tale among my friends who wanted to get a dose of beach chill. I didn't fancy it too much being predominantly laid with gray sand. In the past, surfing wasn't my thing too so it didn't give me the allure I would normally get once I hear the word beach. 

Albeit unenthusiastic about it, the thought of exploring La Union didn't entirely slip through my wander list, plus the idea of packing my bags along with a couple more friends in the blogging world was too good to pass on.

Kahuna Resort was the main destination in La Union, but little did I know that they have also dominated the Makati food scene. Standing in the middle of Jupiter Street, Kahuna Makati Bistro had us spoiled just before leaving the city. 

I was getting famished after traversing the busy city from north to south. Facing the rush hour is always a daunting task for me so I couldn't think of a better time to drop by Kahuna Bistro than that moment. However, my intended "drop by" got me sitting there for more than three hours after endless spoiling like a true Kahuna.  

Kahuna is a Hawaiian word for an important person. Chef Ian prepared dish after dish and drink after drink, because of that it was impossible not to let go of my intended diet before hitting the beach at La Union. Everytime I go on a trip, I always have my own version of a prelude, an activity that would start my hype before I jump in on the adventure and the dinner at Kahuna Bistro was a perfect match to my jigsaw. 

Hong Kong Food Trip, Again!

If food isn't your ultimate goal in Hong Kong then you are missing a significant fraction of the Hong Kong experience. After all, who takes pleasure in traveling without a gustatory adventure, not to mention that Hong Kong is actually a home to a number of Michelin Star restaurants. 

The Chinese has blessed the world with their cuisine and I could barely survive my bad days without a dose of chinese food. And since Hong Kong spoils its visitors to an endless array of culinary experiences beyond your appetite could handle, I buckled myself up to storm the busy city scene to where my taste buds are calling me. 

It is insane to confine the options in a single list because the choices are always innumerable, and while I believe in randomly selecting where to eat while I am out on the streets, it always is a clever idea to have a handful of names already registered in your mind, just in case. And here's mine:

Ilocos and a Beautiful Past

It's probably one of my greatest frustrations as a travel story teller to have missed so many opportunities to share how worthy one of my hometowns is of being spread to the rest of the world. 

I did not grow up in the province of Ilocos but I always had fond memories of this town growing up. My father was born and raised in Ilocos Sur so having to spend school breaks was something I always look forward to growing up because it only meant one thing, Ilocation (Ilocos Vacation)!

I was surrounded by the blue and rich ocean every time we spend our vacations in Ilocos but aside from the magnificent kingdom down the sea, Ilocos to me houses the country's best architectures. 

Spanning over centuries, both the northern and southern regions of Ilocos have preserved the ancient man-made wonders the Philippines has to offer. Being the only predominantly Catholic country in Asia, our scenes are usually different from the rest of our neighboring countries. There are no buddhist or hindu temples wrapped in gold, instead we have towering cathedrals and churches made from stone and bricks that serve as pillars of our faith through ages. 

Exploring Southern Cebu

Cebu will always be an instant choice every time I feel like going out of town to separate myself from the busy and hectic Manila scene. Like most of the highly urbanized cities, the charm is always hidden on the outskirts and Cebu is no exception.

The Queen City of the South was a place very familiar to me after constantly scavenging for great food spots during my previous visits. But other than great food, it also has a great variety of outdoor activities a true adventurer should not dare miss.

Albeit the fact the city has its own allure, there is more to discover about Cebu so I retreated to idea of spending less time in the city and explore the real beauty that Cebu is really proud of.

The Magic of Siquijor

Whenever I hear of Siquijor, the first thing I would think of in an instant are witchcraft, black magic and mystical traditions. I couldn't blame myself on this prejudice, this stereotype is the reason why even neighboring townsmen does not favor spending some time in this eerily silent island. 

We took the guts and went on to prove that Siquijor is worthy to be a destination not just for the brave souls but to anyone who takes pleasure in nature. 

Like the Comforts of my own: Inn Oon Chiang Mai Home

It's always a pleasure thinking about Inn Oon Chiang Mai Home. I take special interest to hotels that offer quite an interesting aura and Inn Oon is perfect for our 'flashpacking' genre in traveling.

We were not traveling lavishly but we were also not on a strict budget, we wanted a hotel that's very personalized, small scale and holds that home feel we don't always get at luxury brands. 

A calm but vibrant Chiang Mai!

My fascination with Chiang Mai started because of the Thai romantic movies I have seen, I always thought it was the perfect setting for an interesting love story. I wasn't wrong. There's just so many reasons to fall in love with this town.

The journey to Chiang Mai started from Luang Prabang, it was a long 21-hour bus ride of crossing the border from Laos to Thailand. This ride was one of those I could never forget because it was one of the moments that I genuinely felt like a traveler. Right upon reaching the terminal we met a lot of backpackers heading towards different destinations, all equipped with just a backpack and a passion to travel.

Inside the Kingdom of Wonders: Siem Reap

The roads were a little rough, the streets were covered with sky scraper-high trees, electricity was considered a luxury and children learned how to ride a bike long before they knew how to do math. 

I know Cambodia reaps the better side of being third world, after all, it attracted so many attention because of that 'feature'. But I didn't really realize that it still has a long way to go to be at par with what civilization looks like within its neighbors. However, I believe it is meant to stay this way, otherwise it would lose all its charm. 

Luang Prabang: For Travelers than Tourists

Luang Prabang probably is the most difficult destination to write about simply because there's hardly enough perfect words for me to describe what it is about. To date, it remains my favourite destination because it has a lot of the elements that I prefer in a destination. To me, Luang Prabang is the epitome of what South East Asia is all about.

It wasn't any shorter than an 8 hour bus-ride away from Vientiane but every minute spent on the narrow beds of that sleeper bus was definitely worth it. I might not be able to describe it well, but I would like to see it as a way of giving you room to experience it for yourself. 

Pattaya of the Philippines: Puerto Galera

Summer has quickly crawled in just as soon as the Yuletide mist has faded. Days have started to become hot and humid and the candies from the recent festivities have melted.

March marks that an entire new season has just began, the second of only two scientific seasons in the Philippines. While the archipelago consists of detinations more than you could ever count through your fingers, there were just a few choices around Metro Manila and that was what I was eyeing for.