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. 

TravelBook Affiliate Program at Caramoan

I must say, Caramoan was an unexpected delight. From a 12-hour ride from Manila with an erratic pavement and curves, it was a weary journey down south and all I ever wished for was that Caramoan will be worth the back pain. 

Leaving Manila was an exciting jump start but my energy slowly declined as soon as the sun beamed. I was all famished and tired upon reaching Caramoan but with a hearty breakfast at Al Del Rio Villa, I slowly regained back my energy. A few meters away, we then reached the port where our boat  for the day docked. I didn't realize that was already the start of tables to turn - after all, it is a Survivor destination. 

Back on the streets of Hong Kong

It always is so difficult for me to start my story every time it is about Hong Kong. The thought flow is unconfined that I get lost where to start or how to arrange those thoughts in a coherent fashion. So much can be told that writing yet again another libretto doesn't seem too much of a task to me. 

Over a period of time, I have developed an intimate attachment to this alluring city. It embodies a unique charm that lies even on the most commonly appearing alleys I pass through. Despite of the scarcity of land area, Hong Kong is full of stories that probably results from being a packed city - something that works to its favor. 

Off the Beaten Path: Cheung Chau Island

Up to this day, Hong Kong remains to be my most favored destination. Maybe because it is an easy escape away from home, an easy one and a half hour fix should I need a quick getaway. Maybe because I've made so much memories in this city which at times I am uncertain if it's a good thing, maybe because it gives me a vibe that I couldn't find somewhere else.

Hong Kong is a tourist haven, the city is incredibly easy to navigate and everything else is convenient albeit pricey. I have always considered myself to be a city type of person rather than laid back, but being in Hong Kong for the third time, I felt like I have already known much of what has been told.  

I drifted away from the normal routes I would usually take in this city. Tourists doesn't fancy the off beaten track but I wasn't like any other tourist. I was a traveler who have found home in this busy metropolis. I wanted to know more than the usual and little did I know that there was more to Hong Kong than just being a world city.

Cheung Chau Island is a forty minute-ferry ride away from Central Pier 5. The skies were pouring rough rains but it didn't bother me. Temperature dropped sixteen degrees and coming from a tropical country, this was already too much for me to bear. Nevertheless, I had little information about the island and although the weather wasn't very friendly to accommodate me, I was ready for anything, even getting lost.

Exploring Hong Kong's Countryside: Repulse Bay and Stanley Market

Passing through curved roads, cliffs and and a stunning scenery, the south of Hong Kong is always a fun idea. In fact, choosing between which bus to take is absolutely a major decision to make when exploring the part of the city. Whilst buses 260, 6, 6A or 6x will bring you to Stanley Market, passing through Repulse Bay, its the few stopovers that seal the deal. Albeit 6x is considered express bus, 6 or 66 gives you a picturesque glimpse of the countryside. 

The south offers so much of a calm yet vibrant vibe where the bliss in shopping and a cup of coffee is perfectly matched together. The best part is that Stanley Market in Stanley Village is sitting right next to Repulse Bay so having to traveling to this part is such a breeze. 

Catching up with Macau, China

Macau has always been an interesting detour every time I wander the streets of Hong Kong. An hour away from Hong Kong Island, Macau is a whole new world. 

I've seen Macau both in day and night and it always gives me this surreal feeling surrounded in sky high casinos and luxury hotels. But beyond the fancy alleys wrapped in shining shimmering splendid, I have experienced what it's like to be in the candid areas of Macau. 

Unlike my usual visits, Macau welcomed me with an erratic weather, paired with rains pouring tantrums in between cool breezes, I didn't mind though, in fact, I am quite fond of this kind of weather. Because the weather comes in unpredictable around February and March, I came in prepared with an apparel that was easy to customize to whatever the day would give me. 

Traveling with my Folks: Singapore

As a traveler, nothing is more fulfilling than the chance to spend your travels with the ones you love. I always believe that an adventure is worthless if it is not shared. In my goal to remain consistent to that belief, I have worked hard to share my encounters through stories, ergo my blog. 

But nothing is comparable to a true to life experience shared. I have always dreamed of having my parents join my wanders so my goal before turning 25 was to be able to do this lifelong wish. When finally, I was able to tag them along, nothing could have felt so much better than the feeling of wander lust shared with my mom and dad. 

Singapore allures me every time in ways I cannot fathom. Probably because I have always admired being in such an efficient social system although my only hope is that the weather becomes more predictable and less warmer. Regardless, the lovely cityscape has made me fall in love with this city over and over again. On my fifth visit to this city, I wanted to make sure that my mom, my dad and my aunt who were all traveling with me gain nothing less than good times albeit being a "walking city", this may impose a challenge to older folks. 

Surprisingly, there I found myself being caught in amusement to an already familiar environment. Perhaps the unique moments are what differentiates every adventure. 

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. 

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. 

8 Hours in Vientiane

Three years ago, Laos was just a thought. Back then, Indochina sounded like a peculiar place to be, but my guts weren't enough to bring me to the crazy streets of South East Asia, albeit I am Southeast Asian myself. 

I have been waiting for the perfect time to check Laos. Before the chance came, I was very reliant about photos and stories online, most of which were vague and didn’t had a clear image of what I could expect. Because we were planning for an Indochina trip, it was necessary that Laos became part of the itinerary. This was my chance. Landing at Vientiane Airport, I knew this was a whole new world. The terminal was nothing fancy, the immigration officers, although appear authoritative, were dressed strangely. It was South East Asia, but the looks of the people around me are not something familiar, like how it is elsewhere.

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. 

What Makes Malaysia, Truly Asia?

Being in Malaysia wasn't much of a culture shock for me because most of the people looks exactly from where I come from, hearing the language even made me feel like a local. Or maybe just a little bit. But there was something distinct about Kuala Lumpur, it could be due to its laid back, albeit modern and forward feel that makes it really interesting. Whatever it was, I had six days in Malaysia and I was crossing my fingers that this would suffice for me to uncover why they call Malaysia, Truly Asia. 

Under Malacca's Spell

I honestly did not know what to expect about Malacca (Melaka). I felt like having a blank canvass waiting to paint stories but wasn't so sure what my storyboard as about. Whatever was waiting for me in Malacca was something beyond my consciousness, but a certain charm draws me closer to the city.

Another Side of China: Macau

It was hot and humid and the sun was beaming towards us during summer in China, but I couldn't allow the heat to weaken me. Macau was an hour and a half ferry ride away from Hong Kong, in spite of this short distance and the fact that both are laying over the Chinese soil, they were two very distinct places, each having it's exclusive identity. 

Luck was in our path the soonest we got at the ferry terminal, we unconsciously fell in line in a "standby area" giving us the chance to board our boat two hours before our schedule. It is something worthy to note, find that sign and fall in line the very chance you get. Not only were we given an early head start for this trip, my friends and I got upgraded to Super Class (Business) while we only purchased Economy. I didn't bother knowing the reason anymore, I just had to sit on that seemingly-lazy boy couch I was assigned for.

Uncovering Hong Kong at My Own Pace

How do I even start my story. It has been a little over a month after I flew back from Hong Kong and every weekend I could spare was either filled with something I had to do instead of writing this post or I couldn’t assemble my thoughts well on how that trip was like.

I was running away from an unfortunate event prior to this trip, this was exactly what I needed to get loose of the heavy feeling I was trying to unload myself from. Surprisingly, it turned out to be splendid. It was filled with a lot of firsts for me and it made me discover a lot of things about myself – the very essence of traveling. 

Three Stops at Subic

Aside from the free port and the duty free shopper's paradise that Subic boasts to its tourists, it is not all steady and urban, it houses a number of adventure thrills so one doesn't just stay on a comfy bed, eat good food or shop 'til you drop. 

Let's me tell you three outdoor spots you sure can't miss when you are in Subic.