Scattered on the shoreline of Valugan Boulder Beach are bigger and bolder version of the sedimentary rocks found in Mabua Pebble Beach in Surigao City. In lieu of powdery sands, these large stones spewed by the ancient-time eruptions of Mount Iraya spreads on the coast of this tiny part of Basco, Batanes fronting the Pacific Ocean.

On a normal day I would be displeased dragging my body out of bed at 4 am especially after sleeping soundly in the Manor at Camp John Hay. Not this particular morning though. The reason being the destination we’re going would give me an opportunity to literally and figuratively pause and smell the flowers. Being able to travel for the first time since the March 2020 lockdown, the trip to Northern Blossom Farm in Atok, Benguet opens a door to rekindling my love affair with traveling — with precious moments of introspection to boot — in the company of the great outdoors.

Home to a magnificent set of picturesque highland countryside, the region of the Cordillera features an abundance of wonders. From its cool weather all year long to its majestic set of nature, fascinating culture and mouth-watering local cuisine, an all too familiar feature of the region is gaining much needed attention today. These are the fruit and vegetable farms of Benguet and Mountain Province. 

Fresh from binge watching “The Haunting of Bly Manor” a week prior, its understandable why I initially likened the feel of the Manor Hotel to the haunted series’ mansion. Take out the strange ghostly apparition and you’ll see a charming property laden with fancy landscaping and fascinating architectural patterns.

Waking up to a rainy and foggy morning had me entertaining the idea of staying in until lunch curled up on my bed. Appealing the thought may be, the chance to see another UNESCO World Heritage Site reigned over and proved to be enough of a motivation to make me stand up, stretch my hands and face the window announcing to myself “Good Morning Vietnam”

Situated within the old city of Jaipur near the City Palace and Hawa Mahal is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Jantar Mantar. Named after the words "yantra", which in Sanskrit means "instrument", and "mantrana" meaning "to calculate", the Jantar Mantar is an equinoctial sundial that measures the time of the day and the declination of the sun and the rest of the celestial sphere.

As a frequent guest of Azalea’s Baguio property, I already have an inkling of what to expect at their Boracay location. Still, upon our arrival, I was taken aback by the niceties of the layout that blends perfectly with the vibe of the island. The wide entrance highlighted by the globe fountain and centerpiece quickly arrested my attention. The available space creates an additional charm befitting the post-modern architecture of the five-story establishment bursting with appealing lines and patterns. 

“Every lake belongs to the quietness desired by the swans”, poet Munia Khan wrote. Her description mirrors what we collectively sense about this body of water existing under the shadows of big-swell oceans and streaming rivers. Lakes dishes a different vibe far from the seas we’ve accustomed to visiting in our geographically-gifted, archipelagic country. The stillness of its natural pool of fresh water provides a tranquil atmosphere coupled by the lush greens that usually surrounds it. Therefore, if you are wandering around the Philippines, a jaunt to one of these lakes shall instantly give you a memorable travel experience.

The word “influencer” has become a trendy word passed around like a bottle of beer in the midst of an Oktoberfest revelry. Young people are dreaming of becoming one thus replacing childhood ambitions of becoming doctors, pilots, scientists and the likes. One can vouch for the emergence of the influence culture as a sign of our rapidly changing world. For one, it shines a positive light at affording ordinary individuals a platform to express their voices, opinions and even preference in everything related to lifestyle choices such as in fashion, travel, music, food and so on.

After our friends from the Philippine Airlines, Tourism Authority of Thailand and fellow travel bloggers / vloggers departed for Manila, us three: myself, Karla and Coleen extended our stay for a few more days. Doing so, we got to experience more of the city including seeing it above the roof of a 35-story building. How we did it without breaking and entering? Let me take you to a little flashback.

Hearing about Taipei's street food scene goes way back to my mom's solo trip to Taiwan in the late 1960's. Although my mom isn't adventurous when it comes to food, she would later tell me when I started traveling that I better try as much local food when I get the chance. Indeed, I did just that in Thailand, Vietnam, India, Hong Kong and the rest of the countries I visited so far.

Rambling mindlessly around Tokyo to random directions took me to Ueno Park where I stumbled upon an interesting looking brick-faced building. Upon closer inspection, I learned that it is the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. Despite my novice knowledge in art, I welcomed the serendipitous chance for some artsy-fartsy exploration and hurriedly walked in.

The last several years has seen the city of Angeles in Pampanga shred its red-light reputation by showcasing its rich culinary culture and heritage. The result is a newfound interest by tourists to explore many of its nook and crannies to satisfy not only the appetite for food but also of historical curiosities. One of the popular places to visit in Angeles City’s heritage district is the Pamintuan Mansion.

Lakbay Norte participants poses in front of the Pamintuan Mansion

Located in the beautiful island of Panay, the province of Antique tends to get overlooked by tourists heading to Iloilo City down south, to Caticlan in Boracay up north and to Gigantes Island in the East. Thanks to some travelers who wind up in Antique, a word-of-mouth now spreads raving how this province teems of wonderful destinations set in all types of terrain; mountains, forests, rivers, islands and even in quaint seaside towns. Need more convincing why you should visit Antique? then here's several things to do and places to visit. 

Arriving from Bandung, I headed straight to Wonderloft Hostel where I reserved a bunk bed for one night before flying back home to Manila. I originally planned on catching up sleep but when I learned from the receptionist that the hostel is just a few steps away from the historic Kota Tua Jakarta, I ditched rest in favor of the chance to explore more.

Not far from the frenetic streets surrounding Connaught Place in Delhi, an ancient subterranean marvel possessing a fascinating history remains in an almost Zen-like condition. For the believers of mystical tales and legends, this is also where strange occurrences happen and ghostly demons plot curses. The Agrasen Ki Baoli is an ancient water reservoir common all over India of the olden times. Descending to a total of 108 stone steps, it has three levels all lined-up with arched niches on both sides.

Slept on an airport floor. Been there, done that. During my previous red-eye flights to KL, I remember dozing off in several carpeted areas of Kuala Lumpur International Airport T2 as I await my connecting flight the next day — a few times to India and another one to Sri Lanka. However, on my last trip to India, I found a cozy and affordable accommodation located right inside the KLIA2 terminal. Aptly called "Capsule Transit", it serves its function which is to provide just enough space for transiting passengers who don't have time or money to go to downtown Kuala Lumpur and look for a hotel.

"I don't have claustrophobia do I?

During the first night of our #LakbayNorte8 in Pampanga, we were taken to a lawn covered ground surrounded by towering trees in Clark, Pampanga. “We’re going to go glamping” our host told us travel writers and vloggers as we got out of our chartered bus. Surveying the scene, I immediately saw the rows of tents pitched for us and a wooden table full of charcuterie boards screaming of an incoming feast.