BAGAN. The ancient civilization of—yada yada yada—I am not writing the cliche narratives that it is magical, awe-inspiring, surreal and all other adjectives that has been repeatedly used since the time of Marco Polo.
If I will be forced to write about this majestic land of thousand pagodas, it will go something like this:
I saw an awesome temple in front of me… and beside me… and another one behind. I walked for five minutes and (Loop 10,000 x). End of story. 

So let’s just talk about other things that I experienced behind the …

 
I once heard a reader asked a well known travel blogger, “How can I travel with a minimal financial damage?” The travel blogger replied with full composure and a matter-of-fact infliction “If you don’t have money, don’t travel!“
 

I swear, it still cracks me up until now. The dude makes perfect sense, you can always travel on a budget but you have to at least allocate a realistic amount of money when you go out to see new places. We personally do not believe in traveling like a homeless person, we …

Dispatch Magazine recently launched a campaign to make a stand and let the voices of Filipino travel enthusiasts be heard! Before the recently held elections cum controversial hooha surprised a lot of Filipino netizens, they called for proactive travelers who can share their opinions and suggestions on the future of our country’s tourism with the hopes of creating a spark for more aggressive, responsible and brave travelers to inspire, move, act and make a difference in one of the country’s biggest industry.
Okay serious face, ON!

Voting is not about who’s running or winning …

Dear Mommy and Mama,
We apologize for giving you both chest pain and hyperventilation whenever we surprise you with last minute (late) declarations of our destinations and activities.
Sorry if sometimes we have to hide photos of us in Facebook (like those paragliding and summit shots) to save ourselves from the litany of life lessons and weather advisory.
Congratulations for discovering Facebook, now you can stalk us 24/7 that still warrants the question “Where are you? Call me now!” after liking our statuses… And do not believe when people say we are on …

When we were doing the research on what food to try in Myanmar, we found less than a handful of tips online. That gave us the pre-conceived notion that not a lot of people raved about the food and we better set our expectations low.
After 24 hours in transit en route to Yangon, we were filled with the mediocre airline food and the psychological anticipation of another long trip to Bagan. The impending overland transit made me decide not to eat too much to prevent vomitus fireworks and unscheduled trip …

[SPONSORED POST]

 
If you’re looking for East Midlands airport parking, there are plenty of options available to you.

Firstly, you could book an on-site car parking space within walking distance of the terminal. This is usually the most expensive option but as you can imagine, it’s one of the most convenient – so if you’re hoping for a quick, smooth getaway after your return flight has landed, this is one of the obvious options.

Another possibility for fuss-free departures is a Meet-and-Greet service. This means that you leave your car with a driver …

I have been meeting Burmese people in Singapore in the past, from construction workers to specialized doctors. They do have notable characteristics in common: They are meek, introvert and most of the time, restrained. That gave me the impression of enigma as their non-verbal gestures are not easy to decipher.
The country was succumbed with the nightmare of oppression and military cloister for the past five decades or more. Anyone who would dare to oppose the government will be pinned to the ground relentlessly. No freedom of speech, no modern interpretations …

My knee joints wobbled as Ron’s rear-end disappeared on the bend. It was early in the morning when we decided we wanted to roam around Pai on bicycles. Everyone on it seemed to be enjoying and I thought, “How hard can it be?” and that I could use the exercise.
I was wrong.

I felt the pangs of exhaustion and pain 15 minutes into pedaling the blasted bicycle. The cool breeze and the warm morning sun were not encouraging. Suddenly, Ron’s motivating chants of “you can do it!” or “it’ll be over …

When you are all templed-out and the sight of another Asian stupa will induce grand mal seizures, it is advisable that you take a break and head off to this part of Thailand where you can clean your palate before you continue exploring another Asian country and start touring the place to see some, well, more temples.
The soporific town of Mae Hong Son was featured in a Thai film “Pai in Love”. Possibly one of those cheesy flicks that came-out after the Koreans started producing romantic movies with mediocre pop stars …

The past couple of days in Singapore, Manila and Bangkok took a toll on us, the metro-urban visuals of Chiang Mai pretty much saturated our wanderlusts that we wanted to spontaneously puke asphalt and concrete at any given time. We decided to go somewhere rustic and laid back, somewhere outside of the Thai city.
Monette: So, we are doing Wat Chedi Luang?
Ron: NO, I am still templed-out, I feel like I am starting to grow stupas.
Ron:  How about the Elephant Nature Park?
Monette: NO, though they’re adorable, still not a fan of going on top …

We snugged our sarongs tightly to our chins to somehow ease the chilly mountain wind. Our friend, Santi, fashioned his Thai pants into a bolero to do the same. We were at the gates of the Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival waiting for our passes to get acknowledged while holding our pee. As we get to the verge of reliveing ourselves by the darkened cliff, we saw volunteers resting behind the makeshift cottage. That urge left just as fast as it came. Pretty soon, we were eased through the line into the ampitheater-chiseled mountain.
A faint chanting …

~SPONSORED POST~
Whether it’s a spot of winter sun or a longer summer break, it’s never too soon to start planning your perfect getaway. Here are some tips on how to avoid the common holiday pitfalls and have the perfect trip this year.
The first step is to pick your ideal destination. It’s easy to stick to trusted holiday favourites like France and Spain, but if you’re looking for something a little more unusual, why not head further afield? The Maldives is a fantastic location for a relaxing and exotic break, while …

“We meet people when we travel and have an intensity and intimacy with them in ways that we wouldn’t even have with certain friends and family. I’ve come to a conclusion that this is part of the magic and mystery of traveling.”
So, why read a book of tips from a globetrotting president of a huge publication company if you can easily buy the simplified guide from the shelves of a bookstore? My answer is simple, We read travel books and touch the pages like we are caressing the wanderlust of …

When we talk about the observance of Holy Week, Philippines will definitely be on the bizarre end of the continuum. As the whole Christian world celebrates Easter as the highlight of the advent, Filipinos will put their eyes on the Good Friday events simply because it is a fusion of spirituality, macabre, cultural deconstruction, flamboyance and religion cum cirque du soleil rolled into one.
The province of Rizal is known for the Cenaculo or the theatrical showcase of the passion of Christ. Pampanga took the spotlight on the crucifixion reenactment and flagellation …

Every time we travel outside of the Philippines, we always want to check-out the beaches. Locals will brag and hype-up their priced locations and then when we get there–FAIL! Although we always tried being polite and verbally appreciate the beauty of their shores or at least try to look for something that will compensate with it’s (ahem) mediocrity.
“The sandbar is eeer-kay… Oh look! Those boats are soooo pretty!”

See, Filipinos have a very high standards when it comes to beaches. I mean come on, we all grew up on a place …

It’s one thing sharing a bed with your spouse every night, but it’s a completely different kettle of fish sharing a cabin on a cruise for several days or weeks at a time, especially if you’re travelling with friends or a relative who you’re not used to sharing with.
Marrying the person you love will mean that you would have accepted their annoying habits – the snoring, the mess or the early rising on a weekend, for example. If you find yourself on a cruise liner, such as the Oasis of …

They say you haven’t really been to a place if you missed the must-dos and the must-sees. Imagine going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower. Although it seems impossible to miss it because of its sheer height, the point is that every Paris experience isn’t complete without the obligatory Eiffel sightseeing.
Now let’s scale back to the Philippines, to a place that isn’t very popular among tourists, Surigao. Are there must dos and must sees here? You’ll be surprised to know that there are a lot of fun things …

For a self-confessed music lover, I have not gone to ANY concerts… Sure, there was this one time in my elementary days when I saw a mall tour of the Introvoys, but I don’t think that counts under an awesome music experience. There were numerous times when I performed on stage during my band days but I wouldn’t consider them concerts. And there were a lot of concerts by foreign artists in the Philippines that I missed, all because I don’t like the mob.
This year, I vow to change that. …