Are we ready for a winter adventure?
It is almost mid autumn and travel expo’s all over the world have been very busy with their stints in the last couple of weekends. I even noticed that a lot of patients are walking in non stop and asking me for pre trip immunizations and flu shots are selling like pancakes that horrible longchamp tote on end of season sale.
They are all flying soon to Paris, Tokyo, London, New York and even Reykjavik, and I can only cringe of jealousy. But I don’t …

When we travel, most often than not, there will be days that we prefer staying in the hostel lazily rocking our knees and watch the time pass by…
Do I hear signs of aging? EF YOU!
I guess, with the speed rate of our lives as urban slaves, we are starting to appreciate the simple luxuries and the art of doing nothing. And the place you stay or the bed you sleep-in plays a big role of making this senile activity a success!

Recently, we came across Roomorama, an accommodation portal where you …

When I was in college, all I could think of when hearing the name Sri Lanka was the place where Ravana took Sita after abducting her away from Rama and Lakshman. In my professor’s version of Ramayana, Ravana took a big leap from India to get to Lanka. In other versions, Ravana shoved Sita inside his Pushpaka vimana, man-handled a giant peacock, and used it to fly back to his kingdom. What is regarded as a discovery of something which was not sought but was nevertheless found is perhaps what makes …

The best way to get a transportation around Kandy is to rent a tuktuk from your hotel. Most often than not, random drivers will overcharge and try to rip you off every singe way they can. Like, duh! You get this modus operandi in any tourist place on earth so don’t act like you are surprised. car hire will usually costs around 10,000 and we got a tuktuk at 4,000 (for a half day run) through a recommendation of our butler–YOU READ IT RIGHT! We got a butler during our …

It took more than 30 minutes of open highway motorbike ride to head off to our final stop of the day. But the old school asphalt road and the feel of isolation in the driest place in Asia made the joy ride seem shorter than a house party quickie stint. (Disclaimer: I do not know anything about quickies! I’m telling the truth).
I learned a new skill of taking pictures on a running motorbike, but the speeding open vehicle, the smashing wind, fine dust and some random flying small objects hurts …

Previously, on Fliptravels:
We were both drifting fast to La-la land when I asked Monette…
Ron: We booked a round trip ticket right?
Monette: Yeah…
Ron: Is it (the return ticket) with you?
Monette: No…
Both: HOH CRAP!!!
And so we endured half of the five-hour trip to Mui Ne with shooting BPs as we don’t know how we can get hold of our return tickets. At the pit stop, I quickly took my caffeine fix; and with closed eyes, called our hotel that booked us the tour (Ron also had to call them to make sure …

… Another stretch of walking was followed with more walking, the setting sun and cramped limbs reminded us that we have a cultural event to attend at 6:30 PM. Oh yes boys and girls, your folks here are no “all beer, no humanity” celebrities (celebrities?!). In fact, we always make it to a point to indulge in a traditional and/or artsy event whenever we are on the road. Remember our Apsara night in Siem Reap? the Hutong courtyard in Beijing? The Wayang Kulit in Yogya? and the Pingpong show in …

I stepped out of Bandaranaike International Airport with all the soot and grime of Manila, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and of course, Sri Lanka. Four airports, three plane rides, damning heat of the summer sun, one 1-hour bus ride, and one 4-hour bus ride in 24 hours should be enough to drive me to pick an axe and decapitate Ron, or anybody who crosses my way. But since that was our first out-of-South East Asia trip together, I restrained myself lest be banned from going out of the country.

The bittersweet journey started …

There is one thing that ticks me off when I travel, and that is being asked the never ending question of why I am alone (except, of course, when I travel with Ron, then WE suffer the question: “how long have you guys been dating?” Ugh!). Sometimes, people get clever and would ask me if I am meeting a friend when I get to my destination. I open a can of worms the moment I answer, “No.” Then follows the question of my civil status; of why, at my age, …

In high school, I’m one of those kids who doesn’t get the luxury of having new bags every start of the school year. While my classmates brag and exhibit their “In” pop-swatch bags, less fortunate kids like me can only salivate admiring the oversized wall clock adorned backpack. Which in retrospect, was so retarded!

A hand-me-down yellow ”MR. FLYER” school bag, 1987
In the 90′s, there were only two kinds of school bags, Jansport and everything else. Thanks to the ever so believable Gwapings who pretty much capitalized the culture of my generation. …