The Island Explorer

Located in Vivo City, the National Geographic Store has opened its doors in Asia. Take the MRT to Harbor Front on the North East Line and you'll arrive directly at the new and possibly the biggest mall in Singapore. A sprawling space of museum pieces, artifacts, dazzling photographs and desirable merchandise, the flagship store in Asia looks more like an exhibit of the world, rather than a retail outlet. The space is divided into several themed areas. The stuff they sell there are quite expensive, but part of your purchase goes to efforts in saving the earth. Some of the pieces sold are authentic antiques, costing over 30,000 SGD. If I had the money, I would buy something from the store. The only thing I could afford was a map and their books. So, if you're in SG, pass by this unique and inspiring venue.

I've been bitten by the travel bug when I took a trip for work to 5 destinations in Asia in just one route. I made it to Jakarta, Bali, KL, Saigon and Bangkok all in one direction. I was then carrying a huge suitcase and traveling using the national carriers. I wanted nice hotels and took the taxi to and from the airport. It didn't take long to notice that I was doing something wrong. I just didn't feel right. Trip after trip abroad every month after, I was slowly introduced to the backpacking way of traveling. It was Thailand that brought out the adventurous spirit in me. In the Philippines, I just went to Boracay every year, and that was it. Now, I cannot even stand a weekend without going out of town. Backpacking is a way of travel and life. It's not for everyone. I've asked my friends if they were willing to stay in guesthouses, share bathrooms, talk to strangers, take the bus and go to a trip without any set itinerary. They wouldn't. And I don't blame t

Most Filipinos go to Kota Kinabalu for the beaches. On the mainland, you have Tanjung Aru and Rasa Ria (resort by Shangri-la). But if you want a real beach experience in KK, head for the islands of the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, which is composed of five islands off the coast of Kota Kinabalu. Getting to these islands are easy. The Jesselton Port towards the north of the town center offers a lot of boats that head for these islands. You can take the public ferries, or charter a boat for your group. Since we were 7, we rented a boat for RM200 for one whole day, to visit 3 islands - Mamutik, Manukan and Sapi. The first island that we visited was Mamutik, which supposedly was the best swimming beach and snorkeling site. As we docked, the island looked like any other Thai island, with powdery white sand and no resorts. There were a lot of sun worshippers and tour groups. Most of the people there were snorkeling, though the corals were dead. You could see more fish in the Philippines

Day 2 in KK, and we rented a minivan (an FX) for me to drive all the way to Mount Kinabalu. The drive took 2 hours, as the vehicle I was driving wasn't fast enough (if you're travelling with a group of 4 or more, consider driving when exploring, it turns out to be cheaper, and more flexible). We stopped over a restaurant called Strawberry Lodge, and had curry for lunch. We then zoomed off to our accommodations in the highlands, the Kinabalu Pine Resort. It turned out that the lodge wasn't far behind our lunch venue. It was situated in the town of Kudasang, just 10 mins. drive after the Kinabalu Park. It had spectacular views of Mount Kinabalu, and the surroundings. Better take a room that's got one. The best thing about this place is its rate. We got three rooms for one night for RM180 each, all with breakfast and dinner. That's around P1,500 per person for the entire time. Great deal. After checking in at the lodge, we headed off straight to Poring Hot Springs, whi

I now have a new favorite. It's located along Connecticut St in Greenhills, just after Belomed. The name of the place is Angel's Kitchen. Though not a newcomer (it's been here since last year), I was only able to visit the place when we planned a get together dinner with friends. We were supposed to go to Chilis, but when I passed by Angel's, I immediately stopped in front of it, and asked if there were still seats. Fortunately, a group was leaving, so I texted everyone about the change in venue. The restaurant was packed, well, it was not that big anyway. It reminded me of Conti's. Of course, it had a home feel, making it perfect for families and friends (of our age). I was excited to see the menu. We ordered I think every signature dish, except for the lamb ribs. So, let's take them one at a time. The first dish here is the Mandarin Chicken. To me, this was the worst of all, but don't me wrong. It was average. I started with the worst among what we ordered

Perhaps, Kota Kinabalu or KK as the locals call their home, is one of the last popular destinations I haven't been to in SEA. So, our company decided on going to KK for our annual excursion, thanks in large part to the low fares of Cebu Pacific. KK is located in the island of Borneo (the third largest island in the world), directly south of the Philippines, just below the beautiful islands of Tawi-Tawi and the southern tip of Palawan. KK is the capital of the Malaysian state, Sabah, which promotes itself as an adventure destination. Sabah is much like any province in the Philippines, with beaches, mountains, rivers and a whole lot of wildlife. It is also the home to the supposed tallest peak in South East Asia, Mount Kinabalu. This journey takes us into the mountainous area and the islands nearby Kota Kinabalu. We wished we could visit Sipadan and Sandakan, but we had limited time to explore. So, we start off with the capital itself, Kota Kinabalu. The city center is small enough t

Filipino restaurants are truly becoming a trend nowadays. And it's a good thing, because, I always thought we lacked good Filipino restaurants. We always think of Kamayan, or Barrio Fiesta, or Cabalen. Now, we have a lot to choose from, ranging from those roadside grilleries to fine dining options. A new restaurant hopes to crack the same ground. This is Hacienda, located at the ground floor of the Transcomm Bldg, beside Tiendesittas in Pasig. What made me very interested is the fact that they call the place a Filipino deli/coffeeshop/restaurant. All slashes. Being a deli, it serves local delicacies. Being a cafe, it serves charcoal roasted mountain coffee. Being a restaurant, it serves your usual Filipino fare ala carinderia style. We were there for dinner and surprisingly, there wasn't any customers when we arrived. 2 groups came in a few minutes later though. The food is presented ala carinderia, meaning, they are already laid out on the counter, and you just have to choose