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Christmas Day in Paris

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So it was Christmas, and the sun shone for the first time since I arrived. The pleasant weather was perfect for Day 3 of our European escape. We wanted to see more of Paris, hence we decided to go to the Eiffel Tower. 

The Lourve and Notre Dame: Paris Day 2

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I woke up at 5AM to meet Lizzy and Kats in the Latin Quarter area, where our next hotel was situated. I was supposed to stay for two nights at Cuadron, but since I arrived in Paris a day late, I had to spend just one night. We checked in Albe Hotel, which had a very good location in the Latin Quarter, just off Saint Michel station.

Bonjour Paris!

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This begins my account of my first trip to Europe last Christmas 2010. I took a KLM flight to Amsterdam from Manila. However, the flight from Manila was delayed, so we missed our connecting flight to Paris. We were billeted overnight in Ibis Hotel at the Schipol airport, and boarded a morning flight to Paris the next day. So, I arrived in cold Paris after lunch, still dazed by the fact that my schedule got messed up, and I had one night in my hotel foregone. I was also in limbo because I couldn't believe I was in Europe. I had a very busy year, and just before my flight, I had to attend several Christmas parties.

Villa Angelina: Maya-Maya, Nasugbu, Batangas

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I was already satisfied with my Kawayan Cove rental. But that got me going. I wanted to find more vacation houses for rent in Batangas. I also wanted to share the experience with my close friends, so I decided to take them to a new house that I spotted online. It was named Villa Angelina.

Palm Beach (La Frondosa)

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I woke up one Saturday morning without anything to do, so the most logical move was to head out of town for a beach. I was kind of getting bored with the North already, so I decided to explore more of the South. I really didn't want to go to Nasugbu, so I thought of heading to San Juan. This is how I ended up in Palm Beach Resort (La Frondosa) in Brgy. Hugom, in San Juan, Batangas.

Dean and Deluca opens in Bangkok

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I'm quite shocked that Dean & Deluca, a stellar New York based cafe, chose Bangkok as their first Asian location. I mean, Manila would be perfect, given how much coffee and cafe addicts we are. I would imagine D&D in the Fort, with an all white modern facade, laying their commitment to be purveyors of fine food. 

The Beach House at Kawayan Cove

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UPDATE: This beach house is no longer for rent. Vacation rentals is a relatively new term in the tourism industry. It is a growing worldwide trend and Asia is leading in this new type of accommodation. Given the number of villas for rent in Bali, Phuket and other popular island destinations in Asia, I don't see why our country hasn't exploited this trend. In the Philippines, vacation rentals come in the form of beach houses, or seaside mansions even. Recently, I have been searching for the best beach house for rent in the country. Of course, I started where there is a number of these accommodations: Batangas.

2011 Travel Trends

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It's my 300th post, so I want to make this special. And since we've begun a new year, I've come up with a list of travel trends for 2011. I still have a lot to write about from last year, but since work doesn't permit me, I haven't shared as much as I did. 2010 was a landmark year for the Philippines in terms of travel. We increased our tourist base to 3.45M already, around 19% from 2009. Even though we had the hostage crisis and other travel warnings, we still managed to grow. Not surprising, and the government should be happy about it, since Asia will keep growing. What we need is a drastic increase, spurred by an overhaul of promotions and focusing on new travel trends. Here are 3 of my takes: 1. Secluded and Unique Luxury More and more exclusive and luxurious resorts are opening in Asia. But the most significant ones are those who offer the most secluded locations. Take 4 Rivers Floating Ecolodge in Cambodia for example. It is a floating luxury camp on a r

Marcia Adams in Tagaytay

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I love Tagaytay because I love to eat. With its relaxing setting and cool climate, no wonder a day trip to Tagaytay is such a temptation for those living in Manila. My most recent visit was in Marcia Adams, not a new restaurant, but it's jut one of the places that I haven't tried.

The Top 10 Travel Experiences of 2010

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2010 was a whirlwind year for me. One, I was too busy with work, which means I visited more places. It went to the point that I didn't keep track of where I was. It was also a year of new discoveries, and expanding horizons. I finally made it to Basilan, which means I have been to the entire ARMM. Basilan though was not a notable travel experience for me, except for the fact that I lost my Blackberry there. Two, I felt I was getting older, thus, my needs for travel started to change. I looked for more relaxing places, if not luxurious. However, there were still times that I yearned for a backpack adventure. I had a memorable journey to the Lombok and the Gilis in Indonesia. I also made it to Europe this year, hence the delay in my posts in December. 2010 was definitely not my ordinary year in travel. 10. Thunderbird, Poro Point, La Union From Pangasinan, we decided to take a quick side trip to La Union, since I really haven't been there to explore. We ended up staying a nig