The Island Explorer

It was one of the fastest years of my life. My blog entries are piling up already, and the oldest ones are a year behind. I haven't posted my holiday trips last year even! I still vow to finish them though within the next month. I always thought I lacked travel compared to other years, but upon reviewing my year, I think it was still enough to make a complete list. I traveled mostly out of the country this year, from the UAE at the start, to Australia in the end and of course, a lot of Asia in the middle. I found myself in the same places, from Phuket, Bali, HK, Singapore and Malaysia. I also took my first cruise, which I still have to write about. I also decided to spend time in the Philippines this Christmas for the first time in 4 years, but soon left for Hanoi, where I am currently writing this. I actually spent more time abroad than in the country. So, it was difficult coming up with my list for 2013. Because of my recent trend in travel, I decided to split the list into T...

If I thought 2011 was my least travelled year, then 2012 was the total opposite. I was out two thirds of the year, though most are on international trips such as South Africa, Bali, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and two more destinations that I haven't blogged about - Mongolia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. So as you can see, I had a drought in local destinations this year. Some in the list are new, but most are rediscoveries. I have been to almost all provinces in the country except for Dinagat Islands and Batanes (yes, yes), so it's hard for me to find new places. And with work becoming more demanding, it's just hard to travel locally and further away from Manila. But there was one clear winner for me this year, as I reveal the Top 10 of my Philippine experiences this 2012. 10. The Farm at San Benito Let's begin the list with a well known resort very near the Metro. Just an hour's drive from Makati is the city of Lipa that holds one of the co...

2009 was a great year for local travel for me. Ironically, from my wish list for the year, I only set foot in one spot. Nevertheless, 2009 made me a live on my trusty backpack. I have taken a spectacular and unforgettable trip to Southwest China , and discovered how much Siem Reap in Cambodia has changed. I finally got to travel outside of Ho Chi Minh, particularly in Mui Ne , and experienced the villa life in Bali . However, since we're all about promoting local tourism, this list will cover only my top local travel experiences. I can't wait to experience what 2010 has in store for me. 10. Baler, Aurora Finally, after 3 years of not being able to go on trips to Aurora, I was able to drive all the way to Baler. Passing through the majestic mountains of Sierra Madre and parts of isolated Nueva Vizcaya, I witnessed dams that looked like seas on top of mountains. Baler proved to be one of the most laid back towns I have ever been to. It's like the place forgets about time. T...

I must admit, I haven't been to the movies this year. In fact, I've only watched a dozen films in the theater this year. Seeing the line-up also, this year's offerings were not as great as last year's. I've been catching up with movies I've missed at home, and still, nothing has made an impact to me. Compared from last year, when Slumdog, Revolutionary Road, Benjamin Button, Juno, Doubt, and the rest of the gang wowed me. It was even difficult to make a top 10 list with all the nice movies. Now, I'm complaining there's no good movie yet. So, as plain as it is, here are my top movies for 2009. 10. Inglorius Basterds It's a Quentin film on the Nazi occupation, so it must be interesting. I can't help but be reminded of Kill Bill, which I thought was better. Despite the long dialogues, Basterds was suspenseful, and kept me impatient on what's to happen next. 9. Star Trek One of the first good movies of the year, Star Trek received high grad...