The Island Explorer

Camarines Norte is considered to be under the radar for tourists, but pre-pandemic, it has already captured the hearts of a lot of travel bloggers, particularly because of the famed Calaguas Group of Islands . My Mom is from this province, so when I was invited to go with her to spend a week in my Tita's beach house, I took the offer gladly. I was dying to explore my province once again. We arrived late night in Camarines Norte after an 8-hour drive. It was my first time in my Tita's place. I was always told of this beach house and I imagined it to be old, traditional, antique. To my surprise, it turned out to be something more like a villa in Santorini. I knew that this trip was going to be different, and the excitement level just hit an all-time high.  This is Casa Napundan, which my Tita built to house intrepid tourists and surfers. I will be sharing more about this place in my next entry, so stay tuned for that.  It was a rainy April weekend and the rainy season was giving

It's been ages since I last wrote in my blog, but things have been going pretty easy recently for me, and so, I am back to writing. I have a back log of so many travel experiences that I want to share, but for now, I will just write and share as I declutter my hard drive. Most of these travels have occurred pre-pandemic, so my goal is to inspire people to #travelagain.  My first stop is definitely one of the destinations to watch out for in the next few years - Sicogon Island in Iloilo. I've always loved the Visayas, and it is where the Island Explorer began, when I first took that first backpacking trip to Bantayan in 2005, roughly 15 years ago. I did not expect that my life would change with that trip.  My trip to Sicogon made me feel the same. I was giddy, as it was a new destination. I have been to the surrounding islands particularly in Carles and Estancia but have never been to Sicogon. So when I heard that Ayala was building there, I spontaenously booked a flight to Iloi

As I grow old, I have been looking for experiences that match my lifestyle. And since I consider myself to be a busy and multitasking entrepreneur, stress is no stranger to me. It fact, I have managed to absorb stress and release it in such as way that I do not have those panic attacks. In cases that I cannot handle all the stress, I head to a spa for some much needed relaxation and release. And when I have the time, I try to make my way to a spa destination out of town, just to make the experience more worthy of my time. My go-to destination has always been Tagaytay, particularly Nurture Spa Village. However, I have been intrigued by this exclusive spa nestled at the center of Tagaytay. Friends, let us embark on a journey to wellness at the QiWellness Living Spa. Just the same was cool enough to make me enter its imposing dark wood door.

Check it out guys! Thank you to flyme360 magazine for not changing a single word from the blog post and for making me realize that my pictures DO look good. Oh, click HERE for the desktop version and HERE for mobile one. Subscribe to flyme360 as well!

A fellow travel blogger caught my attention with this article on Boracay. Here she explained why Boracay is PROBABLY the WORST island in the world. Do you agree?  Well, I couldn't help but put up a lengthy response to her article. Here is what I said: *** Hi Anna! First of, I am a fan of your blog. So being a Filipino travel blogger, this article caught my attention quick. It got me startled.  Whenever I write something bad in my blog, it’s usually out of huge frustration. I actually try not to rant on my blog, unless it is called for. So, being a blogger, I sense that urge for you to release all your frustrations about Boracay, and the Philippines maybe. I am so sorry that you had a lousy time here.  I agree to your points, but I think, the use of the WORST in the title is what got me off. You see, I have been to almost all popular Asian beaches and islands from Sri Lanka to Sihanoukville to Bali. After all my years of traveling, one beach has claimed my BEST BEACH

Who would have thought Manila would be in the shortlist for Best City in the Wallpaper Design Awards? With competitors like Chicago, Hamburg, Tokyo and Paris, it's already an  honour to be part of the list. I  do hope we win though. The caption writes: With foreign investment pouring in, a president tackling corruption and talented overseas Filipinos returning home, Manila is a city rising fast, in every sense. Many of its major players are homegrown, from the ambitious architects dreaming up the shiny towers to the creatives behind new restaurants and galleries. From Jordy Navarra to Carlos Garcia, there’s no shortage of talented local chefs, while designers and artists such as Ito Kish, Cesare and Jean Marie Syjuco have all opened showrooms across the city.   Read more at  http://www.wallpaper.com/design-awards/2015#mSV4kgXBxQEOgjE8.99

2015 was lean season for me in travel especially in the local scene. I have made more international trips though last year and continued to visit Hong Kong, my world's top city and Singapore, my second home. Though Boracay was a hit for me last year, Puerto Galera proved to be the surprise winner. This year, I plan to visit more local destinations, beginning with what is becoming to be a yearly tradition that is the Malasimbo Arts and Music Festival in Puerto Galera. I am not anticipating 2015 to be travel intense though, as I am also expecting a big change in my life this year. So, without further ado, here is my list, the destinations that I will try my best to visit in 2015.