Tag: travel
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Mad about travel
A number of my friends get their high from running or climbing. Most ladies I know get theirs from shopping. While some from a quick caffeine or chocolate fix. I go mad over travel. From scouring the best beaches to discovering adventure travel. From spending a lazy afternoon perched on the hotel balcony to getting…
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Manabu for a day
Manabu Peak Short for Mataas na Bundok, Manabu Peak is an easily accessible dayhike destination. It has an MASL of 760+ and a total trail length of 4.7 km. The trail is interestingly shaped like a rosary with Manabu’s signature big white cross aptly capping the peak. Perfectly manageable for beginners. The trail is visible…
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Saigon on the move
The former capital of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon) is a bustling developing urban center for the average adventure-driven traveler. Colonial structures and rugged buildings comprise the skyline. Motorbikes dominate the streets. Drivers speed through pedestrians and traffic lights. Nonetheless, tourists flock this city. I am not saying this little because of my Vietnam experience. :) With only a day…
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Kingdom of wonder
The Kingdom of Cambodia is a popular adventure destination, especially for western visitors. Before, the only thing I knew about the old Kampuchea is Pol Pot’s communist guerrilla force and the Khmer Rouge carnage. When I was in high school, the end of conflict in Cambodia drove them slowly out of isolation and into an…
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A badge for my misadventures
What started as a fun “study” trip ended on a reckless note and misfortune of a weekend. The highlights of my overland travel with friends were not the food trips, the walking tours, and the cities’ architectural wonders; rather, the loss of my Sea-to-Summit pouch with cash and cards, and the trip to the Ho Chi Minh police station.…
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Daguldol hiking and beaching
San Juan, Batangas A beach and a bundok. How can I resist it? After an impromptu invitation by a UP friend and a frenzy of are-we-going-or-not conversations, last weekend, my office friends and I found ourselves in yet another weekend getaway. From our initial plan to go to the Hundred Islands in Alaminos to the…
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Anawangin and the almost-wilderness
Scenery at the back of the cove Again, Lady Luck was on our side. In our first pathetic attempt at a spur-of-the-moment getaway, my officemates and I brought our beach denizen arses to Pundaquit in Zambales last April 9 and 10. Our chosen spot for the long weekend used to be the mountaineering community’s hideaway. Until about five years…
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Lessons from their travels
I would like to share with you some snippets of Queena N. Lee-Chua’s Eureka! article in the Inquirer’s Learning section. It captures the very essence of why traveling opens up one’s mind and eyes to the world. “Lessons from our travels … This is why we travel: To wake up to surf and sun heralding the start of an…
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Mortal sins when traveling
Erm, not exactly. Here are a few things I learned over the years when I’m off and about. Let’s just say, I learned ’em the hard (relatively) way. 1. Travel agents and bookings They can be a lifesaver or a pain in the neck. I used to get a travel agent when going to a…
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A conscientious tourist
On idleness and relaxation Any wanderer must take the Walker’s Decalogue to heart: 1. Don’t pack your troubles in your rucksack. 2. Don’t grouse at the weather. 3. Don’t miss opportunities of friendship with man or beast. 4. Don’t walk half a yard in front of your companion. 5. Don’t overfeed your body. 6. Don’t…