On being travel crazy in 2010

Friday, 31 December 2010

When 2010 started, I didn’t really have a concrete goal. I had ticket that I hoarded during airline seat sales, so I knew I was going to those places. What I never expected was that I’d end up traveling at least one a month this year!

Lakbay Norte
Lakbay Norte group at the Paoay Church. Photo by Bong Bajo

January
I had no trips for January except for the week-long Lakbay Norte media tour with other travel bloggers and members of the media. In seven days, we covered 1,798 kilometers through 7 provinces on North Philippines: Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Benguet, Pangasinan, Zambales and Pampanga. It was a crazy seven days, made crazier with a very tight itinerary, truckloads of food, videoke contests and several bottles of bagoong.

Lakbay Norte marked the start of travel season and it was also when I started burning out of traveling and travel blogging.
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Category: Wandering thoughts
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Hong Kong food tripping with the Happy Foodies

Tuesday, 28 December 2010

There were only a handful of places in my Hong Kong itinerary: The Peak, CTMA and Sino Centres, Citygate Outlet and Tim Ho Wan. Luckily, I was with two happy foodies, Ferdz and Oggie, who were more than willing to try out this famed dim sum place.

Happy Foodies at Tim Ho Wan
Happy Foodies Oggie and Ferdz at Tim Ho Wan

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Category: Hong Kong
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Hong Kong, the second time around

Saturday, 25 December 2010

Though this was my second trip to Hong Kong, I was eagerly looking forward to coming back and exploring the Special
Administrative Region. My last trip took me way off the beaten path, and this time, I’m eager to go where everyone goes. Cheapest way to get to the city Our flight arrived at 10am, still too early to check-in. Before exiting to the arrival hall, I inquired at the Visitor’s Center about the best way to go to South Pacific Hotel in Wan Chai without taking the train. I figured a 40-minute bus ride isn’t so bad if check-in isn’t until 2pm. Also, the HK$40 fare on the A11 bus was a far cry from the Airport Express’ HK$100 one-way ticket.

Hong Kong Airport Bus
Buying a ticket for the A11

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Category: Hong Kong, Sponsored Posts 20 Comments

Wandering in Kalibo

Friday, 17 December 2010

Kalibo is known as one of the gateways to Boracay island. Bigger than the Caticlan airport, which is nearer the tiny island, the Kalibo International Airport can accommodate bigger aircrafts and chartered flights from Taiwan and South Korea.

Love comes along with the rain
Believe it or not, that’s a part of the trail map of the Bakhawan Eco Park

While most tourists that pass through Kalibo only stay long enough to board a bus or van to Caticlan, there are those that head to this municipality every third weekend of January for the ati-atihan festival.

I’ve done those two, so when there was an opportunity to stay with a friend who lives in Kalibo, I quickly grabbed it.
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Category: Aklan, Destination, Philippines
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Where are you going for the holidays?

Tuesday, 14 December 2010

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My brother and his family came home to spend the holidays in the Philippines. I tagged along with them to Boracay (where I’m writing this post from) for some R & R.

I usually spend the holidays at home, since I prefer to stay at home when everyone else is traveling. This year, however, some friends are inviting me to go to one of those New Year’s Eve countdown thingies, followed by media noche in one of the hotels in Makati. Since I’m not too excited about the prospect of going home in the wee hours of January 1st (this is the Philippines, after all, where firecrackers can be set off by anyone who can afford to buy it), we decided to just stay somewhere close.
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Category: Everything Travel
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