RSSAug|17|2009
Baguio, Philippines: New Adventure Destination
Posted by Noemi as Adventure, Asia, Destinations
Baguio City in the Philippines is known as the country’s Summer Capital. This city was founded by the Americans during their stay in the country, and is located on a mountain. The weather is pretty cool, making it the perfect destination when one yearns to get away from the heat and humidity of the lowlands.
Now, the city government and the Baguio Convention and Visitors Bureau (BCVB) are working in tandem to promote the city as a new adventure destination. The Philippine Information Agency reports:
“We will be promoting Baguio, not as the usual tourist destination, but as a place where people (tourists) has a lot other things to do, where adventure begins,” De Leon said.
In the forum, BCVB Executive Director Amboy Guevara, presented the new tourism map they have designed and the pavilion that they will be …
Mar|22|2009
The Beaches Of Bohol
Posted by Noemi as Asia, Destinations, Islands, Resorts, Tips, Travelogger
When I wrote my last post, I was getting ready to leave the resort where we stayed in Panglao, Bohol in the Philippines. I have to say, without any equivocation, that where we stayed has one of the best beaches that I have ever visited.
The popular destination in Bohol is the stretch of Alona Beach, where the sand is white and fine. I didn’t choose to stay in that area for two reasons:
1. Too many people
2. Seaweeds.
Of course, I haven’t experienced any of those for myself, but most of the people that I have talked to have the same comments. Since Alona Beach is where you will find most of the hotels and resorts, people would tend to go there. The accommodation there is quite affordable, though, so it is a good place to go.
We stayed at the Dumaluan Beach Resort, which is right …
Mar|08|2009
Discovering Bohol, Philippines
Posted by Noemi as Asia, Destinations, Islands, Travelogger
Today is a big day for me – I am about to embark on a day’s worth of new experiences! Yesterday, we flew to Cebu City, which is considered the Queen City of the South of the Philippines. We didn’t really spend much time there – just enough to rush from the airport to the pier, where we got on a ferry boat to the neighboring island of Bohol. We are staying in Cebu in a couple of days, though, so I shall post about that later on.
Going back to Bohol, we took on the services of a seasoned tour guide for today. I have always wanted to go around Bohol because of the things I have been hearing about it. To give you a quick idea, these are some of the things that we plan …
Jan|05|2009
Chinese Spring Festival
Posted by Noemi as Asia, Festivals
Are you looking for a different kind of adventure in the next month or so? You might want to head on over to China to join them in celebrating the Spring Festival, which is also more popularly known as the Chinese New Year.
We all know about the Chinese New Year, which is determined by the lunar calendar instead of the Gregorian Calendar. As a result, the date of the festival varies from year to year and falls somewhere in late January or early February. There is no doubt about it, this is the single most important holiday in all of China and for Chinese all over the world. This year, the festival begins on the 26th of January and will end 15 days later. This is called the Lantern Festival.
As early as now, the people in …
Dec|28|2008
Visit Singapore In 2009
Posted by Noemi as Announcements, Asia, Hotels
This year, Singapore experienced a boom in its travel industry, largely due to the fact that the first ever F1 night race was held in September. As you may know, if you actually tried booking hotel rooms around that time, accommodations became hard to find. And when you did find available rooms, the prices were astronomical! Though prices have dropped somewhat, the average price is still a bit steep, especially if you compare them to other Asian countries such as Thailand (which is always known for cheap accommodation anyway).
As the year 2008 ends, however, we might even have better reasons to visit Singapore. According to Channel News Asia, the year 2009 may prove to be a good time to book hotel rooms in the country as the number of tourists coming to Singapore have slowed down. …
Dec|22|2008
No New Year’s Party At Goa
Posted by Noemi as Announcements, Asia, Destinations, News, Tips, Warnings
Last year, my husband and I decided to break away from the tradition of spending New Year’s at home with the rest of the family. I do not know about you, but in my family, Christmas and New Year’s are supposed to be spent together. Last year, however, my sister decided to spend Christmas with her husband’s family. It got us thinking that perhaps, we could embark on our own adventure and start our own tradition – hence the destination New Year. This year, we are going to spend it with some friends in the city.
For those of you who like spending New Year’s some place else as well, you might want to decide not to go to Goa in India. If you have already made plans to go there, you might want to know …
Oct|25|2008
Travelers Urged To Stay Away From Indonesia For Now
Posted by Noemi as Announcements, Asia, Warnings
I have always wanted to visit Indonesia, especially since it is known for some of the best beaches in the world. More so, their food and culture are sure to provide a different experience for the whole family. The fact that it is located just beside The Philippines is another perk. However, I have heard a lot of advice from friends that it might not be a good idea to go there anytime soon. Don’t get me wrong – I have met many people from Indonesia (westerners lots of them) who encourage visits to the archipelago. According to them, it is quite safe as long as you know what you are doing and as long as you stay away from hot spots.
Recently, though, the Indonesian government announced that the three people who were convicted for …
Sep|04|2008
New Destination For Foodies: Tokyo
Posted by Noemi as Announcements, Around The World, Asia, Destinations, Food and Drink
It used to be that when one wanted to go to the premier destination for food, it was Paris that came to mind first. These days, it seems that there is a new culinary capital – at least according to the experts. The attention of Michelin, arguably the foodie’s guide to the best, was placed on Tokyo and they came up with a Michelin guide. What did it contain? Nothing but praise for this foodie’s haven, where even the ones on a budget could satisfy their palates with tons of great food.
MSN reports:
Here’s a Michelin morsel:
“Tokyo is a shining star in the world of cuisine,” Michelin Guides Director Jean-Luc Naret said shortly after its Tokyo edition came out last November. “We found the city’s restaurants to be excellent, featuring the best ingredients, culinary …
Aug|02|2008
More Of Bangkok On A Shoestring Budget
Posted by Noemi as Asia, Backpacking & Budget, Food and Drink, Tips
We have talked about going around Bangkok and sleeping in the city on a shoestring budget. Now how about going to the best part of all – FOOD.
When we went to Bangkok, trying all the different food available was the best part for me. We arrived at the hotel around 4 am and we were starving. It was a good thing that we saw a long line of food stores right beside the hotel. It seemed that they were open all night and there were a lot of people eating and drinking so we decided to check in and then find something to eat. Most of the people were Thai so of course, we got weird looks but I supposed they are quite used to tourists walking the streets of Bangkok.
Anyway, I remembering ordering a bowl of glass noodle soup and a squid dish. …
Jul|28|2008
Bangkok On A Shoestring Budget
Posted by Noemi as Asia, Backpacking & Budget, Cities, Destinations, Tips
A friend of mine is taking her family to Bangkok at the end of this week. As she has never been there (and I have), we had a long discussion on what they could do there without burning too big a hole in their pockets. Here are some things that we talked about.
Accommodations
Bangkok is rife with hotels and hostels for all kinds of budgets. Since we are looking for cheap but decent accommodations, the best place to stay would be around the Khao San area. This road is arguably the best road in the world. Though some may think that it is not the perfect place for families, I think that during the day, the road is just fine for kids. There is also a proliferation of cheap accommodation around the area. Another …
