One day, I’m bound to wake up on the wrong side of the bed and look at life with utter exhaustion and hate.
And then I will watch this video, and everything in the world will seem to be right again.
For more stories, pics and tips about the glorious, idyllic nook that is Batad, you can read about them in my post over here.
I belong to the church of Ye-Does-Not-Have-To-Travel-Far-to-Explore. It’s a good thing that Singapore is one of those places that always has something brewing, whether it’s an event for the arts or a good old flea sale.
When I caught whiff of Oh! Occupy Tiong Bahru in the Honeycombers newsletter (one of my most dependable sources for choice weekend jaunts), I immediately jumped on the chance. I mean, a day spent enjoying art while poking around other people’s houses, especially in one of the more interesting boroughs in the Red Dot? Sounds like a brilliant day to me. Continue reading Occupy Tiong Bahru
It was our Day 8 in Australia, and I was getting a bit frustrated as I haven’t been able to take a dip yet after seeing miles and miles of gorgeous coastlines.
Well, I certainly was in for a treat in Sydney’s Northern Suburbs. On a weekend, the dress code seemed to be singlets, bikinis and board shorts. We haven’t even lingered for an hour yet, and I had my nth sighting of someone crossing the road, lugging along his surfboard. All these just a brief bus ride away from alighting the tube. How could I not fall in love with this lifestyle? Continue reading Life’s a Beach in Sydney
After back-to-back days of nature-tripping in Melbourne, we hurled ourselves back to the urban jungle, this time in the heart of Sydney! It was a cool coincidence that we arrived just in time for Australia Day. Festivities were in full swing in almost every nook, despite the unusual rainy weather. On the train, I glimpsed at kids and adults alike proudly bearing the Union-Jack on their board shorts, capes and even temp tattoos. Continue reading Yey for Australia Day in Sydney!
Exhibit A: Gorgeous beaches that will blow you away
Growing up in an archipelago of kick-ass beaches, a look-see at the shorelines of other countries usually isn’t the highlight of a trip for me. A mental image of Boracay would almost automatically pop up every time, and pride would make me go, “It’s okay, but I’ve seen better.” But then, I caught a glimpse of Australia’s coastline: Continue reading What’s So Great About the Great Ocean Road?
Everyone has their destination must-do; for Geebee, it was to see the Penguin Parade at Phillip Island. Fortunately, it wasn’t that difficult at all to arrange a day trip. It took us just a couple of sites before we set our hearts upon the fairly-priced Phillip Island package offered by Wildlife Tours.
We sneaked in a quick breakfast jaunt at the Queen Victoria Market, before rushing back to the hostel, where our tour coach was to pick us up at 11 am. Continue reading Happy Feet and the Wildlife of Australia
Fresh off a chill-out weekend in Perth, I found the busy, bustling streets of Melbourne a bit disorienting at first. Quick-footed yuppies stirred the city off to a start, while tourists and a whole lot of tennis buffs looked forward to another nail-biting day of the Australian Open.
Our well-laid out itinerary for Melbourne Day 1? Verbatim, it was this: “see the city”. Okay, sounds like a plan to me! Continue reading Day 1 in Melbourne: No Plans? No Problem!
Word on the backpacker’s grapevine says that Batad is one of those rare glimpses of heaven on earth. A village that used to be a well-kept secret, Batad is neatly tucked away, almost in the shadow of Banaue, its more-familiar neighbor. A few souls have dared call it as the 8th Wonder of the World, but seriously, the title has been thrown around so often, that we can probably come up with a Top 7 ‘8th Wonders of the World’ list.
In the end, curiosity got the best of us, and at the third year of a tradition that we unknowingly started, my bundok buddies and I trooped off to Batad to kick off the year with another adventure. Continue reading The Batad Experience: How Far Will You Go for an Epic Adventure?
Australia isn’t exactly among the places you would go to for cheap thrills. In fact, Perth clocks in one of world’s highest density of uber-high-net-worth individuals. Hashtag: FilthyRich.
That’s why it was a nice surprise when we found ourselves enjoying a full tourist-y day wandering the fab Perth CBD sans the splurging (except for good grub and ale, of course!). Here are a few tips on how to make like Jessie J and enjoy a day in Perth not caring about the kaching-kaching: Continue reading 5 Ways to Spend a Splurge-Free Day at Perth
Mickey J — you are insane, as in INSANELY TALENTED.
I’m always a sucker for street performances, at times literally rubbing elbows with the crowd at the hopes of getting my dose of genius and astonishment for the day. We did get to see a lot of acts in the Murray Street Mall in Perth, ranging from the delightful to the just plain weird. Continue reading Mickey J Rocks Perth
Western Australia gave me a warm welcome for my first glimpse of the Land Down Under. So very warm, in fact, that I would soon come to christen Perth in the summer as the city of eternal sunshine (or in Tagalog, ‘ang siyudad na laging tanghaling tapat’).
We easily settled into Underground Backpackers over at Northbridge, our digs for the weekend. The hostel was just a few blocks away from the Perth Central Train Station, so after breakfast (or ‘brekky’, as we were soon to be educated), we trooped off on foot and bought tickets to Fremantle. My friend Geebee and I got a FamilyRider ticket (a day pass that’s a steal for big groups, allowing up to 7 people for one stub!). In a few minutes, we were onboard and watching the picturesque rows of houses zip by on our way to the port city. Continue reading Perth & Fremantle: A Day Behind Bars and Other Stories
Having been drawn to the island paradise 4 times over the last 5 years, I think I can personally vouch that Cebu is a tried-and-tested fun-in-the-sun destination. Of course, January is a great time to flock to Cebu to join the droves for the Sinulog festival, but Cebu offers a whole lot more: alluring coasts, mouth-watering grub, sky-high thrills, and of course, the people who are gorgeous inside and out.
I rarely get to make vacation mash-ups with my family in it, so this vid was a real treat for me. Now you have solid proof that insanity is hereditary. Enjoy!
.: ishcapades 