travel, video

30 Travel Videos That Will Make You Want to Ride Off to Your Next Adventure

2 Comments

Have you ever seen something on TV or in a movie that made you instantly go, “I wanna go there!”? Remember when you were a kid, when you would actually dash off to unknown places, climb trees or rocks without even knowing what’s up there, because after reading and hearing all about adventure, you were dead set on finding your own one too?

Countless travel videos — whether in Vimeo, Youtube or Tripfilms — have often made me go, “Whoa!”, “No s**t!”, “That’s crazy! We need to do this!”, and variations of other expletives. On many occasions, these adventures shook me back into a relentless pursuit of adventure, at times when I start to feel lazy and begin to settle.

Drooling over travel videos has always been one of my guilty pleasures. It’s a love-hate relationship, really — as much as I detest how I didn’t get to join their exploits, it’s really hard to hate something so beautifully made. Join me and indulge your inner fantasy-chaser, as we go through 30 epic travel videos that will inspire you when you’re home-bound (or at least, tethered to somewhere with wi-fi).

May your thirst for adventure be endless!

1.) I Love People:5000 miles, 930 people, 162 secs by Benjamin Jenks
Made years before ‘selfie’ was Oxford’s Word of the Year, this video went viral and captured the hearts of everyone everywhere who genuinely wanted to meet people and make lasting memories while on the road. Here’s proof that there are more friends to be made out there than foes.

2.) The WatchTower of Turkey by Leonardo Dalessandri
Watching this was like seeing my own dream while awake — not that floating, peaceful sensation, but vivid and fast-paced flashes of what could be memories from a past, or maybe even future, life.

3.) Music Video: I Can Be The One by Avicii vs Nicky Romero
I award this one with the Best Use of Music Video Budget for Infinite Wanderlust Inspiration. Watch out for her epic to-do list — I bet that’d be your sole focus from now on too.

Continue reading 30 Travel Videos That Will Make You Want to Ride Off to Your Next Adventure →

travel

30 Travel Quotes to Fuel Your Wanderlust

Leave a comment


In a month, I’m turning 30! To celebrate three decades of delight, heartbreaks, and most importantly, adventure, my goal is to churn out as many Top 30 articles as I can to share the bits and pieces I’ve learned and realized for the almost-thirty years I’ve been blessed with. This is the first article of the series; if you have ideas for brilliant and funny topics I should write about, feel free to let me know through the comments. I’m really excited to kick things off — I hope you enjoy reading these!

Love, Ish

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go. - T.S. Eliot
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.
— T.S. Eliot

The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.
–- Samuel Johnson

The great difference between voyages rests not with the ships, but with the people you meet on them.
–- Amelia E. Barr

You don’t choose the day you enter the world and you don’t chose the day you leave. It’s what you do in between that makes all the difference.
–- Anita Septimus

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore. - Andre Gide
Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.
— Andre Gide

Continue reading 30 Travel Quotes to Fuel Your Wanderlust →

asia, travel, video

The Many Faces of Siem Reap

2 Comments

The temple of Bayon is often outshone by the mighty Angkor Wat and alluring Ta Phrom, but it was the one that drew me in. Bayon’s towers are studded by faces on each side, and I remember standing agape, trying to study each expression, each smile. It might not be not as celebrated as the other bigger temples, but this was the definitely the one that the Khmer engineers had fun building.

Continue reading The Many Faces of Siem Reap →

asia, travel, video

Will Work For Smiles

Leave a comment

The myth has been busted — apparently, I am capable of showing up at the break of dawn for work. Today, though, work doesn’t mean putting on a frock and a pair of heels. Instead, I panic-packed several shorts, tops, and of course, our office’s official volunteer T-shirts, all before rushing madly to the airport to make my 6:15 am flight.

Continue reading Will Work For Smiles →

asia, singapore, travel

Rethinking the Family Portrait: Our Day at the Trick Eye Museum

1 Comment

Trick Eye Museum - Shrink

After several months of not having a single photo together, I’d say my family and I finally got to declare sweet revenge. Two hours, three albums, and 200+ pictures later, we could say that revenge was best served in a myriad of poses.
Continue reading Rethinking the Family Portrait: Our Day at the Trick Eye Museum →

africa, asia, europe, north america, oceania, philippines, travel, video

The Holstee Manifesto: A Vid

Leave a comment

Ever since I stumbled on the Holstee Manifesto, it has been my beacon for when I’m lost, or for when I lose sight of my real dreams. What’s so striking about it is that it speaks of things that you already know true, but also things which you just need help being reminded of every now and then.

If you want to learn more about the story behind the Holstee Manifesto, or if you want to download your own Holstee wallpaper (like the one below), you can check out their site at www.holstee.com.

The Holstee Manifesto

Song: Ultima Version by Jenifer Avila

asia, travel

Our Ten Minutes in North Korea

Leave a comment

“It is easy to go over the border. It’s much harder to come back,” the guide teases.

As I look on to the thin stretch of elevated concrete, that crucial marker that keeps the peace for one of the most volatile feuds still existing in the world, flimsy is the word that comes to mind. It almost beckons you to at least try to violate it. Well, I say almost, if not for the stern-faced soldiers gravely guarding the demarcation line. They are staggered all over the Joint Security Area (JSA), one of the few things which North Korea and South Korea both agreed to share. Tension hangs thick in the air; the soldiers breathe this in all-day.
Continue reading Our Ten Minutes in North Korea →

asia, travel, video

Wow, Hualien! The Vid

Leave a comment

I only have love for this country of which I’ve seen so little, but has wowed me immensely. This is for all the new friends we met at Hualien County in Taiwan. I await the day when we can explore more of your lovely, stunning country.

If you want to read more about our adventures in Hualien County, hop over to my blog post over here.

Song: Peach Plum Pear by Jenifer Avila

asia, travel

Wow, Hualien!

1 Comment

River Tracing

How Taiwan isn’t rolling off everyone’s tongues when they speak of adventure trips in Asia is a bit baffling. In the brief time I’ve spent overall in this country, I’ve seen stunning landscapes, met inspiring people, and took part in memorable traditions. Hualien County, around 2-3 hours by train from urban Taipei, is one of such little-known places, but one I would urge all my friends to see.
Continue reading Wow, Hualien! →

asia, travel

10 Bali Adventures that Will Make You Keep Coming Back

Leave a comment

Meet Ferdy. (He's the one with the baseball cap.)
Meet Ferdy. (He’s the one with the baseball cap.)

Before I get to the list, there’s one important thing I need to share — Ferdy. That’s the only name you’ll ever need to know in Bali.

Ours was a serendipitous meeting — we were a group of six stranded in Jimbaran, at the mercy of the overpriced taxis that lurked outside the restaurants. That was, until Ferdy came along in his Bluebird cab to drop off his passengers.

“Six, can?” – Us
“Can!” – Ferdy

And with three words, a bond was formed.

Ferdy had a smiling rest-face, which puts you at ease at once. We liked him so much that we hired him to be our driver/guide for the whole of the next day. He was honest, cheerful, and extremely generous the whole time, as if he were taking long-time friends around to see his home. I can honestly say that our trip wouldn’t have been as memorable if we didn’t get to know Ferdy.

Okay, now that you know the best driver-slash-guide in Bali, it’s time to explore! The island is simply humungous. For the six visits I’ve made to Bali, I’ve barely scratched the surface. It’s uncanny: each time I go, I find around 5 more things to do when I return to the Island of the Gods.

Here are ten suggestions on how you can make your own Balinese adventure unforgettable, based on the knockout experiences that made me come back for more (I’ve listed them in no particular order):

1. Paraglide at Timbis Beach

A sure way to get a Bali high is to paraglide at Timbis Beach. It sounds crazy to jump off a bluff, but once you soar above the hills and the sea, over the ridiculously expensive cliffside mansions, then it will all make sense. If you’re lucky, your tandem instructor may let you take the reins and control the chute for a bit. If you’re extremely lucky, you may even get to literally touch the clouds! This adventure is time-dependent; paragliding season in Timbis Beach is from May to October.

Back in 2010, we paid ~USD100 for a tandem flight; contact Bali Paragliding Adventure for the latest rates.

Continue reading 10 Bali Adventures that Will Make You Keep Coming Back →

asia, travel

Prowlin’ and Chowin’ in Chiang Mai

Leave a comment

Zabb-e-lee cooking class

It was a strange feeling — heading to Thailand and knowing that I didn’t come here to saunter at the beach, nor to hit the flea market. Instead, I was making a beeline for something far away from the waves and the skyline — onto the mountainous state of Chiang Mai.

If Bangkok is the kingdom’s Fashionista, and Phuket, its Party Animal, the Chiang Mai would be the Flower Child. With a laid-back cool, it bids you to take things slow. Ever so gently, you find that you’ve turned from the bucket-bearing all-night-reveler, to that morning person who gets up to bike along the rice fields. Continue reading Prowlin’ and Chowin’ in Chiang Mai →