TRAVELING ALONE FOR THE FIRST TIME? HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.

Posted on May 3, 2022May 3, 2022 Posted in Backpacking, Personal Journey, Tips and Travel Guide, Travel, Travel StoryLeave a comment

As the world continues to reopen for sure a lot of us are here for some travel revenge. Since we have been isolated for two years it is time to pursue those canceled flights and trips we have been saving up for. As I talked to my friends about their upcoming travel plans most of them want to push through their solo travels that have been on the back burner due to the past travel restrictions. Sounds exciting but before that here are some things you need to consider when you are going on a trip alone.

Be Prepared For Last Minute Changes And Cancellations

The world is gradually re-opening but there is still risk of Covid outbreak and it comes with sudden change of travel plans and quarantine requirements. I was a victim of this in the past year in which I have to halt three of my planned local travels because my destinations have to change their protocols and requirements few days before my arrival. One of them are in complete lockdown that non-essential travel and non-residents are not allowed to enter. So always make sure to reach out to local authorities or tourism offices of the places you’re visiting. Be updated with changes in their locality through their Facebook Page. Most of them are very responsive to inquiries.

Everything Will NOT Be Smooth Sailing

Yes! Probably it took you several weeks or even months and years to plan that weekend getaway or ultimate backpacking travel goal of your life but don’t expect that it will always go as planned (especially now). There are times that you encounter some problems starting on your check in to the airport, errors on your required documents during last minute of your departure or mishap in your itinerary. I am a planner myself but I have to say internal and external challenges throughout your travel can not be helped. As they say, it’s the journey that counts not the destination. So the best thing to do is to go with the flow and enjoy the experience on the road.

Lower Your Expectation Even In Your Bucketlist

As the saying says “No Expectations, No Disappointments”. This applies to traveling too. If you heard of the term “Paris Syndrome” in which it is a sense of disappointment exhibited by tourists visiting Paris, who feel that the city was not they had expected. Just like other places we see on social media some of them just don’t live up to its hype. For instance they may look so serene in photos only to find out that they are stormed by hundreds of tourists in reality. So having no expectation will somewhat save you from hating the place in the end.

*I suggest to do some research about your dream place in advance to have an idea what awaits you. There are tons of useful blogs or vlogs on the internet and they offer the best travel guide.

You Will Be Asked A Lot Of Times Why You Are Traveling Alone

Although this question kind of quiet down these days as solo travel has been a thing and extremely popularized by travel bloggers, there are still people out there who are curious on why you are taking that journey alone. This usually comes from nosy people thinking you might be lonely on your own or concern citizens who associate danger with traveling by yourself. In case you are caught up in this situation and you are up for a conversation you can be honest by sharing them the joy of traveling alone but if you are introverted like me or just tired and want some time alone just tell them you are visiting someone and put those headset on. They will surely understand you want that peaceful space.

Being Overprepared Is Better Than Being Underprepared

Reality-check! You are traveling alone so it means you can only depend on yourself. Of course you might stumble upon some helpful people along the way but that is not always the case. Especially now that travels can still be uncertain therefore it is better to be extra. Some of these are preparing travel requirements and documents in multiple copies and including soft copies. Bringing extra cash for emergency or sudden unexpected payments. I advise not to put them all in your wallet, scatter them in your different belongings. Just in case you lost your bag or you got pickpocketed you still have some money to spare. If you travel overseas, I would highly suggest to go the extra mile and inform your bank about your overseas voyage because chances are some banks have put their securities to the maximum level. If they track inconsistent transaction with your credit and debit cards they might lock them and you wont be able to use them. This might be old news but a humble pen can save you some time with forms that you need to fill in. Water bottle can also take you a long way because there are free water refills in the airport and your accommodation. Also, it wont hurt to call or message your airline, bus company or accommodation in advance if there are sudden changes on their end.

You Are Not Totally Alone

In contrary to what I mentioned above, traveling alone doesn’t mean you are on your own the whole time. You will certainly come across people who will be part of your journey. Chances are the person next to you on the bus or in the boarding gate is also going the same way as you. Your roommates in your hostel will invite you to hang out or check out places with them. The local people you are greeting will generously offer you free ride if they can. These people will fill in the gap you might feel especially when you are away from home.

There Are Good People Out There

Most of us must have been warned by our loved ones before we start our journey to look out for dangerous situation and bad people. I do agree with it however I also want to emphasize that sincere people exist everywhere from locals to fellow travelers. I encounter honest and hospitable locals who just want me to have the best experience of their place numerous times. Their recommendations are reliable and better than what you scavenge on the internet. They also go all the way to warn tourists of possible scams going on for them to avoid. The same is true with other visitors you meet. They willingly lend their helping hand whenever you need. With everything going on in the world these days, it is normal to have trust issues and to never let our guard down but through traveling you will see the other side of people. The good side and you will be amazed by it.

Whether you are traveling on your own or with others always remember that it’s a big and beautiful world out there. It is diverse so always keep an open mind with people you meet, tradition you experience and culture you encounter. In that way, you will appreciate traveling more and make out the most of your journey.

MT. PULAG: THE FIRST HIKE AFTER TWO YEARS OF ISOLATION

Posted on April 2, 2022April 3, 2022 Posted in HikingTagged Hiking, Tips and Guide1 Comment

Hooh! Finally! Yes, just like what the title said, after two long years of isolation brought by travel restrictions due to Covid 19. I finally got to wear my hiking attire and carry my travel gears again. As the restriction eases in my hometown Benguet, I got an invitation from my long time friends and hike partners, Team Ladaw to go on a weekend overnight hike to Mt. Pulag.

Mt. Pulag, branded as The Playground of the Gods has an elevation of 2,926 masl and tagged as the third highest mountain in the Philippines. The mountain maintains its long reputation as one of the most captivating summit to hike with its stunning sea of clouds, captivating sunrise and mesmerizing landscape as you hike. A lot of hikers I met surely puts Mt. Pulag as their top favorite mountain they set foot on. It is also every hiker’s bucketlist and on their return list if they get the chance.

The Journey: How To Get There

There are several trails to get to Mt. Pulag with different jump offs but the two most popular are the Akiki Trail and Ambangeg Trail. Akiki is the challenging longer trail that can take three days, while the latter is the easiest one which can be done within a day or overnight.

Since we have been isolated for a long time and none of us have any training prior to the hike we opted to take the Ambangeg Trail. To save ourselves with any hassle we also choose to just go for joiners event with Mt. Pulag Akiki Trail on Facebook.

We left La Trinidad, Benguet at 8 am in the morning since there was no traffic we drove smoothly until we reached Amboklao Dam in Bokod at around 9:30 am. We took a break to enjoy the view of the dam and also for toilet break. (P.s. You can do boating activity in Ambokalo dam, if you have time to spare.)

We continued to drive until we reached Ambangeg Daclan to have our medical check up. Since 2015, the DENR requires all hikers to Mt. Pulag to secure medical certificate stating they are fit to hike. You can get your medical certificate to any clinic and hospital of your choice but as for us we didn’t have the time to acquire one so we got it from a local clinic, JB Medical Clinic. The consultation and certificate cost Php 130.

We carried on our journey to Mt. Pulag National Park Protected Area Office in which our medical certificates, vaccination cards and valid IDs are collected. We were also asked to watched a 15-minute video about the Dos and Don’ts when hiking in Mt. Pulag as part of our orientation. After that, we were off to Ranger Station also know as Camp 1 which serves as our jump off point.

Camp 1 (Jump Off)

The Ranger Station is a residential area and can be reached thru any mode of transportation. It is located around 2,400 masl so YES, this hike is pretty chill. Some hikers in Camp 1 can opt to set up a tent or get accommodation in homestays. Since it is a community area you can spot some sari sari stores to eat and hang out with other hikers. Most hikers spend the night here before going up the summit at around 1 am just to be on time for the sunrise.

As for our team, we opted to camp out in Camp 2 which is around two hours hike up from Camp 1. We honestly find Camp 1 a bit too chill for our liking and crowded with other hikers so we want to space out plus we can have less hectic call time the next morning.

Camp 2

Camp 2 is the midpoint from Camp 1 to the summit. Hikers usually set up their tents here. It has toilet although don’t expect too much of it and a cabin built for those who don’t have tent. I personally find the hike from Camp 1 to Camp 2 somewhat the most difficult part of this hike especially when you start in the middle of the day since the sun will be quite harsh. It is mostly ascending but not assault so for us who haven’t exercise for a while it is quite a struggle. The view is nice. Most of the trail is shaded on the latter part of the hike and there’s a small mossy forest in between. The pathways are well made and safe.

Tower Site

If you stay at Camp 2 the call time for the sunrise in the summit is usually 3 am. However, when we spoke to locals and our guide. They unanimously advise us to witness the sunrise in Tower Site for a sure view of the sea of clouds. The hike going up to the Tower Site only takes 30 minutes so it means more time to sleep for us. Our call time is 4:30 am and going there is not difficult at all. We’re glad we took their advice since the view of the sunrise above the sea of clouds didn’t disappoint.

Mt. Pulag Summit

After chasing the sunrise in Tower Site, we proceeded straight up to the Summit. The hike ascending to the peak can take 2 hours. It is easy and can be accomplished even just by a newbie hiker. It is open with no shades so just be wary of the harsh sun when you end up hiking until the mid day. The pathways are developed and very safe with no falling rocks, loose soil and assault areas. The views along the way are stunning. Out team really took the time to take a pause, appreciate and took photos of the landscape. When we reached the summit, we were greeted with cotton candy clouds above us, a bit of sea of clouds and other beautiful Benguet mountains. Dwarf bamboos are also present on the peak.

My Thoughts

Obviously, My Pulag is a must try experience. Although, some of my friends who have been there told me that I might not see the most stunning view of the mountain on my first hike because it took them numerous attempts before they could see the best view. I ended this laidback hike really contented with the scenery I witnessed. I also appreciate our guide for setting our expectations straight and giving us tips to make the most out of our first hike. For someone whose been hiking for years the level of difficulty for me is 3 out of 10 and that contributed to the development of the national park because of the long standing popularity of the mountain.

Expenses

Mt. Pulag Akiki Trail Joiners Event: Php 3,100

Package Inclusions:

> Transportation (Baguio-Mt. Pulag Vice versa)

> Park Fees (Entrance Fee, Guide Fee, Cultural and Camping Fee)

> 3 Meals (Dinner, Breakfast and Lunch)

> Coordinator’s Fee

> Homestay/ Tent

Porter Fee: Php 1,750

Shout out to Team Ladaw and Mt. Pulag Akiki Trail for making this post possible.

FROM A TRAVELER TO HOMEBODY: WHY I’M NOT TRAVELING IN 2021

Posted on March 5, 2021March 5, 2021 Posted in Personal JourneyTagged Travel StoriesLeave a comment

Year 2021 is a brand new year and a new beginning. As we wave goodbye to 2020 A.K.A the worst year of our lives, a ray of hope welcomes us because of the creation of the new vaccine for Covid-19 virus. Although many people are skeptical about it the others are looking forward to it because it can be the key for us to go back to our old lives. But, is it or is it just another extension of 2020? Whether 2021 is a good beginning, I already made up my mind not to travel this year and here’s why.

Things Are So Uncertain

The roll out of the vaccines should give us new hope for the light at the end of the tunnel but it seems the opposite of what we are expecting. With the mutation of new variants from late last year, the whole world starts to shut down again. From flight bans to border restrictions, it is just too risky to book a flight or to even step outside.

Traveling these days is just too much work.

Before, I used to be excited to plan my DIY travel. There’s just a thrill within me while working on my itinerary, booking my flights and searching for my accommodation online but now I get so frustrated going through all the requirements in order leave my small town and to be allowed to enter a certain destination. From securing travel authority and medical clearance, to taking swab test, it is just too much of a hassle for me and I’m not cool with that.

I’m not Up For Any Adventures

Being locked up at home with no travel for a year except in the grocery store made me a very lazy ass. I already have a routine that I am used of and I don’t think I’m quitting them in no time. Although I miss traveling so much especially when I look back at my old photos, I can’t see myself roaming around especially with a threat of being infected is everywhere. I will wait for the time when I can freely wander so for now I will stay home and watch Netflix.

I’m Too Cheap to Willingly Pay for the Requirements

I miss the old times when I used to spend a very little amount of money to have a weekend getaway. In the past I can work on the cheapest budget I have and have loads of fun exploring places. This time, it’s the opposite. Aside from the money you have to shell out for the anti-gen test, you also need to book in an accredited hotel with a private room which is not my jam. The prices of bus fare and other public transportation doubles too plus the humongous amount of cash you have to allocate for travel insurance. These actually made me realize how poor I am to be able to afford to travel these days.

I’m not ready for any “What ifs’.”

I associate what ifs’ with regrets. As I mentioned, everything is just so uncertain this time. The borders might be open now but probably might not be the next days. Flights may be available now but could be cancelled the last minute. Your accommodations might be booked already but you can be prohibited from entering your destination when you get there. The guidelines for traveling changes so often and I just don’t want to go through the hassle of last minute surprises. I’m not good at dealing with those kinds of situation.

Someone told me that this pandemic might stay until 2024. I came across another article mentioning we’ll go through this for 7 years and it might be impossible to go back to our old lives. These things sound pessimistic and alarming but I am hoping and praying for a better situation in the near future so we can go on adventures again.

MUSIC VIDEOS THAT WILL MAKE YOU WISH YOU ARE TRAVELING RIGHT NOW!

Posted on January 9, 2021 Posted in Backpacking, Hiking, Personal Journey, TravelTagged Backpacking, Music Videos, Southeast Asia, TravelLeave a comment

With most of us still on quarantine we can’t help but to wish to be on holiday somewhere except our house. Given the situation all we can do for now is to reminisce the old days when we used to have all the freedom to be anywhere in the world. As we wait and hope for this pandemic to be over, here are the good old music and their videos to enjoy and remind us how traveling used to be.

I Got U by Duke Dumont ft. Jax Jones

This music video will remind us how good life was before pandemic happened. How a lot of us are wishing to escape that city life and spend holidays in the tropics. With the world shut down and border restrictions, how we wish we have that VR giving us a close to reality experience of the tropics. Resort living, white sand beach, swimming in a clear blue water and sipping cocktails on beach parties, you would wish you are in Bangkok and Phuket, Thailand right now where it was shot.

Perfect Strangers by Jonas Blue ft. JP Cooper

This is literally a story of travel romance a lot of backpackers can relate to. When a man and a woman traveling on their own cross paths, and ended up being together or maybe just another casual travel fling. As travelers, we can totally relate to the music video scenes where a traveller got attracted to a fellow traveler at first sight. Keep on bumping on the same stranger in different places and having mutual connection that usually ends up hitting it off together. Watching the music video makes me miss dating on the road such as a day hike, a motorbike city tour or simply just watching the sunset together by the beach. Whether it’s a casual travel fling or start of something serious, you can never deny that travel date is the best date ever.

Guns and Roses by Helly Luv & Ardian Bujupi

The first impression I got in this Kurdish song basing on the title is drugs and killing. (Please don’t come after me for thinking that way.) Thanks to Google translator and the English part of the song I came to understand it’s about working hard and luxury living. However the best thing that hooks me into the music video of this song is the location. It features fast cars in the desert, sailing in luxury yacht and simply enjoying life. This song can be an inspiration to hustle now and enjoy our travels later when everything is back to old normal.

Tropical Love by Nadro and Timmy Commerford

The lyric of this song is a message for those who want to travel long term, book one way ticket and never look back. Aside from the lyrics the views in its music video are also spectacular. Beaches, safaris, waterfalls plus a drone shot of Table Mountain in South Africa. Remember the time when you were waking up with the view from a villa in Bali Indonesia? The next thing you know you are catching a flight to South America. Ahhh, The good old days!

Sweet Chin Music by Kid Ink

This 3-minute track features Kid Ink rapping in the bustling city of Bangkok showing the busy streets filled with tuktuks, temples and hustling people.

If Life Is Too Short (Cover) by Music Travel Love

A cover song of the original 90’s soundtrack of The Mofats by Music Travel Love features the foggy view of the Pu Chi Fa Mountain in Chang Rai, Thailand. The mountain is well known for many tourists catching the glimpse of the sea mist at dawn. If you are on a hunt for acoustic versions of songs in the 90’s with top notch sceneries on their background check more of Music Travel Love videos on YouTube.

Lean On by Major Lazer & DJ Snake Feat. MØ

The 18^th most viewed video on YouTube is a track shot in the beautiful state of Maharashtra, India. Although some scenes were filmed in the Golden Hall of Stockholm City Hall, the musicians showcased their modernized Bollywood dance. Major Lazer mentioned that they were always been a culture mash up and to them, India feels like some kind of special creature with one foot in history and one firmly in the future.

Came Here For Love by Sigala, Ella Eyre

Sigala and Ella Eyre released this song in 2017 and it is still on my playlist up to this date. The song says “I came here for love.” And for the love of traveling we will surely appreciate the music video that was filmed in the colorful houses of Las Palmitas neighborhood in Pachuca, México. It will remind us of the other colorful neighborhood in South America such as the Favela in Brazil and the hillside houses in Lima, Peru.

This Girl by Kungs vs Cookin’ on 3 Burners

The remix of this track has the catchiest beat of all. I don’t remember anyone not liking this song when I introduced it to them way back years ago. The music video shows a boy and girl meeting on a cruise ship then later became a couple. When the ship reached the shore, they explored the land, coming across lakes and hills. They later discovered a cave and begin dancing in the cave over a bonfire. It shows another travel fling but this time focused on young flame. Well, it can’t be helped and a lot of travelers are aware of that. The stunning place is the Greek island of Milos, in the Cyclades.

Nobody to Love by Sigma

Although the lyric of the song is repetitive, the music video exhibits a fresh view of Cape Town in South Africa. It shows two girls on a road trip enjoying life and some African dancing talent. The message of the song is probably when you got nobody to love go grab your bff and hit the road together.

*Bonus: If you are into EDM check out EDM Crusher on YouTube. The channel has great travel music video uploads.

I QUIT SOCIAL MEDIA AMIDST PANDEMIC AND HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED.

Posted on November 28, 2020March 4, 2021 Posted in Personal JourneyLeave a comment

Social media has been a part of most of us since its birth in 2009. With them installed in our smartphone we can easily access up-to-date information, see people’s posts and share things about our lives. It made us keep up with each other’s lives even from far distance. However with the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus it becomes an overwhelming information overload from heartbreaking news, political controversy to personal rants. Although there are still positive posts available to lighten up the day, they are easily buried when an update about the virus is uploaded.

WHY I QUIT?

As of this writing I haven’t been on social media for more than 5 months already. Since the outbreak in March social media became a toxic place to check in and unfortunately I also became that toxic person who complains about the situation. For months being locked up at home and still having an alarming rise of positive cases, I can’t help but to put my frustrations on social media. For me the more increase in positive cases means the longer it takes for us to get out from this dark tunnel we are stuck in. I became very opinionated in a bad way constantly battling with people I don’t even know on the comments section of news articles. Things got worse for me when I see my friends’ posts overseas back in June when they can already do non-essential travels domestically and nearby countries because the borders are already open for them. I know that FOMO should not be present in this time of pandemic but as much as I am happy for them doing fine and having the freedom to roam, I find myself pitiful for not being able to step outside. My mental well-being and productivity was affected badly. I realized I have to do something about it so I quit.

HOW I QUIT?

I thoughtfully consider a lot of things before quitting such as where to get updates and information. Social media is the fastest and most accessible source of up-to-date information. I still want to be informed so I watch news on T.V and read articles that appear on my Google app. I also subscribed to a local news blog in my hometown that regularly post announcements from the mayor’s office and regional Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) including scheduled power interruptions.

For the moment of truth, I don’t want to just disappear online leaving my friends wondering what happened to me so I posted both on my Facebook and InstaGram that I will be taking a break from social media. I apologized in advance for any messages that I can’t read in the future but I assure them that they can reach me thru my phone number. Right after that I uninstalled all my social media accounts including Messenger and Whatsapp. I decided to include my messaging apps to experience living offline more.

WHAT HAPPENED?

CONSTANT DEBATE WHETHER TO GO BACK TO SOCIAL MEDIA OR NOT

The first two weeks is a continuous argument within me if I should re-install and log in to my accounts again. I am worried if I am getting enough information or I am missing out with important ones. However, when a close friend mentioned how stressful it is to open Facebook. I figured out I am on the right track.

I LOGGED IN TWICE

I had two “cheat days” on my social media cut back. On Day 6 and 24, my two close friends from overseas were having their birthdays. I re-installed my InstaGram to send them my best birthday wishes since it is the only way we can connect. Upon receiving their replies, I immediately uninstall my account again. That way, I can save myself from any post that can trigger me because to be honest I am not yet confident that I am mentally and emotionally stable from what is happening at that time.

I GOT THINGS DONE

For a short amount of time, I was able to have my anti-flu vaccine, visit my dentist and take my glasses to my ophthalmologist. These are essential appointments I put in the back burner believing I don’t have time. But the truth is, I got distracted with the notifications that appear on my screen. I spend hours and hours browsing on social media starting when I woke up and in between my daily task not realizing how much time was already wasted. When I quit, I got more time for meaningful task to be done and build productive routine.

MY PHONE BATTERY LASTED LONGER

During my social media detox the main function of my phone is an alarm clock for work. I still receive messages from work thru skype and e-mails so I use it to communicate with my boss and some friends. I also use it to read news from Google and watch YouTube videos on my free time at work. Surprisingly, I only charge my phone once in 2 days. I never expected my phone battery to last that long especially in the past when I used to live for social media I need to plug my phone twice a day and carry a powerbank everywhere.

I WATCHED TV A LOT

Since I started working in college, I was too busy to sit down and watch T.V. I was not a T.V- person for 10 years now. In the age of social media, we can say that T.V is not a necessity because we can now access everything on the internet and even news can now go live on Facebook or YouTube. But when I decided to live offline the only entertainment I have is the television in our living room. I watched Asian dramas dubbed in Tagalog and Filipino dramas, which I keep track of every episode. I also regularly turn on the T.V at noon to watch a noon time show that features inspiring stories of people in this time of pandemic. I discovered how I like to watch more on bigger screen than the small one on my phone.

I READ A TON OF BOOKS

I’m a reader. I grew up reading encyclopedias, dictionaries and Guiness World of Book Records. I also have a good amount of book sitting on my shelves that were hand me down by my friends and family. However when social media took over my life, they end up collecting dust and never touched simply because I prefer to read blogs on social media plus I became more drawn into videos. When I left social media for a while, I got fascinated how fast I am at reading. I was able to finish 3 books in a month and go through all those books I have. I also became a regular customer of a Book Sale store near my place. Something I love about reading print materials is it takes me to a different world where I don’t have to worry on what is going on. I just have to go with the flow with the story I am reading and just look forward to the ending. It helps me reduce my stress and anxiety.

I RENOVATED MY PLACE

On the second month of my journey, I got inspired with all the videos of room make overs and house tours that pops on my YouTube feed. I decided to go all in and change the aesthetic of our house especially my room. For the past years, I never paid attention to my place simply because I have been constantly traveling most of the time and was never at home. With the community quarantine that is still going, I am forced to stay at home so I witnessed how our house was falling apart. With social media out of the way, I have more free time to nitpick the things to be done at home including the smallest details that needed repair. I used my travel fund to convert my old room into a functional bedroom and work space. I never thought that I have a creative side when I handed my design to the contractor for the renovation. This is by far the most productive thing I did during the whole quarantine.

I FOUND CLEANING TO BE VERY THERAPEUTIC

I am a clean and organized person to begin with but throughout this journey, I got myself into doing more household chores. I doubled the amount of housework I do with my excess time. I cleared and dusted every corner of our house and regularly cleaned the bathroom twice a week. Cleaning became my daily home workout. I felt better after getting rid of dirt. It also made me feel accomplished when I go around the house with dry and dust-free counters, tables and floors. This task is my escape from negativity of what was going on because it made me focused on making my place better without thinking of anything else.

THE RESULT

When I re-installed my accounts including my messaging apps my messages was blown by my friends who showed their concern for not hearing anything from me for quite some time. Although I’m better at handling things I saw online now I will still not be active and I will continue to log out from time to time to make way to more productive stuff and projects I am working on. Gladly, my absence in social media made me built a productive routine that I religiously follow. There is something peaceful about not knowing anything. My social media detox made me realize a lot of things. Social media is not bad at all. It is just how I dealt with it in the past. Unfortunately, I handled the things I saw badly. I focused more on the negative side than the positivity it brings. I let my insecurity won over other things I should be grateful of such as staying healthy and still having a job. Along the way, I had deep thoughts and evaluated my relationship with social media. I figured that I am okay without them. I can totally get by. However, I also miss so many things on social media. I miss seeing and liking my friends’ posts. I miss keeping up with them. It felt so weird when I logged in again for the first time in many months. I was totally clueless of what happened to them especially when two of my friends got married and I wasn’t able to congratulate them. I started reaching out again to them although I am not as active as before. I also wanted to go back to reading useful articles about travels and watching entertaining videos. I realized that the comment section is a huge trigger to me especially when it comes to controversial news so I decided to quit reading and leaving comments on any articles to make my life at peace and also to save my time. These days whenever I see a controversial articles I just skip it to save me a lot of energy and remain unbothered.

My Life Could Be Short: How Terminal Illness in my Family Inspire me to Travel More

Posted on July 13, 2020 Posted in Travel, Travel Story1 Comment

“Enough!” I usually get this comment when people around me learn that I’m packing my things to leave our small town to travel again. My sister would even spill the tea to me about our neighbors and family friends including my older brothers saying that my lifestyle is such a waste of money. I got used to all of that and just try to understand since I am raised in a culture and environment where young people like me are getting a career, building their own houses and starting their own family so I just shrug them all off. I used to think like that too before I discovered my love for traveling.

I first got into traveling to break that boring work, party routine I have in my early 20’s. I booked a long weekend getaway to Thailand that turned out to be so much fun. There were many spontaneous things that happened including life changing experiences. Traveling opened my eyes and changed my perspective in many different ways. I learned a lot of things I never had in 4 corners of a classroom. I got so much to be thankful because of traveling. I matured, became open minded, more accepting and totally became non-judgmental. But I must say I have bigger reason why I am continuously traveling.

This is something personal and actually the main reason why I’m traveling none-stop. I don’t have good genes to begin with and three of my immediate family passed away due to terminal illness. With that, I decided to invest in two things my health and experiences on the road.

In May 1991 I was just 5 months old when my father passed away because of liver cancer. I never got the chance to meet him but I heard from my sibling that he is a kind-heart man with alcohol problems. In 2009, I just started university when my loving mother left me so I became an orphan. The same with my father, she died due to liver cancer. She’s not alcoholic but they said that her mother also died in terminal sickness. It is probably some sort of genes. The year 2015, I just got into traveling when my 37-year old sister finally said goodbye after 8 months of battling with lupus. She’s a very health conscious kind of person. She neither smoked nor drank and she loved vegetables. It just happened that she’s born with that illness.

Every time I go to doctors to get different vaccines for protection against diseases and boast my immune system, they ask me why I want to get this vaccine. I always mention to them that both of my parents died in cancer. They don’t ask any follow up question but instead they usually end up giving me recommendation for another vaccine. Recently I just finished my Cervical Cancer vaccine one of my gynecologists suggested me to get an MMR vaccine while the other wants me to get IPV also known as Polio vaccine.

Before my sister’s death, both of my parents live until their 60’s. I thought I might live that long and that’s enough for me to graduate from university, get a stable job, build a house and start a new family. It’s a very typical life routine. However because of this, I realized that my life might not be as long as my parents. As a result I started to invest in experience through traveling because if the heaven up above decide to just give me a short life at least I filled it with a lot of memories and worthwhile experiences.

WHAT HAPPENED IN MOC BAI BORDER?

Posted on June 6, 2020 Posted in Backpacking, Tips and Travel Guide, Travel, Travel StoryLeave a comment

20200602_233157-01 — Photo by vietnam-service.com

Whenever people asked me what my most memorable experience on the road is, I always mention them what happened on December 17, 2016 while I was crossing the border from Cambodia to Vietnam. Although it happened years ago my memory of this event is still clear.

Warning: This could be a bit of a horror story and you might see it as a negative side of Vietnam. I am asking you to look at my story as a travel experience and not as a backlash.

Disclaimer: This post is not in any way throwing shade or negativity against Vietnam. I love Vietnam! It is one of my favorite countries in Southeast Asia and honestly I am looking forward to living there again in the future. I am just simply sharing my experience in crossing the Vietnam- Cambodia border.

The Border

20200602_233249-01 — Photo by sunrisehotel.com.vn

Mộc Bài is an international border gate between Vietnam and Cambodia located in Tây Ninh Province, Vietnam and Bavet border gate, Svay Rieng Province, Cambodia. It is a popular and the busiest gateway from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam to Phnom Penh, Cambodia and vice versa.

I crossed this border thrice. The first two was when I was living in Vietnam and the most recent one was when I was backpacking in Southeast Asia.

For Philippine passport holders, we are visa free for both Vietnam and Cambodia for 21 days. If you are not applying for a visa on the border then your journey will be smooth sailing because the bus assistant will do the job for you. He will just simply collect you passport, guide you with immigration procedures then finally return your passport with entry stamp. However, if you are applying for a long term visa then that’s a different story.

My Story

I was living in Vietnam for three months with a business visa. When my visa was about to expire, I am advised to renew it thru exit/ visa run. As per my agent’s advice to leave the country and go back after few days because it will be more costly and complicated to extend my visa without leaving Vietnam.

A month before my scheduled exit my friend told me that she paid $50 for her single entry business visa in the border. I got confused because to my knowledge it should only cost $25. I entered Vietnam thru Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi with the same visa and it only cost me $25 with a receipt. According to my friend she doesn’t have a choice because she was scared that her bus will leave her on the border. This alarmed me so I contacted my agent immediately. I told her about the situation that my friend had and she promised to look into it. Two weeks later I received a call from her. She notified me that my invitation letter is ready and reminded me that I should only pay $50 in the border.

*To obtain a business or long term tourist visa you have to get an invitation letter from a travel agency. The price varies depending on what visa and the duration of your stay. As for my second visa, I opted for 3 months multiple entry business visa which cost $200 invitation letter and another $50 for the visa sticker. It is processed in the visa desk by the immigration officer in the airport or border.

*The fees are collected in USD.

The morning before we board our bus to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam after spending 3 days in Phnom Penh, we had a chat with my friend’s housemate over breakfast. We talked about the difference of extending visas between Vietnam and Cambodia. He mentioned that in Cambodia, it is cheaper to extend your visa in the immigration office without leaving the country. He also mentioned the small corruption that is going on. According to him he should just pay $30 but he paid $40. The $10 is for the immigration officer’s tip that is pretty common. I suddenly remembered my friend’s story from last month so I quite expected that I could be charge more in the border. I decided to screenshot an English phrase in google translator to Vietnamese language, “give me a receipt”.

At 8 a.m we took the bus to Saigon. As usual, the bus assistant collected our passports. We also gave him our invitation letters. When we reached the border at 11 a.m, he called us to take the two motorbikes waiting for us. He told us in broken English that they are his friends. They will take us to Vietnam border to get our visas. Confused, I asked him why we are going with these guys and our stuffs are still in the bus. He explained that while other passengers in the bus eat, we should go ahead because our visa application will be take some time. My friend who is with me starts to panic and doesn’t want to go on a separate ride so we squeezed ourselves in one tiny motorbike. It was a 15-minute muddy and dusty ride. We exited the Cambodia border pretty quick but when we entered the Vietnam border that’s when the drama happened.

As soon as we entered the building our driver nodded to some guys who are waiting by the stairs. Three guys approached me and the other two went straight to my friend. They started mentioning visa so I thought they were there to assist us. But judging the way they look, I don’t think they are immigration officers. They are wearing a dirty utility or construction suit. Even though I was doubtful, I still followed them. They led us to the side where the filthy lockers full of web are located. It looked so creepy but I tried to stand it. They collected my passport and invitation letter along with my 2×2 ID picture. One of them is filling up a form with the details on my passport. The form was in Vietnamese so I don’t understand what it said. When they were done they asked me money. I asked them how much. The guy with the form wrote “$70” on his palm. As expected I am being ripped off. I told them it should be $50. I also heard my friend having an argument with the other two guys to pay $50 when it is supposed to be just $25 for her Single Entry visa. I explained that my agent told me that I should just pay $50 but these blokes can’t speak English so they gestured that my visa is Multiple Entry. I insisted that I know everything and mentioned that the airport charges $50. One of the dudes argued in broken English “Moc Bai Border different. Airport $50, OK! Moc Bai $70.” It was an endless tiring debate until I raised my hand and loudly said. “OK OK OK. $70! Fine but give me receipt!” The three guys got confused. “Receipt?” They looked at me wondering what I’m talking about. I took out my phone out and showed them the screenshot of the translator I had before. “Give me receipt!” One of them responded quickly, “No receipt. Moc Bai, receipt no.” I looked at the three of them with my roundest eyes, my resting bitchiest face with my both hands on my waist and I screamed, venting all my frustrations. “NO RECEIPT?! NO $70!” They instantly realized that I am not here to be deceived so the man holding the form said in a trembling tone to give him $1 for the form. My face didn’t change as I hand him the $1 bill. As he intimidatingly received it, he pointed the small immigration office near the creepy lockers where we were. He told me to submit all my documents there. When I turned around I saw around 40 people looking at us. They must have been bothered with the commotion I caused considering how loud my voice was. I smiled at them as a sign that everything is fine.

I lined up to the small booth. The motorbike driver followed me and asked me to pay him for the ride. With an irritated tone I asked how much. “$3” he replied I gave him 3. Instead of leaving he asked me for another $3 for my friend’s ride. “$3 for you, $3 your friend.” He said. My eyes got rounder again and place them closer to his face. Before I start saying something, he took off at the speed of light. People around me noticed it and started laughing. A co-Filipino told me that’s how it is in the border so I have to be extra careful with people approaching me because they usually take advantage of foreigners. A second later there was a tap on my shoulder. It was our bus assistant. He handed our backpacks to us. I was baffled. I held his hand and asked “Are you leaving? Wait for us. OK?” He just smiled and left. A foreign guy answered on his behalf “Don’t worry they will wait.” But that didn’t calm me because I can’t see him. Disturbed with the situation I asked around if there are buses from the border to Ho Chi Minh. Gladly, some people answered, there are and they don’t cost much but they advise me to be vigilant again of whom to inquire because some sees the situation as an opportunity to charge me three times more than the fare. After an hour or processing and waiting we got our new visa. We walked outside the building and good Lord our bus was parked on the side waiting for us. We walked in and saw dozens of annoyed people. We smiled and apologized for taking so long at the immigration and delaying the trip.

The Visa Process

The whole visa process from standing in line, submission of documents, waiting up to the releasing of visa took more than an hour. I am considered lucky because some people had to wait longer. One of them even complained to the officer when I had mine since he had been waiting for three hours already. I felt sorry for him and I understood how he felt but I am also not sure what the process is like as they just collect all our documents and we were asked to wait for our name to be called. While waiting I had a chat with some Filipinos whose been crossing the border many times. They told me that Asian passports are given more privilege and processed faster than the others. I don’t know if it is true since I only applied for a long term visa in that border once.

The Scam

Regarding the scam that I almost fell into, just in case I paid $70 they will submit my documents to the immigration officer and they (scammers) promised it will be piled on top and will be the first to be processed. That is what I heard as they desperately try to deceive other people when I was observing them. The building was quite small so I can pretty much see the movement of the people. Also, I ended up paying $60 to the immigration officer without receipt. I didn’t argue since I am already tired, hungry and just wanted everything to be done.

My Thoughts

You might think it is only $20 and that’s a dirt cheap amount of money. However in Southeast Asia $20 is a huge amount. You can do a ton of things with that money. I’m a budget traveler so my fund is limited. If we give in paying them $20 for me and $25 from my friend, imagine how much bucks they can get in a day considering the number of people applying for a visa in the border. It will also encourage them more to continue this kind of business and corruption.

My Struggles as a Traveler during the Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown

Posted on May 4, 2020May 5, 2020 Posted in Travel StoryTagged Asia, Lockdown, Quarantine, Travel, Travel StoriesLeave a comment

Hooh! Where or how should I start? So, we have this pandemic that unimaginably shuts down the world. I never imagined this coming. I must admit I am one of those who took this virus lightly at first. Although I have been reading and asking my friends from the medical field about 2019 Novel Corona Virus. I must admit that I am a bit bias. I relied on sources saying it is not as deadly as SARS or MERS or at least that’s what I want to believe as I still continue to travel days before the outbreak. I even find it absurd when people online suggested a city lockdown. I thought it is not going to happen until March 16, 2020 when the Philippine President announced the Luzon-wide Enhanced Community Quarantine. That is when the tables turned and my most unexpected event happened.

I live in Benguet Province which is part of the Luzon Island so obviously I am affected by this lockdown. In our humble Municipality of La Trinidad, we are under 24-hour curfew. That means no one is allowed to be out wandering around the streets and public area with the exemption of frontliners and essential workforce. Each barangay (district) is only given ONE DAY in a week to go out to attend to their groceries, banking and medical needs from 8 am-5pm. In my district, our schedule is every Tuesdays. On Sudays it’s total lockdown. NO ONE is allowed to go out unless it’s an emergency or medical circumstance. Walking around is also not allowed as this will be considered as grounds for “Loitering” and you will be arrested when caught. When you are arrested you will pay a fine or you will be in jail for two weeks. Yes! That’s how strict it is in my hometown.

My initial reaction is quite fine. I didn’t panic and took it positively. “It’s just one month.” I thought. But that one month was extended to one and a half up to two months as of this writing and only God knows until when. There’s no assurance that we’ll all go back to normal even the lockdown is lifted. So as days and weeks pass by I noticed how I struggle a lot and raised some issues I never thought I would have when I still have the freedom to roam around.

Financial Lost

I believe that most of us are experiencing this. In one snap, we are out of job or have our paychecks cut in order for our companies to survive. Although I am lucky to land on a project and work in-house for few weeks with a company during the quarantine period plus I have some savings aside for months of being unemployed, that didn’t give me any assurance at all. My livelihood depends on travel and the industry I am in is badly affected by this crisis. My plan to launch my business has to be put on the back burner and it is so heartbreaking since it is months of sleepless nights, hard work, and labor. I totally don’t have idea when will I get a job again and for the first time in seven years I felt financially unstable.

Being Unmotivated

Travel is my number one source of motivation in life. I can go through months of hard labor and saving up thinking at the end of the season I’ll be packing my bags and exploring new places. But with the increase of positive cases everyday, it is uncertain when can I do this again. For almost two months of being lockdown with very strict implementation of quarantine policies I must say 70% of the time I was not productive. Before, whenever I feel unmotivated I usually go out for a walk to get some air and reward myself with milk tea but this simple joy of mine has been taken away. With that being said, I end up not doing much. My brain just shut down wasting my time looking at the ceiling for hours. I felt like I got too much time on my hand so the things I am working on can wait until I feel motivated again but that never happened. As a result I did not accomplished much.

Depression

As a traveler, I am in my happiest when I step outside going on adventure but during the quarantine I felt caged. That’s the exact way to describe it. I have never been this sad since my mother and my sister’s passing way back years ago. It felt doomed for not having a breather. I sometimes find myself staring outside the window crying without any reason. My sleep pattern was badly affected too. I am wide awake at 2 or 3 a. m which gives me more chances to entertain my 2 a. m. thoughts. The worst part is my nightmares. I usually have nightmares about me and my loved ones caged in a hospital. It is so scary.

Communicating

This time the best alternative to hanging out with our friends and our loved ones is through video call. I sometimes had Face Time with my friends overseas and my family for a bit catching up. However, I also find myself having difficulty talking to them. When I talk to my loved ones I just want to share positivity and good things. But, what can I share at this moment? There’s nothing going on with me compare to when I was traveling. The fact that the lockdown is such a toxic time from news, social media to people has added to my difficulty in reaching out. Some of the people that I adore are just so opinionated since we have so much time to be involved. And these ones are the main reason why I distant myself to them. I don’t want to vent out my frustrations or rant to them. Some of them have different opinion from me and I don’t want to argue especially talking on the phone is quite different from face to face conversation. There are more chances of being misunderstood.

Dealing with Social Media

Social media should be a good medium for information sharing, fun and inspiring others. At least that was how I see and use it during my traveling days. However, I noticed that few days before the lockdown it started to be toxic and became worse as quarantine approaches. It was full of negativity with a lot of bad news and overflowing fake news. I saw a post of a friend raising an argument regarding how deadly COVID19 is and yes, she’s up for a fight while another would always post the increased number of cases then followed by criticizing the government. I am not exempted when I made a six-word sentence comment on an article. Someone came for me throwing harsh words even criticizing my looks. I ended up deleting my comment and promised myself to NEVER give any of my two cents anymore. I also logged out but since social media is my only source of news I logged in again two days after and just unfollowed those undesirable people on my feed. Gladly, I am doing fine.

Boredom

Admit it! Eight weeks of quarantine is too long. Even though you are the most productive person in the planet there are times that you get bored too with too much time and nothing to do. Although there are trends that went viral on the internet to ease boredom it wasn’t enough for me since I am living a complete different lifestyle before, waking up in different places doing various outdoor activities. I am not used to following certain routine.

Fear of Missing Out

Now this is pure selfishness you may say. I know this type of feeling should not be present during this time of crisis. The first weeks of lockdown were really bad for me. I hated it. I hated the situation and the atmosphere of it. It even added whenever I check my friends’ ig stories and posts from overseas. They say they are on quarantine but how come they can still go out and play golf, some of them would go hiking and cycling for the whole day and others don’t have lockdown in their cities at all. At that point, I started questioning how the government is handling the situation. How come other countries are not having a lockdown and their citizens are free to move around while we are locked up in our home. But then I realized we have different situations, facilities and approach from other parts of the world. I should just start trusting the process of this and do my part. To stay home! I stopped snooping at my friends’ posts and just focus on my well-being during this quarantine.

Overall, it is not that bad at all. On the positive side, during the lockdown I learned to slow down, pause and appreciate things. I start noticing the beauty of my neighborhood which I just ignored the whole time. I made productive daily routine which includes allocating time to do household chores, watch travel movies (to keep me inspired), k-drama, read books, and work out. I turn off my phone data from time to time and only use it for a certain amount of hours per day to attend to my e-mails, updates regarding work and to check in with my friends and family. I learned to be kinder to myself. I start accepting that if I didn’t accomplish anything today so be it. There’s still tomorrow to do it. I constantly remind myself of my life mantra “If it’s not okay, it’s not yet the end.”

*Bonus part, I deep cleaned my room and collected more than a kilo of dust (not a joke) which will not happen if it were because of the quarantine. LOL!

LESSONS I LEARNED FROM TRAVELING

Posted on April 6, 2020 Posted in Backpacking, Tips and Travel Guide, Travel, Travel StoryLeave a comment

Experience is the best teacher! I heard this for the first time when I was in high school. At that time, I just thought it is the normal cycle of life. We are born, study in school, graduate, get a job, build our home, start a family of our own, send our kids to school, grow old and eventually die. Coming from a small town in the countryside I must say my knowledge and experience in life was very limited. All the life lessons I learned are from the experience my mother, my teachers and what the church I used to attend taught me. However, things turned into 180 degrees when I started traveling. I got to learn things I haven’t learned from school and experience things I could have imagined. Some experiences are good while some are not but one thing is for sure it made me a better person.

*Disclaimer: These are all from my personal experiences that I am sharing. You may agree or not but just saying that we all have different experiences and situations in life.

Keep an Open Mind

I was raised in a conservative environment where certain standards serve as guidance on how to live and how to act in order to fit in. As a result, I was always confused on why some things are unacceptable when I can’t see anything wrong with it. Along my journeys I met the most amazing, accepting and non-judgmental people who would say nothing but good things. I learned to see the good things in every place, people and culture. Through them I learned to be more understanding on everything whether it is cultural, political, religious belief or personality difference. We are all diverse and that is beautiful. I realized that as long we are sensitive to people around us and respectful to our unlikeness we can all get along just fine.

Being Independent

Being independent does not only count on traveling alone but also taking good care of myself that includes some adulting stuff. Traveling to new places, living overseas and exploring the unknown taught me to be resilient and to step out of my comfort zone without depending on other people. I walk places alone, eat by myself, take care of my finances and do things on my own without worrying what other people think. It is the best and most liberating feelings I ever had.

Cultural Sensitivity

It irks me when people would drop comments about something better in their country versus the country or the place they are visiting. Sure, it’s very common to compare but do you know what this place or people are coming from? I heard a lot of people being so judgmental on others’ cultural practice but have you dug deeper or talked to the locals about it? Remember that these cultures that we mock were practiced millions of years ago and people are just doing fine before we even encountered it. There are cultures that are deemed unaccepted to the culture we are raised to but it would be helpful to observe and learned first before opening your mouth.

Proper Etiquette for Travelers

Putting your dish away in the hostel, asking permission before you take photos on sacred sites, people and with other people, observing proper dress code at sites, greeting and smiling back at locals, asking your fellow travelers if you can upload or tag them in your photos are some examples of right conduct while traveling. Not only to leave them a good impression and being polite but also to show sensitivity to the space we are sharing and acknowledging their presence.

Experience over Material Things

You must have heard this from many motivational speakers and read it from many travel bloggers but it is true and I am living by this statement. In my first year in the working world, I used to go shopping every pay check to relieve my stress and be happy. Yes, the material things I owned gave me sense of fulfillment but only for a short time. When I embarked on a journey of packing my bags and catching flights I realized that the experience I have on the road, meeting new people and learning new culture are lifetime happiness and fulfillment that I need. I also gave up my old lifestyle of collecting things and choose to collect experience that would last a lifetime. Experience, I will share to people and to my future offspring hoping it will inspire them. Experience, I will cherish and will never regret when I reminisce in my grandma days.

Travel Responsibly In Terms of Environmental Consciousness and Exploitation

Something that I learned from people I met along the way and from what I see with my own eyes. Environmental deterioration is such a huge problem right now and admit it tourism play a big role in this. Being sensitive and caring for the environment is a responsibility of each and every one of us. We only have one world and we don’t wish our future generation not to witness its beauty. We have to be responsible even to our small gesture like keeping your litter until, you find a trash bin. Through the years I learned how to travel sustainably such as using eco-bags and bringing my own reusable straws, spoon, fork and chopsticks until I incorporate them to my daily life even when I’m not traveling. I know it is a bit of an effort but I consider it as doing my part to our world.

Another issue that we should be concern about is the exploitation of animals and people for entertainment and tourism. Most people are not knowledgeable about this dark side of tourism. It pains me whenever I see photos of elephant riding in Southeast Asia. My heart is also broken when people patronize tourist trap tours in villages run by third party agencies. I felt that I have the responsibility to educate people about responsible tourism. To my dear friends and readers anything involving animals and people in an unethical way for the sake of tourism and entertainment is not acceptable and should be banned. I am asking you to skip these activities. If it is a package tour do not choose these ones because if there are no consumers then there won’t be producers.

Disclaimer: I am not in any way against village tours. They are worth visiting however, be sure to choose your tours well and do your research before going. Some tour agencies give very little money to the people of the village or they don’t give any benefit at all. Some ethnic minorities also are forced to do something they are against their will to attract visitors. They don’t have proper health benefit, income and education and most of them depend on the tip or “dollar money” given by tourists.

Realizing How Lucky and Privilege d I am

Being able to travel is a privilege. That’s a fact especially coming from a developing country. Not everyone can be able to step outside and see the world. In my culture, most of us are obliged to help our family financially so we prioritize to support our loved ones. I am grateful for having a very understanding family who supports my decision in traveling the world. This alone is a privilege of mine. For years of backpacking, I witnessed people who wish to travel and live a similar lifestyle of mine but couldn’t due to responsibilities. I saw people having no roof above them and struggle to make ends meet day by day. I also talked to someone who gambled everything he had to leave his troubled city and trying to survive doing dead end jobs. I seated next to locals on a train ride putting a smile on their faces while batching their products to be sold in the market despite the fact that 2 minutes ago they almost pass out carrying the 60 kg sack of vegetables into the train. I chatted with a very wealthy young heir who has all the material things he wants however he is not given the time and freedom to explore the world because he is pressured with responsibilities to run his father’s business. I had numerous encounters with women crying on a plane because they have to leave their family and their children as young as 1 year old in order to work overseas and make money for their future. These situations impacted me to be thankful with what I have in life. I will quote a statement of someone when I complained how life has been rough on me in the past. He said “Stop comparing your life to others! Think about those who struggle and unprivileged who wish who has your job, your experience, your health and your ability. All your experiences on the road could be equivalent to their lifetime experience or none at all because they are stuck in something they can’t go out.” Those are the words I live by up to now. I must say I am purely happy and contented with my life right now. With these privileges that I have, I promise to stop complaining, be kinder and be more emphatic to people’s situation.

TOP THINGS TO DO IN LAOS

Posted on March 5, 2020 Posted in Backpacking, Tips and Travel Guide, TravelTagged Asia, Budget Travel, Tips and Guide, Travel1 Comment

Laos is a favorite of mine since the day I step on it. For five years traveling in Asia and nearly touched down all the countries in the Southeast, Lao PDR stood out and has a special place in my heart. With the country’s slow pace life, kindness of people, cleanliness, simple and peaceful living, I won’t mind coming back over and over. This underrated paradise sitting in the landlocked area of China and the rest of Indochina countries has a lot to offer. From food, nature, temples, water activities and parties, you definitely can’t ask for more. When you set foot here, it will surely be part of your top destination. For my two previous journeys from the northern to the southern part these are the top things worth doing.

Chase Waterfalls

Laos will never disappoint you with waterfalls. It has the reputation of possessing the biggest, tallest with clearest blue water worth chasing for. From Kuang Si and Tat Sae in Luang Prabang to Tat Fan twin waterfalls in Paksong Bolaven Plateau, you can’t help but to be amazed how postcard worthy the images are.

Waterfalls Entrance Fee: ₭ 10,000- 20,000 (₱58- 115)

Catch the Sunrise and Sunset in Mt. Phousi

The most stunning ig worthy view is the sunrise and sunset of Mt. Phousi in Luang Prabang. Hiking up the temple on top of it will bring you closer to witness the huge sun rising and setting. I would advise to get there earlier because along the way you will surely stop to take photos and appreciate the overlooking beauty of Luang Prabang. Be sure to check out the temples you pass by while going up the hill and get a nice spot while waiting for the sun.

Entrance Fee: ₭ 20,000 (₱115)

Learn to Cook Authentic Laotian Food

Isn’t it frustrating to know that you can never have authentic Laotian food again once you leave? Well, might as well learn how to make it by signing up for a cooking class. Many restaurants in Vientiane and Luang Prabang offer 4-hour small group classes. The class covers picking ingredients to the garden or local market, learning about local herbs and produce that makes the dishes flavorful and interactive know-how discussion with local chefs to gain more understanding about the dish. It is a perfectexperience especially for those who love to cook. Who knows this might land to be your next business. *wink wink

Cooking class: $60-80 (₱3000-4000)

Tubing

Tubing is one of the signature activities in Laos. Vang Vieng Province, the center of water activities offerscountless package tours for tubing. There are many ways to enjoy this activity such as tubing through a cave, chilling in a blue lagoon and half day tubing activity in Namsong River. Sitting on a tube and letting the river flow takes you is the most classic and preferred by many visitors. This activity includes different stops along the river. Each stop has drinks and games you can play. It is an opportunity to meet and bond with other travelers. Although local guides are everywhere to check on people tubing, be sure to take care and make safety your priority. Be warned that the river flow might be rough in some parts. If that happens, hold on to the rope and make a stop at the side of the river and wait for the water flow to be calm again. When you book your tubing activity, you are advised not to consume too much alcoholic drinks. Bring waterproof camera or dry bag because you will be soaked in water and will surely leave all your things wet.

Half Day Package Tour: ₭ 50,000 (₱286)

Whole Day Package Tour with Lunch: ₭ 200,000 (₱1,150)

Party For Free in Vang Vieng

For party goers out there Vang Vieng is for you. It is not only known for water activities but for parties too. It is comparable to our very own Boracay (before the close down). During the day, visitors are busy doing their water activities and at night the main road is lit with music from different bars and pubs. Two of the most popular are Sakura Bar and Vivo Pub. They offer customers wide range of upbeat music and FREE UNLIMITED whisky during their happy hour. Yes! You read it right. Drinks are free and unlimited from 9 to 10 pm in Sakura Bar and 11 pm to 12 midnight in Vivo Pub. They are just few meters away from each other. So be sure to arrive at those bars during their happy hours. Just head to the bartender and grab those free glasses.

Learn their History at Lao National Museum

If you are a museum person and curious about how Laos evolved through the years, check out Lao National Museum in the capital city, Vientiane. Learn their colorful history, from colonial time to their current leadership. How Laotians started their country, its struggles, how they end up after the world war and their current political situation. It is mind blowing and very interesting. Reading their manuscripts will make you intellectual too.

Museum Entrance Fee: ₭10,000 (₱58)

Lie in a Hammock In Front of Your Bungalow along the River

Don Det one of the three islands in Si Phan Don, South of Laos is known for the real slow pace Laotian life vibe. Backpacking or traveling long term can be tiring sometimes because of the amount of things to do and enjoy. For travelers looking forward to lazy days, making a stop in this island for a few days will address the issue. You can stay here to take a break from the busy activities during your journey. There are activities to enjoy in this island such as Irrawaddy dolphin watching and Li Phi waterfalls tour but the highlight of this place is lying in a hammock all day being carefree of what will happen throughout the day. It is an ideal place to totally relax and recharge by doing nothing. Imagine a day riding around the island by bicycle and lying in a hammock in a hot lazy afternoon. How does that sound? For me, it’s paradise.