Tag Archives: Asia

Falling for the Chaotic Charms of Hanoi, Vietnam

Roundabout in downtown Hanoi

This is the second edition of an ongoing series of reviews on properties (budget hotels and hostels) we’re staying at during our travels in Asia, as part of our partnership with HostelBookers.com. On the streets of Hanoi, traffic ebbs and flows as slick chrome scooters weave between old-school rickshaws and pushcarts. Miniature stools and tables line the alleys, [...]

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Halong Bay: When Tourism Goes Wrong

n Northern Vietnam, thousands of grottos and limestone cliffs dot the emerald waters of Halong Bay. Junk boats ply its water, against the natural backdrop of dark green rock formations shrouded in mist. The limestone in this bay has gone through 500 million years of formation in different conditions and environments to evolve into the picturesque site it [...]

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Photoblog: Rice Terraces of Sapa, Vietnam

Emerald green rice terraces shimmered in the distance, as water buffaloes ploughed through the soggy field. In the backdrop, the towering Hoang Lien Son mountain range lay shrouded in mist while clusters of bamboo huts sprawled across its foothills. It had rained the day before and now the poetic landscape seemed even more beautiful than ever. We had left the town of Sapa in Lao Cai [...]

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Cast Away on the Private Island of Sumilon, Philippines

fter three weeks of traveling around the Philippines, we simply wanted to kick back for a few days in Crusoe-esque splendor – and on Sumilon Island we did just that. Located 10 km from Cebu island, it might be just a hop away from civilization but it sure felt like a world apart. Landing on [...]

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Scuba-diving off Negros, Philippines

ou can’t come to the Philippines and not go scuba diving,” said American dive master Gary Finney. Sporting an army-style crew cut, the expat continued to explain why, “The Philippines has some of the highest concentration of reef-building corals in the world, and here on Negros, we’re lucky to be surrounded by them.” We were [...]

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Photoblog: Things that Make Myanmar Special

Shwedagon Paya by night

Before coming to Myanmar, I had no clue what to expect – many friends have told us how amazing the country is, but only upon stepping foot on its holy soil, visiting its thousands of pagodas, navigating its chaotic streets, and talking to the Burmese, did I understand how captivating this country is. From the [...]

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A Food Tour of Manila’s Chinatown

Ivan and lumpia lady

ilipinos have always bonded through food,” said Ivan, “The best deals have been settled on the dining table.” With that, we began our journey into the Philippine culinary world. In Manila’s Binondo district, also known as Chinatown, we met up with our guide, Ivan Mandy, who co-owns Old Manila Walks, an outfitter that aims to unpeel [...]

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Tracing the Philippine Tarsier on Bohol Island

A closeup of the tarsier

he air was thick with humidity. We followed the trail that snaked through the dense tropical foliage, pushing past thick molave leaves as we ventured further. “Shhh…” Our 18-year-old park ranger, Ijie, stopped us in our tracks and pointed at a branch hanging above our heads. There they were – two furry critters hugging the [...]

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Slowing Down in Cebu City, Philippines

Heritage of Cebu Monument

This is the first edition of an ongoing series of reviews on properties (budget hotels and hostels) we’re staying at during our travels in Asia, as part of our partnership with HostelBookers.com. Cebu City, the second largest metropolis in the Philippines, is a blur of chrome jeepneys, traffic fumes and eclectic street food stalls.  The chaos and [...]

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Wet and Wild: Water Festival in Bangkok and Yangon

People covered in powder and water

It’s wet, it’s wild and it’s loud. Songkran festival is synonymous with massive water wars and street parties. In Thailand and many other parts of Southeast Asia, Songkran is celebrated as the traditional New Year’s Day. Traditionally,  people celebrate by paying respects to the elders and visiting the temples to pray or give food to monks. The splashing of [...]

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Sri Lanka: Ancient Past, New Peace

After decades of intense civil war and a devastating tsunami, peace has finally returned to Sri Lanka, an island of millennia-old temples and timeless ruins. By: Candace Rose Rardon | Originally published in WildJunket Magazine April/May 2012 e isn’t blinking. My eyes stay fixed in this impossible staring contest, willing the figure in front of [...]

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3 Months of Travel in Photos

haotic traffic, sizzling tropical heat, bustling street food stalls, megamalls alongside residential neighborhoods: this is Bangkok, one of the craziest – and most seductive cities in the world. We’re currently in the Thai capital, preparing for the annual Songkran festival (or Thai New Year). It’s been almost three months since we left our home base [...]

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Tips for First-Time Travelers in Asia

Rice fields

This is a guest post by Jemima Lopez. Planning on trekking through the world’s largest continent? Asian countries are rich with cultures that have existed long before many western countries were even formed, and there is a wealth of opportunity to see and experience parts of this heritage as you travel in the region. But [...]

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Swimming with Whale Sharks in Cebu, Philippines

n the far distance came a spray of water and the faint outline of an enormous animal resembling a whale. We watched in awe as it glided gently by the bow of a small fishermen boat, following its circular motion. There was no time to waste: we quickly hopped onto our bagka boat - mask, fins and underwater camera in hand. The animal was [...]

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The Colorful Lantern Town of Hoi An, Vietnam

Riverbanks of Hoi An

Rows of shop houses spotting Chinese tiled roofs and yellow stained walls line the narrow alleys. Red lanterns hang from rusty ceilings, while creepy lalang tree branches hang from above. Red-and-green rickshaws stand alongside the traditional five-foot way and local ladies wearing conical straw hats amble along the streets balancing baskets of fruits on their shoulders. By [...]

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