Eco-Destination

Santa Cruz Island | Zamboanga Pink Beach

• Posted by Potpot
• 8620 Views
• September 4th, 2017
• in Destinations, Philippines
• No Comments

Santa Cruz Island in Zamboanga City is famed for its pink sand beach. But it only allows 400 visitors per day to keep its environment healthy. What if you don’t make the cut? Many of us are used to visiting holiday islands anytime we want. We always think that...

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Accommodation

Vacation Home Rentals in Baguio | Forest Cabin Holiday Home

• Posted by Potpot
• 8204 Views
• September 2nd, 2017
• in Accomodations, Bed & Breakfast, Reviews
• No Comments

From family residences to condominium units, listings of vacation home rentals in Baguio City are dizzyingly long. But certainly there aren’t a lot of American cottages or log cabins out there that are available for short-term rents. I always stay in hotels everytime I visit Baguio. But I have...

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Destination

Dazaifu, Japan | Detour to a Pretty Town

• Posted by Potpot
• 3033 Views
• August 31st, 2017
• in Destinations, Japan
• No Comments

“Wisteria season had ended & the park already closed down to tourists yesterday”, said the lady at the tourist desk in Fukuoka bus station. In an instant, I felt soaked in a bucket of ice. “Visit Dazaifu instead, it’s lovely there too.” I traveled by plane all the way...

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Eco-Destination

Matnog, Sorsogon | Beach Tale on Luzon’s Tail

• Posted by Potpot
• 8183 Views
• August 29th, 2017
• in Destinations, Philippines
• 2 Comments

Matnog is Luzon’s gateway to Visayas. In the past, it only served as a link between Sorsogon & Samar ferrying thousands of passengers & tons of goods. But today, tourism is changing the way people spend time in this small coastal town. San Bernardino Strait separates the islands of...

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Ecotourism

Prieto Diaz | Sorsogon’s Eco-Community Model

• Posted by Potpot
• 15284 Views
• August 27th, 2017
• in Destinations, Philippines
• No Comments

If there is one thing that the Philippines must learn from a small town in Sorsogon called Prieto Diaz, that would be ecological resource management. Sure, only a few may have heard of this town but behind its invisibility is a community that truly cares for nature & its...

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Hotel Review

1A Express Hotel | Where Less is More

• Posted by Potpot
• 5206 Views
• August 26th, 2017
• in Accomodations, Resorts/Hotels, Reviews
• No Comments

Who else wants easy breezy check-in & check-out, fast but courteous service & a no-frill chic hotel room? At 1A Express Hotel, these standards of hotel living are held high, setting them refreshingly apart from other business hotels in Cagayan de Oro City. 1A Express Hotel is the newest...

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Destination

Calbayog City | Samar’s Brightest Waray Sunshine

• Posted by Potpot
• 20774 Views
• August 20th, 2017
• in Destinations, Philippines
• 4 Comments

Calbayog City is one town I am honestly having a hard time describing. I am groping for the best word that perfectly fits that feeling of being in a hustling urban setting yet it secretly traps you with whimsical charm & dawdling velocity. I have visited Calbayog City quite...

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Surf Community

Surfing in Gubat, Sorsogon | Riding Waves & Chasing Dreams

• Posted by Potpot
• 8347 Views
• August 10th, 2017
• in Community, People
• No Comments

Meet Vea, Yrron & Greg. They are 14 & now on Grade 8. And they’re neither the kids towed by chihuahua-trotting mamas, nor those who can get what they want by just firing tantrums. But these kids despite living in inadequateness are the stars of surfing in Gubat, Sorsogon....

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Accommodation

La Edley | Legazpi City Home Resort

• Posted by Potpot
• 10821 Views
• July 31st, 2017
• in Accomodations, Budget Hostels, Reviews
• One Comment

I used to stay in big brand hotels in the past whenever I visit Legazpi City. But then there are times when I don’t need those fancy decors, canned spiels & prim niceties. Sometimes, all I want is a simple place like La Edley. In the Legazpi leg of...

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Travel Tips

Mayon ATV Tours | Tips for Real Fun Adventure

• Posted by Potpot
• 7596 Views
• July 30th, 2017
• in Destinations, Philippines
• No Comments

Mayon ATV tours are surely the hottest ways to experience Mayon Volcano. It’s thrilling, fun-filled & gives you that one cool moment to play dirty. Truly, gone are the days when you only marvel at the world’s most perfect cone-shaped volcano from afar. Infact, today, any trip to see...

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Destination

Naga City | Exploring Naga with Camsur Viaje & Tours

• Posted by Potpot
• 6095 Views
• July 28th, 2017
• in Destinations, Philippines
• No Comments

Just by the mention of the place Naga City, 3 things instantly come to one’s mind: the Our Lady of Penafrancia, the gata-heavy cuisine & wakeboarding. Well, it’s true. But those truths probably lack some kicks because certainly there’s more to this city than the usual. When I moved...

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Food Trip

Places to Eat in Naga City, Camarines Sur

• Posted by Potpot
• 12704 Views
• July 25th, 2017
• in Asian Food, Chill Spots, Food, Restaurants/Cafes
• 4 Comments

Seriously, with so many places to eat in Naga City, you would probably need to fire up a chow finder app to help you choose the best value option. Or just follow your nose & be in for some gastronomic surprises! I lived in Naga for 2 years on...

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Hotel Review

The Carmen Hotel | Naga City, Camarines Sur

• Posted by Potpot
• 4076 Views
• July 23rd, 2017
• in Accomodations, Resorts/Hotels, Reviews
• No Comments

If one were to put a name on the classic qualities of a hotel, that being sophisticated, comfortable & offers sincere service, The Carmen Hotel in Naga City, Camarines Sur would be among them. Back in the time when I lived in Naga for a long-term work assignment, upscale...

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Destination

CamSur Watersports Complex | Eat, Play, Love Weekend

• Posted by Potpot
• 4902 Views
• July 12th, 2017
• in Destinations, Philippines
• No Comments

Camarines Sur is a wonderland for sports junkies, island hoppers, religious pilgrims & food trippers. But there’s one place that gathers all of them together — the CamSur Watersports Complex in Pili, Camarines Sur. I used to live in CamSur on a work assignment for a couple of years....

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Restobar Guide

Cool Restobars in Baguio City | Part 1

• Posted by Potpot
• 15724 Views
• July 10th, 2017
• in Bars, Chill Spots, Restaurants/Cafes
• No Comments

While its nightlife may not have the super wild factor like the ones in other cities, restobars in Baguio City keep the town warm amidst the biting mountain breeze. Choose from an artsy-earthy style, an old-school pub hangout, modern watering hole theme & a lot more. From noisy to...

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Food Trip

Chavacano Cuisine | Zamboanga’s Gastronomic Souvenir

• Posted by Potpot
• 17610 Views
• June 30th, 2017
• in Asian Food, Chill Spots, Food, Restaurants/Cafes
• 2 Comments

Chavacano cuisine is more than just that eternally delicious seafood on a platter. It is also about their heirloom recipes & centuries worth of kitchen stories. It is about their people & place. Above all, it is about the episodes of cultural influences that continue to shape Zamboanga’s culinary...

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Destination

Fukuoka | A Trip for Hakata Ramen and More

• Posted by Potpot
• 5883 Views
• May 22nd, 2017
• in Destinations, Japan
• 2 Comments

The pleasure of slurping thick & creamy tonkotsu broth was a delicious thought to noodle over as the train sped through the sparkling urbanscape of Fukuoka. After a few connections & a short walk in a maze of skyscrapers & temples, I found Kashima Honkan, my hostel right in...

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Events

Anthony Bourdain comes to Manila for World Streetfood Congress 2017

• Posted by Potpot
• 2338 Views
• May 21st, 2017
• in Arts and Culture, Festivals, Lifestyle Events
• No Comments

TV personality & celebrity chef, Anthony Bourdain is gracing this year’s World Street Food Congress 2017 (WSFC17) to be held in Manila from May 31 to June 4.  He will meet the media, food vendors and partners at a town hall gathering to present much-awaited fresh updates on the...

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Cafe Review

Instagrammable Cafes & Restaurants in Baguio City | Part I

• Posted by Potpot
• 23239 Views
• May 10th, 2017
• in Chill Spots, Restaurants/Cafes
• No Comments

Creativity is not a flavor. But the truth is, new-age diners have more than discriminating palates. We also hanker for chic & picture-perfect places to eat. And it took me quite a time, a lot of extra pounds & tons of megapixels to compile the best instagrammable cafes &...

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Culinary Journey

Kalinga-Apayao Indigenous Cuisine | Cordillera Food Tour

• Posted by Potpot
• 73073 Views
• May 4th, 2017
• in Asian Food, Chill Spots, Food
• One Comment

To say that culture is best served on a platter describes my journey in Kalinga-Apayao on the central mountains of the Cordillera region. This trip gave me deep reasons to appreciate more the things that bind & separate the Kalingas & the Isnegs in spatial relations, cultural nuances &...

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