Hualien in Two Days

Hualien is almost synonymous with Taroko, a designated national park that has the most amazing views of marble gorges in Taiwan. However, most tourists especially those who are only in the country for a limited time, tend to reserve only a day in this county, majority of them doing it as a day trip from Taipei. I decided to stay at least one night so as not to rush things and experience the city in a more relaxed light, discovering why it was included among the East Coast National Scenic Area.

my favorite spot in Hualien - Taroko Gorge!

Bacolod's Sweet Scenes and Treats

Sweets are the first thing that comes to my mind when ‘Bacolod’ is mentioned. The sweet smiles of the locals, sweet time from partying at the Masskara Festival, and sweet goodies from home-grown businesses and family secret recipes. The province of Negros Occidental is known for its sugarcane plantations as well, and most of the affluent businessmen who thrived from the sugar industry are said to reside in Bacolod. My main mission the first time I went there was to witness the colorful Masskara Festival, but I would be stupid to miss some of the city’s popular foodie delights.

Your Two-Day Introduction to Taipei

I hate to admit it but I wasn’t so enthusiastic about Taipei when I landed at Taoyuan Airport. The capital city of Taiwan will be my first destination for this trip. I am not big on cities and probably enjoy it the least, that’s why I thought I’d explore it first because I adhere to the saying, save the best for last. As I got to know Taipei bit by bit, I started to fall in love with its amazing sights, affordable yet unlimited choices in food, accessibility and its people.

Thrifts and Thrills in Singapore: Universal Studios and Hawker Stalls

I didn’t really plan on coming back to Singapore. After all, I did enjoy my first time there but the activities really took a toll in my budget, especially since I always try to live frugally when travelling abroad. However, my travel buddy during my Malaysia trip insisted that we go to SG because he hasn’t been there yet, and his bargaining piece was that we can actually go to Universal Studios. He made a good point. So coming from Penang, it was only an 8-hour comfy bus ride and I am back to the arms of Singapore again!
P.S. USS pictures are not mine, so credits to the owner, Rudz!

Alone in Singapore - A Trip of Many Firsts

It was my first payout from my first work out of college. Wow, I was finally earning my own money and I just turned 20 then so I was still feeling giddy and just excited to reach a new milestone in my life. 2010 was a good year for me, so I decided to treat my family by booking a trip to Cebu, and also treat myself with a trip to Singapore. I really didn’t think this through because I thought I would be able to have a friend tag along, after all it would only be my second time abroad after Hong Kong (which was organized by a travel agency), so I was still clueless when it comes to planning a DIY trip. My plan was to arrive at Singapore right after Christmas and leave after New Year, and with Filipinos wanting to spend the holidays with the family, it was inevitable to hear them say no, so this trip turned out to be my first ever solo trip!

P.S. Might be a long post since I am writing everything in one bulky entry, bear with me :)

Modern Eats Around Albay

I don’t normally look up good restaurants or must-eat delicacies when I go on trips to new places, something I think I must do on my next travels because I miss a lot of opportunities to try out good food. Most of the time, I usually just eat at places nearby places tourists spots, and this is what we did when we went to Albay. I later found out after the trip that some of the places that we went to were quite popular. This would be sort of a mini review of some of the places we dined at and interesting grubs we sampled.

Cebu City Tour With the Family

2010 was a great year for me; I just got out of college, accepted my first job and was able to travel to my first destination, Hong Kong. This overjoyed feeling was what prompted me to book a round trip ticket for the family to Cebu,. For me, there’s no better way to share my happiness than to travel.

Weekend of Nature and Adventure at Bohol

You may be wondering why I have been posting some old photos of my travels recently. I haven’t really been traveling much since 2014 and posting these throwback travels is one way to keep me sane the passion for travel flowing while I am not traveling :( This post will also serve as a reminder of how beautiful Bohol is, I guess I need to take a trip back there again and observe how it has changed, hoping there have been good developments done by the government ever since the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit the province last 2013.

This trip to Bohol was really memorable for me because it was a first for many things: first time to be on a trip with a big group, first time to be really scared during plane check in and boarding (I am not telling the funny story behind this but my companions should know why hehe) and first time to try some death-defying activities. The planning for this two-day trip was CRAZY and come to think of it, this trip was supposed to be about Cebu! If I remember correctly there were 17 of us and everyone wanted to do different things. Good thing the guy in charge of our itinerary was super meticulous and he was able to devise a plan that will satisfy everyone's craving for an awesome adventure.

Huge credits to my friends/previous officemates for these pictures. I didn’t have a camera yet at that time so I borrowed some of their pictures.

Korean Favorites and More at Leann's Tea House (Plus a Blog Giveaway!)

It is not a big secret that I love Korean food. Aside from being tasty and usually spicy, Koreans always make sure to include vegetables in their dishes, which is probably why I don’t feel guilty when splurging myself with their good food. I have recently been told about this new place at Quezon City and of course, I got really excited to try it out.

Leann's Tea House

Healthy Eating with Yummy Diet and Goldpress Juicing Co

We live in a fast-paced environment and it's not surprising that most of us are stressed-out with deadlines and pressure from work, traffic and pollution. With this, we compromise our time and effort to make healthy meals for ourselves and our family. Many would resort to fast food, junk food or even not eating at all! Innovations such as healthy food deliveries is a godsend for people who face this struggle, since you can forget the hassle of planning and preparing meals. 5-day diet programs and juicing are gaining popularity nowadays and I was able to try a similar service from Yummy Diet and Goldpress Jucing Co.

Taco Bell Philippines - Live Mas!

Mexican cuisine is one of my favorites (aside from Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Mediterranean, and Indian LOL). There are only a couple of Mexican restaurants nearby the city that I live that’s why it has been difficult to satisfy my cravings for burritos and tacos.

Health and Wellness with Yummy Diet Fitness Party

I've been avoiding something like the plague. Something I had to do years ago, but finally this 2015, I have decided to turn over a new leaf and get it over with. I need to change my eating lifestyle and be a stronger and literally, a "lighter" person this year. I have always been hesitant before to try any diet or exercise programs because I just love to sleep and eat and repeat that routine over and over again. Even though I've seen dramatic results from officemates who followed a strict program, I always just shrugged it off and said "Nah, I would just tire myself off" or "I would just do it next year". Years have passed but I still did nothing, but then I started to feel like I have a body of a 40 years old when I am in fact, still on my early 20s! I hated the fact that I cannot keep up the pace when we hiked to Lake Holon. Nothing will happen if I don't commit and push myself. It was just perfect timing when I was invited to a fitness event, which is the first ever that I have attended!

Foodie Finds at General Santos City, South Cotabato

I was really tired and hungry after all the traveling from Lake Sebu to General Santos that I didn't bother to do any sight seeing around the city. I was doing my best to still make it to Gumasa Beach before sundown so I didn't really bother to do anything aside from looking for places to eat.

3 stacks of pancakes all for me. yay or nay?

Buffet 101 Eastwood

If you have been reading this blog for some time now, you will observe that I enjoy going to buffet style restaurants. I just think I get more of what my money is worth every time I eat at those places. A few weeks ago, I was given the chance to dine with my family in one of my favorite buffet restaurant franchise in the metro. Considering I have fully enjoyed my previous dining experience on its other branch at Pasay, I couldn't just resist to say yes to this offer. And even though it was quite far from where I live, we made all our way to Buffet 101 Eastwood to see what the fuss is all about.

even the kids loved it there at Buffet 101 Eastwood!

A Food Trip around DLSU Taft with Avida Land #AvidaFoodHunt

I studied at one of the universities at the northern part of Metro Manila, so Taft Avenue looked like a strange land to me after I graduated. I have always wondered how it would have felt like to study at one of the prominent educational institutions around the Manila area, and I also wondered what gastronomic adventures I would have also experience with a limited budget as a student there. Good thing I was invited to participate at Avida Land's Food Hunt. Together with some of food blogger and enthusiasts, we were taken to some of the best restaurants around Taft that surely to reminded us of our college days. Hayyyy oh college life!

Another Korean Feast at Hwaroro Korean Grill Buffet

It was Father's Day and the parents were suggesting we go out and eat at a Korean restaurant, both of them really have taken a fascination with the Korean cuisine! Since there were a number of relatives also joining us for the day, I decided to go with the buffet, that way it's more sulit and we can eat everything that we want. We've been frequenting Don Day since it's quite close from where we live, but this time a friend suggested that we try a similar restaurant that is also located nearby called Hwaroro Korean Grill Buffet, the place sounded interesting so we opted to try this establishment.

le sister excited to get her food

Dishes you must try when in Shanghai

One of the many simple joys I get when I travel is being able to sample cheap yet tasty dishes, though it can be a hard task to do when I don't know anyone who can show us around and when I can't speak the language of the place that I am visiting. Same thing happened when me, my mom and a friend went to travel to Eastern China. Though thank goodness for Tripadvisor and forums, we were able to try some of the recommended grubs in the cities of Shanghai and Hangzhou.

how I look thinking about these goodies.....

Tonkatsu Goodies at Katsu Café, Banawe, Quezon City

Banawe Street is one of my favorite spots in Quezon City though I have only tried few of the restaurants there as of writing. A friend told me about Katsu Café located along the same street which got me wandering around Banawe again.

my younger sister excited to try out her order

Food Trips in Beijing at Nanluoguxiang and Wangfujing Night Market

I am really surprised to know that there are lots of things one can do in Beijing. I spent a lot of time thinking what to visit next, and yes, apparently, cheap and interesting food is something that always strikes people that I would likely have and experience whenever visiting a new city. I ended up visiting a hutong neighborhood close to my hostel and one of China’s famous night markets. I was certainly up for a look out for tasty yummy treats, that’s for sure.

exotic street food at Wangfujing Night Market

Ocean View Park: Restaurant and International Doll House - a must-do at Bislig, Surigao del Sur

Upon our visit at Britania Group of Islands at San Agustin and Hinatuan's Enchanted River, our tour of Surigao del Sur was supposed to end at Tinuy-an Falls. It was lunchtime when we arrived at Bislig and I was feeling great hunger and wanted to have a proper meal first before proceeding to the falls. After entrusting our bags at a sari-sari store, we headed to this place that was recommended by some folks online and even by most of the locals.

a view of "Chocolate Beach" - seen at Ocean View Park, Surigao del Sur