April 20-22, 2009. Describing this as my first solo trip is only partially true. I did ride a plane to Laoag all by my lonesome and rode a bus back to Manila by myself, but in between, I was with my cousins, an uncle, and an aunt... plus a relative of a cousin from her mother's side who was in town for an ocular inspection of the Ilocos Region. It was my third trip to the Marcos country (dubbed as such because support for the former president is still widespread here) but it was the first time I had a DSLR. We based ourselves in Laoag, the capital of Ilocos Norte, then went south to Vigan exploring the Mestizo District, a UNESCO-listed site where Spanish-era houses and roads have been miraculously spared from the WWII, allowing ... read more

Widely considered as the Philippines’ final frontier, Palawan could very much be the microcosm of the whole country. It packs so much in such a narrow strip of land everything the Philippines has to offer but has relatively less tourists, thereby making it easier to have an off-the-beaten-track feeling. On the northernmost tip of Palawan is the Calamian Archipelago, where Busuanga Island - its largest island - is located. Famed for its superb wreck diving sites, Busuanga also boasts of picturesque sceneries, good swimming, and worthwhile hiking trips for a fun-filled weekend. We had our two-day Coron-Calauit trip on November 1-2 this year, departing Manila in the afternoon of October 31 via Super Ferry. (Super Ferry departs Manila every Friday on the way to Puerto Princesa and stops at Coron Saturday morning before leaving for the ... read more

August 9-14, 2007. Hongkong-Shenzhen-Shanghai-Beijing-Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong. The largest Asian country is also the world's fastest emerging economy. China is rapidly trading on a glorious past to keep up with the ever-changing world. And the key word here is "rapid," as admittedly, a six-day tour of this mammoth nation is, to put it in an understatement, too little of a time. But that's enough to scratch China's surface, hitting the most accessible sights, such as the Forbidden City, Great Wall in Badaling, and the Lama Temple in Beijing; and the Bund in Shanghai. At least there's more reason to return for Yunnan, Sichuan, Tibet, and so on.... read more