A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
International tourists and locals looking for a place to stay with a rich sense of history close to Manila’s major landmarks might want to check into Rizal Park Hotel. This boutique hotel located along Manila Bay is relatively new and has a unique history as it adaptively reuses the former Manila Army and Navy Club building, a National Historical Landmark originally built in 1911.
It’s the most wonderful time for a beer!
The Ber months have arrived and there’s no better way to celebrate than with an outdoor beer festival. Mark your calendars this October as another MNL Beerfest event is coming soon. The 3-day MNL Beerfest is back and set to take place from 4:00 pm to midnight from October 13-15, 2023 at Capitol Commons Park in Pasig City.
Get ready to enjoy a range of hard-to-find beers and meet up with fellow hopheads from all over the country all in one venue. This year’s beer festival promises an extraordinary lineup of local craft breweries from over the Philippines, imported beers, good eats, and an unforgettable experience for all beer lovers.
Continue reading “Save the date, beer lovers. MNL Beerfest is back this October 2023”If you drive or ride a motorcycle in the Philippines, you probably know that the Single Ticketing System (STS) is now in effect. Starting May 2, 2023, new guidelines have been put in place to harmonize existing laws on traffic enforcement and management in Metro Manila. This includes standardized fines and penalties for common traffic violations.
The new system is currently being rolled out in 7 cities in the National Capital Region (NCR), namely Manila, Parañaque, Caloocan, Quezon City, San Juan, Muntinlupa, and Valenzuela.
One of the key violations under the system is “Dress Code for Motorcycle Riders” which has a penalty of P500 (first offense), P750 (second offense), P1,000 (third and subsequent offenses).
Continue reading “Gear Guide: Motorcycle dress code in the Philippines 2023”It feels like ages since I’ve watched a movie in an actual cinema. It doesn’t seem practical anymore since movies come to streaming sites so quickly these days. We’re currently subscribed to Netflix, HBO GO, Disney+ and Amazon, which has kept us pretty content watching TV at home.
But sometimes you want a break from just watching shows on the small screen. In case you want to level up your movie nights with the family, you can always plan a movie night using a home cinema projector instead of watching on a smaller TV, smartphone, or tablet.
Continue reading “Review + Blog Giveaway: LUMOS DAWN Home Cinema Projector”We all know that the public transport system in Metro Manila is a mess. Taking taxis or using ride-sharing services all the time can be expensive. Car users have to deal with rising fuel costs, bad traffic, and parking problems wherever they go. While owning a motorcycle can get you places fast and isn’t as expensive as owning a car, riders still regularly get discriminated against and still have to go through the tedious process of dealing with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to get a driver’s license and vehicle registration and renewal every year.
One of the best gifts you can give yourself is a bicycle since it offers both mobility and a leisure activity without the hassles of dealing with LTO. However, those who bike to work everyday know that biking can get pretty tiring, especially if you live far from your workplace or need to pass high-traffic routes and areas with a lot of uphills.
Continue reading “Review: Nakto Premium Ranger All-Terrain E-bike”NOTE: Updated April 2023
Typical museums in the country only appeal to history buffs and art enthusiasts. Visitors are expected to just look at artwork hanging on walls or stare at artifacts behind glass cases, learn historical facts, and that’s it. In most museums, photography isn’t even allowed, leaving visitors with no visual proof of their visit.
International travelers have returned to the Philippines and social gatherings are back to normal. For tourists in transit in Manila for a few days and urban dwellers who need to entertain visiting balikbayans and relatives near the Intramuros area, the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) complex’s three central museums, namely the Museum of Fine Arts, Anthropology and Natural History, are worth a visit.
As of March 2023, entrance is free and no reservations are required to visit the three museums, which are located within easy walking distance of each other. These three major museums are fairly large, and contain over four to six floors each. Going around each museum could easily take 1-2 hours.
Continue reading “National Museum of the Philippines 2023 Guide: Fine Arts, Anthropology & Natural History”Al fresco dining has really made a comeback in the Philippines because of the pandemic. Since restrictions eased earlier this year and COVID cases are down, families and barkadas are dining out all together again during weekends, but many still prefer to meet up in al fresco spaces for safety. While mall-based restos with open air dining are an option, scenic places near Manila like Tagaytay and Tanay have just boomed with al fresco cafes and pop-up coffee stalls.
But because gas is so expensive these days, nearer destinations are becoming more appealing. For those based in the metro, Antipolo is always a popular destination that has an out-of-town feel and great views, but is still relatively near the metro and easy to drive to if you just wan to to enjoy a quick brunch or coffee with friends. For bikers, Antipolo is also one of the most popular spots near Manila to bike to for coffee or weekend rides.
Continue reading “Food Trip: Where to eat in Antipolo (updated 2023)”NOTE: The article below and most photos were taken during various pre-pandemic visits, but I’ve updated the latest guidelines and rates with information available as of January 2023.
After almost three years of socially distanced dining and making do with home delivery, this is the year to reconnect with family and friends for weekend food trips. While some well-loved establishments along Maginhawa, the “eat street” permanently closed, other restaurants adapted by providing more al fresco dining options or shifting to delivery. Others, which shut their doors, have reopened or branched out.
Here are a few new restaurants and old favorites around the Maginhawa and Malingap neighborhood of Teacher’s Village and nearby UP Diliman in Quezon City where you can go food tripping this 2023.
Continue reading “Where to eat in Maginhawa: Top restaurants to try in 2023”
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